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Sound

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China - China's National Broadcaster CCTV has selected HK Audio's Cohedra Coherent Dynamic Response Array system for its Studio 1, from where the prestigious CCTV New Year Gala TV show is broadcast to over one billion Chinese people at home and abroad. Studio 1 was constructed on the site of a circular garden alongside the main CCTV building in 1997. The 1600 square metre building, which can seat 800, was purpose-built for the New Year Gala show and other large-scale live broadcast programs. As the studio was constrained by the shape of the garden, it is also circular in shape, meaning that improving the sound quality has become a constant challenge to the CCTV audio department, and this is why CCTV chose to install the Cohedra system. Sixteen CDR 208 T/S mid-high cabinets have been installed into the room where they have already been used for shows such as Joyride in China - Seve

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UK - For the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II the Ministry of Defence engaged Unusual Services to provide production services for a weeklong programme of events.

The main focus of the week was on Sunday 10 July with an event staged on Horse Guards Parade for 11,000 veterans. Edwin Shirley Staging built a 40m x 25m stage with sound supplied by Wigwam, lighting provided by PRG Europe and a 160m scenic wall from Centrestage. Other key suppliers included Search, Power Logistics, Arena Seating, Unusual Rigging, Screenco, Show & Event, Dobson Sound, Delta Sound, Thorns and National Radio Bank.

During the week leading up to the celebrations, images of previously unseen World War II photographs were projected onto the façade of Buckingham Palace. In addition an 85m x 30m tented Veterans Centre was installed in St. James's Park along with a Living Museum, Press Centre, a BB

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USA - TL Audio will be staging the US launch of the new M4 Tube Console at the 119th AES convention in New York in October.

The M4 has been designed to maximize today's production techniques, say the company. Available in 16, 24, and 32 channel configurations, the M4 Tube Console combines that classic valve sound with modern functionality. With excellent valve processing, and digital output options, it makes the ideal front end solution for digital recording set ups.

TL Audio can be found on stand 446 at AES, Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre, New York, 7 October - 10 October 2005.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - Leading UK audio rental house Britannia Row has purchased 32 crown Xs amplifiers from Harman Pro UK.

These went straight into rehearsals with some of the best known rock 'n' roll stars on the planet - including Pink Floyd, The Who, Madonna, Elton John and Robbie Williams in the run up to Live 8. "So as you can deduce from that, we were pretty confident we had a superlative product" states Brit Row's Roly Oliver. The company provided discreet monitor systems for all these maverick performers in the run up to their appearances at Live 8 London.

The amplifiers were then used to power the monitor system for the historic Live 8 gig in Hyde Park. It's the first time Britannia Row has ever bought Crown explains Oliver, "We did a listening test against several other amplifiers and nothing even came near the Xs in terms of build quality and value for money." He

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UK/Europe - Avril Lavigne's show at London's Carling Hammersmith Apollo had the packed audience screaming for more as crunchy guitars filled the air and the kick drum vibrated throughout the audience. FOH engineer John Kerns looked pleased as he watched the crowd response. "This is probably the first time I have taken a real rock show out with a Meyer loudspeaker system," Kerns admits. Having taken over FOH duties from Jim Yakabuski partway through Lavigne's extensive European and American tour, Kerns found himself in the capable hands of Audio Analysts system technician Brett Dicus. "Jim came up with a setup that he really liked," explains Dicus, "which was Meyer mains and a centre sub-hang. That is our priority whenever possible. The Meyer high-end energy from about 5kHz on up can't be beaten. We find we do not have to do the usual boosts for intelligibi

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UK - Among the many new products being shown by Audio-Technica at this year's PLASA exhibition, is the completely re-engineered UniPoint Series. The original full-line miniaturized, condenser range of installation sound microphones, UniPoint has been wholly upgraded utilizing breakthrough audio and mechanical design improvements, to set new standards for signal quality, reliability, and ease of installation.

UniPoint comprises over 30 gooseneck mounted, boundary and suspension models, designed for the widest range of applications, in sound reinforcement, theatre sound, broadcast production and recording. New features for the Series include UniGuard RFI-shielding innovations, new interchangeable condenser elements (cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional and UniLine line cardioid), superior off-axis rejection for improved gain before feedback, 80 Hz UniSteep filter, and two-stag

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Borneo - Glasgow-based Cheer Productions managed the sound requirements for the annual Rainforest World Music Festival, which took place recently in Borneo, selecting an Allen & Heath ML5000 VCA live sound console as the FOH mixer for the main stage.

Established in 1998, the three-day festival takes place in Borneo's Sarawak Cultural Village, attracting over 5,000 visitors with "world music" groups from across the globe. This year, the festival included performances from Colombian singer, Petrona Martinez; Faiz Al Faiz from Pakistan; Italian gypsy quartet, Acquaragia Drom; the Namgar from Mongolia; Djamel Laroussi and his band from Algeria; Polish bagpiper, Marcin Ruminski; and a debut from the American group, the Foghorn String Band. The festival also features daytime workshops, ranging from story telling sessions, to interactive dance and percussion jamming.

"

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UK - Revolver Audio has been providing professional audio production for a variety of clients throughout Sydney and surrounding areas for more than 20 years. Manager Keith Clarkson believes that there are still some people who view Revolver Audio as a company with a lot of older equipment in its fleet; but nothing could be further from the truth. Over the last few years, Revolver has extensively upgraded its audio hire stock - with the help of Jands.

"We've recently upgraded all of our drive equipment and we're now running everything on BSS digital processing," Clarkson stated. "We've also got a large inventory of Shure microphones and we're constantly upgrading all the equipment to the point that the majority of our hire stock is new."

Revolver Audio recently purchased the first Soundcraft GB8 console in Australia. The new release Soundcraft GB8 32 channel

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Italy - Italian commercial TV broadcaster Mediaset struck a winning vein eight years ago, when it launched a comedy show from Milan's legendary Zelig cabaret club.

Since 1997, when the first of 100 shows was given late-evening screening, the program has grown from a niche show into a true media phenomenon, with its comedians' by-lines becoming part of day to day jargon throughout the country, and the popularity of the live show exploding to such an extent that the producers (Canale 5 and Area Zelig) were obliged to stage the latest edition - aired in a prime-time slot on Canale 5 - in an 1,800-seat marquee on the outskirts of Milan, renaming the show Zelig Circus.

The weekly comedy show ran for three months, followed by a series of 'specials' featuring the highlights. The hosts were actor, comedian and author Claudio Bisio (at his fifth consecutive year on the show) and beauti

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Allen & Heath was showing its latest GL Series models - the GL2400, GL2800, GL3800 and GL4800 live sound consoles. The dual-function desks include features such as ambient matrix recording, fast IEM mixing, aux-fed sub, and engineer's wedge monitor. Other features include a responsive 'musically-tailored' EQ, extended preamp gain range of 74dB with input on XLR or jack, and a new ultra-quiet mix head amp design for optimum dynamic range.

Frame sizes vary from 16 to 56 channels, in all-metal space saving frames that feature individual card and nutted pot construction; the GL3800 and GL4800 are also available in different combinations of mono and stereo channels. All models now include dual power supply capability, multi-function mic/line stereo channels, and an option for the Sys-Link V2 expander system. Allen & Heath reports that it has sold 40,000 GL mixers since the Series was launch

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Finland - Slayer's sound engineer, Tim Quimby, has been mixing the epitome of power metal for seven years: "I also do Testament and DiAngelo, but not for the last couple of years; these guys keep me really busy." Despite having had less than three hours' sleep, and without the aid of stimulants, Quimby was remarkably lucid and keen to be interviewed after the show. "Slayer are performing at 32 festivals across the summer," he continued. "At eight of them we pick up absolutely everything at the festival; not even using our own consoles," the Sauna festival being a prime example.

Sauna is unusual in many ways, not least because it's staged downtown, at the heart of Finland's second city, Tampere. As such there is no muddy field to negotiate, and no associated peripheral events like circus performers or Reki readers. It also means a strict 10:00pm curf

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On the show floor, A.C. Lighting showed the latest additions to the Jands Vista and Chroma-Q Color Block product ranges. Color Block accessories now include new Pixel Cap and 30-way power supply - making the flexible LED fixture suitable for an even wider range of effects lighting applications, say A.C. Designed for Color Block applications under studio lighting conditions, where lens flare can appear on the TV camera image, Pixel Cap will fit over individual RGB LED cells on the front of Color Block units to eliminate camera lens flare. The new 30-way PSU offers a more cost-effective solution for controlling large Color Block systems - providing power and effects for up to six times as many units as the standard PSU. With built-in programming features, it's also ideal as a stand-alone unit. It comes with nine pre-programmed looks and users can store up to 42 custom looks on board. 64 ti

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Malaysia - The first Midas Siena console in Malaysia has been purchased by the Hemijaya Group, and is proving to be a flexible and hard-working addition to its growing Midas inventory, the company says. The console was supplied to the Kuala-Lumpur-based PA rental company by local distributor EVI Audio Malaysia.

Hemijaya was set up five years ago to provide staging, truss and lighting systems, and more recently it launched a sister company, Clef Sound and Light Sdn Bhd, to handle PA and lighting rentals. The company already owns three Midas Venice consoles as well as a large inventory of Electro-Voice speaker systems. "We chose Siena in particular because it has the flexibility to be used as a front of house or a monitor desk," says David Tham from the Hemijaya Group. "We've already been using it across a range of concerts and shows which we¹ve worked on for Malay

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DiGiCo's dedicated theatre console, the D5T, formed a major part of LSI Projects' stand. As a supplier and system integrator of sound, lighting, audio-visual and suspension equipment for a diverse range of markets, LSI Projects has recognized the need for a high-end digital mixing console for the theatre market, and believes that DiGiCo's D5T has provided an ideal solution for them.

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Digidesign chose the ABTT Show to announce the appointment of two exhibitors - Orbital and Marquee Audio - as joint exclusive UK distributors for its Venue live mixing platform.

Designed for live sound reinforcement and broadcast applications, the Venue is a modular live sound mixing and production environment comprising the D-Show mixing console, front-of-house mix engine, Stage Rack I/O unit with recallable, remote-controlled preamps, and a multi-channel digital snake.

As a modular base system, it is infinitely configurable, say the company, supporting up to 96 mic inputs and 27 busses. The powerful mix engine provides EQ and dynamic processing on every input channel along with assignable graphic EQ's and full support for Pro Tools plug-ins.

Digidesign's European live sound sales manager Mike Case said: "Both Marquee and Orbital possess as much digital technology experience

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UK - When Avril Lavigne skated into London's Hammersmith Carling Apollo last month she did so with significantly less production than on earlier dates and tours. Lavigne came to London as part of the European leg of her extensive Bonez Tour, which included two sell-out shows at the Apollo.

This production was pared down in almost every aspect - lighting, sound and set - but for different reasons in each area. The show originally included a large video projection, centre stage, along with several scenic elements, but ultimately Lavigne thought it all too much: "Avril just wanted to get back to simple stuff . . . she decided that the scrollers had too many colours on them - she didn't want to see anything in the amber range at all," explained lighting designer, AJ Pen. The cuts have effectively created a harder edged, crunchier rock and roll feel; obviously the productio

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France - Puccini's Turandot was staged at the Stade de France in Paris in May, before an audience of 38,000. The production involved 60 dancers from China's National Dance Ensemble, 80 musicians from the Philharmonic Orchestra of Budapest, 120 chorus singers from the Budapest's National Opera Choir and nine opera soloists.

The set, made in China, replicates Beijing's Forbidden City: 175m wide, 70m deep and 35m high, it features six Chinese pavilions, 700sq.m of stairs and 4,000sq.m of space for the artists, on several levels of stage. The stage set also includes 3,750sq.m of suspended panels, five screens for sub-titles and close-ups and 1,850 lighting fixtures. Making its debut at the venue, L-Acoustics' German V-Dosc partner Westfalen Sound supplied the sound equipment, with certified V-Dosc engineer Mattias Funke at the head of the crew.

The scale of the production made thi

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Liechtenstein - Neutrik, the world's leading manufacturer of audio connectors for entertainment applications - has celebrated its 30th anniversary. In June, the company invited L&SI out to its brand new headquarters and factory in Schaan, Liechtenstein, the tiny Principality sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria. It was here in 1975 that the company began with just two people in an old stables building.

Today, the company employs 650 people in subsidiary companies around the world including the USA, UK, Switzerland, France, Japan, China and Germany, and has a network of exclusive distributors in more than 80 countries. CEO Werner Bachmann, one of those original two staff members, heads up a truly international company which is tackling the move into digital technology head-on with its EtherCon RJ45 connectors, the new USB and FireWire chassis connectors, and its latest Opti

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UK - There is no rule that says you can't fly a compact line array in your living room - if it's big enough. And you get on very well with your neighbours, if not the whole town. Similarly, there is no rule that says hi-fi speakers - even studio monitors - can't be used in nightclub venues. For proof, look no further thantop-drawer London watering holes Aura and Chinawhite, both of which count one Fred Moss among their directors and both of which have recently installed ATC systems.

ATC, the Stroud-based hi-fi and studio monitor manufacturer of some 31 years' standing, was given the opportunity to blaze this trail during refurbishments at both clubs - as R&D engineer Ben Lilly reveals. "Fred Moss had been a fan of ATC through our hi-fi range, and he firstly wanted something a little different for Aura," says Lilly. "He specifically wanted something that wouldn't s

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Kave Theatre Services showed numerous products, including SFX sound playback software, RentalPoint rental management package, and examples of its own wide range of flat kits. The company also introduced its new webshop, the latest addition to its website.

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UK - Beyerdynamic announced that it has come to the conclusion of its distribution agreement with ClearOne in the UK.

Beyerdynamic's managing director, John Midgley commented, "As the leading solutions provider to trade AV integration and installation companies, our portfolio has to be at the very forefront of technical development. With the launch this month of AEC2W wideband echo cancellation for AudiaFlex from BIAMP, we can now offer the latest technology of full bandwidth acoustic echo cancellation within any video or telephone conferencing application. It is no longer necessary to limit the sound quality in high-end conferencing. Our award-winning team, led by Jon Stanley, designs, supports and supplies complete systems for the trade."

Recent Biamp Audia projects include multinational installations such as the Ford motor company, the national weather centre and

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UK - In April 2004, Darren Gardiner from LSFX first visited the site of a former nightclub in the seaside resort of Portstewart, with the daunting task of specifying a new sound system for a new, purpose-built church. The congregation of the Baptist Church had outgrown their current home in Portstewart, and purchased the former nightclub with a view to demolishing it and building a new worship centre for their growing church community.

After a lengthy consultation process LSFX was awarded the contract. In the first instance, Gardiner contacted KV2 Audio's Andy Austin Brown and they started working on a scheme that would not only meet the church's requirements but would in many ways exceed them. LSFX had had used KV2 Audio products with success in a number of different venues over the past year, and both Austin Brown and Gardiner agreed that the main system should be flown from t

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France - The centenary of Jules Verne's death in 2005 has provided the inspiration for a unique three-day spectacle featuring one of France's most innovative theatre companies, Royal de Luxe. Combining elements of street theatre, circus and carnival, the extraordinary event featuring a robot elephant and a giant doll, demanded all of the expertise of French PA company Melpomen - and all of its Nexo inventory.

Royal de Luxe, which was established in the early eighties, has become famous for its extravagant street spectacles. The company lives up to its reputation with 'The Sultan and his Time-Travelling Elephant', which attracted more than 100,000 spectators in the two cities, Amiens in Somme and Nantes in Britanny, which had been home to Jules Verne.

French PA company Melpomen, which has been working with Royal de Luxe for the last decade, provided the sound reinforcement syst

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Germany - On 3 June, the mayor of Frankfurt-am-Main, Oberbürgermeisterin Petra Roth, presented the city's new soccer stadium, the Commerzbank Arena, to Horst R Schmidt, senior vice-president of the organising committee for next year's FIFA World Cup. Work began on the 52,000-seater stadium, which has a retractable roof and is built on the site formerly occupied by the Waldstadion, in June 2002 and was completed in May 2005. The final cost came to 126 million euros, with a further 174 million devoted to the stadium periphery.

The new home of Eintracht Frankfurt, which has just won promotion to the 1st Bundesliga, satisfies in every respect the demands of a modern stadium - including in audio quality, thanks to an integrated sound reinforcement, public address and alarm system from EVI Audio. The advantage of a one-source solution such as this, say the company, is that all the co

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