USA - Kool & The Gang’s production manager and FOH engineer Ed Irons uses DPA’s 4099 Instrument, 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid, 4011 Cardioid and d:facto 4018 Vocal Mic to deliver Kool & The Gang’s signature sound to live audiences around the world. “Once we heard the DPA mics, we were hooked,” he says. “The horn section for Kool & The Gang is a franchise sound. With the 4099s, it is so easy to dial in on the fullness of the group. Most notable is the ease with which I capture the true character of each instrument; whether it’s a sax, trumpet or trombone - they all sound awesome with DPA.” Kool & The Gang utilises three 4099 Loud Instrument Mics and one 4099 Extreme on their horns section, along with two 4011s for mic’ing the percussion rig. Most recently, they began using the 4099 Instrument mic on bass. “Although the 4099s sound gr
South Africa - Ultra Events Technical Solutions has recently taken delivery of a DiGiCo SD12 digital mixing console. According to Costa Champianis, director at Ultra Events, there were limited number of large-format DiGiCo consoles available for dry hire in the region, which was having a negative impact on technical services provider’s ability to meet the demands of international riders. “Over the past few years, there has been a shift in rider requirements, showing a definite preference for DiGiCo’s larger consoles by the majority of touring artists,” explains Champianis. “In October last year, we were contracted to provide technical services for the Norwegian pop band a-ha, who had booked touring dates in both Cape Town and Johannesburg through Breakout Events and Rogue Entertainment in mid-February. We were able to meet the requirements of about 70% of th
The Netherlands - AV technology tradeshow Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2020 completed a 15-year residency at the Amsterdam RAI expo centre with a special event held on the show’s last day, 14 February (Friday). Politicians and executives saluted the venue and the city of Amsterdam while looking ahead to the future, with the tradeshow set to move to the Fira de Barcelona for its 2021 edition. Despite health concerns brought about by the coronavirus outbreak and major travel disruption caused by Storm Ciara, ISE 2020 took place as planned, but with markedly lower attendance of 52,128 unique visitors compared to 81,268 in 2019. Mike Blackman, MD of Integrated Systems Events, comments: “This year’s show demonstrated to us just how determined our attendees were to come to ISE. Many of our exhibitors exceeded their targets for customer engagement and lead gen
UK - RCF UK has appointed Tom Martin to the role of UK technical sales/support. He will be supporting all RCF dealers south of the M62. During his career so far, Martin has worked across many sectors, including tour/product management, FOH engineering, corporate production and audio installations, and many large-scale events including The Olympics, The Brits and MTV Awards. Dean Davoile, UK sales director, comments: “As RCF continues to grow we needed to find someone that was capable of supporting our dealers and demonstrating across all our product ranges. Tom is that person; with his extensive experience in Live, Installed and AV applications, he fits the bill perfectly.” Martin adds: “I am looking forward to getting my teeth into the RCF product lines and working with some great people, both in the UK and Italy.”
Australia - Urban Theatre Projects (UTP) is dedicated to telling real-life stories which portray the many facets of modern-day Australia through site-specific cultural experiences. Many of its projects are presented in Blak Box, a portable venue that uses Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems for a fully immersive audio experience. UTP’s latest production was Momentum, which was presented in Blak Box at Barangaroo Reserve, Sydney, throughout the first half of November. Alcons Audio systems for all Blak Box productions are supplied by David Betterridge of Sydney-based Loud And Clear Audio Pty. The Momentum system comprised six pro-ribbon VR5 mini monitors and two BF151mkII compact subwoofers, powered and managed by two Sentinel3 amplified loudspeaker controllers. The VR5s were evenly-spaced around the perimeter of the internal wall, with the BF151s placed in opposin
UK - Northern Light was commissioned to design, supply and install a new lighting and AV system by The Robertson Trust for Stirling. They were asked to provide systems which were as flexible as possible and allow the room to be used in many different configurations as the final configuration of the rooms was yet to be determined. The proposed systems included: overhead suspension bars and lighting grids, power distribution, LED fixtures, projection, installed sound, fixed control rack, facility the new conference space within the Barracks Conference Centre, panels with cable infrastructure and a lectern. Northern Light was also asked to provide video conferencing and presentation systems for the meeting rooms within the barracks building. The systems had to be capable of interoperability between the systems as the room will be hired out for many different clie
South Africa - DWR Distribution has appointed Andrew ‘Andy’ Pettit in the role of sales and technical support for the Cape Town market. He will be joining Bradley Bruchhausen at DWR’s offices in Milnerton, Cape Town from mid-February. “I am very excited to be taking on the role of sales and technical support at DWR Cape Town. I believe that the position will present some much-welcomed new challenges and will allow me to grow both personally and professionally,” says Andrew. “I am honoured to be a part of the DWR family and am looking forward to a bright and rewarding journey with the team.” Andrew is no stranger to the technical entertainment industry. After matriculating, Andrew attended The Cape Audio College where he achieved his Diploma in Audio Technology while working as a freelance technician. Following graduation in 2015, he joined SOLID Group, a
USA - Visitors to Arcadia Earth can’t help but feel at one with the assortment of environments represented in the art installation’s 15 rooms in Manhattan’s NoHo district, ranging from the depths of the sea to the tops of glaciers. They will also be touched by the dangers posed to each from climate change, from overfishing and plastic pollution to deforestation, as envisioned by environmental artist Valentino Vettori. But what brings it home emotionally is the score and ambient sound created by Dave Hodge of Finger Music, with specific music and sound design for each of the rooms, delivered subtly but powerfully. The audio is riding on a networked backbone with components from Focusrite’s RedNet range of Dante-networked audio converters and interfaces. Four RedNet A16R 16-channel analogue I/O interfaces provide 119dB of 24-bit/192kHz dynamic range and Focusrite’s s
UK - The Factory Live is a new venue in the UK's south coast town of Worthing. Already attracting much critical praise, its audio system of Yamaha DZR and DXS XLF loudspeakers is impressing audiences and artists alike. The 300-capacity venue is the brainchild of managing director Steve Gardner. Having taught himself to play piano upon retirement from a successful corporate life, Steve was approached by an old school friend who had an empty building in the town of Worthing, formerly used by the local college as a music and dance training centre. Spotting an opportunity, Gardner started the successful Soundhouse and Dancehouse rehearsal businesses. It was natural for him to approach nearby high-end audio retailer The Audio House when equipping the rehearsal studios, developing a close working relationship with company founder Gerry Heeley. As Soundhouse and Danceho
UK - When the £84m International Convention Centre Wales (ICCW) opened in September last year, it was not only the first of its kind in Wales, but this joint venture between the Welsh Government and the Celtic Manor Resort has contrived to deliver 26,000sq.m. of total floor space for meetings, conferences and exhibitions (around the size of four international rugby pitches). For visitors driving down the adjacent M4 motorway, the 10m tall red steel dragon provides an unmistakable landmark. Incorporated within this is a 4,000 sq.m., pillar-free, reconfigurable main hall, and it was this space that threw up many challenges for the technology contractors, Stage Electrics. Their solution was to specify an end-to-end audio workflow from the extensive RCF catalogue, tying nearly 800 loudspeaker products (and over 1,000 RCF components in total) into a multi-use PA in the main hal
India - It’s a rare occasion when a live concert features more musicians on stage than there are spectators in the audience, but such was the case for a Guinness World Record-breaking performance in Mumbai on 24 January. To commemorate the premiere of Amazon Prime’s series The Forgotten Army, Live 1000 - a group of 1,046 musicians - performed selections from the series’ score for a crowd of about 200, supported by an Adamson S-Series audio system from production technologies provider Sound.com. “When we were first approached to take part in this very special event, it was clear that the sound system needed to be compact and discreet as to not impede the audience’s sightlines, considering the unique layout of the seating and stage,” begins Warren D’souza, the founder and managing director of Sound.com. “We knew Adamson’s tour-proven S-Series wo
Italy - In 2020, HP Sound Equipment and its pro audio brand K-array will be marking their 30th and 15th anniversary respectively. The two anniversaries will be celebrated throughout the year during various events for K-array and HP Sound Equipment clients, suppliers and staff. The Italian manufacturer got its start in 1990 in studio design and installation, specifically for radio and television, operating as parent company HP Sound. Its three founding partners - Massimo Ferrati, Alessandro Tatini and Carlo Tatini - sought out to develop their own line of MI-based equipment and by 2005, it turned its sights to live sound reinforcement and formed K-array. Practising primarily as a rental company, K-array was driven to find an alternative to the traditional design of a PA system as the sheer volume and weight of these wooden transducers caused the cost of transport to be
USA - Agnieszka Roginska has begun her term as president of the Audio Engineering Society. Currently celebrating her 20th year as an AES member, Roginska has served in numerous leadership roles within the Society. Professionally, she currently holds the positions of Professor of Music Technology and the vice-chair of the Music and Performing Arts Professions Department at New York University. In her role as Professor of Music Technology at the university, Roginska’s work involves conducting research in the simulation and applications of immersive and 3D audio including the capture, analysis and synthesis of auditory environments, auditory displays and applications in augmented acoustic sensing. She is the author of numerous publications about the acoustics and psychoacoustics of immersive audio and auditory displays. “It is an honour and a privilege to begi
USA - Approaching the centennial of its current building, the First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi has been an institution in the area since it was built in 1926. Facing the lawn of the Mississippi State Capitol in downtown Jackson, the church’s sanctuary seats 3,000 worshippers and streams and broadcasts its services online to thousands of viewers any given week in 60 to 80 countries. The sound in First Baptist’ sanctuary has been served for several years now by a DiGiCo SD5 console and its two SD-Racks for front of house. Recently, it was joined by a new DiGiCo SD10 console as the church’s primary broadcast console for streaming the audio for services and other events, along with a DiGiCo Orange Box multi-format converter equipped with a DMI (DiGiCo Multichannel Interface) card for Dante connectivity. Both consoles, which were installed and integrated b
USA - Now celebrating its 26th year, Grace Family Church started with just 80 people in a former ‘jazzercise’ storefront next to a bar in Tampa, Florida. It has subsequently grown to over 12,000 members. To accommodate so many members, Grace Family Church operates satellite campuses. Its sixth campus opened in Land O’ Lakes, a suburb of Tampa, and AVL firm All Pro Integrated Systems helped design and install the AVL system. Since many of the decision-makers at Grace Family Church had never heard a Danley Sound Labs system, All Pro arranged for a demo that proved persuasive. The system includes Danley’s patented point-source Synergy Horn loudspeaker technology, its patented Tapped Horn subwoofer technology, and seven Danley multi-channel amplifiers with built-in DSP and pre-sets for every Danley loudspeaker and subwoofer. Perhaps in the spirit of its origins, th
UK - Green Hippo’s Hippotizer media servers were chosen by video director Jay Baker of Creative Video Design to drive the visuals for Spotify Presents: Who We Be Live 2019. Performed live at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, the Spotify show was part of its series of events featuring the UK and Ireland’s leading Rap, Grime, R&B and Afrobeat line-ups. Creative design and production was by UK marketing agency Amplify, working closely with event promoter, SJM Concerts. Creative Video Design was brought into the project by Production Box, led by Mike Oates. While the venue’s exterior was used as a projection surface on which lighting designer Jon Trincas created some suitably grungy looks, the stage set inside was designed with a grunge/grime warehouse theme. “Our main challenge,” Baker explains, “was to create multiple different looks for the
Finland - The Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos, situated in the heart of Inari, Finland, recently underwent a full renovation of its main auditorium, equipping it with the latest audio and conference technology, including an Allen & Heath dLive mixing system. The Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos, also home to the Finnish Sámi Parliament, puts on a range of events, from concerts to theatre productions, and as the largest event venue in Northern Lapland, one of the central projects is the Sámi music centre, which actively encourages the development and teaching of traditional Sámi music. As such, the venue needed an advanced, up-to-date system that could keep up with the various requirements for concerts, theatre productions and seminars. Supplied by Finnish distributor, F-Pro, the installation featured a dLive S7000, fitted with Dante card for virtual soundcheck and
UK - Penn Elcom has announced that RGB Communications will be distributing its full range of 19-inch racking enclosures and associated accessories. The move is in line with RGB’s goal of being a one-stop shop for AV racking solutions. In addition Penn Elcom’s various products for the AV market, along with its 19” ranges, complement, RGB’s existing product portfolios in the residential and commercial sectors. Caroline Britt, RGB Communications MD, comments: “As a high-quality UK-based manufacturer with great support and a reputation for quick turnarounds on bespoke projects, as well as its practical off-the-shelf ranges, we are a good match.” Penn’s sales director Rob Platt, adds: “We look forward to a busy and proactive working relationship with RGB. With 29 years’ experience in the pro AV industry built on understanding the products they distr
The Netherlands - Audinate announced that the new Dante AV Product Design Suite (Dante AV PDS) will be shipping in Q1 2020 to manufacturers who have ordered it to develop AV-over-IP products that employ Dante AV technology. The Dante AV Product Design Suite is a complete turnkey recipe allowing OEMs to build a high-quality AV over IP endpoint for visually lossless results with low latency over a 1Gbps network. It provides complete interoperability for audio distribution and control with the more than 2,500 existing Dante products from more than 450 different manufacturers, delivering independent, fully synchronized audio and video streams. Based around the Dante AV module, the Dante AV PDS may be modified, branded and differentiated by OEMs via software, control, and integration with other members of their product lines. The Dante AV PDS is designed to be a feature-com
The Netherlands - Funktion-One has launched two compact loudspeaker models – the F5 speaker and the SB8 bass unit. The Funktion-One F5 offers a balanced and natural sound quality that’s not often found in loudspeakers of its size, says the company. The F5’s ultra compact dimensions and high output mean it is suited to a wide range of applications, including distributed public address systems, bars and restaurants, as well as domestic applications, such as home cinemas, desktop monitoring and home music systems. The F5 features a Funktion-One bespoke wide-range, high-sensitivity 5” driver, an integrated high pass filter for low frequency protection, angled cabinet design for desktop use and a 3/8” microphone stand mount. The Funktion-One SB8 is a compact, yet powerful and convincing bass unit. It is suitable for applications where a conventionally sized
The Netherlands - Renkus-Heinz highlighted the premium quality audio offered by beam steering technology – effectively positioning more integrators and end users for performance in their businesses. Through key offerings in the Renkus-Heinz line, steerable solutions are now feasible integration options in more locations and more types of facilities. “We’re showcasing the enabling technologies that allow integrators to introduce cutting-edge audio performance into additional locations,” said Matt Czyzewski, president of Renkus-Heinz. “We’ve engineered our offerings to provide effective and efficient installation, as well as intuitive setup and configuration. We aim to make digitally steerable audio accessible to all types of integrations – no matter the size, shape, or location construction.” With the DC12/2 and ICLive X series – and the supporting te
The Netherlands - Ashly Audio is expanding its product line to bring integrators more flexible, scalable, and creative pro audio solutions. Two speaker lines were introduced to ISE 2020 with a focus on enabling more complete solutions that tie together Ashly’s expertise in amplifiers and DSP technologies. Both the AW Series On-Wall Speakers, IS Series Dual-Impedance Column Speakers, and SP Subwoofer were featured at ISE. “One request we heard over and over as we reinvented our product line was the need for a more complete solution – a solution including speakers,” said Noel Larson, vice president of marketing and business development at Ashly Audio. “We didn’t take this on lightly. We worked with a focused purpose and intent to ensure our speakers accentuated our amplifier, mixer amp, and processor offerings. The result is something we are incredibly proud
UK - As the Strictly Come Dancing Live! 2020 tour draws to a close, crew and artist catering specialist Eat to the Beat has received positive media feedback from the celebrities, professional dancers, judges and crew. With 33 dates in major venues throughout the UK and Ireland from 16 January to 9 February there was plenty of scope for Eat to the Beat’s culinary team to get creative and cook up a feast. Whilst menus always featured tasty healthy options, including plant-based meals, to fuel the dancers ahead of each performance, there’s no doubt that the amazing array of tempting desserts on offer were also a definite hit. Mary Shelley-Smith, global operations director for Eat to the Beat comments: “The Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour is always a highlight in Eat to the Beat’s calendar, the whole team really enjoy working with the celebrities, professional d
UK - FOH engineer, Chris Martin and monitor engineer, Gerry Colclough used DiGiCo SD12 consoles for Primal Scream’s 2019 UK and Ireland tour, citing the desk’s reliability and ease of use. Formed in 1982 in Scotland, rock band Primal Scream released their third compilation album, Maximum Rock 'n' Roll: The Singles in 2019, containing 17 tracks spanning the period from 1986 to 2016. In support of the release, the band announced a major winter tour of the UK and Ireland in 2019, which saw FOH engineer, Chris Martin and monitor engineer, Gerry Colclough use DiGiCo SD12 consoles – owned by Stage Audio Services based in the West Midlands. Martin has been working with the band since 2008, starting out as FOH system tech for a PA hire company before progressing to the position of FOH engineer for the group in 2015. “The band are amazing people to be arou
