USA - Solotech continues its expansion programme with the acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound. The purchase was announced yesterday by Martin Tremblay, president and CEO of Solotech. Morris Light & Sound was formed nearly 30 years ago by industry ipersonality Dale Morris to outfit tours for the country music supergroup Alabama. Morris changed the landscape of touring by creating a business model that not only represented and managed artists but also provided full production services all under one roof. “The audiences that Alabama drew were unprecedented in country music at that time,” Morris stated. “We needed a sound system that would project their music over the sounds of the crowd, so I turned to an audio company in L.A. who configured sound systems for rock groups which was what we needed to start in production.” The InteRise
UK - Leisuretec, trade distributor of professional and commercial audio, lighting and video equipment, has partnered with Void Acoustics to distribute its professional audio products in the UK. Leisuretec will become Void’s largest distribution partner in the UK, supplying AV installers, hire production houses and events companies with strong stock holding, knowledgeable technical sales support and efficient after-sales service. Mike Henden, managing director of Leisuretec, comments: “We are very excited to bring Void into our diverse portfolio of professional audio brands. Not only do their speakers sound incredible, they behold an attractive aesthetic that will offer our customers a unique and stylish alternative when planning their projects.” “We are delighted to welcome Leisuretec Distribution Ltd to our already expansive network of Void dealers in t
Switzerland - Since upgrading his studio to incorporate a pair of PMC IB2S XBD-A monitors, Swiss producer and engineer Patrik Schwitter has undertaken a steady stream of high end projects at his Zurich based facility. In recent months, he has worked with internationally acclaimed harp player and Grammy Award Winner Andreas Vollenweider on a new album, Quiet Places, which was recorded in Swiss broadcasting company SRF’s Studio A and Vollenweider’s own studio House on the Lake. Schwitteris is also currently mixing music for a documentary film about the influential Swiss writer Adolf Muschg, which is scheduled for release later this year. Entitled Adolf Muschg – The Other, the film is directed by Erich Schmid and features music by 86-year-old computer Jazz legend Bruno Spoerri. “My PMC monitors just blow me away because they are so incredibly detailed,” P
South Korea - To enhance the elegant atmosphere for weddings at Luvel Gangdong with quality audio for speech and music, TechDataPS Co recently supplied the venue with an end-to-end Harman Professional Solutions audio system. One of several venues owned by Apelgamo Wedding & Party, Luvel Gangdong is an upscale wedding hall located on the 35th and 36th floors of East Central Tower in Seoul’s Gangdong district. Featuring design elements and decor reminiscent of French formal gardens, the venue’s wedding hall can accommodate 160 guests, while the reception hall can host up to 500. Luvel Gangdong required a high-quality yet user-friendly audio system capable of providing powerful and clear sound reinforcement for speech and music. To achieve these goals, TechDataPS outfitted the venue with an audio system consisting of JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, dbx, BSS and A
Japan - The theatre production of Inspire Onmyoji, starring famous Japanese actor Takao Osawa, ran at the 1300-capacity Nissei Theatre in Tokyo from 31 December 2020 to 6 January 2021. A Umeda Arts Theatre production, the show was scripted by Brazily Anne Yamada, Takaya Okamoto, NatsuTeranishi and directed by Junya Yamada. Takao Osawa performed the role of Japanese ancient wizard ‘Onmyoji’ with next generation video, sound and lighting effects, making full use of latest technologies. This included Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision platform (WPM) and Sound Adventures immersive 3D, with all outputs controlled by the SARA II Premium Rendering Engine. Show producer, Junya Yamada, had wanted to create unprecedented special effects with the sound system for this, and so he contacted Iwao Tsurusawa, president of MSI JAPAN Tokyo, Martin Audio’s rental partner.
UK - Wharfedale Pro has announced the release of the Reason-X series, a three-way passive series with matching subs. The three-way configuration delivers a response which is almost impossible to achieve from a standard 2-way system, says the company. Wharfedale Pro has used new concepts and new components to make Reason-X the premium loudspeaker series in their passive, point-source portfolio. The full range models (Reason-X12 and X15) feature a new Z38 HF compression driver which has enormous cooling fins to disperse generated heat and a 1.5 inch ring-shaped polyethylene flat diaphragm to bring a precious feeling of space and air to high frequencies. The 100° x 70° waveguide is also rotatable, making Reason-X suitable for vertical or horizontal applications. The mid-range of the three-way comes from a custom Wharfedale Pro 8” driver with an aluminium b
Italy - Powersoft has announced a further 12-month warranty on their rack amplifiers for all customers who register their product for free to MyPowersoft, the company’s online portal. This free extension brings the total warranty length, including the four years standard warranty, to five years. As of the Monday 22 February 2021, all customers buying Powersoft amplifiers on or after this date will need to register their product on MyPowersoft within 30 days of purchase to benefit from the extended extra year warranty. All customers who have previously purchased a rack amplifier prior to this date, that is still covered by the standard four years warranty, can extend their warranty by a year by registering their product into MyPowersoft by the 23 April 2021. Iacopo Vannucchi, Powersoft’s customer care and service centre manager, commented, “In the last year,
Thailand - Void Acoustics has announced a new partnership with new company Aura Visual System based in Bangkok. Aura Visual System is headed up by Pankom Klaykum who has an extensive career in AV product distribution across the region as well as a strong knowledge of Void products. “We share a similar drive for the provision of excellent audio to our customers, and my team and I are excited to be aligning with Void Acoustics as their exclusive distributor for Thailand,” comments Pankom. “Whilst we have done some business in Thailand in the past, there is a huge amount of potential for Void with the country being an important tourist destination and with Bangkok being a major entertainment hub in South-East Asia,” says Sean Iskhandar, APAC sales manager for Void Acoustics from his base in Singapore. Pankom explains further: “The club sector is a promi
Australia - Named after coloratura soprano, Dame Joan Sutherland, the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, New South Wales, is one of Sydney’s busiest performing arts complexes. Opened in 1990, the venue has numerous performance spaces, and hosts a busy schedule of theatrical, musical and visual arts. In mid-2019, production & technical manager Geoff Turner and head of audio Tim Anikin started looking for replacement for the old point source sound system that had served the drama theatre (The Q Theatre) from the beginning, to overcome the sound issues inherent in the space. The tender was won by Loud And Clear Sales, who in conjunction with Drew Bisset, designed and installed a system from Alcons Audio. When the system was commissioned the difference was immediately noticeable. In fact, the team at The Joan only had a chance to utili
Europe - Optocore has announced that it has further upgraded its M-series MADI interfaces, making it compatible with DiGiCo premium consoles, and providing additional functionality. Additionally, the new, advanced versions have all the advantages of Optocore’s popular DD-series, and much more, at exactly the same price point. M-series devices are now the principal means of plugging MADI streams directly into the DiGiCo loop to enable MADI streams to be input and output (other than DD-series and DiGiCo’s own devices). This includes the channel count recognised by the DiGiCo devices, which is identical to the channel count provided by the DD2FR-FX and DD4MR-FX. This upgrade applies equally to the entire M-series, as all available channels can also be freely distributed through all MADI ports on any of the five M8 and M12 devices. For example, one show could
USA - When the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina opens for regular performances later this year, the $91m, 3,023-seat performing arts facility will give a city with more than its share of arts and culture a new crown jewel. Named for Steven Tanger, CEO of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, who pledged $7.5m toward the project, the new venue will host performances by the Greensboro Symphony and Guilford College's Bryan Series of lectures, as well as touring Broadway productions and concerts. It will do so with sound from two DiGiCo SD12 consoles at front of house and monitors, an SD11 desk used for special events and that adds more flexibility to the venue, and a DiGiCo 4REA4 mixing engine that provides the drive for the main system while serving as a matrix mixer for outputs from multiple consoles. In addition, wall-mounted
USA - The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida has a history that dates back nearly a century to the campus’ founding in 1926. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most innovative and comprehensive music schools. Located within the L. Austin Weeks Centre for Recording and Performance, the intimate 147-seat Victor E. Clarke Recital Hall is a familiar venue to all of the nearly 700 students currently enrolled. Used daily for recitals, concerts, and ensemble performance, the room was designed with variable acoustics by noted acoustician Charles Bonner so that a wide range of music could be performed with optimal listening and recording conditions. To accommodate the growing interest in electronic music studies and performance, the school called on Unreal-Systems, an L-Acoustics certified provider for installation and
UK - Neutrik UK has announced the appointment of David Morbey to the newly created position of product marketing manager, creating a full marketing role at management level for the first time within the company. Morbey brings more than 22 years’ experience of pro-audio product marketing, across a wide range of sectors and applications to the new position. He comes to Neutrik having held UK, European and international marketing and product management roles with industry brands, including Allen & Heath, Denon Pro, Marantz Pro, Rane Contractor and Martin Audio, and across DJ, live sound, commercial AV, Custom Install and broadcast installation applications. Managing director Mark Perrins states, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to appoint David to this key strategic role within Neutrik UK and I am personally delighted to be working with him once again.”
Japan - The Finnish Embassy in Japan is located in the cosmopolitan district of Azabu in Tokyo. The area has a distinctly global feel, due in part to the large number of foreign embassies that have chosen to make Azabu their home. The Finnish Embassy has recently renovated part of their buildings. A Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker solution was installed as part of the project. Mikke Kinnari, Vice Consul and 3rd Secretary of Administrative Affairs at the Embassy was in charge of the renovation project. “We wanted the best possible experience for our guests, ideally using Finnish products,” he explains. “Having studied several options from a variety of suppliers, we decided that the Genelec Smart IP solution with its easy, single-cable installation and high-quality audio offered the best possible solution for our requirements.” The buildings of the Finnish Embassy
France - For more than 20 years, Mvision has been providing its service as an audiovisual technical expert to its customer base in France and beyond. The company’s regular investments in new equipment allows it to set up innovative solutions, such as its studio for filming, capturing, and dissemination of eventsat the Palais des Congrès in Paris, which is the third space Mvision has equipped for creative content production in France. The 300sq.m set features a curved LED wall, controlled by two Brompton Technology Tessera S8 LED processors. “Mvision invested in its first LED screens more than eight years ago, and our first cylindrical screen was awarded a prize at the innovation show, Heavent Paris,” says Meziane Lounis, Mvision’s owner. “Since then, we have been building up our experience and expertise in LED technology, with our latest opening of a studio and in
Mexico - Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional’s (AN) was built in 1952 as a site for equestrian events. The building is made of riveted iron - the same technique featured on the Eiffel Tower - and has undergone extensive redesigns throughout the years. The Auditorio Nacional is known equally for its intriguing architectural design and for housing the largest pipe organ in Latin America. The venue’s main hall consists of nearly 10,000 seats raised above and around its 23m stage, primarily used for national and international music concerts, song, dance and film festivals. Since 2013, the Auditorio Nacional has been ranked top selling venue in the world according to Pollstar Magazine. Lunario, Auditorio Nacional’s alternative stage, seats 1,200 and is used for small and medium-sized events. Both spaces have hosted notable companies such as the Vienna Philharmonic, LA
Spain - Amate Audio has announced the availability of the T-G7, a design solution to enable instant conversion of the all-new G7 commercial audio loudspeaker from low impedance to 100V line level operation. The easily swappable connector plates enable changeable low impedance / 100 V line operation with the same stock unit. The T-G7 is the optional plate incorporating high performance transformer circuitry and a facia mounted selector switch for 5W, 10W, 20W or 40W 100V line power settings, or a switch back to ‘Direct’ 16 ohm operation, and can be fitted in the field in just a matter of minutes. This design feature reduces potential waste, eliminating the need for redundant circuitry and associated additional weight in facilitating optional 100 V line operation. Additionally, it offers contractors efficiencies in providing all modes of installation from a single st
USA - Tracktion Corporation has upgraded its Waveform Free for 2021 with a host of new additional features and a focus on performance. Waveform Free, the free digital audio workstation based on the essential features of Waveform Pro 11, is known for its efficient workflow, streamlined user interface and its intuitive useability. New to Waveform Free 2021 is the Welcome Screen allowing users to get up and running with the minimum of fuss. It offers quick set up for audio devices, a range of project templates, training materials and the latest product news. This newest version makes editing quicker, more natural and intuitive with features like Range Selection, Ripple Delete and Heal / Consolidate / Silence. Plus, a Dedicated Step Clip Editor makes clip programming even easier. The Actions Panel allows users to favorite their most used actions and create custom act
Germany - Following the recent announcement of their collaboration, DirectOut and Vivivaldy have introduced ViViD, a customised service that permits audio professionals to easily setup remote productions using standard internet connections. The increasing demand for remote interaction of artists and sound engineers has led the two companies to offer consultancy and turn-key packages to address these applications. ViViD packages include Vivivaldy VPN solutions combined with DirectOut products supporting Ravenna, such as PRODIGY.MP and EXBOX.RAV. DirectOut’s Ravenna implementation allows uncompressed real-time audio over IP transmission with ultra-low latency or with buffer times all the way up to 500ms. PRODIGY.MP is used in ViViD packages equipped with microphone pre-amplifier modules to collect analog audio signals at the artists’ locations while the headph
Australia - Dave Weir has worked as a freelance professional audio engineer and educator for the last 10 years. As a teacher, he draws upon wide experience of the industry to deliver audio courses at Oxygen College, a multi-disciplinary training organisation in Geelong West, Victoria, Australia, that specialises in the creative arts. His role as an educator dovetails neatly with a full spectrum of audio duties, from studio mixing to live sound engineering, including touring the length and breadth of the country with notable bands such as Thirsty Merc, Rival Fire and Teramaze. In addition to his work with bands on the road and in the studio, Dave also runs arena audio for the Australian Open Tennis tournament, controlling court audio feeds for broadcast, running music between points, and managing post-match interview audio. As is the case for many audiophiles, the boun
USA - Prior to 2020, The University of Miami redesigned its live sports production workflows to ensure all audio feeds were on the network with Audinate’s Dante. From field mics to mixers - and from basketball to soccer - the university made the choice to trust Dante for all audio-over-IP capabilities. “We don’t have a single XLR patch anywhere in our workflow,” said Anthony Lestochi, director of production services at the university. “Moving to Dante was clearly the better way to operate. It made building out our production really easy and effective. And, when COVID happened, Dante made it easy to quickly adapt.” Dante has also proven its flexibility over the course of 2020. As productions needed to drastically alter their approach to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines, the ability to use Dante audio-over-IP as a connective fabric was a crucial enabler.<
Thailand - Elevating teaching programmes and services in its Dharma Practice Room, the Young Buddhists Association of Thailand hired audio integrators Mahajak Development Co to deliver a Harman Professional audio solution to provides quality sound. Founded in 1950, the Young Buddhists Association of Thailand (YBAT) is an organisation dedicated to enriching lives by bringing Buddhism to the younger generation and general public. Focused on developing minds and cultivating deep experiential wisdom through educational services, YBAT’s main office is located in the Phasicharoen District of Bangkok and includes the Thamnawet building, which features a 500-seat Dharma Practice Room. "The client wanted an upgrade to their existing sound system in the Thamnawet building,” said Pongsakorn Kanchanachayphoom, project director at Mahajak. As we had already worked on renovating
Germany - Part of the German public broadcasting service, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), the historic Landesfunkhaus Nierdersachsen (Lower Saxony State Broadcasting Station) in Hannover includes two concert halls. The installation of a Rivage PM7 digital mixing system in the larger venue marks nearly 30 years of relying on Yamaha mixers. Broadcasting in Hannover dates back to 1924, moving to the current site in 1950 with the construction of what was then the most technically advanced broadcast station in Europe. The original, 350-seat Kleiner Sendesaal concert hall was joined by the 1250-seat Großer Sendesaal in the 1960s, home to the renowned NDR Radio Philharmonic orchestra. Both venues are used for over 100 live concerts, shows, awards ceremonies and similar events every year, many broadcast live or recorded for later transmission. With the needs of guest artists, p
UK - disguise has launched a new internship programme designed to “seek out, train and invite the very best talent from other under-represented backgrounds into the technology industry”. disguise has forged partnerships with two initiatives - Kwanda, a non-profit organisation supporting enterprise and creativity within the black community, and Workfinder, which matches students with opportunities in start-ups and scaleups. “It was important for disguise to collaborate with Kwanda to address racial diversity within the tech industry,” says the company. “By partnering with Workfinder, disguise is directly supporting their Women in Tech scheme that aims to deliver increased gender equality in the STEM sector. “The new internship programme simultaneously gives young people the chance to explore a technology career while addressing inequality in the techno
