UK - A pioneering music festival along Chelsea's Kings Road to coincide with London Fashion Week saw Soundcraft Spirit E6s mixing live performance in five boutiques along the strip. The man responsible for the initiative was Kashmir Klub founder Tony Moore. Under the banner 'City Showcase', Tony literally provided a shop window for a series of acoustic singer/songwriters who have performed at his Marylebone venue, by expertly converting window display areas into ad hoc stages.

With space at a premium, the E6 provided the perfect solution - in terms of both aesthetic and operability. The Kashmir Klub has a long relationship with Soundcraft products and Moore is delighted with the company's continuing involvement via their new showpiece Spirit products: "This event produced two logistical challenges. We needed to be able to specify the right, high quality equipment to fulfil

UK - BPI and multi-platinum award winning producer, Martin Rushent, recently opened the new recording and production facilities at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College's Faculty of Leisure and Tourism in High Wycombe. The purpose-built facilities - which include a Digidesign Pro Tools HD system and Genelec 5. 1 monitoring in studio 1, along with a Mackie HDR24/96 in studio 2 (both linked to two live performance spaces) - have been designed and built to support the new BA (Hons) in Music Industry Management and Studio Production. Students will have the unique opportunity to develop their music recording and production skills at the same time as working towards a solid music management qualification at degree level. In opening the new facility, Rushent commented: "These are amongst the best facilities for music production in the country, and the students who complete th

UK - Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems recently supplied HMS Ark Royal with an extensive package of PA equipment. The package included two HK Elias systems from John Hornby Skewes, a range of microphones from both beyerdynamic and Audio Technica, Samson Expedition EX20s and an American DJ DCD pro450 CD, sourced from Sound Technology, a pair of Smart Wireless Twin 15 systems, with handheld and bodypack transmitters, Tascam cassettes and minidisks and a Spirit FX8 mixer and E8 input channel. Also included in the package was a Yamaha MX20/6 mixer, a Fostex VF160 multitracker, six flight cases, three multicores and assorted stands, cables and accessories.

(Ruth Rossington)

UK - FX Technical Services, part of the FX Group, has recently completed an exclusive install of a Linn Knekt Multiroom system at Butlers Wharf - a private penthouse complex overlooking London's River Thames. One of its properties has recently undergone an extensive rebuild and FX Technical Services was called upon by the project's architect to install a sound system that would complement the flat's exclusivity.

The system comprises a Linn Kivor multi-output hard disc audio player, a Linn FM/AM tuner, a Sky plasma screen and Linn and BW speakers, both free-standing and ceiling-mounted. The system allows the hi-fi to be controlled from any room in the house with the minimum amount of equipment in each room. The team were also able to lay down the necessary cables before the flat was decorated and thus the install was completely unobtrusive to the overall design of the property.

USA - Mackie Designs has announced the promotion of Frank Loyko to senior vice-president sales, worldwide. At the same time, Paul Rice has stepped down as Mackie's senior vice-president of international sales and business development. Loyko will assume global responsibility for sales initiative across all Mackie Designs Inc brands, while Mackie's marketing group takes over business development initiatives.

"This is the next step in the restructuring plans that Mackie put into motion last November," commented Rice. "We have set the stage for success and I'm confident in the new senior management team's ability to build upon the strong foundation that I have helped to establish over the last year."

Mackie CEO Jamie Engen said of Rice: "Paul has made considerable contributions to Mackie over the last year and we wish him well as he moves on to new challen

Australia - MC2 Audio has announced the first major theatre installation via its Australian distributor, Funktion One Australia. Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat, located very close to Melbourne, is a beautiful old theatre, built in the mid-1800s at the height of the gold rush. Today it's an historically important and heavily over-worked regional theatre. The auditorium is constructed in traditional style with stalls at ground level and the circle and dress circle above.

T Series amplifiers have been selected to drive the Funktion One speaker system, which is located throughout the auditorium. John O'Donnell of Funktion One Australia says: "MC2 amplifiers were chosen to drive the entire system based on their high quality, transparent sound, high reliability and their compatibility with the Funktion One range of products."

The system has been configured to use one chan

UK - Bosch Security Systems has strengthened its position as one of the leading global and UK suppliers of security and communications systems with the recent acquisition of Philips CSI.

Bosch is integrating the former Philips CSI operation with the well-established Bosch Detection Systems business into a single new company called Bosch Security Systems, which now offers the complete product range covering fire and intrusion detection, CCTV, public address, paging and congress systems. The combined operation is being re-located to a new home in the existing Bosch facility in Denham. Bosch will continue to sell and support all the former Philips CSI products under the globally known Bosch brand name, alongside its well-known Detection Systems branded products.

The combined Bosch Security Systems business is headed up by UK MD Joe McCann, previously general manager of Bosch De

UK - black light - the independent lighting, sound and staging company - has opened a new office in Glasgow. In a move designed to provide increased support for its customers in the West of Scotland, the new facility will initially carry stocks of gel and other consumables, but will build up to offer full rental stock within a matter of weeks. In the interim, hire products will be sourced from the company’s Edinburgh office. Colin Morrow, a familiar face to many from his association with Sound Acoustics, will run the Glasgow operation.

black light has seen steady growth in recent years, supplying lighting, staging, trussing and audio systems to theatres, exhibitions, conferences, trade shows, educational establishments and heritage centres. Its product range now includes fixtures from Italian manufacturer SGM, who has recently appointed the company to act as its distribut

Finland - The Nexo GEO S compact tangent array system has been installed in three prestigious cultural venues across Finland, an impressive hat-trick for distribution and installation company Oy Hedcom Ab.

In Helsinki, the small arthouse Theatre Studio Pasila became the first GEO site in the country. In a relatively small auditorium, with capacity for approximately 350 people, two GEO S arrays have been installed left and right of the stage, each with four S-805s, one S-830 and a single CD12 sub. In addition, there is an S-830 cluster above the centre of the stage. In the theatre, six PS8s have been installed as surround speakers - these are powered by Camco Vortex.

At the House of Culture in Espoo, the Tapiola Hall has a capacity of 800. Every year, the House of Culture hosts a well-known festival called the April Jazz, which attracts names like Joe Zawinul, Chick Korea, Jan

UK - Neutrik UK Ltd has added several new connectors to its ever-growing range of products that provide solutions to today’s interconnect and interfacing problems.

The company has launched a bespoke range of adaptors and DI boxes. These are manufactured to the usual exacting Neutrik standard, utilizing only genuine Neutrik components, and incorporate Speakon phase inverters, Speakons to XLRs, Impedance balancing adaptors (DI boxes), Phono to XLR and BNC to Phono.

The new range of RCA/Phono plugs, with black, chromium shell and coloured (black, red, yellow or white) coding rings, feature Neutrik’s chuck principle cable retention and gold plated contacts. They come complete with two sizes of cable entry/protection springs for cables 3-5mm and 5.1-6.1mm, and are colour-coded for video application.

Also new is a range of phono sockets, in recessed ‘D’ hou

UK - The British Board of Film Classification - located in the British Film Industry’s Soho heartland - is the industry body charged with ensuring fair and effective regulation of the film industry. The Board has to classify every film and video that goes on sale. Thus its 45-seat Preview Theatre, which is also available commercially, undergoes a high degree of usage.

Cinema installation specialists Sound Associates have a relationship with the Board extending back to 1986, and have periodically updated the replay systems as new sound platforms have been established. When they were recently called in to fit an AMX remote touch-screen system, they took the opportunity to recommend that the Board simultaneously upgrade its loudspeaker system. "While their screen frame was coming out it seemed to make a lot of sense," said Sound Associates’ Graham Lodge. "

UK - Working together, sound design and installation specialists CP Sound and professional audio distributors Arbiter Pro Audio have brokered a finance deal to enable the Shoosh Bar in Thames Ditton, Surrey, to benefit from some of the best sound, lighting and AV equipment.

Shoosh is a stylish independently-owned, new-build bar/restaurant concept, and the finance deal enabled the design, specification and installation of an impressive technical infrastructure at the venue. Cutting a deal became necessary as cash was tight after the funding of interior building works, designed by Steve Howie of Howie Design. New ventures are traditionally the most challenging when it comes to raising additional finance. However, CP Sound’s Colin Pattenden undertook to help Shoosh owner Terry Ramsay raise the necessary, so he didn’t have to compromise on his sound and lighting installa

UK - Autograph Sales has taken on distribution for Fischer Amps, the first time the brand has been represented in the UK.

The German-manufactured product range encompasses Accu Chargers, 19-inch rack-mounted battery chargers for use with 9V cells, AA cells or a combination of both; plug-in chargers, a low-cost alternative to the rack-mounted versions; hard-wired in-ear monitor belt packs and the Butt Kicker, a low frequency audio driver for shaking drummer thrones, stage platforms and dancefloors.

"The Fischer Amps range is deserving of good UK sales representation and support," says Autograph Sales director Graham Paddon. "The range sits perfectly with the theatre and PA products we represent, and we feel it is a valuable addition to our catalogue of distributed products. With the 9V cell, the manufacturer has achieved 50% greater capacity than most others on

USA - Sennheiser USA has announced the creation of a new communications division, Sennheiser Communications, dedicated to telecommunication headset technology solutions. Sennheiser Communications will make its international debut at the 2003 CeBIT Information and Communications Technology (ICT) conference and exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

The new division represents a joint business venture between German company Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG and Danacom A/S, a division of Danish company William Demant Holding A/S, Copenhagen, a leading supplier of audiology products. The William Demant Holding Group will transfer its current headset business to the joint venture, and Sennheiser will complement this with its newly established telecom business unit and global distribution network.

The newly established joint venture, Sennheiser Communications A/S, will be based in Cope

Italy / UK - Proel International has launched a brand new website, packed with useful information for both end-users and retailers. Featured on the site are all Proel International’s products, from recent introductions such as the Alto signal processing and amplification range, through J&D guitars and basses, to well established brands like Proel itself (with its huge choice of sound and lighting products), FBT PA equipment, Qube PA, B&C loudspeakers, Tamburo drums, Discotech lighting, and the entire JTS range of high quality microphones and headphones.

The site includes links for every product in the fast-growing Proel catalogue (including the company’s gigantic selection of leads and accessories) as well as a database listing key dealers in the UK, so that customers can easily find the Proel stockist closest to them. Retailers can use the site to contact their Proe

UK - Flintshire-based Apple Sound has recently supplied Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing plant with a sophisticated TTS 30 TourGuide system from beyerdynamic. Situated in the heart of the English countryside in West Sussex, the facility is based within the historic Goodwood Estate and within easy reach of the circuit that Rolls-Royce now use as a test track.

The original design concept for the facility - which needed to reflect the quality of the Rolls-Royce marque, but also welcome those expected to visit the site - was implemented by architects Nicholas Grimshaw and partners - creators of the acclaimed Eden Project in Cornwall. Apple Sound has considerable experience of TourGuide systems, having been involved in both their sales and hire for over 10 years. Working closely with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Annett Asztalos, Apple TourGuide product manager, John Scott, helped specify

Denmark - Mach Speaker Systems is restructuring for growth under a new management team and renewed focus on the club and installation audio markets. As part of the restructuring, Mach Speaker Systems will become a separate division within Martin Professional with all activities, including R&D and sales management, to be united at the Mach manufacturing facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark. The change will take effect as of April 1st.

Søren Kjær has been named managing director of Mach Speaker Systems and Anders Kryger as sales director. Søren moves to Mach from a position as managing director of Martin Security Smoke (his position has been filled by Henrik Sørensen - more on that tomorrow), a producer and distributor of computer-controlled equipment for smoke protection and fully owned subsidiary of Martin Professional. Anders moves to Mach from a position as Martin’s Ex

UK - Six months ago Northern Ireland-based installation company Light and Sound FX (LSFX) was commissioned to carry out a complete technical makeover of Lush nightclub in Portrush. The brief was simple: to design and install a new state-of-the-art sound system.

Darren Gardener of LSFX explains: "When we met with Col Hamilton, the resident DJ at Lush, he was adamant that the sound had to be on a par, if not better, than the big UK mainland and US clubs." To achieve this, Gardener looked at all the main audio players, in the end recommending an EAW Avalon system. The Avalon system is one of the most specified club systems in America, so Col Hamilton contacted an American DJ friend to ask if Lush should invest in an Avalon system. The answer came back loud and clear that it was the ‘system of choice’ for serious clubs stateside and that Lush was making the ri

UK - Now in its 26th year, the PLASA Show, which draws to Earls Court in September, thousands of UK and international visitors interested in lighting and sound from entertainment and installation industries, promises to be brighter, fresher and more creative than ever before.

The look and atmosphere of the show is being revitalised for 2003: a project manager has been appointed to implement the feature areas which include a central networking area, situated in the hub of the show. Other highlights include Architectural Audio & Visual - a new show sector which recognizes the growth of architectural lighting, contract audio and vision industry into this market. Products, case studies, new ideas and creative design solutions will all be showcased, aiming to inspire both architects, specifiers, installers and end users.

The New Technology Gallery, situated at the front of the ha

UK - Hayden Laboratories Ltd - exclusive UK distributor for Denon pro audio products - has announced the launch of the Denon DN-C635 CD player.

The machine is a user-researched update to the industry standard DN-C630 CD player, offering numerous enhanced features. It is suitable for multi-purpose applications, particularly in the broadcast (major broadcasters continue to commit to using Denon playback equipment), theatre, AV install, live sound, museum, attractions and exhibitions sectors, and also for DJs and recording studio.

Key features of the new system are CD/CDR/CDR-W; MP3 playback, CD text support, RS232/422 serial port, 25-pin GPI parallel port and ‘auto power up’ in Play Repeat modes. This latter feature will be invaluable for museums & attractions shows, exhibition stands and transmitter sites. The DNC-635 is also a great installation device, due to it

UK - Reflex Systems Ltd, specialists in the design, installation and maintenance of audio, CCTV video and access control solutions to the Hotel and Leisure industries, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The company works with a growing number of UK and European customers, many of which are leading blue chip organizations, providing security and site management solutions.

Reflex is experienced across the whole leisure sector, and is responsible for meeting the requirements of a diverse range of clients. Its customers include Luminar, THI Leisure, Boots WellBeing, Ramada Jarvis, Thistle, Queens Moat Houses, Handpicked Hotels, World of Golf, Butlins, and countless other brands from the smallest independents to the largest players. Reflex's installations are located in many of the country's leading bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, sports and leisure facilities, and the compa

USA - American Audio has released the CDS-1 single CD player aimed at bedroom and entry-level DJs. The CDS-1 is equipped with many top features used by professional DJs: it offers Fader Q Start (the ability to crossfade to a pre-programmed cue point on a CD when used with a Q-start compatible American Audio mixer), and also includes Instant Start, Loop In/Out, 8x Oversampling and Anti-Skip Protection.

In addition to entry-level users, the CDS-1 is ideal for working professional DJs who want a back-up set-up to take on the road. In addition to selling the CDS-1 as a single unit, American Audio has packaged a complete system, the CDS-1/System, which comprises two CDS-1 CD Players, an XDM-200 DJ mixer and a custom road case. The XDM-200 mixer included in the system was designed specifically for use with the CDS-1. The mixer has 2 channels - one for each CD player - with 2 lines, 2

Japan - TOA Corporation has released the VX-2000 system - a high-quality broadcast and public address system designed to satisfy all requirements for general purpose and emergency broadcasts, across a wide range of environments. Configurable for simple, as well as the most complex of installations, the VX-2000 system components include System Manager; Surveillance Frame; Power Amplifiers; Power Supply; Emergency Power Supply; Fireman's Microphone and a user-specified number of Remote Microphones.

Fully compliant with BS5853 pt8 EN60849/IEC60849 standards to allow use in the most demanding environments, the VX-2000 outstanding features include sophisticated failure detection measures that constantly check components and speaker lines for any faults or abnormalities which are brought to the notice of concerned personnel via visual and audio indications.

The VX-2000 features a sc

UK - A Yamaha aficionado who spans the entire 30-year history of PM series consoles this month became the first customer for the ground-breaking new PM5000. EFX Audio’s John Ramsay has confirmed an order with Shepperton-based dealers, Marquee Audio, for the largest, 52-channel (48 mono + 4 stereo) PM 5000 desk.

Marquee’s Glen Smith, who flew to the Frankfurt Musikmesse with directors Spencer Brooks and Andy Huffer to finalize the deal, told us: "John has been through all the Yamaha boards. He loves the PM4000 - which he also bought from Marquee - and he told us if the PM5000 gave him all that and more, then he’d be interested."

John Ramsay can remember right back to the inaugural PM200 when he was mixing local bands in his native Scotland. "We had monitors along the front of the stage apron with ‘YAMAHA’ spelt across the wedges, and

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