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USA - A little bit of echo goes a long way in helping vocal performers sound more polished and professional at the microphone. American Audio has therefore designed its new WR 90E Single Channel Wireless Microphone System with a digital echo feature built into it.

Suitable for all wireless mic users - whether they're singers, DJs, karaoke enthusiasts or emcees - the WR 90E system gives performers a clean vocal sound and lets them dial up the exact amount of echo they desire without having to purchase and hook up a separate effects unit. A dual-diversity receiver with two antennas ensures that the vocal signal will always be strong and clear, even in the most challenging wireless environments say the manufacturers.

"The WR 90E Single Channel Wireless Microphone System makes it easier than ever for performers who are venturing out into the wireless world to sound great righ

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Netherlands - One of the Netherlands' most prestigious conference venues has installed a Nexo Geo S sound reinforcement system in its main auditorium, which regularly hosts events and meetings for the Dutch government and European authorities.

The venue is the largest of the halls in the World Trade Center Rotterdam, measuring 35m x 26m, with a capacity for about 1000 delegates. It has always been regarded as a difficult acoustic environment, being a very reverberant hall with marble floors. The installation was carried out in cooperation with Dutch Television Services by Frits Baan, owner of the in Huizen-based company STB, and supported by Iemke Roos, Nexo's distributor in the Netherlands. Bert Koenders of Iemke Roos explains how Geo S was snapped up: "Together with Frits Baan, we prepared a quotation using Nexo's Geo Soft package, and then did a demo on-site; the syste

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UK - Fane Acoustics, manufacturer of professional audio components, has launched the first range of high power, ready to install, portable Distributed Mode Loudspeakers (DML) - MiniPro. The flat panel speakers are manufactured using second-generation, high-output, grounded transducers and are ideal for use in visually sensitive architectural situations.

MiniPro can deliver 114dB at peak output, handling up to 80W. Suitable for almost any type of program, the operating range spans from 60Hz to 21kHz. The product is extremely lightweight at just 3.6Kg.

DML technology has reached a stage where high power transducers can produce significant sound output levels with a full spectrum frequency response. MiniPro will fill unusually large spaces with clean and clear non-directional sound due to its unusual and diffuse dispersion characteristics. Beaming is eliminated and adverse room

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USA - After serving the high-end audio community with an enviable array of blue chip product lines, Transamerica Audio Group has changed its name to better reflect its corporate mission and organization. The company is now called TransAudio Group.

"As a name, TransAudio Group better implies our day-to-day operations and customer service when it comes to finding, selecting and implementing the finest audio products anywhere," notes Brad Lunde, TransAudio Group president. "Because our product lines are so diverse and target a number of segments in the pro audio arena, we wanted to ensure the name itself reflected our commitment to finding the right products for our customers."

At the same time, the organizational structure of TransAudio Group has been streamlined into three divisions: TransAudio Broadcast, TransAudio Recording and TransAudio Live. These three

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Switzerland / Europe - The First Final Farewell Tour, which has just finished rehearsals in Neuchatel, Switzerland and started on 1 June in Milan, will be travelling throughout Europe and the USA this summer and the rest of the globe by the end of the year (with potentially more dates in 2005).

L-Acoustics was proud to announce that its sound reinforcement systems have been exclusively chosen for this prestigious tour - especially since Phil Collins has not toured in seven years. A wide variety of L-Acoustics products including 112XT, V-Dosc, dV-Dosc, dV-SUB and SB218 enclosures have been specified and the newly-launched 115XT HiQ premieres as the stage monitor of choice.

L-Acoustics' recently-released 3D modelling software - SoundVision - was employed to perform 3D simulations for the majority of stadia and arenas where the tour will play. It proved to be invaluable in

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Germany - HK Audio has just hosted the first of an ongoing series of training seminars for its Cohedra Coherent Dynamic Response Array system. A total of 14 students from Germany, Switzerland and Austria attended the three-day operator seminar held in May at the company's premises in St. Wendel, Germany. The students then sat a two-hour examination in order to qualify for a Cohedra operator's certificate. Twelve of the students were successful and are now fully-qualified Cohedra operators. Top of the class was Udo Treimetten from Evented-Triacs in Föhren, Germany, who scored 27 of a possible 30 points in the test.

"I'm really proud of the success of the COHEDRA operators," says HK Audio's musicologist Thomas Adt, who ran the seminars. "They worked very hard during the three days, and were still asking lots of very intelligent questions late into the night. I enj

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UK - Turbosound, the British-based manufacturer of live performance and installed-sound loudspeakers, announced with immediate effect the appointment of Rik Kirby as the company's new sales director. Kirby takes to Turbosound his lengthy experience of the sound reinforcement industry, including several commercial positions at executive level. He is responsible for the company's global sales, working closely with Turbosound's established network of international distributors, while targeting key accounts in selected territories.

Previously, Kirby spent two years in California as US national sales manager for Renkus-Heinz Inc, and five years at BSS Audio, latterly as sales manager. At BSS, Kirby worked alongside Turbosound's European sales manager, Dominic Harter, and UK and Asia sales manager, Tim McCall. This new position reunites the old team. Kirby's long-standing career in th

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UK - Kelsey Acoustics have taken on the experienced Jez Hunter as product specialist. He joins as a video/audio consultant, having previously worked with Gearhouse, and later Promedia in the UK. Hunter's pedigree as a complete systems installer in clubs, cinemas and commercial buildings will stand him in good stead for his new role. "I was looking for a new challenge at a time when Kelsey had just taken on distribution of the Furman range," he said.

Hunter's mission will not only be to boost Kelsey's video cabling offer but to look for synergies afforded by the large Furman range of devices, including voltage stabilizers and sequential switchers. He will also work with other Fuzion-distributed products, including SymNet.

(Lee Baldock)

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Germany - Behringer has launched a number of new products. First up is the first model from its new range of Europower powered mixers - the Europower PMX3000 - a compact and lightweight powered mixer that incorporates Coolaudio, a new amplification technology which the company says delivers high power and sonic performance at nearly half the depth and weight of conventional powered mixers. The table-top PMX3000 offers flexible I/O options suitable for most live applications and features studio-grade IMP 'Invisible' Mic Preamps on all or most mono channels. The powered mixer's 24-bit stereo FX processor with 99 Virtualizer presets features reverb, delay, chorus, flanger and more. Behringer's proprietary FBQ Feedback Detection System instantly reveals critical frequencies on the EQ's fader LEDs, making easy feedback removal possible without using external equipment. The unit also fe

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UK - According to the latest industry analysis from Plimsoll Publishing Ltd, 26 of the UK sound equipment industry's leading 236 companies are losing the battle against rising costs and stagnant sales.Plimsoll's findings suggest that for the right buyers, these companies represent highly attractive acquisition prospects. The Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis - Sound Equipment also identifies 20 companies as aggressively chasing market share. Each has the cash resources and the motive to capitalize on the failures of the 26 exposed companies.

David Pattison, senior analyst at Plimsoll Publishing Ltd, says: "Any company that is not increasing sales is always going to struggle as rising costs restrict margins. For these 26 companies, 'selling up' would represent a viable solution to their problems. By absorbing costs and eliminating inefficiencies, new owners could turn these strugg

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Italy - Designed specifically to complement RCF's Installed Sound Division's ranges of speaker systems, the new RCF HC Series provides leading edge audio quality with three compact models, say the company. The three models in the line are the HC3200 - which offers up to 1600W per channel into 2 ohms (700W per channel into 8 ohms); the HC2000, which provides 1000W per channel into 2 ohms (500W per channel into 8 ohms) and the HC 1600, which gives 800W per channel into 2 ohms (350W per channel into 8 ohms).

According to RCF, these professional stereo power amplifiers are designed using ultra-high efficiency class-H mode topology, providing from 2 x 800W up to 1 x 3200W, at an efficiency of around 85%. A powerful transformer-based power supply and hand-selected components make these power ratings possible with exceptional audio quality and absolute reliability, even in 2 ohm mode,

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UK - Fuzion plc has appointed Emma Houlden as its new marketing manager. Working closely with sales and marketing director, Paul Ward, she has been brought in specifically to help develop Fuzion's continued expansion.Houlden previously worked in the marketing department of event technology providers, Creative Technology. "Having been involved in one area of entertainment technology I am looking forward to the challenges and extra responsibility presented by this new position," she says.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - The latest addition to the DiGiCo product line is the D5 RE (Redundant Engine), a stand-alone outboard engine system that provides total audio engine redundancy through a few simple connections to any DiGiCo D5 Live console. The RE is daisy-chained to the main console and stage racks via standard D5 optical fibre cables and additionally connected from MADI port 2 on the RE to the auxiliary MADI port on the D5 local rack with two 5m BNC MADI cables (supplied). A crossed Ethernet networking cable is then connected between the Cat 5 ports on console engine and RE, so sessions can be synced to enable the RE to mirror the D5 console.

This means that, in the very unlikely event of the master audio engine developing a problem, audio is automatically and transparently switched to the RE without any interruption in programme material. Audio processing can be switched back to the mai

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Australia - In the shadow of the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Opera Bar is situated on the forecourt with views of the City and the Harbour Bridge. Open 15 hours a day, with live music or DJs virtually every night, the outdoor Opera Bar is a popular spot. Regardless of the occasion, the Opera Bar is now serenading patrons with an Allen & Heath PA12 stereo live mixer and FBT powered speakers.

Entertainment manager, David Milton, comments: "The audio system is in use every night, so we require a tough, portable mixer that also doesn't occupy a vast sightline space. Simplicity of use and operational flexibility were the key parameters in our choice of console and overriding all that is the absolute demand for audio quality - considering our location that's a given - there's no room for compromise!"

The FBT speaker system includes a pair of 10" 2-way 200W MaxX2

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Germany / Hungary - Camco Gmbh has appointed Budapest-based Lisys Lighting Systems as their new distributor in Hungary, and has supplied amplifiers from both the Vortex and the Tecton range to meet Lisys's opening order. Lisys has been specifying Crest amplifiers for some years, but has identified increasing demand from the top end of the Hungarian market for lightweight, European-made amplifiers. "Our customers are mostly in the live entertainment sector," explains managing director of Lisys, Sándor Böröcz. "Although this is the first commitment we are making to Camco, we are confident that these amplifiers will deliver what our high-end customers are asking for; first-class reliability and sound quality. Not only that, but Camco also has a valuable strategic partnership with Nexo, which has a rising profile in Hungary."

Lisys now has 40 full-time employe

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Germany - German pro audio manufacturer K.M.E. has announced that its Digital Delay Module (DDM), launched at the Frankfurt ProLight+Sound show in April, is now available. The DDM has been designed as an additional plug-in for fixed installations into active speakers CSA 400 D, QSA 200 and QSA 500 D. Both DDM and MM2 mixer modules can be integrated into the existing module tower at any time. For example, if it is used for the active system CA 6 (the top part CSA 400 D), installation of the required delay-line is quick and easy, without the need for any additional equipment.

K.M.E's DDM features 'internal' or 'external' delay mode. The internal mode setting transmits the required delay time to the active speaker as a signal delay, while the 'external' mode routes the delay to the DDM output and provides a signal for controlling external PA systems (e.g. K.M.E. CA 6). The internal

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UK - Will Young is using EV's Xlc compact line array, supplied by Britannia Row, on his sell-out solo UK tour. For front-of-house engineer Charlie Bradley, EV's compact line array has given him the flexibility and performance he needs on a UK tour encompassing so many different venues. "It is a small box but it doesn't sound small," he explains. "It has more throw than many other line arrays I have used and the system still has plenty of bite when you want it."

He continues: "For a typically single balcony venue of around 1,500 seats, we fly just eight Xlc127 boxes a side, and for larger venues, or more balconies, we hang 10 deep. With six ground stacked Xlc118 subs per side, there's plenty of bottom end, and a pair of Xi1152s for front fills ensures we've got everything covered."

System design has been simplified by the use of software tools tha

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UK - Opus Audio Developments, designer and manufacturer of high-end PA systems, is exhibiting for the first time at ABTT 2004 (16-17 June). Analogue throughout and using a complete system approach, including loudspeakers, controllers and amplification, Opus systems achieve a highly accurate sound quality combined with absolute reliability, say the company, which is crucial for theatre systems.

On show at ABTT will be a selection of loudspeakers from the large Opus range, designed to cover every main system application including FOH, in-fill/under balcony and foldback, for fixed installation in any size of venue or for touring theatre. Opus will also be showing its high definition amplifiers and system controllers and technical and sales staff will be on hand to discuss how these are configured to provide complete systems.

With all design and production in-house at their facto

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UK - PA and hearing loop experts Millbank (Ampekko) were appointed by Exeter-based Faber Maunsell Consulting Engineers to design and supply a host of hearing induction loop systems at the new Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) training Lifeboat College based in Poole, Dorset. Looking forward, the RNLI wanted the new college built in line with the impending DDA legislation, which enforces that all public spaces are equipped to cater for sensory disabled patrons by October 2004. Millbank's induction loops offered a discrete and effective solution for the hard of hearing.

The new £10.9 million purpose-built college was designed by architects Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole and offers a dedicated education and training facility for its volunteer lifeboat crews. The five-storey building includes seminar and training rooms, a 120-seat auditorium, restaurant, kitchen, bar and f

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USA - Apogee Sound International, manufacturer of state-of-the-art sound reinforcement products, has appointed five new sales representative organizations. "We're excited by the enthusiasm and knowledge our new sales reps bring to Apogee Sound," said Dominick Buonantuono, national sales manager for Apogee. "We're confident that our new partners can not only meet but exceed our growth projections for Apogee Sound."

The new appointments are as follows:

Action Sales & Marketing will represent Apogee in southern California, southern Nevada and Hawaii. Contact Gabriella Chambers, Action Sales & Marketing, 15722 Condon Circle, Westminister, CA 92683, USA. Tel: +1 714-839-9991. Fax: +1 14-839-9992, E-mail: asmg@socal.rr.com.

Audio Pros will represent Apogee in metro New York and Long Island, northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,

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The Netherlands - Midas Consoles Holland continues to prove its success as the new distribution model for Midas and KT in Holland, with the sale of a 36-channel Legend 3000 and a 40-channel Verona to Amsterdam rental company, Peak Audio. Peak Audio required the additional consoles to handle their workload of festival and theatre commitments over the summer. The new desks will be added to existing inventory which already includes a Midas Heritage 1000 and three Venices.

Peak Audio's Martin During explained that while he already owned a number of Midas boards, he nevertheless had his engineers trial several different consoles from a variety of manufacturers before making his choice. "It basically came down to the fact that competitive desks simply couldn't match Midas in terms of headroom or sound quality, nor indeed features and outputs in relation to the price, so I'm delig

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UK - The Corn Exchange theatre in Newbury has invested in a 40-channel Midas Verona mixing console as part of a complete audio system upgrade, which includes L-Acoustics loudspeakers and amplification, all supplied by Glen Smith of GSA.

Technical and operations manager Guy Dickens was attracted to the Verona for a number of reasons. "At the time I was looking for a new desk, the Verona was brought to my attention by Glen Smith, and as he rightly pointed out, it turned out to be the perfect choice for us," commented Dickens. "As a Theatre Arts Centre, we do not have a large budget to spend on our sound system upgrade, but I was keen to get the best I could afford and in particular wanted to fit out the venue with equipment that was easily recognizable; the distinctive Midas purple colour and the all-important logo do just that. Furthermore, the Verona fitted into m

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UK / USA - RK Sound Engineering, the St Albans-based sound design and installation company, has been appointed UK distributor for the Gold Line range of audio and acoustic test and measurement equipment. Aimed principally at sound engineers, especially those involved with commissioning public address and voice alarm systems, or testing installed or touring sound reinforcement systems, the products are manufactured at Gold Line's US factory in West Redding, Connecticut. The product line-up ranges from essential tool-kit problem-solvers such as impedance meters, to the world's only dedicated, portable, STI-accredited speech intelligibility meter - vital for the compliance testing of voice alarm and evacuation systems.

The extensive portfolio also includes the DSP30 Portable Real-Time Analyser - an expandable, multi-function digital measurement device, plus general-purpose Audio T

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Denmark - TC Electronic is shipping Dynamic EQ, the new mixing and mastering plug-in exclusive to the PowerCore platform. This new EQ tool offers up to four definable bands, which can work in static or dynamic mode, or in a combination of both. Also, each of the bands can be configured as a parametric EQ or a high/low shelving filter.

This virtual processor eliminates the shortcomings of static EQ by combining dynamic processing and EQ. Sidechain bands, which are independent of the processing bands, enable the high frequency content of a mix to control the low-end and vice versa. All processing is in 48-bit double precision, and may even be used in a phase linear mode, for much more transparent results. Dynamic EQ represents a new generation of mastering tools for PowerCore.

PowerCore is the open platform DSP engine for professional signal processing for Mac and PC. Its proce

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