South Africa - Sound Stylists has purchased a DiGiCo Quantum 225 audio mixing console from local distributor DWR Distribution. “We had many SD consoles, but I noticed that everyone was going the Quantum route,” explains Kevin Glover, owner of Sound Stylists. “We were fortunate to sell our former consoles to new owners who will get good use out of them, which allowed us to upgrade to the Quantum series.” The timing was right. Business has been good for Sound Stylists, the company has enough work to not overextend themselves - well, on most days anyway - and Kevin has always kept ahead, making sure his equipment stays relevant. “When Kyle Robson from DWR said he had 225s coming in, I asked him to put one aside for me,” says Kevin. While Sound Stylists have their fair share of international gigs, DiGiCo’s dominance on technical riders was not Kevin
UK - DiGiCo has announced the launch of ‘the next generation of large format live audio production mixing consoles’. Quantum852 delivers ‘a massive leap forward in processing power’. It is neatly packaged with 1000 nit LCD screens for full daylight operation and a newly designed worksurface, giving users the confidence that, true to the DiGiCo ethos, Quantum852 has been designed not just for now, but for the future, says the company. Quantum852 also includes a raft of eco credentials. Its lightweight alloy construction reduces weight, which in turn helps mitigate its environmental impact during transportation. It has a reduced operating power, thermal cooling fans along with convection cooling and temperature dependent cooling. Further reducing Quantum852’s environmental footprint is the inclusion of sustainable and recyclable materials. Quantum852’s tech s
UK - Maidstone's MuMu nightclub recently underwent a major refurbishment after a significant fire in 2021. The nightclub had to shut down for several months to carry out repairs and refurbishment. However, with the recent installation of a Martin Audio stereo monitoring solution by Middlesex Sound and Lighting, the lounge and bar is now back and ready to deliver. The venue, which includes a traditional Irish pub, a speakeasy, a hidden laundromat room, an eatery and restaurant, a newly refurbished cabaret bar, and a basement club area, presented a challenging opportunity for the team at Middlesex Sound and Lighting. "The whole space is like a labyrinth,” recalls Darrel Olivier, director of Middlesex Sound and Lighting. “The main room is accessed via a small corridor which leads upstairs and along the way, there are these washing machines with quirky content displaye
Germany - Located in the southern town of Leonberg, Bowl & Co takes bowling to a new level. Visitors can enjoy a choice of 18 lanes, with Spark technology on eight lanes enabling the projection of custom photographs, game results and stats directly onto the lane, or play enhanced games with targets displayed directly on the tracks. And when the bowling is over, then it’s time to relax in the bar and restaurant, play darts or billiards, or perhaps take in a movie at the on-site IMAX cinema. Central to the delivery of the visitor experience is a Nexo ID Series sound system installed by local audio-visual technology specialists Fein Media. Designed in collaboration with the Nexo Engineering Support team, the system provides the power and headroom to go way beyond background music and announcements, creating a party atmosphere in the venue, particularly on the regular DJ n
USA - Fulcrum Acoustic has announced the promotion of Todd Foster to vice president sales. Since 2013, Foster has spearheaded the development of the company's North American market. Under his leadership, Fulcrum Acoustic has experienced substantial growth of its domestic business and sales force. “Todd’s strategic approach to sales has been instrumental in the expansion of Fulcrum’s footprint domestically,” explains Stephen Siegel, president of Fulcrum Acoustic. “As we look to expand our export business, it’s natural to move Todd into a position where he can bring that same approach to the global sales team.” “The last 10 years have been an exciting time at Fulcrum,” says Foster. “I’ve enjoyed being a part of this growing company and supporting our North American market. I look forward to serving our international clients and expanding support fo
USA - Renkus-Heinz has further strengthened its sales and marketing team with the appointment of Dan Housel as applications engineer. Housel has extensive music and professional audio experience, most recently working in pro audio sales at Group One Limited. Before that, Housel worked for Enko Systems, Inc. in AV design, engineering, installations, programming and sales. “I’m excited to join Renkus-Heinz in the role of applications engineer. I’m confident that my years of experience in the music and pro audio space will be an asset to the technical support team,” Housel said. “I’m looking forward to helping our customers realize the best possible experiences and results with our products.” As a member of the Renkus-Heinz technical support team, Housel will work closely with product manager Brandon Heinz.
UK - Shure has announced the appointment of Laurent Rault as its new senior sales director to lead the company’s retail business in Western Europe, one of the key markets supporting Shure’s growth. Laurent Rault brings to Shure more than 25 years of experience in audio, with a focus in the consumer electronics industry. Rault has solid knowledge and a background in managing all facets of distribution across Europe, including distribution partnership management, direct account management, digital commerce, product marketing, and digital marketing. “We are excited to welcome Laurent to the team,” said Abby Kaplan, vice president, global retail sales, at Shure. “He has achieved extraordinary results during his tenured career, and we are convinced his expertise and deep industry knowledge will lead the European team throughout a successful journey in the coming
UK - Harman’s JBL Professional and UK distributor Sound Technology has announced immediate UK availability of the JBL GSF3 and GSF6 Garden Ground Stake aimable full-range landscape speakers, and GSB8 and GSB12 Garden In-Ground Subwoofers. The compact, weather-resistant GSF Garden Full-Range landscape speakers provide fidelity and aimable coverage for a wide range of outdoor applications. GSF3 is a full-range two-way coax with a 3” low-frequency plus a tweeter. GSF6 is also a higher output two-way wide bandwidth coax, with a 6” low-frequency and a tweeter. In addition to the ground stake (which simply presses into the ground), the GSF3 and GSF6 include a versatile L-bracket to secure to horizontal surfaces such as decking, or vertical surfaces such as the sides of buildings and posts. The JBL GSB8 and GSB12 In-Ground 8-inch and 12-inch Landscape Subwoofers
Europe - Delayed, as so many were, by the global pandemic, Roger Waters’ This Is Not A Drill tour, his seventh as a solo artist, eventually got underway in July 2022 and is scheduled to wrap in June 2023 at the AO Arena in Manchester. By that point it will have staged over 80 shows, all in indoor arenas ‘in the round’, starting in North America, Canada and Mexico before heading to Europe, Scandinavia and the UK. Audio system design and supply for This Is Not A Drill is by Clair Global / Eighth Day Sound, using a vast d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker system with Outline Newton Processors at its heart. The audio setup is not straightforward. System tech Wayne Hall describes the role of his Newtons: “We are using three Newtons mainly because we have a complex arrangement of sends from the consoles to the loudspeaker system and also because we r
USA - AVL Media Group has announced that it has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Wharfedale Pro products in the USA, effective immediately. AVL will bring Wharfedale Pro's audio solutions to customers across the USA. "AVL Media Group is thrilled to be partnering with Wharfedale Pro to distribute their products in the US," says Stephen Kosters, CEO of AVL Media Group. "Wharfedale Pro's commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with AVL Media Group's mission to provide our customers with the best possible audio and video solutions. We are excited to offer our customers a wider range of options to suit their audio needs, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with Wharfedale Pro." As part of this partnership, AVL Media Group will be responsible for the distribution of Wharfedale Pro products, including loudspeakers, subwoofers,
USA - Bringing together faith, family and friends, the Golden Isles Church of God serves the greater community of Brunswick, Georgia, and the outlying barrier islands. Spanish explorers seeking gold descended upon the territory more than 400 years ago, only to find golden isles rather than gold, hence the region’s name. The traditional styling of the church’s mid-sized sanctuary - with hardwood pews, high lofty ceilings and a raised central dais - hampered the speech intelligibility of events and services. To better serve the congregation’s evolving worship needs, the church decided to modernise the sanctuary’s decor and functionality. Renkus-Heinz’s expertise in taming acoustically challenging spaces greatly benefitted the retrofit. The church turned to Brian Bush, co-owner of All Seasons Audio, to redesign and retrofit the sanctuary’s audio system. All S
USA - Over the summer of 2022, Santana, together with Earth, Wind & Fire, got enthusiastic fans singing and dancing throughout North American arenas during their Miraculous Supernatural Tour. While the fans were thrilled to see and hear Santana on stage, Kevin Madigan, Santana’s FOH engineer made sure the sound would be top-notch by employing two Austrian Audio OC818 large-diaphragm condenser microphones to record Carlos’s guitar and one OC707 true condenser vocal microphone for his vocals. “We needed something to reproduce that guitar tone everybody knows, and to handle high SPL show after show,” said Madigan. “The mics worked out great throughout the year on the Santana tour and residencies, and we’ll be using them again next year.” Madigan has over 20 years’ experience mixing live events and recording in the studio, working with acts like
Japan - The Tsukuba Capio complex in Japan’s Tsukuba city, Ibaragi, incorporates indoor sports halls, theatres and meeting rooms, while Tsukuba itself is renowned for being a scientific city of the future city. Opened in July 1996, Capio Hall has provided an authentic atmosphere for theatre and dance, with its distinctive seat arrangement and high-quality stage facilities. Capio Hall recently underwent a major sound system overhaul, and new rigs were introduced, including the new Martin Audio Torus as the main PA. Nobuhito Endo, technical manager of rental company Sigma Communications, who support the theatre, set out the reason for the upgrade and his choice of Torus. “Originally, the proscenium centre loudspeakers were exposed, and a cluster of several point-source systems was flown from the grid. Naturally, we considered utilising a line array replacement
Japan - To provide Billboard Live’s latest venue in Yokohama with a live setup suitable for a wide range of performances, Hibino and SC Alliance collaborated with Harman Professional Solutions to select and implement a range of JBL Professional audio and Martin professional lighting solutions. In addition to venues in Tokyo and Osaka, Billboard Live recently launched a third location in the up-and-coming Kitanaka area of Yokohama. The venue boasts a floorspace of approximately 1,000sq.m and a 300-seat capacity. Along with hosting internationally renowned performers and local artists, the venue also provides an unrivalled culinary experience thanks to a carefully curated menu by Japan’s finest chefs. To elevate the overall guest experience with state-of-the-art live sound as well as immersive and impactful lighting, the Hibino and SC Alliance installation team depl
UK/USA - Backstage Academy has rebranded as the Academy of Live Technology (ALT) and opened a second campus at Rock Lititz in the US to complement the work of the original UK site which is located in Production Park, Wakefield. A statement from ALT reads: “Since Backstage Academy was founded in 2011, the live experience industry has changed at a rapid pace; new creative and immersive technologies are reinventing how we produce live events and experiences. We recognise that as the industry evolves, so should we. “From May 2023, Backstage Academy is changing its name to the Academy of Live Technology. The decision to update our name and brand is part of a considered process of evolution to better align ourselves with the changing industry. “Our new name reflects who we are for both today and tomorrow. What we teach goes beyond ‘backstage’ – we’re a
South Africa - Capital City Church International – or 3Ci as it is better known – is one of the larger churches in Pretoria, and one of the most technologically advanced. Stage Audio Works was the AV design and integration partner for 3Ci’s new building which was delivered in 2021 – a successful collaboration that has resulted in an ongoing partnership. 3Ci has turned to Stage Audio Works once again, this time to equip a smaller 300-capacity hall – known as the Cube - with a PA system as part of the second phase of AV works. The project marks the sixth Plus Audio installation since the brand was launched 18 months ago. The first phase was the initial build – a development that features a state-of-the-art 2,500 capacity main auditorium for which Stage Audio Works designed and integrated a complete PA and control system based on d&b Y-Series and Yamaha c
UK - HH Electronics has announced the launch of its MZ Series, a range of multi-zone install zone amplifiers, pre-amplifier, and wall controllers. The MZ Series suitable for commercial systems integrations across a wide variety of applications. At the heart of the range is the Origin multi-core platform. Its processor uses 56-bit floating point precision to ensure input routing, level controls and EQ settings introduce no digital artefacts and provide enhanced headroom. Configurable limiting per zone allows for mixing and matching both Hi Z and Low Z speakers, giving flexibility for multiple situations. Origin’s eco power saving allows for less than half a watt power consumption in standby mode, perfect for continuous usage whilst lowering energy consumption. Three robust, easily operable 1U rack amplifier models are available. The MZ-140D, 2 Zone, featuring two indi
UK - Breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now chose Illuminate at the Science Museum as the host venue for its annual event, The Show by Breast Cancer Now. As Illuminate’s in-house production service partner, technical solutions specialist White Light (WL) delivered the 360° event production services to transform the multi-purpose venue for a special fashion show concept. The Show celebrates the strength and courage of 23 models, living with or beyond breast cancer, taking to the catwalk for the first time. The purpose of the flagship special event is to raise awareness and engage with new and existing supporters to showcase Breast Cancer Now's research and support for those affected by breast cancer. The organisers were looking for a venue that would provide the ‘wow’ factor for guests, as well as being able to accommodate the main catwalk and the requirement f
Italy - As part of the K-array Group’s commitment to industry education, K-academy recently announced the launch of several new courses. K-academy is the educational division of K-array, on a mission to elevate sound awareness by providing both simple guidelines and advanced training on a wide range of audio topics. Established in 2017, K-academy has a network of collaborations with various training institutions, along with strong partnerships with professional organisations and industry associations. Alongside webinars on everything from Pure Array Technology to fixed installation design, K-academy also offers three formal certification programmes, dedicated to consultants, integrators and other AV professionals. Completion of formal training courses, overseen by K-academy director, Daniele Mochi, results in certification in one of three areas: Designer, I
USA - As part of its ongoing upgrade process Boston College recently installed two DiGiCo SD10B consoles. Situated in the college’s central media suite located between the school’s 8,600-seat Conte Forum basketball/hockey arena and 44,500-seat Alumni Stadium football venue, the SD10B desks, which replaced two earlier-installed SD9B consoles, are now the main mixing and processing platforms for broadcasts of sports from those venues over the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Network.. Each 37-fader SD10B is the main console for each of the two matching main control rooms of the media suite. One of the earlier-installed 24-fader SD9B consoles is now located in a separate control room, locally known as The Eagles’ Nest, a reference to BC’s mascot, Baldwin the Eagle. This third control room is most typically used to produce the in-game experience in both venues, Alumni Sta
USA - Gaia Nomaya Wellness Centre is a 7,000sq.ft music, wellness and arts space in Brooklyn, NY, dedicated to using music as medicine and art as therapy. A social wellness environment where visitors can have fun and hear music, yet also experience a range of healthy self-care options, the space is also used for outside events that support the neighbourhood, such as concerts and weddings. "It’s a truly multi-use space with the focus on healthy living," explains Andrew Goldin, Gaia Nomaya’s founder and CEO, who launched the venue with his partners Sara Ramirez Loaiza and his brother David Goldin. But the central core of Gaia Nomaya is its Wellness Womb, an island of serenity with a calming, immersive aural ambience created using eight Genelec 4430A Smart IP Installation Loudspeakers. The installation began as Robert Stern, account manager with Guitar Centre Profess
UK - Sound Technology, Harman Professional distributor in the UK and ROI, has announced immediate shipping of the new JBL Professional SLP Series Sleek Low-Profile on-wall loudspeakers. The SLP12/T and SLP14/T full-range on-wall loudspeakers provide broad, consistent coverage in a sleek, low-profile enclosure. The SLP Series is a foundation for a range of applications featuring a 15-watt multi-tap transformer for use in 70V/100V systems and is switchable for direct 8-ohm operation. These compact-yet-robust speaker deliver clean, clear sound at any volume, featuring a JBL 3" driver with 40-watt power handling in the case of the SLP12/T and a JBL 4" driver with 50-Watt power handling in the case of the SLP14/T. Installation is fast and easy using the included slide-in wall bracket with 15° down-tilted coverage allowing mounting flush against a wall. An included rain cov
UK - Whitwam AVI has installed a K-array loudspeaker system at Canterbury Cathedral, improving intelligibility of the spoken word to levels previously unattainable. The cathedral’s earlier sound reinforcement system, installed in the 70s, was starting to fail and was becoming intermittent. Aware that the Lambeth Conference was due to be held in the summer of 2020, the Cathedral had been in talks with AV system consultant Michael Hyland & Associates to identify their requirements for a replacement and plans were laid to upgrade to a new audio system in July, indefinitely delayed due to the COVID pandemic but eventually put out to tender. Whitwam AVI submitted a winning proposal and, together with Dave Wooster at K-array’s UK distributor 2B Heard, worked on modelling a new system for the Quire using K-Framework software. The key objective was to deliver sound mor
UK - Martin Audio has joined forces with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to entertain visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds. The eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth will be stationed in the courtyard between the two halls at the Royal Armouries between the 9 and 10 May to demonstrate what can be achieved with the latest in sustainable festival technology. Already proving to be a popular option for events across the UK, the fibreglass-built vehicle is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-gri
