South Africa - On Sunday 25 April, Jerusalema hitmaker Master KG, and the Ndlovu Youth Choir, will be performing live on Robben Island for Africa Rising and the Live Love non-profit, along with international personality Maps Maponyane as master of ceremonies.
The performance will be live streamed for free and audiences will have the opportunity to win an exclusive VIP experience at the event on Robben Island by making an online donation of at least R30, benefiting the music and events industry, and charities in sustainability, education and conservation.
Africa Rising brings music and travel to the world by telling inspiring African stories through uniquely produced music experiences. These are brought to life by broadcasting live performances by Africa’s biggest artists, set in the most iconic locations on the continent. Through these stories and our platform

USA - Audinate’s Dante recently reached an impressive milestone with more than 3,000 different products now incorporating Dante for audio-over-IP connectivity. According to research from RH Consulting, 3,034 Dante-enabled devices are available from 361 different manufacturers as of January 2021. The data from RH Consulting indicates Dante is the protocol of choice in more than 91 percent of the networked audio products currently on the market.
Audinate announced in January that the total number of OEM brands now working with Dante has reached 518, with 133 OEMs currently developing their first Dante-enabled product.
“It’s inspiring to see how many manufacturers and product lines have aligned around Dante,” says Joshua Rush, SVP of marketing at Audinate. “And with 133 OEMs working on their first Dante-enabled product, it’s exciting to think about how much mo

USA - When Glenn Polly, founder of VideoSonic Systems, Inc., an audio-visual integration company, was tasked with integrating a high-quality, low-cost microphone solution for use with Zoom rooms at a leading university in New York, he opted for MXL Microphones' AC-404s.
“Zoom engineers have dedicated countless hours to writing the original algorithm, enabling mics to behave as beam tracking mics,” says Polly. “Up to 12 MXL AC-404 mics can be installed in a Zoom room without the need for a DSP processor, which is a nice benefit. The latest version of the Zoom algorithm is even better, so naturally, the mics work even better.”
Near-end audio capture is the most difficult component of a Zoom call and can represent the largest chunk of the project’s budget. “To optimise the performance of the audio capture devices, it’s important that the room itself has acc

USA - Broadcast live outside the Los Angeles Convention Centre, the 63rd Grammy Awards offered viewers a night to celebrate music with elaborate performances from top artists across different musical genres. The audience-free show combined a mix of performances with the outdoor ceremony for select artists who were on-hand to accept the awards.
The majority of the show’s 23 musical productions, as well as the ceremony, relied on Shure’s AxientDigital Wireless System and Microphones.
Throughout the ceremony, host Trevor Noah used an Axient Digital SM58 Handheld Microphone set to frequency diversity mode.
The evening’s big winners included Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion. Dua Lipa, who won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, sported a blinged-out pink Axient Digital KSM9 Handheld Microphone and was joined on stage by D

USA - Wireless microphone systems and audio processing specialist Lectrosonics is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month.
Founded in March 1971 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lectrosonics products are used in broadcast, television, theatre, film, live performance and music productions worldwide.
The company’s first product was the Voice Projector series of portable PA systems and lecterns whilst in 1975, the first wireless microphone was added to the product line. Shortly thereafter, these products were marketed under the Freedomike trademark.
By the 1980s, Lectrosonics found success in the broadcast market with its plug-on transmitter and compact receiver for electronic news gathering and documentary production. Around this same time, the company’s engineering team had begun working on audio processing equipment targeted at the installed sound market. The

USA - A new technical infrastructure, including a premium Martin Audio Wavefront Precision (WPS) PA, has been installed at the River City Christian church in Rancho Cordova, California.
The full integration was undertaken by Sacramento Production Services (SACPS), whose project manager, Keith Wackford co-designed the system with the church’s director of technology, Brian Webber. Both men are long-term colleagues who have over a 10-year history working with Martin Audio systems.
The church had been faced with the need to expand its facilities due to surge in attendance prior to COVID-19. An architect was brought in and the decision taken to move from all flat seating to stadium style arena seating. By also reducing the stage thrust this would expand capacity from 850 to around 1200. “In addition, the previous control booth was up on the balcony but the new one has b

UK - As the UK gradually moves towards easing COVID restrictions, a Greater London wedding venue is preparing by becoming home to the UK’s first TW AUDiO ELLA system, provided by London-based AV specialist Flipside Soundsystem.
Located in the North West London borough of Harrow, the Kadwa Patidar Centre (KPC) is renowned for its popularity as a wedding venue within London’s thriving Hindu community, as well as celebrated for its work to support local education and charitable causes.
Established in 1993, the venue offers two large, extensively equipped spaces with a maximum combined capacity of 950 seated guests. For the committee of volunteers who run the venue, every weekend of the year is booked solid with celebrations, while civic events frequently taking place during the week.
Yet until recently, the venue was reliant on an ageing in-house sound system th

Mauritius - The Caudan Arts Centre (CAC) is a landmark arts and conference centre in the East African region. Designed by Arup UK with systems integration services from Stage Audio Works (SAW) in South Africa, CAC is the first truly international-standard venue in Mauritius; inaugurated in December 2018, it incorporates a 431-seat theatre, a rehearsal space, three bars, a restaurant, and four well-equipped, modular conference spaces.
Having successfully designed (in conjunction with Arup), supplied and installed audio, video and communications systems throughout the venue, CAC recently called on SAW to design and install the systems for a fifth conference room that can accommodate up to 150 people seated. A soundproofed partition also enables the creation of an art gallery as required.
“We have been incredibly successful with our theatre and really pleased with all o

Belgium - The Culture Centre de Kern is a multi-purpose hub for the arts in the Wilrijk district of Antwerp. Offering a wide variety of entertainment and cultural participation, the different spaces in the centre are in great demand. Theatre, live music, comedy and presentations of all kinds take place at the centre, so that no two days are ever the same.
With a mission to ensure that productions are supported by the best possible technology, the team at de Kern recently took the decision to replace the ageing sound system in the venue’s main theatre. An extended period of closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic provided a window of opportunity to carry out the work, and integrators Play AV were invited to carry out the installation.
The team at de Kern chose a Coda Audio system, as Wim Meuwis, head of technology at the centre explains: “I’ve had really good exp

USA - PK Sound has welcomed St. Louis, MO’s Logic Systems to the PK Alliance. The partnership currently finds the two companies working together and leveraging each other’s strengths to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and position themselves for the industry’s resurgence.
“The pandemic has introduced new challenges for all of us. We need to be proactive instead of reactive, and have been strategizing and investing in ourselves to help reignite the live sound industry in a way that serves us all better,” comments Darryl Ross, senior application support for PK Sound.
“Collaborating with partners like Logic Systems has been critical throughout the process. Their industry expertise and vast professional network have been indispensable when it comes to strategizing, exploring new applications and best practices, developing our educational programming, an

India - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has named Pink Noise Professionals as its exclusive distribution partner in India. This strategic agreement will help bring the entire EAW product catalogue to the region.
“I am delighted to welcome Pink Noise Professionals into the EAW family as our exclusive distribution partner in India,” says James Bamlett, EAW director of sales, APAC. “Pink Noise Professionals is a young, fast-growing company that is already making an impact in the pro audio industry throughout the region. We are excited to work with the team at Pink Noise Professionals and its extensive dealer network throughout the country. The company’s expertise and resources will help EAW grow its presence in what has historically been a very important market for the brand.”
Pink Noise Professionals Pvt. caters to many industries including pro audio, broadcast, l

Poland - ARX Systems has announced that they have appointed Tommex as the exclusive distributor for the full range of ARX professional USB audio interfaces and signal processing solutions in Poland.
An established distributor with over 30 years of experience in the design, supply and installation of professional audio systems for various types of buildings, sports venues and cultural facilities, Tommex adds ARX to a growing portfolio of brands that include Coda Audio, RCF and Yamaha.
ARX managing director Colin Park says, ‘It’s great to formalise our partnership with Tommex in Poland. Having worked with the team there over the past few years, we feel that Tommex taking on the distribution exclusively is the logical next step and we look forward to growing our business in this region.”

USA - Solotech has announced the completion of the acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound.
Martin Tremblay, president and CEO, Solotech, comments, “Our joint capabilities enable us to significantly strengthen our footprint in the US, and much more in Nashville, to the benefit of all our clients. It also provides assurance of our unrivalled readiness to our clients in the live productions industry, signals our enhanced ability to offer compelling innovative services and solutions when activities resume after the global crisis ends. We continue to grow based on long-term relationships and delivery excellence to propel our footprint locally, nationally and globally.”
Solotech will leverage its current systems integration experts and resources in the area and all over the United States, as they already design, develop and integrate some of the most adv

USA - The Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School is like many combined schoolhouses in rural America – part educational facility, part community meeting space, and often the most well-equipped location in town to host a live performance. Stissing Mountain easily checks all three capabilities for Pine Plains, New York, home to around 2,500 residents.
To ensure its facilities meet the community's varied needs, the Pine Planes Central School District recently upgraded its AV capabilities utilising a core of Ashly Audio amplification and control solutions.
"When you have a space that is truly the preeminent meeting and performance hall for a community, your primary concerns need to be that the system works well and is extremely intuitive to control," said Thomas DePace of Advance Sound Company – the firm that integrated the new system. "What we found in Ashly Audi

Italy - The Snowboard World Championships returned to Valmalenco in January 2021, albeit behind closed doors due to the health emergency. The event featured four days of competitions on the snow after a nine years’ absence of the Alpe Palù competition, down the area’s 60 kilometres of ski slopes.
Frate Professional took care of setting up the audio and video systems, installing a wireless system consisting of various stacking stations with RCF HDL 26-A line array and HDL 35-AS subs.
The audio system requested by the client body had to guarantee sound reinforcement for the entire competition area, including the start and the finish zones, with a distance of 800m as the crow flies, between the main diffusion points. Fabio Frate and his team devised a strategic solution: "To avoid laying long cable runs and crossing the parterre with cables, we chose to use Neutrik X

South Korea - To deliver clear, powerful sound during its services, Yeomkwang Church recently partnered with TechDataPS Co to install a modern Harman Professional Solutions audio system.
Founded in 1946, Yeomkwang Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church of Korea. One of the oldest Christian houses of worship in Geoje - which is located in South Gyeongsang province - Yeomkwang Church is a massive 117,790sq.ft facility that consists of a Vision Centre and a main hall. The church recently decided to upgrade their existing sound system with a modern solution capable of delivering sermons and musical performances.
The church hired TechDataPS Co to design and implement an end-to-end sound system with enhanced sound quality and ease of use. To meet the client’s requirements and stay within budget, TechDataPS selected a range of advanced JBL speakers, Soundcraft mixers, Cr

Sri Lanka - Brainchild of music enthusiast, microbiologist and entrepreneur Chathura Masinha, Pearlbay is Sri Lanka’s newest studio complex and creative hub. Providing recording and production services, education and equipment retail all under one roof, it is also home to the country's first Audient ASP8024-HE console.
The British analogue desk serves at the heart of the commercial studio doubling up as a valuable educational tool and is heralded by Chathura as “a much needed upgrade to our music industry”.
Originally starting out as a standalone recording facility, Pearlbay Music Studio continues to offer a comprehensive, bespoke service tailored to the needs of the individual. Headed up by COO, musician and New York Institute of Audio Recording-trained audio engineer, Ranga Dasanayake, the studio quickly caught the attention of young, Sri Lankan artists. “We

USA - In the time since it was established in 1983, Northside Baptist Church (NBC) in Huntsville, Texas, has grown from a small group of people meeting in a living room to its current membership of 1,600. With construction now complete on its new home, the church’s management decided that it would need an audio system that could match the quality of such grand surroundings.
“Since it was a new construction project, we didn’t know what the best fit for the space would be, regarding the sound system,” comments Bob Slie, media director at NBC. “Our worship pastor and I attended WFX 2019 in Orlando, Florida, as they had almost a dozen audio manufacturers come in and set up in the same space, which allowed us to compare the different systems impartially.
“We were absolutely blown away by TW Audio’s then-new ELLA system, which was powered by Powersoft amplifier

India - Saga-Cuisines of India, a Michelin star restaurant in Gurgaon, recently celebrated its opening. To make it an attractive venue for artists and bands, owner Vishal Anand invested in a professional sound system driven by a new S21 digital mixing desk from DiGiCo.
To purchase the mixing console, the management of Saga turned to Sahil Sharma who is a well-known audio engineer for Indian metal band Bloodywood. He is also the audio consultant and mix engineer of the new venue.
“We needed a small format console with maximum I/O for this venue installation,” Sahil shares. “At our price point, there is practically nothing that compares to the quality and convenience of the S21. The new venue will host various music bands, dance shows and multi-genre festivals and the S21 provides more than enough IEM and wedge mixes for any act that plays at Saga. Thanks to Hi-Tec

Poland - The Florian Krygier Municipal Stadium has recently undergone a complete modernisation which includes the installation of a new sound system based on RCF P Series speakers.
The stadium, located in Szczecin, Poland, has a long history. It was built in 1925 with the name of Florian Krygier, named after a Polish football coach who was an instrumental figure in Pogoń Szczecin’s history.
Since the 1950s club management was under MKS Pogoń Szczecin until 1989 when Szczecin City Commune transferred operations to the Municipal Sports, Recreation and Rehabilitation Centre. Until the beginning of 2007, it was the most prominent facility in the Polish Orange Ekstraklasa football league. It is currently used for football matches and is the home stadium of Pogoń Szczecin.
The stadium itself has recently undergone a complete modernisation, so only part of the old

UK - PMC is marking its 30th anniversary by opening PMC Studio London, a Dolby Atmos music mixing suite that will be used to demonstrate the company’s professional loudspeaker products, particularly those suited to this immersive audio format.
Based in a former piano factory in Islington, PMC London reflects the company’s long-standing relationship with Dolby and its determination to further the development of Atmos in a music mixing context. This new facility, which joins other PMC audio suites in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville, will give artists, record labels and recording professionals the opportunity to experience Dolby Atmos music mixing and discover the full extent of its creative possibilities.
This ground up project was carried out in conjunction with acoustics consultants JV Acoustics.
PMC’s commitment to the Dolby Atmos format dates back to

Korea - Loudspeaker manufacturer KV2 Audio has been working with recently appointed Korean distributor, Daon SD, to establish the brand in the Korean market. Based in the Korean capital of Seoul, Daon SD distributes a number of well-known audio brands in both the commercial AV and live entertainment sectors.
“KV2 has opened up a huge number of possibilities for us,” says Daon SD director, B.S. Koo. “We’ve been working for some time with a team that performs sound design and optimisation for venues and other multi-purpose spaces using BIM design. We work closely with the team to ensure that a good acoustic device produces the best results, perform algorithm-based optimisation simulations, and determine the design of a sound system that fits the room.
“The BIM-based design process starts the whole process by providing the client with construction specifications

UK - Specialist recruitment agency SER Limited has committed to donate 10% of its event industry placement fees to Backup, the technical entertainment charity.
Established in 2004, the Blackburn-based company works with clients of all sizes throughout the UK and internationally, covering sectors including audio visual and lighting, plus building controls, machine tools, construction, mechanical and electrical, fire and security, telecommunications and more. SER says it is dedicated to understanding all parties’ situations when recruiting, taking time to understand why vacancies have arisen, why the candidate is open to the opportunity and the motivators, ambitions and goals of both the client and the candidate.
Kate Booth, SER’s AV and events recruitment consultant, comments: “I was aware of Backup pre-coronavirus and had attended a previous fundraising event hel

France - IP video specialist Vitec has announced that Eric Deniau has joined the company as chief technology officer.
“IP video streaming continues to grow across all markets as more and more enterprises harness the power of their networks to deliver and manage video traffic,” said Philippe Wetzel, CEO of Vitec.
“The pace of innovation that is taking place in IPTV is accelerating as organizations across industries elevate their dependence on video streaming.
“Eric will be joining Vitec as CTO to lead technology innovation and R&D efforts worldwide. He has a deep knowledge of software and a sophisticated understanding of hardware products that will enhance the experience and capabilities of Vitec’s talented R&D leadership team. He is tasked with developing the next generation of codecs, ASIC technologies, and software solutions that will power Vi

Latest Issue. . .