UK - Some of crickets biggest names are tucking into food supplied by Eat To The Beat (ETTB) throughout the npower Ashes Series this summer. The likes of Sir Ian Botham, David Gower and Shane Warne are enjoying meals provided by the tour and location caterer who are supplying the Sky Sports cricket production team throughout the series.

A five strong ETTB team were on-site both in Cardiff and Lords, setting up the day prior to the first innings and remaining in situ until the final wicket falls. Tony Laurenson, Managing Director, ETTB, said "We are once again proud to be involved with this great event. We have fed over 140 people on some days, including some familiar faces that have been part of the Sky Sports teams for many years."

The ETTB team and the company's fleet of mobile kitchen trucks are now on the road as the busy Ashes season continues.

(Jim Evans)

USA/UK - TMB has confirmed its appointment as worldwide exclusive distributor for the amBIENT XC control system from amBX of Redhill, UK. Launched at InfoComm 09, the amBIENT XC uses amBX proprietary patented technology to provide a full 'sensory surround' entertainment experience. It boasts "completely new concepts in the control of lighting and effects", allowing "the creation of unique immersive experiences in professional productions and architectural installations of all kinds".

The amBIENT XC can be pre-programmed or will respond in real-time to visual and/or aural stimuli, such as video or audio signals. Sophisticated control of interpretation and output parameters offers dynamic control of mood and atmosphere in spaces of all kinds. The amBIENT XC control system also provides a low-cost yet impressive upgrade solution for venues or productions

UK - A new, bespoke VVIP seating balcony installed at the Brit Oval in time for this summer's Ashes series was one of the season's best performances for Arena Seating at British cricket grounds this summer, as the players prepared to overcome their own challenges on the fields of play.

Arena also installed temporary grandstand seating at the other grounds visited by the touring Australian national team, namely 4,638 seats at Old Trafford, 3,645 at Edinburgh, 10,766 at the Rosebowl, 8,427 at Durham, 336 seats at Lords, 793 seats at Edgbaston, and a further 218 seats at The Brit Oval.

The Brit Oval's balcony, with its specially upholstered luxury seating, was designed to provide additional comfort in a spectacular environment for the club's VVIP guests. Arena Seating designed the facility in brushed aluminium and glass, using 70 seats based on Arena's Congress seat with weatherp

Germany - Once again, this year's Jazz an der Donau (Jazz on the Danube) festival offered a classy lineup of acts, including Santana and Lee Ritenour, as well as German jazz greats Till Brönner und Klaus Doldinger's Passport. The performers drew some 10,000 music lovers to Straubing in Lower Bavaria between 16 and 19 July. A team led by Ingo Haasch was responsible for the sound at the festival, and they relied once again on equipment from Electro-Voice.

The centrepiece of the production comprised a combination of XLC and XLE line-array systems from Electro-Voice, driven by TG7 power amplifiers equipped with RCM-26 modules. Xi-2123A/106F loudspeakers accompanied by Xsubs. Xi-1122 loudspeakers driven by CP3000S amplifiers saw action as side- and front-fills.

"The sound quality was singled out for praise by numerous visitors as well as many of the musicians,&q

UK - The 50th Robe DigitalSpot DT Series fixture has been sold by Robe UK, indicating that lighting rental companies in particular are embracing the potential of these digital lighting fixtures - even amidst economically challenging times.

The 50 mark was passed when Graeme Sewell of Vortex Lighting from County Durham in the north east of England purchased two DigitalSpot 3000 DTs.

It was his first investment in the Robe brand. His primary motivation for the sale is that in addition to servicing its own shows, Vortex undertakes a lot of dry hires to other north-east based companies who are busy with various corporate events - generally a mix of presentations, product launches and exhibitions of all types. "DigitalSpot is a special product and I think it will be very popular in this market, especially after people see its capabilities first hand."

Using DigitalSpots

Switzerland - Technical services company, DS DreamSound, took delivery of a DiGiCo SD8 in May 2009. As well as the planning and production of small to medium sized events for up to 2,500 people, the company also operates a PA rental service, produces CDs, CDRs and DVDs and has its own recording studio which is amongst the most up-to-date recording studios in Switzerland.

The team plans to increase its live sound activities with the help of SD8, taking advantage of the fact that Switzerland holds claim to having the most open-air events in the world.

Markus Zehnder, DreamSound business manager, is very happy with the new acquisition. "We have had a Soundtracs DPC2 in our studio for almost 10 years," he says. "The application software is consistent to a greater or lesser extent and that's half the battle. Our old MADI 19" I/O racks are still compatible with t

UK - The annual Wakestock festival turned 10 this year, with Kling & Freitag playing a key role at the festival. Three stages hosted an eclectic line-up - the Open Air stage, XFM Misadventures stage and sponsors Relentless Live stage. Headliners included Moby, N*E*R*D, Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris, Mr Scruff, Chase and Status and Zane Lowe.

For the last nine years VME have been responsible for all technical requirements for the festival that took place in Abersoch, Wales. "To deliver everything from fuel for the generators, to speakers, lighting, LED screens and trussing is a good challenge every year," states Dion Davie, director of VME. The festival has grown from small beginnings to a respectful 30.000 visitor site.

"We use only Kling & Freitag speakers for all stages. They are reliable and the performance is unrivalled," André Davie, brother and

UK - Following last year's innovative stage branding for Lovebox London Weekender, Sunbaba once again delivered for the 2009 event.

The vibrant London festival was held in Victoria Park on the 18 and 19 July and was headlined by founders Groove Armada alongside Doves, Florence and the Machine and Duran Duran, whose set featured a special guest appearance from Mark Ronson.

Sunbaba produced 125 lightbox panels made from backlit PVC for the Relentless Dance Area. The company worked alongside Lovebox set designers and Spacial, the set builders, to create the panels which spanned from the stage to five surrounding tower blocks. This illuminated the area and created a 'rave environment' at dusk.

To keep costs low and waste to a minimum Sunbaba produced each of the 125 panels separately, instead of covering the whole of each structure. Each of the panels was coded so that th

South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa, via its various companies, supplied design services and full technical production and crew for two recent high profile Nelson Mandela events in Johannesburg.

A 91st Birthday celebration party was staged in Mary Fitzgerald Square, with an eclectic line up of performers, attended by 16,000 people.

The previous week, Gearhouse SA supplied staging, lighting, sound and AV for the Nelson Mandela Foundation Lecture in Johannesburg City Hall. Professor Muhammed Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Grameen Bank addressed this annual landmark.

A strong party atmosphere pervaded Mary Fitzgerald Square, where the Gearhouse team was co-ordinated by project manager Bonni Meyer, working closely with show producers Out of The Box for the South African Music Promoters Association (SAMPA).

Gearhouse Structures built the scaffo

UK - For the second summer in a row, the Mayhem Tour is featuring the ribbon-loaded Versarray 212 line-array sound system from Peavey Electronics. As the exclusive sound system of the Jägermeister Mobile Stage - a custom-built, travelling foldout stage housed in a 44ft trailer - the Peavey Versarray 212 will provide sound reinforcement for metal heavyweights Trivium, All That Remains, God Forbid and more, as the festival criss-crosses the nation from July through August.

"The Peavey Versarray 212 is a big leap forward for sound reinforcement technology," said Dave Summers, road and production manager for the Jägermeister Mobile Stage. "With this system, Peavey developed a line array that positions 16 loudspeaker components in a compact enclosure while delivering the highest levels of performance. It's the ideal system for modern touring situations, where

USA - Audio-Technica has recognised Westchester, Pennsylvania-based Lienau AV Associates as its Rep of the Year for the 2009 fiscal year. Marc Lee Shannon, Audio-Technica vice president, sales, and Glenn Roop, Audio-Technica director, professional product sales, presented the award to Lienau Principals Eric Schwartz, Tom Macri and Chris Hutnick.

Lienau AV sells Audio-Technica's complete line of professional audio products to sound contractors and retailers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Southern New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Audio-Technica held the awards ceremony during this year's InfoComm expo in Orlando, to honour its dedicated force of manufacturer's representatives. The A-T Rep of the Year recipient was congratulated for outstanding sales performance and bestowed with Audio-Technica's Samurai doll award. Lienau AV Associates was acknowled

Norway - The Norwegian parliament in Oslo is using a large number of BSS Audio Soundweb devices for different applications, covering meeting rooms, hearing rooms and the main parliament assembly auditorium.

The plenary chamber recently saw a major upgrade to a Soundweb London system, relieving the older Soundweb Original system from its duties, which it has been performing since 2002.

The new system, installed during the Easter recess by Norwegian BSS Audio distributor, LydRommet AS, includes four BLU-320 break-in / out devices in an 8 x 8 configuration, and eight BLU-160 devices, all configured with four analogue inputs, four digital outputs and eight analogue outputs. Two BLU-10 touch screen remotes control the system locally, and the package includes a BLU-80 device located in the offices of the technical department for surveillance and monitoring of the entire system.

Al

UK - Chroma-Q LED fixtures brought the Clubhouse of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) at Silverstone racing circuit to life with a temporary lighting installation for their annual British Grand Prix Ball.

The BRDC Ball is held in a luxury marquee erected adjacent to the Members' Clubhouse on the Saturday evening of the 2009 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix weekend.

Personalities from the motor racing fraternity, including Jenson Button, Jodie Scheckter and David Coulthard appeared on stage to talk about their experiences to the BBC's and ex-Radio Caroline's Jonny Walker.

A.C. Special Projects., a sister company of BRDC Rising Stars Programme Patron, A.C. Entertainment Technologies, provided the Clubhouse's temporary architectural lighting installation for a second year. The scheme carried a similar theme to last year, with vivid colour washes onto the roof level

USA - In Texas, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium has opened its doors with an audio system that includes Community Professional's weather-resistant R-Series loudspeakers, along with iBOX and Cloud in-ceiling speakers.

Systems consultants WJHW designed the system, which includes a selection of powerful R.5 loudspeakers on the exterior lighting poles. Community i2W8 full-range two-way boxes ring the main seating bowl, providing under-balcony fill, with Cloud12 compact coaxial loudspeakers installed in the Club Lounge ceiling of the main concourse. Bay Area-based ProMedia / UltraSound provided the system's installation.

As WJHW's Kevin Day explains, the R.5s are mounted on the lighting poles that illuminate the building's exterior. "We selected the R.5s for their weather-resistant design," says Day, "and the architect was pleased at how well they match the lighting e

Finland - Alpha Beam 300 fixtures featured at Pacifique Lumière, held 7 March 2009 at Serena Waterpark in Espoo, Finland, presented by Red Bull. The creators, artists and crew delivered a combination of performance, passion and technical innovation. Pacifique Lumière, an annual event since 2004, gathers a few thousand clubbers for "one night in paradise after a long, dark winter". The sold out event features five different, showcasing over 40 of Finland's top DJs and artists.

Serena Water Park is the largest indoor water park in Europe with approximately 18,000sq.m in total space. The conditions are very extreme. The temperature is around 34°-35° Celsius without a crowd and can climb as high as 40°C with a full audience. The humidity is tropical, around 90%.

38 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300 fixtures, plus eight Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 300s, su

USA - Pacific Coast Entertainment (PCE) invited clients and prospective customers to attend an open house to view the new EVLED 1024SMD 20mm LED Video Panels from Elation Professional.

A full-service lighting, audio and video production and rental company, PCE had purchased 48 of the Elation panels, which are modular in design and can be used to create vibrant video pixel screens, curtains and backdrops. Measuring 2'1" x 2'1" x 3", the transparent tiles are compact and lightweight, and with an IP65 rating, can be used indoors or outdoors.

PCE decided to host the open house to demo the product - which it refers to simply as The Wall. "We wanted to get the word out about The Wall, because it creates new possibilities for our existing clients, as well as opens opportunities for us to sell new markets," said Ryan Steidinger, PCE's director of operations.

Serbia - In preparation for one of the world's most famous sporting events, systems integration firm Studio Berar outfitted 13 sports venues in Serbia with JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers for the 2009 Summer Universiade games.

The Universiade is an international event that hosts university athletes from around the world. This year's Summer Universiade took place from 1-12 July in Belgrade. It hosted more than 9,000 athletes from over 140 countries, all of who competed in 15 different sports and 203 disciplines at more than 50 sport venues. This year's games celebrated three anniversaries for what some consider to be the largest and most important sporting event next to the Olympic Games: the 25th Summer Universiade, the 50th anniversary of Universiade, and the 60th anniversary of the International University Sports Federation.

For the largest sports venues, including so

UK - Reliability is a word Green Hippo like. It isn't a word used quite so often in relation to the British weather! So when Green Hippo's Nigel Sadler visited the setup at Channel 4's T4 On The Beach event in July of this year, he encountered 4 seasons in one day!

The live TV show caters for the current pop market and had an impressive line-up of chart-topping artists including Basement Jaxx, Florence and The Machine, Tinchy Strider, Calvin Harris and Dizzy Rascal and not surprisingly takes place on the beach at Weston Super-Mare on England's west coast. Although live transmission began at midday, there were many other acts running prior to this time to warm up the huge crowds.

As has been the case for several years now, all stage media was handled by Green Hippo's oldest friends Digital Insanity. Richard 'RB' Bagshaw and Kate Perring were already knee deep in media when Nige

Germany - The Comet Awards were recently held at König-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, with sound reinforcement coming from more than 190 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers, which stayed out of TV sightlines for the live broadcast pop music event. The TM Array configuration of subwoofers was deployed to provide even low-frequency coverage.

Appealing to a large teenage audience, the Comet Awards was presented by Viva TV, a German subsidiary of MTV Networks. System design for the show's dual stages required special care from project manager sound David Bergmann, system tech Thorsten Maier, FOH engineer Kai Reiss, and monitor engineer Mathias Hentschel, using Meyer Sound MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction programme and loudspeakers supplied by Hamburg-based Procon Event Engineering.

The first stage was mostly used by performing artists including Sportfreunde Stiller,

USA - Installation has begun on the first 1080x1920 high definition video screen in an NBA or NHL facility. The Lighthouse LED screens are part of a large scale technological renovation project at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas. The new digital screens will increase video throughout the facility by 300 percent. Working with long time partner, TS Sports, 25 Lighthouse LED screens, including four 1080p full HD screens on the centre hung display, will be installed at the facility. The upgrade will be completed over the summer for the 2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks' and Dallas Stars' seasons.

To bring Dallas sports fans the most intense excitement at every game, the centre-hung display will comprise four Lighthouse P4 4mm screens, each producing 1080p Full HD images. The display also will include four P10 10mm scoring screens and two P16 16mm screens, an octagonal and a round-sh

USA - Litepanels, Inc will be awarded a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its proprietary lighting systems. Litepanels fixtures are used on a variety of network television productions including such high profile programmes as Desperate Housewives, Fox's 24, and Without a Trace.

The Emmy statue is the first in the Academy's 61 year history to be awarded for television lighting technology, and will be presented on Saturday 22 August, at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles.

Litepanels list of customers extends beyond television and feature production, and includes the Whitehouse and Pentagon Briefing Rooms, the International Space Station, CNN's Election Bus, news helicopters, and numerous TV news studios and ENG crews.

(Jim Evans)

Spain - Desfase Sonido e Illuminicatión is a pro audio rental company located in Albendín, Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain. Desfase's's main business is made up of rock, pop and flamenco shows. The company has provided sound reinforcement for the Festival Fiestas del Vino in Valdepeñas, Cuidad Real, which was attended by an audience of 20,000, as well as for the Layenda Tour 2007, La Madre Que Los Parió Tour 2008, and the Córdoba Blues Festival and many other events and tours.

Last year, Desfase owners Francisco José Morales Martín and Julio Santiago García attended a Cohedra training seminar at HK Audio company headquarters in St. Wendel, at which they were so impressed with the system that shortly thereafter they invested in a 2x8 HK Cohedra Line Array made up of 16 CDR 208 mid/high units and an equal number of CDR 210 2x10" subs as w

Germany - Last month, the latest product of the Meyer Werft shipyard, the Celebrity Equinox, sailed down the river Ems and into the open sea. It was a feat of navigation calling for millimetre precision, because the cruise liner, which cost more than €500 million, is 317m long, 36m wide, and boasts 13 decks.

The Celebrity Cruises' vessel boasts a casino, library, theatre, golf course, and several swimming pools. Equally lavish are the sound systems on board. Like its sister ship the Celebrity Solstice, which launched in the fall of 2008, the Equinox relies on Dynacord Promatrix 4000 systems. FUNA Nachrichtentechnik of Emden installed and networked no fewer than four of these reference electro-acoustic systems on board the cruise ship.

FUNA Nachrichtentechnik's senior manager Andreas Köhler comments: "The Promatrix 4000 has already proved itself to us one hundred percent

USA - Viewers of the 2009 Tour de France saw hundreds of racers cover over 2,200 miles during July, each vying for the finish line on Paris' Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Audio-Technica AT835ST M-S stereo shotgun microphones were mounted to the cameras on five motorcycles that covered the miles-long pack of racers.

The AT835ST microphones were provided by the Societé Française de Production (SFP), a division of the Euro Media Group, which has been a longtime supplier of broadcast technology and services to the Tour de France and other major sporting events.

Throughout the race, the motorbike crews covered the action from top to bottom, pacing the riders and collecting crowd reaction effects. The audio, embedded with the video signal, was sent via low-power broadcast to a pair of helicopters and two circling airplanes. They, in turn, relayed the signals to three gro

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