Italy - API has named Digiland Srl as its new distributor in Italy. Founded in 2001, Digiland sells recording equipment, provides technical support, designs and manufactures audio cables, and offers sound-proofing and acoustic treatments. Digiland owner Massimo Biasibetti comments: "We are proud of having earned this strong recognition. We feel honored by the chance of helping API grow and fulfill their great potential in the Italian market. As new API Italian distributors, a whole new set of creative chances await our customers. “API is a milestone which every serious audio engineer simply can't avoid. When you are able to hear and test API gear for yourself - you will simply get it. That's how bright we see our immediate future working together with API.” (Jim Evans)
UK - EM Acoustics recently put their new HALO-A large format line array system through its paces during two days of intensive demos at London’s LH2 rehearsal/production studios (see LSi July’s event report). In addition to HALO-A, the company also took the opportunity to show off the compact HALO-C line array – the inspiration behind HALO-A – as well as several EMS Series models, including the new, award-winning EMS-41. EM Acoustics’ operations director Mike Wheeler, comments: “The venue was amazing. We had enough space to demo HALO-A properly and compare it to the much smaller HALO-C system to prove to visitors that we really have managed to take HALO-C to the next level – the natural EM Acoustics
UK - Now in its sixth year at Hyde Park, AEG Live’s Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time (BST) has settled into a proven formula, with sound reinforcement partners Capital Sound and Martin Audio’s MLA loudspeaker system having yet again optimised the sound site-wide. Maintaining the status quo, Capital rigged the main stage and outfield identically to 12 months ago - with one major exception.Providing the spectacular curtain raiser to the 10-day festival, Roger Waters brought his Us + Them tour to the UK for the first time. Waters had already taken his sonic and visual experimentation to breath-taking levels at Desert Trip in 2016, with the biggest surround sound system ever built. To create maximum impact at Hyde Park, Capital were asked to provide an additional 12 hangs of MLA/MLA Compact on towers positioned through the concourse for one night only.
Italy - Playing during June and July, the annual Ravenna Festival is currently taking place in the city of Ravenna, making great advances in its audio production and delivery. At the heart of the sound system are d&b audiotechnik’s Soundscape immersive live audio technology, and mixing systems from fellow German systems innovator, Lawo. For the past three years, Italian rental company BH Audio – which specialises in classical, contemporary and jazz production work – has used the combined d&b/Lawo platform for critical trials ahead of Soundscape’s official launch at the ISE event in February. In charge of the Ravenna Festival system setup is BH Audio’s Massimo Carli, who chose Lawo’s IP audio capable mc²36 console for FOH mixing as he had previously proved its adaptability at a Verdi Festival staged at the Farnese Theatre in Parma. “After t
Canada - Built over a century ago, the Imperial Theatre in the city of Saint Johns, New Brunswick has played host to many a legendary show. In the mid 1980s, a huge restoration project took place, bringing the theatre back to its original glory. With its colourful history and design, the Imperial Theatre still enjoys a busy schedule with music, film and theatre shows filling its diary. It has recently taken delivery of two DiGiCo SD12 consoles. “We looked at a lot of consoles from a lot of different manufacturers. They each had things we liked and didn’t like,” explains the theatre’s head of sound, Sean Boyer. “Time again, the SD12 bubbled to the top of our conversations because of its small footprint, flexibility, world-class preamps, expandability and its light weight, trust me, that was a consideration. Our previous consoles would take four people to back
Columbia - sE Electronics International, Inc. and Fingerprint Audio – sE’s North and South American distributor - have appointed Konectar Pro Audio as the exclusive Colombian distributor of sE’s entire line of microphones, patented Reflexion Filter products, and studio accessories. “We are very pleased with Konectar’s approach to this important market and are proud to have them on board representing the line in Colombia,” says Josh Thomas, Fingerprint Audio’s general manager. Konectar Pro Audio was founded in 2015 by Oscar Montoya (CEO) and his wife Genith Lopez, who each worked on the technical and administrative sides of event production for many years. Montoya says, “We have always been dedicated to advising and selling solutions for audio, video, lighting and stage. Now, we will be showing our customers the benefits of sE Electronics products,
USA - DPA Microphones has announced that Paul Andrews and Chris Brunhaver have joined the company as the new global sales support & business development manager and regional sales manager, Pacific Northwest, respectively. "With the addition of Paul and Chris, we are adding over 23 years of industry experience and expertise to the DPA team in the U.S.," says Christopher Spahr, VP of marketing and sales, DPA Microphones, Inc. "We are excited to welcome these two highly qualified individuals and look forward to their many contributions as we continue to grow our market share and reinforce our commitment to the industry." In his new role, Andrews will be responsible for brand development and support through technical and application driven informational presentations. Andrews began his musical career as a student at the University of Denver, studying classical guitar u
Myanmar - The Blue DI wireless Active Direct Box Interface from Australian manufacturer ARX Systems is literally proving to be a popular for bars and restaurants around the globe when it comes to professional solution for playing music. As a wireless audio interface for computers, smartphones and tablets, the ARX Blue DI connects these and similar devices to the balanced line level pro audio world. By simply pairing the Blue DI to a wireless enabled device, it is easy to pull up a music file and press play and listen to music through a professional sound system. At the Byblos Pub & Grill in Yangon, Myanmar the ARX Blue DI is proving a great hit with the management and the customers. A tablet controls the music in the bar which is connected to the Blue DI via wireless protocol. Selected customers who come into the bar can connect to the Blue DI and then play their
Bulgaria - Nestled high in the Rhodope Mountains that line Bulgaria’s border with Greece, Meadows in the Mountains (MITM) is an annual festival that provides an experience both musically and geographically outside the mainstream - and off the beaten track. Located just outside the small town of Polkovnik Serafimovo, the festival returned this June for a four-day, non-stop party, powered by a Funktion-One sound system. The very thing that makes MITM such a special festival – its spectacularly remote location – naturally meant this was far from a regular set-up. The system, supplied and installed by UK-based Audio Feed, undertook quite a journey to site. The truck carrying all the necessary kit from the UK was only able to travel half way up the mountainside – with the remainder of the trip made on a combination of smaller flatbed truck and horse-drawn cart.
South Africa - DWR Distribution and L-Acoustics will be hosting a special presentation and demonstration at The Teatro at Montecasino on Tuesday, 17 July 2018. The new Syva collinear source and the Kiva II system will be demonstrated for the first time in South Africa. There will be product overview from L-Acoustics’ sales manager, Tim McCall. Featured products will include the X Series coaxial speakers, ARCS Wide, ARCS Focus, KARA and more. There will also be coverage of the new P1 Measurement Platform and AVB Processor, new software and advances and workflow improvements in LA Network Manager. Booking is available on line at: http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/l-acoustics-open-day/ (Jim Evans)
UK - A variety of Nexo sound reinforcement loudspeakers have been installed by audio systems integrator T.G.Baker at the intu Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester. These have been fitted in the atrium space known as The Orient, which is Europe’s largest food court and features more than 30 restaurants, cafes and bars. intu Trafford Centre is the second largest shopping centre in the UK, now owned by Intu Properties. Hosting more than 30m visits annually, The Orient food court is its entertainment and hospitality hub. Attracting nearly 30,000 visitors a week, this two-level atrium space is also used for live events, fashion shows and seasonal celebrations, centred around a giant video screen. Systems integrator T.G. Baker worked closely with Nexo’s UK office to design a complete audio solution for this large and reverberant space. The primary system is a Nexo Geo M
USA - Veza Sur is a Miami-born craft brewery with Latin-American roots. Located in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, this establishment is all about “great brews and good vibes”. To ensure quality sound, Veza Sur elected to deploy loudspeakers for both the inside and patio areas. And to this end, they purchased loudspeaker systems drawn from the WR and Artec Series catalogues of DAS Audio. Sound Investment Audio was contracted to handle the Veza Sur project. Working closely with John Fiorito, East Coast territory regional manager for Sound Investment Audio, the team ultimately assembled a SR system consisting of eight DAS WR-6412FX 2-way passive enclosures, four WR-322SFX bass reflex subwoofers, six Artec 308 two-way passive enclosures, and two Artec 322S bass reflex subwoofers. Fiorito discussed the project. “Veza Sur is the newest brewery to open in Wy
UK - As part of the Odin Line Array tour in the UK through June and July, owner Harry Carnaby of Allstarz Productions used the system in the Queens Theatre Hornchurch London on a production called Elements. Harry said, “We used four Odin T-8A top boxes per side flown and two Odin S-18A subs per side on the stage. The sound was something different, we’ve used many different brands and the sound that Odin produces is crisp, clear and sounds amazing from such a small/light range of cabinets. “We liked them so much we have placed an order for a number of the Odin speakers and will be using them on an upcoming UK tour.” The Odin tour continues - 14 July Corringham Essex, 20-21 Yalding nr Maidstone Kent and ends in Bude Cornwall 27-29 July. (Jim Evans)
Israel - KLANG, the German-based manufacturer of immersive 3D in-ear mixing technologies, has appointed AEM of Tel Aviv, as its exclusive distributor in Israel. AEM specialises in the importation and distribution of products associated with stage and studio monitoring and represents many key brands. Its founder and owner, Alon Eitan is very highly regarded throughout the Israeli music industry as an expert in the field, something that KLANG:technologies head of sales, Phil Kamp, feels is a great advantage: “Alon is the trusted go-to man in this sector for a host of Israeli musicians, producers and engineers, so as well as possessing an incredible depth of technical knowledge, he has also cultivated the broadest possible range of relationships within the marketplace. We have no doubt that AEM, with its excellent customer support, is perfectly placed and equipped to de
Germany - The success of Martin Audio’s new Wavefront Precision series on a global scale shows little sign of abating. Back in March, German rental company Event & Veranstaltungstechnik Enchelmaier (E.V.E.) boosted its inventory with the acquisition of a complete WPC system, along with SX218 and SX118 subwoofers - all powered by Martin Audio’s new iKON iK42 amplifiers. Already a major user of Martin Audio’s premiere line array systems since 2003, E.V.E. owner Michael Enchelmaier said, “I wanted a newer, more modern system to complement my W8LC, W8LM and WS218X, and meet the demand for new systems. With the WPC we can cover audiences of up to 3,500 people, and with a combination of W8LC and W8LM I can extend that to 8,000-10,000 people.” The system has already been out on a number of shows, including The Hollies, where E.V.E. flew two eight-element
Australia - Horder Communication Solutions (HCS) has recently completed an upgrade of the indoor and outdoor audio systems for the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) at its Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, South Australia. The SAJC plays host to 58 days of racing action throughout the year at Morphettville Racecourse. In addition to racing on a weekly basis, Morphettville is a multipurpose venue featuring 22 function rooms able to host events of all occasions seven days a week. Early in 2017 the SAJC published an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the upgrade of the audio systems at the Morphettville Racecourse. The existing audio systems were based on a network of Media Matrix Nion controllers and primarily Lab.gruppen amplifiers, which were to be retained. The loudspeakers were a diverse collection of box and ceiling loudspeakers, of varying quality and suitabili
Europe - Belgian pro audio manufacturer Audac has expanded its existing range of ceiling speakers with two new series. The CENA series is designed to offer a cost-effective solution in a single cone 4.5” and 6.5” model and have a low-profile construction that allows placement in locations with limited ceiling space. The SpringFit fixation offers “the fastest possible installation time of any speaker available on the market, while the borderless grill design is unseen for any ceiling speaker in this segment”. The CIRA series is designed with installer convenience in mind and delivers “superior audio reproduction”. The series has a lot of the advantages that normally are only found in premium priced ceiling speakers, says the company. Like the TwistFix borderless grill design, which offers an easy but solid assembly and a completely seamless transition from g
Europe - Australian singer songwriter Vance Joy’s story is one of continuing success, which comes with the need for a world-class monitor engineer. For Vance, this is Mani Hammond, who has been working with him ever since August 2014. He is deploying a DiGiCo SD10 provided, along with the rest of the audio equipment, by British rental company Encore PA. Mani started his career on analogue desks, but when he made the move to digital and a DiGiCo SD9, he found the transition an easy one and when Encore purchased an SD10 two years ago Mani decided to give it a try. He has found it the perfect console for the job, siting the high fader count as one of its major benefits and has been touring it with Vance ever since. “I like having lots of faders as I don’t like changing banks,” he says. “Having 32 faders in front of you makes everything easily accessible.”
Germany - Performances at the outdoor theatre in Ötigheim, near Karlsruhe, attract up to 100,000 visitors each year, thanks in part to their excellent production values. Maintaining a high standard is very important to the ‘not for profit’ owning company Volksschauspiele Ötigheim, which is why a new Yamaha mixing and audio management system was installed in time for the 2018 season. Volksschauspiele Ötigheim has been staging productions for 112 years. Throughout the summer, shows are staged at its open-air theatre, a former sand quarry which has 4000 covered seats and, it claims, the biggest permanent outdoor stage in Germany. For the past 15 years a pair of Yamaha 02R digital mixing consoles have been the reliable backbone of the theatre’s audio system. This year, they were replaced with a new system comprising two Yamaha CL5s, an MRX7-D matrix processor, Ri
Europe - With the busiest outdoor event production schedule ever, it looks like there’ll be no summer holidays for TiMax spatial audio systems this year. Alongside long-running premium West End and Broadway shows which continue to fill theatres, TiMax features in at least eight very diverse spatial sound designs across Europe - with some interesting new developments for the evolutionary spatial audio platform. First up is Maria de Buenos Aires performed by Austria’s Oper Graz in an old jail complex which is part of the city’s Kasematten castle. The venue almost resembles a conventional theatre auditorium but with an ingenious retractable roof. TiMax SoundHub and Tracker were jointly specified by acoustic consultant Fabio Kaiser of Rohde Acoustics and immersive audio specialist Volker Verner of PDV Records Og. The system was the first of a collaborative hy
India - Powersoft, has appointed Chennai-based GM Audio as its official distributor for the South of India region. Extending the Italian audio manufacturer’s presence in the market, GM Audio is the fourth distributor that the company has on-boarded in the country. “We decided a few years ago to divide India into four regions to properly address the size of the country and scale of the opportunity. India is an early adopter when it comes to new technologies, so it comes as no surprise that the Powersoft brand has been growing year on year, now taking up position as the leading amplifier brand in the market,” comments Håkan Sjöö, Powersoft regional sales account manager, EMEINA. “We have a great network already in the North, West and East of India, but we needed an established partner we could trust in the South to take our business there to the next level. We
Italy - The 17,368 capacity Pino Zaccheria stadium, the home ground of Foggia soccer team located in Italy’s south-eastern Apulia region, recently underwent a major upgrade in order to meet the latest specifications for the country’s Serie B. The work included a new sound reinforcement system, supplied by Centro Cultura Musicale. Designed using Outline Open Array 3D software by the company’s senior system engineer Francesco Ferretti, the system is used to play recorded music before matches, announcements, publicity, team line-ups, announcements for the substitution of players and safety announcements. The upper tier of the roofed west stand is covered by six Outline Vegas 12 CX two-way, full-range coax speaker enclosures installed under the roof. The same format is used with four more Vegas 12 CX for the lower tier, installed under the upper tier of the stand. <
UK - Neutrik UK has announced the appointment of a network of official regional resellers across Great Britain for its XIRIUM PRO digital wireless audio link system. The network of resellers extends high-level sales, service and in-the-field expert support across the country, for both UK and visiting overseas XIRIUM PRO users. Neutrik XIRIUM PRO is a dedicated ‘studio quality’ digital wireless audio link; a cable replacement system that sets a new professional standard in transmission of robust, low latency, high-resolution digital audio signals over long distances. Suitable for events, visitor attractions and indoor and outdoor venues, of the most demanding scale and complexity, the system is designed for use in situations where it is overly time-consuming or operationally impractical to run audio cables. The reseller network comprises Everything Audio in s
USA - Danley Sound Labs has introduced the Danley MINI 180 which provides “even, seamless coverage across 180 degrees (by 90 degrees vertical) using Danley’s patented technology”. Its operating frequency range is 149Hz to 20kHz (?3dB) with impressively linear phase response across that range and across the beam width. Maximum output is 119dB SPL continuous and 125dB SPL peak. “Folks have been asking us for a 180-degree loudspeaker for a long time, and the Danley MINI 180 meets that specification with sound quality that makes Tom proud to put his name on it,” said Mike Hedden, Danley president. “We made it easy to use: the Danley MINI 180 only weighs 45 pounds and mounts easily on a pole or on a wall. In fact, it’s easy to put two MINI 180s back-to-back on a pole for instant 360 degree coverage with Danley’s phenomenal seamless coupling. There’s no sho
