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USA - Sound, light, and stage production services specialists Big Mo Pro Inc has taken delivery of 12 Lake Contour digital loudspeaker processors and intend to invest in 12 more over the coming year. Big Mo Pro, based in northern New Jersey and founded by entertainment production industry veteran partners Glenn Radler, Greg Rosenkrans, and Jesse Hoefflinger, selected Lake Contour for its best-in-class equalization capabilities, tight integration with the L-Acoustics KUDO line array, and wireless control functionality.

"The control that Lake Contour gives you is unparalleled," said Greg Rosenkrans, president of Big Mo Pro. "The Mesa EQ filter is the big thing. The ability to split each side of a parametric filter and control the cut and boost of the slopes separately

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UK - Slingco has installed two CABLEnet tensioned wire grids into the new 1200 seater Perth Concert Hall in Scotland - the first new build full scale concert hall to be constructed in Scotland since 1990. The £17 million project is the result of an international architectural competition chaired by Eva Jiricna and won by BDP's Glasgow office in 1998.

The main Gannochy Auditorium is a completely flexible concert Hall space, and it's here that the two tensioned wire grids are installed. The grids were, originally specified by theatre consultants Carr & Angier as the safest way for technicians and maintenance staff to work flexibly at height in the roof space above the stage and auditorium. Slingco's Nick Dykins was contacted by BDP two years ago as the build entered its final phases, and asked to submit a tender for the grid installation.

The installation was project manag

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UK - The South Bank Centre's head of production, Andy Scorgie contracted Richard Nowell Sound Services to install a new paging system in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

"We badly needed to move with the times by finding a system sympathetic to the different requirements of the various art forms hosted at the Hall. Each event needs to have specific information relayed," explains Scorgie.

Needing to route messages over an increasing number of zones (which also incorporates the neighbouring Purcell Room), Scorgie wanted the new paging front end to be able to plug into the venue's existing infrastructure. He was also aware that the system needed to comply with Health & Safety audits, Lambeth Council inspections and LFB licensing requirements.

RNSS' operations manager, Andrew Cotton recommended the Australian Monitor DigiPage system (distributed in the UK by Fuzion plc), the

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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 - Shepherds Bush Empire recently hosted singer James Blunt on the first leg of his UK tour. Lite Alternative provided the lighting, with MAC 2000 Profiles and MAC 250 Washes. The MAC 2000s were chosen for their reliability, brightness and colours, say Lite Alternative - and as far as the lighting team were concerned, the fixtures lived up to their workhorse reputation: ". . . just worked and worked on a demanding tour where we played a huge variety of venue sizes . . ." says lighting operator Glen Johnson.

Paul Normandale, lighting designer at Lite Alternative, noted: "The MAC 250 Washes are small and punchy. We found them reliable and surprisingly bright, which was everyone's reaction that evening."

Johnson talked animatedly about the lights: "They are great units, which we are keeping on the design even for the Arena leg early next year. Nice beam

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UK - Pioneer Corporation has introduced the S-FL1 NXT-based portable loudspeaker. Utilizing NXT's highly dispersive SurfaceSound technology, the S-FL1 is aimed at mobile DJs, small music venues and open-air events, providing a rich, immersive audio performance from compact, lightweight units, according to Pioneer.

NXT SurfaceSound is especially suited to public address applications because of the wide directivity characteristic of the technology. The S-FL1 is open-backed, allowing high quality audio from both sides of the loudspeaker. Easy to set up and operate, the die-cast aluminium construction of the S-FL1's enclosure is extremely durable and able to withstand the rigours of constant transfers between venues, and set-up and break downs for events, say the company.

Weighing less than 10kg and just 5.5cm in depth, the S-FL1 is easily portable, enabling the budding musician o

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USA - Martin Professional will be showing a prototype version of a new tungsten MAC luminaire, the MAC TW1, at the upcoming ETS-LDI show in Orlando. The MAC TW1 is a 1200W tungsten wash fixture that promises "an array of avant-garde features to equip the lighting designer with the broadest possibility of effects, colours and design".

Martin says: "Innovation runs through the product with newly patent pending technology removing any obstacle to creativity. The lower colour temperature of the MAC TW1 brings the warmth of traditional theatre and TV looks up to date. An innovative twin lens zoom system allows for greater flexibility in fixture placement without the need to change the front lens, and a full and comprehensive CMY colour mixing system provides a full range of colours, from delicate pastels to deep saturation."

The MAC TW1 features a choice of inte

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UK - black light has played a pivotal role in bringing over 10,500 visitors into the Perthshire Big Tree Country, by designing and building a spectacular lighting and video installation for the annual Enchanted Forest project.

For seventeen consecutive nights in late October and early November, visitors enjoyed the spectacle, with black light's work recognised by an interview on prime time BBC news programme Reporting Scotland.

Several different areas of woodland were looked at as potential venues by landowner the Forestry Commission. Faskally Wood, near Pitlochry, was chosen after consultation with black light project manager Paul McGreal about the creative possibilities it offered. "The site surrounds a small loch, so there was a lot of potential for using the water as a canvas," says McGreal. "It meant visitors would see the various installation

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Australia - ARX Systems has announced the addition of the DI Pre microphone pre-amplifier to its AudiBox range of precision tools, designed "to perform essential professional audio functions in an ultra-compact, flexible package".

The DI Pre features balanced XLR mic input, balanced jack output, user-variable+10 to +60dB Gain control, 20 dB Pad with status LED, Clip LED and Phantom Power switch with status LED. Typical applications include interfacing microphone and line level signal sources to professional audio systems for studio, performance, broadcast and Installation.

The DI Pre is powered by an external 12 VDC supply and is housed in a heavy duty all-steel chassis finished in matt textured powdercoat, with epoxy screen printing and slip resistant rubber pads. Security features include Kensington-type computer lock slot and optional bracket kit for under-table m

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USA - FocusTrack, the new database system for tracking and documenting the use of moving lights for theatrical productions, recently made its Broadway debut with the New York production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White. The show is previewing at the Marquis Theatre; its opening night is scheduled for 17 November.

FocusTrack was specified for the production by the show's lighting programmer, Vic Smerdon, who had successfully used FocusTrack to document the intricate moving light focuses on the show's London production. For New York, lighting designer Paul Pyant and his associate, David Howe, had adapted and expanded the rig, substituting new types of lights for some of the units used in London; the London FocusTrack allowed the team to match the focuses of the new units as well as providing all of the information needed to refocus the rig in New York.

FocusTra

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Ireland - SLS Ribbon Speakers (PRO8CON) were recently installed as part of the audio system in a new restaurant/club in Ireland. Bru Venue situated in the historic town of Drogheda on the east coast was installed by Grandstand Audio and supplied through SLS Irish distributor Aquarius Sound and Lighting.

Barry O'Loughlin, MD of Grandstand, commented, "As a longtime advocate of Ribbon, I was delighted to bring the technology to the appreciative ears of the owners of Bru."

Jim Donohue, who was consultant on the project, said SLS ribbon provided the clarity, coverage and sonic quality required in Bru. Making the install a truly international effort, Aquarius Sound and Lighting supplied processing by XTA (England) with sub-reinforcement by Musicson (Spain) and amplification by RAM Audio (Spain).

(Jim Evans)

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Afterdark is the first CD compilation album in a new series presented by Stealth, the label of US house music maestro Roger Sanchez. Compiled and mixed by Sanchez and the electro-tribal-phile Tom Stephan aka Superchumbo - Afterdark Volume 1 "exposes some exclusive cutting edge frequencies".

In producing the set, the DJs used two new digital DJ devices from Pioneer - the award-winning DJM-1000 mixer and EFX-1000 effects unit.

Pioneer's '1000 series' (the DJM-1000 mixer and the EFX-1000 effects unit) is reportedly a sought after digital set-up for DJs performing in studios as well as in clubs, with a wide range of artists creatively exploiting this combination on CD mix compilations this year. Included among these are two albums presented by Renaissance: James Zabiela's Utilities and Yousef's Frontiers mix. While Wally Lopez, resident DJ at Pacha,

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Italy - During SIB 2006, which takes place March 11-14 2006 in Rimini, leading entertainment venue designers will take part in a round-table debate with trade suppliers and manufacturers. The aim is to "analyse the transformation under way in entertainment and the evolution of the sector according to the experience of professionals who have designed Italy's leisure venues over the last 20 years". The gathering is running under the banner Where Will We Go Tomorrow Evening?.

Those expected to take part include owners and managers of Italy's major clubs, art directors, DJs, light jockeys, entertainers, PR staff and the key players in venues created by the designers, who "will participate actively in the discussion, asking questions and explaining their respective points of view".

A spokesman for SIB 2006 says, "An extremely interesting debate is pr

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UK - Bristol nightspot Panache boasts a Harman Pro integrated audio system, that provides discrete dance floor, live performance, and ambient sound reinforcement. The 850 capacity night club comprises a restaurant, three bar areas, dance floor and live stage area, effectively in one open plan space.

Panache is locally-based installer CMP's largest audio project to date. CMP's Trevor Brooks collaborated with Harman Pro UK in designing a system that achieved its objectives through a process of zoning control, and careful placement and focusing of speaker coverage.

Separate speaker systems were configured for stage and dance floor, but with a control and amplification system common to both, while varying levels of background music were provided for distinct bar and seating areas.

For the dance floor there are four JBL AM4215/95 enclosures, plus two ASB6128 subs built into the b

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UK - Clockaudio's newly-announced RF product series has been developed in direct response to interference (noise) issues which have recently been introduced into microphones, IP Phones, hearing aids etc, by popular GSM-based devices such as PDAs, mobile cell phones, and mobile cell phones with two-way walkie talkie capability.

Clockaudio managing director Jim Hallington comments: "We have developed our RF Series technology through what is best described as popular demand. The ever-increasing ownership of handheld and pocket-sized portable technology - most notably Blackberries - particularly amongst the banking and business communities - has been causing major unwanted interference problems during important conferences and business meetings. Our new technology eliminates these problems."

The noise emitted from GSM based devices can wreak havoc on everything from a si

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UK - The new Infinite bezel-less plasma wall proved a popular choice at the hairdressing and design exhibition Salon International, held at Excel this October, incorporated into both the Wella and Toni & Guy exhibition stands.

Salon International brought together hairdressers and hair brands for the three day event, with live shows and hair design taking place across the day with celebrity hairdressers and leading professionals in the industry demonstrating their work.

Wella designed and built its own 'village' at the show, and used the Infinite bezel-less plasma as the focal point for the Wella show stage. AV production company Mindset built a plasma wall using 16 Infinite plasmas which allowed images from the show to be displayed to the seated audience in the arena.

A second stand featured the world's first hanging Infinite screen, hung from trussing above an exhibition st

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USA - Martin Professional will use LDI in Orlando to give a world premiere to three new products - a prototype version of the MAC TW1, an advanced tungsten wash fixture; Maxxyz PC, a computer based version of the popular Maxxyz console; and BigLite Xenon fixtures, high powered single arm moving heads.

Other new lighting, sound and fog effects on display will be the MAC 700 Profile; Stage Cyclo; MAC 250 Wash; updated versions of Maxxyz and the Maxedia Digital Media Composer; new Mania series lights; a new fan and multi-headed fog system from Jem smoke, plus a new subwoofer from Mach speakers.

The new MAC TW1 is a 1200W tungsten wash fixture that "brings to the stage features and patent pending technology to equip the lighting designer with the broadest possibility of effects, colours and design". A twin lens zoom system, full CMY colour mixing and choice of internal o

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Czech Republic - The LEDBlinder 196 LT (launched at Frankfurt this year) and the 4-lite version LEDBlinder148 which debuted at PLASA 2005, will be Robe's main new product focus at LDI. The 196 and 148 units are the brand's first entertainment based LED products. Both of these high-impact units are fitted into the industry-standard 8-lite and 4-lite casings.

LEDBlinder 196 is an LED version of the poplar 8-lite Molefey, a staple of the rock 'n' roll world, featuring 8 LED modules, each with 12 high power Luxeon RGB LEDs. Each two or four pairs of the 4 or 8-lite modules are separately controllable for additional effects and flexibility. This product is aimed at all stage lighting markets and television productions as well as arenas and venue installations of all sizes. Robe says that they are also particularly relevant for environments were space is tight, as the units emit virtu

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The Netherlands - The latest theatre production from Joop van den Ende Productions, Beauty & the Beast is reinforced through an Alcons ribbon sound system. Ticket sales of this touring musical have now exceeded those of the previous record holder, The Sound of Music.

The show requires 14 trailers to transport and will take in the thirteen largest Dutch theatres until June 2006. Sound design is by Jeroen ten Brinke, who has worked on many top musicals including 42nd Street, Rent, Saturday Night Fever, Cabaret and Miss Saigon.

For Beauty & the Beast, a co-production between Joop van den Ende Theatre Productions and Disney Theatrical Productions, ten Brinke used an Alcons ribbon sound system for the first time. The system consists of 28 Alcons LR14 ultra-compact ribbon line-array, four LR14B compact line-array bass, four BF3

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USA - A.C. Lighting is set to stage several major new product launches at LDI, alongside displays of its extensive inventory of entertainment technology brands. Chroma-Q will launch its Color Web - a modular, transparent LED matrix. The low cost 3' 3" square (1sq.m) panels provide 16 individually addressable colour mixing LED cells with a pitch of 10" (250mm), clip together easily on all four sides and can also be joined over distances for complete control of the display area shape and size.

Chroma-Q will also unveil its new Plus colour changer - the successor to the Original which combines its core features with new electronic features, increased capacity and other enhancements to provide greater flexibility and usability from the same low cost unit. The manufacturer's Color Block multipurpose LED fixture will also be on display with its full range of mounting options

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The Netherlands - This November, Russian President Vladimir Putin became the first Russian leader to visit Holland in more than 300 years, and Mojo Barriers were contracted to provide the security barriers.

The two day official visit involved the Russian President visiting Amsterdam's Dam Square to lay flowers on a national monument and Zaandam's City Square, before moving on to the Royal Palace in The Hague. The following day, he remained in The Hague for meetings with the Dutch Prime Minister.

Mojo Barriers worked with (Amsterdam and Zaandam) City officials and police officers to create safe areas within the cities so that President Putin's safety during the visit was ensured.

Across the two cities, more than 1300 metres of barriers were used to seal off areas of the Cities to the public and there were twenty road closures achieved using vehicle gates. Mojo Barriers was re

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UK - Alton Towers has once again celebrated the end of season with three evenings of spectacular fireworks, lasers and special effects, and for the second year running Stage One built the huge supporting structure for the event's giant video screens.

The structure consisted of two 10 metre high scaffolding towers, positioned 18 metres apart and connected by a run of truss and track. Running along the track were six screen columns, each 1.2 metres wide by 6 metres high. The screen columns were directed by Stage One's Q-Motion control system, enabling them to move to the left and right in a pre-programmed set of sequences and groupings.

Marcus Exelby, Stage One's project manager for the job, said, "We can provide expertise and professionalism in abundance and linking that in with our unique Q-Motion control system really is a winning combination."Chris Foster, producti

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