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Sports Technology Alliance Weighs in on White Space

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Sports Technology Alliance, formed by the Sports Video Group and comprised of major professional and collegiate U.S. sports leagues and major national broadcasters and content distributors, met this week with leading members of the Federal Communications Commission and members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The group's mission was to discuss the negative impact of certain current proposed "white spaces" wireless spectrum legislation with regards to athlete and fan safety at their events and the quality of live event coverage, broadcast production and the reception of digital television signals.

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Roland Systems S-1608 Digital Snake System

Roland Systems Group U.S is now shipping the S-1608 Digital Snake System in a fixed 16×8 configuration. The S-1608 adds to the S-4000 Digital Snake system. Based on the same 24-bit/96 kHz low-latency REAC protocol used in the S-4000, the new S-1608 features 16 high-quality, remote-controllable microphone inputs and eight returns over a standard Cat5e cable.

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Garbarek Loads NEXO Equipment in by Boat

VENICE, ITALY — When Grammy-nominated Norwegian artist Jan Garbarek arrived in Venice for the Jazz Festival, he discovered that all equipment for the show had to be delivered to the historic La Fenice Opera House by canal boat — so bystanders were treated to the sight of the NEXO/CAMCO touring system arriving on gondolas.

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Yamaha Commercial Audio to Hold Las Vegas Open House

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, will be the setting forYamaha Commercial Audio Systems Inc.’s open house to be held for members of the local professional audio community. The event will be Tuesday/Wednesday, July 10–11, 2007, at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, Crown Room. 

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Guitar Center Inc. to Be Acquired by Bain Capital

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA — Guitar Center, Inc. today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by affiliates of Bain Capital Partners, LLC, a global private investment firm. The total transaction value, including assumed debt, is approximately $2.1 billion.

FOH editor Bill Evans commented, “Unlike some other acquisitions recently announced, this does not appear to be a typical Wall Street grab and dash but rather a way to allow the chain to continue to grow without the often unrealistic expectations shareholders can make of a public company. In recent years, GC has grown from the 50 range to more than 200 stores currently and is expected to have well over 300 by next year."

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Audio-Technica SpectraPulse Ultra Wideband Wireless Microphone System

Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. introduced its SpectraPulse Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless microphone system at InfoComm 07.  Although you won't be using this any time soon, a live event version is being worked on; however, there’s no word on when it will be available.

SpectraPulse is designed to deliver clear, intelligible audio without the performance and set-up issues associated with conventional wireless systems. In addition, it is designed to provide high security levels and to be used in conferences or boardrooms, corporate events/meetings, courtrooms and other contractor/system integrator applications in the business, government and commercial markets.

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Event Production Directory Now Online at EPDweb.com

LAS VEGAS — Timeless Communications, publishers of PLSN and FOH magazines, has made their Event Production Directory, the most widely distributed production directory of its kind, available online at www.EPDweb.com. The Web version of the ultimate production guide contains all the information found in the print version, along with several enhancements made possible by the power of the Web.

“It’s a quantum leap forward,” said Terry Lowe, publisher of the Directory. “The EPD has instantly become the industry’s preeminent search engine. All the information in the EPD is now online, and fully-searchable — not just by company, but by city, state or even a specific piece of gear.

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Petrol Introduces Sound Knapsack

Petrol, a Vitec Group brand, introduces the Sound Knapsack. The Knapsack has three cushioned compartments designed for maximum storage and equipment protection. The main chamber comes complete with 8 removable pouches connected with hook and loop material for holding earphones, batteries, microphone, wireless systems, spare connectors, or tools in a special pouch. Windows of tough, transparent vinyl enable easy identification of contents. The knapsack’s padded rear section is large enough to contain a laptop computer with up to a 17.5-inch screen. A front organizer section is designed for stashing personal items such as keys, wallet, notebook, or pens, while keeping them close at hand.

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British Alt-Rockers Placebo on World Tour with VENUE

LONDON — British alt-rock band Placebo have been out on a full world tour since January 2006, playing events and major festivals throughout the U.S., South America, Europe, Australia, China, Korea, and other Far East locations. For the first year of the tour, monitor engineer Charlie Bradley used a VENUE D-Show console, but in the last six months, he and Placebo FOH mixer Ian Nelson, switched to using a pair of the more compact VENUE D-Show Profile systems, which handle a total of 45 inputs for the band, along with the collective output requirements. By the tour’s conclusion, Bradley estimates that they will have used the VENUE systems at over 250 shows.

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