Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Ropes In Electro-Voice

HOUSTON – LD Systems delivered massive sound reinforcement at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held annually at Reliant Park, Houston. Celebrating its 76th year in 2008, Rodeo Houston is both the world's largest livestock exhibition and the world's largest rodeo event. And, every night after the rodeo competition winds down, the Rodeo rolls out big name entertainment to match.

MODESTO, CA – The Mary Stuart Rogers (capacity 1,250) and Foster Family Theaters (capacity 444) are designed with state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment. Audio systems design for both theaters was by Media Systems Design Group (Los Angeles, Ca), Timothy Hart, principal. Lighting Design was by Lighting Design Alliance (Long Beach, Ca), Chip Israel, project head. Audio installation was performed by Professional Communication Design (PCD) out of Santa Rosa.                  

DALLAS – Lost Highway Records released Shelby Lynne’s 10th studio album, Just a Little Lovin. The collection is a spare, mesmerizing tribute to the late Dusty Springfield that Lynne sums up by saying. “This is sacred ground to me.” To promote the new album, Shelby and her band have embarked on a U.S. tour, which will be followed by dates in the UK in the fall. On stage, everything that needs a microphone gets a Heil microphone, including Shelby Lynne.

Sabine has expanded the Phantom Mic Rider Series with the introduction of the Phantom Mic Rider Pro. Two new models expand the applications and improve dynamic range and control of the Phantom’s functions. Like the original Phantom, the two new models are phantom-powered, inline signal processors that plug directly into handheld or gooseneck mics.

BURBANK, CA – For the rock band Matchbox Twenty’s current Exile in America tour, which includes engagements at the Nokia Theatre in Dallas, Madison Square Garden in New York City, Broomfield Events Center in Denver, and Staples Center in Los Angeles, the band is using Royer Labs R-121 ribbon microphones extensively.

CLEARWATER, FL – Major League Baseball’s 2008 season has begun and the National League East Champion Philadelphia Phillies wrapped up another successful spring training at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., and were ready for opening day at Citizens Bank Park with a main speaker system comprised of Community’s all-weather WET and R-Series loudspeakers.

FARMINGDALE, NY – DiGiCo Chief Executive Bob Doyle, along with Jack Kelly, president of Pro Audio/Lighting distributor Group One, took to the road to introduce DiGiCo’s progressive SD7 system to live sound and theatre engineers, system integrators, designers, specifiers and rental company personnel in the U.S.

DALY CITY, CA – Digidesign's Mix Rack option for its VENUE live sound systems made its U.S. debut last month as a part of the Adore Worship Tour. When combined with a D-Show Profile system, Mix Rack is designed to offer a compact and affordable entry into the Venue family that is ideal for small- to mid-sized venues, houses of worship, corporate A/V applications and regional tours.

TORONTO – Around the world, March 29th marked a day dedicated to raising awareness for global climate change, by many communities and businesses around the globe promising to turn off their lights for 60 minutes starting at 8pm. Canadians totaled about a third of the 300,000 pledges made on the official “Earth Hour” Web site established by the event organizers the World Wildlife Fund, and had an awareness raising concert planned in Toronto. The Concert was appropriately titled after the Canadian headliner Nelly Furtado’s song “Turn Out The Lights.”