UK - When the analogue mixing console at Dundee Repertory Theatre was showing signs of old age, the theatre's head of sound Colin Lowson realised that it was an opportunity to give the venue's audio system a 21st century shot in the arm. A DiGiCo SD8-24 now in place at the mix position.

The theatre has a varied programme, taking in plays, musicals, dance, live bands, comedians and corporate events, so a digital console was the ideal solution. "We had been considering various options over a two year period," says Lowson. "When the SD8-24 was introduced, it seemed to offe

USA - When fans enter the Amway Center for an Orlando Magic basketball game, they might mistakenly assume that an in-the-round rock concert tour had left town and forgotten to take its sound system. The permanent system - anchored by 66 Meyer Sound Milo line array loudspeakers - largely duplicates recent touring rigs for Usher, Metallica, and Céline Dion.

Rick Price, assistant director of broadcast technology and services for the Magic and Amway Center comments, "This building is about sponsorship opportunities and fan experience. With our massive LED scoreboard, I knew we

Germany - The new Live X series of portable powered and passive loudspeakers is designed to "bring world-tour-proven Electro-Voice performance within reach of a wider range of customers than ever before".

Comprising three powered and four passive models, Live X features the latest Electro-Voice-engineered components; lightweight, durable plywood cabinets; best-in-class SPL output, power-handling, and frequency response; and clean, stackable designs - all at a price point previously unheard-of for loudspeakers of a similar pedigree, says the company.

Three versatile powered

Germany - ProLight+Sound 2011 sees Yamaha Commercial Audio launch a new version of its StageMix iPad app, alongside further new software, the usual wide range of hardware products and a new Facebook page.

A highlight will be the launch of the LS9 version of the StageMix iPad app. Since its launch in September last year, the M7CL version of StageMix has been a major success and producing an LS9-compatible version has been a priority for Yamaha's software development team.

Using the iPad's built-in WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n) functionality, StageMix directly controls the LS9 via a wireless

UK - In a joint technical initiative with Audinate and Lab.gruppen aimed at "providing the class leading performance and convenience of the industry standard Lake DSP and power of the Lab.gruppen PLM Powered loudspeaker Management system design platform", Turbosound has announced the release of its 20000Dp amplifier.

Based on the Lab.gruppen PLM 20000Q platform and featuring dedicated presets specifically designed by Turbosound's live sound engineering team for use with Turbosound's new Flashline concert touring loudspeaker system, the 20000DP provides four discrete output c

Australia - The Jands Ezicom production communications system has been a mainstay of the Australian entertainment industry for many years. Now, Jands has launched launch the new Ezicom family of products.

The new Jands Ezicom system is capable of delivering reliable production communications on stage and theatre productions of low to medium complexity. It's simple, logical control layout means it can be set up and operated by untrained users while still delivering professional performance, says the company.

The new line-up consists of the E101 single channel belt pack and the E401 f

UK / USA - Harvard University's Media Production Centre has added a SoundField Mark V B-Format microphone to its existing inventory, which already includes a SoundField SPS422B mic and an SP451 surround sound processor. The Mark V is being used to make stereo and surround-sound recordings for various departments at the university, including the music faculty.

Anthony Di Bartolo, Manager of the university's Media Production Centre, provides audio, video and multimedia services across the university, and has himself long been a user of SoundField microphones for jazz and acoustic record

India The 34th National Games 2011 were held at Ranchi in Jharkhand recently. While the event itself saw athletes from all Indian states competing against each other, around 7,000 athletes marched past audiences of up to 45,000 during the four-and-a-half-hour long spectacular Closing Ceremony.

After successfully executing the audio for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi, large event specialists Sound.Com were again contracted to broadcast the audio for both spectaculars, working for event production house Core Networks and Cineyug Group, who managed both the Opening and Closing cere

UK/Sweden - Orbital Sound reports on a successful season with La Soirée, as it moves from the South Bank Big Top to Sweden prior to a return to London later in the year. Billed as a fusion of cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and contemporary vaudeville, Orbital was responsible for the show's sound design and system supply, working with production manager Dan Watkins to overcome a number of challenges, including 23 very eclectic acts performing in a circus-style tent.

Sound design was down to Orbital's Davy Ogilvy, who explains his approach to coping with the large

Norway - Having purchased a Martin Audio Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array in December last year, Rubicon demonstrated the system to key technicians and concert management at Sentrum Scene in Oslo recently.

Among the audience were NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), and Live Nation, both of whom were excited about what the MLA system could do for their productions.

Roar Ånestad, Head of Sound at Rubicon, guided the audience through a technical presentation of the system. The listeners were impressed by the MLA system's smooth tonal balance throughout the venue.

To ensure th

USA - Visitors to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Lower Manhattan are discovering the beauty of Native American artifacts and the stories behind those stunning objects in the new permanent exhibition, Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, planned to be in place for the next decade.

Electrosonic engineered, provided and installed 20 exhibits for Infinity of Nations - 10 linear video stations and 10 interactive workstations housed in the NMAI's George Gustav Heye Centre in the Old Customs

Earthquake Appeal - A group of UK rock acts are to play a benefit gig in aid of Japanese earthquake victims. Primal Scream, The Coral, and Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye are among the bands set to play a show at Brixton's O2 Academy on 3 April. The money raised at the gig will go to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. Ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, Blur's Graham Coxon, and veteran rocker Paul Weller will also play.

Justin Bieber and U2 are among artists who have agreed to contribute songs to an album to raise funds for victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Record label Unive

USA - Meyer Sound have said they are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of audio industry pioneer and "dear friend", Owsley 'Bear' Stanley.

"Bear was a great friend and a true inspiration," says John Meyer, CEO and co-founder of Meyer Sound. "We first met Bear in the 1970s, and we worked very closely for many years. His determination to find new technical solutions to improve audio delivery led to our numerous experiments together in the early days of Meyer Sound. He was an uncompromising advocate of audio system clarity, which to this day is still the driving

USA - Yamaha Stagemix software for the M7CL iPad app was recently installed into Chicago concert venue Viper Alley. Located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, the venue is the brainchild of Scott Greenberg, creator of the Wit, Chicago's hippest boutique hotel. Viper Alley opened in early March with American Idol winner Lee DeWyze performing for 200 online raffle ticket winners. The club also features a complete Nexo sound system. The installation was completed by Gand Sound Installations (Glenview, Illinois).

StageMix is an application for the Apple iPad (R) that allows remote control

UK - There have been record-breaking visitor pre-registrations for PLASA Focus: Leeds 2011, taking place at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 April 2011.

PLASA Events are attributing the increase in visitor registrations to a host of new features at the show, including an extended exhibitor list of 120 companies including 21 first-timers, a seminar programme that is twice the size of previous years, case study presentations from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North, special interest seminars presented by some of the industry's leading bodies a

The Netherlands - Loudspeaker manufacturer Duran Audio has recently released V2.40 of their WinControl software, which is the control and monitoring software for their AXYS brand of loudspeakers. The company is now offering "the ultimate control over all of its DSP based products".

All AXYS Intellivox, IndustryAmp, Octadrive DSP, Sound Reinforcement (Scope, Source, Flex; G2ranges) and Target products are fitted with a powerful DSP and can be networked; via an RS-485 network.

To gain full control of the wide range of features offered by the DSP and also the eight on board p

USA - The Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia has nine auditoriums, hosting an average of six weekend services, and more than 2,300 events each year.To help dramatically reduce stage noise and adapt to the different needs of this 95-acre campus, Perimeter Church continues to select Aviom Pro16 Personal Mixers to grow alongside the Church.

"We have more than 50 Aviom A-16II Personal Mixers on the campus," says Steve Simmons, director of technical ministries, Perimeter Church. "We just added 16 Aviom A16IIs and an A-16CS Control Surface to our new Cecil B. Day Chapel

GCC / USA - Clair Brothers is for the first time making its loudspeaker systems available for purchase in the Middle East through distribution specialists NMK.

NMKs exclusive appointment for all GCC countries is the next step in the long-term strategic plan of making Clair Brothers' product portfolio available to a global customer base. This follows the completion of a new 50,000 sq foot manufacturing facility in Manheim, Pennsylvania along with the recent appointment of David Cooper in the role of brand development - global.

"We are growing our international distribution netwo

UK - Electrosonic has announced that Ilari Anttila has been appointedservice director, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Formerly head of the Nordic region managing Electrosonic's operations in Finland and Sweden, Anttila will now be based in London.

In 2010, Electrosonic's audio-visual service business in the UK expanded considerably with the acquisition of DRV, a leading corporate AV systems and service company. Anttila's appointment furthers Electrosonic's commitment to provide the highest level of service to its clients, says the company. Besides managing and expanding busine

USA - Upgrading its audio infrastructure to deliver a more immersive experience to its partners, the not-for-profit Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Washington, recently installed a Soundcraft Vi1 digital console.

The Mount Baker Theatre provides its guests with a variety of Broadway and off Broadway shows, local productions of Broadway shows, symphonies, local musical acts and dance recitals. As a non-profit organization, the theatre works to enrich the culture and reinforce a sense of community within the region.

"The Vi1 is a console you can jump right on, whether you are

UK - Satisfactorily marrying historic buildings to the ever-more complex audio/visual requirements of the 21st Century is a delicate and complex business, but a new installation at one of the UK 's most famous churches - London's Westminster Abbey - has achieved the appropriate balance.

Designed by audio consultants Michael Hyland & Associates, installed by Winchester?based Whitwam and supervised by the Abbey's clerk of the works, the project has included the installation of speech reinforcement, induction loop and CCTV systems, along with video, audio and data distribution facilities

Poland - The new Stena Vision ferry is the largest carrier in Europe and also one of the largest in the world. It is 175m long, 30m wide, 43m above sea level, and boasts 527 cabins, a spa and conference centre, many restaurants, bars, night clubs, shopping and more. The ferry operates between Karlskrona in Sweden and Gdynia in Poland.

Polish RCF distributor Arcade Audio provided the product for the installation of the RCF sound system to the C View Nightclub at the Stena Vision ferry.

"To be part of an installation on one of the biggest ferries in the world is a nice challenge.

UK / Brazil - Blackbox recporder manufacturer JoeCo has appointed BYZ Inc as its exclusive distribution partner for the Brazilian market. The Florida-based company has been active in the MI, pro audio and broadcast markets since 2003 and currently acts as a hub for international companies seeking strategic partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to helping JoeCo expand its business in Brazil, BYZ will also act as a fulfilment house for other Latin American territories as needed.

"We are delighted to be represented by BYZ in such an important emerging market as Br

Germany - At ProLight+Sound, K.M.E. will feature the VL 3 i professional grade, compact speaker system designed for fixed installation in theatres, museums, lecture rooms, exhibition booths, restaurants and as a top unit in actively channelled PA systems for speech and music reproduction and in surround systems for (small) cinemas and multimedia installations.

The system comes with minimal sound colouration and distortion in the midrange (2 x 3" cone speaker) and fine precise highs coming from a special 1" dome tweeter. A high- grade passive crossover network completes the s

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