Italy / UK - New to the UK, Proel's NET Series speakers are designed to "offer professional levels of sound quality and reliability to cost-conscious users".

Comprising four full-range models - the NE10, NET12, NET15 and NET215 - they are available both in the active versions with powerful bi-amplifiers, or with sophisticated crossover filters in the passive models. They are designed as partners for Proel's equally new SW series of 15" and 18" sub-woofers. They are also joined by a new stage monitor, the NET12MA.

In order to obtain optimised acoustic response, Proel's engineers decided to rely on the long time experience of Celestion loudspeakers. For each model, the Italian R&D team looked for the most suitable acoustic configurations, optimising the crossover and equalisation filters of the complex processing section and the new high frequency waveguides

UK - To coincide with the performance of Verdi's opera Aida (11 March-15 April 2011), Founder College students from the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural have put their design, marketing and production skills to the test in the Royal Opera House's first ever Aida Design Challenge.

Students were challenged to produce entries in any of four design categories. The winners in each category (stage design, costume design, poster design and online educational content) will be judged by a team of specialists from the Royal Opera House. Winners will be announced following an afternoon performance of the opera in Covent Garden on Thursday 17 March 2011.

Students' work will be exhibited at the matinee performance of Aida, for which participating colleges have been given priority booking. The winning entrants in each category will be invited to spend a day at t

Classic Move - Organisers of the Classical Brits have dropped the word 'classical' from the title as part of a revamp. As part of a bid to attract a broader audience, the 12 May event will now be called the Classic Brits. The Royal Albert Hall show will feature performances by Katherine Jenkins, Il Divo and the cast of Les Miserables. Organisers said the name change "reflects the show's ambition to embrace a more diverse range of music genres including musical theatre". The two-hour ceremony will be hosted by Myleene Klass for the fourth consecutive year. The show, to be screened on ITV1, will also feature Russell Watson.

Olivier Awards - Legally Blonde star Sheridan Smith was named best musical actress at the Laurence Olivier Awards at the weekend. Her co-star Jill Halfpenny won best supporting role in a musical, while the show also won best new musical. In an

Australia / France - ARX Systems has announced the appointment of Paris based Audiolead as their new distributor for France.

ARX managing director Colin Park said: "We're excited to be working with Bruno and his team and they're enthusiastic about the possibilities for ARX and our products amongst their extensive client base.

"Audiolead are a major force within the French Pro Audio Industry and are in close contact with French Audio Professionals in the installation, live sound and broadcast market sectors."

Alongside ARX, Audiolead also currently represent Alcons Audio, Audica, Community, ERJK, Novasonar, PanBeam, Sabine and several other leading manufacturers.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Professional loudspeaker systems manufacturer Fohhn Audio will preview a range of new products at Prolight and Sound in Frankfurt. Taking centre stage this year are the latest modular additions to the company's flagship Linea Focus electronically steerable line array series, along with a new active cardioid subwoofer.

Fohhn's successful Linea Focus series is to be extended with the addition of two high-power, electronically steerable modular systems: an active, high-frequency module containing 16 x 1" compression drivers, Waveguide and horn, and an active low-mid module with 32 x 4" long excursion speakers. The compact modules can be freely combined and cascaded, enabling the construction of high performance systems with 48, 80 or even 112 speakers. The modules are particularly suited to large venues with challenging acoustics due to their unobtrusive appear

UK - Cloud Electronics has announced the introduction of the VTX Series of high-power multi-channel amplifiers. The range features three power level variants: VTX4120 offers 4x120w, VTX4240 and VTX4400 offer 4x240w and 4x400w respectively, all into 4 ohms.

The new Cloud range "achieves high quality acoustic performance across the long term". Built in accordance with Cloud's principle of reliability, the VTX series is the perfect choice for low maintenance and worry-free installations, says the company.

Simple and reliable installations can be achieved with these 2U rackmounting amplifiers benefiting from studio quality VCA input modules for Remote Level Control (RL-1) as standard and featuring a switched hi-pass filter (18 dB/oct below 65 Hz) for each channel as well as extensive protection against short-circuit and reactive loads, clipping, DC and overheating.

The

UK - Crawley's Hawth Theatre has installed installation a Yamaha digital mixing system. Opened in 1988, the West Sussex venue offers a lively and diverse programme, featuring over 350 annual performances.

The theatre's facilities include an 855 seat main space, a smaller 146 seat studio space, exhibition space, eight meeting rooms, coffee shop and bistro, two bars and an outdoor marquee and amphitheatre which are used for performances throughout the summer.

A recent technical upgrade has seen a Yamaha M7CL-48ES digital mixing console, together with three SB168-ES stage boxes, purchased for the main theatre.

Supplied by AC Lighting, the system was chosen because of the experiences of the in-house technical crew, led by technical manager Chris Wilcox.

"We noticed a lot of people touring with Yamaha consoles, which not only indicated that they are worth having, but also

USA - AXYS Scope loudspeakers recently made their Broadway debut on Elf the Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The musical is based on the 2003 Warner Brothers movie and is the tale of Buddy, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole.

The show boasts some of the best creative in the business. The book is by Thomas Meehan, who won the 2003 Tony Award for co-writing the book for Hairspray. The musical side of the show is take care of by the Matthew Sklar, who received a Tony Award nomination (Best Original Score) and a Drama Desk nomination (Outstanding Music) for his work on The Wedding Singer, and the lyrics are provided by Chad Beguelin, who wrote the lyrics and co-book writer for The Wedding Singer.

Sound designer Peter Hylenski, himself a Grammy, Tony and Olivier award nominee, decided

Germany - Palmer has announced the release of its new PMBL-AKTIV, a 2-channel stereo line level merge box that can be used to merge two stereo line signals into one stereo output. One classic application for the product is routing two mixing desks to one PA system.

The unit has enough amplification to boost even semi-professional levels accordingly. The input channels are galvanically isolated from one another. Each channel offers a mute switch and the ability to mix the stereo signal down to mono. The unit is housed in a 1U / 9.5" case and has a built-in power supply.

Robin Henlich, product & production manager of Palmer comments: "The PMBLA is an extremely cost effective, active version of the PMBL. The normal PMBL is a passive merger, passive merging of signals results in an unavoidable signal level drop of 6dB. In some cases, this level drop can be compensated by

USA - Audio-Technica is now shipping its AT2022 X/Y stereo condenser microphone. A dual-element condenser microphone designed for stereo recording, the AT2022 features two unidirectional condenser capsules in an X/Y configuration pivot to allow for 90-degree (narrow) or 120-degree (wide) stereo operation for extremely versatile pickup. The capsules also fold flat for storage and transportation. It is designed for general stereo recording, as well as field sound capture.

The AT2022 includes a 1.6' (0.5 m) cable terminating in a three-pin XLRF-type and a 1/8" (3.5 mm) connector. The output of the microphone is a 3-pin XLRM-type connector. The microphone requires a 1.5V AA battery for operation.

A switch permits choice of flat response or low-frequency roll-off (via integral 80 Hz high-pass filter) to help control undesired ambient noise. The microphone is enclosed in a rugg

USA - In January 2011, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California completed a 2-year, $19m renovation that included a total upgrade of its audio system. System designer Bowen Technovation turned to BSS Audio Soundweb London signal processors and networking products to serve as the backbone of the museum's large-scale audio system.

The Computer History Museum is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, an appropriate location for a facility dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computing history. The Museum is home to one of the largest international collections of computing artifacts in the world, including hardware, photographs, documents, software, movies and more.

"We chose BSS Audio because we needed a system that could accommodate the signal distribution, processing and control needs of a large, complex networked audio installation," note

USA - Intelix LLC, US manufacturer of audio/video equipment and software, has relocated to a larger, modern facility. Effective immediately, Intelix's new address is: 8001 Terrace Ave, Suite 201, Middleton, WI 53562.

"Our previous location stymied growth," says Maggie Ellison, Intelix human relations manager. "We continue to add staff and we anticipate growing our employee base by at least 15% in the next six months. Our new facility will allow for growth for years to come."

The new Intelix campus provides almost 300% more square footage than the previous location, including improved suites for sales, marketing, engineering, and applications. A larger manufacturing floor and warehouse will help Intelix supply their growth curve.

"Sales were up 41% in 2010," says Cameron Smith, national sales and marketing director at Intelix, "and we had a

USA - Situated in the Pico Rivera section of Los Angeles, the El Rodeo Nightclub is a popular social gathering spot and restaurant that recently completed a substantial facility upgrade to better accommodate the ever-increasing weekend crowds. Live entertainment is a major part of the club's and the new sound system draws from the Aero Series 2 catalogue of D.A.S. Audio.

Los Angeles-based International House of Music was contracted to handle the El Rodeo's new sound system installation as well as the club's upgraded lighting facilities. Oscar Naranjo, Jr., company manager and system designer for International House of Music's commercial AV design/build division, discussed the challenges of the project and his decision to deploy D.A.S. Audio's Aero 12A, a powered, two-way, mid-high, compact line array system.

"The nightclub section of the El Rodeo is very long and narrow -

Poland - The European Football Championships are to be held in Poland and Ukraine in 2012. Alongside an extensive programme of investment in the building and renovation of venues for the Championships, a number of other stadiums are undergoing major overhauls. The latest example is the Józef Pilsudski Stadium in Cracow, the home of KS Cracovia.

Originally built in 1906, the stadium has been comprehensively renovated and partially reconstructed under the supervision of Spanish architects Estudio Lamela.

Decision-makers at the stadium opted for the installation of an extensive Dynacord audio system in which all the components are networked. "The signal transfer is handled by Cobra Net and the remote supervision by IRIS-Net," says Marcin Zimny, manager of the Breslau branch of Tommex Zebrowscy Sp. J. "With this setup, we can supervise and control the entire system

UK / Japan - The following statement has been issued by Yamaha in the UK: "At this time, our thoughts are with the people of Japan and our colleagues, and we want to do all that we can to help them through this disaster.

"From an infrastructure perspective, Yamaha has been fortunate and is not as affected by this recent disaster as so many other companies. This means that manufacturing and our headquarters operations are in place and running as required to support the global needs of the company.

"For many in Japan, it may take a long time to return to a level that can be considered as "normal." At Yamaha, we will be monitoring the situation carefully and doing all that we can to ensure that this day comes as soon as possible."

A Yamaha Corporation release states, "We at Yamaha wish to express our sincerest sympathies to all those who are e

UK - To coincide with the release of Allen & Heath's M-Dante option module for the iLive digital mixing system, Audinate and Allen & Heath are staging interactive online seminars to provide information and technical understanding about the card and the Dante protocol in general.

The sessions are designed to help those working with Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing systems fitted with the M-Dante card to get the most from their system, and are aimed at end users, audio consultants, rental houses and installation companies. There will be three webinars on 30 March 2011 - one for Europe, one for the Americas and the other for Asia-Pacific - to cover all time zones.

These sessions will start by giving an overview of the iLive series, followed by a detailed discussion on installing, configuring and networking multiple M-Dante modules. Also covered will be how Dante Virtual Soundca

USA - Wagner College in Staten Island NY moved to its current location in 1918. Since then, the original 38-acre campus has grown to an idyllic 105 acres overlooking New York Harbour and the surrounding city.

The school's athletics department boasts several NCAA teams, with the Seahawks football team among the most prestigious in the Northeast Conference. The team's home field recently underwent a modern renovation, including a new sound system installed by Farmingdale-based Advance Sound. Advance Sound's Thomas De Pace explains the challenges in creating the system design.

"They wanted more than just a new football field," says De Pace. "They wanted to reinvent their team's whole atmosphere. Obviously, speech intelligibility is always important, but the school also has a very rich student culture, with several dance teams who perform at the games. They needed s

Germany - ATEÏS is highlighting its EN54 compliant product ranges and new SIP-Networking equipment at this year's Frankfurt Prolight + Sound show. ATEÏS ' public address and voice alarm products will be displayed on a newly designed booth.

EN54 compliance is vitally important in today's commercial audio and installation business. With some companies giving up and moving out of the market because of the high cost of certification, ATEÏS has taken the opportunity to invest and ensure its products comply with the mandatory European standard for the compliance of components and housings.

ATEÏS will have over 30 models of loudspeaker on display during Prolight + Sound, all complying with EN54-24, which covers passive speakers. Compliance to EN54-16, covering control and indicating equipment, has been applied for the user interface on ATEÏS ' DIVA8G2 VA router and its slave uni

UK - The largest surviving conventional auditorium in the country, the Gaumont State Theatre in north London, has been purchased by the non-denominational Christian church Ruach Ministries, and is being restored to its original 1937 glory, albeit with discreetly non-traditional Roland digital audio control systems.

Originally from Brixton in South London, Ruach Ministries is one of the fastest-growing churches of its kind in Europe. Seventy years to the day after it first opened, in December 2007, the organisation purchased Kilburn's landmark Gaumont State concert venue. Most recently in use as a bingo hall, its opulent interior has hosted an array of stars, from Frank Sinatra and Buddy Holly in the 1950s, the Rolling Stones in the 1960s, to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath in the 1970s.

The extraordinary site, said to be inspired architecturally by the Empire State Building, inc

Germany - Line 6 will be showcasing its XD-V digital wireless microphone systems at Prolight + Sound 2011.

Line 6 digital wireless mics offer a simple and effective alternative to conventional core TV band UHF wireless systems. XD-V systems operate in the 2.4 GHz band, which permits worldwide license-free operation while successfully avoiding interference.

"Since its release, Line 6 digital wireless technology has received unanimous praise for its superior vocal reproduction, Line 6 modeling and unparalleled signal reliability," says Simon Jones, vice president of new market development at Line 6. "Prolight + Sound 2011 is the perfect venue to bring this new, advanced technology and simple user experience directly to a key audience of audio professionals."

All XD-V systems feature VWT (Virtual Wire Transmission) and PDP (Proprietary Data Placement) techno

Germany - ARX Systems, the Australian based manufacturer of digital and analogue interface and signal processing products will be releasing a number of new products at the upcoming Frankfurt ProLight +Sound exhibition.

Product releases include the BSX16 active microphone/line splitter, developed to deliver the performance required by the increasingly sophisticated level of today's standards of E.N.G and broadcast audio production.

Also being shown for the first time is ARX's new MaxiDrive - six channel high current line driver / distribution amplifier. The MaxiDrive's low output impedance virtually eliminates the deleterious cable loading effects and high frequency loss normally associated with large scale powered line arrays, says the company.

ARX's managing director Colin Park comments, " Frankfurt's always a great show for ARX and we're looking forward to spending th

USA / Japan -The following statement has been issued by Audio-Technica U.S: "Audio-Technica U.S. extends its deepest condolences to those affected by the 2011 Tohoku Pacific Coast earthquake. Audio-Technica Japan facilities have not been damaged by the disaster, and all employees are accounted for and safe. Operations at Audio-Technica Japan are normal, although minimally affected by power outages, as office workers with long commutes are working from home when possible via cell phone and computer. The company is constantly monitoring the status of operations at all sites, with safety being the number-one priority.

"Audio-Technica U.S. is assessing the effect this disaster may have on its supply chain, but at this time no major disruptions are anticipated.

"To help in the relief and recovery efforts for communities affected by the Tohoku Earthquake, Audio-Techni

The Netherlands - The largest live music venue in central Rotterdam, the 1,000-capacity Off Corso, has completed a comprehensive sound system upgrade following a long-term leasing deal with the Synco Europe Network. The club joins the Milkweg (Milky Way) and Paradiso clubs in Amsterdam, and the Tivoli in Utrecht, in providing exclusive Synco stage monitors, while Off Corso also now boasts a full Synco by Martin Audio line array PA system.

Off_Corso, a multifunctional building, is housed in the former Corso cinema in Kruiskade, close to the central train station. As well as live music and DJ nights the venue also targets corporate events, seminars, fashion shows, cultural festivals, awards dinners and product launches.

Director and owner Pim Bottema has a long history in the Dutch club scene, having formerly managed the Tivoli in Utrecht, Night Town in Rotterdam and latterly th

Argentina / USA - Solidyne S.R.L., the world's oldest manufacturer of broadcasting consoles and the first company to create a PC based digital audio system for radio station automation will incorporate Audinate's Dante digital media technology into its new 2600 line of digital consoles.

In 1995 Solidyne introduced Audicom 5, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software application for radio station automation. Solidyne was awarded the First National Prize for Technological Innovation in Argentina for this invention. Today this technology is used in radio stations in more than 120 countries. Audicom 8 is still the only AI software in the market.

Solidyne is planning to introduce a new line of fully modular 2600 consoles in 2011. This console line will provide "a low cost analogue audio console with excellent audio quality as an entry point". By adding new modules, it can

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