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Germany - The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra recently employed an Allen & Heath ML3000 live sound VCA console to manage live recording and broadcast during the Penderecki Festival, an annual three day event held this year in Germany, which honours the renowned Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki.

The Festival was held at three different locations - St. Dyonisius Church in Rheine, Il Bagno concert hall in Steinfurt, and Munster cathedral - comprising performances of many of Penderecki's works and a variety of classical masterpieces by The National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conducted by the man himself.

The grand finale of this year's festival was a performance of Penderecki's St Luke Passion, regarded as the composer's breakthrough to world renown. It was originally performed at the same location 40 years ago, and to mark the milestone, the anniversary per

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UK - They're the hottest band in the UK , with their debut album going triple platinum in a matter of weeks, and their nationwide tour selling out within minutes. Although an Alpha system saw them through most of the dates, the SSE Audio Group brought a GEO T rig out to London's Brixton Academy for the big finale of the Arctic Monkey's British tour.

SSE has supported the Arctic Monkeys since their early days, although, with the phenomenal speed of this band's success, that is not long ago. Barely three years after playing their first gigs, the Monkeys have a sell-out tour, a BRIT Award for Best New Act, and hold the UK music industry record for the fastest-selling debut album - ever. All this success has been built via the internet, where the band made their demos available for download, and in doing so, created a huge fanbase.

The tour has played 13 dates around the UK

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UK - Marquee Audio ensured that the only appearance this summer by The Cure - during the Sixth Teenage Cancer Trust week at the Royal Albert Hall - received full Digidesign Venue system support.

The company's digital specialist Andy Huffer supplied the two D-Show mixing consoles and the Pro Tools HD2 recording system was provided by Andy 'Baggy' Robinson. This allowed FOH sound engineer Marc Carolan to record 48 tracks for the show's three and a half hour duration flawlessly - as well as locally tracking six ambient mics for future 5.1 mixing of the show. In addition to the recording from the FOH desk, Keith Uddin, The Cure's studio engineer, took a firewire feed to the Pro Tools LE from the monitor desk of Matt West.

Carolan added that since The Cure had used Venues on their European festivals last summer it seemed logical to treat this as a one-off extension of that, as the

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UK - Phil Hartnoll will always be known as one half of the ground-breaking anddance- music defining duo Orbital, who had world-wide success with their unique blend of electronic music from 1990 until 2004. Since the demise of Orbital, Hartnoll has been as busy as ever with DJ'ing and producing new music. His studio has stayed ahead of the game too, helped in no small way by his love for all things Novation.

Orbital were one of the most consistent and ground-breaking bands of the last 20 years. As half of that act, Phil Hartnoll always used the latest gear for the band's cutting-edge sound. Even after the group's demise he has remained true to that belief so, for his latest music project (Long Range, working with Nick Smith and Ben Burns), he has added the new ReMOTE SL to his list of Novation gear.

Hartnoll's relationship with Novation goes way back to his time in Orbital. &qu

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UK - ETC is delighted to announce that it has won the order to supply Sensor+ dimmers with CEM+ processors plus Matrix Mk II SineWave dimmer racks for installation in the Royal Festival Hall, which is currently undergoing redevelopment. The dimmers will be installed by Northern Light during the refurbishment on the South Bank.

Mark White, regional manager for ETC UK and Ireland says: "I am very pleased to note that with the installation at the RFH, ETC equipment will be dimming and switching most of the theatre installations on the South Bank. Adding the existing installations - Unicorn Theatre, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal National Theatre - this new installation will bring our total number of Sensor dimming channels in central London to just over 16,000 and the total of Matrix SineWave channels to just under 2,000."

White added: "I'm pleased to say that we a

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UK - When production manager and lighting designer Steve Nolan was asked to provide both production and lighting services for the live touring show of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds he soon realized he had his work cut out. Wearing two hats on the same show meant he needed a flexible and reliable lighting supplier and a very capable associate LD and programmer. He ultimately found both in PRG Europe.

Nolan explains: "I wouldn't normally take both roles on the same show. However having become involved I realized that production designer Jonathan Park and composer Jeff Wayne had very strong ideas of how they wanted the show to look and I felt another creative could muddy the waters. Although I am first and foremost a lighting designer, due to the complexity of the staging and my responsibilities as production manager, I needed an associate LD/programmer who I could trust to t

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France - Barco are the official supplier of digital cinema projectors at 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Recognized as an industry leader in digital cinema, Barco will be the sole supplier of digital cinema projectors for all 2K digital screenings at this year's festival.

The Festival de Cannes continues its strong association with Barco in awarding the responsibility of supplying projectors for all the 2K digital screenings of the festival. Barco's 2K digital cinema projectors, based on Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema technology, equip the Lumière, Debussy, Bazin and Bunuel auditoriums during the Festival and are provided in partnership with XDC. In addition, Barco will also supply digital projectors to the Marché Du Film in the auditoriums of Bory, Palaris D, E and F.

Nico Vernieuwe, VP sales and marketing of Barco's media and entertainment division says: "We are delig

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UK - The UK's first on-line resource for the AV industry has officially gone live. Brainchild of industry veteran Antony Drew, the new website allows freelance members to record their specialities, daily or hourly rates and availability online. Business users can then subscribe to search for freelancers from the comprehensive members' database.

Freelancer profiles can be viewed by speciality, day rate, and ability while the site's up-to-date availability feature allows resources to be optimised, keeping the project management process flowing freely. The web and SMS text-based service allows businesses to issue a text alert when they require support to which interested freelancers can respond direct. In return, FreelanceColony members can also use the Internet Browser or SMS text to keep their personal calendar up to date.

As freelanceColony is accessible via any web browser, b

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UK - Audio-Technica Ltd. has announced that it has been appointed as UK distributor for the True Systems range of microphone preamps.

True Systems is a product line of US consulting, design and manufacturing company Sunrise Engineering and Design. The current product range comprises the P2 Analog 2-channel mic preamp, the Precision 8i, 8-channel preamp, and the single channel P-SOLO desktop preamp. Designed for studio, live and location-based recording, each of the True Systems units delivers hi-end sonic performance in a variety of situations.

Tim Spencer, president of True Systems says: "Audio-Technica has always been known for innovative technology, highest-quality products and serious customer focus. So, when the opportunity arose to work with Audio-Technica Ltd. for distribution of True Systems products in the UK and Germany, we were very excited - and honoured. Afte

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Iran - The 300-seat Talan Honar theatre is an antique building located in the heart of Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The theatre is mainly used for multipurpose applications, such as theatre, drama, live music and - being equipped with 5.1 Dolby equipment and a 35mm cinema projector - for screening movies.

The theatre is owned by the Municipality of Tehran and its refurbishment was recently completed by one of Iran's largest Iranian companies (Sazeman Farhangi Honary Shardari), which renovated the hall, changing the interior decoration, seats, screen, acoustic treatment and wall covering, as well as the sound reinforcement system and lighting fixtures.

The project manager in charge for the municipality was Masood Roostaei and the upgrade began in August 2005 and ended in February 2006. The sound equipment was provided by Italian manufacturer Outline, and

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USA - The Red Raiders of Lubbock's Texas Tech University are one of the state's higher-profile college football teams: a big 12 team that swept the Holiday Bowl last year in San Diego, and played in the Cotton Bowl this year. The team's coach, Mike Leach, was recently the first coach to make the cover of the New York Times Magazine, achieving the distinction of being named one of football's best offensive coaches. Home for the team is Jones SBC Stadium, a 55,000-seat venue that underwent a $90 million renovation last year, including replacing the stadium's patchwork sound system with a new system built on Meyer Sound's Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers.

The stadium's original design dates from the 1960s, and while it's not all that out of the ordinary, it presented a few logistical challenges that led James Bush, the venue's production manager, to opt for the single

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UK - One of the most unlikely hybrid retail operations in London's burgeoning Fitzrovia area, is that of CVO Firevault. Immersed in the luxurious basement showroom of prestigious fireplaces and flickering flames is an ultra-chic cocktail bar and restaurant - the brainchild of husband and wife owners, Carolyn and Christian van Outersterp. Given the unique surroundings, after hours this transforms effortlessly into a seductive intimate party venue.

The only element letting the place down was the sound system, as manager Matthieu Destandau explained. "When I first came here three years ago it was more like a casual coffee bar, but slowly we increased the restaurant and bar activity, as well as the outside entertainment."

With the sponsoring of private parties and receptions in the 85 cover restaurant came the requirement for outside production, and Destandau called on C

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Canada - PALM Expo 2006 (formally known as CALM Expo) will bring more than 1200 exhibiting companies with some 130,000 qualified visitors together, over the four days of exhibition. This international exhibition spans over 12 halls in the China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC), between 31 May and 3 June in Beijing.

Brock Adamson, founder and CEO of Adamson Systems Engineering will attend China's 15th annual PALM expo and will be present at booth 8120, hosted by Adamson's Chinese distributors Eastern Acoustic Development. EAD will exhibit Adamson's newest products the T-21Sub and M15 multipurpose enclosures, along side with Y-Axis Y10's and Y18's. Mr. Adamson will show power point presentations and report further on the new T-21 Sub's driver ND-21 design and on the Adamson Co-Linear Drive Technology.

Adamson Systems Engineering develops and manufactures high-end loudspeak

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Belgium / Greece - Belgian manufacturer Amelia NV, known worldwide for its ShowLED starcloth product, has provided a massive backdrop for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place this weekend at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece.

The starry sky in Athens is made up of 45 cloths of 3m by 12m, creating a total of around 1,600sq.m of LED starcloth, containing some 10,000 LEDs, connected by 12.5km of electrical wire.

This is the latest event to boost ShowLED's growing international reputation. Recent additions to the company's growing international distributor network include Gerriets (Germany & Austria), Azur Scénic (France) and Peroni (Italy). Other recent projects include Night of the Proms and some 1,000sq.m of starcloths for several TV shows at Dubai Television.

A full report on the Eurovision production will appear in the July-August iss

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UK - Shuttlesound has successfully hosted its latest Telex Academy, one of a series of educational events which are aimed at professional end-users and resellers working with Electro-Voice, Dynacord, Midas and Klark-Teknik technologies. 20 'students' from all over England and Scotland attended this Academy, which focussed on the needs of the permanent installation market.

The two-day event covered a variety of subjects, from basic principles of audio engineering to complex installation design tutorials, referencing Telex's numerous networked installations in the World Cup football stadia in Germany. Presenters from Shuttlesound, including John Ellis, Jason Kelly, and David Howe, were joined by Frauke Jungbluth from Germany, Dynacord's brand manager. Together, they took their audience through the Telex product portfolio, discussing different brand philosophies and the possibiliti

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UK - In little over a month since its launch, SSE Hire has placed an initial order for four Soundcraft Vi6 digital live mixing consoles to add to its impressive digital rental stock.

Headquarters near Birmingham, with additional sites in Europe, SSE Hire is a member of the SSE Audio Group, which offers integrated services including sound design, service and repair, fabrication and structures. SSE Hire provides audio systems for events, tours and concerts worldwide.

Having had input to the development of the Soundcraft Vi6, and recently completed trials with the unit at their warehouse in Redditch, SSE hire manager Rich Rowley, says: "We've known Soundcraft for many years and have been familiar with their trusted MH range, but have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the digital Vi6. We were not disappointed - our first experiences with it have been very exciting. The use

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USA - When Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire was published in 1976, it quickly became the most popular vampire tale since Dracula. Nearly 10 years passed before Rice wrote more vampire stories, which have since continued in a steady stream of books totaling a dozen volumes as of 2003. Naturally, several movies have been made from this colourful body of work, but it was only in 2005 that a full theatrical production was mounted based on Rice's vampire writings. Now opening on Broadway, Lestat is a musical scored by the Sir Elton John and his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin. The elaborate production's complex soundtrack is rendered by a sound system built around a powerful LCS Audio Matrix3 digital audio system and an extensive complement of self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers in an innovative configuration.

Lestat premiered at San Francisco's Gea

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Italy - A spectacular music event took place in Italy recently to mark the end of the two-day celebrations to launch Turin as the Book Capital of the World. Organised by the band Subsonica, a four-hour concert was staged at the Olympic Palasport (Palaolimpico Isozaki) in the city, named Volumi all'Idorgeno.

This was Subsonica's only performance of 2006, and joining them onstage were Africa Unite, Linea 77, Marlene Kunz, Mau Mau, Perturbazione, E'LIA, Gatto Ciliegia and Wu Ming in an evening that didn't just set out to be a concert but a major 'happening'; all the bands worked between themselves, building a cross narration through a game of quotations, turning several books into music which ran across various video screens.

The marathon show ran continuously, without change of stage, almost like a rave of electronic images, lights words and music. The name of the evening,'Volum

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USA - Imagility, a holding company that invests in illumination, imaging and related technology, today announced it has acquired the assets of Ribbonlift, a designer and manufacturer of advanced lift systems known for their exceptional portability, reliability and ease of use.

Ribbonlift's patented lift equipment is used to position cameras, lights, projectors, communication devices and more for motion picture shoots, live events, construction, industrial, military and other applications. Based in Owatonna, Minnesota, its clients include Walt Disney Imagineering, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Defense.

Founded in 1998, all employees of Ribbonlift are expected to remain with the new company in Owatonna - a wholly owned subsidiary of Imagility - while certain corporate functions such as finance and strategic

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Canada - MediaTech s.r.o., a leading pro audio company, has been appointed Adamson's distributor for the Czech Republic. Established in 1991 in the former Czechoslovakia, the company has grown from its four founding members to close to 40, and has compiled an impressive line card that includes Lab.gruppen and it's parent company t.c.electronic. MediaTech headquarters are about 100km east of Prague in the town of Chrudim and a regional office is located in the eastern part of the county. Mediatech s.r.o is also a majority shareholder of Mediattech Spol.s.r.o in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Their Adamson demo stock consists of 16 Spektrix, six Spektrix Subs, a turnkey solutions package that includes Lab.gruppen fP3400's and fP6400's amps, Adamson's DX6000 Processors, Adamson's European Touring Series panels, and Adamson European A/C Panels.

MediaTech's employees attended Adamson's trai

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Spain - Fridays' Project, Barcelona's largest multiple brand fashion store located at the most exclusive part of the Paseo de Gracia, was recently outfitted with a D.A.S. Audio sound system. Installed by the Fidel Color company, a custom sound system comprised by a total of 64 Factor-5TE speakers (wall-mountable with line transformer) were distributed throughout the store's three stories using 32 white and 32 black enclosures. Powered by two Energy E-12T amplifiers and a Dateq ACE mixer, the system provides musical ambience to two women's and one men's fashion floor.

Thanks to their elegant and discreet design, the Factor speakers have been seamlessly integrated into the store, providing a warm and cozy musical ambience, transforming the customer's store visit into a comfortable and pleasant experience. This, in turn, is essential to further the length of their shopping visit. T

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USA - When it comes to live work, no one knows more about front of house soundthan Kevin Pruce. Over the last 23 years he has worked with the biggest names in the business including Madonna and Bjork. So what gear does he take on tour with himΩ Focusrite.

Reading Kevin Pruce's live engineering credentials is like looking at a who's who of icons from last three decades of pop. It includes Duran Duran, Adam Ant, The Human League, Tears For Fears, The Style Council, Sinead O'Connor, Bjork, Lemon Jelly, Starsailor, Yoko Ono, Meat Loaf and, last but by no means least, Madonna! And with all that experience, it's difficult to ignore what this man has to say about which equipment to use for liveduties.

"When it comes to FOH, spec the right equipment for the job, not what is flavour of the month," he says. With that in mind it's not surprising to find that an engineer o

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UK - LD Nick Jevons of Electric Fly Productions chose an Avolites Diamond 4 console as the primary control desk for the main stage at Radio One's Big Weekend in Dundee.

Headlining artists included Razorlight, The Streets, The Editors, Muse, Snow Patrol, Mylo, Pink, Keane and the Sugababes. For the first time, the event was recorded for broadcast on the digital channel, BBC 3.

The high profile two day event - Radio One's biggest Weekend to date - was the first time that Jevons has used a Diamond 4 - although he is experienced on other Avo consoles. "I always like pushing the technical boundaries for these shows," he enthused. "I needed a powerful desk and it was an absolutely ideal opportunity to use a D4," he says.

A week beforehand, he went into Avolites' training room for the day in London and did a crash course on the console - which he f

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UK - On ticket sales alone, the current tour by Take That has taken everyone's breath away. Having split up 10 years ago, it's a tribute to their status as Britain's first real boy band that they can attract even bigger audiences today than in their heyday. But the passage of time imposes certain burdens, as tour production manager Chris Vaughan explained: "The key difference between this tour and the ones in the nineties is that this has to be as spectacular as we can make it."

Building that scale of spectacle has involved the talents of Bill Lazlett and Simon Tutchener for stage set and lighting respectively. At the behest of band svengali Kim Gavin the presentation also includes arguably the largest LED screen ever used for an arena show, as supplied by large-scale screen specialists Creative Technology (CT). "It's a Unitek Version Mk3 - a screen I love,"

  1. Fuzzy opts for Allen & Heath in Australia
  2. Danley loudspeakers spark the revolution
  3. Outline at Talan Honar Theatre
  4. PLASA06 unveils seminar programme
  5. RCF Appoint 4 PRO Dealers for the UK
  6. 'Huge success' for Lightpower Open Days
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