South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production for the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert, staged at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.

The show was broadcast to tens of millions of music and football fans worldwide on 10 June, the night before the first match.

The eclectic mix of African and international artists was executive-produced by Los Angeles-based Control Room whose technical director, Jim Baggott, and Gearhouse's project manager Bill Lawford oversaw all technical disciplines offered by the Gearhouse Group.

Gearhouse Audio supplied all audio equipment along with Britannia Row with whom Gearhouse has a long-standing relationship. These elements included racks-and-stacks for the main stage and B stage, with Britannia Row supplying front-of-house and monitor consoles, all the RF equipment - mics and IEMs - plus a crew of

USA - Verona, Wisconsin-based Intellasound Productions provided the sound system for the multi-headliner tour featuring Drowning Pool, Five Finger Death Punch, Hellyeah, Lacuna Coil, and Seether show at the 6,000-capacity La Crosse Centre in La Crosse last month.

Intellasound deployed its Electro-Voice XLC sound system for the event, bringing in (32) XLC127-DVX mains and (24) Xsubs, all powered and processed via (30) Tour Grade TG-7 amplifiers equipped with RCM26 IRIS-Net control / DSP modules.

This high-SPL proving ground was also an opportunity for Electro-Voice to test some new technology: George Georgallis (senior applications specialist) and Matt Donarski (EV engineering) were in attendance to run some real-world engineering tests for the new TEMP (Thermal Energy Management and Protection) limiter about to be released for the RCM26 DSP card for the TG amp series.

"

USA - Nashville-based Endless Analog, the developers and manufacturers of the CLASP (Closed Loop Analog Signal Processor) system, has announced the appointment of Vintage King Audio as its exclusive US retailer for its CLASP system.

"The appointment of Vintage King Audio is part of a comprehensive business plan that positions the next stage of growth for Endless Analog," stated president Chris Estes. "Vintage King is the acknowledged leader in boutique and classic audio products, which makes them a perfect fit to carry CLASP. Their staff is exceptionally well-trained and uniquely qualified to offer Endless Analog's product line, and their contacts and reputation in the industry are second to none. We look forward to working with Vintage King to spread the word about CLASP and analogue/digital hybrid recording."

"Vintage King is reaffirming its place as

UK - The Forestry Commission's 2010 Live Music Tour kicked off earlier this month with power, lighting and audio specialists Pearce Hire making a concerted effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

The tour consists of 22 shows running for six consecutive weekends in June & July, bringing live music to seven forest locations for an evening of entertainment for all the family. This year's broad spectrum of acts includes Keane, Simply Red, Blondie, JLS and The Saturdays.

Pearce Hire works across the whole tour, coordinating two teams and sets of equipment to provide all the site power and both site & stage lighting. This year has seen a significant change in the lighting design for the stage with the company utilising i-Pix BB4 LED Washlights instead of the PARcans previously used, halving the power consumption of the lighting rig from previous years. The rig also includes MAC 700

USA - When the Oklahoma City Thunder made the 2010 NBA playoffs, drawing Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers as their first round opponent, they knew they would need to maximize their game. That thought was applied to every aspect of the team's operation, on the court and off - including the audio mix.

"The Thunder organization contacted me and they were concerned that Ford Center's sound system wasn't adequate to handle the playoffs," says Jerry Hooper, owner of Hooper Sound Production Services in Norman, Oklahoma. "The Thunder fans are among the loudest in the NBA, and a playoff scenario against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers was sure to test the limits of the current system.

"They asked what should be done to give them the best results, and we determined that the analogue FOH console was the weakest link in their situation." Hooper con

Singapore The Dbl O club, recently reopened in a new venue equipped with a D.A.S. Variant system. The club's main attraction has always been its top-notch DJ's and the best selection of music with the objective of providing an outstanding dance environment to its patrons.

Having worked together previously for their Pool Room bar, the Emerald Hill Group, approached D.A.S. again with a new. Audio and street art were to be the main priorities of the new Dbl O.

Emerald Hill group director, Arden Peddell comments, "The club was designed as a multi-purpose venue, so we needed the capability of easily unrigging and moving the system around should the need arise." The issue of noise pollution was also present, due to the other establishments in the area which include a hotel. D.A.S. Audio was given the task of designing a venue that would provide pristine audio quality witho

Mexico - Troya Eventos, a prominent audio production services provider in Mexico, recently deployed a complete JBL Vertec line array system to support Fenahuap, one of Mexico's largest music festivals, in Ciudad Valles, Monterrey, Mexico. The 20-day event featured a multitude of performances from leading acts such as Juri, Aklex Syntec, Sasha, Sin Bandera and Pitbull, on stages throughout the event grounds.

Responsible for the sound reinforcement of the festival's main stage, Troya focused on achieving the perfect coverage and output for the massive crowds attending the outdoor setup. The company needed a system that would cater to the needs of the talent on stage, while also ensuring that weather and other factors would not affect the sound quality.

"We chose Vertec line arrays for their reliability, easy setup and excellent performance in extreme environments, wh

Nigeria - One of Nigeria's fastest growing churches, Daystar Christian Centre in Ikosi, Lagos, has upgraded its audio system to an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system.

The installation was managed by Lagos-based rental and installation company, PF Syztems, who originally installed a 40-channel Allen & Heath ML3000 VCA console at FOH with a 40-channel GL4000 at monitor position when the church was first opened three years ago.

Increased attendance and a switch to four consecutive services, coupled with increased complexity in dealing with multiple stage requirements, prompted the 7-000 capacity church to enquire about possible ways to streamline worship services.

PF Syztems' engineer/consultant, Olushola Aremu, comments, "I recommend iLive desks to every FOH and monitor engineer. The iDR-48/iLive-T112 system is a great digital system to work with; it's user-friendl

UK - Orbital Sound reports that the Da-Cappo Micro Microphones range - distributed exclusively by Orbital in the UK - has won the Sound Product of the Year Award at the ABTT Theatre Show 2010. The award was granted on two counts - in recognition of the tiny 2.5mm diameter Da-Cappo capsule's sweat resistance, with its potential to save the significant on-going wastage of moisture-damaged microphones, together with the comfort and adjustability of the products' innovative ear-mounting system.

Chris Headlam, managing director of Orbital Sound, commented, "This Award is an excellent and well-deserved accolade for the Da-Cappo brand - won for the performer-comfort and security of its ear-loop, as well as its technical, moisture-resistant performance. It recognises the products' inherent financial benefits for theatres and production companies as, in this budget-challenged climat

USA - Audio-Technica has recognized Roseville, California-based The Farm Technical Sales & Marketing as its Rep of the Year for the 2010 fiscal year. Marc Lee Shannon, Audio-Technica vice president, sales, and Tracy Brefka, Audio-Technica territory manager, professional products, presented the award to The Farm principal John Hood. The Farm sells Audio-Technica's complete line of professional audio products to sound contractors and retailers in Northern California.

Audio-Technica held the awards ceremony during this year's InfoComm Expo on 9 June in Las Vegas, Nevada, to honour its dedicated force of manufacturer's representatives. The A-T Rep of the Year recipient was congratulated for outstanding sales performance and bestowed with Audio-Technica's Samurai doll award. The Farm Technical Sales & Marketing was acknowledged for its consistent success in the areas of sales, market

UK - Following the success of her ITV2 sketch show Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, the eponymous comedienne has gone out on the road, performing a stage version in theatres and arts centres throughout the UK. A key part of the technical production is a package of Sennheiser microphones and wireless equipment.

The shows comprise songs and dance routines, as well as straight stand-up comedy. With everyone from the Queen to Amy Winehouse the butt of Brand's humour, the bottom line for the show's promoters Mick Perrin Productions (MPP) was that Brand's wide-ranging styles of delivery had to be crystal clear at every seat, despite the venues ranging widely in size and design.

Through previous tours, Sennheiser has built a successful and close working relationship with MPP and Sennheiser product has become a ubiquitous part of the production company's touring equipment.

For the

Spain - Void Acoustics has made a major impact on the Ibizan club scene with new distributor, IbizaPA, completing two major installations in just six weeks. The controversial daytime club, DC-10, recently re-opened with a sizeable Void triple-horn Air Motion - installed for promoters Circo Loco in just nine days from order to completion. The new Sands Beach Restaurant is also home to a Void installation, featuring an all-white Air Ten system in the White Bar.

IbizaPA was established three years ago, building up a reputation for local events and installations. Recognising the potential of the Ibizan market, Void had been looking for a dynamic distributor for some time. Director Alex Skan explains, "Ibiza's club environment is very image-conscious and a perfect match for our brand's combination of eye-catching speaker design and excellent sound quality.

"We started wor

USA - The Grand Lady of Market Street has been a landmark in Wilmington, Delaware, for nearly 140 years. Opened as the Grand Opera House in 1871, The Grand has led a colourful history, hosting operas and symphonies, vaudeville and burlesque, movies and live performances. In its early years, performers including Ethel Barrymore, Buffalo Bill Cody and John Philip Sousa graced its stage. For most of the 20th century the 1,208-seat hall operated as a movie theatre, eventually falling into disrepair and closing its doors in 1967.

After an extensive restoration, The Grand reopened as a live performance venue, and has become a nexus for the city's downtown revival. Along with the smaller 300-seat Baby Grand next door, the building hosts more than 300 events per year, ranging from symphony orchestras and ballets to rock and contemporary artists, comedy and performance art.

Like many t

Sweden - The Stockholm Jazz Festival celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this month, with performances by artists ranging from heavyweights of the genre like John Scofield, Wayne Shorter and Courtney Pine to those with broader appeal, including Elliot, Kool and the Gang and the Brand New Heavies. Bringing this remarkable variety of music to the Skeppsholmen island venue was an Alcons Audio system.

This was the first year that Bromma-based rental company Electrosound had provided the festival's audio system, as a part of the complete sound/light/stage production by Live Media Group. Designed by Electrosound's Brollan Söderström and LMG's Robert Karlsson, an Alcons LR16 rig overcame a significant lack of space without compromising on sound quality.

The festival features two parallel stages which flip flop between artists. The Alcons system featured three clusters, that on

UK - Professional loudspeaker manufacturer Funktion One is incorporating a Prism Sound Orpheus FireWire computer interface into the Ambisonics rig it is using at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival in order to bring studio quality audio to sound playback.

Funktion One managing director Tony Andrews comments: "We avoid the use of electronic equalisation to correct for system anomalies, as we believe that it is better to engineer the problems out of the loudspeaker system in the first place, rather than to correct for them electronically. Otherwise you pay a price in terms of phase response and headroom. We also avoid compression drivers in the mid-range, to keep distortion to a minimum. Our loudspeaker systems have excellent directional control allowing sound to be focused where it's needed and minimising out-of-venue environmental impact."

The company's loudspeaker d

UK - Matt Howell is the newest member of Audient's Hampshire-based sales team. Following UK sales manager, Gareth Williams' appointment, Howell joins Audient to take on the responsibility for Audient's worldwide marketing initiative.

A recent graduate from the Tonmeister course at the University of Surrey, Howell brings a firm understanding of the technical aspects of music recording to the company, along with experience in both new and established media marketing.

"Audient's range is abundant with fantastic products that we want to bring to the wider audience. I'm very excited about working with the team, as we look to provide a more sophisticated and interactive framework for current and new customers," says Howell.

(Jim Evans)

UK - In Cardiff, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) has started to spend the equipment budget for its new £22.5m performance facility, and the first audio acquisition is an M-400 V-Mixing System complete with 32-way Digital Snake, supplied by Stage Electrics.

The extensive development project on the College's existing site in the grounds of Cardiff Castle is expected to complete early in 2011, but Ian Evans' technical studies team was eager to start using the new M-400 from the Roland Systems Group. The compact digital console is ultimately destined to be the front-of-house mixer for the new 160-seat Richard Burton Theatre, but first it will be deployed on everything from classroom training to summer balls, promenade theatre and live music.

"We're already used it in our black-box theatre, where Firenze Guidi has just directed her production of The

UK - Systems Workshop Distribution has announced plans to open a new showroom facility at its Oswestry premises. The showroom will take over space formerly occupied by Forge Studio and aims to provide a dedicated area for dealer training and product evaluation.

Systems Workshop's current distribution portfolio includes Fohhn loudspeaker systems, Vicoustic acoustic solutions, Tube-Tech valve processors and Schertler contact microphones, amplifiers and guitars.

Managing director Phil Beaumont commemnts, "Our brands increasingly require dedicated demo space that dealers can visit for a true evaluation of their capabilities. For example, to fully appreciate products like Vicoustic's Wave Wood really means experiencing the panel installed in an actual listening space, where it has been specifically positioned to fit the acoustic requirements of the room.

"The same is tr

Italy / UK - A North East audio company has made a major breakthrough into the Italian market with its equipment being installed in a major international sports stadium.

Sunderland-based Current Thinking has established a link with the Proel Group based in Sant'Omero, Italy - with the first project involving the upgrading of the facilities at the Stadio Adriatico in Pescara.

Current Thinking will be supplying Proel its advanced Voice alarm systems, sold under the Proel Brand ProEVAC 2.

Says Current Thinking managing director Anthony Smith, "We are very pleased to have established a relationship with the Proel Group, which is involved in supplying and installing audio, video and lighting equipment for major entertainment and sporting venues in many different countries.

"This is a good deal for both companies, Proel get some of the latest voice alarm equipment, and

World - For a-ha fans the world over, 2010 marks their last opportunity to see the band perform together. a-ha's farewell tour, aptly named Ending On A High Note, will have covered four continents and 15 countries when it wraps up. The band's final three shows ever, slated for early December in their home-country of Norway, sold out within days of their October 2009 announcements, well over a year in advance.

The tour is travelling with a full complement of Sennheiser wired and wireless microphones, including a Sennheiser SKM 5200 with a Neumann KK 105 capsule for lead vocalist Morten Harket, as well as Sennheiser wireless personal monitors. Ready support from the Sennheiser Global Relations Team has mitigated many of the travails of the road for tour manager Kleo Tuemmler, FOH engineer Sherif El Barbari, and monitor engineer Kursten Smith.

"Morten is incredibly se

UK - An early adopter of digital technology, Scouting For Girls' Front of House engineer Andy Williamson has been, up until now, a regular user of consoles by other manufacturers. However, at the start of the band's recent tour, which finished in Brighton at the end of May, audio rental company Capital Sound's Paul Timmins presented Andy with an opportunity to use a DiGiCo console.

"As soon as digital came out I jumped on it," says Williamson. "I love analogue, but the digital footprint is fantastic. However, you get used to certain characteristics of different consoles, with the result that I ended up using other manufacturers digital mixers.

"But then Paul offered me the chance to use an SD7. Having done a little research and read through the specs, I knew it was complete overkill for what I needed with regards to inputs and outputs, but the specs were so

France - Following the unveiling of APG's new DX range of multipurpose loudspeakers at ProLight + Sound 2010 in Frankfurt, the company has announced that a number of French rental companies have already taken delivery of the new units with several more on back order for next month.

Those already in possession of their DX Series loudspeakers include Visuel in Normandy who have already used them for the Fete de la Musique on 21 June; Alpha Audio in La Rochelle; and SNO Technique just outside Paris. In addition to sales in the domestic market, there are also a number of orders in preparation for the export market, particularly to Germany and the UK where APG has developed strong distribution partnerships.

APG head of sales and marketing, Xavier Pion, comments, "We were pretty confident that we'd have a great reaction to the new range, but it's always reassuring when t

India - In the first step to what will be a comprehensive expansion of its operations in India, Harman Professional has announced the appointment of audio industry veteran Ankush Agarwal to the role of marketing & communications manager. Agarwal's appointment is part of a greater overall initiative to bring increased focus to the Indian marketplace, and will be followed by more appointments to Harman Professional's sales, technical support and service teams in the months ahead, says the company.

Having previously served as marketing manager for Sennheiser India and with Hyundai Electronics before that, Agarwal brings a blend of marketing and professional audio sales experience to the team in India. He'll use that experience to drive Harman Professional's marketing and public relations strategies in the region and build upon the foundation laid by Sushil John, systems director, I

Denmark - DNP Denmark has announced the appointment of Richard Goh as dnp rep for South East Asia.

Due to the growth rate and development in South East Asia, and hence the growing need for high-end and high-performance projection screens, DNP Denmark wishes to put focus on this region in order to develop the market for advanced projection solutions.

Richard Goh will represent Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia -assisting dnp in sales, education of the channel and service.

He brings a strong background from the pro-audio business and already has great experience in selling dnp optical projection screens through his former employment at IMS Mahajak. He will be based in Singapore.

(Jim Evans)

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