Belgium - Tomorrowland, the Belgium electronic dance music festival, this year revealed the Atmosphere Stage, a new futuristic tent where L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound delivered deeply vibrant beats as festival goers bathed in stunning visuals for a unprecedented musical experience.
L-Acoustics has collaborated with the festival alongside Noizboyz, designers of Tomorrowland audio systems, since 2011. This year was no different, with over 600 L-Acoustics cabinets supplied by Phlippo Productions deployed on six stages, including the massive 115m wide Story of Planaxis Main Stage, across the vast festival site.
With the Atmosphere Stage, We Are One World set out to elevate the concert experience with a festival tent stage like no other. Recognising the impact of L-ISA in creating powerful shared connections between artists and audiences, Tomorrowland worked with L-Acoustics and Noizboyz to make it a reality.
“When discussions began about creating an L-ISA area at The festival,” says Noizboyz Pieter Doms, “we were instantly excited to explore this cutting-edge technology with them, to learn new techniques and new ways of experiencing music.”
Atmosphere was housed in a huge, 32m high tent suspended from a gigantic, custom-built crane. With an all-star line-up, a ceiling glittering with thousands of lights, a 2km long video net containing 120,000 LEDs stretched around its circumference, and a mammoth 20.1 L-ISA design, Tomorrowland was about to deliver a full-on, mind-blowing, 360-degree dance experienc
USA - Justin Timberlake’s The Man of the Woods tour, which is scheduled to run through to early 2019, is arguably his most expansive yet from an audio perspective.
Taking place over two legs of North America whilst also visiting Europe, the in-the-round production boasts winding walkways thrusted out from main stage to two satellite stages. FOH engineer Andy Meyer, who has been working with Timberlake since 2005, chose an Optocore fibre network solution to handle the complex D/A conversion necessitated by this.
The sound engineer had earlier spent considerable time exploring different platforms, along with system tech Justin Lenards and fellow engineer Ozzy Giron. But having had previous experience with the Optocore environment via DiGiCo consoles, he wasted little time in venturing down this path for his signal transport. “The solution was obvious to me right from the start,” he says after arranging comparative testing at ESI Audio & Lighting in Tampa. “The shootout confirmed this, and immediately determined that for the environment we would be working with Optocore would be by far the best solution.”
The audio signal path duly mushroomed into a multi-network transport solution using Optocore ‘R’ series converters, with the design and implementation supported by Brandon Coons, from Optocore North America.
These units can be controlled by any DiGiCo SD Series console and live on the same network, just as if it were an SD Rack or other DiGiCo product.
Andy Meyer based his FOH universe around a DiGiCo SD7 and two S
World - American indie rock band The War on Drugs is currently on a world tour following the release of the band's Grammy-winning fourth studio album A Deeper Understanding. The six-piece band is known for a comprehensive on-stage presence, with lots of instruments and backline to keep the sound engineers busy.
To cope with over 80 inputs, often complex and dynamic material, and a tendency to take tracks to unexpected places, monitor engineer Laurence Eaves (Beirut, Local Natives) and Front of House engineer Bob Strakele (Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, James) both chose Solid State Logic L500 Plus consoles, supplied by touring and systems integration company LMG.
From the inception of the tour, the intention was always to go big and make sure the band's full potential was realised. "For this tour, we decided to shoot for the stars and go with what we really wanted," says Eaves. "As soon as we'd heard and messed around with a couple of SSLs, we were never going to look back. It went from smashing a nail in with a brick, to surgical precision in with a laser-sighted nail gun!
"It has enabled me to do live what I loved doing in the studio, which is to craft something that is technically great, sounds amazing, and has lots of energy."
Eaves creates 12 in-ear mixes for each show - six for the band plus another four tech mixes. He also has a range of reinforcement around the stage, though nothing like the truck load of wedges that used to compete for level. "There are some side fills and wedges dotted around, because we still want movement on
UK - The Great North Star performance in Newcastle was the culmination to the Great Exhibition of the North. Televised on the BBC, this ambitious outdoor performance celebrated pioneering woman through sporting history. The event took place outside The Sage Gateshead, with the Tyne and cityscape providing the backdrop to the night time performance.
IPS provided all the lighting and sound production, along with the production structures for a long-standing client, with Andy Marshall heading up the IPS onsite team, working with production manager Nigel Mousley and director Bradley Hemmings.
Over 400 lighting fixtures were used on the production, almost all of them from the IP-rated range of the IPS hire inventory. A 100m running track provided the performance area for the event, with scenic specialist Stage One suppling the stage structure and impressive set pieces (including working crane), with IPS working alongside to integrate show lighting within the set. Electric Foundry supplied LED practicals built into the set - including the illuminated text on the I-Beam lifted by the crane as part of the performance.
IPS delivered a full d&b audiotechnik solution, with 24 cabinets of V-Series line array, reinforced with 12 V-SUBS and 2 J-INFRA subs. Y10P cabinets and M4 wedges provided monitoring and infill, and the system was driven by a combination of D80 and D20 amplifiers.
Sound coverage was complicated by the site layout, with audience areas split over different sections at varying heights up a sloped quayside. Sound was designed by Jon Seal
USA - On The Run II. marks the first world tour together in four years for Beyoncé and Jay-Z. In that time, the music has become more complex and so has the stage show. The two stars are backed by a sizable combination of their individual bands, including an entire horn section, as well as backup vocalists and dancers, all of whom wear in-ear monitors, as well as wireless microphones for every vocalist.
All of these elements are connected via an Optocore HMA fibre loop between two DiGiCo SD7 consoles for the FOH mix (one primary console and a second for use by supporting acts on the tour) feeding a d&b audiotechnik J-Series PA system, while four more SD7 desks are assigned to the monitor mixes.
In addition, another SD7 is on the tour to mix full-band rehearsals as set lists change and new songs or new arrangements are added (the duo’s hit album, Everything Is Love, dropped in the middle of the tour), and to mix and record writing sessions as inspiration strikes during this 48-city, four-month-long tour. A DiGiCo SD12 console is also on hand to mix vocal rehearsals in dressing rooms. The five primary consoles on the tour use five DiGiCo SD-Racks, with a sixth used as a support rack.
“The DiGiCos are the only consoles that can do this show,” observes Jason Kirschnick, international operations officer and global project manager at Eighth Day Sound, the sound-reinforcement provider for On The Run II. “The wireless and in-ear counts are enormous. Stephen [Curtin, FOH engineer] uses a lot of subgroups to keep and manage a
Serbia - Belgrade is currently enjoying a cultural and clubbing renaissance, which is reflected by the annual Belgrade Foam Fest. Now in its ninth year, the event draws clubbers from throughout Europe, many of whom come radiantly adorned in full costume.
This year’s Foam Fest, which included an all-female line-up of DJs including Metzker Viktória, Una Andrea and Mimi Mercedez, was supported by a Predrag Djordjevic lightshow that was anchored by a collection of 40 Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures supplied by AVL Projekt in Serbia.
While the sea of foam provided a unique aesthetic element to the party, it was the vibrant colours and punchy wash effects of the Maverick MK2 fixtures, powered by 12 (40W) Osram RGBW LEDs that created the solid luminous base within the arena upon which the visuals could be constructed.
Placed at either side of the stage to create a lattice of saturated coloured wash effects, the Maverick fixtures were both vibrant and powerful at the same time. In addition to Djordjevic's blanket of colour projecting light onto the surface, the fixture's 7º - 49º zoom range provided ethereal looks for a sensation of depth and perspective.
Working in collaboration with the MK2 Wash fixtures were the collection of 24 Maverick MK1 Spots, which were specified to provide energetic looks to cut through the blanket of saturated colour on stage. Thanks to the fixture's 350W engine, CMY + CTO colour mixing and two 6-position rotating slot and lock gobo wheels, Djordjevic was able to up the visual ante during the DJ
USA - Miami-based AVER Productions has invested in an Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Radius sound reinforcement system to further its business. AVER Productions is a full service event production company that provides audio, video, lighting, staging, and special effects equipment throughout the country and the Caribbean Islands.
“We create experiential events for corporations, designed to advertise or market products,” explains Eddie Bernal, owner of AVER Productions. “The Radius system has been in use since it arrived. It was deployed on a five-stop Jack Daniels marketing tour and is currently in use with the Starz hit television series Power and EFFEN Vodka tour - bringing the show’s Truth Nightclub to warehouses all over the country.”
For the pop-up EFFEN Vodka events, the AVER team transforms empty warehouses into the show’s Power nightclub. Customers are invited to experience the same atmosphere they would on the set of the popular television series.
“Radius plays a big role in the tour. We needed a strong nightclub sound for the event,” adds Bernal. “The nightclub is created the same in each location, making system setup identical every time. It adds the perfect touch to the nightclub environment.”
AVER added 16 RSX208L line array enclosures and 12 RSX218 dual 18-inch subwoofers to their inventory. The RSX208L is a three-way, self-powered loudspeaker designed to streamline setup and deliver maximum results. The array features OptiLogic, providing automatic array self-detection and instant optimisation including air lo
Europe - Robert Coleman, lighting designer for Iron Maiden, specified six Robert Juliat Lancelot 4000W HTI followspots for the band’s current Legacy of the Beast World Tour, which commenced with a 38-date European leg in May.
This is not the first time Coleman has used Robert Juliat followspots, having also specified them for the band’s 2017 The Book of Souls world tour. “I’ve always found Robert Juliat incredibly reliable,” says Coleman who, first and foremost, takes advantage of Lancelot’s 2°-5° zoom range. “Despite Lancelot being a long-throw followspot, it can easily handle the great variety of throw distances involved in touring different venues.
“Sometimes we have outdoor shows where the FOH position can be quite close to the stage; other times we can be somewhere the size of the O2 Arena with the spots mounted on the backwall. The Lancelots hold up well in both situations. The zoom and the optics are good in either position. And obviously they are crazy bright.”
For the current Iron Maiden tour, Coleman has used the Lancelot followspots “in every configuration you can think of - FOH festival towers, the back wall of arenas, on catwalks . . . they have been everywhere.”
He specified six of the grand RJ beasts with the initial intention of carrying one as a spare, but this soon developed into allocating one Lancelot for each member of the band. “We found six was the ideal number, with one sitting on the drummer to act as a working spare should anything goes wrong,” says Coleman. “It’s useful t
The Netherlands - Dutch rockers Kensington brought their double platinum Control album cycle to a close with a show-stopping performance for around 50,000 fans at Amsterdam Arena.
Belgian based lighting designer Michiel Milbou of Never Fear Shadows was asked by technical and show production co-ordinators Bush Cherroud and Albert Deltour from Nexxt Technology to come onboard and create a light show; he spec’d over 200 Robe Spiiders and BMFL Spot moving lights to be at the core of an epic visual extravaganza.
Milbou worked closely with Jop Kuipers, the band’s lighting operator, set designer Ronald van den Bersselaar from BEEO and graphic designer Mo Assem from Mr Beam, and together they devised the look and aesthetic of the show.
It was the first time that Milbou - well known for his flair and imagination in the television and live music sectors - has worked with the band. He was asked to take on the LD role, and was “delighted to be working alongside such a talented and innovative production team for one of The Netherlands’ best-known bands”.
Milbou suggested assorted lighting proposals after acquainting himself with the music and set list. He wanted to keep it simple.
The band wanted a substantial upstage video screen, so he designed lighting with that in mind first and foremost. The video wall ended up being an impressive main 56-metre-wide section with two narrower strips of video running top and bottom at staggered depths.
Lighting supplier Phlippo had four custom manually operated follow spots made for the b
Australia - John Matkovic’s lighting design for a recent concert by Australian rock legend Ian Moss at the Griffith Regional Theatre relied on subtle colour washes to support the artist on stage.
This is not to suggest that his show was bereft of texture and colour. Far from it; utilising a collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures supplied by Showtools International, Matkovic employed a combination of background beams, washes, gobos and out of focus prisms along with some haze to reflect the moods of the music in a subtle, but powerful fashion.
Matkovic deployed eight Rogue R1 Spot fixtures, four evenly spaced on his most upstage bar and four on his most downstage bar. The four upstage fixtures were tilted at a 45-degree angle to emphasize their beams and gobos when backlighting the artist. The four downstage units were called upon to wash the stage backdrop. Additionally, he had Rogue R2 Wash fixtures flown in mid-stage and upstage positions for down lighting and back lighting.
“There was a large backdrop with Ian’s name and the title of his current album release,” says Matkovic. “I didn’t want to wash in open white since it was so large on stage, and it had to complement what I was doing lighting Ian. I had four of my R1 Spots to cover the backdrop with single and dual coloured prisms and blew it out of focus to the larger side.
“This allowed me to cover the backdrop without any hard edges and it gave me great colour saturation. The colour intensity was actually too bright for this type of show, so I ran the R1 Spots
USA - University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) recently outfitted its new Hospitality Hall with complete sound reinforcement systems by Harman Professional Solutions.
Located less than two miles away from the Las Vegas strip, UNLV is a premier research-level university that provides higher learning to 30,000 students across 350 undergraduate and graduate degrees. The school’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality offers a world-renowned degree in hospitality management that annually ranks among the top hospitality programmes in the nation. Its proximity to the Las Vegas strip has enabled the school to partner with leading hospitality brands to facilitate valuable internships and unique learning opportunities for students.
UNLV recently opened Hospitality Hall, a new $50m building on campus, to provide hospitality students with a world-class learning facility. Hospitality Hall contains offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, an executive learning kitchen, an interactive learning studio, an auditorium and more. In order to ensure premium audio quality during lectures, learning activities and student presentations, the UNLV technical department outfitted 17 classrooms, meeting rooms and learning labs with JBL Professional speakers and Crown amplification.
“We’ve been blown away by the amount of positive feedback we’ve received about the Harman audio systems in the new Hospitality Hall building,” says Frank D. Alaimo, AV systems specialist, University of Nevada Las Vegas. “We’ve been relying on JBL speakers and Crown amps in other buildings o
USA - On 29 July, San Diego Padres pitcher Trevor Hoffman was inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame as one of the most dominant closers of all time. The celebration continued a few weeks later at the Padres’ home field, Petco Park, when the star pitcher was honoured after a game with a pitcher’s mound spotlight courtesy of the Padres, Meeting Service. and Elation Artiste Picasso LED moving heads.
Meeting Services (MSI) handled the AV work at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Trevor Hoffman in Cooperstown, New York, and then returned to San Diego for the special event celebrating Hoffman’s return to San Diego, part of a four-day long celebration at Petco Park that also included the unveiling of a Trevor Hoffman statue.
Lighting designer Leonard Delgado and the team at MSI were contracted to spotlight the famed pitcher for a final 10-second solo spot salute from the pitcher’s mound in which every light in the park would be off. “They initially wanted me to use two user-operated followspots on him to pick him up on the pitcher’s mound,” Delgado explains, “but for many reasons I wanted to use Elation Artiste Picassos instead. The followspots would have blocked sight lines and in the back of my mind I knew the Artiste Picasso had the power to do it even though I was told that with a throw of 350 feet I was pushing the limits of the fixture. But I really wanted to see what the fixture could do.”
Delgado’s challenge was to avoid blocking sight lines while keeping cabling to a minimum. His solution was to mount the
Germany - Michael Häck, a respected freelance German system technician, discovered this summer the numerous advantages offered by Outline’s new processor, the Newton.
One of Häck’s recent projects included the Jazz Open Festival in Stuttgart, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. It is one of the largest jazz festivals in Europe, taking place in five locations throughout the city, entertaining around 45,000 people and its diverse bill this year included Gregory Porter, Jamie Callum, Jamiroquai, Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz, Meshell Ndegeocello, Pat Metheny, The Stanley Clarke Band and dozens more international artists.
Häck was responsible for two of the performance spaces, the Altes Schloss with an audience capacity of around 1,000 and the festival’s main stage, the Schlossplatz in the centre of the city which can accommodate 6,500.
He takes up the story: “I first became aware of Newton when I met Fernando (Rey Mendez, Outline’s Newton product specialist) at ISE 2018 when he introduced me to the unit and we discussed possible SMAART integration. We met again at prolight&sound in Frankfurt earlier this year and talked seriously about how Newton might be useful for us at Jazz Open - I believe that the only way to test something like this properly is to use it in real life, because only that way can you get a feel for what it really sounds like with a serious PA, how the workflow operates and how well it integrates with the rest of the system.
“The sound systems for my stages were both L-Acoustics, provided by Session Pro.
Belgium - Boomtown Fest (see LSi September 2018) is part of the 10-day Gentse Feesten (Ghent cultural festivities) in Belgium. Running since 1843, and therefore celebrating its 175th anniversary, today it attracts as many as 1.7m visitors over the duration.
Held at the 850-capacity Handelsbeurs Concert Hall, as well as Opera Ghent and on outside festival grounds, Boomtown started in the year 2,000, and today provides three stages and 41 acts over five days. The event combines indie music from some of the country’s up and coming talent with international acts like Suzanne Vega (who appeared in Opera Ghent).
Martin Audio’s rental partner, ARC-Productions from Dentergem, added MLA Compact to their vast inventory of the manufacturer’s components back in 2014, when they used it for the first time at Boomtown. Prior to that they had deployed Martin Audio’s W8LC, and going back even further, a W8C and W8CS combination.
This year they hung eight elements of MLA Compact on each stage wing, with 12 x SXH218 subwoofers in 4 x 3 stacks, run in cardioid mode. They also added two MLA Mini / MSX delay positions to cover a 900sq.m outdoor area. This met a design and specification conceived by freelance sound engineer, Jan De Rycke, who was appointed by the organisers.
However, MLA needed astute optimisation by De Rycke himself, to ensure there was no offsite pollution and that levels rem
Belgium - The organisers of the EDM festival Hype-O-Dream based this year’s event around a surrealism-inspired main stage to bring an element of the extraordinary to the EDM line-up, which included acts such as Jauz, Showtek and Henri PFR.
Having worked with the festival for the previous five years, the task of crafting the appropriate visual support fell once again to Belgian rental house Creative Rental Solutions, which specified 62 Chauvet Professional STRIKE P38, 68 COLORdash PAR H12IP, 30 Rogue RH1 Hybrid and 24 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures to craft dream-like visuals for festival goers.
With the surrealist stage scenery consisting of various islands appearing to be floating within the structure of the stage, Thomas Vandekerkhove and his team decided upon positioning the fixtures in such a way so as to outline the contours of the vast structure, which extended at various parts up to 20m high. One of the central tools to achieve this outlining effect were the 90W warm white STRIKE P38 blinder and wash fixtures.
“The P38s were ideal for highlighting the different sections of the stage structure,” commented Vandekerkhove. “Thanks to their huge output and blinding effects, we were also able to utilize these fixtures extensively within the sets to provide energy and atmosphere.”
To provide a number of cutting looks on stage, Vandekerkhove utilized the varied beam, and spot effects of the Rogue Hybrid fixtures, which were positioned among the various island structures within the stage.
“The Hybrids are perfect for festiva
USA - First a lighthouse, then a military base, then a military prison, then a federal prison, and finally a National Park Service historic site, San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island attracts over 2,000 visitors every day. Although it only served as a federal prison for 29 years (1934 to 1963), Alcatraz lives on in the cultural conscious as the most notorious and inescapable prison ever – the subject of books, TV shows, and movies.
True to its reputation, the government sent all of its worst criminals there, including Al Capone and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, and, despite numerous attempts, no one is believed to have survived an escape from Alcatraz. Recently, local AV integrator San Francisco Audio designed and installed a sound system for the nine most important locations on Alcatraz using fully-weatherized Danley GO2 8CX loudspeakers.
“There is a huge volume of visitors to Alcatraz, and the National Park Service guides give tours explaining the island’s features and history,” explained Radley Hirsch, owner of San Francisco Audio. “We needed a solid outdoor loudspeaker for the places where the docents stop, and the Danley GO2 8CXs sound well-balanced and are constructed to last. Moreover, Danley builds them in the USA, unlike most other manufacturers.”
Each station on the tour has a Lectrosonics wireless microphone system with an ear-worn microphone, a Surge-X power conditioner to tame Alcatraz’s off-the-grid solar panel system, and a small 120-watt mono JBL CSA1120Z amplifier. The JBL amp takes a balanced, line level input and outp
USA - Creative studio Obscura Digital recently worked with Vornado Realty Trust to install a permanent projection system to illuminate the façade of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart (theMART) with images reflecting Chicago’s cultural heritage.
Art on theMART will be launched with an opening ceremony on 29 September featuring original content from Obscura media team and select international artists. The reins will then be handed to theMART's curatorial team to craft two-hour projection shows five nights a week, 10 months of the year.
Art on theMART will be lit nightly by 34 projectors shining over one million lumens across the Chicago Riverwalk onto the building’s 2.5 acre façade.
Through a custom, software-driven curatorial platform, the building will be transformed into a singular curatorial canvas for fine art. theMART’s curatorial team promises to exhibit work from celebrated international artists, keeping the illuminations fresh, timely and engaging, while eschewing any and all branding, messaging or advertising.
(Jim Evans)
UK - The Last Ship made its returning debut at Northern Stage in Newcastle in March. This musical, written by Sting and Lorne Campbell, is a drama with songs bound together across two strong interwoven narratives.
Sound designer Sebastian Frost used d&b Soundscape, a signal processing technology, with two optional software modules: En-Scene a sound object positioning tool, and En-Space which allows designers to add room emulation of reverberation signatures particular to any given space, real or imagined. Frost harnessed this technology to his own vision of how the musical should be perceived and enjoyed by all audience members.
“I went to hear a demo in Hall 14 at d&b’s HQ in Backnang about a year ago,” Frost comments. “The experience was inspirational because the biggest thing you want from any system is that it doesn’t tie you down or restrict you in anyway. Currently there is a great deal of chatter in audio circles about creating immersive experiences or 3D sound environments, that’s not what’s happening here. What I heard was much more than simple panning or delay of sound; you were not just placing sound objects in specific places. This was a more scientific approach - this was the creation of a sound field within which the creative possibilities appear unrestricted.”
Recognising the specific demands of musical theatre, d&b then arranged a more applicable demonstration. “The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham is a typical multi-level theatre, whereas Hall 14 was a 360° environment you could walk around and th
USA - Shortly after it opened in 1917, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia was heralded as “the greatest 20th century accomplishment of any city in the world.” More than a slight exaggeration perhaps, but for the past 101 years, the mile-long road in the City of Brotherly Love has brimmed with creative activity, hosting historic concerts and serving as home to great works of art like Rodin’s The Thinker.
This Labour Day Weekend, the famous boulevard reverberated with a distinctly 21st century form of artistic expression when it hosted the Jay-Z curated Made In America EDM festival. For all its rich history, though, the Philadelphia landmark does have spatial restrictions that aren’t found in typical (and lager) festival sites. This presented lighting designer Patrick Dierson of The Activity with some unique challenges, but he overcame them in convincing fashion, using a 4Wall Entertainment supplied lighting rig that included Chauvet Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures.
Now in its seventh year, Made in America featured a star-studded line-up of artists including Nicki Minaj, Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, Diplo, Zedd, Janelle Monáe, Alessia Cara, Miguel, Pusha T, Fat Joe and Ty Dolla $ign. Dierson’s goal was to create looks on the event’s stages that reflected the magnitude of its artist line-up.
“Overall, our look for the festival is big, but we had to deal with space constraints to achieve this outcome,” says Dierson. “We strove to make each stage look bigger than it was in real
UK - The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School utilises an Electro Kabuki system to stage a kabuki drop.
The system uses electromagnetic technology and a load hook. At its heart is the same technology used in life-critical safety applications on oil rigs and shipping to release heavy-duty shuttering to prevent the spread of fire. The solutions is also a more reliable theatrical reveal technology compared to solutions deployed in the past, such as strings and ropes, loops and pins, or wooden spars fitted with cup hooks.
The system was supplied and is supported by Electro Kabuki distributor and theatrical chandlers, Flints.
The syllabus at the Bristol Old Vic school includes staging and rigging for events and shows, with a focus on the history of special effects, including staged reveals. Over the centuries, productions have used a huge variety of techniques and mechanisms to deploy a kabuki drop (from the ancient Japanese tradition of Kabuki theatre), with wildly varying degrees of certainty and success.
(Jim Evans)
Sweden - Stockholmsmässan - the Stockholm International Fairs and Congress Centre - recently installed 68 channels of the Shure Axient Digital Wireless System.
The dedicated in-house AV department, which oversees the small, mid-size, and large conference and exhibition applications, needed a dependable wireless system with excellent performance. Fredrik Zetterberg, head of production event technologies, says that the system had “exceeded all expectations in sonic quality”.
“Axient Digital is the best sound quality we’ve ever heard in a digital system,” explains Zetterberg. “From exhibitions to corporate events, we use Axient Digital constantly. This month we will use 132 systems for a two-day corporate event, with a total of 212 wireless systems in operation, showcasing the system’s flexibility and reliability.”
The installation was managed by specialist Swedish audio rental company Parashoot, “Choosing Axient Digital for the Stockholmsmässan project was our first choice of system,” offers Oscar Söderlund, founder of Parashoot. “Signal stability, along with audio clarity, was paramount to a successful installation. Add to this the flexible hardware options and advanced connectivity Axient Digital offers, and there really is no other system you can count on for coverage and signal quality.”
(Jim Evans)
South Korea - Kinoton Korea recently equipped Incheon SK Happy Dream Stadium with a complete networked sound reinforcement system by Harman Professional Solutions.
Built in 2001, SK Happy Dream Stadium plays host to home games by SK Wyverns, a professional baseball team based in Incheon, South Korea. As part of a continuous effort to improve the stadium, which seats 25,000 fans, the stadium recently decided to upgrade the stadium’s aging sound system.
In order to provide fans with a rich audio experience with superior coverage and intelligibility, SK Wyverns hired local audio integrator Kinoton Korea to design and install a premium sound reinforcement system. Kinoton Korea selected a complete Harman networked audio solution for its sound quality and reliable performance.
The Harman system installed by Kinoton at SK Happy Dream Stadium features a range of weather-resistant JBL Professional speakers distributed throughout the stadium, including 54 AM7215/95 WRX, 16 AW595, nine ASB7128 WRX, 37 AC26 WRX, 39 Control 26CT and 15 Control 25AV speakers.
The entire speaker system is powered by Crown DriveCore Install Series amplifiers. In the control room, microphone and playback signals are mixed using a Soundcraft Vi1 Series mixer, while two JBL LSR305 speakers provide accurate monitoring.
(Jim Evans)
Vietnam - Ba Sao Investment recently deployed a full-scale Harman Professional Solutions AV Solution at FLC Samson to provide a luxury entertainment experience for guests.
FLC Group is a leading real estate developer in Vietnam with over 16 years of experience in resort-oriented facilities, ranging from beach villas to high-rise hotels. Their flagship property, the FLC Samson - a luxury hotel and resort on the coast of the East Vietnam Sea - is known for staging show-stopping performances from globally renowned artists in their 1,200-seat Plenary Ball Room.
FLC Group recently hired Ba Sao Investment to design a full-scale AV solution at FLC Samson to elevate the sound quality of these performances both in the ball room and throughout the resort.
“FLC Samson is a five-star luxury resort, and we needed an AV solution that could provide five-star sound,” a spokesperson of FLC Group comments. “With our new AV solution, performances in the Plenary Ball Room are bigger and better than ever - and now guests can enjoy them from anywhere on the resort. Whether they’re on the golf course, enjoying a meal in one of our fine dining establishments, or relaxing in the spa, guests can enjoy a world-class performance as if they were in the front row.”
FLC Samson’s new AV solution utilises self-powered JBL SRX835P and SRX812P speakers, as well as JBL SRX818SP subwoofers for pristine sound in the Plenary Ball Room. Guests can enjoy performances anywhere on the premises with JBL AWC82 and Control 25T speakers mounted on the walls and JBL Control 24C
USA - Sooner Routhier and Robert Long of SRae Productions are behind the production design for Halsey’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom world tour, with Ashley Frangipane (Halsey) herself the show’s creative director.
54 Robe Spiider LED wash beams, a new investment by DCR Nashville, lighting vendors for the US legs of the tour, are a vital part of the lighting rig.
The tour started in autumn 2017, and SRae submitted their initial proposals in May of last year. At the start, Halsey suggested a Romeo & Juliet-esque romantic look, so original versions of the set were based on this. However, once SRae began to also design promo and award show performances, an alternative approach evolved.
When it came to specifying lighting kit for the tour, lighting director on the road Craig Rutherford - who has worked with Halsey in this role since the latter stages of the 2015-16 Badlands tour campaign to promote her ground-breaking debut studio album - suggested Spiiders as they are currently his favourite wash light!
“I'm very much a "right tool for the job" type of person,” says Craig who likes the fact that Spiiders can fill a variety of roles.
24 Spiider are positioned all over the overhead rig on three flown trusses staggered to mirror the shape and depth variations of the large steps on the set below. Four are positioned above the band with another eight behind them for effect.
The balance are on the deck, lining the sides of the steps and stairways, where they can wash across the whole set and side light the artist as w