Germany - Back in the summer of 2013, system integrators, fulfil engineering, replaced the main PA along the four stands at Signal Iduna Park, home to Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund. At the time, they left the existing EAW sound system providing coverage in the four corners for future upgrade. This has now been implemented, and at the same time, the previous two-channel amplifiers have been retired in favour of Powersoft’s 8-channel process-controlled solution. A large quantity of Powersoft’s streamlined, energy-efficient Ottocanali installation amplifiers have been specified in combination with the advanced X8 Series, which were supplied by the Italian manufacturer’s German distributor, Laauser & Vohl. “Whenever I visited fulfil, Powersoft amplifiers had always been an important topic of conversation,” stated L&V sales director, Friedemann Wüstn
UK - LAMDA (London Academy of music & Dramatic Art) recently opened its brand new £28.2m facility, which replaces the western part of its campus and more than doubles its overall size. Founded in 1861 as the London Academy of Music, LAMDA is the oldest drama school in the UK and was the first such institution to offer acting tuition. Today, LAMDA offers seven validated degree courses in acting, directing, production and technical arts. Charcoalblue LLP worked alongside Niall McLaughlin Architects to provide the Performance Specification for the consolidation of LAMDA’s disparate and remote teaching spaces onto the new single-site campus in Hammersmith. Development consisted of the 200-seat Sainsbury Theatre, the 120-seat Carne Studio Theatre, The Manny & Brigitta Davidson Foyer, The Sackler Library, a screen and audio suite, ten training/rehearsal studios and ful
Hungary - JoeCo has announced the appointment of Bluesound as its new exclusive distributor in Hungary. The agreement, effective immediately, will see JoeCo products including the Blackbox range of multi-track recorders and Bluebox audio interface recorders reach new customers described by Bluesound co-founder Thomas Csernus as “professionals who don’t know what they've missed out on until now”. Launched in 2004 by Thomas and Annamaria Csernus, Bluesound is now considered among Hungary’s leading suppliers of high-end, professional audio equipment. The company’s philosophy is to carefully plot and follow a particular product’s ideal route to market, ensuring that each brand benefits from its own unique strategy. The idea has helped Bluesound to build an enviable catalogue of complementary brands from Midas consoles, Furman and Lectrosonics through to Biamp Systems
UK - Warpaint is a Los Angeles based “dream pop” band currently on tour in support of their third album, Heads Up. The tour, which has played high-profile venues from Australia’s Sydney Opera House to England’s Glastonbury Festival, carries two Allen & Heath dLive S5000 Surfaces with DM64 MixRacks for FOH and monitors, supplied by Wigwam Acoustics in Europe and Rat Sound in the USA. FOH engineer Hanford Pittman first encountered the dLive at the Music Tastes Good festival in Long Beach. “Right away, I fell in love with it,” he says. “I set things up with the dLive Director and I was pretty much self-sufficient right away. Then, as soon as I heard that first kick, I knew it sounded amazing.” Maxine Gilmore, Warpaint’s monitor engineer tried the dLive at the same festival and Pittman says, “Once she realized that she could set it up exactly
UK - Now in its third year on the wide-open spaces of Brighton City Airport, the Wild Life Festival, jointly founded by Disclosure and Rudimental, once again brought the best out of Martin Audio’s MLA PA and the Capital Sound crew charged with optimising it. As with the inaugural event in 2015, gusting 30mph winds on build-up day threatened to play havoc with the sound control but this had largely abated by the time the two-day event got underway (this time moving to a Friday-Saturday slot to avoid interfering with Sunday services at the nearby church). Said Capital crew chief Robin Conway, “I personally believe the MLA system handles the crosswinds much better than other PA’s.” He also praised the latest DISPLAY software, describing it as “brilliant”. In fact, it has extended the low frequency control beneath the previous 300Hz - and this is essential for
Ukraine - !FEST is a chain of creative restaurants, bars and clubs in the Ukraine. Its latest project is !FESTREPUBLIC.CLUB, a new nightclub in the city of Lviv. The club’s owners and management wanted a system of the same quality and impact as the iconic Bowery Presents’ Terminal 5 and Webster Hall in New York City and looked to L-Acoustics to ensure they could offer such an all-round, world class experience. Converted from a former glass processing plant, the 1500 capacity nightclub has been designed as a loft-style venue, with an industrial feel and a stage for live acts at one end. The club’s owners want to ensure that the desires of visiting artists are always met, but their main concern is to satisfy their guests. “I want everyone who has ears not just to hear, but also to feel,” says Andriy Khudo, co-founder of !FEST along with Yurko Nazaruk and Dmytro
USA - Hard on the heels of the announcement of the appointment of Contact Distribution as EM Acoustics’ exclusive Canadian distributor, the British loudspeaker manufacturer continues to strengthen its presence in North America with their first rep firm appointment, Cardone, Solomon & Associates based in New York. Jim Shearing of EM Acoustics North America comments: “A year down the line since the launch of EM Acoustics North America, we are now in a position to appoint a well-known rep firm, and we have been very methodical in looking at all the options available to us,” he explained. “I have known of Cardone, Solomon & Associates for many years; they are a well-established and highly respected name with a successful track record in professional audio throughout the north-east and mid-Atlantic regions.” Mike Solomon, founder of C&SA, added: “Jo
Denmark - DPA Microphones is continuing to celebrate 25 years in the business with the addition of two more limited-edition, commemorative microphone kits. “We are excited to unveil the final two 25th anniversary microphone kits to celebrate this momentous event,” says Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, CEO. “These kits actually showcase DPA’s entire lifetime. “One kit contains the first omnidirectional microphone in our portfolio, the d:dicate 4006A, as well as our latest innovation, the brand new d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface. The second kit includes our first cardioid microphone, the d:dicate 4011A as well as the d:vice. Both of these kits are made for sound aficionados who value the sound quality and the versatility of DPA microphones.” The two kits are similar, differing only in the type of d:dicate microphones contained within – a matched studio pair
Sweden - For a state-owned venue, making a major investment in new equipment can involve a long consultation process. But at a theatre in the southern Swedish city of Borås, this proved well worth the wait, with an Alcons LR7 pro-ribbon system transforming the sound of its productions. Founded in 1964, Borås Stadsteater is a state-owned production house which moved to its current home in 1975. A typical 1970s-style provincial venue, the 500-capacity main auditorium features raked seating and a balcony. By 2016 the ageing PA system had become too small and outdated to meet the demands of modern audiences, so the management team worked with the local authority to find a solution. They contacted leading systems integrator Electrosound, who visited the venue and suggested the Alcons LR7 system. "We invited staff from the theatre to listen to the LR7 and then we did a dem
The Netherlands - With over 30 years in the industry, Gijs Schouten is one of the Netherlands most experienced professional sound engineers. Gijs started in audio at just 14 years old, initially wanting to become a DJ but soon getting involved at his brother-in-law’s home studio. In 1983 he started his career as a professional engineer, initially with Balance, a show orchestra that played many events and parties in and around the Netherlands. By the end of the 1990s, Gijs was employed full-time at Focus in Amsterdam, one of the Netherlands leading technical production companies, where he is now one of its most experienced sound engineers. He is currently in the middle of a very busy summer, working on shows ranging from a Christian convention with the band Casting Crowns at Rotterdam’s Ahoy arena to a number of festivals, including Douwpop, Ribs & Blues
UK - With 35 musicians on stage delivering arguably the greatest back catalogue of classic rock anthems in history, Led Zep Masters is a live show that places great demands on a front-of-house audio set-up. To address those demands production company Liz Hobbs Group relied on an Allen & Heath dLive S Class digital mixing system for its recent run of UK theatre shows, which featured Australia’s Zep Boys backed by some of the best orchestral players in the country. The Zep Boys are well versed in fronting the orchestral extravaganza of Led Zeppelin’s best-loved songs, with a history that reaches back to 1986. And having recently invested heavily in the dLive series, Liz Hobbs Group turned to Allen & Heath’s flagship dLive S7000 control surface and DM64 MixRack to serve up the band’s impressively bombastic performance in venues including the London Pallad
France - Mkplus, the full-service rental house based near Lyon, is one of the pioneering users of Nexo’s new Geo M10 mid-size line array. Frédéric Guinand’s company has debuted the high-output SR system on the four-day Changez d’air music festival, as well as several indoor events. A very high-profile test of the new system took place in the elegant grounds of the prestigious Ombrosa Lycée Multilingue de Lyon, in Caluire. Ombrosa is a private international school operating within the French national educational system. To mark its 45th anniversary, the school hosted a large outdoor event in its grounds. For the audience of 2,500 people, the highlight was a performance by 500 young students on stage. Mkplus presented a large mixed Nexo system for the fête, using ground-stacked Geo M10 as the main PA. Using a 10” LF driver and 1.4” HF driver, these two-way
UK - Imelda May’s latest album Life Love Flesh Blood has seen a marked change of direction, with the Irish singer replacing her earlier rockabilly romps with a more country/soul ballad approach. She also has a new FOH sound team, with Nick Ingram following a line of experienced sound engineers that have included Trevor Gilligan and Gerry Wilkes - both of whom have used Capital Sound as their equipment vendor. With a classical musician’s background, Ingram was an appropriate choice to reinforce sound in the series of concert hall and theatre venues around which the tour is based; and he is delighted he took up the recommendation from Capital’s Paul Timmins to use the Martin Audio MLA Compact PA to support one of their long term accounts. Although this was the first time Nick had taken the system out following three days’ production rehearsals at Mus
UK - Academy Music Group (AMG) has once again enlisted Liverpool based Adlib to design and deliver a completely new, full touring specification, audio system for its most recent venue acquisition, O2 Forum Kentish Town in North London. The 2,300-capacity venue is one of the most popular live music destinations in the capital. The brief was to future-proof the venue’s technical infrastructure, bring it up-to-date and give incoming productions the flexibility and facilities they need to stage world class performances with the convenience of using the house system. Adlib’s experience in live touring and venue installations coupled with detailed research of current rider information drove the specification of an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system, DiGiCo consoles and Adlib’s latest proprietary MP5 wedges and side-fills for the monitor system. Adlib’s MD Andy
USA - EAW has announced the expansion of its customer support organisation to provide end-users with a more efficient customer experience. The announcement was made by Adam Shulman, director of marketing and applications engineering at EAW. Support is now handled by two close-knit groups: Technical Support and Applications Engineering. Technical Support, consisting of a discrete group of highly-trained technicians, offers troubleshooting, connectivity and setup assistance as well as handling questions about specific product information. The dedicated Applications Engineering team provides product recommendations, design assistance, development of Resolution and EASE models as well as answers to advanced questions about products not typically covered in available product documents. “This shift in direction enables our Applications Engineering team to be more d
UK - Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a truly global university. Boasting a strong and internationally recognised research status, NTU offers one of the best employability records in the country, with 94% of students progressing to full-time employment or further education within six months of graduation. One of the UK's leading new universities, since 2004, NTU has invested more than £350m across its three campuses, developing world class teaching and learning facilities. A stated goal of the university is that its teaching estate and the technical support behind it, should be first class. NTU's investment in state-of-the-art AV systems reflects this commitment and Polar Integrated Solutions has co-operated with the university's AV Team Leader, Stuart Loughran, on a number of projects designed to meet the highest standards. A feature of modern educational practic
UK - HD Pro Audio is taking to the road in July for a series of L-Acoustics Syva demonstration and evaluation days, in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Showing the new L-Acoustics Syva Segment Source loudspeaker system, each of the days will run from 12 noon to 4:00pm and the programme will consist of a product and technology overview followed by listening and evaluation with a range of material. The products covered will be the Syva, Syva Low and Syva Sub. The dates are Tuesday 18 July at fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, London EC1M 6HJ, Wednesday 19 July at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP and Thursday 20 July at The Stoller Hall, Manchester M3 1DA. Refreshments will be provided. Numbers are limited so anyone interested in attending should book as soon as possible, either by contacting HD Pro Audio on 01784 433687, by email to info@hdpr
UK - Midas was the power behind Stonehenge last week as druids, pagans, tourists and locals saw sunup ahead of 16 hours 38 minutes of scorching daylight on 21 June. The summer solstice is one of just two occasions the public can get full access to the stone circle free of charge. Working for Sygma Safety in the second of a three-year contract, Midas supplied site power and sourced an ambient lighting wash for the monuments, together with tower lights for the car park and exits. The site is open to the paying public until 8pm on 20 June and from 4pm on the 21st, with English Heritage watching the clock. So it was crucial the Midas generators, run with 100 per cent HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), and the lighting and plant it provided, moved quickly and efficiently. Andy Dann, operations director at Midas, comments: “We learned a lot about the process i
Italy - Singer songwriter Davide Van De Sfroos has brought the picturesque stories spoken in the ‘laghèe’ dialect, which is spoken in the northern areas of Lecco and Como, to one of the most important stages in Italy - the San Siro in Milan. More than 20,000 people attended his concert, exactly the goal that the artist (real name Davide Bernasconi) had been hoping for - and hugely impressive considering he was using a language very difficult to understand for anyone not from that area of Northern Italy. The sound reinforcement was provided by Martin Audio partners, All Access, and they fielded their premium and award-winning MLA PA. The hangs comprised no fewer than 22 MLA and an MLD Downfill on each side of the stage, underpinned by 36 MLX subs. For side-fills they added a further 11 MLA on each flank, while front-fills were made up of four further MLD Downfills
The Netherlands - Ampco Flashlight Rental selected Allen & Heath’s dLive S Class system for an annual concert at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijf Arena for renowned pop group, Toppers. Formed by Dutch singers, René Froger, Gerard Joling, Jeroen van der Boom and Jan Smit, the band performed in the round on two consecutive nights, in a sing-along event that has been staged every year since they formed in 2005. This year, the band’s long-standing FOH engineer, John Kriek, selected a dLive system for the first time, comprising two S7000 and a S3000 Surface with three DM64 MixRacks and two DX32 Expander racks for FOH, fitted with several gigaACE and Waves3 network cards. The gigaACE cards were used to create digital audio splits between the three systems and the Waves3 modules were used for live recording, backing track/click playback and plugin processing. “dLiv
UK - Ed Sheeran has always enjoyed huge popularity, but with ÷ (Divide) having dominated the international album charts since its release and the accompanying ÷ tour selling out the instant dates were announced, it has never been higher. The tour began in Europe in Turin in March, travelling to Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain before heading to the arenas of the UK and Ireland. It has worked its way round South America, Central America and Mexico in May and June, then back to the UK before heading over to the US. Ed is once again using Sennheiser’s flagship Digital 9000 Series microphone system and 2000 series wireless monitors, supplied by production company Major Tom. Chris Marsh, Ed’s production manager, as well as front-of-house and monitor engineer, has been with the singer for six years and has an intim
Scandinavia - Owned by AS Tallink Grupp, the Baltic Princess cruise ferry sails between the Finnish city of Turku and the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Built at a cost of €165m in 2005, it can accommodate 2,800 passengers and was designed with luxury in mind. Audico, Finland’s largest AV company, undertook the task of supplying and installing an L-Acoustics PA for the refit of the ship’s audio system, a project that spanned two years and took in all four of the ships entertainment areas: a nightclub, pub, live entertainment venue and disco. “The first phase of the project was the ship’s main venue – The nightclub. The ship’s owners wanted to have the best possible audio system for its new, high-profile live music repertoire,” says Audico’s Pauli Molnár, who was working on the project in conjunction with consultant Tuomas Karppinen. “L-Acoustics was
World - With more than 100 rental houses worldwide now offering the STM Series modular line array, Nexo is creating a special Partner Network for customers of its flagship sound reinforcement products. Since 2014, the STM Series of high-performance configurable line array modules has achieved global acceptance. STM modules have been put into rental inventory in more than 50 countries, as well as being specified for installation in numerous theatres and auditoria, sports arenas and stadia. The arrival of the compact STM M28 main module has enabled many smaller rental companies to join the STM elite user group, and reap the benefits of the versatile modular design. Aimed at the touring and rental sector of its business, Nexo’s new Partner Network will bring STM owners and users closer together in a programme for global cooperation, with Nexo and with each other. One of
UK - As many PMSE businesses and equipment owners will already know, last year the Government and Ofcom confirmed the timetable for the clearance of the 700 MHz band to make way for mobile networks. Being evicted from the band presents two immediate concerns for those operating in the PMSE sector. First, they will lose varying degrees of their equipment’s tuning range, creating a need to replace redundant equipment. Secondly, as a result of this, there will be significant incremental costs imposed on owners. We know from the 800 MHz clearance, the financial reality of researching, purchasing, transporting, fitting, testing and utilising completely new equipment is a harsh one for businesses in the sector. Ofcom has released a consultation document laying out proposed parameters for a support scheme for affected equipment owners. Their proposals state that eligible e
