Projects

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19 November 2024

Japan - With an acoustic design created primarily with opera performances in mind, the 2,196-seat Toyama City Arts and Culture Hall (Aubade Hall) opened in 1996 in the Japan’s Toyama City. Now a new medium-sized, multi-purpose hall has been completed at the same site with a maximum of 652 seats which, along with the stage, can be moved to enable a wide range of configurations from conventional raked theatre seating to a flat floor for exhibitions.

Loudspeakers from Nexo’s Geo M, P+ and ID Series were selected for a customised flexible sound system in the new medium-sized hall.

“Actually, we have been using Nexo speakers in the large hall for a long time. Therefore, we are familiar with the sound of Nexo and thought that it would suit the medium hall as well,” reports Mr. Akira Sone, head of the stage technical department, sound, at Aubade Hal

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19 November 2024

UK - Long-term Martin Audio rental partner, W E Audio, recently underlined its commitment to the British manufacturer, by making a massive investment across the latest Wavefront Precision line array portfolio.

Founded by Wayne Barker, W E Audio’s upgraded inventory is headed by Martin Audio’s flagship WPL large format line array, and SXH218 subwoofers, as well as FlexPoint FP12s, Torus, and XE500 wedge monitors. At the same time, in order to give them further scalability and flexibility, the company has also invested heavily in the smaller WPS and WPC line arrays – all delivered in recent months to its base in Oxfordshire.

Last month saw the production company’s highest-profile deployment of the large-format WPL to date – on Seal’s European tour. The core PA design is based around 12 WPL cabinets per side, with six WPS units for front-fil

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19 November 2024

USA - With the help of PureTek Group – provider of innovative technology solutions for educational spaces based out of Boonton, New Jersey – Plainfield High School recently completed a major renovation to its auditorium, along with the addition of two new spaces: an eSports gaming arena and a black box theatre.

To provide clear communication between those disparate parts of the school, Plainfield High School, along with PureTek Group, turned to Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom professional wireless intercom system. 

“We chose Pliant to help orchestrate what could be a very chaotic experience,” says Dan Litvin, co-founder and president of PureTek Group. “The CrewCom system is used extensively throughout the school and produces unified performance, from standard backstage theatrical production applications, to managing cameras, lighting and au

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18 November 2024

USA - Coppell, Texas-based Alford Media, an event services company with more than 220 corporate events worldwide to its credit annually, has invested in a large complement of Ayrton Rivale fixtures for use on its busy roster of projects. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.

The purchase marked the first Ayrton fixtures in the Alford inventory. “We have always been interested in the Ayrton line; they make a creative product, and we have been looking for an opportunity to jump in,” says lighting manager Blake Taylor. “The Rivale nicely filled a gap in our profiles line and had some newer features that helped drive our decision,” such as variable CRI, infinite pan and tilt and an IP rating. “These were improvements and upgrades over the profiles we already had.

“ACT has always been great about g

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18 November 2024

USA - The Playground creative team called upon an artful blend of dramatic colour changes and various set and video configurations to endow each chapter of the Megan Thee Stallion narrative for The Hot Girl Summer tour.

“The tour consists of three main acts that really drive the creative intent,” explained Curtis Adams, who, along with Sooner Routhier and Trevor Ahlstrand was the co-production designer of the tour. “Act 1 featured Megan's hard-hitting Snake beginnings with sharp lines, powerful silhouettes, and stark colours. Act 2 centred around Megan's Butterfly era and had a dichroic colour palette. The softer pastel-like colours were a vast departure from the hard-hitting show open, which culled a difference in mood and helped emphasise her metamorphosis.

“Act 3 focused on Megan's human embodiment,” continued

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15 November 2024

UK - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, re-envisioned for the 21st century, has taken to the stage in the specially designed Starlight Auditorium at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.

With new orchestrations, choreography and songs, the story of a child’s train set that magically comes to life retains all its original wonder, with thrilling roller skate races around the auditorium and powerful performances from the 40-strong company of ‘rolling stock’ (engines and carriages) in an immersive production that begins from the moment the audience steps into the theatre. The audience is closely entwined in the action which takes place on a near in-the-round main stage with racing track ‘spokes’ leading off between sunken areas of seating and around the auditorium.

In anticipation of a long run, the show’s producers, Mi

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15 November 2024

UK - Paolo Nutini’s world tour recently wrapped after 130 shows, where DPA Microphones brought clarity, reliability and a powerful impact to each performance.

Leading the sound team for Nutini’s tour were three industry veterans: Front of house (FOH) engineer Ben Findlay, monitor engineer Grace Howat and stage technician Chad Chadwick. Together, they harnessed DPA’s microphones to capture Nutini’s signature sound in every venue.  

“For the tour, we integrated an array of DPA microphones across the stage,” says Findlay. “We tailored the setup to meet the demands of a nine-piece band. The equipment chosen reflected the needs of each instrument and artist.

“Four DPA 4011 Cardioids were positioned to enhance the detail and precision of the snare drums, while four 4099 Instrument mics provided coverage across hats, rides and toms.

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15 November 2024

Estonia - Kuressaare Castle on the island of Saaremaa provided a magical backdrop and a beautiful setting for the 2024 Saaremaa Opera Festival, staged in a 68m-long 29m-wide 2000-capacity temporary arena elegantly butted up to the castle.

This year’s host company, Fundació Òpera Catalunya (The Catalan Opera) from Spain produced a week of special back-to-back opera shows and related events, with lighting equipment and crew supplied by Tallinn-based rental specialist E&T, comprising almost all Robe luminaires.

The Robe moving lights included eight MMX Blades, 23 x LEDWash 800s, 16 x MMX Spots and four LEDBeam 350s, joined by 24 x ParFect 100 SWs, all rigged and tech’d by a crew of five led by Andres Sarv working closely with the Catalan Opera’s lighting designer David Galvez.

Catalan Opera’s technical manager Raul Vilasis

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15 November 2024

UK - Lighting designer Phil Supple utilised 56 x Astera Tubes – 40 x Titan and eight each Hyperion and Helios – to illuminate 137 windows across 57 rooms at the George Heriot School in Edinburgh, Scotland, for Where to Begin, the opening event of the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival (EIF).

This Edinburgh International Festival production was created by Pinwheel and delivered in partnership with The Macallan, for which Phil worked closely with creative agency Pinwheel under the artistic direction of Katy Fuller and co-director Simon Sharkey, together with composer Roma Yagnik and video artists, Yeast Culture.

Where to Begin celebrated the energy, vibrance and spirit of Edinburgh, Scotland’s heritage and mythology as well as the alchemy of invention, carefully blended in with a festival atmosphere evoking emotion, inspirati

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15 November 2024

USA - Dierks Bentley’s Gravel and Gold tour concluded with its 21 September show at the American Family Insurance Amphitheatre in Milwaukee.

The tour celebrated the landmark 10th album in Bentley’s successful career, and he wanted to make it memorable. Talking to a reporter, Bentley described how the concept behind this tour grew out of a single question. “What we do if this was the last time we were going to play this city? What kind of show would we put on?”

With a mandate like that, Bentley and his production team strove to create something special, which is precisely what they did on this 30-city tour with production design by Bruce Rodgers, lighting by Chris Reade, and video by Luz Studio.

Collectively this team created a massive, wide open panorama with minimal props and fixtures on the stage deck, a potent flown lighti

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15 November 2024

Germany - AV Stumpfl’s Pixera media server platform played a pivotal role in delivering an immersive gaming experience for the recent Red Bull Levels: Elden Ring event, conceived and created by Red Bull and delivered by German event technology specialist Neumann & Müller.

The high-profile event, intended as a showcase for the new Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, brought the fantasy setting of Elden Ring to life, bridging the virtual and physical worlds with a dynamic blend of haptic elements and high-definition visuals.

Part of Red Bull’s Levels video series, which takes fans behind the scenes of some of the biggest gaming launches, Red Bull Levels: Elden Ring transformed Atelier Gardens in Berlin in partnership with Bandai Namco, Elden Ring’s international publisher, and big-name streamers including MissMikkaa, eliasn97 and The_Happy_Hob.

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15 November 2024

UK - Red Haute Glammies is the annual celebration of the ‘Glambassadors’ of the UK skincare brand, Tropic. Utilising over 500 ROE CB5 LED panels in giant video walls, CPL Enhanced Technology deployed Brompton Tessera SX40 processors and XD data distributors to power the ever-changing backdrop, chosen because of their extensive range of features and built in redundancy.

Tropic is a UK based company owned and created by Susie Ma, founder and CEO who has grown the company from 400 to 20,000 ambassadors, each selling the organic, sustainably sourced products to clients across the UK and beyond.

The Red Haute Glammie Awards is a celebration of this work and a moment to recognise the work done, not only for the company, but for charities, too. Working closely with event producers, Pandora Events, CPL Enhanced Technology supplied the s

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15 November 2024

Switzerland - The EBL Elefantehuus (Elephant House) in Liestal is a one-of-a-kind, 300-capacity venue, hosting events, from jazz performances to comedy evenings. It was originally designed to house two huge, grey, elephant-shaped generators in the early 1900s, from which the building inherited its name. By the mid-1930s, the diesel-generators were usurped, and the building became an under-utilised storage space.

It remained over-looked and under-appreciated until owners EBL (Genossenschaft Elektra Baselland, the main local electricity provider) decided that the storage space should be included in scheduled upgrades, happening across the entire EBL campus.

In 2021, after initial discussions with the operator of the venue, Eric Rütsche of Kulturhotel Guggenheim, and Architect Pascal Epple of Otto Partner Architekten, WSDG were entrusted with the acous

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15 November 2024

USA - The Vine Theatre, a 1,600-seat live performance venue located within the Del Lago Resort and Casino, has upgraded its concert system to a completely installed 1 Sound system.
The decision to upgrade the audio system came in response to ongoing concerns regarding sound quality, system reliability, and the deteriorating condition of the previous self-powered line array system. Tom Knauss, principal consultant at NV5 Consultants, was brought in to review the current system and provide recommendations.

"The existing system had reached a point where many components were beyond repair, and the overall sound quality was suffering," said Knauss. “We initially received three rider-friendly proposals generally based on the replacement of the existing line array system with new line array components.”

Within NV5’s review of the three proposals,

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15 November 2024

UK - Absen has once again partnered with carbon neutral digital sign specialist, EcoVista and retail & lifestyle destination media experts, Limited Space to transform digital advertising within Romford’s The Liberty shopping centre.

Located centrally in the heart of Romford, Essex, The Liberty, which welcomes an annual footfall of 23m, has recently embarked on a multi-year £7m renovation, including the introduction of innovative digital signage to its main South Street entrance and internal layout.

Centre owner, Redical, appointed Limited Space as media operator to oversee the management of the new digital signage. Subsequently, Limited Space chose long-standing partners, EcoVista to provide full turn-key and high-quality internal sustainable solutions, required to meet strict planning applications and sustainability objectives. To meet these

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14 November 2024

UK - Production Park has announced its first major TV commission after Warp Films, Plan B and Matriarch Productions chose it as the production base for new Netflix drama, Adolescence.

The one-shot crime drama will be fronted by an A list cast including Stephen Graham (Boiling Point, Bodies), Ashley Walters (Top Boy) and Erin Doherty (The Crown). Produced by Sheffield-based Warp Films, Matriarch Productions and Plan B for Netflix, Adolescence tells the story of a family’s trauma when a 13-year-old is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl.

Warp used Production Park near Wakefield as the main base for cast and crew, who spent a total of six months on site over the summer. The Park’s newest stage Studio 005 is normally used for large-scale arena tour productions, but on this occasion became th

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14 November 2024

Australia - The Hordern Pavilion, often referred to as ‘The Hordern’, is one of Sydney's most historically significant landmark venues. Originally opened in 1924, it now regularly hosts live performances, dance parties, sports tournaments, trade shows, conferences, and a variety of other events.

Recently, the venue unveiled a new house lighting scheme featuring 46 Anolis Ambiane RGBW XPs, specified and installed by SimpleMotion Lighting (SML), a specialist in venue infrastructure lighting.

With a portfolio that includes high-profile venues such as the Sydney Opera House and numerous other theatres, concert halls, and recital spaces, SML was approached by The Hordern’s operators, Playbill Venues, to reimagine the lighting of the venue. The aim was to replace the outdated halogen lighting system with a more modern, energy-efficient solution that

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14 November 2024

USA - Film composer Hans Zimmer brought his hit tour, Hans Zimmer Live, to North America this autumn with arena dates across the United States and Canada, supported by Orlando, Florida-based LMG Touring.

Audiences joined him on a journey through an array of scores from the multiple Academy Award- and Grammy-winner’s career, including Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, The Lion King, The Last Samurai, and Dune. “I’m thrilled to return to perform in North America with my wonderful band and excited to share this phenomenal show,” Zimmer said on his tour’s website. “Ultimately, the music connects us all, and I promise you this: we will always play our best, straight from the heart.”

Helping Zimmer and company make that artistic connectio

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14 November 2024

UK - Recently opened in Oxford, leisure venue Gallery Bouldering was determined its audio system would not be a mountain to climb, and so turned to Optimal Audio’s commercial audio ecosystem to meet its various needs.

Gallery Bouldering’s facilities include a 100m expanse of bouldering wall and a dedicated gym space plus a café. Favouring background music during the day, of differing intensities by zone, there was a requirement for the audio to support the big-screen action during major sporting events.

Optimal Audio’s UK distributor, Audio-Technica, designed and installed a system to be in tune with the space, whatever the day held. On some days, the four zones of Gallery Bouldering – the wall, the gym, the café and the reception area – would all function as distinct areas with their own vibe and background music to suit, during the flow

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14 November 2024

The Netherlands - One of the more unusual venues that has recently been installed with a Martin Audio CDD sound solution is a hybrid wedding venue and town hall council chamber, situated in the municipality of Borsele.

Martin Audio partners and audio-visual specialists, FvL Audio, carried out the installation at the venue, known as ‘De Boerderij’ – a traditional-style, 100-year-old farmhouse.

Over the years, FvL owner Frank van Loenhout says his company has carried out multiple touchscreen installations in Borsele, which is located on a central location in the province of Zeeland. He has also undertaken numerous other upgrades in the neighbouring municipalities in the region “although mostly the audio systems were not as old as here!”

At De Boerderij, FvL Audio were tasked with replacing a 20-year-old ancient 100V line system. “Al

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14 November 2024

USA - Benedictine Military School, an all-male, Catholic preparatory day school for grades 9-12 in Savannah, Georgia, has a rich history. Established in 1902 as Benedictine College, it was organised on a military basis in the Southern military tradition of VMI and The Citadel.

The existing Modernist campus, completed in 1964, was designed to reflect the military heritage of the then-60-year-old school and uphold the monastic traditions of the nearly 1,500-year-old Order of St. Benedict. The school recently upgraded the audio system in their multi-purpose gymnasium by deploying amplifiers from LEA Professional.

The John A. McCarthy, Jr. Gymnasium is an important facility for the school's athletic programmes and events. It is also a focal point for fostering school spirit and community engagement. It hosts events that bring together students, faculty,

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14 November 2024

UAE - INFiLED provided the backbone for Jason Derulo’s performance at EarthSoul, the region’s premier eco-conscious music festival, which made its debut at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena few months ago.

Aligning with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, EarthSoul also featured regional stars like Shae Gill, Arqam, and Celine Dee Matahari, who added to the excitement of the night.

At the heart of this concert was INFiLED’s LED technology, playing a crucial role in making Jason Derulo’s performance a memorable experience. Tasked with creating an upstage LED wall, along with image screens and several LED front walls for the band and dancer rises, was SLS Production, the AVL partner for the event.

“The installation process was smooth and efficient,” says Edgar Pulido, head of video department at SLS Production, who turned to INFiLED’s rel

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13 November 2024

World - Pearl Jam embarked on their Dark Matter world tour in May, sharing their introspective brand of rock with audiences across North America and Europe before heading to New Zealand and Australia in November. Lighting designer Kille Knobel has worked with the band since 2000 and complements the Dark Matter shows with a minimalist yet impactful design that uses Elation KL Panel XL soft lights as a key visual element in creating the distinctive looks.

The show brings video projection to the forefront with soft, organic visuals and minimalist lighting. When choosing fixtures for the tour earlier this year, lighting vendor Upstaging hosted a fixture shootout in Los Angeles for the designer, where she ultimately selected the KL Panel XL and Proteus Maximus as part of a larger lighting package. The fixtures were essential in creating the desi

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13 November 2024

Romania - In just three years, Constanta’s Beach Please! has become one of the largest urban music festivals in Europe drawing hiphop, pop and electronic headliners. The 2024 show, held 10-14 July, featured a stage spanning 82 x 26m with a lighting rig comprising 430 moving light fixtures.

To match the colossal scale of the production, stage and lighting designer Andrei Predut of Apart Productions brought in 36 Claypaky Skylos, which made their Romanian debut in spectacular fashion.

Predut positioned the Skylos in groups of six placed at key points in the 3D decor. “As soon as we let the beams loose on the sky during the setup and programming time, we got instant reactions of awe,” Predut reports. “Crew from all departments started a pilgrimage to FOH so they could inquire about this never-before-seen breed of fixture.

“The second w