Spain - Amate Audio is marking International Women’s Day, celebrating the ever-increasing number of women working in and performing key roles in entertainment technology. Their increasing presence, a powerful force for improvement in our industry; in manufacturing and supply, on-stage, backstage, behind the scenes, or front-of-house. In a statement the company says, “On International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the role of women working throughout our industry, alongside the particular achievements and importance of women at Amate Audio. Women fulfil some of the most critical roles in our company – in design engineering, production, marketing and administration. Their talents, skills and creativity are integral to our endeavour.” Currently women make up 37% of the Amate workforce and hold many key positions. These include the company’s chief acoustics e
Belgium - Although he was in the clothing business, Luc Provost always wanted to own a theatre. Not long ago, fate gave him a reason to turn this aspiration into reality, when he acquired 10,000 pieces of theatrical costumes from a Dutch company. Looking for a place to store his newfound collection of clothing, he purchased a former school building in the East Flanders town of Mater. Attached to that structure was a small theatre. For Provost, it was a building of dreams. “I had the costumes and venue,” he recalled. “So now I was ready.” On 2 January, 2020, Provost shared his dream with the world when, outfitted with a new rig of Chauvet Professional fixtures, the Cultuurcentrum Maskerade staged its first show. Unfortunately, it was also the last live show at the 220-seat theatre for the year, as the coronavirus pandemic brought public gatherings to a gri
USA - Attracting around 4,000 worshippers each week, Hope Church in Las Vegas opened a new, 1,750-seat auditorium worship centre and sanctuary in December 2020. The technical infrastructure was designed and installed by church technology specialists Stark Raving Solutions (SRS), who installed an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system in the main auditorium. At Hope Church, growth has been so significant, that in 2019, the church moved to add a fourth weekly service. With that additional service, average weekly congregation numbers grew by about 600, according to creative producer Micah Ogle. Kansas-based SRS has installed many Alcons LR series pro-ribbon line arrays in churches. They introduced the leadership of Hope Church to Alcons solutions at a demonstration event in Las Vegas a few years ago. When SRS suggested a system based on the double 8” LR18 compact mid-size line-
USA - Passion Church, a thriving 400-congregant, multi-generational and multi-ethnic church in Casa Grande, Arizona, was in need of a complete audio, visual, and lighting systems overhaul to effectively equip its growing ministries into the future and chose Elation Fuze Pendants as part of the solution. In early 2020, Passion Church reached out to 5 Words Media, an AVL production company based in Phoenix, to inquire about a full AVL system design. A day later, 5 Words Media sales engineer Brandon Cole met Pastor Romeo Leal on-site at Passion Church to walk the space and strategise an ideal AVL system to support their current and future needs. “I wanted to hear the dreams Pastor Romeo had, not just for the AVL aspects of Passion Church, but for his church overall,” stated Cole. “Designing a system with the overarching vision and mission of the church in mind help
Luxembourg - Given that the Rockhal sits on Avenue du Rock’n’Roll, it is no surprise the venue raised its fist in the air to host five concerts aimed at gathering data to work towards the return of live events. The Because Music Matters concert series was set up in partnership with the Luxembourg Ministry of Health to evaluate how future concerts can be presented safely and sustainably across the continent and beyond. The shows were mounted in the 1,200-capacity Club space at Rockhal (Luxembourg’s Centre de Musiques Amplifiées) with a range of safety and testing measures in place. Featuring Glass Museum from Brussels and local heroes Cleveland, C'est Karma & Francis of Delirium, Fusion Bomb and Claire Parsons & Klein, the event also marked the first use of the Rockhal’s new Adamson Systems Engineering IS-Series PA, temporarily deployed in a configurati
Spain -At the end of 2020, singer Mónica Naranjo launched a special re-issue of her third studio album Minage originally released in 2000, which paid tribute to Italian artist Mina. Fast forward 20 years, and Puro Minage features a full complement of the exact content that Naranjo had wanted to include in the project from the start. Marking the occasion, she played a special concert in front of a live audience - with COVID rules in place - at the Palau de Les Arts, Valencia. Lighting designer CaCo García has been working with the artist and her management team for around two years, and he chose to use 66 Robe moving lights to be at the centre of this show, which he helped deliver working closely with video director Alberto Arias. CaCo discussed the moods and ambience that Mónica Naranjo wanted to evoke throughout her performance and then designed lig
USA - The Canopy by Hilton Downtown is the latest boutique lifestyle hotel to open in Tempe, Arizona. To provide sound reproduction throughout, management invested in the installation of an assortment of DAS Audio systems. In charge of the project were ‘Skinny’ Greg Gilman, who has wide experience in the world of music and sound endeavours, and Oakland Park, FL-based TM Sound, an AV design/build firm. “The hotel’s entrance is equipped with two Q-43-T systems,” Gilman reports. “The lobby, which also doubles as the first restaurant/bar, was fitted with ten white Ovi-12s, suspended 14ft above the floor and 2ft from the ceiling, providing equal coverage for Alter Ego (the restaurant & bar) and Myrtle Corner (a lounge/waiting area) - without the undesired reflections from a nearby large room with glass garage doors. We also hide four Q-10 subwoofer
USA - The 750sq.ft performance space that owner Evan Kirkendall and GM Steve Wozniak created inside Harford Sound’s warehouse in Joppa, MD, features a rig that includes over 75 Chauvet Professional fixtures and a massive 18’ by 10’ video wall made with F4IP panels. The Harford Sound team and lighting designer Kyle Ryman attempted to replicate the hard-driving intensity of a mega-venue stage for the arena rock tribute band Glamour Kitty. “Performance spaces like ours that have cropped up since COVID aren’t the biggest, but with a solid band and talented LD, they can create settings that come across great at conveying largescale energy,” said Wozniak. “Kyle did a great job making this performance come alive so it could really speak to viewers.” Going with dramatic, synced hits, Ryman was able to create punchy vistas that captured the spirit of Glam
Japan - Enhancing its theatres to offer guests a ‘one-of-a-kind movie experience’, Humax Cinema hired Xebex Inc to design and install a Harman Professional cinema audio solution. Featuring 10 screens and accommodating up to 1,200 guests, Humax Cinema is one of the most versatile movie complexes in Japan. In addition to showing films, the cinema doubles as a multipurpose venue that hosts jazz performances and other live sound events. Elevating its facility to include ‘world-class audio’, Humax Cinema wanted to upgrade to a sound system that delivered pristine acoustics and provided guests an unforgettable experience, especially during movies. Xebex deployed a premium Harman Professional cinema audio solution that includes JBL’s Sculpted Surround technology as well as a collection of JBL ScreenArray loudspeakers. “The client wanted to create an immersiv
Spain - The North West Spanish resort of Donostia-San Sebastian has long attracted the rich and famous to its many Basque architectural landmarks, including the ornate interior of what was once the San Sebastian Casino. More recently, the space has been transformed into the plenary hall of the Donostia-San Sebastian Town Hall, but the interior is no less impressive. Clad in marble and stone with vaulted ceilings, chandeliers and stained-glass windows, the room is visually spectacular but sonically challenging – a serious problem for the meetings and events that are frequently hosted within the space. “The plenary hall of the city of Donostia-San Sebastian is a unique space of extraordinary beauty and it is full of history,” explains Anselmo Calleja of Spanish AV systems integrator Sionua Pro, whose expertise was called on during the refurbishment of the hall.
Japan - Christie has announced that Kogakuin University has deployed a D4K40-RGB 3DLP pure laser projector for large-scale and 3D projection mapping on a large surface (mapping area) comprising a ‘kinetic wall’ set up in its atrium as part of the renewal process of its Shinjuku campus. Jointly delivered and installed in Shinjuku Atrium by Ushio Lighting Inc. and CIMA Co, with planning and direction accomplished by P.I.C.S. Co, the Christie D4K40-RGB delivers big, bright and bold images on the mapping area that includes a ‘kinetic wall’ measuring 16m in width and 8.5m in height. This ‘kinetic wall’ features 180 modular cubes, each measuring 40 cm, that can be programmed to move back and forth individually. Creative expressions ranging from a highly dynamic wall surface, large-scale and 3D projection mapping, as well as data visualisation can be achieved using a co
UK - Set in a thickly wooded area and set off by manicured gardens in Thronton Hough on The Wirral, The Red Fox restaurant started life as a manor house in the late 19th Century. For a period this February, the stately landmark took on a more contemporary appearance when it was bathed in brilliant green by a collection of Chauvet Professional LED fixtures. Scott Cooper of ASG Entertainments donated the use of the lighting fixtures, along with his expertise, to the Red Fox for the benefit of the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, whose cancer treatment facilities serve patients in Cheshire, Merseyside and the surrounding areas including the Isle of Man. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the suspension of many things, cancer has not taken time off. This is why the Clatterbridge Centre initiated a Let’s Go Green campaign to raise funds and a
Switzerland - In January 2021, a new training and conference facility for Mercury Training Group SA opened in Mendrisio. The versatile space is designed to be used as one large room or divided into two or three smaller ones, so a flexible and reliable audio system was needed. Yamaha provided the chosen solution. Led by Frank Merenda, founder of Metodo Merenda (the Merenda Method), Mercury Training Group hosts ‘American style’ training conventions where marketing meets showbusiness. Along with live speech from presenters, video and audio playback are integral parts of the show. Michele and Riccardo De Simone of Sperlonga-based Remix Multimedia SRL were asked by Tiziano Stampete, the head of Mercury’s technical staff, to design an audio system which would maximise the use of the space. “Reliability, safety and quality were the key words for this installation,”
Czech Republic - Nearly a century old, Czech Radio (Český rozhlas (ČRo)) is the largest public radio broadcaster in the Czech Republic and Europe’s second oldest radio broadcaster after the BBC. Established in 1923, Czech Radio offers four national services, 14 regional channels, numerous channels covering classical and jazz music, sports, children’s and youth radio services and external multi-language broadcasts. With previous positive experiences of using DiGiCo SD12 consoles, Czech Radio’s team decided to expand their fleet of broadcast transmission vehicles, with a DiGiCo Quantum338 as the heart of the new OB van for the station’s key location in Prague. “The Quantum 338 will allow Czech Radio to mix up to 128 channels of audio with enormous processing capabilities and unprecedented flexibility thanks to its universal DMI slots and two Dante DMI module
France - Once known as ‘Little Breton California’, the vibrant town of Saint-Nazaire is home to VIP, or ‘Le VIP’, as locals refer to it. Featuring a 550-seat concert hall, three rehearsal studios and a resource centre, the venue attracts artists of all levels and music genres. This year, French audio, lighting and video company, Melpomen has installed L-Acoustics A Series in Le VIP to address the venue’s complex architectural design and deliver homogenous sound across the entire auditorium. “After 10 years of service, the old sound system was entering a delicate maintenance phase,” says Julien Potin, technical director at VIP. “So it seemed an appropriate time to acquire a new system that would address lifelong issues.” “We knew right from the start that we needed an extra-versatile and scalable solution for a modern music hall like the VIP,” adds
South Africa - With travel restrictions in place, the show has to go on, albeit digitally. For an international fashion show, four South African fashion designers were able to shoot their latest work at The Blank Space, a venue created by the CCPP Group in Cape Town. While everyone missed the audience, the upside saw the production team working in a more relaxed setting where they were able to capture the looks needed for their submissions. The Blank Space is a venue that was created by CCPP Group (founded by Clint Cawood in 2006 as Clint Cawood Professional Productions), specifically for the fashion shoot. Thanks to its success, the functional space has since hosted various events and is a solution for studio and film productions, virtual product launches, game shows and music performances. CCPP Group has utilised 300 sqm within the warehouse, situated in Ndabeni, Maitland,
Australia - During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Channel 9 staff in Sydney were kept busy moving from their historic Willoughby site where they had been for 60 years to the network's new home in North Sydney. November 20, 2020, marked the final day of broadcast before the move to the new HQ that includes a large number of specialist spaces to support Nine Entertainment Co's broadcasting function, including a 400sqm data centre, six studio spaces, radio and podcast facilities, eight control rooms and a multitude of editing suites. The investment in new technologies for the studios includes a full package of studio lighting from Show Technology. Channel 9's head of lighting Andrew Veitch started on the new studio fit-outs last April saying it was hard work as the rest of his crew were still working at the Willoughby base. “Fortunately I then had
France - Last summer, DJ Florian Picasso wowed his fans with a livestream set, accompanied by hypnotic projection mapping and pyrotechnics, from his great-grandfather Pablo’s former residence in Cannes. The light show at Villa La Californie brought the exterior of the building to life and delighted not only his neighbours on the Riviera but also an audience of millions worldwide. In an equally compelling follow-up, Florian recently staged another stream from inside the villa, this time in conjunction with artist Cyril Kongo, for the benefit of Maria Bravo and Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Foundation. The show sought to raise awareness and funds for Vietnamese orphanages. The event was staged from the living room of the villa which was transformed, with the addition of paintings, sketches and sculptures to its original state as Pablo Picasso’s studio. As Florian’s
UK - Roger Barrett, technical director at Star Live contacted SES Entertainment Services as he was in need of a large amount of quality power distribution units and cabling for three large semi-permanent contracts that they had been awarded. Owing to the technical requirements and location of some of the distro, it all had to be designed around a fixed brief. The first stage of the project was to have design drawings approved by Star, to ensure that each of the units we would provide fitted exactly to each location where they would be installed. As some of the units were to be housed under the main structure, they had to be exact. Once the drawings were approved, SES commenced manufacture of over 50 bespoke units and over 100 supply cables which were shipped shortly after order was confirmed so that they could be run into position awaiting the delivery of the distribut
USA - For DJ, producer and remixer Nicky Romero, New Year’s Eve would normally involve travelling to an exotic destination to perform in a club in front of thousands of fans. To mark the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, that couldn’t happen. Instead, he stayed local and recorded a performance that was broadcast to fans around the world from his website to help them to celebrate the New Year at home. The lighting rig for the shoot comprised predominately ADJ fixtures, including Vizi Beam RXONE and Vizi CMY300 moving heads as well as Pixie Strip LED battens. Nicky Romero’s NYE broadcast also featured guest DJs DØBER and Timmo Hendriks who performed a back-to-back set. The venue for the shoot was Downtown Veenendaal, a modern community meeting space housed in a 100+ year old former church building. The livestream was organised by Artist Division, Nicky Romero
USA - Lewis & Clark Library located in Helena, Montana, has commissioned a new public address paging system, opting for a Martin Audio solution - designed and installed by locally based AV integration company, Montana Pro Audio. They were awarded the contract after the library, which was established in 1868 before Montana became a territory, received a higher-than-expected bid for the desired AV integration design. After receiving a request for proposal, and undertaking a number of revisions and redesigns, Montana Pro Audio specified the solution from Martin Audio’s Adorn catalogue. “The original scope of contract was for a public address paging system throughout the library, as well as AV for their large community room that would double as a presentation space and small theatre and a small community room that would be used for meetings and presentations,” ex
Germany - In late 2020, the city of Munich wanted to create a projection mapping show on New Year's Eve, but with coronavirus restrictions, a new solution was created. A semi-permanent installation would enable as many people as possible to see the attraction whilst maintaining a suitable social distance. The chosen location was The Kunstareal which is a museum quarter in the city centre of Munich, where numerous cultural institutions, universities and museums are located. We Are Video is an agency for visual art which is run by three artists: Betty Mü, Raphael Kurig and Christian Gasteiger. Betty Mü participated in a tender together with her colleagues and won with the concept The Kunstareal Connects. With years of experience in the field of AV and the experience economy, the company combine art and the latest technology to create experiences that engage, mesmerize
UAE - KISS said goodbye to 2020 in spectacular fashion = with a live New Year’s Eve pay-per-view concert from Atlantis the Palm in Dubai. The 22-song set from the band’s End of the Road show was performed on a 250ft stage with the live audience at the Atlantis resort watching from their balconies and fans worldwide live streaming the concert on FITE. A large complement of Claypaky Mythos 2 and Scenius Unico fixtures from technical supplier PRG helped to illuminate the expansive venue. The concert was designed by Sean Hackett (aka Motley) from the KISS production team. PRG was tasked with providing the A and B rigs to fill the stage and create the architectural lighting for Atlantis The Palm that highlighted building features and set the scene for the mammoth show to come. Lighting designer Marcell Wahl of HOD Lighting lit the hotel’s grand arch and eight t
Germany - London-based Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts entered its production season with support from GLP’s UK office and some inventive programming of the company’s bespoke theatre fixtures from one GLP enthusiast and freelance designer, Adam Kingnow. When the academy relocated to its new building in Peckham from its former Wood Green base, where King had graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Technical Theatre specialising in Lighting, it had the benefit of a new reconfigurable theatre. This featured a purpose designed lighting grid on which the LDs could hang and focus their lighting, including a large number of GLP fixtures, to achieve maximum creativity. King had been fortunate enough to work alongside top theatre LD Neil Austin, which is when he first discovered the special TH theatre-specific versions of GLP’s impression X4 and X4 Bar fixtures, with the y
