USA - Harman Professional Solutions with its JBL Professional brand has announced its line-up of guest speakers and in-booth (#14811) appearances at the 2018 NAMM show. Guests are invited to stop by the Harman Professional Solutions booth for a series of artist interviews hosted by TV and radio personality Nic Harcourt, as well as intimate performances, artist meet and greets, autograph sessions, and more. The diverse line-up of artists and Harman Professional Solutions ambassadors will include George Clinton and members of Parliament Funkadelic, Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarists Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Grammy Award-winning producer Neal Pogue, and more. (Jim Evans)
USA - The Long Reach Long Riders and Behind the Scenes will host their annual fundraising raffle at the USITT Conference on 15-17 March in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This year’s raffle will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Long Reach Long Riders annual charity motorcycle ride. The Riders who have raised over $500,000 for charity in their years of touring, will be riding 23-30 June on the Gap and Notch Tour: A Ramble through New England. The Behind the Scenes Boutique will also be open for business during the show featuring an assortment of Behind the Scenes swag and the famous Long Reach Long Rider T-shirts and kazoos. Tickets for the raffle are an affordable $5 each or 5 for $20 and can be purchased at the Behind the Scenes booth #2601 throughout the show. Winning tickets for nine regular prizes and one grand prize will be drawn at 1pm on Saturday, the f
UK - Automation manufacturer Kinesys has launched a new website at www.kinesys.co.uk and www.kinesysusa.com. This highly visual and contemporary environment reflects the brand’s identity and reputation for excellence, innovation and imagination, says the company. It will be a key communications hub for Kinesys clients, end-users, technicians and anyone wanting to discover more about the company and its products and services. Several important new features include Live Chat, Support Tickets, Social Wall and Newsletter sign ups, together with articles, opinions, news and other sources of valuable information and technical detail. This new platform was created due to the growing interest and trend for automation as a visual component of shows, events, installations, venues and many other applications. Kinesys MD Dave Weatherhead states: “Many of our custom
Germany - Pro audio company HK Audio has entered into a non-exclusive collaboration with the German electro-acoustic alarm system firm Gräf & Meyer. The partnership sees the companies moving towards offering a range of services that focus on the complex domain of standard-compliant and high-quality audio playback in voice alarm and evacuation systems. The goal of the cooperation is to offer architects, planners, project developers and integrators a comprehensive package of products, partners and services to meet all their various needs and demands. Nils Stamer, HK Audio CEO, said: "Venues and spaces that are challenging to fit with appropriate public-address systems can be even more complex when it comes to the technical implementation of a sufficient voice alarm system. Now, with the partnership between HK Audio and Gräf & Meyer, we are opening a new
UK - Globe-Trotter has teamed up with The Analogue Foundation – a collaboration founded by Audio-Technica, Grammy Award-winning producer and studio engineer Russell Elevado and the international art and genre-bending music group Soundwalk Collective – to create “the ultimate Listening Station”. The station will be unveiled on 1 February, 2018 at Spiritland, King’s Cross – one of London’s leading music café/bars. In a world where everything is going digital, Globe-Trotter and The Analogue Foundation both appreciate the quality and richness of analogue, placing value on craftsmanship and design, and according due importance to the object itself in recognition of its power to evoke memories and form a personal attachment to it. The analogue listening experience is one you won’t forget in a hurry. Mixing life’s greatest pleasures – good music with a go
USA - Wireless touring professional Ike Zimbel will provide introduction and training for both Professional Wireless IAS software and the Radio Active Designs UV-1G wireless intercom system during AES@NAMM. The two-hour training sessions are part of the Entertainment Wireless Academy sessions offered during AES@NAMM and will take place on Thursday 25 January, 1-3 pm and Friday, 26 January, 3-5 pm at the Anaheim Hilton. Zimbel explains, “Professional Wireless’ Intermodulation Analysis System (IAS) software if the industry standard frequency coordination software that has been used on every major sporting and broadcast event since its inception.” The interactive session will cover the entire program including finding local off-air TV channels and importing your own scan, band planning, recalculating a coordination when moving between venues and tips and trick
UK - KV2 Audio announced at PLASA Focus Glasgow the appointment of Apex Acoustics Sound Services as a main dealer in Scotland. Based in Dundee and with wide ranging expertise and a strong emphasis on Theatre, KV2 believes Apex to be “the perfect partner to build on the fantastic progress made over the past few years south of the border”. PLASA Focus Glasgow seemed the perfect opportunity to make the announcement at it was the previous year’s show where the initial meeting took place between KV2 and Apex. Having experienced great results with KV2 products on several shows - including Mamma Mia! - renowned sound designer Bobby Aitken suggested that Paul give KV2 products a listen and a demonstration day was scheduled. Speaking of the experience and decision to add KV2 products to Apex’s select line of brands Paul Smith, Apex Acoustics director, comme
France - Green Hippo announces the appointment of ESL France as its French distributor. The agreement will see ESL France exclusively distribute Green Hippo’s line of cutting-edge hardware and software throughout France’s hugely significant economy. Founded in 1992 by Alain Cornevaux and Olivier Verlet – with Serge Thiriot joining the duo shortly after launch – ESL has since added Paris premises to its Montpellier headquarters. In 2013 the company launched its Architectural Lighting Service, and today’s ESL France continues to offer a global service in the field of stage lighting. Commenting on the new partnership James Roth, head of sales and marketing at Green Hippo, said: “France is a crucial market for Green Hippo. We fully recognise not only the size of the French economy, but also its population’s enduring love of live events. ESL France brings the
USA - Ayrton has announced the appointment of ACT Lighting, Inc. as its new exclusive distributor for the United States, with effect from 10 January 2018. Ayrton’s global sales director Michael Althaus states: “We are very happy to have ACT Lighting as our new distributor. Ayrton is entering a new stage of growth, with its product range expanding and its team increasing rapidly, so we need a strategy that can cope with the extra demands this generates. Ayrton has therefore chosen to move its US distributorship to ACT Lighting which is well-placed to meet those demands, having an infrastructure, comprehensive sales network and a wealth of technical knowledge to take Ayrton onto the next stage of its US development.” Althaus continues: “We are looking forward to the next era of Ayrton and to working closely with ACT Lighting in promoting the Ayrton brand further
Germany - HK Audio has launched a mammoth online competition and giveaway to celebrate and spread the joys of stereo sound reproduction. The Life Is Stereo contest runs until 30 April 2018, and fans are being asked to send in the most creative picture they can think on the theme. Prizes for winners include a one-off custom white Lucas 2K15 system, a Lucas Nano 608i Stereo System, and a Lucas Nano 305 FX Stereo System. HK Audio’s award-winning Lucas systems have been used by thousands of users over the last 20 years, and all can be operated in stereo. The reasons why stereo is typically the optimum way to experience audio are detailed on the Life Is Stereo website. Nicolas Petit, HK Audio’s chief marketing officer, said: “The best way to experience great sound is in stereo – life is stereo, after all! With the Life Is Stereo competition, we
Spain - This year, GUIL turns 35 and the company is celebrating with customers, distributors and partners by acknowledging their contribution to the growth and consolidation of the brand in the market. GUIL is one of the leading companies in the field of equipment for the entertainment industry, specialising in the design and manufacturing of lifting towers, stages, stands and structures for sound and light, as well as stands and accessories for musical instruments and A/V equipment. During these 35 years, GUIL has experienced a fast and constant evolution, adapting to the ever changing needs and requirements of the entertainment industry. For this, it has a team of highly qualified professionals, with an R&D&I department that designs and manufactures high quality, innovative and exceptionally engineered products. The CEO and founder of the company shows
Germany - Dry hire company HELi Showequipment of Mainz provides lighting for events of all kinds and sizes and in December 2017 increased its inventory of weather-protected luminaires with the purchase of Elation Professional Proteus HybridIP65-rated moving heads, Elation’s award-winning beam/spot/wash that can be used under extreme conditions and in any type of weather. HELi managing director Uwe Heinrich commented on his decision to stock the luminaire: “Some time ago, Elation made a comparison of luminaires with 440W Osram and 470W Philips bulbs. The result was clear to me. In comparison, the Proteus Hybrid is the brightest unit and has the narrowest beam. It has very good projection properties for a hybrid luminaire and several prisms complete the positive overall impression. When I heard that it was also IP65, the decision was made. I see many possibilities with thi
Hungary - Event Production Forum East (EPFE) will once again attract event and venue professionals to Budapest for its second edition, 16 November 2018. With interest already high, the organisers are keen to build on the success of the inaugural EPFE, November 2017, where over 60 delegates enjoyed discursive panels covering event security, the challenges dealing with different capacity venues, events cultural position in a city / country’s priorities, touring and labour movements. Máté Horváth, EFPE founder and director at DDW Music comments: “The high level of attendees and discussions exceeded all of our expectations last November at the first EPFE. There was a real willingness to share information and help each other between the event professionals from across Eastern Europe we brought together. “Positive feedback from delegates, speakers and our spon
USA - A new touring roadshow featuring dozens of lighting, audio, staging and vision brands rolls out through selected US States in September. Using the highly popular Entech format from Australia, Entech Roadshow USA is a partnership between Cary, N.C.-based Production Media Inc, a popular entertainment media company, and Julius Media Group from Sydney Australia. For 19 years, Entech has been a key event for exhibitors and visitors alike in Australia. In its Roadshow format it is popular with visitors because its ballroom-sized footprint avoids the miles of aisles of a big tradeshow, and the one-day format respects the time constraints of most A/V technicians, designers and integrators, allowing them to meet the key people from major brands, and see the latest technologies. Major brands in Australia have come to rely on the Roadshow to ‘bring the show to the people
France - Chauvet has announced the opening of Chauvet France, a wholly-owned subsidiary located in Paris. The new facility is responsible for directly distributing and supporting the company’s brands: Chauvet Professional, Chauvet DJ and Iluminarc in France. For Chauvet, previously distributed by third parties in France for over a decade, the new facility demonstrates its commitment to the French market. “Many of our French customers have been buying our lights for years, so the time had come to support them by having a direct presence in France,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “Having a local presence will make us more responsive to the specific needs of our customers.” Chauvet France will be dedicated to lighting, a focus that the company believes will also enhance its level of service. “We are lighting people and we believe that lighting deserves
UK - PLASA Focus Glasgow 2018 opened for business this morning at the Scottish Event Campus for the fourth consecutive year with a vibrant and friendly atmosphere. Leading brands are displaying their latest products, and the programme sees industry leaders giving inspiring talks, live demos, interactive workshops and panel discussions. The latest in lighting is being featured by Ambersphere Solutions including the highly anticipated LED Ghibli spot fixture by Ayrton and Clay Paky’s compact Axcor 300 spot and beam. Robe is showcasing its all new MegaPointe, Chauvet is presenting the Maverick MK Pyxis and Maverick MK2 Profile, and Chroma-Q majors on the Color Force II, Color One 100X LED PAR, and Inspire XT. Production services supplier, Adlib, is hosting a demo room, providing visitors with the opportunity to get hands-on with the latest audio products from leading br
Actor-Musicianship - Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is to launch a master’s in actor-musicianship. It will be rolled out in October this year and will add to the school’s existing BA (hons) in actor-musicianship. The drama school claims the course is the first of its kind in the world. It is being designed by Jeremy Harrison, author of the book Actor-Musicianship. Following an initial year, the students will have the opportunity to progress to a master of fine arts qualification. This will be followed by an optional second year of study. “With actor-musicianship very much part of the established theatre scene, in the UK and America, it’s a natural step for professional theatre makers. They will see an intensive and in-depth exploration of how musical and acting processes can interrelate and feed each other,” Harrison said. Rose Bruford is ho
UK - Cirro Lite (Europe) has added Dedolight DLED7 ‘Turbo’ bi-colour kits to its rental fleet. The 4-head kits are colour tuneable from 2700K to 6500K and come complete with four AC controllers plus one extra DC controller and V-Lok battery plate. Lighting stands and gel filter holders are also included in the hard roller kit cases. Due to its active cooling system the DLED7 light sources have now nearly doubled in output when compared to the DLED4 (40W) units. Although these light heads provide significantly higher light output, the weight of these light heads is still identical with the original DLED4. The DLED7 light heads are compatible with all the same imaging attachments as DLED4 and classic DLH4 which makes them extremely versatile, says the company. These compact and powerful lighting systems with remarkable focusing capabilities have already become one o
UK - White Light has announced the signing of a five-year in-house supplier contract with The Mermaid London. The contract, which begun on 1 January, will see WL work alongside The Mermaid London to improve existing equipment as well as introduce new lighting, audio, video, rigging and staging technical solutions and products to enhance the venue’s event production offering. To complement the supply of equipment WL will be appointing a specialist project manager to handle all enquiries and manage the day-to-day technical support required on events. Richard Wilson, director at White Light, comments: “We are delighted to be working with The Mermaid London. Along with our expert technical teams, we will complement this fantastic venue with the installation of improved technical production equipment. Further technical support for clients will also be available from our
UK - Martin Audio will be hosting three open days at their High Wycombe HQ between 13-15 March. The company is inviting rental companies, FOH and monitor engineers and other members of the touring community to better understand its product range and enjoy extensive listening at its offices as it won’t be attending Prolight + Sound 2018 in April in Frankfurt. The product selection will include many of the company’s solutions for a wide range of rental staging applications, including Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays, iKON amplifiers, XE and LE Series monitors, as well as the hugely popular CDD-LIVE and BlacklineX. Martin Audio managing director, Dom Harter, says: “When we staged our first series of open days back in September we were overwhelmed by the response. Therefore when it came to scheduling a similar event in the Spring it was logical to ext
Europe - In response to the news that the EU is once again contemplating banning the use of tungsten halogen light bulbs in entertainment lighting, the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) is co-ordinating a high-speed effort to gather reasons as to why this ban should not move forward, particularly from those who would be materially affected by such a ban, in time to create a formal response before the end of the proposal’s consultation period on 26th January 2018. “The ban is not strictly new,” notes acclaimed, award-winning lighting designer Michael Hulls, who is leading the effort as a continuation of his earlier ‘Save Tungsten’ campaign. “The EU has been moving towards banning the use of all tungsten light sources for some years. However, theatre lighting has, until now, had an exemption from this ban. This exemption is what the EU is now proposing to end
South Africa - Staging and set company Dream Sets has purchased the Vectorworks 2018 design software from DWR Distribution. Mauritz Jacobs, lighting designer at Dream Sets, reports: “As a lighting designer, I have been using Vectorworks since 2014. Vectorworks has all the needed built-in features that I need to create and manipulate plans from start to finish (set and technical wise).” Jacobs continues: “As you know, our industry is very fast-paced and time is not always on our side. With the new Vectorworks 2018 they have really gone out of their way to make it as easy and quick as possible to get designs out in limited time. Once you know your way around it, it’s easy to do large designs in a limited time period. Also, the set side of the programme has many new features like the event design which speeds designing up on another level.” (Jim Evans)
USA - Pennsylvania-based Anderson Audio recently added 24 Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Anya modules to their Adaptive inventory, which comprises 28 Anna and 40 Otto subwoofers. “When we invested in Adaptive almost two years ago, it gave us the opportunity to build on our existing client base and expand the business,” explains owner Chris Anderson. “It has worked extremely well. So much so that we decided to add the larger Anya system to further our growth.” EAW Adaptive technology is designed for a wide range of applications that require exceptional sound quality, high output and precise coverage. Both the Anya and Anna modules can adapt coverage to any venue geometry in seconds. Because the arrays are made up of columns that hang straight, and are oftentimes more than one, they provide the ideal footprint for applications that require pristine coverage and c
Italy - Pro audio solutions manufacturer K-array has scheduled four molule-based worshops in Q1 and Q2 of 2018. The sessions will take place at the company HQ in Scarperia e San Piero near Florence and comprise: Installed Sound Overview and Applications: A complete overview of K-array's unique solutions and technologies dedicated to fixed installations, including project examples and sound design techniques. Installed Sound Set-up and Optimisation: From the initial acoustic simulation to the final tuning, this advanced workshop covers all the aspects of the setup of a fixed K-array installation. Live Sound Overview and Applications: A complete overview of products in K-array's Concert Series and Portable Systems lines with a focus on the physics that drive them. Live Sound Set-up and Optimisation: Applied practices of both a Concert Series sy
