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10 December 2024

USA - Dating back to 1932, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Martin Marietta Centre for the Performing Arts in North Carolina, is the principal performance location in a four-venue performing arts centre. This also includes Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theatre and Kennedy Theatre.

Over the generations locally based rental partner RMB Audio has been a frequent visitor, providing tech support for all spaces.

But it is the 2,369 capacity Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, with its varied programme of musicals, comedy and dance shows, that is the crown jewel. And it is here that the sound contractor has upgraded an ancient public address system with Martin Audio’s latest Wavefront Precision technology.

RMB Audio owner Cooper Cannady reports that it was way back in late 2020 - right in the middle of the COVID pandemic - that the request

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10 December 2024

UK - Sarner International has announced its appointment by East Staffordshire Borough Council to lead the initial visitor experience design stages for the ambitious Brewery Heritage & Social History Experience in Burton-upon-Trent.

This new immersive visitor attraction aims to celebrate Burton-upon-Trent’s pivotal role in brewing history and revitalise its standing as the home of IPA. Blending advanced technology, engaging storytelling, and interactive elements, the experience will reveal the art and science of brewing beer while highlighting Burton’s historical role as a global leader in beer production and the social fabric that shaped the town.

Through a sensory journey into Burton’s brewing heritage, visitors are introduced to the concept of Burton’s naturally mineral-rich water and immersed in the tale of the ‘waters of life’. Th

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09 December 2024

USA - The Latin Grammy Awards were back in Miami on 15 November to celebrate the 25th edition of the Latin Music event. Artists, musicians, and producers gathered at the Kaseya Centre to award the most successful hits of the year. Shure Axient Digital Wireless System was selected to ensure quality audio throughout the night.

Axient Digital delivered solid RF and consistent signal quality throughout the event. Engineers and artists relied on 24 channels of Shure PSM 1000 In Ear Monitoring System and 12 channels of the Axient Digital Wireless System. The production also included 18 ADX2 handheld wireless microphone transmitters, four AD2 handheld microphone transmitters and two ADX1 bodypack transmitters.

The show started with the Person of the Year Carlos Vives. Next, Ela Taubert, winner of Mejor Artista Revelación surprised all the attendee

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09 December 2024

Spain - Since 2004, SeeSound has offered top professional solutions in the audiovisual market. With the mindset that the best technology and innovations are the keys to achieving this goal, SeeSound often turns to a variety of RF solutions from Wisycom. This includes the brand’s MRK16 Ultra-wideband Wireless Receiver System, MCR54 Four-channel True Diversity Wireless Microphone Receivers, MPR50 Wideband IEM Receivers and MTP60 Multiband Bodypack Transmitters.

For the theatrical touring productions of The Phantom of the Opera and The Producers, SeeSound deployed the Wisycom solutions mentioned above, in combination with the brand’s SPL2208 Wideband Active Antenna Combiner/Splitter.

“The Wisycom wireless coverage capabilities are great, and the audio quality is one of the main strengths of this system,” says Javier G. Isequill

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09 December 2024

UK - Video rental company Universal Pixels (UP) wraps for Christmas on the back of shows with Idles, Massive Attack, and Nile Rodgers & CHIC at M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, plus the alt star-studded Mark Lanegan 60 – A Celebration, and Kelsea Ballerini, both at London’s Roundhouse.

In its eighth year, UP brought the big picture to an array of video projects in 2024, celebrated turns/tours from the likes of Black Keys, Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Green Day, and Thom Yorke/The Smile.

Across the same 12 months, Universal Pixels’ staff numbers are up by a third and more than £2m has gone into new kit, the biggest annual spend in UP history.

Founder/commercial director at Universal Pixels, Phil Mercer, comments: “It’s been an incredible year. Again. Teaming up with outstanding creatives, delivering, designin

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09 December 2024

USA - Country music group Midland has taken to the road for the Get Lucky Tour with a lighting system provided by long-time vendor, Bandit Lites. The Grammy-nominated group (comprised of Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson and Cam Duddy) recently released their fourth studio album Barely Blue to critical acclaim.

“It’s a whole new tour, whole new look, whole new set, whole new lighting setup and stage plot,” Carson told a Rio Rancho reporter. “It’s just fun to rebuild the set list and the whole, kind of, live experience when you have a new album. You can kind of integrate that into it, but it’s going to be the same Midland energy and entertainment, so it’ll be a fun night of honkey-tonkin’.”

Inspired by the retro rigs seen on various tours, Cam Duddy (bassist for Midland and creative director) sought a PAR can look. Working

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09 December 2024

Italy - A stone’s throw from Monaco and nestled on the Italian Riviera, Twiga Baia Beniamin is the latest venue from Flavio Briatore. Set in a bay and complementing its spectacular surroundings, the venue offers a blend of design, fine dining, and a luxurious atmosphere.

To enhance the guest experience further, an audio system from Brescia-based Outline has been installed. The system was delivered by Vibra Service, a Ligurian company known for equipping some of the region’s most prestigious spaces.

To ensure an audio experience worthy of its international DJ roster and refined clientele, Stefano Lo Sardo, founder and managing director of Vibra Service, selected Outline’s Vegas series. “The Vegas range won us over for three key reasons: its exceptional sound quality, impressive SPL, and robust weather resistance – it’s a true outdoor perfo

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09 December 2024

Canada - The University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall is a historic venue with a circular design. Imagined by prominent architects Darling and Pearson and completed in 1907, it has become a university landmark, hosting the annual convocation ceremonies and serving as the primary venue for academic and social functions due to its seating capacity of over 1,700.

Plagued by challenging acoustics, the hall’s reflective surfaces introduced significant complications, particularly for speech intelligibility. The previous sound system in Convocation Hall, an aging column array, was no longer effective – lacking the clarity needed for speech reinforcement in such a large, reverberant space. Renkus-Heinz was identified as the solution for these challenges, particularly its Iconyx line of loudspeakers, known for their advanced beam-steering technology.

Th

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06 December 2024

Luxemburg - In the international banking quarter of Kirchberg lies the Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall, commonly known as the Luxembourg Philharmonie, designed by Christian de Portzamparc and opened in 2005.

In its young existence, the Philharmonie has swiftly become a vital cultural hub, hosting nearly 400 performances annually that encompass a vast palette of genres, including classical, jazz, world music, and more. The venue’s programming versatility is mirrored in its fluctuating audience capacity, encompassing three performance spaces, including the principal Grande Auditorium which can accommodate anywhere from 400 to 1,500 spectators, depending on its configuration.

As the demands of contemporary performance continue to evolve, so does the need for cutting-edge audio technology able to reinforce the variety of performances

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06 December 2024

The Netherlands - Next Venue recently completed an impressive lighting installation in the entrance hall of the Midden Nederland Hallen in Barneveld, welcoming every visitor with an ambience perfectly suited to the ongoing event.

While the venue is currently hosting the acclaimed 40-45 musical, which attracts large numbers of visitors every weekend, the setup is a permanent enhancement to its multifunctional spaces, ensuring a seamless blend of ambience and functionality.

The venue's entrance greenhouse, formerly part of Floriade 2022, is now a 6,000 m² foyer with a blend of natural light, elegant fixtures, and energy-efficient solutions. The installation includes 100 Infinity Raccoon Junior P7/4 fixtures, each fitted with a 40° filter, strategically mounted in the trusswork of the glass atrium. These high-performance fixtures provide exce

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06 December 2024

Romania - Cuget Liber Media Group has unveiled the newly renovated Club SNC in Constanța, transforming a historic building into a modern venue for media, cultural, and professional events. Now home to the Cuget Liber daily and online newspaper, Sursa de Sănătate (Source of Wellness), and Antena 3 Constanța TV channel, the venue has become a hub that combines modern functionality with advanced technology.

To meet the high standards of this space, Prolights, in partnership with its Romanian distributor SC ARA Events Solutions, delivered a lighting system tailored to Club SNC's needs. Audiovision, the project integrator, ensured flawless installation and performance of the system, which includes EclProfile FWVWBK, EclFresnel VWBK, LumiPar 12UQPro, Jet Wash19, and Jet Hybrid200.

This lighting system supports a variety of ac

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05 December 2024

UK - As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Pharos Architectural Controls has released a new set of podcast episodes focusing on some of the projects that have been able to scale up – either in size or in the complexity of programming – thanks to Pharos.

The 20 Years of Pharos campaign is spotlighting 10 lighting professionals and 10 projects that have shaped the success of the company over the last two decades.

Renowned lighting professionals Nick Abel from LS Group in New Zealand, and Peter van Nuland from GVA Lighting in Canada both feature in this part of the campaign to chat through their careers and how working with Pharos has enabled them to bring both large and intricate projects to life.

The podcasts provide another deep dive into the ways in which Pharos technologies – and the teams behind the gear – work col

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05 December 2024

USA - Like the music it celebrates, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, which just marked its 39th year, has also drawn on its ability to embrace new ideas to remain vibrant and relevant.

The 2024 ceremony provided a good example of this commitment, as a dynamic lighting design by Allen Branton that featured over 250 Chauvet Professional fixtures (supplied by 4Wall Entertainment), worked seamlessly with a Bruce Rodgers production design, and an immersive video design by Bianca Moncada of Darmah, to engage the live and TV audience on a deep level, all while supporting the activities on stage.

Much of the magic that happened inside the Rocket Mortgage Field House on a Saturday evening was made possible by the design team’s ongoing readiness to adapt to new technologies. This was most evident in the event

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05 December 2024

UK - British record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Fred Again has gained palpable notoriety through emotive remixing, aided by live performances that create real excitement. His team trusts Britannia Row Productions to be part of that live evolution, one that has got the industry, and the electronic world, talking.

Following a successful career producing chat-topping tunes for many household names, Fred Again found his own way into the limelight, recording a collection of songs during lockdown before bagging a BRIT Award for his efforts. This year, his blend of atmospheric house saw him become a two-time Grammy winner.

His ambition to connect with fans has worked in every venue size. Originally, audio rental was a mere two radio mics, offered by Clair Global's Stuart Gilmore after he heard Marea (we've lost dancing) on

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05 December 2024

USA - Pacific Coast Entertainment (PCE), live event production company and AV equipment provider in Southern California, recently provided a premium sound system to the newly opened Great Park Live venue, using the Anya ADAPTive loudspeaker from EAW. Tom Pappanduros, production manager at PCE, led the installation of the system, showcasing technical expertise and commitment to high-quality sound for the City of Irvine’s innovative venue.

Nestled within the park's picturesque setting, Great Park Live offers an entertainment experience for guests of all ages. This venue has been so successful that the city of Irvine will continue to invest in a permanent amphitheatre, set to open in 2027.

Great Park Live offers acoustic challenges. “The venue is situated in the middle of neighbourhoods,” says Pappanduros. “We needed a sound system with enough c

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04 December 2024

UK - Stephen Daldry’s National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls is a gripping and vivid adaptation of JB Priestley’s classic thriller. Having won numerous awards, including the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design, and having played to over five million theatregoers, the show has now returned for a new UK tour, with the previous one in 2022 being a record-breaking sell-out.

Having lit the original production back in 1992, and all of its subsequent runs, Olivier and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Rick Fisher is once again part of the creative team and approached White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, to supply his rig; with the company having worked on the show since its original West End debut in 1995.

The play tells the story of Inspector Goole who arrives unexpectedly at the prosperous Birling family home where th

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04 December 2024

Monaco - Taking centre stage in Monaco’s Place du Casino, new bar, restaurant and club Amazónico Monte-Carlo invites guests to embark on a multi-sensory journey down the Amazon, with Latin-American cuisine and cocktails served in rainforest-inspired interiors.

Al fresco diners on the Restaurant Terrace are serenaded by jazz, bossa-nova and Cuban rhythms from live bands while resident DJs spin a blend of tropical beats for visitors to the Lounge & Club.

Quality sound is essential in a setting where music makes such an important contribution to the guest experience, but the sound system also needs to be discreet.

John Masson and the team at Nice-based live event technology and system integration specialists Dushow drew on Nexo’s compact and powerful ID, P+ and ePS Series point source speakers and NXAMPMk2 Powered TD Controllers to desi

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04 December 2024

USA - Toca Madera, a Mexican steakhouse by international hospitality group Noble 33, has opened its latest location in Houston, Texas, and features a 1 Sound audio system by Global AV Group.

To support daily background music and higher-energy evenings with live DJs or for private events, 1 Sound’s Cannon coaxials were the loudspeaker of choice because of their sonic clarity, fidelity, and SPL capability helping to fulfil the intimate and transformative setting for Toca Madera.

Global AV implemented mainly Cannon C8is throughout the 14,000sq.ft restaurant, the largest of any of Toca Madera’s locations. The Cannon C8s were deployed as a full-range speaker without the need of subwoofers. The Cannon C8 is designed with an 8” driver and a compression driver, and has an extended frequency response down to 55Hz; these qualities combined make the C8 so

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04 December 2024

USA - New Hampshire-based LD Brian Courchine, designer at the well-known Northland Music and Arts Festival, has made a career out of studying the inexorable connection between music and colour.

Courchine recently designed the lightshow for a sold-out concert at Infinity Hall in Hartford by Pink Talking Fish. Among the more successful tribute bands, Pink Talking fish combines the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish, each evoking a different aura – and each lending itself to a different palette. Adding a little extra spice to this particular evening was the healthy serving of Beatles songs thrown into the set.

Following the music with his colour rendering skills, Courchine immersed each song in hues that fit it like a glove. “I try to make a distinction between the three musical acts in the Pink Talking Fish show,” he explained. “Talk

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03 December 2024

UK - Performances of Pergolesi’s 1735 three-act opera L’Olimpiade were staged in the grounds of The Vache, a Grade II*-listed estate in Chalfont St. Giles, recently.

A cast of seven members of operatic company Vache Baroque (plus narrator) delivered Pergolesi’s arias under the sensitive direction of Laura Attridge, while the 17-piece orchestra, led by Jonathan Darbourne, helped deliver a playful interpretation of this Olympics-style story, from authentic early music instruments.

However, the real breakthrough was the immersive soundscape created for audiences of up to 200 per performance, seated al fresco under a stretch canopy, which simulated a purpose-built concert hall. This was achieved by judicious use of reverb and delay. Tricking the senses was the TiMax SoundHub spatial reinforcement, guided by TiMax TrackerD4 stage trackers w

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03 December 2024

Europe - After production rehearsals in Copenhagen’s Royal Arena, Kygo kicked off his current European tour with four dates in Denmark, Sweden and Norway before heading into central and southern Europe.

“We’ve just finished a run through his home market in Scandinavia and it pretty much sold out,” said production manager Joel Stanley. “Kygo has developed musically as a performer, though remained rooted in his own personality; he’s much the same person he was ten years ago. That's a strength.” That said, the tour is tinged with a certain sadness, as Stanley explains.

“Neg Earth is providing the lights, the production design is by Rob Sinclair with Lorcam Clarke running the show. Solotech is providing PA with Kygo’s long-time FOH engineer Eds John at the faders. For video providers Video Design it has proved a very poignant start. The

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03 December 2024

USA - We Belong Here has been uniting EDM lovers on Miami's Virginia Key Beach for the past three years, and has now hosted its first-ever festival experience in New York City amid Central Park’s lush greenery and panoramic skyline views.

Held October 4-6 at historic Wollman Rink, design collective Datum Creative built a fully immersive 360° experience for festival-goers, including a stunning visual tribute to the city’s skyline using Elation Pulse Bar strobe and effect lights. 

The We Belong Here festival, known for offering an intimate, distraction-free music experience with its ‘no video’ policy, provided Datum Creative the opportunity to design a stage that was as visually impactful as the panoramic views surrounding it. On the southern end of Central Park, the lighting and production team utilised a series of 26 staggered trus

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03 December 2024

UK - The Last Dinner Party, the all-female quintet winners of the Brits Rising Star honour at this year’s Brit Awards, wraps their theatrical sound around a flamboyant stage persona. For the band’s current tour, Ed Warren has delivered a show that engages the audience with distinctive flourishes.

The backdrop was adorned with a crescent moon and velvety clouds. It was hand painted by artist Beth Quinton, then scanned and digitally printed onto cloth with a definition so fine that it looks like a highly textured, hand-painted work.

Warren accents this beguiling backdrop with a variety of lighting effects that shade the image it projects. But, at other times, he blocks it out altogether with brilliant outpourings of light. “Just because a backdrop is there doesn’t mean you need to light it the whole time,” he observed. “A blackout moment is

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03 December 2024

USA - Rolling Hills Covenant Church (RHCC) in California was founded in 1957 and dedicated its first church building in 1959. Following the sustained growth of its congregation during the 1960s and ‘70s, the Church constructed a larger worship centre which is now the main focus of its Rolling Hills Estates campus.

During the 1980s, RHCC expanded its emphasis on the arts as part of Christian worship, with a strong focus on the role of musical excellence in services. Setting high standards of music performance demands audio quality to match, and during a recent remodelling of its main gathering space, which saw new seating and stage layouts, the Church undertook an overhaul of its technical systems, including provision for a new sound system.

RHCC director of technical arts ministries, Brian Johnson, engaged with Scott Ramsey of AV installation speci