Sound

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The Netherlands - Ateis International has appointed Hills Sound, Vision and Lighting (SSVL) to distribute its public address and voice alarm products in Australia and New Zealand. Hills SSVL supplies the pro audio and audio visual sectors in both countries through well-established distribution networks and is now building on those to move into PA and VA with Ateis' full range of loudspeakers and control equipment.

Hills SSVL is the audio and lighting division of the Hills Industries group, which also includes Audio Telex, Australia Monitor, Crestron Control Solutions and Lighthouse Distribution. SSVL distributes a wide range of sound and light equipment, including Turbosound, Clay Paky and Italian lighting company DTS, from offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland.

"More and more venues are opting for a combined EWIS (emergency warning and inte

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Germany - TOA Europe will reveal their EN-54 European standard fire alarm audio products at this year's Prolight&Sound. TOA is one of the first companies that can offer a complete audio control and speaker system with EN-54 compliance.

The new products that meet EN-54 standards include the VM-3000 series PA/VA system that combines digital audio PA, paging and BGM functionality. In the speaker range, the PC-1867 FC 12-cm flush ceiling mounted speakers and BS-680FC public address speakers are also EN-54 compliant. More compliant products from TOA will be revealed at the show.

"The European EN-54 standard is set to be a hot topic at ProLight&Sound. We expect the new standard to change the voice alarm industry, what equipment you can use and how voice alarm systems are installed," says Brett Downing, sales & marketing director at TOA Europe.

"Demonstrating our com

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USA - The Who's Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey lent a musical flair to the Super Bowl XLIV press conference, rocking the house courtesy of Renkus-Heinz's IC Live line array systems.

Press conferences are generally fairly droll affairs, and reporters aren't easily impressed, but the crowd at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Centre's Floridian Ballroom was anything but sedate as the two original members of The Who picked up acoustic guitars and provided them with a short but intimate set of the band's classics, including Pinball Wizard and Won't Get Fooled Again.

The vast ballroom was packed to capacity with some 1200 media-turned-fans as NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy introduced the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to the crowd, who were treated to a stellar sounding performance through four IC Live systems provided by AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions. AVW-TELAV's Sean

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Germany / Spain - VMB has released the new ARK series of processors, replacing the Arkeops and DAC range which will debut at ProLight+Sound this month. The ARK-70 and ARK-20 are the latest in the series of digital processors designed, assembled and manufactured by VMB, offering seven different models with two or four inputs each and with up to eight outputs (analogue or digital and Ethersound optional).

Double Dynamics are standard in all ARK-70 models. An RMS limiter is used to adjust the transducer reproduction level, maintaining the original dynamics whilst at the same time respecting the original transients and achieving a better acoustical result. A peak limiter controls the movement of the speaker, protecting it from any damage and also reducing distortion caused by over-excursion. These double dynamics lower levels of distortion and provide protection for all the speaker

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UK - For only the second time in history, the arena floor of the Royal Albert Hall was frozen with ice as a 25-strong cast of World, European and National Championship skaters brought the story of Cinderella on Ice to London. However, it was the first time in history that production services company the SFL Group brought their expertise into the 6,500-capacity arena, providing sound reinforcement in the shape of a d&b main PA and a shiny new 10-way personal monitor mixing system from RSS.

Although the Imperial Ice Stars have toured their balletic ice-skating productions across the world, the eight Albert Hall performances broke a long-standing convention and featured a live 20-piece orchestra, under the baton of composer Tim A Duncan. An innovative solution was needed to handle the monitoring requirements of the musicians, positioned behind the stage rather than in the pi

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UK - The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has opened a new exhibition and visitor centre In Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The attraction is set within the grounds of the house where Shakespeare was born and is entitled Life, Love & Legacy: A New Introduction to William Shakespeare. It takes visitors through five zones in an immersive experience, bringing the history of Shakespeare to life.

Following a competitive pitch, the Trust appointed UK creative design and AV specialist Sarner to redevelop the visitor centre and give the Bard a modern makeover. Utilising its in-house creative and AV departments, Sarner designed a fully automated dark 'walk through' experience using the latest in AV technology, including seamless widescreen projection, and "has presented fascinating Shakespeare-related artefacts in a dynamic way that encapsulates the excitement and passion of t

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Germany - D&M Business & Professional Group (Europe) is exhibiting its Denon Professional and Marantz Professional product ranges, based on SD flash and Blu-ray disc media at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt. Products for broadcast and AV systems integration, and professional and commercial audio applications include the new range of solid state players from Denon Professional and flashcard recorders from Marantz Professional. Also being shown is a new professional Blu-ray disc player for the display of HD content in DOOH and digital signage applications.

The two initial models in Denon Professional's new solid state player series address specific applications in pro audio and commercial AV. The DN-F300 is an advanced 1U/HE rackmount solution for the playback of MP3 and uncompressed .WAV music libraries stored on SD and SDHC flashcards (up to 32GB), portable USB flash drives, and s

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Canada - Daniels Electronics and Telex Radio Dispatch have jointly announced the development of a P25 standards-compliant Digital Fixed Station Interface (DFSI) between their products, enabling direct digital connection from the Daniels LMR radio to Telex dispatch consoles, in accordance with the TIA P25 Fixed Station Interface (FSI) standard.

The Daniels digital Universal Interface card (UIC) provides the P25 DFSI connection via Ethernet from the Daniels MT-4 P25 radio system to other LMR subsystems, such as IP-based dispatch consoles in a P25 network. In accordance with the TIA P25 general system model, this interface interconnects the fixed station (Daniels Radio) to a console or RF subsystem at the Ef connection. The Ethernet universal interface provides the P25 encoded (and optionally encrypted) digital audio signal directly to the console, as well as a comprehensive suite

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USA - American Zoetrope, the film studio created and used by filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola since 1970, recently completed the mix of Sofia Coppola's upcoming film Somewhereusing their new Meyer Sound Cinema Experience monitoring system. This same system was used to mix Mr. Coppola's 2009 release of Tetro.

"I'm very impressed with the effortless power and clarity of sound of the Meyer Sound cinema system," says Francis Ford Coppola. "If only every theatre had a system like this, they would have the same remarkable experience I have on my stage."

The Meyer Sound Cinema Experience system, based on the Acheron screen channel loudspeakers, which has been installed in Zoetrope's mixing stage, is part of a complete, integrated cinema sound line that enables sound designers and mixers to achieve unprecedented range and clarity of sound - and for audi

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Norway - The Norsk Film Institute (NFI) in Oslo is the axle upon which the Norwegian film industry revolves. And with over 2000 screenings a year in its Oslo premises, roughly half of which are previews of major international releases for press and cinema owners, having quality vision and sound facilities are a fundamental requirement. It is with this in mind that the NFI has recently installed the first of Alcons' new Cinema Ribbon Monitor Systems (CRMS).

The NFI's Lillebil Room (named after the famous Norwegian actress Lillebil Ibsen) is a 68 capacity screening facility, where a constant series of daytime previews and evening showings keeps its equipment and staff busy.

"The sound has to be fantastic because of the status of the NFI," says the facility's Jan Olsen. "I had been aware of the Alcons pro-ribbon technology for some time and was eager to try somethi

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UK - Small businesses are hoping to beat the recession by stepping up their sales and marketing strategies, a new survey has revealed. After cutting operating costs to the bare minimum, many smaller firms are hiring sales staff, improving their websites and boosting marketing activities in an effort to tackle tough trading conditions.

Research carried out by the not-for-profit Forum of Private Business (FPB) also found that business owners expect their efforts will pay off. More than half (56%) of those surveyed expect to increase their turnover in 2010 and 44% believe their business will grow.

The findings are the first of the FPB's new 'economy watch' panel - a body of more than 350 members who are sharing their experiences as the economy heads away from recession. The panel is designed to provide an accurate and timely reflection of what small businesses are experiencing on

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Germany - The Proel Group will showcase its sound reinforcement and lighting lines at this year's Prolight + Sound.

After last year's world's first preview of the prototypes, show visitors will be able to appreciate the whole series of Net, which will be available for purchase as of next spring, and Edge Active.

Net is a series of loudspeaker designed "with a particular care for all the details which make a speaker valuable and for the technical solutions allowing these features to be implemented without raising costs". The result is a completely new line combining high value, excellent performances and reasonable price, a high-end product available to all users both for commercial and entertainment purposes.

At Prolight 2010, exhibition also of Active Edge systems: Proel's new solutions for high power professional applications. There are five models in the series:

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USA - Bosch Security Systems has announced that John F. Anderson has assumed the role of product marketing manager, intercom.

Anderson will support the Americas region in his new role, applying his substantial industry experience and strong marketing background to develop and implement marketing strategies for RTS and Telex intercom products. Acting as the focal point for the voice of the customer in this segment, Anderson will report to Daniel Gundlach, VP Marketing - Americas.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Winter Warpdrive is considered to be a Midwest electronic music phenomenon. This year's highly anticipated event at the Roberts Orpheum Theatre in St. Louis, MO marked one of the first major outings for Spectra Audio Systems' newly acquired self-powered Flex Array rig.

Spectra Audio Systems is a St. Louis based event production company specializing in over-the-top electronic music events, formed in 1994 by partners Timothy Kresko and Casey Hunter to provide sound systems for local area bands. Over the years they have expanded their inventory, and have continually worked to provide its growing client base - which has in the past included such notable names as Disney, ESPN X Games, and World Changers Ministries, as well as theatre companies and major label artists - with the most up-to-date audio technology.

Partner Tim Kresko explains the thinking behind the compan

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Czech Republic - An Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system was recently employed to manage the celebration of Mass held during an official visit by the Pope to Brno, the Czech Republic's second largest city.

The event was attended by 120,000 members of the public and VIP's including the Czech President, Václav Klaus. The ceremony was held in the grounds of the city's airport, and included seating for the public worshippers, a VIP stage for the Pope and dignitaries, and a second stage for musicians.

Audio was managed by PA company, Audioblue, which selected an iLive system, comprising an iDR10 MixRack and iLive-144 Control Surface, and an RCF speaker system. Audio requirements needed to cover FOH sound, including three delay zones, as well as monitors for the VIP stage and the musicians on the second stage. Due to architectural restrictions, FOH position was located next to

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Germany - American Audio has developed two new performance tools designed to handle the versatility of DJ-ing today - the Radius 3000 Media Player/MIDI Controller and VMS4 Velocity MIDI Station - plus a new portable sound system whose speakers and mixer pack up into one compact unit, the PPA-210. The three innovative products will headline American Audio's display at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt.

"More than ever today, DJs want versatile pro audio gear that can be used with or without a computer, delivers a high level of performance, and offers the features they need for real world applications, such as easy portability," said Tom Freret, national sales manager for American Audio. "American Audio has developed products like the Radius 3000, VMS4 and PPA-210, which respond to our customers' needs. We are proud to be showing these and other innovative pro audio gea

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India - SIA Acoustics, an acoustical design and facility planning firm with offices in New York City and Hollywood, CA, is opening an office in Mumbai, India. Operating locally and offering the advantage of shared resources from three offices, SIA Acoustics now also serves Indian customers in all aspects of acoustics, technical systems, and facility design.

"Supporting the growing number of sound critical facilities being built here in India truly requires meeting with people face to face" says SIA Acoustics partner Steve Sockey. "And this means it is essential to have local staff who understand both acoustics and the specific way that work is done in India."

SIA Acoustics is widely credited with a wide range of successful projects including production and broadcast studios, recording and multimedia facilities, musical performance venues, theatres, clubs an

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Mexico - Known primarily for producing history documentaries, in recent years the Mexican film industry has risen to international status receiving critical praise at major movie festivals for acting, cinematography, and direction. To prepare its facilities for 21st century digital cinema production, LaboFilms in Mexico City has installed a mixing stage at LaboDigital. Based on CQ-1 loudspeakers, the new Meyer Sound system provides the linear sound quality that translates smoothly across post-production and theatre reproduction.

With its Meyer Sound system, the 30-year-old LaboFilms has provided a prime THX-certified mixing stage for filmmakers in Mexico. To date, 10 full-length films have been made at LaboDigital including Quinzaine des Realisateurs, a Cannes Festival film; the Spanish, English, and Portuguese versions of El Delfin, as well as the Spanish adaptati

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New Zealand - In one of the world's most popular music festivals, College Hill Productions supplied the live sound services for the Auckland date of Big Day Out on 15 January. The event included performances by Lily Allen, The Mars Volta, Jet, Kasabian, The Decemberists and Fear Factory.

Big Day Out featured two main stages next to each other, enabling one act to perform on one stage immediately following the conclusion of another performance on the adjacent stage. At the front-of-house position at each stage, College Hill's FOH system engineers Kevin Bennett and Leon Dalton used a 96-channel Soundcraft Vi6 console with fibre multicores. Both systems utilized the onboard Lexicon effects packages built into the Vi6. In addition, the electronic group Groove Armada used a third Vi6 in the dance tent.

The day before the show, each band's engineers visited the concert

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The Netherlands - February's Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) trade show saw yet more success for the DiGiCo SD8 mixing console, with three more added to the inventories of Dutch rental companies.

Purple Group, one of the country's leading rental facilities, already owned three SD8s and increased that number to no five at ISE. The company is a long-term DiGiCo user and, when asked to supply equipment for tours by top Dutch acts VanVelzen and Kane, the decision to invest in further SD8s was a straightforward one.

"For VanVelzen we use a double SD8 setup, a standard console and SD8-24," says Purple Group's Robert de Loey. "In venues with small Front of House position, the 24 channel console is used at FOH with the standard console on monitors, while in venues with small stages the consoles are swapped over."

Taking full advantage of the SD8's recording facil

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USA - EAW has launched the SB1001 Large-Format Dual-18-Inch-Loaded Subwoofer. The successor to EAW's SB1000, the new SB1001 is essentially an SB1002 Large Format Flyable Subwoofer without the rigging hardware.

The SB1001 is suited for a wide range of non-flying applications (with rigging hardware available as an optional separate product if desired), including concert touring, arenas, houses of worship, auditoriums/theaters, stage/drum fill monitoring, large dance clubs or any other application requiring articulate, powerful low end.

While the dimensions of the SB1001's vented enclosure and the fundamental acoustical philosophy remain true to the SB1000, the core components are significantly enhanced to include larger 4.5-inch (115-mm) voice coils, 20% higher BI and all neodymium magnet structures. The result is a lighter-weight reference standard that has greater impact, powe

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Sweden / Germany - The latest addition to the Milab product family is the DC-96C, a side-addressed large membrane microphone designed mainly for studio work, but also for many live applications.

The DC-96C is the latest version of the classic DC-96 series - originally released in 1967 - and has been updated with the latest technology. It shares most of its components, including the capsule, with the DC-196, but like previous DC-96 versions, it is cardioid only and has a single layer mesh grid.

The DC-96C is suitable for a wide range of applications, including studio vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, hi-hats and overheads, guitar amps and more. The DC-96C will be presented at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt this month.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - For the eighth year, Sennheiser UK's Mark Saunders and Andy Lillywhite offered comprehensive technical support for the BRIT Awards.

The evening featured performances from double BRIT Award winner Lady Gaga (International Female Solo Artist and International Breakthrough Act), duets from Florence and the Machine (MasterCard British Album for Lungs) and Dizzee Rascal (British Male Solo Artist) and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, as well as performances by Cheryl Cole, Lily Allen, Kasabian, JLS and Robbie Williams, many of whom are regular Sennheiser users.

"The BRITS is a very similar type of show to the MTV European Music Awards and relies on similar support," says sound designer Derrick Zieba. "The RF requirements are very complex and for that reason having the Sennheiser team on hand is essential in order to have access to all the bands we need to licence on

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UK - This week the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) and the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) launch their much-anticipated training partnership initiative, creating a new force in UK vocational theatre training.

At a time when the importance of training in the industry is much in the spotlight - with an emphasis not only on those joining the profession but also those with more established careers - this alliance heralds a new phase in each organisation's plans to raise industry standards.

BECTU, with project workers throughout the UK, identified in the ABTT a partner who - as one of the leading training providers - would deliver high quality, industry-recognised training, across the UK, to the benefit of its own and ABTT's members, as well as theatre in general.

The scheme will initially focus on implementing the ABTT's Silv

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  3. UK debut for Allen & Heath products at PLASA Focus
  4. Alcons to unveil new range at Frankfurt
  5. WORK double at Prolight&Sound 2010
  6. TiMax SoundHub and Tracker at Frankfurt
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