Germany - Meyer Sound announced at ProLight + Sound, Frankfurt, that it has incorporated its business in the UK by establishing Meyer Sound UK. This marks the second announcement from the company this month that demonstrates Meyer Sound's commitment to the growing European marketplace, says the company, the first being the appointment of Dave "Wiggy" Wiggins to the newly created position of director of marketing for Europe.

"The continuing development of Meyer Sound's business in Europe has made it essential for the company to form a strategic presence in the UK, which is one of the most influential professional audio markets in the world," says Helen Meyer, executive vice president of Meyer Sound. "The move to establish Meyer Sound in the UK is a key ingredient in our medium to long-term plans for growing our customer base, developing new markets, and g

Austria - When the Grand Casino Baden reopened in 1995 - as part of the resplendent Congress Casino Baden - it not only became the largest casino in Europe but one of the most prominent event centres in the country. A subsidiary of Casinos Austria AG, the venue was set up to handle around 240 events a year (in three different function spaces) 365 days a year.

Back in 2002 Andreas Gallé, Congress Casino Baden's senior technician, decided to install a CobraNet digital backbone. "When we started to evaluate new amplifiers two years later it was logical to look for network-based audio devices," he explained.

The technician specified quantities of QSC PowerLight PL6, PL236, PL230 and PL218 amplification, networked via seven QSC BASIS 922 units. To this the Casino subsequently added a further three BASIS 922 DSP's, linked by the DataPorts of two QSC CX 168's and and

Germany - Audio-Technica has taken on the exclusive distribution of speaker systems manufactured by AD-Systems in Germany, it was announced at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt this week.

"We have been looking to expand our product range over the last 18 months, to offer our customer a complete 'system house' solution," stated Joerg Rader, branch manager for Audio-Technica Germany.

"We have found a perfect partner in AD-Systems and secured very close cooperation with a highly motivated and flexible manufacturer, which offers a complete win win situation for both our customers and ourselves."

AD-Systems and its team of 14 employees, is located on the outskirts of the Ruhr area in Wesel. After their relocation from Spain to Germany in 2006, the organization's national and international operations underwent a fundamental restructuring programme. "We are loo

South Africa - The first Avolites Tiger console in South Africa was delivered by distributors DWR to Pretoria-based lighting rental company, Stage Effects.

The Tiger's first gig in the country was Gospel Times, a show broadcast from the South African Broadcasting Association (SABC) Studios, Johannesburg. From there it went directly on to Tempo's, a Johannesburg venue where Stage Effects runs moving and generic lighting. "It's smaller than the Pearl but just as powerful," enthuses Stage Effects' Theo Papenfus. "On many of these shows where you are just adding moving lights to a studio generic rig, you don't need a large console."

The Tiger joined the two Pearls already owned by Stage Effects, which works across all industry sectors, but specialising in lighting for live concerts and broadcast applications.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The UK's latest 'super club', the 1200-capacity, three-level State Club in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, has opened its doors with the UK's largest installation to date of the Dynacord XA PA system, installed by Doncaster based Electro Music.

Created by Peter Swann, the entrepreneur behind the successful Sands Jazz Club in the same town, the spacious State Club resides in the totally renovated shell of a former cinema. In its new guise it makes abundant use of the space to offer four venues in one - nightclub, live music venue, café/lounge and digital cinema.

The main stage hosts live acts and, using its retractable 20m screen and dedicated DLP digital cinema projector, daytime movie screenings. It is flanked by a pair of ground stacks of Dynacord FX12 mid-high tops from the XA range that focuses sound on the dancefloor, with a row of eight matching FX20 Planar waveg

USA - Stage Technologies has confirmed its platinum sponsorship of the forthcoming North American Theatre Engineering & Architecture Conference. The two day conference will be held in New York 20-21 July 2008.

Based on the model of the London TEA conferences, produced by Richard Brett in 2002 and 2006, NATEAC promises to bring together many world-leading theatre consultants, architects, engineers, technicians and technical managers. The conference will offer a forum to address issues concerning planning, design, construction and equipping all manner of entertainment venues, from grand opera houses through to school theaters.

Stage Technologies' decision to become platinum sponsor of NATEAC, follows the success of the London TEA 2006 conference, for which it was the sole platinum sponsor.

Kevin Taylor, CEO of Stage Technologies Inc said, "By supporting the conference as

UK - Wandsworth's Cancer Resource Centre offers a pioneering model for the future, according to world-renowned cancer doctor Professor Karol Sikora of Imperial College. His appointment as President of the Centre was announced at the Centre's 25th anniversary celebration on 27 February at Battersea Power Station, attended by stars and users and supporters of the centre - and accompanied by a rare lighting up of the chimneys of the power station.

Martin Professional contributed to the evening's celebration by creating an atmosphere in light over Battersea Power Station. Martin products used to illuminate this event were eight Exterior 600 washlights, which were placed on the flat roof of the power station to light the side face of two of the large chimneys.

Peter Western at Martin Professional commented, "We were approached to offer some lighting for this event and were hap

UK - The Stage Electrics audio department has recently added the new L-Aacoustics Kiva / Kilo line array systems to its growing inventory of L-Acoustics loudspeakers. The company's existing stock has been in high demand since a UK dealership agreement was signed with the French manufacturer in August 2007.

In total, 16 Kiva Mid-Highs and four Kilo Lows have been purchased, with the possibility of increasing the numbers later in the year. The system is being powered by the addition of a further two LA4 controller amplifiers.

Stage Electrics audio production manager Andrew Taylor commented, "We had been looking to add a small format line array system to our hire inventory for some time and were interested in the soon to be released Kiva / Kilo system. The demo system L-Acousticss provided was enrolled on a couple of high profile shows with spectacular results, our clients w

UK - The international professionals responsible for the safety of audiences worldwide were themselves looked after by crowd management company, Showsec, this March. The International Live Music Conference (ILMC) welcomed 950 live music promoters, agents and managers to London's Royal Garden Hotel to discuss the issues affecting live music and events, including secondary ticketing, audience safety and emerging markets.

"Live music promoters understand the responsibilities and challenges of providing top class crowd management, stewarding and security," says Showsec's managing director, Mark Harding. "So we were delighted to be able to provide the friendly, professional and effective service they demand. Showsec is increasingly being asked to work in a management capacity on international events including Bestival Romania, Desert Storm in Dubai and MTV Europe. We f

UK - Unsigned Heroes, the competition run by microphone manufacturer AKG to find the best unsigned UK or Irish band of 2008, continues to gather pace. The first live heat of the contest was held on 29 February, pitting three unsigned bands against one another at Shoreditch's Comedy Café, London, during new music evening The Break. The winner, by unanimous agreement of the assembled industry judges, was Warrington's ska'n'surf trio Bill Davro.

Unsigned Heroes returns to the Comedy Café in Shoreditch with three more unsigned bands for the second heat of the contest on 28 March. Once again, the heat coincides with The Break, the new evening of new music and performances by up-and-coming bands sponsored by AKG and Strummerville, the charity set up to promote new bands in the name of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer.

(Jim Evans)

USA - American DJ is going on tour, starting 27 March, 2008 in Florida. In the months to come, the company will be stopping at dealer locations throughout the country to introduce the latest sound and lighting equipment by offering hands-on training and "amazing deals for customers". The ADJ Tour aims to showcase the benefits of the latest technology, and help DJs get the most out of new equipment, says the company.

Also stopping in California, Nevada, New York, Washington, and Oregon, the ADJ Tour gives DJs the opportunity to attend a hands-on demo featuring the latest gear from Reflex LED, Pearl LED, Revo 3, Dual Gem LED, and the Revo LED Sys in lighting and the TT Record, SDJ-1, and QSD in audio. Factory reps will be offering training on the products, so attendees will be learning straight from the professionals.

"New technology is changing the landscape of t

Europe - Ohm's Northern European sales coverage has been augmented by the opening of Ohm Europe, announced at ProLight & Sound in Frankfurt. Already strong in Eastern Europe with distributors based in Slovakia, Poland, Russia, Finland, the Ukraine and Scandinavia represented by the Kinovox Group. The newly formed Ohm Europe will complete the northern European coverage in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Based at their substantial premises in Nuremberg, South Germany, the company is headed up by Daniel Danzer and Sebastian Kamm. They possess many years experience in the sales of Ohm products as well as rental and installations, making them ideally qualified to advise OHM customers on the use of the full range of Ohm equipment, says the company.

"This is a great opportunity for us to be further involved with Ohm" says Daniel Danzer. "We have sold, used and instal

China - Midas's Chinese distributor Rightway Audio has sold four Midas XL8 Live Performance Mixing Systems into the country. Three have gone to the Suzhou Science and Cultural Centre (SSCAC) while a further has been sold to Shenzhen Poly Cultural Centre.

Two of the XL8 systems at the SSCAC have been installed into the 1,200-capacity Grand Theatre, with the third residing in the 500-capacity Dinner Theatre. A Verona has also been installed into each theatre, along with four Klark Teknik Square ONE EQs and an 8-channel Square ONE Dynamics processor.

The centre, built alongside Lake Jin Ji in the Arts and Entertainment district of Suzhou Industrial Park, is the largest multi-functional complex in the region, housing exhibition and function halls, a commercial centre, a Cineplex and an IMAX Theatre as well as the two XL8-equipped theatres.

Theatre Projects Consultants was the au

Dubai - The relentless drive in hospitality project development throughout the Middle East now valued at in excess of US$90 billion, has proliferated the number of top international technology brands lining up alongside local distributors at this year's PALME Middle East show, say the organizers.

Taking place at Dubai International Exhibition Centre on 27-29 April, and now the region's largest entertainment and integrated technology show, PALME has an impressive exhibitor portfolio that includes AMX, Dutco Tannant, Sanyo, Christie, Extron, NEC, Martin Professional, Bose, Tannoy, Adamson Pro, Robe, Clay Paky, MA Lighting, Vogels and Barco, while a Smart Residential Area will be supervised by Eon, distributors of the Philips Pronto.

Exhibition director, Alexander Heuff, claims technology companies involved in the hospitality and residential sectors are backing the show in increa

UK - Carling Academy Sheffield, AMG's latest £3,500,000 live music and club venue, opens on Friday 11 April 2008.

The venue is Liverpool-based Adlib Audio's first AMG project, for which they have specified and installed a Nexo Geo D sound system, with Soundcraft digital consoles.

The sound design was created by Adlib's Andy Dockerty in conjunction with Roger Kirby and Mark Burnley, working closely with AMG's group technical manager, Ed Jackson and group operations manager, Richard Maides. The final system optimises the venue's requirements for the live environment with the diversity of a leading dance/club system.

Carling Academy Sheffield features a deep balcony wrapped around a dancehall style room, so the team chose traditional side-hangs stage left and right, each comprising nine elements of Nexo Geo D10. These are complimented by a block of six a-side ground stack

UK - As part of an ongoing sponsorship arrangement, Compulite and Fuzion, its UK distributor, have recently upgraded RADA's Compulite Vector Orange console to a Vector Green.

The console was first used on the production of Little Women staged in the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre at the beginning of February. The main design concept for the show utilises video, designed by Nigel Sadler from Green Hippo, to transform the set into numerous different locations for the different scenes in the production.

Lighting designer Matt Prentice used moving lights as specials to keep the light off the video projection, these included three ETC Source 4 Revolutions and six Clay Paky Alpha Halos all supplied by Stage Electrics London, another major RADA sponsor.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Commercial audio specialist Ateis International announced a major expansion of its global network with the launch its new UK subsidiary at the ProLight&Sound Show in Frankfurt last week.

Ateis UK is set to bring the company's range of audio and voice alarm products to an expanding UK market - adding to the potential of its existing international reseller network based in 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Far East territories.

Industry expert Neil Voce will head up Ateis UK in its St Alban's based HQ along with his chosen team including Sam Elsdon and John Andrews. Offering a combined 60 years of experience, the team is well positioned to fulfil the increasing demand for commercial audio systems solutions, say Ateis.

In only a few years, Ateis has developed an enviable reputation globally by manufacturing advanced public address and voice evacuation systems

USA - As we mentioned briefly in yesterday's news from Midas at LSI Online, Clair Brothers Showco, one of the world's most influential PA rental companies, has purchased and taken delivery of two Midas XL8 Live Performance Systems.

The Midas flagship joins Clair Brothers' extensive XL4 and Heritage 3000 rental inventory, which continue to be used daily on major touring productions, both across America and throughout the world.

Midas has worked in partnership and consulted with Clair Brothers Showco throughout the XL8's development, with delegations from Midas paying regular visits to Clair's headquarters in Pennsylvania, USA since the beginning of the project in early 2004. These visits proved invaluable, the company says, helping it fine-tune its digital concepts into the flagship XL8.

"As a leading light of the global touring industry we have always been very proud to

UK - Birmingham-based hire and installation company DMX Productions has been contracted to supply sound reinforcement to the Q Club in Birmingham, and has invested in an Electro-Voice XLD compact line array system which has quickly become a near-permanent fixture in the venue.

The Q Club is back after five years, recently refurbished and under new management. Once upon a time, this massive venue, a former Methodist church, was the heart of Birmingham's clubbing community - now, it is rebuilding its reputation for hosting the top events. With a main dancefloor overlooked by tiered seating which ascends up towards the ornate high ceilings, extra atmosphere is lent by the grand pipe organ that dominates one end of the club.

SJ Grevett, the energetic young owner of DMX Productions, has had his new EV XLD line array boxes in almost continuous use in the venue, particularly by promo

The latest AMG venue, Carling Academy Sheffield, opens next month and is a welcome addition to the UK live music circuit. And the complete refurbishment of the venue has provided great opportunities for installers and manufacturers to showcase their products and services.

As one venue opens, another closes...Just a week after the news broke that the Marquee Club had closed, another long-standing London venue, The Astoria in Charing Cross Road, looks certain to close. London's mayor, Ken Livingston told The Times that it would be demolished to make way for the Cross Rail project which has finally been given the green light. An Internet-based petition to save The Astoria has attracted some big name signatures, but it's probably too late.

Looking on the bright side, though, the Cross Rail project should offer great opportunities for the installation sectors of our industry to get a slic

USA - A small, portable Saxis control unit and BigTow winch, from Stage Technologies, is being used to create effects for the touring production of Rapunzel. Following a sell-out tour in the UK, the Kneehigh Theatre's non-traditional production has opened at The New Victory Theater in New York.

Stage Technologies worked with production manager and lighting designer, Alex Wardle, on this project, and provided a simple, easy to use system, capable of flying a small platform carrying two performers. The red, oval-shaped piece of floor is flown to stage level during the show, to bridge a gap in two circular stages. The same oval piece is also flown approximately six feet above the stage and supports the two performers who use the platform as a swing.

Alex Wardle commented: "Part of the reason we chose the system is that the Saxis is simple to programme and operate. Dur

UK - Bradford-based firm Pro Audio Systems has completed a major design and sound installation project at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, which opens this month. The contract, awarded by World Duty Free, was won against stiff national competition.

The brief was to advise World Duty Free on the best and most innovative way to operate a fully integrated sound and visual media marketing package in their stores. Working with one of London's top retail design agencies, JHP and leading visual brand Sony, Pro Audio Systems created an integrated network of high quality audio systems in 13 zones across seven World Duty Free stores in the Terminal. Each zone had specific requirements varying from beauty areas and cocktail bars to arrivals areas.

The provision of clear, intelligible audio was the primary goal, coupled with designs that reflected the ambience of the store, all linked into

UK - The Mission's recent farewell tour brought much of its own to the stage, but it also gave many nods to some of the highlights of the band's touring past. The rig was structurally reminiscent of some of the first tours they did, with a custom Pre Rigged Truss Arch from the 80s containing a backdrop with an album's cover art on it. The only problem was however, that the original canvas backdrop no longer existed. So instead lighting director Adam Stevenson from Entec turned to Martin's LC2140 for the solution.

"We really wanted to have the album artwork in the arch, and we thought about projecting it, but there were some limitations for projections, especially with the shape of the arch we used. So we thought; how about a screen instead?

"The LC screens were perfect and the audience and band loved it. For the last four nights we used the first four albums, so one

UK - In April, a group of people with links to the event production industry will be undertaking a charity walk to raise money for research into cancer - specifically an often overlooked form of the disease, pancreatic cancer.

In August 2006, aged 51, Chris Venn a prominent freelance production manager, working for many of the high profile communications and production companies of the last 25 years, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is currently is no long-term cure for this type of cancer, because the level of research funding in to this specific area is relatively poor. Sadly, after 13 months, Chris lost his battle in September last year, the same year that another industry colleague, freelance logistics manager Howard Kerr, was diagnosed with the same disease.

As Howard nears the 12-month mark since his diagnosis, he and his industry colleagues have begun to put

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