VDC Trading announced the celebration of its 36th anniversary as a provider of tour-grade cabling solutions to professional and domestic users. Milestones over the years include: first ever equipment sale to of 38 microphone stands to Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox’s Church Studios in Crouch End, partnership with Abbey Road Studios, use of Van Damme on Coldplay’s world tour for FOH, monitors and band backline, Van Damme cable used up and down the Mall for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and for the opening and closing ceremonies at London 2012 Olympics and the development of a network of over 50…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
German Pro Audio manufacturer DirectOut announced its partnership with Yamaki as its new distributor for Colombia. Yamaki’s distribution strategy and market development has enabled the company to support production and rental companies in the country, along with the TV channels. Oswaldo Rueda, CEO of Yamaki, commented: “Yamaki is very excited about working with the prestigious brand DirectOut Technologies. We’re sure this is a great complement to our Pro Audio portfolio and we’ll be able to build a strong position in all the key markets with their specialized solutions. As always, our team work strategy and partnership with DirectOut and Aeris…
Solotech delivered an audio and lighting package for Feist during her recent UK-EU tour leg. The audio package included: Allen and Heath Dlive S5000 at FOH, with a complement of outboard including Manley Vox Box, Neve 5045, Bricasti M7s, BSS DPR901s, Summit DCL200, and a Rupert Neve 5059 Summing Mixer. Onstage the control package included a Digico SD9 for monitors, as well as Shure PSM1000 IEMs and Shure Axient Radio Mics. System Processing was all done via six Lake LM44s and two d&b audiotechnik DS10s. Although the tour used venue’s house L/R PA systems, they toured their own B Stage…
Ian Beveridge and RF technician Eiran Simpson, utilise the Lectrosonics M2 Duet system, specifically M2T dual stereo transmitters, M2Ra belt-pack receivers, and an M2C active antenna combiner for Foo Fighters live shows. “With just the one antenna and M2C coupler covering the band, we did a pre-production show at Shoreline Amphitheatre in California,” commented Ian Beveridge. “The transmitters ran on just ten milliwatts [output power]. Eiran could walk to the very back fence of the venue, and the system still worked perfectly. I prefer this because systems that rely on excessive output power tend to raise the noise floor.” Simpson…
Cloud has licensed its patented Cloudlifter technology, collaborating with Shure for the worldwide launch of the next generation of the SM7dB. This new mic incorporates a custom-designed built-in active preamp with technology licensed from Cloud Microphones and tuned by Shure specifically for the SM7dB. “The SM7B and Cloudlifter have been used in the same breath for many years now,” commented Rodger Cloud, Founder and CEO of Cloud Microphones. “This license to Shure brings the quality and convenience of the technology into one package for the customer. We’re honoured to be a part of the lineage of the iconic SM7 microphone.”…
Clear-Com announced that Paul Morini has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Southeast region of the US. Paul joins Clear-Com from Avid Technology, where he was the National Touring Sound Accounts Manager. Michael Rucker, Director of Sales for the Americas welcomes Paul to the Clear-Com team, “Paul Morini brings impressive industry sales experience to this role. With his problem-solving skills and hands-on customer approach, we know he will have an immediate impact and contribution to cultivating new customers and effectively serving our existing customer base across different market verticals in the region.” In his new role, Paul…
Qdos Event Hire is set to showcase its accessible product range at this year’s Showman’s Show. Taking place at Newbury Showground from 18 to 19 October, the Qdos stand will feature several accessible units including the recently launched Changing Places unit that was added to its fleet this summer. There is plenty of space to accommodate a wheelchair, a user and two carers. The 20ft by 8ft unit comes complete with extra wide doors, toilet, sink, shower, hoist, drop-down rails, alarm pull cord and audible/visual exterior alarm. Other units on display will include 10ft by 8ft CTX accessible toilet, an…
Billy Strings is on the current leg of his 2023 amphitheater and arena tour, Strings is enveloping through a system based on Meyer Sound PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeakers. As with all recent tours, the system supplier on this outing is Nashville, Tennessee-based Major Tom US. The advantages of the latest Meyer Sound technologies were acknowledged by Charlie Bryson, who doubles as tour production manager and monitor engineer. “In June we transitioned from the LEO and LYON system we had for the first part of the tour to the new PANTHER rig and it’s working out great on all…
KAGE Audio supplied Pioneer PRO AUDIO system for electronic collective KRANKk’s expanded set at Belgian festival Pukkelpop. For the second year in a row, Pioneer PRO AUDIO teamed up with KAGE Audio and electronic collective KRANKk to at the Booth Stage, taking the experience to the next level by establishing seamless communication between audio and lighting. Thomas Geysen of KRANKk commented: “Last year’s experience of Pukkelpop was a very successful showcase that left us hungry for more! We were eager to take our immersive performance to the next level and wanted to create a full production in a dark, atmospheric…
The 2023 Detroit Jazz, now a division of The Display Group, Fantasee Lighting has been providing lights and design to the festival for over twenty years. Celebrating his tenth year as Jazz Fest Lighting Director, Jon Weaver specified High End Systems SolaPix and Lonestar fixtures for this year’s event. Jazz Fest returned to a live event after COVID-19, Weaver insisted that the event be lit as a broadcast show outdoors. The lighting rigs were designed to be able to overtake the sun, and still be impactful on television from noon until the headliners came on after dark. Weaver says as…
Power Logistics will be highlighting its sustainable initiatives, and demonstrating its new solar panel solution, at The Showman’s Show 2023. Its new flexible solar panels are manufactured without any glass, each panel is 2100mm and 1100mm in depth and are 70% lighter than a standard panel. From an application perspective, they can be pinned to the ground, glued to cabins and temporarily fixed to an array of surfaces. Ian Peniston, Power Logistics’ operations manager commented: “The new flexible solar panels have already been deployed at several events including Boomtown and Extreme E. At the Extreme E race in Sardinia, they…
For the annual Linzer Klangwolke, director Francesca Zambello and assistant director/choreographer Eric Sean Fogel created Odyssey. Internationally famed Austrian lighting designer Manfred Nikitser (Scorpions, etc.) created the design for the huge performing area, measuring around 1,000 by 600m, he utilised weatherproof GLP fixtures FUSION X-PAR 12Z, XDC1 and impression X5 IP Bar. The ‘main stage’ this year comprised three floating transport ships on the water. And with another stage on land, a total of four locations were available to show different stages of the heroine’s journey, with each performance area offering its own architectural design. One of the floating stages…
Universal Audio is offering the UAD LA‑2A Tube Compressor plug‑in free to creators, no Apollo or UAD hardware required. The LA‑2A Tube Compressor plug‑in is an emulation of this optical limiter, giving creators the same radio-ready dynamics control on vocals, guitars, bass, synths, and more. “We pride ourselves on our analogue modelling and the craftsmanship behind UAD plug‑ins,” commented CEO and founder, Bill Putnam, Jr. “We’re hoping to inspire musicians and producers with this free LA‑2A plugin and can’t wait for folks to add this iconic compressor to their productions.” From 10 October until 31 October, creators can redeem their…
Versatile KL Spot IP for Elation evolution into IP65 lighting. Elation has embarked on a journey toward automated static lighting with the KL Spot IP, beginning with the KL Profile FC. With an integrated zoom lens spanning from 7° to 50°. This fixture emanates a quality of light, courtesy of its 305W 5-color homogenised LED array of Red, Green, Blue, Mint, and Amber sources. This RGBMA engine, boasting a 92 CRI and native colour temperature of 6500 Kelvin, bathes your stage in diffused saturates, soft-field pastels, and tunable white light. The tuned LEDs ensure colour reproduction while delivering an output…
Colito Productions helped the festival meet challenges for the 2023 season with help from a collection of IP65 rated Maverick Storm fixtures from CHAUVET Professional. When lighting the Luisenburg Festival, a challenge is resin from the surrounding tall trees, which can cause LEDs to overheat. The weather is also often cold and damp when the lighting is set up at the open-air site in April but then there is blistering heat in the summer, followed by cool wet conditions in September, when the festival draws to a close. “Because of the environment, we have what we call special features here,”…
Solotech announced the appointment of Landon Lovett as Global Market Leader, Sales and Systems Integration Division. Landon’s newly created Global Market Leader position will focus on areas in which he has previously held roles. In his career spanning more than 20 years in senior leadership, he has been a player in developing business practices, expanding into new markets, and maintaining consultant engagement and major client relationships. “I am thrilled to join this dynamic, growing global organization,” commented Landon. “Over the last 45 years, Solotech has built a world-class reputation of AV production and installation. I am extremely excited to come…
ROE Visual announced that Dutch-based MHB has made an investment in ROE Visual’s Ruby LED panels. The investment includes 1000 Ruby RB2.6 LED panels. MHB has chosen to continue to partner with ROE Visual and invest in another substantial batch of high-end LED panels. Marten Hylkema, CEO at MHB, said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ROE Visual and announce the acquisition of the Ruby RB2.6 LED panels. This week, we received the first delivery of our latest investment: no fewer than 1,000 Ruby RB2.6 LED panels. This investment in uncompromising quality substantially expands our growing LED stock.…
Lighting Designer Jamie Roderick used the zactrack SMART automated follow system on the world premiere developmental presentation of “SuperYou” produced by Skylight Music Theatre at the Cabot Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of zactrack systems in North America. “SuperYou” marked Roderick’s first time using zactrack SMART automated follow system for 3D tracking of stage lighting, sound or video effects. “I’ve been hearing about zactrack – it’s being used more and more on Broadway – when I had an opportunity to use it on ‘SuperYou,’” commented Roderick. “The experience was an eye opener in terms of…
