News Briefs Africa 1999

1. Presentation Services Limited South Africa, a branch of the Gearhouse South Africa Group, recently supplied the professional audio for South Africa's largest and longest-running soap opera "Egoli" annual ball. More than 1,800 individuals attended the event held on October 2 at the Gallagher Estate, one of the nation's premier conference and exhibition venues.

The main system was comprised of 10 Meyer Sound MSL-4's and 4 650-P's, with 2 UM-100P's which served as frontfills.

Attending the prestigious ball were some of South Africa's most well-known personalities, including the artists Nataniel, and Steve Hofmeyer.

2. South African cellular telephone giant, Vodacom, recently introduced their new Internet service, World Online, utilizing a Meyer Sound system provided by Presentation Services Limited South Africa, a branch of the Gearhouse South Africa Group.

The system configuration, used to reach the audience of 300, consisted of 4 MSL-4's and 4 650-P's. Amongst the guests included was Christopher Reeve, whose voice was heard in an advertisement that was screened.

According to Richard Baker of Presentation Services Limited, the client, a local South African production company, was astounded with the clarity and SPL coming out of such a relatively small PA.

3. On Thursday, September 23, Presentation Services Limited South Africa, a branch of the Gearhouse South Africa Group, will provide their newly acquired rig of Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeaker systems for "The Camel Experience," one of the largest raves in South Africa.

The one-night event, which is expected to attract more than 20,000 individuals, is scheduled to take place in four airplane hangers at the HQ Acacia Airforce Base outside of Cape Town.

Equipment featured at the event will include 16 Meyer Sound MSL-4s and 8 650-P self-powered loudspeaker systems.

Dubbed "Tomorrow Can Wait," the rave will feature such acts as Goldie, Brooklyn Bounce, The Weather Girls, Phats and Small, Daddy G and the Tidy Trax Girls.

4. Solid Rock Productions recently provided a host of Meyer Sound equipment for the Kenneth Copeland Ministries tour that traveled to Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Included in the pro-audio configuration were 4 MSL-4s, 8 MSL-3s, 2 650-Ps, 2 UPA-1Ps, 1 LD-1A line driver and a CP-10 parametric equalizer.

The two-week tour that started on April 1 began in Durban at the International Convention Centre that attracted in excess of 4,000 attendees per day. At Cape Town's Good Hope Centre the Kenneth Copeland Ministries also drew in a sizable group of 4,000 attendees per day. In the last stop of the tour at Randburg an audience of more than 5,000 individuals per day showed up at the Rhema Ministries.

"The combination of MSL-3s, MSL-4s and the 650-Ps worked perfectly for what we were trying to achieve," said Tim Page, Kenneth Copeland Ministries (USA) operations manager. "At the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town, which is known for its poor acoustics, having very little setup time and poor acoustics would have been a problem, but not with Meyer. With minimal side lobing and predictable Q, it was easy to setup the system with time to spare. Various church leaders also commented on the sound quality and overall production."

Click HERE for more pictures of the event and the setup.

5. On March 24-25 Solid Rock Productions of South Africa supplied a configuration of 4 Meyer Sound MSL-4s and 2 650-P Self-Powered Loudspeaker Systems for use in the South African National Powerboating Championships. The event, held at Lake Germiston in Johannesburg, provided music and announcements from various commentators to a section of shoreline on the lake.

"The boats were loud, but our rig was louder and clearer," said Hans Rooseboom of Solid Rock Productions.

6. Solid Rock Productions of South Africa recently announced that a host of Meyer Sound Self-Powered Loudspeaker Systems were used for the African Renaissance Festival at the International Conference Centre in Durban. The pre-election farewell banquet, held on Saturday, March 27, was organized to honor state President Nelson Mandela.

Powering the festival's events was a Meyer PA consisting of 4 MSL-4s, 2 650-Ps, 2 UPA-1Ps and 8 MSL-3s.

For entertainment, the South African playwright, Bongani Ngema wrote a musical entitled "The Zulu," which was performed for the first time in honor of state President Nelson Mandela. Currently the musical is on tour in Europe.

Orators at the farewell banquet included Ambassador Andrew Young of the U.S., as well as Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, President Emeritus of the Southern Christian Leaders Conference.

7. The International Conference Centre's Technical Manager, John Bevan, recently accepted a PA system design from Solid Rock Productions that addressed the venue's demanding needs. Included in the accepted PA system design are a host of 8 Meyer MSL-4s, 4 CQ-1s and 4 650-Ps.

"With Meyer you only have to listen once, and then reach for your checkbook because your ears will say: I want those," said Hans Rooseboom of Solid Rock Productions.

8. Hans Rooseboom, owner and managing director of Solid Rock Productions, South Africa, announced that his company recently provided a number of self-powered Meyer Sound units for the festival "Jabulani Joubertpark," which means "Sing for joy, Joubertpark." The two week festival, held in the heart of Johannesburg, attracted both musicians and attendees from South Africa as well as from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Kenya.

"Members of the Zulu tribe perform by a Meyer Sound UPA-1P loudspeaker."

September, 1999

FEATURED PRODUCTS

MSL-4

650-P

UM-100P

UPA-1P

LD-1A

CP-10

CQ-1