USA - Over the past four decades, Spectrum Sound has grown to become one of the country’s leading suppliers of pro audio equipment rentals and production services. In tandem with that growth, the Nashville-based company has steadily been investing in DiGiCo mixing consoles, starting with its first pair of compact SD9 desks purchased for MercyMe’s Welcome to the New tour in 2014.
Over the recent pandemic downtime, while many companies were downsizing, Spectrum conversely chose to embrace DiGiCo’s new Quantum platform in a major way with the purchase of multiple Quantum7, Quantum338 and Quantum225 desks, adding to its already impressive fleet of DiGiCo consoles.
“DiGiCo’s SD7 has long been considered the touring sound industry’s premier console, and with the availability of the powerful Quantum engine, a number of our clients were specifically asking for the

Australia - United Cinemas recently upgraded their flagship facility at Warriewood with advanced JBL Professional cinema audio solutions.
Located just north of Sydney in Warriewood, United Cinemas is a seven-screen multiplex cinema that offers a premium movie-watching experience. In order to provide an immersive cinematic experience for movie-goers, United Cinemas required audio systems capable of delivering clear, intelligible sound and balanced coverage in every seat of its main theatre space, the Grand Theatre. To achieve this, the facility acquired a selection of JBL Professional and Crown cinema audio solutions.
“We wanted to enhance the listening experience of the 650-plus capacity Grand Cinema theatre,” comments Roy Mustaca, chairman at United Cinemas. “We selected JBL and Crown solutions for their simple-yet-effective configuration and routing capabilitie

Malaysia - Located just outside the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the Crystal Lounge provides a prestigious venue in which to showcase the Bawal Exclusive range of luxury headscarfs, known for their Swarovski crystal embellishments. Part of the visitor experience is a carefully curated music playlist, delivered through a high-quality sound system, achieving even coverage throughout the dramatic interior space.
When considering its design, it was clear the sound system at the Crystal Lounge needed to make its presence felt sonically, while keeping its visual impact to an absolute minimum.
The owners turned to Kuala Lumpur-based AV technology specialists Concept Associates, who concluded that Nexo’s ultra-compact ID14 would be the right speaker for the job.
Measuring just 130mm x 130mm x 120mm and weighing only 1.7kg, the ID14 employs a single custom-designed

UK - A world-first performance underpinned by 5G technology has taken place involving artists located at three UK music venues: Metropolis Studios, the O2 Blueroom at The O2, and Brighton Dome. The festival experience was held to celebrate the climax of the 5G Festival project.
Over the last two years, nine organisations have worked collectively with Digital Catapult to explore the untapped potential of 5G for the live music industry and provide a blueprint for how technology could play a key role in the future of the sector, including Audiotonix, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, LiveFrom, Mativision, Metropolis Studios, Sonosphere, Virgin Media O2, and Warner Music Group, as part of the wider £200m DCMS 5G Testbeds & Trials Programme.
Taking place simultaneously across the three venues, more than 20 musicians performed together in a concert, showcasing th

Spain - The Euskalgym International Rhythmic Gymnastics Gala is an annual non-competitive celebration which brings the sport’s brightest and best names from around the world to the BEC Arena in Barakaldo, Bilbao.
More commonly known simply as Euskalgym Gala, the event’s organiser was forced to cancel the 2020 edition due the global pandemic, meaning anticipation was running especially high when it made its return in November 2021.
Regional events company Tarima Technical Solutions was tasked with ensuring that the event’s sound production was every bit as impressive as the gymnasts’ performances.
With performances taking place in the centre of the 11,500-seat arena, surrounded on all sides by eager spectators, the audio system needed to ensure that both onlookers and participants benefitted from clear, precise coverage. In addition, it needed to be physic

UK - Bosch Building Technologies has installed a digital public address and voice alarm system at Telford Shopping Centre. On 25 acres of commercial space, the IP-based Praesensa system from Bosch now provides music, announcements, and emergency alerts for retail stores, restaurants, as well as hotels and a cinema.
The shopping mall operator was looking to upgrade the existing public address system with a future-proof and IP-networked solution for retail environments with two key requirements: Heightening the centre’s sustainability and energy efficiency while keeping costs for the upgrade low.
Working with these requirements, Bosch partner North AVS refurbished all existing loudspeakers installed at Telford Centre across 16 zones via minor modifications on the end lines. As a result, system integrators merely needed to replace the obsolete control equipment - includ

USA - Chip Self, owner of Logic Systems, likes to follow his own rules. Creativity, he believes, tends to flourish more intensely that way. “The very first thing I do with every fixture is find a way to use it wrong,” he says. “For example, I find that traditional, lighting angles get really predictable and boring - very quickly. So, I strive to be unpredictable. It keeps the audience guessing and interested.”
Self put this design philosophy into practice recently at the Pageant Theatre when he deployed a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures in distinctive ways to light St. Louis rockers Pale Divine.
The concert marked the 30th anniversary of the release of Pale Devine’s first album. It also saw the band reunite with its former lead guitarist Richard Fortus of Guns’N’Roses fame. Self reflected the personas of the artists on stage by accentuating ea

Australia - A new initiative and a first for Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) recently transported the performance out of the concert hall and into the outdoors to present the Festival of Orchestra (FOFO), a six-concert series celebrating a mix of musical genres.
Supported by the Australian government’s RISE Fund and technical partner, Novatech Creative Event Technology, the event was staged at the Adelaide Showground, with the stage for the 5,000-capacity central arena fitted with three large LED screens in different configurations throughout the six concerts. Brompton Technology’s LED processing was deployed throughout, giving a sense of visual grandeur to the stunning music performances.
Established in 1936, ASO is South Australia’s largest performing arts organisation, with a membership of 75 world-class musicians, renowned for a diverse and v

Canada - The hit series Revolution, airing on TVA and the biggest dance competition ever broadcast by Quebec television, used Claypaky Xtylos to showcase the dynamic moves of the dancers facing off against each other for a $100,000 cash prize.
“From a lighting perspective, the idea that we ran with for the show was to be consistent with other contemporary dance shows while also leaning into more variety because contemporary dance doesn’t always lend itself well to mass television audiences,” explains lighting designer Jonathan Barro.
“Revolution prides itself on presenting different styles of dance going head-to-head, so we wanted to create a space where all these dancers could express themselves in the best way possible. With that in mind, we got into the specific movements of the dancers and landed on the name Revolution, which stems from

Romania - The Steaua Stadium is a new, multi-purpose stadium located in the Ghencea neighbourhood of Bucharest. With a 31,000-spectator capacity, it’s the home of CSA Steaua Bucuresti and is now the largest sports complex in the country.
A replacement for the outdated stadium, the new venue was used by the North Macedonia team during preparations for UEFA Euro 2020, before being officially inaugurated in the summer of 2021 with a football match between Steaua and OFK Beograd.
The contractor for the Steaua Stadium chose an LED lighting system from Philips Signify, featuring 252 Arena Vision LED DMX and 152 Uni Flood RGBNW fixtures. The lighting control system comprises an LPC 1 (Lighting Playback Controller 1) and a TPC (Touch Panel Controller) from Pharos Architectural Controls. The LPC 1 offers 512 channels of DMX/eDMX, while the TPC offers 512 channels of eDMX for

Germany - From corporate meetings to formal galas, the Congress Centrum Ulm in Southern Germany, is a destination venue for a wide range of science, economic and cultural events. The centre’s 11,500sq.ft, 1,500-seat Einstein Saal, or Einstein Hall, and the foyer of the Congress Centrum Ulm (CCU) recently underwent a sound system re-design with Renkus-Heinz ICLive loudspeakers playing an integral role for a smart, future-proof audio upgrade.
Named after Albert Einstein, who was born in Ulm in 1879, the CCU’s Einstein Hall features a movable stage and proscenium for use as an orchestra pit or stage extension. The venue’s vast wood-panelled walls, towering ceiling and tiered balconies create a stunning view toward the main stage. While architecturally appealing, these characteristics lead to acoustic challenges.
With the new audio system, the city of Ulm, property

UK - Back To The Future, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard’s popular musical is currently playing London’s Adelphi Theatre, delighting audiences with a spectacular hi-energy production in a show produced by Colin Ingram and his team and directed by John Rando.
Award-winning lighting designer Tim Lutkin and lighting consultant Hugh Vanstone worked closely together and specified a zactrack SMART automated follow system for the show, which allows single and multiple lighting fixtures to be selected and to follow actors and dancers using a combination of tag-and-anchor and UWB (Ultra-Wide-Band) real-time radio tracking technology. This package brings considerable flexibility to the production.
In addition to enabling specific lights to be used as remote follow spots, activated from the console cues for precise moments, Tim has developed a style and creative treat

UK - The Version 2 team at the Old Grain Store HQ will cross hands to show their support for International Women’s Day on Tuesday, 8 March.
The pose ties in with this year’s theme, Break the Bias, which promotes a world of gender equality, free of stereotypes and discrimination. The annual International Women’s Day event celebrates women’s achievements from political and economic to social and sport.
"Version 2 is especially proud to be ‘shining a light on women’s sport’ through partnerships with Saracens Women’s rugby and Saracens Mavericks netball team, as well as the sponsorship of WBO World Champion Boxer Savannah Marshall," says the company.
“There has been a fundamental change in media coverage of women’s sport in recent years with increased programming allocated to matches.” says Nick Edwards, Version 2 managing director.

UK - The Drumsheds signalled the end of its tenure as a temporary venue in London with a series of sold out 10,000-capacity shows, staged by Method Events for Broadwick Live.
The venue, which is situated in Enfield, North London, consists of four lofty warehouses on a previously derelict, 10-acre industrial site. It was procured on a temporary lease in summer 2019 by Broadwick Live, who entrusted the delivery of several high-profile shows and a festival at the venue to Method Events. The lease has now been returned to Enfield Council, which is redeveloping the site as part of its £6bn, 25-year Meridian Water regeneration programme.
Over the past three years, Method Events have delivered a number of different shows at The Drumsheds. These included Field Day festival in 2019, and a series of summer festivals in 2021 headlined by Above & Beyond, Defected and Pendulum

Australia - Riverlinks Theatre, the largest civic theatre in Shepparton in northern Victoria hosts various weekly events: from touring bands and musicians to exhibitions and banquets. The flexible venue possesses a balcony above a retractable seating system that holds 825 theatre-goers or 450 banquet guests. The venue located two hours north of Melbourne recently installed a brand-new PA system to accommodate its versatile range of events.
Around the mid-2010s, Matt Schroeders, technical manager of Riverlinks Theatre, knew that the old system was starting to become a liability to the theatre’s regular event production objectives and its users. Schroeders developed a replacement proposal for the Greater Shepparton Council, which owns and runs the theatre, but it was initially rejected. Determined, Schroeders persevered, revising his proposal with further details about the t

Japan - Located in Japan’s Umeda commercial district of Kita-ku, next to Umeda Osaka Station, Hep is a major shopping mall and entertainment centre.
Within the mall, dominated by a bright, giant red ferris wheel overlooking the sights of Kansai region and the huge whale monument in the atrium, is the Hep Five fashion site. This is one of 160 stores and casual restaurants, as well as a combination of amusement and entertainment facilities.
Up on the eighth floor of the building is Hep Hall, a theatre space which recently upgraded its technical infrastructure, Martin Audio's CDD-Live being the preferred PA system.
Hep Hall manager, Mr Marui (from management company D Jam Create) explained the reason for the upgrade. "Hep Hall has been popular as a theatre venue for a long time. However, since the previous permanently installed loudspeakers were a fixed L/R prosce

France - After a recent move to La Joliette district, the Jesuit community of Marseille required an audio system for their newly built chapel and adjoining conference room which is housed on the ground floor of their five-storey building, which also hosts private habitations.
The Jesuits were so impressed by Ecclesia Sound’s recent sound upgrade in their Saint-Ferréol church in Marseille - which also boasts Active Audio column speakers - that they trusted again the system integrator with their chapel.
For this project, Ecclesia Sound had the luxury of fitting the cabling prior to construction, ensuring the chapel’s aesthetic would not be compromised: “I got on the project in October 2020, exactly one year before the delivery of the site,” states Joachim Fritsch, acoustic engineer and founder of Ecclesia Sound. “I was able to redraw the original wiring plans,

UK - When AV technology provider Anna Valley held its 2022 showcase at Tobacco Dock in London’s Docklands, it relied on a number of partners to ensure that this Event Odyssey - designed to reveal the techniques and tools now required in an ever-evolving event landscape - was conducted in not only a high impact environment, but also a safe and sanitised one.
This was vital as visitors were guided through a number of environments, exploring the possibilities that extended reality, motion capture, holographic projection and other audio-visual solutions have to offer.
Providing this assurance to attendees during the week-long showcase were Entec UVC SafeClean - a recent start-up by the Entec Group. They provided a suite of products to ensure not only the purification of air transmission but also that all surfaces were cleaned and all pathogens removed. These inclu

UAE - More than 70 Christie laser projectors are helping to inspire visitors in Mission Possible - The Opportunity Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Bringing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to life, the interactive exhibition journey addresses the most fundamental global challenges of our time and sheds light on what can be achieved when individuals and communities work together. A total of 72 Christie laser projectors were installed to deliver engaging visuals throughout.
Guests are greeted by an introductory video that sets the scene for the pavilion and the visitor journey ahead. The pavilion is then divided into three ‘tracks’, each focusing on one of three essential needs: water, food and energy. Visitors are guided by the stories of three individuals (guides) in each track whose actions were implemented with minimal resources yet had a life-changing impact.

UK - Moulin Rouge! opened at London’s Piccadilly Theatre last month. The intimate theatre has been transformed into a world of splendour, romance, glitz, grandeur and glory - with Unusual Rigging brought onboard to help create a world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment.
Jeremy Featherstone, senior design engineer at Unusual Rigging, explains: “We were contacted by production manager Matt Towell to help bring this extraordinarily heavy show into a relatively small venue. The idea was always to create the feeling that the audience is involved in the show - a recreation of the intimate feeling of being at the actual Moulin Rouge. The production weighs in at over 23 tonnes, but the Piccadilly’s grid was only really equipped to deal with half that weight - so we needed to come up with a workable solution.”
With U

Belgium - Robe T1 Profile LED luminaires have been installed at the 1700 capacity Capitole Theatre in Ghent, where they are deployed on the front lighting bridge for key lighting and specials, replacing the previous tungsten fixtures. The T1 Profile investment was part of a drive to update the remaining elements of the house lighting system to LED, making it better, more contemporary and more sustainable.
The T1 Profile purchase was overseen by the venue’s technical manager Rui Pinto who takes a distinctly no-nonsense approach to technical production.
After discussions with Bart Weyts from rental specialist L&L Stage Services, the venue’s regular technical partner, Rui assessed the various suitable options available for front / key lighting replacement, contacted a selection of manufacturers and evaluated his choices.
The T1 Profile popped up many times

USA - Creative Technology supplied Elation broadcast lights to Lighting Design Group for use on sportscast booths and stages in and outside of Sofi Stadium during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in February. Dennis Size, executive vice president of design for Lighting Design Group was responsible for the overall lighting design and turned to Elation Fuze Profile CW and KL Panel luminaires for key, fill and wash lighting.
Multiple stages scattered around LA provided pre- and post-game coverage while promoting the city and shows for client Comcast. This was the fourth Super Bowl in which LDG has been involved and was Size’s second time working a Super Bowl. Having used conventional fixtures at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis four years ago, he says their inflexibility led him to request more moving lights for this year’s plot. ““That’s what drove the design concept of a

USA - Doug Aldrich, guitarist with The Dead Daisies recently spoke about how ClearOne’s audio and video capture technologies have become vital to his daily routine.
“Making music and being a successful self-promoter have always been a function of what technology is available, so keeping up with technology is fundamental to our business,” he explained. “The basic idea is that we should leverage all available tools to play better, sound better and look better, and today, video and audio quality for video calls can be a big part of that equation.”
Having recently completed a short UK tour and now on a 26-show European tour, Aldrich is keeping busy with virtual practices, meetings and promotional interviews that reinforce the vital role video collaboration plays for modern professional musicians. Even so, he hadn’t thought much about the quality of his audio an

USA - British trio Shpongle were one of the headliners at the Gem and Jam Festival in Tucson.
Taking place over three days at the Pima County Fairgrounds, the event served up a rich mix of sounds from an international roster of artists including Lotus, Lab Group and Hallucinogen, all in a peaceful setting that included campsites and art displays.
Part of the renowned Tucson Gem Mineral and Fossil Showcase, the festival also mesmerized with some glittering displays of gemstone artwork. Reinforcing this theme, its stages had names like Emerald, Onyx and Quartz.
One would expect stages bearing such monikers to be bursting with colour, and this festival didn’t disappoint, thanks to the work of Cody Lisle, who designed the sets and did the programming for the main stage, while also supporting guest LDs like Tiberius Benson, who came with STS9, and Chandler Thomann,

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