The new EVO speaker system from JBL Professional has been installed at the high profile Teatr Komedia in Warsaw. The theatre, built in the 19th century, is one of the busiest and most successful in Poland, primarily due to its popular and accessible programme of entertainment.

The theatre was looking for a dynamic and highly precise sound system that would be applicable for a wide variety of shows. They approached JBL’s Polish distributor Polsound, with whom they have worked previously and arranged for a demonstration of the system. Impressed by what they heard, the technical team gave the go ahead for the design, supply and installation of the EVO/JBL system which was overseen by Polsound’s Wojciech Puczynski & Pawel Danikiewicz.

Four EVOi.324 speakers are used for the main auditorium left and right arrays. They are joined by two JBL Marquis Series MS28s for centre fills

Following the sudden death last month of its founder and managing director Bob Salt, RW Salt Communications has announced the appointment of its new general manager, Craig Buckley. In a statement from the company, RW Salt’s chairman, Richard A Lyon, said: "It is to Bob’s credit that even though he was taken away so unexpectedly, he left everything in good order, which has enabled our company to function very well indeed."

Lyon also welcomed Buckley to the company. Buckley, who is well known to many in the audio industry, joins RW Salt from Bose, where he had worked for 10 years, recently as national sales manager.

(Lee Baldock)

AMS Neve has recently signed an initial one-year sponsorship deal with the Music Producers Guild (MPG). The aim of the sponsorship deal is to help further the profile and work carried out by the MPG and to maintain AMS Neve's awareness amongst the producer community. AMS Neve supplies analogue and digital mixing consoles and hard disk recorder/editors to facilities worldwide.

The MPG is an association made up of over 300 record producers, recording engineers and programmers. Andy East, MPG chairman says: "AMS Neve's sponsorship package is another significant development for the continued growth and future of the MPG. It underlines our commitment to the membership in aligning ourselves with an established and highly respected manufacturer that recognizes our members' contribution to the recording industry."

As part of their commitment to education, the MPG will continue t

The recent Pop Idol and the current Johnny Vaughan show have been two of the UK's top music entertainment shows over the past months, and just part of the client roster of newly-formed TV sound suppliers, Plus 4 Audio. In order to continue to service its clients’ needs, the company has recently invested in three Klark Teknik DN1248 Plus microphone splitters supplied by Marquee Audio, with a fourth to come at the end of the month.

Plus 4's Stewart Chaney explains why he decided to create the company. "Quite simply I was frustrated at the lack of high quality audio facilities for TV, particularly in the music and entertainment sector where the need is particularly pressing. Having come from a rock and roll/corporate environment, both of which are extremely well provided for, I wanted to create the same service for the market I now work in, which is TV broadcasting, and so Plus

Entering a high-profile competition to win a superb HK Audio Projector PA system as recently run by Music Mart magazine certainly paid off big time for one lucky reader. Trying not to look too stunned as he collected his sound reinforcement haul was Farnborough-based winner, Richard Payne. Richard, 21, who works in customer services in an energy management company, is a big fan of the south of England’s techno scene, and had been saving hard for a deposit for a decent PA system when he received the good news.

Richard collected an £8999 3.6kW self-powered active Projector system from the head office of exclusive HK Audio UK & Eire distributors, John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. Richard is already making plans for his new system, including getting it out working on the South’s techno circuit, and setting it up on a pitch at Glastonbury 2002.

(Ruth Rossington)

Following the demise of Out Board Electronics Ltd, which entered into voluntary liquidation in November 2001, the ‘assets, name and goodwill’ of the company have been purchased from the liquidators by the company’s original founder and inventor of TiMax, Robin Whittaker, and former commercial director, Dave Haydon.

Whittaker and Haydon have incorporated a new company called Sheriff Technology Ltd, which will trade under the ‘Out Board’ name. The new company will focus its core business on TiMax and its applications, as well as future peripheral and related audio and media technology development and marketing. The company is establishing manufacturing and marketing joint-ventures in chain-hoist motor control, PAT testing and AC distro in order to maintain and develop market support and growth in these technology sectors.

For its core audio control produc

Northamptonshire County Council is the first Council in Britain to have a Virtual Audio Network. The system, CDS-VAN, has come from Brähler ICS UK Ltd, as has a microphone and voting system, CDS-200. The latter was chosen to improve both the overall management of meetings and the audibility of the proceedings. The Council Chamber is now equipped with 74 councillors’ units. Each of these has removable directional microphones with in-built speakers to enhance audio reproduction. And the chairman’s unit has a priority button which gives it an override facility.

The system, supplied through Willow Communications of Northampton, was selected after an extensive evaluation process that involved other manufacturers, its unobtrusiveness and user friendly operation securing it the contract. The CDS-200 includes an integrated digital voting system. To signal a vote, delegates simply

Britannia Row Productions (BRP) has added Jim Alexander to its ranks. Alexander is that classic of the industry, a former ENTS man from his time at college, who now specializes in the corporate event market.

"Although my first steps in audio were with live bands, it’s always been my ambition to service the corporate sector and do it properly," said Alexander. "I left college and immediately worked with a local PA company in Crawley who had an F2 system. A little hairy for a first system, I soon learned the fundamentals of sound control." A few years later Alexander established Forefront Audio with Jim Mills from Blue Box, determined to make the jump to corporate presentation. "Unfortunately, as with so many fledgling companies, we couldn’t service the jobs and provide the infrastructure and support they required simultaneously. We were either mixing

Incubus are currently enjoying a sold out world tour, coinciding with the runaway success of third album, Morning View.

The lighting designer for the tour is Joe Paradise, who took the bold step of choosing an all-Martin MAC moving light rig - there’s not a generic light in sight! So far, 16 MAC 600s, four 500s, eight 300s, ten 250s and four 2000s have been Paradise’s tools, arranged between two trusses and the floor, operated by Paradise using a WholeHog II console.

In the supply seat are the US and UK operations of Bandit Lites, who are providing lighting for the whole tour, which kicked off on September 14th and also takes in Japan and Australia before returning to play three months’ worth of arenas in the US. Paradise is a hands-on LD and currently it’s just him and Bandit US crew-member Geddy Kordyjaka in the lighting department, although the system was

Shure unveiled its new Performance Gear Microphones at this year's Winter NAMM. The line, which is due to ship in the first quarter of 2002, is ideal for both the first-time buyer and the musician looking for reasonably-priced, application-specific microphones. Comprising six models designed for vocals and various instruments, all Performance Gear microphones come packaged with cables and mounting accessories to provide plug-and-play simplicity, as well as rugged reliability for onstage performance. As a complement to its individual models, the Performance Gear line additionally includes a pair of drum mic kits, both of which come in their own carrying cases.

Vocal models include the PG48 and PG58. The PG48, created for speech and karaoke, has a cardioid pick-up pattern and a smooth frequency response. For more demanding vocal applications such as lead and back-up vocals, the PG58 offe

I half expected there to be fleets of Parka clad spotty youths on spangled scooters outside the venue. The billing alone was enough to evoke a mid sixties revival - the Who? Watford Town Hall? Surely not?

L&SI does not take lightly the privilege to exclusively witness this unique event, many thanks to Bill Curbishley (manager), Mick Double (production manager) and Tom Kenny (lighting designer) for their kindness.

In essence this was one of two warm-up venues for the Who’s brief residency at the Albert Hall - but of course, it was also so much more than that. How often do less than a thousand punters get the chance to see a band of this stature in such intimate surroundings? Feeling like the David Attenborough of R’n’R, I recognised instantly the natural habitat of this wildest of beasts, a seminal rock band in a provincial shoebox.

Mick Double joined the band as

Cologne-based audio rental company, Toneheads, has bought a pair of Allen & Heath ML4000 mixing consoles for use on the hit comedy television show TV Total. The programme is produced by Brainpool for the ProsiebenSat.1 network and stars cult German TV personality and former Eurovision contestant, Stefan Raab. A 48-channel ML4000 console provides the house mix and broadcast feed, whilst a 32-channel version fulfills monitoring duties.

Their experience of using the consoles for TV Total has given Toneheads the confidence to invest in another two ML4000s. These additional mixers will be used in the production of two more successful ProsiebenSat.1 programmes, Wochenshow and Elton TV. The consoles were supplied by Expotus, the exclusive Allen & Heath distributor in Germany. ML4000 is a 23-buss live sound console with eight VCA groups, eight audio groups, 12 aux sends and an 11 x 4 matrix.

The Arcimboldi Theatre - temporary home to the La Scala Opera company whilst its famous home is being renovated - has found itself in the news again just weeks after opening.

A glass panel, one of 100 designed to improve acoustics at the venue, fell onto seating during a recent performance of the ballet Excelsior. Fortunately, the seats beneath were empty, cleared because technicians felt uneasy about cracks that had started to appear in some of the panels. Inevitably, this has led commentators to speculate on the safety of the theatre, which was constructed in just over two years in order to be ready for the start of the 2002 season. The theatre is currently closed whilst further investigations takes place.

Symetrix, one of the leading US-based manufacturers of signal processing, recording and broadcast equipment, has named Jim Latimer director of sales for both the Symetrix and Lucid lines. Latimer, who joined the company in 2000 as director of sales, pro audio, will apply his comprehensive understanding of the professional audio market with a commensurate knowledge of the recording, installed sound and MI markets. Prior to Symetrix, he was national sales manager for MI and Broadcast with Sonic Foundry.

(Ruth Rossington)

Alessandro Safina - christened by the press as the ‘singing George Clooney’ - made his US television debut recently on Thirteen/WNET New York’s Great Performances: Only You, produced by David Horn.

An opera fan from his childhood days, the Tuscan tenor has already performed across Europe in Puccini’s La Bohème and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, but is also a confirmed U2 fan. With musician/composer Romano Musumarra, known for his work with Celine Dion, Safina has developed a new ‘pop-opera’ genre and the show, also featuring Mexico’s Patricia Manterola, captured the artist under the warm Sicilian stars in the breathtaking setting of Taormina’s ancient Greek amphitheatre.

The international team involved in the shoot before a live audience, included LD Patrick Woodroffe, production manager Robbie Williams and sound designer Daniele T

Coe-tech has provided all lighting and sound equipment for Aqua - a new independent club concept, the first of which has recently opened in Grays, Essex. The equipment was supplied through IFC and the installation company DIVAS. Owned by Lee Darcy, Aqua is water themed, fusing the oceanic sights, sounds and atmospheres of bubbles, mermaids, fish and fun.

The dancefloor lighting scheme - devised by Coe-tech’s design team headed by Nathan Wan - was crucial to the venue’s visual identity. The walls and columns are painted a pastel blue, complete with stencilled bubbles - and are ideal for gobos and projection effects. The lighting brief was to produce a liquid and flowing feel for the room, and low ceiling height also played a role in the choice of fixtures.

Wan chose 24 Coemar I-Spot 150s (which were launched at PLASA 2001), one of the Italian manufacturer’s new stabl

Metool Products Ltd, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of flexible cable handling systems, has purchased the Cable Reeling Division of Sturge Industries Ltd of Dudley, West Midlands.

Sturge winders and reels are designed for a wide range of critical electrical and power applications, including inflammable and other dangerous environments where EX certified products are mandatory. Typical applications include electrical hoists, overhead cranes and mobile control systems, inspection lighting and portable power tools. Sturge slip-ring cable reels are specified for low-current/standard cable requirements in non-hazardous environments and where space is limited or the payout length is shorter.

Malcolm Dade, managing director of Metool commented: "This is an important addition to our range of reeling technologies in the electrical engineering market and a further step in ou

Federal Signal has appointed Profitek as its new distributor for Norway. Bergen-based Profitek AS, which has offices in Stavangar and Oslo, employs 50 people and specializes in supplying and installing industrial communication systems to the Norwegian offshore and processing industries. Customers include ABB, Siemens, StatOil, ARCO and Norske Hydro.

Federal Signal will be using Profitek’s experience to develop regional sales of its GL loudspeakers, which can provide remote interrogation and tapping facilities. The move provides a platform to build sales of the company’s life safety communication systems, notably the Echo digital intercom and party paging system and the Aucams duplicated PA/GA system, used wherever oil and drilling companies have a need to comply with the principle of dual redundancy.

(Ruth Rossington)

Stereophonics, with special guests Feeder, have just successfully completed a tour of European arenas employing a vast array of Shure microphones, with support from long standing UK sole distributor HW International.

London Arena was the penultimate venue for the extended UK leg of the tour where Welsh wonder boys Stereophonics and Feeder played yet another sell-out gig. Shure microphones were extensively used to capture the performances: Shure Beta58As handled all the Stereophonics’ vocals, with Kelly Jones (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Jones (vocals, bass), Scott James (vocals, guitar) and Tony Kirkham (keyboards, vocals) choosing this particular microphone due to its tight response pattern and crisp sound. Meanwhile, Stuart Cable’s drum kit was no stranger to Shure product with a Shure Beta52 being employed on kick drum, a Shure Beta57A on snare top and Shure KSM32&rsqu

Frequently referred to as Boston Theatre District’s ‘Little Princess’, the 90-year-old, 1,600-seat Shubert Theatre recently capped off its house sound reinforcement system with the addition of a 32-channel Soundcraft Series FOUR mixing console. Local dealer Boston Light & Sound provided the sale.

The Shubert underwent a $6m restoration back in 1996, at which time an all-EAW/QSC system was installed. A 24-channel Soundcraft 800B desk that had previously been used next door at the Wang since the early 1980s was brought over at the tail end of the renovation to run the Shubert’s house system. Now, almost six years later, the theatre has finally retired its 800B, nearly 20 years old, in favor of a new Series FOUR, which is located ‘rear orchestra’ in typical Broadway fashion.

James R. McCartney, the Shubert’s union sound man for the past three ye

The beautiful 325m long Millennium Bridge, which spans the Thames between St. Paul's Cathedral on the north bank and the Tate Modern on the south, opened on 10 June 2000 as London’s first new Thames crossing in more than 100 years. Unbelievably, it remained open for just two days before being closed to the public completely after the bridge started to sway alarmingly as large numbers of pedestrians made the crossing. Engineers to the Millennium Bridge, Arup, have since installed giant dampers to act as shock absorbers for the structure and are now in the final stages of testing the bridge prior to its long-awaited re-opening.

The biggest concern during any test is the safety of those involved. For this particular project the challenge was to devise a communications system which would allow engineers to communicate from one side of the bridge to the other in both directions as wel

Fostex Corporation Japan has announced the launch of a website dedicated to their new family of DVD-RAM professional audio mastering products (www.fostexdvd.net). Beginning with the DV40 Master Recorder, the first product of their DVD-RAM family, Fostex is set to revolutionise audio mastering for sound mixers, post production, recording studios, broadcast professionals and more by putting their experience of timecode and portable timecode DAT to the DVD-RAM platform.

"Since DVD-RAM is going to be an important future category for Fostex, we felt that a dedicated website was a sensible communication solution," states Hiroaki Kawahata, international sales and marketing manager at Fostex Japan. "DV40 is certainly a field developed product with much input gained from our existing PD-4 and timecode DAT users in both America and Europe. The web is an ideal way for them to stay

SoundField has built a large 5.1 reference and demo room, fully equipped with Genelec monitors at its Wakefield headquarters. The five 1030 monitors and a 1092 sub bass speaker will mainly be used for research, development and the testing of new SoundField ‘MAP’ (Microphone Array Pattern) cards, to be installed in the SP451 Surround Processor. Each MAP card can create an array up to eight microphones from the B-Format information generated by SoundField microphones.

Development engineer Pieter Schillebeeckx rigorously tested many different 5.1 systems before deciding to go with Genelec. He told us: "We are developing MAP cards for both two dimensional and three dimensional multi-channel playback. The accurate localization of sound sources is vital in our development process and after listening to a wide variety of program material the Genelec’s came out on top.&q

Crest Audio, the US-based manufacturer of professional audio equipment, has announced new distribution arrangements for its products in the United Kingdom.

Crest Audio UK is a newly formed division of Peavey Electronics Ltd, joining MediaMatrix and Architectural Acoustics. Group marketing manager Dave Bearman welcomes Crest as a perfect fit with the other products. He has also announced the appointment of Andy Simmons as sales manager for Crest Audio UK. Andy has a wealth of experience with Crest products and will strengthen the brand’s position as a leader in the industry.

Crest manufacture a high end range of power amplifiers and professional mixing consoles, together with the Crest Performance series of power amplifiers, speaker systems and audio equipment. The entire range will be available through the new distribution channel. Although Crest Audio UK will be a separate ope

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