Mexico - It’s more than 20 years since Mexican businessman and philanthropist Alfredo Harp Helú promised the Diablos Rojos del México and their fans a permanent home fit for the most winning team in the history of Mexican baseball. Now the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium stands as testament to this baseball super-fan’s passion for the game. The first new stadium to be built in Mexico City in the last 50 years, the AHH features a roof resembling a devil’s fork, rising to a height of 31m. In the brief for a sound system commensurate with a project of such uncompromising standards, it was critical that speakers should add as little weight as possible to a structure already weighing some 5,000 tons. “Our customer Logen was appointed as audio system integrator for the project, and they asked us to propose a system that could provide the power and coverage needed
USA - ACT Entertainment will begin offering solutions from PK Sound, the robotic line-array company, to customers in North America. “As a Canadian manufacturer with a growing international profile, we were looking for a distribution partner in North America that could help augment sales in the territory, but also ultimately serve as a regional support centre for our network,” says Jeremy Bridge, CEO, PK Sound. “Working with ACT Entertainment opens our company up to new opportunities. This will be especially valuable as we continue to grow our business and product offerings in the coming years.” “At ACT Entertainment, we are passionate about helping our clients realise their creative vision and are always on the lookout for cutting edge products,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO, ACT Entertainment. “PK Sound’s unique, patented technology with robotic real-time co
UK/China - Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is fighting back against counterfeiters who have been copying its award-winning products by launching special edition units with distinctive red front panels. These unique converters are only available in China - and only through the company’s official distributor, Digital Media Technology Co. Ltd (DMT). “We are taking this action because we want audio professionals in China to have a quick and easy way of recognising legitimate products so they can avoid being fooled by inferior fake ones,” says Prism Sound’s CEO James Woodburn. “It was hugely disappointing to find counterfeit Lyra audio interfaces on sale in the Far East and we are determined to stamp out this illegal trade - not just because it is very damaging for our brand and reputation, but also because it is unfair on our loyal customer base. Ou
Malta - Manta, a luxurious poolside Mediterranean experience in the heart of Sliema, opened this year with a 1 Sound audio system. Black Box Pro is the AV integration company that was contracted for this project. Black Box Pro signed on to be 1 Sound’s exclusive distributor in Malta earlier this year making this their first project to include 1 Sound shortly after signing. This lido and restaurant offers a captivating ambiance, and breath-taking views on the Mediterranean Sea. This restaurant called for elegance in every aspect and especially durability regarding the loudspeaker installation. The 1 Sound units are IP55 and saltwater resistant with stainless steel 316 accessories and hardware. Black Box Pro was the first to install 1 Sound’s newly released Cannon C8s for Manta which offers tranquility and lively entertainment with an in-house DJ, saxophonists, and
Germany - Pan Acoustics has announced the launch of its latest speaker series, the Pan Speaker CX series. This new series is specifically designed for use in systems with virtual room acoustics and object-based audio. Pan Acoustics' Pan Speaker CX series presents itself as ‘the ideal solution for demanding audio projects that require precise sound reproduction and immersive audio experiences.’ The combination of a woofer and tweeter unit in one chassis enables precise sound dispersion and localisation. With different versions including 8", 10" and 12" woofer drivers, the series offers the ability to select the appropriate speaker type based on room size and performance requirements. Regardless of size or power unit, the sound signature of the speakers remains uniform to ensure consistent sound results. Equalisation of the speakers is already done via t
Europe - Shure continues to expand its collaboration across different UC platforms to help IT professionals and AV managers elevate the conferencing experience. Shure has announced three new Works With Google Meet certifications for the Microflex Advance MXA920 ceiling array microphone, the recently launched Microflex Advance MXA902 integrated conferencing ceiling array and the ANIUSB-Matrix USB Audio Network Interface. These new certifications expand the flexibility of using Shure products with Google Meet in hybrid environments for a consistent and reliable audio performance every time. The MXA920 is certified for Works with Google Meet when combined with the ANIUSB-Matrix and the Microflex MXN5W-C networked loudspeaker. “We understand how critical it is to ensure seamless conferencing performance, which requires solid collaboration with UC platforms. By c
UK - Wharfedale Pro has announced the release of updates to its DP-F and DP-N series amplifiers. The output power, model numbers and configurations remain the same, but updated DP-F and DP-N models will now feature updated DSP controller software features, increased internal DSP functions, new IPS colour displays, locking XLR connectors and AES/EBU inputs. These new features represent a huge upgrade to Wharfedale Pro’s amplifier offerings. These upgrades are supported by the simultaneous release of the updated v1.1.8 DSP Control software. The scale and expanded feature set of the DP-F and DP-N upgrades means that not all of the new software features are backwards compatible with original DP-F/N hardware. However, users of current DP-F and DP-N series amplifiers will still benefit from multiple improvements in the DSP Control Software. Even the original DP-F and DP-N amplif
Europe - Coda Audio has announced the launch of its CiRAY compact full-range, dual 10” line-array system. As the third element of Coda’s VCA ‘family’, alongside ViRAY (dual 8”) and the flagship AiRAY (dual 12”), CiRAY has been developed by Coda to ‘deliver ultimate flexibility for rental companies and complete a full spectrum of line-array products for installation’. As well as building further on Coda’s patented technologies to offer an ultra-light, ultra-compact standalone system, CiRAY can also work seamlessly with its ‘siblings’ for optimum mix and match configuration to obtain the best sonic and logistical outcomes for a host live and installed applications. The VCA range shares Coda Audio’s technologies, including the Dual Diaphragm Planar Wave Driver (DDP), Coupler technology and FS-FIR Filters, with CiRAY also benefitting from the additi
USA - Ed Sheeran’s record-breaking international Mathematics Tour is as much a display of artistic and technological prowess as a testament to the impact a single performer can have - when supported by the right technology. Which, here, includes an expansive Clear-Com system supplied by Major Tom. Typically, artists of Sheeran’s status tend to add more players, more instruments, and a fair bit of backing tracks to satiate their audiences' demands. As ever, Sheeran takes a different approach, creating a grand spectacle utilising innovative and unique staging and production elements while primarily performing alone, using a custom loop setup to generate accompanying sounds live in the moment, ensuring no show is the same. Mathematics plays out on five stages placed around the floor of the venue, usually a stadium: one centre stage with a revolving rim allowing
USA - Front-of-house and monitor engineer Cooper Davis (The Regrettes, No Vacation, The Happy Fits) has chosen the Waves eMotion LV1 Live Mixer and Waves plugins for American singer songwriter Gus Dapperton’s 2023 world tour. Cooper explains why he chose the Waves eMotion LV1 for this tour: “Superb sound! This is a club tour carrying audio and lights in a single trailer, so the audio package had to be compact, yet powerful. And this LV1 is definitely powerful.” He continues: “Another advantage of using the LV1 mixer is the ease of use and its advanced engine. Operating the LV1 is quick and effective. The console is very user-friendly and the layout is customisable. Working on the console is like a free-flowing movement of listening, decision making and executing. Furthermore, the ability to scale the size of the system up or down depending on the needs of the s
UK - Notts County has listened to fan requests and upgraded the sound system at its Meadow Lane stadium. Having experienced the challenges of an aging PA for several years, the football club opted to invest in a top-of-the-line solution to improve the matchday experience while also meeting all the life safety requirements of the 18,816-capacity ground. To achieve these goals, Notts County turned to the combined benefits of Electro-Voice, Dynacord and Bosch equipment. As the oldest professional football club in the world and a founder member of the football league, Notts County has the kind of history that generates a large and dedicated fan base. While established in 1862, the club has been playing its home games at Meadow Lane since 1910, with the current all-seater stadium built in the early 1990s. When these stands were completed, the club purchased a second-hand s
Indonesia - In the past 20 years, hospitalisations in Indonesia for neurological-related conditions have increased rapidly, with stroke being the leading cause of death and disability in almost all hospitals in Indonesia. To improve stroke prevention, survival and rehabilitation, the Indonesian government’s Ministry of Health established a new hospital on Java to serve as the country’s epicentre of comprehensive brain and nerve health services. The 11-storey hospital encompasses 11,000sq.m with beds for up to 350 patients. The hospital deployed steerable loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz in their ballroom to deliver highly intelligible audio for medical seminars. The hospital turned to PT Kairos Multi Jaya, Renkus-Heinz’s Indonesian distributor together with PT DKSI, for help outfitting the audio system in the ballroom. They recommended Renkus-Heinz’s ICLive X Se
USA - NADIA is an integrated, network-based digital audio processing and distribution platform that will power future installations of Constellation by Meyer Sound. When incorporated into new Constellation installations, in addition to the processing power and inputs reserved for active acoustics, NADIA also provides separate inputs, processing, and matrixing to enable Spacemap Go spatial sound with no performance compromises for either function. “With NADIA, we have leveraged the latest advancements in DSP technology along with Milan-based AVB networking and combined them with Meyer Sound’s four decades of experience in dedicated signal processing for audio applications,” says Andy Davies, Meyer Sound senior product manager. “The result is a uniquely powerful, scalable, and unified platform for signal processing and distribution. NADIA has been designed for ou
France - L-Acoustics has announced the release of the LC16D network audio converter, designed to simplify the process of interfacing legacy digital formats with the Milan AVB time-sensitive network. LC16D is a high-capacity AES/EBU- and MADI-to-Milan AVB audio network converter housed in a compact and rugged 1RU chassis. With up to 80 legacy format inputs and outputs, LC16D can interface with up to 128 channels to and from the network. It offers dynamic mapping of audio channels and comprehensive synchronisation options, all controlled via an intuitive, embedded web interface. LC16D features flexible power options, with the innovative use of power over Ethernet and seamless Milan AVB audio connections, providing robust redundancy features as standard. LC16D is simple to use; the embedded web interface enables full control and monitoring from any device with a web brows
UK - Ever since Manchester UK-based fac365 secured the Optocore dealership in 2016, the pro audio RF and comms rental specialists have enjoyed increasing success with the brand, culminating in this year, with most notably the Festival Box. Originally set up in the UK’s Greater Manchester area by Mike Hayes, fac365 supplies solutions right across the broadcast and entertainment spectrum - on both a sales and hire basis - including many interactive devices from the Optocore portfolio. Festival Box itself is a point-to-point converter, which enables all signals and protocols to tunnel over the same fibre. It quickly established itself on tours by Billie Eilish and the Spice Girls and subsequently on Coldplay tours. Having first debuted Optocore’s AutoRouter on the Head Full Of Dreams tour at the end of 2015, Alex Hadjigeorgiou introduced Festival Box to the band
UK - CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, has handed over a new virtual production environment at Solent University Southampton. The project involved creating an existing studio space into a very large, high performance, flexible environment which will serve students across a range of disciplines. To provide the sort of facilities students will see in their working lives after graduation, the studio is equipped with the most widely used professional tools. The virtual volume is formed by a 10m x 3m LED wall, with a 4m x 2m ceiling, using AOTO RM2.3mm and MxH3.7mm LED panels powered by a network of Brompton video processors. The screen displays virtual graphics generated by a multi-node Mo-Sys VP Pro XR server, the third university to utilise this system. At the heart of the VP Pro XR is the Unreal Engin
USA - The ascent of bluegrass guitarist Billy Strings from van-and-trailer gigs to A-level arena touring is a testament to his mastery of traditional styles as well as his expansion of the genre into new realms of rock-influenced extended improvisations. On the current leg of his 2023 amphitheatre and arena tour, Strings is enveloping his growing legions of jam-band fans through a robust system based on Meyer Sound Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers. As with all recent tours, the system supplier on this outing is Nashville, Tennessee-based Major Tom US. The regular tour schedule took a pause at the end of September for the third annual Billy Strings Renewal Festival in the mountain valley of Buena Vista, Colorado. Here, with the timely arrival of custom cabling and infrastructure from EMG, the tour’s complement of Panther loudspeakers became one of
Japan - Ryōgoku Kokugikan, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the only building dedicated to Sumo, Japan’s national sport, and has been home to many historic initiatives. The origins of sumo began some 2000 years ago but in its modern form it only took hold around 300 years ago. Once established in Japan, it passed down from generation to generation. Such is its status, there is no-one in Japan who has not heard of the Tokyo-based Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Sumo wrestlers practice here daily, dreaming of winning the Gift Cup, and since sumo is Japan’s national sport, His Majesty The Emperor sometimes comes to watch, and has seats reserved for him. But Ryōgoku Kokugikan also hosts various other events during periods when sumo is not being held, including wrestling, concerts and corporate events. Sumio Akashio, sound engineer at the Ryōgo
Europe - Michael Johnson, who co-founded Nexo and served as its managing director until 2008, has passed away. Establishing the company alongside Eric Vincenot and Thierry Tranchant, ‘Micky’ contributed to the expansion of Nexo over nearly 30 years, travelling the world and engaging with customers. “He was not only an entrepreneur but also a patron of arts, music and theatre and an avid art collector. Please join us in remembering Micky and the legacy he leaves behind,” says Nexo.
Germany - HK Audio has expanded the Linear 5 MK II series with the Linear 5 MK II 308 LTA long-throw mid/high unit and the Linear 5 MK II 118 Sub HPA compact high-performance subwoofer. Linear 5 MK II 308 LTA and 118 Sub HPA round off the top end of the Linear 5 MK II series. The modular and economical sound reinforcement tools, manufactured in St. Wendel, open up new areas of application and offer system configurations that grow with the requirements and also provide high-resolution, expressive sound with a powerful bass foundation for large events. Linear 5 MK II 308 LTA is the optimal solution for sound reinforcement of large, long and wide rooms as well as open airs. The Linear 5 MK II 308 LTA long-throw mid/high unit closes the gap between the classic point source PA and the line array in the form of a compact, horn-loaded speaker cabinet. Linear 5 MK II 308
Europe/USA - Hailed as an ‘atypical pop star’ for her genre-bending musical styles, Rosalia Vila Tobella, known as Rosalía, is a Spanish artist who wears multiple creative hats, including as a singer/songwriter, producer, actress and musician. With an impressive tally of 11 number-one singles in her home country, 12 Latin Grammy Awards, plus a host of other prestigious accolades throughout her music career, Rosalía is widely considered one of the most successful and influential Spanish vocalists of all time. FOH engineer Ricky Ashford, who has been working with the singer for almost two years, has relied on a DiGiCo Quantum 338 and Quantum 225 digital mixing console for her latest Motomami world tour, which took in 68 dates at stadiums and arenas in Europe, Latin America, and North America, with Rosalía’s presence also gracing stages at world-renowned events
UK - Located in the heart of Manchester and opened in late 2022, Exhibition is a high-end late-night venue. The interior is classic ‘Manchester industrial chic’, with clever lighting, bar and comfortable seating, delivering a contemporary leisure space with a ambience. The restaurant floor features three award-winning independent kitchens. The venue also features a centrally-located DJ booth and music plays a big part in delivering the experiential ambitions of Exhibition. Locally-based Neuron Audio Visual designed, installed and commissioned a distributed audio system using Outline Vegas. Sixteen Outline Vegas 10 full-range loudspeakers are distributed around the main space with another four in the restrooms. A single Outline Movie S218 subwoofer provides the low-frequency energy, chosen because its shallow depth allowed placement in a specific space - the low fre
South Africa - St Mary's School Waverley, located in Johannesburg, recently marked the return of the Battle of the Bands competition hosted in the school’s 540-seater theatre, The Edge. The event, which has a history spanning more than a decade, was put on hold during the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2022. This year the primary objective was to rekindle the competition and to offer young talents a platform equipped with lighting and audio to showcase their musical skills. Sasha Ehlers is the head of culturals at St Mary’s and the technical manager at The Edge and has enjoyed being part of the Battle of the Bands, taking over as technical director for the festival in 2018. What she appreciates most about the competition is the inspiration she gets by helping young people gain confidence, find their “tribe”, and experience the joy of live performances. This
Germany - Lawo has announced the expansion of its executive management board. Effective 1 November, Claus Gärtner joins Claudia Nowak (CFO and ‘Vorstand’), Jamie Dunn (CCO), Andreas Hilmer (CMO), Christian Lukic (CSCO), Phil Myers (CTO) and Ulrich Schnabl (COO). “I have a strong passion for high-tech and high-quality products, and I enjoy working for family-owned companies because they allow for sustainable long-term strategies and fast decision-making. Joining Lawo as ‘Vorstand’ and CFO and being part of the company's exciting journey in transforming media infrastructure technology was an opportunity I couldn't pass up,” says Claus Gärtner. Gärtner's international career has seen him work with Rheinmetall, Smiths-Heimann and Heidelberg Engineering Group, where he held key executive positions and contributed significantly to the growth and success of ea
