UK - Design and control software systems developer, Stardraw.com is now supporting a range of audio products from electronic musical instrument giants, Roland.

All Roland AR Series products such as the AR-200S and AR-3000R Digital Announcement Recorders can now be controlled from any PC using custom user interfaces designed in Stardraw Control. This software allows users to design and programme fully customised, standalone control applications without having to write any code. It supports control of any hardware over any protocol and now includes drivers for Roland's AR Series.

All AR Series products are also available as symbol sets in Stardraw's design and documentation application for professional systems contractors, Stardraw A/V. Symbols include schematic views showing all inputs and outputs for engineering diagrams.

Roland Systems Group's product manager, Neal Tomlinso

Sweden - When Cengiz 'Jimmy' Savran bought the 540-capacity Kompaniet Club on Gothenburg's pedestrianised Kungsgatan a year ago it was a dance venue with big problems. And Cengiz would know, since he owned the Vice Versa restaurant right opposite. So he installed security cameras and quickly restored both its reputation and its interior under the new name of Wish Club.

The DJ booth features the Denon DN-S3500. "The main reason for this decision was that this CD/MP3 player contained more functions than anything else on the market, allowing the DJs to be more re creative with their mix," says Savran. "We have tried many other brands of equipment but Denon always lives up to our expectations and I have had nothing but good experiences with Denon equipment in the past."

Distributed in Sweden by EM Nordic, the pair of Denon's flagship players were supplied to Wi

Sweden - Lab.gruppen has announced an arrangement allowing Lab.gruppen to utilise Dolby® Lake Processor technology in future products.

"It is a part of Lab.gruppen's business strategy to be able to integrate other significant technologies within the company's tour-honed amplifier platforms," stated Tomas Lilja, Lab.gruppen's MD. "We are extremely excited now to have access to Dolby's Lake Processor technology. We know the outcome will be a positive benefit for both companies and the sound reinforcement marketplace at large."

Senior management and engineering teams from Lab.gruppen and Dolby have been collaborating on the development of this arrangement for over six months. The integration will not impact Lab.gruppen's central product manufacturing or sales channels. "Dolby's Live Sound Group has long held an immense respect for Lab.gruppen products

Taiwan - Mipro has unveiled its latest flagship portable PA system. MA-808 is an all-in-one wireless solution provider for large PA applications. The MA-808 delivers a powerful 250-watt of sound and is designed for use in schools, institutions, rallies, sporting events, trade shows, weddings, place of worship and business presentations.

Key Features include Class-D/AM amplifiers and three power modes: AC, rechargeable battery and direct DC giving eight hours continuous use per charge.

(Jim Evans)

Russia - Music Moscow was held between the 12-15 October at theSokolniki Culture & Exhibition Centre. Proel, together with Russian distributor Yarovit Music, took over the whole of Hall 17. The 500sq.m hall featured a wide range of Proel professionalproducts, from sound reinforcement and installation to lighting and stageequipment.

The Sound Reinforcement display consisted of almost all of the systems currently available - Axiom, Edge, NEOS, TFLV, TPRK, SmarTV Plus and Next together with the Proel professional amplifiers, spiltters and processors.

During the event, the professional touring standard Axiom and Edge were demonstrated and backed-up with complete technical seminars.The Axiom progressive array system consisted of six AX3210P, six Edge121SP subwoofers, powered by three Powersoft K10 and the Proel DSO26 processor.

The Edge point source system featured four Edge212P,

China - Pen manufacturer Montblanc celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, and many international guests were invited to a star studded evening at Shanghai Film Park Studios in the Songjiang district of China.

Approximately 3000 special guests attended the event which included musical appearances by baritone Thomas Hampson, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, the violin virtuoso József Lendvay and Italian singer Lucio Dalla. These performances benefited from an L-Acoustics sound system provided by Lab Shanghai. A combination of KUDO and dV-DOSC arrays were used for the FOH system, complemented by SB218 subwoofers and dV-SUBs. In addition 115FM stage monitors were used as front fills and 115XT HiQs were utilised for the VIP Section.

Show designers Kenny and Don from Lab Shanghai reported, "We needed to hide the speaker cabinets on the ceiling while ensuring sound quality an

Sweden - Spurred on by unprecedented orders (more than double that anticipated) for the new FP+ Series amplifiers, Lab.gruppen engineering and manufacturing have pulled out all the stops to get the benchmark FP+ amplifiers into production, well ahead of the anticipated date.

" It is with an immense sense of pride that we make this announcement," stated Tomas Lilja, Lab.gruppen's managing director. "Everyone has worked so hard, with much overtime and weekend work, to make this happen. We have a large order book to fill and demand for existing models is still increasing. The company will now redouble its efforts to continue the new product introductions and aim to have the four new C Series models in production very early in the New Year. Again demand is outstripping expectations."

The FP+ Series of dedicated touring amplifiers comprises: FP 13000 (2 x 6500W)

UK - RSS by Roland have confirmed the landing of products and components and forged new friendships with third party suppliers. The AES/EBU input and output boards for the Digital Snake have arrived in the UK. These allow you to mix and match analogue and digital inputs and outputs in the same system, the output board having sample rate conversion and word clock per module. Each module has four inputs or outputs and can be synchronised to each other. A system containing AES populated Digital Snake has been purchased by the Royal College of Music in Kensington for integration into their new recording system.

The latest software revision for the Digital Snake is now available. Version 1.5 enables remote control of pre-amp gain, pad, phantom power and memories from your Yamaha M7 or PM series desk. A converter from RS-232 to RS-422 is required.

New to the UK are the latest AR ser

UK - October 2006 saw Chris Rea play an exclusive show to an invited audience at London's Bush Hall, on the occasion of the launch of his first ever live album, 'The Road To Hell and Back', for which R G Jones provided another top quality, bespoke sound system. The intimate venue has a capacity of only 300, so the lucky few were treated to an 'up close and personal' set by the man who has cheated death to re-emerge as a dedicated exponent of the Delta Blues. Such is the dedication of some to Rea's music, that one particular couple had flown from Brazil for the privilege of experiencing the man in such a unique environment.

Of significance to R G Jones is the company's heavy involvement with the creation of this landmark album for Chris. The recordings were all made during the recent tour of Europe and the UK, for which RG's provided a state of the art sound system. The system ha

UK - MC2 Audio is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Bailey as sales and despatch support to the current admin team. Mark graduated from the University of Gloucestershire in 2005, where he studied Business, Marketing and IT and his previous work experience was in the financial industry. He has a strong interest in audio, and comments: "I am delighted to have obtained employment in the audio industry, especially as my hobbies include music production and DJ'ing and I see this as a great opportunity to learn more about the industry."

Bailey is a regular DJ on the local club circuit, and is looking forward to applying his business and marketing skills within MC2.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - The young Vic has been heralded as one of the most exciting new performance spaces to open this year. Charcoalblue Theatre Consultancy, subcontracted by Theatre Projects, is responsible for the design, specification and integration of the entire technical infrastructure of this exciting new space.

One of the most important producing theatres in the UK, the Young Vic was originally founded in 1970 by Sir Laurence Olivier for the younger members of his newly formed National Theatre Company. Built as a temporary space, it had an intended life span of a mere five years. However it wasn't until 2000 - when the building reached a dangerous state of disrepair - that 'the powers that be' sanctioned its rebuild. The theatre reopened six years later to press on 11 October - on time and on budget.

Designed with total flexibility of space utilization and configuration in mind, Charco

USA - SE Systems of Greensboro, NC has been named the recipient of a 2006 TEC Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Tour Sound Production for the North American tour of Alison Krauss and Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas. The award was presented to SE Systems as well as FOH engineer Bernie Velluti and monitor engineer Mark Richards.

According to SE Systems owner Cliff Miller, the use of JBL Vertec line arrays proved to be one of the keys to the tour's success. "The system has worked out extremely well for us on the Alison Krauss tour," he said. "We try to make the sound system as transparent as possible to maintain the purity of the acoustic instruments and Alison's vocals. With the Vertec line arrays, we are able to amplify the instruments through microphones without any additional built-in pickups. This provides us with significantly more gain at th

UK - Audio-Technica is employing an innovative Bluetooth based mobile marketing application at this year's Music Live exhibition to promote the new Artist Series range of microphones.

The BluRange Ranger from electronic marketing specialists, LHM Media, will broadcast a MMS message to all Bluetooth enabled devices - mobile phones, PDAs or laptops - within a 100 metre radius of the Audio-Technica stand (C50) during Music Live. The promotional message, with content incorporating full colour graphics, offers customers a further 10% off of the special offer price on all Artist Series microphones during the show, to anyone showing it on their mobile device to an Audio-Technica member of staff.

Commenting on the campaign, Harvey Roberts, senior UK marketing manager, Audio-Technica, states: "We are constantly looking to extend the reach and effectiveness of our mar

UK - Adlib Audio has completed the design, specification and installation of a new sound system at Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Hall. The prestigious 1700 capacity concert hall venue is one of the city's landmarks, and Its music programme encompasses a wide variety of events.

Adlib's Andy Dockerty and Roger Kirby designed the system, and the installation project was co-ordinated by Mark Burnley. The system is based around a 9-a-side Nexo GeoD line array, with two Adlib AA 218 HL subs a side. The Nexo was chosen by the venue for its neat, tailored appearance that would cause minimal intrusion in the room and provide sufficient SPL for the various events held within the hall.

Across the front of the stage, the old Nexo PS10 speakers have been reutilised for centre stalls infills and onstage there are eight AA1214w floor monitors, Adlib's latest 650W/12" wedges. To the rear

USA - Crown International announces two key appointments to its senior staff with the dual promotions of Scott Potosky to vice president of engineering and Marc Kellom to vice president of marketing.

According to Crown president Mark Graham, who made the announcement: "Both Scott and Marc have impressive track records with Crown, leading the development of some of our most important products over the past decade. Each brings extensive leadership experience and an intimate understanding of our business to their respective positions."

Potosky has enjoyed an 18-year tenure with Crown, most recently serving as a product development manager. "Scott's experience in the engineering process and collaboration with other Harman Pro business units makes him a great fit for his new role," says Graham.

Prior to joining Crown, Potosky earned his bachelor's degree in el

Italy - Proel SpA has appointed Marco Farello as export manager. Previously, he has worked with with major Italian distributors, developing solid international relationships with MI and pro audio manufacturers worldwide.

Farello will have special responsibility for Proel's sound reinforcement division. He says, "The market is continuously offering new opportunities to expand business. I am very happy to be joining such a forward looking company that has high quality products and a strong reputation for customer service."

(Jim Evans)

UK - London's Trafalgar Square recently played host to a series of live music events, with sound reinforcement services provided by AdLib Audio Hire of Liverpool. A complete large-scale audio system featuring JBL Professional Vertec line arrays and Soundcraft's new Vi6 digital mixing console was supplied.

The weekend of September 15-17 featured an eclectic variety of events, including a peace rally and a full live musical programme. On September 16, Scissor Sisters performed at the MOTO (RED) benefit event, sponsored by Motorola. Proceeds from the show went towards the global fight against AIDS in Africa. September 17 featured Simcha On The Square, a celebration of Jewish music and culture.

AdLib Audio provided two main left/right arrangements of Vertec VT4889 full-size line array elements, with additional outfill arrays positioned to serve the large audiences in the br

UK - London School of Sound (LSS) has adopted Allen & Heath's Xone:3D mixer/controller to conduct its modern DJ Skills courses for live performance and studio production, and has devised a course with specialised training on the Xone:3D in conjunction with Ableton and other music software providers.

"We were initially attracted to the Xone:3D because it is the first control surface for Ableton Live designed with the performing DJ in mind. The layout is clear and well organised, the controls are intuitive, and the construction quality make it a reliable choice for our demanding schedule of (ab)use!" explains LSS tutor, Federico Bersano Begey. "Its ability to work as an audio/MIDI interface for both Mac and PC, make it the ideal controller to run almost all of our courses."

He continues, "Modern DJ's, whether pro or bedroom, are interested in much more t

USA - D.A.S. Audio staged its North American Aero Line Array Training Seminar on October 18 and 19 at the Fitzgerald Hotel in Las Vegas. The seminar was addressed to US Aero line array system users as well as potential clients. At the same time, the new Variant line array and EASE Focus software were presented to the US market.

The main seminar speakers were Ashok Maharaj, independent professional audio consultant from Venezuela; Javier Navarro, D.A.S. Audio sound engineer; Kevin Hill, head of sales for the US; Ramón Franco, sales representative for Colombia and technical adviser for Latin America; and Jack Palacio, international sales director of D.A.S. Audio. Roberto Giner, D.A.S. marketing director, as well as all sales representatives for the US were also present.

Close to ninety people attended the sessions which focused mainly on the line array theory and the dev

USA - Fits & Starts Productions will bring a pair of its How-To Church Sound Workshops to next year's NSCA Expo on March 16 and 17 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Offering applied, hands-on training for volunteer staff, music ministers, youth members, choir directors, musicians, or anyone seeking to gain a better understanding of sound systems or considering a sound system upgrade, the workshops will focus on both basic and advanced techniques.

The How-To Church Sound Microphone Techniques Workshop will focus on the proper choice and use of microphones in a house of worship environment, the workshop will examine correct microphone placement for musical instruments, choirs, and soloists, as well as the operation and differences between hardwired and wireless microphone systems. Different microphone polar patterns will additionally be evaluated

UK - The Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers held their annual Institute Day on Friday 20th October 2006 in Watford. The event comprised the ever popular Warren Barnett Memorial Lecture which this year was presented by Sam Wise BSc CEng of Arup Acoustics, whose subject was loudspeaker arrays and how they work.

The AGM followed the lecture and the day concluded with a dinner at which presentations were made to individuals who were recognised for giving outstanding service to the Industry. Bryan Robinson of Robbotronic Co, vice president, was made a Fellow of the Institute and Terry Baldwin and David Boxall of Baldwin Boxall were awarded Lifetime Achievement certificates for their contribution, mainly to the voice alarm industry and to export.

In his address, David Hopkins OBE, president of the Institute, thanked the members for their support and in particular the su

UK - RF specialist Trantec has announced the launch of its innovative S.16 UHF wireless radio microphone system. Representing a further expansion of its growing portfolio of WEE compatible products, Trantec's S4.16 system promises "high quality wireless audio links at an affordable price".

The robust 19" rack mountable receiver pack boasts 16 user selectable channels, which includes 4 license free channels. Plus its diversity receiver ensures maximum control and minimises drop -outs. Its flexible audio output level is adjustable on both the jack and XLR outputs. Benefiting from RSSI/Squelch, the user can control the system to minimise external interference.

The Hand-Held system comprises a fully integrated handheld microphone , which features a cardioid dynamic capsule and is perfect for the most challenging vocal applications.

The Beltpack system comprises a

UK - One of the first UK customers for the Soundcraft Vi6 digital console is Simon Kennedy Lights Ltd (SKL) in Edinburgh which has just confirmed an order for a second desk. SKL took delivery of its first Soundcraft Vi6 in July. and immediately despatched the desk to a 5-week rental at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Vi6 was stationed in the E4 UdderBELLY, a new comedy venue sponsored by digital TV channel E4. The 322-seat theatre space hosted a wide range of comedy and music comedy performances, including The Sperm Monologues and the juggling extravaganza Tossers: More Balls than Most.

SKL has made a substantial investment in a high-specification PA rental inventory, with the digital desks - supplied through Harman Pro UK - at its heart. Established as a lighting business for some ten years, SKL also provides staging, rigging, trussing and power distribution,

UK - In April of this year, John Moss (drums), Mikey Craig (bass), Phil Pickett (songwriter and keyboard player) and Tony Gordon (manager) decided to bend to public pressure for Culture Club to play live and re-enter the touring circuit.

After launching a daunting but successful quest to find 'Sam The Man' - a front man to temporarily replace the inimitable Boy George - they performed their first live gig since 2002 during this summer at London's Too2Much club, where front of house engineer Mark Portlock and monitor engineer Liam Halpin made groundbreaking use of their DiGiCo D1 Live digital mixing console.

"As production manager as well as FOH engineer, sometimes I have to make difficult decisions for the overall benefit of budget and ultimate show delivery," says Portlock. "With DiGiCo I feel that the decisions are now far less difficult."

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