USA - Over the summer of 2022, Santana, together with Earth, Wind & Fire, got enthusiastic fans singing and dancing throughout North American arenas during their Miraculous Supernatural Tour.
While the fans were thrilled to see and hear Santana on stage, Kevin Madigan, Santana’s FOH engineer made sure the sound would be top-notch by employing two Austrian Audio OC818 large-diaphragm condenser microphones to record Carlos’s guitar and one OC707 true condenser vocal microphone for his vocals.
“We needed something to reproduce that guitar tone everybody knows, and to handle high SPL show after show,” said Madigan. “The mics worked out great throughout the year on the Santana tour and residencies, and we’ll be using them again next year.”
Madigan has

USA - Alexander Lehman and the design team at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, IN deployed the “art of asymmetry” to give the church a new, captivating lighting design this spring, much to the delight of worshippers.
“As we headed into spring and summer, we wanted to create a fresh environment on stage,” said Lehman, the church’s lighting designer. “Our previous stage rig had been up since December of 2022, so we felt it was time to give our space something new. To do this, we wanted to try something fresh and different. This led us to the asymmetrical design.
“We know how to do beautiful symmetrical clean looks,” continued Lehman. “We also realised that it would be more challenging to do an asymmetrical design that felt purposeful and intentional. So, we embraced this challenge; our goal was to bring something different to the world

USA - Dry-hire rental house Main Light has partnered with the USC School of Dramatic Arts to supply Elation Professional Fuze MAX Spot LED moving head luminaires for use in the theatrical design program’s light lab for the 2023 spring semester. Used in teaching lighting programming and design, the luminaires allow students to get hands-on with the latest in entertainment lighting.
“Fixtures like the Fuze MAX Spot, as well as Main Light’s generous loaner programme allow USC School of Dramatic Arts students to prepare for a career in lighting design,” stated Elizabeth Harper, assistant professor of lighting design at the school. “Whether in theatre, themed entertainment, events or the emerging world of virtual and augmented reality, our students bring their stories and creativity to the industry backed by the technical skills to do so.”
The School of Dramati
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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

When award winning film composer Hans Zimmer brought his smash-hit tour Hans Zimmer Live to North America fall 2024, the show's audio team sought out to bring infrafrequency bass to the show to add new depth to the show's audio experience. The team chose Danley Sound Labs.

Japan - The Tsukuba Capio complex in Japan’s Tsukuba city, Ibaragi, incorporates indoor sports halls, theatres and meeting rooms, while Tsukuba itself is renowned for being a scientific city of the future city. Opened in July 1996, Capio Hall has provided an authentic atmosphere for theatre and dance, with its distinctive seat arrangement and high-quality stage facilities.
Capio Hall recently underwent a major sound system overhaul, and new rigs were introduced, including the new Martin Audio Torus as the main PA.
Nobuhito Endo, technical manager of rental company Sigma Communications, who support the theatre, set out the reason for the upgrade and his choice of Torus.
“Originally, the proscenium centre loudspeakers were exposed, and a cluster of several point-source systems was flown from the grid. Naturally, we considered utilising a line array replacement

Singapore - The 45-year old Lighthouse Evangelism in Singapore has undergone a major refurbishment of its two halls which, set over two campuses at Woodlands and Tampines, have a combined capacity of 3,500 people.
A complete revamp of the entire church stage, LED wall and lighting design was called for, with the latter being undertaken by well-known lighting designer, Michael Chan of Lighting Insomnia, for which he chose 14 laser-sourced Ayrton Cobra, eight Ayrton Khamsin TC profiles and nine Ayrton Zonda 9 Wash fixtures. These were supplied by Total Solution Marketing and installed by systems integrator Soundsmith Solutions.
“I am always happy to work with a good lighting manufacturer,” says Mr Chan who explains why he chose to work with Ayrton fixtures to enhance the weekly services of praise and worship.
“The design concept needed to fulfil a few objecti

USA - Austin Opera’s Long Centre presented a production of the classic Sweeney Todd this spring, with an uncompromising series of lighting states created by LD James Sale using Vari-Lite VL2600 Wash luminaires from Signify.
“I wanted to put Sweeney Todd in the audience’s faces, which to me meant he needed to be bright,” says Sale, who has designed the lighting for shows at the innovative Long Centre for more than a decade. “The VL2600s were very bright, which was a big plus. The colour rendition and continuity from fixture to fixture was terrific and they moved very smoothly.”
Sale responded to the play’s blood-soaked, dreary, 1785 London setting by unleashing sinister lighting states that cut through the darkness with searing, rich colours at high intensities. As the play progressed, the looks which Sale describes as “unworldly” started

Japan - To provide Billboard Live’s latest venue in Yokohama with a live setup suitable for a wide range of performances, Hibino and SC Alliance collaborated with Harman Professional Solutions to select and implement a range of JBL Professional audio and Martin professional lighting solutions.
In addition to venues in Tokyo and Osaka, Billboard Live recently launched a third location in the up-and-coming Kitanaka area of Yokohama. The venue boasts a floorspace of approximately 1,000sq.m and a 300-seat capacity. Along with hosting internationally renowned performers and local artists, the venue also provides an unrivalled culinary experience thanks to a carefully curated menu by Japan’s finest chefs.
To elevate the overall guest experience with state-of-the-art live sound as well as immersive and impactful lighting, the Hibino and SC Alliance installation team depl
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OPUS X4 PROFILE – the most powerful LED moving head from Cameo to date

The OPUS® X4 PROFILE is the new flagship model from Cameo and is among the most powerful LED moving heads on the market. Equipped with a 1,400-watt LED white light engine, this spot profile moving head produces an enormous light output of 50,000 lm, providing powerful spot and gobo projections on even the largest stages and much more.
www.cameolight.com

UK/USA - Backstage Academy has rebranded as the Academy of Live Technology (ALT) and opened a second campus at Rock Lititz in the US to complement the work of the original UK site which is located in Production Park, Wakefield.
A statement from ALT reads: “Since Backstage Academy was founded in 2011, the live experience industry has changed at a rapid pace; new creative and immersive technologies are reinventing how we produce live events and experiences. We recognise that as the industry evolves, so should we.
“From May 2023, Backstage Academy is changing its name to the Academy of Live Technology. The decision to update our name and brand is part of a considered process of evolution to better align ourselves with the changing industry.
“Our new name reflects who we are for both today and tomorrow. What we teach goes beyond ‘backstage’ – we’re a

South Africa - Capital City Church International – or 3Ci as it is better known – is one of the larger churches in Pretoria, and one of the most technologically advanced. Stage Audio Works was the AV design and integration partner for 3Ci’s new building which was delivered in 2021 – a successful collaboration that has resulted in an ongoing partnership.
3Ci has turned to Stage Audio Works once again, this time to equip a smaller 300-capacity hall – known as the Cube - with a PA system as part of the second phase of AV works. The project marks the sixth Plus Audio installation since the brand was launched 18 months ago.
The first phase was the initial build – a development that features a state-of-the-art 2,500 capacity main auditorium for which Stage Audio Works designed and integrated a complete PA and control system based on d&b Y-Series and Yamaha c

Netherlands - Elation Professional is expanding its Fuze Series with the full-colour-spectrum Fuze Wash 500, a compact yet powerful LED Fresnel moving head fixture with zoom designed for theatre, television, events and a wide array of other precision lighting applications where a high-quality soft field of light is required. The Fuze Wash 500 is shipping now.
The Fuze Wash 500 produces the soft field light that designers require when highlighting performers or scenery on stage. The unit offers full-spectrum performance from a 92+ CRI engine that utilizes a 500W five-colour homogenized LED array of red, green, blue, mint, and amber sources, the same colour system found in the Fuze Profile/Spot and Fuze MAX Profile/Spot for a calibrated colour match.
The RGBMA engine, calibrated at a native colour temperature of 6500 Kelvin, emits diffused saturates and soft-

UK - HH Electronics has announced the launch of its MZ Series, a range of multi-zone install zone amplifiers, pre-amplifier, and wall controllers. The MZ Series suitable for commercial systems integrations across a wide variety of applications.
At the heart of the range is the Origin multi-core platform. Its processor uses 56-bit floating point precision to ensure input routing, level controls and EQ settings introduce no digital artefacts and provide enhanced headroom. Configurable limiting per zone allows for mixing and matching both Hi Z and Low Z speakers, giving flexibility for multiple situations. Origin’s eco power saving allows for less than half a watt power consumption in standby mode, perfect for continuous usage whilst lowering energy consumption.
Three robust, easily operable 1U rack amplifier models are available. The MZ-140D, 2 Zone, featuring two indi

China - Nantong Grand Theatre is a new cultural and arts centre at the centre of the city of Nantong in China’s Jiangsu Province. It is the last masterpiece to be designed by the late master architect Paul Andreu whose other designs include the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Grand Arche at La Défense in Paris.
Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, the complex houses five performances spaces: the 1532-seat Opera Hall, the 1185-seat Concert Hall, a 599-capacity Drama Hall, a 250-seat Children’s Theatre and a multipurpose Function Hall.
Six Robert Juliat followspots were supplied to this building by Hangzhou YiDaShi Technology Development Co and installed in the two largest venues. Four Aramis 2500W HMI followspots were delivered to the Opera House and two 1800W HMI Victor followspots to the Concert Hall.
The theatre owner

USA - Fans who expected to see a flowering of unfolding colourful looks during Premio Lo Nuestro in MIami weren’t disappointed. Whether watching on Univision, or as part of the live audience, they were treated to a constant flow of captivating vistas in support of over 30 different performances by stars like Maluma, Mar Anthony, Christian Nodal, and Paulina Rubio during the awards ceremonies.
As varied as this array of visuals was, however, viewers never forgot that they were watching the same stage. Tom Kenny, the lighting designer who created this scenic cornucopia, wouldn’t have it any other way. In his view, maintaining a consistent visual signature through all the various looks during a broadcast concert event is critical to maintaining a cohesive look.
At Premio Lo Nuestro 2023, this meant bisecting the large wide video wall backdrop with a distinctive arrang

UK - Artistic Licence is looking forward to exhibiting at PLASA Focus Leeds. As regulars at the show for many years, AL is returning this time as part of the Robe Lighting family, which also includes the architectural brand, Anolis.
The focus this year is on product training. “We will be demonstrating our core commissioning and test tools, so come along and find out how it's done. All knowledge levels are welcome - from beginners who are just discovering the basics of DMX512, RDM or DALI, to power users with advanced configuration questions,” says Artistic Licence.
Taking centre stage is the new product, Commissioner multi - a hand-held DMX512, RDM and DALI test and commissioning tool. It supports all three protocols, making it a versatile piece of equipment suitable for site use in many scenarios.
Micro-Scope, the rugged DMX tester first launched in the 1

UK - Breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now chose Illuminate at the Science Museum as the host venue for its annual event, The Show by Breast Cancer Now. As Illuminate’s in-house production service partner, technical solutions specialist White Light (WL) delivered the 360° event production services to transform the multi-purpose venue for a special fashion show concept.
The Show celebrates the strength and courage of 23 models, living with or beyond breast cancer, taking to the catwalk for the first time. The purpose of the flagship special event is to raise awareness and engage with new and existing supporters to showcase Breast Cancer Now's research and support for those affected by breast cancer.
The organisers were looking for a venue that would provide the ‘wow’ factor for guests, as well as being able to accommodate the main catwalk and the requirement f

Italy - As part of the K-array Group’s commitment to industry education, K-academy recently announced the launch of several new courses. K-academy is the educational division of K-array, on a mission to elevate sound awareness by providing both simple guidelines and advanced training on a wide range of audio topics.
Established in 2017, K-academy has a network of collaborations with various training institutions, along with strong partnerships with professional organisations and industry associations. Alongside webinars on everything from Pure Array Technology to fixed installation design, K-academy also offers three formal certification programmes, dedicated to consultants, integrators and other AV professionals.
Completion of formal training courses, overseen by K-academy director, Daniele Mochi, results in certification in one of three areas: Designer, I

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds lands back at the Royal Armouries next week, from 9-10 May, for two packed days of all that’s new in live entertainment technology. And Ambersphere proudly returns for another year as the headline sponsor.
A record number of people have registered for the friendliest trade show in the industry. And the two show halls feature many of the biggest names from pro audio, stage lighting, audio-visual, rigging and staging technology.
Lighting professionals can look forward to meeting manufacturers such as Artistic Licence, Avolites, Chauvet Professional, ETC, GLP, Robe, SGM, TMB, and Vari-Lite. Audio professionals can meet brands such as d&b audiotechnik, Bose, EM Acoustics, Funktion-One, Nexo, Peavey, RCF, Shure, and Yamaha.
AV brands will also be at the show, including Bosch, Epson, Lang, PSCo, and Riedel. And several rigging, staging a

USA - As part of its ongoing upgrade process Boston College recently installed two DiGiCo SD10B consoles. Situated in the college’s central media suite located between the school’s 8,600-seat Conte Forum basketball/hockey arena and 44,500-seat Alumni Stadium football venue, the SD10B desks, which replaced two earlier-installed SD9B consoles, are now the main mixing and processing platforms for broadcasts of sports from those venues over the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Network..
Each 37-fader SD10B is the main console for each of the two matching main control rooms of the media suite. One of the earlier-installed 24-fader SD9B consoles is now located in a separate control room, locally known as The Eagles’ Nest, a reference to BC’s mascot, Baldwin the Eagle. This third control room is most typically used to produce the in-game experience in both venues, Alumni Sta

USA - Gaia Nomaya Wellness Centre is a 7,000sq.ft music, wellness and arts space in Brooklyn, NY, dedicated to using music as medicine and art as therapy. A social wellness environment where visitors can have fun and hear music, yet also experience a range of healthy self-care options, the space is also used for outside events that support the neighbourhood, such as concerts and weddings.
"It’s a truly multi-use space with the focus on healthy living," explains Andrew Goldin, Gaia Nomaya’s founder and CEO, who launched the venue with his partners Sara Ramirez Loaiza and his brother David Goldin. But the central core of Gaia Nomaya is its Wellness Womb, an island of serenity with a calming, immersive aural ambience created using eight Genelec 4430A Smart IP Installation Loudspeakers.
The installation began as Robert Stern, account manager with Guitar Centre Profess

Lithuania – Schoolchildren across Lithuania participated in the country’s largest-ever remote learning lesson this spring, as the 2023 Mokonomika initiative streamed interactive educational sessions online and via the national TV station. The operation involved the creation of four separate programmes filmed and produced in a studio in the capital, Vilnius, with a crew using Green-GO products for clear and robust digital communication.
Organised with support from the Swedish financial company Swedbank, this year was the third consecutive Mokonomika, which is staged in collaboration with the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the patronage of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and Lithuanian national radio and TV.
Vilnius-based Video Projektai was challenged with producing the video aspects, as inspiring teachers gave lessons on the futu

India - What began in 1991 as a farewell tour by Perry Farrell (singer of the group Jane's Addiction) has today grown into one of the biggest and most loved multi-genre destination music festivals in the world – with its presence spread across numerous cities in multiple continents and its impact felt across cultures and generations. Lollapalooza. And in 2023 for the first time ever, this festival brand finally made its way to Asia, with the Indian city of Mumbai selected to host what would become one of the largest multi-genre music festivals to ever take place in Asia.
Brought to India by leading entertainment company, BookMyShow (who spearheaded the festival as promoter and co-producer). along with global producers, Perry Farrell, WME and C3 Presents; the maiden edition of Lollapalooza India was spread across two days and hosted world-class performers like Imagine Drag

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