UK - The seventh annual A.C. Lighting North event in Leeds last week (1-2 May) saw the biggest increase in attendance levels since the event began - attracting over 30% more visitors than last year.

Owing to a construction delay with the new bigger Royal Armouries Saviles Hall, the event took place in its original location - a move which proved conclusively that the show has now outgrown the venue and will need the extra capacity to cope with predicted attendance levels in 2008.

The event provided a showcase of over 70 leading brands for buyers in the Midlands, North of England and Scotland, and also served as a platform for many exhibitors to unveil their new products to a UK audience for the first time this year.

This year's seminar highlights included unique talks from leading lighting designers Bernie Davis and Andy Doig, PSA general manager Andy Lenthall, and Barco crea

USA - Aviom has named Michael J. McGinn as the company's new vice president of sales & marketing. Previously, he has worked in general management, marketing, and sales with Shure, Ecolab, and Eastman Kodak.

"The addition of Mike McGinn to our senior management team adds the kind of leadership that will bring our young and growing company to the next level," says Carl Bader, president and CEO of Aviom. "We went through a very detailed search process to fill this position and Mike stood out among many highly qualified candidates."

In addition to his contributions as a member of the company's senior management, McGinn now oversees all of Aviom's worldwide sales and marketing efforts.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Gearhouse Broadcast has invested in a comprehensive Optocore fibre solution from UK distributors Marquee Audio, for use with their Yamaha M7CL consoles on the current ATP Tennis Masters Series.

The company had been seeking a fibre system for audio distribution and freelance sound engineer Steve Ayres was asked by Gearhouse Broadcast's group technical director, Kevin Moorhouse, to investigate the options. "We always listen to the engineers we use, as in the end they have to physically use the kit on site," said Moorhouse. "We already had the M7CL desks - so this was a good solution."

Moorhouse arranged for Marquee Audio to lay on a full Optocore demonstration at the Gearhouse warehouse to ascertain "whether the product would actually deliver the solution we required."

Marquee Audio recommended five Optocore DD32E Digital I/O units as the cor

UK - Stage Electrics training has recently become accredited to IPAF and PASMA, boosting the number of courses the company is able to offer.

IPAF's training objective is "to promote the use of safe working practices in the operation of mobile elevating and mast climbing work platforms and thereby make a positive contribution to the prevention of accidents".

In the early 1980s, PASMA devised a training course for users of alloy towers, now universally acknowledged as the industry standard, and so commenced a long history of skills training to make the use of access towers as safe as possible by producing many thousands of competent users.

The current Stage Electrics training programme now includes accredited courses, PASMA Mobile Access Tower training and IPAF Mobile Elevated Work Platform training (MEWP). The courses are a mixture of theory and hands on practical e

USA - Comprising three models ranging in size from 2,500 to 8,000 watts, QSC's new PowerLight 3 Series amplifiers bring a new degree of flexibility to touring and installed sound reinforcement applications, says the company. Offering a choice of DSP with remote control and monitoring via BASIS, or the value-oriented performance of straightforward analogue input operation, the lightweight, 2RU lineup facilitates a wide-ranging level of networked functionality or none at all.

Each PowerLight 3 model delivers higher input voltage and selectable sensitivity, and is easily adjusted via a series of rear panel switches with colour-coded LED indicators.

The 8,000-watt model PL380 combines a pair of 4,000-watt Class-D amplifier channels with QSC's PowerLight power supply to "serve up more than twice the audio horsepower of any previous 2U PowerLight amplifier". Within the PL3

Eire - Irish distributor Sound Communications has installed a Telex RTS Cronus DSP matrix communications system into Dublin's National Concert Hall, the country's leading classical and contemporary music venue, to coordinate productions taking place in the venue. This is the first installation of a Cronus DSP matrix system into a concert hall environment.

The new Cronus matrix system replaces the venue's former simple loop system and walkie talkies with a communications system which integrates the existing public address system with a building-wide wired and wireless communications system, allowing the stage manager to communicate with anyone in the building.

Working to a brief provided by Paul Kohlmann, chief engineer at the concert hall, Alan Murphy of Sound Communications, Telex's Irish theatre and live sound distributor and Adrian Richmond, sales engineer at Telex Communic

UK In North London, one new nightclub has been created out of two old ones: the Volt Club has opened in Edmonton following a comprehensive refurbishment of premises and the installation of an all-new Electro-Voice dancefloor sound system.

Built over two floors, the Volt Club is owned by Volt Productions, a company which already runs a successful nightclub operation in Uganda. Taking over two former club venues, Volt has fully refurbished and soundproofed the space, addressing the problems of noise leakage that were causing complaints from residential neighbours. Walls, ceiling and floors have been acoustically treated; even the fire exits are now connected to the club's sound system, so that if anyone opens a door, the music immediately shuts off.

For the Volt Club's main dancefloor, a powerful Electro-Voice Rx system has been specified and installed by club sound engineer Muh

Austria - DPA Microphones launched an innovative new solution for microphone placement and mounting at AES Vienna 2007. The D3 Decca Tree - also available as the S5 Surround Kit - is a flexible, lightweight mounting solution optimised for use with DPA microphones. However it can also be used with a wide range of other brands.

The D3/S5 has been designed to meet market demand for a Decca Tree and a Surround Tree in one flexible, stylish format. "We felt this was something that would fit extremely well into the DPA portfolio," says DPA director of sales Morten Stove. "Given our capability of manufacturing precisely matched microphones, it makes sense to offer a carefully designed mounting accessory which can accommodate between three and five matched microphones, giving a huge range of possibilities when it comes to surround recording."

The new surround mount

Dubai - Australian based manufacturer ARX Systems will be releasing its new USB-DI at next week's Palme 2007 Exhibition in Dubai.

ARX managing director Colin Park says, "The Palme Exhibition is getting larger every year and with the growing Middle Eastern market has become an important Exhibition for ARX. In keeping with our policy of creating essential audio interfaces, ARX is excited to be releasing our new ARX USB DI - a true plug and play digital to analogue pro audio interface. It removes the need to use existing sound card outputs, with their inherent noisy environment and problematic grounding."

ARX will also be exhibiting other new releases in their signal processing product range including the MSX 48 microphone & line splitter, Balance 8 & DeBalance 8 audio level matchers, and the AudiBox Optimizer.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The Flashlight/APR Group is handling the production on not one, but three Holiday On Ice world tours simultaneously.

Starting in 2005, the Peter Pan On Ice tour first travelled through Europe and South America before doing a second season in Spain. This show, aimed mainly at a younger market, was a relatively straightforward theatre show.

Flashlight/APR then moved on to Bugs Bunny On Ice - a new spectacle for kids, created around a number of Warner Brothers comic personalities, and receiving its world premiére in France. Because of the complexity of the show Flashlight/APR opted for a Digidesign Venue digital mixing environment (with D-Show console) as it would interface directly with Pro Tools and was easy to use. Another important factor was the ease of console set-up and the repeatability of a show which is still touring today.

At the sam

Croatia - Lisinski Hall, Zagreb's world-renowned concert hall and home to the equally well-respected Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, recently upgraded its sound system to reflect the orchestra's ambition to evolve its performances and reputation in the world of classical music.

The HiQnet system, featuring 14 JBL Professional Vertec VT4888DP-CN, six Vertec VT4882DP-CN and four VP Series VP7315DP-CN loudspeakers powered by six JBL DP Series DrivePacks and 19 Crown Cts Series amplifiers, is controlled by five BSS Soundweb London DSP processors and connected by Harman Pro Group HiQnet on one cohesive network.

Microphone requirements for the 1850-seat concert hall are handled by HiQnet-compatible AKG WMS 4000 Series wireless system with 18 wireless handheld and lavalier microphones. Orchestra monitoring is provided by stage-level JBL Professional Control 300 and Control Contractor

Germany - Following the successful launch of Zakk Wylde's custom 300-watt EVM12L Black Label guitar loudspeaker, Electro-Voice has announced the newest addition to the EVM line: the EVM12L Classic.

The EVM-12L Classic features a high performance, heavy duty design that delivers "unmatched sonic reproduction at the critical final stage in the signal chain". Voiced to duplicate the sound of the long-discontinued EVM-12L, the Classic recaptures a tonality loved by guitarists in virtually every genre, says the company.

Original EVM-12L endorsers included guitar icons Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Vai. A testament to this legacy of tone, EVM-12L Classic has already become the speaker of choice for a wide range of world class guitar talents, including David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Herman Li of Dragonforce, Joe Bonamassa, David Lee

Dubai - Turbosound will be featuring its NuQ range at PALME, which will be shown on the stand hosted by Turbosound's United Arab Emirates distributor Reference Audio.

Launched at Frankfurt ProLight + Sound in March, NuQ systems are billed as versatile, networkable sound reinforcement loudspeakers designed for professional portable audio applications.

All models are available in passive or bi-amped (non-powered) guise, and alternatively with integrated Class D amplifiers using 96kHz DSP for pristine audio quality, and operating at better than 90% efficiency.

The NuQ series totals 12 models and comprises 8", 10", 12" and 15" two-way models, all designed with similar voicing characteristics, as well as 15" and 18" subwoofers, in order to provide a complete and versatile loudspeaker range suitable for a wide range of applications.

PALME will see a

India - The second PALME India integrated entertainment technology show promises to grow by as much as 25% under the weight of the sub-continent's fast-developing infrastructure, according to the promoters.

Inaugurated last year as PALA India, this year's exhibition (4-6 October, Bombay Exhibition Centre) will be spread over 3,000sq.m of exhibition space and is expected to feature around 200 brands distributed across 115 stands.

This is the target for exhibition manager James Raffoul, who has been taken on by IIR Exhibitions to maximise PALME India's potential. Having previously worked on high-profile exhibitions for Brintex and Emap, Raffoul says he couldn't resist the challenge to consolidate an incipient event in such a fast-emerging market.

"The fact that last year the show attracted 120 exhibiting companies spread over 75 stands, with 2,500 visitors attending, indi

UK - Event and exhibition services company PSL has named Lauren Steadman as a new director of the company, in recognition of the success she has had heading up PSL's Exhibitions Division.

Steadman is well-known in the exhibitions industry. Coming from the music and photographic industries into the audio-visual business, she pioneered the provision of official AV services to exhibition events, becoming exhibitions director at Samuelson Communications.

A founding director of PSL in 1990, she has since spent time in the USA, opening an office in Los Angeles. Since 2003, she has been running PSL's Exhibition Division, establishing and consolidating the company's position as Official AV and IT Suppliers to leading exhibition organisers in the UK.

Steadman's promotion to PSL's main board coincides with the start of one of the busiest summers ever for PSL Exhibitions, with the addi

UK - Martin Audio AQ series speakers provided an elegant sound solution for Leamington Sight & Sound recently when they became involved in the conversion of a former fire station in Coventry to a chic bar/bistro and live entertainment venue.

The Old Fire Station in Coventry's new Millennium Quarter was purchased by local entrepreneur Brian Mills of Phoenix Bars, and turned into Escape. To carry out the transfiguration he enlisted MA Design to build the interior character. LSS's Ian Potter saw the opportunity to work within the design and divide the single-floor venue into three separate sound zones, covering the live and dance area, the bar and the reception/front of house.

Potter specified four flown AQ12's and a pair of ground-stacked AQ212's for the main dancefloor, with six AQ10's and a pair of AQ112's covering the peripheral areas - all processed using two of the dedicate

UK - PMC has announced its collaboration with Digidesign in the production of the new RMS Series of professional Active Monitors.

The new RMS range is launched with the RM1 and RM2, utilising PMC's ATL technology to deliver high - definition audio with accurate bass response. Both systems feature a revolutionary, onboard digital signal processing (DSP) engine that manages a variety of tasks, bass port emulation, multifrequency limiting and multi layered crossovers. Both monitors are designed with proprietary drivers, digital electronics, power amp and cabinet engineering to provide tonal accuracy, low distortion, stunning clarity and "incredible" dynamic range.

The RM1 is designed for project studios, editing suites, home studios and mobile production vehicles, whereas the RM2 is big on power, making it suitable for mixing suites, post production facilities and broad

Germany With 22 dates in 3,000 to 12,000-capacity halls, Reamonn's recent Wish tour reflects their status as one of the most successful rock bands in Germany. Satis&Fy deployed EV systems to ensure that the sound reinforcement matched up.

Fronted by Irish singer Rae Garvin, Reamonn first found fame in 2000 with the hit Supergirl. For the Satis&Fy sound crew, led by sound engineer Sven Bonse and system technician Stefan Holtz, the disparities in size between the different locations made theirs a far from easy task. However, as Stefan Holtz pointed out, "with preparation and the right material, we succeeded in mastering it completely."

He continued, "In this way we were able to prepare at least a rough sketch of the configuration with which we would be working in each hall several days before we got there. In addition to the X-Line as the main PA, we

UK - Orbital Sound has announced the launch of its ZedAlpha monitoring software, which has been designed to complement its range of Zaxcom digital radio microphones. Designed by Orbital's Theo Holloway, ZedAlpha boasts "an extremely friendly user interface". It runs on a Windows platform with a Universal PCI interface and is designed for complex theatre and broadcast applications.

ZedAlpha allows the remote monitoring of all the principle parameters of the Zaxcom TRX900 body pack and TRX800 hand-held transmitters. These include remaining battery life, RF levels and audio levels. Plus an expanded view of each channel streams the last two minutes of data for analysis and fault finding. The software can also be used to fully program the receiver functions including encryption levels enabling secure and confidential transmissions.

As a very powerful software tool, ZedAlp

Europe - After the Middle East & South East Asia Tour 2007, in March Sir Cliff Richard continued his tour in the largest European arenas, starting from Finland ( Helsinki ) and finishing in Germany ( Frankfurt ).

For FOH, Britannia Row Productions used a system comprising 48 Butterfly Hi-Pack and 16 Subtech 218 (plus six dV-Dosc on front-fill duty), all powered by Outline T series amplifiers, processed by two Dolby Lake units and mixed with a Yamaha PM5D console.

The set-up changed according to the venue, but, generally two main hangs (16+16) of Hi-Pack systems were used, plus 8+8 for 'side' seating.

In charge of PA was Richard Trow, who was already familiar with a lot of the arenas, as he'd worked in them on the last Depeche Mode tour. He was supported by FOH assistant Davide Lombardi of Brit Row, who also assisted sound engineer Michael "Bunny" Warren (Simply Red

UK - Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets is the first in the world to tour with a Nexo Geo T Series array system implementing the new NXstream system management software. Nexo claims that the new operating software offers significant improvements to system flexibility and audio quality.

Lostprophets and their front-of-house engineer Alan 'Doof' McCann specified an Alpha system worldwide for two tours in 2006. Following the success of last autumn's theatre tour, the band is back to play their first arena headlining shows. For these dates, SSE Audio Group has upgraded them to a Nexo Geo T Series system plus Nexo NX242 second-generation digital controller, fitted with NXtension (expander) memory cards, and carrying the NXstream software operating system.

"It's the best I've ever heard it sound," says Jason 'Baboon' Hattams, SSE's senior systems tech. "The syst

UK - Fuzion plc will join forces with DiGiCo to stage a unique product demo showcase at London's Hippodrome in Leicester Square on Tuesday 22 May.

The event, which will run from 11am-5pm, provides an opportunity for sound engineers, theatre technicians and rental companies to gain hands-on experience and training on DiGiCo's D5 and D1 digital consoles, sending multitrack mixes to Nexo's new GEO D10 tangential array, which will be flown in the venue.

The fully integrated D5 front-of-house and monitor system, with multi track/plug-in unit and ubiquitous stage rack, will be linked by a fully redundant fibre optic system to the Nexo loudspeaker system. A DiGiCo D1 will be available to allow attendees to familiarise themselves with a real-life mixing situation.

Fuzion sales director Paul Ward says: "These two major brands will be combining in a way never seen before, at a le

France - L-Acoustics has announced that Florent Bernard has joined the company's Technical Support Team. Florent boasts 15 years of touring experience, having collaborated as Certified V-DOSC engineer and sound designer with many top international artists including Radiohead, Peter Gabriel and Nine Inch Nails.

Florent says, "The faith and confidence in a speaker manufacturer brand is a prerequisite for considering a mission in tech support. The experience accumulated over a decade with L-Acoustics products and having appreciated the excellence of their tech support over the years, this made me wonder why not see things from the other side of the fence? Now I am truly excited about the opportunity to service, help and support my "fellow" system and sound engineers with a good understanding of their day to day needs. Not to mention the enjoyment of joining a group o

India - One of India's leading sound production companies, V&P Sound Pvt. Ltd., has purchased a DriveRack 4800 system processor from dbx Professional Products, a division of Harman International.

The Bangalore-based company, who undertake live concert work and multi-city tours with well-known Indian bands, operate a highly-specified fleet including dbx and BSS Audio processing, Soundcraft mixing consoles, AKG microphones and JBL VerTec and VRX sound reinforcement systems.

It was principally to run JBL's portable compact VRX932LA 12-inch, two-way line array loudspeaker that the company has added dbx's flagship processor to its inventory.

V&P Sound's Director, Vishnu, confirmed that the company will be using the DriveRack 4800 to control this PA in smaller gigs and the VRX915M monitors in larger capacity venues.

"We have been using dbx products since 1999, and they are

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