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UK - St Mary's Stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club, has secured the opportunity to hold concerts at the ground during the closed season, the first of which will feature prolific singer and song writer Elton John to a sold-out crowd of 35,000 at the stadium in May.

St Mary's is not alone in a year that sees a significant increase in the number of football stadiums hosting concerts in the UK to provide an additional revenue stream and bring entertainment to their areas during the closed season. Some have hosted concerts before, while for others such as St Mary's it is a first, but in all cases the potential for noise upsetting local residents is a major hurdle to over-come in securing the all-important entertainment licence.

Acoustics specialists Capita Symonds has helped many UK sports venues secure concert licences during 2005, and the company was brought in by St M

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UK - Boston Acoustics UK has introduced a new line up of its 'outdoor audio' Voyager Series loudspeakers. The company cites sound quality, easy installation and weatherproof construction as its key benefits for commercial and domestic new build or re-fit projects.

The Voyager series loudspeakers are compact, attractive and designed to withstand 15 years of outdoor use. The cabinets are waterproof, UV-resistant to avoid fading in the sun and come supplied with corrosion resistant grilles and brackets. Special touches include rotating badges for vertical or horizontal installation and chunky, hand-tight collars for simple position adjustment.

The range spans five models from the smallest, Voyager 4, at 23cm tall for discreet installation while the range-topping Voyager 7 model boasts a substantial 7in bass driver in a larger cabinet for improved sound.

For acoustically demandi

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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UK - Sunbaba created a series of branded digitally printed screens for MTV earlier this month which were used as a backdrop and branding for their Spanking New Music Week event at Manchester Metropolitan University Student's Union.

MTV's three-night event featured some of the UK's newest acts from Jem and The Longcut to The Editors, who are expected to break into the charts this year, performing in front of a series of DigiMesh backdrops produced by Sunbaba. The screens were digital printed for clarity.

In addition to the main stage backdrops Sunbaba also produced digitally printed PA Scrims using its new DigiSound scrim material which allows the sound to pass through little signal degradation.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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Austria - Midas' Austrian distributor Audiosales has sold a 40-channel Verona console to VTR (Veranstaltungstechnik Rieder), a Viennese multimedia rental company offering high level video solutions to high calibre clients from across the country. VTR has invested heavily in video equipment over the past years, and wished to upgrade its audio quality, a move which included replacing the main audio mixing desk which had been in residence for some time. Criteria included much-improved sonic performance, better signal to noise ratio - especially when placed near dimmer or amp racks - a small frame size and a reasonable price point.

After a shootout between four British-manufactured consoles, VTR chose the Midas Verona. "Although VCAs are a nice feature to have, we don't need them very so much, so we focused more on the audio quality," says Mischa Volavsek, technical direct

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USA - While noise, feedback, uneven coverage and even unintelligibility are acceptable, perhaps even preferable, on Bourbon Street, they were deemed unacceptable when the city's various governing bodies convene at New Orleans City Hall. Specifically, concern centred around the main council chambers, the site of numerous meetings by panels handling the city's business, such as the city council and the planning commission.

The root of the problem lies in an antiquated analog sound system that grew increasingly incapable of handling mounting audio demands. New World Resources Corp., a New Orleans-based AV systems integrator, was brought in to tackle the issue. "The system was really giving them a hard time," said company president David Humphreys. "They tried various short fixes, but they finally decided that it was simply a bad design. They agreed with us that a new

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UK - Autograph Sales has announced the appointment of five regional dealerships as authorised product resellers. Stage Sound Services of Cardiff, Pro Audio Systems of Bradford, Impact from Newquay in Cornwall, B&H Syscom of Peterborough and Midlands-based Pro Audio Solutions are the first five companies to join this new initiative.

The scheme provides customers for Aviom, Clear-Com, Countryman, EM Acoustics, Fischer Amps, K&M, MC2 and Milab with local pre and post-sales support, backed up by in-depth technical knowledge and instant-access stock at Autograph Sales.

"We're very excited about these new partnerships," says Autograph's Susie Alterman. "The range of brands that we represent appeal to a much wider audience than ever before, and having regional specialists will give pro audio customers in every part of the UK the local knowledge and backup that they nee

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USA - The Colorado Convention Center in Denver has completed a major $268 million expansion/renovation that makes it the 15th largest conference center in the USA. More than 100 national meeting planners played a major role in designing the expansion, a 292,000 sq. ft. seamless addition to the facility, which includes a new 50,000 sq. ft. flexible space ballroom. The new ballroom is divisible into 18 different rooms, offering literally hundreds of possible configurations. The 'wow' factor, however, comes when guests gaze up at the built-in colour-changing fiber optic lighting located in the ceiling.

Overhead sparkle 4,540 teardrop Swarovski crystal points powered by 72 Martin Architectural FiberSource CMY 150 fiber optic illuminators and Advanced Lighting Systems FocaLyte™ Fiber Optic Cable. The Martin FiberSource illuminators are located in the ceiling, at the extreme edge

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UK - Direct connectivity with ESP Vision software with some new exclusive features is now available for Wholehog 3 console owners. A new partnership between ESP Vision of Las Vegas and High End Systems allows Wholehog 3 owners to make use of this ground-breaking visualisation technology.

ESP Vision software simulates all facets of a lighting fixture's capability and personality in real-time via a simple Ethernet connection with a Wholehog 3 console. The visualization provides the user with a powerful toolset to create and pre-program spectacular shows and lighting designs.

"This connectivity to ESP Vision is exciting because of the functionality it will add to the Wholehog 3 console," says Robbie Bruce, HES Director of Software Development. "It's optimized for the Wholehog 3, meaning that it carries features the normal ESP Vision software doesn't offer for other

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UK - The 400 seat Corn Exchange in Newbury has recently upgraded its sound system. The Art Centre's technical manager Guy Dickens managed this project as part of a general refurbishment programme, which included new seating, and decoration. The overall aim of the refurbishment was to improve on the comfort and the "theatre experience" for the audience.

Guy Dickens explains: "The Corn Exchange is a busy multipurpose arts centre which has a fast turnaround of shows (mainly one night stands) often involving different formats and mix positions. There were several reasons why we needed to improve our existing 10-year-old sound system. The expectations from the public have risen, as most people now listen to digital sound in their homes and cars, and want the same quality when they see a live show. The same expectations are also coming from the performers. More and more

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USA - We've seen a number of new developments concerning the ongoing LED debate this week, beginning with Color Kinetics Inc (CKI) announcing that the Massachusetts District Court has granted its Motion for Summary Judgement regarding three of Super Vision's claims - those for 'interference with prospective business relationships', 'trade disparagement', and 'defamation', which we reported on 25 April.

Following that announcement, Brett Kingstone of Super Vision was quick to respond to reassure his supporters and place the implications of the ruling in perspective. He told us: "The ruling was based on a technical procedural issue, and not on any merits in the case, including any merits on those three claims [by] Super Vision. In fact Color Kinetics did win a minor victory in this summary judgment, which unfortunately is one of a string of minor victories that are based prim

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UK - Organisers of the National Concert Band Festival say they have found the perfect recording device in their attempt to merge a playback CD of each band's work with constructive appraisal from an adjudication panel. Consolidated as a charity, each of the 50 bands participating in this year's national festival - held at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester - was recorded on a Marantz CDR300 Professional portable CD recorder.

This event is an adjudication by professional musicians and composers against a set criteria, based on musicality and tonality. These recordings enable up to 160 bands, at the regional stage, to assess how well they are progressing. NCBF previously used a battery-powered portable cassette recorder, but has now switched to the CDR300, according to NCBF business manager Kevin Cooke, using one channel to record the band direct to CD via a Behring

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Germany - Lighting design - what does the phrase conjure up for you? Do you think of par cans, fresnels and spots? Or moving heads? LED systems? How about video screens and projected images? Award-winning lighting designer Jerry Appelt will be considering this question at Showlight 2005 next month, when he talks about Lighting Germany. Appelt's work integrates all the visual elements of a performance into his designs, so the set, video, projections and effects such as star cloths and LED light curtains all seamlessly become part of the production.

As a counter to this, another award-winning lighting designer, Rick Fisher, wonders whether technology is beginning to upstage the lighting designer's art. With his paper Nothing to Light? It must be projection!, Rick guarantees a stimulating discussion as he questions why, if lighting is the glue that holds a show together, are

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UK - RCF has announced it is to host a two-day customer Open Day 'In House' exhibition, at Coombe Abbey Hotel, Brinklow Road, Coventry, on June 28 and 29. Opening hours are 10am-7pm on the Tuesday and 10am-4pm on the Wednesday.

During the event RCF plans to show many of its professional and commercial audio sound systems. These will include active demonstrations of the new ART Series and the larger format 4PRO Active Speaker System, including the new 4PRO 7001 4 Way Active System, launched at this year's Frankfurt exhibition. The Open Day will also see the first full UK demonstration of the RCF Acustica compact speakers.

RCF's Phil Price commented: "It is important for our customers to be able to see and hear our new speakers systems. This year alone RCF have introduced new models in all our major ranges as a well as a complete new range of Monitor Q Installation speakers

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UK - ACE PA selected a 40-channel Allen & Heath ML3000 VCA live sound console configured with six stereo channels to provide sound reinforcement at the 80th Rotary International Annual Conference, held at Manchester's MEN Arena in April.

Production company Comtec Presentations appointed ACE PA to provide a PA system for the various speakers and performing artists during the three-day conference and celebration. Approximately 3,000 club members attended this year's event. For the conference - where guest speakers included HRH Princess Anne, Duncan Goodhew and Orpheus Trust founder Richard Stilgoe - there were inputs from two lectern mics, six radio mics, with VT, PC, DVD, CD and MD feeds. The first evening's entertainment included performances from a steel band, three school orchestras and a 200-strong choir, supported by carefully placed condenser microphones. Other entertainmen

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UK - XL Video and video artist/designer Sven Ortel of Mesmer have been working together again on their latest project - Vanishing Points - staged at the Gymnasium (also known as 'The German Gym'), sandwiched between Kings Cross and St Pancras Stations.

An promenade performance pushing the boundaries of technology and imagination in a site specific collaboration between writer John Berger, poet and novelist Anne Michaels and theatre-maker Simon McBurney. Performed by Complicité, the event was production managed by John Farquhar-Smith.

McBurney asked Ortel onboard to produce special visuals that played a major role in the show's narrative. The potent and emotional work explores themes of immigration, displacement, deportation and conflict, taking the audience on the fast track from industrial to the metaphysical via the memories and hidden histories of 'arrivals' and 'de

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Canada - Cast Software says it is anticipating a great response to its Competitive Products Promotion, endorsing the WYSIWYG Design product level. Effective on 1 May 2005, through to 31 July 2005, Cast will be offering users of competitive products the opportunity to purchase WYSIWYG Design or WYSIWYG Design Educational versions at extremely discounted rates. For as little as $319, these users can own WYSIWYG Design Educational or for $619 they can own the complete version of WYSIWYG Design.

Competitive products including VectorWorks, MSD and LD Assistant will be honored. "We've spoken to several industry professionals who are frustrated with their purchase and wish they had bought WYSIWYG", says Bob Mani, V.P of sales and business development. "We understand their dilemma and would like to protect their investment by offering them the latest and best software ava

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UK - A £200,000 conversion of the upstairs bar in Halstead, North Essex - has presented owners Paul Maybank and John Craig with a self-contained 250-capacity nightclub called The Scene.

Previously used as an overspill balcony bar after the owners had transformed the former Cooperative Society building five and a half years ago, Paul Maybank divulged his plans to Andrew Baldwin from locally-based specialists, Jedi Lighting & Sound, who had carried out regular maintenance work during the venue's five year history.

"He contacted us six months before the conversion became public knowledge, as a result of which we arranged a number of sound and lighting demonstrations," said Baldwin. Among these was the Martin Audio Blackline range and as a result, four Blackline F12's, with dedicated flying yokes, form the pivotal dancefloor sound, angled at 45° over the main floor, wh

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Australia - Laservision has announced it has recently won first place in four major national awards that recognise the creative and technical solutions Laservision provided to Hong Kong's Harbour and its Symphony of Light spectacular.

The awards were for Australia's Best Small Business, Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by the Australian Institute of Engineers, Best Creative Small to Medium Sized Enterprise, presented by the Hong Kong Australian Business Association, and NSW Exporter of the Year in the category of Arts and Entertainment, presented by Austrade and the Australian Institute of Export.

The Hong Kong spectacular was produced for the Hong Kong Tourism Commission. Described as the largest of its kind ever attempted, the Symphony of Light celebrates the permanent illumination of 18 of Hong Kong's most prominent buildings. The sensory medi

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USA - The Universal Forum of Cultures, with walls built from coral-like blue concrete and water flowing from a giant reservoir on the roof to keep it cool in summer, is a spectacular architectural addition to Barcelona's seafront. Known locally as the Forum, it was, quite fittingly since the Toyota Prius was the official car of Forum Barcelona 2004, the site of Toyota's European Regional Dealer Managers Conference 2005, an event produced by Jack Morton Worldwide. Sound was provided by UK sound production company Delta Audio, with DiGiCo D5 Live consoles providing their mixing solutions.

"In the past this event has been held in the Palau Saint Jordi in Barcelona, and also in Lisbon," explains Delta Audio's sound designer for the event, Jim Lambert. "It's a conference and party for 5,000 Toyota car dealers and managers from around Europe, held over two days. This ye

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UK - David Atkinson Lighting Design (DALD) recently completed the lighting of the UK Pavilion at World Expo, Aichi, Japan. The theme of Expo is Nature's Wisdom, with the aim to raise people's awareness of the global environment and explore the ways to promote a sustainable future. The UK pavilion called www.my-earth.org.uk was designed and created by Ten Alps Events, Landesign and the Natural History Museum (London).

The pavilion site incorporates a garden and an internal exhibition space. Both the garden and internal space contain specially commissioned artworks by nine renowned British contemporary artists on the theme of mankind's relationship with nature.

Although the garden would be viewed during daylight hours throughout the summer months DALD chose to illuminate the space for dusk and overcast conditions. The pre show queuing area consists of large 'leaf-filigree' woode

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USA - Audio-Technica microphones were omnipresent throughout this year's VH1 Save The Music concert, which saw a host of musical greats turn out stellar performances at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre. The concert made extensive use of Audio-Technica's Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF wireless system on lead vocals for artists including Alicia Keys, Rob Thomas and John Legend.

The show was held on April 11, and employed A-T wireless and wired mics in numerous applications. A-T Artist Elite 5000 Series Wireless additionally facilitated presentations by Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Christina Applegate and LL Cool J. The large selection of hardwired A-T microphones on hand included the AE2500 for bass guitar amps, ATM35 and AT4054 on horns, AT4051a for hi-hat and ride cymbal, AT4054 on background vocals, and AE5100 for audience.

Audio production mixer Al Centrella, whose credits in

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UK - PLASA Media has received a warning about a con-man operating in the London area who has stolen several thousand pounds worth of equipment from a London-based AV hire company. The culprit gave his name as David Jones from BBC Worldwide, and presents convincing paperwork - and an internal answerphone message at the BBC itself - to back up the claim. He then collected, via courier, a range of equipment including laptop computers and plasma screens, and disappeared.

The BBC is aware of the problem, we are told. If anything suspicious arises, please contact Simon Brown at the BBC's investigations department on 0208 752 5094.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK/Norway - Software providers Stardraw.com recently announced the appointment of leading Norwegian distribution specialists, Benum AS, as resellers throughout Norway for the entire range of Stardraw's design and documentation packages.

With nearly thirty-five years experience in distribution, Benum represents over sixty premium brands in the audio, video, broadcast and MI market sectors including Renkus-Heinz, Digigram, NetCira by Fostex, Digidesign, Shure and Telex to name but a few.

Benum sales manager, Ronald Hernes, says he is pleased to include Stardraw products in the Benum portfolio. "We already count a number of other software tools among our product range, and therefore have experience in the market. We also carry a number of complementary ranges with whom Stardraw has already forged a relationship including Digigram and NetCira by Fostex, so the addition of Sta

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