Australia - Italian tenor Andreas Bocelli has completed an arena tour of New Zealand and Australia with an L-Acoustics Kudo line source array system provided by Norwest Productions. The tour included a show at the Sydney Acer Arena, the largest in the southern hemisphere, where Bocelli broke his previous world box office arena record, putting $AU3.273 million through the registers.

The concerts featured a 76-piece orchestra and a 60-piece choir together with baritone Gianfranco Montresor, soprano Paola Sanguinetti and guest star Tina Arena accompanying Bocelli.

"As each orchestra member is playing towards the conductor, the orchestra itself can be considered a point source," says sound designer Andrea Taglia, whose priority for the main system was to preserve the orchestra's sound image, retaining a sharp correlation between the visual of the musicians playing live a

UK - Adlib is supplying lighting and audio equipment and crew for the current Dragonforce UK tour which features a lightshow designed by Stuart Gray, and sound mixed by Bruce Reiter.

Central to the sound reinforcement is a Nexo Alpha system, with the standard configuration being 18 M3 mid high boxes, 12 B1 bass cabinets and 10 S2 subs. Playing a wide variety of venues, they're flying where possible and ground stacking the rest of the time. For general infills, they are utilising 4 ADLIB AA122s.

Nexo's NX242 processors are used across all the Nexo elements, feeding Camco Tecton amplifiers driving the mid highs, Crown VZ5002s powering the bass and subs and Crown XTi's for the in-fills.

The system is time aligned each day by Adlib's systems engineer Richy Nicholson using EAW's SMAART analysis software. The FOH desk is a DigiDesign Venue.

Monitors are mixed by Adlib's Dave Dav

Oman - The Grand Hyatt Muscat is home to several of Oman's hottest nightspots and entertainment venues including Club Safari, Copacabana and the sumptuous Afrah Ballroom. Audio quality throughout has recently been enhanced and refined with an upgrade to Lab.gruppen's range of C Series multi-channel power amplifiers, supplied and installed by Lab.gruppen's exclusive distributor in Oman, Bright Lights.

Club Safari is a three-level venue that offers an eclectic mix of high-tech entertainment and African design, including a live stage on the middle level. A powerful 4-channel Lab.gruppen C 68:4 runs the main stage PA comprising two 2 x 18" subs and two 12" mid-high cabinets from Ohm, while the stage monitor system is handled by an eight-channel C 20:8X powering six 12" Ohm wedges. The remaining two channels are powering the in-fill surround speakers.

Copacabana was

UK - Following a busy summer, temporary power specialist Power Logistics has moved its operations to new, expanded premises in Wiltshire in good time to serve the winter events market.

The new base is in the Chippenham area just minutes from the M4. The move was planned last year, when it became apparent that Power Logistics was rapidly outgrowing its previous operational base, as it experienced growth in the live music, public events and sporting sectors.

The new premises have two warehouses for storage and handling, allowing the company more efficient turnaround of equipment and quicker access to the motorway network.

"The move to new purpose-built offices and storage facilities puts us in an ideal position to offer the best value service to the winter market," says Mike Whitehouse, Power Logistics' business development manager. "The premises give us a numbe

UK - Prism Sound is taking to the road in November with a series of seminars that aim to dispel many of the popular myths surrounding the recording process.

In conjunction with Apple and monitor specialist PMC, the Prism Sound From Mic To Monitor road show will visit universities and colleges in six key cities over a two week period.

Each seminar will feature short presentations from the three companies involved and a talk by a guest recording professional who will also be available to answer questions from the audience on recording techniques.During its second week the road show will visit LIPA in Liverpool, Salfor

USA - BML-Blackbird Theatrical Services recently installed the audio and lighting system at the new Espace entertainment space in Manhattan. Espace is a modern events venue that holds up to 500 people for seated dinners and 1,000 people for standing receptions. The 10,000sq.ft space hosts a variety of events including fashion shows, corporate functions and fundraisers.

While high-quality audio was an absolute requirement for the system, the owners of Espace did not want the audio equipment to interfere with the visually stunning appearance of the event room. "The owners of Espace wanted sound coverage everywhere possible in the room, but they didn't want to see it," said Don Quinton, audio engineer, BML-Blackbird. "The loudspeaker system had to be blended into the ceiling."

BML opted for JBL Control 300 ceiling speakers for the lobby area and selected AC221

Australia - Following the 2000 Olympics, Sydney now boasts three major international standard stadiums for major sporting events; Sydney Olympic Park (now the ANZ Stadium), Sydney Football Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground.

However, the city's facilities cater equally well for local and national needs with several 'boutique' sporting venues to host local events such as home games for the National Rugby League (NRL) competition.

One such facility is Toyota Stadium in the southern beachside suburbs of Sydney. Home of the Cronulla Sharks, Toyota Stadium commenced a $9 million plus upgrade in 2007, including the addition of a southern stand and renovations to the existing east and west stands. The ground has the capacity for over 22,000 fans.

Situated on the southern shores of Port Hacking, the facility is exposed to north easterly winds off the Pacific Ocean and, according to G

Canada - CAST Software has introduced its joint innovators for BlackBox, which made its world debut at PLASA08 in London.

CAST's BlackBox is built with special hardware and proprietary software to be an integrated, bi-directional high speed communication solution which enables all control devices connected to it to send or receive instructions from each other. Live, realtime input is received in all forms by the BlackBox which acts as the brains - running on an ultra high-speed hybrid version of WYSIWYG.

CAST is working with key industry leaders - each a respected innovator in its own field -- to ensure BlackBox meets its technical objectives. In exchange, each will get a 12-month exclusive leadtime to enhance their own products to capitalize on the power and speed of BlackBox. Representatives of these companies were on hand during PLASA for the Beta launch phase to announce t

Spain - The Canary Islands' Heineken Jazz Festival is the most important jazz event on the Islands' calendar. Held each year between June and July, it is staged at different venues around the islands, from open-air events and concert halls to intimate salons. The 2008 festival included performances by The Crusaders, Madeleine Peyroux, Spyro Gyra and many more.

This year sound engineer Hilario Benìtez introduced a new PA system to the event at two of the venues on Gran Canaria. "I've tried the Q-Series loudspeakers from d&b audiotechnik several times on the mainland in recent years," he said, "and I've always believed it would prove an ideal system for this event. Small, unobtrusive, easy to use and great detailed sound; just what you need for the intensity of the musicians who play here and the highly critical audiences who come to hear them."

Benìtez pla

UK - Since acquiring the SADiE brand at the start of the year, business has been booming for Prism Sound - so much so that the company has added a number of new staff to help satisfy demand for its range of recording, post production and test and measurement products.

"Despite the economic doom and gloom, we've had an exceptional year and this has led to the need for additional staff," says Prism Sound's sales and marketing director Graham Boswell. "Our existing product range is going from strength to strength and we're now developing new products that will combine Prism Sound and SADiE technology in ways that will be of real benefit to our customer base."

Some of the new recruits to Prism Sound needed no help in finding their way around the company's headquarters in Streatham, Cambridgeshire, because they were already familiar with the lay-out having moved

China - Situated in Ningbo, one of China's oldest cities and a key trading port for at least 2000 years, the eighth in the rapidly expanding chain of Bar No.88 venues has installed Turbosound NuQ, TXD and TCS series loudspeakers.

The No.88 chain is inspired by American-style venues, with music by in-house DJs and live performances by in-house singers. Installed by Chengdu Ruisheng Audio Equipment Co. with help from Mac Lo, technical director of Turbosound's Chinese distributor Phoenix Audio, the system at the Ningbo bar comprises 21 Turbosound NuQ-15 full-range loudspeakers and 22 TXD-218 subs, with 12 TCS-101C for in-fill beneath the club's balcony.

"The speakers are strategically installed to achieve a very even and consistent coverage, making sure all clients in the bar get the same high quality sound," says Shirley Zhuang of Phoenix Audio.

"As the ceiling

UK - DMi D&M Installation is introducing the Denon DN-A300M stereo installation amplifier. The DN-A300M replaces the Denon PMA-100M, a favourite with commercial installers. Like its predecessor, the DN-A300M offers a solution for small installations, and provides improved mic mixing functionality and increased amplifier power over the existing model range.

The DN-A300M provides "classic Denon sound and build quality at an affordable price point", and is designed for small commercial AV applications in numerous types of venues and environments. The new model features a mic input mix with auto gain control, coupled with 100 watts per channel of power amplification.

A ¼ inch / 6.35 mm jack mic input and level control enables a microphone signal to be mixed with other audio input sources. Switchable mic on/off, mic auto gain control, and music auto mute control enable r

UK - Rycote has upgraded its range of Windshield Kits. Purchasers of Rycote Windshields Kits 1 to 6 will now find their kits fitted with new Lyre suspensions and a Rycote ConnBox, at no extra charge. Windshield Kits 7 and 8 also incorporate the new Lyre suspensions and come with a flexible microphone 'tail' instead of the ConnBox.

Lyre suspensions were first introduced in 2007 as part of Rycote's S-Series and were subsequently launched as part of the InVision range of shockmounts designed for stand or static studio boom use. The response was overwhelmingly positive, so Rycote decided to incorporate the design to enhance the company's most popular range of products - the Windshield Kits.

The supplied Lyre suspensions are universal fits, accommodating microphones from 19mm to 25mm in diameter. Included in the new packages are a pair of 25mm square-sided Lyres that are suitable f

Competition News - The ESTA Foundation has announced the Behind the Scenes 2008 raffle prizes for LDI. The lucky winner of the Grand Prize will receive a $10,000 gift certificate with a premier travel agent that can be used to travel anywhere in the world. Second Prize is a $2,500 Amazon Gift Card and Third Prize is a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card.

"Often our industry is creating "a vacation look" for everyone else, so we are very excited to offer this great opportunity to get away on your own vacation," said Rick Rudolph, chair of the Behind the Scenes committee.

Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100 and will be available throughout the LDI show at the Behind the Scenes booth #2810. A maximum of 2000 tickets will be available. Tickets will also be available at the ESTA Annual Dinner on Thursday evening and the Rose Brand party on Friday evening. LDI 2008 takes place from

USA - Comprised of professional surfing, BMX, skateboarding, freestyle motocross demos, live music, and a fashion show, Go211 Live's recently completed US Open of Surfing offered something for everyone. The event included a fashion show and three days of music that included performances by a wide range of artists - including teen star Jesse McCartney, whose hit single Leavin' was a crowd pleaser.

Held on Huntingdon Beach, sound reinforcement was a massive undertaking that was handled by Torrance, CA-based Broadcast Support and a sizeable collection of loudspeakers from the DAS Audio catalogue.

Broadcast Support was tasked with supplying a sound system that could deliver clear sound under some very difficult conditions, as company founder and co-owner Scott Ramsay explained. "In addition to the usual issues of providing sound for an outdoor event," said Ramsay,

USA - Elation Professional's new DMX-16 System is an expandable DMX On/Off switch controller system that includes: a 16-channel DMX-16SW Control Panel, two 4-channel DP-415 DMX Switch Packs, and the necessary cables to link the system together.

The DMX-16SW Control Panel can support up to two additional Switch Packs, making it capable of controlling a total of 16 DMX effects. Also, the DMX-16SW Control Panel will work with any DMX Dimmer/Switch Pack on the market, not just those sold by Elation.

To handle even larger numbers of DMX fixtures, multiple DMX-16SW Control Panels can be linked together. Up to 32 DMX-16SWs can be linked, providing On/Off control of 512 DMX channels.

Scott Davies, general manager of the American DJ Group of Companies, the parent company of Elation Professional, said: "With more people going to DMX lighting, our salespeople were telling us that

USA - Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, home of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team, has been outfitted with a new sound system based on the EAW KF900 Series, featuring EAW's Phased PointSource Technology (PPST. The system was designed and installed by ACS Sound & Lighting.

The KF900 Series system consists of 10 KF920P mid-frequency loudspeakers, four KF910P long-throw High-Frequency Loudspeakers, four custom KF914P hgh-frequency up-fill models and two KF913 medium-throw down-fill Loudspeakers.

Seven EAW UX8800 Digital Signal Processors manage the main PA system. In addition, four KF755P down-fill array loudspeakers are used to fill in under the scoreboard, and a pair of KF750Ps are attached to the rear of the scoreboard and facing onto the stadium's parking lot for general announcement applications. All of the EAW KF900 Series speakers

UK - Kent-based SRD Group was appointed to manage the recent Army Air Corps (AAC) Music in the Air annual concert and flying display, held at the home base of the AAC in Middle Wallop, Wiltshire. SRD used its two new Allen & Heath iLive digital systems to manage sound reinforcement, which needed to cover a 600m x 500m area.

Attracting 15,000 members of the public and service personnel, the event included aircraft displays from the Red Arrows, the Blue Eagles helicopter display team and various historic aircraft, as well as musical performances from the Army Air Corps band, and classical singers Will Martin, Kathy Leigh and Sophie Hill.

"We needed to cover the 600m wide and 500m deep runway area with both the music of the Army Air Corps Band and guests, as well as the air display commentators," says SRD's MD, Stuart Roberts.

SRD used four 10m Piram towers to

UK - Having last year provided an integrated multimedia system for Caribbean Scene's first restaurant in the shadow of the ExCeL Exhibition and Conference Centre, the Sound Division Group have travelled from Docklands to Stratford to complete a similar design on a much larger footprint for the second restaurant.

For the new Caribbean Scene project, Peach Projects, led by Emily Chan, were the architects and main contractors, and for the media distribution Sound Division Group adopted a similar model to the Royal Victoria Dock restaurant with the exception of the speakers - which this time are exclusively Martin Audio AQ architectural series.

Designing the system into eight zones David Graham's company has provided sufficient audio and visual relays to guarantee an authentic Caribbean atmosphere across the 200 cover restaurant, as well as the separate tiki cocktail bar, the that

China - Following up on the successful deployment of Harman Professional audio technologies at the Beijing Summer Olympics ceremonies and competition events, professional-grade audio components from Harman brands, JBL Professional, Crown Audio and Soundcraft formed the backbone of the AV system used at the Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies.

Hosted at the 90,000-capacity Beijing National Stadium, both events were designed by artistic directors Zhang Yimou and Zhang Jigang and featured highly evocative performances of sound and light that provided a suitable culmination to 12 days of competition.

The main system comprised of 20 JBL Professional Vertec VT4888DPAN powered line array elements featuring Crown-designed DrivePack power amplification modules complemented by four Vertec VT4880 arrayable subwoofers powered by two Crown I-Tech Series iT6000 amplifiers.

This sys

USA - Founded last year by producer Hank Neuberger, Springboard Productions was enlisted by promoters C3 Presents and Giant Pictures as supervising producer at this year's Austin City Limits Festival.

"Festivals like this differ vastly compared to working with a single band or in theatre assignments," Neuberger says. "First of all, you're doing at least five bands at each stage per day with almost no sound checks, and you can consider yourself lucky if you get a complete line check. On top of all this you're subject to the whims of the great outdoors and whatever weather comes your way, you're not always able to work in the most ideal of locations, and there are a lot of inputs. It's perfectly common to deal with 50 at a time from a single stage."

Working with headlining acts the Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Beck, Manu Chao, John Fogerty, D

USA - Although Nashville has long been best known as a country music Mecca, fast-rising pop-punk bands like Paramore are diversifying the image of Music City USA. Recently coming off the road with its final tour in support of the band's second album, Riot!, the group's engineers were impressed by Rat Sound's L-acoustics loudspeaker rig, which the band had been carrying for the first time.

Greg Mahler served as the FOH/system tech for the six-week North American tour, which utilised a PA comprised of a dozen V-Dosc plus three dV-Dosc down-fills hung per side. Three additional dV-Dosc were flown on the downstage lighting truss for centre-fill.

With most of the venues on this particular trek being outdoor amphitheaters, six-box Kudo arrays were also flown on either side of the stage to address the far left and right seating areas. "We also occasionally used Kudo for g

India - An enthusiastic crowd of more than one million gathered to witness and support the establishment of a new political party in India. Launched by Chiranjeevi, one of the biggest stars in the Indian film industry who has now entered into politics, the new party's name is Praja Rajyam (People's Rule).

The fledgling party's event organizers chose the Ava Lila Tank site in the city of Tirupati, located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, to unveil its political programme. Speeches, film clips and choreographed dance segments were included in the event. Sound reinforcement services for the ambitious multi-media outreach were supplied through a coordinated effort by Taher Sound & Lights of Hyderabad and V&P Sound of Bangalore.

"The venue selected for the huge outdoor gathering was very wide, and four main scaffold-based array hangs were designed for long-throw coverage, inclu

UK - Marquee Installations has achieved ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. The Egham-based company provides audio, video and lighting installation services for all applications, including the hospitality, entertainment, education and public sector markets.

Mark Brown, managing director of Marquee Installations comments: "Accreditation is an important consideration for some corporate and public sector clients, but more than that it is an extension of our basic ethos of ensuring a level of service that always meets or exceeds the expectations of all of our customers."

Brown continues: "We had always focussed on measuring quality in the solution delivered to the customer, but ISO 9000 helps by introducing the quality management systems and culture throughout the organisation; it brings in a practical approach to providing, measuring and continuously improving our standar

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