UK - Sennheiser has reported that Alan March passed away on Saturday 30th May after a short battle with cancer. The statement reads: “It is with a very heavy heart that we have to inform you that our friend and colleague, Alan March, has been prematurely taken from us and his family. Alan sadly passed away peacefully on Saturday 30th May with his wife Kate by his side. After a short but brave battle with cancer Alan is now out of pain and at peace. “Alan took up his employment with Sennheiser UK in 2008 as a ‘Business Development Specialist’. Alan’s 21 years’ experience in the pro audio industry in various roles, for HW International and Shure Distribution UK, meant that he arrived at Sennheiser with a wealth of experience and knowledge and was an instant fit within the Sennheiser team. Alan helped drive both new and existing business for Sennheiser with his exce
France - L-Acoustics has announced that its L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology will soon be natively controllable via Yamaha Professional Audio’s entire line-up of Rivage PM digital mixing systems, including the newly launched PM5 and PM3, thanks to a DeskLink co-developed by the two manufacturers. As a feature of Rivage PM firmware version 4.0, which will be released simultaneously with the PM5 (CS-R5) and PM3 (CS-R3) hardware in the coming months, DeskLink enables Yamaha’s newest consoles to be fully capable of controlling L-ISA mixes, just like their larger siblings, the flagship PM10 and PM7 mixing systems. Within the Rivage PM desks, for every mono or stereo input channel, direct control of L-ISA Objects or Groups will be available on the console control surface and touch screens. The five main L-ISA parameters - Pan, Width, Distance, Elevation, and
Europe - Audio-Technica has released the version 1.1.1 update of its Wireless Manager software, available for immediate download. Wireless Manager is a Mac OS/Windows application for remote configuration, control, monitoring, spectrum management, and frequency coordination of compatible Audio-Technica wireless devices. For those customers who have A-T Wireless Manager previously installed the software will be automatically updated. Updated features in version 1.1.1 include improved usability, layout and control; enhanced scrolling capability; improved visibility of all frequency coordinated devices; updated and expanded channel list reports; upgraded user tools; and minor bug fixes. The software is compatible with Microsoft Windows 8.1, 10; macOS High Sierra (Version 10.13), macOS Mojave (Version 10.14). A-T Wireless Manager software is compatible with all wire
Japan - With competitive sport now returning ‘behind closed doors’ in several countries, a key problem is how to recreate the experience of passionate supporters, both for sporting participants and those cheering them on. To address this, two of Japan’s top professional football clubs recently helped Yamaha to trial its Remote Cheerer powered by SoundUD system at the 50,000-seat Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA. The passion of a noisy crowd is an essential part of many sports, from team games like football, rugby and cricket, to racquet sports and all forms of racing. For the foreseeable future, returning sports will need to be played without supporters present. So, in May, Yamaha collaborated with the Júbilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse football clubs to field test the new system in one of Japan's largest stadiums. Remote Cheerer powered by SoundUD allows fans following a g
USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has announced that Aldridge Marketing, Inc. (AMI) has been appointed as its manufacturer’s representative serving Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. “Aldridge Marketing’s stellar reputation and proven results made them an obvious choice to be EAW’s representative in the South-Central U.S. region,” says TJ Smith, president for EAW. “We selected Aldridge because of their customer service as well as the company’s history of brand-building. We look forward to working together with Aldridge in creating long lasting relationships with our existing as well as new customers in the area.” Based in Austin Texas, Aldridge Marketing is an AVL sales and marketing firm that has been serving the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana since 1992. AMI offers more than just products, it assists its customers throughout
UK - Cornwall-based bespoke audio specialist Apt-GB has introduced the CMA Range consisting of ‘two compact top packs that pack a serious punch’ – the versatile SC208 (CMA44) and SC122 (CMA82). The speakers are designed to cover most install, conference and live music needs. With multiple rigging points they fit discreetly into most spaces in installations. You can also rotate the horn for more control. Leading the design team, company founder Graham Gosden has over 20 years of experience in design and engineering for live touring and fixed installations. All Apt-GB cabinets are manufactured in itson-site facility at the heart of Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor.
Italy - Powersoft has announced that its full line of amplifiers will be available for specification within the popular D-Tools software for systems integrators. In celebration of this announcement, Powersoft dealers will be eligible for a free 45-day trial of D-Tools Cloud. “It is our pleasure to bring the full breadth of Powersoft amplification to the D-Tools platform,” says Francesco Fanicchi, brand communication and trade marketing manager, Powersoft. “Our diverse line-up of industry-leading amplifiers presents compelling possibilities for installations of all sizes, and we are happy to now make them available to integrators through this powerful and efficient software tool.” “We are excited to add Powersoft to our amplification offerings within D-Tools’ software solutions,” says Barrie McCorkle, director of supplier programs, D-Tools. “Powersoft am
USA - When the Coeur d’Alene casino, hotel and resort in Worley, Idaho, refurbished its technical facilities, Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems were chosen. Established in 1993, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel is a premium hotel and resort with a casino, spa, golf club, a large live events space and additional, more intimate entertainment lounges. The first phase of a major upgrade covered the main live performance space, which included an enlarged stage, new bleacher seating at the back of the venue and radically updated technical infrastructure. “Casinos like Coeur d’Alene attract international performing artists and the owners wanted to set themselves apart from other venues. They wanted a high end system that would meet rider specifications and be something that engineers were excited to mix on,” says Alcons Audio North American sales manager David Rahn.
Australia - Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS) In Sydney, Australia, has recently completed an AV upgrade of its key performance and worship spaces, anchored on Allen & Heath’s dLive mixing system. The school’s Marina Pryor Centre for the Performing Arts (MPC) and CITY indoor / outdoor meeting space each have a capacity of 800 and play host to an ever-changing programme of student assemblies, worship services, musicals, concerts and celebrations. Alan Schutz, the school’s general manager, explains the decision to update: “The MPC systems were designed in 2009 and the CITY systems in 2012. Technology has forged ahead and some of our needs have changed since that time. The age of some components was apparent in the difficulty of operation. There were major differences between the MPC and CITY infrastructure and gear and the complex systems required sign
UK - Solid State Logic is providing a range of educational offerings centred on its SSL Live range of consoles for applications in touring, installation, houses of worship, theatre and more. SSL Live training — which is being offered as on-line certified courses and well as off-line modules and learning aids — provides a comprehensive overview of SSL’s advanced live production tools for engineers and operators who are looking at SSL Live as well as experienced professionals looking to enhance their workflow. SSL offers its live certified training - a six-hour intensive on-line video course led by live product specialist and live sound veteran Fernando Guzeman. Currently, SSL is offering certified training courses in both English and Spanish during June. For those looking to become acclimated on SSL Live consoles at their own pace, a six-part introductory v
UK - Stage Electrics has announced that it has won a contract for the design, supply, and installation of specialist production lighting, sound & video projection systems to the new Nottingham College, City Hub facility at a value of over £200,000. This new building will offer students a modern facility including a large performance hall and drama studio, both of which will feature new lighting fixtures including the Chauvet Professional Ovation E-910FC and CYC 1 FC units. Stage Electrics worked closely with both the main contractor Wates Construction and Nottingham College to develop a specification that was within budget and met all the technical requirements whilst utilising the colleges existing sound equipment. Work commenced on site in May and is anticipated to be completed in early August.
Switzerland - Following on the success of its virtual NAB booth, audio over IP specialist Barix will present its latest products for the professional AV market and host individual meetings with end-users and systems integrators during its virtual InfoComm event on 22-24 June. “While we will miss not being able to meet with AV professionals, integrators, and partners face-to-face in Las Vegas this year, we look forward to engaging with them virtually,” comments Manuel Merki, head of marketing at Barix. “Our virtual NAB booth for broadcasters was well received, and with more virtual event experience under our belts, our Virtual InfoComm may prove to be even better. With businesses starting to emerge from lockdowns and projects ramping back up around the world, this is a perfect time for end-users and integrators to learn what’s new from Barix and discuss their specifi
UK - DiGiCo’s latest software update, V2.6, for its S Series consoles delivers a number of significant new features. These include control of the A164D Wall LCD and A168D Stage for networked audio in installations via the Dante 64@96 DMI, and support for the DMI-KLANG, both of which were launched at this year’s ISE show in Amsterdam. A164D Wall LCD, a 16 input 4 output I/O Expander, and A168D Stage, a portable 16 input 8 output I/O Expander, deliver all the connectivity of the original A164 Wall LCD and A168 Stage, but with the additional advantage of Dante connectivity. This not only adds the flexibility and familiarity of the Dante network protocol, but also means that consultants and integrators can take advantage of existing network infrastructure to drop I/O anywhere on the network. With a Dante DMI 64@96 card installed in an S Series console, access to 64 ch
UK - At the beginning of the year, in his role as director of Polar’s Integrated Solutions Division, Stuart Leader was travelling around the UK, overseeing progress, managing the team, developing customer and supplier relationships, and bringing new brands into the Polar portfolio. Then, by mid-March, like the greater proportion of UK citizens, Stuart was in lockdown. Stuart already had an office at home, but the realisation that it was to become his base for the foreseeable future, prompted him to make some improvements. The occasional conference call was one thing, the daily demands of increased phone and video call traffic was another. “There’s no question that access to good technology can make things a lot easier when working from home. At Polar, we work closely with customers to help them deliver the solution that best fits the job - whatever the siz
USA - Stephen F. Austin State University, located on a forested campus in Nacogdoches, Texas, is home to more than more than 13,000 students enrolled in approximately 80 undergraduate majors. In total, the university offers 120 areas of study across its six academic colleges: business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, sciences and mathematics, and liberal and applied arts. Among the many points of pride within Stephen F. Austin are its music and sound recording technology programme and its school of music’s jazz bands - a pair that has found a harmonious relationship with one another thanks to a powerful Dante network. “The sound recording programme was started in 2010 with the idea of focusing heavily on the technology that was transforming that space,” says James F. Adams, assistant professor of music and director of sound recording technology a
South Africa - When South Africa went under strict lockdown on 26 March, the entertainment industry had been out of work for a couple of weeks already, with all shows on the events calendar either cancelled or postponed indefinitely. It was a grim picture, and Jannie de Jager of DWR Distribution believed that the very least he could do was use this opportunity to set up training sessions for the industry during this time. While there was no shortage of training videos and webinars provided by international suppliers, which are still being shared on the DWR Distribution Facebook Group page, Jannie and colleague Dylan Jones, wanted to create a platform where training and personal contact with the industry could continue, allowing all parties to be motivated and to share knowledge. The only obstacle was navigating the best way to do this. “We definitely had to get used
France - Over the course of a three-year hiatus, the newly-renamed La Halle ô Grains theatre in Bayeux, Normandy, reopened to the public at the end of 2019 after a thorough redesign to address the latest expectations in terms of reception, accessibility, aesthetics, visibility, and comfort. This update was undertaken in order to offer the best possible experience to spectators, and a more versatile technical palette for incoming artists and crews. The new hall now boasts a complete APG loudspeaker system installed by the ISA Group, an integrating partner of the APG network, enabling the theatre’s management to count on high-precision, high-quality acoustics. “The specifications were drawn up around the programming and shows, 80% of which are theatrical,” comments Romain Motte, general manager of La Halle ô Grains for the past five years. “We were looking for
USA - The Ahava Festival held its inaugural event at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park in New Orleans, Louisiana in early March. With no admission fee, attendees were encouraged to take in the sounds, sights, and tastes and, if possible, to donate to 110 hard-working local charities. The weather was beautiful, and the event raised over $100,000. Danley Sound Labs supported the Ahava Festival with loudspeakers, subwoofers, and multi-channel amplifiers for all of its three stages. “The whole concept behind the Ahava Festival is based on sharing love and giving to the people in New Orleans who are in need,” explained Matt Dupuy, Ahava Festival technical director. Dupuy is a system designer and installation technician at local AV integration firm Assurance AV Solutions of Mandeville, Louisiana, as well as the FOH engineer for New Orleans’ party band favourite, Groovy 7
Spain - Occupying a downtown location just a stone’s throw from the famous Passeig de Gracia, the Khalijia Lounge & Restaurant is Barcelona’s newest nightspot with an oriental twist. Offering everything from Lebanese and Moroccan-inspired food to exotic cocktails coupled with live music, Khalijia aims to cater for a discerning clientele that appreciates quality at every level. Barcelona-based AV systems integration specialists, Silence Electroacústica S.L., were commissioned to design and install the audio, lighting and DMX control systems throughout the new venue. Silence opted for a KV2 Audio system based on the EX Series of active loudspeakers. From an audio perspective, the system needed to handle a wide spectrum of requirements, from extremely high quality, low level music reproduction for the lunchtime and early evening crowds going right through to high
USA - Chicago-based Charles Ford and his business partner Brandon Clark from Creative Live Control have developed a professional streaming production service - lighting, audio, cameras and broadcast - that meets all the social distancing requirements, can be installed and run by the two of them. While the challenges of producing special high impact lighting for community lighting projects like Chicago Unite at Night have been stimulating and fun, Charles and Brandon also need to generate some business as all their touring work has currently been cancelled, so they hit on the idea of the professional live streaming service. The living room of Charles’ condo has been transformed into a pop-up studio space and after a couple of test runs, there is a queue of local artists lined up to visit and use the facilities. Brandon completed all the networking, intern
Albania - Headquartered in Tirana, ASLV (Albanian Sound, Lighting and Video) has operated nationwide since 2013 and, with its team provides sound, lighting, video, staging and structures, as well as creative technical solutions for concerts, festivals, theatre and opera productions, key corporate events, expos and more throughout the country. Specialist services also include consultation and design. Recently appointed as exclusive Outline distributor for Albania, following its corporate policy of ensuring its clients equipment that is technically the best for perfectly meeting their requirements, ASLV has also taken delivery of an Outline Superfly Silver audio package, one of the three turnkey set-ups conceived in recent months by the Italian audio manufacturer. Superfly loudspeaker systems have a true three-way (HF-MF-LF) design, but the dual high-efficiency 10” tra
UK - Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War in Europe, London’s Royal Albert Hall (RAH) hosted We’ll Meet Again for VE Day 75 with Katherine Jenkins to honour those who gave their lives so that subsequent generations could come to know peace and freedom. Event production supplier, SFL provided the audio and video production for the live performance. The event was organised by TBI Media and Snappin’ Turtle Productions, both long-standing clients of SFL. With the world overcast by the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, the SSAFA armed forces charity and The Mayor of London joined together with the noted London venue, brought the nation together by offering an authentic musical experience. For the first time since The Blitz, the RAH stood empty for an event, but its true life force - the audience - were able to enjoy the performance of Welsh m
UK - Audiologic has reappointed Diogo Scutti as application support engineer. Scutti returns to Audiologic after spending three years as project engineer with SSE, a position that involved complete responsibility for system design alongside a focus on developing exceptional standards of interface management. Over his 20-year career, Scutti has played a major role in both live production and systems integration in many world-famous events and locations, including the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “It is with great pleasure and delight that we welcome Diogo back into the business,” comments Ben Spurgeon, senior application engineer at Audiologic. “Diogo’s experience in large-scale projects and expansive system design will help to push our technical offering even further and we are thrilled to have him back on
Australia - Assistive living specialist Contacta has appointed Exertis ProAV Australia, part of Stampede and Exertis ProAV, to serve as its value distribution partner to drive sales of its hearing loop and speech transfer systems in Australia and New Zealand. In announcing the appointment, Exertis ProAV Australia president & CEO Kevin Kelly credits the hard work of Exertis ProAV Australia general manager Nick Cocks in forging the new distribution agreement. “Nick’s 17 years of industry experience played a major role in reaching this agreement with Contacta, a market leader in providing assistive living solutions, and this was a top priority of the company.” Amplifying Kelly’s point, Nick Cocks notes: “As a new player in the market with a strong global presence we want to create long term supplier partnerships as a base for our business. We select the com
