UK - JBL Professional has introduced eight new compact AE Series loudspeaker models. The AE Compact loudspeaker series provides more options for system designers and integrators in a variety of applications, says the company.

"The demand for loudspeaker systems that provide added flexibility and even greater sonic clarity continues to grow with the evolution of the systems integration industry," says Jon Sager, director of market development, installed sound, JBL Professional. "The new AE Compact loudspeaker series addresses these demands, enabling sound designers and installers to best meet the needs of any given environment, including performing arts venues, houses of worship, sports facilities, corporate board rooms, and dance clubs."

The AE Compact loudsp

USA - Zaxcom reports that its TRX900 wireless microphone systems are being used for the first time on Broadway in the musical Sunday in the Park With George, showing at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54 in New York. On stage now through 15 June, this is the American premiere of the new, five-time Olivier Award-winning production of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical.

New Jersey-based Masque Sound - a company first started in 1936 by three Broadway stagehands - is handling the audio production for the musical. Masque Sound is sub-hiring the Zaxcom systems from UK-based Orbital Sound, which selected and successfully used the TRX900 systems during the London debut of the same musical at a West End theatre in 2007. Working closely together, Masque Sound and Orbital Sound have deployed the Zaxcom units to support 16 audio tracks - two from the lead characte

USA - Technomad Associates, LLC reports that San Mateo Community College District in California has standardized on Technomad weatherproof loudspeakers on its three Bay Area campuses. Skyline College in San Bruno; Cañada College in Redwood City; and the College of San Mateo are home to multiple indoor and outdoor venues now using Technomad Vienna 16 and Noho C loudspeakers for live sports and event coverage, with additional venues to follow as the district moves closer to completing a multi-year, multi-venue upgrade project that covers everything from field surfaces to bleachers to PA systems.

"This is an ongoing project with one facility upgrade after another, and we have found the Technomad loudspeakers to be highly versatile with excellent audio quality both indoors and outdoors," said Jim Petromilli, director of instructional technology at the San Mateo Community

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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

Chile - Widely considered to be the most important music event in Latin America, the Vina del Mar International Song Festival drew capacity crowds this year to the Quinta Vergara Amphitheatre to hear dozens of performers, including Shure endorser Miguel Bosé. Marking three decades as a popular entertainer at this, the 49th annual engagement of the festival, Bosé took to the stage using a UHF-R Wireless System (UR2/Beta 58) delivered to the site by Amexco, the Shure distributor in Chile.

One of many performers relying upon Shure products at the event, Bosé was joined onstage by a legion of other crowd favourites, including Calle 13 (UR2/SM58), Marco Antonio Solis (UR2/KSM9), Chayanne (UR2/KSM9), and Peter Frampton (SM58 wired).

The event was televised live, by Santiago, Chile based Canal 13. "The festival required the use of more than 50 wireles

USA - Washington Pro Systems recently installed two Iconyx IC16 Digitally Steerable Array Systems in the premier conference auditorium of a major government agency. "We're not allowed to tell you which agency," says Greg Lukens of Washington Pro. "However, I can report that they were very impressed with the improvements we were able to bring to this 400 seat auditorium. The previous system had problems with both sound quality and gain before feedback. We resolved both issues with a Midas console, a Dolby Lake signal processor, and the Iconyx arrays from Renkus-Heinz.

"This installation is one of those we dream of, where the customer wanted and paid for close attention to every system detail. When Brian Grant and I brought our client into the auditorium to hear the new system for the first time, it sounded so natural that she told us 'I can hear everything ver

USA - Minnesota-based pro audio manufacturer Electro-Voice is boosting the fundraising success of its Musicians for Minneapolis: 57 Songs for the I-35W Bridge Disaster Relief Effort CD release with a celebrity guitar auction on Ebay, running 29 April - 9 May. Guitars from legendary artists including Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, and Dick Dale are available.

This auction is being held to raise money for the families of those who were either wounded or lost their lives on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2007. All proceeds from the sale of these instruments will be donated to Minnesota Helps: Bridge Disaster Fund.

(Jim Evans)

UK - "A good plan applied with vigour now is better than a perfect plan implemented too late." General Patton knew what he was talking about, any complex operation, be it battle, marketing campaign, or just moving home, requires forethought.

The recent relocation of PRG's main UK office from the former bus garage at Coventry Road in Birmingham, to a parts depot originally built for Rover Group at Longbridge has been just such an operation.

Nimble on its feet for such a large company, the rest of the touring production industry barely noticed the shift as Company MD Dave Keighley explained. "The move to new premises offered us the opportunity to make major improvements to the way we work and to our working environment. At over 165,000 square feet, this is a building with enormous potential; so yes, we did indeed to spend time planning how we wanted the building t

USA - Audio Video Professional Group (AVPG) of The Woodlands, Texas, recently provided the audio system for The E.C.H.O. Foundation's Under The Moonlight gala, featuring country songstress LeAnn Rimes. The system included Vertec compact powered line array elements with JBL DrivePack technology.

With more than 25 combined years in the industry, AVPG is a leading supplier of production services for the greater Houston area, providing a wide range of services. In February 2007, AVPG Owner Mike Rape added Vertec powered line array loudspeakers to his company's inventory, purchasing 16 VT4887ADP elements and six VT4881ADP powered subwoofers.

"We purchased the powered Vertec models because I needed a versatile PA system," Rape said. "We do many outdoor festivals and lots of indoor corporate events. The combination of compact size and large sound gives us the fl

USA - Allen & Heath's Xone DJ mixers were prevalent during the recent Winter Music Conference (WMC) in Miami this March. Now in its 23rd year, WMC is regarded as the singular networking event in the dance music industry, attracting professionals from over 62 countries.

Xone mixers were used at a various clubs, boat parties, beach parties, mansions, hotel lobbies, poolside and rooftop events, as well as at the daily Beatport mash-ups, live on BBC Radio One and at Ultrafest. The 2008 Ultrafest hosted 40,000+ revellers over the two-day festival. One of the highlights was Paul van Dyk, who made full use of his preferred Xone:3D mixer/MIDI controller, and featured a live artist complement for the first time.

On WMC's opening night, Allen & Heath received the DJ Mixer of the Year award for the Xone:S2, as voted for by readers of Club World magazine

USA - The University of Tennessee has officially launched its fund-raising campaign in an attempt to raise $1 billion.

The kick-off event was held on 17 April 17, 2008 at UT's Thompson-Boling Arena. It started with an introduction and dinner. Then UT President, John Petersen took to the stage to introduce the campaign video. The evening's programme featured appearances from a variety of students and faculty members.

Bandit CEO, Michael T. Strickland is on the campaign board and attended the event. Chris Lisle programmed the campaign launch. He used Cyberlight Turbos, Martin MAC 2000 Performances, MAC 600s, MAC 500s and High End Systems Studio Spots to light the event. Lighting was controlled by a Flying Pig Systems Whole Hog II and wing.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The provision of induction loop systems is a legal requirement in many public spaces, yet the electrical and A/V contractors who are frequently called upon to install such systems often find that lack of both space and specialised knowledge are major obstacles to providing the most effective loop systems.

Ampetronic's ultra-compact CLS2, which measures just 200mm x 200mm x 44mm, is designed for discreet installation in virtually any environment, says the manufacturer. It is designed to be quick and simple to install, yet features three independently controlled feeds, with two priority alarm overrides, and can drive an induction loop covering an area of over 400sq.m.

Between them, the three audio feeds can accommodate balanced or unbalanced line inputs, microphones and 100V line sources, with the priority alarm inputs suitable for connection to emergency alert systems, doo

Germany - Erikson Audio has been named Ableton's exclusive distributor in Canada. Erikson Audio is a division of Jam Industries Limited, the country's largest independent distributor to the music and pro audio market.

"We are delighted to announce Erikson Audio as Ableton's exclusive distributor in Canada", says Dave Hill Jr, managing director Ableton Inc. "We've been hearing about Erikson's professionalism for years, and feel lucky to call them a partner."

Erikson audio division manager, Jeff Carman says: "We're excited to work with Ableton and we look forward to building a long-term relationship with this brilliant company whose unique software package, Live, is revolutionizing the way people make music with computers. Ableton is a perfect fit with the complementary product lines we distribute"

(Jim Evans)

USA - Bosch Communication Systems has announced the appointment of Daniel Nix as vice-president of sales - Americas for the Pro Audio Group.

Nix previously served as principal of The Nix Agency, a southwest rep firm, and has been part of the Bosch family for the past five years. Prior to the Nix Agency, he served as VP of sales for a national contracting firm, sales manager for a national retail music chain, and has extensive experience in film and theatre technical production and digital music production.

Nix remarks: "Our heritage of industry-leading brands like Electro-Voice, Midas, Dynacord, and Klark Teknik, now combined with the strength and resources of Bosch, forges new opportunities in our converging markets. I am pleased and honored to join such a wonderful family of people and manufacturers who passionately dedicate themselves to this industry."

(Jim Eva

UK - Show Presentation Services (SPS) has appointed Peter Davies to the role of creative producer and video director. Davies has extensive experience as a freelance consultant, working as both creative producer and scriptwriter. He has also produced content for major live events.

In his new role, Davies has become an integral part of the SPS team, working closely with a number of high profile clients. He is responsible for the shaping and delivery of all communications requirements, from live events, right though to video and online campaigns.

Robin Coles, managing director at SPS commented: "I am delighted that Peter has come onboard and he is a great boost to the creative arm of our business. Peter will be very active in managing projects and working with clients to develop meaningful content that meets their communication goals."

(Jim Evans)

USA Lighting and control manufacturer High End Systems and UK-based Projected Image Digital have announced the next installment of Digital Lighting University, to be held 15-16 May at the Cochrane Theatre, part of the Central St. Martins College of Art and Design in London. Digital Lighting University is a programme designed to help professionals learn to apply, use and design with digital lighting in their projects.

Lighting designers, operators, video technicians, directors and other professionals in the lighting, video or special events industries are invited to attend. The two-day programme is designed to present key information in the most efficient manner. An international team of experts will present case studies, instructions and most importantly, hands-on exercises to help students on their way to new techniques in digital lighting.

Singapore - An Avolites Pearl Expert console has been supplied to the new 1100 capacity Performing Arts Centre at Raffles Junior College in Singapore.

The desk was specified by Marc Brandon of installation company AVL Acoustic Systems in consultation with the college's in-house AV team. AVL is responsible for supplying equipment for an ongoing staged lighting and audio upgrade for the arts centre, and the Pearl Expert was supplied to them by Avolites' Singaporean distributor Total Solutions.

The Arts Centre is utilised to stage numerous and varied events and shows, accommodating both in-house and visiting productions. The College has its own events team, and some months, up to 15 shows will take place in the auditorium.

"I wanted a new desk that was very user friendly and could easily deal with both moving lights and generics, offering lots of functions," says Bran

UK - Thousands of visitors to The Science of Survival exhibition at the Science Museum, London, were amazed by the incredible Living Image interactive floor display which will be on show throughout April-November 2008, say the organizers.

Expert integrators, Arcstream AV, worked with Electrosonic to install the state of the art technology for the exhibition, which explores some of the environmental issues facing the planet and how we might live in the year 2050. The Living Image interactive technology is on display at the exhibition's entrance, giving an impressive 'wow factor' for visitors upon entry.

The projection is integrated into the show's 'Drinking' area, where visitors can learn about innovative new techniques for getting safe drinking water and serious issues such as water shortages.

Stephen Foulger, The Science of Survival's content director, explained: &qu

USA - Nexxus Lighting has confirmed that it has closed the previously announced acquisition of solid-state LED lighting manufacturer, Lumificient Corporation. The newly acquired company will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexxus Lighting and will continue to operate out of its manufacturing facility in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Under the terms of the stock purchase agreement, the shareholders of Lumificient Corporation received cash consideration of $1.1 million, 475,000 shares of Nexxus Lighting's Common Stock and, based upon certain future earn-out formulations, additional shares could be earned. Lumificient Corporation had 2007 revenue of approximately $2.2 million and first quarter 2008 revenue of approximately $933,000.

"The acquisition of Lumificient Corporation is very exciting. In addition to Lumificient's current growth rate for its existing solid-stat

USA - Audio consultant Media Systems Design Group oversaw the design of the sound reinforcement system at the new Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, California. The Gallo Center is a $40 million complex that includes two performance spaces: the Mary Stuart Rogers Theatre (1,250 seats) and the Foster Family Theatre (444 seats).

During the design process, the decision was made to integrate a line array system in a left-right configuration at the Mary Stuart Rogers Theatre. "Until a few years ago, performance halls didn't always invest a lot of money in fixed systems," said Timothy Hart, principal, Media Systems Design Group. "The venues would typically rent equipment for different events, but the growth in touring circuits, combined with the desire to provide rider-friendly systems, led to many more venues installing larger, permanent audio systems. It's also a r

UK - Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) recently hosted the inaugural performances of The Boys in the Photograph, a reworked version of The Beautiful Game, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's musical set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. An essential element of the production was the host of audio equipment provided by Sennheiser for the event.

For the 30-strong cast, 24 Sennheiser MKE 2-ew-GOLD lavalier microphones were paired with SK 500 G2 bodypacks. 24 channels of EM 500 G2 rack mounted receivers with A 2003-UHF passive directional antennas and AB 2 boosters were used in conjunction with three NET-1 systems running Sennheiser's Wireless System Manager software.

"Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton decided they wanted to change a few elements of the original version of The Beautiful Game and they are taking it in its new revised sta

Denmark - The Peter Schaufuss Ballet, based in Holstebro, is one of Scandinavia's premiere ballet companies, a top-class touring troupe that was established in 1997 by renowned ballet dancer, choreographer and director Peter Schaufuss. The company tours nationally and internationally with new productions staged every year.

For their latest production, Michael - I'm Bad, a dance biography set to the original music of Michael Jackson that highlights notable moments in the singer's life, lighting and video designer Bo Kudsk Kristensen had the opportunity to incorporate a video element into the show and chose a back wall of Martin LC Series LED panels.

"For 'Bad' we were looking for more of a living set and thought about projectors," Kristensen explains, "but then Martin came out with these great LED panels, which are very bright and easy to work with.

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