USA - Clair Global has announced that Sound Image, will join the Clair Global Group. This partnership will enhance both organisations’ live production and systems integration capabilities and will result in a larger depth and breadth of service and product offerings for Clair Global and Sound Image clients alike, says a statement. Sound Image CEO, Dave Shadoan, who has led the organisation since the late seventies, comments: “As I looked ahead and considered my next steps, I knew that partnering with Clair Global would further safeguard a sustainable and prosperous future for our employees and our clients. It became clear that Clair was a good fit because of our mutual dedication to fostering meaningful connections in business, coupled with an unwavering commitment to exceptional customer support and service.” There are no major changes planned for the continued
USA - Founded in 1990, San Antonio’s Community Bible Church has quickly grown into one of the largest houses of worship in the region, seating 3,500 at each of its five weekend services. The church’s energetic worship band are skilled and enthusiastic, delivering a memorable worship experience every weekend. But like many live musicians, they encounter the often-challenging world of monitors, trying to balance their individual mix needs with making their own onstage audio experience as fresh as possible to keep their performances at a high level. That got a lot easier this year, after the church installed a new KLANG:konductor to offer immersive IEM mixes for the seven vocalists and six musicians, as well as their musical guests and worship leaders. The new :konductor, purchased through pro audio retailer AVLX of Franklin, Tennessee, and which was fully integrated
UK - Sysco Productions has created an ambient audio background to support the Imperial War Museum’s Second World War Galleries with near-invisible K-array ultra-compact line arrays. The Second World War Galleries at London’s Imperial War Museum brings to life a war that affected millions of people around the world. In order to maximise the realism that IWM’s collection of exhibits so clearly evokes, Sysco Productions have created an immersive, digitally controlled audio system that takes full advantage of K-array’s ultra-compact Vyper and Lyzard line array attributes to hide these discreet micro line array speakers within the structure of the galleries’ exhibits and provide a supportive ambience without being seen. “The purpose of the audio is to support the messaging of the exhibition without detracting from it or being obtrusive,” said Sysco’s n
UK - Funktion-One says farewell to Bill Woods as he announces his retirement following 11 years with the company and 35 years in the pro audio industry. Woods' departure marks the beginning of a new chapter for Funktion-One as the company welcomes its new director of business development, Andrew Low. During his time with Funktion-One, Woods has played an important role in the company’s international growth, particularly in Asia. His sales expertise and rapport with customers have helped to develop relationships across the global Funktion-One network and throughout the wider pro audio industry. Funktion-One’s Ann Andrews said: “Bill’s retirement comes with mixed emotions, as his departure marks the end of an era for Funktion-One. We are very grateful to Bill for the contribution he has made to the business since joining us in 2012. Over the last three months, Bi
Finland - Genelec has introduced a five-year warranty on its designs. By registering their models on the Genelec website, the new warranty programme allows Genelec customers worldwide to extend their standard two-year warranty by an extra three years, covering both parts and labour. Since the company was founded 45 years ago, Genelec has put sustainability at the heart of its design philosophy, by producing loudspeaker solutions with a long lifecycle and low environmental impact, backed up with extremely high levels of reliability and long-term spare part support. “We’ve always been focused on designing loudspeaker solutions that provide decades of reliable performance for our customers, but we also want to offer them the extra peace of mind that comes with a secure extended warranty,” comments Ole Jensen, international sales director at Genelec. “We’re conf
UK - Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (HACH) is a co-educational secondary school and sixth-form that welcomes nearly 1500 students through its doors every day. Located in the Essex town of Grays, the academy works tirelessly to ensure that every detail of its provision is geared towards meeting its ambition of being ‘a school for the future’. A key area of focus for the academy’s management team is the maintenance of clear communications within its corridors and communal spaces. The school ‘bell’ is fundamental to the smooth operation of the timetable, with HACH placing strong emphasis on punctuality to ensure that students take maximum advantage of teaching time With this in mind, the HACH team engaged AV solutions provider Excite AV of Bishops Stortford to install a system which offered intuitive head-end control and optimal loudspeaker placement, in order
UK - Hip hop musician Loyle Carner played his biggest hometown concert to date at Wembley Arena with equipment, technical support and personnel from Britannia Row Productions FOH engineer Inbloom and monitor engineer Michael Njuguna have been integral in the development of BRIT Award nominee, Loyle Carner’s, step into full band and production touring. “This campaign centres around the new record Hugo, a real shift from his previous albums and DJ tours,” states Inbloom. “Overall, the show marries two characters; the former being light, bouncy and abundantly youthful and the latter wiser and darker,” adds Inbloom, noting how the rapper has progressed artistically. “There’s a large element of unspoken trust between myself and Avi. I had an idea of how I’d like to shape things at FOH, and what tools I would need to do so,” he continues. “I met B
India - Patna Women’s College has installed an Allen & Heath’s Avantis mixer in its newly built 2,500-seater Veronica auditorium. The college, which was founded in 1940 and was the first higher education institution for women in Bihar, recently invested in the audio, video, and lighting systems, all handled by Punjab-based company Soundexperts, who were selected to undertake the project on a turn-key basis. The college’s auditorium stage boasts a large space that can accommodate more than 350 performers, making it perfect for live performances of bands, cultural programs, plays, and school programs. The facility can also be used for video conferencing, which is why four cameras and 14 display screens have been installed in various zones including the green room, VIP room, control room, and main hall. Allen & Heath’s Avantis mixer plays a pivotal role in
UK - The triumphs of Wrexham Town FC and the kudos of Hollywood glamour bestowed upon them by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are well known. That Kings of Leon should bring some added grandeur to the end of the season celebrations with two nights playing to sell-out crowds of 20k+ was however, a case of opportunism. “In terms of a stadium that’s never hosted a big rock show before, it was comfortable,” said production manager, Bill Leabody. “Going forward, staging shows there in the future will not be impossible, but a lot more difficult than what we experienced. “We were lucky, the main stand had been demolished at the end of season to make way for a new bigger one. What we got was a large open area to build an outdoor stage. The local authority worked really hard and are to be congratulated. That, and the huge efforts of SJM (Promoters) to get the
USA - Radio Active Designs has expanded their customer service to a new location in Orlando, Florida. The organisation hired Tony Pittsley as general manager of the new facility in late October 2022. “We now handle all repairs, shipping, and receiving of Radio Active Designs equipment, with a primary goal of decreasing customer repair turnaround time from weeks to days,” explains Pittsley. “The goal is to offer clients more uptime and lower repair costs. The location is ideal due to the proximity of our largest users while being close enough to offer customer support for our East Coast clients.” Pittsley brings over 30 years of experience in the pro audio industry, with the past 20 years spent in large-scale touring and installed audio markets. “We are very excited to have Tony on the team,” adds James Stoffo, COO of Radio Active Designs. “He’s m
Belgium - The Auberge Napoleon restaurant in Meise has been a magnet for culinary enthusiasts for many years. Hosts Jan and Karlien Stallaert, and chef Nico Struelens, pull out all the stops to wow their guests with a contemporary rejuvenation of traditional French-Belgian cuisine. After a complete renovation in 2011, the venue expanded its footprint in 2018 by adding a covered extension and adjoining terrace, and last year went further in developing its trendily fashionable space to meet the needs of its wide-ranging clientele. As a space that caters for everything from a tête-a-tête to a family meal, a business lunch to a party, or even a wedding or christening, creating the perfect ambience is essential for its proprietors. With this in mind, great importance was placed on selecting a sound system that was in keeping with Auberge Napoleon’s desire to strive for perfec
USA - A new reinforcement system, based around Meyer Sound Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers, has landed for a summer residence at the Cadence Bank Amphitheatre in North Atlanta’s Chastain Park. The summer concert series is promoted by Live Nation, and Music Matters Productions was again selected to be the audio supplier for the season. “We supply the ‘stacks and racks’ of the system, while most touring acts bring their own front end and monitor packages,” notes Music Matters senior account manager David Lowell. “All acts are required to use our house system, so our new Panther rig will be up for every show until the summer series ends in October.” The 2023 summer shows kicked off on 6 May with the multi-talented Jill Scott, but no other Live Nation shows were scheduled until singer-songwriter Charlie Puth on 28 May. In the interim, Musi
South Korea - In one of its first live uses, Point Source Audio’s new Series9 sub-miniature microphone collection delivered the clarity and performance required to ensure audiences would experience every nuance of the world premiere of Beethoven Secret. The original musical took to the stage for a three-month run at the Seoul Arts Centre with a cast including Park Hyo-shin who delivered a high impact performance in the title role on opening night. The rock opera took seven years for the Grammy-winning partnership of playwright Michael Kunze and composer Sylvester Levay to develop. It covers a two-year period during Ludwig van Beethoven’s 40's and focuses on his secret love life with a woman named Antonie Brentano who scholars widely speculate to be “the eternally beloved” referenced in letters found in his room after his death. It features lyrics added
UK - The Royal College of Music (RCM) in London was ranked the leading global institution for performing arts in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject and has prepared performers, conductors and composers for international careers for over 140 years. Since 1901, the College’s many musical groups have performed in Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, a space that in 2009 received an extensive refurbishment that brought the listed building up to modern concert hall standards. More recently, a sustainable LED lighting rig of 48 Elation Fuze Pendant luminaires has been installed in the Concert Hall. The Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall is the RCM’s most versatile space, accommodating up to 370 audience members and up to 120 performers on stage. Primarily used for performances by the College’s orchestras, jazz bands and RCM International Opera School, the perform
South Korea - Funktion-One has announced its partnership with Gearlounge as the loudspeaker manufacturer’s exclusive distributor for Korea. The collaboration represents an important step for both companies as they work together to bring Funktion-One sound to more audiences through a range of applications, while supporting Gearlounge’s objective of re-shaping Korea’s music and audio industry landscape. Since its inception in 2006, Gearlounge has rapidly established itself as an innovator through a commitment to meeting the technological needs of music makers and their audiences. At the core of the company’s values is the creation of an infrastructure that empowers musicians to access and utilise world class brands and products. Gearlounge offers a comprehensive range of services, including B2B and B2C sales of pro audio, MI, and home audio products, as well as studio
Denmark - Following positive response to its new DDK4000 Drum Microphone Kit, DPA Microphones has launched several new professional sound microphone kits. The new kits provide audio engineers with a selection of high-quality condenser mics for a range of purposes. DPA has created bundles of its popular solutions, including the DLK4000 Live Microphone Kit, DSK4001 Studio Microphone Kit, DRK4001 Ultimate Recording Kit and DLS4000 Location Sound Kit. “We are excited to share these new solutions with our industry colleagues,” says Helga Volha Somava, product management director, DPA Microphones. “We have listened to and taken notes from experienced sound engineers within multiple industries to correctly define which mics are most critical for each application. With the flexibility to easily upgrade the mics, tools and accessories, we aimed to provide audio professi
The Netherlands - Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) and fixed install amplifiers are powering the multi-storey building’s sound system at renowned international trading house, Van Caem Klerks Group’s head office. Located in the centre of Amsterdam, the company has built its reputation for import and export of A-branded products, namely liquor, beer, fine wines, fragrances, luxury and fast-moving consumer goods. The trading house approached local integrator Van Brienen AV with a brief to install a sound system able to play background music and share its duties with announcements, radio and music stream on each floor and with the needs to control the volume. “This project was unique for us,” states Harry Scheringa, senior sales at Van Brienen AV. “We had 60 Sonance speakers with excellent sound reproductions, and the perspective to combine this la
UK - Last month, the world’s eyes were on the spectacular ceremony celebrated at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III. For the celebration, including the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, Terry Tew Sound and Light was elected as the official audio supplier who relied on Shure gear to provide the audio throughout these historic events. Shure equipment included 24 channels of Axient Digital Wireless System handhelds and body packs, and 255 Shure Sound Isolating Earphones. The technical team used a Shure AD600 Axient Digital Spectrum Manager, along with Shure Wireless Workbench (WWB) software, to monitor the RF spectrum on-site. Additionally, six hard wired PSM900 In-Ear Personal Monitoring Systems were used on-stage to support performers like Lionel Richie, Take That and Callum Scott. Jonathan Edwards, Head of RF at TTSL, explains: “The scop
UK - This year saw the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, the landmark recording created by Mike Oldfield that was originally released in May 1973 as the first album on Virgin Records. To celebrate, Oldfield’s creation was once again brought to life through a tour spanning over 30 venues across the UK this spring. Spearheaded by Robin Smith, Mike Oldfield’s collaborator and the musical director of the show, a live rendition of Tubular Bells was performed by an ensemble of musicians. Show Works, a UK production company with an expertise in delivering immersive installations, musicals, tours, live streams and outdoor events, worked with the show’s organisers to deliver an audio setup featuring a DiGiCo S21 console used by FOH engineer, Sam Ferstenberg, and S31 utilised for on-stage monitoring by Sam Manigley. Show Works' managing director, Osc
Liechtenstein - The Neutrik Group has introduced a range of products, from its Contrik brand of portable power distribution systems, especially designed for deployment in harsh all-weather application environments. The range of Xtreme Outdoor (XO) / Active designated products includes Power Container, Power Rack and Power Turtle systems. Designed and precision manufactured, using high quality electrical and electronic components, in the EU, they are intended for mobile entertainment production applications, including video walls, stage lighting and audio installations. The XO designation denotes the extensive environmental protection features, additional to Contrik’s usual certification standards, guaranteeing high levels of mechanical (IK) and environmental (IP) protection. These include enhanced protective housings and self-closing caps. Protection up to the IP65
USA - When Lizard Boy, Justin Huertas’ indie-rock musical took up residence Off-Broadway at Theatre Row, sound designer Kevin Heard turned to Masque Sound, a leading theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company, to provide a custom audio equipment package. Produced by Prospect Theatre Company, Lizard Boy tells the story of Trevor, a young man with green scaly skin. He feels like a monster, and rarely braves the city outside his apartment. But when a powerful voice calls to him in a dream, he impulsively finds a date and begins an adventure beyond his wildest apocalyptic nightmares. Heard’s award-winning sound design work has been heard on and off Broadway, at regional theatres all across the US, from London to Manila, and in spaces ranging from small bars and cabarets to 3,000 seat halls. He has worked as associate or assistant sou
USA - Struggling with an aging PA system, Arizona’s Surprise Stadium was looking to do a full overhaul of not only its sound quality, but the ways in which they use the PA. Already acting as homebase for the Texas Rangers’ and Kansas City Royals’ spring training, the city of Surprise was hoping to transform the stadium into a multipurpose space, fit to host corporate events, fundraisers, movie nights and more. To implement the technology upgrade necessary to achieve this goal, and provide the required sound quality and versatility, the city turned to audio specialist Ben Davis for his expertise and guidance, as well as Sound Image Integration. Davis’ primary areas to tackle were the outfield and the main seating area. “The main seating area was very linear,” he explains, “and the speakers in the outfield were throwing too far and splashing audio into the
USA - Hope Church recently collaborated with Diversified Systems and Harman Professional Solutions to update its sound system with a JBL Professional audio solution. Founded in 1988, Hope Church is located in the Memphis suburb of Cordova and is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Although Hope Church already had a robust JBL VTX Series audio system in its main 5000-seat sanctuary, the church’s technical staff wondered how a different speaker configuration could benefit the worship experience with improved impact and clarity while retaining an intimate feel. Hope Church’s audio director Tim Kanter reached out to Jeff McOlgan of Diversified Systems and - with help from the Harman Professional Applications Team -conducted a system review to see if they could improve the worship experiences with more JBL speakers. The team utilised Ease and Line Array Ca
South Africa - English singer-songwriter, Calum Scott, who found fame following his 2015 appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, recently performed to a full crowd at Zevenwacht Wine Estate in Cape Town as part of his Bridges album tour, supported by local artists Craig Lucas and Werner Bekker. The event, attended by 2000 fans, was organised by Breakout Events with Ultra Events responsible for delivering the technical solutions on the day. “Zevenwacht Wine Estate is an interesting venue, as the front row is at stage height and the back row rises to an elevation of 8m, due to a natural slope,” explains Costa Champanis, owner of Ultra Events. “The brief was to provide great sounding audio for all guests, from the front row to the back row.” Ultra specified a full d&b Audiotechnik system. The main PA system consisted of 12 d&b V8 mid-hi
