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UK - PLASA07 (9-12 September, Earls Court, London) will be unlike any PLASA Show you've visited before. There'll be an impressive new layout, some great new features and 100s of new products for every sector of the industry - including the latest advances in analogue and digital audio, architectural and effects lighting, AV and display technologies, integrated systems, staging, rigging and a whole host of support products and services. And with over 50 new exhibitors taking part, many of these will be from companies not previously seen at PLASA.

There's also an expanded educational programme with many sessions FREE to visitors. These include Special Interest sessions from BEIRG, InfoComm International and the Theatres Trust, plus specialist sessions from Cirque du Soleil, D

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China - Tens of thousands of people from all over the world gathered together last week at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to celebrate the one-year countdown ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Within the square, several large lighting towers were rigged with more than 300 computer lighting fixtures plus several powerful searchlights, totalling more than 500 lighting fixtures in all. All of these lighting fixtures were controlled with only four lighting consoles.

To achieve the multitude of lighting changes while overcoming the difficulty of the long transmission distance without any cables, Leifull Light and Sound of Guangzhou proposed an effective solution. They supplied four W-DMX systems from Wireless Solution Sweden to control the searchlights and the area light of the Tiananmen Tower, and used a 6dB high-power antenna to guarantee the signal's stability.

The entir

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UK - White Light has supplied the lighting equipment - including some of the latest LED products - to the new musical Never Forget, currently on tour around the UK after making its debut in Cardiff.

Based around the trials and tribulations of "the unlikeliest Take That tribute band", Never Forget is constructed around Take That's greatest hits. Directed by Ed Curtis and designed by Bob Bailey, the show features lighting by James Whiteside who is making use of some of the latest LED lighting technology, including Thomas PixelLine 1044 battens and the ChromaQ Color Web LED mesh, controlled by MA Lighting's grandMA lighting console and mediaPC media server.

"The LED battens are used inside translucent legs on either side of the set; at the end of the show the legs swing open so the lights themselves are visible to the audience," Whiteside explain

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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 - For lighting the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, LD Steve Nolan used two grandMA full-size and four MA NSPs. During the show the two full-size ran in full-tracking backup mode.

"We used ESP vision linked by MA-Net to visualise our programming during the day," explained Ben Cracknell, associate lighting designer and programmer. "We loaded in on Monday, began programming on Thursday evening and did the show on Sunday. I was very impressed by the grandMA and how it performed on this show.

"We were able to link both consoles together in multiuser-mode, which meant whilst I was operating the show we could use the second board to inhibit or lift intensities. This was necessary to fit the camera requirements to ensure great pictures throughout the daylight hours, past sunset and into night time."

Amongst others 102 x VL3000 spots, 90 x VL6c, 80 x

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UK - Building on 14 years of LED design and manufacturing expertise, Forge Europa has launched its Visible Solutions division, offering "the complete solution to your solid state lighting needs".

Visible Solutions combines Forge Europa's knowledge and expertise in the design, development and manufacture of LED components with the latest PCB technology, thermal design, heat sinks, LED drivers and secondary optics to offer OEMs technically superior LED assemblies, says the company.

"Our lighting and illumination solutions are not only designed for purpose but thanks to one of the most sophisticated LED test laboratories in the UK, custom designs are proved and tested to the highest standards to ensure that electrical, optical and thermal characteristics are exactly to specification and perform correctly within the final application," says a spokesman.

To co

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UK - Ableton Live 6 tutorials have been added to the DJ Magazine sponsored seminar programme at PLASA 07. As well as the Torq range of DJ products, M-Audio is demonstrating music creation software Ableton Live 6 in the DJ Magazine sponsored seminar programme at PLASA 07.

All the Torq and other M-Audio DJ products, including Xponent, Trigger Finger and X-Session Pro, will be demonstrated, with the tutorials and workshops upstairs in the Cromwell Suite on level 2. The Ableton Live 6 tutorials will take place at 11am on Sunday 9 and Tuesday 11 September.

See M-Audio at PLASA 07 on stand N39.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - This year's PLASA stand has been designed by lighting designer Vince Foster to showcase the innovative new PixelArt video batten.

PixelArt is a modular LED video product allowing designers to build their own custom display surfaces from a range of interconnecting modules. The first product in this new range is a 6 x 72 pixel linear batten with 15mm pitch. Data to each module is supplied by industry standard Cat 5 cable which connects to a master control unit and supports a variety of video input standards. Configuration software allows each module to be positioned at any point in the video space for ultimate flexibility.

PixelRange fixtures have featured on many high profile gigs this year, including the Live Earth shows across the world. The PixelLine 1044 is a design favourite and has earned its industry standard reputation.

Other new fixtures at PLASA include two Pix

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UK - The Event Show has announced dates for next year's exhibition as the 2 and 24 January 2008 at Olympia in London. The organisers say bookings are 40% up on the same time last year.

Michelle Tayton, manager for the exhibition said: "The Event Show has continued to grow in stature and what is particularly exciting is the number of new exhibitors who have booked for 2008. Whilst re-bookings are high, we are always keen to attract new suppliers to keep the Show fresh and to offer our visitors new and unusual ideas for indoor and outdoor event organisers."

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Dundee-based Apex Acoustics has scored a notable debut for the country's audio industry, by being the first hire company in Scotland to own a DiGiCo console.

Mid-May saw the DiGiCo D1 MDR 56 plus mini rack make its way north of the border - and then promptly back again as it went straight out on a 10-week festival tour with Kasabian.

"The intention is for the D1 to be out on tour, not sat in a warehouse or in local dry hire stock," says Apex owner Paul Smith. "It's an extremely roadworthy console so, as far as we're concerned, that's where it should be - out on the road earning its keep."

"I have been seriously looking at DiGiCo for a good couple of years," says Smith. "I was given a demo in December 2005 which made me realise what amazing desks they are. We've wanted one ever since. But if you want such high quality you have to be pre

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Denmark - Martin Professional A/S continues its positive growth in 2007, maintaining the improvements that the company experienced in 2006, the company reports. Martin increased revenue by 29.8% from DKK 457.8 million (approx. $83.2 million) in the first half of 2006 to DKK 594.3 million (approx. $108.1 million) in the first six months of 2007, an H1 record for the company. The substantial revenue improvement was prevalent across all of Martin's key markets, with the exception of the USA where revenue was slightly lower than last year.

Martin now expects to generate revenue of approximately DKK 1.2 billion (approx. $218.2 million) in 2007 with a pre-tax profit of approximately DKK 70 million (approx. $12.7 million) compared with the previous forecast of DKK 40 million (approx. $7.3 million).

Shipping of large single orders, among other factors, positively impacted H1 2007 reve

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USA - When lighting designer Nic Phillips heard that a standard vinyl sign would line the windows of the Audrey Jones Beck Building for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) exhibit titled Red Hot-Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection, he proposed Element Labs' VersaTILE.

"One of my objectives was to introduce the MFAH to the beauty of this technology as art," says Phillips. "This is more than just a sign or just a display; that's why it had to be VersaTILE. Its pixels are abstract and stunning, and color rendition is unmatched."

Phillips, who describes VersaTILE as "simply the most beautiful product on the market," filled the windows with a wall of VersaTILE. Messages inspired by the exhibit like, "red hot," scroll across the wall as museum goers admire the collection of contemporary Asian art which spills into publi

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UK - For around 1,800 BT sales executives at BT UK Global Services annual UK sales conference in July, The NEC in Birmingham called upon Blackout to provide 1,500m of long drop black-wool-serge drape, 2,000m of trussing, install the roof points and rig 200 motors through Halls, 10, 11 and 12. The event was project managed by Blackout's Ken Nock who has many years of experience managing the rigging for events at The NEC.

The whole venue had a 'Game-on' theme, which was designed and produced by marketing agency, George P Johnson. BT sales staff were in a blacked-out and immersive environment whereby each of the halls had the quality of an interactive game.

For the main presentation, a Musion 'Pepper's Ghost' screen was used to allow inter-play between live action, video and graphics and was visible to all areas of the auditorium. Blackout was responsible for rigging the 20 x 10m

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UK - XL Video supplied a portable truck-based 40sq.m LED screen to the World Scout Jamboree's Gilwell Park - 'The home of scouting' and Scout training in Chingford, Essex, as part of the World Scout Jamboree event, and the Scout Association's Centenary celebrations.

The screen was located in The Paddock area of the park, close to the site of the original Scout camp there - the Scout Association has owned the site since 1919 - and near to the famous Gilwell oak tree and White House.

Working closely with Gilwell site technical manager Alex Woods, XL was contracted over a year in advance for this event which was project managed for them by Al Green, a keen Scout in his youth.

Each day of the 12-day Jamboree event, up to 8,000 Scouts and support personnel were bussed in to Gilwell Park from the main Jamboree site at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.

The screen was used interactively t

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UK - Built in London's East End in 1933, the Troxy has been many things - one of the largest cinemas in England, a World War II air-raid shelter, a Mecca bingo hall - but recently it has been restored to full theatrical glory by new owners Lali Enterprises, and is now available for private and corporate receptions, as well as live music events.

The Grade II-listed building has retained its original 1930s art deco features but now also contains a stage, dance floor, four bars and a full kitchen. With a capacity for up to 2,600 people, it provides a venue for large-scale parties, awards ceremonies, conferences and exhibitions. The addition of a high-specification Electro-Voice XLC line array sound system, with full digital control, and an impressive lighting rig from Halo Lighting has expanded the Troxy's potential even further.

London-based audio specialist Systems Etc has comp

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USA - Chauvet has chosen GE Consumer & Industrial to be its primary supplier of metal halide discharge lamps. GE Showbiz CSR metal halide lamps will now fit the majority of Chauvet's signature, lamp-fitted luminaires, including the Q-series and Legend moving yokes, and the Spectrum architectural line. In addition to supplying lamps, GE engineers will assist in the design of future Chauvet optics.

"The lamps' superior quality, the strength of the GE brand name and the level of insight they have into optics have us excited about the possibilities," says Chauvet CEO Albert Chauvet. "Working closely with the engineering team at GE to develop new products and to optimise the systems and performance of our optical elements will allow our discharge fixtures to offer even greater value."

Chauvet fixtures and GE lamps are a perfect complement to one another and a gr

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UK - Integrated System Technologies, a leading European LED driver design manufacturer, has released the new 210W 3-channel iDrive 1000 LED driver. The driver is a natural extension to the current iDrive range which includes the 3 channel 350mA driver, the iDrive Lite. Both products incorporate patented Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) drive technology and ColourCool, a thermal management system to ensure optimum LED output and life.

The new iDrive 1000 delivers an industry leading level of energy efficiency provided through new patent pending technology which delivers twice the power density of the iDrive Lite. The breakthrough in combining high power density with leading PSU efficiency ensures the iDrive 1000 has a small footprint and does not require large heatsinks.

A new feature enables iDrive 1000 users to choose the forward current, independently on all three channels b

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USA - Tailored to DJs of all levels, Gemini has introduced its new MM-3000 professional 5-channel stereo mixer. This 19" mixer comes equipped with essentials such as 8-line, 2-convertible Phono/Line RCA and 3 1/4" Mic inputs along with 3-band rotary line EQ per channel with cut feature, 2-band rotary Mic EQ control with cut feature, and a user-replaceable RailGlide cross fader. The MM-3000 also includes a free iPod friendly cable for iPod connectivity.

Sleekly designed and enclosed in an attractive silver and black metal chassis, the MM-3000 also features a dual display with bright LED, XLR-1/4" combo mic input, push-button cueing with cue/PGM fader control and balanced master output.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - "We set up RealSound Ltd to raise the standards of after sales service throughout the pro audio industry," says industry veteran David Nibbs, who recently created RealSound Ltd. Nibbs, who has 30 years' experience within the music and PA installation sector of the market added: "The primary objective of the company is to introduce our Total 3, Total 5 and Warranty Plus brands of after-sales support services to retail dealers and installation companies across the UK."

RealSound's remit is to enhance the quality of the offered sale or proposal. Nibbs explains: "For dealers and their clients alike, we remove the hassle, wasted time, and resources of having to deal with equipment repairs and replacements for years after the initial sale. Dealers make a profit and their clients benefit from a greatly enhanced level of after sales service."

There a

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UK - Experienced operators City Centre Leisure Group have opened the Club 2020 in Bournemouth - with a programme of appearances by top international DJs (including Erick Morillo and Trevor Nelson) and a technology infrastructure to satisfy the most discerning of practitioners.

The leisure company - run by Josh Simons, Alan Simons and John Tyror - also run the Landmark restaurant in the town. They enlisted Mark Neal's Production Hire to carry out the installation.

The conversion of the 840-capacity, former K-Bar has been inspired. The ground floor dance room (and adjacent tented chill area) lead down to a VIP mezzanine room and further down still to the main room in the basement.

Wherever you look there are snugs and annexe rooms to chill out in - and they are invariably served by one of Martin Audio's architectural AQ series speakers, and illuminated by the Pulsar Chroma ran

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UK - The Tryka range of LED luminaires and drivers has seen a noticeable expansion over recent times. Keeping up its trend for advanced product development, a new flexible LED system will be unveiled at PLASA07. The Flect-O-LED uses the new Luxeon Rebel LED for bright and endless colour mixing. Also available in an optic version to control the angle of the light output, the unit comes ready fitted on a heatsink, thus considerably reducing the installation time and number of accessories required.

A combination of drivers from the expanding IDS family of Intelligent Drive Systems will be used to run the lighting on the Tryka stand. This will include the latest addition to the family, the IDS-1, and a preview of the forthcoming Drivers with adjustable forward current to run the Rebel Flect-O-LED and K2 Strip Systems with far greater output.

See the Tryka range at PLASA07 - Stand

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