Sennheiser continues to clock up endorsement agreements with major artists across the world. Among the latest signings are The White Stripes, who have been performing their signature brand of stripped-down guitar and drums rock to capacity crowds at gigs and festivals in the UK and across Europe with a clutch of Sennheiser evolution mics, including e865 condensers for both Jack and sister Meg’s vocals. Jack White (guitar and vocals) and Meg White (drums and vocals) cut an especially distinctive sound, which has propelled them rapidly to ‘major selling artist’ status.
evolution microphones were chosen before the start of the tour by front-of-house engineer Matthew Kettle, after success using them on previous projects. "Sennheiser has provided not just top quality equipment for this tour," he said of the UK and European dates, "but as on previous occasions, the back-up has been first rate."
With the line-up comprising just guitar and drum kit, with Jack and Meg sharing vocal duties, a range of microphones was needed to accurately convey the desired sounds. Meg’s drum kit was set up with the new e664 condenser for overheads, e604 clip-mics for snare and toms and an e602 kick drum microphone. Meanwhile Jack’s guitar cabs were mic’d up with evolution e609s - a classic Sennheiser design for the job and a mic which Kettle has used in the past and was confident would provide the response and sound he was looking for.
With vocal duties split between them, Jack and Meg were each going to require a microphone of similar qua
Ibiza’s popular nightspot, Bar M, is where many eager clubbers begin their night of revelry before going on to dance the night away at Privilege, the world’s biggest club, where the weekly Manumission can pull a crowd of up to 10,000. Naturally, Bar M wanted to give the happy clubbers as good a sound experience as they expected from Manumission, and to do this required an innovative approach by Britannia Row Productions’ sound system designer, Roly Oliver.
"KLP approached us in April, looking for a sound system which would be the talk of the island and with dedicated clubbers worldwide," said Oliver. KLP represent Orange, sponsor of both Bar M and Manumission. Oliver flew to Ibiza to see the challenges for himself. Bar M has two indoor bars but most of the action takes place outside. His first problem was that local bye-laws prohibited placing speakers outside. "Using 16 Turbosound TQ310s mounted direct to the edge of the ceiling and backed up by three SB828 subs overcame this," said Oliver. "However, the key to the whole system lay in the right mixing engine," said Oliver "and after talking to Yamaha’s Richard Metcalfe, I had no doubt that their DME32 digital mixing engine fulfilled all our needs."
Oliver needed to have a number of pre-sets for different days and different times of day as well as a unit that could be programmed directly without the need for a laptop. The DME32 met all these criteria. "Being able to alter and store new settings such as different EQs and levels for sounds such as House
Last Autumn, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani opened his new worldwide headquarters at Via Bergognone 59 in Milan. Located in the up-and-coming Porta Genova district, the facilities are set to be the global stage for the Armani brand. Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who, like Armani, is famous for his appreciation of simplicity and purity in his design, was commissioned to transform the space into an ethereal fusion of concrete, water and light.
Central to the 12,000sq.m building is the 3,400sq.m Armani Teatro, which caters for a variety of events, including fashion shows. With simple reorganization, the black-box theatre, normally laid out for catwalk shows, can form a proscenium stage for drama, a thrust arrangement for dance, or be emptied out for use as an art gallery or a site-specific installation. It can also be used as a lecture hall, convention area, or even as a temporary cinema or nightclub.
The technical systems were designed by Change Performing Arts (CPA) with lighting designer AJ Weissbard, who was brought in as project designer, to enable the adaptation of the space and include tools for lighting control which can grow as technology develops without interfering with the architecture. The systems focus on three main areas: a flexible grid and hanging system allowing for different configurations, two unique dimmable fluorescent runways with colour-changing capabilities and, most importantly, an advanced lighting system with a sizable inventory of equipment.
Some 340 ETC Source Fours make up the majority of the conventional lighting rig, which is d
The Klark Teknik Group has appointed Dublin-based Sound & Communications as the exclusive distributor for all Midas products in Ireland. Sound & Communications already has a long-standing partnership with Shuttlesound and Electro-Voice and is therefore well placed to take on Midas distribution. According to Midas international product manager David Cooper, Sound & Communications was the natural choice. "We felt that the time had come to get closer to our customers in Ireland, especially since the launch of higher volume products like Legend and Venice. We needed someone who could offer local support and local market awareness. Given the strength and nature of their customer base, plus their proven success with other related brands, we feel that Sound & Communications is the best partner for Midas in Ireland."
Sound & Communications Alan Murphy agrees. "We're delighted to have the Midas brand on board. It's the most prestigious brand of live consoles in the world and now they make a range of desks to suit every application and every budget. It's the perfect complement to the brands we already represent in this territory."
(Ruth Rossington)
Genelec Oy, a world leader in active monitoring systems, is strengthening its support for the Chinese marketplace by opening Genelec China Representative Office in Beijing. The office will officially open at the end of this week to coincide with the BIRTV show which runs from 22-25 August, 2002.
Ilpo Martikainen, president of Genelec Oy, told us: "This investment aims at ensuring customer satisfaction in the growing Chinese market in all respects: local support, product availability and close contact with the customer base. Our cooperation with ACE / Power Source Development in Hong Kong and China continues and we highly respect their achievements with their customers."
Lars-Olof Janflod, international sales manager of Genelec Oy has been visiting the Chinese market regularly. "The development of this market place during the past few years has been remarkable. Comparing today's findings with my earlier travel reports years back is truly eye opening, and it is evident that even regular visits here are no longer sufficient. Being local opens new channels for customer support and deepens the existing relationships with another level of cooperation."
Dindae Sheena, area sales manager, Asia-Pacific, has been familiarizing himself with the Asia-Pacific audio market and laying the ground work for the new office after joining Genelec from his previous position as studio manager at Oasis Studios, the first large scale commercial recording facility in China. Kevin Yu has been appointed as sales manager.
(Ruth Rossington)
The owners of AJS Theatre Lighting & Stage Supplies Ltd have acquired the business of Cerebrum Lighting (formerly part of the Lighting Technology Group which last month went into administration) from the administrators PriceWaterhouseCooper.
The company has been renamed Cerebrum Ltd, and although in time it will be integrated into the AJS group structure, it will continue to operate and trade as Cerebrum Lighting, based in south London. Cerebrum Lighting has of course been a respected supplier of lighting equipment in the industry, having traded for many years.
The move comes just two years after key changes at AJS itself: the company was brought by Decibel Ltd in January 2000, as a management buyout from the previous owner Adrian Sant. Led by Christopher Coates, the last two years has seen the company undergo a major restructuring programme, and a continued investment programme has been put in place to further develop the company. Employing over 40 personnel, the company is regarded as one of the major suppliers to the education market and currently has projects underway all over the UK. These include both new build and refurbishment projects and cover many different types of installation in schools and colleges.
AJS is also well established as a specialist supplier/contractor to many major corporate clients, including most European Cruise lines such as P&O Cruises. Currently the company is working on a major service contract, and has engineers spanning the Mediterranean, from Greece through to Tenerife. In the UK theatre market, AJS has increased it prominence and,
Concert sound specialists Tour Tech - already owners of Soundcraft Spirit 328 digital production desks - recently upgraded to the new-generation 328XD. Dick Rabel’s company purchased a pair of the feature-packed digital production consoles - and immediately had several of their artists lining up to use them - with the Levellers heading the list.
"This follows the success we had with the standard 328s, which were used with Stereo MCs and PJ Harvey - including her UK and US tour," commented Rabel. Top band Coldplay are another to take advantage of a new 328XD to mix down hard disk and samplers for live work, before transferring to the main console. So Solid Crew have similarly been using the 328XD. "Coldplay are currently using a 328XD and 8 way mic/line expander for live touring work," confirmed Dick. "They have been using these components since they commenced their current touring schedule, including their Glastonbury headline."
The latest generation of the 328 architecture, the 328XD digital mixing console incorporates dynamics processing on every channel, group and mix path, and has broadened the desk’s functionality - from straight sound mixing to production and control of sequencers and desktop synths.
(Ruth Rossington)
The single largest concentration of Nexo sound systems in Asia sits 6,000 feet above sea level, just 45 minutes from the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. The Genting - City of Entertainment is a favourite destination for many in the region, providing a wide range of recreational and sporting facilities, as well as luxurious hotels. The newest addition, the First World Complex, embraces the First World Plaza, Genting International Convention Centre (GICC) and the First World Hotel, recently completed with its block of 3,228 rooms making it the 'biggest' in Asia in terms of rooms.
ElectroSystems of Singapore completed the installation of sound reinforcement systems thoughout the City of Entertainment, specifying Nexo loudspeaker cabinets for the 6,000-seat Arena of Stars concert hall and the Genting International Convention Centre (GICC). Billed as the largest convention centre in Malaysia, the GICC covers an area of 120,000sq.ft and is one of the best-equipped function halls in the region. The Ballroom features a Nexo Alpha system with Midas Heritage 3000 mixers, Allen & Heath GL3300 24-channel audio mixers and Klark Teknik equalizers, amongst other equipment.
The Arena of Stars (AOS) has attracted many high profile performers and is equipped with a substantial Nexo Alpha system, powered by Camco amplifiers. Situated within the First World Plaza, the Pavilion is a high-ceiling multipurpose hall. The hall is also able to hold events and, in fact, the 2002 New Year countdown was held in this multipurpose hall. The Pavilion features permanent ceiling loudspeakers, but for
The James Last Orchestra recently toured Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a large number of Audio-Technica microphones included on the channel list of front-of-house engineer, Paddi Addison. A combination of PRO35X, AT4050, AT4041, ATM25 and ATM23HE models - 43 microphones in total - demonstrated the versatility of the range by covering a wide variety of instruments.
Addison, who has mixed for the James Last Orchestra for over a decade, explains: "James Last has 40 musicians on stage and, of course, every note they play needs to be heard with fidelity and clarity (otherwise the very demanding audience certainly lets me know)! Since we started using Audio-Technica mics, I have found it much easier to achieve this result. There is a suitable Audio-Technica microphone for every situation. I particularly like the open and natural feel of the AT4050. I use it on overheads and percussion and I find it reproduces the ‘whole tone’ of the instrument."
He continued: "Of course, with so many musicians on stage there are times when you need more separation - often in the set I need to raise a quiet instrument well above a loud musical passage. An example is the flute, on which I use an ATM23HE with excellent results. The Pro35x's are used to great effect on brass. As well as coping with the rigorous audio demands of world-class trumpet players in full flight, they handle the equally hard physical side as well. At times, the whole brass section is leaping around the stage, and even into the audience, and they haven't managed to damage the microphones
Lighthouse recently held its first Open Days at Shepperton Studios in Middlesex, where it gave the first European showing of its new LVP0630 and LVP1050 high resolution, high brightness LED screens, and followed on from a highly successful Infocomm exhibition, where confirmed orders for the new products topped $4 million.
Over 100 attendees, including both existing Lighthouse rental partners, integrators and potential new customers from around Europe and the UK, viewed the state-of-the-art screens in the art gallery-style setting of The Orangery, in the heart of the world-famous studios. The ultra-high brightness LVP1050 (10mm pixel pitch, 5000 nits brightness), and the high definition LVP0630 (6mm pixel pitch, 3000 nits) both feature Lighthouse’s new M4 technology. At 5000 nits, the LVP1050 is the world’s first outdoor SMD (Surface Mount Device) LED video screen. It features Lighthouse’s unique M4 Uniformity Control (which brings TV quality images to the giant screen), the Quarter Bin sorting process and 13-bit processing to produce one of the highest performance LED screens available, displaying 16.7 million shades of colour.
Lighthouse international sales and marketing director, Graham Burgess commented: "The number of people attending from all over Europe points to the tremendous interest in these new products, and we were very pleased to be able to show them to such good effect in these wonderful surroundings. We’re looking forward to attaining the high volume of orders in Europe that we have already done in the United States."
Audiolight Sound & Lighting, a supplier of audio, visual and lighting equipment, has just launched its business into the kingdom of e-commerce. Audiolight Sound & Lighting told us: "Our main aim is to provide customers with product support, realistic prices and to impart knowledge. We are here to help and assist first-time customers when making purchases, and at the other end of the scale, to serve bigger companies with a large and varied range of products for all areas, including retail, leisure, communications, display, point-of-sale and installation equipment."
One of the key features of the new site is a comprehensive chat forum, to act as a virtual meeting place for visitors to the site to share news, information and to hold general discussions about everything that relates to sound and lighting.
(Ruth Rossington)
Coemar De Sisti Australia has recently completed the conversion of Channel 7’s dimmers in Studio 7 in Melbourne, to operate on DMX512 control protocol. The dimmers where installed in the studios many years ago and operate off 0-10V control only. Channel 7 wanted to have the dimmers upgraded so that today’s standard lighting control protocol (DMX512) could be used together with the existing 0-10V control system which is from a Strand Galaxy console. The other advantage of adding DMX was the fact that it provided Channel 7 with a means of having easy backup for the Galaxy console if required.
Coemar De Sisti Australia manufactured a special PCB to carry out the works and also installed the systems into the existing dimmers. The PCB was built into a custom metal box, which made the installation and any future work on the dimmers very easy. The company also fitted standard XLR connectors in the metal box, so that a technician or operator can connect any standard DMX tester or console directly to the electronics for testing or fault-finding of the dimming system.
In addition to the conversion of the dimmers, Coemar De Sisti Australia also built and installed a simple DMX patch system for the studio. Earlier in the year, the company had also converted Channel 7’s Studio 6 dimmers (which are the old tried-and-tested Strand Electric JTM racks) to DMX.
(Lee Baldock)
L&SI magazine is running two Round Table discussion sessions during the forthcoming PLASA Show (September 8-11, Earls Court 1, London) designed to address some of the most central issues in the industry.
The first session Freelance Rates - Due for Review? will focus on the current rates of pay for freelancers, which over the years have shown a downward trend in real terms, and will be led by a panel of industry professionals on both sides of the fence. The second session, Discounting Rental Rates: Is it Economic Madness? will look at discounting in rental markets, and how companies may be devaluing the services they provide in their attempts to undercut competitors. Once again, the panel will be drawn from those who deal with these issues on a daily basis.
The Freelance Rates session will take place on Monday 9 September at 3pm in the Westminster Room on the Mezzanine Level of Earls Court 1.The Discounting Rental Rates session will take place on Tuesday 10 September at 3pm in the Westminster Room on the Mezzanine Level of Earls Court 1.Both sessions are free for all to attend, but as space is limited, we would ask that you register in advance by contacting Jane Cockburn at PLASA Media at the e-mail address below:
Aztec, the ground-breaking live performance console recently released by pro audio specialist Audient. Just months after its official UK launch, a 48-channel version of the console was put through its paces at an Idlewild concert at the Colchester Arts Centre. Rental company Audio Plus supplied the desk for the one-off gig, which saw the band playing to 400 people. Engineers for the evening were Chris Secker and Richie Dempsey. Front-of-house engineer Richie Dempsey said: "The desk was really easy to use with good gain structure and great EQ. It was easy to find your way around, which is important. All in all I liked it!" The Aztec live performance console is Audient's first live console and can be used both the road or in a fixed installation.
Features of the desk include separate L, C, and R buses with individual trims on each of the output faders; 8 audio sub group outputs with balanced inserts; two additional stereo line inputs and a stereo ambience mic input; 4-band EQ with parametric mids, sweep HF and LF with switched Bell/Shelf curves plus Sweep Hi-Pass filter and optional full stereo input modules.
Audient plc was formed in 1997 by David Dearden and Gareth Davies. Between them, Dearden and Davies have over 50 years’ experience in the pro audio industry and before forming Audient were the founding partners of DDA - a company whose mixing console designs set new price/performance standards during the '80s and '90s in both the recording and live sound fields. Sales and marketing of Audient products throughout the world is undertaken by Expotus plc
Heilbronn-based manufacturer beyerdynamic has supplied its sophisticated MCD (digital) Wireless conferencing system to the legendary Hockenheimring Grand Prix circuit, as part of its massive reconstruction. The system was recently used by Michael Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher to deliver the post-race press conference at the German Grand Prix to television viewers and news agencies around the world.
The MCD-Wireless system comprised eight microphones positioned on the tables without any unnecessary cabling to make for a clean, uncluttered presentation and expedient installation. A remote control switch was also specified to switch the microphones on and off simultaneously from a PC or laptop. As a very flexible system the MCD-W was configured especially by beyerdynamic, and tailored to meet the organisers specific requirements.
The beyerdynamic MCD-W Conference System incorporates all the standard features such as mic switching, hierarchical request to speak and chairman's override. In addition, a loudspeaker is installed into each station and negates the need for a PA system whilst delivering audio in sonic clarity to the delegates. This facility also means that audio levels can be kept low as its intelligent speaker switching automatically dims the volume of units adjacent to those with open microphones to reduce the possibility of acoustic feedback.
Released late in 2001, various additional systems features are available including ‘Voting’ and ‘Simultaneous Translation’. These can be easily configured to operate with alte
Drape and rigging specialist Blackout recently assisted in the realisation of the Faceparty.com launch party. Recognised as one of the world’s most popular websites, Faceparty marked the occasion with a celebration of dance music. Staged at Three Mills Film Studios, the Faceparty event’s line-up included Pete Tong, Lisa Pin-Up, Kosheen, Boy George, Ms Dynamite, Scratch Perverts and many more.
Over 4km of sunset orange carpet, a staggering quantity of drapes and starcloth, custom-built scenery, 140kW of Turbosound PA and tens of thousands of fairy lights converted the Three Mills car park and three main film studios into a stunning spatial wonderland. Blackout’s project manager, Kevin Monks, collaborated with Faceparty’s Dave Bamforth to realise Bamforth’s creative ideas, before the Blackout team dressed all four themed dance areas of the vast site.
For the Veranda arena and main entrance, a custom-built 20m x 7m Orange Trevira Festoon drape formed a backdrop behind the outdoor stage. Another 37m x 2m area of the same orange fabric was rigged from the perimeter fencing to blend with the carpet, transforming the car park into a fizzy orange wonderland. Blackout’s Kevin Monks explained: "It was a challenging task - particularly rigging the exterior walls v- but the effort was worth it for the end result."
The entrance to the extreme-themed Rainforest zone (planted for the event using thousands of real plants and trees) was framed in starcloth. More starcloth drape inside the area created a magical galaxy-like effect, augmenti
International Management Services (IMS) - Asia Pacific, has launched a specialist consultancy and distribution management service for companies targeting the Asia Pacific region. IMS - Asia Pacific already has a number of clients including Cadac Electronics plc, manufacturers of top-end analogue mixing consoles for sound reinforcement and location recording.
The company will be managed by a well-established team which has many years' experience working in Asia within the professional audio industry. Manager Craig Lovell has spent the last decade living and working in Asia, based in both Japan and Singapore. He worked for Matsushita, as well as Harman International Industries Ltd, and was involved in the formation and management of the Tokyo-based representative office for Amek. Phillippa Jeanes was responsible for the formation and management of the Singapore Office for Dalet Digital Media Systems, a leading French manufacturer of radio automation systems. Prior to this, her career included key marketing positions within Amek and Neve.
Services offered by IMS - Asia Pacific include the management and development of distribution channels throughout the Asia Pacific region; the investigation and recommendation of appropriate distribution/sales channels within specified territories; regional market and trend analysis; collation of marketing materials. Craig Lovell explained: "Our company is set up to act as a fast-track point of entry into this region, and we are there to help our clients negotiate the ever-changing challenges in a way that is responsive, efficient an
The experienced Jon Petts was reunited with Ian Kirby this month, with the announcement that Coemar UK will be taking over the distribution of Taiwan-based smoke machine specialists, Antari.
Latterly international product manager for JEM, within the Martin Professional organization, Petts told us: "I have now decided to hang up my passport and focus on the UK. With the Antari distribution switching to Coemar UK - and the announcement of a new professional range of club and touring products - this is an exciting challenge. Antari fully appreciate that with the demands of today’s touring, event, studio and theatre markets, atmospheric effect generators need exacting standards of construction and reliability."
Jon will take up the role of Antari UK sales manager, and Ian Kirby is delighted to have such a leading professional on board, whom he first met when they worked together the Roger Squire Organisation, many years ago. The move to Kirby’s newly created Coemar UK is consistent with Antari’s recent change of distribution arrangements, and brings the UK subsidiary in line with Coemar USA, who are handling the brand Stateside.
"This was a natural addition to our portfolio," said Kirby. "We will be presenting the new X Series to the club and touring markets on Antari’s own stand at PLASA, where it will be seen for the first time in the UK. There is an obvious synergy between Coemar and Antari and we see an exciting opportunity for both brands to prosper in the future."
(Ruth Rossington)
A pair of Allen & Heath GL3300 eighteen buss live sound consoles were used at several events during the recent Hue Festival in Vietnam. The festival was held in the ancient imperial capital of Hue and was the second celebration of its kind, building on the success of a similar event in 2000. Thousands of tourists were attracted to this year's festivities, which showcased the diverse cultural traditions of Vietnam's different regions and also gave local people an opportunity to see performers from France, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, The Philippines, China, Korea and Japan.
The rental division of Allen & Heath's distributor for Vietnam, Nguyen Hoang Co Ltd, supplied the sound reinforcement system for several major events during the 12-day festival. Both 32-channel GL3300s were first used for the opening ceremony, which centred on a 600 square metre stage in Ngo Mon Square. One of the GL3300s provided front-of-house mixing, with the other being configured as a dedicated monitor console. After a spectacular display of traditional dance performed by troupes from 10 different nations, the crowds were treated to music and songs from the northern, central and southern regions of Vietnam.
Nguyen Hoang employed the Allen & Heath consoles again for a show of traditional fashions on a stage built on Truong-Tien-Bridge. Both GL3300s were back in action at the closing ceremony, watched by an estimated 40,000 people and held on a floating stage on the Huong river. A huge choir of 600 Vietnamese schoolgirls started the event with songs and dances from Hue city itself, followed
The £40m National Ice Centre, Nottingham, boasts two Olympic-sized ice pads (the first such facility in the UK), one of which transforms into the impressive 10,000 capacity Nottingham Arena designed to host an array of rock and pop concerts and children's shows. The multi-purpose centre also houses a health and fitness centre and first class corporate entertainment and conference facilities.
July 31 saw the official opening by Her Majesty the Queen at a Gala organised and choreographed by Torvill and Dean. The crowds gathered to enjoy an evening packed with music, ice-skating and celebrations, featuring Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, the local ice hockey team and the world's finest figure skaters, including two Olympic Gold medallists, plus local skaters. The evening began with a demonstration of the skating skills of local children, followed by speeches from the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and Her Majesty the Queen.
Providing lighting to match the celebrations on the ice was lighting designer Nick Jones, using Fourth Phase London to supply him with Molefays, Martin MACs, Cyberlights and Wybron colour scrollers. "We didn't have a great deal of planning time for this event," explained Jones, "which is why I specified moving lights for the rig."
Rehearsals began on the previous Sunday, although the French World Champions didn't arrive until the evening of the day before. Generally the skaters had only an hour on the ice to rehearse their routines, "which meant we didn't have a lot of time to work out what we were going to do," said Jones. &qu
The Music Managers Forum (MMF) has marked its 10th anniversary by receiving official recognition from the Law Society for its high standards of training. The Law Society has given the MMF accreditation to deliver a range of seminars that meet the Continual Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Lawyers.
Since its inception in 1995, MMF-Training (the training division of the Music Managers Forum) has delivered a range of Master Classes that focus on legal and business issues in key areas of the Music Business. Although originally designed with the artist manager in mind, the seminars cover a range of topics that are equally relevant to others working in the music industry. Other MMF-Training accreditations include the Institute of Legal Executives and members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), The Association of International Accountants (AIA), The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). Sessions run monthly in the evening at the PRS building in London W1. For further details contact the MMF.
(Ruth Rossington)
Star Hire (Event Services) Ltd provided all of the technical facilities for the Queen’s Jubilee Baton Relay Tour evening celebration sites, covering 47 sites in 48 days of a 50-date tour, the first time a tour of its kind has been attempted and completed successfully in the UK.
Drawing on the theme of fifty, the Baton was carried by 5000 runners passing through 500 places in 50 days. The relay traversed the whole of the UK, stopping overnight in venues so that the Baton could change hands and to allow for evening entertainment. The Baton’s journey culminated in Manchester at the opening of the Commonwealth Games on 25 July 2002.
Star Hire provided one of its SS11-09 Mobile StarStages for the tour and managed the technical production elements of sound, lighting, power and video screens for the evening entertainment events. They were also responsible for the design, manufacture and fitting of all branded imagery on the stage and all the associated vehicles.
A team of 11 set up the full production package each day, in preparation for the arrival of the Baton at each evening celebration. A representative from the Queens Jubilee Baton Relay Team would move on two days ahead to liaise with councils and prepare the venue. Lowri Williams was project and stage manager for the tour working closely with engineers for the 10sq.m mobile screen provided by Screenco and the PA system provided by Richard Nowell Sound Services. A 6,000 strong crowd gathered in Manchester’s Albert Square for the final evening event, with the Baton carried by footballers Ryan Giggs a
Dobson Sound has acquired The Sound Company. Jon Miller, the present owner of The Sound Company will remain closely involved with the business whilst Mark Thompson, currently the technical director and sound designer with The Sound Company, will join the Dobson team as one of its in-house designers, with specific responsibility for theatre sound.
Dobson specializes in the design and supply of sound systems for special events, music performances and conferences. The scale and complexity of the events in which Dobson is involved has increased considerably in recent years. Within the last four months the company has provided sound systems for the Queen Mother’s Funeral and the Golden Jubilee celebrations in Central London. Recent and long-standing clients come both from the world of classical music - with open-air concerts in Somerset House, and live relays for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Glyndebourne - and rock and roll at the Guildford Festival. In addition to these high profile events, the company has supplied systems for many large scale corporate and private events including cabaret performances by Elton John, Will Young and Heather Small.
Paul Dobson, managing director of Dobson Sound, told us. "It’s a perfect time for us to expand our business and continue our move into new markets. We are pleased to be working closely with the team at The Sound Company, as their philosophy of personal care, attention to detail and excellent service is in keeping with ours.
"This will give us the opportunity to build on the relationships we curre
Ensconced in the former basement area of London’s legendary Cafe Royal in the West End, now lurks one of the most chic of glitterati chill-out establishments - Elysium. It’s camp. It’s chi-chi. And it’s not subtle. Designed as ‘an extravagant homage to famed OTT film director Cecil B De Mille’, the carefully themed venue’s many textured hangings, canopies, lanterns and drapes frame long sofas, mosaic’ed alcoves and hand carved furnishings.
For the audio system, Podd Sound’s Matthew Podd put his specialist knowledge to the test once again, having been responsible for the sound and lighting installation in London’s hugely popular Bar Elvissa. For Elysium’s all-important DJ station, Podd Sound included HK Audio L.U.C.A.S. 1000 system in the role of the club’s DJ monitoring. "The L.U.C.A.S. is compact and unobtrusive," comments Matthew Podd on the reasoning behind his monitoring choice, adding, "but its powerful, high quality and detailed sound means that it’s perfectly placed in this kind of context."
(Ruth Rossington)