Sound

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USA - For nearly six decades, Drexelbrook, PA, has been a first-call gathering spot for events large and small in the tri-state area. Its historic Georgian style mansion and Grand Ballroom have been the backdrop for countless weddings, proms, trade shows and corporate retreats and The iconic TV series American Bandstand filmed some of its earliest episodes there.

Drexelbrook's 15000sq.ft Corporate Events Centre, opened in 2000, is the largest facility of its kind in the region, and offers state-of-the-art audio and video systems including an elaborate distributed sound system using Community CLOUD6 ceiling speakers.

Brian Latocha of Aston, PA-based Toner Sound reports: "The old system was underpowered to begin with, and with the room's 25ft ceilings, it had been pushed to its limits for years, and was showing signs of age. We installed a distributed system of 60 CL

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UK - The APRS (The Association of Professional Recording Services) is launching its re-designed web site at a social and networking event on 18 May at The Bath House, 96 Dean Street, Soho, London starting at 7.00pm. Open to everyone (members and non-members) the event will be an opportunity to learn more about the new features of the website.

A key element of the new site will be a fully searchable database of members' details. This will be of great benefit to members and non-members alike as site visitors will be able, for the first time, to search for member studios, facilities or manufacturers which match their project criteria.

Webmaster Mike Brown explained, "There's more to this than meets the eye because we've also been streamlining and centralising many of our back-end office procedures as part of this upgrade. New members will be able to apply online and subscrip

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Germany - The newly designed booth of Communications Systems from Bosch proved to be a real magnet for both dealers and consumers at this year's ProLight&Sound. "We wanted to send a signal at this trade fair and demonstrate that we haven't been infected with the crisis-panic," says vice president sales Robert Hesse. "We succeeded. Our efficient and optimistic presentation went down a treat."

In addition to the many and varied new products from Dynacord, Electro-Voice, Midas, and Klark Teknik, workshops, presentations (ProMatrix), and live demos (including Electro-Voice PL series microphones) contributed to the bustle of activity at the booth. "Everyone who listens to our equipment is convinced by it," says Robert Pletz, head of marketing communications systems EMEA. "That's why the demonstrations were of decisive importance to us." The lar

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Italy - With an ultimate retail floor space of 26,500sq.m, Italy's Mondovicino outlet village, retail park and shopping centre will be the biggest of its kind in the country. And with Yamaha audio equipment bringing the best audio quality to shoppers, it is certain to offer the ultimate retail experience.

Located near the town of Mondovì, in the province of Cuneo, north west Italy, the first phase of Mondovicino - with about 60 stores - has opened, with the rest of the development progressively opening in the near future.

Sound designer Adriano Zigante and his company Alto Gradimento won the contract to design and install the audio system at the complex. Zigante specified a comprehensive Yamaha system, which will deliver high quality audio via a highly flexible, multi-zone system.

The indoor shopping centre forms the first completed phase of the development and features fou

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Switzerland - Barix announces that Acutron Electroacustica of Portugal has completed the installation of a Barix Audio over IP zoned audio solution for the Colombo shopping mall in Lisbon. The solution provides Colombo, one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, with a point-to-multipoint solution to deliver voice, audio and control signals to more than 30 locations.

The complete Barix Audio over IP solution features Instreamer 100 encoding and Exstreamer 100 decoding devices for voice and audio distribution as well as Barionet and IO12 devices for control and system monitoring. The entire system is controlled using Acutron software for signal distribution to any zone from the central server and local operator terminals.

According to Antonio J. de Oliveira, co-Founder and head engineer of Acutron Electroacustica, the Barix solution provided a flexible, multi-zone entertainme

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USA - "I think we were always attracted to that sort of infinite sound that you can create," Julian Hamilton says, trying to define the motivating force behind his and musical partner Kim Moyes' fascination with electronica. "There are only so many sounds you can make with a violin or piano. With synthesizers and samplers, you can create totally new worlds."

As The Presets, Hamilton and Moyes are Australia's techno dance duo extraordinaire. Currently touring in support of the album Apocalypso, the pair have made the transition from studio to stage with the help of Shure SCL5 earphones and UHF-R wireless systems.

"When we write our music - especially for this last record - it's a very computer-based thing," Hamilton says. "The music takes on a whole life of itself, and after it hits the stage, it does step up in terms of energy. It's a r

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Russia - Moscow is introducing 450 tonnes of the latest stage and lighting technology to the huge Olimpiyski Arena for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. 2,000sq.m of LED walls will bathe the two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May and the final, on 16 May, in an extraordinary display of light and colour. And for audio transmission, host broadcaster Channel One's partner is Sennheiser.

Since Dima Bilan and his rendition of Believe won last year's competition, Moscow has been preparing for the world's biggest live music show. The Olympic Arena can hold a crowd of 80,000 but as the stage of the 54th Song Contest is so vast - 1,000sq.m - there will only be space for an audience of around 20,000.

When the artists' first rehearsals start on 3 May, Sennheiser's RF expert Klaus Willemsen will have already been on site for a week - the wireless microphone and monitor equipment was

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UK - When the producers of the Thriller Live musical arrived at the Lyric Theatre in London, they found themselves faced with the difficult challenge of isolating a wireless radio frequency within the heart of London's theatre district. After much deliberation, the company turned to Shure and the Joint Frequency Management Group (JFMG) to provide the solution.

"The issue we have in such a densely populated area is isolating RF channels that are not already in use," explained Chris Whybrow, the production's sound designer. "We basically needed to make sure we weren't stepping on anyone's toes."

The iconic venue is located in London's West End, surrounded by numerous theatre, musical, and comedy productions. The crowded nature of the area made isolating RF for on-stage instruments and vocal artists very difficult. Following a full assessment of his req

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USA - Mackie has launched HD Series High-Definition Powered Loudspeakers, creating a new category: High-Definition Live Sound. The HD1521 2-way and HD1531 3-way represent the pinnacle of Class-D amplifier technology, delivering up to 1800W of peak system power, says the company.

Mackie created the 'active' electronics game long ago, incorporating precision crossovers, transducer time alignment and phase correction circuitry right in the box, creating "a perfectly tuned system". HD Series loudspeakers take this further with the implementation of patented acoustic correction processing that counters the inherent physical attributes that can make typical loudspeakers sound honky or washed out.

"Our new HD Series loudspeakers are on the cutting edge of loudspeaker technology," said Greg Young, Mackie brand product manager. "They offer more watts per dolla

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USA - Audinate, Inc., announced that its Dante audio networking solution was used during the world premiere of the new Star Trek movie at the Sydney Opera House. The 150 million dollar Paramount Pictures film debuted with the stars in attendance last month at the red carpet event.

For the event, Audinate collaborated with Dolby and d&b audiotechnik to deliver a truly impressive audio video experience. The Sydney Opera House was transformed using Dante to impeccably transport digital audio from the media servers to over eighty speakers across the Concert Hall. Over 1500 people enjoyed Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound at the highest audio quality through the full showing of the movie.

Surround sound from the digital cinema projectors was transported via Dante through a complex network of Cisco switches and amps. The audio network reached all areas of the Concert Hall using fiber

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UK - Britannia Row Productions has purchased a third Midas XL8 Live Performance System. The purchase comes as one of the company's systems continues its world tour with Oasis, with a further two spec'd for Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe which begins in Israel in May.

"Oasis went into rehearsals for their world tour last summer and will have had a Midas XL8 out on tour on monitors for nearly 15 months by the time they finish in October 2009," says Britannia Row's Mike Lowe. "That console, specified by their monitor engineer Nahuel Gutierrez, is now on the South American leg of the tour.

"Another Midas XL8 went into in SIR studios in New York with engineer Sarne Thorogood for Depeche Mode monitor rehearsals. Anthony King, the band's front of house engineer, also specified a Midas XL8, and as the Depeche Mode World tour will go into 2010, we purcha

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UK - A meeting aimed at covering the concepts of audibility and inaudibility is being organised by the Measurement & Instrumentation Committee of the Institute of Acoustics in London.

Did you hear that? - concepts of audibility and inaudibility on 23 June will look at where threshold levels are either suggested or legislated. It will also cover what may be subjectively audible to one listener may not be to another.

Other areas covered in the meeting will include: What in practice should those quantified thresholds be, how can they be measured and are they enforceable? Likewise, in some instances it may be prudent to ensure inaudibility, what should these maximums of audibility be? How can they be measured and could they be directed to one segment of the public?

Did you hear that?, being held at the Royal Society, London is a one day meeting, with papers from In

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UK - DiGiCo has announced the launch of its new and improved website.

"We haven't given our old site a bit of a facelift," explains marketing director David Webster. "We've completely re-designed it. It's now database driven to allow it to be quickly and easily updated and we've included more of the information we know our customers want and need."

This site includes offline and online software, allowing engineers to prep a show even before seeing a console and/or remote control it. Time saving documents such as pdfs of line drawings provide data to determine if a console is the right size for a particular location before additional information is downloaded. Consultants, specifiers and contractors can also download the latest dxf line drawings to include in their installation specifications. Brochures, high-resolution product images and logos are available

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Germany - The 83rd ADAC Ball took place 24 January 2009 in the Hotel Maritim, Berlin. Beneath the banner This is where Berlin dances, some 2,600 illustrious guests took to the floor and were treated to a programme of entertainment including a spirited set from pop legend Howard Carpendale. The evening was hosted by Kathrin Müller-Hohenstein of German TV's ZDF Sportstudio.

Berlin-based events service provider TSE AG, under the leadership of project manager Adrian Carlin, deployed audio systems from Electro-Voice in all three ballrooms. The main PA in the Saal Maritim comprised two line-arrays: one of eight XLD per side and a second centre hang of four XLE. Four Xsubs handled low-end while six EV QRx 112/75 cabinets served as front fills. Four additional XLE systems acted as side fills. The system was driven by fourteen TG7 amplifiers from Electro-Voice.

The syst

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USA The new Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, home of the New York Mets, has a new sound system. Over 550 EAW MK and AX series boxes fill the bowl of the 42,000-seat stadium, which opened on 13 April, 2009. The systems integrator was TSI Global Companies, LLC, and it was designed by consultants WJHW.

The key element of the massive and complex sound system is a customised version of EAW's full-range AX364-210 Arrayable Install Loudspeakers with 60x40 horn, modified to fire simultaneously forward, down and to the rear. A pair of 10-inch woofers was added to the cabinet, aimed downward to cancel low-frequency buildup in what is, essentially, an architectural bass trap.

Three of these precisely modified enclosures are installed at the clubhouse level, one of the most challenging spaces in a stadium of this design. Other notable aspects of the system include a large number of under-b

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USA -. Located on the popular Pine Avenue 'restaurant row' in Long Beach, CA, Sergeant Pepper's Dueling Piano Café features a sound reinforcement system from the D.A.S. Audio Variant catalogue.

Duarte, CA-based Total Concept Integration (TCI), a design/build firm that handles a broad range of commercial projects, designed and installed Sergeant Pepper's new sound system. According to Adrian Morales, one of the firm's partners, space was a huge consideration on this project. "This is a small, pub-like type of venue," said Morales. "With two pianos and a drum set up on stage, there really isn't a whole lot of room to spare. Initially, the owner envisioned flying a few conventional, non-powered loudspeakers that would be augmented by one or two subwoofers on the floor. When we asked him where he planned on housing the power amps, he realized this approach woul

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UK - The first Electro-Voice line array system has arrived in the Channel Islands. Stage 2 Productions, Jersey's biggest concert and event company, has completed its first shows with its new EV XLD compact line array, featuring the XCS312 flown subbass cabinets, and is already planning to increase its inventory.

Deploying the new system for high-profile productions like BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter James Morrison and top TV comedian Al Murray, Stage 2 Productions has given the XLD cabinets a fiery baptism. Proprietor Rob Ritchie reports that "both events went really well, with the system performing fantastically. In fact, this was the only date on James Morrison's tour that used anything other than d&b J Series."

Stage 2 Productions has, for some time, operated in the upper echelons of event service providers. "But our old point-source system was just no

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USA - The Auralex Acoustics HoverDeck, a drum isolator, will be employed on stage at the 19th Annual Chicago Drum Show, the world's largest and longest-running vintage/custom drum event of its kind. The exhibit and performance event is being held at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles, Illinois on 16 and 17 May 2009.

Auralex Acousticscontributed to this year's event by providing its HoverDeck for the show's clinic stage. The HoverDeck is a specifically engineered drum isolator that reduces coloration from floor resonance by decoupling the drum kit from the structure, resulting in a tighter, purer sound.

"My first use of Auralex's HoverDeck was at a backline gig at a major casino," says Rob Cook of Rebeats, a company specialising in vintage and custom drum-related resources and coordinator and producer of the Chicago Drum Show. "During set-up my drum tech

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UK - The inaugural PLASA Focus Show in Leeds on April 28-29 was a great success, beating the headiest expectations and the credit crunch. Anticipation had been high since PLASA Events announced the takeover of the event from AC Entertainment Technologies last year. The team had set out to continue the show's compact, user-friendly format while opening it up to the entire industry, broadening the marketing and creating new networking opportunities. By its close, the show had registered a total of 1,398 visitors (pre ABC audit).

Philip Norfolk of MA Lighting, which showed its new MA2 control surfaces, commented: "We've seen an excellent mix of students as well as serious clients, users and operators - a really broad spectrum of visitors. There have been good visitor numbers, high levels of interest and an excellent environment . . . and the time to spend with these people. Fo

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Montserrat - For those with recording aspirations in the 1980s, few studios held the same rock star appeal as Air Montserrat. A who's who of major artists, from The Police to Dire Straits and The Rolling Stones recorded at Sir. George Martin's residential studio complex until a hurricane in 1989, and the eruption of a volcano in 1995, destroyed not only the studio but also the heart of the Island community.

In response to the catastrophic events, the Montserrat Cultural Centre was built between 2005 and 2006 using funds raised by Sir George and Lady Martin. The focal point of the centre is the Sir. George Martin Auditorium, a 450 seater venue, which offers concert, cinema and conference configurations at the touch of a button.

An impressive range of equipment has now been gathered for the Cultural Centre thanks to the dedication of two previous Air Montserrat clients, Chris Ru

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USA - For decades, Shure microphones have been a mainstay of rock and roll stages, from the largest arenas and stadiums to the smallest bars and clubs. Now they're also appearing onstage in the virtual world, compliments of the Harmonix and MTV Games' best-selling music video game Rock Band 2.

"How could anyone create a game like this and not include the SM58 and SM57? That would be like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread," said Chad Wiggins, Shure's wired products category manager. "We definitely feel that having our mics in Rock Band 2 adds a degree of authenticity for all of the people who'll play it as they dream of being Roger Daltrey belting out Pinball Wizard or any one of dozens of other rock stars. It's very cool to be included."

(Jim Evans)

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France - Nexo has announced the release of a standardised amplification package for touring applications featuring the new NXAMP amplifiers.

Available in three sizes, the new NXAMP racks provide a plug-and-play solution for analogue and digital audio applications, allowing Nexo's touring partners to optimise their amplification requirements, maximizing the versatility of the NXAMP 4x1 and the output capabilities of the NXAMP 4x4.

Built to an original design of sleeve frames that permit configuration using any of the NXAMP rackable units, each sleeve frame is constructed of 1.6mm steel that can carry one NXAMP patch panel and either one NXAMP 4x1 or NXAMP 4x4 amplifier model.

The carpet-covered racks are built out of 15mm birch wood and feature a suspended inner steel frame designed to carry the individual modules and the power distribution unit for the larger rack models, wh

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USA - When Allen & Heath announced the availability of the lower priced iLive-T digital mixing system at January's NAMM Show, president Dan Redman of Spinnaker Multimedia Solutions in Malvern, PA, was ready. The day after the announcement, Redman placed the first order. "Our churches had been waiting for a console with these features, at this price point, for a very long time. So we were ready to go with it."

The needs of Victory Christian Fellowship in Audubon, PA were matched perfectly by the new iLive-T112 mixing surface with iDR48 MixRack. "This was the fastest project I've ever worked on. We started in early December and opened on 29 March. It's a testament to the builder, the architects, our manufacturer partners, and especially the church. They knew what they wanted to accomplish and made smart decisions quickly." Victory Christian has become among the

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UK - Hand Held Audio supplied 160 channels of Shure UHF-R wireless microphones for the latest T Mobile flash-mob advert. The karaoke style event was fully supported by Shure Distribution UK (SDUK).

Lead by international pop/rock star Pink, over 13,000 people descended on London's Trafalgar Square to sing hits including Hey Jude and Is This The Way to Amarillo?. Members of the crowd were supplied with 160 Shure microphones, including the Beta 58 and SM58 models, each transmitting on independent RF channels. Footage from the event will be used to produce a series of television advertisements for T-Mobile.

Hand Held Audio was responsible for deploying the wireless technology for the event and determined that 160 wireless channels were required to meet the project brief. With such a challenge on their hands, HHA called upon SDUK to assist during planning and to provi

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