USA - For more than 15 years, Ronan Chris Murphy has proved himself to be one of the most sought-after producer/mixers of hard jazz, progressive rock and experimental music. Over the past five years, Murphy has spent much of his time working from his own Culver City-based Veneto West Studio. Having engineered and produced over 200 albums for others - including some 15 records for King Crimson and various offshoots - Murphy, an accomplished guitarist and composer, is now turning his attention to his own solo project, which benefits from an all-star backup band of Levin on bass and Chapman Stick, Keneally on keys, and both Mastelotto and Bozzio on drums.
Seeing that Bozzio's percussion setup spans 16 feet and includes literally dozens of drums and cymbals, Murphy and co-engineer Dan Richards chose to run the drummer's entire kit through 15 channels of A-Designs Audio microphone pr
Northern Ireland - Between 7.00pm on Tuesday 2 May and 9.00am on Wednesday 3 May 2006, a break-in occurred at the premises of Park Audio at 41 Sydenham Road, Belfast. A large amount of sound equipment was stolen together with a vehicle belonging to the company. The vehicle has since been recovered. Park Audio is appealing for any information that may lead to the recovery of the missing equipment.
Anyone with any information relating to the above incident is asked to contact Glenn at Park Audio on 02890 805805, or the Belfast Harbour Police on 02890 553000. Park Audio is offering a financial reward for information leading to the safe recovery of the stolen equipment.
Details of the equipment are as follows: 16 Crest Audio CD3000 power amplifiers and 6 Crest Audio CD2000 power amplifiers - all housed in 6 x 12U racks; 2 Community RS220 loudspeakers; 2 Community FB1
UK - Large format projection specialists E//T//C UK debuted their new multi-screen video control software - OnlyView - on a projection show onto Senate House in London, for the Royal National Institute of The Deaf (RNID) last week. Onlyview was UK launched in March, and this was the first show to combine both methods of projection for a single creative result.
The Onlyview system, was working in conjunction with PIGI projection running on the established OnlyCue control system. Merging the two control systems and projection formats allowed E//T//C UK to produce a dynamic moving montage of images and information for the press launch of the RNID's new hearing test phone line - part of their Breaking The Sound Barrier campaign.
The video and film artwork and creative concepts were produced by Jason Bridge working with production company Pull Creative. The large white build
UK - The impact of David Gilmour's distinctive, edgy guitar work does not wane with repeated listening and Turbosound's Aspect loudspeaker system, used on his current On an Island tour, reproduces every note to hi-fi quality.
Both Turbosound and sound rental company Britannia Row have a long history with Gilmour that stretches back to Pink Floyd days and loyalty in the Gilmour camp to both companies is strong.
"There are a lot of people involved here who have been with David from day one," says production manager Roger Searle. "But no one is so set in their ways that they're not prepared to change things. David has a way that he likes to work, so that's the way we do things and if he's happy, we're happy."
Searle had some influence over the decision on choice of sound system. As he puts it: "I stuck my twopenneth in. We got a great result from
UK - The 100% Light bursary scheme is being launched at the brand new lighting show 100% Light. The 100% Light bursary scheme has been designed to make it easier for smaller companies to exhibit at the show.
All potential bursary applicants should be UK-based designers who have not previously exhibited at the 100% shows. Applicants who can demonstrate craft and design skills in producing commercially viable products for the lighting industry could be eligible for one of this year's 100% Light bursaries. There will be three 100% Light bursaries on offer to the most original and innovative new designer-makers, with the winners each receiving a 50% discount against the cost of stand space at 100% Light 2006.
The 100% Design bursary, launched in 1997 has helped more than 70 designers. Running alongside established sister shows 100% Design and 100% Detail, 100% Light will feature a
USA - SurgeX, a leading manufacturer of professional AC power products and control systems, announces that the company's 2005 Rep of the Year award was recently presented to the New York-based firm of Cardone, Solomon & Associates (CS&A).
Covering the manufacturer's Northeast region, from Virginia to Maine, CS&A is under the direction of co-founders John Cardone and Mike Solomon, who were presented with the same award by SurgeX only three years ago.
Cardone says: "It is a pleasure representing a product like SurgeX, which provides such reliable performance and clear benefits to the designer, integrator and end user of any AV system."
"Working with such a professional and attentive rep firm like CS&A is certainly a mutually rewarding experience," says SurgeX co-founder and senior principal Michael McCook. "Their broad-based knowledge of system
UK - A decision to underwrite the trade price and bring distribution in-house has enabled Van Damme UK to increase dealer margins whilst at the same dramatically decreasing the suggested selling price of its new, highly acclaimed Musician Series - a range of high quality hand terminated instrument, speaker and microphone cables launched in the first quarter 2006.
Van Damme's marketing director Nigel May says: "This is one of those very rare occasions where both trade and suggested selling prices can be cut without compromising product quality. The cost savings achieved are being passed directly on to our dealers, which means that our Musician Series cables are now up to 40% cheaper."
As part of the re-organisation, the company has appointed Simon Christie to the position of account manager for the Musician Series and he will be liasing directly with the MI trade. Chr
South Africa - The Soundcraft range of MH desks has been widely adopted over recent years in South Africa, with companies deploying them for use in installed applications, such as theatres, as well as for live touring sound.
The list of MH users, in particular, is rapidly expanding, and the latest to add its name is MGG Productions, who have purchased a Soundcraft MH3 32ch console from distributors Wild and Marr.
Formed in 2000, MGG primarily supplies technical services and equipment for events and productions in the fields of sound, lighting and video - but in this short period the company has put together a large inventory of equipment.
Having expanded rapidly, MGG found a growing requirement for a FOH desk to meet demands of larger events, and enable them to supply a FOH solution to complement their new JBL VRX PA.
"Having enough channels on a desk is essential, an
UAE - April's PALME 2006 exhibition in Dubai saw the second-ever public unveiling of the Midas XL8 Live Performance System, the manufacturer's entry into the digital domain. Key Midas staff, namely sales and marketing director David Cooper, brand development manager Richard Ferriday and R&D specialist Robin Page were on hand throughout PALME, held just three weeks after XL8's worldwide introduction at the Frankfurt ProLight&Sound show in Germany.
Taking centre stage at the booth of Midas Consoles Middle East (MCME), XL8 offers an incomparable design combining exemplary sound quality, flexibility and reliability with an ease and familiarity of use unrivalled by other digital control surfaces. As well as offering classic Midas audio quality and superb reliability, XL8 actually improves upon the performance of the analogue consoles, which have established the brand as the number on
UK - The innovative special effects that are helping the London Palladium bring Frank Sinatra to life on stage owe much of their success to the skill of Gerry Corry, freelance video engineer and project manager, who managed the Sinatra Livetheatrical production on behalf of XL Video UK.
This swinging musical event, which has received rave reviews, is a celebration of the life and songs of one of the world's best-loved crooners. The show features a live orchestra and dancers, plus vintage video footage of 'Old Blue Eyes', which is projected onto huge screens. A number of special guests duet with Frank, singing alongside the man himself in a live performance that incorporates the latest digital film and stage technology.
Corry, who has a long track record of working on video projects in the entertainment industry, was responsible for installing the large number of video p
UK - Liverpool based installation specialists, Mersey Sound Production (MSP) has installed integrated Harman Pro systems throughout the new Alima Centre; a black and racial minorities arts, conference, and learning centre. Developed in conjunction with the Novas Group, the centre, complete with bar and live performance area, is dedicated to engaging and empowering the community.
Sited in the prime Liverpool city centre location of Sefton Street, the Alima Centre features four flexible spaces, comprising three conference rooms and a live music area, in a regenerated Victorian warehouse. MSP chose an all Harman solution, including JBL VRX and SRX speaker systems, when providing audio and AV throughout all four areas. MSP's Colin Reader explains that company continually employs products from across all of the Harman Pro brands as standard inventory for various reasons, "The ma
UK - Marquee Audio has completed the installation of a user-friendly audio-visual system for the students and staff of the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, in their brand-new performance venue, the Menuhin Concert Hall.
The 315-seat Concert Hall, a chamber music venue, and a daily performance, tuition and rehearsal space for the school's use, is also available for hire for other music events and recording sessions.
Its construction was inspired by the death of the school's mentor Yehudi Menuhin in 1999, and was finally opened in January of this year. Lead Architect Mark Foley of Burrell Foley Fischer worked closely with the School's acoustician Bob Essert of Sound Space Design and theatre consultants Anne Minors Performance Consultants.
Marquee Audio was invited to join Sound Space Design, audio consultant Simon Kahn and the school team in drawing up an optimum AV specificat
UK - Summit Steel has purchased a new Kinesys K2 automation control system for the Take That tour, for which they are overseeing and supplying the bulk of the rigging equipment.
Take That, riding high on one of the most remarkable musical comeback stories so far of the 21st century, have received great critical acclaim for their new show. The tour reunites many of the successful production team that propelled the band to stardom in the 1990s including production manager Chris Vaughan, LD Simon Tutchener, artistic director Kim Gavin and Summit's Jon Bray.
Bray says: "It's really good to be working with so many of the original team again. Take That were the first band to use a large moving bridge over the audience and it's good to see that trick back in the show, plus a host of other ambitious movement and automation effects."
UK - Chart-topping DJ/production/remix team, Gabriel and Dresden, were recently invited by BBC Radio 1 to record a two-hour Essential Mix DJ set. The duo selected an Allen & Heath Xone:V6 rotary mixer for the live recording.
"We'd been on the road constantly since January promoting our debut album," says Josh Gabriel. "We were looking forward to a few days rest at home, then this was sprung on us! We immediately contacted every producer we know asking for their latest material. We absolutely needed a Xone:V6 for this project - there's no other DJ mixer on planet earth that sounds as good."
Dave Dresden says: "The V6 mixer was delivered to our studio within 24 hours. The live mix was recorded 36 hours later, and broadcast around the world about 48 hours after we'd finished it. By that time we were already in Puerto Rico, 3000 miles away from home."
UK - Audio-Technica Ltd announced today it had engaged a new pan-European press contact for its European affairs. As of 15 May 2006, Integrative Concepts will handle public relations on behalf of the major brand for microphones, headphones and other audio technologies.
Based in Leeds, UK, Audio-Technica Ltd handles the distribution of Audio-Technica products into EMEA and the sales and marketing for the UK. Winner of numerous industry awards, Audio-Technica manufactures products that set standards in terms of quality, durability and price/performance for live sound, broadcast and recording studios, corporate and government facilities, house-of-worship venues, and more.
The main contact for any press-related issues is Stephanie Sobey-Jones, Integrative Concepts UK. Integrative Concepts was founded by Thomas Wendt in Germany in 1998. With a background in sound engineering, softw
Germany - For German auto enthusiasts, the definitive driving experience would be zipping along a road through the Bavarian Alps behind the wheel of a new Porsche. It was hardly a surprise, then, that a recent debut party for the 2006 Porsche Cayman S coupe drew an overflow crowd of 800 eager Bavarians to the theatre hall of Haus der Kunst in Munich. For audio enhancement of the video program and other visual effects, which included twin silver Caymans bursting in through paper walls, the event relied on a high-flown system of Meyer Sound M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers.
"The sound from the M1Ds was clear and intelligible throughout the hall, despite the room size and difficult acoustics," says Urs Gammel of MDS PAtec Veranstaltungstechnik, provider of all sound, lighting and video equipment for the event. "The hall is a full 35 meters long, and w
UK - At the recent Lavenham Festival, Jazz singer Clare Teal played a sell out concert at the town's 12th Century church of St Peter and St Paul.
Chelmsford based Event Sound & Light were back for the third year running, looking after the sound. Using a single KV2 ES1.0 flown in the centre of the church and two ES2.5 bass enclosures on the ground, plus two EX12's as side fills and two EX10's as delays further down the church.
Paul Galley explained the system: "We used one ES1.0 to reduce the slap-back which occurs in most churches. Point source is the key for this event. We did the same set up last year and it worked exceptionally well. We get good overall levels with small amounts of natural reverb, but the KV2 system always gives us fantastic controlled dispersion with natural sounds."
Event Sound & Light have also been busy working on a number of high profile to
UK - When it comes to versatility, Turbosound's Aspect series has proved itself second to none and is now using its supreme power and clarity to deliver the pop sensibilities of former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes.
Hayes' current UK tour began at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium on 20 April and plays in theatre-sized venues throughout the UK until early May. Supplied by Britannia Row Productions, the Aspect system was specified by front of house engineer Snake Newton. Having used and been impressed by Aspect at a Sugababes album launch and at the 2005 Roskilde festival, he was keen to explore the system's possibilities further.
The Clyde Auditorium is one of the biggest venues on the tour, for which six TA-890Hs and four TA-890Ls were flown per side, plus six further ground-stacked TA-890Hs and a TQ-425 sub per side, with TQ-308s for infill. Newton is mixing the tour on a Yam
Italy - On 23 April 2006 a prestigious and unusual musical event was staged at the Palasport Olimpico - the 11,500 capacity Olympic ice hockey stadium in Turin, Italy. Volumi all'Idorgeno (Volumes of Hydrogen) was organized by the extremely popular Italian group, Subsonica and sound designer Enrico Fuamsoli created a reinforcement system completely powered by Lab.gruppen fP Series amplifiers.
Big Talu Music Service of Mondovì, Italy (in collaboration with Fumasoli Service, of Aosta, Italy) was awarded the sound and lighting contract. The main sound system utilized one cluster per side of 16 Martin Audio W8L line array loudspeakers with an additional 8 W8Ls being focused on the bleachers. Two clusters of Martin Audio W8LM were in service as side fills. Lab.gruppen fP 6400 and fP 3400 amplifiers drove the whole system, reliably and efficiently. XTA DP226s and DP224s affect
UK - White Light repeats its successful Graduates Open Day for technical theatre students, once again featuring guest speakers, new equipment, careers advice - and food.
Entertainment lighting specialist White Light will be continuing its successful annual Graduates Open Day, holding the 2006 event on Wednesday 7 June at its Wimbledon, south-London base.
Open to anyone contemplating a design or technical career in the entertainment lighting industry, including but by no means limited to students at drama schools and universities, the Open Day will give guests 'hands-on' access to some of the latest lighting products from manufacturers such as MA Lighting, Martin and Selecon, as well as a chance to tour the comprehensive facilities available at White Light. Visitors will also be able to meet and listen to careers advice and other thoughts from a number of leading
Poland - Earlier this year Danish beer and beverage company Carlsberg, with a little help from one of Poland's top lighting supply and design companies, GRODA, organized a party for its Polish employees at Torwar Bowl in Warsaw. The most attractive element of the evening's design was an enormous eight-legged spider truss. The creature was composed of eight legs and round circular truss body surrounding a 5.3m diameter ball.
Four legs, made of transparent tubes, were fixed to the ground. Inside each tube leg GRODA placed a Mac 300 washlight, Atomic strobe, and Jem ZR12-DMX fog machine. The MacC 300s worked to color the tubes while flashing Atomics created the illusion of quick motion. Fog from the ZR12s gave the plastic tubes a more solid appearance.
The spider's remaining four truss limbs (decorated with LED) and the round body were movable, which further enhanced the attracti
UK - Snake Newton got into sound engineering 'by mistake' 20 years ago, as he thought that giving his band of the time a better sound would get them noticed. And to a certain degree his thinking paid off. The band didn't get noticed but Snake's quality sound did and soon his services were in demand the world over.
He says: "Since 1999 I have done two years with the Pet Shop Boys, three years with Craig David and two-and-a-half years with Duran Duran, who exploded back on the live scene having reformed in their original line up. I have also worked, mixing FOH, on many TV Award shows including the MTV Europe awards, the MOBOs and the Brits, and have supervised the band mix at dozens of TV and radio performances around the world."
His latest tour saw him oversee the live sound for the Sugababes, during which time his Focusrite Liquid Channels came in to full effect. &qu
UK - Entec Sound and Light supplied Russian superstar Philip Kirkorov with full lighting and sound production, and also co-ordinated other production elements including video and pyro for his sold out show at Hammersmith Apollo. It was part of an extensive two month European tour.
Entec has experience of working with several leading Russian artists, and for this show, their crew co-ordinated in advance with Kirkorov's touring crew to ensure the busy show day ran smoothly.
Lighting designer Boris Volkov design involved three upstage trussing triangles, constructed from mini-beam and hung off nine points from two rigging trusses, plus two straight A-type front and mid lighting trusses.
His operating style was based on 'beam technology' with lots of dramatic beam and gobo looks from lighting fixtures spread across all of the trussing elements. These included 26 Vari*Lite VL 200
UK - Marquee Audio has recently supplied a KV2 Audio EX 10 active powered loudspeaker system to ITV's London Studios. Marquee's Rob Whitaker explains: "I was initially contacted by Luke Wallace at The London Studios who looks after their AV requirements. Initial discussions were based around a fixed installation but during further investigation, listening to how and what would be expected and taking into account the aesthetics of the room (clean lines, cool steel and lots of glass) it was decided that a highly flexible, but portable system which could be quickly set up and struck down would be the best solution, but without any of the sonic compromises that often occur when taking into account the client's requirements."
The room has to be used in several different ways including, green room, canteen and conference facility. Whitaker says: "The room is used in jus