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UK - 5 Star Cases has designed and manufactured a special custom flightcase for leading DJ equipment manufacturer Pioneer Europe NV. The case houses a combination of its CDJ-200 CD decks and the new DJM-400 mixer units.

The main brief was to incorporate a cable shield or 'mini loom box' for ensuring that the cables can be kept neat and tidy along the rear of the case when in use and when packed away. Loom boxes are a standard feature on 5 Star's large audio mixing console cases, and so it was logical to incorporate this element of the design into the final layout. "Pioneer wanted a practical and good looking system case to compliment the small footprints of both the CDJ and DJM units," explains John Barsby, 5 Star's product development manager. "The loom box needed

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UK - Next week sees the return of the annual A.C. Lighting North Tradeshow at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. The company says its entertainment technology showcase will include exclusive first UK showings of over 75 new lighting, staging, audio and visual prototypes/final production models, and representation by over 65 leading brands.

In addition to the exhibition, a busy programme of guest speakers will lighting designers Durham Marenghi and Peter Barnes, Roger Barrett of Star Events Group, structural engineer Peter Hind and general manager of the PSA, Andy Lenthall, who will be taking time out of their busy schedules to provide informal seminars on topics including Live 8, the 2006 Torino Olympic Games, new Noise at Work regulations and designing truss structures.

A.C. Lighting says that places for the seminars are limited so to avoid disappointment pre-register today

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Norway - BSS Audio's Norwegian distributor LydRommet has devised a highly cost-effective solution at the 400-capacity Aal Culture House, which allows a single set of amplifiers to drive two sets of JBL Professional loudspeakers, one for cinema and the other for general PA/conference purposes. According to the company's Espen Andersen, they have been able to implement this thanks to BSS Audio Soundweb London and now plan to establish this as a template for future implementations.

The company is using Soundweb London, which offers dual-redundant CobraNet audio networking, as the base in almost every installation they do, he explains. "In many cases it has been our ability to provide a total HiQnet solution that has enabled us to win the contract; in fact we have been able to show that it is actually possible to save money by implementing HiQnet in smaller applications."<

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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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Philippines - With minimal plotting and rehearsal time, lighting designer Jonjon Villareal relied on the LSC maXim control console to save the day for Ballet Philippines recently. Forerunner Technologies, the LSC Lighting distributor in the Philippines, recently supplied the Cultural Center of the Philippines with an LSC maXim XLP control console for a performance by the Ballet Philippines. The production bought to life Ryan Cayabyab's bestseller Great Filipino Love Songs at the CCP Main Theatre in a show entitled Da Capo #1: Playing Maestro Ryan Atbp..

"The lighting crew at the CCP found the LSC maXim to be intuitive and fast to learn," said Mario A.S. Benipayo, president and CEO of Forerunner Technologies. "Most did not even have to read the manual thoroughly. Most notable was the ability of the maXim to feel right at home in a theatre application.

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France - Digigram, a world leader in PC audio interfaces and innovative networked audio devices, has appointed Remi Oudinot as marketing communications manager.

Oudinot has a strong background in marketing including a degree in the discipline and over 10 years' experience in marketing and communications in a technological environment. He has worked previously for a software vendor in business process management and most recently for a company providing the technology to produce audio guides for museums and cultural centres all over the world, including such prestigious locations as the Empire State building in New York.

Oudinot is looking forward to the challenge offered by working with Digigram. "My primary motivation has always been to work with companies who can offer innovative technological solutions to their market. Digigram's very lifeblood is to be constantly on t

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UK - Sound equipment from BSS Audio and Martin Audio is being used extensively in the first Minibar, Ministry of Sound's newly-piloted bar concept. The first is at Harrogate's Grade 1-listed original bath house (which also incorporates a Revolution Bar and JD Wetherspoon). Inside, there's a jacuzzi, hanging chairs, a massive chandelier, three VIP areas, touch-screen computers replacing waiters; plus a high-quality sound system and visual effects, which require complex processing and routing.

All system processing, switching and routing is handled by proprietary Soundweb components from BSS Audio, a company with which system specifier, Dave Bradshaw has enjoyed a long relationship. The 700-capacity venue is divided into eight zones, spread across two floors. This includes the pure white 'Kandi Bar' downstairs, replete with giant leather beds. Bradshaw has set up a DSP network bas

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South Africa - The newest premier nightclub to hit Johannesburg - The Manhattan Club - opened to the public at a spectacular launch party on 1 April in Rivonia, an upmarket suburb of the city. Club Manhattan owners, Jonathan Akal and Guy van der Post, have spared no expense on quality finishes and products and a spectacular concept for the new club, including a powerful EAW sound system.

Both the audio and lighting have been supplied and installed by EAW's South African distributor, Johannesburg-based audio specialists, Surgesound. The audio rig comprises four EAW Avalon DC4 full-range loudspeaker systems comprising two 12" LF speakers, one 8" MF speaker, a single 1" exit compression driver each, along with four EAW Avalon DCS2 subs featuring EAW's advanced horn-loaded technology, which maximizes horn length in a relatively small enclosure. The DCS2 subs offer dua

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Hong Kong - St Moritz in Switzerland was the setting for a recent fashion show by Alexander & Peter Slupinski, where the great and the good of the fashion world assembled to see the Slupinski's latest creations on the catwalk. And this year, for the first time, they took advantage of Lighthouse screen technology to provide a fantastically versatile and eye catching show.

Swiss production hire specialist Winkler Veranstaltungstechnik provided three Lighthouse 4x6 panel R6 LED screens - two at the front of the catwalk entrance which the models walked between, with one further back to provide a seamless backdrop as the models paraded.The screen footage was all graphics-based, put together by video designer Roni Huber and graphic designer Roger Wydler, and designed to perfectly complement the garments.

"Mr. Slupinski knew what he wanted and how the overall impression should l

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USA - dbx Professional Products, a division of Harman International, has announced a recent installation at the new Aquatic Center in Ventura, California, which employs the dbx ZonePRO 640 digital zone processor as the audio central controller.

During the Center's design phase, it was decided that great sound was a crucial ingredient, both for enhanced enjoyment of the park and to assure clear, intelligible announcements for security and emergency purposes: the ZonePRO 640 is now providing highly discrete zoned audio throughout the new centre in a compact, easy-to-program and cost-effective system, say dbx.

The $22 million Ventura Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art facility that offers users of all ages and skill levels the best in water sports. The Center features a 1.5-mile walking trail perimeter, large grassy malls, two 25ft water slides, a Children's area with two wadin

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USA - A Lectrosonics wireless user for many years, production sound mixer David Daniel had never really stopped to consider where exactly the company was based - until an on-set mishap during the first 10 days of filming The Flock - a movie starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes - left him short of transmitters while shooting on location in Albuquerque.

"Rio Rancho could have been anywhere," says Daniel. "It didn't occur to me until I was into the shoot and Claire goes to the restroom and drops her transmitter into the toilet that the Lectrosonics plant was around here somewhere. Thankfully, it turned out to be a suburb of Albuquerque. I called and, before I left the set that day, Karl Winkler from Lectrosonics was on the set with two replacement transmitters including one of the new SM 'Super Mini' units."

The SM super-miniature transmitter was ' we

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Belgium - Ampco Belgium has announced the first sale in Belgium of the brand new Midas XL8 digital mixing console, to DEE Sound & Light of Boom, Belgium. The purchase of the flagship console, launched at ProLight&Sound in Frankfurt, also marks the birth of DEE Light & Sounds' new DEE Digital Rentals division, which at the same time has announced the purchase of a Digidesign Venue digital mixing environment.

DEE Sound & Light founder, owner and managing director André Schneider has grown the company to become a major player in the Belgian audio and lighting rental industry, and has already invested a substantial sum in the latest Midas technology. Clients range from festivals and international promoters including Clear Channel Entertainment to Europe's leading theatre companies, with productions touring almost constantly through Europe and the rest of the world.

Karel de

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Belgium - Specialist Belgian audio-visual company DB Videoproductions has recently given its services a major upgrade by the creation of a brand new, state of the art OB truck, built around a DiGiCo D5 console. Based near Antwerp, the truck is the company's fourth OB facility, but the first to feature full digital audio recording and mixing facilities.

DB Videoproductions specialises in entertainment and sports outside broadcasting, where the sound is just as important as the images. "We felt it was time to upgrade our services to include multitrack recording and the ability to deliver material direct to CD or DVD immediately after an event," says the company's Ivan Mangelschots.

The new UNIT4 truck couples the DiGiCo D5 to a Sadie 64 hard disk recorder and Pro Tools HD3 system, which provides a 64-track recording system of ultra-high audio quality. "The D5 is t

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Sweden / China - Wireless DMX debuted in China last autumn during the Sanya Carnival, thanks to Guangzhou Television, one of the largest TV stations in the country, who ordered four wireless DMX universes for the event. The carnival, which led up to the 55th Miss World Pageant Finals took place in Sanya, a beautiful sunshine-filled city on South China's Hainan Island. The Miss World Final has taken place there for the last three years.

The order was placed during the CALM show in Beijing through Wireless Solution's local distributor, Guangzhou Leifull Light & Sound. Leifull has offices in Guanzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and offers clients technical support and training for both project and installation. They were selected over tough competition to supply the equipment for the event.

Leifull used 18 units of W-DMX R-512 receivers on the East bank of the Sanya River a

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Germany / Denmark - Leading amplifier manufacturer Camco GmbH reports that it has "taken the bold step of transferring its distribution business in Denmark to an all-new start-up company". Effective from April, the recently incorporated Pascal A/S will be responsible for the distribution and support of all Camco products in the country.

There are some familiar industry faces behind Pascal, notably Thomas Kyhn and Peter Frentz, formerly of DPA Microphones, who join Jesper Hansen and Lars Fenger, who hail from other parts of the electronics industry.

With impressive in-house technical expertise, the Pascal team, based in Copenhagen, will form a new partnership with Camco's own R&D engineers in Wenden, Germany, to look at forward product development as well as distribution opportunities.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Lighting designer James Anderson, who has worked with Jethro Tull for three years as production manager and promoter, has been doing the lights for about 18 months. The band's Brazil concert was the first time he used moving lights and that's why Martin is on his specification list, as he explains: "Not only were they the first intelligent light I programmed, but you can get them virtually anywhere you are in the world, and they are really reliable."

For the UK tour, Entec Sound & Light supplied all the gear. Anderson likes the MAC 700 profiles and is using them for the first time on this tour, six on the rear truss and four on the front. He also has four MAC 600s on the front truss. He particularly likes the animation wheels on the 700 Profiles and makes much use of them for creating swirly, floaty backdrop projections. Anderson explains: "The animation whee

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Spain - Mecalux is one of the world's leading companies in the warehousing system market. Its activity consists of designing, manufacturing, trading and providing services related to metal shelving, automated warehouses and other storage solutions. The company, whose distribution network spans Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, USA, Poland, Austria and the UK, recently opened a new HQ - the Mecalux Building, located in the Almeda Industrial Park in the city of Cornella de Llobregat, outside Barcelona. The four storey building and parking area have been outfitted with a D.A.S. paging system.

The paging system consists of 390 CL-6T ceiling loudspeakers equipped with a multi-tap line transformer. The D.A.S. speakers are easy to install thanks to their self-locking turrets and provide excellent sound reproduction capabilities. The speakers are powered by D.A

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UK - Robe moving lights and Anolis LED fixtures have been specified and installed into Fusion, a new 750 capacity nightclub in Wellington - a suburb of Telford, Shropshire. The independently owned venue has been a club in the past but was disused for some time before its acquisition by ER Leisure. It was then completely refitted, with a new interior design by Graham Chance of Breley Design, and a lighting, sound and AV design by Andy Chamley of AC Audio Rentals.

The owner wanted four circular and two S-shaped trusses installed in the roof as visual rigging points for the lights and to give the roof a shape and form, but other than that, Chamley was given complete carte blanche to create an interesting and eye-catching design. It also had to be diverse enough to meet the club's broad-based music policy, and make the reasonably intimate space come alive from all levels and angles.

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UK - Theatre sound specialist Orbital has combined forces with the National Theatre's sound department to deliver their sixth four-day course for stage management and technical theatre students keen to pursue sound as a career.

Both Orbital and the NT are concerned that there is a skills shortfall - that young people entering the industry have little experience of the latest technology and techniques. The course is designed to enhance the "skills sets" of students in line with the growing expectations of directors, producers and audiences.

Building on the success of its previous years, the course was filled to capacity with over 20 students attending from drama colleges nationwide, including Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Queen Margaret University College and GSA Conservatoire. Students also attended from The Danish National Theatr

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USA - Shure endorsers took top honors at this year's 37th Annual GMA Music Awards on 5 April. Chris Tomlin was named Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, while his song "How Great Is Our God," won Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year. The David Crowder Band walked away with honors for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year. Both endorsers performed their hit songs on Shure's UHF-R Wireless Systems with KSM9 capsules.

"Every year it's a rewarding experience to watch all of the evening's performers win big and sound incredible," said Ryan Smith of Shure Artist Relations Nashville. "The genre of gospel music continues to diversify, and many of these artists are crossing over into mainstream radio. I think that speaks volumes for the appeal this music has on the industry today."

Also p

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Dubai - Martin Professional reports that its MAC 700 Profile continues to be specified in an ever growing number of projects and installations around the world, from North America and Europe to the Far East and Australia, with the latest appearance in a Dubai television studio.

Tthe 700W profile spot is the feature light in Studio F for Dubai TV's Sports Channel. Sports Channel lighting designer Ziad Haddad comments: "We use about 40 Martin moving lights in this studio, divided between MAC 600 washlights and the latest MAC 700 Profile. The aim of getting the moving lights was to add a new and contemporary look to the sets. Moving lights give us the ability to change the mood and colour on each set and Martin's systems have helped us do this very well."

The MAC lights were supplied to Dubai TV through Martin's Middle East representative, Martin Professional Middle Eas

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USA - Stationed at front-of-house, Fritz is one of the most important members of the production crew on the Pussycat Dolls' US tour. Fritz, otherwise known as the Neumann KU 100 dummy head, is helping Bryan Cross, live sound engineer and production manager for the Pussycat Dolls, monitor the sound from the audience perspective.

Cross mixes the girls' Sennheiser evolution wireless G2 microphone and wireless monitor systems from a mixing console at the side of the stage. "I'm doing monitors and front-of-house for the girls off the monitor desk," he explains, "I have the dummy head sitting out at front-of-house and it's returning two lines back to 'monitor world'. I'm sending all my monitor mixes pre-fader from the console, using the internal effects, and mixing left/right on the faders and sending it to the house."

The KU 100 model human head features microph

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