Details
Italy - During December's Christmas celebrations, three locations were set up inside the Vatican City, with various products of Italian-based SGM chosen for the lighting rig.

Light contractor Sound D-Light srl performed the three installations. Pat Henry, lighting designer for the event, used a huge number of SGM fixtures including the Genio Mobile, Palco 3, Ribalta, Synthesis Spot 700, Pilot 2000 and Pilot 3000.

Henry, supported by Luca Domenicucci and Paolo Marcuzzi of Sound D-Light srl as lighting operators, stated: "We lit the big Christmas tree inside Aula Paolo VI, the back of the same Hall where the huge bronze statue the Resurrection is and the Christmas crib placed outside in St. Peter's Square. I essentially used Ribalta, Palco 3 and Genio fixtures to create the d

Details
Germany - Lasershow specialist tarm Showlaser GmbH produced a laser-robot-pyro spectacle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Abu Dhabi Police. The event - attended by General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces - was staged in the Zayed Sports City Stadium. The show was a collaboration between Dubai based HQ creative, the Police and His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who played a hands-on role in the event.

Lasting 90 minutes, the show concluded with a high energy laser and firework finale. tarm Showlaser supplied four high-powered green lasers at the back, under the screen and four high-powered full-colour units at the front of the arena. All lasers were air-cooled and based on solid-state-technology.

Two of the full colour lasers fed the two 4m high and 1000kg h

Details
Indonesia - For two consecutive nights, more than 14,000 people packed the Jatim Expo in Surabaya, Indonesia, for the Power of God Festival (Festival Kuasa Allah). This annual Christian revival, headed by the charismatic Pastor Philip Mantofa, featured preaching and energetic music - a mixture of Western and Indonesian styles - from a 10-piece band and an 80-voice choir. To deliver the presentation with full intensity to the furthest corners of the venue, the festival relied on a system anchored by 20 of Meyer Sound's M3D line array loudspeakers.

"The Jatim Expo is large, about 60m by 120m (197ft by 393ft), so it needed a lot of power," says Rudy Winarto, managing director of system supplier Melodia Sound & Lighting Systems of Jakarta. "We also had many open mics on stage. Fortunately, the directional control of the M3D and the M3D-Subs made it possible to get ple

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

Details
Kuwait - Located in The Avenues Mall, Kuwait's largest mall and the one of the Middle East's premier retail and leisure destinations whose first phase opened in April of 2007, Avenues Cinema is a multi-screen movie complex with a flair for the dramatic, says the company. Large entrance lobby columns as well as back lobby columns are decorated using colour changing LED Stagebar 54 luminaires from Martin Professional.

"Initial plans called for the columns to be covered in coloured paint, but of course if they wanted a change of colour the paint would need to be changed, which wasn't very practical," states Qader Mohiuddin of Martin Professional Middle East. "Mr. Tareq Darwesh (deputy GM) and Mr. Ali Shiri (architect) from the Tamdeen Shopping Center Development Company expressed to us their desire for a dynamic lighting solution instead."

Cinema architect, Va

Details
UK - Theatre sound specialist Orbital and The National Theatre's sound department will again combine forces to deliver their eighth course for stage management and technical theatre students keen to pursue sound as a career.

This year's five day course, to be held from 7-11 April, will follow its successful formula, filling five working days with in-depth theory lectures and practical hands-on sessions.

Both Orbital and The National are concerned that there is a skills shortfall - that young people entering the industry have little experience of the latest technology and techniques. The course is designed to enhance the 'skills sets' of students in line with the growing expectations of directors, producers and audiences.

The course offers an opportunity for students expressing an interest in theatre sound to gain an extra level of technical skill and artistic understanding.

Details
USA - During NAMM 2008, the Harman Pro Group showcased an advanced networked system at the Gallo Center For The Arts in Modesto, California that comprises JBL Vertec and VRX line arrays, Crown amplifiers and BSS Audio processors.

The Gallo Center For The Arts has two performance venues to satisfy a wide range of performances. The Mary Stuart Rogers Theater is the larger of the two with 1,250 seats, while the Foster Family Theater has a capacity of 444 seats. Owned by Modesto County, the facility was financed by private donations. It is a regional facility that is home to the Modesto Symphony and will serve as a multi-purpose centre for a broad range of entertainment. Media Systems Design Group was the audio design consultant, with Principal Tim Hart overseeing the design.

"We used the Vertec line arrays for the front of house systems because of their wide acceptance throu

Details
Germany - At ProLight&Sound 2008, the Berlin microphone manufacturer Neumann will once again offer a programme of workshops, with an even more extensive selection of topics than before. The topics offered have been completely revised, and many new moderators will be introduced.

The total of 44 workshops, held during the four days of the trade fair will cover topics such as singing on stage and in the studio, signal processing for vocal recording, and how to find the ideal microphone of a lifetime.

The moderators are jazz trumpeter Nils Wülker, vocal trainer Annette Marquard, choir trainer and studio manager Rainer Stemmermann, acoustics expert Peter Maier, audio engineer Nils Hamann and Foley artist Dieter Hebben.

Wolfgang Fraissinet, president of marketing/sales at Neumann Berlin says, "We have expanded the range of topics covered in our workshops in response to frequ

Details
UK - Metway Electrical Industries has recently secured the order to supply a pre-fabricated wiring system for a state-of-the-art scientific research centre in Antarctica.

Being built to house up to 52 members of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Halley VI is the latest in the series of Halley stations that have been operating since 1956. Designed by Faber Maunsell and Hugh Broughton Architects, the new station incorporates seven 60-tonne laboratory, energy and sleeping modules raised on giant legs and booted with skis.

There is also a separate large module, which houses all the administrative and living facilities. The elevated modular configuration lifts Halley VI above accumulating surface snow (up to 1.5m per year) and enables it to be moved periodically to accommodate shifts and cracks in its location on the Brunt Ice Shelf.

Working with M&E supply contractor Merit Mer

Details
UK - Gary Moore toured the UK and Europe at the end of 2007, including the Jimi Hendrix Live at Monterey theatrical screening and 40th anniversary concert London on his trip. For this concert, Moore was a member of the all-star tribute band, alongside Jimi Hendrix and The Experience's musicians, Mitch Mitchell on drums and Billy Cox on bass.

Dave Wooster has been in charge of FOH at Moore's recent performances and for this latest tour he chose a DiGiCo D1 console. Any DAW on the market can be connected to a DiGiCo console, but Wooster went with Pro Tools.

"It was the first time I'd used a DiGiCo outside of turning up at a festival or a one off show and just having to use what is there," says Wooster. "I've actually had the chance to play and programme the console. Alongside the D1 we had a Pro Tools HD1 system that seamlessly integrated into the desk, whi

Details
USA - Audio Analysts is currently providing the live sound system for the Blue Man Group's How To Be A Megastar Tour 2.1. The world tour, which included a 12 January performance at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California immediately preceding this year's Winter NAMM show, is expected to continue through May 2008.

The Blue Man Group tour is a travelling version of the theatrical production show that combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics. The main performers in the production, the 'Blue Men', are silent characters who use a variety of unusual materials to create musical tapestries that have also spawned three successful albums. The production is also supported by a full live band that plays throughout the performance.

Now in its fourth leg, the tour has already played in countless venues throughout North America, South America and Canada. Audio Analysts has empl

Details
USA - Debuting at NAMM 2008, The EVID FM series of flush mount in-wall speaker systems is the next generation of high performance background and foreground installed speaker systems from Electro-Voice.

Comprising the FM6.2 (6" woofer, 6" tuned passive radiator, 1" tweeter) and the FM4.2 (4" woofer, 4" tuned passive radiator, 1" tweeter), the new members of the EVID product family offer "a combination of superb audio quality, sturdy sealed unit construction, and aesthetically pleasing in-wall design".

All components are housed in a shallow, fully-sealed enclosure for consistent performance and sound isolation from adjacent rooms. This low profile design also gives the FM series increased structural integrity: the specially designed ribbed back can eliminate flexing; the transformer is mounted on the back can surface, further enhancing sti

Details
USA - The introduction of the Vue VI by Chauvet aims to take the pain out of centerpiece effects. The 6-channel DMX fixture features LED illumination, built-in automated programs, individual control of red, green, and blue LEDs for each pod, and a wide beam angle.

Equipped with over 250 LEDs distributed by colour into two pods, the Vue VI produces an extremely bright output that is reminiscent of a fireworks explosion, says the company. It incorporates the best of the Vue series and adds pod rotation. Weighing less than 7lb (3.2 kg), it consumes very little power, produces a beam angle of 110°, and has an additional power output.

With DMX control, the Vue VI becomes even more versatile, allowing control over red, green, blue, rotation speed and direction, and strobing. Where DMX control is not available, built-in sound activated programs provide a show that can be synchron

Details
UK - Live production specialist Event Concept provided staging, interior build, lighting, sound and video for the recent House of Fraser Spring/Summer press event which included a fashion show.

House of Fraser wanted to create a Spring/Summer 2008 press event to establish their recently enhanced image in the minds of the media and provide an appropriate setting for the 2008 collections. Burlington Gardens at London's Royal Academy was chosen as the venue and Event Concept was appointed to work with the store's visual marketing team to create the setting for the event.

Working closely with the House of Fraser team, Event Concept created an engaging route through eight adjoining rooms which previewed the Womenswear, Menswear, Homeware, Childrenswear and Beauty collections before guests took their seats by the catwalk for a first glimpse of House of Fraser's new Spring collection

Details
Russia - Midas' Russian distributor Theatre Technics and Technology (TTT), has supplied a Heritage 2000 console to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Russian Orthodox Church's largest cathedral, able to accommodate 10,000 worshippers.

The H2000 has been installed into the 1,250-capacity Council Hall of Moscow cathedral, which is used for meetings of Local and Bishops' councils as well as events ranging from meetings and conferences to orchestral, organ and choral, and folklore performances. The multipurpose hall, noted for its beautiful décor, unique architectural features, frescoes, Florentine mosaics and winter gardens, is also equipped with state-of-the-art acoustic equipment.

Head of the department of communication for the cathedral fund, Roman Demidov, explains: "The issue of purchasing a mixing console for the Council Hall had been going on for about a

Details
USA - In the recent West Coast premiere of the musical I Married Wyatt Earp at Cal State University's Young Theatre in Fullerton, California, lighting designer Debra Lockwood chose Martin Professional MAC 2000 Washes. Assistant lighting design was handled by Nick Van Houten. He comments: "The MAC 2000 washes provided excellent backlight on the downstage thrust, as well as powerful tools to shift the action on different parts of the playing space to a different time era. Use of colour and colour temperature allowed a clear distinction between the two time periods which are often on stage at the same time."

Further upstage, MAC 2000 Performances provided extra colour and effects on a translucent drop, creating clouds, sunsets, and 'amethyst mountains'.

Programmed on a Martin Maxxyz lighting console by Matt Schleicher, the lighting fixtures reportedly behaved con

Details
USA - Bandit Lites recently participated in the renovation of UT's Thompson-Boling Arena by donating over $250,000 in equipment as well as playing a key role in the scoreboard and lighting design.

Tennessee athletic officials commissioned the $20 million overhaul in celebration of its 20th Anniversary. The roof-to-floor renovation includes new chairs, 32 new luxury suites, upgraded box seats and a $3 million state-of-the-art scoreboard.

Bandit Lites design and consultation associate, Chris Barbee said he was originally brought in as specialty lighting consultant. After the initial inspection, Barbee decided that the first phase of lighting renovation should not be a new 'look' as previously suggested, but an update to the control system.

Barbee installed a Payne-Sparkman system. With the new system, operators would be able to turn lights on/off in the entire arena from a sin

Details
USA - USITT and The ESTA Foundation are in the process of coordinating their efforts to offer the entertainment industry seminars and training across the United States.

To service this goal, a position has been identified for a workshop coordinator. The individual or firm will be responsible for all facets of events such as, but not limited to; the securing of venues, promotion in conjunction with the two organisations, coordinating the events, and working with the joint Advisory Board.

Work will commence on or about 1 March, 2008. A request for proposal has been created to outline in greater detail all aspects of the position and the qualifications necessary. The RFP may be downloaded at the web address below.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Bristol-based Fineline kicked off the new year by adding a new Graco Reactor E-XP2 plastic spray machine to its inventory of fabrication equipment.

More conventionally, this is used by companies in the roofing and wetroom sealing business, but Fineline is going to utilise it for a range of stage, presentation and performance based applications. Its primary function will be for spraying items like sets and props that have been machined from polystyrene on their five-axis CNC router.

"This is part of our ongoing investment in the fabrication side of the business," explains Fineline's Darren Wring, adding that it will also help increase the efficiency and speed of Fineline's operation which enjoyed exceptional growth last year.

The company has just completed part of the set build for the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour via Total Solutions. Fineline supplie

Details
UK - For its newly refurbished chamber, Hartlepool Borough Council chose beyerdynamic's MCW-D 50 Digital Wireless Conference System. Blaydon Communications was successful in tendering for the project which also required the supply of induction loop and infra-red facilities, plus a discreet high performance sound reinforcement system.

The Council has to cater for up to 40 councillors in each meeting, but it was felt that the layout of the room permitted the use of one microphone unit between two delegates; this was possible due to the characteristic pick-up pattern of the MCW-D microphone capsule and flexible microphone stem. A total of 27 MCW-D 521 delegate microphone units plus an MCW-D 523 chairman unit make up the system, which is supplemented by two hand-held radio microphones for members of the public to address the meeting if required.

An important requirement for the co

Details
Norway - Climb aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's vessel Norwegian Gem and you can't help but notice a unique artwork hanging from the atrium's ceiling. Designed and custom made by the Cristallux company of Waldachtal, Germany, and created to emulate a gem stone - a sliced amethyst - this eye-catching ceiling light is the centerpiece of the ship's all important welcoming public space.

The handmade art piece is made of a special synthetic material and is made even more dynamic by ten Martin FiberSource QFX150 fiber optic illuminators. "The Martin FiberSource illuminators suited our needs for this project and we had good experience with this projector on previous projects," states Thomas Schindler of Cristallux of his decision to install the fixtures.

The FiberSource QFX150 is an automated 150 W colour-changing luminaire for illuminating fibre optic cables in permanent ins

Details
USA - grandMAs played a key role in a series of eight sold-out concerts in Kansas City featuring Garth Brooks. The concerts included a simulcast to local cinemas which later aired on cable's Great American Country network as the 90-minute special, Garth: One Artist, One City, One Night, his first televised concert since 2001.

"It was kind of family reunion," reports Don Lockridge, project manager for grandMA supplier Bandit Lites, who was on Brooks' lighting crew back in the '90s. "We had three active grandMAs and a grandMA light all networked together in a typical front-of-house set up with about 14 universes. There were three operators: lighting designer, Dave Butzler who wrote the cues for the key lights and performer-specific back lights, Kyle Russelberg, who controlled the audience rig, and programmer Kevin Lawson. We use a lot of grandMAs at Bandit, a

Page 2158 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .