Poland - One of Poland’s leading bands, Golec Orchestra, recently staged six concerts in the biggest halls across the country, travelling with two dLive S Class mixing system from Allen & Heath. Rented from Konsbud Audio, the systems comprised two DM64 MixRacks with a S3000 at FOH for engineer, Damian Kubacki, and a S5000 for monitors, with engineer, Michal Mika. ”dLive is a great board. The huge capabilities of the system, and the number of available inputs and outputs allows you to manage really big artist events,” explains Michal Mika. “The ability to use a large number of built-in FX and dynamic processors eliminates extra outboard gear for wedge and in-ear monitoring, and the control surface is designed with great thought, and I am convinced that after 2 or 3 concerts, every engineer can use dLive without any problems. “Finally, the number of e
UK - Peavey Commercial Audio has signed a new UK distribution deal with Barnes & Mullins after ending a three-year partnership with the Midwich Group. Barnes & Mullins are distribution partners for Peavey’s musical instrument portfolio and this new deal will see the full Peavey Commercial Audio range join their offering, including Crest Audio, MediaMatrix and the full line of Peavey Professional products. The deal represents an exciting time for Peavey’s UK operations, with dedicated resource to a new pro audio division at Barnes & Mullins. James Kennedy, Operations Manager for Peavey Commercial Audio EMEA said: “Established in 1895, Barnes & Mullins have experience in sales and distribution that few can match. With our musical instruments, we have worked with them for over two years and their expansion into pro audio is a natural fit for us both.
UK - As the doors close on another year of PLASA Focus Leeds, enthusiasm from the industry proves that the show’s Focus formula remains a perfect fit. Providing the ideal platform for many UK debuts of new products, the show’s many networking opportunities and leading seminar programme combining expert-led sessions and hands-on training, make for a truly unmissable show. Spread over two halls of the Royal Armouries, the showfloor was packed with hundreds of brands showcasing the latest audio, lighting, AV, broadcast, rigging and stage technology – including UK debuts from many of the industry’s major players. New releases in audio included, Shure’s UK launch of the Axient Digital Wireless System; Martin Audio showed their Wavefront Precision Series - a new generation of multi-purpose line array; Bose introduced the ShowMatch DeltaQ Array loudspeaker fo
UK - Following the successful installation of an Avid S6 desk for Giles Martin, AKA Design technical furniture was chosen for Abbey Road Studios' three new studio spaces – the biggest transformation since the studios opened in 1931 – plus a refurb of Studio 52. The Gatehouse is a tracking studio, featuring new AKA left and right worktops in walnut for the room’s 16-fader AMS Neve BCM10 console. The worktops feature desktop angled rack bays plus under-desk curved rack bays in a grey lacquer finish. The Front Room is designed for smaller recordings and music production, and now has stylish left and right worktops in oak with rack bays in grey lacquer either side of its 24-fader SSL Duality console. Studio 52 is a flexible mix room that was given a refurb as part of the programme, and now contains an ergonomic rise-and-fall oak desk, for sitting or standing
USA - Grammy Award-winning contemporary christian music artist Chris Tomlin - whose recently released eleventh studio album, Never Lose Sight, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart - is currently leading a powerful multi-artist national tour known as Worship Night In America this spring. Kicking off on 4 April at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, the tour brings together a diverse array of music styles for nearly two dozen concerts staged across the US through mid-May. Artists Big Daddy Weave, Phil Wickham and Zach Williams join Tomlin performing everything from high-energy worship songs to intimate acoustic ballads, and as he has for several years now, Tomlin is relying on an L-Acoustics K1/Kara combination to get every note and lyric across clearly. The PA system, provided by Indianapolis-based Mid-America Sound, consists of 28 K1 and 12
Finland - AVITA Audiovisual Expo, the largest trade fair of the audiovisual industry in the Nordic countries, will bring together players in the industry at Messukeskus in Helsinki on 26–27 September. The fair will showcase new products and services of both domestic and international players in the sector, and the interesting briefings and training sessions it offers will also provide a good foundation for sharing professional information. The two-day event has been revamped and will showcase a wide selection of new products and services in the audio visual industry. Both domestic and international importers, manufacturers and service providers in the audiovisual sector will showcase their new products and services for visitors – both for those who use audio visual devices as tools or to support their operations and for those who are planning to buy audio visual products
Sweden - To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Swedish band, Weeping Willows, recently staged three concerts in the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, with Allen & Heath’s dLive S Class mixing system managing FOH, monitors and recording. It has been 20 years since the band released its debut album, Broken Promise Land, and to mark the anniversary, the band were joined by Gävle Symphony Orchestra and conductor, Christoffer Nobin. “We wanted to do something grand, and playing together with a symphony orchestra is something we love to do. Coming from Stockholm, we feel that the Globe Arena is the most magnificent place to perform,” said Weeping Willows singer, Magnus Carlson. Two dLive systems were used at FOH, a S5000 Surface with DM64 MixRack for the orchestra and a S3000 with DM48 for the band, both fitted with GigaACE network cards. The monitor sy
USA - Built in the 1980’s, Christ the Redeemer Parish Church is a thriving part of the community in Atco, New Jersey. From more humble beginnings, when Deacon Charles “Chick” McAleer was part of the team that helped wire the original Church, the initial sound system used just six pendant style loudspeakers distributed down the sides of the congregation seating. Localisation, intelligibility and overall sound quality were lacking for today’s worship services, which can be attended by over 800 people. Music now also plays a much greater part in many services. The Church found JD Sound & Video through an internet search and, after seeing the work they had done for other local churches and Catholic high schools, invited them for a consultation. JD Sound & Video designed a system using Community’s E Eries Entasys loudspeakers, having previously used them with gr
Switzerland - PMC Speakers has added a new date to its Hear More seminar tour, which gives musicians and producers the opportunity to explore the intricacies of its high-end professional monitoring systems. On 6 June 2017 Powerplay Studios In Zurich - home to an SSL 4000 and Walt Disney’s original Neve 8016 mixing desks - will host this popular event, which PMC is holding in conjunction with MGM, Switzerland’s premier pro audio outlet and pro audio manufacturers SPL and Waves. PMC will be bringing its flagship MB3 XBD-A main monitor system featuring the latest, Class-D amplification and Advanced Transmission Line design. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear great music and audio throughout the day played through “some of finest professional loudspeakers available”. German visionary manufacturer SPL will demonstrate its IRON Mastering Compressor and
UK - A KLANG:technologies 3D IEM demonstration and Audinate training event is to be held at Metropolis Studios, London N4, in conjunction with HD Pro Audio. Jointly hosted by KLANG:technologies and Audinate, the training event combines an in-depth overview of KLANG:technologies’ 3D audio binaural IEM processors and Dante based headphone amplifiers, with full Audinate Dante training leading to Level 2 Dante Certification. Taking place on Friday 12 May 2017 at Metropolis Studios, Studio B, the event will start with comprehensive Audinate Dante training and conclude with an overview and practical demonstration of KLANG:technologies software and hardware, with hands-on experience for all attendees. The event is free and anyone interested in attending should contact HD Pro Audio as soon as possible at info@hdproaudio.co.uk. Direct booking may be made online at https
UK - The Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers (ISCE) has confirmed dates for ISCEx 2018, its seminar and exhibition event. Taking place on 6-7 March 2018 at the Coombe Abbey Hotel and Country Park in Warwickshire, ISCEx 2018 includes a pre-event networking dinner, seminar programme and exhibition event, open to members and non-members. Ros Wigmore, manager for ISCE comments: “ISCEx proved to be a very successful and enjoyable event earlier this year, starting with a pre-event reception and dinner, followed by an excellent programme of seminars attracting the largest audiences we have experienced and culminating in a packed exhibition room throughout the day. “We aim to build on the success of this year’s seminar programme which included three excellent and engaging presentations, including a seminar by Dr Gillian Rollason from Action On Hearing Loss,
France - Ace Event, a major event staging company based in South West France, was recently called on by lingerie brand Allande to technically manage their annual fashion show in Biarritz. Every year, the French lingerie brand organises its official fashion show and Ace Event has been responsible for the technical aspect of the show for eight years. The lucky few attending the show were not only dazzled by the new collection, but also by the production delivered by Ace Event around the 60m long catwalk, with a full light, sound and video show. Over 100 lighting fixtures were installed to highlight the venue and the new 2017 collection. Guess were treated to live and recorded content projected on six screens, while complex video mapping animated the back of the stage. It took three days for the Ace Event technical team to transform the Espace Bellevue into a beautiful fa
USA - Praise Cathedral in Greer, South Carolina, is a Pentecostal church with a blend of traditional and contemporary worship styles. The recent replacement of the cathedral’s audio system has seen a newly-installed Alcons LR7 Micro line-array system earn high praise from the cathedral staff. Built 19 years ago, the cathedral has a 2600-strong congregation, which is led each Sunday by a 150-piece choir and orchestra in music ranging from hymns to modern worship choruses. With many elements of its original audio system still in use, in 2016 it was realized that a major upgrade was needed to fulfil the expectations of present-day services. "After consulting with the Senior Pastor, a committee was set up to oversee the upgrade," says Daniel Scarbrough, Praise Cathedral media pastor for the past six years. "We brought in a specialist consultant, who suggested a range of
UK - Stage Electrics has supplied the University of Huddersfield with a raft of live sound equipment to allow students on its BA (Hons) Music Technology, BA (Hons) Music Technology and Popular Music and BMus (Hons) Creative Music Technology courses to get hands on experience with the latest digital products. “Working with digital consoles for live sound is something we have wanted to develop into our courses for quite some time,” says the university’s Stewart Worthy, who teaches the courses along with fellow lecturer Alex Harker. “The other part of the university already runs music technology courses with industry standard analogue consoles such as Allen & Heath and Avid, but we wanted to do something different in our area, offering two different consoles with different operating principles to give our students a more diverse experience. We’re delighted that we
USA Power amplifier manufacturer Powersoft [InfoComm Booth 5871] will not only once again demonstrate their suite of power amplification products on the show floor at this year’s InfoComm show, but the company has announced that it will provide attendees with an opportunity to earn certification renewal credits while learning how to easily design and specify fixed install systems using DSP integrated Class D power amplifiers. This is made possible via by an on-site training session hosted by Powersoft’s Marc Kocks that will also grant 1.5 Renewal Units (RUs) and a Certificate of Completion. Powersoft has been named an official InfoComm International Renewal Unit (RU) Provider. This will allow the more than 10,000 professionals holding InfoComm International’s Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credential to earn renewal units towards their certification by completin
Indonesia - Community Professional Loudspeakers has announced the appointment of Jakarta based PT. Goshen Swara Indonesia as its distributor for Indonesia. Goshen is a leading distributor of AV products with an established portfolio of brands, including Apart, Shure, Biamp, Rane, DIS, SGM, AVIOM and K2VAudio. Cunario Suriya, Goshen’s managing director, stated: “Community is a well-known brand with a comprehensive product range and outstanding technical support. Together with our value added distribution and committed network of installers and integrators, we are confident this provides our market with the right combination for a successful business.” Suriya continued, “Community loudspeakers offer tangible benefits compared to other brands, particularly in challenging environments, and we are very excited to have the opportunity to develop and expand sal
Japan - Kawasaki-based production company Sunphonix recently acquired an E-Series system from Adamson Systems Engineering, making them the first E-Series partner in the Japanese market. The package is comprised of E15 three-way, true line source enclosures and complementing E219 subwoofers, offering Sunphonix a significant competitive advantage to attract high-level domestic and international tours and large-scale music festivals in their home market. “We were extremely impressed by the performance of the E-Series – such a nice, clear sound with a lot of punch,” offers Sunphonix system designer Akihiko Higashi, noting that Adamson’s Applied Certification training was a welcome value-add that will ensure Sunphonix can offer the highest level of performance for future clients. “The programme was very user-friendly and the presenters were very cooperative. We ap
USA - EAW has added Marilyn Fernandes to the engineering project management team. The announcement was made by Geoff McKinnon, engineering manager for EAW. Fernandes, who has a BS in Chemical Engineering from [the] University of Massachusetts, Amherst, brings more than 15 years of experience in both manufacturing and engineering environments where she established a strong track record in managing complex projects to success. In her new role, Fernandes will be responsible for the successful execution of products including planning, budgeting, oversight and documentation. “Marilyn is highly knowledgeable in all aspects of manufacturing engineering,” explains McKinnon. “Our team will benefit from her expertise and analytical skills. We are delighted to have her join EAW.” Prior to joining EAW, Fernandes was project manager for Dorel Juvenile.
UK - With an expanding portfolio of performing projects across its three offices in London, Hong Kong and Sydney, Theatreplan has added Matt Kingslake to its growing team of consultants. Matt graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester in 1989 and went on to work for Holiday on Ice, touring the world for eight years within their electrical department rising to the role of chief electrician. After returning to the UK he was technical manager at Grimsby Auditorium before becoming the first technical manager for the Grove Theatre, Dunstable. Matt comments: “I worked closely with Theatreplan during the construction and commissioning of the Grove Theatre and am delighted to be part of a team I’ve long admired.” Theatreplan director, Mathew Smethurst-Evans, says: “With a 25-year career working in a variety of technical theatre role
Germany/Italy - Proel launched a record number of new loudspeaker systems at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt this year across multiple sectors of the markets for installed sound and portable sound products. Representing a new direction for its Axiom professional loudspeaker brand, the AX12C vertical column array is aimed primarily at corporate audio-visual applications requiring response and output beyond traditional speech-only column speaker systems, as well as a wide range of fixed installations from clubs to commercial facilities. Consisting of 12 3.5-inch drive units housed in a structurally rigid aluminium enclosure, the ACX12C delivers wide 100° horizontal dispersion, and natural cardioid behaviour thanks to its transmission line back-loading. It will frequently be used with the matching SW2100A powered 21-inch subwoofer which provides mechanical coupling as well a
India - Mumbai-based PA company, Roshni Audiomatics, recently invested in an Allen & Heath dLive S Class mixing system, comprising a S7000 Surface and DM64 Rack, in preparation for the live broadcast of popular singing show, Rising Star, on the Colors TV Channel. Established for over 20 years, Roshni Audiomatics’ client base encompasses all of the major channels and production houses in the region. The dLive system was purchased from Delhi-based distributor, Sun Infonet, after the TV Channel’s sound engineer, Mahesh Amberkar, had tried and tested it. “I am really happy with dLive as it fulfils all of the requirements needed for any live telecast show. The Surface is user friendly, and I am very impressed with the extremely low latency and the EQ, which is superb,” says Mahesh Amberkar. The Rising Star show generates 108 inputs and 60 out
Czech Republic - K-array has appointed SOONN s.r.o. as its exclusive distributor for the Czech Republic. Founded in 2011, SOONN’s main focuses are distribution, consulting, project design and installations in the field of professional audio equipment and system integration, contributing to applications in theatres, social halls, music clubs, hotels, multifunctional spaces, recording and postproduction studios and sport stadiums. SOONN is also active in the broadcast market, where it cooperates with the important partners in the Czech Republic, and the rental market, where they collaborate with small and medium size rental companies. K-array co-founder and President Alessandro Tatini comments: "We are fortunate to have partnered with a company so immersed in the pro audio market in the Czech Republic as SOONN. I am excited to have them as a part of our te
Chile - Based in Viña del Mar, near Santiago, Audio-pro has been supplying audio systems for corporate, social and artistic events since 1990. In the mid and late nineties, they moved into the live music events, positioning themselves as one of the most serious and prestigious companies for sound reinforcement in Chile’s concert touring market. Last year, having thoroughly researched the market, they decided to shift up another gear and service large-scale concerts. “For this we had to buy the best loudspeaker system in the world,” says the company’s owner Jorge Diez. “L-Acoustics K1 was the clear choice, for its rider friendliness, quality sound and longevity. We knew it would be a good investment.” Ordered in December, Audio-pro’s L-Acoustics touring system, the first of its kind in Chile, comprises 48 K1, 24 K1-SB subs, 36 K2, 24 KS28 subs, along with
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds opens its doors next week, 9-10 May at Royal Armouries, hosting a wealth of product launches and the latest UK debuts. A range of innovative technology will be showcased including Cadac’s CDC seven - the newest addition to its CDC series digital console line; Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Series - a new generation of multi-purpose line arrays, Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless System; Robe’s LEDBeam 150; d&b audiotechnik’s 24S and 24S-D and 21S-SUB point source installation loudspeakers, not to mention Philips Vari-Lite’s new VL6000 Beam mid-air effects fixture; Nexo’s extraordinary GEO M10 mid-size line array; RCF’s HDL 6-A new mini line array and Chauvet’s Maverick MK3 Wash.
Cliff Dounting, UK General manager, CHAUVET Professional says: "We are especially excited to showcase the new Maverick MK3 Wash at PLASA Focus Leeds