Switzerland - Audio over IP pioneer Barix reports that it is now shipping SoundScape, its fully integrated live and scheduled streaming service that allows audio content providers to centrally manage and distribute branded music and advertising over IP networks. The concept, first introduced at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show, has evolved into a fully formed software-as-a-service (SaaS) that brings together cloud-based content management, end point playout and global monitoring capabilities in a highly programmable, user-friendly package.

SoundScape enables businesses to quickly transition from more complex and expensive systems long used for in-store radio. Service providers can quickly launch a SoundScape service with a subscription and IP audio players at each end location, and immediately start reliably delivering music and advertising to restaurants, stores, hotels

UK - Yorkshire Stage and Sound Ltd. are one of the latest UK events production companies to add KV2 Audio products to their hire inventory.

Based between Harrogate and York, Yorkshire Stage and Sound are ideally situated to offer full event production - including lighting, generator hire, power distribution and full event management, as well as staging and sound as the name suggests - throughout Yorkshire but also nationwide.

Director Mike Redpath has long been a fan of KV2 Audio's True Point Source approach to loudspeaker design. Over the last few years YSS has invested in a selection of products from the active EX range, passive ESM monitor range as well as a complete Active-Driven ES System. The early investment with KV2 was made to replace systems by one of the more "established" manufactures, with KV2's products offering quicker set-up time, smaller transport re

UK - Every summer, some of the biggest names in Arabic music congregate at London's Grosvenor hotel for a series of concerts. Subfrantic Production Services provides the full technical production for the shows, which this year featured two Yamaha digital mixers for the first time.

Subfrantic has been involved with the shows for the past five years, which this year featured singers including Mohamed Abdu, Rabeh Sakr, Majid Al Mohandes, Balquees, Ellisa, Nahwa and Shatha Hassoun. All the performances are backed by an Arabic orchestra.

"It's not an orchestra in the western sense, it features a lot of traditional Arabic instruments," says Subfrantic technical director Sean Murphy. "It's a specialised sound and the setup has to be right. As a company, we spent the past five years developing a unique understanding of these requirements."

The orchestra usually c

Norway - Lindbak AS Gjovik has recently completed the installation of an audio system for the new multi-purpose atrium of Storhamar High School in Hamar, Norway. The large atrium will serve an important function as a meeting point for teachers and students, as well as providing a valuable new space for AV presentations, cultural and educational events and open meetings.

Built between two existing main buildings and bounded by a lunch area and library, the new atrium measures 25 by 35m and has a ceiling height of 11m. "With such a ceiling height and with the reflective surfaces of the atrium it was clear the best solution would be a high quality line source column system," said system designer Bj°rn Fjeld of Norsk Lydteknikk AS.

Supported by EASE analysis, Fjeld designed a system using Community Entasys high performance loudspeakers. He explained, "To provide

Italy - On 1-2 October Yamaha Commercial Audio hosted its first symposium, in Milan. Titled High Quality Sound in Architectural Applications, the symposium attracted over 70 systems integrators, theatre consultants and IT/AV consultants from 15 European countries. It combined keynote presentations from leading audio industry figures with visits to three high profile Milan installations which rely on Yamaha Commercial Audio products.

Hosted in the Milano Congressi Exhibition Centre (MiCo), the keynotes covered a range of important topics relevant to installed sound design.

Following the keynotes, the delegates were taken on a tour of MiCo, Europe's largest congress centre whose entire audio signal infrastructure was upgraded in 2014 with a Yamaha-based networked solution. This features 28 QL1, one CL5 and one M7CL digital mixing consoles, 28 Rio1608-D and two Rio3224-D i

USA - A new pair of Meyer Sound CAL column array loudspeakers has improved intelligibility for speech, video playback, and music in the public boardroom of LA Metro, the regional transit agency serving Los Angeles County. The CAL system is a keystone element in a complete AV retrofit of the 300-seat facility designed and installed by the Los Angeles office of AVI-SPL.

"I was immediately impressed with the sound quality of CAL," says Arlen Sanders, project manager for LA Metro. "No matter where you are sitting in the audience, the sound is always present, at just the right level. It goes beyond just excellent intelligibility-you get the feeling the person is right there in front of you, even when speaking from across the room."

The prior system was prone to comb-filtering effects that impaired intelligibility and generated feedback when the system was pushed

Argentina - The country's biggest reggae festival is La Fiesta Mas Popular del Reggae, this year using Nexo STM modular line array systems for an impressive list of international performers, including Kenyatta Hill and local stars Nonpalidece.

With six studio albums to their name, festival headliners Nonpalidece have been Argentina's leading reggae band for nearly twenty years and regular performers at music festivals all over the country. Also on the bill was Ponto de Equilibio from Brasil, the Daara J.Family Sound System from Senegal, and C4, also from Argentina. All acts were using Nexo's 45°N12 line monitors on stage.

Rental company Valiente Produciones, with support from Los Angeles Musica, designed a substantial STM rig for the venue, the Platense Stadium in Buenos Aires, which has capacity for 32,000 people.

Argentina is now one of the primary markets in south Ame

Spain - Chosen for festivals throughout Europe over the summer, the Roland M-5000 and M-5000C Live Digital Console combination once again proved to be a hit with the engineers at the recent Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM) Festival.

Taking care of FOH and monitors for the La Mercé headline stage at BAM, the M-5000 and M-5000C together with Roland Digital Snakes provided a flexible and intuitive solution with their O.H.R.C.A architecture rapidly adapting to all the changing requirements and offering appropriate workflows for each situation.

The BAM Festival, now in its twentieth year, comprises of more than 40 bands playing different venues across Barcelona over five days and coincides with La Mercé, the city's patron saint festival. BAM is renowned for bringing together technology and tradition, music and the performing arts and 2015 saw Marc Campillo, the founder

USA - Just in time for AES 2015, MADI specialists DirectOut, has brought out MADI.MONI, a highly ergonomic MADI tester and mobile MADI monitoring tool. MADI.MONI has been specifically designed for MADI testing and monitoring in the field and has the smallest footprint of any mobile MADI monitor on the market, says the company.

MADI.MONI offers a simple, uncluttered interface enabling users to see at a glance all format parameters as well as the signal quality of a MADI stream. Operation is extremely straightforward via four push buttons on the UI including a volume/channel selection to monitor individual channels of a MADI signal via the 3.5mm headphone jack. The device is battery powered and provides one coaxial and one SFP MADI port. A traffic light like display delivers immediate information about the physical signal condition (amplitude/jitter).

The state of the incoming M

The Netherlands - Eight years after the introduction of the original, Alcons has launched the mkII version of its successful CRMS Cinema Reference Monitor System.

The CRMS is a three-way sound system design to offer "the most natural 1:1 Digital Cinema and HD audio sound reproduction possible".

Featuring the patented RBN401 pro-ribbon driver, the CRMS combines a remarkable clarity and intelligibility, with a unusually high headroom SPL. The Alcons pro-ribbon drivers have up to 90% less distortion than any conventional mid/high transducer, while the very high peak power handling offers a 1:16 RMS-to-peak ratio, enabling maximum screen compensations without any audible stress on the MHF performance.

The patented horizontal dispersion of the RBN401 extends the stereo-imaging and depth-of-field to a larger number of seats in the auditorium; Due to the "compression

Germany - Shure has announced the availability of a new version of its ShurePlus MOTIV Mobile Recording App - designed for use with Shure MOTIV Digital Condenser Microphones. Version 1.1 of the newest iOS app offers a host of new features, including five-band EQ and gain adjustment controls for the MV51 Digital Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone, the MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone, and MVi Digital Audio Interface.

For an optimised experience, the list of user-friendly ShurePlus MOTIV features now also includes AirPlay compatibility and Bluetooth support for instant playback over a speaker system. Additionally, transport controls in the control center simplify the process of pausing, playing, fast-forwarding, and rewinding a recording. For low-light environments where a bright screen might become a distraction (such as a club or other live event venue), Shure has added a dark

USA - In a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Centrelast week during the LDI 2015 tradeshow, Live Design recognised the new ProPlex EZ-LAN Unity 20 with an LDI 2015 Best Debuting Product of the Year Award.

ProPlex's EZ-LAN makes managing today's complex show networking easier and accessible for everyone. These simple to operate yet powerful managed Gigabit Ethernet switches distribute up to four discrete networks - e.g. lighting, audio, content, server, console, communications, etc. - quickly, effortlessly, and simultaneously. Users untrained in the complexities of managed networking can easily isolate networks and access and change VLAN assignments with one button.

"Managed Ethernet switches are very complicated to use," explains TMB product specialist, Ashley Simper. "The ability to distribute up to four discrete networks with a single button makes life easi

USA - The 139th AES Convention in NYC saw Genelec unveil the new flagship 1236 Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) Main Monitor System. The 1236 and its individually calibrated 3U-high Remote Amplifier Module RAM-XL provide the highest performance possible in a large format, flush-mounted main monitoring system, says the company. The new design is based on the high-efficiency proprietary double-18-inch bass driver design of Genelec's 1036.

The 1236's frequency response extends from 17 Hz to 26 kHz and it is capable of delivering 130 dB SPL referred to 1 metre through a combination of modern digital signal processing and efficient Class D amplifiers, providing 2 x 1000 W, 800 W, and 400 W of short-term power into woofer, midrange and tweeter channels, respectively. The H 960 x W 1180 x D 650 mm (37 ¾ x 46 ½ x 25 5/8 in) enclosure features two 18-inch high-linearity woofers, two Genel

USA - After many years of requests for an API line amp, the company has announced that the 535-LA Line Amplifier is the newest addition to the 500 Series collection. Modelled after API's console-based 325 booster cards, the 535 can both amplify and attenuate incoming and outgoing signals for ultimate flexibility - all while providing API's trademark API warmth and tone.

The 535 is useful anywhere signal levels need adjusting such as inputs from keyboards, audio playback devices, or from mic preamps or audio processing devices that do not have their own level control, says the company. The 535 excels at adding warmth to digital signals such as DAW outputs, and features an LED clip indicator.

The 535-LA also includes a balanced input, a polarity switch, a 20dB pad for incoming signal attenuation and a three position toggle switch, which allows for different output gain levels fr

USA - Japanese Broadcaster NHK has fielded a new OB truck in the US market fitted with Lawo technology and designed specifically to capture major US sports events and deliver a high-quality audio experience to its viewers back home.

The new mobile unit is the first RAVENNA-based truck in the US, utilizing Lawo's newest dual-fader mc²56XT mixing console. The console provides a 64 fader surface in an audio booth with only 84 inches of linear space. It accommodates 288 DSP paths with 8,192 x 8,192 audio routing capability and three DALLIS I/O stageboxes in a redundant configuration.

The RAVENNA technology fully supports AES67 and offers a proven solution for critical broadcasting operations. In addition, the truck is capable of up to 22.2 surround sound as a potential audio delivery format for the network. In a long-standing cooperative effort between NHK and Lawo, the two compa

UK - Pro audio provider The Warehouse Sound Services is teaming up with Audio-Technica, the UK distributor for Allen & Heath to showcase their digital mixing system, dLive.

A free demonstration will take place at Warehouse Sound's Glasgow Branch on 11 November. The Warehouse is the only Scottish supplier of the Allen & Heath dLive desks so the event will provide members of the live audio an opportunity to see the system in action.

The showcase will be hosted by Audio-Technica's Ben Hammond (FOH Engineer for Ugly Kid Joe, You Me At Six, Devin Townsend Project, Skid Row, While She Sleeps, We Are The Ocean). Hammond will spearhead dLive training and demonstration for The Warehouse Sound's UK customers and engineers providing industry professionals with in-depth training, demonstration and support.

Hammond comments, "The new dLive mixing system is an exciting new developmen

UK - The opening ceremony of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, conceived and executed by Take That's creative director Kim Gavin firmly focussed the attention of the world's TV cameras on the contest in uncompromising terms.

"I'm really pleased with what we did at Twickenham Stadium," said production manager Steve Nolan of Chromatic Productions Ltd, who were contracted to manage the event. "We put 14 truck-loads of gear on the field without damaging the turf. When the opening ceremony was over it took just nine minutes and 26 seconds to clear the ground so the teams could enter for the warm-up. That's all down to planning, and Tom Brown from Britannia Row Productions Ltd (Britrow) who provided all the audio infra-structure in the stadium and to broadcast, was highly instrumental in realising that plan."

"The pitch system was relatively straight forward,"

UK - Theatre Projects has appointed theatre consultant and international auditorium acoustic designer Rob Harris as a key consultant.

The move marks a significant strengthening of Theatre Projects' acoustic and theatre design team, as the company embarks on a number of high profile design projects worldwide.

Harris's impressive 35-year career as an acoustics specialist has seen him amass a plethora of prestigious design credits for cherished performing arts buildings including: Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; City Recital Hall, Sydney; Kilden konsertsal, Kristiansand; Bord Gâis Energy Theatre, Dublin and Kings Place, London.

Specifically, Harris is renowned for his acoustic design for some of the world's most iconic opera houses. These include collaborations with TP on both Glyndebourne Opera House and Oslo Opera House. In addition he has led on the Copenhagen Opera House, t

UK - Equally versatile in both portable and installed system configurations, and with its four channels delivering up to 5,000W, neatly packed into 1U weighing just over 7kg (16lb), Martin Audio's new MA5.0Q is billed as a flexible, cost-effective solution for small to medium sound systems.

Benefitting from core technologies found in Martin Audio's flagship amplifiers, the MA5.0Q sets a class standard in efficiency, leading to low power consumption, and consequently to substantial cost savings on electricity - all in an eco-friendly way. Minimum heat dissipation makes the MA5.0Q suitable for hot or otherwise challenging environments.

The target markets for the new amplifier include stage monitoring, hotels, restaurants and bars, visitor attractions, houses of worship, auditoriums, educational facilities, live sound and night clubs.

(Jim Evans)

USA - The new Gannon Recreation and Wellness Centre features nearly 52,000sq.ft of subdivided indoor space for year-round athletic, recreation and fitness activities, and is equipped with loudspeaker systems drawn from the catalogue of D.A.S. Audio.

Erie, PA-based Grisé Audio Visual Center, Inc., a design / build AV integration firm that also has a live events division, was contracted to design and install the new sound system at The Gannon Recreation and Wellness Centre. Greg Hardner, the company's sales & production manager, designed the sound reinforcement system, which included 69 D.A.S. Audio CL-6TB ceiling speakers, 22 Factor 8T loudspeakers, and 10 Arco 4T loudspeakers. He discussed the project and his fondness for D.A.S. Audio.

"The decision to install a sound system throughout the facility was approved with only six weeks of construction remaining before t

Georgia - Funktion-One specialist, Blue Box London, has completed a nightclub installation in Georgia. The company, which played an important role in the loudspeaker manufacturer's introduction to Ibiza at the beginning of the millennia, has continued its pioneering ways by exploring some new territories in recent years. Its latest project - Bassiani - sees the first ever Funktion-One Dance Stack installation in Georgia.

The main room is home to two towering Funktion-One DS4 Dance Stacks. The DS4 configuration features two F221 21in bass enclosures at the base, two DS15 speakers for punchy upper bass and low-mid frequencies, and two DS210 loudspeaker enclosures, featuring dual axhead-loaded 10" mid-high drivers and dual 1.4" compression drivers.

Two Funktion-One Evo 6SHs - the skeletal addition to the new Evolution 6 range - have been deployed for infill. Amplificati

UK - Converted and maintained by a devoted team of volunteers comprising ex-BBC technicians, local builders and theatre enthusiasts, the Playhouse Theatre Whitstable is a performance venue suitable for a wide range of live entertainment. The theatre plays host to a variety of shows new and old and is home to drama group, the Lindley Players who are the owners and operators of the venue.

The hard work carried out by volunteers and members over many years has converted what was once the United Reform Church into the modern performance venue that is the Playhouse Theatre Whitstable today. The conversion work has involved building a stage, removing the balcony from the side walls, installing a stepped auditorium floor, building a sound and lighting control room in the balcony and installing additional seating. The lower floor has been converted into a bar, club room and dressing roo

UK - The third DiGiCo Charity Quiz Rental Company of the Year, or 'The Paul Keating Stag Do!' as it became this year in honour of the Delta Sound MD, brought together some of the top UK audio companies in "a battle of knowledge, wits, devious underhand dealings and a bar bill bigger than a you can imagine!"

In previous years, DiGiCo has chosen to support some amazing causes and some now sadly departed individuals, with the audio industry coming together as one for what is an always-memorable night. This year, DiGiCo chose to support UK events charity Behind the Scenes.

"We have been supporters of Behind the Scenes UK since its inception two years ago, through its various charity events like the golf days and the recent karting day at Sandown Park, as well as lobbying the industry for support," says DiGiCo's MD James Gordon. "This year, it was a natural

UK - FBT UK has announced the introduction of the FBT Muse 118FSA, a true reversible flyable cardioid subwoofer. The 1200 Watt RMS Muse 118FSA is an active subwoofer hybrid loaded with an 18'' B&C neodymium subwoofer, designed to be suspended from the Muse flybar, facing in either direction.

When flown facing rearward, the sub's user removable grille can be moved by the user to the new "front" of the enclosure and the amplifier module can be moved to the new 'rear' of the enclosure, thus obtaining aesthetic consistency when flown with additional forward facing Muse 118FSA's. This simple adjustment means that users creating a cardioid sub package require no additional hardware to achieve sleek visual continuity. The model MUSE 118FSCA comes factory preconfigured as rear-facing for cardioid applications.

The Muse 118FSA features a large area laminar-flow port to ensure

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