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USA - USA - Bandit Lites is once again working with ZZ Top - this time on the band's 2007 tour. Lighting designer Chris Stuba collaborated with ZZ Top's tour manager Pablo Gamboa, production manager Donny Stewart and Bandit vice president Michael Golden to ensure that the design coordinated with the band's image as well as the music itself.

Stuba chose Martin MAC 2000 washes, VL 3000 spots, VL 1000 AI, PixelRange Pixelines, Color KInetics Color Blasts and I-Colors, Martin Atomic Strobes and PAR 64s to light this show. Control is via one GrandMA and one GrandMA lite (Backup). XL Video is supplying the soft LED drape and interface.

"The pre-production of this tour began when I was out as the LD for Bob Seger, so on days off I designed the ZZ Top tour on WYSIWYG," says St

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USA - Comprising three models ranging in size from 2,500 to 8,000 watts, QSC's new PowerLight 3 Series amplifiers bring a new degree of flexibility to touring and installed sound reinforcement applications, says the company. Offering a choice of DSP with remote control and monitoring via BASIS, or the value-oriented performance of straightforward analogue input operation, the lightweight, 2RU lineup facilitates a wide-ranging level of networked functionality or none at all.

Each PowerLight 3 model delivers higher input voltage and selectable sensitivity, and is easily adjusted via a series of rear panel switches with colour-coded LED indicators.

The 8,000-watt model PL380 combines a pair of 4,000-watt Class-D amplifier channels with QSC's PowerLight power supply to "serve up more than twice the audio horsepower of any previous 2U PowerLight amplifier". Within the PL3

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UK - 5 Star Cases recently supplied Alconbury based Elstree Light & Power (ELP) with a series of specialist cases, complete with transparent access flap doors to house their new range of power distro systems.

The brief was to provide a splash-proof case for two different types of distro units - allowing the systems to be used indoors or outdoors. The cases also featured a number of other new options.

The design, completed by 5 Star's Andy Stockdale to a spec by ELP's Ronan Willson, included the hinged access flaps to coincide with the location of specific sets of connectors. A hinged access flap was also provided for the main control panel consisting of MCB's, mains switches and neon indicators. These were machined from toughened clear acrylic sheet enabling all the functions to be clearly seen and checked without opening the flap.

Stockdale, head of 3D software at 5 Star, u

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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 - PSCo is launching AQUiVO's range of new weather resistant LCD screens to the UK event and exhibition marketplace. These screens are specifically designed for outdoor use, with the ability to withstand damp, dusty, wet or humid conditions whilst the high resolution LCD panel ensures brightness, contrast and colour quality, says PSCo.

AQUiVO screens are available in three different sizes, 42", 47" and 55", with fully sealed, lightweight aluminium frames and a toughened glass front. With a viewing angle of 178 degrees, complete with the latest anti-reflective technology, the screens are suitable for use in all external areas, enabling event organisers to show videos, lifestyle messaging, advertisements, or sport in their outdoor areas - regardless of the weather.

Incorporating the latest Full HD and HD Ready technology, these screens are IP56 rated and are ava

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Eire - Irish distributor Sound Communications has installed a Telex RTS Cronus DSP matrix communications system into Dublin's National Concert Hall, the country's leading classical and contemporary music venue, to coordinate productions taking place in the venue. This is the first installation of a Cronus DSP matrix system into a concert hall environment.

The new Cronus matrix system replaces the venue's former simple loop system and walkie talkies with a communications system which integrates the existing public address system with a building-wide wired and wireless communications system, allowing the stage manager to communicate with anyone in the building.

Working to a brief provided by Paul Kohlmann, chief engineer at the concert hall, Alan Murphy of Sound Communications, Telex's Irish theatre and live sound distributor and Adrian Richmond, sales engineer at Telex Communic

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UK In North London, one new nightclub has been created out of two old ones: the Volt Club has opened in Edmonton following a comprehensive refurbishment of premises and the installation of an all-new Electro-Voice dancefloor sound system.

Built over two floors, the Volt Club is owned by Volt Productions, a company which already runs a successful nightclub operation in Uganda. Taking over two former club venues, Volt has fully refurbished and soundproofed the space, addressing the problems of noise leakage that were causing complaints from residential neighbours. Walls, ceiling and floors have been acoustically treated; even the fire exits are now connected to the club's sound system, so that if anyone opens a door, the music immediately shuts off.

For the Volt Club's main dancefloor, a powerful Electro-Voice Rx system has been specified and installed by club sound engineer Muh

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USA - Martin Architectural heads to Lightfair 2007 with a pair of new fixtures in its outdoor Cyclo Series as well as new 1200 W fixtures in its Exterior range of outdoor luminaires. Martin will also be showing a new, playback controller optimised for Martin's range of Cyclo RGB+W fixtures. The Cyclo Series provides a simple dynamic lighting solution with a fluorescent linear luminaire that uniformly washes surfaces in colour and variable white light. The Exterior range of programmable, weatherproofed luminaires is capable of both traditional white light and alluring colorwash projection for dynamic illumination of a wide variety of outdoor architecture, says the company.

The complete Exterior range will be on display at the Martin Architectural booth as will luminaires in the Inground Series, FiberSource Series, Cyclo indoor and outdoor Series as well as Lightpipe solutions. Th

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USA - Production Resource Group (PRG) has named Mickey Curbishley senior vice president of its concert touring group. He will work out of PRG's offices in Greenford, UK, and Los Angeles.

Curbishley most recently served as director of sales at the Greenford location, where he oversaw business development and client support for concert tours and special events. He began his career as a lighting technician for concert headliners including Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, George Harrison, Frank Sinatra, Judas Priest, and AC/DC. He later managed the London office of Light and Sound Design (LSD), which was acquired in 1998 by PRG.

"Mickey has an immense amount of experience and know-how, as well as a great commitment to customer service," says Jere Harris, chairman and founder of PRG. "As our market continues to expand throughout the world, he is precisely the

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UK - As the ABTT Theatre Show draws closer (13-14 June, Royal Horticultural Halls, London), the Association of British Theatre Technicians reports that current pre registrations are indicating another record attendance and that again over 100 exhibitors will showcase a spectrum of technical solutions for everyone involved with housing and presenting the performing arts.

Amongst the many innovations on display will be the new power hoist from Unusual Rigging - The Revolution which is a flexible and efficient winch solution presented within a standard 52cm x 52 cm truss and travels in conventional roadboxes. It has single or multiple use within truss runs with either single or double wires on each winch.

Mayr Transmissions is exhibiting two new designs and three additions to existing designs within the ROBA stop range of fail-safe brakes for theatre and stage equipment /winches.

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UK - The annual competition to select who will represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contestant, Making your mind up, was broadcast live from the BBC's Maidstone Studios with all the fanfare and lighting extravaganza of Eurovision itself. With a line up of accomplished artists from groups like; The Darkness, East 17, Atomic Kitten and Big Brovaz, the show had the smell and feel of the big time.

Lighting designer Roger Williams set out to differentiate this year's live broadcast from past shows by moving away from a studio feel and creating a much bigger 'arena experience'. Set in larger studios with weaving catwalks and an impressive but concealed lighting rig of over 90 Martin moving lamps, he achieved just this.

Joining at the concept stage, Williams was also able to integrate lighting directly into the set design and worked with Essential to include over 60

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UK - PSL's expanding music division, further strengthened by the addition of Tim Stefiuk, has been servicing a number of high-profile tours this year, ranging from the chart-topping pop-rock of Razorlight to the frenetic rave environment of Slammin' Vinyl.

The ever-popular Pet Shop Boys are touring the UK and Europe, playing selected venues and the plum festival dates. Show designer Es Devlin's versatile screens, which allow dancers to perform inside them, act as the building blocks of a projection system which moves around, stretching from 4m to the full width of the stage. PSL has put its latest-model highly portable Barco projectors onto this show.

New indie band sensation The Fratellis are touring the UK with PSL projectors and screens, which can also be seen at this summer's big festivals, such as WOMAD, Rock Ness and Glastonbury.

For the second year running, PSL has su

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Austria - DPA Microphones launched an innovative new solution for microphone placement and mounting at AES Vienna 2007. The D3 Decca Tree - also available as the S5 Surround Kit - is a flexible, lightweight mounting solution optimised for use with DPA microphones. However it can also be used with a wide range of other brands.

The D3/S5 has been designed to meet market demand for a Decca Tree and a Surround Tree in one flexible, stylish format. "We felt this was something that would fit extremely well into the DPA portfolio," says DPA director of sales Morten Stove. "Given our capability of manufacturing precisely matched microphones, it makes sense to offer a carefully designed mounting accessory which can accommodate between three and five matched microphones, giving a huge range of possibilities when it comes to surround recording."

The new surround mount

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Dubai - Australian based manufacturer ARX Systems will be releasing its new USB-DI at next week's Palme 2007 Exhibition in Dubai.

ARX managing director Colin Park says, "The Palme Exhibition is getting larger every year and with the growing Middle Eastern market has become an important Exhibition for ARX. In keeping with our policy of creating essential audio interfaces, ARX is excited to be releasing our new ARX USB DI - a true plug and play digital to analogue pro audio interface. It removes the need to use existing sound card outputs, with their inherent noisy environment and problematic grounding."

ARX will also be exhibiting other new releases in their signal processing product range including the MSX 48 microphone & line splitter, Balance 8 & DeBalance 8 audio level matchers, and the AudiBox Optimizer.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - The Flashlight/APR Group is handling the production on not one, but three Holiday On Ice world tours simultaneously.

Starting in 2005, the Peter Pan On Ice tour first travelled through Europe and South America before doing a second season in Spain. This show, aimed mainly at a younger market, was a relatively straightforward theatre show.

Flashlight/APR then moved on to Bugs Bunny On Ice - a new spectacle for kids, created around a number of Warner Brothers comic personalities, and receiving its world premiére in France. Because of the complexity of the show Flashlight/APR opted for a Digidesign Venue digital mixing environment (with D-Show console) as it would interface directly with Pro Tools and was easy to use. Another important factor was the ease of console set-up and the repeatability of a show which is still touring today.

At the sam

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Croatia - Lisinski Hall, Zagreb's world-renowned concert hall and home to the equally well-respected Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, recently upgraded its sound system to reflect the orchestra's ambition to evolve its performances and reputation in the world of classical music.

The HiQnet system, featuring 14 JBL Professional Vertec VT4888DP-CN, six Vertec VT4882DP-CN and four VP Series VP7315DP-CN loudspeakers powered by six JBL DP Series DrivePacks and 19 Crown Cts Series amplifiers, is controlled by five BSS Soundweb London DSP processors and connected by Harman Pro Group HiQnet on one cohesive network.

Microphone requirements for the 1850-seat concert hall are handled by HiQnet-compatible AKG WMS 4000 Series wireless system with 18 wireless handheld and lavalier microphones. Orchestra monitoring is provided by stage-level JBL Professional Control 300 and Control Contractor

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Germany - Following the successful launch of Zakk Wylde's custom 300-watt EVM12L Black Label guitar loudspeaker, Electro-Voice has announced the newest addition to the EVM line: the EVM12L Classic.

The EVM-12L Classic features a high performance, heavy duty design that delivers "unmatched sonic reproduction at the critical final stage in the signal chain". Voiced to duplicate the sound of the long-discontinued EVM-12L, the Classic recaptures a tonality loved by guitarists in virtually every genre, says the company.

Original EVM-12L endorsers included guitar icons Stevie Ray Vaughn and Steve Vai. A testament to this legacy of tone, EVM-12L Classic has already become the speaker of choice for a wide range of world class guitar talents, including David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Herman Li of Dragonforce, Joe Bonamassa, David Lee

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Slovenia - MK Light Sound in Slovenia supplied Anolis LED fixtures to illuminate the Vecronia booth at the Flora Fair exhibition in Celje, Slovenia. The massive annual show held at the Celjski Sejem features everything for home and garden, and this year attracted nearly 30,000 visitors over three days.

Vecronia are specialists in garden architecture. Their philosophy is that a garden is an extension of the house - effectively another room - and should contain a fusion of natural elements and high technology.Each year, in conjunction with the NBO group of companies (Nova Bivalna Okolja - New Living Spaces), they present many innovative and exciting ideas in the field of garden architecture.

Vecronia has worked with MK Light Sound (Anolis's Slovenian distributor) on several previous lighting projects. When MK recently showed them the Anolis range, the Vecronia design team realis

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UK - Easilyled.com has launched what it claims is the world's first 1 kilowatt LED fixture. Known as the KiloLED, the unit measures just 500mm square but has a punchy output equivalent to a 4.5K Tungsten source, says the company.

Designed to be a universal light source, it has applications for the film and TV market as well as theatre, and architectural markets.

"Our main motivation for developing the KiloLED is to provide bulk light output at a fraction of the power," explains EasilyLED's Chris Crockford. "The sheer light power coupled with the ability to provide full RGB colour mixing and individual component control, makes the KiloLED substantially different from the rest. It is not just another other LED wash light, the KiloLED is a 30 degree beam soft light, with 43,000 lumens of power behind it."

The KiloLED runs in two modes of DMX operation - wide

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UK - Geoff Buckley has invested in a new Avolites Pearl Expert console, which had its first outing on the recent James UK tour. This saw the original band, headed by front man Tim Booth, perform live for the first time in nearly six years - to great critical and popular acclaim.

Buckley has worked for the band for the last 18 years. They hit the road again after a substantial break, with a new album due out later in the year. These initial gigs were to test the water and interest in their loyal fan-base, which has very much proved to be still bubbling for them even after this substantial break.

Buckley has owned Avolites desks for some years and has always been a fan of the brand, and particularly a Pearl fan, right from the outset. When this came up, and he was asked onboard, he seized it as a great opportunity to test out the new Pearl Expert console. "It was the perfec

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Dubai - Turbosound will be featuring its NuQ range at PALME, which will be shown on the stand hosted by Turbosound's United Arab Emirates distributor Reference Audio.

Launched at Frankfurt ProLight + Sound in March, NuQ systems are billed as versatile, networkable sound reinforcement loudspeakers designed for professional portable audio applications.

All models are available in passive or bi-amped (non-powered) guise, and alternatively with integrated Class D amplifiers using 96kHz DSP for pristine audio quality, and operating at better than 90% efficiency.

The NuQ series totals 12 models and comprises 8", 10", 12" and 15" two-way models, all designed with similar voicing characteristics, as well as 15" and 18" subwoofers, in order to provide a complete and versatile loudspeaker range suitable for a wide range of applications.

PALME will see a

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Germany - The BoneyM musical Daddy Cool opened at London's Shaftesbury Theatre last September, with a lighting rig supplied by White Light. Now the show has moved to Europe, opening in late April in a EuropArena 70m diameter touring theatre tent in Berlin, the start of what is hoped will be a long, world tour. The tour has lighting designed by Rob Halliday, with equipment once again supplied by White Light, working with German supplier Racks & Stacks.

"When the show closed at the Shaftesbury, there was talk about the whole rig moving to Berlin," notes White Light's hire director, Dave Isherwood. "Ultimately that didn't happen because the rig design was changed to suit the much larger venue. However, Rob was keen to continue to keep some core elements of the rig from London, particularly the VL3000 and VL3500 spotlights, the DHA Digital Light Curtains and th

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