Business

Details
Qatar - As it prepares to become the first country in the Middle East to host the landmark football championships in 2022, Qatar is investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and technologies for the stadiums at which the matches for different sports will be held.

Among these is the successful implementation of world class wireless microphone systems from Sennheiser at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which played a vital role in enabling handball fans across the world enjoy the televised broadcasts of live matches. This stadium will be used for boxing, handball and basketball championships and also for live in concerts in the future.

Sennheiser, which also supplied microphones for the football stadiums in Brazil, highlighted the importance of its audio solutions. "With several hundred million TV viewers watching live, there is no room for error," said Mig Cardamone, director

Details
USA - Nearly six months into operating under its new structure, Harman Professional Solutions has announced its participation in Miami Music Week 2016. This partnership demonstrates the division's commitment to its customers in the nightclub market, along with appointing Bradley Drummond as nightlife solutions manager in October 2015. Providing solution expertise in key markets is designed to help customers, like nightclub operators, advance their businesses by providing unique experiences and improvements in quality, procurement, design support, installation, programming, commissioning and customer service.

"Nightclubs used to be about one thing only - music," said Drummond. "But today, nightclubs are driven to provide audiences with unique and memorable experiences. Every night, they must create a visual and auditory masterpiece. Not only does the audio quality have to be su

Details
USA - High End Systems has announced Hog Factor 2016. Following the response to the first edition and the extremely exciting live finals held at LDI 2015, this year's competition kicks off right now. The competition is open to all college and university students in the USA and all information, rules and most importantly the programming package can be obtained by going to www.highend.com/hogfactor.

Just as in 2015, all students are able to take part by downloading Hog 4 PC and the special Light Converse show file by registering at the link above and there is no charge to take part.

Following Phase 1 of the competition (closes on June 30th 2016) three teams will be whisked away to the Live Finals. These will be held on Friday, 21 October at 5pm on the High End Systems booth at LDI in Las Vegas, where they will compete to win a $20,000 scholarship and Hog 4 for their Universi

Details
UK - Ever since the first use of a PA system beneath its domed roof, London's Royal Albert Hall has been a famously difficult gig for mixing engineers, due to its circular construction, which results in a highly reverberant space. Thanks to L-Acoustics, however, Amaluna is maintaining a grand tradition of great-sounding Cirque du Soleil shows at the venue.

Running from mid-January to early March, Amaluna marks Cirque du Soleil's 20th anniversary of Albert Hall productions. A re-telling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, female performers make up the majority of the cast and the entire accompanying band. The set is as lavish as one would expect from Cirque du Soleil, with stylised trees hanging from a central truss which, as well as supporting airborne acrobatics, also accommodates the main L-Acoustics hangs.

The production's head of sound, Fran

Details
Germany - The FEGIME Group, the European-wide collaboration of 230 electrical wholesalers, has added the Aurora Group, global manufacturer of energy saving LED lighting solutions, as a preferred supplier of lighting products in Europe.

The announcement, made at Light + Building Frankfurt, will see Aurora Group products being made available to thousands of electrical contractors across Europe via FEGIME's 1,150 sales points and presence in 27 countries. FEGIME currently has a 10% share of the European electrical market.

David Garratt, managing director of FEGIME, says, "Currently, the lighting business is in a state of constant change. Consequently, it is important for FEGIME to have a wider range of partners to better exploit the opportunities arising. We regard Aurora as a highly innovative, motivated, flexible and distribution-oriented partner. We are happy to welcome th

Details
USA - When Jennifer Lopez decided to return to her musical performance roots with a residency at Planet Hollywood's AXIS Theatre in Las Vegas, she and her team left no stone unturned in their efforts to create an outstanding show.

A key piece of the puzzle was finding the right combination of microphone and wireless system for the artist - one that would handle the hostile RF environment of a major production. They found the Shure Axient wireless with the new KSM8 Dualdyne premium dynamic capsule to be ideal.

According to Shure artist relations senior specialist Nelson Arregu

Details
Canada - With two NHL size hockey ice pads, spacious lockers and a well-supplied pro shop, the Garnet B. Rickard Complex in Bowmanville, Ontario is an ideal sports venue. Although the modern brick building also houses a conference room for events, its event space does lack the defining architectural elements that are often necessary to add warmth to a gathering and make it more inviting.

The absence of such finishing touches can present a challenge for anyone lighting an event at the facility. However, Matthew Beauchamp of Mobile Productions met this challenge in stunning fashion at Ontario's Fire and Ice Gala recently by using Well Series uplighting fixtures from Chauvet Professional to create a more inviting atmosphere in a lacklustre space.

"This is what I would call a blank canvas," said Beauchamp. "Although the room is comfortable, there aren't a lot of architectural

Details
Russia - Lighting rental house, Global Show Trade (GST) has set up a massive showroom at its HQ in Moscow, enabling many manufacturers, including PR Lighting, to demonstrate their products.

Initially, GST began with a standard showroom for lighting equipment, but this developed into a full production area for some of the best practitioners in the city.

The initiative of lighting specialist, Alexey Zhuravlev, the move has been welcomed by one of the company's key lighting designers, Roman Vakulyuk.

He explained, "We are inviting all lighting designers, 3D designers, lighting engineers and programmers - in fact anyone that has an important role to play in designing a light show.

"When visualising a new stage concept it is very useful to be able to connect up lighting fixtures and try something different and incredible. And of course when customers visit the showroom

Details
UK - Lighting designer Phil Supple (of Light Refreshment) has again turned to SGM's P-5 IP65-rated wash light to create a mesmerising lighting 'trail' at the Rouken Glen Park in Glasgow for East Renfrewshire Council's Electric Glen Festival.

As the event's creative director, for three years his inspired design concept created the same wow factor as it had two years previously with a similarly memorable night time trail illumination of the Palm House at Kew Gardens - again using P-5s at the famous London World Heritage site.

Meanwhile, the self-guided illuminated trail at Rouken Glen followed the woodland paths to the holy grail - the waterfall, which was brought to life over the two weeks by 24 of the low-profile, carefully concealed P-5s. With this cavalcade of colour as a backdrop, many visitors took the opportunity of a selfie.

The fixtures were supplied to main tec

Details
South Africa - Lightship Productions, owned and run by the enterprising Ni-Lou Breytenbach, is the latest South African lighting production, design and delivery specialist to invest in MA Lighting control with the purchase of an MA onPC command wing, delivered by SA distributors, DWR Distribution CC.

Lightship Productions works across all industry sectors including corporate and live events, TV productions and theatre shows, the latter hailing back to Breytenbach's industry roots. His varied workload includes designing and programming his own shows, providing operating and FOH co-ordination, support services for others and working as a lighting systems engineer.

"With business expanding, the time was right to invest in a powerful industry standard control surface," he explained. "With MA being an obvious choice - it's what most top level shows are using." As a systems tech

Details
South Africa - Shattered Glass AV & Staging, a respected South African rental audio visual company active in the corporate realm, has invested in 12 Robe Robin DL4X Spot, eight Robin Pointes and a new Le Maitre MVS Hazer.

"We are terribly excited," said Richard Horwell of Shattered Glass. "It was time to upgrade, but we didn't want something that would be discontinued in two years' time, but rather equipment that would have a long shelf life."

Richard came across the DL4 Range at the Robe stand at Mediatech 2015, Africa's largest advanced technology trade expo. The Robin DL4X Spots were purchased from local Robe supplier DWR Distribution and delivered a couple of weeks ago. The units have gone straight onto shows and are being enjoyed by the crew. "The Pointes have all the usual selling pointes," added Richard. "They are multi-functional and that makes them very appealing.

Details
UK - Allen & Heath's dLive digital mixing system is currently being employed by front of house engineer Steve Pattison on Wet Wet Wet's UK headline tour, which recently included a date at London's O2 arena.

Supplied by SSE Hire for the tour, the flagship dLive S7000 control surface is partnered with Allen & Heath's DM64 MixRack to handle an on-stage line-up that comprises the Scottish four-piece's traditional backline, multiple vocals and horn section. As a longstanding fan of Allen & Heath's iLive system, Pattison's decision to rely on dLive for the tour was an easy one to make...

"It really feels like dLive is a step on from the iLive system that I've enjoyed using with various artists over the years," says Pattison (whose CV includes a five-year stint with Amy Winehouse, Ellie Goulding, Texas, Glasvegas and Royksopp). "It's very fast to use, despite the amount of contro

Details
Norway Oslo Opera House frequently hosts events that need sound reinforcement - and it needs a loudspeaker system that's up to the task. To deliver the best possible listening experience for discerning audiences, the venue has installed a flexible solution from d&b audiotechnik.

With regard to acoustic excellence, buildings don't come much more impressive than the Oslo Opera House, home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. The acoustics at this stunning, waterside building are so good that no amplification at all is required for opera performances. Here, the design is literally all about sound, from the interior spaces and the shapes of the walls and stage, to the materials used for construction.

Although the acoustics at the opera house are world class, there are plenty of occasions when a loudspeaker system is needed. Often, recorded music is used in ballet produc

Details
UAE - The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), appointed live communication specialist People as the event management agency for the vast 2016 Qasr Al Hosn festival, which took place February 3 to 13, 2016 in Abu Dhabi. Manchester UK based dbn Lighting was commissioned by People, to provide lighting design and on-site lighting direction service.

The festival narrates the ongoing conservation of Abu Dhabi's most historic fort, and through a series of highly interactive elements, hosted a celebratory programme to reinstate the Qasr Al Hosn site as the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi.

Qasr Al Hosn, which has stood as the symbolic birthplace of the Emirate and home to Abu Dhabi's ruling Al Nahyan family, is undergoing a comprehensive process of preservation, restoration and rehabilitation.

Based around the historic Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival

Details
USA - With increasingly specialized recording programmes springing up throughout the country, Lebanon Valley College, (LVC), Annville, PA, sets itself apart by combining a traditional liberal arts based education with a "professionally oriented" Audio & Music Production Programme, a formula that has been successful for the school's students since the late 1980s.

Students in the Audio & Music Production Programme study music, studio recording, mastering, electronic music, audio for digital media, live sound, game audio, and more. Graduates have gone on to work in recording studios, live sound, broadcast, game audio, retail, and performance with leading creative companies such as The Hit Factory, DreamWorks Animation, ESPN, Insomniac Games, Sony, Universal Music Group, Disney, and even the Ringling Brother Circus.

In order to meet the demands of training students for a diver

Details
Finland - When the Finnish National Opera (FNO) was given the rare opportunity to stage a completely original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, it took the opportunity to stage a show that wowed audiences with its sheer scale. However, the audio system installed at the Helsinki Opera House could not match sound designers Sakke Kiiskis and Stanley L

Details
UK - British singer and X Factor winner Leona Lewis toured the UK in February and March with an elegant lighting show designed by Jamie Thompson and controlled by Avolites Sapphire Touch and Tiger Touch II consoles.

Thompson's brief for the tour, which visited 13 cities across England, Wales and Scotland, was to create an intimate show pushing the focus on to Leona and her band as they performed new material and her internationally bestselling back catalogue.

The Sapphire Touch was used as the main console, networked via Titan v9's Multi-User feature to a backup Tiger Touch II.

"Multi-User is incredibly easy to set up and offers some great features, like being able to use the backup as a satellite console, which becomes especially useful when working in theatres where sightlines at FOH can potentially be an issue when programming," says Thompson. "Other than tha

Details
USA - Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee has installed one of the largest Meyer Sound Leopard linear sound reinforcement systems to date in its 12,500-seat Donald L. Tucker Civic Centre. Known to locals as 'The Tuck', the multipurpose arena serves as the home court for the FSU Seminoles men's and women's basketball teams, and also hosts a yearlong schedule of other sports, convocations, concerts, special events, and graduation ceremonies.

"Overall, there's been a tremendous improvement in intelligibility," says Bruce Jones, FSU's sound engineer for the venue. "Leopard handles speech and music far better than the old system, by leaps and bounds. I've heard nothing but compliments from announcers, coaches, and officials at the scoring table. And after the last commencement, I was told the sound was the best it's ever been."

FSU officials found a solution to the po

Details
UK - Following its acclaimed, 11-year run in the West End, and multiple award-winning appearances in New York, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Holland and on tour around the USA, the smash hit Billy Elliot: The Musical is now embarking on its first ever UK tour. Having worked on the show throughout its London run, White Light has been called upon once again to provide its services to the touring production.

Based on the hit 2000 film, Billy Elliot: The Musical is set in a northern mining town during the 1984/5 miners' strike. It tells the story of young Billy, who discovers a love of dance then fights to make his dream of becoming a ballet dancer a reality. The musical has a score by Elton John, with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and direction by Stephen Daldry.

Lighting designer Rick Fisher is responsible for the lighting of the show once again, with his desig

Details
Mexico - The Mexican market is growing for Robe thanks to the energy and efforts of its exclusive distributor, Vari Internacional based in Mexico City.

One of their new customers is Medio Angular, a rental company based in the Las Aguilas area of DF (Mexico City), run by Juan Pablo Guzman (aka Paul) which has recently bought Pointes and LEDWash 300s.

When you rock up to Medio Angular's office - it looks like an ordinary roller shutter garage door on a quiet residential street - full of leafy trees and cool cars. The other side of the door is a large landscaped garden with terraces and full of lush foliage, alcoves for sitting and contemplating, amidst colourful flowers and funky furniture, with a recording studio and several offices flowing with contemporary chic.

This is the pastoral and inspirational working environment that Paul has created for the offices that admi

Details
UK - The Theatres Trust has welcomed changes to the Permitted Development Order (England) as developers now need to address noise impacts before undertaking an office to residential conversion near an existing theatre or live music venue.

From 06 April 2016 local planning authorities will have to consider noise impacts on new residents from existing businesses, under an amended permitted development right that allows offices to be converted to residential use, without the need to obtain planning permission.

The amended Order means developers will now need to seek prior approval from the local planning authority that any noise mitigation measures proposed are suitable to ensure that nearby theatres are protected before a change of use from an office to residential building can be carried out.

Theatres Trust said, "The Trust welcomes the changes to the Permitted Developm

Details
Germany - At the Prolight + Sound 2016 exhibition in Frankfurt (5-8 April), ETC is marking the 40th anniversary of the company's founding with a new stand concept across four different stands.

To mark the 40th year of the company's existence, ETC will be represented at the Prolight + Sound show at the beginning of April, on all four days of the trade fair, on four stands in close proximity.

On the central, main stand (E51), visitors to the exhibition will find control consoles from the Eos and Cobalt families, including their respective Programming Wings. It will also have the Source Four LED system that features three different arrays - Lustr for colours, Daylight HD for cool daylight and Tungsten HD for warm incandescent light. The range is completed by a wide variety of attachments, including fixed focus and zoom lens tubes and both Fresnel and CYC adapters. And making

Details
UK - Northumbrian folk experimentalists The Unthanks have been using DPA microphones in their live performances after being introduced to the company's product range by their engineer, Joel Borkin. For capturing The Unthanks' performances, Borkin likes to use DPA's d:vote Instrument Microphones, d:dicate 4011 Cardioid Microphones, d:dicate 2011C Microphones and d:facto Handheld Microphones.

Working under the title jBsound, Borkin is front of house and monitor engineer for various artists around the UK. "We recently used a selection of DPA microphones on The Unthanks' headline showcase collaboration with Lau at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall," says Borkin. "The microphones were a joy to work with. Nothing comes close to the precision and clarity of DPA; they are a must for this band."

Well-known for juxtaposing traditional, folkloric storyte

  1. Chauvet fixtures refresh Aldershot's Princes Hall
  2. Holo-Gauze augments reality for Team Speedo
  3. Clay Paky shines at Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show
  4. Nexo STM series adopted by UK rental houses
  5. BMFLs light Daimler son et lumi
  6. SGM G-Spot conquers Hawaiian weather
Page 348 of 1813

Latest Issue. . .