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 series proved the solution.
Lighting, sound and visual providers Full Production led the integration of the project, having previously worked successfully on the Birmingham branch of Treetop Adventure Golf. AV designer Dan Roncoroni was invited to work on the project after being approached by Full Production to collaborate on the new Gateshead facility.
“Steve Richardson from Full Production invited me to the Birmingham site to explain the project and from there I began planning what we could do for the audio at Gateshead,” recalls Roncoroni. “I’ve completed a few projects using EM Acoustics in conjunction with TiMax processors and Powersoft amplifiers, and I’ve been very happy with the results of this combination.”
To further confirm the choice of EM Acoustics, Roncoroni made use of EM’s facilities to invite the CEO and founder of Treetops to the factory for a demo. “After hearing content through the loudspeakers and touring the factory, they were wo
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 Technologies playing a key role. The project involved upgrading the fire alarm, intrusion detection, public address, and voice alarm solution that Bosch originally installed when the arena was built in 1996. What’s more, this time round, the venue operators also opted to install a networked video security and access control solution from Bosch.
The new video solution can monitor all areas of the multi-purpose arena, both inside and outside. These areas are monitored by over 30 IP cameras, including high-performance HD dome cameras that can be remotely controlled. There are 4K cameras pointing at the entrances to certain areas, and public circulation areas are also monitored.
Several cameras are equipped with intelligent video analysis technology that makes it easy to immediately spot unusual details, such as an unattended rucksack. What’s more, a forensic search function can be used to analyse the video data retrospectively, so that video evidence can be found more quickly for th
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 appreciates its products,” reports Francesco Pino, Ligra systems engineer.
“The brief was to design and install a new, reliable and high-performing system for a venue that hosts a lot of social events and, above all, club nights where DJs perform with audiences of up to 600 people.”
Using Nexo NS-1 software tools to configure and predict performance, the team at Ligra designed a system to deliver consistent SPL and frequency range coverage for the main and two private rooms, separated by sound-absorbing curtains.
A total of seven ePS12s are deployed in the main room with LF performance extended by four eLS18 subs. Smaller ePS8s are installed in the private rooms with amplification and processing provided by a pair of Nexo NXAMP4X2Mk2s, each delivering 2500W on four channels along with loudspeaker control, remote management and protection.
UK - The fifth Treetop Golf venue - newly arrived in Gateshead’s Metrocentre shopping precinct - represents an acceleration in theatrical vision for the themed leisure brand. The recently completed installation was carried out by Reading-based Full Production - with audio by Dan Roncoroni of RavenAV - and features two 18-hole family-focused golf courses: one a Tropical Trail and the other an Ancient Explorer Trail.
Both courses benefit from high resolution 3D, object-based immersive soundscape environments, as well as show-stopping automated moments, created by the show control capabilities of TiMax SoundHub.
One TiMax SoundHub-S32 with Dante networked I/O manages the three holes per course where the themed appeal is brought to life with lighting and animated immersive audio. On the Tropical Trail area, the scene is set with accurately localised audio objects such as birdsong which travels from shrubbery up to tree level and down to another area of low shrubbery and back again - as well as accurately placed insect and animal noises and actions which are enhanced with tree shakers.
EM Acoustics EMS-41 ultra-compact two-way passive loudspeakers, powered by Powersoft Unica amplifiers, provide the distributed reinforcement, hidden and disguised within scenic birdhouses.
Dan explains: “We used TiMax just to make it special and believable: when you shut your eyes you are in the middle of a jungle. You can hear the content localised accurately anywhere you are in that space, as TiMax does a really good job at handling audio objects. It’s more
UK - Packaging specialist Allpack recently transformed its digital capabilities with a video conferencing suite at its Staffordshire National Distribution Centre. Specialising in industry-focused packaging solutions, Allpack aimed to enhance its content offering, including professional client presentations, podcasts, product videos, and online training sessions.
Allpack approached audio experts Alchemy System Integration for the system design and supply, who worked closely with the fit-out company to ensure seamless installation of the equipment with the current IT setup, with hardware and cabling concealed within the fabric of the building.
Andrew Almond, marketing manager at Allpack, emphasised the need for a scalable and user-friendly interface, incorporating camera setups for flexible product demonstrations and sessions within the Sustainability Suite. Challenges related to environmental noise and unwanted camera triggers, due to the open environment, were addressed by Brad Field, chief alchemist at Alchemy, with assistance from audio distributor, Audiologic.
Working with Audiologic’s application support engineer Anna Shahin, a design was agreed of the Q-SYS Core Nano audio, video and control (AV&C) processor with Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) ceiling microphone, that enabled the unwanted noise to be eliminated, coupled with a Q-SYS NC-12x80 PoE PTZ conference camera and a pair of QSC AD-S4TB cabinet loudspeakers.
Using Q-SYS plugin Automatic Camera Preset Recall, the three presentation locations are seamlessly recalled for
South Korea - Situated in the vibrant and ever-evolving metropolis of Seoul, Vive Studios specialises in visual AI-based metaverse content, ‘leveraging cutting-edge technologies to shape the future of virtual production, virtual humans, hyper-realistic immersive content, and CGI’. Part of its offering is a 1,200sq.m Virtual Production facility featuring a large LED wall powered by Brompton Technology LED processing.
According to CEO Stanley Kim: “Vive Studios has forged collaborations with prominent partners spanning diverse industry sectors, including entertainment, automotive, e-commerce, gaming, government, and more.” The VP studio empowers clients to unleash the full spectrum of their creativity during shooting sessions. Moreover, the company offers its exclusive virtual production integrated operational solution, meticulously designed for auto lens calibration, XR calibration, and timeline-based stage operations - “all seamlessly managed through our intuitive UX/UI interface,” Kim adds.
The curved LED wall measures an impressive 27m by 7m and comprises AOTO RM2.3 LED panels. The studio team utilises eight 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and 12 Tessera XD 10G data distribution units to power this complex LED setup.
Recently, the Vive Studios team added three more Tessera XD 10G data distribution units to their product roster, offering seamless integration with the Tessera SX40 LED processors to deliver a flexible, sophisticated single-box solution to deal with challenges associated with large LED display systems.
“The Vive St
UK - Nestled in the heart of East Belfast, Banana Block, a captivating community space, made its debut in October 2021 as a part of an extensive neighbourhood revitalisation initiative. A thriving ecosystem of local talents and diverse activities, this dynamic venue stands as a living testament to the area's storied past.
From hosting a plant shop and bakery to a record shop, mind hacks, mushroom growers, salsa classes and animal foods, Banana Block's day-to-day operations buzz with energy. However, its versatility goes beyond daily activities, as it plays a pivotal role in East Belfast's artistic and entertainment scene. The venue regularly welcomes various events, including art exhibitions, comedy nights, live performances and even parties that attract hundreds of people from near and far.
Conleth McGillan, production and programming manager behind Banana Block shares: “Banana Block is all about upskilling people from our community, especially those who might not have had opportunities elsewhere. We want to give them the chance to learn new skills and understand what goes into running events while aligning with our mission to benefit the working-class community around us. It's been a game-changer for us as a startup, allowing us to offer more to our community.”
As the demand for events and gatherings has continued to grow in recent months, Banana Block needed a sound system that could adapt to different event sizes and styles. To provide exceptional audio quality, focus on the performers, and enhance the overall visitor experience, Banana Bloc
Poland - VuFinder Studios just launched its new studio, boasting to be Poland's largest Virtual Production LED Volume. Since its establishment in 2022, the studio has already completed more than 30 commercial film productions for international brands, such as BMW, One Plus, Veet, and Bosch.
"As we started to investigate the possible options, we found the BP2V2 has been adopted by most of the world's largest virtual production studios, such as NantStudios and Amazon Studio. We quickly realised ROE Visual's LED solutions could make a difference for our studio and offer our client base a reliable, high-end solution,” says Melania Kulczycka, founder and client services director at VuFinder Studios.
“After closely collaborating on this installation, our choice for ROE Visual has been strongly confirmed. Their support throughout the entire project was incomparable and has been instrumental in the entire project."
VuFinder Studios created a modular LED wall with the BP2V2 that can be customized to fit the specific requirements of various projects. With the inclusion of the Mo-SyS StarTracker camera tracking system and RTX A6000-based rendering servers, the LED wall empowers VuFinder's experienced designers and producers to fully unleash their creativity and deliver reliable and innovative solutions to customers.
"Thanks to our collaboration with ROE Visual, we have access to the most advanced solutions in virtual production. The synergy between the VuFinder Studios team and the excellent products and services provided by ROE Visual allows us to
France - K System beaconless 3D tracking system for live experiences earned positive reviews from performers, technical staff and visitors alike this summer at various festivals, and the popular Poupet Festival, with its 100,000 punters over 14 days was no exception.
Taking place in the idyllic surroundings of the Vallée de Poupet (in western France’s Vendée), Festival de Poupet launched in 1987 and has grown into one of France’s best-loved boutique festivals. The 2023 edition took place over June and July and featured performances from leading French and international acts, including American singer-songwriter and two-time Grammy Award winner Ben Harper, jazz trumpet prodigy Ibrahim Maalouf, and rap royalty Orelsan.
Thomas Maindron, director and programmer of Festival de Poupet, explains that he was first introduced to K System, developed by French start-up Naostage, by Donovane Amelin, the festival’s lighting director, earlier this year. “We heard about Naostage when going over the technical specifications for this year’s festival,” he recalls, noting the highly demanding tracking requirements, particularly compared to previous years.
By seamlessly identifying and following artists, performers and visitors wherever they are in a defined tracking area, Naostage’s K System allows for the automation of an endless array of lighting, audio, video and media effects in real time in perfect sync with the show or fixed installation.
Maindron says the festival was able to achieve a significant reduction in costs by adopting Naostage’
Switzerland - Prolights products took part in the new interactive installation Top of Europe at the Jungfraujoch railway station, the highest in Europe, perched at 3,454m above sea level. Tasked by Jungfrau Railways, Jungfraubahn Holding AG, the installation aims to make the station more engaging for travellers.
Iart handled the installation planning and lighting design, with PlusMusic, Prolights' distributor in Switzerland, providing the lighting products. The final choice includes 18 Prolights projectors - 10 Mosaico L for image and gobo projections and eight StudioCob PlucFC for colour projections.
The installation's centrepiece is a metal curtain made up of multilayer chains, designed to give the location a new look. Stretching over 30m, the curtain creates an interactive path between the train platform and the viewing platform.
The curtain is illuminated by StudioCobs and Mosaico L, simulating dawn as the train arrives and guiding travelers toward the mountain panorama. During departure, as travellers return to the platform, the setting transforms into an evening atmosphere.
The Mosaico L projectors with gobo projections offer interactive zones for travellers to take fun or suggestive photos, to share online and create memories.
During specific periods like summer or Christmas, the installation becomes thematic, with suitable music, lights, and projections, enhancing the visit experience.
USA - Located in Brunswick, Georgia, Glynn County Stadium is a busy venue, being home to both the Brunswick Pirates and the Glynn Academy Red Terrors varsity football teams. The 12,000-seater is setting a new standard for game-day sound quality in the region, thanks to an Electro-Voice and Dynacord system installation by AV East, also based in Brunswick.
“The sports complex recently constructed a field house behind the stadium with an all-glass wall facing the football field,” explains Anthony Stubelek, owner of AV East. “The slap-back off that wall was creating havoc with the sound from the existing system, installed along with the LED scoreboard a few years ago. It was time for something new.” While Stubelek was putting together options for the complex, his AV partner in the project, iMint Media, suggested that he consider the new Electro-Voice MTS loudspeakers, which he had heard at another stadium install.
“After researching them, it seemed like the MTS was exactly what we needed,” adds Stubelek. “I contacted my sales rep, Jordan Smith, with Sales Force & Associates, and walked him through our requirements. The point-source MTS checked all our boxes.” Smith recommended two MTS-4153-64, one for each side of the field, with low-end support provided by four Electro-Voice X12-128 dual-18” subwoofers. Dynacord IPX series amplifiers power the loudspeakers and subs.
The two fully weatherised MTS loudspeakers are mounted on the scoreboard with custom brackets designed and built by Stubelek. The selected MTS-4153-64 models combine f
UK - LED display brand Absen has been chosen by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) as the LED display partner at Lord’s Cricket Ground to provide high performance screens as part of an extensive refurbishment spanning five years, at the historic St John’s Wood cricket venue.
As part of its ongoing £200m ground development programme, Lord’s, ‘The Home of Cricket’, owned by Members of MCC, is not only striving to provide its members and visitors with modern stands and exceptional facilities, but also to improve the overall match day experience for stand spectators throughout the season.
As a result of these efforts, MCC selected Absen to initially provide two new outdoor screens, situated within the main playing field. After being impressed with the first implementation, MCC asked Absen to continue the ongoing partnership, by providing a larger third screen as part of the second development stage. The quality and position of the screens, located in three opposing ground locations ensures spectators have a clear, uninterrupted view, wherever they’re seated and whatever the weather. To assist with the installation, Absen subsequently selected Ashleigh Signs as the systems integration partner for the project.
“We were delighted to have been chosen for the ongoing partnership as part of the monumental redevelopment of Lord’s Cricket Ground. Our innovative products are perfectly suited for the environment and will, without doubt, add to the exceptional match day experience the venue. We’re looking towards the future and what other innovative
USA - Pavion, an integrator of fire, security, critical communications, and audio-visual technology solutions, recently opened its new regional office in Raleigh, North Carolina. The goal was to establish a space for Pavion to showcase its technology solutions whilst providing an updated working environment for its employees.
The project was undertaken in a collaboration between Pavion and IA Architects, who worked together to design and execute a solution including KSCAPE’s innovative RAIL technology.
“When designing and developing the Pavion Raleigh office, we had three critical focuses: Our People, Our Customers and Innovation,” explains Kristina VanderBrink, southeast regional sales director at Pavion. “We believe everything starts with our people - they are at the centre of our solutions. The goal was to create a workplace that promotes our team members to come to the office, nurtures collaboration and cultivates a sense of belonging.
“The biggest requests we received from all our team members when designing our new space were centred around the quality and functionality of the workspace. Our mission was then focused on finding the right space and the right partners to best incorporate these critical features. That was a driving factor for working with K-array and KSCAPE.”
A total of 75 ceiling-hung RAIL units were installed, providing the backbone for the entire system, and ensuring even and consistent coverage of both sound and light throughout the different spaces. RAIL is not only capable in terms of audio distribution but
UK - Whitecroft Lighting has secured the contract to supply the internal lighting to Everton Football Club for its new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium in Liverpool.
The deal will see the commercial lighting specialist manufacture around 14,000 luminaires for the stadium's main areas, including the concourse, concession areas, press areas, stairwells, corridors, player and staff areas and corporate hospitality.
Whitecroft Lighting was awarded the contract due to its experience in successfully delivering complex and high value prestigious projects across the UK, as well as its commitment to supporting the Everton project from initial design to project handover.
Due for completion in late 2024, the 52,000-capacity stadium is currently under construction, with the lighting installation set to start in autumn 2023. Whitecroft will be working with main contractor Laing O’Rourke, M&E contractor Crown House Technologies and design consultants Buro Happold.
There are several challenges due to the project’s maritime location, with 60% of the luminaires requiring water ingress protection and sustainable lighting suitable for a corrosive saline environment. Whitecroft will supply a tailored lighting product that will be saline resistant and support 24/7 operations at the new stadium.
Whitecroft’s Avenue Metro Surface, a modular linear LED system, will create a bright, safe environment in the concourse, corridors, corporate and several other areas, while its Mirage LED Surface range, an elegant circular suspended downlight with a cast aluminium
Mexico - It’s more than 20 years since Mexican businessman and philanthropist Alfredo Harp Helú promised the Diablos Rojos del México and their fans a permanent home fit for the most winning team in the history of Mexican baseball.
Now the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium stands as testament to this baseball super-fan’s passion for the game.
The first new stadium to be built in Mexico City in the last 50 years, the AHH features a roof resembling a devil’s fork, rising to a height of 31m. In the brief for a sound system commensurate with a project of such uncompromising standards, it was critical that speakers should add as little weight as possible to a structure already weighing some 5,000 tons.
“Our customer Logen was appointed as audio system integrator for the project, and they asked us to propose a system that could provide the power and coverage needed while meeting the demanding limitations on weight,” reports Manuel Tapia, technical support manager at Nexo distributor Rep de Audio.
“Nexo Geo S12 is a powerful, long-throw box already installed in many prestigious sports stadiums around the world, so we used NS-1 configuration software to design a system of just 7 relatively small and light S12 clusters that could hang from the roof and cover the main stands. NS-1 also gave us the necessary reports for system dimensions, weight, gravity centre position, forces, moments, working load and safety factors.”
Flown with an LS18 sub at the top, each cluster comprises six GEOS1230s, with the steeply tapered boxes formed into a ti
USA - Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) is a popular contemporary blues band, known for musicianship and gripping live performances, so Nashville-based lighting designer Tony Caporale of design studio InfinitusVox was delighted to be asked to design a new lighting scheme for their live shows.
Tony has enjoyed an action packed 2023 schedule and TTB is a new client. They reached out to him after seeing some of his other work, particularly the Goose tour earlier in the year, for which he was lighting programmer, working closely with LD Andrew Goedde.
A long-term Robe advocate, when Tony started drawing up the plot, he looked to some of his most trusted moving lights - Fortes, Spiiders and MegaPointes - to help add that special magic and sparkle for TTB’s stage presentation.
It started as a summer shed and theatre tour and crossed over to arenas towards the later US dates, so the rig needed to be scalable and adaptable. Tony’s lighting also had to accommodate a raft of guest musicians and singers, all adding to the general stage dynamic.
With a 12-piece band to cover, he needed some bold and large lighting looks to complement their impressive set-up.
“I decided to effectively ‘wrap’ the trusses around their stage set up, including the floor lighting carts on the deck as well, so it could envelop them on one hand, but I could also have lights shooting out to the audience and transferring the energy offstage,” he explained.
When he showed Susan Tedeschi - a band founder together with husband Derek Trucks - the initial ideas, she lov
UK - Notts County has listened to fan requests and upgraded the sound system at its Meadow Lane stadium. Having experienced the challenges of an aging PA for several years, the football club opted to invest in a top-of-the-line solution to improve the matchday experience while also meeting all the life safety requirements of the 18,816-capacity ground.
To achieve these goals, Notts County turned to the combined benefits of Electro-Voice, Dynacord and Bosch equipment.
As the oldest professional football club in the world and a founder member of the football league, Notts County has the kind of history that generates a large and dedicated fan base. While established in 1862, the club has been playing its home games at Meadow Lane since 1910, with the current all-seater stadium built in the early 1990s. When these stands were completed, the club purchased a second-hand sound system from a different football club. While this initially worked for the club, by the end of the 2022-23 season the age of the solution meant that it was no longer fit for purpose and fans were calling on Notts County to invest in better sound.
“There were a variety of comments from fans,” says Martin Baker, finance consultant at Notts County. “Some said the sound wasn’t clear, others thought it was sometimes too loud and disappeared. It was just inconsistent, and we felt that it was difficult to engage properly with fans.”
Having already added large screens to the stadium, Notts Country could see the extra value that AV solutions can bring to a matchday experien
Indonesia - In the past 20 years, hospitalisations in Indonesia for neurological-related conditions have increased rapidly, with stroke being the leading cause of death and disability in almost all hospitals in Indonesia. To improve stroke prevention, survival and rehabilitation, the Indonesian government’s Ministry of Health established a new hospital on Java to serve as the country’s epicentre of comprehensive brain and nerve health services.
The 11-storey hospital encompasses 11,000sq.m with beds for up to 350 patients. The hospital deployed steerable loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz in their ballroom to deliver highly intelligible audio for medical seminars.
The hospital turned to PT Kairos Multi Jaya, Renkus-Heinz’s Indonesian distributor together with PT DKSI, for help outfitting the audio system in the ballroom. They recommended Renkus-Heinz’s ICLive X Series of steerable arrays to meet the hospital’s goals of even coverage and high intelligibility. The ICLive X Series provides complete customisation of room coverage through individually steerable beams, and the loudspeakers’ high directivity made them the best choice for the hospital’s ballroom.
“There was no acoustic treatment in the ballroom, so the reverberation was considerable. Complicating matters further was that one wall consisted almost entirely of windows,” said Damaran Kristanto, system designer with Kairos Multi Jaya. “We chose ICLive X to direct sound to the audience and avoid areas without acoustic treatment. The loudspeakers are also slim and very easy to in
UK - Ever since Manchester UK-based fac365 secured the Optocore dealership in 2016, the pro audio RF and comms rental specialists have enjoyed increasing success with the brand, culminating in this year, with most notably the Festival Box.
Originally set up in the UK’s Greater Manchester area by Mike Hayes, fac365 supplies solutions right across the broadcast and entertainment spectrum - on both a sales and hire basis - including many interactive devices from the Optocore portfolio.
Festival Box itself is a point-to-point converter, which enables all signals and protocols to tunnel over the same fibre. It quickly established itself on tours by Billie Eilish and the Spice Girls and subsequently on Coldplay tours.
Having first debuted Optocore’s AutoRouter on the Head Full Of Dreams tour at the end of 2015, Alex Hadjigeorgiou introduced Festival Box to the band’s rig in 2019. Since then it has been the backbone of the control package infrastructure, touring the globe twice over.
Today, four Festival Boxes make up the Coldplay control package - one pair serving the FOH/Stage, while a second pair hooks the FOH infrastructure together.
The device itself comes in two versions - the Festival Box Grand (with 12 SFP ports) and Petite (with six SFPs). According to fac365 operations manager, Richard Newall, his company has recently built a deployable Grand system loaded with sufficient fibre and CAT ports to cater for most festival and multiple artist requirements. This intuitive set-up has been configured for hires as a simple ‘plug and
UK - An Audient ASP8024-HE has been installed in The Live Room, a community support project in Birkenhead, northwest England, providing a venue for musicians wanting to reconnect with their passion. The arrival of the console followed a recommendation - and generous donation - from Pete Townshend.
The brainchild of public-spirited Iain Ogilvie, The Live Room offers a lifeline for musicians who are dealing with issues of addiction, isolation and poverty. “Our goal is to support the mental health of participants through team involvement, and signposting to professional agencies where necessary. In doing so, we help them overcome challenges through the creative process.”
The concept of The Live Room came to Iain whilst he was working at the Keyboard Repair Centre in The Wirral. “I noticed an increasing number of older, retired musicians asking for repairs to their out-of-use gear. Some had not played in decades and in recent years had experienced some of life’s darker issues. They all missed performing,” he says. A bass player himself, he knew the feeling all too well. “The idea of The Live Room was born to give these guys and gals the opportunity to get back on stage. Music is a great healer.”
One of his customers wasn’t a retired musician. Pete Townshend needed a couple of his vintage analogue Yamaha synths repaired, and their meeting sparked a connection. Pete championed The Live Room idea, which was in its early stages at the time. In a letter of support he wrote: “This is right up my street. A studio for lonely, isolated nutters
Europe - During the busy August festival season, Europe’s largest stages called upon the timing and audio spatialisation prowess of TiMax SoundHub to manage immersive soundscapes, as well as vocal and orchestral localisation, on the vast productions which draw the summer crowds.
In the UK, Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a pinnacle of the Edinburgh festival and pulls in a 9,000-strong audience every night to watch a spectacular and dynamic performance featuring military bands from all over the world. In new creative hands this year with sound designer Scott Willsallen of Auditoria heading up the audio team, TiMax SoundHub and TiMaxTrackerD4 were still a requirement to spatially reinforce and track hundreds of military musicians through the nightly, multi-act, performances. Referring to the high calibre technology deployed for the tattoo, creative director, Michael Braithwaite, confirms: “It’s not just gratuitous use of effect, it’s using technology for the right reasons.”
A 64-channel TiMax SoundHub drives a spatialisation system of distributed loudspeakers through the auditorium in the castle grounds. Several sets of TiMax Trackerd4 Tags were revolved through multiple acts of military musicians, monitored by 18 TiMax Tracker sensors placed high in the castle walls, providing inherent robust redundancy across the vast performance area, as only two sensors are required to locate the movement of any Tag.
Over in Switzerland, the audio management, and also the lighting, for the Basel Tattoo, was once again in the firm control of sound designer a
UAE - Technology from LSC Control Systems is at the centre of the dimming and power distribution installations at two of Dubai’s latest fine-dining experiences. Specified and installed by Loud DXB for Solutions Leisure Group, the APS (Advanced Power System) and GEN VI systems from the Australian manufacturer provide both quality of performance and peace of mind for client and supplier alike.
At Dubai’s new En Fuego restaurant, a colourful and vibrant Latin American-themed dining destination at the Palm Dubai’s Atlantis resort, Loud specified both an APS configurable power system and GEN VI intelligent dimming/direct power system from LSC Control Systems. Meanwhile, for another of Solutions Leisure’s latest attractions, the Asia Asia restaurant and lounge with its ancient Spice Route theme, sited on Dubai’s stunning Business Bay, they again specified LSC’s GEN VI system.
As Loud’s lighting designer and consultant for the project, Ben M Rogers explains, these are not simple eateries, but full-on entertainment environments. “The aim is to craft an engaging narrative that delivers an outstanding and memorable guest experience,” he says, “so the décor, lighting and styling need to match up to the food and drink on offer. We work to ensure the environment is dynamically lit to adjust to the daily operational needs, often transforming from a high-end dining experience into a late-night party and show venue.”
He continues: “Our systems all have a theatrical DNA, with colour changing and high fidelity dimming to allow this precise sc
Japan - Ryōgoku Kokugikan, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the only building dedicated to Sumo, Japan’s national sport, and has been home to many historic initiatives.
The origins of sumo began some 2000 years ago but in its modern form it only took hold around 300 years ago. Once established in Japan, it passed down from generation to generation.
Such is its status, there is no-one in Japan who has not heard of the Tokyo-based Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Sumo wrestlers practice here daily, dreaming of winning the Gift Cup, and since sumo is Japan’s national sport, His Majesty The Emperor sometimes comes to watch, and has seats reserved for him.
But Ryōgoku Kokugikan also hosts various other events during periods when sumo is not being held, including wrestling, concerts and corporate events.
Sumio Akashio, sound engineer at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, said the arena therefore required a PA that could reproduce, intelligibly, everything from quiet to loud sound reproduction for wrestling in the ring. It also needed to be heard right up to the last row of seats on the second level balcony. “In such a way we can create a realistic atmosphere and overcome all the challenges.”
In planning the system upgrade Takahisa Ota from Audiobrains conducted a simulation, using Martin Audio’s proprietary DISPLAY 3 modelling software, and found that the manufacturer’s WPS line array, in the correct configuration, would be best suited to accommodate the various events hosted in Kokugikan - in terms of size, weight, clarity, and S
UK - Located in the heart of Manchester and opened in late 2022, Exhibition is a high-end late-night venue. The interior is classic ‘Manchester industrial chic’, with clever lighting, bar and comfortable seating, delivering a contemporary leisure space with a ambience. The restaurant floor features three award-winning independent kitchens.
The venue also features a centrally-located DJ booth and music plays a big part in delivering the experiential ambitions of Exhibition. Locally-based Neuron Audio Visual designed, installed and commissioned a distributed audio system using Outline Vegas.
Sixteen Outline Vegas 10 full-range loudspeakers are distributed around the main space with another four in the restrooms. A single Outline Movie S218 subwoofer provides the low-frequency energy, chosen because its shallow depth allowed placement in a specific space - the low frequency performance of the system as a whole is assisted however by the Vegas 10s impressive LF extension.
The entire system is powered by just two Powersoft amplifiers, a Quattrocanali 8804 DSP and a Ottocanali 8K4 DSP.
Alex Morgan of Neuron AV comments, “Outline’s Vegas 10 was ideal for this project as it offers great consistent coverage, high output and good LF extension and in a relatively compact and stylish enclosure. These factors, combined with its passive design (which minimised the number of amplifier channels required) and the range of mounting options made it and the Movie S218 subwoofer the perfect choice for Exhibition.”