Australia - Newcastle's Ausgrid Stadium (formerly Energy Australia Stadium), home to the Newcastle Knights, has undergone a dramatic facelift with the redevelopment of the Western Grandstand. This facility provides Newcastle and the Hunter Valley with a sporting facility to rival any across the country.

The Stadium boasts yet another stadium audio system, designed and implemented by The PA People, using the proven formula of JBL Application Engineered loudspeakers with weatherised treatment for external use (WRX) as well as JBL Control Contractor 29AV and 25AV products. All speakers are driven by Crown CTS amplifiers fitted with the latest Crown DSP card - Crown IQ PIPUSP4/CN. Overlay processing and control is via BSS London BLU systems.

Loudspeakers for the stands consist of six clusters of spaced elements mounted close to the leading edge of the roof and a quantity of fill-s

France - Games developer Electronic Arts (EA) has been using DPA 4061 miniature omnidirectional microphones for foreign dialogue recordings for its Battlefield 3 title.

"Part of our job consists of taking over and overseeing the foreign dialogue recordings for most of the games published by EA," explains Fernando San Nicolas Serrano, from EA's Central Development Services in Madrid. "We've recently been using the DPA 4061 on dialogue recordings for Battlefield 3 in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian and Japanese.

"The DPA 4061 was our first choice for the motion capture scenes dubbing, recreating as much as possible what was done on the mocap stage in the original version, with the 4061 mounted on the talent's forehead. We were striving to improve the quality of the actors' performances by allowing them to move more freely, inst

South Africa - With no fewer than 24 channels, SuperSport, a subsidiary of the MIH Group, is the leading sports broadcaster on the African continent. Its programming, which can also be seen in neighboring sub-Saharan countries, includes sporting events from all over the world, broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To meet not only the present but also the future expectations of its viewers, SuperSport recently invested in a new HD outside broadcast truck: the OB6HD, a high-end vehicle in every respect and one with exceptional capabilities, thanks to the lavish array of high-tech equipment on board, not least among which are its 28 high definition cameras. The design and implementation of the installation was the work of Sony PSE (Professional Solutions Europe) at their premises in Basingstoke (UK). SuperSport's new reference vehicle will be used primarily for the live tra

Germany - Peavey Electronics is teaming up with Martin Professional to sponsor the popular Agora Stage at this year's Musikmesse in Frankfurt (21-24). Peavey and Martin will be providing a complete audio and lighting setup for both Agora stages during the entire four-day trade fair.

The Agora Stage, a large festival tent, is the exhibition's main performance space with live entertainment throughout the show. On Thursday evening, 22 March, Peavey and Martin will be holding a special Agora Stage event with entertainment including The Alex Skolnick Trio and the Peavey All Stars.

Peavey's commercial audio division will be supplying all the audio for the Agora Stage's setup, from the mixing desks to front-of-house PA and monitoring system. The gear that will be used includes the Peavey Versarray 212, which is powered by Crest Pro amplifiers and controlled using the companies Media

Germany - Allen & Heath will be unveiling a new ZED mixer at ProLight+Sound, Frankfurt, as well as showcasing the new GLD digital mixing system, and other recent additions to the ZED and Xone ranges.

Exhibiting in Hall 8.0 on Stand C22, Allen & Heath will be launching the ZED60-10FX, a new mixer based on the top-selling ZED-10FX with the addition of premium quality 60mm faders.

The ZED60-10FX is a compact, portable mixer for solo artists and small bands. Two of the four mono channels have high impedance jack inputs that can take a normal line level or a low level input from a guitar pickup, so guitars can be plugged straight into the mixer without the need for DI boxes. Two stereo inputs are provided for MP3/CD players or keyboards, and the mixer is equipped with configurable USB audio in/out to capture a stereo recording, XLR main stereo outputs, a flexible monitoring section

UK - The Clore Studio Upstairs is, as the name suggests, upstairs at the Royal Opera House. This versatile venue is used as both a ballet rehearsal studio and as a performance space in its own right with its own programme of workshops, events and small-scale performances for audiences of up to 200. It offers a 'laboratory' environment in which independent artists, small-scale companies and Opera House personnel can experiment and collaborate. An APG MX1 sound system has recently been installed by APG's UK sales partner, Red Square Audio.

RSA's Paul Nicholson explained that Martin Adams, head of sound at the Royal Opera House, had been looking for a solution for the Clore Studio for a while. "Martin wanted something that would deliver high quality speech and light music program material across the whole of the audience seating area, which occupies the full width of the room,

UK - Martin Audio is making its groundbreaking and award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) technology available to a wider range of touring and installed sound applications, in a smaller and lighter version, with the release of the new MLA Compact - formally launched during two days of demos for industry specialists at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo this month. This keenly anticipated system will make its world trade show debut at next month's Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt.

Incorporating the same principles that have made the MLA such a game-changer on the international touring circuit, MLA Compact delivers this cellular technology to a wider range of applications that do not require the full power and throw of the full-size MLA, or where a smaller, lighter system is required - such as medium-scale touring and fixed installations.

Director of sales, Simon Bull

UK - On Friday 22 June a group of intrepid motorbike riders hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry will set off from the Royal Albert Hall in London for a four-day open-air tour of England's green and pleasant A-Roads.

Their mission? To raise as much money as possible for industry charity The Theatrical Guild (TTG), the only charity dedicated to looking after the interests of backstage and Front of House personnel.

"2012 marks the third First Night Riders event and we're hoping to make it the most successful and fun ride yet," says organiser David Edelstein, who is a keen biker and managing director of stage engineering company Triple E. "It's important that we value the help charities like The Theatrical Guild provide. TTG is the only charity in the UK available to anyone who works, or has worked in theatre - backstage or front of hou

USA - EAW has appointed Steve Davis to the position of EAW service manager. A longtime member of the extended EAW family, Davis for many years held this same position, before shifting his focus to his company Performance Audio of New England (PANE), where he continued to contribute with his service expertise.

Coincidentally, PANE has been located in the same mill complex where EAW designs and manufactures its loudspeakers. The announcement was made by Jeff Rocha, EAW president, and reflects the company's dedication to enhanced communications and direct access to resources for greater overall efficiency and faster turnaround on service issues.

Having worked as an EAW employee then a contract vendor, Davis is now in his 25th year as EAW's primary service resource. As a result of the new appointment, he will soon relocate to a new dedicated space in EAW's manufacturing complex.

Germany - For d&b audiotechnik 2011 was not only the year they celebrated 30 years but also when their Black product range was joined by the new White range. From 21 to 24 March 2012 at the Messe Frankfurt in hall 8.0 stand J46, d&b will again be celebrating by giving centre stage to several new additions within their Black range of loudspeakers as well as highlighting the xS and xA-Series from their White range of integration cabinets.

Elements from the established T, J and E-Series within the Black range will be displayed alongside the newly introduced teenyweeny E4 and E5 loudspeakers. And being typically d&b there will be" a little, well actually quite large, something up their sleeve in the form of the brand new V-Series to whet the appetite".

(Jim Evans)

UK - Pro Light Concepts Ltd is a rapidly expanding supplier of innovative lighting and sound equipment to the entertainment industry. On display on stand S-D12 at PLASA Focus: Leeds will be product displays from its vast range of brands.

Staff will be on hand to discuss the products available from Pro Light's office and distribution centre in Lancashire for worldwide dispatch. The stand will also feature many new products, including the LED Quad colour Q Color and Color Storm LED Battens along with the Xperior Platinum 5R Spot from iSolution. Many other new items from eLumen8 will be launched at PLASA Focus including fixtures specifically designed for theatre, stage and T.V.

UK - Canford is providing PLASA Focus: Leeds debuts for the new, enhanced Tecpro Wireless handsets and TW403 wired-to-wireless interface; the impressive new RTS BTR-240 wireless comms system; CAT5E stageboxes and multicore cables in several lengths up to 75m; and last but not least the clever EMO E810 LED racklight that interfaces with comms systems to flash letting the operator know of a call inbound.

Canford will also show a selection from their comprehensive range of cables including the D'n'A series which redesigned all their most popular audio cables including loudspeaker types to handle both analogue and AES digital audio.

The new enhanced Tecpro Wireless beltpacks offer full Duplex Operation and licence-free operation in the UHF frequency band. The powerful new handsets can supply up to 200mW with a 400m max Range and now benefit from a range of enhancements. New featur

UK - After using two rented Yamaha M7CL digital mixing consoles on a trio of highly successful concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last year, British songwriter extraordinaire Paul Carrack was so impressed that he and his production team felt it was time to move on from their existing analogue sound rig. They went straight out and purchased a pair.

Having recorded the album A Different Hat with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carrack squeezed the entire orchestra into the Royal College of Music's 400-capacity Britten Theatre for the sold-out concerts. Playing such intimate shows meant that space was at a premium, so a pair of Yamaha M7CL-48ES consoles was employed for mixing front of house and monitor sound.

"Because of the way we work, we like to carry our own audio system with us," says Carrack. "Previously we had an all-analogue rig, but w

UK - London's newest members club, Dorsia in South Kensington, has installed a JBL sound system as its primary sound reinforcement system.

Managing director Nick Andreen brought in Colin Pattenden of CP Sound, who specified JBL's Contractor Control series as offering the most cost-effective solution, as part of the £2.4m refurbishment of the former Firehouse club/restaurant.

The 300 capacity venue comprises a members' club, bar and restaurant set within decadently stylish surroundings over three floors The operation is fronted by Andreen and colleague Fraser Carruthers, both of whom have eminent backgrounds in London's premium hotel and nightclub scene, most recently at Boujis.

Pattenden, who has worked for the two men previously, equipped the venue with JBL, distributed through eight zones, specifying industry-standard DJ tools and a router to access the various areas

Denmark - DPA Microphones has appointed Susanne Seidel as executive VP sales and marketing. Seidel joins on 1 March from Sennheiser Electronics, where her most recent position was president of global marketing.

"A large part of the market for microphone solutions is cornered by better and smaller microphones to meet the continuously challenging conditions of sound reproduction," says Seidel. "I have been watching DPA Microphones closely for many years and I'm confident that DPA has great market potential with its innovative technology and products.

"The market consists of some very technology-focused companies and some very volume-focused companies. At DPA, you clearly sense the passion and dedication for both the user of the products and for the core microphone technology. I look forward to participating in bringing the DPA brand to an even higher level an

USA / UK - Peavey has announced the availability of the Impulse 261, a wide-range high-output permanent install two-way loudspeaker system designed for bars and restaurants where music clarity and aesthetics are a primary importance.

With two 6.5" woofers and 1" titanium dome tweeter mounted on a waveguide, the system is capable of excellent controlled coverage, with a hi-fi sound character, says the company. The speaker system is protected from overload by independent overload protection for the woofer and the tweeter. This coupled with an advanced design crossover network provide smooth, yet clear sound with low distortion and reliability. Connection is via a locking Euro (Phoenix type) connector with screw terminals.

Features include: Two-way surface mount speaker system; dual 6.5" high-performance woofers; 1" metal dome tweeter with Neodymium magnet on

UK - PLASA's Technical Resource Office announces that an RDM and sACN Developers Conference and Plugfest will take place on the 26 - 28 April, in the UK, at Gatwick Manor, London Road at Lowfield Heath, just south of Gatwick Airport.

This Developers Conference aims to provide a European forum for manufacturers, designers, consultants and prospective users; and to ensure that the adoption of these new standards achieves desired levels of interoperability and reliability.

The "Plugfest" is a hands-on opportunity for product developers to try their products and code implementations with products from a variety of other manufacturers, with support from their industry peers in an environment that encourages co-operation and improved understanding of the standards, and with the aim of achieving high levels of interoperability.

Typically, engineers participate in these ev

Australia - The main showroom, known as the Whitlam Room, at Sydney's Revesby Workers Club has had a spruce up including an upgrade of its technical equipment with Saltec supplying and installing a new Electro-Voice PA system.

Phill Webb, AV technician at Revesby Workers, reveals that there were four speaker brands being considered for the upgrade but the Electro-Voice system promised to deliver the best 'bang for buck' and he hasn't been disappointed.

"I've used the EV XLC system at The Cube in Campelltown, which hosts similar acts, many times and I think it's a great system," said Webb. "I really like that our system has FIR filter drive and offers the ability to network the amplifiers so that they can be monitored front of house. Plus of course it sounds great! It certainly has more than enough grunt for the room."

Due to the age of the room it was dif

UAE - A Midas PRO6 supplied by London's Britannia Row and a PRO9 from Dubai-based Sound On Stage Events had leading roles in the UAE's spectacular National Day celebrations to mark the 40th Anniversary of the nation's founding.

The PRO6 controlled all the audio, both live and broadcast, at the multi-artist arena show in the filled-to-capacity 50,000-seat Sheikh Zayed Stadium, held in the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirates rulers and Crown Prince.

"We had an unlimited budget and we could have taken any console in the world, but the PRO6 was the only choice for the job," says Britannia Row engineer Josh Lloyd. "This show was an incredibly high profile, complex, one-off event, and broadcast live on TV. Equipment failure was not an option."

The PRO6's digital flexibility and networking capability also prove

UAE - Reflecting the increasing focus on the Middle East market, Turbosound held its second annual Middle East Sales Conference in Dubai over two days from 30 November to 1 December 2011, with over 30 delegates from across the Middle East attending this now popular event.

Managing director Simon Blackwood, sales director Dom Harter and market manager Hasna Nahdi presented the company's product strategy and new product offerings to Turbosound's regional distributors and installers from Dubai, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, Iran, and Iraq at the Novotel World Trade Centre.

A product demonstration at the Diablo nightclub, a new build ultra-club featuring the largest single installation of Turbosound products in the Middle East market, followed, with audio designed in collaboration with key Turbosound factory sound designers and installed and comm

UK / Poland - KMR Audio has announced a second product from Looptrotter Audio Engineering in Poland, the company responsible for the acclaimed Monster Compressor. The new unit, the SATUR-8 provides eight separate channels of saturation blocks referencing the sound of vintage valve consoles and tape recorders.

SATUR-8 works as an analogue soft limiter and adds low-order harmonics in an intelligent and musical way. The unit gives a solid and fat sound in the recording, processing and mixing stages.

A primary point of reference for the creation of SATUR-8 was the Monster Compressor, because of its acknowledged saturation system based on vacuum tubes. Looptrotter has managed to achieve the distinct sound of vacuum tubes with the usage of semiconductor technology.

Finally, the SATUR-8 is very user-friendly, says the company. All the channels are equipped with two knobs: DRIVE (sa

UK MT Pro Ltd will be exhibiting for the first time at the IOEX show in London. The show takes place at ExCel on the 6-8 March. On display will be a range of wireless lighting products designed "to enhance your event without the need for mains or signal cables".

The units are battery powered (charging takes place in the flight cases) making them quick and easy to rig, saving time and manpower during your build-up time.

Two simple control options are available. The first is manual control by which the units can be pre-set to any colour using the on-board menu. The second option utilises wireless DMX, enabling the colours and intensity to be co-ordinated with any stage or room lighting.

These units are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, allowing you to highlight architectural features to add atmosphere to any building, says the company.

Also on display will be a

Germany - Turbosound will present its new Flashline five-way large scale line array loudspeaker system to the European market at the Konig-Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, on 14 March 2012, ahead of the public launch at the ProLight+sound exhibition in Frankfurt a week later.

"We have well over 120 confirmed key decision makers attending this milestone event," says managing director Simon Blackwood, "from all aspects of the industry - engineers, rental companies, consultants and systems techs - who have expressed interest in our latest class-leading festival and arena level concert sound technology."

Guests will have an opportunity to see how the PA rigs and sounds in a representative arena environment, as well as a close-up hands-on look at details of the system's components including the eleven-drive-unit line array, and DSP-based amplification pack

Germany - TOA Europe will return to Frankfurt's ProLight+Sound exhibition this year, promising a major new product-line introduction to add to its already impressive line of audio solutions for public address and emergency evacuation.

From its base on Stand 8.0 F46 in Hall 8 of the Messe Frankfurt complex, TOA will showcase a new range of flat-panel loudspeakers - marking the first time the company has offered such low-thickness transducers and extending even further the possible applications for TOA's core technologies.

"Last year in Frankfurt we were the first manufacturer to show loudspeakers that were certified to the new pan-European EN54 standards for fire safety," says Brett Downing, sales & marketing director, TOA Europe. "This year we are extending our loudspeaker range by offering flat-panel designs for the first time - the product of years of extensiv

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