Sound

Details
The Netherlands - This year, for the first time, the ISE trade show features a 3D theatre, where visitors can experience the very best that the technology has to offer. Alcons Audio has been invited to provide the 3D theatre's sound system.

The theatre will also feature a daily 45 minute presentation by Alcons co-founder Tom Back on the company's latest 3D audio technology. Taking place at 15:00 each day, the presentation will demonstrate how Alcons' proprietary pro-ribbon transducer products enhance the 3D experience.

"With higher standards in Digital Cinema, new challenges have arisen for traditional audio systems," says Back. "24-bit resolution and up to 99 channels of non-compressed audio demand much more in terms of dynamic capabilities, frequency response and transient response.

"Cinema is also diversifying - as well as films, movie theatres now som

Details
Canada - Since its opening in 1997, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts located in Vancouver, BC, has earned an international reputation for its striking design and stellar acoustics. The Chan Centre boasts three different venues: The Chan Shun Concert Hall which seats 1200, the 'black box' Telus Theatre holds 275 patrons, and the Royal Bank Cinema which has a capacity of 160.

Jay O'Keeffe, Chan Centre's head sound technician organised an extensive and thorough shootout to upgrade their existing floor monitoring system. A total of 17 models representing eight different manufacturers were included.

Both self-powered and conventional monitors were included as were various driver and horn sizes. For the non-powered wedges, in order to ensure that the testing process was as un-biased as possible, Lab.gruppen PLM 10000 amps were used in all instances, and comparisons were condu

Details
UAE - Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises, distributors of Rane products in the United Arab Emirates has recently signed United Dubai Disc Jockeys (UDDJ) with an endorsement contract providing them the Serato Scratch Live SL3 DJ interface.

The endorsement deal provides UDDJ with the SL3 DJ interface for the team of DJs to use during their various events both in the most prominent nightclubs in the Middle East and exclusive private events.

"UDDJ which is headed by DJ Mass Ramli is without a doubt one of the most visible DJ groups not only in the UAE but the Middle East," comments Katrina Angeles, DJ and consumer sales representative. She added, "With 17 DJs playing at various public and private parties it provides great visibility for Rane and also confirms that Serato Scratch Live is a reliable system for DJs to use for their performances."

(Jim Ev

Details
UK - Peak Hire, based in Cheltenham, continues to expand its EAW inventory with the addition of 18 KF740 three-way line array modules. The announcement was made by Peak Hire managing director Karl Ashman and signifies the first UK order of the sound reinforcement module.

"We bought a KF730 system about four years ago after extensive evaluation, and it became our first line array," stated Karl. "Moray McMillin, who was EAW's UK sales manager at the time, and is now involved with EAW's Application Support Group, sold us the system after some live demos, and it was great. But eventually, we reached a point with our 730 system where, although we were achieving very good results in the situations we were using it, we needed to take the next step to be hired for larger venues and shows.

"Then the 740 came along. EAW's Kevin McNally arranged a demonstration at Nor

Details
China - Riedel Communications installed a comprehensive communications system for the Asian Games in Guangzhou. Riedel provided the venue communication system as well as the intercom for the opening and closing ceremonies, combining wired and wireless technologies.

The system for the ceremonies furnished an Artist digital matrix intercom system consisting of two mainframes connected via fiber, about 20 Artist 1000 series control panels and around 75 Performer digital partyline beltpacks.

To provide the infrastructure for venue communications, Riedel equipped the venues with a Performer digital partyline systems offering a versatile and easy to use communications system with high quality digital audio and more than 600 beltpacks.

Riedel Communications also handled the installation of the analogue radio network that was also integrated into the wired intercom infrastructure vi

Details
Olympic Marathon - To celebrate the London 2012 Olympics, Shakespeare's Globe will stage all of the playwright's 38 plays, each in a different language and by a different international company. Performances in Maori, Aboriginal languages and Cantonese will all be presented during the season and there will also be a production of Love's Labour's Lost in British Sign Language. Over the course of six weeks, companies including the National Theatre of Greece, Rome's Cometa Off Theatre and Oyun Atolyesi from Istanbul will play the Globe. The Globe itself will also stage one of the plays.

In an Urdu production, Pakistani TV star Nadia Jamil will star as Katherine in Taming of the Shrew and international directors Eimuntas Nekrosius and Tang Shu Wing will mount shows in Lithuanian and Cantonese respectively. Shakespeare's Globe artistic director Dominic Dromgoole said tha

Details
UK - As the newest performance space in the South West, Pavilion Dance has certainly got the equipment and technology to deliver a first class act. Consultants Drama by Design were chosen to produce the solution, while Audio Light Systems Ltd were the chosen to engineer the demanding design in this compact but well-equipped venue.

The lighting package uses almost 200 ways of ETC Sensor dimming, controlled by an ETC Congo Junior desk. Amongst the 100-plus lanterns supplied were 12 Robe 575s, 24 JB LED A7s plus Selecon, ETC & Thomas units.

The d&B audio system is controlled by a Yamaha LS9 32 & DME64. This makes it possible to switch easily between FOH and Cinema mode at the touch of a button on the Crestron control system, which also provides complete AV & lighting control. The transformation to a digital cinema was enabled by the installation of a Christie Digital Roadstar HD1

Details
UK - Flare Audio is pleased to announce that it will shortly be opening a new R&D and demo facility in West Sussex, UK. Building work is currently underway and is on schedule to complete shortly. The 6000sqft building will also house the company's new head office.

In other news from Flare, the company welcomes D&E international as its official distributer in Hong Kong. Davies Roberts from Flare Audio comments: "We are very pleased to welcome D&E International into our network and we look forward to a long and successful business relationship with them. We are honoured to have such an established company join our international network so early."

The Flare Audio team are currently developing a new compact, multi format high pack (due late Spring 2011) that can be used as a true line source enclosure, point source enclosure or close field monitor. "Using technology

Details
Hungary - The culmination of the city of Pécs 2010 tenure as a European Capital of Culture was December's opening of the Kodály Centre, a new, multi-million euro concert and conference venue. It features a major Yamaha audio installation.

Inaugurated by Hungarian president Pál Schmitt, state secretary of culture Géza Sz?cs and Pécs mayor Zsolt Páva, the multi-purpose venue was opened on the 128th anniversary of eminent Hungarian composer and music teacher Zoltán Kodály's birth, after whom the centre is named.

Featuring a total area of 11,000sq.m, the facility cost €22m and includes a 999-capacity concert hall, recording studio, two conference rooms (one which also functions as a ballet room, the other which can be divided into two sections with a movable wall), rehearsal rooms, changing rooms and offices for the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra.

Yamah

Details
USA - Theatre Projects, in collaboration with Gehry Partners and Frank Gehry (partner in charge), has completed its most recent project in theatre design, with the opening of the New World Symphony campus this week in Miami Beach, Florida. Theatre Projects executed the design for The New World Centre as a technologically and visually advanced music laboratory intended for the highest quality of music education and performance. Theatre Projects played a key role in the theatre design and planning as well as in designing the customized performance equipment.

Theatre Projects worked closely with Frank Gehry, Gehry Partners and Yasu Toyota, Nagata Acoustics (the same team that collaborated on the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles) to bring to life a space that blends concert hall, theatre, global stage, and teaching facility into a single, large-scale concert and projection ha

Details
UK / USA - 2010 was a busy year for Kings Of Leon, who have been touring since summer in support of their new album, Come Around Sundown, with Midas XL8 live performance systems at FOH and monitors.

The Midas systems have been supplied by Eighth Day Sound in North America, and Britannia Row Productions in the UK and Europe. "We decided to go with the XL8 because it offers everything you could ask for in a console," says Saul Skoutarides, a UK-based Australian engineer who has been mixing monitors for Kings Of Leon since mid-2009 "Most importantly, it gives us the sound we need, both out front and on stage. It's the best sounding console I've ever used."

This is FOH engineer Brent Rawlings' first tour with a digital desk, having never found one that met his audio standards. His previous console of choice was the Midas XL4. It was the automatic latency

Details
UK Sound reinforcement for the 2010 Conservative Party Conference, held at Birmingham's ICC's Symphony Hall in early October, was provided by RDC Audio for the third year running, working with the Conference's production company Blueway. A DiGiCo SD9 console was at FOH.

"We purchased the SD9 via Wigwam sales department and there are a number of reasons why it's ideal for this kind of job," says RDC's Steven Neave. "They include the physical number of faders on the surface, the split banks of faders, flexibility of fader assignment and the straightforward layout and patching, all of which make for very fast access around the desk. "The stereo channels, Cat 5 multicore and external overview screen were additional reasons why we invested in the SD9."

Audio planning for the conference began in May, which included site visits and discussions with broadcaste

Details
UK - Adam Hall has launched the DEEP2 amp series, featuring four class-H power amplifiers with toroidal cores offering amplifying levels from 2×350 W to 2×800 W at 4 Ohm. During the developmental stages of this series great importance was placed on the reliability and durability of the amps whilst in continuous operation, for this reason only high end, carefully selected components are used, says the company.

According to Andrew Richardson, general manager of Adam Hall UK, "The Deep2 Series is simply the best class-H power amplifier on the market because nothing else comes close, with this performance level and cost, backed by the LD systems two year guarantee."

The Deep2 series features include a clip limiter as well as all the standard protection circuit. While in continuous operation the amps are 2 Ohm and 4 Ohm (bridge) stable. All common in- and outputs can be

Details
The Netherlands - At ISE 2011 in Amsterdam, Meyer Sound will give system integrators an in-depth, hands-on experience of the latest advances in loudspeaker technologies and digital audio solutions. Live demonstrations of the Constellation acoustic system will feature. Other products on show will include the new Mina line array loudspeaker, CAL column array loudspeaker, D-Mitri digital audio platform, and a range of low-profile, low-voltage sound reinforcement systems.

Constellation employs multiple small, self-powered loudspeakers in conjunction with VRAS digital signal processing algorithms to create variable acoustical environments. Providing live music for demonstrations at the show will be British flautist Adrian Brett.

Meyer Sound's new D-Mitri digital audio platform will serve as the backbone of the Constellation system at ISE. Incorporating the emerging AVB networking s

Details
UK - Leeds College of Music (LCM) recently took delivery of two Audient ASP8024 mixing consoles as part of an upgrade of their current studio facilities. The Audient desks were supplied together with Lynx converters and Drawmer outboard gear by Funky Junk, and will be used by the college's Music Production degree students for recording, mixing, production and mastering.

"Previously we had digital desks that were getting a bit old so we traded them in for good analogue desks," explains LCM's senior studio technician, Keith Smith. "The studios didn't have any outboard gear at all before, so we bought a few units so that students can get used to patching and mixing outside of the computer."

BA (Hons) Music Production course leader, Craig Golding says, "The Audient ASP8024 console provides the College with a quality analogue platform for use in delivering

Details
The Netherlands - Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson is currently touring with Front of House engineer Howard Heckers, a DiGiCo SD9 and a pair of DiGiRacks.

"The reasons we chose the SD9 are its sound-quality, flexibility and its size - it is very compact to travel with," says Heckers. "Sometimes we have a flight to catch after every other show; the SD9 makes it easy for us to travel and still use our own FOH desk."

Another feature he likes about the SD9 is that they can only use one stage rack if Roger is playing a solo show, or use both when he is doing shows with a full band.

The console was supplied by DiGiCo's Dutch distributor TM Audio. "When we delivered the SD9 to Howard's studio, he was familiar with the complete console within an hour - it is that easy to learn," says the company's Jaap Pronk.

"When Roger and I hooked up the ge

Details
Germany/The Netherlands - Optocore's stated mission to deliver more energy-efficient, higher-capacity and cost-competitive product upgrades under the 'R' banner, has taken on new momentum with the announcement of the DD4MR-FX and DD2FR-FX dual MADI, video and data network devices.

Following on from the release of the DD32R interface last autumn, these two 1RU products have been designed for compatibility with Optocore's new Cat 5-based SANE platform, allowing up to 256 channels over Cat 5. The existing DD4ME and DD2FE MADI devices have thus been re-engineered to function within this environment, and include RJ45 SANE network connectivity, while the optical port upgrade (to 2Gbit LC SPF's) allows for simple user exchangeable single or multimode fibre transceivers.

The expanded capacity provides each ring with the capability of carrying up to an unprecedented 1024 audio channels

Details
The Netherlands - At ISE in Amsterdam, Apart will introduce the CHAMP-3D amplifier, the newest model in APart's series of convection cooled amplifiers. CHAMP3 is a 3-channel, fully programmable digital amplifier.

CHAMP-3D features four MASK8 top speakers and two SUB2400 subwoofers. The unit has a built-in DSP (digital signal processor). A speaker configuration wizard makes it possible to select other APart speakers and subwoofers that go with the CHAMP-3D amplifier. All the installer has to do is select the speakers, and the settings will be adapted automatically (e.g. the crossover frequency). It will be possible to add future speaker models through an RS-232 upload of software updates posted on the APart website. The advantage for the installer is clear: minimum preparation and install time, minimum worries, maximum performance, says the company.

There are three operating mo

Details
The Netherlands - Keeping the audio flag flying high during ISE's educational programme at the Amsterdam RAI will be QSC Audio Products.

An extensive programme of back-to-back presentations over the three days will feature QSC's Q-Sys Integrated System Platform for digital audio control, processing and networking.

QSC's senior systems personnel will take "a scientific approach to room reinforcement, demonstrating how by combining QSC's patented and matched component technologies (such as Intrinsic Correction, Frequency Shading Topology and DMT) an advanced imaging solution can be created".

Led by product application specialist, Martin Barbour, and senior product manager Dale Sandberg, supported by Shure GmbH Q-Sys specialists, Clemens Sturm and Torsten Haack, the 50-minute sessions will cover the company's major core innovations through amplifiers, loudspeakers and

Details
China - Located in the new city of Pearl River, the Guangzhou Opera House has become one of China's three biggest theatres. Constructed from 12,000 tons of steel on a 70,000sq.m site, the Opera House includes an 1,800-seat and a 400-seat theatre, both of which have been installed with Midas digital systems and analogue consoles, and Klark Teknik signal processing.

The Guangzhou Opera House was designed by London-based architect Zaha Hadid to represent two boulder-like structures of different sizes, with a theatre located in each. The Grand Theatre in the main structure has been installed with an XL8 live performance system in the control room, together with a Heritage 2000. A second XL8 has been added to the networked system for stage monitoring, and can be moved depending on the application.

A PRO6 live audio system and a Verona have been installed into the control room of th

Details
UK - Edinburgh may dominate UK media coverage of the annual New Year's Eve celebrations, but Hogmanay is celebrated throughout the rest of Scotland just as enthusiastically. A prime example is Stirling, where the countdown to midnight takes place against the spectacular backdrop of the city's castle, a variety of live performances entertaining thousands of people. Helping to bring the chimes and skirl o' the pipes to the 2010/11 revellers were a pair of Yamaha mixing consoles.

The event was managed by Zisys Events, which also provided the technical production. The multi-artist line-up was mixed on Yamaha M7CL-48ES consoles at front of house and monitors, linked to three SB168-ES stage boxes via an Ethersound network.

The evening featuring a range of acts, including the Heart of Scotland Choir, tribute act Madnish, 2010 X Factor contestant Wagner, fellow former reality TV (and

Details
France - ADB France has completed a major upgrade of the stage lighting dimmers at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, replacing the dimmers originally installed for the theatre's opening in 1989. The new installation features ADB's Eurodim Twin Tech hybrid dimming technology.

It joins other ADB installations at Paris locations including the Opéra Garnier and the television broadcast studios of the TF1 and M6 channels.

The Opéra Bastille is the product of a competition sponsored by President Françoise Mitterrand to create a new, modern, world class opera house for the city, to mark the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille. Designed by Carlos Ott, it seats 2,723 and opened on July 13 1989.

The first competitive tests between four leading dimmer brands were carried out in November 2009, and in February 2010 the opera's technical team made the decisi

Details
UK - IT & AV rental company, DB Systems, will showcase its Event Networks & Telecoms division, which specialises in providing venues and events with a modern internet and telecommunications system, at next week's Event Production Show (2-3 February).

DB formed the division in 2010 as part of a restructure. It then successfully installed the full internet and telecommunications service for the Farnborough International Airshow.

Oliver Richardson, DB's sales and marketing director, said, "The Event Networks & Telecoms division is the solution to an increasing problem facing venues - whether they should invest in installing permanent connectivity. Some events require no internet and telecommunications service whatsoever, while others demand large resources to cater for any and all exhibitor needs.

"This division has the experience and hardware to provide almost unlimi

Details
USA - Audinate has announced today that Rome-based ZP Engineering has become the first Audinate authorized distributor and engineering partner in EMEA.

"We're very excited that ZP Engineering has stepped up to become our first authorized distributor and engineering partner. ZP and Audinate have a long standing relationship. Audinate's respect and confidence in ZP's capabilities are second to none," stated John McMahon, VP of worldwide sales and support. "Having ZP Engineering providing Dante products with their design and integration support will allow small to medium OEMs quicker access to our complete line of products and services."

"The strengthened relationship with Audinate allows us to better leverage our integration capabilities with the industry-proven Dante networking solution" stated Umberto Zanghieri, co-founder of ZP Engineering. "

  1. Gearhouse SA celebrates New Age Friendship
  2. Analog Way appoints VP American operations
  3. Audio Light Systems in Suffolk school project
  4. Dennis Martin heads up Audio Light Systems in Ireland
  5. NAMM's 'Wanna Play?' Stage covered by Community
  6. Loud appoints new pro audio leadership
Page 1055 of 1372

Latest Issue. . .