• Peter Fodero takes on role as Operations Manager
• Kyle Baggett joins as Client Contact
• New team will focus on excellence in customer service and support

The pro audio year kicks off with some high-caliber product launches at NAMM: Sennheiser is showcasing exciting entry-level wireless systems for both bands and videographers, along with two brand-new in-ears in its IE range and the SK 6212 mini-bodypack transmitter for live audio and broadcasting applications. Neumann.Berlin is presenting its very first pair of studio headphones and a new KH line subwoofer. More details on the products will be revealed at the show.

Brazil’sTV Culturahas selected Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, to enhance its production workflow with a newly expanded playout infrastructure. The broadcaster is now equipped with more channels, higher resolution content and smoother integration – supporting its vision to deliver richer content to its viewers.

Penn Elcom, leading global manufacturer of 19-inch racking and flight case hardware, has expanded the Latch producing line its Washington, Tyne & Wear UK base, adding three new jobs, and 10 new machines as part of a £50,000 investment to update and expand its production of latching mechanisms.

Broadcast Solutions has begun delivery of a major order to Belarus’ state broadcaster Belarus TV. Belarus TV, BelTV for short, has commissioned four production sets to Broadcast Solutions, one of Europe’s largest system integrator. Each set comprises an 18-camera HD OB Van, a 4-camera HD flightcase studio and a support vehicle. The first two production vehicles left Broadcast Solutions’ production facilities in December 2018 and the bulk order will be completed by April 2019. Until this date, the other identical sets will be delivered to the customer at regular intervals.

Successful premiere for the largest color grading theater in western Germany: In December, the producers of the spy thriller “The Operative” were the first film team to deploy the new digital color grading facility called “The Suite” in Cologne. The ten meters (33 ft.) wide screen and the state-of-the-art cinema projection and sound technology enable film makers to implement particularly precise color corrections. The offer is very well received: several film production companies already have booked into the color grading theater for the first half of 2019. MMC Studios developed “The Suite” together with the renowned post-production company “WeFadeToGrey”.

SOMMER CABLE completes their SYSBOXX product family, presenting more innovations around the modular system. After the market launch of the SYSTRUNK duct system and the SYSBOARD wall housings, the range is now upgraded by the SYSDESK desk connection panel with push-to-lift mechanism and the SYSFRAME50 connection panel.

When the professional audio and MI worlds come together for the 2019 NAMM Show, DPA Microphones (Booth 18507) will be center stage. The company will have a stellar line-up of in-booth performances, all of which will highlight DPA’s impressive range of world-class modular microphones and accessories including the d:vote™ CORE 4099 Instrument Microphone and d:facto™ 4018 Vocal Microphone. The DPA performance line up is comprised of a powerhouse group of artists, including Great White lead singer Mitch Malloy, funk/soul singer Dawn Joseph, solo cello/vocalist Sarah Clanton and classical guitarist David Steinhardt with professional violinist and composer, Jason Yang.

German-based pro audio and broadcast audio specialist DirectOut Technologies has announced changes in the structure and leadership of the company. As of January 2019, Claudio Becker-Foss is promoted to the role of CTO and CEO of DirectOut GmbH. He takes over both positions from Stephan Flock, who will now focus on the research and development of FPGA-based interface and DSP design.

Adlib’s installation division are part of a dynamic team which has helped to deliver Europe’s first installed L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound system at EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney), a vibrant new arts centre for live music, mixed arts, and performance located in the former Savoy cinema in Dalston, east London.
 

A remarkable outside broadcast truck, UHD1 HDR, built for Swiss production company tpc using technology from Imagine Communications, completed its first live broadcast – a match in the Swiss National Hockey League in Zürich on October 19, and is now in regular use. To deliver high-performance and multiformat capabilities across a broad range of productions, the truck uses standards-based IP connectivity. Providing extensive functionality in a compact form, the truck is the first step in tpc’s aggressive programme to move to an all-SMPTE ST 2110 production and delivery infrastructure.

The Berlin-based manufacturer Stage Tec has provided six AURUS platinum consoles for Radiotelevisione Italiana S.p.A. (RAI), the Italian public broadcaster. Two of the six consoles are equipped with 48 faders, the other four with 40 faders. The delivery was supplemented by a NEXUS router and a NEXUS Base Device per console. Each of the routers is equipped with five RMDQ audio DSP modules.

Panasonic has introduced a new handheld camcorder, the first in a series set to combine advanced connectivity functionality with high end image production for broadcast and streaming applications. The AG-CX350 camcorder spearheads the series, and is the first camcorder in the industry to provide NDI | HX connectivity1. This ensures smooth video transmission and camera control over IP for live events and web distribution, and means the camera can be built in to larger systems working alongside Panasonic PTZ camera systems equipped with NDI|HX and the Panasonic Live Production Center (AV-HLC100).

ES Broadcast Hire is expanding its European operation with the opening of an office in Rome, Italy. The office will be managed by Mario Sperelli, who joins the company as Hire Manager for Italy.

Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, has joined forces with the National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (Belarus TV) to deliver optimized, end-to-end workflows and infrastructure for the broadcaster’s four new outside broadcast (OB) vans. Designed and built by German OB specialists Broadcast Solutions GmbH, these new vans will produce and deliver coverage of the 2019 European Games, taking place in Minsk from June 21-30, 2019.