USA - L-Acoustics certified provider Audio Video Electronics (AVE) of Maple Grove, Minnesota, reports that it recently installed a Kiva loudspeaker system at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in nearby Mahtomedi.

According to AVE Vice President Kevin Crow, "St. Andrews has a beautiful 1,200-seat sanctuary with a nearly five second reverb time, so going into this project, we knew that speech intelligibility was one of our primary issues of concern. Furthermore, with an 80-member choir, chamber group and huge pipe organ, St. Andrews' services feature quite an emphasis on music as well, and they were wanting to have it feel more 'present' in the sanctuary seating areas."

With those requirements in mind, AVE specified an L-Acoustics line source system featuring left and right arrays each comprised of nine KIva enclosures flown adjacent to three KIlo low-frequency extension cab

UK - The audio industry should test its products to a higher standard and publish the results in its sales material, according to a white paper released by loudspeaker manufacturer Flare Audio this month. The paper argues that a test currently used extensively by audio professionals to measure the sensitivity of loudspeakers does not tell the whole story about loudspeaker sound quality. It claims that a less well-known test, Waveform integrity (Wi), allows artists, audio professionals and the listener to compare the sound reproduction of different products much more effectively.

Flare Audio believes that loudspeakers should provide 'as pure a sound as possible', to enable an unaltered reproduction of the sound created by the musician. In its white paper, the company defines a sound as 'pure' if it loses none of its detail in the transmission from artist to listener in the proces

Italy - RCF has announced the launch of the DXT 9000 - a digital voice-alarm system with the brains of network technology and the soul of professional audio. The system will be launched formally at ISE 2013 in Amsterdam, where RCF will be demonstrating it on a dedicated stand (7H230) designed to showcase the DXT 9000 system's capabilities in real-world applications.

The DXT 9000 voice-evacuation system is completely scalable. The first fully digital PA/VA system to be designed from the ground up by RCF engineers, the DXT 9000 is sufficiently versatile to be used in almost any kind of application, from the smallest school or hotel to huge campuses that include multiple buildings.

The DXT 9000 is a distributed system in which every component, including the loudspeakers, has its own physical address, can be monitored according to the latest EN 54 standards, and can be configured

UK - With only four stands remaining, exhibitors need to act now to secure a presence at the fifth annual PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, taking place at the Royal Armouries, on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May 2013.

Following record attendance in 2012, the premier entertainment technology trade show in the North has attracted even more companies that are keen to access the 50% of visitors who do not attend any other trade show during the year.

Mark Priestley, project manager at Unusual Rigging explains the rationale behind their decision to book for the first time: "Although a committed supporter of PLASA, 2013 will see Unusual Rigging making its exhibitor debut at PLASA Focus. We have completed a lot of projects in the north of England and Scotland but we believe we will be able to introduce our range of services to new customers at Leeds. When we visited the show last yea

Germany - Every club owner likes to see a full room; bar owners are no different. What about other public venues? When German pro audio manufacturer d&b audiotechnik announces the introduction of the next version of their ArrayCalc simulation software at ISE in Amsterdam 29-31 January, a room full of sound will become an altogether more achievable prospect.

"This is the planning tool that makes that target of fullness complete," said Ralf Zuleeg from the d&b Education and Application support department. "For any installer or integrator the new ArrayCalc Version 7 offers the ability to perform acoustic simulations quickly, easily and intuitively. One can now choose from a selection of d&b point source loudspeakers, most notably the xS-Series from the White range as well as Black range Q and E-Series loudspeakers. The White range has been specifically developed to a

UK - Global B2B event organiser, UBM Live, has rewarded DB Systems with a new supplier contract for seven UK shows in 2013.

Among these new shows is RESI 2013, the leading event for the residential property market. The 2012 show attracted more than 1,000 delegates.

In addition to the new supplier contract, UBM Live has also renewed an existing contract with DB, which means the AV & IT rental company will continue to work as official AV supplier at four European shows next year.

Oliver Richardson, DB's sales and marketing director, said, "We have a really strong working relationship with UBM and we've been supplying their European events for over many years. These UK shows are a really fantastic opportunity for us to work the London based team.

"I believe our approach of going the extra mile for our clients is why we are so highly regarded in the industry. The ser

UK - Cambridge-based MI Broadcast have been taking full advantage of the flexibility of the Roland S-4000 Series Digital Snakes, hiring them out to their customers including Arena Television for prestigious projects such as the Olympics and Champions League football. Having purchased two systems comprising S-4000S-3208 32 x 8 Modular Stage Unit, the S-4000S-0832 8 x 32 Modular Stage Unit and S-4000R Remote Controller for their hire stock, MI Broadcast have found them a perfect fit for the requirements of their TV industry clients.

"The requirements change from client to client with different configurations of XLR ins and outs but the S-4000 Series offers us the ease and flexibility to adapt," commented Robert Mackman, director at MI Broadcast.

Supplying products and complete solutions including hire, design, installation and commissioning of fibre based systems mainl

Slovakia - Based in Bratislava, the Slovak Philharmonic is the leading symphony orchestra in Slovakia. Since the early 1950s, the orchestra has resided in the Reduta Bratislava, which was constructed in 1773. In 2011 and 2012, the centrally located Baroque building, which is capable of accommodating audiences of up to 700, underwent a thorough renovation that included modernisation of all the building's electrical systems.

As well as new audio and video equipment, the Reduta now possesses a professional communications system designed to cover a wide variety of needs - a modular system offering outstanding sound quality, easy setup and user-friendly operation. To ensure the solution chosen met these requirements, the Reduta's operators called in Bratislava-based specialists Centron Slovakia to plan and install the new system.

After giving the matter careful consideration, Centr

Norway - Midas' long time Norwegian distribution partner AVAB CAC is celebrating its fiftieth sale of the PRO2 and PRO2C consoles in just 12 months.

Although most of the consoles have been sold to rentals companies AVAB CAC has also seen a number go direct to end users, including concert venues, theatres and even individual sound engineers.

"It's good to see engineers investing in their own personal consoles," says Asle Nilsen, head of Audio sales at AVAB CAC. "The ability to use the same showfile on all MIDAS Console models, combined with the new G2 software, makes the PRO2C an extremely powerful control platform in a conveniently small frame."

Midas brand development manager, Richard Ferriday comments, "When we launched PRO2/C, we knew that we were offering a fantastic package - the major concept of the PRO2 and PRO2C is to take the audio quality,

Off Stage - Stevie Wonder has pulled out of a concert raising money for the Friends of the Israel Defence Forces. The singer had been scheduled to perform at the Los Angeles event on 6 December. In a statement, Wonder said: "I am and have always been against war, any war, anywhere."

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is currently in place, after a week of violence in Gaza last month. But tensions still run high. This week's gala concert supports an organisation which raises money for Israeli soldiers and their families. Wonder said the United Nations had recommended cancelling his performance because he is an official UN Messenger of Peace.

Festivals 2013 - Rihanna and Mumford & Sons have been announced as headliners for next year's T in the Park festival. The event, Scotland's biggest festival, is celebrating its 20th year in 2013 and will see US singe

UK - Capital Sound was recently approached by Trigger, Professor Green's tour manager, and Ben Ashbourn of Relentless Energy Drink promoter Vision Nine to supply an audio package for the Professor's last UK gig this year, before he heads into the studio to work on his next album in early 2013.

Held at St John at Hackney Church in London for Relentless, Capital's production manager Charles Ellery knew straight away that the gig was going to present him with an acoustical challenge

"Essentially, St John's is a stone box that measure 45 x 45 metres, with a domed roof 18 metres high and the natural acoustic properties of a swimming pool!," says Ellery. "Initially, we looked at a system comprising Martin Audio LCs and WS218X subs, but in the back of my mind I knew we should be looking at the Martin Audio MLA Compact system for this, as it would be a great test of wha

Germany - Riedel Communications, one of the leading providers of real-time networks for video, audio and communications, celebrated its 25th anniversary on its premises in Wuppertal.

More than 1,400 guests from the broadcast, event, theatre and industry markets joined the celebration. The event included a total of five different areas with accessible installations, 3D project mappings, outdoor whirlpools and a captivating fire-show. Numerous acts in changing locations from Klezmer and jazz performances over high wire acrobats to a heavy metal playing robot band were the ingredients for an inspiring night.

"It is incredible, what my team realized in the last 25 years", Thomas Riedel remarks. "Their dedication and passion play a vital role in our success. We are looking forward to the coming years. We already have some interesting ideas for projects and products l

USA - The Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield is known for its lush, rolling hills, palatial homes, and sense of community. And the Jewish Community Centre is a local nexus, a sprawling campus offering athletic facilities, continuing education, a range of community outreach programmes. The JCC is also home to the Berman Centre for the Performing Arts, a newly-built 600-seat theatre hosting a steady calendar of music, dance, performance, film festivals, and special events.

The theatre is designed for flexibility, with movable walls that close to form two adjacent ballrooms, or open to create a single large theatre, with pull-out seating that expands the main room's 300 seats to 600. "It's very much a multi-use facility," explains Advanced Lighting and Sound's Bob Sullivan, the contractors on the project. "The system had to be adaptable to several different room confi

Japan - ARX Systems has appointed Tokyo based Studio Equipment Corporation as their new Distributor for Japan.

Specialising in the broadcast, studio, and installation markets Studio Equipment Corporation exhibited ARX products at last month's Interbee Exhibition in Japan.

ARX's managing director Colin Park said, "Studio Equipment Corp's Toshihiro Inada told ARX that the exhibition was very successful for them with many visitors expressing interest in the ARX product ranges, especially the USB Direct Box & MSX Mic Line Splitter ranges which were being exhibited in Japan for the first time.

"We're excited to be working with the Studio Equipment Corporation team in Japan, they're enthusiastic about the bpossibilities for ARX and our products amongst their extensive client base."

(Jim Evans)

UK - A club with a rich tradition, Gloucester Rugby currently boasts one of the top teams in England's Aviva Premiership. Kingsholm Stadium, where the club plays its home matches, is one of the county's best-loved landmarks. Recently renovated at a cost of £6m, the 16,500-seat stadium also serves as a venue for events such as rock concerts, conferences and major hospitality functions. One aspect of their brief was for the stadium to be able to cater to a variety of genres of entertainment, which led the club's management to invest in a new sound reinforcement system.

Converge Networks - not only the club's IT partner but also respected and experienced in the field of fixed installation - was charged with responsibility for the design and installation of the system, having established a reputation in the area through its work in a variety of regional sports arenas.

Conver

USA - The Lincoln Highway was the first automobile road across the United States, stretching from New York's Times Square to San Francisco. Marking the road's western end, high on a hill overlooking the Pacific and the Golden Gate Bridge, is the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. The building, a magnificent three-quarter-scale reproduction of Paris' Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, is home to a wide and varied collection of ancient and European art spanning more than 6,000 years.

The Palace is also home to the Florence Gould Theater, an ornate 333-seat jewel box auditorium designed by museum architect George Applegarth. Opened in 1924 as the Little Theater, the venue hosts a regular calendar of concerts, lectures and theatre performances.

The theatre's massive columns, rounded walls, and domed ceilings create a breathtaking environment, as well as some legendary ch

Europe - Popular Belgian singer Geike Arnaert spent the summer playing a number of European festival shows, her mixture of sparsely-arranged pop and haunting ballads providing a popular counterpoint to many of the other performers. Ensuring that the former Hooverphonic lead singer and her six-piece backing band had the appropriate monitor mixes was a DiGiCo SD11, manned by the band's regular engineer Gert Vreys.

Vreys asked Apex Audio to supply a suitable digital console for the festival shows. "I was happy to use the SD11," says Vreys. "I made up a custom 14U rack, which had the D-Rack and the wireless IEM and microphone units built in to it. I put the SD11 on top of it and so only needed one square metre of space, (which was ideal for festivals), as I could fit into any corner of the stage. It meant that I was out of the way, but the band could always see me.

Abu Dhabi - Four years on from the opening of the Yas Marina circuit the excitement of the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was enhanced with a series of After Race Concerts featuring Kylie Minogue, Nickleback and Eminem. With Kylie's production manager Kevin Hopgood busy on another tour, Capital Productions was asked to handle the production and audio needs for Kylie's concert on the Friday night.

Capital project manager Robin Conway handled the audio, whilst Paul Timmins took over the production role for this large scale one off show, which featured eight dancers specially flown in from Australia.

Regular sound engineers Kevin Pruce and Dan Kent, at FOH and monitors respectively, specified the control, which Capital supplied for both the rehearsals in London and the show in Abu Dhabi.

Consoles included an Avid Venue Profile System at FOH and a DiGiCo SD8 at monitors. RF included

The Netherlands - Following the success of the Q-series, Alcons Audio has introduced the QR24 line-source array column: A modular two-way column loudspeaker to be used as vertical array system, for both permanent and (limited) portable applications.

The QR24 combines "a natural, dynamic sound reproduction with superb intelligibility and throw, in even the acoustically most challenging environments without the need for DSP-based beam shaping".

Due to its modularity, throw and low-frequency directivity ("near field") can be increased just by extending the array length; Multiple individual mid-high frequency lobes can be made, by using the QM low-mid fill columns.

The QR24 measures a mere 66cm / 26" tall in length, and is fitted with 4x 6.5" woofers and two purpose-built 12" pro-ribbon drivers; Specifically for this system, the "RBN03&quo

Russia - When Russian guitarist Roman Miroshnichenko was booked to play a Jubilee concert with legendary guitarist Larry Coryell at the Moscow International House of Music, he knew he would need a first class microphone to truly capture the sound of this prestigious event.

DPA Microphone's Russian distributor I.S.P.A arranged for Roman to test a DPA d:vote 4099G Instrument Microphone for Guitar, which proved to be exactly what he was looking for.

"I heard that Paco De Lucia's sound engineer rated DPA microphones very highly so on that basis I decided I had to try them out," Roman Miroshnichenko says. "I was in need of a really good microphone for my upcoming Jubilee concert with Larry Coryell so I spoke to Maxim Kupryakhin at I.S.P.A who arranged for me to try a d:vote 4099G clip mic. The concert was a great and important test-drive for the microphone and from t

Israel - ARX Systems has announced the appointment of Tel Aviv based Gidron Levitan as their new distributor for Israel.

ARX managing director Colin Park said, "Gidron Levitan is the new distribution company of Eytan Gidron, an old friend of ARX for many years. We're looking forward to working with Eytan and the Gidron Levitan team in Israel, they're enthusiastic about the possibilities for the ARX product range amongst their extensive client base."

Gidron Levitan adds ARX to a growing distribution product portfolio that includes Outline, Fulcrum Acoustic, Rational Acoustics, Earthworks and Apex.

(Jim Evans)

Benelux - For the past 15 years, Tau Audio Solutions has successfully imported and supplied audio communications systems to the Benelux region. It has now confirmed its appointment as exclusive distributor for Ashly Audio Inc.

Ashly Audio is one of the world's leading designer manufactures of high quality, high performance signal processor and power amplification solutions. Operating in the commercial and professional audio sectors, the company has achieved a steady growth both in its domestic and international markets. The appointment of TAU Audio is set to continue this trend in the Benelux region.

"It's our experience that Ashly's high performance line of audio electronic products works best when paired to high performance loudspeakers," says John Sexton, Ashly Audio's vice president of sales. "TAU's combination of SoundTube loudspeakers and Ashly amplifiers

UK - AKG's D7 dynamic vocal mic is proving popular with some of the UK's new generation of up-and-coming artists.

Chart-topper Jake Bugg has been using one successfully on his concerts this year while Mercury Music Prize nominee Jessie Ware is also finding that the D7 capsule, in conjunction with the versatile DMS700 wireless system, is revealing new detail in her vocal register and enriching the artiste's timbre, according to FOH engineer and tour manager, Olly Long.

"It offers so much clarity and definition, particularly in the upper-mid register," he observes.

The sound engineer was introduced to AKG's latest mic and wireless technology at tour production company Cato Music when he was working with dubstep band Hadouken. "We were able to take out a DMS700 and D5 dynamic capsule - and the results were great," he appraised.

The band then went into the

UK - Stage Electrics continues to invest in pro audio equipment for their busy hire department with the recent purchase of two Yamaha CL5 digital consoles plus four RIO 3224-D and two RIO1608-D racks.

The Yamaha CL series digital mixing consoles represent a new level of refinement. They offer an evolved experience in accessible mixing, plus sonic purity with sound shaping capabilities that will give the most imaginative engineer unprecedented creative freedom. The CL series embodies the leading standards in live sound in their most advanced, most expressive form.The three section fader layouts for efficient hands-on control, making the CL5 the ideal choice for a diverse spectrum of live sound systems.

A significant proportion of Stage Electrics total stock of £13m worth of hire equipment is devoted to audio equipment from leading manufacturers. Continued growth in live e

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