Sound

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UK - Reflex, Audio Visual Material (AVM), and Christie have collaborated on one of the largest rear projection systems in Europe at Queen Mary University of London. Two Christie Crimson HD laser projectors have been installed for the 12m by 6m (39 ft x 19.5 ft) screen in The Great Hall, an 800-seat space in a 1930s art deco building.
Raj Dattani, senior technical design engineer at Reflex led the installation and chose to work again with AVM and Christie teams seven years after the initial installation. “We have gone from two 10K projectors, four lamps, and regular maintenance checks to triple the brightness and no maintenance with laser,” he said. Additionally, a switch to AV over IP distribution means just one cable to the projector, giving users and clients huge flexibility.
Queen Mary University is a leading Russel Group university, with more than 25,000 studen

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China - The province of Jiangxi witnessed its only large scale outdoor symphonic concert of 2020 at the Ruijin Sports Centre Stadium in Ganzhou in November last year.
Featuring a gala performance by orchestra, singers and actors, the cultural celebration was attended by a number of civic dignitaries who joined the large audience to enjoy a spectacular show.
Jiangxi-based audio specialists, Zhongsheng Music International Cultural Media Co., a customer of Coda Audio’s Chinese distributor Tempo, took care of production, and used a Coda system to deliver pinpoint sound in a potentially difficult acoustic space.
The stadium’s acoustics and stage orientation posed serious challenges for the audio team. A number of constraints, including multiple highly reflective surfaces had previously led many sceptical commentators to doubt whether it was at all possible to ach

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Japan - The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Queen have graced its stage; artists from Bob Dylan to Blur have released albums recorded within its walls. Now, live music has returned to the Nippon Budokan, as rising J-pop stars Little Glee Monster recently kicked off their Japanese tour at the Tokyo venue. An Adamson Systems Engineering system supported the ground-breaking event for the group, the start of their largest arena tour to date.
The Budokan was built in 1964 as a martial arts competition space for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The venue’s octagonal shape can make sound reinforcement difficult, but system engineer Ryuichi Kawakami selected Adamson speakers for their clarity and coverage.
Kawakami describes the space’s challenges: “The Budokan is mostly built with wood, and many sections of the octagonal room have pillars and beams, so in the design process you mus

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UK - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed the four steps England is set to take towards “cautious yet irreversible” easing of lockdown restrictions over the coming months. The roadmap indicates that theatres, cinemas and other indoor entertainment attractions could reopen with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place as part of step three, provisionally set to take place from 17 May. Johnson specifically said that as part of step three “theatres and concert halls can reopen their doors”, with pilots of larger events set to take place using enhanced testing. If coronavirus rates continue to fall as predicted, step four could see all restrictions lifted in England from 21 June. This will mean all sectors should be able to reopen.
The #WeMakeEvents campaign has issued the following statement in response to the announcement: “We welcome

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Italy - The Cinema Teatro Lolek stands in Italy’s first oratory with NZEB (nearly zero-energy building) classification and features a modern structure, technology and systems are concerned.
The complex, located in Rezzato, on the outskirts of Brescia, occupies an area of 2,700 m2 above ground and includes a series of buildings at the service of the local community and neighbouring areas.
At the centre of the structure, there is a multi-function hall, the project’s key element: a large oval-shaped space designed for use as a theatre and cinema, but also to host exhibitions, events, conferences and much more.
A feature of this hall is the fact that, thanks to a special shutter system, it opens outwards, enabling to hold events with the stage used in the opposite direction, looking out over the rear outdoor audience area.
In a context in which great care

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UK - Audio-Technica has announced several new variations of its ES945 Omnidirectional Condenser Boundary Microphone and ES947 Cardioid Condenser Boundary Microphone, developed as a direct response to market feedback. All models are intended for surface flush-mount installation and include Audio-Technica's UniGuard RFI-shielding innovations for unsurpassed immunity from radio frequency interference.
The existing standard ES945 and ES947 models are being replaced and enhanced by the new ES945O/XLR (omnidirectional) and ES947C/XLR (cardioid), which feature upgraded functionality including IPX4 water resistance. These mics are designed for surface-mount applications such as conferencing, recording, monitoring and other demanding sound pickup applications.
Audio-Technica is also introducing new miniature, space saving variations, known as ES945O/TB3 and ES947C/TB3. These m

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UK - Having guided Void through four years of growth and structural change followed by a profitable year, David Bissett-Powell has stepped down as chairman of Void Acoustics.
Alex Skan, co-founder and managing director of Void Acoustics has made a statement on behalf of the company. “We are extremely sorry to lose David as our non-exec chair. Over the past four and a half years David has brought tremendous opportunities to us all in the company, and shared with us his wealth of expertise and knowledge of the audio sector.
“The company has benefitted from David’s guidance and unending enthusiasm for Void Acoustics. We will be forever grateful for the input he has given and owe David a huge debt of gratitude for all his energy and encouragement. He will be sorely missed by the Void family across the globe.”

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Mars - NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover touched down on the Red Planet last week, with DPA Microphones along for the historic ride. Outfitted with DPA’s 4006 Omnidirectional Microphone, MMA-A Digital Audio Interface and MMP-G Modular Active Cable, the rover provided the first sounds from the surface of Mars (see LSi December 2020 for our in-depth article on the project).
After being put through vigorous testing by NASA scientists, the DPA equipment, affixed to the Mars Perseverance Rover, officially launched into space aboard the Atlas V-541 rocket in July 2020. Over the past seven months, the DPA equipment has faced pressure changes while leaving Earth’s atmosph

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USA - Solotech continues its expansion programme with the acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound. The purchase was announced yesterday by Martin Tremblay, president and CEO of Solotech.
Morris Light & Sound was formed nearly 30 years ago by industry ipersonality Dale Morris to outfit tours for the country music supergroup Alabama. Morris changed the landscape of touring by creating a business model that not only represented and managed artists but also provided full production services all under one roof.
“The audiences that Alabama drew were unprecedented in country music at that time,” Morris stated. “We needed a sound system that would project their music over the sounds of the crowd, so I turned to an audio company in L.A. who configured sound systems for rock groups which was what we needed to start in production.”
The InteRise

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UK - Leisuretec, trade distributor of professional and commercial audio, lighting and video equipment, has partnered with Void Acoustics to distribute its professional audio products in the UK.
Leisuretec will become Void’s largest distribution partner in the UK, supplying AV installers, hire production houses and events companies with strong stock holding, knowledgeable technical sales support and efficient after-sales service.
Mike Henden, managing director of Leisuretec, comments: “We are very excited to bring Void into our diverse portfolio of professional audio brands. Not only do their speakers sound incredible, they behold an attractive aesthetic that will offer our customers a unique and stylish alternative when planning their projects.”
“We are delighted to welcome Leisuretec Distribution Ltd to our already expansive network of Void dealers in t

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Switzerland - Since upgrading his studio to incorporate a pair of PMC IB2S XBD-A monitors, Swiss producer and engineer Patrik Schwitter has undertaken a steady stream of high end projects at his Zurich based facility.
In recent months, he has worked with internationally acclaimed harp player and Grammy Award Winner Andreas Vollenweider on a new album, Quiet Places, which was recorded in Swiss broadcasting company SRF’s Studio A and Vollenweider’s own studio House on the Lake. Schwitteris is also currently mixing music for a documentary film about the influential Swiss writer Adolf Muschg, which is scheduled for release later this year. Entitled Adolf Muschg – The Other, the film is directed by Erich Schmid and features music by 86-year-old computer Jazz legend Bruno Spoerri.
“My PMC monitors just blow me away because they are so incredibly detailed,” P

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South Korea - To enhance the elegant atmosphere for weddings at Luvel Gangdong with quality audio for speech and music, TechDataPS Co recently supplied the venue with an end-to-end Harman Professional Solutions audio system.
One of several venues owned by Apelgamo Wedding & Party, Luvel Gangdong is an upscale wedding hall located on the 35th and 36th floors of East Central Tower in Seoul’s Gangdong district. Featuring design elements and decor reminiscent of French formal gardens, the venue’s wedding hall can accommodate 160 guests, while the reception hall can host up to 500.
Luvel Gangdong required a high-quality yet user-friendly audio system capable of providing powerful and clear sound reinforcement for speech and music. To achieve these goals, TechDataPS outfitted the venue with an audio system consisting of JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, dbx, BSS and A

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Japan - The theatre production of Inspire Onmyoji, starring famous Japanese actor Takao Osawa, ran at the 1300-capacity Nissei Theatre in Tokyo from 31 December 2020 to 6 January 2021.
A Umeda Arts Theatre production, the show was scripted by Brazily Anne Yamada, Takaya Okamoto, NatsuTeranishi and directed by Junya Yamada. Takao Osawa performed the role of Japanese ancient wizard ‘Onmyoji’ with next generation video, sound and lighting effects, making full use of latest technologies. This included Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision platform (WPM) and Sound Adventures immersive 3D, with all outputs controlled by the SARA II Premium Rendering Engine.
Show producer, Junya Yamada, had wanted to create unprecedented special effects with the sound system for this, and so he contacted Iwao Tsurusawa, president of MSI JAPAN Tokyo, Martin Audio’s rental partner.

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UK - Wharfedale Pro has announced the release of the Reason-X series, a three-way passive series with matching subs.
The three-way configuration delivers a response which is almost impossible to achieve from a standard 2-way system, says the company. Wharfedale Pro has used new concepts and new components to make Reason-X the premium loudspeaker series in their passive, point-source portfolio.
The full range models (Reason-X12 and X15) feature a new Z38 HF compression driver which has enormous cooling fins to disperse generated heat and a 1.5 inch ring-shaped polyethylene flat diaphragm to bring a precious feeling of space and air to high frequencies.
The 100° x 70° waveguide is also rotatable, making Reason-X suitable for vertical or horizontal applications.
The mid-range of the three-way comes from a custom Wharfedale Pro 8” driver with an aluminium b

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Italy - Powersoft has announced a further 12-month warranty on their rack amplifiers for all customers who register their product for free to MyPowersoft, the company’s online portal. This free extension brings the total warranty length, including the four years standard warranty, to five years.
As of the Monday 22 February 2021, all customers buying Powersoft amplifiers on or after this date will need to register their product on MyPowersoft within 30 days of purchase to benefit from the extended extra year warranty.
All customers who have previously purchased a rack amplifier prior to this date, that is still covered by the standard four years warranty, can extend their warranty by a year by registering their product into MyPowersoft by the 23 April 2021.
Iacopo Vannucchi, Powersoft’s customer care and service centre manager, commented, “In the last year,

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Thailand - Void Acoustics has announced a new partnership with new company Aura Visual System based in Bangkok. Aura Visual System is headed up by Pankom Klaykum who has an extensive career in AV product distribution across the region as well as a strong knowledge of Void products.
“We share a similar drive for the provision of excellent audio to our customers, and my team and I are excited to be aligning with Void Acoustics as their exclusive distributor for Thailand,” comments Pankom.
“Whilst we have done some business in Thailand in the past, there is a huge amount of potential for Void with the country being an important tourist destination and with Bangkok being a major entertainment hub in South-East Asia,” says Sean Iskhandar, APAC sales manager for Void Acoustics from his base in Singapore.
Pankom explains further: “The club sector is a promi

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Australia - Named after coloratura soprano, Dame Joan Sutherland, the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, New South Wales, is one of Sydney’s busiest performing arts complexes.
Opened in 1990, the venue has numerous performance spaces, and hosts a busy schedule of theatrical, musical and visual arts.
In mid-2019, production & technical manager Geoff Turner and head of audio Tim Anikin started looking for replacement for the old point source sound system that had served the drama theatre (The Q Theatre) from the beginning, to overcome the sound issues inherent in the space.
The tender was won by Loud And Clear Sales, who in conjunction with Drew Bisset, designed and installed a system from Alcons Audio.
When the system was commissioned the difference was immediately noticeable. In fact, the team at The Joan only had a chance to utili

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Europe - Optocore has announced that it has further upgraded its M-series MADI interfaces, making it compatible with DiGiCo premium consoles, and providing additional functionality.
Additionally, the new, advanced versions have all the advantages of Optocore’s popular DD-series, and much more, at exactly the same price point. M-series devices are now the principal means of plugging MADI streams directly into the DiGiCo loop to enable MADI streams to be input and output (other than DD-series and DiGiCo’s own devices).
This includes the channel count recognised by the DiGiCo devices, which is identical to the channel count provided by the DD2FR-FX and DD4MR-FX.
This upgrade applies equally to the entire M-series, as all available channels can also be freely distributed through all MADI ports on any of the five M8 and M12 devices. For example, one show could

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USA - When the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina opens for regular performances later this year, the $91m, 3,023-seat performing arts facility will give a city with more than its share of arts and culture a new crown jewel. Named for Steven Tanger, CEO of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, who pledged $7.5m toward the project, the new venue will host performances by the Greensboro Symphony and Guilford College's Bryan Series of lectures, as well as touring Broadway productions and concerts.
It will do so with sound from two DiGiCo SD12 consoles at front of house and monitors, an SD11 desk used for special events and that adds more flexibility to the venue, and a DiGiCo 4REA4 mixing engine that provides the drive for the main system while serving as a matrix mixer for outputs from multiple consoles.
In addition, wall-mounted

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USA - The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida has a history that dates back nearly a century to the campus’ founding in 1926. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most innovative and comprehensive music schools.
Located within the L. Austin Weeks Centre for Recording and Performance, the intimate 147-seat Victor E. Clarke Recital Hall is a familiar venue to all of the nearly 700 students currently enrolled. Used daily for recitals, concerts, and ensemble performance, the room was designed with variable acoustics by noted acoustician Charles Bonner so that a wide range of music could be performed with optimal listening and recording conditions.
To accommodate the growing interest in electronic music studies and performance, the school called on Unreal-Systems, an L-Acoustics certified provider for installation and

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UK - Neutrik UK has announced the appointment of David Morbey to the newly created position of product marketing manager, creating a full marketing role at management level for the first time within the company.
Morbey brings more than 22 years’ experience of pro-audio product marketing, across a wide range of sectors and applications to the new position. He comes to Neutrik having held UK, European and international marketing and product management roles with industry brands, including Allen & Heath, Denon Pro, Marantz Pro, Rane Contractor and Martin Audio, and across DJ, live sound, commercial AV, Custom Install and broadcast installation applications.
Managing director Mark Perrins states, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to appoint David to this key strategic role within Neutrik UK and I am personally delighted to be working with him once again.”

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Japan - The Finnish Embassy in Japan is located in the cosmopolitan district of Azabu in Tokyo. The area has a distinctly global feel, due in part to the large number of foreign embassies that have chosen to make Azabu their home. The Finnish Embassy has recently renovated part of their buildings. A Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker solution was installed as part of the project.
Mikke Kinnari, Vice Consul and 3rd Secretary of Administrative Affairs at the Embassy was in charge of the renovation project. “We wanted the best possible experience for our guests, ideally using Finnish products,” he explains. “Having studied several options from a variety of suppliers, we decided that the Genelec Smart IP solution with its easy, single-cable installation and high-quality audio offered the best possible solution for our requirements.”
The buildings of the Finnish Embassy

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France - For more than 20 years, Mvision has been providing its service as an audiovisual technical expert to its customer base in France and beyond. The company’s regular investments in new equipment allows it to set up innovative solutions, such as its studio for filming, capturing, and dissemination of eventsat the Palais des Congrès in Paris, which is the third space Mvision has equipped for creative content production in France. The 300sq.m set features a curved LED wall, controlled by two Brompton Technology Tessera S8 LED processors.
“Mvision invested in its first LED screens more than eight years ago, and our first cylindrical screen was awarded a prize at the innovation show, Heavent Paris,” says Meziane Lounis, Mvision’s owner. “Since then, we have been building up our experience and expertise in LED technology, with our latest opening of a studio and in

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Mexico - Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional’s (AN) was built in 1952 as a site for equestrian events. The building is made of riveted iron - the same technique featured on the Eiffel Tower - and has undergone extensive redesigns throughout the years. The Auditorio Nacional is known equally for its intriguing architectural design and for housing the largest pipe organ in Latin America.
The venue’s main hall consists of nearly 10,000 seats raised above and around its 23m stage, primarily used for national and international music concerts, song, dance and film festivals. Since 2013, the Auditorio Nacional has been ranked top selling venue in the world according to Pollstar Magazine.
Lunario, Auditorio Nacional’s alternative stage, seats 1,200 and is used for small and medium-sized events. Both spaces have hosted notable companies such as the Vienna Philharmonic, LA
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