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Romania - Mondy's Club - a 1,000 capacity nightclub on the Romanian Black Sea coast - has recently reopened after full redesign and refurbishment, which was completed in just 45 days. The venue leads the way in the country in many ways: it hosts the largest bar (12m long), it is the first to install large beds for the comfort of the night revellers and displays not one but two large fishtanks, one as an eye-catching backdrop to the main bar and one as a most unusual flooring to one of the bedded relaxation areas.

Local company 3 Fingers was responsible for the entire design and installation for club owners Calatis. Although all the furniture was custom-made, the walls were purposely kept bare and white to emphasise the vast LED lighting installation. A total of almost 16m of flexi

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UK - UK distributor Stagetec has announced the product line-up from Compulite for the PLASA Show. The company's Dlite range was officially launched at PLASA last year and has already been popular in a wide range of applications including TV studios, theatres, arts centres, schools and colleges. This year sees the launch of the largest system in the Dlite family with an integral 48/96 channel manual console.

Also new, CompuPACK is a range of portable digital dimmers being launched at PLASA.Available in either 12 x 2.5kW or 6 x 5kW power ratings, a range of formats will be shown including hard-wired, UK 15A, Ceeform, Schuko, Socapex and Weiland. CompuPACK can be controlled via DMX or Ethernet and incorporates both MCB protection for the incoming mains supply and an MCB per output channel. The built-in LCD display and function buttons allow quick and easy set-up of a whole host of

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France - Located in Vallée de la Maurienne, Savoie in the French Alps is the family-oriented ski area of La Norma. Henri Ratel, La Norma's mayor, and Bruno Garros, managing director of Martin Professional France, met in 2004 to discuss the idea of creating a special one-week event with dynamic lighting during the ski season. Mutual interest was quickly recognised and a plan agreed upon: Martin would provide technical know-how and equipment while La Norma would offer Martin Architectural the opportunity to invite customers to experience the resort dressed in an overall dynamic lighting concept.

The event was a success and ultimately the town's tourist office chose to invest in the lighting to illuminate both the town and the base of the ski area. La Norma wished to associate the dynamic lighting scheme with the resort's new blue and rose-colored logo as well as the town's

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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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Worldwide - After her last album The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey has launched her World Tour The Adventures of Mimi. Beginning in Tunisia, the journey leads trough the USA, Canada, Japan and ends on 28 October in China. On the road with Mariah are two grandMA full-size consoles and four NSPs.

The MA system was great support to lighting designer Justin Collie and lighting director Michael 'Sparky' Anderson who applied among other things 56 Vari-Lite 3000 Spots, 50 MAC 2000 Wash, 38 Atomic Strobes, six 7K Syncrolites and 44 Color Kinetics Color Blasts for the lighting rig. The task of programming the show was given to programmer Demfis Fyssicopulos. He comments: "As expected for Mariah the production is as big as she is. Everywhere one looks, there's something that just can't be missed."

The performance area consists of two stages - a main stage and

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Italy - The main stage at the Umbria Jazz Festival in July relied heavily on Radian MicroWedges for the second consecutive year, with 12 RMW-1122 12" and four RMW-1152 15" enclosures providing onstage monitoring for performers such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Diana Krall, James Brown and Jamie Cullum. Italian sound reinforcement equipment manufacturer and distributor Reference Laboratory provided the low profile, two-way, coaxial Radian MicroWedges as part of a complete sound and lighting package for the Arena Santa Giuliana.

Monitor engineer Claudio Venturelli admitted to having been initially skeptical about the MicroWedges, but was quickly won over: "Their main strength is probably the very vertical and narrow directivity pattern, which helps to keep the stage clean even when you have as many as 21 monitors playing really loud," said Venturelli.

&q

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UK - PLASA 2006 will see the first pre-production unveiling of EM Acoustics' new take on self-powered loudspeaker technology - the DA-1 amplifier module. Although the product will not be shipping until 2007, PLASA 2006 marks the first opportunity for people to get to see the unit "in the flesh", and hear about it from the EM Acoustics designers, as well as see the products that the unit will fit into.

A unique "one size fits all" approach was the core ethos behind the product concept, and as such the DA-1 "will be the most flexible self-powered module on the market today" say EM Acoustics. The DA-1 is a lightweight, two-channel Class-T amplifier, designed to fit into a variety of EM Acoustics' current product range. By using the onboard DSP power, a few button presses can reconfigure the amplifier from 2-channel to bridge-mono mode, and recall limit

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UAE / Saudi Arabia - Multisell announced today that it has appointed AEC as its distributor to boost sales in the Saudi Arabian market. AEC will be responsible for distributing the Multisell Technology range of MIM (Motion Interactive Media) solutions, including MultiFx, iPoint and Lumin projection screens to system integrators and up-market end-user clients.

"We have studied the Saudi market for more than a year, proactively looking for a reliable partner able to offer our line of products and provide unmatched client support and servicing," Said David Holm-Glad, managing director MultiSell Technology ME.

AEC's systems solution division will be the system integrator and the link between the two companies, with more than 100 managers, engineers and technicians amongst them. Focus on vertical markets such as retail, events, advertising and security will be key success

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UK - HSL Group Holdings is exhibiting at PLASA 2006 for the second time in its own right, highlighting its diverse range of products and services. The Blackburn-based company has three divisions - HSL Rental, HSL Rigging and HSL Sales & Distribution.

Recent concert touring projects include Massive Attack's summer festival tour, which saw HSL investing over £100,000 in new Chroma-Q ColorBlock LED fixtures for their distinct 'visuals wall' designed by UVA. They also supplied Robe Robe ColorWash and ColorSpot 1200AT moving lights, PAR cans and scrollers, ZR 33 smokers, two hazers, a technician and a Wholehog II console run by lighting director Rohan Harrison.

HSL also supplied all lighting and rigging to LD Dave Byars for the Beautiful South's Superbi tour, and will be supplying eight arenas, including the main outdoor stage, of lighting for the 2006 Creamfields fest

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USA - Recognised worldwide as the most comprehensive training course of its kind, the Tomcat Hoist and Rigging Workshop is a unique learning opportunity for those new to the entertainment industry, as well as veterans of the business. And until August of this year, you had to come to Midland, Texas to take part in this course.

However, after years of enquiries from various companies and groups around the US, Tomcat USA has reported that the first ever Hoist and Rigging Workshop took place August 1-4, 2006 at the historic National Theatre.

Working with I.A.T.S.E. Local 22 in Washington D.C., Tomcat provided comprehensive training for over 50 union members. Many were from the Baltimore/D.C. area - and some participants traveled in from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, New Jersey and Delaware to be a part of the training.

Don Dimitroff of Columbus McKinnon coached participan

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UK / USA - New York City-based City Theatrical is launching a new line of CE compliant products at PLASA this year, and for the first time, CTI's most popular products will be fully compliant with the new Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations, as well as having CE certification.

Products that already had CE compliance and are now also RoHS compliant include AutoYoke, EFX Plus2, and all products in the WDS Wireless Data System family. Products gaining CE with full RoHS compliance for the first time include four products in the PDS family of power/data supplies for Color Kinetics products: PDS-750 TR; PDS-375 TR; PDS-375 TRB; and PDS-50, as well as the City Theatrical Projector Dowser and DMX Iris.

CTI's president Gary Fails commented: "The entire world is increasingly aware of the hazards of electronic waste, particularly leaded solder. Since our products

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USA - Ben Harper's music is a unique combination of rock, soul, and blues with roots in reggae. His latest album, Both Sides Of The Gun, is no exception. The singer-songwriter and his band, the Innocent Criminals, will be promoting his eighteen-track album in a twenty-two date U.S. tour.

Ben Harper and management team including tour manager, Scott Cadwallader, production manager, Kenny Nicholson, and lighting designer, Keith Wissmar chose Bandit Lites to supply lighting for the tour.

"Ben [Harper] expressed a very keen desire to add video as a new element to his show- simple, big images. This obviously affected the lighting design from the European tour, which had no video. Keith [Wissmar] took this onboard and came up with a very smooth blending of the lighting and video elements," explained Dizzy Gosnell, of Bandit's San Francisco office.

Bandit's own Shaw

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UK - Crown will be exhibiting their range of power amplification products at this year's PLASA show. Alongside such established models as the affordable XLS range of amps, you'll find a mixture of products aimed at the commercial and industrial sectors, live sound-reinforcement applications, and the high-end installed-sound market.

New to Crown's Commercial Audio series is the 660A, a six-channel analogue amp designed for commercial and industrial audio applications such as paging, announcements and the provision of music in schools, hospitals, factories and restaurants. It has six inputs and six 60W outputs, so it can drive different types of speakers in different parts of a building or business. Four ohm outputs are available on all output channels, and channels 1 to 4 additionally offer constant-voltage outputs at 70V and 100V. Like other Crown Commercial Audio products, the

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UK - Marantz Professional has announced the release of its CC4001P Studioline 5-Carousel CD Changer. This is an upgraded replacement for the CC4300, with many new features. Principal among these is that the CD changer will play up to five CD-R/RW and MP3 discs, providing a jukebox of nearly 5,000 tracks. Up to 999 tracks can be contained on a single disc.

The multi-featured machine also incorporates dual digital (coaxial and optical) outputs as well as volume-adjustable headphone output and a bi-directional RS-232C terminal.

Although the previous model (CC4300P) also included an RS-232C terminal, the specifications were unidirectional - only for executing commands. The CC4001P improves on this by supporting bi-directional communication, in which the operating status is sent in reply to commands issued from the controller. This enables customers to prepare a more user-friendly

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UK - Launched in April and being shown in the UK for the first time at PLASA 2006 is dbx's DriveRack 4820 processor. The second generation of the DriveRack concept, launched last year with the DriveRack 4800, aims to provide users with all the processing and control they need to EQ and manage loudspeaker systems in large-scale live installations. Last year's 4800 processor kicked off the new DriveRack range in style, with its large colour display and plenty of front-panel controls to access the processing power. Now the 4820 provides a more affordable alternative, with a tamperproof front-panel user interface and an emphasis on using the System Architect software to access the functions of the unit in detail.

The 4820 is otherwise unchanged - it has the same four inputs and eight outputs on analogue XLR and AES/EBU digital connectors, the same 96kHz processing engine, and the sa

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USA - Manhattan clubbing is a little more upscale at The Manor, where the approach to nightlife is truly luxurious. Those who are lucky enough to make it inside experience an exclusive environment where proscenium arches, dioramas and dark leather set the scene, and the clean power of a Danley Sound Labs loudspeaker system sets the pace.

According to Steve Petrik, systems designer of D&A (NYC), his decision to design the sound system around eight Danley Sound Labs SH-100 full-range loudspeakers, six SH-50 three-way loudspeakers, and six TH-112 subwoofers, has enabled the 5,000 sq.ft. bi-level Manor to deliver a premium sonic experience to its selective patrons.

"This is one of the best-sounding systems that I've heard in NYC in several years," Petrik states. "It has to be able to handle almost every genre of music, including hip-hop, rock, dance and even jazzier

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UK - The Glade stage at Glastonbury Festival was the forum for cutting edge electronic and dance music. In 2004 the team behind Glade started their own event and continued running the stage at Glastonbury. The Glade Festival provides a platform for electronic music from around the world.

The atmosphere combined with the range of dance music and live acts with top live acts and DJsperforming back to back throughout the day is unique. Running late into the night things switch over to a more chilled and laid back pace, but it is the blend of stages and areas that make the festival so enjoyable, notably the Overkill and Breaksday tents.

The Breaksday stage is a mix of break and psy trance. Live acts include Hybrid, Krafty Kuts, Meat Katie and many DJs from Canada, Australia and Italy. Breaksday featured an arch of AC Lighting Colour Block as a centre-piece over the stage with each

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USA - System Of A Down, supported by David Benveniste of Velvet Hammer Management, tour manager Ken Denson and production manager Janet Taylor, recently wrapped up a tour as part of Ozzfest- a touring festival with two stages and approximately 15 bands. In its eleventh year, Ozzfest kicked off on 29 June, in Seattle, Washington and wrapped up on 13 August in West Palm Beach, Florida. System Of A Down shared time with Ozzfest's very own Ozzy Osbourne headlining the show. This is the eighth year Bandit has provided lighting for System Of A Down.

System Of A Down's lighting designer, Chaz Martin chose to incorporate four 36 lamp pods with 600w ACLs, 20 atomic strobes, 12 Martin 2k washes and 12 Martin 2k profiles (six moving lights on each pod). Martin used a Martin Maxxyz console with a Martin Maxedia linked to the console.

Martin said that the general idea was to create somethi

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UK - Sony-BMG recording artist Eros Ramazzotti recently finished the second leg of his 2006 World Tour, which closed with three nights at Montecarlo's famous Sporting Club. Sound was mixed by Jon Lemon (Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, Beck, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, amongst many others), and on stage by Stevan Martinovic, each using a DiGiCo D5 Live desk. Audio and lighting were supplied by top Italian rental firm Agorà of L'Aquila.

Lemon said: "In 2004 with Eros, we used basically the same PA, but ran it in analogue. This year, to make the most of the digital desk's features, I convinced Agorà to run the whole system as digitally as possible, as staying in the digital domain obviously gives you more separation and edge, which is the whole idea behind using the desk."

Regarding the choice of an all-digital chain from desks to amp racks, Lemon, who used the same idea on t

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USA - Production Resource Group (PRG) has named Darren DeVerna president of the company's east coast operations. He will work out of PRG's offices in New York City, Mount Vernon and New Windsor, NY, and North Bergen, NJ.

DeVerna most recently served as PRG's senior vice-president of business development. He also managed the company's lighting, audio, and video operations in the northeastern US and oversaw PRG's support for theatrical productions on Broadway and on tour throughout North America.

He began his career with Four Star Lighting, which he was instrumental in growing into one of the major lighting companies serving the Broadway market. He was president of Four Star when the company merged with PRG in 2001.

"Darren literally grew up in the entertainment industry and his range and depth of experience give him an unparalleled ability to understand a client's needs

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UK - Northern Light has recently won the tender to install state-of-the-art AV equipment in 12 of the University of Stirling's teaching rooms. Working directly for the main contactor, Hadden Construction, Northern Light's AV team will complete the installation in mid-September 2006.

Stephen Dishon, AV manager at Northern Light, said: "Northern Light has had a long working partnership with the University of Stirling. As well as carrying out this current project, we were previously responsible for kitting out 20 other lecture theatres, including the Pathfoot and Logie, with capacity for 210 and 350 respectively."

This project utilises the most up to date technology. Each teaching room, which can hold up to 50 students or corporate delegates, will be equipped with a data projector, sound system and IR system. These will be controlled via a Crestron system which interfac

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USA - CBI has introduced a cable that allows power and audio in one run. This cable has been developed in accordance with the increased use of active and powered speakers. The new PowerAudio cable is a seven conductor composite cable consisting of (1) 14 AWG three conductor shielded jacketed group, (2) 24 AWG double-shielded jacketed pairs, with fillers added for roundness and an overall PVC jacket. The cable is manufactured as UL AWM Style 2464 80°C 300 volts.

This hybrid cable is terminated with connectors of the purchaser's choice including PowerCon, Edison, IEC, and XLRs. Custom configurations are available. The lines are also individually jacketed to allow a long fan length without an increased labor cost. The PowerAudio cable will be featured at the forthcoming LDI show in Las Vegas (October 20-22) at booth 887.

(Lee Baldock)

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