Details
UK / Japan - Toshiba has announced a world first in the videowall market as London-based Anna Valley Displays (a Shooting Partners Group company) take delivery of the first Toshiba 6mm bendable videowall. This brand new next-generation LED Videowall has arrived for hire and has the ability to curve both in either direction to produce convex and concave displays.

Jon Perkins, representing Toshiba Technorainbow said: "This order, the first in the world for this product, represents a massive leap in the mechanical elements of LED design and coupled with Toshiba's established reputation for unparalleled image quality and uniformity has raised the bar at the high-performance, high-resolution end of the LED market."

Phil White, Shooting Partners Group MD, said: "Anna

Details
USA - Following the return of Bill Groener to the Production Resource Group (PRG), after a spell at Color Kinetics, PRG has announced that Groener will take on the role of vice-president and general manager of its Systems Integration Group. Groener, a long-time industry veteran, was formerly general manager of PRG's northeast US lighting operations. The company says that Groener left them in early 2004 to help Color Kinetics, an important PRG supplier, launch a series of new initiatives designed to increase and expand its sales and distribution of LED lighting products in North America.

Jere Harris, PRG's chairman and CEO, said: "It's great to have Bill back. New technologies are having a big impact on permanently installed lighting systems, and Bill has acquired a tremendous depth of experience with them."

Groener's return to PRG will allow Anne Johnston, who led

Details
Italy / Germany - Italian pro audio manufacturer Outline will exhibit a number of new products at this year's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (6-9 April). The company's series of top-end stage monitors will be expanded by the H.A.R.D. 45 SP, the most compact in the range, but with the same original design seen in the 115 and 212 models.

Despite its slim profile, compact size (38 x 43 x 30cm) and light weight, H.A.R.D. 45 SP can produce a peak SPL of 129 dB/1m, thanks to its built-in PWM amplifiers supplying 2-way (low and high) power to the speakers mounted in the enclosure, say Outline. With four special 5" mid-woofers (the same as those mounted in the Micra II enclosures) and a compression driver with a 1" throat loaded by the same S.P.R.W.G. (Single Parabolic Reflective Wave Guide) used for the other models in the range, H.A.R.D. 45 features, among other thi

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

Details
The Netherlands / Germany - Following a very successful first full manufacturing year, Dutch manufacturer Alcons Audio will present a number of new products at the Frankfurt ProLight&Sound exhibition (6-9 April) plus a complete new product series. The full production version of the LR14, Alcons' ultra-compact line-array module, will be on show, following a number of previews. Featuring the patented RBN401 pro-ribbon driver and double 6.5" woofers with a dispersion pattern of 120 x 15°, the LR14 is designed to be used either as an ultra-compact line-array system, or as an under-fill of the LR16.

New on show will be the LR14B, the ultra-compact, lightweight, high-output bass module of the LR14 line-array, with double Neodymium 12" in double-tuned band-pass configuration. The LR14B combines a very low weight with very high specific SPL output, making the LR14B an excell

Details
UK - After frequently playing host to the Nexo GEO S system - generally as part of the production inventory of Glasgow-based Sound Acoustics - the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) has decided to permanently install a system in its 624-seat Lomond Auditorium.

The venue's technical manager, Tony Edwards, said that this was part of SECC's policy of continuous improvement of the facilities. "The heavy utilisation of this Hall means that the turnaround times have to be quick. We need to be able to offer a system that is versatile, with exceptional quality, since it will be used for a wide range of corporate events as well as other productions such as pantomimes. Jim Coubrough, our sound technician, was so convinced about the quality and coverage of the system we have been able to do away with the front-fills and allow the 30° down-fill box to provide the nearfi

Details
UK - Long-standing Dundee nightclub Fat Sam's has boosted its capacity to 2,100 by creating the new Karma Lounge on Level 3 of the six-storey building. Owner, Angus Robb and architect Doug Reid of Glamis-based Milton Studio developed the idea jointly. Robb has marked the latest addition to the 22-year-old operation by importing carved buddahs from India (along with an Iroko teak floor) and installing a potent Nexo dance system in the rectangular room.

Sound Control, Dundee supplied four PS15's and four PS10's, which are flown over the dancefloor and peripheral areas, reinforced by a pair of LS1200 subs - all powered by three Camco Vortex 6 amplifiers (2100W/4 ohms).

The full-range speakers are either suspended from tie bars or fixed direct into the standard four-inch brick ceiling using the NEXO hardware, reinforced by a special epoxy-based chemical and fixing screw rod. The s

Details
Canada - Lighttex Canada Inc, the manufacturer of Lighttex Soft Egg Crates, has announced the appointment of Robert Paine as director of sales. Paine brings more than a dozen years of experience managing plant operations, quality systems and product and marketing development with a concentration in textiles. In his role as director of sales, he will build a North American sales network to support the commercial launch of Lighttex Soft Egg Crates, an architectural product that delivers aesthetics, space definition, light control and daylighting benefits, say the company.

"My focus and passion is customer satisfaction through quality product and service," says Paine. "Lighttex is both a powerful and elegant product that is poised to add the next dimension of architecture and daylighting. Our goal is to bring world-class service and solutions to help architects, des

Details
UK - Professional audio distributor, Autograph Sales, has appointed Mike Mann to its board of directors. He will be responsible for sales and business development, in addition to handling the increasing number of design and installation projects now being tackled by the company.

Mann has been with Autograph Sales for over two years, holding the post of technical manager, providing pre and post sales support to customers. Previously, he has worked for Meyer Sound, Cadac Electronics, Soundcraft and Drake, while his first job in the industry was in the Royal Opera House sound department.

"I became addicted to live performance as a very junior sound engineer in Covent Garden - and it's that kind of lasting passion that drives the Autograph team. This is an exciting time for pro audio and Autograph Sales," he says.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Color Kinetics has announced that James Thomas Engineering is to license Color Kinetics' intellectual property in connection with the marketing of James Thomas' Pixel Range line of LED-based products in North America. James Thomas' Pixel Range includes a wide range of LED-based colour changing fixtures for use in architectural and entertainment applications, in both interior and exterior environments.

"We're very pleased to extend the value of our intellectual property to James Thomas Engineering, a company which recognizes the strength and breadth of Color Kinetics' patent portfolio," said Bill Sims, president and COO of Color Kinetics. "Our growing OEM and licensing program exists in part to help companies like James Thomas Engineering benefit from our intellectual property, which is the result of years of research and development."

"We look

Details
UK - A powerful Cerwin Vega sound reinforcement system has been installed at the Schnapps Bar in Scunthorpe, by Class-UK. The York-based suppliers recommended a combination of three-way Vision and ProStax series loudspeakers as part of a sound and lighting upgrade, as the venue - owned by Chris Mappouras - expanded its capacity and reduced its name (from the former 'Der Schnapps').

Specifying four each of Cerwin's Vision VIS-153, Vision VIS-122, ProStax PSX-122 and AB36 sub, Steve Wright, who runs Class-UK, said they were selected for their sonic ability and cost-effectiveness. A pair of Vision VIS-153s, groundstacked on a pair of AB36 18" folded 'After Burn' subs, are sited on either side of the DJ booth; and while one pair of ProStax PSX-122s acts as DJ monitors, the other operates as an infill system for the adjacent bar.

The four full-range Vision VIS-122s - are fl

Details
The Netherlands - The record-breaking temperature tolerance of the New Luxeon LED emitters announced by Lumileds Lighting last month will yield more usable light per dollar by reducing heat sink requirements and permitting higher current operation for more applications, opening new design possibilities for manufacturers of solid-state lighting solutions, say the company. For example, Lumileds say that New Luxeon can be mounted on an FR4 printed-circuit board (PCB) and driven at 400mA, in an ambient environment up to 40°C without a heat sink.

The new junction temperature, achieved by a complete redesign of the Luxeon package, represents a 50°C increase (from 135°C to 185°C) over other Luxeon products and a 60°C increase over other high-power LEDs. It offers the highest allowable operation temperature of any power LED product on the market by a wide margin, say Lumileds. Ben

Details
UK - Ipswich-based acoustic engineering consultancy Big Sky provided design services for engineer/producer Phil Harding's recently opened project studio located in rural Suffolk. Big Sky's brief included design of the main room acoustics and advice on soundproofing the building.

"Work had already begun on my new studio when I first met Richard Vivian from Big Sky," says Harding. "The building had been designed by a local architect and was being built by a local, non-specialist builder. I had made the classic mistake of allowing these people to erect a parallel walled room. One visit from Richard to the site immediately highlighted a list of improvements that were both economic and practical to implement. Suggestions such as an internal lobby on the entrance door, built on an angle to break up the parallel walls, and changes to the internal wall construction hav

Details
UK - One of Scotland's best-know landmarks, The Forth Rail Bridge, was given a red make-over in celebration of this year's Red Nose Day. Lenny Henry officially turned on the lights that gave the bridge a distinctive red glow. Lee Filters say they were happy to donate the lighting filter for the project; over 225sq.m of 026 Bright Red filter were used to cover the 500 lights on the 1.5 mile-long bridge.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
USA - Entertainment and architectural lighting manufacturer ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls Inc) has named Mark Veldey as vice-president of Finance. Veldey, as an outside investment banker, advised ETC on its successful acquisition of Transtechnik Lichtsysteme, Holzkirchen, Germany, in 2002. After joining ETC as general counsel, he directed ETC's acquisitions of Avab France, Paris; and IES and Penko Engineering, Veenendaal, the Netherlands. ETC's CEO Fred Foster says: "In his many roles with ETC, Mark has become completely familiar with our business and culture. His broad set of skills has proven to be very valuable to us. As part of the ETC executive team, he will add a great new dimension to our strategic financial planning."

Veldey's previous work experience includes practicing law with the Milwaukee firm Cook & Franke, treasury and corporate finance responsibilit

Details
USA - Innovate Show Controls has announced a number of major installations for its new BlueLite X1 DMX show controller. In recent months, the X1 has been selected as the primary control system for several major shows, including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Six Flags Theme Parks, The Fremont Street Experience, and Santa Ana's Pavilion Theatre.

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, held annually in Las Vegas, requires a powerful system with reliability, and rapid programmability. Marty Canavan, chief show designer for YLS Entertainment, says he found all of this in the X1: "When I am on a show like the National Rodeo Finals, where I have maybe 10 nights of live performances to light and another half dozen pre-programmed laser and light shows to create, it all boils down to one thing: how fast can I get it right? When it comes to programming a show, time is the one thing

Details
Worldwide - U2's much-anticipated 'Vertigo' tour has kicked off in San Diego, USA. Barco, Innovative Designs and XL Video - three key providers to the professional entertainment industry - have worked together to bring to life Willie Williams' spectacular design. All visualization aspects of the show, from the various projection set-ups (using Barco RLM G5 and ELM G10 projectors) to the video-driven LED projection units, the image processing (Barco Folsom Encore) or the new revolutionary MiSphere curtains above the centre stage, were designed, integrated and produced by Barco or Innovative Designs and delivered by Barco Rental Partner, XL Video.

Designed and developed by Barco at its R&D headquarters in Belgium especially for the Vertigo tour, the MiSphere takes the use of LED technology in the concert and staging market to a new level, say Barco. With 360° viewing angles, opa

Details
UK - As a result of continued growth, Hawthorn has taken over the adjoining industrial unit, in a move that more than doubles its warehouse space to 90,000sq.ft. The extra space will be used to house the company's brand new AV Department, along with its ever increasing inventory of lighting, sound, rigging, staging, drapes and 65 full-time staff.

Hawthorn prides itself on its ongoing investment in new technology: most recently this has seen the purchase of James Thomas's brand new PIXELpipes and RADlite's revolutionary Pixeldrive, currently on tour with The Chemical Brothers, and their new Martin Line Array. Martin Hawthorn, managing director, says: "We just had nowhere left to grow. After building mezzanines in our current unit, we were delighted when we heard our neighbours were moving, as we could literally double our space overnight without relocating or running a spli

Details
UK - The Elgiva Theatre in Chesham has just had a complete new sound system installed - replacing the previous 20-year old system - designed and installed by Kelco (UK) Ltd. The system comprises loudspeakers selected from the EM Acoustics EMS Series - products designed for a wide variety of applications, but which have found their way into several theatrical productions already. This system marks the first permanent installation of EM Acoustics products into a theatre in the UK.

Due to the wide variety of productions that the theatre stages - from speeches and traditional plays to small concerts - Kelco's technical director David Kelland specified six EMS-121 (12" x 1") full-range enclosures, arranged in pairs at left-centre-right positions, with EMS-81 enclosures as downfills and EMS-215 subwoofers for low end support. The entire system is powered by MC2 T-Series am

Details
UK - The Union building at Dundee University has been fitted out from the ground up with Nexo sound reinforcement as part of an overall refurbishment costing £4.8m. The phased development over five floors has culminated in four stacks of Alpha E being specified for the main performance space, MONO, where artists such as The Thrills, Groove Armada and Edith Bowman & Tim Westwood have already appeared.

The Students Union's new sound and AV technician, Barclay Dakers, designed the systems for each of the performance areas - which have a combined capacity of 2,300 - in conjunction with Mick Butler of Fuzion plc, Nexo's UK distributor. Also involved in specifying the respective systems was Ralph Teviotdale, assistant manager of Sound Control, Dundee, who supplied all the equipment. Dakers said that Nexo had been recommended by local companies who had been regularly hiring PA to the

Details
UK - XS!TE is a new major events arena planned for Yorkshire, which will be one of the largest live music and conference venues in the region. Scheduled to open in May at the Xscape site at Glasshoughton, Leeds, XS!TE will offer potential capacity for over 2,000, and provide state-of-the-art facilities for exhibitions, conferences and entertainment spanning live music concerts, sport events, club and dance evenings, comedy, and religious conventions, as well as facilities for video shoots, fashion shows, product launches and top-line band rehearsal space.

Located at the Xscape site next to junction 32 of the M62, the new venue has excellent transport links including its own railway station, making it ideally placed within 45 minutes drive time for most of the Yorkshire region. It has over 1,500 free parking spaces, offers over 15,000sq.ft of space and, say its owners, meets a c

Details
UK - Sound production company Major Tom has purchased two Yamaha PM5D-RH audio mixing consoles from Shepperton-based supplier, Marquee Audio. These were acquired specifically for Judas Priest's current eight-week European tour, at the request of FOH engineer, Martin Walker. "Rather than sub the desks in we decided to bite the bullet and make an investment," said Major Tom's Chris Marsh. "I was pleased we could do business with Marquee. I am aware of Andy Huffer's reputation and great knowledge of Yamaha digital products; I knew I would get an honest opinion."

Although Martin Walker has been Judas Priest's sound engineer over a long period this will be Major Tom's first outing with the veteran band. "Martin is Yamaha through and through and wanted to move into the digital domain," reports Chris. "As far as I was concerned there was no alternati

Page 1757 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .