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Canada - The Capitol Theatre in Moncton, New Brunswick, hailed as one of the most beautiful performing arts spaces in Canada, is one of the country's latest venues to invest in a Midas Legend 3000 supplied by Tour Tech East. The plush 800-seat auditorium, now fully refurbished and restored to its former glory, dates back to 1922. As is the case with most theatres, space for permanently installed audio hardware, particularly a large format mixing console, is extremely limited, so the small footprint of the Legend 3000 suited the Capitol perfectly.

Tour Tech's Dave Rudderham explained: "The theatre was fed-up with their seats getting damaged by people hauling their heavy flightcases to the temporary FOH position. Eventually they decided to reduce the physical impact on the thea

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UK - Following a comprehensive search for a qualified senior manager, Martin Professional has appointed Dave Caulfield as the new managing director of Martin Professional PLC. Caulfield has a long background in the electronic music industry, having worked in sales and marketing related positions for the Japanese companies Casio and Akai, among others, as well as American Emu Systems Inc both in the UK and in Europe.

Martin Professional President and CEO Kristian Kolding commented: "We are pleased to announce the hiring of Dave Caulfield as our new managing director in the UK. His proven track record and extensive experience in the electronic music industry will translate well to the automated lighting industry."

Dave, 55, was named to replace previous head of Martin UK, Claus Puggard, who stepped down as managing director last November. Soon to be relocating to the M

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UK - Hayden Laboratories Ltd - exclusive UK distributors for Denon pro audio products - offer new advanced MP3 and other features to the DN-D9000 dual CD player. The high compression rates and portability of the MPG3 format has made it the medium for exchanging music files on the internet, establishing it as one of the essential elements of global communications.

With MP3 now widely recognised as a core music medium for both established and unsigned artists, hardware manufacturers recognise it as central to the way we enjoy and listen to music. Utilising the new plug in, the DN-D9000 offers MP3 playback - via MP3 files on CD. This vastly increases the machine's flexibility, giving access to approximately 250 tracks per CD plus full filename viewing facilities on the front LCD. This reveals useful info. like artist and track names Other features enabled with the software update i

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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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USA - In the Summer of 2002, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame moved to a brand new building near the location of its previous home in Springfield, Massachusetts. The attraction serves as a monument to the leading figures of the game, as well as a museum. The main objectives from the outset were to provide a unique, educational and enjoyable visitor experience for fans of all ages.

The creative team included design architect Gwathmey Siegel, architects BH+A who carried the architectural development through, and exhibit designers Scenic Technologies, who worked with the venue's curatorial staff to design the exhibition. Electrosonic won the contract for the audio-visual system integration and installation by bid on a system designed by Thoughtful Designs. Electrosonic then partnered with Cortina Productions and NBA Entertainment to provide a complete hardware and prod

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USA - American DJ has launched two new lighting effects for the DJ and clubs markets. The Roller Tron and Scan Tron are 2-in-1 special effects featuring a removable X-Y mirror head. This innovative and easy-to-use feature allows each effect to quickly convert from a scanner to a colour changer.

With the X-Y head on, the units function as scanners which make broad, sweeping movements across the dance floor. With the head off, the motion stops and the unit creates colour-changing beams. As a colour changer, each effect can be used with one of 14 gobo patterns or with the 'spot' gobo to produce 11 different colored spotlights (plus white) with no pattern.

With their unique ability to transform from a scanner into a colour changer, the highly affordable Roller Tron and Scan Tron fill a huge need in today's lighting effects market, say Amercian DJ. "Many clubs now have both li

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USA - Tomcat Global is pleased to announce a newly designed website for a new year. The website not only offers a new look, but many new features as well. For the people who love to feed their visual brains, a comprehensive flash presentation featuring recent Tomcat custom projects is provided. For the people who crave the technical information, a Palm OS Tomcat catalogue can be downloaded as well as product load data and dimensions. For the people that desire training, Tomcat Hoist and Rigging Workshops information and applications are available. For the people that need to voice their opinions, an online survey can be submitted. As always, the CAD file library is easily accessible. And last, but certainly not least, for the people that want to know who, what, where, why and when, all the latest Tomcat news and archives are at your finger tips.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - The latest pop musical to arrive on the West End stage is Our House, written by Tim Firth and featuring the music of eighties legends Madness. Mike Mann reports . . .

Despite the complexity of the flying manoeuvres (and AVW's heavy workload elsewhere in Europe during the fit-up), Brown reports that the system went in smoothly, and has coped well with the demands of a fast-moving show. "We did a lot of work with Delstar who provided the mechanical engineering. Although we have AVW control at the National Theatre, this is the first time that Impressario Advance! has been in the West End, and it's being used to control several moves with motors running at full speed."

The Impressario Advance is the second generation of theatre controllers from AVW, and was launched just prior to the show's opening. Based on the original Impressario product, the new system adds seve

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UK - A number of new members have joined the Association recently.

Joining as Full Members are Salisbury-based Multitex Engineering (Tel: +44 (0)1722 332139), specialists in lighting solutions; Scarborough-based P & L Sound & Lighting (Tel: +44 (0)1723 378888), a retail, sales and hire operation, which also offers a repair and maintenance service; Swadlincote-based Active Color Systems Ltd (Tel: +44 (0)1283 819780), suppliers of a range of lighting, laser and audio systems and London-based Projected Image UK, (Tel: +44 (0)20 8215 3331), specialists in gobos and projectors.

Joining as Full EU Members are Belgium-based Amelia nv (Tel: +32 (0)3 270 36 36), specialists in developing electronic solutions for special effects; Netherlands-based 5 Star Systems (Tel: +31 23 5544 611), manufacturers and suppliers of lighting products to the entertainment industry, and Spain-based Ben-Ri

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USA - Prudential Financial is celebrating 125 years in the financial services industry with the erection of a unique interactive sign in Times Square. The sign, including 4m high neon letters spelling 'Prudential Financial' and a 12m diameter 'Rock' logo flanked by two massive backlit billboards is located on the 3 Times Square building.A toll-free number is posted which allows tourists to drive a variety of automated lighting sequences using their mobile phones. So how did this modern example of 'architainment', effectively allowing punters to choose 'how' they want to be advertised to, come about?

The thread starts with Prudential's VP of marketing, Michael Hines, who contacted Capital Manufacturing of Pennsylvania, explaining that he was after something unique. It seems that with the ever-cheaper availability of LED technology, almost all new signs in Times Square include a v

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USA - If you've spent the last two years quietly dismissing the High End/WWG Catalyst as 'just a video projector with a mirror on the front', further proof that you were wrong, or had at least missed the point, came at New York's Grand Central Station over the 2002 Christmas period.

There, two Catalysts ran a series of specially-created animations, replacing the laser system which has formed the Christmas lightshow for the last few years. Creative Time, the New York arts association responsible for, amongst many other projects, the Tribute in Light (see L&SI May 2002), were approached by Grand Central Station to create a new entertainment for New York's most famous rail terminal. They approached New York AV specialists ScharffWeisberg for ideas. "We've worked with them in the past on outdoor projects, art projects - the fun projects," explains Peter Scharff. "In t

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Australia - Despite more than a decade of false starts and operator frustration, simple wireless and infra-red remote control of lighting has finally reached a level of sophistication and reliability where it has become a useful production tool. Audio, on the other hand, with its hundreds of parameters and its ever-increasing complexity, has thus far resisted any simple approach to wireless remote control.

System Sound, Melbourne-based specialists in audio for musical theatre and musical events, have been working on developing systems for remote control of audio, based entirely on off-the-shelf technologies and commonly available components. Much of this work has been done by Julian Spink, who in addition to being one of System Sound's supervisors and an associate sound designer, works on developing advanced engineering solutions for the company.

System's first brush with radi

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UK - Fifteen months in the job, and already the Fairfield Hall's new technical co-ordinator Ian Locke is beginning to make his presence felt; not least in the realms of safety. "Before I took the appointment I could already see this was a very, very busy venue; sometimes three performances a day, so I knew safe working practices would be paramount."

Consequently there have been "huge changes", not least the recent installation of a new rigging grid above the famous Fairfield stage. "The existing grid was well past its sell-by date, so in September of 2001 I visited PLASA to see what was available. At the time I didn't even know Total Fabrications' T2 system existed (hardly surprising as it was barely a year since launch) so when I stopped by their stand I was more than impressed with the system."

Being a prudent shopper, Locke looked around all th

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Italy - Robe Show Lighting - the Czech moving light manufacturer - continues to establish new subsidiaries around the globe, with the formation of Robe Italia srl. This is a joint venture between Robe Show Lighting and SR Consulting, Robe's Italian distributor.

Robe Italia is headed by the charismatic Simone Rodella and is based in Castel Goffredo - alongside the vast majority of Italy's prolific Italian moving light manufacturers. The move follows the recent launch of Robe America, and last year, the appointments of key distributors including LMP in Germany and Coe-tech in the UK. Robe's Josef Valchar told us: "Robe Italia was the best choice for moving the Robe brand forward in the Italian market." He feels that customers like to see the factory behind a product - especially in Italy - with its high concentration of home-grown moving lighting manufacturers.

"R

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UK - Screenco have enjoyed a whirlwind winter, providing image magnification for three major televised awards presentations, as part of a workload that also embraced the Royal Variety Performance at the Hammersmith Apollo and the BBC televised final of Great Britons.

The most imaginative display was at BBC Television Centre, where for the third year running Screenco were equal to Christopher George's design for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, sending video constantly streaming around the studio in a liquid pelmet. Screenco provided three screens in widescreen format to take the long camera shots, hiring in Barco i8 and i10 high-brightness modules from sister company Creative Technology, which they configured respectively into a single 7.2m x 4m, and two 4.9m x 2.7m walls.

Screenco then supplied four long 1.2m deep panel strips - two in 13.8m lengths, one at 9.7m and th

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UK - A.C. Lighting Ltd has reported it has sustained its 6% growth as of its interim figures of May 2002. A.C. Lighting's considerable investment in facilities, systems, and infrastructure has resulted in a more streamlined organisation, improved customer experience, and international business development. The recently formed A.C. Limited (Canada) Ltd is clearly indicative of plans to gain a more international presence and market share.

Managing Director and co-founder of A.C. Lighting, David Leggett, commented, "2002 was a tough year in the entertainment technology industry. Despite these troubled times, our company's growth is proof of our staff's diligence coupled with the loyalty and support received from manufacturers and customers alike. It is this combination which has led to our strengthened position."

Based 30 miles to the west of London, UK, A.C. Lighting w

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USA - The Super Bowl is not just the Big Game with a Big Halftime. It spawns hundreds of corporate parties needing lights, sound and a stage full of entertainers before, during and after the Jan. 26 show in San Diego. Prior to the game, Delicate Productions of Camarillo, Calif., is taking care of the VIP Tailgate Party. Goo Goo Dolls, Bonnie Raitt and various rap artists will take the stage under 12 Studio Spot 575s and 12 Studio Beam automated luminaires, with 12 bars of PARS. LD Gus Conger is controlling the show with a Hog 1000.

California's San Diego Stage & Lighting say they have "everything we own" involved with the Superbowl including the NFL Experience. SDSL's Renie Colwell says, "The NFL Experience is almost entirely High End Systems (equipment) and is also the largest contract that was awarded." A whole range of HES fixtures and consoles have moved

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USA - Mach Speakers and the Pro Audio Group of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc have formed a strategic alliance aimed at increasing brand awareness for both companies' products. The agreement joins together the Mach speaker brand with a leader in digital entertainment technology in a group sales and marketing effort that will give greater visibility to the Mach and Pioneer product lines while strengthening Martin's Total Club Supplier concept in the US market.

For Mach, the alliance allows the company to co-market Pioneer products alongside its own range of speakers, adding another established, professional brand to the Total Club Supplier, one-stop shop concept. The Total Club Supplier concept enables clients to procure Mach audio, Martin lighting, and Jem smoke in one convenient package. Mach will now be able to add a vast line of Pioneer digital entertainment products to its au

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UK - Pete Hughes has joined Canegreen as a full-time special projects manager following years on the road as a freelance engineer. Having started engineering bands 15 years ago, Pete has worked periodically with Canegreen for about 12 years, since when he has toured with the likes of David Byrne, 911, Stevie Wonder, Nanci Griffiths, Neil Finn, Patti Smith, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and most recently Toploader.

In addition to touring, Pete has also managed the sound for a number of large one-off events including The Prince's Trust's 'Party in the Park', Capital Xmas Live and Cambridge Folk Festival, along with stadium shows for The Corrs and Paul Weller as far afield as Japan.

Hughes will be based at Canegreen's North London premises, working alongside Yan Stile and Andrew Frengley. As well as overseeing some large projects this year, he will also be charged to ensure the effec

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UK - Lightpower, one of Germany's leading lighting distributors, has announced that it has cancelled its participation in this year's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (5-8 March). The reason given for the withdrawal is the bad timing of the show. Lighpower's statement says: "We regret this decision, however . . . when a trade show is planned concurrent with a national holiday and preparations for the Cebit trade show overlap, then we, as well as other exhibitors, come across some serious coordination problems. This simply means that over 40% of our clientele shall not show up because they will be tied up at the same time with their own service activities during the Cebit show projects and Carneval activities. More than 1000 event technicians will be working at the Cebit."

At a press conference at ProLight+Sound last year, Lightpower - a long-standing ProLight+Sou

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UK - Newlands Technology Ltd, based on the Science Park of the University of Hull, has appointed Gary Orrell as its general manager for audio. Gary held a similar post with NXT, the flat panel loudspeaker technology company and prior to that, introduced Wharfedale Loudspeakers to the commercial/professional market in the late 80s and early 90s.

Newlands has recently introduced its first commercial audio product to the market, the Soundbug, an audio device, similar in shape to a PC mouse but slightly smaller; driven directly by a Walkman/Discman, it is attached to plane surfaces such as table tops or windows, transforming the whole surface into loudspeakers.

Newlands design and innovation work is based on magnetostriction - the process by which a material changes its shape in response to a magnetic field. Terfenol-D is a material that displays extreme magnetostrictive propertie

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UK - UK console manufacturer Soundcraft has launched the second in its new range of multi-purpose live performance mixers, the MH3. The new design follows Soundcraft's highly successful MH4 console, bringing the benefits of dual-mode operation at a lower price level, achieved through an appropriate feature set and mechanical and electronic designs that permit lower manufacturing costs.

"The success of the MH4 has shown that people really want this flexibility, and by bringing out the MH3 we are offering that flexibility to a wider section of the market," states Soundcraft product manager, Andy Brown. The MH3 features eight groups, 12 auxiliary busses, the same new mic amp and EQ designs as the MH4, eight VCA and eight Mute groups with snapshot automation, true LCR panning and outputs, and an integral 12x4 matrix. Consoles are available in 24, 32, 40, 48 and 56 mono inp

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