Denmark - In June, Meyer Sound returned to Denmark as the exclusive sound provider for the Roskilde Festival, Northern Europe’s largest and longest-running music festival. The event marked the second year of a five-year partnership between Meyer and the festival. The Roskilde Festival, now in its 49th year, took place over eight days from 29 June to 6 July and showcased nearly 180 acts on eight stages, from big-name headliners Cardi B, Bob Dylan, Travis Scott, Janelle Monáe, Robert Plant, and Wu-Tang Clan to Scandinavian superstars Robyn and MØ, to emerging regional artists, performing to daily crowds topping 130,000. The festival, which operates as a non-profit foundation, is a celebration of community and solidarity, ideals fostered year-round through support of humanitarian and cultural organisations in Denmark and beyond. (Since its inception, the Roskilde Fest
UK - Suffolk-based technical event management company W1 Productions has invested in Harman’s JBL VTX A8 compact line array system. Based on JBL Professional's flagship VTX A-Series loudspeaker technology, the system forms part of a turnkey package including Crown I-Tech HD tour-grade amplifiers, comprehensive accessories pack, and dedicated system configuration and control software. The order was placed by W1 Productions’ owner Stuart Turvill with Sound Technology, the Harman Professional distributors for the UK and Ireland. W1 Productions is a full-service production house originally established in London’s Wardour Street (The Swiss Centre) in 2000 to service music TV and rock ‘n’ roll touring. Since those early days W1 has moved further east geographically and further into corporate in terms of workload, now servicing a mix of corporate, music and dry hire
Norway - Norway’s Design & Architecture (DOGA) foundation has recently undergone a total renovation of the audio system in its historic machine hall (built in 1898), with a compact Allen & Heath dLive set-up. The foundation strives to strengthen the presence of design and architecture in Norway, promoting innovation and quality when developing products, buildings and services. Its facilities are regularly rented out for a variety of events, covering conferences, seminars, concerts and screenings. As such, Allen & Heath’s Norwegian distributors, Benum Norway, were tasked with the installation, which required a simple, flexible and transportable sound system for the 340sq.m hall. The full set-up comprises a dLive C1500 surface paired with a DM0 MixRack (fitted with a Dante card), an IP8 and IP6 remote controller, and a DX168 expander for additional remote
USA - Fuelled by breaking stories and celebrity news, TMZ has been a major media success story over the past decade. The media outlet expanded beyond its online roots into broadcast, producing daily syndicated programs including TMZ on TV, TMZ Live and TMZ Sports. All are produced in TMZ’s production facility in the Playa Vista technology corridor of Los Angeles. Intercoms at TMZ studios have always been an RTS affair, based on an ADAM-M digital matrix system, KP-12 and KP-32 keypanels, and BTR partyline wireless beltpacks. With the need to vacate the UHF frequencies used by their BTR system due to FCC rule changes, the TMZ team recently upgraded the wireless portion of their RTS system. In consultation with Bexel, their broadcast integrator, they installed an RTS Roameo wireless system with 12 TR-1800 beltpacks. Four AP-1800 wireless access points spread throughout
UK - The sonic delivery for Stormzy’s Friday night headline slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury was handled effortlessly by FOH sound engineer Raphael Williams, a long-time user of Harman’s Soundcraft Vi Series of mixing consoles. To mix the show, Williams used a pair of Soundcraft Vi2000 desks at FOH connected together in Mirror Mode, provided by his own company Bethel Productions. This mode allows the two consoles to constantly push control data to one another, effectively increasing the available number of faders and Vistonics touch screens. Not only did this provide Williams with a surface extension, but also redundancy in the unlikely event of a console failure. “It was not that I needed a back-up, though,” he affirms, “as these consoles have always been rock solid.” In addition to the two consoles, he also carried two Soundcraft Realtime Racks,
UK - Technical production specialist equip event services co-ordinated all the technical elements - lighting, audio and staging - for The House & Garage Orchestra’s (THGO) recent sold-out gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The ensemble, founded in 2015, has ignited an appetite for their energetic reimagining of some of the UK’s biggest house and garage hits. When production manager Kevin Jianoran joined in November 2018, they were an eight-piece with guest vocalists and just him on the crew as the touring sound engineer. Since then it’s quickly upscaled to become a 20-piece orchestra, complete with brass and string sections, 14 guest vocalists and a technical crew of eight. equip, based in Brixton, London, were approached by Kevin, who is also the band’s monitor engineer, to work on their tour last November, which was a big success. He then returned to
Australia - Tokyo Sing Song is located in the basement of the Marlborough Hotel in Newtown, Sydney and although the 200-capacity venue is compact, since it opened in 2014 it’s earned a reputation for its loud late-night parties and electric atmosphere. In late 2018, Harold Dumke, Tokyo Sing Song’s marketing and entertainment coordinator, was made an offer he couldn’t refuse. In partnership with DJW Projects, Pioneer Pro Audio gave him the opportunity to install the brand’s first sound system in Australasia, replacing the club’s old PA. “I was completely blown away,” remembers Dumke. “I thought we were very lucky to be able to have a top-tier product from Pioneer Pro Audio that no one had seen or heard before in Australia.” The musical offering at Tokyo Sing Song is so diverse - with DJs and live acts playing everything from hip-hop, disco, and soul, t
UK - Funktion-One teamed up with long-term partner Audio Plus to give Vero its first Glastonbury outing at The Glade. The stage, which enjoyed a mixed programme of DJ and live performances, received plaudits from artists, festivalgoers and sound engineers, who praised the system’s precise stereo imaging and generous headroom. Luke Piper, area coordinator of Avalon, Glade and The Wood, said: "I was overjoyed with the new system - it surpassed all expectations. We quadrupled the normal capacity of the venue up to 20,000, with people dancing right at the back of the crowd to Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim and Squarepusher. Here it sounded just as good as at the front with a full range, solid, clear and real bottom end, and great mid-range separation. Vero is a very real 'non-synthetic' alive sounding system that's perfect for live and electronic acts alike. It's the best system I've
UK - Coventry’s Godiva Festival, which takes place in the City’s War Memorial Park, was founded as a free festival in 1997. This year, the 120,000 festivalgoers had to pay a nominal admission fee to attend the weekend-long event, which was headlined by The Levellers, Feeder and Busted on the respective days. Chris ‘Stan’ Saunders has been overseeing the festival’s evolving technology requirements, as has the company with which he has long been associated, Stage Audio Services (SAS). SAS owner Kevin Mobberley comments: “We’ve been providing event services for Godiva since the year 2000 but this is the first year we have used [Martin Audio’s] MLA PA. Previously, we have used other brands.” This public park is a highly sensitive noise area, and acousticians Vanguardia are contracted to measure sound propagation and set offsite thresholds - somethin
UK - The Manchester Central exhibition and conference complex has extended its partnership with technical event production specialist Blitz to be its in-house partner for AV services. The agreement contracts Blitz, which has worked with Central for 11 years, until 2022. Carol Gibbs, director of venues for Blitz, comments: “We are thrilled to be selected as Manchester Central’s in-house AV partner for another three years. The venue is a landmark in the city and beyond, and with so many meeting space options to play with, it’s an AV supplier’s dream. We look forward to creating many extraordinary and memorable experiences for both the venue and their clients.” Sarah Bickerton, director of events at Manchester Central, adds: “We’ve built up a really strong working relationship with the Blitz team and are looking forward to continuing to wor
France - The Voice France is broadcast on TF1, the largest private French TV station, during prime time on Saturday nights. Set in Studio 217 at La Plaine Saint Denis, just north of Paris, its stage is the largest in Europe at 2090sq.m, with a 1,300 capacity. As with any major broadcast event, it's a meticulous, multi-console affair, and requires a plethora of inputs. FOH engineer Jerome Kalfon and monitor engineer Alex Maggi both mix the show on SSL L500s to mix the show. The Voice France utilises 128 mics, four SSL ML32.32 stage boxes, and an SSL BL II - Blacklight Concentrator, which allows FOH and monitors to share all inputs. The two broadcast consoles in the OB van receive inputs directly from inbuilt broadcast MADI splitters located at the back of the stage boxes, and the broadcast mix comes directly from the SSL mic amps and SSL conversion.
USA - Audinate has announced that the Dante AV module and the Dante AV product design suite are now available to order. The Dante AV module adds video capabilities to Dante’s unified control and tight synchronisation of AV signals over standard IP networks, alongside benefits such as discovery, ease-of-use and integrated control. Dante AV enables complete interoperability with more than 2,000 Dante-enabled audio products already on the market. “Bringing Dante AV to market is the culmination of our work to add the V to AV,” says Bob Ehlers, VP of product management at Audinate. “By adding video to Dante we are making it easier for manufacturers to add robust and integrated audio and video capabilities. In turn, that means a better AV experience for all end users who depend on - and have come to love - Dante and Dante-enabled products and solutions. We are incre
USA - Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at Seattle Centre, home to the Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Opera, upgraded its wireless intercoms with four Radio Active Designs (RAD) UV-1G base stations and 24 belt packs provided by Lift AV, also of Seattle. “When we heard about the frequency restack we immediately worked on getting ahead of it,” explains John Coulter, AV technician for Seattle Centre. “We compared three or four different intercom systems but, in the end, the RAD units provided the frequency agility and signal latency our residents needed.” McCaw Hall opened in 2003 after a $127m renovation of the Seattle Opera House. The Hall is owned by the City of Seattle and operated by Seattle Center. McCaw Hall is home to the 2,900-seat Susan Brotman Auditorium, the 380-seat Nesholm Family Lecture Hall, multiple lobbies and a public plaza that serves as entry int
Canada - Based in Ottawa, and designed in the brutalist architectural style, Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) has been serving the performing arts since 1969. A bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for Canada’s most creative artists, the NAC strives to be artistically adventurous in each of its programming streams - the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre and NAC Presents. Offering a variety of free programming and events, The Centre collaborates with artists and arts organizations across the country, invests in ambitious new works and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. As part of a recent $110m overhaul, globally-renowned integrators, Engineering Harmonics, were hired to design a comprehensive audio/visual system that would service their needs for the next 15 years and beyond. The
UK - Tenor and actor Alfie Boe is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Jean Valjean on the 25th anniversary edition of Les Misérables at the O2 in 2010, which earned him a five-month run in the West End production at the Queen's theatre the following year. He has also sold more than one million albums in the UK, with his recent duet albums with Michael Ball. He has recently completed a highly successful UK tour, as well as a handful of shows in Europe and Japan, with long-time FOH engineer, Mark 'Joey' Jowitt, and monitor engineer, Steve Bunting, both relying on DiGiCo consoles - an SD10 and SD7 respectively, supplied by Major Tom - out on the road. “Alfie is a very personable and easy-going guy, and he's very appreciative of the job everyone does,” says Bunting, who has worked with Boe for several years, including his time touring with Michael Ball. “We ha
USA - Unbalanced sound in a highly reverberant space motivated Golden Gate Cathedral to seek specialist advice to solve the problem. The church turned to integration specialist MC2Solutions, whose experience in designing and installing high quality systems in similar venues has become well known. Golden Gate Cathedral is a church in Memphis, Tennessee. With a membership of over 2000, the church’s main sanctuary has a seating capacity of 1,350. The church’s pastor, Bishop Edward H. Stephens, is a passionate and expressive preacher, so a sound system with a natural balanced sound and outstanding intelligibility is an essential element in delivering his sermons. Carl Woodard II, owner and designer of MC2Solutions, explained, “Used for a wide range of services and productions, the sound system is required to provide very high-quality speech and full-range music, wit
Jordan - The Jordan parliament in the capital Amman has installed a Pan Beam sound system based on the Pan Beam PB 24. In the Parliament the Pan Acoustics integration partner Girhoma combined the Televic conference system with the Pan Beam PB 24’s to meet the requirement of a more speech intelligible slim speakers system. The main challenge for the engineers of Girhoma was the amphitheatre lay out of the building where a conventional system had proven not be able to cover all seats within a height difference of over 4m between the lowest and highest positioned seats. The Pan Beam systems offering multi-beam technology use three beams directed to the different levels. Another challenge was the very reflective walls creating a confusing sound distribution with high reverberation times. For this situation, the 2.40m long PB 24’s were able to get much more contro
UK - Audio-Technica has appointed Richard Leadbitter to the role of project specification manager, a newly-created role, to which he moves from the company’s application, training and support department. The new position reflects the significant growth of Audio-Technica and its distributed brands (Allen & Heath, Apart Audio and Artnovion) in the UK installation market over the last three years. Based at Audio-Technica Ltd’s Leeds office, Leadbitter will be offering site visits, project specification, sales and training to customers in the sector. Logan Helps, Audio-Technica distributed brands manager, comments: “I’m very pleased to welcome Richard to the new role in the business. He brings to it many years of experience, both in our ATS department and previously on the “other side” of the counter at Pro Audio Centre, so is well-placed to deliver end-t
South Africa - Stage Audio Works is putting hands-on experiences at the forefront of its presence at Mediatech 2019. Stage Audio Works will once again be supporting the biennial event with its characteristic large stand, highlighting some of the latest products from major international brands, as well as its own locally-manufactured technology. On top of this, Stage Audio Works also has a presence at the outdoor live sound demonstration area. Daily demonstrations of the VIO L208 from dBTechnologies is set to be a highlight of this popular feature of Mediatech. “The real benefit of any trade show is getting technology into the hands of end-users and discussing how it can help them,” says Shaun Xavier, marketing manager at Stage Audio Works. “We have seen how Mediatech has enabled us to do this in the past and we are looking forward to highlighting how our te
South Africa - Green Hippo will join its African distributor DWR Distribution at Mediatech Africa, taking place 17-19 July in Johannesburg. Green Hippo and DWR will be highlighting how technology is changing the face of creative design and human experiences, and showcasing the Hippotizer Media Server range of solutions for real-time media playback and 3D mapping. Visitors are invited to stand C20 to witness the creative possibilities that the powerful new features of the latest Hippotizer software, V4.5. The team will be demonstrating the most recent software features developed in response to end-user feedback, including Object to Output, a new output mapping workflow. Created as an invaluable live events tool, Object to Output ensures users can directly map content to outputs inside Hippotizer’s 3D workspace, ingeniously simplifying the management of large num
USA - Hollywood venue The Hotel Café has become a go-to place for intimate sets by singer-songwriters, both in its main room, opened in 2000, and the second room, opened in 2016. The venue, whose two intimate spaces accommodate between 50 and 180 people, respectively, has hosted performances by such artists as John Mayer, Katy Perry, Adele, Sara Bareilles, Hozier, Ed Sheeran and Lucinda Williams. These rooms are capable of some very big sound, with sonic quality provided by systems from Bose Professional. Hotel Café’s main room is equipped with a Bose Professional RoomMatch DeltaQ Array Loudspeaker system - one RoomMatch module on each side of the stage buttressed with a RoomMatch RMS218 dual-18 subwoofer (powered by one PowerMatch PM8500N networked amplifier for the RoomMatch speakers and an additional PM8500N for the subwoofer). The club’s second room has
France - Domaine des Étangs is the largest five-star hotel/resort in France. Located in Massignac, it spans a thousand acres, including forests, pastures, and ponds. The Domaine des Étangs (Pond Domain) hosts an 11th century castle, fully renovated and decorated with contemporary works of art, detailed landscaping, Gallo-Roman baths, two swimming pools, a floating tennis court, and a Michelin-starred restaurant. Built of stone and wood, La Laiterie is a new gallery space within the Domaine des Étangs complex that is dedicated to exhibitions about the 'Meeting of Art and Nature'. "As we collaborated in advance of the sound system installation with Amadeus experts, we were able to get rid of the speakers' common aesthetic nuisances and at the same time ensure a sound quality at a level rivaling the most famous concert halls," explains Manuel Gomez, architect and musi
China - With over 100 years of history behind it, Nantong Middle School in China’s Jiangsu Province is looking to the future thanks to a new auditorium equipped with Martin Audio loudspeaker systems. Founded in 1909 by Qing era industrialist and educator Zhang Jian, Jiangsu Nantong Middle School is well known across the province and the country. It is one of the first middle schools in the province set up in the modern fashion and its alumni include politicians, nationally renowned artists, award winning scientists and five Olympic gold medallists. The new multi-purpose hall in the Chongya Building on the main campus was dedicated to celebrate the school’s 110th anniversary, and the school required a high-quality sound system to suit the building. Their choice was the Martin Audio MLA Mini, for its consistent sound field coverage and high resolution, as well as th
UK - The immersive audio capabilities of TiMax SoundHub were in evidence at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, where two experiential spaces were driven by the spatial audio engine. As a centrepiece for the Greenpeace field, artist Wolfgang Buttress created a permanent sculptural feature to highlight the plight of bees in the face of existential challenges such as pesticides, climate crises and the lack of biodiversity. Inspired and controlled by the activity of real bees - a colony of Cornish Black Bees in Michael Eavis’ own beehive to be precise - BEAM is an interactive, multi-sensory and experiential sculpture that, with the help of TiMax and visual specialists RES London, envelopes visitors in immersive soundscapes and 360-degree projection and lighting. Movement-sensing accelerometers, installed within the Glastonbury farm beehives, stream live vibration
