UK - The latest Bond movie, Spectre, received a sumptuous World Premiere at London's Royal Albert Hall (RAH) in the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on Monday 26October.

Sony Pictures Releasing (UK), the films distributors hired event specialists Andy Peat Associates to manage the auditorium transformation and Nibbs Events to produce the 'Red Carpet', press and VIP arrivals on the South Steps. These two companies, who worked together successfully on the previous Bond films Die Another Day and Skyfall (that also had their World and Royal premieres at the Royal Albert Hall) had a very tight time frame in which to work, given the fact that Bob Dylan performed in the Hall the night before.

Technical director Andy Peat explained, "The film's producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Brocolli are very clear

UK - Sound Technology has announced its appointment as distributor of Tempest wireless intercom products in the UK and ROI. Tempest systems are designed for broadcast, live sound production, theatre, sports coaching and installed audio applications.

Tempest is designed to offer a wired-intercom feature set with the convenience, flexibility and freedom of wireless operation. Tempest is fully compatible with all major 2-Wire and Matrix intercom systems and provides a transparent, reliable RF interface to the wired world.

The Tempest 2400-EU system operates in the 2.4GHz ISM band. Advanced digital wireless transmission technologies allow users the ability to operate up to 11 BaseStations and 55 full-duplex BeltStations in the same RF space at the same time with no license requirements and no frequency coordination.

Gary Rosen, global manager for Tempest, commented on the announ

Italy - A 40,000-strong crowd recently filled the huge square in front of Milan cathedral for a concert staged on the church's steps, featuring the 500-member Italian Gospel Choir, the 12-piece Italian Big Orchestra, guest director US songwriter, producer, composer and recording artist Donald Lawrence and Scots MC Malcolm Charlton (aka Nick the Nightfly), one of Italian FM radio's top personalities, a recording artist on his own right and artistic director of Milan's Blue Note Club.

To ensure the inspired music's intelligibility for the crowd, audio, lighting and stage/support system contractor Cipiesse s.r.l. of Rezzato (Brescia) deployed a setup comprising two main hangs of 12 Outline Butterfly enclosures, flown one on either side of the 50m wide 'set' and 16 Outline Eidos positioned along the cathedral steps (which doubled as main stage) on front-fill duty. Four Outline Subte

UK - Situated on the site of the world's first railway station, built in 1830, The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester is a large museum devoted to the development of science, technology and industry, with emphasis on the city's achievements in these fields.

Also based in the north-west, system integrators Pure AV, who had already carried out past work for the client, were again introduced to provide a sound reinforcement in one particularly challenging area within the Power Hall, and turned to a Martin Audio O-Line solution, as they have many times in the past.

They were tasked with providing an audio system in a giant, loud ambient room within the Power Hall used for presentations to the general public. The area shows a locomotive with the side cut away while the presenter explains the workings of a steam engine. The audience is positioned in a viewing area opposite

UK - On Thursday, 12 November 2015, at the Annual Music Industries Association Awards Ceremony held in London, JHS & Co Ltd Chairman, John Hornby Skewes, was presented by the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. has been a member company of the USA trade Association, NAMM, since the 1970's. This honour follows a previous Lifetime Achievement Award made to John Skewes by the British Association, MIA, in 2005.

This year JHS & Co. Ltd. achieved 50 years in business. The company was started in 1965 by John and Madge Skewes, and by hard work, perseverance and business skills, they have built the family owned company into one of the largest independent suppliers of musical merchandise and pro audio equipment in the UK.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Janet Jackson embarked on a major world tour at the end of August, hitting the road on the initial North American leg with audio production provided by VER Tour Sound, including a pair of DiGiCo SD7 consoles at front-of-house and monitors. At the end of September, StubHub announced that the early dates, in support of Jackson's new No. 1 album, Unbreakable, placed the tour among the top 10 hottest concerts of the fall season based on sales through the online ticket marketplace.

The non-stop Unbreakable show, which features over 30 songs in just over 90 minutes, generates 109 inputs, including Pro Tools tracks, to the two DiGiCo desks. Even with all those sources, Kyle Hamilton, Jackson's FOH engineer since her previous tour, in 2011, has no need for additional outboard effects. "I've always stayed away from using extra outboard stuff, just because I don't need i

UK - PLASA members are invited to attend a joint PLASA/UKTI round-table event taking place on 3 December in London. "The focus will be on trading overseas, the impact on your business and overcoming perceived barriers. Come and find out how UK Trade & Investment can help you, whether you are just starting to think about exporting or want to do more," says PLASA.

The event kicks off with a networking lunch followed by an address by Richard Parry, who has been involved in export promotion for over 20 years in a variety of roles. Parry will inform attendees about UKTI and outline what they are doing currently to help UK businesses. This will be followed by Matt Lloyd of GDS and Chris Murphy of Velta talking about their experiences using UKTI services and the benefits exporting has brought to them.

There will be plenty of time to ask questions, share knowledge and, hopef

France - Allen & Heath has confirmed Algam as the new exclusive distributor of its products in the French market. Algam is a leading distributor of MI and professional audio, video and lighting products in France and the Benelux.

"Algam is proud to add such a fantastic brand to its catalogue," says Benjamin Garnier, Algam managing director. "This partnership will enhance our portfolio, and open up new possibilities to further strengthen our standing in the French audio market. We are sincerely excited to develop the Allen & Heath brand in France."

To best serve the wide variety of Allen & Heath customers, which ranges from aspiring musicians to audio professionals, the sales operation will be divided between Algam Entreprises, which will manage sales to rental and staging companies and installers, and Audia, which will represent Allen & Heath to MI stores a

UK - British company Formidable Audio is all set to unleash their MkIII Turbosound Flashlight system to the live arena.

Since previous a/b testing took place at Millennium Studios' A Stage in private, further modification and improvements have been made and the system is now ready to thrill listeners at Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London on 23 November.

The new "3 wide" fly bar designed and manufactured by Formidable will also get an airing. This will facilitate the ability to fly a narrower horizontal dispersion system whilst still maintaining the ability to provide extended vertical dispersion if required.

The event will take the format of an a/b shootout between the upgraded Flashlight system and an independently supplied and set up line array system.

The emphasis of the event will be to give listeners the opportunity to decide which system they believe delive

France - Tributes are being paid throughout the concert touring community to the victims of the Bataclan terror attacks in Paris on Friday. Among the 89 people killed at the venue were two well-known to members of the touring community: Nathalie Jardin, the 31-year-old lighting and stage manager, and 36-year-old British man Nick Alexander, who was touring with Eagles of Death Metal, selling merchandise.

Immediately following the attacks, Nathalie's father Patrick told French media that although he knew she had been working at the venue, he had been unable to locate her. It later transpired that Nathalie had died of gunshot wounds. "It seems that my daughter is dead," he later told French media.

Nathalie, who was nick-named 'Natalight', had worked at the venue since November 2011. A Facebook page has been set up f

Europe - Roland has announced the launch of the V-1HD video switcher, an easy-to-use, compact and portable switcher that can accommodate up to four HDMI audio/video sources with resolutions up to 1080p and features a host of professional compositing effects and creative video switching capabilities.

"The new V-1HD is ideal for supporting both live events and presentations, as well as small broadcast setups for enterprise video users, schools and house-of-worship environments. It is also an amazing creative tool for visual artists or musicians who want to add video switching to their performances, create YouTube videos, mix content for online streaming and more," said Christian Delfino, vice president of sales and marketing for the Roland Professional A/V Division in the USA.

"It's the most affordable four-channel HD video switcher that includes a hardware interf

UK - Liverpool-based Audio Install has carried out a major sound installation at the new 1000-capacity Bierkeller in Cardiff - the fourth Bavarian style emporium for brand operators, Burning Night Group.

For the optimum solution in a raucous, challenging environment (incorporating three separate bars with different requirements) he turned to the catalogue of the Harman Professional brands, and then called on the company's UK and Ireland distributors, Sound Technology, to provide sales and installation support.

Ian Davis's company based its audio design around a matched Crown / JBL VRX line array system, with process and control provided by premium Soundcraft, BSS and dbx digital components, along with AKG mics. This forms part of a full AV package.

The venue itself is split into three main areas on the ground floor of Stadium Plaza - the Bierkeller, Shooters Sports Bar and A

No Words - The owners of the Bataclan concert hall in Paris have said they have "no words" to express their sorrow following last Friday's attacks. Eighty-nine people were killed and more than 100 injured when gunmen fired into the crowd during a concert by US band Eagles of Death Metal. "Our thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their loved ones," the venue wrote on Twitter. It also thanked people for the support it had received since the attack. Nathalie Jardin who was in charge of the house lighting at the venue was among the victims, as was merchandiser Nick Alexander. Rest in Peace.

Spending Cuts - UK Theatre president Rachel Tackley has warned the industry to expect "pretty hideous" cuts in the government's upcoming spending review. She also voiced fears that, because the effect of cuts are not felt immediately, the general pub

France - Organisers of the Paris-based trade show JTSE have announced that the exhibition will take place next week as planned, despite the recent terror attacks on the city.

A statement reads: "We want to express our affection to all the families of victims. The International Show JTSE 2015 will take place as planned in Paris on 24 and 25 November 2015 in the Dock Pullman. As Organisers of the show we trust our visitors and our exhibitors for the best running of this event. We are all together!"

(LSi Online)

Australia - Since its inception seven years ago, Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (SOH) has always pushed the boundaries, whether in performance style, musical content, or the support structures that underpin it. So when Jeremy Christian, head of sound and AV at the SOH suggested to the festival curator Ben Marshall that he wanted to implement a new piece of control software from d&b audiotechnik, Marshall said, "I'm all for it."

"It was good timing for us," said Christian. "Pushing the boundaries is about trying something new, and Vivid LIVE offers a really broad spectrum of contemporary musical content against which to make a judgement on effectiveness and utility. It's easy to assess something as great, but how easy and useful it is to apply is what really matters.

"When we came to implement d&b's ArrayProcessing we already knew of its potentia

UAE - Sennheiser, in conjunction with UAE-based regional reseller partner United Broadcast & Media Solutions (UBMS) successfully hosted a workshop in Dubai on 12 November, 2015. Titled Broadcast Sound Perfected, the event aimed at informing and educating customers from the broadcast industry on the latest solutions from Sennheiser's ENG, studio and outside broadcasting (OB) product ranges.

Ryan Burr, technical sales manager at Sennheiser Middle East stated that this broadcast- specific event followed the success of the Business Communications Day which Sennheiser held in September. "By focusing on a particular market vertical, we are able to address specific customer requirements which make these events very beneficial for attendees. In addition to product demonstrations, we deliver presentations that inform them about the latest trends in the industry,"

UK - Westbridge Capital has led a £4m financing to assist DB Systems Limited with its future growth plans.

Established in 1994, Tewkesbury-based DB Systems supplies state-of-the-art audio visual and IT equipment, interactive software and temporary network infrastructure to trade shows, large exhibitions and live events in the global events market.

The business was founded by David Bulley who continues as CEO, leading a strong operations team with many years' experience in the events industry.

Sales and employee numbers have grown rapidly in recent years. The business now has annual revenues of £8m and 63 employees. It supplies equipment to some of Europe's best known events and venues, including Farnborough International Air Show, Mobile World Congress Barcelona and Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre, as well as technical support to trade show organisers acr

Germany - Absen Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., global manufacturer of high quality LED displays, has appointed Hans Christian Stucken as senior marketing executive for its European operation.

Based at Absen's European headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Stucken has assumed the lead role in the European Marketing Department, responsible for all of Absen GmbH's marketing activities in the European region, as well as the delivery of the marketing strategy and co-ordination of other marketing goals globally.

Commenting on his new role in Rüsselsheim, a stone's throw from neighbouring Frankfurt am Main, Stucken said: "I am excited to have joined Absen at this crucial point in time of the company's European development." He continued: "As I'm truly passionate about technology, it's impossible for me to work for a company unless I actually believe in the quality of the

UK - Adlib has confirmed the acquisition of EFX Audio in Scotland. Since the early nineties Adlib has enjoyed close connections with numerous Scottish artists including Texas, Del Amitri and Gun together with their management and associated promoters. Naturally, through this, Adlib has also evolved a close business relationship with EFX that has developed into a genuine friendship.

Adlib's MD and Texas FOH engineer until 2014 Andy Dockerty recalls, "I remember mixing my early Texas shows in Scotland and being extremely impressed with the way the EFX sound systems were presented. They set the standards in Scotland and had a huge part to play in how Adlib developed during the early nineties. It is a true 'benchmark' company.

"The opportunity to develop this company further and continue the amazing work of industry legend Johnny Ramsay was too big an opportunity to miss

France - For nearly a hundred years Club de l'Etoile has held a very special place in the hearts of Parisien movie enthusiasts, its showing of overseas and arthouse films in an exclusive environment making it literally the star of the city's VIP cinemas. In 2015, Club de l'Etoile has embraced the digital audio age, with Yamaha DSP equipment chosen to ensure that the quality of film soundtracks is every bit as exclusive as the club itself.

Originally founded in the 1920s as Studio de l'Etoile, the venue has always been set apart from other Paris cinemas. In the 1930s it was unusual in showing Japanese films, it hosted clandestine viewings of banned films during Paris's wartime occupation and was at the vanguard of the Arthouse movement from the 1950s onwards

In 1985 it was reinvented as a private screening facility, Club de l'Etoile, for French film professionals, but it reopen

Europe - Now in their 20th year of touring with Meyer Sound systems, Dave Matthews Band (DMB) once again relied on a Leo linear large-scale sound reinforcement system for its recent 20-city tour of European arenas. As the band's system of choice since 2013, Leo is the latest in a line of Meyer Sound loudspeaker systems provided by longtime supplier Pro Media/UltraSound, dating back to DMB's first major headline tour in 1996 with an MSL-3A conventionally powered loudspeaker system.

"I find that Leo is so transparent that I can mix without worrying about problematic interactions within the system," says Jeff Thomas, veteran FOH engineer for DMB. "Rather than mixing in a defensive manner, I can focus on artistically creating the ideal tonal balance. The low-mid directional characteristics of Leo and Lyon also allow more gain before feedback and less interaction with

UK - Two new Soundcraft Si Impact digital consoles and an elaborate BSS Soundweb network have been specified and installed by Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) at the new 650-capacity Blues Kitchen Brixton.

This is the third Blues Kitchen to be opened by the Columbo Group, following Camden and Shoreditch, but has been upspecced to take into account the higher calibre of bands that it expects to host. Brixton is also the first of the venues to feature live music on two floors.

MSL project director Darren Olivier recommended the Soundcraft Si Impacts for FOH duty on both the ground and first floors. He confirmed that the spec had been carefully discussed and agreed with Columbo Group creative director, Liam Hart, and the resident sound engineer.

"The new Si Impacts were specified to create uniformity on each floor and streamline operation by the house engineers. It also reduc

Croatia - The eighth instalment of the Outlook and Dimensions festivals took place over the last weeks of summer in Pula, Croatia. The festivals have become a highlight in the European summer calendar. The Outlook and Dimensions festivals were some of the first dance music weekend long festivals to make their home in Croatia and are now known for their amazing fort location and towering Void sound systems.

The Outlook festival dedicates itself to reggae, drum 'n' bass and jungle while Dimensions specializes in the deep end of techno, house and other electronic music.

The festivals have fostered a dedicated following of those seeking a different festival experience who make something of a pilgrimage to the events from across Europe and North America. Void Acoustics systems were found at many stages of this year's festivals. The Void stage was powered by a monstrous combination

Sweden - The Cirkus Arena in Stockholm has become the first venue to install Allen & Heath's new dLive digital mixing system.

Originally established as a circus in the 19th Century, today Cirkus is one of Stockholm's key entertainment venues, hosting concerts, conferences, TV recordings and musical shows, including visiting Broadway shows and currently, the Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' musical, Kristina.

The venue recently expanded with the launch of a new building, the Skandia Scenen theatre, requiring all new equipment. The new dLive system was chosen because of its high bus capacity, multiple networking options, and the powerful 96kHz sampling rate.

"dLive has incredible features and operational capacity, which are ideal for use in a busy theatre. Stand out features of the system for me are the 64 buses, the 96k processing, and the 5 network card slots, which w

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