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04 November 2024

USA - The 67th annual Monterey Jazz Festival featured performances by artists like Mavis Staples, Stanley Clarke, and Samara Joy. The festival was powered by a Meyer Sound Panther system paired with 2100‑LFC elements, all provided by McCune Audio. Meyer’s technical design specialist, Tom Dalske, provided ground support throughout the event.

“It was great to see an updated Meyer Sound rig in the arena this year,” says Dalske. “We had a fun time interacting with the crowd at the sound booth, and there was a lot of positive feedback. It was exciting to see the reactions of some of the guest engineers who hadn’t yet mixed on Panther. I really enjoyed being a part of such a historic show, and hearing Morgan Freeman on the PA.”

The festival’s sound was driven by an impressive setup featuring 16 large-format linear line array loudspeakers, f

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04 November 2024

UK - Matt Pitman, founder of design studio Pixelmappers, and long-time production and lighting designer for Dua Lipa, employed a massive rig of Ayrton fixtures for the singer/songwriter’s headline appearance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage this summer.

Pitman chose a homogenous array of Ayrton fixtures that included the new Rivale Profile and laser-sourced Kyalami, supplied by Lights Control Rigging (LCR) as part of his touring rig, alongside Ayrton stalwarts Cobra, Bora, Perseo Profile and Domino LT, which formed the main house rig and audience lighting supplied by Neg Earth Lights. The Ayrton fixtures were purchased from Ambersphere Solutions, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the UK.

In one of the first major touring productions to use Kyalami since its release in May, Pitman chose 64 of the compact fixtures which – ‘due to some clever r

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04 November 2024

UK - Later this month, Chauvet and its family of brands will take part in Light24 (Light Expo, London) which is built around the theme Step Into The Light. The company will be at the expo to showcase a wide range of solutions that will not only invite visitors to step into the light, but also create and control it in myriad ways, by doing things like using advanced graze and cove fixtures, outputting up to 48 universes from a rail mounted system, and much more.

The entire Chauvet family of brands will be on display at Light24 booth 45, with much of the emphasis being placed on the latest lighting and control innovations from Iluminarc, ChamSys and GeNetix.

The Chauvet booth will offer demonstrations of products like The Logic line of interior architectural lights from Iluminarc. Featuring streamlined form factors that will fit beautifully in

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01 November 2024

World - British indie rock band Glass Animals continue their global Tour of Earth headlining some of the biggest venues of their career, including Madison Square Garden and London’s O2. The band’s show is supported by Ayrton lighting fixtures, a zactrack Smart automated follow spot system and grandMA3 consoles, all brands which are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

The tour kicked off in Atlanta in August and will wrap up in Australia and Hong Kong at the end of the year. “Glass Animals are incredibly kind and humble people and are very involved with the creative process. Their input has allowed [Cassius Creative cofounders and lighting designers] Chris ’Squib’ Swain and Dan Hill to push the boundaries and design within a framework that has great creative identity,” says Alex Noel, tour lighting director and

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01 November 2024

Europe - Since their formation a few years ago, The Smile, an English rock band featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, along with Tom Skinner, has captivated over one million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Following the release of their second album, Wall of Eyes, earlier this year, the band delighted its fans with 21 performances between March and June, starting at Dublin’s 3Arena and playing to packed venues across 14 countries, including the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Italy. The Smile's live shows featured an upstage LED wall supplied by long-time collaborators Universal Pixels, with Brompton Technology’s LED processing delivering the dynamic visuals.

Phil Mercer, commercial director at Universal Pixels, comments: “We’ve worked with Radiohead and their various side projects since 2017, just a

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01 November 2024

USA - Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or have never swung a club, Atomic Golf in Las Vegas promises an exciting experience as you compete in interactive games that feel more like party activities than serious competition. Spanning four floors with over 100 high-tech golf bays and eight putting areas, Elation lighting effects boost the festive ambiance and enhance the interactive entertainment experience.

Atomic Golf is located on a seven-acre site next to the STRAT Tower, just north of the Las Vegas Strip. What sets it apart is its state-of-the-art technology, including advanced lighting systems, which prominently feature Elation’s Proteus Maximus LED profile luminaire, enhancing and supporting the venue's lively party atmosphere. Multiple fixtures are mounted above the top level of driving bays, providing bright light that projects hundreds of feet ont

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01 November 2024

Poland - In January 2024, disaster struck the Fabryka Lloyda venue in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. The infrastructure of this cultural space, which had been transformed from a shipyard hall into an events and concerts venue, was destroyed by fire. Over the years its owners had created a special atmosphere which attracted large audiences as well as top Polish artists.

In 2019 audio specialist Skene had installed a Coda Audio system based around its powerful and compact ViRAY line array, contributing much to the venue’s strong reputation. 

With more than 30 years in business, Skene has extensive knowledge and experience of sound system design, configuration and commissioning, and has collaborated with Coda Audio distributor Tommex as a partner for more than seven years, successfully completing numerous projects which utilise innovative solutions fr

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01 November 2024

USA - When lighting designer Rodger Pugh, his co-designer Craig Richter and production manager Joey Dileo began working on the lighting for Halestorm’s current tour, they collectively developed a clear vision for the show’s final design. Through this collaboration, they came up with a concept that was “somewhere between an ‘80s rock show and a ‘90s high school prom”.

“For a rock show, you naturally want those big, punchy, high-energy moments, but we also wanted to give the audience room to breathe during the softer, more introspective parts,” said Pugh. “For the high-energy, punchy parts, we leaned into bold, saturated colours – like deep reds, electric blues, and intense purples – to give the space a sense of urgency and power. At other points we went with more subtle tones. With this tour, we tried to balance the two elements.”

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01 November 2024

USA - The METalliance (Music Engineering & Technology Alliance) has announced that WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group) has become the newest pro partner of the organisation and the first recording studio designers to be invited as a member. Pro partner membership is limited to companies that have shown the ability to manufacture and distribute products and services that meet the organisation’s professional audio standards.

The METalliance's George Massenburg commented: “WSDG’s incredible legacy of innovation and excellence in recording studio design speaks for itself. They embody all of the core traits inherent to the mission of the METalliance and we are thrilled to include them in our organisation. All of our Pro Partners must be unanimously agreed upon to be included, and with WSDG that was an incredibly easy decision to reach.”

“All

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01 November 2024

USA - 11 cloud-based Powersoft Unica 9K4 amplifier platforms are delivering energy efficiency and ease of use for the new-look Jenny Craig Pavilion arena in San Diego, California.

Located on the campus of the University of San Diego, the 5,100-seat Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) is home to the San Diego Toreros men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the San Diego Toreros women's volleyball team. The indoor arena broke ground in 1999 and was refurbished in 2015, when it was equipped with a redesigned floor and LED scoring tables – though the recent upgrade, completed in May, was the first major overhaul of the ageing audio system since its opening.

“I’ve used Powersoft amplifier platforms many times over the course of my career, but these new ones [Unica] were hot off the manufacturing press, if you will,” says John Pierce, chief technolog

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01 November 2024

USA - Pliant Technologies has announced the appointment of a new manufacturer’s representative, RTSales, which covers Puerto Rico, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“RTSales will represent Pliant’s entire suite of innovative, professional wireless products, including its CrewCom and MicroCom intercom lines, along with its complete line of headsets and accessories,” says Gary Rosen, vice-president of global sales, Pliant Technologies. “We look forward to expanding our sales in these territories with the RTSales team of seasoned sales and support professionals.”

For over 40 years, RTSales has earned a reputation as an effective and efficient resource for pre-sale technical support, purchasing and procurement, sell-through support, and after-the-sale service and technical training. With offices

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31 October 2024

Europe - Avolites has announced three new distributors in key European countries – Austria and Norway, plus Serbia and the other Balkan countries of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania.

Avolites’ managing director, Paul Wong, commented: “We have been working hard to boost our distributor network with new strategic partnerships worldwide and are thrilled to warmly welcome these three new distributor partners in Austria, Norway & Serbia and The Balkans. They will enhance our commitment to users in Europe and the Balkans and continue our strategy to strengthen the Avolites brand’s global presence.”

In Austria, Signal, a Robe distributor for several years, is taking on the Avolites distributorship. “Distributing Avolites really makes sense regarding turnkey solutions where before we could only offer lig

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31 October 2024

Switzerland - Originally built by members of FC Zürich, Stadion Letzigrund has been the home of football and Weltklasse Zürich – one of the most renowned one-day events in athletics – since 1925.

A call for the modernisation of the stadium in the late 90s saw the venue close its doors and reinvent itself in the summer of 2007, with an improved capacity for football, athletics and concerts. Since then, the stadium has hosted European Championships, concerts by internationally renowned artists, and several big games for the Swiss Football League. To continue its legacy, Letzigrund upgraded its sound system with Renkus-Heinz to provide spectators with seamless audio, no matter the event.

Collaborating on the project were integrators avidec AG and audio consultants promedias AG. The events programme at the stadium changes regularly, so the system h

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31 October 2024

France - Built in 1909, the Palais de l'Europe, an architectural jewel of the Belle Époque in the town of Menton on the French Riviera, regularly hosts exhibitions, highlighting works by local, national and international artists. These exhibitions are complemented by a varied programme of cultural and associated events in the 700-seat Italian-style Francis Palmero Theatre.

Working in such a historic and ornate building places additional demands on sound system designers in their quest to achieve clear, intelligible sound with consistent coverage across the audience, with additional consideration required for both visual aesthetics and point loads for mounting.

So, when the theatre approached Monaco-based events and installation AV technology specialists SES to propose a new sound system, project manager Didier Maddalon and AV technician Ronan Salier

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31 October 2024

USA - Willis Underhill, Diamond Rio’s Tennessee-based lighting designer, creates a party atmosphere for the band’s live shows, aided by a ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console.

The ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M (supplied by CLD Corp), which Underhill takes with him on the road, made it easy to busk portions of his show. “This console allows me to add busking to a cue show seamlessly,” he said. “I am using Execute Screens and Changing Banks on the fly, which is really great.”

At the start of a tour, Underhill finds that his MagicQ MQ250M aids him immensely when programming shows. “ChamSys makes importing patch information and cue times easy with minimal effort,” he said. “Also, the Timeline feature provides me with a simple way to fine-tune cue timing. Helping me create greater depth within the programming of the MQ tracks.”

At the

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31 October 2024

UK - One of the North’s oldest buildings, Morecambe Winter Gardens was once the centrepiece of Morecambe’s illustrious entertainment scene. Opened in 1897 as a landmark of British architecture, it welcomed performances from The Who, Vera Lynn and many more, but was partly demolished in the early 1980s, leaving only the Victoria Pavillion Theatre standing.

Since 2006, the 'Friends of the Winter Gardens' trust has worked tirelessly to revive this Grade II listed building. In 2024, their efforts took a giant leap forward with the launch of a £2.7m restoration project, funded by a grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. A critical part of the restoration involved installing a state-of-the-art sound system, one that could support the current events programme and expand as the venue grows. For this, KV2 Audio was chosen to play a key role in t

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31 October 2024

USA - Order of the Ace, a new piano/cocktail lounge in Baltimore, Maryland offers customers an opportunity ‘to slip into a space of music and mystique’. To improve the experience, the lounge has decided to upgrade their audio system to premium 1 Sound loudspeakers.

The lounge was looking for speakers that could provide both clarity to complement their musicians, and compactness in terms of aesthetics. With 1 Sound’s Cannon series, the cocktail bar achieved high-fidelity audio supporting their live musicians and the ambiance they sought to achieve.

For this project, the speakers were installed by Dynamic Sound Level, which was introduced to 1 Sound loudspeakers after implementing them on a previous Atlas project, Oregon Grille. Mike Denoe, director of Dynamic Sound Level, comments: “I can’t say enough how pleased I am as well as the owners,

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31 October 2024

USA - Brett Ainslie mixes films, commercials, sporting events, and reality TV series in Manhattan and its surrounding environs. Media brands that have employed his services include ABC, Bravo, Discovery, Disney, ESPN, Food Network, HBO, and the streaming platform Twitch.

For ensuring his clients the utmost in sonic integrity, his personal kit consists exclusively of Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless – in particular, SRc dual-channel slot-mount receivers paired with SMQV transmitters. When he needs to maximise reception, these are supported by SNA600a dipole antennas.

“The RF environment in New York City is very difficult at the best of times,” explains Ainslie. “Then, when productions come to New York, they often want to shoot in the busiest RF areas like Times Square. I’ve used exclusively the Digital Hybrid stuff for at least the last

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31 October 2024

USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has selected AudioPros, LLC, as its manufacturer’s representative to serve the Northeast territory. AudioPros currently represents EAW throughout New England and Western NY and has now expanded to Metro New York.

“EAW is constantly innovating and bringing to market high-quality solutions that meet the needs of clients throughout the professional audio community,” says Alex Shillo, AudioPros principal.

“For over 40 years, EAW has been a leading manufacturer of speakers in our own backyard,” says Andrew Shillo. “EAW’s innovative approach to professional sound reinforcement has made them an industry leader worldwide. EAW’s passion and drive aligns with our own philosophies, we are excited for the opportunity to provide our services to new dealers.”

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31 October 2024

World - The Sharpy X Frame hybrid fixture – housed in a lightweight, compact design – features a powerful 550W arc lamp for extreme brightness and vivid, uniform colours.

Giovanni Zucchinali, Claypaky project support, says: “Hybrid floodlights were, and still are, a kind of fixture where LED light sources have not yet matched the performance of arc lamps. When we decided to develop this model, we chose to enhance an arc lamp-powered fixture with all the most advanced technologies our industry could offer in terms of optical features, effects, colour production and beam shaping.”

Alberico D'Amato, Claypaky's commercial director, says: "The Sharpy X Frame combines the features of a spotlight with a powerful, uniform beam, a beam moving light with an ultra-focused penetrating beam, a versatile, precise beam shaper and, when needed, a wash light.