International News

LONDON – The new self-powered Meyer Sound UP-4XP loudspeaker recently made its debut at the Royal Albert Hall's renovated Elgar Room. The UP-4XP is noted for combining the advantages of a remote DC power supply and the acoustic power output of a three-way self-powered system.

HITACHINAKA, Japan – The Rock in Japan concert, produced by Rockin' On publisher Keiichi Shibuya, was held for the 10th year in 2009. More than 165,000 attendees came to Hitachi Beach Park to hear performances by some 150 Japanese artists, including Eikichi Yazawa, Unicorn, Ulfuls and Perfume.

HANOVER, Germany – Not all artists and touring support crews have to worry about how a vocalist sounds while hanging upside down on a trapeze. But that was the problem facing the audio crew supporting Pink's Funhouse tour.

GLASGOW, U.K. – Ian Bond of IPB Audio, owner of one of the first Midas PRO6 live audio systems to roll off the production line, has been using it on a 10-week European tour with five-piece progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. Bond has a long association with the band, having been their FOH engineer for 10 years.

LONDON – Florence and the Machine used a combined iLive FOH and monitor system on its European tour this fall, which included dates in the U.K., Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Holland and Austria.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Along with U.S. president Barack Obama and over 100 VIPs including heads of state and various ministers of different nations addressing climate change issues, a total of more than 30,000 people attended the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) at the 77,000-square-meter Bella Center in Copenhagen.

RIMINI, Italy – Eros Ramazzotti recently embarked on the first European leg of his "Ali e Radici" (Wings and Roots) world tour, a 10-truck production with stops at indoor arenas in 23 European countries before it travels for some South American dates, a series of European open-air summer shows, then off to the U.S. and Australia.

VIENNA, Austria – AKG recently updated its System Architect plug-in for the HUB 4000 Q to version 3.5 with the introduction of the Harman System Architect 2.1 release, fully integrating the digital wireless microphone system DMS 700 into System Architect.

LONDON – Sound engineer Randy Meullier, who is using a Soundcraft Vi6 for the U.K. and European legs of Alice Cooper's Theater of Death tour, credited Pete Russell at SSE Audio Group for giving him access to his first-choice console.

LONDON – The Hot Rats, a side project of British Indie band Supergrass, recently embarked on tour with a compact Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system to manage various live performances and media appearances.

BUENOS AIRES – The 6th Edition of the Personal Fest, a two-day event headlined by Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys, drew more than 60,000 people to Club Ciudad. Other bands at the event included Nile Rodgers & Chic, Zero 7, Cafe Tacuba and Tahiti 80.

WROCLAW, Poland – The One Love Sound Festival, staged recently at Centennial Hall, drew close to 10,000 fans of reggae, roots music, dub, hip-hop, dancehall and world and electonic music. The sound system for the event was provided by a Czak Music, based in Tarnobrzeg, Poland.