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USA - Capitalizing on the growing demand for IGBT dimming and the tremendous success of recently introduced products, Dallas-based Entertainment Technology (a division of the Genlyte Thomas Group LLC, owner of Vari-Lite) is aggressively expanding its distribution chain and reports that it is currently in the process of completing distribution networks in Asia, Europe and Latin America. At the same time, the company has also expanded its presence in Canada, appointing a dedicated regional sales manager for that area.

"We are taking advantage of the tremendous advantages silent dimming offers our customers, and are introducing IGBT technology into new areas," said Bob Schacherl, Entertainment Technology's vice-president of sales. "Other manufacturers are only now begi

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USA - Ziggy Marley and Spearhead have just completed a co-headlining US tour. California-based Rat Sound supplied the concert sound system, including a pair of InnovaSON digital consoles which enabled the live sound production company to meet the weight restrictions of the truck and the space limitations at some of the smaller venues.

Crew chief and monitor technician Chris 'Grandpa' Rymarz, is something of an InnovaSON veteran, having recently completed a year-long world tour with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and a pair of InnovaSON Grand Live digital live sound consoles. For the Ziggy Marley/Spearhead tour, Rymarz brought along a Grand Live at front-of-house and an Sy40 for monitors.

Ziggy Marley, son of the legendary reggae star Bob Marley, was promoting his first solo album, 'Dragonfly' - a recording made with a seven-piece backing band instead of the Melody Maker

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Ireland - L-Acoustics recently announced that CAVS (Corporate Audio Visual Services) based in Harcourt Lane, Dublin, has become the first L-Acoustics V-Dosc Network Partner for The Republic of Ireland. CAVS initial hire stock purchase includes 24 V-Dosc and 16 SB218 subs all powered by L-Acoustics' LA amplifiers. The Turnkey system will now line up alongside the company's existing dV-Dosc, Arcs, MTD, and XT systems.

Fran Quigley, MD of CAVS commented: "I see the V-Dosc purchase as significant because it allows CAVS to offer the same high level of audio quality and service associated with the V-Dosc network to our existing Irish customer base, plus allows touring acts, promoters (Irish and international), large one off events, and international touring rental companies the use of this prestigious brand in this territory or abroad. Furthermore, I also see this investment as a

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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 - Birmingham based Presentation Service Providers (PSP) is continuing with its extensive investment programme in new equipment with the recent acquisition of Analogue Way's new OCTO-FX Switcher and a new range of projectors, the PLC XU55 and PLC XT16.

The OCTO-FX Switcher will enable seamless switching between computer, video playback and camera. The PLC XT16 projector is suitable for roadshows and meetings and the PLC XU55 is a wireless ultra portable projector ideal for medium sized meetings and seminars.

In addition to the recent investment in new equipment PSP has also announced the continuation of its expansion programme with the opening of a London base. PSP's decision to open in London is a reflection of the company's increasing client portfolio based in the Capital and its commitment to develop into one of the country's leading technical services providers.

Commen

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UK - Hire and production company Villa Audio has recently been putting KV2 speakers though its paces, which included a very special party. Villa Audio's Gareth Jones takes up the story, "Having known Andy Austin-Brown for some years, I was very happy to be introduced to the KV2 range. I knew that this new product range would be no pup and fortunately the system lived up to all my expectations".

To begin with they ran the system up in a warehouse as Gareth explains "Running up loudspeaker systems in a warehouse is never an ideal environment, hard walls and floors, let alone the unexpected items that are shaken out of the roof! Without a doubt, this was by far the most convincing warehouse experience I have had. Seamless, clear and extremely punchy."

Once he was convinced of what the KV2 system was capable of, his next task was to convince the engineers, &quo

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UK - Summit Steel has designed, co-ordinated and installed a versatile rigging scheme for Cliff Richard's current month-long run at the Royal Albert Hall. In addition to the usual production rigging requirements for a large V-Dosc PA and four lighting trusses, this also allows for the straightforward staging of a variety of other shows during the 'dark' slots in Cliff's standard two days on and one off schedule.

The diverse selection of 'other' shows include a tribute to Ronnie Lane, an Islamic Relief event and shows for Classic FM and 19 Management as well as a gala dinner. The Cliff Richard run continues Summit MD Jon Bray's long standing association with the artist, and his production team, which stretches back over 20 years to 1982, and includes the galvanising Cliff 40th Anniversary Tour, staged in-the-round at the same venue in 1998.

This year sees him renew his acquaint

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USA/Europe - Digigram, one of the market leading developers of PC sound cards for high end pro audio applications, announces the arrival of a new industry standard by taking its PCX range of sound cards to the next level. The new cards will be previewed this spring at NAB 2004 and AES Europe.

The HR (High Resolution) series of PCX sound cards is designed for the most demanding applications in broadcast such as production, on-air, continuous playback, and logging. Featuring state of the art sound quality with 24-bit/192 kHz converters, more advanced functions, more processing power, and greater flexibility for custom developments, the new generation will be the Number one choice for pro audio manufacturers and independent software vendors. The design of the new generation addresses current and future market needs as expressed by Digigram's 100+ OEM development partners.

Philipp

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The Netherlands - De Tiliander is a new multi cultural building in the Dutch city Oisterwijk. It houses a theatre, a school of music, the Grand Café and a library. Sound Projects dealer Van De Klundert recently installed a compact Sound Projects 10 (SP-10) line array set-up in the theatre (450 seats).

The main system consisted of five SP-10 line-array systems per side. To provide the first four rows with sound, two compact X-act full-range systems are positioned as front-fills. To augment the sub-lows, three self-powered SP-15s were also flown with the line array. Three Sound Projects SP2600 amplifiers power the array, while a dbx 480 DriveRack does all necessary processing.

Van de Klundert sound designer Dennis van der Vleuten commented: "Our choice for a Sound Projects line-array was obvious. The Sound Projects Wave-shape-transformer promises a real HF line source, nec

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Australia - Sydney Olympic Park, the home of the 2000 Olympics, recently saw the first outing for the new Midas Verona mixing console in Australia. The event was a concert entitled Would you like Music with That and featured artists such as Eon Groove Orchestra, Swing City and OzOpera.

The console was a Verona 560 fitted with 48 mono inputs and eight multi function inputs (can be either stereo or mono). Sydney-based rental company Coda Audio, already well known for its considerable inventory of Midas mixing consoles, and thus an obvious choice to take the Verona out for its first spin down under, supplied the production for the event. Coda proprietor Michael Wilkie was impressed with the size and feature set and surprised by the extensive EQ on the input channels. The console performed faultlessly on the gig and delivered the classic 'Midas Sound' that engineers have come

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USA - Three new documents have been posted on the ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association) website for public review. Two of them are draft American National Standards, while one is an informational handbook, designed to help camera crane operators use cranes safely. Comments are requested by the dates indicated below.

Camera Crane Operator's Handbook: Public comment is invited on a proposal to publish a Camera Crane Operator's Handbook. Camera cranes are simple devices, but improper use of them can result in injury or death. The handbook is intended to offer nonbrand-specific advice on how to use a camera crane safely. The public review of the Camera Crane Operator's Handbook is scheduled to run until 17:00 Eastern Time on 8 June. The complete public review packet, including the draft handbook, is available on the ESTA website at

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UK - May 26 2004 sees the launch of the Musicians Channel (M-Channel), the first digital television channel dedicated to encouraging, inspiring and educating all people with an interest in musical activity. The launch is seen by many key figures within the music industry as a new dawn in creating opportunities and the teaching of music. It will be broadcast on the Sky platform, free to air, and plans to make itself available to as many digital homes across Europe as possible. And, the channel's owners believe, there is a huge market for a service of this type, citing research by the National Campaign for the Arts, which reveals that 53% of UK adults (23 million) take part in arts or crafts activity, and as many people play a musical instrument as play football.

The main aim of the channel is to promote participation in music through access and education - and to equip its potent

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Spain - Blitz Communications, one of the UK's leading providers of audio-visual equipment and services, has supplied sound and video facilities for the pan-European launch of General Motors' new Opel Astra and Tigra cars in Spain.

Blitz worked with Pci:Live, a live brand communications agency, to supply equipment used throughout the launch event, which was held over three weeks in two venues on Spain's southern coast. The unveiling of the new models took place at the Circuito de Jerez (host to this year's Spanish Grand Prix) and the farewell gala dinner at an indoor bullring in Torrestrella. The event was attended by over 8,000 dealers with their partners, as well as Fleet guests.

Frank Kucharski, project leader at Pci:Live commented: "We have managed similar launches for a variety of clients but this was one of the most ambitious and challenging. We needed the equipment

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USA - At this year's NAB show, Mackie unveils its latest digital recording console based on the versatile dXb platform launched at the AES show last October. The new dXb.400, which joins the dXb.200 - introduced at the NAMM show last January - is designed with professional recording and post-production applications in mind.

Ken Berger, vice-president of marketing and product development at Loud Technologies Inc said: "The significant excitement generated by the dXb concept at the AES show last October revealed a universal acceptance for the platform. Because the dXb platform is so versatile, we've been able to introduce two distinct models for two individual markets, in a very short period of time."

Both dXb.200 and dXb.400 share the same basic architecture including the unique dual touch-screen interface, 96kHz operation (optional to 192kHz), on-board automation and

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Finland - Allen & Heath's DSP system and accompanying PL range of remote controllers have been installed in a new operation facility of the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Helsinki, Finland. The audio equipment will improve VHF radio communications, which are crucial to the rescue operations taking place at the stormy Gulf of Finland.

EP-Engineering Ltd Mediasolution managed the installation, equipping the operation centre with innovative and advanced multimedia and communication technology, making the centre the largest and most modern facility of its kind in Scandinavia.

Operations of the network of rescue units are determined by the crucial information received from different VHF radio channels. The MRSC needed a solution that would effectively aid access to the VHF radio channels. The challenge was to set up five operators at individual console locations, and enable t

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UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians' annual showcase - the ABTT Theatre Show, to be staged in London's Royal Horticultural Halls on 16 -17 June this year, is set to be bigger than ever, say the organizers. By encouraging new exhibitors from areas such as PA/VA, video and building services, alongside those from the more familiar lighting, rigging and audio sectors, the show has broadened its appeal and is already 95% sold out. Among the exhibitors will be VLPS Lighting Services, showing the new Virtuoso EX1 Media Server which brings a whole new dynamic to digital lighting by using a moving perspective camera and four-point lighting in a virtual 3D environment.

ETC will exhibit a selection of its lighting, control and dimming product such as The Source Four Revolution, which has already won the Best Debuting Product/Promising Prototype Award at LDI 2003. Also on sh

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Germany - Lumileds Lighting has announced the formation of the Luxeon Lighting Network, a certification, training and technical support programme designed to assist lighting specifiers to bring the benefits of solid-state lighting to their clients. The programme will give specifiers access to a pool of lighting manufacturers and other suppliers with proven expertise in engineering and fabricating LED-based luminaires.

The benefit to designers, architects and other specifiers who work with certified network members is the assurance that they will receive luminaires capable of delivering the desired lighting effects as well as reliable long-term performance. The benefit to luminaire manufacturers and related solution providers is the ability to guarantee performance to specifiers and end users through a clearly defined set of design and development requirements, making it possible

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UK - Robe UK has supplied eight Robe ColorSpot and four ColorWash 250 moving lights for an upgrade to the house installation in the main auditorium at the renowned Scala, Kings Cross - London's alternative venue for live music clubs, film and food. The lights were specified by the popular venue's technical manager, Christian Smith, and supplied via Bristol-based Utopium Lighting in a deal co-ordinated by Robe UK's Stuart Fenwick.

A recent increase in the Scala's live music schedule made the upgrade necessary, to keep pace with the need to supply a versatile and effective house rig for the vast array of artists appearing. Smith approached Utopium's Angus Chinn to discus the best options, and after comparing several brands, Robe fixtures won the day in terms of features and cost-effectiveness.

Smith, an LD and programmer in his own right, had also used the Robes before on other

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USA - Mike Wood Consulting LLC has announces the launch of a web-based database containing full versions of patents relating to entertainment lighting. Although patents are public documents which can be obtained from the various Patent Offices around the world, it takes time and resources to locate the ones you want. This new, freely accessible database makes it easy to get hold of important or interesting lighting industry patents and will help keep you up to date with new patents as they issue.

The system is fully searchable and currently contains nearly 400 US patents including both utility and design patents: applications and European patents will follow. Complete copies of all patents in the database are available for immediate download as PDF documents.

To access the database visit the web address below and follow the 'Industry Patents' link.The database is for general i

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Portugal - Cast Software recently announced that, for the first time, the forthcoming Rock in Rio festival - one of the world's major rock festivals - will be pre-programmed using the company's software, WYSIWYG Perform. This year the organizers expect over 500,000 people to attend the festival, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal from 28-30 May and from 4-6 June. Bright Preproductions in Germany has been hired to provide the WYSIWYG services for this occasion.

Bright is a member of the WYSIWYG Certified Service Providers program and they will supply services and WYSIWYG Perform Systems to do the on-site pre-programming for the show. Totalling more than 4,000 channels, they will offer a full simulation of the automated rig for the Palco Mundo which consists of approx 100 moving lights hung on nine moving trusses, giving the LDs of the headlining acts the ability to perfectly pre-cu

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USA - Color Kinetics Incorporated (CKI) has announced that it has been issued two new US patents. U.S. patent number 6,720,745 is a utility patent covering a 'Data Delivery Track'. The patent relates to an LED lighting system where the lighting control signals are communicated through a light track. This facilitates designs and installations that call for intelligent LED illumination in a traditional track lighting scheme. The data used to control the LED-based lights on the track may be communicated through the track itself.

US patent number 6,717,376 is a utility patent covering 'Automotive Information Systems' that, in part, relates to colour-controllable automotive lighting systems. This includes the application of LEDs in colour and dimmer-controlled systems used to customize the look and feel of a vehicle, as well as feedback-controlled lighting systems that tailor the lig

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Russia - The cinema market in Russia is enjoying a sustained boom, with large, luxurious cinemas equipped with state-of-the-art equipment springing up in all the major cities. The latest example is the Cinema Park in Moscow, which opened on 15 February. The multiplex cinema in the heart of the Russian capital boasts nine cinemas of different sizes, covering all needs from a relatively small atelier cinema showing art house movies and foreign language films to a huge screening auditorium designed for the premieres of major releases.

After conducting numerous comparisons, interviews with prospective suppliers and exhaustive tests, the management of the Cinema Park awarded the much-coveted commission to supply the sound systems for the complex to EVI Audio's Russian partners, Ruton S. It was a decision based on two main considerations, say the company. Firstly, Ruton S, which is ma

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