UKBosch Security Systems scored another major success for its DCN Digital Congress Network system when it was chosen by the Irish government to provide high quality international and portable conferencing facilities at various regional venues throughout the country during Ireland's Presidency of the EU. Featuring portability, the new DCN Concentus system provides multi-lingual translation facilities using the latest Integrus infrared audio language distribution system for secure interference-free audio distribution in any language at the touch of a button anywhere in the debating chamber.

Another Bosch DCN system is already used every day in the main Irish Parliament in Dublin so the Irish government know its capabilities very well. It is also used in many other EU parliaments including Brussels and the new Scottish parliament building in Edinburgh.

Provided and installed by

Czech Republic - Apogee Sound International, the US manufacturer of sound reinforcement products for the pro audio industry, has announced that the new Sazka Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, has installed 98 Apogee APL Series powered loudspeakers. The Apogee system consists of 90 Apogee APL-500DSP and eight Apogee APL-800DSP loudspeakers, networked and controlled by Apogee Digital Audio Management (ADAM) software. The new arena was designed and built in just 28 months to be ready for the opening of the 2004 IIHF World Hockey Championships in Prague.

The Sazka Arena's Apogee system was designed by Soning, one of the Czech Republic's leading consulting firms, as were other audio/video and broadcast systems in the venue. According to Andrej Hronec, owner of AudioPro, Apogee's distributor in Prague, Soning focused heavily on the latest technologies to ease the normally difficult ta

Japan - Asahi Kasei Microsystems (AKM), a leading supplier of audio ICs for professional and consumer markets, recently introduced the AK4113 - a 192 kHz digital audio interface receiver (DIR) with a wide sampling rate. The six-channel input AK4113 supersedes the four-channel AK4112B, which has been widely used in AV amplifiers as a cost-saving version of the AK4114 without transmission functions. It supports wide sampling rates from 8kHz to 216kHz.The AK4113 is fully compatible with AES3, IEC60958, S/PDIF and EIAJ-CP1201 standards for AV amplifiers, DVD receivers and DTVs. It also supports 24-bit 192 kHz PCM data and Non-PCM data streaming like Dolby Digital/MPEG etc.

Like the AK4114, it features a Q-subcode buffer for audio CD, built-in 40-bit channel status buffer and incorporates a non-PCM detection function for identifying DTS-CD data. Compared with the AK4112B, the AK4113

Italy - The premiere of Shark Tale - Dreamworks' and distributor UIP's latest animated creation - was staged in spectacular style in Venice's historic Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square) as part of the 2004 Venice Film Festival. Show producers Bob Collins and Sean Glen of Me3 Productions from California brought in UK-based technical production specialist Andy Peat Associates and Venetian production company TESE to realize this major feat of technical production.

This is the first time a show of this nature has been granted permission to take place in the Piazza San Marco, a world heritage site and home to thousands of pigeons. The audience was joined by the film's star 'voice-over talent' including Will Smith, Robert de Niro and Angelina Jolie, along with the film's producers and directors. In addition to the 500 VIPs, approximately 5,500 local guests also enjoyed the evening - free -

France - Loud Technologies Inc. announced the appointment of Impact Evénement as the new distributors of the EAW and EAW Commercial brands in France with immediate effect.

According to EAW's European sales manager, Sean Martin, Impact is ideally placed to represent the EAW brand in France. "We are all very eager to start doing business," confirmed Martin. "From our perspective, Impact's set-up and structure is superb with imposing premises on the outskirts of Paris. Their distribution expertise is already second to none, and their audio expertise is guaranteed with the appointment of ex-EAW representative Bruno Ghidionesco to the Impact team. As distributors of high-end lighting equipment, Impact already has strong relationships with many of EAW's key customers in France, and of course, as EAW is the only audio line they represent, we can be sure that there are n

UK/Ireland - Acclaimed sound engineer Moray McMillin has been appointed pro audio sales manager South/National Concert Sound Specialist for John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd - the exclusive UK and Eire distributor for HK Audio. From Nov 1st, a, dealing with the continuing acceleration of interest in HK Audio pro audio systems, concentrating on the mainly southern section of the UK.

McMillin is a hugely experienced sound engineer with over 30 years of top flight experience under his belt. He has toured the world many times over with major rock acts such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, Souxsie and The Banshees and Suzanne Vega. "The last nine years have been spent touring worldwide with Deep Purple," explains Moray. "That was a wonderful experience as innovation and quality of sound is very important to the band. Consequently, I was given the opportunity

Norway - The term 'multi-talented' takes on a new dimension in the case of Jo Nesbø, a remarkable Norwegian artist whose career moves to date include stockbroker, professional footballer, novelist, pop artist and - most recently - writer and composer of a musical.

Born in 1960, Jo Nesbø's latest work, 90-Meters Bakken, an allegorical piece about the tribulations of moving to and growing up in the small town of Molde, Norway, has sold out in its initial theatre run, and is about to tour the country with a substantial live sound and lighting production.

Norway enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living - and consequently one of the world's highest concentrations of professional entertainment technology. This has helped provide Nesbø with an enviable touring production for his new work, with a Renkus-Heinz PN102LA self-powered line array PA, Martin Audio monitors, TC Elect

UK - London's Brixton Academy was the location for Canegreen's recent free training day. As a leading supplier of professional sound reinforcement in the UK, Canegreen said they realized the value of investing in a training day set to equip freelancers with the necessary skills required to match the company's demands.

Richard Martin and Pete Hughes with MD Yan Stile developed the idea. Experienced members of Canegreen's staff taught the next generation of staff and freelancers the skills required to work safely and efficiently at events. Focusing on line-array rigging, attendees gained an understanding of the processes involved in setting up events, from opening the back of the lorry and loading in, to rigging line-array speaker systems, de-rigging and loading out. Some attendees used the day as a refresher course, whilst others used it to advance their basic skills. The day allowed pe

USA - To coincide with the US launch of its new digital mixing console, the D1, DiGiCo will be giving away two DiGiCo D1 USB MP3 watches in a free prize draw at LDI. The draw will take place half an hour before close of show on Friday and Saturday on DiGiCo Booth #2728 and all entrants must have taken a demonstration of the new D1 console during the show.

"We're very excited about both the launch of the D1," says DiGiCo marketing director, David Webster. "And we're celebrating this with a prize that fits the occasion. Our original USB watches have proved to be incredibly popular, having all the convenience of DiGiCo's D5 pocket sized USB key, which can store all the desk settings for an entire show, with the added convenience of a watch. Now we're giving away all that plus an integral MP3 player. It doesn't get much better!"

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

UK - Kramer Electronics has announced that the new VP-1608 RGBHV and balanced stereo audio matrix switcher is in stock and ready for delivery. The VP-1608 is a 16-input, 8-output matrix switcher with audio gain control on each input and output. Its features make it an ideal choice for the routing of RGBHV and balanced stereo audio signals, say Kramer. A high bandwidth switcher with 400MHz of bandwidth, it can also be used to switch other signal formats, such as YUV, s-Video and composite video signals, say Kramer.

The VP-1608 includes audio-breakaway switching, so that audio can be switched independently from video. It has15 preset memory locations for quick access to common configurations, and also has a 'Take' button, which allows the user to place multiple switching operations in a queue, and then trigger them from one button. It also has a "delayed switching" mode

UK - The London School of Economics, one of the hotbeds of student radicalism in the 1960's, has recently revamped its three student entertainment spaces and QSC's AcousticDesign sound systems are prominently featured throughout the new venues.

Following a similar project at nearby Kings College, London's Clarity in Sound, Light and Vision has performed a major redesign on two of the three spaces: The Three Tuns, a 400-capacity traditional bar, and the 300-capacity Underground live music venue. Combined with a third venue, the Quad, the LSE can now provide entertainment for up to 1300 and route the signals from the live venues to patrons at the bar.

Clarity director Stuart Graham opted for a complete QSC-based system to meet the multi-purpose live and background music needs of the Three Tuns. Featuring a pair of AcousticDesign AD-S82 full-range enclosures, augmented by six AD-

UK - The Marquee Club is back up and running this autumn in a new venue, with Aztec, Audient's flagship live desk forming part of the new PA system, hand-picked and installed by Terminal Studios. Back again in its spiritual home in Soho, the Marquee Club is only a short walk from its famous Wardour Street location. With a capacity of 1000, the new venue at Number 1 Leicester Square needed professional help with the sound system.

Terminal Studios were chosen due to their wide experience of installing PA systems. Terminal's managing director Charlie Barrett says: "We knew that the sound system would be crucial to the success of the club. We wanted tried and tested equipment that engineers and bands would be familiar with. Turbosound Floodlight was the obvious choice of speaker as Terminal already had large stocks available. The Audient Aztec, however, was not originally on t

Norway - The Christian Church congregation of Norway recently held the grand opening of their new 7,500-seat Brunstad Conference Center main hall and facilities. The new PA installation is the largest installed sound system in Norway and Europe's largest house of worship installation. The system featured the largest number of Crown I-Tech Series amplifiers in a European installation to date, with 100,000 watts of total amplifier power.

LydRommet AS, Harman Pro distributor for Norway, was responsible for system design, installation, trimming and quality control. The congregation's technical department handled all cabling and termination themselves.

Twelve I-T4000s and ten I-T6000s were used, in addition to one CTs 1200 for front fill, one CTs 2000 for stage fill, and four CTs 2000 for monitors. All loudspeaker control including crossover, equalization, delay and limiting is han

UK - The Music Industries Association's (MIA) annual Awards Dinner, held on 6th October at Sound in Leicester Square, brought together over 280 guests from across the music industry to recognise the winners of the MIA Awards.

Sponsored by Classic fm, Future Publishing, Sound on Sound Magazine and MB Media, the event covered all areas of the industry with awards for classical, contemporary and high tech instruments, and music publishing. There were also awards for outstanding retailers and suppliers and special awards for Stephen Richards (for Outstanding Contribution to Trade Associations) and Michael Doughty (for Lifetime Achievement).

Among the highlights was a speech by Feargal Sharkey (Chair - Live Music Forum), during which he continued the theme of his speech at the PLASA Awards in celebrating the vibrancy of the British music scene. Reminding guests of the issues thre

USA - For the fifth election cycle in a row, Audio-Technica was the premier mic supplier for the USA's presidential debates. Audio-Technica provided wired and wireless microphone solutions for the presidential debates in Coral Gables, Florida on 30 September, St. Louis Missouri on 8 October and Tempe, Arizona on 13 October. A-T also provided onsite technical expertise at the first two debates of the series and had a strong presence, including onsite technical expertise, at the vice presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, near A-T's Stow corporate headquarters.

A leading audio resource for high-profile broadcast events, A-T has been outfitting the debates since 1988, when the Commission on Presidential Debates assumed sponsorship and production responsibilities. With the company again acting as the premier mic supplier for all four debates this

UK - Allen & Heath has recently appointed three new distributors to its worldwide network of resellers. In Romania, Senia Company 999 Ltd. will now exclusively manage sales of the manufacturer's portfolio of professional audio mixers, while Lexon S.A. and Tech Top Ltd. have taken over responsibility for the brand in Spain and Israel, respectively.

Allen & Heath's sales director, Bob Goleniowski, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome these new distributors to the Allen & Heath network and feel that their in-depth knowledge of the pro audio market, as well as the installers, rental companies, contractors and consultants in their territories, can only strengthen the position of the Allen & Heath brand now and through our continuing expansion."

(Mike Lethby)

UK - Yamaha Commercial Audio Dealer Orbital has announced two UK sales of Yamaha's award-winning PM5D digital FOH console.

Bill Kenwright Productions has acquired the console to operate at the FOH position of their legendary musical 'Blood Brothers' at The Phoenix theatre in London's West End, whilst Sussex-based sound rental company KAVE Theatre Services has augmented the potential of its hire fleet with the addition of the PM5D.

Combining the features of Yamaha's DM2000 and the ground-breaking PM1D in a mid-priced digital console, complete with a third generation operating system, it is designed as a robust workhorse for all but the largest sound reinforcement projects.

Bill Kenwright's Production Manager, David Stothard, commented: "We have a long-running relationship with Orbital - their support and equipment demonstrations enabled us to make an informed decision

Sweden - Solid State Logic has announced the sale of a C100 digital production console to the Malmo Opera and Music Theatre, the first time the desk has been used in a theatre application.

Situated in the centre of Sweden's Öresund region, the Malmo Opera and Music Theatre was originally opened in the 1940s with the aim of giving contemporary musical drama an opportunity to grow. The theatre has one of the largest stages in Europe and can seat up to 1,500 people.

Over recent months the management of the Malmo Opera and Music Theatre have been upgrading the sound system and FOH facilities to incorporate digital live sound. As part of this refurbishment, the Theatre decided to replace its 10-year-old analogue console with an SSL C100 digital production console because it needed a desk with more inputs and instant recall and reset capabilities.

Bengt Frienholt, technical man

France - Trantec has collaborated with its French distributor, Best Audio, to design and supply one of the largest S6000 wireless radio microphone systems deployed to date for the new musical production 'On Acheve Bien Les Chevaux', which opens at the Palais de Congrés later this month.

Adapted from Horace McCoy's legendary novel 'They Shoot Horses Don't They', the show is directed and produced by Robert Hossein and has attracted rave reviews as the first stage adaptation of this ground-breaking novel.

Trantec's Head of R&D, Richard Ganley, collaborated with leading French rental company Dispatch from the outset to ensure that the system integrated seamlessly with sound designer Julius Tessarech's sophisticated design and met his specifications.

The 40-channel S6000 system was specified because of its wide band frequency agility. Trantec supplied a system operating between

Finland - Active monitoring specialist Genelec has extended its range of colours for the launch of its new pro-audio system, the 8000 series.

The three near-field two-way 8000 Series products are the 8030A, 8040A, and 8050A. The 'baby' 8030A now comes in silver, as well as the launch colour black, while the 8040A and 8050A will be now be available in white as well as black.

Following in the footsteps of the 7000 series of LSE subwoofers, the 8000 series, says the company, takes a new approach to enclosure design, driver technology and active electronics. All three models utilise an all-aluminium, minimum diffraction enclosure (MDE) design, with large internal volumes, softly curved edges, and high mechanical strength.

(Mike Lethby)

USA - TransAudio Group will showcase its complete line of Mercury Recording products at the AES Convention in San Francisco on Booth #602 this week. Unlike previous years, in which the distributor's products were each individually showcased under the Audio Underground banner, TransAudio Group and president Brad Lunde will feature the full line of brands in a single large booth featuring manufacturing company representatives and guest audio engineers.

Mercury Recording is dedicated to bringing the sonic and aesthetic character of classic audio processors such as those originally made by Fairchild, Pultec and Telefunken to new generations through a line of hand-crafted classic recreations.

The first units introduced by Mercury Recording include the Mercury 66, a variable bias-style all-tube, all-transformer compressor similar to the Fairchild 660, and the Mercury EQ-H and EQ-P

USA - Community Professional Loudspeakers has announced the launch of its IO-5 and IO-8 low impedance Indoor/Outdoor loudspeakers systems, together with IO-5T and IO-8T 70/100V versions with built-in transformers.

The IO-5 is a 2-way compact system, ideal for installations where space is at a premium, and features a 5" polypropylene long-excursion mid/bass driver with a Mylar diaphragm horn HF unit in a trapezoidal, high impact, moulded enclosure. Power handling is 60W programme and dispersion is 90 degrees horizontal by 50 degrees vertical. The IO-5T version has a built-in 20W low-loss transformer, designed for high quality audio performance and with installer adjustable tappings on the base of the enclosure. All 'T' versions also have an 8O position in addition to the 70/100V settings.

For installations with more space the IO-8 provides higher sound pressure levels and

UK - Bosch Security Systems has unveiled its new Plena feedback suppressor amplifier for public address systems. The amplifier boosts sound levels without introducing annoying feedback and is, says Bosch, ideal for PA systems in auditoriums, conference halls, churches and other places of worship, congress venues and so on - especially where the loudspeaker and microphone(s) are located in the same room resulting in unwanted feedback and howling. The amplifier provides up to 12 dB of additional audio gain without introducing feedback.

Plena uses powerful floating-point DSP, together with a patented echo cancellation and de-reverberation algorithm, to actively filter out feedback from system loudspeakers to the microphone, while allowing the original signal to pass through. The process is continuous and automatic, with the filter constantly adapting to detect and remove the reverb

UK - The People's Web, a revolutionary new low-cost service enabling UK companies and individuals to buy and sell products and services through personalized internet accounts, has been launched today to the music sector.

People's Web Accounts are, says The People's Web, "the first significant internet invention since the dotcom boom and allow companies of all sizes to post details of their goods or services and upload their entire inventory to the site". Both small and large companies can also drive traffic to their own websites, call centres, or bricks and mortar locations, from £25 a year. It claims The People's Web is now the music sector's lowest-cost distribution channel.

In the run up to the launch, The People's Web enjoyed a successful trial period, with retailers such as Volkswagen and Crabtree & Evelyn becoming members and selling their inventory.

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