Germany - A 4K CarbonLight VX LED screen from Leyard Europe forms the heart of a new inspirational and educational exhibition at the headquarters of the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL), a laboratory for research into life sciences, which explains and celebrates its work to better understand the building blocks of all life on Earth. The World of Molecular Biology exhibition occupies 800 sqm of the double-height atrium of the EMBL headquarters in Heidelberg and tells the story of life through 45 AV exhibits comprising a mix of audiovisual, virtual reality, interactive and tact
Algeria - The desire to improve the quality and efficiency of the technologies for post-match press conferences has seen an increasing number of sporting arenas investing in their press facilities. The recently completed new stadium in the city of Tizi Ouzou is a venue that has made this a priority right from the start, with the installation of a CCS 1000 D Digital Discussion System and an Integrus Wireless Language Distribution System from Bosch Building Technologies. The 50,000-seat stadium is the new home of Algeria’s most successful football club, JS Kabylie, and has been b
UK - Founded in 1943, the Cathedral Church of All Saints - better known as Derby Cathedral - is one of Derby’s most beautiful and historic sites and holds many monuments of Derby’s and Derbyshire’s past. An important spiritual and cultural hub for the city and surrounding areas, the cathedral hosts no fewer than 18 services per week plus special and seasonal services to celebrate important events in the religious calendar. The cathedral recently turned to specialist consultant and integrator, Charles Brown of Acoustic Solutions to upgrade their audio solution to bring it in
Denmark - Aarhus Musikhuset has recently invested in Robe Painte moving lights and TX1 PosiProfiles for three of its halls. The Rhythmic Hall (Rytmisk Sal) also known as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall has eight Paintes, the Small Hall (Lille Sal) has seven TX1, with another eight TX1s - four with gobos - for the 1,172-capacity Symphonic Hall (Symfonisk Sal). The lights were specified by the Musikhuset’s head of lighting Henrik Hambro and his crew, and delivered by Robe’s Danish distributor, Light Partner. The venue is a cultural and entertainment beacon at the heart of Denm
USA - Visual design group Lightswitch has overseen lighting design and creative direction for Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens in Southern California since 2016. This year, the popular one-mile nighttime walk through colourful and dazzling lighting displays shined brighter than ever with an expanded IP-rated lighting package from Elation that included the company’s new Proteus Hybrid MAX. Enchanted is an immersive visual experience tailor-made to highlight the historic botanical garden’s beauty and flora. Each year, Lightswitch reimagines portions of the experien
Canada - Powersoft has announced the appointment of AVL Media Group, a division of Intellimix Corp, as its new distributor and service centre for Canada. Established more than 25 years ago, AVL Media Group is an award-winning distribution company with a mission of developing long-term, mutually beneficial, business relationships through professional products backed by excellent sales, service and technical support. “We are excited to be represent Powersoft in Canada and we are looking forward to informing Canadian customers about Powersoft’s offerings with particular e
Italy - With his glowing bow that evokes a Jedi lightsabre, electric violinist Andrea Casta is known as the ‘Jedi Violinist’. Casta performs over 200 concerts a year that reach more than 2m live spectators. The artist has taken his music to over 30 countries and boasts a social fanbase of nearly half a million followers. His recent tour, The Space Violin - Visual Concert, sold out in major Italian cities. He was awarded Best Performer at the Dance Music Awards in 2018 and 2022. Many of Casta’s performances are smaller, boutique events. For those, the artist has chosen a TT+
Size Matters - The UK's largest indoor arena will open its doors for the first time with a headline act performed by Peter Kay. The Bolton comedian will perform at the opening night of the new 23,500-seater Co-op Live venue in Manchester on 23 April. Liam Gallagher, Take That, Pearl Jam and Olivia Rodrigo are also set to separately perform at the £350m arena. Co-op general manager Gary Roden said Kay was the "perfect" opening act who "embodies what this city is about". The new venue, set to open opposite Manchester City's Etihad stadium, features a "unique bowl design" tha
UK - In its 11th year, the Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) winner’s presentation for Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film 2024 took place at The Rosewood Hotel, with The Zone of Interest receiving the award. Johnnie Burn AMPS, Tarn Willers AMPS, Mateusz Stasiak and Simon Carroll were present to receive their AMPS trophies from AMPS chair Andrew Wilson, in the company of AMPS members including award group leader and three-time Academy Award nominee Graham Hartstone. James Ogden was unable to attend but will be sent his award. AMPS’ annual awards reco
UK - Bluesound Professional has appointed Sound Technology, a Midwich Group company, to grow the brand’s reach in the UK and Ireland. The appointment takes effect immediately. “We are very proud to represent Bluesound Professional as its unique endpoint streaming solutions are cutting edge for this industry,” says Alison Charters, business manager, Sound Technology. “The versatility of the solutions it offers will help our network of integrators grow their businesses by creating new revenue streams while also cutting costs.” “Sound Technology have such deep roots
USA - The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approved a change in its regulation that now permits operation of Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) in the United States. WMAS is an advanced wireless microphone technology designed to meet the challenges of highly demanding live performance and studio applications. Compared to conventional wireless microphone systems, WMAS offers higher spectral efficiency – the ability to transmit more audio channels within a limited block of radio frequency (RF) spectrum – as well as greater interference protection to other wireless
UK - PLASA is running an industry-wide survey on sustainability. The association aims to understand how and if companies across the entertainment technology sector are tackling the important issue of sustainability and carbon reduction. The survey was launched during the Member Business Forum on Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, which took place in London on 18 January 2024. However, the survey is now open to the wider industry until 29 March, in partnership with #WeMakeEvents, LSi, LIVE and PEARLE. Even though there are no current legal requirements in the UK to implemen
Australia - The ASP4816-HE compact console has been chosen for JMC Academy in Melbourne, the final of the three antipodean JMC education facilities to upgrade to the Audient mixing desk. Studio/facilities manager, Marcus Hernan explains the setup: “We have five studios on campus as well as numerous smaller production suites and edit labs. Each studio follows the curriculum from small bedroom style production suites with all-in-one interfaces in trimester one, to the ASP4816-HE in tri two, control surface in tri three and a larger format console in tri four onwards.” Ori
USA - Eastern Lighting Design has completed the lighting design and installation for the new Chicago-based studio of the sports podcast Numbers on the Board, hosted by Kenny Beecham and produced by Omaha Productions. The project involved 11 Prolights ArcShine M18FC fixtures, transforming a standard office space into a dynamic, visually engaging broadcast studio. Numbers on the Board combines in-depth NBA analysis with lively discussions, creating an accessible and engaging atmosphere for its audience. The design aim was to cultivate a studio environment that support
USA - Just before Christmas, Two Cities Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina moved into a new worship centre where modern production equipment enhances the in-person and broadcast experience for a congregation of some 2,500 people who attend three Sunday services. SES Integration in Mocksville, North Carolina consulted on the design of the new building and, with the support of its SES Production division, suggested a complement of Ayrton Levante, Diablo and Zonda 9 wash lights for the rig. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
France - The newly inaugurated LDLC Arena in Lyon, boasting a 16,000 capacity, is a prominent addition to France's event venues as the largest indoor arena outside Paris. In a city already known for its vibrant fusion of history, culture, and innovation, this new, Populous-designed venue symbolises the ambitious objective of the local government to offer a versatile space that can host large crowds for electrifying sports events and major concerts. LDLC Arena will serve as home to Lyon-Villeurbanne’s ASVEL basketball team while accommodating large-scale tournaments, exhibitions
USA - Although a procession of major stars like Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds To Mars, The Last Dinner Party, Bush, The 1975, and Sum41 graced the Honda Centre stage, the lighting rig for this year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO concert, which is traditionally held at the Kia Forum in LA, was smaller than it was in recent years. The size of the rig, notwithstanding, the design team was given the mission of making the overall production for the nationally televised event, look bigger than previous shows. “We wanted to make the show seem larger this year,” said Dierson of The Activ
France - Broadcasting 24/7, the international news channel France 24 reaches an audience of almost 500m households around the world in French, Arabic, Spanish and English. However, as is the case all over Paris, space is quite limited, so France 24 has to make the best of its available capacities, with its largest studios being just under 100sq.m with a grille height of 3.5m. Given the varied programming broadcast by France 24, cameras on this set are arranged very differently, depending on the show. Indeed, sometimes camera axes are reversed by 180-degrees. Also, since various ne
Australia - Hosted at The Hordern Pavilion in the heart of Sydney, last year’s B&T Awards revolved around the theme ‘Embrace the Extra-Ordinary’, with 40 categories presented during the night. Collaborating with their client, The Misfits Media Co., for whom Audio Visual Events (AVE) has been the preferred production partner for five years, a sophisticated LED structure powered by Brompton Technology’s Tessera LED processors was orchestrated. “Before the B&T Awards, we assisted The Misfits team with their internal B&T & Travel Weekly programmes and agency
France - Elation and French distributor Best Audio & Lighting provided lighting for the final of this year’s CQLP (C'est Qui Le Patron) lighting design competition in France. A demanding competition that showcases lighting designer talent, this was the first time the competition was held outdoors, this year at the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Mantes-la-Jolie outside of Paris. Using the grandeur of the medieval church’ s architecture as a centrepiece, lighting design teams produced light shows that combined quality, creativity and technique. Following an elimination tournament
UK - Located in the heart of Chelsea, Cadogan Hall is an historic 950-seater concert hall, presenting a wide range of events and performances, from classical music to jazz to musical theatre. Its acoustics and luxurious surroundings make it the first choice for some of the UK’s top orchestras, including the Hall’s resident orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, as well as a favourite London destination for international touring orchestras. It recently decided to upgrade its lighting set-up, in order to become more energy efficient as well as offer performances more options and fle
USA - InfoComm 2024, the largest trade show focused on pro AV in North America, set for 8-14 June at the Las Vegas Convention Centre has officially opened registration. “InfoComm 2024 is the destination to bring together the pro AV industry - from manufacturers to integrators, dealers to end-users - to connect with each other, learn about the latest trends, and explore the newest technology,” said David Labuskes, chief executive officer of AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “In a continuously evolving industry in a forever-evolving world, it’s critical for industry professionals
UK - Reading & Leeds Festival is to debut a new outdoor stage, The Chevron, at this year’s events. The festival attracts 240,000 visitors combined across both sites over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Reading & Leeds will now feature an additional 40,000-capacity open-air venue, including the world’s first floating video canopy made up of hundreds of thousands of programmable LED lights that appear to be hovering in the air. The mesh is 90% transparent so festival-goers can dance under the open sky into the night. “The bespoke structure, exclusive to Reading
