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02 October 2024

UK - Leisuretec Distribution has been appointed UK distributor of Shure Microphones. With a 30-year legacy of delivering quality audio equipment, Leisuretec will now offer Shure’s wired microphones, wireless systems, conferencing solutions, and audio products to its customers in AV hire production, systems integration, and AV installation.

“We are thrilled to become a distributor and stocking partner of Shure products,” says Wayne Juggins, commercial manager at Leisuretec. “They manufacture world-class wired mics and wireless mic systems and we’re very excited to offer these solutions to our customers, along with everything you expect from Leisuretec: friendly and helpful service backed by strong stock holding, speedy delivery, competitive trade pricing and knowledgeable technical support.”

“Partnering with Leisuretec to become part of

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02 October 2024

Germany - Audiofocus has announced the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement for Germany with United Brands. This latest distribution agreement for the Belgian loudspeaker specialist follows similar appointments in Italy and France, marking a significant expansion of Audiofocus’ coverage in western Europe.

“This partnership with United Brands marks another important milestone in the reinforcement of the Audiofocus distribution network,” comments Audiofocus CEO and founder, Ann Leroy. “For customers to invest in a loudspeaker brand requires a lot of trust, not just in the products, but in the people behind them.

“From our first meeting we have been impressed by the wealth of real-world pro audio experience within the United Brands team. This is a company with the proven credentials and connections to support and grow our customer ba

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02 October 2024

Europe - Green Day’s The Saviors Tour 2024 continues with Claypaky Tambora Flash fixtures from Upstaging accompanying the band on their world tour.

The band’s sold-out global stadium tour will play over 60 dates. It kicked off in May in Spain and celebrates the 30th anniversary of the album Dookie and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot, with the band playing both albums in their entirety along with hits from Green Day’s 14th studio album, Saviors. 

Green Day tasked The Playground, a creative collective and production house, with creating a production design for the tour consisting of three distinct acts, which give each album its own identity. 

“Our goal was to create a trilogy for this show with three completely different art and creative directions – scenic elements, content and Notch desi

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02 October 2024

Singapore - The Production People (TPP), a prominent event production company in Singapore, has expanded its technical capabilities by adopting Clear-Com’s Arcadia Central Station.

The Arcadia Central Station is an intercom platform designed to unify and simplify complex communications, merging digital, analogue, wired, and wireless intercom systems into one seamless solution. With the ability to integrate Clear-Com’s widely trusted FreeSpeak II and HelixNet systems, Arcadia delivers ‘superior scalability’, making it a good fit for the dynamic demands of modern event production.

Driven by growing client requests for high-end intercom solutions, TPP recognised the need to invest in Clear-Com technology to enhance its offering for high-profile events. "We saw a clear shift where clients began requesting Clear-Com systems by name, particularly H

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02 October 2024

Belgium - Curated annually by Flanders’ biggest commercial radio station Qmusic (part of DPG Media), Q-Beach House has been a staple in Ostend during the summer months for many years. During July and August, while Qmusic broadcasts from the beach, visitors can tour its temporary radio studio, enjoy food and drinks on its sunny terrace, and enjoy a varied programme of live music events, from small promotional concerts to its large-scale sunset events.

Qmusic’s technical partner for the Q-Beach House events is Kalmthout-based specialist Syrinx BV, who as well as being responsible for broadcast and lighting requirements, takes care of the entire audio setup, which this year comprised systems by Coda Audio. Syrinx has been in business since 1998 and has been providing services at Q-Beach House for the last 15 years. Six years ago, the company invested in a C

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02 October 2024

Europe - An early adopter of KLANG, David McEwan, front of house engineer for Nitin Sawhney, had been waiting for the opportunity to upgrade the band’s monitoring solution with a KLANG:vokal system. When Sawhney announced the Identity Tour for 2024, McEwan knew that the right moment had finally arrived. Streamlined workflows are integral to the way Sawhney works and utilising KLANG:vokal has improved efficiency across the whole sound system.

The Identity Tour was a paired back celebration of the album by the same name, featuring collaborations with some of Sawhney’s favourite international friends and artists, described as ‘a love letter to who we all are’. The tour completed dates across the United Kingdom and Portugal, including a set at Glastonbury.

McEwan chose KLANG for the tour because band members had loved it in the

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02 October 2024

Europe - Audio-Technica has launched the System 20 PRO, a self-managing, plug-and-play 2.4GHz digital wireless system that is scalable to 20 channels and delivers ‘dependable, high-quality audio’. Designed for hassle-free deployment, the system overcomes many challenges of conventional wireless microphones such as TV station interference and frequency coordination, complex intermodulation calculations and remote antenna cabling.

Capable of receiving up to four transmitters, the system’s ATW-R1440 receiver makes installation simple. Receiver units can remain docked in the half-rack chassis or – for added versatility – be mounted remotely (up to 328ft away) and connected via Ethernet-standard cabling. Up to five chassis can be linked using included RJ12 cables, creating a stable multichannel system with the simultaneous use of up to 20 channels.

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02 October 2024

Europe - TAF has introduced the new and improved Tower 05 – a complete, all-in-one, light-duty tower system for small roof systems, elevation of truss grids, and more.

Transport, setup, and use are extremely easy, says TAF. Just roll out to your location, unfold the outriggers, and attach HT34 truss on top. With HT34’s quicklock connection system, buildup is extremely quick and easy. Versatility is also ensured, with a welded sleeve block that allows for four-way connection of truss segments to suit a wide range of applications.

Tower 05 features a maximum lifting height of 6.5m (21.3ft) and a maximum loading of 500kg (1,100lbs).

New and improved features include steel, side-to-side rotating feet for improved levelling on a wide range of surfaces; adjustable leg braces for increased stability; modified sleeve block allowing for smoother t

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02 October 2024

Germany - LD Systems has expanded the portable Anny series with a new model, Anny 8. The battery-powered Bluetooth PA speaker is the most compact model in the series and is available in four modern colours to suit individual design preferences: black, white, green, and grey. For versatile use, the Anny 8 has an integrated five-channel mixer with multiple inputs and a wireless microphone in various versions.

“The Anny 8 is the perfect all-in-one solution for anyone who wants to make music with friends or simply listen to music in the highest quality while out and about,” says LD. “Whether for musicians, DJs, or a whimsical meeting in the park, the battery-powered two-way PA system with 8'' woofer and 1'' tweeter offers more than an ordinary battery-powered speaker and combines a robust, compact housing with a sound and range of functions unrivalled in i

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01 October 2024

UK – The Theatres Trust Conference returns next week (Tuesday 8 October), taking place at The Lowry in Salford. With a theme of ‘Making Theatres Thrive’, the full programme has now been announced and includes a mix of speakers, panels and case studies.
Speakers include senior politicians, such as: Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council and Economy, Business & Inclusive Growth lead for Greater Manchester Combined Authority; and Cllr Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council and Portfolio Holder for Inclusion and Skills, North East Combined Authority.
Senior theatre leaders from across the UK will also present, including: Kathy Bourne, Chichester Festival Theatre; Kris Bryce, Pitlochry Festival Theatre; Selina Cartmel, Royal Exchange Theat

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01 October 2024

UK - Entedi has confirmed its acquisition of CP Wave, the exclusive distribution partner of Claypaky in the UK and Ireland.

Entedi MD Cally Bacchus comments: “I am thrilled to welcome both the Claypaky brand and the CP Wave team into the Entedi family. CP Wave have been making a very positive impact over the last 18 months, and we are very excited to have them on board to add to our incredible portfolio of top-tier brands.”

Paddy Stacey, CP Wave commercial director, adds: “With locations and staff across the UK and Ireland, I can’t wait to show what we can do together with our new colleagues at Entedi.”

“Entedi's approach to distribution perfectly aligns with our values at Claypaky, so we are incredibly happy to see them acquire CP Wave,” says Alessandro Colangelo, sales manager at Claypaky.

Entedi’s business manager E

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01 October 2024

Germany - Berlin's Uber Arena has installed an L-Acoustics L2 professional sound system – the first sports facility L Series installation in the world. Home to the Eisbären Berlin ice hockey team and Alba Berlin basketball club, this 17,000-seat multipurpose venue hosts up to 180 events annually, ranging from championship games to chart-topping concerts.

The venue has hosted acts such as Metallica, Coldplay, Barbra Streisand, U2 and Foo Fighters, and high-profile events including the Euroleague Final Four, NBA and NHL games, the European Men’s Basketball Championship, the IHF Handball World Championship, and the MTV Europe Music Awards.

"Our previous system, installed in 2008, had served us well but was no longer meeting the demands of today's events," says Sebastian Rossman, director of venue operations at AEG, who manages the arena. "We needed

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01 October 2024

Spain - LED display manufacturer Absen partnered with sports flooring specialists, ASB GlassFloor, to supply its LED technology for the portable ASB GlassFloor system used in the 2023 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Madrid.

Held biennially, the U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup featured the top 16 qualifying youth women’s national teams from around the world, who competed in a 56-game tournament during the month of July.

As one of the hosts of the event, the WiZink Centre, home arena of Real Madrid’s basketball team, wanted to ensure the venue delivered an unforgettable and fully immersive experience for both players and spectators. In doing so, the venue enlisted the help of German sports floor solution specialists, ASB GlassFloor to install its innovative full-size digital LED glass floor, displaying not only court lines for play, but

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01 October 2024

South Africa - Homebrew in Cape Town has invested in new Robe LEDBeam 150s for recording the most recent series of popular games show, Wheel of Fortune.

The LEDBeam 150s were specified by head of lighting Daniel Louw, who oversees all things lighting related for a few productions at the film and television production facility, which is a bustling hub of creative activity serving the Western Cape and beyond.

The 20x new LEDBeam 150s were delivered via the Cape Town office of DWR Distribution, Robe’s Southern Africa distributor, and are rigged top and bottom of two large set pieces in Atlantic’s Studio for the current Wheel of Fortune production.

This follows on from another Robe purchase instigated by Daniel in 2023 involving Esprites which were used on Deal or No Deal?

The Wheel of Fortune forma

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01 October 2024

Germany - Hamburg’s historic Kampnagel performing arts centre premiered the multi-disciplinary dance show Reparation Nation in September, featuring a three-projector-strong panoramic visual backdrop driven by a Hippotizer Nevis+ Media Server.

The production, by Germany-based South African choreographer Jessica Nupen, is an interactive installation of dance, opera, visual art, live soundscapes and polyrhythmic beats, exploring the empty spaces left by looted cultural assets on the African continent. It was created following public, site-specific and digital discussions, dance workshops, open rehearsals in Johannesburg, Hamburg and Dakar, as well as an intensive and inclusive research programme in close collaboration with the University of Hamburg, MARKK, Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe and the Lübeck Ethnological Collection.

To realise t

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01 October 2024

USA - From their beginnings in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Cage The Elephant have gone on to become one of their generation’s premier rock bands, earning dozens of gold, platinum, and multiplatinum certifications as well as two consecutive Best Rock Album Grammy Awards. But they are best known and celebrated for their highly physical live performances.

The stage, they like to say, is their home turf, where they are most comfortable and unchained. That’s clear on their 45-show Neon Pill tour, which kicked off on 20 June in Salt Lake City, with shows in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and numerous other cities. What those audiences are able to experience this time, however, sounds as close to the band’s recordings as possible, thanks to the inclusion of one of the first Fourier Audio transform.engine units to hit the road in the U

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01 October 2024

UK - Sound production company 22live returned to the Creamfields North site on Daresbury Estate, in the Cheshire countryside, where they made their debut last year on one of the stages.

With 10 high-profile stages set for the huge, four-day dance music festival, the Martin Audio rental partner this year doubled its account. This year they were entrusted with delivering optimum sound for a second stage in a large-scale Big Top. This was in addition to the 14,000-capacity Steel Yard stage which they also equipped last year. This industrial super structure was described as the largest in Europe when originally designed by Acorn Events.

Boasting a huge overhead video screen, Steel Yard really comes into its own after 1am on the Saturday night, when it runs through to 4am, and this year saw electronic music icon, Eric Prydz, headlining.

22live dir

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01 October 2024

UK - Doughty Engineering was the supplier of choice for BH Sound & Lighting hire when they were contracted to provide lighting for An Evening with Chris Packham and Martin Simpson this summer. Having used Doughty products since the company’s formation in 2011, sound and lighting engineer Finlay Ryan-Smith knew that they’d be well-designed, engineered and built-to-last products.

Ryan-Smith commented: “We were initially asked to provide lighting for a small series of concerts at the Church of Lady St Mary’s for the Purbeck Guitar Festival this June. We spec’d this job in line with the requests of most of the artists, which were passed onto us by the client – it was key we were able to find a middle ground between being able to fill these criteria, whilst also keeping costs low for the client, as they were on a limited budget.

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01 October 2024

USA - Creed are back on tour for the first time since 2012. The multi-platinum, Grammy- and American Music Award-winning rock band embarked on a 40-show tour that boasted sold-out performance after sold-out performance while their Greatest Hits returned to four Billboard charts. Lighting designer Mathias Kuhn worked with Bandit Lites to supply a lighting system worthy of the sound that has elevated fans for decades.

Having previously worked with members of the band and management on Alter Bridge, Kuhn was trusted to deliver a design that centred around the direction: a big circle with lights. And while the truss appears to hover over the band, two dozen Bandit Lites-supplied Tyler Ladder Towers act like a drapery of lights between video screens.

“Mathias and I began working on this tour in October of 2023,” said Bandit

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01 October 2024

UK - TiMax has launched a new website showcasing the brand and full suite of performance, presentation and experiential products, including panLab, the latest innovation to join the fold.

Following the recent move into the Focusrite Group and with its backing, the time was right to showcase the history and expertise of TiMax, alongside demonstrating how it is rapidly evolving to further define the future of spatial audio and show control.

Dave Haydon, co-director of TiMax alongside originator Robin Whittaker, comments: “The new website gives an opportunity for users to see us in a fresh light. Our desire is to be a hub of inspiration to empower the creative community with the understanding needed to fully embrace spatial audio in all its forms across the breadth of applications.”

Haydon continues: “We’ve long held the belief that ster