The “King of Wheels” BMX contest held on March 11th at the “Stuttpark” skatepark in Stuttgart, Germany, was a huge success. With riders from all over the country competing in three different classes – Kids, Amateurs, and Professionals – the competition was fierce, but in the end, it was all about the skills, the stunts, and the fun! The incredible atmosphere of the event was ensured by Electro-Voice sound systems.
Two EVOLVE 50M column loudspeaker systems served as the main PA, with a further two EVERSE 8 battery-powered loudspeakers deployed for the adjacent areas and as a DJ monitor to blast out the perfect mix of cool beats and tunes, while announcements were made crystal clear via a wireless RE3 microphone system that was connected to the EVOLVE 50Ms.
The DJ also used a Dynacord CMS 600 mixing console for signal processing and to keep the party going, making sure that every rider’s trick was accompanied by the perfect sound.
ApexPro is the premium distributor of Electro-Voice products in sub-Saharan Africa.
With great pleasure, the Genelec Artist Room recently welcomed Seventine – the victors of our 2021 ‘Bändikisa’ band contest – to perform a special live version of their song ‘Feast from Disgrace’.
Run in collaboration with Finnish rock legends Apulanta, Genelec’s ‘Bändikisa’ competition challenged our Finnish-speaking community to submit their songs for a chance of winning a pair of 8320A monitors, a GLM kit, a studio day at Apulanta’s very own headquarters and of course, an Artist Room live session. Having beaten four other finalists with their song ‘Hateseeder’, Seventine went on to receive the bulk of their prizes in late 2021. Due to the pandemic, their Artist Room appearance had to wait a little longer, but it was only a matter of time!
Seventine, made up of childhood friends Paavo Auvinen, Kim Miettinen, Mika Kontinen, and Väinö Kemppinen, have played their own brand of modern metal together for about five years. During that time, they’ve taken inspiration from iconic bands such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Bullet for My Valentine while making plans to record their debut album.
To watch their Artist Room performance, simply click the play button below.
We wish Seventine the very best of luck with their musical adventures! Make sure to follow them on social media: Facebook: @Seventine Instagram: @seventineband_official
After renting for nearly eight years, Meyer Sound LEOPARD® compact line array loudspeakers have taken up permanent residence in the Silva Concert Hall.
The rental system was provided by locally based George Relles Sound, Inc., with Relles returning earlier this year as the integrator for the permanent installation. The new resident system made its debut in the 2,447-seat venue with a performance of Missa Gaia (Earth Mass) by the Eugene Concert Choir with composer Paul Winter as the featured soloist. One week later, the system supplied sound for a showing of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, with a live performance of the John Williams score by the Eugene Symphony.
“Everything is going great with our new system,” says Hult Center General Manager Jeff Weinkauf, “but of course, that is hardly a surprise. I’ve heard it many times over the years, and I’m always blown away by the clarity, depth, and consistency. George [Relles] said several times — somewhat jokingly — that we might as well buy one of our own. Finally, we were able to make that happen.”
In addition to “pops” style concerts and movie soundtracks with the Eugene Symphony, a cross-section of past performances supported by the essentially identical LEOPARD system includes Patti Labelle, the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Pink Martini, Bob Weir & the Wolf Bros., B.B. King, and Buddy Guy.
Weinkauf, who previously served as operations director and technical director at the Hult Center, had ample opportunity to evaluate alternatives for a permanent “A+” solution. “Many touring pop and Broadway shows carry their own production, so I’d heard solutions from most of the major manufacturers in our space,” he says. “Consistently, the Meyer Sound systems outperform the others in here. We always seemed to get more positive comments when the show was carrying Meyer Sound.”
The installed system comprises main left and right hangs of 14-each LEOPARD compact line array loudspeakers, one more than with the typical rental system. Three ULTRA-X40™ compact loudspeakers are installed as balcony delays. “For most shows, the delays aren’t critical because the LEOPARDs cover the balcony very well,” notes Relles. “But if there’s a lot of level coming off the stage from a loud band, and it’s exciting the room, the delays will help boost the clarity up there.”
The top twelve LEOPARD loudspeakers are the M80 variant, with the narrower 80-degree horizontal pattern limiting reflections off the side walls. The bottom two loudspeakers employ the standard 110-degree waveguide. Front fills are six ULTRA-X20™ compact wide-coverage loudspeakers, and deep bass is propelled by three-per-side gradient cardioid arrays of 1100-LFC™ low-frequency control elements.
“Sometimes we would get questions about having only six subs,” admits Weinkauf. “People will walk in, take a look, and say, ‘Is that really going to be enough?’” Then we fire it up, and they say, ‘That will be fine.’ Of course, we can always have George bring in a few more, if only for the visual effect.”
Relles’ long experience with LEOPARD arrays in the room made system tuning a snap. “One TruShaping filter and a couple of parametrics with just a few dB was all it took,” he recalls. “Since I already had the Compass files from previous visits I basically had the system ready in less than fifteen minutes.”
Relles and Weinkauf had discussed an option for the new PANTHER™ large format linear line array loudspeaker but soon concluded it would be more than the room needed. The first trials proved the point. “After I tuned the LEOPARDs we played tracks from all genres, ending up with some heavy metal,” recalls Relles. “We still had six to eight dB of headroom but everybody was screaming ‘Enough!’ at the top of their lungs.”
The system upgrade also included MJF-208™ and MJF-210™ stage monitors, with more of each model on order. “We still have our old monitors, but after hearing the MJF wedges, the techs in both of our rooms are specifying them for their shows. Artists love the way they sound. They’re lightweight, powerful, and so easy to dial in with very little — if any — corrective EQ needed.”
Having their own premier system available at all times allows the Hult Center more certainty and flexibility in programming, continues Weinkauf. “This gives our programming manager, Vicki Infinito, a new tool for attracting and booking top-rank artists. George is a sought-after provider for our region, so he was not always available to bring in his LEOPARD system. Also, we are seeing more acts touring only with desks, making this upgrade a high priority. We are already booking top-tier acts for the fall that might have passed us by if we didn’t have this system available in-house.”
Operated by the City of Eugene Cultural Services Division and opened in 1982, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts is renowned for its striking exterior and the novel basketweave interior of the Silva Concert Hall. The Hult Center also houses the intimate, 495-seat Soreng Theater.
ApexPro, in partnership with local pro-AV supplier Six Dots, successfully launches HH Electronics in Gaborone, Botswana.
ApexPro, the distribution arm of the Prosound Group of Companies, headed to Gaborone, Botswana, to launch HH Electronics’ range of audio solutions at the Town Lodge Convention Center on February 27.
ApexPro took on the distribution rights of HH Electronics, part of the UK-based Headstock Group, for the sub-Saharan region late in 2022. “HH Electronics offers a versatile range of both portable and commercial audio solutions that are ideal for the African market,” says ApexPro’s HH Electronics product specialist, Simba Mukabeta. “The company’s products are designed by a passionate team of audiophiles in the UK, and offer scalable audio solutions, robust design, and high-quality sound at an affordable price.”
Based on the positive response the HH Electronics launch received from the local market in South Africa in late 2022, ApexPro teamed up with its partner in Botswana, Six Dots, to arrange a pro-AV Expo at the Town Lodge Convention Centre in Gaborone.
“We presented HH-Electronics’ Tensor and Tessen Series at the event, which was very well received by both professional and end users,” Mukabeta explains. “In sub-Saharan Africa, clients are looking for high-quality sound that is scalable, affordable, and, most importantly, able to withstand the harsh African climate. HH-Electronics delivers on all these fronts, and it’s a privilege to offer our Botswanan clients a solution that we truly believe in,” he concludes.
While HH-Electronics is a new product in Botswana, ApexPro enjoys a long-standing relationship with pro-AV service providers in the region.
“Over the past two years, our ability to visit our partners in sub-Saharan Africa has been severely curtailed due to travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” explains ApexPro company director Justin Acres. “We have long-standing partnerships with installation and rental companies in Botswana, who have come to rely on ApexPro to deliver world-class professional audio-visual equipment on time and within budget to support their projects in the region, despite the complexities of doing business in a developing market. In addition to relying on ApexPro as a distributor, clients in the region can lean on the expertise of the Prosound team as pro-AV installations and AV solutions providers, with 50 years of experience working in the region.” Acres points out.
“One of our goals this year is to reconnect in person with our partners in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to strengthening our existing relationships in the region, we are determined to increase our already impressive African footprint in 2023. We want to ensure that Africa’s rapidly growing and underserviced pro-AV market can access the best, most fit-for-purpose AV technology through local distributors to ease the burden of doing business with overseas suppliers in the region,” Acres concludes.
ApexPro’s director of sales, Brendan Venter, will be attending ISE 2023 to cement existing relationships and create new opportunities to distribute world-class pro-AV products across Southern Africa.
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is the world’s largest exhibition for AV and systems integration professionals. Held annually, ISE attracts over 1,300 exhibitors and over 80,000 attendees from around the world.
ISE 2023 will open its doors on January 31 in Barcelona, Spain. The event will feature a wide range of technical presentations, workshops, demonstrations, and a large exhibition floor with the latest AV and systems integration products and technologies from the world’s leading technology innovators and solutions providers.
“The Southern African market is hungry for professional audio, visual, and integration solutions suitable for our unique environment. The event provides the perfect opportunity for us to find the manufacturers, solutions, and products that will fulfill the market’s diverse needs across verticals,” says ApexPro director Justin Acres.
ApexPro director Mark Malherbe concurs, stating, “With Brendan’s many years of industry experience and strong working relationships with our current suppliers, we are confident that he will use the opportunity presented at ISE 2023 to cement existing relationships and bring onboard new opportunities at this year’s event.”
Prosound, which will be celebrating 50 years in business this year, is the holding company of ApexPro. ApexPro was established in the early 2000s to serve as an independent distribution company for Southern Africa, allowing Prosound to focus on consulting and installation services to clients in the region.
“The Pro-AV market is emerging from a tumultuous time following the global Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a great opportunity to attend ISE at the start of 2023, as we see a strong surge in growth and investment from our client base in the post-pandemic economy. Business models have changed over the past two years, necessitated by the lockdowns and spurred on by the rapid expansion of connectivity infrastructure across the sub-Saharan region. People in the region are ready to adopt next-level technology, and we are excited to find and bring the products and solutions needed to drive these advancements forward,” says Brendan.
New Product Introductions and Interactive Tech Bars Highlight ISE Presence
At this year’s Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Barcelona, Meyer Sound will introduce a new product expected to have a significant impact on portable touring and installed sound industries. Only a year ago, the company debuted the phenomenally successful PANTHER™ large-format linear line array loudspeaker, setting a new standard for the industry and a new direction for Meyer Sound technologies.
“At ISE, we will introduce a powerful new Milan-equipped loudspeaker that extends and complements the clear benefits that already have earned global acceptance in PANTHER.”
John McMahon, Meyer Sound Senior Vice President
Also featured at the Meyer Sound stand (Hall 5, 5F100) will be a single PANTHER cabinet, unattached and available for team lifting to demonstrate its light weight of 150 lb (68 kg) and compact size. The class-leading acoustical performance of PANTHER is already proven in the real world and backed up with the latest technology, including a Milan AVB endpoint as standard.
The always-popular Tech Bar has been doubled for ISE 2023. One tech bar will feature the Spacemap® Go spatial sound design and mixing tool using a range of compact IntelligentDC™ loudspeakers. The other Tech Bar will focus on the networked power and flexibility of new ULTRA-X20™ loudspeakers and USW-112P™ subwoofers, also with integrated Milan endpoints.
Both Tech Bars will demonstrate Meyer Sound’s new Nebra™ software platform, which provides fast and intuitive connection of Milan-based audio networks along with comprehensive system monitoring over the same network or, for backward compatibility with existing systems, via the RMServer™.
Meyer Sound also will introduce another new Nebra-compatible product that is optimized for installation applications.
“Meyer Sound experienced a record year in 2022 and we will build on that momentum in 2023 starting at ISE,” says McMahon. “Our team looks forward to meeting in person in Barcelona with customers from around the world.”
ISE 2023 will take place in Barcelona, Spain at Fira Barcelona from January 31 to February 3, 2023.
ApexPro, the sole distributor of Meyer Sound solutions and products in Southern Africa, will be represented by Brendan Venter at ISE 2023.
