Quick summary:

• Caguas modernized its 1947 Estadio Yldefonso Solá Morales in 2022 under new team owners Wisin & Yandel with new turf, lighting, and seating, leading to a public tender for a superior sound system.
• AVL Group installed nine 4-channel Connect Series 1504 amplifiers (1,500W/channel) to power 54 EAW MK Series speakers, plus a Connect Series 704 amp (700W/channel) for suites, corridors, and restrooms.
• The installation utilizes 96kHz DSP, LEA’s free SharkWare software for profile staging and EQ, and LEA Cloud connectivity for remote system monitoring and management.

Baseball is part of Caguas' cultural identity and history. The local baseball stadium, Estadio Yldefonso Sola Morales in the municipality in the east-central region of Puerto Rico, was inaugurated in 1947 and, since then, has been the field of the Criollos de Caguas, a professional baseball team in Puerto Rico. The stadium has undergone numerous renovations over the years, most recently, with a goal to invigorate the crowd experience, the venue turned to the amplifiers from LEA Professional.

[Take Me Into the Ballgame]

AVL Group won the bid to revitalize the audio system. “There were no specifications to meet; they simply wanted a system that didn’t sound like the existing system, that was loud enough to cover the audience area, that could handle the narrators and background music, and create a more hyped sporting environment,” said Alexander Rojas, VP of AVL Group. “We felt that LEA amplifiers could easily do all of that.”

AVL Group’s team installed nine Connect Series 1504 amplifiers to power the stadium’s 54 EAW MK Series loudspeakers installed throughout the stadium. The IoT-enabled 4-channel CS1504 provides 1500 watts per channel, supports Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and features Smart Power Bridge technology. A Connect Series 704 amplifier, a 4-channel amplifier with 700 watts per channel, was used to power loudspeakers in the corridors, suites, and restrooms. Connect Series amplifiers also feature 96kHz DSP, a standard in all models, offering a range of benefits that significantly enhance audio performance and system versatility.

AVL Group’s technical team utilized LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it out to all the pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ. SharkWare also allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network and the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, the software gives users the ability to view and adjust channel settings such as input settings, signal generator, crossover, equalizer, limiter, and load monitoring for all LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers.

The Connect Series also delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement, and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV companies and system integrators like AVL Group can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere, at any time, and with no subscription model or hidden costs. It’s completely free to use.

The city uses the stadium regularly for baseball and other sporting events, and the staff is very excited about the improvements that the audio system has provided to the stadium's environment.

“The new sound system really gets the crowd going,” said Rojas. “The built-in speaker tunings in the LEA amps were great for this application, as was the remote monitoring. We already have a few LEA projects planned and expect to have many more in the future.”

Quick summary:

• Integrator DC PRO wrapped L2D, Kiva II, KS21i and X Series around the sanctuary.
• The church now has one system for a choir-and-orchestra service and a worship band 90 minutes later.
• L-Acoustics provides full-surround, even coverage in a room that never had it.

Organized in 1962 with just nine members, Asbury Church has grown into one of Oklahoma’s largest congregations, drawing around 3,300 worshipers each week. Every Sunday requires managing two distinct, high-volume production demands: a traditional choir-and-orchestra service at 9:00 AM, followed immediately by an amplified worship band at 11:00 AM, alongside special combined events utilizing as many as 126 active console inputs. A new L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system helped make it all come together.

[Predicting the Invisible]

Delivering this experience asks a great deal of the church's sanctuary sound system. Over time, the venue’s original sound system reached the end of its operational life. The sanctuary suffered from uneven audio coverage, severe high-frequency dead spots, and power pockets caused by overlapping speaker arrays that forced the technical team to constantly compensate.

To overcome these acoustic limitations, Asbury partnered with AV systems integrator DC PRO in early 2025. After analyzing designs from multiple audio manufacturers, DC PRO specified an L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system. Unlike traditional stereo setups, this full 360-degree surround configuration utilizes multiple frontal and surround arrays, allowing audio engineers to position sound objects dynamically around the auditorium. This layout places the congregation inside a natural, spatial soundfield, making it seamless to transition between musical styles. Instead of retuning a standard left-right system during the brief 30-minute changeover between services, production staff simply recall a new spatial scene at the touch of a button.

The technical installation features a main frontal array of five L-Acoustics L2D enclosures forming the core L-ISA Scene, complemented by Kiva II and Kiva IIi side extensions for wider coverage. Low-frequency impact is supplied by 12 KS21i subwoofers flown behind the center array in a cardioid configuration, along with 12 low-profile SB10i subwoofers across the stage deck. Ten X8i speakers mounted along the stage lip handle spatialized front-fill, ensuring clear imaging for the front rows. Surround coverage is maintained by six coaxial X15 speakers along the upper side walls, 11 X8i units on the balcony face, and 15 compact X6i models on the rear wall. Additional X6i and X12 speakers provide delay coverage under and over the balcony, while LA7.16i and LA1.16i amplified controllers drive the system alongside an L-ISA Processor II.

This spatial infrastructure transforms the mixing workflow for Asbury’s production team. Rather than using aggressive equalization and compression to separate crowded instruments across a two-channel mix, engineers achieve clarity and balance purely by positioning instruments spatially within the room. The multi-array setup eliminates former acoustic dead zones, distributing energy evenly across all seating sections without creating harsh volume pockets.

“We have great balance in every seat across the entire room right now, which is just an unbelievable win for us,” Asbury production director Daniel Yarbrough concluded. “There is no compromise in the mix quality at every seat in the house.”

I remember when I was in college, we were excited when this new thing called email was available in the computer lab during my second year. Let's just say, technologically speaking, the college experience is a lot different these days.

[Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

That is apparently true for college football fans, especially those of the Texas Longhorns.

According to an AVIXA report, the Longhorns put on a 1,000-drone light show on game weekends. The YouTube user Heismanning has captured two different shows, both against nationally ranked competition, to see it up close an personal.

The show above against Ohio State was organized by Flylight Drone Shows which AVIXA said cost nearly $1.5 million dollars and consisted of four separate aerial shows.

I know what you're thinking. Those drones are awesome, but did you see the size of that videoboard? I'm pretty sure you can see it from the moon, measuring an absurd 160 feet wide and 44 feet high, totaling more than 215,000 square feet. Several reports indicate that ANC installed the videoboard in 2020 to update the iconic Godzillatron that had stood for nearly 15 years prior.

I guess everything is bigger in Texas.

In an effort to meet ADA Title II accessibility requirements, Seattle-based King County TV has adopted an automated audio description workflow for its council and committee meeting coverage. The government TV station is using MediaScribe Narrate, an audio description tool for pre-recorded and on-demand video from Tightrope Media Systems.

[DOJ Delay Could Create Opportunity for Integrators]

Produced by a small AV and communications team, up to six council and committee meetings are covered each week by King County TV. As the team worked through the steps of bringing its government meeting video into compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines, it faced the challenge of how to avoid adding a labor-intensive accessibility workflow to an already full production schedule for their small team.

Three things about MediaScribe stood out to the team. It runs entirely in the cloud, so adding audio description didn't mean installing any additional hardware. It holds up against multi-hour meeting files, not just short clips. And it leaves the station with an editable, human reviewable output rather than a finished, unchangeable track.

MediaScribe also integrates directly with the Cablecast Automation environment King County TV already uses to publish its meeting video, so audio description became a small step inside an existing workflow rather than a separate system to manage.

"The integration with Cablecast is really good," said Brian Starr, AV technology manager for King County TV. "Once it's done and we publish it, it goes to the web. It's pretty seamless."

Not every station facing the same requirement has reached for automation. Starr said colleagues at other stations have told him they plan to have staff describe meetings themselves rather than adopt a dedicated tool. King County TV took a partial run at that path too, building accessible PowerPoint templates, adapted from the University of Washington's accessibility resources, so meeting slides carry their own accessible text for screen readers. That solved part of the problem, but not the volume of a 10-12 hour meeting week.

"Describing hours of meeting content well takes real storytelling skill, and staff reports aren't exactly built for that," Starr said. "Automating it means we get consistent audio description without asking our team to become professional narrators on top of everything else."

MediaScribe takes on the majority of the cognitive load for small teams by doing the work of detecting gaps, analyzing the video, and filing them with right-sized descriptions that staff can review, easily correct if needed, and publish. MediaScribe is tuned to recognize common events in a government meeting, adding extra efficiency for teams reviewing very long recordings.

"Our video-on-demand page is live and accessible before other public channels even have the meeting posted," Starr said. "When residents or staff ask where to find a meeting, we send them our link, because it's WCAG compliant and available right away."

Quick view:

• VG Media Studio has built a high-spec virtual production facility featuring over 1075 square feet of LG LED, Mo-Sys tracking, and Brompton Technology processing capable of running up to 60fps with headroom for 120fps.
• Designed to support a diverse slate the facility functions both as an extension of the agency’s marketing services and as a rental hub for external production companies.
• The integration of Brompton processing with Mo-Sys tracking unlocks advanced on-set tools, including hidden tracking markers, Stream Deck workflow control, reliable multi-camera Frame Remapping, and precise color management across various camera setups.

VG Media Studio, a full-service marketing and production agency based in Laichingen, Germany, has installed Brompton Technology LED processing as part of a new virtual production facility designed to support everything from advertising and automotive work to short films and feature-length productions. Virtual production was not originally part of the studio’s plans; however, during the development of the wider complex, the team began discussions with LG around its LED technology and its ambitions for an official reference studio in Europe.

[Ready for the Virtual World]

This led VG Media Studio to consider how LED, processing, and tracking could work together to create a high-performance virtual production environment. The decision was ultimately driven by a desire to give productions more options while maintaining the reliability and efficiency needed to keep projects moving.

That same approach informed the design of the LED studio, with technical performance and ease of operation key considerations. Brompton processing provides the superior color precision, camera flexibility, and operational reliability required across the studio’s varied workload. The studio is built around an LG LED volume, Mo-Sys tracking, and Brompton Tessera processing, and is already being used for a diverse range of productions for external companies looking to harness virtual production facilities, equipment, and expertise.

The LED setup comprises more than 1000 square feet of LG LED, with two 4K Tessera SX40 processors driving the wall and a Tessera S8 powering the ceiling. Each SX40 is paired with two Tessera XD 10G data distribution boxes. The system can operate at up to 60fps, with the potential to reach 120fps through further configuration.

VG Media Studio operates two spaces within the facility: the main LED studio offering approximately 2690 square feet of space in front of the wall, alongside a 753-square-foot studio that can be used as a conventional film or photography space. Together, they allow the team to accommodate different production requirements under one roof.

“I really like the Brompton system we have here because it’s super fast and reliable,” said Simon Brüstl, virtual production engineer at VG Media Studio. “The UI is really clean and has all the functions you need during operation. It just does the job that it has to do.”

The system is designed to make day-to-day operation straightforward. Brompton’s integration with Stream Deck allows the team to control the LED stage from a familiar interface, while its color pipeline provides a precise and consistent result across different cameras.

Integration with Mo-Sys adds another layer of flexibility. VG Media Studio can use Mo-Sys markers that are visible to the tracking system but hidden from the production camera, allowing tracking information to be displayed without compromising the camera image. Frame Remapping can provide different LED feeds for individual cameras in multi-camera productions, while Custom Markers can display text, cues, or other instructions for the crew without appearing in the final shot.

“Brompton processing supports any production that needs the best camera performance, best visual color performance, and of course, accuracy and reliability,” said Oliver Dier, technical solutions manager (EMEA) at Brompton Technology. “VG asked us to deliver exactly that.”

The studio has already hosted a wide range of work, including external commercial productions, a short film with multiple settings, car commercials and a full movie production in July 2026. “It has been fantastic to see this installation come together and to watch VG Media Studio put it straight to work on such a varied slate of productions,” concluded Dier. “The team knew exactly what they wanted from day one, and that clarity made for a smooth collaboration from planning through to delivery. Seeing the studio already booked up with external productions just months after going live shows what’s possible when the right technology is paired with the right team.”

Quick view:

• Anthony James Partners (AJP) guided Northwestern University in taking an ambitious, "outside-the-box" approach that bucks traditional collegiate trends. Led by hands-on involvement from Pat Ryan, the project delivers a professional-grade technology environment designed to lead rather than follow pro stadiums.
• AJP led the design, procurement, and implementation of an innovative production and display ecosystem. Highlights include over 7,000 square feet of LED video (featuring two massive 45x100-foot end-zone displays and 2,400-plus linear feet of ribbon boards via SNA Displays) alongside a new 1080p / 3G production control room integrated by ZTransform featuring industry-leading Grass Valley, Evertz, and Ross Video technology.
• Beyond individual videoboards, AJP took a holistic approach—coordinating broadcast infrastructure, sightline modeling, and architectural integration from early concept to final build.

Anthony James Partners (AJP) was the technology consultant for the new Ryan Field at Northwestern University, where the firm led the planning, design, procurement, and implementation oversight of the stadium’s broadcast production and LED display systems. The new Ryan Field hosted its inaugural football game on Friday, Oct. 2. The game took place exactly 100 years to the day after the original stadium hosted its first football game in 1926.

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

AJP has worked on the redevelopment since the early stages of stadium technology planning, designing the broadcast and LED systems while coordinating the architectural, infrastructure and building requirements necessary to integrate those systems throughout the new venue.

“It’s great to see a collegiate venue leading rather than following what professional stadiums are doing," said Michael Rowe, CEO of Anthony James Partners. "They took a different approach from the beginning. They bucked trends, thought outside the box, and were committed to delivering a professional stadium experience. The result is one of the best display and production environments in collegiate sports.”

At the center of the broadcast program is a new 1080p/3G production control room, designed alongside the camera systems, broadcast positions, and supporting technology infrastructure to support game day production throughout Ryan Field.

The new production environment incorporates Grass Valley cameras and production switching, Evertz routing and replay technology, Ross Video display control and graphics integration, and a comprehensive wireless camera system. The production system was developed not only for Ryan Field operations, but with the ability to support broader production and videoboard operations across Northwestern Athletics over time. ZTransform was awarded the broadcast systems integration package.

AJP also designed and managed the procurement of the stadium’s comprehensive LED display program, beginning with extensive modeling, placement studies and sightline analysis to integrate the displays into the architecture of the new venue.

The program includes more than 7,000 square feet of LED video technology, anchored by two 45x100-foot-wide, 8mm end-zone displays. More than 2,400 linear feet of LED ribbon extends throughout the stadium, including a nearly 1,200-foot mid-bowl display that follows the upper concourse and an additional 1,270 linear feet of ribbon displays.

Additional displays include a 1.2mm outdoor LED display measuring approximately 9x24 feet in the North Great Hall, along with multiple displays integrated into the stadium vomitories. The overall video package also includes approximately 275 indoor and outdoor televisions and 50 play clocks and locker room clocks.

AJP worked with the project team from early concept development through detailed design and procurement, evaluating display dimensions, viewing angles, content presentation and integration with broadcast and game-production operations. The work also required detailed coordination of display locations, mounting and support conditions, concrete embeds, guardrails, MEP requirements and other interfaces between the technology systems and the building. SNA Displays was the awarded LED manufacturer and integrator.

Rather than approaching the videoboards and broadcast control room as independent systems, the Ryan Field program was developed around the relationship between the venue’s production infrastructure and the displays it drives.

The control room, camera systems, and LED display infrastructure were designed together to support live game presentation, in-venue content and broadcast production while providing the flexibility for Northwestern Athletics to expand its production model in the future. AJP also led a competitive procurement process for the Ryan Field technology systems, developing technical specifications, managing vendor proposals, and interviews, and supporting Northwestern through final selection and implementation.

Summary:

• Independent audio engineer and RedCity Studios co-founder JC Fredrickson praisesd the new AUDIX Wireless MicroBoom microphones for streamlining complex stage transitions in houses of worship and educational facilities.
• The Wireless MicroBooms deliver exceptional gain before feedback and pristine audio quality, providing a high-performance alternative to more expensive systems.
• In addition to the Wireless MicroBooms, Fredrickson relies on a wide array of AUDIX products, including the D-Series drum mics and the PDX520 dynamic vocal microphone.

Handling audio production for everything from houses of worship to educational facilities, independent audio engineer JC Fredrickson requires equipment that ensures enhanced sound, reliability, and rapid deployment. Fredrickson has upgraded his live production capabilities with the new AUDIX Wireless MicroBoom MBW50B microphones to manage incredibly fast-paced stage environments.

[When Sound Becomes Architecture]

The sound quality and sleek form factor of the MicroBooms naturally won over his clients. "The MicroBooms are incredibly low-profile, which eliminated complaints from parents during school theater productions and musical performances, because they want a clear sightline to their kids without a bulky mic stand in the way," he noted.

Recently, Fredrickson has been working with large congregations like the 3,000-member Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, CA, where fast changeovers are critical. "Their stage features numerous vocalists moving around, and they typically strike the choir mics as soon as the worship portion ends," shared Fredrickson. "Previously, it took three people to go in, unplug the microphones, gather the cables, and walk out while dodging cameras. Now that the MicroBooms are wireless, two crew members can quickly walk in, pick up the stands, and walk off. The transitions on stage are incredibly smooth and wire tangles have been entirely eliminated."

The advantages extend beyond logistics to pure sonic performance, particularly in challenging acoustic environments. "Schools and houses of worship often rely on volunteer choirs or younger kids who simply do not project loudly enough while singing. Getting enough gain before feedback is a critical component for us," Fredrickson said. "Being able to crank up the Wireless MicroBooms without having to worry about feedback has been a massive advantage." He also praises its fine-tuned hardware updates, ”The new knuckle on the boom feels incredibly secure and gives me peace of mind, ensuring the microphone stays perfectly in place without the need for gaff tape.”

Reflecting on his continued trust in the brand, Fredrickson highlighted the company's continuous innovation and sonic excellence. "I really feel like AUDIX listens to its customers and is willing to grow. Lately, it is clear they are successfully expanding across the entire audio spectrum, creating incredible solutions for choirs, ensembles, and broadcast," he concluded. "When I pick an AUDIX microphone out of my mic locker, I have complete confidence that it is going to perform perfectly."

Quick view:

• New displays support live event presentations inside the arena and connect with guests through welcome messaging, event information, and branding as they enter the venue.
• The centerhung display is four LED screens each measuring more than 8x13 feet, while an LED ring display circles the bottom of the configuration. The ring measures nearly 3.5x57.5 feet and provides supplemental content beneath the four main video boards.
• Additionally, three LED displays above the entry gates share welcome messaging, event information and branding.

CURE Insurance Arena has partnered with Daktronics to install a new five-display centerhung system and three entrance displays in Trenton, New Jersey. The displays support live event presentations inside the arena and connect with guests through welcome messaging, event information, and branding as they enter the venue.

[Massive Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

According to Fran Rodowicz, general manager with Oak View Group at the CURE Insurance Arena, the installation of new LED displays at our venue entrances alongside the new centerhung display will enhance the overall fan experience by providing greater access to live event content, upcoming event promotions, and important venue information. “These new digital platforms will also create valuable opportunities for our partners to share their messaging with our fanbase, strengthening brand visibility and engagement throughout the arena," he added. "These installations were made possible through the support of the Mercer County Improvement Authority and Mercer County, as we continue to invest in enhancing the guest experience and welcoming visitors to Mercer County."

Serving as the focal point of the new system, the five-display centerhung configuration presents replays, game information and sponsor recognition throughout events. Four LED screens each measure more than 8x13 feet, while an LED ring display circles the bottom of the configuration. The ring measures nearly 3.5x57.5 feet and provides supplemental content beneath the four main video boards. Each screen features a 5.9-mm pixel spacing to deliver clear visuals for audiences throughout the arena.

“The team at CURE Insurance Arena has been a long-time partner with Daktronics and had a clear vision for connecting with guests throughout their visit,” said Scott Willson, Daktronics sales representative. "This most recent installation complements and works seamlessly with the existing Daktronics concourse signage, allowing them to communicate with their fans from the streets, through the concourses and into the main seating bowl.”

The live event experience begins outside the seating area. Three LED displays above the entry gates share welcome messaging, event information and branding. Each display measures approximately 1.5x21.5 feet and features 2.9mm pixel spacing for content viewed at a closer distance.

The display system is operated through a complete Daktronics Show Control solution, which integrates display control software, video processing, data integration, and playback hardware into a single production platform for the arena’s operators. Additional equipment installed as part of the project includes an LED basketball game clock and shot clock, five locker room clocks, and a backboard LED light strip kit.

Summary:

• The StarBay Theater reopened on July 18, 2026, with a fresh set of upgrades, including the Auracast Hearing Assistance system.
• In addition to the 45-minute shows about space and Earth, the space also hosts lectures and other events throughout the year.
• The setup includes eight Auri receivers, two docking stations, and a two-channel transmitter with Dante support.

The St. Louis landmark, the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, is home to the Bill and Laura Orthwein StarBay Theater. This 80-foot dome recently reopened with a new Auri system installed, as the venue hosts live, educator-led shows which play out under the dome for around 150 guests at a time, mixing upright and reclining chairs so everyone can comfortably take in the overhead view. These 45-minute shows take guests on a quest through space and Earth, with options to ask questions along the way.

[Hearing Every Word]

The StarBay Theater had been getting by with an older assistive listening system that checked the ADA compliance boxes. Unfortunately, because of the concrete construction and the mix of upright and reclining chairs in the theater, guests with hearing loss never got a great experience out of it.

The team wanted more than a box-checking fit. They wanted something that would actually make the experience better for guests, hold up inside an older concrete building, and handle two different listening needs at once: regular room audio (like speakers, sound effects, and music) and a separate, cleaner narration-only feed for anyone who wants to tune out distracting noise.

The planetarium reached out to SenseArt to learn what options were available for assistive listening. After trying a couple of options, they landed on the Auri system. The Auri receivers are small and easy to use, so guests of any age can pick one up and use it right away. Since the whole planetarium experience depends on darkness, the design mattered a lot as well. Auri receivers only light up for a brief moment when you adjust the volume, then go dark again. Auri’s all-in-one transmitter also meant skipping the rack mount and separate transmitter the competing system needed. Finally, the adjustable coverage gave the team more control over how far the signal reaches, something they’re planning to lean on more as they look at spaces where they don’t want just anyone listening in.

The setup includes eight Auri receivers, two docking stations, and a two-channel transmitter with Dante support. This setup gives the planetarium two audio streams running at once and multiple ways for guests to tune in—through receivers, a neckloop/receiver combo, or their own devices. Guests learn about the assistive listening options at the planetarium through signage around the venue, slides that play before each show, info on the planetarium’s website, and details shown when they buy tickets online.

Requests for assistive listening at the planetarium were usually pretty rare. However, since the system went live, these requests have really taken off. On the very first day of the install, five or six guests asked for a receiver, which was way more interest than the team had seen before. Since then, guests have kept coming back with great feedback about the audio quality. The system also hasn’t had any issues with latency or dropped signal.

It’s also been easy on the staff side. Receivers are set up to power on and go to the right channel the moment they’re pulled off the dock, so there hasn’t been any extra hassle for the team in terms of setting up receivers. The only learning curve they’ve run into is helping guests who are trying to connect with their own device. Since there are so many apps and devices, staff don’t always know how to make it work. However, they expect things to get easier after they’ve worked with several different types of devices and apps.

At a Glance:

• Pacha New York brought its famed dance music heritage to Brooklyn for its inaugural summer season with a custom lighting system designed to mirror the high standards of its global venues.
• Installed on a tight timeline by Studio RRD, the setup features 34 IP65-rated Ayrton Veloce fixtures built to withstand New York's outdoor elements, alongside MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles to meet the expectations of premier touring artists.
• The venue welcomes major touring artists, with its DJs and diverse programming reflecting Pacha New York’s commitment to bringing leading names in dance music together under the cherries.

When Pacha New York brought its renowned cherries to New York City for its inaugural summer season, it did so with a lighting system thoughtfully designed to meet the demanding technical and creative standards of the club and event venue. A new lighting system, designed and developed in close collaboration with the Pacha production team, is built around Ayrton Veloce fixtures complemented by MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles.

[Sonos Audio Sparks Connection at Lightning Society]

For Studio RRD founder Rob Ross, who integrated and installed the lighting system, the project represented an important step in the company’s evolution from an event-focused lighting provider into a more comprehensive partner for installations and dry rentals. The Pacha New York installation was executed on a tight timeline, as the venue prepared for its highly anticipated summer opening. The resulting system includes 34 Ayrton Veloce fixtures, along with an MA Lighting grandMA3 full-size console, grandMA3 light console and grandMA3 Processing Unit XL. For Studio RRD, the choice of grandMA3 was essentially automatic given the caliber of artists and lighting designers expected to work at Pacha New York.

“The grandMA is a no-brainer,” said Studio RRD rental development manager Alex Womer. “I don’t think there’s any other console you can put in that space, especially considering the touring acts that visit the venue. There are pretty high expectations that it would always be a grandMA console.”

Ayrton was equally well suited to the venue’s demanding environment. The outdoor installation required IP65-rated fixtures capable of withstanding New York’s summer heat, rain and changing weather conditions, while also delivering the quality expected by high-profile artists and their lighting designers. “It’s really a matter of reliability and fixture quality,” said Ross. “We wanted to put something there that we felt comfortable with leaving operating outside for a six-month or greater period every year and that we knew would stand up.”

Pacha New York welcomes major touring artists, with its DJs and diverse programming reflecting Pacha New York’s commitment to bringing leading names in dance music together under the cherries. With external lighting designers frequently involved, the system must support a broad range of creative approaches while maintaining a consistent technical foundation.

“Pacha New York’s needs can vary from show to show, with outside lighting designers and artists sometimes bringing their own creative requirements to the venue,” explained Womer. “Having access to a range of high-quality Ayrton fixtures gives the venue the flexibility to support those productions while maintaining the performance standards expected by performers and guests alike.”

Ross echoes that sentiment, stating: “Pacha New York’s artists, guest lighting designers, and especially patrons are all part of the equation,” Ross said. “The venue’s leaders really want it to be a high-quality experience."

Summary:

• Disney’s 2026 Upfront at the North Javits Center seamlessly integrated four distinct formats—corporate presentations, live ESPN broadcast segments, cinema trailers, and a full Olivia Rodrigo concert—while overcoming the tall, hard-surfaced room's severe reverberance issues to ensure speech intelligibility across every seat.
• To meet the demand for movie-theater audio quality and precise speech PA, production partner NMR Events deployed the first full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system at a Disney Upfront, utilizing seven Kara II Scene arrays, flown KS28 subwoofers, surround layers, and an L-ISA Processor II.
• By localizing audio sources—such as placing the ESPN broadcast audio directly over its physical desk house left and centralizing spoken vocals—L-ISA eliminated competing delay times and phase interference, directly solving the venue's acoustic challenges and establishing a benchmark for future immersive show designs.

Disney’s Upfront is not one single show. Whether it was the new CEO, ESPN coverage, cinematic trailers, or live music, the North Javits Center required movie-theater sound quality for the content and a speech PA intelligible in every seat. A full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system provided just that.

The 2026 edition, staged on May 12, opened with Anne Hathaway introducing new CEO Josh D’Amaro, ran an ESPN college football desk live from house left, played film and series trailers at cinema level, put more than 100 names on stage across entertainment, sports, streaming and film, and closed with Olivia Rodrigo playing a full musical set. A corporate presentation, a broadcast segment, a trailer reel and a concert, back to back, in the same room and on the same system.

[Flame On! Disney's Space Mountain Becomes Projection-Mapped Canvas]

Holding all of that together on one system was only half the job. The room was the other half, and the harder one. The North Javits space is wide, tall and hard-surfaced, and reverberance is the obstacle every Upfront team meets there—particularly for speech intelligibility, which a presentation of this kind lives or dies on. “We’ve done some dampening there in the past, but it’s still very difficult,” said Nick Sarlo, head of audio at NMR Events, the production company that supplied and ran the event’s audio.

NMR Events’ designed, with support from the L-Acoustics Application team, the full-surround L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal system. It is the first L-ISA system deployed at a Disney Upfront. The design gave every style of content the same spatial treatment. “We were able to make people’s eyes and ears connect here,” said Bob McGlinchey, NMR Events’ lead audio design engineer.

The design started from the shape of the room. Stereo across a stage that wide means repeating left and right along the front, which flattens the image and leaves the audience with no sense of where anything is. L-Acoustics global application lead, spatial systems Oscar Sturup proposed a very wide frontal L-ISA configuration instead, so that any source could be placed where it belonged on stage.

That paid off most visibly on the ESPN segment. With the college football desk set up house left, the broadcast audio was placed house left too, and it reached the room from where the presenters were actually sitting. For the trailers, flying the subwoofers centrally beneath the center Scene hang kept the low end time-aligned to the stage, so cinematic content landed evenly across the hall rather than in pockets.

Drawn from NMR Events’ L-Acoustics inventory, the L-ISA Scene system comprised seven arrays of eight Kara II flown across the wide stage, with Extension arrays of eight Kara II to the far left and right of them. Low frequency came from two centrally flown adjacent hangs of four KS28 each in cardioid configuration, paired with three more KS28 in a line in front of center stage below.

Out-fill arrays of eight Kara II per side were flown between the Scene and Extension systems, with smaller arrays of six Kara II out in the room for far left- and right-side delay. The surround layer comprised six rear arrays of six Kara II. Eleven coaxial X8 in an arc along the lip of the main stage carried spatialized front-fill, with six more X8, three per side outboard of them, as mono front-fills. LA12X amplified controllers powered the system, with a pair of LA7.16 driving the spatialized front-fills, while an L-ISA Processor II handled the object-based mix.

An Upfront sits between genres. It is part corporate presentation, part product launch, part broadcast, part theater, and this year part concert, and the audio has to carry all of it without the room appearing to change character. Adrian D. Rivas, brought in by NMR Events as L-ISA systems engineer, set out to let the audience have the most organic immersive experience possible across the whole running order.

Part of that was fidelity to the source. Content mixed in 5.1 for cinema or broadcast was played back in the room in 5.1 rather than folded down. “With L-ISA, from an audio perspective, we were able to faithfully reproduce and present that original content to the audience in the room the way it was intended to be heard,” Rivas said.

The rest was consistency of seat. Wherever an audience member sat, the intent was a fifth-row-center experience, with every element still arriving from where it sat on stage. “The audience absolutely had an experience that sounded more natural, specifically because of how the system was designed,” Rivas said. “But there were also times that, because of the style of production we were trying to achieve, I feel we exceeded just immersive sound, and really made it an immersive moment.”

Summary:

• The "So Glad You Made It" tour featured two headlining acts—311 and Dirty Heads—requiring a modular video rig using Absen PL3.9 Pro panels supplied by Showtime Sound.
• The Absen PL3.9 Pro displays delivered vivid, saturated colors, deep blacks, and clear grayscale rendering across a wide brightness range (0.1 to 5,000 nits)
• Built for rugged touring with reinforced cabinets and protective shielding, the video wall proved exceptionally durable.

This summer, 311 and Dirty Heads co-headlined the “So Glad You Made It” tour, playing 33 stops at amphitheaters and outdoor venues across North America. As a result, the production team needed a video system that could support two distinct headlining sets and adapt to a different venue nearly every night. Absen customer and production company Showtime Sound supplied and supported Absen’s PL3.9 Pro, a 3.9mm LED display designed for their touring and live event applications.

[Massive Absen Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

The co-headline format shaped the tour’s video design from the start, with the lighting and video rig serving two sets, each with its own creative direction. The venue size added another variable. Stage widths changed from city to city, requiring a system that could scale down significantly without losing visual impact.

“We have two co-headliners, so we have to design a rig that works for both bands,” said Bobby Grey, lighting and production designer for 311. “The thing about 311 is they have a 36-year history. They have a massive catalog of hundreds of songs, ranging from hard-rocking rock ballads to jammy songs and everything in between. So, diversity for us is key.”

With two bands and set lists ranging from hard rock to extended jams, the display had to reproduce a wide range of looks, from dim, moody scenes to bright, saturated content, without losing detail at either end.

By combining accurate color reproduction across a wide brightness range, modular panel options and dependable performance through a full summer run, Absen’s PL3.9 Pro gave the 311 and Dirty Heads production team a display platform that scaled to each venue and kept the focus on the creative work for two headlining sets across 33 stops in North America.

Take a deeper look in the video from Absen below.

Have you ever played Richie's Plank Experience on the Meta Quest? In that game, you put on your headset and can either fly around the city or take an elevator to the top floor and walk a dizzying and terrifying narrow plank to see if you make it to the end.

Now, imagine getting to do that... without a headset.

[COSM: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

Grupo Creativo and Logika Studio did just that for the Tattersall event center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Primarily designed for galas, product launches, and corporate brand experiences, the two creative groups made it possible to change the entire atmosphere without physically tearing down and building back up each new setup for each new event.

The floors, walls, and ceilings act in unison, transforming what is normally a static space into a dynamic and digital work of art. According to digital transformation expert, Ulrich Buckenlei, the entire room is programmable, creating a shared experience for everyone in the room without headsets by changing the software and content.

Is this the future of booth visits and convention centers at InfoComm and ISE? You can see for yourself in the Grupo Creativo Instagram post below.

Quick view:

• Opened on June 19, 2026, in Chicago's Jackson Park, the 20-acre Obama Presidential Center highlights Barack and Michelle Obama's story, placing a heavy focus on President Obama's pioneering use of digital technology and social media.
• AV Foundation lead Paul Horst deployed 35 distinct AV systems driven by AV Stumpfl PIXERA media servers, spanning single displays, multi-monitor setups, and multi-projector installations.
• The museum's four-story centerpiece combines projected visuals across an irregularly shaped canvas with an 89-speaker spatial audio system designed by Jeremy S. Bloom, utilizing real-time NDI feeds, synchronized lighting, and automated software alignment.

The Obama Presidential Center opened to the public on June 19, 2026, in Chicago's Jackson Park. The date, Juneteenth, was chosen deliberately, as Juneteenth is a United States federal holiday that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Since President Barack Obama is known for being the first to use modern technological platforms in the Oval Office, keen attention to technology within these walls was paid. That relationship with digital technology is a central theme of the museum, where AV Stumpfl PIXERA media servers drive 35 distinct systems spanning the full breadth of the exhibition program.

Obama was the first United States president to hold a Twitter account, the first to livestream from the Oval Office on Facebook, and the first to answer questions from the public on YouTube. Thus the eight-story Center has four floors dedicated to exhibitions that explore the story of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama through film, interactive displays, and large-scale immersive media.

Paul Horst, senior manager of exhibition AV systems at the Obama Foundation, led the AV design and deployment across the museum. With exhibits ranging from individual 4K displays to large multi-projector installations, the team required a media server platform capable of scaling across every use case within a single, managed ecosystem. "We selected PIXERA to consolidate our media playback into a unified ecosystem," said Horst. "It provided both the hardware options needed to suit individual exhibit sizes and the comprehensive software required to execute our most ambitious installations."

The 35-system installation spans 23 single-display exhibits, seven multi-monitor systems and five multi-projector systems. The multi-monitor configurations include systems of up to 11 displays, each running from a single director server and two client units. The five multi-projector systems range from two-projector blends to the four-story Power of Words installation. The deployment draws on the full breadth of the PIXERA hardware range, with server models matched to the technical requirements of each individual exhibit.

Across all systems, the Obama Foundation's AV team built custom web-accessible control interfaces within PIXERA Control, making routine operations accessible to technicians without requiring in-depth knowledge of the software. Each interface provides the most common operator functions, like starting and stopping timelines, toggling outputs, restarting the render engine, and selecting photography-safe stills from the video content. The interfaces are available as embedded panels within ISAAC, the museum's integrated control platform, giving operators access to the full media estate from a single location.

Power of Words is the museum's centrepiece installation, running the full interior height of the building across all four gallery floors as a projected canvas that orients visitors on each level before expanding into themed visuals and artwork that cross every storey simultaneously. The spatial audio design, led by Emmy Award-winning sound designer Jeremy S. Bloom, deploys more than 89 speakers across the installation, with audio systems embedded in screens, floors, and in ceiling trenches at each level. Each floor operates as a distinct audio zone, and PIXERA synchronises about 40 audio tracks along with the projected content across the full installation. PIXERA also drives coordinated lighting changes for Power of Words via UDP commands sent to the museum's lighting control system, embedding lighting transitions directly within the media timeline.

"At site-specific immersive installations like those in the museum, mixing and spatializing the audio onsite is not only fun, but a complete necessity," said Jeremy S. Bloom, sound designer. "Onsite, without the traditional infrastructure of a dubbing stage, I need a way to finalize the audio on my own workstation while watching the final visual media at scale. PIXERA allowed for this quite seamlessly. With the flip of a switch, I could send LTC timecode to the media server over our existing Dante network and gain control of all playback."

The projection geometry of Power of Words presented an additional challenge. The screen is wider at the mid-level floors than at the top and bottom of the building, requiring the media producers to apply different content warps depending on the vertical position of each element on the canvas. To address this, the team developed a workflow using PIXERA's NDI live-input capabilities, taking full-resolution After Effects compositions as direct NDI feeds into PIXERA and displaying them on the full-scale screen in real time. Warping corrections and content changes could then be previewed and refined immediately, without the delays of iterative offline renders.

Projector alignment for Power of Words is handled by Scalable Display Technologies, whose software generates MPCDI calibration files that PIXERA accepts as part of an automated alignment sequence built through Medialon, the museum's scheduling and control system operating under ISAAC. When a recalibration is required, Medialon sends commands to a custom module in PIXERA, which stops active timelines, deactivates outputs and hands control to Scalable for calibration. Once the alignment process is complete, PIXERA reactivates the outputs and restarts the timelines without manual intervention.

Before the full Power of Words installation was commissioned, Horst's team built a six-foot scale model of the screen to work through the projection geometry and workflow challenges in advance. Smaller PIXERA servers and compact projectors replicated the final installation conditions at bench scale, allowing the team to validate the mapping, audio synchronisation and control workflows before committing to the full build. "When we installed the full-sized systems at the Obama Presidential Center Museum, we had a high degree of confidence that the system would work because we had already built it," said Horst.

And work it has, as the Obama Presidential Center is quickly becoming a top tourist attraction in a city known for its venues and experiences.

Quick summary:

• Alexandria International Airport (AEX) partnered with Nanolumens to modernize its terminal with Nixel Series Flex and Engage Series LED displays.
• The installation includes a curved LED display above security, flight information displays, and gate signage.
• The project demonstrates how smaller regional airports can enhance the traveler experience through innovative display technology, with AEX already planning a second phase of the installation.

Alexandria International Airport (AEX) about four miles west of downtown Alexandria, LA. The smaller regional airport recently underwent a technological upheaval focused on replacing the existing LCD television monitors with Nanolumens displays to enhance the traveler's experience.

[Welcome to H-Town. George Bush Intercontinental Airport Greets with Massive Digital Display]

AEX was previously a front-line U.S. Air Force utilized during World War II and was used throughout the Cold War. When the Department of Defense moved to close the base in the early 1990s, the city of Alexandria formed the England Authority to take over the property instead. AEX opened for service in August 1993, and commercial airline service followed three years later, connecting travelers to hubs including Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston. Nearing its 20th anniversary, England Authority aviation director Scott Gammel wanted to modernize the building’s centerpiece architectural feature without compromising the landmark identity the community had built. “This terminal was never just a building to us,” Gammel said. “It’s a landmark we built together, and everything we do to it has to fit that.”

The terminal’s existing LCD television monitors no longer supported the airport’s vision for the space. Their limited content flexibility meant passengers encountered the same material for years, rather than information that could be readily updated. AEX needed more adaptable displays that could support flight information, advertising and text announcements while fitting the terminal’s distinctive architecture.

To meet those needs, AEX selected Nanolumens Nixel Series Flex and Engage Series throughout the terminal. The Nixel Series Flex display replaced standard television monitors on the terminal’s first floor. Measuring 27.6x2.5 feet with a 2.5mm pixel pitch, the convex curved LED display follows the curved wall above security, creating a continuous digital canvas that feels integrated into the architecture.

“It’s brighter, it’s crisper, and it changes your whole mindset walking in,” Gammel said. “Before, you had the same thing on the screen for years because you couldn’t really change it. Now it’s just your imagination that limits what you can put up there.”

Nanolumens Nixel Series combines flexible LED technology with custom engineering to create smooth, uninterrupted displays that follow curved surfaces and unconventional shapes. The Nixel Series’ integrated mounting designs allow the display to fit the architecture, giving AEX a way to modernize its signature wall while preserving the curve that makes it distinctive. The result brings the terminal’s architectural character and digital content together in one cohesive feature.

Near the elevator and ticketing area, an Engage Series flight information display (FID) measures 13.8x.3 feet with a 1.8mm pixel pitch, placing flight details where travelers enter and move through the terminal. Engage Series gate information displays (GID) also serve the airport’s four jetway gates. Each measures 4x1.1 feet and features a 1.8mm pixel pitch, extending the installation into the boarding areas.

Gammel wants the installation to show other non-hub airports what’s possible with the right partner. “You don’t have to be the size of a major hub to give travelers a great experience,” he said. “We wanted to show that a small airport can still make a strong first and last impression.” Encouraged by the results, the England Authority is already planning a second phase with Nanolumens that would extend a second-floor column into a full LED display.

For Gammel, the partnership was as valuable as the display. “You develop relationships, and that makes a big difference,” he said. “Their team stayed involved and made us feel valued throughout the process. That’s what a great partner does.”

The new Museum of Money’s goal is to make financial literacy fun. To this end, this Dallas-based museum, nicknamed “MoMoney,” is using AV to turn learning into an interactive gaming experience for guests of all ages.

Early on, MoMoney co-founders Houss El Marabti and Subhi Gharbieh recognized that helping guests build financial literacy required a spectacular, nontraditional approach. This is why MoMoney uses large-scale interactive AV exhibits that use storytelling to guide visitors along the entire evolutionary path of money—from physical minting to modern blockchain technology.

Gamifying Financial Education

To bring this unconventional vision to life, MoMoney assembled a team of AV and design professionals. Lead design firm Luci brought in Fivestone Studios to develop the digital interactive experiences. The team worked alongside Ravenswood Studio, which built the physical environments, and Electrosonic, which served as the primary technology integrator.

"Working very closely with Luci’s project leads, our team focused on making financial concepts feel intuitive and fun," said Traylor Woodall, Fivestone's executive creative director. "We wanted visitors to feel the ideas, knowing that when people learn through experiences, the lessons stay with them."

Justin Eslinger, Fivestone's director of creative technology and innovation, said the team designed each interactive AV exhibit by starting with a specific learning objective—and then finding the clearest way to make that idea physical. "Instead of asking guests to simply read about financial concepts, we wanted them to experience those concepts directly," Eslinger told SCN. "The goal was to make financial literacy feel less like a lesson and more like an adventure."

Installing experiential AV in a downtown Dallas venue came with its share of unique hurdles. According to Cindy Ospina, director of project management, Electrosonic, space constraints were a primary challenge during the integration phase. Her team had to fit highly complex, interactive exhibits within the predefined physical limits of the building's architecture, which was not exceptionally large.

Additionally, because MoMoney is in a busy public space, absolute reliability and ADA compliance were paramount. This is why MoMoney was equipped with AV hardware that could be powered on at 8 a.m. and run flawlessly without intervention until the end of the day. "Our goal was to deliver a modern engaging visitor experience... making sure that it would function reliably in a super high traffic environment," said Ospina.

Another significant challenge was MoMoney’s diverse audience. The AV exhibits needed to cater to everyone from young children to sophisticated adults. To achieve this, Electrosonic worked closely with Fivestone, Luci, and subject matter experts to ensure the AV technology balanced interactive fun with genuine, accessible educational content for all ages.

Creating an AV environment where guests could seamlessly explore and shape outcomes required a large, cohesive technology stack. At the heart of their digital experiences was the Unity real-time engine. Choosing Unity allowed Fivestone to deliver rapid iteration, cinematic-quality animation, and highly responsive interactions between the digital software and the physical hardware.

Electrosonic provided a robust custom solution for the museum's AV infrastructure. For system-wide show control and audio processing, the integration team installed QSC hardware, including a remote-controlled QSC core, Dante controllers, and a mix of QSC and Powersoft amplifiers to drive the museum's analog audio and soundscapes. BrightSign video players were widely deployed to manage and run content across MoMoney’s various displays. High-performance Origin PCs, equipped with high-end NVIDIA RTX GPUs, were used to provide the local processing power needed for complex 3D graphics and on-site AI workflows.

Take a Tour

The true magic of MoMoney lies in its six distinct interactive installations, each purposefully designed to teach an abstract financial lesson using a playable, highly visual environment.

Market Shuffle: This exhibit drops visitors into a fictional town to teach the actual value of currency by forcing them to barter for goods. Designed to recreate the frustration and inefficiency of trading without money, the installation prompts guests to ask themselves, "How many roller skates is a birthday cake worth? How do I get change for trading a tube television for slap bracelets?"

The exhibit features a 32-inch touchscreen paired with a custom-printed physical overlay, giving guests the illusion of sitting at a three-dimensional desk filled with phones, rolodexes, and notes. Behind the scenes, Fivestone built a branching trade logic system in Unity, using escalating music, audio cues, and difficulty modes to increase tension as guests wildly race against a countdown clock.

Hoard of Gold: This exhibit uses motion capture and projection mapping so that "guests can see themselves swimming through a vault of treasure, turning wealth into a full-body spectacle,” Eslinger said. Technically speaking, this exhibit uses an Orbbec Femto Mega depth sensor camera combined with NVIDIA Background Removal and Microsoft’s Azure Kinect Body Tracking SDK, while Christie and Epson projectors map the resulting interactive visual effects onto a large display.

Financial Tellers: Reimagining the classic Zoltar fortuneteller robotic machine, this exhibit delivers financial advice using life-sized 60-inch Samsung 4K displays. Guests speak into a mounted microphone. A custom machine learning system identifies the topic and triggers one of more than 200 scripted responses. According to Eslinger, the design team had to combine “natural voice input, machine learning topic detection, AI-assisted animation, synchronized audio, and DMX lighting to make the interaction feel alive.”

NYSE Photo Opportunity: This New York Stock Exchange installation distills the dizzying complexity of the stock market into a simple choice between a bull and a bear. Guests trigger the experience by pressing a button to ring the iconic NYSE bell. “The exhibit uses a large-format display, animated bull and bear characters, and randomized outcomes to make market risk feel immediate and playful,” said Eslinger. The resulting interaction is displayed on a massive 110-inch LG display featuring exaggerated, high-energy character animations inspired by 1980s anime.

Interest Invaders: This exhibit leans on 8-bit Atari 2600 graphics to teach the notoriously difficult concept of compound interest. Guests use oversized physical arcade controls and manually spin a large physical wheel—seamlessly integrated using Phidgets USB hubs and sensors—to make long-term investment choices. “Interest Invaders turns compound interest into a retro arcade game, using oversized physical controls and a 6-foot-wide Nanolumens LED display with a deliberately chunky pixel pitch to reinforce the 8-bit aesthetic,” Eslinger explained.

Design Your Own Currency: In this exhibit, visitors can edit their own faces into custom currency. To do this, Eslinger said Fivestone and Electrosonic combined “a touchscreen kiosk, live camera capture, local AI portrait rendering, web application infrastructure, email delivery, and a Unity-driven projection wall so guests can create, receive, and celebrate their own custom bill."

The touchscreen kiosk interface is powered by React and Electron, with Supabase securely managing guest sessions and Resend handling direct email delivery. A local AI rendering pipeline transforms the guest's portrait into a stylized engraving in a mere three seconds, bypassing cloud latency. The completed designs are then displayed on a large projection wall using a Christie projector and Christie Twist mapping software.

Delivering the Payoff

The MoMoney museum proves that interactive AV technology can teach complex ideas in an effective and entertaining manner. According to the museum's co-founders, these innovative approaches are already "paying off wonderfully.”

Ospina added that visitors are spending significantly more time actively interacting with the exhibits rather than just glancing at traditional museum placards or printed graphics. Plus, the varied exhibits are successfully engaging young children and adults with their intuitive, responsive, and clever designs.

The bottom line: By seamlessly blending motion tracking cameras, projection mapping, immersive LED displays, custom physical overlays, and dynamic audio, the MoMoney AV system has made learning fun and engaging. As Woodall said, this approach has turned complexity into "something fluid, cohesive, and deeply engaging."

Quick view:

• The Cincinnati Open—the oldest professional tennis tournament in the US—underwent a massive campus transformation, doubling its footprint to feature 10 match courts, 21 practice courts, five new buildings, and 54 total zones to establish a world-class, year-round sports facility.
• Integrator Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS) designed and deployed a massive Dante-based network audio system under an extremely tight deadline.
• ICS utilized IoT and Dante-enabled LEA Connect Series amplifiers and LEA's SharkWare/Cloud management software, allowing space-saving rack integration, remote cloud monitoring, and flexible, high-performance audio routing across every zone on the property.

Held annually since 1899, the Cincinnati Open is the longest-running professional tennis tournament in the United States. It recently launched a massive $250 million campus transformation—which included a new LEA Professional-backed sound system—that has doubled the facility’s footprint by adding new courts, hospitality spaces, public gathering areas, indoor facilities, and year-round attractions designed to secure the tournament’s future in Cincinnati for decades to come.

[Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The expanded campus required a fully integrated network-based audio platform spanning 10 match courts, 21 practice courts, five new buildings, multiple renovated facilities, and updated common areas. The system needed to support match court audio, site-wide paging, indoor and outdoor background music, broadcast audio distribution, Hawk-Eye officiating system integration, emergency paging, pre-recorded messaging, zoned and all-call communications, and centralized system-wide control. Beyond monitoring the system from a single location, the venue’s AV team required complete control over volume and routing for each zone across the property.

With a long history of providing ongoing AV support to the venue, venue staff contacted Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS) to design the new audio system. Compounding the challenge was the compressed timeline. The ICS integration team had about 60 days to design the changes and approximately five months to complete installation, testing, balancing, programming, and troubleshooting before the start of the tournament. To achieve all the client’s requirements, the design team collaborated to recommend a Dante-based audio ecosystem powered by LEA Professional amplifiers.

“We started using LEA amplifiers about five years ago, and we haven't looked back,” said Carl Heck, business development specialist at ICS. “We knew they’d be an ideal platform for a world-class tournament environment, given their product catalog, combined with their competitive pricing and robust long-term reliability.”

ICS installed a range of Dante-enabled LEA Connect Series amplifiers to support the diverse needs of the 54 zones within the tennis complex, including the Connect Series 84D, Connect Series 164D, Connect Series 168D, Connect Series 352D, Connect Series 354D, Connect Series 702D, Connect Series 704D, and Connect Series 1504D amplifiers.

ICS’s technical team used LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it to all pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare—which includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings, and a graphical EQ—allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network, as well as the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, with LEA Cloud a part of the Connect Series, AV integrators like ICS can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere.

LEA’s compact single-rack-space amplifier designs enabled ICS’s team to maximize available infrastructure space by integrating equipment directly into existing switch racks, eliminating the need for large, dedicated amplifier racks. The resulting infrastructure allowed virtually any audio source to be routed to any zone throughout the facility. Multiple locations were also equipped to integrate live music directly into the Dante network for localized or zoned distribution as needed.

With year-round programming and a significantly enhanced fan experience, the facility has evolved into a multi-purpose sports and entertainment destination designed to maximize long-term return on investment while reinforcing Cincinnati’s role on the global tennis stage.

“By all accounts from the attendee experience, the player experience, and media response, the Cincinnati Open is now widely considered one of the premier tennis facilities in the world,” said Heck. “That’s definitely in part thanks to LEA amplifiers. We can’t say enough good things about them.”

Quick view:

• St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Southern California upgraded its 20-year-old sound system to deliver consistent clarity and coverage for its 5,000–6,000 parishioners with four Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) AC6 ADAPTIve column loudspeakers (forming dual 7-foot arrays) and two 18-inch subwoofers.
• The previous system relied on a center speaker cluster that obstructed a stained-glass window.
• Using EAW's Resolution software, engineers fine-tuned coverage patterns in real-time to mitigate unwanted glass reflections, ensuring uniform sound quality throughout every seat in the sanctuary.

When St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Southern California set out to modernize its aging audio system, the parish leadership knew the upgrade needed to deliver clarity, consistency and long‑term reliability for its 5,000–6,000 parishioners. To achieve this, they turned to DayTech Consulting, led by owner and operator Andrew Day and audio engineer Brian Stanley, who partnered with Rat Sound Systems, EAW’s dealer for the region. Together, they designed and installed a transformative new system anchored by Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) AC6 ADAPTive column loudspeakers.

[EAW Sings High Praise at Freedom Church’s New Worship Space]

For Day, the choice was clear. “The AC6 with its ADAPTive technology delivers. It’s not a secret sauce; it’s real engineering that you can rely on,” he said. “We could tell that during commissioning, when we made even tiny adjustments in the software, you could instantly hear the difference.”

St. Jude’s previous system, four loudspeakers and two large subs, had served the parish for more than two decades. But the center cluster obstructed a stained‑glass window, coverage was inconsistent and the system lacked the precision needed for today’s worship environments.

The new EAW‑based design centers on four AC6 ADAPTive column loudspeakers, two per side, forming dual seven‑foot arrays with a compact 12x12-inch footprint. These are supported by a pair of EAW 18‑inch subwoofers, one on each side, positioned just outside the AC6 arrays to provide balanced low‑frequency reinforcement.

The AC6’s compact footprint and ADAPTive coverage control allowed DayTech and Rat Sound to eliminate the center cluster entirely, preserving the church’s architecture and highlighting its stained-glass window, while improving coverage. “They wanted that center cluster gone,” Day explained. “To do that, we had to bring the speakers in a bit and find the right compromise. But once they were up, the results spoke for themselves.”

One of the most striking outcomes was the improvement in coverage uniformity. “Brian was walking around with an iPad tuning the room," Day recalled a moment during the first full Sunday Mass after commissioning. "We were sitting in the back corner, which originally was one of the worst seats in the house. He leaned over and said, ‘Wow, this is a really good seat.’”

“It now sounds the same, no matter where you choose to sit in the room,” adds Stanley. There is not a bad seat anywhere.”

During commissioning, EAW’s Resolution software was used to make micro‑adjustments to the system’s coverage pattern. At one point, reflections from a rear glass window were causing unwanted energy in the space. “He snapped a line in the software and lowered it less than a foot,” Day says. “We could hear the difference instantly.”

Beyond sound quality, long‑term serviceability was a major factor in choosing EAW. The AC6’s modular design allows the system to continue operating even if one module fails. “One of the biggest selling points was that if one module goes down, the other two make up for it,” Day noted. “You can keep going and not have to take the system down immediately.”

Parishioners have commented on the clarity, musicians are more confident and the music director reports a noticeable reduction in stress. The success of the installation has sparked new ideas for how the church can use the space. “They want to do jazz quartets, special performances, etc. They want to kick the tires on the system,” Day concluded. “When you have singers who can take the roof off the place, it’s great to finally have a system that lets them shine.”

MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems is making it easier and more affordable for production teams to integrate digital cinema cameras into professional live production environments with new, complete fiber camera kits built around its SilverBack Series. Designed for any cinema camera including the Sony VENICE, Sony BURANO, and Canon EOS C400, the new kits bring together SilverBack fiber transport technology, a compact base station, and all required camera-specific accessories in a single, attractively priced package.

[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]

The new kits extend the value of MultiDyne's proven SilverBack platform, which has helped broadcasters and content producers adapt digital cinema cameras for SMPTE fiber workflows since 2012. By consolidating the necessary components into one convenient purchase, MultiDyne eliminates the complexity of sourcing individual cables, connectors and mounting accessories while offering substantial savings compared to purchasing components separately.

"Our goal is to remove the guesswork and expense that can come with integrating cinema cameras into live production systems," said Jesse Foster, director of strategic accounts and products, MultiDyne. "Customers can choose the camera they want to use, purchase the corresponding SilverBack kit and have everything they need to get connected. We're making a proven, professional fiber camera solution more accessible to a wider range of broadcasters, production companies, corporate enterprises and houses of worship."

Each kit is tailored to the connectivity and mounting requirements of its supported camera. The Sony VENICE kit includes the serial data cabling required for camera control, while the Sony BURANO and Canon EOS C400 kits incorporate camera-specific mounting plates that simplify installation and provide access to essential connections. All kits include the relevant cables, connectors and documentation needed to streamline deployment.

At the heart of the solution is MultiDyne's compact SVB-1 1RU base station, which provides the fiber connectivity and power infrastructure required for professional SMPTE camera workflows. Paired with SilverBack camera-mounted adapters including the SilverBack-V, the system supports the video, audio, control, and return signal requirements of live multi-camera production over fiber. The shallow, lightweight base station is especially attractive for flypacks, mobile production systems and installations where rack space is limited.

The kits are well suited for live sports, concerts, television production, corporate events, and houses of worship seeking the cinematic quality of digital cinema cameras without sacrificing the operational benefits of traditional broadcast camera systems. The approach also gives customers flexibility to integrate their preferred camera models into existing fiber infrastructures while maintaining familiar production workflows.

Summary:

• The room-acoustic strategy integrates the protected dome, Endure Screens Micro Pro projection surface and concealed HOLOPLOT immersive audio into one cohesive environment.
• To prevent sound energy from concentrating in problematic focal points caused by the venue's concave dome and cylindrical lower walls, WSDG deployed behind-the-screen absorption along with lower-wall quadratic residue diffusers (QRDs).
• This balanced treatment controls reverberation while maintaining clarity for diverse programming—from astronomical shows to live concerts—without altering the venue's protected historical concrete structure.

WSDG has completed the acoustic design for the modernization of the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena ahead of its centenary. WSDG developed an acoustic strategy integrating the venue’s protected dome structure, new projection surface, and HOLOPLOT immersive sound system.

[Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The centenary modernization aimed to comprehensively improve the visual and acoustic conditions within the existing auditorium. The former inner dome was assembled from perforated metal panels whose borders, unperforated edges, and imperfect joints remained visible during star shows and film projections, interrupting the intended continuous image. The replacement therefore needed to create a uniform white field for fulldome content, accommodate the concealed loudspeaker system and improve sound distribution within the auditorium’s highly curved geometry. Additionally, the cylindrical lower walls beneath the dome needed to be redesigned to optimise the sound field.

Opened on July 19, 1926, the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena traces its origins to the pioneering work of ZEISS engineer Dr. Walter Bauersfeld, who developed the fundamental form of the planetarium projector in early 1919. Following an earlier acoustic consultancy at Volkshaus Jena in 2021, the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung appointed WSDG to the planetarium project in June 2025. The scope covered acoustic inventory measurements, room-acoustic analysis and modelling, assessment of the new dome-screen material, and development of the auditorium treatment concept.

In October 2025, WSDG measured the existing auditorium before its interior was completely removed. The protected concrete cupola and internal geodesic structure remained untouched. The measurements established the room’s reverberation characteristics and identified the acoustic behaviour generated by its concave dome and cylindrical lower walls.

“The architecture that makes the planetarium so extraordinary also creates a very particular acoustic challenge,” said acoustic consultant Tobias Behrens. “In concave spaces, reflections can be directed towards focal points and sound energy can become concentrated in particular areas. Our task was to control those geometric effects while retaining a reverberation time appropriate for planetarium shows, film screenings, educational programs, and live events.”

A central element of the modernization was the replacement of the former segmented inner dome lining with a visually continuous projection field. The project team selected Endure Screens Micro Pro, a surface developed for high-end projection applications. WSDG assessed its perforation and sound-transmission characteristics, confirming its suitability for use in front of the concealed HOLOPLOT X1 and X2 Matrix Arrays.

Behind the Micro Pro surface, a sound-absorptive overlay controls both reverberation time and problematic acoustic focusing. This allows the dome to function as a broadband absorptive area while maintaining the uninterrupted white surface required for full-dome projection.

“The key was to treat the dome as a single architectural, acoustic and technological system,” Behrens explained. “The screen had to deliver a seamless image, the treatment behind it had to control the room, and the loudspeakers had to remain effective through the surface. None of those requirements could be resolved in isolation.”

For the cylindrical lower walls, WSDG developed a combination of quadratic residue diffusers (QRDs), broadband absorbers ,and reflective surfaces. The QRD elements scatter incident sound in multiple directions, helping to disrupt the focusing patterns produced by the curved geometry. Broadband absorptive areas control reverberant energy, while strategically retained reflective surfaces prevent the room from becoming excessively damped.

The acoustic work formed part of a wider technical renewal completed for the venue’s 100th anniversary. ZEISS modernized the existing UNIVERSARIUM star projector and installed eleven ZEISS VELVET 4K projectors, providing an 8K full-dome image. Together with the HOLOPLOT system, the new technology significantly expands the auditorium’s capabilities for immersive audiovisual programming.

The planetarium’s own assessment of the completed modernization is also positive. Stefan Harnisch, technical manager at the Zeiss-Planetarium Jena, summed up his satisfaction with a touch of understated but telling reaction, commenting, “There is a certain sense of satisfaction within me.”

“Planetariums bring architecture, image and sound together in a uniquely immersive way,” Behrens concluded. “At Jena, the aim was to respect a landmark that helped define modern planetarium design while creating the acoustic conditions required for the next generation of planetarium experiences. It is a very special project because its historic engineering and contemporary technology are inseparable.”

Quick view:

• To enhance the match-day atmosphere at the 10,600-capacity SMH Group Stadium, Chesterfield FC replaced their original 2010 audio setup with a high-performance system designed to deliver crystal-clear emergency announcements, foreground music, and tailored area paging.
• Audio integrator TG Baker designed and installed 26 all-weather JBL AWC159 loudspeakers powered via a 100V battery-backed system, providing high reliability, speech clarity, and seamless operation without needing an external UPS.
• The upgrade significantly elevates the match-day experience, with club director Ashley Kirk confirming that the new system successfully creates the vibrant, premium atmosphere expected by Spireites supporters.

The SMH Group Stadium located in Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, is the home of Chesterfield Football Club. A 10,600-capacity all-seater venue, it was completed in 2010 to replace the club’s historic Saltergate ground which had been in use since 1871. The Club’s owners are committed to strong investment in the club’s infrastructure in order to provide fans with a premium match-day experience, and recently took the decision to upgrade the Stadium’s audio with a JBL sound system.

[Tackling a New HQ]

Established for more than fifty years, TG Baker has a wealth of experience in the field of public address and voice alarm systems, having completed many similar scale stadium projects across the U.K., and was engaged to design, supply, and install a new system which would meet every requirement and expectation of the modern football experience including emergency public address communications, enhanced match-day entertainment audio in the stadium bowl, flexible audio routing and control, foreground music, and paging announcements to individual areas.

To meet the Club’s requirements and provide high quality and reliable audio content to every seat in the Stadium, the TG Baker team designed and installed a JBL system, based on the IP-56 rated AWC159, all-weather compact 2-way coaxial 15-inch loudspeaker. TG Baker installed a total of 26 JBL AWC159 units, with eight each in the East and West stands and five each in the North and South stands. JBL systems are distributed in the U.K. by Live Technology.

“We’ve completed numerous highly successful stadium installations with the JBL AWC159," said Barry Paterson, managing director at TG Baker. "It has excellent clarity for speech and music, and we’ve found that using 100V loudspeakers has advantages including cable length, monitoring and reliability. In addition to this, the loudspeakers can be powered from the battery backed PAVA system amplifiers, negating the requirement for high voltage power amplifiers which would require a separate UPS.”

“It had been an issue for some time that the PA system we had wasn’t up to scratch," director Ashley Kirk added. "It was something close to my heart and something that fans had repeatedly raised. We want to create a great atmosphere in the build-up and during games, and the PA and music is a big part of that. TG Baker has done a great job of the installation and the new system has made a huge improvement to the match-day experience at the SMH Group Stadium.”

‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii is a culturally diverse K-12 college preparatory school that serves approximately 2,300 students. With a focus on academic excellence through dynamic, personalized instruction, ‘Iolani fosters an educational experience that inspires intellectual growth, character development, and a spirit of collaboration, with humility and respect for all community members.

‘Iolani recently opened its new Arrillaga Student Center, a three-story, 60,000-square-foot building located at the heart of campus that provides a space for learning, wellness, and connection. Designed by WCIT Architecture and Gensler, the facility was thoughtfully planned to reflect Iolani’s culture, values, and history.

The center includes 16 classrooms, a health center, a bookstore, and a faculty lounge. On the rooftop is a spacious event area and tea house, and the first floor is home to the Tsai Family Dining Hall, a 12,500-square-foot venue where the school community comes together for meals, social gatherings, student assemblies, and other school-related functions.

A Versatile Digital Solution

Mounted high in the dining hall are two 16-foot-wide-by-12-foot-high Planar DirectLight Essential Series LED video walls with 1.5mm pixel pitch. The vibrant twin displays provide a versatile digital solution for engaging the student population, creating a lively campus destination.

The video walls are positioned approximately 20 feet overhead, introducing a viewing angle that is significantly off-axis. To maintain image quality and provide consistent viewing throughout the space, a solution with wide viewing angles was a key consideration, according to James DePoyster, general manager with Pacific Audio and Communications, the display technology integrator.

“That’s where the DirectLight Essential delivers; the engineering of the display produces superb off-axis viewing,” DePoyster said.

Another key performance consideration was the DirectLight Essential’s 30,000:1 contrast ratio, DePoyster said. “In a mixed-use space like this, with high ambient light that you don’t necessarily want to control all the time, that high contrast ratio makes a huge difference,” he said. “Those advantages, coupled with the lighter cabinets and the impact resistance of COB LED technology, made it a perfect fit.”

In addition to supporting day-to-day communications and serving as a backdrop for activities and events, the dual LED video walls are an integral part of ‘Iolani’s live productions. Pacific Audio and Communications integrated BirdDog cameras in the dining hall, allowing the school to route live video to the LED video walls.

“It’s an impressive live streaming setup and laid out very intuitively,” DePoyster said. “They can easily pick and choose their content, giving them the flexibility to showcase whatever they want.”

Enhancing the Experience

Aniki Ignacio, sound engineer at ‘Iolani School, said the LED video walls enhance the overall experience for students and faculty alike. “We can display information, show highlight videos, or use them for watching movies,” he said. “Regardless of the event—whether it’s a concert or a conference call—the video walls take the whole experience to another level.”

The response from the campus community has been one of excitement and joy, Ignacio said: “For a concert, we were able to show live camera footage of the performers, and, whether you were sitting in the back or up front, everyone had a clear view. Anything we show on the video walls looks fantastic, and I really want to see them used to their fullest potential.”

DePoyster added that the LED video walls are a defining visual feature within the new student center. “When you walk into the room, your eyes are immediately drawn to them,” he said. “Content looks absolutely phenomenal; the picture is crystal clear and bright. During the first demonstration, everyone—from the staunchest critics to the brightest-eyed believers—was blown away. The impact of those video walls cannot be understated.”

Quick view:

• Sacramento Production Services overhauled Sutter Health Park's wireless audio system to handle the increased RF congestion and demands brought on by Major League Baseball broadcasts during the Athletics' residency.
• The new system utilizes 10 Wisycom antennas—including MAT244 RF combiners, LFA wideband antennas, ADFA active directional antennas, and BFL antenna-over-fiber links—placed strategically across the outfield, home side stands, roof, and concourse to ensure complete stadium coverage.
• The fiber-based RF architecture resolved severe previous issues with signal dropouts, dense crowd congestion, concrete pillar interference, and long-distance coverage.

Sacramento Production Services has completed a major wireless audio overhaul at Sutter Health Park, current home of the Athletics (A’s) professional baseball team during its three‑year residency in Sacramento. By deploying a Wisycom antenna and fiber‑based RF distribution system, day‑to‑day operations have fundamentally changed for the stadium’s production team. The upgrade, driven by the arrival of Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcasts and the increased RF congestion that accompanies national media, replaced the park’s previous wireless setup with a fully integrated Wisycom solution designed for reliability, coverage, and remote management across the entire facility.

[Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The installation features a full suite of Wisycom RF components, including the brand’s MAT244 RF combiners, LFA wideband antennas, and ADFA active directional antennas, as well as BFL-T2 and BFL-R2 antenna‑over‑fiber links. In total, 10 Wisycom antennas now cover Sutter Health Park, including four antennas deployed in the outfield via fiber and six others positioned in three pairs across the home side stands, roof and concourse.

“This was game‑changing for us,” said Anthony Brown, project manager for Sacramento Production Services. “We have wanted tools like this for years, and suddenly the technology caught up. The fact that the antennas have telemetry, remote control capabilities, and built-in fiber links is excellent; it’s all just there, ready to go.”

Before the upgrade, the stadium’s minor‑league‑era wireless system struggled under the demands of professional-caliber broadcasts. Numerous frequency scans, dropouts and unpredictable RF behavior were the norm, especially in the concourse, a notoriously difficult RF environment due to dense crowds and concrete pillars every 24 feet.

“When the A’s came in, it very quickly became clear that the existing wireless frequencies were a pretty bad choice,” added Keith Wackford, sales and production manager at Sacramento Production Services. “Minor league games never had the RF congestion that major league broadcasts bring. Things looked fine in rehearsal, but come game time, everything changed.”

The outfield was an even bigger challenge. “They told us, ‘We want our wireless microphones to work in the outfield,’ ” Wackford noted. “That’s about 460 feet from the nearest antenna. Without fiber, it would’ve been impossible.”

One of the most impactful features has been Wisycom’s remote antenna control and filtering. “With the Wisycom antennas, we were able to narrow the bandwidth and lower the noise floor,” adds Brown. “That made the system bulletproof.”

For Brian Webber, who led deployment and configuration, the networking capabilities were a revelation. “The system is rock-solid all the way around the park. The coolest part is the networking. It blew my mind how easy it is to remotely manage all the antennas.”

The result is a wireless system that simply works. “We went from wireless being a problem every other day to it not being an issue at all,” concluded Brown. “Producers and talent can move freely throughout the park, do interviews anywhere and focus on the production instead of the RF.”

Summary:

• Built as the new home of the Salt Lake Bees in South Jordan, Utah, The Ballpark at America First Square features a complete, integrated AV ecosystem by OneRevel engineered to seamlessly support concerts, movies, and community events alongside Triple-A baseball.
• To deliver consistent sound across suites, concourses, and outdoor gathering spaces without bulk, OneRevel utilized Powersoft's UNICA amplifier platform, providing high power density in compact rack spaces, native Dante networking, and integrated DSP optimization for Fulcrum Acoustics speakers.
• The audio infrastructure allows centralized monitoring via Powersoft's Armonía software and offers ongoing flexibility to refine sound coverage and comply with local ordinances as surrounding commercial and residential developments grow around the venue.

The Ballpark at America First Square is the new home of the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Opened in 2025 in South Jordan, UT, the venue was designed to support Minor League Baseball alongside concerts, community events and other year-round programming. OneRevel selected Powersoft’s UNICA to support the venue's distributed system architecture across a wide range of event types designed for flexibility as much as performance.

[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]

"What made this project unique was that we weren't just designing for baseball," said Shay Taylor, chief operations officer for OneRevel. "The vision from the beginning was to create a venue that could host concerts, movies in the park, and community events alongside baseball. That meant every technology decision had to support a much broader range of experiences."

The Ballpark at America First Square was one of OneRevel's first baseball venues where it provided the complete technology solution. Delivering audio, LED displays, and digital signage under a single integration strategy allowed the team to coordinate system design across every aspect of the guest experience.

The audio design presented its own set of challenges. Unlike many ballparks where sound reinforcement primarily focuses on the seating bowl, the new venue required consistent coverage throughout suites, concourses, concession areas and outdoor gathering spaces. Because the facility was designed to host year-round programming beyond baseball, the system also needed to support live performances, movies and public events without requiring significant reconfiguration.

The venue's long-term operating environment added another layer of complexity. As residential and commercial development continues around the stadium, the system must accommodate changing acoustical conditions while complying with local sound ordinances and neighborhood considerations.

Meeting those requirements required an amplification platform capable of delivering high output while remaining flexible enough to support a distributed system architecture. Powersoft's UNICA amplifier platform served as the foundation of the audio system, citing its combination of power density, network integration, and compatibility with Fulcrum Acoustics loudspeakers.

"The entire project was built around the UNICA platform," said Taylor. "The power-to-size ratio was a major factor because much of the stadium is served from centralized equipment racks. We needed a platform that delivered significant output while minimizing rack space."

While portions of the stadium are supported from centralized equipment rooms, distributed rack locations throughout the facility required seamless networking and reliable control. Powersoft's Dante integration and onboard processing allowed OneRevel to maintain system performance while simplifying management across multiple equipment locations.

"Reliability was another major consideration," Taylor said. "If power is interrupted, we don't lose our control or DSP settings. Having that level of stability is extremely important for a venue that's expected to operate continuously."

Beyond the hardware itself, Powersoft's Armonía software simplified system management across more than 20 amplifiers deployed throughout the venue. "When you're managing a system of this size, having everything visible in one platform makes a tremendous difference," explained Taylor. "Instead of moving between multiple applications, we can monitor and manage the entire system from a single interface."

Since opening in 2025, The Ballpark at America First Square has expanded beyond a baseball venue, hosting community celebrations, themed events and other public programming alongside the Salt Lake Bees' season. According to OneRevel, the flexibility designed into the audiovisual system has allowed the venue to support that broader mission without compromising performance.

"The feedback has been incredible," noted Taylor. "People walk into the venue expecting a Triple-A ballpark and leave feeling like they've experienced a Major League facility. That's exactly what the client wanted to achieve."

Located in Soho’s cast-iron district, Lightning Society is a New York City-based community that, according to its website, is a "playground for the intellectually adventurous." From live music to immersive events, the Society's home on 45 Howard Street is aimed at sparking connection, curiosity, and wellness amongst its members. Audio plays a big role in bringing members together, and the new home of Lightning Society turned to Sonos to amplify that sound.

The project, which not only spans multiple floors, but a variety of spaces, commenced at the beginning of the year with the ballroom; however, per Matt Emmi, founder of OneButton, the technology design firm selected for the project, it is still a work in progress. "We are still finalizing the adaptive (circadian) lighting scope, but the core audio scope is complete," he explained. "That said, there is now a desire for “concert quality” sound, so we are looking at further incorporating subwoofers into the architecture. The remainder of the floors, which are focused on members' areas and activities, will come online over the next few months."

When it came to what audio solutions would be used, there was little question Sonos was the right fit. It was a shared vision that brought it all together. "The Lightning Society, Sonos, and OneButton all similarly consider people and connection first," explained Luke Heckl, commercial sales manager, Americas at Sonos. "With that, there was an elevated focus on experience rather than purely focusing on the technology or products, which we are all prone to do in this industry. At its core, the design always revolved around the user experience. Technology solves problems, gets out of the way, and lets human experience take center stage."

Per Emmi, Sonos was the only vendor that could elegantly provide the breadth of experiences Lightning Society desired. "One Button included Sonos because they know we would deliver turnkey solutions for the unique challenges inherent to the project," Heckl said.

One of those challenges was the building itself. Being 100 years old meant architectural integrity was at the top of mind. For OneButton, this challenge wasn't too different from other projects, as every building presents its own challenges; this one happened to be dealing with century-old architecture. "[We] took advantage of the new Era 100 Pro PoE solution to maintain signal integrity to every speaker without having to resort to 70v transformers," Emmi explained. "Further, this optimized wire pulls and minimal power requirements, which is helpful given we could only pull wire through specific channels between historic pillars and beams."

According to Heckl, product selection was achieved through a collaborative process that helped identify how the expansive venue would be used. There weren't simply many spaces to consider, each space accommodated a variety of uses within it. On top of that, the system would have operators with varying degrees of audio expertise, so Sonos was ideal as a system designed with no complicated programming or end-user training required, solving one of the biggest challenges. Yet another challenge surrounding the architecture was that the hardware also had to fit each physical space. "In some cases, those decisions were driven by a scarcity of electrical outlets, whereas in others, decisions were made to adhere to a strict aesthetic mandate," Heckl said.

Per OneButton, the team took a traditional 8Ω, residential approach with the Sonos Amp Multi—the new Sonos multi-channel amp—powering 16 invisible speakers from Sonos by Sonance in the second-floor ballroom. Amp Multi provides flexibility to manage multiple speakers while simplifying the Sonos audio ecosystem. The ballroom has already hosted a Sonos launch event, showcasing high-quality audio throughout the entire room while keeping the loudspeakers hidden within the architecture.

Eight Era 100 Pro speakers make up a zoned system, distributed with PoE throughout the third floor, which features and reading room and a coffee bar. There is also a listening room that utilizes Era 300 speakers, in-ceiling speakers, subwoofers, and a Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar housed in a Leon Tonecase. The fourth floor is broken up into experience rooms; there is a spatial audio listening room, a conference room with ARC theater, an audiophile listening space, and a micro theater with a 100-inch screen and Sonos powering a massive width-matched soundbar. The top floor is an intimate members' space where Sonos FIVES are hidden throughout the space at waist level, making music a character in the conversation between members. Lastly, said, Emmi, the scenic rooftop utilizes outdoor speakers mounted to a broad pergola, keeping members cozy by the fire pit and gardens.

While there is still work to be completed in some of the more specialized spaces before Lightning Society is fully open, all the user feedback has confirmed that Sonos and OneButton checked the right boxes. "The early results have been overwhelmingly positive," concluded Heckl. "The Lightning Society is not yet in full-time regular use, but the wide range of events that have taken place have gone extremely well. "

Australia’s Richmond AFL has signed on Viz Libero Teams to unify its coaching and content creation in a single, simple workflow; on a laptop, on-prem, or in the cloud. With Viz Libero Teams, the Tigers’ coaching team can turn match footage into clear 3D breakdowns that create tactical insights and inform the club’s strategy. Over 70 analysis tools within the solution, including measurements, defensive lines, zones, and 3D camera flights, offers Richmond AFL the versatility to create an optimized and personalized experience, while easily creating captivating content.

“We're excited to partner with Vizrt and bring Viz Libero Teams into our football club," said Troy Johnson, head of technology, Richmond AFL. "This technology gives our coaches and analysts a powerful new way to break down match footage and translate it into clear, actionable insights for our players. Just as importantly, it opens up new possibilities for how we connect with our members and fans, letting us bring them closer to the tactical side of the game in ways we haven't been able to before. It's a great fit for a club that's always looking for an edge, both on the field and in how we engage our community."

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

Richmond AFL can create analysis clips that engage its growing online base. Short-form content and match highlights shared on social media platforms are becoming increasingly popular among football fans. After creating content for its digital audience with Viz Libero, UEFA saw a 78% increase in social media engagement, improving the fan experience by bringing fans closer to the action while at the same time creating new ways to monetize content with sponsorship deals.

[A New Aspect for Pro AV]

“For clubs and leagues around the world, Viz Libero Teams offers clarity and flexibility, so coaches and players dynamically visualize plays and improve performance," concluded Andrew O’Neil, SVP, sports strategy and growth, Vizrt.

Summary:

• Built on advanced SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based infrastructure in partnership with Diversified, the new LNCO facility enables centralized production for in-venue displays, ESPN+ streams, and future linear broadcasts across multiple athletic venues and sports.
• The facility provides students with direct access to professional-grade technology and real-world workflows.
• The centralized, flexible setup maximizes production output across more athletic programs while serving as an adaptable foundation designed to evolve alongside changing broadcast technologies and media distribution demands.

The University of Utah has opened a new broadcast production facility, representing a major investment in the future of Utah Athletics, sports production, and media education. Designed and integrated in partnership with Diversified, this advanced production environment is capable of supporting in-venue productions across multiple athletic venues, ESPN+ broadcasts and future opportunities with linear broadcast partners.

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

“This new facility embodies where collegiate sports production is headed,” said Aaron Jester, assistant athletics director of broadcast operations at the University of Utah. “Now we can produce more content, support more of our athletic programs and continue expanding how we tell Utah’s stories across broadcast, streaming and in-venue platforms. Just as importantly, our partnership with the College of Humanities gives students a professional production environment in which to gain experience that can translate directly into careers in the industry.”

The Language & Communications (LNCO) broadcast facility is also providing student access to professional-level technology, workflows, and hands-on learning opportunities that reflect environments they will encounter in the broadcast and sports production industry.

“Student success is central to our mission,” said College of Humanities Dean Wanda S. Pillow. “We exist to educate students, learn alongside them and share our collective work with our communities. The new LNCO broadcast facility strengthens our ability in all these pursuits, giving students hands-on experience with professional broadcast technology and workflows.”

Built around SMPTE ST 2110 and IP-based infrastructure, the LNCO facility gives Utah the flexibility to produce content for multiple sports, venues and distribution platforms while providing a foundation that can evolve as broadcast technology and media workflows continue to change. Diversified worked alongside Utah from design through commissioning to create a centralized production environment engineered around the university’s current needs and long-term content strategy. Adding to its value, this investment extends beyond game-day production by giving students the chance to learn in the same type of production environments being adopted across professional sports and major broadcast organizations.

“College athletics is experiencing a fundamental shift in how live sports content is produced and distributed. Athletic departments are increasingly responsible for producing more content, across more sports, venues and platforms than ever before,” said Pete Emminger, global chief technology officer at Diversified, a global leader in audiovisual, broadcast and digital experience integration. “Shared, IP-based production environments allow universities to centralize resources, increase production capability and create greater flexibility across their athletic programs. At the same time, these facilities are valuable educational environments for universities preparing their students for careers in sports media and live production.”

Summary:

• The Box at Trilith LIVE installed a d&b audiotechnik Soundscape 180-degree spatial audio system powered by SL-Series, A-Series arrays, and the DS100 Signal Engine, using En-Scene object positioning and En-Space room emulation to maintain exceptional speech intelligibility, high clarity, and natural spatial perception without overwhelming the intimate room.
• The 2,200-seat, three-tiered venue wraps the audience up to 180 degrees around a thrust stage.
• Visiting sound engineers can supply standard Left/Right console mixes without needing specialized training in spatial audio.

Trilith LIVE, a premier entertainment complex within the visionary Town at Trilith in Fayetteville, GA, has completed a landmark acoustics and audiovisual installation at its crown-jewel venue, The Box. With architectural Acoustics and Audio-Video systems designed by Threshold Acoustics and AV integrated by 3G Productions, the multi-purpose theater features a comprehensive d&b audiotechnik Soundscape 180-degree system. Combining SL-Series line array loudspeakers and subwoofers, A-Series augmented arrays, and the DS100 Signal Engine running both En-Scene and En-Space software, the system delivers an incredibly pristine, intimate auditory experience that effortlessly adapts from high-energy rock shows to spoken word conferences and weekly worship services.

[MORE IMMERSION IN ATLANTA: Cosm: Take Me Into the Ballgame]

The Box was inspired by Austin's legendary Moody Theater. The intimate, three-tier 2,200-seat venue features a stage thrust wrapping audience members 180 degrees, ensuring no seat is further than 75 feet away. To serve its diverse programming and primary Sunday tenant, Passion City Church, Trilith Live required a highly versatile, rider-friendly sound solution.

"We wanted to ensure that no matter where you sit, your experience is at the highest level," said Matt McClain, general manager and executive director of Trilith LIVE. "d&b audiotechnik stood out as the right provider. They are highly respected, and having this caliber of gear immediately puts touring engineers at ease."

Threshold's scope spanned the room itself and the systems within it to shape the theater's acoustics alongside the audio, video, and control infrastructure. To achieve complete coverage without overpowering the intimate room, the team specified a d&b Soundscape system. En-Scene object-based positioning aligns what the eyes see with what the ears hear, while En-Space room emulation adds natural sounding acoustics.

"The request for clarity and intimacy stretched from concerts to worship," said Maddie Daily, principal consultant at Threshold Acoustics. "Soundscape offers robust coverage regardless of SPL and we optimized the space using room mics fed through En-Space so congregants and audience members can hear each other singing along, fostering a community-oriented energy.“ Because Soundscape systems are producing audio from multiple loudspeakers simultaneously using both level and delay, the perception of loudness is very high while the measured SPL is lower than a traditional system.

Daily also noted that the system's exceptional broadband directivity control also helps mitigate reflections in the untreated theater, resulting in improved musical clarity and speech intelligibility for the listening audience.

The venue's physical versatility added further complexity. The Box features multiple mechanical stage lifts that transition from a proscenium stage to various thrust layouts allowing the venue to transition into a variety of configurations. Because these shifts alter the performance boundaries, front fills are built directly into the lifts. To address this, Threshold developed 15 distinct ArrayCalc files to map out coverage, allowing the staff to instantly reconfigure the PA profile via presets in d&b R1 Remote control software. The same flexibility guided the venue's video and control design, so a single room can serve a touring concert, a film screening, a corporate general session, or a Sunday service without reconfiguration becoming a production in itself.

"The nice thing about Soundscape is that visiting engineers don't need a crash course in spatial mixing," explained Jerrod Cring, director of integration at 3G Productions. "They can easily feed a standard left-right mix on the front end, and the DS100 processor handles the Soundscape distribution seamlessly so acts immediately get perfect, even coverage. The ultimate compliment is when a major touring act rolls up with five trucks of gear, and all of their P.A. equipment stays on the trucks. That’s one of the benefits of choosing d&b audiotechnik.”

Building on a longstanding legacy of shaping public learning and culture, museums are finding new ways to engage audiences and bring art to life, including through multi-visual technology and immersive experiences. At the Museum of Art + Light (MoA+L) in Manhattan, Kansas, art and technology converge to create immersive experiences that ignite imagination and redefine how audiences engage with creativity. As the first museum in the U.S.—from its inception—to unite digital, immersive, and fine art, MoA+L is setting a new standard for cultural innovation and using Epson’s next-generation projection technology to do it.

The MoA+L vision began nearly six years ago with a bold idea: to build a museum that blends traditional collections with immersive digital experiences for 21st-century visitors. Uniting leading figures from the art world, the centerpiece of this vision is now The Mezmereyz Gallery (“The Mez”), a state-of-the-art immersive exhibit space on the MoA+L’s first floor.

“We’re building entirely new artistic worlds, and that requires state-of-the-art technology,” Erin Dragotto, executive director of the Museum of Art + Light, said. “We depend on industry leaders who can elevate each artist’s vision and support their creative process. It’s a complex undertaking, and Epson has truly stepped up to meet the challenge.”

Immersive and Integrated

To bring The Mez to life, the museum needed a display solution that provided flexible throw distance and aspect ratios, as well as precise brightness and resolution to ensure art-quality viewing at close range. For Sydney Bouhaniche, creative director of immersive exhibitions at the museum, projection was the clear choice. “When you’re immersed in projection, you don’t need permission or prior knowledge of art history to experience it fully,” he said.

With deep expertise in digital and immersive art experiences, Bouhaniche led the design process with precision. After building a full 3D model of the space and assessing multiple projector brands, he said, “Epson consistently delivered the best results in pixel clarity, color reproduction, projector count, and lens options.”

The museum uses 108 Epson 10,000-lumen laser projectors with a variety of lenses along with short-throw models for specialized spaces. These projectors deliver crystal-clear, lifelike images, which are vital for close-range viewing in immersive environments. Two 20,000-lumen large-venue laser models, which power the building’s front-facing projection mapping, are housed in durable enclosures built to withstand various outdoor elements.

For precise blending and mapping, the museum paired the Epson projectors with a Modulo Pi media system. The museum also runs 24 servers, each feeding six projectors. A custom tool splits the 12,000-pixel-wide animations into wall-specific files with the correct naming conventions, allowing each server to automatically identify its content for a seamless, automated workflow.

“Seamless integration with the Modulo Pi system and servers was essential, as were the short-throw lenses that let the projectors sit close to the wall, minimizing shadows while maintaining high brightness and crisp pixel detail,” Bouhaniche said. “Reliability was another critical factor; once you set them up, the alignment holds, even with vibration, HVAC airflow, or daily power cycles.”

“Because we’re a museum, we’re constantly shifting the galleries and working with different artists who want to integrate projection and multimedia,” Bouhaniche said. “Epson’s range of equipment makes this possible for us on an ongoing basis.”

On Display: Erosion of Time

The Erosion of Time exhibit paired contemporary artists Dean Mitchell and Des Lucréce in an immersive exhibition designed by MoA+L’s motion graphics team. Visitors begin in the Mez Gallery One, a 360-degree projection environment featuring Lucréce’s layered digital work exploring belonging, memory, and life between cultures.

As a digital artist, Lucréce is used to seeing his work projection mapped, from smaller settings to massive buildings, but nothing prepared him for complete immersion in his artwork. “I think it was the first time I was truly stopped in my tracks by seeing my own work,” said Lucréce. “I might even say it was the first time I saw it the way other people see it.”

The journey continues through the Mez Gallery Two, a curved projection gallery of Mitchell’s portraits and landscapes, arranged from 400 high-resolution images to form a visual narrative on community, dignity, and empathy. Experiencing his work at this scale moved Mitchell deeply, revealing every brushstroke and emotional detail in a way he’d never seen before. “It was incredibly emotional for me; the color, the clarity—it's astonishing. Everything is so sharp and alive,” Mitchell said.

An Experience Like No Other

From the immersive Erosion of Time exhibition to ongoing collaborations with digital and fine artists, MoA+L is more than a museum; it’s a creative hub where art and innovation intersect. “Seeing this all come to life exactly as envisioned is incredibly rewarding,” Bouhaniche said. “And we couldn’t have done it without Epson’s technology and support.”

Dragotto added, “We’re being recognized globally, regionally, and locally, and what impresses me most isn’t the statistics; it’s the reactions we’re receiving and the grassroots impact we’re creating. And this is just the beginning.”

“We’re inspired by what this museum represents and the bold approach behind it,” Gavin Downey, group product manager at Epson America, said. “Their use of Epson projectors in this unique space pushes the boundaries of aspect ratios, installation techniques, and blending methods, and we can’t wait to see even more remarkable art come to life.”

Quick view:

• The new production system includes a 17-camera Grass Valley LDX 135 camera environment incorporating hard, handheld, wireless and robotic PTZ configurations.
• Also included is Ross Ultrix Acuity 80x80 four-ME IP production switching; Evertz DreamCatcher 18x6 SMPTE ST 2110 replay with three operator positions; six-channel clip playback; three Ross XPression graphics stations; a new front-of-house audio console and rebuilt audio booth; 35 new broadcast junction box locations; and expanded truck-dock and TOC connectivity.
• The broadcast modernization follows the recently completed LED and venue technology program at Amerant Bank Arena, also designed and managed by AJP.

Anthony James Partners (AJP) and the Florida Panthers have completed a comprehensive modernization of the broadcast production facility at Amerant Bank Arena, transforming the arena’s existing production environment into a fully IP-based system designed to support Panthers games and the venue’s year-round sports and entertainment schedule. The new facility went live for its first game on Sunday, September 20, marking the first live event produced using the Panthers’ new SMPTE ST 2110 production system.

[HuskerVision Streamlines Sports Production Across Campus with Its Move to ST 2110]

Designed by AJP and implemented by broadcast integrator BeckTV, the project represents the next phase of a multi-year technology program at Amerant Bank Arena. The new production environment transitions the venue from its previous 3G infrastructure to a full SMPTE ST 2110 1080p workflow, providing significantly greater flexibility across production, replay, content creation and signal distribution while establishing a scalable foundation for future expansion.

The project went well beyond replacing production equipment. The existing production facilities were completely demolished and rebuilt, with AJP redesigning the layout of the production spaces to improve workflow between production, engineering, replay, graphics and audio personnel while supporting the operational requirements of the new broadcast environment.

“When we set out to modernize our LED and broadcast infrastructure, we went through a rigorous process to identify the right partner,” said Mike Masino of the Florida Panthers. “With AJP, we immediately felt they had our best interests in mind and were willing to work with us to turn our vision into what we could accomplish technologically. Throughout both the LED and control room projects, we worked hand in hand with their team. We truly owned the vision, while AJP guided us through the process and helped us determine the best way to achieve it. They’ve been a true thought partner from the beginning.”

At the center of the system is a new Ross Ultrix Acuity 80x80 four-ME IP production switcher, supported by an Evertz DreamCatcher 18x6 SMPTE ST 2110 replay system with three replay operator positions, six-channel clip playback and three Ross XPression graphics stations. New logging, director, producer and multipurpose workstations were incorporated throughout the facility, along with a new front-of-house audio console and rebuilt audio booth.

The Panthers’ camera system has also been substantially expanded. The new 17-camera environment includes Grass Valley LDX 135 hard cameras, handheld and wireless cameras, along with robotic PTZ systems using Grass Valley LDX 135 Compact cameras with MultiDyne technology. The combination provides production teams with greater flexibility to capture live action, fan reactions and content throughout the arena.

Beyond the control room, AJP designed a major expansion of the arena’s broadcast connectivity infrastructure. Thirty-five new junction box locations were installed throughout the venue, replacing legacy cabling with new single-mode fiber, SMPTE fiber and audio connectivity. New truck-dock panels and six new truck-dock racks further integrate mobile production units with the arena’s broadcast infrastructure and Technical Operations Center.

Together, the improvements create an integrated production ecosystem extending from cameras and field locations throughout the arena to the production control room, Technical Operations Center and visiting broadcast trucks.

The broadcast modernization follows the recently completed LED and venue technology program at Amerant Bank Arena, also designed and managed by AJP. That work included the arena’s new 4K HDR-capable center-hung display, LED halo, ribbon boards and additional displays throughout the venue, together with associated hoist and rigging systems and reconfiguration of the bowl audio system.

With the completion of the new production facility, the Panthers now have a broadcast platform designed to take full advantage of those venue-wide systems while supporting the organization’s continued development of live game presentation and content production.

Quick view:

• The Puerto Rico Capitol grounds was covered using four hangs of dBTechnologies VIO L1610 line arrays—combining main hangs for long-throw distance with out-fill hangs to address wide horizontal coverage.
• During the outdoor event, fluctuating temperature, humidity, wind, and heavy rain altered how high frequencies travel through the air. The team maintained even frequency coverage during a low-pressure weather system by utilizing Aurora Net software to perform real-time adjustments to EQ, delay, and levels directly from front of house.
• System designer Juan Fuentes felt what stood out about VIO is its ability to produce a strong, coherent result across systems of very different sizes.

Led by Puerto Rican evangelist Jorge Raschke, the 53rd edition of Clamor a Dios brought Christian worship music, prayer and messages of faith to the Capitol grounds. Held on the north side of the Puerto Rico Capitol in San Juan, JF Sound deployed a large-format dBTechnologies VIO system to cover a 300-foot-wide outdoor audience area on the Capitol grounds, extending approximately 300 feet in depth from the Capitol steps.

[Listen Up: The SCN Audio Issue Is Available for Download]

Led by system designer and front-of-house engineer Juan Fuentes, the system was built around 24 VIO L1610 three-way line-array modules distributed across four hangs. Two served as the main system, providing the throw required to reach the rear of the audience area, while two additional hangs addressed its considerable width as out-fills. Four of the new VIO L1608 three-way line-array modules provided front-fill coverage for the first rows, supported by eight VIO S218 subwoofers.

On stage, four ultra-compact VIO X206 loudspeakers were flown from the truss as low-profile stage fills, minimizing visual obstruction around the performance area. Four of the latest VIO W12T active coaxial wedges provided stage monitoring. A Yamaha CL5 was used at front of house, with a Yamaha DM7 handling the monitor mixes.

“The site required both distance and considerable horizontal coverage, so we designed the system as four VIO L1610 hangs,” said Fuentes. “The two main arrays carried the program to the rear of the audience area, while the out-fill hangs extended coverage across its full width. The VIO L1608s allowed us to cover the first rows with a compact system that integrated naturally with the larger arrays.”

Changing temperature, humidity, and wind conditions during an outdoor event can affect the way sound travels over distance, particularly at higher frequencies. Throughout the low-pressure weather system and heavy rain, the VIO system-maintained even coverage across the audience area. Aurora Net software provided real-time system monitoring and control of EQ, delay and levels, giving the JF Sound team the ability to respond to changing atmospheric conditions from front of house.

JF Sound has worked with dBTechnologies VIO systems for approximately two years and maintains an extensive inventory spanning the VIO touring portfolio, including VIO L1610 and L1608 line arrays, VIO X206 and X205 point-source systems, VIO subwoofers and VIO stage monitors.

“What stands out to me about VIO is its ability to produce a strong, coherent result across systems of very different sizes,” Fuentes added. “We can combine the different elements of the VIO family to address the venue, the audience area and the requirements on stage while maintaining the same overall sonic character.”

American Cruise Lines has built its reputation on delivering a personalized and immersive travel experience across the waterways and coastal destinations of the United States. Designed to accommodate between 90 and 180 passengers, the company’s ships emphasize comfort, space and individualized service. The cruise line recently selected marine technology integrator ControlAV to design and deploy a modern onboard video distribution platform backed by Visionary Solutions.

[Cruising with Pro AV on My Summer Vacation]

Working with American Cruise Lines, ControlAV partnered with Visionary to deploy an IPTV platform across multiple vessels, centralizing television services and onboard video distribution while simplifying system management. The IPTV system consolidates several onboard services into a single interface accessible via stateroom televisions. Guests can access live television channels, video-on-demand movies, safety programming and cruise-specific content while also viewing real-time information about the vessel and itinerary.

One of the most visible features for passengers is the bow camera channel, which provides a live forward-facing view from the ship. Guests can also view lounge programming through a dedicated lounge camera feed if they prefer to watch entertainment or presentations from their cabins. The system also integrates navigational information directly into the television network. A GPS chart-plotter feed is encoded and distributed via the IPTV platform so guests can view the ship’s current route and location.

Beyond live video feeds, the IPTV platform allows the cruise line to manage a wide range of onboard content, including safety materials and itinerary information. The traditional safety videos, which are required by company policy and reviewed by the U.S. Coast Guard, are available on demand through the television interface. “Safety is always our number one priority, so it’s important for guests to be able to access safety information easily,” Bullock said. “Through the IPTV system, guests can watch the safety video on demand whenever they want.”

The centralized architecture also simplifies content updates and channel management. American Cruise Lines can quickly add new television channels or movies without requiring major infrastructure changes. “The advantage of an IPTV system is not only the quality of the stream but also the improved latency and faster delivery to endpoints,” McGee said. “For example, we are now able to integrate new sports channels or television channels in a matter of hours. Previously, we would have had to completely redesign the system to accomplish something similar.”

Visionary’s IPTV platform enables American Cruise Lines to expand its onboard programming offerings. Through integrations with content providers such as Swank, American Cruise Lines can offer premium first-release Hollywood films as video-on-demand titles for guests, and live sports programming, including NFL games. In addition to entertainment programming, the platform supports onboard activity schedules, promotional content highlighting future cruise itineraries and other informational channels designed to enhance guest engagement. The centralized platform provides the ability to collect operational insights and data analytics related to system usage, helping American Cruise Lines better understand how guests interact with onboard content and services.

Find out more by watching the video case study below.

Summary:

• Texas A&M's University Center and Special Events team deploys portable audio racks throughout campus, often moving equipment from one event directly to the next, relying on LEA Professional amplifiers.
• Connect Series 354 amplifiers now serve as the team's go-to solution for most events, and when additional low-frequency reinforcement is required, Connect Series 702 amplifiers answer the call.
• For a department responsible for transporting equipment across a large campus, reducing rack weight has been one of LEA Professional's biggest advantages.

Texas A&M University serves more than 70,000 students across its sprawling College Station campus. Managing audio for lectures, commencement activities, donor receptions, performances, banquets, and student celebrations requires equipment that can easily adapt to different venues, audiences, and production requirements. Texas A&M's University Center and Special Events team deploys portable audio racks throughout campus, often moving equipment from one event directly to the next, relying on LEA Professional amplifiers, whose combination of power, onboard DSP, portability, and reliability has become essential to daily operations.

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

"We're deploying them on a near-daily basis during the busy months," said Corey Klinger, event technician at Texas A&M. "As soon as one event ends, the equipment is being shipped to the next one. There are times when some of our amps don't come back home for more than a week because they're constantly moving from event to event."

The portable systems support virtually every type of campus gathering imaginable, from intimate ribbon-cutting ceremonies with a podium and two loudspeakers to banquets and galas serving more than 900 attendees. By using LEA’s onboard DSP rather than external processors, the university keeps each portable rack simple, compact, and ready for immediate deployment.

Connect Series 354 amplifiers now serve as the team's go-to solution for most events, easily scaling from small presentations to powering six JBL VRX loudspeakers for large banquet spaces. When additional low-frequency reinforcement is required, Connect Series 702 amplifiers provide dedicated power for subwoofers using onboard DSP presets.

The IoT-enabled 4-channel CS354 delivers 350 watts per channel, while the 2-channel CS702 delivers 700 watts per channel. The Connect Series also includes 96kHz DSP as a standard feature, providing a range of benefits that greatly enhance audio performance and system versatility. And with LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere.

Since first adopting LEA Professional amplifiers in 2021, Texas A&M has placed the systems under demanding real-world conditions. The amplifiers are transported across campus, loaded into vehicles, assembled at venues, and frequently operate outdoors. Despite that rigorous schedule, reliability has remained exceptional.

"In the five years we've used them, I think we've only had one instance where an amp acted a little strange," Klinger said. "LEA helped us troubleshoot it, and we haven't had a problem since."

For a department responsible for transporting equipment across a large campus, reducing rack weight has been one of LEA Professional's biggest advantages. Compared to the university's previous amplifier inventory, Connect Series amplifiers dramatically reduced both weight and physical effort required during setup. The reduced weight has also improved overall event efficiency, allowing staff to move quickly between venues while minimizing setup time.

"The first thing that stood out was how light they were compared to the older amplifiers," said Benjamin Leonido, event manager at Texas A&M. "The old racks often required two or three people to move. Now a single person can roll a rack into place without worrying about injuries or finding enough people to help."

With thousands of events occurring across campus throughout the year, the ability to deploy reliable, powerful audio systems at a moment's notice has become essential. Whether reinforcing a campus lecture, supporting a student performance, or powering audio for hundreds of guests at a formal gala, the university's event production team knows the same portable amplifier racks are ready for the next assignment.

"The LEA amps have been going strong for us ever since we got them,” said Klinger. “They've proven themselves every step of the way."

Quick view:

• Parlé Voice Lift leverages the existing Parlé Beamtracking ceiling microphones together with TesiraFORTÉ X processors to naturally reinforce the instructor’s voice as they move throughout the presentation area.
• Parlé Voice Lift eliminates microphone management entirely—a critical requirement for a college serving more than 5,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.
• Following its success, Biamp is helping Emory evaluate additional deployments.

Biamp has deployed Parlé Voice Lift at Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta, GA, bringing natural voice reinforcement to campus classrooms without handheld or wearable microphones. Built on the Parlé TCM Beamtracking ceiling microphones and TesiraFORTÉ X processors already installed across more than 120 teaching spaces, the solution allows instructors and students to lecture, discuss, and present without wearing or handling a microphone. Parlé Voice Lift eliminates microphone management entirely—a critical requirement for a college serving more than 5,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.

[Hearing Every Word]

For many institutions, voice lift means handheld microphones, wireless bodypacks, recharging docks, and disposable batteries, each introducing opportunities for equipment to be misplaced, uncharged, or unavailable when faculty need it most.

“Whether we go with rechargeable or disposable batteries, there are different issues we find,” said Griffin Fisher, manager of classroom technology services, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “We have not introduced traditional voice lift in a lot of spaces because of those challenges.”

Piloted in the college’s Anthropology Room 303, Parlé Voice Lift leverages the existing Parlé Beamtracking ceiling microphones together with TesiraFORTÉ X processors to naturally reinforce the instructor’s voice as they move throughout the presentation area. Because approximately 140 learning spaces across campus already utilize Biamp systems, including TesiraFORTÉ X 400 and X 800 processors along with approximately 300 Parlé TCM Beamtracking ceiling microphones, implementation required no new microphone infrastructure.

“There are no handhelds, no disposable batteries, no recharging docks; it’s like magic,” said Fisher. “We really do want solutions that just work. Whether it’s pushing the ‘ON’ button and everything comes on, or microphones that are simply part of that ‘just works’ equation, that’s something we’re hugely interested in.”

“The pilot delivers natural voice reinforcement that increases presenter confidence while remaining virtually invisible to faculty, students, and IT staff alike,” said Joe Andrulis, EVP of corporate development, Biamp. “Following its success, Biamp is helping Emory evaluate additional deployments, including a large administrative meeting room used by university leadership, extending the Biamp ecosystem that also supports conferencing, lecture capture, and hybrid learning across campus.”

4Wall Entertainment built and operated three LED and virtual production environments for Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, utilizing LED technology from Absen, processing from Brompton Technology, and media server and virtual production technology from Disguise. The builds were utilized across scenes including a television newsroom, covert government facilities, and high-speed car sequences as the film’s characters investigate evidence of extraterrestrial contact.

[Massive Absen Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

4Wall led the LED and virtual production work across the three builds. Each build included a virtual production supervisor and Disguise programmers running real-time compositing and was tied together with image-based lighting for consistent looks across any content surrounding the actors. This setup kept playback, lighting, and image control connected during filming.

The project was led by Mathew Leland and Ben Danielowski, VPs of special projects at 4Wall. The team was brought in to help create an immersive LED environment for the film’s secret agency, which utilized Disguise media servers (known for their work in the Vegas Sphere), Brompton processing, and Absen LED tile. A core team of three worked on the project for roughly four months across pre-production, the build, in addition to a week of shooting on the Wardex set, and a week of car process.

Production designer Adam Stockhausen designed the Wardex command center with LED built directly into the scenic elements. Under the supervision of the 4Wall team, the set was constructed at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and incorporated 10 separate LED surfaces. Five walls wrapped the room, including side walls, angled walls, and a center wall nearly 40 feet wide and more than 13 feet tall, with five matching ceiling sections overhead. Because the screens were integrated with the scenic, the camera could shoot the full room without hiding anything that would have broken the illusion. The build used Absen PL2.5 Pro panels at 1/8th scan to help control moiré and reduce individual pixel visibility on-camera or in reflections.

The walls formed a massive surveillance multiviewer that Wardex agents would manipulate in real time as they tracked the film's protagonists. Every action on screen was motivated by the script, so pre-rendered animation was not an option. Animation was built in the Disguise timeline, where a single section could carry 50 layers, each keyframed individually. The programmers scaled and aligned dozens of security camera feeds, GoPro footage, and other sources into the video collage seen inside Wardex. For the Disguise programmers, it was one of the most demanding shows they had worked on.

"Unlike a traditional car process or other background use of VP, the screens were the hero," said Zachary Sager, 4Wall's director of special projects, Disclosure Day project manager, and Wardex set Disguise programmer. "Once we shook our usual VP reflexes, we began to treat it as a device to deliver exposition rather than simply an extension of the scenic work."

The News Room set used a tighter-pitch Absen PR1.9 wall as an in-camera weather screen that was important to the film’s closing scenes. Instead of treating the weather image as a separate post-production layer, the screen put the image, its light, and the performers in the same room, allowing actors to interact in real time with the displayed content. The wall utilized 28 tiles at 1,792x1,024 pixels and was driven by a single Brompton SX40.

The car chase and crash scenes needed interactive light, a live view of the environment, and enough camera freedom to follow the action. The car process was built around those needs.

4Wall’s crew built a custom 360-degree LED car process around a large Absen PL2.5 LED volume, an LED ceiling, and additional LED surfaces around the vehicle. The main volume measured approximately 132x16 feet and delivered 16,200x2,000 pixels. The ceiling measured 24 square feet and delivered 3,000x3,000 pixels.

Once the physical volume was built, the team ran 16K stitched spherical plates assembled from nine-camera arrays, provided by Plate Pros. Played through Disguise VX 4+ 4RU media servers, those plates could be adjusted in real time for horizon, perspective, and scale so each shot could be set for the car, lens, and camera position. One particularly demanding shot travels through the car’s sunroof and ends on the protagonists’ hands. That camera move would not have been possible on a moving process trailer. The LED process gave the film’s production team a repeatable, controlled environment while preserving the physical behaviors needed for each scene.

Consistency across three builds came down to a single-color pipeline. Brompton Tessera SX40 4K processors were used across the project. The combination of Brompton processing and Absen panels gave the team the color range needed to replay camera footage as close to its original color space as possible. Brompton's integration with Pomfort LiveGrade then gave the DIT and DP precise color control over the walls.

Genlock technology was required for the size and scope of the three builds to keep the cameras and displays synchronized. The production shot digitally on Sony Venice 2 cameras and Brompton’s ShutterSync feature matched the walls to the exact camera settings which gave filmmakers more decisions to make on set. Since the Wardex set was up for a full month, the team also used Brompton's API to report on processor health and confirm the volume was ready to shoot every day.

In terms of lighting, image-based lighting was applied across all sets. The LED screens operated in the same color space as practical light fixtures, which made the screens and fixtures work together for the same purpose. Light cards always lived on top of the screen content, with an ambient loop filling the full raster underneath the hero graphics. Disguise VX 4+ media servers handled multi-4K playout across every surface.

The three builds gave the 4Wall team very different problems to solve. Wardex depended on live content and fast changes. The News Room required precise control of natural-looking weather footage within scenes. The car process had to support a complex camera move while keeping the production on a controlled soundstage.

“On this production, our team had the opportunity to support one of the greatest directors of our time and the amazing team he has built through the years,” said Leland. “Virtual production is a vast toolset, and it was incredibly rewarding to use it to help shape the narrative and expand what was possible on set.”

Wilting specializes in the efficient production of precision mechanical components and modules, targeting European OEMs operating in high-tech industries such as semiconductor, aerospace, food processing, and automotive. When it opened its new facility in Veldhoven, Netherlands, in 2025, the company sought an audiovisual experience that would create a seamless, flexible, and future-ready system that enhances communication and collaboration throughout the building. The company turned to Backline to design and implement a comprehensive AV solution centered around AtlasIED’s Atmosphere system.

[Hearing Every Word]

“Wilting’s standards are high, both for their own product as well as the requirements for the new audio system, which is why we recommended Atmosphere,” said Thijs Michiels, CEO of Backline. “With Atmosphere, AtlasIED has struck the perfect balance between innovation and usability. The DSP performance, control options, and integration capabilities make it a standout solution for many scenarios.”

The installation features the Atmosphere AZM8 audio processor for advanced multi-zone control. The AZM8, an eight-zone digital signal processor at the heart of an Atmosphere audio control system, features a built-in message player, virtual wall controllers, learning ambient noise sensing, Tilter Filter, auto-gain, GPIO, room combine, and more.

Programming is simple via an on-board web interface optimized for common use cases. The control interface is device agnostic, responsive, and meticulously designed for an ideal user experience without sacrificing design freedom. In addition to Ethernet, built-in Wi-Fi allows tablets and other controlling devices to connect directly to the AZM8 via rights-based access.

Three HELVIA OMNIS-100 multimedia players provide central streaming and background music distribution, integrated into the Atmosphere network. The audio is evenly distributed through different ceiling and pendant loudspeakers, ensuring balanced sound quality across the building.

In the company café, Backline installed an Atmosphere C-ZSV control panel to enable easy local control of volume and source selection, creating an ideal environment for presentations, meetings, and informal gatherings. With user-friendly controls designed to prevent accidental configuration changes, staff can confidently manage the system without technical oversight.

This ease of use drives greater adoption, ensures the system delivers long-term value, and even boosts employee engagement by empowering staff to take ownership of their environment. Backline also installed an Atmosphere A-XLR in the café to allow for the connection of a microphone when needed.

Together, these integrated solutions deliver a professional, reliable, and future-proof AV ecosystem that supports Wilting’s commitment to innovation, quality, and technological excellence.

“AtlasIED’s Atmosphere platform gave us the flexibility to design a sophisticated audio system without overcomplicating the user experience,” said Michiels. “Setup was fast, and the software tools made on-site adjustments effortless. The customer is very happy with how the audio system turned out.”

Summary:

• An aging sound system was causing disruptions by unpleasant microphone feedback caused by reflections off the projection screen and paneled walls.
• SCN Top 50 systems integrator, Solotech, recommended the Renkus-Heinz ICONYX Gen 5 loudspeaker series.
• There’s no more feedback when presenters speak into the microphones and the entire audience can hear even the most subtle details.

The iconic Griffith Observatory overlooks the city of Los Angeles, renowned as an educational and entertainment landmark. Part of that observatory is the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, a 190-seat auditorium which hosts public programs, presentations, and panels every day to explore the latest in science and astronomy. It recently got an audio upgrade from SCN Top 50 systems integrator Solotech and consultant TheatreDNA, who recommended Renkus-Heinz as the ideal loudspeaker solution for the space.

[Hearing Every Word]

The existing sound system was becoming increasingly difficult to manage. All too often, events were being disrupted by unpleasant microphone feedback caused by reflections off the projection screen and paneled walls.

“From the beginning, we recognized the need for a solution that could address the unwanted reflections and uncontrolled audio challenges, without disrupting the theater’s strict aesthetic values,” said Patrick So, theater programs manager at Griffith Observatory. “We worked closely with Solotech and TheatreDNA, who guided us through a range of potential options while assessing coverage, clarity, and visual impact.”

A digitally steerable line array was considered the most suitable option, leading to the recommendation of the Renkus-Heinz ICONYX Gen 5 loudspeaker series. “A single ICONYX IC16-RD model was installed behind the projection screen upstage of where speakers stand to present,” said Marc Nutter, business development representative for Solotech. While the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater retained a dedicated playback system for film screenings, the IC16-RD was introduced exclusively for spoken word events. “The beam steering capabilities allow for precise vertical coverage control, directing sound towards the audience while reducing energy on the reflective surfaces, ultimately helping to improve speech intelligibility and maintain consistent SPL from the front of the auditorium to the back.”

By positioning the loudspeaker behind the screen, audiences can focus on the presentations and speakers without distraction from the room’s technology. The wider AV system is built around a QSC network that brings audio, video, and control into a streamlined interface, allowing museum staff to prepare and operate daily programs and special events with greater ease and consistency.

Since the debut of the new audio system, the audience experience inside the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater has improved noticeably. “The upgrade from the old system was immediately clear,” So concluded. “With the IC16-RD, there’s no more feedback when presenters speak into the microphones and the entire audience can hear even the most subtle details. The immense effort that everyone has put in has led to a far more immersive and engaging experience that fully lives up to the expectations of the Griffith Observatory."

Virginia Tech unveiled a new video board in the end zone of Lane Stadium from Daktronics. The installation brings improved views of live video, replays, stats and more for Hokie fans to enjoy on game day in Blacksburg, VA.

[Massive Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

“Delivering a best-in-class game-day experience is a priority for Virginia Tech Athletics, and that means continuing to invest in the ways we engage and connect with Hokie Nation,” said Virginia Tech VP and director of athletics Brian White. “Our partnership with Daktronics helps us elevate an already special environment at Lane Stadium through technology that brings our fans closer to the action and enhances the sights, sounds and traditions that make game days in Blacksburg unlike anywhere else."

The new video display measures 44.5x96 feet and features 10mm pixel spacing to deliver clear image quality to fans throughout the stadium. The display also includes variable content zoning, allowing Virginia Tech to present one large image or multiple content zones to support game presentation, sponsorship messaging and fan engagement during every moment of the action.

The upgrade also deployed a custom Daktronics audio system, which is integrated into the video and scoring system at Lane Stadium. It is engineered to deliver full-range sound reproduction and high-quality audio throughout the venue while providing a consistent fan experience at every seat. The project also included upgrades to the stadium’s audio infrastructure, delivering unified control and monitoring capabilities to help venue operators efficiently manage and maintain connected sound systems.

“While today’s video displays get bigger and brighter, so does the sound system,” said John Olsen, Daktronics audio sales representative. “New high-output speakers now flank the display with an additional subwoofer array, specifically designed for Daktronics, with new amplifiers powering the system. This new stadium system and all other upgrades provide a unified control and monitoring system that will help manage, maintain and troubleshoot every connected sound system in the venue. When it’s go time, this system is ready to rock the house."

The project at Lane Stadium builds on previous technology enhancements at Virginia Tech. Daktronics previously installed LED ribbon boards and field-level displays at the stadium and integrated those displays into the overall experience for each game. In 2025, Daktronics also installed six new LED displays at Cassell Coliseum to support Hokie Athletics and other special events on campus.

Chris Kean, founder of high resolution switcher solutions provider Kean Production Services, is well aware that events shine when in-venue displays showcase programming in the highest possible quality. That isn’t always easy when projection and LED colors don’t match. Kean has collaborated with Red Rock Ops colorist Angel Banchs in building a color management pipeline that ensures color appears highly accurate and dialed in across screens backed by AJA Video Systems ColorBoxes.

[Dream Live Performing Arts Center Awakens]

Kean and his team deploy ColorBoxes regularly. Earlier this year, he used the devices on Keller Williams’ Family Reunion Conference, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. It included a keynote stage with a main LED wall and 24 projectors across main and delay positions.

“We only had a few days to get everything set up and rehearsal-ready, so the pressure was tremendous," said Kean. "The goal is always for the audience to leave happy with their experience and excited to return, and color feeds into that. Since projection and LED colors never align, ColorBox gives us the calibration tools we need to deliver consistent, color-accurate content across displays. It replaces guesswork with informed decision-making.”

Ahead of arriving on-site for the Keller Williams event, Kean enlisted Banchs to profile the event space’s LED wall and 24 projectors and target everything to Rec. 709. Banchs measured the color with a Klein K-10A and a Colorimetry Research CR-250 spectroradiometer, using the CR-250 to profile the K-10A for each display type, and drove patterns from a networked Portrait Displays G1 generator running off a mobile DIT cart with the meters on top. This approach allowed Banchs the flexibility to move anywhere on the floor.

The production crew fed content into a Spyder X80 screen switcher, with outputs sent to the projectors and LED wall. LED correction lived in Brompton SX40 processors, with four ColorBoxes on the projection path: one on two house left projectors, one on two house right projectors, and one on each of the 10-projector delay chains, house left and house right.

“ColorBox is an elegant solution to a common challenge,” said Kean. “It’s small and portable, so it takes up little space and draws little power. You can easily integrate it on a hardware level, and with the software, you get all the dials and knobs you need to recreate video accurately."

Portrait Displays Calman read the measurements and generated the correction LUTs, which Banchs loaded into Pomfort’s Livegrade solution for live color grading and pushed them to the ColorBoxes on the projection path. The projectionists set center white on each unit, and the ColorBoxes carried the match across the different projector types. The calibrated ColorBoxes read under 2 dE2000 between the main projectors and the LED wall, and around 3 dE2000 on the delays, which were different units sitting in another area of the room.

“This workflow was key because a lot of the content for the displays was red, which is difficult to color-match. Projection primaries simply cannot reach LED red, so our ColorBox workflow helps us define a common target that both technologies can hit and maps them to it. Before using the ColorBox, it looked completely jarring,” Kean explained.

Once Kean put the ColorBoxes in line and Angel began his work, the team could send a calibrated signal and use internal patterns to match the projection screens. With Calman and Livegrade working together, Angel was able to walk the convention floor, call up any zone standing in front of the screen, and grade live to account for ambient lighting or a small request from the producers. “The tweaks weren't big, but being able to make them in real time, in the room, is not something we have been able to do before using ColorBox,” added Kean.

The production team also used UDC-4K Mini-Converters on the project to convert two iMac UltraHD 4K, Rec. 709 SDR signals from HDMI to SDI for input to a large 4K router and the screen switcher for the live LED feeds. At the same time, they were able to use the Mini-Converters to down-convert the UltraHD signal to HD 1080p SDR for an online live stream and recording.

“The fact that we could handle both with one converter was so helpful,” Kean shared. “The UDC-4Ks have allowed us to focus more on color when moving HDMI computer signals over SDI. They’ve also given us so much flexibility, because they solve many different signal flow challenges with such accuracy. This was a massive project, with little room for error, which is why we went with AJA tools. We just need our tools to work, and we trust AJA to do that.”

As demand for high-quality visuals continues to grow across the live event sector, Kean is starting to focus more on incorporating HDR into his widescreen event productions. “HDR is an underserved area in our industry, largely because it’s complex.," Kean concluded. "Now that we have tools like ColorBox to simplify HDR work, we want to show clients how we can improve the quality of their shows with it. We haven’t found another product that delivers the same color accuracy as our AJA gear, and the reliability is unmatched. Even in the most critical situations, I can count on AJA gear to take care of us, so whenever given the opportunity, I opt for AJA.”

Located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the Saint Gilbert Catholic Church serves a community of parishioners, families, friends, and visitors. With both a main church and a chapel on its campus, the parish is committed to offering meaningful, accessible worship experiences for all attendees, including those who rely on assistive listening technologies to fully participate in mass, homilies, and announcements. Auracast helps deliver every word today and in the future.

[Accessibility on Campus]

While the church’s standard sound system worked well for many in the congregation, others struggled to clearly understand the clergy during homilies or guest presenters during announcements. Although a hearing loop system had been installed, it did not fully resolve these issues. Some listeners still reported difficulty, and the system’s performance depended heavily on the precise positioning of T‑coil hearing aids or receivers. These limitations made it clear that a more flexible, reliable, and future‑ready solution was needed.

The parish had previously installed an Ampetronic hearing loop, which remains in use today. However, after consulting with Thunder Hearing and Sound in Elgin, IL, the team learned about Auracast broadcast audio. Based on this recommendation, the church chose to install Auri TX2N transmitters in both the main church and the chapel.

Thunder Hearing and Sound conducted a thorough survey of both spaces and designed the system to ensure strong coverage across each worship area. The system supplements the existing loop, allowing the parish to continue supporting current T‑coil users while preparing for the growing number of devices (hearing aids, earbuds, smartphones, etc.) that will soon include native Auracast support.

The deployment process was smooth and exceeded expectations in several areas. “I was particularly impressed with the clarity, fidelity, and propagation of the Auracast signal,” said Mark Meyer, Saint Gilbert Catholic Church’s sound system caretaker. “Auracast broadcast audio delivers even, consistent coverage across the entire worship space and even into areas beyond the loop’s reach. It also eliminates the need for precise receiver positioning, reducing a common source of frustration for T‑coil users.”

The system is already delivering value. Its coverage quality ensures that as more members transition to Auracast enabled devices, the church is fully prepared. Meanwhile, the existing hearing loop continues to serve current users, creating a dual‑system environment that supports today’s needs while embracing the future.

The church’s early adoption of Auracast broadcast audio positions it well for long‑term accessibility improvements. As more hearing aids, smartphones, and consumer audio devices begin offering native Auracast compatibility, the parish will be ready to offer seamless assistive listening to a broader audience.

Summary:

• Dream Live marks the first installation using the L-Acoustics L2 and L2D speakers  systems.
• Included are eight KS21i subs, three KS28, six A10i Focus spread across the stage lip, four arrays of one A15i Focus overone A15i Wide, and under-balcony fills featuring six A15i Wide mounted with a second, concentric ring of twelve 8Xi coaxial systems.
• Boulevard Carroll president Anthony Cioffi sees the new L-Acoustics system at Dream Live as a sign of where live music venues are headed.

Located in New Jersey next to the larger-than-life home of the New York Giants and Jets stands the American Dream. Dubbed the second-largest indoor shopping mall in the United States, its directory is dizzying; there are 450 stores, more than 65 dining and drinking locations, the country’s largest indoor waterpark, North America’s only indoor ski resort, the largest indoor theme park in the Western Hemisphere, and now, American Dream Live Performing Arts Center. The three-tiered, nearly 2,800-capacity live performance venue opened its doors with an L-Acoustics L Series loudspeaker system in place, designed and installed by Boulevard Carroll Entertainment Group.

[Tackling a New HQ]

The project transformed a long-dormant space into a PAC with high-end audio, video, and lighting that caters to private parties and corporate events as well as top-name concerts and theatrical productions. According to Sean Conner, general manager of Dream Live, the venue underwent a $65 million build-out and now features IMAG capability, including six RED cinema cameras used for live performances.

L-Acoustics turned to Boulevard Carroll, its Certified Provider for the region. Anthony Fischetta, Boulevard Carroll CFO, along with head of audio and lead designer Daryl Moore, president Anthony Cioffi, and project manager Joe Smith, visited the space and partnered with L-Acoustics on a Soundvision design for the venue. The design was then presented to the mall’s owners and, in turn, to the construction team overseeing the entire project.

The space had sat empty since the mall opened more than 20 years earlier. Conner joined Dream Live in March to help bring the venue online, after new owners invested to expand and upgrade a space that, as Fischetta noted, “was built 20 years before the infrastructure was designed, so we were limited on what we could change.” With nowhere to add holes, wires, or speakers where the design called for, Boulevard Carroll routed cable into the balcony and under-balcony and adapted the system to existing rigging points from two decades earlier, maneuvering conduit layouts and fly points into position for the Soundvision model until the rig came within inches of its target despite very tight constraints.

Although Boulevard Carroll has carried L-Acoustics L2 and L2D speakers in its rental inventory for some time, Dream Live marks the first installation using the systems. The L Series main arrays include one L-Acoustics L2 over one L2D per side. “There are eight KS21i subs under the stage, plus three KS28 flown behind each main array,” said Moore.

Front-fills consist of six A10i Focus spread across the stage lip. Over-balcony fills include four arrays of one A15i Focus over one A15i Wide, two per side, addressing the far left and right balcony seats. Under-balcony fills feature an arc of six A15i Wide mounted just under the front edge of the balcony, with a second, concentric ring of twelve 8Xi coaxial systems mounted farther back on the under-balcony ceiling “because the balcony is so deep.

“There are speakers everywhere,” Moore continued. “Every inch of seating is perfectly covered. It’s pretty impressive. Because the balcony sticks out so far, the main arrays don’t really get under there, so they rely on two separate rows of under-balcony speakers.”

LA7.16i amplified controllers drive the main arrays and the over-balcony and under-balcony fills, while LA12X power the front-fills and subs. Boulevard Carroll also delivered a full audio package that included two Yamaha DM7 consoles with Rios, Shure Axiom Wireless, Shure PSM 1000, and ClearCom antenna distribution.

The team credits Dream Live’s construction crew, who were meticulous in treating the walls and flooring. The results surprised them. “When we were initially looking at it, the entire place was just concrete, and it’s not very deep, so you’d expect a lot of reflection off of the back walls,” Fischetta said. “But they did a lot of treatment, either wood slats or Homasote paneling, behind the decorative wood slats. And to the credit of Sully Sullivan at L-Acoustics, who came out to tune it, he did a great job with it as well.”

Dream Live had its soft opening in March, followed by a 10-date run of Dog Man: The Musical that marked its official launch. “The venue’s management put their money where their mouth was,” Cioffi concluded. “They wanted the best possible outcome for audio, and they got it. They’re super pleased with the results, and when they kick off ticketed, rolling events, they’re going to be a very popular venue because the production value of audio is absolutely first-rate.”

Summary:

• JBL Professional loudspeakers modernize audio at the historic Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Italy.
• JBL Professional Intellivox column loudspeakers enhance speech clarity without disturbing the architecture.
• By combining advanced beam-steering technology with careful acoustic planning, the Church of Ognissanti now benefits from a sound system that complements rather than alters its historic architecture.

The historic Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Italy, has completed an audio modernization centered on JBL Professional loudspeakers, improving speech intelligibility throughout the sanctuary while preserving the architectural character. Delivered by Exhibo in collaboration with the project architects and system designers, the installation combines two JBL Professional Intellivox loudspeakers covering the church's 115-foot (35m) nave with JBL Professional slim column loudspeakers positioned behind the altar to provide localized reinforcement for the presbytery.

[Red Hills Church Switches to PTZ]

Dating to the 13th century, the church continues to serve as both an active parish and a destination for visitors from around the world. Its regular schedule of liturgical services, concerts, and cultural events required an audio system capable of delivering clear speech without compromising the visual integrity of the protected historic building.

Like many historic churches, Ognissanti presented significant acoustic challenges. Its nave, high vaulted ceilings, and reflective masonry surfaces created long reverberation times that reduced speech intelligibility, particularly during sermons and spoken liturgy. Preservation requirements also limited the number and placement of visible loudspeakers, making traditional distributed audio systems impractical.

Exhibo conducted detailed acoustic measurements, three-dimensional modeling and beam-steering simulations before specifying a minimally invasive solution built around two JBL Professional Intellivox column loudspeakers. Installed on either side of the central nave, the loudspeakers use JBL's proprietary Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) technology to direct sound toward the congregation while minimizing reflections from the church's walls and vaulted surfaces, delivering consistent speech coverage across the nave. To complement the main system, JBL Professional COL800 column loudspeakers were installed behind the altar, providing dedicated coverage for the presbytery while maintaining the same discreet visual profile throughout the sanctuary.

"Acoustic simulations enabled us to identify the optimal positions for the JBL Intellivox loudspeakers and predict how sound would behave within the liturgical space," explained Andrea Ficara, Exhibo product specialist. "The solution used just two loudspeakers to effectively cover approximately [115 feet] of the central nave while maintaining minimal variation in sound pressure across the different listening areas."

Following installation, the system underwent on-site tuning to refine beam steering and optimize performance within the church's unique acoustic environment. The resulting installation provides natural speech reproduction for worship services while remaining visually discreet, allowing visitors to focus on the architecture and liturgy rather than the technology itself.

By combining advanced beam-steering technology with careful acoustic planning, the Church of Ognissanti now benefits from a sound system that complements rather than alters its historic architecture. Centered on just two JBL Professional Intellivox loudspeakers covering the nave, with dedicated JBL COL800 loudspeakers reinforcing the altar area, the installation demonstrates how a minimal number of carefully positioned loudspeakers can deliver consistent speech intelligibility while preserving the cultural and architectural significance of historic houses of worship.

Overview:

• Change North Adelaide offers a diverse range of facilities, each of which requires distinct acoustic solutions.
• An array of Biamp Desono speakers and Apprimo Wall Controllers are part of the ecosystem now in place.
• The end result is an audio system to deliver clear sound for high-energy training classes while providing discreet background music in its wellness and spa areas.

South Australia's fitness and wellness destination, Change North Adelaide, has deployed a comprehensive Biamp audio system to deliver clear sound for high-energy training classes while providing discreet background music in its wellness and spa areas. Adelaide-based integrator Leedall installed the integrated solution.

[Taco Tuesday: SoundTube Brings High-Energy Sound to Rocco’s Tacos]

"The integrated Biamp ecosystem was the perfect fit for the diverse acoustic requirements at Change," said Tim Biedman, associate designer, Leedall. "We were able to commission the entire system offline before installation, which gave us tremendous confidence in the deployment. The reliability and performance of the Biamp Desono speakers, combined with the seamless integration of Biamp Voltera controllers and Apprimo wall panels, delivered exactly what the client needed."

Change North Adelaide offers a diverse range of facilities including functional training areas, a Pilates studio, cardio zone, recovery lounge, and spa facilities, each of which requires distinct acoustic solutions. In the functional training area, where high-energy classes demand clear audio, Leedall deployed Biamp Desono DP8 pendant loudspeakers. These speakers ensure instructors' voices and motivating music reach every corner of the training floor with clarity and impact.

The cardio and Pilates zones feature Biamp Desono C-IC6 marine-grade in-ceiling loudspeakers, providing consistent, high-quality audio that supports focused workouts without overwhelming the space. For the spa and wellness areas, where ambiance is paramount, Leedall specified additional Desono C-IC6 speakers to deliver discreet background music that enhances relaxation without intrusion. The result is a sophisticated audio experience that complements the premium wellness environment.

The addition of Biamp Apprimo Wall Controllers enables staff and instructors to intuitively manage the audio zone controls while Parlé microphones provide for clear voice reinforcement for instructors during fitness classes.

The offline commissioning capability allowed Leedall to configure and test the entire installation before deployment, significantly reducing on-site installation time and ensuring flawless performance from day one. “This installation demonstrates the power of an integrated ecosystem approach,” said Biedman. “We have complete confidence in the system's long-term reliability and performance.”

For children facing extended hospital stays, play is more than entertainment; it’s a critical part of healing. Across North America, children's hospitals are increasingly investing in purpose-built audio/video therapeutic play areas where patients become television hosts, filmmakers, musicians, and storytellers, giving them a welcome escape from the routines of treatment and encouraging creativity, confidence, and social connection.

These therapeutic play areas represent an evolution of hospital Child Life programs, which have long used art, music, games, and imaginative play to help children cope with illness and hospitalization. Today, professional production spaces allow young patients to create original programming, appear on camera, and connect with other patients throughout the hospital, transforming them from patients into producers, performers, and creators. As these immersive spaces continue to grow in popularity, so does the tech that makes them possible.

A Growing Movement

When a business concept works, it expands. When the mission behind it is rooted in love, it explodes. Such is the case with purpose-built play areas in children’s hospitals.

Back in 1996, Troy Aikman may have only imagined that his Aikman's End Zone play areas would become the inspiration for what are now known as Child Life Zones. Today, athletes and entertainers continue dedicating their time and support to expanding these unique spaces, helping bring professional-quality play areas to children's hospitals across the United States and Canada.

The growing popularity of these facilities reflects an increasing recognition that creative engagement can play a meaningful role in helping children and families navigate the challenges of hospitalization.

Child Life Zones Welcome Brightline

At the request of the supervising architect, two Midwestern children’s hospitals recently upgraded their standard technology package to professional broadcast systems featuring Brightline SeriesONE and Flex-T video lighting.

Each Child Life Zone includes an interactive maker space, gaming hub, play areas, and in some locations, broadcast capabilities that feature a green screen. Brightline's lighting fixtures provide the even, shadow-free illumination necessary for high-quality chroma key production, allowing children to appear virtually anywhere their imaginations can take them—from television studios and sporting events to outer space or under the sea. 

For children spending days, weeks, or even months inside a hospital, those virtual worlds offer something invaluable: the freedom to explore beyond the walls of their rooms.

Connection Through Telepresence Technology

Brightline provides lighting for the Child Life Zone studios at CHRISTUS Children's (formerly The Children's Hospital of San Antonio), where telepresence robots allow even bedridden patients to participate in the broadcast experience. Children who are unable to leave their rooms can remotely interact with the play areas, appear on camera, and take part in programming alongside other patients.

"One of the most meaningful aspects of our Child Life Zone is that it creates opportunities for connection and engagement for every child, not just those who can physically come into the play area," said Alexa Murphy, Child Life Manager with CHRISTUS Children's. "Through our telepresence technology, patients who need to remain in their rooms can still participate in activities, interact with other children, and feel included in the experience.

“The Brightline Lighting fixtures play an important role in creating a vibrant, broadcast-quality environment that looks exceptional both in the studio and on camera," Murphy added. "Equally important, the system is dependable and easy for our team to use, allowing us to focus our energy where it matters most, creating memorable experiences for the children we serve."

The Child Life Zones currently operate in 16 children's hospitals across the United States and Canada. In select locations, patients can produce original programming that is streamed directly to patient rooms, including closed-circuit live broadcasts that encourage interaction and participation throughout the hospital.

More Than Equipment

Although cameras and microphones often receive the spotlight, professional lighting is one of the most important components of any broadcast studio. Green-screen production depends on consistent, even illumination to create clean virtual backgrounds without distracting shadows or uneven color. Professional lighting also helps produce comfortable, natural-looking images while creating a welcoming environment for children who may be appearing on camera for the first time.

Just as importantly, reliable broadcast technology allows Child Life specialists and hospital staff to focus on creating memorable experiences rather than troubleshooting equipment. As hospitals continue investing in media production environments, professional broadcast systems have become valuable tools that support education, entertainment and therapeutic play.

Built for Growth

The expansion of these play areas mirrors the growth of the organizations supporting them. When the Child Life Zone initiative began, 67 Major League Baseball players pledged their support. Today, that number has grown to more than 4,700 professional athletes representing baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, rodeo and racing.

True to their name, Child Life Zones remain "No Doctors' Zones," spaces intentionally designed to provide children with a genuine escape from the realities of medical treatment. Instead of appointments and procedures, children can become television personalities, interviewers, actors, musicians, or news anchors. Parents, siblings and caregivers also become part of the experience, watching children shift from patient to performer. For families navigating difficult medical journeys, those moments of laughter, creativity and normalcy often become lasting memories.

Lighting the Moments That Matter

For Brightline Lighting, participating in these projects carries special meaning. "Lighting the Child Life Zones is a privilege," said Kathy Katz, managing partner of Brightline Lighting. "What inspires us isn't simply lighting another studio. It's knowing that every installation helps create a place where children can stop thinking about being patients and simply enjoy being kids."

For Katz, the projects resonate on a personal level. "My father was a renowned surgeon who separated conjoined twins early in his career, and I grew up acutely aware of the immense and life-altering effect that one dedicated, talented individual can have on lives," she said. "Thanks to initiatives like the creation of Child Life Zones, we don't have to imagine what the snowball benefits of full-scale production play areas across ever-expanding hospital locations can do for the positivity of children and families facing health challenges."

Brightening the Future

As children's hospitals continue to embrace immersive media environments, broadcast-quality production therapeutic play areas are becoming more than recreational spaces. They are places where children can rediscover joy during one of life's most challenging experiences. For Brightline Lighting, every new installation represents another opportunity to support that mission—one play area, one broadcast, and one smile at a time.

College football fans witness a new game-day experience at Washington State's Gesa Field, when the Cougars opened their home slate with a 48-7 thrashing of Duquesne. A new video board and audio system from Daktronics was unveiled to deliver all the expected crisp, clear visuals fans expect at every game.

[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]

The new end zone video display measures 42x101 feet and features a 10mm pixel spacing This includes any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.

“Washington State University has been a great partner throughout this project focused on enhancing the atmosphere at Gesa Field,” said Brady Jacobsen, Daktronics regional sales representative. “By combining new video and audio technology, we were able to deliver solutions that will help elevate the fan experience, engage audiences and support memorable game-day moments for years to come.”

Complementing the display, the new audio system sits atop the east end zone video display as a point-source system and is redesigned to provide more detailed in-bowl sound within the current size and shape of the stadium. It provides full-range intelligible sound, detailed music reproduction, clear sponsor messages and in-stadium presentations, and feedback-free calls and announcements to every seat.

“Today, with the Athletics building in the west end zone, an upgraded system design was needed to fully accommodate for the press box, loge seating, clubs and suites,” said John Olsen, Daktronics audio sales representative. “Gesa Field has been a repeat customer for Daktronics sound systems over the last 20 years. From an original Sportsound 2000 system in the west end zone to the newly designed sound system in the east end zone, we’re proud to support the audio needs of the university.

To support content management and production, Washington State also received the Daktronics Show Control system, which combines display control software, video processing, data integration and playback hardware into a single production solution. The system enables operators to update content quickly and manage a wide range of game-day elements from a user-friendly platform.

Overview:

• Sundodger Studios is a new next-generation broadcast, production, and content facility at University of Washington.
• At its center are four SMPTE ST 2110-based control rooms capable of supporting simultaneous live productions, along with a 1,000-square-foot video and photography studio and a 2,300-square-foot multipurpose event space.
• The IP-based architecture was designed to provide Washington Athletics with the flexibility to share resources across the facility, support multiple independent productions and adapt as broadcast workflows continue to evolve.

The University of Washington recently stepped into its future of Broadcast AV with the help of Anthony James Partners. AJP designed and developed Sundodger Studios, a new innovative broadcast, production, and content facility that expands Washington Athletics’ live production capabilities following the University’s move to the Big Ten Conference.

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

The purpose-built facility provides a permanent production home for an operation responsible for approximately 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows annually. Sundodger Studios features four next-generation control rooms, a 1,000-square-foot video and photography studio, a 2,300-square-foot multipurpose event space, and dedicated technical, equipment, storage, meeting and office areas.

AJP’s involvement began in early 2024 with a feasibility study evaluating potential locations, infrastructure requirements, system concepts and preliminary budgets for the new production center. Following site selection, AJP continued through the full design and procurement of the broadcast technology systems and provided technical coordination throughout implementation. CTI served as the broadcast systems integrator responsible for installation and integration of the production systems.

“This was an opportunity to build the production environment around where collegiate broadcasting is going, rather than simply where it is today,” said Mike Martin, chief technology officer at Anthony James Partners. “Washington needed the ability to support multiple independent productions, share resources across the facility and adapt as production workflows continue to evolve. The infrastructure was designed around that long-term flexibility.”

At the center of Sundodger Studios are four SMPTE ST 2110-based control rooms capable of supporting simultaneous live productions, including two rooms with fully equipped audio control rooms. The production environment incorporates six Evertz DreamCatcher replay positions, two playback and two logging positions, two Grass Valley K-Frame SXP production switchers, and 10 Grass Valley cameras with high-frame-rate and wireless capabilities.

The facility’s 1,000-square-foot video and photography studio extends Washington’s capabilities beyond live event production, providing a flexible environment for original programming, interviews, photography, and other content. Seven maneuverable LED columns can operate independently or combine to create a 10-foot by 27-foot display, complemented by a Pro Cyc Cyclorama wall for video and photography.

An adjacent 2,300-square-foot multipurpose event space provides additional flexibility for live programming, meetings, educational activities, partner experiences, and other events, supported by a 6.6-foot by 11.5-foot LED display.

Advanced IP-Based Broadcast Infastructure

Sundodger Studios is a fully IP-based production environment built around SMPTE ST 2110, allowing video, audio, and data resources to be shared across the facility while providing the flexibility to support multiple independent productions.

The technical infrastructure incorporates Evertz NATX distribution with Magnum-OS orchestration, centralized replay and playback resources, Grass Valley production systems and professional broadcast communications, monitoring, audio and storage infrastructure.

AJP evaluated both traditional baseband and ST 2110 architectures during design, considering not only initial capital costs but also the infrastructure, operating, and future upgrade requirements associated with each approach. AJP’s analysis projected approximately $2.6 million in savings over 10 years with the ST 2110 architecture compared with the alternative system approach.

Building the Next Generation of Sports Production

Sundodger Studios was designed not only to support Washington Athletics’ expanding production operation, but also to create opportunities for students and the broader University community.

Beginning this academic year, Washington’s new Live Sports Television Production class will provide students with for-credit, hands-on experience inside the same professional production environment used to produce Big Ten Network events and other live programming.

The facility is also designed to support external productions, industry collaborations, corporate events and other partnerships, expanding its potential role beyond Washington Athletics and creating new opportunities between the University and Seattle’s sports, technology and media communities.

Summary:

• The 450-seat Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre got an audio upgrade with a Renkus-Heinz beam-steering solution.
• The front of the room saw two IC16 digitally steerable column arrays wall-mounted on the left and right of the projection screen, while the second half of the room had two of the more compact IC8 steerable line arrays.
• With the success of this upgrade, The University of Birmingham’s long-term plan is to upgrade 15 lecture theaters across its campus using a range of products from Renkus-Heinz's Iconyx Gen5, UBX Series, and CX Series.

AV technology is a major part of the University of Birmingham's practical learning methods. The school, which welcomes a cohort of more than 400 students each year to its Medical School, recently reviewed its approach to AV, realizing that some facilities were deemed in need of an upgrade, including the 450-seat Leonard Deacon Lecture Theatre. Audio quality was a particular concern, with poor speech intelligibility and limited coverage disrupting the listening experience for students and lecturers. A Renkus-Heinz beam-steering solution would prove to be the answer to delivering clearer, more consistent audio.

[Cornhuskers Coverage Conversion]

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,” said 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. Bromfield explained that listeners could hear sound coming from multiple directions with noticeable delays between loudspeakers, compromising intelligibility and contributing to listener fatigue.

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. “The university’s AV team was incredibly impressed with the precise directionality and consistency provided by the Iconyx Series, which led to the specification of four of these beam-steering arrays,” Bromfield continued.

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. The front of the room saw two IC16 digitally steerable column arrays wall-mounted on the left and right of the projection screen. For the second half of the room, two of the more compact IC8 steerable line arrays were installed behind panels on each side, providing controlled coverage all the way to the back of the theater.

Once the installation was complete, the new system delivered an immediate improvement in speech intelligibility and the overall listening experience. “The system provided controlled, focused coverage from a significantly smaller number of loudspeakers compared to the previous system,” concluded Bromfield. “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.”

With the success of this installation, The University of Birmingham’s long-term plan is to upgrade 15 lecture theaters across its campus using a range of products from Renkus-Heinz's Iconyx Gen5, UBX Series, and CX Series.

During the commemoration of America's 250th birthday, this past July 4, the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument was illuminated, turning it into a canvas for a narrated projection show that launched America’s year-long semiquincentennial celebration. The projection show ran for six nights and displayed emblematic symbols of America’s pioneering and innovative spirit, from wooden ships crossing the Atlantic and covered wagons heading West to the Empire State Building and Apollo moon landing. LMG provided both audio, via an L-Acoustics K and L Series system, and the advanced projection mapping technology that combined for truly historic audiovisual storytelling.

[Massive LED Display Brings Exterior of the NBA's Phoenix Suns Home Arena to Life]

LMG Audio systems director Robby Schlegel explained that the company deployed Barco projectors driven by a Ross Vertex media server ecosystem for the New Year’s Eve celebrations this year, to great success. Schlegel said that the initial sound design for the event, which took place on June 24 and integrated playback, live music, and a rally, prompted LMG to deploy L-Acoustics K Series arrays, with L Series arrays used as delay extensions for a concert taking place on the East side of the monument. The audio setup for the projection was designed using L-Acoustics Soundvision software, with the expectation that the crowds would be kept outside an oval-shaped, 600x400-foot perimeter around the obelisk, an optimum distance to enjoy the visuals.

But Soundvision was also an invaluable tool when last-minute modifications were made on-site. “We were told that there weren’t going to be people inside that oval area, so we designed the system to cover outside of that boundary, which was where LMG had large shipping containers that housed the projectors and where everyone was going to stand back behind and watch the projection,” he explained. “But the sheer number of people that showed up forced those plans to change significantly. Near the start of the event, the client realized that there were going to be a lot more people inside the oval than outside, so we ended up spinning some of the arrays 180 degrees, with the north and south towers facing inside toward the monument, and the larger towers on the west side covering the rest of the mall. Acting fast was imperative, and the reoriented design was able to easily give us the coverage we needed.”

The final Mall East system configurations featured main arrays of eight K1 over six K2 per side, with six KS28 subs below each main in two stacks of three, while Mall East out-fills were served by arrays of three L2 per side, with six KS28 subs below each main, also in two stacks of three. The Mall North and South fills were identical: arrays of three L2 per side, with eight K1-SB subs below each main, in two stacks of four. The Mall East system fired facing away from the monument, flanking the Washington Monument Lodge, while the Mall North and South systems fired in toward the center, with the K1-SB subs conversely firing away from the monument. All K Series elements were powered by LA12X amplified controllers, while LA7.16 drove all of the L2 delay components, and processing was via a pair of P1 processors. In addition, an L-Acoustics LC16D network audio converter was used to route feeds directly from the live-concert front-of-house area to the Mall West speaker arrays. The entire system was linked via a redundant Milan-AVB network that worked seamlessly, despite some incredibly long fiber runs between the locations, Schlegel recalled.

“This project was a testament to Soundvision’s ability to pivot and to recalculate designs very quickly, giving the technicians the ability to make those changes based on the needs of the show,” he concluded. “It went phenomenally well and we heard nothing but great responses from our client. It was one of LMG's most innovative projects yet, and L-Acoustics speakers and software were essential to the event’s success.”

Quick view:

• Garden Studios expanded its London facility with a purpose-built virtual production stage centered on a ground-stacked ROE LED wall and a specialized high-resolution Absen LED ceiling.
• To drive the ceiling's high data demands (10-bit at 50Hz) over a moving track, Garden Studios added Brompton's flagship Tessera SX40 processor paired with Tessera XD 10G data distribution units over TAC fiber.
• Features like ShutterSync (eliminating visual artifacts across frame rates), Dark Magic, PureTone, and 3D LUT integration with Pomfort Livegrade ensure color accuracy and frame-rate flexibility across HETV and commercial shoots.

Brompton Technology is behind a new virtual production stage at Garden Studios, the London virtual production facility and longtime partner. Since opening the U.K.'s first permanently installed VP volume in 2021, the studio has continued to run its original wall on Brompton Tessera S8 LED video processors, and has now added Brompton's flagship Tessera SX40, paired with Tessera XD 10G data distribution units, to power a new, larger stage purpose-built for driving and simulated travel work.

[Ready for the Virtual World]

The new stage is centered on a 78.74x16.4-foot (24x5m) ground-stacked curved LED wall from ROE and a 32.8x16.4-foot (10x5m) high-resolution LED ceiling from Absen, mounted on a custom rig developed with Cirrolite that allows the volume to move freely within, above or around the stage, and doubling as a front wall for 360-degree shooting. The ceiling can travel up to 6506 feet front-to-back and switch from a fully enclosed setup to a rain-ready configuration in under a minute, removing the need to reposition vehicles between shots to line up reflections.

The ceiling's four degrees of movement, and the need to drive it at 10-bit, 50Hz, called for substantial bandwidth alongside flexibility and reliability. “SX40 processors paired with XD data distribution units over TAC fiber were the obvious choice, providing the flexibility, bandwidth and reliability needed for such a dynamic system,” Rich Phillips, CTO at Garden Studios explained.

For Patrick Goodden, technical sales manager (U.K. and Ireland) at Brompton Technology, who has worked closely with Garden Studios since its first volume opened, the story is as much about longevity as it is about new hardware: "They've taken the S8s processors bought five years ago and are using them for the main wall in a brand-new studio, meaning they only had to invest in a new SX40 for the ceiling," he said.“The reason they needed an SX40 for the ceiling is because it's on a moving track, going from horizontal to vertical. With S8s, cabling runs directly out the back of the processor, so you'd need to run a thick loom of cables to the wall. With the SX40, they can run one or two fiber cables and split out, which makes it far easier to manage a moving ceiling. On our side, they work seamlessly together; you get the exact same colour output, and the sync works the same.”

The relationship between Brompton and Garden Studios has also seen the Brompton team support their events and open days, assist with testing, and contribute to the studio’s virtual production training courses.

Over the past five years, Garden Studios has delivered more than 150 productions across its virtual production stages, with many high-end television clients choosing the facility for driving scenes because of its purpose-built stage and team experience. This makes color accuracy and frame-rate flexibility central to the setup. Garden's HETV clients often shoot at 23.98fps, while commercial productions typically work at 25fps or 50fps, and Brompton's patented ShutterSync feature helps eliminate artefacts across shutter angles such as 172.8 degrees.

Dark Magic and Extended Bit Depth optimize the panels for low-brightness operation without visible banding, while PureTone calibration keeps colour accurate even in the dim areas typical of a VP volume. Full 3D LUT support, with a 17-cube LUT covering 4,913 colours, integrates directly with Pomfort Livegrade, allowing DITs and DPs to grade the LED wall using tools they already know.

"Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our B Corp certification. We believe the industry must do more to reduce waste and manage its carbon footprint,” added Phillips. “We believe that making careful purchasing decisions and maintaining equipment properly helps extend its useful lifespan, reducing the need for frequent technology refresh cycles and lowering overall environmental impact.”

Quick view:

• Rocco’s Tacos requires a hybrid restaurant-bar system that ramps up from comfortable daytime background music to high-output, bass-heavy sound during late-night hours.
• Sound Insight used SoundTube pendant speakers and subwoofers to deliver full-range output and broad coverage without compromising the dining experience.
• The two Rocco’s Tacos installations demonstrate the value of establishing a proven audio strategy and then adapting it to the individual environment.

Audio performance is particularly important for Rocco's Tacos, which transitions from energetic music during lunch and dinner to a system that can “pump and thump” during happy hour and late evenings. Sound Insight began working with Rocco’s Tacos at its Huntington Station, NY, location, and ultimately led to a SoundTube system becoming the blueprint for a second restaurant in Burlington, MA.

[Tackling a New HQ]

When Rocco’s Tacos leased its Huntington Station space, the former restaurant’s loudspeakers were already installed. Sound Insight, led by president Fred Kaplan, was brought in to complete the AV system and quickly discovered that the existing audio installation needed attention: The pendant loudspeakers were mounted at improper heights and spacing for the room, the existing system did not provide adequate coverage, and several subwoofers had failed.

Rather than discarding equipment that could still perform, Sound Insight worked with SoundTube technical support and engineering to evaluate the existing system, reposition and optimize the loudspeakers, replace or supplement equipment where necessary, and build a system capable of delivering the experience the new restaurant required.

The performance requirements at Rocco’s Tacos is what Kaplan described as a hybrid between a restaurant and a bar, making loudspeaker coverage, output and subwoofer performance particularly important. During lunch and dinner, the system needs to provide music throughout the restaurant at levels noticeably above conventional background audio while maintaining a comfortable dining environment. As the restaurant transitions into happy hour and late evening, the audio system becomes a much more prominent part of the experience, requiring substantially greater output and low-frequency impact.

That combination of requirements made SoundTube’s pendant loudspeakers and distributed subwoofers well suited to the application. The system could deliver broad, consistent coverage during dining periods while providing the headroom and low-frequency performance needed as the atmosphere became more energetic in the evening hours.

Unlike the New York restaurant, where Sound Insight began with an existing installation, the Burlington location provided an opportunity to design the audio system essentially from the ground up. The architecture also presented different conditions. Ceiling heights varied significantly from those in New York, and the restaurant included distinctive architectural elements such as a suspended bamboo drop ceiling and an open solarium with a solid wood ceiling.

Sound Insight turned to SoundTube’s design team to model the space before installation. Sound and heat mapping helped establish loudspeaker quantities, locations, mounting heights and predicted coverage. While some speaker positions ultimately required minor field adjustments to accommodate architectural elements, the fundamental loudspeaker count and system design remained consistent with the predictive model.

“Our goal is to remove uncertainty from system design,” said Sarah Chauvin, CTS, director of sales engineering and training for SoundTube. “Using SoundTube’s predictive modeling tools, we can show integrators exactly how a system is expected to perform before the first speaker is installed. For projects like Rocco’s Tacos, that means confident design decisions, even coverage throughout the space, and a smoother commissioning process that delivers the performance we designed from the very beginning.”

Sound Insight found a way to incorporate SoundTube's RS600i Series pendant loudspeakers into the suspended bamboo ceiling while maintaining the appearance of a built-in system. The pendant form factor provided the mounting flexibility necessary to suspend the loudspeakers from the structural deck above while positioning them at the heights established through the system design.

The Burlington installation included 26 SoundTube RS600i Series pendant loudspeakers supported by 10 RS1001i-II-T subwoofers. Ten CM82-BGM-II loudspeakers and two CM1001d-T subwoofers provided additional coverage in other areas of the restaurant.

The approach was adapted from the successful New York system, which uses larger RS800 iSeries pendant loudspeakers complemented by RS1001i-II-T subwoofers.

Rather than forcing identical loudspeaker placement into two very different buildings, Sound Insight maintained the overall system philosophy while adapting speaker selection, mounting heights, placement and tuning to the acoustical and architectural conditions of each restaurant.

Behind the loudspeakers, a Control4 platform provides management of multiple audio zones and sources throughout the restaurant. The zoning architecture gives Rocco’s Tacos the flexibility to manage audio throughout different areas of the restaurant while supporting the changing atmosphere over the course of the day.

Installation itself presented no significant integration challenges. The greater emphasis was on optimizing the system once the loudspeakers were installed.

The two Rocco’s Tacos installations demonstrate the value of establishing a proven audio strategy and then adapting it to the individual environment. In Huntington Station, troubleshooting the existing installation revealed the importance of proper pendant height, spacing and low-frequency reinforcement. In Burlington, predictive mapping allowed those lessons to inform the system before installation began. Final equalization and DSP adjustments then optimized performance for the finished space.

"In both locations, the most important thing was the end result and the client’s total satisfaction,” Kaplan concluded. “Would I specify the same SoundTube solution again? One thousand percent, without hesitation.”