Sound

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USA - QSC Audio has introduced the latest and most powerful addition to the RMX Series power amplifier line - the RMX 5050. Incorporating QSC's reputation for road-worthy reliability, the RMX 5050 has been engineered and built to deliver high quality audio performance with maximum levels of sustained power, say QSC.

The flagship of the RMX Series, the RMX 5050 has a three-tier, Class H design - and due to component upgrades boasts 25% higher peak power than its smaller sibling, the RMX 4050HD. The amplifier delivers 1100W per channel at 8 ohms, 1800W per channel at 4 ohms, and 2500W per channel at 2 ohms (EIA rated - stereo). It also offers selectable low frequency filters (30Hz or 50Hz) to protect speakers and increase headroom, as well as high-current toroidal transformers for increased 2-ohm power and lower noise.

As with other models in the RMX range, the RMX 5050 features

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UK - Shure Distribution UK, sole distributors of Shure, QSC Audio, Phonic, PreSonus, Aviom and Sound Devices will be displaying the latest broadcast related products, at the SBES Show. Stand 53 will be boasting a number of new products including the new Sound Devices 302 compact production mixer which features three high-performance microphone inputs, informative level metering and flexible headphone monitoring. In addition, the highly acclaimed Sound Devices 442 field mixer that now ships with new channel-fader knobs featuring touch and visual feedback for single-finger control.

SBES will also see QSC's QSControl.net, which encompasses the seamless integration of the company's signal transport, control, processing, and monitoring technologies. QSControl.net melds QSC's power amplification and loudspeaker products into a unified system that enables the user to administer it all

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Germany - Hamburg-based sound consultants Amptown Sound & Communications (ASC) have completed the installation of a Nexo GEO S sound reinforcement system at the Holstenhalle in Neumünster, a 1930s aeroplane hangar which can accommodate audiences of up to 4,000 people for concerts and events.

Holstenhalle Neumünster is used for a wide variety of events, from classical concerts, trade shows, livestock auctions, pop concerts and parties to other attractions including motorcycle shows. This year, the venue's technical director, Walter Rudat, decided to call it a day for the venue's 15-year old 100v line horn-loaded PA system and called in technical consultant Rüdiger Aue from ASC to design a new house rig for the challenging acoustics of the Holstenhalle.

Having worked in the venue on the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Aue was familiar with its characteristics. The Holstenh

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USA - Following the success of the PLASA Show in London in September, it began to appear that business was looking up after a tough couple of years; now, with the successful completion of LDI in Orlando, Florida at the weekend, the current of optimism continues to strengthen.

The majority of LDI exhibitors that PLASA Media spoke to at the show expressed their satisfaction with both the quality of visitors and the level of business being done. Exhibitor Michael Bridgman of British Optical, a manufacturer of high quality optical components for the entertainment industry, commented: "It's been very good for us this year - I would say back to the level of business of three years ago."

The 2003 ETS-LDI showcased a number of innovative new products. This year the show's awards were split into two categories - Product of the Year and Debuting Product/Promising Prototype. Th

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USA - California-based pro audio manufacturer QSC Audio has appointed Mauricio Saint Martin as export sales manager. Prior to joining QSC, Saint Martin held the position of Latin America sales director for Mackie Designs, EAW and RCF (Loud Technologies).

Saint Martin brings over 14 years of international sales experience to QSC. His background encompasses positions within the professional audio, retail/MI and lighting sectors, and he has a comprehensive background in contracting and touring. "I'm very excited about joining QSC," he told us. "I've always considered QSC the model company to work for - not only because it is one of the most respected names in the audio space, but because of the can-do culture that differentiates QSC from other companies. This appointment is a great opportunity for me. I look forward to working closely with our international distribu

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UK - Hot on the heels of the successful JTS 901 professional UHF wireless microphone system, UK distributor Proel International has announced two mid-market introductions - the JTS 8001 single channel and 8002 twin channel packages. Both come with 16-selectable UHF channels and both offer true diversity operation, ensuring minimum set-up time and clear, interference-free operation. Like all JTS wireless systems, they are fully tested and approved for use in the UK and operators do not need to acquire licenses to use them.

Also distributed by Proel International, Alto has announced a new range of live mixers, the L Series. The entire range features 24-bit onboard DSP effects and advanced EQ facilities. Alto L Series mixers begin with the six-channel L6, followed by the eight-channel L8. Features include: five mic input channels with gold plated XLR and balanced line inputs, two s

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UK - Country music icon Emmylou Harris has visited the UK for five sold-out dates as part of her 2003 European tour, taking in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Bristol. Canegreen's Miles Marchant and Paul Knight provided the technical support on the dates, installing a Meyer system at each of the venues.

To achieve good distribution in the theatre style venues they took advantage of the flexibility and spread of the Meyer MSL4s and configured the system to suit the venue. In general they flew three of MLS4s above either side of the stage with a further five on the stage, three flat and two sitting on top angled to take in the balcony areas. Six Meyer 650R2P SP subs (three per side) supplied the bottom end, with a pair of UPAs acting as in-fills for the front rows. Canegreen also supplied Lab Gruppen amplifiers, a Midas XL3 front-of-house console with a range of proces

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UK - Scotia UK plc has recently installed a new multimedia teaching facility at The University of Bristol Dental School, using Allen & Heath's DSP iDR system to manage the complex audio requirements. Dr Jeremy Rees from the University's division of Restorative Dentistry visited a recent installation at the University of Leeds Dental School, where he saw the benefits to be gained by upgrading from the old "chalk and talk" facilities to new electronic display systems.

Dr. Rees contracted A-Dec Dental to refit the dental laboratory with workstations containing the tools that a dentist would use on a live patient and "phantom heads", mannequins which the students use to practice "drill and fill" techniques. Each student is equipped with their own 15" flat screen multimedia display to view the tutorial and they can hear commentary from the tutors' r

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UK - The official launch party for the Hospital in Covent Garden took place last month. Brainchild of artist and producer Dave Stewart and Paul G. Allen co-founder (with Bill Gates) of Microsoft, the Hospital is a multi-million pound music, state-of-the-art television and arts complex located in the heart of London's Covent Garden. Naturally the launch was a star-studded event attended by A-list celebrities from throughout the world of music and media. Sound Division Hire, the rental department of the Sound Division Group, was asked to supply the entire entertainment system for the event, including audio, lighting, staging and DJ equipment.

Sound Division's Chris Baxter confirmed that this was a technically complex event: "We set up a DJ system in the Studio on the lower ground floor with a PA based on EAW KF850s and JBL monitors with a Soundcraft mixing console. We were al

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Spain - Soundart, the Spanish manufacturer of digital audio tools for studio applications, has announced an extensive update to its website, including new areas such as 'demos' and 'tips and tricks' - expert hints written by the Soundart team and other pro users. The navigation has also been enhanced, including easy downloading of all the latest soundskins for the Chameleon DSP rack unit from the front page, either individually or together as the full pack. The site also now features minute-long audio tours of all the soundskins on one page.

Also new are sections on the expanding Soundart Chameleon community, with interviews with both pro musicians, engineers, educators and DSP developers who work with the Chameleon.

(Lee Baldock)

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UAE - In mid-September, the annual meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund were held in Dubai. With over 27,000 participants from all over the world, this was an event of huge global significance for which the sound systems were provided by Electro-Voice.

This is the largest and most comprehensive gathering of global financial representatives in the world. In addition to the meetings - of which there were over 250 this year - there are numerous seminars, some conducted by staff members for members of the press. In all, 27,500 participants from 184 countries travelled to Dubai for the event. The hosts, James D. Wolfensohn, president of the bank, and IMF director Horst Köhler, left nothing to chance - certainly in respect of the audio-visual equipment.

In mid-August, a flotilla of cardboard boxes sporting the EV logo set s

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UK - Pop-rock star Daniel Bedingfield is using Britannia Row's ElectroVoice XLC compact line array system for his UK tour. Playing a variety of venues on this 16-date tour, Bedingfield's front-of-house engineer Antony King is using XLC for the first time as a main system. He commented: "For a compact box, it puts out a lot of sound. Bedingfield likes a loud stage, which means the show is loud; we're pushing the EV system every night, and it's coping with that very well."

Having recently used the XLC system at the MTV Europe Awards, Brit Row system engineer Leon Dalton has rigged 12 XLC127+ per side, with four X-Line subs and two 1152i infill cabinets each side. The system is driven by Klark-Teknik DN9848 loudspeaker processors, and powered by 24 ElectroVoice P3000 amplifiers. King is mixing the show from a Yamaha PM1D. He continued: "We've taken this show into clu

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UK - Music Live 2003, held recently in Birmingham's NEC, again successfully consolidated its reputation as the UK's premier annual public music show. A huge roster of acts, demos, seminars and clinics ran through the duration of the show, whilst the main stage offered some impressive and well known talents. Legendary Yes guitarist Steve Howe played a hugely enjoyable solo set, with other notable performances coming from erstwhile Squeeze frontman singer/songwriter Glenn Tillbrook, US virtuoso rock guitarists Stevie Salas and Ritchie Kotzen, plus top New York session player and Ovation clinician, Matt Smith.

As a result of HK Audio's performance at Music Live 2002 and the 2003 London Guitar Show, HK's pro audio systems were again used exclusively throughout Music Live 2003. Capable of offering powerful yet detailed sound, HK Audio represented the ideal pro audio choice for the va

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UK - Bill Kenwright's record-breaking production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's smash hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is using Martin Audio's Wavefront system for its redesigned 2003/4 national tour. Chris Full of Autograph Sound has revamped the sound design for the production, which has been on the road since 1997, touring the regional theatres of the UK. For the new rig, he has chosen Martin Audio, specifically ten WT3s and four WS2A subs, with analogue processing.

Full explained: "The sound design for the tour of Joseph required a versatile, high power sound system that also fulfilled the budget requirements of the show. I had used the WT3s and baby subs before, and liked the way the system sounded - particularly with respect to throwing the sound to the back of a venue. We are not touring delays as the turn around between venues

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Sweden - Edsbyns Ljudteknik of Edsbyn, Sweden, has become the first European sound rental company to invest in the new-generation Renkus-Heinz PN102LA Line Array system, unveiled at the PLASA and New York AES 2003 shows. Company founder Bosse Davidsson has worked with sound rentals and installations since 1985, and first used Renkus-Heinz PA and monitor systems in 1990, as well as loudspeaker systems from other manufactures.

When the commercial climate made an investment in line array technology a 'must', Davidsson immediately opted to audition the new, compact PN102LA: "I am very satisfied with all loudspeakers from Renkus Heinz; it doesn't matter if it's a live concert or an installation, the results are always good."

Renkus-Heinz lent the company a complete system for field trials at two major concerts this autumn, he says. "The result was very, very good - t

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Russia - VGTRK in Moscow, the all-Russian State Tele Radio broadcaster, has taken delivery of a new 48-channel Soundcraft MH-4 mixing console, to add to an inventory that already includes several K2 and Ghost mixers, all supplied by PAL Systems in Russia.

The latest desk is being used for The Sports Channel, which broadcasts live coverage of international and domestic sports events. The MH-4 is intended primarily for the many talk-shows broadcast on The Sports Channel, which use multiple mic inputs, as well as international feeds and telephone hybrids.

"We are really pleased with our MH-4," says Andrey Vetr, chief of recording staff. "Everything is great about it, especially the ergonomics, and the benefits of the VCA and Matrix features. We've measured the console ourselves, here at VGRTK, and are delighted to find exact correlation with the original specifica

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UK - Mean Fiddler Music Group has bought the famous Borderline live music venue in London's West End, which has a Public Entertainment Licence until 6a.m. Vince Power, chairman of Mean Fiddler, said: "This valuable addition to the portfolio will further strengthen the Group's position as the country's leading live music venue operator."

(Lee Baldock)

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The Netherlands - After extensive beta-testing in recent months and the launch of "the Ribbon" line-array at the PLASA show in London, Alcons Audio is now shipping the first product of its L-series product range, the LR16. This is an active two-way line-source loudspeaker system, to be used in vertical arrays, either in stacked or flown configuration. The compact, flexible design makes it the ideal system for small to medium-sized applications, and with a maximum SPL of 135dB per unit, the LR16 is also suitable for larger applications, when used in extended arrays.

The L-series has been designed with a 'total system approach' including speakers, amplifiers, processing and logistics, with the main design goal being the creation of a versatile system that would also make a sensible investment for smaller rental companies. 'The Ribbon' system can be scaled from (part of)

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UK - Pro audio sales company Autograph Sales has sold a sound system including 10 Meyer Sound UPJ-1Ps to London's latest hotspot, Hackney Central. As Meyer Sound's UK distributor, Autograph Sales successfully launched the UPJ-1P at PLASA 2003, taking pre-orders for over 50 boxes during the four-day exhibition. The club, also a bar and restaurant, is on the site of the former Hackney Central Station, and has become one of the trendiest new venues in the capital following a massive refurbishment.

The new UPJ-1P combines the advantages of self-powered systems with the placement and arraying flexibility offered by a rotatable horn, and can therefore be used either singly as a primary loudspeaker or in multi-cabinet horizontal or vertical arrays. As well as the 10 UPJ-1Ps, Autograph Sales also supplied Meyer UMS-1P and USW-1 subwoofers. The club is the latest to be opened by manageme

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Iceland - The NASA nightclub in Reykjavik, Iceland, has undergone a comprehensive revamp of its sound systems in preparation for a change of identity from discotheque to one of the city's premier live music venues. The 600-capacity NASA is situated in a former dance hall, complete with original architectural features and a proscenium arch stage. By the start of 2004, the club will be dedicated to live bands. Sound installers Islandia were asked to install a PA system that would suit the new clientele.

A new Soundcraft MH3 console, with 32 channels and four stereo sends, drives a JBL AL Series PA system. The new monitor rig is also JBL, and both systems are powered by Crown amplifiers and controlled by BSS Soundweb.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - With sales set to increase an average by 3.2% and profit margins likely to remain low but steady at 1.6%, the sound equipment market looks set for a rewarding year in 2004. A recent survey from financial publishers, Plimsoll, found that 26% of the 236 companies surveyed are showing unprecedented confidence about their prospects in 2004. The latest study profiling the UK sound equipment industry has looked at how each of the 236 companies surveyed will perform in 2004. Plimsoll's research found three distinct views on the New Year.

26% of companies in the industry are set to exploit the buoyant market. These companies built strong businesses to get ahead of the competition in 2003 and have now set themselves up for continued expansion in the market. Sales look to increase at a staggering 10% on average and margins could be as high as 10.8%.

34% of the industry will be in t

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UK - Skan PA Hire has continued an ongoing phase of investment with one of its most exciting purchase to date, an L-Acoustics V-DOSC line array loudspeaker system. The purchase of 24 V-DOSC cabinets with 16 SB218 subwoofers, four ARCS cabinets and 32 LA48A amps follows Skan's acquisition of a dV-DOSC system with dV-Subs, SB218s and ARCS earlier this summer, and establishes the company as the new UK member of the V-DOSC partner network.

Delivered to Skan's Reading-based warehouse this month, the system went straight out the door on a European arena tour with chart-topping rock band Muse, together with Skan technicians Matt Vickers and Ant Carr who are working closely with the band's engineers Marc Carolan and Adam Taylor. Skan is a long-term user of XTA's 226 controllers, recommended by L-Acoustics for use with V-DOSC, and also owns almost 100 Lab Gruppen amps, the company which

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Spain - The latest production of We Will Rock You, the smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton, has now opened in Madrid and once again Autograph Sound Recording supplied the sound and communications systems following on from their successful involvement on the original London production, which premiered in May 2002 at the Dominion Theatre.

The Spanish translation opened at the Calderon Theatre Madrid in November and as with the UK and Australian shows, the system was designed by Bobby Aitken. Aitken, formerly of Autograph but now a freelance designer, also co-designed all worldwide productions of Mamma Mia with Autograph Chairman, Andrew Bruce.

Autograph's Andy Brown was the nominated production sound engineer for this Spanish interpretation, Andy's experience is second to none having been PSE on such productions as Witches of Eastwick, The Lion King,

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UK - London-based hire, sales and installation specialist RG Jones, which has a well-established classical music reinforcement division, has made its first purchase of DPA microphones. The company has bought 52 DPA 4061 Miniature mics with violin/cello mounts from DPA's UK distributor, Sound Network. The mics immediately embarked on the company's busy classical events programme. These include Classical Spectacular, Space Spectacular, Jose Carreras in the UK and Far East, Queen/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tribute A Kind of Magic, Nigel Kennedy, Henley Arts Festival and concerts at Leeds Castle.

"We chose the DPA 4061s because we found them to be the only ones of their kind that sound good," says RG Jones' classical engineer Simon Honywill. "For years we've refused to move away from conventional overhead mic techniques because of the ina

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