USA - Firehouse Productions recently deployed a complete Harman Professional Solutions audio system at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at New York's Madison Square Garden. Held on 28 January, this year marked the first time the ceremony was held outside of Los Angeles since 2003. Firehouse Productions was hired to provide sound reinforcement for the event, which included live performances by Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Kesha, Bruno Mars and Cardi B, SZA, Childish Gambino and more. In order to ensure sound quality for both the audience at Madison Square Garden and the television broadcast, Firehouse designed a complete Harman Professional audio system centred upon JBL VTX Series loudspeakers and Crown amplification. “When it comes to sound quality at the Grammy Awards ceremony, we have incredibly high standards,” said Michael Abbott, audio coordinator,
UK - The Imperial War Museum North opened at Trafford Park in Manchester in 2002 and has since welcomed more than three million visitors. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the striking building is now a feature of the city's skyline. Its exhibitions tell the story of how war has affected the lives of British and Commonwealth citizens since 1914. IWM North recently called on Pro Audio Systems in Bradford to upgrade the audio system of the museum’s star attraction, the Big Picture Show, which uses surround sound, projected digital moving images and photographs to create a fully immersive sensory experience that brings to life people’s experiences of war. After several A/B comparisons which designated EM Acoustics as both the top-performing and best value solution, Pro Audio Systems supplied a system based on 24 EMS-81X 2-way passive speakers supplemente
UK - In 2015, Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation that runs Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre, undertook the task of rejuvenating Perth Theatre, home to Scotland’s oldest repertory theatre company. Northern Light, specialist in technical theatre fit-outs, was contracted to design, provide, install and commission both the production lighting and sound and communications systems to help achieve this transformation. The aim of the project was to restore the theatre’s B-listed, Edwardian auditorium to its former glory. The ‘gods’ seating was to be reinstated, an orchestra area introduced and a new 200-seat studio theatre for small to mid-scale music and drama performances was built. New community and creative learning spaces, including a home for Perth Youth Theatre were also to be provided and access throughout the venue improved. Already on the approved
USA - Ashly Audio reports that Alliance Audio Visual Group will represent all of Ashly’s DSPs, amplifiers, user interfaces, and digital mixing consoles throughout southern California and southern Nevada. With origins stretching back over two decades and a strong, stable network of clients, Alliance has been helping A/V consultants, and contractors, touring sound companies, and related companies connect with audio-video equipment that makes their projects successful. “Ashly Audio has a well-earned reputation for building processors, amplifiers, and interfaces that are thoughtfully designed, and are rock-solid-reliable right out of the box and into the distant future,” said Matthew Jensen, owner and principle rep at Alliance Audio Visual Group. “Ashly offers a range of solutions that complements our existing line card and that completes the synergy of prod
South Africa - DWR Distribution has partnered with South African technician Jacob ‘Jakes’ Mogale to form a new installation company, The Install Crew. While the new company will run independently from DWR, it will operate from the DWR offices. Mogale, who formerly owned DimBright, comments: “For me, this is the ultimate partnership. We share the same values, we care about quality workmanship and we have also worked on projects together for the past ten years which means we have built a relationship. This is an exciting venture for both my team and me.” Robert Izzett of DWR says: “This will be an installation company with no products involved. It means that The Install Crew will offer skilled labour and good workmanship, backed-up with outstanding service.” Mogale adds: “The aim is to be of service to any theatre or company in the country who n
UK - FBT Audio (UK) has announced Mike Roissetter as its business development manager for South Wales, the Midlands and the South West of England. A well-known figure within the UK industry, Roissetter is described by FBT Audio (UK) managing director, Mark Parkhouse, as "the right man with the right ideas as we continue to grow". Roissetter brings considerable experience to his new role, having worked in both audio retail for the Soundpad chain of stores, and distribution for a number of global brands including EAW. He was also responsible the launch of the Dexibell digital piano in the UK. His arrival at FBT Audio (UK) represents something of a reunion with Mark Parkhouse, with whom he previously worked closely at Proel Group, though the relationship goes back much further. "Mike actually sold me my first PA, when I was 14," explains Parkhouse. "Since then we’ve had
Germany - Following an expansion of its presence in Germany, DPA Microphones has announced details of the new sales team that will be responsible for handling the company’s extensive product line in this market. The microphone manufacturer is also introducing a new service process to speed up product service and maintenance for all customers. The Germany team is headed by Martin Kaaber, DPA’s VP of sales for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. He is supported by business development manager Florian Kresse and account managers Reinhard Stelter and Mike Brühl who will respectively handle the north and south of the country. As well as sales and support, they will also play a key role in providing customer feedback, which will help DPA deliver high levels of service and products. Kaaber comments: “Your success is our success - that is my
China - Over 40,000 spectators gathered to take in the final event of the 2017 League of Legends S7 World Championships in November 2017 at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium. The audio system for the event, which included over 200 Adamson E-Series and S-Series loudspeakers, ran without any interruption for nearly 96 hours, leading up to the winner being declared. League of Legends is a popular multiplayer online battle arena video game, with national tournaments hosted in several countries around the world. The S7 World Championships began with a pool of 12 international teams that, over the course of two months of live gameplay, was whittled down to the final two: Samsung Galaxy and SK Telecom T1, both from South Korea. The two teams faced off in the nearly four-day final at the Bird’s Nest, with the Samsung Galaxy team earning a decisive 3-0 victory. Beij
UK - Jo Beirne has joined the account management team of London-based lighting and visuals rental and production specialist Colour Sound Experiment. Beirne will be based at the company’s Park Royal office. She previously worked at XL Video for over 15 years, where she coordinated video worldwide for internationally acclaimed touring acts including The Killers, James Blunt, The Kaiser Chiefs and many more. Colour Sound founder Haydn Cruickshank comments: “Jo is a fantastic addition to the company. Her enthusiasm, drive and personality is a perfect fit with our core values of ensuring outstanding customer service, great personal attention to detail and encouraging innovative designers to explore their ideas and imaginations.” (Jim Evans)
Germany - HK Audio has introduced the Elements Gala column loudspeakers, the latest in the German pro audio company’s Elements series. Available in Europe from 1 March, the new all-in-one stereo columnar system has all components of a traditional PA. Elements Gala comes with four E 835 columnar tops (each loaded with eight 3.5” high-performance speakers), a 15” system subwoofer to power the whole operation, two EF 45 bases, two EP 2 extension poles for applications requiring raised speakers, and two LS 10 Speakon cables. The system can also be extended through a HK Audio L SUB 1500 A subwoofer. Julian Fischer, HK Audio product manager, says: “Over the last couple of years, we asked many avid Elements users what they want. More bass, loftier highs and stronger low-mids were at the top of their wish list. So we came up with a spot-on way of satisfying preci
China - Chinese rock star Wang Feng set out last September on a 30-date national tour, The Times Tour, to support his album 29 Guoling Lane. At the heart of the audio system for this ever-growing production lies a DiGiCo SD7 at FOH and an SD5 at monitors, supplied by Racpro, DiGiCo’s distributor for the territory. Mr Shaogang Jin, Wang Feng’s chief FOH engineer and sound designer, is no stranger to such productions. He is one of China’s foremost sound engineers and has been involved with events such as the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and The Voice of China. He has been working with Wang Feng for many years. Mr Shaogang Jin and Mr Guobang Lu are making good use of the SD7 at FOH, with monitor engineers Mr Yong Shao and Mr Longfei Ai utilising the SD5. Mr Shaogang Lin comments that the choice of mixing consoles is based on their in
New Zealand - Veteran FOH engineer Kevin Bennett recently mixed Bic Runga’s Drive 20th Anniversary Tour on a complete JBL by Harman VTX A12 sound system, provided by distributor Jands NZ. Released in August 1997, Bic Runga’s debut release Drive is regarded as one of the most successful albums in New Zealand music history. In addition to winning Album Of The Year at the 1998 New Zealand Music Awards, Drive sold more than 70,000 copies and catapulted Bic Runga to international success. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, Bic Runga recently embarked on a series of concerts in which she performed Drive in its entirety, along with a selection of greatest hits from her subsequent multi-platinum albums. Jands NZ provided FOH engineer Kevin Bennett with a complete JBL by Harman VTX A12 sound reinforcement system for
Qatar - Martin Audio has appointed IAC Qatar as its new distributor in Qatar. Representatives of the Doha-based company have already received training from Martin Audio’s technical team in Qatar and IAC audio engineers will be undergoing further technical and sales marketing training in the UK. Elie Salameh, projects & sales manager, comments: “We came across Martin Audio, and felt they would be the perfect partner to take advantage of this opportunity. We were aware of the versatility of their products and their global reputation for providing world class audio across the board.” “We are presently working on many contracts related to fixed installation projects, at the same time supplying many event and rental companies specialising in sports, hotels, clubs and hospitality assignments,” confirmed Salameh. (Jim Evans)
UK - tvONE is expanding its EMEA sales team by adding Jon Hubery as regional sales manager for the Middle East and India. Jon has spent the last four and a half years working with a UK distribution partner, Holdan. Frithjof Becker, EMEA sales director of tvONE, states, “Jon Hubery is an experienced sales manager working in the AV Market for years. He will lead our expansion into the Middle East and India. Our local partners in the region are looking forward to working with Jon.” Hubery adds: “After working four years in the UK with AV Integrators, I am looking forward to working internationally again and introducing tvONE to India and the Middle East. I am delighted to be back at tvONE and cannot wait to get started with our partners from across the region to help and support them with their existing and future projects." (Jim Evans)
Germany - At Prolight & Sound Frankfurt, UK immersive audio and showcontrol specialists Out Board will introduce the new TiMax 500S software for TiMax SoundHub, with enhanced programming and showcontrol workflows for rendering and control of live, presentation and experiential spatial reinforcement and immersive audio, including new-look variable day/night skins optimised for outdoor, rehearsal and show conditions. TiMax will also have sneak previews of the powerful new bespoke TiMax FPGA dsp core, which offers new creative tools for spatial reinforcement, 3D audio and acoustic enhancement. Based on detailed input from leading sound design associates, along with direct experience of TiMax developers themselves working on high-profile shows in the field, StageSpace allows auto-calculation of delay-matrix localisation objects derived from three-dimensional data impor
USA - Located inside the Fiesta Rancho Hotel and Casino, the Kuwa Nightclub is a Latin-themed club that incorporates a sound reinforcement system that draws from the Event, Vantec, and Action Series catalogues of Spanish D.A.S. Audio. International House of Music (IHOMI), a full-service music and audio equipment supplier, was contracted to design and deploy the new sound system at the Kuwa Nightclub, along with the lighting and video provisions. Oscar Naranjo Jr. is the company's sales manager and primary audio technician. He discussed the Kuwa Nightclub project and his decision for installing D.A.S. loudspeakers. “Kuwa’s new sound system is a pretty comprehensive setup,” Naranjo explained. “The house mains consist of 16 Event 210A 3-way active line arrays, with eight enclosures each for the left and right hangs. Positioned behind each of these loudspeaker clus
USA - For decades, Sammy Hagar has been considered one of rock and roll’s all-time greatest lead singers and musicians. Hagar’s passion for music is rivalled only by his commitment to giving back. The best of both worlds recently came together when Hagar was honoured for his philanthropic work at the annual Adopt the Arts Rock Gala at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood. Kings of Chaos FOH engineer and production manager Greg Rideout chose a selection of microphones from DPA Microphones for the high-profile event. Adopt the Arts co-founder and former drummer for Guns n’ Roses and Velvet Revolver Matt Sorum took to the stage along with an all-star line-up of some of the biggest names in rock and roll, featuring the Kings of Chaos including Matt Sorum, Steve Stevens, Billy Duffy, Dean and Robert DeLeo, Kenny Aronoff, Michael Anthony, Paul Ill, Steve Luthaker, Phil X,
Croatia - Central, a high-end night club in Split, has been fitted with a sound system from d&b. The two-floor, 1,000-capacity venue is a short walk from the Diocletian’s Palace and comprises four bars and three VIP areas. Working closely with Tomislav Koran (Kuki) at Croatian distributor Audio Tehnika, d&b was the system of choice. Kuki explains: “Central’s owners have a lot of experience and success in running clubs. They understand the importance of system design in terms of the customer experience inside the venue, and also the exterior environment. Split is an ancient, tightly packed city - so emission problems will be disruptive to their business.” The d&b system designed by Kuki is based around a L/R Y-Series line array and a Bi6-SUB array with E12s for fills around the venue. The DJ booth is equipped with a pair of MAX2 monitors for fo
India - The Atlona On-Tour Roadshow, the company’s residential AV roadshow, recently wrapped its first leg in Mumbai, India following events in Delhi and Bangalore. The ‘Zero to 60Hz’ training sessions focused on education and pain points for AV professionals aiming to keep pace with the latest industry trends. Each day-long event offered focused segments on AV over IP, BYOD-powered collaboration, and networked control from Atlona Academy trainers, followed by an open house period for networking, hands-on product trainings, and personalized Q&A opportunities. “We’ve reached a critical point in time where end-users in corporate, higher education and other facilities are confident and ready to move forward with transitioning their AV operations to the network,” said Sanket Sawant, Atlona’s director of business development, Middle East, India and Southe
Europe - English indie rock band alt-J headed out last June on their Relaxer tour in support of their latest album. The trio performed in Europe, North America and Asia through to February 2018, with an L‑Acoustics K Series rig providing consistency of sound across diverse venues. The system was supplied by the rental arm of Rat Sound Systems, whose association with alt‑J started in 2015 and the company has been their worldwide audio supplier ever since. With a couple of years touring with the band under their belts, FOH engineer Lance Reynolds, monitor engineer Brett Heet, systems engineer Tom Worley are fully versed in the requirements of a show that plays in vast spaces, such as the Olympiahalle Munich or Hallenstadion in Zurich and outdoor venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. “The simple answer to why we use L‑Acoustics is that I think
France - APG has announced the appointment of Alexis Reymond as sales engineer for Western France and the UK. Based at the company's HQ in Nantes, Alexis will be in charge of business development for both regions, as well as providing consultancy and technical support. With a strong background as a sound engineer for live events in France and abroad, Alexis also worked for many years as an audio consultant and auditor for the design of loudspeakers, providing sonic insight and expertise to public institutions and Houses of Worship. Alexis comments, “France’s Western region has very strong growth potential and already benefits from an active pool of users and a well-established partner network. A number of recent prestigious installations combined with satisfied end users are an excellent starting point for our growth in this region, allowing us to strengthen our pa
UK - Singer-songwriter Duo Lipa, who recently performed at the BRIT Awards, has enjoyed a strong 2017. For a year and a half, FOH engineer Will Nicholson and monitor man Alex Cerutti have used their DiGiCo SD5 and SD12 consoles respectively. Nicholson, who has a previous working relationship with the artist's production manager, Pete Abbott, says: “We worked together on Icona Pop, and a couple of smaller artists; also, [musical director] William Bowerman is a friend of mine, so when Pete gave me a shout to see if I was interested, I was keen to get involved.” Nicholson has been a DiGiCo user for five years and says the scalability of the SD range is ideal for his FOH workflow. “Modern pop touring is often characterised by two significant factors: time and budget,” he explains. “Whilst I haven’t had to make use of the smallest surfaces in the [
South Africa - Singer songwriter Jesse Clegg recently completed his traditional national December acoustic tour, which utilised Martin Audio’s MLA Mini. The system was introduced to him by Audiosure, Martin Audio’s South African distributor, with whom he has enjoyed a close relationship in recent years, since they first introduced him to a mixing desk. When he and long-term sound engineer, Verny Scholtz, saw the need for a compact, portable, high quality PA Audiosure jumped in. Alison Taman, general manager of Audiosure, knew right away that Martin Audio’s MLA Mini would the right fit for Jesse’s tour. The locations ranged from open-air botanical gardens to intimate lounges and only the MLA has the power, control and portability to pull off every situation without compromise. “As the distributors for Martin Audio in South Africa, we are thrilled that a
USA - The Admiral Theatre, an art deco movie house in Bremerton, Washington, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Admiral Theatre Foundation, which helped renovate the venue in the 1990s, raised $1.2m and recently completed upgrades to its infrastructure and sound reinforcement system, adding 11 new Clair Brothers 1AM+ and 1.5AM+ powered monitors. "Performers these days are looking for hi-fi sound in their monitors. The days of a simple 'horn-in-your-face' are gone," said Andrew Saylor, production manager for the Admiral Theatre, who also plays the role of Audio 1, house system tech, and frequent FOH mixer. "In our search for new monitors, we wanted something that could handle volume while still remaining punchy, transparent, and bright. We demoed a lot of different top-name manufacturers, and the Clair Brothers 1AM+ and 1.5AM+ powered monitors stoo
