Projects

Details
USA - One of the most highly anticipated tours in the Contemporary Christian music world this year is The Blessing USA Tour, pairing six-time GMA Dove Award winner Kari Jobe and husband/partner Cody Carnes. Kicking off in Pittsburgh on 15 April and culminating in Brandon, Mississippi on 18 June, the tour is taking the singer-songwriter duo on a 24-city run of shows at large houses of worship and theatres across the Midwest and South, including Dallas, Orlando, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Houston and elsewhere.
Sponsored by illumiNations and CovidSafeChurch.com, the tour is implementing “socially distanced and/or reserved COVID-safe seating and capacities” in each venue, and tour members will be tested and everyone entering will be temperature checked, in addition to other standards and local requirements. What’s also different about this tour is how the DiGiCo Quantum338 co

Details
USA - After the widespread cancellation of the 2020 Graduation and Commencement season in the States, students were anxious to know whether this year they would be able to celebrate the completion of their degree programmes on a grand stage.
Cooper Cannady of Martin Audio partner RMB Audio, the event’s long-term services provider, was faced with the same conundrum.
“We have serviced Duke University Commencement at the Wallace Wade Stadium [in Durham, N. Carolina] since the evolution of the campus back in 2003,” said the RMB Audio owner, whose company is based nearby.
“This year I was invited to initiate planning for an event which I knew may never occur.” However, when University president, Vincent Price, finally received the green light from the Centre for Disease Control and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the RMB Audio tech te

Details
UK - Collaborative Creations (CC) has announced that its centrally located, London studio space is open and available to companies and individual members of the events and event technology industries. With restrictions now coming to an end, booking is no longer essential though for specific product viewings is advisable.
Less than a minute’s walk from London Waterloo the CC Studio is a multipurpose environment available for use by the events and event technology industries.
Newly refurbished, the CC Studio can welcome up to 60 people standing, up to 30 in a theatre-style configuration or 12 in a training room seating arrangement. Operational as a boardroom style meeting room, the studio can seat up to 14 and features an engaging 70-inch interactive touchscreen for presentations.
The space is equipment ready with Chamsys controlled Martin Professional lighting

Details
South Africa - Mellow Yellow Entertainment, producers of South African music games show Musiek Roulette wanted a new look for the 2021 season, so called on the services of Ryan Lombard, head of show lighting at Blond Productions and Michael Gill, owner of Michael Gill Designs to design lighting and set respectively.
TV lighting specialist and rental company Blond Productions supplied all the lighting equipment, while the set was built by Dream Sets.
Ryan needed a highly adaptable lighting rig and used 72 x Robe moving lights to assist him in lighting the series, which was recorded at the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg.
The idea with the new aesthetics was to retain a casino vibe but offer a more streamlined and modern feel, with the studio floor featuring a striking stylised central roulette wheel and three large LED screens around the circular-shaped

Details
UK - Following an extensive £3m refurbishment, the grade II listed Crewe Market Hall is set to reopen to the public this week (19 May). The space, which has been completely transformed as part of Cheshire East Council’s town centre regeneration programme, is set to be home to a variety of independent local businesses, will feature a new seating area with bespoke tables and chairs as well as a stage which will be used as part of the Market Hall’s exciting calendar of events.
When White Light (WL) was approached by East Cheshire Council to supply a temporary stage for the venue, it turned to Doughty Engineering to deliver the solution.
Paul McLean, project manager at WL, explains: “We were asked to supply the stage for live events that will take place in the Market Hall which could typically be configured as 6m x 6m but with the flexibility to be able to form a nu

Details
UK - Artistic Licence products have been used to provide new DMX infrastructure in the Manchester Studios complex, formerly the Granada/ITV headquarters.
The studios have been undergoing massive refurbishment since 2016. The Granada Studios were built in 1954 for the purpose of recorded and live filming, and served as the Granada/ITV headquarters until 2013.
As part of the refurbishment, Artistic Licence products have been installed in the ongoing upgrade to Studio 1. This is the largest space within the complex, housed within a self-contained building complete with wardrobe, props, dressing rooms and production offices.
A central DMX patch houses two rackLynx octo 8-universe Art-Net gateways and four rackSplit octo 8-way DMX/RDM splitters. These distribute DMX out to eight wall boxes around the studio floor that each house two further rackLynx octo splitters.

Details
USA - Each spring, the annual NFL Draft broadcast offers millions of sports fans an opportunity to discover with which franchises players will be signing for the upcoming football season. This year’s event, held in Cleveland from 29 April to 1 May, welcomed 50,000 fans a day for live events, including the NFL Draft Experience interactive football festival and nightly concerts from Black Pumas, Kings of Leon, and one of the city’s native sons, Machine Gun Kelly.
Once again, the National Football League and events promoter C3 Presents chose Houston-based certified provider LD Systems as the live sound vendor for the NFL Draft. LD’s primary deployment was for the Draft Theatre, a massive 200ft-wide by 220ft-deep by 80ft-tall half-moon structure created by Stage FX. Erected near FirstEnergy Stadium and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, overlooking Lake Erie, the structure

Details
The Netherlands - “Using Capture 2021 is almost like seeing the visuals in real life,” is Eurovision LD Henk Jan van Beek’s assessment of the Swedish manufacturer’s pre-visualisation software system. No stranger to the Eurovision event, having been part of the 2005 programming, Capture Visualisation was proud to be part of this year’s show at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena. Always an extravagant feast of lights, video and FX, Eurovision 2021 was chosen as one of Europe’s pilot events for COVID safe live events, making for one of the most eagerly anticipated Eurovision shows of all time.
Since 1994, Capture Visualisation has been developing and evolving the software in the pre-programming sector and is now seen as one of the leading brands in this increasingly busy sector of the entertainment market.
"It is an honour to be the preferred solution for this premier

Details
The Netherlands - Located on the banks of the Zaan river in the city of Zaandam, a few kilometres north-west of Amsterdam, Filmtheater De Fabriek (The Factory) is a popular cinema. The cinema has recently added a new 30 seat theatre and, at the same time, updated the audio in its existing 90 and 64-seat theatres, all with Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems.
Filmtheater De Fabriek offers an in-depth movie experience, each month offering introductions, after-talks or panel discussions about its programme of films. These provide more context for the films and the viewer with food for thought. This approach to providing a more complete experience includes the sound.
De Fabriek occupies a 100-year-old former school building, which has seen many changes over the years. A recent refurbishment saw original details being preserved and, at the same time, the cinema being brought ri

Details
UK - LED lighting manufacturer CFE Lighting has completed a major project at the luxury Sandburn Hall Hotel, near York, North Yorkshire, which is set to open this week.
The company, which specialises in bespoke LED luminaires and lighting solutions for the commercial, industrial, and public sectors, designed and manufactured 55 exterior lighting bollards, which have been installed by electrical partner NEC Services at the new hotel complex.
The bollards are fitted with low-energy, high lumen LEDs, which will provide wayfinding and emergency lighting along the main walkways which run around the front and back of the 40-bedroom luxury hotel, which will open its doors to guests for the first time on 24 May.
The £5m hotel will be the first major new-build hotel development between York and the coast for over 20 years, with the site already home to an 18-hole champio

Details
USA - Multinational retail corporation Walmart relied on the disguise extended reality (xR) workflow to host two of its most important corporate meetings virtually for the first time earlier this year.
Walmart needed to address a global audience of investors in its annual Investor Community Meeting (ICM), as well as key management personnel in its Year Beginning Meeting (YBM), remotely. Partnering with experiential event company LEO Events, Walmart invited Xite Labs, a long-time disguise creative and workflow partner, to deliver a custom-built stage powered by disguise xR at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, to host the two virtual events.
Using the extended reality set-up, speakers could present information, showcase statistics and accent the meetings with augmented reality elements to add layers of visual interest and engage viewers in a compelling

Details
Australia - Sydney Theatre Company (STC) has reopened its home venue, The Wharf, at Walsh Bay in Sydney, following a two-year closure for a total renovation. A highlight of the complete technical upgrade was the installation of 32 new Meyer Sound loudspeakers, largely drawn from the company’s new Ultra-X series.
The system was designed by Bob McCarthy and Josh Dorn-Fehrmann to implement Spacemap Go, Meyer Sound’s new tool for spatial sound design and live mixing. When it opened in late February, STC’s production of Playing Beatie Bow became one of the world’s first theatrical productions to use dynamic spatial effects provided by the new technology based on the Galaxy 816 Network Platform utilising Milan and a new iPad user interface.
For the theatre’s sound & video manager Ben Lightowlers, selection of the right solution was critical, so the venue

Details
USA - Asked to describe his impression of Global Citizen’s Vax Live, The Concert To Reunite The World, Tom Kenny answers with a simple six-word phrase, “Full of Grace, Full of Light.” The globally televised event, which raised $302m, enough to procure 26m doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, was certainly all of that.
There was the grace that arose from the inspired words of world leaders sent to the event via remote video, and from the impassioned live performances by artists like Jennifer Lopez, who brought her mother on stage to join her in a plea to ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccine needed to fight the pandemic.
As for the light, Kenny and the Diversified Productions Services team ensured that it was present in full force at SoFi Stadium, supporting the performances of Lopez and fellow stars Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin, and H.E.R. with a var

Details
Switzerland - The Andermatt Concert Hall, located in the village of Andermatt in the Ursern Valley of the Swiss Alps, opened its doors in 2019 to rave reviews by hosting the Berlin Philharmonic, bringing world-class classical music performance to the alpine wonderland (see LSi Jan-Feb 2021).
The concert hall is a beautiful venue with seating for up to 650 and offers an up-close and intimate atmosphere with enough room for a 75-piece orchestra. The hall's stage and lower level are below ground level, and the space features a high ceiling with upper-level walls of glass, wood-finished ceilings, and a wrap-around balcony. Studio Seilern Architects created a captivating space, int

Details
USA - As part of a complete technical overhaul, River of Life Church in Crawfordville, FL has upgraded its full lighting system for the first time since its building was constructed 18 years ago. The new setup, which utilises ADJ fixtures for both house and stage lighting, has not only enhanced the aesthetic of the space but also significantly improved electrical efficiency through the use of LED light sources.
Firelight Media and Integration was the company selected by the church to carry out a complete refit of its audio, lighting, and stage power infrastructure. The relatively young but fast-growing integrator specializes in the church market, driven by owner and founder Joshua Branch’s 15 years of experience in music ministry. Established in 2017 and based in Thomasville, South Georgia, the company services churches throughout the South East, all the way from Virginia

Details
UK - “All of us who flourish in this field have retained our child-like enthusiasm for playing with things to come up with something new and different,” says Johnny Palmer, the founder and manager of Pytch. “Really, when you come down to it, that’s why we do what we do.”
An entrepreneur who opened a string of livestream studios during the height of the pandemic, Palmer works hard to keep these creative flames glowing throughout his well-established event company, even when it means buying the fuselage of a Boeing 727 jet liner and parking it on shipping containers in his warehouse lot.
It was on a trip to Cotswold Airport to look at a private jet that he came across the Boeing 727. The plane instantly caught his attention. “I saw this beautiful old bird and thought why not,” he recalled. “So, I got permission from our local planning commission and agree

Details
USA - XXXX Audio Systems recently outfitted MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa with a Harman networked audio system.
MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa is a casino hotel in Stateline, Nevada owned by Bally’s Corporation. Originally constructed in 1978 and known as Caesars Tahoe until 2006, MontBleu includes a 48,456sq.ft casino and 438-room hotel along with multiple restaurants and shops.
MontBleu needed to upgrade its aging audio system and hired XXXX Audio Systems to replace its existing system with a networked audio system consisting of JBL Professional, Crown and BSS solutions.
“Our overall goal was to create a vibrant sound experience for our guests from the minute they arrive to the time they’re playing their favourite slot machine or table game,” said Marimille Dacia, director of marketing, entertainment and retail, MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa.

Details
Croatia - Since its release in February 1987, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer has been embedded in our collective musical psyche. It seems that everyone, from the Royal Philharmonic to Alvin and the Chipmunks has recorded cover versions of this ‘80s anthem. 2Cellos are the latest.
In their latest video, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser, the Croatian cellists who make up the group push the oft-played rock classic to new levels. Reflecting the driving force of their performance visually throughout the video is a dynamic and intricately layered light show by Crt Birsa of Slovenia-based Blackout Lighting Design.
Running the 6-universe, 126 fixture, time-coded show on his ChamSys Magic! MQ80 console, Birsa created myriad patterns of light to play off the music video’s unusual venue: a 33mlong tunnel in a former military warehouse. To focus the viewer’s attent

Details
Russia - Truck brand Kamaz - Dakar Rally Truck category winners 18 times and lknown for their rally, drift, and stunt driver teams - celebrated its 45th anniversary with a spectacular live show, presentation and special event featuring jazz band Denis Matsuev & Friends, staged at its main factory in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan.
When Denis Matsuev suggested opening the event to the strains of orchestral suite Time Forward! by Georgy Sviridov, event director Irina Karimova had the idea of a video intro that would combine the movement of trucks with the rhythm and mood of the music. So, the event’s creative team decided to involve seven of the newest Kamaz-54901 tractor units in a ‘dance’ routine in the snow.
This challenged lighting designer Artem Sagaidak to produce some practical illuminative solutions for the video shoot and he turned to Astera Ti

Details
USA - Singer, rapper, and songwriter Bryson Tiller recently recorded an XR concert - for later broadcast - in Calabasas, California at Xite Labs’ XR stage facility, which involved a lighting rig that included Robe T1 Profiles, SuperSpikies, Tetra2s and BMFL Blades.
Xite Labs - founded in 2018 by visual and production design specialists Greg Russel and Vello Virkhaus - was approached by producer Amish Dani and creative studio the 92 Group to assist the project in the production of ‘stunning XR environments’. They received a detailed brief with a set of storyboard images and a flow concept of the four dynamic worlds that they wanted to build. The 3D spaces were created by multiple highly skilled artists commissioned by Xite Labs using Unreal Engine and Notch.
For the shoot, the physical studio design comprised three-sides - including a back wall - of LED, an LED

Details
Austria - As historic churches strive to serve their existing congregations and expand their reach using new technology, inevitably they find themselves balancing their needs for quality audio systems with the desire to maintain the aesthetic beauty and singular atmosphere integral to the worship experience.
That’s of particular concern in historically important spaces like Eisenstadt, Austria’s Dom St. Martin, which recently deployed a low profile, high fidelity Adamson Systems Engineering PA to improve speech intelligibility and reinforce small, contemporary musical ensembles with clarity and depth.
Previously known as St. Martin's Church, the Gothic cathedral was completed in 1522 and features a pipe organ created to the specific instructions of Austrian composer and ‘Father of the Symphony and String Quartet,’ Franz Joseph Haydn. Over time, it’s been dama

Details
UK - The 2021 BRIT Awards made history on 11 May as 4,000 audience members gathered at London’s O2 Arena for the UK’s first indoor live music concert in 14 months.
In celebration of the best in British and international pop music, The BRIT Awards audience - made up by primarily of NHS key workers - brought hope back to live music crews.
The test show was a momentous return to multi-artist, large scale productions, and although the limited numbers presented challenges, the Britannia Row team was happy to take up the mantle.
Safety was paramount, as crew chief Steve Donovan explains: “The BRITs were very different this year in terms of crew logistics and, in particular, the Covid-19 testing of every individual onsite. Crew were tested every 72 hours minimum throughout the course of the build and show. It was critical to ensure we didn’t have positive tests

Details
USA - Established in 2001, Oaks Christian School (OCS) in Westlake Village has quickly flourished over the past two decades to become one of the most sought-after private middle/high schools in the West Los Angeles area. With a number of the school’s events now being held outdoors on its 25-acre Conejo Valley campus per current health and safety protocols, OCS recently purchased a portable sound reinforcement system that is being piloted via an S21 digital mixing console from DiGiCo.
David Alexander is Oaks Christian School’s technical director as well as the facility manager for the Bedrosian Pavilion, the campus’ 30,000sq.ft multipurpose performing arts centre that opened in 2007. “We have a large-format desk as our mainstage console at the pavilion, but it’s far too big to move quickly and deploy easily as an outdoor desk for mid-size events,” he says. “We n

Details
USA - Ridgeland High School in Jasper County, South Carolina, is an school of about 700 students focused on preparing young adults for successful college and career paths. When faculty at the school decided they needed to modernise and upgrade their gymnasium sound system, local installer, Sound Systems and More recommended LEA Professional amplifiers.
Ronnie Carroll, the lead installation technician at South Systems and More, explained that the Ridgeland High School had a sound system in place that was out of date, limited in its functionality and connectivity, and only half functional. The gymnasium seats a little over 200 and the old system had poor sound quality and coverage and was difficult to use.
"Ridgeland had many issues with their previous sound system, and their top requests for a new system were for excellent system quality, flexibility and usability," sai
  1. Amate sees growth in Korean worship sector
  2. OSA grows inventory with Claypaky Mini-B
  3. GLP goes underground with Creative Light
  4. Brompton Tessera in the frame with White Light
  5. DAS Audio pumps up Miami brewery
  6. XR Studios pioneers disguise’s virtual zoom
Page 211 of 461

Latest Issue. . .

PLASA Media Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 4111709 - VAT Number GB 762 5913 14
PLASA Media Ltd, Redoubt House, 1 Edward Road, Eastbourne, BN23 8AS, UK Tel: +44 (0)1323 524120

 

login