Sound

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DIVAS is a new company, specializing in the design, project management and installation of visual and audio systems to all areas of the professional entertainment business. The DIVAS team consists of four individuals - Tony Day, Damian Brunetti, Darrin South and Steve Nicholls - who have all worked together on various projects in the past.

The company will design, specify and install lighting sound and AV schemes, either working directly with end users or working under the umbrella of large sound, lighting and AV companies. DIVAS has already been working in a miscellany of environments including clubs, bars, shops, cinemas, ice arenas, leisure centres, stadiums, hotels, churches, museums, ballrooms and live music venues. One recently completed project was the sound and lighting systems spec and installation at Flicks club in Sleaford, Lincs. The club is housed in a former cinema retai

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A portable sound level meter from Hampshire firm Testo has provided a simple solution to PA volume problems at Reading FC's home ground - the Madejski Stadium. At the start of the 2001/2002 football season, Reading FC received complaints from supporters regarding the PA system in certain parts of the ground. While some supporters commented on the excessive volume, others complained that it could not be heard.

The Club decided to acquire a reliable and accurate sound meter so that operations manager Jeff Adams could measure the volume in specific areas of the stadium and balance the sound levels uniformly. Portability, accuracy and ease of use were essential requirements, all met by the testo 815.This is a compact hand-held sound level meter, weighing just 170g. It features an attachable microphone to avoid measurement errors, digital noise suppression to ensure accuracy and easy calibr

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Audio-Technica (UK) Ltd has recently completed a major staff restructure involving both internal and external departments. As we reported last week, Stuart Russell has joined the team from Soundcraft, taking on the role of area sales manager for central UK, and Tony Cooper is promoted to the position of market manager, UK.

Further to these appointments, A-T have announced the completion of a wider restructuring process. Changes to the team based in the Leeds office see Denise Turner appointed executive assistant, Nassra Saeed as financial controller and Chris Todd in a combined export sales/technical support role. Joanne Harding is promoted to order processing supervisor, with Catherine Hartshorn and Kirsten Oakes joining the company as order processors. A-T has also implemented a young persons trainee scheme (YPTS) in conjunction with Starfish, an organisation that receives government

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BBE Sound Inc has introduced BBE ViVa, a new virtual 3D surround technology that has been integrated with the company’s BBE High Definition Sound. The result, according to the company, is authentic three-dimensional surround sound. Whereas ordinary 3D surround effects often tear the stereo image down the middle, resulting in centrally staged audio material such as dialogue becoming fuzzy or even disappearing, ViVa has the ability to maintain proper sound stage imaging, and provide crystal clear solo vocals and movie dialogue throughout the process.

ViVa will be available in both analogue and digital formats, while ViVa+ sees the addition of the proprietary BBE Mach3Bass enhancement system. Other suitable applications for ViVa include personal stereos (with or without headphones), domestic sound systems and in-car audio. ViVa will be offered to BBE licensees in the consumer elec

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Spectra, one of Northern Europe’s leading lighting companies, has been chosen as the official lighting and technical supplier for the Eurovision Song Contest 2002. The Estonian Television broadcaster, ETV has commissioned the event which will take place in the newly-built Saku Suurhall, in Tallinn, Estonia, on May 25. ETV estimates that 120 million viewers will watch worldwide.

Spectra will supply a full range of lighting and video equipment, together with technical coordination and crew. The company will have 26 people working on site in the month running up to the event. This is not the first time that Spectra has handled such a major technical project. Swedish television company, SVT, chose Spectra as the official lighting supplier and technical coordinator for the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest which took place at the Stockholm Globe.

The spec will include some 800 lanterns,

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Proel S.p.A. has announced the appointment of Remo Orsoni to its R&D team as sound engineer and pro audio product manager for the company’s Sound Reinforcement division. Orsoni has a rich background in pro audio, having been a musician, technician, sound engineer and technical consultant. He has been involved with a number of live tours, concerts and televised events, and has recently worked as a product manager with responsibility for speaker systems, power amplifiers, analogue and digital mixers and voice systems for Italian-based pro audio manufacturers.

Orsoni was directly involved in the development of the L.i.S.A. Linear Source Array systems developed by the Laboratorio Musica Vanis Dondi, which is marketed by Proel.

(Lee Baldock)

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Proel S.p.A. has announced an agreement reached between the company’s Sound Reinforcement Division and Laboratorio Musica Vanis Dondi, developers of the L.i.S.A. Linear Source Array system. The agreement between Proel S.p.A and Laboratorio Musica will bring about the development of a completely new line of pro audio products, developed jointly between Proel and Laboratorio Musica, and based on the technical success of the L.i.S.A system - the first high power line array system to be made in Italy.

Recent projects for the L.i.S.A. system include a tour of Italy with Franco Battiato and the recent MTV Independent Day in Imola.

(Lee Baldock)

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A limited number of ISCE (Institute of Sound & Communication Engineers) members is being invited to DNH's beautiful lake-side factory at Kragaro on Wednesday, 26 June. With an early start from Stansted, the full day will include tours of production, test, demonstration and design facilities, possibly resulting in a unique ISCE-branded loudspeaker unit. For further details of the visit, please contact Michael Leaver at the e-mail address below.

Booking details are availabale from the Secretariat on +44 (0)151 639 5211, or from Michael Leaver at the e-mail address below.

(Lee Baldock)

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Yamaha's Commercial Audio Division has announced the shipment of its first DM2000 digital mixing console to 2nd Sense Broadcast Ltd, based at Millennium Studios, Elstree. The console, bearing the serial number 0001, is the world's first professional installation and 2nd Sense managing director Andy Hewitt took the opportunity to host two open days for current and potential new clients to coincide with the DM2000's arrival. The open days also provided an opportunity for other engineers and members of the Institute of Broadcast Sound to see and hear the console at work in the newly completed video edit and production suite.

Hewitt, a former BBC sound engineer, was one of a number of sound engineers approached by Yamaha's R&D department two years ago to help specify the next generation of Yamaha digital audio mixing consoles. The result of those consultations, which took place simultaneou

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When the City of Manchester Stadium heralds the start of the XVII Commonwealth Games on July 25, public information will be broadcast to the maximum 38,000-capacity seating via a sophisticated new sound system.Built by contractor Laing, Arup’s design of the £77m stadium is based on an eight-mast and cable structure, ensuring that all seats have uninterrupted views of the pitch. Every part of the stadium structure is used to support the 600-ton undulating roof which covers every seat.

Its acoustics have been cleverly tuned to enhance the crowd noise by using the underside of the roof. Arup Acoustics has provided this design service, as well as the building acoustics and overall sound system design, in addition to an environmental noise impact assessment on residences in close proximity to the site.

Blackburn-based Romers successfully tendered for the entire Public Address/Voice

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Proel has announced the appointment of a new sales representative to handle the Home Counties. Ian Vile joins the company having returned to the UK from South Africa, bringing with him a wealth of experience in pro audio and professional PA equipment which, the company says, will be put to good use in their expanding range of PA and related equipment, together with the FBT, B&C and Alto ranges.

In his early career, Vile played with the popular South African band, Cinema, subsequently making two albums with the group. In 1986, he began supplying Johannesburg retailers with custom-manufactured speaker enclosures and, under the brand name Vidal, became one of South Africa’s leading designers of PA systems. Later, he branched-out into PA hire and installation work.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Delta Sound Inc has increased its rental stock of L'Acoustics product, to become one of the largest sources in the UK of the popular line array system. An L'Acoustics partner for nearly three years, Delta Sound now have more than 100 L'Acoustics cabinets available for hire, including the arena-sized V-DOSC line array and subs, the compact dV-DOSC system and the 115FM floor monitor.

This latest acquisition of stock occurred when L'Acoustics closed its own UK rental operation at the beginning of the year, offering the current UK partnerships first choice to buy their surplus systems. Delta Sound, a leading sound service provider for the corporate events market, leapt at the chance to expand their V-DOSC stock further, not only to support their own needs, but that of other rental companies too.

One such association is with SSE Hire Ltd, the Birmingham-based hire company, who recently ut

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Now in its 10th year, Big Day Out is an Australian touring festival that visits Auckland, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth every January. It is unique in its design, scale and complexity and attracts many headline acts - the 2002 event featured The Prodigy, Garbage, New Order and Basement Jaxx.

This year, security was tightened following the tragic death of 16-year-old Jessica Michalik last year: organizers West & Lees made changes to audience safety provisions and introduced volunteer safety teams, increased audience lighting and erected a new, alcohol-free, D barricade area (from Mojo Barriers) in front of the main stages. The audience was given free water bottles and sun-block, and crowd surfing was banned. "We also carefully considered the time certain bands take to the stage," explained Matt Dougherty, one of three production managers on the tour. &q

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Dream Theater is an interesting mixture of ‘prog’ rock, metal and mayhem; they have a cult following and are enjoying great success with their latest album ‘Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’. We’ve not yet figured out quite why it is six degrees, but there must be a reason.

Led by drummer and impresario Mike Portnoy, DT have just completed the European leg of their current world tour, before heading to Mexico and North America. It’s a high energy show, and this is mirrored by lighting designer Benoit Richard. The lighting for the whole tour is supplied by Bandit Lites, handled for the European section by their UK office.

The front, back and two staggered middle trusses, are scattered with a mix of fixtures - from Martin MACs to High End Cyberlights and ETC Source Fours with scrollers. There’s also a copious contingent of floor-based fixtures.

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The Thorndike Theatre in Leatherhead, Surrey, was opened by Dame Sybil Thorndike in 1969. Designed by Roderick Ham, the theatre was built and funded with enthusiastic support from local theatre groups, and went on to become an ambitious and high profile producing theatre. Its manager and founder, Hazel Vincent Wallace, was able to woo well-known actors and directors from London to create some remarkable productions.

At its height, the Thorndike Theatre’s club had 12,000 members; it was described as ‘a jewel of a theatre’. But despite the fact that houses were largely full, the economics of regional theatre meant that there was a dependence on subsidy and local grants. Inevitably there was never enough, and it was eventually closed down in 1997. Only the building’s Grade 2 listing saved it from demolition.

But late last year, following six months of refurbishme

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The opening ceremony of the 2002 Dubai Shopping Festival was one of the most spectacular and technically complex shows ever staged in the Middle East.

Dubai-based ProTec handled all the technical elements, and the whole project - literally from the ground up - was managed and co-ordinated by the company’s Stephen Lakin, who collaborated closely with Damien McGurn, Hares Shehab, Rick Wade and Jason Strange.

Lakin’s involvement with the event began in the summer of 2001, following an approach he made to the Government where he presented his ideas to Sheikh Mohammed. In October he was awarded the contract, without it going out to tender. Then began a race against time to make the show happen for 1 March. No venue capable of staging a show of this stature existed in Dubai, so Lakin’s first job was to find a site and build from the ground up.

McGurn hired local contrac

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L’Acoustics has announced the appointment of SISME Co as its new distributor for Italy. Established in 1967, Sisme is based in Osimo Scalo, near Ancona, on the East Coast of Italy, and is also the sole Italian distributor for brands such as Shure, Phonic, LA Audio, Crest Audio, and for many other brands.

Due to the wide variety of products that they have distributed, for more than 30 years now, SISME Co. have become specialists in managing permanent installation projects, alongside their more regular sales activities. Claudio Bugari, SISME’s president, says: "We can efficiently support all the technical demands of our customers; with two general support engineers, and a full-time technician we provide a fast and efficient in-house repairing service."

Outside the company, SISME has a sales force of 11 independent representatives covering the whole Italian territo

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The Cadac R-Type lightweight touring console has been enjoying a high UK profile, featuring on the recent Ian Brown tour - handled by UK sound hire company GPA Hire. Former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown is currently touring Ireland after four weeks and 19 venues in the UK during February and March. The 62-input, 16-out, 8 VCA R-Type was in the hands of Gary Young (pictured) on the Southampton leg of the tour, with a Cadac 72-input M-Type monitor board on stage.

The Cadac name has an unrivalled reputation for audio performance, reliability and engineering excellence. The company's comprehensive line-up of consoles highlights its specialist focus on sound reinforcement and location recording - the R-Type touring console and the M-Type monitor board are complemented by the J-Type and F-Type live production consoles. In additon, the 5.1 C-Type location recording console offers the pure pa

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That is the upbeat message from PLASA’s new Show Director, Sue Saint. Celebrating its 25th year, the PLASA Show is the world’s pre-eminent light, sound and audio-visual event, attracting major brands every year, and this year is no exception.

Stand bookings are currently at 82%, with top names such as Vari-Lite, Sennheiser, Martin Professional, Denon, BSS Audio and Total Fabrication already booked. The show pulls in over 13,000 visitors from the UK and abroad each year, having become the main marketplace for the £11billion entertainment technology industry.

"The show is evolving continually," commented Saint, "and one of the key trends emerging is the growing number of manufacturers choosing to exhibit in their own right, rather than rely solely on representation through distributors. In addition, many long-standing exhibitors, including Numark, Peavey, S

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Harris, Grant Associates (HGA), a leading consultant in acoustic and technical systems design, has announced the launch of their new website. Since 1983, HGA has been responsible for designing some of the world’s most auspicious commercial television, film, and recording facilities, as well as advanced audio, video and control networks in private homes and onboard superyachts. The online portfolio now details over 40 of these projects, from the most successful commercial recording studio in the world - the Hit Factory in New York, to Peter Gabriel’s visionary Realworld in Bath.

Over 20 Virtual Reality images allow you to walk around facilities like Sony Music’s premier European recording facility, the uniquely decorated Strongroom studios and the Cinerama Theatre in Seattle, designed by consultant Neil Grant to deliver "the richest motion-picture surround experie

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Audio-Technica gave the European launch of the Artist Elite Series of microphones at last month’s Pro Light & Sound exhibition in Frankfurt. The result of extensive research and field evaluation, the new Artist Elite Series consists of four handheld microphones (two condenser, two dynamic) bring premium sound quality to touring/live performance, club sound, broadcast, corporate facilities and worship venues, say the company.

The flagship in the Artist Elite Series is the AE5400 cardioid condenser microphone, which features a true condenser, large-diaphragm element design. The AE5400 has an aged, vapor-deposited gold diaphragm for a flat frequency response with improved dynamic range and has the ability to handle high SPL’s without sacrificing high-frequency performance. It also features a switchable 80Hz high-pass filter and a 10dB pad. The AE5400 provides natural vocals, w

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For the second consecutive year, the Puy du Fou theme park in France has used L-Acoustics sound systems for its Gallo-Roman Stadium Show, which was inaugurated in 2001 and plays between May and September.

Stéphane Gramondo, L-Acoustics’ permanent installation project manager, was in charge of evaluating the needs for this specific attraction at the Puy du Fou. He explains: "We opted for four clusters of three dV-DOSC which were integrated into the columns and tables of the scenery. The clusters were located at a slightly higher point than the actors and animals’ locations during the show, thereby allowing a very even sound pressure level within the arena."

Four SB218 subwoofers were also installed into the columns, with dV-DOSC clusters situated on top. Three dV-DOSC and four EX112 loudspeakers plus 2 SB115 were dedicated to the Governor’s rostrum and thr

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The prestigious Danish venue VEGA has recently bought four AS-2 self-powered subwoofers for use in both Store Vega and Lille Vega, making full use of the self-powered concept. The AS2 is a dual 18" subwoofer, designed to meet the demand for compact, high-powered, ultra-low frequency (31-80Hz (-3dB)) subwoofers for touring and other professional use. Flemming Nielsen, technical manager, says that the power and sound quality were very important, along with the mobile possibilities for clubbing events. Store Vega is equipped with a d&b 402 system processed by XTA DP 200.

Anders Christensen, managing director of D-PAC, said: "D-PAC is proud to have VEGA as one of the first customers for our new line of self-powered loudspeakers. We have done thorough research making our class-D amplifier as powerful and well sounding as possible, and exploiting the full potential of our custom-ma

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When Salisbury-based PA hire company, Amethyst Audio, decided to replace its existing but ageing amp rack and invest in the best Britain could provide, there was only one choice, according to managing director Chris Wynn - Chameleon. Amethyst Audio’s revamped rack now houses a pair of Chameleon 2750 DP/2s for low-end duties, a 1200 DP/2 to handle the mid, while a 600 DP/2 takes care of the top. "The old amps were a respected traditional brand, but in my opinion they don’t hold a light to the Chameleons. The response is so smooth, even the audience ask why the sound is so good," commented Wynn. He continues: "I have also noticed a sizeable increase in new business since customers discovered that Amethyst Audio was using Chameleon amps. The existing client base, which spans from Cornwall to Kent and the South Coast to Leeds, is delighted with the significant impr
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