Singapore - To equip Gateway Theatre with impactful sound, Electronics & Engineering Pte (E&E) and Harman Professional Solutions selected and installed JBL Professional loudspeakers and Crown amplification.
Located at the heart of Bukit Merah Central in Singapore, Gateway is a multi-theatre venue that serves as a creative arts space promoting made-in-Singapore works and talents of all cultures. The theatre features several performance spaces, including a 922-seat auditorium, 207-seat black box studio, 100-seat sky garden and other multi-purpose studios.
Gateway Theatre engaged E&E to bring about a comprehensive and creative audio system. Being a popular venue within Singapore’s art scene and with ongoing bookings within the venue, Electronics & Engineering and Harman Professional needed to conduct installations without disrupting any existing venue bookings - all while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. With these challenges in mind, the installation team selected streamlined yet powerful JBL Professional and Crown audio solutions.
Designed for high-end fixed installations, the JBL VTX A-Series proved a suitable choice for the main theatre. With a compact design and 100-degree dispersion, the JBL VTX A8 delivers optimal sound for the audience. Paired with the extended low end of the JBL VTX B18 subwoofer, the new audio system outputs wider dynamic range for the theatre.
Additionally, the team installed an array of JBL VRX928LA 8-inch, two-way loudspeakers to provide sonic clarity for the theatre’s front-fill.
The sky

USA - European manufacturer of LED screens Alfalite has announced a distribution agreement signed with Vitech US Inc. for this Miami-based company to be the master distributor of the manufacturer in the rental and pro AV Integration channels in Latin America.
Vitech US will now distribute the Alfalite Litepix LED panels to its partners in the rental market, as well as the Alfalite ModularPix LED panels to its integrators in the pro AV market.
“We are very happy to have reached this agreement with Vitech US, a distributor with a long history, solvency and prestige in Latin America, representing high-level brands to offer its channel quality solutions and high reliability, which is fully aligned with our philosophy in the market,” says Juan Vega, director of international development of Alfalite.
Pablo Paludi, sales director of the Pro AV division of Vitech US, says: “We are very proud that Alfalite has trusted us for its operations in Latin America. We are convinced that together we will achieve very important things in the Pro AV market in the region.”
He adds: “We are seeing a growing demand for LED panel solutions throughout Latin America, and Alfalite is a world leader in this market. With all our experience of more than 20 years through the strong distribution network that our company has, we see a very exciting future, with a lot of work and full of projects with Alfalite.”
The agreement, which began to take shape at ISE 2023 and was finalised at NAB Show 2023, represents Alfalite's entry into the rental and pro AV integ

USA - JBL Professional collaborated with Show Imaging and FNGRS CRSSD to power a weekend of high-energy musical performances with a distributed live sound reinforcement solution consisting of JBL VTX Series line array speakers and subwoofers.
Since its debut in 2015, CRSSD Festival has attracted tens of thousands of electronic and indie rock fans to Waterfront Park in San Diego for two days of live music across three stages. Hosted by FNGRS CRSSD, the 2023 edition boasted performances by chart-topping artists and underground DJs alike, including Oodesza, Polo & Pan, Channel Tres, Neil Frances, Bedouin, Kavinsky, Purple Disco Machine and more.
Concert organisers once again turned to San Diego-based Show Imaging to outfit The Palms Stage with an audio rig that delivered the impact and clarity required for a world class EDM festival without interfering with the concurrent sets happening on the other two stages.
In the past, Show Imaging president Steve Q. Evans was unsure about how the EDM market would take to the JBL VTX systems however, following a particularly successful implementation of Show Imaging’s JBL VTX rig at a New Year’s Eve event, the team confidently decided to deploy VTX speakers and subs to supercharge The Palms Stage.
“For me, when I started Show Imaging in 2014, JBL VRX Series was one of the first production products that we purchased,” said Evans. “It was a great catch-all box for what we were doing at the time. Harman and JBL trusted us, and we trusted them. This trust has remained and grown over the years. We

UK - Ringwood School in Hampshire has a particularly strong reputation in the performing arts, and has recently completed building The Barn, a new, 600-capacity venue equipped with an all-Nexo sound system designed and installed by Poole-based audio-visual technology and production services specialists Pulse PA.
“We came to the project early so were able to advise on acoustic treatments at the building design stage” reports Pulse MD and founder Ralph Walsh. “Our sister-company installed the infrastructure for sound, lighting, data and video projection, and flexibility of use was the guiding principle of our design. There’s more than five miles of cable in the building and the tech can be reconfigured quickly and easily to handle any type of a production from a music concert or drama to a cinema event.”
Flexibility was also a key consideration in the choice of sound system which comprises hangs of four Nexo Geo M10 line array elements left and right on a truss above the stage, with a centre cluster of three Geo M6 focused primarily on vocal sounds covering the tiered seating. Nexo ID24s cover the very back of the room as delays, and Nexo ePS point source boxes are installed L+R to the centre and rear of the space, to suit surround sound productions and cinema. Low frequency extension comes from NexoL18 subs on the floor.
“Other tenders had proved too expensive and were unable to provide the flexibility needed, but the Nexo system we proposed hit the balance of performance and cost. And the power to size ratio of the Nexo boxes is unbeatab

Finland - Genelec has significantly strengthened its distribution network in the MEA region through the signing of two new distribution agreements. Johannesburg-based ApexPro is handling the distribution of Genelec’s Pro and AV loudspeaker ranges across Southern Africa, while Dubai-based Sound Reference will be servicing the home audio market throughout the GCC group of countries.
ApexPro is part of South Africa’s well-established Prosound Group of companies, which over the last 50 years has established a close affiliation with clients in the professional broadcast, music production and Pro-AV verticals. The distribution agreement covers the Southern African region - comprising South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
With satellite offices in Durban, Cape Town and Gaborone, ApexPro will focus on the distribution of Genelec Professional loudspeakers via the dealer channel, while AV Worx - part of the same Prosound Group - will provide distribution by concentrating on supplying Genelec Professional and AV solutions to system integrators working in audio-visual production, music production, AV applications plus education and research.
Founded in Dubai in 2021 by Muhammed Amras, Sound Reference will be supplying Genelec loudspeaker systems to the home audio market across the GCC nations: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
"Genelec is the standard by which all other loudspeakers are judged by professionals in the global audio industry," comments ApexPro director Mark Malherbe. "Ensuring

USA - Nestled in the heart of Palm Springs California, Reforma offers a choice of entertainment as the multi-room venue includes a full bar, a fine-dining experience, and a nightclub. Given the diverse nature of the venue’s spaces, Reforma needed to be equipped with a sound system that would offer the ability to both blend and separate experiences. Pioneer Pro Audio’s XY Series and CM Series provided the solution, offering the flexibility and sound quality the venue required.
Since its opening in December 2022, the 9,000sq.ft venue has brought Latin American culture and cuisines from Mexico, Central, and South America to the City’s historic downtown main strip. Embodying pan-Latin energy throughout, up to 750 guests can enjoy executive chef Erick Hernandez’s creations in the main dining room, or during one of the many themed nights ranging from EDM and Latin to drag shows in the nightclub and bar space.
As construction for the venue began, Reforma owner Rob Giesecke and his team conducted a noise study to determine the best sound system solution that would complement the building’s architectural design and encapsulate energy while also being respectful to neighbourhood residents.
Giesecke enlisted Alex Montenegro, owner and system designer at Sonus Systems, to specify and deploy a solution that suited the venue’s needs. With the ownership group's existing purchase and experience with Pioneer Pro Audio at Reforma’s sister venue, Chill Bar, the familiarity provided everything they needed to choose the brand for their next venture.

USA - Laura Camacho has been appointed senior vice president for Focusrite Group US to manage the commercial activities across the Americas for the Focusrite Group’s content creation brands of Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation, ADAM Audio, Sequential, Oberheim, Sonnox, and Ampify.
Laura brings channel experience from her leadership roles at Adorama and previously Guitar Centre. Laura also obtained her MBA from Californian Lutheran University. Reporting directly to the Focusrite Group chief revenue officer, Damian Hawley, Laura will manage all Focusrite Group routes to market across the Americas.
Laura Camacho comments: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to join such an incredibly talented team and represent an industry-leading portfolio of brands at Focusrite Group. I have long admired their commitment to innovation and am thrilled to lead the continued expansion and excellence across the Americas.”
Damian Hawley adds: “The Focusrite Group has seen significant growth over the last decade both organically, with its market leading products, and through the acquisition of numerous iconic brands. To further capitalise on the strength of the group we identified the need to bring the teams together under a single leader to prepare for the next stage of our growth plan. We are very happy and privileged that Laura has decided to join us, and we look forward to providing further significant growth opportunities for the Focusrite Group and all our channel partners.”

South Africa - Audio engineer Simphiwe Mhlanga has acquired a DiGiCo Quantum 225 Digital Mixing console to further his craft.
Supplied by DWR Distribution, the Quantum 225 incorporates all the new design features of the Quantum 338 but in a compact, robust work surface. “I do a lot of video and audio work for many broadcast shows and live events,” comments Simphiwe Mhlanga, known in the industry as Smooth. “I’m also a touring engineer working most weekends, and every time I get behind a DiGiCo console, it’s just flawless.
“When you have to move from one console to the next over a three day period, it can become difficult, but with DiGiCo, it’s always a breeze due to all consoles sharing the same architecture. I like the workflow, it sounds amazing, and the reputation both national and international made it the correct choice.”
Simphiwe is focused and dedicated to doing what he loves most and has been rewarded by working for Talib Kweli (American rapper), Sjava, the late AKA, and for festivals like The Joy of Jazz, Cotton Fest and Castle Lite Unlocks. “Seeing musicians prepare during the week, seeing them on stage over the weekend and then seeing a happy audience is what makes my work so special to me,” he says.
When choosing the Quantum 225, Simphiwe had the future in mind and wanted a console that would give him the edge in the current market and be something that would last for many years ahead. He had previously attended DiGiCo training with Kyle Robson from DWR and gained product insight by watching numerous product vid

USA - Deep in the heart of Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighbourhood lies St. Mark’s Church. Considered one of the best concert venues in the city, the church nave is quite large, with seating for more than 450 people. Parishioners celebrated the church's first service in 1849 under the overarching timber fretwork of the great roof.
The Decorated Gothic style of the church, with vaulted ceilings, solid wood pews and stone masonry throughout, contributed to an unsatisfactory reverberation time of three seconds. Beam steering arrays from Renkus-Heinz are designed for installations requiring highly targeted audio solutions.
Church staff reached out to Joe DiSabatino, lead design engineer at JD Sound & Video, to design a new audio system for the sanctuary. DiSabatino partnered with local acoustical engineer Hadi Sumoro of HX Audio Lab to model the acoustics using EASE to design the system and SysTune to tune and optimise. Additionally, JD Sound & Video contacted Renkus Heinz’s regional manufacturer representatives at Audio Associates, a leading manufacturer’s rep firm in the professional audio system integration market, to assist with the installation.
“We have an extensive history working with Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers, and the EASE model showed great performance in the nave,” said DiSabatino. “Their beam steering arrays eliminated the need for delay speakers which would have required mounting to columns, something the church would not approve.”
JD Sound & Video installed IC Live Gen5 ICL-F-DUAL-RN arrays in the

Singapore - Generation AV, who provide sales and technical support for Martin Audio across the APAC territories, recently hosted their first Martin Audio APAC distributor meeting in Singapore, with over 30 business partners from across Asia Pacific attending.
This provided an opportunity for representatives to network, connect, learn, and sample the latest products and technology from the British manufacturer - as well as share their successes and experiences.
There was an additional incentive to attend, since the meeting coincided with the launch of Generation AV’s new Experience Centre in Singapore, which will act as the main hub for all distributors and their clients to gather and be exposed to the latest products from Martin Audio. Distributors and clients alike can now immerse themselves in the company’s signature sound and experience the impeccable output that the products produce.
In terms of product showcase, the introduction of the new FlexPoint series and Torus 8 to the region provided the highlights. This was the first time all distribution partners had the opportunity of hearing these products. Dom Harter, managing director of Martin Audio, and Bradley Watson, Martin Audio global sales director, were in attendance to lead the demonstrations - and in addition to the product demos, there was plenty of discussion on future roadmaps, operations and business in general.
“Martin Audio recognises one of our biggest potentials for growth today is in Asia, which is why we made the investment in the Experience Centre alongside Generat

UK - Sennheiser is participating in The Podcast Show 2023 this week at The Business Design Centre in Islington, London.
On the first day of the show, Sennheiser teamed up with podcast specialists Adam Buxton and John Kennedy [Tape Notes], to offer two exclusive sessions, one free and one ticketed, during which Kennedy utilised their new Sennheiser and Neumann ‘live rig’ to ensure the audience experiences the high-fidelity audio needed to be able to listen to their podcast at its best.
The 'live rig' for both sessions was equipped with Sennheiser and Neumann audio equipment to deliver an exceptional sound experience. It boasts two Sennheiser EW IEM G4 sets, ensuring seamless connectivity. The Neumann BCM 104 broadcast microphone complements the setup, whilst monitoring the sound is made possible by the Neumann NDH 20 closed-back studio headphones, offering accurate sound reproduction and excellent isolation.
In order to provide an exceptional audio experience to each member of the audience, Tape Notes equipped each person with Sennheiser's EK IEM G4 pack, accompanied by HD 280 headphones. A total of 100 packs were distributed for each session, ensuring that every attendee could fully engage with the podcast and listen to it at its best.
“We’re excited to be able to work with Tape Notes and Adam Buxton on some engaging and immersive content at this year's Podcast Show. High fidelity audio is key for the listeners of the podcast, so we’re happy they’ve chosen our brands to work with to bring their podcast to a live audience,” conclu

Sweden - The latest addition to the Gothenburg skyline is Kineum, a 28-storey beacon of glass and steel that can be seen from miles around. The building houses Jacy’z hotel and resort – the latest venture from Swedish hospitality entrepreneurs, ESS Group – which offers a Nordic take on an upscale Las Vegas resort with all of the opulence and pizzazz, but not a single slot machine in sight.
Instead, guests can choose from three restaurants and a pool club and spa on the top two floors, plus award-winning conference facilities, a hotel-within-a-hotel on floors 17 and 18, a gym and a secret speakeasy bar. Swedish AV integration experts, Informationsteknik AB were contracted to design and supply all the AV and conferencing systems throughout the building, which included over 130 Genelec 4000 Series and Smart IP loudspeakers.
"ESS Group has a lot of accumulated knowledge about sound and design and a fantastic sense of the details that create exciting hotel environments for guests," explains Informationsteknik key account manager, Karl Arnell. "Our goal was to fulfil their vision in everything from product selection to technical solutions and control systems – creating the best possible solution for both the guests and the customer."
Informationsteknik invited ESS to a series of listening tests, so they could see and hear Genelec technology for themselves, specifically the 4000 Series and Smart IP installation ranges. Following the demonstrations, it was decided that Genelec systems would be used for all the public areas, restaurants, bars, loung

Austria - Opening in 1741, the Burgtheater in Vienna is the national theatre of Austria. Over the years, its theatre company has created a distinctive style and speech unique to Burgtheater performances. The Burgtheater has a full events calendar, holding performances nightly except for Christmas Eve and Good Friday while rehearsing a different performance each morning. During the summer break, it’s used for dance performances and musical concerts.
The Burgtheater and its three affiliated venues - Akademietheater, Kasino and Vestibül - and a permanent ensemble of actors and actresses play a seminal role in the German-speaking theatrical world. It hosts the largest annual audience in continental Europe, welcoming approximately 400,000 theatre-goers to over 900 performances.
Given the busy performance schedule, the Burgtheater’s audio system was in urgent need of an overhaul, having been in use for more than 20 years. The technical staff wanted to modernize the system and future-proof it for the next 20 years, so they decided to implement an audio-over-IP (AoIP) solution based on Audinate’s industry-standard Dante transport protocol and turned to system designer TSAMM for help.
“The support staff had already changed the cabling throughout the theatre several years before the installation of category cable and fibre,” said Mario Reithofer, director, TSAMM. “Therefore, the transition from analogue to AoIP went very smoothly. Still, we had to remake almost 2000 cable connections.”
The redundant Dante system consists of two main Cisc

Europe - After a lengthy wait due to COVID-19 restrictions surrounding the tour’s original dates, Sheffield metalcore titans, Bring Me The Horizon, were finally able to perform for their dedicated European fanbase.
Having worked with the Clair Global Group last year for their Reading & Leeds headline shows before US and Australian runs, the band’s touring crew recently enjoyed another faultless vendor experience.
Production manager Mitch Gee and tour manager Tim Boardman had worked with Eighth Day Sound’s Stuart Wright many times previously.
Boardman comments: “Knowing we could rely on him to provide the gear we needed at the price we needed and with a great attitude the whole way through, was key. Consistency is very important to us.”
He describes the production’s attention to detail from the musicians, to techs and the front of house sound as simply “incredible.”
Handling the difference between the Bring Me The Horizon’s back-catalogue of hits - which sees a constant dynamic shift - leaves FOH engineer Jared Daly charged with keeping the show’s sound cohesive and impactful.
“The band spend a great amount of time curating their live shows. The level of detail that goes into every aspect of their production is more detailed than any other artists I’ve ever worked with… and their expectation of a FOH engineer is no different,” states Daly.
Daly notes, “From the moment we started to work with Eighth Day Sound, it has been fantastic. The system on stage is fairly complex and given the amount

China - Communication systems from the award-winning specialist Green-GO have been chosen for Wuhan’s Han Theater Hall, part of the vast International Expo Center in the city’s Hanyang District. Developed by general contractor Wuhan Construction Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd, the Center covers 55,000 square meters, integrating conference, business, theatre, exhibition and hotel facilities, as well as residential real estate and an ecology park.
Within the complex sits the 2,350-capacity Han Theater Hall. Here the overall design of the PA system in the auditorium was the responsibility of Beijing Radio, Film & TV Design and Research Institute. EZPro was brought in to provide clear, reliable, flexible and scalable audio solutions for this landmark building. With bases across China, EZPro is one of the country’s leading distributors of professional audio and lighting brands and a renowned solutions provider. Their contribution at Han Theater Hall included the venue’s essential crew communications.
“The Han Theater Hall will serve as a conference venue for high-level meetings, which has extremely high requirements for speech intelligibility and system stability,” says EZPro technical manager Zhu Liuwei. “The project needed an intercom system with a good quality of sound, which is easy to use and would be scalable. Therefore, we chose the innovative Green-GO digital intercom solution.”
Green-GO’s technology differs fundamentally from other current intercom designs in that it does not use a central matrix or routing-engine at its c

UK - Two Audient mixing desks have been installed in The Talent House - a new creative institution and joint venture between UD Music and East London Dance, which opened in Stratford to great fanfare last year. Comprising a mixture of recording studios, rehearsal space, dance studios, workstations and teaching facilities, this hub is part of a £4.1m project supporting young talent in the community.
UD has worked with countless big-name acts during its 20 years in the arts, including Mercury award winner Little Simz, Skepta, Alex Boateng (0207 Def Jam), Wretch 32, Labrinth, Devlin and more. Developing a series of talent programmes, UD aims to support aspiring singers, songwriters, producers, instrumentalists and DJs get a head start in the music industry via their talent programme, work experience and degree qualifications.
To that end, the six-room record production and teaching facility is an integral part of The Talent House. An ASP4816 mixing console resides in Studio 1 and a large format ASP8024 Heritage Edition sits at the heart of Studio 2.
Fully spec’d and available for commercial hire as well as to students, UD Music studios are overseen by senior consultant, Danny Trachtenberg. “The Audient desks have been great centrepieces to the studios. Their layout makes for both an intuitive experience for visiting engineers and useful teaching tools for students,” he says. “The pres’ sound is clean, EQs add a musical touch to recordings and the bus compressor adds classic glue to mixes.”
Level 4 accredited qualifications in Music

Europe - South Germany-based band H.A.S.A. (Heiner’s All Star Attraktion) recently updated their entire live sound inventory with an Allen & Heath SQ-6 digital mixer, two AB168 AudioRacks and five ME-1 personal mixers.
Assisting with the incorporation of the ME-1 system into the band’s set-up was engineer Klaus Bröckel (whose CV features Miles Davis, Till Brönner, Klaus Doldinger and festivals including JazzOpen Stuttgart, Jazzfest Rottweil and Bayern 3 Dorffest Open Air amongst many others). As a long-term ME-1 devotee, Bröckel has introduced many artists to the personal monitoring solution and was well-placed to ensure the band enjoyed a smooth transition to the new system.
While the five members of H.A.S.A had used IEM systems previously, the move to the ME-1 units brought a welcome new level of individual control and, as Bröckel describes, the switchover was straightforward. “At the first rehearsal with the ME-1s, once the input levels were set on the SQ-6 everyone got into dialling in their mixes and within just a few songs everyone had a perfect in-ear mix,” he says.
The ME-1 is a 40-channel personal mixer that enables performers to take control of their monitor mix with level and pan controls, master three-band EQ and limiter, aux input for external devices, plus a top panel ambient microphone to keep the performer in touch with their surroundings. The ME-1 works out of the box with Allen & Heath’s digital mixers, and can also be used with third-party mixers and audio interfaces via the use of a ME-U hub and optional Wav

World - Soprano Sarah Brightman’s recent tour kicked off in Las Vegas and saw her journey through Mexico and across Asia. Brightman’s final performance marked a triumphant end to a whirlwind tour that left fans both enchanted and in awe.
The tour also marked a significant milestone for Lewe Redlin, Brightman's monitor engineer of six years, as this was the first time he had used KLANG's immersive in-ear monitor mixing solution, selecting a DMI-KLANG card-equipped DiGiCo Quantum 338 monitor console supplied by Capital Sound. Incorporating the KLANG system created ample space in the monitor mix and a more manageable audio environment onstage, resulting in a much more enjoyable and natural sound.
As a seasoned touring engineer with over two decades of experience in the industry, Redlin rolled out KLANG for the musical director on the tour, Ollie Cunningham, as well as Brightman’s band, guest singer Jay Dref, and for Redlin’s tech and backline-tech.
"The complexity of this production, with its large number of inputs - around 90 in total - made for an extremely dense mix,” he explains. “To address this, I opted to incorporate KLANG’s immersive technology. Its ability to create new layers within the mix, beyond just left and right, allowed me to carve out more space for all the signals. The result was that I was able to lower the overall level of the mix for everyone involved to enjoy a more natural, balanced sound.”
Of all the positive feedback received on KLANG's system, one comment that stood out to Redlin was from Ollie Cunningha

Malaysia - Martin Audio has announced the appointment of Wavefront Culture as its distributor in Malaysia. This strategic partnership will enable Wavefront Culture to distribute Martin Audio's line of products to customers across the Malaysian market.
As part of this collaboration, Wavefront Culture will showcase Martin Audio's strongest live sound offering yet, including FlexPoint, Torus, and Wavefront Precision. For the installation sector, Wavefront Culture will supply several systems, including CDD Series, ADORN (including ceiling) speakers, SX Series, BlacklineX, O-Line, and TH series.
Wavefront Culture plans to include Martin Audio’s full suite of products in their upcoming showroom. This dedicated space will provide an immersive experience for customers, allowing them to explore and appreciate the superior quality of Martin Audio loudspeakers.
Martin Audio sales director, Bradley Watson, comments: "We are thrilled to establish this distribution partnership with Wavefront Culture in Malaysia. Their extensive industry expertise and dedication to customer satisfaction makes them an ideal partner for us. With their upcoming showroom, we can showcase the diverse range of Martin Audio products and demonstrate our commitment to delivering exceptional audio solutions."
Syafiq Yaacob, director of Wavefront Culture, adds: "I am elated to be a part of the Martin Audio family, facilitating access to their line of products and services to customers in Malaysia. It is time to put Martin Audio shoulder to shoulder with the top tiers of audio product

USA - QSC has announced the promotion of Linda Lee to vice president operations and supply chain. Rejoining the company in 2022, Lee worked at HID Global, Lantronix and most recently Indentiv, where she served as senior director of global supply chain and operations.
“Linda is a real professional with an incredible work ethic and she’s an absolute pleasure to work with,” says David Angress, senior vice president and general manager, QSC Pro Audio. “Linda has made an incredible impact on this company by working closely with our suppliers to ensure we have the correct inventory to better serve our customers. We are thrilled to have her back at QSC and I am confident she will continue to lead her efficient team to new heights as we continue to navigate the post-COVID world.”
“What I love about QSC are the people; all who are dedicated to working as a team to achieve the same goal,” says Lee.

USA - Winner of six Country Music Association Awards (including their 2021 & 2022 Entertainer of the Year award), four Academy of Country Music Awards and three Grammy nominations, Luke Combs is one of country music’s brightest stars.
The singer-songwriter is presently undertaking a major tour across North America in support of his fourth album Gettin’ Old, released in March 2023. The Growin' Up World tour runs through to July and features Combs plus support acts Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry and Brent Cobb.
The popularity of Combs and contemporary country music in general is evidenced by the scale of the venues - the tour is playing principally in NFL football stadiums, accommodating crowds of up to 65,000 per night and every show is sold out.
A touring production on this scale demands not only a technical infrastructure able to deliver the show (including a colossal stage provided by G2 Structures) but also an audio system that can handle all the nuances of modern country music, which swings freely between gentle acoustic ballads and powerful country-rock. Special Event Services (SES) of Mocksville NC are the sound and lighting contractor for this tour and are deploying the largest Outline loudspeaker system so far used for a major American tour.
Jason Farah of SES comments: “The size and layout of the venues plus the audience numbers led us to design a system using our Outline GTO inventory because we knew it had the combination of horsepower and accuracy needed to fill these stadiums, with the fidelity tha

UK - IPS were delighted to exhibit again at the 2023 PLASA Focus show, returning to Leeds has become a firm date in the company calendar. “The team on the stand met lots of familiar faces during the busy two-day event and had lots of productive conversations about upcoming projects and the latest hire items in the IPS inventory,” says IPS’ Tom Warden. “There was also interest in the IPS offering from new potential customers, as well as students and others interested in starting out within the technical events industry.”
The IPS stand was consistently busy as people visited to have a look at the fixtures on display, which included the new Martin MAC Aura XIP LED Wash fixture (which was recently one of the stars of the show at the Windsor Coronation Concert) and the new GLP Impression X5 IP Bar, which will arrive in hire stocks very shortly. The X5 IP bar boasts a brighter output with the impressive colour range from the new RGBL X5 LED engines, plus a wider zoom range and faster movement, all now in an IP rated package.
Also on display and continuing the IP rated lighting theme were Chauvet onAir IP Panel 2 fixtures providing diffused stand lighting, with Chauvet Ovation Reve E3-IP profile fixtures on highlighting duty. The stand itself was a Black Prolyte H30V Truss based structure, and everything was built from standard hire stock items.
One of the most popular features of the IPS stand was the pick’n’mix stand which helped keep spirits high during the show for event attendees and fellow exhibitors alike, with the intention being to

USA - Danley Sound Labs has announced the availability of two new loudspeakers in its line of professional loudspeakers: the SBH20FF and SH110 loudspeaker. Both loudspeakers provide new solutions where physically larger loudspeakers may not be needed.
“The SBH20FF was actually developed from our upcoming line for the home hifi market,” said Skip Welch, director of sales and marketing at Danley Sound Labs. “The product we are soon to launch - called the ILE3 - offered an opportunity to develop a unique loudspeaker with incredible musicality and accuracy while offering high output.”
The SBH20FF utilises the same ParalineTM technology and neodymium driver as the ILE3 to achieve sonic accuracy while maintaining a very tight 20-degree vertical dispersion and an extremely wide horizontal dispersion of 150 degrees. This tight dispersion is built into a smaller cabinet with a clean and flat aesthetic, thus the product’s name “FF” or “Flat Front.” Also unique to the SBH20FF is a four-point rigging system on the rear of the cabinet for use with Adaptive Technologies MM-060 for discrete pan and tilt bracketing.
“The SBH20FF is ideal for situations where a loudspeaker’s vertical dispersion can cause too much reverberation in a room like a house of worship,” said Welch. “They are also ideal where a speaker could potentially be mounted in a wall to hide their aesthetic for a very clean look. We see this product also as an ideal solution in public assembly halls, airports, train stations, retail kiosks, stadiums and more.”
In addi

UK - Throughout the week-long Eurovision Song Contest extravaganza, music for all of the televised live shows and rehearsals was mixed on the Mixbus, a music and audio outside broadcast facility that now incorporates an Evertz Studer Vista X console.
Owned by BAFTA winner Conrad Fletcher’s SounDesign company, the Mixbus was chosen for Eurovision because it is kitted out with a plethora of high-end equipment, including a Studer Vista X console that has the ability to handle complex and technically challenging live music shows.
A long time Studer user, Fletcher ordered his new console just three months before the event as a replacement for his old Studer Vista 8 console.
“The Vista 8 had always done a sterling job, but I’d been wanting to upgrade to a Vista X for some time in order to carry my business forward for the next 10 years,” he explains. “Winning the Eurovision project vindicated my decision to invest. The type of projects we do, especially live to cinema that makes up 50% of our workload, are complex and I honestly believe Studer is the only console manufacturer that can handle them. Nothing else comes close.”
Cooperation between Fletcher and Evertz, which had recently moved all Studer manufacturing to its factory in Canada, was key to ensuring the console was built and installed in time for the contest.
“Our build team was aware that this console was destined for Eurovision, so they knew delivery wasn’t a moveable date,” says Mark Hosking, director of international sales, Studer-Evertz Audio Solutions.