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16 October 2024

USA - Powersoft has announced the appointment of Mitch Rauch as its new sales director for the US market.

Mitch, formerly of Opticis, Vivitek and BenQ, among other well-known AV industry names, will be based in Powersoft’s US headquarters in Flanders, New Jersey. There, he will focus on driving growth in existing verticals while also exploring new opportunities for Powersoft’s audio technologies.

“I’ve spent over two decades managing professional AV channels, and I see huge potential for growth with Powersoft,” says Mitch. “The reputation of the brand is rock solid, and the people within the company are committed to delivering best-in-class service to both our dealer base and the venues we work with. That level of dedication is something I’m excited to be a part of.”

Tom Knesel, general manager and COO of Powersoft US, comment

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16 October 2024

Brazil - Started in 1985, Rock in Rio is a flamboyant celebration of music, held in Rio de Janeiro every two years., the festival has a worldwide reputation of excellence, not just in the artist line up, but the festival site itself. The choice to use DiGiCo consoles for the main front of house systems is down to artist preference, explains Peter Racy, Rock in Rio’s front of house (FOH) system manager and mix engineer.

“We are seeing a dominance of DiGiCo consoles being used by artists on the main stage,” he says. “The choice of consoles for the festival is usually determined by the artists’ engineering team and their preference is often a deciding factor. In front of me at the mix position, three of the four consoles are DiGiCo; it seems to be a trend. We are also using an SD-11 to control system feeds, including video mapping, p

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16 October 2024

USA - Clair Global was engaged by Latitude 38 Entertainment (L38), part of Live Nation Entertainment, for the eighth year to provide data solutions to three-day music and food festival, BottleRock Napa Valley.

Clair Global’s data services enhanced the festival experience for 45,000 attendees who came to watch a line-up of musical talent, including Clair Global touring clients Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, The Offspring and Queens of the Stone Age.

Clair Global engineers built the network infrastructure to support production connectivity needs around the festival venue, the Napa Valley Expo, before deploying specific solutions for food and drink vendors, access control locations, and site wide attendee WiFi, using enterprise grade network equipment overseen by a crew of 14.

Clair Global relies heavily on the reliability and performance

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16 October 2024

Germany - This summer, A Chorus Line premiered at First Stage Theatre in Hamburg. The final project of the graduates of Stage School Hamburg runs until October 2024. The annual joint project receives support from the media technology students of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), who are in charge of the automated control of the lighting technology and use a zactrack SMART system for this purpose.

“In this venue, it’s absolutely essential to use followspots,” explains Fabian Oving, who supervises all student projects as a research assistant in the lighting laboratory of HAW Hamburg and also uses zactrack in the university’s own showroom for training purposes. As the First Stage Theatre does not have any dedicated personnel for followspot applications, someone came up with the idea of using the tracking system for the produ

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16 October 2024

Europe - At IBC2024, Clear-Com showcased communication solutions designed to meet the needs of both live and broadcast professionals, emphasizing the flexibility required in today’s interconnected production environments.

With the EHX v14 software update and enhanced SIP integration on the E-IPA card, Clear-Com is providing seamless communication solutions that work across live events and broadcast settings. This high-density integration with VOIP systems is increasingly important for large-scale productions, where robust communication links are critical.

The Arcadia Central Station’s latest firmware upgrades offer unparalleled connectivity between live event setups and broadcast systems like the Eclipse HX Digital Matrix and LQ IP intercom devices, providing a unified communication backbone. Whether managing a concert tour or a hybrid event with

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15 October 2024

UK - EXE Technology has confirmed further investment from The National Theatre, London. The venue has increased its in-house hoist stock by investing in additional 250Kg, 350Kg, and 500Kg EXE Rise D8+ chain hoists.

The National continues to expand its EXE inventory, updating its old hoist fleet and upgrading to a full range of EXE units. Having introduced the chain hoist systems in 2023, the National Theatre was keen to align with the brand.

The National Theatre has three separate theatre spaces – The Olivier which seats 1150 people, a fan-shaped auditorium and the largest of the theatres at the venue;   The Lyttelton, a traditional-style proscenium arch theatre with excellent sightlines from every seat, which can accommodate an audience of 890, and The Dorfman which has an auditorium capacity of 450 and is completely kitted out with EXE in the r

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15 October 2024

UK - Optimal Audio opened the virtual doors to its training academy. Open 24/7, the Optimal Audio Academy has certification-based courses ‘conveniently available to the world and any time that suits’.

Simple to navigate, the Optimal Audio Academy provides modular courses to help system integrators and installers to understand how to best maximise the portfolio and most importantly, WebApp.

Comprised of a streamlined product offering that works seamlessly together, the Optimal Audio ecosystem is particularly suited to multi-zoned commercial installations, such as retail and hospitality venues. WebApp, the ‘secret sauce’ of the ecosystem, makes short work of customisable installation parameters and provides an intuitive interface for the end user that’s as straightforward as any smart home appliance. Set up is already as simple as possible bu

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15 October 2024

USA/Europe - Elation has introduced Limelight, a range of high-powered colour-mixing wash luminaires.

The Limelight PAR is a versatile workhorse fixture, designed for even stage washes, side or front lighting, backlighting, and dramatic silhouette effects. It offers precision to accent scenery, sets, or specific areas of the stage for both functional and aesthetic lighting needs.

Available in two configurations, Limelight PAR S boasts seven 60W RGBL LEDs, while Limelight PAR L raises intensity further with 12x 60W RGBL LEDs. The added Lime emitter gives a substantial boost to overall output and fills in the entire spectrum to create a more expansive colour gamut. Limelight PAR L delivers an output of 8,213 total lumens, while the PAR S version brings 5,345 lumens to the table. Both fixtures are IP65-rated LED colour changers, built to perform ‘in a

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15 October 2024

UK - Andy Booth has joined the d&b solutions team as senior contracts manager within the integration team. Andy will play a key role in overseeing projects across our brands, White Light and SFL.

Andy brings considerable expertise in lighting, audio, and large-scale project management, having worked on impressive international projects such as theme parks in the UAE, as well as notable projects in Singapore and Africa. His longstanding collaboration with White Light includes high-profile projects like Jonnie Walker Princes Street, Rose Bruford College, Sky News Studios, World Heartbeat Music Academy, and the Royal Festival Hall. A career highlight for Andy was leading the house and work lighting refurbishment of the Royal Albert Hall, delivered for White Light.

“I’m thrilled to join d&b solutions,” says Andy. “Having already worked wi

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15 October 2024

USA - Justin Munana, aka Collie, of design house Nimblist employed an abundance of Elation Artiste Monet LED framing profile luminaires for Chris Brown’s recently concluded 11:11 tour. One hundred thirty-eight fixtures were distributed across the rig to ensure a consistent wash over the entire set, contributing to the elaborate and visually striking production. Fuse Technical Group provided lighting and video.

The tour followed Brown's November 2023 release of 11:11, which topped the Top R&B Albums chart. Beginning in Detroit on 5 June and concluding in Los Angeles on 6 August, the tour featured a complex production, with Justin overseeing the performance environment design.

The theatrical production features several intricate elements, such as lifts and elevators to move performers and set pieces, a rotating B stage, kinetic

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15 October 2024

UK - Martin Audio has announced the appointment of Simon Honywill as its new market development manager for live sound, production, and immersive audio markets.

Honywill’s appointment follows a long association with Martin Audio. "I’m utterly thrilled about this new role," he said. "After years of working as a sound engineer, I’ve been looking for a way to bring my expertise to a broader market and make a bigger impact. This role with Martin Audio offers me exactly that opportunity. I’ve always admired the company’s innovation, and now I have the chance to be part of shaping its future.”

As market development manager, Honywill will spearhead efforts to expand Martin Audio’s presence in the live sound and immersive audio markets. His new responsibilities will involve working globally, with a particular focus on Europe and the Middle East

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15 October 2024

USA - Grammy Award-winning artist Gary Clark Jr is touring the world with his new album JPEG Raw, complete with a lighting scheme designed by John Adamo and Robert Fuller.

For the first US leg of the tour, John utilised Robe Footsie2s (RGBW) footlights and TetraX moving LED bars on his lighting rig, which were supplied by Bandit Lites.

Virginia-based John, who has been working with the singer and musician since 2018, said his starting point for this completely new production design was … the music. The artist’s collage of soul, blues, rock and funk is often complex and multilayered. John and Robert wanted to deliver an impactful design that complemented the dynamic range of the music.

Robe’s TetraX was chosen for its versatility as it can be used as a wash, beam or eye candy fixture as well as its ability to create subtle effec

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15 October 2024

USA - The OCA Alliance, the trade association supporting the AES70 standard for Open Control Architecture, has announced the public availability of the latest revision of the standard, AES70-2024, which introduces ‘several valuable additions’. Along with new classes, the update features new methods, a new specification for using the OCP.1 protocol, and several documentation updates.

Fully backwards compatible with existing implementations, AES70-2024 continues to expand the technical foundations of the growing and evolving OCA ecosystem. Summaries and overviews of the most recent additions to the standard can be found on the OCA Alliance website: https://ocaalliance.com/latest-updates/

“AES70 is very much a living and evolving standard, and we are grateful to the developers and contributors who continue to support and expand it,” says Ethan W

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15 October 2024

Live Issues - Many UK towns and cities have seen a drastic reduction in live music because bands and singers are playing half as many gigs on tour as they did in the 1990s. Artists are playing 11 shows on an average tour on the grassroots circuit this year, compared with 22 in 1994, according to new figures from the Music Venue Trust. Those figures also "reflect what we're hearing about the mid-capacity and arena level" tours, said Jon Collins, chief executive of the live music trade body, Live.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told a music industry conference on Friday that "too many parts of the country have become cultural deserts" after more than a hundred music venues closed last year. That is the chance to live a larger, richer life, that should belong to us all, denied to a generation," she said. "And pop is getting posher."

The Music Venue Trust

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14 October 2024

Poland - Pol’and’Rock is a three-day event held at the Czaplinek-Broczyno Airfield that bills itself as ‘the largest free festival in Europe’. Inspired by Woodstock, Pol’and’Rock drew over 800,000 fans this year for the 30th edition of the festival.

Artists from nu metal and alt rock, to classic rock and hip-hop performed on the festival’s two stages. Among them were international acts like Guano Apes, Clawfinger, Modestep, Flogging Molly and Motionless in White, as well as Polish stars, including Coma and T. Love.

Supporting their performances was a light show designed by Jacek Chojczak and the Green Beam Design team. At the centre of the massive main stage (it measures 80m x 20m with a 21m trim) was an automated RGB ring that captivated the crowd by changing positions throughout shows. Thanks to its half rounded stealth filer

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14 October 2024

Europe - Australian lighting designer David Gordon – known industry-wide as Gordo – wanted to create a different lighting ambience that was transportable and transposable anywhere around the globe for the ongoing Living Room Sessions world tour by indie folk rockers Angus & Julia Stone.

He turned to 48 of Astera’s powerful and handy NYX Bulb products to help produce this smart, eye-catching, and highly individual aesthetic which packed neatly into a Pele case.

The NYX Bulbs were purchased by the band for the tour and for future use. They pack into a bespoke moulded tray for transit which is fitted into a Pele type 1607 case, weighing around 20kg when full, which is “great for freight” as well as being sustainable.

The NYX Bulb lighting concept is built around a theatre show set up. Onstage, 30 x NYX Bulbs are (typically

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14 October 2024

Poland - Produced by Euforia Festivals, Tranceformations is one of Poland’s largest EDM Festivals. It takes place annually at the Centennial Hall, a UNESCO-listed building in Wroclaw, capital of Lower Silesia. The historic venue, built in 1913 to a design by architect Max Berg, holds 10,000 people beneath its 42m high x 67m diameter dome.

This was the location for the sixth edition of Tranceformations which hosted a line-up of international Trance music artists including Aly & Fila, Brinary Finary, Jordan Suckley, Nilsix, Thrill Seekers, Solarstone, Genix, Marcus Schulz, A.D.D.A, Roger Shah and Simon Paterson.  

Lighting designer, Marcin Chrzanowski of CM Light, Poland, used over 500 moving lights and 55 high-powered lasers to bring to life the light show, transforming the mid-air into a colourful work of art, with the DJs and artist

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14 October 2024

France - The Festival d'Avignon celebrates its 78th edition in 2024. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, this major international performing arts event attracts thousands of enthusiasts each summer to various venues around the city.

At the heart of the festival, the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes is an emblematic venue, offering the setting for a variety of performances. This year, eight Claypaky Sinfonya and six Claypaky Rhapsodya fixtures were installed, combining the latest technology with high artistic requirements.

Before making their choice, the festival's technical team carried out rigorous tests at FabricA, a theatre in Avignon with dimensions similar to those of the Cour d'Honneur. These tests allowed the performance of the spotlights to be accurately assessed.

Manuella Mangalo, general lighting manager, explains, “I wa

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14 October 2024

Singapore - Arts venue, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, has recently invested in its first consignment of Ayrton fixtures having purchased 21 Argo 6 Wash and 12 Rivale Profile units for its Recital Studio.

The fixtures were chosen after a thorough evaluation process by Esplanade’s technical theatre managers and lighting team who judged the Ayrton fixtures to be a good balance of performance and reliability which met all their technical requirements. “Ayrton's products stood out for their versatility, innovative features, and the positive feedback we received from other industry professionals,” said Heryadi Yusof, head of lighting, technical production, The Esplanade Co Ltd.

The Ayrton Argo 6 Wash and Rivale Profiles proved well-suited to the intimate 245-seat Esplanade Recital Studio, meeting all the tender specifications and criteria set out

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14 October 2024

UK - Essex-based event production and AV installation company Spotlight Sound has announced its partnership with Hylands Estate. Spotlight Sound is now the accredited event production partner for the 574-acre estate.

Chelmsford-based Spotlight Sound was founded in 2009 by director Sam Dimond. In that time, the business has grown exponentially and now supports events with production and audio-visual equipment across Essex and throughout the UK. Spotlight Sound has worked on the BBC Make A Difference Awards, The London Football Awards, and many other high-profile events. During the Covid pandemic they spectacularly lit up Hylands House as well as other venues across the city in NHS colours to thank our emergency services for their work on behalf of Chelmsford City Council.

Sam Dimond says. “Our partnership with Hylands Estate means