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UK - Meyer Sound's UK distributor Autograph Sales has recently supplied over 50 M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers to a number of venues around the UK and Europe, for theatrical events as well as permanent installations. The most spectacular venue to receive 10 of these compact cabinets, was the new East Winter Garden, a stunning glass building that will be used for public performances and events, located in London's Heron Quays District of Canary Wharf.

This came after the successful use of the M1D on the Berlin production of Les Miserables, which saw Autograph Sales' sister company Autograph Sound Recording purchase 30 boxes, followed by a further order for 28 cabinets, to be used on the upcoming West End show Jailhouse Rock.

The M1D, the smallest s

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USA - Selecon has moved its Maryland, US warehousing facility to larger premises, a result of continued sales growth increasing stock requirements: "It's another step made necessary by our success in the US market and therefore very welcome," says Jeremy Collins, Selecon's president. "The combination of high build quality, innovative features and leading performance are seeing our Selecon ellipsoidals, fresnels and cyc' fixtures being used in an ever increasing number of colleges, community theatres, schools and churches around the country. We are using this opportunity to integrate our distribution and sales office in Maryland to simplify our dealer and market support."

Selecon entered the US and Canadian markets four years ago with its comprehensive range of theatrical and architectural fixtures. To date its US stocking facility has been provided by the New

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UK - Metropolis AV & FX has designed, manufactured and installed a spectacular new curved LED screen at the Rotunda entertainment and leisure complex in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. The 1m high by 12.9m wide 25mm pixel pitch screen is completely bespoke, and is among the first curved LED screens in the UK.

It was commissioned by property developer LMS, operator of the Rotunda, for use as an advertising space for the facilities and businesses operating within the venue - including restaurants, cinema, health and sports clubs - and a message board highlighting promotions and special offers. Metropolis's product manager was Nick Ford who oversaw the entire operation.

The screen is mounted 3.5m above ground on stainless steel cabinets, offering full weatherproofing and robust build quality. The screen is in action from early morning till last thing at night, when the Rotunda close

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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 - A D5 Live FMX (front-of-house and monitor) console supplied by Eighth Day Sound of Cleveland, Ohio, is providing the ideal digital mixing solution for Duran Duran's current world tour.

At the end of 2003, the re-formed 80s rock band sold out in the US, then travelled to New Zealand and Australia, where they played solo and in support of another D5 user, Robbie Williams on his Australian tour. The US leg of the tour played small- to mid-sized theatres and a combination of theatres and stadiums with Williams in New Zealand and Australia.

Front-of-house engineer is Scottie Pakulski with Simon Higgs on monitors, Jim Corbin - crew chief/system tech and Trevor Waite - system tech. "I'm feeding the PA as four stereo zones: V-Dosc, dV-Dosc, in-fills, and subs," comments Pakulski. "We are configured for 96 inputs and I am using just the internal effects and proces

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UAE - This year, Australian pro audio manufacturer ARX kicks off its 21st anniversary year with their first appearance at the PALME exhibition at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, from 17-19 February 2004. On stand G 06, the company will give the Middle Eastern debut of several new additions to its product line, including new models in the EQ graphic equalizer range, the MSX range of active signal splitters and the SPL integrated loudspeaker range.

"ARX's presence in the Middle East has been developing well in the past few years, especially in the Broadcast and Installation sectors," says managing director Colin Park. "We feel exhibiting at the PALME exhibition and exposing our new products to attendees from all over the region is an important part of our marketing mix and strategy."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Idea Audio was recently commissioned to design and build seven sets depicting the story of Joss Merlin, the landlord of Jamaica Inn, on Bodmin Moor. Six of the sets were in close proximity to each other and as a result, the audio had to be clear and accurate, with controlled dispersion to avoid spillage into the adjacent booths (Idea Audio had experienced a similar scenario when installing the Tales from the City exhibition at the Plymouth Museum).

The booths at Jamaica Inn were themed with life-sized models and artefacts, and as such, concealing the audio and lighting equipment became a real challenge. Idea found the solution in a design for the booth ceilings that incorporated a full width cupboard above each, in order to house the control systems.

In most instances, there was a step in the ceiling sufficiently large to discreetly fit a pair of Work Studio 3 loudspeaker

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USA - Cadac Electronics Plc reports on a number of new US shows and tours, featuring R-Type and J-Type Live Production Consoles, shipped by rental companies Masque Sound & Recording, ProMix Electrotec, and Sound Associates.

Masque Sound's new touring division - Masque Live - is headed up by long-time sound designer and touring audio engineer, Lucas "Rico" Corrubia Jr. First out for Masque Live was a tour with R&B supremo Brian McKnight, using R-Type consoles for FOH and monitors, plus L-Acoustics V-Dosc loudspeakers powered by Camco amplifiers and proprietary Valvotronics tube preamps, limiters and parametric equalizers. Sound engineer Glen Odagawa said: "It is the closest thing to mixing in a studio I have ever experienced. After mixing on Masque's system, I have been so spoiled, I can never go back."

Two new shows are set to open around the US this month,

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UK - Wavicle Ltd has been appointed by Opalec of California as approved UK distributor of its NewBeam LED retrofit kit for the Mini Maglite AA flashlight. Wavicle is now welcoming enquiries from genuine retailers, seeking wholesale prices for this innovative product. A dealer application form will shortly be available for download from the Wavicle website.

The Opalec Newbeam retrofit kit consists of a three-LED module, a black light guard (to replace the reflector) and a new front 'lens' and is designed to replace the standard bulb in a Mini Maglite AA flashlight. Installation of the NewBeam more than doubles the battery life, raising it to around 15 hour's continuous use. The unit is current regulated to provide constant, non-fading light output until the batteries are virtually exhausted, at which point a fourth, red LED illuminates to warn of low battery status.

The light e

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USA / Finland - Renkus-Heinz Inc has announced the signing of a distribution agreement for Finland with Starlike OY (Ltd), based in Vantaa. The company, founded in 1986, is an audio and lighting distribution company and system integrator, distributing more than 40 exclusively distributed pro lighting and sound product lines include ADB, MA Lighting, Rainbow, DedoLight, Australian Monitor, Biamp Systems and L-Acoustics.

The firm employs 16 people, including in-house system design, installation and service engineers, complimenting the sales and marketing operation. Its key market segments include theatres, concert halls, sports arenas, auditoriums, schools and houses of worship. Marketing manager Jari Ukkonen comments: "Renkus-Heinz blends in perfectly with Starlike's professional audio product line. With its long history and innovative R&D, Renkus-Heinz already has a very st

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International - One of the features of David Bowie's vocal performance during his present A Reality Tour has been the way in which FOH engineer Pete Keppler has been able to iron out any inconsistencies. He was able to move the vocal treatment onto a BSS Audio DPR-901 Mk2 after speaking to Bryan Olson at Firehouse Productions in New York - who supplied some of the equipment for the tour. Keppler, who doubles as Bowie's studio and live engineer, realized he would need a de-esser for the artist's live work to negate any sibilance. "When Bryan suggested the DPR-901 I remembered I had used one a long time ago - but the first model didn't have the side-chain monitoring function."

But the Mk2 contains four non-interactive bands of frequency-selective compression or expansion. And Keppler says that when he upgraded to this during production rehearsals he fell in love w

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UK - VME Ltd. supplied an Allen & Heath ML4000 as part of the PA system for the ITV programme, That's Entertainment, which aired in Northern regions in early December. The programme, hosted by former comedy favourites Cannon and Ball and featuring Duncan Norvelle and Duggie Brown, is a variety show that resurrects the traditional performances of the Seventies recently stylized in the hugely popular comedy series, Phoenix Nights.

"We toured three Northern venues," says VME's Dion Davie, "the Batley Frontier Club, The Willows in Salford and The Gosforth and District Club, Newcastle. The technical requirements were varied, as there was an array of acts from stand-up comedians and magicians to live bands. We used a PA System which consisted of a Kling & Freitag loudspeaker system, Line 212 Amps from Lab Gruppen, Apex processors, mixed through a 32-channe

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UK - The recent Asian Music Awards, held at London's Hammersmith Palais, saw the installation of KV2's revolutionary ES sound system by BEDA nominated installers, 52nd Street.

Looking for an improvement in overall sound quality and coverage at the venue, the KV2 system was physically dwarfed by 28 boxes of an existing NEXO house system installed five years ago, and in replacing it with only Six stacks of the more compact ES system, the management and promoters were interested if not slightly nervous as to what the results would be.

"At 2500 capacity everything tells you that these small speakers should not be enough, but like so many other KV2 experiences, the reality was a jaw dropping, word eating one" said KV2's Jonathan Reece-Farren As the Palais promotions and events co-ordinator, Atif Malik put it "Our sound proof Glass Bar isn't sound proof anymore, but

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UK - The latest CCS 800 Ultro analogue discussion system from Bosch Security Systems features built-in digital acoustic feedback suppression to ensure there is no annoying acoustic howl in conferences or discussions. Conference units such as the CCS 800 Ultro incorporate a microphone and a loudspeaker so there is always the possibility of feedback depending on volume levels etc. The new digital feedback suppression facility instantly suppresses any feedback interference right at the point of generation and prevents it from being fed into the system. As it is fully automatic, it acts much faster than any operator using a control unit.

According to Bosch, it's like having a skilled sound engineer permanently built into the unit. None of the participants will notice the sound adjustments - they simply benefit from howl-free sound whether speaking in a soft or a loud voice, with the

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UK - At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Philips has launched its first full range of flat screen TVs to include NXT's patented SurfaceSound technology. The new Matchline range includes 32", 37" and 42" LCD and 50" plasma FlatTV models, all with built in NXT Distributed Mode Loudspeakers (DML). Disguised into the frame of the FlatTV models, the DML panels dispense with the need for speaker grilles and help Philips realise a design that matches consumers' increasingly high demand for products that blend in with designed environments.

The high definition television units also feature Philips' Ambilight technology, an advanced lighting system that provides emotive environment lighting and enhanced picture quality, and PixelPlus 2 technology, which creates sharper, more detailed pictures with a greater impression of depth, say Philips.

Commen

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Japan - TryAudio's Masaaki Azuma has taken delivery of a DiGiCo D5 Live 56EX for his live operations in Japan, purchased from Japanese pro audio supplier, ComodoMattina. "I knew of the D5's existence from my overseas friends in the PA business and first saw the D5 at the Frankfurt Musik Messe," says Azuma. "I was given a 15-minute 'how to use' explanation and was surprised that the D5 not only has a method of operation like an analogue mixing console, but is also very easy to set up. The D5 56EX version has many functions and doesn't take up a large amount of space at the mix position.

He continued: "I took a big risk with the D5, because we are the first user in Japan. But it has many advantages such as fantastic sound quality, clear sound image, easy operation and a variety of dynamics that analogue consoles do not have - this made it an easy choice. After

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UK - Nottingham-based Look4ideas.com is a new UK company dedicated to providing the latest in LED lighting products and solutions for interior and exterior projects. The company supplies bulbs, polychrome lighting, LED strips, tubes, channel letters and custom fittings, all utilizing LED light sources, aimed at applications including architectural and stage lighting, shop fitting, club and garden applications.

The company also offers an extensive range of LED bulbs, including standard fit E27 for 220-240VAC and MR16 GU5.3 at 12V AC/DC. LED lamp products include retrofit MR16 and many more. Their low consumption cool light and pure colour without filter makes them ideal for both professional and general decoration applications. All bulbs are available in red, green, yellow, blue, white and RGB mix.

Apart from the LED bulbs, which are available in stand-alone operation, Look4ide

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USA - The Jerry Bruckheimer/Warner Bros Television show Without a Trace - a drama about the Missing Persons Squad of the FBI, uses a grandMA light console (manufactured by MA Lighting in Germany and distributed in North America by A.C.T Lighting) for controlling the lighting on their two main stages at Warner Bros studios in Burbank, California.

Gaffer Derrick Kolus chose the grandMA light, and in addition he and his team run the free grandMA offline software on a laptop computer, which is networked to the main console via Ethernet. The laptop is used on their second stage, and eliminates the need to move the console back and forth when the company moves from one stage to the other.

"We run strictly conventionals - about 500 channels - and come from an Expression 3 programming background," explains Kolus. "But Mike Falconer and Joe Cabrera at A.C.T Li

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UK - Stage Electrics has announced the launch of its new website, which combines information on all the services offered by the company, with key data on products in their extensive hire and sales inventory. David Whitehead, Stage Electrics' managing director said: "The new website is the first phase of an ongoing plan to provide customers with a 'one stop' approach to gaining knowledge on the technical equipment and services we can provide."

An added feature for the technicians in the industry is the incorporation in the Hire section with useful information on some of the equipment, such as weight, lamp, power rating, number of DMX channels etc. There is also a facility for technical manuals to be downloaded.

Linda Moore Stage Electrics sales and marketing manager said: "We believe the site is easier to navigate, we wanted it to be bold and dynamic, providing o

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UK - Allen & Heath's iDR DSP system has been installed to manage the communications and audio requirements of Tussauds Group's new Splash Landings waterpark hotel at Alton Towers. The new system integrates and administers all audio requirements from paging and alarms to conferences and entertainment within the new complex and Alton Towers' existing hotel.

Bose Professional Systems Division carried out the audio installation, which covers 31 zones including receptions, shops, changing rooms, toilets, corridors, restaurants, lifts, conference facilities and the main pool area. Four iDR-8 networked units were installed at three stations around the complex, providing up to 27 inputs/outputs for the numerous audio requirements. PL-4 wall plates give rotary, switch and infrared control and access to the system is also available via a laptop from any of the three racks, enabling chang

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UK - Stage One Creative Services are on the move as part of their continuing development and expansion programme. The company is now based at Marston Moor Business Park at Tockwith, near York.

"This move is all about creating a better service for our multi-national customer base," said Stage One's Mark Johnson. "We've timed it carefully to avoid any disruption to business."The company's new contact details are: Stage One Creative Services Ltd, Hanger 88, Marston Moor Business Park, Tockwith, YO26 7QF; Tel: 01423 358001; Fax: 01423 358016.

(Lee Baldock)

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Australia - While most of us were busy watching the Rugby World Cup, the crew from ESS Australia were in the thick of preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as a few things in between. For the opening ceremony at Telstra Stadium, ESS built a mobile rugby ball-shaped stage measuring 14m by 8m on which Australian band George performed. This stage was also used for Australian singing icon Kate Cebrano for her performance during the closing ceremony. A number of other structures were built around the stadium by ESS including the orchestra stage. "Considering the cast and crew for the opening ceremony numbered around 2,500, it all came together remarkably smoothly," commented Iain Barclay, ESS's man in Australia.

ESS also supplied one of their new, q50 type stages, built to a larger size of 14.4m by 9.6m at the Opera House for the show 'Rugby on the Hou

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