Sound

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The Netherlands - Distributing high quality audio over an outdoor area covering more than 2200m by 118m is a massive challenge, but one which has been made a great deal less problematic by the advent of digital audio. And recently the need to replace the 20 year old audio system at Amsterdam's Bosbaan rowing lake has seen a comprehensive Yamaha installation.

Bosbaan (meaning Woods Course) is the oldest artificial rowing course in the world, built in 1936, enlarged in 1954 and again in 2001. Owned by Amsterdam City Council's Dienst Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling (Social Services department), the facility hosts a wide range of rowing events, from local to international competitions.

Because of its high profile, often involving television and radio broadcasts, Bosbaan's audio system is required to fulfil a wide range of uses, including crowd and commercial announcements, live repo

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UK - Midas and Klark Teknik have appointed a new distribution company, Quad Professional, for Singapore and Malaysia, with immediate effect.

"The Singapore market is strategically very important in the Asian concert sound business and it is vital that our distribution channel has the right people in place to service and support our customers there," says Midas and Klark Teknik's sales and marketing director, David Cooper.

"The team which have set up this new company, Vincent Tan, Chung Wah Khiew and their new product manager have over five decades of pro audio experience between them, which includes many years of working with the Midas and KT brands already. I am really happy that these talented people will be working with us to support present and future Midas and Klark Teknik customers in Singapore and Malaysia."

"Quad Professional was set up with

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UK - On Madonna's Sticky and Sweet World Tour which is nearing its one-year anniversary, the superstar and her backing vocalists are all using Sennheiser SKM 5200 wireless mics with ME 5005 super-cardioid heads, all linked through the new Sennheiser EM 3732 receiver, and ew 300 IEM G2 in-ear monitors. In addition, her guitarists and musical director and keyboard player are all employing evolution radio systems and ew 300 IEM G2 in-ear monitors.

"I chose the evolution systems for backline, as their RF is rock-solid, the transmitter units are small and reliable and they are very competitively priced," explained monitor engineer Matt Napier. "And I couldn't imagine giving Madonna another monitor system, she has become so accustomed and comfortable with the IEM G2. And of course, Kristy Jo Winkler in the USA and Mark Saunders and Dave Hawker at Sennheiser UK ar

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UK - The Manchester International Festival, which ran from 2 to 19 July this year, hailed itself as "the world's first international festival of original, new work and special events". Events included a collaboration between Manchester's symphony orchestra The Hallé, Mancunian composer Joe Duddell and one of the city's favourite rock bands, Elbow.

In keeping with the local talent theme, Elbow front of house engineer Danny Evans worked with Manchester-based sound solutions provider Audio Alliance, who supplied all audio and communications requirements for the show at Bridgewater Hall, as well as for a relay to Manchester's waterside Castlefield area.

"We were asked us to supply orchestra sub mixes and a separate mix for the relay," explains Audio Alliance's Oliver Driver. "The main FOH mixing console was requested by Danny, a Digidesign Profile,

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UK - Since its appointment as a Bose Pro-Partner in 2007, PEL Services - through its Music & Media Division - has proved itself to be a valuable and efficient associate, completing numerous Bose Professional installations around the UK for prestigious customers.

Installations completed have included prominent retail outlets such as Marks & Spencer, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nicholls, Harrods and Oakley stores, through to the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, as well as schools, showrooms, new style McDonalds restaurants and even a high end art gallery.

Ken Faulks, managing director of PEL Services, comments, "PEL made a strategic decision to apply to become a Bose Pro-Partner. We were already a leading UK systems company designing, supplying, installing, commissioning and maintaining public address, music and AV systems. We had the experience and reputation in place, which made us a

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UK - The Yamaha LS9 digital console continues to be a success in regional theatres across Europe. One of the latest UK venues to adopt it is Scotland's Adam Smith Theatre.

Located in Kirkcaldy, on the north bank of the Firth of Forth, the Adam Smith Theatre serves a wide catchment area which ranges as far afield as Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen. Previously a council-run venue, it is now run by the Arts & Theatres Trust Fife, along with the Rothes Halls (Glenrothes), Lochgelly Centre (Lochgelly) and Carnegie Hall (Dunfermline, not New York - although both were founded by the same philanthropist).

"We put on a bit of everything here," says Paul Robertson, the Adam Smith Theatre's head of sound. "From films and stage shows with just a few sound effects, choral performances where we just need a few floor mics and radio mics, through to major musicals with multipl

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UK - Adlib Audio sent out two Soundcraft Vi6 digital mixing consoles - and two sound technicians to babysit the systems - when they took over the production of feature stages at this month's Latitude Festival.

In charge of the Uncut Arena was the experienced Walter Jaquiss, while simultaneously the same furious schedule, with back-to-back changeovers, was taking place in the Sunrise Arena, where Otto Kroymann was based.

While bands were turning round within 15 minutes at the stage end, sound engineers were setting up their patches with equal alacrity at front of house. In each case a Soundcraft Vi6 digital mixing console awaited them alongside their two mentors.

"Adlib were conscious of having to put out a desk that everyone could mix on easily," stated Walter Jaquiss. He set up a regime in the Uncut Arena where all show files were created off-line. "Fo

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Once in a Lifetime - Acts including U2 and Aretha Franklin are to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at two concerts. The gigs, set to take place in New York in October, will also feature inductees including Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and Metallica. Both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel and rock trio Crosby, Stills and Nash are lined up to perform together. The concerts have been billed as "once in a lifetime" events. Jan Wenner, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said they are "designed to celebrate the artists and their music".

The proceeds from the concerts will go towards permanent funding for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum, established in 1984 by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun who died in 2006.

Dublin Protest - People who live close to the Croke Park stadium in D

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Germany - Opus 600 is the latest in a long line of wireless microphone systems from beyerdynamic which began with the invention of the very first wireless system, Transistophone, in 1962.

The Opus 600's key features include interchangeable capsules, more than 20 hours battery life, "true diversity" reception, up to 16 compatible channels and switching power-supply. This system is available in five pre-configured sets, Lavaliere, Neckworn, Dynamic vocal, Dynamic vocal & speech and condenser vocal & speech versions. beyerdynamic is distributed in the UK by Polar Audio.

(Jim Evans)

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Germany - The theatre performances of the Vorpommersche Landesbühne Anklam on the Ostsee-Bühne (Baltic Sea Stage) Zinnowitz have become a popular tradition during the holiday season. The content of the plays is the history of the town Vineta which is, according to the legend, sunken into the sea of the island Usedom. The performances, a mixture of acting, dancing and music, are strikingly supported by light, pyrotechnics and laser effects.

As a part of the reconstruction the sound system has been renewed as well. audioone gmbh based in Berlin undertook the planning and installation of the new reinforcement system. After an on-site meeting to analyse the spacial and acoustical conditions and a detailed planning and simulation the decision went to the K.M.E. line array system PANO with Line Source Units QL 906 and QL 1215 on the left and right side of the stage as well as VL 10

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Australia - ARX Systems has announced the appointment of Tallinn based Eventech OÜ as their new Distributor for Estonia.

ARX Managing Director Colin Park commented:" Eventech's Tõnu Susi and I have been discussing the possibilities of working together in Estonia for some time, Tõnu thought with the release of new additions to our USB DI product range the time was right to expand ARX's presence in the Estonian market.

"Tõnu and his sales team also felt our range of Interface and Signal Processing Products was a very complementary fit with the other lines they currently represent, they were especially excited by the new Products we released at the recent Frankfurt Pro Light and Sound Exhibition."

Along side ARX, Eventech represents companies including Meyer Sound, XTA, Lab Gruppen, Formula Sound and Robert Juliat.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - For the fourth consecutive year, Adlib Audio supplied a sound system and crew to the King Tut's Wah Wah Tent at T in The Park Festival at Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland.

The line-up included Daniel Merriweather, Jason Mraz, The Pet Shop Boys, the Noisettes, Friendly Fires, Jamie T, The Saturdays and many more over the three days.

James Neale led the Adlib team of five and also oversaw the FOH operation. With Ben Booker keeping monitor world in check, the omnipresent Richy Nicholson looked after the stage & patch, assisted by Otto Kroyman and Michael Flaherty. The operation was project managed in the Adlib offices by Dave Jones.

This year, the length of the King Tut's Wah Wah tent was extended by about 30m, making the tent approximately 120m long, which needed additional PA and delay stacks to ensure an even sound all around.

The main left and right hangs consi

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UK Nearly 600 drummers got their chance to be in the global spotlight on 13 July 2009, as they raised funds for a leading UK multiple sclerosis charity, setting a new world record into the bargain. And helping to keep them all in time was a Yamaha M7CL console.

Part of the National Rock and Pop festival, which also incorporated the Guitarfestand Drumfest trade shows, the Stick It To MS world record attempt was hosted by comedian and actor John 'Jazz Club' Thomson - himself a drummer - and saw a total of 582 drummers in Birmingham's National Indoor Arena attempt to achieve a new world record of tub-thumpers playing in the same place at the same time.

The record required that all the drummers played together for at least five minutes, producing an average sound level of 105dB, peaking at 130db. "It was quite an experience," says front of hou

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UK - The iTunes Festival relocated to The Roundhouse in North London this year, with over 60 artists playing live at this free event, which runs throughout July.

With bands ranging from Oasis, Kasabian, Franz Ferdinand and Snow Patrol at the commercial end to acoustic performers like Newton Faulkner, quirky performance artists with wide dynamic ranges (like Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan), leavened with some good old fashioned hard house and R&B it was important that the event's experienced sound engineers, Dave Roden at FOH (here deployed as system tech) and Will King down at the stage had digital mixing environments on which incoming engineers could hit the ground running.

Last year, when the event was held at Koko, iTunes production manager Stuart Turvill took advantage of a pair of Soundcraft Vi6's, with the Studer Vistonics II interface, and it proved so popul

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Canada - Now celebrating its 30th year, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo (RNSIT) is the largest annual indoor show in the world. Each year, literally thousands of performers amass from around the world in what might best be described as a Vaudeville show of truly epic proportions. Everything from operatic performances to motorcycle stunts keep the thousands of spectators at the Halifax Metro Centre at the edge of their seats for 10 days.

For those who can appreciate such things, the logistics of sound reinforcement for the RNSIT would be an act in itself, analogous to watching a fire-eating contortionist spin plates while singing O Canada on the back of a dune buggy. To make that task slightly less convoluted, the RNSIT recently purchased a phalanx of Kling & Freitag self-powered loudspeakers and subwoofers, a high fidelity output to complement the huge collecti

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USA - Loud Technologies has announced the appointment of veteran salesman Kurt Metzler to the position of North American sales manager, EAW.

"EAW is on a roll," commented Ernie Lansford, Loud's director of North American sales. "The combination of EAW's innovative product line - including the new JFL, NTL, MicroWedge and MicroSub - and Kurt's rock-solid reputation will make EAW the most preferred vendor to our consultant customers."

In his new role, Metzler will lead the existing EAW internal sales support team, North American rep force and distributor network to build EAW and EAW Commercial's market position, and share, among contractors and consultants. Metzler will report to Ernie Lansford.

Metzler joins Loud from Meyer Sound where he managed Meyer's A/V consultant relationships. This is his second stint at Loud -- prior to joining Meyer, Metzler spent

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UK - Kave Theatre Services sponsored The University of Warwick's SPLAT festival, the largest student run drama festival in the World.

Kave supplied a comprehensive package to multiple stages of both generic and moving lights, scalable sound systems, all necessary rigging and staging and a quantity of the site power infrastructure.

SPLAT Fest, celebrating Student Performance Literature Art & Theatre at the University of Warwick, is dedicated to creating opportunities for all students to pursue their creative talents. The Festival is now in its sixth year and proved to be the most successful to date.

For the first time, this year the event moved into an A&J Bigtop dubbed "The BigSPLAT". This provided the organisers some much needed space to expand the festival, allowing two stages to work back to back in the same venue. With a packed schedule this was e

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UK - RG Jones continued its long relationship with one of the high society events of the English summer season, the Henley Festival. The company's involvement with the black tie event, which takes place on the banks of the Thames, dates back to 1986, and once again they fielded a full Synco Martin Audio production rig - that took care of the very different requirements of the three prime stages - as well as a zonal, site-wide paging infrastructure, incorporated into the artistic lighting structures, to safeguard security and evacuation.

Synco Martin Audio W8LC's and W8LM's formed the principal sound reinforcement in the Floating Stage and Club Marquee, while in the third area, for the more strident, rock and roll vibe of the Dome, a vintage Martin Audio Wavefront 8 system delivered the goods.

On the Floating Stage RGJ rigged two stacks of six Synco Martin Audio W8LC enc

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Spain - Merida is the capitol of the Extremadura region of Spain and was one of the most famous Roman capitols of the Iberian Peninsula. Today it features some of the best preserved Roman ruins in Europe and a spectacular new exhibition centre - the Merida Exhibition Venue (Instituto Ferial de Mérida - IFEME). The centre includes many old converted buildings with special characteristics. When it came to installing a sound system, the choice of the operators was the Praesideo Voice Evacuation and Public Address System from Bosch.

Bosch engineers provided individual acoustic solutions for the different halls bearing in mind the special architecture of each of them and the wide coverage required. This included the new Hemi-directional Loudspeakers from Bosch with high quality sound, which are especially well suited for the high ceilings in the Merida exhibition halls. IFEME

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UK - Take That have long been Sennheiser users and the recent Circus tour was no different. The four members of the band all used SKM 5200 mics with MD 5235 heads while they and their backing band were all fitted out with ew 300 G2 IEMs. In addition, ew 500 series radio guitar systems were used for all the member of the backing band with moving instruments.

"On the two previous Take That Tours we've used the SKM 5200 with Neumann KK 104 cardioid heads," explains front of house engineer Gary Bradshaw. "We've had great results with that set up. But this tour posed some different problems, as we wouldn't have a roof everywhere we played, so weatherproofing everything was a major consideration. With this in mind we decided to try the 5235 heads. The results have been excellent. We've had great vocal clarity and feedback rejection and the mics are able to withst

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Italy - The opening whistle has been blown at Viareggio Beach Stadium, inaugurated at the beginning of June: a rich event calendar with musical and sporting events has been scheduled for the summer season and will be covered by several TV networks.

Apart from the champions who will compete in the most popular beach sports, the spotlights will be focused on Proel equipment, chosen by Happy Sound Service to amplify the running commentary, to reinforce the sound of the numerous scheduled shows and to light up the field during the night tournaments.

The sound reinforcement set up for the Beach Stadium activities includes, four Proel NEOS218SP subs, four Proel NEOS152P speakers, racks of four Proel HPD3400PFC power amplifiers and AS025 processor.

When the Stadium becomes the stage for bigger events, its sound reinforcement turns to Axiom with six Proel AX3210P speakers, eight Pro

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Lebanon - A Midas PRO6 live audio system has been installed into the Casino du Liban, Lebanon, where it is being used at front of house in the 1,200-capacity venue for a wide range of live music performances, from rock and pop through to jazz, classical, Arabic, dance shows and musicals. The PRO6, the first to be sold in the country, was supplied by Midas' Lebanese distributor, Eltek.

"We consider the Casino du Liban as an extremely important first customer for the Midas PRO6," says Dr Fouad Bechwati, senior acoustics consultant, Eltek. "The console will gain excellent exposure being used on international shows by one of the most competent sound engineers in the country, Tony Khoury. We are very pleased that our first ever sale of the PRO6 has been to a very high profile client, and are happy to confirm that the Casino du Liban intends to purchase further PRO6s to

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Germany - Once again, this year's Jazz an der Donau (Jazz on the Danube) festival offered a classy lineup of acts, including Santana and Lee Ritenour, as well as German jazz greats Till Brönner und Klaus Doldinger's Passport. The performers drew some 10,000 music lovers to Straubing in Lower Bavaria between 16 and 19 July. A team led by Ingo Haasch was responsible for the sound at the festival, and they relied once again on equipment from Electro-Voice.

The centrepiece of the production comprised a combination of XLC and XLE line-array systems from Electro-Voice, driven by TG7 power amplifiers equipped with RCM-26 modules. Xi-2123A/106F loudspeakers accompanied by Xsubs. Xi-1122 loudspeakers driven by CP3000S amplifiers saw action as side- and front-fills.

"The sound quality was singled out for praise by numerous visitors as well as many of the musicians,&q

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The Netherlands/UK - ASL, a supplier of advanced digital and analogue intercom systems, has announced the addition of four new tabletop-format speaker stations to its expanding Digital Intercom line.

The DS 830 Speaker Station, an eight-channel unit mounted in a smartly styled 3U cabinet, will debut at ASL Digital's stand at IBC and at ASL's UK distributor Polar Audio's stand F4 at PLASA09. Three more companion tabletop units - offering 16, 24 and 32 channel capacities - will also be available in the near future/in early 2010.

"Many theatres and concert halls have expressed a strong preference for the groundbreaking technologies in our new digital system," notes Susan McLohon, ASL Intercom's director of sales and marketing. "They are pleased that they can specify either tabletop enclosures or 1U rackmount units, or even select optional 19" rack mounting of

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