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  • DATALAND Opens as the World’s First Museum of AI Arts, Featuring Immersive Audio by L-Acoustics L-ISA and Ambiance Technologies

    DATALAND Opens as the World’s First Museum of AI Arts, Featuring Immersive Audio by L-Acoustics L-ISA and Ambiance Technologies

    “Sound is not merely an accompaniment to my visual installations; it is an intrinsic element, co-constituting the overall sensory experience,” says artist and visionary Refik Anadol, whose DATALAND, the Museum of AI Arts, opened to the public on June 20, 2026 at The Grand LA in downtown Los Angeles. With that conviction at its core, DATALAND has partnered with L-Acoustics to create an aural environment unlike anything found in any permanent museum anywhere in the world. One powered by an L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive spatial system and, for the first time in the Americas, the groundbreaking L-Acoustics Ambiance™ hybrid active acoustic enhancement solution, installed by Certified Partner Solotech.

    DATALAND is the world’s first omni-sensory AI arts museum, activating all five human senses. Its inaugural exhibition, Machine Dreams: Rainforest, developed by Refik Anadol Studio’s collective of artists, scientists, architects, and engineers, runs through January 31, 2027. Spread across five galleries, Machine Dreams: Rainforest redefines art for the age of machine intelligence. No longer a finished object, this art is a living work that unfolds in real time through the dynamic interplay of data, computation, and human presence. Visitors interact directly with artworks that respond to them; biometric data from wearable devices is woven into the experience itself.

    L-Acoustics is among an elite group of technology collaborators on the project, alongside NVIDIA, Google Cloud, Founding Olfactory Partner L’Oréal Luxe, and Epson. As the audio partner, L-Acoustics’ role goes far beyond sound reinforcement: its technology is integral to the full realization of Anadol’s creative vision, shaping every emotional beat of the experience through a 250-speaker spatial ecosystem with a resolution unprecedented in any permanent museum anywhere in the world.

    The Sound of DATALAND: L-ISA and Ambiance
    At the heart of DATALAND’s audio architecture is L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal audio, which gives artists the ability to ‘paint’ with sound across a three-dimensional canvas, in front of, above, and entirely surrounding each visitor. Audio content created by composer and sound designer Kerim Karaoğlu draws on original music, the acoustic ecology of the rainforest, and the sacred healing songs of the Yawanawá, and is fully integrated with the visual art, responding to the visuals in real time, inhabiting the same space, completing the experience at a sensory level that transcends any single medium.

    L-Acoustics Ambiance extends this further, transforming the acoustic character of the room itself. Ambiance can make a space feel intimate or vast, enveloping or electric, altering the reverberation time and character of the room in real time to serve the creative content. DATALAND marks its first permanent installation in the United States.

    Anadol’s work is guided, as he describes it, by “a desire to craft a soundscape that would serve as an auditory echo of both the architectural essence and the subtle emotional atmospheres inherent in the spaces.” L-Acoustics Ambiance is the instrument that makes Anadol’s vision possible.

    “For Refik and the DATALAND team, sound has always been as essential to the work as the visuals themselves, which is what makes this collaboration so meaningful,” says Yann-Gaël Gicquel, Director of Product Management, Spatial Systems at L-Acoustics. “This is the culmination of a long and deeply shared vision. We’ve worked together to build technology that supports the art, and becomes part of it. With L-ISA and Ambiance, that means giving Refik’s studio something they can keep playing, keep evolving, keep imagining with. That is what it means to be a true creative partner.”

    Gallery by Gallery: Engineered for Every Vision
    Because DATALAND is designed to evolve, with its content and experiences continuously developing over time, L-Acoustics engineered each gallery to deliver the most flexible, most adaptive audio platform possible. Whatever Anadol’s team imagines, this spatial system can realize it.

    Data Pavilion
    DATALAND’s main exhibition space, nearly 5,000 square feet with overhead speakers positioned 21 feet high, is the centerpiece of the immersive audiovisual experience. Three vertical rings of L-Acoustics loudspeakers envelop visitors in a fully spatial acoustic landscape designed to support Refik Anadol Studio’s generative visual art. Sound can be precisely localized to any point on the walls or ceiling, creating a seamless union of image and audio.

    The bottom layer alone features 27 Syva colinear speakers, each paired with a Syva Low and Syva Sub, delivering remarkable sonic resolution and low-frequency extension across the full sweep of the space. The surround and height layers add 25 and 12 X8i coaxial speakers respectively, with eight KS21i subwoofers providing room-filling foundation. Twenty-five X6i coaxial loudspeakers deliver direct-routed personalized audio encounters for individual guests. The space is driven by 12 LA7.16i amplified controllers using L-SMART technology, which continuously monitors and optimizes power consumption to average 30% greater efficiency compared to traditional processing platforms, with zero compromise to the sound. An L-ISA Processor II controls the object-based mix.

    The Sanctuary
    The Sanctuary measures 20 by 35 feet, with ceiling speakers reaching 30 feet high, a configuration that takes full advantage of Ambiance. Here, the technology is used not merely as a sound effect, but as a live acoustic tool: the reverberation time and character of the room itself shift in real time with the content, transforming the space from intimate to immersive and back again.

    Three rings of loudspeakers surround the gallery: a bottom layer of 17 5XT compact coaxial speakers, a surround layer of 11 X8i, and a height layer of six X8i. Low-frequency power comes from two KS21i and nine SB10i subwoofers, with six 5XT for individualized audio moments.

    Latent Gallery
    Connecting the exhibition areas, this space features video on one wall and seamless overhead audio continuity throughout. Ten X8i loudspeakers and two KS21i subs ensure visitors are never outside the sonic experience as they move between galleries.

    The Infinity Room
    The Infinity Room is a compact, self-contained space where audio and video are deeply intertwined for an intimate sensory encounter. A focused L-Acoustics system, comprising 25 X6i and 10 X8i loudspeakers plus two KS21i subwoofers, all driven by three LA7.16i, provides clear, full-range sound reinforcement in precise support of the room’s visual installations.

    Discovery Portal and Lobby
    The first space guests encounter upon entering DATALAND, the Discovery Portal sets the tone for everything to follow with welcoming L-Acoustics sound via four Soka colinear arrays and four SB10i subs driven by a single LA7.16i. Premium L-Acoustics background music systems extend through all common areas and the gift shop, ensuring the sonic quality of the museum reaches every corner of the guest journey.

    Across all spaces, the DATALAND installation deploys a total of 250 L-Acoustics loudspeakers, with audio transport split between Milan-AVB and AES67 protocols, giving DATALAND maximum flexibility for whatever its content becomes next.

    A Vision Built on Sound
    DATALAND’s ambition required a technical partner willing to design for the unknown. Because the museum is a site of continuous production, with its exhibitions evolving and the pigment of the artworks never drying, the audio system had to be as adaptable as the works themselves. Solotech delivered an L-Acoustics platform engineered for every experience that Anadol and his team will ever envision.

    L-Acoustics has a long history of collaboration with Anadol’s studio, including his In the Mind of Gaudí permanent L-ISA installation at Casa Batlló in Barcelona. DATALAND represents the most ambitious realization of that shared vision to date, and the first time Ambiance has been permanently deployed in the United States.

    “My work is guided by a desire to craft a sonic landscape that would serve as an auditory echo of both the architectural essence and the subtle emotional atmospheres inherent in the spaces,” Anadol has said. “With L-Acoustics L-ISA and Ambiance technologies, those atmospheres are no longer fixed. They are alive.”

  • Casino Rama Resort Entertainment Centre Upgrades to L-Acoustics K2 Concert Sound System

    Casino Rama Resort Entertainment Centre Upgrades to L-Acoustics K2 Concert Sound System

    Situated on the land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, roughly 90 minutes north of Toronto, Casino Rama Resort has been one of Ontario’s most storied entertainment destinations since opening its doors. At its heart is the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre (CREC), a 5,000-seat theatre that has welcomed an exceptionally wide range of talent over nearly three decades: rock legends like Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Deep Purple; pop icons including Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, and Lionel Richie; comedians, Celtic ensembles, boxing cards, and symphony orchestras. It is a room that has to sound right for all of it. As the CREC approaches its 25th anniversary this June, that mandate has received a fitting upgrade: a new L-Acoustics K2 system, supplied by Solotech, replacing a V-DOSC rig that delivered close to a quarter century of virtually flawless performance.

    A Legacy That Set the Bar

    That the outgoing system needed to be replaced at all was more a matter of timing than failure. “The old system was an incredible slugger,” says Rob Howick, Venue Operations Assistant Manager. “V-DOSC went out the door with absolutely nothing wrong with it after all that time. We brought it in once a year just to rotate cabinets. As a legacy product, it was simply time for an upgrade.”

    Perry Disera, A1 at CREC and the engineer who spearheaded the design and installation, underscores just how remarkable that track record was. “We were very fortunate to not require any manufacturer support throughout the lifetime of the system. V-DOSC handled everything we and incoming tour engineers put into it—withstanding the pounding of heavy metal acts while still sounding natural and sweet with symphonic performances. It was a remarkably worthwhile investment, all the way to the end.”

    That legacy, paradoxically, made the path forward straightforward. Staying within the L-Acoustics ecosystem meant a smooth transition, a familiar workflow for the in-house team, and confidence in the long-term investment. “I have a lot of deep respect for L-Acoustics products,” says Disera. “We’d had a long and amazing run with V-DOSC, and everybody was happy with it, so transitioning to K2 was a no-brainer.”

    A Phased Approach to the K2 Build

    Rather than a single-stage swap, the team structured the project to keep the venue operational throughout. “We split the project up to spread the capital purchasing,” Disera explains. “Phase one covered amplification, cabling, and background infrastructure—initially powering the then-current V-DOSC and dV-DOSC speakers. In phase two, we brought in more amplification to support all the new K2 enclosures, added another complement of subs per side, and completed all the cabling.” Brand continuity within the L-Acoustics platform made this phased approach viable, minimizing disruption and capital outlay at each stage.

    The complete system now features left and right main arrays of 16 K2 per side, with six additional K2 per side addressing the outer seating areas of the main floor. A pair of Kara II handle fill coverage for the front-center section. The LF system is anchored by 12 KS28 subwoofers per side, flown in a cardioid configuration and positioned within 11 feet of the five-foot stage for maximum impact and low-frequency control. Six LA-RAK II AVB touring racks, each loaded with three LA12X amplified controllers and two LS10 Milan-AVB switches, were added to the Entertainment Centre’s existing 10 LA-RAK II to round out the infrastructure.

    K2 Takes the Stage

    The rig has immediately impressed both the in-house team and visiting professionals. “Touring engineers are consistently happy with how this system performs sonically, and there’s very little they need to do to make their shows sound great,” says Disera. “I feel we now have what is probably one of the best rigs for a theatre of this size in Canada, if not in North America.”

    From the audience perspective, the impact has been equally striking. “The vocal clarity is night and day—the crispness, the overall texture of the high end,” says Howick. “Our room has always been excellent for sound, but there were some coverage gaps in the outer seating areas that the K2 outfills have completely resolved. The consistency from the first row to the very back row is really stunning.”

    Disera is quick to credit the team that helped make it happen: audio specialists Ryan Smith and Mike Brandon. “They’ve been instrumental in the installation and operation since we started putting the system in. We all have a hand in what’s going on with the PA and monitoring systems onstage, and we’re all genuinely thrilled with L-Acoustics. With our previous system delivering almost 25 years of incredible service, we’re confident this new one will do us right for at least 25 more.”

  • Coldplay Circles the Globe with DiGiCo Desks on Music of the Spheres World Tour

    Coldplay Circles the Globe with DiGiCo Desks on Music of the Spheres World Tour

    Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour is a global concert trek without peer. Kicking off in San José, Costa Rica on March 18, 2022 and taking a hiatus following a ten-date residency at London’s Wembley Stadium that concluded on September 12, 2025, the 225-show-to-date tour has performed in 80 cities across 43 countries.

    Supporting 2021’s Music of the Spheres and 2024’s Moon Music albums, the stadium run has been equally significant for its remarkable sustainability initiatives, reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 60 percent compared to the band’s previous outing. But the trek is far from over; it’s expected to pick back up in 2027 with another massive leg in what the band have teased as “138 more shows to go.”

    If the tour’s longevity is impressive, it pales in comparison to the tenures of some of its key crew, including Dan Green, Coldplay’s FOH engineer and audio producer since 1998, and Tony Smith, head of audio system design and FOH tech, who has worked with Green for 23 of those years. Almost as remarkable, the lion’s share of that timespan has found the duo working with DiGiCo worksurfaces.

    “I’ve been using DiGiCo since 2011, starting on the SD7, and have carried on ever since,” says Green, who eventually bumped up his worksurface to a Quantum7 with a new Quantum engine. “DiGiCo is just so versatile – it has so many ins and outs, and its matrixing is amazing. It’s just very versatile.”

    In November 2024, when the tour headed to Australia, Green and Smith had the opportunity to switch the FOH mix over to a brand new Solotech-supplied DiGiCo Quantum852, and they jumped at the chance. “The Q8 has been amazing – it just offers so much more workflow flexibility,” Green enthuses. “It’s taken everything that was great about the Quantum7 and expanded upon that. The screens are amazing, obviously, and it enables me to have more layers and a lot more workspace on the desk. The Q8 is clearly the best of the DiGiCo bunch, so far.”

    Green notes that he particularly appreciates the Quantum852’s onboard processing. “The expanded Spice Rack has allowed me to free up some of my plugin chains, which I was using on outboard processors, and be more integrated into the console, which is really useful to have everything under my fingertips. The onboard filters are always the first thing that I go to for any channel that’s coming into the desk. I use them to do the immediate cleanup of the low end if it’s needed – or if the top end is needed to be cleaned up – and the Q8’s filters work really well. I really like their sound. They’ve got a nice analog feel to them.”

    With the band performing on no less than three stages at each tour stop, a huge number of inputs are coming into the FOH console. “I think it’s around about 200 or so, plus another 32 channels of ambient microphones as we’re recording every show. The Q8 is amazing because, as far as I know, it’s the only desk on the market that would be able to handle that amount of inputs.”

    Speaking of I/O, the Quantum852 has been invaluable for its ability to provide exceptional feeds for broadcasters. “Our recordings have far too many channels to be able to send out to a broadcast engineer; there’s no way they’d be able to accept those channels, let alone mix them in a live situation,” Green describes. “The Quantum8 has so many auxes that I’m able to create submixes of all of my individual elements and send out 48 channels of stems to the broadcasters so that they’ve got a head start. In fact, they can line up their faders at zero, and that’s a good starting point. They can recreate my mix and then adjust it to be tailored for whatever they’re mixing for.”

    “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved with the sonics of the Coldplay shows, and we always get nice comments back about the shows. Wherever you are in the venue, it’s a great experience. And it’s also great because the social feeds and broadcasts sound brilliant because of our stem system. We’ve had an incredible response to our Glastonbury performance from the BBC, so we are really pleased with how everything is sounding.”

    The tour’s commitment to “going green” is embraced by all departments, including audio. “Sustainability has been a big part of what we’re trying to achieve for the tour,” Green shares. “In the audio department, we’ve tried to downscale our racks, whereas before I had a lot of analog hardware, lots of analog preamps, lots of outboard effects. And I’m really happy that now we’ve managed to reduce our setup down to the Quantum8 and basically one rack by the use of Fourier plugins and onboard effects and processing on the desk. It’s made a big difference.”

    Green and Smith actually started out with the beta version of Fourier Audio’s transform.engine two and a half years ago, before it was officially launched, and were able to road test it by slowly integrating it into their setup. “Fourier was really interesting to me as I was able to host the VST3 plugins that I use a lot in the studio, and I wanted to have the opportunity to bring these into a live context,” says Green. “I was really excited to beta test it. And as soon as we got the full working version – the official release – we put it into our system and it’s been fantastic. I’ve uploaded all of my effects onto the Fourier and have really enjoyed exploring VST3 plugins in a way that I wasn’t able to do before.”

    “With mixing live audio, I’ve always enjoyed using plugins because it enables me to switch things out and try different things on an almost nightly basis, if I want,” he continues. “Hardware is amazing and I love it, but it’s quite restricting in the fact that once you’ve built a rack, you’re normally stuck with that rack for the duration of the tour or the whole campaign – in our case, that’s four years! So it’s quite hard to change things in and out on an ad hoc basis when it’s all still working. With the transform.engine, having access to all of these VST3 plugins enables me to experiment with any idea that I may have. Anything that pops to mind, I can basically just give it a try – let alone also being able to stack processes, which in hardware is much harder. For instance, I may have a reverb that I want to follow by a compressor. If I want to try that, I’ve got the option to be able to do that.”

    “The Fourier has been really rock-solid – no complaints there at all – and it’s been a joy to test it on DiGiCo products. I’m really excited about what they’ve got to offer in the future.”

    For Smith, one of his main appreciations of the Quantum852 stems from a very practical standpoint when it comes to the potentially punishing environments of outdoor shows. “Everywhere seems to be hotter these days, and in some places on the tour the temperature at front of house has reached 43 degrees [110°F], so that presents its share of challenges for the consoles, racks, and everything else,” he says. “But clearly a lot of thought has been given to how air and heat flow through the Quantum8. It runs so much cooler, which is amazing, because there’s more processing power under the hood. Knowing that shows will stay up-and-running even in the hottest conditions, for me, that’s a huge relief.”

    Under the stage, in monitor world, Chris “Woodsy” Wood continues to ride the faders of his tried-and-trusted Quantum7, says Smith. “Though he was tempted to move over to the Q8 when we did, Chris is more than happy with the Q7, so why change if it’s not broken?” he notes. “And aside from a Bricasti M7, there’s no outboard being used on monitors. The Q7’s Nodals get utilized, as well as all the Spice Rack and onboard effects – it’s all onboard.”

    Great gear is only as good as its support, and the support from DiGiCo has reportedly been sterling. “DiGiCo have just been amazing to us,” says Green. “They’ve been so supportive and the team are always there to answer a text or help us with any emergency situation. And if we have any ideas on how to do things, or any strange requests, Dave and the team are always there to help us and answer our messages whenever we send them.”

    Smith agrees: “From my point of view, not being the mixer, one of my favorite things about DiGiCo is their amazing support, which you always need,” he says. “When you’re halfway around the world, things do go wrong. But if you’ve got the right support, you know you can get through it. And in the past, DiGiCo have done that. They’ve pulled rabbits out of hats, which has been amazing.”

  • San Diego Symphony’s Jacobs Music Center Caps Off Three-Year Renovation with Installation of New L-Acoustics K3 Professional Sound System

    San Diego Symphony’s Jacobs Music Center Caps Off Three-Year Renovation with Installation of New L-Acoustics K3 Professional Sound System

    The Jacobs Music Center, home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, reopened in fall 2024 following three years of renovations that included improvements to the hall’s acoustics, the addition of a choral terrace behind the orchestra, and the installation of brand-new sound, video, and lighting technologies. The hall, which seats just over 1,800 patrons, now features an L-Acoustics K3 LCR professional audio system with KS21 and KS28 subs, a separate Syva voice audio system, and X Series choral loft reinforcement, together with an assortment of front-fill and under-balcony speakers.

    Originally built as The Fox Theatre movie palace in 1929, the ornate hall has been the orchestra’s home since 1984. “The main reason for this renovation was the acoustical transformation for the orchestra on stage,” says Joel Watts, San Diego Symphony’s Audio Director. The orchestra is never amplified for strictly classical concerts, he stresses. “We don’t amplify unless it’s a creative stylistic choice.” But the various L-Acoustics systems, separately or in various speaker combinations, are available for the busy calendar of other concerts, comedy shows, corporate and civic events, and film screenings in the hall, which offers changeable acoustics around the stage following the upgrades.

    A Collaborative Design Approach
    The sound system design was a collaboration between the venue, L-Acoustics Applications Manager André Pichette, and François “Frankie” Desjardins at Solotech, which managed the integration. Audio consultant Shawn Murphy, a longtime symphony partner, also heavily contributed to the project. “Frankie has been instrumental with the audio design and Andre and the entire L-Acoustics team have been exceptional partners throughout the entire experience,” said Watts. The team had previously collaborated on the orchestra’s outdoor home, the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, which installed an L-Acoustics K2 system in 2021.

    Two Systems for Ultimate Flexibility
    The Music Center’s main sound system comprises three hangs of 13 K3 enclosures in an LCR configuration. Six KS21 subs, in cardioid configuration, are flown at the apex of the proscenium arch above the center K3 array. Six KS28 subs, also in cardioid, have additionally been permanently installed beneath the front of the stage. A dozen compact 5XT coaxials spread across the stage lip provide front-fill, augmented by individual X8i speakers mounted to the walls just beyond either side of the stage for expanded front-fill. A combination of five A10i and two X8 speakers are deployed as under-balcony fills, and one 5XT per side is installed in the venue’s upper-level “Angel Way” areas.

    The main performance system was designed with hang points, cabling, and power runs already implemented in preparation for the addition of two more arrays and surround speakers for an eventual upgrade to an L-ISA immersive configuration. “We’re ready for that next step and to be a leading partner in terms of technology and how we present the orchestra, or any music we do here,” Watts says. That pre-wiring means that the 5XT front-fills are driven by individual channels of an LA7.16i amplified controller, providing audience members in the front seats with stereo images. “Having that flexibility in amp channels and cable routing means those incremental improvements in resolution really make a difference for the audience.”

    The Performance system incorporates the Chorus Loft system, which covers the new upstage seating area. That system is deployed in a U-shape around the sides and back of the stage, configured as six pairs of two 5XT, each with a single low-profile SB10i sub, for a total of 12 5XT and six SB10i speakers. “We’ll either have patrons sitting there or we’ll have a chorus,” Watts explains. “If we’re doing a jazz show or a Pops concert with a chorus that needs a little piano or the main vocalist, they become monitors. For rock shows or more low-end-heavy shows, we’ll put up the SB10i subs.”

    A separate Voice audio system comprises six colinear Syva enclosures mounted on the hall’s front wall in three L/R pairs covering the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony seating levels. Six ultra-compact X4i speakers are mounted below the 5XT front-fills in the stage face to support voice front-fill.

    Tailored Sound Throughout the Space
    “It’s a really tall room with three distinct acoustic environments: in front of the balcony on the lower level, behind the balcony on the lower level, and upstairs,” Watts comments. “They all sound different, so how do we make them translate the most similarly?” The solution lies in the PA’s dual-system design; because the configuration is essentially two systems in one, components can be mixed and matched for optimum performance. “We can use anything that’s permanently installed, like the subs under the stage, with our Voice system,” he notes.

    The new sound systems are controlled using several processors, mostly driven with L-Acoustics amplified controller DSP and DirectOut PRODIGY.MP devices. There is a DiGiCo Quantum5 digital mixing console at front-of-house with an SD12 desk on stage for monitors and an SD11 for day-to-day events. The system was designed so that every live sound input goes to the recording side via DiGiCo, Grace Designs, or Merging microphone preamps, and most recording inputs go to the live sound side. The new AoIP infrastructure incorporates RAVENNA, AES, and Optocore transports and network bridging.

    Endless Creative Possibilities
    Flexibility was key to the overall sound system design, since the venue regularly hosts everything from symphony concerts to comedy shows. Watts and his staff have distilled different PA settings into processor snapshots that can shape the sonic character for specific events while the essential tuning remains unchanged. “We have all these various configurations that we’ve been able to mold to get the best version of what we need for each show,” he says.

    “It’s a beautiful LCR system, but we can take that next step and create different atmospheres for the musicians and our audience,” Watts adds. “The music is first, but you don’t hear the music without sound. People initially think it might be too much PA for this place, but then you listen to it and realize this is exactly what it needed.”

  • LeTourneau University’s Belcher Center Gets Great Sound and a Perfect Fit from L-Acoustics K3 Concert Sound System

    LeTourneau University’s Belcher Center Gets Great Sound and a Perfect Fit from L-Acoustics K3 Concert Sound System

    Nestled in the East Texas town of Longview, the LeTourneau University Belcher Center has garnered high acclaim for its arts and cultural programming since opening in 2007. The 2,011-seat, multilevel venue is one of the most appreciated destinations in the area for all types of productions – including national tours, concerts, lectures, and university chapel – and serves as the home for many arts organizations in Longview and the East Texas area. Recently, Belcher Center experienced a complete AV overhaul, guided by integrator Solotech, which positioned the Center as East Texas’ most sought-after live event destination for the 2024-2025 season and beyond. The centerpiece of that upgrade is a new L-Acoustics K3 sound system.

    “We host dozens of types of events here – from lectures to rock concerts, the venue is always working,” explains Belcher Center Technical Director Anthony “Fro” Horner, further citing the two local symphonies in the area, several dance companies, and the University’s own events, including graduations. “The upgrades to our entire system has given us the leverage we needed to become the best performing arts center in East Texas. Since the upgrade, the caliber of artists and shows we present to our area patrons has increased to a whole new level,” adds Belcher Center Executive Director Cody Bowen.

    The Center also hosts touring companies, such as the annual Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet each fall, and concerts such as LeAnn Rimes and Zack Williams. “Those tours typically carry their own sound, and that was where we really noticed that our previous PA was not up to par. We realized we needed one that would support and complement the nice natural acoustics of this room.”

    Horner and his team reached out to Solotech Business Development Representative Tom Stotler. “Belcher Center’s older center-cluster system forced them to rent extra equipment for many of their productions,” says Stotler. “They requested a new system that could cover every seat in every level of the venue without being overpowering. The new system also had to meet the rider requirements of touring shows.”

    Having heard the power and clarity of L-Acoustics in the center when it was brought in by touring artists, Horner knew that K3 would do all of that, and more.

    Working from a design provided by L-Acoustics using Soundvision software, which Stotler says virtually recreated the facility “down to the foot,” Solotech installed a system comprising left and right hangs of 12 K3 loudspeakers and six KS21 subs per side, with a pair of A15 acting as a center cluster. In addition, there are 14 compact coaxial 5XT arrayed across the front of the stage as front-fills, activated when the orchestra pit is not being used for a performance or event. Four larger X8 are installed per side as side-fills, arrayed to cover the front areas of the second and third seating levels. The system is powered by four LA7.16i and three LA4X amplified controllers, while four more LA4X power eight additional X8 deployable as stage monitors. A P1 processor at FOH drives the system over Milan-AVB.

    The K3 system sounds great and solved several design issues, including having the hangs configured so the lower boxes act as front-fills when the orchestra pit is in use. The compact footprint of the K3 with KS21 flown behind them allows the hangs to be repositioned via an automated lift as needed in a tight area in front of the venue’s 60-foot proscenium arch. Horner describes the barely six-foot clearance to the back of the stage that includes a solid one-foot-thick movable fire wall that also has to fit in there. “The subs are part of the J curve, which is not something you see often,” he says. “But they made it so that everything fits and works perfectly.” Stotler chimes in, “Now, they can get the sound where it’s needed without having to resort to a crazy amount of processing, and the entire PA can be moved as needed, giving the venue even more performance flexibility.”

    Horner says that the switch to K3 has revitalized the venue. “Everyone has noticed how much the experience has improved,” he says. “The new sound system has made Belcher Center even more enjoyable for audiences and performers alike.”

    “Our goal was straightforward: to integrate state-of-the-art sound technology that would elevate every performance and create an impressive experience for the audience,” Stotler adds. “Through our partnership with L-Acoustics, LeTourneau University, and the Belcher Center, I’m proud to say we’ve achieved just that.”

  • Solotech Accelerates Sales Cycle and ROI Using Jetbuilt

    Solotech Accelerates Sales Cycle and ROI Using Jetbuilt

    Founded 45 years ago, Solotech is a global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology. The company has been recognized several times among the top 10 integrators of Systems Contractor News ’Top 50 systems integrators.

    The business currently has 18 strategic locations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and China, and over 1300 employees, with further global expansion planned over the coming years. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions and services. The company is internationally known for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education.

    In early 2021, Solotech acquired Nashville-based Morris Sound & Light and InteRise. This acquisition, part of Solotech’s impressive growth plans, led to an unexpected and exciting development as the acquired company had something that would bring a great return on investment: Jetbuilt.

    Alexandre Pecqueux, Vice-President, Innovation and Operational Excellence at Solotech, explains,“ Up until the acquisition of Morris Sound & Light and InteRise, we used Microsoft Excel to quote across the business, just like many other integrators. Accessing Jetbuilt through this acquisition made us discover that Jetbuilt is a far quicker, less cumbersome and a more accurate quoting tool.”

    From initial conversations, Solotech had some concerns over Jetbuilt being a cloud-based solution and how it could support a business of its size. Alexandre mentioned,“ We had identified issues in other cloud-based platforms: lagging systems and lack of performance. But it was not the case with Jetbuilt. This solution is like working on a desktop application speed-wise, with all the added features a cloud-based system provides. We have been blown away by the software. In fact, we did some time and motion studies which showed Jetbuilt has reduced our quote time by at least 50%, and even more when dealing with larger and complex projects. Another massive advantage Jetbuilt offers is quoting accuracy. We’re no longer concerned about human errors as all our products and pricing are now pre-loaded in Jetbuilt.”

    Like many other businesses, Solotech had experienced a certain degree of inaccuracy when using humans to input data. It could occasionally affect a quotation by making it too expensive or engaging potential lost revenues. Jetbuilt eliminated the human input factor where errors are more likely to occur.

    The support provided by Jetbuilt was phenomenal and the team at Jetbuilt worked closely with Solotech to offer a comprehensive launch plan before rolling it out across the group. Solotech was highly impressed by the quality of the support supplied by Jetbuilt. Alexandre confirmed,

    “There is so much information and detail to review for a project of this size. Yet, whatever we needed, Jetbuilt was able to provide it pre-launch, in the planning phase, during the rollout, and after implementation.” Solotech was delighted with the integration of this major new software system, from A to Z. “Jetbuilt delivered far beyond our expectations. The Jetbuilt support team has been so responsive and dedicated to making this implementation completely fault-free for us. In fact, after just one week, we had staff telling us they didn’t want to use anything else!”

    Nancy Dugas, Process Optimization Analyst at Solotech, confirmed, “Jetbuilt seamlessly integrates with our existing CRM and ERP system. The API works brilliantly. We don’t have to duplicate work by adding information into several tools; just one entry and then everything synchronizes and communicates perfectly. It’s a game-changer for our business.”

    One of the other critical aspects for Solotech was Jetbuilt’s ability to quote in other languages. Solotech can now produce a quotation in one language and have it fully translated into a range of other pre-determined languages without any delay or extra cost. Previously, this would have required an internal or external resource to translate every quote, further slowing down the quotation process and increasing costs.

    Frederic Senay, Sales director at Solotech added, “We work with several multinational customers, where dedicated pricing is set up across various suppliers and territories. Jetbuilt can add discounts instantly into the quotes, which has halved our workload for special projects and ensured accuracy. It’s an amazing tool that I only wish we’d had sooner.”

    Alexandre and the team at Solotech are thrilled with Jetbuilt adding, ”We have plans to grow our business significantly outside the US and Canada in the coming years, and we see Jetbuilt as a vital part of that expansion. Jetbuilt is a business that understands the needs of the AV industry, how it works and what is needed to grow. This solution has been one step ahead of what we need with every new development! They’ve wowed us for sure and we can’t wait to see all the other new features and tools they have planned.”

  • DiGiCo is the Pearl at the Heart of San Diego Symphony’s New Outdoor Home on the Bay

    DiGiCo is the Pearl at the Heart of San Diego Symphony’s New Outdoor Home on the Bay

    SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The $85 million Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, the brand new outdoor home of the San Diego Symphony, is an architectural wonder on the edge of San Diego Bay and in the heart of the city’s downtown. Designed to complement the sails of the nearby San Diego Convention Center, the concert shell is wrapped in a translucent flexible material that covers a generous 13,000-square-foot performance space for accommodating the full orchestra and guest artists. Depending on the event, audience capacities and setups vary from intimate two- and four-person table seating arrangements to standing crowds of up to 10,000.

    As an outdoor symphonic space, “The Shell,” as it has come to be known, has a large PA system integrated into the venue as part of its infrastructure, and the immersive nature of the PA system requires powerful and sophisticated mix platforms to control it. That’s why the San Diego Symphony chose three DiGiCo consoles for the task. A Quantum7 is installed as the front-of-house mix desk, with a DiGiCo SD10 for monitor mixing and an SD12 on hand for any auxiliary mix and processing needs. The three consoles, three SD-Racks located on stage, and a Mini-Rack in the amp room are all on a dual Optocore network, and the entire system was designed and integrated by Solotech.

    Joel Watts, the Symphony’s Audio Director, says, “You couldn’t ask for more from a console.”

    “There are several reasons why we chose the DiGiCo consoles, and they are all areas that the brand excels in,” says Aaron Beck, Business Development Manager and Senior Engineer at Solotech. “First, there’s capacity—the Quantum7 can run 200-plus inputs. Then there’s the Quantum processing power.” Becks cites features like Quantum’s Mustard Processing channel strips, Spice Rack plugin-style native FPGA processing options, and Nodal Processing all as standout features. “Plus, there’s the overall quality of the sound, which is exceptional,” he says.

    The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will see scores of visiting touring groups each year, many of whom will bring their own audio engineers and all of whom will be familiar with DiGiCo console architecture and operation. That familiarity will be important for more than just operational reasons. Jacobs Park is located within a major metropolitan area that, like many, has stringent noise regulations. San Diego has deployed NTi Audio noise measurement devices nearby that automatically issue reports via cellular data to key elements of the city’s environmental control, as well as directly to the house engineer at Rady Shell. “The venue’s engineer can adjust the overall volume of the entire system from the FOH console when necessary to keep every show within compliance,” he says.

    Founded in 1910, the San Diego Symphony is the oldest orchestra in California and one of the largest and most significant cultural organizations in San Diego, and performs for more than 250,000 people each season, offering a wide variety of programming.

    Joel Watts, the Symphony’s Audio Director, says the way the three DiGiCo consoles are networked on their own Optocore loop, along with a BroaMan Route66 Optocore AutoRouter, makes the entire console infrastructure effectively modular. “A single orchestral show here is 90 inputs, so being able to use all of the consoles, if necessary, as a single system is extremely helpful and efficient,” he says. “And console features like Snapshot really add to that. It lets us manage a large number of inputs easily.”

    Watts further notes that the 32-bit “Ultimate Stadius” microphone pre-amps on the SD-Racks are the next best thing to the kinds of high-end mic pre’s he’d choose in the studio for recording classical orchestras. “My background is in studio production, and we’re recording most of the performances here for later postproduction, and the DiGiCo mic pre’s sound fantastic,” he says. “We’re also doing all of our television streaming of concerts through them, too. No coloration, fully transparent—that’s what you want for classical music. It makes it sound like a CD. You couldn’t ask for more from a console in this kind of situation.”

    For more details on the new Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, visit www.theshell.org. Solotech can be found online at www.solotech.com.

     

  • L-Acoustics Allows Resorts World Las Vegas Venues to Go From Morning to Night Without Skipping a Beat

    L-Acoustics Allows Resorts World Las Vegas Venues to Go From Morning to Night Without Skipping a Beat

    LAS VEGAS – Resorts World Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Strip’s first new hotel-casino in a decade, is doubling down on the city and Solotech, a Certified Provider integrator (CPi) for L-Acoustics, is making sure they won’t be gambling with the sound. Four new venues on the property—with more to come—all benefit from the wide range of L-Acoustics loudspeakers that assure concert-grade sound for all varieties of installed-AV environments.

    The newly-opened Ayu Dayclub, which debuted this summer with a performance by Miley Cyrus, boasts a touring-grade, dual-hang sound system comprising nine L-Acoustics K3i speakers per side bolstered by six KS28 positioned under the stage, part of a concert bandshell that fronts the dayclub’s pool. In addition, a VIP sidefill system is equipped with two A15 medium-throw speakers and one KS21 sub per side, while the separate East Pool Bar sound system similarly utilizes three A15 on either side and four KS21. Finally, the venue’s 20 private cabañas each have a pair of X8 short-throw speakers that can be either tied into the main PA system or accessed by users for their own music sources. All of these systems are powered by nine LA12X, twelve LA4X, and twenty-one LA2Xi, with system measurement and processing handled by L-Acoustics P1.

    “If you’re going to have Miley Cyrus open your dayclub, you have to have the kind of PA system she and her engineers have on tour, and that’s L-Acoustics,” says Aaron Beck, Solotech’s Business Development Manager and Senior Engineer. “Dayclubs have become incredibly competitive and they need the kind of rider-friendly sound systems that L-Acoustics provides.”

    On the other side of the clock is the Zouk Nightclub, scheduled to open in September with its own K3i system, featuring six enclosures per side that populate a two-hang system along with six KS28 subwoofers, all powered by four LA12X and thirteen LA4X. In addition, a private space within the nightclub, the Empire Room, features its own A15-based sound system.

    “This space goes from point-source to line array and does it all by taking the same speaker technology that would be used for touring and adding installation hardware,” says Beck. “As a result, the clubs get great sound and the benefit of a rider-friendly brand at a significantly reduced cost since the install versions don’t need the heavy rigging of the touring line.”

    Rounding out Resorts World Las Vegas’ new venues, the new Fuhu Asian restaurant uses two L-Acoustics Syva with two Syva Low installed on either side of the main bar. Another four private areas of the restaurant are fitted with short-throw 5XT and X8, all powered by a mix of four LA4X and LA2Xi amplified controllers. Meanwhile, at the 6,140-square-foot RedTail gaming lounge and sports bar, three A10 per side and four KS21, along with a monitor system comprising four X12 and two SB18 subs, give DJs the power to rock the house every night. Additional X8 enclosures round out the bar system, which is collectively driven by one LA12X, two LA4X, and two LA2Xi.

    Miley Cyrus engages the fans at Resorts World Las Vegas

    “I’ve been a fan of L-Acoustics for several years now,” says Drew Strozza, Resorts World VP of Entertainment, who was previously instrumental in the adoption of an L-Acoustics Kara system for MGM’s Wet Republic Ultra Pool outdoor venue. He saw the benefit of making the brand part of Resorts World’s new and massive 117,000-square-foot casino’s venues. “The brand has over fifty percent of all touring work now, and that’s hugely important in an entertainment capital like Las Vegas. We have over 25 artists scheduled in our new venues and not one of them has even brought up the audio rider once they see L-Acoustics on it.”

    Strozza was also pleased to see the arrival of K3, whose installed version, K3i, is a key component in the new clubs. “K3 came out last year at the perfect time,” he says. “It has the power of K2 but with a smaller profile, which makes it perfect for the stage at the dayclub, and for the DJ position, which is also onstage here.”

    In November, Resorts World Las Vegas is scheduled to open The Theater at Resorts World, a 5,000-seat performance venue that is expected to be the largest L-ISA immersive system in the world, with an estimated 267 L-Acoustics loudspeakers.

    In the meantime, the property’s current tally of four L-Acoustics-equipped venues will ensure that their patrons and performers alike have the best audio experience possible. “Drew really drove the decision to move forward with André Pichette’s sound designs for Ayu, Zouk, Fuhu and RedTail as well, and we were glad to see L-Acoustics on the spec when Solotech became involved,” adds Beck. “By providing tour-quality sound and performance in a fixed-install format, the systems in these venues will help attract the very highest level of music performers. Resorts World wanted to do a fresh take on Las Vegas, and L-Acoustics makes all the difference.”

    For more info on Resorts World Las Vegas and its venues, visit www.rwlasvegas.com. Solotech can be found online at www.solotech.com.

  • PSNI Global Alliance adds four new Certified Solution Providers

    PSNI Global Alliance adds four new Certified Solution Providers

    TULSA, Okla. – PSNI Global Alliance, the global network of premier technology integrators and service providers, has further reinforced its global presence with the addition of four new Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) to its worldwide network.

    Chris Miller, Executive Director of PSNI Global Alliance spoke of his delight at the new partnerships: “As we emerge from the challenges of COVID-19, we are confident that we have the best partners in the world alongside us – continuing to raise the standards for AV excellence by unifying our strengths. These new additions to PSNI Global Alliance further cement our place as a truly global service provider, now covering 50 countries, where our combined assets are second to none.”

    The four newest Certified Solution Providers that were vetted for the PSNI network of providers include Techsvit – based in the Ukraine – who specialize in IT-integrated applications, covering vertical markets from Education through to Retail and the Workplace. With mobile flexibility now more important than ever, Techsvit’s expertise in cloud-based solutions is expected to be a strong asset to the region as business enters a post-Covid world.

    Rome-based Team Office has 30 years’ experience in digital signage and unified communications and are renowned for promoting industry standards (operating to UNI 11799: 2020 standard) in the Italian capital and beyond.

    Smart AudioVisual, located in Zagreb, Croatia, was founded in 2014, and is divided in three specialties: Smart AV, Smart Net and Smart Sense. The AV group specializes in professional AV, broadcast and digital cinema installations, including IPTV infrastructure, eSport and gaming infrastructure systems, and advanced projection techniques.

    Solotech, located throughout North America, has an enviable reputation in live events – with clients such as Céline Dion, P!nk,  Elton John and the Weeknd to name just a few – as well as system integration and solution sales across all vertical markets.

    To date, PSNI Global Alliance represents nearly 200 licensed service and integration offices around the globe, tipping the scales in 50 countries spanning six continents making it the largest global network of audiovisual integrators covering the largest geographical area in the world.

    To learn more about PSNI Global Alliance or membership to the network please visit www.psni.org.