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UK - Lighting designer Rob Sinclair used fifty square metres of Chroma-Q Color Web as a low resolution video wall backdrop on The Human League's Synth City UK Tour 2005 in December.

The three-week tour featured a career-spanning set of the influential electro-pop group's greatest hits, backed by a cutting-edge lighting and video show designed by Sinclair and supplied by Lite Alternative.

Sinclair had always been intrigued by the group's pioneering use of slideshow visuals during their early days and, having worked as a member of the lighting crew on previous tours, had been trying ever since with Lite Alternative to create a modern video show in the spirit of the original.

Having been promoted to LD for the 2005 tour, the only real brief from the band's manager was that

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Spain - In acknowledgement of Spanish being one of the world's most widely spoken languages, d&b audiotechnick reports that it now provides its sound information via its website to all Spanish speakers in their native tongue.

(Lee Baldock)

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France - One of the highlights of the recent SIEL expo in Paris was the presence of dance station radio FG, where among the presenters making guest appearances in their makeshift studio was Paris-based producer and electro/house exponent, Patrice Strike.

With a string of production credits (and top club residencies) to his name the station's Saturday night presenter played an hour-long set to a packed house.

Patrice Strike now uses exclusively Denon DJ equipment as a result of a new sponsorship agreement set up this month with D&M Professional France.

When he returns to Ibiza this summer it will be with the new DN-S3500 CD/MP3 player and DN-X1500 mixer package - a combination which he says has revolutionised his art. For monitoring he is using Denon's HP1000 high performance headphones, which utilise a dynamic, closed back design for better isolation and large 53mm speaker d

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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 / France - Established Belgium-based pro audio distributor and manufacturer Apex Audio has launched a French subsidiary, the initial focus of which will be placed on penetrating the French market with both the DiGiCo and Soundtracs brands.

Apex international sales manager Rik Hoerée explains that the move follows the company's launch of operations in Holland at the beginning of 2005, and is a direct result of the growing demand of both customers and suppliers to have solid distribution-partners with highly experienced in-house technical staff. In line with this, former SAV representative Laurent Laignel has been appointed sales engineer for Apex France. "We wanted to kick off with brands of which we have already gained good knowledge and results, both technically and commercially, so that we can offer this same expertise to the French market," says Hoer&eacut

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UK - As James Blunt's popularity grows, so grows his tour production. When Back to Bedlam kicked off last year in the UK, it carried a Wholehog 3 console to control 900 LED fixtures in smaller theater settings. Now the tour's carrying 2,000 LED fixtures, and worldwide venue sizes are expanding to arenas and amphitheatres, then festivals and stadiums this summer. So a Hog iPC console was added as backup.

Designed by LD Paul Normandale and supplied by UK's Lite Alternative, the tour can accommodate the burgeoning production and venue capacities - and lighting director Glen Johnson explains: "We're controlling 2,000 LED fixtures via PixelMAD from the Wholehog 3 console. We've gotten some stunning effects from the Hog 3 with its Effects Engine, buddy system (advanced group manipulation of fixtures) and grouping, coupled with the timing syntax. We also programmed the show

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USA - The heavy hitters of power pop have returned to their US homeland after a storming tour of Europe's arenas. When in Europe, the Foo Fighters are regular clients of London PA company Britannia Row, which provided the tour with an Electro-Voice X-Line array system.

Bryan Worthen, FOH engineer for the Foos, explains: "We always use X-Line over here in Europe, it's been that way ever since I started working for the band. It's definitely a big rock band sounding PA - perfect for this band."

In the majority of venues, the X-Line was set up with 28 x Xls and ten Xlt cabinets, supported by 24 x X-subs, with 12 x 1152s for infill. The system is powered by EV's Precision Series P3000RL amps, running the IRIS management software.

"The coverage is excellent," says Worthen. "From my point of view, out front, it gives me pretty much everything I want. It's v

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UK - Vertigo Rigging last week pulled off the daunting task of flying five giant LED video screens in heavy winds and rain, high up on the famous façade of the Odeon, Leicester Square as part of the star-studded BAFTA Film Awards gala night. The company also rigged a number of temporary structures to accommodate the media and their equipment in Leicester Square.

Designer / producer Lucy Smail of production company West Design and Production was contracted by BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts) to turn the exterior of the Odeon, the red-carpeted scene of many a film première, into a high-visibility showcase for the awards night. She and production manager Andy Cheeseman brought in Vertigo to handle the multi-screen installation on behalf of video supplier PSL.

Project manager Paddy Burnside was in charge of a job that took a team of up to 14 riggers at a t

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UK - Bandit Lites continued its successful run of work on leading fashion industry events, supplying the Pure fashion trade show at Olympia - the UK's leading fashion industry exhibition - with lighting equipment for their main catwalk show. This aspect of the show was designed & production managed by Derek Halliday with lighting designed by Mark Strange. Bandit's Lester Cobrin has worked with this team before on many occasions, and it's proved a winning combination.

The show ran four times a day throughout the three-day exhibition, staged in Olympia's Grand Hall, showcasing the most creative and innovative designs from emerging and established fashion labels at the exhibition. Strange has designed this show for the last six years, but each year the challenges are different as he explains. "It's extremely fast moving. The models have to look good for both photographers - wi

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UK - Premier Digidesign dealer Marquee Audio has completed a twin-location training course for sound engineers and PA companies, on the Venue digital environment. Conceived as two-day workshops by Marquee's digital specialist Andy Huffer, the sessions were designed to familiarise existing and potential users with the console's operation and configuration, as well as its unique TDM plug-ins and Pro Tools recording capabilities.

In the north of England the training was conducted at Lee Engineering's facility in Lancaster by Venue specialist, Ian Nelson, assisted by Rob Magoolagan, before southern-based engineers and production companies assembled at Shepperton Film Studios where Marquee Audio are based. Here Andy Huffer was assisted by Digidesign's product support man, Andy Rimroth, and training specialist, Dave Tyler.

"We were delighted with the quality of people who regis

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UK - 19sq.m of Element Labs' VersaTile LED panels were used by the hotly tipped UK indie band Maximo Park, headliners of the 2006 Shockwaves NME Awards tour (AKA 'The Brats'). The 19 sold out dates featured the very best of burgeoning UK musical talent including the Arctic Monkeys, Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists in addition to Maximo Park. The VersaTiles were supplied by Element Labs' UK partners, Projected Image Digital to Maximo's lighting designer Stevie Marr.

Marr, a respected LD for many years, is also currently studying Interactive Media at The Arts Institute, Bournemouth, and this was his first substantial tour since starting the course. Marr produced all video content for the Tiles as part of his coursework. The tour's standard generic and moving light rig was supplied by Siyan. Marr wanted something special to differentiate Maximo's highly energetic set, and he want

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UK - Saville Audio Visual, Liverpool, have recently completed an installation at Arrowe Park Hospital's School of Health and Social Care for the Wirral Hospital NHS Trust, Merseyside.

The new annexe cost £7.6 million. The ground floor is home to a fracture and orthopaedic clinic with its own dedicated X-ray suite which will treat up to 30,000 patients in a year. The two upper floors contain a staff education centre and high-tech training facility - one of the most advanced in the UK. A central control viewing room is linked by video and microphones to the hands-on area, which can be set up as either a fully equipped Hospital Ward or a realistic Operating Theatre.

Remotely controlled zoom and pan camera feeds are recorded straight on to a hard drive. The operator can view the procedures independently or globally. On the audio side a combination of beyerdynamic MPC23 butto

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Belgium - Sporting visualization specialist Barco is proud to announce the launch of its very own sports perimeter LED solution optimized for television broadcast, the Barco SP-10. More and more sports stadiums are looking to use LED technology around the perimeter to improve image quality during broadcast and to offer high-quality advertising and branding packages.

With the SP-10, Barco offers a complete digital perimeter solution, including cutting edge visualization hardware (custom-designed LED display solution) and advanced dedicated SportsBox software (to manage the content of the display). Many years of experience in LED technology in the sports and broadcast markets have culminated in this latest LED perimeter solution that is rugged and reliable, easy to install for both fixed and temporary installations and that will provide a significant and measurable income for the

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UK - The traditional new-year rush of new shows in London's West End is well and truly underway, with many of the new productions choosing White Light as their lighting supplier.

White Light rigs can be found on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, starring Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin at the Apollo (lighting by Peter Kaczorowksi ), Blackbird at the Albery (lighting by Japhy Weideman), Caesar's Twins at the Comedy, Honour starring Diana Rigg at the Wyndhams (lighting by Jason Taylor), Creeper at the Playhouse (lighting by Mick Hughes), Embers starring Jeremy Irons at the Duke of York's (lighting by Mark Henderson ), and Resurrection Blues at the Old Vic (lighting by Rick Fisher). These new shows join other long-running productions using White Light equipment, including Billy Elliot, The Producers, Chicago, Les Miserables and <

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USA - Production Resource Group's Las Vegas operation purchased 30 Kudo line source array loudspeakers and 36 LA48a amplifiers from L-Acoustics in December. Roger Gibbons, PRG Las Vegas' general manager of touring, reports that the products were added specifically for Aerosmith and Nickelback's 2006 North American tours, both of which kicked off in mid-January.

The Kudo systems are serving slightly different purposes on each tour. Aerosmith, out on the second leg of its Rockin' The Joint tour, is employing its twin nine-box Kudo arrays as rear hangs for the show, which is selling seats in 360 degrees around the stage. Nickelback, touring in support of its latest CD, All The Right Reasons, is conversely using two arrays of nine Kudo cabinets each as auxiliary side hangs to address the left and right edges of the production's typical 270-degree seating configuration.

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USA - Eagle Audio and Lighting is pleased to announce that production veteran Randy Wade has joined its operations in Ft. Worth - Dallas as vice-president of sales and marketing. Wade has been tapped to grow and develop audio, lighting, staging and power solutions for clientele in a variety of markets including corporate, theatre, concert touring, festival and themed events.

"We are proud to bring Randy on board. His vast experience in all areas of the entertainment industry will be a tremendous asset to Eagle", states Greg Hulett, CEO. "With a vast wealth of industry experience and a resource network of several decades, we look forward to having him continue to grow and expand our business on local, regional and a national level. It proves that we are committed to provide all the resources necessary to ensure Eagle Audio and Lighting is an industry leader."<

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UK - Denon DJ has announced that it is supporting the Waxworks Music Initiative - a social enterprise that aims to re-engage socially excluded or disadvantaged young people in Bradford by offering them opportunities to gain nationally recognised qualifications in and around music.

The company is throwing its brand cachet into the enterprise by supplying a DN-S1000 MP3 tabletop player and matching DN-X100, contained in a single soft-cased package. Working within diverse communities, Waxworks has created bespoke music programmes and accredited courses through the national open college network (NOCN). It has recently been supported by the local authorities (for its work towards their community cohesion agenda), by Bradford Vision (the local strategic partnership who oversee the regeneration of the city) and by many equipment manufacturers (such as Denon).

Waxworks has assembled s

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UK - Marquee Audio reports a prodigious year for sales of the Yamaha PM5D digital console, with numerous consoles delivered to leading UK PA companies and live TV facility companies.

In the touring world, PM5Ds have been sold to Tour Tech, Concert Sound, Major Tom, Delta Sound, John Henry's and Canegreen. The two consoles for MSL have been used for nearly 100 Jools Holland gigs. High-profile live TV specialists Jackson Post and Plus 4 Audio have also taken delivery of desks and Blitz Sound are using two in corporatre/theatre work.

Marquee's Andy Huffer has been a particular champion of the PM5D, and the importance of his input is confirmed by the experience of one customer in particular, Skan PA, which has bought four desks in ten months. Abby Llewellyn of Skan explains that, although they generally prefer to deal direct with manufacturers, Huffer's knowledge of the digital co

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UK - Working with West Design & Production, PSL, the London-based events services company, has provided one of the most visible elements of this year's Orange British Academy Film Awards in Leicester Square, central London - a massive Lighthouse LED screen hanging from the front of the Odeon Cinema, the first time such a large screen has been featured in such a way.

LED screens played a vital role in the concept of West Design & Production, the agency responsible for conceiving the design and overseeing the production of the exterior areas of the BAFTA Awards ceremony. Director Lucy Smail explains that she wanted to: "Include moving imagery rather than a static backdrop on the theatre, so we've mixed elements of the nominated films which, as you pull back, give way to more and more images. Eventually, the thousands of tiny images reveal the BAFTA mask."

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France - Nexo SA has announced the appointment of Denis Baudier as managing director. The company says Baudier will continue in his role as international sales director, whilst implementing the company's management policies.

Baudier's appointment comes almost exactly 10 years after he first joined Nexo and reflects an impressive career trajectory with the company. After several years with Yamaha France, he joined Nexo in 1996 as sales director for the French market and was appointed to the Nexo board in 2000. In 2002, he was promoted to International sales director. Under his management, Nexo's international sales network has grown strongly. Baudier will retain responsibility for international sales, leading a team of sales managers based in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Company co-founder Michael Johnson steps up to the position of President of Nexo. These changes will enabl

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UK - Mojo Barriers joined the cream of the UK's music industry at the prestigious Brit Awards, held in Earls Court, London. Production manager Mick Kluzcynski assembled the team of leading supply companies to create a set that looked great for the live audience and the millions who watched on TV.

Mojo Barriers UK office, delighted to be part of that supply team, installed their aluminium front of stage barrier system to keep the stage and camera runs separate from the exuberant fans.

February proved a busy month for the UK office of Mojo Barriers supplying at range of shows. Managing UK operations, Jim Gaffney has overseen barrier systems being supplied to gigs by Oasis, The Darkness, Kelly Clarkson, Jack Johnson in UK Arena's in Sheffield, Newcastle and Cardiff, along with numerous smaller shows at Portsmouth Guildhall and Leas Cliff Hall, Folkstone, to promotional shows in V

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USA - Production Resource Group (PRG) provided 600 of its new AutoPar wash luminaires to the North American International Auto Show last month. Designer Howard Werner of Lightswitch New York needed a specialty fixture for trade show exhibits and PRG responded. "I was looking for an automated fixture to serve the needs of auto show clients. The fixture needed to have a daylight color temperature with a lens that rotated but it didn't need a lot of other bells and whistles," explains Werner. The result was PRG's AutoPar, which debuted at LDI.

The AutoPar is a compact, automated fixture with a 700-watt arc lamp that features a fully DMX-programmable, rotating lens assembly. "The AutoPar is much smaller and lighter than a standard moving light," notes PRG vice-chairman and chief technology officer Rusty Brutsché. "It provides great value to clients by

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