USA - To provide incoming productions and touring artists with a rider-friendly sound reinforcement, Warner Theatre’s production manager Ryan Patsy teamed up with consultant David Bateman, CTS-D, of Acentech and integrator Todd Pander of Dobil Laboratories to outfit the historic theatre with new JBL VTX Series line arrays and subwoofers.
Commissioned in 1929 by the then-named Warner Brothers Productions and opened in 1931, the Warner Theatre is a landmark located in Erie, Pennsylvania. The venue operated as a cinema theatre until it was sold to the city of Erie in 1976 and converted to a performing arts centre. In addition to being the home of the Erie Philharmonic, Lake Erie Ballet and the Erie Broadway Series, the Warner Theatre regularly hosts concerts and performances by touring artists like Kenny Rogers, Jerry Seinfeld, ZZ Top, Kenny G, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and many more.
In order to provide world-class experiences for such a wide range of events, venue operator Erie Events conducted extensive building renovations to improve the facility in the downtime of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the renovations, venue officials wanted to install a new house audio system that could support the majority of incoming productions. The theatre’s production manager Ryan Patsy partnered with consultant David Bateman of Acentech and Todd Pander of Dobil to outfit the historic theatre with a live sound reinforcement solution featuring JBL VTX Series loudspeakers and Crown I-Tech Series amplifiers.
“They were looking for a house sound system that co

Italy - Taking place between 2 and 4 April 2023, Music Inside Rimini is the only show in Italy dedicated entirely to audio, video, lighting and control technologies for music and entertainment. Rooted in the nightclub market and the vibrant nightlife of Rimini during the 80s and 90s, Music Inside Rimini is an annual event which attracts global exhibitors from professional audio, lighting and entertainment brands.
Wharfedale Pro will be exhibiting at Music Inside Rimini for the first time this year. The British manufacturer will focus on its latest product developments, which will be showcased in three separate demo spaces.
Simon Godfrey, sales director at Wharfedale Pro, comments, “We’re particularly excited about attending Music Inside Rimini as we’re going to be able to physically demonstrate a wide range of products. It’s one thing choosing a product from a catalogue, but hearing our technology in person is even more powerful.”
In the Live You Play area, a live band will be performing on a ‘shoot-out’ stage, with professional, powerful sound played through Wharfedale Pro’s new WLA-1A Active Line Array System. On the other hand, the Wharfedale Pro Column Demonstration area will be dedicated to showcasing the new Isoline-AX series of portable active column PA systems.
Finally, Immersive Audio demonstrations will be taking place in a third area. Here, Wharfedale Pro will be demoing their GPL series loudspeakers and DP-F series amplifiers using TiMax Soundhub to create an immersive listening experience. The Wharfedale Pro team w

UK - TSL Lighting has welcomed Mark Bailey on board as sales and marketing manager. Mark has extensive experience in the lighting Industry having worked on projects in the UK. and Europe for over 30 years.
Recently, he has been working on special effects and pyrotechnics for TV and Films, but is looking forward to working with the team at TLS Lighting on the wide range of projects they have ready to roll out this year.
TLS, which specialises in LED lighting control and Pixel tape products, has recently moved to new premises in north Walsham in Norfolk.

USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced its attendance at NAMM 2023 from 13-15 April at the Anaheim Convention Centre in Anaheim, CA.
Attendees at NAMM 2023 can experience the Renkus-Heinz sound solution in person at booth 14001 and the Hilton Lobby centre stage, where live music will be played Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights exclusively through Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers. Renkus-Heinz team members will also be on the floor at NAMM, including CTO Ralph Heinz, product manager Brandon Heinz and western regional sales manager Garrison Parkin.
“We aim to bring the best sound quality imaginable to our customers, and NAMM is the perfect place to display the live sound solutions we deliver for concerts, theatres, touring and more,” Ralph Heinz said. “Music is a driving force in many of our lives, and we’re excited for guests to experience the powerful, high-fidelity audio solutions featured at our booth and the Hilton Lobby, where anyone can come enjoy a drink and hear our speakers in action.”
On display at NAMM 2023 will be the ICLive X Series small-format line array which represents over 15 years of research and development of digital beam-steering technology.
The ICLive X has been designed from the ground up to be the single most scalable sound system ever created: each mid-sized ICLX module can stand alone or be arrayed with up to 12 units to deliver precise and predictable coverage for any venue. The complementary ICLX-118S subwoofer adds powerful low-frequency energy to any ICLive X system, and a wide range of rigging and cabling acces

Europe - NEXT Audiogroup has introduced the Audio Configurator, an innovative solution that streamlines the process of choosing the NEXT Audiocom’s products for any installation. It is the latest addition to NEXT Audiogroup's range of technology, designed to simplify the process of selecting the right solution.
With its user-friendly interface, the Audio Configurator eliminates the need for technical expertise, allowing anyone to easily configure and customize the ideal audio system. The tool uses audio packs to generate tailored audio product packs that are optimized for each installation.
“At NEXT Audiogroup, we understand that selecting the right audio products can be a daunting task, especially for those who are not familiar with the different possible products combination. We believe that the Audio Configurator will be a game-changer, making it easier than ever before to select the right audio products for each installation”, said Sergio Pinto – NEXT Audiogroup sales manager.

UAE - Procom, distributor of K-array group products in the Middle East, recently inaugurated an interactive multi-room demo space at its headquarters in Dubai.
Situated in Dubai Investment Park, Procom wanted to create an accessible space that would allow clients full access to a range of cutting-edge K-array, KGEAR & KSCAPE equipment in a setup that mimics real-world environments. This installation is a continuation of the Procom and K-array collaboration, following several recent high-profile projects including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the City Walk in Dubai and Iris Meydan.
An extensive range of products from the K-array family was deployed across multiple environments including a demo room, meeting room, reception area, and training centre to showcase K-array solutions across applications as varied as live entertainment, corporate installations and hospitality and retail.
Upon entering the showroom, visitors can explore a choice of K-array group solutions in a dedicated display area featuring both K-array and KGEAR brands. Products here include K-array’s ultra-flat Vyper line array elements and 2" point source Tornado speakers plus a range of subwoofers, as well as KGEAR’s GCF wall-mounted & ceiling speakers and GA Amplifiers.
“At Procom Middle East, we believe in the power of showcasing quality products to potential customers. The display area allows us to highlight the innovative and high-quality audio products that K-array offers,” explains Wiam Boutine, technical manager at Procom.
KSCAPE’s signature RAIL produ

UK - Full-service technical production partner, JLL, has acquired Scruffy Bear Pictures, an independent film company. The acquisition comes hot off the heels of the business’ recent merger announcement.
As members of EVCOM, ICE-HUB, Essa, Isla and Albert, the acquisition will enable JLL to further underline commitments to deliver sustainable and by 2030, net zero carbon technical production services to all sectors of the television and events industries. By bringing the Scruffy Bear Pictures team into the JLL fold, their combined skills will ensure the full team can continue to support agencies, studios, and creative teams, as well as innovate and lead the way as the world of corporate events continues to evolve.
Phil McMichael, group commercial director at JLL, comments: “The first three months of 2023 have been game-changing for the team here at JLL. The coming together of JLLighting and JLLive, followed by the acquisition of Scruffy Bear Pictures, shows our commitment to our evolved ‘one team’ approach.
“We pride ourselves in being a forward thinking and dynamic business which continues to invest, develop, and evolve with the industries we work so closely with. Whether a client wishes to use our corporate film offering to deliver attention-grabbing content for conferences, or whether we can use our bolstered skillset to further support a production partner in the world of TV drama, we are looking forward to seeing where the rest of 2023 takes us.”
Darren Cook, founder of Scruffy Bear, notes: “This is an extremely exciting t

China - Christie has announced that its high-performance 3DLP and 1DLP laser projectors are illuminating a new night-time tourist attraction at the picturesque Jiuge-Shangui scenic area in Zhangjiajie, a prefecture-level city in Hunan Province.
Inspired by stories in the Chu Ci poetry anthology by renowned ancient poet Qu Yuan, Jiuge-Shangui integrates the legends of Xiangxi with cultural heritage of the indigenous Tujia and Miao ethnic groups, as well as the natural beauty of Zhangjiajie to deliver a large-scale extravaganza.
Live performances staged across the scenic area spanning over 5 square kilometres are lit by close to a dozen Crimson WU31, DWU2022-HS and DWU1612-HS laser projectors supplied and installed by Christie’s trusted partner, Jianye Display.
“Jiuge-Shangui night-time spectacular is the first of its kind in the world and features majestic scenes set in natural landscapes such as mountains, forests, sinkholes, and karst caves,” said Zhongliang Li, technical director for southern China, Jianye Display. “As the first large-scale show in the post-pandemic era, we have pulled out all the stops to ensure that this massive outdoor spectacle is a great success. The Christie Crimson and HS Series laser projectors, with their rugged design, impeccable performance and dependability, are our preferred choice for this major endeavour.”
Housed in weatherproof enclosures overlooking the stage areas, the projectors deliver vibrant images at several performance venues that are interconnected via plank roads, incl

Ireland - Robe lighting staged a recent busy and successful open house event in partnership with The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College Dublin. The Lir Academy offers conservatory training for the theatre, film and television industries.
The open house platform proved ideal for showcasing some of the manufacturer’s latest products and technologies - including its Painte, iFORTE and LEDBeam 350 moving lights, the T11 static luminaire range, the T11 Profile manual follow spot and the popular RoboSpot system.
These were showcased to a range of lighting professionals plus students on the Lir’s Stage Management and Technical Theatre course.
The Lir’s main studio provided a suitable venue space and backdrop for the event which built on a similar one last year, the first since Covid. It is the intention to once again make it an annual benchmark and networking experience, focussed on new products and ideas and connecting people from assorted industry fields and disciplines.
Visitors travelled from all across Ireland – northern and southern – a lively mix of lighting designers, rental companies, venue managers and others from educational and commercial worlds, reflecting the general current industry buzz and interest in live music and entertainment in Ireland.
The set-up day further facilitated an opportunity for students from other local schools to look more closely into the world of entertainment lighting and train on some of the kit.
Robe’s very flexible RoboSpot remote follow system was highlighted a

France - Home to the French rugby league team the Catalans Dragons, Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan underwent a two-phase expansion in 2006 and 2010 to bring capacity up to 13,000 with three all-seater stands.
The southern French city is also home to the rugby union team USAP, whose home stadium Stade Aimé Giral is equipped with a Nexo Geo S12 sound system, installed by local AV technology specialists Sud Media System.
Impressed by the sound at their neighbour’s stadium, Stade Gilbert Brutus recently contracted Sud Media System to install a Nexo system at their ground, following a public tender process.
The choice of several prestigious sporting venues including Croke Park in Dublin, Optus Stadium in Perth, Japan’s Toyota Stadium and the French national stadium the Stade de France, Nexo’s Geo S12 has earned a reputation for performance, dependability and cost-efficiency.
The system at Stade Gilbert Brutus was designed by Nexo’s Engineering Support team using the company’s NS-1 system configuration software. An intuitive drag and drop interface includes all Nexo systems with measured speaker data processed along with complex mathematical data to predict SPL and delay coverage in three dimensions.
The Bonzoms Stand is covered by six clusters of three Geo S12, supplemented by six Nexo P10 point source loudspeakers covering the highest seats in the stand on a delay. Six clusters of four Geo S12 cover the West Stand and a further seven P10s cover the smallest stand, with amplification and processing provided by Nexo’s networka

Germany - Chart topping rapper Kontra K avoids the “tough guy” persona that many other artists in this genre adopt, but, as the old saying goes, “looks can be deceiving”. Emerging from the mean streets of some of Berlin’s roughest neighbourhoods, the popular artist is busy being a bona fide martial arts expert and a boxing coach when he isn’t performing on stage.
These street creds notwithstanding, however, Kontra K takes a more positive uplifting approach in his music and live performances. True to his motto Towards The Sun, he manages to convey an uplifting message without losing any of the raw intensity that are so much a part of this past and personality.
Both sides of this complex artist were conveyed in a recent arena tour of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, not just in his music and stage presence, but also in an immersive and fast-moving light show designed by Gunther Hecker and run by Marcus Herzog on ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium console.
Anchored by a large centre stage video wall that display images of the star along with breakout patterns, Hecker’s design exuded upbeat energy with its bright overhead light creating crossing patterns. The colours chosen were also bright and bold, often displayed as vivid monochromatic shades of red.
Kontra K was always in the spotlight during the show as he transformed the stage with his powerful presence. Audience lighting from the overhead fixtures reinforced his strong connection to fans.
Running the elaborate eight-universe show with a deft touch, Herzog worked from

Taiwan - With offices in Taiwan and Australia, award-winning production house for film and television, Reno Studios, has created Taiwan’s latest pixel pitch virtual production facility.
Opened at the end of last year, it is located at the longest-running Taiwanese movie studio, Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC). Helping bring clients’ stories to the screen is Brompton Technology LED processing.
“In collaboration with partners, Reno Studios provides a one stop service for international shooting projects, with access to essential services such as scenery construction, camera rental, lighting post-production and sound processing,” says Peter Huang, general manager of Reno Studios.
Huang knows that image quality is one of the most important elements for virtual production, with LED panels and LED processors fundamentally determining whether image detail can be reproduced vividly on the LED wall. As a result, the team chose LED solutions from LED panel manufacturer, AUO Corporation, which has over 26 years’ experience in R&D and production of display technology, and Brompton Tessera SX40 4K LED processors to power the giant LED volume.
“Brompton is a leader in LED processing,” Huang adds. “Its Tessera software features such as Puretone, ThermaCal, Frame Remapping, ShutterSync, Extended Bit Depth, and Stacking, enable film directors to freely create any type of content and not be limited artistically. Additionally, the Tessera processors’ colour accuracy and smooth image display create the most ‘close-to-reality’ en

UK - Backup has officially declared Kartfest -The Village Fete, open! Tickets are now on sale to the live events industry’s big day out.
Now in its eighth year, Backup is delighted that Kartfest will be returning to Sandown Park for its biggest event yet. “With our fantastic headline sponsor, Chauvet, we are building a big old fashioned Village Fete to give everyone a great day out,” says Backup vice chair and the event’s organiser, Lee Dennison. “Our judges will be out in force scoring the best dressed stalls, our cake bake competition and the best fete game. We are all looking forward to apple bobbing, hook the duck and smashing the rat.”
Backup is also delighted to have 5 Star Cases officially sponsor the Flight Case Relay, which is longer and faster than last year’s race. “We so looking forward to seeing the budding Linford Christies warming up on the day,” adds Lee.
A major focus this year on the Wellbeing Hub, which will see Music Support, The Lions Barbers Collective and Music Industry Therapist coming together to provide an educational and support space for everyone attending.
There will also be a multitude of food offerings at the Village Fete, with a mixture of Mediterranean, Italian and Asian street, and the Mr Whippy Van will be there, so there will be plenty of choice for all. To help this great food go down, Big Drop Brewery and Signature Brew will be selling their ranges of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, alongside other crafters.
Big beats will be flooding the Fete with the DJ Adam Fabulous, plus the

France - PlugFest returned to Lille France from 7-9 March, bringing together lighting professionals from across Europe to test products and learn about the latest protocols and standards.
Returning for the first time since the pandemic, the European event aims to improve the connectivity of lighting products and provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers, developers and technicians to test and debug their products. Organised by PLASA, the event sold out well in advance, signalling its importance to the lighting community.
Over 39 representatives attended from 25 companies, including ChamSys, Chauvet, Company NA, ETC, GLP, Highlite, Lamp and Pencil, MA Lighting, the National Theatre (London), Robert Juliat, the Royal Opera House (London), Robe, Swisson, TAIT and TSL.
First time attendee, Vincent Bouquet from Robe France comments: “PlugFest has been a really great opportunity. Here on mutual ground, we can put our competition aside and all together test things and work out issues to help the industry go forward.”
Dan Murfin of Tait adds: “PlugFest is a great opportunity to talk to people, to think more about standards, to see what manufacturers are doing, and to help formulate ideas to formulate how we create industry products.”
In addition to interactive testing, PlugFest offers a programme of educational seminars, unpacking the most widely used protocols. This year, the programme included DMX512, RDM, DALI, sACN, Art-Net, ArtRDM, RDMnet and LLRP.
First time attendee, Alex Gardner from the Royal Opera House comments

UK - Midwich UK&I has launched Mi Finance – a financial services offering that supports customers’ business growth through help in acquiring new technologies or upgrading assets while protecting their working capital.
Available to customers of Midwich Ltd, Nimans Ltd and Sound Technology Ltd, and with plans to roll out to the wider UK&I group of companies soon, Mi Finance offers ‘competitive rates for lease and hire purchase’. Three product options are currently available including finance lease, hire purchase, and operating lease, with a fourth product in development.
Simon Munday, Mi Finance manager, said: “We are really excited to bring this proposition to market. We are constantly looking at ways to increase our service offering and Mi Finance is our answer.
“We work as an extension to our customer’s team – taking the administration out of their hands, offering quotations, managing proposal acceptances, completing documents, and arranging swift payments – so they don’t have to. The service is also available as an offering to facilitate transactions with their end client.”
Leasing has grown in popularity with recent figures by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) stating “that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew in January 2023 by 8% compared with the same month in 2022. In the twelve months to January 2023, new business was 6% higher than in the same period in 2022”.
Louise Nevard, director – credit at Midwich UK&I, added: “It’s great to be abl

UK/South Africa - Hall Technologies has expanded its presence and supply chains in EMEA via UK technical solutions distributors, Visualization, as well as Cine AV, in South Africa. Hall has announced a strategic distribution agreement whereby both will have full access to Hall’s range of products covering connectivity and UC.
“We’re excited to add such a broad line of class leading products to our distribution portfolio,” states the managing director of CineAV, Tyron Ackerman.
“Along with VueAV and our other sister companies, we believe that the market across the countries in which they are active will benefit from both the unique product lines and Hall Technologies' excellent customer services,” says Nick Pidgeon, Visualization’s managing director.
Hall Technologies Hal Truax, VP of sales and marketing comments, “We are delighted to announce Visualization as UK distributor for our world class product line. Along with VueAV, CineAV and Visua we believe that Visualization will offer us broad reach into the expanding market of unified communication.”

UK - 22live has appointed two new recruits to its team, with Aaron Boothe and James Gebhard both joining the line up as hire consultant and technical supervisor, respectively.
Aaron Boothe first started working with 22live in 2022 as a hire consultant, bringing some of his projects to the team led by Paul Timmins, namely Central Cee, D-Block Europe, Beenie Man and Rema. Boothe wears many hats as a production manager, system engineer and sound engineer. He joins 22live as a hire consultant, meaning that he will be responsible for bringing clients to 22live. Boothe already works with many artists and is a well-known figure within the industry.
Spencer Beard comments: “We are very pleased to welcome Aaron to the 22live team. Aaron is a great guy that will push us in front of new clients, and we really value him as both a great personality and engineer as well as also being one of the hardest workers I know! Having previously worked with Aaron I know he’s a great fit to the team at 22live, sharing our vision as the next generation service provider.”
Boothe adds: “I’ve really enjoyed all of the work I’ve done with 22live so far and it’s great to take up a formal position with the new company. 22live really excites me, and has reinvigorated my enthusiasm to seriously get back in the game post-pandemic. Everything 22live is doing has really impressed me, and I am 100% confident that my clients present and future will be impressed also.”
James Gebhard has also taken on a full time role as technical supervisor at 22live, and joi

UK - Infused with the rhythms of South Africa, the sound design for Mandela at London’s Young Vic is defined by the distinct signature of Paul Gatehouse. His style is conferred through his workflow and his essential favoured technologies, one of which is TiMax TrackerD4. That the Young Vic has recently invested in TiMax TrackerD4, which Gatehouse deems, “a great asset”. He adds, “It meant that we were able to be ambitious in our thinking with what is essentially a smaller budget approach.”
The production features 22 cast members and Gatehouse notes, “Without the automated performer tracking that TiMax provides we’d have to manually locate the position of all the vocal objects in Soundscape, which would be a lot of cues and button pushing for the sound mixer! This way that burden is removed for us.”
The Young Vic’s TiMax Tracker setup includes eight TTd4 sensors covering the stage and including above- and below-balcony scenes on either side of the stage. TiMax TrackerD4 utilises dual-mode UWB RF tracking technology, whose carrier-free aspect reduces errors caused by reflections, body blocking and scenery obstruction, with just two Sensors required to see a TTd4 Tag for precise and reliable 3D tracking. The multiple sensor viewpoints add robust redundancy and heighten coverage accuracy.
Due to the comprehensive coverage of TiMax TrackerD4 system, the Young Vic’s stage-side balcony areas were easily brought into the action. In one scene, the South African prime minister is depicted speaking from one side whilst Mandela’s c