Austria - For its global premiere on the stage of Vienna's Ronacher Theater, the musical Rock me Amadeus - The Falco Musicalwas illuminated using Prolights' Astra Wash. This musical, with evocative scenes, intricate choreography, and dazzling costumes, demanded an extraordinary lighting setup to properly showcase the spectacle and celebrate the life of the musician Falco. The design, crafted by the lighting designer Howard Harrison and musical lighting supervisor Lucas Berger, featured various mobile wash lights from Prolights' Astra Wash series - specifically, the As
Lithuania - The current reconstruction and expansion of the famous Lithuanian National Drama Theater (LNDT) in Vilnius includes a complete sound system makeover, masterminded by Sonus Exsertus. This €19m euro upgrade of a building founded in 1940 is its largest in 40 years. Last year a New Hall was opened, followed by a Small Hall for experimental and small-scale productions. With the existing newly refurbished Great Hall, the LNDT - which is one of the country’s foremost publicly funded cultural institutions - this will provide an overall seating capacity of 1,200. Once
USA - LIT Lighting in Tempe, Arizona recently specified, designed, sold and installed new lighting and production equipment in the Footprint Centre, home arena of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. The installation, which comprised a new entertainment lighting solution, included Ayrton, MA Lighting, MDG and RapcoHorizon brands, all exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment. “Pro basketball is not just a game anymore, it showcases elements promoting crowd activation and interaction, which at the Footprint Centre include a dance team, half-t
UK - This week, Celestial’s epic drone light show, Evolution, was showcased for the first time ever at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in Bristol to a select audience in preparation for launching the show to the general public in December. Drone light technology is being used to tell ‘the greatest story of all time’ - The story of our evolution. The story, narrated by Tara Fitzgerald, starts with the Big Bang, the explosive inception of the universe and journeys into the emergence of the sun, our solar system and the planets that inhabit it. The cosmic voyag
Italy - Siena’s Concerto per l'Italia is an annual classical music event that takes place in the city’s Piazza del Campo each July. With its 102m-tall bell tower, and 2,500 seat-capacity, Piazza del Campo hosts various events, from seasonal initiatives to music festivals, throughout the year. The Piazza is an essential cultural hub in Siena and the wider Tuscan region, attracting visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy the square’s historical and architectural beauty, and to experience the vibrant energy of the city's public life. Over the course of three
USA - Front-of-house engineer Stanley Soares (known for his work with Sepultura, Devin Townsend, Motörhead, and Meshuggah) and producer/monitor engineer Chris Rakestraw (who produced/engineered the last two Megadeth albums) have chosen to mix Megadeth’s recent stadium tour with Waves plugins via the Waves SuperRack plugin host, seamlessly integrated in their DiGiCo Quantum 338 and Avid Venue S6L consoles. Soares’ current setup when mixing Megadeth includes a DiGiCo Quantum 338 in conjunction with Waves SuperRack, Waves’ Mercury, the Studio Classics Collection and Abbey Road
Zambia - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its international sales network. With Zirbo Zambia, the event technology provider headquartered in Neu-Anspach, Hesse, has gained an experienced sales partner in Zambia. Zirbo Zambia is one of the largest AV and event technology providers in Zambia and is now the exclusive distributor for solutions from the Adam Hall Group brands LD Systems and Gravity. Zirbo Zambia's long-standing success is based on three service pillars: consultancy and planning, rental and installation. Founded in 2004 by Italian pro audio veteran Alessandro Bo
USA - Since investing in Martin Audio’s small-format WPM line array, shortly followed by the larger WPS PA last year, New Jersey-based Audio Incorporated has rarely looked back, taking full advantage of the optimised series’ breakthrough scalable resolution. While the two-way WPM houses 2 x 6.5” drivers, the slightly larger WPS is a 2 x 8” 3-way array. The two 16-element rigs, complemented respectively by eight SX118 and eight SXCF118 subwoofers, provided them with the capacity to handle a myriad of different events across the tri-state area, but specifically some very cha
UK - Treetop Adventure Golf recently announced the opening of a new site in Gateshead. Treetop have taken the idea of adventure golf and brought it up to date, with imaginative set designs and interactive features that whisk players away to far-off and mystical lands during the course of its 18-hole games. To power this story-driven experience, Gateshead required a complete audio system that could handle the demands of a busy visitor attraction whilst providing clear and consistent sound over two floors and two carefully designed courses. A system based around EM Acoustic’s EMS
USA - Behind the Scenes has announced that AC Power Distribution (ACPD), a brand of ACT Entertainment, has joined the Pledge-of-Support Programme. ACPD will contribute a portion of the profits from their new LunchBoxPD data and power distribution system to the charity. ACT Entertainment is a leading supplier of entertainment industry products across six different end markets, including professional lighting and control equipment; audio, video, fibre and power distribution; cables; connectivity; metalwork; custom manufacturing; and design. ACPD’s LunchBoxPD integrates powe
Italy - Pliant Technologies has announced a distribution partnership with MediaPower, expanding its reach to the Italian market. For 30 years, MediaPower has provided its clients with design, distribution, and the implementation of AV services and IT workflows. MediaPower will now offer Pliant Technologies’ wireless intercom solutions throughout Italy. "Pliant's product range has a long history of providing intercom solutions for both the broadcast and production markets,” says Gary Rosen, vice president of global sales at Pliant Technologies. “This new partnership with the
USA - Following the opening of the new Pixera UK office in London last month, Austria-based AV Stumpfl has announced that Pixera, its real-time media server platform, is expanding its physical presence in North America as well. With continuing growth across all target markets in the US, as well as the company’s strategic priority to provide more responsive support and active participation with current customers, prospects and key industry partners, it has added a west coast office in Santa Monica, CA, to complement its eastern presence in Atlanta, GA. The high concentrati
France - ChamSys has announced that, starting 1 December, its entire product line will be distributed in France by Chauvet France, a wholly owned subsidiary of ChamSys’ parent company Chauvet. In its new home, Chauvet France will sell, service, and provide training for the full line of ChamSys consoles, including the popular Stadium series, which has been used at major concerts, festivals, and theatrical productions throughout France. The new distribution arrangement will also allow ChamSys to broaden its French language training programmes. Concurrent with this
UK - Shure has joined the Q-SYS Technology Partner Programme. This programme enables software and hardware technology partners to create market-ready solutions that integrate seamlessly with Q-SYS, a cloud-manageable audio, video, and control platform. As part of the programme, Shure has worked closely with Q-SYS, which has fully vetted and endorsed Shure’s MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphone Plugin integration with a Q-SYS certified badge (developed with Q-SYS and supported by Shure and Q-SYS). “Joining the Q-SYS Technology Partner Programme is a phenomenal milestone that e
UK - Global investment group CDPQ has acquired a minority stake in Solotech. The goal of this transaction, which represents the largest investment in the company since 2013, is to support Solotech’s acquisition and organic growth strategy to expand its presence in various markets and create more value for its customers. “With this investment - the largest in the last decade for Solotech - CDPQ will support the company in its next growth stage. Aligned with CDPQ’s priorities, this means not only shifting activities into high gear, but also facilitating the company
Germany - From sporting events and shows to parties and concerts - whatever happens at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, up to 12,700 spectators can be on hand to cheer on their idols. The venue is extremely popular with spectators and event organizers alike - not only because of the great variety of events on offer, but also because its size and central location in the Ruhr area. To ensure that event goers continue to benefit from the highest standards of safety and security, the arena´s technology was recently updated - with a team of experts from Bosch Building Technologie
Europe - Rock-pop-punk band Engst is continuing along its successful upward trajectory. The new album Irgendwas ist immer (There is always something) is selling fast and the current tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is already largely sold out. The production design for the tour is the work of Jonas König of Koeniglicht, who, in addition to deploying many empty beer crates within the set, is using exclusively GLP fixtures. This is the epitome of stretching a tight production budget for a young, up-and-coming band. “A beer crate costs practically
Qatar - UK manufacturer Optimal Audio has announced the appointment of MDC as its exclusive distributor in Qatar. Based in Doha, MDC offers comprehensive on-site training for its customers and end-users as part of its after-sales service. Optimal Audio’s emphasis on simplifying commercial audio systems without compromising on quality struck a powerful chord with Rajesh Kunnath at MDC: “The Optimal Audio ecosystem perfectly aligns with the market’s requirement for commercial audio solutions that, whilst technologically advanced, are competitively priced and easy to oper
Italy - Eat. Drink. Party. Repeat. That’s the advice from Circle, a bar and restaurant space in Milan’s fashionable Tortona area, where guests can enjoy hospitality in an urban-chic environment, from the first coffee in the morning until the last dance at night. When it comes to the party element, it’s all about good tunes and quality sound, delivered at Circle by a Nexo ePS system, designed and installed by Vigolzone-based AV solutions providers Ligra. “The client and manager of the venue is also a DJ and expert audiophile who already knows the Nexo brand and appre
USA - Audinate Group Limited, developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, has announced a refreshed brand identity for both Audinate and Dante, including a new logo, tagline, colour palette and narratives that capture the essence of Audinate and the Dante platform. Audinate will emphasise the Dante brand more in the market, given the strong connection and recognition with customers. The Dante AV-over-IP platform enables communication, experiences, inspiration and collaboration to be shared between people and spaces using one connection. This spirit is captured in the new Dante tag
USA - L-Acoustics hosted a destruction event to mark the disposal of counterfeit speakers recently seized following a judgment by the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, which ordered Se7ven Sounds Music to pay damages of $5m US dollars to L-Acoustics and granted L-Acoustics the right to destroy the 136 counterfeit professional speakers confiscated during the investigation. During the afternoon, covered by Tampa Bay Fox News and NBC News, L-Acoustics invited local rental partners to destroy several counterfeit speakers, subwoofers, and amplifi
Palace News - Chaka Khan is celebrating 50 years in the music business with a concert at Blenheim Palace. The 10-time Grammy winner, who turned 70 in March, will appear on a triple bill alongside Sister Sledge and The Fatback Band on 13 June. The concert is part of Blenheim's five-night Nocturne Live concert series, which takes place from 12 to 16 June. Crowded House, Sheryl Crow and Turin Brakes are already confirmed to appear at Blenheim on the closing night. Crazy Prices - Dominic West has criticised “crazy” ticket prices in the West End, claiming theatre is “more
Turkey - Established in 1993, Istanbul-based By Sound Creative Technics provides technical production rental services throughout Turkey and neighbouring regions, supplying sound, lighting and stage equipment for a diverse range of events. Recently, the company made a substantial investment in Outline's flagship loudspeaker system. The acquisition includes 24 GTO line-array elements, 24 DBS 18-2 subwoofers, 24 Mantas compact line-array enclosures, a Newton FPGA processor and a complete, ready-racked power, rigging, accessory and cabling solution. Company director and partner
