South Africa - After many years of holding congregations in houses, school halls and tents, South African Christian church, Capital City Church International (3Ci), has realised their dream of inhabiting their own space.
The client brought in Stage Audio Works (SAW) to provide audio-visual solutions for their new base in Pretoria. Involved in the process from the early stages, SAW played a large part in the planning and execution of the project - delivering a comprehensive PA system based on state-of-the-art d&b line array speakers, as well as a turnkey house lighting system and building-wide BGM and control.
One of the primary considerations was audio clarity in the main auditorium, a large space with a maximum capacity of 2,500. Ensuring sound constancy in such a large space proved challenging, but the collaboration between SAW, 3Ci, the architect, Ferdi Le Grange, as well as acoustician Bruce Gessner resulted in ‘a stellar audio solution’.
The goal was to design a space that was intimate and functional, with no disparity between seats. To achieve audio consistency in such a large space, acoustics were a key consideration. “We recommended that 3Ci bring in Bruce Gessner from AcousticWorx to develop a bespoke turnkey acoustics design and treatment plan,” says SAW CTO, Nathan Ihlenfeldt. “This resulted in an immaculate sound environment boasting a sub 1.2 second reverb as well as excellent intelligibility.”
SAW designed a PA system which would fill the room. The size of the space warranted a line array system, so SAW opted f

USA - When Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC), based in Dallas, TX, wanted to stage a large-scale Easter Sunday service at a 32,000-capacity stadium, it presented Martin Audio partner Alford Media with some different challenges.
The stadium sits on a university’s campus and while Alford Media has provided audio reinforcement for a number of routine graduation ceremonies at the stadium, the emphasis this time was on providing premium audio - particularly with 600 socially distanced chairs set out for family groups on the field itself - according to Alford’s audio services manager, Ben MacKinney.
Alford Media holds a considerable inventory of Martin Audio systems and MacKinney set about combining two - Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) for on field coverage, and MLA Compact for the bleachers and stands. This provided the optimum outcome for a congregation numbering around 7,000 people.
Alford Media originally invested in MLA Compact back in April 2014. “We auditioned every major manufacturer to decide what would put us in a league like no other, including adjustability and changes in coverage distance and Martin Audio’s technology ticked all these boxes,” said MacKinney. They followed the evolution of this technology through Wavefront Precision (WPC and WPM) and today have over 250 front line elements (as well as CDD-LIVE series).
On duty over Easter weekend were FOH engineer, Eric Faulk, and system engineer, Ryan Sartell. Their task was to overcome the high reflections off the rear of the stadium and the consequent delay.

Germany - Coda Audio has announced the expansion of its HOPS (high output point source) range with the addition of the new HOPS12i. A high output, three-way point source, HOPS12i incorporates high performance 12” neodymium cone drivers with 4” voice coils adapted from those found in Coda Audio’s flagship line-array, AiRAY, delivering ‘power with clarity’.
Versatility is key to the HOPS12i. As well as Coda’s latest DAC (Dynamic Airflow Cooling) technology, it features exchangeable and rotatable waveguides that provide various options for adjusting directivity, but unlike loudspeakers that ‘only’ steer high frequency – the HOPS12i waveguides control all the way down to 300Hz.
90º x 60º and 60º x 40º waveguides are available, and both are rotatable, giving four directivity options. The impressive low end of the full-range HOPS12i means that in many applications, subs might not be required - something that is helpful in multi-use education settings, for example. HOPS12i thus offers system designers even more choice towards achieving optimal solutions across the very broadest range of applications, says the company. As with the entire HOPS range, HOPS12i is complemented by a variety of accessories and mounting options that allow for the greatest possible flexibility in fixed installations.
HOPS12i can be customised in wide range of colours - weatherproofing options are also available for demanding environments. The latest versions of Coda’s proprietary amplifier control software (Linus Control V2.2) and prediction software (Syst

Canada - Following Audio-Technica Canada’s recent announcement of its decision to streamline processes for its professional audio distribution operation, ATCA has revealed further consolidation with a move to new office facilities. This coincides with the appointment of permanent general manager, Kenji Yamabe.
Yamabe – who comes from Audio-Technica Europe – takes over from Susanne Seidel, a business consultant who has been acting GM since June 2019.
Commenting on her time at ATCA, Seidel states, “It has been my absolute pleasure to serve as ATCA’s interim GM; overseeing the development of a proficient organization that is ready for the next step of business growth”.
She continues, “Although the circumstances created by Covid have not been ideal for anyone, I am proud of what we have accomplished as a team and delighted to be able to leave the company in such a robust position. Audio-Technica Canada has remained resolute while staying true to its fiercely independent roots amid a sea of competitors and despite everything we’ve had a strong business year. In conjunction with the gradual lifting of Covid restrictions, I am certain that the future is bright for the company, and I know that Kenji will do a great job in the next phase.”
Yamabe has over 15 years’ experience within businesses that operate on a global scale, including eight spent working across various positions at AT. “I am excited to take on the mantle of GM at ATCA. Susanne Seidel has done a stellar job thus far, and the company is primed for an even more suc

UK - Welsh rental house, Magnum PA has recently purchased a number of Powersoft’s T Series touring amplifier platforms after a consultation with partner – and Powersoft distributor – CUK Audio. The company initially ordered four T604 and four T602, though it soon added another T604 and has since revealed plans to add another three T602 in order to complete its inventory.
“I’ve known of Powersoft for years and was well aware of their famous high power per rack unit reputation,” said Philip Hughes, managing director Magnum PA. “We had been looking for an option to streamline our main system racks for a while, but it was difficult to find an option that also met our requirements for Dante connectivity and failover. Although we didn’t quite have the need for the power of the X4, as soon as we saw the T Series we knew we had found the perfect solution.”
Hughes worked with CUK’s James Lawford to confirm his assumptions of what the T604 and T602 could do for his main PA systems, and was eventually sold when Lawford mentioned the T Series would comfortably drive a 100V line system.
“Part of our production work is in large-scale site-wide systems, and to be able to deploy the T Series across all of our projects was a fantastic prospect,” said Hughes. “I also listened to a T604 on our hardest-working rig (the Logic Systems Ethos CA), which consists of two 8+1 fixed angle array boxes augmented by twin 15-inch subs. The difference between our previous DSP + 10kQ amp racks and the T604 was night and day, especially on the low end.”<

Spain - The town of Altafulla on Catalunya’s Costa Dorada, in Tarragona province, is the spectacular seafront setting for the Pleamar Vintage Market.
As well as a host of stalls selling all manner of vintage clothing, antique furnishings and other second-hand goods, the market hosts an entertainment stage, featuring live music, DJs and a programme of events, alongside a children’s area and numerous terrace restaurants and bars.
Local event AV hire company Solucions so i il·luminació SCP provided various sound reinforcement systems for the annual two-day event in April, exclusively from Amate Audio’s contemporary Nitíd self-powered loudspeaker series.
The entertainment stage FOH system comprised eight N208 line array cabinets and two N218 subs, with eight N12 2-way systems for front-fills and stage monitors. N12 systems provided the audio in various other locations throughout the site.

Canada - Powersoft’s Ottocanali amplifier platforms have been chosen by Solotech as one of the cornerstones of the new audio system at Canadian casino and hotel resort, Caesars Windsor.
The venue – part of the Caesars Entertainment empire – had its original audio system installed in 2008, but with the supplier having sent an end-of-life notice in 2018 and Caesars Corporate changing its minimum standards, it had to act decisively.
“As well as the end-of-life notice, we soon realised that we couldn’t upgrade the Windows portion of the old system without upgrading the hardware to match,” said Brian Drouillard, manager audio visual at Caesars Windsor.
Drouillard had already been working with compatriot company Solotech on upgrading the audio systems in hotel ballrooms and meeting rooms, and so spoke with its on-site technicians first to determine if they had any recommendations for alternate systems.
“We did a cost/functionality analysis to determine what would be best for us, then contacted Solotech as soon as we were ready,” said Drouillard. “Solotech has been a wonderful working partner already, having completed a number of jobs for us in the past, both on time and on budget, with the design and functionality demanded of a world class venue.”
Drouillard was then tasked with providing senior systems designer / Q-SYS software programmer for Solotech, Peter Lima, with all of the functionality requirements, as well as all of the documentation on the old system and any changes made throughout the years.
“My first

UK - Austrian Audio and UK distributor Sound Technology have announced availability of the new Hi-X65 headphones. Building on the popularity of their Hi-X55, the Hi-X65 headphones are designed as professional monitoring headphones for mixing and mastering, the open over-ear design and the high excursion driver ensure transparent sound for sound engineers and audiophiles alike.
The development of the Hi-X (High Excursion) technology results from “decades of experience and today’s state-of-the-art technologies”, and it’s the key to the detailed sound of the Hi-X65 headphones. All Austrian Audio Hi-X headphones feature a 44 mm driver and a ring magnet system. This design allows for improved airflow and includes the strongest magnetic field in its class.
The ring magnet, combined with a copper-clad aluminium voice coil, reduces the weight of the membrane and the voice coil connected to it, allowing the membrane to move or change direction faster, providing a more responsive impulse reaction. The result is great bass imaging and superior low THD at low frequencies, a linear frequency response, and open, precise, high-resolution sound that simplifies error detection and makes mixing and mastering a pleasure.
The Hi-X65 ear pads provide a high level of comfort. The ear pads are made of soft memory foam and have been completely redesigned to provide more space for the ears without increasing the external dimensions.
The breathable construction ensures excellent ventilation, while supporting the acoustic design. The soft memory foam padding of

Lithuania - Held annually in March, the Golden Stage Cross Awards is a night celebrating World Theatre Day by recognising the most significant productions, authors and professional artists in what has become Lithuania’s most anticipated performing arts awards.
Due to the health and safety regulations, no spectators were allowed at the event this year, with the awards ceremony presented and broadcast live on Lithuanian national television, LRT. NGR Service worked with show organisers to provide the sound system, deploying a DiGiCo SD12 96-channel console with D-Rack and D2-Rack to broadcast the audio “as it should sound”.
Traditionally held in a different theatre every year, it was decided to host this year’s awards in the same venue as last year, at the spectacular Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT), the largest theatre in the country. Most of the musical performances were pre-recorded to limit physical interaction, and for the few participants that attended the ceremony, testing negative for Covid-19 no more than 48 hours before the start of the awards was mandatory.
NGR’s relationship with LNOBT goes back a long way having worked on several projects together, so when NGR was chosen for this momentous event, they knew they had to go above and beyond to bring the creative concept of director Gediminas Šeduikis and his team into a reality. “We really enjoy working with Gediminas and the entire crew at LNOBT,” says Tomas Ždanovičius, NGR’s FOH Engineer. “They make our work even more interesting thanks to the alwa

France - PRG and MADO XR has launched Virtual Production Studio-xR, a 360-° LED facility powered by Brompton Technology Tessera SX40 4K LED processing. The space “brings the power of virtual production to any type of pre-recorded or live production” and features ROE Visual LED panels, with multiple Tessera LED processors running the entire set-up.
“Situated on the outskirts of Paris at the historic TSF Studios, we designed a modular studio of approximately 800m2 to provide full control over both the lighting and the filmed scenes in a realtime recording environment. We have put a team together that is fully dedicated to the studio and is composed of PRG and MADO XR staff who will be able to advise and guide you in the realisation of your projects,” comments Thierry Kra, managing director of PRG France.
Louis De Castro, CEO and co-founder of MADO XR, utilised over 10 years of experience working with some of the biggest fashion houses, including Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and luxury brands such as Cartier and Baccarat, to merge his creative industry knowledge with PRG’s global reach and technical expertise to create a top notch XR studio.
“Our studio is 15m wide by 5m tall and 7m deep, meaning it has an LED backwall, a ceiling, a floor and front panels, which is a unique offering in France,” comments Yves Winand, PRG’s senior video project manager & technical advisor. “Together with MADO XR, we pulled together a set of technologies for real time tracked images to be rendered with extremely low latency, allowing the actors to

Thailand - Over the last five years, owner Mr. Nicha Uengkhao has built Jab Pae Chon Kae restaurant into a success by providing a fun, modern dining experience alongside live music entertainment that varies from pop and rock to EDM.
Recently, when the lease expired on the Bangkok-area location, he took the opportunity to relocate to a new location in a high-traffic area adjacent to a popular community mall. The move proved to also be the perfect moment to upgrade the restaurant’s sound system, to provide patrons a better, more dynamic entertainment experience.
A live music enthusiast, Mr. Nicha had been admiring the L-Acoustics sound at live events and festivals around Bangkok for years. In 2016, when he first opened Jab Pae Chon Kae in the original location, he had hoped to install L-Acoustics Kara, but was not yet able to make that dream a reality. But he kept in touch with Vision One, L-Acoustics certified distributor and integrator for Thailand, over the years as the restaurant grew and flourished.
In 2019 when L-Acoustics launched the flexible, affordable A Series constant curvature line source, Vision One hosted a launch event and demo. It was there that the Jab Pae Chon Kae team began to discuss the possibility of upgrading their sound. Then, in 2020 when they made the decision to move to a new location, the time felt right. “We knew that the new location, close to the popular The Circle community mall, but also not too far from our original space, would give us a unique opportunity to widen our audience,” explains Mr. Nicha. “We knew

UK - Preevue and Race Furniture have announced a strategic partnership, bringing together Race’s decades of experience in theatre seating design and Preevue’s venue scanning and sightline analysis technologies.
While the two companies will remain separate, they will collaborate closely on future projects where skills and resources can be shared, with Preevue services being integrated into Race’s offering to new and existing clients.
Lucy Stokes, managing director of Race Furniture comments: “I am thrilled to announce this key partnership between Race and Preevue. Race has over 75 years heritage within theatre and venue seating and continues to grow. We view this partnership with Preevue as a major step forward not only in Race’s evolution but the evolution of the entire industry - for the first time ever seating design, layout and manufacturing expertise will be combined with cutting edge technology in 3D venue visualisation and sightline analysis.
“This past year has highlighted a need for a much more remote based technology service, allowing the software to be utilised for multiple smart benefits including remotely, digitally & accurately viewing your entire venue and how maximizing capacity and therefore revenues is possible.”
Ryan Metcalfe, managing director of Preevue adds, “I’m really excited to announce this strategic partnership between Preevue and Race, a company with such an illustrious history in theatre seating. I see this partnership as a great way to further streamline the efficiency of projects within the

USA - Founded in 1842, Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, is the oldest university in the Western United States. With nearly 2,200 students, it offers a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in the arts and sciences, and post-graduate schools of business and law.
When the pandemic hit last year, Willamette University looked for ways to expand and improve its remote learning capabilities. The school's 120-seat Paulus Lecture Hall in the College of Law needed a sound system upgrade to facilitate better remote and limited in-person lectures and discussions. Kyle House, the audio video specialist for Willamette University, worked with Cascade Sound in Salem, Oregon, to upgrade the lecture hall's sound system with loudspeakers from Renkus-Heinz.
“Before we implemented the new system, we were using a pretty rudimentary pair of trapezoid box speakers which were put into an alcove above the screen. It was really primitive and ineffective and caused a lot of issues with reflections and feedback and very low intelligibility," saysHouse. “We needed a way to integrate the students in-person with those who are attending over Zoom. We needed a high-quality, highly-controlled audio solution so that way our microphone arrays can work properly in the space so everyone can be heard.”
House and the AV team selected a set of Iconyx Compact ICC12/3 arrays from Renkus-Heinz. A 12-channel digital amplifier and DSP system powers the unit's 12, 3-inch, full-range, high-sensitivity drivers. Iconyx Compact utilises the full suite of RHAON II and Beamware, th

UK - AV and entertainment technology company Anna Valley has acquired event technical support provider Production Plus. The purchase will provide Anna Valley with additional staff and technical capabilities to support the company’s portfolio of venue clients.
Production Plus has provided technical services to the events, hospitality, corporate and private markets since 1985. The company supplies video, audio, lighting, rigging and set design, build and staging services and equipment from a 20,000sq.ft facility in Hertfordshire and is the preferred supplier to a number of five-star hotels and venues.
Like many suppliers in the sector, it has recently experienced difficult trading conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last 12 months, the owners were forced to reduce the company’s full-time staff and re-evaluate the business, ultimately deciding to approach long-time industry associates, Anna Valley, with an offer to purchase Production Plus.
“This purchase will not only expand Anna Valley’s technical inventory and strengthen our capabilities as an audio-visual provider to event venues,” comments Anna Valley MD Peter Jones. “It also means that we’ve been able to take on 17 highly-skilled staff members who would otherwise have faced redundancy through no fault of their own. We’re thrilled to welcome the Production Plus team into the Anna Valley Group.”
This is Anna Valley’s second acquisition since the company underwent its own management buyout in 2015. In 2018, Anna Valley purchased live event specialists, Matri

Russia - Fulcrum Acoustic, creators of professional loudspeaker technologies, has appointed Pro Audio & Light Systems as its distributor for Russia.
“Pro Audio & Light Systems has an extensive network and first-rate technical expertise,” explains Fulcrum Acoustic president and co-founder Stephen Siegel. “We are happy to have their support as we continue to expand our presence internationally.”
“We have been looking for an installation-focused loudspeaker brand for some time now,” says Elena Korovina at Pro Audio & Light Systems. “The technology behind the Fulcrum Acoustic product line is impressive and allows us to provide innovative solutions to our markets.”

UK - Christie has announced a new UK partnership with Visualization. The UK-based company will be joining Christie as the UK’s technical distribution partner, offering a full system design, build and supply of services and products, to the integration and dealer channel.
Visualization is an associate company of AV Rack Build and is able to draw on a long-established relationship with Christie and its products. The new arrangement gives integrators a one-stop-shop for system pricing, orders, and an opportunity to take advantage of additional AV engineering services and technical expertise each step of the way.
“Christie products are respected across the AV world and their reputation speaks for itself,” comments Nick Pidgeon, managing director at Visualization and AV Rack Build. “We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Christie since early days with the first Dolby Cinema deployments and the move to formalise our relationship is a mutually beneficial step for both companies. From our side, we’ve put together a great account team including industry stalwart Chris Brittan, who can draw on extensive experience of Christie solutions over the years. This is a very exciting time and I’m very much looking forward to the future.”
“As business starts to open up again, it’s an exciting time for Christie to be partnering with Visualization,” adds Miles Donovan, senior channel development manager at Christie. “Its particular focus will be on our Pandoras Box, Spyder, and Terra products, the demand for which is likely to be on

USA - As part of Better Hearing Month, 64 Audio, is promoting the importance of its hearing health initiative by offering free custom earplugs and all four apex modules (mX; m15, m20, m26) with the purchase of a custom 64 Audio IEM throughout May.
“As a musician, your ears are arguably your most important asset,” says Vitaliy Belonozhko, 64 Audio founder and chief sound designer. “You spend hours rehearsing to perfect that riff, master that drum solo, or hit that high note. Your ears are your guide, your biggest fan, and your harshest critic. As such, ear protection and being mindful of your environment can help combat noise-induced hearing loss. There's no better time than the present to start protecting your hearing so you can enjoy and play music for years to come.”
64 Audio’s Air Pressure Exchange (apex) is a pneumatically interactive vent that releases air pressure in a sealed ear canal. This venting alleviates listener fatigue and opens the soundstage. All of 64 Audio’s current IEMs feature apex technology and comes in two variations, m15 and m20, depending on the model purchased. Unlike competitor venting solutions, apex preserves the bass frequencies and produces a more open soundstage, which helps the listener distinguish individual instruments.
The apex module is also engineered with features to prevent vent-clogging and wind noise. Its compact and durable construction is virtually maintenance-free, designed for the most demanding users.

Europe - DirectOut Technologies has further expanded the capabilities of its recently released Ravenna/MADI converter Exbox.Rav adding NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 support.
NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) is a suite of specifications for stream discovery and connection management developed and maintained by the AMWA filling a gap left open by the AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110 standards.
IS-04 handles device discovery and registration to support automation in setting up networked systems, while IS-05 covers the connection management between devices to allow creation and removal of flows between senders and receivers on the network.
“We are seeing a lot of AES67 and ST 2110 projects coming up with requests and requirements for NMOS,” comments Claudio Becker-Foss, CTO and CEO of DirectOut. “NMOS is a public specification, which fits well with the open approach of Ravenna. Based on modern network protocols, it eases the device integration into network management and orchestration software. Being now NMOS ready makes Exbox.Rav even more attractive as a compact and cost-effective interface for IP infrastructures.”
NMOS has also been added to the Ravenna modules offered for the Prodigy series and to DirectOut’s OEM board Rav2.

Italy - K-array has launched a new pro audio brand, Kgear, which aims ‘to bring the latest technologies and top-level performance into a sleek design, easy-approach package, with a special attention to budget-sensitive yet demanding applications’.
Kgear’s product portfolio is divided into two main areas - high performance and installed sound - and comprises column systems, line-arrays, ceiling and wall mount speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers for applications ranging from large venues and commercial buildings to room-sized, residential environments.
“Over the past two years we took the chance to re-focus ourselves and start dreaming and designing in a different, challenging perspective to draw the very essence of K-array and apply it to create a more accessible product line without sacrificing the quality and performance we have been worldwide known for,” says Alessandro Tatini (co-founder, CEO & president of R&D, K-array)
Co-founder Massimo Ferratti adds: “Kgear is an idea we’ve been carrying with us for many years now. Being able to invest and dedicate our time and effort to make it come true in such a special moment is the result of a deeper process we have undertaken a long time ago. We’re proud to make this addition to our path and give a new expression to our innovation.”
“In an unprecedented time for the professional audio industry, value has become the key aspect to look for in the market,” says Lorenzo De Poi, global sales & marketing manager. “Kgear is all about giving exactly what a listener - ei

Europe - LED manufacturer Absen is set to hold three online round table panels on immersive LED experiences. The sessions will cover immersive LED in virtual studios, retail spaces, and corporate spaces, with each round table session hosting a variety of expert brands in each sector.
Hosting all the roundtables will be Jessica Golding, Absen’s European brand manager. The first roundtable, upcoming on 19 May, will discuss the impact and rise of virtual studios on the AV industry over the last year. With a panel of the industry’s virtual studio experts, including Christian Czimny, Absen’s industry product director, the panel will discuss what virtual means in the industry, where virtual studios can be used, and what the benefits are of using LED over traditional ‘green screens’. The event will provide a multitude of perspectives, from end user to integrator, on the reality of virtual studios and the way they are perceived and used in a post-pandemic landscape.
The second roundtable on the 26 May will discuss the nature of virtual environments and why retailers should consider LED experiences in store. The panel, made up of brands such as Trison and Gensler, as well as Absen’s retail industry director, Ben Phelps, will discuss LED not only from a global retail market viewpoint, but will also analyse leading regions in LED adoption, such as China. The experts will give advice to retailers on how to create immersive spaces, and how to effectively use LED to their advantage to create experiences that customers will not forget.
The final sessio

USA - Shure Incorporated is entering its 96th year in audio technology and is planning a number of celebrations of company landmarks throughout the next 12 months.
S.N. Shure started the audio company in downtown Chicago in 1925, selling radio parts kits. Since then, the company has grown into a global player, offering a diverse portfolio of wired and wireless microphones, personal and professional listening products, and conferencing and meeting solutions. Shure products are now sold in more than 120 countries, and through the decades, they have been trusted and used around the world by such luminaries as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela, The Beatles, and every United States President since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“While our 95th year provided several challenges as it relates to the pandemic, we continued with our superior product innovation and customer support,” comments Christine Schyvinck, Shure president and CEO. “Our founder, S.N. Shure, would be proud of how our associates banded together to persevere during these difficult times - positioning our company for a 96th year of global success.”
Throughout the anniversary year, Shure will celebrate key milestones, including:
1996 - Rose Shure named chairman of the board. Sandy LaMantia hired as VP of engineering (he was later named Shure’s third President).
1991 - Shure opened Shure Europe GmbH, Heilbronn – the company’s EMEASA Headquarters.
1966 - one of the most recognisable vocal microphones, the Shure SM58, is introduced

France - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), based in Paris is an international organisation made up of 37 member countries that works to build better policies for better lives. More than 1,000 conferences are organised annually in the OECD conference centres (La Muette and Boulogne), including around 30 conferences and major events. The OECD Conference Centre offers 3,000sq.m of modern and modular conference rooms and a range of facilities.
Currently, OECD manages around 250 daily web conferences. Most high-level meetings offer interpretation in at least both official languages of the OECD and rely on collaboration, meaning interactions are dynamic amongst participants.
Audio visual services (audio, video and web conferencing) have been used for several years in OECD, but with the significant increase in remote participation requests in recent months, and the massive virtualization of OECD events, communication needs have evolved. Today, many meetings take place in a virtual (remote participants) or hybrid (presence of participants simultaneously on site and remotely) fashion.
In this context, the audiovisual department had to quickly adapt and rethink its strategy, in particular by adapting its digital infrastructure to new interpretation flows.
“We had used Dante before the pandemic, but only for a few implementations,” Guillaume Carlier, head of the Technical Audiovisual Support Unit at the OECD explained, “However we knew it was a powerful and flexible option. When the crisis happened, we saw a major c

Iceland - Harpa is a venue in the heart of Reykjavik, housing a concert hall and conference centre. According to technical director Andri Guðmundsson, the venue is “a one stop shop” with premier facilities, sound, lighting, video, and catering.
Due to COVID-19, Harpa has pivoted to virtual events using an advanced, Dante-based audio environment. To maintain precise Dante timing Guðmundsson and his team turned to the Model 5401A Dante Leader Clock from Studio Technologies.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have been shifting our infrastructure to Dante to meet the demand for the surge in virtual and streamed events,” said Guðmundsson. “The Model 5401A Leader Clock from Studio Technologies has provided us with a solid master clock to support all timing needs with our Dante operations.”
The Model 5401A Leader Clock provides precise timing signals for applications that leverage Dante Audio-over-IP media networking technology. The unit implements a high-performance IEEE 1588 precision time protocol (PTP) server, providing PTP v1 for Dante and PTP v2 for AES67 compatibility. Guðmundsson also noted the unit’s dual power supply capability and multiple “GigE” Ethernet features as beneficial to the venue, as only power and one, two, or three Ethernet network connections are required for full operation.
“We recently hosted a conference for the Icelandic Medical Society, which we streamed eight hours a day from four of our venues for five consecutive days,” said Guðmundsson. “Having reliable timing capabilities with our setup was

South Korea - Harman Professional Solutions recently collaborated with TechDataPS to equip Geumsan Daragwon with new audio systems.
Geumsan Daragwon is a culture and welfare centre featuring literary, cultural, education, sports and health centres, as well as a large concert hall and small performance theatre to host plays, musicals and concerts. In order to ensure premium sound quality at these events, Geumsan Daragwon required modern audio solutions in each room. To achieve this, venue operators hired TechDataPS to equip the performance spaces with sound reinforcement systems provided by Harman.
TechDataPS reports that a combination of good acoustics and robust system design from Harman helped them deliver quality sounding and reliable audio solutions that complement the architectural aesthetics of each space. The JBL VTX A8 loudspeakers and VTX B18 subwoofers provided “balanced coverage, exceptional vocal clarity and high-fidelity music reproduction”.
TechDataPS deployed a combination of JBL, Crown, AKG and AMX systems to support a variety of events at the venue. The team outfitted the facility with JBL VTX A8 loudspeakers, AC28/95 compact loudspeakers, JBL VTX B18 subwoofers, VTX M20 stage monitors, Control 26CT-LS ceiling speakers, CBT 50LA-1 column loudspeakers and LSR305 powered studio monitors to deliver unparalleled sound and distinct coverage across the venue.
TechDataPS powered the JBL loudspeakers with Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD, DCi 4|600N and DCi 4|300N amplifiers. The team equipped the rooms with AKG C414 XLII and C451 B conden