R&W Sound Engineering has recently installed a complete audio system into the new London lounge bar, Mono. As customers would be unlikely to benefit from the advantages of a stereo image R&W specified a mono sound system, designed to be operated by staff with basic technical experience, is used for background music, DJ sets and live music sessions.Involved in the project from the outset, R&W's recommendation of a mono audio system, led to the name and theme of the members-only bar. The audio system's main source is a Marantz CC38/Pro 5-disc CD player, which feeds the system via a Cloud SX133 two-zone mixer and ARX EQ30 graphic equaliser. A separate Mackie 1402-VLz Pro mixer, connected via a recessed wall socket to the main system is used for live events. An ARX Microdrive three-channel amplifier drives four ARX Micromax loudspeakers and a hidden ARX sub-woofer.

PLASA Publishing has learnt that Canford Audio founder Iain Elliott is to acquire the business of the long-established UK pro audio distribution, installation and manufacturing company Audio Systems Components (ASC). Elliott left Canford at the end of last year and said at the time that he was looking for a fresh challenge. The industry, though, has not yet seen the back of Len Lewis, ASC's founder, who will continue to work alongside Elliott for a while, bringing to a conclusion current contracts before gently easing into the back seat.

Sutton Coldfield College secured the first Spirit 324 Live mixer from the Birmingham branch of LMC Audio Systems, having attended one of the successful Spirit 324 workshops hosted by LMC at the Live! Show. The desk will be principally used as a training tool for students attending the Theatre Technicians Course. However, as the hub of the theatre's sound system, it will handle a diverse range of activities and will also be interfacing via MIDI with the lighting desk enabling one operator to control an entire show from the FOH position.

The RCF CSS (Cinema Sound System) 3003TX and 2008FX have both been THX approved for use in medium-sized cinema auditoriums. Both products are part of the CSS range - the 3003TX being a three-way screen system requiring three channels of amplification for full THX performance, the 2008FX being a two-way speaker using a 250mm speaker and a 1" high frequency unit used in conjunction with a logarithmic designed wave-guide.

Total Audio Solutions are hosting a series of events to promote the new Sony DMX-R100 professional digital 8 bus console, which was recently introduced at AES Paris. The first of these will be held at the BBC's Pebble Mill Studios on May 9th, with similar events throughout the country in May and June. The DMX-R100 console is flexible enough to be used for live and broadcast applications, as well as music and post-production, and features snapshot and dynamic automation with 24 bit 96kHz audio and surround sound monitoring. Anybody wishing to attend a launch event should contact Adam Heath on 07968 025669. Further information is available from the dedicated website www.dmx-r100.com

Yamaha has released the next generation in multitrack hard disk recording systems. The AW 4416 is a combination of Yamaha products and incorporates the 02R digital mixer, CD-RW technology and hard disk recording. This multi-function unit brings the 'all in one' concept to life with studio quality audio, ease of use and expandability. It is an inclusive 44-channel (8 x analogue, 16 from internal HDD) 16-track hard disk recording system complete with sampling, editing and mastering capabilities, with true 24-bit, 48kHz resolution with no compression of any type. The AW 4416 will be available in the UK from July 2000.

LCS (Level Control Systems) of Los Angeles has appointed Sound Dept as its exclusive UK distributor. The appointment adds to the company's product portfolio which currently consists of the EAW, Crest, Community, Ashly and Sound Advance ranges. LCS was founded in 1991 and specialises in audio control hardware and software solutions for the live theatre and themed entertainment industries worldwide.

ARX USA has recently supplied NASA with 12 Ambience 1 70V compact loudspeakers for installation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The Ambience 1s are being used to monitor the communications between Houston, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiting Space Shuttles and - most importantly - the astronauts during 'EVAs' (Extra Vehicle Activities) or space-walks.

RCF's new ELISA 2123 amplified tuner-CD player is aimed at a range of applications including simple PA systems for restaurants, boutiques and supermarkets, to complete sound systems for offices and hotels, as well as large department stores and factories. The ELISA 2123 incorporates a 120W RMS amplifier with two switched constant voltage outputs for directly supplying two speaker lines, microphone inputs for connecting announcement consoles and a digital AM/FM tuner with selection storage. In addition, it is equipped with a multiple-CD player with track/CD programming.Also new from RCF, the latest addition to the Vision series - the PA 151. This compact new speaker offers 300W RMS power handling, and can be operated in passive or bi-amp mode, and can be run full-range, or actively crossed-over with the Vision PA 180 SW subwoofer. The PA 151 is aimed mainly at theatre, live music and music playback applications and will be of interest to sound installers.

Virgin Radio has upgraded its studio headphones to beyerdynamic DT 150s - with a distinctive orange finish to fit in with the company's corporate 'Ginger Media' image. The story started with Chris Evans and the breakfast show crew discussing the virtues of football sponsorship and looking around the studio for a product that they themselves could attract sponsorship for. They picked out the beyerdynamic DT 100 headphones being used for the morning show. The challenge was broadcast, live on air, for a headphone company to come forward and meet the challenge. The Virgin offices received a number of headphones for consideration, and beyerdynamic chose to send the specially-finished orange DT 150s - the high performance version of the DT 100s already in use. Chris Evans exclaimed 'delight' at the new headphones and promptly had more pairs ordered for the rest of the crew.

Following the success of LMC's Spirit 324 Live Workshops at the recent Live! Show, LMC have decided to hold two further seminars at its Birmingham and Leeds branches. The workshops are designed to be technical hands-on training sessions with both Spirit and LMC technical experts on call to answer any of your questions. Each session is expected to last an hour and should leave you fully ready to confidently mix a gig on a Spirit 324 Live.Admission to the workshops is free and by ticket only - both sessions are to be held on Thursday 30th March 2000, the Birmingham branch workshop at 10.30am, and the Leeds workshop at 4pm. To register, please call Saffron Wynn-Jones at LMC Audio Systems on 0208 743 4680 or alternatively email her on swynnjones@lmcaudio.co.uk

Following the recent launch of the DN1414 multiple DI module and the DN1248 active splitter system, Klark Teknik has released updated versions of both devices, adding more flexibility to their input and output interfaces. This is achieved by the fitting of a rear blank panel covering a cutout measuring 140mm by 70mm, which allows users to retro-fit the multi-pin connector of their choice to this panel. Internal wiring is equally straightforward. Each channel has its own PCB, fitted with a spring-contact multi-pin edge connector, carrying contacts for all four outputs and the input. To avoid the risk of confusion, a wiring diagram is included on the underside of the unit top cover. Users can therefore specify absolutely any type of connection both in and out of the unit.

Community's new XLT415 is a fully horn-loaded subwoofer designed to complement the company's XLT series of full-range loudspeakers. The system is aimed at portable sound reinforcement and DJ systems as well as fixed installations in clubs and theatres. The XLT415 produces 131dB SPL output (138dB peak) from its four ferrofluid-cooled 15" (381mm) drivers which are compression loaded into the horn throat and into two sealed compression chambers. The four ohm unit is rated for 600W RMS, 15000W programme, with a sensitivity of 100dB at 1W/1m over its frequency range of 35Hz - 250Hz.

Tannoy Dual Concentric have been installed into Bateaux London's 350-capacity restaurant cruiser The Symphony by London-based Terry Tew Sound and Light. Tannoy speakers are used for both vocal and music reproduction and were specified for their sound quality and compact size. The speakers were installed into The Symphony to improve sound quality in the dance floor area and include a pair of T12 full-range multi-purpose speakers featuring Tannoy's Dual Concentric drive units. The T12s are used in conjunction with a single T40 compact sub-bass system to provide effective sound reinforcement on the dance floor area.

Pete Brotzman's new company, Crystal Pro Audio, undertook its first Walkabout Inn fit-out recently, using a Crest CA modular amplifier series (supplied by Sound Dept) with 'overbuilt' power supply to power the complex live and playback audio system, distributed across two floors. Brotzman used the CA series to run a Martin Audio Wavefront 8C PA and LE400 stage monitor system at the Swansea venue, along with a number of EM series boxes for delays and infills. The three sections of the Wavefront 8 were driven by CA2, CA6 and CA18 amplifiers respectively, while further CA4s, CA6s and CA9s power the EM boxes. A pair of BSS Omnidrive Installs are used to crossover the system, and the settings are programmed into a pair of BSS 9088 Soundwebs and fed to the relevant zones. Playback is sourced from a Rolec Hard Disk system and Tascam five-CD multi-changer.

Richmond Sound Design's AudioBox now has full 16-channel synchronous and non-synchronous audio playback capability, doubling the playback capacity of the original AudioBox. Current owners of the original version of the AudioBox can upgrade to the capabilities of the new version by simply exchanging their mother board, available at nominal cost. All other components remain compatible with the new mother board. The AudioBox has gained popularity in the short time it has been available to the theatre and themed entertainment industry. It was chosen for the Universal Islands of Adventure Theme park as the multi-channel sound and show control system for all ride vehicles in their 'Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man' multimedia dark ride which opened in May 1999.

Stagetec has recently completed the supply and the installation of the performance lighting control systems, sound reinforcement and communication systems for two new music performance spaces and a sound recording studio at the new Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford. The project involved the redevelopment of parts of Dartford Grammar School, including the existing school hall, old gymnasium and old school library. The new spaces were integrated into the existing buildings and incorporate new foyer and administration areas. Theatre consultants Carr & Angier designed all aspects of the stage technical equipment. Full story in April L&SI.

ProMix, a member of the Production Resource Group’s Audio Group, has promoted Stephanie DiDonato to manager, industrial operations. DiDonato began her career with ProMix in the installation division in October 1996. In May 1999 she joined ProMix’s Industrial Division. In her new capacity, DiDonato works for Bob Rendon, vice-president of the Audio Group at ProMix’s Mount Vernon, NY, office.

A new series of microphones will be released by beyerdynamic at the Frankfurt Messe - the first major microphone product introduction targeted at the MI and project studio market since the launch of the Tour Group range. The range will include studio and live performance microphones and will be manufactured entirely at the beyerdynamic factory in Heilbronn, Germany. The new range will be ready to ship by the end of April and full details will be available at the Frankfurt show.

Britannia Row Productions masterminded the audio production for the BRIT Awards 2000 which took place at Earls Court 2 in early March. The Wandsworth-based company worked with sound designer, Derek Zieba, for the event. Chris Coxhead and Bob Lopez controlled the front-of-house sound, with Vince Sharpe and Andy Ray covering monitoring world. For the loudspeaker reinforcement Brit Row drew exclusively from its large Turbosound Flashlight inventory. The main system consisted of TFS-780 and 760 LCR clusters, with LCR delays and various audience and pit fills. This will be the fourth consecutive year that Derek Zieba has chosen Brit Row and Turbosound for the BPI's premier event.

Some 2,500 children from all over the country arrived at the Millennium Dome recently to celebrate Children's Promise. The event gave the Dome the opportunity to use its newly-installed Soundcraft K1 console, which is connected into the central show BSS 9088 Soundweb network.The day was rounded off in Skyscape, with a 'Voices of Promise' concert, with a Soundcraft Series 5 desk on monitors (mixed by Mark Crawley). As a full 57-piece orchestra, a band, and child choirs of varying vocal timbres all had to be mixed, the decision was made to split the FOH mixes. While the resident 48-channel Series 5 FOH desk was assigned to band, radio mic, Genex and VT mixes, one of the Dome's roving 32-input Soundcraft K3 desks was brought in to handle the orchestral mixes, with Pete Bartlett and Matt Napier on respective engineering duties. 10 Soundweb DSP networking devices are used in Skyscape, switched between surround sound in cinema mode and straight left/right. A Soundweb in each of the C Audio Pulse amp racks (using 2x1100 and 2x650 models) handled loudspeaker management for both the JBL HLA PA rig and floor monitors; the FOH processing was in conventional analogue, though the final output was sent to the stage via Soundweb down a single Cat 5 cable.

Application Solutions has appointed Peco Electronics as the exclusive UK distributor for the brand new Integra range of high performance amplifiers. The two companies worked together on the design of the new system, combining ASL's expertise in electronics with Peco's market intelligence. First to appear will be the Integra MA 6-120, a 120W mixer amplifier.

Following four years in the product manager’s chair, Bryan Waters has left Allen & Heath to pursue his own business interests. He has founded Audace Technologies, specialists in control solutions for installed systems and audio web authoring. The new company will be based is Redruth, Cornwall.

QSC is to introduce a new Digital Signal Processing accessory module at the NSCA Expo 2000, April 27-May 1. The compact module offers two channels of independent DSP and attaches to the back of most DataPort-equipped QSC amplifiers - without taking up additional rack space. Each channel handles digital signal processing functions including high- and low-pass crossover filters, high- and low-pass shelf filters, signal delay, compression, peak limiting, six parametric filters, two-to-one mixer, signal splitter and more. DSP configuration is made simple with an advanced "drag-and-drop" software graphical user interface. Users can access a DSP "toolbox" with icons and simple drawing tools to configure processing functions and signal flow. QSC will also announce major upgrades to QSControl at the NSCA Expo. QSControl, QSC's Ethernet-based computer controlled amplifier management system, now allows users to build custom applications with drag-and-drop tools, control MIDI devices, and features expanded amplifier monitoring capabilities.