Summit Steel’s award-winning SmarTmast system will be much in evidence at this year’s 50th Anniversary ‘Music on a Summer Evening’ concerts at Kenwood House, one of the historic properties in the care of English Heritage. Founded in 1951 by Frank Wright after a visit to the Hollywood Bowl, the first concert featured a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra, who are welcomed back this year as part of the celebrations.

A total of five SmarTmasts will be provided by Summit Steel, who invested in an additional five of these versatile rigging towers in order to service the event. One SmarTmast will be positioned either side of the stage to fly the main PA system, while the remaining three will provide delay towers. Interestingly, the two PA SmarTmasts will be firmly anchored in the lake in front of the stage. Adapted to hang the V-dosc sound system provided by

Mach Speakers has hired Heine Olsen as product manager. Martin Professional made the decision to reinforce its audio division as a result of steady growth over the past few years. Olsen comes to Mach from TC Electronics, and in addition to his skills in marketing, he also has a broad knowledge of digital technologies and their applications. Mach's current and long-time product manager, Hans Madsen, will assume the role of business development manager.

The 40th anniversary of Amnesty International was celebrated in style at Wembley Arena in a comic cavalcade starring Eddie Izzard, and featuring Paul Whitehouse, Harry Enfield, Phill Jupitus, Jeremy Hardy and many more. Alan Rickman also appeared on the bill, as did Badly Drawn Boy, the Stereophonics and Tom Jones - with a satellite-linked slot from U2 in Toronto.

Called We Know Where You Live: Live! the show was hosted by Eddie Izzard in the spirit of the classic Secret Policeman’s Balls of the seventies, eighties and nineties. The role of production manager fell to John Farquar-Smith ably assisted by crew chief Nick Jones.Izzard is known for his love of performing in an intimate club atmosphere, rather than on television, so a compromise had to be reached to ensure that the light levels were high enough for TV company Initial’s cameras, but not too bright for Eddie’

Italian loudspeaker manufacturer Outline will be showing the Soundtracker - the first horn loaded ceiling tile sound system - at PLASA 2001. The Soundtracker has been designed specifically for discos and dance venues where high SPL is required but noise pollution is a problem. Other uses can be in Hotels or Airports etc, where control is needed on dispersion.

Also on show from Outline will be the Kangaru. First shown last year as a prototype, now revised and powered by Class D PWM amplifiers, the Kangaru now comes complete with removable wheelboard, transport covers and all cables and stands required to make the system work out of the box - the first truly 'plug and play’ system. A full 2kW system that can be transported in a Ford Fiesta!

To complement the exhibition, PLASA has lined up a range of seminars, workshops and clinics that will give an insight into how new technology is creating new opportunities, how individuals have pulled together highly complex projects, why integration is so important and how you can achieve more by picking up tips and techniques from others.

DJs can learn more about MP3 digitally-compressed music files and how this new technology is already creating a platform for a more creative approach. In a programme of seminars sponsored by Installation Europe, audio installation and integration is the theme under which issues of networking, control and the benefits of converging technologies are explored. Tuesday sees a Theme and Leisure Masterclass, presented by Leisure Management, in association with the TEA and TiLE, which focuses on how the leisure industry exploits special effects, lighting a

Adam Hall has announced the promotion of Carol Frampton to the position of sales office manager. She has been a key player in the Adam Hall team since 1990 and will already be well known to most of its customers both overseas and in the UK.

Calling all bedroom mixers and aspiring DJs - the search for the newest, hottest DJ talent is on! Sunday 9 September, 2001, will see the cream of the country’s up-and-coming DJ talent at the PLASA Show 2001, Earls Court, to pit their skills in the PLASA Show’s Extreme V, Gemini DJ Competition. Sponsored by leading DJ equipment supplier, Gemini Sound Products, the competition will visit the ‘Final Meltdown’ on Portsmouth’s South Coast and ‘Urban Games’ at Clapham Common en route to PLASA. Rob Peck of Gemini Sound Products says: "This years Extreme V, Gemini DJ Competition battle represents the most exciting up and coming talent in the business and we are proud to be nurturing the stars of the future with this competition. The Grand Final is a launch pad to success for many of the winners who go on to take up residencies and slots at some of t

Stonewood Audio Ltd is launching three new products to complement its existing Professional Intercom Range. Firstly, the Stonewood Audio SA-WBP1 is a multi-channel full duplex wireless belt pack (pictured). Features include frequencies programmable via PC, 16 selectable channels, fully EMC and ETS 300-422 approved, channel spacing 12.5kHz or 25kHz, and powered by four AA alkaline batteries to give better than eight hours use.

Secondly, Stonewood now offers a Professional Intercom System for Off Shore/Marine use, where system reliability under extreme conditions is a necessity. This product has been engineered so that all switches, level controls, connectors and the cases are to IP67 ratings, allowing the belt pack to be submersed in water. To complement the SA-OSBP1 two more products rated to IP66 are now available which are a full duplex loudspeaker outstation and a loudspeaker statio

The Radiocommunications Agency (RA) has announced a new fee structure for radio microphone licensing due to take effect on 19 July 2001. The changes are part of the introduction of Spectrum Pricing into the Programme Making and Special Events sector (PMSE), which is managed by JFMG.

The aim behind changing the fee structure is to simplify the licensing of ‘UK Shared’ radio microphones. (These are those available for shared use at unspecified locations). This is achieved by setting a flat fee for any number of Shared VHF frequencies and a flat fee for any number of Shared UHF frequencies. A two-year licence is introduced as an alternative to the one-year period. The difference in fee between ‘own-use’ and hiring out is removed and this licence also covers the use of Shared frequencies at Fixed Sites instead of the Fixed Site fees used previously. The RA and JFM

Millbank JustiFire is a new single-channel, four-zone PA/VA system from Federal Signal. The new system is a cost-effective, off-the-shelf product, designed specifically as the integral element of a BS5839 part 8 compliant (European BS EN 60849) emergency voice alarm system for small to medium-sized offices and industrial facilities.

The system is self contained, easy-to-install and has 24 hour integral battery back up. The utilization of a Windows-based configuration programme provides ease-of-use and a simple graphical interface enables Millbank JustiFire to be set-up to meet the requirements of individual installations. It provides a standard solution for the majority of installation requirements and accelerates the process of system design and quotation, building, commissioning and maintenance.

Paul Weber has resigned as a director of Entec Sound & Light in order to concentrate on his lighting design and production management work. However, he maintains his connection with the company in a consultative capacity. The Entec lighting division will continue to be run by Noreen O’Riordan and Adam Stevenson whilst the sound division is managed by Dick Hayes and Roy Smith. Dick Collins takes care of administration and accounts.

In conjunction with its UK distributor Raper & Wayman, Australian manufacturer ARX Systems is showing for the first time in the UK the ZA series of 4-channel, 6-channel, 8-channel and 5.1 multi-channel amplifiers, all in 2U chassis. New additions to the SPL range include the SPL 20 powered arrayable trapezoid sub woofer, the SPL 8 powered compact full range loudspeaker and the SPL 28 powered compact sub woofer to complement the SPL 8. The 8 Pre, an 8-channel microphone preamp, featuring variable gain, 20dB pad, phase reverse and phantom power, is ideal for use as a console extender, ADAT/Hard Disk recording and acoustical analysis. Finally, the BarMix Zone Mixer is designed for all applications requiring switchable multiple input selection and multiple outputs, featuring remote level control and mic override in a compact 1U package.

ARX can be found on Stand H36.

Channel Four’s Big Brother phenomenon is once again captivating the nation, with Audio-Technica microphones ensuring that none of the housemates can escape the attentions of the watching and listening public.

Television facilities company Roll to Record once again secured the contract to provide the complete technical installation for the Big Brother house's all-important audio-visual set up, with the task of specifying audio equipment going to chief sound engineer Oliver France. A freelance engineer who also worked on the earlier series with Roll to Record, France began to assemble the audio equipment as early as February, and was pleasantly surprised when it came to organizing microphones for project. "I was looking around to see what was available, and I wandered on to the Audio-Technica website. I was really surprised by the size of the range and identified a number of

The organisers of Entech 2002 have released preliminary details relating to next year’s event, which takes place from February 4-6 at Darling Harbour in Sydney. The visitor programme includes keynote summits for audio, vision and lighting practitioners on 4 February. The summits will cap the opening day’s educational programme set to feature new format seminars held in the lecture facilities within the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Center. Day One features a Venue Design Forum, an afternoon session with leading lighting designers, two pro audio seminars and a vision/video seminar.

Additional events on Day One include a rigging workshop, an opening day reception on the rooftop at closing time and Mark Cunningham’s famous pop quiz at sundown. A complete programme of events, including the sixth and largest Entech Awards Dinner, will be released ahead of an extensive

Turbosound’s legendary Flashlight system, which dominated concert touring throughout the 1990s, has undergone a significant upgrade to the high and mid-high frequencies. The new working models have been beta tested extensively on leading shows this spring and summer by premier production company Britannia Row Productions - most recently appearing on the prestigious Route of Kings season at Hyde Park.

Turbosound’s managing director Alan Wick had put his new R&D team, under the direction of Philippe Robineau, to work on refreshing the existing system soon after leading the management buyout of the company back in 1998. A focus group of leading international sound engineers and audio production companies was assembled, who quickly identified the need for a new HF driver and a new top plate and recone for the 6.5" mid/high driver, to create a significant gain in SPL while

Blake W. Augsburger has been appointed president of Crown Audio. The announcement came from Mark Terry, Harman Professional Group president. Reporting to Terry, Augsburger is responsible for overseeing and directing the entire Crown Audio operation. The manufacturer's three vice-presidents (engineering, marketing and sales) and three senior vice-presidents (financial, manufacturing and human resources) all now report directly to Augsburger.

Prior to joining Crown, Augsburger was vice-president and general manager for two high voltage test and measurement equipment manufacturers - Hipotronics of Brewster, New York and Haefely Test AG of Basel, Switzerland - both Hubbell Incorporated companies. His seven-year tenure with Hubbell, which also included VP positions in engineering, operations and worldwide sales and marketing, was preceded by five years spent with San Diego's Maxwell Laborat

The PLASA Show, London’s leading entertainment technology event, represents far more than just an arena from which to see the latest developments and innovations within the entertainment technology industry. It also offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about how to use this technology to best effect through its Masterclass Programme. This year, the Masterclass Programme, which runs from the Monday to the Wednesday, will focus on the fields of special effects, architectural installations and audio and corporate presentations and will include an impressive line-up of speakers, all of whom are experts in their specific fields.

Tuesday 11th September 2001, Theme and Leisure Day of the Masterclass Programme is a ‘must’ for visitors interested in learning how, through imaginative design and intelligent production techniques, special effects can be utilised in live

Telex EVI Germany has appointed Christian Greß to the position of export sales assistant. His responsibilities include sales and customer support for all the Telex brands in west and eastern Europe, African and the Middle East. Greß joins Telex EVI with a wealth of experience in the pro audio field having spent the last five years as a professional sound technician. His extensive product knowledge combined with the fact of being a musicianhimself, makes him a valuable resource for Telex EVI and their customers.

Pioneer GB Ltd will once again be exhibiting the Pro DJ range at this year’s PLASA 2001, Stand D40. As well as live appearances from top DJ’s including Roger Sanchez (Sunday 9 September), there will be competitions to win Pioneer Pro DJ equipment and signed copies of Roger Sanchez’ number 1 hit single ‘Another Chance’. There will also be the chance to try out Pioneer’s latest creation; the new CDJ-1000 Digital Deck, the world’s only CD turntable capable of True Vinyl Emulation. In addition to a celebrity DJ line up, with the chance to see and hear some of the best DJ talent around today, Pioneer will have some exciting news . . .

Pioneer can be found on Stand D40.

On the day I visited the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the sun came out. It blazed all day, the perfect start for a night of hot Brazilian jazz.

Funny thing was, I was there to hear one of the classic voices of British r&b: from the early sixties with the Spencer Davis group, through Traffic and Blind Faith to a lengthy solo career, Stevie Winwood has never been less than a national treasure.

He’s not toured since the mid-90s, so this appearance was all the more welcome. How he came to be performing on stage with Brazilian guitar genius Jose Neto is a lengthy story, suffice to say good musicians attract one another like magnets, and I know from speaking to Jose (a friend, as well as a star) that he’d always wanted to re-arrange some of the Winwood canon, so this was to be a special evening in every sense.

For supporting this fledgling festival, mention must be made of Richa

Audace Ltd of Redruth, Cornwall, will be launching its new Intelliplate digital remote control system at this year’s PLASA Show. The company will be exhibiting at PLASA for the first time and will use the opportunity to reveal a package of new features, both hardware and software-wise, along with new multi-lingual literature to accompany the launch.

Intelliplate is closely based on the digital wall panel system that Audace has been shipping throughout the course of this year, but boasts significant enhancements to both the hardware and software specification. For the first time the system is capable of controlling DSP processors other than the Allen & Heath DR Series. At the time of going to press, both the BSS Soundweb and the Gentner PSR1212 were compatible, with plans afoot to include other processors on an on-going development cycle.

The software includes facilities for vol

Now celebrating 75 years at the forefront of audio technology, Tannoy is launching the multi-application, transportable T8 Dual Concentric and slimline i7 Contour reinforcement loudspeakers at PLASA 2001. Also on show are Tannoy's high power iQ10 PowerDual and a comprehensive range of sound reinforcement loudspeakers for foreground and background music, audio-visual and paging applications. A new range of high quality installation microphones and TA series amplifiers will also be on show, which further strengthens Tannoy's position as a total system supplier in the fixed installation, sound reinforcement market.

Tannoy's T8 is a compact, wedge profile version of its successful wide dispersion i8 Dual Concentric reinforcement loudspeaker. Unlike conventional two-way loudspeakers, the T8 can be used vertically and horizontally without any change to the sound quality and is ideal for low

Smart Sound Direct enter the battle of the ‘peaks’ with the wallet-friendly LEM CLX2 compressor/limiter/expander. Incorporating Intelligent Program Recognition, this cost-effective 1U dynamic processor combines features normally unavailable within this price range, say the company. Programmed attack and release times are deduced with the CLX2’s Auto Function, allowing maximum compression without side-effects, while manual overide allows optimum control over transient peaks, essential for the selective programming of individual signals. The CLX2’s onboard Dynamic Enhancer permits selected replacement of ‘high-end loss’, most common when using broad band compressors. With the Auto ‘tracking system’ monitoring the amount of compression used, enhancement is only added when compression is employed, hence the compressed signal still maintains its

Fuzion is displaying a number of newcomers to its product portfolio at PLASA 2001. The first is a range of high quality yet cost-effective loudspeakers and signal processors from WORK aimed specifically at the entertainment sector such as bars, pubs, leisure and retail complexes. Crown matches this with some new ranges of amplifiers for both installation and touring purposes and on the IQ side a new IQ-USP2/CN Cobranet DSP plug-in card for the MA-02 and Comtech Series amplifiers.

From Sabine comes the much-anticipated SWM-5000 2.4GHz digital spread spectrum radio mic system. This is a high quality system with some amazing features, and should not be missed. Symetrix also has some exciting new stuff on offer - the SymNet DSP Audio Matrix for the heart of your audio system, the 322 DSP engine for all-in-one outboard control and the 308 VCA Volume Control/Loudness EQ. There will also be n

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