UK - When they set out to replace their flagship PA system, West Country-based Nub Sound underwent an exhaustive process of research into all the premier league contenders, with a view to making a decision in time for the 2020 Festival season. “We have been evaluating systems for six or seven months,” explained Nub Sound system tech Josh Small. “We needed to step up to a bigger, eco-system that is also rider friendly and offers ease of rigging. It has to be sufficiently flexible to work in a number of ways, be tourable, perfect for festival use and above all, it has to be a complete system.” When Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) was fired up recently for a Sam Fender gig at Plymouth Pavilion, a venue he describes as “a nightmare” and “notoriously challenging”, the system ticked every box. The company, run by directors Adrian Sund
Europe - Progressive rock act Haken, a multinational six-piece, recently returned from a European tour mixed on a Yamaha Rivage PM7 digital mixing system. Haken’s most recent album, Vector, took the band into harder-edged ‘progressive metal’ territory. Getting the heaviness of the music across, while ensuring audiences also hear the intricate musical phrasing, needs an audio system that puts equal emphasis on audio quality and high-end features. FOH engineer Adam Bonner has used Yamaha digital mixing consoles for 15 years, mixing the band’s last three tours in Europe and the US on a CL5. “I really wanted to see what we could achieve with the FOH mix when using Yamaha’s flagship system, effectively removing any processing limitations. I knew that Rivage PM7 was the perfect fit for this tour,” he says. Bonner contacted Steve Davies at L
Canada - Solotech has officially announced the launch of its e-commerce platform. Directly accessible in Canada and via the home page of the company’s website, the Solotech Online Store is a resource for individuals and shops looking for professional audiovisual and entertainment technologies deliverable at home. Currently offering used professional audio, video and lighting equipment available for shipment everywhere within Canada, the platform will support, in a second phase, purchases made in the United States. Previously used by Solotech during the tours of international artists, all products displayed on the online store are tested by the company’s teams of specialists before being offered for sale and guaranteed 90 days. “This is the outcome of several months of tireless work to deliver a dynamic platform with a selection of both high-quality and affordab
USA - Audinate has announced that California Baptist University has deployed a Dante audio network which runs through the entire campus to support the ever-increasing demands of several diverse departments. From high-end music productions and performances to academic lectures and sporting events, California Baptist University (CBU) relies on a Dante audio network, Dante Domain Manager, and Dante AVIO adaptors for deploying an efficient, cost-effective, reliable and secure, campus-wide, IP audio network. California Baptist University is one of the top private Christian colleges and universities in Southern California, hosting nearly 11,000 students with a 160-acre main campus comprised of more than 30 buildings, including the 95,000sq.ft Eugene and Billie Yeager Centre, the 270-seat Wallace Theatre, and the JoAnn Hawkins Music building - one of the nation's most advanc
South Korea - Christie Digital reports that Gyeongnam Masan Robot Land, the world’s first theme park dedicated to intelligent robotics, has installed an extensive range of its laser projectors and real-time video processing and show control systems, which deliver spectacular visuals and enhance the visitor experience. Located in the city of Changwon on the southeast coast of South Korea, Gyeongnam Masan Robot Land occupies 1.25m square meters and comprises a research and development centre, convention centre and theme park. Its main attractions, which combine robotics technology and entertainment, are powered by Christie GS Series and HS Series 1DLP laser projectors, as well as Christie Pandoras Box’s Single and Quad players, Dual and Quad OCTO Servers, Pandoras Box Manager and Widget Designer. These systems were installed by Christie’s Korean partners Star Networks an
New Zealand - Harman Professional Solutions has realigned distribution of AMX and SVSI in New Zealand with the appointment of JPRO. JPRO, which has a long association with Harman having represented audio brands JBL Professional, BSS, Crown and Soundcraft for more than 30 years, will now add the complete range of AMX video control solutions and SVSI Networked AV solutions. Support, warranty and repair of AMX & SVSI products in New Zealand will also transition to JPRO with immediate effect. Warranty terms and inclusions will not be affected. “We are excited to expand our partnership with JPRO and extend our distribution reach in New Zealand. This is aimed at enhancing access to Harman products and solutions across verticals, focusing on solutions-driven approach and elevating customer experience,” comments Ramesh Jayaraman, VP and GM at Harman Professional Solut
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has appointed Brian Divine as president of the professional solutions division, effective immediately. Divine will be responsible for overseeing the division’s worldwide operations, strategy, product roadmap and performance across all eleven brands. Divine’s appointment is the culmination of a nearly 20-year-career working in the professional audio, lighting and video control industry. In his 15 combined years at Harman Professional, Divine worked closely with distributors and customers in nearly all of the entertainment and enterprise vertical markets the division serves in roles overseeing customer service, sales, engineering, marketing and product management. Divine was most recently senior vice president for products & customer solutions in the Professional Solutions division and VP of product and programme management, respect
USA - Previewed at Prolight+Sound 2019, the new Alcons LR24 pro-ribbon line-array system will be making its global debut at the NAMM show. The LR24 is a three-way, bi-amped, mid-size format line-array system. Loaded with Alcons’ multiple-patented pro-ribbon technology for mid and high frequencies, the system features an unusually high dynamic range with a fast impulse response with up-to-90% less distortion. This results in an intuitive linear response, with optimal intelligibility and non-compressed identical tonal balance at any SPL. The all-natural cylindrical wavefront of the purpose-designed RBN1202rs 12” pro-ribbon transducer and the acoustically and electronically symmetrical component configuration bring an industry-leading pattern control in both the vertical as well as the horizontal plane, up to the highest frequencies without any distortion-inducing ho
UK - Women in Data, the UK’s largest female data professional event, pulls in over 1,000 attendees from around the world. Held within the surroundings of the InterContinental, London O2 on the banks of the River Thames, WiD features keynote presentations from a host of guest speakers. Having worked with Light Fantastic Production Services on a succession of previous events, WiD once again called upon the team to provide a complete technical, equipment and logistics production solution, custom designed to cover all aspects of the prestigious conference. Branding for 2019 Women in Data was characterised by red to signify confidence, ambition and drive. Following this theme, LFPS applied bold, crimson hues throughout the stage set and lighting design, emphasising the colour as a symbol of strength and vitality. Continuing the look, the team extended the lighting design
Brazil - São Paulo-based Gabisom Audio Equipment, one of the world’s largest audio hire companies, has made a major investment in Outline’s Newton FPGA processor. Gabisom celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2019. Owner and founder Gabi Ferreira has steered the company through the many changes seen in his homeland since 1984, building a multi-disciplinary operation employing 300 people that works in concerts, musical theatre, corporate events, fixed installations, tours and sporting events. Amongst much else, Gabisom is the audio provider for all the various Rock in Rio events worldwide and for the fabulous Rio Carnival which attracts two million visitors daily. Gabisom is also the go-to choice for international artists touring Brazil, whose productions rely absolutely on the company’s knowledge of their country and its challenges. Gabisom’s senior system
Venezuela - Nexo has appointed a new sales manager for the Latin American nations. Hely Chirinos, formerly with Sun Music, Nexo distribution agent in Venezuela, joined the team in January. Originally from Caracas in Venezuela, Hely Chirinos began his sound engineering career in 2003, and has worked for several touring companies, as well as advising on the design of projects in Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean islands. “I have used Nexo since the very beginning; I remember when we first heard the sound of the Nexo PS15, it was a life-changing moment!” he says. “In recent years, I have been lucky to work with Celso Papadopolous and Roberto Tschopp in the Nexo LatAm team, people that I admire who have contributed a lot to the growth of my professional career.” As LatAm sales manager, Chirinos will work closely with Roberto Tschopp, one of Nexo’s top field e
Europe - Following the release of the L-ISA Controller v2.0 software update, the Robert Juliat SpotMe 3D tracking device is now fully compatible to operate with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, the lighting manufacturer has announced. L-Acoustics recently revealed the January release of a significant software update for its L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology that will enable users to monitor the positioning of any tracked object in a 3D view. With L-ISA Controller version 2.0, source parameters - including pan, width, height, distance, and elevation - can be mapped and scaled to all certified tracking systems. In tandem with the L-ISA v1.10 update, L-Acoustics has announced that it has officially collaborated with tracking software providers whose technologies can now function within the L-ISA ecosystem, including Robert Juliat’s SpotMe tracking to
USA - The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Centre in National Harbor, Maryland near the nation’s capital likes to celebrate Christmas in a big way. Set in the property’s 19-story glass garden atrium with its views of the river, Christmas on the Potomac is the hotel’s myriad holiday installation crowned by Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, a six-week-long, 25-minute Christmas fable combining artistry and showmanship from around the world with Christmas music, a dancing fountain, laser-light show and indoor snowfall. Bringing this production sonically alive was the task of an L-Acoustics Kara system, designed and installed by Showtime Sound LLC of Frederick, Maryland. The system was split between the atrium’s lower and upper terraces: the former comprised a left-right design of one SB18 subwoofer ground-stacked with five Kara enclosures per side to cover t
UK - Rising British singer and rapper Little Simz played her flagship show at London’s Kentish Town Forum in December, making video a priority for the first time to enhance her show for the tour’s largest audience. Production AV was brought on board by Little Simz’s production manager, Eric Wade of EZ Services, who was on the lookout for a new video supplier. Wade was keen to ramp up the visual effect of the show and capture quality footage, not only for live stage to IMAG screens, but also for use in promo material. “We had a pretty tight schedule to implement the video aspects for the biggest show of the tour and going with Production AV made perfect sense,” says Wade. “We wanted to give everyone in the audience the same experience, regardless of whether they were on the balcony or tucked away some place where sight lines weren’t so great. “Pro
Italy - The University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples is turning to a different use of immersive audio technology with one of its new physics research labs. The lab at the university’s Aversa campus is exploring the relationship between temperature, audio and visuals, and to do this in a scientific way the researchers required a space where each element could be precisely controlled. To achieve this control from an audio standpoint, the researchers turned to Martin Audio’s Sound Adventures. The new lab has been purpose-built as a small, dedicated space within a historic building. Radiant heating panels on the walls and the floor and air conditioning system allow for the room’s temperature to be raised or lowered, while the intelligent lighting system allows for the management of this element. The Sound Adventures solution controlling the sonic environment
Czech Republic - Audac has announced a partnership with Prague-based Audio Digital as the new exclusive distributor of its audio solutions in the Czech Republic. Audio Digital’s managing director Michal Zeman comments: “I genuinely believe in the quality and innovation Audac offers and I am more than happy to be adding their products to our assortment. We at Audio Digital value a high performance/price ratio, and that is exactly what you get at Audac. I look forward to this partnership.” Audac’s international sales executive Bart Vandermot adds: “It is always important to keep evolving as a business. By expanding our network and starting new partnerships, we can ensure that the clients all over the world can enjoy our innovations. We have the greatest confidence in our partnership with Audio Digital as we have seen first-hand the outstanding quality and ser
Germany - Optocore has appointed Dusseldorf-based United Brands GmbH (United B) as its new German distributors with immediate effect. Tine Helmle, Optocore director of sales and marketing, comments: “With the expansion of our product portfolio such as Festival Box, AutoRouter and our Madi series United Brands was a perfect match. Due to their expertise and long-time experience in install and live events they bring huge potential in placing Optocore as the main sound distribution network on the market.” United B’s Jens ‘Bubbes’ Steffan, who will largely oversee the Optocore account, adds: “We were familiar with Optocore technology through our distribution of DiGiCo [digital consoles]. So it was just a small step to contact Optocore. The company has a lot of very interesting products, which perfectly match our customers’ demands.” Discussions had st
UK - Media server specialist disguise has released r17, the latest update to its software. Launched in response to user feedback, r17 brings workflow and user experience enhancements, including Manipulators and PreComps, and introduces Network Device Interface (NDI) support. Users can now stream an NDI source from content tools to the disguise stage in realtime, unlocking new workflows for esports, fixed installations, and TV productions. Integration with NDI can also be used as a streaming preview from content tools, such as 3DSMax or AfterEffects that enable users to finesse content accurately in-situ, saving time and speeding up workflows. For compositing, PreComps is a new workflow that allows users to create a pre-composition of layers which can be reused in multiple locations, making timelines cleaner and more flexible. It also enables the routing of video content
USA - Nearly 40 years since making its debut on the professional recording scene, the AMS RMX16 Digital Reverberation System is being re-launched in hardware format as part of AMS Neve’s rack mounted 500 Series. On show for the first time at NAMM 2020, the RMX16 500 Digital Reverb Module delivers all the musicality of its famous predecessor, but at a fraction of the price. Furthermore, this new unit incorporates the nine programmes that came as standard with the original AMS RMX16, PLUS the nine rare aftermarket programmes that were only available to users via a remote control with bar code reader input. “We are very excited to be bringing back the much loved and instantly recognizable sound that made the original AMS RMX16 everyone’s favourite ‘go to’ reverb,” says AMS Neve’s distribution manager David Walton. “Its special sound has characterised an e
Europe - Sergio Herman is a successful Michelin-starred Dutch chef. His restaurant, The Jane, in Antwerp, is internationally renowned for its food and carefully created ambience. At Strandhotel in Dutch Flanders, Herman is responsible for the hotel’s three restaurants, including the recently opened Blueness. In order to fully realise Herman’s vision for Blueness and breakfast restaurant Pine House, new audio systems were considered essential and his team were clear about what they wanted. A Pioneer Pro Audio system had been installed at The Jane back in 2014 and had left an indelible mark on The Herman Group. At the Strandhotel, the team needed a system that could deliver a chilled experience for guests at the beginning of their day, maintain a relaxed output on weeknights and then inject some energy for weekend DJ sets. A flexible system was essential given the d
USA - 2020 is set to be very big for the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, with events centred around what would have been the former Beatle’s 80th birthday. The Lennon Bus - a mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility - regularly provides free digital media production workshops to schools across the US and Canada, enabling students to learn how to write, record, and produce original songs, music videos, documentaries, and live multi-camera video productions. The bus’ two onboard studios have recently been upgraded to Genelec’s The Ones coaxial three-way point source models. “We go to a lot of under-served schools and a lot of communities that are under-resourced, so bringing something that really represents the best of the industry is eye-opening and can be life-changing for kids and communities,” explains Brian Rothschild, co
UK - Over 170 Adamson loudspeakers were deployed for three days of spectacular events for Edinburgh's Hogmanay. Marking the 27th edition of the famed New Year party, the three-day festival combined Scottish traditions with contemporary artists and acts from across the world in Edinburgh, the home of Hogmanay. Working directly with Dave Watson and Scottie McKean from producers Underbelly, The Warehouse designed an Adamson system for Hogmanay in the Gardens headlined by Mark Ronson, the Waverley Stage headlined by Marc Almond and McEwan Hall’s three-day celebrations with Symphonic Ibiza, Eddi Reader and Ronnie Scott’s Big Band. In addition, Adamson partner Live Systems Ltd provided the system for Ceilidh under the Castle. Across the whole event, 170 Adamson loudspeakers were used, including the E15, S10, S7 line array loudspeakers, E119, S119 an
Thailand - Sonos Libra has assumed exclusive distribution rights for dbTechnologies’ full product portfolio of touring, install and M.I. audio systems in Thailand. “In the last few years dBTechnologies’ presence in South Eastern Asia professional audio industry is considerably growing,” explains dBTechnologies’ APAC sales manager, Manuele Poli. “We are at a point where we need strategic partnerships to meet a larger base of professionals and disclose our products’ full potential. When we met Alfonso Rodriguez and Sonos Libra’s team, I immediately realized that their sales approach and advanced technical skills were exactly what dBTechnologies needed to enhance the brand perception and further flourish in the local professional market.” Sonos Libra’s CEO Alfonso Martín Rodríguez adds: “dBTechnologies is a growing company and is now playing at a h
France - Modulo Pi has announced the full compatibility between its Modulo Kinetic media server and L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology by L-Acoustics. Thanks to bidirectional interactions now available between the video toolbox on one hand, and the spatial audio technology on the other hand, Modulo Pi and L-Acoustics bring a complete A/V real-time production suite. L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology is a multidimensional, object-based approach to designing, mixing, and processing sound that results in extremely natural and intelligible audio and a more vibrant, and authentic connection between artists and their fans. Already deployed on over 7,000 performances, L-ISA has been adopted by artists such as Mark Knopfler and Bon Iver, and permanently installed in experiential venues like Artechouse and Spyscape museum. Modulo Pi has developed Modulo Kineti
