South Africa - Idols South Africa 2021 underwent its most substantial visual transformation for a few years with a shift of venue, from the State Theatre in Pretoria to Studio 10 at the Urban Brew complex in Johannesburg. This moment was seized by the show’s long term lighting designer Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier, for a radical re-think, and for the first time in 17 Idols seasons, he presented a lighting co-design created collaboratively with Andre Siebrits, also from Visual Frontier.
The pair relied heavily on Robe moving lights – over 200 were specified on the rig, plus two RoboSpot remote follow spotting systems – to assist with a fresh new aesthetic that takes the SA edition of the show production to “next level” status.
Owing to Covid regulations, a large live audience was still not possible this year, so Josh and Andre embraced this effective restriction by redefining the look and optimising it for the multi-camera direction of Gavin Wratten, who also had some clear ideas about visuality.
Taking a ‘bare stage’ approach was a bold and confident move that utilised lighting plus all the negative spaces in the room to create the drama, depth, and diversity.
“It had to look completely different from anything before but also very contemporary,” explained Josh, “and for this we needed multi-purpose fixtures to be at the core of the rig.”
The backbone of the slick modern lighting look was created with Robe Esprites and MegaPointes with 24 of each type.
The rig was enhanced by having the two RoboSp

Canada - Before any entertainer ever sets foot on its stage, Club Regent Event Centre is already equipped to put on a show with its computer-automated flexible seating system, which can adapt in minutes into over a dozen seating configurations for any kind of show: theatrical, concert, meetings, and more.
This 1,400-seat venue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is part of the larger Club Regent Casino features a new L-Acoustics K3-based sound system.
“This is a fairly complex sound system for a very flexible environment,” explains Martin Van Djik, senior consultant and partner at Toronto-based Engineering Harmonics, which designed the Solotech-integrated system.
The system comprises L/R hangs of eight K3 loudspeaker enclosures each, with six 12 KS21 subs per side, eight arrays of three Kiva II as delays, eight coaxial X8 frontfills, two larger X12 out-fills, four A15 Wide deck-fills, and one centre-fill consisting of one K3 plus four Kara II. Nine LA12X and four LA4X amplified controllers drive the system, which is connected to an audio network using six LS10 AVB network switches. For control, a DiGiCo Quantum338 console was also part of the new package, installed by integrator AVG.
“We had to design a system that would always provide excellent coverage, whether the room was configured for Broadway show-style theatre seating or as a flat, open ballroom-type floor for a trade event or fundraiser,” he says. “Each configuration has its own specific coverage needs, so we designed a sound system to accommodate all of them.” For instance, he s

Indonesia - A major new development at Universitas Katolik Parahyangan (Parahyangan Catholic University) in Bandung, West Java, has seen the inclusion of a high specification, multipurpose auditorium for choir performances, presentations and lectures. An Alcons Audio system has been chosen for sound reinforcement.
The university tasked design and build contractor PT Esa Sinergi Selaras Indonesia (PT ESSI) with delivering the audio in the new auditorium.
PT ESSI also chose Alcons knowing that the company’s pro-ribbon technology would ensure minimal ear fatigue for audiences. Jakarta-based KC Sound - Alcons Indonesian representative - would also be on hand to offer full support, including tuning the system to deliver its full potential.
The chosen system for the 1000-seat auditorium comprises compact hangs of two single 12” VR12/90 mid-size versatile monitors on each side of the stage, plus a central BF362i mkII double 18” high output subwoofer beneath the stage. Amplification and control duties are fulfilled by a single 4x 2.5 kW Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controller.
The system’s compact size ensures an unobstructed view of a giant video screen installed downstage, even at the back of the raked audience seating, and that there is no visual impact on the auditorium’s modern, attractive décor.
“Before the new building formally opened, we hosted five trial events, which included demonstrating the audio system,” says Hardy Nanda of the university’s technical support department. “University staff and audience members

UK - The full scope of the Faridabad, India-born Sonu Nigam’s talent was on full display this November at his UK shows at SSE Arena Wembley in London and Resorts World Arena in Manchester. On stage for over three hours at each venue, Sonu Nigam performed 37 songs and medleys that included his own compositions as well as songs from legendary singers Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
Reflecting the vibrancy and versatility of the multi-faceted performance was a Roosevelt Dsouza-designed lightshow that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by DMX Productions.
The lighting followed the singer through every twist and turn of his performance, peaking at intense moments, then becoming gentle for softer songs, all while never repeating a look. This was no small accomplishment, given the all-encompassing nature of the multi-award winnings star’s work.
Helping Dsouza accomplish this feat were the 16 Rogue R3 Beams in his touring kit. Arranged in four vertical columns that bordered the video wall panels, the 300W moving fixtures provide Dsouza with plenty of firepower (208,000 lux at 15-metres) to direct beams across the stage. Throughout the concert, he reconfigured the shape, direction, and colour of those beams to create a continuous flow of new looks.
“The beam shaper feature of the Rogue R3 was fantastic,” he said. “At some points in the show when you could see the beams open up, it was really impactful.”
In addition to creating myriad patters over and on the stage, the Rogue R3 Beams were used to highlight Sonu Nigam and

Denmark - Vejle Musikteater, one of the busiest and liveliest multi-purpose live performance venues in Jutland, has reopened fully after the pandemic period, complete with a new Robe Esprite house lighting package comprising 32 x Esprites in total.
Sixteen of these have been added as front lighting to the existing over-stage rig of 16 in the Main Hall. Head of lighting Rasmus Wiberg explained that during the Covid closure they used the time constructively to activate various renovations and changes needed in the venue, including the complete removal of the ‘advanced’ lighting bridge – the one nearest the stage – above the auditorium to fit in a new PA system.
This also seemed an ideal opportunity to replace the old discharge profiles with new LED moving lights for greater versatility. Having had a great experience with the first batch of 16 x Esprites and the 100 plus other Robe moving lights in the venue, more Esprites was a “logical” choice, stated Rasmus.
They also needed a bright fixture as the FOH lighting position is now on another catwalk 20 metres out from the stage and higher into the auditorium ceiling, so the throw distances are substantially longer.
Many features on the Esprite impressed Rasmus and his team including the shuttering, the EMS stabilisation, the colours and Robe’s TE LED technology. The zoom range was also a factor as they needed a beam that remained sharp across the longer distances.
“Like all Robe fixtures, the Esprites have been super reliable and worked brilliantly for our needs,” commen

USA - Rapper and songwriter Nate Feuerstein, more commonly known as NF, embarked on a massive amphitheatre tour this past fall that showcased Martin Professional VDO Sceptron and MAC Quantum Wash fixtures with P3 system control, provided by Solotech. 
Boasting several songs with hundreds of millions of streams - including the single Let You Down which recently crossed one billion streams - NF is a multi-platinum-selling artist who has gained a dedicated following for tackling themes like vulnerability, faith and mental health in his music. This latest tour featured just Feuerstein and drummer Rico Nichols onstage, leaving plenty of room for Feuerstein to move around and display his electric showmanship.
The tour’s lighting crew aimed to create a rig that enhanced and heightened Feuerstein’s energy for arena-sized venues while also maintaining an aesthetic use of shadows and darkness. To achieve this balance, creative director Chris Denholm and lighting designer Clay Joiner selected the versatile Martin VDO Sceptron LED video battens and the colourfully immersive MAC Quantum Wash lights.
“We tried to figure out how we could carry a show with just one guy on stage and how to put together a rig that would lend to Nate’s performing,” said Chris Denholm, creative director. “Nate's very physical onstage; he runs around and ping pongs from place to place, so framing him properly has always been an important thing to do. Also, he’s a no-front-light artist; it's all silhouette and sidelight with him. So we really needed a powerful fixt

The Netherlands - Located in the eastern Dutch town of Hengelo, the Metropool is a long-established live music venue featuring a wide range of acts and genres. It moved to its present home in 2009 and at that point its console stock was updated to include three DiGiCo SD8s and a large-format analogue desk, covering all its audio mixing needs across its Jupiler and Jack Daniels halls.
They were one of the first Dutch venues to invest in DiGiCo technology as Teun Zekhuis, their Head Technician recalls: “We chose the SD8 for its sound, interface, workflow and overall look and feel. Being one of the first stages in the Netherlands with this first series of SD8s we were really pioneering in a new world of digital audio. The SD8s proved to be a great choice and served us very well.”
Fast forward nine years to 2018 and through a series of events, Metropool found itself taking over the business of Atak, a venue for pop music, creating Metropool | Pop stages of Twente. “The audio equipment we inherited at Enschede confirmed that we made a good choice back in 2009; unlike ours, it had not withstood the test of time! So, one of the first things we did in Enschede was to replace the consoles,” Zekhuis continues.
“Having DiGiCos in Hengelo, the choice for a new series of DiGiCos in Enschede was obvious; why change a winning formula? But to be sure we checked a few competitors and concluded that there was no other brand with a product line so compatible with our business, both affordable and quantitative. So, in 2018 we chose an SD5 for front of house i

Denmark - Technical production and rental specialist Live Company, based in Skovlunde, Copenhagen, continues to invest in Astera wireless LED products at a pace to keep parallel with the “incredible demand” of the Danish market, states owner Peter Clausen.
They were the first rental company in Denmark to invest majorly in Astera, initially with AX1 PixelTubes in 2018, and the latest acquisitions include several sets of Titan Tubes and the newly launched AX9 PowerPAR all-purpose everyday LED lighting fixture – one of the three innovative products launched by Astera in 2021.
The AX9s were bought specifically for Dejlig er Jorden, an operatic recital tour around Danish churches by an ensemble of opera singers and classical musicians. Lighting designer Súni Joensen specifically wanted powerful, reliable, quick and easy to deploy wireless fixtures and 12 x AX9s fitted the bill.
“AX9s are excellent front lights,” says Peter, which was another reason for the purchase, together with the good battery life which easily covers the run-time of most events. He mentions that the consistency of the Astera lightsources and colours is impressive across all the product ranges.
Live Company’s Titan Tubes joined the general rental inventory based on the success they have experienced with the 100 plus AX1s, as they were keen to have Astera’s most up-to-date wireless Tube technology onboard.
The AX1s have been in use constantly, even during the pandemic period, when they were out every week for digital gigs and streamed events, he exp

Canada - Twelve Ayrton Domino-S fixtures, part of Ayrton’s IP65 multi-function luminaire family designed for intensive outdoor use, played a variety of roles at Les Francos de Montréal and the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, staged back-to-back in September this year due to COVID-19.
Les Francos de Montréal is a large annual pop music and performance festival featuring French-language performers from around the world. It has been held for more than 20 years. The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world’s largest jazz festival; every year it features about 3,000 artists in more than 650 concerts and welcomes 2m-plus visitors. This year’s 41st edition was reduced in size due to the coronavirus pandemic with all shows taking place outdoors. Both events were centred around downtown Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles.
Solotech in Montréal supplied all the lighting, video and audio gear for both festivals. Nicolas Labbé, senior technical specialist, business development at Solotech and a lighting designer himself, had seen and tested the Dominos and knew they would fill the bill for Les Francos and the jazz festival. “I was really impressed by what they could bring to the festivals: their intensity and resolution, the richness of the colours, no hot spots at all, and no need for weatherproofing covers that destroy the look.”
Bruno Rafie, lighting designer for both events, hung the Dominos 35ft in the air on giant, arm-like mega-structures positioned on the street during th

Germany - The Riedel Group has announced an expanded management structure. Starting 1 January 2022, the Wuppertal-based company will be organised into three main divisions: The product division and managed technology business units will have Rik Hoerée and Lutz Rathmann as their respective new CEOs, with Riedel Networks and its managing director and CEO, Michael Martens, forming the group's third division.
This move allows Riedel Group CEO Thomas Riedel to devote his attention to driving business development and expanding global partnerships and networks. Together with group chief financial officer Frank Eischet, who is responsible for finance, HR and IT, Thomas will form the spearhead of the Riedel Group.
"The last year has given us time to take a deep breath and reflect on our setup. We realised that we would have to change some things to sustain the rapid expansion of our business," says Riedel. "These past few years, our company has seen tremendous growth, and 2021 is no exception. Now is the right time to broaden the management team to support this dynamic upswing. This reorganisation is the foundation to master current and future challenges to our business and to continue our strong organic growth."
Riedel chief sales officer (CSO) Martin Berger who has been driving this evolutionary step forward will withdraw from the Riedel management board.
"I take great pride in the fact that we have developed first-class leaders within our own ranks, who are now ready to take on greater responsibility for our next growth phase," said Berger. "It wa

UK - Home to a technically advanced film production complex, Garden Studios is a one-stop-shop for a wide variety of TV and film productions, designed specifically to support the latest technologies as well as decades of future innovation. Its in-house Virtual Production stage is driven by Brompton Tessera processing.
Launched this year, the facility boasts three traditional sound stages, totalling over 3,700m2, as well as an array of supporting spaces. The jewel in its crown is its Virtual Production stage, which allows filmmakers to shoot live action footage within a pre-visualised virtual world, using 3D CGI modelling and precision camera tracking to make it all look as real as possible.
“Whether our clients are looking to shoot a feature film, short-form promo, commercial or music video, Virtual Production can deliver a sustainable and cost, time, and travel-effective solution for their project,” says Garden Studios’ Virtual Production supervisor, Mark Pilborough-Skinner.
The 445m2 Virtual Production stage is powered by tech from Epic Games (Unreal Engine), Mo-Sys (Star Tracker tracking technology), ROE Visual (Diamond 2.6mm LED panels), and Brompton Technology (Tessera LED processing).
Additionally, the LED panels have been dynamically calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra measurement system, making them Brompton HDR-ready. This unlocks the full potential of each LED and allows the team at Garden Studios to take full advantage of exceptionally realistic-looking visual content and extra-wide colour gamut.
“Brompton is an integra

USA - On the south edge of Kansas City, a multi-story commercial building has been lighting its windows in special colours and patterns for decades. ETC’s Mosaic system, a pixel-mapping and show control solution, recently gave them a 21st-century upgrade to heighten the graphics and even provide a new revenue stream for the building.
“The building is right near the interstate. For years, everybody drove past it and loved the decorative touch of the special lighting,” says Autumn Nieland, business development at Mercer Zimmerman. The patterns started with a holiday wreath, then expanded into other designs like the Kansas City Royals or Chiefs logo. But the building wanted something better. They wanted a system that could handle bigger designs but needed less time and people power to make happen.
“They were still just using fluorescent strips lights, figuring out by hand what colours would go into what window, and having maintenance personnel change the colour of gel tubes. It was very labour intensive,” says Nieland. “The property manager came to me and said there’s got to be a better way. So of course, we introduced them to ETC’s Mosaic.”
ETC’s Mosaic makes it easy to paint with light on big canvases like buildings. With support for up to 1.5 million pixels, your designs can be as high- or low-res as you like. And it’s easy enough to use that the building staff have free rein to build and implement their own designs.
Mosaic’s design software has made their life much easier. “They used to plot out windows in Excel by s

USA - Latin music star Marc Anthony has returned to the stage with his Pa’lla Voy tour, taking in 26-dates across North America with an arsenal of VL10 Beamwash luminaires from Vari-Lite. The VL10 delivers speed, versatility and an impressive 28,000 lumens to lighting designer Travis Shirley’s bold stage design.
Shirley developed his concept around six vertical lighting arrays that provide the tools necessary to create effective and functional stage focuses. “When the drawings of the show were completed, it was time to start discussing fixture choices. Good friend and production guru Roly Garbalosa mentioned to me that our preferred vendor ProColor was looking at purchasing the new VL10s and asked me to take a look at them. How does the saying go? It was love at first sight,” said Travis Shirley.
The tour, which kicked off at San Antonio’s 18,500-capacity AT&T Centre on 27 August, celebrates 2019 album Opus and Anthony’s three-decade career. It has sold out arenas across the US, with fans eager to see him play live for the first time since early-2020. The three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Grammy Award winner’s compositions vary from slow and heart wrenching to fast and flamboyant, moving fans to tears in one moment and lifting them to their feet the next. Therefore, the show design had to be both engaging and extremely dynamic.
“I wanted to create a production that could not only accommodate his talented band, but also offer the flares of Latin salsa,” says Shirley. “I knew that we needed some sort of modern, yet cla

Germany - DirectOut has named Australian company tm stagetec systems its distributor of the year for 2020, while SeeSound (Spain) and ITR Engineering (Russia) receive the outstanding sales performance and Prodigy of the year awards.
Jan Ehrlich, CEO of DirectOut, states, “tm stagetec has demonstrated a very deep knowledge of our entire portfolio during the recent years. At the same time they used this to consult the clients at best and reached out to every single opportunity the market presented. Even though our relationship is still quite young, we are a well-coordinated team with the same customer-oriented understanding.”
SeeSound has been the distributor of DirectOut products for the Iberian peninsula for a few years and the relationship between the two companies has been very positive since day one. After a kick-off year in 2018 and a constant growth in 2019, 2020 was finally the year of collecting the fruits of the seeds planted.
Yuriy Cheshev from ITR Engineering comments “On behalf of ITR, I would like to thank DirectOut for this award. We are very pleased that you have appreciated our efforts in the Russian market. And we hope for an even more successful cooperation for the future! Good devices from you, good sales from us.”
Ehrlich concludes, “In such a difficult year for the entire audio industry, flexibility and creativity were required for the sales business. Many of our distribution partners have succeeded very well. We are particularly pleased with our business relationship with the three companies, which have been ext

UK - Sound Technology has announced the addition of Solid State Logic SSL Live consoles and Network I/O devices to its live sound distribution portfolio, with a focus on installed applications including theatre, music venues and educational facilities.
"Sound Technology has had a successful long-standing relationship with Solid State Logic distributing its music production tools portfolio in the UK,” comments David Marshall, MD Sound Technology. “We're proud to have the opportunity to expand our partnership with the addition of the SSL Live range of consoles in market sectors in which we also have proven technical and commercial expertise."
Responsibility for SSL Live consoles at Sound Technology will sit within its pro audio application team for specification and support, with consoles installed in Sound Technology's pro audio and lighting demo facility at its Letchworth Garden City headquarters.
Last month Solid State Logic announced SSL Live v5.0 software, new 'Plus Processing Packs' offering additional DSP resources for existing SSL Live L100, L200, L350 and L550 consoles, and new L450 and L650 consoles.
Jim Motley, senior vice president of international sales for Solid State Logic comments, “We’ve been very impressed by the enthusiasm and professionalism of the pro audio application team at Sound Technology and think they’ll make the perfect fit for installation customers in the UK, representing our Network IO range of interfaces as well as our Live consoles. We are confident that they will reach and support clients in a wide ra

World - A not-for-profit body set up to promote safe crowd management practices globally has been launched. The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) brings together crowd managers, organizations, businesses, academics, and individuals with a shared interest in safety from across the globe.
The initiative is spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC), with board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, and a list of supporters and advocates spanning over 15 countries on five continents.
The alliance will also create and deliver learning opportunities for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means.
Eric Stuart, UK Crowd Management Association’s chair, has been selected as the new body’s first chair. He comments: “I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first chair. This organization will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe. Whilst crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost. Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return h

UK - Audiologic has announced that as of the 1 December 2021, it has been appointed as exclusive UK distributor for LEA Professional, manufacturer of pro-audio amplifiers with cloud and IoT-based technologies.
LEA Professional, founded in 2019 by CEO Blake Augsburger. The LEA portfolio of products is made of the Connect Series smart amplifiers, with both a standard and Dante format available. As the rest of the signal chain has continued to grow with smart connectivity with IoT integration, LEA have bought amplifiers right up to the forefront of the technology race.
The Connect Series has full cloud connectivity and monitoring allowing for real time visibility of your entire roster of amplifiers worldwide.
David Budge, founder and managing director at Blue5 Technology, LEA’s representative in the UK & Ireland, comments: “LEA Professional has seen exponential growth over the last few months as more integrators rely on its progressive technology, particularly its Cloud based solutions. LEA is unique in its offering, not only because of its technology but because of its agile nature and customer focus. I look forward to working closely with Audiologic and further expanding the LEA Professional customer base over the coming months."
Ben Spurgeon, senior technical manager, Audiologic, concludes: “We are hugely excited to welcome LEA to our product portfolio. From a technical perspective, their smart amplifier range fits perfectly within the rest of our brand roster and suits the forward-thinking network-based designs that we love to prod

UK - Tukans, the York based distributor of professional video and audio solutions, has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Arec in the UK and Ireland. The agreement with the Taiwanese manufacturer adds to Tukans’ portfolio of meeting capture and streaming solutions for use in education, corporate, government and healthcare markets.
The cornerstone of Arec’s offerings is their Media Stations; all-in-one streaming and recording appliances with i on-board control interfaces for video switching, camera control and displaying graphics. Coupled with their range of tracking camera solutions, the brand facilitates high quality video production for non-technical users.
“Over the past two years we have seen the increasing importance of live streaming and media on demand,” says Tukans’ general manager, Yvonne Womersley. “With Arec, we can now offer our customers a range of solutions that are simple to deploy, easy to operate, and compatible with leading content delivery platforms such as YouTube, Panopto and Opencast.”
“We are excited to be working with Tukans to bring our products to customers in the UK and Ireland,” said Boris Polyakov, regional sales manager for Arec. “With Tukans’ expertise in the pro AV segment and a commitment to customer service and support, we have a very strong partner to build our business in these territories.”

USA - Boxing matches are inherently unpredictable. Some end with a sudden thud mere seconds after they start. Others are boring uninspired 12-round dances. Then there are those that serve up more than their share of dramatic moments. But one thing is certain at every boxing event: a sense of excitement and anticipation fills the air when pugilists enter the arena and walk with handlers to the ring.
Pangea Land of Dinosaurs’ Jurassic Fight Night in Phoenix was no different, even if the combatants approaching the 40ft by 40ft boxing ring were not your typical athletes. Bearing names like Blue Lighting The Velociraptor, and Steve The Spine Crusher Spinosaurus, these boxers were realistic replicas of dinosaurs,
Pumping up the crowd as the dinosaur fighters entered the Gilia River Arena during the two-day event was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied and installed by Creative BackStage.
“We relied on our moving lights with their rapid pan and tilt motions and bold colours to engage the crowd throughout the three shows that made up the event,” said Creative Back Stage’s John Garberson, who served as the LD of Jurassic Fight Night. “The lights gave the crowd energy without distracting from the show. This was especially true when the dinosaurs made their way to the ring. It was important to start things off on a high note.”
Key to setting this tone were the 16 Rogue R3 Beam fixtures in Garberson’s rig. Working with his programmer Steve Smith, L2 Michael White, and rigger Maxie Kichler, he divided the 300-watt beams e