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Italy - PMC's Italian representatives, Feel Communications, have signed a major contract to supply audio monitoring to RDS (Radio Dimensione Suono) - one of Italy's largest national independent radio networks. The contract is the first of three to supply the Italian broadcast sector that will come into effect in late 2006 and one which includes the RTL network in Milan.

This initial contract includes 10 pairs of PMC's AML1 and four pairs of DB1S-A two-way active monitors. They will feature in the newly converted ancient monastery located on the highest of the seven hills within the city of Rome. RDS's latest state of the art complex includes one main On-Air control room, four edit rooms, an extensive surround music production area and large live performance auditorium with control

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UK - The Riccallish Allsorts, a community theatre group from Riccall, Yorkshire, began planning their 2005 Christmas pantomime early in October. An important feature was to be the new stage, for which a grant had been provided. Value for money was an obvious factor in finding the ideal company to provide the equipment. Ken Davison, of the Allsorts, requested a quote from Maltbury.

As staging requests go, this one was fairly simple. A stage was needed that could be easily assembled, but also give a professional appearance. Metrodeck was the perfect system to replace their ageing chipboard stage. Affordable and simple, the Metrodeck could be quickly assembled by any member of the group to create a professional stage, and was also easy and quick to store.

The staging provided was used in conjunction with a trussing structure and drapes to create a self-sufficient proscenium-arch

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UK - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's first collaboration, and its history has been one of evolution, an evolution that continues in the current national revival tour of the show.

Joseph was only 15 minutes long when first performed as a cantata in 1968, but grew in subsequent versions to 40 minutes and, finally, a full 90-minute musical. The new production shows its evolution in the technical aspects of production, especially its sound system: self-powered loudspeakers from Meyer Sound and, at the FOH position, an LCS Audio Matrix3 audio show control system with a CueConsole control surface. The system was specified by Duncan Robert Edwards, the show's sound designer, and supplied by Specialized Audio-Video, N.Y., with logistical coordination by Mark Norfolk and Mike Weirich.

In the years since Joseph's f

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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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Russia - Midas and Klark Teknik have appointed Moscow-based Theater Technics and Technology (TTT) as its Russian distributor. Formed 15 years ago, TTT also represents Midas/KT fellow brands Electro-Voice, Telex and Dynacord.

"We really appreciate the opportunity of becoming the official Midas and Klark Teknik distributor in our country," says company president Mikhail Godin. "Our immediate priority is to increase sales and technical support across the Russian Federation."

Godin first came across Klark Teknik's internationally-renowned equalisers more than 20 years ago while working in state recording studio Melodia. Both brands have also been used by TTT in its systems integration work for installations in Azerbaijan and in Moscow.

"Klark Teknik and Midas have come to represent unique sonic quality and reliability," says Andrey Kovalevsky, who,

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UK - Mode Lighting (UK) has appointed Tony Kinsey as export sales manager with immediate effect. A veteran of over 15 years in the lighting controls industry, Kinsey will be responsible for developing Mode's international distribution network.

Kinsey has a sound technical knowledge and many years of experience in conducting international business in Australia, Singapore and Europe. Tony joins at a time of determined growth in both the home and international markets for Mode. "I couldn't have come aboard at a better time. It will be challenging but very exciting to join such a successful team with some amazing products to handle, including the Evolution and SceneStyle dimming systems and I am looking forward to expanding our global presence."

Mode Lighting is currently seeking overseas representation and exclusive distributors in certain countries. The company will be

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Germany - The ProLight+Sound show in Frankfurt (29 March - 1 April), will include a chance to see and hear HK Audio systems live in a large-scale application. In the outdoor area in front of Hall 8, the new ProLounge will be equipped exclusively with HK Audio: the main system will be a 2x10 Cohedra system and stage monitoring will consist entirely of the company's new ConTour Series.

As a special highlight of the show, Deep Purple members Ian Paice (drums) and Don Airey (keys) will be playing live in the ProLounge on Friday, 31 March, and Saturday, 1 April, at 11:30am and 4:00pm - together with Thomas Blug, who has been called "Europe's Best Strat Player". Every day of the show at 3.00 pm, there will be a "meet-and-greet" event with Don and Ian at the HK Audio Portable Sound booth D31 in Hall 4.1.

The ProLounge will also host a world premiere of the HK Audi

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UK - Sound Division has recently supplied a fully iPod-driven distributed background music system in the spa and treatment rooms at the legendary Browns hotel in Mayfair. The emphasis at Browns is on intimacy and quintessential English charm. However, this has not stopped the hotel opting for a thoroughly modern background music solution.

The system is based on a number of Opus MS micro ceiling speakers distributed throughout four zones. The first comprises reception and the main corridor; treatment rooms one and two make up the second zone; treatment room three is the third zone, while the fourth zone is the gymnasium. Sound Division has supplied three Cloud RL1 remote volume control panels and two Cloud mixers amplifiers; a four-zone Cloud 46/50 for zones 1-4 and a separate Cloud MPA-626 single zone device for the gymnasium. Acting as the music source for the entire system Sou

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France - The first Studer Vista 8 digital audio front-of-house console to be used in Paris's theatreland has been installed in the 1000-capacity Theatre de la Ville, which has chosen Studer as the digital platform for an extensive refurbishment programme that will take place over two years.

Once known as Theatre Sarah Bernhardt for its association with the legendary French actress, this popular municipal theatre now offers the top names in contemporary dance, innovative French theatre, and evening concerts of jazz and world music.

In 2003, the audio production team, led by Pierre Tamisier, began the search to replace the theatre's 12-year old Studer 900 analogue console. Having examined digital technology from several other leading manufacturers, they still wound up at the door of Audiopole, distributor of Studer in France, with an order for a 32-fader Vista 8 with 10-fader ex

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UK - As they complete a major round of Brannigans bar lighting and video makeovers for owners Herald Inns & Bars, contractors PV Audio Video have found Futurelight products to form an irresistible combination over the dancefloor.

Having recently completed sites in Manchester and Reading (with the final venue in Warrington destined to be rebranded), PVAV's Peter Varey believes his quest for reliable, cost-effective lighting has ended with the discovery of Futurelight's DJ-Scan 250 and CY-250 - distributed by Fuzion plc's lighting division (DiFuzion).

The former is an innovative DJ-scanner with rotating gobos; seven dichroic colourfilters (plus white); rainbow effect with adjustable speed in both directions; gobo-wheel with seven rotating gobos (open and blackout) and strobe effect with adjustable speed (1-10 flashes/sec).

The CY-250 is a similarly-featured barrel effect, whic

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UK - One of the harder working bands around, Mudvayne has spent as much of the past six years on tour as off. Their most recent outing with Sevendust on the Masters of Horror Tour covered more than 30 cities over a two-month period. New England-based Rainbow Production Services provided a sound system built around Meyer Sound's Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers for the dates, which leaned toward larger arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums.

FOH mixer Scott Tkachuk commanded the rig, which featured 24 Milo cabinets, two Milo 120 high-power expanded coverage curvilinear array loudspeakers, and a dozen 700-HP ultrahigh-power subwoofers.

"The Milo is really proving to be one of the most versatile line arrays there is," Tkachuk says. "It's amazing that a system capable of handling the nuance and detail of acoustic guitars and jazz can also deliver th

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Portugal - The wireless DMX system W-DMX, from the Swedish Company Wireless Solution Sweden AB, is now available in Portugal.

The choice for this system is based upon its extraordinary flexibility and reliability, according to Fernando Lopes, lightening technical manager of the system installed at Toyota Box, in Lisbon. He says: "The W-DMX is fast, reliable and very useful. No problem was found! We have saved a lot of time by setting up this lights system for this musical." The system was supplied by Audinova, the Portuguese W-DMX authorized distributor.

These wireless transmission systems have been availablein Portugal, since the 1 March. The chosen spot was the Toyota Box Cultural Space, at the Alcântara Docks, in Lisbon, which hosts the Musical Friday the 13th! This musical play portraits the urban life of a group of friends - their loves and their sorrows

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UK - For the recent outing of the BBC Saturday night prime time quiz show Test the Nation came a new set design, new studio layout and incorporated the Pulsar ChromaFlood 200. The latest set design by Simon Kimmel was a bold step forward from the previous version and gave lighting designer Dave Davey a few challenges to tackle.

The new set incorporated large specially formed sections designed to provide a backdrop where the celebrities are situated and to indicate team colours around the contestants. The specially formed sections are made from an opaque polycarbonate material and are around 1200mm.sq. with a raised centre section which measured around 600mm.sq.

Dave Davey needed the centre section to be lit by a colour-changing fixture that would cover the intended area from a minimal beam throw distance. The beam throw distance within the set was a maximum of 500mm, al

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USA - At 42,000sq.ft, TAO Las Vegas continues the trend of large restaurant and entertainment venues situated within the city's glitzy hotels. The $20m TAO at the Venetian bills itself as an "Asian city" offering a unique vibe only found in ancient ruins and temples. The 400-seat restaurant, banquet facilities, hip ultra-lounge and 10,000sq.ft nightclub was opened in September and instantly became a popular destination.

The action starts when the restaurant opens daily at 5PM and doesn't stop until the nightclub closes at 5AM. Everyday, 160 TAO employees keep the party going. Inside TAO, a hand-carved 20ft tall Buddha greets guests as it floats atop a reflecting pool filled with koi fish. The nearby moat area contains floating tables for VIPs while a catwalk leading to the women's bathroom also serves as a pseudo-runway. Above the dining area sits eight private skyboxe

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UK - At the official opening, visitors to Our Dynamic Earth, one of Edinburgh's leading visitor attractions, travel forward in time and witness how decisions they take today influence life on our planet in years to come. This new experience features a 360-degree high-definition seamless digital projection, sensory seating set on rotating floors complete with interactive voting in an immersive dome theatre. As main contractor for the FutureDome project, Barco teamed up with Alterface - a company based at Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium - to design the entire interactive program and content.

When entering the Future Dome, a time travel host offers visitors several choices to influence the future of the planet, based on their personal interactions with a 360-degree film, presented on the dome. Atmospheric music, lighting and ambience deliver an experience that is tense, thr

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UK - Reading-based lighting and rental company Blinding Light designed and supplied lighting equipment, a Catalyst digital media server and video content for all the LED walls and lightsources, plus crew, for the Microsoft Midseason Party, staged at London's Hammersmith Palais. The event featured performances from Girls Aloud, Soul II Soul and Earth Wind for Hire.

Ambiguously titled "decadence" - a word with many meanings and inferences - the party wasn't corporately branded at all. However, it had a loose time related theme celebrating the chronology of Microsoft's origins in the 1970s through to the present day.

Taking this as a starting point, Blinding Light's Paddy Stacey evolved a conceptual design for event production company Sledge, which helped them to win the pitch. "I thought I'd create a set of visuals for the venue and occasion using technologies spa

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Hungary - The organisers of the annual Audio-Visual Creative Fair in Brussels have announced a new event to be staged in Budapest this year. The Brussels event brings together manufacturers, importers, distributors, renters, service providers, experts in imaging, sound, lighting, special effects, virtual images, image synthesis and multimedia, attracting over 15,000 visitors each year. The Budapest event - ACF Central Europe - has been introduced in repsonse to requests from exhibitors, say the organisers.

Hungary is enjoying a real economic boom with over 300,000 companies in the capital alone - a figure which has grown annually for the past decade. ACF Central Europe aims to bring together all companies seeking to develop their networking in Central European countries; Hungarian companies presenting their latest technological innovations; and exhibitors from bordering countrie

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UK - A dAFTdATA eDMX wireless system was used to beam DMX from the top of a 55 metre high tower block to the lighting desk down below for one of the new National Theatre of Scotland's inaugural productions, Glasgow Home.

This was staged on the Cranhill Estate - a notorious, sprawling, dilapidated 1950s housing scheme in Glasgow's Easterhouse area. Glasgow Home directed and conceived by John Tiffany (deputy director of NTS) was one of 10 site-specific works that kick started the NTS, which has no permanent base. The production was centred around an 18-storey tower block on the estate, and was set in seven different flats on seven different floors. The concept was that characters in the tower were being investigated by MI5, who sent abseiling cameramen down the side of the building filming the action taking place inside. This was relayed to a projector at the base an

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USA / Germany - Meyer Sound is strengthening its investment in the German market by applying more resources from the company's California factory to Germany. As part of this effort, Western regional sales manager Jim Sides will act as a liaison between the Berkeley headquarters and Polch-based Meyer Sound Germany.

Meyer says Germany has always been a strong market for its self-powered loudspeakers, and that the last few years have seen exceptional growth for the company in Germany and throughout Europe. Recent large purchases of MICA and other products by German rental companies further convinced Meyer Sound to commit additional resources to Germany.

"One thing we have noted many times in the company's history is that the closer we are to our customers, the happier they are and the more our business grows," says Meyer Sound executive vice-president Helen Meyer. "

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USA - Tomcat USA is providing equipment for the long-awaited Soul 2 Soul II tour starring country music's power couple, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The 70-date tour kicks off in Columbus, Ohio on 21 April, 2006. The concerts will feature solo performances by Hill and McGraw, as well as a special set of duets - all performed while surrounded by a number of custom products from Tomcat USA.

The set features truss circles, including one 50ft OD medium duty circle, one 19.5ft OD medium duty circle plus one 16ft OD light duty circle. Tomcat also provided eight custom variable TAB connections for these circles and 32 custom motor pick-up brackets will help make a number of other lighting effects around those circles possible.

Speaking of lighting effects, eight custom 4ft x 6ft light frame pods will provide even more visual impact. These pods were manufactured with special tran

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UK - The PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund has received a donation of £500 from entertainment and architectural lighting control specialists Zero 88. The company decided that, for Christmas 2005, it would send its season's greetings to the world by e-mail and instead donate the money it would have spent on cards to a suitable charity.

Zero 88's Claire House and the management team settled on the PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund to be the recipient of their donation, and their cheque was gratefully accepted by treasurer John Jones.

PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund chairman Mike Lowe, of Britannia Row, comments: "This was a fantastic gesture by Zero 88 and a reminder of the generosity of spirit that's happily still a feature of our industry."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Baldwin Boxall has re-designed is popular Vigil Eclipse wall-mountable voice alarm / public address system. Despite its smaller size - measuring only 480mm in width, 200mm in depth and 680mm in height - the new Vigil Eclipse2 has the capacity to handle up to seven single or four dual circuit zones, say the company.

At the heart of the new Eclipse2 is the new Vigil2 EVAS routeing matrix, which offers beneficial features including parametric EQ on all eight inputs and seven outputs, ambient noise sensing, auto amplifier changeover, USB2 port (allowing system configuration/message revision via a laptop), fault and history logging and realtime clock. The unit also houses one 2U amplifier mainframe providing space for the power supply and two amplifiers from Baldwin Boxall's Vigil2 Class D range.

Vigil Eclipse2 provides a highly-efficient solution to the voice alarm market and

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