USA - Up and coming Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes recently toured the United States and Canada with an Adamson E-Series sound reinforcement system provided by Cleveland, Ohio-based Eighth Day Sound.

"I had not used the rig before, but had heard it many times and really liked the sound quality," explains Tom Wood, FOH engineer for Mendes. "When I talked with Eighth Day Sound and they explained how flexible the system was, I knew it would work-and it was exceptional."

The tour was on the road with a full complement of Adamson E and S-Series line array modules and subwoofers. The larger arena shows used left-right arrays made up of 12 E15 and three E12 enclosures with a total of 16 E119 subwoofers flown in two arrays of eight. Twelve S10 enclosures per side were selected for out-fill when necessary. Further low end was provided by sixteen E119 ground-stacked subwoof

Italy - The Grammy award-winning Joe Lovano has found his musical comfort zone by continually pushing the boundaries of the jazz genre. His artistic expression is fuelled by new collaborations, and new experiences. One such recent experience for the highly acclaimed saxophonist was the emotive return to his Italian roots in Sicily.

In mid-August, Lovano embarked on the journey to Alcara Li Fusi in Sicily to participate in the festivities of San Nicolo Politi and afterwards performed a special concert as a gift to the citizens of the town and its jazz aficionados. On a personal discovery for 'the world's greatest jazz musician in history', the festival organisers pulled out all the stops, and paid attention to every detail. With the expertise of Arka Service, a specialist audio, visual and lighting rental company in Sicily, Turbosound and Midas had quite the show to deliver.

USA - The University of Tennessee at Martin has completed a major upgrade to its 8500-seat Hardy M. Graham Stadium. The renovated stadium now boasts a large, modern academic/football press box facility and a new audio system with Community R Series and W Series loudspeakers.

UT Martin's goals were to upgrade its locker rooms and training facilities, add classroom space and enhance fan experience with a major new press area, a new concessions stand, a private club level and an audio system with music quality and performance that would rival major university and professional stadiums.

Lowrance Sound Company of Union City, Tennessee designed and installed UT Martin's new audio system. According to owner Carl Lowrance, the stadium's previous system was a 10-year-old, end-zone design using a pair of Community R2 loudspeakers which had provided good coverage and intelligible ann

UK - Yamaha mixing consoles are a familiar sight in venues and on technical riders throughout the world, but they also play a vital role in teaching successive generations of mixing engineers their craft. One of many UK courses taught on Yamaha consoles is the BSc (Hons) degree in Music Technology at Teesside University.

The course features modules in composing, recording, engineering and producing music for a range of disciplines, for which the university recently invested in a number of new Yamaha MG12s. Another key element is the Live Sound modules, where students enjoy hands-on experience of QL1 and LS9 digital mixers.

"We have been using Yamaha mixers in our music labs for 12 years and the latest investment has been an upgrade to the most recent MG12 model," says technician and assistant course lecturer Jamie Donnelly.

Supplied by education technology specialist A

Italy - Proel has released new 3.2 version GLL files for its Axiom AX2065, AX2010, SW36F, and SW215F loudspeaker models for use with the widely used industry-standard EASE Focus 3 sound system modelling software which allows 3D modeling of line arrays, sub arrays, and conventional loudspeakers.

These newly updated files have been completely calculated following a whole new set of accurate measurements in order to obtain a more realistic simulation and better resolution. The zip file can be downloaded from the Axiom website by selecting products > line array systems > AX2010 or the relevant product, and then selecting the Downloads tab of the product page.

Also in this release are five brand new GLL models for the SW1800 (complementary subwoofer for the new AX800A compact line array), as well as the SW36, SW215, and SW218X subwoofers (also usable for the SW218), and the SW1

USA - Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia, recently added a new EAW Redline sound reinforcement system to their sanctuary. The church leaders, who are planning a complete sanctuary renovation in the next few years, were looking for an audio solution that would meet their immediate needs and could be re-purposed in the future.

With that goal in mind, they contacted AEE Productions, also located in Atlanta, to assess the situation.

"A high-quality, powerful, portable system like Redline provides powerful sound that doesn't bottom out and provides the vocal clarity needed for a sanctuary," explains Yergan Jones, president of AEE Productions. "Because it is portable and self-powered, it has versatility and the ability to be used in any number of applications the church might have in the future."

Jones ultimately recommended four RL12 loudspeakers

UK - It was difficult to miss the Audient ASP8024-HE at the opening party in the London-based Institute of Contemporary Music (ICMP) studio facility, this month. One of the first Heritage Edition consoles to leave the Audient factory, it sits at the heart of the new recording studios and provided a majestic backdrop to ICMP director Pete Whittard and facilities manager, Mike Sinnott as they gave their welcome speech.

"I am thrilled that ICMP have forged a partnership with Audient. I have always been a big fan of their gear and absolutely love their new Heritage ASP8024 console. It not only looks and sounds fantastic but represents great value for money so when deciding which console to choose for our control room it was a no brainer," said Sinnott.

The Heritage Edition is billed as "the definitive version of David Dearden's classic design' taking the existing features of A

Korea - An important venue in Korean worship, Kangnam Joongang Baptist Church in Seoul recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, and marked the occasion with an upgrade to its mixing system, selecting Allen & Heath's dLive and ME digital systems to manage FOH and monitors.

The church's dLive system comprises a S5000 Surface at FOH with a DM48 MixRack installed on stage.

"The S5000's user interface is superb - I can reach every function in just one or two touches, and I can reach a function several different ways. I think it is so nice for an engineer to be able to adjust everything to his own taste. For me, the dual touch screen is essential, and dLive has a super-fast response, and natural touch like a smart phone.

"The 26 user-defined soft keys are amazing, plus the 4 custom rotaries, so there are loads of options. All of these features give the opportunity to experi

Mexico - When Isaias G. Asbun, Front of House engineer and director at Pyramid Sound, was in charge of the sound for Grammy-Award nominated Mexican singer Ana Gabriel's tour titled Por Ti, he packed up his new DPA Microphones' d:vote 4099 Rock Touring Kit to capture the band's explosive sound.

"This was my first time using DPA microphones and I was blown away by the quality," says Asbun. "I have always chosen my microphones very carefully, and when I tested the DPA mics I knew I was set. During the sound check, I noticed that I had clear sounding mix with no extra steps needed. I had no problems during the tour thanks to my DPAs. I am hooked on these microphones."

Currently, Asbun has a DPA d:vote 4099 Rock Touring Kit complete with ten d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones and a few d:dicate 2011C Cardioid Microphones. "I invested in DPA mics to get a better sound than what

Italy - Staged across the Italian city that bears its name, the Ravenna Festival ranks high among Europe's most prestigious events. Adding another edge to its character, the 2016 event relied heavily on the use of RAVENNA IP networking for its audio operation.

The Ravenna Festival hosts performing arts in venues including the Pala de Andr

UK - There are still places available at this year's Reproduced Sound conference, which is being held at the Holiday Inn, Southampton on 15-17 November.

As ever, there's an extensive programme, which includes an audio workshop and visits to the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research and Southampton Solent University. RS conferences are famed for their friendly atmosphere and there's always a particularly warm welcome reserved for those attending for the first time. Students also benefit from a very generous reduction in the attendance fee.

Bookings should be made via the IOA website www.ioa.org.uk.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Old Barn Audio (OBA) has equipped a sophisticated rooftop bar/restaurant concept - part of Exeter's new £12m Queen St Dining regeneration project - with Martin Audio's new CDD and CDD-WR loudspeaker series.

Situated in the city's Guildhall Shopping Centre, The Terrace is the brainchild of directors Joe Hill and Steve Keogh, who own the successful Artigiano coffee chain. They had been looking to diversify into a high-class all-day and late night operation over three floors, including a rooftop bar at the top.

Knowing they also wanted to present live music and world class DJs as part of the entertainment mix, they sought both a credible brand and a high end audio installer to fulfill these requirements. The client searched the internet and OBA was among the integration companies short-listed.

"We recommended Martin Audio's CDD series," said OBA director, Phil

Israel - API has recently added Tel Aviv-based dealer AudioLab to its network. The company specializes in pro audio gear and computer systems for studios, production, recording, and sound editing. The dedicated team at AudioLab understands the needs of musicians and producers and offers the highest quality audio gear and solutions to their customers.

AudioLab Owner Oren Alsheich says, "We at AudioLab have made it our goal to bring the best high-end brands to the Israeli pro audio market. We are excited about representing API, a company we have always had tremendous respect for as well as faith in their products."

(Jim Evans)

China - With a live audience of 80,000, the recent final of the first series of Sing China was a production on a massive scale and needed an audio system that provided total reliability and sufficient processing power. To fulfil both these requirements, a total of nine DiGiCo digital mixing consoles were specified by the show's broadcaster, Zhejiang Television.

Sing China is based on The Voice of Holland, the concept being to find new singing talent (solo or duets) drawn from public auditions. In China, the show stopped using foreign copyright in 2016, changed its name to Sing China, and became one of the most popular singing competitions in the country.

The final was held at the Birds Nest, which was originally designed as the main stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the Olympic Green Village in Beijing's Chaoyang District, and deploy

France - The Live Vibration Tour is the main event promoted by radio station Vibration, involving some of the most famous national artists - such as Soprano, Black M, and Fréro Delavega. This year's edition included five concerts in the cities of Orléans, Le Mans, Tours, Bourges and Blois, which took place 14-24 September.

Rental company XCPH took care of most of the technical aspects of the tour and provided an RCF audio system for the second year in a row. Several HDL20-A had been used to cover a crowd of over 8000 people in 2015; however, this year Vibration anticipated higher attendance, therefore XCPH suggested the use of HDL50-A, the latest addition to the D Line.

The HDL50-A is an active three-way line array module with a built-in 2200W RMS digital amplifier, with 2x12'' woofers, four symmetrical 6.5'' midranges and two 2'' drivers. For all five dates

UK - Scotland's live events and festivals sector throw its weight behind the third edition of the hugely successful PLASA Focus Glasgow, which returns to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) on 18-19 January, 2017.

The event will again offer live product demonstrations, the latest technological innovations from a wealth of manufacturers and distributors, alongside a packed two-day programme of informative, relevant and educational seminars.

The events and festivals sector is a major contributor to the Scottish economy - both locally and internationally and this year Scotland has taken steps to invest in the future of the industry with the unveiling last month of a 10-year collaborative strategy to significantly grow this £3.5 billion industry.

The result of an 18-month consultation process involving the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish

USA - Located in Clarksville, just northeast of Nashville, Austin Peay State University is the fastest-growing university in Tennessee. Its football team - the Governors - plays at the 10,000-seat Fortera Stadium, which was built 70 years ago and was, until recently, known as Governors Stadium.

The name change coincided with a massive facilities upgrade, which included a new four-story home-side structure with modern seating, suites, concessions, athletic training facilities, and more. Local AV integrator Lowrance Sound Company (LSC) designed and installed a new, modern sound system to complement the upgraded facilities, relying on Ashly Audio's affordable nX-Series multi-channel amplifiers.

"This was a huge, multi-million-dollar renovation to Governors Stadium, but as so often happens, they failed to think of a corresponding upgrade to the sound system until the entire bu

UK - Shure UK has awarded the second annual Shure Rental Partner of the Year Award to Cardiff-based Stage Sound Services. The award was established in 2015 to recognise the efforts and achievements of Shure rental partners across the UK, with the first accolade going to Wigwam Acoustics.

Stage Sound Services received this year's award in recognition of their commitment and dedication to excellence in delivering the best outcomes for their customers. With particular note to their adoption of new wireless systems, Stage Sound Services have fully embraced the diverse range of Shure products to deliver exceptional results - often under challenging circumstances.

The award was presented to Stage Sound Services MD, Phil Hurley by Shure UK Pro Audio Group manager, Tuomo Tolonen and Shure UK Area Sales Manager, Stuart Moots.

"Over the course of this year, we've really seen Sta

UK - Sennheiser has announced that its Sound Academy training programme is heading to The Warehouse in Glasgow on 8 November 2016 for its latest Wireless Mics and Monitoring Essentials courses.

Run by Sennheiser's Andrew Lillywhite and Tim Sherratt, the course is aimed at both new and existing users of wireless microphones and in-ear monitor systems, including sound engineers, live event professionals, students, apprentices, sales people and AV technicians who want to further their understanding of the area.

The course will provide the skills and confidence to operate multichannel wireless systems, covering acoustics and electro-technology, wireless mics and monitoring, antenna technology, microphone technology, frequency management and wireless monitoring.

Each course offers a combination of classroom training, which includes hands-on practical modules and eLearning,

Europe - Optocore is offering its customers a unique opportunity to trade in their old 'E'-designated devices for the renowned and more efficient R-series products.

The company has announced how users can derive the maximum benefit from this replacement programme and update now to the newer, state-of-the-art R-devices.

Customers wishing to make the exchange before the end of 2016 will qualify for an 18% discount and they will receive the replacement R series model at the special price by return.

Says Optocore: "This unique trade-in discount will provide users with many advantages, designed to make the new portfolio the fibre network for the pro-audio industry. This includes lowest power consumption; open standards compatibility; maximum flexibility and scalability; lowest latency in the industry; five-year warranty;a of fans, and therefore no noise - and all the

UK - Baldwin Boxall has announced that its popular Omnicare EVC system can now be extended to include up to 8,064 outstations. The company admits that it is 'extremely unlikely' that a system on this scale would be needed, but it does mean that previous limitations no longer exist.

Known as 'OmnicarePLUS', the system provides a touchscreen interface as the master point of control, with local areas taken care of via standard style panels.

Should a site require it, additional touchscreen control points can be added to the system; enabling placement in alternative control or security rooms. These will be 'slave' or 'mimic' panels unless full control is transferred due to comprise of the master control point or as required by the user(s).

Each local area control panel can handle up to 64 outstations and these can be any combination of any of the outstation types available

Turkey - Turkish popstar Ajda Pekkan completed a series of special concerts in prestigious venues across the country touring with a 30-strong band. Allen & Heath's dLive digital mixing systems, comprising two S7000 Surfaces and DM64 MixRacks, managed FOH, monitors and recording.

The shows took place at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Amphitheatre in Istanbul, Bodrum Amphitheatre and Izmir International Arena.

Ajda Pekkan's production manager & FOH engineer, Inanc Yenidogan, specified dLive for the tour. The band used stereo IEMs plus side-fills and mono sub monitor mixes for the drummer and bass player, requiring up to 60 mono auxes. Additional auxes were routed over Dante to the FOH DM64 MixRack as an output expander. All the shows were recorded via M-Dante on a Mac DVS.

"We made the most of the interlinking possibilities of dLive," says monitor engineer, Wayne Nigel Gittens. "

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