News

BERLIN — The opening celebration for the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof, a train station more than 900 feet long, included performances by German bands and a multimedia event entitled "Symphony of Lights – Welcome to Berlin." More than half a million spectators filed in to see the new station.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — A group led by local event promoter United Concerts has restored the downtown Salt Lake City Union Pacific Railway Station into a new space called The Depot nightclub. The Depot topped off its hard-won restoration with a Meyer Sound system. The completed venue led United Concerts president Jim C. McNeil to proclaim that "it's like nothing we've ever had in Salt Lake City."

MEZHDURECHENSK, RUSSIA — Work began a few months ago in Siberia on a total re-build of the Raspadskij Palace of Arts, which included the replacement of the entire technical set-up: audio, lighting, stage mechanism and other apparatus. The tender for the design of the systems and supply of sound and light rigs went to Sound Design, a firm from Novokuznetsk. Moscow's Studitech, Outline's distributor for several years, took part as sub-contractor for the design, supply and installation of the sound system.

SAN FRANCISCO — The SMK4061 Stereo Microphone kit has been designed around a pair of 4061 Miniature series omnidirectional microphones for both live and recording applications, with acoustic piano in mind.

LAKE CHARLES, LA — After nearly one year of rebuilding from Hurricane Rita, Trinity Baptist Church, located in Lake Charles, La, is communicating with its congregation again. The 66,000-square-foot church has acquired several SLS loudspeakers to replace its old sound system, which was badly damaged during the September 2005 storm.

The SR9 is a passive 2-way ultra-compact loudspeaker, specifically designed for applications where ultimate fidelity response needs to be projected with wide horizontal and precise vertical coverage. Typical (short to medium throw) applications for the SR9 range from low-profile stage-lip/frontfill to upper-/ under-balcony, up to "stealthmounted" system in stair risers or walls. Loaded with the RBN401 pro-ribbon driver, with its patented horizontally controlled dispersion and 800W peak power handling, the SR9 system features 120° horizontal coverage. The narrow 15° vertical coverage offers maximum ìgain-before-feedbackî directly above (on stage) or under (orchestra pit) the speaker. The double 5î woofers are non-vented, for a smooth lowend roll-off; This sealed box tuning enables easily adjustable low-frequency response.

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA — JBL VERTEC system owner SE Systems of Greensboro, NC, has been named the recipient of a 2006 TEC Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Tour Sound Production for the North American tour of Alison Krauss and Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas. The award was presented to SE Systems, as well as FOH engineer Bernie Velluti and monitor engineer Mark Richards, at the 22nd Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards on Saturday, October 7, at the San Francisco Hilton, held during the recent Audio Engineering Society Convention.

HIGH WYCOMBE, UK — The Museum of Techno's technical department has teamed up with Novation to deliver a second series of demystifying tutorials.

LAS VEGAS — Timeless Communications presented the 2006 Parnelli Awards on Friday, October 20, at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Named in honor of production and tour manager Rick "Parnelli" O'Brien, the awards are meant to acknowledge the achievements of the best in the business, and this year's ceremony accomplished precisely that.

ORLANDO — Professional Wireless Systems RF software developer Jason Eskew has developed the PWS Intermodulation Analysis System (IAS), and after testing in venues ranging from rock concerts to the Super Bowl, this program, meant to resolve frequency coordination issues, is now available to the industry. Eskew was inspired to develop the program in 1997, after spending hours to construct a large coordination using old software.