Belgium - An Audient Zen mixing desk was the appropriate solution for engineer, songwriter and solo artist Born Meirlaen, who was looking for a versatile console to be at the centre of his studio.

"As an engineer I wanted hands-on control and flexibility," says Meirlaen. "Audient Zen gives me all the control I need. Hooked up with my ProTools HD2 system, a rack full of outboard gear and a small patchbay, I can now do and control everything from one location, be it providing eight separate mixes for tracking several musicians at once, to mixing down 32 channels coming from PT and inserting outboard and adding FX without compromise.

"What's even better is that I've got 16 more great sounding preamps and a versatile bus compressor added to the already fantastically clean and crisp sounding desk.

"I need to be able to grab any opportunity or challenge t

Russia - French loudspeaker manufacturer APG reports that it has enjoyed steady growth in the Russian market due to the "sterling work" of its sales partner, Yugdoka, based in southern Russia. No less than five clubs in Krasnodar Krai region of southern Russia have been installed with APG systems in the last six months.

The principal loudspeaker of choice for these clubs is the multi-purpose, high precision, high power SMX15 monitor speaker from APG. Across the five clubs, a total of 20 SMX15s have been installed, supplemented by APG's TB218S subs, with the exception of Club Malibu in Krasnodar city which has four APG DS15S multipurpose Dispersion Series loudspeakers, supplemented by two TB218S subs.

The nightclub industry is clearly thriving in this part of Russia - each club boasts its own website and is sumptuously furnished and decorated. The biggest club, the Mo

UK - Liverpool- based Adlib supplied sound and lighting to Russell Howard, star of Mock The Week and Russell Howard's Good News for his recent UK arena tour, braving the snow, ice and freezing fog typical of the inclement weather conditions gripping the country on a gruelling 10 date back-to-back schedule.

Adlib's sound crew was chiefed by Marc Peers, who also mixed monitors. At front of house, James Neale also shared system tech duties with Richy Nicholson.

The JBL VerTec PA system was picked for its versatility and fast rigging capabilities. The main hangs consisted of 14 VerTec 4889 elements per side, with side-hangs of 10 4889s. There were four VerTec 4880A subs on the ground to add body and fullness to the sonic mix.

For front in-fills, Neale used four L-Acoustics dv-DOSC cabinets, with two L-Acoustics ARCs a side for out-fills.

The VerTec was powered by

The Netherlands - Duran Audio has announced that they will be launching the latest version of their Digital Directivity Analysis (DDA) software at ISE in Amsterdam.

The very first version of DDA was designed as a tool to allow AXYS Intellivox and Target users the ability to shape the vertical dispersion of their Intellivox DDS and Target DDS arrays. In addition to this it was also a modelling tool for Intellivox DDC arrays. Over the years DDA has continued to develop and now offers a very comprehensive range of features.

Providing system designers with the ability to "steer" or "shape" the beam from their array is still at the heart of DDA but the software now offers the ability to model: Direct Sound, Total SPL, Direct to Reverberant Ratio, Speech Transmission Index (STI), Delay Spread and receiver responses. All of which are calculated using a statistical

USA - Waves Audio and DiGiCo have announced a technology agreement. The joint announcement was made at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, by Mick Olesh, Waves Executive VP, sales and marketing, and DiGiCo managing director James Gordon and DiGiCo marketing director David Webster.

Waves and DiGiCo have agreed to work together to integrate Waves' new SoundGrid technology into DiGiCo's single FPGA Stealth Digital Processing products for the live sound industry. Further details about this strategic alliance are to be unveiled over 2010.

Commenting on the agreement, Olesh stated: "DiGiCo has always been on the forefront in digital mixing technology. Their consoles have been acknowledged as an industry leader, and everyone at Waves is extremely excited to be able to work with their R&D team. We look forward to a close working relationship."

"The arrival of

UK - Award-winning UK music writer/producer Fraser T Smith, the man behind multiple hit songs for artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Pixie Lott, James Morrison and Taio Cruz, has become the latest high-profile customer to buy a Prism Sound ADA-8XR multichannel converter.

"I was looking for the highest quality A/D and D/A converters possible - and for an amazing master clock. The Prism Sound ADA-8XR was an obvious choice," says Smith. "I looked at dedicated A/Ds and D/As and super high-end master clocks, but the Prism Sound unit won in every blind test that I did. I spoke to a lot of mastering engineers and everyone rated the ADA-8XR in terms of everyone rated the ADA-8XR in terms of sound quality and reliability."

Since buying the ADA-8XR, Smith has used it on all his mixes and tracking, mixing Taio Cruz's number one hit Break Your Heart and recording J

Show News - The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has announced the final registration and exhibitor numbers for the 2010 NAMM Show, the longest-running trade show in the United States. At show close, NAMM reported 87,569 registrants, a 2 percent increase from last year. International registration experienced a 2 percent decrease from last year. The association reported 1,373 exhibitors at this year's show, including nearly 250 new exhibitors - a new record number in the event's 108-year history.

"This year's NAMM Show marks a critical turning point for the international music products industry," said NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond. "A strong NAMM Show signals the beginning of a comeback with buyers returning to their hometowns with renewed energy, passion and hope for a strong 2010, and exhibitors enjoying strong floor traffic and sales as they in

USA - An iLive system, comprising an iDR-32 MixRack and iLive-T112 Control Surface, recently completed a countrywide tour with US rock band, Vertical Horizon.

"I've been working with them for about three years but it's mostly been a lot of fly dates," says FOH engineer and tour manager, Jay Phebus. "When they decided to do a real US tour, I knew exactly what I wanted to take on the road with me. iLive's got a great sound, small footprint, it's incredibly flexible, and the price point is amazing, which is a real factor in touring these days."

Vertical Horizon's equipment requirements comprise two guitars, three vocals, bass and drums, with some triggered percussion and keyboard parts from a hard disc machine to give an authentic feel to their hits. Both guitars are dual-output systems, with a piezo system complementing traditional pickups, which can be switc

UK - Having settled into its new, more spacious and picturesque premises in Enfield, radio microphone and in-ear specialist Hand Held Audio reports that it has spent some time re-organising its wireless rental stock. The object has been not only to anticipate the coming changes in spectrum availability, but also to offer more choice to rental customers in terms of price and brand, the company says.

Ofcom recently announced that from 4 January this year Channel 38 would be available (with regional restrictions) for radio mic use in the same way as Channel 69. This is to smooth the path to the loss of Channel 69 on 1 January 2012 (a direct result of the Ofcom spectrum sell-off following the Digital Switchover). Hand Held Audio says that it has put together an investment plan for 2010 that includes systems from AKG, Sennheiser, Shure and Trantec, covering a considered and diverse r

UK - Hundreds of churches could face bills to replace or retune sound equipment rendered useless by changes to the way that radio frequencies are allocated. It has prompted the Church of England to join an industry-led campaign to press Government to provide adequate compensation for affected groups.

Many larger churches use wireless microphones to transmit the voice of clergy and others leading services through a public address system. Some of these audio systems, in churches and cathedrals using four or more such 'radio microphones', currently use a channel dedicated for use by programme makers and special events production staff (along with other frequencies that are subject to geographical restrictions). But changes proposed by the communications regulator Ofcom, and supported by Government, to clear and sell spectrum currently used by radio microphones mean that this channe

UK - Yamaha's Dante-MY16-AUD card is now shipping, offering integration of the latest audio networking technology with a wide range of Yamaha digital audio products. And the new interface is already proving its worth to audio production company Britannia Row.

Yamaha Commercial Audio says it is committed to seamlessly interfacing its digital audio products with the widest array of networking protocols, ensuring that any potential problems of compatibility and different proprietary technologies are no issue for a Yamaha-based system. Audinate's Dante system is the latest to be adopted, with the Dante-MY16-AUD allowing Yamaha digital mixing consoles, DME processors and TXn series power amplifiers to make full use of Audinate's 'plug and play' technology.

Each Dante-MY16-AUD card provides 16 bidirectional audio channels (16 channels at 48 kHz, or eight channels at 96 kHz) over Gig

Canada - The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra enraptured 13,000 young Canadians late last year with an electrifying performance in Toronto's Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. In order to effectively connect musicians to audience, Montreal-based Solotech applied a system of Meyer Sound Milo line array loudspeakers to the retractable-roof stadium.

Produced by Toronto-based Glenn Gould Foundation, the student concert was the culmination of a three-day celebration honouring Dr. José Antonio Abreu, founder of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra and recipient of the 2008 Glenn Gould Prize.

"I'm sure it was a transforming moment for the young people there," says Brian Levine, managing director of the Glenn Gould Foundation. "It was a breathtaking musical experience, and it ended with the shouting adulation you'd expect for roc

Vietnam A Vertical Line Array Outline comprising 32 Outline Butterfly CDH 483 Hi-Packs, supported by 16 SubTech 218, was chosen as the FOH system for Happy New Year 2010, a concert for 35,000 people staged in the Hanoi's My Dinh National Stadium.

Sponsored by the Maritime Bank and organised by Vietnam's VTV3 TV, the show attracted a vast audience thanks to performances by the country's leading artists including My Tam, Lam Truong, Dam Vinh Hung and Hong Nhung.

Vietnam's Outline distributor, Fantasies Show Light of Hanoi, was also the rental company that had the task of providing and installing the Butterfly rig at My Dinh National Stadium.

The event's FOH engineer, Mr. Nguyen The Ngoc, commented, "Among the best-known high-end line arrays, I think the Butterfly is also one of the fastest and easiest to install; its prediction software is very accurate and provide

USA - The Union Ballroom is a social hub at Duquesne University, a private, coeducational university founded in 1878 and located on a bluff above Pittsburgh's downtown. The room's split-ceiling design has in the past presented a challenge for any PA system in that space, but especially for the older, nondescript speakers that had served the room for years.

A solution was reached with the installation of two AX366 Arrayable Install Loudspeakers from EAW. When the units were installed in November 2009 as part of an overall renovation of the system, the room's sound improved dramatically. The installation was specified and installed by McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania-based Hollowood Music and Sound, which specializes in design, installation, and service of multimedia and sound systems.

"The large concentric horn design of EAW's AX366 disperses the sound evenly throughout the room

The Netherlands - At ISE, DiGiCo will be showing its full range of digital mixing consoles and accessories, with the new SD8-24 and EX-007 taking pride of place.

Also attracting attention at ISE will be DiGiCo's latest innovation, the EX-007, which is designed to substantially increase the number of available faders and number of channels controllable at any one time on a DiGiCo SD7 mixing console.

Usable from up to 100m from the console via a Cat 5 cable connection, it is possible to augment an SD7 with two EX-007s - providing 24 faders, two additional touch screens, metering and other standard functions, which transforms the SD7 into a 100-fader mixing console.

"The EX-007 has many applications," says DiGiCo managing director, James Gordon. "For touring, there's the obvious advantage of more faders and the ability to control everything that's on the main des

UK - Bill Bailey's comedic reworking of various familiar musical themes has been a central part of his act since the beginning. To this he recently added a wry and amusing look at the different instruments in the orchestra, the result being Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra. This production made its debut in 2008 on a few low-key dates, before coming to national attention via shows at London's Royal Albert Hall, one of which was recorded and broadcast on BBC television.

The end of 2009 saw the show taken on tour to London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool, Warwick and Gateshead, using a different local orchestra at each venue. Featuring a Yamaha PM5D and M7CL at FOH, the audio system was provided by Bridgend-based Sonalyst and designed by company owner Rory Madden with Yamaha's Nick 'Biggles' Pemberton.

With Academy Award-winning

Luxembourg - On 1 December 2009, the Kling & Freitag Nomos XLC was presented to K&F distributors and an international audience at a one-off experimental showing of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This event is a combination of a movie screening on a 23m metre HD screen and a live show with over 200 musicians and singers.

Over 2,000 people in the d'Coque Arena followed the action with music provided by Sinfonietta Cracovia and the INECC Choir Luxembourg led by conductor Ludwig Wicki.

For the event, 22 line array elements K&F Sequenza 10 N/W with six Sequenza 10B were used. The new cardioid subwoofer K&F Nomos XLC with 3 x 18" chassis also celebrated its successful premiere. As front-fill speakers and stage monitors, six CA 1001 and four CA 106 were used. All speakers were operated using 10 K&F SystemRacks.

(Jim Evans)

USA - The newly-renovated Victory Brew Pub in Downingtown, Pennsylvania includes two main dining areas and a conference room adjoining the large bar area and a Community Professional based sound system.

The brewery owners had a pretty clear idea of what they wanted - a sound system that delivered good sound and even coverage across the entire venue. The bar area is very open, with plenty of background noise and there are some areas with high ceilings and lots of reflective surfaces, while others with carpeting and finished ceilings.

A distributed system based on 24 Community VERIS6 full-range, two-way loudspeakers provide even coverage and hi-fidelity sound for both music and voice. The conference room and arcade areas, all of which have a more finished, dropped ceiling look, are served by Cloud6 ceiling speakers.

(Jim Evans)

Italy / Australia - Announced at the NAMM exhibition in Anaheim, California, Italian manufacturer FBT says it has appointed Innovative Music Australia Pty Ltd as its Australian distributor for its full range of pro audio products including the company's wide offering of loudspeaker systems, Mixing Consoles and Audio Contractor products, effective January 15th, 2010. "This is a momentous occasion for Innovative Music," comments Steve Lincoln-Smith CEO of Innovative Music Australia. With more than 40 years' experience manufacturing some of the world's best pro audio products FBT is an incredible fit with our other product lines, and we are looking forward to expanding their sales into the Australian Market. Together with FBT, we are now able to offer the finest Pro Audio solutions in Australia."

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Mick Perrin Productions (MPP) - one of Europe's foremost promoters of comedy tours - has forged a closerelationship with Sennheiser.

Eddie Izzard, one of the UK's leading stand-up acts, is currently on a major tour of UK and Europe arenas with Sennheiser equipment, but the relationship between MPP and Sennheiser goes back much further, starting with George Glossop, Izzard's long term sound designer.

"The relationship started with Eddie's production via Sennheiser US and, separately, through rental company Delicate Productions and Scott Scherban, who used to mix Eddies arena shows," says Sennheiser artist relations manager Mark Saunders.

"George and Andy Lillywhite (Sennheiser UK's chief engineer) also go back a long way on the technical side of things and when Eddie's arena European arena tour was booked, that's when my phone rang and things have rolled o

The Netherlands - Bosch Security Systems will present the new CCS 900 Ultro Discussion System and the Vari-directional Array, a new active line array from Bosch at ISE next month.

The CCS 900 Ultro System offers new design features and extra functions, including a patent-pending 'Possible-To-Speak' indication. The design of the new CCS 900 Ultro Discussion units "delivers superior acoustical performance and reflects the attention to detail for which Bosch is famous". Designed for installation flexibility, the system is suitable for small- to medium-scale meeting areas.

The new Vari-directional Array boasts intelligent software for fast configuration. Additionally, the Vari-directional Array enables longer range coverage of up to 50m, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

UAE - The Burj Khalifa in Dubai - the tallest manmade structure ever built - was subject to sumptuous opening celebrations with sound, lighting and fireworks synchronised by Delta Sound.

Costing over $1.5 billion dollars and measuring an awe-inspiring 828m - over half a mile - from tip to toe, the eyes of the world were on the official opening ceremony which took place on 4 January. Delta Sound Dubai was tasked with the supply of the sound and communications for the event, with Andy Jackson designing the entire system. The company also claimed an unofficial record into the bargain.

Delta had been approached by Prisme International, a French-based event management company, which Delta has worked with on previous events. "This was the first time that Prisme had specifically requested that we do the sound for an event like this, so it was a definite feather in our cap,"

France / The Netherlands - Sennheisser Netherlands has resigned from its position as L-Acoustics distributor for Holland, effective 28 February 2010.

L-Acoustics sales manager Tim Mc Call comments: "Sennheiser Netherlands has always proved to be a professional and dedicated partner for L-Acoustics. Whilst we are sad to be parting company, we wish them well for the future. Meanwhile we are looking forward to building on the strong base L-Acoustics already enjoys in the Netherlands and to welcoming contacts old and new at the forthcoming ISE show in Amsterdam."

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - Following last year's successful participation, Alcons Audio will again be exhibiting with its general product line and the AV / Digital Cinema product line at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam. Main focus this year will be on two products.

As a result of the increasing interest in Alcons sound systems for sound with picture, Alcons will be introducing the CRMS system. The three-way reference system is designed for A/V projects, high quality screening rooms, but also for high quality home theatre installations. A special design feature is that the MHF section acts both as MHF section for the main/front system, as well as full-range surround system. This results in a uniform sound stage throughout the entire listening area.

In addition to the CRMS, the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array system will be on show. The smallest member of Alcons' successful pro-ri

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