Projects

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01 November 2024

USA - 11 cloud-based Powersoft Unica 9K4 amplifier platforms are delivering energy efficiency and ease of use for the new-look Jenny Craig Pavilion arena in San Diego, California.

Located on the campus of the University of San Diego, the 5,100-seat Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) is home to the San Diego Toreros men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the San Diego Toreros women's volleyball team. The indoor arena broke ground in 1999 and was refurbished in 2015, when it was equipped with a redesigned floor and LED scoring tables – though the recent upgrade, completed in May, was the first major overhaul of the ageing audio system since its opening.

“I’ve used Powersoft amplifier platforms many times over the course of my career, but these new ones [Unica] were hot off the manufacturing press, if you will,” says John Pierce, chief technolog

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31 October 2024

Switzerland - Originally built by members of FC Zürich, Stadion Letzigrund has been the home of football and Weltklasse Zürich – one of the most renowned one-day events in athletics – since 1925.

A call for the modernisation of the stadium in the late 90s saw the venue close its doors and reinvent itself in the summer of 2007, with an improved capacity for football, athletics and concerts. Since then, the stadium has hosted European Championships, concerts by internationally renowned artists, and several big games for the Swiss Football League. To continue its legacy, Letzigrund upgraded its sound system with Renkus-Heinz to provide spectators with seamless audio, no matter the event.

Collaborating on the project were integrators avidec AG and audio consultants promedias AG. The events programme at the stadium changes regularly, so the system h

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31 October 2024

France - Built in 1909, the Palais de l'Europe, an architectural jewel of the Belle Époque in the town of Menton on the French Riviera, regularly hosts exhibitions, highlighting works by local, national and international artists. These exhibitions are complemented by a varied programme of cultural and associated events in the 700-seat Italian-style Francis Palmero Theatre.

Working in such a historic and ornate building places additional demands on sound system designers in their quest to achieve clear, intelligible sound with consistent coverage across the audience, with additional consideration required for both visual aesthetics and point loads for mounting.

So, when the theatre approached Monaco-based events and installation AV technology specialists SES to propose a new sound system, project manager Didier Maddalon and AV technician Ronan Salier

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31 October 2024

USA - Willis Underhill, Diamond Rio’s Tennessee-based lighting designer, creates a party atmosphere for the band’s live shows, aided by a ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console.

The ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M (supplied by CLD Corp), which Underhill takes with him on the road, made it easy to busk portions of his show. “This console allows me to add busking to a cue show seamlessly,” he said. “I am using Execute Screens and Changing Banks on the fly, which is really great.”

At the start of a tour, Underhill finds that his MagicQ MQ250M aids him immensely when programming shows. “ChamSys makes importing patch information and cue times easy with minimal effort,” he said. “Also, the Timeline feature provides me with a simple way to fine-tune cue timing. Helping me create greater depth within the programming of the MQ tracks.”

At the

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31 October 2024

UK - One of the North’s oldest buildings, Morecambe Winter Gardens was once the centrepiece of Morecambe’s illustrious entertainment scene. Opened in 1897 as a landmark of British architecture, it welcomed performances from The Who, Vera Lynn and many more, but was partly demolished in the early 1980s, leaving only the Victoria Pavillion Theatre standing.

Since 2006, the 'Friends of the Winter Gardens' trust has worked tirelessly to revive this Grade II listed building. In 2024, their efforts took a giant leap forward with the launch of a £2.7m restoration project, funded by a grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. A critical part of the restoration involved installing a state-of-the-art sound system, one that could support the current events programme and expand as the venue grows. For this, KV2 Audio was chosen to play a key role in t

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31 October 2024

USA - Order of the Ace, a new piano/cocktail lounge in Baltimore, Maryland offers customers an opportunity ‘to slip into a space of music and mystique’. To improve the experience, the lounge has decided to upgrade their audio system to premium 1 Sound loudspeakers.

The lounge was looking for speakers that could provide both clarity to complement their musicians, and compactness in terms of aesthetics. With 1 Sound’s Cannon series, the cocktail bar achieved high-fidelity audio supporting their live musicians and the ambiance they sought to achieve.

For this project, the speakers were installed by Dynamic Sound Level, which was introduced to 1 Sound loudspeakers after implementing them on a previous Atlas project, Oregon Grille. Mike Denoe, director of Dynamic Sound Level, comments: “I can’t say enough how pleased I am as well as the owners,

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31 October 2024

USA - Brett Ainslie mixes films, commercials, sporting events, and reality TV series in Manhattan and its surrounding environs. Media brands that have employed his services include ABC, Bravo, Discovery, Disney, ESPN, Food Network, HBO, and the streaming platform Twitch.

For ensuring his clients the utmost in sonic integrity, his personal kit consists exclusively of Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless – in particular, SRc dual-channel slot-mount receivers paired with SMQV transmitters. When he needs to maximise reception, these are supported by SNA600a dipole antennas.

“The RF environment in New York City is very difficult at the best of times,” explains Ainslie. “Then, when productions come to New York, they often want to shoot in the busiest RF areas like Times Square. I’ve used exclusively the Digital Hybrid stuff for at least the last

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30 October 2024

USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has announced the return of the Sphere XO Student Design Challenge and this year’s theme: Earth Day. In its second year, more than 100,000 Clark County-based students will again be invited to create art for the Exosphere as part of the collaboration between Sphere, the Clark County School District (CCSD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The winning students’ art will debut on the Exosphere on Earth Day - 22 April 2025.

The Second Annual Design Challenge comes on the heels of the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which was centred on the Fourth of July and culminated with a community event to unveil the winning students’ art. The Earth Day theme for this year’s challenge will encourage students to think creatively about the intersection of art, technology, and planet Earth.

“We are proud o

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30 October 2024

Latvia - The Riga Circus, a historic landmark and the oldest fixed circus venue in Europe, recently underwent a transformative renovation that aimed to preserve its heritage whilst introducing modern amenities, notably an innovative audio system by Italian manufacturer K-array.

The project, led by local integrators RJK and supported by technology distributor Tet A Tek and architectural firm NRJA, aimed to create a versatile, energy-efficient space that could accommodate various performances.

Two audio systems were installed to meet the venue's specific needs: a 360-degree coverage system and a portable system, using K-array's lightweight Mugello KH2 loudspeakers. “The modernised Riga Circus is a multi-purpose space and needed versatile audio support,” explains Rudolfs Busmanis at Tet A Tek. “The portable system allows for easy reconfiguration d

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30 October 2024

Bulgaria - The Black Sea coastal city of Burgas attracts holidaymakers who want to relax and unwind in nature with easy access to the comfort and cultural offers of a big city.

Located just metres from the shoreline on Burgas central beach is the Neptune Beach Bar and Restaurant, originally built in the Soviet era and recently renovated into a destination nightspot for locals and visitors alike.

Mediterranean, European and authentic cuisines are on offer alongside fine wines from around the world, mature whiskeys and classic cocktails. A house band, DJ and sets from visiting artists create a party vibe in this two-storey, 120-seat venue.

As part of the renovation, new owners approached Burgas-based production and AV technology specialists Pro Audio Sound and Communications to design a new sound system.

“With top class musicians perf

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30 October 2024

The Netherlands - De Bosuil is a buzzing 850-capacity live music venue in Weert, southeastern Netherlands, AKA ‘The Gateway to Limburg’ due to its close proximity to the Belgian border. It has been voted the greenest city in the Netherlands.

The venue has recently received a new Robe moving light package – 16 x Paintes, 12 x LEDBeam 350s plus eight LEDBeam 150s – which is a substantial upgrade to their previous system of older Robe moving lights fixtures. These are all still working 11 years later but needed upgrading to newer tech to satisfy the string of local and international artists and lighting designers frequenting this popular venue.

Head of lighting Bart Mesman is a freelancer who has worked at De Bosuil for over 15 years, so he knows the venue inside out, and has enjoyed numerous memorable moments along the way.

De Bosuil it

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30 October 2024

Denmark - The Danish Film Institute (DFI) building, Filmhuset, is located in Gothersgade, in the heart of Copenhagen. Its roof-top benefits from picturesque, panoramic views of the city.

From concept to realisation, the process of transforming this under-utilised space into a 1700m2 terrace has been a long journey, but now a Leyard Luminate Ultra Series 1.5 mm LED screen forms the cinematic centrepiece of a complete renovation, featuring a bar, eatery, exhibition space, children’s play area and even two outdoor Videotheques, covered booths for watching movies on large touchscreens.

DFI chose the Leyard Luminate Ultra 1.5 as their main cinema screen due to its suitability for outdoor use, with an IP66 weatherproof rating, dual power supply, and ultra-wide viewing angle, matching their specifications.

The LED wall measures 6.5m wide by 2.5m h

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30 October 2024

UK - Over the years, UK-based audio engineer Jamie Tinsley has made the transition from studios to live-system technician to monitor mixing to front of house. They’re different worlds, he concedes, but that doesn’t mean they need to sound differently.

After studio work with artists like Florence and the Machine at Antenna Studios in London, he hit the road as a system tech, touring with the likes of Sam Smith, Duran Duran, and Kylie Minogue. He also mixed monitors for Will Young, Two Door Cinema Club, Rag’n’Bone Man, and Rudimental before landing in the FOH seat for the two-time Grammy Award winner Fred Again, who wraps up the US leg of his 2024 tour in October.

What’s made a difference on this tour, and what’s enabled Tinsley to get closer to bringing the studio on stage, has been the addition of the award-winning Fourier Audio transform

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30 October 2024

Finland - A new addition to the Finnish health and wellbeing scene, XO Centre is a versatile sports and fitness hub in Kerava, offering everything from personal training to padel courts, a traditional gym, group exercise, relaxation floating, massage and a restaurant and cafe. A space to take care of both body and mind, Genelec’s Smart IP networked loudspeakers are helping to motivate members in all areas of the facility.

Finnish integration company Praecom Oy was responsible for designing XO Center’s entire AV platform. “The solution covers different zones, including the padel courts, gym, spa, and individual class spaces, all of which required different audio content at different playback levels,” explains Mika Mäkelä, account director at Praecom. “Genelec is a company renowned for excellence and sonic quality – so we knew that their loudspea

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30 October 2024

China - Singer 2024 is the final season of the hit Chinese singing show, formally known as I am a Singer. Returning after a four-year hiatus, the series adopted a live broadcast format for the final season to promote clean, un-processed performances from the contestants.

Throughout the competition all vocal performances were given live and free from any post-production editing or live vocal adjustments, such as auto-tune. A DiGiCo Quantum 852 was chosen as the main stage console, with two SD7s deployed for broadcast and stage-monitoring. Thanks to the clarity of DiGiCo’s characteristic clean sound, the natural quality of the singers’ voices could be heard, without enhancement, enabling the audience to truly appreciate each performance.

Unlike traditional talent shows, where unknown singers compete for a prize, gaining experience

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30 October 2024

Poland - The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, one of Poland's most prestigious cultural and educational institutions, has upgraded its auditorium's lighting system with energy-efficient solutions from Prolights.

Show Design, Prolights distributor in Poland, oversaw the installation, replacing the outdated halogen fixtures with a fully modern Prolights LED setup. The new system includes Astra Profile400, Astra Wash19Pix, EclProfile FWVW, EclPendant JrFC, and EclPendant SFC, delivering uniform, high-quality lighting.

With advanced features like adjustable colour temperature and dynamic gobo projection, the system works for both institutional events and artistic performances. “The versatility and reliability of Prolights products allow the academy to adapt to the diverse needs of its events, from concerts and performances to formal presentations,

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29 October 2024

UK - Christie continues its partnership with the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival (LFF), where its projectors power the latest cinema releases for star-studded invitees.

This year’s LFF returned to the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall where, from 9-20 October, Christie CP4455-RGB and Christie CP4435-RGB pure laser cinema projectors will illuminate screens.  

Dominic Simmons, head of cinema technology at the British Film Institute, says: “The BFI is delighted to be supported by Christie once again for the gala screenings at the Southbank Centre for this year’s London Film Festival. This is the fourth time we’ve installed Christie Real|Laser RGB projectors in the Royal Festival Hall, and each time the sharp, vivid images we’ve seen on the 18m matte white screen have been superb.

“The ease of installation and

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29 October 2024

UK - In 2020, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s newly appointed director, Carlos Acosta, went on a ‘discovery mission’ to learn about the company’s home city. Amazed by the stories, culture, and diversity from within Birmingham, he commissioned a series of three new productions including a look at the sounds and history of Ozzy Osbourne fronted metal band, Black Sabbath.

Comprising the work of three composers led by Christopher Austin and three choreographers, led by Pontus Lidberg, the ballet’s story was written by the award-winning Richard Thomas, lit by lighting designer KJ, and heard of over three acts through a Britannia Row Productions PA delivery.

Paul James, Birmingham Royal Ballet commercial director, comments: “This ballet certainly brought heavy metal fans to the ballet for the first time, including legendary Black Sabbath founder and

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29 October 2024

Japan - For the first time in six years, singer-songwriter and J-Pop sensation, Hikaru Utada, embarked on a tour of Japan and Asia, which lasted from July to September. The tour in support of their new album, Science Fiction, also celebrated 25 years of chart music from Utada.

The futuristic set from JAW studio’s Jason Ardizzone-West simultaneously celebrated the momentous anniversary whilst also looking toward the future. Lighting designer Jeremy Lechterman of Fragment 9 featured some classic Ayrton fixtures as major components of his design: the MagicPanel 602 and MagicBlade R, both of which are celebrating a decade of use and proving as relevant today as ever.

Amid the set’s 110ft wide alien landscape of sand dunes stood nine video-tiled sculptural monoliths, inside of which Lechterman had concealed 144 MagicBlade Rs in hidden rows. T

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29 October 2024

UK - Starlight Express, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘fastest show on earth’, has enjoyed a much-anticipated comeback at the Wembley Troubadour Theatre. The concept for the return of one of theatre land’s best-loved productions was to create an immersive visual experience, where performers race around on roller skates across multiple levels to produce a high-octane entertainment spectacle.

For the video team, led by video designer, Andrzej Goulding and video supervisor, Dan Trenchard, the focus was to obtain accurate camera tracking of up to 26 cast members and seamlessly integrate video of the performers with the live action on stage. Stage Precision’s SP software proved to be an essential tool in making this creative vision a reality.  

The challenge was to design a system that could capture the energy of the on-stage performers and a

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29 October 2024

The Netherlands - Musis Arnhem, one of the Netherlands' oldest and most prestigious concert halls, has completed a major audio upgrade to meet the evolving needs of its diverse programming. The venue, hosting over 100 concerts annually across various genres, has installed an L-Acoustics L Series loudspeaker system in the Parkzaal, marking a significant leap in its sound reinforcement capabilities.

L-Acoustics certified partner Fairlight spearheaded the design and implementation of the new system. The project presented various challenges, including the need to accommodate the Parkzaal's diverse range of events, and its distinctive 16 by 11m glass back wall.

Rene van der Linden of Fairlight comments: "L-Acoustics, with their reputation for superior sound quality and frequent appearance on technical riders, was the clear choice for Musis Arnhem, which p

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29 October 2024

UK - Romesh Ranganathan recently completed a series of seven stand-up shows in UK arenas as part of his Hustle world tour. Ranganathan’s set focused on complaints about life’s irritations viewed from his curmudgeonly perspective.

For the tour, Liverpool-based event production specialists Adlib supplied a Coda Audio system based around the company’s flagship AiRAY line array. Adlib has previously deployed Coda for tours by many of the leading lights of British comedy, including Russell Howard, Joe Lycett and Jack Whitehall.

System tech and audio crew chief, Jethro Hall comments: “The Coda system is tried and tested for this kind of show and has proved itself time and again. It’s got lots of output, is very flexible and scalable and is easy to work with. The enclosures are ultra-compact which makes them ideal for minimising the impac

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29 October 2024

Canada - Avant-garde director Atom Egoyan has staged several iterations of Richard Strauss’ opera Salome, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s play, in turn inspired by the Biblical account of the titular character and John the Baptist. Egoyan accompanied his latest version – performed by the Canadian Opera Company with the feature film Seven Veils.

It stars Amanda Seyfried as Jeanine, an opera director who is putting on Salome. The film effectively places a real opera performance inside a fictional milieu, and it fell to mixer Trevor Goulet to integrate the two worlds. Goulet, who also recently completed work on David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds as well as sound for additional photography on the new M. Night Shyamalan film Trap, employed Lectrosonics’ latest generation of digital wireless.

DBSM belt packs tra

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29 October 2024

Germany - YouTube star Naomi Jon’s first major headline tour has sold out music halls and concert venues across Germany and there are more dates being added, with international venues promised.

Naomi’s sound engineer is Flo Herkert, who has been working with her since her first ever gig. Herkert is responsible for the front of house mix and oversees the on-stage monitor mix. A keen advocate of KLANG, Herkert bought Germany’s first KLANG:konduktor immersive in-ear-monitoring system in 2017, followed by a :vokal system and is now using his KLANG:vokal+ system with a DiGiCo SD11i for the Villain of your Dreams tour.

“I’ve always been interested in new technologies and KLANG immediately caught my attention,” he says. “I attended a presentation and training session where I met Phil Kamp. We quickly became firm friends and have even