UK - Four times Latin Grammy nominated producer and mixer Andy Bradfield has completed a complete upgrade of his studio in London's Parsons Green which he calls Studio A. In recent years Andy has carved a remarkable niche being the 'go to guy' for both high end pop and rock acts as well as crossover acts and movie and gaming soundtracks.

Having begun his career at the legendary Olympic and Townhouse studios, it made sense for Andy to turn to ex Olympic maintenance engineer Paul Wilkes for the installation of the upgrade.

He explained: "Paul did a great job and recommended we used Van Damme blue series cable almost exclusively because of its reliability and suppleness when running it around corners and tight turns. The studio is based around a Pro Tools HDX system with Xmon software and I use an Icon 24 mixing surface which suits me and the way I work. Originally the Icon

Spain - The Cafe Teatro La Cerdanya near Barcelona, is an exceptional restaurant, combining traditional and international cuisine, a cocktail bar and a theatre. In order to guarantee quality sound and lighting for all locations, different LD Systems, Cameo Light and Audac products were installed.

In the restaurant, accommodating about 100 people, elegant and discreet Audac ceiling speakers have been chosen to provide an elegant and subtle sound. After visiting the restaurant, guests are invited to make their way to the cocktail bar where they can round off the evening on comfortable couches, with good music and classic drinks.

To make good music sound even better, four LDEB82A loudspeakers from the Stinger series were combined with two Stinger Sub 12A G2 subwoofers. Six Cameo Flat Par Cans Tri 3W IR provide the perfect lighting. In the Private Dinner Room, audio systems from L

UK - Following the highly successful January launch of Adlib's Scottish office which is headed by Graham Cochrane, the company staged two technology based open days at the Glasgow O2 Academy live music venue, showcasing some of the latest innovations available from premium brand partners including L-Acoustics, Soundcraft, DPA Microphones and SSL.

A wide selection of industry professionals from across the installation, live, rental sectors as well as engineers and production managers came to check out the action.

Adlib Director John Hughes explained that the open days were planned in particular to focus on installation and sales potential, and how offering turnkey solutions with leading brands can have a huge impact on assisting venues in being more competitive and attracting new business. He was delighted with the response and turnout as well as the support from the manufactur

Brazil - Leading Brazilian production company, Mix 2 Go, selected its modular iLive system to record the 20th anniversary concert for renowned singer, Ivete Sangalo.

"I chose iLive simply because it sounds amazing! To mix 128 live channels is not an easy task but the network options of the system are very reliable for live and broadcast work, and iLive has an awesome workflow with the capacity we need for a recording of this magnitude," explains OB engineer, Beto Neves.

The system captured 128 recording channels and 16 channels from the video recording, including both audio and video feeds. The iLive-144 surface was installed in Mix2Go's OB truck, whilst an iDR-64 and an iDR10 rack were located in the hall. iLive was complemented by Focusrite units and RTS intercoms, all connected with optical fibre

The musical director could speak from within the OB Truck directly

Belgium - Located in Genk, Yunus Emre Camii is the largest Turkish mosque in Belgium. The industrial city of Genk is cosmopolitan, with large Turkish, Italian and Greek communities, and up to 1000 people attend the mosque for prayers each Friday. It has also become a popular tourist attraction for visitors of all faiths.

Since the building was constructed, the original sound system had never served its purpose. The sound system was plagued by poor intelligibility and reliability while the mics constantly picked up and transmitted echoes and noise. To resolve this, Yunus Emre asked several companies to quote for a new system and the project for design and installation was awarded to Hifi Center Herteleer.

Kristof Broux of Hifi Center Herteleer explained, "The budget was tight and we were the most expensive, so to convince them of our ability to deliver the best audio solut

USA - Godsmack's US tour marks the debut of the Meyer Sound Lyon linear sound reinforcement system recently purchased by Rainbow Production Services of Atkinson, N.H. The touring Lyon system is part of Rainbow's new Leo family inventory, which also includes 24 Leo-M loudspeakers for long-throw applications.

"I've always liked working with Meyer rigs, but Lyon is something special," says Scott Tkachuk, FOH engineer for Godsmack. " When the band's pushing hard and I'm going for it, I've still got 30 percent of my headroom still available. I also like the way it tracks every move I make on my Midas PRO9 console. When I pull something out in the mix, it's all right there. It's a very responsive box."

Having supplied Meyer Sound systems for every event genre from rock to comedy, Rainbow looked no further when it came time to expand its inventory. "The touri

UK - d&b audiotechnik introduced three new products at PLASA Focus 2015 at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. The new D20 amplifier, the MAX2 stage monitor and ArrayProcessing, a significant new feature within the d&b ArrayCalc V8 simulation software, made their UK debut in the New Dock Hall.

ArrayProcessing is a new optional feature for optimising the tonal and level balance of d&b J, V and Y-Series line array systems across an entire listening area, significantly improving the consistency of performance. The D20 joins the D80 as part of the four channel 2RU amplifier family. It features intuitive user interfaces and fast, responsive remote control and monitoring via Ethernet, through the OCA protocol. The MAX2 is a flexible 15" stage monitor, which can be pole mounted on a d&b subwoofer and used as a small, full range system.

The Y-Series also made its first appearance at th

UK - Northern Stage Services Ltd has unveiled a new corporate brand following the acquisition of the business of Lancelyn Lighting and Lancelyn Theatre Supplies in February this year.

Now operating as National Stage Technology Ltd the company is able to offer UK-wide services for specialist lighting, sound and stage solutions for the theatrical, architectural and construction markets. National Stage Technology, based out of Manchester, Wirral and Oxford, boasts access to world-class manufacturing, highly trained and experienced lighting specialists, sound and stage engineering experts.

Patrick Colin, managing director at National Stage Technology, commented: "Northern Stage's acquisition of the business of Lancelyn Lighting and Lancelyn Theatre Supplies earlier this year has added strength and depth to our company, and our new unified approach is certain to benefit all of

USA - Area sales managers for international trade distributers John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd., recently visited the Massachusetts headquarters of pickup, preamp, and amplification manufacturer Fishman, and were welcomed and hosted by company founder and president, Larry Fishman and his team.

As well as a tour of the factory and office complex, the team received advanced sales training on the full line of Fishman products.

The JHS team were accompanied by Fishman European brand ambassador, Steve Fairclough who is working alongside JHS to produce dealer training and sales focused in-store clinics.

JHS executive director, sales & marketing Alan Smith added, "What a fantastic opportunity to see the amazing attention to detail and quality throughout the design and production process. The passion and pride in producing the world's best products runs through the organisation fr

France - Following a convincing recent demo in Paris, Meyer Sound has confirmed three new orders for the Leopard linear sound reinforcement system, including two French rental system purchases and an installation going to a nightclub in Marseille.

"This is the first time we have purchased a line array system immediately, before any of our rental clients have had a chance to ask for it, because we are certain that it will be requested as soon as they hear it," notes Marc de Fouquières, general manager of Dushow, who purchased 24 Leopard loudspeakers and 10 900-LFC elements.

Besides the system's small cabinet size, full range response and ease of setup, Fouquières says it's the listening experience that proves most convincing: "The uncompromised sound quality of Leopard simply overshadows every other small line array system, and some larger ones as well."

USA - The stakes were high for more than just the boxers during the 2 May fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Televised live, the pay-per-view event was a rare collaboration between Showtime and HBO, and both networks expected technical perfection.

Handling the selection, deployment, and coordination of wireless microphones, IEMs, and intercoms for the event was the team from Las Vegas-based Soundtronics, led by managing partner Mark Barbuti. "For a major live televised event, there can't be any mistakes," he notes. "This fight was such a high profile event that we were basically told directly to do whatever it takes to make sure that there were no wireless issues whatsoever. I knew immediately that we would be using Shure Axient for all our key channels."

Fortunately, Soundtronics had worked on multiple boxing events in the MGM Grand Ga

USA - Franklin High School in Franklin, Wisconsin recently seized the opportunity to build a proper fine arts auditorium, both for use by its rapidly-growing student body (currently 4,300 students) and for use by the larger Franklin community.

The new 25,000sq.ft, 850-seat auditorium propels the school to the cutting-edge of live performance technology and infrastructure, not the least of which is an impressive Danley Sound Labs sound reinforcement system. An exploded left-sum-right configuration of Danley SH-60 full-range loudspeakers deliver point-source fidelity and imaging, while two beefy Danley TH-212 subwoofers ensure that all low-end content is appropriately moving, figuratively and literally. Four Danley SM-LPM molded loudspeakers serve as high-fidelity stage monitors.

Professional Audio Designs of nearby Wauwatosa, Wisconsin had worked with Franklin High School sever

USA - d&b audiotechnik will introduce two new and much anticipated installation amplifiers at InfoComm 2015, Orlando. These amplifiers join the d&b family of dedicated installation products and reaffirm the company's focus and commitment to the market.

Roger Keim marketing manager, d&b audiotechnik USA said, "InfoComm is a key event in our calendar and we have good news at the show this year. Based on nearly 35 years experience in developing systems and, more importantly, from the interaction and feedback from our valued customers, our new installation amplifiers have been designed to give d&b performance in a package tailored specifically for installation."

The new amplifiers will be on display at the d&b stand (621) alongside the new Y-Series loudspeakers and D20 amplifier, which was launched at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt, Germany in April. Visitors will be able t

USA - PLASA's inaugural Kansas City Focus Show opened its doors this week showcasing the very latest live entertainment technology products, attracting major buyers and hosting truly inspirational industry speakers who shared their knowledge and expertise.

The seminar programme and training sessions saw a diverse range of topics with highlights including: Rocky Paulson - a master of rigging, sharing his expertise on the art of rigging safely with the right components; Daunte Kenner - a veteran in both lighting and video, enlightening the audience on the craft and workflow that goes behind creating video; and Richard Pilbrow - the renowned lighting designer and founder of Theatre Projects, sponsored by Group One's 'ElektraLite', musing that a theatre is an accelerator of energy and light and the principle that an audience makes the atmosphere before the play begins. He presented

UK - Audio-Technica (exclusive distributor of Allen & Heath products in the UK) is to host a free training event on 29 May, aimed at giving attendees an overview of the full range of Allen & Heath digital mixing consoles including Qu, GLD and iLive Series.

To be held at Wigwam Acoustics in Heywood, Lancs, between 10am-4pm (with refreshments and lunch provided), the training will be delivered by Rodrigo Thomaz, one of Audio-Technica's Allen & Heath product specialists.

Including a brief history of Allen & Heath and its product development over the years, the day will ensure that those attending leave with a working knowledge of all Allen & Heath digital consoles - and all in attendance will receive a certificate to confirm completion of the training.

In order to ensure the best possible service to those on the course, places are limited and early registration is advisable by

USA - For two weekends in May, Rock in Rio made its US debut in Las Vegas - on the MGM Resorts Festival Grounds at the northern end of the strip.

A significant share of the music came from the Mercedes-Benz Evolution stage, equipped with a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker system provided by Gabisom Audio Products Brazil, Rock in Rio's longtime production company. The system itself was supplied by Las Vegas' own 3G Productions who also assisted with setup, stage gear and production for the event.

Founded in 1985, Rock in Rio has been held in the city of origin as well as Lisbon and Madrid over the years. This year's US festival marked an important expansion for the company and its founder Roberto Medina.

An eclectic lineup on the Mercedes Evolution stage for both the Rock and Pop weekends featured Foster the People, Gary Clark Jr., Sepultura featuring Steve Vai, Deftones, Coheed

USA - It's natural for modern, Seattle landmark concert venue Benaroya Hall to be used for performances by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Specified by Jaffe Holden, it's fitting that the audio infrastructure be serviced by a Seattle integrator, Carlson Audio Systems. But it's just that little bit special that a key element of the audio system inventory is made by a Seattle manufacturer: Symetrix.

Benaroya Hall is a purpose-built home for the orchestra, but it also hosts lectures, jazz concerts, rock gigs and guest orchestras, including a recent visit by the London Symphony Orchestra. Its main space is officially called the S Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, but Taper Auditorium is how everyone here knows it.

Classical, rock or jazz, the audio management of the Hall has been transformed. A re-drawn DSP infrastructure now facilitates an advanced networking solution: a hybrid D

Edinburgh Rocked - Edinburgh's position as the world's pre-eminent festival city faces challenges from the digital revolution, public investment and city infrastructure, according to a new report. Thundering Hooves 2.0 is a £50,000 report commissioned by the city's festivals forum, the umbrella body for public organisations that have a vested interest in the success of the city's 12 key festivals. It builds on an original 2006 report when it was feared that the "thundering hooves" of other cities could be heard overtaking Edinburgh's status as the UK's preeminent festival city.

The new report makes 38 recommended actions, across six themes, which it says will allow the city's festivals to evolve and cope with future challenges. The festivals are described as being "behind the curve on digital innovation". To combat this, it is recommended that th

Italy - The new Sonic Rose sound spatialisation operatic multimedia experience from Paris-based art and design collective Danny Rose made its debut at the The Eyes Of The Resistance during April 2015.

The Eyes of The Resistance was held across two locations including the House of Memory in Milan to mark the occasion of the Italian Resistance's 70th Anniversary, as part of INSMLI - Italy's National Institute for Liberation Movement Studies. It was also staged for an inauguration of the Resistance Museum in Milan, Italy.

The event marked the world premiere of Sonic Rose, Danny Rose's system for multi-channel sound spatialisation, which was developed specifically for Danny Rose by Emanuele De Raymondi and Jacopo Carreras.

Sonic Rose allows the audience, the stage and the actors to all become more deeply immersed in an affecting universe of sounds and images which

UK - Audient reports that the highly anticipated bus-powered interface, iD14 is now shipping worldwide and available at all Audient dealers.

Launched to much acclaim at this year's MusikMesse in Frankfurt, iD14 offers two channels of Audient's classic console mic pres delivering 10 in/4 out with Burr-Brown AD/DA converters, all in a compact, stylish desktop package.

"The mic pres are exactly the same as those found in our flagship ASP8024 console and throughout the rest of the product range, delivering unbeatable audio quality for the price," says Tom Waterman, Audient's technical director.

One of the few USB audio interfaces in its price range to offer ADAT expandability, iD14 gives the option to add external mic pres - such as the soon to be available ASP800 - which increases the number of inputs by up to 10.

iD14 introduces Audient's revolutionary ScrollContro

India - Music Group has announced the appointment of Alphatec Audio Video Pvt Ltd as distributor for Midas, Klark Teknik, Turbosound, Behringer and Bugera for India.

Alphatec director, Mr. Devasis Barkataki, commented, "We are proud and excited to be given this opportunity to represent such prestigious brands in India. These world class brands are strongly recognised and favoured by the Indian market. We will heavily invest in our our customer service to further open the Indian market to provide comprehensive solutions for our clients." Prior to Alphatec, Devasis spearheaded Ace Acoustics which is Harman's master distributor in the Indian Eastern Region.

Graham Rowlands (VP sales, professional division at MUSIC Group) commented, "The Alphatec team comes with great experience in both the installed and distribution domains, which ensures the MUSIC Group brands wil

USA - Drummer Bill Kreutzmann knows a thing or two about helping friends. A founding member of the Grateful Dead along with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan, Kreutzmann made rock history when he invited fellow percussionist Mickey Hart to join the band. This made the Dead one of the first rock groups to have two drummers. The synchronicity between this pair of percussionists helped forge a new sound and earned them the nickname, the Rhythm Devils

Given his penchant for friendship, Kreutzmann (who played in all 2,300 Grateful Dead performances during the group's lifespan) could undoubtedly appreciate the bond between lighting designer Manny Newman and his friend Ronny RedRocks. This is especially true since that friendship resulted in a collection of Rogue R1 Spot fixtures from Chauvet Professional adding an eye-popping visual element to his performance

Canada - The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will hold its 59th International Conference, focusing on Sound Reinforcement Engineering and Technology, on 15-17 July, 2015, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

This is the first AES International Conference to focus on sound reinforcement in over 25 years. A select group of leading technologists, scientists, developers and users in the sound reinforcement industry will gather to discuss the latest innovations in sound amplification and control systems for live performance, to share their insight on current and advanced techniques and technologies, and to present their visions for the future of the industry.

The programme will include tutorials, papers and workshops covering topics of practical approaches to system design; case study analysis; and the measurement, optimization, installation, and testing of sound systems. Topics to be addr

UK - Since his breakthrough in 2012, the career of singer/songwriter Sam Smith has skyrocketed from relative unknown to household name. The four-time Grammy winner recently embarked on a world tour with an L-Acoustics K1 and K2 sound system that made a potentially difficult range of venues a straightforward proposition for the audio team.

Sound provider for the UK and Europe was Britannia Row. With the tour playing a wide range of venue sizes, they turned to L-Acoustics for a system that could be easily and quickly adapted to any circumstance.

Brit Row systems engineer for the tour, Adam Smith (no relation to Sam) explains, "We were doing arenas like the Brussels Forest National or the Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, and the next night, scaling down to theatres, Academy-sized and even club shows. Capacities literally ranged from 10,000 to a few hundred, so it was a challenge."

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