UK / Poland - KMR Audio has announced a second product from Looptrotter Audio Engineering in Poland, the company responsible for the acclaimed Monster Compressor. The new unit, the SATUR-8 provides eight separate channels of saturation blocks referencing the sound of vintage valve consoles and tape recorders.

SATUR-8 works as an analogue soft limiter and adds low-order harmonics in an intelligent and musical way. The unit gives a solid and fat sound in the recording, processing and mixing stages.

A primary point of reference for the creation of SATUR-8 was the Monster Compressor, be

UK MT Pro Ltd will be exhibiting for the first time at the IOEX show in London. The show takes place at ExCel on the 6-8 March. On display will be a range of wireless lighting products designed "to enhance your event without the need for mains or signal cables".

The units are battery powered (charging takes place in the flight cases) making them quick and easy to rig, saving time and manpower during your build-up time.

Two simple control options are available. The first is manual control by which the units can be pre-set to any colour using the on-board menu. The second op

Germany - Turbosound will present its new Flashline five-way large scale line array loudspeaker system to the European market at the Konig-Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, on 14 March 2012, ahead of the public launch at the ProLight+sound exhibition in Frankfurt a week later.

"We have well over 120 confirmed key decision makers attending this milestone event," says managing director Simon Blackwood, "from all aspects of the industry - engineers, rental companies, consultants and systems techs - who have expressed interest in our latest class-leading festival and a

Germany - TOA Europe will return to Frankfurt's ProLight+Sound exhibition this year, promising a major new product-line introduction to add to its already impressive line of audio solutions for public address and emergency evacuation.

From its base on Stand 8.0 F46 in Hall 8 of the Messe Frankfurt complex, TOA will showcase a new range of flat-panel loudspeakers - marking the first time the company has offered such low-thickness transducers and extending even further the possible applications for TOA's core technologies.

"Last year in Frankfurt we were the first manufacturer to

UK - A Midas PRO6 at FOH with an additional PRO6 and the new PRO2 on monitors, specified by live sound supervisor and supplied by Britannia Row Productions, delivered perfect performances at this year's Brit Awards, held for the second year running at London's O2 Arena .

The Brit Awards, the biggest event in the British music industry's calendar, is one of the most challenging shows to stage, with a multi-artist line-up that this year ranged from the simple guitar and vocal of Ed Sheeran to the full band, backed by choir, of Blur, all broadcast live on TV to an audience of over six mi

Finland - Viking Line commenced service in 1959, when the S/S Viking began sailing between the Finnish mainland, the Åland Islands and Sweden. Today Viking Line has seven vessels, which sail between the Finnish mainland, Åland and Sweden as well as between Finland and the Baltic states. Operations include passenger services, recreation and cargo carrier services.

After renewing M/S Rosella's dance restaurant to the height of two floors, Jouni Sironen, the AV manager of Viking Line, was looking for the line array set, which could support live music and entertainment. After a few demo

UK - Well over 100 sound engineers and sound rental companies from as far afield as Brazil, homed in on Wembley Arena for two days of Martin Audio MLA (Multi-cellular loudspeaker array) product demonstrations this month.

The two days were split into four separate sessions. Each session combined a theoretical presentation from R&D director Jason Baird followed by exposure to different optimisation plots, created in the new Display 2.1 software, out in the Arena itself. This enabled visitors to sample the consistency of sound coverage from points on the floor, behind the PA, at the blea

USA - Busy booths, packed seminars and a raft of new product launches firmly established PLASA Focus as an unmissable industry event for Texas. A total of 820 attendees, including exhibitors, headed to the Renaissance Austin to see over 50 brands launch dozens of new products and enjoy Focus's trademark informal, friendly atmosphere.

Among the new products making their debuts at Focus Austin were: the MAC III AirFX luminaire and M2GO and M2PC consoles, launched by Martin Professional; along with the DLV Digital Light, and TechnoArc automated luminaire, both from High End Systems.

Th

UK - PLASA Focus: Leeds will be the first UK show that MT Pro has taken a stand at as the distribution arm of MilTec(UK).

"We welcome all existing and new clients onto our stand where we will be showing several new audio and lighting products from our MT Audio and LED Head ranges of products," the company says. These include a new 8-channel amplifier, new 1U mixers, zoners and a digital processor, along with battery-powered units and one of the first wash/profile LED moving heads in the one unit from the company's LED Head range.

MT Pro - Stand S-C7

(Claire Beeson)

UK - 4HM has launched a new MADI to multi-format AES audio converter called the MA64. The MA64 provides simultaneous 32 x AES/EBU and AES3-id pair outputs, offers multiple synchronisation options and is Dolby compatible.

Also new from 4HM are two rack-mounted breakout boxes. The BOB/O-32 provides a means to break out two DB25 connectors to 16 AES/EBU pairs on 3 pin XLR connectors. The BOB/I-32 does the reverse and permits 16 AES/EBU pairs on 3 pin XLRs to be routed to two DB25 connectors.

MA64 is a compact and convenient 1U MADI converter designed specifically for broadcast and prod

Germany - As Renkus-Heinz celebrates a productive ISE, the company is gearing up for an even busier ProLight+Sound 2012 in Frankfurt.

ISE 2012 saw the first European showing of the new IconyxICR-MkII digitally steerable installation loudspeaker, with its innovative new triple tweeter design. "We now have a complete, equally spaced, array of high frequency devices extending the whole length of the array" comments Rik Kirby, VP sales and marketing. "This gives the new, fourth generation, column even better steering ability, reduced side lobes, and greater fidelity."<

UAE - Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises have recently been appointed as distributors for Rycote in the Middle East.

"Rycote is the industry standard for news, TV, film and recording industry professionals when it comes to microphone windshields and microphone suspension systems," commented Chicco Hiranandani, business development manager at NMK.

He added, "with brands like Shure and Sound Devices that cater to the same market, the Rycote range of products now allow us to provide a complete solution to the client base. We look forward to growing our business i

UAE - Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises, distributors of Roland Professional in the Middle East have recently supplied the V1600HD to Dubai based Liquid Productions. A live video production company working on a number of high profile events in the region, Liquid Productions purchased the Roland V1600HD after a demonstration by NMK's Roland specialist Moswain Antao. The HD vision mixer was immediately used for the BBC Good Food Middle East Awards 2012 held in Dubai.

"Liquid Productions have been working on SD for several years but due to market needs they realized

USA - Houston Ballet Centre for Dance, a striking steel-and-glass architectural edifice designed by the world-renowned Gensler architectural firm opened in 2011 as the largest dance arts facility of its kind in the United States. It is also one of the most technologically advanced, with the entire six-story structure wired into a dedicated digital AV network that connects to more than 20 video screens and 68 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers spread throughout the building's nine rehearsal studios, 175-seat performance space, lobby areas, and conference rooms.

"It's an absolut

South Africa - A Midas PRO2 was used for monitors in partnership with a Midas PRO9 at FOH by leading sub-Saharan Africa pro-audio company, Johannesburg-based Prosound, for the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the African National Congress (ANC). The weekend-long live music event took place at Loch Logan Park, Bloemfontein.

"It was our first opportunity to hook up a PRO2 and PRO9 in this way, and it's a dream set-up," says Prosound's Mark Malherbe, who has been a Midas user for some 30 years. "You get all the benefits of the individual Midas digital consoles - great

UK - The cream of the UK music production industry gathered once again at the Café De Paris in Central London for the annual Music Producers Guild awards.

Shure Distribution UK has been a key supporter of the awards since their inception in 2009 - in fact, the awards handed out to the winners are fully working, gold-painted Shure 55SH microphones. (The original design of these classic mics was released as the Shure 55A way back in 1939, and, in its 55S form, was famously used by Elvis and Frank Sinatra in the 1950s).

This year, Shure Distribution was involved in sponsoring tw

Australia - Gearhouse Broadcast recently purchased 52 Bel Digital Audio 3G HD compatible BM-A1-2SHD audio monitors/de-embedders and used them in their HD coverage of the 2012 Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne.

Gearhouse Broadcast provides the technical facilities as the host broadcaster for Channel 7 which includes TV coverage from seven courts plus the World Feed and Channel 7's unilateral facilities. They also provide uni-lateral facilities to ESPN and Tennis Channel from the USA and facilities to tennis Australia for their delivery to various platforms. The newly pur

UK - Pro Light Concepts Ltd is a rapidly expanding supplier of innovative lighting and sound equipment to the entertainment industry. At PLASA Focus: Leeds, staff will be on hand to discuss the products available from Pro Light's office and distribution centre in Lancashire for worldwide dispatch.

The stand will also feature many new products, including the LED Quad colour Q Color and Color Storm LED Battens along with the Xperior Platinum 5R Spot from iSolution. Many other new items from eLumen8 will be launched at PLASA Focus including fixtures specifically designed for theatre, sta

Germany - Guano Apes have just completed Bel Air, their second successful tour since reforming in 2009, and the decision by Front of House engineer Ingo Thürauf to specify a Coda Audio Airline loudspeaker system meant they delivered an audio clarity and punch that did their fiery brand of rock'n'roll true justice.

Supplied by Ambion GmbH, who provided full technical requirements for the tour, the system comprised a Coda Audio Airline LA12 three-way line array, augmented with high output sensor controlled SCP two18" and SC8 four 18" subwoofers, with Airline LA8 two-wa

USA - This year's Grammy Awards event, hosted by LL Cool J, celebrating music's biggest night, went down in history as the second highest rated telecast since the show's inception in 1959. It was a phenomenal undertaking showcasing nearly 30 diverse musical performances on multiple indoor and outdoor stages, along with a very last minute tribute celebrating the late Whitney Houston.

The most highly anticipated performance of the evening arrived when Adele took the stage to perform Rolling in the Deep. Her favourite nickel-finish Sennheiser SKM 2000-XP wireless handheld transmit

UK - This week, thousands of participants will turn out for the Perform 2012 theatre conference in London. Attendees will participate in seminars, network with other professionals, and get advice from over 50 exhibitors. This Friday, Women in Stage Entertainment, a leading networking and professional development organisation, will be hosting a seminar to engage young women considering a career in the entertainment industry.

Created by co-founders Paule Constable and Sarah Rushton-Read, WiSE aims to increase the visibility of women in the stage entertainment industry, and provides a dy

UAE - Melody House, distributors of DPA microphones, have recently supplied a range of the 4099V microphones to the Event Services division at the Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre. The division, which provides various audio, video and lighting services to clients at the centre, has invested in the microphones to support their various entertainment events

"With the violin mount included with the 4099V, the DIECC have purchased the best violin microphone in the market however by just adding any of the other available mounts, the same microphone can be used for n

Benelux - Midas Consoles Benelux reports a healthy first wave of PRO2 and PRO2C sales, with systems going into rental, worship installation, touring and TV production applications.

The first PRO2 into the region went to Boerema Geluidstechniek whose owners, Ton Boerema and audio engineer Auke Meijer, decided to invest in a system due to its audio quality and the broad take up of Midas digital.

The Free Baptist Church Bethel based in Drachten, NL, has become the first installation into a place of worship for the system worldwide. Supplied by John van Zeist from Hecla Professional AV

Fair Play - Radiohead have linked up with a site which allows fans to sell tickets for their forthcoming UK tour to other fans at face value. The band said tickets sold via their fan club will be exchangeable via the Ticket Trust if a fan can no longer go. It follows a Channel 4 documentary highlighting gig promoters selling tickets on secondary ticketing websites for inflated prices. They added, "The band's enjoyment of their own shows has been marred by the knowledge that a great many of their fans have been obliged to pay well over face value for their tickets." Fans will b

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