USA - When audio integrator Maryland Sound International (MSI) was once again tasked with supplying the main audio system for President Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration on 21 January 2013, the company employed two Optocore networks.

MSI, a long-time user of Optocore technology chose the networks for their multiple levels of redundancy and reputation of superior reliability. This marks the third presidential inauguration in a row for which MSI has chosen Optocore equipment for the critical audio distribution.

With the ceremony taking place on the grounds of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in January, MSI was faced with unpredictable winter conditions as well as a long transmission path back to MSI's front-of-house position, nearly 2,000 feet from the last speaker tower. MSI and audio designer Patrick Baltzell needed a way to distribute audio signals with as few c

Lebanon - A selection of wide-dispersion loudspeaker models designed and built by Turbosound have been installed in one of Beirut's most happening new nightclubs.

"Ora is first and foremost an after-work and night bar, with great music and an amazing vibe," explains club co-owner Vivian Shallop. "A crucial part of our club's reputation is secured on the ambience of the environment. The quality of the sound is a huge part of creating that. The other element is the design of the surroundings and it's fabulous that the speaker design is so discreet - they certainly don't interfere or detract from the smooth lines of our interior design, and we are delighted with the clarity of sound from the system."

The club, located on the city's Dbayeh Seaside Highway, has employed a cool, clean futuristic look - including curved white walls, rich colour washes of light, an

UK - Roland Systems Group (RSG) has announced the appointment of Greg Oliver to the position of sales engineer, a field based role covering sales and technical support in the UK for the RSG audio and video product range.

With a background in professional audio, most recently working as an independent consultant in noise consultancy and live audio engineering, Oliver's role will focus on raising the profile of the RSG products in the live and touring market as well as supporting existing trade customers.

'We are pleased to welcome Greg to the RSG team, his experience will be invaluable in developing our growing presence in multiple sectors of the UK audio and video market', commented Peter Heath, sales and marketing director (RSG).

(Jim Evans)

Russia - Electrosonic will be exhibiting for the first time at the 15th Russian Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo (RAAPA) in Moscow on 20-22 March at stand A7/3.

Electrosonic's entertainment business provides a complete set of audio-visual services, including custom designed audio, video and control systems, systems integration and full project management, plus a range of on and off site services and maintenance offerings. Custom solutions are provided for museums, visitor centres, theme parks, water parks and family entertainment centres. Clients include designers, curators, producers, fit-out contractors and end clients themselves.

Global Immersion, a division of Electrosonic that designs and integrates customised and technically complex planetarium and giant screen environments, will also be at the Electrosonic booth. Global Immersion provides an extensive

Europe - The PV Series, one of the best selling wood-construction loudspeaker enclosures worldwide, is now powered with class D technology. Peavey debuts the PV 115D and 215D, two lightweight and portable loudspeaker enclosures, utilising Peavey's y loudspeaker and class D power amp technology to deliver "unparalleled performance and value".

A long tradition in sound reinforcement, the PV Series enclosures are housed in durable wooden, carpet-covered enclosures with a built-in pole mount (except PV 215D). The new PV powered enclosures deliver "400 watts of bass-pounding, distortion-free sound utilising Peavey's DDT compression".

(Jim Evans)

USA - The Who's 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia has been reprised in a multimedia display on the band's latest outing. The 37 date tour, which began in November and runs through the end of February, celebrates the four-decade anniversary of the album's release and marks the band's first major North American tour in four years.

Even long-departed drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle make cameo appearances, joining remaining original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. Entwistle's virtuosity and famous bass solo on "5:15" are showcased in live footage shot at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000, which streams onscreen. They also pay tribute to the late Keith Moon; their performance of Bell Boy incorporates video footage of a 1974 performance, with Moon's vocals dubbed in from the LP (one of the only times in Who history his vocals were heard on an alb

Korea - A pavilion of cathedral like proportions; a vast ceiling of moving colour and imagery; the deep blues and greens of the deep ocean, so real you can almost feel them wash over you; the majestic progress of the noblest creatures of the sea swimming high above you. What's the missing element?

It has to be sound; the echoing, womb like sound of whale song enveloping the visitor, drawing their eyes up to absorb the vision high above them and so to complete the experience. And not just any sound; sound designers Charles de Meaux, content artist and Thierry Coduys, technical 3D sound implementation wanted to create a seamless 3D sonic feeling throughout the Expo Digital Gallery Pavilion at the 2012 World Expo located at Yeosu, South Korea.

Its theme of The Living Ocean and Coast was reflected both in its natural setting and its technically ambitious pavilions. Any audio insta

UK - Audio hire specialist RG Jones specified a wide selection of DPA microphones for a recent series of concerts by Katherine Jenkins, a multi-platinum selling mezzo soprano and one of Britain's best loved singers.

For two weeks at the end of 2012 Katherine Jenkins sold out venues around the UK and Ireland, including London's Royal Albert Hall. During the tour she was supported by the National Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Anthony Inglis. She was also joined by guests such as The Boy Choristers of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and The Band of the Welsh Guards.

RG Jones supplied all of the audio equipment for the tour and specified DPA microphones for the orchestra. A total of 14 DPA 4061 miniature microphones were used to capture the sound of the strings, while the low strings and the brass section were miked using 10 DPA d:vote 4099 Inst

Finland - A BlackBox BBR64-MADI Recorder has been installed in the Tampere studios of Yleisradio (YLE), the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Located in the studio complex's main control room, the 64-channel system is used alongside other software-based systems for capturing entertainment programmes and music shows.

Since its release in 2011, JoeCo's BBR64-MADI Recorder has become increasingly popular as an audio acquisition device for broadcast. Designed to integrate with any MADI-based broadcast audio systems, its use of universal file and storage formats enables seamless transfer of captured audio from studios and OB facilities to post production.

"We chose the BBR64-MADI because it integrates beautifully with other MADI-based broadcast audio systems such as the SSL C10 and C100 digital live mixing consoles and the Riedel MediorNet media networking system that we currently

UK - As of 1 April 2013 Soundking Group Europe is reinstating its UK distribution of its Studiomaster and Carlsbro brands from its Luton HQ.

In a joint statement, Soundking Group Europe and current distributor John Hornby Skewes & Co Ltd. announce that distribution for both ranges will move back to being handled directly, with operations managed from Soundking Group's UK headquarters. There will be a brief hiatus between Friday 15 March 2013, when JHS ceases to ship product, and Monday 1 April, when stock will be available directly from Soundking Group's warehousing.

Dennis Drumm, JHS' managing director said, "It's been an enjoyable challenge to be involved in re-establishing an iconic brand of amps like Carlsbro in its home market and of course Studiomaster is a wonderful product. We will be sorry to see them both go, but understand that the brand owners wish to pursue t

Sharjah - Melody House, distributors of HK Audio speaker systems have recently supplied Sharjah based rental firm Evolution Rentals with 20 sets of CTA208, 6 sets of CT A118 Sub, 16 x Linear 112XA and 8 sets of Linear Sub 2000A. Evolution Rentals provides a complete turnkey solution to clients that include staging, screens, lighting and sound.

"Evolution Rentals acquired the first ConTour Array system in the Middle East in the beginning of 2011, since then there has been nothing but positive feedback hence the additional investment in the same line from HK Audio," commented Grayson Soares, operations manager at Melody House. "They have also made a substantial investment in the Linear 5 range which affirms their confidence in the HK Audio brand as being a solution that is not only cost effective but a great return on investment."

(Jim Evans)

In The Money - Madonna has beaten Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters to be named the highest-paid musician in 2012 by trade publication Billboard. The 54-year-old singer has topped the annual rundown of the top money-makers for the second time in five years. Her 88-date MDNA world tour, 2012's most successful, helped her take home $34.6m (£26.1m), Billboard said.

Concerts account for 68.9% of the total revenues for the 40 artists on the list, which estimates annual earnings. According to the figures, compiled using Boxscore concert data and Nielsen SoundScan sales information, Bruce Springsteen came a close second. He earned $33.4m (£25.3m) after touring to sold-out stadiums and arenas on the back of his number one album Wrecking Ball.

Strong merchandise sales helped with his earnings, with Springsteen's live shows making up 92% of

USA - The first Cadac LIVE1 sold in the US has been installed in a recording facility. Newly appointed US distributor LIFT Distribution has sold Cadac's new LIVE1 compact analogue console to Chet Delcampo as an upgrade for his private recording studio.

A songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and self-recording artist of renown, Delcampo chose the desk as a replacement for a classic but aging Siemans console. Recording, producing and releasing records as both Chet Delcampo and Hong Kong Stingray, his career has taken him from coast to coast and across the pond and back, collaborating along the way with the likes of Kid Congo (ex Cramps, The Gun Club and Nick Cave), Parthenon Huxley (The Eels) and David Lovering (the Pixies).

Finally settling in Philadelphia, he has produced two critically lauded albums, The Fountain and Apartment Songs as Chet Delcampo, and two further LP's

China - Hong Kong-based Max Production Ltd, one of the first adopters of Martin Audio's MLA and MLA Compact systems in the Far East, recently underwent full technical training.

Following the recent purchase of an MLA Compact 24, both Martin Audio regional application support engineer, Chris Pyne, and technical training manager, Martyn (Ferrit) Rowe arrived at Max Production's HQ in Sha Tin district, to carry out the intensive three day training course afforded all Martin Audio MLA network partners.

The course was conducted by Ferrit and attended by 10 of Max Production's senior and junior staff as well as technicians and an interpreter from Budee, the MLA territorial distributor (in the form of Mr Jin Lei).

Chris Pyne, who conducted the introduction and initiation course, explained the content of the workshop. "The formal class room audio theory and system functions plu

UK - Described as "an oasis of Latin colour in east London", entrepreneur Ferdie Ahmed has lit up Shoreditch with the opening of Barrio East on the site of the former Avalon club.

The third in the Barrio series (following Barrio North in Islington and Barrio Central in Soho), Ahmed's team has invested heavily, bringing in Dtwo Design to ignite the interior with a series of stand-alone themes from across Latin America, and Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) to complement this by installing a premium Martin Audio system in the 300 capacity venue.

This was at the request of the owner himself - a seasoned DJ - who also has Martin Audio sound reinforcement in his other venues.

MSL's project manager Darrel Olivier, confirmed, "From my initial meeting with Ferdie we decided Martin Audio was the right solution for the venue. We will always promote the brand and specified a

UK - The Who, will soon be embarking on the European leg of their tour Quadrophenia and More after completing their 37-date North American stretch. The band's first tour in four years will see them playing at the O2 arena 15 and 16 June armed with two Trace Acoustic TA-300 amplifiers.

Founder members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are once again joined by long-time supporting musicians Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino, and Simon Townshend, though this tour sees the group perform the entirety of their 1973 album-cum-rock opera, Quadrophenia, for the first time since 1997.

Simon Townshend, who has been the band's second guitarist since 1996, has been a fan of the TA-300 for some time, and refers to it quite simply as "the best amp ever". For this tour, Daltrey is also using one.

"Everything about the TA-300 is spectacular, from the compression going i

Italy - Spanish manufacturer Equipson and Italian distributor Kenell Audio have announced a new agreement for the distribution of WORK audio products in Italy.

"Kenell Audio is a dynamic company with a great experience in the industry of entertainment and audio installation. They have perfectly understood our strategy for the development of integral solutions and they strongly trust in WORK audio products for the italian market." says José Luis Vila, CEO of Equipson.

(Jim Evans)

Patchwork London, an audio hire and production company, have invested in a Midas PRO1 console, supplied by LMC Audio.

Steve White, co-director of Patchwork explains, "We wanted a state of the art digital mixing desk, which was compact enough to use in small venues and powerful enough to use on big shows."

So far, the desk has been out with artists such as Paloma Faith, Paolo Nutini, Beverley Knight, Katherine Jenkins and, most recently, ran monitors for the European leg of the Joan Armatrading tour. White explains that even in cases where the desk has not been specified on the rider, he's had no problem convincing engineers to embrace the PRO1 and they have all come away singing its praises, having had great shows with the console.

White continues, "We love the console. It has performed very well mixing at both FOH and monitors on all of the live music events, awards

China -The first phase of China's 20 billion yuan ($3.16 billion) Changbai Mountain International Tourism Resort opened in 2012, featuring five-star hotels and Asia's largest ski resort. A centrepiece of the development is a performing arts theatre, where Apex audio processors and DiGiCo mixing consoles help to ensure that audiences enjoy the evenings as much as their time on the piste.

Changbai Mountain is located on the border with North Korea, with the Chinese side a 494,000 acre nature reserve that is already a popular international tourist destination. The new resort's 26 miles of ski runs will draw many more visitors and the Changbaishan Grand Theatre has been built as part of the comprehensive accommodation and entertainment facilities.

Built by the Beijing Aotewei Development Company, the theatre features a cutting edge audio specification, supplied and installed by Ri

Columbia - With a career spanning more than three decades, Carlos Vives, is a Latin American entertainment icon. The five time Grammy award winner recently took to the stage in Sincelejo, Colombia for Fiestas del 20 de Enero. The outdoor event was held at Estadio Mochila, and put on by the City Of Sincelejo. 12,000 wildly excited fans filled the grounds to catch a thrilling Vallenato style performance by Vives and other Latin American hit makers - KVRASS, Maluma and Alfredo Gutierrez. C. Vilar Amplificacion Professional provided the complete sound, staging and lighting for the event.

Mauricio Vilar, FOH Engineer for Carlos Vives for the past four years, wanted to use the Adamson E15's for the performance. "Initially we had a production company proposing another brand of P.A. I had requested the E15's on the rider and insisted that they were used for the event."

UK - DiGiCo has added another member to its team, with the appointment of Fernando Delgado to the role of sales application specialist.

Delgado joins from Rental Multimedia Systems S.L. in Spain, where he spent eight years, and will be working alongside Dan Page to provide technical support to the DiGiCo sales team, as well as offering new ideas. With Spanish as his native language, Delgado will also focus on DiGiCo's Latin America market, where the ability to work with customers in their own language will prove extremely valuable.

"This is a dream come true for me," says Delgado. "Working with such an amazing team is just great. The creativity and innovation you can feel in the company really is from another world. I have always had huge respect for the philosophy of the brand. This is not only a team of geniuses, but a very tight family and I feel like I am pa

UK - Nestled at the foot of the Cairngorms national park, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a delightfully spacious, airy venue that is responsible for a veritable list of productions as well as a range of workshops, tours, concerts and even a wine club.

Each winter it opens its doors for the Federation of Scottish Theatre's (FST) winter school, a sizeable programme of technical training and professional development courses aimed at those working in dance, music and theatre north of the border. The FST has over 120 members and strives to secure the creative future of Scottish Theatre at a national level while also helping its members share resources and expertise; one of the key aims of the winter school program. As in previous years, the Winter School has been heavily supported by Edinburgh based Black Light.

Courses included working and rigging at height, ETC product training, m

UK - Broadcast and pro audio technology specialists HHB Communications is releasing the HHB 2013 Catalogue at the BVE London show on Stand D62A.

With technical and sales information on over 2,000 professional audio products from the world's leading professional audio equipment manufacturers, the HHB Catalogue one of the industry's leading resource for professional audio technology.

Produced for over three decades, the HHB Catalogue is a comprehensive guide to the latest pro audio technology for the broadcast, education, music recording, OB, post, radio, television and video games markets. As such, the latest state-of-the-art technologies for topics such as Loudness, File-based workflows, MADI, Audio over IP, 5.1 and HD, in addition to a comprehensive selection of microphones, loudspeakers, headphones and much more are listed throughout the 216-page catalogue. Some of the lates

UK - The Black Box system was once referred in the press as "the world's most widely used PA rig". After 40 years, Court Acoustics has introduced Black Box II - offering substantially improved performance over the original Black Box, as well as being half the size and weight.

The 2 x 15" W- bin has been replaced by their new 3000w 4 x 15" V- bin which covers both bass and sub bass, and is built in two half-sized enclosures for portability. The High bin has also been cut in half, and carbon fibre conical flares have replaced the wooden horns.

Featuring new twin spider 750w 15" bass drivers, 10" low-mid drivers for improved vocals, a new 185 mm dia compression driver with Polyester Composite diaphragm and a metal 1.4" to 120mm slot throat with phase and directivity correction elements. This gives more accurate dispersion over 90 x 60º and an e

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