News

LAS VEGAS — Claude "Mégo" Lemay serves as musical director for Céline Dion and her Las Vegas show, A New Day, and he uses the Soundelux E47C, a recreation of 1950s-era German microphones, when working in his own studio. A cardioid microphone with a transformer balanced output, the Soundelux E47C contains large plate circuitry with a traditional resistive load that provides a vintage amplification curve and dynamics response.

LOS ANGELES — This past November, Tony Bennett recorded a live performance at the L.A. Theatre for broadcast for a TV special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which aired November 21 on NBC. The concert featured the live vocals of Bennett, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé and Barbra Streisand.

RIO RANCHO, NM — Lectrosonics reports that its new SMQ "Super-Mini" quarter-watt wireless transmitter has cleared FCC regulatory requirements and is now available. The SMQ provides a 250mW RF output and RF-isolated output for when the transmitter is used in multi-channel systems.

BURNSVILLE, MN — Satis & Fy, who recently took delivery of X-Line and Tour Grade amplifiers from Electro-Voice, have been selected to handle the sound reinforcement for this year's Simply Red tour of Germany.

DALY CITY, CA — Digidesign has announced the new Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini, a USB-powered Pro Tools LE system. The Mini is the newest and smallest member of the Mbox 2 family.

BOCA RATON, FL — Mobile Studios, developers of fly pack systems, have selected FOR-A's HVS-500HS HANABI 1 M/E HD switcher for the company's new mobile production console. The MS7HD is a portable live production system capable of multi-camera shooting, targeted for use by corporations, houses of worship, universities, sporting event producers, government video producers and independent production companies.

FARMINGDALE, PA — Sponsored by 84 Lumber, the 84 Lumber Classic is a PGA event held at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort's Mystic Rock golf course, and this year's Classic featured back-to-back concerts with Clint Black and the Black Eyed Peas, with a movable stage and audio system provided by Satin Sound Systems of Hermitage, Penn.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC — The Midas XL8 live performance system was demonstrated in a series of sessions held in Montreal during the last week of October. Midas representatives Richard Ferriday, Jim Pfitzinger, Mitch Mortenson and Mick Whelan were on hand to introduce the XL8 system to attendees.

LIVERPOOL, UK — Liverpool-based ADLIB Audio is supplying audio production for the Scissor Sisters' current UK arena tour, with Dave Kay engineering at FOH and Ben Booker on monitors.

BERLIN — Preparations for the "Stadtkirchenfest" in Berlin, an ecumenical gathering of more than 170 Christian and Orthodox groups and communities, as well as welfare organizations and action groups, were in the hands of the Berlin-Brandenburg Ecumenical Council, in cooperation with the Diocesan Council of the Archdiocese of Berlin. To handle the technical side of the festival, the Council called in Clemens Müller, freelance production manager and sound engineer.

STOW, OH — Audio-Technica took part in the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards by providing vocal and instrument microphones for the annual awards show. The 40th Annual CMA Awards aired live for the first time in 5.1-channel surround sound on Monday, November 6th from Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center and featured over 200 hard-wired and wireless Audio-Technica microphones.