Canada - The event production community was shocked by another stage collapse tragedy on Saturday (16 June), when a partial roof collapse at Downsview Park, Toronto, killed one crew member and injured three others.

The stage, which was being set up for the final show on the North American leg of Radiohead's world tour, collapsed at 4.00pm local time, around one hour before the gates were due to open, killing 33-year-old Scott Johnson, a British drum tech who was working on the stage at the time.

Of the three people injured, a 45-year-old male suffered head injuries, but these were reportedly not life threatening. The two others were less seriously injured and were treated at the scene.

A message on the Radiohead website says: "We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague. He was a lovely man, always positive, supportive and funny, a

UK - To celebrate the launch of the much-requested iPad App for its flagship M-480 Digital Console, Roland Systems Group (RSG) has decided to give away an iPad! One lucky attendee of the free RSG Audio Training Days, taking place throughout the UK during June and July, will win the iPad.

The popular training days will be hosted by some of RSG's biggest dealers; starting on 20 June at Wigwam Acoustics in Heywood, followed by 27 June at SSE Audio Group in Redditch, 5 July at Stage Electrics in Avonmouth, with the final event on 11July at SFL Group in Reading. Advance registration is required, which can be done via the RSG website (www.rolandsystemsgroup.co.uk).

Designed to cater for all backgrounds and levels of knowledge, the training days give unlimited access to REAC, Roland's core technology for digital audio systems, as well as the M-480 and M-300 digital consoles and the D

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) 2012 Theatre Show Awards, sponsored by two of the organisation's Silver Industry Supporters Group members, Stage Electrics & Triple E, took place following close of show on Wednesday (13 June).

With judging taking place throughout the day and final decisions made late in the afternoon, winners were presented with their hook-clamp trophies in the Truman Brewery's Corbet Place Bar, in front of exhibitors, guests and ABTT members. The winners are as follows:

ABTT 2012 Theatre Show Engineering Product of the Year: Metool Reels - Multicore Contactless Reeler.

Judges' comments: "We are pleased to find a method of feeding multicores on a drum that does not use slip rings. The panel was impressed by the tool-less cable installation and ability to run Ethernet on a cable reeler."

Eric Marks-Oldham, sales di

UK - British singer and rapper Example is looking forward to a busy summer, playing a wide variety of festivals and other live shows across the UK and Europe whilst also putting together his fourth studio album.

The Sennheiser equipment includes an ew 500-935 G3 microphone on Example's vocals; wired mics on the backline which include a 901 on the kick drum and 604s on auxiliary drums; six ew 572 G3 wireless instrument systems and ten sets of ew 300 IEM G3 in-ear monitors.

Monitor engineer Will Nicholson has been working with Example for over six years. "The 935 has the dynamic range to cope with an artist whose performance includes both rapping and singing and the transmitter's robustness means that, in a busy RF environment, I never worry about coverage or dropouts on our most crucial wireless transmitter," he says.

"The guitarist loves his wireless rig - he

UK/USA - Introduced at the beginning of this year, Shure ULX-D Digital Wireless provides a 24-bit/48kHz digital audio quality and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) meeting the needs of demanding installed applications. Now Shure has expanded its ULX-D offering with the introduction of the new Dual and Quad Receivers.

The ULXD4D (Dual) and ULXD4Q (Quad) come with an extensive set of additional features including High Density Mode, Bodypack Frequency Diversity and DANTE digital audio networking.

Specifically designed for high channel count applications requiring a working range up to 30m, the High Density Mode allows operating up to 560 channels in 72MHz, respectively 63 channels in an 8MHz TV channel. High Density mode optimizes the system's output power and digital RF filtering to reduce its spectral footprint from 350kHz to 125kHz, with no loss of sound quality. This let

UK - Live video and AV production and rental specialist Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) has appointed Lee Gruszeckyj to boost its busy project management team. Gruszeckyj - popularly known as Lee G - will be co-ordinating a diverse range of CPL's events work, and also expanding business in the broadcast sector, where there is a healthy demand for camera crews for news shoots and commercials. He is highly respected in this area and has many contacts.

Gruszeckyj has worked in the live video production since he was 16 and has a passion and zeal for his work that is an ideal fit with CPL's philosophy, the company says. His industry experience includes freelancing for a number of leading companies and brands for the last six years, dealing with video and IMAG systems - both engineering and directing - and also projection, through which he has built up a broad technical and creative k

Germany - The Tempodrom in Berlin provided the setting for the 20th Duftstars gala. At this annual event, the Fragrance Foundation Deutschland distinguishes the fragrance of the year with the Duftstars award.

In recent years the event in the Berlin Tempodrom has risen to the status of one of the most important social gatherings of the year. For this reason the stars were packed pretty closely for this year's sold-out jubilee event, with the likes of Dita Von Teese, Werner Baldessarini, Cosma Shiva Hagen, Sonya Kraus, Jette Joop, Eva Padberg, and Jean Paul Gaultier rubbing shoulders on the red carpet. The event was hosted by TV star Barbara Schöneberger, whilst the musical highlights were provided by ex-Spice Girl Melanie C and Voice of Germany winner Ivy Quainoo.

To ply this demanding audience with sound of the highest possible quality and intelligibility

UK - Entec Sound & Light supplied full technical production - sound, lighting and video - and crew for the recent Big Comedy Night event for leading charity Scope at London's Hammersmith Apollo.

A stellar line up included a rare stand-up appearance by maverick alt comedian Ben Elton, who co-hosted the evening with pub landlord Al Murray, plus a host of other high profile acts including Doc Brown, Hal Cruttenden, Richard Herring, Robin Ince, Milton Jones, Francesca Martinez, Sally Phillips and Paul Tomkinson.

Entec was approached by event organiser Susan Dorrington of Scope, who was looking for a full technical solution for the show. Entec's Noreen O'Riordan project managed, and asked Phil White on-board to design the lighting. Entec's own Ryan Brown and Ed Hammond took care of video and sound respectively.

There was already a basic lighting plot in place when White be

UK - Adlib ampedit up for DJ David Guetta at his recent high-energy London Alexandra Palace show, over the Queen's Jubilee Weekend.

Adlib supplied Guetta's successful 2011 UK tour for production manager Alan Green and his FOH sound engineer Hassane Es Siahi also enjoys a close working relationship with the Liverpool based company.

Account handler Phil Kielty commented , "With The Queen's Jubilee Celebrations going on, an England FC football match and two huge David Guetta shows - London was THE place to be for the weekend & David's shows didn't disappoint . Will-i-Am did a guestspot which amazed the Chelsea FC guests. The sound, visuals and entire production were breathtaking ... with Alan and the Guetta team bringing a little piece of Ibiza to London at the other well known Palace that weekend."

For this gig, the audio system was collectively specified by a combin

UK - Utopian Leisure has opened its second Fat Buddha pan-Asian restaurant on a landmark site in the company's home city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The operators have established many popular brands since being set up by local entrepreneur Bob Senior; Fat Buddha is the latest, and will occupy the site of the former Bar 55 Degrees, The Box and most recently Lineker's - situated on a roundabout directly under the building occupied by local radio station, Metro Radio.

Paul Dougherty at Blaydon Communications was brought in to provide the sound system at the two-floor venue, and his solution was an end-to-end RCF Media system, which he knew would remain unobtrusive - blending in with the interior design created by Colin Harvey of Belfast-based Barnes Mccrum.

Since the music is designed to be "calming and Asian based" through the daytime and early evening, moving to great

Argentina - Blues and rock artist Joe Cocker shows no sign of stopping after close to 40 years on the music scene. His latest tour to promote his album Hard Knocks has taken on worldwide dimensions, with concerts held across Europe in 2010 and 2011, culminating with a series of concerts in South America and the United States in 2012. D.A.S. Audio was on hand at Cocker's concert in Rosario, Argentina, to provide quality sound at this much anticipated event.

Professional sound company Marti Audio headed the sound set-up at Rosario's sold out Salón Metropolitano. Company director Ariel Marti and his team of sound technicians once again placed their confidence in D.A.S. Aero Series 2 line array systems to bring top-of-the-line sound to an event of this size.

The team from Marti Audio deployed 24 sets of large format D.A.S. Aero 50 line arrays, dividing these three-way syst

UK - POLARaudio working in partnership with Saville Audio Visual were commissioned to design and install a customised audio solution for Leeds United's new conference suite at the Elland Road stadium.

The East Stand Conference Suite at Leeds United's Elland Road stadium is part of one of the UK's leading conference and event venues. The conference suites are presented on three levels. With capacity for 300 delegates on the second floor and four separate areas incorporating the upper levels, each suitable for 150 delegates, the venue is popular for business meetings and conferences and provides spectacular, panoramic views across the Leeds city centre.

Leading integrator Saville AV worked in conjunction with POLARaudio to provide a PA system for the five corporate hospitality suits in the new east wing extension. The solution provides each of the presentation rooms within the c

Voices Off - The 11-date tour for The Voice UK Live has been cancelled due to a lack of ticket sales. The gigs were due to feature eight of the show's finalists. The tour was to begin at the Bournemouth International Centre on 12 September and was then due to visit venues in Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Sheffield. In a statement, a spokesperson said, "Unfortunately, The Voice UK Live has been cancelled due to lack of ticket sales. Customers are advised to contact their point of purchase for ticket refunds." The news comes as the show was criticised for failing to attract viewers.

Blown Away - Sir Elton John had to cut short his concert at a new seafront arena in Blackpool because of the threat of strong winds. Almost two hours into his set at the Blackpool Tower Headland arena, he told the 11,000 crowd they had to leave.

UK - Technical manager at NBF Productions and FOH engineer for Newton Faulkner, Patrick Hannan, has recently invested in a Soundcraft Si Compact 24 digital mixing console, supplied by LMC Audio.

Hannan is using the Si Compact on Faulkner's current tour of the UK and Ireland, and it's already proved a success in terms of set-up speed and efficiency. "Before we had the Si Compact 24, we were hiring a 16-channel digital console on a rolling basis, or turning up to shows to work with whatever the venue had available", explains Hannan. "With the Si Compact 24, our set-up is far more self-contained, giving us much better control, meaning we can get going almost immediately. In addition, the 24 gives us two layers rather than one which means we don't risk 'maxing-out' on our channel count, plus we get EQ on all channels, 14 aux buses and a host of Lexicon effects. It's b

UK - Duran Audio UK has recently supplied AXYS Scope T2115 (three-way full range loudspeakers) and AXYS B-07 (18" Subwoofers) to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama for use in the Richard Burton Theatre, located on their site in the centre of Cardiff.

The Richard Burton Theatre is a 160 seat theatre complete with a dress circle and teaching gallery. The theatre forms part of the recent development at the RWCMD. This project has not only has transformed the look of the site, and added another iconic building to this architecturally rich area of Cardiff, but has also delivered the RWCMD dream of having their own world-class performance and rehearsal spaces on site. Students are now learning in a performance arts centre that is the hub of cultural life in the capital city.

The delivery of AXYS loudspeakers for the Richard Burton Theatre is a continuation of the relation

UK - HM The Queen's Jubilee Concert, organised by Gary Barlow, took place on Monday 4 June and featured rock royalty including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Tom Jones, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Dame Shirley Bassey, Alfie Boe, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Madness (playing on the roof of Buckingham Palace) and many more. A special temporary stage was constructed for the event on and around the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.

Britannia Row Productions were engaged to handle the audio production, and deployed systems to cover not just the concert but also the full length of The Mall, St James's Park, Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park (where an Outline GTO system was used on the Commonwealth Stage).

For the main concert area Britannia Row had designed and deployed a main system comprising 96 Outline Butterfly encl

Lebanon - Beirut is very much a hub for those from the Gulf state's looking to avoid the heady summer heat. A coast lined with some quality beaches, more Mediterranean temperatures and an expanding selection of open air nightclubs all help to tempt in an affluent summer set.

Jewel among these clubs is Pier 7, which nestles on a beach side location, overlooking the ocean. Operated by the local Crystal Group, the club has just opened its doors for the five month summer run after a multi-million dollar winter refit, which has included a full Inspired Audio sound system.

Specified in collaboration with Fouad Bechwati from Beirut based 21 dB acoustic consultants, the system included four drops of six Optima 8 array cabinets, combined with eight B215 and eight SB218 all flown from the central truss area. A further four SB218 were ground stacked while the venues stage had a further f

UK - Clear-Come reports that its Eclipse Median digital matrix intercom and V-Series key-panels played an integral role at the recent Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the English throne. Delta Sound employed three Eclipse Median intercoms and more than a dozen V-Series user control panels to facilitate fast, reliable communications between the event's sound, lighting, pyrotechnics, security and stage-management production teams.

Coordinating the different activities that took place over the Diamond Jubilee weekend, including a concert featuring more than 30 performers, a flotilla on the Thames River and a royal procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, was a massive undertaking. It required precise coordination and organization on the part of event organizers and production teams, which is why Delta Sound installed a 112-port Clear-Co

USA - L-Acoustics has further strengthened its commitment to the North American fixed installation market by announcing the appointments of Dan Palmer as national manager of installation projects and Andrew Nagel as head of application for the US Installation Market.

Palmer, currently in his eighth year as a member of the L-Acoustics US Team, is experienced in both the technical and business aspects of professional audio, having spearheaded numerous installation projects for the company, ranging from sports venues and themed entertainment to houses of worship and performing arts. In his new role, he will focus on developing strategic relationships for L-Acoustics and various market development activities across multiple segments of the US installation market.

Andrew Nagel embraces an expanded nationwide role as head of application for the US installation market after completin

UK - A.C Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd's audio division has supplied a significant quantity of premium audio products - including DiGiCo, Yamaha, Soundcraft, Sennheiser Martin Audio, BSS, Denon and Sonifex - to UK based Insync Productions Ltd, to service their busy schedule of events.

Insync Productions is an audio visual supplier and provider of technical production, design and rental services, specialising in corporate and live events. As part of the company's policy, they like to keep their equipment inventory constantly updated with all the latest available technologies.

The supply included a new DiGiCo SD9 mixing console. This well regarded audio desk includes 24 motorised faders, a full complement of on-board processing and effects, dedicated and multi-function control knobs, electronic labelling and new quick-access buttons, making it suitable for mixing a wide

Australia - Allen & Heath has appointed a new Xone distributor in Australia. The award-winning range of Xone DJ mixers, DJ controllers and DJ headphones will be exclusively distributed by the Hills SVL Group.

Don McConnell, audio division manager for the Hills SVL Group, commented, "We are delighted to be involved with the Xone team. They offer some truly innovative products and it's obvious that the developers are passionate about the DJ market and the needs of both professional and up and coming DJs. We look forward to a long and successful relationship."

"By joining forces with a partner that shares our passion for fabulous sounding products and truly great service, our alliance with Hills SVL will continue to build Xone's reputation in Australia," comments A&H regional sales manager, Bardy Hayes.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Sennheiser UK has announced that, from 1 June 2012, it will be the official distributor for Avalon Design products in the UK and Ireland.

Used in many of the world's top recording studios, Avalon products include rackmount pre-amplifiers, channel strips, equalisers, compressors and DIs, employing pure Class A circuits to deliver detailed analogue sound.

As well as featuring on albums by some of the world's leading artists, the distinctive silver front panels and oval Vu meters of Avalon processors are a familiar sight in the racks of front of house engineers, adding a high quality touch of analogue warmth to both vocals and instruments for a wide range of touring acts.

"Avalon and Sennheiser share a common vision in striving to be the benchmark for audio excellence," says Paul Nunnington, Sennheiser UK product manager. "Avalon preamps in particular are th

USA - As the curtain rises on the 2012 season of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Masque Sound, a leading theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company, is celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing audio equipment and services to the theatre for one of New York City's most beloved traditions.

Shakespeare in the Park moved to its permanent home at the Delacorte Theater in 1962 and since then, New York natives and visitors alike have enjoyed free Shakespeare performances each summer season. The majestic, open-air theater has a seating capacity of 1,800, and each season more than 100,000 people attend performances produced by The Public Theatre.

"Masque Sound has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with The Public and Delacorte theaters and their summer productions of Shakespeare in the Park," says Den

UK - The 2012 edition of JHS's legendary annual trade Event came to a close on Wednesday 13 June and is being hailed as a resounding success.

The hands-on MI and Pro-Audio trade show saw attendees from across the industry turn out to see, hear and test out new product, pick up some deals, watch artists play, mingle with a number of industry stalwarts, and go home with extra profits.

The two marquees, the demonstration theatres and outside areas were bustling throughout, and visitors were entertained by music across three live stages, with electric sets played by the likes of Oliver/ Dawson Saxon, Jerry Donahue, John Verity, virtuoso acoustic offerings from the legendary Gordon Giltrap and

Raymond Burley, and a quirky Stylophone performances from Youtube sensation Brett Domino.

A stack of new products were on display, including the latest mixers, powered and passive speaker

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