Canada - Lawo, the German manufacturer of broadcast audio, video and IP networking equipment, has provided all audio integration and distribution systems for support of the international feed of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

The main mix was provided with a 48 fader Lawo mc²66 console and a secondary console, a Lawo mc²56 with 32 faders, handled sub mix duties for over 40 ambient microphones used to bring the action from the field to the broadcast centre.

In addition to the main and secondary mix consoles, Lawo provided five DALLIS Stageboxes and a Nova73 router to manage over 1900 redundant crosspoints utilized to gather and distribute audio feeds including over 496 record tracks, 256 channels of RAVENNA (AoIP) and over 880 channels of MADI audio. Fiber tie-lines were used to connect 256 audio channels between the Nova73 and each console, as

UK - Sennheiser CEOs Daniel and Dr. Andreas Sennheiser presented the world with its first glimpse of the audio specialist's next milestone product at an exclusive event at London's Central Hall Westminster. Themed Reshaping Excellence, the celebration of sound and innovation marked Sennheiser's 70th anniversary year and featured a concert performed to an audience of 1,200 guests by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie orchestra and Grammy Award-winning artist Imogen Heap.

At London's Central Hall Westminster, Sennheiser's selected guests had the opportunity to experience the company's products, which have shaped the industry and received a private viewing of solutions and technologies never before shown to the public. "Sennheiser has had seven decades at the cutting edge of audio by defining the gold standard of what is possible. With Reshaping Excellence we are an

The Netherlands - Ampco Flashlight Group has merged the recently acquired Audiopro Netherlands with its sales companies TM Audio Holland and Lightco Netherlands in a move to streamline the department. The three companies will now operate under the name Ampco Flashlight Sales.

Audiopro Netherlands is one of the principal suppliers and installers of d & b audiotechnik and Clearcom systems. It brings a strong brand package that is supported by a number of experienced product specialists. TM Audio and Lightco are system integrators and suppliers of brands such as Allen & Heath, Philips Vari-Lite and DiGiCo.

Led by general manager Peter de Fouw of Ampco Flashlight Group and commercial director Rolf Dijkstra of Audiopro, Ampco Flashlight Sales' brand portfolio, technical know-how and experience will make it one of the leading sales operations in the Benelux.

"By bringing toge

China With responsibilities that include the live transmission/recording of court proceedings and the management of case-related documents, it stands to reason that no chances can be taken when it comes to the AV infrastructure of the Beijing Higher People's Court. In this spirit, the Court - which is the most senior level of judiciary in the municipality of Beijing - recently pressed ahead with an audio system installation in which Symetrix DSPs play an integral role.

In delivering the best possible solution, the project entailed cooperation between two of China's leading specialists in professional technology. Whilst distribution heavyweight and long-running Symetrix distributor EZPro was primarily responsible for supply and system tuning, Beijing Jinqiao Times Culture Development Co served as systems integrator in charge of product purchase and system specification.

"E

USA - The Summerland Tour, previously hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "10 Hottest Summer Package Tours", returned this year with Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing systems managing FOH and monitor positions.

Now in its fourth year, the annual Summerland tour is devised by Art Alexakis, front man of popular 90s alternative rock band, Everclear. This year's tour comprises Everclear, Toadies, Fuel, and American Hi-Fi, travelling across North America to over 30 different venues.

Alexakis gives credit to the iLive systems - comprising iLive-T112 Control Surfaces and iDR-32 MixRacks - for playing a key role in the success.

"We have used Allen & Heath for the last couple of years and the sound has just been phenomenal. I am so glad to be able to use them on every tour," says Alexakis.

"We carry two Allen & Heath iLive T-112 surfaces

Money, Money, Money - The piano that featured in nearly all ABBA's recording between 1973 and 1977 is going to auction. Sotheby's expert Philip Errington said, "The opening piano glissando from Dancing Queen is one of the most distinctive sounds of the 1970s and we are delighted to offer the actual instrument used by the legendary ABBA in their major recordings. The piano itself is an instrument of real importance and with the added ABBA provenance we expect it will have worldwide appeal."

The piano was made by Swedish musical instrument designer Georg Bolin for the US jazz pianist Bill Evans. It was bought by Stockholm's Metronome Studios in 1967 and appeared on nearly all of ABBA's recordings between 1973 and 1977.The group's pianist Benny Andersson said, "The Bolin Grand is one of a kind and was a great source of inspiration while working in the recordin

Germany - The demands for a high performance point source have always been the same: reliable, lightweight and compact, and with a wide range of rigging options for maximum flexibility. The V7P and V10P from d&b audiotechnik are billed as a new breed of loudspeaker offering all this and more, including the d&b hallmark constant directivity control down to low frequencies.

Building on the three-way passive design of the well-known d&b V-Series line array modules, the V7P and V10P point sources house two 10" drivers in a dipolar arrangement with a rear mounted 8" MF driver attached to a dual chamber horn. The exits from this horn design create another dipole around the centrally mounted single 1.4" exit compression driver with a constant directivity horn. This maximises the performance to size ratio, by making almost the entire baffle board radiate.

The V7P and V1

The Netherlands - Globally the popularity of outdoor music is great as ever and, while the higher profile festivals like Glastonbury, Roskilde, SXSW and Coachella inevitably receive much of the coverage, for every big event there are hundreds more smaller ones which cater for every possible age, interest and musical taste. In Amsterdam, the Brave festival champions new bands, with Yamaha and Nexo systems ensuring that they enjoy a thoroughly professional production.

Now in its second year, the Brave festival is held in Amsterdam's Tuinen van West, a managed 'green space' that provides a range of recreational facilities away from the city's built-up area.

Held on 15 August and headlined by US indie rockers Augustines, this year's festival featured three stages of live music and a 'food village' featuring cuisine from many different cultures. The festival's production company, K

UK - HHB Communications has supplied numerous Mogami 'Cable for Life' cables for the popular Reload Sessions YouTube channel.

With over 11m YouTube views, Reload Sessions is the premiere channel for unsigned musicians. Priding themselves on creating high-quality content, the videos are recorded in HD and only the best audio equipment used. As such, Owner Peppe Fazzolari has added numerous Mogami 'Cable for Life' cables to his arsenal of equipment.

Peppe comments, "The Reload Sessions have travelled to many sites to record, but we are now mainly based in a studio in Central London. We have found that Mogami cables are the best sounding and most durable cables available for any application. We have used numerous other cables over the years, but Mogami is the only one durable enough to withstand the heavy use we require."

Mogami 'Cable for Life' p

UK - South London-based technical production and design specialist Presentation Rentals has re-branded as 'PR Live' to reflect the dynamic nature of its business and the current scope of the company's activities.

The company was launched in 1997 by MD Ian Coull as an AV equipment rental company - initially supplying small projectors, screens and PowerPoint presentation kits.

It's now grown into a highly successful full high-end technical production supplier offering the latest audio, lighting and video hardware and technology, plus a comprehensive range of associated services including complete show and event design, video content creation, graphics, artwork and set design / building. In short, everything to cover all aspects of any types of live event or brand activation, together with a full logistics department and transport fleet.

"Live - and larger scale - producti

USA - Since 1996, LA's Skirball Cultural Centre has gained a reputation as one of the world's foremost Jewish cultural institutions, a leading cultural venue and a truly elegant event space designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. With the latest addition to their campus, the 44,000sq.ft Herscher Hall/Guerin Pavilion, Skirball has dramatically enhanced its ability to serve the 600,000 patrons who visit annually.

Lauded by the New York Times as a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind, the Guerin Pavilion combines exceptional versatility and high aesthetics and features a state-of-the art AV system in which Tannoy's Dual Concentric loudspeakers are integral components.

"The Dual Concentric design originally comes from our studio monitors from back in the day," says Dudley McLaughlin, consultant manager, install and tour, North America, for TC Gr

Germany - After a turbulent renovation phase, the renowned Stuttgarter Schauspielhaus opened again after several phases of rebuilding. Also on board: A new sound system by Alcons Audio. After the last renovation phase, the main room of the Theatre of the Year award-winning Stuttgarter theatre, now has a maximum of 670 seats, which all offer a very good listening experience thanks to the new sound system.

Frank Bürger, head of the audio and video department of the Schauspielhaus, explains the decision for an Alcons system: "From a natural, balanced sound for unobtrusive theater reinforcement to a powerful sound for modern productions and concerts a versatile system was required. In comparison tests, the Alcons components excelled by far."

Thomann Audio Professional, as technical service provider involved in the project, installed the system during the first restructu

Denmark - Recently, hearing health experts from around the world converged on Aalborg University in Denmark for the International Conference on Music-Induced Hearing Disorders, organized by the Audio Engineering Society (AES). The three-day conference featured 21 technical papers presented by participants from across the globe, plus a series of panel discussions on the link between music and hearing.

The conference organizing committee was chaired by AES member Professor Dorte Hammersh°i of the host university. "The exchange of views across four continents was a highlight of this conference, with the inherent variety of traditions for culture, legislation, and behaviour," she notes. "I was very happy with the atmosphere that was created by the diverse participants, which is something one can only hope as conference organizer."

This was the second AES in

UK - The Warehouse Sound Services, helped this year's Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) achieve its many and diverse sound requirements across the summer season after designing, installing and engineering the sound for the opening and closing shows. As a lead partner supplier to the EIF, the company also provided the audio solutions for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks) amongst others, working closely with Tom Zwitserlood Head of Sound and John Robb Head of Technical at EIF.

The Warehouse provided a range of diverse audio solutions for the spectacular opening & closing shows at the EIF as well as a diverse range of shows across the Festival's calendar from 7-31 August 2015. The company has been a supplier to EIF for over three decades as a key provider of audio equipment and sound design and engin

USA - Appearing on the National Register of Historic Places, the Kansas City Club was established in 1882 as a business and professional men's social club. Now under new ownership and rechristened The Brass on Baltimore, this elegant downtown venue offers a variety of meeting and event spaces including two with newly-installed professional audio systems.

After a major renovation that restored much of its historical architecture, The Brass on Baltimore used portable audio and AV systems for most of its events.

However, these portable systems, often supplied by a DJ, were of varying quality and typically looked out of place in the venue's elegant event spaces. For these reasons, The Brass on Baltimore asked Harvest Productions of Kansas City to propose permanently installed audio systems for its Rooftop Room and the Tudor Room.

Harvest's Martin Pilewski explains, "Our pro

UK - Sound Division Group has carried out three installations in high profile London venues this summer, making widespread use of Martin Audio's discreet but high performance C6.8T and C8.1T ceiling speakers. Featuring a 6.5" (165mm) bass driver and a 0.8" (19mm) dome tweeter, these circular recessed speakers have achieved wide adoption since their launch in view of their wide (150°) dispersion, high SPL and suitability for low-ceilinged venues.

In two of the venues - Circus Bar & Restaurant in Covent Garden and Aqua Nueva at Oxford Circus - these have been retrofitted into an existing Martin Audio technical infrastructure as part of major revamps carried out by the London-based installation company.

Circus was first fitted out by Sound Division with Martin Audio AQ architectural speakers back in early 2010. The latest phase sees the company bringing more control

UK - Following the inauguration of their new R&D facility, loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics recently announced a range of new, state-of-the-art products, which includes the M-C12 and M-C15 monitor loudspeakers. Moving away from the traditional EM Acoustics monitor design which has always consisted of dedicated wedges, these 12 and 15 inch coaxial monitor speakers work just as effectively when used either on a stand or flown, and feature hidden pole mounts and flying points for cradles. Their first sale has been made to White Light (WL), with the company continuing to establish itself as a leading audio solutions provider.

Head of audio Lee Dennison comments, "When we started the audio department, we were confident that we had the team and resources to provide strong audio support for any occasion. A few months later we have gone on to prove this and are now being ap

The Netherlands - Cadac, as an official IBC sponsor, is again providing the audio networking and control for the Big Screen Experience at this year's convention. Working with Terry Nelson, from IBC Technical Resources, the leading UK mixing console manufacturer is installing a high definition, ultra-low latency MegaCOMMS audio network, throughout the digital cinema auditorium.

This year, Cadac audio mixing consoles can be found at both mix positions, with its flagship CDC eight-32 handling the audio for presentations, film extracts and product reels, and the newly shipping CDC six taking care of the on-stage microphones. The IBC event will be the first official deployment of the company's new CDC-six console.

During the course of IBC, the Big Screen Experience will feature a series of free to attend, editorially led sessions plus complimentary movie screenings of Fantastic Fou

Switzerland - Thunerseespiele this year featured a world first for TiMax when its SOR audio localisation was used to track Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet performed in a massive half-pipe with a cast of BMX stunt bikers and skateboarders. Billed locally as Romeo and Julia, the ultra-modernised tale of love and tragedy set amidst the legendary feud between Montagues and Capulets was more Upper West Side than romantic Verona.

One actor noted the peculiarity of spouting classical prose whilst risking life and limb hurtling up an 8m high ramp, but such outlandish production concepts are nothing new to Thun's vast open-air lakeside amphitheatre, which has previously staged lavish productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Titanic and Aida. Since 2009 all have been supported with TiMax source-oriented reinforcement (SOR) sound designs by Thomas Streb

UK - Orbital Sound added a new innovation for this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Gilded Balloon, supplying a Flare Audio X2A Compact Vertical Point Source Array system, complemented by the Q18 sub bass units. Marking its 22nd consecutive year at the Festival, Orbital Sound was once again responsible for supplying and installing the extensive line-up of high-end audio and communications equipment across Gilded Balloon's nine venues, with David Bartholomeusz at the helm.

For Gilded Balloon's 30th Festival year, Teviot Row House's rapid transformation from the University of Edinburgh's SU into a high octane multi-venue facility was overseen this year by newly-appointed head of sound Sean Quinn, building on his previous experience as sound operator in the main 350-seat Debating Hall.

For 2015, Sean and David elected to specify a brand new system for the Night Club, intro

Turkey - It is a matter of fact that the human ear brain mechanism is a highly sophisticated system capable of identifying where sound comes from with amazing accuracy. Using this information, with even the slightest difference in loudness, the brain can clearly identify the change and thus locate direction. "This in essence was the challenge presented by the requirements for a new sound system in the Turkish Parliament building Ankara," explained Tayfun Konuralp of Atempo, Turkey's leading provider of professional audio.

"With a requirement for a major improvement in intelligibility over the previous installation made in 1996 as a given, the desire was added for any member of the Parliament to be able to easily identify who was speaking and from where, even during the most heated of debates."

Konuralp heads up Atempo's Ankara office. "We first became

USA - Shure has announced that Motiv digital products, a new microphone line "suited for individuals looking to capture high-quality audio for vocal/acoustic recording, podcasts, YouTube videos, field recording, and more", are now shipping.

The easy to use Motiv products include four new Apple MFi (made for iPhone, iPod, iPad) certified devices, including three condenser microphones and a sleek digital audio interface that can connect directly to any iOS device without additional adapters or connection kits. In addition, the MVL, an omnidirectional condenser lavalier microphone, is part of the MOTIV family.

Shure MOTIV digital microphones, as well as the digital interface, feature user-selectable DSP preset modes to ensure great sound no matter the application. Designed to support digital-recording users seeking better audio quality, MOTIV's preset modes - speech, si

UK - British loudspeaker manufacturer, EM Acoustics has announced new products in the wake of the inauguration of their new R&D facility, headed by the M-C12 and M-C15 12 and 15" coaxial monitor speakers and the EPX-8 self-powered 8" compact loudspeaker.

The EPX-8 is essentially an updated, self-powered version of the EMS-81X compact, powerful 8-inch loudspeaker. Featuring EM Acoustics' signature passive crossover for unprecedented frequency and phase response, a rotatable horn for flexible dispersion options and a variety of swift, safe rigging options, the EPX-8 also includes a state-of-the-art Class D amplification package with integral stand-alone DSP for true plug-and-play operation. Typical applications range from small FoH duties to front fill and compact stage monitoring.

Whilst the EPX-8 is a logical extension of an existing line, the M-C12/15 monitors repre

UK - Pioneer DJ has announced the forthcoming HDJ-700 headphones, which, the company says, "look good and sound superb". Inspired by Pioneer DJ's top-flight headphones, the robust, fully enclosed HDJ-700s are fine-tuned to reproduce rich, clear mid to low frequencies for monitoring dance music. Features include durable and replaceable cables (1.2-metre coiled and 1-metre straight); soft ear cups for a comfortable fit; rotatable right earpiece up to 60 degrees; tough, durable build.

The HDJ-700s are available from October 2015.

(Lee Baldock)

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