UK - Bombay Bicycle Club will forever be known as the last live band to play at London's Earl's Court venue. But preceding that already-famous December show was a tour that had started nearly a year before, on which DiGiCo SD9 and SD10 consoles played a starring role.

Front of House engineer Tom Wiggans joined the band in the summer, part-way through the tour. A DiGiCo user for around 12 years - including working with UB40, Squeeze, Wet Wet Wet and The Cranberries - Tom's debut with Bombay Bicycle Club came on festival shows, before he used a DiGiCo SD9 on the band's US shows. He then chose an SD10 for the UK tour.

"One of the advantages of professional sound these days is how much preparation you can do," he says. "I was able to get a multitrack recording of one of the shows, which I listened to on my laptop and figured out what was coming from where, because t

USA - After Oscar awards were collected and the lights dimmed on stage at the Dolby Theatre, the stars hit the streets of Los Angeles to find their favourite after parties. Among these, the Governors Ball, held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Centre. Kicking off the event's entertainment this year was Grammy Winner Sergio Mendes, who performed songs with special guest will.i.am from their co-produced, Latin Grammy-winning album Timeless, using several DPA Microphones d:facto Vocal Microphones.

Selected by Mendes' production manager John Baker, wired and wireless versions of the d:factos were used for vocals by Mendes, will.i.am and the three female singers who performed centre stage for their roughly 45 minute set. Baker also selected DPA's d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones for a variety of the band's instruments.

"My goal was to spread the D

UK - Alchemea College is celebrating the recent success of several of its former students at this year's BRIT Awards, Grammy Awards, MPG Awards...and on the charts.

Jimmy Napes (aka James Napier, Class of 2004) was both songwriter and producer whose work contributed to Sam Smith's BRIT Award nods for British Breakthrough Act and British Global Success, as well as nominations for British Album and British Single. Other Alchemea alumni represented at the BRITs include Steve Sedgwick (Class of 2002), house engineer for British Male Solo Artist nominee Damon Albarn, and Robbie Nelson (Class of 2001) who engineered Morning Phase by International Male Solo Artist nominee Beck.

Earlier this month at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Napes' work was also acknowledged as Smith took home the prestigious prizes for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, as well as winning Best New Artist

UK - Flare Audio has been selected as the only audio supplier for this year's LEAF (London Electronic Arts Festival) at Tobacco Dock this March.

The event, created by Bestival founder and DJ Rob da Bank, is a two-day cultural celebration of electronic music, art, technology and digital futurism that will attract around 20,000 electronic music fans into the heart of London.

The LEAF conference is aimed at electronic music fans and the 'pro-sumer' market, with day one focusing on talks, demonstrations and discussion groups aimed at fans, enthusiasts, apprentices and connoisseurs, as well as interactive panels from high profile artists from the many corners of music, tech and art. Among panellists will be the legendary Nile Rodgers, leading a discussion entitled Unmoderated, Uncensored and Unlimited.

A diverse programme of music follows the conference, including a specia

UK - Sound Technology is hosting its second in a series of training courses for Harman's new HiQnet Audio Architect design, configuration and control software for installed audio systems on 11 March 2015. This free one-day Introductory Course is aimed at sales staff and engineers new to Harman's DSP products.

This introductory course will give an overview of all HiQnet hardware devices that can be configured and controlled by Audio Architect, and a demonstration of the core features and workflow of Audio Architect itself. This course is designed for those who may specify or sell Harman networked install product but don't necessarily need to know the finer intricacies of how to program all of it. It is also aimed at engineers who are working with these types of product for the first time.

HiQnet Audio Architect configuration and control software represents the combination of Hi

UK - Orbital Sound has announced the dates for its annual Easter Sound Fundamentals for Theatre training course, running this year from 7-10 April at its purpose-built Brixton training facility. Over 500 students have already passed through the theatre sound training programme, helping to prepare technical theatre and theatre sound students for careers in live entertainment.

The Sound Fundamentals for Theatre course combines essential theory with practical skills, catering for a wide cross-section of skill levels. Students are typically drawn from the UK's leading drama schools, as well as freelancers and corporate sector technicians. Organised by Orbital Sound's training co-ordinator Alex Waddle, the course is led by Richard Carter and supported by technical director Bill Addison.

Over the four days, students are also given the opportunity to try out some of the latest audio

UK - Armour Pro has announced that Audica is to review its UK sales, appointing Audiologic as a distributor for sales to installers and integrators of its commercial audio systems.

Simon Stoll, managing director of Harlow-based Audiologic said, "We have always been impressed by Audica's combination of impressive sound quality and superb styling, and are delighted to be able to bring this to our installation customers. Audica complements our portfolio and is a brand that undoubtedly strengthens our profile in respect of the retail sector."

"Our business model has changed substantially over the past two years," explained Alex Munro, brand director of Armour Pro, which includes the Audica brand. "We have been extremely successful in delivering loudspeaker systems for the retail sector internationally, and now supply some of the world's largest retail chai

Germany / China - HK Audio has further strengthened its position in the Chinese pro audio market by signing a distribution contract with Algam China.

The new deal, which was signed at the recent ISE 2015 show in Amsterdam, is effective from March 1 2015 and will see Algam China focusing on building HK Audio's presence in the growing Chinese MI sector using the Lucas, Elements, Premium PR:O, Pulsar, Linear 5 and SoundCaddy ranges.

Shenzhen Melody will also continue to distribute HK Audio across China, with an emphasis on installation products.

François Lay, HK Audio's international market manager, said, "We've had a successful business relationship with Algam France for decades, so it was a natural step to partner up with the company's recently formed China division.

"Algam's extensive branding and marketing expertise - coupled with their exceptional knowledge of

UK - Cliff Electronics has announced the introduction of its new FT Digital XLR Feed-Through connector series. The FT Series is a complete range of audio, data, and fibre connectors that can be front or rear mounted into an industry standard 24mm XLR connector mounting hole. The new FT Series are simple to mount into any panel designed to accept XLR connectors including instrument, control and rack panels, wall-plates, etc.

The new Cliff FT series is suitable for developing custom I/O solutions used in broadcast, AV installations, systems integration, home theatre, etc. The RJ45 versions are suitable for creating Ethernet hubs and patch points in industrial applications.

The FT Series offers true feed-through connection, allowing standard cabling to be used to connect at both front and rear, eliminating the need to solder or terminate the connections and simplifying and speedi

USA - NBC Network News relies on six of API's A2Ds when filming popular news programmes such as Morning Joe, The Today Show, and Nightly News with Lester Holt in their Los Angeles studio.

The six A2D mic pre amps are put to work all day long, and are used in both the Newsroom Set and Studio W or Studio West. Audio engineer Stan Ouse explains, "The backdrop of the Newsroom Set is a functioning news room. In Studio W we support all of the NBC networks and we do shows and live shots all throughout the day. For example, last week we did Hardball with the host plus the guests. That studio can do a single live shot or a whole show, whatever we need."

Ouse says he's known about the API brand "since the '90s - I had a recording studio of my own here in Burbank." NBC's selection of API gear, according to Ouse, was a natural progression after NBC

USA - Located in the rural Illinois town of Carlinville, Blackburn College serves six hundred undergraduates. Its work programme keeps costs low and campus community involvement high by employing students in a range of non-traditional student jobs under the direction of professionals, for nine of the campus's 16 buildings.

A recent $3m upgrade to the 430-seat Bothwell Auditorium continued that tradition, with the student construction crew providing much of the labour. Amid a range of new infrastructure is a new sound reinforcement system centred on Danley Sound Labs loudspeakers and subwoofers, which provide exceptional fidelity and pattern control.

"The old system was original to the building, which was constructed in the 1970s," explained Ryan Winstead, sales design consultant with Advanced Audio and Lighting Systems (AALS) of Peoria, Illinois. "Their tech sta

UK - Another year has flown by, and it's time to start nominations for the Technical Theatre Awards 2015.

The nomination period is now open on the new website - head to www.technicaltheatreawards.com now to put your colleagues forward.

Says the organisation, "We have a great year planned ahead, including streamlining the voting process and bringing together a committee of industry leaders to finalise our shortlists.

"We are also heading to Europe for Stage|Set|Scenery, as well as our annual visits to PLASA Focus and the ABTT Trade Show.

"Our awards ceremony will be taking place on 5 October 2015, and all our nominees and sponsors will be invited to join us as we announce this year's winners.

To make all this possible we are putting together a bigger team than ever. We are currently looking for more sponsors to support our awards, including some brand new a

USA - After struggling with a challenging acoustical environment and a sound-reinforcement system that couldn't distribute sound consistently throughout all areas of their sanctuary, Prescott, Arizona, United Methodist Church decided enough was enough. After all, if the congregation can't hear clearly, the message is lost. To solve the problem, church management upgraded to a line array system drawn from the TrueLine catalogue of Greensboro, North Carolina-based WorxAudio Technologies, a division of PreSonus.

CSD Group was contracted to design and install the church's new sound system. Working in close coordination with the WorxAudio Technologies' engineering team, CSD president Doug Hood and his crew ultimately deployed two WorxAudio X3i-P compact, all-in-one, powered line arrays as the primary loudspeaker system.

"Prescott United Methodist's sanctuary proved to be a cha

Korea - The AmorePacific Beautiful Life Centre in Osan, Korea, has reinvented the factory tour and brand centre with the award-winning Story Garden, an interactive multisensory and multimedia experience, involving sight, sound and touch. BRC Imagination Arts hired Electrosonic to do the initial audio-visual design and provide AV support for the Story Garden on the cosmetic company's expansive campus.

Story Garden will receive a Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement at a black-tie gala on 21 March 2015, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. The Thea Awards honours creative excellence in theme parks, museums and other attractions.

AmorePacific was founded in 1945 in the kitchen of the founder's mother, and has grown to become a global corporation with 30 cosmetics, personal care and health care brands. In 10 scenes on three level

USA - D.A.S. Audio has announced the appointment of Arthur 'Loren' Robinson to the newly created position of business development manager-installed sound. In his new capacity, Robinson will be tasked with overseeing nationwide sales for the company's installed sound accounts.

In this capacity, Robinson will serve as the company's interface with integrators, consultants, and design / build firms, and he will also assist in managing and hiring the various representative firms that coordinate sales throughout the various territories. Robinson started in February and will be based out of Southern California.

Robinson's background makes him well-suited for his new position with D.A.S. Audio. He studied applied electronics at both Wright Technical Institute and Cypress College in Cypress, CA. His skills include audio systems, technical training, and large project development. Most r

Greece - The National Bank of Greece in Stadiou Street is located in the former building of the first Athens Stock Market. The beautiful neoclassical structure, has an impressive interior and many renaissance features.

Constructed in 1890, the building provides the National Bank of Greece with a cultural venue for exhibitions, events, presentations and meetings. To service this multi-purpose usage, the bank needed audio of the highest quality and vocal intelligibility, and commissioned Athens-based Automation Broadcasting Audio Security (A.B.A.S.) to design and install the system.

Kostas Drosos of A.B.A.S. explained the challenge, "The beautiful interior is highly reverberant due to all its surfaces being very reflective, combined with the height of the room which reaches 16 metres. We needed a loudspeaker which delivered the audio quality required within a narrow vertica

USA - Such is the abundant talent of Sara Bareilles that 2015 will see her score a new theatre musical, record her next album, and no doubt add one or two performances for the Nation's First Family for whom she has performed numerous times. All this from an artist who only recently completed her first full production headline tour, travelling right across the USA, rounded off with visits to Australia, New Zealand, and several Asian cities.

Trey Smith, who has worked for her since 2008, was particularly careful in his choice of audio system for the Bareilles tour.

"For about five years, we have been using Spectrum out of Nashville. In my early days as her sound engineer we were touring bus and trailer, so Spectrum might just provide a simple console package. They did that for a long time; started with a Profile, in-ear systems and a few d&b M4 wedges; it was six years till

UK - EM Acoustics has announced the appointment of Pro Audio Systems as a main dealer. The Bradford-based company is well-known for its work both in the UK and overseas in sales, installations and hire, handling a diverse portfolio of projects for local authorities, high-profile retail clients, theatres, houses of worship and education. Their independence and focus on delivering best-case solutions was a key factor in the appointment.

"Our business is really based on delivering bespoke solutions that have to meet both budgetary and operational criteria," explained PAS sales manager, Dave Simpson. "That has led to us working in just about every environment imaginable where pro-audio equipment might be sold, installed or hired. In order to keep developing that capability we need to ensure that our product portfolio is as flexible as we are.

"In this market it

UK / Germany - AED Distribution, the exclusive distributor of QSC Pro Audio in Germany and the UK since 1 November 2014, has taken its first steps in building a QSC Pro Audio retail network in those countries. Partnering with selected dealers that are specialised in QSC's product portfolio of speakers, amplifiers and digital mixers, the company has officially appointed Leisuretec in the UK and Starpoint in Germany.

"Our selected dealer network allows us to redefine the local QSC Pro Audio market and the presence of the QSC brand in these two countries," says Kenneth Bremer, business development manager at AED Distribution. "QSC is a premium and respected brand when it comes to audio solutions and it was important for us to partner up with dealers that truly understand the QSC DNA and show great enthusiasm in selling, demoing and using the QSC Pro Audio range."

World Music - De La Soul will be the headline act at this year's Womad, the festival's organisers have announced. Other highlights at the world music festival will include Tinariwen and folk music band Bellowhead. Festival director, Chris Smith said: "I'm really excited about De La Soul, hip hop is a big thing for Womad." Last year the event sold out for the first time since it relocated from Reading in 2007 to Charlton Park near Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

Hearing Health - People should listen to music for no more than one hour a day to protect their hearing, the World Health Organization suggests. It says 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of permanently damaging their hearing by listening to "too much, too loudly". It said audio players, concerts and bars were posing a "serious threat". WHO figures show 43m people aged 12-35 hav

The Netherlands - At ISE 2015 in Amsterdam, Pan Acoustics presented the active digitally steerable column-speakers from the Pan Beam series operated with the Dante network. Visitors to the fair were able to witness the live performance of the system.

About Dante, Sebastian Oeynhausen, product manager of Pan Acoustics said, "Our products are popular due to their design, ease of set up and the clarity in sound, whether it is for fixed or mobile installations. The Dante audio network from Audionate effectively completes the range of Pan Beam products in addition to our Pan Powerline technology."

The Dante option offers some interesting features, for example, Pan Beam columns can be operated with two independent audio streams with a sampling frequency of up to 192 kHz.

The priority circuit in the Pan Beam columns allows the automatic switchover of the audio source, for

India - Tannoy and Lab.gruppen's quality sound was recently sought after for one of the country's most luxurious hotels - the five-star JW Marriot in Pune, India.

In the world of luxury hotels, sound systems might not always come on top of the agenda when it comes to capturing opulence. However, the JW Marriot is one such residence which has managed to gather the required demeanour to gain its five-star status, and now, thanks to Tannoy and Lab.gruppen's sound technology, it has the kind of technology fit for such surroundings - inside and outside the building.

The project to bring this signature sound began when Pancheel Reality, a real estate development company based in Pune, were tasked with helping the JW Marriott 'redefine hospitality' in the city. Pancheel immediately looked to AV, specialists in systems integration, who knew exactly what solution was required for a job

Germany - At Frankfurt Prolight + Sound 2015, DPA's booth will be the place to go to if you want to learn the best placement of a microphone on your instrument, and how to get the best sound from your instrument or voice, says the company.

The booth (Hall 8, Booth B70) will feature workshops with live performances up to five times a day, hosted by DPA product specialists who will demonstrate vocal and instrument microphone placement on saxophone, acoustic guitar and upright bass. There will also be a listening area where visitors can compare sound samples from DPA microphones with those from other brands.

"At DPA, we know what it takes to make great sound and we are not satisfied with anything but the best," says DPA's CEO Christian Poulsen. "Getting closer to our customers and sharing knowledge is very important for two reasons: it helps us improve our micropho

The Netherlands - Sarah Joyce, Electrosonic's vice-president, EMEA and member of the InfoComm Board of Directors, hosted the first Women of InfoComm Network Breakfast (WIN) at this year's ISE 2015. Over 50 women and men attended the event to discuss gender diversity within the AV industry.

Sarah shared her leadership journey in technology, which spans almost 20 years, and acknowledged women are still very much underrepresented in the audio-visual industry in a wide range of roles. She commented, "We have the opportunity and requirement to do something to change that. I see the importance of groups such as this to share experiences, hear from others and for us all to guide, mentor and motivate each other.

"The culture we have created at Electrosonic is open, creative, inquisitive, and supportive." said Sarah. She encouraged organisations and individuals to invest

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