Tunes in the Dunes is the apt name given to an annual three-day festival on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall. Based nearby in Plymouth, Martin Audio partner Nub Sound this year provided the technical infrastructure, deploying their Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC), eight elements a side, which ensured headliners McFly (Friday), Craig David (Saturday) and Ocean Colour Scene (Sunday) could be heard to the max by crowds assembling on the beach as their music drifted out towards the Atlantic Ocean. On duty was Nub Sound Director of Operations and sound engineer Josh Small. He explained that in addition to the eight WPC…
Author: James Robertson
“We are delighted to partner up with SeeSound for the distribution of zactrack in Spain.”, said Stephan Saremba, Managing Director for zactrack International. “With their wide product portfolio of audio, lighting and video solutions as well as an extremely passionate team of professionals in each market sector, we find SeeSound to be the right partner for us to bring fully automated tracking technology into the Spanish market. We are looking forward to work hand in hand with SeeSound, strengthen relationships with existing users and to expand into new markets. We are truly excited to continue to drive tracking solutions and…
RF Venue has introduced Spectrum Recorder, a compact and self-contained portable RF spectrum scanner that provides easy capture, storage and retrieval of RF spectrum data for simplified monitoring and optimization of wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems. Spectrum Recorder continuously captures RF activity in the 400-700 MHz band, saving the data in its internal storage as time-stamped CSV files which can be retrieved directly via USB drive or accessed remotely over a local network. Spectrum Recorder can be directly connected to a wireless microphone antenna system to capture an RF environment snapshot for analysis and logging. Using its supplied whip…
Having been extensively demonstrated by the team at its UK distributor POLAR, following a launch that was delayed by the COVID–19 pandemic, the flagship Midas HD96 has wasted no time finding its way onto the inventories of leading rental companies. It’s clear that interest in the console was already strong, and when the POLAR team took it out as part of their Roadshow event in 2023, the response proved very positive. Not unexpectedly, Midas aficionado Rick Bailey of RMPA was one of the first to reach out to POLAR’s Nick Bellis, and a demo was swiftly arranged. The console found…
Four-time Grammy Award-winning guitar player and singer/songwriter Gary Clark, Jr. has embarked on the North American leg of his 2024 world tour with Claypaky Sharpy X-Frames and Midi-B FX fixtures filling the lighting rig. Lighting Designer John Adamo, who co-designed the show with Robert Fuller, selected the fixtures, which have been supplied by Bandit Lites the tour’s full-service lighting and effects provider. Both designers have long histories with Clark and previously have used Claypaky Sharpy Plus fixtures for his shows. The tour, in support of Clark’s new album, JPEG RAW, kicked off in Fort Worth, Texas on May 8 and…
Lightware Visual Engineering has been awarded the EcoVadis Bronze sustainability rating. This places the company in the top 35% of assessed businesses for sustainability performance and above the industry average. EcoVadis is a sustainability assessment platform designed to help companies measure and improve their sustainability performance. The company also enables the comparison and evaluation of sustainability practices among business partners and suppliers. EcoVadis assesses organisational performance based on numerous criteria, including respect for human rights, reduction of environmental impacts, and ethical business conduct across areas such as environmental protection and sustainable procurement. Lightware’s first Sustainability Report sets out the company’s…
The Olivier Awards 2024 took place on Sunday 14 April 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall, from where it was broadcast by ITV1, and streamed internationally on YouTube and by BritBox. It was presented by Emmy winner and multi-Olivier nominee Hannah Waddingham who opened the show, accompanied by the London Community Gospel Choir, with a powerhouse jazz performance of Anything Goes. Lighting designer Ben Cracknell, lighting the Olivier Awards for his 11th year, chose 78 Ayrton Perseo Profile fixtures, provided by White Light, as his work horse fixtures. He wanted to modernise and unify under one fixture type his previously…
Nothing But Thieves, were very happy with their touring set-up, but a ‘fly-in’ gig in South Korea changed everything. The in-house desk was a DiGiCo Quantum 338 and Gary Curtis, Front of House Engineer, knew as soon as he heard it that there was no going back, and once the band had heard his multi-track recordings, they agreed. The Quantum 338 is now their desk of choice at both the front of house and monitor positions. “We had been using another system for about seven years,” Curtis explained. “But when we heard the Quantum, we all knew it was really…
Perhaps the most transformative chapter in Burton Ishmael’s career came with the opportunity to work alongside Madonna. A chance encounter at Madison Square Garden set the stage for a collaboration that would push him to new heights, both creatively and professionally. As the front-of-house engineer for Madonna’s tour, Ishmael found himself at the helm of one of the largest concert audiences in history, a moment that underscored the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. His journey into the world of sound engineering is nothing short of a musical odyssey. Growing up in New York City, surrounded by the…
Finland’s biggest rap stars descended on the Nokia Arena in Tampere recently to treat more than 10,000 music lovers to a night of pumped up performance, with live action footage and pre-made content on an LED cube and wraparound ticker screens powered by tvONE’s Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer Media Servers. Organised by the international Rockstar Energy Drink brand in association with Def Agency and Warner Music Live, hot mic-slamming rappers including Ahti, Cledos and Elastinen played the in-the-round stage. This was dominated by a star-shaped overhead lighting truss and a 360-degree, a four-fascia LED cube, and a DJ booth…
MA Lighting International has announced MMT as the new exclusive MA distribution partner in Chile. From 1 July 2024, MMT will offer the entire MA Lighting product range, support & service for hardware and software, as well as training. Stephan Saremba, Managing Director of MA Lighting International, commented: “We are excited about joining forces with MMT to develop our brand in the Chilean market. Both companies have a clear focus on providing high-quality products, excellent customer service and solutions to address customer needs in the various markets we are active in. With the commitment and expertise of MMT a strong…
Adriano Candeloro and Joel Murray are founding directors of Sightline Productions – a busy and successful NSW-based AV and rental company specialising in delivering the very highest technical production values to a range of corporate and B2B clients across Australia, New Zealand and much further afield with a variety of international work. Sightline has added various Astera products to its inventory. The first Astera products to arrive at Sightline were AX1 PixelTubes in 2019, a figure that’s now jumped to over 50 fixtures. In addition to these, they also have AX2 LED battens, AX3 LiteDrops, AX5 TriplePARs, AX9 PowerPARs, as…
Legendary blues rocker George Thorogood is hitting the road once again with his band, The Destroyers. Monitor engineer Colten Hyten cares about sound, most importantly the mixes that Thorogood and his band are listening to on stage and the levels reaching their ears during a typical 90-minute set. “We were trying out some of the Sensaphonics in-ear options and they made us aware of the new dB Check Pro – I tried it out and it’s been a really magnificent tool in my work box,” stated Hyten. The Sensaphonics dB Check Pro sound level analyzer is designed specifically to show…
RF Venue has introduced COMBINE6 HDR, its next-generation antenna combiner for wireless in-ear monitor (IEM) system transmitters. The advanced-design HDR series delivers higher performance and more channels in less rack space for the best value in wireless audio. For performers, sound engineers and even the audience, wireless IEMs can solve a range of live sound challenges, but dropouts and interference can turn wireless IEMs into a nightmare problem on their own. The culprits are typically antenna farms, where multiple IEM transmitters can create a chaotic mess of signals with accompanying intermodulation distortion and excess noise. Designed and built to advanced…
Sonos Libra has been officially appointed as DirectOut’s distributor for Thailand and Vietnam, effective immediately. Sonos Libra, a prominent provider of professional audio distribution services, has built an outstanding reputation in Thailand and Vietnam. With its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, as well as its expertise in audio distribution and processing, Sonos Libra is the ideal partner to strengthen DirectOut’s presence in Southeast Asia. “DirectOut’s approach to audio distribution and processing has caught the attention of many professionals in recent years and further strengthened their reputation. It was therefore a great solution to add to our catalogue. The highly…
Set in the heart of London and kicking off Friday 28 June, American Express Presents BST Hyde Park has become a staple in the summer festival calendar, featuring legendary global performers in the capital’s celebrated Royal Park. AEG Europe has announced its upcoming series will be the company’s most sustainable festival yet, with several new initiatives set to minimise environmental impacts. Sustainability is a key driver behind the company’s business decisions and with several new environmentally responsible initiatives in place, the company has heralded the 2024 season as their most sustainable run of festivals to date. From removing carbon emissions…
The Isle of Wight Festival 2024 is setting a new benchmark in sustainability by integrating hydrogen-powered generators into its power infrastructure. GeoPura’s hydrogen powered generators (HPUs) replaced traditional diesel fuel to power crew and artist catering and part of the guest village; supplying zero-emission electricity from hydrogen for the first time at the festival.This bold initiative is part of the festival’s commitment to becoming the most sustainable in the UK. By introducing hydrogen power, the festival is making a significant leap towards reducing its carbon footprint and setting an example for other events. Caroline Giddings, Director at The Isle of…
The Claypaky HY B-Eye K15 Aqua represents a significant upgrade from the latest HY B-Eye K15, setting innovation and light output standards and belonging to the Claypaky’s Shield Family, that sets a new standard for weather-resistant lighting solutions. These IP66-certified fixtures are designed to be high-performance, ultra-durable, and long-lasting. Also, they are dustproof, ensuring reduced maintenance costs and hassle-free operation. The Claypaky HY B-Eye K15 Aqua original optical unit improves uniformity and light output efficiency. The rotating front lens and the individual LED control unleash a mesmerising world of kaleidoscopic projections and captivating eye-candy effects, making it an all-in-one lighting…
