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USA - Tait Towers is responsible for the stage renovation and transformation in the 4100-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The 2008 music season kicks off 20 February 20 with Bette Midler's The Showgirl Must Go On and will be followed by Cher and Elton John.

Bob Sandon, technical director for The Colosseum said: "Tait was the natural choice for this project. Their long term relationships with artists combined with their technical expertise provided the synergy we required to make this new stage exactly what it needed to be. Their smart design makes better use of the space and has added much needed additional seating to the venue."

Tait Towers engineers worked with Bette Midler and her design team to transform The Colosseum to suit the singer/actress

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Germany - Klotz Digital has upgraded its Aeon digital OnAir mixing console and added two new features.

For integration into the studio environment and interfacing with third party equipment, Klotz Digital now offers MADI inferface cards for the Aeon. The MADI cards can be configured to 56 or 64 channel mode.

The second feature is the audio networking of Aeons via OCTO-BUS. This feature provides the opportunity to link several Aeon consoles or connect the console to the Main Control Room (MCR) via simple Cat 5 cabling providing eight bidirectional channels per bus.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Audio-Technica introduced the Pro 92cW subminiature omnidirectional condenser headworn microphone at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Building on the popularity of the AT892, the Pro 92cW is a low-profile headworn microphone that provides a natural sound in a small, affordably priced package; developed primarily for educational, corporate AV/presentation, broadcast and theatre sound applications, says the company.

The Pro 92cW utilizes a very small condenser capsule, making it suitable for applications requiring minimum visibility. In addition, the Pro 92cW offers an ergonomic, flexible design that is both comfortable to wear and highly secure. Its contoured earpiece stays in place even on the most animated performer/presenter.

The Pro 92cW loops over the ear and includes a bendable boom to allow the user to wear it on either ear; a standard CW cable length of 55 cm; an

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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

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USA - AKG announced the new D4 stage microphone during Winter NAMM 2008. Designed for use with drums, percussion instruments, wind instruments and guitar amps, the new D4 dynamic microphone's rugged all-metal body easily withstands the rigours of active, on stage live performance, says the company.

Featuring AKG's Varimotion diaphragm technology, the D 4 is capable of being fine-tuned with no extra tuning resonators. With custom built capsule mounting, a spring steel wire-mesh grill and an all-metal body, the D4 is billed as a durable and reliable microphone solution for the active demands of live musicians. Additionally, the D4 comes equipped with an integrated stand adapter as well as a mounting bracket, making the unit easily adaptable for almost any instrument including drums, percussion, wind instruments and guitar amps.

"The D4 stage microphone was designed with the

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UK - The Verve has just played London's O2 Arena, using a substantial EV line array sound system to deliver their singular style of post-punk pop-rock. This tour marks the band's latest reunion, playing clubs across the UK before stepping up to six arena shows.

Front-of-house engineer Ian Laughton ordered up an Electro-Voice X-Line array system from Britannia Row for the arena shows. He says, "I first heard this PA in Wembley Arena and I was just astounded. To be honest, I was never really happy with line array systems until I got the X-Line. It just seems to fill the whole area. EV subs are the best I've heard in a line array, they're just phenomenal."

Laughton first worked with The Verve in 1993. "With this band, their concert programme starts off with the racket of the post-punk era and moves to the orchestrations of the Bittersweet Symphony, culminati

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The Netherlands - Chief Manufacturing has introduced what is claimed to be the industry's first short throw projector mount which is designed for the easy and secure installation of short throw projectors and it will be launched at ISE 2008.

"At ISE, our new WPA short throw projector mount will be integrated with a Sanyo XL50 ultra-short throw projector. These projectors are becoming increasingly popular with integrators needing to work within a diverse number of positions and surfaces and we're delighted to be able to supply the first mounting solution available in the industry. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand to demonstrate the capabilities of this new product," comments Melinda von Horvath, director of sales and marketing, EMEA at Chief Manufacturing.

The WPA enables users to extend a projector at up to 12.5" (318 mm) from a wall surface, o

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UK Pioneer has announced its new multi-entertainment player and controller, primarily for the mobile DJ and bar market, the MEP-7000.

The MEP-7000 offers a flexible solution specifically with digital music in mind, being compact and easily to transport, yet inheriting the basic functions and features of the popular CDJ series CD Decks, says the company.

The MEP-7000 enables users to play MP3/AAC files stored on various memory formats, along with playback of music from conventional media such as CD/CD-ROM/DVD-ROM discs. The system can also be setup to playback and mix music automatically using playlists, allowing the system to entertain when no DJ is present.

The MEP-7000 and SEP-C1 are a response to the trend of laptops being utilised by professional DJs. Recent developments have changed the way mobile and club DJs organise and play their music. No longer carrying boxes of v

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USA - Harman International Industries has announced that Ken Yasuda, president of Harman Japan, is expanding his responsibilities with immediate effect to assume the newly created position of country manager of Harman Japan. In his new assignment, Yasuda will report directly to Harman International chief executive officer, Dinesh Paliwal.

"The successful implementation of Harman's new best practices management programme will play an important role in driving our long-term growth in Japan and throughout Asia," said Yasuda. "I am honoured to have been selected to lead this initiative for Harman International, as I am convinced this approach will produce results that will directly benefit Harman customers in all professional, consumer, and automotive market segments."

In addition to serving as president of Harman Japan, Ken Yasuda is also chairman of the Inter

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The Netherlands - DMi D&M Installation Europe is launching the new Marantz PMD580 1U rackmount Compact Flash memory card recorder at ISEurope 08.

The PMD580 is designed for all manner of enterprise and commercial AV, pro-audio and broadcast applications. As a versatile solid-state recorder/player, its ease of use, low maintenance requirements, robust recording media, and audio and IT connectivity recommend it to applications where operator skill is minimal, says the company.

Professional audio credentials include balanced analogue and digital I/Os on XLR connectors, as well as unbalanced interfaces. Recording is selectable between mono and stereo, and linear PCM and MP3 formats - providing WAV and MP3 file types. For PCM recording, 16 and 24-bit options are available and for MP3, bit rate is selectable between 32 and 384 kbps. Record start and stop times can be scheduled and a

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USA - Digidesign has introduced Mix Rack, a powerful new hardware option for the Digidesign Venue systems that combines all stage, local audio I/O, and DSP processing into a single, compact 11-space rack. With its simplified and lower-priced configuration, Mix Rack is suitable for small- to mid-sized venues, houses of worship, and corporate A/V applications, says the company.

"Venue's explosive growth in the pro touring market has led to a growing demand from professionals working in all kinds of live sound applications," said Robert Scovill, Digidesign's market manager for live sound products at the recent NAMM show. "Many users want to access the power and flexibility of Venue, but may have budget considerations or require a more compact solution. Mix Rack addresses the needs of our growing user base while bringing the unparalleled capabilities of Venue and Pro

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South Korea - Soundus, exclusive distributor for MC2 Audio amplifiers in South Korea, is a specialist supplier of pro audio solutions for both the touring and installation markets. Working closely with its extensive network of dealers and installers, Soundus has successfully completed projects for its clients in the church, education, leisure and industrial sectors using T Series and E Series amplifiers.

The Jung-Ang church (Dae-Gu city) project was handled by Soundus partner, Media House, who designed and installed the system using E15, E25, E45, T1000 and T4-250 amps to power Funktion One Resolution speakers. A similar but smaller system using E15 and E25 amps with Resolution series speakers, successfully fulfilled the requirements for the refurbishment of the worship hall at Dong-Kwang church (Seoul city).

Soundus provided a total audio-visual package, including acoustic de

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USA - The new Electro-Voice ZX3, launched last week at NAMM, offers "an unprecedented level of lightweight 12" two-way loudspeaker performance for the widest variety of portable and installed applications".

Featuring the new DVX3121 12" woofer and the ND2 neodymium compression driver, ZX3 continues the innovation of the Electro-Voice DVX woofer programme, joining the ranks of EV's ZX series between the 8" ZX1 and the 15" ZX5.

In addition to the high performance drivers, a complete range of optional accessories, including the CB3 array kit, MB3 wall/ceiling mount bracket, HA-3 handle adapter for use with the VSA-1 strong arm mount, and TCA-1 truss clamp adapter, allow ZX3 to be easily and precisely configured in multiple box arrays, mounted on truss or tripods, deployed as monitors, or used as system mains with a subwoofer, says the company.

Hous

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Italy - ETC Paris is supplying its OnlyView multimedia control software and Christie HD video projectors to Franco-Italian scenic design specialists Danny Rose for the new production of Giulietta e Romeo (Romeo & Juliet) which is currently touring Italy.

Show director, Sergio Carrubba (also the director of Danny Rose), came to ETC Paris with his concept Maximage Experience, a system based on 'total immersion' that he has developed with associate Paola Ciucci in which the stage, actors and audience are all surrounded by "dynamic giant image projection".

For Giulietta e Romeo, Carrubba has transposed this experience to popular opera by "enriching it with the charm and mystery of three-dimensional projected sets" fusing his passion for the two very different visual art forms of theatre and film.

The two Christie 25K machines are position

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UK - PSL's new Christie Roadster S+20K DLP projectors were deployed on a remarkable multimedia event in the city of Bristol. With its festively themed large-scale video projections, Light Up Bristol ran for five consecutive nights just before Christmas.

This is the second year for the event, but it has grown exponentially, and now uses the listed buildings of the Council House as the backdrop for 400ft (122m) scenic projections of animation and moving images. The event has been put together by Bristol Media, the city's creative networking and support organisation, and the West of England Design Forum, who invited a team of 14 of the city's leading creatives from companies including Aardman Animations, E3, Beef, Oakwood DC, Thirteen and MCcann Erickson to work alongside each other on the project.

"Designers tend to spend our lives working on a 19 inch monitor, so to

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UK - Lift-Turn-Move (LTM) has confirmed that the first two-day Motor Schools of 2008 to be held at its Wirral, Merseyside HQ, will take place on 29-30 January and 15-16 April.

The cost includes all training and a full set of instruction manuals, Certificate of Attendance, lunch for two days and light refreshments during the course hours.

The Motor School will be presented by LTM's Dave Ward and John Jones in the company's specially designed Training Room. The format is "no-nonsense hands-on and practical", designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the CM Lodestar hoist. It will familiarise users and specifiers with operational theory, design philosophy, safety aspects, internal workings and trouble-shooting methods of the Lodestar.

It also offers the chance to get dirty and completely strip a hoist down to its component parts - and then re-build and operate i

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Malaysia - Live & Loud in Kuala Lumpur, was a 10-day jam-packed music event featuring a wide range of genres of over 50 artists, with more than 45 hours of live music. Joining this musical marathon were artists including Shaggy, Whitney Houston, Elliott Yamin, Project Pop, Nikki, Mode, James Taylor Quartet, Joe Flizzow and many more.

The lighting was designed by Fares Aljunied with the exception of Shaggy and Whitney Houston, whose lighting designer Bobby Budall created the two shows. Both designers relied on two grandMA full-size, three MA NSPs and two grandMA video media servers. Additionally, two laptops ran in full-tracking backup mode with grandMA onPC and grandMA 3D. The lighting equipment was provided by Showtec and Sudha Sound and Light.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Gibson Guitar, a leader in music technology and one of the world's premier musical instrument manufacturers and TC Group, a leading professional audio company, have announced that they are planning to merge. The announcement was made at the NAMM 2008 show in Anaheim, California by both Gibson Guitar chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, and CEO of TC Group, Anders Fauerskov.

The TC Group, headquartered in Risskov, Denmark, has a number of premium brands of pro audio technology and produces amplifiers, speakers, digital processors, guitar pedals and other pro audio and MI products. TC Group's customers include top musical artists, recording studios, television and radio/TV stations, prominent theatres, commercial installations, and home entertainment.

"This merger will revolutionise the music industry for many years to come," said Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and C

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USA - Apollo Design Technology has launched new product information resources, including its 2008 product catalogue and a redesigned website. Included in the Volume XIV catalog are over 160 new patterns, the Gel Miser, Gel Wraps, and the MXR.

Apollo's new website includes enriched keywords for easier and more accurate product searches, redesigned product pages with a tab system for easy scanning of more detailed information, and the search result format has been designed to reduce scrolling.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Void Acoustics reports that its Air Series products are gaining ground in the UK club market, marked by their latest installation at Harveys, a popular night venue in Bedford. Void's Airten mid-high loudspeaker systems, along with its Impulse 5t low-frequency design, have been specified and installed by JHA Entertainment as part of an extensive fit-out at the venue, involving audio, lighting and multi-screen video systems.

James Allison of JHA Entertainment commented: "Harveys is a smart, 400-capacity late-night bar, and the single pair of Void's Airten systems, together with their Impulse sub, provides plenty of powerful coverage throughout the venue. This was a very pleasant surprise for the owners, who were initially expecting to see rather more loudspeakers. The Void Acoustics systems are ideal for this type of install, needing very few enclosures to produce dance-

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UK - Liverpool's Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre (the AAC Liverpool) is a configurable 10,000 seat arena with rolling mother grid plus a 7,000sq.m multipurpose hall featuring a 32-strong JBL Vertec VT4887A line array with 16 VT4880A subwoofers supplied by Merseysound.

Managing director of Merseysound, Colin Reader says: "We've been using JBL now ever since Harman started. We've been using JBL equipment for over seven years now and we're very happy with it. We can break the line array up into four hangs and again for the arena, we can split it up into twelve hangs per side at the front and then two lots of four at the back as delay lines. It's very flexible and if we're doing a smaller venue, we can ground stack it as well which gives us a little more versatility."

The line array is accompanied by 12 Crown iTech8000 amplifiers and two DBX DriveRack 4800 systems pr

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Russia - Moscow's Red Square played host to the debut Kremlin Zoria festival of military marching bands. Central to the sound reinforcement system, a TiMax Audio Imaging delay matrix enabled the performers' amplified sound to follow their movements accurately around the vast arena.

Tattoo events around the world follow a long-established template provided by the Edinburgh original. In this respect the inaugural Russian event was no exception. Marching bands from the Moscow Garrison and German Army Corps were joined by the perennially-massed Scottish bagpipers and drummers. The event's musical highlights included excerpts from Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, along with a special arrangement of Amazing Grace performed by the band of the British Coldstream Guards.

The sheer dimensions of the Moscow arena, however, added a further challenge for the sound design team, headed by E

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