USA - Pensacola Christian College teaches over 4,500 students at its Pensacola, Florida campus. Its students gather in the nearly 6,000-seat Crowne Centre frequently for community-building, events, chapel, for concerts, and church services on Sunday morning, and Sunday and Wednesday evenings.
Sunday morning services are recorded and broadcast as Rejoice in the Lord on the Daystar Television Network. All Pro Integrated Systems, a locally-based AV integration firm with international reach, recently replaced a number of loudspeakers, subwoofers and amplifiers in the Crowne Centre with a smaller number of Danley products, including Danley Jericho Horns, TH118XL subwoofers and DNA-series amplifiers with onboard DSP and optional Dante connectivity.
“We put the original sound system in the Crowne Centre when the building was new almost 20 years ago,” explained Scott Vegte, director of sales operations at All Pro Integrated Systems. “It performed well for technology of the time, but it had passed its sunset age. Components were failing, and the manufacturer was no longer making replacements. We started talking about upgrading in 2018 and moved into planning in 2019. Because the Crowne Centre gets used almost daily, we knew we would have a short window to do the actual installation. Everyone involved knew there would have to be plenty of planning to make the installation smooth and successful.”
“We travelled with the team from All Pro to InfoComm 2019 in Orlando to ‘go shopping’ for possible replacement systems,” said Greg Moses, TV

USA - Located in Westfield, Indiana, the mission of Westfield High School is to provide rigorous and engaging experiences for all students with a performing arts programme dedicated to creating a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
With a busy annual event schedule which keeps their 868-seat auditorium in regular use, the antiquated house lighting design was often struggling to provide the illumination desired. Working with long-time partner Associated Controls + Design, the school decided it was time to renovate the aging house system for a brighter and more visually engaging environment using Altman Lighting Chalice LED downlights installed by Huston Electric.
“Westfield High School has been a long-time client of ours and we even sold them the first lighting control system when they originally built the auditorium,” began Mike Brubaker, Associated Controls + Design. “We’ve been involved at the building for about 20 years now, but this transformation from halogen downlights to Chalice LED luminaires is probably the change with the biggest visual impact.”
As with many high schools across the nation, the auditorium is not only the main performance venue for the arts program, it is also serves as the primary gathering space for numerous events and meetings. Needing a house system that could keep pace with the schedule at hand, the antiquated system currently in place was falling behind with a heavy power consumption.
“They’ve been working towards converting the entire lighting system to LED for a while now, so the house lighting u

Switzerland - In the age of social distancing, how can an orchestra and choir create a great musical performance when they cannot be in close proximity to each other? During the coming season, Switzerland’s Zurich Opera House will rely on Lawo IP technology to solve this problem.
The need to find a solution for future performances became clear in early 2020, after Switzerland’s lockdown went into effect on 15 March. That solution came in the form of an IP-based remote production installation from Lawo, designed specially for WAN-based remote productions.
Equipment includes a Lawo mc²36 console, Compact I/O stagebox units, and V__remote4 devices to transport and process video and audio signals, plus an upgrade of the Lawo Nova73 HD Core already installed at the Opera House which adds Ravenna networking and additional SFP Ethernet ports.
“At first we sat at home, puzzled and surprised, but pretty quickly we were thinking about how to move forward,” says Oleg Surgutschow, head of the Opera House’s sound department. “While some departments, like the workshops and costume departments, were able to continue working under the prescribed anti-corona measures, the sound department’s activities were pretty limited. So we had to quickly find a way to cope to ensure effective rehearsal operations and, later on, and deliver opera, operetta and ballet performances of the usual high level for the 2020-2021 season.”
Since the orchestra pit proved to be too small for the required minimum distances between the musicians and choir members would

Denmark - HEX! Museum of Witch Hunt has recently opened in Ribe, Denmark, complete with a Smart IP loudspeaker solution from Genelec designed and installed by the Moesgaard Museum Exhibition Design Studio.
As Denmark’s oldest town and home to Maren Spliid, the country’s most famous witch, the setting is ideal for a museum that aims to tell the stories of these witches – who they were, why they were so feared, and the myths and superstitions that surrounded them. In order to create the best possible visitor experience, HEX! turned to the museum technology experts at the famed Moesgaard Museum led by Johan Ahrenfeldt.
“We wanted to create a complex soundscape for the various stories being told in each of the nine exhibition rooms,” explains Ahrenfeldt. “However, the building itself posed a few challenges as it’s an old listed building in the center of Ribe. While this definitely adds to the atmosphere, it’s not ideal for audio-visual installations. Many of the rooms are quite small with low ceilings, so it was important that the technology remained as unobtrusive as possible, whilst nevertheless delivering a high quality experience. Genelec’s Smart IP loudspeakers were therefore an obvious choice.
“Smart IP technology provides power, audio and control all over a single network cable, and is a godsend to those of us who work in architecturally sensitive environments – HEX! is a case in point,” he continues. “Furthermore, we know that Genelec is a guarantee of superlative audio quality, even at low levels, which was a requireme

UK - London venue The Clapham Grand has announced its first post lockdown shows for 2020 with a special re-opening party with Frank Turner this Friday & Russell Howard, Jimmy Carr, The Vivienne, Louise Redknapp, Baga Chipz, Jimmy Carr, Courtney Act, Crystal Methyd & more coming up.
The Clapham Grand is one of 135 grassroots music venues to receive emergency funding as part of the Government’s £1.5bn Culture Recovery Fund.
To coincide with a number of confirmed shows, the Clapham Grand has this week unveiled the reopening of its top balcony, which has been closed for 15 years – not in use since Oasis last played at the venue. The newly refurbished area will increase the post-lockdown capacity of the venue by 100, taking it to 400 (these numbers are reduced from 1250 due to physical distancing), bringing the venue back to its original Victorian glory.
Frank Turner has been pivotal to the venue’s journey to survive after the enforced Covid closure. “I’m really happy to be continuing the journey out of lockdown in step with my friends at the Grand,” he said. “After a fundraising stream and a historic pilot show, it’s great to be back to mark the re-opening up of the upper circle, and a show that is another milestone in the return of live music to the city and the venues that I love.”
Clapham Grand manager Ally Wolf said of the upcoming shows: “We are incredibly proud to announce our first run of shows after lockdown, and in the process to reopen our upper circle, which has been closed to customers for 15 years.

India - Pune nightclub Sky High hired integrators Smart Homes to design and install Harman Professional audio and lighting solutions.
Known as the best rooftop venue in Kharadi, Sky High - The Club spans more than 5,000sq.ft and offers guests a one-of-a-kind nightlife experience. The facility features an indoor clubbing space with a DJ booth and dance floor as well as an outdoor terrace with a patio and bar.
"For the club’s sound, we were looking for control,” said Shaukat Ali of Sky High - The Club. “Since the venue is located in an IT hub and surrounded by a residential neighbourhood, we need to control the levels that we are sending to our audience and outside our facility. It’s very important that we do not annoy our nearby residents.”
In the bar’s indoor club environment, Smart Homes installed JBL AM7212/26 12” high power two-way loudspeakers as the main PA, while AM7212/95 speakers supply delay fills. Adding bass, the system features two ASB6128 dual 18” high powered subwoofers, which are positioned under the DJ booth and directed towards the dance floor for optimum performance.
For the DJ monitor, Smart Homes deployed a PRX812 full-range loudspeaker. The system is powered by Crown XTi 6002 and DCi 4|1250N amplifiers, while BSS BLU-100 signal processors with BLU Link ensure guests are treated to peak audio quality.
Creating an engaging, fun atmosphere in the outdoor terrace area, Sky High – The Club features 10 JBL AWC62 all-weather, compact two-way loudspeakers. Smart Homes selected Crown DCi 8|600N eight-channe

Austria - As Vienna’s Rabenhof Theatre prepares to reopen its doors, audiences will soon be enjoying an audio upgrade, including a new 64 channel Allen & Heath Avantis mixer.
Built as a workers’ assembly hall in the 1920s, the Rabenhof was converted into a theatre in 1990 and underwent a complete refurbishment in 2008, during which much of its art-deco character was restored. The theatre has earned a reputation for serving up an eclectic mix of experiences, ranging from contemporary theatre and musicals to puppetry and baroque opera.
Almost every day brings another new performance to the Rabenhof Theatre, so head of sound, Josch Russo is accustomed to working with tight setup times and a high throughput of guest engineers. When the venue decided it was time to retire its aging digital mixer, speed and ease of use were high on the wishlist.
Following demos and consultation with Allen & Heath’s Austrian distributor, ATEC, Josch took delivery of the latest Avantis console this summer. “Avantis is the perfect fit for our theatre in terms of size and channels,” Josch comments. “It is easy to use and self-explanatory.”
The Avantis has the full dPack upgrade, including Dyn8 dynamic EQs and Allen & Heath’s DEEP processing emulations. ATEC Pro’s managing director, Manfred Prochazka adds, “Avantis’ scene management tools give the Rabenhof Theatre team the flexibility they need and the twin touchscreens and slick UI make it an enjoyable console to work with. The sound quality is amazing, and it offers so many possibilit

UK - Backstage Academy has affirmed its commitment to safeguarding students entering the live events industry, after it was selected by the QAA to take part in a series of best-practice Covid case studies. The institution was recognised by the assurance agency for the measures put in place following the outbreak of the pandemic.
Located at the world-renowned Production Park in South Kirby, Yorkshire, the higher education institution was included in a case study report, acknowledged by the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) for its ability to adapt to the pandemic.
The Academy, which offers degrees, short courses and bespoke training for the live events industry, believes the special measures put in place for the next cohort of students in September will ensure “the long term survival of the industry, worth a vital £30bn to the UK’s economy”.
The QAA’s report focused on providers who overcame difficulties due to size, resource and specialisms, and recognised Backstage's fast response to the pandemic’s onset in March, its scenario planning for current students and detailed contingency plans for new students in October.
In addition to the QAA recognition, the results of which can be found here, Backstage Academy has also recently been accepted as a member into the Independent HE group, which recognises training and r

USA - Three key live music venues in New York City managed by The Bowery Presents - Brooklyn Steel, Webster Hall and most recently, the 2,800-capacity Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan - all feature Robe moving lights in their house rigs.
The lights have been specified by Luciano Savedra, head of lighting for The Bowery Presents which is the East Coast regional partner of AEG Live and owns and operates a diverse mix of venues across NYC and in other major metropolitan centres.
At Terminal 5, where Savedra also oversees and runs the lighting day-to-day, the 12 x MegaPointes and 12 x Spiider LED wash beams have greatly added to the flexibility of the existing lighting rig. The lights were supplied via BML-Blackbird.
Brooklyn Steel - on the site of a former steelworks and named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by Rolling Stone Magazine - has 16 x Spiiders. Webster Hall has 10 x MegaPointes and is among New York City's most historically significant theater halls, having hosted social and performance events since the club's construction in 1886.
Savedra has worked for Bowery Presents in different capacities since 2003, and in 2007 was hired to design new and contemporary lighting for Terminal 5, which had just joined the Bowery franchise, and also for another venue, Music Hall of Williamsburg, after which he stayed on as the house LD.
All the house rigs are designed to provide top-level touring artists with the facilities to produce a comprehensive show, although that’s not exclusively the case, and production

USA - On 19 September 1999, International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle and 20 full-time 'intercessory missionaries' began a prayer meeting that has continued around the clock to this day. To help meet the challenges of delivering non-stop music and prayer to worshippers and streaming to the internet, the evangelical Christian church has installed two Solid State Logic Live series digital mixing consoles in its Global Prayer Room.
A few miles away, in Grandview, Missouri, another pair of SSL Live desks handle house and stage sound, as well as webstreaming, at IHOPKC’s Forerunner Church.
A pair of SSL Live L200 consoles - one at front-of-house and another at the monitor position - were installed at the Forerunner Church first, says Nicholas Kramer, IHOPKC director of sound. “We were definitely due for an audio upgrade, so we did a big fundraiser and got a nice sized budget and started demoing different consoles. We had a team of advisors talking about what options were out there and what we needed. Sound quality was a very high priority. We demoed a few different consoles and the SSL just smoked them.”
Kramer elaborates, “We had about two weeks with each console, so I was able to get intimate with them. Obviously, there are pros and cons with all of them, but in terms of sonic quality, the SSL was just leap and bounds ahead. As far as the sonic ‘picture,’ the SSL Live was just a little bit wider, a little bit taller and a little bit deeper, and more transparent. Plus, you could just do a lot more with the co

Australia - Recognised as one of the world’s most flexible and technologically advanced meeting facilities, the Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) in South Australia recently completed an AU$397m redevelopment which included a major overhaul of the venue’s audio systems.
The loudspeakers and associated processing were augmented or completely replaced with new Meyer Sound systems in seven halls, including the addition of Lyon line arrays for the ACC’s largest configurable space. When combined with existing inventories, this latest round of investments brings the total Meyer Sound loudspeaker count up to 270, making ACC the largest single-site user of Meyer Sound systems in Australia.
In addition to the 20 Lyon line array loudspeakers and accompanying eight 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements, the latest additions also include 65 Ultra-X40 compact loudspeakers and 10 900-LFC elements. For networkable drive and optimisation, the project included the integration of five each of Galaxy 816 and Galaxy 408 Network Platforms and, for comprehensive monitoring via the network, two RMServer.
“We’re committed to delivering a premium experience across all client touchpoints,” comments Simon Burgess, general manager, Adelaide Convention Centre. “Our ongoing investment in the latest technology - specifically our sound systems - has enabled us to continue to elevate the quality of our production as well as create greater efficiencies for our team.”
Matthew Stanton, the venue’s technology services manager, adds, “We’ve been using Meyer

UK - Lighting control manufacturer Zero 88 stages a product awareness livestream airing on Monday, 24 August, which will be broadcast from The Congress Theatre, Cwmbran - the nearest local theatre venue to the manufacturing facility.
Usually busy with a lively programme of music and performance shows in the centre of Cwmbran, The Congress has been repurposed to function as a virtual studio during the pandemic and for the immediate future.
The Zero 88 team will be highlighting some of the brand’s newest technologies and product releases during the stream and will be joined by local singer-songwriter Tobias Robertson offering live entertainment.
This presentation will last 30 minutes and embrace all three primary Zero 88 product categories - control, data, and power.
The stream will specifically address the new ZerOS Server, the Splitter 8 and Gateway 4 / Gateway 8 DMX / RDM data distribution devices, Betapack 4 combined power distribution and dimmer units and Zero 88’s RigSwitch remote controlled power switching solutions, plus previewing the next exciting ZerOS 7.9.8 software update.
Exact shipping dates and availability for all these will be announced on air.
Interested parties can catch the stream at www.zero88.com/event or on Zero’s social channels - Facebook, Twitter and YouTube - and anyone not able to tune in on the day . . . can watch the broadcast later on-demand. The event is live at 10am (GMT+1), Monday, 24 August.
A Q&A session will follow the product presentation for which anyone can submit questio

Croatia - The city of Zadar lies on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, and is renowned for the Roman and Venetian ruins that characterise its Old Town peninsula. For all its historic architecture, the city could never be accused of living in the past, hosting a vibrant progressive culture centred around its bustling shops, cafés and nightspots.
Located within a refurbished, revitalised old cinema building in the heart of the city sits Guma, a flexible 300-capacity venue that combines traditional hospitality with a lively atmosphere, and describes itself as the ‘living room’ of Zadar’s cultural community. Guma’s attractive interior design is complemented by a selection of urban music which appeals to a discerning crowd who can relax with friends in its comfortable surroundings by day, and hit its dance-floor in the evening.
The Guma team recently took the decision to upgrade the sound system, believing there was room for improvement on their existing provision. Any new system had to be flexible enough to meet the demands of a wide range of applications including cultural and literary presentations, but have the power and clarity to deliver sets by not only local, but the regional and national DJs who regularly visit. A further requirement was that the audio needed to be accurately contained within the space to avoid disturbance to the venue’s nearby neighbours.
Marketing Manager at Guma, Frane Skoblar comments, “We needed an outstanding audio experience for our customers. Everything we provide has to be exceptional and we felt that we had fal

Belgium - The Studio 100 Pop-Up Theatre in Puurs is the world’s largest temporary show venue, and regularly plays host to large scale musical spectaculars.
A flexible space with mobile seating for around 2,000, the 7,000sq.m auditorium has seen blockbuster productions of the wartime-focused 40-45, and most recently an updated version of Daens, The Musica. It was this story about a Belgian priest who was a pioneer for social justice, that had just premiered when the global coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings overnight. Production specialists Studio Haifax, a customer of Coda Audio distributor Viladco, was deploying a Coda system for alternating productions of Daens and 40-45 when COVID-19 intervened.
During lockdown, with no prospect of the major shows returning, Studio 100 worked with artist management and booking company House of Entertainment to devise a programme of concerts that could effectively utilise the space whilst observing strict social distancing measures. Labelling the events The Living Room Concerts, House of Entertainment brought in a wide range of popular artists who performed 30 concerts in total during July. Although only two hundred customers were permitted per show, it was essential that the audio system was still large enough to cover the whole space to cater for the socially distanced audience tables.
Studio Haifax used a system comprising 22 x ViRAY, four APS, four G308 and 24 x SCV-F in a cardioid-arc. Thirty concerts took place during the season including appearances by Natalie & Jef Ne

Czech Republic - Conceived as a multi-purpose cultural centre combining exhibition rooms with concert halls, the Rudolfinum is one of the most architecturally remarkable buildings in Prague. It is also the home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which first performed in the Rudolfinum’s world-famous concert hall in 1896 under the baton of famous Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák.
The 1,100-capacity Dvořák Hall, also one of the oldest concert halls in Europe, is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and is a sought-after venue for recording classical works. KV2 Audio recently designed and built a completely custom audio solution to address specific acoustic issues whilst meeting the strict architectural and aesthetic requirements of the listed building.
The acoustics that lend the Dvorak Hall its distinctive sound is also the reason for which the venue has battled for years with the reproduction of amplified speech.
"We have been struggling for a long time with insufficient intelligibility of the spoken word in the Dvořák Hall,” admits Radomír Stöhr, technical administrator of Rudolfinum. “It was never ideal due to the particular nature of the acoustics which have a very long reverberation, especially in the mid frequencies."
Jiří Krampera, sound system designer and the founder of KV2 Audio, was called in to see if he could resolve the problems. David Mareček, CEO of the Czech Philharmonic, welcomed the cooperation with KV2 Audio: “We have excellent experience with KV2 sound systems, in particular with the annual Open Air co

USA - During the construction of The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Centre at Auburn University, Alabama, Taylor Dyleski, director of production, was searching for a coms partner to deploy and install an intercom solution for the large indoor/outdoor space.
The Gogue found a dependable partner and the appropriate communications system with Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom wireless intercom system, as the manufacturer joined the project mid-construction and was able to provide a system that fit the theatre’s exact needs.
“With Pliant being a local manufacturer, they came down to the construction site and we walked around the bare-bones, concrete building, taking measurements and readings, to figure out how much product we would need to build a dependable, full-coverage coms system,” says Dyleski. “Not only does Pliant offer a solution that fits our current needs, they also set us up for future success with the ability to expand the system.”
Pliant’s CrewCom wireless intercom system for The Gogue consists of a CrewCom Control Unit (CCU) located in an AV room just outside of the theatre connected to two Radio Transceivers (RTs): one is located in a dressing room, which provides coverage for the entire backstage area, and the other is located in the catwalk above the seating area, which covers the front of house area as well as the theatre. The system also includes five four-volume Radio Packs (RPs).
“Finding a solid intercom solution to deploy in a theatre setting with its thick concrete walls can be very challenging,” explains

USA - Recently wrapping up a multi-faceted renovation - its most significant project since 2013 - Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles now boasts an L-Acoustics K2 line source array sound system installed this summer, covering the stadium seating, and L-Acoustics A15i and X8 speakers covering the new Centerfield Plaza and existing Outfield Pavilion areas.
Constructed in 1962, Dodger Stadium harkens back to an era when ballparks were designed and built solely to host baseball games. As many of these original venues have been replaced with new-build stadiums that are intended from the drawing board to be multi-use spaces for concerts, special events and other mass gatherings, Dodger Stadium remains one of the few ballparks to retain its original architecture and feel.
With the addition of an L-Acoustics K2 system, Dodger Stadium keeps its original look, while updating its feel with a modern, powerful sound system capable of handling any event. The installation marks the first MLB project for L-Acoustics and one of the most important installations of the manufacturer’s systems in the global sports market.
“Our goal was to have a state-of-the-art sound system at the stadium,” says Derek O’Hara, director, planning & development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “Dodger Stadium is designed the way ballparks were at the time it was built, with point-source sound systems that need to throw long distances. We wanted to modernise the stadium’s sound, allowing it to host many different types of events besides baseball, while keeping the park’s architec

UK - Stage Electrics has announced it has been successful in tendering for the supply of new LED lighting, RCF Art Series monitors and Altair wireless communication systems for the Trinity Art Centre, Gainsborough. The lighting package includes Martin ELP-CL profiles and ETC ColorSource Pars, supported with a combination of Chauvet Professional Rogue R3 Spots and R2X Washes.
A Chamsys MQ70 was specified as it offers the flexibility they need for this space, set within a Grade II listed gothic church. An Altair HD wireless communications system was selected following a successful pre-lockdown demonstration at the venue to ensure the Extreme Wireless beltpacks would provide the coverage and reliability they required.
Stage Electrics also manufactured all the cables to complete the system in their in-house cable workshop.

USA - From its beginnings in the mid-1970s, with barely more than a dozen members, to the opening of its 3,500-seat auditorium in the new century, Denton Bible Church (DBC) has kept itself at the leading edge of technology. And the church, named for its Dallas, Texas-area suburban location, has continued to do so with the May addition of a new DiGiCo Quantum338 console, which is used for both front-of-house and monitor mixing.
At the same time, a new DiGiCo SD12 console was also installed as the church’s new broadcast audio console. Both desks, plus the two DiGiCo SD-Racks installed along with them that sit on an Optocore network, were integrated and commissioned by Digital Resources, Inc., an AV systems integrator based in nearby Southlake.
This is DBC’s second generation in the digital mixing arena, and they had become accustomed to the streamlined operational aspects and high I/O counts that digital consoles can offer. “So their next digital consoles had to be able to continue to provide a lot of I/O and a high degree of functionality,” explains Digital Resources audio sales manager Lance Eddleman.
“Their SD12, for instance, is the latest 96-input-channel model, which gives them plenty of I/O for their broadcasts. And the Quantum338 gives them the high number of faders they wanted, to support their blended traditional and contemporary worship styles, as well as some really advanced features, such as the Spice Rack and Nodal Processing.”
After Eddleman and the DRI team witnessed the official worldwide launch of the Quantum338 at

UK - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has progressed into the ‘Red Alert’ phase, with planned activities set to take place across London and other major cities in the UK on the evening of 11 August.
The initiative will raise the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector, which has been badly-hit by the pandemic, resulting in countless event cancellations.
The campaign reports that the disruption of the summer season alone has affected over 600,000+ jobs in outdoor events. Meanwhile, a campaign survey revealed that redundancies in the sector are already happening, with 15% of businesses stating that they plan to make redundancies during August and 70% reporting that they could be forced to do so by the end of 2020.
The campaign warns that the termination of the government’s furlough scheme and the self-employment income support scheme in October would leave up to one million industry professionals with no financial security. “The complete lack of work in the sector combined with the withdrawal of government support will force industry professionals, including the 72% of freelancers, to seek work in other sectors,” says a statement.
Live events may not be able to return until March 2021 due to social distancing rules and the long-term planning now has the collaborative support of 17 trade bodies and several more production companies and manufacturers required for many arena tours, festivals, and stadium events.

UK - Event suppliers T.H. Collective, Fineline Lighting and Mechanical Mouse have teamed up to launch a new broadcast studio, TH e.Space.
Offering a full range of remote broadcast services, the studio is located at T.H. Collective’s Bristol headquarters and enables customers to produce remote video content while observing social distancing guidelines.
In addition to recording and editing the broadcast, the team at TH e.Space can offer clients a wide range of services including Q&As, live polling, speaker coaching, live captioning, graphics and more.
Nick Hobbs, director at T.H. Collective, comments: “We’ve launched TH e.Space as a direct response to the changing needs of audiences due to the coronavirus pandemic. During lockdown we’ve all become very accustomed to consuming remote content and this new studio offers a higher production value for businesses looking to take their video broadcast to the next level, all while observing social distancing.”
Fineline Lighting director Rob Sangwell adds: “TH e.Space offers organisations looking to produce a virtual or hybrid event the opportunity to create high quality, professional video content.
“As a number of restrictions remain in place for live events and large-scale business meetings, having a virtual component will give organisers the potential to reach a large, international audience from the comfort of the studio.”

UK - Audio post production facility Pip Studios is now fully open, offering Dolby Atmos capability from its six purpose-built Atmos stages on its site in Winnersh, Berkshire. Co-founded by Ally Curran, Mark Sheffield and Nigel Bennett, Pip aims “to bring its expertise to bear on offering state of the art audio localisation services for feature films, television, gaming, and streaming industries”.
The six Atmos stages are all Dolby certified, equipped with 24-fader Avid S6 mixing consoles, and aligned for theatrical and home entertainment mixing. The stages have been built and equipped by leading suppliers, including Level Acoustic Design, Westwood Joinery, HHB Scrub, Bell Theatre Services, AKA, Wire Broadcast, Jigsaw 24, and Dolby.
“The COVID-19 pandemic delayed our official opening by a month, so we used that time to further refine the facility,” comments Pip Studios chairman Nigel Bennett “Happily, we were able to keep building it out with only minor delays on certain materials. The UK production sector has lacked Atmos capacity for a while and opening these six stages now is perfect timing as production starts to ramp up again.”
Pip Studios will offer a wide range of audio services, including localisation services and ADR recording.
“We have designed a facility that meet the needs of our clients, whilst ensuring the space is adaptable for a variety of audio work and new business,” says Curran. “As a completely new and independent facility we are also able to offer highly competitive rates, as well as being agile and respon

UK - Arts organisations can now apply for a portion of the government’s £1.57bn relief fund.
Up to £622m in grants will be made available during this first phase of the programme, including a £2.25m pot for grassroot music venues announced earlier this month.
Arts Council England will allocate £500m, with handouts of between £50,000 and £3m available for cultural organisations based in England, such as theatres, music and comedy venues and museums.
The rest of the money will be distributed by the British Film Institute (£30m) for independent cinemas, and the National Lottery Heritage (£92m) to protect heritage sites.
To be eligible for a grant through ACE, organisations must be registered at Companies House and/or Charity Commission, and be able to present at least one year’s full independently certified or audited financial statements.
Applications can be lodged on the body’s website across two rounds in August, although ACE expects that 75% of the budget will be allocated during round one.
Deadlines for applying are 10 August to 21 August for round one, and 21 August to 4 September for round two.
Successful applicants are required to use the

UK - Unusual Rigging has conducted a series of inspection and maintenance checks at the Royal Albert Hall in preparation for an eventual post-COVID re-opening. With the venue shut for the first time since the Blitz, it was unable to carry out its usual April inspections and maintenance and as such the statutory examination periods for some hoists had expired.
Alexander Tripp, deputy head of technical at Royal Albert Hall explained: “While being closed has meant that there is less wear and tear on some of the equipment than there would usually be, this is not the case for the majority of it, There were also a number of examinations that needed to be carried out – thorough examination of rigging equipment being one of them. We wanted to get this rectified as soon as possible, but there were many challenges that needed addressing before work inside the Hall could be safely resumed.”
With the BBC Proms confirming a series of concerts in the Hall, as well as fresh working guidance and risk assessments being put in place, the timing was right to complete the outstanding maintenance. Unusual is no stranger to the Royal Albert Hall, with one of its earliest projects there taking place around 20 years ago, designing and building a large movable work platform that was put into action when the Hall replaced the plasterwork and coving of the auditorium.
Since then, Unusual has supplied numerous pieces of kit, from chain hoists and rigging equipment to bespoke equipment. Most recently the Unusual team designed and manufactured brackets for the roof of the