USA / Denmark - Harman reports that it has completed its acquisition of Martin Professional A/S of Denmark.

Blake Augsburger, Harman executive vice-president and president Harman Professional Division, said: "As we move forward together and institute Martin Professional as a business unit within Harman Professional, our customers from both the lighting and AV disciplines will soon be able to capitalize on joint innovations, efficiencies and access to our systems portfolios. In doing so, I am confident we'll also drive growth into emerging markets and vertical markets where digital technologies are increasingly central to the commercial enterprise - specifically transportation, hospitality, retail, communications and education."

Martin is in the process of launching new products across all of its product lines including new models in the award-winning MAC Viper family

Russia / Germany - It all began with a documentary on the TV arts channel 'arte' about the world's coldest inhabited place, Oymyakon in the far east of Russia. The programme also mentioned 'ice whispering', a phenomenon that occurs when people breathe and speak in extremely low temperatures. The breath immediately freezes, generating a crackling noise that follows the speaker like a shadow.

Fascinated by the idea that words turn into crystals with a sound of their own, the artist Juergen Staack travelled to Yakutia in 2012, accompanied by his artist colleague Thomas Neumann. The sound recordings that Staack brought back with him were on display in the exhibition entitled SAKHA at the Konrad Fischer Galerie in Berlin. On his acoustic hunt to record the rare phenomenon of ice whispering - which the natives call "the whisper of the stars" - Juergen Staack took along an MK

UK - At PLASA Focus Leeds, on 30April and 1 May in the Royal Armouries' New Dock Hall, nestled conveniently close to the New Dock Bar you will find the d&b audiotechnik stand at N-A24. Make yourself comfortable, come and chat, come and listen; it's what the d&b team love to do. Questions and answers, discussion and debate, fact and opinion; take your time.

Across the Piazza in the salubrious surroundings of the Bury Theatre another treat lies in store. Oran Burns and Steve Jones from the d&b audiotechnik Education and Application Support team will each be delivering another informative, entertaining and thoroughly engaging seminar.

On Tuesday 30 April from 11:35 to 12:35, Oran will present Demystifying audio techniques. Using visual images, practical demonstrations and discussion, the audience will be guided through the principles of acoustics to discover what constitut

UK - Yamaha has released a major upgrade to the firmware for its CL series digital mixing consoles. Bringing a wide range of user-requested enhancements and added functions, the upgrade increases yet further the exceptional flexibility of the CL system, says the company.

CL Series Firmware V1.5 has been developed after carefully listening to comments and 'wish lists' from CL series users. The new features include:

Scene Preview - Pressing the Preview key allows the user to view (and, if necessary, edit and re-store) any other scene. While doing this the scene number area blinks red as a reminder that the console is in Preview mode.

Independent Cue Level; A new Cue Level parameter allows the user to control Cue level independently from Monitor level. The Cue level can be assigned to custom faders and user defined knobs, meaning monitor engineers have better access to monitori

Belgium / UK - Audac has appointed Audiologic as the exclusive distributor for the Audac brand in the UK market.

The official agreement for the complete Audac product range was confirmed at the ISE show 2013. Mark Asselberghs, export manager for Audac said, "It is very important for us that our brand is well represented to customers, and our products deserve the professional knowledge and expert support that Audiologic can provide. As a well established and trusted distributor in the UK audio install market, award winning Audiologic is the natural choice for a long term partnership with Audac."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Toby Alington and his highly experienced team at Richmond Studios Productions are introducing the latest Online Mastering service to their website. With an exclusive third off all purchases until 31 March, Richmond Studios Mastering will be offering its clients "a truly professional and affordable service".

As a multi-award-winning audio producer and mixer, with over 30 years' of experience in the audio industry, Alington will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to RSP's Online Mastering service.

Alington's most recent accomplishment was the BRIT Awards 2013. It was his 19th year recording the show, live-to air, with 7.5m UK viewers tuning in - the best overnight rating since 2003. All eight artists' songs, each mixed live by Alington, went straight to iTunes for download. For the past 11 years, Alington has worked on the MTV EMAs and other large annual mu

The Netherlands - When two of the Netherlands biggest orchestras relocated to a new rehearsal and performance space this year, they needed a high performance vocal PA system which would provide exceptional sound quality, but not detract aesthetically from the historic building. Yamaha DXR12 loudspeakers provided the solution.

Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest (the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, or NedPhO) and Nederlands Kamerorkest (Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, or NKO) work closely together, between them playing to audiences of over 200,000 people in Holland and other countries every year.

Deeply involved in the country's cultural and social environment, under the name NedPhO GO! musicians also perform in classrooms and hospitals, community centres and other leisure facilities. The aim is to bring high quality music to those who are unable to attend concerts, incl

UK - The BBC has contracted Toby Alington and his team at Richmond Studios Productions to mix and record the live-to-air music performances from the Give It Up for Comic Relief show at Wembley Arena in London.

"We are delighted to be working on another big project with the BBC, and are proud to be involved with Comic Relief," says Alington.

Once again, the team will be working with this year's double BRIT Award winner, Emeli Sandé, along with other leading artists Kasabian, Noel Gallagher, Paloma Faith, Jessie J, Jake Bugg, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rizzle Kicks. Russell Brand will be hosting the show, and he will be joined by comedians Simon Amstell, Noel Fielding, Frankie Boyle, John Bishop, Jimmy Carr, Jason Manford, Doc Brown, and Eddie Izzard.

Using Floating Earth's state-of-the-art audio OB truck and SSL mixing desk, taking nearly 200 live feeds f

Hard Rock - Bruce Springsteen has agreed to return as a headline act at London's Hard Rock Calling festival despite organisers pulling the plug on his show last year after it over-ran. He will play again with The E Street Band at the event's new location at the Olympic Park this summer. Kasabian will also headline, playing their only UK festival. Other performers over the final weekend in June include Paul Weller, The Black Crowes and Klaxons.

Late Show - Teen pop idol Justin Bieber angered parents by emerging onstage for a concert at London's O2 Arena almost two hours late. While the 19-year-old singer's young fans were kept waiting, frantic parents converged on the venue expecting to pick up their children. It follows reports Bieber's gig in Nottingham on Saturday also began late. Fans tweeting from inside the O2 said there were boos from some in the crowd almost an hou

USA - Denver Performing Arts Complex's Boettcher Concert Hall, home to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, was built in 1978 as the first US symphony hall in the round. While the 2,634-seat performance space's unique layout continues to remain enduringly contemporary, the venue's previous PA system has not fared quite so well, recently prompting a full audio system retrofit that included an L-Acoustics amplifier and loudspeaker package.

The City of Denver hired South Norwalk, CT-based acoustician/consultant Akustiks to specify the new system, which features an exploded cluster design using ARCS II and Kiva loudspeaker lines. Supplied by AVDB Group, the system was installed by Steve Kuberski and Mark Herron at Mood Media (formerly known as Muzak).

The primary PA is comprised of four horizontal arrays of ARCS II - a cluster of six constant curvature cabinets pointing toward the mai

Germany - Pro audio company Rain Age has added a further 10 Lab.gruppen PLM Series amplifiers to their extensive inventory, reaffirming the company's faith in the technology available from Lab.gruppen and Lake.

The company - based in Landsberg, Germany - has built up a well-respected reputation over the past 15 years, providing full service production capability to a large number and variety of events, from club concerts to large scale arena shows.

The new purchase of PLM Series amplifiers - which come integrated with Lake Processing - complements the company's existing stock of Lab.gruppen FP+ amplifiers and Lake LM Series devices.

Marc Greiss, head of audio at Rain Age, has decades of experience in the live music industry, and for him, the decision to purchase new kit from Lab.gruppen was an easy one. "Of course, the choice of amplifiers is very important for a good s

UK - Loughborough-based conference and event production company Event Engineering has recently upgraded its audio inventory to ensure that it continues to deliver the excellence that its high profile corporate clients demand. This new equipment has included a Yamaha CL series digital console.

Supplied by SSE Audio Group, Event Engineering invested in a CL3 console and Rio3224-D i/o unit after the company's operations manager, Jim Brown, attended a demonstration day at SSE's Redditch headquarters.

"We are convinced that the CL series will become the standard conference desk, due to its high input count and compact form factor," says Brown. "The CL3 surface was our choice as the perfect balance of size vs input faders. Additionally, the system's Dante networking gives us great scope for distributing audio inputs and outputs. The multitrack recording facility is al

Germany - With the launch of the new d:facto II Vocal Microphone, which will be on show for the first time in Europe at Prolight + Sound 2013 (Booth 8.B60), DPA Microphones has now broadened its range of products for the live stage.

In addition to use with the new wired DPA handle, the d:facto II provides singers and engineers with the added benefit of a state-of-the-art adapter system that allows for seamless integration with many professional wireless systems, says the company.

"The launch of the d:facto II Vocal Microphone is a major step for DPA as it means that we now have a microphone for every acoustic miking situation, whether you are amplifying or recording," says DPA's CEO Christian Poulsen. "Our highly regarded Reference Standard microphones have long delivered superb audio quality to musicians who want to use a microphone on a stand, while our innova

South Africa - Stage Audio Works has opened a new regional operations office in Cape Town, in order to better handle clients located in both the Western and Eastern Cape regions. The new base will offer these clients a more direct link to Stage Audio Works' comprehensive turnkey product portfolio, the company says.

Stage Audio Works' territory manager, Jerome Gideon, said the company is "now well positioned to support [their] Western and Eastern Cape partners and customers and the new office is an exciting milestone for growth showing our investment and confidence in the future of the territory."

The office will include a fully equipped showroom and large warehouse for stock holding and distribution. The showroom will include digital signage and interactive displays, video walls, retail and commercial lighting and energy management systems - as well as a host of publ

China - JoeCo has announced the appointment of Advanced Communication Equipment International Co. Ltd (ACE) as the new distributor for the BlackBox Recorder and Player in China, Hong Kong and Macau. Headquartered in Hong Kong, with regional offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, ACE has over 30 years of experience in distribution, consultancy and system integration. The company adds JoeCo's BlackBox family of multi-channel live audio recorders and players to an extensive portfolio of pro audio, AV and lighting products.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome ACE to our distributor network" says Joe Bull, JoeCo's managing director. "The company has a wealth of experience in different market sectors, which is key to establishing the JoeCo brand in this vast and as yet untapped region. We look forward to working closely with the team to develop our future business

India - Turbosound's active/passive two-way TCS-122/64 speakers and TXD-218 dual 18" subwoofers have been installed in one of India's most prestigious private schools.

Three pairs of 60°h x 40°v dispersion TCS-122/64 are on FOH duties in St Helena's Girls School in Pune - dubbed 'the Oxford of the East' - and the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai. Two pairs are affixed to each side of the stage in the school's impressive new auditorium, with a further pair centre stage to cater to the front rows.

In addition, two Turbosound TXD-218 dual 18" front-loaded subwoofers have been placed in each corner of the stage providing full bandwidth down to 30Hz with excellent front to back rejection.

Stage monitoring is handled by four Turbosound Milan M15 powered two-way loudspeakers, which deliver a whopping 450 watts of super-clean powe

UK - Glastonbury Festival impresario Michael Eavis will be helping UK trade distributor Batmink Ltd celebrate its 30th Anniversary by holding an open forum Q & A session during Batmink's forthcoming week of free professional workshops and training (18-23 March)

These workshops are designed to provide useful 'hands on' experience and core skills and will be presented by some of the industry's foremost companies, says Batmink.

During the week, representatives from manufacturers such as Pioneer, Martin Audio, Cloud, Le Maitre, Shure, Audio Technica and Sennheiser will be conducting presentations on subjects including pyrotechnics, production and installed sound and lighting, signal processing, wireless regulations and providing certified training on Zero 88 lighting desks.

The Batmink team will be supplementing this with daily workshops covering subjects such as an introduction

Denmark - Following the completion last week of its acquisition of Martin Professional and the foundation of a lighting business unit within Harman Professional, Harman has announced two key promotions at the company which, says Harman president Blake Augsburger, will position the business unit for optimal development while capitalising on selective shared resources and relationships with Harman Professional.

With immediate effect, Lars Dige Knudsen is promoted to vice-president, general manager, Lighting Strategic Business Unit, "taking over from Martin's previous CEO, Christian Engsted" - the statement says: the only mention of Engsted, the CEO who has guided Martin through eight years of drastic change, much of it in the face of severe economic adversity.

At the same time, Villads Thomsen is promoted to vice-president, Global Sales, Lighting Strategic Business Uni

Germany - d3 Technologies will introduce their new d3 Release 11 software during Prolight + Sound 2013. Packed with new features specifically designed for complex multi-projector shows, d3 R11 will help you dramatically reduce on-site set-up times, and deliver a faster, smoother workflow from start to finish to give you confidence in the face of tight deadlines, says the company.

d3 R11 features QuickCal, a revolutionary new way to get your projectors lined up on site. Place virtual projectors in the stage simulator, drop reference points onto the 3d model of the projection surface, and then line them up on the actual surface. Regardless of how complex the surface model is, you only need 10-15 points per projector, so you can line up a projector in just a few minutes. Better still, QuickCal allows multiple operators to work in parallel, reducing setup time even further.

For th

UK - More than 20 years after the late Whitney Houston was immortalized on the big screen with The Bodyguard, London's Adelphi Theatre is staging a musical production of the story, featuring a 151-cabinet Meyer Sound system based on the M'elodie and MINA line array loudspeakers.

The Bodyguard musical has abundant dynamic contrasts. They range from moments of hushed intimacy between the two lead characters to the goosebump-inducing show-stopping hits like I'm Your Baby Tonight and I Will Always Love You.

"The brief was to bring a filmic quality to the production, whilst bringing all of the theatrical style that one would expect," says sound designer Richard Brooker. "So we have a slightly warmer dialogue sound and more elaborate use of soundscapes and FX than might be considered usual, as well as the ability to deliver the big pop anth

UK - Renowned techno DJ and producer, Gayle San, has adopted the Xone:DB4 as her mixer of choice for touring and production work.

Gayle San started DJing 18 years ago with vinyl, then progressed to CDs, and most recently her set up is digital, originally based around the Xone: 4D and now the new Xone:DB4 mixer and Xone:K2 controller.

"I always choose A&H because every time I play on a Xone mixer at a club or a festival it never fails me. The sound is massive, open, and crystal - it's amazing!" explains San. "Not only can I travel lighter with my new set up but there are endless new possibilities at each gig using digital technology, which is more motivating for an artist."

San usually plays three or four tracks simultaneously on the DB4, alongside a K2 controller which is used to provide the tactile controls mapped to Traktor Pro.

"I love the EQ Is

Hong Kong - The Chinese New Year race meeting at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Shatin racecourse is a key fixture in both the sporting and social calendar of China's special administrative region. The 2013 meeting saw Coda Audio's Airline LA8 system given a high profile, head-to-head trial against another system, with Coda emerging as the clear winner.

As well as the racing, the event featured a lavish opening ceremony at the racecourse's parade ring, featuring entertainment including performances by African and Chinese drummers, vocalists and the famous Chinese Lion dance. Wright Click Production & Engineering were contracted to provide sound reinforcement for the ceremony and took the opportunity to compare two different audio systems.

"Our client wanted to compare the Coda LA8 system with that by another manufacturer," says Wright Click's Sugar So. "Using both

Japan - High End Systems' new flagship Hog 4 console made its debut in Japan when Kome Kome Club's Super Natural Carnival arena concert tour kicked off in early February. Formed in 1982, Kome Kome Club is widely recognized and revered as the only Japanese pop musical group to achieve commercial success by blending soul and funk musical styles.

Makoto Shimizu from Lighting Big1 is the tour's lighting designer. Shimizu witnessed the unveiling of the Hog 4 at the LDI 2012 exhibition, and was eager to specify the console for the Kome Kome Club tour. He comments, "I'd been eagerly waiting for the release of the Hog 4. There had been rumours for some time, although I tried not to get my hopes up based on rumors. Initially, I planned on using a different console; I'd been using the Full Boar forever, and it was about time to try something new. And that was when the Hog 4 ca

Germany - MC2 Audio will be attending ProLight + Sound 2013 with Atlantic Audio in Hall 8.0, Stand F60, majoring on installation amplification, with live demo systems of Ti Series components offering network audio output (Dante and Cobranet compatible) and signal processing, all controlled from the company's installation software application, iCore.

For studio owners and high-end systems, the latest 'no compromise, S Series will be on show. From their specially chosen Muse op-amps for the most transparent input stages, to their selected output

devices for the most accurate speaker drive, they represent "the very best in sound quality".

The touring E Series - will also be prominent, including the E90 and the increasingly popular E100. Attending the show for the first time will be Mark Bailey, MC2's sales and logistics Manager.

(Jim Evans)

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