USA - Founded in 1867, Howard University is better known for academics than athletics, sports are still a prominent aspect of student life.The university's homecoming football game and accompanying celebration is considered one of the capital's more notable annual events, with thousands of local residents joining the 11,000-plus student body to partake in the week-long gala, which features a cornucopia of musical entertainment and special celebrity guests.

With another year fast approaching, Athletic Department facility manager Isaac Darden knew it was time to upgrade Greene Memorial Stadium's aging sound system, and sought the advice of Beltsville, MD-based RCI Sound Systems, the firm behind other local high-profile jobs including Kennedy Center Concert Hall and the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field.

"We knew the stadium needed an audio system that could withstand the Was

Hawaii - The Maui Arts & Cultural Center's (MACC) was founded in 1994and hosts over 1,700 events a year in nine facilities.

Two of the MACC's premier venues, the 1,200-seat Harold K.L. Castle Theater and the 250-seat McCoy Studio Theater, have just been given major audio upgrades with the installation of new self-powered Meyer Sound systems. The Castle Theater's new MICA compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers, 700-HP ultrahigh-power subwoofers, UPJ-1P compact VariO, UPA-2P compact narrow coverage, M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array, and CQ-1 wide coverage main loudspeakers, are put to use with the aid of Meyer Sound's RMS remote monitoring system and a SIM 3 audio analyzer.

The system was installed by Docktrdave Audio, specialists in theatre sound system retrofits. Company president Dave Lawler and his partners, Craig Doubet and Eric Laliberte, saw the opportunity

UK - UK cable specialist VDC Trading supplied a large amount of cabling to A.C. Lighting's Special Projects division, which recently installed a background audio system for the newly refurbished Wembley Arena. A.C. Lighting was contracted by Wembley London Limited through Stace Project Management to provide the background audio system for the Arena's five separate sound zones, including specification and supply of all equipment, custom-built AV racks, electrical power and data cabling, trunking, routing and programming.

The installation of the system was scheduled to take place during the final stages of the building works, so A.C. was under both budget and deadline pressure to complete all work in time for the re-opening. A.C. chose VDC because the characteristics of its cables were ideal for their requirements, plus the company was able to respond quickly to their brief, which

UK - The Birmingham Conservatoire, a faculty within The University of Central England, selected the summer break to undertake a major refurbishment of The Adrian Boult Hall - a refurbishment which included the first UK installation of the RCF TTL33A line array.

The hall, built in the 1970s was designed and equipped for recording orchestral concert works having a technical control room, but as an acoustic concert platform had only very limited public address equipment. The largest element of work involved sound system infrastructure and equipment. The shortcomings with the public address have now been resolved with the help of the new RCF TTL33A line array loudspeakers. Two arrays with five TTL33A segments in each and two TTS 18A sub-bass units were floor mounted rather than flown with the arrays.

The TTL33A is a compact active box with 1250W of amplification (2 x 500W + 1 x 25

UK - When the Rose Bowl was constructed at the start of the millennium, offering a new headquarters for Hampshire County Cricket Club, it offered all the facilities expected of a modern stadium. Shaped like a circular amphitheatre, its flexible capacity of 9,000-plus rose to over 19,000 for the 2006 Twenty20 International between England and Sri Lanka. In addition to offering cricket at the highest level, the stadium also hosts rock concerts and numerous functions and conferences.

But five years after Hampshire played their first county match at the Rose Bowl, there were signs that the public address system was leaving a lot to be desired - particularly in terms of speech intelligibility and even distribution. This is vital, not only for voice evacuation purposes, but for spectators to keep up with the commentaries from the scorer's boxes.

Rose Bowl plc, the owner of Hampshire

Baldwin Boxall Communications Limited will be displaying the new Vigil Eclipse2 stand-alone voice alarm/public address system at Firex North, 17-18 October, Harrogate - stand A27.

Visitors to the stand will be able to witness a demonstration of the increasingly popular Vigil CommuniCare Advance (disabled refuge system) and VIGIL FireCare (fire telephone system).The cost-effective, wall-mountable Vigil Eclipse2 voice alarm (VA) (or public address (PA)) system has the ability to handle up to seven single or four dual circuit zones. Eclipse2 contains the EVAS DSP controlled routeing matrix at its heart and, as a result, has many features. The unit, which is smaller than its predecessor (480mm x 200mm x 680mm), houses one 2U amplifier mainframe providing space for the power supply and up to two amplifiers from Baldwin Boxall's Vigil2 Class D range. Up to 128 Eclipse2s can be linked togethe

UK - Somerset-based Opus Audio recently designed and specified a complete audio revamp of the Monkey Club club, bar and restaurant venue in Swansea. Monkey - founded eight years ago by Paul Dyke and Annabel Davey, has a relaxed, Bohemian atmosphere and a busy live entertainment programme embracing a wide range of music and styles from around the world.

The 400-capacity venue is spread across three storeys and includes two dancefloors, a chill-out room and a roof terrace bar. Monkey has become a hugely popular off-high street phenomena in the city. Opus Audio's Andy Fox worked closely with owner Paul Dyke and sound engineer Paul Cunningham to devise the right audio package for the friendly, lively and multi-layered environment at Monkey, consulting with Leisuretec Distribution's Andy Duffield.

Duffield assisted with the specification of the front end equipment, which included u

UK - With its broadest agenda in the show's history, the seminar programme at this year's PLASA '06 (September 10-13 at Earls Court One) will offer an insight into technical developments, as well as addressing some of the key issues facing businesses today.

New technologies lead the way with Sunday's opening seminar - Out of Home Leisure Entertainment - considering the application of interactive and 4D technologies and the growing crossover between the themed attraction and theatre sectors.

This trend continues throughout the four days, with a range of technical seminars providing the core of the programme: sound system designers and operators of public spaces and transport networks will be interested in Intelligible Intelligibility - how to make PA and VA systems understandable and meet intelligibility standards, whilst those more focused on lighting can attend

Luxembourg - For a long time the large area around Luxembourg, Saarland-Lorraine, has lacked one thing, a multi-functional hall designed primarily for music events and concerts. With its technical, acoustic and logistic facilities the new 'Rockhal' fills this hole, catering for any show from international artists to local music events.

The opening concert featured The Prodigy and Korn, attracting sell-out audiences. Since opening, many acts have featured at the Rockhal including Simply Red, Michael Bublé, Duran Duran, Clawfinger, Soulfly, Fish, Marillion and Chris Rea. Apart from live performances 'Rockhal' was also the venue for the MTV-produced iDance.

The 'Rockhal' has two venues, the Club Hall which holds up to 1,200, and the Main Hall which can accommodate 6,500 people. There are also six extra rooms for rehearsals, a ballroom and a recording studio. A uniqu

UK - Among the notable features of the new Big Chill House, spread across four floors at London's Kings Cross, is the signature sound system of Funktion One. Co-designed by installation company, Marquee Audio, and Funktion One dealers, Production Hire, the reconfigurable Res4/F-218 ground floor system is a favourite of Chillfest's Pete Lawrence.

Marquee Audio were introduced to the project as a result of installing the sound infrastructure at the original Peacock in Brick Lane, upgrading the venue when it was later taken over and converted into The Big Chill Bar. The festival promoters had started to get serious about venue development after merging with the Cantaloupe Group at the end of 2002, for whom Marquee Audio had also installed the high profile Cargo in Shoreditch.

The new venue occupies a large footprint on the Pentonville Road, giving them 1,246sq.m of net operating

UK - Since opening in 1983, Bradford's National Museum of Photography, Film & Television (NMPFT) has gained international recognition for its work as well as becoming the most popular national museum outside London with visitor figures regularly exceeding 800,000 per year.

Part of the National Museum of Science and Industry, The NMPFT has an eclectic mix of interactive displays covering the three media subjects of its title and a busy calendar of special events such as film festivals and temporary exhibitions. It also has an IMAX cinema and the World's only publicly accessible Cinerama cinema.

In 1996, the museum embarked on an ambitious program of expansion and refurbishment; the sixteen million pound project lasted almost three years and actor Pierce Brosnan opened the new larger museum in the spring of 1999.

Originally built as a theatre by Bradford City Council, but neve

Italy - Rome-based multimedia systems integrators, Edisco - which has devised bespoke solutions for many industrial projects - has carried out a major upgrade of the emergency system on Rome's "Line A" underground system, which travels 20km from east to west across the city (and vice versa).

In the era of global terrorism, clear messaging procedures and fast evacuation of underground facilities are paramount. Thus having won a tender, instigated two years ago and issued by the Comune di Roma (system operators), Edisco turned to a solution from BSS Audio, a Harman International Company (NYSE-HAR).

Realising that the new system had to comply with the EN 60849 emergency/voice alarm standard, Edisco's project manager Gino Fioravanti has deployed 30 x Soundweb London BLU-80 devices - one for each of the 27 networked stations on the line; the remaining three are situated 5

Belgium - Plopsaland is the first of three 'Plopsa' amusement and attraction theme parks in Belgium equipped exclusively with Martin Audio speakers (involving more than 300 pieces of C115 and EM series). For the 2006 summer season a new attraction named 'Supersplash' was commissioned and installed. The ride involves 16 people being picked up in a boat, before travelling 16m by lift in 28 seconds; the boat then leaves the lift through a hatch and drops at high speed into the water, passing more bumps and bridges before arriving back at its start point.

The attraction only lacked some spectacular audio FX during those 28 seconds, and with that in mind Wouter Verhulst, technical director for the Plopsaland theme parks, contacted Ampco Belgium's sales manager Steven Kemland. Together with sound designer/producer and engineer Geert De Wit, they designed a surround set-up using 16 Mar

UK - Concept AV have recently completed a number of sound system installations in the leisure sector using proprietary Wharfedale enclosures. The company's Jason Lee explains that many of his system designs have been for primary contractor, AVL, and are based around the Huntingdon manufacturer's SI, Twin and Programme ranges.

Both the Junction bar/restaurant in Notts and Royston Leisure Centre in Herts feature multiples of the Programme series, powered by QSC amplification, optimised in the BSS Soundweb DSP, and providing the operators with local control via the BSS remote wall panels.

Situated at Kirkby-in-Ashfield, the once traditional Ritz Associates-owned Junction has now moved upmarket, and playback is handled via four Wharfedale Programme 80's and eight Programme 32's, split between the restaurant/bar and separate pool and snooker room.

Originally owned by the Mansfiel

UK - After much anticipation, Earls Court One finally opened its doors to the eager crowds queueing for the first day of PLASA '06. With pre-registration visitor levels at a record high, PLASA is bracing itself for record attendance.

New features opening today at the show include the new Integrated Systems Area; a greatly expanded PLASA Seminar Programme with a dedicated Technologies for Worship programme; and the first PLASA appearance of NEET (the National Exhibition of Entertainment Technology).

Traditionally 'DJ Day', day one of the show attracts a large DJ following, to participate in the heats and final of the Gemini 'Extreme V' DJ Competition.

Among today's other special features and events will be the ever-popular Talkzones, where music industry experts talk about different aspects of DJ'ing and dance music, including technical skills, online music and the business o

UK - Tomorrow's Awards for Innovation ceremony will also include a series of charity presentations, as the money raised from entry fees to the Awards is donated to a number of deserving causes. The ceremony will also include a personal appearance by a true entertainment industry legend - Sir George Martin.

In supporting Sir George's Music Foundation, PLASA will purchase a limited edition reproduction lithograph of the original score for Yesterday - the most performed song in history - signed by both Sir George Martin and Sir Paul McCartney. The lithograph will be auctioned during the course of the show to raise further money for the Music Foundation.

The Awards ceremony takes place tomorrow evening at 6.00pm, at the Central Bar area in the centre of Earls Court 1.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - As the PLASA Show's visitors began to fill Earls Court 1, the Innovation Gallery was naturally proving a big draw. Situated at the front of the main floor of Earls Court, the Innovation Gallery, sponsored by Lighting&Sound International magazine, forms a striking focal point for everyone coming to PLASA, as it is here that the 60 nominated products vying for this year's PLASA Awards for Innovation are prominently displayed.

The judging panel, consisting of an array of industry experts, is hard at work viewing, questioning and debating throughout today, and will draw a line under their deliberations by around lunchtime tomorrow. As well as the eight Innovation Awards, the judges will also have at their disposal an Award for Environmental Impact to reward any product that makes a significant contribution to environmental issues. The winners will be revealed to the industry to

UK - PLASA '06 has opened, with much of the industry heading to Earls Court 1 to be part of this international event. The mood on the show floor has been positive, business deals have already been signed, and a strong blueprint has been established for the rest of the show.

The exhibition has been busy since the doors opened yesterday at 10am with architects, DJs, lighting designers, sound engineers, production managers and installers arriving in London to take part in the event.

The show's international credentials have been reinforced by the presence of companies from over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Israel, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkey and the USA. All the major names are at Earls Court, amongst them 50 first-time exhibitors, including the innovative Canadian company Cirque du Soleil.

No other show gives visitors such a positive f

UK - Hundreds of products have been launched at this year's PLASA Show, currently running at Earls Court in London. At last night's PLASA Awards for Innovation ceremony, attended by special guest Sir George Martin, eight awards were presented in recognition of the impressive design and development work going on across the industry.

The eight awards went to: Avolites (Stand J30) for its mDMX system; Dolby Laboratories / Lake Technology (BB12) for the Dolby Lake Processor; Global Design Solutions' Blues System (R53); Vieta / KV2 Audio Europe Ltd (GG6) for the So Line; Pharos Architectural Controls (F31) for its Audio Visual Controller; TiMax / Outboard (DD18) for the Track The Actors system; Volex Power Products (FF14) for its V-Lock; and Wybron's InfoTrace system (J38).

In addition to the main award winners, commendations were also given to Adam Hall for its adjustable top-hat

USA - Color Kinetics Inc (CKI) has announced the unveiling of its latest landmark installation, encompassing more than 1,800 LED-based fixtures as part of a lighting renovation project for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Based on preliminary operation and testing, the LED-based system is expected to consume just 25% of the total energy drawn by the previous fixtures, while also reducing maintenance and cutting the number of electrical vendors required from six to two.

The project called for the replacement of five-year-old metal halide fixtures within 26 glass pylons leading to the airport's entrance, known as the famed LAX Gateway. Ranging in height from 25 to 110ft, the translucent pylons can now display custom-designed colour-changing effects employing CKI's Chromacore technology, as opposed to the use of glass filters, coloured gels, and electro-mechanical colour sc

UK - Over the past two years, Birmingham-based Dolphin Media has systematically been upgrading the news studios of all 13 regions in the ITV network, using rear-projected 160in dnp optical screens from Paradigm Audio Visual. But they were forced to break from their standard model when it came to equipping the three ITV Meridian studios near Southampton.

Covering the East, South and West services of the Meridian region, the station wanted to replace the Perspex prints in their three news studios on the Solent Business Park with widescreen projection - but only had the minimum of rear projection space behind the existing set in which to work.

The challenge was to mount a rig that would enable projection onto the TV Studio version of dnp's Giant Wide Angle Studio screen. While the images are shot in 4:3 aspect ratio, the custom-cut screen (trimmed to 3209mm x 1309mm) would be des

The Radisson SAS Resort on the island of Djerba (Tunisia) has been equipped with the most modern dimmer technology from MA Lighting. The luxury hotel with its approximate 300 rooms and suites focusses on MA digital dimmer, WM' 12 x 3 kVA for the complete installation. The units have a robust coated 19"/ 14 HE steel housing for mounting on walls. They were installed in August by the Tunisian MA distributor MediaCom.

The 44 wall-mounted digital dimmers consist of 12 single 3 kVA dimmers (without RCD) have a large graphic display which shows status values and special functions as well as phase control display. The lighting control, which ranges from classic lights to professional projectors, is via Creston.

Patio Rosinus was responsible for the lighting design of the hotel, with Moris Brill Lighting Design as the executive company.

(Chris Henry)

UK - Live event company Show Presentation Services (SPS) has been awarded the contract to deliver exciting new audio-visual services to customers at the NEC, in Birmingham. The company is the NEC's first ever in-house service provider that can offer everything from simple AV technology to fully-crafted and supported production.

Paul Thandi, recently announced CEO of the NEC Group, said: "Service is at the core of our business, and improving our customer offer to provide and deliver first class audio visual services is part of the vision shared at the NEC. This initiative underlies our continual focus on putting our customers first and leading the marketplace. Ultimately we want to ensure that every live event has tomorrow's technology, wrapped up in excellent service and delivery focus. We are delighted to have SPS on board to help achieve this."

Robin Coles, managin

UK - Now that the dust has settled on this year's PLASA Show, the organisers of next year's show - the newly-formed PLASA Events Ltd - are looking forward to building on this week's hugely successful 2006 event - the last to be organised on PLASA's behalf by Clarion Events.

Exact visitor figures will be released in due course, following the independent ABC Audit of the figures. However, early indications are that PLASA '06 may even have surpassed last year's PLASA Show (which was memorable for its frenetic business activity) with a notable increase in visitor numbers, and a very strong international attendance.

Many of the exhibitors that the PLASA Media team spoke to across during the four days of the show praised both the quality of the customers they had been seeing, and the large numbers of international visitors from all around of the world. Despite a relatively 'quiet' S

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