Korea - Following the opening of its Tokyo office last month, BBE Sound has announced the opening of a second office in the Pacific Rim, this time in Korea. Located in Seoul, the new regional base will support BBE's growing technology licensing business.

Heading the new office as general manager of the Korean region is J.C. Chung who, with 20 years experience within the consumer electronics industry, is well placed to strengthen BBE Sound's presence in Korea, says the company.

Chung said: "The opening of the Korean office marks BBE's commitment to better serve our local customers. With our knowledge of and experience in this region, along with BBE's renowned audio technology, we will be able to provide Korean CE makers with unparalleled solutions."

(Jim Evans)

UK The newly refurbished Regal in Oxford features a Martin Audio W8LC system, provided by Capital Sound Hire on a long term rental and installed by Greg Sexton's company, Beamlink.

The core system comprises six W8LC Compact line arrays flown each side of the stage, with a W8LCD downfall enclosure at the base. Two stacks of four Martin Audio 218x subwoofers, isolated on concrete pillars, provide the bass rumble.

Additionally the club purchased a pair of Blackline F12s (and an S15 sub) from Capital Sound Hire to ensure the DJs had the best reference sound up in the control booth. The venue also bought the combination of Martin Audio MA4.2 and MA2.8 amplifiers, which power the entire system. In the DJ booth is a Soundweb SW9010 'Jellyfish' remote, which enables switching of the Martin Audio EQ presets between dance and live mode.

Upstairs in the Elite Room (which formerly trade

Hungary - Budapest's latest fashionable night hotspot, Tabu features a substantial Anolis LED installation and Robe moving lights on the dancefloor, which have been supplied directly to the club's owners by locally-based lighting design and supply company Colossal.

The eye-catching interior was designed by Szabolcs Kövesi who also took an active interest in the LED lighting scheme, on which he worked with Colossal's Csanadi Csaba. Csaba had been involved with the club since its early planning stages and the bespoke LED design was optimised to suit the interior.

22 pieces of Anolis ArcLine RGB (a combination of Arcline 12, 24 and 36 units) have been installed on the walls and in the bars to give the club a special look and feel. Frosted glass is used throughout Tabu to maximise the brightness and washing potential of the lighting. The bar fronts all have special patterns which

USA - Today at 10:00 a.m. (PST), Digidesign will present part two of its five-part Live Sound Webinar series, hosted by Live Sound Manager Robert Scovill.

In his 30-minute presentation, VENUE and Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools LE, Scovill will cover how to determine which Pro Tools recording system to use for various live sound applications. He'll also introduce viewers to the different Pro Tools hardware and interface options, archiving concepts, and more.

A total of five presentations are planned as part of the Live Sound Webinar series. The first, Introduction to VENUE and Mix Rack, was webcast on 23 April, 2008. The third webinar will take place on 25 June, 2008.

(Jim Evans)Robert Scovill

Germany - K & R Event, a company based in the Eifel region town of Strotzbüsch is the latest member to join Germany's Cohedra user network. After extensive testing, the two owners of K&R Event, Andreas Röder and Jörg Krest, opted for a Cohedra system comprising 16 CDR 208 mid-/high-range units and CDR 210 subwoofers each.

"We were looking for a light line array system with a long throw range, compact dimensions, and lots of power," commented Andreas Röder. "In the past we had worked mainly with an American manufacturer and were not HK Audio users, but with other companies, the support situation is often not ideal. Dependability and good service are tremendously important to us.

Our colleagues from the German rental company Triacs have used Cohedra with success for a number of years, so firstly we figured we are just 100 km from the HK Audio company headquar

UK - Fightcase manufacturer 5 Star recently designed and built specially customised flightcases for US sound company Eighth Day Sound Systems to house two new DiGiCo SD7 digital consoles.

This follows 5 Star's existing arrangement to supply DiGiCo with casing solutions for the SD7. Eighth Day Sound, based just outside Cleveland, Ohio, ordered two of the recently launched digital consoles, and required additional features as part of the flight case.

The cases were based on the DiGiCo supplied model with additional bespoke features specified by Eighth Day.

5 Star produced the two special SD7 cases for Eighth Day Sound in a tight timeframe but on schedule. These were immediately dispatched to DiGiCo's UK production facility in Glenrothes, Scotland for onward shipping to Ohio, complete with the SD7 consoles packed inside.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Leeds-based High Technology Lighting is trialling new energy-saving eco-friendly lighting in partnership with supermarket group Asda.

The Middleton Grove lighting design specialist has installed one of the first pole-mounted external Symmetric luminaire LED lighting systems in the UK at Asda's Leeds city centre head office car park.

Results will be monitored closely and compared against Asda's energy usage and maintenance costs on its existing conventional lighting system. With output reduced from 460w to 257w, the estimated energy saving alone is 45%.

Graham Kemp, joint managing director of High Technology Lighting, said: "The system offers Asda the winning combination of reduced energy consumption, virtually maintenance-free ownership and high quality controlled light distribution.

"Our LED lighting solution also offers a user-friendly white light, which

Germany - Gerriets, the supplier of theatrical systems and event equipment, reports a growing number of Tube Carbon Fiber Roller Screen systems installations over the last months.

Last summer Gerriets provided eight Tube systems for a show in Las Vegas. The systems wind and unwind at a speed of 2 m /sec (6.5 ft/sec), are DMX compatible and provide state-of-the-art safety features.

For a company event in Baltimore, Maryland, Gerriets provided, in cooperation with All Staging Unlimited, seven large Carbon Fiber Roller screen systems. "We linked all seven of the controllers together via DMX interface and a laptop to allow single button control of all Tubes", explains Mark Gentry from All Staging Unlimited.

In January, Gerriets installed two Tube systems at a popular night club in Cancun, Mexico. The screens are an integral part of the club's new live music show. Two m

USA - To reinforce the need for safety in the use of rigging systems in all kinds of performance spaces, J.R. Clancy is offering instructional signs, batten end caps, index cards and arbor labels to remind operators to take every precaution and use counterweight rigging in a safe, professional manner.

The signs and labels are available free of charge to any facility with counterweight rigging, noted Tom Young, J.R. Clancy's vice-president of marketing. "We'll send you actual signs on sturdy plastic stock, or you can download files to print your own signs," he said. "Each sign has guidelines for operating the rigging system safely. While many operators are seasoned professionals with years of experience using a rigging system, it's important to have visible reminders to be sure that operators complete every step."

(Jim Evans)

Russia - The recent renovation of the Children's School of Art in Moscow saw the almost total rebuild of the facilities, retaining only the original façade of the main buildings.

"The new concert hall is primarily designed for chamber music," explained Elena Shabalina, acoustic engineer with Aris-Pro, a leading Russian pro audio specialist. "We were asked to tender at the beginning of last year. At the time a proposal for a sound reinforcement system had already been devised by an external audio consultant, and so Mr. Vladimir Fomin from the Department of Culture of Moscow City, the body responsible for the School, asked us to review and update the original design."

"The system tender proved to be far more than was required for such a venue. This is a small concert hall ideal for Chamber music, and caters for audiences of approximately 200. Considerin

UK - Gloria Gaynor who had a huge hit with the classic I will Survive is currently embarking on a UK and US tour accompanied by the Drifters. Gaynor and her full live band have been performing around the country with a little help from a TL Audio Ivory series 5001.

The quad preamp was used for the keyboards on stage to help replicate a smooth retro sound. Keyboardist and musical director of the show, Goziam comments: "We used the TL Audio to get a fantastic sound from the keyboards as just going straight through the front of house desk wouldn't cut it, we have been using loads of retro sounds and the quad pre really helps it to sound warm and authentic."

(Jim Evans)

Germany - In mid April the Dynacord Concert Sound Academy attracted over 40 participants from seven European countries. The programme included workshops dealing with the IRIS-Net integrating software platform in connection with Dynacord Power H power amplifiers, and seminars on various loudspeaker systems (Cobra 4 and 2, Xa2), the multi-function VariLine loudspeaker system, and the use of FIR filters.

These were followed by 'hands on' sessions that permitted the sound professionals attending the course to form their own impressions of the practical advantages of the systems on view. Academy participants were also given a full tour of the works and were able to inspect the production and test facilities at EVI Audio's European headquarters in Straubing.

Export sales manager Frauke Jungbluth, who, together with Dynacord product managers Uwe Peppler and Martin Traut, was responsi

UK - Commercial audio specialist Ateis UK has announced that it is set to host the first UK-based training session for its Messenger range of active line array loudspeakers, which will be staged on 17 June Wigwam Acoustics' Lancashire-based HQ.

Wigwam is Ateis UK's first reseller of the Messenger digital line array column series, which are recognised for their exacting speech intelligibility in reverberant environments.

"Wigwam has enjoyed much success with the range and is excited about offering this training day to all designers, engineers, installers and rental specialists wanting to learn more about Messenger's potential across all commercial, ecclesiastical and auditoria application environments," say the company.

Most notably, Messenger has been deployed in Liverpool's Cathedral to offer a precise and effective solution in one of Europe's largest and most cha

USA - Technomad Associates, LLC reports that Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro has selected Technomad outdoor weatherproof loudspeakers to provide voice and music for live sports coverage in its new 2,500 seat stadium.

The stadium, home to the MTSU Blue Raiders teams that play in the Division One Sun Belt Conference, is the newest venue within the university's Murphy Center Complex, which comprises all the athletic venues on campus. According to Josh Hoevelmann, electronic equipment engineer for MTSU Murphy Center, the Technomad Berlin loudspeakers rival the larger PA systems used for the football and baseball stadiums on campus.

"Everyone I talk to on campus is surprised at the audio quality and power output we're achieving from just two loudspeakers," said Hoevelmann. "The output is extremely clear even at mid-field, and it's not overbea

UK - Jands Vista T2 consoles helped worshippers celebrate Easter at Europe's largest all-night worship event, attended by 30,000 people at London's ExCel, and a separate event at Wembley Arena.

Worshippers packed out ExCel's main hall for Festival of Life, an event supported by over 150 churches in the UK.

Reading-based production company SFL Group provided the complete technical solution and production management for both events. This included over 120 speakers of d&b audiotechnic with Yamaha digital control surfaces, Barco projection and control systems, acoustic draping and stage lighting.

Brighton-based Tamplins Stage Lighting was engaged by SFL to provide the stage lighting element.

Lighting designer Sam Tamplin comments: "Last year I was looking for a more powerful desk to handle our growing show control needs and entered a competition to win a day's free

UK - Def Leppard's new album Songs from The Sparkle Lounge was launched amid a blaze of publicity when the band played a one-off gig at the Islington Carling Academy in London in front of an invited audience of music industry folk and fans.

The Red TX mobile recorded the concert for promotional broadcasts and for a 13-minute electronic press kit that Universal is issuing to the media to promote the band's album and forthcoming tour.

Mike Kaufman, from production company Live Nation, commissioned Red TX to handle the audio recording. He says: "We needed an experienced team and you don't get much more experienced than the team behind Red TX. Choosing them for this project was a no-brainer."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Currently touring in support of Warpaint, their latest release on the independent Silver Arrow label, The Black Crowes have Scott "Scooby" Sherbin at the front-of-house mix position and Drew Cansalvo at monitors. Working in tandem to craft a stage plot relying entirely on Shure input, the pair draws upon an eclectic mix of traditional rock 'n' roll microphone elements along with newer catalogue offerings .

Given a choice, personally I would put SM57s on everything," Scott Sherbin says. "Ask me how to mic an elephant, and I'd just put a 57 on him. First and foremost, this is a rock 'n' roll band. That means they were born and bred with SM57s and SM58s. We don't ever want to lose sight of that fact, but at the same time we want to augment those sounds. Given the volume we're producing, we need something that steps out and allows us to change for so

UK - Cambridgeshire-based Out Board recently chaired a seminar workshop at AES 124 in Amsterdam on the subject of directional amplification and live sound automation. The seminar featured contributions from a number of distinguished, international guest-panellists and attendees.

Directional amplification, also referred to as Source Oriented Reinforcement (SOR), describes a practical technique to deliver amplified sound to a large listening area with even coverage while providing directional information to reinforce visual cues and create a realistic and non-contradictory auditory panorama.

The session included audio demonstrations of the fundamental psychoacoustic techniques employed in an SOR design and its limits discussed. Workshop chairman, Out Board's Dave Haydon, outlined the history of SOR; from Steinke & Fels pioneering work with their Delta Stereophony System in the m

Belgium - Candela and Ampco Belgium, sister companies in the Ampco Flashlight Group, have completed a large-scale integrated lighting, video and audio installation at the Royal Bowl complex in the centre of Louvain-la-Neuve, southeast of Brussels.

Created by owner Phillippe Baeijens and Architects 4A, and with visual design by Luc Peumans' Painting With Light, the Royal Bowl was designed to combine a bowling alley with a restaurant and dance area. In the words of Candela project manager Geert Custers, "They created a bowling venue of a type never seen before in Belgium - a place where people could enjoy a complete night out."

The installation covers the venue's bowling lanes, restaurant, bars and dance floor with an integrated system that puts lighting, audio and video under the control of an E:cue system, commanded by a pair of ELO touch screens, programmed by Custe

UK - XL Video supplied video production for three stages and 18 crew for Radio One's 2008 Big Weekend at Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent, which kick-started the UK summer Festival season.

The action-packed line up included Madonna, The Kooks, Usher, The Fratellis, Scouting For Girls, Goldfrapp, The Enemy, The Zutons, The Wombats and many more. The event was project managed for XL by Des Fallon and crew chiefed on site by Carl Martin.

The main stage visuals were designed by Paul Normandale, for which XL supplied 40sq.m of Lighthouse R16 LED screen, rigged left and right of the stage, plus 24 panels of Martin LC2140 screen onstage.

Two delay projection screens inside the tent were fed by two Barco R12 projectors. For the outside delay video, XL supplied one of their Barco B10 trailer-based LED screen systems.

The XL package also included a three Sony D50 camera system for the m

USA - Four grandMA consoles comprise the heart of lighting and video control for the new Heart of the City tour co-headlined by Grammy Award winners Jay-Z and Mary J Blige and playing dates across North America.

"Flexibility and reliability are what make the grandMA control system perfect for us," reports Artfag, LLC's Patrick Dierson, the lighting director for both artists. "We have both main and full-tracking backup consoles for lighting and video.The lighting consoles are networked into a PRG Series 400 system, which provides both power and data distribution for the show. A laptop in the dimmer pit runs grandMA onPC software to help facilitate everyday system checks before the FOH consoles are brought online."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Aviom has announced its new Sales & Technical Training Programme. To kick off the initiative at this year's InfoComm show, Aviom's consultant liaison and training manager Jeff Lange will lead two manufacturer's training sessions: Audio Distribution Applications with Aviom's Pro16 Series and Audio Networking with Aviom's Pro64 Series. In addition, Aviom will run an Audio Distribution & Networking Solutions for Houses of Worship course each day in the Technologies for Worship Pavilion.

Aviom has identified training as a top priority in 2008. "There's a lot of interest in audio distribution and networking, but there's also a lot of uncertainty and confusion," says Lange. "Good, reliable information is critical to helping consultants and contractors make good design decisions. This year's training programme marks the beginning of an ongoing

UK - The RSC's The Histories Cycle project was first mooted in 2006, an extraordinary two-year ensemble project to stage Shakespeare's epic history cycle of eight plays - Richard II, Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2), Henry V, Henry VI (Parts 1-3) and Richard III.

Charting over a century of turbulent English history, this ambitious project reached its climax in the spring of 2008 in London's Roundhouse venue. One of the RSC's own DiGiCo D5T consoles ensured that the sound for this complex series of productions was delivered flawlessly.

With a sound design by Andrea J Cox and operated by Sarah Hollyman and Ed Borgnis, the audio system was necessarily intricate to accommodate regular performances of eight different plays in the same venue - sometimes with three different performances running back-to-back in a single day.

However, the D5T's internal matrix and snapshots ha

UK - The Arcola Theatre in Hackney has been nominated for a major national prize at The Charity Awards 2008, the UK charity sector's most prestigious award scheme. Chosen from a long list of entries, the theatre, which provides high calibre, accessible theatre and aims to become the world's first sustainable arts venue, has been shortlisted in the Animals and the environment category. It is hoping to pick up the coveted award at an awards ceremony in London on 19 June.

The annual Charity Awards ceremony, sponsored by the Charities Aid Foundation and The Times newspaper, is the most high-profile event in the charity world calendar. Now in its ninth year, the awards recognise excellence in the management of charities, acknowledging the outstanding work and achievements of all charities, big or small, from across the UK and the tireless commitment of the people behind them. The ch

Latest Issue. . .