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UK - Martin Audio plans to host ‘a dedicated virtual tradeshow’, putting the spotlight on the new additions to its portfolio.
Like the company’s Open Days, the virtual event will offer an overview of the portfolio suitable for end users, distributors, rental companies and integrators. The event will be webinar-based across a number of time slots on Wednesday 20 May to ensure that people in different time zones can come together for the show.
“These are unprecedented times for the pro audio industry, and we want to play our role in helping industry professionals to stay active, connected and informed,” says Dom Harter, managing director at Martin Audio. “The webinars will last for about 90 minutes, and I will be joined by colleagues to talk people through our

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Sweden - Riksteatern, the Swedish National Touring Theatre, was due to take its production of Love Songs on a three month tour of Sweden from early March, with lighting director and designer, Jörgen ‘Hajen’ Haimanas, choosing six Ayrton Diablo LED profile luminaires as a major feature of his lighting design, in what would be Diablo’s first national tour of Sweden. Due to the current Covid-19 crisis, the tour was only able to complete the first five dates before it was necessarily postponed by lockdown.
Love Songs is described as a ‘sentimental love bomb’, a musical evening depicting love in all its forms, featuring the musical talents of Arja Saijonmaa, Frida Beckman, Lisa Hu Yu, Robert Hannouch and Peter Järn. Haimanas used his considerable lighting talents, to create an incredible array of looks using the six strategically placed Diablo units in a desig

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France - The coronavirus pandemic has already seen many examples of those in the entertainment technology and production industry putting their skills and resources to good use - from morale-raising actions to physical contributions and manufacturing items to aid the massive efforts worldwide to contain the spread of infection.
In normal times, S-Group is a busy full production and rental operation with four regional bases and a HQ in Alès, north of Nimes in the South of France, and this time of year they’d have an average of 20 tours on the road as well as servicing numerous long term rentals.
However, with the live show and event Industry at a complete standstill, S-Group’s manufacturing division has instead energised its 3D printing capabilities to assist in producing protective visors for workers engaged in the various frontline healthcare and first response s
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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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UK - Really Creative Media (RCM) provided screen content along with equipment and touring engineers for Jax Jones March tour, cut short by COVID-19. It was the company’s final gig before the UK entered full lockdown on 23 March.
RCM was enlisted to create the dynamic screen content for DJ Jax Jones’ first tour since the September 2019 launch of the artists Snack (Supersize) album. A month ahead of the tour, RCM’s Jack Fox liaised with creative director Aimee Phillips and the artist, working alongside lighting director Liam Griffiths of Stage Techniques and production management team Only Helix to create a new show with fresh material for the on-stage LED wall. They also re-purposed existing content from previous tours, before getting creative in the company’s London editing studio.
RCM worked with Aimee to build a sharp timecoded set, bringing the show u

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Mexico - Verge Aero recently added a new dimension to Mexico’s biggest and oldest carnival. A 130-drone display, in the skies above Mazatlán’s Olas Altas bay, delivered a spectacular new twist to the town’s traditional six-day carnival celebration, Carnaval de Mazatlán.
Situated on Mexico’s west coast, Mazatlán has one of the world’s greatest carnival traditions. Held annually since 1898, marking Mardi Gras and the start of Lent, Mazatlán’s exuberant six-day carnival is reputed to be the world’s third largest, after Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.
This year, Verge Aero’s drone technology, specially developed for live entertainment productions, was brought in to precede the spectacular firework display by local pyro supplier, Pyromar. Verge Aero worked together with local partner, Sky Precision, to create the light show and coordinate it with the hug

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USA - ETC has introduced On Headset, a new audio series that allows listeners to programme a major theatrical production in realtime whilst listening to the audio cues of a lighting designer.
“Our goal with this project is to fill the gap between the traditional classroom or ‘e-training’ methods of console learning and actually sitting behind an Eos desk in a theatre,” explains ETC senior field service engineer Victor Seastone, “This is a console flight simulator to help with both.”
The series features esteemed Broadway lighting designer Ken Billington and a lightly curated recording of the headset conversations during technical rehearsals of the New York City Centre Encores’ Me and My Girl in May 2018. The New York City Centre, a well-known and distinctive theatre, welcomes 300,000 visitors annually to its establishment which was founded

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Australia - On 15 April, Australian skies were lit up in support of those fighting the COVID-19 global pandemic whilst also drawing attention to the plight of the country’s entertainment industry.
Organised by ALIA, the event also served as a morale boost for the lighting industry. Production companies, sole traders, distributors and manufacturers all joined in the effort.
The brief was fairly open being just colourful with a bit of movement and initially, premises only were to be lit up. But many companies were able to light significant landmarks including hospitals, theatres, town halls, sports stadiums and even a lighthouse. Many sought permission from the aviation authorities to project high into the night skies.
In an act of generosity, Brisbane-based Gobotech offered free gobos to those taking part.
ALIA was “blown away by the number of participant

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UK - Two industry companies have been recognised with a Queen's Award for Enterprise.
The awards programme rewards British businesses who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. This year, Brompton Technology and Peerless-AV were both honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category.
“It is really gratifying to be recognised with such a prestigious award, and we want to thank all our partners globally who have been such an important part of this success story,” comments Brompton’s managing director, Richard Mead. “It is all the more poignant to be receiving it at such a difficult time for our industry and the world in general. This award is testament to the strength and dedication of the Brompton team. Right now, we are focussed on supporting our partners through these challenging times, but we loo

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USA - Shure Incorporated is celebrating its 95th year in audio technology.
From its inception in 1925 as a one-man company selling radio parts kits, Shure has built a legacy of innovations in audio. Today, the company offers a diverse portfolio of wired and wireless microphones, personal and professional listening products, and conferencing and meeting solutions.
Shure products are now sold in more than 120 countries, and through the decades, these have been used around the world by the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela, The Beatles, and every United States President since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Product innovations throughout the company’s 95-year history include Unidyne I Model 55, the first unidirectional microphone with a single moving coil dynamic element; the SM58 microphone, an industry standard worldwide f

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USA - Austin, Texas-based post-production mixer and sound designer Korey Pereira recently upgraded his studio, Soularity Sound, with a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 monitoring system featuring JBL Professional and Crown solutions, enabling him to create immersive audio content.
Soularity Sound provides post-production audio services for film, television, streaming, commercials and web content in the Austin market and internationally. Services include sound editing, sound design, Foley, ADR, voiceover, mixing and production sound.
Recognising a growing industry trend of adopting the Dolby Atmos immersive audio format as a standard deliverable, Pereira decided to upgrade his 5.1 surround sound monitoring system to a 7.1.4 setup with ceiling speakers for three-dimensional sound. To achieve high-quality results that translate well to cinemas, home theatres and consumer devices, Perei

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USA - Stay at home restrictions have prevented the Clermont, Ohio Chamber of Commerce from holding its regular meetings. But now, more than ever, its member businesses are seeking guidance from the 50-year old organisation, particularly on the steps they can take to navigate their way through this period of lockdowns.
A highlight of the chamber’s educational initiative was the detailed and informative 8 April livestream it hosted by noted author and small business expert Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics. A former US Labourr Department economist, Beaulieu delivered his presentation from the Events United Studio Lab, illuminated by a rig that featured Maverick MK2 Spot, Ovation CYC 1 FC, STRIKE 4 and Ovation E-260WW IP fixtures.
Beaulieu was able to communicate the intricacies of his ideas to the audience, located 900 miles from the New Hampshire studio, with the h

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Europe - Austrian microphone specialist Lewitt has joined forces with artist Avec to bring the music community closer together and to keep the creative spirit alive.
Working with Avec, Lewitt has created the #LEWITTMusicChallenge, giving the chance to show your creativity and win Lewitt microphones.
Avec and her band members have recorded a version of their hit song Home, recording each instrument remotely in their own living spaces while capturing the whole thing on video.
“Now you can take the content and show us what you can do,” says Lewitt. “Mix or remix the song, record a cover, play along with it – it’s entirely up to you. There are no limits. Then simply upload your version of the song to a social media platform, tag the post with #LEWITTMusicChallenge, share it with your friends and invite them to take part.”
The challenge sta

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Norway - Dedicated microphone techniques and ensuring a clean and short signal path is how Norwegian producer and engineer Morten Lindberg achieves “great sound capture” for his classical music label, 2L. DPA microphones play a key part in this process because they provide the transparency and sonic clarity he needs for his projects. This is particularly true for his immersive recordings, which are overturning some basic concepts regarding how music is composed and performed.
The music captured by 2L features Norwegian composers and performers and an international repertoire reflected in the Nordic atmosphere. 2L began as a production company, but is now also a record label, releasing 10 to 15 recordings a year, all on Hybrid SACD, Pure Audio Blu-ray and distributed as HiRes files.
Until 2020, Lindberg held the record for the most Grammy nominations without a win -

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Europe - This week will see the continuation of Absen’s series of webinars, with two sessions on Tuesday 21 April at respectively 9am (Rental & Staging) and 1pm (Introduction to LED), one session dedicated to fixed installations (Corporate & Retail) on Wednesday 22 April at 9am BST, and a two parts session (9am and 1pm BST) on Thursday 23 April which will provide insights on Basic Technical Knowledge of LED Displays. More webinars will also be offered by Absen in the near future.
The inaugural session, which was held on Tuesday 7 April and focussed on Absen’s rental & staging products, had in excess of 350 registrations and over 200 attendees; 84% of whom rated it as being either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
The next rental & staging webinar, which will be hosted by Absen’s rental & staging industry director Christian Cz

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UK - Bryan Ferry has been a mainstay in the art rock world since the early ‘70s. Still playing music with commanding style, he returned to the stage with support from rental supplier, Britannia Row Productions.
In early March, before the Coronavirus pandemic had hit the UK, Ferry took to the road with Britannia Row, delivering what FOH engineer Davide Lombardi describes as “the most challenging yet rewarding tour to date”.
He adds, “Bryan is very tuned-in to making his audiences happy; he’s a perfectionist but in a very good way. His attention to detail is impeccable.”
Having worked with Britannia Row for some years, Lombardi states that the key to success for a tour like Ferry’s is “total trust” in your team. “His live sound is different because of the constant alteration of arrangements within the songs. Show days involve long soundchecks,

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UK - Fairport Convention’s annual Cropredy Convention in Oxfordshire and The Eden Sessions in Cornwall are the latest major music events to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Both are being rescheduled for 2021.
Since its first staging in 1980, the Cropredy festival has taken place annually since on farmland near Banbury, Oxfordshire.
This year’s three-day event had been scheduled to take place on 13-15 August. It will now be staged over 12, 13 and 14 August 2021 (the equivalent weekend) on its usual site.
The line-up of acts will be carried forward: artists booked to appear this year have agreed to switch to 2021. Highlights include Trevor Horn Band, Clannad, Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited, Richard Thompson, Matthews Southern Comfort and host band Fairport Convention.
Tickets purchased for Cropredy 2020 remain valid for the rescheduled fest

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UK - Manchester Cathedral teamed up with one of its long-standing event production partners, Sterling Event Group, to illuminate the façade of the magnificent building in a blue hue in a show of solidarity and support for NHS staff and key workers who are going above and beyond to support our communities at this difficult time.
Richard Bowden, managing director at Sterling said: “We wanted to show our support as a company for the magnificent work our NHS and keyworkers are doing in the battle against Covid-19. We have a great partnership with Manchester Cathedral and its work in the community. As a stunning landmark in the heart of our city we are very privileged to be able to illuminate it.”
At 8pm on Thursday 16 April, the display was supported by representatives from the Greater Manchester emergency services as everyone clapped for carers.
The cathedral w

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UK - Music Support, the peer-led music industry charity that provides confidential mental health and addiction services, has partnered with Thrive, the UK’s only NHS-approved mental health app.
As a clinically-effective app that offers 24/7 support for mental health and wellbeing, Thrive helps with the early detection, prevention and management of common disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as building resilience so that users can feel empowered to improve their mental health.
It tackles common stressors such as sleep, bereavement, work issues and more via the use of evidence-based therapies such as CBT, meditation, deep muscle relaxation, breathing exercises and distraction games. A mood metre and diary tracks daily fluctuations of mood and records what specific stressors the individual might be facing on a daily basis, thus becoming more per

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USA - Atlona is making easy and reliable HDMI and USB signal extension even more cost-effective for huddle spaces and small meeting rooms with the introduction of the new AT-OME-EX-KIT-LT HDBaseT extender. Available immediately, the new transmitter/receiver kit extends 4K/UHD HDMI video, embedded audio, power, control and USB data over HDBaseT while discreetly offering simple connectivity for collaboration and video conferencing.
The newest extension solution in Atlona’s Omega Series of AV system components for modern workspaces and meeting environments, the OME-EX-KIT-LT provides the powerful core functionality of Atlona’s proven AT-OME-EX-KIT in a lower-priced configuration optimised for small spaces with shorter extension requirements.
“Our OME-EX-KIT has become a preferred choice of systems integrators and end users for long-distance signal transport in AV en

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USA - Elation is expanding the Fuze series with the Fuze SFX, a new concept LED Spot FX moving head designed for a variety of applications requiring a compact and powerful multi-purpose luminaire.
The Fuze SFX is a combination of spot and effects fixture capable of projecting tight beams to wide washes using a highly efficient optical design while providing over 12,000 lumens of output from a 300W White LED engine. Unveiled at the LDI show in November, the fixture received an enthusiastic response and is now shipping.
The SFX allows for even stage washes utilising its variable frost filter while a wide array of colours is possible from a seamless CMY colour-mixing system plus seven-position colour wheel. Housing 18 carefully designed gobos and a 4.5° to 38° zoom, the Fuze SFX can create mid-air FX as easily as precise image projections.
The Fuze SFX is powerf

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USA - ETC has announced two new product families designed to work cohesively together. ArcSystem Navis is a line of LED luminaires featuring “pristine light as well as a modular design for smooth installations”. For centralised LED power controls, F-Drive is a new system offering an intuitive design with customizable output cards. Together, Navis and F-Drive make one adaptable and robust LED system for any space.
“The Navis line of luminaires prioritises ease of installation, hassle-free maintenance, in-field customisation, and beautiful light with high-grade TIR optics and stepless dimming,” says ETC. The fixtures are available in multiple colour temperature options ranging from 2700 K to 5000 K as well as an RGBW colour-mixing option. A 3000 K Fade to Warm variant is also available providing an intimate, warm light at lower intensity levels, often preferred in hosp
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