USA - Bandit Lites recently held its Annual General Meeting to launch 2024, celebrating the previous year’s accomplishments and revealing the company’s new goals and updates. Following a ‘wildly successful 55th year’, Bandit chair Michael T. Strickland offered remarks and insight on Bandit’s successes and its continuing goals in the New Year. Milestone awards were handed out, with multiple Bandits celebrating decades at the company. Arie Zaky, Scott Wesson, Chris Noll, Jacob Edge and Mark Scherer accepted accolades for five years. Andy Reese was honoured for 10 years, a
UK - Build solutions specialist Star Live has invested in a QC-Check safety inspection system from Data Strategy following its recent investment from LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group. QC-Check embeds safety into the processes of Star’s new lifting division which underpins the safety and compliance issues for the company’s four pillars of business. QC-Check streamlines the process of professional electrical appliance and cable testing in bulk, with full electrical-safety test records referenced to an individual asset level. For Star Live’s purposes however, QC-Check’s abil
The Netherlands - TEC Audio, based in Landgraaf, has invested in DMT's Alpha Series LED panels and hardware in order to expand its services. They have purchased a significant number of Alpha Series A2.6i - Indoor and the necessary rigging to create a complete set for corporate events and dry hire. These panels are designed to meet the demands of diverse events, offering clarity and vibrant colours. The A2.6i panels are very versatile, making them a suitable choice for corporate events and dry hire setups. To ensure a seamless and dynamic display, TEC Audio has acquired eight
UK - The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced The Zone of Interest as the winner of the Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film 2024. The winning sound team comprises Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers, Mateusz Stasiak and James Ogden AMPS chair Andrew Wilson said: “The Zone of Interest is a compelling piece of filmmaking and a truly remarkable achievement in the artistry of film sound. The grotesque picture of happy family life next to the horror of Auschwitz is stark, disturbing, and visceral, and it is here that the power of the soundtrack excels. The
Spain - Audinate Group announced at ISE 2024 that it now has reached 50 manufacturers licensing Dante AV technology to build networked video devices. Kramer, Blustream, Magewell, Kiloview, Zenwin, Aavara, and Infobit AV are a few of the most recent partners that have joined the Dante AV ecosystem. There are now over 60 products available or soon to launch, including cameras, encoders, and decoders. AMX by Harman, Lumens, Antrica, Bolin, Laiatech, Avonic, and Alfatron are announcing Dante AV-H video endpoints at ISE 2024, while Kramer, Netvio, and Tight AV are launching Dante AV-A
Europe - PRG is expanding its extensive sound reinforcement portfolio with several LD Systems MAILA XXL systems including accessories. In Germany, PRG is represented by over 350 employees at five locations and has more than 20,000m2 of warehouse space. "We heard MAILA for the first time during an on-site visit to the Adam Hall Group Experience Centre and were immediately impressed," explains Udo Willburger, CEO of PRG AG. "This applies not only to the sound, but also to the efficient handling of the entire system. “Especially in the corporate events sector, a system with a
UK - LIVE has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry. Launched this week, the new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. The survey aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes l
Turkey - Lighting designer Martin Kuhn tapped into the power and reliability of a grandMA3 replay unit to run a spectacular permanent show that he designed for Istanbul’s Maiden’s Tower. The landmark stands on a tiny islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 300m from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, and has recently re-opened after restoration. Martin was working for Istanbul AV specialist ASTEL and end client, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The lighting includes 48 Ayrton Cobra moving lights which are positioned around the perimeter of t
UK - Max Webster’s intense production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, opened to positive reviews at London’s Donmar Warehouse in December. Played out on Rosanna Vize’s stark, minimalist set, comprising a flat white platform backed by a glass wall that isolates off-stage actors from the action, the audience listens through binaural headphones that catch every nuance of the actors’ speech, drawing them deeper and more intimately into the text - and Macbeth’s mental state. Lighting designer, Bruno Poet, accentuates this inten
UK - Production Futures reports that it has been chosen as a partner for the BBC’s Bring the Drama Festival. This initiative sees the BBC joining forces with some of the UK’s leading cultural organisations to create the first festival of its kind, aimed at bringing together stage and screen and opening up the doors to the next generation of behind-the-scenes talent. The BBC is supporting the UK’s world-beating creative industries by trying to ensure that the brightest and best people want to work in theatre, film and TV, and helping them to identify where the opportunities l
France - L-Acoustics has been honoured during the Décibels d'Or awards by the French government’s Conseil National du Bruit (National Council on Noise), which recognises the company's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound technology and its dedication to creating exceptional audio experiences while respecting the needs of local communities. This award, founded in 1991 and granted only once every three years, recognises the ability of the newly launched L Series line source array to manage sound, keeping it on the audience area while significantly reducing sp
Ireland - A team from Dublin-based Spectrum Productions led by David Lawless and Jack Quirke supplied a large quantity of Robe moving lights rig for a sold-out electro-extravaganza gig by popular Irish mixmasters, Belters Only, at Dublin’s 3Arena. David and the team have been working with the artists for the last year and designed the floor lighting package for their 2023 festival appearances. Their brief for the 3Arena show was to make it big, bold, and breathtaking visually, helping pump the energy and excitement everywhere in the room - from the stage to the back of the audit
UK - Over the course of the last 30 years, Prolight has grown from a small enterprise in Bolton to a global supplier of sound, lighting and ancillaries. It is now creating ‘a next-generation workplace environment that brings together industry leading innovation and distribution’. The Building Our Future project is based around a new headquarters located at the end of the M65 in Colne, Lancashire. The new headquarters will act as a catalyst for the future development of products and services, and is located in its own secure grounds on a 10-acre site which will be known as Edis
Mobo Awards - Sheffield will host a "dynamic series of events" to celebrate the Mobo Awards coming to the city for the first time. Mobo Awards Sheffield - The Fringe will take place ahead of the awards show on 7 February at the Utilita Arena. It will feature workshops and a market to shine a light on the city's African and Caribbean communities, organisers said. Sheffield city councillor Martin Smith said the festival would be "an unforgettable experience". He added: "It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean and is a testament to the pow
Japan - Hoshioto Camp 23, which took place recently at Budou Romankan in the Japanese Prefecture of Okayama became the first outdoor music festival in Japan to introduce immersive sound. Local sound rental company, Bright Co originally invested in Martin Audio’s award-winning WPC fully optimised system back in 2020. Therefore, when it was time to upgrade the event’s main speaker system, WPC was recommended as the best overall fit for its sound quality, controllability and sense of scale, after evaluation against other systems. Kazuyuki Oshita, president of Bright Co said
India - Lighting designer Milind Shrivastava has invested in a grandMA3 from MA Lighting, supplied by Hi-Tech Audio & Image, India distributor for MA Lighting. One of the veteran lighting designers of New Delhi, Milind Shrivastava has been working with theatre, dance, ballet shows, government events, music festivals, and various genres of events for three decades. His work as a lighting designer was recognised by the Government of India which awarded him the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009 for Best Lighting Designer. In 2022 he was also felicitated by the Asta
Europe - Shania Twain’s Queen of Me tour played 78 shows across North America and Europe, with audio solutions from long-term rental partner, Eighth Day Sound. FOH engineer Rob ‘Cubby’ Colby says his great experience mixing this tour has been down to the hard-working production crew: “Production manager, Denny Rich, production assistant, Libby Dostart, tour coordinator & tour manager, Joel Eriksson, stage manager Brandon Bogaert and music conductor, Marco Gamboa helped to make it a joy to be a part of.” His time with Eighth Day Sound has also been smooth sailin
South Africa - Bad Weather Productions handled the creative technical needs for the Rocking the Daisies Festival, held in Cape Town and Johannesburg late last year. Said to mark the beginning of South Africa’s festival season, Rocking the Daisies hosts big-name international artists from a diverse spectrum of genres across three days at Cloof Wine Estate, near Cape Town, followed by one day at SuperSport Park, Johannesburg. With a decade-long involvement in Rocking the Daisies, Bad Weather Productions has played a part in the festival’s evolution. Notably, they pioneered the
Sweden - Linea Research has announced the appointment of Winther Sound Solutions as its distributor in Sweden. Winther Sound Solutions specialises in audio solutions for a wide range of applications. The company's expertise extends across various sectors, including live sound, installations and broadcast. Mattias Winther, CEO of Winther Sound Solutions commented: "We are excited to represent Linea Research in the Swedish market. Their commitment to delivering high-quality audio solutions aligns with our mission at Winther Sound Solutions. This partnership will undoubtedly e
UK - The National Theatre on London’s south bank has long been a bastion of creativity and world-class productions. Its three auditoria - the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman - host productions from leading creative and technical crews. As part of its continued transition to LED lighting, lighting resources manager at the National Theatre (NT), Paul Hornsby, and his team set about replacing their outdated HMI Fresnel fixtures in the NT’s floating stock. “Trying to find a modern LED replacement for a big Fresnel Wash that can provide that big punchy back light and colou
Portugal - Midwich Portugal, part of the Midwich Group, has announced the addition of Robe Lighting to its exclusive distribution portfolio for the Portuguese market. Ingo Dombrowski, international sales director for Robe Lighting s.r.o., commented: “There is a saying, ‘Nothing beats a winning team!’, and I think there is nothing better than giving a winning team more responsibilities. A well-developed market like Portugal needs a strategic and analytical approach, and we already know this is integral to Midwich Group’s Spanish branch, so it is a completely logical step t
Ireland - Microphone specialist Point Source Audio has announced the opening of its European headquarters in Dublin. This marks the audio technology company's first dedicated office outside of the United States, reflecting its commitment to meeting the increasing demand for its headset, earworn, and earmounted microphones across the continent. Led by seasoned business development manager Gerry Forde, supported by service engineer James Killalea and office administrator Aoife Mc Carthy, the Dublin office is poised to play a pivotal role in optimising Point Source Audio's operations
UK - Fulcrum Acoustic has announced the appointment of AUX Import as their new distribution partner in the United Kingdom. AUX Import will distribute the full Fulcrum Acoustic and Fulcrum Immersive product range across the UK. This key partnership reinforces Fulcrum's presence in EMEA, alongside other distribution partners in the region. Val Gilbert, director of business development for Export at Fulcrum Acoustic, shared: "Our collaboration with AUX Import marks a significant step for Fulcrum’s growth in the European market. We are particularly impressed by the teams’ energy
