Sound

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UK - The new 9th Edition of the famous Raper & Wayman catalogue is now available. This new edition has been retitled 'R&W Offline' to complement the company's well-known web presence at R&W Online. Featuring thousands of commercial audio products over a generous 180 pages, it showcases the company's wide scope of equipment, from the humblest of microphones, via mixers of every type through to the best in recording systems and speakers. Live as well as broadcast and recording kit abounds, and in this edition by popular request everything is now priced within the catalogue rather than in a separate list.

(Lee Baldock)

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Yugoslavia - MC2 Audio has announced the first sales of its amplifiers to Yugoslavia. Music Exports chose T1000 amplifiers for a studio monitor system installed for Pink Television, Yugoslavia's "most watched" TV station and Music Exports' dealers have contracts for further studio monitor installations with T Series amps in two other locations in Yugoslavia.

Meanwhile, Scottish company Northern Light, continues to win contracts with both the MC range and T Series amplifiers from MC2 Audio. Recent installations in the UK and overseas include New College, Swindon; Empire Theatre, London; Portomaso Conference Centre, Malta; and the International School, Manila.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Mackie Designs Inc has announced that it has agreed to an equity investment by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, a Boca Raton-based private investment firm. Under the proposed transaction, Sun Capital would acquire approximately 9.8 million shares of Mackie common stock, or approximately 65% of Mackie's total common stock outstanding, through the purchase of approximately 7.4 million outstanding shares from certain selling shareholders and approximately 2.4 million newly issued shares for a total of approximately $10 million in cash.

"We are excited about this transaction, which we expect to close by the first week of February," said Mackie CEO Jamie Engen. "Upon closing, Mackie will receive approximately $6.3 million in fresh capital. Just as important, we also expect to benefit from the active support and hands-on participation of Sun Capital in assist

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South Korea - The 8,000-capacity Ju-An Presbyterian Church in Seoul has recently been opened with an astonishing armoury of XTA processing handling the audio. The 11 DP-Series, plus two DS800 mic/line distribution systems and 12 GQ600 Graphic EQs, are at the heart of a multi-screen video set-up for live coverage throughout the auditorium and other parts of the building.

Steve Kim of XTA's distributor in Korea, AVIX, comments: "This is a very important project, where our systems people were asked to offer the very best audio system available. This business needs the very best support, so we have established a division within our company to handle only this area. Our team consists of 12 people, from audio engineers to system integration specialists and CAD wizards."

"For the Ju-An facility, we combined Meyer UPM-1P and UPM-2P, plus a distributed audio system, for

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USA - New from Electro-Voice is the 15" two-way full-range Gladiator G115 loudspeaker and the 18" G118 subwoofer. Designed to reproduce modern dance music, the Gladiator is the perfect system for the DJ, what with the Gladiator's extended LF response coupled with EV's great high frequency and vocal clarity due to RMD (Ring-Mode Decoupling).

The newly developed EV-Series woofers and crossover networks reliably produce highest SPLs at full bandwidth. RoadWood enclosures, steel grilles, high impact corners, and comfortable handles complete the package for years of reliable sound quality. Used together, EV's unique system design allows one amplifier channel to drive the sub's built-in crossover that provides the full-range output. No additional crossovers or amps are required for this true three-way system. The EV Q66 amplifier - with up to 850W per channel - is the perfec

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Italy - New from Proel is the company's first venture into coaxial speakers - the Edge series. Designed for installation and touring sound users looking for high quality sound from the smallest possible enclosure, the first model in the new series is the Edge 8CXP, an 8" coaxial speaker with a 1" compression driver housed in a particularly small enclosure.

Key to the Edge's exceptional performance are two new speakers. The 8" woofer has several innovative features, including ISV (Interleaved Sandwich Voice Coil) and employs a diecast basket with double ventilation to ensure maximum heat dispersion with the lowest possible compression level. The 1" compression driver contains ferrofluid for maximum heat dispersion and features a new diaphragm manufactured from synthetic material designed with radial reinforcements to increase rigidity. The phase corrector resu

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UK - Martin Capp has joined the board of Chameleon Audio as sales director, with a brief to raise the profile of the company's products globally. Capp brings with him a wealth of experience, gleaned from more than 20 years in the pro audio sector. Previous positions include sales and marketing manager for DDA, international sales manager for Audio Kinetics, UK sales manager for Tascam TEAC's professional division and, more recently, managing director of Expotus.

Chameleon Audio MD, Paul Houlden, comments: "I am delighted Martin is joining us. He has an excellent track record in the pro audio field and had already made inroads into the Asian market on our behalf while at Expotus."

Says Capp: "I'm looking forward to working with Paul to ensure these British-made amplifiers become established as a major name worldwide. My first priority is to increase awareness of

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UK - Autograph Sound Recording, the theatrical sound design and rental specialist, is well known for its work on musical productions, both in the West End and around the world. However, the company is also at the forefront of sound design for a range of straight plays and dramatic productions.

The Duchess of Malfi, which opened at the National Theatre in late January, is just one of many current West End plays which Autograph is working on. Sound for the production was designed by one of Autograph's team of experienced designers Simon Baker, a former National Theatre sound supervisor who was specifically requested to work on the production by director Phyllida Lloyd. This was the first production Baker had designed at the National since joining Autograph in 1999.

The modern dress version of the play features a host of sound effects and subtle uses of music and sound, dr

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Italy - Two new loudspeakers from leading Italian manufacturer B&C promise to set new performance standards in bass performance, according to UK distributor Proel (International) Ltd. The 15 TBX 40-8 and the 18 TBX 46 subwoofer offer extreme high power bass handling coupled with exceptional sound quality and reliability. Both feature 4" copper-wound voice coils with inside/outside winding on fibreglass formers, delivering very high thermal capability, which is further assisted by the use of ventilated magnetic assemblies.

Additional features include the use of dual demodulation rings for lower distortion and the employment of aramid fibre-loaded cores to improve acoustic damping and mechanical reliability. Polycotton triple roll surrounds are featured, giving high peak-to-peak excursion, the speakers feature double silicon spider designs and, finally, waterproof coatings ar

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USA - Switchcraft Inc, the US manufacturer of connectors, audio and video patchbays and cable assemblies, has strengthened its international distribution by appointing Orbitec to distribute its products to the French broadcast and pro audio markets.

Stephen Waldron, Switchcraft's director of international sales, said: "Orbitec is an established stocking distributor of our products and we are very pleased to enter this enhanced relationship that will provide our audio and broadcast customers with improved product availability, service and support."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - To mark the start of the New Year, Navigator Systems has released a free upgrade to its best-selling rental management software HireTrack Eclipse.

The upgrade - which consists of more than 70 new features - comes in response to customer feedback, and demand for the new version has already been high, with the system now a regular feature of many company's business plans. One such client, Saville Audio Visual, winners of the AV Rental Company of the Year at the AV Awards 2002, has grown its rental turnover by 26% - an achievement "based around the use of HireTrack Eclipse", which is now installed in all 14 outlets. Navigator will be showing the new release at this year's Frankfurt Pro Light+Sound/MusikMesse in March.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - EAW has appointed Sean Martin as European technical sales manger. Martin, one of the UK's most experienced international sales people, claims that the reason he's been in the business for 23 years is because "I just can't seem to get out of it". During that time, he has worked for a number of loudspeaker companies including JBL, Turbosound, Tannoy, Canon and Court Acoustics where he started out as a projects engineer.

Martin commented on his appointment: "Although my recent roles have been in international sales, I look at each system from a technical perspective. Being a member of the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers certainly helps that aim. I am absolutely delighted to be joining EAW, as it enables me to return to the touring sound market with one of the major loudspeaker brands. It also allows me to continue the relationship I have made wit

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UK - Liverpool-based Adlib Audio has taken delivery of the first of Soundcraft's new MH3 consoles. The mixing desk has gone straight out with FOH engineer Steve Cole on a two-month nationwide tour with tribute band 'Rumours of Fleetwood Mac'. The tour is playing a wide variety of town hall and theatre-sized venues, and they had been looking for a versatile and outstanding sounding console for some time, when the MH3 came on stream.

Adlib's Andy Dockerty ordered the 24-channel desk immediately. He knew its high spec and expedient sized footprint were ideal for medium-sized tours such as this one. The console is very dynamic, serving equally well for mixing monitors as FOH, in addition to being keenly priced. The MH3 has many neat features you would expect to find on a more expensive piece of kit, including an extra 4 stereo channels, which can be utilized for stereo keyboards, mi

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UK - Skan PA Hire has invested in a DiGiCo D5 Live digital console, adding rock and pop concerts and touring to the brand's fast-growing applications. Skan chose the D5 Live 56E after trying out competitive brands. The console, which can be upgraded from 56 to 96 microphone inputs in the future should the need arise, comes complete with a channel control surface. It includes local and remote DiGi racks which contain the A/D and D/A converters and are connected to the console via optical fibre.

"We chose the D5 Live for its intuitive and simple operation and good features," says Skan PA Hire director Chris Fitch. "We also liked the fact that it was a British product, and had confidence in the DiGiCo sales and support team."

According to Fitch, the decision to invest in a digital console was informed by its customers while reflecting the company's desire to s

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UK - Blitz Birmingham was recently commissioned to add the audio-visual elements to the biggest dating party the UK has ever seen. The first ever 'Chemistry' event, held at London's Vinopolis from 29-30 January, offered the 3,000 people who attended the chance to find Mr or Miss Right. It was managed by Brand Events, who commissioned Blitz.

A number of different zones were created to help break down barriers and encourage mingling. 'The Ocean' was the centre of the action with Capital FM DJs Martin Collins and Justin Wilkes getting the party started. A 10k d&b audiotechnik sound rig was provided for the DJs, and Blitz supplied a network of Sony plasma screens to provide ongoing images of the crowded dance floor switching to vox pops carried out during the evening, which gave participants a few minutes of fame and a chance for some self-promotion.

Speed dating, an adult version

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USA - L-Acoustics US has made a further appointment this week with the addition of Michael MacDonald to the L-Acoustics US team in the role of sales and marketing consultant. Jeffrey Cox, L- Acoustics US CEO and general manager, told us: "Michael's 20-plus years of diverse pro audio experiences have given him a tremendous amount of insight into this industry, particularly with regard to the loudspeaker market," commented Cox. "We've also worked together successfully in the past, so when the opportunity recently arose to work with him again, I jumped at it."

During the early stages of L-Acoustics US - known then as Cox Audio Engineering - MacDonald consulted for Cox, providing information that was critical to the early growth of the company. Since that time, L-Acoustics US has evolved into one of the largest providers of touring systems in North America. This

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UK - Shure Incorporated, the leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics, announced yesterday that it had purchased its long-time United Kingdom distribution centre, HW International, from Wilton Investments. The new Shure subsidiary will keep all current employees, as well as the distribution of its other existing product lines - Phonic, QSC and PreSonus. Dennis Harburn will continue as managing director at HW, and will report directly to Shure Europe GmbH management.

"The purchase of HW International provides an opportunity for Shure to have more direct contact with its customer base in the UK, one of Europe's largest markets," said Mike McGinn, Shure's executive vice president of global marketing and sales. ''This supports our plan to further develop the brand there.'' Markus Winkler, managing director of Shure Europe added: "From the standpoint o

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UK - Chameleon Audio amplifiers helped power the Apogee Sound PA system for Cirque du Soleil's recent sell-out performances at London's Royal Albert Hall. 28 Chameleon 3500 DP/2s and eight 2000 DP/2s were supplied by Alex Schloesser Audio of Cologne, a hire company supported by Chameleon's German distributor, AS Audio. The amps powered an Apogee Sound rig comprising 24 3x3 cabinets and three Apogee Sound AE 15 subwoofers. In addition, six Apogee APL-220 full-range self-powered loudspeakers were added to the existing AE-8 Compact Concert loudspeakers.

Says Schlosser: "I had no hesitation in choosing Chameleon amps to power the Apogee Sound system. They have proved themselves on past projects that I've been involved in, such as the Chancellor Party in Berlin, and did so again at the Albert Hall. The self-powered speakers worked very well with the existing system, too."

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UK - The penetration of Martin Audio Blackline systems into the UK's dance venues continues. The latest company to turn to the high-powered, low-cost solution is Gravesend Sound & Light, with two new installations in their native Kent for Luminar Leisure. "Blackline is a great product, and we can't seem to go wrong with it," said Gravesend installation manager Simon Middleton. "It just doesn't produce that harshness of sound we have experienced with other systems."

Club Indigo/The Beach has been a popular venue on the Folkestone coastline since its original incarnation as La Parisienne. When the sound system began to repeatedly break down the Gravesend company recommended a system comprising eight Martin Blackline F15s, flown in pairs and angled around the dancefloor.

The foundations of the sound are a block stack of S218 subs, forming a single point source

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The Netherlands - Alcons Audio is a new Dutch company set up to develop and manufacture professional sound systems for quality-conscious clients in the cinema, installation and touring industry. The company was set up by former Stage Accompany sales and marketing director Tom Back in October. Back comments: "Not satisfied with the products available on the market and the opportunities we had in our previous positions, we left as a team and decided to establish our own company."

Alcons Audio is backed by a group of private investors with Tom Back and senior R&D engineer Philip de Haan owning the majority of shares. The company employs seven people in total, each with 15+ years experience in the different aspects of development, manufacturing and marketing of professional sound systems. "The investors are willing to allow us the time necessary to achieve a good posi

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UK - Heaven, described as the most famous gay nightclub in the world, has taken delivery of a new high-powered 4-way sound system. Inspired by its new owners, David Inches (who has been involved with the club since its beginning), Jeremy Millins and Paul Savory - who recently bought out Virgin Clubs' interest in the venue - the contract was entrusted to experienced installation contractors, Blue Box Company.

Headed by Mark Metcalf - who has a long association with Millins - Blue Box specified a QSC PowerLight system to drive the component parts of a carefully thought-out Funktion One system design. Resident production manager, Rob Barton said that the venue, situated under vaulted arches at London's Charing Cross, had recently benefited from £50,000 of sound screening and acoustic treatment, which had prevented sound leakage and enabled Heaven to raise the power rating fro

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Germany - During this year's Telex EVI Audio in-house exhibition (Hausmesse), from the 24 to 26 January, the Dynacord Cobra celebrated its first birthday. Despite its acoustic merits and handling advantages, with larger applications the Cobra came up against its natural power limits. That is when customers began asking for more projection and sound pressure, and in response Dynacord have come up with the Cobra-4. Employing active 4-way technology, the latest member of the Cobra family is capable of generating twice the projection of the active 2-way system, according to Hans Bürger, Dynacord's product manager.

Responsible for the increase in power is on the one hand the Cobra-4 PWH, a horn-loaded enclosure generating higher sound pressure levels than the conventional Cobra sub-bass enclosure. To complement it, Dynacord's research and development team devised the Cobra-4 Far, wh

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UK - Channel 4 and E4's latest reality TV show, The Salon, is using Audio-Technica microphones to ensure the audience misses none of the drama. The ES933 microphone, with its combination of broadcast quality sound and diminutive on-screen presence, has proved itself well suited to the requirements of the show's unique AV system, with a total of 33 units discretely suspended throughout the studio.

Also on duty is an AT871WR boundary layer microphone. Originally developed for water sports broadcasts, the waterproof 871WR has been charged with the task of handling the high-humidity environment of the Sauna. Freelance sound supervisor, Oliver France, is responsible for specifying and running the audio system on behalf production company Endemol. Having enjoyed great successes working with Audio-Technica on the last two series of Big Bother, France had no hesitation in once again tur

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UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) has warned its members in the past about scams in which companies are approached by organizations claiming to be 'collectors' for Data Protection Act registration. The approaches are often in the form of a letter, and carry demands for a registration fee (often £95 +VAT) along with erroneous 'reminders' that failure to register could result in a fine of up to £5,000. Other 'collectors' have even visited companies in person, and displayed convincing-looking ID tags.

It seems that the practice is still continuing, with up to 18 bogus agencies known to be engaged in the scam - for a full list, visit the web address below. Anyone being approached with a similar request is asked not to make any payments, and to contact their local police.

(Lee Baldock)

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