China - Race Day at the Formula One Shanghai Grand Prix: The excitement mounts. Second only to the incredible spectacle of the cars is the intense sound, as the air fills with the roar of engines. It's a meeting of sound, vision and passion. Reflecting this fusion, Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Sennheiser are joining forces for the 2013 racing season.

The audio specialist has been named as the first Official Audio Supplier, supplying professional audio solutions for the Factory debriefs, driver interviews and powering the DJ booth in the exclusive Paddock Club. The cooperation kicked off at the Shanghai race with a special DJ set from Chinese superstar DJ, Jamaster A, and the creation of an exclusive edition of Sennheiser Momentum headphones.

While Infiniti Red Bull Racing takes winning performance to the track, Sennheiser will take premium sound backstage as the first ever Off

Germany - The Nexo Awards are presented annually in Frankfurt, and this year, the big prize was carried off to the other side of the world. Group Technologies, the Melbourne-based company that was the first to launch and make sales of Nexo's new flagship STM Series, was named as Distributor of the Year 2012-13 at the Prolight+Sound show Awards ceremony.

Beating off competition from Chile, Mexico and China, GT Group won the top Nexo Award for its impressive launch of STM at the end of 2012, described by those who attended as 'simply the best product introduction we have ever seen'. GT was also the first to bring an STM system into use in the real world, signing up Australian rental company Monitor City as an early pioneer of Nexo's modular line array. Anthony Touma of GT was in Frankfurt to pick up the Award from Denis Baudier.

Other winners included Iemke Roos of the Netherlan

USA - With six separate vocal choirs, full worship band, and energetic services, First Baptist Church-Broad in Memphis Tennessee presents as a healthy and vigorous place of worship. It's also growing just as vigorously; the new church building has an auditorium that seats fifteen hundred people; as such a new sound system was a high priority. "Music can break barriers of both language and culture," said Rod Vester, Minister of Music at First Baptist. "Within a city that has struggled with racial division, we are thankful to be known as a 'love to love' church. All are welcome to worship, so the sanctuary has to be equipped to support us."

"The new worship centre was constructed to maintain the rich history of the church while looking to the bright future," reflects director of operations, Reverend Craig Freeman. To accomplish this, First Baptist Chu

USA - Eastern High School, in Voorhees, New Jersey, is a regional district school with 2100 students. Its main outdoor stadium is a 2500-seat, multi-season venue used for football, field hockey and track and field events. In 2012, Eastern began a major renovation that will conclude with new artificial turf and a new track in time for June, 2013 graduation ceremonies.

As part of the renovation, Eastern upgraded their stadium sound system with Community R-Series, WET Series and iBOX loudspeakers. The stadium previously had four Community R-Series model R2-474 loudspeakers on light poles - two at both ends of the home team bleachers. JD Sound and Video refurbished these, added Polar Focus brackets and re-aimed the R2s for better coverage. JD then added a pair of WET Series W2-218s on the press box to cover the home-team bleachers and delayed the original R2s to avoid artificial ech

Finland - SGM has made a breakthrough with its LED products in Finland, notably with Jaakko Peltomäki Ltd. After the Helsinki-based events company saw the Danish company's impressive display at Prolight+Sound 2012 Jaakko Peltomäki himself made the decision to invest, after being particularly impressed by the LB-100 LED Balls.

"We were looking for some new ideas for our productions - and these were perfect," he said. Seeing how they could be formed into curtains to deliver alluring 3D spatial effects, they invested in 550 strings, each containing seven 34mm Balls, 20 TLD-612 pixel drivers to run it ... and some extension cords.

The 21-year-old company has a versatile work roster, ranging from fashion shows to retail, and they have full turnkey capability, with sound equipment, trussing, video and LED screens. "In fact I was looking for the LED screens when I ha

Denmark / UK - Folk singer Sam Lee finally ended his long search for the right vocal microphone when he discovered DPA Microphones d:facto vocal microphone.

Lee, who was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize in 2012, was introduced to the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone by Front of House sound engineer Jamie Orchard-Lisle.

"Finding a microphone to match my voice has never been easy," Lee says. "After successive attempts to find the gear to capture the full colour and dynamics of my voice, I've always been left feeling a bit cold. It wasn't until Jamie introduced me to the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone that the full Technicolor really left the stage and illustrated the depth and clarity of my range."

Multi-talented Lee is not just a folk singer - he also teaches and hosts radio and TV programmes. His debut album Ground of its Own is an unusual folk collec

Russia - Moscow's renowned Durov Theatre recently upgraded its sound equipment selecting the new Allen & Heath GLD digital mixing system to manage FOH and monitors.

Founded in 1912 by the clown and animal trainer, Vladimir Durov, the famous children's theatre and circus is an historical entertainment venue. The theatre's audio equipment had not been updated for 30 years and was not providing even sound coverage to the amphitheatre-shaped hall. Consequently, a QSC line array was installed, along with a GLD digital mixing system, comprising the GLD-80 console supplemented by GLD-AR2412 and GLD-AR84 I/O audio racks, all supplied by Allen & Heath's Russian distributor, MixArt.

"GLD was selected for this project for several reasons. Firstly, it has a user-friendly interface similar to that of analogue mixers, so it is easy for the theatre's sound engineers and technical staff

UK - For any installer or integrator the new ArrayCalc Version 7 offers the ability to perform acoustic simulations quickly, easily and intuitively. One can now choose from a selection of d&b point source loudspeakers, most notably the xS-Series from the White range as well as Black range Q and E-Series loudspeakers.

The sophisticated additional algorithms of Version 7 address the requirements of a d&b style simulation and planning tool for a complete installation project as well as corporate and AV rental markets. It also offers a new printout section for any of these options and simplifies the process of creating remote control workspaces via an export function into the d&b R1 Remote control software.

There will be a working display area on the d&b stand (N-A24) at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, providing a hands-on opportunity to learn more about this latest software advance.

(

Germany - Optocore has expanded its series of intercom interfaces - following the development of proprietary intercom systems for various OEM partners.

The new generic X6R-FX-INTERCOM-IC444 and V3R-FX-INTERCOM-IC444 interfaces made their world debut at this month's Prolight+Sound 2013 in Frankfurt.

The nomenclature is derived from the IC444 board, which is equipped with two 37-pole connectors -one male, the other female - and provides four Line Inputs, four Line Outputs and fourGPIO. The X6R-FX can be equipped with two IC444 boards while the V3R-FX can be equipped with a single IC444 board.

These latest solutions are the result of fulfilling a custom request from Norwegian state broadcaster, NRK. On that occasion Optocore's sister company, BroaMan, populated the 4LI/4LO board with four GPIO's to enable bidirectional communication - but provided SDI enhancement, to allow came

Brazil - The beginning of 2013 has seen DiGiCo consoles partying on down in two of Brazil's hottest destinations, with an SD8 on monitors for Jamiroquai at the Credit Card hall in São Paulo and the flagship SD7 at Rio de Janeiro's legendary Carnival.

Monitor engineer Dan Ungaretti has been working with Jamiroquai since early 2011, and uses a DiGiCo SD8, provided by long-term supplier Britannia Row Productions, to mix the band's in-ear monitors.

"Jay Kay prefers wedges and has a fair few of them around the stage, so he has a separate console and engineer for them. And as there are 11 other musicians on stage, it makes sense to handle them separately.

"There are 60 inputs from stage. I have some extras for the ears and rehearsals, so I'm using all 60 channels on the desk, plus I've snuck another couple in the back door. The entire band wears IEMs and there is a pair

Eurovision Update - Abba's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are set to write an anthem for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers have announced. The pair will team up with Swedish DJ and producer Avicii to compose a theme track for the event in Malmo, Sweden. We Write the Story will be performed for the first time at the opening of the grand final on 18 May.

Show Statistics - Musikmesse and Prolight+Sound closed with113,000 visitors from 142 countries (2012: 109,481 visitors, 120 countries). "This visitor response has far surpassed our own expectations and that of the exhibitors", says Detlef Braun, managing director of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. "With 113,000, the visitor numbers not only exceeded last year's results by three percent, but it also surpasses the all-time record high from 2009 (112,478 visitors). This is a fantastic result for th

Germany - Due to its ultra-compact footprint, light weight and some radical design inspiration, Martin Audio's new MLA Mini - which had its world premier at this month's Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt - will be able to share the award-winning MLA technology across a far wider range of smaller-scale portable and installed sound applications requiring the ultimate in fidelity, consistency and control, says the company.

Scalable and versatile, MLA Mini's ultra-compact size understates its output capabilities - a 12-box array will throw 35m (115ft) and deliver live music in venues of 750-1000 people.

"When we first pioneered the revolutionary MLA technology back in 2009, we always hoped that one day we would be able to make it available to mass market on a reduced footprint and without compromise," said director of sales, Simon Bull. "Due to some inspired inventio

UK - MilTec (UK) Ltd will use the PLASA Focus show to unveil their new British made speakers to the UK entertainment industry. The Blakite and Blakite TR ranges signal the beginning of a new era for the company.

David Faulkes, sales director commented, "We didn't want to spend any more money shipping boxes filled with air from China to the UK and decided to spend it on components and materials from the UK and Europe instead."

Designed at MilTec's HQ near Maidstone, Kent the new speakers will be built in the UK and will replace the highly successful TP range which has been a standard fixture in clubs, bars, schools and rental companies for the past three years.

The mid/top speakers are available in black and white and will all include pole fittings, flying points, bracket adaptors, rubber feet and a 35 degree rear slope for use as stage monitors. The subs are all ba

UK - At PLASA Focus: Leeds, 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.

A working display area showcasing the new ArrayCalc V7 will be at the stand inviting installers and integrators to learn more about the sophisticated additional algorithms of this latest software advance. Addressing the requirements of a d&b style simulation and planning tool for a complete installation project as well as corporate and AV markets ArrayCalc V7 accommodates not only line array but point source designs or a combination of both into a single hybrid system design.

Across the Piazza in the salubrious surroundings of the Bury Theatre another treat lies in store. Oran Burns

France - Along with St. Moritz and Kitzbühel, the French ski resort of Courchevel is one of the favourite playgrounds of the international jet set - a fact to which the presence there in recent years of Prince William, George Clooney and Robbie Williams is testimony enough. One of the most chic restaurants in the resort, without question, is Le Cape Horn, which, at an altitude of 2,100m, boasts an outstanding location, first-class cuisine and a peaceful ambience.

The sense of perfect wellbeing in Le Cape Horn owes much, naturally, to the sound system. To offer its highly demanding clientele the finest possible acoustic fare, the restaurant's managers invested recently in a new distributed sound system from Electro-Voice. This serves the 1,250sq.m outside terrace as well as the interior of the restaurant. The design and realisation of the installation was the work of the Paris-b

USA - Opened early in 2013, San Francisco's SFJAZZ Centre is the first performance and education complex in America that was built from the ground up exclusively for jazz. At the centre's heart is the world-class Robert N. Miner Auditorium, which strikes a meticulous balance between the hall's controlled natural acoustics and the transparent audio reproduction by Meyer Sound's MIna line array loudspeakers.

The design of the audio system and the room's physical acoustics presented a challenge to Sam Berkow, founder and principal of SIA Acoustics.

"SFJAZZ wanted the ultimate room for musicians to play in, for the audience to listen, and for engineers to record," Berkow says. "To do it all in a relatively small space that allowed flexible seating for up to 700 wasn't easy."

As the hall's natural acoustics are designed to carry the stage sound into the audien

UK - RCF will be showing some of their flagship systems at this year's PLASA Focus: Leeds. The Italian manufacturer will be exhibiting products from both the RCF Commercial Audio and Installed Sound range, plus Professional Speaker Systems - in two dedicated display areas.

New in the Commercial and Installed catalogue will be the AX8042 DSP Matrix Automixer, DXT9000 Voice Alarm System and Media Series M1001 and M1201 .

The AX8042 is a versatile digital matrix mixer designed on a powerful DSP platform, with eight universal Mic/Line inputs (one of which can be set as noise detection input) and six outputs on four lines. Thanks to the available processing power, a large number of audio parameters can be set and expansion possibilities exploited.

The DXT 9000 is a fully scalable, EN-54 compliant digital voice alarm system, built on a double-ring topology, with all digital amplif

Austria - For two weeks in February it was all downhill for the Austrian town of Schladming, as the Alpine World Ski Championships provided thrills, spills and plenty of entertainment. Broadcaster Euro TV subcontracted Hannover-based TVN Mobile Production to supply outside broadcast facilities for the men's course, which included a Yamaha CL3 digital system.

The Championships featured 650 skiers from 70 nations taking part in 11 events. Including the opening ceremony and training runs, TVN delivered 50 hours of live production over 14 days. With over 100 microphones and 98 cameras, many located from the top to the bottom of the men's course, the broadcast was both a technical and logistical challenge.

TVN is renowned for providing cutting-edge technology and staff for broadcasting projects for nearly 30 years and the company installed the CL3 to handle submixes in its TVN-UE2H

Germany - L-Acoustics showcased the 5XT ultra-compact Coaxial Enclosure and SB15m Compact Subwoofer with KIVA variable curvature line source at Prolight+Sound 2013.

The newest and smallest member of L-Acoustics XT coaxial series, the 5XT is based on a two-way passive design with a nominal impedance of 16 ohms. The compact system contains a one-inch diaphragm compression driver coaxially loaded by a five-inch low-mid frequency transducer mounted in a bass-reflex tuned enclosure.

The 5XT cabinet is made of premium-grade Baltic birch plywood to ensure maximum acoustical and mechanical integrity. A 3/8-inch microphone stand insert and two M8 inserts for the ETR5 flying bracket are integrated into the cabinet. The 5XT enclosure operates over a frequency range of 95 Hz to 20 kHz.

The coaxial transducer arrangement produces a 110-degree axi-symmetric directivity output along with a

UK - Orbital Sound reports that its portfolio of pro-audio products will be fully represented at the PLASA Focus show in Leeds, UK, on Stand RA-D14 at the Royal Armouries Museum). Among the highlights, and making its UK debut, will be the new, multi-site capable version of Clear-Com's HelixNet networked partyline intercom system.

Highlights on the Orbital Sound stand will include:

The highly successful d&b audiotechnik V-Series and T-Series compact line arrays, which have now featured in numerous club, theatre and multi-purpose venue installations. The loudspeakers are also becoming widely specified for touring productions, emphasising their flexibility and scalability in delivering consistent results across a huge range of venues.

Clear-Com and HME's extensive range of communications systems, distributed exclusively through Orbital for the UK market, and ranging from HME's

USA - When visitors come to the new TELUS Spark Science Centre (formerly the TELUS World of Science) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, they'll not only be awed by the sights inside the 153,000sq.ft facility, with its four exhibit galleries and 164-seat Presentation Theatre, but they'll also be thrilled by the sounds, thanks to several systems that utilize RoomMatch loudspeakers and PowerMatch amplifiers from Bose Professional Systems Division.

Faced with a new space that was visually stunning but acoustically problematic due to the extensive use of hard, reflective surfaces such as glass and wood, TELUS Spark management knew they needed a special solution - one that could offer a high degree of intelligibility yet at the same time be as unobtrusive as possible to maintain the new facility's sleek visuals. Once Martin Topp, Western Canada manager for Bose Professional Systems, put Bos

Norway - Amas Producksjon is the latest distributor to join the Adamson team. They announced their new partnership while at Prolight+Sound this year. The Norwegian company started as a booking agent in the early 90's but quickly grew to include equipment rental, and in 2004 they began sales and distribution of top brands in the pro audio world.

Amas specialises in turn-key pro audio solutions in both the sales and rental markets. These services include everything from rental to full sound design, installation and 24hr service to their clients in installation and live touring markets.

CEO Morten Paulsen says, "Our main focus is always to create good complete, turn-key solutions for our customers, combining different products to suit each customer's specific need." The addition of Adamson products to their 'line card' paired with Powersoft Audio amplifiers will give th

UK - Two Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing systems and a total of 12 new ME-1 personal mixers were used by PA company, APR, to manage monitors for a large gospel event recently held at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Called Sing Inspiration!, the two day festival organised by iGospel, an inspirational music project providing vocal and music tutoring, songwriting, audio production and event management training predominantly for children. The 2013 event featured a London-based 500-strong mass choir and various other mass soul and gospel choirs from across the UK, Europe and USA, all backed by the renowned igmusic band, with special guest appearances by Jaz Ellington (star of BBC's The Voice), Israel J Allen, and MOBO award-winning gospel star, Rachel Kerr.

Taunton based PA rental company, APR Audio, provided the audio system, selecting an iLive-144 system handling g

South Africa - In celebration of Afrikaans punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar's 10th anniversary, Emperors Palace in Johannesburg played host to FaKing - "120 minutes of mind-blowing musical experience" by the multi-award winning rock bands Fokofpolisiekar and FaKing, formed by Fokofpolisiekar's Hunter Kennedy and Jaco 'Snakehead' Venter.

The show was held on 16 March at the Centre Court of the 'Vegas of Africa'. One of South Africa's leading rental companies, Sound Stylists was commissioned to provide a full turnkey solution for this epic event, and provided a Coda Audio Airline LA12 system to make sure this explosive performance was heard to full effect. The Centre Court's low roof - approximately 4m in height - and a drop-off at around 30m from the stage offered a few technical challenges for event.

"The usual solution for this would be the use of delay to

Latest Issue. . .