USA - The Grammy Awards, held annually at the Staples Centrein Los Angeles, recognises the recording industry's best artists.

As was the case in previous years, ATK Audiotek again relied heavily on a predominantly fibre optic-based network run on Optocore, for the recent 57th edition. For the last five Grammy Awards ATK Audiotek has used Optocore to transport the award winning music that is performed live at the show, this year including AC/DC, Beyon?e, Madonna, Katy Perry, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

The complex nature of the Grammys, in conjunction with the 'mission critical' delivery aspect of a live event, defines the need for flexibility and absolute fault tolerance and recovery.

Jeff Peterson, the incumbent system PA designer for the award show, has relied on Optocore to deliver quality audio under these exacting conditions since 2011. This year's network drive system

Spain - The Fallas is the official festival of Valencia, which is celebrated from the 15-19 March. This event has become an important tourist attraction.

Besides of the name of the festivities, 'fallas' is also the name used to designate the thousand monuments which are located in Valencia city as well as in every town of the province. The 'fallas' consist of a figure or central composition of several feet high, surrounded by numerous figures of papier-mâché, supported by a wooden frame. They include signs written in Valencian explaining the meaning of each set, always with a critical and satirical angle.

One of the most important activities of this week is the 'mascletà', which is celebrated from 1-19 March, when the fallas are burned and the festivity ends. A 'mascletà' is a pyrotechnic fire which forms a very loud and rhythmic composition. Megafonía Torres, respo

UK - "We wanted to hear everything from those old synths, the highs, the lows, each uninvited rattle and hum... Flare gave us a truly dynamic sound, a perfect match for our ancient technology," said Mel Wesson of powerhouse electro quartet Node, as Flare Audio's PA system broadcast their first concert in 15 years.

The landmark concert Node Live took place in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall at the Royal College of Music in London on 27 February 2015, receiving acclaim from fans and across media reviews.

Flare was selected due to its "clarity of sound". The detailed ambient sonic landscape created by the band requires the clearest possible sound and definition with even coverage and dispersion, as they filled the stage with an array of instruments and vintage analogue synthesizers, creating both a sonic and visual experience for the audience.

Just two X2

USA - High school football is serious in Valdosta, Georgia. There, the Lowndes High School Vikings regularly fill 12,000-plus seat Martin Stadium and, far more often than not, prevail over their rivals. Lowndes has won five state championships - three of them within the last decade - and managed perfect seasons in 2004 and 2008. In fact, in 2008, ESPN ranked Lowndes as the #2 high school football program in the entire country. That's number two out of approximately 14,000 teams - no small feat.

To support the team and improve the game day experience for fans, the school raised funds for a new Jumbotron and, to go with it, a modern collegiate-grade sound reinforcement system. Ashly Audio NE Series signal processing and KLR-Series amplifiers support the new system, which provides extensive auto-mixing capabilities and, via a simple Ashly wall-mounted fader bank, intuitive control

UK / Germany - Sennheiser has been actively combating product piracy in a range of ways over several years. In late February, the company scored a further victory in this ongoing campaign, with the conviction of an online trader from Cricklewood, London who was caught selling counterfeit Sennheiser products. The offender was put on probation supervision and was given a community sentence.

The 31-year-old admitted selling counterfeit Sennheiser headphones with a total value of EUR 235,000 to over 7,000 online customers via Amazon. He was put on probation for nearly a year and will be required to complete 200 hours of community service. Moreover, legal action is now pending, and the trader may be held liable for damages. Sennheiser UK Ltd has supported the investigating authorities by providing significant information resources.

"Combating product piracy is not just about a

USA - The Audio Engineering Society hosted its 57th International Conference, titled The Future of Audio Entertainment Technology: Cinema, Television, and the Internet, in Hollywood, California, on 6-8 March 2015.

Co-chaired by Brian McCarty and Dr. Sean Olive, the conference was intended to stimulate increased dialogue between the Hollywood content creation community and the AES, and drew a substantial audience to the three-day programme, which was presented at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.

Keynote addresses were given by noted industry professionals, including Dr. Floyd Toole, former AES president, Louis Hernandez Jr., Avid chairman and Francis Rumsey, chair of the AES Technical Council.

"The genesis of this conference came from the AES's realization that the largest group of working sound engineers is those that do sound for picture in some way. Over the last fe

USA - To commemorate the 150th Birthday of famed Danish composer Carl Nielsen, Denmark-based Dacapo Records is releasing The Nielsen Project, a collection of Nielsen's symphonies and concertos as performed by the New York Philharmonic.

During production, TimbreMusic tonemeister Mikkel Nymand, recording engineer on the project, relied on DPA Microphones' d:dicate 4015S Wide Cardioid and 4006A Omnidirectional Microphones to accommodate the unique audio requirements at Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center and to achieve a natural quality of the live ensemble.

As one of the most famous concert venues for classic performers, Fisher Hall has a history of presenting audio challenges for symphonic music, namely diffusions that fall short of producing a rich natural sound and an imperfect early reflection pattern. To account for this, Nymand tested the acoustics of the venue during pre

Korea - Allen & Heath's iLive digital system and GL2800 analogue mixer were installed in Korea's new Incheon Asiad stadium, built to host the 17th Asian Games.

Taking three years to construct, the gigantic stadium is capable of holding up to 62,000 people and was used for the Games main sporting events, as well as events before the Games, such as Korean Pop (K-POP) concerts. As many as 13,000 athletes from 45 countries competed.

The organiser was looking for a stable but flexible multi-purpose audio system, which would satisfy the need for both digital and analogue technology. Allen & Heath's South Korean distributor, Sama ProSound, suggested an iLive-144 Control Surface with iDR-48 MixRack to serve as the main system, with a GL2800 as the sub system.

"iLive was chosen because it has both the capability and flexibility to manage the audio system, and it can be controlle

USA - Victory Preparatory Academy in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado is a new charter school for middle school and high school students. Successful applicants to VPA score in the top ten-percent on state tests, making it an elite place of learning for nearly 500 students ranging from sixth grade to tenth grade.

To ensure the growth of its recently-kindled school spirit, school district officials hired Audio Visual Colorado to design and install a high-impact sound reinforcement system in its combination gymnasium/auditorium. AV Colorado obliged, giving VPA a pair of high-fidelity Danley Sound Labs SM-100F full-range loudspeakers, whose pattern control keep energy on the students in the bleachers... and not on the untreated walls.

"The client wanted a high-energy system," said Jeff Brotherston, president and design engineer at AV Colorado. "When you'

Germany - HK Audio has debuted the Patchbay 6, the new and improved successor to the classic Patchbay 2 and Patchbay 5.

Available now, Patchbay 6 (PB-6) helps simplify even the most complex routing arrangements, reduces the risk of failures occurring due to incorrect patching, and removes the hassle of rewiring for separate applications.

The PB-6 is divided into two separate sections -Controller In and Amp Out - each the height of one rack unit.

The Controller In section offers two analog In/Thrus with Ground Lift switches, a digital AES EBU In/ Out and an Ethernet Cross Input (X) / Parallel Input (II), making it the perfect input section for the HK Audio FirNet Controller or other contemporary controller amps.

The Amp Out section serves as the output section for four amp channels. The individual channels can be utilized as NL4s, 1+/1- or 2+/2-s or NL8-Multi-Outs.

The PB

USA - Roland Corporation US has announced three new personnel appointments that align with the company's current strategic business plan. The announcement was made by Jay Wanamaker, president and CEO of Roland Corporation US, and reflects Roland's ongoing commitment to the expansion of the company and its brands.

Steve Spak joins the team as district sales manager (DSM) for the Mid-Atlantic District, spanning from New York City to Washington, D.C. Spak comes to Roland most recently from KMC Music Inc., where he was a respected sales team member and consistent top performer. In his new role, he will develop and maintain dealer relationships and sales programs, offer dealer resources in support of Roland products, strategy and objectives, and provide product training, merchandising and promotions at the retail level.

Daniel Lee comes on board as local marketing specialist. Lee w

UK - Adlib has designed and installed the first Coda Audio ViRAY sound system in the UK into one of Liverpool's landmark venues - the Grade II-listed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the UK's premier arts and entertainment venues.

Adlib's installation director Roger Kirby and MD Andy Dockerty worked closely with Coda Audio UK's application engineer, Edgar Krueger, while the installation and system commissioning was co-ordinated by Adlib's system technician George Puttock working alongside Gilbert-Ash Limited, the main contractor for the on-going £13.8m refurbishment of the venue, which commenced in May 2014 and is set for completion in autumn 2015.

Roger Kirby, stated, "'Multi-functional' had to be right at the essence of any new system design for Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Flexibility was also crucial, tog

UK - West Midlands-based Central Presentation Ltd (CPL) supplied full technical production - lighting, video, audio and rigging - for the 2015 SEMTA Skills Awards, an annual event that celebrates the achievements of people, businesses and training partners in the engineering, science and manufacturing technologies sectors, enabling UK industry to compete on the global stage.

The event, a 450 capacity gala dinner, was staged in the ballroom of the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel in central London and presented by TV presenter Michael Underwood. It was project managed for CPL by Lee Gruszeckyj, and was the second time that CPL, working for producers Eclipse Communications, was involved following the event's inauguration last year.

The set design was simple and effective, a presenter stage with an awards table flanked by two scenic 'wings' with then two 10 by 6 ft screens on the outer

China - To accelerate the expansion of its Asia-Pacific presence, Meyer Sound has announced two new hires: John Zhang as sales manager, China and Korea, and Tim Boot as business development manager, Asia-Pacific.

Working closely with the regional sales and support network, Zhang and Boot will work to expand a user base that has included the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, the Beijing Auto Show, Alpensia Hall in South Korea, and more.

"From theatrical spectacles to cinema and live touring, Asia is now a vibrant hub of some of the most sophisticated and ambitious Meyer Sound installations," says John McMahon, Meyer Sound's vice president of solutions and strategy. "Our continued growth potential in Asia lies not only in quality products but also in our ability to provide timely and knowledgeable support to the region. With John and Tim on the team, we look forw

Austria - After extensive tests the MG Sound company from Nüziders in Austria (Vorarlberg) decided to invest in loudspeaker systems from ProAudio Technology.

The basis for all systems are the SW18 subwoofers in combination with DELTA14.4- DSP system amplifiers. Together with the MT12 multi-purpose loudspeakers and the horn-loaded HT16 tops these are used to realise high-power complete systems in various configuration levels, depending on the application.

Markus Gstrein, managing director at MG Sound comments, "We have chosen the systems from ProAudio Technology for several reasons. This is a true one-stop supplier, the entire product range is well-engineered and there are competent people standing behind them. Add to this the jaw-dropping performance of the systems with an incredible flexibility and practice-oriented accessories. I think one would be hard pressed to find

USA - Community has welcomed the services of Highway Marketing - a professional manufacturers' representative firm with a 20-year history of supporting the installed sound and video marketplace in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The firm's marketing and technical staff possess a broad range of sales and engineering skills to service the needs of integrators, design firms and end users.

Highway Marketing makes good use of contemporary marketing tools including social media and a recently updated website. But the firm believes strongly in the "old school mentality" of building relationships with integrators, design firms and end users in its territory. To service this base, Highway marketing provides on-site training programs and product demos, sales support for dealers and experienced in-house tech support.

President Scott Baker emphasized the i

South Africa - MGG Productions installed JBL VTX line arrays, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers and Soundcraft Vi Consoles at the Afrikaans is Groot Music Show that was held recently, providing sound reinforcement for some of the most popular artists in the South African music industry today.

Organised by Coleske Artists, the Johannesburg leg of the annual music concert held at the Moreletapark Auditorium in Pretoria that seats more than 7000 people, saw nine sold-out shows.

MGG Productions were the sole technical suppliers for audio and lighting, with their project manager Denzil Smith and his expert team putting in many hours of hard work toward this popular event. Local Harman importers and distributors Wild & Marr were on-hand to provide additional technical support and EASE plots to ensure an even distribution of sound for the audience.

The audio system featured a total of 32

Switzerland - Berner Münster was dedicated in the late Middle Ages to St. Vincent of Saragossa, and is the largest and most important late-medieval church in Switzerland. It was built in the Gothic style and was completed in the 19th century. It is recorded in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Berne-based Kilchenmann AG and distributor GoWild were awarded the contract for renovation of the sound system in the nave. Thirty-three passive Pan Beam PB 8-15 have been installed, chosen for their high speech intelligibility and unobtrusiveness.

The signal processing and distribution are Symetrix DSP's used with Dante modules. In addition to the equalization and time alignment, as well as management of all outputs (speakers, induction loop and recording) all input signals (microphones and players) are controlled mixed and sent to the appropriate destinations by the DSP's.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Broadway's latest hit musical Honeymoon In Vegas opened recently with two TiMax2 SoundHub-S48 audio showcontrol delay-matrix systems supplied with the new TiMax MADI-64 Ultimate MADI Interface port. Staged in New York's Nederlander Theatre, TiMax was specified by co-sound designer Scott Lehrer to provide signal distribution and delay-based on-stage localisation functions.

Channelling the sunshine and excess of the original Sin city, Honeymoon In Vegas was adapted by Andrew Bergman from his 1992 hit movie, complete with its original swinging score. The show originally opened over a year before it reached Broadway and has been chased by rave reviews since day one. The New York Times had it tipped from the start, claiming, "...[the show] has wrestled the neon mirage of its title into the solid, satisfying shape of a classic Broadway musica"l.

Lehrer

UK - They have been planning the project for two years, and the installation has taken two months, but now pro audio and acoustics consultancy NoiseBoys Technologies, based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, provided the sound for the arrival of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral this week, where thousands of visitors will attend services including his reinterment on Thursday.

NoiseBoys won the contract to supply and install the state- of-the-art sound system, after the discovery of King Richards's bones in a car park opposite the Cathedral by archaeologists in 2012, which sparked a massive refurbishment programme, including a complete overhaul of the Cathedral's AV system.

The loudspeakers include Pan Acoustics' unobtrusive Pan Beam steerable column arrays, with JBL CBT 50 columns in the side chapel areas. The control system is BSS Soundweb, and is designed to be very capab

UAE - dpa lighting consultants FZ LLC have announced that Nikolaos Moskofidis and Chetna Misra have joined their Dubai studio as senior designer and designer respectively.

Nikos has been practising as a lighting consultant in Athens for eight years contributing to many successful projects. Chetna has been based in Dubai for the last eighteen months and already has knowledge of the region. Nikolaos and Chetna are part of the practice's recent strategy to enlarge and strengthen its Middle East design team.

In addition, Tim Leeding, a senior designer based in dpa's Oxfordshire studio, will be relocating to the UAE to work in dpa's Dubai office. Tim has been working on Middle East projects for the last 12 months with the practice from the UK and is already fully engaged with some significant projects in the region.

Barry Hannaford and Nick Hoggett, the principals of dpa Dubai, h

UK / Germany - Prolight+Sound 2015 (15-18 April) will see a raft of new product launches from Inspired Audio. A year ago the company previewed its intention to broaden its offer from a live sound based range to encompass products for portable sound and fixed installation. The 2015 show will deliver the production-ready products that will deliver on that promise, the company says.

Portable products aimed at all aspects of live performance will be represented in the form of the MQ series, which features three full range enclosures. The MQ12 and MQ15 enclosures feature mid/bass cone drivers, with 3.5" aluminium voice coils for improved transient response, and neodymium magnet structures for reduced weight, combined with 1.4" exit compression drivers mounted on CD waveguides. The enclosures have a front trapezoid section, combined with a rear wedge angle to enable them to

Germany - Funktion-One distributor, Thöne und Partner, has designed and installed a sound system for a new venue in Hannover. Club Kiste, which is the brainchild of Stefan Schreckenberger and his company ProEvent, offers an intimate clubbing environment for music-led events. Schreckenberger is a well-known promoter with more than 25-years of experience in the industry. Taking over the site once occupied by Club Engel 7, the new venue mixes natural and organic design elements with cutting-edge technology.

Thöne und Partner's Benedikt Koch comments, "We were approached in August 2014 by the owners, who asked us to be part of the planning team - specifically to supply and manage the design and implementation of the Funktion-One sound system. Due to a low ceiling height of 2.60m in certain areas, and the request for high impact and even coverage on the dancefloor, we deci

Germany - d&b audiotechnik will launch two new products and a significant software update at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt next month. The announcements aim to keep d&b at the forefront of the touring and installation markets.

The new products include the D20, the latest addition to the company's four channel amplifier family, and the MAX2, a flexible 15" stage monitor. The software update is a new ArrayCalc feature for d&b line arrays.

"The only way leading companies such as d&b can retain their market position is through constant innovation, meeting the demands of the market and more importantly the satisfaction of their customers," says Sabina Berloffa, director of marketing and product Management at d&b audiotechnik.

"Prolight+Sound is such an important show for us. This year, we're launching some really excellent new products, which elevate the quali

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