Sound

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USA - Klotz Digital has announced that a new strategic engineering and sales partnership has been reached with Euphonix. With immediate effect, Euphonix will market and sell Klotz Digital's range of broadcast products in North America.

"The complement of Klotz Digital's products to Euphonix's digital audio mixing systems offer many new advantages to all of our customers," said Martin Kloiber, Euphonix CEO. "First, integrated package deals will be readily available at a cost effective price point with a wider range of products to choose from. Second, Euphonix will be able to coordinate both companies' product lines to end users as well as system integrators offering a complete technical solution and seamless customer support."

"Audio professionals will benefit from the synergies this new cooperation offers," said Thomas Klotz, founder and CEO of Kl

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USA - Located on the campus of Oral Roberts University, Tulsa's Mabee Centre is a special events arena that, in addition to serving as the home of the Golden Eagles men's and women's basketball teams, plays host to a broad range of cultural events. With the capacity to seat upwards of 11,300 people in its sports arena layout, the Mabee Centre's 105,000sq.ft floor plan includes two tiers of seats surrounding the regulation basketball court.

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based design/build firm Sounds From Heaven (SFH) Productions, LLC, was contracted to perform the facility upgrade. After extensive evaluation, a sizeable collection of loudspeakers from the D.A.S. Audio Aero catalogue was installed. The purchase included 20 Aero 38A medium format, powered three-way line array modules, 16 Aero CA-28A powered two-way, compact array modules, and eight Aero LX-218A powered subwoofers. The new equip

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USA - American Music & Sound has announced the appointment of Ralph Goldheim to the position of national sales manager for Focusrite and Novation products in the United States.

Goldheim has previously held positions as national sales manager for M-Audio and vice-president of sales at 360 Systems in addition to co-founding Line 6 and serving as VP of sales and marketing at Alesis Corporation.

"I couldn't be more excited about this opportunity," states Goldheim. "Focusrite and Novation manufacture tremendous products for the Pro Audio Industry, and I look forward to expanding sales and strengthening their market position."

(Jim Evans)

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World - Chris 'Privet' Hedge, front-of-house engineer for Simply Red's current world tour, is using a DiGiCo D5 console. This year, the tour has taken in Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and the USA before heading for Europe, starting in Glasgow, at the end of March.

"I've used the D5 for three years now, with KT Tunstall, Mika, Alicia Keys and now Simply Red," says Hedge. "It has a very natural sound and all the artists I've used it with are primarily organic, live acts. I find the console very easy to lay out and operate intuitively; it's very much a mixer's console.

"I'm using one of Brit Row's Version 4 D5s and I use it very simply. On the current tour we have 48 mic inputs and, as well as the onboard FX, I have four engines of TC6000 and an SPX990 plumbed into it. The only external inserts are an Avalon 737 on the lead vocal and

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Cyprus - Audio-visual facility City Studios has moved into a new, purpose-built complex consisting of five dubbing suites, a video suite and the largest music production studio in Cyprus. In line with the expansion, the 20-year-old facility has updated with state of the art equipment including a large inventory of DPA microphones.

The new studio, which opened at the beginning of 2009, has already worked on the Eurovision entry for Cyprus, several tracks for the Greek X Factor and mixes for LTV.

Owner and MD Andreas Georgallis decided to acquire a wide selection of DPA microphones and purchased a DPA 3506 stereo kit with two 4006-TL condenser mics, three 3511 stereo kits, each with two 4011-TL cardioid mics, a 3521 compact stereo kit with two 4021 compact cardioids, two 4090 omni condenser, and an SMK4060 with two 4060 miniature omnis and accessories including a Boundary

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USA - With a membership of over 6,000 worshippers, Saint Philip A.M.E. Church in Atlanta has maintained a policy of keeping the audio-video needs up to date. Aided by Atlanta design/installation firm Communications & Entertainment, the church has installed an Allen & Heath iLive-176 at Front of House of the 2,500 seat main Sanctuary and an iLive-80 in the Broadcast room.

"When we were commissioned to redo the sanctuary sound and video systems, their analogue console was approaching 10 years old," notes systems consultant Dave Miller of CEI. "In a digital world, it's my opinion that you have to be very careful in the selection of a desk. When you're working with a volunteer church staff, it can make or break the whole project. Fortunately, Saint Philip has a very talented staff, and the perfect console was chosen."

With both live audio and broadcast mixes to

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The Netherlands - The concert hall of the ArtEZ conservatory in the Dutch city Arnhem has been supplied with a new Sound Projects DreamLine sound system. The installation was provided by the Arnhem-based Live Music.

ArtEZ originated in 2002 through a merger of the Art Universities of Arnhem, Enschede and Zwolle. The ArtEZ conservatory, with more than 900 students and 260 teachers is one of the larger Dutch conservatories. ArtEZ has worked with Live Music as contractor for years and had chosen Sound Projects systems as reinforcement for different auditoria.

The new DreamLines are being flown and the additional subs are concealed under the stage so the concert hall appears to be more open. Live Music MD Bart Smits comments: "The slim DreamLines give more than enough coverage/dispersion and SPL. And with the additional two SP2-15 subs that are being built in the stage, you g

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UK - Wembley Loudspeaker has moved back into its Shepherds Bush workshop in West London, after a short period working away from its original home.

The company moved out in August 2008 following a dispute with Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Paul MacCallum says: "Since we were forced to move out we have been in discussion with the council about moving back. They have agreed to our offer to buy the facility back and we moved back on the 14th April. We now look forward to meeting lots of our old friends and new ones and doing what we do best, repairing and refurbishing speakers".

Wembley Loudspeaker can be contacted at: Unit A4, The Workshop Studios, 2A Askew Crescent, London W12 9DP. Tel: 020 8743 4567, Fax: 020 8749 7957.

(Lee Baldock)

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Germany - The Midas PRO6 live audio system picked up the MIPA (Musikmesse International Press Award) for Live Mixing Desk at Prolight + Sound 2009. The award was accepted by Midas and Klark Teknik international sales and marketing director David Cooper.

The award reflects the huge success enjoyed by the PRO6 since its launch last August. Almost 200 have been sold worldwide, with systems used on acts including AC/DC, Metallica, Van Morrison, Jan Smit, the Pogues, Marillion, Snow Patrol, Benabar, Il Divo, Kasabian and Eddi Reader.

A total of six PRO6s were in attendance at ProLight&Sound 2009: on the EVI Germany and Mega Audio booths as well as handling daily live music programmes on the outdoor Pro Stage and in the Agora tent.

"We're delighted that the international audio press has recognised the Midas PRO6 as the leading product in its category," says Cooper. "

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UK - PEL Music & Media has been awarded the contract to design, install and commission new sound systems into McDonald's' biggest UK franchisee's restaurants.

Franchisee Pru Naik has 24 McDonald's restaurants, mainly around West London and Berkshire. His McDonald's feature stylish dark bamboo and cream colour schemes, flowers on the tables, free wi-fi in every restaurant and now a new sound system.

Brand & communications manager Rico Pieri investigated the sound options and found Bose to be both quick to respond and helpful. Bose put Pieri in touch with one of its leading Bose Pro-Partners, PEL Music & Media, for the system design and installation.

PEL was asked to design and install a system initially for McDonald's London Victoria restaurant which was the first to be kitted out as part of the high spec refurb. The existing sound system hadn't been changed since 1999, but t

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USA - The Healing Place Church, listed as one of "America's Most Innovative Churches" (Outreach magazine, Jan/Feb 2008), is a multi-purpose facility that includes a live worship space as well as a complete suite of production spaces for video and audio recording and broadcast. Through the use of extensive technical infrastructure, the production spaces can serve worship in the main sanctuary, or be configured to operate completely independently.

The Sanctuary's main sound system will consist of three arrays of 14 Outline Butterfly C.D.H. 483 elements each, powered by Outline T7 amplifiers. Low-frequency reinforcement is provided by 10 Outline Subtech 218 SP subwoofers. For delays, six arrays of six mini-COM.P.A.S.S. self-powered line array loudspeakers and two C.D.L. 1815 cardioid subwoofers (full-range and subwoofer loudspeakers suspended together on a custom r

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Spain - D.A.S. has launched the Aero 12A compact line array system which joins the Aero Series family of professional sound touring products. The system incorporates an impressive battery of high tech. The latest in Class D power amplification, digital signal processing and optimized D.A.S. components have been combined with enclosures designed for rapid deployment, precise coverage and high acoustic output.

The Aero 12A's 600 W amplifier employs third generation Class D technologies providing extended bandwidth, improved dynamic range and exceptionally low distortion. The impressively compact and lightweight amplifier design requires much less space, reducing the overall cabinet size and in turn, the total cabinet weight.

Signal processing is accomplished by way of a powerful 24 bit DSP, providing unparalleled control over critical signal parameters. Wavelet analysis which pr

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Germany - To mark the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the South-African/British violinist Daniel Hope organised a benefit concert on 9 November 2008 to raise money for the Freya von Moltke Foundation. German and international artists such as Thomas Quasthoff, Hélène Grimaud, Max Raabe, Menahem Pressler and Till Brönner took the stage beneath a banner that read, Do Something!. Klaus Maria Brandauer gave a reading from texts by Goethe and the book Kristallnacht by Martin Gilbertbrought.

The memorial concert, presided over by the German foreign minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, took place in the recently closed Tempelhof Airport. Responsibility for the sound reinforcement in the 800-seat Departures Hall, which, due to its sheer size posed a considerable challenge, fell to the Berlin events service provider TSE AG.

FOH engineer Nils Uthoff and monitor

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Czech Republic - On his historic first visit to Europe, American President Obama made only one public speech - addressing a crowd of 30,000 (and a global TV audience running into many millions) in the striking surroundings of Prague's medieval castle. The White House demanded a sound reinforcement system that would ensure that every single syllable of his speech could be clearly heard - delivered by PA company RentalPro and a main PA of Nexo Geo T, delay systems of Geo S12 and fills of Geo D.

Speaking on the future of mankind, Barack Obama stood on a dramatic stage in the Hrad?anske nám?stí, the area outside Prague's famous castle which overlooks the city. The White House communications team brought along the President's podium and microphones, but everything else for the show - from stage to screens to flower arrangements - was provided by RentalPro, one of the largest rental

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South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa's Cape Town branch supplied technical production design, complete technical infrastructure including lighting, sound, AV, staging and power, plus 40 crew for the three main stages at the 2009 Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

GHSA has serviced the event since its inception in 2000. In that time, it's grown in stature and profile to become one of the most important dates on the Jazz calendar today, attracting a live audience of 60,000 plus across the two days.

Staged at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the event was co-ordinated for GHSA by international sales manager Philip Beardwood in the office, and on site by project manager Theo van As.

Says Beardwood, "Having worked on an event for many years and seeing it evolve has been a great experience and given us real insight into the event and how the production valu

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UK - Front of house engineer Robbie McGrath used a Midas PRO6 live audio system for Kasabian's Royal Albert Hall performance in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The concert, plus three warm up shows, was recorded onto a Klark Teknik DN9696 hard disk recorder. Support band The Hours was also mixed on a PRO6, with a third on stage for monitors. All equipment was provided by Entec Sound and Light.

This was the first time McGrath has used Midas digital, and to reassure himself it could provide all the familiar characteristics of the company's analogue boards, he carried out some A/B testing prior to spec'ing the PRO6.

"I wanted to find out how much of the Midas analogue sound had been captured and transferred into their digital domain, and I was extremely happy to discover that the PRO6 sounds very like the XL4," he says. "The EQ reacts like EQ should - as you choos

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USA - Recently designated as an official New York City landmark, Webster Hall has served as one of Manhattan's premier live music venues for well over 120 years. In 2005, the nightclub made a leap forward in terms of production values by installing a full L-Acoustics dV-Dosc loudspeaker system in its 1,400-capacity Grand Ballroom located on the second floor. Based on that system's success, Webster Hall has once again turned to L-Acoustics, this time to outfit its intimate 300-capacity basement venue known as The Studio @ Webster Hall.

Kevin Mignone of Island Park-based KM Productions was brought in to design and install The Studio's system, which now benefits from three ARCS per side flown in a horizontal array and powered by two LA4 amplified controllers. Four SB28 subwoofers, driven by a single LA8, are positioned end-to-end behind a sturdy steel grille under the front lip of

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Germany - Marie Antoinette is the latest stage musical by Germany's popular and successful writing team Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze. The show's spring European premiere at the Musical Theatre Bremen featured a "source-oriented reinforcement" approach by sound designer Athanasios Rovakis', controlled by an automatic actor tracking and panning system: TiMax Tracker and the TiMax delay matrix from Outboard UK.

16 actors wore miniature radar-frequency UWB transmitter TT Tags which were tracked by six TT Sensors installed around the stage and the auditorium. The TiMax Tracker software used an automatic calibration routine to instantaneously map the stage area in three dimensions based on some simple measured Sensors location data. Thereafter the system followed the actors' movements around stage and sent this information via MIDI to the TiMax showcontrol softwa

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Sweden - The annual EAU (European Association of Urology) congress was held this year in Stockholm, Sweden. As a curtain raiser to the event, the EAU has a history of providing its visitors with a high class classical concert which forms the spectacular opening ceremony. Last year part of the La Scala Theatre Company produced the concert in Milan, and so the 24th Congress in the Swedish capital had a lot to live up to.

Although the venue at the Stockholm International Fair is not ideally suited for a classical event of this nature, with some subtle amplification and careful design of the QSC WideLine-10 line array configuration by sound production and design company, DM Audio (part of EM Nordic AB), the concert was a big success.

Held in the A-1 hall, the 3,500 seats are spread wide across the auditorium, and thus WideLine-10, with its 140° horizontal dispersion characteri

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USA - Production designer Daunte Kenner, recently created an explosive show for Lil Wayne's I Am Music World Tour, a collaboration between Kenner and production manager Maceo Price - the brief was to achieve a concept never seen before in hip-hop.

Kenner explains: "We discussed conventional set styles but we agreed none were edgy enough. I proposed the idea of flying the entire five piece band - I thought a completely empty stage prior to Wayne's appearance - would make for a dramatic intro. Maceo loved it, but still wanted to include a complementary basic static set."

The finished product was five 8'x8' risers with clear plexi bottoms flown by a computer controlled system with a stationary ground set to match. The dramatic moving design fabricated by BRS Rigging, incorporated intense flame effects that demanded an entirely grated stage - a rolling 60' wide x

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UK - Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons - the Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside - has completed an overhaul of its meeting and private dining room, the newly-renamed La Belle Epoque. The AV design and installation project was entrusted to Chris Gunton of CGA Integration Limited and was based around Cloud Electronics' new digital amplifier and eight-channel output zoner, DCM-1, with a pair of CDR-1 digital wall controllers for end user ease of use.

CGA Integration has worked with Le Manoir for a number of years, developing a relationship originally through audio-visual maintenance within the 32-room, listed hotel. Chris Gunton's company is now the chosen contractor for new works. The meeting room installation follows a contract to provide a new IP television network throughout the hotel bedrooms as well as complete suite automation including DD

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UK - Vaughan Sound Installations (VSI), in conjunction with Whitehead Building Services, completed the supply and installation of a full public address and voice evacuation system at the new and recently opened home of Llanelli RFC, Parc y Scarlets.

The high-tech stadium is located at Pemberton, Llanelli, UK, with close links to the M4 and surrounding areas.

VSI's long and established partnership with Whitehead BS includes work on numerous projects together. Whitehead were the electrical sub contractor to main contractor Andrew Scott on this, for end client Llanelli RFC and Scarlets Region. The project was a partnership between the Scarlets and Carmarthenshire County Council.

VSI's history with the club also dates back, including the installation of a public address system at the famous Stradey Park ground in 1999, for the Rugby World Cup.

VSI opted for the Community range

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UK - A Stage Technologies automation system has set the scene for the European première of the musical Spring Awakening. The rock-and-roll, coming-of-age show (winner of 8 Tony awards including 'Best Musical 2007') has taken London audiences by storm, playing to packed houses when opening at the Lyric Hammersmith. The UK production involved the original Broadway creative team; further tours are planned worldwide and a major film version is also in development.

Stage Technologies was on site at the Lyric for installation, commissioning, show programming during technical rehearsals, operator training and the press performance. The equipment installed consisted of an Illusionist console, a Maxis PTS control system, eight BigTow Classic winches, four counterweight assist winches (used to propel in-house flying bars), two point hoists installed in the grid (used for a platform eleva

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UK - Over three months of Saturday night television saw primetime UK talent show The X Factor crown its latest winner in time to get the coveted Christmas Number 1 chart slot. February and March 2009 gave many of the finalists and their newly found fans a chance to get up close and personal as the X Factor Live tour played multiple shows at the UK and Ireland's main arenas.

With a live backing band and the various different performers singing individually before all coming together for the finale, it is a complex show to mix. But with sales and rental company Wigwam Acoustics supplying a DiGiCo SD7 and D5 on monitors and at Front of House respectively, the show is able to maintain its pace.

On stage, monitor engineer Sean Horsman has a combination of in-ears, wedges and sidefills, with 56 input channels and 12 mono and 12 stereo outputs on his SD7.

"As eac

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