UK - Beach Blanket Babylon (BBB as it is known) occupies an old Georgian house in the heart of London's Notting Hill. Established in 1990, its eclectic décor of French country chateau combined with Gaudiesque architecture, and its selection of different dining rooms known as The Crypt, The Scullery, The Chapel and The Gallery make it one of the most consolidated, prestigious - and unusual - gothic destinations in London.

Recently owners Robert Newmark and Graham Rebak sensed that in order to keep BBB firing on all cylinders they needed to improve their sound system. And so they returned to their long-term A/V suppliers, the Sound Division Group (SDG).

The relationship with Newmark and Rebak has developed over a three-year period since they were first introduced by near neighbours (and fellow SDG clients), Adam and Charles Breeden from the award-winning Lonsdale.

Initi

Turkey - Midas' Turkish distributor Atempo has supplied four customised Heritage 1000 consoles to national broadcaster TRT for its regional radio stations. The consoles have been installed in radio studios in Izmir, Trabzon, Erzurum and Diyarbakir, where they are being used for live front of house work as well as for live production broadcast work.

Midas won the contract, which went out to tender, after TRT decided that the H1000 offered advantages over the competition, including its FOH abilities. The tender required that each console should have transformer balanced inputs - an option on the H1000. One of the consoles has 28 microphone and four stereo inputs, while the other three have 20 microphone and four stereo inputs, all with the transformer balanced input option.

TRT engineers visited Midas' factory in Kidderminster, UK, to conduct final quality control tests with int

UK -Just over a year after Church House Conference Centre in Westminster closed its doors for major building work, the Grade II-listed landmark reopened this spring to reveal a complete overhaul of the main Assembly Hall, the largest room in the house - aided by Radia Pro components and a Kelsey Acoustics cabling solution. See the May issue of Lighting&Sound International for a full report.

Owned by the Corporation of the Church House, and designed by renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker in 1939, the building serves as the headquarters of the Church of England. When the general synod is not in session it is let for corporate banquets, conferences and seminars.

The original, fixed tiered seating has been removed and replaced with a level floor; this gives the hall much more versatility and the ability to cater for t

UK - 10 out of 10 Productions has moved to new offices and warehouse in Sydenham, a short distance from Rosco UK.

"Due to large investments and by increasing our hire and sales stocks we've been struggling with space for a number of years and the walls were about to give," says managing director Paul Need. The new building is large enough to house both hire and sales businesses under one roof. A sales counter, and customer reception area enable us to greet visiting customers in a spacious, more relaxed atmosphere than before. Our cable manufacturing department will also be relieved to be moving.

"The increased space will mean further investments in lighting and audio equipment, together with being able to hold more of the everyday items people need at short notice. Being so close to Rosco/DHA means their entire stock is a two-minute walk away."

The New ad

Canada - The opening night of Nelly Furtado's Get Loose tour took place in her her hometown of Victoria. British Columbia. From there she headed eastward, ending the Canadian dates in Ottawa on, just days after she cleaned out at the Junos (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards) with five wins, a trophy for every category she was nominated in.

Towers Clair Showco, based in Toronto is providing Adamson Speakers for the entire North American Tour that will continues into the US, starting 30 May 30 in Florida and finishing 21 June in California.

Furtado's FOH Engineer Jeffrey Holdip gave his approval to the Y-10 Adamson system used during the rehearsal period in Toronto this past January. The feedback gathered while mixing during the Canadian dates confirmed Holdip's instinct about wanting to tour with the Adamson system.

The set-up required 16 rigging points. Mai

UK - Glen Smith Audio has returned to the British Museum to install a second Midas Verona console in the Stevenson Theatre, a 150-capacity lecture hall at the heart of the BM's conferencing facilities in London.

Last autumn, Glen Smith recommended a 32-channel Verona for the adjacent BP Lecture Theatre, and such has been its success, the Museum has repeated its order for a smaller 24-channel console.

"We just replicated the system we have next door," says Museum sound engineer Dave Hogan. "Compared to the console we're taking out of service, the Verona offers a significant general improvement in sound quality and better gain before feedback. We can control everything through the desk, all the loudspeaker configurations we have in the theatre - mono, stereo, surround. Before we had to use other devices to control the 5.1 surround sound, so now there's absolutely

Greece - Bon Studios in Athens has delivered a second Soundcraft Vi6 digital console to a customer in Greece - the rental company Net Audio.

The first test of the new technology took place at the Fix club in Thessaloniki, a well-known venue which hosts many celebrated Greek vocalists. Since then, the Vi6 console has been used for a variety of applications, from classical music to television production. Sofia Vossou, a Greek singer and former Eurovision contestant famous for her interpretation of modern Greek music, and folk maestro George Katsaros have both made use of the desk in their live concerts.

The console has played its part in several popular television productions at Alter Channel, a private TV station, including Jungle and The Party of Your Life. And to underline its versatility, it has been used to mix the Philharmonic Orchestra of Athens at an outdoo

UK - Registrations are strong for this year's AGM with well over 100 members and 50 guests signed up for the event which is to be held on Wednesday 6 June at the Hurlingham Club in West London.

The event, which is free to all members, has a strong agenda this year and will feature a key vote on a major membership restructure, updates on the radio licensing issue which threatens every aspect of the industry and a highly respected guest speaker in former MP, Tony Benn.

The AGM, which begins at midday, will cover the key activities of the last 12 months, including the ongoing development of qualifications for the sector, PLASA's commitment to improve member services, the launch of an events division and the most recent developments in the organisation's high-profile lobbying campaign to challenge the auction of vital radio frequencies.

The AGM will also address the future as th

USA - Stardraw A/V 2007, the newly released design and documentation application from software developer, Stardraw.com was voted the winner of the Innovations in Technology award in the Business Productivity category at the recent NSCA show in Orlando, Florida.

Stardraw's marketing director, Rob Robinson comments, "It's particularly gratifying in that the winner was selected by a public vote," noted Robinson. "While it's always rewarding to obtain recognition from one's industry peers, a vote of confidence from the people that are actually using and working with the product every day is perhaps even more satisfying."

The very first incarnation of Stardraw A/V was launched in 2000. Since then the application has evolved significantly until the most recent release of Stardraw A/V 2007, launched in January 2007. Among the many enhancements incorporated

Germany - Production and PA company Soundhouse Veranstaltungstechnik is a new owner of a Midas H4000 console purchased through EVI Audio Germany.

Soundhouse has been working on high-profile events across Germany and Europe since 1982. In addition to its new addition, the company already owns more than 10 Midas consoles ranging from the Venice through XL200, XL3, H1000 and H3000.

The H4000 was put straight to work as monitor console on Argentinean singer Semino Rossi's arena tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

(Jim Evans)

Finland - The 52nd Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Hartwall Arena in the Finnish capital of Helsinki in early May. A record 42 nations participated in what is becoming an ever-more complex and sophisticated technical production event that was broadcast to an estimated global TV audience of 100 million. Following the success of last year's Eurovision show in Athens, it was decided that a similar system be used in Helsinki. Sound company Akun Tehdas was called in to supply a total of four InnovaSON digital mixing consoles to equip both FoH and monitor positions.

Akun Tehdras put in place a dual redundancy system throughout, which effectively meant two of everything, one of which was purely for back-up purposes. As InnovaSON's technical field manager, Matthieu Le Failler pointed out, "When your show is being performed in front of 12,000 people and going out live to 100

USA - Getting named Number One on Time magazine's list of Top Ten theatre shows of 2006 was just one of many accolades the Broadway musical Grey Gardens has received since opening to a successful off-Broadway run at Playwrights Horizons theatre. The show is now settled into a lengthy stay at the Walter Kerr Theatre in the heart of Manhattan's theatre district.

In addition to earning multiple acting awards, the production has earned ample praise for its lighting, music, and sound. To provide even coverage for the 975-seat Kerr Theatre - which hasn't housed a musical in nearly 20 years - sound designer Brian Ronan chose a self-powered system from Meyer Sound.

"This show has a very old-school musical feel," says Ronan, a veteran of more than 20 years in New York's theatre scene. "There isn't a lot of spectacle. No more than eight singers are on stage at any

UK - RSS by Roland has just launched a dedicated UK website: www.rss-uk.co.uk. It includes all the latest news about the RSS product range, which exhibitions will be attended, and all the latest updates and software drivers.

Dealer information including links and a map with their location, configuration diagrams for Digital Snake, case studies from around the world and links to industry partners are featured.

(Jim Evans)

Abu Dhabi - German sound reinforcement manufacturer Kling & Freitag has appointed ESE Special Electronics as its sole distribution partner in the GCC with immediate effect. The signing ceremony took place at PALME Middle East 2007.

"Kling & Freitag is a recognised brand in the UAE and we're proud to be offering their range of speakers, amplifiers and controllers in our overall catalogue" said ESE general manager Faris Al-Azzawi. "The UAE market is a competitive one for any state of the art audio-visual equipment. Having the rights to distribute Kling & Freitag's audio equipment gives us a niche in the market."

"We are proud to engage in this strategic alliance with ESE, as they have a proven track record in the industry," said Kling & Freitag export manager Martin Schlockwerder. "We have been discussing the logistics of this appointment and I

UK - Audio-Technica has completely reengineered its Engineered Sound integrator microphone line, introducing over 50 new models featuring the company's UniGuard RFI protection technology.

The reengineered ES series, comprises a comprehensive assortment of 32 gooseneck, 12 hanging, seven boundary, a lavalier and a handheld microphone, and "utilises breakthrough audio and mechanical design improvements, to set new standards for signal quality, reliability, and ease of installation," says the company. Chief among these is the inclusion of UniGuard RFI-shielding, providing immunity from radio frequency interference - increasingly important in today's increasingly hostile RF environment.

Redesign of the series has also allowed for removal of substances specified in the EU's RoHS directive, making the series fully compliant. Other new features include the PivotPoint rotati

Brazil - Loudness Sonorizacao of Sao Paulo recently provided a massive sound reinforcement system for the Red Bull Air Race in Rio de Janeiro's Botafogo Bay, one of he largest sports event in Brazilian history.

The first Red Bull Air Race was held in 2003 and has since come to be regarded as the definitive competition featuring the world's most skilled pilots. In 2007, 12 events are being held across the world, each featuring a contest in which the pilots must navigate an airborne racecourse in the shortest possible time. The result is low-level flying at extremely high speeds, bringing the air race experience very close to the spectators.

Established in 1976, Loudness Sonorizacao's system included four towers of 16 JBL Vertec VT4889 line array elements each (64 in total), powered by Crown I-Tech 8000 amplifiers. Low-frequency fill was provided by 64 JBL SRX728 loudspeaker sub

USA - One of the hottest tickets of the touring season, the double bill of Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend, played sold-out dates at arenas across the US. during a run of spring performances together. The smooth, sultry tenor that won Legend five Grammy Awards blended with Bailey Rae's laid back British soul to create an evening of delicious R&B that offered something for everyone.

Michigan's Thunder Audio collaborated with Schubert Systems of North Hollywood on the tour, with both acts playing through Thunder's sound system, which was built around two arrays of 12 Meyer Sound Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers, augmented by four UPJ-1P compact VariO loudspeakers for front-fill coverage. System processing was provided by a Galileo loudspeaker management system.

"It was really a great double bill," remarks Thunder Audio vice president Paul Owen. "C

Australia - The BB03.5 is the newest member of Acoustic Technologies' BB subwoofer family. Joining the larger BB05 and BB07, the BB03.5 is a compact single 18" design. Employing a 2000 Watt Neodymium driver, the BB03.5 takes full advantage of the latest in transducer technology and computer aided design.

The optimally tuned ported enclosure is the product of extensive computer modelling and analysis, says the company. As a result, the BB03.5 offers bass performance usually associated with much larger sub bass systems. The BB03.5 is capable of delivering accurate low frequency energy extending down to 35Hz with "exceptional definition and control".

The BB03.5 enclosure is constructed using premium grade, void free Finnish Birch Ply and is extensively braced to virtually eliminate cabinet resonances. Standard finish is black AcoustiCoate elastomer coating, but for

Switzerland - ARX Systems, the Australian based pro audio manufacturer has announced the appointment of Soundhouse Musicservice AG as its new distributor for Switzerland.

ARX managing director Colin Park says, "Soundhouse's MD Herbert Schwerzmann and I finalised the distribution agreement at the recent Frankfurt Pro Light and Sound and we both agreed ARX's range of signal processing products was a very complementary fit with the other lines Soundhouse currently represents.

"The Swiss audio industry has always been important to ARX and we're looking forward to working with Herbert Schwerzmann and his energetic team at Soundhouse MusicService."

Alongside ARX, Soundhouse MusicService also represents a number of other manufacturers including Martin Audio and Apex.

(Jim Evans)

UK - One of London's most authentically-designed bars has opened in the east wing of The Cumberland Hotel at London's Marble Arch. The industrially-themed Carbon has been developed at a cost of £2.5m on the site of the Cumberland's former Callaghan's Irish Bar (which was closed three years ago).

Interior designer Mark Bithrey of B3 Designers has immersed the 450-capacity venue in a world of concrete, brick, steel, mesh and leather (peppered with industrial artefacts and extremely rare champagnes) to achieve a low-key, sultry Shoreditch style vibe.

Having worked with the Sound Division Group on a previous bar project he again tasked the A/V specialists with creating the aural ambience in the four-zoned venue. This is divided between the main ground floor bar, lounge, the separate bookable Chain Room and the suspended Mezzanine Bar upstairs.

Under the project management

UK - After 27 years of running Harmer PR on her own, Lesley Harmer has been joined by Elliot Herman as a partner in the business. Elliot has been an employee of Harmer Public Relations for two years.

Harmer PR is to retain its name, but will have a fresh new look, with a new corporate identity and website. Journalists will benefit from being able to access each client's area directly by going straight to www.harmerpr.com/[client name].

Elliot said: "I've been surprised and delighted by the congratulatory messages I've received since we sent out an email to our clients, and look forward to working closely with them as Lesley and I continue to build on our success."

(Jim Evans)

Austria - Midas and Klark Teknik have appointed a new Austrian distributor: Eltner GesmbH. The company was established in 1950, founding its e.tainment - sound, light & media solutions division in 2001. This division, which deals mainly with the rental, installation and MI industries, distributes a range of top-end audio, lighting and associated products including Electro-Voice, Dynacord, and now the full range of Midas consoles and Klark Teknik signal processing equipment. The new ranges will be handled by Midas and KT product and sales manager Thomas Hasenauer.

"We are really proud to be a member of the Midas and KT family and are confident that we will be able to raise the profile of these two brands in Austria," says Eltner's sales manager Matthas Reinthaler. "The most important thing is to be in regular contact with the customers, conducting demos, workshops

UK - MAC Sound UK has continued a relationship dating back more than 20 years - by purchasing 16 of Martin Audio's WT3 theatre enclosures. These were specified by the Manchester-based company's sound designer Clement Rawling for two six-month national touring productions Hot Flush (featuring Sheila Ferguson, Marti Webb, Rula Lenska) for producer Paul Elliott, and Boogie Nights (Antony Costa, Alvin Stardust), for Qdos Entertainment Theatre.

The arrayable 3-way compact theatre enclosures were supplied with the appropriate flying frames and DX1 system controllers, and are deployed equally across both productions.

Having heard W3 and WT3 some time earlier Rawling was convinced of their suitability for theatre shows and set up a demo. "The WT3s have proved outstanding with both the producers and musical supervisor," he said.

The first batch of WT3s were pu

Norway - Originally acquired by the City of Fredrikstad in 1931, the Lykkeberg Kulturhus House has only recently been converted from its cinema origins to become a multi-cultural venue for the community at a cost of NOK 35 million (around £3 million).

As a result of the progressive digital audio distribution backbone designed by integrators LydRommet, using the Harman HiQnet control and communications platform, this waterfront city in the south of Norway can now stage a wide variety of performances from theatre, classical orchestras and rock concerts to civic meetings.

LydRommet has devised an advanced, and economical audio transport system culminating at the new digital Soundcraft Vi6 console, incorporating a 64-channel Stagebox and local rack.

Owned by the Fredrikstad Kommune, the completely refurbished venue is divided between the large auditorium (BlÄ Grotte) and

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