USA - Operating out of 11 offices across the US, The Sextant Group is a leading firm of technology consultants, providing innovative solutions to a wide range of client needs. Over the past few years, they have embraced the advantages of Alcons Audio loudspeakers for an increasing number of high profile projects.
The Sextant Group’s Joe Hammett is one of its senior systems designers. “I first learned of Alcons in late 2014,” he says. “The following year a co-worker recommended that I take a look at them, because we had a project where we needed to recess multiple subwoofers in a small space. I visited the company’s booth at InfoComm 2015, listened to the loudspeakers there and was immediately impressed. Then the real research began.”
He continues, “On many of my projects there is a fine balance between room aesthetics and the size of the loudspeakers requ

UK - The New Testament Church of God (NTCG) has been established in Slough for more than 40 years and has occupied its current Herschel Street location since 1990.
Sound reinforcement for music and speech is of fundamental importance to a contemporary house of worship of this kind and having conducted a review of its provision, the church, led by Pastor Wayne Perkins, decided that the time had come to make improvements. Whilst the church was generally happy with its existing front of house speakers, issues surrounding onstage monitoring had reached a critical point and far greater flexibility was needed in terms of audio-mixing both onstage and for front of house.
Pastor Wayne reports, “Our programme of events across the year is varied and features everything from the spoken word to music soloists and full band ensembles. People of all ages and levels of experience t

China - K-array systems have been installed in the latest bar created by Dining Concepts: Yojimbo, designed by international designer, Ashley Sutton.
Located in the heart of the nightlife precinct of Central, Hong Kong, Yojimbo replicates the underground world of Japanese clubbing through its international DJs, entertainment features and cocktails similar to the underground Ginza lanes of Tokyo.
Yojimbo is a slightly bigger space than many of Hong Kong’s bars or clubs yet a discreet system of four Vyper-KV52 line array elements and two Rumble-KU210 subwoofers powered by a Kommander-KA14 amp was enough DSP to cover the lobby bar area.
The main room functions as a nightclub so a more powerful line array of Mugello-KH3 loudspeakers were flown on either side of the DJ booth paired with a Mugello-KS5 subwoofer underneath it.
Completing the setup, a pair of sma

Europe - The PLASA Awards for Innovation are now open for entries. Product manufacturers and developers are invited to enter the annual awards by 17 August (Friday). Successfully nominated products will feature on the Innovation Gallery throughout the PLASA Show (16-18 September, London Olympia), with winners announced at a special ceremony on 17 September (Monday).
Entries will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts, with up to eight awards, including the possibility of Gold Award, set to be given to products and solutions that demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice and safety, introduce new technology, materials or techniques, or offer new commercial advantages. The PLASA Award for Sustainability may be presented to a solution that achieves significant power reduction, has a positive impact on the environment or makes an effective us

Canada - Solotech’s Toronto-based Integration Division has announced the appointment of Keith Danby as senior business developer.
Danby will be in charge of growing Solotech’s integration business and market share in Southern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, developing new and existing business accounts in the corporate, government and institutional segments.
Regional sales manager Rob Poretti comments: "Keith brings many years of lighting industry, sales and marketing experience to our group of professionals. We welcome him on board and look forward to expanding our industry-recognised level of service even further.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Professional Wireless Systems has announced the appointment of David Belawski to the role of technical project manager. Belawski will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of client projects including managing communications between clients and Professional Wireless Systems team members to ensure a successful event or installation.
Prior to joining Professional Wireless Systems, Belawski spent 11 years working for the University of Central Florida (UCF) Athletics department, first as assistant director of video production and for the last six years as the director of production services. In that role, he managed four full-time staff members and more than 30 freelancers and student interns while being responsible for the maintenance of all hardware assets, including sound systems, the centralised video control room, and LED video boards.
“The experience Da

USA - Audio-Technica is now shipping the ATW-T6002x handheld transmitter for the 6000 Series high density wireless system - a spectrum-efficient solution that allows users to pack 31 channels in 4 MHz of bandwidth.
The ATW-T6002x handheld transmitter offers low handling noise and features a metal construction body, high-visibility OLED screen, soft-touch controls and switchable RF power (2mW / 10mW / 50mW). Its industry-standard thread mount allows for the use of six new interchangeable A-T microphone capsules, as well as other compatible capsules.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Pliant Technologies and its UK distributor Sound Technology have announced the immediate availability of Pliant's new professional wireless intercom system, CrewCom.
CrewCom is based on a new technology platform “that offers the industry’s highest user density, unparalleled range, and scalability” and features the industry’s smallest fully-featured professional full-duplex wireless radio packs, multiple simultaneous frequency bands, as well as a host of user features, says the company. With CrewCom, production crews of all sizes can now easily and quickly deploy communications solutions to connect more people in more places than ever before, says the company.
“We took a completely non-traditional approach to wireless intercoms, and while CrewCom’s advanced technology offers huge benefits to the customer, the development time was longer than we had anti

UK - Belfast’s award-winning Lyric Theatre, the only full-time producing theatre in Northern Ireland, has upgraded its FOH sound mixing console with a new Soundcraft Vi1000.
According to technical manager Ian Vennard, the facility’s existing desk had become dated and needed replacing. “We were starting to struggle with what we were trying to achieve with it,” he admits, “and our programme has included shows that stretched us way beyond its capabilities.” Consequently, over the past few years, they had rented different consoles - including Soundcraft - on shows that demanded more from the FOH console.
Eventually it was time to upgrade on a permanent basis, and with 2018 being the Lyric’s 50th anniversary at its Ridgeway Street home, there seemed no better time to act. The 96-channel Vi1000 digital desk was acquired from local dealer McCusker Pro Audio.

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will be hosting a free Nexo UK open day at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax.
The event will take place on 25 July (Wednesday) over two half-day sessions and will comprise demos of various Nexo product ranges, including the small ID series, the point-source PS series, the Geo M10 system as well as the venue’s own Geo M6 house PA system, which AC-ET supplied. Representatives from AC-ET’s specialist audio division and from Nexo will provide a full product demonstration and interactive listening sessions with each speaker series.
Shure will also be attending the event with their new Axient Digital wireless system.
Topics to be explored during the sessions will include Nexo power and processing; a general overview of line array theory; and an overview of the Nexo NS1 system design software.
The event is also an o

USA - Fayetteville First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia is aware of its strengths, even as it shifts to a more blended worship style. The goal is to engage the next generation so that they keep their roots firmly planted at FFBC without going so far as to make church an alien experience for the older generations who have been supporting the church their entire lives.
Although it met the church's needs when it went in 15 years ago, the sanctuary's sound reinforcement system was straining under the weight of the more contemporary demands placed upon it by the shift in service style. FFBC hired Gainesville, Georgia-based dB Integrations – the same company that had designed and installed the older system – to update its 500-seat sanctuary with a new Danley-based sound system that could simultaneously deliver excellent spoken-word intelligibility and exciting musical

USA - Since 2006, Rock Community Church in Littleton, Colorado, has grown by leaps and bounds, adding to its congregation through strong leadership, dedicated purpose and family values.
Ben Carson, Rock Community’s technical director along with other key church decision makers chose to install a Clair Brothers sound system.
To make a greater impact through additional land, flexible building design and dynamic performance systems the church hired Kurt Butler of Butler Engineering & Technology Group (BETG). Notes Butler comments: “The AVL and acoustics installation at the church was designed to be an inclusive and intimate experience for the congregation, so everything related to the systems we installed were measured against that metric.
It was BETG and a design team of architects that initially formulated a package that would shape the worship centre in a

USA - Nexo’s flagship modular line array system, the STM Series, with supplementary Geo S12, was used for a very large house-of-worship event in the impressive US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Fifty thousand people attended the free Pulse - Twin Cities show, with Reach Communications providing the 360° Nexo PA system.
Multiple headliners played the concert, including LeCrae, Hillsong and Jaberwockies. The recently-built stadium is already known for its challenging acoustics, but, as one of the largest venues in the region, it has played host to many world-class touring artists and their engineers. All eyes were on Nexo, to see how STM Series would perform!
System deployment was in a 360° arrangement, with STM as main, out, side and delays, S12 as rear, and M10 for front-fills. Subs were a combination of flown and stacked STM S118, as well as cardio stacked Ne

USA - Barry Manilow began an extended residency at the International Theatre at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on 24 May. The 1,600-seat theatre is where Elvis Presley performed 837 consecutive sold-out shows. As part of a $150m renovation, it now boasts a RoomMatch sound system from Bose Professional.
Ken Newman, Manilow’s long-time front-of-house engineer, says he had some hesitancy about using the new sound system ahead of the first shows, having never worked with a RoomMatch system before. “I went there and put the system through the same evaluation process I always do, including analysing pink noise through the system and then playing eight sets of stem files through the house console from previous recordings I’ve done of Barry in other venues,” he explains.
“I came away rather impressed. It’s a challenge keeping Barry’s vocal above the

UK - Martin Audio has completed a management buyout (MBO) from global audio specialist Loud Audio. The MBO has been backed by private equity investor LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group.
As part of the deal, LDC, alongside the Martin Audio management helmed by MD Dom Harter, has invested £12m in the company. The investment will enable the business to further develop its product range, improve its sales and marketing capabilities through the extension of its global distribution network and enhance its digital infrastructure through software development, says Martin Audio.
As part of the deal, LDC investment directors Troy Harris-Speid and Philip Weston will join the board, alongside James Browning who will join as non-executive director.
Dom Harter, managing director of Martin Audio, said: “Our success to date has been underpinned by providing

UK - Stage Electrics have supplied the Stamford Shakespeare Company with a new Altair wireless communication system ahead of their summer season of plays. The Stamford Shakespeare Company is an amateur theatre group, who perform at the distinctive Rutland Open Air Theatre, within the grounds of Tolethorpe Hall, Stamford.
Requiring a new wireless comms system ahead of their 2018 season, the Stamford Shakespeare Company enlisted Stage Electrics for guidance. “The client approached us with an idea of what they wanted. We discussed several different comms systems but settled on Altair’s WBS-202HD dual channel wireless intercom system,” comments Jonty Gray of Stage Electrics.
The WBS-202HD offers a secure communication between the base station operator and a maximum of eight wireless beltpacks. “The client specified that they needed the ability to allow the backsta

USA - Calvary Chapel Las Vegas supports five worship services each week, using an Allen & Heath dLive Digital Mixing System in their main worship space and an Allen & Heath GLD-80 Digital Mixer in a smaller chapel. Vocalists and musicians in both spaces use Allen & Heath ME-1 Personal Monitor Mixers.
The church’s several buildings, including a K-12 school, are connected with a fibre network and its audio systems communicate via Dante so that the chapel can be used for overflow from the main worship space and services or events in either space can be broadcast over a streaming service and recorded for the church’s website.
Technical director Michael Millington explained the decision to adopt Allen & Heath. “I wanted the dLive because, at 96k, it was an amazing option and it met our budget. Second, it doesn’t scare volunteers away like some of th

France - Not far from the major port city of Caen in the Normandy region of north-west France, lies the small town of Mondeville. Despite its close proximity to Caen, Mondeville enjoys its own mayor, town hall and local services, including the municipally owned La Renaissance theatre, now the proud owner of a new d&b audiotechnik sound system solution.
While d&b systems can be found among the world’s most prestigious venues, it is the teams behind lesser known local applications that are making quality listening truly accessible to all. To that end regional projects like La Renaissance receive every bit as much attention, time and effort as the globally renowned stadiums and concert halls.
Laurent Coulombier is the theatre’s technical manager. “We needed to replace our old sound system that was completely obsolete, and it ultimately came down to three bra

Europe - Björk’s ninth studio album, Utopia, was announced last summer, with the promise of a supporting tour this year. That tour kicked off at the Háskólabío Theater in the artist’s native Iceland. Headline appearances at the All Points East festival in London and Primavera Sound in Barcelona followed in May, with We Love Green Festival in Paris and Northside Festival in Arhus in June.
A run of own headline shows will follow for July, including The Eden Project UK, Gent, Rättvik, Helsinki and Rome. Front of House engineer John Gale joined Utopia’s touring team during its production stage in March, choosing a DiGiCo SD12 as his preferred method of control, that rental company CS Audio purchased from SSE Audio Group.
“Björk spent a long time producing and mixing the album and was very specific about the effects she wanted, in particular the pannin

UK - Triplex is the latest company to become an Adamson certified re-seller and rental partner appointed by Adamson’s UK distributor The Warehouse.
Based in London, Triplex was founded in 2013 by Ross Cornwall, Mark Sunderland and Sam O’Riordan. Triplex specialises in turnkey audio rental for concert touring, events & private parties. Alongside the rental business, they run a thriving install arm serving houses of worship, clubs & bars amongst others.
Jake Rudd, project manager at Triplex, comments: “As a touring engineer I have been stunned mixing on Adamson systems. We are so pleased to join with The Warehouse to deliver Adamson products to our clients. The team always strive to provide products that we believe will provide the best for our clients’ needs and Adamson ticks this box completely.”
Derek Blair, director of The Warehouse says: “T

UK - Loudspeaker manufacturer, EM Acoustics, has significantly expanded its manufacturing facility in Surrey, UK. Part of the expansion includes the investment in new hi-tech machinery to enable much more of the manufacturing process to be performed in house.
“We first moved into our current building in 2014,” explains operations director, Mike Wheeler. “We’ve gradually expanded as space has become available, and we now occupy just over 15,000 sq ft, which is three times our original surface. We’ve also tripled staffing levels since 2014 as our operations have expanded. The building now houses just about every part of the production process – from woodworking at one end of the factory, through warehousing, crossover assembly, final production, QC and shipping.”
Apart from the increase in space which has enabled everything to be brought under the same ro

USA - Lawo has continued its expansion in the Americas with the appointment of Jeff Smith to the post of vice-president of sales, Americas. Smith’s career in broadcast began in 2006 at Canadian broadcast equipment and solutions manufacturer Evertz, where he first worked as regional sales manager before becoming director of sales (sports and entertainment) this year.
Jamie Dunn, Lawo’s head of global sales, comments: “We are seeing rapid growth in the Americas based on our ability to deliver full IP broadcast infrastructures. This region has become our fastest-growing global territory. Jeff’s experience and background with these technologies makes him a natural choice to lead our sales organization there. I am delighted to welcome him to our team.”
Smith adds: “I have always had a deep passion for technology and science and what Lawo is doing with IP technol

USA - Hayley Kiyoko tour engineers Dusty Black (FOH/TM) and Nic Monaco (Monitors/PM) continue to expand their use of the Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing system as they set off on their latest summer tour season. Building upon the buzz of Kiyoko's recent hit album release, Expectations, upcoming performances include shows at dozens of arenas across the US and Canada supporting the Panic! At The Disco Pray For The Wicked tour.
Having worked together for over a year as a FOH/monitor engineer team, Dusty and Nic each selected a compact C1500 dLive Control Surface along with a shared 96kHz 160x64 FPGA Core DM48 MixRack as their console of choice. Utilising the multi-surface feature within the dLive, the same MixRack engine works across two surfaces.
Speaking to the sound of the dLive, Dusty says, "The desk is very transparent and easily transfers from

Germany - Berlin-based Complete Audio has been supporting local punk rock band Beatsteaks with production almost since they formed more than two decades ago.
Now the group can sell out the massive 24,000 capacity Waldbühne Berlin amphitheatre - and for their recent outdoor show there André Rauhut’s company rigged their flagship Martin Audio MLA.
Complete Audio had been the first company to invest globally in the new MLA platform when it was launched eight years ago - and it was the first choice both for this show and a second open-air show the band are due to play in August, this time at the slightly smaller Kindl Bühne Wulheide in Berlin.
The rental company are no strangers to the Waldbühne, having worked there many times in the past, and Rauhut has system pre-sets to meet the challenges of a sensitive site. “Due to it being situated close to a residenti

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