Germany - The RTI PIKO RGB 28 has been released by Ray Technologies as the first product with the latest RTI laser module generation. “This new laser module technology really changes the way professional laser systems are built. The compact form factor and the great visibility combined with the quality of the beam profile make those new laser systems stand out even more,” states Jordi Luque, head of R&D at Ray Technologies.
The new RTI diode modules are designed in a way to keep both spot size, as well as divergence equal on both x- and y-axis.
The beam specifications of the new RTI PIKO RGB 28 are given with only 4mm diameter and less than 0.9mrad divergence - which applies to both axis, so it’s an actual value not an average and provides higher quality result

The Netherlands - ADJ lighting and effects equipment was used exclusively to create the party atmosphere in the Tiroler tent at this summer’s vast Zwarte Cross festival in the Netherlands. Vizi CMY300 moving heads, 12P HEX IP pars and Encore FR150Z Frenels were all part of the package that illuminated the line-up of live acts performing in the tent across the four-day event.
The Zwarte Cross Festival, which takes place each year in the Dutch town of Lichtenvoorde, is the largest paid festival in the Netherlands. This event combines live music, theatre and stunt spectaculars with the biggest motocross event in the world. This year, it attracted 220,000 visitors and featured more than 150 bands and 1000 theatre artists performing across a variety of themed stages and tents. A popular regular fixture of the festival is the Tiroler tent, which is an Oktoberfest-themed area tha

UK - West Midlands-based event technical production specialist CPL has invested in 40 new Robe LEDBeam 150 moving lights, the company’s first Robe purchase.
These will extend the lighting department’s rental stock and will help service CPL’s busy schedule. In addition to a diverse range of corporate and industrial clients, the company provides design services plus lighting, video, sound, rigging and staging to a selection of music and arts festivals and shows including Arcadia Spectacular. Elrow Town, The Hay Festival, Boomtown and Camper Calling.
Getting the LEDBeam 150s onboard was a decision taken by the whole lighting and visuals team at CPL, all of whom had an input.
“We needed a good, fast, reliable, versatile and small moving light and all roads led to the LEDBeam 150 which fills a gap in our stock of small moving lights,” commented events direct
featured content

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

Spain - Singer Aitana first gained recognition in 2017 as runner-up of the Spanish reality TV music talent competition Operación Triunfo and she has enjoyed popularity and a number of hits ever since.
This past summer, the 20-year old singer released her debut album, Spoiler, which topped the Spanish charts, then launched her much-anticipated Play tour with lighting design by SomosLuz, a Barcelona-based design studio who worked with Brutal Events on the creative process. SomosLuz turned to the Elation Rayzor 760 LED moving head to create a special design element for the show - four upstage Play buttons used for dynamic beams, eye candy looks and other special effects.
Describing the show’s visual look, the design studio states: “The central element of the design is an inverted pyramidal LED screen with a staircase, which is used as a podium

South Africa - The University of Johannesburg recently invested in a grandMA3 compact console for the UJ Arts and Culture Centre, situated on the institution’s Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park.
Jannie de Jager of DWR Distribution, MA Lighting’s sole distributor in South Africa, recently facilitated training at the institution to ensure that the theatre’s crew can make the best of the new console, as well as the newly launched MA3 platform.
Jade Bower has served as the production manager at the UJ Arts and Culture Centre for several years and is very pleased with the theatres’ latest acquisition. “The UJ Arts and Culture Centre provides students at the university access to theatre and the performing arts, which is an important part of providing a holistic education,” Jade explains. “While we do not have a drama department at the university, our students

UK - Stage Electrics has supplied, installed and commissioned new LED lighting to replace the existing house lighting at Kings Place, London.
Originally opened in 2008, Kings Place is a multi-purpose venue including a concert hall as well as the home to The Guardian and The Observer newspapers. Stage Electrics were contracted by Paul Russell, technical project manager for Kings Place, to replace the lighting in Hall 1 which is the main concert hall, a system originally installed by sister company Northern Light.
The new feature Lighting in addition to general auditorium lighting provides illumination, with full colour mixing, of the acoustic void around the upper walls of the auditorium as well as the stage and seating areas. This additional feature allows the venue to offer corporate clients the ability to customise the room in their corporate colours so

Mexico - A crowd of over 7,000 waited eagerly for Ana Torroja to appear at the esplanade of the Chihuahua Desert Museum of Delicias. They immediately erupted into wild cheering when the former singer from Mecano stepped on the stage dressed in a striking blue outfit and surrounded by her four bandmates, all in white.
As soon as the first notes were struck, the star and her backups were engulfed in a sea of intense back and side light that moved from white to blue. It was the beginning of a combination of music and light at this free concert sponsored by the state government as part of the XV edition of the International Festival Chihuahua.
Contributing to the immersive visuals was a collection of 64 Chauvet Professional fixtures, which, like the rest of the rig were supplied by Chihuahua-based Pro Audio Soluciones S.A. de C.V.
Making this civic stop as part of

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET), in conjunction with Luminex, has hosted a number of sell-out network training events specifically for lighting, video and audio professionals.
Held at AC-ET's training facilities in High Wycombe and Leeds, industry experts have been teaching the fundamentals of networking, plus the specifics of networking and data distribution for professional lighting, audio and video applications.
The courses provided the chance to learn more about Luminex products - including the new LumiNode next generation Ethernet to DMX processor and the Araneo software tool that provides a complete graphical overview of a Luminex Gigacore Network.
Application specialists from Luminex led the courses; one focusing on networking for lighting & video and the other on audio applications. Both saw a massive demand throughout the year, with eac

South Africa - The South African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) has announced that the Council of Events Professionals Africa (CEPA) will be reconstituted as a special interest group under the SACIA umbrella.
CEPA was established in 2014 as the events industry’s professional body to develop and award professional designations to individuals working in the events industry. Originally formed as a three-way partnership between the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA), the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Africa and the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), the Council (CEPA) has broad buy-in from members of all three associations, and the CEPA Board members appointed by the founding associations will continue to oversee activities through their appointment to a governing council.
SACIA

UK - Leicester-based provider of specialist electrical LED lighting installations, Ventola Projects, has completed a major project at the newly re-launched Cheshire Oaks Tenpin bowling centre near Ellesmere Port. Cheshire Oaks has invested more than £1m in the recent transformation which includes the latest technology, new attractions and will create more than 25 new jobs.
Ventola Projects has helped to implement some of this latest technology. Managing director, Mick Ventola and his team have assisted the venue in achieving its ultimate objective; to change the dynamic of the existing design, ensuring high quality white lighting plus the inclusion of vibrant colours through the site.
Functionality and controllability were high on the wish-list of the client and neither of these proved to be a challenge for Ventola who understood the wants and needs of the entertainme

China - Work Pro Audio, the installation and pro audio division of Equipson, has made an inroad into the Chinese market by supplying the country with its first SL210A Line Array system.
The system has been delivered to Freelancer Production Company, a theatre and event production company that specialises in audio equipment rental to theatres in Hong Kong and touring artists on the mainland China. Since its delivery in September it has already been used at the 3,000 seater Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong for a musical theatre production celebrating the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
The SL210A Line Array was specified by sound system designer Camus Chan, director of Equipson's Hong Kong distributor All Solution.
He says: "Freelancer Production Company contacted us as a result of a promotion we were running to showcase Work Pro products to

South Africa - DWR Distribution hosted a Robe Roadshow during the first week of December.
“It has been a while since a product has made such an impact in our market, and both the Esprite and Tetra2 have blown us away,” said Duncan Riley, managing director of DWR. “While the roadshow - hosted in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg - coincided with the busiest time of the year for many in our industry, we were pleased to demonstrate the fixtures to several key industry players. We were very grateful to those who were able to join us, and for the positive feedback that they gave. A big thank-you to the Roxy Revue Bar at the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town and the Grace Family Church in Durban for hosting us.”
Demonstrations were held on the hour between 10am and 4PM throughout the Roadshow by DWR’s Jannie de Jager and Harry von den Stemmen, international sales dire

USA - In January 1922 the Orpheum Theatre in Marion, IL, opened its doors for the first time. The flagship location of a vaudeville chain, the theatre offered locals a wide array of entertainment options, even hosting stars like Harry Houdini and the Ziegfeld Follies who performed before standing room only crowds.
Although the Orpheum is long gone, having been purchased by the city and renamed from a variety of genres. Only today, performers on its stage are supported by a modern LED lighting system that would have been unimaginable in the Orpheum’s incandescent era.
Anchoring that rig is collection of 46 Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures that were added to the theatre’s rig earlier this year.
“We purchased the Mavericks after some extensive research and testing against competing fixtures, led by our executive director Josh Benson,” said Kyle Upchur

USA - When Texas country artist Aaron Watson was planning the fall leg of his current Red Bandana Tour, the decision was to go native with Houston-based production company LD Systems.
It was a “natural” decision and an “easy choice,” says lighting designer Anthony McCoy, who recently worked with the company with Watson’s shows at the Houston and San Antonio Rodeos, plus a few festivals.
In business since 1975, LD Systems specialises in turning a sketch or key concept into a workable, real-world solution - be it for festivals, corporate events or concert tours. So when operations manager Bill Bowers saw a sketch of Aaron Watson’s design concept, he says, “We knew we had our work cut out for us.”
Production manager Jared Miller created the design framework using the band’s Red Bandana album artwork for inspiration. “Jared’s idea was to

USA - Every time someone buys one of LiteGear’s popular LiteMat fixtures they are helping an industry colleague who is seriously ill or injured. That’s because LiteGear has pledged a portion of the profits of the sales of all LiteMat fixtures to Behind the Scenes and at the recent LDI show they presented a cheque to the charity for $10,000.
LiteGear are designers and builders of LED lighting products for professionals in the ccinema, TV, and HD video industries and are pioneers behind the popularisation of flexible LED lighting for use in cinema and TV lighting applications. The LiteMat fixtures are designed to offer soft yet controllable light for location or studio work. Available in six sizes, these bi-color LED fixtures are made of a composite of polypropylene and sheet aluminum making Series 2 LiteMat and LiteMat+ one of the thinnest and lightest luminaires in its c

UK - James Bond tribute band, Q The Music is currently touring theatres across the country, accompanied by an Allen & Heath SQ digital mixing system and 13 “game-changing” ME-1 personal mixers.
The current 13-piece band has been performing the 007 hits across prestigious venues, including the West End’s Adelphi Theatre, since 2014. Warren Ringham, who founded the show in 2004, opted for the SQ system after becoming frustrated with the lack of flexibility and reliability offered by other systems. “Our show and the demands on the production were getting bigger so we needed to upgrade. The SQ-6 arrived just at the right time. It had great reviews and did everything we needed and more.”
The full setup for the show comprises SQ-6 on FOH, while an SQ-5 acts as a monitor desk for visiting engineers and FOH back-up. SLink and Dante option cards provide recording

UK – Australian three-piece alt dance group Rufus Du Sol headed to London’s Alexandra Palace for the headline performance of their Solace tour and their biggest UK show to date.
In a statement, the band said: “We wanted to find somewhere big enough to host a night of electronic music with all the bells and whistles.”
TSL Lighting was brought in to make this happen, specifying their latest investments to provide the pizazz befitting of Matthew Smith’s ambitious lighting design and production manager Jonathan Nelson’s requirements.
Senior TSL project manager James Davies oversaw the equipment package creation and delivery, which included 25 of GLP’s award winning JDC1 hybrid strobe and control via the company’s new grandMA3 Light consoles, NPUs, a Luminex networking solution and a full rigging package utilising EXE Hoists.
“TSL has heavily

UK - Audiovisual production supplier SFL provided a custom-built 10m wide projection screen and stage monitoring for Senbla’s latest film season - starting in September with Star Wars and finishing in December with Love Actually - which sees films screened in HD in venues around the UK, with live orchestras performing the films’ scores.
“We supplied a 20m truss screen and our brand new 10m wide custom-built AV Stumpfl screen,” says SFL’s video and projects director, Craig Lawrence, who worked on the project alongside the company’s Sungho Jeong, Sam Wheeler, Paul Medley, Chris Gunner-Lucas, Adam Chisnall, Jack Roberts.
“The screen was built specially for these tours at the aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which is specific to film. Projection was done using our Barco UDX and HDX projectors. We also provided onstage monitoring for the conductors and

USA - More than 16,000 people attended LDI2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in November – the highest total in the tradeshow’s 32-year history.
Many of the world’s leading industry brands chose this year’s LDI Conference and Tradeshow to launch new products and initiatives, as the show focused on the future of design and technology.
Drone technology was in the air as Intel demonstrated its latest units with nightly shows – the star of the synchronicity involved 300 drones forming into a giant LDI logo in the night sky, before regrouping to perform a variety of choreographed routines.
Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed/Merged Reality and AI were firmly on the agenda as experts in the field explored how these technologies will impact the future of experiential entertainment and our lives as a whole.
Sustainability and giving back to

UK - The Association of Sound Designers has announced the third of their flagship triennial seminar events: The Winter School 2020. It will be held in the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s Embassy Theatre.
This is a week-long series of theatre sound related seminars being held Monday 6 to Friday 10 January 2020, including leading industry professionals such as Carolyn Downing, Ben and Max Ringham, Richard Brooker and Scott Willsallen.
The seminars are aimed at undergraduates, recent graduates, apprentices and educators, as well as anyone else looking to expand their knowledge. Admission is free for all students and tutors, as well as ASD, IPS, AMPS and ALD members.
Winter School is also home to the Tech Hub this year. Running alongside the seminars in our main space, the Tech Hub will enable attendees to get hands on experience of the newest sound equi

Europe HK Audio has unveiled Polar 10, an ‘affordable new columnar PA for musicians, entertainers, DJs, presentations, schools and audiovisual applications’.
Polar 10 features include a four-channel mixer with five programmable user presets, Bluetooth 5.0 audio streaming, and assertive bass response.
Polar 10 consists of a subwoofer and two columnar elements. The contours of the subwoofer’s birch ply housing are not just cosmetic; the enclosure is acoustically shaped and sized to deliver quality audio results in combination with a specially developed 10” woofer sporting an extra-long voice coil.
The midrange/HF column comes in two sections for easy transport. The top section is loaded with six high-performance 3” midrange drivers and a low-distortion, 1” constant directivity horn. The system delivers well-balanced, exceedingly natural sound, renderin

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