Over the past 120 years, the National Association of Music Merchants has grown from a small, domestic consortium of piano dealers into a massive educational and support organization boasting arguably the world’s best trade show dedicated to both the business and pleasure of making music.

When the eagerly anticipated 2021 NAMM Show had to be canceled due to continued COVID concerns, the association quickly pivoted its focus by creating a digital alternative known as Believe in Music Week, running from January 18 to 22.

FOH Engineer Chris Rabold.

L-Acoustics announces that it is fully supporting NAMM this month by sponsoring a virtual Marketplace booth, where it will be hosting a comprehensive lineup of eight unique video sessions on a variety of topics, all with live Q&A.

Visitors can also book online meetings with L-Acoustics team members, chat live, and receive special access to swag and an exciting giveaway.
Of particular note will be the booth’s keynote session, “Contour XO IEM Origins Story,” moderated by FOH Engineer Chris Rabold (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé).

Christian and Jerry, two good sounding guys ;0)

This will be a Zoom “fireside chat” discussion with L-Acoustics Founder and President Dr. Christian Heil and JH Audio Founder and President Jerry Harvey.
This illuminating conversation explores their origins in pro audio and how they came to collaborate on the recently-launched Contour XO in-ear monitor.

L-Acoustics Application Manager Josh Maichele.

“Immersive Audio for Houses of Worship” will be another standout session, with L-Acoustics Application Manager Josh Maichele hosting a conversation with technical directors at three churches Mount Paran in Georgia, Orchard Hills in Pennsylvania, and River Pointe in Texas to learn about why they each chose L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology for their congregations.

L-Acoustics L-ISA Application Engineer Carlos Mosquera

Furthermore, L-Acoustics L-ISA Application Engineer Carlos Mosquera will take a deep dive into the anatomy of an L-ISA mix with a binaural performance and mixing tutorial on NAMM’s Believe in Music Gear TV during the week.

“NAMM has always been much more than an industry trade show,” shares Alan Macpherson, CEO, L-Acoustics Americas. “The organization’s reach in music advocacy, market development, and educational focus have all been key to keeping NAMM’s strong leadership position.

Alan Macpherson, CEO, L-Acoustics Americas.

Shows have thrived, despite sea changes in the market over the years, and this is evidenced by the smart and concerted effort to bring professional audio to the fore.
This year, NAMM has risen to a new challenge, yet again with its Believe in Music Week, a well thought out alternative to the in-person trade show that should provide excellent interaction.
L-Acoustics is proud to be part of it, and we look forward to making quality connections with both new and existing customers this month!”

Free registration for the 2021 NAMM Believe in Music Week can be found here

Additional details on the L-Acoustics live sessions are at the L-Acoustics website

Outside the Circle uses the power of Proteus Maximus as an integral effect in unique end-of-year lighting display. With fireworks forbidden and Covid-19 keeping people isolated for New Year’s Eve, Ton Nieuwenhuis and Martin Ciesluk of design firm Outside the Circle decided to bring a bit of lighting inspiration to the people of the Dutch town of Hengelo.

“We wanted to bring some light to people at the end of a tough year,” he said, “so we put together a project that included 21 mobile trailers with lighting to drive around the streets of the city on New Year’s Eve.
It represented how, because of Covid, we are all in small groups but when seen together symbolized something greater, us all coming together.”

The project, called Het Hengelicht, involved 8 fixed lighting locations (sponsors) plus 21 vehicles pulling trailers on which a Proteus Maximus™ was encircled by four RGB laser-source beam lights Claypay Xtylos.
The effect from a distance of each grouping was one of a giant single beam of light. The fixed locations used one Maximus with 8 Xtylos.

Ciesluk says that initially he wasn’t sure what fixtures he wanted to go with but knew he needed something with power. “I knew I wanted LED and something bright that could take a bit of shaking around from being driven around in a trailer.
As the other fixtures we used required domes, I wanted an IP65 fixture in order to have one less dome in the trailer. I was happy to discover the Maximus and Niclen was able to provide 38 of them for the project.
It has a hotspot LED engine that is good for long-throw aerial beams and at only 1400 watts, it was easy on our small power generator as we didn’t want to have to refill the generators too often.”

Ciesluk’s initial idea was to choose 30 locations throughout the city to place lighting fixtures but with concerns over too many people gathering, the decision was made to make the majority of the lighting mobile by placing a power generator with lights in trailers to be driven around the city.

“We wanted to make sure that everyone in the city could enjoy the lighting,” says Ciesluk, who calls the project more of an art installation.

“Some people would come outside to see what was going on while others would look out their window as the lighting passed by. The response was amazing. People were clapping and waving at us from behind windows.” Ciesluk says they tracked the movement of every trailer and ended up covering about 80% of all the streets in Hengelo.

The Outside the Circle crew drove around the city beginning at 8:00 pm when the town mayor initiated the project. Lights shone skyward in full-on white light for four hours with 30-minutes of more dynamic color and movement ringing in the New Year at midnight. Design was by Ton Nieuwenhuis and Martin Ciesluk with Ciesluk also handling the programming.

Besides garnering sponsors to finance the project, resources came from crowd funding, as well as the Hengelo city council, who, after initially denying funding, had a change of mind after seeing how much enthusiasm the project had generated on social media.

More information about Elation range of products can be found on their website www.elationlighting.com

“Meyer Sound has seen great success from the NAMM Show over the past few years as it is a great place for us to showcase our products suited for this audience,” notes Meyer Sound Director of Global Marketing Tim Boot.

Tim Boot

“Although we are unable to connect with our customers in person during this time, we are grateful that we have this opportunity at the virtual NAMM show to share what we have been working on over the past year, including a new variant of our best-selling loudspeaker and a new solution for the post-production and residential markets.”

The ULTRA-X20.

The virtual booth will feature product information about the award-winning ULTRA X40 and ULTRA-X20 point source loudspeakers, LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeaker, the company’s new software applications Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool and MAPP 3D system design and prediction tool and the newly introduced Ultra Reflex screen channel sound solution for direct view displays.

The principle of Ultra Reflex.

Derek Featherstone, CEO of UltraSound and FOH mixer

As part of the NAMM U “TEC Tracks” programming, Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir and Derek Featherstone, CEO of UltraSound and longtime FOH mixer for recent Dead-related acts including Dead & Company, discuss the long strange trip of the band’s quest for the best audience sound experience.
Weir goes back to the Wall of Sound days when Meyer Sound CEO John Meyer first got involved, even pre-dating the founding of Meyer Sound Laboratories in 1979. The session is available Thursday, January 21 at 12:45 PM PST.

Additional programming includes engaging discussions with Berlin-based electronic duo Mouse on Mars as well as Ed Sheeran’s production team.
Meyer Sound Director, Spatial Sound Steve Ellison will sit down with Mouse on Mars, Tuesday January 19 at 10:00 AM PST for “Mouse on Mars Discuss Spatial Sound Mixing” where the artists will explain how they use Spacemap Go for their work from live performances and art exhibitions to the recording studio for their new album and explain how to use the spatial sound tool.
The session is available on the Meyer Sound exhibitor page at the designated time here

Steve Ellison

Chris Marsh

Wednesday, January 20 at 10:00 AM PST, Ed Sheeran’s longtime Production Manager and FOH Engineer Chris Marsh and Audio Systems Engineer Charlie Albin as well as Meyer Sound’s Sales Manager, Asia Pacific Chris D’bais, will dive into the singer-songwriter’s high-ranking ÷ (“Divide”) Tour.
The session “Ed Sheeran Production Team Discusses Divide Tour” explores the production team’s life on the road, their preferred audio solutions, and what they have been working on since the end of the tour in 2019. The session is available on the Meyer Sound exhibitor page at the designated time here.

The ultra wide coverage UPQ-D3 with an 80° x 80° pattern.

The NAMM Show also provides the backdrop for two concurrently scheduled industry recognition events, the TEC Awards and the Parnelli Awards. The Meyer Sound UPQ-D3 wide symmetrical coverage loudspeaker has been nominated for a TEC Award in the Outstanding Technical Achievement in Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers category.

The online ceremony will be available for streaming Friday, January 22 at 2 PM PST here.
Then, at 5 PM PST, the Parnelli Awards will provide a retrospective of the past 20 years of the prestigious industry award show during their “Keep the Torch Lit: 20 Years of the Parnelli Awards Special Presentation.”
The presentation will be available here.

Meyer Sound’s sales and technical services team will be available for one-on-one meetings throughout the show, Monday January 18 to Friday, January 22. Registration is free for all who wish to attend.
The virtual booth can be accessed here once registration is completed.

More on the Meyer Sound website

Dave Martin

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Martin Audio, founded by Australian Dave Martin in London’s Covent Garden, back in 1971, is intent on turning 2021 into a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary.

The company—founded by Australian Dave Martin in London’s Covent Garden, back in 1971 has consistently flourished despite the twists and turns of the last five decades.

The British touring industry champ who took advantage of a gang of crazy French sound lovers called Régiscène ;0)

Dom Harter

The Martin Audio story is a triumph for British manufacturing, innovation and sustainability with an engineering development path dating back to the very foundations of the touring industry.

Dom Harter, Managing Director, remarked, “While we are forever mindful that COVID restrictions are still firmly in place, this is a landmark that should be celebrated in style”.

To commemorate the auspicious occasion, Martin Audio has produced a new coffee table book, detailing its illustrious history and filled with eye-catching photography. This is available now online and in print from February onwards.

A celebratory video is also available online to enjoy.

2021 is also expected to be a prolific year for the company, with many product and software developments in the pipeline to continue the company’s legacy.

Dom Harter added, “There have been so many manufacturing milestones at Martin Audio and we want to keep that momentum going. We fervently hope that it won’t be long before we are able to celebrate all of these, face to face with our many partners, customers and friends around the globe.”

Earls Court en 1973. Les Pink Floyd très fort et clair.

Subject to restrictions, provisional plans will be to host a grand party in September to tie in with the company’s series of Open Days to which all international partners will be invited.

For more information on the Martin Audio website

It’s all in the details: Sennheiser’s new IE 300 in-ear headphones have been meticulously crafted to offer nuanced, natural sound on the go. Powered by a refined version of Sennheiser’s 7mm Extra Wide Band (XWB) transducer to ensure a well-balanced sound signature and excellent sonic accuracy, the new IE 300 combines superior sound with premium, professional audio-inspired design.

Sennheiser’s new IE 300 features a refined version of the audio specialist’s acclaimed 7mm Extra Wide Band (XWB) transducer,manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Germany, ensuring superior sound quality, with a well-balanced sound signature and excellent sonic accuracy.

Every component has been carefully tuned to refine the listening experience: This includes an optimized membrane foil that minimizes natural resonances and total harmonic distortion (THD < 0.08% at 1 kHz, 94 dB), a transducer back volume designed to minimize reflection within the housing and a resonator chamber that removes masking resonances in the ear canal for more refined and detailed treble.

The transducer with the « cone », worthy of an 18 ”when it is only 0.27”!

Offering a frequency response of 6 Hz – 20 kHz, the IE 300 delivers clear high frequencies with a subtle and warm musicality that brings greater intimacy to vocals.

“When you are passionate about audio, details matter. That’s why we meticulously crafted the IE 300 to let listeners hear every nuance in their music,” said Jermo Köhnke, Product Manager at Sennheiser.
“The IE 300 is designed to be a companion on the go, while still providing a superior audio experience, no matter your surroundings.”

Audio enhancing comfort

The IE 300 offers exceptional durability and comfort, with a design inspired by the world of professional audio. Its ergonomic features include individually adjustable flexible ear hooks, as well as silicone and memory foam ear adaptors in three sizes (S/M/L). This not only ensures a perfectly secure fit and superb wearing comfort for long listening sessions, but also offers optimum noise isolation, guaranteeing that audio enthusiasts can enjoy undisturbed listening even in busy environments or on the move.

Years of listening pleasure

The easily replaceable cable with its infinitely more reliable connector than the usual double small pins; a real plus.

The IE 300’s supplied 3,5mm cable is reinforced with para-aramid for outstanding stability even after thousands of bend cycles and can easily be replaced for optimal flexibility.

For additional strain relief, the high-quality gold-plated Fidelity+ MMCX connector is seated in a recessed, 4.8mm-wide socket in the housing. Balanced cables with 2.5mm or 4.4 connectors are also available as optional accessories. A premium carry case is included for safe and convenient storage.

The Sennheiser IE 300 will be available in March 2021 for 299,95 $ (plus applicable sales tax).

A short movie showing the transducer details

More information on the Sennheiser website

London welcomed in 2021 with a spectacular show, a citywide explosion of fireworks, drones, laser and lights, ending a message of thanks and hope to the nation and the world.
Jack Morton, the global brand experience agency, helped to develop the original concept and worked in partnership with the Mayor of London’s office and a dedicated team of experts to create the extraordinary experience.

Photo @Patrick Straub. Autorisation de Jack Morton Worldwide

The 10-minute show, designed for home-viewing and created in collaboration with the BBC, was broadcast live on BBC1 and watched by a global viewing audience of millions.
Jack Morton’s creative show team worked in collaboration with On the Sly for the music production, Titanium Fireworks for the pyrotechnics design, and SKYMAGIC for the swarm drone sequences.
Lighting for the event was designed by Durham Marenghi with Paul Cook as Associate LD and programmer and the spectacular array of 168 Claypaky Mythos 2 and 168 Elation Proteus Hybrids on London Bridge was supplied by Lights Control Rigging and managed by Rob Watson.

Durham called on the expertise of ER lasers, the Signify team and Illuminated River project, Armadillo and Tower Bridge, Stadium FX at Wembley and the Woodroffe Bassett team at the Shard to integrate the city-wide effects into a memorable light show to herald what will hopefully be a far better New Year for all.

More information on the Claypaky website

Bølgen Kulturhus is a truly multi-purpose, multi-use venue that welcomes thousands of patrons annually for concerts, cinema, and theatre presentations, as well as conferences and events of all descriptions.

The Bølgen Kulturhus in Larvik, Norway.

With the recent installation of an Adamson Systems Engineering E-Series PA in its main hall, ‘Storsalen’, Bølgen has extended its already substantial capabilities to present the wide variety of programming it offers and the diverse range of events it hosts.
Previously, Norwegian distributor Benum provided Bølgen with Adamson rigs for the venue’s other two, smaller performance/event spaces: eight IS10, four IS119 subs, four PC5, and two D120 amplifiers in ‘Sanden Scene’; and eight S7, two IS119 and two D120 for ‘Blåboksen’.

Bølgen adds large-format performance to its Adamson inventory with an E-series installation in the main performance hall, the Sanden Scene.

In the Storshalen space, Benum has now installed a system comprised of twenty E12 (flown ten per side), six E219 subs, and four S7p loudspeakers for lip and infills; all powered by D-Series amplifiers by Lab Gruppen (eight D120 amplifiers for the E12, two D200s for the E219 and one D80 for the S7p). Additionally, a Lake LM44 is deployed at FOH to create a fully redundant digital network with all audio distribution handled via Dante and a dedicated analog backup.

Benum, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, has been representing Adamson Systems Engineering exclusively in Norway since 2015, and in Sweden since 2017.

Adamson’s growth in the market has been substantial, says Sales Manager Kenneth Vadset: “We got a flying start with an S-Series installation at the Olavshallen concert hall in Trondheim in 2016, which was the first Adamson installation we did, and from there word spread, so we’ve since gone into many cultural houses and theatres.”

Bonum Sales Manager Kenneth Vadset

As is the case with many of his colleagues at Benum, Vadset is a touring audio engineer and, based on his own experiences on the road, believes that any incoming act will be more than happy with the E-Series system.
“I’ve toured a lot and mixed in many Norwegian cultural houses, including Bølgen and many other venues. Frankly, some didn’t have the quality or the size of systems we needed, so we would always carry our own rig to supplement or replace the house system. That won’t happen at Bølgen.”

The implementation of Adamson’s products throughout all the main performance spaces provides Bølgen with consistent audio infrastructure that will make it easy for the venue to reconfigure the systems as needed for virtually any application.
“Adamson is a well-known, respected, and widely used brand throughout Norway and elsewhere in Europe,” Vadset puts in, “and they’ve become a big player in both touring audio and performance installations. To be able to offer both in the same venue is a huge benefit.”
The venue’s technical team agrees. “By using Adamson across all of our stages, it gives us the same audio signature throughout the entire house,” says Bølgen’s House Tech Manager, Dagfinn Apelland.

An Adamson E12 line array hangs in the main hall, along with some surrounds.

Flexibility, functionality, and fluidity are integral to Bølgen’s day-to-day operations in general, but nowhere more so than in Storsalen. And although Apelland wanted the same pristine performance Adamson provided in the other spaces, for the main room he specified a more powerful, larger format system that offered excellent coverage and fidelity, whatever the application it is used for at any given time.

Those applications range widely, from film screenings to corporate/community events to heavy metal shows and everything in between.
To serve that multi-purpose mandate the room itself is designed to be reconfigured to suit the needs of the event and the audience in equal measure on a per-show basis. In one scenario the stage area is at surface level, with sloped seating rising from the edge of the performance area to the rear of the room.
In another, roughly half of the seats can be retracted and stored under the rear upper seating, creating room for a stage to be constructed and a ‘standing room’ audience area.

Consequently, there are two sub configurations. For a ‘flat’ stage, three E219 are flown in a cardioid configuration above the centre of the stage area. When a raised stage is brought in, however, all six may be used, ground-stacked three per side in cardioid configurations.

The result is a great sounding room regardless of the seating or stage layout. Ultimately, having multiple tiers of Adamson loudspeakers available throughout the venue touring and fixed install products alike dramatically enhances the flexibility of the venue overall.

Being able to meet all their needs with one loudspeaker manufacturer’s products is a definite plus for the venue, the audiences attending any type of event or performance there, and the performers themselves. “The feedback from people that have used the Adamson systems at Bølgen, the E12 system especially, is fantastic,” Vadset sums up. “Almost everybody has said Bølgen is the best sounding cultural house in Norway.”

More information on the Benum website and on the Adamson Systems website

CBF Productions and Darvik Productions team up on popular drive-in concert series. Drive-in concerts have become the necessary norm under the pandemic and Southern California’s moderate climate makes it possible for these fan-thankful events to take place late into the year.

©Brittany Berggren

Enhanced by a complement of Elation Professional lights, “Concerts in your Car”, presented by CBF Productions at two SoCal locations, are some of the most popular.
Helping to quench the thirst of live music fans, “Concerts in Your Car” debuted June 26 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds north of Los Angeles and branched out to a second site, the Del Mar Fairgrounds near San Diego, in September. Victor Ortiz, owner of full service audio-visual company Darvik Productions of Ventura, worked together on the project with CBF Productions founder and CEO Vincenzo Giammanco.

©Brittany Berggren

“It all started back in April when our first spring festival of the year was cancelled,” recounts Ortiz, who says that he and Giammanco do about a dozen events together in a year.
“We started wondering what the year was going to look like and had heard that Europe was starting to do some drive-in shows. We started to brainstorm what a drive-in venue here would look like, how to build it, etc. By the end of April we knew we’d have to pivot and the idea for ‘Concerts in Your Car’ was born.”

“Concerts in Your Car” at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featured a package of Elation Professional luminaires in a setup that was replicated for the Del Mar site. A typical week at the Del Mar site, which debuted September 25 and has a capacity of 700 vehicles, sees movies on a big screen, hosts local bands or theatre plays, and then stages bigger acts on the weekend. Top acts like hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, icons The Beach Boys, and local heroes Slightly Stoopid are just a few who have played the venue. Sundays are reserved for church services or private events.

©Brittany Berggren

Shows are held on a four-sided stage with a large 14-ft high by 26-ft wide video screen gracing each side. Ortiz and Darvik’s role included coming up with a stage, video and lighting design that could cater to a large, open fairgrounds space. “It’s a very flat ground that required a high stage so we came up with an 8-ft high, 360-degree stage design that lets cars in the back rows see as well,” said Ortiz, who also oversaw the build as production manager.

“Because there is a variety of acts that come in, the lighting design had to be flexible and easy to use. We designed a rig that can cater to all types of acts with effects that light it up at night under all kinds of weather.” Ortiz says he also wanted to cover all sides of the stage as there are cars all the way around it. “It’s been a great design and with performers playing to all sides it gives it a personal touch.”

The designer says that because they wanted to avoid followspot towers that would obstruct vehicles, bands of Elation Seven Batten 72s were placed all around the stage that act as footlights/key lights.

Elation Seven Batten 72s Lighting Fixture.

Elation Cuepix 16 IP matrix LED panels

“They work amazingly well and the punch and color is just beautiful,” he says of the color-changing LED battens with 7-color multi-chip LEDs. On each side of the stage are powerful Cuepix 16 IP matrix LED panels with all-weather protection that serve as blinders and houselights.

Spread throughout the rig as backlight, and mounted in a center circle truss for stage lighting, are Seven Par 7 IP par wash luminaires, which are also used as truss warmers to set the entire structure aglow.
In one of Ortiz’s favorite looks in the build up to the show the base color goes pink as cars enter the site. The look reflects the “Concerts in Your Car” branding and the color scheme returns at the end of the show.

Concluding the Elation package, Protron 3K Color LED strobes work from the circle truss for special effects while SixPar 100 color-changing Par lights highlight branding on the structure’s skin. Other automated lights also make up the lighting package and some acts do bring in a supplemental floor package. Atmospheric haze and mid-air projection canopy is provided by Antari M-11 foggers.

©Brittany Berggren

Darvik Productions supplied all the lighting for both “Concert in Your Car” sites and worked with Elation’s Raul Fonseca on the Elation portion of the rig. “Raul was an amazing partner in the build of our Del Mar venue. I’ve known him since before founding Darvik and he has always been there for us as part of the team,” said Ortiz, who started Darvik Productions in 2012 with Elation as the first lighting equipment he acquired.”

©Brittany Berggren

“Concerts in Your Car” has not only been a success with many events selling out, it has fulfilled a need for music lovers to experience live events again.
“With the limitations we have to face today, it has been a form of entertainment that our community has truly enjoyed and appreciated,” Ortiz concludes. “We’re glad we’ve been able to be a part of it.”

For more information about Elation range of products, check the Elation website

Nestled in the coast of the Gulf of Portofino, in Santa Margherita, Italy’s Covo di Nord-Est, or the North-East Lair, has recently undergone an extensive rebuild with a new audio system.
Originally built in 1934 as a private residence, the venue quickly became the most popular club in Italy during the 60s and 70s, and after storms ravaged the venue in late 2018, it has once again opened its doors to the public.

The breathtaking view from the Covo’s club.

Famous for its nightlife, location, and well-known clientele, Covo di Nord-Est now boasts a new audio upgrade worthy of the reputation it holds. “After the storm in 2018, we undertook a complete rebuild the entire venue,” said Stefano Lo Sardo, owner of Vibra Service and project manager for this build. “But we didn’t just want to rebuild, we wanted to upgrade, and that meant a new audio system that would rise up to the challenge.”

Together with Italian distributor Audiosales, they designed a completely new sound system. Featuring both Martin Audio speakers and subwoofers, the system was supported by Powersoft’s fixed install dedicated Quattrocanali 1204 and Ottocanali 4K4 amplifier platforms, with onboard DSP.

Three out of the six Martin Audio CDD10B speakers in charge to cover the entire semi-outdoor venue, yet taking care of the noise pollution in the vicinity.

“Our focus was to provide coverage throughout the entire venue, especially in the centre, as it’s where the bar and most guest seating are,” said Lo Sardo. “We also needed to consider the buildings around us, making sure that we avoided undesirable coverage near the surrounding buildings.”

The system was designed with six Martin Audio CDD10B speakers situated in the centre of the venue suspended from the ceiling. These speakers, along with the other 12 speakers and subwoofers placed throughout the venue, are fed directly thanks to an Audac preamplifier and Powersoft’s Ottocanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers.

A Quattrocanali 1204 and Ottocanali 4K4 DSP amplifier platforms. 12 smart channels delivering a total of 5,200W.

“We needed powerful amplifier platforms providing the best sonic performance and protection for this project, as the speakers are performing at a high level for hours on end,” said Lo Sardo.
“Powersoft’s Quattrocanali and Ottocanali were exactly what we were looking for. They are exceptionally powerful, and the built in DSP was a big advantage for us.”

Named after their number of channels, the Quattrocanali (four channels) and Ottocanali (eight channels) amplifier platforms have been designed with the user in mind. Boasting incredible efficiency and power at a low operational cost, the amplifiers strive to not only amplify and support an audio system, but to protect it.
The clip limiter for loudspeakers, short circuit protection, long term limiters against steady non-audio signals which can minimise output, and general thermal protection, all are features of the amplifiers which were used to the advantage of the Covo di Nord-Est system.

Lo Sardo continued, “We also used the ArmoníaPlus software for this project, and it gave us complete control over every aspect of this system. It’s extremely intuitive and easy to use.”

One of the Martin Audio subs, ready to rock the boat !

Powersoft have recently unveiled ArmoníaPlus 2.0, which gives system integrators and users a new definition of what Powersoft amplifiers are truly capable of in fixed installation projects.
Among the new features are customisable user interfaces, passive controls and an app dedicated to controlling the new customisable interfaces: Powersoft System Control.

“The design of the amplifiers is something I was impressed by,” said Lo Sardo. “On top of their robustness and power to size ratio, you can see that the terminal blocks on the back of the amplifier have been designed for ease of use, making installing the cables a simple task.”

The result of the work of Lo Sardo and the Audiosales team was an audio system that perfectly met the end user’s requirements: audio technology that would upgrade this world-renowned club. “The outcome was a success,” said Lo Sardo. “The Audiosales team supported us every step of the way and helped us create this incredible installation.”

A short movie featuring italian music and showing the venue as if you were there.

More information on:

– The Powersoft website
– The Vibra Service website
– The Audio Sales website

When Seattle, Washington was forced to adapt its customary New Year’s Eve celebrations due to the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19; necessity, once again, proved itself to be the mother of invention.
The result, a collaboration between event production company, Modern Enterprises LLC, and projection mapping specialist Maxin10sity, was a revolutionary ‘sky mapping’ show that saw virtual lights, projection, and special effects superimposed on live footage of the city’s most iconic landmark, the Space Needle, and the sky above.

As is the case with so many ground-breaking ideas throughout history, the concept of ‘sky mapping’ came to CEO and founder of Modern Enterprises, Terry Morgan, in a dream. “It was so vivid and colourful that I woke my wife up to tell her all about it,” said Morgan.
“Later, when Karen Olsen (chief marketing officer at the Space Needle) was telling me that they were unable to do their usual kind of event with fireworks and a large crowd, I told her about my ‘sky mapping’ dream, and she loved the idea.”

Morgan went straight to one of his regular collaborators, Maxin10sity, with a mood board and a handful of images, in the hopes that the two companies could work together once again to make his dream a reality.
“I’ve worked with Tamás Vaspöri (managing director at Maxin10sity) for years and have always been so impressed by what we were able to create together; namely the BOREALIS Festival of Light here in the US, which debuted to a wonderful crowd of over 120,000 people,” said Morgan.

Although the New Year’s Eve sky mapping show – fittingly named The Dream – had its own advantages (such as the absence of civic considerations like security, power, crowd control, and portable toilets) the team still only had two months to realise this unprecedented concept; mapping projections, lights, and special effects on the sky itself.

“There are challenges in all productions but, because this show is something new, we had to be very prepared and think through everything twice,” said Vaspöri. “We had to work a bit more on the storyboard but, when it was done and approved by the client, we could move on as normal from an animation / production point of view.”

He continued: “The fact that it was going to be a virtual show for broadcast actually gave us much more freedom. We wanted to do something that would blur the lines between the virtual and the real, to the point where people might not be able to decide which was which. We spoke with Terry a lot about his dream; always keeping in mind what would look best on screen and how we could draw the audience in and give them a real ‘wow’ factor.”

The show itself was to be a combination of subtle key lighting effects and more bombastic, almost surreal, moving images. All of this had to be created side by side to ensure that the illusory visuals were as convincing as Vaspöri had envisioned them.

Another key aspect of The Dream was the accompanying music, which was provided by Daniel Sadowski; a specialist in creating soundtracks for movie trailers and video games. “The music is a very important part of the production,” said Vaspöri. “It is one of the key things that inspires our artists. We worked together with Global Illumination on the whole production, who we have worked with a few times in the past. The whole process was as smooth as always.”

The camera shots for the show were filmed in advance using three 4K cameras shooting from three locations simultaneously. The entire sequence was run through twice to generate six different shot perspectives, which could then be intercut with some vertical and interior footage of the building.
“Despite how it appears, no drones were necessary,” said Morgan. “All we needed were good cameras and good people to operate them.” The entire show was pre-recorded and broadcast ‘as-live’ from KING TV studios in Seattle, before being streamed worldwide. According to a spokesperson from the Space Needle, the show amassed more than 1 million streaming views (and over 1 billion online impressions) in the first 24 hours alone.

“There are a lot of challenges when you’re doing something that has never been done before,” said Morgan. “With the great support team of Maxin10sity, the Space Needle, KING 5 TV, and T-Mobile, we have moved mountains in a very short time to create a spectacular virtual New Year’s Eve event like no one has ever seen before.”

While the plaudits continue to roll in for The Dream, its almost unbelievable success begs a very important question: could this ambitious dream-come-true be taken one step further, into the real world? Maxin10sity’s Tamás Vaspöri certainly thinks so.

“The beam lights and the mapping effects on the structure could be made today, no problem,” he said. “We could project onto special mesh screens so the audience could see holographic effects and (with enough projector brightness) even project onto the clouds above. With this in mind, I would say real-life sky mapping is not too far away; it’s just a question of the technology. Technology and time.”

More information on the Maxin10sity website

L-Acoustics is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Mead, Sales Manager and Rahul Samuel Applications Engineer, two regional industry experts to support existing partners and grow the company’s presence in key vertical markets, as well as with consultants, integrators, sound engineers, and end users in the region.

Rahul Samuel and Chris Mead.

Over the last decade, the region has been successfully supported by L-Acoustics Sales Manager, Peter Owen, who will now concentrate his expertise on developing key territories in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Peter Owen

The appointment of a new, dedicated and locally based team will allow the company to nurture new and closer relationships in the Middle East, India and East Africa. Chris Mead, Sales Manager for the Middle East, India, and East Africa will build relationships and develop business in the region while Rahul Samuel, Application Engineer for the Middle East and India, will provide technical support, design assistance and training to partners and projects throughout the area.

“The Middle East and India regions are very diverse culturally yet share a common commitment to building innovative and technically advanced venues and entertainment experiences,” says Cédric Montrezor, Executive Director of Application at L-Acoustics. “This drive to excel and impress has led the region to dynamic growth – growth which remains resilient throughout the current difficult period.”

Chris Mead, Sales Manager for the Middle East, India, and East Africa.

Chris Mead is tasked with building sales growth across the region, through forging and deepening relationships with current and future partners, identifying and developing new business opportunities, and growing brand awareness. Mead is a recognized industry professional with over 15 years of experience in the UK and the Middle East.

He began his career designing and implementing AV solutions for end-users and most recently provided technical support and developed sales in the Middle East region for Meyer Sound.
“L-Acoustics has achieved its leadership position in the market by developing outstanding products and establishing a global system of standards via a robust partner network,” expresses Mead.
“The brand’s rapid growth in the integration market represents an exciting area of development. I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the company and our partners in the region.”

Rahul Samuel, Application Engineer for the Middle East and India.

Rahul Samuel will be responsible for providing technical expertise to partners and projects throughout the Middle East and his native India. Samuel is an award-winning live sound engineer with over 15 years of experience as an Acoustic Consultant, FOH/Monitor and System Engineer, System Designer and Educator.
He has contributed to the production of some of India’s most spectacular live performances, and latterly representing Meyer Sound, providing technical support in the region.

“The Middle East is home to some of the world’s biggest projects and they consistently surprise the world by exceeding known limitations,” describes Samuel.
“This type of work requires the best minds from around the world and L-Acoustics excels at accompanying people and projects to achieve their technical best. I’m excited to be working alongside our partners to turn their visions into reality.”

Jochen Frohn, Global Director of Business Development at L-Acoustics

Global Director of Business Development at L-Acoustics, Jochen Frohn concludes: “Clients and Partners in the Middle East and India have consistently shown an interest in premium products and a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve excellence and offer the most engaging audience experience.
Having this locally based team, with Chris and Rahul’s combined expertise, will allow us to build deeper relationships and offer outstanding support to clients in a region that continues to take a more central role to the strategic growth of L-Acoustics.”

More on the L-Acoustics website

If you are reading this editorial, it means that 2020 has packed it in. We all believed in last year’s best wishes for good health, good business and a bright future, which we exchange almost out of habit. Let’s do it better in 2021, shall we?

Let’s start by not proclaiming victory as long as new strains are running rampant like the world debt, and until we all receive the magic shot in the arm. So, for now we’ll keep talking like speech therapists, with our glasses fogging up and our hands stinking of ethanol for as long as it takes, our Colgate smiles be damned. Finally, let’s bear it out with patience because, as Cervantes said to Don Quixote: “all these storms that befall us are signs that the weather will soon be fair, and things will go well with us”.

Take heart, 2021 is here

Above all, let’s keep the faith. The public, whose desire to return to the venues has been put in doubt, is waiting for this. On the rare occasions when we have been able to host them, in one seat out of every two, they have been there, serene and happy to see live shows again, despite a very limited artistic offering and unprofitable capacities.

Let’s use these long months of forced time off not to rest and, above all, not to rest on our laurels. In a few months, we’re going to experience an incredible rush and we’re going to have to be efficient, creative and innovative to keep up with a pace that will likely be infernal, so we may as well try to maintain our bodies and minds, our knowledge and our relationships.
2021 will also require us to know how to make the best use of our current technical assets. We will have to look for new sound designs, new lighting designs, learn how to make better use of networks, create audio and visual environments, devise more flexible logistics, and rethink the set-up phases and the tools that will make them even faster and safer.

Let’s also renovate our gear, let’s apply those touches of paint which, invisible to the public, nevertheless make employees and customers happier; in short, let’s do everything that has always been put off until the next day and, above all, let’s train as much as possible and take the necessary time at the shop to put into practice the knowledge we have acquired, a luxury that is impossible in periods of full activity.

Finally, let’s look for that rare and affordable gem, the new tool that will bring an irresistible plus for the audience without putting a minus sign in front of our margins, which we will have to keep a close eye on.
2021 is going to be a year of many challenges that we will have to face wisely, keeping the “price” factor out of the tenders as much as possible, but this year will also be the launch pad for the most amazing tours, musicals, plays and the most insane events that everyone is waiting for.

Happy New Year to everyone, including SoundLightUp who learned how to punch new holes in our belt without using our hands, and the last word goes to Gene “Seneca” Kelly: “Life isn’t about waiting

“Working this year has been interesting to say the least,” said Jared Jasinski, owner and lead engineer for Arizona Sound Productions [AZSP] based in Phoenix. “With COVID restrictions we’ve been forced to be more creative and think outside the box. ”

Punchy speakers for a punchy situation…

Arizona Sound Productions got its start in 2011 with small to mid-sized church and school installs, moving into sound reinforcement for live events and festivals. From there the company grew into larger events for Fortune 500 clients, MTV concert series for one, and sport.
On August 15, 2020, AZSP set the stage in Oklahoma, making boxing history with what has been called the “street fight” concept. AZSP clients’ Holden Productions and Matchroom Boxing dropped a boxing match in the middle of downtown Tulsa for a night of fights headlined by Cecilia Brækhus, defending her Women’s Welter Weight title against contender, Jessica McCaskill. The match was staged at the intersection of East 5th Street and South Boston Avenue with no fans present.

Jared Jasinski, owner and lead engineer for Arizona Sound Productions.

It was an intense process,” described Jasinski. “COVID testing was required for everyone on my crew, before traveling to Oklahoma, then again when we arrived. It’s not a fun process, but at the end of the day we’re glad to be working.”

Using EASE Focus to determine hang points and angles, ASP designed a small line array rig with sixteen RCF HDL 6-A Active Line Array Modules. They were hung around the boxing ring to cover the floor level, made up of judges, fighters, staff, production crew, refs and boxing officials.

“The HDL 6-A has been a game changer for us,” said Jasinski. “It’s a great sounding, powerful speaker with an amazing price point. We jumped on board right away. We could throw it up on a stick for small gigs, to building 10-module arrays for small festivals, it’s a very versatile box. We built 4 box arrays in stereo hanging over the ring on the north side to cover the ring walk, 3 box arrays on the south side, and one box for the east and west, basically straight down to hit the floor area.

The Ring seen from above

The RCF system works perfectly for what we are doing

« For that extra punch, we added six 8003-AS subs under the ring. We wanted to have enough sound to create that ‘live energy’ when the boxers come down the walkway. We built LED video walls for the entrance and above the ring and created most of the lighting design with local company, Omni Lighting. Having a thundering audio to support it all, it looks and sounds amazing, the RCF system works perfectly for what we are doing,” said Jasinski.

“We didn’t add any crowd noise or anything like that,” added Jasinski. “We did take advantage of capturing natural city sounds it played off that raw, street feel very well. We had ambient mics set up around the ring to get pops from punches from the fighters and things like that. With all the streetlights changing colors throughout the match, visually it was a nice touch.”

Arizona Sound Productions will continue the tour with press conferences, weigh-ins, and boxing matches, through various states in the US. According to Jasinski, the new partnership is described as the ideal match that ensued by being in the right place at the right time. What started out as being available to set up mics and hang a few banners, ended up evolving into a full production gig for a sold-out fight across the street.

More information on the AZ Sound Pro website and on the RCF website

With its in-person training currently on hold, Brompton Technology has set up an advanced virtual platform as a way to continue offering its global customer base access to the LED processing manufacturer’s renowned training programme.

Brompton’s initial foray into this new venture was a set-up devised by the company’s Technical Support Specialist, Steve Harris, to deliver training videos from his home office during the height of the pandemic. Quickly recognising that a more in-depth approach was needed, the support team adapted the training room at Brompton’s Ealing headquarters to allow the delivery of a more sophisticated training format.

Using a powerful PC, Infiled DB2.6 LED screen, and a Brompton Tessera SX40 processor, the team developed a new environment to demonstrate the Brompton user interface, using a variety of in-depth, interactive ‘explainer’ pages covering common topics such as ‘what causes moiré?’
And closed loop redundancy, as well as going into detail on Brompton’s award winning HDR and Dynamic Calibration using the DynaCal UI, and also further explanations on how to use Tessera features such as OSCA (On Screen Colour Adjustment), ChromaTune, Black Magic, etc. As well as training, the system is being used during sales calls and meetings to demonstrate product features.

Brompton SX40

“The platform is proving incredibly useful,” says Harris. “For example, if a customer is having an issue remotely, instead of sending them an email, we can now set up a meeting to show them how to resolve the problem in real time, or even do a quick screen recording video for them.”
Whilst Brompton’s in person training courses normally span a whole day, Brompton has recognised that sitting in front of a computer screen for that length of time becomes fatiguing and has condensed the virtual course into around two-hour segments.

“Big thanks to Steve for the online session,” says 80six’s Sam James. “Not only was it really useful in terms of training but the whole setup is really slick, enabling attendees to join remotely, with very little participation needed other than verbal feedback. It is perfect for the current situation but also moving forward – as the software is continually updated, it saves coming into the office each time. Steve’s approach and manner were spot on; friendly, fun and informative.”

Brompton’s virtual training is also offering invaluable help to the customers preparing for the future. “We know there are a lot of freelancers who haven’t worked in the field for some time,” adds Harris. “We wanted to be able to provide a refresher course on our products, so they have the confidence that their skills are fully up to date, and incorporate some of the new features that they may not have had a chance to work with yet. This is an ideal way to do that.”

Harris and the team are continually refining and adding to the course, but the reaction so far has been extremely positive. There are also plans to schedule streams on Twitch each month, allowing questions to be asked in real time.

For more information, email [email protected]

The city of Bordeaux has a new Anolis – A Robe business – lighting scheme for its magnificent La Porte de Bourgogne landmark. The Roman-style stone arch was built in the 1750s at the end of one of the major roads traversing Bordeaux, now called the Cours Victor Hugo, which is a major thoroughfare for both cars and pedestrians crossing the city. It is also clearly visible from across the River Garonne.

©Bruno Francois

With its prominent position and historical significance, the city council are keen for La Porte de Bourgogne to be a highly visible ‘communication portal’ welcoming people to the ancient centre, so they wanted a great looking, energy-efficient lighting scheme to replace the old one which was installed over a decade ago and was starting to look dated!
Above all, they wanted more dynamic lighting that could redefine and celebrate La Porte de Bourgogne’s significance as a symbolic gateway to the city.

The city council’s lighting designer Sylvie Bordes was already talking to urban planning specialist Citeos, a subsidiary of multinational Vinci Energies that partners with local authorities and communities to develop their environments. The scope of their work includes advising on architecture and lighting for long term projects.

©Bruno Francois

©Bruno Francois

Anolis, via Robe France’s architectural lighting specialists Bruno Francois and Eric Tabuteau, was already in the frame thanks to their local partner company Objectif Lumière, who convinced the city council and Citeos to undertake some tests. As it happens, Bruno had been involved with the previous lighting installation on the arch (using another brand) ten years ago, and he had several other more recent reference sites using Anolis in the area.

Anolis Arcsource 48 MC Integral

The council wanted a wide range of colours to be available in the new lighting scheme which narrowed down the field when it came to sourcing products. They also required a high-quality warm white as the signature look, without any pixelation, other aberrations or shadows and ghosting.

To illuminate the lower parts of the arch, powerful washes were needed that could fit into the existing dug-outs that had housed the previous luminaires, so the Anolis ArcSource Outdoor 48MC Integral fixture was a perfect fit as it is designed for the large-scale buildings and landscapes requiring higher Lux figures.

Bruno then suggested Anolis’s Eminere range to deal with the upper and top parts of the arch and to fill in some of the gaps. “The Eminere offers so much choice and so many possibilities, so we knew we would find the right solution in this range,” commented Bruno. They also needed to reuse the existing wiring and chemically fixed bracketry, so four Eminere 1s and six Eminere 4 RGBCWs with 10 x 60° lenses were selected for the top sections, and another four Eminere 1s plus seven Eminere 4 RGBCWs with 15° lenses to highlight the central parts of the structure.

Anolis Eminere

“In addition to the colour metrics, the choice of available beam angles on both ArcSource and the Eminere ranges was fundamental to being able to achieve the project’s aesthetic goals,” explained Bruno, adding the La Porte de Bourgogne lighting has dramatically improved just by having a greater choice of beam angles than for the previous installation!
The new lights are running via a Nicolaudie controller.

Like most major cities in France, Bordeaux currently has a city-wide lighting plan that will be rolled out over the next 20-30 years. Certain iconic monuments and squares have been selected as the first focus of a far larger, ambitious and far-reaching plan to invigorate the whole city centre.
The city has been affectionately dubbed “la belle endormie” (the sleeping beauty) for years because the centre is so quiet after sunset, so forward-thinking city planners are embarking on a number of schemes, including urban lighting, to help reimagine this quiet and calm “bourgeoise” city as a bustling, vibrant hub to be enjoyed after dark by citizens and visitors alike.
The new Porte de Bourgogne lighting is one of the first steps and has been extremely well received by the public.

©Bruno Francois

©Bruno Francois

For Anolis, it is the second major landmark lighting installation following illumination of “Les Bassins de Lumières”, a former World War 2 submarine base transformed into an arts and culture space that opened earlier this year.

For more info about Anolis and Robe range of products, check the Anolis website or the Robe website