Sweden - Melodic death-metallers, Soilwork have kick-started 2019 with a bang - in the form of a co-headline tour with Finnish metal giants, Amorphis. Performing 31 shows in 35 days across mainland Europe, Soilwork were supported by an Allen & Heath SQ-5 digital mixer running FOH and monitors.
The band’s full set-up includes an SQ-5 at FOH, with two DX168 I/O Expanders positioned on stage. Monitors are controlled from FOH, with an iPad placed on stage for the backline tech to make minor adjustments.
Tommy B (FOH & monitor engineer for Soilwork) purchased the SQ system, commenting, “Having mixed on most compact consoles, the Allen & Heath SQ series is by far the best. In the past, other manufacturers had set the standard for price friendly consoles, but the SQ just blows everything out of the water. With the SQ-5 I get great preamps, sharp EQ, super FX and with the DEEP compressors, it really adds that extra special something to the system. Plus, using the custom user layers makes a 30ch band seem like a walk in the park to control.”
The highlights of SQ for Tommy are the per channel DEEP processing capabilities, which he makes full use of. “I absolutely love the compressors! I use the Peak Limiter 76 for vocals, its attack and release really suits the lead singers vocal style, it also helps to keep his vocals in the centre of the mix the whole time, as his mic positioning can sometimes be off”, he comments. “I use the Opto on my drum group - heavily compressed - as it gives an extra kick to the drums in the main mix. With SQ

UK - Bacchus Bar & Club in Bishop’s Stortford’s recently brought in XS Audio Visual to design and install an extensive sound system, powered by just two amplifiers from Linea Research.
The entire project had to be completed to a tight deadline. “We had only four days to completely rip out the existing sound and lighting systems and commission a whole new nightclub sound, lighting, and video install, including relocating the DJ booth and existing TV video feeds,” recalls XSAV managing director Lee Michael.
Michael describes the Bacchus Bar as “a perfectly sized, rectangular-shaped venue that can accommodate 500 people comfortably.” On weekends, the well-established hot spot is often busy enough to reach full capacity, with DJs energizing the crowd. During the week, the club’s entertainment systems are used for karaoke and sports events.
XSAV installed a dozen Void Acoustics Venu 12 loudspeakers, suspended from cradles near the ceiling. The low end, so crucial for DJs, was a little trickier. XSAV wanted to install a pair of Void Stasys 218 subwoofers, each loaded with two 18-inch drivers. “The club was concerned that the two subwoofers be out of sight,” Michael explains, “so we had a wall built around one of them and removed parts of the small bar to accommodate the other one.”
The dozen loudspeakers handle 400W AES power each, and the two subwoofers draw up to 2,400 watts AES power. But space taken by a large amplifier rack is space not usable by patrons. XSAV had a ready solution: Linea Research’s 44C20 power ampl

UK - Ministry of Sound The Annual Classical is an orchestral tour that recently received its world premiere at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
The event sets out to celebrate the famous club’s legendary dance music compilation The Annual dance compilation. Martin Audio has itself enjoyed a decade-long relationship with the south London club and tasked with faithfully reproducing the newly imagined sound on the road was RG Jones Sound Engineering, and their Martin Audio MLA compact PA.
Although the concept was new, reproducing major classical music events for promoters like Raymond Gubbay is familiar territory for RG Jones Sound Engineering, who have been specialising in this genre for many years.
The system designer for the RFH show was system tech Mark Edwards, while the production itself was a joint project between Coalition Agency (MoS Tours and Events producer), and Raymond Gubbay.
The show on London’s South Bank was a sell-out, and for FOH engineer Phil Wright this meant mixing a 50-piece orchestra, along with drums, electric bass, electric guitar, three synths, three backing vocals and the DJ, through 12 MLA Compact elements per side (as main PA) and eight MLA Mini per side as side-fills for the boxes. In addition, six Martin Audio MLA Mini were used as lip-fills, and six MLX subwoofers were arranged in two blocks of three, in cardioid formation.
This provided even distribution and identical audio to each of the 2,500 or so seats in the house, while delivering a superior experience for the musicians onstage.

Poland/UK - LED display manufacturer Unilumin has announced a new stock centre relationship with Poland’s Visualsupport to service the Eastern Europe AV market. Kraków-based Visualsupport will now hold increased Unilumin stock, supplying equipment and support for corporate events, festivals, exhibitions and concerts.
The Eastern Europe stock centre operator Visualsupport boasts an experienced team of producers and multimedia technicians and supplies a range of leading technology solutions. With the agreement, Visualsupport now stocks over 500m² of the Unilumin UpdadIII 2.6 LED panel, which benefits from a modular design and quick assembly.
"The Unilumin Upad III P2.6 is well designed and very reliable product that Visualsupport has been using for over three years for a range of projects,” comments Michał Płocienniak, CEO of Visualsupport. “We are delighted to work closely with Unilumin as its Eastern Europe stock centre operator. Alongside Unilumin, Visualsupport can now provide access to local stock, quality service and quick delivery to customers in Eastern Europe.”
Located in Kraków, Visualsupport is now able to supply large quantities of Unilumin stock for projects in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and beyond. This local availability dramatically reduces shipping time, as previously equipment was shipped directly from Unilumin’s base in China.
“The formal recognition of Visualsupport as Unilumin’s new stock centre in Poland reaffirms our commitment to the Eastern European AV market,” comments Steve

UK - KV2 Audio systems are currently on tour in the UK with a number of major productions, including Kinky Boots and Motown: The Musical, both supplied by Autograph Sound, as well as Tim Firth’s musical, The Band based on the music of Take That and Matthew Bourne’s convention-busting production of Swan Lake.
These and many more productions are currently gracing stages throughout the UK using a variety of KV2 Audio point source systems.
According to Andy Sharman, head of sound on the current UK tour of Kinky Boots, the real advantage of using a point source rig, especially on tour, is its adaptability. “Every theatre is different,” he says. “Using this design of loudspeaker allows us to adjust the configuration from place to place really easily, while staying within the designer’s original vision. It may be a bit old-school, but in reality, if there’s a part of the room that we need to cover, we just install a loudspeaker and point it there! It sounds too simple to be true, but it works.”
The Kinky Boots touring set up deploys two KV2 ESR215s and four EX15s on the proscenium, two EX26s and a single EX12 above centre-stage plus one VHD2-18K subwoofer per side. “This gives us even coverage throughout and plenty of headroom for a very lively musical production,” affirms Sharman.
Morgan Rogers is Sound No 1 on the touring version of Motown: The Musical. “This is my first production using a KV2 point-source system, and I’m really enjoying it,” she admits. “We’ve moved i

UK - Yamaha Commercial Audio and London’s SW19 Studios are joining forces in mid-March to host a two-day Welcome to the World of Rivage event. Taking place on 7-8 March at SW19 Studios in Wimbledon, it comprises a free series of technical training seminars which offer professional and aspiring sound engineers an opportunity to get up close and personal with Yamaha’s Rivage PM7 and PM10 digital mixing systems.
Day 1 will focus on showcasing Rivage PM7 as the solution for reliable sound for live venue and festival engineers, sculpting audio for today’s touring bands. Yamaha product specialists and SW19 staff will be on hand to deliver an overview of the system, highlighting key features and demonstrating its applications in a rehearsal environment.
Day 2 offers opportunities for those with some experience of Rivage and/or those who want to delve deep into the system. Through a series of bookable one-on-one sessions, guests can book to spend time with a Yamaha Product specialist and a Rivage system. Content will be customised to the needs of the guest - everything from converting an existing show file through to specifying and setting up a complex system for an upcoming tour.
Participation in this event is free, but registration, which can be made here, is required.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Midas Consoles has agreed a sponsorship deal to provide mixing desks to Backstage Academy.
The equipment, understood to be a pair of M32 consoles and DL32 stage boxes, will be used for training purposes at the Wakefield-based college, which introduced a live engineering pathway to its Live Events Production BA (Hons) degree course last September.
Miles Marsden, Backstage Academy’s industry partnerships director, comments: “Everyone knows that Midas produces state-of-the-art mixing desks in the analogue world, setting standards on major tours worldwide throughout the 1990s. They have extended this product format into the digital world, with the M32 console. We are delighted they have loaned us a pair of these desks and DL32 I/O boxes for our students to learn on.”
Joel Perry, artist relations for Midas, has known Marsden for 20 years. “We are pleased to be supporting Backstage Academy and look forward to utilising the space at the Academy and Production Park for training in the future,” says Perry. “Having access to these excellent facilities is a real bonus as we help to inspire the next generation of mix engineers. It’s a win-win situation.”
(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - ELC Lighting has appointed ZAP Audio as the exclusive representative for the Green-GO digital intercom system in Switzerland.
Headquartered in Geneva, with a second branch at Winterthur, ZAP Audio has a 25-year history as one of Switzerland’s best-known providers of pro audio equipment and solutions. The company also has brands including Nexo, Luminex, Auvitran, Yamaha and Shure in its sales portfolio.
ZAP Audio director Frédéric Walder comments: “Green-GO is an innovative intercom system that goes beyond traditional production intercoms. Based on standard Ethernet technology, it can be integrated almost anywhere; it brings great flexibility for production companies, without the limitations of standard partyline intercoms. It is a true Network.”
He adds: “We are very happy and proud to act as official distributor for Green-GO in Switzerland, as we develop and sell more and more network-oriented products and systems. It is indeed an innovative product, supported by a very professional manufacturer.”
Green-GO’s Silvio Cibien adds: “We are delighted to add our friends at ZAP Audio to our expanding sales network. Over many years, the company has developed a strong reputation in Switzerland and we are confident that they will be able to bring the advantages of Green-GO technology to professional customers in all the markets they serve.”
Green-GO will exhibit at the Prolight+Sound exhibition in Frankfurt in April.
(Jim Evans)

China - OutBoard has appointed L-Supply Ltd as its new TiMax distributor for Hong Kong and China.
Following the appointment, L-Supply has procured a 64-channel version of the new FPGA TiMax SoundHub spatial audio matrix for demo and support purposes. The team is headed up by directors Ching Lui and Omega Lam, both veterans of the pro-audio industry with a wide range of premium specifier, integrator and operator contacts plus considerable experience in the professional live performance and AV installation marketplaces.
Ching Lui comments: "We are very pleased to be working with TiMax. As the most advanced and intuitive spatialisation and audio showcontrol automation system it cannot really be compared to anything else. At L-Supply, we understand TiMax SoundHub and TiMax Tracker, and how it will bring the best sound arrangements for our customers across Hong Kong and China. This is a very exciting time for us and our customers."
OutBoard director Dave Haydon comments: "We’re very fortunate to have an energetic new company such as L-Supply join the growing global TiMax distribution network, and look forward to working with them to increase our already significant market penetration in the Hong Kong and PRC territories."
(Jim Evans)

USA - Business development specialist Jeff Meyer has joined AV solutions integrator OSA International (OSA). An industry veteran, Meyer has 35 years of experience in live sound and video for corporate events. Based at OSA’s Las Vegas office, he will be responsible for developing new business relationships and expanding sales of LED technology.
Meyer joins from Video Equipment Rentals (VER), where he worked business development and account management since 2010. Prior to that, he spent over 23 years at Creative Technology (formerly Media Control). Meyer joined Media Control as a sound engineer and warehouse technician in 1987. He then became a project manager in 1990 and went on to take up the roles of operations manager and subsequently, general manager. 
(Jim Evans)

USA - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and host of this year’s Super Bowl between the victorious New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams, features a challenging upper bowl devoid of acoustic treatments.
Nevertheless, a total of 58 Danley Sound Labs’ point-source SH96 Synergy Horn loudspeakers rocked the upper bowl with Danley’s characteristic fidelity and cliff-edge pattern control. In addition, VIPs enjoyed the musicality of 60 Danley GO-2-8CX loudspeakers installed in the luxury suites overlooking the game. For the 20-second year running, national AV integration and production firm ATK Audiotek handled all of the sound for this annual event.
“We’ve been doing this for so many years that we are very comfortable with how our on-field carts and temporary loudspeakers will perform,” explains Kirk Powell, sound designer with ATK Audiotek. “The wild card is always the house sound system. We don’t want to attempt covering all the way to the top of the bowl from the field because we’d get a lot of spillover and reflections back from the roof and upper bowl walls.
“This year, Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s Danley SH96s picked up beautifully where our systems left off. I didn’t expect anything less because I know that Danley makes really good products. We had a couple of days before the game to tune everything up so that the delays were perfect and that the tonality of both systems meshed naturally.”
ATK Audiotek worked closely with Baker Audio, the regional AV integration firm that installed the Danley syst

USA - Leisure World Seal Beach (LWSB) offers all the amenities of a small town in a resort-style setting for people aged 55 and over. A short freeway ride to Los Angeles and Orange County, LWSB spans 542 acres and boasts a nine-hole golf course, swimming facilities, fitness and exercise rooms and six club houses.
An impressive feature of LWSB is its 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheatre, where the Clair Brothers kiTCurve12 loudspeaker system was recently installed by Tim Metzger of TMAV Consulting & Integration and Ben Frederick of Production Access Group.
Frederick explains: “Tim and I chose the kiTCurve12 because we had both heard them before and knew what they could do sonically for the size of box. Based on existing lifts at the venue, we had a set horizontal position that was quite wide, but after placing them in EASE Focus, we were pleasantly surprised at the even coverage and that we were able to both hit the front row and keep as much of the sound in the seats and not bleeding out to the surrounding community. This also removed our need for front-fills or a centre-fill.
“The typical events in the space are not loud rock concerts, so the goal was to create an impactful system that had ample volume, but more importantly clarity and musicality. The kiTCurve12 did that with flying colours and with very little additional tuning for the space.”
(Jim Evans)

South Africa - It’s all about the training for the South African State Theatre in Pretoria.
Having invested in a DiGiCo SD12 at the end of last year, technicians from the theatre received a practical training course presented by DWR Distribution’s Kyle Robson in January. This was followed by dot2 training and a theatre lighting workshop.
The DiGiCo SD12 is currently being used in the 1,300-seat opera theatre, the largest venue at the State Theatre. The console has already been set to work for the 11th annual Mzansi Fela Community Arts Festival starring artists such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Dr Tumi, Ringo Madlingozi, Kwesta, Sjava, and Lebo Sekgobela.
“We initially decided on the SD12 as we wanted a mixer that could handle large productions without having to compromise on channels and Aux/Group busses,” explains Tshiamo Mokgadi, an audio technician at the State Theatre. “We hosted a production called Freedom the musical, using over 70 lines. It was a bit of a challenge at the beginning because of the old console we were using - channels had to be cut and so on. After getting the DiGiCo we managed to pull off the show without having to cut anything.”
One of the main features to catch Tshiamo’s eye was SD12’s two screens. “This allows for a much quicker access to mixer parameters and the ability to either dedicate the sides to different functions, have the right-hand screen to master functions or even have two operators at the console,” he explains. “Being able to have any channel strip on any fader layer and full channel

Europe - Work Pro Audio, the installation and pro audio division of Equipson, unveiled an array of sound reinforcement products at ISE 2019, including two new outdoor projector speakers and a new multichannel amplifier.
For external applications such as theme parks, aquaparks, shopping malls, stadium and train stations, Work Pro Audio showed the WSF 500 CX and WSF 10 CX PLUS passive two-way, full range projector speakers, which offer the ultimate in voice intelligibility and musical clarity.
The WFS 500 CX and 10 CX PLUS (1000W and 300W respectively), both incorporate horn-loaded 10” diameter transducers and 2.5” voice coils in a bass reflex enclosure. The high frequencies are reproduced by a 1” exit compression driver, a 1.75” voice coil and an 80° horizontal x 60° vertical horn, which delivers consistent coverage across the entire vocal range.
Designed with elegance and durability in mind, both speakers are visually discreet and are enclosed in black or white weather-resistant fibreglass that can withstand even the most adverse environmental conditions. Both also incorporate an Aluminium grille covered with a protective water repellent fabric and four pole electrical connection cables that enter the enclosure through a cable gland, thus preventing water, dust and moisture from damaging the transducers.
Work Pro Audio also introduced the PA 8150, a Class-D amplifier that offers LED indicators and independent volume control on each of its 8 channels, making it suited to installations such as restaurants and venues where audio need

USA - One of the most elegant fixed sound system installations now graces the 400-seat sanctuary of the Valley Life Centre in Dallas. Nexo’s compact Geo M6 line array has been delivered by local audio specialists Alpha Sound, as the front end of a digital system featuring a Yamaha QL5 mixing console, and personal in-ear monitoring facilities.
“The 400-seat, intergenerational congregation sanctuary previously had a mono centre cluster of horns enclosed in a fabric cloud and a simple analogue console with a few wedges for monitors,” says Devin Sheets, head engineer at Alpha Sound.
Now, two Nexo M6 line arrays cover the 180° room evenly with added localisation from low profile out-fills. Along with the subwoofers, the speaker system naturally delivers a "modern" sound that is fitting for contemporary worship styles. “The new system will serve this church community very well for decades to come,” adds the elder Sheets.
The M6 line array configuration consists of six per side, one per side of Nexo LS18 subwoofer, one per side Nexo ID24 speakers used for out-fills, and two Nexo NX4x1 Mk2 amplifiers. "The clarity and detail of this new system is absolutely incredible,” states Chris Barker, head pastor. “Many people can hear the instruments and voices for the first time, and the younger crowd really loves the new depth of sound.
Because it all sounds so smooth, we really aren't getting complaints about the volume even though it is actually a lot louder than ever before. It all just sounds amazing."
(Jim Evans)

UK - Hot on the heels of their latest studio release Holy Hell, British metalcore act, Architects, have recently completed their UK and European tour accompanied by an Allen & Heath dLive system. The tour included some of the band’s biggest headline shows to date - finishing off at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London to an audience of 12,500 fans.
“After touring with a variety of consoles over the last few years I decided to make the switch to dLive after having them recommended to me by fellow users Ben Hammond and Jared Daly”, comments FOH engineer, Jonny Burgan. “I am a big fan of how modular the dLive systems are, being able to scale down surface size without sacrificing audio quality and compromising on processing power is something that not enough manufacturers have tried to address, yet Allen & Heath have managed to perfect it.”
Supplied by SSE Audio, the band’s full set-up comprises two dLive S5000 surfaces and two DM64 MixRacks, handling all FOH and monitor duties. Tom Pickett (SSE) comments, “I’ve been looking after Jonny and Architects since 2016 and I’ve known Dan Williams (monitor engineer) since working with him on Neck Deep, again starting in 2016. So, to see the two of them come together on the same gig, using the same board was great to be a part of.”
All FOH I/O is managed by a DX32 Expander, fitted with both analogue and digital output cards, which feeds the system inputs via AES with redundant analogue connections also present.
Burgan comments, “With regards to dLive’s processing power, h

UK - The heady mix of highly tuned bikes, screaming engines, screeching tyres and brakes and supernatural speed races meshed with the breath-taking daring of motorcycle stunt acrobatics… indoor Motocross racing and Freestyle MX all rolled into a single adrenaline fuelled night of seat-edge action complete with pumping soundscape . . . and you have the heartbeat of
Producers and organisers Arena Sports Live presented Arenacross (AX in three of the UK’s leading arena venues – Belfast, Birmingham and Sheffield – for their 2019 AX tour, with HSL supplying a full production package – lighting, video and rigging – plus sound in partnership with Nitelites.
Additional venue ‘sports lighting’ was also provided by HSL for the two Birmingham shows at the Resorts World Arena (NEC).
HSL’s project manager was Ben Perrin. He and the team were delighted to be back having supplied lighting for the 2018 tour, and lighting and video for the recent Liverpool International Horse Show, also an Arena Sports Live event. They worked closely with producer Matt Bates and production manager Tony Nash from Arena Sports Live.
Ben produced an outline production lighting design, then called on the huge experience of Nick Jevons as programmer, lighting director and operator on the road. He utilised a flexible package of beam, spot and wash moving lights to ensure appropriately hi-impact lighting to match the hi-velocity action, excitement and sounds.
Nick’s challenge was to make it powerful, dramatic and totally in the face . . . a task he relished

UK - Technical theatre students at the Guildford School of Acting recently benefitted from hands-on experience creating dynamic soundscapes and source-oriented vocal localisation for their stage musical production of 9 to 5.
Cambridge-based immersive audio pioneers, Out Board, provided the school with a TiMax spatial delay-matrix, complete with TiMax Tracker, for students to experience the creation of a sound design pushed beyond the usual boundaries of intelligibility, balance and audience immersion.
After the student production, course tutor Sam Digny and guest mentor sound designer Justin Teasdale held a seminar insight day showcasing their experience and success with the advanced immersive TiMax technology. A wider audience of invited industry professionals comprised local hire companies, production managers, sound engineers and students old and new.
Out Board’s Robin Whittaker hosted a morning session presenting TiMax alongside a discussion of the wider principles of sound. He posited, “Where do you go beyond the fidelity readily achieved by modern loudspeaker systems? Beyond fidelity, localisation is the obvious thing and a major part of this whole current immersion discussion, in a stage environment like this, is multiple localisations made effective for an entire audience.”
In the afternoon Teasdale presented the dynamism of the 9 to 5 soundscape, which included vocal localisation of the main cast and panoramic spatialisation of the band, who were positioned off-stage. The classic LCR-hung Optima 5 line array system in the

UK - The Bodyguard stage musical is an ambitious show, with a large cast, orchestra, and crew required to bring the classic, soulful song list to life alongside Alexander Dinelaris’ acclaimed libretto.
Since its successful West End run, the show has toured the world and now has a second UK tour underway, with Alexandra Burke taking the lead as singer Rachel Marron. It is also proving to be a showcase first outing for the new Sennheiser SK 6212 mini-bodypack transmitter, supplied by Autograph Sound.
From the start of this run, sound designer for the show Richard Brooker was sold on using a digital wireless system, having already used Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 system on Bend it Like Beckham and Dreamgirls. “Moving to digital gave a new sound that is much more open and clear,” he recalls. “It isn’t compromised by the companding process... It’s much more transparent.”
For The Bodyguard, Brooker, who works alongside associate sound designer Kelsh Buckman-Drange and production sound engineer Josh Richardson, wanted a digital system with a smaller bodypack to give him greater choice for concealment, more comfort for the cast and a simple solution for the audio team. He chose the new Sennheiser SK 6212 mini-bodypack, which was previewed at the 2018 IBC exhibition.
“It has the signature sound that I would expect from Sennheiser, but it’s in a much smaller package,” he says. “And the battery life is unbelievable. Sennheiser claimed it would do 12 hours, and it does!”
Part of the Sennheiser Dig

UK - During his four years in the company, Martin Audio’s Richard Van Nairn has steadily broadened his remit, and with the recent restructure of Martin Audio’s sales force, it has opened the door further for Van Nairn to bring even more territories under his management.
The restructure, which has seen Bradley Watson promoted to the new role of international sales director, meant many of the countries under his management has moved to Van Nairn.
Already in charge of Cyprus, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and the PALOPS block, Van Nairn now has responsibility for a further swathe of territories across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East (including Israel and Jordan). He also has responsibility for the whole of Africa (apart from South Africa), including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
“I feel privileged to be entrusted with so much responsibility at a time when Martin Audio’s sales are at a record high,” Van Nairn says, “and the opportunity to expand the brand’s visibility in some of the lesser known parts of the world remains of paramount importance.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - Edinburgh Castle and the medieval Old Town offered a magnificent backdrop to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration for thousands of revellers who welcomed the new year immersed in a city centre-wide high quality pro audio installation.
In collaboration with the sound designer Dan Jones, Catalyst Event Production Services was tasked with specifying, installing and operating a sound solution for much of the event that would envelope partygoers, leading them to "a complete d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker, amplification and R1 control software solution".
UK-based live entertainment company Underbelly, which has produced the event on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council since 2017, bills Edinburgh’s Hogmanay as “one of the biggest celebrations in the world”. The famed Street Party showcased Scottish and European musicians, street theatre artists, dancers, choirs and aerialists, while the midnight firework display was set to a specially-commissioned track by German band Meute.
The team split the designated party areas of the city into four ‘arenas’. Within each of these PA towers were constructed, spaced at 20m intervals. In total, 22 towers were built, each carrying arrays of d&b loudspeakers consisting of two Y8, one Y12 and a Y-SUB, along with two Y10P for near-fill.
There were further systems deployed on The Mound, where six towers were erected. Each tower consisted of arrays of three T10, one Q-SUB and two T10 near-fill. An additional system made up of eight Y8 and two Y-SUBs provided further fill coverage. Amplification w

UK - Free registration is now open for PLASA Focus Leeds, PLASA has reported.
The sold-out event, taking place at Leeds' Royal Armouries Museum on 14-15 May, will feature 120 exhibitors and is ideal for professionals working across live events, concert touring, production, performing arts and installation.
Present will be lighting companies including Elation, Robe and Philips Entertainment Lighting; pro audio firms including d&b audiotechnik, Funktion-One and Shure; and rigging, staging and production specialists including Area Four Industries, Gerriets, Hawthorn and J&C Joel. The trade show will also welcome several new exhibitors, including loudspeaker manufacturer Wharfdale Pro Audio and US sound masking company, Cambridge Sound Management.
In addition, a free programme of seminars, panel discussions and workshops will feature insights from experts involved in some the most exciting projects over the past year as well as essential technical guidance.
Sophie Atkinson, head of events at PLASA, comments: “PLASA Focus Leeds continues to be one of the most anticipated events in the calendar. It’s the perfect place for people to get together, share knowledge and find out about the latest technology.
“Our team is currently building an exciting programme of seminars and workshops, celebrating some of the most exciting projects from across the industry - we look forward to announcing the line-up

The Netherlands - De Effenaar is a music venue with an illustrious history spanning almost 50 years. Nestled in Eindhoven, the technology capital of the Netherlands, its two impressive performance spaces have played host to an array of major artists including The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Florence+The Machine, Editors, Nelly, Stromae, Queens of the Stone Age, The Ramones, Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and The Cure.
Towards the end of 2018, De Effenaar needed to upgrade its audio inventory, and the technical team engaged in an extensive evaluation of all live sound consoles on the market. At ISE 2019, the team confirmed an order for four SSL Live L200s, one SSL L100, and a massive 348 channels of SSL SuperAnalogue mic preamps.
According to Effenaar’s senior audio engineer, Sven de Hoog, the team of engineers had individually scored the four shortlisted brands in nine different categories, ranging from ease of use to available features and sonic quality.
“SSL consistently scored the highest in all categories, with an impressive 13 'maximum available points',” de Hoog explains. “We’re all so excited. The sound of the consoles is killer; they are so easy to use, which is essential for guest engineers.”
Head of production, Jeroen Gerits adds: “These are excellent consoles in their own right, but equally important is the advanced yet mature Dante implementation, which is key to the overall integration of all AV systems at Effenaar. The city of Eindhoven - ‘the Silicon Valley of the Netherlands’ - has innovation at its heart, being at the forefro

Poland - On 14 October last year, at Warsaw's PGE National Stadium, confectionary giant Kinder celebrated its 50th anniversary in style. The all-day event culminated in the Koncert Pełen Marzeń (Concert Full of Dreams) - a free event that featured Polish pop artists David Kwiatkowski, Natalia Szroeder, and Grzegorz Hyże, as well as musical star Katarzyna Łaska (Frozen, High School Musical, Enchanted) and a full symphony orchestra.
TSE Grupa was responsible for technical services at this huge show, which included everything from stage construction to an ambitious multimedia, lighting, and sound production. L-Acoustics components were used exclusively for sound reinforcement, with almost 200 loudspeaker cabinets deployed around the stadium.
TSE Grupa, founded by Łukasz Kubiak and Piotr Basek, is not new to large, complex events, with a portfolio that includes International Children's Song and Dance Festival in Konin, and the NATO Summit in Warsaw. According to Basek, TSE was chosen for the Kinder anniversary concert because of an excellent existing relationship with the event's agency, Generations, and another recent anniversary event at the Municipal Stadium in Poznań for car manufacturer Volkswagen. Koncert Pełen Marzeń though, was a much bigger undertaking.
"Initially, we planned a smaller system," explains Basek. "But after modelling the stadium and the sound design in L-Acoustics Soundvision software and talking to the sound team, because of the sheer scale of the event, we decided we needed more power and, consequen