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China - The Ballad of the Canal is an opera exploring the stories of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Created over 2500 years ago, the canal is a feat of engineering on par with the Great Wall of China.
The opera entwines both classical Chinese and western styles of opera, integrating these different forms successfully alongside an unamplified orchestra required a thoughtful solution combining the venue’s existing SD5s and two additional DiGiCo Quantum 7s. First performed at National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in 2012, The Ballad of the Canal was the first original folk opera presented.
The recent revival utilised head-worn radio mics to balance the operatic performances with an acoustic orchestra within the immersive sound system provided by L-

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UK - Welsh ragga-metal band Skindred played their first arena headline show in March at the OVO Arena Wembley, with Claypaky Mythos2 and Sharpy Washes supporting the musicians’ intense, high-energy performance.
Will Furze, the band’s designer/ lighting director, discussed the show with Skindred band members last year while on tour. They wanted to incorporate existing elements of their stage set, which featured artwork from their latest album Smile, and lasers were a must-have as well.
Furze decided to use the existing tour backdrop and four vertical scrim frames for the Wembley show then designed a one-metre high riser to elevate the drum kit with six-meter ‘wings’ on either side to accommodate lighting fixtures. The set riser was also dressed with custom scrims that continued the look and feel of the Smile album’s artwork.
In selecting li

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USA - Christie has introduced its CineLife+ RBe projectors with Phazer illumination technology. The new projectors combine advanced features and electronics in an economical platform, with 2K resolution and brightness ranging from 6,000 to 11,000 lumens.
The CineLife+ series adds three new projectors: CP2406-RBe, CP2409-RBe, and the CP2411-RBe. With Phazer illumination, these projectors are designed for improved image performance on small, high-gain screens.
Featuring Christie’s new CineLife+2K electronics platform, projector set-up is quick and easy with auto-configuration features, motorised lens mount, and integrated proprietary electronic colour convergence (ECC) for lateral colour alignment. Compatibility with Mystique Cinema ensures the projector is perfectly aligned 24/7, 365 days a year without requiring a maintenance visit.
“Our new series further
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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 - The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) has announced a significant investment in audio equipment, with the procurement of a Shure Axient Digital Wireless System.
LAMDA is committed to providing exceptional vocational training courses, offering an innovative and inspiring environment where students can acquire the professional skills needed to pursue successful careers in acting.
Supplied through Shure UK by Autograph Sound, the new inventory includes 20 channels of Shure’s flagship Axient Digital Wireless system. The setup features Axient Digital ADX1M Micro Bodypack transmitters, AD4QNP quad receivers, an antenna distribution system, active directional antenna plus battery charging modules and stations.
The recommendation of Shure Axient Digital Wireless System by Autograph Sound is backed by their own extensive use of the systems in the

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UK - Prolights Smart BatPlus, provided by Luminosity Lighting Services, illuminated the Blue Room and Music Room of Buckingham Palace for an exclusive TV broadcast shooting.
Luminosity Lighting Services strategically positioned the Smart BatPlus lights to ‘enhance the architectural grandeur of Buckingham Palace’. The lighting configuration focused on discreetly accentuating the pillars within both rooms, accentuating the intricate details and timeless elegance of the historic building.
“The innovative use of Prolights lights not only emphasised the beauty of Buckingham Palace but also played a pivotal role in creating a captivating visual experience for viewers,” says the team. “By ingeniously leveraging the reflection of mirrors and strategically placing lights behind the camera, the production team achieved the illusion of a significantly deeper field of vi

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UK - This year, ALPD will again be awarding in three categories - Lighting Design, Production Electrics and Programming, with each of the prize bundles being tailored to the specific needs of that speciality.
The Lighting Design Award is by application. The candidates for the Fred Foster Production Electrician Award and the Anne Valentino Award for Excellence in Programming are by nomination. The ALPD encourages lighting professionals who work alongside a production electrician or programmer whom they consider to be exceptional and worthy of recognition, to nominate them. There are full details on the ALPD website (thealpd.org.uk).
The Michael Northen Award is sponsored by the Go Live Theatre Projects (previously the Mousetrap Foundation) Vectorworks and ETC. The winner of this award will receive a £500 voucher prize, a 512 ETC nomad package, a Vectorworks licence f

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Australia - Andy Ciddor’s passionate and committed career in technology, production and live performance of over five decades came to an end on 30 March after taking advantage of Tasmania’s Voluntary Assisted Dying programme to end his struggle with stage-four bile duct cancer.
Starting in high school, out of frustration at the state of a school production his career spanned theatre, broadcast, production, teaching, consulting writing and editing – sharing his passion and mentoring the next generation of designers and technicians. He was followed into the industry by his brothers Jonathan and Braham and most recently, his daughter Rivka.
From working at GTV9 on productions like Hey Hey It’s Saturday and various tonight shows, he moved to Perth to join STW9 where he earned the title ‘Captain Kilowatt’. Andy’s teaching career began at the WA Academy

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USA - Elation Professional has introduced the Fuze Teatro, a refined moving head luminaire that can be used to visually craft any scene without drawing attention to itself. Designed for any application where a noiseless, fully-automated framing fixture with full-spectrum colour range and quality is required, the Fuze Teatro is fanless for completely silent operation.
Illuminating the performing arts with automated luminaires has traditionally been a challenge. The technology required to provide the desired lighting levels, colour quality and remote positioning usually creates unwanted noise from fans, mechanical color mixing modules and other components, making their use in carefully-designed acoustical venues less than ideal. The Fuze Teatro has addressed these concerns with a fanless design and soundless color mixing system that makes it ideal for noise-sensitiv

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UK - More than 200 students from institutions around the UK tuned in live to Production Futures’ new YouTube channel for the launch of the Production Futures Studio TALKS podcast last week. Cheshire College, LIPA, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Norwich University were all represented, with in some cases, tutors bringing whole classes to the session.
The inaugural podcast with lighting designer Tim Routledge was presented in conjunction with the BBC’s Bring the Drama Festival, which sees the Corporation joining forces with some of the UK’s prominent cultural organisations to open doors of opportunity for the next generation of behind-the-scenes talent.
The 90-minute live broadcast Q+A, which saw Tim take part remotely from a secret location - he is currently working on production rehearsals with Take That - provided the young audience with valuab

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USA - John Garberson created the lighting rig for the Powerhouse hip-hop celebration at the Desert Diamond Arena outside Phoenix.
Garberson and his team at Creative BackStage positioned a potent lighting rig on the 60ft wide by 40ft deep stage, using fixtures supplied by LIT Lighting. At the same time, however, they made sure to arrange things so there was a generous amount of open space at the stage’s centre. This gave headliners Kevin Gates, Tech N9ne, Young Nudy, and other performers a chance to standout, and connect to the sellout crowd of 20,000 without distractions.
While the hip-hop stars performed their art against the ‘blank canvas’ they were surrounded and supported by dynamic lighting displays above them and to their sides. Principal lighting designer James Simpson and the visiting LDs used a rig anchored by 48 Chauvet Professional fixtures to create a

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World - The 1975’s appetite for touring is considerable and their schedule is gruelling, so their touring equipment needs to be able to keep up. Eighteen rounds of air and road freight can take its toll and reliable consoles that can withstand dust, heat, cold and humidity are vital as the team and their equipment cross multiple time zones. The tour relies on a DiGiCo Quantum 7 at front of house, and a Quantum 5 at the monitor position.
Monitor engineer Francois Pare states, “I don’t think I’ve used any other desk since 2016. Nowadays the shows are so involved, there aren’t many desks that can handle the number of channels we need. On The 1975, we have an eight-piece band, and the show is quite theatrical, there’s a lot going on effects wise on stage, so it all adds up.”
At front of house, Lee McMahon’s comments, “Building this show has been an amazi

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USA Country singer Scotty McCreery’s Cab in a Solo Tour is making its way through the US with a versatile setlist that transitions between upbeat anthems and touching ballads, backed by three upstage LED screens driven by tvONE's Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer media servers.
Landing at Boston’s new MGM Musical Hall at Fenway at the beginning of March, the North Carolina native’s production was ramped up as fans flocked to see McCreery. Striking graphics, animations and imagery from McCreery’s music videos were displayed on the three portrait LED walls, which were made up of ROE’s ultra-fine 8.33mm pixel pitch CB8 LED panels. The content was delivered by two Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2 media servers sourced from 4Wall Entertainment and controlled using a grandMA3 console.
Production designer Drew Hornback of DH Production Designs created the concept fo

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Europe - Czech moving and LED lighting manufacturer Robe celebrated its 30th anniversary at the 2024 Prolight + Sound expo in Frankfurt and looked forward to another 30 years of lighting innovation.
The entertainment technology brand presented the finale of the Power of Imagination show, that entertained packed audiences five times a day and also staged a Rock ‘n’ Robe stand party on the evening of the second day, featuring Queen tribute band Queenie. Additionally, an array of new lighting products was launched and on the eve of the expo, Robe announced the acquisition of LSC Control Systems.
LSC joined the other Robe businesses – sister architectural brand Anolis, console manufacturer Avolites and control solutions provider Artistic Licence
The two public ‘dark demonstration’ rooms on the booth were constantly busy throughout the four days wi

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Canada - Montreal studio Le Lab Mastering has built an all-Focal DolbyAtmos room, adding Atmos mastering to its offerings on top of fully analogue stereo, vinyl mastering, and lacquer cutting. The 7.1.4 Atmos studio features an all-Focal powered monitor configuration with Trio11, Trio6, Solo6, and Sub6.
The room’s layout features dual Sub6 subwoofers stacked under the left and right Trio11 monitors – four subwoofers total. This subwoofer configuration gives Le Lab’s Atmos room the ability to offer mastering for movie soundtracks and other formats that would need extended low-end response; It also offers a symmetrical low-frequency coverage in a smaller footprint.
Trio6 monitors fill out the centre and rear channels, while Solo6 are on the sides. Le Lab has already mastered a lot of legacy recordings remixed for Atmos, including Celine Dion, Sia, Whitney Houston

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UK - The Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers (ISCVE) celebrated a successful ISCVEx 2024. The two-day symposium, which took place from 19-20 March at the historic Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, brought together more than 250 attendees in a showcase of knowledge, technology and community.
ISCVE hosted a varied line-up, which started with an engaging AGM and featured an illuminating member’s presentation from Jason Williams on Species AI Capture – The challenges and rewards of working on environmental and conservation projects. Participants then enjoyed camaraderie and insights exchanged at the networking dinner, complemented by an exhilarating performance by The Pub Choir.
Highlighting the second day were three seminars. James ‘Brew’ Henry Breward led the charge with Quiet Please, bringing to the spotlight the advanced audio systems util

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USA - The inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival Miami made waves this March, marking the festival’s first venture onto US shores in decades. The event presented diverse musical performances against a backdrop of waterfront vistas, with sound from the Montreux Jazz Festival Miami’s official sound partner, Meyer Sound.
The intimate 1,500-person festival held March 1–3 at The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, showcased a lineup led by headliners Jon Batiste, Daniela Mercury, and Daryl Hall, topped off each night with the Montreux Jam Sessions.
The Hangar - built in 1918 as the first continental naval air station in the United States - is a cavernous 20,000sq.ft space, with thin corrugated metal walls and vast expanses of windows, that presents significant acoustic challenges.
For 38 years, Meyer Sound has been the strategic partner and official sound provider of the Montr

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USA - “I don't know that there's another desk that we could really do it all with,” says Chad Olech, front-of-house mix engineer for Fall Out Boy, talking about managing the band’s complex comms infrastructure that sees three separate talkback lines coming into his DiGiCo Quantum5 console, as well as mixing a great show for fans.
“I don't think there's another manufacturer that makes something that would do what we need it to do in this situation. I'm sure we could work our way around it, but it wouldn't be as seamless and as easy.”
Rob Smuder is one of those comms sources, as he mixes the band’s monitors from a DiGiCo Quantum7 console, along with the stage manager and backline crew lines. “The main reason that I use the Q7 out here, honestly, is the matrixes,” says Smuder, who has worked with the band since 2018. “We have a ton of talkback mics tha

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UK - Voyage Audio, the San Diego-based creators of Spatial Mic have appointed Emerging as their exclusive distributor for UK and Ireland.
The original Spatial Mic product employed USB/ADAT connectivity and this has been joined more recently by a Dante version. Both microphones have eight-capsule arrays that support 2nd Order Ambisonics. The body of the mics contain high-quality A/D conversion using a high-resolution Skyworks clocking scheme and built-in 32-bit XMOS processor.
The applications for the Spatial Mic are as diverse as its specifications. It is equally at home in studio, broadcast, field and live concert recordings where the remote control of the capsules and the output are obviously valuable, says Voyage.
Emerging’s MD, Paul Mortimer comments, “We already have an impressive range of products to manage immersive audio for mixing and mastering, a

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Germany - Under the motto ‘Claypaky: leading through innovation. And Beyond’, Claypaky celebrated its participation in the 2024 edition of Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt.
The primary focus was on the latest addition to the ‘Multispectral family’ – Rhapsodya. Claypaky hosted a pre-recorded product presentation, including a short light show lasting about 12 minutes, which ran every hour. Following the demo, the Buddylight automated followspot was showcased in action during a special performance on stage, featuring singer Nevio Passaro.
Claypaky presented some innovative lighting solutions including:
Volero Cube is a compact IP66 fixture that seamlessly merges beam, wash, and strobe effects. This new, multi-function, multi-effect moving head is a real “4-in-1 fusion fixture” boasting 4 powerful 60W RGBW LEDs and plus-shaped cool white LED strips for str

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UK - In early March, sound designer Simon Honywill used TiMax SoundHub with TiMax TrackerD4 performer stagetracking to spatially enhance an already incredible – and quite unique – immersive performance by the Paraorchestra musical ensemble. The Nature of Why, composed by Will Gregory and choreographed by Caroline Bowditch under the artistic direction of award-winning conductor, Charles Hazelwood, was performed within a 14m circular space on the Lyric Stage at Theatre Royal Plymouth, with 100-120 audience members mingling amongst the players and dancers for each performance.
Though it wasn’t the first performance of The Nature of Why– an interpretation of the famous interview with physicist Richard Feynman which asks in empirical terms why certain physical properties occur, such as magnetic attraction and slippery ice - it was the first time the immersiv

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On The Campaign Trail - Leading arts organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company and Bristol Old Vic are joining together for a UK-wide campaign aimed at creating a “powerful sector voice” that will advocate for the industry and lobby for additional public funding to help struggling venues and companies.
Culture Makes...will run from May this year and throughout 2024, creating what its organisers have called "a bold new vision for the value and impact of culture and heritage in society and as a human right which urgently needs investment" in the run up to the next general election.
It has been developed by the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation, with others that have already committed to being part of the campaign including 20 Stories High, An Tobar and Mull Theatre, Cardboard Citizens, Edinburgh International Festival, Javaad Alipoor Company, Lyric Theatre
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