USA - A short drive north of Houston, Texas, Devasco International specialises in highly customised welding and metalworking solutions. It's an innovative and creative environment, but with a large staff, a 62,000sq.ft warehouse and plenty of industrial-grade machinery, it's not among the quietest. So when controller/treasurer David Scott took up the task of designing audio systems for the company's various buildings, he knew he had his work cut out for him. Scott selected a variety of loudspeakers from Community Professional to cover different functions throughout the facility.

14 RMG200A voice range horns provide a powerful paging system that covers the main warehouse, easily delivering 94dB of voice intelligibility where it's needed to overcome the din of a busy machine shop. In the company's training facility, a pair of SLS920 three-way boxes deliver music and voice performa

Peru - During their last world tour Iron Maiden visited Peru for the first time and played the Estadio National Jose Diaz in Lima. RCF's TTL33-A line array modules and TTS28-A high power subwoofers were used as the delay and front-fill systems for the show.

Rental company, Guillermo Riera e Iluminacion Profesional EIRL was confident in choosing RCF TT+ High Definition Touring and Theatre series to do the job for this large event which attracted more than 30.000 fans.

A significant number of TTL33-A active line array modules were installed in front of the stage to reinforce the sound for the first rows while the two delay towers, each composed by 10 TTL33-A and 3 TTS28-A subs, delivered a powerful and accurate coverage for those sitting and standing in the far distance away from the main stage.

Guillermo Riera, owner of the rental company, said: "What impressed me the mo

USA - San Diego based Sound Image has acquired a new Adamson PA system that includes 24 x Y18, 32 x Y10 and 12 x T21.

SI wrapped up its first tour with the new system on John Legend's North American theatre tour over the winter. "Touring with this show is a little more difficult because on a day to day basis the system has to be very versatile," comments Gary Sanguinet, SI's crew chief. "Everyone bends over backward to make it work because we see that this artist is going somewhere and we want to be there when he arrives."

"We feel that Sound Image and Adamson have a similar approach to the way that they treat their clients," says Jesse Adamson, Adamson Systems Engineering's, director of marketing and sales. "They are a service focused organisation and they do a great job. I had been talking to Dave about what Adamson and Sound Image could do

UK - Adlib supplied sound and lighting equipment to several stages and performance areas at Radio One's 2009 One Big Weekend event staged in Lydiard House & Park, Swindon, Wiltshire. The two-day event kicked off the Festival Season in style with a line up including Snow Patrol, Kasabian, The Prodigy, Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascall with Calvin Harris, The Wombats and more.

This year the Adlib team - co-ordinated by Dave Jones - supplied sound to the second In New Music We Trust stage; the Introducing Stage for up and coming new talent; The Headroom Tent, a live broadcast interview station for artists participating in the event; the Live Lounge Acoustic Stage and the Switch Stage which was upstairs on an open top double decker bus. Lighting was designed and supplied for the Introducing Stage by Adlib Lighting.

It's the third year that

Poland - Riders on the Storm (Jezdziec Burzy), the Jim Morrison tribute musical, recently experienced a surge in attendance after nine years of residency at the Rampa Theatre (Teatr Rampa) in Warsaw thanks in part to a Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker system recently installed by Lomianki-based Polsound.

Chief sound engineer Marcin Pawlot reports that the Meyer Sound system has made a night-and-day difference. "The old system was almost 19th century in its sound quality," says Pawlot. "Now, the band sounds more natural and musical despite our using even lower SPL than before. The actors' voices are more intelligible as well, with much higher gain before feedback."

The new system comprises left and right hangs of six M'elodie line array loudspeakers, each with a single 700-HP subwoofer to provide powerful low end. A pair of UPJ-1P VariO l

South Africa - Mark Becker has always had a taste for adventure - and now he deals with it by flying a two-seater microlight aircraft high above the waterfalls and coast of Southern Africa. Through his company Free To Adventure, Becker takes people in the microlight up the coast of Mozambique for diving trips to reefs or into the heartland of Africa to visit the waterfalls, and a couple of years ago, he decided to start filming the trips - in HD video

"HD video cameras were getting smaller and cheaper, and I thought - I could fix these to the microlight itself and get some amazing shots as we fly," he explains. "And it works. But the video was the easy part, relatively speaking."

Whilst filming for his documentary Flying The Falls, about a flight to the waterfalls of Northern Namibia and Zambia, he was plagued by the sound of the wind. "It's com

Germany - Dynacord continues its tradition of manufacturing high-performance amplifiers with the three models of its new DSA Multi Channel series. The new models are notable for their high output, high degree of efficiency, and ability to integrate with IRIS-Net.

The new amplifiers' Variable Load Drive (VLD) technology makes them flexible. Each channel can be individually configured to deliver a maximum power of 500 watts or 1,000 watts into any load from two to 10 ohms, or drive 70 or 100 Vrms loudspeaker lines directly without an output transformer.

When connected to an optional RCM-810 module, users can configure the new power amplifiers with the help of IRIS-Net to deliver maximum output per channel in a range from 100 watts to 500/1,000 watts in one-watt increments into any load from two to 10 ohms (adjustable in 0.1 ohm increments).

(Jim Evans)

Italy - A new sound system opens the second season of concerts at the Live Club in Trezzo sull'Adda, near Milan.

After an unforgettable opening, the new club has already hosted a plethora of Italian and international artists such as Elio e le Storie Tese, Caparezza, Afterhours, Piero Pelù, Joe Satriani, Buddy Guy, Asian Dub Foundation, Marillion, Alpha Blondy, The Blues Explosion, and Blue Oyster Cult.

The Live Club is already well into another year of live performances with a Proel Axiom house sound system. At the foundation of this technical decision was the need for the combination of versatility and power, says the company.

The Main System consists of 16 Axiom AX3210P elements plus 12 EDGE121SP subs with 21" woofers driven by six Powersoft K10 amplifiers and an XTA DP448 processor. 2 NEOS152A enclosures serve as front-fills. Side-fill duties are carried out by 2 ED

Greece - Athens's Pallas Theatre has received a full-scale cosmetic makeover, including installation of a sound system based on the Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker.

To equip the 1,500-seat theatre with an audio system on par with its architecture, Athens-based audio firm Omikron Control enlisted a complete overhaul of the existing system. Sound designer Vangelis Petridis reports, "The space is mainly used for theatrical performances and musicals, but they also do plenty of classical music presentations, a little jazz, some cinema, and corporate events and ceremonies, making it a truly multipurpose venue. This required an easily adjustable system, but they also wanted us to install the system out of the audience's view."

Petridis decided on flown left and right arrays each consisting of nine self-powered M'elodie loudspeakers, concealed within the prosceni

Italy - RCF has announced the introduction of its new HPS and DPS power amplifiers which are now shipping. Designed for professional use in touring racks and installed sound systems, these professional amplifiers feature protective circuits to ensure reliability and operating safety.

Thanks to their compact size and lightweight presentation, they are easy to handle and their simple set up procedures simplify the installation process.

The HPS 1500 is a two-channel power amplifier that delivers up to 2 x 750 W RMS @ 4 Ohm (1500 W RMS bridged @ 8 Ohm). A forced air cooling system maintains a low operating temperature.

The HPS 2500 is a two-channel power amplifier that delivers up to 2 x 1400 W RMS @ 2 Ohm (2800 W RMS bridged @ 4 Ohm).

The DPS 3000 is a two-channel power amplifier that can handle exceptionally high power ratings in a compact and lightweight 2 rack units space.

Poland - XTA Electronics distributor, Konsbud Audio reports its first successful year representing XTA in Poland, including the recent take up of the brand by three well known and significant Polish PA/sound reinforcement companies.

Airpol Sound & Light of Warsaw has operated in the pro audio market since 1996. Its main business is in sound reinforcement, specialising in events ranging from concerts and festivals to corporate events. Airpol Sound & Light has expanded its original stock of XTA DP226s with the acquisition of DP448s and DP324s. Antoni Paluszkiewicz of Konsbud comments: "Airpol told us that they chose XTA family units because of their high quality, high reliability and their reputation, as well as the easy, user-friendly operation, which is due to accessible software."

GMB Pro Sound, also Warsaw based, is described by Konsbud as 'one of the most renowned

USA - SIA Acoustics in New York has announced the addition of Adam Di Angelo to its consulting team in New York. Di Angelo's focus as an acoustical consultant will include architectural drafting/detailing and room acoustics.

Di Angelo holds a B.A. in architecture and foreign languages from Temple University, and an M.S. in architectural acoustics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). While at RPI, he studied room acoustics, psychoacoustics, and sound measurement with distinguished faculty members Ning Xiang and Paul Calamia.

"I see SIA Acoustics as an industry leader. They are innovators who have a significant impact on the practice of acoustical consulting. I am excited to be a part of it," says Di Angelo.

(Jim Evans)

USA/China - Shure Incorporated reports that it has struck another blow against suppliers of counterfeit Shure products. Following an investigation initiated by Shure, officials of the Baoshan Office of the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) conducted raids on wholesale stores and warehouses of Han Si Appliance Co., Ltd and Run Zheng Digital Ltd on Baoshan Road. Both locations are in the Zhabei District of Shanghai.

"Counterfeiters are constantly working to duplicate the Shure logo and other product markings as well as the general appearance of the products," said Anita Man, managing director of Shure Asia. "Due to the popularity and reputation of the Shure brand, they know that consumers are interested in an item that bears the Shure name."

In the two raids, large quantities of counterfeit Shure E2c and E4c earphones were seized as well

UK - Following the launch of its latest Xone products - the Xone:4D and Xone:22 - in a new storm grey colour scheme, Allen & Heath has decided to alter the colour of related Xone products to bring them in line.

The British manufacturer received positive reactions to the new colour scheme, which was first adopted by the Xone:4D, launched in June 2008, followed by the Xone:22 in January 2009.

Consequently, the Xone:1D and Xone:2D MIDI controllers will be manufactured in the new colour scheme along with the Xone:4D to complete the :D Series, and the Xone:42 USB DJ mixer will join the Xone:22 DJ mixer in grey as Allen & Heath's entry-level mixers.

The change is purely cosmetic, and there are no alterations to the products' design or performance. The grey versions are filtering into distribution now and will begin to appear in retail outlets around the globe, says the company.

USA - On 15 February 2009, the House Depot, along with We Love Industries, teamed up with Congo De Oro Productions to help bring Miami the first annual Carnaval Electronic Music Festival at Miami's Bayfront Park.

Celebrating one of Colombia's oldest carnivals, Carnaval is the 2009 Miami rebirth of that event. Featuring a variety of music, the event drew approximately 2000 spectators. With a crowd of this size, the sound system needed to be and offer considerable control of the sound dispersion characteristics. For Franco Sound, the company tasked with providing sound reinforcement for the event, the solution was to deploy a loudspeaker system drawn from the catalogue of D.A.S. Audio.

Based in Miami, Franco Sound is owned and operated by Ramon Franco, who also serves as FOH engineer for many of the projects his company services. "This festival had two stages running, with

UK - Lloudspeaker manufacturer Tannoy has launched a brand new website designed to reinforce and enhance the company's presence in each of the three main markets it operates in: Commercial/Professional, Residential/Hi-Fi and Studio Monitoring. The new site reflects the new, more modern brand style and provides a comprehensive easy-to-navigate information resource for both professional and consumer customers, the company says.

"With three distinct areas for each of the main markets, the site is more photographic than its predecessor with a much sharper aesthetic and consistent Tannoy identity. Each distinct section is designed to appeal to its respective target market, in terms of visual appeal and organisational layout - a huge improvement on the previous homogenized site."

Other enhancements include the News section, which allows users to browse through the latest p

Ghana - South Africa-based Prosound, together with Italian construction company Micheletti are going for round two in Ghana as they prepare to take hockey to a new level. After having previously completed a project for the stadium in Accra, the client was confident to give the go-ahead for a second time, following good results and the punctual, on-budget completion of the first project.

Prosound has now been brought in to provide audio coverage both internally and externally to the Hockey Park Complex in Accra, Ghana. The equipment provided included Electro-Voice PA series power amplifiers and RCF-Acustica P Series outdoor loudspeaker systems. All equipment is being acquired to ship to site for installation.

The facility will encourage students to participate and get excited in future hockey events, providing seats for 1,200 people and including a hostel for participating team

USA - The 30-years-young Catholic Church of St. Ann in Marietta, Georgia recently completed a $5 million architecture, audio and video renovation, adding a new 4400sq.ft Narthex or gathering space and completely renovating the Nave or worship area. The acoustical challenges of new, hard surfaces were met with Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC32 digitally steerable array loudspeakers, custom coloured to match the architecture.

A marble sanctuary, tile floors and new radius-designed wooden pews, while visually stunning, presented drastically altered acoustics and a challenge to intelligibility and the quality of music.

Reverberation times (RT) of 1.4 to 1.5 seconds mid-band rose to 2.4 to 2.5 seconds after the refurbishment, says D. Wayne Lee of A/V consultants Lee Sound Design, as the firm had predicted following its modelling of the renovated sanctuary in EASE 4.1 and 4.2 with AURA. He a

UK - Events group, 5CATFish, has taken delivery of a K-Array Redline PA which is now accompanying them on the road throughout the UK. 5CATFish are made up of pro audio luminaries and session musicians Andy Lewis, James Shears, Jay Cresswell, Tim Gray, Craig Blundell, Andy Duffield and Ben Cole and the band is dedicated to "delivering a better kind of musical event experience".

Band leader and keyboard player, Andy Lewis says: "When clients organise an event, a celebration, corporate function or a wedding, they need to be sure that the band and the DJ will deliver. There are very few things worse than a perfect day being ruined by a band or DJ who don't view the event from a professional perspective and don't or can't play what the clients want to hear.

"5CATFish, unlike so many covers and functions bands and DJs, always strive to deliver the entertainment t

UK - Since the end of last year, heavy metal band Saxon have been relying on Electro-Voice microphones. The band's last tour - together with Motörhead - demonstrated that Saxon still has a loyal following throughout the world. On this tour and beyond, front man Biff Byford is relying exclusively on REV wireless and the new PL Series microphones from Electro-Voice.

"The REV wireless system really gives you a lot of freedom and the guitars don't knock the microphone out of your mouth when you trip over the leads," says Byford. "I can actually walk around, which is good especially at big festivals. As headliner we have quite a big stage where we go on ramps and other things, so it's good for that. The REV wireless system with the N/D767 capsule has been really great. We've had no faults at all."

Torben Ibs, the FOH engineer on the Saxon tour comments: "I

Jordan - An Outline Butterfly line array system was used for the sound reinforcement at the large mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Amman international stadium, before 50,000 worshippers. The mass was accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a 200-strong choir.

"Due to the importance of this event on an international scale, Events AVP - exclusive Outline distributor for Jordan - was selected to provide the sound systems required given its reliability record and event direction experience," said Sharif Tabbara, co-owner of Events AVP. As an official guest to His Majesty King Abdulla II of Jordan, Pope Benedict XVI's Grand Sunday Mass was master planned and managed by the Royal Protocol Department, who oversaw the overall production and running of the event.

For the acoustic coverage of the venue, Events AVP used a system comprising 100 Butterfly Hi-Packs and 32 S

UK - HD Pro Audio will be exhibiting at ABTT again this year, showing the latest developments from a selection of the manufacturers it represents and distributes, including Optocore, Ateis, Digidesign, Yamaha and Timax.

HD Pro Audio will be showing Optocore's new X6R converters, which include the option for dual preamps on the inputs and allow for independent gain control by two users. HD will also have details on the expanding list of digital console manufacturers that can control Optocore preamps directly from their consoles, enhancing Optocore's position as an open networking protocol.

Well-established in the rest of Europe, but still relatively new to the UK, Ateis has built its reputation on a range of innovative products for PA and Voice Alarm applications. HD Pro Audio particularly see potential for Ateis' new UAPG2 DSP processor and Terracom TCP/IP paging system in the

UK - A dual Midas PRO6 system provided by Britannia Row has been used for Paolo Nutini's two-week UK tour. The PRO6s were used by Nutini's front of house engineer Graham 'Hutch' Hutchinson and monitor engineer Tom Howat, who was also mixing support band The Panics, plus additional supports appearing on the tour.

As this tour consisted mainly of smaller promotional gigs, the entire control system had to fit into a small trailer being towed between venues by the production's single tour bus.

The PRO6s packed away into 18U and 14U flight cases, sharing just one DL351 stage box, which provided 32 mic inputs and 32 record outputs. Additionally, two AES50 tie lines between the two consoles allowed 48 bi-directional audio channels to be transmitted between the two PRO6 systems. This was the first multiple PRO6 setup to feature a single stage box, demonstrating just how flexible and c

UK - Sound Technology, distributor of Soundcraft in the UK and Eire, has confirmed Northern Light as the authorised Soundcraft digital console dealer for Scotland.

Soundcraft's digital console range includes the flagship Vi6/Vi4 with VistonicsTM touch-screen user-interface, and the mid-market Si3/Si2. The new Si Series offers advanced digital functionality and high channel count in a chassis designed to plug in place of an existing analogue console with the minimum of ease.

Gareth Collyer, speaking on behalf of Sound Technology said: "With the recent release of the mid-market Si Series, we have consoles designed to appeal across numerous markets, from a variety of installed sound uses to flagship tour rentals. Northern Light's proven experience and success in all these areas is exactly the authorised dealer profile we are looking for and we're excited to be working with t

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