Pharos - Leaderboard - May 2024

Sound

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UK - The summer of 2010 has seen the reopening of Europe's largest open air theatre in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Late July saw the 6,500-capacity venue's gala opening concert, which featured opera singers Jose Carreras and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, plus a trio of Yamaha M7CL mixing consoles playing a key role.

Originally opened in 1932, when English seaside resorts were enjoying good times, thousands of people came to witness theatrical productions and lavish musicals in a venue where the audience is on the shore of a lake and the stage on an island in the middle of it. But by the 1970s the theatre was in decline, its biggest claim to fame during that decade being a regular host venue for British television's It's A Knockout. Hosting its last performance in 1986, the decaying remains of Scarborough Open Air Theatre lay forgotten for over 20 years, until its recent £3

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USA - The 2010 International DJ Expo takes place in Atlantic City on16-19 August 16 - 19 at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino. American DJ and American Audio will be featured guests at this gathering, as they get set to showcase all-new products, including the long-awaited International debuts of "several never-before-seen lighting effects".

On the audio front, the show marks the first time the American Audio VMS4 arrives on the market. This versatile four-channel 'MIDILOG' controller fuses both MIDI and analogue audio control into one sleek unit. Billed as "the ultimate DJ performance tool," the VMS4 can be used with either a PC or MAC. If the computer crashes, it will kick into analogue mode, where CD players or turntables may be used, or a DJ can use an external power supply. The unit can also be personalised with the option of customised skins.

The 2

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Brazil - Drawing thousands of people from across Brazil, the annual Sao Joao Da Bahia festival is an opportunity for tourists and nationals alike to enjoy a wide variety of food, music, dancing, games, and more. Held each June, the festival attracts both regional and nationally recognized musical performers and this year's event was no exception.

Sao Joao Da Bahia 2010 ran from 11 -26 June and included Gilberto Gil, Elba Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo, Candlebox, Dominguinhos, Leonardo, and Alceu Valenca among the 60 performing artists. A substantial outdoor stage erected for the performers and the sound system consisted of numerous models from the Aero Series catalogue of D.A.S. Audio.

Salvador - Bahia, Brazil-based Arena Áudio Eventos was contracted to provide sound services for the event. Alberto Viana, Managing partner, comments, "This event attracts huge crowds. We had au

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UK - London based event production company DesignScene delivered glitz, glamour, imagination and excitement - including the full creative concept, technical production and the sourcing of artists and performers - for Starstruck, the 2010 Superdrug charity fundraising event, modelled on an X-Factor/Brit Awards/Best of British theme, including a full 'pop star' talent competition.

The event took place at London's Grosvenor House Ballroom. It was attended by 700 top Superdrug personnel and suppliers and raised approx £200,000 for threecharities - Cancer Research UK, Childline and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

DesignScene was working in conjunction with CL Events, who took care of all the administration, sponsorship deals and selling elements.

The event was presented by Justin Lee Collins. It included a full sit down dinner and live auction, with a silent auction

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UK - After eight years with Pro Audio Asia and Pro Audio Middle East magazines, industry journalist Tim Goodyer has established an open-agenda international blog for the pro audio and A/V communities - Fast-and-Wide.com.

In addition to relaying the latest pro audio news, and providing access to a selection of technical papers and instructional videos, Fast-and-Wide enables visitors to comment on items, as well as follow through social media including Twitter and YouTube.

With wide-ranging news of international business and equipment announcements, and supporting services in place, Fast-and-Wide will soon host a discussion forum for industry issues and developments.

"I aim to encourage a free exchange of ideas, information and concerns, with the best interests of our industry in mind," Goodyer says. "With the global economy, 'green' initiatives, c

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China - DPA Microhones has supplied some 4023 compact cardioids and 4028 compact wide cardioids to the Nordic Lighthouse, a Scandinavian consortium taking part in the Shanghai Expo 2010. The mics, along with flamingo and table stand solutions, are being used for Nordic Lighthouse's conferences.

More than 60 companies representing Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland, as well as sponsors, are participating in the Nordic Lighthouse to promote market opportunities for Scandinavian companies in Asia. The consortium is housed in a three storey converted warehouse lit up like a beacon to reflect its name.

Among the speakers using the DPA mics was His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who visited the Expo to present some speeches at a Sino-Danish business conference.

"Given our presence in the Chinese market, and as a manufacture of professional micropho

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Finland / USA - Engineering and consulting firm FUNA International, has outfitted Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas cruise ship with a multitude of BSS Audio Soundweb London processing devices. FUNA has deployed Soundweb London devices extensively in various projects throughout the past eight years, including the last four new cruise ships built out of its Turku, Finland manufacturing facility.

The ship's audio system, covering everything from background music, acrobatic, musical and comedic entertainment, is handled by 29 Soundweb London BLU-800 and 21 BLU-120 devices, with BLU-10 programmable touch screen remotes for local control outfitted throughout the ship as well.

"As BSS Audio signal processors have continued to become more advanced in their ability to provide comprehensive system networking and control, we have been able to use them in more complex and larger a

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UK - Mark Knopfler's Get Lucky tour marks the first time video has ever been incorporated into his performance, projected courtesy of four Robe DigitalSpot 7000DTs.

The DigitalSpots were specified by lighting designer Simon Tutchener, who has been working with Knopfler since 2002 and completed his first major tour with him in 2005.

Tutchener specifically wanted a neat, tourable, flexible lightweight video solution that would integrate seamlessly - both physically and creatively - with the lighting.

The four units are rigged on the front lighting truss. They are soft-edged together and project one large image onto a 26ft wide by 16ft deep video screen hung on the back truss, which is covered by a pair of starcloth curtains for most of the show. They are controlled via ArtNet protocol over Ethernet from Tutchener's grandMA lighting console.

The video clips are all sto

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UK - Ofcom today announced the details of how Government funding will be made available to the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) sector to support its migration from channel 69 to channel 38. This follows the Government's decision last month on the level and nature of this funding, which will contribute to the cost of modifying or purchasing equipment.

Wireless microphones and other wireless equipment that uses channel 69 are being cleared from this part of the 800 MHz band. Countries across Europe are clearing these airwaves to make way for new services like next-generation mobile broadband. Citizens and consumers in the UK stand to significantly benefit from this, especially those that live in the countryside, where the roll-out of broadband and mobile services has been more challenging, say Ofcom.

In June last year Ofcom announced a replacement channel for those af

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USA - Rochelle Park, NJ-based Audio Services provides sound and lighting for a regular roster of events across the NY-NJ-PA tri-state area, from car shows and county fairs to concerts and corporate events. And for Audio Services' president Jack Sinsabaugh, that calls for gear he can depend on, including an assortment of Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers.

"We use our PNX102LA line arrays on an almost daily basis, especially during the busy summer season, and we've never had a problem," Sinsabaugh says. "We've put those boxes up against a lot of more expensive systems, and they outperform them all in coverage and in output."

He continues, "In a typical week, we'll go from a hip hop show like the Funkmaster Flex Celebrity Car and Bike Show, to a fireworks celebration at the Donald Trump International Golf Course, to a rock concert for Six Flags or maybe a gospel

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Australia - Renkus-Heinz reports that AFMG, developer of electro-acoustics measurement and analysis products EASE, EASERA, SysTune, AUBION and more, will be exhibiting at the 20th International Congress on Acoustics in Sydney, Australia, on 23-27.

AFMG (Ahnert Feistel Media Group) will show its growing range of software and hardware tools for audio and acoustics professionals in the fields of architectural acoustics, installed sound and live sound. Peter Patrick, head of acoustic consultants Scientific Acoustics, will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions.

On show will be the EASE 4.3 AURA module, with a special focus on the new AURA-Remote calculation service, and the EASERA room acoustic measurement software.

Also designed for acousticians and consultants, AFMG Reflex software models the scattering properties of diffusors and other surface structures, while AFMG S

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UK - Calrec Audio will introduce a new management system for their Hydra2 network router at the IBC 2010 in Amsterdam next month.

The Hydra2 Organizer, or H2O, allows the user to control a Hydra2 network independently from any console control surface. Users will be able to set up routes and configure access rights to all desks on a given network, as well as label I/O boxes and ports for ease of identification. The application also offers the ability to arrange ports into folders, making them quicker and easier to locate.

The new software is browser-based, allowing network access from a laptop or PC, and is compatible with Windows, Linux or OS X.

Henry Goodman, head of sales and marketing at Calrec Audio, states, "Our new H2O control system further integrates Hydra2 into any multi-console installation. Its user-friendly interface works independently of the console and pe

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UK - Orbital Sound has announced a series of corporate developments, as the company prepares for the autumn season. Orbital has created three new directorships, evolving its management structure with internal promotions for William Addison as technical director, Tom Byrne as sales director, and Eric Simpson as director of live event & communications.

In June, Orbital achieved ISO 9001 certification, as the culmination of a two-year programme to initiate quality management systems throughout the organisation. Thirdly, Orbital is cementing its focus on the wider European sound rental market with the opening of a European support office this autumn.

MD Chris Headlam comments, "Orbital has earned a reputation for being a genuinely dynamic live sound company, and that involves never standing still and watching the grass grow! We have a fantastic team of people - nearly 40 at t

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UK - Successful audio post production house, Out Post Sound, has now completely separated it's retail sales activities into a new arm under the banner of Out Post Distribution.

Out Post Sound, well known for its high quality, cost effective audio post services has also been the exclusive UK distributer of Punchlight automatic Cue Light and Timecode display systems for nearly three years. The success of Punchlight has seen the company sell to Bang Post Production in Cardiff, Waves Studio in London and the Beijing Film Academy as well as many other international clients.

"We decided to split the sales into Out Post Distribution to ensure that customers of our audio post services do not get confused about what our core business is, which of course is our work in the film, television and gaming markets. However, we want to drive the retail side forward and so splitting the co

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New Zealand - Nelson-based PA company, BB Sound, has invested in an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system to cater for an increase in music theatre work through the region's newly refurbished Theatre Royal.

BB Sound purchased an iDR-48 MixRack and iLive-T112 Control Surface from Allen & Heath's New Zealand distributor, Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, which debuted at the Theatre's reopening.

The Theatre Royal is the oldest working wooden theatre in the Southern Hemisphere and dates from 1878 when Nelson had a population of 6,000 people. In 2005 the theatre was closed for major refurbishment and was reopened with two gala concerts this year, featuring 26 different acts on each night.

BB Sound's MD, Bob Bickerton, took delivery of his new iLive system only three days before sound check. "I was nervous about using a new digital desk on such a major event with so

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USA - St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Angel is one of the oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, and certainly one of the most beautiful and majestic in the entire state. The building, begun in 1910 and completed in June of 1912, is the fourth church this faith community has built and maintained since its founding in 1881. The church features multi-angled vaulted ceilings, ornate stained glass windows, intricately stencilled walls and cruciform Gothic Revival architecture.

That same architecture creates a challenging environment for an acoustical designer. Though ideal for choral and instrumental music, spoken word intelligibility - whether readings from Scripture or a sermon - was a challenge even for those with excellent hearing. As Delta AV's Steve Jellerson explains, the church has long struggled with acoustical issues.

"As with most cathedral-type

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UK - PLASA Events and United Business Media's Pro Sound News Europe and Installation Europe have announced the launch of AVNetworks 2010, a technology and business conference which will run alongside PLASA 2010 on its final day - Wednesday 15 September 2010.

PLASA 2010, which runs from the 12-15 September at Earls Court in London, is a major platform for the launch and promotion of innovative new ideas emerging across the event, entertainment and installation industries. The co-location of the AVNetworks Conference is a significant new addition to the event, and is the second Conference to be launched alongside this major international trade show this year.

The one-day event will throw light on the burning issue of networking technologies and protocols, how to make the best use of today's standards and what can be expected in the future.

The conference is aimed

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Australia - Professional Audio Technology (PAT) founded by managing director Patrick Salloch and technology director Tony Fitzsimmons is now the exclusive distributor of K.M.E. for the Australian market.

"Professional Audio Technology is delighted to have been appointed as K.M.E.'s Australian and New Zealand distributor," says Salloch. "We feel that the outstanding sound and manufacturing quality in addition to K.M.E.'s commitment to deliver world class public address products provides great synergy with other world class manufacturers PAT represents in Australia. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous future between our companies which will consist out of bringing Australian and New Zealand pro audio Industry access to K.M.E.'s live sound technology which is second to none."

PAT will present a selection of K.M.E. products at the Integrate show 201

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USA - Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation has graduated three more audiologists from its Golden Circle audiology seminar in Chicago. The seminar is a two-day training event that provides audiology professionals with the specialised knowledge and hands-on training required to serve the special needs of musicians and audio engineers.

Audiologists graduating into the Sensaphonics Golden Circle network include Mandy Rhody of The Hearing Clinic in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada; Alan I. Segal of Advanced Ear, Nose & Throat Associates in Atlanta, Georgia; and Sheri MacGregor of Highland Hearing Clinic Limited in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada. They join a Golden Circle roster that receives priority referrals of musicians interested in personal monitors and custom earphones.

Seminar topics covered include details of how musicians and sound engineers differ in both needs and attitude

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UK - ALD, STLD and Clay Paky have announced the nominations for the 3rd Knights of Illumination lighting design awards. The awards will be held on the evening of Sunday 12 September 2010 at the IBIS Hotel London Earls Court.

The awards will provide public recognition for outstanding achievements in lighting design by UK based lighting designers, in a number of professional areas. At the same time, these awards will forge closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting Industry as a whole.

The awards for The Knight of the Illumination are nominated and judged by a panel of professional reviewers working in the specific categories, selected and coordinated entirely by STLD and ALD.

Television nominations

Light Entertainment

Mark Smithers for Mission 2110

Martin Kempton for Who Dares Wins

Lee Allen for Blue

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UK - St Georges Centre in Medway, southern England, has recently seen a substantial digital audio system installation designed to transform its usability, following a new licence agreement for shared use between Canterbury Christ Church University and Medway Council.

The venue, a listed building on the south side of the Thames Estuary that serves as a Victorian Maritime Museum and church, can now be used for conference, teaching, examinations and music, with Medway Council in particular employing its conferencing facilities for presentations and their larger congress meetings.

The building was originally dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Rochester, as St George's Church in December 1906, serving the needs of the Royal Navy Pembroke Barracks until the Navy's departure in 1984. Its name was then changed to St George's Centre and its doors opened to the public for the first time, r

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USA - Electronic Design Company (EDC) installed the audio system at the new TCF Bank Stadium, home to the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers NCAA football team. Designed by WJHW, the system features JBL VLA line array loudspeakers as part of the main PA system in the west end zone of the stadium.

The opening of TCF Bank Stadium was part of an expansion to the University of Minnesota's main campus, which is expected to include an additional 10 new academic buildings by 2015. As a member of the Big 10, one of college football's most competitive conferences, TCF Bank Stadium was designed to provide fans with an experience on par with some of the country's largest football stadiums. At the same time, TCF Bank Stadium is designed for purposes beyond football, and while it currently features a capacity of 50,805, it can support future expansion to up to 80,000 people.

To withs

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Germany - Uwe Senfftleben, based in Magdeburg and a long-time K.M.E. customer, has invested in a K.M.E. Pano Line Array System. He used the system for the first time at Rock am Denkmal (Rock at the Monument) in Hötensleben near Magdeburg.

Headliner of this year's festival was the German rock band Torfrock. Further acts included Bryan (a Bryan Adams cover band), Premium Flavour and NorFolk.

The arrays consisted of QL 906 line source units and QL 1215 down-fills. The subs QCB 318 delivered silence behind the stage and powerful rock sound in front of the stage due to the cardioid set-up. The amplification of the line source units was through DA 428 digital amplifiers.

Uwe Senfftleben comments, "The set-up of the system is very simple, the light-weight four-channel digital amplifiers reduce transport and cabling work considerably. On the internal memory you can save

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Vietnam - Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd has appointed VISCO Joint Stock Company as its authorised Value Added Reseller for Electro-Voice in Vietnam amongst other Bosch Security, Safety and Communication Technology Products. The appointment was announced during the PALME Vietnam 2010 exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City in July.

VISCO is a total solution provider for Communications & Security System, Traffic Safety, and Storage solution for enterprise. Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, with branch offices in Ha Noi and Da Nang, the company has an exceptional track record of successfully completing sophisticated projects in Vietnam.

David Chua, general manager of VISCO Joint Stock commented on the importance of having Electro-Voice joining their products portfolio: "It is important firstly because we have been a Bosch partner for many, many years in representing their range of extr

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