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June 2014 l 05


news EUROPE Eurovision 2014: battle of the brands


Jon Chapple rounds up the pro audio presence in Copenhagen


L-ACOUSTICS, DIGICO, Sennheiser, DPA and Isostem equipment was on display at the Eurovision Song Contest fi nal in Copenhagen on 10 May. On the microphone front, host broadcaster DR (the Danish Broadcasting Corporation) used 96 channels of Sennheiser Digital 9000 – DR owns a 24-channel system and rented the rest from MM Commuications – and 32 channels of Sennheiser 2000 Series for in-ears. According to Sennheiser, “the audio and RF conditions in the arena were really diffi cult,” so Jonas Naesby of Sennheiser Nordic was on-site to support DR. DSPecialists supplied an Isostem upmix system to German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), which used it in Das Erste’s Countdown


WORLD AMX strengthens Harman portfolio By Jon Chapple


GLOBAL AUDIO and “infotainment” giant Harman, the parent company of JBL, Soundcraft


AMX’s DAS-T0808-SIG Tango Audio Controller


and AKG, is to acquire AV technology company AMX for US$356 million. AMX is a leading manufacturer of enterprise control and automation systems and audio and video switching/ distributing solutions. The news follows the aggressive acquisitions by Harman of loudspeaker manufacturer Duran Audio (in October 2013) and lighting business Martin Professional (in December 2012). “Starting with the acquisition of Martin lighting last year, Harman has set forth


UNITED KINGDOM Now its ‘bi’-Polar, as distributor splits in two By Murray Stassen


POLAR AUDIO has announced an internal restructure following the expansion of the company’s roster, which now includes LOUD Technologies brands Mackie and Ampeg.


According to Polar, these brands have


signifi cantly increased volumes in the MI side of the business – and, in anticipation of this increased traffi c, the company has divided into two divisions and recruited several new members of staff.


The consumer/MI division will now concentrate on the retail business, from MI and DJ shops to high-end retailers. The second division is for installation customers, with a core focus on integration and system solutions. MD John Midgley comments: “With our reinforced back-room staff and ... [new] website … we are in a position to respond with confi dence to the extra demands placed upon us by the acquisition of important new brands.”  www.polaraudio.co.uk


a clear strategy to add visual solutions to our ... audio offerings,” says Blake Augsburger, president, Harman Professional. “AMX’s


strong portfolio of video distribution hardware and software ... reinforces Harman’s commitment to expand[ing] our portfolio with ... brands in adjacent and complementary markets.” The Soundcraft Si Performer, launched in 2012, was the fi rst audio console to feature DMX lighting control functionality, and pointed to Harman’s intention to expand into other entertainment sectors.  www.amx.com


Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst


für Kopenhagen and Grand Prix Party programmes, broadcast before and after its coverage of the fi nal, respectively. “The upmix unit was used for live music, full playback and MAZ [recording],” explains DSPecialists’ Maja Trompeteler. Rentall supplied K1, K2 and KARA line arrays from Eurovision veteran L-Acoustics, while a Soundware FOH


team comprising Tobias Berg (designer), Robert Røhr (console A), Malte Oscar (console B) and Jurgen Vandewalle (speaker system) manned two DiGiCo SD7 consoles with Waves (one main and one backup). DiGiCo was also represented onstage with one SD10 for the fi nal mic check and two SD-Racks for feeding the PA via AES.


Linnets’ Calm After the Storm (the Netherlands) and Sanna Nielsen’s Undo (Sweden).  www.eurovision.tv www.digico.biz


www.dpamicrophones.com www.isostem.de www.l-acoustics.com www.sennheiser.com


Danish mic manufacturer DPA Microphones supplied the podium microphones for the contest’s offi cial press centre, a separate auditorium equipped by PA company DPA Soundco (no affi liation).


Eurovision 2014 was won by Austria’s Conchita Wurst with her song Rise Like a Phoenix, followed by The Common


German broadcasters NDR and Das Erste made use of an Isostem Expert upmix system


Photo: Ralph@larmann.com


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