UK - Britannia Row Productions has joined ranks of audio providers investing in Outline’s Newton processors. The purchase followed an evaluation period and product demonstrations made by CUK’s James Lawford and Outline’s product specialist, Fernando Rey Méndez, BRP’s technical head Keith Cunningham comments: “Following several demos of the Newton, we were very impressed with the GUI, fast workflow and ease of use. The Newton is the all-in-one solution to many technical problems. “The form factor is the real selling point, it's a constant battle for all manufacturers to try and shrink the footprint while retaining functionality - Outline has managed to find a perfect match between both. Fernando at Outline and James at CUK have been very receptive to our feedback and feature requests, which really inspires confidence in both companies.” BRP’
Europe - Five leading professional audio manufacturers have developed the first multi-manufacturer voice alarm solution fully compliant with EN 54-16. The new initiative, created by Harman, Peavey, Luminex, d&b audiotechnik and Powersoft, introduces EN 54-16 product compliance to a larger pool of manufacturers and removes the need for specifiers to purchase such systems from specialist manufacturers. Instead, specifiers can now build compliant systems using products from different manufacturers. Certification has already been granted to over 30 products, including audio signal processing and control using Peavey MediaMatrix, audio signal processing from BSS Audio, and a wide selection of Crown and Powersoft amplifiers. Luminex network switches are also certified to allow systems to be connected using copper or fibre. In the coming weeks, d&b amplifiers will al
USA - The Springs Church in Colorado Springs, CO recently underwent an audio upgrade with a Martin Audio WPS system spec’d and installed by Sight and Sound Technologies, the first installation of the new system in the United States. Asked about the project, Sight and Sound COO Kris Johnson explains: “It was basically an upgrade of their PA. They had an aging left-centre-right line array system that in some respects was overkill for what they needed plus they were starting to have some problems with the speakers. They had a plan to repurpose them in another room which worked out really well timewise for us because we were able to pull the old ones down, test them out and re-install a handful of them in another room. “In terms of the main room or sanctuary, we had already installed the Martin Audio WPM system on multiple occasions and really liked it. Then we got t
Denmark - The global response to COVID-19 varies from country to country but it seems to be universal that large public gatherings are not permitted. This affects musicians very seriously but it also has implications when it comes to a national celebration. Social media has been awash with inspirational videos of Italians singing from balconies and virtual gigs from musicians and singers who just want to perform. In Denmark there is a popular tradition of ‘Fællessang’ which can be literally translated as “common-singing”, that is as popular now as ever before. The question is how to celebrate your Queen’s important birthday when public gatherings cannot take place and all of the celebrations are cancelled. The challenge of leading the nation in song was picked up by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra who wanted to capture more than 100 musicians and singers on
Germany - Ravenna recently launched a series of webinars as a way of staying in touch with customers and users. Centred around the topic of audio-over-IP, the first session, Ravenna and its relationship to AES67 and ST2110, was a general overview held on 14 April. Given the enthusiastic response - the first webinar was vastly oversubscribed - Ravenna has rapidly increased its hosting capacity and fine-tuned the programme. All webinars will take place on Tuesday at 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST and 09:00 EDT). Duration is scheduled for around 60 minutes with time for questions/discussion afterwards. The next session, which takes place on Tuesday 28 April at 15:00, is an introduction to AES67 & ST 2110 and continues the theme of the first session with a closer look at both standards and how they relate to each other. The following webinar on Tuesday 12 May offers a de
Europe - As much of the world follows safe-at-home and social distancing guidelines and mandates, the Audio Engineering Society is bringing the AES Europe Convention directly to attendees. Originally scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, the AES Virtual Vienna Convention in now set for 2-5 June 2020, with an online format. The event is billed as “a front-row-seat to the AES event experience, utilising live streaming, on-demand audio/video/multimedia presentations, interactive Q&A and forum dialogues to realise the personal connection and emotional feedback that is at the heart of AES live events”. The AES Virtual Vienna Convention will explore “a gamut of audio engineering science, application and technology with presentations from some of the leading minds in the industry”. Further details on the AES Virtual Vienna Convention, which will
Germany - Adam Audio has announced the T8V studio monitor, the latest addition to its T-Series line of professional studio monitors. The T8V features an 8-inch woofer paired with powerful amplification and its power and lower bass extension make it a suitable choice for project and home studios, clients who work in bass-heavy music genres such as hip hop, dance, ambient, dub and EDM, and those who work in non-electronic genres like funk, metal, blues and pop. The new T8V offers a frequency response that reaches down 33 Hz and the ability to project an impressive SPL of 118 dB per pair. Adam Audio’s T-Series line of studio monitors was launched in 2018 with the T5V 5-inch woofer and T7V 7-inch woofer models, followed in 2019 by the T10S subwoofer. Like the previous two monitors in the T-Series line-up, the T8V makes use of Adam Audio technology developed for the comp
USA - Century Village in Deerfield Beach, Florida is an adult community that revolves around activities taking place within a central clubhouse housing a 1,600-seat theatre. The site of everything from Broadway-style shows to concerts by national touring acts and current movies, the theatre recently upgraded its audio with the addition of a dLive S7000 Surface and DM64 MixRack from Allen & Heath. The new dLive S7000 system was provided by ShowPro of South Florida. “This theatre, along with a number of other smaller venues in The Sunshine State, are some of the biggest entertainment buyers in the Southeastern US,” says Showpro’s Nicolas Stoner. “That fact alone provides more than a clue of the number of live shows that pass through this room, which total over 100 per year.” Stoner, along with the theatre’s technical director Mike Prudente, first became a
South Africa - The SOS Charity Fund was established in December 2016, and from the start was met with generous support from the entertainment industry. The charity is now pleased to donate R50,000 to Feed our Crew, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is providing temporary support through food vouchers to the technical and casual event crews during the Covid-19 lockdown period. While DWR Distribution established, administer and are a contributor to the SOS Charity Fund, the entertainment industry has fully participated in fundraising events. “Although DWR Distribution is also going through a tough time, the money we’ve raised for the SOS belongs to the people and not to us,” said Duncan Riley of DWR. “The SOS was established to help people in times like these, this is what it’s all about.” When all events were abruptly shut down due to Covid-19, Tam
Europe - Since their official debut at NAMM last year, Sennheiser’s IE 400 PRO and IE 500 PRO in-ear monitors have gained popularity and used widely. In response, Sennheiser asked four industry professionals to share their thoughts and experience of using in-ear monitors. Monitor engineer Niccolò Antonietti used the IE 400 PRO for the first time during Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball last December. “I was mixing for Jax Jones and guest artist at the time,” he recalls. “Whilst doing soundcheck with my IEMs, I had a chance to compare them to the Sennheiser IE 400 PRO. What really surprised me was how good the frequency response on the Sennheiser IEMs was compared to my go-to pair of custom in-ears. I tried to crank the volume up to see how far I could go. Even at a high volume they still responded well with no distortion whatsoever. That’s pretty impressive for
Europe - At the end of 2019, L-Acoustics welcomed DeltaLive into the L-Acoustics Group, a family of companies focused on the design, manufacture and commercialisation of L-Acoustics sound systems. One of the stated aims of this acquisition was to devote resources to preparing the market entry for L-Acoustics private residential, multichannel extraordinary sound spaces, Island, Ocean, and Archipel. At ISE 2020, L-Acoustics announced a new division, L-Acoustics Creations, along with the official launch of the division’s flagship sound space, Island Prestige. To further support the commercialisation of L-Acoustics Creations auditoria solutions worldwide, L-Acoustics has designated DeltaLive as international distributor of the full L-Acoustics Creations product range. DeltaLive is represented by Paul Keating, director of corporate & private relationships for L-Acoustics C
UK - Allen & Heath has launched V1.5 firmware for its 96kHz SQ mixer series with a raft of features including new RTA options, 32-channel recording/playback on USB drives, workflow enhancements including DCA spills and new FX add-ons. "With SQs used at all levels from clubs to arenas, we get so much great feedback from users and this latest release delivers some of the most popular requests,” comments SQ’s product manager, Keith Johnson. “It's really a thank you from us to all our SQ customers - and there's plenty more to come."
China - JX Investment Group is one of China’s leading entertainment brands, with a range of chains throughout the country. It has recently launched JX EDM Live, new clubs where Alcons pro-ribbon audio systems are installed. JX EDM Live currently comprises two clubs, one in Yulin, Shaanxi Province and the other in Wúzhōu, Guangxi Province. Both are large venues, with a floor area of 640m2/6889ft2 and a height of 18m/59ft. Guangzhou-based EAD was asked by JX Investment Group to design audio systems that would deliver pure, driving low frequencies and clean highs seamlessly throughout the spaces. “In China, the EDM club market is very competitive. They are using high-end speakers because customers want the best quality music experience,” says Locky Deng, marketing manager at Alcons Audio’s Chinese distributor EAD. “After tests with two other leading loudspeak
UK - The Church of St. Nicholas in Grosmont, Monmouthshire, dates from the early 13th century, making it one of the oldest churches in Wales. The Grade II listed building’s large medieval nave is widely considered to be the finest in the country. During the late 19th century, the church was on the verge of collapse, but was saved by architect JP Seddon in a Victorian renovation which separated the nave from the transept and choir, leaving the nave – which is now used for village events, farmers markets, concerts, private parties and the like – in predominantly untouched original condition, while the church space remains as a place of worship. As part of a recent 15-year programme of modernisation, which included restoration of the roof and lime-plastering the transept walls, as well as new lighting, heating and toilet facilities, provision was made for a new soun
Europe - American singer Halsey kicked off her Manic world tour in Madrid in February, supporting her just-released studio album, also called Manic. The tour spans 48 shows, with the next legs currently being planned for Asia and North America later this year. disguise gx 2c media servers were selected by All Of It Now to drive the show’s video and Notch IMAG realtime effects. Numerous features of the disguise solutions came into play for the tour starting in pre-pro. “The show’s video design used a multi-layered frame, and the 3D workflow of disguise Designer allowed us to create parallel maps that placed content on the screen spatially without requiring specific renders for certain songs,” explains Danny Firpo of All of It Now, a disguise rental partner and workflow specialist based in San Francisco, who did the tour’s video programming with Cade Mo
Canada - Toronto’s El Mocambo live music venue is set to reopen following a five-year, multi-million-dollar renovation by new owner Michael Wekerle, a Canadian financier and television personality. The building, originally constructed in 1910, has been completely gutted and rebuilt with three live performance spaces connected to an audio broadcast and recording control room equipped with a Solid State Logic Live L550 digital mixing console. “It’s not quite a club anymore. It’s an event space with a very beautifully designed interior inside a broadcast facility,” says Jamie Howieson, executive designer and production manager at the iconic venue, which has long been affectionately referred to as the El Mo.“The main reason I went with the L550 desk is that, when I was using it in the past, I never heard a better combination of preamp, clock and converter in a
USA - Waves Audio is now shipping the Waves Content Creator Audio Toolkit, a new bundle for podcasters, vloggers and creators of live-streamed content. The bundle includes four easy-to-use plugins for content creators, including the new Waves Playlist Rider plugin. Audio quality is known to be one of the main reasons viewers and listeners engage with - or abandon - videos, podcasts and live streams. With the new Waves Content Creator Audio Toolkit bundle, you can quickly bring superior sound quality to your content, with pro-level tools that are incredibly intuitive even for content creators who are not audio professionals, claims Waves. The Waves Content Creator Audio Toolkit includes four easy-to-use plugins that tackle the most common challenges facing content creators today: NS1 Automatic Noise Suppressor for removing distracting background noise: Gre
USA - ATD Audio Visual, a full-service rental and staging event production company with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, provides high-end AV solutions for a range of clients in the live event space. The company was looking to add a reliable intercom solution to its AV equipment inventory and chose Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom wireless intercom system. A key feature of the CrewCom system for ATD Audio Visual is its flexibility to meet the requirements of live productions of any size. “CrewCom has unlimited possibilities - you can expand it, you can split it into two separate systems - it does whatever you need it to do,” says Or Israel, president, ATD Audio Visual. “We can easily add more transceivers for extending coverage in a larger venue, and/or additional Radio Packs (RPs) to increase user counts. The system is extremely flexible and modular, and
USA - It was over two years ago that Dallas-based music store and AV integration specialist Romeo Music designed and installed a fully-weatherproof Danley sound reinforcement system to cover Madisonville High School’s baseball and softball fields. The project was a huge success. Not only does the system sound intelligible, punchy, and musical, but Danley’s weatherproof options have made the system resilient in the face of east-central Texas’s humid, stormy climate. Thus, when the aged sound reinforcement system at Madisonville High School’s 3,500-capacity football stadium was no longer acceptable, the school again turned to Romeo Music and Danley Sound Labs. “They love the baseball/softball system, which uses four fully-weatherproof Danley OS12CX loudspeakers,” explained Kevin Deal, regional sales manager with Romeo Music. “Their football stadium’s old
UK - International law firm Dentons has upgraded audio-video systems at its One Fleet Place, London, offices as part of an initiative to streamline the efficiency of its global communications. Supplied and installed by the Torpedo Factory Group, the new integrated sound and vision systems have been welcomed by colleagues, who have commented on the improved quality as well as increased productivity. With more than 185 offices in 75 countries around the world employing in excess of 10,000 lawyers, effective global communication is a critical component of Dentons’ day to day activities, relied upon to conduct board meetings, face-to-face meetings with colleagues, and stream video conferences and large scale presentations from any part of the world. TFG’s proven track record of successful previous Dentons projects in Edinburgh, Milton Keynes and Dublin, led TFG techni
India - ABR Cinemas The Next is a multiplex located in historic Gudivada. With three luxurious theatres, ABR Cinemas is one of Andhra Pradesh’s premier cinemas. To create a more immersive AV experience, ABR Cinemas hired sound integrators Digital Sound System to install three Harman Professional Solutions cinema audio systems featuring JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and Dolby Atmos processors. “We are proud to have been associated with Harman Professional Solutions and all of the products recently installed at ABR Cinemas,” comments Dariya Hussain Syed of Digital Sound System. “The JBL Professional 4732 loudspeakers and 4642A subwoofers have delivered exceptional audio results. We received the products promptly and the technical support from Harman Professional Solutions helped us complete the installation on time.” Digital Sound System equipped the Audi
Croatia - House music DJ and producer David Morales has produced and remixed over 500 records for an all-star roster of multi-platinum artists, including Mariah Carey, U2, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, and Whitney Houston. His current rider for live performance specifies a KV2 Audio ES System as his preferred monitoring setup and he also has a full KV2 setup in his studio at home. Morales has been using a KV2 setup at home for a while - he currently has two EX10s and two EX2.2 subs which he loves - but hadn’t used a KV2 system on a gig until his show at the Boogaloo club in Zagreb, Croatia on St Valentine’s Day this year. He tried out a full ES System comprising an ES1.0 high power active mid/hi loudspeaker stacked on a pair of ES1.8 high output subs per side, powered by two EPAK2500R control and amplification units (one per side). “These speakers s
USA - UK loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has appointed Sweetwater Sound as a US dealer for its entire range of professional studio monitoring products. Since the release of its twotwo range of nearfield monitors and the subsequent release of its Result6 compact nearfield monitors, PMC has been searching for the right US partner to help introduce more people to its professional product range. “As soon as we identified the need to carefully expand our reach in the US, everyone at PMC agreed we should establish a partner as dedicated to the client’s success as we are,” comments PMC sales manager, Luke Smith. “We quickly identified Sweetwater as the ideal partner for this expansion. Having worked with Sweetwater for many years myself, I knew their philosophy on customers always coming first would fit in perfectly with our own customer ethos at PMC. We are elated to
Germany - RTW, the Cologne-based specialist in visual audio monitoring in broadcast, production and post-production, and quality control, has added SMPTE ST 2110 compliance to its Dante- and Ravenna-compatible TouchMonitor TM7 and TM9. The move addresses the growing adoption of new networked audio and video standards from broadcasters. New TM-Dante and TM-Ravenna units will ship with ST 2110 functionality, whilst existing owners will be able to add this option via a free firmware update. “ST 2110 is the latest standard within audio and video over IP and we expect it to replace SDI solutions over time,” comments Mike Kahsnitz, RTW senior director of product management. “SMPTE ST 2110 is a major contributing factor in the development toward a single IP-based mechanism for the professional broadcaster. “Like SDI, it carries audio, as well as video and metada
