USA - Powersoft has moved offices to a larger and more suitable space in Flanders, New Jersey, for the increasing requirements of the company. This expansion has been supported by the appointment of Sara Schiffler as the new business development manager for the Americas.
The new location in New Jersey has the benefits of dedicated private offices, demo/training space, a lab area and is only 45 minutes away from Newark airport. Powersoft’s previous headquarters, more geared towards early-stage companies, was on the fourth floor with shared amenities and without any direct access to loading bays.
“Our new headquarters significantly improves our ability to host our customers and dealers for training, demonstrations and seminars,” says Tom Knesel, general manager at Powersoft US. “The atmosphere is far more relaxed for our employees, and we have almost tripled the space, thus providing better service to our customers while supporting growth.”
Sara Schiffler joins Powersoft with over two decades of AV experience to continue pursuing her passion for audio. Schiffler, who also speaks Spanish and Portuguese, has been appointed to the role of business development manager, to further develop opportunities for Powersoft in the Americas. She previously worked at audio manufacturer Music Tribe, as well as a variety of manufacturers in the AV industry.
“Tom was looking for someone with a deep background in integration and with experience in live sound. I had previously worked with Tom at Music Tribe and I knew him as a leader who I respect and t

UK - Lighting and rigging equipment and services specialists, TSL, has a diverse portfolio of clients across the live events industry. With an impressive remit that encompasses music, theatre, corporate, sporting and e-sport events, the need for reliable, versatile lighting fixtures to handle this varied field of activity is paramount.
“Last year, when we looked to evaluate and increase our range of outdoor profiles, we were intent on investing in LED fixtures which were robust and flexible enough to cope with the many demands we put upon our equipment,” explains TSL director, Loz Wilcox. “We were looking for a fixture which could support our clients on their exterior lighting projects. We tried out options from several manufacturers and chose Perseo above all others for a number of reasons. It’s a great feature-packed fixture, with all the things you’d expect from that range and size of fixture and, to me, it feels like the IP65-rating is just an added bonus! We view it as a light that can do everything, which can be spec’d on any show, not just outside events.”
Sixty Perseo Profile fixtures were purchased from Ambersphere Solutions, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor in the UK, following a demonstration from Ambersphere’s managing director, Glyn O’Donoghue. Fifty of the IP65-rated fixtures were immediately put to use by lighting designer, Adam Povey, on a high-profile, themed woodland walk in the north of England.
“The event ran from October to January in the worst of weathers, during which time we had only one swap out,” says

South Korea - In 2018, South Korean construction company Hoban Co. began moves to take over Resom Resort from its creditors at a cost of $224m after being named as the preferred bidder. Resom owns three resorts in Chungcheong Province in Korea - including Splas Resom, a membership spa resort and Forest Resom, situated in a dense tree forest, which seeks to provide healing through nature and water.
A tender was issued for refurbishment of the existing Splas facility - as well as the construction of a new building - and Martin Audio distributor, Sama Sound, partnered with its dealer, Asea Sound, to submit the successful bid.
Sama Sound product manager, Edan Kwon, stated that the speakers had originally been specified with another brand. “And so we worked hard to get this changed to Martin Audio. With the help of a presentation we were able to show the company and its engineer the advantages of the new system design over other brands.”
Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) was chosen. “This system pretty much decided itself,” says Kwon. “It was the same with our SXC118 subwoofer; since a cardioid subwoofer had been specified, we designed the system with SXC118.”
But from that point on, the scalable Wavefront Precision offered advantages that none of the other previously considered systems could. “The venue was constructed without regard for architectural acoustics, so there were consequently many sound reflections, especially from the venue back wall, as well as from backstage. The Hard Avoid feature [in the proprietary

UK - Eric ‘EZ’ Wade, who runs production management company, EZ Services, has been touring UK theatres and clubs with the rapper, Little Simz - with active support from sound system supplier, Entec Live.
This is a new relationship which has quickly kicked into overdrive, after the West London technical services company had been strongly recommended. Wade was introduced to Entec head of sound Dan Scantlebury by James ‘Kedge’ Kerridge, monitor engineer for Little Simz and monitor tech on another Entec act, Gorillaz. This was at the beginning of the year as rehearsals were about to begin. Fittingly, Kedge had also served his apprenticeship at Entec, and so was able to provide the recommendation based on his own experience.
“I had worked with various production companies and was always struggling to find the right relationship. It was generally Entec’s approach that impressed us - how they spoke to us, how they dealt with quotations and their general workflow are all of the same high calibre. I can call late at night with a requirement and it’s there first thing in the morning. On top of that, their gear is always well prepped and maintained.
“At EZ Services we like to stay loyal and so we have transitioned our other clients to Entec and that’s really worked out for the best.” By that he means Bristol band Elder Island, Bow Anderson who supported Ella Eyre on the recent tour, Girl In Red, Youngr, MiC Lowry and Ghetts.
Most of Little Simz’ dates have been through theatres and O2 Academys (culminating in a grand three-night fin

New Zealand - Venues Ōtautahi manages five busy venues in Christchurch, including the city’s premier sporting, convention, and entertainment hubs, among them Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts which has recently invested in Robe Esprite moving lights.
James Tull, a senior technician working across all five venues explained that the Town Hall was originally built in the 1970s and then rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake in which it sustained extensive damage. The building reopened in 2019 with a 2,222 capacity main auditorium and an 800-seat theatre space and was registered as a category 1 heritage building in 2020.
With all the reconstruction came the need to update and upgrade the lighting and sound, so James and his team started looking at options for modern lights that ticked all their boxes, were more sustainable, and that would make changeovers between productions and events quicker and more efficient.
“Quiet running was at the top of the list as the Main Hall is a primary orchestral space and concert hall as well as used for corporate presentations and gala dinners,” he stated, adding that brightness was another factor drawing them to Esprite plus the replaceable LED engine.
“Looking to the future, we like the idea of being able to change or replace the LED lightsource,” he confirms, adding that they also wanted new lights that would work equally well in the main auditorium and the theatre space and that would satisfy the requirements of their own and the riders of incoming or visiting productions. They also wanted

South Korea - Seoul-based Ingang Audio Co has been appointed as the South Korean distributor for Optocore and BroaMan with immediate effect.
Established in 2006 under president Joo Hong Chang and CEO Steve Kim, Ingang Audio has built a portfolio of global pro audio brands, including Meyer Sound, Calrec, Countryman, Samson and Lectrosonics.
Both Chang and technical director, Eric Han had known Optocore and BroaMan for many years and the latter has received Optocore training. The company had also developed a good relationship with Optocore distribution sales manager, Dawid Somló and the tech team during earlier project development.
“Ingang had been talking with us for long time,” explains Somló. “They are an excellent pro audio company with a good infrastructure. They are keen to develop their portfolio with our video transporting systems and also add them to their audio projects.”
Ingang Audio Co’s senior marketing manager, Jake Min, adds, “Having Optocore and BroaMan [in our portfolio] is like securing a backbone for our brands. We now have optical paths for sending and receiving audio/video/intercom and some control signals. Also, it enables us to make an optical connection between loudspeaker, processor and console, replacing the existing cables.”
As for BroaMan, they hope to expand the brand’s outreach beyond broadcast into theatre, although Min estimates that with the impact of COVID-19, the broadcast segment will lead the way rather than live events.
To that end they already have a project lined up, with two

Italy - Three years after releasing the successful EclPanel TWC and EclPanel TWC Jr, Prolights has released two new soft light fixtures, the EclPanel TWC Jr 4x1 and the EclPanel TWC Mini 2x1.
The new units have the same features as their bigger brothers, with an RGB+WW source, a CCT range from 2,200K to 15,000K (in film mode), colour modes like HSI, RGBW, gels, source emulation and XY coordinates, and equipped with W-DMX and CRMX. Furthermore, the newly added panels have an Ethernet connection for Art-Net and s/CAN, a 24-36VDC input for connecting to external batteries and an alternative 48VDC input for an external power supply.
In terms of size, the EclPanel TWC Jr 4x1 has the same length as its flagship version, but half the width, making it a suitable fixture for low-ceiling environments, whilst the Mini version is one-quarter of the size of the flagship fixture.
With a 230W source, the EclPanel TWC Jr 4x1 has a total output of nearly 16,000 lumens at 4,000K, and the same high CRI, TCLI and TM30 values as the rest of the range. Despite its small form factor, the Mini has a 115W source, outputting almost 7,000 lumens at the same colour temperature.
The increasing success of Prolights soft lights in major Hollywood productions has contributed to the improvement of several on-board software features, like a wide PWM range up to 40KHz, lower fan noises for silent applications, a high-resolution mode at low dimmer value, and a new dimming curve that offers a 16-bit dimming experience while using an 8-bit dimmer.
The newly released version

USA - It’s been a difficult and challenging two years for concert and event spaces during the COVID pandemic, but what’s emerging at the other end of a long, gloomy tunnel is a new, more sonically shaped generation of venues. The Factory, which anchors a new entertainment and dining destination known as The District in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, is an example of that dynamic.
The recently-opened 52,000sq.ft venue can hold between 2,350 and 3,400 concertgoers or event attendees in flexible dance floor and fixed-seating configurations that face a huge 60ft-wide stage. But what sets The Factory further apart is the scale of its L-Acoustics PA system, which provides complete coverage for every audience member no matter where they are seated or standing in the large performance hall.
“The Factory is built on the most valuable real estate in the region and there is no wasted or extra space anywhere in the building. So we had to create a sound system that no one could ever say no to,” observes Chip Self, president and CEO of Logic Systems Sound & Lighting, The St. Louis area-based systems design and integration firm that supplied the new L-Acoustics system.
It’s also a system from which no one can say they’ve missed a note or a word with one dozen K2 loudspeaker enclosures atop two Kara II down-fills comprising the left and right main array hangs. These are buttressed by two A Series enclosures per side as in-fill and out-fill, respectively; six eight-inch coaxials used for front-fills; and four A10i Wide speakers for delay.

USA - Symetrix has launched Symetrix Professional Services, fee-based services that “leverage the experience and knowledge of Symetrix applications engineers to provide engineering support for their customers’ projects”.
Symetrix Professional Services include site file programming, custom intelligent module creation, and remote or on-site commissioning.
There is a dedicated in-house team of Symetrix applications engineers who can review the system design to ensure that the selected hardware will work seamlessly in a system. Because it is being reviewed by Symetrix, customers will have the peace of mind that it is approved by the original equipment manufacturer.

UK - Thomas Heatherwick’s Materials House was commissioned by the Science Museum in London as an exhibit to show “everything that anything can be made of” for the Challenge of Materials gallery. The idea was that, instead of prioritising any one material to make the house from, and then exhibiting small samples of all the other materials within it, the studio chose to make the house itself from all of the materials.
The result - six-metre-high pieces of each material bonded together into a single element of many strata was built in situ on the first floor of the museum in 1999 and remained a centrepiece of the gallery until December 2021, when Unusual Rigging was called upon to help the museum remove the exhibit from its long-time home, and lower it to the ground floor, ready for transportation to be held in storage.
Robin Elias, director at Unusual Rigging explained: “Materials House is a fantastic artwork made of 213 materials, bonded together in over 2000 individually shaped pieces sourced from more than eighty suppliers and sponsors. Measuring 7m x 4m x 1.5m, it had been welded to substantial steel foundations beneath the floorboards at the museum. It was displayed at a jaunty angle and restrained by attachment to an overhead beam, but it had no useful fixing points and was of indeterminate weight but estimated to be between 4-8 tons.”
In order to be able to move Materials House in one piece, Unusual needed to remedy this - it was vital to know the exact weight of the exhibit and design and install a system to allow the team to move it

Europe - The ESM312 is the latest - and most powerful - addition to KV2 Audio’s range of stage monitors. Aimed at large scale stage monitoring applications, the ESM312 is a high output full-range low profile 3-way, passive monitoring solution. Features include two bass reflex-loaded 12” neodymium woofers, a single horn loaded 6” mid-range woofer and a 1” compression driver in a compact, Baltic birch cabinet.
KV2’s most powerful stage monitor yet, the ESM312 delivers 133dB sustained output, and 136dB peak with very high dynamic range. A 1” compression driver with a complex geometry phase plug and a neodymium magnetic structure ensures ‘astonishing output for its size, exceptionally low distortion and extended frequency response’. The ESM312 also features dual 12” woofers with sophisticated voice coil technology and neodymium magnetic motor structure for dramatically increased force, lower distortion and increased frequency response linearity. It’s ability to reproduce vocals is quite simply unmatched by anything else available on the market.
The compact, wedge-shaped design incorporates rear-mounted flip-out stands to allow for 35º or 45º angles as required. A specially designed acoustic fabric covering inside the grille protects against liquid spillage whilst a wear-resistant polymer coating is designed to withstand the rigours of touring and repeated stage use. An ergonomically designed recessed handle on each side panel facilitates handling and transport.

USA - Walnut Hill Community Church located in Connecticut, provides a combination of both in-person and online weekend services to their five-campus congregation. The central campus in Bethel, CT, has invested in top level production values and technology, which includes the purchase of a grandMA3 compact XT lighting console which is running with grandMA3 software.
Creative lighting senior intern Jonathan Martin, who designs, programmes, and operates lighting for most of Bethel’s worship service events, helped guide the team’s decision to purchase a grandMA3, backed by Walnut Hill’s production director, Christopher Ellington.
Jonathan explained how lighting was high on the agenda when the decision came to up the production stakes. “We kept coming back to grandMA3, which had the perfect combination of price point and hardware feature set,” he explained, whilst Christopher also underlined the importance of investing in lighting both for now and the future, and co-ordinated much of the logistical work involved in making the transition to MA.
The console is running approximately 40 conventional fixtures, 16 moving lights and 42 custom RGB pixel tubes, plus some LED PARs and MR-16 blinders, with the pixel tubes used extensively for creative lighting and to provide illuminated scenic elements, either hung from roof trusses or floor mounted where it also assists in creating visual textures and depth of field for the streamed events.
As well as lighting the stage, some of the moving lights highlight the 750-seat Bethel auditorium and are

USA - Lectrosonics has revealed that its DBSM single-battery/DBSMD dual-battery bodypack transmitters have been nominated as a finalist for the 37th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards for Technical Achievement in the category of Wireless Technology. The NAMM TEC awards recognize innovative product design and excellence in audio and sound production, with outstanding technical achievement including 21 categories which span across the professional audio product spectrum. A panel of respected industry voters from pro audio publications as well as members of professional music, technical and creative organizations, along with select NAMM members evaluate each entry before selecting the finalists.
The DBSM/DBSMD transmitters are compatible with Lectrosonics DSQD digital receiver, DCHR digital portable receiver, and DCR822 compact dual channel digital receiver and feature a tuning range covering both the A1 and B1 bands from 470 to 608 MHz (470 to 614 MHz for the E01 international versions). Both include specially developed, high efficiency circuitry for extended operating time on AA batteries, and offer RF power selections at 10, 25 and 50mW. In addition, a new, selectable high-density transmission mode (HDM) allows for much tighter channel spacing, yielding more than double the operating frequencies per available spectrum. With an audio frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz in standard transmission mode, a dynamic range of 112 dB, and a flat in-band phase response, the DBSM and DBSMD provide studio-grade sound, with low noise, for the m

The Netherlands - Showtec has introduced six new items within their line of Pixel products. The Pixel Panel 1024 is a 64x16 RGB LED-matrix panel, the Pixeltube 32 and Pixeltube 16 are RGB LED tubes with black frosted covers, and the Pixel Bubble 75 set is an RGB-LED-ball matrix with five strings, which can be extended up to 6 metres each with Pixel Bubble Extension Strings. The Pixel Dot is a single 3-W RGB LED, intended for but not limited to fixed ceiling installation. All of them offer individual pixel control, meaning you can adjust each ‘pixel’ independently – even within the Pixel Panel 1024.
The Pixel Panel 1024 offers an impressive amount of individually controllable RGB LEDs: 1024 in a matrix of 64 by 16. For this, you need 3076 channels of Art-Net. With 30 presets, stand-alone operation is also an option, as are eight-channel control through DMX, Art-Net, and Kling-Net, master/slave control, and manual control through an OLED display on the back. A flexible rigging system and removable black frosted cover are included.
The Pixeltube 32 and Pixeltube 16 house 32 respectively 16 1-watt RGB LEDs, which can be individually controlled by DMX, Art-Net, and Kling-Net through Showtec’s dedicated Pixel Controller, a universal controller capable of driving the Showtec Pixelstrip 20 and 40, the Pixeltube 16 and 32, and the Pixel Dot, by switching between modes.
Up to five metres of Pixeltube can be daisy chained. Pixeltube 16 and 32 can be mixed and used in any configuration, as long as you don’t exceed the five-metre-per-output limit. They

Europe - K-array has announced the promotion of Francesco Maffei to area sales manager for EMEA. In his new position, Francesco will oversee the company’s sales and marketing activities and initiatives throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Francesco Maffei has been a long standing member of the K-array family with an extensive knowledge of the products, brand and has been an integral part of the growth of K-array over the last 20 years.
President of K-array Alessandro Tatini says: “We’re delighted that Francesco is taking the reins on EMEA. His deep understanding of the brand which he has helped to build over the years, our products, business know-how and leadership skills, will further strengthen K-array in EMEA with our story of passion, innovation and performance, in the exciting era ahead.”
Francesco Maffei comments: “I am really excited to take this important next step in my career, my priority will be to ensure that K-array continues to build on its position as an innovative pro audio manufacturer with unique audio and now lighting solutions. We have some incredible partners in the region and I am looking forward to working with them.”

USA - City Theatrical's QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters (P/N 7000) are bright output uplighters with stylish design and all weather use that aim to help lighting professionals create high quality lighting effects for indoor and outdoor events. These easy to use, battery-operated QolorPoint Uplighters now come with onboard Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology equipped as standard, for scalability of wireless DMX lighting data like never before.
QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters include an understated elegant design, IP65 rating for outdoor use, and their 2000 lumen output lights medium sized trees or three-story buildings. QolorPoint Uplighters provide even colour mixing, long battery life (eight hours max output), and variable PWM.
Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM onboard technology in QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters allows lighting users to scale up to larger event lighting systems without producing harmful amounts of radio energy that could disrupt other wireless systems in the venue. The addition of 2.4GHz Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology to QolorPoint Uplighters provides all the benefits a Multiverse SHoW Baby® device, within the uplighter itself. This means that each QolorPoint Uplighter can now deliver breakthrough plug and play wireless DMX and RDM transmission, with six user selectable SHoW IDs in default mode, and access to all the revolutionary new 2.4GHz Multiverse SHoW IDs by connecting an RDM controller, like DMXcat Multi Function Test Tool.
The onboard Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM upgrade in QolorPoint Uplighters includes com

Singapore - Pixotope has announced two new hires in their Asia Pacific leadership team.
Matthew Ma, former employee of Amazon Web Services and Avid, joins the company as general manager for North Asia. Matthew will be directly responsible for driving regional sales and advising on the regional functions of marketing operations, including developing distribution channels and building strategic relationships. The key locations for North Asia include China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
Matthew states, “I am delighted to start a new chapter with Pixotope in this exciting period for Virtual Production. Having worked with the North Asia market for media and web technologies for many years, a key focus for this role will be building relationships with partners and ensuring consistent growth as Pixotope expands further across the region.”
With more than 20 years of industry experience, Andrew Tan joins Pixotope as their new vice president, APAC. Based out of Singapore, Andrew’s most recent role was at Shutterstock. Prior to that, he worked at Ross Video, Kramer Electronics and Avid. In his role at Pixotope, Andrew will spearhead the development and growth of the APAC team and strengthen the brand in the region.

UK - PLASA and #WeMakeEvents have published a detailed global survey report on the current position and future recovery of the live events industry.
The survey ran from 1 November to 21 December 2021 and was completed by 1,948 respondents in over 40 countries in five different languages. “The data provides strong and clear evidence of the challenges currently facing the sector, with the vast majority currently reporting delays, shortages and cost increases,” say the organisations.
The outlook is mixed, with the majority of respondents lacking confidence in industry recovery within the next six months. This is even more startling considering the survey was conducted before the omicron variant threatened the lucrative winter holiday season. However, there is cautious optimism from seven to 18 months, which mirrors the progress made when the live events industry re-opened in 2021.
But for now, companies and organisations are carrying a heavy financial burden, reporting a huge decrease in annual turnover. To increase the pressure further, 45% took on additional debt to survive the lockdowns. Freelancers are fairing no better, with low earners growing in number and top earners dropping by 78%.
The supply chain is in complete disarray, with shortages and delays across the board. A shocking 94% of manufacturers are experiencing delays in components, resulting in many being forced to source new suppliers and redesign products. The knock-on effects are felt by rental companies, venues, installers and distributors, with the vast majority facing de

France - Organisers of Showlight have announced that plans are underway to reinstate Showlight 2023 which, after a two-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now scheduled to take place between 20-23 May 2023. The venue for this much-loved lighting quadrennial will be the Théâtre Municipal in Fontainebleau, near Paris, France, the original destination for the postponed 2021 event.
“The Showlight committee is now planning for the next live Showlight in May 2023 and we hope this time nothing will de-rail it!” says Showlight chairman, John Allen. “We are delighted to have the continued support of our main sponsor, Robert Juliat, along with many of the sponsors who were already supporting Showlight 2021. Fontainebleau’s local administration has, once again, made the Théâtre Municipal available for us - right in the centre of the town - and, as a result, the arrangements we were originally making for 2021 can be dusted off and planning can recommence.
“The Welcome Reception is planned for Saturday 20 May, with the first full day of papers on Sunday 21 May 2023. More programme details will be released in due course, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Showlight next year.”
With this in mind, and less than 18 months to go, Showlight will soon be putting out a Call for Papers, Exhibitors and Sponsors for this unique networking event. Details of how to get involved can be found at www.showlight.org
James Simpson, lighting designer and visualiser at Copper Candle, Showlig

USA - When the state of Illinois eased its stringent lockdown rules, and Chicago’s busy outdoor events schedule resumed, one person who was primed and prepped was Matthew Brotz, who runs locally based LEC Event Technology.
Knowing that Chicago is capable of experiencing four seasons in a day, he realised that not only his large inventory of GLP product would need weather protection, but also moving heads from other vendors. GLP had the solution.
“Thankfully Matt contacted us in plenty of time,” declares GLP US president, Mark Ravenhill. “After discussing the comprehensive range of options that we offer, he settled on a combination of our Rain Covers, with different cover lengths, and a large quantity of Air Domes. Despite the current problems with the global freight system, we made it in time for all of his festival dates.”
LEC’s festival season reopened with The Summer Smash at Chicago’s Douglass Park and was followed by ARC Music Festival, Riot Fest and, most recently, Spring Awakening: Autumn Equinox at Addams/Medill Park. This involved working often through torrential rain and high winds.
“We’ve [been fortunate enough] to have produced pretty much every large format festival in Chicago since Lollapalooza,” Brotz states.“We’ve had full festival production on four back-to-back events - it's been a whirlwind.”
But what he noticed was how few service providers were paying attention to Chicago’s volatile meteorological changes. “It seemed crazy that so few people had put time into acquiring domes or some sort