Sound

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UK - London-based rental company FX Music has remained at the forefront of public address technology since brothers Dave and Alan Beck set up the business 20 years ago. Back then, they adopted the legendary Dave Martin-designed Philishaves - and have continued to run the classic Martin Audio LE series floor monitors throughout the two decades.

Three years ago the company returned to Martin Audio as its preferred FOH speaker, buying 20 of the Wavefront 8 Compacts and 24 WSX subs. And delighted with the signature sound of the Wavefront, has now celebrated its 20th year by making a substantial investment in Martin Audio's Line Array technology, with 18 x W8LC Compacts and 12 x W8LM Minis.

Much of this new inventory was immediately pressed into service for David Brown's DB Audio, at a major corporate team-building event at Telford International Centre this month. Discretely trimme

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USA - Electrosonic and Scharff Weisberg Systems Integration Inc have signed a joint venture agreement creating Electrosonic New York, an audio video systems integration organization that will operate out of Long Island City. By combining Scharff Weisberg's existing systems installation business with the Northeast division of Electrosonic, the new company will be able to provide New York-area architects, designers, consultants and builders with unsurpassed AV design and installation support from a local source, say the company.

Scharff Weisberg president Josh Weisberg described the collaboration: "We've been friendly competitors for years and have occasionally worked together on projects. So, when Electrosonic decided they would benefit from a higher profile in the New York area, we realized that our clients could benefit as well from Electrosonic's global reach and well-de

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USA - Autograph A2D, the US distributor of the D5T, the theatre version of DiGiCo's D5, has supplied further consoles to this market. Two systems have now been delivered for Broadway's latest premieres, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Spamalot, both designed by Acme Sound Partners and both opening in March.

The D5T consoles have been purchased by separate New York-based rental companies, who are also supplying full sound and communication systems to the individual shows. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is being supplied by Sound Associates, while Spamalot has chosen ProMix as the rental provider. Each of these systems includes a D5T together with D5TC operator's console and a D5T-RE redundant engine, giving fully switchable backup should the need arise.

Nevin Steinberg explains how Acme Sound Partners came to specify the DiGiCo D5T's for both these shows: &qu

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UK - New Helix Board's from Phonic boast digital connectivity with USB-enabled mixers. Users can stream digital 16-bit/44.1 kHz live stereo audio from the mixer directly into a USB-enabled Mac or PC for plug-and-play recording and editing and simultaneously bring a stereo mix back from the computer to the mixer for monitoring.

The Helix Board series currently consists of two models; the Helix Board 12 is a 12 input compact mixer with four mic/line input channels, two paired stereo input channels and two stereo AUX returns. While the Helix Board 17 is a 17 input compact mixer with five mic/line input channels, three paired stereo input channels and three stereo AUX returns. A S/PDIF output is incorporated into the mixer for connection to a variety of digital audio devices.

Phonic USB-enabled mixers give users all the functionality of a dedicated Audio/Digital converter for a fr

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UK - On 3 February 2005 Nelson Mandela spoke to a mass rally of an estimated 20,000 people in London's Trafalgar Square. The primary aim of the Make Poverty History Campaign is to get the debts of developing countries cancelled. Also featuring at the event was Sir Bob Geldof and Channel 4 presenter June Sarpong while Jamelia provided entertainment with a live set.

Stage Electrics supplied staging for the rally including a custom-designed platform to fit on the square's main staircase and two dedicated press platforms to support a press presence of 350. PA equipment was also supplied by Stage Electrics, taking advantage of EAW's KF730 and SB730 wide angle dispersion to provide wide coverage throughout the square combined with a JF260 acting as centre fill for the press pit at the front of the stage.

Sound was operated by Chris Coxhead from a Soundcraft Series Five console with

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UK - The legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool's Mathew Street has purchased two Soundcraft mixing consoles as part of a major equipment upgrade. When Cavern directors Bill Heckle and Dave Jones realized it was time to retire the venue's old FOH mixer they initially harboured ideas of deploying a large-frame 48-channel MH3 to mix monitors from the FOH position.

Heckle explained: "With the improvement of the club's infrastructure we needed to give the place a boost with the standard of equipment we could offer visiting production crews and our own LIPA engineers. We initially spoke to two companies but were more comfortable with Soundcraft as its desks convert theory into practice and I know I will get the after-sales service."

But with limited available space, he was advised by Soundcraft's live sound sales manager, James Baker and Adlib Audio's Andy Dockerty - who has

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USA - At the NAMM exhibition in Anaheim, California, the Harman Pro Group has unveiled HiQnet, which it describes as "the most significant new technology introduction in its history". This, say the company, is the world's first connectivity and control protocol to integrate all product categories in the signal chain for professional sound systems of all types, sizes and applications. According to Mark Terry, president of the Harman Pro Group, HiQnet represents the culmination of years of strategic acquisitions, management and product organization, and joint technology development efforts involving all nine Harman Pro Group companies.

"The advanced performance, connectivity and control that is enabled by the HiQnet protocol has been a goal of this organization since I first set the agenda for the group in 2000," Terry said today. "Every acquisition has b

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UK - CGA Integration Ltd has upgraded the facilities of the Intashape Fitness & Weight Loss Centre in Swansea, with the installation of additional audiovisual equipment. Following an online enquiry, CGA met with Catherine Hughes, owner of Intashape Swansea. She was looking to upgrade the existing system and was searching for a reliable company to install and support some additional equipment to her venue.

She explains: "I have previously had sound and video equipment installed and not been happy with the level of support of the quality of the end product. CGA came to site and showed me their portfolio, listened to me and then explained the systems to me." She adds: "I have received a very personal service from CGA, with the same point of contact from initial contact to completion of works - I would recommend them to other gym owners."

CGA installed a full

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USA - Tulsa's First United Methodist Church is a beautiful example of Tudor Gothic style architecture. The cross-shaped building features impressive 75ft vaulted ceilings with massive oak trusses, solid stone walls, and stained glass windows all around. But it was these very elements that were responsible for some serious sound reinforcement challenges that, until recently, had plagued the church since its dedication in 1928.

With all the hard surfaces and the cavernous ceilings, sound ricocheted all over the building, garbling speech throughout the 1,100-seat space. Over the years, church leaders consulted many audio engineers, but most dismissed these challenges as impossible to solve without acoustical treatments - which would have negatively impacted the church's aesthetics.

But in early 2004, church leaders heard a more optimistic answer from consultant David Rauch of B

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UK - Hisapano-Brit rockers, and newly signed Audio-Technica endorsees, Breed 77, are touring across two continents, with a complete inventory of Audio-Technica microphones. The five piece, which hails originally from Gibraltar, attract comparisons with the likes of Alice In Chains and early Metallica. They are currently in the throes of a short burst of UK gigs and support slots, prior to heading out on an extensive Australian tour throughout the rest of February; not such an unusual career move, given that they have a five album recording deal with the UK arm of Albert Productions, worldwide publisher of AC/DC.

The band has been on the road consistently over the last three years, across Europe and in the UK promoting two album releases, and supporting the likes of Il Nino, Raging Speedhorn and Prong.

The switch to A-T microphones was a collaborative decision between the band

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UK - Now available from Shure Distribution is the XP5000 stereo power amplifier, the latest addition to the series offering 5000W of power in a rack space of 3'U'. Eight models cover a range of power points with three versions offering separate sub woofer outputs selectable for 60, 90 or 120 Hz. Variable speed fans with rear to front air flow ensures cool running at all times and rigorous usage night after night without breaking down.

In addition Phonic's new Powerpod 885 Plus is now shipping in the UK and is also available from, Shure Distribution UK. The new Powerpod 885 Plus plastic moulded, powered mixer incorporates eight mic and 10 line inputs, with each channel featuring three-band EQ (two-channels with sweepable mids), as well as monitor and effect sends. This ergonomically lightweight designed moulded cabinet can be used as a desktop or rack-mounted (optional rack mount

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Romania - For years, the Club Kristal in Bucharest, which can accommodate up to 1,500 guests, has been rated the best disco in Romania. Indeed many say that the 1,000sqm entertainment centre, with its seventeen giant video screens, laser system and multifarious mist machines, is quite simply the best club in Eastern Europe. There's no doubt it attracts top talent. The cream of the world's DJs, including Sasha, Deep Dish and Paul Van Dyk, are regularly to be seen behind the club's turntables.

To ensure that the Club Kristal retains its place at the top table amongst the world's finest discotheques, at the beginning of December 2004, the owners invested in a Dynacord Alpha Concept system capable of pumping out a shuddering 10,000W comprising: six Alpha xi-90 tops, eight B3 bass enclosures, 16 Dynacord amps (L2400, L1600 and L1000).

One of the reasons why the Alpha Concept is one

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China - HK Audio's Chinese distributor, Melody Development Company, has supplied a speaker system to the Born In 70s bar in Nanjing. Located in the city's 1912 Leisure Street, the exterior of the bar, with its red brick, white walls and black-tiled roof, is just like the other 40-odd bars and night clubs along the street, and competition is fierce as each one strives to establish its own style. Born In 70s has chosen a gentle, mellow atmosphere in which to present live performances of classic songs. Melody Development's Nanjing office was happy to supply an HK Audio system and help to establish the unique musical experience the bar was looking for.

"We are not a noisy disco pub which just needs high volume and lots of booming sound," says bar owner Lu Dong. " HK Audio loudspeakers, with its clean and dynamic response, truly fulfill our requirements. We made the de

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UK - Autograph Sales, has continued to introduce new customers to Meyer Sound, specifically to its celebrated Ultra Series range. Among the new customers is Stage Sound Services, based in Cardiff, which has become the first rental company in Wales to invest in Meyer Sound. The four UPJ-1Ps and two UMS-1P subs will immediately be put to work on the UK theatre tour of Dracula. The production will run for twenty weeks with Christopher Cazenove staring as Van Helsing. Dracula's sound designer Fergus O'Hare specified the Meyer Sound cabinets.

Phil Hurley, Stage Sound Services' MD, is an existing Autograph Sales customer and is thrilled to join the Meyer Sound fold; "I feel this is just the beginning of our commitment to the product range," he says, "enhancing the choice of products available to our growing client base."

Westminster Sonus, a leading conferencin

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USA - Manhattan-based television and film composer Daniel Antonio Srebnick adopted Metric Halo's mobile I/O 2882+DSP production interface 18 months ago. Now no longer tethered to the recording studio, Srebnick is enjoying a newfound creative freedom resulting from his transition from a full-blown DAW system.

His contributions to the soundtrack of The Squid and the Whale, a new independent film by writer-director Noah Baumbach, which stars Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, and was co-produced by Wes Anderson and Peter Newman, will debut at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. "I used all Metric Halo's products for that project," notes Srebnick.

Although having invested very heavily in an industry standard DAW, Srebnick, an avid Mac user, realized that the power of the new G5 would allow him to run Logic - which he uses for scoring, audio a

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China - China's largest on-site museum, the Emperor Qin's Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, marked its 25th anniversary with the opening of a new 530-seat auditorium. The museum is located in the Shaanxi provincial city of Xi'an, one of the six ancient capitals of China, and is home to one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.

It is also home to one of the country's most modern audio installations, featuring a fully digital networked system based around QSC's Rave/CM16a audio transport and monitoring components. The Rave system and QSControl.net system were chosen for their simple setup and expandability.

Comprising of a RAVE 188s-24 unit in the auditorium's control room routed to a second 188s-24 unit in the equipment room via a single Ethernet CAT-5 cable, two of QSC's CM16a Amplifier Network Monitors control 15 two-channel QSC CX-series

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UK - A customized Martin Audio stadium system has been installed at Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park facility by locally-based contractors, Romers. Six enclosures - based on the Blackline H3 system - have been fitted under the roof of the 8,158-capacity Blackburn End stand, which is populated by the home supporters.

Specialists in stadia fit-outs, Romers wanted to create maximum vertical coverage - via a 40° x 70° horn pattern (rather than the customary 70° x 40°); thus a bespoke solution was favoured, with the loudspeakers mounted on their sides.

Martin Audio's Peter Child said: "We based the customization of the H3's on our AM3 Stadium enclosure and were able to offer the solution they required. The enclosures were sprayed with a high density polyurethane plastic coating both internally and externally, while the drivers were weather-proofed behind a heavy galvanized and

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Ireland - Healey Music Warehousing, who manage Outline Ireland (sales and rental), supplied all the live stages at this year's opening celebrations for Cork City of Culture 2005, when over 80,000 people visited Ireland's second city to be entertained by a wide variety of performances. Tony Healy of Healey Music said: "We have had Outline for the last couple of years and in fact have just significantly increased our inventory, which enabled us to supply all the main performance areas around Patrick St."

The Doppia from Outline is an ultra compact high/mid loudspeaker which stands only 19" high and 14" wide, yet boasts 2 x 12", 1 x10" and a compression driver with 3" diaphragm. Doppia's were utilized with Outlin's Victor Live sub basses which astonishingly perform down to 28Hz. All systems were powered by Outline's TP range of digital amplifiers

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UK - Audio system design and installation specialist Blue Box has completed a compact and versatile audio system for the newly-opened Broadway Theatre in Barking, East London. The theatre, designed by Tim Foster Architects, occupies a former municipal assembly hall, completely redesigned and rebuilt to provide high quality performing arts facilities to the community and accommodation to Barking College School of Performing Arts. Its core is the Dudley Moore Auditorium - a new performance space with galleries and seating for 341. With the retractable stalls bleacher seating removed, there's space for 650 standing.

The venue is designed for a mixed programme encompassing music, theatre, concerts, family friendly performances, contemporary dance and live arts installations. New facilities include an expanded backstage, scenery production storage and rehearsal rooms and technical s

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UK - Hawthorn Theatrical hosted their 18th birthday in style when they transformed their Leicester premises into a party venue. Around 300 invited clients and Hawthorn's staff moved between the main bar (complete with table football and giant Jenga), a nightclub with live band stage, karaoke room, second live band room, and a chill-out room as they partied the night away to the early hours.

After 18 years providing technical and creative solutions for events of all shapes and sizes, Hawthorne's general manager Simon Wood, working with MD Martin Hawthorne, applied their experience to produce a stunning party. This included supplying everything from their own décor, lighting, screens, sound and power, having considered all of the health and safety issues.

Martin Hawthorn, founder commented: "It seemed an ideal opportunity to thank our customers and 60 full-time staff for

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UK - Business analyst Plimsoll Publishing has claimed that acquisition activity is likely to increase in the UK's sound equipment industry in 2005. A new study highlights 54 cash rich companies that are ideally placed to enhance their earnings by acquiring a competitor: 51 companies have been identified as their acquisition prospects. Ranging from some of the smallest to some of the largest in the industry, each is displaying symptoms of financial stress, with low pre-tax margins and high levels of debt. The average level of debt for these companies is 11% of turnover. However, the analysis also demonstrates that each of these businesses could be turned around in a short period of time.

David Pattison, Senior Analyst at Plimsoll, says: "These under pressure companies are running out of options. As the average industry profit margin is only 1.4%, and over half of companies

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Germany - Organized by KTV, the Asian equivalent of MTV, the Daechon Lux Festa 2004, which ran from the 17 July to the 21 August, introduced Asia to a new dimension in musical entertainment, uniting almost the entire galaxy of Asia's top stars and including a fringe programme packed with highlights. Several million viewers followed the event on TV and hundreds of thousands travelled from all over Asia to the Korean city of Daechon to sample the atmosphere first hand.

Sound equipment obviously has a key role to play. To eliminate unnecessary risks and problems of incompatibility, the organizers of the Daechon Lux Festa 2004 opted for a complete solution composed of systems from EVI Audio. The central element in the entire sound reinforcement strategy was a Dynacord Cobra system (including 16 Cobra-4 PWHs, 24 Cobra TOPs and 21 Cobra-2 SUBs). A further 56 enclosures from the Dynaco

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Italy - Sony recording artist Gianni Morandi is a pop phenomenon in Italy: from his days as a gangly 1960s teenager through to the present, he has drawn packed crowds throughout the country. His popularity was confirmed recently when a show to celebrate his 60th birthday, produced in collaboration with Ballandi Entertainment, was staged in Rimini's new indoor sports arena, 105 Stadium.

Although Morandi's best-known songs are his older ones, there's nothing dated about his concerts from a technical point of view. 'Stasera Gianni Morandi' had a huge cutting edge audio and lighting rig supplied by contractor Agorà of L'Aquila, as well as an eye-catching multiple LED screen set-up by Eurovideo.

Sound designer Daniele Tramontani is rightly proud of having set a trend followed by other artists when he designed Morandi's first (1996) concert-style rig in a TV studio in Rome, after t

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UK - Green-I used all the attributes of the new Soundweb London DSP matrix device to fulfil a unique request at the recent Schroders London Boat Show at the ExCeL in Docklands.

ExCeL-based Fox Bars and Restaurants, who use Green-I as its preferred systems integrator, decided (as one of the Show's major sponsors) to create its own bar - Fox@Waterside - down on the exhibition floor. While Green-I's sister company Canegreen Commercial was invited to provide a conventional PA system for the feature, Fox had something more creative in mind when a pub quiz was scheduled midway through the show.

"We were asked to design Quiz Buzzers for each of the six tables," reports Green-I's Ian Woodall. "Although pressing a button is straightforward they wanted a scenario whereby the first finger on the buzzer disabled everything else."

By using a BSS Soundweb London

  1. The Sage Gateshead
  2. Miss Saigon touring again
  3. Lectrosonics DAP now shipping
  4. Nexo GEO at La Fenice
  5. Jeremy Ellis joins Orbital
  6. Carlsbro announces senior appointment
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