Canada - Musicians and audio crew members on Michael Bublé's Crazy Love tour are singing the praises of Aviom's Personal Mixers. Used as part of the monitoring setup for the brass section, the personal mixers offer crew members the ease of configuration they require while providing musicians with a customised monitor mix.

With stops across the globe in a variety of different venues and Bublé performing along with a big band, the Crazy Love tour poses some audio challenges. The brass players have the most cues of all the musicians on the tour, making proper monitoring critical to the performance.

"Ease of setup and tear down were key factors when selecting gear for the tour," says Louis-Philippe Maziade, projects manager, sound department for Solotech, the Canadian production company handling the equipment and crew for the tour. "The A

UK - Working with audio visual supplier, Blitz Communications, Le Mark was tasked with the job of manufacturing a range of heavy duty road case labels which would help increase health & safety by identifying the individual case weights of Blitz's considerable stock of audio visual equipment.

"Customer care and health & safety are paramount at Blitz. We needed a label that would help anyone handling the equipment to visually identify if the case was safe to manually lift or would require assistance. Most importantly of all, the label shouldn't come off without a fight!" says David Watchorn of Blitz.

"All road cases get a rough ride in this industry, so any label that is capable of withstanding the constant transportation and industry standard 'rough handling' needed to be something special. We've used Le Mark's PAL road case labels for many years and know from ex

France - APG reports that TH Audio, a major rental company in the south-west of France, has invested in heavily in APG with the purchase of a complete Uniline compact line array system and associated hardware as well as a DMS26 digital loudspeaker processor and the optional network cards.

The move is part of a significant expansion for the Mont de Marsan-based pro audio specialists, who, in addition to the Uniline system, have also invested in a new Eclipse digital mixing console from Innovason, new outboard equipment AND new premises.

"It's fair to say that our feet have barely touched the ground these last few months," said TH Audio's Thierry Avignon. "However, we've also been incredibly successful, so we're not complaining!" The summer season has seen shows with noted French artists such as Jacques Higelin and San Severino, as well as Jamaican reggae art

Russia - Some 62 miles to the west of the Urals, in the federal district of the Volga, lies the city of Ufa, capital of the Russian republic of Bashkortostan. The largest Russian Orthodox church in the city is around 100 years old and capable of accommodating congregations of up to 1,500. The building has a colourful history, having functioned, variously, as a prison, an aircraft workshop, and a cinema in the course of the communist period.

Now the church has been renovated from the ground up and equipped with a new sound system from Electro-Voice. One of the most awkward factors for the acoustic engineers here was the reverberation time, with RT60 beneath the central dome extending to several seconds, severely compromising intelligibility. However, Ufa-based First Install Company, confident in the assistance of Electro-Voice's Russian partner Ruton S, was undaunted by the chall

Ireland - Pearl AV is the first customer to snap up the new V-1600HD Live Video Switcher from the Roland Systems Group. Pearl's new unit went out to work on the day it arrived, and, within weeks, has become an integral element of the company's HD platform.

"Our visuals department are delighted to welcome the V-1600 to our HD product range," says Pearl's MD and founder Frank White. "The mixer integrates perfectly with our existing HD projection stocks; we were the first company in Ireland to purchase HD 18K lumen projectors, and now, with the V-1600HD, we can offer true HD vision mixing seamlessly from source right through to our hi-brite screens."

TheYouth Citizenship Awards, produced as a TV programme starring guest performers Jedward, provided a solid test for the V-1600HD in its first few weeks. Pearl's production team, led by technical director Paul Cav

UK - POLARaudio has announced that with immediate effect it has been appointed exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for CobraNet interface provider Attero Tech.

Indiana-based Attero Tech LLC designs and manufactures a range of in-wall CobraNet input and output interfaces that allow integrators to provide clients with cost effective solutions in distributed audio systems. Attero Tech's range of microphone/line level input and output panels offer robust connection to CobraNet networks and are designed to work together or with third party manufacturers devices.

Polar audio's technical director Jon Dew-Stanley commented, "Polar Audio is delighted to represent Attero Tech in the UK and Ireland, the products complement many of our current brands such as XTA, MC2, Australian Monitor and Biamp, assisting us to provide and design UK integrators with intelligent and cost eff

India - Allen & Heath's Indian distributor, Sun Infonet, recently completed a series of training sessions in three key locations - Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Calcutta - targeting customers who are ready to move from traditional analogue to digital solutions.

"I thought there was a very good knowledge of digital and IT solutions, and several engineers who had operated competitor digital consoles were keen to come and compare their experiences," comments Allen & Heath product manager, Leon Phillips.

The seminars were split into three areas - ZED, GL and iLive/iDR - attracting over 100 attendees selected from Sun Infonet's customer base comprising live PA owner/operators, dealerships and installation contractors with broadcast experience.

"Digital mixing is in its infancy in India," says Sun Infonet's director, Neeraj Chandra. "However, enthusiasm is high

Switzerland / UK - The members of Take That are lending their support to Hear the World, alongside more than 40 high -profile celebrities, helping to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss.

With the original line-up recently reunited, following the return of Robbie Williams, the hugely successful pop group are the latest names to support Hear the World, a global initiative launched by hearing system manufacturer Phonak, and will join stars like Jude Law, Elle Macpherson, Annie Lennox, Sting and Peter Gabriel.

As part of their support, each celebrity has been photographed by musician and campaign photographer Bryan Adams holding the Hear the World pose - with one hand cupped behind their ear to convey conscious hearing.

"Hearing is something that we rely on every day, even more so being musicians. To lend our support to this

USA - The world's first installation of the Meyer Sound MINA line array loudspeaker is to be found in the Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction, Vt., a live concert venue which opened in early October.

"The sound in the room is incredible, really," says Tupelo Music Hall owner Scott Hayward. "For example, last night Marc Cohn was trading licks with his guitar player and it was astonishing the detail you could hear. It was like being on the stage no matter where you were in the room."

Connecting audiences with music is the founding purpose of Tupelo Music Hall, a 4,000sq.ft space inside a former railway freight depot. New acoustically treated walls and original hardwood flooring enclose a space devoted to the ultimate experience of live music.

"For rooms like this, Meyer Sound absolutely nailed it with MINA," states Scott Tkachuk, system desi

USA - Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. launched a bold new educational initiative earlier this summer with the opening of Full Sail Live, a 22,000sq.ft multi-use performance venue. At the heart of the facility's technology is a flexible, 65-cabinet Meyer Sound reinforcement system that can be reconfigured for concert, spoken word presentations, or cinema and multimedia surround applications.

For director of audio programmes Dana Roun, the selection of a Meyer Sound system was driven by a careful balance of technological and educational considerations. "The audio system had to be second-to-none in performance and versatility," he notes. "We had to satisfy every imaginable scenario, from full-tilt, high SPL concerts to precise acoustic music, plus guest speakers, surround visual presentations, and theatre in the round. The Meyer Sound system certainly deliv

USA - Since its inception, the Woodruff Arts Centre in Atlanta has grown into one of the most dynamic centres for the visual and performing arts in the South. Today the centre includes the Alliance Theatre, High Museum of Art, Young Audiences, 14th Street Playhouse and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Alliance Theatre, now in its 42nd season, is nationally acclaimed and the recipient of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

Clay Benning, resident sound designer for the past 11 years uses Dante Virtual Soundcard and a Dante-MY16-AUD card for productions on the Alliance Stage and on the smaller Hertz Stage. Using the Dante Virtual Soundcard he can now bypass a FireWire connection, using Ethernet instead, which future-proofs the solution and in turn saves money in the long run.

The Alliance's setup includes an Apple Mac Mini, running DVS and Figure 53's Qlab v2 software, and t

Panama - The Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City is considered the most technologically advanced stadium in Central America. Seating 32,000 spectators for soccer games and other sports and live events, the recently-opened stadium boasts a wide-array of professional AV equipment to enhance the consumer experience.

Technomad supplied 35 Noho C loudspeakers as part of a multi-zone audio system designed and installed by systems integration firm Extended GM of Panama City.

The goal, according to Hernan Gonzalez O'Farrill, president of Extended GM, was to design a robust, user-friendly audio system that offered various coverage options for full or partial sound reinforcement depending on the event. O'Farrill and his team conducted a venue-wide analysis in advance of equipment selection, collecting the necessary calculations to ensure uniform sound through the venue.

"We n

Europe - Rock band Supertramp has embarked on the Supertramp 70-10 European tour to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The band is performing greatest hits from 11 studio albums with the help of an L-Acoustics K1 line source system, provided by German rental company and Rental Network Agent Sirius Showequipment.

The L-Acoustics system consists of 24 K1 boxes with eight K1-SB subs, 36 V-DOSC and 12 dV-DOSC cabinets,18 SB28 subs and a stage monitor system of 115XT HiQs, all driven by LA amplified controllers in 14 LA-RAKs. Such a versatile system means that the configuration can change depending on the requirements of the venues hosting the tour's 35 concerts.

For example, at the Olympia Halle in Munich, 12 K1s and four K1-SBs were flown per side, with three dV-DOSCs beneath each for down-fill. The system also included two hangs of six SB28s, an additional six SB28s as groun

China - DiGiCo mixing consoles are currently enjoying increasing success in China. Following on from their key role in the opening of the iconic Canton Tower, further DiGiCo mixers are making an impression elsewhere in the country.

Situated in Guangzhou, the same city as the Canton Tower, the Intown Live House is a live music venue and bar which hosts a wide range of music. Rightway Audio - DiGiCo's China distributor, who used an SD8 and SD9 on the Canton Tower opening ceremony - introduced the venue's owner, Pan Zhibing, to the DiGiCo SD9.

"It's a special venue and we paid great attention to the design of the audio system," says Rightway Audio's Stanley He. "Mr Pan used to work in the audio industry and so knew what he wanted from the system. The console had to be powerful and flexible, but also very compact. He immediately knew that the SD9 was the right choic

USA - Family Church of the Southern Tier, located in Jamestown, NY, recently moved from its original, small sanctuary to a new worship hall. For the new facility, the church chose Turner Specialty Contractors to install an entirely new audio, video and lighting system featuring an Aviom Pro16 Digital Snake and A-16II Personal Mixers.

A presentation by the local Aviom sales rep from McFadden Sales sold Randall Turner, owner of Turner Specialty Contractors, on the Aviom Pro16 digital snake and A-16II Personal Mixers, which he purchased for Family Church of the Southern Tier and is considering for other projects. The speedy installation of the snake, ease of use of the personal mixers, and overall reliability of the entire system also made a positive impression on him.

"The Aviom Pro16 digital snake is a very trustworthy system," says Turner. "The best part is, the

Germany - Rental companies, Bavaria-based Rain Age and North West Rheinland's Go Audio Rental, have augmented their inventories with Midas PRO6 live audio systems purchased from Midas' German distributor Mega Audio.

"We have been long standing Midas fans since first using the XL200 and XL250," says Rain Age managing director Pascal John. "We still have two H3000s on our books and now we are delighted to invest in Midas digital."

Rain Age head of audio and lighting, Martin Heining, has been eager to acquire a PRO6 since first seeing one at Midas' Kidderminster factory in 2008. "It didn't even have a name then," he says, "but I knew it was the future.

"In our opinion," Heining continues, "the PRO6 will become a worldwide audio standard. Rain Age provides high class audio, and we wanted to be one of the first German rental compa

USA - RTS Intercom Systems (a brand of Bosch Security Systems) reports that it will receive two awards at the upcoming National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) 62nd Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards.

RTS, who received their first Technology & Engineering EmmyAward in 1989, will receive the new awards at a ceremony to be held on Thursday, 6 January at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Launched in 1948, The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards honour development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognise companies, organisations, and individuals for breakthroughs in technology that have a significant effect on television engineering.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be recognised at this highest level by our industry colleagues," says Ralph Strader, business line manager for Telex & RTS Intercom. &q

UK - The Reproduced Sound 2010 conference (or RS26) will take place 18 - 19 November at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, around 2 hours by train from London and easily reached from Heathrow. The conference will concentrate on design-team challenges and the interdisciplinary approach necessary to successfully integrate highly specialised design services into a fully ambitious project. The design team Principles will be on board, along with a great range of contributors and activities.

Highlights include of the event will include:

- Key note paper from Leo Beranek

- Paper from Jonathan Adams, the Architect of the Wales Millennium Centre

- Paper from Jeremy Newton, the Acoustic Consultant

- Gareth Fry on designing sound for the theatre

- Trevor Cox on "Sonic Wonders of the World"

- An intimate performance of Beethoven's Piano Concert No. 5, played by co

USA - The Touring Company Store is a new retail concept in the SoHo area of Manhattan. It's a retail store selling indie designers products in addition to some conventional fare in an environment that looks and feels like the backstage of a concert area. It is also "an advocate of independent designers, musicians, artists, filmmakers, and all other forms of independent self expression". The store management recently selected a sound reinforcement system from D.A.S. Audio.

Luis Lojo, an independent sound engineer and system designer based in the New York area, was contracted to design and install the store's new loudspeaker setup. After reviewing products from a variety of manufacturers, Lojo and the Touring Company Store management ultimately selected a system drawn primarily from D.A.S. Audio's Variant catalogue.

The new sound reinforcement system consists of six Va

USA / UK - Fans racing to be among the first visitors to the new NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina will discover cutting-edge AV technology supporting the interactive motor sports attraction. Working with an aggressive schedule, Electrosonic provided AV systems for the Belk High Octane Theatre and more than 100 exhibits as well as interior and exterior giant video displays and supporting sound systems.

The 150,000 sq.ft NASCAR Hall of Fame opened in May to commemorate the history and heritage of NASCAR. Designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, it features numerous interactive exhibits, artefacts, a Hall of Honour, 278-seat Belk High Octane Theatre and NASCAR Media Group-operated broadcast studio.

The Electrosonic contribution to the NASCAR Hall of Fame helps bring fans closer to the sights and sounds of the sport from the Belk High Octane

Germany - Professional loudspeaker systems manufacturer Fohhn Audio will show its Linea Focus electronically steerable, active line array systems at the 26th Tonmeistertagung in Leipzig's Congress Centre (25-28 November).

Since its launch in 2009, the Linea Focus series has proved popular for both mobile and fixed installation applications, particularly in environments with challenging acoustics. The design of the loudspeakers enables their vertical sound dispersion characteristics to be directed towards specific audience areas and remotely controlled in real time, from a central location, without any need to mechanically alter the speaker's position.

The Linea Focus family currently includes four models ranging from the LFI-120 with 8 high-performance speakers, 8 separate amplifiers and DSP processors, through to its top-of-the-range 4.5 metre LFI-450 featuring 32 speakers, 3

Germany - At the 26th Tonmeistertagung in the Congress Center Leipzig, Kling & Freitag is presenting "a complete reproduction chain for the three-dimensional world of sound". The loudspeaker manufacturer will be exhibiting alongside ATec and Sonic Wave.

"We would like to invite all interested parties to our common demo-booth to feel today's possibilities of three-dimensional sound. We think that the applied techniques are very exciting, the proposed solution is highly interesting from the economic point of view, and for this we want to open these technologies to a larger number of users", said Stefan Lenke, head of sales of Kling & Freitag.

(Jim Evans)

UK - King's Lynn Corn Exchange now offers one of the UK's first installations of the new EVA Series line array cabinets, teamed with EV's Tour Grade power amplifiers running on the IRIS-Net platform, a system designed and installed by Nottingham's OneBigStar in consultation with Shuttlesound.

The Corn Exchange auditorium can house nearly 750 people theatre-style, although its flexible seating clears away to reveal a large open space which can accommodate 1200 standing, Such versatility lends itself to a wide range of events, from classical concerts to conferences and stand-up comedy, so the system spec needed to be equally flexible.

"The EVA cabinet runs down to around 50Hz, so, when the theatre has a comedian on stage, the subs can be left in the stockroom," explains Shuttlesound's Neal Allen, who worked closely on the system design. He also describes the way in whi

Italy - Giovanni Turrin is Proel Group's new Chief Financial Officer. Fabrizio Sorbi, Proel Group's president made the announcement and highlighted the corporate role of this position.

Turrin, who commands extensive knowledge of all financial functions earned while working for audit companies and major industrial groups, will report directly to Massimo Signor, the company's managing director.

After graduating from the Department of Corporate Economics of the University of Venice, Turrin began his professional career with Arthur Andersen & Co. Later, he accepted the position of comptroller for all of Stefanel's foreign subsidiaries before moving on to Roncadin, a company in the food industry, where he was the administrative and financial director.

(Jim Evans)

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