The Netherlands - In Holland, the Dutch police have adopted Marantz Professional's PMD660 Compact Digital Recorder to handle the critical job of recording interviews in interrogation rooms in police stations around the country.

17 of the PMD660 field recorders have been supplied so far by Niehoff High Tech Sound & Light, chosen by the Police because of three primary factors. The PMD660 offers exceptional recording time, three hours of mono recording on a 1GB card, but, by switching between different presets, over 17 hours of stereo MP3 and almost 36 hours of monaural MP3 audio is available. The unit will operate for up to four hours on four standard AA batteries. Due to its solid-state design, the unit has virtually no moving parts is therefore dramatically more reliable than cassette, DAT, or other tape/disc formats.

And it is simple to use. According to a police spokesman, &

UK - Northampton-based sound and lighting installer Fabtronic has completed an extensive and flexible ElectroVoice sound system installation in the Barratts Club in Northampton, where a large sports bar and snooker hall have been created out of a former shoe factory.

Barratts' owners, the MacManus Group briefed Fabtronic designers to come up with a sound system that would fit in and around the multiple plasma TV screens that form the core identity of the sports bar. The objective was to have six discrete audio zones, allowing different sports to be shown in different areas of the bar.

Using Electro-Voice's EViD compact loudspeakers, Fabtronic has provided a system that is capable of far more than just background music replay. Powered and processed by Electro-Voice, with 8x 12.1 subwoofers in support, the EViDs are powerful enough to handle live bands, DJs and karaoke entertain

UK - Kevin Madigan, monitor engineer for Eels has been working for the band since May 2004 on a fairly constant tour across most of the world. He is a recent convert to the DiGiCo D1 after playing with a D5 owned by Jon Lemon. "I love it, you can really give the guys the consistency they want. Everyday I start off from a good point. Little tweaks are needed, but I am not coming in and having to deal with different consoles everyday," Madigan enthuses.

Madigan bought his own D1 through his company, EQ Audio, and tours it with the band. "The Eels is definitely the most pressure monitor gig I have ever had," he said. On the current show, Madigan has to deal with around 30 open sources, mostly acoustic, making feedback a real possibility. "With the analogue consoles, all the channels were open all the time because it was so much work to organise mute groups

UK - This month, Soundesign's new 12.5 ton truck is launched, complete with an audio spec comprising a Studer Vista 8 console and two Pyramix H/D recording systems. Designed and built by Conrad Fletcher, the truck has a fully floating control room which incorporates a moveable wall that means the rear can be used as a studio, edit suite, internet TX area or DVD copying suite, or pushed back for maximum space in the mix area; as well as a separate machine room.

"We set ourselves the task of building a true multi-use vehicle with a serious listening environment, but we needed a desk that would be user-friendly to guest engineers and excel in any role, be it a radio talk show, a simultaneous stereo and 5.1 broadcast of a music festival or an on-site dub of a TV show. The Vista 8 fulfils these criteria perfectly" says Fletcher.

Fletcher made his first acquaintance with a

UK - Audient highlighted the ACS8024 at this year's AES in New York. The Audient console on display at US distributor Audio Exchange International's (AXI) booth proved very popular and was sold to singer/songwriter Bill Champlin of Chicago fame.

Chris Walsh, AXI sales director reports: "Champlin liked the ACS8024 so much that he bought it before the show had even finished! It was exactly the solution he was looking for."

The ACS8024 combines the feature mix of the ASP8024 with an additional control section bay with Command 8 fitted for ProTools control. This brings the control of ProTools right to the traditional listening position: the centre of the console.

Walsh comments: "With the advent of digital recording and expectations of engineers at an all time high, coupling Audient's high quality analogue design with the digital interface means they get the best

UK - Latymer Upper School in West London enlisted the services of Autograph to update the audio system in its listed Assembly Hall, as well as design and install a new system in the Sports Hall. The system design is based around EM Acoustics loudspeakers, MC2 Amplifiers and Allen & Heath iDR control units.

Due to the design brief for the Assembly Hall of discrete, low profile loudspeakers, and the ability to easily reconfigure the room for different settings, Autograph's project manager Lee Dennison specified the i-2 three-way compact fullrange loudspeaker as the main loudspeaker component of the Assembly Hall. He explains, "These are a true 90° x 20° box which can be rigged horizontally or vertically and have a rotatable horn coupled with 2 x 5" drivers. The box is passive and it just keeps going." The first six enclosures to come off the production line from E

UK - The new Opus 89 handheld vocal mic from beyerdynamic has a hypercardioid polar pattern offering "excellent isolation, allowing maximum monitoring volume with minimum feedback", say the company.

The Opus 89 is a premium microphone, delivering true uncoloured sound and a real sense of control for the performer, say beyerdynamic, offering wide frequency response for clear top-end and extended vocal depth. The Opus 89 is of heavy-duty construction, and robust enough for touring, say the company.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Joint directors Paul Butler and Ian Robson have completed the successful purchase of Northampton-based full service AV company Mushroom Event Services.

"Mushroom has always ticked along quite nicely and we already had a very solid client base," explains Butler. "However, Ian and I realised that to progress things, it was necessary for us to have full control of the company."

The first contract for the new regime at Mushroom was the Marriott Global Pursuits Event, held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, where they supplied all the lighting and technical facilities for the in-house client based exhibition. "We colour themed the room, supplied the sound system and specialist lighting, which was mainly LED, as well as a colour changing wall and a boat that was used for a feature area," comments Butler.

This was followed by the PLASA Show

UK - Sound Division has recently completed a high quality AV installation at the exclusive Roehampton Club, a private members' sports club set in 100 acres of parkland close to Richmond Park in London. Originally established in 1901 as an Officers' polo club, it now offers among the finest range of sporting and leisure facilities in the London area including an 18-hole golf course, 29 tennis courts, five squash courts, four croquet lawns, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a fitness centre, in addition to numerous leisure and relaxation areas.

Sound Division was called in to specify, design and install AV systems for Roehampton's new building which has been constructed around the existing indoor pool and houses a brand new, state-of-the-art gymnasium and aerobics studio, as well as the pool. Sound Division alsoprovided systems to cover the outdoor pool plus grass areas and te

UK - Soundcraft continue to make the mid-level mixing market their own patch with the hugely popular MH3 console - as evidenced this month with the opening of the latest Carling Academy in Newcastle.

Academy Music Group's contractors, Marquee Audio - asked to create a top quality infrastructure for the company early on in their relationship - had opted for the MH3 as the centre of a top-spec monitor set-up. Since standardizing on the 32-channel MH3 at the stage end they have been specifying 40-input desks at front-of-house. "With the exception of Islington, every Academy venue now has an MH3 out front, as well as for monitors," observed Marquee Audio MD, Spencer Brooks.

AMG decided to pioneer high-level referencing a number of years ago, providing an enviable technical infrastructure for visiting bands. Brooks continued: "We backed the MH3 as soon as it was rele

UK - Sennheiser headphones have been chosen to compliment an innovative on-train entertainment system that has been introduced by Volo:TV for First Great Western Trains. With this technology, customers in a dedicated coach can take part in interactive seat-back entertainment.

Volo employed Hi-Fi reviewer and audio consultant, Chris Thomas to advise on sound set up and headphone selection. As a result, Volo uses Sennheiser MX300 in-ear units.

Customers can navigate their own menu of options using touch screen technology, and choose what they want to watch and for how long. Like the latest airline systems (albeit very few), the Volo system offers choice and control, via on-demand services, of how they want to be entertained, informed and educated. Also, the system's high bandwidth enables wireless communications, news, weather and sport to be regularly updated throughout the day

UK - ATC used the recent AES exhibition in New York to introduce the PA65, a compact, three-way active PA speaker system for flown, live sound installation. The system was developed from the company's established SCM150ASL active studio monitors that have been installed in London nightclubs Chinawhite and MO*VIDA.

The three-way active PA65 system comprises an ATC Super Linear 15-inch bass driver, a three-inch softdrome mid-range driver and a 1.25-inch fabric dome tweeter. ATC three-channel Class A/B amplifiers deliver 200 watts to the low-frequency driver, 100 watts to the mid-range and 50 watts to the tweeter. All amplifier channels feature active momentary gain reduction.

Each three-way active enclosure is capable of generating a maximum SPL of 116dB. Each cabinet offers ±80 degrees of horizontal, coherent dispersion with ±10 degrees in the vertical plane. Crossover freque

Spain - Vieta Pro, established eighteen months ago as a division of the noted consumer audio company, is making inroads into city-centre bars, restaurants and clubs in its home city, Barcelona.

Vieta's DO Line is the favourite choice, and from this series, it is the DO-5 which is proving the most popular. A two-way passive bass-reflex speaker, it has been designed for sound processing in small spaces which require high quality sound.

At Rouras, a high-end café-bar, effective coverage is gained from just two Vieta DO-5 16 ohm loudspeakers; Kit Kat, which operates as a restaurant during the day and as a bar at night, features eight DO-5s; Chasis, an old pub in the Bribiescas that has recently been refurbished, incorporates four DO-5s and four DO-8s to cover separate dancing and seated areas.

Zacarius is built on the former site of the famous La Boite Club. Owner Carlos

USA - Meyer Sound and LCS Audio have announced Meyer's acquisition of LCS, a manufacturer of sophisticated multi-channel digital audio mixing and processing products, and electronic acoustic enhancement such as VRAS, CueConsole, CueStation, Matrix3, SpaceMap and WildTracks.

The union of these two companies results from their successful collaboration on the development of Galileo loudspeaker management system, and underscores Meyer Sound's commitment to digital audio as part of its vision for the future of professional sound reinforcement, say Meyer.

"LCS has created digital platforms that deliver unique and fascinating capabilities," says John Meyer, president and CEO of Meyer Sound. "A strong relationship was created with LCS through the development of Galileo and I look forward to leveraging their technologies to give users the same high level of quality and f

UK - Northampton-based sound and lighting installer Fabtronic has completed two audio system installations in new venues belonging to The Richardson Group, both of which use Electro-Voice EViD compact loudspeakers.

For the Church restaurant in Northampton town centre is, as the name suggests, a church conversion. on the conference and private function market. Mostly the largest in the range, the 6.2 two-way high-output cabinets with 12.1 subwoofers, have been installed. Additionally, the Church has the smaller 4.2 units for a secondary bar area. With music playback from CD, the system can be tailored to audience or time or day with a zoner/mixer desk, and it is entirely powered and processed by Electro-Voice products.

The Old White Hart Inn is a minimalist non-smoking bar/restaurant with a contemporary theme. Originally an old brewery just outside Northampton, the venue has be

France - Major refurbishment work at Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport includes a new all-digital PA and emergency sound system with over 1000 loudspeakers. Bosch Security Systems and the voice-data-image communication specialists Axians, based in France, cooperated closely to put together a system based around Bosch's Praesideo digital PA and emergency sound system.

The main point for the choice of the Bosch system, says the company, was the fact that Praesideo easily met the tough EVAC requirements for Terminal 1 and is "far more cost-effective than would be possible with an analogue system". Additionally, the system has been independently certified to the IEC 60849 safety standard.

Terminal 1, which handles the bulk of the international traffic of Paris' largest airport, presents special challenges for a PA installation. Managing the flights of around 60 airl

UK - Adlib Lighting - newly streamlined and fresh from major investments in Martin Professional, James Thomas Pixel range technology, Highend systems and motors from LTM - supplied production, lighting and crew for the recent Royksopp tour.

Sister company Adlib Audio also supplied sound for the two largest gigs of the UK tour - Brixton Academy and Manchester Apollo - plus selected effects and 'specials' for FOH engineer Patrick Walsh for the whole tour which covered three weeks in the UK plus European dates.

Adlib Lighting supplied Royksopp LD Dave Ross with a rig of specials for the entire tour, including 6 Martin MAC 2Ks, 6 PixelPARs and 6 PixelLine 1044s and one of the latest High End Systems Hog IPC consoles with an expander Wing.

For the Brixton and Manchester shows, additional lighting equipment included 12 PixelLine 1044s, 2 MAC 2Ks, 12 HES Studio Beam wash lights, 12

Korea - An Outline Butterfly line array made up of 16 Hi-Pack C.D.H. 483 modules and four Low-Pack C.D.L. 1815 has been installed in one of the largest cathedrals in South Korea - the Kwangjoo Gyeojassi (Mustard seed) Presbyterian church. The enormous 8,300 square metre building can seat 3,000, with weekly attendance figures of around 15,000.

The sound system is powered and controlled by Outline's Series T PWM amps and DSP Genius 6. The line array was installed by Kong Gan Electronic of Seoul, Outline's South Korean distributor, which has long experience in installing sound systems in houses of worship.

(Jim Evans)

Denmark - The Eurovision Song Contest, celebrated its 50th Anniversary on October 22nd at the Forum in Copenhagen. The live event, Congratulations, was performed in front of a 5500-strong audience and broadcast to 31 countries worldwide with a viewer base of over 90 million. The show presented Eurovision stars from the original show held in 1956 and artists of today including special guests Ronan Keating and Riverdance.

The stage was an unusual shape but roughly 40m x 18 m, with three large screens dominating it. A curtain of approximately 700 square meters, consisting of 460 LCD elements, which were used to create different lighting effects in addition to 250 moving and 500 stationary lights, as well as seven XML 25's R18's and R8's.

Sound Designer Jens Elsborg of Nordic Rentals, assisted by the Adamson Shooter software, calculated placement and coverage for the venue.

Hungary - Midas' Hungarian distributor Bluesound reports the sale of a Verona 320 console to the Gönczi Ferenc cultural centre located in Zalaegerszeg, a small town in southern Hungary. The console will be used for theatrical performances and live musical events.

"The acquisition of the Verona is a big step for us," says Peter Bácskay, sound engineer at the centre. "The console is transparent, I can hear all my settings clearly and I don't have to tweak the knobs to their limits as I've had to do with other consoles I've used."

The sale is the beginning of a key strategy for Bluesound, which has represented Midas and Klark Teknik since May 2004. "We have sold five Midas Verona consoles this year, together with more than 30 Klark Teknik signal processing units," says Thomas Csernus, managing director of Bluesound. "This is a small step for M

Sweden - RCF S4012 subs have recently been installed in the Friskis & Svettis fitness centre in Stockholm. The S4012 is an extremely compact, high output bandpass subwoofer system delivering a tight and fast bass response using a new RCF high-powered 12" woofer, say RCF.

The subs, wall-mounted in this case, are part of a complete system for the centre. Erik Tapper of Luthman, RCF's distributor in Sweden, said: "It is not often that we see subs wall-mounted like this, but I have to admit that they sound great when working with the rest of the system."

(Lee Baldock)

Northern Ireland - ACK Productions of Belfast has become the first company in Northern Ireland to purchase HK Audio's COHEDRA Compact Coherent Dynamic Response Array system.

"We are trying to expand the market to which our sound systems are pitched," says ACK owner Alastair Kerr. "We do a lot of theatre and corporate events that our existing HK Audio systems are great for but we want to start looking at systems for bands and small outdoor festivals for which the COHEDRA Compact is ideal."

ACK has purchased 16 CDR 108 mid/high units, eight CDR 210 C subwoofers and two PR8 amp racks with additional controllers to enable two smaller systems to go out on hire at the same time. The company already has a substantial inventory of HK Audio systems. ACK's introduction to COHEDRA Compact came about when UK distributor John Hornby Skewes brought over a demo system for

USA - Sound, light, and stage production services specialists Big Mo Pro Inc has taken delivery of 12 Lake Contour digital loudspeaker processors and intend to invest in 12 more over the coming year. Big Mo Pro, based in northern New Jersey and founded by entertainment production industry veteran partners Glenn Radler, Greg Rosenkrans, and Jesse Hoefflinger, selected Lake Contour for its best-in-class equalization capabilities, tight integration with the L-Acoustics KUDO line array, and wireless control functionality.

"The control that Lake Contour gives you is unparalleled," said Greg Rosenkrans, president of Big Mo Pro. "The Mesa EQ filter is the big thing. The ability to split each side of a parametric filter and control the cut and boost of the slopes separately is huge. Loudspeaker response is asymmetrical, and Lake's Mesa filter gives you complete control ov

UK - The South Bank Centre's head of production, Andy Scorgie contracted Richard Nowell Sound Services to install a new paging system in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

"We badly needed to move with the times by finding a system sympathetic to the different requirements of the various art forms hosted at the Hall. Each event needs to have specific information relayed," explains Scorgie.

Needing to route messages over an increasing number of zones (which also incorporates the neighbouring Purcell Room), Scorgie wanted the new paging front end to be able to plug into the venue's existing infrastructure. He was also aware that the system needed to comply with Health & Safety audits, Lambeth Council inspections and LFB licensing requirements.

RNSS' operations manager, Andrew Cotton recommended the Australian Monitor DigiPage system (distributed in the UK by Fuzion plc), the

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