Israel - Noted front-of-house engineer Andy Meyer (Justin Timberlake, Guns N' Roses, Janet Jackson, Mötley Crüe, Rage Against the Machine) is part of the ongoing trend of live engineers turning to WavesLive tools. Meyer chose Waves plugins for Timberlake and Jay-Z'sLegends of the Summer stadium tour, which travelled across the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

"I first started working with Waves plugins in 2007, near the end of Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds tour," states Meyer. "Moving forward, I have created an arsenal of very useful tools that I simply cannot do without. On the Legends of the Summer tour, the big challenge was managing 128 inputs and all the dynamics that come with it."

To achieve this, Andy ran Waves plugins using the integrated MultiRack SoundGrid and two Waves SoundGrid Server One units (for processing redundancy) wi

Canada - When the second season of Big Brother Canada returns on 5 March, the setup behind the scenes must be ready for a perfect technical performance. The much more elaborate production setup for this season led Insight Production Company (Insight), entrusted with the shooting of the show, to go with Lawo technology to handle their audio production needs.

The setup for this second season includes two Lawo mc²56 digital audio mixing consoles with fibre-connected stage boxes which allowed for completion of the technical installation in one day. The consoles, fibre cabling and analogue breakouts were provided by Broadcast Systems & Equipment Inc. (BSI) and Lawo North America as a rental package, with configuration, training and setup support provided by Lawo North America's Engineering Manager Doug Smith.

Crucial reasons driving Insight's decision to go with Lawo were b

Denmark - Fran Healey, the lead singer of UK band Travis, and Marti Pellow, the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, are the latest in the growing list of vocalists to switch to DPA's d:facto Vocal Microphone. In both cases the artists made the change on the recommendation of their live sound engineer, Tom Wiggans.

"I have no problem recommending DPA's new d:facto microphone because I'm so impressed with the results it has delivered for Fran and Marti - and for Dougie Payne, Travis' bass player, who is also using one for his backing vocals," Wiggans says. "Before I tried d:facto, I had tried quite a few new vocal microphones that made big promises, but always ended up going back to the microphone that people have been using for over 40 years.

"However, the d:facto's clarity and ability to capture the true sound source without extraneous background noise has made a r

Germany - At Prolight+Sound 2014, Fohhn Audio will unveil the latest addition to its Focus Series range of steerable line array systems. Focus Venue is a new high performance series, aimed at large venue installation and live sound applications. Offering unparalleled reach, dynamic range, sound pressure levels and beam steering precision, the new series is designed to complement the range of loudspeaker models currently available in the manufacturer's Linea Focus and Focus Modular series.

Focus Venue offers a robust but elegant set of high, low-mid and low frequency active loudspeakers. These can be combined for greater coverage when used in challenging acoustic venues and performance situations. Featuring high powered drivers and speaker chassis for extended coverage, the new loudspeakers will offer all the standard elements of Fohhn beam steering technology, including real-tim

Belgium - The Start Up Club in Anderlues, Belgium is the latest in a long line of prestigious venues relying upon KV2 Audio to enhance the experience of its customers.

The venue, boasting a sleek and stylish aesthetic, required an audio upgrade to bring the sound system up to the same exceptional standard as the furnishings and its lighting.

The task of finding a solution fell to Kick Music's Marco Pesetti and he believed that KV2 Audio's ES System was the perfect solution.

Despite Start Up having a capacity not much under 1000 people the complete system specification for the dance floor comprised of just two ES 1.0 mid/high cabinets and four ES 2.6 double 15" subwoofers, with associated EPAK 2500R amplification / control units. Commonly (and incorrectly) held beliefs would suggest that this many cabinets could not offer the required coverage and output however reports

UK - This year, the Audio-Technica at BVE features a Wild West film set theme and will allow visitors to try a wide variety of the company's shotgun microphones to pick up sound sources located around the set, as if on a film shoot.

Among the products on display will be the BP4071 and BP4071L shotgun, BP4027 stereo shotgun and AT897 short shotgun microphones, the new M50x monitoring headphones and Allen & Heath's Qu Series compact digital mixing desks.

Tom Harrold, Audio-Technica assistant marketing manager pro-audio said, "Following up our wildlife-themed stand from BVE2013 hasn't been easy, but we're very excited about the new 'Western' booth. Again, it will allow visitors to get a useful, hands-on experience of a selection of broadcast and production microphones and headphones and be able to hear how different models respond in terms of tone, sound rejection and so on.

Germany - At ProLight+Sound 2014 (Booth 8:C71), DPA Microphones will be focusing attention on its range of high quality microphones for the live stage.

The company's award-winning d:facto vocal microphone will be sporting new grids with gold and nickel finishes - ideal accessories for vocalists who want added sparkle for their onstage performances.

"We saw a demand in the market to attain the d:facto sound with more than just the traditional black grids," says Christian Poulsen, CEO of DPA Microphones. "These grids provide the solution by bringing an exciting new visual dimension to a microphone that is already internationally acclaimed for its great sound."

The new grids are available as accessories to existing d:facto solutions and are delivered as metal grids with foam and pop screen. Additionally, the nickel option matches the finish available on the

Record Breakers - London's major commercial and subsidised theatres have reported their 10th consecutive year of record box office takings, with more people visiting theatre in the capital in 2013 than ever before. Figures published by the Society of London Theatre - whose membership includes the 52 principal commercial and not-for-profit theatres in central London - revealed that gross box office returns rose to more than £585m, up 11% on 2012; attendances also increased, by 4%, up to 14.6m

According to SOLT, the results were down to the popularity of the shows on offer, with theatres reporting an improved percentage of tickets sold across the year. Average theatre capacity achieved was 72.7% in 2013, up from 69.21%.

Closing Number - Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Stephen Ward, will close in the West End following a run of less than four months.

China - Guangzhou's Hyper Club launched in the summer of 2013 and pitched itself as China's most high-end consumer entertainment venue, with the perfect blend of traditional values and modern culture, anchored in some stunning interior design.

The club has set itself apart from the competition, not least with its audio contribution. Comprised of a d&b loudspeaker system with a TiMax2 SoundHub providing real time audio show control for live shows and DJs, the audio design alone teeters this club on its leading edge.

Hyper, originally a western style house, is designed as a European Baroque palace and occupies around 3,500sq.m over four floors. The main club area is situated on the ground floor and moving up, the second houses the VIP bar; the third, the Lounge Bar; until the Outdoor bar is reached at the very top.

System Integrator, Dragon Studio, worked with Hong Kong distri

UK - To support its consistent sales growth and to further their credentials within the install space, Martin Audio has recruited the experienced Robin Dibble to the new position of applications engineer.

Dibble has a distinguished reputation within the industry having recently been the head of audio engineering at RaceTech in London, and previously project engineer at Glantre Engineering in Reading. He is also a member of the Audio Engineering Society and an accredited technician in the Institute of Acoustics.

Martin Audio sales director, Simon Bull, said, "This appointment reflects the growth of the company and at the same time recognises the need to bring in additional expertise to drive our installation business. With the launch of the new MLA Mini the timing couldn't be better, and we are delighted to be able to recruit someone with Robin's outstanding pedigree."

Germany - ARX Systems, the Australian-based designer and manufacturer of digital and analogue interface and signal processing products has announced the release of the Blue DI Bluetooth Direct Box, a new addition to their popular AudiBox range of precision tools for audio professionals .

ARX's managing director Colin Park said; "Here at ARX we're excited about releasing the new Blue DI at the 2014 Frankfurt PLS.

"SmartPhones, tablets and other Bluetooth enabled devices have rapidly become the programme source of convenience for corporate A.V presentations, seminars, musicians, D.Js, entertainment venues, system demonstrations and testing, and many other audio playback applications.

"ARX's Engineering team developed the Blue DI to fulfill the demand for a truly professional wireless Active Direct Box interface allowing users to connect today's and tomorrow's Bl

USA - Swedish heavy metal act Sabaton are currently preparing to head stateside in April to join two other bands - American metallers Iced Earth and the Dutch metal band Revamp - for the Worldwide Plagues tour which takes them to all four corners of the US and Canada.

Sabaton will be using the tour to support their latest DVD, Swedish Empire Live. Filmed in front of 600,000+ enthusiastic fans at their headlining festival appearance at Poland's Woodstock festival, Swedish Empire Live captures the band's high-energy live stage show celebrating the triumph of the human spirit.

Sabaton, who perform with a full complement of Sennheiser microphones and wireless systems, will be returning to European soil at the end of May where they will be headlining at some of Europe's biggest heavy metal festivals.

Formed in 1999, in Falun, Sweden, the band's massive popula

UK - Singer/songwriter Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls checked into production rehearsal arena complex LS-Live ahead of their Tape Deck Heart Tour to prepare for six UK shows.

It was Turner's first visit to the studios in Wakefield, where his crew test-built the production and he rehearsed his performance in the 17,664 sq ft space, during the three days prior to the first gig at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on 6 February.

The crew made use of the en-suite bedrooms so they had easy access on site and hired the production offices, catering area and additional facilities.

The LS-Live rehearsal arena has had a busy start to the year, welcoming the X Factor Live tour rehearsals once again, where last year's contestants had one of their first experiences of professional touring.

Sofa manufacturer Sofas & Stuff also took up residency in the rehearsal arena

UK/India - FaitalPRO has appointed Andrew Richardson to manage OEM sales and area sales in UK and India.

Andrew has an extensive background in the audio industry, having spent the majority of his recent career working in managing the distribution and sales of audio components.

In his most recent role he managed technical sales and knows perfectly well the products Faital makes and sells.

Andrew states, "After visiting FaitalPRO factory premises in Milan and Cremona, Italy, I immediately realized what I wanted to do. Actually, after experiences with other manufacturers in other industries, With FaitalPRO there are already many customers that are familiar with the brand, so what I have to do is just to increase the amount of people that know about these marvellous products, build on the relationship and look to new customers which are now not completely familiar with Fait

Germany - Following a period of significant growth d&b audiotechnik has created a new department for market research. The Backnang based team will be led by market research manager Henning Kaltheuner who joined d&b at the beginning of December 2013.

Kaltheuner is well known in the industry; his professional career included 10 years at audio rental house Padco in Köln, before establishing the boutique pro audio specialist Teqsas, which Kaltheuner ran successfully for five years before moving to Yamaha Commercial Audio where he joined the product planning department in Japan. This was followed by three years at Riedel Communication as head of product management before joining d&b.

A Graduate of Köln University with a Masters degree in Psychology, Kaltheuner is the first to admit his qualifications and experience might appear at odds with his new role. "But in fact the two

UK - Legendary country-rock guitarist Albert Lee is celebrating his 70th birthday with two high profile concerts at London's Cadogan Hall. The events on 1 and 2 March will see Albert and his US band perform with a number of acclaimed guest musicians all brought to life by KV2 Audio loudspeaker systems.

Concert producer David Mann undertook several visits to Cadogan Hall and decided against using the in-house system, feeling that KV2 Audio's True Point Source approach to system design would be a better solution for the event and deal with the halls reverberant nature. Discussions with representatives of KV2 Audio Europe Ltd. led to one of KV2's "Very High Definition" VHD Systems being specified.

The VHD System is built around the VHD 2.0 Mid/High unit featuring a revolutionary large format 3" compression driver, two 8" transcoil mid-range drivers and two 12&

UK - DB Audio, have invested in a pair of Midas PRO6 digital consoles for front-of-house and monitor duties at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. Supplied by LMC Audio, the consoles were recently deployed for the first of Prince's 'secret' gigs, held at the historic live music venue.

Richard Waterhouse, who owns and runs DB Audio in partnership with his brother, Steve Waterhouse, comments, "Our primary concern in running the house system at the Electric Ballroom has always been to achieve the best quality of sound we can. This aim, coupled with using only top quality experienced engineers, means that for visiting artists, engineers and promoters we regularly exceed their expectations of the venue."

As touring engineers have brought their systems into the Electric Ballroom to link-up with the venue's Martin Audio Wavefront rig, DB Audio have gained valuable hands-on exp

UK - Audio-Technica has announced the appointment of Alex Jann to the position of UK product and training specialist, with particular responsibility for DJ and recording-related products from Audio-Technica and Allen & Heath (distributed in the UK by Audio-Technica). The new role will see Jann working alongside Audio-Technica's dedicated team of sales managers, further strengthening the company's commitment to the highest standards of customer service.

Jann has worked in MI for more than a decade - with Andertons, Tascam and inMusic featuring on his CV - and has long experience as a techno and house music DJ and producer. As such he brings real understanding of the challenges facing MI retailers, as well as in-depth product knowledge.

"I'm very excited to be joining Audio-Technica," says Jann, "and I'm looking forward to supporting dealers with everything from s

India - Delhi's famous Stellar Gymkhana Club used an Allen & Heath GLD-80 digital mixer for its prestigious Jashan-e Diwali event. The exclusive members-only club hosted a glittering banquet, and the mixer, supplied by local rental company, Thukral Productions, managed entertainment from several renowned folk musicians.

"The GLD-80 is a great audio experience at a simple price. The labelling is clear, the fader banks make sense, the control strip across the top is laid out well, and the surface is uncluttered. And the presence of a Select button that opens its accompanied window in the Touchscreen makes it very easy to handle. The design team even placed the Copy/Paste function buttons right at the front of the mixer, so there's no need to scroll through windows, you can just do it on the fly," explains product specialist, Shailesh Awasthi, from A&H distributor, SunInf

Germany - Hall 8.0, Stand J60 at ProLight+Sound sees Coda Audio launching the Linus10 two channel DSP amplifier.

Linus10 is a stand-alone unit and also the key component of the Linus RACK20 and Linus RACK40, which provide complete system management solutions including amplification, DSP, network, comparator and power distribution for various Coda Audio systems. This combination provides a complete electronics solution with improved connecting panel, all in one rack.

Delivering 2x 4955W of clean power from a lightweight 2U rack unit, LINUS10 features a hybrid class H output stage topology for audiophile sonic accuracy with plenty of headroom and significant improvements in dynamic and transparency.

Also on show at ProLight+Sound will be Coda Audio's TiRAY, a brand new, ultra-compact line array module designed for small venues where high fidelity sound and outstanding intellig

USA - Having blown many musical minds at last month's 2014 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California following a successful beta-testing phase, American pro audio software company Plugin Alliance has announced availability of accusonus drumatom - the world's first microphone leakage suppression tool for multichannel drum recordings - as of 25 February.

As a 64-bit standalone application for Mac (OS X 10.6.0 and later) and PC (Windows XP, 7, or 8), accusonus drumatom duly represents the first non-plug-in product to be released by Plugin Alliance. Claimed to be the world's first microphone leakage suppression tool for multichannel drum recordings, it identifies the close microphone sound and reduces microphone leakage, cleverly combining progressive principals of acoustics, signal processing, psychoacoustics, and music theory using patent-pending A3 (Advanced Audio Analysis) technology by

Germany - At ProLight+Sound 2014 (Hall 8.0, Booth B50), Lawo will present solutions for live and theatre applications. Audio mixing consoles of Lawo's mc² series and the Innovason Eclipse desk will be on show.

This year, the systems will be set up in two separate areas - in a live stage zone and a theatresector. Also being demonstrated, video streaming over IP can be used as a solution for orchestra conductor camera and backstage screens for ensemble and staff following theatre scenes on stage.

Live mixing will be demonstrated on the Eclipse GT, and on the mc²56 with another, networked daughter mc²56, mirroring the settings of the master console. Also an mc²66 will be set up to demo theatre applications.

In Frankfurt, Lawo will present the Innovason Eclipse GT live mixer, featuring new soundpad functionality that allows recorded sounds to be recalled at the push of a but

Mexico - High End Systems and Grace Audio have announced a new partnership that will enable Grace Audio, Inc. to serve as its new master distributor for LATAM (except Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela) effective 1 January, 2014.

The LATAM partnership between High End Systems and Grace Audio includes countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay. In Addition Grace Audio, Inc. has appointed the following sub-regional distributors: Mexico D.F.: Miller Mix (Roberto Devesa); Central America (except Panama): Prosound (Melvyn Chuy) and Panama: RW Systems (Jaime Sierra).

Pilar Costa, president of Grace Audio, comments, "High End Systems is the pioneer of the professional lighting and control systems industry. Over more than a decade we, at Grace A

UK - Funky Junk has added Pearl Microphones to its distribution roster.

"Having used and loved Pearl Microphones for more than 20 years, I was delighted when the opportunity arose to represent the brand in the UK," says Funky Junk's founder Mark Thompson. "These microphones have an exceptional pedigree and history. They deliver great results, particularly on acoustics instruments, and they are built to last. It's no surprise to me that vintage Pearl Microphones are as much in demand as new ones."

Pearl's chairman, Sven Olof Andersson, says, "We are extremely happy to be working with Mark Thompson and his crew of dedicated professionals in the UK. Pearl goes a long way back in Britain and we will now continue to grow there with an exciting line-up of products and new developments."

Founded in 1941, Pearl is renowned for its award-winning rectangu

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