China - Amadeus has announced a 50-speaker install with '3D Sound' control. The sound system compliments 20 giant 'soft LED' screens and performances of 700 actors in China's first live event dramatizing the historical 1938 Xi'an Incident - which is credited with creating modern China. The State-run theatre is located in the exact location where the Xi'an Incident happened. Amadeus worked with its distributor, Guangzhou Sign King ET Co., Ltd., Swiss-based company Sonic Emotion, and British manufacturer of digital mixing consoles DiGiCo to design and install the sound setup within the massive new building. Wymen Wong, of Guangzhou Sign King ET Co., Ltd., states, "Amadeus delivered the best solutions, both in terms of products and services, matching the design constraints and goals that the Show Director' expectations. The audience also expects a lot from a
China - Multinational flight case hardware and 19-inch racking manufacturer Penn Elcom has opened a new 2000sq.m distribution centre close to Beijing, which will run in conjunction with its busy manufacturing operation in Guangdong. The company hopes holding a large amount of stock for immediate dispatch in a major commercial hub like Beijing will further boost the speed and delivery of products across mainland China and to Penn’s Asia-wide operation. “We needed to invest to fuel further growth,” explained Penn Elcom chairman and founder Roger Willems, “and to capitalise on those flightcase users in all sectors who are requesting that their case makers – our clients – utilise Penn hardware by default”. The new facility will be headed by Huang Xue Lin (Linda Hwang), a multi-skilled manager and customer relations specialist who has worked for Penn Elco
UK - The School of Rock & Media Ltd (SORM) is a social enterprise based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, that works with young people and people with learning & physical disabilities. The brainchild of John Bolton and Tony Saunders, amongst its many enterprises, it provides PA & stage services to the wider industry and are currently working at grass roots festival level providing services for Nice & Sleazy Festival, 0161 Festival, Seaside Specialised, as well as providing sound & stage for Leeds & Bradford council events, and have provided sound for bands such as The Beat, The Specials, Sham 69 and Peter and The Test Tube Babies. In 2018 they will be providing sound to one of the stages at Bingley Festival, and are in discussions with 80’s Ska legends Madness for next years Specialised festival. Commissioned through Leeds & B
UK - Atlona has strengthened its UK and Ireland sales team with the appointment of industry veteran Alex Moss as senior sales manager. Reporting to Atlona general manager Ronni Guggenheim, Alex will leverage his broad industry expertise to support sales initiatives across end users, partners and systems integrators as he works to expand the company’s regional presence. Alex’s trajectory has followed parallel sales and technology paths through much of his nearly 10 years in commercial AV industry. Since late 2013 until joining Atlona on 1 October, Alex held technical sales consultant and sales manager positions at various times with Cabletime, a leading manufacturer of IPTV, digital signage and media distribution products. “With the addition of AVoIP, control and wireless collaboration, Atlona’s product offering has evolved toward a full solutions-oriented appr
Europe - The new NEXT PXH95 is the Mid-High Speaker that belongs to the PX system, a system that can offer high SPL, reliability, an aesthetic design and high sound fidelity throughout the venue. This system is designed for portable applications as well as small concerts. Side-fill or DJ monitoring are also one of the many applications that the PX System covers. When used by itself, the new PXH95 can be used in a variety of installation projects, including sports facilities, performance spaces, auditoriums, or worship facilities. This new element was engineered to be a powerful medium/longthrow mid/high-frequency cabinet in a coaxial configuration. The frequency response range varies from 150 Hz to 19 kHz, with a precise coverage pattern of 90°H x 50°V over a frequency range from 400Hz–17kHz, ensuring equal sound within the coverage area. As the PXH95 cabinet is sq
Europe - CUK Audio’s retail sales channel manager, Steve Barton, has just completed – and won - a gruelling 2,500-mile rally across Europe to raise money for the motor industry charity, BEN. A total of 28 teams took part in the event organised by Bilstein Group UK which took them through 10 countries in seven days via some of Europe’s most beautiful – and challenging – driving routes. Barton and his team-mate, Nik Edwards drove a CUK Audio-branded 2005 MG ZT-T diesel estate (don’t be fooled, they were pretty fast, aggressive drives in their time!) to take part in the Banger Rally that left Marden in Kent on 15 September to cross the finish line seven days later at Bilstein’s new state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Markham Vale. Sponsored by CUK Audio, the vehicle sported logos from several manufacturers in CUK’s MI/retail portfolio, namely dB Technol
UK - The Warehouse Sound Services is to host a presentation and demonstration day of Adamson Systems loudspeakers. The event will be held at The Backstage Centre in Essex on Tuesday 3 October 2017 at 1pm. The Warehouse Sound Services is the UK distributor for Adamson. The company has invested heavily in Adamson equipment over the last year to help get these systems established in the rental and installation markets within the UK. The company will be showcasing its S-Series and new IS-Series of premium loudspeakers, with key personnel from Adamson and The Warehouse on-hand for the demonstration. Adamson’s S-Series of tour-grade loudspeakers, including the flagship S10, will be demonstrated. The two-way, true line source sub-compact line array cabinet has been deployed in the U.K. for recent shows by the likes of Bryan Adams and Shawn Mendes, plus major events like the
UK - East Anglia-based CEG has recently launched its new website (www.ceghirepro.uk) which includes a hire catalogue allowing customer to get a real-time view of inventory information and availability. Working closely with rental management software experts, Current-RMS, CEG has created its website using the API (Application Programming Interface) provided by Current to help build these industry-first features, which give CEG’s customers access and control as never seen before. CEG’s director Ben Bowles explained: “When we started this project back in 2016, we worked closely with Chris Branson and his team at Current RMS to see how we could build our new website using the functionality built within Current. From the start of the project we were keen to incorporate some ground-breaking features into the hire catalogue and rental account sections of the website -
Denmark - A renowned live music venue in Denmark has received a major upgrade to its loudspeaker systems by d&b. A popular stop-off for countless international touring acts, VEGA in Copenhagen incorporates three performance spaces: Store VEGA, with a capacity of 1,550; Lille VEGA, with space for 500; and Ideal Bar Live, with a capacity of 250. Led by head of production Anders Mortensen in late 2016, the overhaul of the loudspeaker systems in Store VEGA and Lille VEGA intended to furnish both rooms with more responsive systems, capable of accommodating speech and a wide variety of live music genres. Three leading PA systems were considered, but the decision was made to continue VEGA's long-running association with the d&b audiotechnik brand that had seen the venue make extensive use of its Q-Series system. “We have been using d&b successfully
Italy - The famed Salone dei 500 of Palazzo Vecchio has long held great importance for the city of Florence. Measuring 54m long, 23m wide, and 18m high, it is the largest and most important room in terms of artistic and historic value in the old place and the largest room in Italy made for a civil power palace. Originally built during the Renaissance to host meetings for representatives of the democratic government of the Florentine Republic, or the Great Council of 500, the Salone dei 500 has changed overtime to accommodate every owner of the palace, transforming from a hall commemorating important battles with artworks to be commissioned by the two greatest Florentine artists of the time, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to the boardroom of the Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, where he received ambassadors and gave audience to the people. Richly decorated and wildly p
UK - Switzerland-based Schertler Group has appointed Systems Workshop as UK distributor for its Arthur modular mixer. The Oswestry-based company will act as a showroom and distribution centre for the mixer, which has attracted a steadily growing list of international users during the 12 months since its release. Arthur offers musicians and engineers a customizable mixing solution for live and studio applications. The mixer’s input and output modules can be assembled in virtually any combination or order, from a basic compact setup with a vocal or instrument preamp and L/R Master, to a DJ / keyboard mixer with stereo inputs for keys and playback devices, right through to a large multi-channel studio configuration with multiple mic and instrument inputs and aux sends. The mixer can be directly connected to a PA system and can be expanded over time as required, or as new modu
UK - Prolight Concepts Group has taken on exclusive UK distribution of Kuzar Systems, a Spanish company located in Valencia, dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of lifters and lifting accessories for the lighting and sound industry. Designed for the professional user in the event and rental industry, Kuzar lifters are manufactured in Europe to both BGV C1 and CE (2006/42/CE) standards, and are also backed by a two-year warranty. The lifters feature ‘KAT’ locks that offer two positions, one for raising the lifter and the second for locking the lifter while static at height for increased safety. Each lifter features high quality, AL-KO winches loaded with steel cable and are available in either telescopic vertical lift for truss and lighting fixtures or front-loading for lifting truss and compact line array systems. When not in use the lifters pack
UK - Sheffield based Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) embarked on their first arena tour of the UK in the latter part of 2016. The tour came in the wake of a year of successes for the band, during which they released a fifth LP That’s The Spirit and played just before Metallica on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Kicking off at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, the tour represented the band’s largest gig to date. It saw other live shows played in Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena, London’s O2, Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, and Manchester Arena, before wrapping up at Glasgow SSE Hydro. d&b has long been a fixture at BMTH gigs, with the technology a favourite of front of house engineer Oliver Hutchinson – particularly the subs and the overall high quality of sound delivered. “I am a huge fan of d&b and would happily never use anot
UK - Free to attend, the d&b Software and system fundamentals workshop covers all you need to know about the d&b workflow and system basics. Realising the best sound possible is unimaginable without the d&b software toolkit, a key component in the planning, optimization and control of any d&b system. With a focus on the d&b software programmes, ArrayCalc for simulation, and R1 for remote control, the workshop is completely dedicated to the workflow methodology. Beginning with ArrayCalc, the session will guide you through the steps for simulating line array or point source systems, opening your project data in the intuitive R1user interface, and finally sending all relevant settings to the d&b amplifiers - with just a few clicks of the mouse. The dates are: Tuesday 10 October – Dublin, Thursday 12 October – Belfast and Wednesday 25 October
USA - Located in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida, Daily’s Place is an outdoor amphitheatre connected to the south end of EverBank Field football stadium, and shares space with a "flex field" indoor practice facility for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As a multipurpose venue, the ability to ensure quality sound throughout the space was a crucial consideration for facility management. To address this challenge, loudspeakers from the Artec-300 series and HQ series product groups of Valencia, Spain-based D.A.S. Audio were placed into service. Florida Sound Engineering Co, also of Jacksonville, FL, provides AV design, installation, and service of commercial audio and video systems for churches, theatres, ballrooms, stadiums, and other facilities. The company was contracted to install the new sound reinforcement system at Daily’s Place. Neil Cooper, senior project manager, handles s
UK - Adlib supplied sound, lighting and rigging to two main arenas at Creamfields 2017 - CF03 (Armada / Mega) and CF05 ‘The Curve” - plus CF10, the all-important VIP and hospitality area. The four-day festival was staged at its regular site on the Daresbury Estate near Warrington. Adlib was working directly for creative production specialist LarMac LIVE. On site, the Adlib crews were led by Hassane Es Siahi (Hass) who also designed the audio in CF03 and Adlib’s Kevin Byatt who was project manager over all of the disciplines. CF03 (this year co-hosted by Armada and Mega) is a large tent built on a slope presenting immediate topographical challenges in getting even sound coverage. Added to this, the tent skins were swagged - hammock style - over the king poles, creating further reflections, so dealing with the sonic detractions involved conscientious detailin
UK - The 40th anniversary of the PLASA Show saw its refocussed direction paying dividends, with an increase in visitor numbers, a sold-out show floor and a 25% increase in the number of audio companies exhibiting. Exhibitors reported continually busy stands and a high quality of visitor across all three days, with a particular increase in the number of international attendees, whilst visitors were pleased with the number of brand new products on show and the content rich seminar programme. “The quality of the people was bang on,” says Mick Hannaford from the show’s platinum sponsor, Robe. “The amazing thing from our point of view was the amount of lighting designers attending, especially on the Sunday, and not just from the UK, but mainland Europe, too. It was a really impressive. Undoubtedly, the move back to West London is making that happen. Every time I looked, t
USA - Fashion designer John Varvatos is synonymous with the rock ‘n roll look, and his nearly 30 stores around the world – from San Francisco to Mexico City to London to Moscow to Bangkok and beyond – attest to the global excitement for his uniquely put-together, yet authentically rebellious look. When the Varvatos company added its fifth New York City location in the Westfield World Trade Centre mall, they hired Essential Communications (East Hanover, New Jersey) to design and install a killer music playback system worthy of the Varvatos name. Essential Communications relied on Ashly Audio’s four-channel nXp8004 DSP-equipped network multi-mode amplifier, paired with Ashly’s WR1.5 remote volume control & source/preset selector and Ashly’s custom iPad/iPhone remote control app. “We specialise in retail, restaurant, and hotels where the client cares a l
USA - Every summer, some of country music’s hottest acts head into Eastern New York’s Catskill Mountains to perform at the Taste of Country Music Festival, and every summer, the team at Atomic Professional Audio ensures the main stage sound is as pristine as its surroundings with an E-Series loudspeaker system from Adamson Systems Engineering. “Atomic has been a proud Adamson house since the days of the Y-Axis series,” comments George Perone, Atomic’s head of audio. “Since the beginning, we’ve been impressed by every Adamson model we’ve heard, and we were an early E-Series partner based on that history of superior sounding loudspeakers. But on top of the sonic performance, we’ve also seen a substantial return on investment with Adamson every time we’ve bolstered our inventory.” On the main RAM Trucks Stage, which featured performances by Ja
UK - Martin Audio has announced a significant upgrade to its optimisation, control and monitoring software platforms. Display 2.3 integrates the recently announced Wavefront Precision series featuring scalable optimisation, while Vu-Net 2.1 integrates control and monitoring for the new iKON amplifiers, Wavefront Precision Series and XE stage monitors. For the first time, Display will be available to anyone that registers for the software. Dom Harter, managing director, explains: “MLA users for years have told us that it does things that no other competitor product can do and that we should make this easier for the industry to recognise. Part of this understanding is making Display 2.3 more readily available for the industry to familiarise itself with and to demystify the process. The launch of Wavefront Precision - which has seen unprecedented demand - also precipitated th
Europe - The EVID-S series is the latest member of the EVID (EV Innovative Design) family of commercial loudspeakers for installed applications. Every aspect of the EVID-S series has been designed from the ground up to ensure efficient installation for the contractor and excellent results for the end-user, says the company. The series includes 4-inch, 5.25-inch and 8-inch 2-way models with matching dual-10-inch and single 12-inch subwoofers, making it easy to select a suitable model a specific space – a new go-to solution for distributed sound systems. All EVID-S models offer Electro-Voice-engineered components for superior sound quality, low-profile looks and robust reliability for a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. These include retail environments, hospitality settings such as bars, lounges, patios, pool areas and restaurants; conference and meeting rooms
UK - This month’s London Design Festival 2017 sees the global launch of Tord Boontje’s new collection of chandelier and crystal lighting components, designed exclusively for Swarovski Crystal Palace in his 15th year of collaboration with Swarovski. The installation includes a highly innovative soundscape which was created in collaboration with sound artist Manabu Shimada and is presented via a surround sound system provided by Yamaha. Yamaha audio equipment is bringing the unique interactive sound design to life. Visitors and people around the globe can tweet to alter the composition of the music by using one of the following hashtags on Twitter to change the soundscape: #crystal #light #reflection #water #swarovskicrystalpalace #tordboontje The installation is accompanied by a quadrophonic, surround soundscape, delivered by four Yamaha VXS3F loudspeakers and a VX
UK - Canadian pop megastar Justin Bieber’s Purpose world tour made just two stops in the UK during 2017, one of which was a sold-out show at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in June which drew ‘Beliebers’ from throughout the UK and Europe. London-based Capital Sound Hire were the audio contractors for the event and supplied a bespoke system design using Outline’s flagship GTO family of products designed by Vincent ‘Vinnie’ Perreux, who already had the Cardiff stadium stored in his OpenArray acoustic measurement files. Capital had of course worked frequently at the stadium before with major pop acts including Take That, and a last-minute decision to close the roof did not necessitate major changes to the basic system design. The main and side hangs comprised 15 of the 2x15-inch GTO elements with one GTO-DF down-fill at the bottom of each hang, in add
Poland - Clarity and transparency were the key reasons why sound engineer Tomasz Klimkiewicz chose DPA microphones when he was recently tasked with amplifying a series of concerts featuring traditional Polish Lenten cantos. “I didn’t want the true sound of the instruments to change in any way,” Klimkiewicz says. “For example, the drums had been tuned by the drummer and I wanted the microphones to capture that exact sound. I chose DPA because I knew that their microphones were capable of delivering the clarity I was looking for.” Entitled For Every Soul, the concerts featured unconventional arrangements of Lenten cantos that, while not as well-known as Christmas carols, are equally rich in beautiful and poignant melodies. With a project of such emotional intensity, Klimkiewicz was keen to keep the aesthetics as clean as possible by not allowing t
