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Glyndebourne opera house upgrades with TiMax
07/10/2026
Solid State Logic System T delivers theatre production for Vienna’s Die Josefstadt and Kammerspiele
06/10/2026
Amplified Art & Sound builds Jazz at Lincoln Center’s archive on Schoeps Colette microphones
05/10/2026
Image Marketing and GC Pro strengthen commercial integration capabilities with EAW solutions
02/10/2026
EAW helps historic Mabel Tainter Theater preserve its heritage with custom-crafted sound system
31/08/2026
Avolites D7 installed at Heaven London
26/08/2026
Aalborg Musikkens Hus favors Robe
14/08/2026
Budapest’s Margitsziget Theatre upgrades with Robert Juliat Arthur LT followspots
Two Robert Juliat Arthur LT 800W LED long throw followspots have recently been installed in Budapest’s Margitsziget Theatre, Hungary’s most prestigious open-air summer theatre, by Robert Juliat’s exclusive distributor for Hungary, Lysis-Project. Margitsziget Theatre’s near 3,000-seat main stage hosts the city’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival during the summer months.
Twenty-five years ago, the theatre purchased two Robert Juliat Aramis 2500W HMI followspots, which have been in use ever since. Thanks to a successful funding application, however, this spring the theatre had the opportunity to replace these fixtures with two Robert Juliat Arthur LT followspots, featuring a modern LED light source. The Arthur LTs were commissioned in time for this year’s summer season.
István Sárosi, Technical Director, who managed the procurement, and Ákos Bodor, lighting designer for most of the productions concerned, say they are “extremely satisfied with the performance and ease of use” displayed by the new followspots. “There is also the added bonus that many of the features and ergonomics of the Arthur LTs are familiar to the followspot operators due to Robert Juliat’s design that carries through - with a number of advancements - to the newer products”, notes Bodor.
(Photos: Peter Tatarek)
Glyndebourne opera house upgrades with TiMax
East Sussex-based opera house Glyndebourne has integrated TiMax SoundHub spatial processing into its audio infrastructure in a landmark upgrade. Jonathan Moss, Head of Sound and Video, led the installation which marked the first stage of a long-term move to harness object-based spatialisation.
TiMax was central to the venue’s audio redesign. Moss’ dialogue with Robin Whittaker of TiMax was undertaken across a period of four years and well ahead of any further reinforcement considerations. “With a number of upgrades coinciding, we had the rather unique opportunity to look at things holistically”, explains Moss. “We were able to assess where we wanted to end up. TiMax is one of the first steps, not the end of the journey.”
A traditional proscenium system comprises EM Acoustics’ Reference series - R12s with R8 infills and S215 subs at balcony level, supported by a network of permanently installed Reference series loudspeakers throughout the auditorium. With Dante providing the audio backbone for EM Acoustics DQ20s, driven via an SSL Live console, the TiMax integration amounted to little more than a rack mount connected the network by two cables.
During a busy summer season, dedicated sound sessions are rare, and the manual delay previously needed for spatial work was operationally costly. With a timetable comprised of morning fully supported technical rehearsal, an afternoon changeover for a public evening show, then an overnight reset for the next day, Moss confirms: “We can achieve what we need within the sessions we’ve got, rather than being limited by the time it takes to do things manually.”
The audio enhancement was immediate with spatial imaging applied only to the proscenium loudspeakers, TiMax tightened image definitions inward by roughly a metre on each side, pulling the perceived source firmly to the stage while mapping the stage area. Moss described the shift as “PA sound becoming hi-fi sound”.
Following system commissioning by TiMax product support engineer Gerry Marrone, the Glyndebourne sound team set about using the SoundHub for the purpose of A/B testing, initially preserving the original set up as a cue in TiMax. “We quickly ditched that”, says Moss. “It was very clear the new sound was just better. Currently TiMax is in the background as a system processor, without adding specific spatial elements to our current shows. We’re taking advantage of it - whether its physical improvements, the psychoacoustic improvements - without anyone really knowing it’s there.”
The transparency extends beyond opera. For presentations and talks in the intentionally reverberant auditorium, TiMax enables the sound to flourish within the room’s acoustic influence at lower SPLs. According to Moss, the audio infrastructure is future-proofed. Integration with the SSL Live console adds flexibility via OSC and control panels allow any channel to be designated as a spatial object on demand.
Full object-based spatialisation is built into the workflow, with spatial presets, tracked movement paths and surround distribution, awaiting the expanded infrastructure planned for the auditorium over coming years.
(Photo: Sam Stephenson)
Prince Charming Bar & Kitchen equipped with Powersoft Mezzo 602 AD
In 1988, jazz musician Chet Baker spent his final night at Hotel Prins Hendrik, a centuries-old three-star hotel on the Prins Hendrikkade in the heart of Amsterdam. A memorial plaque on the outside wall marks the spot, and each year, the hotel holds an event in his memory. It is a building with music running through its history. That connection continues with Prince Charming Bar & Kitchen, the hotel’s recently reimagined restaurant.
Formerly known as De Kroonprins, the space was relaunched as Prince Charming, a bar and restaurant with capacity for around sixty guests. Prince Charming has a menu centred on Dutch cuisine and a programme that regularly includes live performers including singers, DJs, pianists, and MCs. Sound quality was a priority for owner Eric van der Oord from the beginning: “We host live music regularly, and I’m a musician myself, so I know the difference between sound that just fills a room and sound that actually works”, he says. “I wanted it to be professional.”
The building’s high ceilings, characteristic of Amsterdam’s historic canal-side properties, presented an immediate acoustic challenge. Without careful system design, the space risked becoming reverberant and difficult to control. Van Brienen Audiovisueel BV was brought in during the renovation planning phase. “We had conversations before the building work began”, says company founder Jeroen van Brienen. “That gave us the opportunity to understand exactly what the system needed to do and to plan cable routes properly while the walls and ceilings were still open.”
The installed system is built around a single Powersoft Mezzo 602 AD, a compact two-channel amplifier delivering 600 watts in total, with on-board DSP, 100-volt line output capability, and Dante network connectivity. Two zones are configured within the restaurant, one in the front of the space and the other in the back. A network of ceiling and wall-mounted loudspeakers distributes sound evenly across both areas to ensure consistent coverage at every table, while a single active floor-standing unit provides bass reinforcement.
The system handles two distinct audio sources. The first is a PC for continuous background playback. The other is a live input fed from an external mixer, which allows performers to connect directly via whatever setup the event requires. Day-to-day control is managed through a Powersoft WM Touch wall panel, installed in white to complement the restaurant’s interior. The PoE-powered device connects to the Mezzo 602 AD over standard Ethernet and offers staff a 4.3-inch touchscreen from which they can select zones, switch between sources, and adjust volume.
Shortly after opening, van der Oord requested an additional zone extension, which the Mezzo platform was able to accommodate without changes to the core installation. Prince Charming now operates as both a bar and restaurant and a live performance venue, with the Powersoft system serving across both uses.
(Photos: Powersoft)
Solid State Logic System T delivers theatre production for Vienna’s Die Josefstadt and Kammerspiele
The sound department of the Theater in der Josefstadt, located in Vienna city centre, has installed a Solid State Logic System T digital mixing system that allows engineers to mix either in the auditorium or in the control room, and is fully compatible with the consoles in a neighbouring venue, the Kammerspiele.
Known locally as Die Josefstadt, the theatre first opened in 1788 and was rebuilt in 1822, with its inaugural performance featuring music conducted by Ludwig van Beethoven. More than two centuries later, it remains one of Vienna’s most celebrated cultural institutions, staging both plays and musical productions. Together with its nearby sister venue, the smaller Kammerspiele, it now forms part of a shared production environment built around SSL’s System T platform.
The Kammerspiele became the first of the two theatres to install an SSL System T, in 2024. Raimund Hornich is the Head of the Sound Department for both theatres and moved on to the upgrade for Die Josefstadt after the Kammerspiele installation. “I started in the job three years ago and at that time both places had very old school mixing consoles”, he says. “I had to install a new system with a modern workflow for theatre productions nowadays and SSL provided that.”
Hornich was already familiar with SSL consoles and technologies from his time working at the Burgtheater, Austria’s national theatre, also located in Vienna. Die Burg, as it is called by locals, was the first fixed theatre installation of a System T. That system, like those for Die Josefstadt and Kammerspiele, was supplied by Tsamm Professional Audio, SSL’s distribution partner in Austria.
Following Kammerspiele’s upgrade to System T in 2024, attention turned to Die Josefstadt the following year. During the summer 2025 closed season, when no productions are staged, installation work began on a similar system utilising two 32-fader S500 surfaces. This was part of a major refit of the theatre, which also included an Audio over IP network, a wideband Sennheiser multichannel wireless microphone system and a d&b Audiotechnik PA system.
System T utilises Open Sound Control (OSC) to provide real-time control of audio objects using the familiar System T user interface for a range of external renderers, directly from the System T user interface. “The requirement was to make show files interchangeable, allowing operators to move easily between the two theatres, from one venue to the other”, says Hornich.
“System T allows us to treat both theatres as part of a common audio ecosystem rather than two completely separate installations”, he continues. “Because both venues share the same console platform, show files, channel layouts, processing structures and operational workflows, show files can be transferred between them with very little effort. That makes it much easier to move productions, technical resources and personnel between theatres whenever necessary.”
One of Die Josefstadt’s S500 surfaces is permanently installed in its FOH position, while Tsamm built a customised trolley for the second S500 so it can be moved into the auditorium during rehearsals. An additional remote unit with 16-faders is also available to be used anywhere in the theatre. There is a similar arrangement at the Kammerspiele, with its 16-fader S500 in its own custom-made stand on wheels.
In both theatres the two desks can operate alone or together, depending on the production. “Sometimes both consoles are in use but on other occasions there’s only the big console or the small one”, says Hornich. “The consoles are used across virtually our entire production portfolio at Die Josefstadt and Kammerspiele. This ranges from spoken drama and productions with extensive multimedia content to live music performances and musical theatre productions with significantly larger channel counts and more complex requirements.”
Pictured (left to right): Raimund Hornich (Josefstadt), Mario Reithofer (Tsamm, standing), Thomas Haas (Josefstadt). (Photo: Annie Lehner)
Amplified Art & Sound builds Jazz at Lincoln Center’s archive on Schoeps Colette microphones
Amplified Art and Sound LLC, the audio recording and mixing team for Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC), has been at the center of the institution’s archival recording, studio recording, broadcast, and streaming operations since 2021. Key to the team’s day-to-day work has been its selection of tools to ensure honest representation of the quality and energy of the performers, a task that always includes Schoeps Colette series microphones.
Amplified Art and Sound owner and chief engineer Todd Whitelock is a longtime collaborator of JALC’s founder and managing and artistic director Wynton Marsalis as well as a Grammy-winning engineer with a background at PowerStation, Sony Classical Productions, and Sony Music Studios. “The greatest performers in the world play on our stages and as such we take our responsibility to livestream and capture those performances very seriously”, he says.
“When our team first started with JALC, the goal was to bring a more ambient approach to recording that I’d done with Sony Classical so that we could purposefully capture these performances in a way that elevated them sonically while still being true to the players and their sounds they get on stage”, he continues. “Close mic’ing alone doesn’t adequately capture the power of the orchestra in full swing.” He adds that Marsalis had always envisioned that sound for the livestreams and records released by JALC’s label Blue Engine Records.
“Schoeps were the very first thing I asked for to hang as our main array”, details Whitelock. “We use seven Colette Series with MK 2 capsules hanging from the stage catwalks for all of our live performance recording sessions both in Rose Theater and The Appel Room.” Whitelock’s experience with Schoeps was influenced by his time at Sony Classical. They have since become workhorse microphones for him both in the studio and live at JALC.
On sessions where more Schoeps firepower is required, Whitelock will often hire the microphones en-masse from mobile recording provider Sound Mirror in Boston. When Marsalis was set to record a live performance of his opus “All Rise” for PBS for the 150th Anniversary of the Chautauqua Institution (including a full orchestra and a choir of 100), the call went out. “Sound Mirror has been a great partner in these instances and I told them to bring their entire stock of Schoeps for the taping”, says Whitelock.
Whitelock and his team placed upwards of eighty Schoeps MK 4 microphones around the stage strategically for maximum effect. “It was a massive choir in a loft above the stage and I knew we needed Schoeps for them - the MK 4 capsule is especially great for capturing choral elements and I honestly prefer them to large diaphragm condensers for choirs”, he notes. “They’re always asking us if we really need that many microphones, but when they hear the results it’s clear that the effort is worth it. We’re very proud of the audio production on that performance and Wynton felt we did justice to the maestro’s work.”
“That’s really the key to a strong jazz recording”, Whitelock concludes. “You want to capture that moment and hear every element of what the player or performer is blowing on their chosen instrument as part of the ensemble. I always use Schoeps as part of our process, they were the first mics purchased for JALC since Amplified Art & Sound has been involved.”
(Photos: Schoeps Microphones)
Evolve Install specifies Martin Audio for The Rex Rooms at 151
The Rex Rooms at 151 on King’s Road marks the return of a nightlife destination in London’s Chelsea. Set on the site of the 151 club - celebrated as an exclusive celebrity haunt throughout the 1990s and 2000s - the reimagined venue is the creation of designer and nightlife innovator Marc Jacques Burton.
To complement the venue’s avant-garde aesthetic with audio performance, specialist integrator Evolve Install designed and installed a Martin Audio distributed system. The venue is split into two distinct spaces: a vibrant main lounge and, concealed behind a secret door, The King’s 1942 Room private venue. Martin Audio’s CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) Series loudspeakers were specified throughout.
“It’s a club environment where guests on the perimeter of the lounge often want the same energy and impact as those on the dancefloor”, says Elliot Patterson of Evolve Install. “With the loudspeakers properly time-aligned, the CDD series delivers consistent audio quality, punch, and clarity across the entire space.”
In the main lounge, the primary dancefloor area is served by four Martin Audio CDD8 loudspeakers, supplemented by a pair of Martin Audio SX210 subwoofers. The DJ booth is equipped with CDD6 models as monitors, while the perimeter seating is covered by a combination of CDD5 compact loudspeakers and Adorn A55 models.
Behind its secret entrance, The King’s 1942 Room features a dedicated system comprising six CDD6s paired with an SX210 subwoofer, with additional CDD5 models providing seamless coverage for the perimeter seating. The venue operates across two separate audio zones, allowing independent DJ programming in each room.
(Photos: Ryan Dinham)
Image Marketing and GC Pro strengthen commercial integration capabilities with EAW solutions
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has appointed Image Marketing as its newest manufacturers’ representative firm, supporting Guitar Center’s GC Pro division and its Custom House experience center in Nashville. Led by industry veteran Tony Rufkahr, Image Marketing represents Guitar Center, GC Pro and AVDG, bringing unified support across retail, designbuild and corporate AV environments.
Image Marketing, an independent manufacturers’ representative firm, brings over thirty-five years of experience to the professional audio, musical instrument, broadcast, audio/visual, live sound and sound contracting markets.
As part of this new agreement, Image Marketing has helped place EAW products in several AV projects through Guitar Center’s GC Pro division. As the conduit between manufacturers and GC Pro’s integration teams, Image Marketing aims to ensure seamless communication, accurate system specification and reliable product performance throughout the project lifecycle.
“GC Pro’s work is highly solution-driven”, says Rufkahr. “Every project has unique coverage needs, budget considerations, spatial constraints and timeline requirements. EAW consistently gives us the flexibility and performance we need to deliver the right solution for each environment.”
Mark Posgay, Vice President of Global Sales, Eastern Acoustic Works, adds: “This partnership with Image Marketing and GC Pro reinforces a shared commitment to delivering high-performance, application-specific audio solutions for a wide range of commercial environments.”
(Photos: EAW)
Stadt Leipzig investiert in neue LED-Technik für Quarterback Immobilien Arena
Zum Saisonstart des SC DHfK Handball erstrahlte die Leipziger Quarterback Immobilien Arena erstmals nach der Sommerpause in neuem Licht. Ermöglicht wurde dies durch eine Investition der Stadt Leipzig in Höhe von 1,43 Millionen Euro, mit welcher die Hallenbeleuchtung vollständig von konventionellen Metalldampflampen auf moderne, energiesparende LED-Technologie umgestellt wurde.
Mit ihrem Engagement will die Stadt den sportlichen Betrieb in der größten Multifunktionshalle Mitteldeutschlands sichern und ein Zeichen für nachhaltige Veranstaltungen in Leipzig setzen. „Die Quarterback Immobilien Arena ist seit 25 Jahren ein wichtiges Aushängeschild der Sportstadt Leipzig“, sagt Bürgermeister Heiko Rosenthal. „Wir investieren jetzt gleichzeitig in die Zukunft des Spitzensports, in eine nachhaltigere städtische Sportinfrastruktur und in einen geringeren Energieverbrauch.“
Katja Büchel, Leiterin des Amtes für Sport, ergänzt: „Für Bundesliga-Handball, Leichtathletik und internationale Sportwettkämpfe müssen wir in der Quarterback Immobilien Arena moderne technische Standards gewährleisten. Entscheidend für die Erneuerung war zudem, dass wir rund 132.000 Euro Bundesförderung aus der Kommunalrichtlinie im Förderbereich ‘Sanierung von Innenund Hallenbeleuchtung’ erhalten haben.“
Matthias Kölmel, Geschäftsführer der ZSL Betreibergesellschaft mbH, betont die Bedeutung der städtischen Förderung: „Dass die Stadt Leipzig diese Investition in eine umweltfreundlichere Zukunft der Arena ermöglicht hat, ist ein entscheidender Baustein für einen nachhaltigen Veranstaltungsbetrieb.“ Karsten Günther, Geschäftsführer SC DHfK Handball, fügt hinzu: „Die neue Lichtanlage macht unsere Spielstätte jetzt wieder ligakonform und fernsehtauglich. Gleichzeitig ist sie ein wichtiger Baustein, um Heimspiele künftig noch nachhaltiger veranstalten zu können. Unser besonderer Dank gilt deshalb der Stadt Leipzig, die diese wichtige Investition ermöglicht hat, sowie der Quarterback Immobilien Arena für die Umsetzung und die enge Zusammenarbeit.“
Die bisherige Beleuchtungsanlage stammte aus dem Eröffnungsjahr 2002. Zuletzt erreichten die alten Leuchtmittel nur noch rund 65 bis 80 Prozent ihrer ursprünglichen Lichtleistung. Zudem waren Ersatzteile kaum noch verfügbar. Ende Juni 2026 begann deshalb die umfassende Erneuerung hin zu einer zeitgemäßen, umweltfreundlicheren Lösung.
Insgesamt 193 LED-Fluter ersetzen die alte Anlage: 107 Hochleistungsfluter mit jeweils rund 120.000 Lumen, 84 multifunktionale Fluter mit einstellbarer Weißlichtfarbe und RGBW-Farbmischung sowie zwei Spezialfluter für die Ausleuchtung des Photo-Finish-Bereichs bei Leichtathletikveranstaltungen. Ein integriertes Energiemonitoring macht den Verbrauch der Leuchtmittel transparent, um eine bedarfsgerechte, ressourcenschonendere Steuerung der Anlage je nach Veranstaltung zu ermöglichen.
Die neue Beleuchtung bietet mehr Möglichkeiten für die Inszenierung von Veranstaltungen. Die multifunktionalen Fluter wechseln zwischen warmen und kalten Weißtönen und erzeugen zahlreiche Farbtöne, beispielsweise für individuelle Lichtszenen beim Einlaufen der Mannschaften, beim Torjubel oder, sofern durch die Veranstaltungsproduktionen gewünscht, bei Konzerten und Shows.
Herzstück des Systems ist eine Lichtsteuerung, über die sich die verschiedenen Szenarien programmieren lassen, ergänzt durch eine automatische Funktionsüberwachung. Auch für TV-Übertragungen bringt die neue Technik Vorteile: Die LED-Beleuchtung arbeitet flimmerfrei und sorgt so insbesondere bei hochauflösenden und schnellen Zeitlupenaufnahmen für eine gleichmäßige Ausleuchtung.
FaktorLicht setzte das Projekt gemeinsam mit Siteco und Beckhoff Automation um.
Foto (v.l.): Philipp Franke, Geschäftsführer ZSL Betreibergesellschaft mbH; Heiko Rosenthal, Bürgermeister für Umwelt, Ordnung, Klima, Sport; Nick Tabor, MB Group für FaktorLicht GmbH & Co. KG; Katja Büchel, Leiterin Amt für Sport; Karsten Günther, Geschäftsführer SC DHfK Handball; Anadin Suljakovic, Torwart SC DHfK Handball. (Fotocredit: ZSL GmbH)
University of Birmingham upgrades with Renkus-Heinz Iconyx
Welcoming a cohort of more than 400 students each year, the University of Birmingham’s Medical School is one of the largest in Europe, with AV technology being a major part of its practical learning methods. After a review of its approach to AV, some facilities were deemed in need of an upgrade, including the 450-seat Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre.
The Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre features two distinct acoustic areas: a semi-circular stage at the front of the room, and the tiered seating area that extends to the rear of the theater. “The acoustics at each end of the room presented several challenges”, says Mark Bromfield, Director of System Solution Sales for CUK, the distribution company supporting the project from early conversations through to implementation. “The stage was highly reflective, largely due to its hard wooden flooring and projection screen, while the seating area incorporated more absorptive finishes, meaning both areas presented very different conditions within the same space.”
Combining wall-mounted and ceiling loudspeakers, the existing system operated as a single line without time alignment. “Listeners could hear sound coming from multiple directions with noticeable delays between loudspeakers”, continues Bromfield. “This compromised intelligibility and contributed to listener fatigue, prompting the University of Birmingham to assess options for a new sound system. We were approached by the university’s technical team, who had seen a Renkus-Heinz demo at an industry event, and wanted to explore whether its products could address the challenges in the lecture theater.”
To determine the ideal sound solution for the Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre, CUK conducted acoustic modeling, followed by a live demonstration of the Renkus-Heinz Iconyx system in the venue, which led to the specification of four of these beam-steering arrays. GVAV, an AV integrator with extensive experience in education-based deployments, was tasked with installing the new system. To manage the distinct acoustic conditions of the stage and the seating area, the theater was treated as two separate zones.
“At the front of the room, two IC16 digitally steerable column arrays are wall-mounted on the left and right of the projection screen”, explains Bromfield. They blend in with the theater’s white walls, while delivering sound directly to the seating section. Each array features eight individually steerable beams that can be shaped around the precise measurements of the room while minimizing acoustic energy in unwanted areas.
For the second half of the room, two of the more compact IC8 steerable line arrays were installed behind panels on each side to provide controlled coverage all the way to the back of the theatre. “The system’s adjustable DSP delay allowed the IC8 arrays to be accurately time-aligned with the IC16s to prevent audible delays between the loudspeakers”, says Bromfield. “The system provides controlled, focused coverage from a significantly smaller number of loudspeakers compared to the previous system. Delighted by the performance of the system and how it addressed previous challenges, the university’s AV department began looking at other areas of campus that would benefit from a similar upgrade.”
During its first visit, CUK assessed eleven teaching spaces in addition to the Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre. Achieving the required coverage with fewer loudspeakers reduced cabling and amplifier channels. “We assessed each room individually, selecting loudspeakers based on dimensions, acoustics, and coverage requirements”, explains Bromfield. “With the breadth of the Renkus-Heinz portfolio, we could select the most appropriate solution for each room.”
The University of Birmingham’s long-term plan is to upgrade fifteen lecture theaters across its campus using a range of products from Renkus-Heinz’s Iconyx Gen5, UBX series, and CX series.
(Photos: Renkus-Heinz)
KV2 Audio completes transformation of former cinema into new theatre in Slovakia
Architectural studio Ateliér Zerozero has taken a modern approach to the renovation of the former Kino Maj cinema building in Poprad, Slovakia’s Velká quarter. Now Divadlo Poprad, this independent theatre has answered a long-standing local demand for a permanent theatre space in Poprad.
Collaborating with writers, directors, set designers, and musicians from Slovakia and beyond, Divadlo Poprad has its own in-house acting ensemble with a year-round program of shows for families, adults, children, and schools. To complement the venue’s architectural transformation and diverse performance schedule, a KV2 Audio system was chosen to deliver the new theatre with sound.
The theatre comprises three performance areas, including the 164-seat Main Auditorium, the 76-capacity Studio, and an outdoor Summer Stage with 100-seat capacity. “The theatre has a huge production programme throughout the year, as well as cultural events and club-style events hosted in the Studio”, says Eduard Fertál, External Sound Consultant at the theatre. “When it came to the sound system, we knew it needed to be able to accommodate a variety of events and performances.”
Slovak distributor Audio Production helped identify the most suitable solution for each performance space, resulting in a tailored system combining KV2’s EX, ESR, ESD, and VHD series to meet the varied acoustic and operational requirements of the theatre. “These systems are designed to deliver music playback during live performances, making them ideal for theatres of this size”, says Alex Molcanov, owner of Audio Production. “We supported the system design and specification, while the physical installation was carried out by Art Lighting Production.”
In the Main Auditorium, the primary system comprises two ESR215MkII three-way full-range loudspeakers positioned either side of the stage and powered by an ESR3000D amplifier. Four VHD4.18 subwoofer enclosures, driven by a VHD3200D amplifier, extend the system’s low-frequency performance. All four cabinets can be stacked together.
To complement the main system, three EX26 systems are positioned at the front of the stage, providing additional vocal reinforcement and focused coverage, particularly for concerts and larger productions. Two ultra-compact EX6 loudspeakers are used as near-field monitors in the control booth. Supporting the overall coverage, two ESD10 passive 2-way loudspeakers are used as side fills, powered by an ESP2000D amplifier to maintain consistency.
The Studio, used for club-style concerts and cultural events, features two EX12 active loudspeaker systems as the main left and right outputs. “An outdoor Summer Stage follows the same setup, with two EX12 loudspeakers and two EX1.8 active subwoofers to add low-frequency impact for live music events”, adds Molcanov. “The loudspeaker cabients are portable, allowing the EX1.8s to be moved between the Studio and the outdoor stage depending on where productions are taking place so they can adapt the systems for different events.”
Shared across all stages are eight EX10 full-range loudspeaker systems, which provide a flexible solution that can be deployed as stage monitors, fills, or additional coverage as needed. “Their compact size makes them easily portable, giving the theatre the ability to scale each zone up or down to the requirements of each show”, says Molcanov. Throughout the theatre, eight of KV2’s JK Series DI Boxes - four JK1s, two JK2s, and two JKAs - are used by the engineers to provide signal management.
(Photos: Matej Hakar)
King’s Theatre Edinburgh upgrades with Robert Juliat
The King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, built in 1906, has just emerged from a 4-year heritage redevelopment with major alterations to public and technical infrastructure. Home to a wide variety of entertainment from drama to dance, musicals to family shows, live music to pantomime, the redevelopment aimed to modernise facilities for audience, artists and technicians whilst protecting the historic character of the building.
As part of its technical upgrade and ongoing migration to LED fixtures, Bristol-based SLX supplied two Robert Juliat Arthur LT 800 W LED long-throw (4°-10°) followspots and eight Bizet 671SX (11°-26°) 500 W LED tunable white profiles, which were installed in the newly created followspot box and upper circle bridge positions.
“We needed a more powerful profile fixture for the new FOH lighting positions which, at 25 m from the stage, are further than we had before”, explains Heather Rolland, Senior Technician at the King’s Theatre. “As a major receiving house, we wanted a brand that would be instantly acceptable to all incoming productions.”
Rolland coordinated a shoot-out of top manufacturers’ products from the new lighting bridge, during which time SLX’s Ruari Cormack introduced her and her team to the RJ Bizet profiles. Capital Theatres first became aware of Bizet on a visit to the Robert Juliat factory in July 2025 when their Head of Electrics, Graham Raith, alongside Live Technology learned more about how Robert Juliat are pioneering colour and LED technology.
The King’s Theatre team included Rolland, Raith and John Robb, Capital Theatres Group’s Technical Director who led the King’s Theatre project. The Bizet profile was presented by Avril Cook, Product Specialist at Live Technology, RJ’s exclusive distributor for the UK, with Robert Juliat’s Product Manager Ludwig Lepage in support.
The team was careful to specify Bizet’s tunable white version to give them the broadest options going forward. “At the moment we want Bizet to imitate tungsten, but as lighting progresses in future it will be called on to be different things for different designers: to look like an LED source, to deliver more punch, to be tuned up for camera etc.”, shares Rolland. “Bizet will future proof us as technology develops and, as extra outputs are required, it’s handy to know we have eight on the bridge.”
Rolland already knew she wanted Arthur LT followspots to replace their old 1,200 W HMI RJ Super Korrigan units. “We found the Super Ks were no longer bright enough with the bigger, brighter rigs that were coming in before we closed”, she says. “Arthur LT was top of my wish list. It was always going to be a choice of manual followspots for us. Followspotting is a craft for live performance with an organic connection to the performer. There is an element of anticipation from the operator, and the disconnect caused through the data lag of an automated system doesn’t work for theatre in our view.”
“The Arthur LTs were a sensible choice and natural progression from the Super Korrigans”, she concludes. “The extra throw distance, increased power and LED source meant they are a ‘copy and paste’ from our original model, but bigger and with a more planet-friendly engine.”
Both the Arthur LTs were accessorised with Telrad sights, also available from Robert Juliat with a dedicated fixing kit. The King's Theatre officially reopened to the public with an open weekend on August 1 and 2, followed by the Edinburgh International Festival and a full programme of touring productions from September.
Pictured: Ruari Cormack, Heather Rolland, John Robb, Avril Cook, and Ludwig Lepage. (Photos: Ruari Cormack/Julie Harper/SLX)
Frontline equips Theater De Storm with large Robe lighting package
Theater De Storm in Winterswijk, Netherlands, has been a client of Martijn Klein Gebbink of Frontline Audio & Vision for twenty years, and last year, he delivered a package of 124 Robe lighting products, including twelve Esprite moving lights fitted with the HCF (High Colour Fidelity) LED engine, eighty T11 Profiles, twelve TX1 PosiProfiles and twenty T15 Fresnels.
The theatre has three halls - two used for theatre and concert productions and one for parties. The main hall seats 609 and the smaller one 219. The venue stages a host of different received shows, averaging six or seven a week. The new lights were part of a major LED upgrade and followed a shootout conducted some time earlier by Klein Gebbink, resulting in Robe being the chosen brand.
“We needed to replace the old profiles, PCs and fresnels”, says head technician Sander Wilderink, who has been working there eight years and works alongside Jocelyn Waalderbos, both of them taking care of all things technical, including lighting. The previous Profile zooms had covered a range of 17-43 degrees, which has now been expanded to 5-50 degrees with the T11 Profiles.
Additionally, for illuminating bands and musical shows in the main hall, the team decided on the Esprite HCFs. Originally, explains Wilderink, they thought that the TX1s would work in these rear positions, as the fixture is designed to operate both as a moving head profile or as a static but repositionable profile, but then realised a different type of luminaire would be a better choice. The Esprite HCFs also work as general back lighting, whatever the style of show onstage.
Wilderink also notes they wanted luminaires utilising the European style of focus methodology - with both plano convex lenses mounted facing each other on one side of the fixture. Most incoming shows will typically bring their own production lighting rigs to use above the stage and will utilise the house bridge, tower and side lighting. They can hook in their own consoles via DMX or sACN.
Klein Gebbink designed and installed a new power and data wiring infrastructure for the theatre which was part of this upgrade - after consulting with all those working there as to their specific needs. Now, wherever one might need to plug in a light, there is power and a DMX cable, which was all part of the master plan, including the installation of LSC Control Systems’ APS (Advanced Power System) power distribution.
This is one of the largest Robe installations that Frontline has supplied and installed to date. The company works on all sorts of projects involving lighting, video and audio and is also a rental company, with Robe LEDBeam 350s in its inventory, among other lights. The installation was completed within four weeks, during which time Theater De Storm ran on an interim setup - for seamless operation - before the final switchover.
Pictured (left to right): Twan Schipper from Robe Benelux distributor Controllux, Theater de Storm technicians Jocelyn Waalderbos and Sander Wilderink with Frontline Audio & Vision’s Martijn Klein Gebbink. (Photos: Louise Stickland/Paul Clarke/Theater de Storm)
Le Théâtre de Laval goes LED with Robert Juliat
Le Théâtre de Laval in North Western France has recently completed a project to modernise its lighting equipment. Adopting a sustainable approach, the theatre opted for a retrofit solution: converting existing equipment to LED rather than discarding their well-maintained fixtures. Audiolite, one of Robert Juliat distributors in France, supported the Theatre in this endeavour.
The three-year investment combined technical requirements, lighting design and low environmental impact. To uphold these criteria, and to address the gradual obsolescence of its halogen lighting inventory, Le Théâtre de Laval decided to convert more than seventy Robert Juliat profile spotlights to LED technology, retaining their existing optics, thereby extending the lifespan of equipment that is still fully operational.
Opened in 2007 following five years of reconstruction, and labelled Centre National de la Marionnette (National Puppetry Centre) since 2022, Le Théâtre de Laval is a multidisciplinary cultural venue offering a wide range of performances: dance, theatre, music and hybrid, innovative forms.
Rolled out between 2023 and 2025, this modernisation project covered the entire lighting system of the 580-seat Grande Salle Barbara Hendricks. The process involved forty-six Robert Juliat Sully 4C coloured-LED retrofit modules and twenty-eight Bizet 500 W variable-white lamp houses which converted the Theatre’s existing 1 kW RJ 600SX and 2 kW RJ 700SX profile spotlights respectively.
To complement these upgrades, the Theatre also purchased twenty Robert Juliat Dalis 860 LED cyclights. The stage, with a 20 m high by 16 m wide proscenium, now benefits from 8-colour mixing LED light sources offering a wide colour spectrum. The old halogen lamp houses from the 700SX units were not discarded - they were donated to other theatres, enabling them to refurbish their own equipment in turn.
Christophe Duteil and Ronan Le Gall, the Theatre’s lighting specialists, say they use the Sully 4C profile spotlights in full raw mode for dance and theatre. The Bizet lamp houses, meanwhile, have made it possible to convert the theatre’s traditional 700SX profile spots. Featuring a 500 W variable white LED light source, they offer remote adjustment of the colour temperature from 3,000 K to 6,300 K.
“The new Bizet profile spots are installed front of house and above the stage, whilst the Dalis cyclorama lights provide the stage with a wash of light - a feature that is particularly valuable for the theatre’s dance productions”, says Le Gall.
(Photos: Le Théâtre de Laval)
www.audiolite-sonorisation.com
Moorestown Friends School upgrades auditorium audio with Martin Audio Torus
Moorestown Friends School is a coeducational Quaker day school in Moorestown, New Jersey. Founded in 1785, it serves students from age three through to Grade 12. The school’s 48-acre campus was recently bolstered by a newly installed Martin Audio Torus sound system in its main auditorium.
To facilitate the upgrade, the school turned to New Jersey-based live event and system integration specialists Starlite. “We’ve been proud to partner with Moorestown Friends School on multiple projects over the years, providing professional AV, rigging, and lighting solutions tailored to their needs”, says Starlite’s Nick Minieri. “When it came time to upgrade their ageing sound system, in particular to enhance both sound quality and consistency of coverage, the school once again called on us.”
Starlite recognised the acoustic challenges of the space, which features wide, curved reflective surfaces and cavities along its rear wall. These challenges led to Starlite’s first deployment of Martin Audio’s Torus constant curvature line array, a system specifically designed to overcome such difficult acoustic environments. “We have used Martin Audio speakers in the past but this was our first deployment of the Torus Series”, confirms Minieri.
The final system design comprises two flown hangs, each featuring two Torus T1215 and one Torus T1230 array elements. “Having the consistency of the array we were able to focus on tuning the room and not ‘correcting’ the EQ of the boxes themselves”, notes Minieri. The main arrays were supplemented with a Martin Audio SX218 dual-18-inch subwoofer.
“Sub is often a requirement for the theatre spaces that we work in so the soundscapes that our end users create are immersive and utilise the entire frequency spectrum”, explains Minieri. “It also means that the venues can support a traveling music group or host events such as their own battle of the bands.”
The entire system is powered by a pair of Martin Audio iKon IK42 amplifiers. For this project, the iKon amplifiers were also utilised for their onboard DSP to handle all room tuning. “This was fantastic to eliminate a failure point and have the ability to save our customer the extra cost of a dedicated audio DSP processor”, says Minieri.
The final installation represents a future-proof upgrade. “We were confident we could deliver a system to support the school’s performances, assemblies, and community gatherings for years to come”, concludes Minieri. “Thanks to the Martin Audio Torus system, the school now benefits from full-range sound to every seat in the house.”
(Photos: Martin Audio)
EAW helps historic Mabel Tainter Theater preserve its heritage with custom-crafted sound system
With hand-carved woodwork, hand-painted stenciling, angled surfaces and a uniquely shaped auditorium originally designed for Vaudeville theater, The Mabel Tainter Theater in Menomonie, Wisconsin, built in 1889, is both visually stunning and acoustically unconventional. Today, it hosts everything from plays and musicals to concerts, weddings and community events.
The venue’s previous system, a point-source setup installed in 2007, struggled to keep up with the demands of modern productions. “It was difficult to get any meaningful gain before feedback with actor microphones”, says Spencer Berndt, Technical Facilities Manager at The Mabel Tainter. “And balancing the pit with the stage was always a challenge. I could make certain things quieter, but I couldn’t make the actors or pit any louder.”
Systems Engineer and Integration Designer Jonathan Harlfinger, of Metro Sound & Video, says he immediately recognized the AC6 as the right fit. “When I saw these speakers debut at a trade show, I told Spencer, ‘These would be a fantastic fit’,” he states. “We’ve used them in large cathedrals and smaller contemporary churches, and they’ve always performed well. The size, the performance, the flexibility - it all made sense for a space like this.”
The AC6 also needed to visually disappear into the venue’s ornate proscenium. That meant custom paint. Working closely with Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW), the team embarked on a meticulous color-matching process using Rosco’s Metallix paint line. After testing multiple blends, they landed on an 80-percent bronze, 20-percent gold mixture that matched the surrounding woodwork under the venue’s lighting conditions.
Then came the stenciling. Berndt enlisted local artist Wade Lambrigsten, owner of Vintage Sign Shop, who handles much of the venue’s decorative work, to recreate the building’s historic stencil pattern directly onto the speaker grills. EAW shipped the grills separately so the artwork could be applied before final assembly. “It was a dance”, Berndt laughs. “But absolutely worth it. In low light, you almost can’t even tell the speakers are there. People who come to shows don’t even notice visually that we installed a new system.”
Beyond aesthetics, AC6 has dramatically improved the venue’s sound fidelity and flexibility, according to Harlfinger. For Berndt, the upgrade has unlocked entirely new workflow possibilities: “One of the biggest things is that I can finally use area microphones”, he says. “Before, stage sound was such a big issue. Now I can capture more of the space, create a better stereo image and actually mix the pit without worrying about feedback.”
AC6’s Adaptive technology, paired with EAW’s Resolution software, gives The Mabel Tainter control over where sound goes inside its auditorium. Coverage can be shaped and adjusted to match the room’s angled surfaces and varied seating areas, directing sound to the audience and away from reflective surfaces that have long worked against the space’s acoustics.
(Photos: EAW)
Montreal’s Place des Arts installs Arthur LT LED followspots from Robert Juliat
Place des Arts, Canada’s largest performing arts center, has modernized its followspot inventory with the purchase of Robert Juliat Arthur LT long throw LED followspots, supplied by ACT Entertainment.
A current Robert Juliat Cyrano followspot user, Place des Arts recently upgraded to the Arthur LT fixtures in two of its busiest venues. The installation includes four Arthur LT units at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, the Montreal-based center’s largest theatre, and two units at Théâtre Maisonneuve.
“We have always been a Robert Juliat user”, comments Guy Levesque, Technical Manager for Infrastructure and Equipment at Place des Arts. “The challenge wasn’t finding a brand we trust, it was finding an LED followspot that had the power and quality we require for our venues.”
Responsible for the lighting, audio, video and stage equipment at Place des Arts’ six performance spaces, Levesque understands the demands of venue infrastructure. Followspots are often positioned significant distances from the stages and must deliver consistent performance across a wide variety of productions. Television broadcasts, in particular, impose stringent requirements on brightness, beam quality and consistency.
Over the years, Place des Arts evaluated numerous alternatives as the industry shifted toward LED technology. While benefits such as reduced maintenance, lower power consumption and longer operational life were clear, many solutions failed to match the output required for large-scale theatrical applications. That changed when the team tested the Arthur LT.
As a publicly funded cultural institution, environmental responsibility is also an increasingly important consideration for Place des Arts. The reduced energy consumption of the Arthur LT aligns with broader organizational objectives while lowering operating costs and helping the organization meet its sustainability goals. Additionally, unlike traditional lamp-based followspots that require periodic lamp replacements, the Arthur LT significantly reduces maintenance requirements and minimizes downtime.
Pictured: Guy Levesque (Technical Manager, Place des Arts), Benoit Dubord (Head of Lighting, Place des Arts) and Jarku Tang (Asst. Head of Lighting, Place des Arts). (Photos: ACT Entertainment/Robert Juliat/Place des Arts)
Lightware UCX delivers campus-wide connectivity to Leiden University
Leiden University’s new Campus Spui, located in the heart of The Hague, Netherlands, opened in February 2026 following the transformation of a former department store into an academic hub. The campus brings together around 4,000 students from partner institutions such as TU Delft, the Open Universiteit, LUMC and Universiteiten van Nederland.
To support teaching, collaboration and flexible room use across the new site, Leiden University required a standardized AV infrastructure that could be used by staff and students in every space. The primary goal was to create a consistent AV experience across campus, supporting spaces ranging from large lecture halls and classrooms to self-study areas, offices, and meeting hubs.
Thijs van Veen, AV Project Leader at Leiden University, led the design, specifying a range of Taurus UCX devices from Lightware to facilitate teaching and collaboration experiences. The Dante-enabled Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30D universal matrix switchers feature in larger lecture halls and hybrid classrooms, while Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30 units are installed in standard classrooms, offices and smaller spaces. “We’ve also implemented a custom welcome screen to guide users in selecting their input, making the system even more intuitive”, says van Veen. Installation was carried out by systems integrator Adaptable.
The UCX allows lecturers and students to connect laptops to the AV equipment in each space. With 4K video, audio, control signals and power delivered over a single cable, users can begin teaching or sharing content with minimal setup time required. The system also supports switching between devices, allowing multiple teaching resources to be used at the same time. “The USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity is a key part of the system, offering power and data delivery at speeds up to 5 Gbps and video capabilities up to 4K @ 60Hz at 4:4:4”, explains van Veen.
The UCX forms the core of every educational room across the campus. Large lecture halls and hybrid classrooms, which require additional hardware to meet their specific audio and AV needs, use Taurus UCX-4x2-HC30D switchers with Dante/AES67 support, while standard classrooms, offices, and smaller study spaces use the UCX-4x2-HC30. Lightware’s Taurus TPX-4x3-TX20-RX107-bundles are used selectively where cabling constraints exist, while UCX remains the primary platform.
The UCX units integrate seamlessly with the university’s Q-Sys audio system, managing DSP, sound distribution, and reinforcement. This ensures consistent audio and video across different room types, while allowing hybrid participants to see and hear content as effectively as those in the room. BYOD integration also allows students and lecturers to share content in real time.
“Teachers have been very positive about UCX’s USB-C charging capabilities, because it means they can leave their heavy chargers at home or at their desk”, says Colin Staphorst, AV Technician at Leiden University. “That’s the part of the system they really notice; everything else works so seamlessly in the background they don’t even need to think about it.”
The Lightware system is quickly becoming the university-wide standard, with over sixty percent of the institution now using the standardized setup. “We plan to expand further in the future”, notifies van Veen. “Eventually, the UCX and TPX will be the only signal management devices used in 376 educational spaces.”
(Photos: Lightware)
Avolites D7 installed at Heaven London
Heaven, one of London’s most iconic gay nightclubs, has recently installed a new Avolites D7 console in its main room, delivered via technical production and installation specialist Subfrantic, to provide flexible lighting and pixel control for the main room, a high-energy dance environment open seven nights a week.
Located under the Charing Cross railway arches on Villiers Street at the core of London’s West End, Heaven has been a safe space and entertainment hub for London’s LGBTQ+ community since its opening in 1979. It occupies three-and-a-half arched tunnels, with a total capacity of 1,725, and is known for a musical mix of electro pop, techno and dance, often with live bands and drag acts for additional flair.
The console upgrade project was led by the venue’s head of lighting, Shane Finucane, and regular programmer/operator Dan Sanders, who were looking to upgrade the previous Avolites Sapphire Touch console that had been installed around ten years ago. The old console needed replacing with faster and more contemporary technology, and this coincided with Avolites revealing its portable “next gen” D7 range, complete with all the futureproofing and functionality they sought.
Sanders has been an Avolites user for three decades, so is already very familiar with Avo’s Titan software architecture, and the two smaller rooms at Heaven also run on a Titan T1 setup. The main room demanded a potent console for programming the often complex looks and sequences needed to enhance the dance music experience, and a platform that worked for guest LDs.
Running lights at the club is a completely hands-on experience for Sanders who mostly freestyles, and while he doesn’t need a massive amount of programming macros, he does utilise every last flash button to craft this syncopated style of operation. He likes to play his console like a classic keyboard. “I like a certain level of tactility and granularity on these, so you know exactly what to expect when you’re playing arpeggios - exactly how much muscle power to apply, etc.”, he enthuses.
He finds that this fluid and kinetic workflow is vital, especially for lighting trance and heavier dance genres, where multiple lighting effects can be applied simultaneously to offer the best visual effects down on the dancefloor. “Everything is in these faders, including a degree of separation so the lighting rig effectively becomes like an orchestra of performers and instruments”, he says.
Feeling the atmosphere as the night progresses is also vital, Sanders notes, as this can shift quite dramatically depending on groups that are coming and going from the dancefloor, and all lighting operators need to be tuned in to this. He says he appreciates the D7’s playback touch screens and the Active Playback Window, usually having twenty or thirty open on the centre screen when running a show, plus running virtual playbacks for haze, video wall intensity and the group master. He uses the ten macro buttons along the bottom for his strobe bumps, and he also adds his own sixteen-button InTech MIDI trigger pad to playback effects out of sight of the window.
Heaven’s D7 is currently controlling approximately fifty intelligent lights, primarily Robe Pointes and LED washes, and it also triggers the five video walls and lasers. On top of that, there are thirty-six channels of incandescent lighting.
Avolites has been a key component of Subfrantic’s rental inventory since the late 1990s, with Pearls, Tigers, Sapphires and Arenas and now their first D7-215 available for shows and events. This D7 is the first lighting console that Subfrantic has sold to Heaven, but their initial encounter with the club was back in 2005, when the company purchased Heaven’s then-old PA system and repurposed it for another client.
(Photo: Sarah O’Gorman)
Tateside delivers design-led AV integration at Maslow’s Kensington
Maslow’s operates three premier private members’ houses across London, blending modern coworking spaces with boutique gyms, wellness studios and hospitality-led environments. The group recently opened Maslow’s Kensington.
With AV playing an essential role in shaping the atmosphere and day-to-day functionality of the new site, Tateside was appointed to deliver a networked audio system, building on an existing relationship across Maslow’s other locations. “We designed a fully networked background audio system throughout the social and wellness areas, along with BYOD setups in presentation spaces and meeting rooms”, explains Jack Cornish, Technical Director at Tateside.
The open-plan living room, which functions as a bar, dining area and presentation space, is equipped with a discreet presentation system comprising a drop-down Epson laser projector, in-ceiling projection screen, video switching, Airtame wireless presentation and Apple TV, managed through a 5-inch Q-Sys control panel.
“The living room’s semi-exposed ceiling and architectural rafts required careful coordination”, says Cornish. “The projection screen was concealed above the raft detail, while the projector was positioned between the rafts to minimise its visual impact.” The audio design was also carefully planned. Four Martin Audio loudspeakers were mounted on drop rods to provide main coverage, supported by Sonance pendant speakers positioned between rafts.
“Finding space for low-frequency reinforcement was more challenging, as the room’s layout left little room for traditional subwoofer placement”, Cornish details. “To overcome this, we specified 1 Sound floor subwoofers, which were integrated into discreet joinery locations - two concealed within a retro-style joinery pieces and two positioned beneath a plinth detail with scalloped wood finish.”
The upstairs Orangery mirrors the living room’s presentation capabilities. “Whether using the projector downstairs or the TV upstairs, we wanted to ensure staff had the same user experience”, says Cornish. This focus on accessibility continues across the building’s nine meeting rooms. On entering each room, users are greeted by a custom-branded Airtame splash screen, while a USB-C cable at the table allows them to connect their own device and automatically switch the room into video conferencing mode, with the camera, microphone and loudspeakers routed back to their laptop.
“As a coworking space, BYOD capability is incredibly important”, continues Cornish. “Rather than forcing users into a specific room system, the AV setup supports whatever they bring, giving members and visitors the freedom to run meetings through their own preferred platforms.” Across the meeting rooms, Tateside combined Neat Bar 2 and Neat Bar Pro systems with Ashton Bentley extenders, Airtame wireless presentation and automatic switching, supported by iPad booking panels.
Tateside also delivered audio across the building’s wellness areas. In the gym, Sonance pendant speakers are supported by an Audac compact architectural subwoofer to bring greater energy and impact, while Sonance in-ceiling speakers provide a more restrained, instructor-led listening experience to the yoga-focused studio. Both areas feature Audac NWP300 Dante Bluetooth plates, allowing instructors to connect their own devices, with Pragma Someo wall-mounted volume controls integrated back into the Q-Sys system for simple adjustment.
Upstairs, the pied-à-terre and adjoining coworking area required a more understated background audio approach, with Sonance pendant and in-ceiling speakers maintaining a consistent feel across the building.
(Photos: Tateside)
XLR deploys L-Acoustics K3 in Wallonia’s largest live music venue
OM, a venue located in Seraing, Belgium, on the banks of the Meuse just outside Liège, is the largest live music space in Wallonia. Opened in October 2023, its main room holds up to 1,700 people and programmes everything from metal and jazz to techno and hip-hop.
According to Venue Director Fabrice Lamproye, installing an appropriate audio system has been a challenge - the technical brief demanded festival-grade SPL and full-bandwidth coverage in a space where neither visual bulk nor subwoofer sprawl were acceptable. L-Acoustics Certified Provider XLR was brought on board to deliver the project. Their proposed solution: L-Acoustics K3.
“As someone from Liège, I come to OM almost every week as a punter”, says XLR CEO Louis Lukusa. “I was personally invested in getting this right.” XLR has over fifteen years’ experience deploying L-Acoustics across Belgium and Luxembourg, distributing across theatres, cultural centres, clubs and bars.
OM’s brief was to design and deploy a system that would perform consistently across every genre. It had to be high-spec enough to satisfy the expectations of international touring productions, all without visually dominating the design of a relatively intimate space. K3 turned out to answer both requirements: rated 40 Hz to 20 kHz with no external subwoofer dependency, it delivers full-range output in a package compact enough to disappear into the room.
“We didn’t have to rely on additional subwoofer deployment to fill out the low end”, Lukusa notes. Fabrice Lamproye, OM’s team coordinator and booking agent, adds: “We’ve been working with L-Acoustics for years now, we have another system in a smaller venue that we’re really happy with, and that’s why we opted for K3 at OM.”
With K3 selected, XLR moved into the design phase using L-Acoustics Soundvision, modelling the system to verify the coverage predictions and refine the speaker positions. OM’s 1950s industrial design means that its acoustic environment can be challenging, and being able to model and plan for this in Soundvision before a single cabinet was hung made a significant difference, according to the team. “With eight K3 per side, we could cover 100 percent of the audience area without a single delay speaker”, says Lukusa. “We achieved about 3 dB distribution across the full audience and a sound integrity figure of almost 93 percent.”
The main system centres on two hangs of eight K3 per side - the install variant of K3, specified here for its permanent rigging credentials. Subwoofer coverage is delivered by four KS28 per side, flown alongside the main arrays rather than ground-stacked. The side-hung configuration serves the venue’s electronic programme well, supporting the kind of stereo bass imaging that these genres demand. A pair of X12 address the near-field in-fill areas, while four A10 Wide are deployed as front-fills. Six LA12X supply amplification.
“We wanted to bring the feeling of a big festival into a mid-size venue, and that’s exactly what we’ve done”, Lamproye concludes.
Pictured: Johnny Marr performing at OM. (Photos: Alexandre Aretz/Goldo)
Wilminktheater and Muziekcentrum Enschede upgrade with Robe
The Muziekcentrum is one of three entertainment venues operating on the same site in Enschede in the eastern Netherlands, and recently, the old house orchestral lighting has been replaced with sixteen Robe T1 Profiles and sixteen T1 PC moving lights, all delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux.
Wilminktheater is the theatre space in the same complex. Head of lighting Paul de Vries has been there since 2008, when it first opened, and he collaborates closely with Robin Bijker, head of technical for the Muziekcentrum. The Wilminktheater has a capacity of 1,000, and the Muziekcentrum concert hall building can accommodate 1,800 people standing and 800 seated.
These latest lights - which boosted the existing Robe products on the site - were purchased primarily to provide special orchestra lighting for the concert hall space. The Phion - Orkest van Gelderland en Overijssel is one of the symphony orchestras regularly using the Muziekcentrum for rehearsals, concerts, and choral recitals, and this was the first orchestral venue in the Netherlands to use moving LED lights for this specific purpose.
Before the T1s arrived, the orchestra was lit with a series of aging MultiPARs which had been in place for around twenty years. The fact that the T1s have a host of multipurpose features was a bonus for the pop concerts that are also staged in the venue, but “suitable for orchestra” was the first criterion.
Previously, when concerts were staged in the Muziekcentrum, de Vries and the crew would purloin lights - including their existing Robe products - from the Theatre venue’s lighting rig for the evening. That included the Theatre’s own Robe T1 Profiles, which were installed in 2018, CycBar 15s, which arrived in 2021 and LEDBeam 350s purchased in 2023. The Muziekcentrum also already had some Robe moving lights in situ, in the form of sixteen T2 Profiles that were added in 2023 for front lighting, together with another eight T2s that are part of the theatre house rig.
Previously, the orchestra’s musicians were not convinced about LED sources, says de Vries. “Like many in theatre, they initially thought outputs were low and the CRI was simply not hitting the mark”, he explains. “But of course, LED technology has advanced massively in the last five years, so when we showed them the T1 output and the CRI, they were impressed.”
The Wilminktheater en Muziekcentrum Enschede in-house team light all the orchestral shows themselves, and their lighting rigs are used by the vast majority of the incoming “received” shows in all venues. Additionally, they also stage their own productions for which all technical elements are delivered in-house by a technical team of fourteen, covering all departments and disciplines.
Activities across the three venues on this site and two more in Enschede city centre - that are also administered and run by the Wilminktheater Muziekcentrum Enschede organisation - account for around 670 diverse shows and events annually.
(Photos: Louise Stickland/Paul Clarke)
Canada’s La Salle Odyssée multi-venue arts complex installs three Solid State Logic Live mixing consoles
La Salle Odyssée, an 830-plus-seat venue located within La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau in Canada, underwent a major upgrade in 2024, during which almost its entire complement of technical equipment was replaced. On the audio side, the venue’s in-house technical team selected three Solid State Logic Live mixing consoles to handle the wide variety of entertainment that passes through the venue annually.
“We host all kinds of performances, ranging from local to international productions”, says Joel Vaillancourt, Technical Director at La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, a multi-venue arts and entertainment complex situated just north of Ottawa. “Whether it’s comedy, vocal performances, theatre, dance, circus acts, or jazz, country, pop, and symphonic music - and even live podcasts - we’ve got it all.”
Vaillancourt and his technical team carried out their due diligence before determining that an SSL Live L550 Plus, L350 Plus and L100 Plus, along with a Live Remote Tile, met their requirements. “We put the console to the test by comparing it head-to-head, in real-world conditions, with top-of-the-line models from five other major manufacturers”, he explains. “SSL products outperformed the competition across all our key criteria.”
The three Live consoles were selected to cover a range of applications at the venue. “The SSL L100 Plus is for tight spaces and our small cabaret events, the L350 Plus is mainly for front-of-house, and the L550 Plus is for when we need a monitor mix or for more demanding events”, says Vaillancourt. In the main Odyssée Hall, the console primarily drives the P.A. system in left/right or LCR configurations, and sometimes in surround sound, depending on the requirements. “However, we also use smaller, more portable left/right systems, floor monitors and in-ear monitors”, he adds.
According to Vaillancourt, SSL Live’s onboard DSP capabilities are so comprehensive that the venue has no need for outboard processing. “We’re perfectly happy with what’s included in the console”, he concludes. The consoles are integrated with three X-Light Bridges, three SB 32.24 Dante Analogue Stageboxes, and two SB 16.12 Dante Analogue Stageboxes, and are connected to a dedicated Dante network reserved exclusively for audio. All the SSL equipment was supplied by Perfecson, a sales, integration and service company also located in Gatineau.
Solid State Logic will be holding live demonstrations every day at the PLASA Show 2026 (September 6-8, Olympia, London).
(Photo: Solid State Logic)
ADJ powers interactive entertainment at Calgary’s PinPointe Social
When PinPointe Social opened its doors in Calgary, Alberta, it set out to create something beyond a traditional darts venue. Combining next-generation interactive gaming, dining, handcrafted cocktails, and a vibrant nightlife experience, the venue offers guests an immersive social destination where technology and entertainment converge.
Inspired by entertainment venues in Las Vegas, PinPointe Social was created by serial entrepreneur Barry Ehlert. Bringing together audio, video and lighting systems that integrate seamlessly was essential to Ehlert’s vision. The task of designing, supplying, and installing the AVL system fell to Calgary-based Digital Media Integrations, led by Dustin Milne. An extensive ADJ lighting system helps establish the venue’s energetic atmosphere. It also integrates directly with gameplay and transforms the space into a nightclub destination on weekends.
“Leading Edge Construction was the primary general contractor and then they subbed out the electrical to Calibre Electric”, says Milne. “We’re good friends with the guys at both of those companies and have worked with them for a long time on numerous other projects. Calibre brought us in because they understood out of the gate that there was a need for a very technical, extensive layout of AVL equipment, and that’s our speciality.”
“We provided and installed all the audio, video and lighting equipment as well as the network infrastructure”, he continues. “It’s a full sACN network, with five four-port Obsidian nodes and a dedicated DMX universe for each darts suite. We then collaborated with the guys from the venue who developed their own games system which we integrated with the show control system to allow the games to trigger lighting, video and audio cues.”
PinPointe Social features twelve private darts suites equipped with real dart boards and camera-tracked scoring technology, offering guests eight different game modes. Lighting plays a key role in enhancing the action, with every suite fitted with a pair of ADJ Focus Spot 5Z moving head fixtures that respond dynamically to gameplay events.
“We didn’t have tons of ceiling height in this place but still wanted to keep everything as high up as we could”, explains Milne. “The Focus Spot 5Z is pretty small, but it’s still got lots of output. It also has two color wheels, a separate gobo wheel, two prisms and two frost filters, so we can do a lot with just two lights in that suite for lighting cues based on the gameplay.”
Beyond the individual darts suites, Digital Media Integrations also designed a comprehensive lighting system for the venue’s central social space. During the daytime and early evening, the fixtures provide subtle ambient illumination that complements the venue’s aesthetic. Later in the evening, however, the space transforms completely. Under the banner of “NightShift by PinPointe Social”, the venue hosts live DJs every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., turning the central area into a nightlife destination. To mark the transition, Milne and his team programmed a time-coded introductory show sequence featuring synchronized lighting effects and atmospheric haze generated by a pair of ADJ Entourage haze machines.
“I have visited many high-end lounges in Vegas over the years and wanted to bring an experience like that to Calgary where we have one concept by day and a whole other by night”, says Ehlert. “The ADJ fixtures - together with the design Digital Media came up with - delivered that. We have daytime operating presets and then we can trigger the ‘NightShift’, a button DMI programmed that gives us a 6-minute lighting show that’s all synchronized to the video walls and audio track.”
For the main room spots, Milne selected ADJ’s Focus Spot 6Z moving head fixtures, the larger sibling to the Focus Spot 5Z. “For lighting the main area, which becomes the dancefloor late at night, we took a step up to the 6Z” comments Milne. “It’s that bit brighter and adds an extra gobo wheel. Those fixtures allow us to create energy on the dancefloor with piercing beams and sharp pattern projections.”
The main rig also incorporates ADJ Focus Flex L7 moving head wash-beam fixtures. “We make use of the Focus Flex L7 in different ways throughout the venue’s operating day. During the daytime, we have them set on a nice warm white and zoomed in tight to serve as downlighters that add to the atmosphere of the space. At night, we make use of their pixel-mapping capabilities to inject further energy that enhances the DJ sets.”
Working alongside Milne as Lighting Designer and Programmer, Joseph Wolff was responsible for creating a both the daytime scenes and “NightShift” transformation time-coded lightshow. “The venue is designed to host everything from corporate events to birthday parties and group outings, before transitioning into a high-energy club environment later in the evening”, says Wolff. “Built on an Onyx NX2 console with Dylos integration, the system gave me the flexibility to develop layered looks and themes that adapt to the room’s changing energy.”
“The compact size of the Focus Spot 5Z and Focus Spo 6Z fixtures, combined with their fast pan and tilt, made them an ideal choice for the space, allowing for dynamic movement and impactful looks without overwhelming the room”, he furthers. “The Focus Flex L7 washes added color rendering and smooth coverage, helping to tie everything together visually. One of the most rewarding parts of the project was programming the ‘NightShift’ transition. We’re also continuing to build on that experience with additional custom-programmed lighting for bottle service.”
(Photos: ADJ/PinPointe Social)
Aalborg Musikkens Hus favors Robe
Musikkens Hus (House of Music) in Aalborg, Denmark, offers a 1300-capacity main concert hall, a 600-capacity recital hall, plus numerous practice rooms and is home to the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg. Its music programme offers approximately 300 concerts and live performances a year, including orchestral, choral and classical, as well as acoustic and amplified rock and pop shows. The venue additionally hosts a range of corporate and business events.
The moving lights in the main hall are now all Robe: a combination of T1 Profiles and T1 Fresnels with LEDBeam 350s. The LEDBeams were delivered this year by Robe’s Danish distributor, Light Partner. Musikkens Hus production director Peter Klokker Iversen (pictured) and head of lighting Jonas Kjærulff have made all the decisions related to which lights to specify, which started with twelve Pointes in 2016. They joined the inventory as part of a rock and roll package to offer appropriate lighting for the rock and pop gigs.
The T1 Profile investment of fourteen fixtures happened in 2019, and this was specifically for providing front and key lighting for whatever action was happening onstage in the main hall. When they started looking for a wash light, it made sense to stay with the same family of lights and purchase the T1 Fresnels, which arrived in 2024. “The colour continuity was a perfect match”, notes Klokker Iversen.
Before making a new technical investment, Klokker Iversen and Kjærulff will look closely at technical riders and at the extras being brought in by different productions, as well as keeping an ear to the ground generally out there in the industry, and a combination of these factors led them to purchase the forty LEDBeam 350s.
(Photos: Louise Stickland/Paul Clarke)
Renkus-Heinz C Series delivers sound at Mahindra University auditorium
Mahindra University, private university in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, offers courses spanning engineering, law, media and design. An integral part of the campus is the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Auditorium, a multipurpose space developed as part of a wider campus expansion and used for events, musical performances, seminars and daily classroom lectures.
To support both teaching and cultural programming, the university installed a Renkus-Heinz C Series point source system. The design brings together two passive CX151B Complex Conic loudspeakers, ten compact, passive coaxial CX61B loudspeakers and ten DRS18-2B subwoofers, creating a full-range reinforcement solution that provides even coverage, controlled output and intelligibility throughout the 1,100-seat space.
System design and specification were led by Sriram B.R., Design Director at AV consultancy firm Sonics, with CMPPL responsible for integration. Alphatec, Renkus-Heinz’s local distributor, supported setup and commissioning, while Audio-Technica microphones improved voice capture and audience interaction. “Before the new system was installed, students had to share microphones during lectures and sessions, so improving voice reinforcement was an important consideration”, says Sriram.
“The auditorium is an enclosed, air-conditioned space with no windows, making acoustic control especially important”, he continues. “We worked closely with the architects to ensure loudspeaker placement met both acoustic and aesthetic requirements. By integrating the system around the stage and proscenium area, with key elements mounted high above the front of the stage, we were able to direct sound precisely into the raked seating area while maintaining clear front-to-back coverage and minimizing visual impact. The compact C Series form factor made this easier.”
Acoustic containment was also central to the design. “It was imperative that the sound stayed within the auditorium to avoid excessive sound spill”, says Narasa Raju, Manager at Tech Mahindra. “The new system ensures every note and every word can be heard clearly within the room, without leaking into surrounding areas of the campus.” System control is managed via Dante and a touch panel with presets, allowing university staff to operate the room. “Only a small amount of training was needed, and staff now benefit from smooth day-to-day operation”, Raju notes.
Beyond the loudspeaker system, the auditorium was equipped with a wider AV infrastructure, including wireless microphones, a pass-around microphone, mixing, DSP, switching, video systems, screens and cameras to support teaching, presentations and event production.
The auditorium remains future-ready, with the audio system providing a foundation for planned enhancements such as a large video wall. The university is also considering further development, including building two additional smaller halls. “Based on the performance of the auditorium system, we would definitely consider Renkus-Heinz again for future AV rollouts at the university”, says Raju.
(Photos: Renkus-Heinz)