Sound

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InnovaSon has announced the availability of V6.6, the latest version of its Sensoft software and is available for free download at the www.innovason.com download section. Sensoft 6.5 is still available for download. Sensoft is the software used to run a Sensory Live Console and can be installed also on a stand-alone PC or a laptop. The show can be set up anywhere, without the console, and transferred to the console via floppy disk.

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Crest Audio Professional series amplifiers, supplied by The Sound Department, will be used to power the sound on a series of school discos with a difference. Provided by Tarsin Entertainments for promoter Bobby Sanchez, matched with ASS scoop bins and JBL Venue series mid-tops, the combination is deemed to deliver the perfect 1970s sound Sanchez is looking to achieve for his risqué nights at Hammersmith Palais and other venues, where his clientèle come dressed in school uniforms. In Hammersmith, the sound is complemented at balcony level by the flown in-house system. "Since he plays 1970s music, he wants to achieve a sound reminiscent of the era," says Tarsin’s Peter Dyer. "The event takes place once a week at Hammersmith and it’s a fabulous night out."

The mobile rig’s bottom end is driven by four Crest 8001s, the mid-section by four 6001s and t

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Tremayne Crossley (system design co-ordinator) and Richard Sice (marketing manager) from voice alarm system specialist SigNET AC Ltd, recently abseiled from the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle in order to help raise money for a local charity, Disability North. Tremayne says "the thrill and experience of standing on top of the Tyne bridge with nothing but space below was exhilarating." He added: "I descended quickly and the 90ft drop to terra firma took no time at all. I was keen to go again but there was already a queue for the next group of abseilers."

Approximately 150 people took part in the initative to raise money for Disability North, a Charity dedicated to helping the disabled, young and old, to better integrate into society. Janet Schofield, marketing manager of Disability North says: "SigNET have been incredibly supportive" in addition to fund raising Si

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Tannoy has launched two new in-wall speakers, and the new i7 Contour full range installation loudspeaker.

The in-wall products integrate the company’s highly-regarded cabinet-based speaker technology into a flush-mountable format. Designed to provide value for money, ease of installation and high performance, the new speakers are suitable for music and film playback, multimedia and teleconferencing applications in boardrooms, themed visitor attractions, shops and residential installations. The powerful m2iw is a two-way system with a 165mm (6.5") long-throw mid/bass driver, 25mm (1") soft dome HF unit and onboard crossover. The design offers the assurance of long-term reliability combined with excellent sound quality.

The high-performance S8iw features a Tannoy 200mm (8") Dual Concentric constant directivity driver with an integral crossover network to provide su

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London-based pro audio supplier FX Rentals recently rewarded its 100,000th rental customer with a couple of bottles of champagne, presented by FX Group marketing director, Tony Andrews. The lucky order - for a Mackie 1202 mixer and four Shure microphones for an event at Kensington Roof Gardens - was placed on Tuesday 29 May by Jeremy Millins of Sevenoaks-based Pure Productions. Millins said: "We don’t usually hire in gear, but when we do, we use FX. They’re a great life-saver."

Tony Andrews comented: "We couldn’t let such an occasion pass by without some small celebration and we hope that Pure Productions enjoy a drink on us."

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From July 7th until July 22nd 2001, the MJF (Montreux Jazz Festival) in Switzerland is playing host to some of the best-known names in the world of music, such as Bob Dylan, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Gary Moore and BB King, as well as Roger Sanchez & Basement Jaxx. But one of the highlights will certainly be the Dance Night of July 21st, supported by Stanton, and featuring world-renowned DJs Roger Sanchez, Basement Jaxx, DJ Antoine and Etienne de Crécy. Animatec SA, one of Switzerland’s major distribution companies, based in Villeneuve close to Montreux, is one of the official partners of the MJF, and supplies all the mixers and cartridges for the DJ events taking place every day across three major stages of the festival, as well as demos and workshops andthe Salsa Boat on Lake Geneva!

Animatec SA is the exclusive distributor in Switzerland for Ecler, Stanton, DAS Audio and MA

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Hacousto International plans to unveil its new fully digital speaker array at PLASA.

"If our predictions regarding the industry’s response to this new digital speaker array prove as successful as our attempts to keep the design and specification under wraps until its launch at PLASA, we will have met our launch objectives," commented Hacousto’s Albert van der Hout. "Our evaluation of market needs has already been proven with a vote of confidence from one of the World Cup Stadiums. Following successful trials The Stadium has already committed to installing the new speakers," he continued. "We are sufficiently confident to invite the industry gurus to take up our challenge with a bench test. But only after the show," Albert concluded.Hacousto - Stand B24

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Los Angeles-based DJ equipment supplier American DJ recently completed a major expansion at its newly-acquired distribution centre in Miami, Florida. Encompassing nearly 20,000sq.ft of warehouse space, the enlarged Florida facility will now service all ADJ dealers located east of the Mississippi, as well as the company's growing customer base in Central and South America.

Establishing a base in Miami will allow American DJ to provide Eastern dealers with faster turnaround on orders, while keeping shipping costs down, explained ADJ general manager Scott Davies. "Our company's success has been built on providing dealers with unsurpassed service and the most affordable prices on lighting and audio gear, and we want to be able to continue to deliver these things, even as our business grows," Davies commented.

Among the improvements made at the Florida facility was the installat

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Stagetec (UK) Ltd has recently won three major contracts covering a diverse selection of production industry areas. In the theatre market, the company is supplying and installing a complete new sound system at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford. The theatre 3D-modelled the auditorium to ensure optimum coverage and intelligibility, and were demonstrated several systems. They chose a Nexo system, supplied by Stagetec, consisting of eight PS15 mid/high speakers, four LS1200 sub-bass cabinets, plus three PS8 speakers for delays, all driven from Crown Macro-Tech amplifiers. The whole system is controlled via a Crown USM810 digital processor and three Sabine Graphi-Q digital programmable graphic EQs - the idea being to offer a quick, easy and very flexible system catering for the wide range of productions. Stagetec also supplied a Soundcraft K2 mixer, a range of outboard equipment and a Sennheise

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Visitors to Baldwin Boxall’s stand will see a range of new products. These include the VIGIL Communicare, a product developed in response to the publication of BS5588, which states that every public building must have a communication link to each Refuge Point. The system enables a fire officer to remain in contact with any disabled person whilst they are in the safety of a refuge area. The main Communicare control panel will be available in four versions, covering up to 16, 32, 48 or 64 areas. Communicare will, of course, be compliant to BS5588 and BS5839 part 8.

Also new is the VIGIL Eclipse/BVCOM - a serial data port being designed to enable adecentralised VIGIL Eclipse/BVCOM to be controlled externally via the BVRM intelligent microphone. The company’s R&D team is also currently working on software which will enable the BVR20 to be programmed via a laptop. Finally, the

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A whole range of Sennheiser audio equipment helped ensure the success of Planet 24’s recent production for ITV, Survivor, throughout seven weeks of filming on the remote desert island of Pulau Tiga in the South China Sea. Of particular note was the performance of Sennheiser’s new MKE-2 Gold lavalier clip mic, which successfully provided the principal means of recording broadcast quality sound in the extremely hostile and humid tropical environment.

The new mic is designed specifically for ‘high moisture’ resistance but provides the same acoustic performance as its industry standard counterpart design. "The conditions the microphones faced were very much a worse case scenario - humidity and salt water," explains Planet 24’s technical director Peter Johnston. 16 of the MKE-2 Golds were used, along with their associated UHF SK50 miniature belt pack

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The Community AirForce system made an impact on its UK debut when it supported two back-to-back shows by Status Quo in the Channel Islands recently. The kit was supplied from the rental stock of Lancashire-based HSL, who have enjoyed a long relationship with the promoter, Paul Couser, from Onstage Events. The two venues were the 2000-capacity Beau Sejour Centre in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, and the 2,500-capacity Fort Regent in St. Helier.

HSL produced a special ‘mini-rig’ for sound engineer Andy Taylor, providing two AF3 short-throw and four AF10 bass per side (configured as two rows of three enclosures). This was underpinned by eight VLF218s. HSL production manager, Will Soden, said: "We are still assessing the system. However, this configuration proved more than adequate to provide full coverage at the levels required." AirForce was run completely flat, using on

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Trantec’s award-winning S5000 radio mic system was used by Sprout, the event-production division of Marcom Presentations at Disneyland Paris recently to assist the communications of 200 delegates at a major conference. Marcom’s Jason Adams revealed that a selection of lapel and handheld mics were used over the course of the week-long event for new employees. Adams confirmed that the inventory included 10 channels of S5000: "We favour the Trantec system because it offers great reception and it’s easy to set up and use."

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Show Presentation Services (SPS), the leading equipment rental and staging specialist, has announced that it increased its turnover from £8m to £13m over 2000, and achieved a 58% increase in pre-tax profits for the same period, as a direct result of its integrated event services strategy. The results reinforce SPS’s position as a leading independent AV rental and staging business. High business growth rates were achieved by the scenic construction and lighting rental departments in particular, of 241% and 148% respectively. SPS’s investment in a Barco D-Lite7 Modular LED screen was validated by the turnover generated with the successful launch of its LED rental business. A part-year contribution from the Earls Court and Olympia AV contract that commenced its five-year term also boosted SPS’s increase.

"This year has seen more challenging business conditions,&qu

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The US-based Entertainment Services & Technology Association (ESTA) has announced that BSR E1.8, Entertainment Technology - Loudspeaker Enclosures Intended for Overhead Suspension - Classification, Manufacture and Structural Testing, is now available for public review, and will be until 25 September 2001. Loudspeakers suspended overhead should not pull apart and rain debris on people below, and this draft document is an attempt to offer guidance to a manufacturer to make sure such a mishap does not happen. The document describes the structural requirements for loudspeaker enclosures intended for overhead suspension, which include enclosure construction, component part security, enclosure suspension hardware, manufacturing control systems, structural testing, and product representation. The standard is intended to enhance the safety of speaker rigging at popular music concerts and

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Brazil-based Selenium Loudspeakers has announced the appointment of Overt Light to Sound Ltd as its new exclusive distributor for the UK. Malcolm Burlow, managing director of Overt, has over 20 years’ experience in the pro audio industry, having previously worked for Numark UK. He says: "We are very proud to be associated with a loudspeaker transducer company with Selenium’s worldwide reputation. Few people realise that the company has been manufacturing loudspeaker components for over 50 years, utilized in some of the finest cabinets available. The market is looking for a high quality and competitively-priced alternative, and we are confident that Selenium will be their first choice."

Overt say that a new range of compression drivers and woofers will be available within six to eight months.

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PLASA has worked in co-operation with some of London’s leading entertainment venues to offer an exclusive insight into the workings of some of the city’s most famous venues; this exclusive backstage tour immediately follows the close of the PLASA Show in London this September. Theatrical London delegates will visit the world-renowned Royal Albert Hall for a night at the Proms; the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see the upgraded Starlight Express; Tussaud’s Group Studios for an exclusive technical tour, and the Donmar Warehouse for a ‘Divas at the Donmar’ performance. To top it off, you can step back in time at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre . . .

Wednesday 12th September: The experience begins with A night at The Proms, The Royal Albert Hall, featuring Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Pre-show drinks will be served in the foyer. Performance starts at 7.30pm.

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The historic Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic Orchestra has taken delivery of a Sony DMX-R1000 digital console, supplied by Total Audio Solutions. The orchestra will use the consoles to record its acclaimed performances at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, as well as for BBC Radio 3 recordings in their Studio Seven Concert Hall. The console will also accompany the orchestra on the regular overseas concert tours and international broadcasts that it undertakes.

Virtually all recitals are recorded to digital stereo and BBC recording and mixing engineer (programme manager) Stephen Rinker was instrumental in deciding to opt for the DMX-R1000. "We carefully evaluated the criteria by which we should select our replacement console," he explains. "This encompassed a move to digital, and it’s fair to say that the DMX-R1000 was the only digital desk that fully matched our

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Cadac will be showing its innovative R-Type lightweight touring console on Stand S22 at the 2001 PLASA Show. The R-Type is already clocking up an impressive list of show credits since it went into production earlier this year: in Italy, appearances include the Pavarotti & Friends Concert in Modena, and the Heineken Jammin' Festival at Imola, and in London, the July Picnic with Pavarotti followed by Route of Kings - both in Hyde Park. Contained within a cost-efficient and easily re-configurable package, the R-Type provides comprehensive facilities for both FOH and monitor mixing. It gives rental companies a highly flexible console - using Cadac’s unique ‘plug-anywhere’ modules for fast installation - at a competitive price.

The R-Type features a new lightweight monocoque design and a slimmer module width - combining touring ruggedness with the respected Cadac audio qua

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Arbiter and JBL recently took residence at the Hammersmith Apollo, to host the first UK demo of the Vertec Line Array system. The day was designed to give clients an opportunity to view the product up close and allow them some hands-on time with the system.

One of the issues JBL was most keen to emphasize was that of weight, or rather lack of it, for each Vertec VT4889 enclosure weighs only 69kg, including rigging hardware. Each enclosure includes two lightweight 15" low frequency loudspeakers, four powerful 2250H 8" midrange frequency loudspeakers, coupled to RBIs (Radiation Boundary Integrators), and three compact 2435 high frequency drivers fitted to WaveFormers.

The system is already establishing a strong following, both in the US and Europe, where some of the key touring supply companies have systems out with a number of headlining bands.

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A joint project involving manufacturers Allen& Heath and Audace has provided a UK conference and exhibition venue with a unique paging system.

Bryan Waters, MD and founder of Audace, explained that the HIC system required a larger number of output zones than A&H’s DR128 digital matrix could provide. "The first challenge was the need for a system of 16 zones. We wanted to provide the Centre with a single control system that would work with two of the Allen & Heath units." Waters, who professes a keen enthusiasm for the Cornish pro audio manufacturer’s products, set up Audace specifically to provide one-off solutions and off-the-shelf support products for the blossoming digital market. "When the DR128 was launched, there was nothing like it on the market for anything like the price - and there still isn’t," he enthused. "However, the software su

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Logic System Pro Audio has announced recent sales of its loudspeaker systems to PA rental companies. London-based Gighire has added eight Logic System units to its existing monitor system. Gighire’s Jon Pickett looked at many options before deciding on the CM20 15" plus 2" co-axial cabinet. Pickett, who joins a rapidly-increasing list of CM20 users, said: "When we weighed up all the options, the CM20 had the performance, was the right size, could be run off our existing control equipment and was also competitively priced. Coupled with our own experiences of Logic System’s excellent build quality and reliability, it was a fairly easy decision to make."

Meanwhile, PA company Acousys Sound Systems of Wokingham has just added another Logic System CS1296 system to its ever-increasing array of hire stock. The system has been purchased in order to fulfil a heav

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Tannoy Dual Concentric speakers have been installed into the Cuban-themed restaurant/bar Ipanema in Birmingham to provide a range of sound levels from gentle background music through to foreground reinforcement in the Bar and Restaurant areas. Twelve Tannoy i7 Contour slimline speakers and two CMS 6 TDC ceiling monitors inside the Whitbread-owned restaurant, along with four Tannoy all-weather i5 AW speakers outside, ensured perfect audio coverage for diners. The music-based restaurant featured a natural themed design with cream décor and the Tannoy i7 loudspeakers distributed throughout the bar and main restaurant area were chosen for their discrete and elegant low-profile design, as well as for the high quality music and speech output. Nick Freeman from Birmingham based installers, Total Sound, commented: "We needed a wide, yet controlled coverage to ensure even audio distribution

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The 26th Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show (SBES) will take place at the NEC in Birmingham from 14-15 November 2001. The way that audio systems within broadcast environments has changed can be described as nothing less than radical: audio networking is the key to how radio stations and studios will see their future and the expansion of products in this sector is likely to witness rapid growth. Companies such as IBM/Jutel, Klotz Digital, and The Oxford Sound Company have been pivotal in the implementation of substantial installations for the BBC and GWR during the course of 2001. "We can set up a studio without having to be concerned about exactly what it is going to do," commented Tim Donaldson, GWR's Technical Director. GWR have recently completed a move to a new studio that is fully networked using Klotz Digital equipment and dining out on the fact that "this is the larg
  1. MCL London Adds Key Player
  2. Three Tenors in the Forbidden City
  3. Taky Becomes JTS
  4. PLASA 2001 Hotline Goes Live!
  5. Islington Music Workshop
  6. Hacousto Serves an ACE
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