Multiplex, the Australian company renowned for its on-time completion of the Stadium Australia for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, is currently working on upgrading Chelsea Football Club's Stamford Bridge ground. As part of this, its on-site contractor SVT were asked to look at the arrangements for evacuation in cases of emergency such as bomb threats. Deciding that a new system was required they turned to a partnership of ASL's world-leading PA equipment and Navica Ltd's rack-building expertise for this flagship installation. ASL's products from the core of the Incident Evacuation system, which will be used to control and evacuate the crowd inside the stadium. The primary fire evacuation system, in this case, will continue to use conventional sounders but should it be necessary, ASL's system can be configured to be fully compliant to the standards required of a primary fire evacuation system.

Pioneer GB has introduced the futuristically-designed CDJ-1000, which includes a range of innovative new features such as Vinyl Emulation, Wave Display, Multi-Media Card (MMC) and Loop In and Out Adjust. The CDJ-1000 provides a creative universe limited only by the imagination of the DJ - entirely irrespective of favouritism towards either CD or Vinyl. With its design rooted in CD and sampling technology, the CDJ-1000 is modelled on a traditional vinyl deck. With the world’s largest touch-sensitive Jog Dial, designed to faithfully and accurately emulate the characteristics of a turntable. This allows DJs to treat CDs exactly the same way as they would a vinyl record: cueing, pitch-bending, back-spinning and even scratching.

The Wave display reads every track on the CD and displays the corresponding sound level in a graphical format. This enables the DJ to cue up a track just as t

Members of the ALD (Association of Lighting Designers) and the STLD (Society of Television Lighting Directors) along with other lighting designers have been invited to Wybron's Open Day for a demonstration of the Autopilot II system. The demonstration will be held at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London, where the Autopilot II is currently in use on the production of The Witches of Eastwick. Autopilot II is Wybron's automated followspot system, which is very easy to set up, use and monitor from a PC. Lighting designer Kevin Burgess will demonstrate its full potential and show how it's used in Witches. "We are really excited to have Kevin Burgess, the true Autopilot II ‘expert’, with us on the Open Day," says Mike Goldberg, manufacturer's representative for Wybron, who is arranging the event, which takes place at 3pm on May 25th. Goldberg can be contacte

Outline, the Italian loudspeaker designer and manufacturer, has announced the addition of a 'Joey' to its Kanguro (pronounced kangaroo) range of ultra portable sound systems. 'Joey' was the project name, which will not be used to market this latest product in the Kanguro range. The KW1215A is a self-powered loudspeaker system which allows the High Pack to be placed inside the Sub for transport. Amplifiers for the system have been developed in-house by Outline and are fully Digital. Each module produces 450W into 8 Ohms and there is a module in each of the KW1215A cabinets.

Studio Brussel is one of Belgium's most vibrant radio stations catering for the dance-orientated youth market. For their annual party this year they decided to go for a full-on festival held in Kuipke, the old velodrome in Ghent. A total of seven different venues were used to showcase the best of both Belgian and international talent. The main stage was in Kuipke and featured acts such as the Postmen, 28 days, Starflam, the Guano Apes and many more. Acoustic sessions took place in the Casino with the likes of Novastar, Monza and Luc de Vos, while other attractions included a drive-in movie theatre, cabaret, and DJ sets from Cut la Roc and Luke Slater. The welcome area included a live broadcast studio and a display of artwork from famous Belgian artist Panamarenko.

Dee Sound of Belgium was responsible for supplying the audio requirements for this high profile event. Both the main stage

New York City’s Carnegie Hall has become the world’s first concert hall to include a Yamaha PM1D digital mixing system, as part of a recent audio system upgrade, which also included a Myere Sound loudspeaker system. The design was completed by David Andrews of Andrews Audio, John Monitto from Meyer Sound and acoustical consultants Art-Tec, who performed extensive acoustic and RASTI measurements. The decision to purchase a large format digital front of house console came about through recommendations, and the need for future expansion. "We had an analogue board for 11 years, and it worked very well," said head of sound John Cardinale. "However, we were intrigued by the capabilities and the sound of digital consoles when they were first introduced, so we convinced management to make an investment in a quality front of house console as part of our upgrade. Our dec

Italian loudspeaker manufacturer Outline has developed the first high power, pollution free sound system with its' innovative Soundtracker system. The Soundtracker is a ceiling mounted tile that works as part of a matrix. The patented design incorporates a 21 foot horn, and a dual concentric 10" and 2" driver configuration. When a matrix of at least 16 units are installed, the off axis sound rejection is 30dB. Larger matrices of Soundtracker will perform equally. The intention for the composite ceiling tile which weighs in at an astonishing 22Kg, is for venues that either have a noise pollution problem, because of their location or indeed because of the Noise at Work Regulations Act which dictates limited working hours in areas of high SPL. Soundtracker can also be used as an extremely cost effective solution for hotels, exhibition or any public venues where sound pollution is

One of Oslo’s biggest theatres, Sentrum Scene West, has upgraded its front-of-house system with a new Sony DMX-R100 8-bus digital mixing console. The 1,000 seat venue needed a flexible desk which could be instantly reconfigured for a variety of roles, yet which offered high sound quality. The theatre stages a wide range of productions, including live concerts, theatrical performances and one-off special events, and previously the engineers would have to reset the FOH console for each new show. However, by using the DMX-R100 on-board snapshot automation, this can now be achieved with the touch of a button.

Kjetil Husoey, the theatre’s sound designer, said: "With so many different projects running in the theatre at the same time, we needed a console that had the flexibility and more importantly a snapshot automation facility. Other contenders were considered, but would h

South African-based Matrix Sound recently supplied four Trantec S4000 IEM transmitters and 18 S4000 IEM receivers for use by the cast of Grease, The Stadium Spectacular, staged at Johannesburg Stadium. The lead characters, Danny and Sandy, had their own in-ear mix, as did the rest of the support cast. Although the vast stage area was covered by side-fills and wedge monitors, due to the sheer size of the production - andthe delayed sound returning from the rear of the stadium - it was decided that an in-ear system would aid the artists’ timing for song and dance numbers. Custom moulds were manufactured for all 18 performers as the S4000 IEMs made their first large-scale South African stage debut. The ability to operate on higher frequencies within the Channel 62/64 range ensured an interference-free performance from the 18 headset radios and 12 radio comms being used simultan

UK band Toploader have set themselves up with a travelling demo studio using a Tascam 788 8-track Digital Portastudio. Guitarist Julian Deane was the first to convert to the unit: "We’ve been using a live sampler set-up for the last five years," he explained. "It’s had a fair bit of wear and tear on the road, being thrown into the backs of trucks and what have you. We’ve decided to switch over to an MDM format and the Tascam is renowned for its quality and endurance. It also interfaces with the Spirit digital desk. All of the outputs will be going into my desk and I will be dubbing it up as ususal."

An XTA Electronics SiDD (Seriously Intelligent Digital Dynamics) processor has become, in the space of one tour, a vital component in conveying Gary Moore’s vocal power on stage. Moore’s front-of-house engineer, Andy May, decided to experiment with the multi-dynamics device after trying "virtually every compressor on the planet, from all the familiar units to the most esoteric American kit." Capital Sound is providing the tour’s audio production, with a Martin Wavefront 8 system, itself controlled by XTA DP226 digital loudspeaker processors. Both the DP226 and SiDD are based on XTA’s proprietary AudioCore DSP engine. The Gary Moore band is a straight-ahead four-piece line-up. The rig includes a Midas Heritage 3000 desk, Martin LE700 wedges, and Crown Macrotech amplification. Graham Lilley is production manager and Danny Stead mixes monitors.

May explai

Glen Beckley has joined Stage Electrics heading up the Audio Design Services department. Beckley recently returned from two months touring the arenas of the USA with southern gospel group the Gaither Vocal Band, following this with designs for pantomimes in Bath, Blackpool, Stoke and Sheffield last Christmas. 2001 will also see him designing systems for national tours of Anything Goes and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, as well as contributing to various installation projects in the UK and Europe. Last year also saw him design a groundbreaking digital audio system for the national tour of ‘Carousel’ starring Darren Day and Sam Kane, the first of its kind seen in the UK, which impressed audiences and critics alike all over the country, as well as a system for the national tour of 42nd Street starring Ruth Madoc.

Stage Electrics has also announced that P

Following the recent appointment of Tone Ferne, Dobson Sound continues to expand its team of project co-ordinators to keep pace with the company's increasing workload. Richard Mortimer is the newest recruit to take his place. He will be working closely with David Lewis looking after the museum and conference market. A graduate in Music and Technology from Kingston University, Mortimer has spent the last three-and-a-half years working for Dobson Sound on a freelance basis so he is already very familiar with the client base. "As project co-ordinator it is my job to attend meetings with the client, ascertain their needs, specify the system, organise the crew and basically make sure the whole thing runs smoothly from start to finish."

Hayden Laboratories, the exclusive UK distributor for Rane products, has supplied Rane NM84 network mic preamps to London-based specialist classical recording company Floating Earth. The preamps - part of the CobraNET range of audio products - were specified by Mark Harrison, technical engineer for Floating Earth’s new OB truck. It’s Floating Earth’s first mobile, so they consulted broadcast and high end equipment suppliers HHB about the project, asking them to supply the equipment and systems utilised and after-sales support. Floating Earth then undertook the physical install themselves. The four Rane NM84s were supplied by Hayden to HHB, for whom the project was managed by Steve Angel. The mic preamps go into the venue and sit at the front end of the location recording - each offers eight line inputs. They are linked to QSC CobraNET digital decoders in the truck by a

The newly-formed London-based PA rental company Blitz Sound (formerly TP Sound), has given a significant boost to its hire inventory with the purchase of 10 Crest X4 consoles from exclusive UK distributor The Sound Department - through dealers, Marquee Audio. The desks are intended for use as Blitz Sound’s standard consoles for small- to medium-sized shows within the corporate and conference markets and also for small musical and theatrical events. They replace existing stock in an ever-expanding hire facility. To date, the desks have been in operation on such events as the Opel Vivaro car launch in Germany and a Millennium Dance Company Show staged in London. Crest’s X4 consoles occupy a privileged position in the marketplace. As Blitz director Dave Perry illustrates, "The X4’s are really the only desk of that size, with the number of inputs and outputs that we ne

Royal Caribbean International has recently introduced the first of its Radiance class of ships - Radiance of the Seas. This stunning vessel is the largest ship ever to have been built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and the first joint venture between a German shipyard and an American cruise line.

RCI has a tradition of delivering high quality onboard entertainment and Radiance is no exception. The Viking Crown is the trademark destination on-board Royal Caribbean ships, a spectacular space surrounded by a sweep of glazing, that wraps itself around the funnel at the highest point, providing panoramic views for the passengers. In the evening, the Viking Crown takes on a completely new persona and turns into a major entertainment complex and, in the case of the Radiance of the Seas, this includes a disco, a black-box theatre and bars of various hues.

The disco is cal

Audace Ltd, the audio control specialists have been experiencing great domestic success with their intelligent Wall Plate system since launching it on the Allen & Heath stand at the PLASA Show last year. Installations include the Red Cube Bar and Grill in Leicester Square, Springbok Bars in Wigan and Cardiff and Bar Censsa in Preston. Managing director Bryan Waters told PLASA Media: "We are absolutely delighted with the response to this system. When we took the decision to commit to this project, we knew that there was a gap in the market between VCA pots and touch screens and it is encouraging to see that we are not the only ones with this conviction!" The Audace intelligent wall plate system provides inexpensive digital control of DSP-based audio processors via Cat 5 cable and configuration is carried out using a free Windows GUI available from the Audace website.

The Golders Green Hippodrome has been the official home of the BBC Concert Orchestra since the early 1970s. The most recent, and probably the most extensive technical refit in recent years was completed at the end of April 2001 and included significant building works as well as a complete studio overhaul. The Oxford Sound Company was chosen to install a new 72-input SSL console, the SL9000J Series, and to integrate it into the existing infrastructure, as well as adding new cabling for the additional inputs. Much of the studio equipment was also replaced, including talkback system and effects units. Main monitoring is via an impressive PMC BB5/XPD system, with Excel-201s for near-field and surround monitoring. The existing 24-track Studer A800 is used as the standard recording machine and additional cabling was installed for ‘guest’ recording equipment to provide 48-track faci

Harrogate-based sales and installation specialists Funtime Music has recently installed a number of Camco's Vortex amplifiers supplied by Camco's UK distributor Fuzion plc, into two new Po Na Na venues in Lincoln and Salisbury. Funtime Music, nominated as Installer of the Year at the upcoming BEDA Awards later this year, has the contract for all new Po Na Na venues and plans to install Vortex amplifiers throughout. Funtime's Jonathan Reece explained his choice: "It really wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Vortex has revolutionised what we do in amplifier terms. We weren't particularly happy with the amps we were using, especially on the bottom end, but Vortex is just leagues apart. They sound superb right across all frequencies, but particularly on the bass. They run extremely cool so operation is trouble-free, and they also look very stylish, which for installations can actu

Worcester-based PA Company Intasound blasted open the new multi-million-pound Oxtalls Indoor Tennis Centre in Gloucester, with a new Crown powered Martin W8 system, purchased from the Birmingham branch of LMC Audio Systems. Sponsored by Audi and part of the ‘Sport For All’ initiative, this new 20-court complex is designed to bring tennis training and coaching within the reach of everybody. As well as the indoor system for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Intasound provided a fully integrated son et lumiere system for the inaugural firework display. A specially commissioned synchronised soundtrack, featuring sampled match-commentary and struck balls, was played back through the Martin W8C/WSX combination. Pictured left to right are Francis Dale (Intasound), Paul Collis (Intasound) and Sean Hames (LMC).

Hayden Laboratories, exclusive UK distributors for Rane Corporation products, has supplied a Rane ECS-Engineered Conferencing System, with automatic mic mixers, to the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) HQ boardroom in Manchester. The installation was undertaken by locally-based Akwil Projects. The site is on the 13th floor of a 1960s tower block in Corporation Street, downtown Manchester, overlooking the MEN Arena, Granada TV Studios and Boddingtons Brewery. The boardroom is an interesting space consisting of a square boardroom with listed internal décor and ceiling. The room’s major acoustic challenge was presented by the listed ceiling which has multiple early reflections. Eddie Akka of Akwil Projects, who also installed the original SR system in the same boardroom 20 years ago, was called in to specify a 21st century system. Eddie consulted various suppliers and asked them

Shed 7 are the first of Yorkshire Audio’s clients to benefit from the Midas Heritage 1000. Bought from the Leeds branch of LMC Audio Systems, Yorkshire Audio seized the opportunity to front their EAW KF850 system with the flagship console. Yorkshire Audio proprietor Bob Collinson explains his decision: "Midas was the brand on virtually every gig-review; the compact H1000 is practical for the medium-sized touring venues but has the desired Heritage sound to front the largest gigs." The UK tour has been a sell-out return for Shed 7 before releasing their long-awaited album this autumn. Originating from York, Shed 7’s last gig of the tour was appropriately in Yorkshire at The Foundry, Sheffield Hallam University.

Communication Technology Ltd has announced the death of its founder, Ron Glaisher, aged 80. His funeral took place on Thursday 25th May at Croydon, Surrey. Ron had been a well-known amateur radio enthusiast since the 1950s and even before starting his own specialist business played an important part in the development of microphones and handsets for transportation and radio communication applications. Ron sold his Company in 1999 to Scarecrow Bio-Acoustic Systems, a company owned by Tony Walker. Walker commented: "I had known Ron for more years than we would both have cared to admit; until very recently he was involved in our new product development and will be sadly missed as a good friend. I am sure everyone who knows his wife Prue will wish to offer their condolences to her."

On April 3rd, Electro-Voice hosted a highly successful dealer seminar in the World Trade Center in Mexico City. Over 600 consumers, dealers and distributors took part in the event which was held to demonstrate both the breadth and power of the existing EV range as well as to introduce new products. Delegates were given the opportunity increase their technical expertise as David Webster, Franck Fabry, Jay Easley, Joel P. Johnson, Ramiro Colasurdo and Enrique Lask were all on hand to give detailed demonstrations of some of the most important new products. Once the seminar was over, the party began, with a live band powered by an EV X-Array rig. Afterwards, in the VIP area, the festivities continued long into the night. The verdict from the Mexican EV crew was that the event was a huge success, and further dealer seminars and a training programme are planned for the near future.

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