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USA - Clifford Antone was all about the blues. The son of Lebanese immigrants harboured a love for that strain of Americana and ended up building an empire around it, including its crown jewel: Antone’s, one of the seminal establishments of Austin, Texas’ famed 6th Street music-club row.
The current 400-capacity iteration of the venue, which originally opened in 1975 and has long been a regular host site for the annual SXSW music festival, is now a block away on 5th Street, but its audio technology took a leap forward in February with the installation of a DiGiCo Quantum225 console that serves both front-of-house and monitor duties.
Myles Fontaine Crosby, head of audio for the club, has been part of the Antone’s family for the entire seven years that it’s been in this location and for six years more at its previous address. He oversaw the installation and use o

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Australia - Optimal Audio has appointed Audio Brands as its exclusive distributor in Australia.
Based in Sydney, Audio Brands is focused on the installation and production markets and specialises in commercial audio and AV solutions, supplying Australia through a wide network of dealers and integration partners. With exclusive distribution for a number of leading global brands, Audio Brands has developed a strong reputation for customer service.
Don McConnell, director of Audio Brands Australia, comments: “We’re thrilled to be representing such an innovative range of products. The experienced team behind Optimal Audio truly understand the requirements of the commercial audio market, and it’s refreshing to see a focus on the user interface. The Optimal Audio range complements our existing brands perfectly and we’re looking forward to introducing the Optimal Audi
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Europe - LiteNordic will no longer distribute Ayrton products in Norway, Denmark and Sweden from 31 July, the French lighting manufacturer has announced.
From 1 August, sales enquiries should be made to Matt Hallard, Ayrton’s European sales director, with LiteNordic supporting sales made before 31 July and under warranty thereafter.
“Ayrton is now actively inviting Nordic distributors and industry captains looking for an exciting new challenge to get in touch,” comments Hallard. “We are very grateful to LiteNordic for the past two years of dedication and hard work, but agree that a change in distributorship is now the way forward. We will continue to work closely with LiteNordic until 31 July to ensure a seamless transition to new distribution partnerships. There’s a wealth of stellar companies out there whom we are yet know and we look forward to meeting t

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UK - Dynamic projection specialists, Polestar Productions, has further invested in Green Hippo media servers, adding the new compact yet powerful Nevis+ to its stock. With 25 years of experience, Polestar Productions specialises in providing projection mapping, holographic projection and dynamic projection for all types of events, conferences, exhibitions, product launches, award ceremonies and more.
Tony Gill, managing director at Polestar Productions comments: “We have been long time users of Green Hippo Media Servers, so know the software well, and have always been impressed by the flexibility they offer. The user interface makes it easy to create stunning visual displays. Green Hippo has always been the obvious choice for us – it ticks all the boxes.”
He continues: “The new Hippotizer Nevis+ fitted our requirements for a compact yet powerful media server,

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UK - Music Support, the charity that helps those who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction has announced its latest fundraising auction: Music Support’s Music Icons featuring exclusive prizes from four music artists.
With music festivals well and truly back in Summer 2022, artists and crew alike are under pressure to perform at levels that have not been seen for years. The funds raised through this auction will contribute towards Music Support’s core services, including its peer-led confidential Helpline that saw a 60% increase in volume of calls during the global pandemic.
Music Support’s Music Icons auction prizes are as follows:
Coldplay, has donated a Fender Squier guitar, signed by all four members of the band. Of their donation, the band said:
“The music industry can present a very specific set of

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UK - PLASA Awards for Innovation 2022 are now open for entries. Organised in association with LSi, the awards celebrate innovative products from across the live entertainment technology industry that can demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice or safety, introduce new materials or techniques, or offer a new commercial advantage.
PLASA Show 2022 exhibitors, PLASA members and non-exhibitors are invited to enter their products by 5 August (Friday) to be in with a chance of winning one of the coveted awards. 
Each successfully entered product will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts who have the authority to present up to eight awards of equal standing, plus a potential Gold Award for an outstanding new product. 
An Award for Sustainability is reserved for a product that can demonstrate a significant reduc

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UK - The Power of Events has launched a website to promote its activities: www.thepowerofevents.org
The not-for-profit organisation aims to unite interested parties from across the core sectors of the UK events industry and includes a taskforce (in which PLASA takes part) and action groups dedicated to research, skills, digital, content, comms, infrastructure and governance, and the next generation. It has evolved from the One Industry One Voice coalition, which was set up in July 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with The Power of Events set up in April this year.
Rick Stainton, founder of The Power of Events, comments: “We have always felt that we had to be impactful, clear and content led, mapping out and signposting the UK events industry in an inclusive way across the seven core sectors. Showing everyone what how this is developing is really important t

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Italy - Mantova-based ZaLight has been appointed to handle the Italian distribution of all products manufactured by Fantek, part of the Spanish group Equipson and manufacturer of telescopic towers, platforms, trusses and modular supports for LED walls.
"I am very happy to work with Fantek again, having launched the brand on the Italian market almost 20 years ago," says ZaLight business development manager Luca Di Donato. "In my view, Fantek's careful quality process and attention to detail are a guarantee of reliability and success. ZaLight's philosophy is to only distribute brands of the highest quality and indisputable prestige. Fantek perfectly embodies these features."
Juan José Vila, COO and CMO of Equipson, adds: "We are delighted to have a company of the calibre of ZaLight representing Fantek products. Some Fantek products are already well known in Italy but we

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Singapore - SurgeX has appointed Generation AV as its sales agency in the Asia Pacific region. The agreement will see Generation AV staff based in Asia providing a full service, encompassing sales, training and technical support for the brand in pro audio, residential and pro AV markets.
“We’re very happy to be working with Generation AV, which has the specialist expertise and regional market understanding that we need to help grow our presence in APAC,” comments Justin Peyton, director of sales EMEA and APAC at SurgeX. “Generation AV has an excellent record of delivering for brands, and we’re excited to work with them to further establish ourselves in this territory with our extensive range of power management solutions.
“This deal will also be of huge benefit to our existing partners in the region, who will now have access to a team able to provide local

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Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem has returned to the West End 11 years after its last record-breaking, sell-out run. Mark Rylance reprises his role as the ebulliently irresponsible, anarchic Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron, ably supported by the rest of the cast. The play is back at its West End home of the Apollo Theatre with a sound design from Autograph’s Ian Dickinson, this time featuring Reference Series loudspeakers from EM Acoustics.
“I did the show the first time around when it was at the Royal Court, followed by its subsequent West End iterations, so I knew exactly what was required,” explains Dickinson. “The Apollo is a beautiful theatre on four levels so, as ever, the priority was flawless coverage across all seats in the auditorium. The actors don’t wear microphones, so the PA system is there to deliver clear playback of the music and numerous effects used in t

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Top Ticket prices - Prices for top tickets to see West End shows have risen by 21% since before the pandemic, according to research by The Stage. The average top ticket price is currently £140.85, up from £116.09 in June 2019, the publication says. The most expensive show in the survey is Cabaret at the Playhouse, for which some tickets will set you back £303.80. But the research found that the lowest-priced tickets have risen by an average of just 3.3% since 2019, up to £22.56.
The most expensive seats for West End musicals now cost an average of £154.36, although that was a relatively modest increase of 3.5% since 2019, The Stage said. Plays had an average top ticket price of £114.69 - a jump of 38% compared with three years ago.
One factor in the high ticket prices for Cabaret was the redesign of the theatre to accommodate the produ

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UK - Educational roadshows led by BlackTrax specialist Tom Boucher have been outlining to students the creative possibilities BlackTrax offers to live event professionals. Students have been bringing their ideas to life by using CAST’s innovative technology.
“Taking BlackTrax into an educational environment has introduced students to technology that they will come across in the workforce. It has given students the ability to create scenarios, ask questions and really get to grips with BlackTrax as a system and the numerous integration possibilities,” says Tom Boucher.
Many questions were answered, and the system was put to the test, right down to students calibrating a BlackTrax Real system themselves and learning how to get their educational wysiwyg license.
“I really enjoyed using the BlackTrax system, I thought it was intuitive and relatively easy,”

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UK - Sennheiser has announced Celeste Jones as the winner of this year’s Student Scholarship programme of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). Jones will receive financial support for tuition and gain access to Sennheiser’s expertise and global network of contacts.
Sennheiser’s strategic planning manager, Tim Sherratt, was involved in the selection process and congratulated this year’s winner of the sought-after scholarship. “It never ceases to amaze me just how talented LIPA students are,” he says. “The quality of this year’s submissions was once again excellent. In selecting Celeste there is no doubt that she is deserving of this award. She is a wonderfully engaged and knowledgeable individual who possesses that rare equilibrium balance of the creative and technical mindset. I look forward to watching her grow over the coming years.”

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UK - Gearspace.com commemorates its 20th year. What started as a hobby in 2002 by founder Jules Standen has grown to more than 400,000 members, with over one million discussions and 13m replies. The forum was born out of the analogue-to-digital crossover in the early 2000s that inspired so many enthusiasts to build their own studios.
Gearspace covers pro audio gear - from inexpensive microphones to half-million-dollar mixing consoles.
Over the past 20 years, the forum has expanded to include reviews, classifieds, interviews, new product alerts, pro audio events and, most recently, feature articles.
Gearspace rebranded last year to welcome a more diverse user base across the industries it serves. “It feels great to be moving forward with a progressive and inclusive name,” says Jules, "making it easier for professionals, novices, educators and hobbyists to un

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Europe - Yamaha Corporation has joined the SDVoE Alliance, a non-profit consortium of technology providers, which is collaborating to standardise the adoption of ethernet for transporting AV signals in professional AV environments.
Yamaha has been manufacturing network equipment in Japan for more than 25 years. In 1987, the company introduced its first large-scale integrated circuit (LSIC) for communication, based on its digital audio processing technology, and went on to develop its own network devices. Adopted in a range of applications, including offices and retail stores, Yamaha network switches quickly became renowned for their reliability.
More recently, the company has developed network switches for the professional audio industry, which are chosen for their stable, multi-channel transmission over distance.
Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE) is

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UK - The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) will hold a webinar for end-users in the entertainment industry.
Held live at 10am BST on 7 July 2022 via Zoom, the one-hour webinar aims to initiate conversations between LEEA members and end users, particularly those further up the supply chain. The webinar will explore how having the right lifting equipment and safe working loads in the entertainment sector is vital for successful productions and concerts - ensuring they run smoothly, efficiently and safely.
Furthermore, sourcing and training staff and contracting for ‘thorough examinations’ with LEEA members will give entertainment sector companies the confidence they seek, as members of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association conform to its ‘gold standard’ when it comes to excellence in the Lifting Industry.
Attendees to this webinar will g

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UK - The Guildhall School of Music and Drama will host short courses on sound design and video projection at the end of July.
Taking place concurrently from 25-29 July, Sound Design for Theatre and Introduction to Video Projection Mapping are available to anyone aged 16 or over for a fee of £525 (£1,035 inclusive of accommodation). Teaching will take place daily and the training will be given in person only.
Led by Video Design lecturer Angeline Ferguson, Introduction to Video Projection Mapping is aimed at beginners. Learners will find out how to prepare and project video onto a 3D structure using industry standard video projection software Resolume Arena 7 and Adobe After Effects. They will also be introduced to the basic principles and techniques of digital video mapping, including designing concepts for projection mapping, creating content a

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USA - Brompton Technology revealed its latest solutions for video processing during InfoComm 2022. The company showcased its LED processing solutions for live events, broadcast, and virtual production.
During the show, Brompton was also recognised with an InfoComm 2022 Best of Show Award in the AV Technology category for its Tessera v3.3 software. This release introduced new calibration features such as PureTone and Operating Modes, which enable rental companies and studios to have more flexibility and scalability with their stock, and also added support for the ACEScg colour gamut and the ability to display tracking markers for the Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking system.
Additionally during InfoComm, Rob Fowler, director of business development at Brompton, addressed AV professionals in a session about how virtual production has affected design trends in LED panels

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Eurovision - Ukraine should be given the chance to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, the UK prime minister has said. Speaking to journalists after returning from its capital, Kyiv, Boris Johnson said the streets there were lively and Ukrainians were "confident". As winners of the contest in May, Ukraine should normally host the show, but organisers said on they thought it would be too unsafe. Its planners are discussing holding it in the UK instead, which came second.
Cities across the UK, including Cardiff and Birmingham, have expressed interest in staging the 2023 contest if it ends up in the UK.
“We would relish the opportunity to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 here at Principality Stadium, Cardiff,” said a spokesman. “We have a 20-year history of successfully hosting the biggest music artists and sporting events in the world, and to add Eurovis

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Switzerland - Imverse, a company providing volumetric pixel solutions, has secured $4.8m to develop its software platform, expand its team, and roll out its products globally.
Imverse has created a solution for volumetric content and live hologram, which uses a proprietary volumetric pixel (voxel) graphics engine which is capable of live capture, rendering and streaming of multiple holograms in real-time for telepresence applications. This is in contrast to polygons, which currently dominate the virtual and augmented reality space.
As a result, Imverse can create full-body volumetric 'humans' without industrial cameras or powerful computing equipment, and with low latency, says the company. This enables the delivery of volumetric content at the same rate as mainstream video conferencing technology such as Zoom or Teams.
Imverse Holo enables creators and busines

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UK - There is a new name in the UK’s AV installation market - Flipside AV. The new brand is a result of the changing business model for the London-based systems integrator, Flipside Soundsystem, which has seen the company close its rental business to focus purely on installed AV projects.
“This name change has not happened overnight, it is the result of a gradual shift in our priorities at Flipside,” explains Flipside AV MD, James Cooper. “As we have evolved as a company, the AV installation side of the business has gone from strength to strength and become the main driver for where we see our future.”
Alongside the name change, Flipside AV has also completely redesigned its website to provide a clear focus on what the company does. The redesign covers the services Flipside AV offers, as well as the solutions it can provide and the venues that it will typical

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UK - The Immersive Experience Network has held its inaugural Live Experience Summit, bringing together over 150 creators of immersive and interactive experiences to debate the future of the sector.
The Immersive Experience Network has been established to support creators making new work, developing audiences and growing financially sustainable companies. The Network’s strategy is centred around encouraging collaboration by building a community of creators, facilitating knowledge-sharing and undertaking research to grow the sector.
The community includes genres from across the immersive sector, including immersive theatre, scare attractions, escape rooms, Location based VR/AR, experiential art, immersive audio, Live Action Role Play (Larp), themed attractions, Alternate Reality Games (ARG) and transmedia experiences
The inaugural summit, held on 31 May, includ

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UK - Theatres Trust has unveiled details of its 2022 conference. The event will take place under the banner of Theatres Fit for the Future and be held on 11 October (Tuesday) at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London.
Theatres Fit for the Future will explore what the new post-COVID ‘normal’ looks like and what this means for the way theatres are designed, adapted and operated. The conference will bring together a mix of speakers and case studies, alongside opportunities for discussion and sharing of best practice.
Sessions will feature theatres that are exploring new business models to ensure they not only survive but thrive in this new environment, looking at how they are generating new income streams and finding different ways to engage with their audiences and communities, and developing partnership approaches to increase resilience and impact.
A

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USA - The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) have raised more than $1m for charity thanks to thousands of individual and corporate sponsors. The Riders are about the embark on their 19th annual ride this summer.
This milestone could not have been reached without the tireless dedication of volunteers and donors who have given of their time, talent and money to help those less fortunate, says LRLR. Over the years, three charities have benefitted from the fundraising: AFC (Canada), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and (primarily) Behind the Scenes Foundation.
Lori Rubinstein, executive director of Behind the Scenes, comments: “It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished when like-minded people come together for a common purpose. Even though a major milestone has been achieved, the need is greater than ever, especially with Behind the Scenes’ new mental health initiat
  1. SLX opens applications for The Lighting Programme
  2. ChamSys and StageMix look to the future
  3. Lightware Visual Engineering opens APAC HQ
  4. Septon Group appointed Optimal Audio distributor
  5. The Week in Light & Sound
  6. Celebrating wild spaces with lighting technology
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