UK - LD Systems new D1013CUSB, universal condenser microphone with USB connector is both Windows and MAC OS X compatible, and does not require a driver. It has a cardioid pickup pattern and a wide frequency range (30 Hz - 18,000 Hz) and so can be used for capturing the subtleties and nuances of almost any tone, says the company. The D1013CUSB is designed for use within podcast recording situations, multimedia presentations and "a multitude of other scenarios".

Andrew Richardson, managing director of Adam Hall UK says, "The D1013CUSB is a versatile microphone that will add a new dimension to your sound. We have found that many customers use a variety of platforms to record their sound and this offers the perfect solution."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Two of Audient's compact Zen mixing consoles were chosen for the extensive new music recording facilities at the King's Cross Centre, part of London's Westminster Kingsway College, which are now operational.

"The opportunity to re-equip and upgrade the studio equipment on this level is a very rare thing, particularly in the education sector, so it had to be done right," says Grant Leslie, music technician at Westminster Kingsway College, and specifier of all studio equipment including the Audient desks.

"The Zen was the logical choice for us as it had exactly the features that we were looking for as well as the renowned Audient sound quality; there was nothing else on the market that came close to ticking all the boxes. I've worked with Audient products before and love the smooth, clean sounding preamps and signal bussing, the Zen certainly doesn't disappoi

France - The Stade de France in St Denis, Paris, has successfully completed the installation of a new Nexo sound reinforcement system, which replaces an older Nexo system, the first elements of which were installed in 1997 when the Stade was erected, in time for the World Cup football in 1998.

Purpose-built for events as well as its primary sporting engagements, football and rugby, the Stade de France is an 80,000+ capacity venue. Its distinctive elliptical design, by architects Aymeric Zublena, Claude Constantini, Michel Macary and Michel Regembal, is distinguished by the immense floating roof, which never touches the stands, resting instead on 18 pillars. Another aspect of the stadium's design is the cushion of air that allows the lower stands to slide out in approximately 72 hours, depending on the different configurations needed, allowing the stadium to be reconfigured to ho

Off Stage - Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies is to close on 27 August, it has been confirmed. The announcement comes a little over a year since Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical first opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. The show opened to some poor reviews, and after substantial rewrites, was relaunched nine months later. Although the new version gained a better critical reception, it failed to perform at the box office.

A fresh production of the show opened in Melbourne, Australia, at the end of May with far more positive press. In an interview earlier this month, Lord Lloyd-Webber attributed the show's failure to his being treated for cancer during production, which meant he was unable to give it his full attention. "With hindsight we should have said, 'Let's put the whole thing on hold until I'm 100% again'. Frankly I wasn't feeling v

USA - Aviom has appointed Mark Meding as its regional sales manager for the eastern United States and Canada.

Meding comes to Aviom with many years of experience in the pro audio industry, having previously owned his own rep firm and representing companies through another manufacturers' rep firm.

"Mark's industry experience and knowledge of the consultants and design-build firms in the eastern US are real assets as Aviom continues to break new ground in digital audio networking," says Gary Lee, Aviom's director of global sales.

(Jim Evans)

UK - It is with great sadness that PLASA has announced to its members news of the death of Rob Lingfield, Chairman of PLASA's European Regional Board, who lost his fight against cancer on Sunday 19 June, at the age of 59.

A well-known and highly respected figure in the pro audio industry, Rob was most associated in recent years with UK manufacturer Martin Audio, where he was sales and marketing director - a role he left relatively recently, having helped guide the development and launch of the award-winning MLA system.

As is so often the case with leading pro audio figures, Rob did not start out in audio: he trained and qualified as a drama teacher before dabbling with work as a DJ, promoter, lighting designer and roadie - all of which led him to join forces with Malcolm Hill and start Hill Audio in the early 1980s. Hill Audio would go on to build the PA system for the world-f

UK - Canadian electronic dance star, Deadmau5 was the latest artist to provide a workout for Martin Audio's Multicellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA), when he played to 26,000 people in London's Victoria Park - his first ever headline outdoor event and only English festival of 2011.

It was the second year of the London Electronic Dance Festival (LED) - and since Deadmau5 is a client of Capital Sound Hire, the London based sound production company were brought in by the consortium of promoters (Cream, Goldenvoice and Loudsound) seizing the opportunity to fire up the MLA system outdoors for the first time.

"We knew how the system sounded indoors, but I wanted to evaluate it outside, and see how it would fare in propagation tests," said Capital technical manager Ian Colville. "Thanks to the tight micro-control the system can be programmed to enable the sound to taper o

UK - Crestron has introduced a new line of energy-efficient high-power commercial amplifiers. Designed to meet the Energy Star certification requirements, the AMP Series amplifiers help meet energy savings objectives and green initiatives without sacrificing audio performance says the company. Each AMP Series amplifier is 100% Crestron designed, engineered, and manufactured.

Featuring a high-efficiency amp topology and low noise, low distortion performance, the AMP Series provides more headroom for powering larger rooms in lecture halls, sports bars, restaurants, auditoriums, retail spaces, hotel conference rooms or corporate boardrooms. Channel selectable for either 70V or 100V, any AMP can be used in both U.S. and international environments.

"The new AMP Series line offers a combination of amplification power, energy-efficiency and flexibility for a multitude of commerc

France - The festival Jazz Sous Les Pommiers takes place every year in Coutances, in the Manche department of Normandy, and has done since 1982, when the event was set up by Thierry Giard and Gerard Houssin.

Today, the eclectic line-up ranges from New Orleans jazz to electronic musicians, and from local artists and street performers to superstars. With 37,000 spectators breaking last year's attendance record the scene was set for this year when the event celebrated its 30th anniversary with the return of many artists who have previously played the festival, and a finale comprising a 'Crazy Parade' through the Coutances town centre.

With so many venues in use, an advanced network was required for the week-long festival, with appearances by Eric Bibb, Jamie Cullum, Charlie Musselwhite and Malted Milk.

This included an Optocore signal distribution system, provided by sound engi

UK - Download Festival became one of the first European festivals to be provided with a full Versarray 212 system as Peavey kitted out its Jagermeister stage from 10-12 June. Peavey will continue to provide the same rig to Jagermeister stages up and down the UK at a string of this year's major summer festivals.

Although the amount of boxes may vary depending on the size of individual stages, the core Peavey set-up comprises two hangs of Versarray 212 mid/high enclosures, with Versarray 218 subwoofers providing low frequency reinforcement beneath the stage. Crest CV-20 56 Premium and HP-Eight (40 frame) consoles are deployed for FOH and monitor work respectively; and all power is provided by Crest Pro 9200 and 7200 amplifiers.

Upcoming festivals include Sonisphere at Knebworth on 8-10 July, where The Defiled will headline the Jagermeister stage; Splendour Festival in Nottingham

UK - PLASA's recent AGM and Members Lunch drew over 170 members and guests to Kings Place Concert Hall in London for a day focusing on developments since PLASA merged with ESTA and the wider issues of product copying, radio spectrum and Technical Standards.

The AGM featured presentations from PLASA's Acting Chair Ed Pagett, Treasurer Martin Hawthorn and CEO Matthew Griffiths, covering the early stages of the merger and operational and financial reviews of the past 12 months. In the year since the merger was first voted for by members, PLASA has restructured its membership, run new-style elections, introduced a more representative Governance structure with Regional Boards and an international Governing Body and launched new services and research projects.

Whilst the merger was a key focus of the day, it was not the only subject under discussion and in a lively Q&A session follo

Italy/USA - Outline has announced significant expansions to its corporate operations for 2011. The company has named Tom Bensen as senior vice president and managing director for its US subsidiary, Outline North America, LLC, and has hired Chris Hinds as European sales manager. It is expected that the experience both Bensen and Hinds bring to the company will positively impact market acceptance of Outline's new GTO Line Array speakers and iMode Intelligent Digital Loudspeaker Control Platform, says the company.

"We are verypleased to have found two exceptional people to move our company forward both in Europe and the US," says Giorgio Biffi, Outline CEO. "Tom Bensen has always represented manufacturers that are on the cutting edge of technology. Tom brings with him support for expanded sales of Outline products, very strong relationships, and a fully developed rep

Germany - Sennheiser electronic GmbH published its financial statement for the business year 2010 yesterday. The audio specialist has increased turnover to 468.2m Euros, compared to 389.9m Euros last year. This corresponds to an increase of 20.1% and is the largest turnover in the company's history.

Profit increased from 3.8m Euros (in 2009) to 22.6mEuros. Volker Bartels, spokesperson of Sennheiser's Executive Management Board, stated that "All product groups and all markets have contributed to this positive result." He added, "One of the important factors which contributed to this result was the revival of the professional side of our business and the highly positive growth at the end of the year, particularly in the consumer segment. Now we have to stabilise this dynamic growth and further expand our business."

The largest part of the company's turnover c

USA - To provide a comprehensive system for distributing of the audio signals and establishing a comms infrastructure at this year's Tony Awards the production companies Firehouse Productions and Audio Intercom Services provided a versatile solution. The system comprised RockNet digital audio network including Studer Vista 5 console integration, Artist digital matrix intercom and Performer digital partyline from Riedel Communications.

The 65th Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre were broadcast live on CBS television. One of the major challenges of this year's ceremony was the new location as the event was moved from the Radio City Hall to the much smaller Beacon Theatre. This meant that the equipment that usually would have been installed next to the stage, now needed to be installed in trucks and tents outside the venue resulting in a more complex setup.

For providing the live

USA - PLASA Events, an operating division of PLASA - the lead international membership body for those who supply technologies and services to the event, entertainment and installation industries has announced its first regional event in North America. PLASA Focus: Austin 2012 will be held 22-23 February, 2012 at the Renaissance Austin, Texas.

Modeled after the highly successful PLASA Focus: Leeds (UK), which recently broke previous attendance records in its third year, Focus: Austin will bring together members of the entertainment technology community to do business and network in a relaxed and friendly setting.

The two-day show will be reasonably priced for exhibitors and free to registered visitors. A unique hard wall booth package-including furniture, power and lighting-will level the playing field and give exhibitors a simple and affordable exhibiting experience. The show'

UK - The John Hornby Skewes & Co Event 2011 is being hailed as a resounding success. A record number of attendees from the pro-audio, rental and PA sectors turn out to see, hear and test out new product, watch artists play, mingle with a number of industry stalwarts, and go home with extra profits, says the company.

Attendance at Event 2011 was up by 20% on last year, and it really showed, as the two marquees, the demonstration theatres and outside areas were bustling throughout.

Visitors were entertained by live music across two stages delivered through HK Audio Elements PA with musicians including Bob Henrit, Bad Company's Dave 'Bucket' Colwell, Thomas Blug, John Verity, Jamie Mallender, Paul Rogers Band guitarist Paul Guerin, and virtuoso blues guitarists/ chanteuses Chantel McGregor and Clare Free. JHS very own Gav Coulson hosted the JHS Rock All-stars, as MC, MD, bass pla

Germany - Events & exhibitions specialists, L&S GmbH & Co have invested in EAW's new KF740 three-way line array system.

Based near Ibbenbüren in northern Germany, the company extended its already large EAW fleet by adding 16 of the KF740 full range enclosures, containing four 10in woofers in dual phase-aligned pairs, along with eight matched dual 21in SB-2001 subs - and eight MicroWedge MW15 stage monitors. The deal was concluded at the recent Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt and the order fulfilled by Trius GmbH & Co, EAW's German distributors.

L&S MD Tobias Berghaus comments, "Having used many other line array systems in the past we are familiar with the market - and it was simply that the EAW / Trius combination offered the best price/performance ratio. Since Trius are based just 15 minutes away we know we can rely on them for fast back-up response."

The timing

Finland - L-Acoustics' Finnish distributor and system integrator Starlike has installed a Kiva WST line source system into the Helsinki Music Hall.

The main users of the hall will be the Radio Symphony Orchestra (YLE/The Finnish Broadcasting Company), the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sibelius Academy. The 1700-seat hall is also in demand for other types of music; for example, Finnish cello rock band Apocalyptica have been booked to play the venue later this year.

"The objective was to maintain even SPL and smooth tonal balance for all sections," says Starlike's Pauli Molnár. "This led to the choice of speakers with similar physical properties: consistent tonal balance and technology. An L-Acoustics line source system was deemed to be the ideal choice, as the modularity of its curvature ensures excellent homogeneity of coverage, even tonal balance and

Croatia - Rental company Cash Sound has invested in a DiGiCo SD9. Based in Split, the country's second largest city, Cash Sound services a wide range of live events, including concerts by Croatia's biggest artists and international stars.

"The SD9 is big enough to cope with most of the shows we work on and we wanted to offer a different option to other rental companies in our region," says Cash Sound owner Sasan 'Ciro' Cirkovic.

Supplied by DiGiCo's Slovenian distributor MK Light Sound, the console is Cash Sound's first DiGiCo product and will be used on broadcast projects as well as for live shows.

"We have had the opportunity to look at other manufacturers digital consoles via acts that have performed in Croatia and key benefits for us were that the SD9 has a really good sound and is a stable platform," Ciro continues.

"In our opinion, compared t

UAE - Melody House, distributors of HK Audio speaker systems hasrecently supplied the Dubai branch of the School of Audio Engineering (SAE) with a new HK Audio L.U.C.A.S. Smart system.

Considered as the smallest PA system in the family of HK Audio, the L.U.C.A.S. Smart consists of two satellites with a 6.5" speaker and a 1" dome tweeter, both of which are powered by a 250-watt RMS digital power amp integrated with a 10" subwoofer. Although the system is relatively small, it is engineered to throw a generously wide, uniform pattern.

"The LUCAS Smart system is a compact, portable yet powerful system which makes it a very convenient system for all sorts of portable applications," commented Dino Drimakis, business development manager at Melody House. "Eeducational institutions like the SAE will find that they have made the right investment as it is no

UK - Clare Maguire, recently completed a tour of the UK carrying a dual Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system to manage FOH and monitors.

Partly rented from PA company, SRD Group, the system comprised an iLive-80 Control Surface and an iDR0 miniRack at FOH, digitally split from an iDR-48 MixRack and an iLive-R72 Control Surface at monitor position.

"I think it's a great sounding desk with so much headroom. I mix pretty loud and I tried really hard to run the outputs into distortion but I failed," reports FOH engineer, Chris Fillery. "The parametric EQ is great and musical. I also enjoy the choice of compressor types, it's nice to have elements which help you add a bit of character to the mix. The FX are excellent - the reverbs sound really good and the ADT and sub bass synthesis are well thought out."

Chris Fillery used the iLive-80 control surface wi

Taiwan / Germany - Linfair Engineering has been appointed as the sole distributor for Kling & Freitag in Taiwan. Linfair started by Linfair Chang in 1958, is an international company providing professional audio equipment, design, installation, and maintenance expertise to the Taiwan market.

The products of Kling & Freitag will be represented by Linfair's sales manager Paul Chang who comments, "We are delighted to represent Kling & Freitag in the Taiwanese market. We feel that the superior quality fits well with our range of products and look forward to grow it in Taiwan."

Linfair has already lined up a couple of interesting projects, which will be planned with speakers from the German manufacturer. (Jim Evans)

UK / Sweden - Studiomaster has announced the appointment of SC Sound A/S as its exclusive distributor in Sweden. The appointment is the latest development in the ongoing expansion of the company's international distributor network, following its acquisition by the Soundking Group.

The Danish owned import and wholesale company was appointed Studiomaster distributor in Denmark in 2009. It's success for the brand in that territory has led to its appointment in Sweden where it also operates. The new agreement was signed by SC Sound CEO Lars Bruun Jensen and Studiomaster International Sales Manager K.M. Malik, at this year's Prolight+Sound exhibition.

Commenting for Studiomaster, Malik stated: "Partnering with SC Sound in Denmark has been a great success for Studiomaster. We have seen tremendous growth in our business in year one and two, and year three is on course for a furt

UK - The Backstage Academy is launching a new foundation degree in Live Events Production in partnership with the University of Bolton.

The one-year foundation degree, which is the only one of its kind in the UK, focuses on the artistic, creative and practical use of technology for live events.

According to Creative & Cultural Skills, the Sector Skills Council for creative and cultural industries, by 2017 there will be a need for 30,000 skilled backstage and offstage technical theatre staff to support live events. The Backstage Academy is aiming to train students who can help meet this demand.

Students will gain hands-on experience at the Backstage Academy thanks to its base at the LS-Live Studios in South Kirkby, Wakefield. LS-Live is one of the largest purpose-built rehearsal facilities in Europe and has hosted some of the world's biggest music stars, including Lady Gaga,

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