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31 May 2024

USA/Europe - ETC has announced two software releases for the Hog 4 console’s operating system. Hog 4 OS v3.21 and v4.1 are the bridging releases with export/import features to get old show files into Hog desks running v4.x software.

Senior product manager Sarah Clausen comments, “We recognise the value of our users’ hard work overtime and the cost of having to recreate shows to move forward with Hog into the future. These two releases create the bridge needed to bring older show data into the v4 world and beyond.”

Hog OS v3.21 is required for users that wish to import / export existing show files. Show files can now be exported to an XML format which allows for easier transitions between software versions where show file compatibility may be limited. Section 4.12 of the Hog OS v3.21 help manual offers details on how to use the Show Import/Exp

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31 May 2024

USA - When it was first published in 1967, S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders, struck a chord with readers with its gritty-yet-tender tale of social and familial upheaval, aptly articulated by an author who was, herself, a teenager. Sixteen years later, celebrated film director Francis Ford Coppola brought the eponymous story to the silver screen with a cast full of young actors that would all go on to become Hollywood A-listers.

Fast-forwarding to 2024, The Outsiders is being reimagined once again, this time as a Broadway musical featuring immersive L-ISA technology and the NYC Theatre District’s first L-Acoustics L Series loudspeaker deployment. The new show is nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Sound Design of a Musical for sound designer Cody Spencer.

“People’s expectations of the

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31 May 2024

Sweden - The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) was staged in Malmo Arena, and was memorable for many elements including the technical presentation. Under the show technical direction of Ola Melzig, the team of creatives, programmers, engineers, network architects and technicians collaborated to stage the first ever in-the-round ESC.

Lighting designer Fredrik Stormby of Stockholm-based creative studio Greenwall Design and his team took care of all things lighting as well as co-ordinating the screens content, working in close conjunction with production designer Florian Wieder, and included on the lighting plot were 52 x Robe Fortes, 57 x T1 Profiles and 14 x T2 Profiles.

These Robe moving lights were used to cover all the stage and Green Room key lighting requirements.

Rigged on multiple roof and side trusses flown above and around both these

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31 May 2024

USA – Genelec will be further expanding its Smart IP family of active installation loudspeaker systems at InfoComm 2024 with the introduction of the 3440A – a new PoE subwoofer.

The 3440A joins the existing Smart IP range of wall, ceiling, and pendant loudspeaker models to provide a scalable full-range audio solution that combines sound quality and networked convenience. With the addition of the 3440A, the Smart IP family now represents an even more flexible and future-proof choice for integrators and installers everywhere, says Genelec.

Originally launched in 2019, the Smart IP range provides flexible power, audio, and management features via a single standard CAT cable. Producing studio-quality audio with superb clarity, intelligibility and uniform coverage, all models can be freely combined on a network. The Smart IP range is compatible with b

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31 May 2024

UK - Technology collective Tin Drum asked Manchester-based audio specialists, tube uk, to assist with the delivery of a sound system - speakers together with a playback / racking control system - for an innovative series of immersive mixed reality performance concerts, Kagami, featuring the music of the late artist, composer and audio producer, Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The in-the-round shows were originally staged during the 2023 Manchester International Festival (MIF23), at the Old Granada Studios, also with tube as audio supplier.

Tin Drum next moved the show to the Roundhouse in London for a high-profile showcase and again asked tube uk to supply the audio equipment, including speakers and collaborating closely with their sound designer, Rob Parkinson.

tube’s Melvyn Coote and John Redfern were delighted to tackle such an interesting mi

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31 May 2024

Venezuela - Osteria in the capital city of Caracas offers diners Italian food and cocktails in relaxed surroundings, including a restaurant and terrace, plus an additional VIP room and VIP terrace.

Osteria required the sound system to be ‘elegant and unobtrusive in its design, and powerful in its performance, contributing to the restaurant’s concept of inspiring guests to lose themselves in ‘il dolce far niente’ as a way of enjoying life’.

Nexo distributor Sun Music Pro designed a system based around the ultra-compact Nexo ID14, which measures just 130mm wide, 130mm high and 120mm front to back, and uses a single coaxial 4-inch driver with a 1.4-inch Neodymium HF.

With processing and amplification from Nexo’s DTD-I and three DTDAMP4X0.7, the system comprises six ID14s with LF extension from two IDS108 subs in the main restaurant,

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31 May 2024

UK - P&O Cruises has installed Shure Axient systems for use during its theatre shows and live music performances. The upgrade was made in partnership with Autograph Sound.

Autograph Sound has led the fleet-wise wireless system upgrade programme, which required efficiency, reliability, and outstanding performance that could comply with the 700MHz Clearance Regulation Programme in the UK.

Autograph Sound turned to Shure Axient Digital Wireless System, which was well-received during the initial installation and then was chosen for the fleet-wide upgrade programme. In due course, Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless System will be implemented across the entire P&O Cruise fleet.

Each ship has been equipped with a range of Shure Axient Digital and ULX-D equipment, including AD1, ADX1M, AD2 and ADX2 ShowLink handheld wireless microphone transmi

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30 May 2024

India - Proel has confirmed announces its entry into the Indian market. Headquartered in Sant'Omero, Italy, Proel offers a diverse portfolio of 10 brands encompassing professional audio, commercial audio, conferencing systems, lighting, stage equipment, musical instruments, and associated accessories. The company has strategically positioned itself globally, with offices in the USA, UK, Tunisia, South Korea, and now, India.  

The decision to invest in India is a testament to Proel's commitment to expansion and growth in emerging markets.

The Indian operations are based in Bangalore led by Nagaraj Mallikarjun and the sales team in Delhi, which is led by Shantanu Banerjee. There are plans underway to establish a presence in Mumbai shortly. “This strategic move has been in development for three years, culminating in a state-of-the-art warehousing an

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30 May 2024

UK - The 26th annual MOBO Awards took place at Newcastle’s 11,000-capacity Utilita Arena, celebrating black music and culture.

Enhancing this mood and supporting the dynamic music on stage was a bold and versatile lighting design by SJ Grevett and operated by Liam Griffiths and Kris Goodman that featured 98 Chauvet Professional fixtures.

Drawn from the company’s own inventory, the kit included 24 Maverick Storm 4 Profiles, 30 Maverick Storm 3 BeamWashes, 32 STRIKE 1 units and 12 COLORado PXL16 motorised tilting battens. “We went for the big and bold look with brightest fixtures, so we could really punch through against so much LED screen space on camera,” said SJ.

Utilising the wide zoom range and colour rendering capabilities of his Maverick and COLORado fixtures, as well as the intense output of his STRIKE units, Liam created the lo

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30 May 2024

USA - The Audio Reproduction division of Focusrite Group US, which comprises amongst others Martin Audio and TiMax, has strengthened its senior team with the recruitment of theatre sound designer, Brad Berridge - previously director of sound operations for Feld Entertainment.

As the newly-appointed market development manager – theatre, immersive and education markets, Berridge will bring his experience to the role to call on theatrical sound designers, venues, theatre production providers and audio engineers, whilst in the education space he’ll be calling on those that offer live sound as well as theatre degrees and training.

Berridge is already very familiar with Martin Audio given his eight years overseeing the sound for all Feld productions, many of which used Martin Audio solutions including Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live, Monster Jam: T

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30 May 2024

Sweden - The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) featured an innovative set design at the Malmö Arena where Claypaky Tambora Linear 100 high-power LEDs and Skylos white-laser source searchlights supported the dynamic look of the event’s first 360º stage.

Fredrik Stormby from Stockholm-based Green Wall Designs, the lighting and screen content designer for this year's event, selected the Claypaky fixtures. Stormby is best known as part of the creative team behind Beyonce's 2023 Renaissance tour, Loreen's winning 2023 ESC performance and ABBA Voyage in London. He joined production designer Florian Wieder and the senior production team to help create, design and deliver the large-scale, spectacular show to a global audience of more than 160m people.

The set was a 360-degree experience placed in the middle of the audience and shaped like an eq

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30 May 2024

UK - As part of its ‘continuing mission to simplify the world of commercial audio for integrators and end-users’, Optimal Audio has further evolved the user-friendliness of its ecosystem with updates to its WebApp and ZonePad controllers.

WebApp allows users to unlock the capabilities of Optimal Audio’s Zone controller, which enables the efficient delivery of high-quality, multi-zoned commercial sound systems. Compatible with any device, WebApp makes system set-up straightforward, after which a simple user interface is presented to venue staff for easy operation.

Amongst the new features unveiled as part of WebApp 1.3, comes the biggest update for ZonePad so far, with the ZonePad 4 now able to be configured as a single zone controller with up to four routine triggers. This allows venue staff, at the push of a physical button, to trigger pre-con

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30 May 2024

India - Spectrum Audio Solutions, an event equipment solutions provider based in Goa, has evolved into a significant player in the market, delivering sound experiences for a wide range of events. Recently, Spectrum Audio Solutions made a substantial investment to expand its existing loudspeaker inventory.

The recent acquisition includes 24 units of Kudo line array modules, known for their large-format, high-performance capabilities that ensure precise coverage and exceptional sound quality. Additionally, the company has added 12 more dV DOSC line array modules, complementing their existing inventory and maintaining their reputation for unmatched sound clarity. To cater to versatile event needs, Spectrum Audio Solutions has integrated 24 units of ARCS multi-purpose loudspeakers into their arsenal. These speakers are designed to deliver powerful audio across a

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30 May 2024

South Africa - La Parada is a restaurant chain bringing the vibrancy of the Mediterranean to South Africa. Finished with sandy pastels and palm trees, the restaurant’s newest location is in Johannesburg’s day-to-night dining and shopping destination, Cedar Square.

La Parada has installed an audio system using technology from Audac and Xilica.   The project was a collaboration between AV Distribution and South African installation company Sonic AV. For Cedar Square, La Parada wanted a sound system that catered to DJs and bigger parties, offering something different to its predominantly dining-focused venues.

“La Parada wanted to make the shift to a more music-orientated restaurant with this opening,” says Richard Edwards, CEO of Sonic AV. “They wanted more of a bar vibe with DJs so we knew that a solution from Audac would be an ideal fit,

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30 May 2024

Romania - On 25 May at the main national stadium of Romania, Arena Națională in Bucharest was the setting for Golden Generation vs. Legends of the World (Generația de Aur vs Legendele Lumii). The spectator stands with a capacity of 55,000 were completely filled with football fans. For the entertainment and ceremonial parts of the event, JSA provided and installed special stage structures.

The original design and engineering of the stage platform structure was created by JSA partner Adrian Vișenoiu. The customer and organiser of the technical part of the production was the Salt Box Studio agency. Since there was little time before the event, it was decided not to manufacture special structures, but to install all structures based on universal and quickly available Layher systems.

A special feature of the installation of stage structures was the ti

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29 May 2024

Europe - HOF has added Megalight to its distribution network as a new sales partner for Belgium. Megalight has more than 30 years of experience in lighting, sound and rigging.

Juan de Walque, sales manager at Megalight, says: ‘We are known for our excellent industry knowledge and our close relationships with our customers. This enables us to offer our customers high-quality products from well-known brands. HOF's innovative and high-quality products fit in perfectly with this.’

Edwin Duivelaar, export & sales manager at HOF, adds: ‘Megalight is recognised as a successful and important supplier on the Belgian market. I am sure that the HOF products will be a successful addition to the existing portfolio.’

Megalight will distribute the HOF MLT Pre Rig Truss Series, HOF Standard Trusses, XOOP Lighting and CJS Couplers.

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29 May 2024

UK - fac365 is an audio hire company based in Greater Manchester with an open-door policy for local engineers. Providing bespoke solutions is at the centre of the company’s ethos and when the opportunity came along to branch out into the live touring market the whole team knew the fully loaded DiGiCo Quantum 338 with Pulse software was the console to let them shine.

So much so, they bought two, along with two fully loaded SD Racks. fac365 has been operating successfully since it was established in 2009 by managing director Mike Hayes.

Expansion is now very much on their minds. The purchase of two DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles has been powered not only by client demand, but at the request of their engineers. Since the early days of the company Mike has encouraged open, collaborative thinking and collective decision making. This atmosphere of inclusion

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29 May 2024

UK - The Production Services Association (PSA) has announced the election of Liz Madden and Tom Rees as co-chairs of the council. Both Liz and Tom have been active council members of the PSA for a long time and bring a wealth of knowledge to the role. Their joint goal is to increase direct support for members and further evolve industry representation, education and awareness of the business of technical production across the live events industry ecosystem.

Liz Madden commented: “We are looking forward to working with both council members and members to continue the growth and development of the PSA. The live industry faces ongoing challenges, and we will continue to provide support to members and the industry as a whole. Skills shortage is currently a key issue for the industry, and we are working on a training and education programme to address this.”<

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29 May 2024

Germany - Boothaus in Cologne, ranked as the #5 EDM club in the world, has switched to L-Acoustics. “Upgrading to L-Acoustics helps us keep our coveted position as one of the best clubs in the world. Bootshaus has always been recognised for prizing sound over visuals. Sound is super important to us,” states Tom Thomas, managing director at Bootshaus.

For 20 years, Bootshaus has curated a mix of electro-house, dubstep, and drum’n’bass for clubgoers. Its brand extends beyond club walls to curated festivals throughout Germany. Within those 1,900-cap walls, which include three dance floors, each with its own DJ booth, and a large outdoor area overlooking the Rhine. clubgoers have danced to the likes of Skrillex, David Guetta, Diplo, and Avicii.

Getting sound to each of the dance floors has been difficult, and the previous system, installed over a

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29 May 2024

UK - The Web3 Music Association (W3M), a new music industry trade body facilitating industry-wide research and development, has announced its official launch and manifesto. 

W3M brings together entities from the music, finance and technology sectors to ‘collaborate, explore and harness advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and mixed reality’.

Leading W3M are president & CEO Sergio Mottola, a business leader with expertise in finance, advanced technologies, and international regulation frameworks, and Charlie Rapino, record industry veteran and currently VP of A&R and communications at Artist First, who has been appointed vice president. W3M’s executive vice president of music, Giulia Maresca, chief of staff and Katy Campbell, EVP of ecosystem, are also joining the leadership team.

W3M’s advisory bo