Germany - Meyer Sound has announced the appointment of Hans-Juergen Heitzer (also known as 'Age-Jay') to the position of sales manager, Süden/Osten (Southern/Eastern Regions) at Meyer Sound Germany. Responsible for sales in Germany's southern and eastern regions, Heitzer brings with him knowledge of the entire audio chain in sound reinforcement systems - including digital mixing desks - for theatre, broadcast, and rental companies.

"Age-Jay's understanding of sound reinforcement systems, including digital mixing consoles and everything in the signal path on both sides of them, is of tremendous benefit to our customers," says Meyer Sound Germany managing director Jim Sides. "His knowledge is derived from hands-on experience in every aspect of customer support, including helping applications engineers formulate system specifications, training sound engineers on new

UK - Harman Pro UK has confirmed the venues for its 2007 product roadshows, which are taking place in mid-May at three different locations around the British Isles: at the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin on Monday, 14 May, at the Stanley Theatre at Liverpool University on Wednesday, 16 May, and at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford on Friday, 18 May.

The roadshows allow UK and Irish dealers and end-users the opportunity to check out the latest products from the companies in the Harman Group, including AKG mics, Crown amps, dbx DSP and BSS venue-management systems, JBL loudspeakers, Soundcraft digital consoles, and Lexicon signal processing. Harman will also have some of their product specialists on hand to give presentations on how to get the best out of the new equipment, and to engage in detailed question-and-answer sessions afterwards.

This year, AKG specialis

USA - The Duderstadt Center on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor boasts a recently overhauled, state-of-the-art audio recording studio.

At the heart of the Walters-Storyk Design Group renovation is a new API Vision console that allows its users to intelligently mix in both stereo and surround formats simultaneously.

David Greenspan, audio resources coordinator at the Center, comments, "We're effectively calibrating our students' ears and brains so that their baseline standard is pristine analogue sound. When they hear other technologies or manipulations, they'll be able to hear and mitigate artefacts. That was reason enough to get an API console. With the Vision however, students are also learning to explore and conceptualise movement in space and timeand to think in both stereo and surround at a fundamental level."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Representing a rich Buddhist tradition dating back to 15th-century Tibet, the monks of the Gyuto Tantric University have been chanting in their singular, multi-tonal style since the university's founding in 1474. On rare occasions, the monks who comprise the Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir venture out of their tranquil environs to bring their complex, captivating liturgical arts to the general public. This tour, the first in more than six years, will feature 14 monks, including the Vice Abbot, Omze la.

Meyer Sound has enjoyed a relationship with the Gyuto Monks dating back several decades, and has continued its tradition of providing support for the current US performance dates of the Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir. Meyer Sound is furnishing the monks with an audio system comprised of 16 M'elodie ultracompact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers and a pair of 600-HP compact high

UK - Academy Music Group Holdings have confirmed Live Nation, Inc. (Live Nation) and Gaiety Investments (Gaiety) have together completed the acquisition of a 56% interest in Academy Music Holdings Group (AMG) from RJD Partners.

Bob Angus (Metropolis Music) and Simon Moran (SJM Concerts), leading promoters in the UK music industry, have also considerably increased their shareholding in Academy Music Group to forty four percent (44%), under the terms of the deal.

Academy Music Group owns and operates 12 live music venues across the UK. Its venue capacities range from 250 to 5,000 and include the multi-award winning Carling Academy Brixton (London), Shepherd's Bush Empire (London) and Carling Academy Islington (London), with further concert venues in Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford and Brighton.

Metropolis Music and SJM Concerts are responsible for pr

Australia - GUZ BOX design + audio has provided an acoustic opinion to determine the suitability of the venue for speech and special events for the MPOWERdome in Fadden. The structure is a large aluminium and fabric structure covering eight indoor tennis courts and a centrally located two-storey building containing reception, pro shop, amenities and a mezzanine café with viewing areas.

The building is approximately 156m long, 38m wide and 13m high and is the largest structure of its type in Australia. It is constructed of large extruded aluminium portal frames with tensioned PVC fabric providing all-weather protection of the sports surfaces. The PVC fabric allows diffuse sunlight during the day and provides a reflective surface for illumination of sport surfaces from specialised light fittings during night-time use.

Preliminary acoustic modelling highlighted long reverb

Austria - In further demonstration of its global business strategy, AKG Acoustics today announced the addition of a new vice-president of sales, Ralf Tschanun. Heading up the entire global sales team, Tschanun will be based in AKG's Vienna office and will report directly to AKG Acoustics President Stefan Gubi.

"We are very pleased to have Ralf join our AKG team," explained Gubi. "Ralf possesses not only the technical background to understand our unique and evolving industry, but also the business acumen to successfully motivate and inspire his dynamic global sales team."

Commenting on his new position, Tschanun remarked, "AKG is continually striving to make advances in its microphone and headphone technologies, as evidenced by the extraordinary number of patents the company has received in its 60-year history. I look forward to continuing AKG's traditi

Mexico - From its first season, reality show La Academia (The Academy) has captivated the Latin American public with its star-in-the-making concept, and regularly dominates its time slot. For the show's fifth season, TV Azteca installed a new in-studio sound system based around Meyer Sound M'elodie ultracompact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers.

The format of the show bears some resemblance to the US's American Idol, in that judges select a small group out of thousands of hopefuls to compete in a series of contests and rehearsals, and in the final rounds of competition, public voting determines the winner. The weekly competitions culminate with a concert taped in front of a live audience at Churubusco Studios, one of Latin America's largest and most prestigious film studios.

"We needed a speaker that would perfectly fit the studio's stage in terms of

USA - Aviom's signature A-Net technology has found a new home in the reality television circuit, providing well received solutions in audio transport. Catapulting Aviom into its new reality role is MTV's hit talent series, Making the Band 4, Nick at Nite's comedian search, Funniest Mom in America 3 and VH1's new relationship show, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.

As the 22 contestants on this year's instalment of Making the Band vie for a place in rap mogul Diddy's next male R&B quartet, the interaction will be captured through an array of Aviom audio networking products that include AN-16/i-M mic input modules, AN-16/0 output modules and AN-16SBR System Bridge. Throughout the contestants' loft, the gear is connected to more than 40 microphones running over a single Cat 6 cable at 300ft.

On Nick at Nite's Funniest Mom in America 3 the

USA - Production Resource Group, LLC, has named Paul Morrill account executive for the company's corporate and special events group. He will work out of PRG's offices in New York City.

Morrill will provide lighting, video, scenic and audio solutions for PRG clients in the northeast. His 20 years of entertainment design and production management experience covers a wide range of applications, including corporate and special events, concert tours, television and film productions, sports entertainment, and permanent installations.

A graduate of the School of the Arts at SUNY Purchase, Morrill holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre design and technology. He comes to PRG from Motion Laboratories Inc. where he was a systems designer for chain hoist control and portable power distribution systems.

"Paul brings a broad range of production experience to PRG. We are fort

UK - Arqiva, a provider of transmission services for broadcasters and end-to-end media solutions for content and channel providers, has acquired 48 Zandar Predator HD8 MultiViewers for use on HD content provision for Championship Football for Sky Sports, Sky HD.

The Predator units provide significant space and cost benefits as well as flexible operation, says Zandar. They are installed inside two UK-based OB trucks, making this one of the largest single HD8 OB projects yet undertaken. The system was integrated by Sony Professional Services.

In each truck, 24 Predator HD8 MultiViewers are installed. There are 10 in the production area, 12 in the video tape recording area and two located in audio. The Predator HD MultiViewers feature native HD input processing to offer true HD quality images and drive high resolution displays up to 1080p.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - As a direct result of the trend toward simplification in public address installations Klotz Digital has developed substantial innovations to its Varizone digital Public Address and Voice Evacuation system. The Munich based company introduced its new VAB-Line at the ProLight & Sound 2007 in Frankfurt.

VAB-Line is based on the new components VAB1 Controller (Voice Evacuation, Announcement, Background Music Controller) and I-PAM (Integrated Programmable Amplifier Module). The VAB-Line has been particularly developed for small and mid-sized applications, such as hotels, schools, hospitals, office buildings, department stores and other commercial applications of the same size.

VAB1 is the main component and core of a simplified plug & play Varizone solution. It handles up to 51 inputs and 32 outputs providing the opportunity to play-out 32 different channels, thereof 8 pe

UK - Marlborough School in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, has commissioned an Electro-Voice sound reinforcement system for its new performance centre. The new building is a self-contained conference, business, and performance centre for school and community use. The hall has a sprung wooden floor for dance activities, and theatre audio, lighting and projection facilities for drama, sound and conference presentation.

The School called on London-based sound and lighting installation company 10 Out Of 10 to recommend a sound reinforcement design for this high-ceilinged modern building with two glass walls. "Because the portable stage would always be used against one of the long walls, we could install lighting and sound positions in sensible locations without having to worry about creating a multi-format system," explains Paul Need of 10 Out of 10.

"This gave us the oppor

USA - Crown Audio named Sound Marketing Central its 2006 Rep of the Year at the annual Harman Pro Group rep and distributors conference in Huntington Beach, California.

Scott Robbins, executive vice president of sales for Crown Audio, made the announcement. "Sound Marketing's Central Division went far beyond simply exceeding their sales targets across all vertical markets during 2006," says Robbins. "They've truly partnered with Crown by taking a very personal involvement in supporting customers and resolving issues. They also bring considerable value to our distribution partners through outstanding training and technical support. As a result, we are very pleased to recognise them with this award for their exemplary service."

Sound Marketing Central was also dually honoured as the 2006 Harman Pro Rep of the Year, which is awarded to the firm that not only s

USA - Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc (TPC) has announced that Scott Crossfield has joined its US office. Crossfield has been a theatre consultant for 11 years and is a former principal of the theatre consulting firm Davis Crossfield Associates. At TPC he will specialise in auditorium design and theatre planning, working as a senior consultant in TPC's design department with John Coyne, director of design, and Brian Hall, principal theatre designer.

"I have been a long-time fan of TPC's work, which I believe is reflected in many of the theatres that I have designed, and thus my desire to work at TPC," explains Crossfield, "I am excited and proud to be joining the company, which I consider the best in the world. I am looking forward to sharing experiences, stories, and ideas and am especially looking forward to collaborating with such a talented group of people.&

USA / Germany - Digidesign has appointed Mega Audio as its new German distributor for the Venue live sound programme. The deal was confirmed prior to last week's Pro Light&Sound Show in Germany by Digidesign's European Live Sound Manager, Mike Case, and Mega Audio's managing director, Burkhard Elsner - thus concluding a negotiation that began two-and-a-half years ago.

According to Burkhard, who has worked in pro audio for 25 years, the intervening period has seen rapid development in both camps, with the experience gained by Digidesign during this time providing him with a compelling reason to change his digital portfolio.

As a company that specialises in equipping major concert tours and theatres he believes the Pro Tools support of Venue is of paramount importance. "Many theatres today, who are using Pro Tools as a production tool - as well as many PA companies - would

UK - Allen & Heath has introduced a fourth control surface to the iLive digital mixing console system, joining the existing iLive-122, iLive-144 and iLive-176. The new iLive-80 is the smallest in the range of control surfaces, designed for smaller applications such as theatres, churches and touring bands.

Providing 80 control strips grouped in two sections, each with four banks, there is an LCD display with multicolour backlight above each fader for labelling and colour-coding channel information. The channel controls for preamp, filter and EQ are laid out across the top of the surface on rotary controls with LED indicators, while a colour LCD touch screen presents a graphical view of the processing and access to gates, compressors, limiter/de-essers, graphic EQ's and effects, as well as the automation and set up screens. Audio at the surface is available on four slots accommoda

Dubai - Following hot on the heels of the Dubai Desert Rock Festival, Shakira's sell-out concert at Dubai Autodrome has provided the curtain raiser for this year's Event 360 expo at PALME Middle East. Event 360 Exhibition Manager Jonathan Gadalla says that when the recent Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra concerts and Dubai Jazz Festival are added in, it illustrates just how far the industry in the region has developed.

"The Philharmonic Orchestra shows at the new Festival City recorded a huge turnout, indicating a real interest in the classical music market," he said. "On top of that, 25,000 people attended the Jazz Festival. It is evident from this that whether the music is classical, Latin American, heavy metal or jazz the level of appreciation is now unprecedented."

Some of the magic of show production will be introduced to the Dubai International Exhibition

UK - Allen & Heath has launched the XD-53 professional monitoring headphones, designed to complement the company's established brand of Xone DJ mixers.

The XD-53's incorporate a circumaural isolation design, providing high level isolation from ambient noise, which make them suitable for DJ's requiring immersive listening in loud environments, says the company.

Comprising 53mm diameter drivers - the largest drivers currently available - with high power neodymium magnet design, 1500 mW of power handling, and high SPL capacity, the XD-53 headphones deliver "excellent sound reproduction". They also have rotating earpieces for easy one-ear monitoring, a coiled cable with convenient one-side exit, and a folding design for compact portability.

"The Xone range of DJ mixers has a staunchly loyal following and many customers were asking if we could design headphones to

China - Prolight + Sound Shanghai which takes place 17-20 October 2007, will double in size and scale to occupy two halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Returning for it's fifth annual session, this specialist trade fair is growing alongside China's continuing investment in commercial and cultural infrastructure, say the organisers.

New sports facilities, clubs, hotels, airports, theme parks, broadcasting stations, and entertainment venues are springing up right across the country, creating strong demand for pro-sound, lighting and entertainment products. This is demonstrated by the fact that over 12,000 professional visitors - including retailers, dealers, distributors, technicians, engineering contractors and stage & lighting designers - attended the show in 2006.

China has allocated some US$17 billion in funds to build 42 new airports over the next five year

UK - Harman Pro UK, British distributors for the Harman Group of Pro-audio manufacturing brands, has just released its updated 2007 UK price list.

At over 150 pages long, the full-colour list covers all the current products sold by Harman brands AKG, BSS Audio, Crown, dbx, JBL, Lexicon and Soundcraft, including the most recent releases announced at the Winter NAMM show. Each product is fully described, and prices are printed including and excluding VAT.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Uwe Seyfert is to join Stephan Behrens as sales director and shareholder at Innoton, the specialist pro audio distribution company established by Behrens earlier in the year. With the main office located in the south of Germany, Seyfertˆs location in the north gives Innoton comprehensive geographic coverage.

"Stephan and I have a shared philosophy on how specialist professional audio equipment and recording media should be distributed," comments Seyfert. "Together we can offer dealers and their customers the high levels of sales and technical service necessary to support specialist products such as those from HHB and Cedar."

HHB Managing Director Ian Jones comments, "This is great news for HHB and for audio professionals in Germany. I've known Uwe almost as long as Stephan, and I'm confident that existing users of HHBproducts and new custome

The Netherlands - A design team led by the Dutch architects Mecanoo has won the international competition to design the National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Centre in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

A key team member of the design team, Louis Janssen, from Dutch theatre consulting office, theateradvies bv, was responsible for the design of the up-to-date theatre installations and logistics. The jury was particularly pleased with the interpretation of the programme and design of stage equipment.

The plans includes a concert hall with 2.300 seats, equipped with a flexible stage and all necessary hoisting facilities. A 2,000-seat opera house has a stage floor made up of five double deck elevators that can be moved from -11m to + 2.5m. The surface of these elevators, making up the stage floor, can be tilted and all are equipped with traps.

A 1,000-seat playhouse, a black- box theatre with 200

Germany - d&b audiotechnik has launched the latest d&b ROPE C remote control software for PC platforms. "Connect them via the new d&b R60 USB to CAN interface to your d&b D12 and E-PACamplifiers and besides a mouthful of words and numbers you've got an expanded remote network," says the company.

The d&b R60 USB to CAN interface is the bespoke link for the d&b Remote network. Designed to elegantly connect d&b's amplifiers to a PC, it comes with drivers for Windows® operating systems. The ROPE C Version 2.0.8 can accommodate up to five R60 interfaces with a maximum of 503 amplifiers in one system design.

This latest software version of ROPE C also offers the ability to control and monitor d&b loudspeaker systems in much greater detail at the amplifier level, via its graphical drag and drop interface.

"There is a strong feeling of Déjà Vu at ProLight+

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