USA - High End Systems has announced the release of a new flagship console Hog 4-18, along with new OS v3.11 software. The company has also entered a new partnership with Capture visualisation software.
The Hog 4-18 console upgrades the popular Hog 4 with 18.5” touch screens, and an updated industrial design with aluminium encoder knobs and integrated accessory mounts. Outputting 8,192 channels (expandable with DP8K processors), Hog 4-18 has eight XLR-5 DMX outputs, sACN and Art-Net, MIDI and dual etherCON connections for HogNet and FixtureNet.
The desk features five high-resolution parameter encoders, built-in tri-axis backlit trackball and 10 master playbacks with motorised faders and master control keys. Up to three external display port monitors or touchscreen monitors can be used.
Hog 3.11 OS includes several significant updates, with support for the Hog 4-18 console hardware, an increase to 12 universes of output for Hog 4 PC, additional Plot icons and improved indication of current cue in cue list window. Other small enhancements include changing the Fixture Schedule button to Add Fixtures to simplify patching, sorting manufacturers User and Generic to the top of the list in Fixture Scheduler to reduce scrolling, CITP support for Hippotizer Layer v4.4 and various bug fixes.
Finally, High End Systems is changing the Hog family’s included visualiser to a Capture lighting design software license at the solo, duet or quartet level, depending on the Hog console purchased. These are standard Capture licenses that can be upgrade

UK - Technical theatre students at the Guildford School of Acting recently benefitted from hands-on experience creating dynamic soundscapes and source-oriented vocal localisation for their stage musical production of 9 to 5.
Cambridge-based immersive audio pioneers, Out Board, provided the school with a TiMax spatial delay-matrix, complete with TiMax Tracker, for students to experience the creation of a sound design pushed beyond the usual boundaries of intelligibility, balance and audience immersion.
After the student production, course tutor Sam Digny and guest mentor sound designer Justin Teasdale held a seminar insight day showcasing their experience and success with the advanced immersive TiMax technology. A wider audience of invited industry professionals comprised local hire companies, production managers, sound engineers and students old and new.
Out Board’s Robin Whittaker hosted a morning session presenting TiMax alongside a discussion of the wider principles of sound. He posited, “Where do you go beyond the fidelity readily achieved by modern loudspeaker systems? Beyond fidelity, localisation is the obvious thing and a major part of this whole current immersion discussion, in a stage environment like this, is multiple localisations made effective for an entire audience.”
In the afternoon Teasdale presented the dynamism of the 9 to 5 soundscape, which included vocal localisation of the main cast and panoramic spatialisation of the band, who were positioned off-stage. The classic LCR-hung Optima 5 line array system in the

UK - Northern Irish band Snow Patrol embarked on a UK tour to support new album, Wilderness, which concluded at London’s SSE Wembley Arena in February. Lighting and show designer Davy Sherwin selected Claypaky Scenius Unico as the only moving lights of the production.
Sherwin has worked with the band since 2002 and describes the creative relationship as ‘excellent’. “Sometimes the band gives me a starting point for a design, and I build on that. There are discussions and it is collaborative process, but mainly I have an awful lot of freedom in the design process,” he says.
Rigged on both the front truss and two automated trusses above the stage, Sherwin used the Scenius Unico in conjunction with the video wall to shift the size and shape of the stage throughout the performance, as well as providing crucial key lighting.
“The beam shape was a very important consideration when I was selecting the fixtures,” says Sherwin, who used the beams of the Scenius Unico to provide front and rear key lighting for the band. “The beam was perfect.”
The Scenius Unico offers designers a 5-55˚ linear zoom and four separately moving blades at variable speeds.
The fixture had to deliver output bright enough to stand out against the often-psychedelic visuals of the 50 x 30ft video screen. “The main reason for choosing the Scenius Unico was its unrivalled brightness,” explains Sherwin. “The Unico cut through the screen brightness with no trouble at all.
“The Scenius Unico has great colours, especially the primary colours.

UK - The heady mix of highly tuned bikes, screaming engines, screeching tyres and brakes and supernatural speed races meshed with the breath-taking daring of motorcycle stunt acrobatics… indoor Motocross racing and Freestyle MX all rolled into a single adrenaline fuelled night of seat-edge action complete with pumping soundscape . . . and you have the heartbeat of
Producers and organisers Arena Sports Live presented Arenacross (AX in three of the UK’s leading arena venues – Belfast, Birmingham and Sheffield – for their 2019 AX tour, with HSL supplying a full production package – lighting, video and rigging – plus sound in partnership with Nitelites.
Additional venue ‘sports lighting’ was also provided by HSL for the two Birmingham shows at the Resorts World Arena (NEC).
HSL’s project manager was Ben Perrin. He and the team were delighted to be back having supplied lighting for the 2018 tour, and lighting and video for the recent Liverpool International Horse Show, also an Arena Sports Live event. They worked closely with producer Matt Bates and production manager Tony Nash from Arena Sports Live.
Ben produced an outline production lighting design, then called on the huge experience of Nick Jevons as programmer, lighting director and operator on the road. He utilised a flexible package of beam, spot and wash moving lights to ensure appropriately hi-impact lighting to match the hi-velocity action, excitement and sounds.
Nick’s challenge was to make it powerful, dramatic and totally in the face . . . a task he relished

Italy - Claypaky has announced its commitment to ArKaos’s Kling-Net protocol, which will now be embedded in its newest HY B-EYE product line.
Giovanni Zucchinali, Claypaky’s product portfolio manager, explains: “As the current and future requirements of lighting and visual design are so dynamic and fast-moving, lighting designers, programmers and operators need the most flexible and creative tools at their fingertips. We see a strong trend for one of those future developments being moving heads and pixel fixtures increasingly working in conjunction with video content.”
The new Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 and HY B-EYE K15 recently introduced to the market, are supplied with ArKaos Kling-Net as standard and already included in the firmware.
“This new and interesting feature greatly expands the already rich effects of the HY B-EYE range, making it an even more versatile and practical luminaire” comments ArKaos CEO Marco Hinic. “This is why, going forward, ArKaos is supporting Claypaky devices with the Kling-Net software network interface and we are all looking forward to this combination of cutting-edge technologies that will offer faster, more flexible and even more versatile products.”
Kling-Net is a plug-and-play control protocol developed by digital media specialists ArKaos for the easy operation of LED and video devices / lightsources. It allows the distribution of real-time video data to remote display devices - like LED fixtures or LED panels - over Ethernet, adding a degree of ‘intelligence’ with the automatic configuration

Europe - Work Pro Audio, the installation and pro audio division of Equipson, unveiled an array of sound reinforcement products at ISE 2019, including two new outdoor projector speakers and a new multichannel amplifier.
For external applications such as theme parks, aquaparks, shopping malls, stadium and train stations, Work Pro Audio showed the WSF 500 CX and WSF 10 CX PLUS passive two-way, full range projector speakers, which offer the ultimate in voice intelligibility and musical clarity.
The WFS 500 CX and 10 CX PLUS (1000W and 300W respectively), both incorporate horn-loaded 10” diameter transducers and 2.5” voice coils in a bass reflex enclosure. The high frequencies are reproduced by a 1” exit compression driver, a 1.75” voice coil and an 80° horizontal x 60° vertical horn, which delivers consistent coverage across the entire vocal range.
Designed with elegance and durability in mind, both speakers are visually discreet and are enclosed in black or white weather-resistant fibreglass that can withstand even the most adverse environmental conditions. Both also incorporate an Aluminium grille covered with a protective water repellent fabric and four pole electrical connection cables that enter the enclosure through a cable gland, thus preventing water, dust and moisture from damaging the transducers.
Work Pro Audio also introduced the PA 8150, a Class-D amplifier that offers LED indicators and independent volume control on each of its 8 channels, making it suited to installations such as restaurants and venues where audio need

UK - White Light provided the lighting equipment for Arthur Miller’s The American Clock which has recently opened at the Old Vic Theatre, London.
The American Clock portrays the devastation that American citizens experienced when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began in 1929. The play uses an ensemble cast to explore the lives of several families across several cities. It is directed by Rachel Chavkin and features a lighting design by Olivier Award-winning Natasha Chivers.
Natasha comments: “This is an epic play that manages to tell a huge story about an entire nation. Rachel wanted to create something quite extraordinary in which we put the audience right into this extraordinary time in American history. Part of this included having audience members on stage. What this means is that the Old Vic stage has now been turned so that it’s practically ‘in the round’. When I’ve lit shows here before it’s always been ‘end on’ so this was a new experience for me.
“Initially, we toyed with the idea of using a tracking moving light system as well as followspots due to the fact that we needed to stay with the characters as they moved round the revolving stage. We eventually decided to go for one large moving light rig which would light everything. What’s really interesting about this play is that it’s a combination of your traditional Arthur Miller play coupled with music pieces. As a result, it meant the design I created needed a mix of tungsten, LED and discharge lighting”.
Natasha would use the

UK - Hot on the heels of their latest studio release Holy Hell, British metalcore act, Architects, have recently completed their UK and European tour accompanied by an Allen & Heath dLive system. The tour included some of the band’s biggest headline shows to date - finishing off at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London to an audience of 12,500 fans.
“After touring with a variety of consoles over the last few years I decided to make the switch to dLive after having them recommended to me by fellow users Ben Hammond and Jared Daly”, comments FOH engineer, Jonny Burgan. “I am a big fan of how modular the dLive systems are, being able to scale down surface size without sacrificing audio quality and compromising on processing power is something that not enough manufacturers have tried to address, yet Allen & Heath have managed to perfect it.”
Supplied by SSE Audio, the band’s full set-up comprises two dLive S5000 surfaces and two DM64 MixRacks, handling all FOH and monitor duties. Tom Pickett (SSE) comments, “I’ve been looking after Jonny and Architects since 2016 and I’ve known Dan Williams (monitor engineer) since working with him on Neck Deep, again starting in 2016. So, to see the two of them come together on the same gig, using the same board was great to be a part of.”
All FOH I/O is managed by a DX32 Expander, fitted with both analogue and digital output cards, which feeds the system inputs via AES with redundant analogue connections also present.
Burgan comments, “With regards to dLive’s processing power, h

USA - One of the most elegant fixed sound system installations now graces the 400-seat sanctuary of the Valley Life Centre in Dallas. Nexo’s compact Geo M6 line array has been delivered by local audio specialists Alpha Sound, as the front end of a digital system featuring a Yamaha QL5 mixing console, and personal in-ear monitoring facilities.
“The 400-seat, intergenerational congregation sanctuary previously had a mono centre cluster of horns enclosed in a fabric cloud and a simple analogue console with a few wedges for monitors,” says Devin Sheets, head engineer at Alpha Sound.
Now, two Nexo M6 line arrays cover the 180° room evenly with added localisation from low profile out-fills. Along with the subwoofers, the speaker system naturally delivers a "modern" sound that is fitting for contemporary worship styles. “The new system will serve this church community very well for decades to come,” adds the elder Sheets.
The M6 line array configuration consists of six per side, one per side of Nexo LS18 subwoofer, one per side Nexo ID24 speakers used for out-fills, and two Nexo NX4x1 Mk2 amplifiers. "The clarity and detail of this new system is absolutely incredible,” states Chris Barker, head pastor. “Many people can hear the instruments and voices for the first time, and the younger crowd really loves the new depth of sound.
Because it all sounds so smooth, we really aren't getting complaints about the volume even though it is actually a lot louder than ever before. It all just sounds amazing."
(Jim Evans)

USA - AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, has promoted Dan Goldstein to chief marketing officer. In this role, Goldstein will lead the strategy for AVIXA's marketing, communications, market intelligence, content creation and delivery, strategic alliances, and new product innovation.
Goldstein joined the association in 2015 as senior VP of marketing and communications. He led the rebranding initiative from InfoComm International to the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association - AVIXA - and has built an all-new market intelligence team focused on providing the AV community with industry analytics and insights that were previously unobtainable from any source.
Prior to joining AVIXA, he served as a senior marketing and communications professional at the ISE trade show for seven years.
"Dan has been a major driver in AVIXA's evolution in recent years - leading our brand transformation, market intelligence, and much more," says David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA. "Since joining the association four years ago, he has made a huge impact, and we're excited for him to take on a bigger leadership role.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - Free registration is now open for PLASA Focus Leeds, PLASA has reported.
The sold-out event, taking place at Leeds' Royal Armouries Museum on 14-15 May, will feature 120 exhibitors and is ideal for professionals working across live events, concert touring, production, performing arts and installation.
Present will be lighting companies including Elation, Robe and Philips Entertainment Lighting; pro audio firms including d&b audiotechnik, Funktion-One and Shure; and rigging, staging and production specialists including Area Four Industries, Gerriets, Hawthorn and J&C Joel. The trade show will also welcome several new exhibitors, including loudspeaker manufacturer Wharfdale Pro Audio and US sound masking company, Cambridge Sound Management.
In addition, a free programme of seminars, panel discussions and workshops will feature insights from experts involved in some the most exciting projects over the past year as well as essential technical guidance.
Sophie Atkinson, head of events at PLASA, comments: “PLASA Focus Leeds continues to be one of the most anticipated events in the calendar. It’s the perfect place for people to get together, share knowledge and find out about the latest technology.
“Our team is currently building an exciting programme of seminars and workshops, celebrating some of the most exciting projects from across the industry - we look forward to announcing the line-up

UK - Notch, the visual creation tool for interactive motion graphics, is set to incorporate ray tracing into the software's realtime workflow as part of an upcoming March release (0.9.22). The news was announced at NotchCon, the inaugural Notch conference held in London in January.
Ray tracing, an advanced graphics rendering technique that has long been used for non-realtime rendering, provides realistic lighting by simulating the physical behaviour of light. It is the foundation of visual effects used in movies and TV and will provide a ‘significant jump’ in visual precision directly inside Notch, says the company.
Matt Swoboda, founder of Notch, comments: “At Notch, we’re committed to making software for content creators that is flexible and scalable. We enable people to realize their creative ideas and improve their workflow, through the power of rendering in real-time, without the need for coding. We are looking forward to seeing how the integrations and software updates announced today will impact creatives when the new version of Notch Builder is released later this spring.”
Notch’s ray tracing features will work on any GPU currently supported by Notch, with no additional hardware required. Swoboda said the feature has been built to take advantage of the various hardware accelerated APIs and platforms in the future, as they mature.
NotchCon, the first ever two-day conference dedicated to Notch users, took place in London last month. Visitors travelled to London from all over the world. The event featured 30 sessions on a wid

UK - Industry charity Backup has revealed a busy fundraising schedule for 2019.
First in a line-up of events is the inaugural Bikefest, kicking off on 18 May with a day of two-wheeled action and fun for all levels of riders.
There will be a 100km ride through the Sussex and Surrey countryside, which will take in much of the famed Olympic and Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 route, including Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey, and the famous Box Hill Zig Zag.
“Whether you’re riding as an individual, with friends or as a company Peloton, this will be a great day out to sport your finest padded shorts, have an excuse to shave those legs and pack as many bananas in your cycling top as possible,” says Backup.
The event will also feature a 50km route across the Surrey countryside, past a number of isotonic watering holes en route to allow riders to ‘recharge’ their batteries.
“Either way, you’ll be bacon sandwiched up before you set off and then given your route. Upon your triumphant return, food, drinks, prizes and prestige await you all,” says Backup.

Kartfest
Kartfest is back for a fifth year on Thursday, 4 July, with an Independence Day theme. Organisers expect the event to sell out quickly and promise participants should expect “all the normal fun, thrills, spills and shenanigans, as well as downright blatant team ringers and financial incentives”. Headline sponsor Chauvet Professional has signed up for a second year running.

Comfest is also returni

UK - In anticipation of a busy 2019 order book, Triple E has recently completed a move into larger premises, which has also included a complete restructure of the warehouse to improve efficiencies and production work flow.
Triple E had outgrown its previous warehouse, having been there for the past 16 years, and the company has now settled into a larger facility which has doubled the square footage of their office, factory and workshop. The expansion has also provided for improved training facilities for distributors, installers and specifiers who visit Triple E, as well as dedicated meeting room spaces and improved office facilities.
The increased footprint has enabled a more streamlined factory and warehouse layout with additional yard and storage facilities and a larger demonstration area for clients to see the products first hand in the factory setting.
The transition to a larger unit on the same industrial estate has also enabled the team to assimilate Thorley Engineering seamlessly into the work flow. The 2018 acquisition of Thorley Engineering - a supplier to Triple E for over 25 years - made clear business sense. “I’m delighted that we have been able to ensure continuity of supply by incorporating Thorley Engineering into the Triple E family” explains David Edelstein, managing director, Triple E. “Dave Thorley and his highly skilled engineering team bring a wealth of experience and a long-standing appreciation of the Triple E brand. It made perfect sense to bring them into the company to facilitate a seamless and speedier product

UK - Edinburgh Castle and the medieval Old Town offered a magnificent backdrop to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration for thousands of revellers who welcomed the new year immersed in a city centre-wide high quality pro audio installation.
In collaboration with the sound designer Dan Jones, Catalyst Event Production Services was tasked with specifying, installing and operating a sound solution for much of the event that would envelope partygoers, leading them to "a complete d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker, amplification and R1 control software solution".
UK-based live entertainment company Underbelly, which has produced the event on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council since 2017, bills Edinburgh’s Hogmanay as “one of the biggest celebrations in the world”. The famed Street Party showcased Scottish and European musicians, street theatre artists, dancers, choirs and aerialists, while the midnight firework display was set to a specially-commissioned track by German band Meute.
The team split the designated party areas of the city into four ‘arenas’. Within each of these PA towers were constructed, spaced at 20m intervals. In total, 22 towers were built, each carrying arrays of d&b loudspeakers consisting of two Y8, one Y12 and a Y-SUB, along with two Y10P for near-fill.
There were further systems deployed on The Mound, where six towers were erected. Each tower consisted of arrays of three T10, one Q-SUB and two T10 near-fill. An additional system made up of eight Y8 and two Y-SUBs provided further fill coverage. Amplification w

UK - Artem, the physical special effects company, made further inroads into the theatre sector recently with a new effects’ challenge from the world of dance. Artem, whose credits include Harry Potter: The Cursed Child and Holiday on Ice, were asked to design and build a piece of equipment capable of projecting a single giant smoke ring the shape of a doughnut - known in physics as a Torus - from the rear of a stage, out over an audience.
The ‘smoke vortex cannon’, as it came to be known, had to be large enough to make an impact in a sizeable performance venue, whilst being resilient and easily transportable on tour. In addition, the cannon needed to be DMX programmable, to enable control from the lighting gallery.
Artem’s client is the Birmingham and Barcelona-based dance company, Humanhood. Artistic directors Rudi Cole and Júlia Robert Parés anchor their work in physics and astrophysics, as well as in their personal insight into Eastern mysticism. Their new production, Torus, is inspired by the creation of a geometrical shape by revolving a circle in a three-dimensional space around a coplanar axis, and by the existence of these shapes throughout the natural world. Artem’s smoke vortex cannon delivers a dramatic visual effect at a key moment during the performance.
Artem built a number of rigid-bodied cannon prototypes in various sizes, all of which featured a rear-mounted membrane pulled into extension by a series of bungees and secured by electromagnets. Once released, the membrane creates a sizeable single sh

UK - The team at Nottingham-based OneBigStar was already familiar with the Chauvet Professional Ovation series when they made a major investment in the LED fixtures. “We’ve built the Chauvet trade show booths for years, so we’ve worked with Ovation units before and have been very impressed,” says Steve Yeardsley, managing director of the technical and event production company.
Recently, Yeardsley and his team acted on this confidence by adding a substantial number of Ovation ellipsoidal and par-style fixtures to OneBigStar’s inventory. The new fixtures are intended to replace the company’s existing tungsten units.
“We’re constantly looking to invest in new technologies, especially when they involve moving from older units to better, brighter and more energy efficient ones,” says Yeardsley. “The Ovation range certainly stands tall against the tungsten fixtures they’re replacing.”
Included in the new product mix are the Ovation E-910FC RGBA-Lime colour mixing ellipsoidal in both indoor and IP-rated versions; the high output Ovation E-260WW warm white ellipsoidal; and the P-56VW variable white par-style fixture.
Many of the new fixtures have been put to immediate use. “We have recently undertaken an exhibition project that involves lighting large stands for agricultural machinery brands,” says Yeardsley. “We are using a combination of Ovation ellipsoidals and variable white pars with a few Maverick MK2 Spots thrown in for gobo projection. The response to the fixtures in this role has been excellent! They lit the area

USA - For a third year running, TAIT has been included in Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Live Event for 2019. The list honours businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture.
“Receiving this recognition again is a great reminder of just how important teamwork really is and how influential innovation is in creating extraordinary experiences,” says Adam Davis, CCO at TAIT.
“Live events create shared experiences that are community building and binding. Some are in-person communities others are digital communities. Because the ability to experience a live event has multiplied in form, it is essential that we continue to challenge ourselves, our clients and the industry, to be even more innovative when creating. This is an exciting time, we are at the advent of revolutionizing the live event experience,” shares Mia Tinari, global head of marketing + communications at TAIT.
In the past 18 months, TAIT has worked on a broad range of events including King Kong on Broadway, the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia, and Drake’s Aubrey & The Three Migos Tour which was documented in a now-viral, behind-the-scenes video produced by Insider.
(Jim Evans)

UK - During his four years in the company, Martin Audio’s Richard Van Nairn has steadily broadened his remit, and with the recent restructure of Martin Audio’s sales force, it has opened the door further for Van Nairn to bring even more territories under his management.
The restructure, which has seen Bradley Watson promoted to the new role of international sales director, meant many of the countries under his management has moved to Van Nairn.
Already in charge of Cyprus, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and the PALOPS block, Van Nairn now has responsibility for a further swathe of territories across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East (including Israel and Jordan). He also has responsibility for the whole of Africa (apart from South Africa), including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
“I feel privileged to be entrusted with so much responsibility at a time when Martin Audio’s sales are at a record high,” Van Nairn says, “and the opportunity to expand the brand’s visibility in some of the lesser known parts of the world remains of paramount importance.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Behind the Scenes reports that Gray Matter Visual has become a Pledge-a-Service Partner by pledging to donate a percentage of their design fees to the charity. Gray Matter Visual is a lighting and production design firm working on corporate and special events, concerts, television, benefits, and more. Founded in 2010 by Brendan Gray and based in Brooklyn, New York, GMV works with clients all over the US and beyond to realise their visions.
Brendan Gray, principal designer and president, states: “I became aware of the Pledge-a-Service programme through fellow designer (and friend) Herrick Goldman's involvement. Joining sounded like a great idea, but one that sat on the back burner for a while. The recent sudden loss of a friend and colleague prompted me to take action. I hope that other designers and business owners will follow suit and support this worthy cause."
Rick Rudolph, the chair of Behind the Scenes, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Gray Matter Visual as a Pledge-a-Service Partner. It is so important to us to have the design community involved in our efforts. Designers, by the very nature of their work, come into contact with so many industry members that they can be enormously helpful in spreading the word that help is available to those in need. We thank Brendan and his team for their wonderful commitment.”
The Behind the Scenes charity provides entertainment technology professionals who are seriously ill or injured with grants that may be used for basic living and medical expenses.
(Jim Evans)