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UK - Lisburn-based Zest Audio has completed the installation of a PA system for the Corpus Christi Church in West Belfast, built as part of an inner-city regeneration programme. The church is a new-build, designed for congregations of up to 400.

Commissioned to provide the PA by the M&E Consultants, Zest installed the system using Clock Audio MR66 automatic mixers, QSC ISA amplifiers, Phonic EQ and crossover processing, AKG hard-wired microphones, Shure radio microphones and Community loudspeakers throughout.

Commenting on the choice of Community loudspeakers, Zest MD David Honeyford said: "For intelligibility and vocal quality, the Community loudspeakers and excellent with very high output from such compact, discreet boxes. As with all modern church installations, aesthetics were an important consideration. Well controlled dispersion from the distributed CPL27 and CPL42

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Belgium - When d&b audiotechnik's Belgian partner Amptec learnt that the country's national French speaking broadcast company RTBF was looking for a new sound system, they took the opportunity to introduce them to a d&b PA system. "It all started about two years ago," said Amptec's David Liebens. "We did demos for them at the 'Festival de Jazz à Liège' in 2004 and in 2005 using a Q-Series loudspeaker system."

Amptec knew that RTBF would be releasing a specification for a PA system for the Eurovision for Kids 2005 competition and would be inviting interested companies to tender. "We invited a number of key RTBF technicians to one of d&b's user seminars run by John Taylor and there is no doubt that they learned a lot about their approach to quality sound," said Liebens.

Shortly afterwards, RTBF invited a number of companies to propose a suitable s

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Italy - Watched by a combined worldwide TV audience of over four billion, the opening and closing ceremonies of this year's Winter Olympics featured legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, a stunning lighting design, and enough pyrotechnic effects to keep the Italian fireworks industry in business for years.

What that TV audience could not have seen, however, was the complex work needed to distribute audio to the 35,000 artists, athletes, VIPs and other guests inside Turin's Stadio Olimpico - or how that work was made all the more difficult by the demands of television.

The audio show designer for the opening and closing ceremonies, Gary Hardesty of Sound Media Fusion, originally conceived a conventional FOH system which would have seen line-array clusters hung either side of the stage, with additional arrays being flown at various points further down the area, each one bei

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UK - Lighting technicians from across the industry are invited to attend a unique training and social event to be held on the 6th of May at the EDGE venue in Solihull, near Birmingham.

The hosts (Solihull Society of Arts) and organisers (UKSLC.ORG - UK Sound and Lighting Community) have assembled a top team of leading UK console manufacturers to deliver training on the latest lighting desks and entertainment technology throughout the day.

Compulite, MA, Chamsys, ETC, Zero 88 and Robe are providing a wide variety of lighting control equipment for attendees to use, and their staff will be on hand to answer questions from console operators at all levels of experience.

The training sessions are designed to cater for everyone from drama pupils wishing to learn about 'real world' performance technology, to freelancers who want to practice on new consoles, and seasoned LX operator

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Saudi Arabia - A sound system from Italian pro audio manufacturer Outline has been used for the opening ceremony of the 21st Janadriya Festival in Saudi Arabia. The Janadriya Festival is held with the patronage of Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz Al Saud, who became King of Saudi Arabia following the death of his brother, King Fahd. Since then, the festival's opening ceremony has been attended by the Saudi Arabian King. The festival's main contractor was Saudi Arabian company Rhythm Media Production, whose owner, Futtais Bughna, was in charge of the direction and production of the entire event.

The art director and writer was Moneer Al Quatani, while the scenography was by the International Theatre of Dubai. Other major suppliers included Tony Shembish's Avolites Middle East, supplying lighting consultancy, Avolites lighting desks and High End moving head fixtures; Sound & L

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Germany - HK Audio's successful Installation Line of sound reinforcement products has recently added five new members to the IL product family. At ProLight&Sound, the German manufacturer presented three new ceiling speakers and two compact cabinets for background sound reinforcement and public address.

The IL 60-CT is a compact 6.5"/ ¾" ceiling speaker with a handling capacity of 40 watts RMS for typical installations in foyers, boutiques, bars, shopping malls or even airports and public buildings. For music applications requiring extended bass, HK AUDIO offers the IL 80-CT with 8" speaker, ¾" tweeter and a power-handling capacity of 60 watts RMS. In the third ceiling model, the IL 60-CTC, also a 6.5" model, the speaker is enclosed in a sturdy steel housing.

In addition to the ceiling models, HK Audio also offers two new value-priced two-way speakers

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Italy - Over the past year, RCF's research and engineering faculty have been working to produce the new TT+ high definition system, which opens up "a new chapter in the company's long history as one of the world's leading audio innovators" say the company. As a totally integrated sound company, RCF has the ability to design and manufacture transducers, loudspeakers and amplifiers, as well as the all-important control electronics.

The company says that the design philosophy of the TT+ series is based upon offering the sound engineer solutions and tools that are ready to use. These include the ability to sustain very high power with highly efficient sound pressure levels. "The main design ethos is being, able to offer the audio engineer extremely high audio quality and system efficiency," say the company

RCF says: "Intense sound levels are created with e

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USA - L-Acoustics took advantage of the recent NSCA Expo in Las Vegas to formally recognize a number of its independent manufacturers' representative firms for their service. The most significant of these awards - the coveted 2005 Rep Of The Year plaque - was presented to Warman Marketing by L-Acoustics vice president of sales and marketing Paul Freudenberg.

Spearheading sales and support for the loudspeaker manufacturer's Rocky Mountain region, Warman Marketing is centrally headquartered in Broomfield, CO, with offices in both Provo, UT, and Phoenix, AZ. Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the firm is under the direction of founder and principal Harry Warman.

"Harry and his team really put on the miles and did a fantastic job last year of representing L-Acoustics throughout gargantuan territory, all the way from Montana to New Mexico," says

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France - Gérald de Palmas has been a chart-topping recording artist and stellar concert draw in his native France ever since his debut single, Sur la Route, rocketed to number one in 1993. Though not yet as well-known in North America, de Palmas' name nonetheless has come to public's attention through a 2003 duet with Sheryl Crow (The First Cut Is the Deepest) and his songwriting contributions to Celine Dion's Gallic repertoire.

In 2005, de Palmas proved his staying power with a tour that pulled capacity crowds in nearly every French city that could offer at least a mid-sized arena. The tour came to a triumphant close in late November, with the last 20 shows, mostly staged in venues with seating capacities of 6,000 to 8,000, being supported by a system built around 24 Meyer Sound Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers.

The Meyer Sound package was i

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Germany - Frankfurt's ProLight&Sound 2006 (29 March - 1 April) was a comprehensive success for EVI Audio, says the company, with a great many visitors to the booth, lively interest in the lectures in the Telex Academy, and a great atmosphere at the musical performances, whether at the booth ("Liquid Blue") or the Agora Stage ("The Real Groove Band" with their many special guests).

Sharing centre stage among the numerous new products on display were the four new amplifier series from Dynacord and Midas' first digital console, the XL8, which was making its world debut. The new flagship of the live console range, which had long been awaited with keen anticipation, caught the eye of all visitors and was the subject of a detailed presentation to representatives of the music trade.

Following the maxim "Never change a winning team", EVI Audio and the Mus

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Europe - Tommy Hilfiger Europe (THE) selected Alcons systems for its European Hilfiger Sessions - a new jam-session concept where top and upcoming artists join for an "in the round" concert. Top audio quality has been recognized by THE as essential for the experience, which underlines the fashion company's strong connection with music.

THE's At van Barneveld said: "The idea of the Sessions arose from the wish to couple music to the brand Tommy Hilfiger. In the USA, combinations with music have been developed, literally from the beginning of the brand (as Tommy Hilfiger is a musician himself). This can be sponsoring of concerts, the close-cooperation with young artists or the development of own TH formats. The Sessions is one of those concepts."

The plan is to have a roll-out throughout Europe, with sessions in a number of European cities in a period of six

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Belgium / Morocco - Belgian signal processing specialist Apex has signed a deal with one of the leading PA companies in Morocco. Encom has placed an order for 15 units of Apex's GX230 (2 x 30 band) graphic equalisers, and has also been appointed to represent the full line of Apex products in Morocco.

Based in Casablanca, Encom fulfils three different roles - as a PA company, as an installer and AV integrator, and as an importer of pro audio equipment. The company owns the first L'Acoustic V-Dosc system in Africa, and is also the L'Acoustics distributor in Morocco.

According to Encom's general manager Rachid Mediouni, Encom has long enjoyed "a good history with Apex. We already have a substantial inventory of the GX Series EQs, which enjoy the Apex reputation of stability and excellent sound quality. We never have any after-sales problems with this equipment, another reaso

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USA - Zaxcom is introducing its new ZFR100 broadcast-quality recorder at NAB 2006 in Las Vegas. The ZFR100 can record up to 12 track-hours of audio directly to a 2-GB flash memory card. As an ultra-compact recorder, the versatile ZFR100 is equally well-suited for use in a sound bag as a backup recorder or as a transcription recorder. To simplify audio syncing and processing during post-production, the ZFR100 includes a full-featured time code reader/generator that stamps the time code directly on to broadcast WAV or MP3 files.

"We're excited to launch our newest product, the ZFR100, to the international audience of NAB2006," stated Glenn Sanders, president of Zaxcom. "We've engineered it to best serve users who need a lightweight, versatile recorder that can record a significant amount of information. This is particularly vital in the ENG or reality TV markets, wh

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UK - The people behind the Blue Room online discussion forums have announced the launch of a new service for the entertainment industry. The Blue Room Wiki, it is hoped, will provide the backstage community with an ever-growing knowledge-base of technical know-how. Building on the success of the Blue Room forums, the Wiki will enable forum members to contribute their knowledge in article form to an online encyclopaedia.

The Blue Room now boasts almost 4,000 members, with over 110,000 messages posted since its official launch in January 2003. With over 4.5 million hits each month, the Blue Room has proved very popular. "The introduction of a Wiki is something which we've been working on for a while. We saw that the Blue Room was becoming, in part, a repository for a vast assortment of technical knowledge and advice, and an online encyclopaedia seemed like the next logical st

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USA - Missouri-based Brawner & Associates has added Heath Lane to its fulltime design team. Lane was previously an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL) where he acted as a technical advisor for students in the theatre design/technology program. Prior to this, he was production manager/technical director for Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, where he oversaw all aspects of technical production.

Heath received his MFA from The Penn State University at State College, PA, in 2003. He has technically directed over 30 theatrical productions and has designed lighting for more than 100 events. His background includes experience as a rigger, master electrician, sound engineer and crew chief. On the pre-production side of the table Heath has over fourteen years' experience with multiple CAD programs working with general layouts, build draw

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Germany - Neumann has expanded its range of professional microphones with the new TLM 49 large diaphragm, studio cardioid microphone. The design is inspired by the classic Neumann M 49 and M 50 microphones of the 50s, and features the famous K47 capsule used in the M 49 and U47 microphones.

Given the retro look, Neumann's proven transformerless circuitry, low self-noise, high gain levels, great sound and reasonable price, ensure the TLM 49 is poised to become yet another Neumann legend in vocal and speech recording, says the company.

The capsule has a linear frequency response up to the upper mid-range, and above 2kHz there is a gentle presence boost up to 3dB. The large 34mm diaphragm capsule, with a tendency towards supercardioid, is enclosed by a large, acoustically open, neutral sounding head grille. TLM transformerless circuitry ensures good common mode rejection, prevent

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Germany - The HK Audio ConTour Series has been in the market for several months already. The smallest full-range model CT 108 is now also available as an "Event Set".

The CT 108 (8"/1", 200 W RMS) is an extremely compact, passive, full-range speaker cabinet suited for the reproduction of the human voice and acoustic instruments. In spite of its minimal dimensions, the CT 108 delivers high sound-pressure levels with a smooth frequency response-without requiring an external controller. Thanks to its dual-function housing, it can be used not only for FOH, delay lines, and front-fill applications, but for stage monitoring as well. The low-profile design and the availability in both left and right versions make it possible to enjoy full, even sound from remarkably compact speakers.

The CT 108 Event Set presents an ideal solution for product presentations, corpor

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Portugal/Morrocco - Due to the continuous worldwide demand for V-Dosc, further service providers have decided to invest in the genre.

In Portugal, Puro Audio have invested in a complete 32 V- Dosc box turnkey system. Antonio Monteiro, technical director and partner of Puro Audio says: "The demand for V- Dosc in Portugal is really high, and we need to offer to our customers a state of the art system. On the other hand, to be part of the famous V- Dosc Network Partnership is a real added value for us."

In Morocco Rachid Mediouni the managing director of Encom (already a dV- Dosc provider) has purchased a V- Dosc system comprising of 18 elements to go with their existing stock of 24 dV- Dosc. This will allow them to address many prestigious festivals & events planned for this summer. This will be the first V- Dosc system permanently based on the African continent.

(Ch

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Germany - From his early days as a young heartthrob to his more universal appeal in later years, Udo Jürgens has long been a legend among German music fans. With several generations of fans and decades of performing, Jürgens is still going strong. He's just released his 50th album, Jetzt oder nie (in English, Now or Never) and his current 38-city European tour has been so successful that a second tour of 40 more dates has been scheduled for autumn.

Emsdetten-based Westfalen Sound Schallwand is providing the tour with a full Meyer Sound system based around 24 Mica compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers. The main Mica array is augmented by 12 600-HP compact high-power subwoofers, as well as an assortment of additional Meyer Sound systems, including six UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers and four UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers for

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UK - PLASA - the Professional Lighting and Sound Association - has announced a joint initiative with CMP Seatrade, the organisers of the Seatrade exhibitions, to host an afternoon presentation in London in early May introducing PLASA Members to business opportunities in the cruise sector.

Contracts won with cruise and ferry lines can be among the most lucrative in the world: there is currently $14.2 billion being invested in new-build activity and numbers in the cruise ship orderbook are at their highest since 2002. There is also renewed strength in the region's shipbuilding industry and the refurbishment and re-equipment sectors are also experiencing a growth surge.

The presentation, led by Seatrade MD Chris Hayman, will cover the opportunities that exist for PLASA Members in the cruise sector and the value of attending the Seatrade Med exhibition in Naples in October where f

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UK / Belgium - Apex has assigned UK distribution of its range of signal processing products to KV2 Audio Europe Ltd. The appointment comes after the KV2 team's visit to Belgium, and rigorous tests of the Apex lines of digital and analogue signal processing products. "Our aim is to ensure that each part of the signal chain is of the highest integrity," explains Jonathan Reece, MD of KV2 Audio Europe. "We want to deliver the best-quality solution, from system design onwards, and Apex can provide the high-quality processing that we'd like to offer, either in its own right or in conjunction with other products that we manufacture and distribute."

The announcemetn comes shortly after the addition of two new products to Apex's entry-level dB-range of analogue signal processors: the dBC-8 and the dBG-8. The dBC-8 is an 8-channel compressor/limiter in a 19" 1U p

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UK - Over the past 23 years, front-of-house sound engineer Kevin Pruce has worked with the biggest names in the business. His live engineering credentials are like a who's who from last three decades of pop, and includes Duran Duran, Adam Ant, The Human League, Tears For Fears, The Style Council, Sinead O'Connor, Björk, Lemon Jelly, Starsailor, Yoko Ono, Meat Loaf and Madonna.

Kevin says: "When it comes to FOH, spec the right equipment for the job, not what is flavour of the month." Pruce himself has an arsenal of Focusrite gear at his disposal. "I have used the ISA 110 [mic pre and EQ], the ISA 430 [Producer Pack], the Red 3 [dual compressor/limiter] and Liquid Channel. I use them all for vocal processing and they are all superb, just so well designed and functional."

But he particularly picks out the ISA428 [multichannel mic pre front end] for praise for

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UK - Light & Sound Creations has completed the installation of sound, lighting, plasma and LCD displays and security surveillance system at the Glass Spider, Sunderland's stylish new super-pub.

Located in Green terrace, the heart of Sunderland's 'nightlife quarter', the Glass Spider boasts the largest terrace in the North-East and is operated by Wylam Developments, who also own Ttonic and Vision in Sunderland. Opening night at the Glass Spider featured live music, Vegas-style showgirls, an ice sculpture on the terrace and VIPs arriving by stretched Hummer.

Community loudspeakers have been used throughout the venue, chosen by Light & Sound Creations. The main dance-floor uses four CPL42-94, ceiling-mounted in landscape format, with two TD215S compact dual 15" subs. Bar areas and infill around the dance-floor use Community CPL27s and a CPL23 provides foldback for the DJ boo

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UK - Acoustic specialists at the Government Communication Centre (HMGCC) in Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, have been using Klark Teknik's Helix DN9340 digital equalisation system in an unconventional way - to devise new methods of checking out communications systems for use in harsh environments.

HMGCC engineers have been working with a limbless dummy with a small speaker where the mouth should be to simulate human speech. Realistic speech quality is a very important criterion for this project, and one of the many uses of Helix is to EQ the mouth speaker. "I particularly appreciate the rich functionality of Helix, which has allowed the replacement of several EQ units and laboratory audio filters with just one box," says Ken Worrall. "The ability to control both channels independently is an extremely useful function, as is the option of controlling it from a PC in a

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