USA - Ashly Audio has appointed LVX Marketing to serve as its manufacturer's representative in northern California and northern Nevada. Between them, LVX president Ed Ulibarri and LVX CEO John Hernandez have over 50 years of experience working with professional audio manufacturers, and their combined experience in the retail market extends even beyond that.

"We bring a lot of perspective from all sides of the market," said Hernandez. "We're excited to partner with Ashly - a respected pro audio company that's been designing and manufacturing innovative products right here in the United States for over forty years. With Ashly on our line card, our clients will have access to a diversity of amplifier, DSP, and user interface configurations to perfectly fit audio instillations and applications of all sizes."

"We have a lot of respect for Ed and John's experience and loyalty to

UK - Adlib supplied an L-Acoustics 'racks-and-stacks' audio solution plus a full support package and crew to Years & Years recent UK tour which saw the chart-topping rising star synthpop trio from London playing a series of sold out theatres and arenas.

Adlib were brought on-board by production manager Steve Down. Two of their most experienced regular engineers, Sam Proctor and Hassane Es Siahi were tasked to ensure that band engineers Pablo Campanara (FOH) and Harry Bishop (monitors) received impeccable support.

Due to the variety of venues on the itinerary, Pablo specified a system with great flexibility, so an L-Acoustic's K1 / K2 package, which in the largest iteration - as used for Wembley and Birmingham - comprised of 12 x L-Acoustics K1s a side with four Kara downs for the main hangs and 12 x K2s a-side for the secondary / side hangs.

The 18 x SB28 subs were gro

Czech Republic - Italian pro audio manufacturer Outline has announced Primaton s.r.o. as their exclusive distributor for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Headquartered in Praha (Prague), Czech Republic, Primaton is already very well connected to the professional touring, production and installation market due to their involvement with MA Lighting, Robe, ARRI, Doughty and other lighting products through their sister company LightNeq.

LightNeq currently offers services in lighting design and technical proposals for large events, such as the Ice Hockey World Championships, Olympic House of the Czech Republic in London and many other important projects in the field of concert tours in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Founder Pavel Lenoch stated, "We had been looking for a quality loudspeaker manufacturing partner to fulfil the demand for quality professional audio products.

UK - Midas has announced the launch of the Midas M8000, an ultra-high performance 192 kHz, eight-channel A/D converter with "unprecedented audio and sonic performance".

Andy Trott, SVP, Enterprise & Entertainment Division states, "For over four decades, Madas has been the undisputed leader in audio and sound performance, especially known for its award-winning microphone preamplifiers and best sounding mixing consoles.

"Our Manchester Innovation team spent over three years and close to 1 US$m to develop what we believe is the world's best-sounding A/D converter. Based on advanced multi-bit delta-sigma architecture and a revolutionary high-speed TDM interface, the converter's performance delivers close to 120 dB of dynamic range with sampling rates up to 216 kHz."

Andy continues, "We are especially proud of the M8000's incredible audio performance, which industry standar

UK - HD Pro Audio has announced its appointment as UK main dealer for SGAudio Aps' 10EaZy sound level measurement system, designed for the live sound and entertainment industries.

Andy Huffer, sales director of HD Pro Audio commented, "We see great potential in the touring and installed live sound market for 10EaZy, as an essential tool for both engineers and venues to keep them on the right side of noise regulations. Noise complaints have been identified by many as one of the primary threats to music and performance venues of all shapes and sizes, so to invest in an easy-to-manage way of monitoring SPL and liaise with the local authorities can only be a positive move."

Huffer continued, "10EaZy is already in use at some major UK venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Union Chapel, and on tour with engineers such as Mick Hughes and Jon Burton. We welcome enquiries from p

UK - Opening in three weeks, PLASA Focus Leeds 2016 will welcome the latest products recently launched in live entertainment technology from 10 - 11 May. Robe, Avolites, Triple E and Pioneer Pro Audio will join over 175 brands showcasing their new technical solutions for the live entertainment industry.

After recently launching a variety of new and innovative lighting products, Platinum Sponsor Robe, returns to Leeds with its new Spikie, a super-fast LED WashBeam, on stand N-B30. The fixture produces sharp, multi-coloured spikes of light, rotating in both directions at variable speed, while a unique beam effect engine transforms the output into three piercing narrow beams. It has continuous pan and tilt rotation and weighs only 5.5 Kgs.

State-of-the-art professional audio solutions will also be on offer, including the recently launched XPRS Series from Pioneer Pro Audio on

UK - The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central) and the Unicorn Theatre have announced the establishment of a memorial fund in honour of the late Petrus Bertschinger. At the request of Petrus's family, donations are being sought for The Captain's Fund which will be split between the Unicorn Theatre and Central's Technical and Production Management or Stage Management courses.

Petrus Bertschinger (1961 - 2015) was a long-standing member of the Central community from his time as a student in the 1980s to his most recent role as Senior Lecturer in Technical and Production Management at the School. Petrus graduated from Central in 1984 and had 32 years professional experience as a stage manager, production manager and theatre consultant including Production Manager for Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures. He also spent ten years with the Unicorn Theatre, fir

Germany - The Shure KSM8 Dualdyne Vocal Microphone introduced this January was awarded the pipa award in the category Live Microphone / IEM. The ceremony took place during the 2016 Prolight+Sound / Musikmesse in Frankfurt on 7 April.

Ron Hautzinger, product manager pro & retail at Shure Europe says, "With the KSM8, Shure set out to develop a microphone that turns the world of dynamic microphones upside down. Offering a brand-new patented cartridge design with two diaphragms, the KSM8 has virtually no proximity effect and a flat off-axis attenuation for superior rejection of unwanted sound sources. We are honoured to receive the pipa and would like to thank all voters."

(Jim Evans)

UK - RCF UK will present several of the innovations that lit up the company's international stand at Frankfurt Prolight+Sound recently, when they arrive at this year's PLASA Focus (Leeds Royal Armouries Museum, 10-11 May).

Occupying stand #N-D20 the showcase will include the following:

HDL6-A: The new mini-format entry to the composite D-Line line array series, this active 2-way powered system is partnered by the HDL6-AS sub. Housing double 6.5" bass drivers the HDL6-A is run in combination with 1.75" compression driver with a 2" voice coil on a 10° x 100° waveguide. The HDL 6-AS is a 12" bass reflex enclosure, designed to be flown with the full range system.

HDL50-A: At the other end of the spectrum, this large-format, three-way active line array module is the flagship of the D-Line range and contains 2 x 12" bass drivers, 4 x 6.5" mid-range and 2 x 3" compres

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds has become something of an annual highlight for team GB at d&b audiotechnik - a chance to welcome new faces, catch up with the local pro audio community, and regionally introduce all the latest international product launches.

From 10-11 May at the Royal Armouries Museum stand no. N-A24 will make things simple, with mobile products on one side and installation solutions on the other. In the mobile corner, the award winning V-Series point sources will make their Leeds debut, plus both the line array optimization tool, d&b ArrayProcessing, and the R1 Remote control software will be available to demo. And for anyone who's not yet heard about d&b NoizCalc - the far field noise immission modelling software - there'll be opportunity to see it in action, virtually of course.

Premiering on the installation side will be the two four channel installation specif

Sweden - Two Allen & Heath dLive digital mixing systems managed the recent two-month run of Green Day's stage show, American Idiot, at Cirkus Theatre in Stockholm.

Parashoot PA was appointed to manage the sound, selecting S7000 Control Surface and DM64 MixRack at both FOH and monitors, and a ME system for personal monitors, from its hire stock.

"I wasn't sure at first when the producer asked me to design and engineer the show as we are a touring PA company but he was adamant that the show was about capturing the Green Day sound and attitude," explains Parashoot's Oscar S

World - Iron Maiden is relying on a Meyer Sound Leo Family loudspeaker system to power its successful Book of Souls World Tour. The band's high-octane performances have been filling arenas around the world since the six-month, 35-country tour began in February. FOH engineer Martin Walker chose the Leo Family to ensure maximum power and clarity for Iron Maiden after mixing Judas Priest's 2014-2015 world tour on the system.

"Leo's clarity and headroom help out a great deal when it comes to balancing the mix," reports Walker. "Iron Maiden has three guitars, vocals, and occasional keyboards all vying for the same frequency bands in the mix. With LEO, the clarity cuts right through. That also allows me to mix louder than before."

Walker notes that the band has been pleased with audience reactions to the sound, and appreciates the directed sound of the 1100-LFC low-frequency con

UK - PRS for Music Foundation, in association with Wigwam Acoustics and the Musicians' Union has announced the four winners in the latest Flash Funding opportunity which offers them each bespoke monitoring and touring support to advance their live career.

The four artists being supported are: April Towers (Nottingham - to support European and UK dates in May, June and July), False Advertising (Manchester - to support upcoming UK dates in April and May), Flight Brigade (London - to support tours and festivals across the UK) and John Joseph Brill (Liverpool - to help with upcoming UK dates)'

PRS for Music Foundation, Wigwam Acoustics and Musicians' Union have teamed up for this second edition of Flash Funding to pool resources and knowledge, and give these four artists access to bespoke monitoring packages (such as in-ear monitoring, microphones, control systems) worth up to

UK - As part of its overall European route-to-market consolidation process, Pioneer DJ has chosen Leisuretec as its sole distributor in the UK. The process seeks to focus attention and support on a tighter network of high-end professional specialists with direct accounts or indirect specialists through distribution partners such as Leisuretec.

The role of Pioneer DJ trade distributors across Europe is to focus on the installation, hire and production market places for its DJ range and new XPRS active PA speaker range. Leisuretec are also authorised to supply smaller specialist retailers who meet Pioneer DJ's criteria but do not qualify for a direct account through being unable to meet its minimum turnover requirement.

Additionally, their large stockholding means they can comfortably maintain supply to all sectors when demand spikes. In stocking a variety of complementary p

UK - StarTech.com has announced three new dual-monitor mounting products that offer advanced options for a flexible, ergonomic-friendly workstation. The Dual Monitor Stand (SKU: ARMBARDUO), the Side-by-Side Monitor Mount (ARMSLIMDUO) and the Stackable Dual Monitor Mount (SKU: ARMDUAL30) make up the new trio of products.

All three of the dual-monitor mounts offer cost-effective ways to create an ergonomic work space. Each of the monitor mounts are built with sturdy materials, and can securely hold two monitors in place with varying degrees of adjustability.

"Our newest dual-monitor mounts offer users three different options for creating a comfortable work space," said Jordan Hamm, product manager at StarTech.com. "They provide a durable and dependable way for users to adjust the position of their monitors, without wasting valuable desk space."

The new trio of monitor mo

USA - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Anderson Audio recently added an Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Anna Adaptive System to their inventory.

"This is a flagship system for us," explains owner Chris Anderson. "The new Anna PA won't replace our KF740 arrays, instead it will give us the opportunity to build a new client base and get work that we haven't won before."

Anderson checked out EAW's Anya system - the first Adaptive System - when it first debuted. "I was so impressed with the technology," he adds. "I was hoping they were going to come out with something more compact, a PA that would fit in with the services we provide. When I saw Anna at AES, it all fell into place."

Anna provides Adaptive Performance for a wide range of applications that require exceptional sound quality, high output and precise coverage. In addition, Anna can adapt coverage to any venue geometry

UK - When the O2 Arena, London, and its smaller, 2800-capacity sibling, indigo at The O2, were first opened back in June 2007, leaseholders AEG rubber-stamped an all Harman Professional technical infrastructure. This included two of Soundcraft's then flagship Vi6 digital consoles in indigo at The O2's FOH and monitor positions.

Nearly a decade later, the venue's technical manager Rob Burrows was becoming increasingly aware that technology had moved on considerably, with capacities and processing power greatly increased. After a six-month process during which they reviewed options, they decided to replace both desks with Soundcraft's new generation Vi7000, supplied by Soundcraft Vi select dealer, SSE Audio Group.

"We had done very well with the Vi6's but they were showing their age," noted Burrows. "We had the original first generation desks and they had gigged extremely ha

USA - The new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas recently opened with an all-star gala event featuring Las Vegas natives The Killers, Wayne Newton, Shamir, Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. Delicate Productions of Los Angeles and San Francisco deployed a Martin Audio MLA system to ensure consistent coverage throughout the spectacular new venue.

A two-year project representing an investment of $375m, the 20,000-seat Arena will host over 100 events a year including sports ranging from UFC, boxing, hockey and basketball to concerts and awards shows. A special concert featuring Nicki Minaj with special guest Ariana Grande followed the opening night with an upcoming schedule of shows that includes the Guns N' Roses reunion tour, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel and more.

The MLA system, supplied by the Arena's preferred audio provider and MLA partner 3G Productions, was used

UK - After the success of ISCEx2016, the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers will return to the picturesque location of Coombe Abbey on March 7-8, 2017 for ISCEx2017.

The Institute certainly raised the bar at ISCEx2016 once again. "It was unquestionably our most successful exhibition yet," said Ros Wigmore, manager, secretariat at the ISCE. "Of our 28 exhibitors, four were first timers - Leisuretec Distribution, Monacor (UK) Ltd, Nexo SA and Yamaha Commercial Audio. And away from the exhibition, I am delighted to say that all the seminars were packed throughout."

Monacor (UK)'s UK field sales manager, Leighton Castle, said, ''The event provided us with a great opportunity to network with industry peers and to reach out to those who may not have been overly familiar with the Monacor brand and service. We very much look forward to ISCEx2017, and to many years exh

USA - After a highly successful run in London at the Chocolate Factory, John Doyle's The Color Purple opened to rave reviews at the Bernard B. Jacobs theatre on Broadway in December 2015. Interestingly, Doyle's latest version is a far cry from the original flamboyant Broadway show. This time Doyle opted for a much more streamlined, pared-down production, leaving more room for the performers to shine and for the intense emotions to resonate.

Just as he did for the London production, Doyle turned to Tony Award-winning sound designer Gregory Clarke to create a clean, powerful sound design that would accurately reflect the extraordinary passion of Alice Walker's tale of black female oppression and emancipation in the American south.

"I deployed EM boxes on the original London version of the show in 2013 and they performed spectacularly well," explains Clarke. "I specifi

UK - Vanguardia has secured sole UK distribution rights to MeTrao - "a pioneering tool set to transform audio management at live events".

On 1 May 2016 Vanguardia is launching MeTrao's distribution, through which audio professionals and event organisers across the UK will be able to benefit from the product's technical wizardry.

Offering a new way of measuring sound and vibration, MeTrao was devised by Dutch entertainment technology experts Event Acoustics, based in Utrecht. The intelligent sound management product allows event organisers and sound engineers to meet noise control regulations with ease - while maximising the quality of audio output at the highest possible levels. Vanguardia has done a deal with the product's main European distributor, Ampco Flashlight Sales, to secure UK rights.

MeTrao was launched in The Netherlands in 2012, where it has sold over 200

Serbia - Pro audio specialists, Studio Berar DOO, has added the prestige Powersoft brand to its distribution portfolio. According to sales director, Bojan Po?u?a, the company had been searching for a brand that would meet their criteria for high-quality, including the requirements of their clients when it comes to creating such solutions.

"We very quickly came across Powersoft and immediately liked the fact that we share the same philosophy - namely, uncompromising quality and remarkable standards. Powersoft products are the most advanced solutions in the field of audio amplification production and are an essential component in any signal chain."

Po?u?a said their decision was based on decades of experience in renting and selling solutions in the audio field. "It has taught us to recognise quality and so Powersoft was our logical choice. As a brand it offers exactly what w

Non-Runner - Romania has been expelled from the Eurovision Song Contest after its national broadcaster failed to pay debts of more than £11m. Ovidiu Anton was due to perform the song Moment Of Silence in the second semi-final of the contest, which will take place in Sweden on 12 May. However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed the nation will now no longer be able to compete after Televiziunea Romana (TVR) failed to meet a 20 April repayment deadline.

A statement on the Eurovision website said, "The EBU has withdrawn member services from Romanian public service broadcaster Televiziunea Romana (TVR) following the non-payment of debts totalling CHF 16m."

Reasonably Well Off - Adele has been named as Britain's richest ever female musician, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. A list of the top 50 music millionaires in the UK and Ire

The Netherlands - Increasing demand for his services has seen renowned Dutch cameraman and video editor John Huijbregts build his own 4K outside broadcast truck. A Yamaha TF3 digital mixing console proved the best solution for the vehicle's audio requirements.

John has worked both nationally and internationally, covering a wide range of different events and productions. His company Dutch Multicam is located in the southern town of Sint Willebrord, with facilities that include edit rooms and full post-production facilities. John has been using Yamaha 01V96 digital mixers for many years and so, when the demand dictated the need to develop an OB facility, he naturally looked to Yamaha again.

"I have a long history of mixing with Yamaha, both for recording and post-production. Many of my colleagues in the broadcast industry also use Yamaha because of their excellent reputation

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