The Netherlands - The ultra-compact Coda Audio LA5 brings the quality and versatility of line array sound to smaller venues and events than is possible with most systems, says the company. "But its exceptional power and clarity also make it suitable for large shows." It's this versatility that persuaded Dutch rental company FF Entertainment-Proaudiotechniek to invest in the system.
Based in the town of 's-Hertogenbosch, north of Eindhoven, company proprietor 'Funky' Fred van Turenhout had become increasingly dissatisfied with the audio system he was using. He recently investigated a range of systems from various manufacturers and, via Coda Audio distributor Apex Belgium, found what he was looking for in the Coda LA5.
USA - Billed as the world's largest live entertainment and exhibition event, the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - with rodeo and concert events known as RodeoHouston - is also one of Texas' largest charities having contributed over $330m to the state's youth since 1932. But ask any of those youth about this year's event and they'll likely rave on about Reliant Stadium's stellar three-week rodeo and concert series, which was heard via the world's largest L-Acoustics K1 stadium system provided by LD Systems, Inc.
From 25 February to 16 March 16, the 72,600-seat stadium hosted a nightly double bill of two hours of rodeo action immediately followed by an hour-long concert from a world-class artist. To be expected, the concert list included a long list of contemporary country music favourites like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean. But
South Africa - The much anticipated VW Golf 7 launch was recently hosted to South African dealerships over a two week period at Theatre on the Track, Kyalami and was beautifully lit by a range of Robe fixtures including Robin 100 LEDBeams. Satellite events were also held at Spier Wine Estate Conference Centre in Cape Town and at Zimbali in Durban.
Ogilvy South Africa, who form part of one of the largest marketing communications networks in the world, commissioned Kilowatt AV for the full technical support. Kilowatt AV designed a 40m curved screen set and then partnered with Dream Sets to manufacture and install it. Martin de Bruin of Revolution Inc took care of the lighting design.
"Theatre on the Track looked awesome, I have never seen it appear so big," commented Rhys Pughe-Pary, technical director at Kilowatt AV. The focus point was an enormous curved projection s
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ETC Halcyon Silent
High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features.
Canada - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the addition of applications engineer Brian Fraser to the sales and support team at their international headquarters. Fraser will bring more than a decade of experience working in the live, touring and installation markets to Adamson.
Fraser has had the chance to work in a broad range of environments from small clubs to arena-size venues with world renowned artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rick Springfield. His more than a decade of experience on the road working in pro audio will lend well to the broad range of products available in the Adamson line up, says the company.
Jesse Adamson, Adamson's VP comments: "Brian has a wealth of hands-on experience in the industry. We brought him on because of his ability to navigate through complex technical proposals with very clear and pragmatic direction. He will be a strong tech
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New Touring Series by Gravity – Every Scratch Has A Story
When the stage heats up, you need equipment that can keep up without compromise. The Gravity Touring Series has been specifically designed to meet the highest demands – for rental companies, professional musicians, concert organizers, and large event venues. Premium materials, exceptional durability, and impressive longevity make these products stand out. Whether on tour, in constant use, or under the toughest conditions: the Touring Series delivers maximum reliability and performance – every day, on every stage. FIND OUT MORE >>>
UK - Electrosonic will be hosting a 'Technology Day' on 16 May at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen. With over 16 leading technology companies participating, the free event is designed to provide visitors with an in-depth look at the latest audio-visual and video conferencing solutions for the oil and gas, corporate and control room markets.
During the Technology Day, a member of the Electrosonic team will guide each visitor through the exhibition, visiting each supplier in turn. Electrosonic's expert staff will be available to discuss the new technologies and how they can be integrated into any current facilities the visitor may be running.
Confirmed suppliers to date include Christie, Panasonic, Samsung, Revolabs, AMX, Polycom, Exterity, Ashton Bentley, Extron, Sharp, Steljes, Barco, Pufferfish, Crestron, Helvar, iiyama, Kramer Electronics, Onelan Digital Signage and Mul
China - Funktion-One's distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau has hosted a special dealer event at Louis Steakhouse in downtown Panyu District, Guangzhou, to help support the launch of the new F1201 speaker. Business development director, Bill Woods, flew out especially for the event, which welcomed more than 150 dealers and customers from all over China.
Hosted by W Lee, owner of Hiroshi Technologies/Funktion-One China, the showcase saw demonstrations of a number of Funktion-One products, including: Resolution 2, Resolution 3, F218 Mk2, F101, F81, MB212 and, of course, the F1201. The grand surroundings provided the perfect backdrop and space for the guests to explore and interact with the products, and engage with company representatives - including product specialist, Chan Yu Hing.
Once the attendees had settled in, Bill Woods took to the stage and presented the story of
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AZOR® SP2 IP - Compact IP65 Spot Profile Moving Head
Compact design and IP65 protection for indoor and outdoor applications: the new AZOR® SP2 IP is the ideal solution for open-air events and outdoor theatres that require a powerful, weatherproof lighting system. An optimal partner for lighting designers and event service providers looking for a versatile LED show light in a compact housing.
AZOR® SP2 IP – the next generation of robust, weatherproof, and compact lighting for maximum creative freedom, both indoors and outdoors.
UK - AED Distribution has announced details of its first-ever High End Systems Test Drive Event, featuring the new Family of Hog 4 Consoles. As the UK master distributor of High End Systems, this event is part of an ongoing campaign to inform the UK lighting community about the latest innovative products from High End Systems who are now in their fourth decade and continue to deliver innovative products.
The Test Drive event, following hot on the heels of AED Distribution exhibiting at PLASA Focus in Leeds, will be held on Thursday 2 May from 2pm to 8pm and Friday 3 May from 10.30am to 2pm at the meeting rooms of the Theatres rust on Charing Cross Road in the heart of London's West End.
Attendees can expect to see the new Hog 4, Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4, Nano Hog 4 and related accessories. The consoles will be individually set-up with Visualiser Systems and also a selection of
Spain / Italy - Spanish manufacturer Equipson and Italian distributor RobeMultimedia have announced a new agreement for the distribution of WORK Lifting towers and DMX control systems of the brand (like LM 5) in Italy.
The distribution of lifting towers and DMX control systems completes RobeMultimedia's product range, which includes a top quality selection of professional lighting devices. For the Spanish manufacturer, this agreement is "a fantastic opportunity to increase its presence in the Italian market of professional lighting, taking advantage of the experience and professionalism of RobeMultimedia".
UK - A compact FOH/monitor audio system, based around an iDR-32 iLive MixRack, is currently on the One Direction European arena tour with American popstar, Camryn, who is opening for the boy band on their sell-out 63-date tour.
Camryn's manager and sound mixer, Jeffrey Pringle, put together an efficient and compact system which consists of an iDR-32 MixRack brain fitted with a Dante network card and controlled by iLive Editor on a MacBook over WiFi. This provides 5 stereo in-ears mixes for the band, plus the main FOH mix. Latterly, Pringle has added a PL-10 remote controller as a failsafe against WiFi problems should they occur.
"I chose iLive for my touring system because it is a rack-mounting console that can be set up and controlled on a portable computer without a surface. Inputs can be split into multiple channels and run in layers to mix FOH and Monitors, and even t
Sweden - Hamburger Börs in the heart of Stockholm is one of the Swedish capital's most illustrious venues for live music, dinner shows and corporate events. Having existed in one form or another at the same location or another for nearly three centuries, the original venue was finally demolished in the 1970s during the expansion of the city's underground system.
A new venue was built on the same site and has continued to thrive, welcoming the likes of Sammy Davis Junior, Liza Minnelli, Tower of Power, Grace Jones, Rod Stewart and many, many more. Now part of the Wallmans group of dinner show clubs throughout Scandinavia, Hamburger Börs continues to host major international artists and prestigious corporate events.
When the time came to upgrade their reliable but aging FoH and monitor consoles, Hamburger Börs FoH engineer and head of sound, David Granditsky, had no hesitatio
UK - VDC has worked with RNSS to deliver a new stadium sound system for Saracens RFC. RNSS have delivered a system design and worked with Roger Lindsay to specify the upgrade, to a concert-standard sound system, for Saracens Rugby Club's 10,000-seater stadium, working closely with VDC along the way.
The new Allianz Park stadium in North London, home to Saracens Rugby Club, has raised the bar for audio systems in the world of rugby and has been designed to give fans the best possible audio experience.
Hi-fidelity sound is now available throughout the stadium. In addition to the new East grandstand, it also encompasses the three other stands and all internal spaces. This includes the 105m long interior space under the East stand which doubles as a match day bar, indoor athletics track, and training area.
All 17 corporate boxes are equipped with individual multi-source audio an
Sweden - British digital motion graphics company SquareZero is updating its holographic representations of Björn, Agnetha, Benny and Frida ready for them to take centre stage at the Abba museum, set to open in Stockholm in May.
SquareZero previously created holograms to tour as part of the Abbaworld Touring Exhibition, but the new holograms will be even more lifelike than their previous incarnations, having been created using advanced motion capture techniques, followed by full CGI builds and rigging in 3D. Fans will be able to perform alongside the band in the museum, and performances with the SquareZero holograms will be captured and stored on the interactive tickets, which can be accessed remotely post visit.
The award-winning creative company spent nearly a year researching and animating to create the installation, which is expected to be one of the museum's most popular
USA - Meyer Sound has appointed Bob McCarthy to the newly-created position of director of system optimization. An international authority in sound system design and optimisation, educator, and published writer, McCarthy will be a part of the R&D department with a mission to advance networked audio solutions. In addition, he will remain an active instructor in the Meyer Sound education program, and support the design and commissioning of new Meyer Sound installations.
McCarthy was one of the earliest users of Meyer Sound products in the 1980s, and has been a pivotal figure in the development of all three generations of the SIM source independent measurement system. In the mid-1980s, he taught the first 'SIM School' which later evolved into the Meyer Sound worldwide education program. McCarthy's book, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization (Focal Press, 2006), is considered
Greece - Constantinos Vonofakidis has joined entertainment lighting manufacturer High End Systems as regional sales manager for Southern Europe, Turkey, Russia, Africa and India. Based in Athens, Greece, Vonofakidis will be responsible for sales of the company's full range of lighting and control products in these key territories.
Prior to joining High End Systems, Vonofakidis worked for Telmaco, the company's and also Barco's distribution partner in Greece. As the brand manager for High End Systems and also as a specialist for the entertainment market, he focused on lighting equipment sales in rental companies, television studios, theatres and other entertainment venues. He first joined the industry over 20 years ago at BON Studio as an installation and service engineer, specializing in the repair and installation of automated lighting and control products. He later joined Kem
UK - Loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics has announced the launch of its all new website. Featuring a modern look and feel complete with interactive links to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the new site is designed "to better reflect where EM Acoustics is today as a company".
In addition to all of the existing product information, including all the data on EM Acoustics' latest launch, the HALO Compact line array system, the new site will feature increased technical detail including 2D & 3D CAD drawings, as well as data for EASE, as well as EASE Focus 2 line array prediction software for the new HALO Compact system.
An upcoming innovation will be a new Technical Resource section which will contain training videos, useful information and a FAQ section amongst other things. A complete news section, including live feeds from Twitter and Facebook is also incl
Germany - At Prolight+Sound 2013, The A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) stand (E63, hall 9.0) will feature a selection of products from the leading brands which it distributes including Chroma-Q, Jands, BroadWeigh, SGM, Columbus McKinnon and PixelRange.
The award-winning Chroma-Q Inspire LED house light and the new AutoLED II moving head fixture will both receive their EMEA tradeshow launch on the AC-ET stand.
The Inspire house light is a powerful multi-purpose creative lighting tool that provides a choice of beautiful whites, soft pastels and bold saturates - all from one fixture. With fully homogenised colour mixing and a choice of three different lens options, the Inspire provides an excellent selection of stunning mixed colours and 'true' whites, with no unsightly colour separation shadows. It also features an energy-efficient compact LED design providing reduced mai
Germany - White Light returns to Frankfurt on 10-13 April, exhibiting at Prolight Sound for the second consecutive year. The entertainment lighting specialist continues to strengthen its presence as European sales distributor, representing Altman, CITC, CORE Lighting, Galaxia, Interactive Technologies and James Thomas Trussing Systems throughout the UK and European markets.
On the White Light Stand, James Thomas Engineering will launch their new JT30 & JT40 truss systems. Visitors are invited to join White Light and James Thomas for the press launch, followed by a champagne reception on Wednesday 10 April at 4pm on stand A55 in Hall 9.0.
Paul Young of James Thomas explains the value of these new products for the market saying, "We have gone to great lengths to take all the good features of existing truss products of this size and add our own innovative edge to create a ne
The Netherlands - Audio over Internet Protocol (AoIP) is now a standard for networking in commercial installations and Ateïs International has been at the forefront in implementing this technology with its Terracom range of terminals.
The growth in usage and popularity of both Terracom and AoIP was illustrated at the recent ISE show in Amsterdam. Visitors to the Ateïs stand showed great interest in the full range, which includes interfaces, amplifiers, microphone panels and software to suit any size and type of installation. Ateis also reported strong sales in recent months and growing demand for Terracom, particularly in Europe.
All Terracom products feature professional audio connectors for balanced inputs and the capability to stream feeds using the standard RTP protocol in unicast, multicast or broadcast modes. The systems also comply with the SIP (Session Initiation Pro
Italy / Germany - April 1973 was a very interesting month for numerous reasons: the first call ever made on a cellular telephone was made in New York city, and Federal Express (FedEx) commenced operations. The Pioneer 11 space mission was launched to study the solar system, Liverpool won the English league football championship and Pablo Picasso died aged 91.
In music, the Eurovision Song Contest was won for the second consecutive year by Luxembourg, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree by Dawn topped both the UK and US charts, and David Bowie released his sixth studio album Aladdin Sane.
Meanwhile, in Brescia near Milan in northern Italy, a young musician and engineer named Guido Noselli was frustrated by the inability of contemporary sound systems to accurately deliver his performances to audiences. His ambition for sonic improvement coincided with the em
Germany - Audinate, the inventor of Dante - the award-winning digital media networking solution - and OEM partner Four Audio, developers of high-end loudspeaker measurement and management solutions for professional audio, have announced the launch of two new products at Prolight+Sound.
The first is a new product called the DBS1, a two-channel breakout box built on Audinate's new Dante Ultimo solution. Its metal housing is smaller than a 9.5" and features two balanced symmetrical analogue inputs with programmable sensitivity (-46 to +14 dBu), switchable 48V phantom power, a low cut filter and has 118 dB dynamic range. The 2 balanced analog outputs deliver 14 dBu maximum output.
"The DBS1 is ideally suited for providing a small, inexpensive audio connection anywhere without much infrastructure," says Rainer Thaden, Four Audio's managing director. "We put a lo
Germany - Next week's Prolight+Sound exhibition in Frankfurt will see the official launch of Robert Juliat's extended TIBO range, a comprehensive range of modular fixtures that introduce the idea of the Creative Concept Light, the company says.
The Tibo range, already the recipient of an 'Etoile du SIEL' award, offers a mix-and-match choice of light source (LED, tungsten-halogen and discharge), lens type (Fresnel and profile) and body colour. Designers and technicians can choose from this wide selection of components, to find lighting solutions to suit any application - whether it is for theatre, architecture, TV studio, event, display or retail purposes, the company says.
The new additions to be launched at Prolight+Sound include two new profiles offering a choice of dynamic variable white LED or HID sources, and a Fresnel version available in all types of Tibo light s