Hungary - ARX, the Australian based manufacturer of USB, Digital & Analogue interface and signal processors has appointed Budapest based Interton Electroacoustics as their new distributor for Hungary.

ARX managing director Colin Park recently finalised the new distribution agreement with Interton's Geza Balogh after an initial meeting at the Frankfurt Pro Light & Sound earlier this year.

Founded in 1990, Interton Electroacoustics also represents QSC, Community, Toa and Yamaha Commercial.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - With its new Production and Technology Centre, audio specialist Sennheiser has completed the largest construction project in the company's history. The company headquarters in Wennebostel is now home to one of the most modern assembly plants in Northern Germany.

Sennheiser has spent around 15m euros on the new centre, not including the costs involved in moving production from Burgdorf and transferring the engineering department. As part of the construction of the new building, all manufacturing processes were reorganised to create increased efficiency for the future.

"The meticulous planning and the intensive consultation process with ergonomists and manufacturing experts has paid off," concluded Volker Bartels, president of manufacturing and logistics. "From the beginning of this year our production and engineering staff have been working in a superbl

Italy - Aviom helped with the performances at Italy's 60th annual San Remo Music Festival by supplying more than 25 A-16II Personal Mixers, via Sisme Spa, to the show's entire orchestra. Each year, the popular Italian song contest hosts musicians from all over Italy, who perform original Italian language pieces. The programme is televised, and the artists are ultimately judged by viewers watching at home.

One of the major challenges producers face when broadcasting this show is the use of different conductors during each performance, while the orchestra remains the same.To help maintain consistency between numbers during this year's festival, every member of the orchestra utilized the Aviom A-16II Personal Mixer (in previous years only the rhythmic section used the Aviom equipment). The 16 presets on each of the A-16II mixers proved to be an asset for musicians and engineers ali

UK - The Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, recently upgraded its analogue FOH mixer to a new digital system, selecting Allen & Heath's iLive from a shortlist of options.

During the evaluation stage, the Theatre's engineer, Jay Christie, approached PA company and installation firm, SRD Group, to request a demo of the iLive system.

"Jay was looking at various digital options but iLive came out on top because it is so flexible, easy to set up and install, has DCA groups, and unlike many other smaller consoles, has a Touchscreen," explains SRD's Stuart Roberts.

"I also liked the fact that the EQ, gates and compressors are all laid out on the front of the surface rather than hidden in a Touchscreen menu, making set up and operation quicker than other consoles we tested," adds Christie.

The Theatre selected an iDR-48 MixRack and iLive-T112 Contr

South Africa - Philips Vari-Lite's South African distributor, DWR Distribution has recently delivered 120 Vari-Lite fixtures to Gearhouse Splitbeam, the specialist theatre lighting division of the Gearhouse South Africa Group of Companies.

The deal was co-ordinated by Gearhouse Splitbeam's Alistair Kilbee and DWR's Duncan Riley and is the largest sale of Vari-Lites yet to date in South Africa, and also the first purchase of the premium brand by Gearhouse.

The units were delivered to Gearhouse Splitbeam's Johannesburg office. Some will be immediately deployed on the Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Soccer World Cup taking place at Soccer City stadium, Soweto, on 11 July (LD Hugh Turner), and a substantial quantity will go straight onto the upcoming Asian tour of High School Musical (LD Declan Randall) for which Splitbeam is supplying the full lighting production.

The fixtu

UK - AC-ET's Audio division has been selected as an accredited reseller for the Behringer and Samson ranges of studio production equipment.The two brands further extend the choice of audio solutions available from AC-ET as part of its philosophy to cater for the widest possible range of budgets and technical requirements.

The extensive Behringer line-up includes mixers, loudspeakers and studio monitors, power amplifiers, PA systems, signal processors, modelling and effects processors, microphones, MIDI controllers and audio interfaces.

Samson began over 25 years ago as an audio technology company designing wireless microphone systems and has pioneered a number of technical breakthroughs in wireless technologies. The product range includes USB microphones, processors, equalisers, portable PA systems, mixers, power amplifiers and power distribution.

AC-ET's audio sales manager

UK - In June, Black Light installed the stage equipment for one of the largest Christian music festivals in the country. The company constructed the Frenzy Festival's massive main stage inside the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston near Edinburgh and a number of additional stages and technical platforms.

"This is the kind of work that our team love to get their teeth into," says Stephen Reid, Black Light's head of hires. "We love the challenge of creating something really impressive within a relatively narrow time window. It's really satisfying when our team swings into action and all our careful forward planning proves its worth in a job well done."

Thanks to Black Light's comprehensive inventory, it was able to exactly fulfill the client's staging brief and its team of installation experts were happy to work within the strict time parameters demanded by t

Trinidad - Nestled between the residences of the Prime Minister and President of Trinidad, the Queen's Hall in Port of Spain recently purchased a new Soundcraft Vi6 console, installed by Caribbean Entertainment Technologies, the systems integration arm of the distribution company AMR Export. The company installed the console as part of an audio system upgrade at Queen's Hall to support the venue's ever-growing reputation for top-notch musical and theatrical performances.

The Soundcraft Vi6 was installed in a way to cope with all manner of monitor feeds, allow for joint front-of-house redundancy and to provide ultimate portability. "After researching the venue and presenting our ideas, the Vi6 was the easy choice for the Hall to make," says Aaron Rudden, owner of CET /AMR Export. "Key items that secured the Vi6 were its 96-channel solution, Soundcraft's commitment

UK - Adlib is supplying the UK and European sections of the current Crowded House tour with sound equipment and crew. Dee McLoughlin heads the team on the road as tour manager, with Robin Scott as Production Manager. Adlib's James Neale and Marc Peers are on the tour, ensuring that engineers Angus Davidson (FOH) and Paul Jeffrey (monitors) have a seamless working day and a fine sounding system each day.

Adlib is supplying an L-Acoustics V-Dosc system, with dV-Dosc in-fills, Arcs side-fills and SB28 subs. This was specified by Davidson for its sound and clarity.

The set-up varies according to venue, and in its largest format the main arrays consisted of 8 V-Dosc cabinets a side, with three dV underhangs. They are using a combination of d-V and ARCs in-fills and out-fills along the front of stage and with James Neale as systems tech, it's fine tuned each day.

Dolby Lakesare be

France - Christie has been awarded the Janus de l'Industrie 2010 by L'Institut Français du Design for its modular digital display solution, Christie MicroTiles. The Janus de l'Industrie awards were established in 1953 to distinguish "products designed from the outset for practical value and true user benefit".

The Institut Français du Design (IFD) picks products and services that put concern for the user and their environment first. With the help of a jury of 50 experts from a wide range of fields with backgrounds in business, the creative professions and human sciences, the IFD awards the Janus to products which meet these requirements.

"When we showcased MicroTiles at the American Institute of Architects Convention in Miami on 10 June, the system greatly impressed the audience of architecture and design professionals. We're really proud of the success it's b

Ukraine - Newly opened in the latter half of 2009, Donbass Arena in Donetsk is the first stadium in Eastern Europe designed and built to meet UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) regulations for elite stadiums. On Sunday 30 May, Donbass Arena played host to its first mega-concert: The Hits of the 80s. Featured artists included The Gypsy Kings and the British R&B/dance band London Beat, Demis Roussos and the Spanish vocal duo Baccara. Sound reinforcement was through a massive D.A.S. Audio system.

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine-based Indigo Music Companywhich handles a wide range of projects encompassing live sound for concerts, commercial installations, as well as broadcast and telecommunications applications, was contracted to provide sound reinforcement for the event.

Company president Dmitry Lokshin reports, "One of the biggest obstacles we faced on this conce

Ukraine - The Midas PRO6 live audio system proved to be the highlight of the third annual Ukrainian Sound Engineers Union Seminar which was held during May in Kiev's resort district Pushtcha Vodica.

Midas Klark Teknik's Ukrainian distributor CORTMI provided a PRO6 as FOH console for the entire three-day seminar. As well as demonstrating the Midas sound to delegates for all the presentations, the set up was used for a vocal microphone test arranged by the Ukrainian Sound Engineers Union, as well as a sound engineers' proficiency contest.

The seminar also included a presentation devoted especially to the PRO6 by CORTMI sound engineer Vladimir Prokof'yev. Delegates participated in a workshop introducing them to the practical aspects of working with the console, and were given a presentation by sound engineer Vitaliy Siroshtan from rental company Jazz-Club Service, the first Ukrai

Saudi Arabia - Prism Sound has announced the appointment of Moon Systems as the company's exclusive distributor in Saudi Arabia.

Located in Dammam, Moon Systems handles a range of high end products geared towards the professional recording and post production markets. It now has exclusive rights to distribute Prism Sound recording and post products as well as the full range of SADiE products.

Commenting on the appointment, Jody Thorne, Prism Sound/SADiE's sales and marketing manager, says, "The Middle East is already a successful territory for us and it is great to have a company like Moon Systems supporting and selling our brands in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to a long and profitable relationship with them."

Among the products Moon Systems is handling is the new SADiE 6 software. This allows audio professionals the opportunity to access the power and flexibilit

Norway - The 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo brought a worldwide audience 'back to the basics' with lighting designer Al Gurdon's array of layered effects, including 88 Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1200 fixtures.

The Alpha Spot fixtures were right in the middle of the action, with the highest number of profiles used on the show. They were built into alternating positions with Jarag units to make up one of the giant walls which could move up or down via Kinesys motion control. The entire back wall was pre-fabricated with custom designed brackets at PRG Birmingham and shipped to Oslo.

Other 'layers' included a wall of Colour Block low-resolution LED fixtures, a 3D curtain of 2000 XL X-Balls over the centre of the stage, and other textural elements such as choucroute, Deko silk drapes, a starcloth curtain and a kabuki drop. PRG with support from Frontlite provided all technical

UK - Audio Hire and Sales company Ward Steedsy Associates have announced they will be distributing the full range of Full Fat Audio power amplifiers to the Scottish market with immediate effect.

Conveniently based midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, business partners David 'Steedsy' Stevenson and Steven Ward have been using several of the amplifiers to power part of their Funktion-One touring rigs for the past few months.

"We initially supplied a four-channel FFA amplifier to a local school who had managed to find enough budget for a small Funktion-One system. The four-channel FFA with custom crossover cards fitted allowed us to bi-amp the system from a two-unit module without any external DSP. Listening to this system convinced us of the audio quality of the FFA amplifiers and we ordered some for use in our Resolution 4 systems," said Stevenson.

"Becoming t

Cyprus/UK - Global Design Solutions (GDS) has announced the appointment of ArchiLX as its exclusive distributor for Cyprus, further expanding its global distribution network.

Limassol based ArchiLX, founded by lighting designer Ben M Rogers and technical consultant Nearchos Pittalis, offers a comprehensive design and consultancy service for permanent installation and temporary events. The company also distributes leading lighting brands and offers a complete sales and support service to end-users and production companies alike. ArchiLX carries an extensive portfolio from leading manufactures including Clay Paky, Phillips, ETC and Zero 88.

Ben Rogers, design director and consultant at ArchiLX comments, "Paramount to building our product portfolio has been the directive to deliver first-class creative solutions using the highest quality products. The innovative design of th

Canada - Midas Klark Teknik's exclusive representation in Canada has been brought under the direct control of Erikson Audio, a distribution division of JAM Industries based at the company's Montreal headquarters.

The move sees the existing Midas Klark Teknik reps for Canada, who operate under the PAG banner, supported by the Erikson infrastructure. For the first time, all inventory and spares will be warehoused in Canada, enabling clients to benefit from prompt access to product and demo units, with pricing stabilised in Canadian dollars. Localised technical support and servicing will also be enhanced in the deal.

Jeffrey Carman, division manager, Erikson Audio will oversee the performance of Midas Klark Teknik in Canada, with support provided by product specialist Bill Kinal who has over 25 years' pro-sound experience working with artists across the board from heavy rockers I

UK - In response to increasing demand for rigging training at various levels, Backstage Academy - through their partnership with Litestructures - are hosting two rigging courses this August.

Eric Porter, experienced independent rigger, trainer, assessor and committee member for the PLASA National Rigging Certificate will be delivering these courses which will include truss types and uses, hanging from chain hoists and bars and slinging trusses and flying frames.

The Equipment Suspension Course is a one-day course tailored for people wishing to get a flavour for rigging who, for example, might be involved in hanging lighting, audio, video or scenic equipment from rigging which has been provided by others (including Theatre Flying Systems).

Entry onto the course is £150.00 (plus VAT) per person, and includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day, course materials and

Denmark - Barco lights feature on the Orange Stage during the Roskilde Festival 2010. The festival takes place from 1 to 4 July and uses a combination of High End Systems automated luminaires and Axon Media Servers to bring a series of stunning effects to the festival's stages.

Roskilde Festival is the largest open-air culture and music festival in northern Europe. Its grounds have room for six different stages, 150 bands, 75,000 visitors and 25,000 volunteers. With capacity for 60,000 people, the Orange Stage is the largest of the six and hosts bands such as Gorillaz, Alice In Chains, Muse, the Prodigy, Motörhead, Prince and many more.

The Orange Stage's lighting rig includes Barco's High End Systems Cyberlight 2.0, Showgun 2.5, and Showbeam 2.5 automated lights. In addition, the Arena Stage uses Axon Media Servers as the main source for the video. The equipment and support

South Africa - Surgesound recently supplied a quantity of Lab.gruppen's FP+ and fP Series power amplifiers to Johannesburg-based production services company, The Sound Corporation, for installation at some of the key FIFA Fan Fest outdoor fan parks across the country.

For the thousands of eager football fans out there that haven't been lucky enough to get tickets for the big matches, FIFA Fan Fest areas are an alternative, allowing people to share in the football fever and take in the match on giant screens supported with world class audio systems.

The Sound Corporation provided the audio systems for four of the fan parks, including one of the largest in Soweto where over 75,000 fans watched the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, as well as those at Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. The systems have been based around Lab.gruppen FP+ and fP Series amplificatio

UK - Following the success of the Wootton Bassett Bike Ride and the tribute made by the Bikers to the people of Wootton Bassett earlier this year, the charity Afghan Heroes organised and executed their inaugural Thunder Rally, with help from Stage Electrics Live Events Team.

The event which took place at Chepstow Racecourse provided the charity with the opportunity to thank the Bikers, the public and the Armed Forces for their support, with all proceeds from the event donated to the Afghan Heroes Charity, in support of the armed forces. For this event Stage Electrics supplied a full technical solution which included staging, lighting and audio.

Within this package Stage Electrics supplied the two-day event with a Prolyte 8m x 6m Arc roof system complete with a stage. This was equipped with lighting, PA and backline equipment and used for all the live performances from a variet

UK - i-Pix BB 2x2 LED fixtures made their live event debut on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury 2010. Twenty of i-Pix's latest BB 2x2 fixtures were incorporated into the general Pyramid production design by Fraggle (Andy Porter). They were rigged on three of the overhead trusses and used for camera candy and general stage washing.

The units were used extensively both after dark and during the daylight sessions - such is the brightness and smooth quality of the light output - and they made a great impression during the day when many other sources would not register on the TV.

Being low on power - drawing a mere half an Amp on full - the BB 2x2 also offers benefits in terms of producing maximum light for minimal electricity.

Pyramid and other stage lighting equipment was supplied by Neg Earth, and headliners throughout the three-day festival included Muse, Gorillaz and Stevie W

South Africa - SABC (The South African Broadcasting Corporation) set up the hub for its World Cup broadcast studio in Exhibition 1 at the Sandton Convention Centre, central Johannesburg. All the match coverage and several regular programmes are being transmitted from the studio for the duration of the tournament.

With a set designed by Dewet Meyer and a lighting design by André Rossouw of SABC and Francois van der Merwe of MJ Event Gear, a grandMA full-size was chosen to control all the lighting. This is supplied by MJ and was also programmed by van der Merwe, who is sharing operating duties with Theo Roodt due to the demanding schedule, which includes the accommodation of several regular SABC programmes as well as comprehensive match coverage.

The rig includes Robe and Martin Professional moving lights, LED fixtures, generics, scrollers and Robe Media Spinners.

The m

Germany - Despite poor weather, over 150,000 Christians of different denominations attended the Second Ecumenical Church Congress, which was held in Munich in mid May 2010. The programme was varied and included discussions, lectures, church services, and live concerts involving a variety of bands and choirs. One of the venues for the event was the Olympic Stadium in Munich. The audiovisual production in the canopied arena was the responsibility of the Königsbrunn-based rental company CAB.

The CAB team, which comprised MD Michael Prinke, monitor technician Klaus Wallner, and audio engineer Sebastian Berger, relied for the event with its diverse programme material on the compact XLD line array system from Electro-Voice. In total, some 24 XLD 281 enclosures were deployed under the direction of a DC-One digital loudspeaker controller - also from Electro-Voice.

"The EV XLD is

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