Games Over - The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games formally closed with a much-lauded spectacular ceremony at Hampden Park. Kylie Minogue, Lulu, Deacon Blue and more than 2,000 performers brought the curtain down on what has been praised as the "best Games ever". The closing ceremony marked the end of an almost seven-year journey for Glasgow that began on 9 November 2007 when the city was awarded the Games. The focus will now begin to turn to what legacy the sporting extravaganza has left behind and whether it was worth the time, effort and huge amount of public money spent.
Fringe News - Thousands of performers from across the world are in Edinburgh for the start of the world's biggest arts festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will see more than 3,000 shows staged across almost 300 venues. Several new venues will feature in the August extravaganza, to accommod
UK - HHB Communications has supplied Olympic Cinema with a DiGiCo SD11 digital mixing console for its live concert series.
Olympic Cinemas has transformed the former Olympic Recording Studios into modern cinema and performance theatres. Renowned engineer Chris Kimsey (The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Duran Duran) began his illustrious career at Olympic and has now returned as the sound consultant and engineer for its live concert series and recording facilities.
Chris chose the powerful and feature-packed DiGiCo SD11 to provide 'front of house' duties for the live concerts. The SD11's compact size allows Chris to set up his mixing position in the middle of the cinema seating and a single network cable is used to link the mixer to the D-Rack stagebox.
Introduced to DiGiCo by engineer and Art of Noise member Gary Langan, Chris has found the SD11 to be a reliable, sonically
Spain - The Battle of the Flowers is the event which brings Valencia's July Fair to an end, a celebration that has been organised since 1871 and which consists of a month of events and activities focused on exhibitions of local products, music events and concerts.
This peculiar and peaceful battle of the flowers is a war in which participants throw more than one million clavellones (a type of flower) that form a huge and colourful carpet of flowers through the streets of Valencia that are part of the itinerary.
This year, the overall production of the battle of the flowers relied on 16 Work Pro speakers WPL 5A which were installed from the bridge of the flowers of Valencia to the roundabout General Elio, located next to Viveros Garden.
Additionally, among the material used for this event, there were two professional lifting towers by Work Lifters, in particular the LW 461 R
UK - This is an ex-Python. Bereft of life, it rests in peace, following the final sell-out Monty Python stage shows at the O2, which brought down the giant comedy foot with a resounding raspberry for the very last time on Sunday 20 July.
Behind the scenes, the last-ever theatrical presentation of the Python team's sketchbook was a high-tech affair, making extensive use of Shure wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring technology to ensure that every llama, lumberjack, albatross, crunchy frog, and mention of spam and excrementally runny camembert could be heard clearly - particularly on the final night, which was broadcast live internationally.
Responsibility for this not-inconsiderable task fell to the show's appointed sound designer, Rory Madden of live production and audio equipment hire company Sonalyst, who has most recently looked after the hit 2013 hit West End musical
USA - Xavtel Communications Inc has announced its registration with AVnu Alliance and was accepted as a promoter member end of July 2014.
This will allow Xavtel to be part of a worldwide group of companies to define the new standard of AV-Networking and to be able to integrate all relevant products for certification according to the AVB standards.
"We are in the process of starting our certification and hope to be ready to show our first certified hardware very soon, which will be another milestone for Xavtel, to be able to provide next generation audio video and conferencing solutions to our customers.
"With our V-Platform MIRA, we are already able to stream audio and video simultaneously over our 1Gbit Xavnet protocol with extremely low latency using our own codec, so the adoption process to the AVB standard should not take too long." says Romano M Cunsolo,
UK - Martin Audio has recently appointed two key sales roles. Firstly, Andy Duffield has taken the position of APAC account manager, whilst Roland Morcom has replaced the long serving Martin Kelly as EMEA account manager, who retired at the end of July.
Andy Duffield has over 30 years of experience in the Pro Audio industry and will take charge of a growing region both for touring and installation. As Simon Bull, International sales director, said, "China, Japan and Australia are critical territories, and there is opportunity to grow in such countries as Korea, Vietnam and Singapore, so Andy has a great opportunity to build Martin Audio's presence and I'm delighted to have such a well-respected manager dedicated to the region."
Roland Morcom again has depth of experience in Pro Audio and will take on selected countries in EMEA, shared with Andy Weingartner who joined
France - Amadeus' latest speaker system install is for the newly opened Les Quinconces in Le Mans. The building houses two theatres, one 830-seats and the other 120-seats, and features a full range of Amadeus speaker systems and subwoofers throughout the two concert halls.
Amadeus speakers installed in the theatres include the Diva XS, Diva XS 15 line arrays, and the co-axial PMX 12, PMX 15, PMX 15 S plus paired subwoofers for each room: ML 15 and ML 18. All of the Amadeus speakers at Les Quinconces are powered by Lab.gruppen amplifiers, utilizing both the company's C Series and the newly released IPD Series.
Twelve years after planning began, and four years after the first brick was laid, Les Quinconces in Le Mans was inaugurated on 26 April, 2014, in the presence of Stéphane Le Foll, French Minister of Agriculture, Le Mans Mayor Jean-Claude Boulard and Pascal Lelarge,
USA - The First Wayne Street United Methodist Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, has a very traditional building with a very common problem: Terrazzo floors, brick walls, and drywall ceiling add up to a long reverb time and challenging speech intelligibility.
At the same time, those same characteristics are what give choral music and the church's pipe organ a special kind of warmth. In fact, they are what help draw crowds to the several organ and classical music events that the church hosts each year. It can be difficult to keep the church's message clear and articulate without affecting the acoustical properties that are a key part of this kind of traditional ecclesiastical architecture.
A RoomMatch system from Bose Professional Systems provided the answer. As it has done for scores of houses of worship with similar challenges, the RoomMatch system was able to precisely address th
Australia - Phillip Island Nature Parks' Penguin Parade has transformed their audio equipment with a new Apart system throughout the entire indoor visitor complex.
Tilmex undertook the refurbishment for the legendary facility well known for its dusk Parade as thousands of Penguins waddle up the beach at the end of each day, watched by scores of visitors since the 1930's.
Phillip Island can be a particularly wild and harsh coastal environment and made the extensive choice of IP rated equipment Apart manufactures an obvious choice for Tilmex.
A great variety of Apart product (Revampss, Audiocontroll12.8, Mask speakers, Column and Sphere speakers) was installed in areas such as the Theatrette, small retail area, large retail area, rear exit to the beach, Penguin World information area, Outdoor Walk Way and entrance, café, and bathrooms.
USA - "At the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, we have always considered sound a key element in the performance itself," shares audio engineer Russell Cowans. Joining the company in 2011, Cowans quickly learned that almost every element of the production is given artistic attention, much like the dancers themselves.
"Each detail must come together to compliment what the movement on stage is trying to convey. Every decision we make for the sound system goes to support that end vision. For audio, that means everything from volume level, allowing the dancers to feel their movement and be energized by the sound, all the way to equipment proportions, so as not to interrupt the sight lines to the dancers. It is about the whole package coming together, and it is amazing to work with a company who gives priority to that."
UK - As the annual 'Wimbledon Fortnight' approaches each summer at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in south-west London, long-term contractors RG Jones Sound Engineering can generally be found putting the finishing touches to the latest upgrades to meet the club's evolving network and comms requirements.
As old equipment reaches end of life and more efficient digital solutions come onstream - as was the case when BSS introduced the Soundweb London digital DSP platform - so RG Jones' sales and installation director Jon Berry prepares a new specification which will underpin the club's future requirements.
However, this year a more radical overhaul was required with the relocation of the PA room in the Broadcast Centre - and this required him to specify a large number of Crown's new four-channel, energy efficient DriveCore Install (DCi) amplifiers.
UK - Allen & Heath has introduced the Xone:K1 to extend the MIDI controller range of its elite Xone DJ line, joining the successful Xone:K2 controller. The K1 has a flexible layout allowing users to define and customise an individual workflow and mixing experience, and works with all leading DJ software. The Xone:K1 is easily configurable to allow fast access for setting levels, triggering hot cues, adding effects and instant looping to relieve the DJ from focusing on the computer screen.
Featuring six endless rotary encoders with push switch, 12 analogue pots, four linear faders, and 30 backlit performance switches with three-colour illumination, the Xone:K1 allows comprehensive mapping to leading DJ and production software, such as Traktor Pro, Ableton, Virtual DJ and MixVibes, offering a total of 52 assignable hardware controls, more than any controller of its type.
USA - To build on the growing demand for Constellation acoustic systems, Meyer Sound has bolstered its team with the appointment of Mac Johnson to Constellation programme manager and Melody Parker to associate acoustic engineer.
"Since the launch of Constellation, the system has revolutionized the acoustics in live performance venues. Our customers are adapting the system's capabilities for new applications like meeting rooms, recording studios, classrooms, and restaurants," says Antonio Zacarias, vice president of worldwide sales for Meyer Sound. "With Mac and Melody's wealth of experience, we're ready to help customers from all areas find the best solutions for their acoustic needs."
As Constellation programme manager, Johnson drives all aspects of the company's Constellation efforts, from lead development to design, sales, and commissioning of systems. J
France - With over 10m record sales, French rock band Indochine have completed their Black City Tour with two mammoth consecutive shows at Stade de France. With a rigorous touring schedule, this complex production relied on the simple combination of Adamson, Lab.gruppen and Lake.
Formed in the 1980s, Indochine are heroes in their home country, the first French band ever to play the Stade de France to a crowd of 80,000 back in 2010. That they have endured for so long and so successfully is testament to the drive and vision of Nicolas Sirkis, singer and leader of the band. That vision has led to one of their most elaborate stage shows to date, one that blends sound, light and video in ways not normally seen at a rock show.
The Black City Tour started in February 2013 and took Indochine across Europe and the rest of the world, culminating in two consecutive shows at the Stade de
UK - VDC Trading, distributors of the Van Damme cable, managed to fulfil a huge order for over 150 microphone leads at very short notice for SWG Events to complete their installation at Glastonbury this year.
The South West Group is a regular supplier of events services to the Glastonbury festival and employs 10 full-time staff members and over 100 trained technicians, managers and consultants. SWG's coverage of the event spectrum includes sound, lighting, power, audio-visual, production services and event support. The company prides itself on having all resources to hand and we deliver only the very best service to our clients, sometimes with incredibly challenging deadlines. This was one of those times.
Richard Howells, project manager at SWG, said: "The guys at VDC really helped us out this year in preparation for Glastonbury, turning around 150+ cables in only a coupl
Norway - The largest Meyer Sound Lyon linear sound reinforcement system ever assembled was heard this summer at Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway. Provided by Bright Norway AS, the 360-degree system entertained 8,500 employees of Scandinavian supermarket chain REMA 1000 with performances by Norwegian musicians Karpe Diem, D.D.E., and Kurt Nilsen.
Named 1000 Colours of REMA, the show required a system that could provide even in-the-round coverage at rock music levels with impeccable speech intelligibility. The solution designed by Bright Norway's Preben Frostad incorporated eight arrays of 11 Lyon linear line array loudspeakers each. To deliver powerful and even low-end coverage, the audio team specified a TM Array configuration, with four arrays of seven 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements suspended directly over the centre stage.
Belgium - AED Rent has recently made some new investments in the field of wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring. It includes a comprehensive package from Shure systems, complemented by DPA miniature microphones. So AED Rent now has Axient, ULX-D and PSM1000 in its rental range.
In a time where more and more wireless applications are used, but where less bandwidth is available for the pro-users in the audio industry, Axient offers a highly reliable solution for high profile events, allowing the user to set up a 100% redundant wireless connection, say AED.
"With Shure ULX-D we find ourselves in another market/price segment. The price-quality ratio is very good. What gives the opportunity to many users to use wireless microphones in a digital version. In the AED group, a total of nearly 100 channels ULX-D are available spread over three different frequency bands,"
USA - Sensaphonics has added two more audiologists to its Gold Circle listing. The Sensaphonics Gold Circle is a group of audiologists who have been specifically trained to meet the hearing needs of music industry clients, with a special emphasis on in-ear monitoring.
Joining the Gold Circle ranks are audiologists Dr. Teresa Cannon of Staten Island Hearing and Balance, Staten Island, New York; and Dr. Matthew Bell of Pacific University in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Held at Sensaphonics headquarters in Chicago, the Gold Circle seminar is the only formal training system for audiologists on the in-ear monitoring from the musician's perspective. Instructors for the Gold Circle seminar include Sensaphonics founder and President, Dr. Santucci, and audio engineering consultant, Joe 'Sound Guy' Tessone. Topics include in-ear monitoring and hearing protection technology, concert sound system d
UK - Antony Warren, promoter for the Whisky Sessions approached Illuminate Design to provide lighting, sound, staging and technical support for their marquee at the Isle of White Festival.
With limited power, Chauvet Colorado Par fixtures were chosen for their punchy colour from a small unit. Source 4 Lustrs were provided to illuminate the backdrop of the stage. Traditional festoon lighting was used to light the 360m2 marquee to give a rustic feel in line with the branding for the event.
With a varied mix of acts playing on stage, the sound needed to be flexible whilst taking into account the very strict sound levels on site. RCF (HD10A + Art905AS) powered speakers were provided for both the FOH PA as well as the on stage monitoring systems (HD10A). Various microphones and DIs were supplied to cater for both voice and instruments, with a Yamaha LS932 as the main mixing console
USA - Focusrite has announced the appointment of industry veteran Kurt Howell to the position of RedNet Eastern regional manager. The announcement further emphasizes the growth and expansion of RedNet in the US. RedNet is Focusrite's range of modular Ethernet-networked interfaces based around the industry-standard low-latency Dante audio networking system.
In his new position, Howell, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, will work closely with prospective RedNet customers in conjunction with product specialist Ted White to continue to drive sales with Eastern U.S. dealers, contractors and reps. Howell's involvement will help RedNet continue its ongoing penetration as the standard for a networked audio solution for recording studios, higher education, television production, post-production, and live sound installations.
Prior to joining Focusrite, Kurt Howell was a Digidesign
UK - For the 18th year running, July saw Sennheiser attend the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) annual graduation ceremony, to reward students for their outstanding performance in initiatives that the company sponsors.
Taking place on 31 July and attended by both LIPA co-founders Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty, Sennheiser CEO Dr Andreas Sennheiser and the company's president of global sales Paul Whiting were present to hand out awards to this year's crop of Sennheiser-sponsored students.
2011 Sennheiser Scholarship winner Tomos Pierce graduated from LIPA, having enjoyed the considerable benefit of Sennheiser's support, experience and financial help during his time at the Institute.
"The application process for the Sennheiser Scholarship is designed to ensure that we support an outstanding student, who will go on to great things in the profes
UK - This summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were preceded by Live at Edinburgh Castle, a 2.5-hour multi-act concert, televised live on the BBC from this location that dominates the Edinburgh skyline. The line-up for the event was extensive and included Culture Club, OneRepublic, Kaiser Chiefs, Motown legend Smokey Robinson, Jessie J, Paloma Faith and Il Divo. Various acts were backed by a 12-piece house band and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. To keep up with the fast-paced nature of the high-profile event, two SSL Live consoles were provided by Britannia Row Productions.
Though the event was headed by Brit Row project manager Lez Dwight, with Stefan Krista managing the inputs and cross-patch from scores of 12-way sub-snakes, Nahuel Gutierrez operated one SSL Live for the 75-member orchestra, generating group stems for FOH, monitors, BBC broadcast and 16 persona
UK - 2014's Farnborough International Airshow saw the installation of a QSC Q-Sys networked audio management system to control the PA/VA systems at the biennial event, which took place in Hampshire in late July.
This year's show, as always, showcased the latest in aviation and airborne defence technology alongside displays of period aircraft and aerial acrobatic prowess, to the usual mixture of aviation industry experts, defence procurement mandarins, and the aircraft-loving general public.
As far as audio systems were concerned, however, it was all change; after the last show in 2012, Show Hire - one of Europe's leading event communications companies - were appointed for the first time to install and manage the on-site PA and audio systems.
The Airshow site at Farnborough is very large, covering approximately 2000 acres. From a PA perspective, it comprises several different
UK - At PLASA London 2014, Harting (Stand No. G15) is featuring its RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems for asset management in the theatre and touring environment, along with rugged connectivity solutions for audio-visual multimedia events.
Harting's RFID technology can be applied for improved asset management for entertainment rental/hire companies and for theatres which share equipment for touring shows. The Ha-VIS RFID system offers a high degree of flexibility to simplify the implementation of scalable solutions in different application sectors.
The system combines rugged, high-performance RFID readers with powerful data pre-processing to ensure high-speed data transmission and optimum dynamic network performance. An efficient software solution allows the scaling of RFID solutions from individual readers through to enterprise-wide solutions across different loca