South Africa - Andrew Rodgers has joined South African based DWR Distribution. With his considerable experience in project management, technical skill and maintenance contracts, Andi will head the DWR Installation Department. Born and raised in Liverpool, Andi did various maintenance and repair contracts at recording studios such as the Ezee Studio and prior to that the Pink Studio in the UK before moving to South Africa in 1990 where he was offered a maintenance positioned at Sun City’s Superbowl. His colourful career has seen him working at Prosound in electronics design and maintenance, and he also did a stint or two as a freelancer in South East Asia where he worked on various projects including the project management for an audio recording studio for Taffix Solutions of Brunei. “Andi has been a wonderful friend for close to 20 years now, where we often
UK - Solan Fitness has opened its latest fitness centre following a £1.2m development in East Grinstead, Sussex. The 15,500sq.ft. strength training facility, situated in the town’s Atrium Building, has developed out of the martial arts concept at the company’s pilot venue in Orpington. All zones - including Cardio, Weights, Spin and Dance/Fitness - are serviced by Martin Audio CDD loudspeaker systems, specified and provided by Old Barn Audio. Entrepreneur Josh Ahmet had originally contacted the Martin Audio partners, for whom fitness clubs is one of their specialities, following an internet search. Director, Neil Kavanagh, was soon undertaking a site survey, noting that the facility also included a touchscreen accessible FitboxVirtual, a powerful technology platform to run virtual classes in the fitness centre out of hours. Mindful of the high degree of rev
UK - Shure UK has entered into a partnership with the Backstage Academy, the West Yorkshire training facility for students wishing to pursue a career in the touring and live entertainment industry. Under the terms of the deal, Shure will support the Academy with training events, sharing technical knowledge and experience, and providing the Academy's students with access to the hardware used daily by the UK live industry’s most successful practitioners. Founded in 2009, the Backstage Academy is based at the Production Park at South Kirkby, midway between Wakefield, Barnsley, Pontefract and Doncaster, and offers its students experience-based technical live industry training centred around access to the world-class live industry facilities and commercial stage and touring design companies at the same location. The Backstage Academy also has access to five smaller live r
UK - Leading provider of professional AV equipment, Audiologic has been appointed by AED Distribution as a QSC Pro Supplier for the UK. California-based QSC manufactures world-class professional tools, systems and solutions for live sound, including the exceptional K Series of loudspeakers, GXD processing amplifiers and TouchMix Pro professional digital mixers. QSC's recently launched TouchMix-30 Pro compact digital mixer has earned universally outstanding reviews, reflecting the esteem in which its excellent products are held. QSC Pro's presence in the Audiologic portfolio is a highly significant addition for both live and installed sound applications, the company says.
Andy Lewis, Marketing Manager at Audiologic recognises the value of QSC Pro: “QSC has been a leader in the manufacture of professional sound systems for decades and are recognised as such ac
USA / Russia - In response to growing sales in Northern Europe, Meyer Sound has appointed two new distributors in the region. Moscow-based Major Sound is the new distributor for Russia, while Sonus Exsertus, based in Vilnius, Lithuania, will represent Meyer Sound in its home country as well as the other Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia. Headed by industry professionals with more than 25 years of experience, Major Sound was recently formed exclusively to provide sales and technical support of Meyer Sound products in Russia. The company is launching a new education program, translating marketing materials into Russian, representing Meyer Sound at trade shows, creating online events, and backing all sales with certified service technicians and local parts inventory. "Meyer Sound has a unique story and we are proud to become part of their worldwide team," comment
Germany - Powersoft had many reasons to reflect on a comprehensively successful outing at this year’s Frankfurt Prolight+Sound earlier this month. On the booth, they provided a first showcase for their new MiniMod 4 and LiteMod 4HC the latest in their market-leading range of power modules, which have become the engines for so many active OEM loudspeaker systems over the years. These new releases attracted interest from both new and existing OEM partners, who expressed a strong desire to adopt the new modules in their upcoming developments. With the impending release of the latest version of Armonía Pro Audio Suite, the daily training sessions proved popular. These focused on the latest implementations, and in particular the new Powersoft Interactive Tuning, and the many attendees were all impressed with the Smaart plugin within the Armonìa software. Mea
UK - The all-wooden box drum or cajón may be the world’s most popular percussion instrument, yet it is also one of the hardest to amplify, because it produces sharp bursts of sound energy (transients) when played. Finding the right microphones to capture the subtle “woodsy” tone and transient-rich sound of his cajón was proving to be a challenge for percussionist David Mortara – until he discovered the DPA d:dicate range. Malambo has performed in many of London’s top music venues and festivals, including the Southbank Centre (Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall), the Bloomsbury and Ealing Festivals,and on the club and corporate entertainment circuit. Corporate gigs can take place in some very unusual and acoustically problematic spaces not designed for critical listening – such as the Victoria & Albert Museum Refreshment Rooms and Cannon Bridge Roo
UK - RAVENNA partnered with Merging Technologies to co-host an exclusive launch of the Merging/Digigram-developed Audio Network Manager software tool at the London premises of audio & video solutions resellers, Jigsaw24. RH Consulting’s Roland Hemming opened the proceedings with a brief introduction on AES67, its role in audio networking and the very close relationship between AES67 and RAVENNA before handing over to Merging’s Audio-over IP expert Nicolas Sturmel. Sturmel, who recently joined Merging from Digigram, has been leading the project of the Audio Network Manager (dubbed ANEMAN) which offers a completely new – and easy – way to patch AES67 audio and much, much more. The issue of AoIP network control and interoperability has always been complex and difficult to manage. A number of disparate solutions exist, but nothing that looks at the bigger pictu
India - At the end of last year, over 80,000 people descended on the MMRDA Ground in Mumbai for the first ever Global Citizen Festival India. This was the biggest music festival ever produced in the country and required the biggest L-Acoustics systems ever seen or heard in India. In fact, its sheer scale dictated that India’s most prestigious rental companies join forces to supply the required 200-plus loudspeakers. The Global Citizen Festival is organised by Global Poverty Project. Based in New York, it has been running since 2012, bringing together the biggest international stars to raise awareness of extreme poverty across the world, its goals being closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Global Citizen Festival India was produced by Wizcraft India and featured international artists including headliners Coldplay – lead singer Ch
UK - A succession of new seminars has been added to the PLASA Focus Leeds 2017 programme, providing the industry with even more of a reason to make the journey up to the Royal Armouries in Leeds on the 9 – 10 May. The newest sessions, which are as always free to attend, include a tour of the BBC Studios, plus seminars which draw in expertise from well-established organisations such as Soulsound, BECTU and the Association of Lighting Designers. Visitors to Leeds will have the opportunity to join a tour of the BBC Yorkshire production facility, hosted by Mike Buttery, operations manager of BBC Look North. The tour will cover the TV and radio studios, TV editing facilities and 'CAR' engineering department. Spaces are limited, anyone interested in joining should check the show’s website for information on how to sign-up. Audio experts and long-time contributors
USA - DPA Microphones has announced that Evan MacKenzie has joined the team as the new marketing and communications manager for the United States. In his new role, MacKenzie will be strategically planning all aspects of marketing and communications for new and existing product lines. His responsibilities will include branding execution, augmenting marketing collateral for the region, media planning and buying, event planning and artist relations. "DPA is one of the rare companies in our industry that has always put attentive focus on the end user experience using the highest quality materials, forward thinking technology and precise, uncompromising workmanship," says MacKenzie. "DPA is an authentic demonstration of what a 21st century brand can and should be in this era of instant and multiple customer touch points. I am grateful and inspired to be chosen to join the D
UK - With 10 new products, including line arrays, stage monitors and amplifiers, being showcased at Frankfurt Prolight+Sound for the first time, Martin Audio’s optimism was fully understandable. But even they could not have anticipated the overwhelming market response to the new product suite, in particular the Wavefront Precision, a new generation of multipurpose line arrays. Designed as complete systems, with the new external iKON multi-channel amplifiers, the sound is optimised using Martin Audio’s automated DISPLAY software. Said director of marketing, James King, “Despite the lower turn-out at the show overall, traffic was constantly being driven to our booth and the footfall was one of the highest we have ever experienced at a trade show. This coincided with record levels of online PR coverage, social engagement and website traffic.” Away from the s
Germany - This month, Alcons Audio marked its 15th year of exhibiting at Prolight+Sound by showing new products, welcoming visitors from across the globe and hosting the traditional annual Alcons dinner. The new products being showed were the LR28/110 - a wide-dispersion version of the LR28 Larger Format Line Array; the QR24 Wide - an extension of the QR24 modular high-output line-source column and the latest software for the company’s Amplified Loudspeaker Controllers, ALControl release 1.4. Alcons welcomed visitors from across the globe - including China, India, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Austria (to name a few) - to the company’s stand, all keen to share and discuss a common bond - the love of excellent sound. On the second day of the show, Alcons hosted its annual dinner, where guests enjoyed sharing proje
Germany - On board the AIDA-fleet’s newest flagship, AIDAprima, sound solutions from Sennheiser prove their capabilities every single day. The audio specialist’s premium products help deliver high level entertainment on one of the world’s most modern cruise ships. Alongside Sennheiser’s reliable wireless technology, AIDAprima uses the innovative MobileConnect streaming solution, which has been recently updated to allow for seamless integration into existing networks. One of the most technologically advanced ships on the planet, AIDAprima has its own excellently equipped TV-production environment, the Broadcast Centre, which channels all picture signals and distributes them to the numerous clients on board. To monitor sound, this facility uses four Neumann KH 120 A active speakers. The newest addition to the Broadcast Centre is a Sennheiser ConnectStation CS1-M,
UK - It may have been over 30 years since Depeche Mode last visited, but that lengthy absence has not diminished the enthusiasm of their Barrowlands audience. “It’s a classic gig,” said Antony King, the band’s front of house sound engineer. “Back in the day, if you were doing a tour of the UK, Glasgow Barrowlands was usually the best show of the tour. “Although the European stadium tour doesn’t start until May, we are in Europe for a few weeks promoting the new album, Spirit, doing a mix of TV shows and promo underplay concerts like this one for the BBC,” says King. “We are carrying control and monitors provided by Britannia Row. Brit Row have been with Depeche Mode for nearly 30 years and do a great job. It makes a huge difference hitting the road knowing that Bryan and co’ have your back. “With a band of this calibre and a mixture of ana
India - Allen & Heath’s dLive S Class digital mixing system was employed at the annual national town hall meeting for Deutsche Bank, held in Mumbai. Attended by employees from the Bank’s offices across India, dLive managed the live sound reinforcement and two-way live video conferencing with the organisation’s London, Hong Kong and Singapore offices. Comprising an S7000 Surface and DM64 MixRack, the dLive system was supplied and managed by Mumbai-based PA company, Audiocore. “dLive was the only option for this event as the S7000 surface enabled me to have 128 inputs at my fingertips. dLive’s powerful processing rate also means it is lightning fast, and combined with excellent audio intelligibility and with minimum set up time, it’s a no brainer for a live conference situation,” says FOH engineer, Bijon Bhadra. (Jim Evans)
UK - East Anglia-based CEG Hire & Productions has recently moved to new premises, as well as relocating their rental operation from Norfolk to Cambridge. From 1 March, CEG started operating from their new base – allowing them to push forward with their long-term growth strategy. CEG's director, Ben Bowles explains, “Since starting the business, we have continually looked to improve the service that we offer and one big way we can do that is by being situated conveniently for all of our customers. “Our new location is five minutes from the M11 and 10 minutes from the A14. This will provide fantastic access to both London and the South, as well as the Midlands and the North. We will now be within 45 minutes of the North Circular and 90 minutes of Park Royal. Beyond the improved journey times, our new premises will have better access, facilities and, mos
The Netherlands - Home to AFC Ajax, Amsterdam ArenA is a world class stadium and the preferred venue for the Dutch national football team’s international fixtures. As part of its ongoing upgrade, it recently installed a new audio solution based on the d&b Y-Series system. Production manager at Amsterdam ArenA, Tim Oosterop comments, “Like our LED screens, or escalators, audio investment is not something you can charge for, it doesn’t translate directly into revenue, but it does see the audience come earlier and stay longer. If they’re here that’s good for revenue, and makes best use of the facilities. “Ajax already has its own video production department and puts a lot of work into the pre-show environment. Entertainment is the key component and quality audio is a big part of delivering that experience.” Looking toward a new audio installati
UK - Manchester based lighting and rigging specialist dbn is joining forces with full service event technical company Audile, to create a new venture – dbnAudile. The merged company will combine a wealth of experience, skills and talents across the disciplines of lighting, audio, rigging and creative video all under one roof in central Manchester. dbn’s Stephen Page commented, “We have enjoyed a close working relationship with Audile over many years and we share the same principals of enthusiasm for our work in an industry that we love, a commitment to development and fair treatment of our people, a creative approach to productions and a goal to provide the very best service and technologies to our clients. This merger will allow us to widen our scope and improve our offer even further.” The increased scope and range of equipment, expertise and strong syn
Germany - In the more than 10 years of its existence, the Theaterstübchen Kassel has developed into one of the country's finest jazz music venues. In order to successfully develop the purely privately run house, renovations took place from 2012 onwards, during which a new public address system was installed. Operator Markus Knierim trusted the clear recommendation of sound engineer Rolf Dressler and chose a pro-ribbon sound solution from Alcons Audio. Auditiv GmbH from Kassel installed two Alcons pro-ribbon LR7 (left / right) micro line-array in the 120 seats (about 300 without seats) large Theaterstübchen (little theater room), supplemented by one Alcons BF151 single 15” per side as bass support. The system is operated by the Alcons ALC2 (2 x 1kW) amplified loudspeaker controller. This small system "is absolutely sufficient for 95% of the events in the room," as Rolf Dr
Italy - Nuovi Orizzonti (New Horizons) is a Christian, non-profit organisation which has ‘citadels’ in Italy, Brazil and Bosnia-Herzegovina where the socially disadvantaged and marginalised can receive support, care and training. The organisation’s newest facility is at Frosinone in Italy, where a Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) audio system is helping to bring people together. Named Cittadella Cielo (Citadel of Heaven), the new facility expands the Nuovi Orizzonti mission to ‘bring joy to those who have lost hope’. Its recent gala opening saw performances by Italian stars including Andrea Bocelli, Nek, Raf and Cristina Scuccia (aka Sister Cristina, or ‘The Singing Nun’, winner of the second series of The Voice of Italy). The Yamaha CIS system is installed in Cittadella Cielo’s 600-capacity main hall and features eight VXS5W and e
Spain - Milab Microphones has announced that The Deep Sound has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Milab products in Spain. “We are very happy to present The Deep Sound as our official partner in Spain,” says Mattias Strömberg, marketing manager for Milab. “They are an established company in the Spanish pro audio business and have the technical knowledge and customer base that I believe will make them a perfect fit for Milab.” Sergio Serrano, business manager for The Deep Sound says, "Our greatest ambition is to always put the needs of our clients first and to provide the best personalized solution for every situation. Our partnership with Milab will make our position on the Spanish market even stronger.'' The Deep Sound, located in Madrid, has been dedicated to professional audio for more than 30 years. The company offers a wide range of se
UK - An online auction of production and broadcast equipment which brought the curtain down at Fountain Studios raised over £670,000. The sale, organised by auctioneers Charterfields on behalf of Fountain Television, attracted worldwide interest with more than 450 bidders registering from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Italy and the Netherlands as well as the UK. Among the range of sound, lighting and camera equipment, the Calrec Apollo 72 fader digital audio console item led to the highest winning bid in excess of £85,000. Fountain Studios closed in December and is described as ‘the birthplace of TV talent shows’ after being home to some of the UK’s most popular programmes since the launch of ITV in 1955. They include TV classics such as On The Buses, Upstairs Downstairs and Opportunity Knocks to modern family favourit
UK - Source Distribution has taken on exclusive UK distributorship of Aphex Systems, makers of professional audio processors, preamplifiers and dynamics controllers. With an over 40-year history, beginning with the original Aural Exciter in 1975, Aphex equipment has become a standard presence in the racks of studios all over the World. The Aphex product range features powerful modern units evolved from popular classics of the past, incorporating many unique technologies pioneered over decades of research and development. These include the Channel Master Preamp & Input Processor, which includes many unique technologies making it an end-to-end solution for essential vocal and instrument recording and processing. In one rack space, it includes patented RPA tube preamp, EasyRider automatic compressor, patented logic-assisted gate, de-esser, and patented Aural Exciter a
