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

Qatar - Dubai-based event production company Kenkaato has produced the first ever live public music event to be staged in the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park in Doha, Qatar.

The initial concert in a series of music shows planned over the coming months was headlined by Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens - also on his first ever live appearance in the Middle East - and was completely sold out, attracting a capacity audience of 2,800 including 221 VIPs and senior members of the Qatari Royal Family.

Kenkaato is a new company established by Sarah Whitmarsh and Daryl Payne to provide imaginative, turnkey, full production solutions for all types of live events.

Both Whitmarsh and Payne have extensive experience working on a variety of large scale and high profile productions in the Middle East region.

The company's brief for the MIA Park show from the Qatar Museums Authority included the p

UK - Spanish singer-songwriter Juan Zelada's debut single Breakfast in Spitafields achieved Record of the Week status last summer. Fast becoming one of the most talked about names on the music scene he was awarded a prize at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), for his songwriting. Since then, Zelada has been A-listed three times in a row; and he has just released his debut album High Ceilings and Collarbones, which has already received critical acclaim as well as Radio 2 Record of the Week status.

On the road, Zelada and his guitarist Luke Higgins both use Trace Acoustic TA200s. "The TA200 is so easy to set up - it's like a PA in a box and the sound quality is absolutely phenomenal," Zelada states. "It's particularly versatile, as it has two channels; I just plug in my mic and guitar, and I am able to get a crystal clear tone as well a

France - Le Camji is a dedicated performance space that includes a 320-seat auditorium right in the centre of the bustling city of Niort in western France. First opened in the year 2000, Camji's mission is to support cultural diversity through the medium of contemporary music in general and amplified modern music in particular.

The organisation therefore plays an active role in supporting local talent and introducing young performers to modern technology, as well as hosting concerts from well known and established artists. When the time came to upgrade their audio facilities, Le Camji turned to Poitiers-based systems integrators, Agora Audio, who specified and installed a full digital solution based on a EtherSound network throughout and an Eclipse GT digital console from Innovason.

According to Agora's David Rocher, it was the Camji's role of nurturing local talent by offerin

USA - Students at Valley Christian Schools' Conservatory of the Arts in San Jose, Calif. are honing their musical skills in a high-tech rehearsal and performance facility unlike any other in the country. Completed in late 2011, the new Conservatory building incorporates a multipurpose rehearsal hall that can be used as one large room or divided into two smaller spaces. In any of the three space configurations, the acoustical characteristics can be instantly optimised for music style and ensemble size using the permanently installed Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system.

"The school wanted acoustics with exceptional variability," says James Black of Acoustic Dimensions' San Diego office and principal acoustical consultant for the Conservatory project. "The idea was to accommodate anything from a small string ensemble to a full marching band, either for rehearsa

Europe / USA - Alan 'Big Nobby' Hopkinson has been a fixture on the London live sound scene for some time now. Perhaps best known as the perennial front of house mixer for Tool, Hopkinson spent most of 2011 on the road with System Of A Down. It was his first tour with the band, and his first behind a Midas digital mixing system - the PRO9.

"I've been a longstanding Midas user, but it's always been an XL4 analogue for me until now," notes Nobby. "I have used Midas digital previously though, as we have a PRO6 installed at Shepherd's Bush Empire, probably the busiest 2300-capacity theatre in London. I have babysat many engineers on it there, and have seen many come in apprehensive and leave amazed. So I knew what I was getting into."

With System Of A Down, Big Nobby used the PRO9 across Europe and North America, with occasional switches to a PRO6 as availabili

UK - The PLASA 2012 free registration offer ends in just under 48 hours! Over 9,000 people have taken advantage of the free registration offer for this year's PLASA 2012, taking place at Earls Court in London from 9 - 12 September. Register before midnight on the 29th February and save £20 on the standard ticket price.

All previous PLASA Show visitors have been sent this special offer via email, and free registration for new visitors is live at www.plasashow.com

(Claire Beeson)

Germany - Nexo has chosen the Frankfurt ProLight+Sound expo to share its new system design with the professional audio rental community. The show will see the world preview of its STM Series, talked of as the new flagship product for the company.

Turning its back on the dominant line-array trend, Nexo has taken modularity as its central design concept. It promises advanced formatting options by combining four separate loudspeaker elements - main, bass and sub cabinets, with an all-purpose 'omni' 15° option. Building on the discrete main and bass cabinets, STM can be configured at will; from arrays of main cabinets only, to main+bass, or to bass+main+bass. Adding the dedicated subbass cabinets, either in the arrays or as ground-stacks, further increases the options, and the omni units complete the coverage pattern, whatever the scale of the system.

"The modularity of S

UK - Lighting and sound rental company Entec supplied lighting production for three high profile shows at London Fashion Week - Paul Smith, Mulberry and Moschino. A projection system and media server was also provided for Paul Smith, and all three projects were once again managed for Entec by Adam Stevenson.

Paul Smith featured the largest lighting rig and was the biggest space, staged in the Lawrence Hall of the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria, central London. It also accommodated one of the largest audiences of the whole event. Entec has supplied lighting for Paul Smith's LFW shows for at least the last eight years, working with several different lighting designers in the process.

Lec Croft was Paul Smith's LD for this season (and also last), who has an illustrious LFW history dating back to the late 1980s. The creative brief this time continued on from the summer coll

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