USA/Italy - Atlona has appointed Prase Media Technologies as its new distributor in Italy, effective immediately. Headquartered just outside Venice, Prase will leverage more than 20 years of proven experience in Italy’s AV market to bolster Atlona’s presence throughout the country.
“We are witnessing the progressive and unstoppable convergence of AV technologies with the IT industry, which is creating new business opportunities for those AV systems integrators who invest in new IT skills and solutions,” said Ennio Prase, CEO, Prase Media Technologies.
“Atlona is at the forefront of this evolution, with innovations such as the OmniStream AV over IP platform delivering a complete range of features that the market will soon consider essential. Atlona expertly combines these AV capabilities with the requirements of the IT sector - ensuring secure AV communications, enabling remote monitoring of entire systems, and offering redundancy to prevent network failures.”
“Prase’s rich experience, high service standards, technical expertise and ability to anticipate the needs of their market sectors have earned them tremendous respect from their partners and customers,” said Ronni Guggenheim, Atlona’s general manager. “These attributes will be invaluable in bringing the benefits of Atlona innovations to their clients, and we look forward to working with Prase to expand our presence and awareness across Italy.”
(Jim Evans)

Belgium - AED Display and AV Stumpfl have organized a Wings Certified Operator Bootcamp from Monday 28 August until Friday 1 September 2017 at AED Studios, Lint (Belgium). The trainer will be Rainer Brandstätter, project manager & trainer AV Stumpfl.
Says Rainer, “On the first day of this five-day bootcamp we will tackle every aspect of setting up your show, starting with the physical installation and the troubleshooting of the system. On the second day we will learn more about the different modules (Wings / Vioso / Avio / Touch) and their capabilities.
“One by one we will introduce you to them and show you the basics which will allow you to explore them further on your own pace. This part will be mainly focused on the Wings software. Days three and four will include more advanced use of Wings and Avio. At this point you will dive into the Avio software and learn how to connect all the previously mentioned modules and add intelligence, logic and interaction to your show.
“On the last day of the bootcamp, our focus will be with Vioso. We will teach you how to camera calibrate your projections and all the do’s and don’ts on this matter. Registration is via registrations@aeddisplay.com.
(Jim Evans)

Switzerland - Schertler Group has announced the release of Roy, its new flagship combo amp and Teddy, a compact professional stage monitor. These latest additions to the Swiss manufacturer’s portfolio demonstrate a growing commitment to developing solutions that meet the demands of musicians and engineers in the professional live performance and recording environments, says the company.
Roy is the new “King” of Schertler’s next generation acoustic amplifier series. Equipped with a 1” tweeter and two 8” woofers, the 400W, top-of-the-range, 7-channel combo amp forms a powerful yet portable stand-alone stage or studio amplification system for soloists and/or small groups.
Roy includes four input channels with various microphone / instrument combinations, inserts (as on a professional mixer), 3-band EQ and phantom power; an additional unbalanced instrument input channel; a stereo input channel for playback devices and an FX return / additional input channel. The amplifier’s Master section features both a digital reverb and a new digital Multi-Effect (on a separate bus), as well as DI/Line/Aux Outputs and a headphone preamp for monitoring.
Like all Schertler amplifiers, Roy is equipped with a high-voltage Class-A preamp and has no integrated circuits and no negative feedback (NFB) to guarantee best possible sound reproduction. The amp is available with a wood or anthracite finish.
Teddy, Schertler’s new 200W compact stage monitor, has been specifically developed for professional theatre and concert sound applications. Equipped with

USA - Colin Beveridge, CEO of d&b Corporation since its inception in the mid-1990s has transferred his responsibilities for d&b audiotechnik in the Americas to the next generation as part of a planned retirement. Following the transition Beveridge will remain on board as senior strategic advisor for the management team in the Americas and company headquarters in Backnang, Germany.
William Cornell has succeeded as territory manager for the Americas and president and CEO of d&b audiotechnik US Group, effective 10 July 2017. “I will support William in a direct role until February 2018 to ensure a smooth transition,” says Beveridge. “Like our audio systems, the essential character and performance of d&b will remain consistent. But it will be rejuvenated by the energy I know William will bring to his new role. What is important now is to concentrate on ensuring a smooth transition; then to focus on the future endeavors of d&b in my new role.”
Cornell, who has been with d&b for 13 years, was previously responsible for sales and technical services in the USA. In his new role he will report to chief sales officer, Stephan Greiner, based in Backnang.
Also effective from 10 July, Jan Scheffels has moved into the newly created post of chief operating officer of d&b audiotechnik in the Americas. In his new role Scheffels takes responsibility for customer service, finance/controlling, human resources, IT, legal and buildings. He will be based in Asheville, North Carolina, reporting to Cornell and has already relocated from G

UK - When Prolyte received a request for help from a theatre in Scotland, with some doubts as to how to build their new truss structure in a safe way, they jumped to the task. Prolyte organized a one-day on-site training to make sure the technical staff of the company can use their truss safely and efficiently whatever the project.
“Hi there, this is Adam from Scottish Dance Theatre. We have just bought a batch of H30V truss. After using it a couple of times, we now want to use it to build a tower system. I wonder if I could ask some questions…”
This was part of the request that Prolyte received through it’s website in late June this year. The Prolyte team knew this request could not go unanswered and decided to offer the assistance Adam was asking for. Together with distributing partner A.C. Entertainment Technologies, they set out to make an appointment for a full training day as part of their Prolyte Campus initiative.
On 11 July, Eric Laanstra, product manager for Prolyte Structures and Paul Hadfield, distributor manager for Prolyte, met the guys and girls from Scottish Dance Theatre to assist them with a day of training.
Eric Laanstra commented: “We basically just took the team through the whole process of building their own grid. After a morning session to understand more of the technical principles of truss, we followed with a hands-on session, which was very useful to explain the principles of building and loading their structure in a safe way. It made the team more confident and now also more competent.”
Adam McCal

Italy - WIcreations provided StageCo with specialist automation services to move four massive towers onstage at the epic Vasco Rossi concert and spectacle in Modena – the Italian rock superstar’s only scheduled live appearance in 2017 - attended by 250,000 rapturous fans on a blisteringly hot summer’s day in Modena Park.
As well as working closely with StageCo, who provided all the black steel for the event, WI’s project manager Hans Willems liaised with Claudio Santucci from Gioforma, the show’s creative director. WIcreations has a long history of collaboration with IK Projects from Milan who provided automation operators and crew for this project.
The show was also televised live by national broadcaster RAI and streamed live to selected cinemas, extending the reach yet further as well as being recorded for DVD. It was a BIG deal!
The four towers that needed moving included 9m wide by 15m LED screen surfaces on the front, lighting pods, some that moved which were part of Giovanni Pinna’s elaborate lighting scheme - and rigging elements, video processors, power distros etc., so Hans came up with the genius solution of putting the generators on the towers.
This enabled all the production equipment on each tower section to be neatly and ‘locally’ cabled, while the generators doubled as ballast for the towers. Each tower – fully laden with kit – weighed 44 tonnes.
The four wheels on each tower alone were rated at 18 tonnes of weight loading each – variable depending on how the wind was blowing - and each tower glided

USA - Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas has built a new 1600-capacity Worship Centre with two SSL Live L300 consoles at the heart of its sophisticated audio production operation, for PA, live streaming, and TV.
One L300 console manages both Front of House and Monitor duties for the live services, while another is used for a live-streamed broadcast mix, recording, and post production for archived services and TV syndication.
Southcrest Baptist Church is a long standing and popular member of the Lubbock community, and as such its original Worship Centre - now called 'The Venue' - had been operating at full capacity for every service, for some time. "The new Worship Centre was long over-due," says Rusty Trowbridge, the technical director at Southcrest. "The project has taken two years to complete and has doubled the square footage of the church, as well as increasing capacity significantly... The Venue has 750 seats, and the new Centre has 1600."
The church now runs four Sunday services - three large productions at the worship centre with full choir and orchestra, and one 9.30am service at The Venue with a five-piece band and the pastor's message streamed from the main 9.30am service via a live recorder. It also broadcasts a live stream via apps on all major mobile devices and platforms, and distributes music and sermons to four TV stations in the local area. There are seven staff in the media team at the church, and everybody else involved in the production and performance side are volunteers.
Trowbridge runs the SSL L300 at Front of

USA - After three Grammy Awards, over 100 shows with the Grateful Dead, and 11m record sales, Bruce Hornsby hasn’t lost his taste for touring. The singer-songwriter is crisscrossing the US with his band The Noisemakers this summer and enjoying every minute of it. Touring is fun, Hornsby told an interviewer, because he and the band “keep the spontaneity factor high.” This free-flowing spirit was very much in evidence when the Hornsby tour bus pulled into the Columbia County Amphitheatre in June.
The owner of Quest Sound & Productions, Berret created a bountiful range of looks to reflect Hornsby’s eclectic set list with a rig that was anchored by CHAUVET Professional Rogue and COLORado fixtures and run with a ChamSys PC Wing. Even a sudden summer storm, which wound up cutting the concert short, didn’t damped the pure exuberance of the concert or the lightshow.
“The combination of Chauvet fixtures and ChamSys worked very well for me because of its flexibility,” said Berret. “Bruce Hornsby and his band convey a lot of different moods with their music and they are very loose on stage. The Chauvet gear gave me a lot of options and I was able to change looks quickly with my ChamSys to keep up with the music.”
Key to helping Berret conjure up a steady stream of fresh looks were the four Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures in his stage package. He had two of the units stacked on truss just to the left and just to the right of centre stage. Drawing on the five independently controlled moving heads on each of the linear Rogues and their rapid pan-tilt

USA - On 9 July at Marlins Way, adjacent to Marlins Park (home of the Miami Marlins baseball team), the 2017 MLB Allstar Pre-game Celebration took place. The event was a pre-party for the MLB All Star Game and featured GrammyAward winning Latin Reggaeton artist Nicky Jam as the headlining entertainment.
This was both a concert and a party for the celebrity-filled crowd in town for one of baseball’s major events. To ensure the best possible sound, loudspeakers from Valencia, Spain-based D.A.S. Audio were placed into service.
The Design Oasis, specialists in lighting, video, audio, staging and related AV equipment and applications, were contracted to provide sound for this year’s MLB Allstar Pre-game Celebration. The event’s designer, Marc Gambello from Event Management Group and Producer Barry Kates of Innovation Group were very clear on the need to have excellent audio quality during the show, along with clear, even coverage throughout the rest of the event while the DJ was playing.
After speaking with them, Abbas Ritscher, Design Oasis’ co-founder and CEO, specified an impressive assortment of loudspeakers drawn from D.A.S. Audio’s UX and Aero Series 2 product lines. This included eight Aero 40A powered, three-way line array enclosures, 26 Aero 20 powered line array elements, along with six UX-221 hi-power, ultra-low frequency sub bass enclosures. Ritscher discussed the project and his reason for deploying D.A.S. Audio loudspeaker systems.
“This year’s party was held in a very large tent,” Ritscher reports. “There were roug

UK - Two Avolites Ai R6 media servers and an Arena lighting console running the latest Ai and Titan software were chosen to control the high-energy light and video package for the design relaunch of Glastonbury's dance stage, The Temple.
The British media server and lighting controls manufacturer was called in for the third year running by Alan King of Rockin Horse - technical coordinator and production supplier for Block 9 and The Common - who designed and sourced lighting and lasers for The Temple, whilst also keeping an overview on video production.
"In 2015, Rockin Horse got Avolites involved in the Temple's projection mapping as they needed a solid, industry standard server capable of complex projection to be central to the system," says King. "This year we selected the Avolites Ai R6 media servers as they allowed all of the outputs to run from a single graphics card, ensuring synchronicity between the video feeds, and allowing for fast delivery of multiple layers of high resolution video content."
The Temple's new look saw a greatly expanded capacity and a redesign of the venue itself, focussing on the stage's centrepiece: a true 3D screen in the form of a giant figurehead with a feathered head-dress. The approximately 8m x 20m x 5m deep structure was projection mapped with high-quality video content for four successive nights during the festival.
Bristol-based collective Limbic Cinema was the team responsible for the stage's digital content and showtime operation. An Ai operation team, headed up by Avolites' Arran Rothwell-Eyre, worked

Singapore - Lighting for the second Garden Beats Festival organised by Sunshine Nation and staged in the pastoral green environs of Fort Canning Park in Singapore was designed by Craig Burridge.
He included an interesting mix of Robe products on his plot including 24 x Linees, six ColorStrobes and six LEDBlinder 148 LTs, all of which contributed to a lively and colourful scheme for the one-day event for which the lighting vendor was locally based CSP Productions Pte Ltd.
Craig’s main objective was to have a flexible and adaptable rig to provide good general stage, set and audience lighting for the line-up of dance orientated artists – with a few surprises up his sleeve.
The 9 x 8m stage was fitted beneath a 10 x 9m ground-supported roof structure with 10m of headroom and this had to be squeezed in between a selection of heritage trees which grace the park, allowing the organisers to maximise the audience space.
The stage and DJ booth was clad in wood pieces and other natural materials which took the light well, and the view through the stage to the back was of one specific heritage tree that Craig knew would look awesome.
The client brief specifically requested that the lighting did not resemble a club as they were keen to emphasis the whole Garden Beats event as a once-only ‘for-the-moment’ experience, rather than something that can be repeated and replicated.
The general theme and mood of the festival is bright and colourful, so Craig took that into account. He also wanted to use a full LED rig to keep the power r

Germany – Alan Parsons and his band were back in Germany for 13 dates throughout the country in May. Playing a mixture of indoor and outdoor shows with his nine-piece band, Alan Parsons Live Project was mixed by Emmy-nominated FoH engineer and production manager Ross Pallone. Ross states that “the sound of the show has to be very high quality, as the fans expect that”.
To achieve maximum quality and perfect coverage in all the different venues, 24 modules of RCF HDL 50-A were used as the main system, 12 per side, plus 18 RCF SUB 9007-AS for the low-frequency coverage, six TT052A as front-fills and four TTL 6-A for the out-fill coverage.
“I was invited to use the RCF HDL-50 system for the Alan Parsons Live Project tour in Germany back in May 2017. I had never heard of or used any RCF PA systems before, so I was sceptical - but the sound company assured me that it is a good PA system.” Ross continued. “As it turned out, I was very pleased with the RCF PA. It was very smooth with excellent coverage. The main PA was powerful and never harsh.
“The 21” SUB 9007-AS is the best I have ever used. They were set up every day in the cardioid pattern that made the subs deliver the same volume from the front of the venue to the back. I could sit right in front of the subs and not be blown away.
“This also worked well with the low profile RCF TT052A front fills that were provided. I am always very concerned that the people in the front rows have good sound. I do not want them to be pounded to death with subs, and I want them to be able to h

Europe - The Manchester band Stone Roses completed their European tour last month, highlighted by a sold-out performance at London’s Wembley Stadium. For their 2017 tour, lighting designer Paul Normandale of Lite Alternative Design included two Solaris T-Light 85,000 Watt Lightning Machines.
“Two were plenty,” says lighting director and programmer Glen Johnson. “These over-the–top strobes are reliable and daylight bright. We needed something for maximum impact against a huge amount of video surfaces. The back screen alone was 35 x 6 meters, with an additional seven screens of IMAG. The T-Lights provided defining moments when used and dramatically ‘altered’ the stage surface each time. Love them!”
Provided for the tour by Lite Alternative, Solaris T-Light Lightning Machines have a flash length from 1/30 to 3.5 seconds and an output of up to two million lumens.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Preparations for the 2017 PLASA Rigging Conference, which takes place on Monday 18 September during the PLASA Show, are well under way. This year’s conference is in a new mould, targeting a broader audience through the addition of topics on both production and safety issues and encourages discussion from a wider range of contributors than before. New additions to the line-up include head of technical operations for the Ambassador Theatre Group Stuart Graham and John Green, European health and safety director for Laing O’Rourke.
Stuart has supported the conference since it began in 2009 and was keen to be a part of this year’s expanded offering.
“I felt that discussing the contracting process of shows would be of great value,” says Stuart. “Establishing a venue’s responsibilities against the show’s responsibilities with regard to rigging and safety in general will be a valuable discussion.”
Meanwhile, John’s enlightening contribution will look at his Safety Differently mission; a challenge to most industry sectors requiring an acceptance of accidents as part of working life and to concentrate on severe and potentially fatal risks.
“Following themes suggested by our opening speaker, the legendary Morris Lyda, the ensuing debate should be of real interest to safety professionals, venues and technical management alike,” says Chris Higgs, content curator for the conference. “We really want to examine the issues surrounding effective risk management, particularly in the way it affects the rigging community.”

Denmark - Powersoft has strengthened its market position in the Nordic countries with the appointment of Atendi A/S as its new distributor for Denmark.
Atendi is the result of a cooperation between Elektrik Solutions AS (Norway) and Bico Professionel A/S (Denmark). The company’s origins date back to 1898 when it was known as Belgium Import Company (later Bico Professionel A/S). For many years it was well-known in Denmark as a pro dealer for leading movie and TV lighting brands, before later moving into general show lighting.
In 2015, the company diversified into pro audio, taking on Martin Audio in cooperation with the Norwegian-based Elektrik Solutions. The following year the two companies changed their names to form part of Atendi, and at the same time the first Swedish office opened in Gothenburg.
“With Martin Audio in our portfolio of course we were interested in representing Powersoft,” noted Atendi A/S pro audio sales & support, Michael Engman Rønnow. “As they move more towards passive speakers - from the CDD Live! series to ceiling speakers - these match perfectly with the Powersoft products,” he said.
“Since we do business as a reseller, as well as participating in the design and delivery of complete installs for music events, theatres, museums etc., we will also extend the support and sale of Powersoft to companies with different speaker brands as well.”
Atendi’s first priority in supporting its new brand acquisition will be to demonstrate the opportunities for both the rental and install markets. “In Den

USA/UK - Sensaphonics has announced an agreement with PC Werth, making them the exclusive source for Sensaphonics IEMs in the UK. PC Werth will now offer the full range of Sensaphonics in-ear monitors (IEMs), including all custom-fit models and the new 3D-U AARO System with patented Active Ambient technology.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with a respected firm like PC Werth to make Sensaphonics products more accessible to our UK customers,” says Sensaphonics founder and president, Dr. Michael Santucci. “Music industry clients like Radiohead and Coldplay have long known the outstanding comfort, fit, and isolation our products provide. This association will make it easier for more UK customers to protect their hearing without sacrificing the reference sound quality that musicians and sound engineers require.”
PC Werth managing director Delain Wright is similarly enthusiastic. “With our 70-year history of audiology expertise, we see Sensaphonics IEMs as the ideal choice for musicians and music fans who want outstanding sound quality without undue risk of hearing injury,” he says. “We are excited to add this outstanding brand to our portfolio of hearing wellness technologies and products.”
The partnership between PC Werth and Sensaphonics is effective immediately. The UK’s largest supplier of audiology supplies to hearing healthcare professionals, London-based PC Werth is a wholly owned subsidiary of IntriCon Corporation. Sensaphonics is a privately held U.S. corporation based in Chicago, Illinois.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Theatre Projects has announced that industry veteran Robert Young is rejoining the company after eight years away. Robert has over 25 years of experience as a designer and theatre consultant, and he’ll be returning to help the design team create dynamic, versatile, and engaging performance spaces across the globe.
Robert began his career in theatre consulting with Theatre Projects in 1999 and spent the next decade designing and specifying theatre systems and managing the technical production department. His work contributed to the creation of more than 150 projects - including many award-winning and acclaimed performance spaces. During this time, Robert established a reputation for taking a hands-on approach to designing innovative, flexible theatre equipment systems utilizing the latest theatre technology.
In 2009, Robert joined the Acoustics, Audiovisual, and Theatre Consulting practice within Arup, leading the firm’s West Coast operations for Theatre Consulting. He established himself not only as an inventive designer, but also as a talented project manager capable of delivering large-scale projects efficiently.
“I look forward to bringing my knowledge and skill set back to Theatre Projects,” Robert said. “I’ve gained a global perspective, a wealth of leadership experience, and created some remarkable performance spaces along the way. I’m thrilled to come back and join a team solely focused on delivering the best venues for their clients - Theatre Projects.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Bandit Lites has appointed Justin Wilk as equipment coordinator, heading up the planning, direction and coordination of Bandit’s extensive inventory. “I am responsible for finding solutions for complicated and complex production issues,” Wilk said. “By supporting the inventory control manager, I’ll ensure that all parties have the information they need about the location of equipment.”
Following his studies in Recording Arts and Show Production and Touring at Full Sail University, Wilk began working with artists in the studio and then on the road, touring extensively as a stage manager and guitar technician, where his time on the road gave him a love and appreciation for the lighting and visual production side of the entertainment business.
“Justin is a great addition to Bandit’s team,” said Bandit Lites general manager, Mark Steinwachs. “Just like being on tour, here at Bandit we have multiple departments that all have to work together to get shows out the door. With his touring experience as a stage manager, Justin is able to see a bigger picture with gear and how it needs to flow to make each show happen.”
(Jim Evans)

France - Held in the stunning Cour Marly of the Louvre’s museum, the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2017 show at the recent Paris Fashion Week featured Vuitton’s models showing off the fashion house’s new collection amongst white marble statues from the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Usually, the specification for such a show’s audio is that it should be heard and not seen, but on this occasion, L-Acoustics’ new Syva system took a starring role.
Audio company De Préférence has collaborated with Louis Vuitton for many years and has become a master of invention, conjuring up new ideas for each event.
“Each time the Vuitton team does a show, they want something different,” says De Préférence’s Alain Français. “But one thing is always the same - they never want to see the loudspeakers! This means I’m always looking for new equipment and new ways of hiding the cabinets.
“For this show, taking place in an exceptional space with so much history and impact, we considered and tested a lot of different options. Because the Cour Marly is entirely constructed of marble and has a glass roof, it’s an incredibly reverberant space. Trying to find a solution that could cope with that, deliver the right amount of SPL, have the right tonal range and be invisible was proving difficult, particularly as there really is nowhere to hide large subs in the room.”
It was at this point that Alain was introduced to the just-announced L-Acoustics Syva, which features six 5" MF speakers providing usable bandwidth to 87Hz and three 1.75 inch HF

USA - During the late 80's and 90's, New Kids On The Block took the world by storm with their super-catchy songs and clean cut good looks. Selling out concerts in record time, Danny, Donnie, Joe, Jordan and Jon gave birth to the boyband phenomenon. Today, New Kids On The Block is proving it still has the right stuff. The band sounded better than ever as it sold out arenas on its 2017 Total Package Tour. Because of his long history and record of success, legendary FOH Mix Engineer Kevin Elson chose DPA Microphones for the tour.
"I was first introduced to DPA by my friend and colleague Eddie Caipo a few years back when we worked together on Christina Aguilera's shows," says Elson. "He had some DPA capsules with him and the first one I tried was the d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone on the toms. I was also able to use the d:facto 4018 Vocal Microphone on the New Kids On The Block cruise about a year ago. I tried it on one of the guys for a solo performance and he really liked it a lot, so I told him I wanted to mic the whole group for the Total Package Tour."
On the Total Package Tour, Elson used d:facto 4018 mics for all of the New Kids' vocals, as well as the d:vote 4099 on the toms. "On the vocal side, I found the d:facto 4018's are such solid, reliable mics," adds Elson. "Instead of taking everything away to try to make them sound full, I ended up being able to add some air up top. This allowed me to work the microphones rather than the mics dictating what I did. As far as drums, we got less cymbal bleed into the toms' mics.
“The cymbals were pre