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Ovations in Wellington landmark venue upgrade

Details: 31 March 2022

New Zealand - The winner of multiple architectural awards, The Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington helps to define the Wellington skyline with its tri-level glass façade and towering concrete columns, which are often adorned in colourful light.
Recently, the 2,200-capacity venue, which is the home of the New Zealand Symphony and Orchestra Wellington, reflected another core value of its hometown: a commitment to protecting the environment, when it received a lighting upgrade that replaced tungsten fixtures with a collection of 268 Chauvet Professional Ovation LED units supplied by MDR Sound & Lighting.
The three-year process began in 2019, when the Wellington City Council, the building’s owner, approached preferred technical supplier NW Group to source a lighting s

The Tokyo Garden Theatre is located in the city’s waterfront area

Nexo brings versatility to Tokyo Garden Theatre

Details: 31 March 2022

Japan - Recognised as one of Japanese capital’s leading theatre venues, the Tokyo Garden Theatre is located in the city’s waterfront area within a major new development that also includes a retail mall, hotel, spa facility and housing complex. In a country where most theatres and halls operate on weekends only, the Tokyo Garden Theatre is designed to stage events every day of the week, where shows can load in out quickly, with easy access to a versatile, world-class, and permanently installed sound system.
“At my previous job, I was in charge of establishing Sendai PIT, a small live club in the city of Sendai,” explains Katsushi Kamuki from the theatre’s operation department. “We used Nexo speakers there, and I felt that their bold and powerful sound would be well-suited for the sound at Tokyo Garden Theatre. So, I took everyone involved in making the decision to

The official signing of the napkin! - Elmer Veith (ESTA secretary), Todd Spencer (ESTA president), Bill Sapsis (NATEAC director emeritus), Erin Grabe, Tracey Cosgrove and Steve Surratt (ESTA executives)

ESTA acquires NATEAC

Details: 31 March 2022

USA - ESTA has announced the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (NATEAC) as the newest addition to its community. The association is to be the new host of the quadrennial conference, the fifth iteration of which will take place July 2024 in New York.
Created by Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, NATEAC was first produced in 2008. Since then, it has been bringing together the architects, engineers, consultants, and manufacturers who are responsible for designing, building, and renovating theatres. NATEAC also facilitates communication between those groups and end users. Over the course of a weekend, conference-goers attend panels and exchange ideas at social events like an evening boat cruise in New York Harbour, dinner at Sardi’s, and a cocktail reception.
“I believe ESTA and NATEAC will be a natural fit,” Sapsis explains. “After 14 years

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.

The service connects and sources freelance production crew

Entourage Pro launches in full

Details: 31 March 2022

UK - Crewing platform Entourage Pro (EP) has launched its free to use and join freelance production crew resource. The service connects and sources freelance production crew and underpins traditional word-of-mouth methods for finding work and sourcing crew.
Partnered by major manufacturers of production technology including Robe, Avolites, Yamaha, d&b audiotechnik, MDG, Chainmaster and Marshall, EP is an online network of crew that has already secured thousands of members from over 60 countries around the world.
Initial uptake is being extended by EP’s partnership with Showcase Music, with the platform being promoted to over 350,000 rental companies, artists, labels, management, venues and production and tour managers from across the globe.
Searches by role, experience, availability, credentials, visas, rates, languages, qualifications and much more, gives

Mike Stanley has worked at Bandit Lites for 16 years

Bandit Lites promotes Mike Stanley

Details: 30 March 2022

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the recent promotion of Mike Stanley to client representative. In this position, Stanley will identify and develop new opportunities of growth for the company.
Stanley has worked at Bandit Lites for 16 years. During that time, he has toured as production manager, lighting designer, lighting director, crew chief, lighting tech as well as automation engineer. Previous productions include tours with Melissa Ethridge, Trace Adkins, OAR, Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage and Chris Young.
“I’m excited that Bandit has given me the opportunity to expand my role in the company,” said Stanley. “I look forward to catching up with old friends and cultivating new relationships as I open this new chapter in my career.”
“When it came time to add a Client Rep to the firm, hands down Mike Stanley was the first choice. Mike’s grea

High Density mode is a selectable mode of operation that increases user densities

Pliant brings High Density mode to NAB 2022

Details: 30 March 2022

USA - Pliant Technologies will be presenting High Density mode for both its CrewCom and CrewCom CB2 wireless intercom systems at NAB 2022 (Booth C7118). High Density mode is a selectable mode of operation that increases user densities.
For CrewCom, this new software-selectable mode supports up to 32 Radio Packs (RPs) on a single Radio Transceiver (RT) while dynamically allowing any four of the RPs to communicate in full-duplex across four available talk paths. For CB2, the High Density mode supports up to 16 Radio Packs (RPs) on a single BaseStation. In addition, users of both systems will have the flexibility to simultaneously deploy “Normal” mode-enabled RPs and RTs (synced BaseStations for CB2) along with High Density mode-enabled hardware, providing adaptability for application-specific setups.
“We are excited to showcase High Density mode for both our Crew

New software and firmware for Outline’s Newton

Details: 30 March 2022

Italy - Continued development of the company’s patented WFIR filter design offer greater EQ resolution, while other updates extend the unit’s capabilities, compatibility and control options.
The latest updates to the Dashboard application (software v1.9.4 and firmware v0.97) include enhancements to the functionality of WFIR filters, the addition of GPIO port control and extended compatibility for the latest Apple Mac computers.
Of particular interest to companies who already deploy Newton on some of the world’s largest festivals is the further development of its unique WFIR (Warped Finite Impulse Response) filters, using Outline’s new Equalisation Coefficient Synthesis Algorithm (EQ-CSA) which accelerates the group EQ speed functionality significantly and also extends the filter resolution.
These enhancements apply not only within a single Newton but als

BikeFest Spain 2025 - Join the ride!

BikeFest Spain is set to return for its fourth consecutive year, inviting cyclists from across the industry to join the 360km ride towards ISE in Barcelona. From 31 January to 2 February 2025, riders will again rally in Valencia, cycling along the Mediterranean coast in support of industry causes.
For more information and to sign up, visit: www.joinbikefest.com

Celebrating the best in Jewish pop music

Chauvet makes music flow at Winterlude

Details: 30 March 2022

USA - For Moshe Baskin, lighting pro of the @Eagleproducionco team. music is something that can shape the movement of light. This was obvious for the audience at the historic Ritz Theatre to see (and feel!) recently when the designer set the light from his 48 Chauvet Professional fixtures in motion for Winterlude, a collective performance by some of the leading stars in Jewish pop music.
Treating his lighting rig as if it were an orchestra, Baskin created a dynamic flow of effects that moved in harmony with the music of the various artists note-for-note throughout the concert.
He worked closely with the creative team: Shaya Adler of Eagle Production Co.; Shlome Steinmetz, the show’s director and Mendy Herkowitz of Mendy H Band and Visual Live. He designed chase sequences that moved across the width of the stage like the fingers of a maestro on a keyboard. At other m

The sound system at Canary Wharf has been replaced by a new, all-Nexo installation

Nexo delivers for London live music restaurant

Details: 30 March 2022

UK - Boisdale has live music restaurants in Belgravia, Bishopsgate and Canary Wharf, combining ‘fantastic dining with world-class entertainment’.
The sound system at Boisdale’s largest property in Canary Wharf has recently been replaced by a new, all-Nexo installation comprising of speakers from the Geo M6, ID Series and ePS ranges, with amplification from 11 Dante-networked Nexo NXAMP4X2MK2 powered processors.
“We strive to offer our customers the best of everything, from the moment they walk through the door,” explains Boisdale commercial and marketing director Adam Priestly. “Alongside a premium food, drink and entertainment offering, it’s also important to curate the right atmosphere, and sound is a big part of this.
“Most importantly of course, we want performers and audience alike to experience the very best live sound, and that’s exactly

Usher Raymond IV recently headlined at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

Brompton Technology joins Usher Raymond in Vegas

Details: 30 March 2022

USA - The eight-time Grammy Award-winner and R&B superstar Usher Raymond IV recently headlined a Las Vegas residency. Opened at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in July 2021, Usher delivered 12 shows in total – eight in July, three in December, and a final event on 1 January, 2022.
BrainHub and LMG Touring & Entertainment, both part of Entertainment Technology Partners (ETP), worked closely together and with the singer’s crew to design a larger-than-life experience featuring more than 500 moving lights, creative LED, and video solutions.
“When the pandemic first hit we did some work with Usher in our studio out in Vegas. That wasn’t based on LED setup, but we were very good at bringing team’s vision to life and serving it with a solution that directly corresponded their requirements,” says David Luchsinger, director of LED services at ETP BrainHub.

Annie Live was broadcast to a TV audience of over 5m with 350 watching in the NBC studio

Vari-Lite Profiles shine on NBC’s Annie Live

Details: 30 March 2022

USA - TV Network NBC recently ran a star-studded, live broadcast of the hit musical Annie. Annie Live was broadcast to a TV audience of over 5m with 350 watching in the NBC studio.
Award-winning lighting designer Bob Barnhart lit the production, evoking mood, atmosphere, and a vivid sense of time and place. Having previously worked on NBC’s live broadcast of The Sound of Music, Barnhart knew that he required a lighting fixture with maximum technical and creative potential. To that end he selected the VL2600 Profile from Vari-Lite.
“I wanted a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ luminaire. A fixture that can perform multiple tasks, without compromising on creativity,” he explains. “Live television specials can be like uncaged animals. Even with the most basic shows, we can face multiple challenges. We’re often short on time and in this case we only had

Mike Blackman, Emilie van Karnebeek and Wendy Griffiths

AV community supports Amsterdam children’s care unit

Details: 30 March 2022

The Netherlands - The Jeroen Pit House, a new children’s transitional care unit in Amsterdam, is now completed and ready to welcome chronically ill children and their families when the facility officially opens on 11 May.
With support from the AV community, the building boasts a sophisticated systems integration tailored to the special needs of its users. At a celebratory event last week, Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events and Wendy Griffiths, VP engagement and global development at CEDIA were in attendance to congratulate the project team on this achievement.
The Jeroen Pit House has been championed by ISE, along with ISE’s co-owners CEDIA and AVIXA, since planning began more than three years ago. The build has been supported with generous contributions from the AV industry to complete the eight apartments, dedicated cinema and presentati

The Week in Light & Sound

Details: 29 March 2022

In the Dark - COVID-19’s impact on the UK’s theatre industry has been widely understated in public discourse due to an "ongoing devaluation of the live arts", according to a report. Freelancers in the Dark is a research project undertaken between July 2020 and March 2022, funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s Economic and Social Research Council. It investigated the economic, cultural and social impact of COVID-19 on theatre’s freelance workforce and was led by Holly Maples at the University of Essex, in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and Queen’s University, Belfast.
The report includes a series of recommendations for the industry informed by the previously published findings from a survey of 397 freelancers from November 2020 to March 2021, as well as 135 one-to-one interviews, focus groups and creative workshops. In the survey,

Xutos & Pontapés performed with the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra

Xutos & Pontapés celebrate with Martin Audio

Details: 29 March 2022

Portugal - Martin Audio’s Portuguese partner LVT Audio recently supported a landmark 40th anniversary performance by rock band, Xutos & Pontapés and the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra with a Martin Audio MLA Compact rig.
The band itself was founded in Lisbon by the late Zé Pedro, Zé Leonel, Kalú and Tim, and the Porto-based rental company were determined to cut no corners at Porto’s 8,500-capacity Super Bock Arena.
With audio direction by LVT principal, and technical director, Miguel Lindo and support from Martin Audio’s North American technical specialist Joe Lima, LVT provided Xutos’ FOH engineer, Carlos Vales (Cajó) and system tech, Antonio (Touché) Costa with a powerful system. This comprised hangs of 18 elements of MLA Compact per side, with a further 12 MLA Mini and three MSX subs on each flank performing out-fill duties.
LF reinforcem

The Oak Ridge Boys are one of the longest-running groups in American country music (photo: Jon Mir)

The Oak Ridge Boys tour with Martin Pro ERA

Details: 29 March 2022

USA - To provide the Oak Ridge Boys with dynamic and reliable lighting for their recent 2022 tour, lighting designer David Boots selected the lightweight but powerful Martin Professional ERA 300 Profiles supplied by Entertainment Rental Group.
Starting life as the Oak Ridge Quartet in 1947, the Oak Ridge Boys are one of the longest-running groups in American country music. The quartet’s current line-up -lead singer Duane Allen, tenor Joe Bonsall, baritone William Lee Golden, and bass Richard Sterban - was responsible for the band’s most well-known hits including Elvira, American Made and Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight.
After touring with the now-discontinued Martin MAC 250 Entour fixtures for 15 years, the group needed new, durable and long-lasting fixtures for the recent 2022 tour capable of providing an immersive and riveting exper

The tour has played UK, Iceland, Dubai and Japan with more to come

DPA plays serious role in Joker Live in Concert

Details: 29 March 2022

UK - Released in 2019, the movie Joker quickly became one of the top-rated films of the year. The flick’s pop culture relevance made it a perfect fit for London-based concert promotion and production company Senbla Live Events’ ‘film in concert’ series.
As pioneers of this production model, the team at Senbla knew that translating the film into a live show would require an audio solution with a pristine level of clarity. With 25 years’ experience using DPA Microphones, Phil Wright, sound designer and front of house engineer for Joker Live in Concert, trusted the brand to deliver. Working with AV production supplier SFL, Wright chose to make it a fully DPA spec.
“I’ve always had DPA on strings, but it has been my dream to do a solely DPA show,” says Wright. “Some people were hesitant about whether it would truly make a difference, but no

The brief was to bring a fresh contemporary look to the stage (photo: Carl Thorborg)

Club After Dark goes Mega

Details: 29 March 2022

Sweden - Club After Dark is a new supper club / cabaret concept, created by Swedish drag artist and performer Christer Lindarw, a colourful extravaganza of music and dance directed and choreographed by Hans Marklund, with music directed by Kent Olsson who is also a co-creator of the show together with Christer and Hans.
Staged at the Vasateatern (Vasa Theatre) in Stockholm, the show is lit by Mikael Kratt, who was asked onboard by Hans and producers My Blomgren and Mikael Jernberg, to craft an appropriately spectacular and dynamic lightshow for the evening, which unfolds over three acts embracing multiple musical genres.
Mikael immediately thought of Robe’s MegaPointe for this task and specified 14 of these multi-purpose luminaires to be at the heart of the show’s lighting supported by nine Robe Spiider LED washes.
Two Robe BMFL WashBeams together wit

The systems were designed and installed by Wise Clubs and supplied by Arcade Audio

Katowice clubs boast new KV2 systems

Details: 29 March 2022

Poland - Wise Clubs is an AV consultancy and integration firm based in Kraków. The company was recently called upon to design and integrate systems into two of Katowice’s leading nightspots – the P23 club located in a former porcelain factory, and its little brother, the recently opened CEL club in the centre of Katowice.
Both venues have been equipped with comprehensive KV2 sound systems - the first KV2 systems to go into clubs in Poland - designed and installed by Wise Clubs and supplied by KV2’s polish distributor, Arcade Audio.
P23 has a true post-industrial feel with its natural brick walls, steel girders and lofty ceilings. One of the city’s premier live music venues, P23 plays host to a variety of events, from acoustic concerts through to rock music and – perhaps the genre for which it is best known – techno. The biggest names in techno and electron

Special Event Services has a pair of DiGiCo Quantum5 consoles out with Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa rolls on with DiGiCo Quantum

Details: 29 March 2022

USA - Joe Bonamassa is touring this year in support of his 2021 LP, Time Clocks. The 23-date US spring tour leg kicked off in February in Orlando, Florida and concludes in Washington, DC this week.
Out on the road with him are a new pair of DiGiCo Quantum5 mixing consoles manned by front-of-house engineer Mike Lavielle and monitor engineer John Kaylor. Also on the trek are a DiGiCo SD-Rack, with 32-bit microphone inputs feeding both consoles, and a SD-Nano Rack used for ancillary duties at front of house, all on an Optocore loop.
The two desks also recently accompanied Bonamassa and crew aboard the Norwegian Pearl for his sold-out Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea VII cruise from 21-25 February, where they proved seaworthy on their maiden voyage. All of these early-2022 shows mark the inaugural deployment of the new desks by the tour’s systems provider, Special

TPG’s L-Acoustics Syva and X Series help tame the challenging acoustics of the Warsaw University of Technology

TPG acquires L-Acoustics Syva system

Details: 29 March 2022

Poland - Formed in 2019, Technical Production Group (TPG) is a relative newcomer to the Polish market. Its age, however, belies the experience of its team, who have worked together on productions for many years. TPG has ensured end-to-end services for the conference and corporate events market, investing in an inventory of sound, lighting, multimedia, and broadcast solutions from the outset.
A recent opening of its own studio for live streaming events has added to its capacity to serve the market. Its latest technical acquisition is a Syva system, purchased from L-Acoustics certified provider distributor for Poland, Audio Plus. TPG chose Syva not only for its audio quality but also because it, as owner Piotr Badalski puts it, "is a beautiful piece of furniture."
“We looked at several solutions but found there was always a compromise between sound quality and the aest

CEG directors Gavin Thorrold and Ben Bowles with one of their new Ayrton Diablo investments

CEG makes sustainable investment in Ayrton Diablo

Details: 29 March 2022

UK - CEG is a UK-based independent equipment rental provider to all sectors of the technical entertainment industry in music, theatre, film, TV and corporate settings.
In March CEG made the first of a number of investments in Ayrton with a consignment of Diablo LED profile fixtures, purchased from Ayrton’s exclusive UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions.
“We chose Diablo because it is the trifecta of what you want a product to be: cost-effective, feature-full and very popular with our clients,” says CEG’s Ben Bowles. “Our core business is to supply industry providers, all of whom have been telling us that Diablo is the fixture they want and the key spot of its type for the foreseeable future, and we couldn’t agree more.”
Vitally, Bowles sees Diablo as cost-effective fixture with no compromise on features: “Our business is about giving our custome

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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

BikeFest Spain 2025 - Join the ride!

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