Ireland - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland (AC-ET Ireland) has provided Explorium National Sport & Science Centre with a Green Hippo Hippotizer V4+ media server to control their LED display.
Based in Dublin, Explorium uses sport to inspire children and adults alike to discover the wonders of science. The centre features three key areas - Science, Sport and Junior, with each one offering a range of interactive experiences.
Jackey Chai at Explorium required a media server to control the centre’s LED display, which is a central point of focus at the entry to the internal auditorium and visitor centre. The display is used to play various visual effects such as a waterfall, and promotional videos. Understanding Jackey’s needs Aaron Cripps, managing director of

China - With a spectacular outdoor live production and 6000m2 audience arena, the Mid-Autumn Festival Party of China Media Group is a difficult challenge for any sound reinforcement system. However, thanks to an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon LR28 larger-format line array system, the audience at the latest event in Qufu enjoyed high quality sound throughout.
Qufu is the hometown of Confucius, China’s most famous teacher, philosopher and political theorist. Located in Nishan Holy Land - a 35km2 area around Qufu developed as a Confucius commemoration site and cultural heritage destination - the festival featured a huge, 60m wide stage and large set, with an audience of 5000 seated in an arena 80m wide by 100m deep.
Several audio challenges had to be overcome by the event’s audio director Liu Yibin - lead sound engineer for China Central Television (CCTV) - and chief sound e

UK - West London lighting and video rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment has expanded its fleet of vehicles with a new artic and trailer – a Volvo FH460 Globetrotter Euro 6 tractor unit, complete with a 45' Schmitz Cargobull low-ride Tri-axle semi-trailer.
This vehicle - chosen for its efficiency and dynamics - is an investment made for the convenience of trucking equipment to tours and festivals across the UK and Europe. It will also offer clients an additional element of cost-effectivity as Colour Sound can offer independent trucking services for large one-offs.
The truck will be especially busy during the upcoming festival season and will help streamline overall production logistics by reducing the off-site pick-ups required.
“All our vehicles have been bought with a view to making our operations as flexible and versatile as possible to suit client n
featured content

Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

UK - Rental company HPSS has added Outline Newton to its hire stock, adding another user to the growing group of companies benefitting from Newton’s comprehensive feature set and ease of use.
The purchase was confirmed at PLASA Focus in Leeds by HPSS managing director Hugh Jones, following a product demonstration at the company’s premises in Hull. Hugh and HPSS technical manager Iain Firth were suitably impressed and Newton is now to be immediately pressed into service in some challenging scenarios.
Helping with the quick roll out of Newton straight onto upcoming jobs, Outline distributor CUK Audio has already provided training for HPSS staff and freelance system technicians, carried out by James Lawford, live sound manager for the UK and Ireland.
(Jim Evans)

Europe - QSC has announced the appointment of Earpro, S.A. as a new distribution partner for the Iberian region, effective 1 June 2019. Earpro will represent both QSC Live Sound and Systems solutions in Spain, Portugal and Andorra.
“We are excited to partner with such an experienced and highly professional distribution partner to expand the QSC brand for both the Live Sound and Systems businesses in the Iberian region,” says Ron Marchant, senior director distribution management QSC EMEA. “As part of this transition, we would also like to thank SoundLight for their commitment and partnership during the last years.”
Miguel Mezquita, managing director of Earpro says, “After leading the professional audio distribution for the last 30 years in Iberia, Earpro is happy to become QSC brand ambassadors for its leading portfolio of amplifiers, loudspeakers and audio, v

Europe - d&b audiotechnik has announced the brand’s existing distributor for Belgium, Amptec, will now distribute the full range of d&b products across the Netherlands and Luxembourg, effective immediately.
“d&b has already enjoyed many fruitful years working in close collaboration with Amptec in the Belgian market and we see great potential for our partnership in the future,” says Phill Coe, territory manager EMEA at d&b audiotechnik. “Working with Amptec for the whole BeNeLux region ensures that our customers will benefit from their extensive knowledge and experience supporting both touring and installation projects across multiple markets.”
Amptec’s growth in recent years has coincided with the appointment of experienced industry professionals; distribution of d&b in the Netherlands will be led by Amptec sales director, Bart Hilberin

UK - Islington’s Grade II-listed Assembly Hall has committed to an investment in its technical infrastructure, including the first UK installation of Harman’s new JBL VTX A8 line array system at front of house.
Inspired by the experienced management team of Lucinda Brown and technical manager, Tom Watt, the council-owned building, part of Islington Town Hall complex, can now build on a reputation that has seen Ed Sheeran, Rag’n’Bone Man and Snow Patrol play there in the past.
Future-proofing the installation will bring further stability to a venue which first opened back in 1929 before closing in the mid-1980s. After laying dormant for around 30 years Islington Council funded its refurbishment, and in 2010 it appeared back on the touring map.
Following a competitive tender, the Islington Assembly Hall team chose JBL’s new flagship VTX A-Series, specifi

USA - As FOH engineer for best-selling rapper, singer and songwriter Post Malone, Joe Hellow takes pride in capturing the artist’s feelings and emotions during live performances. Getting a rich and warm sound in hip-hop can sometimes be a challenge, with a lot of artists cupping the mic and losing the high end, but when Hellow brought DPA Microphones’ d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone into the mix, he did not have to make any compromises.
Hellow’s collaboration with his sound team began with a rigorous brainstorming session and testing. “We built a signal chain that is strong on all fronts, truly bringing the studio to the stage,” says Hellow. “Pre-show efforts begin well before hitting the stage, track programming and pre-mixing album stems for live, playback design, as well as the vocal presets and tools to capture Post Malone’s sound.
“This process, w

Mexico - Experiencias Xcaret is aptly named. A collection of majestic parks by the sea, this eco-tourist destination is intended for those who want not merely to visit Mexico, but to experience it in all its natural beauty and rich cultural traditions. Within its expansive grounds, visitors can enjoy over 40 attractions that afford them the opportunity to wander through lush jungles, swim in underground rivers, explore caves, contemplate evocative Mayan ruins, and enrich their minds and senses with an array of other activities.
The winner of three consecutive Travvy Awards (the international tourism industry’s equivalent of the Oscars), Experiencias Xcaret is constantly seeking ways to enhance its offerings to visitors, while maintaining its earth-friendly environmental footprint. It did both recently when it upgraded the lighting in its theatres with Ovation E-260WW IP LE

Mexico - Los Temerarios are one of Mexico's biggest bands. With a career spanning over 40 years and 20 albums, the Grammy-nominated act are still selling out arenas across the globe, attracting over 10,000 fans to each show. Revered FOH engineer, Juan Payan, decided to take the new SSL L100 on the road for their new tour, Payan's partner in sound, Juan Carlos Granados, also on an L100 at monitors.
It was through a training event with SSL's live specialist Fernando Guzman, that Payan first heard the SSL L100 in action.
“It was during this event that the sound of the console immediately impressed me. I knew I needed to have one,” Payan explains. “I've had it out on the road with me since February, and everything has been working perfectly – no issues at all.”
Payan says it was a combination of factors that drew him to the console, from the dynamics to t

USA - Singer songwriter Jackson Browne is takin’ it easy these days on lamp changes and power requirements by using an all-LED touring rig which includes High End Systems Sola Series.
Lighting designer/director Steve Comer chose five SolaFrame 2000s from lighting vendor Bandit Lites on his springtime acoustic concert tour, which ran through 13 U.S. cities 22 March through 9 April.
“Our acoustic tour is a scaled-back tour production wise,” Comer explains. “I had to design a rig that could fit in a minimal truck footprint and still go up easily on a daily basis.”
The LD says using an all-LED rig has been an ongoing goal. “We have been pushing to go 100 percent LED with Jackson for a long time now. The fixtures that were always lacking were LED spot fixtures. I tried the SolaFrames because of their light output (at 26,000 lumens from a 600 watt LED sourc

Myanmar - Goldenduck Group recently deployed a JBL by Harman audio system in Mingalar Cinemas’ new Gold Class theatres.
Mingalar Cinemas is Myanmar’s largest movie theatre chain with 27 locations across eight cities. Mingalar also owns and operates the first high-definition Gold Class cinema in the country, which features three halls with luxurious, automatic reclining seats and cutting-edge visuals. In order to deliver premium sound in their Gold Class theatres, Mingalar entrusted Goldenduck Group, a leading supplier of professional cinema equipment, with installing a JBL Professional cinema audio system.
“Mingalar wanted to offer an immersive entertainment experience with excellent audio quality,” said Sittiporn Srisanguansakul, owner, Goldenduck. “The Harman sound systems we installed offer the uniform coverage and expansive dynamic range required for dig

USA - A Yiddish-language production of Fiddler on the Roof opened at Stage 42 in New York City on 21 February with direction by Joel Grey and lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski. Playing an important role in this version of the musical are Elation Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal spots supplied by G Scott Designs.
Associate designer is Ethan Steimel who says that Kaczorowski required a fixture that colour changed in a tight warm palette from no colour incandescent to gel colours L162 to L147. He adds that the designer also wanted to achieve a deep blue.
The solution was found in the Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal. Housing a 180W RGBAM (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, Mint) LED engine, the Mint LED enhances the production of variable white colour temperatures from 3,200 to 6,500K and increases the CRI. An exceptionally flat field of light, CRI over 94, and a professi

UK - It took less time for Dutch DJ legend Armin van Buuren to sell out his much-anticipated Wembley Easter show at SSE Arena than it did to play the five-hour long set, in what was his biggest date ever in the capital.
The titan of trance sold out the venue, which is restricted to 6,000 for dance events (occupying the arena bowl and Tier 1 only) in just three hours - a feat posted on social media in advance by promotions company Lock ‘N’ Load Events.
The specialist event organisation regularly turns to Capital Sound for its sound reinforcement requirements, and in turn look to Martin Audio’s MLA loudspeaker array as its first choice PA system.
As Lock ‘N’ Load project manager, Alex Anderson explained, “I advised [artist’s management] that we needed MLA in there because of its programming capabilities with regards to external noise levels.

Belgium - The busy Vooruit arts complex in the centre of Ghent has transformed a historic venue, built in years before World War I, into a bustling arts centre with an impressive variety of cultural events. It has collection of different venues, all equipped with Nexo sound systems, but the jewel in the crown is the Concertzaal, where production company VDB-PA has just completed a permanent installation of Nexo’s modular STM Series line array.
Design and specification of the new front-of-house system for the 1100-capacity Concertzaal was managed by Thomas Coene and Jan Van den Brande at VDB-PA, and marked a step-change in the 15 year relationship between VDB and de Vooruit. “They have been dry-hiring systems for many years,” says Jan Van den Brande. “They use their own team of technicians and came to us for the main PA, consoles and monitors, depending on the event.

UK - Genelec is strengthening its customer support in the UK with the appointment of Andy Bensley, whose new role as regional business development manager is effective immediately.
Bensley is already closely associated with Genelec after more than six years of service with their UK distributor Source Distribution, first as the company’s pro audio product specialist then later as brand manager. Both roles saw Bensley play a central, hands-on role in the growth of Genelec within the influential UK market as he commissioned and supported dozens of high-profile projects.
In his new role, he will continue to provide support to ongoing Genelec activities while also delivering new opportunities for training, education and more at the Genelec Experience Centre in London. Based in London, he will report to international sales director Ole Jensen.
“I am delighted an

Europe - A4i.tv has released the first video of a four part series on truss connection systems. In this first video, Area Four Industries technical director Norbert Tripp addresses the conventional spigot connection system. He provides the main points on how it works, its advantages and the stresses involved.
Three more videos on truss connection systems are soon to follow. (https://www.a4i.tv/2019/05/14/spigot-connector/)

USA - InfoComm 2019 sees the US debut of yet another enhancement to Peavey’s ElementsTM C Series weatherproof loudspeakers.
Following last year’s announcement of the upgrade from IP45 to IP56 rating, InfoComm 2019 sees the unveiling of marine-grade versions that are specially designed to withstand the ravages of salt water, making them suitable for cruise ships, swimming pools or coastal outdoor applications such as theme parks and resorts, fun fairs, restaurants and more. The marine-grade versions, denoted by a CS suffix, will be available alongside the standard IP56-rated Elements range.
The American-made Elements CS Series of composite enclosures are constructed from an advanced composite fibreboard material that is dimensionally stable in wet conditions and resists contamination yet has the resonant properties of wood. This light and durable material ensures un

Europe - Ayrton and Lightpower have announced that, from 1 July 2019, Lightpower will take over the exclusive distribution of Ayrton in Germany.
"We are looking forward to working with Ayrton,” states Herbert Marx, sales director of Lightpower. “Ayrton is an extremely dynamic brand with innovative, market-leading products of the highest quality. Ayrton's high-quality standards and product and portfolio strategy are a perfect match for Lightpower."
“It is a big step for Ayrton to join forces with Lightpower,” comments Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s global sales director. “A short four years after introducing Ayrton to the German market, it is now time for the next distribution level. To have a broader sales approach, to develop new markets and to also offer convincing service on the after sales side.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - At Lightfair 2019, the lighting and design trade show held in Philadelphia, TMB will show a wide and varied selection of products derived in large part from the company’s extensive experience supplying innovative products to the entertainment and production staging markets.
New to the Firefly Festoon range of professional-grade LED festoon lamps are ‘Classic’ S14, glass, 120V versions. The classic Firefly G45 versions, available in 24V and 120V, are outdoor rated, shatterproof, and safe. Firefly Festoon lamps are well known for their bright consistent colours and whites, plus a selection of golden warm white ‘Filament’ versions.
The new Mozart UV is compact and lightweight, is IP65-rated and delivers up to 40 Watts of LED UV power, outputting 100% pure UV light with ZERO visible light. In addition to the compact size, a remote PSU and easy to connect wi

USA - Ayrton, and its exclusive US distributor, ACT Lighting Inc, in conjunction with lighting equipment supplier 4wall Entertainment, supported Boston Ballet’s 2018–2019 spring season with the provision of Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC LED fixtures for Full on Forsythe, a trio of works from prestigious choreographer William Forsythe.
The programme features Playlist (EP), Forsythe’s first world premiere to be created with an American company since 1992, the North American premiere of Blake Works I, and the return of Pas/Parts 2018.
Boston Ballet’s lighting director, Brandon Stirling Baker, explains why he chose Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC: “As the lighting director of Boston Ballet it is my responsibility to maintain the work of over 100 international lighting designers in our repertory. I am always looking for creative tools and lighting equ

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