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Funktion One reported a number of recent club installations of its loudspeaker systems around the world. These include, in the US: 'Masque' in Dayton, Ohio; 'Nocturnal' in Miami, Florida, and both 'Passion' and 'Pangea Griffin' at the new Hardrock Casino in Hollywood, Florida (installed by Dan Agne at Sound Investment, Chicago). In France, 'Churascaia', near Montpelier (installed by Clockhouse Concepts) and 'B Box', in Clemont Ferrand (installed by Colour Sonic). In the Netherlands, recent club projects include 'Club Revolution', Rotterdam and 'Opium' in Hilversum (both installed by P & B Audio). Other club installs have also been completed in Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Russia and Japan.

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DiGiCo's D-TuBe is a natural addition to the DiGiCo digital desk range. An eight channel stand-alone valve type mic pre-amp, the D-TuBe slots straight into the the DigiRack (occupying two slots) and gives all the perceived benefits of this type of technology directly at the stage end input. Developed in collaboration with leading valve pre-amp manufacturer, TLA, the D-TuBe uses the classic 12AX7 valve. The pre-amps are presently out on tour with Kylie, Destiny's Child and Mark Knopfler - to great acclaim so far.

Also on show, the DS00 expander console for the DiGiCo range, with full dynamic automation and a control surface that can be fired remotely from the D5: ideal for theatre shows where out front space is at a premium, but separate accessible monitor control is required on stage.

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KV2 Audio introduced its new VHD large-format active speaker system. Standing for 'Very High Definition', the VHD system consists of the VHD 2.0 mid/high enclosure, the VHD 4.18 (quad 18") subwoofer system, and the VHD 2.15 (double 15") subwoofer system. Its dedicated rack-mounted amplification and control units are the VHD 2000, which powers and controls the VHD 2.0 as well as providing two separate signal control paths for subwoofer systems, and the VHD 3200 - a 3.2kW two-channel subwoofer amplifier with two separate amplifier channels including power supplies. Also on show from KV2 was its new KX Series of active subwoofers.

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USA - Symetrix recently announced the appointment of M-PRO BeNeLux as exclusive distributor of Symetrix and SymNet products in Belgium and Luxembourg. Founded in August 2004 by Mario Clabots, M-PRO was set up to focus on the distribution of products for the fixed installation market, AV installations and pro audio applications.

Noted Jim Latimer, director of sales: "Symetrix is pleased to bring M-PRO on board. Mario Clabots brings a wealth of experience garnered while working with major AV distribution companies. His hands-on experience and knowledge of both the digital and analog world makes M-PRO a perfect match for us."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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Camco has also added EtherSound connectivity to its entire product range, again in close collaboration with Auvitran, which is providing hardware modules and development services to the company. Reiner Sassmann, Camco MD, said: "EtherSound technologically is the leading standard for audio over Ethernet in the pro audio industry. It's the only technology on the market to offer a network latency low enough for live sound, that is also stable, and deterministic . . . It is very important to us that EtherSound is not a proprietary technology and that our products will be able to work with many exciting products from other industry leading manufacturers. Our close partner Nexo is just one such manufacturer."

It's now possible to upgrade existing amplifiers of the Vortex and Tecton series with the modules and thereby add EtherSound functionalities to a large part of Camco's install

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Martin Audio launched two new Line Array products. The new W8LD Downfill presently making its world debut with Capital Sound on Kylie Minogue's Show Girls Tour in a specially modified form, (L&SI will cover the tour in next month's magazine). Complementing the now hugely successful W8L, this 120°H x 20°V 'downfill' cabinet connects directly to the bottom of a W8L array. With a similar all-horn-loaded format to the W8L, the W8LD integrates with the output from the W8Ls above and continues the extension of the line array at low, mid and high frequencies.

In response to the demand from the install market Martin Audio recognized that the rigging hardware required for fixed installation could be considerably simplified. The W8LCI and W8LMI feature the same acoustic components and construction as the touring versions but with an integrated flying system, which allows up to 12 cabinets to b

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Kudo, the unusual new PA system from L-Acoustics is now well known, but continues to turn heads (and presumably ears). The hybrid point source/line array with its 'Adaptive Directivity' is gaining fans everywhere, not least its native Paris where a Kudos system has just been installed at the Docks Pullman, a club venue with a particularly difficult long narrow main room.

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Digigram announced its three multi-channel sound cards in the VX range are now available: the VX882HR (8/8 I/Os, analogue and digital), its sister model VX881HR (digital I/Os only), and the VX822v2 (2/8 I/Os, analogue and digital). Low-latency WDM DirectSound, Wave, and ASIO drivers make the trio compatible with a wide range of pro audio software. The VX882HR with four balanced analogue and AES/EBU stereo I/Os and the digital-only VX881HR are the first VX sound cards to benefit from the characteristics of Digigram's High Resolution series.

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Soundcraft's Urei range of DJ mixers (a badge bought by Soundcraft) attracted much attention. Launched at NAMM earlier this year, the 1620 is a faithful replica of the original and widely loved Urei mixer, while the 1601 and 1601S are new derivatives. The 'S' model contains an on-board sampler enabling sampling on the fly; both models are intended for pro use and feature component degradation software that automatically compensates for wear and tear on the physical controls (pots and faders). Another attractive facet of the Urei range is that 90% of the control surface is user replaceable. Expect additions to this range.

At a more conventional level, Soundcraft was promoting the GB4 (launched at PLASA last year) and it's new big brother the GB8 professional live mixing consoles. These are feature packed 'value' mixers, in the words of their spokesman, intended for use on small touring

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Nexo was also at great pains to promote EtherSound Networks, which are being fully implemented in its digitally controlled PA systems. "The great thing about this system is it's fast enough to be used in the live environment," said an enthusiastic spokesman. "Latency is very low, it's much faster than other existing comparable network systems. Currently, ours is the only system that can work under EtherSound, though we fully expect others to follow suit over the next year or two."

The big advantage here is eliminating as much analogue traffic in a system as possible. The Nexo/EtherSound system effectively restricts analogue to the length of wire between microphone and stage box, where it's converted into digital - not to re-emerge again until the signal finally reaches the amplifier - plus of course remote access to, and full control of, all parts of the system ther

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The DCC column-style steerable line array from Renkus-Heinz bears a striking resemblance to a Duran Audio Intellivox product and for obvious reasons uses similar - but uniquely different - processing and delay techniques to provide beam shaping in order to create very high vocal intelligibility in reverberant public spaces. DCC16 and DCC8 models, just 7" wide and 5.25" deep (heights vary) both deliver highly controlled pattern at 500Hz and above over extremely long distances (typically 100m) making them highly attractive to PA installers working in large audio unfriendly environments such as railway and bus terminals. The DCC product ships with a Windows-based control programme that allows real-time graphical control over beam-shaping.

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Tannoy showed updated active versions of the V Series, a range of networkable high definition sound reinforcement loudspeakers incorporating DSP and Class D amplification. with network control and diagnostics. There are four speaker models, the VNET 12, 12HP, 15 and 300 and three subwoofer models the VNET 15BP, 15HL and 18DR. Systems are supplied with VNET software for on-site network commissioning, an intuitive Windows interface controls all the critical install functions and the package also provides the interface for the ongoing monitoring of critical system status and performance data, all in real time.

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UK - Starlight Design, recently turned to VDC for a range of custom panels and Van Damme Black Series multicore cables for its new Front of House sound system. "The panels and cables we have chosen are being used to connect our equipment racks to each other and to the Front of House console," says Starlight's Charlie Jamieson, who is responsible for the company's sound department. "We've had an account with VDC for years. They have the biggest range, the sales guys are friendly and they understand exactly what we're trying to achieve. To be perfectly honest, there's no-one else we'd use."

Established 23 years ago, Starlight Design has a prestigious client list that includes royalty, the aristocracy and international celebrities. Much of its work is venue specific and over the next few months alone it will be ensuring the success of spectacular private parties

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D.A.S. Audio has a new German office: a 100% subsidiary of the Spanish parent, D.A.S. Audio Deutschland GmbH will target the installation and pro touring markets. "We used to be more focussed on MI," said Lothar Weimann of the German office, "that market is now too competitive, particularly the Chinese influence, and we don't want to get into that struggle." As such the new Reference Series provides 10 speaker models for the installation market, "primarily these speakers are for schools, theatres and conference work."

D.A.S. also featured the Aero38 line array, a medium size PA full range three-way cabinet housing 2x12", 2x10" and 1x1.5", providing standard 90° dispersion. The Aero38 is aimed up to the 3,000-seat venue market, and is supported by single and double 18" sub-bass cabinets.

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EAW showed 12 new models in its popular MK Series of compact, two way fixed installation speakers. With a 3" voice coil compression driver mated to one of six different HF horns with patterns ranging from 60° x 45° to 120° x 60°. The horns are as large as the enclosure size allows, in order to maintain consistent directivity throughout the HF passband. In addition, the HF horns are user-rotatable. All MK Series models are carefully designed to sound similar, permitting diverse horn patterns to be mixed throughout an installation while maintaining the same sonic quality.

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Allen & Heath chose ProLight&Sound to debut its new live sound mixers. The Xone:3D - a DJ control concept allowing the user to manipulate and manage any source - such as MP3, CD, video and vinyl - from one central interface.

An amalgamation of a fully featured high performance DJ mixer, with multi-channel USB soundcard, a comprehensive control surface with MIDI and PC connectivity, 14 stereo inputs and 10 stereo outputs, it can simultaneously mix up to 11 stereo signals, say A&H.

The Xone VF-1 1U rack universal analogue stereo filter also made its Frankfurt debut. Intended for live and studio use, it can interface with any mixer to create and manipulate audio filtering. The unit's circuitry is an enhanced version of the filters built into the Xone mixers, and offers three basic types: High-pass, Band-Pass and Low-pass, which can be combined to create further filter types. It has MIDI

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USA - SurgeX has re-engineered its one-rack-space (1U) surge protectors and power conditioners to feature new Advanced Series Mode surge suppression and proprietary power-conditioning technologies such as Impedance TolerantEMI/RFI filtering, SurgeX ICE inrush current elimination, and COUVS catastrophic over/under-voltage shutdown.

Advanced Series Mode technology is the latest generation of SurgeX's proven Series Mode circuitry, which uses an inductor as the first and primary surge-suppression component to intercept and contain destructive surge energy. There has never been a failure of Series Mode protected equipment. Unlike other approaches, Advanced Series Mode technology does not rely on metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) as a sacrificial component. In addition, it creates no ground-wire contamination or common-mode surges and has zero let-through voltage.

SurgeX 1U products prov

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Italy - This year, an Outline Butterfly system was once again chosen as sound reinforcement for the 90,000sqm of Europe's largest square (Prato della Valle - Padua), for an annual event staged by radio/TV broadcaster Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana and Video Italia, one of the world's most widely distributed sat TV channels.

The event - now in its 6th year - is followed every year by an average of 120,000 people who pack the square. As well as catching the interest of Mediaset and RAI, the show was broadcast live on the terrestrial and sat frequencies of Radio Italia, Video Italia and Video Italia channel 712 (Sky), plus free sat channel 858.

The 2005 cast included Francesco Renga (winner of the 55th Sanremo Festival), Le Vibrazioni, Marco Masini, I Nomadi, Paola and Chiara, Ivana Spagna, Matia Bazar, Velvet, Paolo Meneguzzi, Toto Cutugno and Annalisa Minetti, Luca Dirisio,

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UK - Bar Local, recently opened in the heart of Fulham, is the second venue to be rolled out by entrepreneur Rob Stephenson. The first Bar Local opened in Clapham last year to great acclaim, and Stephenson is confident that the Fulham venue will enjoy similar success. While this area of south-west London is already home to several upmarket bars and restaurants, Bar Local offers something a little bit different, combining the class of a piano bar with the energy and ambience of an intimate club. Stephenson turned to audio visual specialists, Sound Division, to furnish a powerful yet discreet audio system including a DJ booth for his latest venture.

Sound Division's David Graham explained that the brief was to provide a high quality background and foreground audio system that would transition smoothly from the daytime background music CDs and early evening tinklings of the grand p

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UK - Turbosound, the British-based manufacturer of live performance and installed-sound loudspeakers, announces the launch of its GigMate modelling software, following the product's recent preview at Frankfurt Prolight+Sound 2005.

Turbosound's GigMate software has been developed in conjunction with Dr Ahnert of SDA (Sound Design Ahnert), the originators of the industry-standard EASE and EASE Focus electro-acoustic design and analysis packages. The software is designed to facilitate two-dimensional modelling of Turbosound's innovative Aspect concert touring system, within any performance space.

Turbosound's GigMate provides the user with an intuitive modelling tool. It enables quick and easy prediction of the behaviour of a loudspeaker array of any size, operating in any given venue, auditorium or performance space. The software's first release offers modelling in the vertical

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UK - Already being hailed as the musical event of the year if not the decade, Cream's four appearances at the Royal Albert Hall have been captured for posterity by Sanctuary Mobiles.

The historic event, which saw the original supergroup of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce reunite on stage for the first time in 36 years, was being filmed by Done and Dusted for future DVD release. Sanctuary has a long history of working with the production company on groundbreaking musical events, and once again was the first choice for providing the soundtrack to the proceedings.

Inside the Sanctuary Manor One truck, recording engineer Alan Douglas - Clapton's studio engineer - was at the helm of the 48-channel E Series SSL desk, recording all four concerts in their entirety to ensure plenty of options would be available in post production. Sanctuary technical manager Mike Silverston l

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UK - Autograph Sales has announced its first ever grand auction, to take place this month at the company's warehouse in North West London. The company says it will be selling a large selection of its old and new stock, as they prepare to move to nearby and extended premises later this year. The auction will take place at 1pm on Thursday 26 May 2005. Going under the hammer will be equipment from Meyer Sound, ATM, Clear-Com, BSS, Lab Gruppen, K&M, Countryman and EMO. Some items are brand new, others are from ex-demo and rental stocks, say the company.

Autograph Sales has chosen to donate a percentage of the proceeds to PSA's Welfare and Benevolent Fund. To download a catalogue and find out more about the auction, go to the Autograph Sales website, address below.

(Lee Baldock)

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Spain / UK - Vieta Pro, the Barcelona-based manufacturer of professional sound reinforcement products, is pleased to announce the appointment of an exclusive distributor in the UK. Francisco Márquez, the President of Vieta, and Nacho Alberdi, managing director of Vieta Pro, were at the ProLight+Sound expo in Frankfurt to confirm the new deal with Jonathan Reece-Farren and Andy Austin-Brown of KV2 Audio Europe Ltd.

Vieta is one of Spain's most established and well-respected audio equipment manufacturers, with a leading share in consumer audio, in-car audio and home electronics in its home market. In 2004, the company entered the pro-audio sector for the first time, with the launch of four fully developed and integrated Series of loudspeakers, ranging from ceiling speakers to 15" 2-way enclosures, plastic as well as plywood cabinets, a full selection of sub-bass units and Vi

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UK - Celebrating its 60th Anniversary, Sennheiser is exhibiting at the British Music Fair 2005 with the UK launch of what it calls "one of the hottest musician products of the year". World-leaders in microphone and radio technology, Sennheiser will be introducing its freePORT radio systems, offering "renowned Sennheiser quality and reliability but at very affordable prices". With long battery life and available in handheld, instrument and lapel formats, freePORT is a true diversity system with four switchable frequencies that can be operated simultaneously, ensuring high transmission reliability and flexibility.

As UK distributor, Sennheiser will also be showing the DS108A, DS112A and DS115A active loudspeaker systems from D.A.S., which combine superb on-stage audio performance with rugged reliability. See Sennheiser at BMF 2005 on Stand 146.

(Lee Baldock)

  1. Ofcom to examine PMSE's RF needs
  2. Hawthorn to debut at ABTT
  3. Midas at Emirates Palace
  4. Latest addition to RCF 4PRO Series
  5. Axxent introduces AX-1121T amplifier
  6. Martin Audio for VE Day celebration
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