Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - ABTT (27 May - 5 June)

Sound

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Spain - The Artistic Investigation Festival, known as Observatori, was recently held at the Prince Phillip Museum at the City of the Arts and Sciences of Valencia. After five years, this multi-disciplinary, cross-media event has become one of Europe's most renowned experimental festivals.

A 30 x 40m venue was setup alongside the visually striking building that makes up Valencia's City of the Arts and Sciences. Concerts were held every night of the three-day event with a daily attendance of over 3,500 visitors. The 15m wide stage and the D.A.S. Aero 48 line array sound reinforcement systems were provided by Valencia based sound rental company Acustic Crom, S.L.

Six Aero 48 large format line array systems were flown from the truss at a height of six metres and the built-in rigging hardware facilitated the installation of the systems in the venue. According to Ricardo Masc

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New Zealand - The Holy Trinity Anglican Parish Church in Tauranga, New Zealand, has risen from the ashes of a disastrous 1999 fire as a striking new structure of concrete and steel, its centerpiece a 900-seat, semi-circular worship auditorium, where a stunning acoustical ceiling treatment (made with rare kauri wood salvaged from the old church) conceals a nearly invisible system of Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers. Church music director Peter Minson says of the sound in the new church: "It has a very sweet, natural sound to it. The comment we get from outside people coming in for concerts is that they are not even aware of amplified sound."

The semi-circular seating arrangement made four UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers an appropriate choice for the main system. These are mounted in the gaps between the overhead acoustical panels, in a left-right-left-ri

Renkus-Heinz - Banner - May 2025

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UK - New from Crest Performance - a division of Crest Audio - are two table top/rack mounting consoles. The 16-channel CPM-2426 features 16 mic inputs and 24 line inputs with stereo line-in on channels 9-16. Other features include six auxiliary buses, four groups and stereo master. Mono inputs offer 3-band mid sweep EQ, with stereo input offering 3-band EQ. The CPM-9812P boasts a 2 x 500W built-in amplifier and stereo, graphic EQ with feedback pointer. Other features are eight mono/mic line inputs with 3-band EQ, stereo line input, monitor output, plus one FX output feeding an internal 32-bit FX unit.

Also new from Crest Performance is the CPT Series of loudspeaker enclosures. Offering crisp highs and smooth mid-range performance, the CPT Series is recommended for small- to medium-sized speaking and performance venues, plus all permanent fixed installations. Models CPT-1, CPT-2

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UK - Working with two key suppliers, Northern Light and New Box, Kelsey, the leading manufacturer and supplier of professional audio and lighting cables, has taken a central role in the infrastructure for The Performance Academy, the new further education music, performing arts and media centre opened by Newcastle College, and the largest of its kind in the UK.

One of the first such centres for mixed media studies, the building provides accommodation for all Newcastle College's music, performing arts and mixed media courses. It contains a 250-seat flexible theatre, a music venue for an audience of 500, a 60-seat studio theatre, 10 recording studios, rehearsal rooms, television studio, drama and dance studios, and a radio station.

New Box and Northern Light were involved in different areas of the Performance Academy's construction. However, both turned to Kelsey Acoustics for h

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The Netherlands - The Dutch national broadcaster NOS from Hilversum has chosen the Marantz PMD670 as the standard ENG device for its radio reporters in news and sports, placing an order for 65 units with specialist dealer Onyx. The order includes 65 Marantz PMD670 Compact Flash card recorders, and a full range of accessories such as carrying cases, rechargeable batteries, microphones, headphones and cables.

After extensive research and testing throughout the summer, NOS settled on the Marantz PMD670 as the universal choice by the several news and sports departments of NOS radio (Radio 1 journaal, Langs de lijn). It was considered to be the most user-friendly recorder, admired for its traditional design and layout of controls. Five solid-state recorders were tested, and journalists praised the easy and reliable operation of the PMD670, voicing a preference for working with exter

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UK - Tony award-winning American composer, lyricist and virtuoso pianist Jason Robert Brown wowed London audiences last month with a four-night run at the intimate New Players' Theatre in London - with state-of-the-art sound reinforcement courtesy of EM Acoustics. The system, comprising three EMS-121 enclosures, two EMS-215 subwoofers, three I-1 front-fills, two EMS-81 delays and a single M-12 monitor, was powered by MC2 amplification and was supplied by Autograph Sound Recording to a specification from sound designer Mark Dunne.

Jason Robert Brown was joined for the production by several of the West End's most revered leading ladies, including Golda Rosheuvel, Clare Burt and Frances Rufelle in a cabaret-style performance of his most popular songs. "Although the performances consisted of just vocal and piano, the fidelity of the sound system was paramount to the production,

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The Netherlands - Dutch hire company Rombouts Showequipment placed an order for an impressive rig of Sound Projects' line array, Linex, with the first 32 Linex systems delivered in October, just in time to prepare transport cases and amp-racks - because 12 were booked the same day by Tom O'Brian, front-of-house engineer of the legendary folk group The Dubliners, for a gig in the beautiful Amsterdam Concertgebouw. An additional system was put up at the two-day Kraanpop festival hosting a selection of the most famous DJs.

Rombouts became curious after hearing that Linex rigs were used in Switzerland for concerts with Toto, Europe and Status Quo, at a heavy metal festival in Germany and also for a concert of jazz giant Joe Zawinul, the founder of Weather Report. The company conducted its own comprehensive comparative tests on the logistics and ergonomic qualities of the Sound Proj

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UK - Audio Light Systems Ltd is a new company created to provide informed proposals and installations for design teams, contractors and clients. Utilizing the latest software, the company says it can design "technically outstanding and quality controlled installations on time and within budget". From conception to completion and training, this new company is offering consultation, installation and project management for new build, refurbishment and upgrade projects nationwide, covering audio, lighting, AV or specialist systems.

The company's core design team of Eddy O'Hare, Roland Chadwick and Trevor Cross have been involved in projects of all scales throughout the globe for the last 25 years and are familiar names in the installation and consultancy sectors. They are currently involved in projects in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Since becoming a certified Yamaha Digital Dealer earlier this year, A.C. Lighting's Audio division has sold through its entire stock allocation of DM1000 digital production consoles for the fourth consecutive month.

The supply of these consoles to companies operating in the live PA, recording studio and front-of-house audio environments reflects the multi-purpose nature of DM1000, with A.C. reporting customers ranging from the West Yorkshire Playhouse to production companies behind several leading popular music acts. Sharing all the major features of the award-winning DM2000 console, the DM1000 also offers 96kHz audio, surround monitoring, studio manager and DAW control.

Commenting on the company's sales success with the DM1000, A.C.'s Audio sales manager, Peter Butler, attributes this to matching the customer's needs with the most suitable product and offering a total

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USA - Kansas City's historic Argosy Casino has recently undergone a complete renovation and is now in a new home. Sound-wise the casino has integrated a brand new way of processing, routing and controlling audio within this far more complex and demanding sound environment than the original facility. TSI Inc, the St. Charles, Missouri-based AV systems integrator that coordinated installation of the casino's AV system, made SymNet - the modular audio mixing, routing and processing system from Symetrix Audio - the hub of the casino's sophisticated audio system.

"As we began designing the system in July 2003, we realized we were going to need something with more control and flexibility, to do things with the audio system, than the old casino facility provided," says Mark Schultz, the TSI design specialist who helped coordinate the Argosy project. "With SymNet, we hav

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USA - US-based design firm Environmental Acoustics Inc (EAI) and Performance Audio Video Lighting & Stage Systems Inc (PAVL) have chosen Digigram's EtherSound audio bridges as the cornerstone of the audio distribution system in the new Student Life Center at the Lancaster Christian School, Lancaster, PA, USA. The signal routing flexibility of EtherSound networks and the low cost of standard Ethernet components like switches and Cat 5 cables were key for EAI and PAVL to design a highly flexible audio control system, which allows for operator control at four different locations and meets the budget requirements of this privately funded institution. EtherSound networks distribute up to 64 channels of 24-bit digital audio at 48kHz, plus control information, over a single Ethernet cable - with only 125 microseconds latency.

The challenges of implementing sophisticated technologies i

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Denmark - Mach has launched a new range of medium-throw speakers for the installation market. The CM Series is a line of dedicated compact top boxes specifically developed to produce high SPL and controlled dispersion. Mach say it is suited to venues requiring audio clarity and high power performance such as clubs, bars, cafés, lounges, restaurants, churches, hotels, fitness studios, conference rooms and shopping malls. The CM Series can be used in combination with a subwoofer or as a delay speaker.

The CM 9, 12, 15 and 18 all feature a rotatable horn for optimum dispersion and can be easily switched from passive to active mode through a multi-pin connector. The range was co-designed by contractors for contractors, say Mach, with ease of installation in mind and as such features an innovative mounting system, which along with the rotatable horn, allows for total flexibility wh

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UK - DT Productions has signed a licence with MCPS (the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society) which will allow DT/Soundnet to incorporate copyright music into its programmes for jukeboxes and background music services for European distribution. The licence enables DT Productions to take advantage of one tariff for all types of music based on a percentage of revenue. Previously, it was necessary to work with different rates depending on whether the music was for jukebox, background, DVD or video use.

MCPS developed the new-style licence - which has been specifically designed to take into account a range of usages - within 10 months of an initial approach from DT. "I am now licensed to copy tracks to my UK hard drive and to make physical copies for distribution throughout the EU, confident that publishers, songwriters and composers are getting paid," said Simon Davis,

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UK - CIE-Audio, premier UK architectural audio supplier, has announced the launch of the B-52 loudspeaker range into the UK market. Seeing its official UK launch at November's 'Music Live' Show at the NEC, the US professional speaker range features more than 80 innovative, high end solutions for permanent installation, live performance, sound reinforcement and mobile DJ applications, say CIE.

CIE-Audio has been appointed as exclusive representatives for B-52 in the UK; the brand joins CIE's already extensive portfolio of key represented brands including Inter-M, Switchcraft, Armstrong i-ceilings, Chaiyo, Euromet and Amina. "We're extremely pleased with our latest appointment," says Chris Edwards, CIE-Group's marketing manager. "Over the past two years our involvement in the pro audio and AV markets has increased significantly and has become key to the continued g

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USA - At the 20th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards, held on 30 October in San Francisco, Sennheiser and Neumann were honoured for their outstanding technical achievement. Neumann received an award in the category Microphone Technology / Studio for its TLM 127, while Sennheiser was awarded in the category Wireless Technology for evolution wireless G2.

Winners for Creative Achievement included, inter alia, the sound teams behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Radiohead's Hail to the Thief. In addition to 23 awards for Technical and Creative achievement, the awards ceremony witnessed the induction into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame of legendary filmmaker George Lucas and venerated producer/engineer Elliott Scheiner. In a surprise appearance, Janet Jackson presented the Les Paul Award to platinum producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

T

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UK - Xtreme Audio Visual has installed a complete audio visual package at Sky Nightclub for client Ware Leisure, including a new sound system from KV2 Audio. The main club is split into two rooms, Daylight, the main dance area and the Sunset VIP Lounge. Daylight presented an acoustical challenge to Xtreme having multiple levels of vaulted ceilings along with raised floor levels. To overcome these problems, Xtreme opted to use the KV2 ES Active driven system consisting of four ES1.0, two ES2.5, 2 x ES1.8 and two ES1.5, powered by four EPAK 2500s, using an Audia Solo for the processing and routing.

The system was designed in conjunction with KV2's Andy Austin Brown. Due to the layout of the venue, and the wide variety of events planned for the system, the design was far from straightforward, but Austin Brown's knowledge of the KV2 products enabled an audio solution for all the pro

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Turkey - Biamp Systems reports that AVS in Istanbul, Turkey, has installed a pair of multiple-zone AudiaFLEX systems in the city's newest Volkswagen office and showroom. "To be chosen by AVS for such a prestigious installation as the executive office headquarters and showroom in Istanbul is truly a validation of the versatility and cost effectiveness of AudiaFLEX," said Romano Cunsolo, East European sales manger for Biamp. "It proves that Audia solves the dilemma of offering easy-to-use technology that is still powerful and flexible."

As one of the world's most highly recognized brands, Volkswagen insisted the Dogus Groupe, which manages dealers and service in Istanbul, have its headquarters showcase the newest cars in a state-of-the-art showroom featuring the most advanced technology. This technology was to extend to the executive offices in their main buil

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UK - David Hamilton-Smith, owner of Soho audio post-production facility, China Blue has been elected by the APRS Board to succeed Focusrite's Phil Dudderidge as the new chairman of the Association of Professional Recording Services.

Hamilton Smith has a broad experience of the recording industry both in music recording and audio post-production. His career started at Olympic Studios in Barnes under the stewardship of Keith Grant where he was involved in recording every conceivable kind of music. A five-year spell as a freelance engineer/producer preceded joining Complete Video as head of sound where he stayed for 12 years, becoming a director, before leaving to open his own facility, China Blue, which has recently launched a new 5.1 Surround Room.

In a statement to mark his election DHS said: "I am genuinely touched and honoured to have been invited to be the new chairman

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Croatia - When the Lisinski Hall - a multi-function venue in the Croatian capital of Zagreb - was refitted recently, great importance was attached to the quality of the sound reinforcement and communications equipment. To achieve the highest possible degree of compatibility (and therefore system security), the managers of the complex, which boasts two stages and seating for up to 2,300 spectators, opted to combine stage manager and public address systems from EVI Audio. In addition to their technical capabilities, ease-of-use and sound quality, the ability of these systems to function flawlessly in tandem was a key factor in this decision, say the company.

The outlay in terms of equipment was considerable: the two systems had to cover all areas (and the entire staff) of the complex. For the 2,000-seater theatre alone this meant the two stage manager's desks (stage right and sta

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UK - Famed Italian hoteliers, the Baglioni Group has created an exclusive London location as its UK flagship. Harman Pro UK and authorised installer The Sound Division Group collaborated to design and specify the premier sound system at the recently launched luxury 5-Star Baglioni Hotel in Kensington. The hotel's Brunello club and bar area, used for private parties and functions and as a members club, is a chic new evening haunt.

Following recommendations from high profile clients at top West End nightspots, Islington-based Sound Division specified Harman Pro products to Baglioni. Sound Division is a strong advocate of the JBL brand, says MD David Graham: "Primarily because of the breadth and flexibility of their range, and its uniform quality and power." Turning to JBL's Control Contractor series to handle Brunello's requirements for background music, DJ evenings and

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USA - The long-awaited new home of Jazz at Lincoln Center was unveiled last month as part of a three-week grand opening celebration, televised live on PBS and broadcast throughout North America - via a Mackie Digital 8 Bus desk. The $128 million Frederick P. Rose Hall, a 100,000sq.ft building occupying two floors of the new Time-Warner building in New York's Columbus Circle, is the first performance and education facility designed specifically for jazz, and features three acoustically designed live venues.

The opening ceremonies featured three simultaneous programs in its three spaces. The flagship Frederick P. Rose Hall hosted performances by the JALC Orchestra, featuring artistic director Wynton Marsalis directing a tribute to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Performances by Arturo O'Farrill and special guests inaugurated the elegant Allen Room, which features Greek amphitheat

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UK - The theatre show Umoja was the inspiration of Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni, who created the show as an expression of their South African heritage.

All performers are selected from the Umoja School of Performing Arts in South Africa, which gives free scholarships to underprivileged children as a means to enter the entertainment industry.

'Umoja' translates as "the spirit of togetherness" and there was an abundance of positive energy in this vibrant showcase of South African music and dancing. A narrator punctuates a two-hour journey that takes the audience through a history of African music, from early tribal drummers, through the development the distinctive South African sounds. "Our music helped to keep us human," the narrator tells the audience, "for in Africa, rhythm is life itself."

Umoja first opened at London's Shaftesbury Theatre in Nove

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Italy - Blues fans stream into the normally quiet Tuscan town of Pistoia each year for its annual Blues Festival, considered to be one of the most important in the country, with names such as B.B. King, Robert Plant and Van Morrison all having graced the stage in previous years. With Aztec chosen as the FOH console by rental company, Nicola Procopio, this year's festival had all the makings to deliver unrivalled sound quality.

For the last 24 years, concerts have taken place in the shadow of the great Duomo where audiences have seen great performances whilst either standing or sitting on the historical stones in the medieval square surrounded by breathtaking Romanesque and Gothic architechture. With a further 1500 seats in the gallery, the town's accommodation tends to be booked up for months in advance.

Owners of the first Aztec in Italy, Nicola Procopio were hired this yea

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Germany - HK Audio's Cohedra (Coherent Dynamic Response Array) line array system, introduced last year, is a compact line array system that delivers a big sound. As sound engineer Ray Furze intimated in last month's touring feature, there is more power in Cohedra than it would at first appear.

The German manufacturer's next step was to make a compact version of the Cohedra - a compact compact line array, if you like. This was the product that HK proudly unveiled at its headquarters in the small town of St Wendel, in southern Germany, at the end of September. Following a presentation and demonstration to HK's international distributors and the pro audio press, the system was tested in a true live setting, with a concert performance at a local venue, Saalbau, by Jon Lord - ex-keyboard player for Deep Purple - and an accompanying orchestra. Lord was mixed by FOH engineer Rob Hogdkinson, u

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Astera - June 2025
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