Details
UK - Russell Brand is currently on a world tour complete with Sennheiser E935 microphone.

"It's a big challenge getting spoken word to 16,000 people in the MEN," suggests Rory Madden, owner of sound and light company Sonalyst and a veteran touring sound engineer in his own right. "If the audience miss one word in the punchline, they've lost the entire joke. You've got to have the right equipment.

"Al Ashford, our front of house guy, and myself went through all the mics together and we were very happy with the Sennheiser mic. The clarity of spoken words seemed to be a lot better than through the other mics, especially in these vast arenas."

Brand's Scandalous tour returns to the UK for its conclusion at the O2 Arena on Friday 7 April.

See Sennh

Details
UK - FeONIC Plc, the UK audio technology company, has announced the launch of its latest F-Series range of Audio Drives that are able to transform everyday building, office and household surfaces into high quality audio speakers.

Unlike traditional speaker technology that relies on a moving coil, the F-Drive is powered by an exceptionally powerful magnetostrictive smart material that when placed on a resonant surface - such as a table top, glass, plasterboard or metal sheeting - causes the whole surface to vibrate, thereby turning it into a high quality loudspeaker with omni-directional, evenly distributed output, say FeONIC.The performance stats for the F-Series are likewise significant, it being able to range from 80Hz to 20Khz allowing it, for example, to match the performance typically experienced through a high-end home entertainment surround sound system.

However, the co

Details
UK - White Light has announced the launch of Fusion 672 from Illieum, which the company, as exclusive UK distributor, will exhibit at the forthcoming PLASA Focus, Leeds (28-29 April 2009).

Billed as "the next generation of LED lighting effect", Fusion 672 is a rugged, lightweight batten - just over 1m long and weighing just over 3kg - each Fusion 672 contains 432 (72x6) individually controllable tri-colour LEDs with an ultra-wide viewing angle. Battens can be arranged in any pattern with the units oriented horizontally or vertically, packed tightly together or spaced apart to allow lighting through the array. Fusion 672 can serve as a video display, a lighting fixture, a light sculpture or anything in-between, say White Light.

Setup of even the most complex systems is easy: units are daisy-chained together by standard Cat5e cable. The layout of the units is specified

featured content

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

Details
USA - Loud Technologies has announced that it has restored production for a number of significant EAW and Mackie product lines that were impacted when one of the company's contract manufacturers ceased operations in late 2008.

Specifically, the company resumed mass production on all SKUs of the EAW AX, JF and NTL series in March. Production also began on a portion of the Mackie VLZ3 series in March, with the balance of the series entering full production in April.

"We've made incredible progress in restoring supplies in just three short months," commented Jim Stewart, chief operating officer at Loud. "In the process, we've added significant capacity and sophistication to our supply chain that will support the next phase in the company's growth."

In January, 2009, Loud restored production for the EAW KF and SB loudspeakers at a company-owned facility, as w

Details
USA - For the fifth time in as many years, Texas-based LD Systems travelled to Las Vegas in December for the 50th annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), a 10-day event many consider the Superbowl of rodeo. LD has partnered with the WNFR since 2004 as the event's exclusive light and stage producer. 2007 marked the first year that LD also supplied sound reinforcement for the event.

Last year, LD used an Electro-Voice XLC rig to provide smooth, intelligible coverage at the 18,500-seat Thomas and Mack Centre on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. This year the WNFR returned to the Thomas and Mack Centre, and so did LD Systems' XLC rig. But with the added precision and power of NetMax N8000 system controllers with FIR-Drive, and XLC127 loudspeakers with DVX woofer upgrades.

The system, comprising XLC127DVX cabinets and XLC215 subs in two-over-six combinations,

Details
Germany - City Theatrical products will be on display at ProLight&Sound on the stand of its new German distributor, LTH.

Products on display will include SHoW DMX, the wireless DMX system, and two new LED lighting fixtures: the iW Blast TR Lighting Kit (a variable colour temperature white LED lighting kit for film, video, and photography), and the MasterBlast (an RGB LED party and event light equipped with battery power and wireless data).

Also on display will be the AutoYoke, a professional quality automated yoke for the ETC Source Four and other lighting fixtures, along with a range of lighting accessories. Representatives from City Theatrical will be on hand to demonstrate Lightwright, the lighting paperwork tool, and all the other City Theatrical products.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Xantech Commercial has announced the appointment of Denver-based Anew Communication Technologyas the new rep for the Rocky Mountain Territory of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, eastern Idaho and eastern Montana. The announcement was made by Rick Seegull, Xantech director of business development.

Anew C.T. has been successfully representing Xantech Commercial in the southern California/Las Vegas/Arizona territories, with headquarters in Denver and staff in Utah.

"We are pleased to expand Anew's responsibilities to now include the Rocky Mountain territory," stated Seegull. "They have done a fantastic job for us in their other territories, so to widen their scope to these states is a logical step to grow Xantech Commercial sales in the region. We look forward to continuing our working relationship with them in this capacity."

(Jim Evans)

Details
Double Take - A new version of West Side Story, in which the cast use two different languages, has opened on Broadway. The tale of lovers from rival gangs has been part translated into Spanish to reflect the fact that half the story is set in a Puerto Rican community. Dialogue between members of the Shark gang is now in Spanish and several of the songs have also been translated. Director Arthur Laurents said, "I wanted it to be more like life and that's what they speak in life."

Club News - The head of Britain's biggest nightclub operator predicted that half the UK's estimated 2,700 nightclubs could fail over the next 18 months. Stephen Thomas, the chief executive of Luminar, told The Times that there would be "a lot of closures", forced by the effects of the recession, but he expected many to re-open under so-called pre-pack administrati

Details
UK - grandMA full-size continues to be the lighting console of choice for most current major UK ice skating productions, including Lunchbox Productions' Cinderella On Ice tour, starring the Imperial Ice Stars. The console was specified by Sydney-based lighting designer Gavan Swift when the tour kicked off in New Zealand and Australia in June 2008 and is being operated day-to-day by Paul Mansfield.

Swift chose the desk because the rig features two High End DL2 moving projectors and a number of Martin Professional moving lights. Each DL2 has 170 parameters, so they needed a console with the power and flexibility to programme these and all moving lights easily.

The grandMA is also controlling six DMX scenic clocks which keep real time and were specially built for the production.

Cinderella On Ice is produced by James Cundall, Tony Mercer, David Atkins and Vladisla

Details
USA - Frequently associated with boardrooms, houses of worship, and distance learning, Shure Microflex MX391 boundary microphones once again made the transition to professional basketball as the mic of choice for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.

Played this year at US Airways Centre, home of the Phoenix Suns, the game went to air with the able assistance of David Grundtvig, senior audio engineer, for the event. A 10-year sound crew veteran of the roundball matchup, Grundtvig used a dozen MX391s taped directly to the floor around all sides of the court perimeter to build his broadcast mix. Orchestrating his efforts from behind a digital console, he is one of the originators of the audio blueprint, having refined it over the years to bring an added element of realism to viewers at home.

"What we're putting over the air is essentially the same as the real, live experience that yo

Details
UK - Blink TV, a leading supplier of video screens and visual content to the live music industry, has recruited two key new staff to drive its growth strategy.

Carmela Iandoli joins as programming editor, a newly-created role designed to expand Blink's pre-show entertainment offering to appeal to artists from all music genres. Blink is known for its work with pop acts, but recent projects with indie bands such as Keane and Snow Patrol signals its intention to broaden its client base.

For Snow Patrol's current tour Blink created bespoke pre-show entertainment tailored specifically to the tastes of the band and its fans, including music selected by the band set to time-lapse photography of the stage being set up. The resulting imagery builds anticipation within the crowd prior to the band's arrival on stage. The package includes targeted advertising which helps offset the signif

Details
UK - OHM will be featuring its compact sound systems at the forthcoming PLASA Focus including the BootiQue, described as "the ultimate small venue solution".

The BootiQue is a packaged professional sound system in a box. The 10" active band-pass subwoofer is powered by a 200W amplifier with two 85W amplifiers, contained in the same cabinet, to power up to eight BootiQue speakers. The amplifiers have an auto power facility which ensures complete silence from the speakers when no signal is present. Input gains can be set independently for the bass and mid/high and the input sensitivity selector ensures that a range of signal sources can be used including CD, computer or MP3. Input connectors are Phono, USB, RJ45 and iPod mini jack. Other controls are ground lift, phase reverse and EQ. Additionally, a fire alarm mute connector enables the BootiQue to be installed int

Details
Germany - GLP has recruited Mark Ravenhill to develop closer relationships with Global Key Players within the entertainment lighting industry, in particular lighting designers, key customers, decision makers and other important personnel. Mark Ravenhill brings a vast knowledge of the lighting market to GLP and will ensure that the focus on customers increases.

Ravenhill said: "From their base in moving head fixtures, GLP have really stepped out of the shadows with the Impression range, showing that the ability to meet customer demands with innovation and passion is alive and kicking in our industry. I am really looking forward to being a part of this tight-knit team with these values at their core."

The Impression product range is genuine German engineering and already a standard in the industry - in the USA the Impression is sold through Elation Professional and in

Details
Brazil - Launched in 1990 as a small music technology shop, Quanta Brazil has grown to become one of the country's leading audio distributors, with a network of almost 400 official retail dealers. DPA will be handled by the company's Quanta Systems division which is focused on audio production products, providing integrated A/V solutions, training, consultancy and after-sales support.

"As a big fan of DPA mics myself, I know they will match perfectly with our high end lines of mic preamps and recording systems," says Quanta Brazil's sales and marketing director Adinaldo Neves. "Our customers are already as excited as we are and we already have commitments from broadcasters, theatrical sound designers and recording engineers from all over Brazil."

DPA co-founder Morten Stove adds: "We have been looking for a partner with the right product portfolio and

Details
Norway - Reinforcing its commitment to the markets of 3D, gaming, effects and digital media display, Norway's projectiondesign is to exhibit for the first time at the fmx/09 event in Stuttgart, Germany from 5-8 May. Now in its 14th year, fmx offers a conference, a forum, an expo and a series of other events, all with the goal of furthering innovation in the creation, production, and distribution of digital entertainment.

Exhibiting with specialist Düsseldorf-based reseller 3D Powerstore, projectiondesign will show a range of products including the F32 1080 INFITEC stereo 3D setup; an F32 wuxga supplied by 3D Powerstore; and the F10 AS3D active stereo 3D projector which will be shown in conjunction with Autodesk design engineering software.

Additionally, Anders L°kke, international marketing and communications manager at projectiondesign, will present a seminar on 3D techn

Details
Switzerland - Barix AG reports that its Annuncicom 1000 Audio over IP devices are being used to receive and play out EtherSound audio during worship services and live performances at the Stadtmission church in St. Gallen. The Annuncicom 1000 devices have been configured by Sphinx Connect, the exclusive Barix distributor in Switzerland; and installed by systems integrator R+R SonicDesign.

The EtherSound system was installed in a new building to provide high quality, lowest latency sound for live concerts and theatre performances, as well as sermons and other traditional church services.

"This project showcases an outstanding solution for any facility seeking a high-quality, pro-audio solution using Ethernet via standard LAN cabling," said Mr. Roman Surber, system engineer for R+R SonicDesign. "Stadtmission saved about 70 percent using the Barix Annuncicom 1000 co

Details
UAE - Technomad Associates reports that Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, used eight Technomad loudspeakers to provide live coverage of the Fortune Cup professional cricket matches to 20,000 spectators.

The Fortune Cup took place in late 2008, comprising three cricket matches between the West Indies and Pakistan over the course of one day. Bint Al Jazeera Electronics, a professional AV and lighting company based in the United Arab Emirates, installed six Technomad Berlin and two Noho C loudspeakers to ensure even audio coverage throughout the large open-air stadium, allowing announcers to clearly reach every spectator in the stadium.

According to Shrini N Iyer of Bint Al Jazeera Electronics, engineers from the stadium and the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club were most concerned with eliminating echo associated with previous sound systems used in the stadium. Even

Details
UK - During the months of June and July, the Forestry Commission hosts a highly successful live music tour at rural woodland venues across the UK. AP Security has provided crowd safety services on the majority of the sites for the last six years. This year, its remit has expanded to encompass the entire schedule.

"We're delighted to be working with the Forestry Commission again this year," says AP's national sales manager, John Phillips. "We're even more pleased to have the opportunity to work on every site this year."

Rachael Miller, events manager for the Forestry Commission, comments, "We take the safety and security of our concert-goers very seriously. AP has provided a top quality service for us in the past and we look forward to working with them again this year."

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Shure Incorporated will officially support Earth Hour 2009, a global climate event led by the World Wildlife Fund, by switching off all non-essential lighting in all of the company's facilities around the world for one hour on 28 March, and encouraging all of its associates, customers, and suppliers to do the same.

Shure will join corporations, organizations, governments, and individuals in more than 240 cities around the world in supporting Earth Hour, which begins at 8:30pm local time. Tens of millions of people from all corners of the world are expected to participate in this call for global action on climate change.

"One of our company's core values is to be a good corporate citizen and neighbour," said Sandy LaMantia, Shure president and CEO. "We have an internal team, our Green Team, which strives to constantly implement and improve environmentally-f

Details
USA - Renkus-Heinz celebrates its 30th Anniversary on the very first day of the 2009 ProLight&Sound show in Frankfurt, where the new IC Live system will be in action on the outdoor Concert Sound Arena, and the company's new VLX3 high output, lightweight large format line array will also make its European début.

The 1 April celebrations follow a successful return to Winter NAMM where IC Live starred on the Main NAMM Stage in the towering glass lobby of the Anaheim Convention Centre: a pair of IC LIVE arrays with matching IC215S dual 15" bandpass subwoofers formed the main PA system throughout the convention, the cabinet's precise beam steering and high efficiency making light work of the acoustically challenging space.

"It had a fantastic impact," says marketing manager Margie Ulm. "This was the best way to re-introduce Renkus-Heinz to NAMM attendees

Details
UK - In response to the Health & Safety (Offences) Act 2008, which came into force in January 2009, ForeFront Training has been launched to offer a range of cost effective, dynamic, practical and motivational health & safety training courses. Specialists in manual lifting and handling training, ForeFront says it offers a complete service, tailored to individual business requirements and if necessary around existing work patterns, to enable organisations to comply with current legislation regarding health and safety.

The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 places an absolute duty on employers to provide suitable and sufficient training to all staff, for their health, safety and welfare.

Dave McDonald, principal consultant and head trainer at ForeFront says, "Health and Safety is evolving and moving away from traditional concepts

Page 2315 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .