Norway - MC2 Audio distributor, PA Produksjoner, supplied sound systems for the recent Scandinavian tours of veteran rocker Jerry lee Lewis and rock band Deep Purple.

Jerry Lee Lewis's Spring tour of northern Europe and Scandinavia took in two venues in Norway, including the 3,000 capacity Kongeparken Amfi in lgard, a small town located south of Stavanger on Norway's west coast.

The sound system supplied by PA Produksjoner brought together the Soundprojects Linex, SP18 subs and SPA-15 diamond loudspeakers with power provided by MC2 Audio E45 and E25 amplifiers and processing by XTA. Jan Olav Sandsmark, CEO of PA Produksjoner said: 'We chose this set up for the Kongeparken Amfi because we needed to use a system that would cover the theatre's 3000 seats.

"The Soundprojects

Dubai - The Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre sits on the roof of the vast Mall of the Emirates, right alongside the indoor ski slope. DUCTAC, as it is universally known, features a proscenium arch and studio theatres designed to high specifications.

In 2005, Maltbury exhibited at the PALME show in Dubai. DUCTAC project managers met MD Philip Sparkes and a flexible package of Metrodeck was agreed for seating tiers in the studio space.

This equipment enables a range of layouts to be built so that the space can respond to the needs of future shows. The theatre and arts complex opened in 2006 and now runs a busy schedule of drama, dance and musical performances.

Gulf neighbours Doha College in Qatar managed a whirlwind purchase in February this year. New head of Drama Paul McCracken ordered a Maltbury Playhouse Staging Kit and within a month it was in Doha supporting a pr

USA - The NSCA has named Nancy Owen as its new director of industry outreach. "Nancy will bring a strong spirit of community building to the NSCA, and she'll tell the story of our membership," says NSCA executive director Chuck Wilson.

"What makes NSCA great is having great members, and Nancy will reach out to these members and forge relationships. As a journalist, she'll expand NSCA's media relations programme and educate the public about the latest projects and news from our members."

Before arriving at NSCA, Owen worked at CNN Headline News in Atlanta, as a television reporter, freelance writer, publishing account representative, and as a director of community relations.

(Jim Evans)

featured content

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

Australia - Lighting control manufacturer, LSC Lighting Systems, has appointed Trevor Sykes to the role of research & development manager based in the Melbourne Head Office.

Sykes comes to LSC with an extensive background and impressive employment history, including being part of the LSC team from 1988-1999 as a product development engineer. Whilst at LSC he co-designed the Axiom, which was honoured with an Australian Design Award in 1993. Adding to this, he was also responsible for the design of another 20 Stage Lighting products.

Most recently Trevor has been working with AAPL, a large multi national (Japanese parent) company in the automotive sector.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Crown has implemented GainSeeker data aggregating software from Hertzler at its plant in Elkhart, Indiana.

This latest upgrade follows the company's establishment last year of a Strategic Quality Team, the addition of a Reliability Test Lab, and a successful transition to RoHS compliance. By utilising the latest technology available, Crown has now fully transformed its manufacturing approach from a traditional batch and queue assembly method to a state-of-the-art, streamlined, continuous flow process with a constant examination of quality from start to finish, says the company.

Crown quality support manager Rupa Shanmugam comments: "Whereas most companies are simply looking for defect management, Crown has gone beyond this basic use and is utilising GainSeeker in three different areas: real time data collection of test results at board level and finished product, re

UK - Allen & Heath will be unveiling the new ZED Series entry-level USB mixer range and a new addition to the established Xone DJ range at this year's PLASA show.

The console manufacturer will also be exhibiting the latest developments in its iLive digital mixing system, and the Xone:3D, 2D and 1D DJ MIDI controllers. Models from the ML, GL, WZ, PA, and iDR Series will also be on display.

See Allen & Heath at PLASA07 - stand E16.

(Jim Evans)

Denmark - Part of a noble tradition, the new European Performers House at the Institute of Performing Arts (IPA) Silkeborg, a new international school for young actors, musicians and dancers, has set itself an exacting target - to draw almost half its students from the wider Europe, beyond the borders of Denmark.

European Performers House (EPH) intends to be at the forefront of entertainment in the arts and has already forged relations with comparable institutions around Europe, securing agreement for EPH studies to count towards formal educational qualifications from those institutes.

As such, they have invested heavily in the tools and technologies of modern presentation, the entire school is networked through an Apple Mac server system, linking all rooms to the resources of recording studios and other such facilities maintained on campus.

Audio receives much attention; al

USA - The word "rodeo" conjures images of small-town events held at dusty county fairgrounds, but there's nothing small about the Texas Stampede, held in Dallas, Texas. On the contrary, the Stampede is one of the largest rodeo events in the country and features some of the biggest names in the sport, plus some of the hottest live entertainment. Dallas-based Crossroads Audio reinforced this year's event with a Meyer Sound self-powered Milo high-power curvilinear array-based system.

The Interstate Batteries-sponsored event regularly packs the American Airlines Centre (home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and the NHL's Dallas Stars) to full capacity during its three-day run, all to benefit the Dallas's Children's Medical Centre. For the sixth annual event, more than 20,000 fans filled the stands to watch rodeo pros compete in bull riding, barrel racing, and tie-down roping

USA - Launched at the summer NAMM show in Austin, American DJ has introduced new array of LED products. The new offerings range from LED versions of the Jewel and Vision to high impact colour bars.

The Jewel LED is an LED version of the classic moonflower effect. It features an output similar to a 100W halogen lamp with 47 sharp red, green, and blue high output coloured beams.

The Vision LED features an output similar to a 400W halogen lamp with 26 large, sharp red, green, and blue high output coloured beams. It can be operated as a sound active light show or as a DMX effect.

The Revo Scan LED, a flat-mirrored scanner, has an output comparable to a 250W halogen lamp, with 52 total red, green, white and blue LEDs. There are three operation modes: Master/Slave, Sound active, and DMX. The Revo scan has 4 DMX channels with a four button LCD display and is linkable via XLR connec

UK - The new musical Never Forget opened in Cardiff last weekend on the start of its UK tour - with plans to bring the show to the West End in the autumn. Based on the book by Danny Brocklehurst, the show is the fictional story of a Take That tribute band, featuring a host of hits and a large-scale sound system designed by Richard Brooker and supplied by Blitz.

At its core is a combined analogue and digital Cadac system, comprising an 82-input Cadac J-Type Live Production Console, complemented by D16 Digital Mix Matrices and M16 remote controlled microphone amplifiers. The main PA rig is from Opus, representing the company's largest theatre system to date, including eight AT1000 cabinets and eight SB218 subs, plus Sennheiser SK50 and SK5012 radiomics, and XTA 26 processing.

"The show is great entertainment and very well written," says Brooker. "The songs

Australia - The ENTECH trade show has been scheduled for 11-13 February 2008 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

"With over 3000 visitors to ENTECH 2006, this is the best place for Australia's professionals to gain an overview of the industry, and meet others in their fields," says event manager Louise Brooks.

"For 2008 we've also added a bar within the tradeshow, so visitors can relax, catch up with colleagues and get together with old and new friends - without having to leave the venue."

The ENTECH conference programme is returning in 2008, with seminars and workshops from leading industry figures and accredited training bodies. Details of the conference program will be available on the ENTECH website shortly.

(Jim Evans)

UK - White Light has been chosen to supply the lighting equipment to two musical productions returning to London's West End.

Grease, opening at the Piccadilly Theatre in August, is the latest version of the production that first appeared at the Dominion Theatre in 1993 and was one of the earliest moving light rigs supplied by White Light; the show has been playing in London or touring ever since.

For its latest West End outing, which had its leading actors cast by the public on ITV's Grease Is The Word, lighting designer Mark Henderson has updated his rig to include Martin MAC 300, MAC 550 and MAC 700s, High End StudioBeams and StudioColors, Vari-Lite VL2000 Spots as well as Par Cans, ETC Source Fours, Rainbow colour scrollers and L&E MiniStrips plus Robert Juliat Aramis followspots and haze and smoke machines from Look Solutions. Control for the rig is from a Wh

UK - Upcoming band Unkle chose a Soundcraft Vi6 digital live sound console provided by Harman Pro UK for their sold-out debut performance at London's 800-capacity Islington Academy on the 5 July.

Following this warm-up show, the band are hitting the worldwide festival circuit and taking the Vi6 with them for a series of concerts and festivals from Croatia to Japan.

The Vi6 is an integral part of Unkle's live sound, recommended for the band by Chris Roberts, a sound engineer with over 20 years experience working with artists ranging from Mel C and Death in Vegas to the Fun Lovin' Criminals. Chris, who also works as a chief front-of-house engineer at the Glastonbury Festival, first put the Vi6 through its paces at London live music venue Koko, while working for The Bluetones. "Harman had installed one there as a house desk and I found it really easy to use," he reports

UK - Show Support supplied full video production and crew for the two Arctic Monkeys gigs at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, last weekend. These are the largest shows that the Mercury Prize winning Arctic Monkeys have organised & headlined to date.

The event was project managed for ShowSupport by Andy Mayneord, who led a team of 12 for the get-in on the Thursday to be ready for a Saturday early afternoon start.

Two landscape format 4:3 ratio Lighthouse R16 I/O side screens were installed, and a 4 camera PPU. The cameras were positioned at FOH, two each side of the pit and a hand-held onstage.

Live video director Jim Bennett's fast cut mix matched the jittery energy of the music, adding an additional edgy layer to the show's visuality for the set - much of which was in daylight.

Working closely with lighting op Rob Gawler, the ShowSupport team also supplied a Coolu

UK - The new Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre is a recent addition to London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, recognised around the world as a leading institute for eye health.

The centre was designed by Penoyre & Prasad Architects in consultation with patients, their families and staff. One of its most striking features is the south façade. Folded aluminium louvres are suspended on a tensioned cable net to prevent direct light entering the building, whilst at the same time creating fascinating abstract imageries.

Lightscape Projects - part of the Light Projects Group - was responsible for the lighting design, installation and programming. A total of 64 Tryka Strip Module Optic IP67 in different lengths were selected for the project, along with other Light Projects LED fittings.

Light Projects Group's director Roger Beckett enthuses: "The Tryka LED linear units were mos

USA - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has completed the renovation of its 140 year old tabernacle building in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah. Stage Technologies installed a 24-axes automated rigging and a 2-axis stage lift control system to enable the same high level of flexibility and safety as a modern performing arts venue.

Stage Technologies was responsible for overseeing the entire rigging installation at the tabernacle, working with Jacobsen Construction, McLaren Engineering Group, Pook, Diemont & Ohl Inc, Tomcat Truss, Conductix and AMC Fabrication.

Fourteen BigTow390 winches were installed to control lighting trusses and speaker clusters. BigTow290 winches were also installed to automate seven large chandeliers. This allows the chandeliers to be lowered to a safe working height to be maintained and cleaned.

Three BigTow200 winches are used to car

Greece - Originally built to host the badminton competition at the 2004 Olympics, the Badminton Theatre has been converted into the most state of the art theatre in Greece. Situated in a park in the centre of Athens, the transformation took place in the remarkably short time of eight months.

The company managing the project, Arts, Dance and Music Productions (ADaM), spared no expense when it came to the theatre's technical equipment and called in Athens based pro audio and lighting specialists Telmaco to advise on the sound and lighting installations.

"The Badminton management demanded a high class sound reinforcement system," said Thanassis Drossos, Telmaco's audio projects engineer who was responsible for the design of the sound system. "I arranged for their Technical Director, Renos Papapaschos, to accompany me to d&b audiotechnik's headquarters in Backnang,

UK - Marquee Audio has provided Hampshire-based rental company, BCS Audio, with its first Digidesign D-Show Profile digital mixing desk. Dave Shepherd's company represents just one of several new sales of the console reported this month by the Digidesign resellers.

Although Shepherd already runs a couple of utility digital desks in his inventory he became intrigued by the Digidesign environment after being exposed to the console during the Black Eyed Peas' recent tour. The band own their own desk but when lead singer Fergie was asked to support Justin Timberlake at the O2 Arena, Shepherd says "this was just the excuse we needed."

With Marquee Audio sales director Andy Huffer providing full training and support, BCS Audio purchased the mixing surface with 48-channel Stage Rack, Local Rack and multicore.

"I love the feel of the desk and the options it gives us,&

UK - Avolites will launch the latest in its series of Pearl consoles - The Pearl Tiger - at PLASA 2007. The Pearl Tiger is a powerful, streamlined 10-roller playback version of Avo's established lighting console line.

Aimed at a wide range of sectors and applications, the Pearl Tiger is equally suited for small theatres, conferences, schools & colleges, small to medium scale productions or production companies, tours, venues and nightclubs, says the company.

The Pearl Tiger's features include Theatre Playback, timecode, MIDI triggers, 2,048 channels to 240 moving lights on four isolated DMX outputs, 10 playback submasters, expandable to 15 with external playback wing, plus full personality library in the console, with free updates on website.

Also featured at the show will be the new D4 Infrastructure products - specifically Avo's Showsafe system; the Tablet PC for remote de

UK - Vaughan Sound Installations (VSI) has designed and installed an architectural lighting scheme, plus sound and AV at Blancos, a new independently owned hotel with function suite and conference facilities in Port Talbot, South Wales.

"The client wanted a design/install company that could deliver a simple integrated solution" explains VSI's technical manager Tony Moruzzi, who oversaw the project working closely with Clive Hopkins, one of the owners.

VSI's brief included enabling Blancos' meeting rooms and public spaces - through the establishment of a technical infrastructure - to be as flexible as possible for multiple functions and events.

VSI specified LED lighting for all its energy saving properties, and its low running cost and maintenance advantages. In the main Function Room, they installed 72 i-Vision Lumos 3 RGB Link LED strips, ensconced in the coving

Indonesia - An Allen & Heath iLive system has been installed in a new branch of the protestant church movement, GKPB, in Jakarta.

Cahyo Budiono was recruited as design consultant and PT Kairos Media Pemuja was appointed to design and install the audio systems. Having successfully installed the combination into other houses of worship, the Kairos team selected Allen & Heath's iDR10 DSP stage rack and iLive-112 control surface for its mixing needs, and an RCF line array speaker system.

"There were four reasons behind choosing the iLive system. Not only is this a cost-effective solution, but the system provides recall of settings for the various users, complete flexibility, and, with the addition of an EtherSound card, has the bonus of offering recording capabilities for the small recording studio above the main sanctuary," explains Kairos' Pratama Budiman.

(Jim Evans

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