UK - Electrosonic has promoted Bryan Hinckley to head of the worldwide entertainment business, which includes the museum, theme park, visitor centre and retail markets. The post was previously held by Chris Conte, who was recently named head of the new US Business Development team.

Hinckley has been managing Electrosonic's themed environments and attractions business in the US, where he was responsible for maintaining and growing the business as well as managing and supporting its US-based sales team.

"Bryan's promotion to lead the entertainment business comes at a very exciting time for Electrosonic and for the AV market as a whole," says Jim Bowie, president of Electrosonic Group. "As one of our key talents, Bryan is assuming new responsibilities at which I believe he will excel and help move the company forward."

Hinckley says, "As Chris Conte mov

UK - On the first month of this year 2015, Next-proaudio has decided to announce a new period of warranty and is extending the warranty on all Next-proaudio speakers from the standard two-year warranty to five years.

"The decision to extend the warranty period reflects our confidence in the quality of Next-proaudio and this gives our customers an additional argument to trust on the reliability of our products", says Andre Correia, Next-proaudio's assistant manager.

The warranty on the electronic products (such as power amplifiers, digital signal processors) remains in effect for two year from the date of purchase.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Meyer Sound has announced that its CAL column array loudspeakers are the first loudspeaker products to receive the AVnu certification by AVnu Alliance, the industry consortium that certifies Audio Video Bridging (AVB) devices for interoperability. This certification is the global seal given to devices that have implemented the IEEE AVB standards and passed AVnu Alliance's rigorous testing for interoperability and compliance. CAL can be heard live at the Meyer Sound stand at the 2015 ISE trade show in Amsterdam.

CAL is widely recognized for setting a new standard for coverage control and sonic precision in steerable column arrays. Now with the AVnu certification, CAL provides seamless interoperability with AVnu-certified AVB devices from other vendors to simplify network implementation for the user, while offering numerous advantages of the open IEEE AVB standards.

For sp

The Netherlands - For the fifth consecutive year, Dante's AV Networking World series of informative presentations and hands-on workshops will be held Monday, 9 February 2015 at the Amsterdam Holiday Inn near the RAI Convention Centre.

The free all-day event will feature presentations, training workshops and interactive panel discussions led by industry design consultants, AV installation contractors and IT networking experts. The event will also feature a major interoperability networking demonstration of Dante-enabled products and systems, several of which are debuting at ISE from the industry's leading audio manufacturers.

Twenty-five leading audio equipment manufacturers are co-sponsoring this year's conference including Ashly, AtteroTech, audio-technica, Bosch, Bose, BSS, Crest Audio, Delec, Focusrite/RedNet, Harman Professional, Lab.gruppen, Lake, Nexo, NTP, Peavey Commer

USA - The Newport Performing Arts Centre (PAC) in Oregon has recently installed a Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system in its 398-seat Alice Silverman Theatre. With the upgrade, the venue joins the likes of Moscow's Svetlanov Hall, The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Centre, and more than 50 other prestigious venues that rely on the variable acoustics of Constellation to deliver an extraordinary live experience.

"The result of Constellation is subtly but fundamentally transformative for both audience and performer," says David Ogden Stiers, resident conductor for the Newport Symphony Orchestra (NSO), who has more than 20 years of experience at the PAC. "We have gone from an okay performance space to an actual, audible concert hall. Frankly, I was sceptical about the system at first - but am now totally won over."

The proposal of the Constellation solutio

UK - London-based audio consulting firm, RH Consulting, has strengthened its team and widened its services with the addition of former PLASA Technical Resources Manager, Ron Bonner.

Ron has served with PLASA for 13 years offering health and safety advice, regulatory compliance information, technical advice and support in product compliance and environmental regulations. He offers services to many parts of the entertainment industry and continues to provide technical resources to PLASA as a contracted supplier. He offers additional services exclusively for the audio industry through RH Consulting.

Ron has played a key liaison role for Government and Regulatory agencies along with managing representation for the drafting of international, European and national standards that affect the entertainment and architectural installation industries.

He is a chartered health and safety

UK - The Dear GIRL Tour is the ongoing debut concert tour by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams. Williams kicked off the tour in Manchester, England, with a full Adamson sound reinforcement system.

The European tour was spearheaded by Sound Image out of Escondido, California, with UK-based Wigwam providing the Adamson PA.

Kyle Hamilton, FOH engineer for Williams, specifically chose the Adamson Energia line arrays to support performances at major arenas throughout Europe.

"They asked me what PA I preferred when we were preparing for the tour and I immediately chose Adamson - it's the system I always wanted to tour with," explains Hamilton. "I couldn't let that type of opportunity go by, it was definitely Adamson."

The main PA consists of left-right line arrays each made up of 15 E15 and three E12 enclosures. Out-fill is provided by two more lin

USA - D.A.S. has announced the launch of its new Aero 20A compact powered line array system. The new system joins the third generation of Aero line arrays systems born with the introduction of the Aero 40A Advanced Line Array System (ALASTM) in 2014. Incorporating the ALASTM philosophy, the Aero 20A draws from the success of the "all-purpose" capabilities of the Aero 12A, launched in 2009.

The Aero 20A incorporates a new D.A.S. 12" loudspeaker optimized to provide high output and reliability. A light aluminum voice coil bonded to a new fibreglass reinforced cone, an optimized magnet circuit, and a new suspension design, have contributed to the exceptional performance of the 12AN4 in terms of distortion, power handling and maximum SPL. The 12AN4's new voice coil venting scheme is particularly effective in dissipating voice coil heat providing the speaker with a hig

UK - Dance music magazine DJ Mag yesterday announced the results of its Best of Britain Awards, with first place in the Best Small Club category going to Audio in Brighton, beating venues such as Stealth in Nottingham and Corsica Studios in London to the prize.

Over the course of the summer of 2014 several promoters hired in Traction rigs for events where they required a superior sound to what was already installed, and the manager Robbie Whishaw and then owner John Holland were won over by the high clarity, big bass and high SPLs achieved from very few boxes. Discussions began to have new systems installed on both floors ready for Audio's 10th Anniversary celebrations on 12 September.

Before it was Audio, the venue was called The Escape and ruled Brighton's nightlife for 20 years. It's basement saw names such as The Stone Roses, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim and Daft Punk grac

The Netherlands - Barix last year introduced SoundScape, a solution to centrally manage and distribute branded audio over IP networks of any size. At ISE 2015, Barix will demonstrate the complete cost-reducing, revenue-generating capabilities of SoundScape as the company brings the fully integrated solution to market - including cloud-based content management and live status monitoring via the SoundScape Portal; and new compact, multi-format Exstreamer SoundScape IP audio players for location-based media playout.

SoundScape is capable of integrated audio distribution, remote device management, dynamic contact scheduling, system-wide reporting and monitoring, and high-quality, multi-format audio playout. Essentially, SoundScape brings together several traditional Barix strengths previously available as separate applications - including dynamic, targeted ad insertion - to simplify

The Netherlands - Coda Audio is exhibiting many of its installation loudspeaker and control solutions at ISE 2015 in Hall 7, booth S220. The company manufactures products to suit all types and sizes of installed sound, from small bars to the biggest auditoriums. Engineered to the highest standards, they ensure that optimum sound is delivered, whatever the venue.

Coda's compact line array systems and line source column speakers will be a focus of the company's presence at ISE 2015. Ultra-compact line array TiRAY and the TiLOW bass extension offer the ideal high quality audio solution for any medium-sized venue, as well as being suitable for club-sized touring applications and corporate events. For medium to larger spaces, the company's ViRAY line array and SC2-F sensor controlled bass extension will be on show.

With the CoRAY4i installation line source and the CoRAY4Li bass ext

The Netherlands - Designed for all sizes and kinds of installed applications, Yamaha Commercial Audio's range of installation market products continues to increase, with the company showing many of them at ISE 2015.

Exhibiting on Stand 2-A40, two of the most recent additions to the company's Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) series are the MA2030 and PA2030 compact 2 x 30W mixer amplifiers. Both feature a high-efficiency Class D amplifier, silent operation and direct support for both low and high impedance speaker systems. For maximum flexibility the MA2030 adds two-channel mixing with source EQ (Bass/Treble), plus several of Yamaha's DSP technologies featured in the company's top of the line professional audio equipment.

Also in the world of digital mixing, Yamaha will have the latest firmware update for its CL and QL series consoles on demonstration, which provides inb

The Netherlands - At ISE in Amsterdam, the Meyer Sound stand will feature some of the latest Meyer Sound loudspeaker and digital solutions in action. Headlining the presentation is Countdown, an immersive multichannel sonic adventure that brings the company's advanced show technology from the world's most ambitious spectacles to the exhibit floor. Visitors are also invited to experience the exceptional control and sonic fidelity of the steerable CAL column array loudspeaker-now officially the industry's first AVnu-certified AVB loudspeaker.

Countdown features the Meyer Sound SpaceMap multi-channel dynamic panning software with the D-Mitri digital audio platform. These systems have powered dynamic sonic experiences in theme parks, aquariums, and theatres, including the latest stage adaptation of the Anne Frank story in Theater Amsterdam and Bill Fontana's Sonic Mapp

Ireland - Co-founder and composer for The Cranberries, Noel Hogan described the addition of Audient's 8 Channel Mic Pre & ADC ASP880, and USB Interface iD22 to his mobile and home studio set up, as "perfect for me".

Despite having painstakingly kitted out his studio with a lot of coveted vintage outboard gear, his work involved so much travelling that it was often left unused. "Finding a set up that I can take with me is what I've been working on more recently," he explains. "I wanted it to be clean, reliable and mobile so I went straight for the ASP880 combined with the iD22. The clean sound and separation I get from the units is amazing; that combined with the quick ease of use is perfect for any project studio."

Hogan has always found himself drawn to production - even in the early days. He confesses, "Most of my time in the studio (when n

Singapore - Clear-Com reports that Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore's national performing arts centre has enhanced their production intercom system with Clear-Com digital solutions. The centre has upgraded its existing partyline intercom system with the HelixNet Digital Partyline system, as well as Eclipse HX Median and Eclipse HX PiCo Digital Matrix Intercom Systems. The project was supported by Clear-Com's local partner, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd.

Performance communications is an important element in Esplanade's daily operations, ensuring that all show cues are executed accurately on time and that the performances run smoothly. The existing partyline system was producing constant 'hum' and 'buzz' noises that are inherent in typical analogue systems. The noise was audible and at times, affected the quality of some of the quieter performances, so the decision w

USA - Named after a legendary football coach and home to the Conroe Independent School District's numerous High School athletic teams, Buddy Moorhead Stadium continues a proud tradition of Texas high school football with a modern facility seating over 8,400 fans.

The stadium's artificial turf and competition track were recently upgraded, but for several years, its sound system had been unreliable and fans often complained about intelligibility.

In 2014, the Conroe school district chose TASC A/V to provide a new sound system. TASC designed a system based on Community R6-51 high-output, horn-loaded loudspeaker systems. TASC Project Manager, Anthony DiDonato explained, "Our only real option for locating the loudspeakers was at the scoreboard. So, we needed an extra-long-throw box to cover over 150 yards. Plus, this is Texas football - we needed high SPL at long distance to g

Canada - Adamson Systems Engineering has expanded their support team with the addition of Jeremiah Karni. The new applications engineer will assist customers with system design and provide product support and training. The announcement was made by James Oliver, director of marketing and sales.

"We have experienced a tremendous amount of growth in the last year," explains Oliver. "With this expanding client base, it is essential that we maintain the high level of education and support that Adamson clients are accustomed to. Jeremiah fits the mold for the type of character and skills needed to grow our team."

Karni attended Southern Cross University in Australia where he received a bachelor's degree in music with a major in music production. During his time at the University he became involved in the local live sound scene, ultimately becoming a house tech at

UK - It seems an unlikely collision, the UK's Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD), the American multi-instrumental phenomenon Hunter Hayes, and a totally re-invented soundtrack for the 2011 cult movie Drive, but then CSSD has always had something of the unexpected about it.

"It began innocently enough," said Pepin Clout of John Henry's audio division (JH Audio). "We attended a demo of the new d&b audiotechnik Y-Series at CSSD in late October. The point source versions tickled our fancy, the Y10P in particular."

The Y-Series features both point source and line array cabinets; the feature of the Y10P that caught Clout's ear was the constant directivity of 110° x 40° (h x v) down to 500Hz. "The demand for a wide dispersion is not unique for cabinets that are designed to be deployed pole mounted on a sub, but the outstanding sonic perf

Germany - DirectOut has announced the launch of an updated version of the highly popular MADI.BRIDGE interface.

Initially developed as a simple link between MADI devices from any manufacturer, MADI.BRIDGE acts as a patchbay, signal distributor, signal buffer and input selector all in one device. The latest incarnation sports a complete redesign and has gained a number of extra features including redundant power supplies, a USB port to enable firmware updates for future enhancements and additional remote control capabilities.

MADI.BRIDGE enables the connection of up to 16 devices via six coaxial (BNC) MADI I/Os and two optical multi-mode MADI I/Os. All input signals are routed to the desired outputs in their native state, thus supporting any format regardless of channel count, whether or not control data and/or sample rates are included, or even violations of the MADI protocol.

The Netherlands - Hacousto International will introduce the 4EVAC LoopDrive system at ISE 2015 on stand no: 7-S163.

The 4EVAC LoopDrive system boasts technology, which meets the exacting demands of voice alarm control and indicating equipment for short circuit isolators.

Fully compliant and certified with both EN54-16 and EN54-17 regulations, 4EVAC offers the potential to maximize all PA/VA evacuation systems that are installed with any two- wire, return-loop systems' design principle.

It's a modular 'plug in and play' system that's not only intuitive and easy to operate, but easy to integrate and install, which keeps these costs to a minimum.

Installing 4EVAC LoopDrive's Fault Isolator Modules (FIM) between loudspeakers on a loop means when DC voltage drops below a threshold on the loop circuit, the fault is instantly detected, located and isolated. FIM protects the loop'

Brit Award Nominations - Sam Smith leads the charge at this year's Brit Awards, with five nominations, it has been announced. The 22-year-old is up for best British male, breakthrough artist and best album, for In The Lonely Hour. He is closely followed by singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and George Ezra, who each receive four nominations, and rock duo Royal Blood, who have three. This year's ceremony takes place in London's O2 arena on 25 February.

Rock Revival - The four surviving members of the Grateful Dead are coming back to life for a series of farewell concerts. Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will reunite at Chicago's Soldier Field, nearly 20 years to the day of the last Grateful Dead concert, which took place at the same venue. The band is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the shows from 3 to 5 July will mark their final performance.

The Netherlands - At this year's ISE in Amsterdam Fohhn Audio will present technologies regarding beam steering, 3D sound and the intelligent active and fully digital audio network AIREA.

The intelligent sound and audio network system AIREA will be available for demonstration to visitors and customers. AIREA is a network-based active solution developed specifically for high-quality, flexible and future-oriented sound reinforcement applications. The system is based on the most up-to-date speaker technology with integrated DSP technology and two-channel class D amplifiers which guarantee excellent sound quality, maximum dynamic range, linear frequency response and absolute protection.

The integrated signal processors also include features such as fully parametric equaliser, delay, dynamics and crossover; each speaker can also be customized and adjusted individually. The AIREA ma

The Netherlands - DDA (Digital Directivity Analysis) is a dedicated electro-acoustic tool that allows sound system designers to design, simulate, visualise and optimise the directional behaviour of JBL Intellivox, JBL AXYS products and JBL point source loudspeakers.

JBL Intellivox, JBL AXYS and AXYS Tunnel by Harman products are configured using the proprietary WinControl software, communication between the PC running WinControl and the products is via a RS-485 network or Ethernet (Tunnel products only). WinControl allows users to make full use of the wide range of features offered by the products on board DSP. For Intellivox, Target and Beam Shaping Subwoofer users WinControl allows users to manipulate the critical digital directivity parameters that define the vertical dispersion of the array.

As well as being able to support the four exciting new Intellivox models, which wi

Germany - Loudspeaker manufacturer Fohhn Audio AG has added a new face to their International sales and distribution team. Gauthier Dalle takes over the position of head of international business development, his responsibilities being to strengthen and develop Fohhn's international relationships.

"Mr. Dalle is a very dynamic and creative business developer with profound experience and deep understanding of the audio industry. We are very happy to welcome him in the Fohhn family" says Uli Haug, executive board marketing & distribution, Fohhn Audio AG.

(Jim Evans)

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