Sound

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Europe - Peavey Commercial Audio has announced an exceptionally busy and productive summer/autumn season with a number of MediaMatrix/NION training courses and seminars that have been held across Europe and the Middle East in recent months, and the promise of more to be scheduled throughout 2011.

Since August this year, courses have been held at Peavey Italia in Ancona; at Peavey's distributor in Jeddah, Abu Moammar; at Saudi Media Systems in Riyadh; at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and at Peavey Europe HQ in Corby. The courses are designed for consultants, programmers, systems integrators, designers, maintenance engineers, end users and more. Training covers all new MediaMatrix and Crest Audio Contractor products and also includes the latest version software in addition to specific topics such as audio networking fundamentals, applications engineering and

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France / South Africa - Digigram has signed a distribution agreement with South African pro audio/AV specialists, Wild & Marr.

Established in 1944, with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, Wild & Marr is one of the leading distributors of audio equipment in Southern Africa. Managing director Joe Copans comments, "The brands represented by our company are universally accepted as leaders in their respective categories. Digigram's state-of-the-art sound cards and IP audio equipment are therefore a perfect complement to our current brand portfolio."

Sébastien Cadeau-Belliard, sales account manager with Digigram for this region, sees this agreement as "key to delivering solutions tailored to individual client needs, thanks to the expert engineering department of Digigram's newest partner". The agreement takes effect immediately.

(Jim Evans)

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Thailand - Distributors from China, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand also came together for the region's first Allen & Heath product development meeting. Distributors were shown the latest Xone products and given exclusive access to forthcoming lines. The distributors were also encouraged to contribute their own ideas on what products Allen & Heath should develop for the growing Asia/Pacific markets.

The distributors, local Thai Xone dealers and invited guests were treated to a demo including the Xone:DX and featuring the new Xone:DB4. The lively round table which followed was informative, with passionate input from all who attended, says the company.

The annual Xone event culminated in a party featuring top DJs from around the world, including Xone design manager, Andy Rigby-Jones, Mix Architekt, Australia's Ehsan Gel

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UK - One of the highlights of Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the UK was an open air Mass and the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, held at Birmingham's Cofton Park. The event, which was attended by 52,000 pilgrims, had a requirement for an extensive sound reinforcement system plus a custom designed induction loop system, the largest temporary system ever designed by manufacturer Ampetronic.

Making this type of provision is unusual at outdoor events. However, the decision was taken to supply such extensive induction loop coverage because production company WRG and the Home Office knew that there were likely to be large numbers of elderly people attending and they wanted to ensure that as many attendees as possible were fully catered for.

The design and installation of this temporary system was a major logistical exercise and presented a number of challenges that

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UK - The first Midas PRO3 live audio system to roll off the production line has been sold to the Rambert Dance Company as its touring console. The PRO3 replaces the company's Midas H1000, which was coincidentally also the first in production. The sale was made by LMC Audio's sales manager JP Cavaco.

Rambert is known for its use of live music and is the UK's only contemporary dance company to tour with an orchestra, performing a wide range of contemporary and classical repertoire, some composed specifically for the company.

"The music side of the shows is now playing a larger role, so the whole sound infrastructure has got a lot bigger," says Rambert's front of house engineer Tomás O'Connor. "Because of the wide range of repertoire, from orchestras to bands to electronic, we could have up to eight pieces in rep for a tour, then depending on the venue we perform

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France / Germany - Analog Way has announced the opening of Analog Way Deutschland, a new direct sales office based in Germany.

Analog Way Deutschland will provide sales operations, training facilities and first level technical support for Germany and Austria.

To lead the office and expand the presence of the brand over the territory, Analog Way has appointed Steffen Herzer as area sales manager. "We are glad to welcome Steffen within the Analog Way sales team. His experience of the German Pro A/V market as well as his professionalism will be major assets to develop our relationship with our customers in Germany and Austria", comments Alexander Schöpff, EMEA sales director at Analog Way.

"The German Pro A/V market has traditionally always been one of the most important markets in Europe", says Herzer. "With Analog Way's new exciting product range and

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UK - Birmingham-based rental company Pacific Sound & Light has notched up another successful audio production for The Drifters on their current UK tour, choosing a Roland M-400 digital console to handle both front-of-house and monitor control.

In the two years since Pacific's Paul Duffy took the decision to adopt this digital workhorse, the company has run more than 160 gigs with the Roland M-400 - "In all sorts of environments, this desk has not let us down. It's easy to use, gives us everything we want, works every time, sounds great and has the smallest footprint practically on the market."

The Drifters' UK tour, produced by the Prism Music Group, has already been extended well into 2011 from an initial three-week run around the clubs and theatres. Pacific Sound's engineer Matt Trigg is running FOH for the band throughout.

"We are using every bit of the con

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UK - John Hornby Skewes & Co has announced the appointment of Richard Morgan as media relations coordinator. A journalist, Morgan will be working as part of the JHS marketing team.

Most recently, Morgan spent 18 months in Berlin as an editor at Communication Director magazine. He has previously lived and worked in the UK, France and Germany. "As someone who has been into music since a very young age, it's great to get the chance to work with musical instruments and fellow music fans on a daily basis," says Morgan. "I'm looking forward to my new role and getting to know and work with everyone in the industry."

(Jim Evans)

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Australia - The 2010 UCI Road World Championships held recently in Geelong was the largest cycling competition Australia has ever hosted. The world championship is the marquee event for the Union Cycliste International (UCI) and is second only to the Tour de France in terms of importance and prestige in international cycling.

Geelong-based Total Events Co was given the task to provide audio requirements for the Championship's nine event precincts.

"We had 14 different systems over nine sites for the Championships and it was a total Jands-fest," reports Bill Busbridge, managing director of Total Events Co. "From JBL PRX and VRX boxes, Shure microphones, Crown amplifiers, DBX processing, BSS, Soundcraft to Jands HPC Air Gap power distribution units. We had it all. Plus we had great support from Jands' service and customer support."

A total of 12 JBL-VRX932

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China - Faye Wong is one of China's most popular icons, and arguably the most famous female Chinese-language pop singer of all time. She is also one of the most offbeat. Famed for her reserve, her effortless "cool" and her fierce independence, Wong received over seven million votes in a government web portal's online poll on 'The most influential Chinese cultural celebrity of the last 60 years', second only to Wong's own personal idol, the deceased Taiwanese singer, Teresa Teng.

Wong has recently embarked on a national 'comeback' tour after a five-year break from performing. Such is her popularity that, according to local media, a computerised ticketing system in Taiwan crashed within a minute of tickets going on sale for the limited number of performances. However, the tour has been recorded for posterity via an Innovason Eclipse digital mixing console.

The tour kic

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USA - Meyer Sound has announced a new dedicated cinema team to lead the development, sales, marketing, and technical support efforts for the EXP line of cinema products (formerly known as Cinema Experience). This strategic taskforce includes Steve Shurtz as technology director; Mauricio Saint Martin as global sales director; and Brian Long as senior cinema and live sound design manager. Jim Sides, who was formerly the CEO of Meyer Sound Germany, will become business development director, EXP.

"As we continue to grow in the cinema market, it's important that we provide the same level of support to our partners in the field," says Helen Meyer, co-founder and vice president at Meyer Sound. "These personnel changes will enable us to work more closely and effectively with the cinema industry and also allow Steve, Jim, Mauricio, and Brian to focus on their core strength

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UK - The recent 2012 digital switchover open days held by the Audio division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies have proven to be a sound investment for attendees, with many commenting on how useful and informative the events were.

Held in conjunction with leading manufacturers Sennheiser and Shure at the company's High Wycombe and Leeds offices, attendees received an in-depth 2012 digital switchover Q&A session by members of the BEIRG committee and demonstrations of the manufacturers' new Channel 38 compliant equipment, as well as showcasing other brand ranges distributed by Sennheiser and Shure.

James Hudson, director of Futurist Sound & Light commented: "We've attended a couple of seminars previously at AC-ET, and indeed in this instance visited both open days at their High Wycombe and Leeds offices as we were keen to learn as much as possible about the ramifications o

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USA - Adding another staple to the Las Vegas bar, restaurant and nightclub scene, systems integration firm R2W designed and installed a complete JBL loudspeaker system at Fine Entertainment's recently constructed PBR Rock Bar to support all audio from background restaurant music to televised sporting events and live rock concerts.

The 1,100-capacity venue, located in the Miracle Mile complex at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Hotel, combines a rock and roll atmosphere with a nightclub, American grill, more than 100 high-definition televisions and a mechanical bull. In addition, the PBR Rock Bar's main dining hall transforms into a stage for live performances after dark.

R2W installed 21 JBL AM7212/95 12-inch full-range 2-way loudspeakers, five ASB6125 high-power dual subwoofers, eight AC28/26 2-way loudspeakers and four Control 24CT 2-way ceiling speakers for the 13,000 square-

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UK - Adlib Audio has supplied an L-Acoustics dV-DOSC modular WST line source FOH system to the Spa Bridlington for its 3,800-capacity Royal Hall venue. Technical manager Emrys Jones required a system that could cope with a demanding events schedule and performances ranging from tea dances and sporting events through to comedy, rock concerts and punk festivals.

Adlib Audio was appointed as audio supplier by approved electrical contractor K Binks Heating. The Art Deco Royal Hall ballroom and Edwardian spa theatre have recently been restored, and any installation work needed to be sympathetic to the classic interior decor.

As the venue already owned some L-Acoustics equipment, the dV-DOSC system was the first choice for both Emrys Jones and Adlib's installations director Roger Kirby. A high speech intelligibility factor was crucial, and Adlib was confident it could draw upon its

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Peru - Twelve years and $20 million after it was destroyed by a disastrous fire, the Teatro Municipal de Lima has enjoyed a gala re-opening by President Alan Garcia Perez and Luis Castaneda Lossio, the Mayor of Lima. All eyes on the President, all ears on the new Nexo Geo D sound reinforcement system, discreetly installed stage side.

No expense has been spared on expert advice and the best technical solutions in the refurbishment of this prestigious cultural venue in Peru's capital. One of the city's most important theatres, it was home to the metropolitan opera, ballet and drama companies before the fire in 1998.

Art and architecture experts, as well as the best Peruvian artisans, have lovingly executed the restoration, using pictures and design drawings from the original 1920 house, even decorating 350 ornaments in gold leaf. Now equipped with state-of-the-art acoustics, vis

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UK - A networked public address system from UK-based ASL Safety & Security has been installed at the Dungeness site, a former nuclear power station in the southeast of England now being decommissioned.

The Dungeness project features customised microphones connected to the client's voice information consoles with toggle switching that triggers digital voice announcement (DVA) messages. The four-zone monitored PA system covers much of Dungeness A which is a legacy Magnox power station.

Areas where access to the public address system can be obtained by microphone include the central control room, emergency indication centre, emergency control room and reception.

Following a successful first phase, ASL's rack-mounted Intellevac voice information network was installed to BS 5839-8:2008-compliant standards in the nuclear facility's accommodation block which has been created so tha

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UK - Soundcraft Studer has promoted Alan Wright, previously UK R&D Manager, to the role of quality and continuous improvement manager, reporting directly to Andy Trott, vice president & general manager of Harman's Mixing and Microphones & Headphones Business Unit.

Trott says, "We pride ourselves on the levels of quality and ingenuity across our businesses but we also have a mantra of continuously improving everything we do; however large or small that improvement might be. It is Alan's role to drive the business on all fronts of quality, ISO, process improvements and Green initiatives; we consider these to be business imperatives, hence why this function reports directly to me."

Wright joined Harman in 1995 with BSS Audio then moved to Soundcraft under the same roof in Potters Bar. He has an MBA from the University of Hertfordshire.

"During the past few years

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USA - QSC Audio Products has introduced the GX7 as the newest model in its GX Series of power amplifiers. Engineered and assembled in the company's Costa Mesa, California facility, the GX7 maintains all of the key form and functional elements of the existing GX Series while delivering more power in a lighter weight package, says the company. The GX7 features 725W per channel at 8-ohms and 1000W per channel at 4-ohms, while weighing a mere 15.5 lbs for the 120V version.

"The QSC retail amplifier customer expects a truly professional solution at a value price point." states Ray van Straten, QSC director of marketing communications. "Our customers continually reinforce their message to us that they consider three key feature/benefits to be of utmost importance in a power amp - Clean, high-output power, maximum portability, and bulletproof reliability.

"In deve

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USA / Italy - Rational Acoustics LLC has appointed ModsArt as the exclusive distributors for all Rational Acoustics and Smaart branded products for Italy.

Founded by brothers Davide and Luigi Lombardi, ModsArt provides Italian distribution for a select group of lighting and equipment including Jands lighting consoles and Outline loudspeakers. They also provide training classes for audio professionals including Outline's Certified System Engineer course and, in the future, Rational Acoustics Smaart Training Classes.

Davide Lombardi comes from a successful career as a sound engineer and system technician, having worked extensively with UK-based Britannia Row over the past 8 years on such tours at Oasis, Amy Winehouse and James Taylor. He is currently on tour with opera star Andrea Bocelli. Luigi Lombardi comes from an equally successful career in lighting design.

"We are

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UK - Systems integrator IVC Media, has confirmed the completion of the final stage in its project to bring content alive with augmented reality at the Natural History Museum's Darwin Centre. The public audience can now view a new interactive film which shows enhanced and individualised content through the medium of bespoke hand held touch-screen devices, designed by IVC.

"The film, entitled Who do you think you really are? features a film making technology allowing Sir David Attenborough to take the audience on a virtual journey back through our evolutionary past, to where extinct creatures will appear to roam around in the studio," says John Smith, managing director, IVC Media. "By simply moving the interactive hand held touch screen, individuals in the Attenborough Studio auditorium can effectively interact with the environment from their perspective. The

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Spain - Hosted by Desperate Housewife movie star Eva Longoria, the 2010 MTV EMAs were broadcast live from Madrid's Caja Magica and Plaza de la Independcia in the historic Puerta de Alcalá on 7 November. For the eighth year running Sennheiser supported the star-studded occasion, which featured live performances from some of today's most popular artists.

Sennheiser UK's team of Mark Saunders, Andy Lillywhite and new addition Tim Sherrattt once again worked closely with audio provider Britannia Row and the event's sound designer Derrick Zieba to ensure the smooth execution of this technically challenging production. Magnetron, Sennheiser's presence in Spain, also provided valuable local support.

Equipment supplied included a significant number of SKM 5200 Mk I and II microphones, with extra 'bling' by Crystalroc for Eva Longoria's handset, plus ew 300 in ear monitors for

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In The White House - Acts including No Doubt and Dave Grohl played Beatles songs at a US gala on Sunday to celebrate Sir Paul McCartney and other winners of a cultural award. Sir Paul had earlier received a Kennedy Centre honour along with Oprah Winfrey, choreographer Bill T Jones, composer Jerry Herman and singer Merle Haggard.

Receiving his medallion at a White House dinner on Saturday, Sir Paul said "great things just come in bundles." The ex-Beatle was at the US President's home in June to receive another award. "I am a big fan of this president, and I think he's a great man who's got some difficulties," Sir Paul said at Saturday's event, hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Sunday night's concert, held at Washington arts venue the Kennedy Centre, was filmed by US network CBS for broadcast later this month.

In The Money - Susan Philipsz

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UK - Llanelli-based Vaughan Sound Installations (VSI) in conjunction with loudspeaker manufacturer Community UK and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has recently completed a major refurbishment of the audio system at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

The new system vastly improves the audio quality, intelligibility and coverage and integrates with the stadium's life safety systems in the eventuality of an emergency evacuation.

VSI has completed a number of stadium audio installations. Specifically in Wales, audio systems have been installed at Llanelli RFC's Parc y Scarlets stadium and the Cardiff SWALEC stadium.

Along with the new audio system, the Millennium Stadium has undergone major technological improvements over the summer carried out by the technology services company CAE. This includes the installation of two 90sq.m LED big screens for each end of the pitch and over 400 h

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Switzerland - SpinetiX has announced that it is now shipping its Fusion content management software and HMP200 Hyper Media Player.

Fusion is SpinetiX's new digital signage software application designed to dramatically simplify the implementation of small-scale signage projects. Now installed within every SpinetiX HMP Hyper Media Player, Fusion allows content to be managed via a web browser interface and can therefore be accessed either locally or remotely using a PC, Mac, Linux or iPad platform or indeed any combination of these. Once connection to the Player has been achieved, content can be uploaded, edited and published with minimal technical skill and in record time.

"In the world of digital signage, small-scale and single-location rollouts are very different from one another," says Serge Konter, marketing manager, SpinetiX. "Our objective with Fusion was to

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  6. Gert Sanner tours Purple on Soundcraft desks
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