UK - Void Acoustics has added two additions to its touring audio catalogue in ArcM 12 and ArcM 15, part of the Arcline series.
ArcM 12 is a lightweight, versatile monitor, with multiple working angles, allowing use as either a near field booth monitor or conventional stage wedge. The aesthetically-pleasing low profile design creates cleaner stage lines and a more visually appealing view for the audience. In addition, pole mounting or wall mounting is possible for front-of-house purposes.
Acoustically, FEA analysis has significantly reduced port noise and air distortion, says Void. The 12” ArcM 12 is unpowered, allowing it to integrate with touring operators’ existing infrastructure. With a frequency response of 60Hz - 18kHz ± 3dB, the maximum continuous output is 130dB, reaching 133dB peak output.
In terms of mobility, measures have been taken to reduce weight, while maintaining an ergonomic design to appease manual handling requirements. Weighing just 19kg (41.9 lbs), this small, reliable monitor is ideal for touring and easily be moved using the comfortable, robust handles, making light work of truck packing after dismantling a stage.
The slightly larger 15” ArcM 15 similarly offers simple integration and all the benefits of the ArcM 12, weighing 22.5kg (49.6 lbs). Frequency response spans from 50 Hz - 18kHz ± 3dB, with a maximum continuous output of 130 dB and a peak output of 134 dB.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Chris Hoff, FOH engineer for rock band Styx, relies on JBL 7 Series Master Reference Monitors to help him dial in studio-quality sound during live performances.
Styx released The Mission, their 16th studio album and first original release in over 10 years in 2017. When the band began touring to support the new record, they enlisted the help Chris Hoff. In order to deliver consistent sound in a wide range of venues, including some with less-than-desirable mix positions, Hoff relies on JBL 7 Series Monitors to make sure his live mixes stack up to Styx’s studio recordings.
“We multi-track every show and I needed a way to compare the live mix I’m doing to the albums,” says Hoff. “The only way to really replicate what's going to be coming out of a PA is to have reference monitors in front of you. It makes it easier for me to bounce back and forth between the album and my multi-tracks to try to match up effects, balances and panning.
“The 7 Series monitors give me a great reference to what I'm actually sending to the PA. When I'm in a really bad mix position, I'm basically mixing off of these and trusting that what I’m feeding to the speakers is translating to the audience.”
Before each show, Hoff uses the previous night’s multi-track recording to tune the PA system. JBL 7 Series monitors provide him with the clear, detailed sound he needs to accurately identify and react to the subtle acoustical challenges of each venue - and according to the fans, Styx has never sounded better.
“One of the blessings, and pos

Europe - Alan Parsons is probably one of the most demanding artists. In the late '60s / early' 70s, he worked as a sound engineer on milestones in music history, including the Beatles albums Abbey Road and Let it be, as well as on Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother and Dark Side of the Moon. As a musician he experienced in the 80's the highlight of his career with his Alan Parsons Project. At that time, however, he barely performed live, as the technology at that time was unable to reproduce the sound of his songs as he had produced them in the studio.
Meanwhile, professional audio technology has caught up, and so dared Alan Parsons to tour again with his recent album The Secret. PM Blue from Hamburg was responsible for the eight-day tour of the musician through Germany. The lighting concept was realised in cooperation with AVM from Schwanewede.
As to be expected, the requirements for the sound engineering in this case were particularly high, as Timo Hille, junior project manager and audio specialist at PM Blue confirms: "Since Alan Parsons was and still is very successful as a producer and recording engineer, his requirements with regards to the sound quality are particularly high. In addition, musically there’s a lot going on with Alan and his seven-member band; The complex arrangements of the songs, in which many instruments overlap, especially in the low-mid range between 120Hz and 800Hz, demand a good mix on one hand, but also a really high-resolution sound system on the other hand."
Pro-ribbon systems from Alco

UK - Prolight Concepts Group has appointed Ollie Wilkinson, who will represent the company as in-house technical sales manager. Wilkinson has been working in the lighting and entertainment industry for over 12 years and was previously employed as head of lighting for ArranPaul. He brings a broad working knowledge from his experience of planning and organising equipment and staff for nationwide touring shows and lighting large scale events.
“I am looking forward to stepping into the role of technical sales manager here at Prolight,” says Wilkinson. “I feel my wealth of experience and knowledge of working hands on in this industry will benefit the company in many ways. It’s a fantastic team and I am excited to be part of the journey.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - When John Legend and his 11-piece band performed at this year’s BluesFest for his only UK show of 2019, it was through a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker array provided by Capital Sound at the O2 Arena.
Introduced to the event by production manager Neil McDonald in 2017, Capital’s crew won plaudits both from Legend’s own production manager, Chris Stinebrink, and FOH engineer, Paul Klimson (Theory One Productions).
“The MLA system caught my attention from the instant [system tech] Ben Turnbull started the tuning,” he explains. “Both he and [FOH tech] Dave Preston made me feel right at home, and even before Ben dug into the tuning, I noticed that the MLA rig was forward sounding. It didn’t sound like we were in the O2 but at an outdoor festival and I could only surmise that all the energy was coming out of the front of the array with very little spill off the back.
“When Ben was done with the tuning, there was nothing left for me to comment on. I actually peeled off a bunch of processing and EQing I had done on my file from past shows. It felt like a clean slate. The low-end down front was not oppressive but still translated well in the back and upper bowl. There was great transition from mains to side hangs and up to the top seats.”
Consequently, he said, mixing that night had been “a dream”. Of MLA he says: “It was a very forgiving box that I could lean into without any surprises. Our monitor engineer Jon Ostrin said it was a great show from the stage as well. He mentioned the energy coming back was perfect to connect

USA - Producers, musicians, DJs and music industry professionals came together at the Capitol Studios in Hollywood earlier this week to honour producer Quincy Jones with an AKG Lifetime Achievement Award.
Held in Capitol’s historic A and B studios, guests were treated to a performance by Quincy Jones protégé and multi-Grammy award winner, Jacob Collier, along with a variety of immersive experiences that celebrated the microphone and headphone brand’s iconic past while showcasing its rich future. The evening culminated with host and broadcast journalist Nic Harcourt presenting Quincy Jones the AKG Lifetime Achievement Award, for Quincy’s contribution to music since the early 1950s.
“For almost seven decades in this business as a musician, composer, arranger, conductor and producer, I have always gone for the music that gives me goosebumps. And whether it was Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra, the Brothers Johnson, Michael Jackson, the artists who contributed to the recordings of We Are The World, right up until today, without fail that music was delivered through AKG audio products,” said Quincy Jones.
“As you celebrate your 70th anniversary, I have no doubt in my mind that AKG will continue to be an essential part of the music recording and listening experience for many, many more decades to come.”
“Throughout his legendary career, Quincy Jones has created some of the most iconic records in the history of the recording industry and we are honored to present him with a Lifetime Achi

Germany - At the eighth Electro Magnetic open air festival , almost 60 DJs and live-acts performed on different floors in the UNESCO World Heritage Völklinger Ironworks, a large industrial compound, developed at the end of the 19th century. In 2019 and for the first time the Electro Magnetic Festival celebrated two nights at Völklinger Ironworks.
RCF audio-systems were used on all floors. German event company Triacs was responsible for the technical implementation of the main floor and implemented a RCF HDL 50-A system.
Triacs used several RCF modules on the main floor. Two 10 HDL 50-A line array modules (hanging) together with 16 SUB 9007 (Sub Arc Cardioid) were in place as the main PA. Additionally eight HDL 30-A were used as near-fill. Four TT 1-A covered the VIP zone. TT 052-A modules in combination with In-Ear acted as the monitoring for the control rooms (light, laser, video).
Further companies, involved in the festival included Laserfabrik (lasers), FOG (SFX), Provisuell (video) and Gebrüder Rende Gerüstbau (rigging), Lux and Fabula, Senad Deumic & Jan Eiserloh (planning) and Gerdon Design (lighting design).
(Jim Evans)

Italy - RCF has been announced as the main sponsor of a 100,000-seat outdoor venue - the RCF Arena.
The arena, stated to open on 12 September 2020, will be the largest in Italy once completed. It is being built in an area called Campovolo, just outside the manufacturer’s hometown of Reggio Emilia, and will feature a permanent installation of RCF’s TT + audio system plus 10 delay towers.
Arturo Vicari, CEO of RCF Group, comments: “RCF was born in 1949 in Reggio Emilia. From here we brought the excellence of Italian sound throughout the globe and today we are among the major players in the market.
“Giving our name to RCF Arena is a source of pride for us, but also a mission and a commitment. We have a strong bond with this region, and we intend to treat it in the best possible way. With this wonderful project, we will bring our innovation and technology to our back yard, in Reggio Emilia.”
"RCF audio systems have amplified the music of national and international artists in every corner of the globe, and in some wonderful arenas," continues Vicari. "The RCF sound is based on the expertise and reliability of a company made up of people and passion. We have just turned 70 and we still want to play.”
RCF Arena, designed by a project team featuring Iotti + Pavarani Architetti, Arch.Guido Tassoni and Lauro Sachetti Associati, will allow for a capacity of 10,000 to 100,000 people. A raked audience floor will be created to ensure optimal visibility and acoustics, whilst the stage will be placed in the lower part of the arena in a cen

UK - Situated in London’s Covent Garden, the Grade I listed Royal Opera House (ROH) is one of London’s largest theatres. Housing both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, the site’s rich history dates back to 1732 when the (then) Theatre Royal was opened.
Earlier this year, prior to staging The Munich Opera’s production of Handel’s opera Agrippina, directed by Barrie Kosky, the ROH received a specific request from lighting designer Benedikt Zhem for the placement of moving head LED units in the front of house. Historically, similar requests for moving heads have created issues in terms of a lack of space, sound control and certain restrictions placed on the auditorium by English Heritage.
In an effort to meet the designer’s wish, the team at the ROH carried out some research into a possible solution and concluded that Elation’s Artiste Picasso product met all the criteria they required. Elation’s UK and ROI distributor Entedi arranged an on-site demonstration, which confirmed that Artiste Picasso met the requirements for power, beam size, beam image and shuttering. Pivotally, the units produce minimal ambient noise, which ultimately enabled them to be hung successfully at Grand Tier level in the auditorium.
The Elation Artiste Picasso units were used to great effect in the production, both near the proscenium on each side, as well as working back into the auditorium. Simon Bennison, lighting manager at the ROH comments: “Being near silent, having consistent beam quality, great output and crisp shuttering, the Artiste Picass

China - Solid German engineering and innovative IP technology are behind the Suzhou Municipal Government’s selection of a Lawo mc²36 mixing desk and three Compact I/O stageboxes for the Suzhou Folk Orchestra’s new concert hall.
The Lawo systems were installed by Chinese partner SWS, who acted as the main contractor for the new facility in Suzhou, close to Shanghai, handling the system integration and infrastructure design.
The choice of the Lawo systems alongside d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers and amplifiers gives the installation a strong German sound, as well as an assurance of quality. It is also the first installation of a Lawo mc²36 audio mixing console in a concert hall in China. The 40-fader, 192-crosspoint and 192-DSP-channel console with three Lawo Compact I/O stageboxes is accompanied by Waves SoundGrid integration.
Lawo has established a very strong reputation among Chinese theatres, beginning in 2006 with systems installed in the National Grand Theatre (China National Centre for Performing Arts), followed later by the Dongguan Theatre, Wuhan Qintai Theatre and several others.
“It is an honour for us to join the Lawo customer theatre community,” commented one of the Suzhou Orchestra concert hall sound engineers.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Patrick Dierson called it “the chandelier”. For the fans who packed Brooklyn’s Barclay Centre on Monday night October 21 for the TIDAL X Rock the Vote Show, it was a massive piece of eye candy that riveted their attention as it glittered over the stage in support of the upbeat music being performed below. Anchoring this stunning centrepiece and endowing it with its distinct vibrancy and colour, were 58 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK3 Wash fixtures supplied by 4Wall Entertainment.
Although the sheer size of this colossus was impressive, its true impact as a design element went far beyond its physical dimensions. “It was one of my favourite looks,” says Dierson, owner of The Activity, who served as production designer for the event. “Sure, it was massive, but that was just the beginning. The chandelier looked great on camera, and it gave us this very powerful element of versatility.”
Hung exclusively on the chandelier, the Maverick MK3 Wash fixtures in Dierson’s rig were trimmed at heights ranging from 52 to 65ft over the stage. From these lofty positions, they created an array of colourful looks and contributed to the overall audience lighting, which played extremely well on camera.
“Even running in one of their basic modes, the Mavericks provided a ton of flexibility and effects when we needed them,” says Dierson. “We used them to create a vast number of different looks - and that’s ultimately what you need when you have 28 artists performing back-to-back.”
As for those artists, they represented a di

UK - Nearly 100 Robe LED lighting fixtures - T1 Profiles, Spiider LED wash beams plus Divine 160 RGBW LED floods - are at the heart of the house lighting package at Magazine London - a new event space, located in North Greenwich.
It has been just 300 days since ground was broken in North Greenwich for Venue Lab’s newest venture; Magazine London has now officially opened its doors. This purpose-built destination offers a blank canvas across 3,205sq.m of industrial-style space for up to 3,000 people standing.
The site also features a 7,000-capacity outdoor showground with unbroken views across the river towards Canary Wharf.
Space 1 has an impressive eight-metre-high, floor-to-ceiling glass window and access to a private balcony that allows guests to view the verticality of the Canary Wharf cityscape. This area can be used for a reception, as well as being an attractive space in its own right.
The largest of Magazine’s internal space is Space 2. The interior fit-out comprises over 2,100 OSB boards to bring a warmer wall finish to the warehouse-style design of the building. In total, the project used 13.96 miles of timber, as well as 149,713 screws and 757.5 litres of paint to stain the venue in a specific shade of black; RAL9005.
This black palette is also mirrored in the venue’s polished concrete floor, steel skeleton, production trusses and even the outdoor limestone patio to achieve a unified finish. Space 2 can accommodate 3,000 standing, 2,000 seated for a conference or 1,400 for a large-scale dinner.
Technical Consulta

USA - Obsidian Control Systems will be showing the powerful NX 4 lighting controller with Dylos pixel composition engine at LDI 2019 in Las Vegas. Designers, programmers and operators are invited to Booth #602 for a look at this powerful console in the Onyx platform and experience the creative possibilities with Dylos.
The NX 4 is the newest member of the innovative Onyx lighting control platform. Equipped with a range of professional features and using the latest in industrial components, the NX 4 is designed to handle even the largest show with ease. With a well-arranged combination of motorized and manual faders, along with an array of playback buttons, the NX 4 offers 44 total playbacks in a compact yet extremely powerful package.
Obsidian Control Systems offers Dylos in each NX 4 console, a pixel composer that far exceeds the capabilities of regular pixel-mapping systems. Based on a full 3D environment and powerful DirectX graphics processing, the Dylos engine has been designed from the ground up for power and performance to manage thousands of fixtures and parameters with ease.
(Jim Evans)

Switzerland - In the summer of 2019, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne gave new performances of Dixit, the ‘cinema-ballet-theatre’ show written and directed by Marc Hollogne, in tribute to its founder, Maurice Béjart. To take the audience on the choreographer's story and work, the company relied on Modulo Kinetic and its real-time tracking module, KineMotion.
To pay tribute to its creator, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne worked with Marc Hollogne to write and direct Dixit, a show that combines dance, acting and video projection to tell the story of Maurice Béjart's life and work.
To bring this show to life, the Béjart Ballet Lausanne used Modulo Kinetic, Modulo Pi's media server solution, as well as KineMotion, its real-time tracking plug-in.
Lucas Borgeaud, technical director of Béjart Ballet Lausanne, reports: “We had already used video in some of our ballets, but never on this scale. For this show, the video is almost at the same level as the dance. That's a first.”
The show is performed on a 13m stage on which two screens are freely moved by the dancers and actors and tracked in real time. In addition, there are three screens suspended on DMX hoist in the theatre fly loft.
A 30,000-lumen PT-RQ32 video-projector from Panasonic deals with the projection. Media is projected onto a 13m wide by 7m high frame, the projection alternating between the entire frame, the three suspended screens, and the two tracked screens on stage in real time.
Borgeaud explains: "The screens serve as bubbles that help to understand

UK - Adlib supplied a full production package incorporating lighting, video, sound and rigging for the recent UK leg of comedian Russell Howard’s Respite stand-up tour, performed in-the-round.
The Liverpool UK-based production and rental specialist had previously presented Howard performing in the same format in 2017. Neil McDonald from Clockwork Productions oversaw production and brought Adlib on board, having worked together on many previous projects.
Kumar Kamalagharan was again Howard’s tour manager working closely with on-the-road production manager Andy Grey from Clockwork Productions.
The lighting was designed by Adlib’s Tom Webber, while the kit and logistics were coordinated by Dave Eldridge.
The technical infrastructure included a circular stage that was located centrally in the venue with four trusses just off the stage to fly the LED screens and lighting, plus a hexagonal truss immediately above the stage for all the overhead lighting positions
The four screens around the stage were framed with vertical drop-down trusses each rigged with Martin MAC Auras to light the audience.
Four Robe BMFL FollowSpots were also deployed on these drop-down trusses, operated via a single RoboSpot remote system. Replacing traditional follow spots (located in the usual venue towers and cut outs) brought obvious sightline and labour benefits.
The moving lights were 56 MAC Aura LED washes and 12 MAC Viper Profiles, complemented by 16 Chauvet STRIKE4 LED blinders together with 12 Elation DTW BAR 1000s which were used as footli

UK - Will Young’s new show An Evening with Will Young visited 21 cities around the UK throughout October, with a complete audio infrastructure provided by London-based Capital Sound Hire.
Young released his seventh studio album Lexicon in June of this year, the latest milestone in a career which started with his win in the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2002. Since then he has won two Brit Awards and achieved global sales in excess of eight million albums, several of which have achieved multi-platinum status in the process. Young is also an author and actor, having appeared in film, in television and on stage.
Shortly after the final date Martin Connolly, senior project manager at Capital remarks: “The Will Young tour has just completed and the Superfly system we supplied was faultless throughout. Will Young proved he is a consummate performer with a show that was uplifting, humorous and exciting with a great punchy band; the entire show looked and sounded wonderful.”
Capital deployed part of their Outline inventory for the tour, consisting of 24 x Outline Superfly 210 line array cabinets, 12 Outline GTO-Subs and six Outline LIPF-082 2-way stage lip-fills. The entire system was powered by Powersoft X8 amps whilst system control was managed by a single Outline Newton FPGA processor.
Their Systems Engineer for the project was Dan Fathers who comments: “The Superfly I found to be a powerful line array for the size of the box, with great clarity and throw in the high end. With a lot of these venues I could also fly th

USA - A string of innovative products will be shown by Elation Professional at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the 50,000-lumen Proteus Maximus, Elation’s all-purpose Beam/Profile/Wash power luminaire. With a custom designed 950W LED engine and large 180mm front lens, Maximus has the power to cut through at even great distances and with IP65 protection can be exposed on outdoor shows.
Joining the Maximus is the 45,000-lumen Artiste Monet, a recent PLASA innovation award winner. The Artiste Monet is a full-featured LED Profile offering outstanding projection quality, a comprehensive FX package, dynamic framing and a wide array of colours via an innovative SpectraColor colour mixing system. SpectraColor uses traditional CMY but adds RGB flags and CTO to produce colours that were previously impossible to achieve.
Also showing is the Smarty MAX, an extreme-output Spot/Beam/Wash hybrid moving head featuring a new Platinum FLEX 400 lamp rated at 480W with up to 4,000 hours of smart lamp life.
Elation is expanding its popular Fuze series of LED wash luminaires with new profile and spot versions. Showing will be the Fuze Spot and Fuze Profile with framing, both housing full-colour-spectrum RGBMA colour mixing systems. Also available is the cold white Fuze Profile CW with dual colour wheels.
Three new fixtures in Elation’s Paladin series of versatile Blinder/Strobe/Wash lights will also be on display - the Paladin Cube, Paladin Brick and Paladin Panel - all with IP65 protection.
(Jim Evans)

UK - The market value of the UK entertainment technology industry has grown by an estimated 5% in the past 12 months, according to PLASA research.
This puts the industry’s value at £1.36bn in 2018/19, up from £1.30bn in 2017/18. The sectors with the largest growth include architecture, broadcast and corporate events, which are valued at £250m, £220m and £160m respectively.
Only a third of the businesses surveyed expect the industry to grow in 2019/20 however, the main concern being how and when the UK will exit the European Union.
The full report, which follows on from PLASA’s comprehensive industry research released in 2018, details sector by sector performance, investment in marketing and R&D, and the future outlook for the industry.
“We are delighted to offer this important resource,” comments PLASA managing director, Peter Heath. “It provides vital insight for business planning, budgeting and benchmarking performance - I encourage all businesses to download the full report.”
He adds: “Whilst it’s great to see that the industry has performed so well over the last year, we are clearly looking towards a period of uncertainty as Brexit looms over the sector. PLASA will continue to support our members to the fullest extent that we can.”
The 2019 PLASA industry research report is available to download free of charge to PLASA members or £500+VAT for non-members. For more information, visit <

UAE - PSAV has announced the acquisition of eclipse, the AV and live event production and venue company operating in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Eclipse, founded in 2003 by Mark Brown, is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of PSAV and will continue to operate under the eclipse brand name. eclipse CEO Simon Ransom and his senior team will remain in place and continue to execute on their growth plans, now in partnership with PSAV. Ransom will assume leadership of PSAV UAE operations, and work with Nik Rudge, PSAV’s managing director, international, and his team.
“Eclipse is an exciting addition to the PSAV group of companies due to its extensive in-house venues and event production expertise, and strong alignment to our purpose and mission,” comments Rudge. “I am delighted about what this means for PSAV, and more importantly our customers, as we continue to focus on more ways to create amazing event experiences in locations throughout the GCC.”
“The entire eclipse family is eager to be joining forces with PSAV and establishing more impactful ways of serving our collective customer base,” said Ransom.
(Jim Evans)

Europe - Sixty82 has opened a new office in Drachten, The Netherlands, to exclusively service the German market.
“The start of Sixty82 German Division is a reaction to the expanding needs of the live events industry for rapid delivery times of first-rate products and a service that is second to none,” comments Fokko Smeding, CEO of Sixty82. “With the German division, we believe that we can ensure our customers are provided with expert technical support from experienced people. Therefore we hired specialists Michael Kempe and Christian Schoof to provide extra service and attention to the German market.”
Sixty82 has also appointed Germany’s Cast as its official competence centre and premium reseller. This partnership will “ensure high availability of Sixty82 products all over the country, while simultaneously providing strong support and after-sales service”.
“The name Sixty82 stands for innovation and vision like no other manufacturer of trussing,“ says CEO of Cast, Heinz Siller. “For decades, we have known the founders of this company. From the beginning, we have been in an amicable business, and together we have walked a great distance. Our collaboration led to the development of new products, unified in the passion for trussing and constructions. I truly believe that Sixty82 is a perfect fit for us.”
“This is the perfect time for Sixty82, and we are happy and excited to launch our activities in Germany together with Cast,” comments Michael Kempe, sales engineer of Sixty82 German division. “I am looking forward t

UAE - ETC celebrated the opening of ETC Dubai - The Studio with a launch event at the new premises in Dubai Media City. The site, which features a black box space for product demonstrations and an area for console training sessions, welcomed industry professionals from across the globe to the inaugural event.
Attendees met with product specialists from ETC and High End Systems and received demonstrations of the newest innovations including High End Systems’ new automated fixtures SolaWash 1000 and TurboRay.
The latest member of the Sola Series, the SolaWash 1000 features a full framing system and is available with either an Ultra-Bright or High CRI engine. Alongside this was TurboRay, the distinctive fixture creates dynamic effects from its animation and gobo wheels and can be used as a powerful hard edge beam or narrow-angle washlight.
Visitors to the opening were also shown Augment3d in the space’s black box area. The award-winning 3D programming environment which is part of the Eos v3.0 software is designed to increase programming speed and dramatically improves workflow.
In addition to providing a base for product demonstrations The Studio will host regular training sessions in the region. ETC’s Eos and High End Systems’ Hog 4 console sessions are currently available for registration with more courses planned in the new year.
“We are thrilled to have ETC Dubai up and running with a space that specifically offers specialist product demonstrations, training sessions and a black box area. It is the only space in the region to

UK - Live event production educational facility Backstage Academy has signed a new partnership agreement with professional loudspeaker manufacturer KV2 Audio.
KV2 Audio, whose R&D and manufacturing base is in the Czech Republic, has worked informally with the academic institution, based at Production Park in Wakefield, for the past two years, providing equipment for student-led events on an ad hoc basis and presenting seminars.
“These seminars are always well received,” says Tom Weldon, who is in charge of UK sales. “We have an exclusively point source approach to loudspeaker design and are proud to be able to present this approach to the technicians of the future. We strongly believe this is the best way to reproduce the original source, and in a market that is dominated by alternative designs it’s important that students are exposed to all options. We try not to blind people with the technology side, but instead encourage them to really use their ears and from that starting point, it’s surprising how quickly they begin to understand our philosophy and approach.”
In their engagement with the Academy, KV2 has provided a ‘tool kit’ of products, enabling students to create a six-way monitor mix via the passive ESM26 and ESM12 alongside a portable plug and play FOH system with the active EX series, offering complete reconfigurability that can be set-up by individual students quickly and easily.
In sharing close geographical proximity to Wakefield - KV2’s UK headquarters are in Harrogate - the other benefit of partnering wit

UK - Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews has been recognised by Wrexham Glyndŵr University for his work in professional audio.
Andrews was presented with an Honorary Fellowship in a ceremony that also saw graduates being awarded their degrees in Art and Design, Media and Communications Technology, Humanities and Computing.
The university confers Honorary Fellowships upon people in recognition of their significant commitment to the university and the wider community and is the highest honour that the university can bestow.
In his acceptance speech, Andrews said: “I consider myself fortunate that I have been able to make a living pursuing what intrigues and stimulates me. This is a driving force that, much to my amazement, has persisted for over 50 years now.
“Amongst the qualities essential for progress and achievement are application and perseverance, which today’s graduating students have amply demonstrated by successfully completing their studies.
“Keep in mind that there is great soul expression in going after the things you are passionate about. Most of the interesting stuff in life happens at frontiers and boundaries, and the status quo is merely a temporary condition on the way to truth - thank you very much.”
Colin Heron, Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology associate dean for student engagement, said: “Our Honorary Fellowships are for people who have made a significant difference in a particular field, and Tony’s work in sound system design and development very much matches that description. Fellows are a

USA - Ayrton will be exhibiting at LDI with its US distributor ACT Lighting on stand 1237, with the first official US showing of Ayrton’s two latest products: Perseo and Huracán-X. Ayrton is also supporting the second KOI-USA Awards by sponsoring the Live Performance Special (Music) Award in the Live for Broadcast category.
Perseo is Ayrton’s first multi-function, compact, powerful, IP65-rated fixture developed for intensive outdoor use. Feature rich from the factory (including 100% framing shutters), Perseo produces 27,000lm from its 500W LED source, and sports a fully weather-proof housing with a new water-resistant menu navigation system to handle whatever the weather can throw at it!
Perseo-S has been designed to achieve an optimal resolution-to-performance-to-efficiency ratio with perfect image reproduction. Not only is its 27,000 lumen output calibrated at 8000K, but it also offers a zoom range of 7° to 56°, with no hotspot and significant improvement from distortion at wide angles. Perseo-S is shipping with immediate effect..
Huracán-X is a profile luminaire that delivers exceptional light output as standard, but is also a formidable new graphical tool possessing a wealth of features and an entirely new complex colour mixing system capable of generating 281trillion colours.
Huracán-X produces an output of 50,000lm from its 1000W LED source, at a colour temperature of 6500K. A triple variable colour temperature corrector allows subtle adjustment from 2700 K to 15000 K and offers noticeable CRI improvement. Specifically develop