UK / Italy - Audio-visual consultants and engineering experts Hoare Lea chose Shure's Microflex Wireless installation microphones as part of their design for the UK Pavilion's AV systems at the World Expo 2015 in Milan. In developing systems to implement the UK Pavilion's soundscape and audio-visual elements, Hoare Lea worked with architects BDP and integrators Stage One amongst others.

British involvement in the Expo was led by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) with support from seven HM Government departments. The UK Pavilion was designed by award-winning British artist Wolfgang Buttr

UK -Allen & Heath has recently expanded the product management team based in its UK HQ with the appointment of Scott Mason as pro digital sector specialist, and Ian Thomas as install sector specialist.

Scott has over 30 years of experience in sound engineering, system design, technical training and pro audio sales. Prior to relocating to the UK, Scott held several posts in APAC, including business development and support at Nexo and Yamaha, and dealer and consultant for Martin Audio and XTA Electronics. Scott's previous achievements include the technical direction of the Olympic Game

USA - German sound reinforcement specialist HK Audio announced at NAMM this week that it is undertaking a complete global overhaul of its visual and identity with the introduction of its new marketing campaign: the Soundmakers.

The Soundmakers campaign is the result of two years of work, preparation and planning by HK Audio's marketing team in collaboration with a number of external agencies from across Europe, says the company.

Focusing on the Soundmaker - the person who is fascinated by the energy of sound from any perspective - the campaign brings clean, fresh visuals to the en

UK - The Ministry of Sound (MoS) nightclub, which runs Martin Audio sound systems exclusively throughout its London venue, has extended its long partnership with the British manufacturer by installing 16 of the company's new CDD15 (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) installation speakers in the ceiling of The Box, its premier dance room.

This will enable the club to utilise Dolby Atmos sound technology. Dolby Atmos transforms music performances by allowing sound to move anywhere around a room, even overhead.

The New Year will see the first in a number of Dolby Atmos enabled events,

Austria - One of Vienna's finest concert houses, the Konzerthaus, recently upgraded the public address system serving its Great Hall and Mozart Hall, selecting Meyer speakers and Allen & Heath's iDR installation matrix mixers.

Installed by ATEC Pro, the new system is designed specifically for voice reinforcement. The iDR DSP systems comprise an iDR-4 matrix mixer for the Great Hall, and an iDR-8 for the Mozart Hall, with a PL10 8-channel rotary panel for remote control, and a PL-8 logic box installed in the Mozart Hall for interfacing to external systems.

Control of the entire s

UK - RH Consulting has launched a major new edition to their guide to voice alarm systems. Originally released six years ago, the e-publication has been comprehensively updated to become the definitive guide to all types of emergency audio system for consultants, manufacturers, installers and venue owners.

Running to 200 pages, it covers all applications where VA systems are likely to be installed, from stadia to public buildings to nightclubs, theatres, transport hubs, shopping centres and much more. It is packed with tables, diagrams and animations to help people comprehend this of

USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has announced the retirement of Kenton Forsythe, EVP of strategic engineering. Forsythe, one of the original founders of EAW, has spent his career advancing loudspeaker technology and design. In 2011 he received a Parnelli Award for audio innovation as further testament to his contributions to the professional audio industry.

"I have had the profound honour of working closely with Kenton for over 21 years," states EAW president Jeff Rocha. "It is remarkable that Kenton had already revolutionized the industry and established himsel

USA - Symetrix has announced the launch and immediate availability of its Prism digital signal processing platform. Joining the manufacturer's line of Dante-enabled DSPs, Symetrix Prism has been developed to deliver cost-efficient, high-powered networked audio processing for a wide range of installed sound applications.

Symetrix Prism is comprised of four products, varying only in I/O count and form factor. Prism 4x4 features four inputs and four outputs, power over Ethernet (PoE+), and a compact ½ rack format. Prism 8x8 (eight in, eight out), 12x12 (12 in, 12 out) and 16x16 (16 in,

USA - Audio-Technica debuts a new range of professional in-ear monitor (IEM) headphones at NAMM 2016 this week. Bringing the critically-acclaimed sonic signature of the M-Series to an in-ear design, the three models have been designed to fully answer the needs of demanding sound professionals and musicians from the studio, to the stage, to the DJ booth, says the company.

The headphones are compatible with Audio-Technica's popular M3 in-ear monitor wireless systems - together offering a comprehensive in-ear monitoring solution from Audio-Technica. They offer a solution for use in any

USA - Clair Global listened to their clients and is now offering their new flagship system: The Cohesion Series. The philosophy that inspired The Cohesion is centred on creating the highest quality and most efficient speaker system. The Cohesion's design allows for exceptionally smooth horizontal pattern control throughout its' entire range in a very compact package. The series consists of five speaker enclosures that provide high output reference-quality sound within a smaller footprint in both truck space and in the air.

"The Cohesion combines the best possible sound quality,

Iberia - In January and February, audio engineers in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands can take advantage of advanced tuition on Yamaha's CL and QL series digital mixing consoles and Dante networking, as the company runs a series of free, day-long seminars.

Taking place in Madrid (27 January), Santiago de Compostela (2 February), Barcelona (10 February), Lisbon (1 March), Porto (3 March) and Tenerife (9 March), the training is part of the Yamaha Commercial Audio Training Seminar (YCATS) programme, which provides free, advanced training for sound engineers who already have a good

UK - Following last year's successful launch of White Light's audio department, the company will continue building its audio expertise and equipment catalogue all throughout 2016. With a commitment to offering the very latest technology within the audio industry, this has seen a host of prolific clients use the company solely for its audio services. The company's reputation as a leading audio supplier has now been further enhanced by its latest investment in the highly-acclaimed DPA d:screet 4080 and DPA d:vote 4099 microphones.

WL has already invested in the DPA range, with its exis

USA - At the 2016 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, Shure unveiled the KSM8 Dualdyne Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone. The KSM8 is billed as the world's first dual-diaphragm dynamic handheld microphone for revolutionary vocal reproduction and accurate sound-reinforcement and control. The KSM8 extends the company's wired microphone line - which includes numerous products of significance and enduring legacy - such as the Unidyne 55 and the SM58 Microphone.

Designed for live sound performances where vocal clarity and sound quality are absolutely critical, the KSM8 not only meets the most di

USA - Avid and Focusrite have a history of industry-shaping collaborations, from the world's first plug-ins to feature a fully skeuomorphic GUI (D2 and D3), to the original Focusrite-designed Mbox interface that brought Avid Pro Tools software to the masses, and Control|24TM, Avid's first mid-format console. Twenty-one years after that first collaboration, Avid and Focusrite are "in deep discussions once more, the results of which they look forward to announcing soon".

Dave Froker, CEO of Focusrite PLC, comments, "We want to make the experience of using Focusrite hardw

USA - Electro-Voice announced the global launch of the ND Series of wired vocal and instrument microphones at NAMM 2016. The successor to the N/Dym Series, the new ND Series expands the previous product offering with four vocal and four instrument models for live performance and studio applications.

Each ND Series model is equipped with features that are unique to both its price point and its particular application - all designed to offer superior sound quality, acoustic control and robustness. At the heart of the new dynamic models is a new large-diaphragm capsule design which takes

USA - Pure Groove Sound Systems has announced it has joined forces with Danley Sound Labs to produce a series of professional audio systems, specifically catered to the nightclub and dance music festival markets

Designed by Tom Danley, known for his patented work on loudspeaker designs in world-class facilities globally, the Pure Groove by Danley PGD series was created as "an unrivalled alternative to the industry standard sound systems currently used by large venues and music festivals".

The PG-J94 and the PG-96 are the first models in a new series exclusively designed

UK - Adlib has supplied a Coda TiRAY sound system to Liverpool Philharmonic's new venue, Music Room, a completely flexible space accommodating between 160 to 250 people depending on a cabaret, theatre or standing configuration. The venue, which opened in October 2015, has been built as part of the £14.5m refurbishment of the 1939 Grade II*listed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

Liverpool Philharmonic is one of the UK's most progressive music organisations, home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, presenting more than 250 concerts and events annually including classical r

Croatia -Although Croatian distribution company, Sunflower d.o.o. set up back in 1996, it was only after 2010 that the country's infrastructure had professionalised itself sufficiently to support brands of the calibre of Powersoft.

This year the Italian manufacturer, through its regional account manager (EMEA), Stefano Previtali, did a deal with the Rijeka based company, appointing them as their new distributor for the territory. This enabled the brand to join other high prestige names like d&b audiotechnik, XTA and DiGiCo in the top tier distribution portfolio.

According to Sunfl

Russia - Allen & Heath's GLD digital mixing system has been installed in the concert and cinema hall of the System Operator of the Unified Energy System's head office in Moscow, Russia.

As part of an audio refurbishment, the GLD system was selected by installer, Audio Video Solutions, the system comprised a GLD-80 console installed in the control room, with AR2412 and AR84 remote I/O racks located at the surface providing 32 local analogue inputs and 16 local analogue outputs. The GLD is complemented by a QSC speaker system.

System Operator of the Unified Energy System is a state-

UK - Lee Valley Leisure Trust came into operation in April 2015 to run 14 of the major sports venues and other sites owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

Last summer Martin Audio partner, Old Barn Audio (OBA) undertook a sound system upgrade at the £31m Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Cross, one of the host venues for the 2012 London Olympics, using the manufacturer's new CDD range. Such was the level of satisfaction that the integrators were immediately asked to provide a similar Martin Audio solution at another Group venue, Lee Valley Ice Centre in Leytonston

The Netherlands - ESP/SurgeX will showcase Envision, a power diagnostics system that measures and records power conditions and presents detailed data in live or date-stamped reports at ISE 2016.

Envision provides energy data that can be used to accurately identify the source of common electrical issues the first time around, saving money for the consumer as well as time and resources for the integrator and electrician by preventing unnecessary services or repairs.

Available in both a 230 volt / 10 amp (EV-23010 IC) and 230 volt / 16 amp (EV-23016 IC) configuration, Envision featur

The Netherlands - The latest system from Ateis - the Boutique is a PA/VA system for small to medium size installations that offers a lot of sophistication in a deceptively easy to set-up system.

For installers less familiar with DSP programming, the Boutique offers an Auto Setup Wizard coupled with pre-recorded messages that can easily be selected depending on the situation. All pre-recorded messages as well as the GUI are available in multiple languages allowing the installer to be guided through the set-up process in his/her pre-selected language.

The Boutique system is built on

USA - Industry professionals have voted Meyer Sound's Leopard linear sound reinforcement system as the winner of the NAMM TEC Award for Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers.

Presented in Anaheim, Calif. in conjunction with the 2016 NAMM Show, this is the sixth industry accolade for Leopard since its debut in 2015, and the 11th TEC Award win for Meyer Sound.

"Leopard had already received a number of other awards, but this one is particularly significant because the TEC Awards' open voting means that Leopard's exceptional quality is widely recognized throughout the pro audio and mu

Independents' Days - This week, the UK music industry celebrates the third Independent Venue Week (IVW) with a week-long series of gigs all across the country. Led by London-based agency I Like The Sound of That, the seven-day long campaign is supported by the Arts Council through its Grants for the Arts funding programme. Its reach is expanding with 120 venues now taking part, from Aberdeen to Exeter and Belfast to Norwich. Among venues joining this year are Quay Arts (Isle of Wight), The Soundhouse (Leicester) and Nambucca (north London).

Helen Sprott, director of music at Arts Cou

Latest Issue. . .