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UK - The Feeling have recently returned from a sell-out tour supporting 'The Fray' in the US and Canada, and are now on a nationwide tour of the UK accompanied by a complete arsenal of Sennheiser and Neumann mics, together with Sennheiser in-ears. Production manager and FOH engineer Jon Sword says: "The band are very much hands-on when it comes to microphone choice and we recently auditioned the Neumann KMS 105. We tried it out and that was it! The band specialise in close harmonies on stage and the sound was breathtaking."

Sword continues: "We find that the mic characteristics totally compliment the band's style. Mid-range is very sweet and velvety, and despite running them as loud as we would ever want them, the top end still has plenty of air and is devoid of any

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UK - Loughborough Student Union (LSU) has recently completed an extensiverefurbishment, including an overhaul of its audio equipment, to providea state-of-the-art multi-function entertainment venue for its students.All of the audio mixing equipment selected for the six rooms was fromAllen & Heath.

LSU is one of the largest student union venues in the UK with a capacityof 3,400. Open seven nights a week, it plays host to a variety of DJs,bands and celebrity acts. The venue comprises a cocktail bar calledFusion; JC's traditional pub; Cognito, a retro room with illuminateddance floor; the main room, Room 1, incorporating a large stage anddance floor; a backroom bar, Bar 1; and Piazza, a large adjoining area.The LSU team also host outdoor events, including the annual Freefestmusic concert.

"We handle a lot of different events at the SU, and can progress from anintimate acoust

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UK - Clear-Com, a Vitec Group brand and the global leader in trusted intercom solutions, has appointed Karlie Miles as director of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

In this new role, Miles will be focused on further developing and managing the Clear-Com sales and channel strategy in EMEA and overseeing the EMEA sales organisation.

"For the past seven years at Clear-Com, Karlie has made significant contribution in increasing sales within the Live Performance and Broadcasting markets and in strengthening the channel network in EMEA. We believe Karlie's appointment into this new position is absolutely key in our success to grow our business in EMEA," said Graham Ramsey, vice president of worldwide sales and support. Miles will report directly to Ramsey.

Miles started at Clear-Com as a sales manager covering the UK market in 1999, and was then promoted a

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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 - Philips has introduced the successor to the CD-R 'Lamps for Optical purposes'. The new CD-R 'Philips Optical lamps - Entertainment Lighting' is not only an update but also contains improvements for the user, says the company.

The CD-R has new, more extensive search possibilities; you can search for information via different entries and the CD-R is now application oriented. This new CD-R will support the customers in tracing product information quickly and is based on customer requests.

It will be updated twice a year and will be extended with Medical/Projection lamps in 2007.

(Chris Henry)

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Italy - L&SI has learned of the formation of the AILD - the Association of Italian Lighting Designers - conceived with support from the Libera Accademia della Luce and APIAS, the Italian trade association for professional lighting and sound.

The AILD's mission statement says it aims "to give full recognition to the professional category of the Lighting Designer who operates in a cultural context and to the art of lighting in all its forms of expression: theatre, dance, opera, television, cinema, live events, direction of photography and architectural lighting", and "to protect the right of authorship" of lighting designs.

Giovanni Pinna, president of the AILD, says: "Our belief in this ambitious adventure, in the collaboration of our international colleagues and above all in the other Associations who have worked successfully in this field for some tim

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Russia - A substantial Robe moving light system, complete with a Robe DMX Control 1024 desk and Robe haze effects have been installed into the brand new 400 capacity Plaza Club in Gomel, Belarus.

The building was previously a classic 1950s cinema, which has been completely gutted and rebuilt by Gomel-based Plaza-Invest who also own another successful club in the town. The Plaza has already become one of the hottest club tickets in town, partly due to it's spectacular lightshow.

The club features three bars and a dancefloor which is the heart of the space and a wide ranging music policy. The owners wanted to have one of the best lightshows in town so they approached Minsk based design, hire and sales company, Art Ramos Studio a.l.c. (ARS) to produce a design, and supply the gear. Art Ramos has been at the forefront of Belarus's professional entertainment industry lighting for 1

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UK / Poland - Allen & Heath has appointed Konsbud-Audio to exclusively manage the sales, distribution and service of Allen & Heath product lines in Poland.

"We are very excited to have Allen & Heath in our product mix," says Konsbud-Audio's president, Agnieszka Pyrich. "During the last couple of years we have been very successful with Audio Technica, D&B Audiotechnik, Neutrik, Aviom and other brands that we carry in the Polish market."

"To become the distributor for one of the leading mixing console manufacturers means that Konsbud-Audio is able to offer a very strong solution in the pro audio field from microphones to mixing consoles and speakers. This will definitely strengthen our position in the Polish market."

Konsbud-Audio debuted the Allen & Heath line at the recent Music Media 2006 show in Krakow.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, Turbosound's US distributor, has appointed Brad Stephens as national sales manager for Turbosound. Sennheiser's VP of sales and marketing, Jeff Alexander, made the appointment to meet the growing demand for Turbosound products, along with the increasing success of Aspect and TCS Compact series, the company says.

Stephens is no stranger to Turbosound, having spent three years with the brand's previous US distributor. In his new position, Stephens will not only support Turbosound but also function as the southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana) representative for Neumann and distributed brands, including HHB, True Systems, Australian Monitor and Klein + Hummel. Stephens's most recent positions were as senior technology consultant for Teng & Associates, Chicago and Dallas, and as territory manager for the Bose Corporation.

In hi

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USA - When drawing up plans for Widespread Panic's 28-date U.S. tour this autumn, lighting designer Candace Brightman wanted the visual show to be as free-wheeling and spontaneous as the group. To accomplish this goal, Brightman, who served as LD for Grateful Dead for 20 years, worked with Andrew Gumper of AG Light & Sound, which assisted in the programming and visual design of the show.

The duo chose a gear package built around eight Power Spot 575IEs and 32 Power Wash 575Es moving heads from Elation Professional. Three truss arches were constructed over the stage, with the eight Power Spots being positioned on the centre arch. The Power Washes were placed eight each on four separate strips of trussing encircling the stage, two extending diagonally at the front, and two running along the sides of the stage perpendicular to the arches.

"Candace was looking for something d

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UK - During November, AVW Controls Ltd celebrated 10 years of trading. Anton Woodward, founder and managing director of AVW threw a celebration party for friends and colleagues at his Suffolk home.

AVW Controls started as a sole trader business in November 1996, and was incorporated in 1998. AVW has remained a fairly small enterprise but has taken on some impressive automation projects over the years including the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Disneyland Paris, National Theatre and numerous West End productions. AVW has also won the prestigious ABTT Engineering product of the year award twice, first in 2002 for the Impressario motion control system and again this year for the Pegasus power flying system.

As AVW move into their second decade of trading, the company's aim will be to continue to provide clients old and new with first class stage automation, says Woodward.

(Lee Bal

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UK - Sunday 11 November saw HMS Illustrious moored off Greenwich, part of London well-known for its naval associations, to take part in the Capital's Remembrance Day celebrations. As part of the commemorations, the familiar poppy image was projected onto the ship via a specially designed gobo produced by manufacturer Rosco at its new UK-based custom gobo facility.

"We visited the City of London from 10-15 November in order to strengthen our ties with the City, with which we have a formal affiliation," explains Commander Ian Annett of HMS Illustrious. "We are also affiliated to two Livery Companies, one of which is the Worshipful Company of Lightmongers, who have kindly donated two gobo projectors to us and we have been steadily increasing our library of images over the last year."

The poppy image is being funded by one of the Lightmongers and was presented

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UK - A.C. Lighting's Audio division is one of the first Yamaha UK dealers to receive stock of the new LS9 range of 16 and 32 channel portable digital mixing consoles. A.C. is now carrying stock alongside other key consoles in the Yamaha range and will be providing 'digital dealer' support for the LS9 models, including product advice, training, installation and keeping a desk permanently in stock for demo and backup purposes.

The company is expecting a huge demand for the LS9 consoles after receiving many enquiries when the models were launched at the recent PLASA exhibition in September, it reports.

Yamaha consoles have defined modern digital sound reinforcement and earned the acclaim of top engineers around the world for their reliability, superb sound and intuitive operation, says the company. The LS9 series follows in the footsteps of the Yamaha PM1D, PM5D and M7CL, expandi

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UK - Lighting Partners, operator of usedlighting.co.uk, has recently moved its operation to a brand new building in Croydon, just down the road from its old warehouse in Beckenham, South London.

Speaking about the move, David Morgan of Lighting Partners commented: "This long-awaited relocation will increase efficiency throughout our operation from equipment servicing to dispatch. A huge increase in warehouse space plus a larger service area will enable us to meet our rapidly expanding used equipment needs and our increased stock levels of new equipment. For the first time since launching the business three years ago our sales and administration function will be integrated on site further increasing the speed of order fulfillment."

The 5,000sq.ft building, which is just four weeks old, is located off the Purley Way in Croydon with excellent links to Central London and

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UK - XL Video Ltd. supplied LED screens, VersaTubes, projection and Catalyst Playback for the 2006 UK Music Hall of Fame event, staged at London's Alexandra Palace on Tuesday 14 November.

It is the second year running that XL has supplied the prestigious Endemol-produced show, which this year featured a line up of performances from Brian Wilson, Bon Jovi, James Brown and Prince among others. Highlights also included the induction of 'fifth Beatle' Sir George Martin (by chancellor Gordon Brown), who received this year's Honorary Membership in recognition of his exceptional contribution to British music.

XL's team was project managed by Paul Wood, once again working closely with production manager Paul-Ant Violet and set designer Bill Laslett.

The main 'Awards Package' screen was a traditional 6 x 4 metre BP screen, positioned stage right and fed by one of XL's new Christie Ro

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UK - Three hugely powerful freak gusts of wind lifted and twisted the Serious Stages 18 metre Orbit roof built over the stage for the BBC's Children In Need concert at Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay, Wales last week. The incident occurred around midnight on the Wednesday night, with the stage fully constructed, rigged with lights and awaiting the PA and video rigging to continue through Thursday, in readiness for Friday night's live broadcast. The site was deserted apart from on-duty security personnel.

Production Manager Keith Morris quickly assessed the situation - at this time the wind was still very angry and gusting up to 70mph, but the immediate danger had passed. The wind gusts had followed a very specific path and had also uprooted several mature trees.

Immediately the news reached Steven Corfield and the Serious Stages team, they worked through the night to put toge

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USA - Underscoring its intent to aggressively expand sales in existing business channels, while simultaneously developing new market opportunities for its line of professional loudspeakers, JBL Professional has announced the appointment of industry veteran Buzz Goodwin to the position of executive vice-president of sales.

Goodwin assumes complete responsibility for the development and implementation of all worldwide JBL Professional sales programmes, and reports directly to JBL Professional President John Carpanini who, in announcing the appointment, noted: "Buzz Goodwin is the man most qualified to help us achieve our growth objectives. In a career that spans 20 years in all areas of the professional audio industry, Buzz has demonstrated time and time again that he is the consummate sales professional who succeeds through leadership that inspires and energizes the entire o

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UK - Razorlight recently performed a special one-off show for MTV2's Gonzo tour, held at the Barfly in Camden. London-based Systems Etc. provided sound reinforcement for the venue, selecting a 32-channel version of Allen & Heath's new dedicated live sound monitor desk, the GL2800M, to manage the band's monitor mixes.

It was the first time the band has performed at the Barfly for three years, and the compact 200-capacity venue made for an intimate gig for a band who ordinarily sell out arenas. Tickets were selling on Ebay for as much as £400 in the run up to the gig.

The crowd were treated to performances from support acts The View and the Good Shoes, before a 45-minute set from the headlining Razorlight, who rolled out the hits including 'Stumble and Fall', 'Vice', 'Golden Touch', 'Up All Night, 'In the Morning' and their number one 'America'.

The new GL2800M desk is a

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UK - For a venue that is designed to be temporary, the Royal Shakespeare Company's Courtyard Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon exceeds expectation in many areas, with sound and lighting specifications that would not be out of place in any permanent installation. The venue also includes an Ampetronic induction loop system, intended not just to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, but to satisfy the high standards the hearing impaired should be able to expect of a venue such as this.

Designed by the in-house team at Ampetronic and installed by Stage Electrics, the system has impressed both Tim Cullen, in charge of the project for Stage Electrics, and the venue itself. "I was really impressed when I worked with Ampetronic for the first time at the Wales Millennium Centre," says Cullen. "When I came here and installed this system myself, I was amazed with its q

Details
UK - RG Jones Hire Department has provided a speech and background music system for the handing over of six new cars to Motability Car Scheme customers outside the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. HRH Princess Alexandra joined Lord Sterling on Friday 6 October for the presentation, which marked a milestone in the Scheme's history, providing two million cars to disabled people over the last 28 years. Originally set up in 1978 by Lord Sterling and the late Lord Goodman, the organization has gone from strength to strength.

As Buckingham Palace is probably the highest profile public building, RG's project manager, Simon Hodge recognised the challenges facing the company. The system had to be installed with minimum disruption but maximum coverage, and yet still blend in with its surroundings.Strict working schedules, stringent health and safety legislation, comprehension of guideline

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USA - The West Hollywood Halloween Festival, which draws attendees from throughout the nation, grows bigger every year, and so do its attractions. This year, more than 400,000 revellers gaped at the sight of a giant spider that rose 25' high and stretched 40' wide, greeting them as they entered the mile-long street festival. The huge arachnid spanned three lanes over Santa Monica Blvd., covering half the width of the street. Its eyes glowed bright in the night, as it stood with its eight legs bent, ready to pounce on pedestrians below.

The spooky spider was created by Automotive Event Specialists (AES) of Corona, CA, using trussing provided by Global Truss America. It was the brainchild of AES's Ernie Beckham, who was commissioned to create a display sponsored by Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge to showcase six vehicles at the entrance to the festival.

"We decided to do something

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UK - XL Touring Video recently completed their project as video contractor for Mariah Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour 2006, which kicked off this summer in Miami following two mini-concerts in Tunisia and finished up in Japan end of October.

XL worked with production manager Harold Jones, production designer Justin Collie of Art Fag LLC, Stewart White of Control Freak and video director Chris Keating to provide four Barco I-10 LED walls, which consisted of two 7x7 led walls stage left and right, a 13x7 led wall upstage centre and a 6x6 led wall downstage. A large "M" made of MiPix framed the stage with a MiPix circular surround in the centre. VersaTubes were installed in the stairs, band risers and DJ booth. The camera system consisted of four Sony D35 cameras and projection was two SLM R12's, shooting rear projection onto two 15x20 screens.

Touring on beh

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