Lebanon - Beirut-based Pro-Audio company AMAC has been appointed as Electro-Voice's distributor as of 1 November 2010.

AMAC director Abdul Razzak Assafiri comments, "AMAC's policy is to keep on pushing towards a better future and leadership in the A/V market. Electro-Voice is of great significance for us."

Assafiri continues, " We offer services and solutions. That is to say - distribution, consultancy, design and simulations, system integration and after-sales services. We are also skilled in installations and solutions such as professional sound for theatres, house of worship, conferences, hotels, pubs and clubs. And last but not least we offer DJ equipment as well as automation and control for both residential and commercial venues."

AMAC has two offices and two showrooms, one located in North of Lebanon and the other in the centre of Beirut.

(Jim Ev

Czech Republic - The 12th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, the largest scenography / performance design event in the world, held once every four years, returns to Prague, Czech Republic, in June 2011. Coming to Prague will allow visitors to discover a unique outdoor performing exhibition, Intersection: Intimacy & Spectacle, presenting 30 internationally acclaimed artists within an architectural environment/installation specially designed for this occasion.

Additionally, a large number of projects will be on display in outdoor public spaces throughout the city - a unique occasion to discover Prague through the eyes of the world's contemporary artists. Visitors will also be able to explore various disciplines essential to the performing arts thanks to special projects focused on lighting and sound design, architect

UK - Soundcraft Studer has recruited Garry Blackmore, previously programmes manager at Xerox, to spearhead a wave of new product developments as part of its rapid growth strategy.

Blackmore has a background in research and development, having worked on developing Xerox's multifunction systems, and has a BSc in computer science.

"Garry joins us at a time when we are turning a performance corner, said head of Harman's mixer business Andy Trott. "We have delivered the first two phases of our growth strategy and now aim to accelerate projects even faster. With Garry's skills and experience I am confident we'll continue taking market share and providing our customers with even more irresistible products."

BIackmore adds: "I hope to use my experience to help develop a project management methodology that helps us release even more products to our quality, cost a

UK - John Hornby Skewes & Co, UK and Eire trade distributors of HK Audio products and Lab.gruppen products, reports that Feeder is using HK Audio and Lab.gruppen products on live dates around the world. The year 2010 marked the release of the band's seventhth album, Renegades, and saw the band embark on a sell-out international tour.

At the Leeds Metropolitan University show, the band used a pair of HK Audio CT115 Contour Series monitors which had been bi-amped off two channels of a Lab.gruppen FP+10000Q and Channel 1 of an HK Audio DSM2060 speaker management processor.

Taking the drum seat for the tour is acclaimed session drummer Karl Brazil who used HK Audio monitors from the Contour Series (a pair of CT118 subs and a pair of CT115 speakers).

"Karl is a very musical and dynamic player," says Dan Trowhill, Feeder's monitor engineer. "It has been diffi

USA - First Baptist Church Cleveland (FBC) in Cleveland, Tennessee set out to build a new facility whose technical capabilities would support and enhance a variety of worship styles, including contemporary services with a strong sound and media component. To provide sound reinforcement in the new campus' 1700-seat worship center, FBC Cleveland chose an Electro-Voice PA system.

Phase One of construction was recently completed at the new 38-acre site, which features nearly 95,000sq.ft of worship, education, and commons/fellowship space. Development, design, and construction were handled by Myrick Gurosky & Associates of Birmingham, Alabama. Walthall & Associates managed the acoustical and AV portions of the project, working with in-house Electro-Voice applications engineer Stu Schatz to design the loudspeaker configuration. The PA was installed by Cleveland's GravelRoad Entertainm

UK - Pro Audio Systems were a technical partner of the recent 24th Leeds International Film Festival. This event is the largest regional film festival in the UK with over 300 screenings of films from all over the world, including previously-unseen works as well as classics of cinema.

The 2010 event took place in the magnificent surroundings of Leeds Town Hall, which for the duration of the festival was turned into a huge multi-media location with an enormous screen and a sophisticated immersive audio infrastructure.

Pro Audio Systems designed, installed and operated a bespoke sound system for the event comprising mainly Meyer Sound equipment. Providing seamless coverage of the large auditorium required the creation of 11 separate audio zones, programmed and independently controlled using Meyer Sound's SIM audio analyser system and Galileo processors.

An Extron SSP-7.1 surrou

Taiwan - DPA's Taiwanese distributor IX Technology, part of the Linfair Group, has supplied more than 130 DPA microphones to Public Television Service (PTS), a division of the Taiwan Broadcasting System (TBS). The order includes large quantities of 4006-TL omnis, 4011-TL cardioids, 4015-TL wide cardioids and 4017 shotgun mics, as well as seven 5006 surround microphone kits (five matched 4006-TLs and accessories) with seven S5c surround mounts.

The new mics will be deployed across PTS' new HDTV facilities in Taipei, including four new TV studios, two new HDTV OB trucks and an audio recording truck dedicated to mastering in surround. A major part of their use will be for recording classical music and opera performances at live venues such as the National Theatre and Concert Hall.

PTS' supervising audio engineer Julius Wang comments: "I'm extremely happy with PTS' additions

USA - California-based Mastermind Production Group Inc has added JBL Vertec subcompact line array loudspeakers to its roster of live sound equipment.

Recently, Mastermind purchased 18 JBL Vertec VT4886 subcompact line array elements and nine VT4883 subcompact arrayable subwoofers to add to its rental inventory. Other JBL speakers in use by Mastermind include VRX932LA-1 Constant Curvature powered loudspeakers, eight 18" VRX918S subwoofers, SRX712M stage monitors, and AC25 speakers for use as area-fill speakers. The company will be adding more VT4886 and VT4883 speakers by the end of December.

"We are a regional sound company in Orange County, California. We pride ourselves on having great gear and doing great work," says Chad Griswold, president of Mastermind Production Group. "We do a lot of church and school events, functions for the City of Anaheim, as we

USA - Platinum-selling rock band Flyleaf have been touring constantly in 2010, building upon the success of their Memento Mori and Flyleaf albums. Now on the second leg of the band's Unite and Fight tour, Rich Caldwell (front of house engineer) and Sean Patrick (monitor engineer) rely on Soundcraft Vi6 and Si3 digital mixing consoles, respectively.

"Earlier this year we were able to secure a production budget to carry consoles, so we started shopping for a desk to rent," says Rich Caldwell, Flyleaf's front of house engineer. "We wanted to go analogue at the time, but it's just not practical for a multi-band bill and limited trailer space. After several lengthy conversations with Vince Kapchinski, the owner of Backstage Sound and Lighting [of Bryan, Texas], we decided to take out the Vi6. He kept raving about how 'analog' the Vi6 digital sounde

Poland - Jazz pianist Leszek Mo?d?er has been using two DPA stereo miking kits - a 3511 and a 3506 - for his live performances and studio recordings.

The 3511 kit consists of a pair of matched DPA 4011-TL cardioid microphones with stereo booms and mounting accessories. These mics are linear in their frequency response, on and off axis, and provide high SPLs to allow close as well as distant placement. The 3506 kit contains two 4006-TL compact omni mics which have a detailed and natural reproduction with high sensitivity and low noise-floor.

"DPA microphones transfer the sound very faithfully," says Mo?d?er, explaining why he's chosen the DPAs. "They reproduce everything: the hammers working inside the piano, the touch of the fingers on the keyboard, the mechanism of piano's pedal. The microphones record and reproduce everything that is going on while playing; th

UK - Following the retirement of Claude Burton at the end of September, Lee Shuttlewood has taken over the role of professional sound sales - south for Sennheiser UK.

Shuttlewood spent the past 10 years working in the broadcast and systems integrator markets at pro audio technology supplier HHB.

"Claude is very well regarded and played a vital role within Sennheiser's pro audio sales team," says Nigel Mann, business area manager - pro systems. "But Lee's extensive experience in broadcast and systems integration means that he is already proving his worth."

A key part of Shuttlewood's remit is to liaise directly with broadcasters, systems integrators and broadcast hire companies to assist them in the switchover from Channel 69 (854-862 MHz) to Channel 38 (606-614 MHz), which comes into force during 2012.

"We have taken a proactive approach to the Cha

UK - POLARaudio has appointed Clive Burns as national sales manager for its retail division. Burns has many years experience within the audio industry and has previously worked for prestigious companies including Korg and most recently Behringer.

Burns has been brought into the business to head up the newly created retail division and to strengthen the rapidly expanding team at POLARaudio. His main objectives will be to underpin POLAR's already strong product portfolio within the Retail and MI sector, whilst developing new business.

POLARaudio's managing director John Midgley commented: "Clive brings with him a wealth of experience and technical knowledge, he has worked within retail sector for many years and has longstanding strong relationships with key figures. He reinforces our quality driven approach to business, we are delighted to have him on board and look forward

South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa supplied technical production, including sound, lighting, video equipment and a stage/roof system plus crew for the South African leg of Indian singer/musician A R Rahman's Jai Ho world tour.

Gearhouse SA's project manager was Bill Lawford, who started work two months in advance, collaborating closely with the tour's US-based production manager, Nick Jeen.

Three venues - Sun City Superbowl, the Grand West Casino in Cape Town and the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban - were visited over a 12 day period.

The tour brought its full monitor rig and control consoles for sound, lighting and video to SA - the production sound elements came from Sirius Show Equipment Germany for this section. At the first two venues, they hooked into the house racks-and-stacks for audio, with Gearhouse supplementing a quantity of Kudo and dV-DOSC cabinets, a

Belarus - The eighth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest was held on 20 November at the Minsk Arena in the Belarus capital. Billed as one of the most modern arenas in Europe, the venue played host to young performers aged between 10 and 15 from 14 different countries, who performed in front of an audience of 15,000 people.

The show was also broadcast live to more than 40m people in 15 countries around Europe. In audio terms, the production is every bit complex as its big brother and saw no less than four Innovason digital mixing systems deployed to handle FOH and monitor mixing as well as audio distribution to the OB trucks. Broadcast mixing was handled by a Lawo MC66 console.

Event organisers decided early on that they would remain with their proven audio suppliers: that is, long-time Lawo users, Swedish broadcast specialists HD Resources for the broadcast el

UK - The expanding Colombo Group, headed by former fabric head of promotion Steve Ball and Riz Shaikh, recently added its first live/dance club to a portfolio of London bars and gastro-pubs.

Occupying the site of the former Bardens Boudoir in Dalston, East London, is The Nest, where technology specialists Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) were tasked with designing a flexible sound system around Martin Audio components.

The brand had been specifically requested by Steve Ball and Matt Monhardt, general manager of the 300-capacity venue. "Martin Audio is the best sound system we've heard in club situations," he said. "We told Middlesex Sound & Light that we wanted Martin Audio loudspeakers and amplifiers because the impact and precision are so much better.

"We also wanted flexible zoning, allowing as much bass as possible on the tiny dancefloor, while at the sa

UK - Black Light has teamed up with a number of its key suppliers and the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) to help deliver three days of technical training at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on the 22-24 February 2011.

Among the courses being run by Black Light are sessions on the Safe Use of Pyrotechnics, on the operation of ETC Ion Lighting Desks, Rosco Lighting and Scenic Products and Avolites Titan Software.

"Our courses will be a fantastic opportunity to get your hands on some of the most exciting technology in the business and learn how to use it from the professionals," says Black Light's Phil Haldane. "They'll also be a great chance to meet others in the industry and to catch up with colleagues."

A wide range of other training courses will be running over the three-day event and participants can book to come along to one session or many. There will

UK / USA - North London-based VDC Trading has appointed specialist audio and lighting supplier, Group One as a key distributor of Van Damme cables across North America. VDC is the sole representing agent for Van Damme globally, and the co-ordination of all distribution deals is central part of that role.

The deal formalises a long standing relationship with Group One, which has been working with VDC on an ad hoc basis for some time. According to export manager, Andy Dennis, the agreement marks a significant step forward as VDC pursues a concerted international expansion strategy.

"VDC Trading and Van Damme already enjoy strong international reputations for unrivalled quality and excellent customer service," says Dennis. "Building alliances with like-minded partners in key markets is an important part of our strategy for growth over the next five years. This deal

USA / Europe - The Outline GTO large format line array made the loudest 'quiet' debut of any product in the company's 37-year history at the Mile High Music Festival, 14-15 August 14 2010 in Denver, Colorado and with the recent Peter Gabriel New Blood tour.

Veteran PA provider, Dowlen Sound Inc. of Arvada, Colorado chose the GTO as their new large format line array as did the English sound company Britannia Row Productions. Although the formal introduction was not planned until early 2011, the powerful speaker system was used for the first time at Colorado's largest music festival, to kick off the Outline GTO early adopter's pilot programme.

"Outline GTO continues to exceed our expectations," said Eric Satre, Dowlen's sales executive and director of the company's operations at the Mile High festival. "The GTO has really established Outline as one of the t

USA / Poland - Audinate and StageTec Entwicklungsgesellschaft für professionelle Audiotechnik mbH have announced a collaboration in which Audinate's patented Dante digital media networking technology will be incorporated into a range of StageTec products.

StageTec is a leading supplier of digital mixing consoles and audio routing systems for the broadcast and live theatre markets. Recently StageTec was awarded the only 2010 Emmy Primetime Engineering Award for their NEXUS Digital Audio Routing system. According to the official Emmy announcement: "NEXUS is the finest, most versatile audio routing system available today. In particular, the committee of the 62nd Emmy Awards emphasised the quality of the patented True-Match converter. True-Match ensures realistic signal conversion from analog to the digital domain".

"Audio over IP is the future. We have been lookin

Russia - As part of its current restoration, the Moscow Conservatory has purchased a Studer Vista 9 digital console for recording, post-production and broadcast from its Great Hall, as well as a Soundcraft Vi1 digital console for multipurpose use, including at front of house when required.

The Moscow Conservatory was founded in 1866 by Russian musician Nikolai Rubinstein. It has established itself as one of the world's most renowned institutions of musical education. In 1940, it was named after the great Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

With a seating capacity of 1,737, the Great Hall has hosted the world's finest orchestras, ensembles and soloists, as well as international festivals and competitions including the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition for young musicians.

The Moscow Conservatory purchased a 42-fader Vista 9 console that will be utilized for recording, post-

USA - Opened in 1895, the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field has been designated by the NCAA as the oldest stadium still operating for football games. The stadium boasts a long list of history-making events, including the site of the nation's first scoreboard (1895), the nation's first two-tiered stadium (1922), the first football radio broadcast (WIP, 1922), the first football telecast (PhilCo, 1939) and Vince Lombardi's only NFL playoff loss (1960).

The University recently upgraded Franklin Field's ageing sound system with a new system based around R-Series weather-resistant loudspeakers from Community Professional Loudspeakers. Chris Dietze of Yeadon, PA-based Clear Sound comments, "We've seen Community R-Series in sporting facilities, amusement parks and cruise ships all over the world, in some of the most brutal climates, and we have total confidence in their

UK - Viewfax Multimedia has installed a Bose sound system in the new TGI Friday's themed diner in Meadowhall, Sheffield.

The Bose system is designed to provide even sound coverage throughout this particularly challenging venue. As well as differing ceiling heights, there is a mix of large open seating areas right next to smaller enclosed spaces, and music volume is programmed to rise and fall at set times throughout the day and evening.

The Bose ControlSpace ESP-88 audio management system with a CC64 control centre gives a flexible means of selecting input, controlling output and modifying the performance of the system to suit the venue's requirements.

Discreet Bose FreeSpace 3 satellite speakers with bass support in the main dining areas, plus Bose 151s at the edge of the venue and Bose FreeSpace DS16F flushmount speakers in the toilets, give an even sound coverage through

Norway - Theatre sound specialist TTA has boosted its sales and marketing team with the appointment of Flemming S°rensen to the company. With an extensive background in professional audio sales, primarily in the distribution of blue-chip branded products to the Scandinavian market, S°rensen takes up the job of sales & marketing manager.

Formerly the director of the professional audio department at Denmark's leading distribution company Kinovox, S°rensen is now responsible for TTA's international export. He will also oversee national sales for Denmark and Norway, a territory which hosts some of TTA's most extensive and prestigious system installations, including Trondheim's Tr°ndelag Teater, the new National Opera House in Oslo and the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen.

The appointment of Arva Trading AB as exclusive distributor in Sweden completes the picture

UK / Sweden - Milab Microphones has announced a collaboration with Rycote, the British manufacturer of industry-standard microphone windshields and suspensions. The first fruit of this closer working relationship is a custom version of the Rycote InVision USM (Universal Studio Mount) suspension for the Milab SRND 360 surround microphone, and further Milab-specific Rycote products are currently at the design stage. To fit the large 60mm barrel of the Milab SRND 360, Rycote designed a modified version of the USM - the standard version accommodates any large-diaphragm microphone from 18 to 55mm in diameter.

At the heart of the USM, the microphone mounting ring is acoustically decoupled from the rest of the suspension by the use of Rycote's patented vibration-resistant Lyre clips. Made from a non-elasticated thermoplastic which can be bent completely out of shape but always returns

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