USA - Burbank-based Volt Lites has marked another first with Claypaky lighting products, becoming the first company in the US to acquire a complement of Claypaky’s ReflectXion Moving Mirrors. Previously, Volt Lites was the first in the country with Claypaky Mini-B lighting fixures.
ReflectXion is a compact moving mirror that allows users to bend and shape light without ever losing it: It redirects beams of light from any stage light with the same intensity as it receives them.
“ReflectXion is a unique piece of technology; we haven’t seen anything like it in a long time,” says Harrison Lippman, co-founder with Matt Shimamoto of Volt Lites. “We felt that ReflectXion would be a very interesting and creative new tool to offer our clients.”
ReflectXion offers 540º pan and continuous tilt movement at adjustable speeds. Its mirror is the same on both sides providing two highly reflective surfaces with which to direct light beams. ReflectXion also features the same omega clamp hanging system as all Claypaky luminaires so it can be used virtually anywhere on or off stage in any working position.
“We were impressed by ReflectXion’s level of precision and accuracy and its speed,” Lippman notes. “We didn’t know how wide an user audience ReflectXion would attract, but once some really creative people got their hands on the unit it’s clear that ReflectXion is not just a tool for the lighting community: The laser and special effects communities are excited by it, too.”
With the coronavirus pandemic not many people have had a

USA - Harman Professional Solutions has introduced six new products that address today’s meeting and lecture spaces, utilising software-based conferencing platforms like Zoom and Teams as well as meet many capture, switching or window processing needs.
The debut includes four new Precis PR-Series matrix switchers supporting up to eight sources and eight outputs, the new Precis PR-WP-412 windowing processor to dynamically window up to four sources, and the new UVC1-4K HDMI to USB 3.0 capture device. Whether used individually or together, these products ensure incredibly impactful collaboration at a powerfully competitive price point.
Suitable for affordable yet beautiful video routing in small to medium installations, the new Precis PR-Series Matrix Switchers are available in four configurations - 4x2, 6x2, 4x4 and 8x8. All models include best-in-class capabilities like pixel-for-pixel video reproduction, fast switching, comprehensive EDID management, HDMI audio de-embedding, an open control API, and a simple-to-use web interface. The PR-0402 also supports auto-switching to provide touch-free video switching in small applications.
The new AMX PR-WP-412 combines a 4x1+1 windowing and a 4x2 seamless matrix switcher in a single, compact unit. Collaboration in meetings and distance learning can be enhanced and amplified with included technologies like seamless switching, class-leading 4K60 4:4:4 video quality, integrated audio breakaway, an open control API, and a simple-to-use web interface.
The new UVC1-4K capture device solves the immediate

UK - Fourier Audio is a new company that aims to bring cinematic audio to live audiences with a set of new audio processing tools. Fourier Audio is one of eight of the University of Southampton’s most promising start-ups that unveiled technologies ‘to make the world smarter, safer and more sustainable’ as part of the Future Worlds Founders Cohort.
It has been created by multi-Olivier award-winning sound designer, Gareth Owen, acoustical engineering postgraduate student, Henry Harrod, and lighting designer and software engineer, Peter Bridgman.
Henry says: “Fourier Audio is reinventing the tools used by sound designers on live productions, enabling them to create amazing new sonic worlds and revolutionise the audience’s listening experience. While live events have the most electric atmosphere, so often there simply isn’t the same immersive and mesmerising audio experience you get in a cinema or listening to your favourite studio recording. Our technology will bring studio-grade, immersive audio to live audiences for the first time.
“Fourier Audio is creating a suite of tools, including Rewind and Transform, to bring live audio technology into the 22nd century. The products are centred around allowing live engineers to bring the power of the studio environment to the live audience.”
Henry adds: “We have a top team behind us including Gareth Owen who is one of the top three musical theatre sound designers in the world. He’s worked with The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and won the Olivier Award for Sound Design three times - and r

USA - ACT Entertainment, the new entity formed by the ACT Lighting, RapcoHorizon and AC Power Distribution brands, has announced the appointment of David Johnson to the new post of senior vice president sales. Johnson is well known for managing the Live Design International (LDI) franchise.
“When we rebranded as ACT Entertainment, it was clear that we needed strong leadership in the sales department to bring all our world-class sales forces together across the organization and ensure their continued success and the high level of customer service for which we’re known,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “David has 30 years’ experience in the industry and is a proven team leader. He’s well liked and has a broad knowledge of all the disciplines in which ACT Entertainment operates in. He knows the business front-to-back and side-to-side and understands the playing field in all its dimensions.”
Johnson says, “I’m beyond thrilled to join the team at ACT Entertainment. During my years at LDI, I straddled a lot of worlds: lighting, audio, projection and staging. I developed close and lasting relationships with top designers and critical thinkers, and I managed a very diverse group of talented individuals across multiple departments. That experience will serve me well in this new role.”

USA - Audinate has announced the immediate availability of Dante Domain Manager version 1.2. This new version improves how AV and IT managers use and maintain their Dante-based AV networks, while supporting a new, more flexible range of purchase options.
All editions of Dante Domain Manager are now expandable to accommodate growing needs for Dante nodes or Dante domains and features previously reserved for Platinum customers are now available as add-ons to the Silver and Gold editions. Additionally, the base versions of the Silver and Gold editions now support twice as many nodes right out of the box: Silver now supports 20 Dante nodes, and Gold supports 100 nodes. Additional nodes may be purchased at any time in packs of 20, 50 or 100, and provide additional domains.
“This change helps our customers get just the right size Dante Domain Manager package with flexibility to scale as they grow,” says Neil Phillips, senior product manager at Audinate. “Many smaller installations can benefit just as much from Dante Domain Manager as larger ones, and now it’s easier than ever to get the security and control that AV managers need.”
Dante Domain Manager version 1.2 is available for immediate download. Existing customers can take advantage of new editions if they have a Support and Maintenance agreement in place. All Dante Domain Manager licenses are perpetual and non-expiring.

Germany - Fibre network specialist, Optocore, has announced the appointment of Márton ‘Marci’ Sós, as its new technical support engineer, with immediate effect.
Sós, who will take up the same role with sister company, BroaMan, hails from Budapest and is multi-lingual. He has wide experience in both system integration and sound engineer roles within the theatre world and as a freelance, and is proficient on many industry leading digital platforms, including Optocore partner DiGiCo, as well as Focusrite Pro and Dynacord.
Of his appointment, he says, “I met Optocore’s former support team a short time ago and was impressed with their immense level of knowledge, so I know I have big shoes to fill. The challenge therefore is to move into the role seamlessly so that clients don’t notice the personnel change.”
He says the move to the German company is a logical progression from the similar position he occupied with Chromasound plc, one of Hungary’s leading system integrators and distributors. “Whereas at Chromasound I had a broad variety of responsibilities, working with many leading pro audio brands, I was tempted by the possibility of narrowing down the palette to move deeper into a single technology.
“The Optocore philosophy and mindset is similar to mine in that the company builds future-proof systems designed to last for many years with minimum maintenance.”
Announcing Marci’s arrival, company director Tine Helmle, stated, “It is with great pleasure that we welcome him into the Optocore and BroaMan family. We are

USA - The Community Christian Church in Fort Lauderdale stood empty when Kevis Mulchan lit livestreamed services during the height of the pandemic. Nevertheless, he worked hard to create looks that gave worshippers a greater sense of “being in church” even though they were watching on a TV or computer screen.
The skills sharpened during this period came in handy recently, when Mulchan, the church’s visual arts director, lit Night of Worship, a hybrid live/livestreamed musical celebration featuring Community Christian Church’s worship team led by Craig Crynes.
In contrast to their work during the pandemic, when they didn’t have to concern themselves with a live audience, Mulchan and his team (technical director Kevin Gomez and video director Bill Kelly), had to create a show that came off well on camera, while also immersing those present at the church.
“Our entire team pushed themselves creatively to make this an enriching experience for the live and livestreamed audiences,” said Mulchan. “I wanted what was on camera to reflect what was in the room with camera angles and front light colour temperatures, as well as front light intensities and camera exposures.”
Helping Mulchan accomplish this was a collection of 14 COLORdash Battan Quad 12 RGBA linear wash lights and eight Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures from Chauvet Professional.
Arranged on a triangular structure that spanned the width of the center stage area, the batten fixtures provided a scenic focal point that drew livestream viewers and worshippers at the churc

UK - Based in the heart of the Lake District, in Bowness-on Windermere, The Ro is a new hotel with a big personality. This new venue is aiming to become a destination for both tourists and locals alike.
The Ro prides itself on its chic design, coupled with familiar and friendly ‘northern’ service. As part of the development, owners 7 Hospitality Management brought in APM Design to deliver the interior design scheme for the hotel. APM Design then appointed custom sign specialists Sutton Creative to the project, to produce the signage package. Working from the approved branding document, Sutton Creative created a variety of options for the wayfinding and exterior signage to fit in with both the client and the designer’s expectations.
Speaking of the partnership, Andy McCluskey, Design Director at APM Design said: “We have worked with Andrew Sutton for many years, and we value his experience, creativity and eye for detail.
“During The Ro project, Sutton Creative fully understood the ethos for the new interior concept, and together with the new branding package they created a series of ideas and material physical samples. This greatly assisted the client and the design team in the decision-making process.
“The whole process was carried out efficiently, with Sutton Creative working closely with the client to deliver the package on time and to budget.”
Andrew Sutton, director at Sutton Creative, added: “We were honoured to be asked to produce signage for such a beautiful building. The Ro is a stand-out hotel in a unique loca

UK - Having enjoyed a friendly business relationship for some time, Artistic Licence and Global Design Solutions (GDS) have announced that they will be working together more closely following the appointment of GDS as VAR for Artistic Licence products in the UK.
Bristol based lighting solutions provider, GDS, has over 15 years of experience working with architectural buildings and venues. With a focus on the use of innovative products to bring the best of LED lighting to new spaces, the company's interests are closely aligned with those of Artistic Licence.
GDS managing director Richard Cuthbert comments, "We find ourselves increasingly specifying Artistic Licence products. We are working through a lot of commercial projects where the AL range is really helping us provide some great solutions. It's pleasing that we can continue our support for Artistic Licence as a value-added reseller of their products going forward.”
Wayne Howell, founder and CEO of Artistic Licence adds, "It’s great to be working with GDS and we’re very pleased to see them using our sunDial dimmers in a wide range of applications.”
*Pix (2) GDS, Artistic
Caption: Artistic Licence and GDS will be working together more closely

UK - Global event specialist, The Spendlove Group has announced the launch of THE Production TEAM. The new company will combine the skills and expertise that exist within the group to deliver a global event recruitment business.
Launched as the event industry makes a welcome return, THE Production TEAM will offer ‘a myriad of recruitment services to event management companies, venues and production houses operating within film & TV, events and theatre’. Offering complete transparency for both clients and freelancers with competitive rates of pay, all candidates will be vetted, pre-qualified and selected to fill job vacancies globally.
For UK clients interested in its contract recruitment services THE Production TEAM will renumerate employees, including sickness and holiday payments. This will also be the case in the Middle East, but the company will also facilitate visas for people out of country, whilst providing medical cover and insurance removing all the hassle from the employer. As a global operation THE Production TEAM will also be able to navigate the bureaucracy now attached to working in Europe following Brexit.
Spendlove Group founder and CEO, Ian Spendlove said: “This business is almost two years in the making, Covid-19 actually pushed back our original plans for the launch. We’ve subsequently had more time to build the foundations and as it turns out that, there’s now more demand than we were originally anticipating. We’re operating in a world where a senior production manager can be working from home and located anywhe

UK - Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems has announced the recruitment of Peter Butler and Callum Hall to the posts of business development director and audio sales respectively. For more than 30 years, Pro Audio Systems has supplied professional audio for sales, hire and installation, offering bespoke system design and comprehensive technical support to a wide variety of clients. As the company emerges from the turbulence of the Coronavirus pandemic, demand for its services remains stronger than ever.
Peter Butler joins as business development director in a role dedicated to improving efficiency and profitability, identifying new opportunities in the marketplace, and addressing potentially beneficial additions to the company’s portfolio. Peter began his career in a retail position at JSG music in Bingley. Moving into audio sales and hire at The Music Company (TMC), he enjoyed fifteen successful years, latterly as a director, before joining AC Entertainment Technologies where he established the AC Audio division.
Pro Audio Systems MD Brian Lumb comments, “Peter and I go back a long way, having worked together at JSG Music in the mid ‘80s. He is a well-liked, highly respected professional, whose technical knowledge, combined with an in-depth understanding of the industry, fits the profile of Pro Audio Systems to a tee.”
Audio Sales recruit Callum Hall graduated from Birmingham City University in 2015 with a BSc in Sound Engineering and Production, after which he worked as a freelance engineer on a variety of small theatre tours, including stint

Belgium - Those who participated in a recent online event organised by the Belgian Building Research Institute in Brussels to discuss the direction of their industry should be very positive about what lay ahead. The very site where the event was recorded provided them with plenty of good reasons to be optimistic.
That site was Gare Maritime, a 114-year-old former railroad freight station that has been transformed into a modern 40,000sq.m mixed-use, environmentally sustainable, urban hub with integrated work and event spaces, retail stores and a food hall.
Within the building was a transparent dome where the actual video production took place. Suggested by D-Dream to client AV Image, the sleek structure projects a smart, forward-looking image that reflects well on the theme of the online event.
Contributing to the futuristic aura of the dome are four Maverick MK2 Profile and 28 ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures from Chauvet Professional. Used for studio lighting, the profile units created a camera-friendly environment, while the RGB strips accentuated the geometric features of the dome itself.
“Consulting with their client AV Image, the D-Dream team made four décor pieces - three large, one small - in a hexagonal shape. (The Belgian Building Research Institute’s logo is a hexagonal sphere constructed with different pentagons.)
“In the largest decorative hexagon, which measures 3-meters, we incorporated a TV screen,” said D-Dream’s operational manager Elke Scheirs. “The three smaller (1.5m) structures, represented the three pillars of

UK - Sonosphere, in conjunction with Metropolis Studios, has created a new mix room at its home, the Power House, Chiswick, London. The Munro Acoustics-designed, Dolby certified studio has a centrally located mix position, with comprehensive immersive audio monitoring designed to cater for all surround formats. The control room pursues an ambitious and flexible new ‘hub studio’ approach.
“The plan was to make the studio as versatile as possible,” states Sonosphere commercial director Jamie Gosney. “We started out looking at building a room for podcasting and immersive content creation for games and other VR simulations. However, in terms of the music market, Dolby Atmos is very much the standard. So we decided to ‘have our cake and eat it’, and build a room to fully meet the Atmos specifications: an immersive monitoring environment capable of 11.1.8 Dolby Atmos, currently the highest Dolby resolution studio in the country.
“The room has been equipped for all possible formats, including having a Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite server. ”Three Neumann KH 420 tri-amplified monitors are soffit-mounted to the front wall (with one KH 420 horizontal, beneath the video screen). Twin Neumann KH 870 subwoofers flank the three-way monitors, with low frequency response down to 18Hz.”
A key mission was to ensure clean and extended low frequency from the twin subwoofers, with the required isolation to accurately judge tone-shaping a full octave below the effective range of many monitoring systems.
Part of the mix room construction involved ne

USA - AV signal distribution developer tvONE has announced that that its CORIOmaster video wall processor range can now be controlled by Biamp’s Neets product line, thanks to some driver innovations from Biamp’s new family of AV control systems.
tvONE approached Biamp with a view to enhancing integration between products that would harness the simple UI of the Neets product line to control basic functionality of the powerful CORIOmaster processors. Biamp responded with new drivers for Neets control panels that operate the CORIOmaster family of products simply, efficiently and intuitively. The new drivers enable commands including on/off, source select, and preset recall. The drivers are generic and can be used on all future applications where Neets control products and CORIOmaster products are used.
“There are benefits for both tvONE and Biamp here, and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved,” says Michael Munch, head of strategic business development at Biamp. “We now have a central, unified, easy to configure control option for the fantastic CORIOmaster processors. The benefits for the end-user are clear: the Neets uniform keypad can now provide simple control via our aesthetically pleasing and intuitive device, easily configured through Neets’ Project Designer software.”
Neets products from Biamp are in use in more than 250,000 meeting rooms and classrooms around the world. The company says it’s on a mission to make life easier for presenters, who require easy control of visuals.
“Biamp’s close collaboration with s

UK - On Saturday 4 September, a group of industry professionals will band together for BikeFest, a fundraising bike ride from SFL’s headquarters in Reading to PLASA Show at Olympia London. BikeFest aims to raise funds for industry charities and mark the return of live events and entertainment following 18 months of unparalled challenge. 

The organisers of BikeFest are calling for fellow cyclists to sign up and follow them on one of two routes: a relaxed 40-mile ride direct to London via flat roads and cycle paths, or a more strenuous 80-mile ride traversing the Surrey Hills. The two routes will cater for all levels of cyclists, from casual and commuting cyclists to serious road bikers. London-based cyclists are also invited to join for the last leg through the capital. 

All money raised will go to Backup, the technical entertainment charity. Backup will then channel the funds to Stagehand, Music Support, Acting For Others and #MakeItBlue. Each charity has been a dependable source throughout the pandemic, ensuring the industry’s workforce is recognised and supported. 

To join BikeFest you’ll need to make a one-off donation at least £50 which is payable upon booking your place. Places are limited to 24 cyclists per route, so it is recommended to book your place as soon as you can.  

BikeFest follows in the tracks of several fundraising bike rides to cross the finish line at PLASA Show. In 2019, ten cyclists covered 100 miles

New Zealand - Six60 became the first ever band to play Auckland’s Eden Park stadium in a landmark show in front of 50,000 wildly enthusiastic fans.
Show and lighting designer Ben Dalgleish from Human Person designed a high impact lighting show fitting for the occasion – utilising over 200 Robe moving lights – helping to create a spectacular and stand-out event that was also televised live.
Six60 hit the road with a dynamic new show back in January, one of a handful of artists in the world able to do so at the time, and the Eden Park performance was the culmination of that tour.
The pressure was on to create a production design – which included over 550m of LED screen – in just five weeks from the show being confirmed to the gates opening to allow fans onto the hallowed turf of New Zealand’s biggest sports stadium. Production manager Leon Dalton did a “fantastic” job of pulling everything together in this timeframe”, observed Ben.
Ben, working with visual designer Ian Valentine, his partner in Human Person, was delighted to have this mega canvas on which to work, and set about filling the venue with light sources including the Robe fixtures which were supplied by rental company Spot-light Systems.
In order to fill New Zealand’s largest stadium, Ben needed a large number of high output fixtures, so the lighting plot included 97 Robe BMFLs, a mix of Spots and Blades, which were dotted all over the trusses above stage, along with a row of 36 across the stage deck.
A further eight BMFL Blades were rigged on the two

Japan - Twenty years ago, the city of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture opened its Cultural & Creative Centre to offer cultural entertainment to locals and tourists. The centre is named Sakura MATE – Sakura, for the cherry blossoms, which are the symbol of Kumagaya, and MATE, for Music, Art, Theatre and Expression.
For two decades, Sakura MATE has hosted a diverse mixture of various traditional and contemporary performances using a sound system that, more and more, became inadequate for the venue. The city turned to Sigma Communications to recommend a sound system upgrade, which took place over three years.
The centre boasts an open-air Wind Theatre, a small Moon Hall, and the principal Sun Hall, which seats a thousand people in its shoebox-shaped auditorium. The multi-story space was built with side and rear balconies to create a sense of unity between performers and the audience. Drapes and other devices allow the Sun Hall’s room to be adapted to different performance genres, and a large door on the rear wall can be opened to join with the outdoor Wind Theatre.
“The original sound system deteriorated to the point where it was no longer safe to use. It was also placed in a way that resulted in irregular SPL coverage and areas with poor intelligibility,” explains Hiroyuki Kurita, sound engineer at Sigma Communications. Constant volume and equalisation adjustments were necessary to compensate for this degradation. “We needed to ensure that the new system would deliver clean, clear sound, no matter where you are in the hall,” he says.

Germany - Wireless LED lighting specialist Astera has launched the AX9 PowerPAR, billed as ‘a high-intensity, rock-solid, all-purpose everyday LED lighting fixture with all the advantages of Astera, including battery operation, wireless control, and quality engineering’.
AX9 is the ‘big brother’ of Astera’s successful AX5 TriplePAR. AX9 is bigger, brighter and benefits from all Astera’s latest innovations, like the Titan LED engine, an optimised bracket with Airline Track, a Titan-style keypad for fast and easy local control and direct control via the versatile AsteraApp.
Effectively it is a three-in-one solution. Offering a wireless PAR light source that can also be run as a wired PAR for longer-term installations and an elegant up-lighter, with the fixture’s 105 Watt output offering over 3000 Lumens of beautifully homogenised light.
Being wireless, AX9 can be used anywhere – on set, onstage, in the studio or on location – and at short notice, quickly deployed as and when needed.
The benefits of Astera’s outstanding Titan LED engine include its high CRI and the wide range of tuneable colour temperature whites, plus that rich and diverse gamut of colours encompassing the whole spectrum.
The inbuilt battery offers up to 20 hours of reliable runtime which can be programmed to maintain optimal output over the designated period. Direct control via the AsteraApp removes the need for an AsteraBox, further optimising and making setup simpler.
The keypad on the rear has a logical and easily navigable menu resembling

Europe - ISE @ London marked the final stop for ISE Live and Online, a series of events created to ‘bring the AV community together and look towards building a brighter future’.
Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging 18 months for events. Thankfully, at ISE, we have an amazing team and like so many in our industry, we wanted to keep pushing forward. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved with ISE Live & Online – 3,000 in-person visitors to the live events and the debut of ISE Digital a rich content resource which will remain accessible for months to come – it’s not been an easy ride, but we did it and we did it for the right reasons.”
ISE @ London welcomed visitors across two days to experience in-person networking in a safe environment and feedback has been positive.
“We wanted to take part in ISE London predominantly for the opportunity to meet in-person and the ability to physically introduce products to customers, the best way for our customers to understand our products is to see and experience it in person. For me personally, the highlight was re-connecting with old friends and meeting new industry contacts,” commented Christopher Kmiec, director of performance screens, an AudioTek Company.
“It’s been an incredibly tough eighteen months not only for our industry but for every single person that has a place in it. For us it was really important to be here not just to show products but to show ISE and the wider industry support. It’s

UK - Ready to Drop is a new sound art installation conceived and created by Orlando Gough and John Del ‘Nero. Inspired by the thousand twangling instruments that hummed around Caliban’s ears in The Tempest, it will be presented at the Brighton Beach Basketball Court over seven nights from 20 - 26 August.
Whilst walking together through Gough’s hometown last year, the two were struck by the energy, joy, competition, and communication of the court and its users, from basketball players to roller skaters. Ready to Drop is their response to this poetry in sound, field recordings of the collective sounds made by people at play on the basketball court and those of the adjacent dingy stand, the wind and the sea, combined with original composition.
The hour-long sound installation will be played on a continuous loop each night, filling the air with ghostly echoes of the previous day. Ready to Drop will run from after dark until mid-morning, 22:00 - 10.30, surprising local night owls and the early swim and breakfast crowd alongside sound art aficionados and passers-by.
Ready to Drop is produced by Artichoke. The piece will also be available in stereo version on Artichoke’s platform on the Bloomberg Connects app. Helen Marriage, CEO / Artistic Director of Artichoke, says: “I am so excited about Ready to Drop, the first of three major new projects we are producing in the second half of this year.
“Artichoke is always about the live experience and we want to show how outdoor arts can revive and renew