USA - In preparation for Thomas Rhett’s just-concluded Bring the Bar to You Tour, a 30-date US trek, FOH engineer Trey Smith and monitor engineer Jimmy Nicholson had plotted out much of the tour’s sonic complexity during a series of extensive rehearsals leading up to it. During these, while the band, musical director and Smith arranged keyboard and guitar-amplifier modelling patches, Nicholson perfected what Rhett himself would hear in his IEMs while allowing each performance to be both true to the recordings and fitted perfectly to each successive venue.
The only way to accomplish that, according to the audio engineers, was via DiGiCo’s Quantum7 console - times two. Rented through Nashville-based Spectrum Sound, the identical control desks reportedly made all the difference in terms of being able to reliably execute a complicated show night after night.
The pairing of the two Quantum7 desks came about when Nicholson, who joined Rhett’s team in 2019, was asked to take over both the artist’s audio monitoring, which he had initially been doing, and the monitor mix for the entire band. Until then, show monitoring needs had been mixed on a pair of DiGiCo SD5 consoles. “Once I took over the entire monitor mix, I realised I’d need a lot more processing power to manage it,” he says.
“That’s when we both made the switch to the Quantum7,” interjects Smith, adding an SD-Rack, two SD-MiNi Racks, and four Orange Boxes - one for keyboards and electronic drums, one for tracks, one for guitar modeling amps, and one for FOH outboard ge

Spain - El Madrileño is one of the most successful Spanish album premiers, generating more than 5m downloads on Spotify in a single day. It is the third studio album from Spanish rapper and singer-songwriter Antón Álvarez Alfaro, better known as C. Tangana, and was co-produced with fellow recording artist, Alizzz.
With the album peaking atop the Spanish music charts and bringing C. Tangana his first Latin Grammy nomination as a performer, a concert tour in support of El Madrileño, Sin Cantar ni Afinar Tour, was announced. The first date in Málaga earlier this year sold-out almost instantly, with over 30 shows taking place around Europe since. Providing powerful processing and stability are DiGiCo Quantum 7 and SD7 consoles, supplied by audiovisual equipment rental company Fluge Audiovisuales.
FOH engineer Felipe Lara has been mixing for C. Tangana for the last four years and explains how he started using the SD7. “I started the current tour with a different console brand but it was having stability problems, so three days in, I opted to switch. I chose the SD7 because I know the consoles, its processing power and stability. Being so familiar with the DiGiCo environment, I knew I’d be able to replicate the work I’d done on the previous console to the SD7 very quickly,” he says.
With Fluge Audiovisuales’ extensive product inventory, which includes SD7, SD5, SD10, SD8, SD12, SD11 and the latest Quantum7, Quantum338 and Quantum225 models, meant supplying the tour was not an issue.
Lara notes that although he always fo

UK - It’s been a busy summer for Blackbeam, the popup cinema and event projection specialists based in Barnstaple on the north coast of Devon. The company provides popup cinema hire services to a range of customers including Exeter Phoenix, Seaton Outdoor Cinema and the National Trust, in addition to organising its own Blackbeam Cinematic events.
A graduate of the Royal College of Art with a history of working in the events services industry, Blackbeam owner Alastair Leslie knows that powerful, full range cinematic sound is every bit as important as a great picture in creating a thrilling and truly immersive outdoor movie experience. So Blackbeam audiences are wowed by the punch and clarity of a compact Nexo line array system comprising two hangs of six Geo M6 boxes with a pair of LS18 subs on the floor, with amplification and processing from a pair of NXAMP4X2MK2 powered processors.
“We never come away from a gig without somebody in the audience complimenting us on the sound quality,” reports Alastair. “And it’s not just about power, but also intelligibility.”
Transport and deployment are also important to any events services company. “The Nexo system is very light and compact, so it’s easy to transport” continues Alastair. “And it can be rigged by a single tech. Even the amplifier and processing rack is just 4U. Yet despite its diminutive size, the audio holds up at best quality up to 40 metres from source, and the audience coverage is impressively consistent.
“With our Airscreen inflatable screen, Panasonic projection

UK - Funktion-One has introduced what many will view as its most versatile loudspeaker to date. Evo X is a significant development of the full range, completely horn-loaded loudspeaker. Utilising the latest Funktion-One waveguide technology, it provides 90° horizontal dispersion and high SPL.
Evo X's advanced driver technology delivers outstanding clarity, resolution and detail across 90° horizontal dispersion, making it an excellent choice for live venues, small clubs and theatres. It is capable of high SPL from a relatively compact speaker and can be deployed as a one per side or four-point system. While Evo X’s horizontal dispersion delivers even coverage across a wide area, its focused 15° vertical dispersion ensures the sound is concentrated on the audience, minimising reflections and room excitement. The result is clear and involving sound.
Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews comments: “We’ve had a 90° full range loudspeaker on our radar for a while now, but it was the development of Vero VX that paved the way for Evo X. It’s an impressive piece of loudspeaker technology, which can be deployed in all kinds of environments. As part of its field testing, we’ve had a pair in Esher Theatre. I’ve heard a 16-piece big band through that system; the level of detail, separation and the stereo image were remarkable considering the complexity of the signal.”
Esher Theatre's Charlie Swift adds: “For us, the key point is the live experience you can’t get anywhere else. The Funktion-One sound leaves a lasting impression with the

UK -The new Studiomaster Core is offered as ‘a highly versatile, self-powered hi-mid top and sub stack, suitable for high efficiency portable sound reinforcement applications, including in larger ‘medium size’ size venues where wider constant frequency coverage is required’. To achieve this wider coverage Core employs a constant curve array hi-mid cabinet, together with a powerful self-powered, active sub.
Core is especially purposed for full-scale musical performance, with two variants – Core 121 and Core 151 – respectively having 5” and 8” MF drivers, rather than the 2” or smaller drivers more usually deployed in this product class. In the Core 121 these are matched with 9x 1” dome HF drivers, and 12x 1” dome tweeters in the CORE 151. This gives the two Core curvature arrays a highly accurate response across the full mid and high frequency spectrum (from 200 to 18000 Hz + 5dB), and throughout the 100° (H) x 70° (V) coverage.
All this high resolution, high transparency MF / HF requires substantial low-end support. This is delivered at output levels of up to 128 dB by a lightweight and compact reflex sub; featuring a 12 LF driver on the Core 121 and 15” LF driver on the Core 151.
Studiomaster general manager Patrick Almond says, “Core exploits unique hybrid performance characteristics of a curvature array cabinet in providing extraordinary horizontal coverage, within a design with the necessary signal power and throw for a wide range of performance, playback and presentation applications.”

UK - Offering authentic Turkish food within a colourful upbeat space, the dining and drinking experience at Lokma restaurant in Stratford is billed as ‘both exotic and succulent.’
Combining traditional cuisine into a contemporary setting has been flooding the London restaurant scene in the last few years and thanks to technical assistance from Flipside AV, Lokma guests will enjoy musical entertainment alongside a menu deeply infused with culture and tradition.
Having already designed a successful system at the Lokma restaurant in Bermondsey, Flipside were called upon once again to make the Stratford location work just as well. James Cooper, managing director at Flipside recalls: “It took a bit of planning to work out the space as a whole – being split across multiple levels, while still being quite open, it’s a slightly unusual space to work with, but I’m really proud of the system we designed to overcome these types of architectural challenges.”
The restaurant design team wanted the space to feel intimate from an audio perspective, even with a naturally reverberant area at the front main entrance. “The best way to overcome that is to just use a lot more speakers,” says Cooper. “We added in a Yamaha MTX5D Matrix Processor to help balance off all the different areas, so none of them end up fighting each other for more coverage. There was quite a bit of tweaking to do, but logistically, it worked out really well.”
Copying over a similar set up for the Bermondsey location, Flipside installed separate pairs of Yamaha VXS5’

UK - Abbey Road’s Studio Three, which has been home to artists such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean, Florence + The Machine, Brockhampton and Amy Winehouse, has installed 21 Van Damme Purple Patches as part of an extensive revamp.
Purple Parch is a PPE56 2x48 bantam patchbay, created as part of a two-year research and development programme to ensure that recording studios, theatres with recording facilities and broadcasting houses get the best in terms of performance, functionality and capability.
Simon Campbell, head of technical services at Abbey Road Studios said: “You can tell that the team at VDC have done their research and worked very hard on creating a great product. We received 21 units straight off the production line, configured them and really put Purple Patch through its paces before we signed them off. We identified a few things that needed to be tweaked – and VDC made sure everything was done to ensure a smooth installation.”
Niall Holden, CEO of VDC commented: “With Purple Patch, we wanted to create a world class product. Studio Three at Abbey Road was the first ever location that installed these particular patchbays and it was a baptism of fire. We worked together to make sure that we really nailed the product and got the quality down to a fine art. Everything had to work perfectly – and function in a way that you’d expect.
“We’d become so frustrated with the failure rates of the alternatives on the market and decided to spend time refining and improving what was already out there. The main

Philippines – October 2022 – Located 30 kilometres from the Philippine capital of Manila, Dasmariñas City has seen explosive growth in recent decades. Founded in 1990 in the Salitran neighbourhood, the Dasmariñas Church of God (COG) serves as a beacon of hope and light for both the local population and the wider Manila metropolis.
Originally housed in a small rural complex, COG has seen impressive growth, which led the worship team to build a dedicated five-storey Generation Blessing Building in the heart of Dasmariñas to serve their current 15,000-plus congregation better.
Church of God reaches out to parishioners and locals with an open-all-week plethora of offerings like a fitness centre and sauna, a café, a dance studio, a photography studio, music classes, and more. But the heart of COG’s ministry are the eight worship services offered every Sunday in the main, 2,000-capacity hall and an overflow, 600-capacity smaller hall. Altogether, COG welcomes over 20,000 people on any given Sunday. To ensure the ministry’s message is communicated clearly, the church requires both halls to be equipped with dependable audio systems.
“We want to give the congregation and visitors a great worship experience, an experience in which they will hunger to come back for more,” says Head Pastor Dr. Anthony Velasco of COG Dasmariñas. “Our work is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost in the city. The main hall is one of our avenues to accomplish this mission. Through the performance of live worship songs, vocal clarity and full-range mu

UK - Heavily supported by the local City Council, Brighton & Hove Pride - a celebration of Brighton’s LGBTQ+ community, annually attracts crowds of around 250,000 people to the seaside resort.
While the origins of the event date back to 1973, Capital Sound (part of the Solotech UK Group) has provided main stage sound reinforcement for the last three events. Having supplied PA and control for headliners Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, following a break for COVID-19 they were back in the 63-acre Preston Park site for the 2022 edition which featured Christina Aguilera and Paloma Faith as headliners on the Saturday and Sunday respectively.
After deploying Martin Audio’s MLA loudspeaker array for Britney Spears back in 2018, the enforced break caused by the pandemic had enabled the British manufacturer to move the ground-breaking control technology further still, now enabling the production company to deploy the new Wavefront Precision (WPL system) that proved such a hit this summer at the UK’s two predominant Glastonbury and BST Hyde Park festivals.
Working alongside production manager Dean Parker, at Wilde Ones International Events, their sound design was based around main hangs of 18 WPL per side, with a stage right side hang of six of the smaller WPC, and a larger drop of 12 WPC elements stage left.
Maintaining continuity with Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision family, filling the sound at the front of the stage were eight WPS, while providing the all-important low frequency extension were 20 of Martin Audio’s ultra-powerful 2x

USA - Harman Professional Solutions recently partnered with the American Cancer Society to provide a powerful and dynamic JBL Professional SRX900 Series sound reinforcement system at the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley.
Founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1985 by Dr. Gordon Klatt, Relay For Life is an ongoing community-based global fundraising movement in support of the American Cancer Society. With local fundraising events in thousands of communities and around the world, Relay For Life has raised approximately seven billion dollars globally since 1985 to fund cancer treatment research and provide patients with essential services. Located in Los Angeles County, the Santa Clarita Valley community has hosted a Relay For Life annually since 1999.
“I’ve been involved with various Relay For Life events for ten years, first as a volunteer and now as a staff partner,” said Abby Smith, development manager, American Cancer Society. “Relay For Life is a global movement. It’s more than just one day. We’re fighting cancer twelve months a year and it’s incredible to see communities and people of all walks of life come together for one common goal – to end cancer as we know it. Over the lifetime of the Santa Clarita Valley event - 24 years since 1999 - we’ve raised over $8m in Santa Clarita alone to support the American Cancer Society and the global leader in the fight against cancer.”
In addition to the main 12-hour relay, the Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley featured musical performances by local b

USA - Harman Professional Solutions has introduced the JBL PRX900 Series of loudspeakers and subwoofers, which feature advanced acoustics, comprehensive DSP, power performance and complete BLE control via the JBL Pro Connect app.
The line, which includes three powered two-way loudspeakers and two powered subwoofers, is built from the ground up to leverage JBL’s most advanced acoustic innovations. All-new proprietary driver systems - powered by Class D amplifiers -deliver clarity and definition even at maximum volume, with improved dispersion and beam width and smooth low-frequency extension.
The PRX900 Series’ DSP package, accessible via onboard LCDs and the JBL Pro Connect app, includes 12-band parametric EQ for system tuning and nuanced tonal control, and integrated dbx Drive Rack technology, featuring live and fixed Automatic Feedback Suppression, soft system limiter with Soundcraft Overeasy option and speaker delay settings and presets.
The PRX900 Series is designed to withstand the rigors of the road. Rigid composite loudspeaker cabinets feature computer-modelled ribbing for optimal acoustic performance and durability, while subwoofers are housed in 18 mm birch cabinets with optimized bracing for smooth, accurate low-frequency response. Like with every JBL product, everything is reinforced by test and validation protocols and the series is backed by a seven-year warranty.
“For years, our PRX800 Series loudspeakers have been first-call systems for bands, DJs, installers and houses of worship in large part thanks to their acoustic p

USA - To provide Alice Cooper with impactful and dynamic audio for his 2022 US tour, SLS Production Services implemented a diverse selection of JBL Professional audio solutions.
Cooper is perhaps best known for his onstage persona and visuals inspired by horror films, injecting a sense of camp and theatricality in rock music that still inspires artists to this day. For his latest US tour, Cooper and his band performed onstage with gravestones, skeletons and a platform that doubles as a medieval castle wall.
As a result, the band did not use amps onstage to accommodate the set design, meaning that the tour required live sound that provided impact and clarity for both the band and audience while also accounting for the budget, personnel and gear limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet these requirements, SLS equipped the tour with a selection of JBL VTX Series speakers, including the new VTX A12 Line Array Loudspeaker.
“The setup has certainly changed over the years, even from just a couple tours ago,” said Todd Hartman, owner, SLS Production Services. “There are no wedges or amps onstage for the performers on this tour, for example. They're all just running through the rig. We needed a rig that had great sound and was easily deployable with limited numbers of people. When you go into these rooms, you're always five or ten people short on labour calls. Trying to limit the number of people we need and still put a large format PA up in the space is part of the challenge in today's touring world.
“All the sound and front-of-h

USA - The Lucky Day Tequila & Mezcal House in Las Vegas is a 3,000sq.ft, 100-person capacity bar filled with Mexican art and artifacts, colour, and an explosion of light and sound. A canopy of 15,000 colourful, programmable LED lights of all shapes and sizes dance above patrons as they sample cocktails and enjoy the music.
Local Las Vegas restaurant and bar development firm, Corner Bar Management, opened the Lucky Day Tequila & Mezcal House in early 2020. Corner Bar Management focuses almost exclusively on creating spaces within the artistic Freemont district of Las Vegas. Lucky Day was the company’s sixth project at the time, and two more restaurants have been opened since. A foundation of all Corner Bar Management projects is a well-equipped, high-quality sound system.
“Most all our venues are very dance forward. We create DJ-driven environments, and we pay a great deal of attention to the sound system; music is a big part of our atmospheres, so we need to get it right,” explained Ryan Doherty, founder, Corner Bar Management. “To match the size and aesthetics of Lucky Day, and for the level of quality we wanted, our integrator suggested the XY Series from Pioneer Pro Audio. It has worked out perfectly for us.”
“We’ve worked with Pioneer Pro Audio systems in similar venues in the past, they are always flexible, easy to install and set up, and have a great sound,” said business associate, Bob Athey. “When Ryan explained that they wanted high-quality, party-ready audio from a system that could also blend into the aesthetics

Canada - 64 Audio has announced the promotion of Stewart Millager to senior executive officer. Millager has been with 64 Audio since 2017, most recently as chief operating officer, and prior to that he led the company’s R&D team.
“Since its founding in 2010, 64 Audio has become the leader in the custom and universal fit in-ear monitor market, and that’s due to both our people and our product,” said Millager. “Our founder and chief sound designer Vitaliy Belonozhko is the real creative force behind the company and its products. As I take on the senior executive officer role, it will allow him to have more opportunity to work on new products, patents, and inventions while I take on more responsibility for the day-to-day and overall operations.”
“As a results-driven professional with an impressive resume in the consumer and Pro A/V markets, Stewart has proven himself in our COO role the past few years and through the pandemic,” said Belonozhko. “As 64 Audio continues to grow, shifting and adding responsibilities his way was the natural course of action with today’s challenging business environment in order to keep us on track and on the path to even greater success.”

UK - Britannia Row Productions, a Clair Global company, has acquired fellow UK-based sound reinforcement provider Skan to offer an even more comprehensive level of service and support to both firms’ existing and future clients. The transaction was finalised in September.
“Since its inception, Skan has evolved to become recognised internationally for its passion for providing the very best service, equipment, packaging, and people to its clients,” states Nicola Amoruso, managing director at Britannia Row. “Skan and Britannia Row have maintained a relationship of friendly competition and mutual respect throughout this time and both parties see this partnership as a logical step forward.”
Founded in the ‘70s, Skan is based in Newbury in the South of England and offers sound reinforcement services for tours, festivals, and large-scale events with an impressive roster of clients worldwide including Muse, Liam Gallagher, and ELO. The firm’s present leadership will remain in place.
Chris Fitch, director and co-owner at Skan, says: “We were flattered to be asked to join the preeminent global audio rental company. There is no other offer we would have considered, and we expect this new arrangement to provide benefits to our existing and future customers.
"Over the last 25 years, we have provided a global service from our base in the UK but being part of a global organisation allows more options to supply services and provide support from other locations.
"Working with Abby Llewellyn, director and co-owner, and a core of dedicated

UK - Britannia Row Productions has a long-standing relationship with the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) international arts festival, having been involved in several editions since the very first in 1982. The 2022 festival saw Brit Row provide skilled crew and audio packages for all four stages, catering to a diverse line-up of musical acts and performers.
“We love the festival, particularly because of its ethos to bring in these wonderfully diverse artists to headline,” says Brit Row director, Bryan Grant. “Another great aspect is that our engineers often mix bands, so it’s excellent experience for them. There are also roles on the crew for relative newcomers, whom the festival always encourages to get stuck in. Our freelancers line up to work at WOMAD!”
Audio crew chief Alex Hore had worked on the festival many times over the years, but this was his first time overseeing the audio crew members, 11 in total. “WOMAD is always an amazing musical experience,” he says. “There’s so much variety in styles and genres, there’s never a dull moment as so many different artists are focused on pushing musical boundaries. Of course, as in any event, particular roles need to be filled with experienced crew, but WOMAD also offers a brilliant opportunity for newer crew to get hands-on experience and work with different cultural attitudes towards live sound production. It’s the perfect event to step outside of the norm and get familiar with instruments and musicians that speak a different language.”
As well as being familiar with som

USA - Audinate Group Limited reports that Dante Brooklyn 3 audio networking module is now shipping to customers. Announced in June at InfoComm 22, the new module is a pin-compatible replacement for one of Audinate’s most popular products, Dante Brooklyn 2, which has been redesigned to ensure continuous availability while delivering support for current and future Dante features. 
The Dante Brooklyn module family is the most widely deployed implementation of Dante and is used in hundreds of products including mixing consoles, DSPs, and amplifiers. The new Dante Brooklyn 3 audio module is available in 8x8 to 64x64 channel SKUs, delivering ultra-low latency networked audio in a complete module supporting the complete suite of Dante audio features. 
“With the arrival of Brooklyn 3, we’re delivering a new design that will help original design manufacturers address supply chain constraints and maintain production while delivering a product to customers that will support future Dante features,” said Chris Ware, Audinate’s senior vice president of product development. “Because this new module is a direct replacement for earlier versions, manufacturers can begin using them in production today.”
Dante Brooklyn 3 is compatible with all other Dante devices and can be routed, managed, secured and monitored using Dante Controller and Dante Domain Manager.

USA - A 3D stage production featured at the Red Rocks amphitheatre in late September for Rowdytown X, the 10th anniversary edition of Big Gigantic’s flagship party. Lighting and production designer, Justin Casey of Helms Projects and the production team created a deep and evocative stage presence that made it easy for fans to feel like they were entering a 3D space as they watch performances by the event’s hosts, as well as guests Joyryde, Mitis, Jantsen, and INZO.
A variety of design elements, from a curved set that wrapped around the artists on stage, to blow-through video walls with generative content, were seamlessly fused to create this immersive panorama. Contributing to the overall effect was a collection of 40 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Helms Projects and Brown Note Productions.
“This production took a village to complete, so big thanks to all the vendors, not just Helm Projects, and Brown Note Productions, but also Pyromix Pyro, Laser Wolf, Photon7, Gallagher staging, Antic Studio and PSI,” said Casey. “There were also so many people involved like Jonathan ‘Jdub’ Watson, Tommy Mercer, Sean Ginsburg, and Bryan Saltarelli from the lighting team, Max Kohler, Collin Thielen, Andrew Gross, Daniel Fennell, John Batts from the video team; Marshall Rawley, Conner Ash from laser, Alex Curry our rigger; and Sean Mullens, Whitney Wangsgaard, Mike Norfleet, and Bryan Fletcher from the Big Gigantic team.”
Creating a distinctive focal point in the middle of their dimensional stage, the design team positioned a giant mirror

USA - The organisers of Downtown Napa’s Oxbow RiverStage along with Sound Image Productions, who provided the complete audio, lighting and staging package for the concert series, decided on a PA system from EAW’s ADAPTive line, including its Anya Loudspeakers and Otto Subwoofers.
This year’s event featured Brandi Carlile, Lovers and Strangers, a-ha, Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown, Third Eye Blind, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, and Widespread Panic. In all, Oxbow RiverStage utilised nine Anya’s flown inside and three Otto subs on each side of the stage.
“We worked with the City of Napa this year to deal with concerns we’d had in past seasons with bleed into neighbouring communities,” says Mike Brown, head of audio, Sound Image Productions. “Turning the stage around and moving it to the other side of the venue helped, but EAW’s Anya ADAPTive PA system was amazing. The flexibility of Anya allowed us to control our sound and place the audio where we wanted it and keep it away from where we didn’t want it.”
With the new stage orientation, the landscape featured a train bridge almost 400ft in front of the stage. “This long, perpendicular concrete structure creates a very pronounced slap back into the audience,” adds Brown. “With the Anya’s and Otto’s, we were able to reject a lot of the low end behind the hang, and focus energy into audience areas, reducing transmission into surrounding neighbourhoods. We were also able to reduce the delayed reflection of the train bridge by limiting the coverage back into the l

France - Amadeus has collaborated on a new artistic work with South African artist, performer, and director William Kentridge to create the immersive sound for his latest multi-sensorial installation, titled More Sweetly Play The Dance and hosted by France’s renowned cultural centre Les Champs Libres.
The new Kentridge exhibition is designed to be ‘open, festive, poetic, and generous but also contemplative, gruff, and militant. It intends to evoke the concept of celebration in its broadest sense, by uniting artistical practices from all horizons’.
This work surrounds the spectators in a seemingly endless parade of characters. A genuine dancing procession of cartoons and videos, the 35m-long frieze of moving images and sound invites attendees to enter a macabre dance while providing the opportunity to reflect on notions of injustice and inhumanity.
“I am interested in political art, meaning: an art of ambiguity, contradiction, unfinished gestures, and random outcomes. An art - and a politics - in which optimism is restrained and nihilism kept at bay. The film itself is part of a series of projects that deal with despair in this era of disappearing utopias,” stated its creator, William Kentridge.
“Les Champs Libres are among the first French institutions - notably the Théâtre National de Chaillot, the Comédie Française, or even La Scala - to believe in the artistic and perceptive added value that the new spatialization-linked sound technologies could provide. As such, in 2016 our auditorium was equipped with an advanced im

Europe - Shure supported Louis Tomlinson on his worldwide debut album campaign with 12 channels of PSM 1000 in ear monitors and two channels of Axient Digital AD2 handheld microphones with KSM9 capsules.
The world tour was rescheduled due to the 2020 pandemic and as a result, some shows were booked into larger venues with more production added. Show designer, Tom Taylor/TANCK came up with a new concept for the large outdoor European shows which allowed for a full width catwalk in front of the IMAG video screens, allowing Louis to walk and perform along the full width of stage and the catwalk, which was around 60m wide. This presented the concerns that his IEMs and radio mic wouldn’t have sufficient RF coverage behind the antennas at stage left.
Jack Drury and Stuart Stephens suggested a passive split of the IEM transmitting antennas, running our usual helical setup on stage with a passive omnidirectional antenna on the catwalk to provide increased RF coverage. “With our standard AD4D wireless microphone setup, we couldn’t run Axient Quadversity, therefore we needed an AD4Q - 4 channel receiver and an extra pair of antennas from our audio supplier Solotech which allowed us to run a Quadversity setup for our radio mics and it worked flawlessly.”
Stuart Stephens, product marketing manager for pro audio at Shure, explains: “From experience, we knew that they wouldn’t have any trouble covering the main stage area with their usual helical antenna IEM setup. Using a passive splitter, they could place a UA860SWB omnidirectional antenna at the l

UK - Now 11 years old, Chris Evans’ popular CarFests show no signs of running out of gas, as some 50,000 people again took to Laverstoke Park Farm near Overton, Hampshire - owned by 1979 Formula One World Champion, Jody Scheckter - for CarFest South. Inaugurated by Evans back in 2011, the event raises funds for Children in Need.
The event is a regular client of Martin Audio partner SWG Events, the south-west-based production company, who provided a full sound and light package. This included their Martin Audio WPL line array, which provided sound reinforcement for a broad range of artists. These included Kaiser Chiefs, Rag 'n' Bone Man, Tom Odell, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Faithless Soundsystem, James Blunt, Judge Jules, Bob Marley Revival and Rick Parfitt Jnr, Paloma Faith and Steps.
The fast-moving performance area is built around three differently configured stages, flanking a DJ stage occupied by Chris Evans himself, all set in a line.
SWG Events has traditionally deployed their W8LC, but this year that older Martin Audio system was redeployed to delay duties in two hangs of eight, as their new Wavefront Precision (WPL) took pride of place. The two main hangs of 12 WPL were driven in 2-box resolution from iKON iK42 process controlled amplifiers, as were a stage right out hang of 12 WPL. An additional six-per-side WPC provided in-fills between the stages, while across the front, 20 Martin Audio SXH218 subwoofers were set in a broadside array to provide LF extension.
Further to that, four stacks of two W8LC were deployed for front-fill on the l

EMEA - Martin Professional continues their expansion with the appointment of Chris Munn as account manager for UK & Ireland. With almost twenty years of experience in the industry, he brings extensive knowledge and in-depth experience to the team. His passion for Martin products evident, particularly in his lighting design work, Munn joins Martin from working as an energy zone manager on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, leaving early to grasp this opportunity.
Munn previously worked across many roles in various venues, including technical manager of various producing and receiving regional venues. Also, a qualified electrician, he brings with him a wide range of skills gained from working on events, festivals and tours in every discipline; along with his already proven can-do attitude and hands-on approach!
Munn comments, “I am excited to be part of the Martin team. This role will give me the ability to utilise and leverage the skills and knowledge I’ve gained in my career so far. With my hands-on experience and knowledge, I can help to add value and further improve the support Martin offer to the UK and Ireland.
Ben Payne, director of lighting for EMEA adds: “Chris has already proven himself to be a huge part of the Martin Professional team. His hands-on skills and on-the-job knowledge really lend themselves to being able to offer the best support and service and we are delighted to have him on board!”

USA - Renkus-Heinz, industry-leading loudspeaker manufacturer, will showcase a range of sound solution products fit for the House of Worship market at the Church Facilities Conference & Expo (CFX) at The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre this week in Dallas, Texas.
At CFX, Renkus-Heinz will feature its latest loudspeaker technology including the ICLX of the ICLive X Series, the PCX8 of the all-new PCX Series and two S Series subwoofers. In addition to experiencing Renkus-Heinz products, attendees will have the chance to speak directly with Renkus-Heinz CTO Ralph Heinz, product manager Brandon Heinz and Western regional sales manager Garrison Parkin at Booth F.
"Houses of worship often pose unique acoustic challenges," said Parkin. "Large contemporary houses of worship might require a high-output system that doesn't compromise on sound quality while more traditional spaces may struggle with speech intelligibility.
“Our sound solutions effectively tackle these audio challenges, revamping houses of worship with clear, intelligible audio and consistent sound coverage no matter their shape or size. We look forward to connecting with new and current partners at CFX to showcase our line-up of innovative products.”
Designed to be scaled for the special needs of any space or application, the ICLive X Series brings ‘a new level of flexibility for both traditional and contemporary houses of worship’. With digital beam steering technology, the ICLive X Series keeps sound away from walls, floors and rafters to focus precisely on the congre