Pharos - Leaderboard - May 2024

Sound

Details
UK - Young Scottish-born violinist, Nicola Benedetti, is one of the UK's rising stars. Currently enjoying a top 20 position in the UK pop charts - the first time a British violinist has scored a top 20 album since Vanessa Mae in 1995 and Nigel Kennedy in in 1989 - Benedetti is a sought-after performer.She recently played a sold-out concert at the Guildhall in London as part of the City of London's Curtain Raiser programme for the Commonwealth Games. Audio production was supplied by Scottish audio specialists, The Warehouse who opted for a Halo Compact line array system from EM Acoustics."I'd been really impressed with the performance of Halo-C at a recent open day at our premises in Glasgow," recounted Warehouse sound hire manager and sound engineer, Pete Harris. "By coincidence I was also in the process of sourcing a suitable system for Nicola's show at the

Details
UK - In conjunction with live sound equipment company Tour Supply, Shure Distribution UK has been supplying equipment and technical support services at a number of the UK's biggest festivals during the summer period.

Tour Supply's distinctive cabin could be found backstage at the Radio 1 Big Weekend, Parklife, Wireless, Sonisphere, Bloodstock, Download, London Calling, Lovebox, and the V Festivals. Shure UK technical experts were on hand at select festivals with Tour Supply providing technical assistance to engineers and crew members offering trials of new products such as Shure's new Beta instrument microphones and the SE846 quad driver earphones.

A range of Shure products was available for purchase from the Tour Supply cabin at all of these festivals, including wired and wireless microphone systems and supplementary RF antennas and accessories. A large selection of Radial En

Details
UK - Biodiesel specialist Midas will power the first Technopop Festival this autumn, a four-week pop-up science, technology and innovation experience in London's East End.

Caroline Johnson, Technopop's production manager, comments, "Environmental and social considerations run through the core of the Technopop concept and the Midas team identifies with that. Midas has proved itself in all sorts of environments over the years, so getting them on board to support our approach was one of the easier decisions."

Held in a Neptunus structure, Technopop, a partnership with Oxley International Holdings, will highlight the breadth of opportunity, and intrigue, in the world of science and technology to young people, with a focus on some of the capital's less affluent areas.

(Jim Evans)

Details
Europe - The first product to prove the Open Control Architecture (OCA) in the field, the D80 amplifier from d&b audiotechnik, was already at launch in January an innovative product with many features and benefits making it immediately attractive to the d&b user community. Why the addition of OCA? "You might call this parallel evolution," explained Marc Weber, the driving force in product management behind the development of the D80 at d&b. "The new amplifier was designed to include sophisticated functionality and control, the future possibility of interoperability with other manufacturers was also a consideration, this is where OCA fits in."

In essence OCA, developed by the OCA Alliance of companies that includes Bosch, Yamaha and d&b audiotechnik, is a method of 'talking' over Ethernet. Being an open public communications standard, the target is for a commo

Details
UK/Serbia - Trilogy has announced that N1, a new news channel that will cover the Balkan countries of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina has selected Trilogy's Gemini distributed matrix intercom system.

Sold by Amisys, a broadcast systems integration company covering Serbia and neighbouring countries, to Balkan DTH and cable operator United Group, which will run N1, the Gemini system will provide critical communications within the channel's main production facility in Belgrade, Serbia, plus local news centres in Zagreb, Croatia, and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Taking advantage of Gemini's integrated IP capability, the system will link production staff and presenters at each of the facilities, with backup circuits provided by the system for VoIP & PSTN telephone services.

Based on a distributed, IP-based architecture rather than a single central matrix, Gemini intercom sy

Details
Germany - The Rock im Park and Rock am Ring festivals are the most popular music festivals in Germany, attracting an audience of 150,000. The two festivals are held simultaneously in Nürburg and Nuremberg, in the West and South of Germany. The events each boast an almost identical artist line-up, with headliners this year including Metallica, Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, and Kings of Leon.

Both concerts are outdoors, but pose different challenges for sound crews. Rock im Park's Zeppelinfeld has neighbouring residential areas so sound restrictions are a big consideration. Rock am Ring takes place at the world-famous Nürburgring racetrack, a narrow and very long audio field that requires a powerful, directional PA system to deliver the best coverage for an extended audience.

Premier event production services provider satis&fy AG created two distinct sound designs and system deplo

Details
UAE - Melody House Musical Instruments LLC, a sole distributor of HK Audio in the Middle East, in cooperation with NMK Electronics Enterprises, the distributor of Rane products, has started a close relationship with DJ Academy based in Dubai. As part of a newly formed relationship, two of DJ Academy's teaching rooms have been outfitted with HK Audio and Rane equipment.

"DJ academy is doing something very unique in the region. They groom enthusiasts and transform them into professional DJs. Therefore during the training period it is crucial that students know what good audio gear feels and sounds like. I am pleased with their decision to select HK Audio as the loudspeaker brand for their course," commented Grayson Soares, operations executive from Melody House Musical Instruments.

Melody House supplied HK Audio Icon Series including two IC112LA speakers, four IC118BA

Details
Canada - The Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute in Thunder Bay, Ontario, was due for a change. A 1970s-era sound system resulted in lots of echoes and reflections but little in the way of intelligible sound.

When Randall Anderson, Regional Representative for Thunder Bay-based Evolution AV was called in to evaluate the gymnasium's audio needs, he encountered more than the usual acoustical challenge of hard, reflective surfaces that smear sound - an ongoing problem for the space's many applications, including sporting events, performances, convocation and more. The situation called for a flexible, innovative solution - exactly what is offered by a RoomMatch system from Bose Professional Systems.

Personnel from Bose and Evolution AV had the gym's measurements input into Bose's Modeler software, which produced three distinct possible solution paths. Anderson and Bose field

Details
USA - The Behind the Scenes Happy Hour, hosted by PLASA will go on sale to the public on 2 September 2014. The biggest pre-LDI party of the year will take place on Thursday, 20 November, from 6pm-8pm at the Westgate Las Vegas (formerly The Las Vegas Hotel). Tickets are $50 each and includes an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and music and all proceeds go to benefit the Behind the Scenes charity, the only industry charity that provides grants to ill or injured entertainment technician professionals. $30 of each ticket is tax deductible, and tickets are expected to sell quickly.

Starting 2 September, tickets can be purchased online. They can also be ordered through your LDI registration.

Current sponsors for the Behind the Scenes Happy Hour include: 4Wall Entertainment (Diamond), Altman Lighting (Diamond), CHAUVET Professi

Details
USA - Located at Dyckman Marina in upper Manhattan, the newly rebuilt La Marina NYC sports a restaurant, bar, lounge, and events space that covers more than 75,000sq.ft of Hudson River waterfront. With world-class facilities and a breathtaking waterfront view, it is rapidly becoming the place to see and be seen.

La Marina NYC's waterfront area is where all the high profile live activity takes place and, to ensure a high level of speech intelligibility and music reproduction for all their events, the venue's management recently took delivery of a new sound reinforcement system drawn from the WR Series catalogue of Valencia, Spain-based D.A.S. Audio.

North Bergen, NJ-based E&A Sound LLC, which in addition to its design / build services also runs an audio and video rental operation, was contracted to design and install the sound system for La Marina NYC's waterfront area. After m

Details
UK - Southampton-based live hire company BCS replaced all of its wireless in-ear monitoring on James Arthur's recent European tour with Shure's PSM1000 system. The move came following on-going problems experienced by James Arthur and BCS's monitor engineer Matt Williams during the early dates with the artist's previous IEM system.

"We kept having RF issues with our previous system," comments BCS project manager Dave 'Boxx' Cann, "and it became a real problem during the tour. All of the wireless mics Matt was using were Shure and were working without any trouble, so eventually he asked us to try a Shure in ear system instead. We got a few channels of PSM1000 in to replace the other system."

For the remaining tour dates, Arthur and his live band used 10 channels of PSM1000 in total. The IEM system comprised five dual-channel transmitters and 10 bodypack recei

Details
USA - For its first location outside of the Northwest, the Cinetopia theatre chain has built three massive GXL screens, each equipped with a Meyer Sound cinema system and Dolby Atmos. Named Overland Park 18, this eastern Kansas theatre complex boasts close to 200 Meyer Sound cinema loudspeakers.

"When we played our demo reel, we would hear a gleeful chuckle and hear comments like, 'I've never heard anything like that before','" says Rudyard Coltman, owner of Cinetopia. "We pride ourselves on the fact that we've been told this theatre is 10 to 15 years ahead of the industry in the technology and amenities it offers."

The local media also noted the life-like detail of the Meyer Sound cinema loudspeakers. "When I heard the rain falling on screen, I could make out the drops, not just a swoosh," writes Jeneé Osterheldt, lifestyle columnist for <

Details
UK - Now shipping from CIE-Group, the new Inter-M DSA100DV is a compact, low impedance stereo amplifier built around ultra-efficient Class-D amplification circuitry. Delivering 2 x 100W channels of power into four ohms, the DSA100DV's high output belies its compact desktop / half-rack 1U size.

With the combination of Class-D amplification and Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS), the DSA100DV is a highly efficient speaker driving solution, which ensures reduced power consumption and low heat dissipation over more traditional alternatives.

The DSA100DV can also be used in conjunction with the Inter-M OPT100D, a matching half-rack size, two-channel transformer unit, built to deliver 100V line output.

"The great benefit of Class-D amplifier technology is the efficiency compared to traditional analogue counterparts," explains Chris Edwards, marketing director at CIE-Group.

Details
Europe - Austrian folk singer Andreas Gabalier toured Europe this summer with a Meyer Sound Lyon linear sound reinforcement system, playing his blend of traditional Alpine folk and rock for audiences of 20,000 and more. The Lyon system was part of a complete audio, video, and lighting package supplied by Crailsheim, Germany-based Media Resource Group (MRG).

"I am very happy with Lyon, and am figuring out more and more positive properties from show to show," says Wolfgang 'Wope' Peschmann, longtime FOH engineer for Gabalier. "For a cabinet of such small size, it has endless power under the hood. I haven't reached the end of the system."

The touring system featured front arrays of 12 Lyon-M main line array loudspeakers over two Lyon-W wide-coverage line array loudspeakers each, with low end provided by dual end-fire arrays of nine-each 1100-LFC low-frequency

Details
China - Internationally acclaimed artist Ivan Rutherford turned to DPA Microphones' d:facto Vocal Microphone to help him give an emotional performance during a recent one-off show in Hong Kong. The mic was chosen for being a handheld solution that would allow him to move freely on stage while he sang a series of Broadway hits dating as far back as the 1930s. The company's d:dicate 4011A Cardioid and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones were also utilized to amplify the piano that supported the vocal performance.

The actor and singer, who has performed the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables over 2,000 times on Broadway, was looking for a microphone that could deliver exceptional sound quality and clarity through a large venue sound system. DPA's d:facto fit the bill perfectly. Rutherford used the microphone in a wireless configuration with a Sennheiser Wireless System, w

Details
UK - Following the departures of Gareth Williams and Luke Baldry, Audient has appointed Chris Wright as its new UK market manager. After a relatively short yet successful stint in the IT industry, Wright brings a host of transferrable skills with him back to professional audio - which he describes as his "primary focus and passion".

Wright has years of freelance audio consultancy and monitor engineering experience under his belt, which along with his first class degree in Sound Engineering and Production from Birmingham City University continue to fuel that passion for audio.

"Audient has a fantastic audio heritage, with the sale of well over 500 ASP8024 consoles over the last 17 years being a solid testament to that." Wright continues, "The latest products still maintain that outstanding build and sound quality, and I am delighted to be working with A

Details
Italy - As part of a deal signed with Rome's AS Roma soccer club, with which top Italian FM broadcaster Radio Italia became official partner of the club (it also has similar agreements with Inter, Milan and Italy's national soccer team), the radio station recently took delivery of 72 Outline Mantas speaker systems, to be used for pre-match entertainment at the clubs home pitch, the Eternal City's Olimpico stadium.

The set-up comprises 13 stacks, 11 of which have six Mantas vertical line array elements, an Outline DBS18-2 sub and a rack with two of the Brescia company's T5 power amps, while the other two have three Mantas and a sub.

Installed round the perimeter of the pitch prior to matches, four large stacks are deployed in front of each of the two main stands (Monte Mario and Tevere) and two cover each of the two curves (north and south), with one of the small stacks mid-way

Details
Germany - At the beginning of August 2014, the La Folia Baroque Orchestra made recordings on several days in the historic setting of the Palais in Dresden's Great Garden. Experienced recording professionals used carefully selected audio technology components to capture all of the sound nuances at the highest quality level. Microphones from Sennheiser played a decisive role as the first links in the recording chain.

"For these recordings, we are using the best equipment available on the planet," said Günter Pauler who, as mastermind of Stockfisch Records, was primarily responsible for the technical aspects of the recording, leaving the musical management to his colleagues Jakob Händel and Hans-Jörg Maucksch.

The audio experts were in the happy situation of being able to draw on excellent resources when it came to miking. "For four or five years now, I have bee

Details
South Africa - Southern African Shure distributor Wild & Marr, were recently awarded a gold-plated Unidyne microphone as a mark of appreciation for their 20 year relationship with the company as a Shure distributor.

Shure is synonymous with legendary performance microphones and the Unidyne is one that celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. It the first directional microphone that used a single dynamic mic element and its iconic classic mic appearance has seen it being used by entertainers and celebrities since its introduction in 1939.

Joe Copans, MD at Wild & Marr received the award at a recent distributor meeting with Shure. "Wild & Marr has always been driven to provide integrated solutions," he says, "and in 1994 we were looking for a microphone that would complement our products. Shure has always been a standard of reference in microphones and so I beli

Details
The Netherlands - The Roland VR-50HD multi-format AV mixer has been chosen by Erasmus University as the AV hub of a new purpose built video creation studio at their state of the art facility in Rotterdam.

Acknowledging that a growing trend for 'flip teaching' would affect the way in which their lectures would be delivered in the future, the university took the decision to supply comprehensive video tutorial, web lecture and online learning facilities 'in house'. In order to achieve this, a dedicated AV studio was built at Erasmus, forming part of the Media Support Centre which is the central knowledge point for audiovisual services and communication technology.

The 'flipped classroom' is a form of blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures away from the classroom. As a result, time in the classroom is used by the teaching staff for p

Details
UK - Monty Python Live (mostly) brought together five of the six original Pythons - John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones - for 10 sell out dates at London's O2 arena this summer. DiGiCo consoles were deployed at both FoH and monitor positions for something completely different.

With an audience of Python aficionados requiring that every word be heard, the challenge of delivering perfect audio for this full-on theatre show in just two weeks was taken on by sound designer Rory Madden and a crack crew. "They're the best I've ever had in 40 years working in the business" he says.

Rory's company Sonalyst also supplied all the sound equipment. His familiarity with the venue - he works on between 15 and 20 shows at The O2 each year - means that he is well versed in what works and what doesn't and his choice of three DiGiCo SD7s (two at

Details
The Netherlands - Mennegat Trading B.V. and Audioprof N.V. have joined forces to further strengthen the position of the Apart brand in The Netherlands. From 17 September 2014, Mennegat Trading will be the exclusive Apart distributor for The Netherlands.

"We are excited to welcome Herjan and his team as our exclusive distributor for The Netherlands. We are convinced that Mennegat Trading B.V. will join us in our vision to grow the market in a sustainable way. We share the same vision on professionalism and dedication towards our customers and the audio business," says Kris Vermuyten, sales & marketing director at Apart Audio.

"Mennegat Trading is delighted to be representing the Apart brand in the Netherlands.", says Herjan Mennegat, director of Mennegat Trading. "Mennegat Trading has built a strong local reputation in this market with contractors and d

Details
UK - Audiologic, has made a significant addition to its team. Dave Smith has joined the company in a newly created role as business development manager. With a strong background in both the consumer electronics and music industry sectors, Dave brings a wealth of experience gained from his time with Panasonic, Micron and latterly, Sennheiser.

Andy Lewis, sales and marketing manager at Audiologic, comments, "We're genuinely delighted to welcome someone of Dave's calibre to the Audiologic family. He has a proven track record of building and developing strong commercial relationships and as we move through a period of expansion, it's clear that his skills will be applied in opening and developing new channels for the business.

"It quickly became obvious during discussions with Dave that his way is very much our way. Our ethos is based on going the extra mile to ensure th

Details
Australia - As the clock ticks down to the January 1, 2015 deadline that will see most existing wireless users vacating their spectrum, the University of Sydney have carefully plotted their exit strategy with Shure and integrator Rutledge AV. A major user of RF devices in teaching and performance spaces, the university was faced with the enormous task of replacing every single wireless microphone device, which are soon to become both illegal and unusable.

"For a university our size, the government changes to frequency laws were a big deal" said Jason Wheatley, manager - Interactive Learning Services at the University of Sydney. "By the time you add all the labour, it's a million dollar proposition. It's a big investment, and one we carefully considered the options for over a long period of time."

Not only did Jason and the team have to replace all of their

  1. Ashly amplifers join NYC's Union League Club
  2. D.A.S. joins Race of Champions Biathlon
  3. d&b debuts the flexible Y-Series
  4. Audient impresses in rural Poitiers studio
  5. Work Pro products in major hotel installations
  6. The Week in Lighting & Sound
Page 1209 of 1298
Robe - Large MPU
GLP - MPU - May-June 2024

Latest Issue. . .