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Germany - Club culture continues to thrive in Germany even amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. The country’s world-famous night spots may be closed to the public, but they are still reaching out to clubbers thanks to United We Stream.
Run in alliance with ARTE Concert, United We Stream hosts a series of online shows from event organizers and artists that showcase the rich diversity of German club culture. In addition to streaming live DJ sets, live music and other performances, the initiative serves as a platform for discussion sessions, presentations and club culture-oriented films.
The alliance was started to support Berlin’s club culture and expanded internationally. Hamburg was the first city outside of Berlin. It was here that Koyo, the designer behind many Hamburg’s well-known clubs, a group that includes Uebel & Gefährlich, a venue located in an old-World W

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Australia - Australian web-based organisation ALIA is expanding its area of activities to cover the wider live production business. For 20 years ALIA has been a resource for the lighting community in Australia. Starting as a simple website, ALIA, it has continued to grow with daily updates on gear, people, projects, productions, business news – basically anything to do with lighting. Now, as Australasian Live Industry Alliance, it plans to offer more.
Earlier this year ALIA rallied lighting manufacturers to donate gear to their Fireaid Appeal which raised $61,000 through an online auction.
Last month, ALIA organised #lightunite to draw attention to those fighting the battle against Covid-19 and also the production industry that has been decimated. The project reached national news stations and helped to lift spirits of those involved.
“Over the years, I have
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USA - The largest cast iron statue in the world shines brightly over Birmingham, Alabama, thanks to lighting design by Schuler Shook and lighting design revisions, control system design, and programming by Marc Brickman and Tactical Manoeuvre, Inc. The essence of the 56-foot Vulcan statue overlooking the city is the 124-foot pedestal on which it stands, highlighted and enhanced with seven Solaris Flare IP HR dual-head outdoor fixtures.
Lighting for the project was provided by 4Wall Nashville. “The Flare IPs have an incredible amount of firepower and are killer bright,” says 4Wall account executive, Damon Herbert. “We used the dual-head version of the Flare IP outdoor lights, with narrow 8-degree lenses for maximum throw.”
Damon adds, “At night, the statue can be seen for miles and Tactical Manoeuvre’s programming is exquisite. Over two years in development,

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UK - The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre (TMAC) is a multipurpose performance space located in Taunton, Somerset, UK, and dedicated to staging an array of shows, events and activities for the whole community embracing music, dance, drama, comedy, spoken word and other genres.
Just before the coronavirus pandemic temporarily halted the entire entertainment industry, TMAC took delivery of a brand new Zero 88 FLX lighting control console, complete with two wings, which was specified by technical manager Kevin Stratton.
The new console replaces their previous generation Zero 88 consoles which have been there since the venue opened in 2000.
Kevin has worked there since 2016, and before then was a busy freelancer, touring theatre technician and production LX who has also worked as a Level 3 instructor in production arts at a leading Somerset further education college.

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UK - On 19 May, the Sennheiser SoundAcademy will be discussing one of the hot topics of the day - immersive audio.
Sennheiser hosts David Missall and Brian Walker have invited Leslie Ann Jones, Michael Romanowski, Steve Genewick, Jim Anderson and Ulrike Anderson to speak about this subject.
The five industry experts will discuss their approach to recording, mixing and mastering the immersive sound experience, and share their views on how immersive audio can help open up new creative possibilities and connect listeners more intimately with music.
Please note the new changed timing for this webinar: It will take place at 19:30 CEST (13:30 EST). Registrations are now open at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kiCShCe4SX2EjaClcVz-Sg.
In addition to round tables, Sennheiser’s SoundAcademy provides a host of other popular pro audio training webinars and in-dep

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UK - White Light managing director Bryan Raven has written an open letter asking for support for the supply chain to the live events industry. The London-based supplier, in conjunction with a number of industry colleagues, has outlined a 10 point plan for help needed from the UK Government.
“The live events industry - which includes music, theatre, corporate events, festivals and live broadcasts - was amongst the first to be closed down by the COVID-19 pandemic and will be the last to return to normality,” writes Raven. “This is global issue and I would ask you to take the time to watch this video from the Live Events Coalition in the US which graphically represents the issue for the whole world.”
He continues: “Both the producers of live events but also the suppliers to live events need help. It is critical to consider the entire ecology of the live events s

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USA - Extending the spirit of the CARES Act enacted last month by Congress, Stampede has announced the pro AV industry-specific Stampede XtraCare Programme to “provide employees with much-needed extra protection and resellers with business relief and facilitation tools, as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to enable them to complete projects in a safe and secure way”.
Complete information about the programme can be found at www.stampedeglobal.com/xtracare.
“Commercial AV is an essential infrastructure industry, as defined by the federal government, but the industry is being challenged on every front to remain viable in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stampede president and CEO Kevin Kelly. “Supported by the strength of our corporate resources, Stampede is making available to employees, resellers and manufacturer partners a comprehens

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USA - Professional Solutions has added 18 free Live Workshops available for registration through the company’s Learning Sessions programme in conjunction with Harman Professional University.
Available workshops scheduled for the remainder of May feature lighting or audio experts who have extensive industry knowledge and experience working with various artists including Alicia Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Halsey, Jimmy Eat World, Josh Groban, The Killers, Maroon 5, OneRepublic, Prince, Rage Against the Machine, Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Weezer and many others.
More than a dozen Live Workshops conducted earlier this month are now available at Harman Professional University’s YouTube channel. Workshops include Loudspeaker Design for Airports

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USA - As part of Meyer Sound’s ongoing webinar education programme, today (15 May), company president & CEO John Meyer will present From Apocalypse Now to Bluehorn at 9:00 PST (16:00 GMT).
The one-hour presentation traces Meyer Sound’s innovative development path in the world of cinema, post-production and residential from the company’s early days collaborating with Francis Ford Coppola to today’s Bluehorn System.
“Education has always been a pillar of the holistic Meyer Sound core brand philosophy of sharing knowledge. Recent events have put the spotlight on the importance of offering our public training not just with in-person seminars but via online platforms,” comments John McMahon, Meyer Sound senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Our global team was quick to respond to the need by curating an informative and engaging programme.

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UK - Technical entertainment charity Backup will be holding a virtual pub quiz on Friday 15 May to raise money for the charity.
Backup provides financial support to industry technical professionals working in live events, theatre, TV and film who have fallen ill, been injured or are suffering from mental health problems. The charity provides a range of services including financial support, advice and re-training, and the organisation is working harder than ever to support those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.
Tom Wilkes of Collaborative Creations will be hosting the quiz at 8pm on Friday 15 May, which will be taking place via Zoom, and all industry members, friends and family are welcome to take part and compete for some fantastic prizes.
Backup Trustee Lee Dennison said: “Unfortunately due to the coronavirus outbreak our annual fundraising extravaganza

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UK - Phil Wright has enjoyed a 25-year career in the pro audio industry, specialising as a live sound designer and mix engineer for large scale classical, concert, broadcast, dance, cinema and operatic productions.
Trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he spent the early part of his career at Sound by Design, during which time he handled the Royal Albert Hall in-house sound contract, including taking responsibility for the BBC Proms live requirements.
In 2012, Phil went freelance, creating Phil Wright Sound Limited and has since worked on a very wide range of projects. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been keenly felt throughout the industry, but creative solutions for audio conundrums are never far from Phil’s mind, as was the case recently when his friend Jaap Pronk of TM Audio in the Netherlands, reached out for help.
At the beginning of

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USA - North American Spanish-language television network Univision has been working with Orlando-based Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) to handle their production and broadcast wireless needs for more than 20 years.
“I started working with Professional Wireless when James Stoffo first started out and was lugging around gear in cardboard boxes,” explains Mike Karsch, Univision technical manage for events. “They have been my go-to wireless services partner for large and small broadcast events ever since.”
The list of annual projects is long starting off with PWS providing RF coordination, products and services for Premio Lo Nuestro, the awards show established by the network to honour the previous year's top artists in Latin music followed by Premios Juventud, a viewer-decided awards show honouring Hispanics and Latinos in film, music, sports, fa

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UK - Martin Audio’s first virtual tradeshow takes place on Wednesday 20 May, with registration slots throughout the day filling up fast.
Much like Martin Audio’s Open Days, the virtual tradeshow will offer an overview of the portfolio suitable for end users, distributors, rental companies and integrators. The event will be webinar-based across three time slots on Wednesday 20 May to ensure that people in different time zones can come together for the show. Each session will last for 90 minutes with the first starting at 7.30am BST, followed by a second at 10.00am BST and a final session beginning at 5.00pm BST.
“We’ve been delighted with the response so far,” says Dom Harter, managing director at Martin Audio. “With over 500 registrants to date this is fast becoming an excellent opportunity for us to guide people through our portfolio and to help attendees

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USA - New York City house and EDM DJs come to Norwalk,Connecticut’s ARC Sound Stage and Lighting three times a week to perform livestream shows as part of ARC Live.
“We are big on using art to touch the lives of people in a positive way,” says Gene Morrell, owner of ARC. “This is why we are always eager to get involved in community art projects, whether it’s putting on block parties or commissioning local artists for graffiti – and it’s why we do the livestreams.”
Morrell and his team got the idea to produce their thrice-weekly live streams “about 10 seconds” after the government’s lockdown order went into effect. “We couldn’t sit idly by,” he recalls. “So, we had to do something to express ourselves.”
Once this decision was made, the details for ARC Live fell neatly into place. First was the question of finding a location

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UK - Simon Thomas has been utilising an SSL Fusion while out on the road with American singer-songwriter, Halsey, to complement her vocal-driven production. The Fusion is a permanent feature on her vocal buss.
Thomas started out in the industry as a lighting operator in the world of amateur dramatics, and because 'no-one wanted to do sound' he volunteered, soon moving into professional theatre and hospital radio, and eventually joining Britannia Row in the '90s as one of the then 'new school' engineers. He worked as a monitor engineer initially – and for a number of A-list artists including Lighthouse Family, Moby, and Machine Head. Further down the road, he moved onto FOH, and has been working at the very top level ever since. After completing Ariana Grande's recent Dangerous Woman tour, he got the call to do Halsey.
“I was only going to do it for three months, bu

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USA - As online resources become a more important part of today’s workflow, Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has users covered with its education-based website. Located at www.education.eaw.com, customers can find detailed training, tutorials, FAQ’s and knowledge-based support twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
“The goal of the EAW Education site is to empower the pro audio industry by providing the information necessary to understand, operate and design EAW sound systems,” says EAW president, T.J. Smith.
EAW’s training section allows audio pros to stay up-to-date with the latest EAW technology. The section features the Intro to ADAPTive Training series, which prepares individuals for the level 1 certification test. Level 1 certification means users are well versed in the basics of ADAPTive technology and system deployment.
EAW’s Tutorial

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Austria - New online showcase, StreamAustria is helping Austrian fans to get their live music fix in isolation, with a little support from Allen & Heath’s dLive mixing systems.
Broadcast via Twitch from the chic Gӧsserhalle venue, a former beer warehouse in downtown Vienna, StreamAustria has hosted several live music performances and interviews each week since early April, including sets from Ina Regen, Josh, Nathan Trent and Wiener Wahnsinn. StreamAustria is a not-for-profit venture, with all donations from viewers going to the bands’ chosen charities.
The audio setup for StreamAustria was devised by co-founder, Richard Redl, whose day job is head of sound with leading live events specialist, Habegger. The main broadcast mix system is centred on a dLive S5000 surface, operated by Richard, which shares a DM32 MixRack in multi-surface mode over gigaACE with mon

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UK - Sound designers for Beautiful: the Carole King Musical deployed a Harman Professional Solutions audio system.
The 2020 U.K. production features an eight-member pit orchestra to back up the cast, plus live piano performed by Daisy-Wood Davis, who plays the role of King.
To faithfully reproduce the timeless music of King in a musical theatre context, the show’s producers hired sound designer Brian Ronan and associate sound designer Tony Gayle to design a world-class touring sound system. In charge of specifying equipment for the tour, Gayle selected JBL Professional VTX A-Series loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, AKG microphones and BSS DI boxes.
“The biggest challenge was reproducing the beautiful orchestrations that were written for the show, the details of the instrumentation and the vocals,” said Gayle. “Anyone can put speakers up, put up a mi

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UK - Full technical production specialist CPL lit two landmark buildings in central Coventry to commemorate International Nurses Day and the bicentenary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The action also recognised the central role the nursing profession has played worldwide in fighting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the World Health Organisation which has designated 2020 as International Year of the Nurse.
CPL was working for Coventry 2021, the organising committee planning and overseeing events for the upcoming UK City of Culture year.
The lit buildings were the original St Michael’s Cathedral and the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.
The original St Michael’s was built in the 14th century and severely bombed in the Second World War. The original spire is still intact, and the building’s haunting shell is still considered one of the most beaut

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UK - The annual Innovation In Music conference is an international music event that brings together music industry researchers and professionals. The event welcomes academics, artists, producers, engineers, and manufacturers to come together and hear presentations and discussions on a wide range of topics.
The most recent conference was held at the University of West London’s Ealing Campus and covered a number of topics including music production, performance and composition, studio technology innovation, and platforms for music sale, streaming and broadcast, to name a few.
Dr. Paul Ferguson, associate professor of audio engineering from Edinburgh Napier University, has been exploring the potential of long-distance creative collaboration over IP networks. This year’s conference keynote was sponsored by Dante licensee, Focusrite Pro, who was very interested in explo

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Glyndebourne Cancels - All remaining Glyndebourne Festival 2020 performances have been cancelled. This follows the earlier cancellation of Festival performances up to 14 July, as announced. Following Government advice, the Glyndebourne site remains closed.
Executive chairman Gus Christie states: “We maintained our optimism for as long as possible. Glyndebourne is a relatively small charity but with big ambitions, driven by the belief that opera can transform lives. The Festival receives no public subsidy and our financial independence means that we are reliant on ticket sales to be able to operate. With this source of income now gone, it’s not just our future that’s at risk – the immediate livelihood of over 400 seasonal staff and artists has vanished. We have started a COVID-19 Emergency Appeal to help us to help them, and to secure Glyndebourne’s long-term future

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The Netherlands - Highlite International has unveiled the new logo of audio brand DAP, to mark its ongoing development. A new dedicated DAP catalogue accompanies the new look and feel of DAP.
“The audio-branch of Highlite, DAP, has grown and it is still growing,” says Highlite. “Over the years, DAP has become a household name for various artists, small stages, venues and events. Even for offices, shopping malls and fitness areas DAP offers the fitting audio solutions. With this growth a new image was necessary. Clean, crisp, clear and embodying the quality DAP is known for.”

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Europe - ALC NetworX, developer of the the Ravenna technology, has announced Weigl Control as the latest Ravenna partner.
Based near Linz, Austria, Weigl s known around the world as Weigl Control, a specialist in high performance hardware and software solutions for show control. Weigl Control provides interactive and multi-media electronic controllers for theme parks, museums, sauna & spas, retail and more.
Created with a focus on embedded playback for animatronics and motion control, Weigl has expanded their hardware and cross-platform software offerings over the past decade to include large scale lighting, media and logic capabilities to support the production of some of the world’s best themed entertainment examples.
“I’m happy to be a Ravenna partner,” says Manfred Weigl. “The ProCommander X Series, which we developed in celebration of our compa

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China - Brompton Technology has launched a Chinese version of its website. Including all downloadable documentation, as well as product and feature pages, it makes Brompton’s technical information readily available to the Chinese market.
A major part of Brompton Technology’s strategy in recent years has been to find ways of strengthening its support for its panel manufacturer partners, most of whom are based in Shenzhen. The new website is the latest in a string of initiatives, the first of which was the creation of an office in Shenzhen at the beginning of 2019.
Led by Elijah Ebo, Brompton’s general manager (Asia), the office is staffed by Chinese-speaking account managers and field application engineers (FAEs). In addition to employing native Mandarin-speakers, th
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