UK - Ready to Drop is a new sound art installation conceived and created by Orlando Gough and John Del ‘Nero. Inspired by the thousand twangling instruments that hummed around Caliban’s ears in The Tempest, it will be presented at the Brighton Beach Basketball Court over seven nights from 20 - 26 August. Whilst walking together through Gough’s hometown last year, the two were struck by the energy, joy, competition, and communication of the court and its users, from basketball players to roller skaters. Ready to Drop is their response to this poetry in sound, field recordings of the collective sounds made by people at play on the basketball court and those of the adjacent dingy stand, the wind and the sea, combined with original composition. The hour-long sound installation will be played on a continuous loop each night, filling the air with
UK - Audiologic worked together with Sound Source AV to deliver a sound system upgrade at the Stockton Parish Church that delivers a well-balanced and personal audio experience for all its attendees. Built in 1712, Stockton Parish Church prides itself on being a diverse, lively and charismatic church with its attendees and community set at the heart of everything they strive to deliver, led by Minister Mark Miller. As with many historic and complex buildings, delivering an exceptional audio experience is somewhat a challenge. Stockton Parish Church as a project was no different. With its previous set up, the church suffered audio which was non-uniform throughout the listening area and speech intelligibility was poor due to the acoustics of the space. A level of uniformity was required to ensure all attendees received the same listening experience, no matter where they
Japan - Twenty years ago, the city of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture opened its Cultural & Creative Centre to offer cultural entertainment to locals and tourists. The centre is named Sakura MATE – Sakura, for the cherry blossoms, which are the symbol of Kumagaya, and MATE, for Music, Art, Theatre and Expression. For two decades, Sakura MATE has hosted a diverse mixture of various traditional and contemporary performances using a sound system that, more and more, became inadequate for the venue. The city turned to Sigma Communications to recommend a sound system upgrade, which took place over three years. The centre boasts an open-air Wind Theatre, a small Moon Hall, and the principal Sun Hall, which seats a thousand people in its shoebox-shaped auditorium. The multi-story space was built with side and rear balconies to create a sense of unity between performers a
New Zealand - Six60 became the first ever band to play Auckland’s Eden Park stadium in a landmark show in front of 50,000 wildly enthusiastic fans. Show and lighting designer Ben Dalgleish from Human Person designed a high impact lighting show fitting for the occasion – utilising over 200 Robe moving lights – helping to create a spectacular and stand-out event that was also televised live. Six60 hit the road with a dynamic new show back in January, one of a handful of artists in the world able to do so at the time, and the Eden Park performance was the culmination of that tour. The pressure was on to create a production design – which included over 550m of LED screen – in just five weeks from the show being confirmed to the gates opening to allow fans onto the hallowed turf of New Zealand’s biggest sports stadium. Production manager Leon Dalton did a
Israel - The city of Ashdod, one of Israel’s largest international cruise and cargo ports and southern Israel’s only outlet to the Mediterranean, through which much of the country’s citrus crop is exported, hosts a number of industries and a petrol refinery, but excavations have traced this vibrant city’s roots back to the 17th century BC. Funded by the city’s municipality, Ashdod recently launched Ashdod Lights, a tour enabling visitors to walk round five key locations hosting high-impact AV art installations, including video art projections on buildings and water screens, projection mapping, lighting and laser effects and holograms. Tel Aviv-headquartered pro audio company Gidron Levitan, Italian manufacturer Outline’s Israeli distributor, was commissioned to provide the audio systems for this high-profile project and company owner, sound engineer and mu
Europe - Appropriately on Europe Day, the European Parliament held the opening ceremony for its 2021 Conference on the Future of Europe entitled The Future is in Your Hands. This theme was clearly reflected in the event’s setting, the modern hemicycle of the European Parliament Building in Strasbourg. Accentuating the architectural features of these surroundings, while also adding a warm, inviting touch to the proceedings, was a Dimi Theuwissen lighting design that featured a collection of Chauvet Professional Maverick and COLORado fixtures supplied by Splendit. Theuwissen, of Hasselt, Belgium-based ID2Q, was retained by DB Video to light the conference, which included a limited number of socially distant live guests, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who delivered the opening remarks, as well as online participants. “COVID influenced everyt
USA - As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Southern California in early 2020, spatial audio pioneer Herbert Waltl relocated his mediaHyperium operation to a disused music school, where he has outfitted a former recital room with an 18-speaker Neumann KH Line studio monitor system. The system flexibly switches between Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio immersive music formats without the need to reposition any speakers by combining a 7.1 layout with nine height and three floor-level speakers. Waltl, an award-winning producer, musician and technology evangelist who founded mediaHyperium in 1996, had been planning to build a new studio before the pandemic. For years he had mostly been working at Skywalker Sound in the Bay Area, for the last five years in partnership with Eric Schilling, a recording engineer and broadcast audio mixer with a long list of Grammy and
USA - After crashing onto the music scene in 2012 and gaining popularity among indie rock enthusiasts, Lord Huron recently released the group’s fourth album, Long Lost. Recorded at Whispering Pines Studios, near downtown Los Angeles, the band has also been working on a live streaming show, Alive From Whispering Pines, also produced at Whispering Pines, and has spent the last four months hyper-focused on its music. In order to ensure its hard work and musical talent was showcased properly on the album and during its live show, the group turned to DPA Microphones. According to Mark Barry, drummer and engineer for Lord Huron, he and other members of the group, which includes founder Ben Schneider (lead singer and guitarist); Tom Renaud (guitarist) and Miguel Briseño (bassist and keyboardist), have long been fans of the quality and performance the DPA micr
USA - Birds in the Moon, a provocative new chamber opera with music by composer Mark Grey, has launched a national tour based on a revolutionary staging concept: the entire production is housed in a 20ft shipping container that can be quickly set up for outdoor performances at essentially any location. To simplify audio production while also offering an extended horizontal soundscape, the production utilises 12 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers mounted on the container and on fold-out wings. The show is mixed on an iPad with Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go spatial sound design and live mixing software. The “containerized” opera debuted at Domino Park in Brooklyn in early May as part of the New York Philharmonic’s free, city-wide Bandwagon 2 programme. From the outset, Mark Grey created Birds in the Moon with flexibility and portability in mind
USA - Taking the stage at the Coweta County Fairgrounds, Newnan, GA, Alan Jackson led a line-up of artists in the Where I Come From Tornado Benefit Concert. In addition to raising over $2m dollars to help people affected by the storm, the show was a celebration of hope in the wake of a disaster, as the country superstar performed hit after hit from his stellar career accompanied by iconic video images. Accentuating the upbeat mood of the show and strengthening the connection of the 20,000 fans in attendance to Jackson’s performance was an immersive Mason Felps lighting design that featured 36 Rogue R2X Wash fixtures from Chauvet Professional. Positioned on upstage ‘lighting ladders’, the high output moving fixtures, which, like the rest of the rig were supplied by Bandit Lites, were used to create a wall of light behind Jackson. “This was a hybrid
UK - Orbital Sound has returned to work with performances with audiences, with Hairspray leading the way. The Coliseum’s Edwardian auditorium celebrated the end of quarantine, with Michael Ball reprising his Olivier Award-winning role as Edna Turnblad. Sound designer Andrew Keister, representing original Broadway designer Steve Kennedy, flew in for the project but had to quarantine prior to arrival in the theatre. In the meantime, Hairspray’s UK sound team - Josh Richardson, Callum Wills, Simon France, Robbie Barclay and Larry Golland - were hard at work along with the Orbital team led by Henry Pierce, ensuring everything was set up in advance at the Coliseum. Andrew has high praise for the whole team saying, “It would have been amazing to be back in any theatre again after so many months of the industry being shut down, but to be back in the Coliseum, in
Israel - Israeli Opera is both the principal opera company and busiest hall in the country, producing top quality operas and playing host to some of the most prestigious artists from around the world. Located at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Centre and owned by the municipality of Tel-Aviv, Israeli Opera is also home to regular shows by local orchestras and ensembles, delighting performing arts lovers with a multitude of first-rate productions. Over the years, as the venue began to expand its music programme, it became clear that the existing in-house PA was not capable of covering the diverse spectrum of productions and had to be augmented with rental equipment. Recently, venue management decided to perform a significant audio upgrade, choosing to install the new L-Acoustics K3 line array. With the building closed due to the pandemic, Eyal Levi, head of light & sou
USA - Stryke Percussion ensemble has often taken things a step further. In 2018, for example, the ensemble used an actual airplane in its show, its members weaving their way around wings and fuselage as they executed their precise beats. Unfortunately, as a result of protocols that restricted crew sizes in the wake of COVID, it became impossible for Stryke Percussion to incorporate any props into the group’s latest show, When No One Is In The Room, an apt title, given that they had to perform in an empty gymnasium as a safety precaution. Nevertheless, the group was still able to deliver a beautifully textured performance rich in narrative quality thanks in large measure to a Clifford Michael Spulock lighting design that featured a collection of Chauvet Professional Maverick, Rogue and COLORado fixtures. “These indoor percussion shows usually don’t g
Spain - Creative Technology (CT) returned to support GSMA with delivery of the 24-hour news channel, Mobile World Live TV (MWLTV), providing continuous coverage to local and remote delegates from a central news and information hub for the entirety of the event. This year marked the fifth of CT UK delivering this event for GSMA. However, the 2021 event was postponed from February to June due to the pandemic but still went ahead as an in-person exhibition in Barcelona. Due to restrictions on UK travel, CT Spain assisted in delivering the local requirements while the UK team provided a remote production system and support. CT’s UK team worked closely with CT Spain in Barcelona to provide onsite cameras and audio for a small studio space, as well as two roving 4G/LTE cameras gathering beauty shots and interviews across the site. These signals were all bea
UK - LED lighting manufacturer, Chroma-Q is supporting Version 2 Lights with their low energy Space Force fixtures. Developed as an energy efficient alternative to the traditional space light, Chroma-Q Space Force is continuing to raise the bar with its blend of versatility, bi-colour functionality and output. Having been welcomed by crews, both on location and in studios around the world, the Space Force has established itself as a ‘workhorse’ for some of the industry’s leading rental houses. Investment in the fixture by television lighting rental specialists, Version 2 Lights (V2), has allowed the company to expand its inventory of low energy solutions. Version 2’s managing director, Nick Edwards says, “We chose the Chroma-Q Space Force as part of our investment in power efficient technology. Our commitment to providing production with access to effec
Canada - The Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre at Douglas College has undergone a significant upgrade, which includes a Christie Crimson 3DLP laser projector, and most recently, the installation of a Christie D4K40-RGB pure laser projector. Douglas College educates close to 25,000 students a year, with two major campuses in Metro Vancouver. The Muir Theatre, located on the New Westminster Campus, is a fully equipped 350-seat facility used by students from the Theatre and Stagecraft programs who produce a production each semester in the theatre, as well as the Music Department for performances and classes, and by other departments for lectures and conferences. The College also rents the theatre for dance and music performances, as well as conferences. The upgrade to Muir Theatre was completed in two phases and began in 2016 with lighting, video distribution and proj
USA - Transformation Church (TC), a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, mission-shaped community outside Charlotte in Indian Land, South Carolina, has added Ayrton Levante fixtures to its inventory of equipment used in producing worship services. TC acquired the Levante fixtures from SES Integration, a division of Special Event Services located in North Carolina. Levante fixtures are a dramatically miniaturized version of Ayrton’s Bora wash light offering outstanding performance capabilities in an ultra-compact format. Levante’s optics produce an extremely uniform flat beam with no hot spot, ensuring a perfect colour mix regardless of the colour combination selected. Jeff Cranfill, owner and lighting designer at Special Event Services, recommended the Levante to TC. "The entire line of Ayrton fixtures is very well constructed with high output and great features,”
Japan - Located northwest of Kyoto, which is known as the city of culture, Ritsumeikan University’s Kinugasa Campus recently installed a Martin Audio CDD system in two of its halls. Ritsumeikan is a historical university founded in 1900 by Kojuro Nakagawa, originating from former prime minister Saionji Kinmochi's private school. Surrounded by famous temples, its quiet atmosphere makes it suited for academic and research. It was in the Igakukan (Institute of medical learning), located within Kinugasa Campus, that the upgrade took place in the two halls. The building itself contains various classrooms, common rooms and offices, as well as a cafeteria and a multipurpose hall. CDD12 was adopted as the main speaker due to its wide coverage and clear sound which can be heard even directly in front of the stage. Several Adorn ACS-55T ceiling speakers were installed u
Europe - Robe has introduced Cuete, a moving head spot light fixture designed for use in small- to medium-sized productions, performance spaces or installations. Cuete’s features include fast pan and tilt movement that is so essential for lighting all genres of electronic music, for highlighting the creative work of DJs and enhancing club environments. “Creating dynamic effects and projections is quick and simple with the Cuete, which offers a quality CMY colour mixing system and an impressive 4,200-lumen output of sharp, clear white light, making it stand out on any lighting rig,” says Robe. To achieve this output and maintain the light quality and consistency across any lighting rig or inventory, Cuete utilises Robe’s patented TE 120W White LED Engine which is at the core of the manufacturer’s Transferable Engine technology. The Cuete’s 16°
USA - Dallas Theatre Centre has selected the CO-8WD waterproof headset microphones from Point Source Audio for its challenging outdoor production of Working: A Musical, based on Studs Terkel’s bestselling book and with original songs by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked!), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights), James Taylor and others. Staged at the start of July, the production was Dallas Theatre Centre’s first to a live audience since March 2020. Working showcases the voices of teachers, waiters, truck drivers, and other essential workers, so the production sound quality needed to be befitting in recognition of their vital service day in and day out. Away from the sound quality, one of the main considerations behind the choice for the CO-8WD was the setting for the production. “This show is outdoors, in Texas, in the middle of
South Africa - Founded in 1998 in Witbank, Heritage of Faith Ministries International (HOFMI) started out as a slab of concrete, four walls and a tin roof. The intervening years have seen the church grow and develop into an auditorium that can seat up to 500 people, and more recently implement technology solutions to enable broadcast capture and playout. Stage Audio Works has been a key partner in the technological development of HOFMI for the last several years, the most recent being the implementation of a StreamWorks end-to-end streaming solution to allow direct communication with HOFMI’s associate church in Fort Worth, TX, USA. The experience was completed with a 5760mm x 3360mm Pixel Plus Xcell-i LED wall which forms an impressive backdrop to the stage. HOFMI technical director Matt Ratcliffe reports, “Our first engagement with Stage Audio Works was when we up
UK - The Kingshakes, an old-school neo rockabilly band has kicked off its post-pandemic gig calendar. Van Damme cables have been at the core of every performance, most recently at the Hot Rod and Custom Car Show in Peterborough. Formed in 2013 The Kingshakes are a three-piece ensemble, consisting of guitarist Andy Kandil, drummer Steve Clark and double bass player Dan Clark. Prior to the global COVID-19 outbreak, they played all over the world and across the UK. Dan Clark explains: “I’ve been using Van Damme cables since I was in my teens. I was trying out lots of different equipment and found that all Van Damme leads and jacks were exceptional. Ever since that day, all of the wiring inside my double bass has been Van Damme. I’ve never used anything else because the brand has never let me down - the leads have never broken, and none of the ends have come loose.
Dominican Republic - The Voice Dominicana, a singing national competition and part of the international TV series, has begun airing on the island’s Telesistema 11 with a large roster of Claypaky fixtures lighting the show. The series features a panel of four coaches who critique and guide the artists' performances throughout the season. As part of a worldwide franchise, The Voice Dominicana was tasked with maintaining the high broadcast standards of the series while showcasing the Dominican Republic’s unique musical style. AV equipment supplier and Claypaky distributor BM Eventos (BME), which also designed the stage set, provided 24 Mythos 2 spots, 36 A.leda B-EYE K20s, 20 Stormy CC strobes, 60 Glow Up battery-operated luminaires, 24 Show Batten 100 LED moving bars, and two Axcor Spot 300s. “When I was invited by Edwin Belliard of BME to parti
UK - As the official technology supplier-sound for Ascot Racecourse, Bose Professional technology was part of this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. The audio solution is bespoke, consisting of almost 1,000 surface-mount and in-ceiling loudspeakers throughout the racecourse, promenade and other public areas, including 250 private boxes. Founded on a bedrock of tradition more than 300 years in the making, racing first took place in 1711 at the behest of Queen Anne in the Berkshire countryside approximately six miles from Windsor Castle. With more than 600,000 visitors each year during the usual 26 days of racing, Ascot Racecourse reimagined what a world-class race day experience should be. “Bose innovation has allowed us to take people on a journey,” stated Craig Staddon, head of sales at Ascot. “Since we began working with Bose, our guests repeatedly tell us the audi
