USA - Billed as the world's largest live entertainment and exhibition event, the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - with rodeo and concert events known as RodeoHouston - is also one of Texas' largest charities having contributed over $330m to the state's youth since 1932. But ask any of those youth about this year's event and they'll likely rave on about Reliant Stadium's stellar three-week rodeo and concert series, which was heard via the world's largest L-Acoustics K1 stadium system provided by LD Systems, Inc.

From 25 February to 16 March 16, the 72,600-seat stadium hosted a nightly double bill of two hours of rodeo action immediately followed by an hour-long concert from a world-class artist. To be expected, the concert list included a long list of contemporary country music favourites like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean. But

Canada - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the addition of applications engineer Brian Fraser to the sales and support team at their international headquarters. Fraser will bring more than a decade of experience working in the live, touring and installation markets to Adamson.

Fraser has had the chance to work in a broad range of environments from small clubs to arena-size venues with world renowned artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rick Springfield. His more than a decade of experience on the road working in pro audio will lend well to the broad range of products available in the Adamson line up, says the company.

Jesse Adamson, Adamson's VP comments: "Brian has a wealth of hands-on experience in the industry. We brought him on because of his ability to navigate through complex technical proposals with very clear and pragmatic direction. He will be a strong tech

UK - Electrosonic will be hosting a 'Technology Day' on 16 May at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen. With over 16 leading technology companies participating, the free event is designed to provide visitors with an in-depth look at the latest audio-visual and video conferencing solutions for the oil and gas, corporate and control room markets.

During the Technology Day, a member of the Electrosonic team will guide each visitor through the exhibition, visiting each supplier in turn. Electrosonic's expert staff will be available to discuss the new technologies and how they can be integrated into any current facilities the visitor may be running.

Confirmed suppliers to date include Christie, Panasonic, Samsung, Revolabs, AMX, Polycom, Exterity, Ashton Bentley, Extron, Sharp, Steljes, Barco, Pufferfish, Crestron, Helvar, iiyama, Kramer Electronics, Onelan Digital Signage and Mul

China - Funktion-One's distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau has hosted a special dealer event at Louis Steakhouse in downtown Panyu District, Guangzhou, to help support the launch of the new F1201 speaker. Business development director, Bill Woods, flew out especially for the event, which welcomed more than 150 dealers and customers from all over China.

Hosted by W Lee, owner of Hiroshi Technologies/Funktion-One China, the showcase saw demonstrations of a number of Funktion-One products, including: Resolution 2, Resolution 3, F218 Mk2, F101, F81, MB212 and, of course, the F1201. The grand surroundings provided the perfect backdrop and space for the guests to explore and interact with the products, and engage with company representatives - including product specialist, Chan Yu Hing.

Once the attendees had settled in, Bill Woods took to the stage and presented the story of

UK - AED Distribution has announced details of its first-ever High End Systems Test Drive Event, featuring the new Family of Hog 4 Consoles. As the UK master distributor of High End Systems, this event is part of an ongoing campaign to inform the UK lighting community about the latest innovative products from High End Systems who are now in their fourth decade and continue to deliver innovative products.

The Test Drive event, following hot on the heels of AED Distribution exhibiting at PLASA Focus in Leeds, will be held on Thursday 2 May from 2pm to 8pm and Friday 3 May from 10.30am to 2pm at the meeting rooms of the Theatres rust on Charing Cross Road in the heart of London's West End.

Attendees can expect to see the new Hog 4, Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4, Nano Hog 4 and related accessories. The consoles will be individually set-up with Visualiser Systems and also a selection of

Spain / Italy - Spanish manufacturer Equipson and Italian distributor RobeMultimedia have announced a new agreement for the distribution of WORK Lifting towers and DMX control systems of the brand (like LM 5) in Italy.

The distribution of lifting towers and DMX control systems completes RobeMultimedia's product range, which includes a top quality selection of professional lighting devices. For the Spanish manufacturer, this agreement is "a fantastic opportunity to increase its presence in the Italian market of professional lighting, taking advantage of the experience and professionalism of RobeMultimedia".

(Jim Evans)

UK - A compact FOH/monitor audio system, based around an iDR-32 iLive MixRack, is currently on the One Direction European arena tour with American popstar, Camryn, who is opening for the boy band on their sell-out 63-date tour.

Camryn's manager and sound mixer, Jeffrey Pringle, put together an efficient and compact system which consists of an iDR-32 MixRack brain fitted with a Dante network card and controlled by iLive Editor on a MacBook over WiFi. This provides 5 stereo in-ears mixes for the band, plus the main FOH mix. Latterly, Pringle has added a PL-10 remote controller as a failsafe against WiFi problems should they occur.

"I chose iLive for my touring system because it is a rack-mounting console that can be set up and controlled on a portable computer without a surface. Inputs can be split into multiple channels and run in layers to mix FOH and Monitors, and even t

Sweden - Hamburger Börs in the heart of Stockholm is one of the Swedish capital's most illustrious venues for live music, dinner shows and corporate events. Having existed in one form or another at the same location or another for nearly three centuries, the original venue was finally demolished in the 1970s during the expansion of the city's underground system.

A new venue was built on the same site and has continued to thrive, welcoming the likes of Sammy Davis Junior, Liza Minnelli, Tower of Power, Grace Jones, Rod Stewart and many, many more. Now part of the Wallmans group of dinner show clubs throughout Scandinavia, Hamburger Börs continues to host major international artists and prestigious corporate events.

When the time came to upgrade their reliable but aging FoH and monitor consoles, Hamburger Börs FoH engineer and head of sound, David Granditsky, had no hesitatio

UK - VDC has worked with RNSS to deliver a new stadium sound system for Saracens RFC. RNSS have delivered a system design and worked with Roger Lindsay to specify the upgrade, to a concert-standard sound system, for Saracens Rugby Club's 10,000-seater stadium, working closely with VDC along the way.

The new Allianz Park stadium in North London, home to Saracens Rugby Club, has raised the bar for audio systems in the world of rugby and has been designed to give fans the best possible audio experience.

Hi-fidelity sound is now available throughout the stadium. In addition to the new East grandstand, it also encompasses the three other stands and all internal spaces. This includes the 105m long interior space under the East stand which doubles as a match day bar, indoor athletics track, and training area.

All 17 corporate boxes are equipped with individual multi-source audio an

USA - Meyer Sound has appointed Bob McCarthy to the newly-created position of director of system optimization. An international authority in sound system design and optimisation, educator, and published writer, McCarthy will be a part of the R&D department with a mission to advance networked audio solutions. In addition, he will remain an active instructor in the Meyer Sound education program, and support the design and commissioning of new Meyer Sound installations.

McCarthy was one of the earliest users of Meyer Sound products in the 1980s, and has been a pivotal figure in the development of all three generations of the SIM source independent measurement system. In the mid-1980s, he taught the first 'SIM School' which later evolved into the Meyer Sound worldwide education program. McCarthy's book, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization (Focal Press, 2006), is considered

UK - Loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics has announced the launch of its all new website. Featuring a modern look and feel complete with interactive links to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the new site is designed "to better reflect where EM Acoustics is today as a company".

In addition to all of the existing product information, including all the data on EM Acoustics' latest launch, the HALO Compact line array system, the new site will feature increased technical detail including 2D & 3D CAD drawings, as well as data for EASE, as well as EASE Focus 2 line array prediction software for the new HALO Compact system.

An upcoming innovation will be a new Technical Resource section which will contain training videos, useful information and a FAQ section amongst other things. A complete news section, including live feeds from Twitter and Facebook is also incl

The Netherlands - Audio over Internet Protocol (AoIP) is now a standard for networking in commercial installations and Ateïs International has been at the forefront in implementing this technology with its Terracom range of terminals.

The growth in usage and popularity of both Terracom and AoIP was illustrated at the recent ISE show in Amsterdam. Visitors to the Ateïs stand showed great interest in the full range, which includes interfaces, amplifiers, microphone panels and software to suit any size and type of installation. Ateis also reported strong sales in recent months and growing demand for Terracom, particularly in Europe.

All Terracom products feature professional audio connectors for balanced inputs and the capability to stream feeds using the standard RTP protocol in unicast, multicast or broadcast modes. The systems also comply with the SIP (Session Initiation Pro

Italy / Germany - April 1973 was a very interesting month for numerous reasons: the first call ever made on a cellular telephone was made in New York city, and Federal Express (FedEx) commenced operations. The Pioneer 11 space mission was launched to study the solar system, Liverpool won the English league football championship and Pablo Picasso died aged 91.

In music, the Eurovision Song Contest was won for the second consecutive year by Luxembourg, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree by Dawn topped both the UK and US charts, and David Bowie released his sixth studio album Aladdin Sane.

Meanwhile, in Brescia near Milan in northern Italy, a young musician and engineer named Guido Noselli was frustrated by the inability of contemporary sound systems to accurately deliver his performances to audiences. His ambition for sonic improvement coincided with the em

Germany - Audinate, the inventor of Dante - the award-winning digital media networking solution - and OEM partner Four Audio, developers of high-end loudspeaker measurement and management solutions for professional audio, have announced the launch of two new products at Prolight+Sound.

The first is a new product called the DBS1, a two-channel breakout box built on Audinate's new Dante Ultimo solution. Its metal housing is smaller than a 9.5" and features two balanced symmetrical analogue inputs with programmable sensitivity (-46 to +14 dBu), switchable 48V phantom power, a low cut filter and has 118 dB dynamic range. The 2 balanced analog outputs deliver 14 dBu maximum output.

"The DBS1 is ideally suited for providing a small, inexpensive audio connection anywhere without much infrastructure," says Rainer Thaden, Four Audio's managing director. "We put a lo

USA / Germany - Clear-Com will show enhancements to its Tempest Digital Wireless Intercoms at Prolight+Sound in Frabkfurt next week (Hall 8.0, Stand L51). Among the enhancements is a Remote Line Extender, which further increases the Tempest systems' ability to provide ultra-portable wireless communications capabilities in RF-rich environments.

The Tempest2400 is a 2.4-GHz, feature-rich wireless intercom with either a two- or four-channel offering that delivers cutting-edge RF technologies to ensure interference-free communications for tours and performance facilities. It offers a Seamless Roaming feature, which provides users with continuous wireless coverage across an expanded production space. This feature allows BeltStation users to migrate between up to 16 different Tempest BaseStations (coverage areas or zones), "allowing them to focus on critical production cues rathe

UK - Audio distributors, Commercial Audio Solutions have announced the appointment of Marc Ogier TechInstSCE as their new technical sales manager.

Sales Director Bill Mackie comments: "We are very excited about Marc joining us. Marc has a wealth of knowledge gained over 20 years as a pillar of the audio community."

He continues: "Marc's appointment comes in our 10th year of trading and represents a firm commitment to offer the best service and technical support in the audio industry."

(Claire Beeson)

Germany / USA - Merging Technologies reports that, following the launch of Pyramix V8.0 at the turn of the year, Pyramix 8.1 "takes the award winning software into another quality league". Booth C3239 at NAB and stand 8.0 K31 at Prolight+Sound will be the places to be if you care about the best in high resolution audio. Pyramix 8.1 will also feature on stand 5.1 C78 in Musikmesse hosted by Merging distributors for Germany, Digital Audio Service, says the company.

The recent results in the Classical Grammy categories reinforced Pyramix as the DAW of choice for serious recording projects and with high resolution downloads gaining in popularity, this becomes even more relevant. Merging has always tried to provide users with more than "just another DAW". The advent of the MassCore Audio Engine in 2006 is still bringing ultra-low latency DSP to users at the fracti

UAE - Sennheiser Group has been working to raise awareness about the importance of spectrum allocation for wireless programme making and special events (PMSE) devices in order to mitigate the potential impact of reduced operational bandwidth on the booming events and entertainment industry in the Middle East. The company recently delivered a presentation on this challenge at the CABSAT expo in Dubai and is also currently engaging with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE in order to evaluate solutions for the same.

PMSE is the generic term which covers an extensive range of wireless production tools used for art, culture, conferences, trade fairs, entertainment applications, education, sport events and many other purposes. Norbert Hilbich, head of application engineering global sales for Sennheiser Group believes that non-provisioning of spectrum for PMSE

UK - SSE Audio Group has announced the acquisition of Wigwam Acoustics - a highly significant development for the pro audio industry. The deal, which includes Wigwam's Mick Spratt and Chris Hill taking a shareholding in SSE, is a major consolidation in the industry, creating the largest audio hire, sales and installation group in the UK.

John Penn, managing director of the expanding Group commented: "We are extremely proud to announce that we have joined forces with Wigwam. There are great synergies between the two companies and together we aim to deliver even better service and wider choice to our enlarged client base. With the additional premises in Heywood, and the combined equipment pool, experience and services of both companies together, we believe we are in a great position to move forward."

Both companies have a strong presence in the UK touring market, havin

USA / Europe - BE-AT.TV is a European online audio community specialising in the broadcast of audio and video streams of club music, festival sets, and live in-studio DJ performances. The company has production studios in Amsterdam and London and is building a third in Berlin - with all three studios now using QSC KW Series active loudspeakers for live music playback in their performance areas.

In addition to filming live at festivals and in clubs, BE-AT.TV also brings big-name DJs into their studios for exclusive performances, and live, loud playback of the seamlessly through-mixed sets is a must to ensure the mood stays right for the DJs to give their best performances. After considering various powered monitors, BE-AT.TV chose KW122 active, full-range loudspeakers with KW181 active sub-woofers for their live in-studio playback.

There are now six pairs of the speakers in use

UK - For Derry-Londonderry's City of Culture celebrations, Derry City Council called upon Belfast-based production company Wackiki to help ring in their year as the UK's inaugural City of Culture.

Celebrations for this unique event were led by a spectacular pyrotechnic performance from Walk the Plank, one of the UK's leading forces in creative event production. Based around a firework display on the banks of the city's River Foyle, from moving speedboats and on the deck of the recently built Peace Bridge, Wackiki provided audio coverage across a 2.5km stretch along the river's edge.

Working closely with Walk the Plank's own Melvyn Coote, Wackiki designed a system that could be cleverly controlled from the fixed mix position, and also wirelessly from any point along the system's stretch.

Starting from the recently re-imagined Ebrington concert site, multiple stacked L'Acousti

Germany - ProAudio Technology will show the the M20 stage monitor at Prolight+Sound 2013. A powerful 2-way monitor speaker, it features two modern 10" woofers and one 1.4" HF driver with a large CD horn, supported by the high-performance system amping and sophisticated DSP controlling, delivering "outstanding resolution, dynamics and reliability with high levels". The polar pattern of 80 x 60 degrees (h x v) allows a wide acoustical coverage.

Four SpeakON connectors - one of which has a pin-reversed socket - allow two separate monitor ways through only one four-pole lead.

The M20 monitor is acoustically compatible with the MT12 multi-purpose loudspeaker and also mechanically compatible with the SW18 subwoofer. Thus the M20 fits into ProAudio Technology's coherent system concept.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Lake has announced that it will be running a live demo of the latest update to its iconic Lake Controller digital audio processing platform, Version 6.1, in Frankfurt during the Prolight+Sound and Musikmesse exhibitions.

The company, who will be exhibiting in the main lobby of Hall 4.2 alongside all the other TC Group brands, together in one place for the first time at an international show, invite all attendees to demonstrate the new release. Version 6.1 features substantially improved implementation of Dante - the leading digital audio networking technology from Audinate - new integration support for well-known real-time audio analysis software, SysTune, and a number of other key developments aimed at both live sound and large-scale fixed install applications.

Across both Lab.gruppen's PLM (Powered Loudspeaker Management) Series and Lake LM (Loudspeaker Management)

Germany - Building on the success of the company's highly acclaimed DN Series product line, Klark Teknik has added the new DN200 Multi-Mode Stereo DI box to its product portfolio.

The DN200 Dual-Channel Active DI Box delivers the connectivity and exceptional audio performance customers have come to expect from Klark Teknik plus some innovative new features. Housed in a robust alloy case, and further protected by a replaceable silicon sleeve, the DN200 features inputs on pairs of XLR, TRS and RCA sockets, plus a switchable 20 dB pad and ground lift switch.

In addition to the usual applications of a stereo DI, the DN200 can operate in Sum mode, where left and right input signals are merged and routed to both left and right outputs, or Split mode, routing the left input signal to both the left and right outputs. The DN200 supports 24 - 48 V phantom-power operation.

(Jim Evans)

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