UK - Sound Division Group have completed a complex sound installation for a sophisticated, new-age bowling and leisure concept, set within a landmark London building.

Brothers Charles and Adam Breeden had contracted the technology specialists to fit out their award-winning Lonsdale in Notting Hill three years ago. So when they set out to plan All Star Lanes, within the regenerated Victoria House on Bloomsbury Square, the Breedens (in partnership with Mark von Westenholz) had no hesitation in returning to David Graham's company.

"They did a great job for us at Lonsdale and here they have met the acoustic challenges of the building head on," declared Adam Breeden. "In the areas where we have been able to overcome these obstacles they have delivered an incredibly cri

UK - Just three months after the successful introduction of new infinite seamless plasma walls into its large-screen display stock, PSL has doubled its inventory from ten to 20 panels.

PSL MD Gary Davis was always confident of the appeal of the PK4201M super-thin 42" digital display panel. "Our initial stock of 10 panels has proved so popular with companies right across the PSL client list, from conferences to promotional work. Not only is the picture clarity quite exceptional, but the virtually seamless multi-screen format provides great flexibility of presentation."

The seam size of the infinite PK420IMs is less than 4mm, so when the modular plasma display (MPD) panels are teamed together, the wall allows the picture to appear as a complete image, as well as offering multi-screen and multi-input display formats in 16:9 aspect ratio.

(Chris Henry)

UK - To meet the rapidly rising demand for new generation HDTV camera usage, Bryant Broadcast and Data Communications reports that it has scored a UK first, in manufacturing and stocking a complete line of hybrid optical fibre camera cables to the SMPTE 311M specification; incorporating LEMO and other manufacturer's SMPTE 304M connectors.

No other medium can cost-effectively challenge fibre optics for bandwidth, unrepeated transmission distance and noise immunity in SD or HDTV camera systems, say Bryant; and as for bulk, an SMPTE fibre cable can be half the weight of a comparable (and much stiffer) triax camera cable. Given the nature of the uncertain environments which camera cable "hire stock" is put to, it's small wonder that demand has been increasing for a professional and reliable source of optical camera cable repairs, say the company.

Now, using the very late

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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

UK - Leading UK-based lighting designer Durham Marenghi specified Martin MAC 700 Profile spotlights for the first time for his recent Classical Spectacular shows, which played a series of UK area venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Manchester Evening News Arena.

Marenghi used 23 MAC 700s, eight of which were positioned on the floor, with the rest rigged on the striking above-stage trussing architecture. His new design for the shows was based on the core principals of "absolute synchronicity and sympathy" with the score, and also used over 80 other Martin fixtures including MAC 2K Washes, MAC 600 Washes, and MAC 300 Washes as truss toners. Marenghi comments that the MAC 700s "are incredibly bright. I specified them to be used for powerful profile type effects, which worked extremely well."

The biggest challenge in lighting a show of this nature

UK - Screen Rent recently purchased 266 Barco DLite10 tiles complete with D320 and D310 processing and precision frames from displayLED. Screen Rent's need for a cost-effective solution led them to displayLED.

displayLED offers the most comprehensive selection of used screens for the rental market place. Its personnel have years of experience servicing AV companies, and as such can usually locate what a client is looking for within a matter of hours and establish pricing. As brokers displayLED understands the true market value of today's LED rental systems which ensures both buyers and sellers get true value and equitable pricing, says the company.

Screen Rent, one of Germany's leading AV rental companies, keen to expand its inventory approached displayLED's Guy Horrigan. Screen Rent's criteria for a tried & tested product with good cross-rental opportunities in mainland Europ

UK - RCF UK has announced the availability of two new additions to the Italian pro audio manufacturer's Acustica range of loudspeakers - the H1312 and the H1315.

The RCF Acustica H1312 is a three-way, full-range loudspeaker system incorporating a 12" LF transducer, an 8" cone MF transducer and a 1" exit titanium compression driver. The system is compact and provides high output and accurate voice and sound reproduction, say the company.

The H1312 is equipped with the latest generation of RCF precision transducers, all with powerful neodymium motors. The LF driver is equipped with a 4" voice coil mounted in a vented enclosure with optimised front loading. The MF cone driver is a unique RCF sealed basket design, loaded into a low compression polystyrene mid-range horn. The HF titanium compression driver is loaded on a constant directivity horn with a coverag

UK - Projecta has introduced two 'Concealed-in-the-ceiling' electric screens - the Advantage Electrol and Advantage Deluxe Electrol - designed with the installer in mind. The screens are aimed at applications including business rooms, educational institutions, hospitality venues and home theatres.

The design allows installers to install the fabric and roller assembly after the case, ensuring the screen fabric remains un-damaged during case installation. A second feature is the adjustable roller mounting brackets which simplify fabric installation. The flange around the case makes installation simple because it provides trim for the screen: you no longer have to 'trim out' after the screen is installed. Projecta's adjustable ceiling mounting bracketsmake it simple to install the screen into various ceiling structures, say the company. And the tools to install fabric and roller ar

UK - KEF has announced the addition of two new speakers to the brand's Custom Installation Series. Models Ci3-80QT and Ci9000ACE, both now available, boast individual technical features and user benefits and, say the company, "in keeping with KEF's reputation in the Custom Installation market, deliver sonic qualities that set them apart from the rest of the field".

The Ci3-80QT is a quiet, motorised 3-way, 4-driver system, incorporating KEF's 75mm Uni-Q drive-unit array, along with two 75mm LF units in a sealed enclosure. Finished in white and mounted in a rectangular flush baffle, the Ci3-80QT is designed for in-ceiling applications and, say KEF, "represents the finest solution for those wanting unobtrusive, neat and ultra-quiet retractable custom installation speakers".

KEF's new Custom Installation Series flagship model Ci9000ACE brings the company's pat

Australia - Melbourne's Besen Centre has to be one of Australia's busiest theatres hosting over 620 shows a year. The venue can seat up to a maximum of 1000 patrons although the venue size can be modified to seat from as little as 360. The venue prides itself on its technical equipment, which is always state of the art, and all of the dimmers and the lighting consoles come from LSC Lighting.

January 2006 marks three years since the Besen Centre purchased a LSC maXim console and the technical staff are still delighted with its never-failing performance. "We use the maXim for all of our day to day shows, particularly those that have no rehearsal time, because we can busk so easily with it," said Brad Alcock, head technician. "The operators need to have access to lots of faders so they can get things done on the fly. With most theatre lighting consoles you can't do t

Germany - The Berlin firm TSE (Technik und Service für Events) AG has invested in an extensive Electro-Voice Ultra Light Compact XLD line array system and a Midas Siena console. For years now, the company has been using an Electro-Voice X-Line system for large venues; the XLD will come into its own at smaller and medium-sized ones.

Explaining the advantages of the compact EV XLD system, Marcel Fery, TSE AG's executive director for equipment and finance, said: "It has a very good sound and is also very powerful and versatile. In addition to corporate events of all kinds, we will be using it for concert productions. With twelve units per side plus the requisite bass, it is even capable of providing coverage for really large events."

What Fery finds most surprising is the fact that the compactness of the enclosures is not achieved at the expense of power. "Natural

UK - A.C. Lighting's Northern sales office has supplied over £70,000 worth of loose lighting and audio equipment to the newly fitted Carriageworks theatre in Leeds.

The Carriageworks houses two auditoria of 350 and 80 seats with state-of-the-art equipment, rehearsal and dressing rooms, and presents a vibrant mix of plays, musicals, film, community events, youth theatre and workshops. The venue is also the new home of the Leeds Civic Arts Guild, a group of amateur drama, opera and musical companies who will present an ongoing programme of performances.

Venue's technical coordinator, Peter Waddicor, awarded the contract to A.C.'s Northern sales office in Leeds due to the company's ability to provide a complete one-stop-shop solution and rapid response service to meet their needs.

Using the company's dedicated lighting and audio sales teams, large stockholding of entertai

USA - Sennheiser will introduce a new, more powerful and flexible line of 3000 Series wireless monitor transmitters and receivers at the 2006 NAMM Show. The new SR3254-U single-channel transmitter, SR3256-U dual-channel transmitter and EK3253-U body-pack receiver are compatible with Sennheiser Evolution series wireless G2 monitor products. The new units offer extended tuning flexibility and an unprecedented 100mW output. "With a switching bandwidth of 36 MHz, and frequencies that are tunable in 5 kHz steps, we are providing PA companies, broadcasting networks and stage professionals with the best of the best in the ever more crowded RF spectrum," says Sven Boetcher, Sennheiser's product manager for Professional Wireless.

Engineered in response to customer requests for higher RF output levels, the new 3250 series transmitters incorporate the HDX compander technology use

USA - The world-famous Walt Disney Concert Hall, winter home for the L.A. Philharmonic, and venue for a wide range of musical events, has added an innovative wireless microphone system manufactured by Lectrosonics to match the environment's exacting technical requirements. The nine-channel Venue receiver system comprises a modular UHF design that operates with Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitters, and/or a variety of analogue transmitters. The receiver utilises a mainframe assembly that includes an antenna multi-coupler, communications interface and mounting for up to six receiver modules.

Kevin Wapner, head of audio at Walt Disney Concert Hall, says: "We have a total of nine Lectrosonics SM Series belt-pack transmitters and nine UT400 Series handheld models equipped with AKG C5900 super-cardioid condenser capsules." The 18 Venue receiver modules are paired to offer ni

UK - Pioneer Europe has announced the availability of a free system upgrade to its DVJ-X1 which enable artists to play MP3 files burned to CD, introduce a 'track Loop' feature (to continually loop a track), improve support for PAL and NTSC DVDs and enable 96kHz 'digital audio output' (in DJ mode), while the presentation of Wave display through a preview monitor output.

The new features are designed to further enhance the creativity and versatility of the system, say Pioneer, and are included as standard on new machines. The extra functions can be downloaded onto previously purchased units via a firmware upgrade CD available from DVJ-X1 retailers and Pioneer distributors.

With MP3, artists can 'travel light': depending on the compression level, several hundred tracks can be pressed to CD (via CD-R/RW media) - while the track data can be viewed on the preview monitor. VJs can no

Tunisia - Backstage Technology, one of Tunisia's few audio rental companies, has put its newly acquired Adamson speakers to use at the grand opening of a new theme park in Tozeur. Tozeur is the capital of Jerid, the southern part of the country, and is marked by its date Palm Oasis, in which over 200,000 palm trees are irrigated by 200 springs, and is considered to be the doorway to the desert.

Dar Cherait is a cultural tourism complex which contains a unique, private collection that took decades to gather. It includes The Medina, a theme park dedicated to The Tales of the 1001 Nights and 'Dar Zamen', which retraces 3,000 years of Tunisian history. The owner of Dar Cherait, Cherait Jallel, is also responsible for building the new geological and prehistoric theme park named Chak-Wak, on over five hectares of land which celebrates the different steps of the story of man's evolutio

UK - Scottish audiences enjoyed an early preview of Electro-Voice's new compact line array, the XLD, deployed by FMX Rentals on Cash For Kids charity concerts. The events in Dumfries and in Ayr, could be described as commercial radio's answer to the Children in Need telethons.

With big chart names appearing at the events, such as Liberty X, Girls Aloud and McFly, the FMX team was looking for a bankable solution for their regular client. Setting aside their own Electro-Voice XLC system, "too large for this type of event", they chose EV's recently-launched (PLASA) XLD system, which sets a new standard of precise coverage and dynamic headroom for compact line arrays.The XLD was used as the main PA at the two venues.

With Shuttlesound's Jason Kelly in the supporting role of system tech for the shows, the PA was set up with 12 x XLD 218 and four x XS212 subs

UK - Following the success of their PMD570 solid state recorder Marantz are augmenting their range of audio data acquisition devices with the launch of the new PMD560. While the aim of the PMD570 was to replace the traditional cassette deck, the PMD560 takes this to the next level by offering a more cost-effective design to capitalise on entry-level sales.

Its simplicity and ease of operation, combined with the increased availability and lower price of CF cards, make this the ideal time to embrace the new digital media, says the company.

The PMD560 allows recording in either MP3 or PCM formats, with RS232 control. It enables automatic recording (with Auto Track & Time and Date Stamp), and simple transfer of files to PC via Compact Flash card or USB interface.

(Chris Henry)

UK - Highlighting the growing trend to digital audio for the world's biggest music-for-TV shows, Richmond Studios' Toby Alington, contracted to record and post produce his 12th successive BRIT Awards, has confirmed that this year's show will go 'fully digital' for the first time and be recorded digitally for broadcast using Floating Earth's latest SSL C200-equipped recording mobile.

The event's production will see significant changes - the show will move back to the giant Earls Court 1 arena after several years in EC2. The move to digital in the BRITs' broadcast audio follows the successful transition to digital of the live PA sound by the long-standing team of sound designer Derrick Zieba and PA supplier Britannia Row Productions.

Describing the move as "an advanced way of recording a complicated, multi-artist show", Alington says, "we've constantly strived to

UK - Midas has launched a unique new online service with a section dedicated to the sales of approved used consoles. The manufacturer is offering customers searching for a previously-owned Midas the chance to purchase consoles which have been factory-refurbished to the latest specifications, complete with a 12-month warranty.

In an era when constant investment is required in technology that can quickly become obsolete, the decision to buy a Midas console is an astute one. The entire Midas range is constantly in demand on riders and their infrequent appearance on the second hand market means they retain their resale value. For PA companies worldwide, the assurance that an investment will result in guaranteed rentals is invaluable.

(Chris Henry)

New Zealand - An Allen & Heath iDR DSP system has been installed in Auckland's Tamaki College Community Recreation Centre to manage audio distribution for the Centre's busy event schedule.

"Until recently we had a system that was too complex for staff to use. The problem is that the venue is used for many events and has a large number of users who didn't understand how their actions could affect other parts of the building. On a regular basis, music would suddenly go on or off, be too loud or too quiet - staff didn't understand how to make the system work for them without a step by step instruction from the manager," explains the centre's manager, Lee Jones. "What we needed was a system that was simple and user friendly, and that's where installers, Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, came in."

After discussing the problems and requirements of the centre,

The Netherlands - Sound Leisure Retail (SLR) had its display products present on two stands at the recent Horecava Show in Amsterdam. Versatile Video Systems and Bubbles were supplied to the Budweiser/Guinness and Corona stands at the hospitality exhibition, which is held at the RAI International Exhibition Centre from 9-21 January 2006.

"Video and entertainment interspersed with video advertisements and overlay stills of the Budweiser, Guinness and Corona drinks were shown on both plasma and Bubble screens on the stands and attracted a great deal of attention," said Frans de Pater for Mazzo Nuovo, SLR's exclusive distributor in the Netherlands.

"We are really pleased to have supplied such high profile stands at a show that attracts over 50,000 professionals from the hospitality industry at this, the first specialised exhibition to target this sector," said

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