UK - Cadac Electronics plc is emphasizing its quality pedigree at PLASA 2005, showing its analogue console range alongside the M16 Remote Controlled Microphone Amplifier and the D16 Digital Mix Matrix. The M16 is gaining widespread recognition as a top quality, highly versatile remote mic amp, capable of operating seamlessly with all types and marques of console. Cadac's M16 is featuring on the Broadway musical Sweet Charity, with sound designer Peter Hylenski citing its "unbelievable sound in a small, remotely controllable box".
In the Far East, a number of M16s are earning their credits at the Yonsei Baptist Church in Korea, after selection for their "clearly superior audio performance." Cadac also reports a growing user base for its D16, with applications ranging from use as a standalone digital console, to providing extra inputs alongside J-Types o
UK - Riding the success of the recent DJ Telegraph competition, where she finished runner-up, DJ Fyrbeat (Amber Angell) is theatening to "hit the London scene with force" with her new DJ partner, pirate radio specialist Manda Dex. The two met by chance after a gig at the university where Amber is entering her final year (Royal Holloway, Union of London); as a result the newly-formed Angels of Dex will serve up a cocktail of house, trance and breaks - starting with the VIP Room at Turnmills on 9 September, where they will be playing funky house with guest DJ's Kid Lopez and Honest Jon.
Manda Dex says: "When we started talking we realized we were heading in the same direction, embracing a wide range of styles - from soulful, funky-chunky house, including tech and tribal beats to trance and nu-skool breaks."
Dex says that as a female DJ it is hard to get taken
UK - Audio-Technica has uprated its 3000 Series UHF True Diversity Wireless Systems with the addition of Automatic Frequency Scanning functionality, as found on its flagship 4000 and 5000 Series systems.
The new 3000A 200 frequency agile, UHF wireless system, represents a high performance, professionally spec'd, mid-budget wireless solution, for AV rental, sound touring, theatre sound, sound installation, and broadcast production applications, say the company. The inclusion of A-T's Automatic Frequency Scanning technology greatly enhances operation, automatically searching and setting the best available frequency in the spectrum, avoiding interference and intermodulation problems.
In particular, when operating multi-channel systems, the function provides for interference free frequency configuration of each receiver at the touch of a button. Up to 16 simultaneous systems per f
UK - The new Plena Voice Alarm system from Bosch Security Systems meets all requirements of IEC60849, the European standard for voice alarm systems which apply to factories, offices, hotels, shopping malls, supermarkets, schools, and sports facilities, say the company. According to Bosch, the new Plena voice alarm system makes a significant contribution to public safety at lower cost, allowing emergency evacuation facilities to be installed in areas where it was previously too expensive to install.
The system includes all essential EVAC functions and elements, such as system supervision, spare amplifier switching, loudspeaker line supervision, digital message management, and an interface for a fireman's panel. The six-zone Plena voice alarm system controller contains a 240W booster amplifier and a supervised digital message manager for up to 255 pre-recorded announcements or chi
USA - Digidesign has announced the release of Digidesign Venue D-Show 1.1 software. A free update for registered D-Show console owners; D-Show 1.1 adds new software features and support for a variety of hardware options that significantly increase the power and flexibility of the Venue live sound environment, say the company.
D-Show 1.1 introduces variable groups mode, which allows Venue operators to configure 24 discrete mix buses in addition to the main left/right and centre/mono buses, dramatically improving overall routing flexibility and usability for monitor mixing and FOH applications. Buses can be mono or stereo linked in any combination for a maximum of 12 stereo mixes. All 24 buses are easily accessible from the D-Show console or the software interface, and no hardware changes to the console are required.
D-Show 1.1 includes a host of additional new features that imp
Australia - The Australian Monitor Pro Series SM12 and SM16 mixing consoles are a compact design and provide ultra-low noise operation. With a mixture of mono channels featuring balanced XLR or TRS inputs and switchable 48V phantom power, and stereo channels all boasting three-stage EQ and pre and post fader auxiliary sends the SM series mixers are as versatile as they are cost effective.
The SM series mixers feature peak LED indication and low cut filters on all mono channels, high quality 60mm faders and sealed potentiometers, 19" rack mount kit and accurate 10-segment bar graph meters for the stereo output bus. The Pro Series SM12 and SM16 give the audio professional a sonically superior mixing console, say the company, offering a feature set and versatility usually found in mixing consoles many times their price. SM12 features four mono channels and four stereo channels
UK - When Prime Minister Tony Blair addressed the nation from the recent G8 summit, it was VDC microphone cable that ensured the world heard him speak.
Over 200 microphone cables were used during the G8 summit and UK-based cable specialists VDC Trading supplied them all.
VDC Cat 5 cable was also used to link the various buildings that comprised the Media Village, which was set up in the grounds of Gleneagles to house over 1,000 journalists who were covering the event for the international media.
Audio specialists Delta Sound Inc was given the task of linking all of the buildings so that when a call for a press conference was made, every journalist would hear the announcement regardless of where in the Village they were.
"We installed a BSS Soundweb network system, which was linked to 140 small distribution speakers throughout the Media Village," says Delta Sound'
Italy - Prism Sound's Italian distributor, Paolo Orizio, of Funky Junk Italy, has notched up significant sales success since he was appointed to handle the company's range of AD/DA converters earlier this year.
"Paolo has sold more Prism Sound ADA-8 converters in the last six months than we had previously sold in Italy in the last three years," says Jody Thorne, sales manager of the Cambridge-based company. "His contacts within the Italian pro audio industry are extremely valuable and we are delighted that he has put his faith and expertise into promoting our products to this important market."
Prism Sound's ADA-8 converter is widely regarded as an industry standard when it comes to analogue and digital processing and is already in use at many of the world's top recording facilities including Metropolis, Air and Abbey Road in London; Sterling Sound in New Y
UK - Liverpool's third HUB Festival - a mix of art, music and extreme sports staged at the Pier Head - expanded and featured several new elements this year.
The event is the brainchild of the Council's Liverpool Culture Company and included music, skateboarding and BMX competitions, graffiti art exhibitions and music performed by many excellent local bands
Kirstie Blakeman, event manager, explained that they had created a new look main stage under the cover of a single king pole, purple membrane tent supplied by Wangos, which was chosen for its aesthetics. She added: "With the event being held at Liverpool's waterfront World Heritage Site we wanted something unique and different looking, something really special and dynamic for the music zone this year - not just another standard stage or marquee."
The same was true for the DJ tent, compared by Spykatcha - which sa
Indonesia - Jakarta's new Sands International Executive Club is a luxurious multi-entertainment 'mega club' comprising a restaurant, live theatre, discotheque, wine bar, chill-out bar, and spa centre, all fitted with Allen and Heath mixing products. Encompassing three floors - with plans for expansion - Sands is classically designed with high ceilings, gilded walls, marble floors, plush carpeting, and crystal chandeliers. The owners appointed Singapore's Electro-Systems Industries to design and install the sound reinforcement systems, in partnership with project co-ordinator, Peter Loh Productions, catering for the complex AV requirements of the venue.
The Grand Ballroom and Dining Theatre make up the largest live performance area in the club, divided by a partition wall to enable the venue to host independent functions or combine and expand the rooms for bigger functions. The s
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.