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Belgium - Philips Lumileds Lighting Company announced today that it has established new luminance performance records for solid-state lighting technology at 1 Amp. Among the new benchmarks reported by Philips are:
For white devices, luminance of 38 meganits (Mcd/m2), approximately 50% more luminance than that of an automotive headlamp halogen bulb (~25 meganits) was achieved.
For InGaN blue devices, a radiance of 200mW/mm2sr was realised.
For InGaN green devices, luminance of 37 meganits (Mcd/m2) was achieved.

"These solid-state light sources - that fit on the head of a matchstick - demonstrate light output performance levels well beyond what is possible from today's state-of-the-art LEDs and are indicative of the evolutionary research and development work being d

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Germany / USA - Telex Communications Holdings Inc of Minneapolis has announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, which will see Bosch acquire Telex for an aggregate purchase price of $420 million. Upon closing of the merger, the surviving company's name will be Telex Communications Holdings Inc, with headquarters remaining in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Telex - a leading manufacturer and supplier of professional audio, wireless, life safety and communication equipment- achieved sales of $308 million in 2005, and has nearly 2,000 employees at 14 locations in nine countries. The company is home to well-known brands such as Electro-Voice, Dynacord, Midas, Klark Teknik, Telex and RTS. If the merger is consummated, Telex will be assigned to, and come under the leadership of, the Bosch Security Systems division.

"W

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The Netherlands - The organisers of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2007 say that an unprecedented demand for stand space has prompted the addition of a fourth hall at the Amsterdam RAI.

Overall, 400 exhibitors are expected to attend ISE 2007, up from 300 at this year's event in Brussels. ISE's organisers have signed up companies including Thompson Grass Valley, Sony, Eiki, Crestron, Mitsubishi, Kramer and Extron are returning and will be occupying significant floor space at the show, while Canon and Yamaha have been signed up as exhibitors for 2007.

ISE managing director Mike Blackman says that a massive upturn in the AV systems integration market, and recent strong performances at InfoComm and CEDIA are behind the surge in exhibitor interest for ISE 2007. CEDIA has just closed in London with record attendances and a packed conference programme. "This year, we have seen

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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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USA - Dolby Laboratories Inc reports that Eighth Day Sound Systems Inc, one of the largest sound reinforcement companies in the US, has purchased 40 Dolby Lake Processors to boost its concert tour work this summer. Eighth Day Sound is using Dolby Lake Processors on many of the 2006 tours it is providing with sound systems, including those for Madonna, Widespread Panic; Tool; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Slayer; Tom Jones; and Earth, Wind and Fire.

"We were blown away by the Dolby Lake Processors the first time we heard them in action," said Jack Boessneck, executive vice-president at Eighth Day Sound. "We have used Dolby's Lake Contour processors extensively on tour after tour since 2003; they had the hottest interface available and the performance was absolutely brilliant. The new Dolby Lake Processors take it to the next level with even more control and flexibi

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Switzerland - For the 40th time since 1966, the Montreux Jazz Festival will present 16 days and nights of indoor and outdoor concerts. More than a quarter of a million music lovers from around the globe are expected to attend this year's festival to hear 200-plus international artists spanning the music world.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Meyer Sound's official sound sponsorship of the festival. Approximately 370 of the company's self-powered loudspeakers, supplied by six different Swiss and French hire companies, are deployed for sound reinforcement throughout the festival's venues, ranging from the gracefully arcing curvilinear arrays in the capacious 3,500-capacity Stravinski Hall down to more modest systems for the workshop rooms and press center.

"We first met Claude Nobs when John and I lived in Switzerland while he was working at the Institute for A

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Germany - For a nation fixated on model building (Germany has the highest per capita concentration of model railway enthusiasts in the world), the Germans have outdone themselves for the World Cup. Accept the premise that there is just no way everyone who wants to attend the various matches of the World Cup can possibly be accommodated. Solution: place large format outdoor LED TV screens in prominent public spaces throughout German cities, then add a good quality PA system and voila, problem solved.

Except that it's not quite the same experience: yes, you can see it all, arguably better than those actually watching the match in the stadium, and yes, you have the atmosphere of possibly being amongst a large crowd who all share in the excitement . . . but it's not the stadium is itΩ

Adidas has found the ideal solution: in Berlin they have built the Adidas Arena; a scaffold

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Czech Republic - Robe Show Lighting has introduced the feature-packed ColorSpot 2500E AT - its most powerful moving light fixture to date. Applications will include large venues, concerts and stadiums, outdoor shows, corporate and special events and anywhere a versatile big output lightsource is required, including for searchlight effects, say the company.

The fixture is robustly constructed and features a new handle design. It's designed to withstand both the rigours of the road and the challenges of different weather and operating conditions. The CS 2500E AT uses an MSR Gold 1200 SA/SE FastFit lamp with an 1400W electronic ballast, while its optical system consists of a high luminous efficiency parabolic glass reflector, focus lens and multi-step zoom lens with a 10-30° beam angle. All lenses are anti-reflection coated.

The CMY colour mixing system is ultra-smooth, say t

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UK - Vertigo Rigging has announced another new addition to its stock of specialist rigging products. The high-strength, lightweight Flightdeck system is designed to allow fast and economical creation of walkways and gantries for access, stages and flown bridges for scenic requirements and decks for towers and camera platforms, say the company.

"The most versatile attachment to truss on the market", according to Vertigo, Flightdeck is a flexible, modular and lightweight system, designed and engineered by Vertigo Rigging and available exclusively to Vertigo's rental and sales clients. The system is available complete with load-bearing hand rails for safety, and can be supplied with access hatches if required. The Standard Flightdeck system comes in 1m x 2m deck sections, and bespoke sizes can be fabricated on request.

The company says Flightdeck is available from stock

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USA / Europe - Color Kinetics reports that its product lines now comply with the RoHS environmental directive, in accordance with the 1 July, 2006 deadline. RoHS calls for the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment sold into the European market.

By successfully completing the measures required for compliance, Color Kinetics will also be prepared to meet similar regulations pending worldwide, including RoHS adoption by Australia, Canada, Korea and Taiwan.

"Color Kinetics is increasingly a global business, and since inception we have taken many steps to meet or exceed global standards - whether to gain UL and CE certification for safety, or to comply with IEC standards for product interoperability across international markets," said Bill Sims, President and CEO, Color Kinetics. "The investment made in achieving RoHS comp

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UK - Stage Technologies have appointed Gemma Guy to work with their International sales department based in London with a view to strengthening sales, primarily in the European market.

Having been trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Gemma has been involved in the theatre entertainment industry for over 10 years. She has extensive experience managing technical departments both onboard a multitude of Carnival cruise ships and as technical coordinator ashore in Carnival Corporation's headquarters in Miami. Subsequently, as technical sales manager for Harbour Marine Systems' Miami office, she has interacted with many cruise lines, theatre facilities and manufacturers. Her extensive experience in management and sales has given her firm foundations from which to develop this new role within Stage Technologies, say the company.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - The PLASA Show (Earls Court, London, 10-13 September 2006) is now welcoming nominations for the popular PLASA Awards for Innovation, which will once again form a major attraction at the event this year. At last year's show, no less than 68 nominated products covering various product areas within lighting, audio, staging and AV, were displayed on the Innovation Gallery, which is sponsored by Lighting&Sound International magazine and situated right at the entrance to Earls Court's ground floor.

Judged on the grounds of their 'Innovation' alone, the nominated products are closely assessed by a panel of expert industry practitioners, chaired by L&SI magazine's Technical Editor, James Eade. There are nine awards available in total - eight Awards for Innovation of equal standing, plus an Award for Environmental Impact, which

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UK - White Light is supplying the lighting equipment to the first West End revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Evita, which opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 24 June.

Directed by Michael Grandage, designed by Christopher Oram and with choreography by Rob Ashford - the team behind the hit production of Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre, Evita is being lit by two-time Olivier Award winner Paule Constable.

Constable's design includes a diverse range of lighting equipment, much of it available from White Light's extensive hire stock - but with one particular light created by White Light specifically for the production. The conventional rig includes ETC Source Fours and Source Four Pars, Strand Alto and Cadenza PCs, Alto Fresnels and Strand and Arri 5kW Fresnels, Par 64s and ADB Svoboda battens, plus 200 Rainbow Pro scrollers in a ra

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UK - With just hours to go before the controversial RoHS (Restrictions of Hazardous Substances) Directive passes into UK law on 1 July, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) has issued a warning to its members about the forthcoming EuP (Energy-using Products) Directive, which may have the potential to hit manufacturers even harder than RoHS. The Association is urging members to familiarise themselves with the new regulations well before they come into effect next year.

Passed by the European Parliament in 2005 and due to be implemented into UK law on 11 August 2007, the EuP Directive aims to improve the environmental performance of all products that use any form of energy, throughout their entire life cycle of manufacturing, use and disposal. It will do so by enforcing systematic integration of environmental aspects at the earliest stage of product design.

Li

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Qatar - In February of this year, Canadian rock star Bryan Adams brought his Room Service tour to Doha, the capital of Qatar. The concert had been organized as part of a charity campaign, named 'Reach Out to Asia', promoted by the daughter of the Emirate to raise money for the victims of the tsunami. The show at the stadium at Doha, Al Sadd, lasted over 90 minutes and the meeting on the stage between Adams and the young Iraqi star Bilal was particularly striking.

Qatar Vision took care of the supply and installation of all audio-visual equipment, in addition to constructing the stage, which took three full days. The lighting system was composed solely of Clay Paky equipment, with 150 moving head projectors (including numerous Alpha Spot HPE 575s - the effects projector which offers 20 gobos, an animation disk, a colour system with a luminosity unattainable by most 575W pr

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UK - For their current tour, Rock legends The Who requested that the cables used to mic Zak Starkey's drum kit matched the kit's chrome finish. They also wanted a strong, flexible cable for Roger Daltry's microphone - one that could withstand the rigours of his on-stage performance.

Entec, the sound company handling the European and UK leg of The Who's current European and US tour, were happy to oblige and turned to cable specialist VDC Trading for assistance. "We supplied Entec with a Van Damme Star Quad microphone cable for Roger Daltry because it is incredibly tough and is built to withstand on-stage radio interference," says VDC account manager Carl Stage. "For the drum kit, we sourced Vam Damme classic mic cable finished in grey with matching grey boots for all connectors."

The cable has already been used for a number of performances, including The Who

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USA - The Infocomm show in Orlando at the beginning of June not only saw DiGiCo's renowned range of live digital mixing consoles grace their booth, but also witnessed a DiGiCo D1 in use at the Technologies For Worship Magazine Conference Quiet Stage. The Quiet Stage, a new departure for TFWM, was designed to demonstrate digital instrument and in-ear monitoring technology.

A D1 Live 56 (56 inputs, eight analogue outputs and an Aviom Card) plus stage rack with a DiGiCo digital snake between the two that utilized just two CoAx cables, performed front-of-house duties. It also featured a local rack and a MADICorder to record and playback the band performing there and a small Meyer FOH loudspeaker system to demonstrate the difference between having the loudspeakers on or in-ear monitors.

"The Quiet Stage was a huge success," said Barry Cobus, VP of marketing at TFWM. "

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UK - Star Events Group have built a 9.5m by 12.5m screen tower in Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf on which a giant screen was scheduled to broadcast World Cup Football matches from the BBC throughout the tournament. Organisers at Canary Wharf provided the service so that visitors and workers in and around Canary Wharf could enjoy a break from their daily routines and enjoy constant coverage of sport and news items.

Despite some unexpected crowd disturbance that took place during the first England match, Canary Wharf Group took the decision to keep the screen tower, and its huge screen provided by XL Video, in situ to broadcast the forthcoming events such as Wimbledon, Royal Ascot and other popular BBC programmes and events.

Sian Astrop, manager of Arts & Events for Canary Wharf Management Ltd said: "The screen and screen tower together looks like a huge television in the

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UK - Audio-Technica has announced the forthcoming release of its new AT-MX381 SmartMixer, an 8-channel automatic mixer designed to deliver instant and intuitive control of multi-microphone installations. Intended for use with both low-impedance dynamic and condenser mics (including wireless systems), and line level sources, the AT-MX381 features 8 balanced mic/line inputs each with individually selectable 48V phantom power, input gain and level controls.

Basic functionality such as gain and level can be controlled from the mixer's front panel. Optional computer control allows more detailed channel settings such as low-cut filter to be configured via PC, using the included SmartMixer software. Designed for intuitive, easy-to-use operation, the mixer automatically keeps the number of open microphones to a minimum, bringing background noise and feedback under control while providin

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USA - An unlikely combination, one might think, but one that is nevertheless finding great success as guitar legend Mark Knopfler and US country diva Emmylou Harris tour Europe and North America with their collaborative album, All the Roadrunning. Knopfler turned to the company, and with it the loudspeaker brand, he has relied on since the beginning of his solo career; that is Luton-based Concert Sound, and EAW.

Concert Sound's Andy Davies confirmed that Knopfler has been an EAW aficionado since his debut as a solo artist some 10 years ago. "Back then we were using what was at the time the industry-standard touring rig - a KF850/853 system. Three years ago, after many years of long and tireless service, we replaced it with the KF760 line array, which performs fabulously well. For my money, there isn't a better system on the market in terms of audio clarity and consis

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Spain - Rigging, drape and starcloth specialist Blackout, were instrumental in providing the facilities for a truly star studded event held in early June in the National Museum in Barcelona, Spain (MNAC).

This was the Laureus World Sports Awards Welcome Party for 800 VIP guests from the realms of Sport, Cinema and Music. Some of the famous people in attendance were His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, actors Teri Hatcher and Morgan Freeman, and Edwin Moses who represented the Sports interest.

"Blackout provided StarLED starcloth and new pipe and drape system which were instrumental in providing the flexibility needed to achieve another dimension within the confines of the space," said designer Adrian Smith. "They also helped to create a setting for both formal and informal seating areas to suit the various moods that we invoked."

The use of Blackout's s

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UK - 2006 sees HHB Communications, Europe's leading independent supplier of professional audio equipment, celebrating 30 years in business. The occasion was marked with a party at the Belvedere in London's Holland Park on 24 June, at which staff, customers, suppliers and friends from as far afield as the USA, Canada, India, Thailand and Europe, gathered to enjoy a relaxed get-together on a perfect English summer's day.

"We've always tried to run a quality business and be a source of advice and support to our customers," says HHB's founder and managing director Ian Jones, himself celebrating a fiftieth birthday this year. "We're proud of the role the company has played in pioneering digital audio technology, and of our continued innovation with groundbreaking products like our own HHB FlashMic, the world's first digital recording microphone."

Today, HHB is a

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