UK - Located in the picturesque Wiltshire town of Bradford on Avon, the Wiltshire Music Centre was founded in 1998 by a local group who recognised the area's need for a professional performance and rehearsal space. One of the first new builds funded by a National Lottery award via the Arts Council, the centre now enjoys a reputation as professional concert hall of exceptional quality rooted in community participation and involvement.
The purpose-built 300-seat concert hall has recently undergone a major upgrade to its audio systems in partnership with Autograph Sales & Installations. Led by the company's new business engineer Phil Nicolaou, the project centred on the specification and installation of a new front-of-house loudspeaker system and included an upgrade to the existing m
Australia - Sydney company Final Mix Post specialise in broadcast audio. If you've watched any top rating Australian reality or talent show in the last couple of years, you've heard their work. Active in both Sydney and Melbourne, their skills have been deployed to handle aspiring singers and the celebrities that judge them, and amateur cooks and the chefs that challenge them.
Capturing audio from unscripted judging panels or multiple game show contestants is difficult; if you leave all microphones open, the mix gets noisy, if you turn someone down when they're not talking, you might miss them when they speak unexpectedly. Broadcast doesn't get second chances, so it has to be right the first time. That's why Final Mix Post use their Studer Vista 5 digital mixer with VistaMix automatic mixing.
John Simpson of Final Mix Post is a long-time user of Studer mixers. "They sound
Switzerland - Phoenix has released a new update for its Phoenix4 software with extended hardware support, major improvements and many new features.
Phoenix4 Showcontroller is a solution for professional control of lasers, lighting and special effects. The versions Phoenix LIVE (for live laser operation, Laser Jockey) and Phoenix PRO (for professional time line synchronous shows) have been updated to version 4.2 - a major update, that adds support for new hardware, like the MicroNET network laser control interface, and several new features.
There were also some improvements in terms of output quality and compatibility for the existing USB Interfaces, especially MicroUSB V2. As many customers requested extended support for SMPTE timecode synchronisation (important for large scale multi-media shows), Phoenix added optimised support for Motu MicroExpress interfaces (or similar). P
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LD Systems ICOA PRO series – high-performance coaxial PA speakers for professional demands
The popular ICOA PA systems have been further developed to include two active full-range coaxial speakers – ICOA PRO 12 A and ICOA PRO 15 A – as well as the active 21″ bass-reflex PA subwoofer ICOA PRO SUB 21 A. With its professional features and high output power, the ICOA PRO series is aimed at ambitious bands, musicians and DJs as well as hire companies and commercial customers looking for a compact, robust and powerful PA sound system. The ICOA PRO series is rounded off with modern connection and control options via Bluetooth 5.1 and the specially developed ICOA PRO app, for use on smartphones and tablets.
USA - Arup and McCune recently reinforced the Vancouver TED2014 conference with Meyer Sound's M'elodie. For its 30th anniversary, the TED conference moved from its long-time Long Beach location to a custom-built, 1,200-seat theatre at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada. Luminaries participating at the five-day event included Sting, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Tim Berners-Lee, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web.
As was the case in the former location, a Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker system was chosen to provide the audio clarity needed for an audience who came to be engaged and inspired.
"The M'elodies have treated me well since we first started using them six years ago," says Erik Sandberg, long-time FOH engineer for the event. "Their intelligibility is exceptional, which is critical because some TED presenters are soft-spoken,
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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.
USA - Justin Timberlake has again selected Montreal's Solotech as the audio provider for his "20/20 Experience" world tour. To ensure the tour's success, the sound company has in turn designated Shure as its primary wireless supplier. The 2014 tour, which began in January, is currently in its second leg with dates across North America.
Solotech RF technician Éric Marchand is currently on the road with the band. "I've been working as a touring wireless specialist for the last six years," he says. "A major tour uses so many frequencies these days, and production designs have become so demanding, you don't want to leave anything to chance."
The tour employs 10 channels of Shure Axient wireless for backing vocals and the horn section, plus four dual-channel Shure UHF-R bodypack systems on all guitars and bass. With the exception of Justin's voc
Germany - tarm Showlaser GmbHhas updated its web site (www.tarm.de) . In addition to its more modern appearance, the update provides users with clearly structured, intuitive, navigation tools. For example, clicking on the 'Work' menu item calls up an extensive collection of HD-videos and high-resolution photographs of the company's projects that provide users with an overview of recent laser shows the company has presented on behalf of key clients and insights into its work.
The site's updated home page also features links to the various social-media networks.
(Jim Evans)
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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal
Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.
With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.
UK - XL Video supplied media server mapping and control plus side screens to producers Zibrant LIVE! for the opening show and various other live performance sessions staged throughout the three day 2014 Redken European Symposium event at London Olympia.
This saw numerous inspirational shows and industry master classes illustrating the latest techniques in colour, design and finishing, together with business building and planning strategies and superlative networking opportunities for over 3000 hairdressing professionals to realize their potential and 'Learn Better, Earn Better and Live Better' with global hair brand, Redken.
XL Video's project manager Toby Evans comments, "It was the first time we had worked for this client and both the pressure and the expectations were intense. However great teamwork and the talents of our three highly skilled media server operators rea
USA - The first ever Audient ASP4816 in the South Pacific has been installed at The Analogue Café, a self-professed 'old fashioned recording studio' which prides itself on being a bit different. As the southernmost recording studio in the USA, boasting an enviable view over the Pacific Ocean from its lofty position some 1500m up the largest active volcano in the world, Mauna Loa, it's certainly that.
How did they decide on the British-made ASP4816 mixing desk? Studio owner Eric Malamud was keen to ensure that The Analogue Café lives up to its name, and his research into analogue gear led him straight to Audient. Discovering that console designer David Dearden is Audient's co-founder piqued his interest. "I already own a vintage Midas XL200, so I'm a Dearden fan by default," confesses Malamud.
General manager and in-house technician Robert Unger is happy
UK - Stage Electrics has supplied a selection of the new ETC Source 4 LED Lustr+ profiles and LED Cyc's to the Courtyard Theatre, Hereford.
"The theatre wanted a lantern that could be used quickly in any space and directly connected to a lighting console. Because of all the control electronics being built in, the chosen fixture had to be able to match the white balance with their existing tungsten lanterns so everything was homogenous. After test driving the unit in their theatre and seeing how simple and quickly the Source 4 LED Lustr+ and Cyc's slotted in with their existing lighting - they knew this was the perfect unit for them" commented Neal Tomlinson, business development manager, Stage Electrics.
The Source4 LED Lustr+ can be positioned at low level safely due to the reduced amount of heat omitted. With added flexibility and easy setup, with no additional len
India - E & E Systems (India) Pvt Ltd has designed and installed a Community loudspeaker system for the Puma Social Club in Indiranagar, Bangalore, operated by the world leading sports brand of the same name. India's third most populous city, Bangalore is the capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka, located on the Deccan Plateau in the southeastern part of Karnata
The Puma Social Club, located above the Puma store on Indiranagar's busiest street, provides the community with a unique venue incorporating restaurants, bars and artistic space for the country's most prolific DJs and artists. With indoor and outdoor spaces, the multi-storey club's open areas take full advantage of the region's climate to create an atmospheric night environment.
For the main dance and bar areas, E & E Systems chose a combination of Community VERIS 1596, two-way 15-inch and VERIS 8, two-way 8-in
Royalties Record - Musicians in the UK earned £665.7m in royalties last year, according to PRS for Music. The organisation, which pays musicians when their songs are played on radio, or in concert, said revenues had increased 3.7% in the last year.
A rise in international demand for UK television shows and streaming services helped 2013's increase in revenue across Europe, North America and Australia. Online revenues reached £61.2m in 2013, an increase of 18.3%, which was helped by new and renewed deals with the likes of Deezer and YouTube.
The Last Time - The final Monty Python reunion show at the O2 Arena in London on 20 July will be "the last time we'll be working together", Michael Palin has said. The comedy troupe will not go on tour and will go their separate ways after 10 London performances, he said. Palin told the BBC, "20 July will b
Israel - Wedding venue Baya'ar (in the Woods) set in lush and beautiful woodland in Hadera about 30 minutes' drive north of Tel Aviv, has always prided itself in offering the best possible environment and production values for its clients.
This venue can accommodate up to 1000 guests for ceremonies, receptions, serviced or buffet dinners, dancing and entertainment and is independently owned by Neer Schaffer, Ohad Segal and Omer Segal. It has recently invested in a completely new lighting rig including 84 x Robe Pointes and eight LEDWash 600s, an installation which helps set it apart from other wedding venues around the globe.
This is currently the largest installation of Pointes in Israel, and the equipment was delivered to Baya'ar by Robe's Israeli distributor, Danor.
The main room at Baya'ar - built eight years ago - is an impressive glass paneled structured designed to le
Belgium - Paul Van Hees, former director and founder of Apex Audio NV, has joined forces with Hendrik-Jan Gielis, an electronics engineer who was formerly in charge hardware at Apex, to create GiVa Audiovisual Technologies BVBA. The new company has purchased all the assets and IP rights of the Apex brand as well as the production facilities and all the stock, and has already started shipping.
"We created GiVa with the sole intention of continuing the Apex brand," declared Van Hees. "Whilst the collapse of Apex as a distribution/integration company was a devastating time for us all, it was no reflection on the Apex product line itself, and I really wanted to find a way to save the brand."
Apex has a 20-year history of manufacturing high quality signal processing and system control devices with the most recent being the Intelli-Series range of digital system
Russia - As part of a Russian programme devoted to the modernisation of transportation infrastructure, the newly built Belgorod Airport was constructed to be one of the most attractive and convenient hubs in Russia's Central Black Earth region.
In addition to the airport's focus on innovative architecture, high-quality finish materials and optimized infrastructure, Moscow-based STK Heliocity was brought in to develop a unique combination of architectural and artistic lighting for multiple scenarios: everyday usage, night time usage, and holidays/special occasions. In order to implement lighting designs for holidays and other celebrations at the airport, Heliocity installed 16 of Martin Professional's Exterior 400 Image Projectors.
Heliocity's design features traditional symbols, multiple colour transitions - in the style of the Belgorod region's coat of arms (azure to green an
UK - Serious Stages created a visually striking structure that was the focal point at Singapore Day, when 9,000 Singaporeans came together to celebrate at London's Victoria Park.
Serious Stages designed and installed a 29.8m wide temporary structure to make sure the audience enjoyed great views of the artists and speakers from all areas of the park. Working with the organisers, Serious designed and engineered the system, which allowed them to create a large structure to give the production 'a bigger bang for its buck'. This was branded uniquely to characterise the look of the event, while delivering a cost effective alternative to hiring a stage of comparable size.
This was achieved by combining one of the company's 12m Stratosphere stages, as the central performance area, with a truss header connecting flanking goalposts. These gave increased weight loading capacity for two g
USA - Final year undergraduates and students on Masters and PhD degree courses from around the world are being invited to apply for ETC's 2014 LDI Student Sponsorship programme.
Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to gain real-world experience and make connections in the industry. They will receive an all expenses paid trip to the LDI tradeshow, which will be held in November in Las Vegas. All students studying light design, theatre technology or any related subject are encouraged to apply.
A distinctive aspect of ETC's LDI Student Sponsorship is mentor matching, where students are paired with luminaries in the lighting world who will offer them advice, guidance and support as they embark on industry careers. "The people I was introduced to and the events I was able to attend through ETC's mentorship and guidance still blow my mind," says Daphne Mir,
UK - Hoist UK has announced the employment of Mark Revans as their new business development engineer.
"Mark has a lifetime of experience in the lifting trade beginning his career straight from school on a full apprenticeship with Merseyside Lifting Gear Services where he trained as a chain smith / fabricator, which is quite impressive in itself now a days" says Hoist UK director Tony Dickson. "He has spent all his working life in the lifting equipment industry, with both hands on and managerial experience he is well known and respected in our industry."
Fellow director, Paul Jordan comments, "Mark's knowledge of the industry is vast, having worked for industry leaders such as The Rossendale Group, Chester Chain and Cosalt & Survitec, we feel he will be a key asset for the continued growth of our company. It has been difficult to find a Business Develop
USA - At NAB 2014 in Las Vegas, audio specialist Sennheiser has announced its support for the Dante multi-channel audio networking standard.
"By joining this standard, we will be able to optimally cater to our customers in the broadcasting and live sound worlds," explained Claus Menke, head of portfolio management pro for Sennheiser's Professional Division. The first product to make use of the network technology will be the company's Digital 9000 wireless microphone system. A Dante-enabled expansion card for the receiver will be launched in summer 2014.
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG signed the Dante License Agreement with Audinate Pty Ltd at the end of March, just ahead of NAB. In 2013, Sennheiser had signed the RAVENNA Partnership Agreement with ALC NetworX GmbH, following in the footsteps of its subsidiary Georg Neumann GmbH. Sennheiser has also been a member
UK - The POLARaudio team alongside manufacturers XTA & MC2 recently staged a very successful and well-received event at John Henry's in London, where the latest gear from Mackie, beyerdynamic, Ampeg, Gallien-Krueger, Aviom, ASL Intercom and MC2 / XTA took centre stage.
A combination of live demonstrations and product training sessions presented those in attendance with the perfect opportunity to experience the full potential of new audio technology from across the range of POLARaudio's industry-leading brands. Using the facilities of a rehearsal studio environment, the sessions focussed on a hands-on, detailed exploration of the products, for the benefit of POLARaudio's MI and hire and rental customers.
Education and training is seen by POLARaudio as an important element in driving sales. A thorough understanding of the products on offer is key to the success of sales teams in
USA - Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a Masque Sound Company and experts in supplying and supporting wireless systems for live and broadcast events, has announced that Evan Hall has been hired as project manager. Hall will oversee and coordinate frequencies for a variety of PWS events that require the expert frequency coordination and management needed in today's congested RF landscape. He will be an integral part of the development of future plans focusing on all PWS' business divisions.
"Evan's wealth of industry knowledge and experience in managing audio and wireless for large events will be a great asset to PWS," says PWS general manager Jim Van Winkle. "Evan will be called upon to make a positive impact on our business, as well as help grow and maintain PWS' standing as an industry leader. We are pleased to welcome him to the team."
Germany - Ayrton delighted visitors to Prolight+Sound with the launch of several major new products: NandoBeamS6 and Ayrton's new range of lighting fixtures, the Radical Series (R Series).
NandoBeamS6, the Big Brother of the NandoBeamS3, received its official launch at the show. Twice as powerful as its little brother, NandoBeam S6 is a compact, ultra-fast moving head. Equipped with 37 RGBW LED emitters, NandoBeam S6 shares the S3's same lightweight optical system and ultra-fast 5:1 zoom.
Designed primarily for use on concert stages, events and in television production, NandoBeam S6 exhibits quick, dynamic movement along with Ayrton's fabulous colour palette and a powerful 8° to 40° beam spread.
Ayrton's new Radical Series has been developed to maximise the potential of each product, without compromise, to deliver the best performance possible. Taking its name and in