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USA - The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton, Ohio recently opened its doors to rave reviews, both for its architecture and for its superb acoustics. The $130 million complex includes a rehearsal hall, a condominium and office tower, and a restaurant, but it's the 2,325-seat Meade Theatre - new home to the Dayton Opera and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra - that is the major masterpiece.

The Meade Theatre is a proscenium theater modeled in the style of a European opera house. Seating is arranged in the orchestra main floor, along with three tiers of loge and balcony seats. The theater expects to run a wide range of programming, from the Philharmonic and Opera shows to nationally touring Broadway productions to community-based performing arts groups.

Jaffe Holden Acoustics (JHA) of Norwalk, Connecticut served as the acoustic design consultants on the

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Australia - Mid-way through their Australian tour, Russell Crowe and his band, '30 Odd Foot of Grunt', decided to add some more grunt to their lighting effects with two Pulsar ChromaBanks. Neale Mace, managing director of Entertainment Installations, who supplied both lighting and audio for the tour, explained: "I'd seen them in the factory and really liked them but I needed to use them on a gig to get a good idea of how they would perform and what we could do with them. For the size of venues we were playing, we already had quite a large moving light rig. We decided to place the ChromaBanks behind the drummer where we used them for straight colour as well as a strobing effect. The strobing effect was great and looked really good when used in conjunction with strobing movers. We also used some of the macros that are built into the units, which we then controlled on a fader.&q

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UK - Leading manufacturer Trantec has recently supplied its innovative PT1 UHF wireless Personal Trainer system to Pennyhill Park Hotel and Country Club's brand new luxury Health Spa, the Pennyhill Spa, which is the home to many celebrity and VIP guests including the England Rugby team.

The Exclusive Hotel Group - owners of Pennyhill Park - commissioned Installation Technologies Ltd (ITL) to design and supply a sophisticated personal audio system, which would provide broadcast quality sound offering background music as well as access to all broadcast media from anywhere in the Pennyhill Spa, without any visible or audible speakers. John Matcham of Installation Technologies specified Trantec's PT1 wireless system and collaborated with Trantec's engineering team from the outset. Configuring the system to meet The Exclusive Hotel Group's exacting specifications, together they overc

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UK - UK Trade & Investment has become the new single identity for the UK Government's business support organization, British Trade International, and its operating arms Trade Partners UK and Invest.UK.

The aim of UK Trade & Investment is to help UK companies build their international business and to encourage foreign direct investment. With teams based in 200 markets around the world, and a regional network that provides local knowledge right across the country, UK Trade & Investment is able to provide specialist advice and tailored programmes to help UK exporters and inward investors achieve business success in the global market.

This new identity reflects the increasingly close relationship between trade and investment work within the organisation and its continuing commitment to provide an integrated service - delivering business opportunities through a global network.

Si

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UK - When front-of-house sound engineer Huw Richards brought the master faders up each night on Mis-Teeq's recent UK tour, he had more than the band to consider: "This show is by no means quiet. There were times when we were measuring 115-118dB (peak) just from the kids screaming!"

Northampton-based Tour Tech provided adaptable PA configurations for the varied range of venues played: "I was lucky enough to tour two PA systems," says Richards. "dV-Dosc and L'Acoustics ARCS, and at Hammersmith we used V- Dosc with dV-Dosc down fills, and ARC in and out fills. "Tourtech were very generous and basically supplied anything we wanted with very little added expense. For this type of tour it was ideal to be able to pick and choose what to apply to each venue with such flexibility."

System control was XTA across the board and the dynamics rack saw XTA'

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UK - 'Celebrating the spirit of beauty' was the theme at this year's Pantene Pro-V Style Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall. Stage Electrics was contracted by Big Chief Productions to design and project manage the technical elements of the show, which included lighting, sound, set and staging.

The set design for the event comprised a backdrop of white sails, stretched in a variety of shapes framing a central entrance through which guest presenters would appear. The design required an extension to be built in front of the existing Albert Hall stage, as the client wanted to use the stage as a dance floor for the after-show party. Over 100 pieces of Maltbury Metrodeck, three pallets of chipboard and 200m of white vinyl flooring later, the Stage Electrics team had built a custom stage extension that followed the curve of the arena and met all of the venue's Health and Safety requ

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Germany - With little more than 18 months to go to Showlight 2005, the search is on for those contributions that make Showlight one of the most stimulating and rewarding event in the lighting diary.

Taking place in Munich, at the beautiful Prinzregententheater, Showlight 2005 will look forward to tomorrow's technology, to the ideas and equipment that will take lighting design into the next decade. The show will also look back at what has been achieved in the worlds of theatre and television, film, concert and architectural lighting design. A major part of the Showlight show is devoted to presentations, of 15 to 45 minutes, by people working within the lighting industry. The organizers are now inviting ideas for papers from lighting designers and directors, scenographers and equipment manufacturers - although sales pitches are not welcome!

Six main topics have been chosen for b

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UK - Meyer Sound's UK distributor Autograph Sales has confirmed orders for almost 50 of Meyer's new UPJ-1P loudspeakers at PLASA 2003, a product which was unveiled for the first time at the show. Manchester rental company Audio Alliance, which is building up a rapidly-growing inventory of Meyer stock, ordered eight UPJ-1Ps "unseen and unheard" following its first purchase of eight UPM-1s earlier this year.

"Even though we hadn't heard the UPJs, we knew the ethos of Meyer products and had no doubt that they would fulfil our expectations," says Audio Alliance director Oliver Driver. "We used Meyer's MAPP Online before the loudspeakers arrived to design a system for their debut, a theatre show. On the opening night the press commented on the "excellent sound". Since this show, the UPJs have completed numerous corporate events with very positivecom

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UK - Digital media solutions specialists Projected Image Digital has announced a preferred dealer agreement with Element Labs for its Versa TILE product. Versa TILE - a colour mixing light tile that utilises video inputs - was launched at PLASA 2003 where it won the PLASA 2003 Product Excellence Award for Design Excellence in Lighting.

In keeping with Projected Image Digital's profile at the cutting-edge of digital media technology, Versa TILE is an important and complimentary addition to the PID range, which includes Catalyst, RADlite, D-Tek and an ever-expanding selection of digital content. Negotiations started at PLASA in September, and the deal was confirmed last week in London. PID's David March and Rob Fowler have known Element Labs' Nils Thorjussen and Claas Ernst for several years - all four previously worked together at High End Systems.

"Versa TILE is an innova

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USA - Visitors to the Entertainment Technology Show - Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) will have the opportunity to see prototype devices networked with draft versions of the control protocols E1.11 (DMX512-A), E1.17 (ACN) and E1.20 (RDM) at the ESTA Interconnectivity Pavilion in booth number 121. These control protocols are being developed by the Control Protocols Working Group, part of ESTA's Technical Standards Program, and are designed to take us into the next generation of self-configuring and almost limitlessly extensible lighting control networks. Equipment from a variety of manufacturers will be shown communicating bi-directionally with equipment from other manufacturers, demonstrating the progress that has been made in developing these protocols and the benefits of voluntary, consensus standards developed in ESTA's open industry forum.

The Entertainment Technolo

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Germany - The recent IFA (International Funk Ausstellung) in Berlin, an exhibition of audio-visual technologies, saw the first co-operation between Super Audio CD (SACD) and Alcons Audio, with the high-resolution Compact Disc being demonstrated via Alcons audio systems on both the SACD stand and the official SACD press event.

SA CD is the new multi-channel Compact Disc standard developed by Sony and Philips: its Direct Stream Digital (DSD) Encoding offers multi-channel, high-resolution sound, with a frequency response five times greater than other audio CDs. SACD is supported by the majority of the industry.

The Super Audio CD stand was a new promotion initiative of the joint industry supporters of SACD, aiming to acquaint a large audience with the unique benefits of SACD. On the stand, a large six-channel Alcons system was installed, consisting of five VR12 loudspeakers (12&q

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UK - VME Hire Limited has announced the formation of a new sister company, VME Sales Ltd. The new company will take over UK sales and distribution for the German speaker brand Kling and Freitag along with the Apex range of audio processing equipment, and its current complement of pro-audio products.

VME Sales also announced the appointment of Tom Blackwell as UK sales director. Prior to his appointment, Blackwell was UK area sales manager (Midlands and North) for Sennheiser. In conjunction with these announcements, VME Hire Limited and VME Sales and Events Limited will move to new premises, taking them from Alderley Edge, Cheshire to a 20,000sq.ft unit in Congleton, Cheshire.

VME Hire Limited and VME Sales & Events Ltd will be exhibiting in the SBES Exhibition at Docklands Arena on the 26-28 November 2003.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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USA - The 2003 Lollapalooza tour, which hit the road this summer, is employing Stanton's Final Scratch system. As the tour's resident DJ Alex Graham explains: "The Final Scratch system creates a synergy between the convenience of digital and the preferred feel of vinyl."

Graham found the Stanton Final Scratch system to be the ideal choice for his Lollapalooza gig, allowing him to bring massive amounts of music along without having to carry crates of records and CDs. "Final Scratch was the heart of my entire DJ booth," says Graham. "Although I did have a pair of CD players at my disposal, I rarely used them. I found the combination of Final Scratch with my PowerBook G4 to be far more preferable." The number one reason Graham cites is that, for him, the Final Scratch interface is truer to the feel of spinning actual vinyl than playing CDs.

H

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USA - On 27 October 2003 Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW), a Loud Technologies brand, launched a Spanish version of the EAW web site. The new Spanish site includes much of the same information that can be found on the EAW main site including product specifications, 2D and 3D cabinet drawings, processor configurations, as well as contact information for dealers and EAW's Application Support Group (ASG).

Karen Anderson, director of marketing communications at EAW commented: "Since its founding 25 years ago, EAW has established a solid reputation for making key technical information accessible to our customers, which is the best way for us to assist contractors and system designers to specify EAW speakers for their installations. This new web site now allows us to better serve our Spanish-speaking international markets."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - Xtreme Audio Visual has recently refurbished Luminar Leisure's former Bedford showpiece, The Plaza, which has been purchased by club industry stalwart Kerpel Baines and renamed Nexus. Craig Wiggins' company has been a heavy shopper at Coemar UK recently, having also equipped its flagship installation Guru - at the new Heron City leisure complex in Valencia, Spain - largely with fixtures purchased from UK distributors. In fact both venues opened in the same week at the beginning of October.

Craig Wiggins of Xtreme Audio Visual said: "The Bedford venue's vaulted ceiling is nicely raked before flattening off. We have used three Coemar Prospots 150s in the centre, almost alongside each other, two either side of the roof pitch and the final one further down on the flat part of the ceiling." One of the dance podiums features a shower, with a Coemar ProSpot positioned cl

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UK - Soundtrack Productions, specialist in location recording and mastering of operatic and classical repertoire, has chosen Chameleon amplifiers for monitoring both its location and studio post-production work. Head of Soundtrack Productions, Chris Braclik, commented: "I needed amplifiers that were quiet, transparent and could handle a wide frequency range. Opera is so dynamic as an art form that you need the highs, but cannot afford for noise and distortion in the quiet sections. Chameleon has allowed me to forget about amplifiers and concentrate on the performance."

Chameleon sales director Martin Capp added: "I knew that Chris would instantly recognize the dynamics and control that Chameleon amplifiers bring to a performance. We have provided him with a matching pair of 600S amplifiers, one for location recording and one for the studio, allowing as close a re

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USA - DiGiCo has announced the sale of its 100th D5 digital mixing console, just one year on from when the console first shipped. The 100th console is a D5 56EX sold to integration company Southern California Sound Image, for installation into Christ Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona. The installed system is a full SDI/AES-EBU-Cobranet AV system, with a digital video broadcast studio and six-camera AMX pan/tilt system.

The D5 is the front-of-house console and is custom configured with 56 mic lines from the stage, local DiGiRack (8 analogue in / 8 analogue out, 8 AES EBU I/O) and stage DiGiRack (56 mic in/ 32 analogue out, 8 AES EBU I/O). Audio processing is by Biamp, and more than 50 QSC CX series amplifiers power a substantial cross-matrixed left/centre/right Renkus-Heinz audio system with two rings of delay speakers.

Each of the three main speaker clusters comprises f

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USA - Super Vision International Inc, the Florida-based designer and manufacturer of LED and fibre-optic lighting products, signs and displays for retail and architectural applications, has announced its financial results for the quarter ending 30 September 2003, with net income for the quarter at $206,400 ($0.08 per share), compared to a net loss of $300,000 or ($0.12) per share in the third quarter of 2002.

The company was profitable for the second consecutive quarter this year despite a slight decline in revenues from $3m in the third quarter of 2002 to $2.93m in the same quarter of 2003. Net loss for the nine months ended 30 September 2003 was $120,000 or ($0.05) per share compared to a net loss of $696,300 or ($0.27) per share in the same period last year.

Dan Regalado, chief financial and operating officer of Super Vision International commented: "Despite the lower

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UK - One of the UK's leading events technical services suppliers ARB, and communications technology specialists Audiolink, have announced an exclusive partnership to supply two-way radios for events. After experiencing the benefits and professionalism brought to the events world by the creation of strategic business partnerships, ARB has constantly looked for opportunities to improve its service profile and offer clients improved service in all areas.

Audiolink has provided a diverse market with its two-way communication tools, including sporting events, the leisure industry and theme parks, for 30 years. Due to their close relationship with Motorola, they can offer the entire range from the world's leading two-way radio manufacturer, suited to different users and for specific requirements. By joining with ARB, another successful supplier, the overall package will be enhanced an

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USA / UK - The Harman Pro Group has established a new UK and Eire distribution company to represent JBL Professional, dbx and AKG Acoustics in the United Kingdom and Eire. The new company, called Harman Pro UK, will be based out of the Soundcraft facility in Potters Bar and will be managed by former Arbiter executive, Max Lindsay-Johnson.

The news follows the closure of Arbiter Group's Pro Audio Division, which had previously been responsible for distribution of these brands - along with Powersoft and DigiTech - in the UK.

According to Harman Pro Group president Mark Terry, the opening of the UK distributorship will better meet the needs of all Harman Pro customers. "All of the Harman Pro brands enjoy a strong market presence throughout the UK. As such, our customers can immediately benefit from working with a single source of distribution, just as the US customers of Ame

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UK - A record number of visitors from 18 different countries attended the UK's main outdoor event services exhibition this October. The 2003 Showman's Show combined decades of experience with the latest trends and new products to create a showcase of 300 companies. With all of the components of outdoor events on show, there was something of interest for all of the 4,471 visitors. The attendees, who braved rain on the Wednesday and enjoyed a sunny Thursday, came from varied backgrounds, ranging from charity event organisers through to multi-national Clear Channel Entertainment.

Exhibitor Steve Hayward of Amazing Parties, talking from his Mongolian themed Internet Café said: "We were over-run by hoards of visitors on both days, many thanks to the Lance family for delivering once again." On the Wednesday evening the annual Showman's Directory Dinner was once again a suc

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UK - Lighting designer Max Conwell has designed a very different video aesthetic into his show for the current European leg of Placebo's Sleeping With Ghosts tour. Conwell's multi-layered approach seamlessly binds the visual mediums of lighting and video into Placebo's powerful, hard-hitting performance. Conwell and production manager Derek McVay again turned to XL Video's Des Fallon to supply production hardware for the tour, in this Placebo's most comprehensive video-based production to date.

XL has supplied three upstage 10m square Barco D7 LED screens. These are hung low, and upstage of a heavy, plastic industrial freezer curtain, slit into several sections. There are also four Barco G10 projectors providing front projection onto the plastic. Conwell took the double-images of the album artwork as a starting point for his video content. He wanted two layers of video -

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UK - Sonic8 has announced the company's appointment as the UK's exclusive distributor for ART's range of signal processing and accessory products from the United States. ART have been manufacturing dynamic processors since 1984, initially offering high-definition equalizers and digital reverbs and now concentrating on the dynamics processing market with a broad range of audio tools.

When ART introduced their first Tube MP microphone preamp, it set a new standard for performance expectations - Mix magazine nominated the unit for a prestigious TEC Award. ART went on to develop a full line of microphone preamps that all have the ART sound along with a full line of tube compressors, including the acclaimed PRO VLA. The Pro VLA won Electronic Musician Magazine Editor's Choice Award for Best Dynamics Processor.

Stephen Helm, managing director of Sonic8 states: "I've always been

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Spain / Russia - UK-based Cadac Electronics has made two new distributor appointments, extending its reach across Europe and into Russia. In Spain, Salvador Serra of RTS Audio, based in Barcelona, now represents Cadac. The company has also appointed StudiTech, headed up by Nikita Stepanov to handle the Russian market, providing direct local sales and technical support for the first time.

Salvador Serra has extensive experience of the Spanish installation and touring market, believing that Spain is ready for Cadac and commented: "I am very happy to become a member of the Cadac family, having great respect for the product and the people behind it. Cadac consoles are installed at three prestigious venues here in Spain, and have an excellent reputation with all the engineers that know them. However, there are many other opportunities where Cadac's sound quality and reliability

  1. KPMG appointed receivers to McMillan UK Ltd
  2. A point well made with Luxeon LEDs
  3. Electrosonic at the 2003 UK AV Awards
  4. Singapore's Song opens d&b office
  5. Yamaha's SPX 2000s debut on finals of Pop Idol
  6. Events company stages its own expansion
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