USA - Studio Technologies is now shipping the StudioComm system with Dante support, consisting of the Model 792 central controller and the Model 793 control console. With the variety of audio formats and channel counts used in modern production workflows, audio personnel have a heightened need for specialized source selection and level control equipment. “While Dante has found wide acceptance in professional applications, analogue signals continue to play an important role in audio workflows,” says Gordon Kapes, president of Studio Technologies. “That fact, combined with the range of audio formats, can make monitoring a challenge. We’re excited to offer our customers a high-performance yet easy-to-use solution with our newest StudioComm system.” The StudioComm system incorporates an internal 16-channel architecture, providing direct support for a range of sur
UK - Earlier this month Creative Technology (CT) supported delivery of the first-ever Earthshot Prize awards ceremony which took place at Alexandra Palace in London. This event was introduced by HRH Prince William and hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary with Sir David Attenborough joining as special guest. The ceremony also featured music performances from artists such as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, KSI and Yemi Alade, and Shawn Mendes. Coldplay’s performance, from outside of Alexandra Palace, used energy powered by 60 cyclists. Working for long-standing client BBC Studios Events alongside The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, CT provided a circular, gloss LED floor to the exact design specific by the client, working with them to bring their vision to life with stunning results. The high-resolution LED floor which was made up of 446 t
UK - Situated at Boxpark Wembley, a 20,000sq.ft events space described as ‘the ultimate fan park destination’, Pop Golf combines crazy golf with 21st century pop music in a brightly coloured environment. This unusual playground is built on the belief that nothing brings people together like music and play. Based on a concept devised by Smith & Devil, the venue features a course of nine pop-themed holes paired with a high-octane Martin Audio sound system, provided by partners, Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL). Director and project manager Darrel Olivier looked no further than the company’s CDD6 / SX112 subwoofer combination, as he has many times in the past. From Drake’s Hotline Bling to retro 80’s boomboxes and suspended cassette tapes, each hole is different and has been designed to offer the experience of stepping straight into a music vi
Turkey - The first and only university in Turkey to focus purely on music education, Ankara Music University has invested in a 24-channel Audient ASP8024-HE console for its Music Technology department. Head of Music Technology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Tarikçi specified the desk and states, “Audient products makes the end user feel secure with their accomplished team and technical service. It is a great advantage that Audient can offer products with similar performance to their competitors, for users with a more modest budget.” With each studio doubling up as a classroom, Dr Tarikçi needed to be confident that the desk would be of good quality and durable, as well as suitable for educational applications. “One of the most important features for us is definitely the integrated patchbay system. Thanks to this, we can explain the signal flow chain in great det
China - Hangzhou is more than 9,000km from the shores of Lake Geneva, yet for four days in October the first Montreux Jazz Festival China successfully bridged both distance and cultural differences with the universal language of music. Also, to ensure the same sound experienced for 35 years on the shores of Lake Geneva, Montreux Jazz Festival China collaborated with Meyer Sound. The festival was held from 5-8 October at the Sofitel Westlake Hotel, with the main stage outdoors on the terrace and a special immersive experience installed in the lobby bar. The live performances featured artists from six countries, though all currently reside in China, with musical styles ranging from jazz to pop, folk and R&B. Although prudently limited in scope due to continuing COVID-19 concerns, MJF China’s first edition proved a success in terms of both audience satisfaction and
UK - Mike Oldfield’s magnum opus Tubular Bells was performed live at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London this summer, in a series of performances forming a prelude to the celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary in 2023. Tubular Bells – Live In Concert, with musical direction from Oldfield’s long-time collaborator Robin A. Smith, featured a nine-piece live band, with actor Samuel West replacing the late Vivian Stanshall as master of ceremonies. The music was brought to life on stage through a visual interpretation by the Circa Contemporary Circus, led by artistic director Yaron Lifschitz, with 10 acrobats presenting Oldfield’s work in its physical form, their movement woven together to reflect the music. DiGiCo SD7 front-of-house and monitor consoles, plus an additional array of equipment, were provided by RNSS Ltd, the productio
South Africa - Located in Bedfordview, an affluent area within Johannesburg, the newly opened Body Action Gym is a six-star wellness facility which provides access to fitness equipment, personalised nutritional guidance and a lifestyle environment. The gym boasts 5000 sq.m of cardio and weight training space; an array of dedicated aerobic, yoga, Pilates, HIIT and spinning studios; an open-air basketball court, boxing ring’ 50m sprint track and outdoor elite fitness training area—plus a kids area, in-house cafe and apparel shop. Key focus was given to the various entertainment systems which needed to seamlessly integrate into the gym’s overall vision for the facility. And this was highlighted by a Martin Audio BlacklineX PA system. John Greaves, audio specialist at Audiosure, the Martin Audio distributor, explained the various factors which led to the elabor
Australia - Codec specialist Tieline, based in Perth, Western Australia, have become the latest manufacturer to join the Ravenna community; a move which follows hard on the heels of the announcement of a new firmware release that adds Ravenna support to their Gateway family of codecs. Tieline codecs specialises in streaming low latency, high quality audio over a range of wired and wireless IP transports and facilitate the integration of compressed and uncompressed IP audio streams around the broadcast plant. “Ever since the days of POTS and ISDN, Tieline has always advocated for interoperability of equipment from different manufacturers,” said Charlie Gawley, Tieline’s VP Sales APAC/EMEA. “The world of IP is no different. It’s why our Gateway platform is AES67, ST 2110-30, NMOS and now Ravenna compliant, allowing devices using different AoIP protocols to con
Japan - Based in Shinjuku, Paddy Field is a rental company which supplies audio, video and recording solutions to a wide range of small-to-medium sized performing arts productions. When company founder Ryodai Tanaka was looking for a compact front of house system that would deliver quality sound, he turned to Alcons Audio’s pro-ribbon technology. Ryodai founded Paddy Field in 2019, after 10 years as a freelance sound engineer. He was introduced to Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems in July 2020, at a demonstration event held by Alcons’ Japanese distributor E’Spec Inc. Ryodai was immediately impressed. “The sound quality was excellent and, even at high volume, the high frequencies made the listening experience much more comfortable. At the same time, the bass sounded very tight,” he says. Ryodai was looking to invest in a compact line array FoH system for Paddy
USA - When officials at Oaklawn Racing Casino in Hot Springs, AZ greenlighted a multi-phased expansion project, one of the big ticket items they wanted to add to the resort was a versatile event space that could host conferences, concerts and more. As the vision came to fruition, the recently opened 15,000sq.ft event centre features the latest technology, including an ADAPTive PA system comprising 20 Anna loudspeakers and 12 Otto subwoofers from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). In addition, EAW monitors and side-fills were also employed on the project. The task of equipping the 1,500-seat venue with the latest in AV technology, including a 1,900sq.ft stage with a large video wall, was given to full-service AV integration firm TMG Systems. Designed by Jerrold Stevens of Marsh/PMK International LLC, this is the second project TMG Systems has worked on with Stevens in which
UK - When the Waterboys embarked on their current British tour, they did so safe in the knowledge that their new production supplier, Entec Live, would be able to provide the same integrated sound and lighting package as their old. Entec, head of sound, Dan Scantlebury had brought the Waterboys into the fold, at the blessing of his previous company, dbnAudile. “They introduced us to the band owing to their heavy workload - and since the two companies have similar inventories it has been an easy transition. You generally find both L-Acoustics and d&b on tour riders, and we have the latter. In this instance they fielded two hangs of d&b V series, with a Soundcraft Vi7000 console at FOH and DiGiCo SD12 on monitors. “The major advantage is that the band has one point of contact,” says Scantlebury, who was previously the band’s system tech. “Whether a soun
Denmark - DPA Microphones has released a new accessory, the MS4099 Mic Stand Mount, for its 4099 Core Instrument Mic. The company has also begun shipping the brown version of its new 4466 Core Omnidirectional and 4488 Core Directional Headset Microphones. A flexible solution for mounting the 4099 onto any mic stand, the MS4099 can be used on both three-eighths inch and five-eighths inch threads. Borrowed from the design of other DPA mounting options, the barrel of the MS4099 mic holder makes it quick and easy to attach or remove the microphone. In addition, the mount can be turned for vertical or horizontal use, pending application. It is also compatible with the brand’s 4097 Core Micro Shotgun. Now available in brown, the new 4466 and 4488 headsets feature the brand’s 5mm round microphone capsule and feature the design of the company’s groundbreaking 6066 Submi
Germany - With the current system update for the Prodigy series, DirectOut has introduced more new features. Prodigy.MP now features AutoMix, MirrorMode and the TruePeak Levelmeter. With AutoMix, Prodigy.MP now supports the fully automatic mixing of different input signals – perfect for panel discussions or multi-language feeds at sport events. Tweaking of the control parameters helps to meet even complex requirements, e.g. particularly reverberant event rooms. With the newly implemented TruePeak Levelmeter, Prodigy.MP now fulfills the requirements of EBU R 128. The TruePeak measurement allows reliable detection and display of inter-sample peaks. In DirectOut's own MirrorMode, selected parameters of a Mirror Unit are automatically aligned with the Main Unit. Alignment allows immediate switch-over for seamless operation with the matching device configuration in
Italy - Powersoft has launched two new certified courses on its website, allowing users to gain knowledge about core technologies, DSP, and network connectivity solutions. The two new courses, 201i and 201t are continuations of previous courses already available on the website, providing a more extensive look into topics such as Dynamic Music Distribution systems, Mezzo amplifier platforms, and WM Touch. During the 201i course the user continues on the path started with course 101i, completing the explanation of all the windows and functions of ArmoníaPlus whilst learning how to manage the networking and control through Third-party plugins. In the 201t course, Interactive Tuning is introduced, a tool that uses the potential of Smaart v8, allowing users to measure and align an audio system, even offline. There are also lessons on networking, and a more in-depth
USA - Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is consistently ranked among the nation’s best private liberal arts institutions. Central to the college’s southwestern Virginia campus is Memorial Chapel, a 500-seat church building that has served as host to thousands of worship services. This past summer, Memorial Chapel was host to renovation with the installation of a new Danley Sound Labs point source sound reinforcement system. “The previous installation used ceiling speakers that were installed 35 – 40ftt in the air,” said Justin Plaster of JMP Productions. “This prior design required the speakers to be quite loud to drive sound to event and worship service attendees. With the reverberant nature of the Chapel as well as the height and arch of the ceiling, this made intelligibility of the audio from those speakers very poor. The system was also quite d
Austria - For this summer’s Oper Im Steinbruch production at St Margarethen’s amphitheatre, once a Roman quarry now billed as Europe’s largest natural stage, little could outshine the vast projected visual backdrop for the performances of Turandot. The audio for the lavish production, however, was enhanced with TiMax SoundHub object-based spatialisation integrated with an Amadeus active acoustics system which immersed the 4,700-capacity audience, delivering consistent focus and intelligibility across the 80m wide, 30m deep stage. St Margarethen’s sound designer for Turandot, Volker Werner, consistently relies upon TiMax SoundHub so that audiences can easily follow the classical opera narratives, this year specifying two Dante-equipped main and backup units as the spatial processing core of the system. Werner states, “We have always
Germany - Prolight + Sound Frankfurt is set to return from 26 to 29 April 2022, with emphasis on sustainability. With the Green Event Day on 27 April, the fair is offering for the first time a theme day all about the responsible use of natural resources. Companies and associations will present their green initiatives and underline that commitment to sustainability can also pay off economically. Among the players who have already declared their participation in PL+S 2022 are ADJ, Area Four Industries, Ayrton, B. & C. Speakers, Bosch Rexroth, Bütec, Cast, Chainmaster, Chauvet, Clay Paky, ComputerWorks, dBTechnologies, DTS, Elation, ETC, Eurotruss, FBT Elettronica, GLP, Highlite International, HOF Alutec, InEar, JB-Lighting, Kling & Freitag, König & Meyer, KS Audio, Kvant, L-Acoustics, Lawo, Layher, LEDitgo, Lightpower, Link, MA Lighting, Meyer Sound, Moveca
USA - When Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, Colorado, a public K-12 charter school serving approximately 750 students, realised it was time to upgrade their auditorium AV system they chose LEA Professional to give them reliable amplifier power within an affordable package. Local AV systems integrator Sight + Sound Technologies was sub-contracted in to help Ridgeview Classical with a sound system upgrade within the school's main auditorium. The project was actually started a few months earlier but was running over budget, and school managers wanted a re-look at the project to see if cost-saving adjustments could be made. "The original estimates only included equipment costs, not labour, and the school had a strict budget they needed to adhere to, but of course, quality and usability were still important," said Kris Johnson, chief operating officer, Sight +
France - The Ultra Son company, founded in 1996 by Patrice Polak in Saint Quentin in the Aisne region of France, initially concentrated on the rental and sale of equipment for DJs and local services. Maxime Polak, Patrice’s son, gave the company new impetus when he took over it in 2011, expanding its activities to servicing concerts and events, providing sound, lighting and structure. This vision paid off, as has its investment in DiGiCo consoles over the years, with the latest addition to its inventory being a Quantum 338. Ultra Son’s DiGiCo console fleet started with the purchase of an SD8 in 2015 and has grown over the years, with S21s then an SD12 added. This July saw them add the Q338, the first Quantum console for the company, its processing quality, flexibility of flexible configuration combined with redesigned ergonomics to cope with any operating req
UK - Inspired by the real-life history of summer camps organised during the 1930s by the German American Bund in support of the 3rd Reich, Bess Wohl’s play, Camp Siegfried is a story of teenage passion against a sinister backdrop of Nazi ideology. Set in 1938, the drama focuses on two young teens, known only as ‘Him’ and ‘Her’, as they meet, chat and fall in love in the seemingly idyllic environment of a summer camp in Long Island. However, the camp’s real aim is soon revealed as the two young people become increasingly consumed and impassioned by fascist rhetoric. Autograph Sound, were responsible for the design and implementation of the audio for this unsual production; sound designer Ian Dickinson selected the new Reference Series loudspeakers from EM Acoustics to form the core of the sound system. “I’d already heard the R10s at a factory visi
South Africa - Stage Audio Works has announced the launch of Plus Audio, billed as a new range of loudspeaker systems for all applications requiring professional grade performance at an affordable price point. Targeted at regional rental companies and worship applications, Plus Audio offers products ranging from powerful, large format line array systems for touring or fixed installation use, compact line arrays for smaller venues right through to a range of versatile point source cabinets that can be used as a distributed system, or as in-fill for larger systems or indeed as a stand-alone PA coupled with the appropriate subwoofers. A range of subwoofers and a dedicated stage monitor as well as amplifiers and a DSP complete the line-up. “We’re delighted to integrate the Plus Audio brand into our portfolio,” says Stage Audio Works CTO Nathan Ihlenfeldt. “We now o
Europe - Audio-Technica has introduced the low-profile BP898 Subminiature Cardioid Condenser Lavalier Microphone and BP899 Subminiature Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone. Direct replacements and upgrades to the existing AT898 and AT899, the new BP898 and BP899 are available in a number of different terminations (for wired or wireless use) that suit them to the entire range of lavalier mic applications. The BP898 is available in five black-finished models, all with permanently attached cables and varying termination and power configurations. Available in a variety of different variations, each of the BP899 options features permanently attached cables, varying termination and power configurations and black or theatre beige finishes. Both microphones’ wide dynamic range and tolerance for high sound pressure levels ensures intelligible, natural-sounding
USA - Podcasters on the San Francisco-based Pantheon network are using the AKG Podcaster Essentials bundle to great effect, enjoying improved sound and ease of use from the AKG Lyra USB microphone and K371 headphones. Pantheon Podcasts is a network of more than 70 music-focused shows, running the gamut from casual music exploration to history, production, banjo culture and much more. Pantheon founder and CEO Christian Swain is also the host of Rock N Roll Archaeology, a chronological, episodic podcast that tells the story of how the music of the late 20th century intersected with the changing culture of the times to create what is now one of the greatest moments in music history. According to Swain, the AKG Podcaster Essentials toolkit makes it possible for less-experienced hosts to achieve professional sound easily and lends a cohesive sound to the network’s many shows.
USA - Crusader Stadium is the home of the NCAA Cru Football team at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. During the summer of 2021, Daktronics upgraded the end-zone scoreboard and sound system with the goal of doubling the size of the video display area while minimizing changes to the existing structure. For long-throw coverage, Daktronics deployed six Fulcrum Acoustic AHS speaker modules in the horizontal ‘ribbon’ above the video area of the scoreboard. Each AHS module packs a lot of output into a 31” tall package, with up to four coaxial compression drivers and four horn-loaded 10” woofers per module. The available space within the scoreboard structure allowed for three stacks of two modules each. This provides sufficient output to achieve the project’s sound level goals for the seating areas. The high-frequency driver density provides the output needed to
