France - APG will preview its new iX range at the JTSE trade show in Paris this week. Comprising a full line of fixed installation speakers, and based on the successful coaxial concept, the new iX range is characterised by a combination of ‘uncompromising drivers and a non-diffraction acoustic baffling that allows pure point source directivity’. For some of the iX models, APG has created coaxial devices that strike a perfect physical alignment between low and hi transducers. The iX line is made up of five coaxial speaker models: iX5, iX6, iX8, iX12 and iX15; all of which are two acoustic way speakers loaded in bass-reflex for low-frequency extension. APG will also announce at the show a future extension of the range with two unique models of pseudo-coaxial speakers – the iX2.5 and IX2.6 – which will be optimised for vocal applications. From an acoustic point of
USA - Event production company Genetic Productions is out with Morgan Wallen as the rising country music star opens as direct support on Luke Combs’ Beer Never Broke My Heart tour, a North American stretch that wraps in mid-December with shows at the 20,000-capacity Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Genetic has again supplied an Elation rig for the singer after having supplied Wallen’s inaugural headlining tour, Up Down, last year. Genetic serves as the lighting and video vendor for the outing, working closely with designer Zac Coren. The lighting rig includes 3° beams from Elation DARTZ 360 LED moving heads energizing the atmosphere while immersing the stage and crowd in colour and effect. Zac Coren, who serves as lead LD, says the DARTZ are the main focal point of his design. “They provide a lot of dynamic looks and have a great feature set to accomplish
Australia - Two ARX MSX-32 Mic/Line Splitters were specified by Melbourne based audio contractor Intavent to provide reliable and agile broadcast mic splits for the broadcast box at the Flemington Racecourse. The ARX MSX-32’s were required to be installed in time for the annual Spring Racing Carnival - of which the Melbourne Cup is the jewel in the crown - and where the eyes and ears of the horse racing world would be focussed. Australians refer to the Melbourne Cup as the race that stops a nation. In fact, its reach extends well beyond Australian shores to Europe, USA, South Africa, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and beyond. The first link of the audio signal chain is a vital one and the Victoria Racing Club (owners and operators of Flemington racecourse) chose the two ARX MSX-32 to provide the primary feeds to send Hills race call around the racetrack, around
Switzerland - For nearly four weeks this past summer, the Swiss town of Vevey on Lake Geneva came alive when one million visitors participated in the 12th Winegrowers’ Festival. The Fête des Vignerons takes place once in a generation and pays homage to century old traditions of wine-growing. Recognised by UNESCO on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the celebration unites an entire region of winegrowers with the local community. The highlight of the festival is Le Spectacle, a three-hour show performed in a temporary arena featuring 5,500 amateur actors in costume, 1,000 choral singers, and hundreds of musicians. To ensure a flawless performance, the audio team selected the Shure Axient Digital wireless system and PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring system to power the 20,000-seat venue. A total of 324 channels of Axient Digital and 40 channels of
Europe - Björk has kicked off the European portion of her critically-acclaimed Cornucopia tour deploying a d&b Soundscape Immersive sound system as the show scales up dramatically from its debut in New York’s new arts centre, The Shed, to a run of largescale arena dates including London’s O2 arena. Cornucopia is Björk’s most elaborate stage production to date, incorporating stunning visuals, intricate stage movements and a fully integrated immersive sound design. Cornucopia’s sound was designed by Björk and FOH sound engineer John Gale, supported by Southby Productions, and Steve Jones from d&b, utilising the d&b En-Scene object-based mixing and En-Space room emulation software, running on the DS100 system processor and a comprehensive d&b KSL speaker system as an integral part of the concert performance design. “Bjö
Mexico - Atlona, a Panduit company, has appointed Grupo ABSA as its commercial AV distribution partner across a broad swath of Mexico, covering 14 major metropolitan regions including Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Juarez, Mexico City, Monterrey and Tijuana. Grupo ABSA will focus on growing Atlona’s brand recognition and market share with a large community of IT and networking consultants and integrators that increasingly require networked AV solutions for end user projects. “There is a unification of many different platforms on IP networks that is taking shape, and Atlona will play a fundamental role in how our customers transition AV operations to the network,” says Carlos Garcia Ramirez, commercial director for Grupo ABSA. “With solutions like OmniStream for audio and video distribution and Velocity for networked control, Atlona brings in the systems intelligence a
UK - PLASA has launched an audio mixing competition, with pro audio prizes at stake. The contest, which runs until 13 January 2020, is open to sound mixing enthusiasts and professionals alike. It is a continuation of the Stage to Studio initiative held at the PLASA Show 2019 that saw emerging artist VC Pines perform live while being recorded by sound engineer Jamie McEvoy. There are two categories - Best Original Mix and Best Alternative Mix - with the winners set to receive prizes provided by Genelec and Shure. To obtain the original multi-track files, participants need to complete a short form on the PLASA Show website and email their final mix to info@plasashow.com. Each entry will be judged by representatives from Headliner and Sound on Sound magazines, Genelec, Shure, Miloco Studios, PLASA and VC Pines himself. To find out more
APAC - B-Tech AV Mounts, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of AV mounting solutions, has appointed Jenny Li as its new director of operations for APAC with immediate effect. Based in B-Tech’s office in Ningbo, China, Li first joined the business in 2013 as a salesperson, whilst also providing valuable input into the manufacturing, supply chain and logistical procedures of the business. Excelling in her role, she went on to become sales manager for APAC, working closely with B-Tech teams and customers across East and Southeast Asia, playing a crucial role in establishing the company as a leading brand in the region. In her new role as director of operations (APAC), Li will be responsible for all operational procedures across B-Tech’s existing China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam facilities as well as continuing to oversee sales throughout the re
USA - Brompton Technology’s Dynamic Calibration is a new technology that enables LED panels to achieve a higher brightness and wider colour gamut than is possible with legacy calibration techniques, while maintaining uniformity. Dynamic Calibration is the enabling technology for Brompton HDR, as well as new, performance-enhancing features such as PureTone and ThermaCal. “Commonly used calibration methods achieve uniformity by sacrificing both brightness and colour gamut, forcing every LED to match the dimmest and palest LEDs in the entire screen. Once calibrated, this is used for all content over the entire life of the panel,” explains Brompton’s CTO Chris Deighton. “However, with ever-increasing demand for better image quality without increased cost, such sacrifices in performance can no longer be justified.” Brompton’s Dynamic Calibration takes ‘a re
The Netherlandds - For over 25 years, Story Event Engineering has been a reliable reference point for event and location organisers in the Netherlands, with a portfolio ranging from large outdoor festivals through corporate events, to theatre tours and intimate classical concerts. The company recently invested in Outline’s Newton multi-source audio processor which combines ‘WFIR’ filtering technology, multi-format audio signal routing, simultaneous multiple standard conversion and digital signal synchronisation in a single 1RU chassis. Martin van Kouwen, sales specialist at Ampco Flashlight Sales, Outline Newton distributor for Benelux, comments: "Outline’s recently-developed Newton is a ground-breaking product for advanced audio processing, which, due to its characteristics and quality, is ideally suited to audio professionals who place great importance in qua
South Africa - AV and Beyond, a full-service technical events supplier, has recently invested in an L-Acoustics Kara professional sound system, purchased from DWR Distribution. Over the past six years, the AV and Beyond team has successfully serviced a wide range of corporate and entertainment events for an impressive list of high-profile clients, establishing a reputation for excellence, customer service and creative brilliance in the process. Company founder and MD, Warren Freidin, explains that AV and Beyond aims to provide clients with comprehensive turn-key technical solutions for their events. The company has built its service offering around the client’s needs and has all of the skills and resources at hand so that clientele can use a single service provider for a seamless eventing experience. “AV and Beyond is a rapidly growing company and, having co
Australia - On Sunday 6 October, the Canberra Raiders squared off against the Sydney Roosters at the NRL Grand Final in front of 82,922 spectators at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, with millions more watching the broadcast. Impressive numbers - as was the 229 radio microphones active at the ground that Peter Twartz, radio frequency manager for the stadium and the NRL, had to coordinate to work flawlessly with one another. Wayne Mulder, engineering coordinator for production provider JPJ, made Peter’s job that bit easier by using Shure Axient Digital and PSM1000 IEMs across pre-show entertainers OneRepublic, the choir, MCs, hosts, and national anthem performers. All up, 52 channels of Shure’s premium wireless mic and monitor products kept the show running flawlessly in an extremely hostile RF environment. “At JPJ, we wouldn’t use anything else but Shure Axient for th
Finland - The Rantakylä School Centre in Mikkeli has recently undergone a major audio upgrade with two Allen & Heath SQ digital mixing systems. With around 700 students, the renovated school centre prides itself on providing the latest cutting-edge technologies. “When our huge renovation project started, it was clear in our minds that our audio system needed to be as accommodating and up-to-date as possible without compromising on an easy and intuitive user interface,” explains Juha Lindbohm, a music teacher at Rantakylä school. “As we have several event locations within the premises, the key requirements for us were: a reliable audio network, wireless control and integration with lighting and video.” The school turned to Allen & Heath’s Finnish distributor, F-Pro, who recommended two identical systems featuring an SQ-6 equipped with a Dante card a
Poland - Singer-songwriter Dawid Podsiadlo found fame by winning the second series of Poland’s X Factor in 2012, securing himself a recording contract with Sony Music. Following the success of his two Diamond certified albums, Podsiadlo embarked on a stadium tour, where FOH engineer Rafal Smolen relied on SSL L300 consoles, supplied by GMB Pro Sound and Polish distributor Audiotech Commercial. “The L300 was the best possible choice for this tour,” says Smolen. “I got comfortable working with it, as it quickly became apparent that whatever I did on this console would always sound exceptional.” One of the Dawid Podsiadlo concerts was held at the National Stadium in Warsaw, which Smolen says was always intended to be a 'one of a kind' show. “We wanted it to be a real, one-time event that would really amaze people and make them want more. That was
USA - The Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, located at the northern tip of Estero Island in the Fort Myers area, has won awards for its amenities and striking beauty. The resort is positioned in a prime location along the Florida shore and boasts premiere beach access, restaurants, a spa and incredible pools. That said, the location also comes with some expected Floridian challenges, such as a recent hurricane that did damage to the resort’s audio system. But, while many would see this as a problem for the destination, Pink Shell saw it as an opportunity to reimagine its entire soundscape and AV experience for guests. And at the heart of the new system sit a number of Ashly Audio solutions. “When I showed them the Ashly offerings, and then the price we could install a complete system at with Ashly, they were immediately on board with adding additional features
Germany - Founded in 1952, the Maxim Gorki Theatre is Berlin's smallest with 440 seats, and regards itself as a contemporary city theatre in a historic setting. In autumn 2019, the Maxim Gorki Theatre (MGT) adopted a new audio infrastructure. Central to this is a Lawo mc²96 production console as FOH console in the main hall, and a Lawo mc²56 console that serves as a backup and a remote console for the preparation of new projects. The mc²56 is also used as a recording console for the venue’s in-house recording studio. A Nova73 compact serves as the setup’s central router with five Dallis units available as stageboxes, two of which can be used mobile in combination with the mc²56, or on stage. Further Dallis units are located where most of the inputs and outputs are needed, in the orchestra pit and in the basement (Amp-City). The ‘local inputs and outputs’ a
USA - As part of the acquisition that was finalised in August 2019, global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks brings ConnectCAD 2020 to market in conjunction with the Vectorworks 2020 Service Pack 2 release. From simple to complex, the ConnectCAD add-on to Vectorworks Spotlight and Designer allows AV system designers to lay out signal flows in an easy-to-read format. “Since ConnectCAD is built on Vectorworks technology and available as an add-on for Spotlight and Designer, you can take advantage of the flexible and robust design and documentation capabilities that have made Spotlight the entertainment industry standard,” comments Vectorworks CEO, Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “With features like data visualisation and bi-directional worksheets, along with an extensive manufacturer library and a customizable 2D/3D hybrid environment, you have everything you need to desig
Jamaica - Located in Kingston, Main Event Entertainment Group (MEEG) is a multi-level experience agency. Their technical services department recently acquired a large Martin Audio MLA/MLX multicellular array system. Solomon Sharpe, CEO at MEEG, comments: “Main Event is a full-blown experiential marketing company that has grown organically; the company operates as small internal business units, thus allowing us to deliver a holistic brand experience to our clients from the root to the fruit. We work with numerous corporate giants in Jamaica and have supported major campaigns and activations from above-the-line advertising to below-the-line marketing strategies.” Sharpe adds: “Over the years we have produced everything from major festivals to executing multi-level engagements for the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Events) market. Jamaica is positioned a
UK - Protec supported its client Optimum for the Jaguar Land Rover Long Service Awards at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 25-26 October. This event, held over two nights, hosted over 2,400 guests in total celebrating employees who have given 25, 40, and 50 years loyal service to the company. Protec put together a bespoke audio and video package working alongside Christie Lites for this production servicing a corporate presentation, an awards ceremony, the showcasing of two new vehicles, live entertainment including singers, dancers and theatrical performers, and a gala dinner. Production manager for Optimum, Tony Butler reports: “Protec have been fantastic on the most recent production for Optimum at the Ricoh Arena. From early planning and budgeting, all the way through the pre-production process and on-site delivery the whole team have supported me superbly. I can
Australia - The Australian College of the Arts Pty recently outfitted their new flagship campus with JBL by Harman audio systems for their audio and music production programmes. The Australian College of the Arts Pty (Collarts) is an independent tertiary college specialising in degrees and diplomas in the creative industries, including audio engineering and music production. With four campuses throughout Melbourne, Collarts teaches their students the fundamentals of studio recording, live production, and sound for film. When the college moved its main campus from South Melbourne to Collingwood, they used the opportunity to equip their recording, mastering and post-production studios with JBL by Harman audio systems, including Studio One, Critical Listening and an immersive Dolby Atmos Room. Collarts equipped their primary recording space, Studio One, with soffit
Finland - The University of the Arts recently upgraded some of its AV facilities to improve the student experience. Electro Waves, a local integrator, carried out the work which includes new Christie APS and the GS series laser projectors in a number of lecture theatres and music performance halls. With its combination of disciplines including fine art, music and theatre studies, the new university offers varied education opportunities to students in Finland and overseas. And, with increasing numbers of students attracted to the university through its growing reputation, the in-house AV team were keen to add first-class projection to enhance the teaching and presentation facilities. Kai Tuovinen of Electro Waves organised a trial period to test which projectors would be suited to the university’s requirements. “In partnership with the in-house AV team we decided to
USA - After auditioning nearly every industry standard microphone capsule for multi-platinum recording artist Khalid, production manager and FOH Engineer CJ Blair found that DPA Microphones’ d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone “perfectly complemented” the singer’s deep R&B tones. Now out on Khalid’s Free Spirit World Tour, Blair initially sought out a new vocal solution as a means of bringing the singer-songwriter’s studio sound to the live stage. “Khalid, like most artists, doesn’t want a technical explanation of why something does or does not sound great,” says Blair. “He just wants a great sounding solution; and we found that with the d:facto 4018VL.” Blair has used the DPA d:factos for the entirety of the Free Spirit tour and has been impressed with the sound he’s attained. “When Landon (Storey, Khalid’s monitor engineer) and I started u
USA - 7thSense Design has promoted Eric Lehman to the position of global sales and marketing manager. He joined 7thSense as business development manager in 2017 and has since been instrumental in establishing the company’s Orlando office, securing high profile theme park and attraction projects internationally, and playing an active role in developing new media serving and control solutions, as well as strategic partnerships for new products. Lehman’s career has seen him work with and contribute to the commercial success of respected companies including Universal, Electrosonic, Solid Control Inc., and Mad Systems, in addition to his own consultancy business Lehman AV Consultants. “I am very pleased that Eric will be leading our global sales and marketing strategy and activities.” says Matt B
Europe - Designing a successful background music (BGM) system, even for small spaces, is usually seen as something that only a professional systems integrator can do, adding both cost and time to a project. But with the introduction of Yamaha’s new online tool, YIMSA, designing BGM systems for small to medium-sized premises will be ‘quicker and free of any cost’. The Yamaha In-store Music System Advisor (YIMSA) is a new online tool, dedicated to the BGM market, which provides system recommendations based on the input of some basic, easy to understand details. YIMSA is designed so that users do not need an in-depth knowledge of audio or be aware of the Yamaha product range. It asks straightforward questions like “What is the atmosphere of the store?” and “What quality of music is desired?” with simple buttons to choose the answers. When these questio
