Nashville Star Launches Season with Shure

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Produced by Reveille Productions and broadcast live from the Acuff Theatre at the Opry Entertainment Complex, Nashville Star launched its sixth season on NBC with an extended two-hour episode airing on June 9. With 12 contestants initially vying for the reality competition show's grand prize (a recording contract with Warner Bros. Music), veteran audio engineers Kooster McAllister and Tom Davis celebrated an anniversary of their own, coming to the show for the sixth year running as music mixer and production mixer.

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Since its introduction in 2007, the Heil Sound PR 35 has quickly become a favorite of top live sound mixers who have put it into service with their “bosses.” Jakob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joe Walsh and Stevie Wonder have all used the Heil Sound PR 35 to combine serious songwriting with their clear and definitive vocals.

COVINA, Calif. – Nestled in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles, the Covina Center for the Performing Arts is a distinctive venue. With the capacity for 99 patrons to attend theatrical performances (up to 130 for concerts), Covina now features a Meyer Sound system encompassing sound reinforcement, audio show control, cinema surround and the Constellation electroacoustic architecture. 

LONDON – A wide range of high-profile artists such as Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, the Sugababes and Will Smith assembled in London's Hyde Park for a concert to mark the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. Sennheiser was on hand to continue its tradition of supplying microphones, wireless monitoring systems and full technical support.

EL PASO, Texas – When Pastors Charles and Rochelle Nieman first answered the call to preach the gospel in 1977, they were holding services in a tiny railroad hall in El Paso, Texas. Today, the Niemans' vision has been realized in the newly constructed home of their Abundant Living Faith Center (ALFC), which counts more than 15,000 active members. With approximately 8,000 worshippers attending services at ALFC weekly, the new facility's  3,620-seat main auditorium was designed and built to deliver music and liturgy clearly and intelligibly via a complete L-ACOUSTICS sound solution.

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Though highly portable the Dynacord Cobra-2 PWH loudspeaker system packed enough power to unleash weapons-grade audio when called to do so. Buck Tallman of Dynacord Sales Reps Quantum Sales & Technology recently got such a call from Mike Delio, Special Tactics Trainer at the Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos Army Airfield, California, who needed a high-output sound system to help 80 soldiers mentally prepare for battlefield SPL levels during a weekend-long training exercise.

SALT LAKE CITY ─ Audio Logic Systems of Bloomfield, Minn. provided full production for the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) National Youth Conference held at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. Two Yamaha consoles were used at the event: a Yamaha DM2000 digital at console at front of house and a Yamaha M7CL digital console for monitors.

ONTARIO – Demonstrating the time-proven performance of JBL loudspeakers across product lines for even the most demanding house-of-worship environments, Westbury National Show Systems installed JBL loudspeaker systems at the Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church as well as the Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church, both located in Ontario, Canada. The installation at Richmond Hill was part of an extension to the existing facility with the addition of a 1,600-seat worship sanctuary, while the installation at Scarborough was part of a new, uniquely designed church with a sanctuary capacity of 1,000 people.

DALY CITY, Calif. — Stone Temple Pilots, reunited after an eight year hiatus, are currently engaged in a 64-date summer tour across North America with dual Digidesign VENUE systems for both FOH and monitors.

LAS VEGAS — Nominations for the 2008 Parnelli Awards are now being accepted at www.parnelliawards.com/nominate. Since 2001, the Parnelli award has recognized pioneering and influential individuals and their contributions to the live event industry, honoring both individuals and companies. Nominees for all categories, including FOH Mixer, Sound Company and more are now being accepted at www.parnelliawards.com/nominate.

MIAMI – Three 6 Mafia performed at the Miami club Sobe Live to promote the group’s new CD "Last 2 Walk." Production company Drummer Boy Sound, which does sound for Sobe Live, was in charge of the sound with Harold Cummings of Drummer Boy (FOH/Monitors) and Michael Foster, Three 6's engineer handling the audio chores.