UK - iLive was selected to manage a three-week run of performances held at The 02 in London, featuring over 100 bands, including The Feeling, Irwin Sparkes (Hoosiers frontman), and up-and-coming UK artists Nicki Garnett, Belakiss, Laura Steel, and Treetop Flyers.

Run by Silent Gig Ltd and supported by PA company The Audio Group, the December Sessions were a series of free performances to celebrate emerging UK talent hosted festival-style on an outdoor stage in the London Piazza at the O2. Allen & Heath's iLive digital system, comprising an iLive-T112 Control Surface at FOH and iLive-T80 on monitors both connected to iDR-48 MixRacks making use of Audinate's new Dante technology as a digital mic splitter, which also feeds the Dante virtual soundcard for full multitrack recording of the performances.

"The Audio Group is a long time user of the iLive systems. The flexibility

Germany Pro-audio partners Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake will be exhibiting at Prolight & Sound in Frankfurt, taking place at the Frankfurt Messe 21-24 March.

Featured products will include the latest evolution of Lake's LM Series of digital audio system processors, LM 44, along with a sneak preview of the new developments with Lake Controller software. Also on show will be Tannoy's new VLS Series passive column array, following its international debut at ISE 2012 earlier this year.

Heading up the touring front will be Lab.gruppen's flagship PLM Series, including the TEC Award-winning PLM 20000Q.

Also on show will be the LM 44 digital audio system processor, the latest addition to Lake's LM Series that also includes the LM 26. Similar in many respects to the LM 26 Digital Audio Loudspeaker Processor, the LM 44 is geared more towards the role of a Dedicated Audio System Proces

Turkey - L-Acoustics' Turkish distributor, Elit Light&Sound Technologies, reports a spate of recent installations and projects in Istanbul using L-Acoustics systems.

Technical production companies 911 Music and Pia Stage Technologies worked with Elit to provide all sound and lighting for a concert at new Istanbul venue, Ora Arena, featuring the Buena Vista Social Club and Omara Portuondo. A main system of 12 KARA WST line source speakers per side was used, together with four ARCS, 10 SB18 and six SB28 subwoofers and 16 112P coaxial loudspeakers as stage monitors, the whole system being driven by 10 LA8 amplified controllers apart from the self-powered 112Ps. The prestigious concert featuring the multiple Grammy-winning Cuban band was organized by Turkish event management company Unilife.

According to Hamid Nejatemin, partner of 911 Music, the only option for providing sound qu

Poland - Tommex ?ebrowscy Sp. J. has recently completed the design and delivery of a Community loudspeaker-based pro audio and voice evacuation system for the prestigious Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall) in Wroc?aw.

Constructed in 1913, Centennial Hall is undergoing a comprehensive programme of renovation and new development that transforms it into a state-of-the-art venue for its centenary. The installation of the sound system, handled by Asseco, is one of the final parts of this ambitious development programme.

Centennial Hall was built to commemorate the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, which ended Napoleon's occupation of the region. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, chosen as one of the most important achievements in 20th century architecture. At the time it was built, Centennial Hall was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world and feature

USA - The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing kicked off Grammy Week with its fifth annual event, this year honouring music producer, entrepreneur and chair of Interscope Geffen A&M Records Jimmy Iovine, who has worked with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, U2, the Pretenders, Dire Straits, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and many more.

Iovine was recognized for his commitment to excellence in audio and ongoing support for the art and craft of recorded music. The event was held at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles. Grammy Week culminated with the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday 12 February 2012.

The event was held with the support of leading companies within the musical instrument and professional audio markets. Presenting sponsors included The Village Studios, West L.A. Music and Westlake Professional Sales. Co-sponsors included

UK - Crestron has appointed Matthew Buck to the position of commercial account manager. He will be responsible for bringing new members into the Crestron family as well as maintaining good links with existing clients.

Since graduating from Swansea Metropolitan, Buck worked for Polar Audio (originally BeyerdynamicUK) and progressed from the position of consumer products manager to business development manager; where he was responsible for key accounts in the South East.

"Crestron has long since been the leader in control and automation systems which makes my new role a real privilege and hugely exciting," says Buck. "Having gained some valuable experience working within the professional AV market at Polar, I'm relishing the prospect of working with an already strong and successful team to further the success of the Crestron brand."

"At Crestron we val

Germany - MilTec(UK).ltd will exhibit at ProLight&Sound for the first time this year. On display will be a number of new audio and lighting products from its MT audio and LEDHead ranges. These include a new 8 channel amplifier, zoners, mixers and a new digital processor. On the lighting front, new battery powered units and an LED wash and profile in the same unit will be highlighted.

"We are currently looking for worldwide distributors for our audio and lighting products," says the company.

MilTec will be in Hall 9.0 stand number C51.

(Claire Beeson)

Germany - Set for launch at the 2012 ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, XTA has created the DS8000 - an entire redesign of its popular DS800 mic/line distribution system. Featuring microphone preamps designed by Gottlier award winning Alex Cooper, the DS8000 offers many new facilities including a dual redundant power system, one-to-many split-switching, antitamper functions and subtle panel lighting. "All this combines to create a package that enhances its predecessor's reputation as a flexible, rugged and high quality distribution system," says the company.

Also showing will be the S Series S800 and S1400 Reference Power Amplifiers from MC2 Audio. "Designed for use in the most challenging studio monitoring environments, but equally at home in any application where transparency and 'no compromise' performance are the focus, the S Series delivers the stunning

France - Clear-Com reports that Y & Co has extended its hire inventory of intercom equipment with two new Clear-Com Eclipse Matrix systems, namely the Eclipse-Median and Eclipse-Pico Digital Matrix, along with the V-Series and ICS user control panels. This additional investment signals Y & Co's confidence in Clear-Com intercoms' capabilities to serve the growing live events and broadcast production needs, says the company.

A loyal Clear-Com user in France since its opening in 1989, Y & Co is a leading rental company providing audio solutions to live event facilities, tour groups and broadcasters. As a member of the Clear-Com Global Rental Group, Y & Co already supplies a portfolio of Clear-Com intercom systems including partyline systems, HME DX200, HME PRO850 and Tempest2400 wireless systems. In addition, Y & Co's technical staff are well-trained in Clear-Com technology to prov

Denmark - TC Group International, part of TC Group has announced a mutual decision along with Blue Microphones to cease their distribution partnership. TC Group International will remain the distributor of Blue Microphones in the MI and Professional Audio sales channel until 31 March 2012. Over the coming months, Blue Microphones will transition away from distribution through TC Group International by partnering with European distributors on a country-by-country basis.

Both TC Group International and Blue Microphones have grown rapidly over the past few years and each company has acknowledged the mutual benefit of this decision. Ending this distribution partnership is seen as a natural progression by both companies as they continue to strengthen their core business and focus on their individual areas of growth.

"It has been a pleasure to work with Blue Microphones and we

Italy - RCF SpA's Audio Academy is collaborating with the local Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia's Faculty of Engineering to produce a university course in sound engineering.

The primary goal is to provide engineers with a specific knowledge of state-of-the-art technologies related to sound, transducers and speakers, and their application in the professional market.

The course will be divided into four main modules, starting from an overview of acoustics in open air and closed environments, followed by a module focused on transducers and speaker systems, including the main design and simulation methods. The third module is dedicated to electronics, and will cover the circuit analysis, filters, signal amplifiers and DSP use, and the final module will be focused on sound reinforcement systems, line arrays, system configuration and measurements.

The technical c

UK - PLASA Events is pleased to announce its second regional event in North America, PLASA Focus: Nashville 2012, to be held July 11-12, 2012 at the Municipal Auditorium, in Nashville, TN.

Nashville is the latest event to be launched under the PLASA Focus banner, and follows the popular PLASA Focus: Austin, to be held February 22-23 in Texas. The show will run prior to the annual Summer NAMM event, bringing together industry professionals from around the world.

Modelled after PLASA Focus: Leeds (UK), which topped 2000 visitors and broke previous attendance records in its third year, the PLASA Focus series of events in North America will bring regional entertainment technology communities together to do business and network in a relaxed and friendly setting.

Each two-day PLASA Focus show is free to registered visitors, and a unique inclusive hard wall booth package - includin

UK - Electrosonic has announced the promotion of Rob Smith to sales manager of the Cultural Entertainment and Leisure (CEL) business for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Smith joined Electrosonic in 2010 as client account manager for the CEL team, acting as the single point of contact for clients. His ability to continuously exceed expectations has led to his current promotion from Account Manager to Sales Manager.

"Rob brings new ideas and fresh thinking to Electrosonic. His management roles throughout his career made him a perfect choice for this newly developed position at Electrosonic. I admire his keen business skills as well as his strong relationships with our clients, suppliers and associates." commented Chris Conte, vice president of entertainment. "He will now use his experience to lead our team of sales and design consultants to develop further re

UK - Continuing its policy of supporting UK trade events for the life safety and security industry, TOA Europe has announced it will exhibit at Firex South, Sandown Park Exhibition Centre, on 13-14 March 2012.

"Firex South is a highly focused, regional event that allows us to spend quality time with the local fire detection, life safety and security installer communities," comments Brett Downing, sales & marketing director, TOA Europe. "The nature of the systems we supply - and the increasingly diverse range of the projects in which they're installed - means it's very important for us to support our customer base, and events like Firex South give us a great opportunity to do just that."

At Firex South, TOA will be showing off its full range of voice-alarm and emergency evacuation systems based around the established modular SX-2000, VX-2000 and VM-3000 plat

UK - Bose Professional Systems Division has introduced its latest FreeSpace products: the FreeSpace IZA 250-LZ/190-HZ integrated zone amplifiers, and the FreeSpace ZA 250-LZ/190-HZ zone amplifiers. Each is easy to install and use, and offers greater flexibility and configurability for creating premium sound solutions for retail stores, schools, hotels, restaurants, and houses of worship, says the company.

The new FreeSpace IZA integrated zone amplifiers are designed for background/foreground music and paging applications. Proprietary Bose Opti-voice paging provides seamless paging over music, ensuring clear, natural speech is heard at the appropriate sound level in the selected area. When used with Bose FreeSpace DS 40 and DS 16 loudspeakers, sound is further optimised through onboard selectable EQ presets.

The new FreeSpace ZA zone amplifiers provide basic amplification and s

USA - After a nearly five year hiatus - and eight gold and platinum albums of retro soul and rock 'n' roll - Lenny Kravitz takes to the global highway with an eight-piece backing band in support of his latest and ninth studio album, Black and White America. Taking musical cues from the past while looking forward in true Kravitz style, he pulls together a wide range of musical and cultural influences.

Working with Mike 'Spagoo' Sprague of Sound Image, production/FOH engineer Laurie Quigley crafted an elaborate touring rig that would allow them to retain the high audio quality Kravitz demanded, regardless of the venue size. These two mirrored systems are comprised of DiGiCo SD7s at both FOH and monitors (with engineer Dan Horton) for use on bigger show dates, with a pair of diminutive SD11s for use on the band's myriad promo gigs and fly dates.

"I've been using the S

Austria - Full service provider Light and Sound has provided an L-Acoustics KARA/KIVA WST line source system for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck.

Innsbruck's city centre was transformed into a huge party zone for the 2012 Games, with an action-packed programme taking place at Medals Plaza, which hosted not only the daily Victory Ceremonies but also the week-long Innsbruck 2012 Music Festival.

The challenge was to find a perfect setup for the wide ranging styles of music performed, from Austrian folklore and folk music through to hip hop, rock acts and the daily Victory Ceremonies, and also taking into account the 90dB limit set by the city.

Light and Sound made good use of L-Acoustics' SOUNDVISION 3D acoustic simulation programme to create a KARA/KIVA system that guaranteed optimal sound and speech intelligibility at every listening position.

The main sys

Europe - The neo-progressive rock group SAGA was at the height of its popularity in the Eighties, and it seemed when front man Michael Sadler quit the band four years ago that another great Canadian institution had come to an end. But now Sadler's back, and success has returned with him; SAGA has just completed an extensive European tour received enthusiastically by fans and critics alike.

To ensure the voice of the charismatic singer would be reproduced with maximum fidelity on his return, the band turned to Electro-Voice. Sadler's performing style, which makes use of the entire stage, meant that a wireless microphone system was the only viable solution. After a number of tests and comparisons, the band opted for an REV system from Electro-Voice with a hand-held microphone equipped with an N/D767a capsule.

Monitor engineer Chris Kostyra, who has been freelancing for a variety

Germany - Audio manufacturer Audient will be showcasing its latest compact recording console ASP4816 at ProLight + Sound, this time at a new booth location shared with Dorset-based microphone manufacturer, Sontronics in Hall 5.1 A71. Audient also takes this opportunity to present regional sales manager Simon Horn, who will be on hand on the booth demonstrating products and meeting customers.

Horn handles sales & support for the German, Swiss and Austrian territories since the recent decision to deal directly with these customers was taken. "This is the first time many of our European customers will have had chance to get their hands on our latest analogue console," he says. "It's a fantastic desk, and I have every confidence that there will be a lot of interest during the show."

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - ISE 2012 gave Alcons Audio the opportunity to again demonstrate how pro-ribbon audio technology is bringing an ever-more lifelike experience to 3D cinema.

For the second year running, a highlight of the show was the 3D theatre, which brought together several of the leading manufacturers of 3D cinema equipment to provide a real world demonstration of their technology.

A collaboration between Alcons, DVS (who provided the server and content), Image Screens (projection screen), Infitec (3D glasses) and Lang AG (projection), visitors were treated to a range of 3D Blu-Ray and CD presentations, including Teutonic rockers The Scorpions in concert action.

The Alcons 5.1 surround system comprised a CRMS (15" LF, 8" MF, 4" pro-ribbon HF) front system and 12 CRMS surround speakers (which feature 8" MF and 4" pro-ribbon HF). Powered and control

USA - Sensaphonics has announced the opening of its new online store. The new e-commerce site is primarily devoted to parts and accessories for Sensaphonics custom earphones and earplugs, and features a secure checkout system powered by Volusion.

"When our clients are on tour, the need for items like replacement cables and desiccant is obviously not limited to business hours," notes Michael Santucci, Sensaphonics founder and president. "Our secure online store allows our customers to order the supplies they need online, anytime."

Notable accessories available online include the dB Check in-ear sound level analyzer, Dry & Store Zephyr desiccant system, and earphone supplies such as Oto-Ease lubricant, cleaning wipes and earpiece soft wraps. Replacement parts run the gamut from earphone cables and cleaning tools to Pelican storage cases and replacement filter

USA - Roger Keim who heads up the marketing department at d&b audiotechnik Inc. knew exactly why the company wanted to have a presence at the first ever PLASA Focus in Austin Texas.

"The idea of regional trade events is very appealing to d&b audiotechnik because of the more personalised opportunities it affords our clients. We also recognise that the tie-up between ESTA and the PLASA organisation can only strengthen the industry's voice at government level; so we felt it was doubly important to support this inaugural show."

The d&b audiotechnik booth featured two distinctly different loudspeakers this year, both from the Black range. Part of the T-Series is the T10, a multifunctional cabinet that can be used either as a line array or as a high directivity point source loudspeaker. The HF driver is fitted to a unique waveguide horn producing vertical linesource direct

Germany - Italian loudspeaker manufacturer dBTechnologies will unveil a wide selection of new products at this year's ProLight+Sound exhibition, welcoming visitors to its now established 780sqm booth space in Hall 8, G70 shared with cousin brand RCF.

Preferring to keep full information under its collective hat however, the dBTechnologies team reveals just a few choice details prior to the show giving customers a taster of what they have to look forward to later on this month.

Amongst the professional audio offerings, comes the upgraded Opera DX line, billed as the next chapter of the celebrated Opera series' 12-year success story. With a level of reliability that is expected of the well-established range, Opera DX benefits from the latest available technology, and has been augmented with in-house developed digipro G2 power amps and other state-of-the-art features which improve

Germany - Merging Technologies will be exhibiting at Prolight + Sound on stand #8.0 G18A. Horus, Merging's new flagship I/O system is now being delivered and is already making its mark on the live sound market, just as it is with high end music recording and broadcast. For this reason, Merging Technologies decided to exhibit in Frankfurt on its own stand rather than that of a local distributor.

Horus has been designed as a stand-alone converter of the highest quality, but its utility is hugely increased by becoming an IP 'node' on a RAVENNA network. Combined with Merging's MassCore, performance and flexibility takes on another dimension and allows comprehensive routing and control of the astonishing I/O capability of the converter, says the company.

This highly scalable solution has applications right across the industry from the simplest location recording and mastering to ma

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