Outside the box

Brooke Sever, Editor.

As you can probably tell by its weight, this month’s issue of Sound & Stage is a big one. We’ve increased the number of pages to bring you more from behind the scenes at some of the region’s biggest and most interesting productions, more opinions from the current movers and shakers, more new technology and more pictures.

What might strike you most as you read our April issue, as it struck me when putting it together, is the innovation still coming out of the different sectors of entertainment production – from lighting, to audio and to staging.

Take Al Laith’s recent project at mega-defence expo IDEX, for instance. Tasked with the challenge of tracking two 30 metre LED screens across 140 metres, the team from the Event Services division thought outside the box, devising a motion control system tailored specifically for the job. To find out how they did it, check out page 54.

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Over on the beach on the Palm at the Sandance festival held in March, some ‘flippered’ residents at the nearby Atlantis resort meant the production team had to get creative to ensure sound levels remained Dolphin-friendly - but also kept the 9,500-plus crowd on their feet, dancing the night away. The full story is on page 24.

Looking internationally, Martin Audio says recent tests show its radical MLA systems will stand up against proposed European sound limits. Just in time for the Summer festival season, the manufacturer reckons pioneering design equals stealthy sound that flies under the radar of the 116dB maximum set to be put in place for outdoor events. Find out more on page 50.

We also say goodbye to an true audio pioneer in this issue. Owsley Stanley is credited as the man behind innovations now considered industry-standards, such as the studio monitor and the travelling PA, and passed away last month in Australia, where he had lived for the past 30 years. Our tribute to Stanley is on page 80.

Innovation is a topic sure to be on everyone’s lips at the moment as we enter an expo-packed month. I’ll be heading west to Pro Light+Sound in Frankfurt to check out what’s new and what’s improved and then on April 26, PALME opens in Dubai, showcasing the latest and greatest technologies, products and services to the local market.

I hope to see you there.

See a digital copy of the magazine here: 

www.digitalproductionme.com/emagazines/ssme_85.php