Italy - Fibre network giant, Optocore has made a significant change to its distribution arrangements in Italy, appointing Prase Engineering S.p.A to handle the installation/contractor sector.

Following the direct contact between the two companies at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt last year the agreement was confirmed by Optocore marketing director Tine Helme and Ennio Prase, founder of the Venice-based company.

"This opens up an important new channel in Italy for us," stated Helmle. "Ennio and his company fit perfectly with Optocore - they are strong in permanent install and the AV market, and with our new MADI switches we can hit both these markets."

She added that the catalyst for the appointment had been Duran Audio, which Prase distributes, and with whom Optocore has a partnership arrangement.

Ennio Prase also welcomed the move. "It's great that a

USA - The Church of the Greater Faith is an active and forward-thinking Pentecostal congregation that has been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks in no small part to their contemporary approach to worship. Indeed, Greater Faith's rapid growth has been a source of both joy and challenges, and as their numbers have swelled, their modest 700-seat sanctuary now hosts two Sunday morning services, with a third service added in the afternoon.

The peaked, metal A-frame structure has long suffered from challenging acoustics, and as Jason Ryder, general Manager of Lake Charles, LA-based Porche Advance Systems explains, efforts over the years to improve the situation have only made things worse.

"Their original system was poorly designed and underpowered to begin with, and they spent the next 11 years trying to fix it," says Ryder. "The end result was a patchwork of mis-w

USA - The first four days of the new year found more than 60,000 college-aged Christians from around the globe flocking to Atlanta's Georgia Dome for Passion 2013, an annual conference of message and music that just raised over 3.3 million dollars to combat slavery and human trafficking worldwide.

Hosted by Passion City Church Founders Louie and Shelley Giglio, this year's event drew students from 56 countries and 2,300 universities and featured a long list of top Contemporary performers, including Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Kari Jobe, Lecrae, Jesus Culture and numerous other artists, alongside notable evangelical speakers like John Piper, Judah Smith, Francis Chan and Louie Giglio, himself.

With a large increase in attendees anticipated for this year, Giglio's Choice Ministries and Passion Conferences hired UK-based management company Black & White Live to over

UK - Toby Alington and his team at Richmond Studios Productions are amidst last minute preparations for recording the UK's largest annual music show, The BRIT Awards 2013 in association with MasterCard.

Whilst this will be Alington's 19th year recording The BRITs, it is set to be one of the most exhilarating productions with the Nation's on-going Diamond Jubilee and Olympic fever. The new BRIT Award statue has been designed by Damien Hirst and has already caught the public's eye, and the show will once again be hosted by James Corden.

Alington and his audio team will mix the music for the live-to-air show from Floating Earth's state-of-the-art mobile recording unit, Floating Earth. This is equipped with an SSL C200 digital console, linked to over 100 remote mic-amps connected by fibre-optic cable which provide the feeds to be mixed and broadcast live on television. This will b

France - L-Acoustics reports that new modules are now available for third party software including CATT-Acoustics (Dynamic Link Library - DLL), EASE (Generic Loudspeaker Library - GLL), ODEON and LARA.

Sound designers and acousticians can now simulate the L-Acoustics line source arrays via specific GLL or DLL files respectively for the electro-acoustic software EASE and CATT-Acoustics. L-Acoustics coaxial speakers can also be simulated using the dedicated GLL file in EASE and the Common Loudspeaker Format (CLF) file for CATT-Acoustics, ODEON and LARA.

Each third party software can be used in parallel with Soundvision to simulate additional parameters such as total sound pressure level (taking into account the reverberation field), intelligibility and clarity factor thanks to the fact that they include room acoustics properties.

Germain Simon, application engineer at L-Acoust

UK - Such has been the interest in Martin Audio's Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) that the company has now created an MLA dedicated web portal, in order to "share the secrets of its advanced control technology with the growing community of users and potential customers".

This will be represented in two hierarchical modules. The public portal has now gone live and is available to everyone, while the private portal will be confined to MLA rental companies and trained technicians, allowing them to access more in-depth information and engage in discussion forums. This is scheduled to go live in the near future.

Running hand in hand is a new personal Certified Training Programme which complements the online resource, where technical information is hosted alongside an open forum. This gives MLA technical users the opportunity to share knowledge and experience, both

Keeping Clean - London's National Theatre is one of four historic sites to receive funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for "wash and brush up" restoration work. It has been granted £2.5m to help enhance the 20th-Century modernist building on London's South Bank. Last year, Arts Council England gave the theatre £17.5m to aid its upgrades. The remaining sites include Rochester Cathedral in Kent, the Carnegie Library in Dunfermline and Victorian mansion house Insole Court in Cardiff. A total of £11m was awarded to the places of cultural interest in England, Scotland and Wales.

Open Air - An amphitheatre is being planned in north London on the site where a 16th century theatre that hosted the premiere of Henry V used to exist. The remains of the Curtain Theatre - which was the base for the Lord Chamberlain's Men before they moved to the G

UK - Live show and event production and design practice LarMac LIVE production managed and co-ordinated all technical elements for Donny & Marie's recent UK arena tour, presenting their record-breaking, hugely successful show from The Flamingo in Las Vegas to delighted UK fans.

LarMac LIVE's Ian Greenway took up the production management role on the road, assisted by Siobhan Shaw.

Ian Greenway comments, "This was a very interesting project for us. In essence our brief was to take an established theatrical production show, and repackage it to deal with the rigours of rock 'n' roll touring schedule while still retaining the sumptuous Vegas feel."

LarMac LIVE collaborated closely with Donny & Marie's creative and technical teams and their US production co-ordinator Chris Acton to ensure that the detailed and precise brief was covered, and also with UK promoter, Kilima

Spain - TC Group International (TCGI) has announced the appointment of Soinua as exclusive distributors of the Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake brands in Spain.

The move will create a new dedicated point of contact for Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake customers in Spain and allow easier access to the companies' wide portfolio of professional loudspeaker, amplification and digital processing products across both the touring and installation markets.

Over a successful 20 years, Soinua has grown to become one of the leading companies in the fields of quality sound reinforcement, equipment rental and professional touring. Having dedicated themselves exclusively to the live sound market, recently the company has expanded their professional activities to the areas of distribution and sale of professional audio equipment.

The most recent major addition to its portfolio is the distribution

France - Known simply as 'Le Theatre', the new national theatre of Saint-Nazaire on the west coast of France occupies what used to be the old station of Saint-Nazaire. One of 70 national theatres that form part of the network of the French Ministry of Culture, le Theatre is an impressive concrete edifice reminiscent of a huge bunker. The outline is softened in places by the imprint of a floral pattern chiseled into the concrete, a theme which is also reflected inside the building.

As a national theatre, le Theatre had to conform to exacting technical standards, making it an extremely highly specified venue at every level, including of course the audio set-up. Technical director Patrick Balaud had no hesitation in specifying an Innovason Eclipse GT digital console as the FoH console for the main 826-seat theatre, which was supplied by TechnoSolutions of St Nazaire.

According to

Europe - The Music Group has announced the appointment of Nigel Beaumont as head of its new Professional Division, overseeing all aspects of the company's Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound brands worldwide. Beaumont retains his role as senior vice president for operations that he has held since joining the Muisic Group in 2011. The appointment is effective 1 March, 2013.

CEO Uli Behringer commented, "Over the past two years, Nigel has added tremendous value to the Music Group and I am very proud of his achievements. With Nigel's profound pro experience at Harman, I am convinced he will continue, and accelerate, the growth of the division." Before joining the Music Group, Beaumont was with the Harman Pro Division, being most recently responsible for the management of the European operations of the division, encompassing Soundcraft, Studer and AKG.

Nigel Beaumont comm

USA - The rolling hills and fertile farmlands along the Delaware River were among the first to be settled by European colonists, and the area is rich in historic buildings and landmarks. Among them is Alexandria First Presbyterian Church, whose main sanctuary was built in the late 1800s, and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Despite being one of the older buildings in the area, Alexandria First Presbyterian is all modern on the inside, thanks to a sophisticated audio and video system designed and installed by Blackwood, NJ-based JD Sound and Video. The system includes distributed HD video, with multiple screens throughout, as well as a sound system featuring Community Professional Loudspeakers' Entasys column arrays and VLF Series subwoofers.

"It's not a large building, and it's not very ornate," says JD Sound's Joe DiSabatino. "But they've

UK - BVE 2013, to be held for the first time this year at Excel London, will see Sennheiser UK exhibiting its microphone, wireless system, long distance RF transport, headphone and monitoring products, as well as highlights from its distributed partners including Nagra and Avalon.

A highlight of this year's products will be Sennheiser's flagship Digital 9000 Series. Launched at IBC 2012, Digital 9000 is a digital wireless system that can transmit completely uncompressed audio, artefact-free and with superb dynamics. Targeting broadcasting professionals, (musical) theatres and high-profile live audio events; Digital 9000 sets a new benchmark in digital wireless transmission. The system, which includes the EM 9046 receiver, SKM 9000 handheld and SK 9000 bodypack transmitters, and a comprehensive suite of accessories, has been meticulously designed for the highest channel counts in

UK - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Professional Development Programme, which will run alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May 2013.

Whether you are a seasoned campaigner in the entertainment sector or a student considering the live events industry as a career, the PLASA PDP is an unmissable opportunity to learn new skills, watch new product demonstrations, and meet some of the most respected practitioners in the business.

Kicking off is Adam Bennette, Technical Director of ETC Europe, who leads a discussion about how to design new systems that support both tungsten and LED lighting in a rational and sustainable way. Requirements for Data and Power Infrastructures for LED Stage Lighting is a seminar where audience participation is an important part of the process so system designers, technical managers from thea

USA - On 31 December, over 11,000 devoted 'Bass Heads' packed Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the new year with Californian dubstep musician/producer Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar.

LMG Touring, which supplied sound and video for the artist's 2012 New Year's Eve show at the same venue and subsequent 32-date fall tour, once again provided this year's technical production elements, including a sizable L-Acoustics K1 System.

Abandoning last year's end-stage setup for a new in-the-round design, Bassnectar's main PA for the 2013 event was comprised of eight hangs of eight K1 enclosures, each with three-Kara down-fills, flown in LR pairs around the arena's massive central Jumbotron display.

To deliver the generous LF that one would expect from an artist named Bassnectar, LMG positioned 72 SB28 double-18-inch subs on end around the perimeter of the circular rot

Australia - Following a two-year, $136m inside-out redevelopment, Australia's Arts Centre Melbourne reopened its Hamer Hall with one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest and most sophisticated Meyer Sound systems. Featuring the advanced precision beam steering technology in the CAL column array loudspeaker - which began shipping this year -Hamer Hall is now outfitted with 147 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers operating in three modes tailored to different acoustic and amplified events.

Inside the 2,464-seat Hamer Hall, two CAL 64 column array loudspeakers provide "exceptional intelligibility without exciting reflective surfaces". These slender columns handle both emergency voice alerts and any speech applications with orchestral concerts, such as narration or comments from the conductor.

According to Nick Carroll, operations manager for sound at Arts Centre Melbo

UK - Lighting rental company Siyan continued its long standing working relationship with cult band Marillion, supplying a floor package to lighting designer Yenz Nyholm from newIllumination for their latest run of dates in Europe.

These dates constituted the forth leg of their Sounds That Can't be Made tour and follows an extensive touring schedule throughout 2012, with lighting equipment for the UK and European elements also supplied by Siyan.

Marillion has enjoyed a special relationship with High Wycombe based Siyan, where their account is managed by Steve Finch, who was the band's LD before joining Siyan full time in 2005. While his association with the artist stretches back an impressive 12 years, Yenz started with them from 2004, initially that year as Steve's tech, before taking over the LD position 12 months later.

The 'specials' on this latest leg of the tour

UK - A compact Allen & Heath iLive system was recently carried on tour with comedian, Frankie Boyle. FOH engineer, Steve Pattison, selected an iDR-48 MixRack with rackmount iLive-R72 Control Surface due to its very small footprint, and road tested the new dynamic EQ and multi-band compressor features from iLive's latest firmware update, V1.9.

"For me, the iLive-R72 is essential for theatres shows where FOH space is at a premium, as it is so compact but offers all the functionality and quality of much larger desks," explains Pattison.

Most of the tour venues were large theatres featuring multi-tiered balconies where there are many facets to the PA system, such as main hangs, monitors, delays, out-fills, in-fills, under-hangs and front-fills.

"In multi-level venues it can be a real pain (not just for your legs) when you need to check on all areas and make change

Germany - The Theater Ulm in Germany has expanded its intercom system with an Artist solution by Riedel Communications. Riedel, one of the leading providers of real-time networks for video, audio and communications, delivered a comprehensive Artist Digital Matrix Intercom system that also allows for radio integration.

The Theater Ulm, founded 1641, is a multistage house offering opera, play and ballet. As a result of general renovations, the Theater in Ulm has received a new Riedel Artist Digital Matrix Intercom system.

At the heart of the installation is a Riedel Artist 32 mainframe that lays the foundation for the communications infrastructure. Due to Artist's free scalability, Artist systems can be easily expanded to form infrastructures with up to 1024 x 1024 non-blocking ports per installation.

"Especially the scalability of the Artist system was really important t

USA - Orlando-based Alcorn McBride is well positioned for growth in international markets. In the past year, Alcorn McBride has restructured distribution in Asia, partnering with Wincomn in China and Hong Kong, Electori in Japan, Sovico in Korea, and several companies in Singapore.

"We anticipate significant growth in the themed entertainment and family entertainment markets in Asia. Our products are uniquely engineered for the those markets so we sought to partner with the most aggressive and well respected distributors in each area," notes Alcorn McBride's sales manager Larry Howard. "We also expect an increase of projects in Europe, the Middle East and Russia and are ramping our presence in those areas as well."

Alcorn McBride's European office in Paris, France has been directed by Henry Corrado of Alcorn McBride s.a.r.l. In 2012 Mr. Corrado expanded his

UK - Sennheiser UK has reinforced its commitment to the sound industry's future by launching a partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, bringing many new opportunities for the audio professionals of tomorrow.

Launched on 29 January, in the audio studios in the High Wycombe-based University's Gateway building, the arrangement includes the university's main recording studio being renamed The Sennheiser Sound Lab. The manufacturer will provide a range of equipment for use in the studio, including state-of-the-art digital microphones, giving students access to the very latest audio technology.

Sennheiser UK has worked closely with the university on an informal basis for the past eight years, providing education days, master classes, workshops and advice to dissertation students, but the new venture takes the interaction between the two much deeper.

A key element is the s

Belgium - L-Acoustics has announced that Brussels-based sales and distribution team, XLR, has joined the new L-Acoustics Certified Provider network for Belgium as a distributor. Jan de Brucker and Louis Lukusa head the team dealing with Dutch-speaking Belgium and with the French-speaking side of Belgium respectively, backed up by the technical expertise of Sébastien Desaever.

Jan de Brucker and Louis Lukusa said, "L-Acoustics is the leading brand in our market and we are proud to be part of the Certified Provider network. The high level of quality offered by L-Acoustics fits perfectly with the needs of our customers. We look forward to working with L-Acoustics going forward."

Tim McCall, regional sales manager at L-Acoustics said, "We are very glad to work with Jan, Louis and Seb, who have extensive experience of the audio industry, to help promote L-Acou

UK - On February 11 2013, ConcertSound Clair changes its trading name to Clair UK. One of Britain's first-generation live audio service operations, the company was founded in 1977 as Concert Sound Limited. The firm evolved from the break-up of Welsh rock band, Man, whose team included manager Barrie Marshall, agent Tim Boyle from the Arthur Howes Agency, tour manager David 'Tag' Hall and road crew Jeff Hooper and Robert Collins. At Boyle's suggestion, Man's PA system began to be rented out to other artists after they played their last show in December 1976, and Concert Sound was born in Watford with Hall initially at the business helm.

Within the first two years of operation, Concert Sound quickly earned a reputation for its excellent standard of service with artists ranging from Dire Straits, Tom Jones and Leo Sayer to a new breed of punk rockers including The Clash and The Ram

USA - As football fans gathered at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and in front of television sets around the world for Super Bowl Sunday, Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a Masque Sound Company and experts in supplying and supporting wireless systems for live and broadcast events, was on location in New Orleans to provide its expert frequency coordination and RF management for referee microphones, as well as pre-game and halftime entertainment.

For the company's 17th consecutive Super Bowl, PWS once again partnered with ATK Audiotek and Versacom for the big game. Recognising that preparation is extremely important to ensure interference-free RF management on game day, PWS project manager Jason Eskew and his team began their work almost five months prior to the game. "I did a site survey at the Superdome in October and submitted our frequencies in November for approval,&quo

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