UK - Cafeteria, one of London’s new eateries, has turned to Sound Division, to specify, supply and install its audio equipment. Sound Division’s audio design team, David Graham and Elliot Patterson, opted for a Crown-powered JBL system based primarily on JBL Control 29AV loudspeakers.

“Although it’s not a massive system, the keyword here was quality,” explained Graham. “The client wanted a high quality system that would cruise from background to foreground levels with the minimum of effort, and the flexibility to zone the system as required with remote, independent level control.”

To that end Sound Division supplied a total of six JBL Control 29AVs for the restaurant area downstairs with four more gracing the cocktail lounge upstairs. These are supplemented by four JBL Control 23s in the entrance area and four Control 24C ceiling speak

Germany - Sennheiser is sponsoring aviator Polly Vacher MBE’s latest trans-global charity flight. The company has contributed financially and by supplying the Sennheiser Aviation headsets worn by Vacher on this flight. Her penultimate stop is Hanover, home of Sennheiser, where a warm welcome awaits in early 2004.

Polly Vacher MBE has trained as a music teacher, physiotherapist, sky diver and more, this is her second flight round the world. Sennheiser has supplied the HMEC 25KA flight communications headset, a compact lightweight design that is fully adjustable and ideal for extended use. Vacher commented: "The HMEC 25KA is the only headset I have tried that is female friendly, and it is worth noting that over 25 percent of all pilots are women."

HRH Prince Charles attended the departure ceremonies where he was introduced to Vacher, the team and some of her spo

Germany - F.A.S.T is versatile new system from HK Audio. With separately adjustable microphone and line inputs, it provides a quick and simple solution to most sound reinforcement challenges, from a solo gig in a small pub to a multimedia presentation. F.A.S.T's multi-functional housing makes it a top-flight stage monitor. The integrated DuoTilt speaker stand collar offers two angles of tilt, letting you zero in on the audience and make the most efficient use of sonic energy.

Featuring integrated OFR technology, the F.A.S.T's power amplifier offers 300W RMS, with enough reserves for larger events. The matched combination of 1" driver with 60° x 40° CD horn and 12" woofer provides a lush, crisp sonic image, remaining feedback-proof even at the highest levels. The use of the DynaClip limiter ensures the bass impulses are rendered clearly. "With F.A.S.T, getting a

UK - Pro audio distribution company Autograph Sales has been appointed as an executive agent for Midas, as part of the manufacturer's reshuffle of its UK distribution. Autograph has also rejoined the Klark Teknik fold by becoming a dealer for its product range once again.

Midas' new executive agent principle applies to its large format consoles, excluding Venice. The company believes that its new network of agents will add value to the sale in terms of part exchange, payment plans, by attracting a new market sector or from the benefit of having an established relationship with the client. "UK rental companies and installers now have access to consoles at 'commercial user' rate," explains Midas sales manager for the UK, Richard Ferriday. "Factory-approved executive agents are authorized to negotiate sales on behalf of Midas, but there is no stocking commitment, and

UK - Autograph Sales, UK distributor for ATM Flyware overhead structural products, has announced the launch of the SB Series Swivel Beams, an economical solution to suspending a loudspeaker from two fixed structural attachment points. The Swivel Beam can be suspended well below the structural attachment and will allow the adjustment of pan and tilt.

The SB Series is ideally suited for individual loudspeakers suspended in a left and right configuration where the building structure is not in alignment with the proper pan of the loudspeaker. The top section of the SB Series can be attached to a joist in the building, and the lower section can be rotated to align the dispersion of the loudspeaker. There are additionalattachment points on the lower section that accept pull-back straps for adjusting the down-tilt of the loudspeaker.

There are four Swivel Beams in the SB Series: SB-1

Germany - Skan PA Hire was recently appointed by production company Exposure Ltd to design, install and operate all the audio systems for Levi's massive 150th year celebration which took place at the Postbahnhof, a former train maintenance depot in Berlin. Skan director Chris Fitch worked closely with production manager Matt Ringer to agree a system design for all areas of the event including the exhibition, fashion show, dance and performance areas.

The unusual dimensions of the venue presented a particular challenge for Skan when designing the sound system - the building is 160m by 20m, curved and very reverberant. The system design was further complicated by the limited strength of the roof structure. Added to the challenges presented by the building, Exposure's specification called for the system to provide flexibility and zoning as the Postbahnhof needed dedicated systems f

USA - Renkus-Heinz has launched the CobraNet Breakout Box. Currently the only product of its kind, it allows users to connect non-Cobranet products to a Cobranet network, giving an installer the benefits of CobraNet technology without having to purchase special amplification, or to retrofit existing systems with CobraNet technology.

The Breakout Box provides six fully-balanced analogue output channels on miniature Phoenix output connectors, and all outputs are muted on power On/Off to prevent system thumps. As well as adding CobraNet connectivity to Renkus-Heinz PN Series powered speakers, Renkus-Heinz rack amplifiers or even another manufacturer's amplification, the Breakout Box also provides an output for the Renkus-Heinz R-Control system, permitting full remote control of R-Control enabled Renkus-Heinz amplification products.

The standard pair of RJ-45 ethernet connectors a

Australia - Two of Australia's major audio companies, Johnston Audio and McLean Audiohave announced the formation of a new audio company, Johnston McLean Audio creating a new force in the Australian audio industry, which will have an inventory including Nexo, EAW and Martin speakers and Midas and Yamaha consoles.

Johnston Audio has grown steadily since 1985 and has become a major supplier of audio production, especially in the band touring, festival and dance markets. Bruce Johnston, himself an internationally known sound engineer with world tours for Oasis and more recently Silverchair under his belt, has steered Johnston Audio to providing services that would more than satisfy any local or visiting international act. "As an engineer, I know how important it is to have things just right and I have always tried to apply that philosophy to Johnston Audio. Merging with McLean

UK - Back with a bang from the 1980s, Erasure's The Other Tour started in the US in March to rave reviews and continued in the UK through May and June. FOH engineer Martin Hildred is mixing front-of-house using a Yamaha DM2000 digital console and a d&b C4 PA system provided by Encore. The band played a variety of venues with stars Andy Bell and Vince Clarke fronting this revival of their glory years. The impressive set is pure bedsit-land, with the exception of some outrageous costumes for Andy Bell.

Bell's distinctive voice has graced numerous top-ten hits with Erasure, but according to Hildred, it can be a bit of a handful live. "Andy's voice has real dynamics to it, but it is so vital to the Erasure sound I needed to keep it manageable in the mix without losing any presence." Hildred specified four channels of XTA's SiDD DP324 (Seriously Intelligent Digital Dynamics

UK - London-based Orbital has recently expanded and refurbished its Brixton based HQ and announced the launch of a distinct but complementary division - Fixit. Fixit offers a 24/7 maintenance service contract for out-of-house installations and productions as well as a comprehensive repairs facility for all audio and comms equipment. The repair facility benefits from new technical workshops and a huge investment in the latest test equipment.

Fixit offers a new concept in maintenance and back up for venues as diverse as theatres, live entertainment venues, places of worship, bars and clubs, council chambers and leisure parks. As a brand new service division, Fixit aims to remove the inconvenience of in-house repairs and the need to stock spare parts, and is aimed at AV and audio rental companies.

Over the past decade Orbital's in-house technical support team, headed jointly by D

Greece - Between Acropolis and Lycabetus Hill in the historical center of Athens, the first QSC AcousticDesign AD-S82H surface-mount loudspeakers have been installed in the Acai club/restaurant. QSC's AD-S82H speakers employ a 2-way design that incorporates an 8" weatherproof, LF transducer coupled with a 1" exit compression HF driver.

Although the AcousticDesign Series may be new, the well-known name and reputation of QSC convinced the owners of Acai - one of the oldest and finest venues in the area - to upgrade the loudspeaker system they purchased just last year to the AD-S82H enclosures. For power amplification, Acai's owners elected to stay within the QSC product line and chose the company's popular PLX 2402.

Thus, eight AD-S82Hs, mounted on QSC's revolutionary IntelliDock AD-ID8 intelligent mounting system, were installed in a semi-open terrace, powered by a pa

Monaco - The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Formula 1 season, and this year's race witnessed Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya clinch only the second win of his career in what was also an end to the Williams team's 20-year barren spell at the track. Adding to the race goers' experience, the action was relayed on a number of Lighthouse LED screens.

French audio-visual company Lumison, under the direction of their chief technician, Pierre Heyligen, supplied a total of four Lighthouse screens to Automobile Club de Monaco. The largest screen, 120 panels of LVP2056 in a 12 x 10 configuration, measuring a total of 150sq.m, was situated at the treacherous right hand bend of St Devote supported by a custom-built scaffold structure.

Two screens, each16 panels of LVP2056, were placed in front of the new seating area at the rear of the pit lane and a further 13 panels in f

UK - Shoppers in London's King's Road are experiencing the UK's first on-street 'Whispering Windows'. People walking by the Sloane Square window of the Peter Jones store, are stepping into a virtual 'tube of sound'. The store, known as the Corner Shop of Chelsea, has been selected for the first public demonstration of the new technology.

FeONIC Whispering Windows have been developed by Newlands Scientific plc and enables sound from the in-store display, on this occasion state-of-the-art TV and Plasma screens, to be transmitted via the window glass to the street. FeONIC Whispering Windows has already been successfully launched in America, Korea and Japan.

Newlands Scientific is an innovation and design company specializing in the design of products using smart materials. The company has transformed the Peter Jones' window into a giant loudspeaker transmitting high quality soun

USA - In response to market demand for reliable installed sound speakers at a competitive price point, JBL Professional has introduced the SoundFactor Install (SFi) range of speakers - installation versions of its SoundFactor product line.

The SF12Mi and SF15i are similar to their ground-bound counterparts, but have features dedicated to installation: three M10, threaded suspension points have been added to each model, and the speakers are supplied with three forged, shouldered eyebolts. Both models have two suspension points on top and the SF15i has a pullback point on the lower rear panel, while the shape of the SF12Mi sees its pullback point moved to the bottom panel. The handles, pole-mount socket and feet have been removed to give a clean, uncluttered appearance. Available this month, the SFi range is particularly suited to clubs, houses of worship and educational institu

UK - The Morrison Irish pub on the King's Road in London is one of the latest venues to benefit from a complete AV system designed and installed by contract specialists, Sound Division. Like most Irish pubs, The Morrison is a lively venue where music, including the ability to host live bands, is a key element of the venue's character.

Sound Division's audio design team along with The Morrison's Stephen Breen, specified a Martin Audio system, powered by Crown amplification. The pub is split into two areas, the bar and the lounge, each of which has it's own system comprising of four Martin Audio EM26 compact loudspeakers and an EM150 sub powered by Crown amplification. Control comes courtesy of an Allen and Heath DR66 digital mix processor.

Music playback is handled by a Rolec LHD3 music management system that delivers continuous automatic playback of CD quality audio, which ca

UK - E.M. Acoustics, the manufacturing division of Instigate Media Ltd, has launched the first model in the new multi-purpose EMS series - a range designed primarily for installation, but equally suited to audio professionals, DJs or musicians.

The EMS-81 is a two-way passive full-range enclosure designed for a wide variety of uses, including small FOH, club infills, cafes/bars, and low profile floor monitoring. The quasi-trapezoid enclosure is constructed from CNC-machined, multi-laminate Finnish birch ply and contains a reflex loaded 8" (203mm) LF driver and a 1" (25mm) exit HF compression driver on a 90H x 60V horn. The enclosure requires no external processing, has a frequency response from 75Hz - 20kHz and produces a maximum continuous SPL of 120dB. Final touches are achieved with a textured black paint finish (colours optional) and an acoustic foam/expanded steel

USA - American Audio has introduced the WM-UHF16, a single wireless microphone system with 16 selectable UHF frequencies. Just by adjusting knobs on the mic and receiver, the user can select any one of 16 different UHF frequencies to transmit on.

With the WM-UHF16 there's no problem if someone nearby is using a wireless mic on the same frequency. Users simply take the small channel selector tool that's included with the system, and turn the mic and receiver knobs to change to another frequency.

Ideal for a number of applications, the WM-UHF16 is a complete microphone-receiver system with a wireless range of up to 150ft. It features XLR balanced and quarter-inch unbalanced outputs. The system also includes On/Off/Mute controls on the mic, and On and Low Battery LED indicators. Signal to noise ratio is more than 95dB whilst frequency channels range from 471.000-481.650MHz, and

China - Asian dealers and distributors of some of Europe's leading pro audio and lighting brands have signed up to participate in the debut Prolight+Sound Shanghai exhibition (15-18 October 2003). For Chinese pro audio and lighting retailers, rental companies, sound system engineers, DJs, broadcasters, event organizers and venue operators, Prolight+Sound Shanghai will offer an alternative sourcing venue right at the heart of China's entertainment capital, and a demonstration of the premium foreign-made equipment that is available for export to China.

Hong Kong-based Eastern Acoustic Development Ltd (EAD) distributes more than 16 European and US brands, including EAW and LabGruppen. "We decided to join Prolight + Sound Shanghai primarily because of the show's location," explains EAD representative, Grace Ng. "We are planning to open a branch in Shanghai later this

South Africa - In May this year, The National Ports Authority of South Africa (NPA) hosted the 23rd International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) World Conference in Durban, South Africa - Gearhouse SA was engaged by Global Conferences to supply the audio-visual and other equipment necessary for this event.

This is the first time in the IAPH's 46-year history that this prestigious biennial Maritime conference was held on African soil. More than 14 countries confirmed their participation in the conference, which was held from 24 - 30 May at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Durban. The theme was: 'Ports - The Catalytic Impact: Uniting World Economies through Ports and Harbours', the conference aims to facilitate discussion and debate among the world's port community.

Belinda Loockx, branch manager of Gearhouse SA Durban branch, says she and her team were &qu

UK - July 2003 sees the opening of Laser Quest, Trafford Centre, Manchester. Destined to be one of the world's best Laser Quest centres, the venue boasts many new interactive features and a Wharfedale EVPS sound system. The new Laser Quest attraction will be operated by an independent company, Blue Maze. Keith Finnegan, company director, has been overseeing the build and theming process, including the installation of the sound reinforcement system.

"Although the venue is fairly well sound-proofed," he explains, "we do have to give consideration to the neighbouring units in the Centre, one of which is the multiplex cinema. Although we wanted a quality sound system, with a decent output level, we needed loudspeakers with fairly tight focus and dispersion so that our soundtrack didn't spill over into other venues."

Blue Maze sought advice at Sound Control in M

Canada - Matt Stoody has joined Fourth Phase, PRG's Toronto subsidiary, as account executive. Working out of PRG's Fourth Phase Toronto location, Stoody will sell and manage all Group services - including lighting, audio, projection and scenery - to new and existing accounts throughout the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada.

Prior to joining PRG, Stoody played key sales and operations roles in projects as diverse as last year's Papal visit to Toronto (World Youth Day 2002), Disney's The Lion King and concert tours by Alabama and Styx.

Jere Harris, chairman and CEO of PRG, commented: "Matt's background and experience with a broad range of clients and markets will help PRG and its affiliates to further expand their presence in vitally important markets such as automotive shows, corporate events and trade shows."

(Ruth Rossington)

The Netherlands - One of the first products launched by newly-founded manufacturer Alcons Audio is the TS Series of compact loudspeakers. Intended applications include full-range speech and music reinforcement, as well as fill or under balcony systems. Alcons says that all models in the series boast exceptional sound quality for this speaker category - the result of detailed tuning of cabinet construction, port design, component selection/modification and crossover network.

The Alcons TS series currently consist of two models, the TS 3 and TS 7. The TS 3 features one 6.5" mid-bass driver with 1" soft-dome tweeter on optimized wave-guide. Peak-power is 400W with an efficiency of 89dB (1W/1m) and a frequency response of 66Hz - 20kHz.

The TS 7 features double 6.5" mid-bass driver with identical 1" soft-dome tweeter. Peak-power is 800W with an efficiency of 92d

UK - Baldwin Boxall, the manufacturer of voice alarm, voice evacuation, public address and emergency communication systems, has introduced a system maintenance service to provide maintenance in accordance to BS5839 part 8 for its account holders. Account customers can apply for a quotation for a maintenance contract for each Baldwin Boxall system they have installed. Any end user requiring maintenance on their Baldwin Boxall system should contact the original installer/supplier of the system, who will then be able to offer a suitable maintenance service.

The maintenance service is available on annual contract basis and includes quarterly visits to site by a qualified Baldwin Boxall engineer. The first three visits in the year include a thorough inspection of the system, including batteries, microphones, message intelligibility, fire panel interface connections and a check on the

UK - Pro Technical UK recently won the Theme magazine national award for the 'Best use of technology' for their JBL installation at Susumi in Derby. The Theme awards were held at Mezzo's in London on 3 June. Pro Technical designed, installed and commissioned the sound, light and video project using the latest technology, fulfilling the design brief provided by the owner of Susumi, Russell Davidson.

Davidson needed the sound system to have high fidelity reproduction but didn't want it to be so loud that people would have to shout to be heard; the lighting also needed to be unobtrusive. Company director and designer Richard Anderson, who managed the project, says: "For the sound system we chose JBL. The new Control 29AV is a compact unit that can deliver clarity even at high volume."

The main bar area downstairs has a concrete floor so Anderson decided to mount the eig

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