USA - A new immersive orchestral experience has brought back the spirit of live performance in a socially-distanced environment. With audio amplifier solutions from LEA Professional, residents in South Bend, Indiana, can once again enjoy the sounds of their local city orchestra in a more intimate and experimental setting.
The new listening installation, Octet, came about as the South Bend Symphony Orchestra needed to re-think its performances after the pandemic forced a number of cancellations.
“It was very important for us to not only give something back to our community - which was starved of live performance for the last few months - but also to invigorate our musicians,” said Halle McGuire, director of development programmes, South Bend Symphony Orchestra. “We knew that everyone was combating a level of Zoom fatigue and we needed to think outside of the box a

UK - Intu Lakeside’s new Leisure Realm, complete with immersive sound, light and multimedia environment, showcased its first seasonal update during the pre-Christmas shopping period. Designed by engineering consultants, Hoare Lea, the Leisure Realm features a multi-channel Meyer Sound audio system driven by the spatial rendering and playback capabilities of TiMax SoundHub across its three distinct external zones.
The seasonal update evoked the spirit of Christmas; the bespoke sound design & music composition by Hoare Lea’s creative AV team used a mixture of sound FX, field recordings and re-scored traditional carols, spatially enhanced, panned and timed with TiMax to work with the sound system design & acoustic characteristics of each zone.
Hoare Lea’s audiovisual lead, Kevin Luckhurst produced the sound design & content creation for the update over C

UK - Mad Dogs Television is a facilities house supplying camera equipment and crew for TV productions. When it was asked by its client Round World Studios to build a new kitchen studio for their regular cookery shows, Martin Huntley,founder of Mad Dogs TV turned to Doughty Engineering to supply some of the key equipment.
Martin explained: “Round World Studios regularly hires kitchen studios in London but had the desire to have their own studio. Through a pre-existing relationship, the company linked up with the Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate near St Ives in Cornwall, which has just been announced as the location for this year’s G7 Summit, to create a permanent television production space available for hire by television producers and other content creators.”
The studio, which is located in a shop front on the beach promenade, has been built as a box within a box con

Columbia - Rapper and singer-songwriter Nanpa Básico held his virtual Kosmo concert last autumn with a large complement of Claypaky fixtures lighting up the live-streamed show.
A team from Arbol Naranja, led by Jorge Jiménez, Camilo Mejía and William Gallo, were challenged to craft a virtual concert that the public would enjoy from their homes and that recreated the mood of a live show on any digital device. “Reinventing the way in which Nanpa's music is consumed live opened a door for us to a format that we will continue to perform in, without any doubt,” says Arbol Naranja manager Jorge Jiménez.
Nanpa Básico fuses rhythms, such as bolero and reggae, for a hip hop style very much his own. According to the Arbol Naranja team, he is an unconventional artist who integrates orchestral musicians and treats the rhythm and style of each song with great presence and

Italy - Andrea Bocelli and Igor Mitoraj’s sculptural works were the protagonists of a special evening in Noto to promote Sicilian Unesco sites. wysiwyg was also honoured to be there to help light this concert and its cultural assets as Andrea’s voice filled the piazza in front of the Noto Cathedral in Sicily during a concert held to convey a message of courage and unity among the seven sites recognised by UNESCO in Sicily (see our latest issue for a report on the event).
The tenor was accompanied by an orchestra and the Teatro Massimo Bellini choir in Catania, directed by Alberto Bartalini.
The event is organised thanks to the financial commitment of the Sicilian Region and the Municipality of Noto. T

Finland - The 2020 series of Finland’s Tanssii tähtien kanssa - a version of the BBC’s popular Strictly Come Dancing TV show - culminated at the end of December following a visual feast driven by Hippotizer Montane+ RTX Media Servers.
A host of Finnish household names participated in Series 13 of the show, ranging from politicians to rappers, actors to YouTube stars. Their performances were backed by a mix of live feed and pre-made content, displayed on a huge LED screen backdrop and on smaller screens behind the judging panel. The live shows were seen by an average audience of more than one million, which is a sizeable chunk of Finland’s 5.5 million population.
At the visuals helm was Nordic events and experiences company Bright Group, headed up by designer and creative director Eero Helle, video operator Tero Kärpijoki and chief video tech Topi

Japan - Lighting designer Mr. Mitsumasa Hayashi created The Robe Lighting Show - a piece of light art at the Urayasu Mai Studio of the Nihon Stage Co, which featured over 350 Robe moving lights. These were supplied by prominent Japanese rental companies, M-Tech Style and the Mula Corporation. The piece was commissioned by Mr. Masaharu Sakamoto who heads up LTG, Robe’s Japanese distributor.
With live performances halted worldwide due to the pandemic, Mr. Sakamoto was keen to produce a lighting art video concept that could be enjoyed and appreciated by lighting enthusiasts worldwide, and he knew Mr Hayashi was the right person to create a brilliant, poignant, and high-impact work.
Mr Sakamoto himself was inspired by the positive, robust power of Robe’s brand messaging during these uncertain pandemic times. “A show like this using Robe products exclusively i

Slovakia - Ŭsmev ako dar (Smile As A Gift) is a high-profile gala evening and charity concert broadcast on Christmas Eve on Slovakia’s national RTVS Channel 1.
The show features the participation of children from orphanages and foster care facilities across Slovakia, together with some of the country’s best known popular singers, bands, and dancers.
Slovakian technical production and rental company Q-99, headed by Martin Kubanka, has been involved with the Smile As A Gift foundation since 1994, and this year’s festival special was recorded – without audience due to Covid restrictions – in a pop-up streaming studio created at their warehouse facility in Bratislava-Čunovo.
The studio was built earlier in the year to provide some revenue during the pandemic. In keeping with Q-99’s commitment to excellence in lighting, video, and audio, it

Estonia - On the final day of Bocuse d'Or Europe 2020, leading chefs from 24 nations gathered with their teams in different rooms at the Saku Arena in Talin early in the morning to review their secret plans for the dishes they would be offering judges later that afternoon.
All of them would be working with Estonian quail and eel catfish. The culinary wizard who blended these basic ingredients into ‘the most sumptuous and alluring gastronomical creation’ would be crowned European Champion by Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid.
As the top chefs and their assistants met in secret that morning, Olev Luhaäär was also busy meeting with his team as they reviewed plans for lighting the televised event under unusual circumstances. (Unlike in previous years there was no live audience in the 10,000-seat arena because of the pandemic.) Luhaäär had begun preparing for this

Grammy Award-winning mixer Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, Muse, Bruce Springsteen) has kept a busy schedule during the COVID-19 lockdown, taking on projects from a wide range of artists. In addition to applying his mixing skills to these recordings, in many cases he has been tracking artists’ vocals himself.
“In March 2020, I devised a makeshift vocal booth at my facility that we were able to disinfect after every use,” he explains, “and everything could stay properly distanced to adhere to the health guidelines of the situation. Originally I set this up just as a temporary solution for a project or two. But nine months later, this setup is still in use, right where we assembled it.”
Key to the success of this vocal recording setup is the Audio-Technica AT5047 cardioid condenser studio microphone.
“The AT5047 is a game-changing microphone in a lot of ways,” C

Denmark - Live Company is a full technical production and rental specialist based in Skovlunde, a suburb of Copenhagen, owned by Peter Clausen, Mikkel Bedsted and two other business partners, all of whom are dedicated to providing quality service and high production values to clients across multiple performance genres.
Since 2018, the company has invested steadily in Astera products, the first ones being AX1 PixelTubes which were purchased to illuminate the domed roof of Cirkusrevyen’s big top venue in Dyrehavsbakken (the north of Copenhagen).
Started in 1935, Cirkusrevyen is the biggest revue show in Denmark and has been performed every year except 2020, when the season was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic!
The AX1s were modified with special magnetic fastenings for this specific project. They were utilised during a spectacular dance number, where t

USA - Like all minor league baseball teams, The New Hampshire Fisher Cats had no 2020 baseball season, because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Although the crack of the bat and thump of a fastball hitting the catcher’s glove could not be heard at C this summer, the connection that the club, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, has to fans remains as strong as ever.
This was very evident at the team’s annual Granite State Baseball Dinner. Held virtually this year, with Events United producing the event at Studio Lab, the fundraiser ran over its scheduled time because of the high level of interest from fans throughout New Hampshire. “The Fisher Cats are an institution in this area,” said Tim Messina, owner of Events United. “Since they could not hold their dinner live, we helped them create a new atmosphere of their traditional event in a livestream.”
The key to

UK - Over the past 25 years Music Bank has established itself as one of the leading rehearsal and backline hire facilities in Europe. In recent months, Music Bank’s director Jimmy Mac has been busy modifying the studios to create a live streaming space, allocating its DiGiCo SD12 to mix duties to ensure familiarity and total flexibility for visiting engineers.
“We knew people would want to use Music Bank as a streaming location for the same reasons they use it for a rehearsal space,” says Charlie Bryson, monitor engineer for Rod Stewart’s band and long-time DiGiCo user who started his career at Music Bank and has returned during the pandemic to look after all things audio for the live streams. “The new studios offer huge, great sounding, well-serviced rehearsal rooms with a plethora of backline and instruments available to hire right across the hallway.”
Th

China - When Mikkel Borg Bjergsø started experimenting in his kitchen with his childhood friend Kristian Keller in 2003, the initial thought was to recreate the beer they most enjoyed and save themselves some money in the process. Today Mikkeller exports craft beer to over 50 countries and operates an equal number of bars and restaurants around the globe.
The latest venture is Mikkeller Shanghai, the brand’s first bar in China and a step into a new and developing market. Designed by Mikkeller’s own designer, Camilla Monsrud, the bar is a fusion of Chinese architecture with Nordic minimalism, including a Genelec 4000 Series sound system.
The accent throughout the bar is on raw, natural materials. Wooden furniture and soft lighting contrast with concrete floors and exposed brickwork.
The Genelec 4030 loudspeakers are a match for the quality and aesthetic crit

Italy - As part of a project funded by the European Union, a former military barracks in northern Italy has been transformed into a ‘social activation hub’. BASIS Vinschgau-Venosta aims to facilitate the development of ideas in economy, culture, education, social development and is designed to bring people of all ages, backgrounds and experience together. The multi-use space features a comprehensive yet versatile Alcons Audio pro-ribbon audio system.
The former Druso army barracks was opened in 1937, closing in the late 1990s. In the summer of 2020, the completion of a long-term project saw the building given a new life as BASIS Vinschgau-Venosta. It’s the brainchild of Hannes Götsch and is designed to host a wide range of events, including theatre, live music, movies and club nights.
Hannes knew Wolfgang Sauter, founder and owner of the Austrian audio specialis

Canada - Vancouver-based Promosa has enhanced its 20 year-old legacy in film and television production by investing in disguise’s vx4 and rx machines and undergoing specialist xR training to become the first official disguise partner in Canada to deliver full end-to-end xR stage production.
With offices across Western Canada and in Washington state, Promosa is a full-service production management company specialising in large-format LED video screens – the largest inventory in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. They have been used in countless productions, including TV series DC Legends of Tomorrow, A Million Little Things, The Twilight Zone and the upcoming Disney+ series Turner & Hooch.
In partnership with Animatrik Film Design their Vancouver headquarters features the largest independent motion capture sound stage in North

Sweden - Östgötateatern, Sweden’s largest regional theatre, has further invested in Chroma-Q’s award-winning Color Force IITM Cyc, Wash & Effects LED battens.
Welcoming around 100,000 visitors a year across their two theatre buildings and smaller venues, Östgötateatern offers a wide range of theatre - from classic Swedish tales, to modern international plays. With Color Force II in demand for a number of their performances they have expanded their stock to 26 units to enable the fixtures to be used on multiple stages and performances at the same time.
Linn Persson, lighting designer at Östgötateatern, comments: “We first purchased Color Force II back in 2018, and they have since become a staple fixture for a number of performances taking place in our theatres. We have been very impressed with their performance, which meets our requirements for a good, s

UK - The 2020 celebrations marked the 17th year that DeltaLive has provided communications and audio services for London's New Year's Eve festivities (get the full story of the NYE spectacular in the upcoming LSi issue).
Jack Morton, the global brand experience agency, helped to develop the original concept for this annual event and worked in partnership with the Mayor of London's office and a dedicated team of experts to create the experience. The 10-minute show, designed for home viewing and created in collaboration with the BBC, was broadcast live on BBC1 and watched by a global viewing audience of millions.
Due to COVID-19, audiences were not able to attend the event this year, which would normally see some 100,000 spectators. But with no audience, this gave the Jack Morton led production team the opportunity to expand on previous years and utilise multipl

Russia - The Palace of Culture “October” is an 850-seat theatre with two levels. Opened in 1966 in Podolsk, Moscow, the venue hosts many types of events from dance to concerts and local shows.
RCF Russian distributor ARIS provided a new HDL 28-A line array with SUB 9004-AS for a new and improved sound. The upgrade has allowed the 240- seat balcony to be opened to the public; it previously remained closed due to acoustical issues.
Installed more than 10 years ago, the previous sound system was unable to cover the rather spacious balcony properly. This meant that tickets to the balcony during box office concerts were not sold, to avoid complaints from disappointed patrons.
When the budget was approved for a new sound reinforcement system, a mandatory requirement from management of the House of Culture was to provide a high-quality sound experience to all secti

Belgium - The Belgian edition of Wheel of Fortune (Het Rad van Fortuin), first appeared in 1976, only a year after its American counterpart debuted.
Like all long-running success stories, the Wheel of Fortune franchise has survived thanks to its ability to adapt and change, a quality that has enabled it to appeal to new generations of fans without losing their parents. This renewal process was very much in evidence in the 2020 edition of the Belgian show, which featured a sleek new set designed by Deusjevoo.
Accentuating this set and endowing with extra vibrancy and depth was a lighting and video design by Painting With Light that featured an extensive collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Splendit, including the EPIX Strip IP, Maverick MK3 Profile, Maverick MK2 Profile, Rogue R2X Wash, Ovation E-910FC ellipsoidal, COLORado Panel Q40 and

Hungary Production designer Frédéric ‘Aldo’ Fayard (of Concept K) deployed Fusion by GLP FS20 Sticks for the first time when lighting the recent ISL (International Swimming League) event in Budapest.
Born from the initiative of Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, the event features 10 teams of 28 swimmers, who take part in a knockout competition, culminating in two semi-finals and a final. Held inside a sanitary bubble, the audience-free occasion was one of the biggest sporting events in the world this year and was broadcast on CBS in the US and BeIN Sport among others.
From a lighting perspective, Fayard had to ensure this high-profile international competition, where several world records were broken, still retained its entertainment value in the absence of an audience.
The LD founded Concept K 23 years ago, mainly for touring and classical eve

Canada - With its network of studios spanning the world, from the United States to Europe and Asia, Pixomondo (PXO) works extensively as a VFX house. The company has worked on award-winning TV productions such as Raised By Wolves, Perry Mason, Westworld and Star Trek: Discovery, as well as co-produced and provided the VFX for Roland Emmerich's feature film, Midway, and is now working on the filmmaker's upcoming Moonfall.
PXO has just finished building one of the world’s largest Virtual Production (VP) studios in Toronto, with Brompton Technology as part of the network of tech partners that PXO has teamed up with on the new facility.
“Beyond the prerequisites for a LED processor geared towards Virtual Production, Brompton has shown that it is heavily invested in innovation with a strong focus on quality, which perfectly ali

USA - For The Morton Arboretum, the idea of not running Illumination this past holiday season was not an option, says Lightswitch principal John Featherstone about the popular wintertime lighting display in Lisle, Illinois. Illumination continues to shine through after being redesigned for a drive-thru experience using additional Elation luminaires, the eighth year for the project.
“It’s about a partnership between a remarkable institution, and an industry full of incredibly creative, hard-working and motivated people who are still passionate about delivering remarkable experiences to an entertainment-starved public and bringing relief to people,” says Featherstone. “The motivating force behind why the Arboretum decided to pivot Illumination to a driving experience was not only to ensure guest safety in the middle of a pandemic, but also because we

UK - Knowsley Safari Park, just outside of Liverpool lets you see baboons, prides of lions and much more. This year they organised Enchanted, a foot safari which comes alive as the sun sets. You can enjoy the safari after dark as the whole path is lit with magical lights which guides you through the enchanted trail.
Stage Management Company installed the lights for this project. They used Showtec Spectral M800 Q4 IP65 spots. Additionally they deployed Showtec Cameleon flood and Showtec Cameleon bar 24/3, both very powerful fixtures. The Showtec Festoon string was used as well, which has a length of 15m with 20 pixels. Each pixel can be controlled individually with the dedicated Festoon controller.
Completing the setting were the Infinity iW-1915 fixtures, where LEDs are divided in five controllable sections allowing for rich colour flows and creative patterns.

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