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UK - The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, or RADA, in London is internationally renowned for producing generation after generation of actors and production specialists for the theatre world. Graduates include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Peter O'Toole, Alan Rickman and Kenneth Brannagh. This year's students were given a hands-on opportunity to use a high-performance Electro-Voice XLE sound reinforcement system for their annual musical production.

Shuttlesound, the UK distributor of Electro-Voice, was keen to show its support for the leading academy of stage arts, lending an XLE181 PA system to the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre at RADA for this year's graduate production of Little Women - The Musical. RADA is a keen user of Electro-Voice loudspeakers, with EV SX300s in all three of its liv

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South Africa - Questek Broadcast Technologies (QBT) has recently been appointed as the local agent for Chromatec and Chord Professional audio monitoring, Chromatec video display and openGear products on behalf of Michael Stevens & Partners.

"We are thrilled at the opportunity of representing Michael Stevens & Partners in Southern Africa," says Justin Thathiah, general manager of Questek Broadcast Technologies, "Many of our customers are planning to upgrade and improve both the quality and efficiency of their operations. This new agreement allows us to offer the latest specialist technologies from a world class international partner."

"Any manufacturer benefits from an experienced reseller with good local knowledge," says Ian Burkinshaw, business development manager at Michael Stevens & Partners. "We are very pleased to be working with QBT who

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UK - Sky News has recently purchased 68 radio mic systems from Sennheiser for its cameramen and reporters in the field, choosing SK 3063-U bodypack transmitters paired with EK 3241 receivers, with a selection of MD 46 reporters' microphones and MKE2 lapel mics.

George Davies, head of cameras, Sky News, said that, given the microphones and cameras had to be used worldwide, sometimes in hostile environments, it was the equipment's physical toughness that had primarily informed the broadcaster's choice.

"Robustness and reliability come first," he explained. "Sennheiser kit is made from metal and is therefore heavy duty. It is also capable of reasonably high-powered output which is important to us, as our journalists want to do walking, talking pieces to camera and sometimes start fifty yards away."

Sky News is currently using the Sennheiser equipment in Wash

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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 CitySprint, the UK's largest privately owned SameDay Courier business has been appointed by Halifax-based J&C Joel - a leading theatrical drape manufacturer - to make SameDay deliveries nationwide. Most recently, CitySprint was engaged to deliver some of the 190 theatrical curtains for the Liverpool Echo Arena in aid of the 2008 European City of Culture celebrations.

CitySprint, with its national network of 30+ Service Centres, has also delivered J&C Joel's drapes, fabrics, tracking and stage machinery to various locations across the country.

Maxine Hickey, domestic despatch manager for J&C Joel, says: "We trust the CitySprint team to be there especially when time is of the essence. Some courier companies will fob you off with what you want to hear rather than the truth. But with CitySprint's CourierLocator technology there is total transparency; all I need to do is lo

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Germany - LDR will introduce three new versions of the well known Xpress colour scroller at ProLight & Sound.

These new models (designed around the well-known Xpress 13,18 and 25 versions) are billed as a "perfect balance between design and technology, capable of offering more than consumers expected from a colour scroller".

The Xpress MK2 differentiates from other products by its technological superiority, unique customer-driven designs and the capability to offer innovative features with a user friendly interface, say the company.

The Xpress Mk2 colour scroller claims to be the most silent scroller available on the market - producing less than 28Db when in operation - and also includes RDM industry-leading technology to provide consumers with the best possible and latest state of the art technology, the company adds.

"We plan to become one of the top colou

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Germany - Avolites takes its new Pearl Tiger lighting console to ProLight & Sound Frankfurt for the first time. The Pearl Tiger will be the main product highlighted on the stand of German Distributor Trendco, along with a new version the Avolites Art2000 Series touring dimmer with 3 pin mains patching connectors developed specifically for the German market.

Avolites' will also introduce Aziz Adilkhodjaev a new member of the technical sales team. A fluent Russian speaker with a background in engineering, mobile telecoms and business administration, Adilkhodjaev's presence at the show underlines Avolites commitment to Eastern European markets, says the company.

Many of the technical support documents have been translated into Russian and Adilkhodjaev is also a media server specialist, offering integration support for the constant stream of emerging video technologies.

(Jim Eva

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UK - Adlib Audio's first batch of 14 engineers have completed the initial phase of their official V-DOSC training and are on the path to attaining QVT (Qualified V-DOSC Technicians) status in the wake of the company's recent investment in L-Acoustics' flagship audio system.

The three-day training session was taught by Sherif El Barbari from L'Acoustics and was co-ordinated by Adlib's Tony Szabo. Szabo first toured the system in 1999 then took the original course in 2004 and has since worked extensively on the road with V-DOSC systems, in the process becoming a Certified V-DOSC Engineer (CVE). This also qualifies him as an assessor for other engineers working towards the next level.

The training - designed to ensure the engineers know the theory behind the DOSC systems and the best methods for optimising the gear on the road - took place over three days at Speke City Learning C

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Italy - Italian electro-rock cult band Subsonica are currently touring with a powerful PixelRange showcase - designed by lighting and stage designer Mamo Pozzoli. The rig features 18 PixelLine 110s, 21 PixelLine 1044s and 18 PixelPar 90s.

Pozzoli reports: "I imagined the show as a metropolitan jungle: music, lighting, sound, visuals, all fighting at maximum level. I needed the best LED lighting fixtures on the market - so no doubt in my choice. I first used PixelRange products in 2005, each one for their own specific characteristics. Now they are a fundamental element in all my plots."

The 110s are aligned to the two main trusses providing key lighting for the band, whilst the 1044s are rigged behind the band in seven horizontal groups creating a distinctive graphic sign. The PixelPars are positioned under the stage focusing on the musicians - all running synchronize

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UK - Harman Pro UK is beginning a regular series of free industry training sessions aimed at improving PA-related knowledge amongst retailers. Known as the PA School, the educational initiative follows on from a successful masterclass held at last year's Harman Roadshow, and aims to give sales assistants and staff at audio retailers throughout the industry a more thorough grounding in their understanding of PA and sound reinforcement basics.

The sessions will take up an afternoon, and will cover everything a retail assistant should know - from assembling a PA for a variety of applications and budgets to actually miking up and soundchecking various types of live acts, from a lone singer/songwriter to a multi-piece band with drums and amplified guitars, basses, and keyboards. By the end of each PA School session, attendees should know everything they need to sell a live rig to a s

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Germany - After a construction period of four years, the automobile delivery centre BMW Welt in Munich has opened its doors. Approximately 850,000 visitors are expected annually to the 500 million Euro building designed by Austrian architects Coop Himmelb(l)au.

At BMW Welt visitors not only experience the finest BMW automobiles first hand, they can also receive delivery of their newly purchased vehicle - a staged event worthy of music and lighting. BMW Welt also serves as an event forum and conference centre.

Since 2005, the various construction phases of BMW Welt were supervised by eventa AG in co-operation with NAT AG (Dachau) and K+B E Tech GmbH (Cham). The technical specifications of lighting designers AG Licht (Bonn), the electrical planning company Pro Elektroplan (Ottobrunn), as well as the formative specifications of Coop Himmeb(l)au (Vienna) and investor BMW AG (Munic

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UK - The first ever conference of the Schools Theatre Support Group (STSG) was held on Saturday 9 February at Rugby School in Warwickshire. The STSG is an informal organisation, founded in 2005, for professional technicians and theatre managers working in school or college theatres.

As theatre practitioners in a teaching environment, school theatre staff can be in a unique and isolated situation, outside of regular theatre, but with the same intentions, products, rules and problems. The group currently has nearly 100 members from a wide range of independent and state schools, colleges and universities around the country, allowing members to share ideas and problems specific to school theatres, as well as raising awareness of school theatre work amongst fellow professionals.

The conference was organised by Paul Durose of The Leys School, Cambridge, and was hosted by Rugby Schoo

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UK - For the sixth consecutive year, XL Video supplied all screens and video playback PPU for The Brits 2008 last night at London's Earls Court. They also provided additional video 'specials' kit for three of the performing artists - Kylie, Mark Ronson and Rihanna.

XL's project managers were again Chris Saunders and Paul Wood. Saunders co-ordinated the cameras and control side, while Paul Wood managed the screen elements and specials. Both worked closely with the event's technical production manager Mick Kluczynski and his team from MJK Productions, lighting designer Al Gurdon, set designer Nicoline Refsing from Stufish and The Brits TV production.

The central screen measured 8.4m high and 6m wide, and the Punk Stage screen on stage left was 18m wide by 4.6m high, both screens were made from Lighthouse R16 16mm resolution LED panels.

XL also supplied two flown 20ft by 11ft r

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UK - It's been a week of awards ceremonies for the international staging specialist Stageco. As the proverbial curtain fell on Sir Paul McCartney and all the other winners at the Brit Awards this Wednesday, Stageco were starting to dismantle several enormous structures they had erected at Earls Court for the internationally broadcast ceremony. Earlier in the week, as they were building the Brits, Stageco had won a respected industry award for their work.

The company worked with show producers MJK Productions to build three separate projects, turning the blank canvas of the empty Earls Court floor into a world-class venue.

Although this is the 12th year Stageco and MJK have worked together on the Brits, the event always presents new challenges. In 2008 the venue had a split tenancy with another event, offering late access to parts of the hall, meaning much of the work had to be

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UK - The decision by Boy George to set out on the road for the first time in many years was greeted with delight by an army of loyal fans. Lighting specialists LXCo were asked to provide the visual look for the former Culture Club frontman, DJ and style icon, having worked previously with promoter Stars + Angels and provided lighting for the singer's warm up shows at the Shaw Theatre in London.

The tour of mid-sized venues such as The Sage, Gateshead, The Lowry Centre, Salford and The Colston Hall in Bristol, saw the star "dipping his toes" back into live performing, so the emphasis was very much on a lightshow which complimented the music rather than an "all guns blazing" spectacular.

"The brief from Boy George was, 'There is no brief'," says LXCo's Mark Wheatley. "We used in-house lights at most venues, supplemented by a small number of mo

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Australia - Robe moving lights and Anolis architectural LED fixtures have been installed into Cocktails & Dreams, an iconic club/pub venue in Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Australia.

The installation - carried out by JVG Sound, Lighting & Visual - is part of a lighting upgrade being undertaken at the popular nightclub. The fixtures were all supplied to JVG by Robe's Australian distributor ULA, whose HQ is nearby on the Gold Coast.

The Cocktails & Dreams dancefloor has been completely revamped lighting wise, and now features 17 Robe ColorSpot 250E ATs, two ColorWash 250E ATs and six ColorSpot 170 ATs.

The venue was challenged for ceiling height, particularly over the raised dancefloor area explains JVG's general manager Jade Golar, so he was looking for compact and neatly sized fixtures that would not take up much space or intrude. In terms of aesthetics, he also wanted to o

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UK - Stage Electrics reports that it has scheduled a record number of training courses in the forthcoming months. In total 31 courses have been arranged between February and June 2008, says the company.

Courses are available on a wide range of subjects including rigging, sound, stage lighting, working from heights, moving lights and the ever popular pyrotechnics safety awareness. New courses for 2008 include Introduction to Sound Training, Advanced Moving Lights Training and Legislative Guide to Rigging.

Stage Electrics' training manager Sara Alarabi comments, "Our January courses sold out in record time, I think this is a clear indication that the requirement for formal, structured training within the industry is increasing. Our courses are designed as a direct result of what our customers have asked us for. They are constantly evolving driven by latest technology and le

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Denmark - In September 2007, DPA Sound took delivery of two DiGiCo consoles, a D1 and a CS-D5. The Danish company was so impressed with its purchase, it decided to invest in even more DiGiCo desks at the beginning of this year, with the addition of two more CS-D5s and another D1.

Kim Johansen, a consultant for the Danish DiGiCo distributors Soundware confirmed that DPA Sound Co A/S requested the three consoles; no selling of the products was required. According to Johansen, the reason DPA chose the desks again was because of the "flexibility of the DiGiCo systems, and the sound quality. DPA likes the fact that the same consoles have the ability to do theatre, corporate and music. The company also received great feedback from other users."

The desks have already been used for a number of tours with Danish bands, including those of Tina Dickow, TV-2, Big Fat Snake, Pou

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UK - On 12 February, one of Central China Television's (CCTV) most popular programmes, The Same Song, hosted a concert in London's Westminster Central Hall. This was the first time The Same Song concert series had reached Europe and Turbosound Aspect loudspeakers were chosen by London-based Subfrantic Production Services to cope with the challenges the venue presents.

The concert's theme highlighted this summer's Beijing Olympics, is part of a world tour and featured many of China's top names including Chinese-American singer Kris Phillips, known in China as Fei Xiang, as well as British opera singer Alfie Boe. The show, which will also be visiting Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, is one of CCTV's most popular offerings, with audience figures estimated to be around 100,000,000 when it was aired the following weekend.

"The brief for this show was quite vagu

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UK - Harman Pro UK has announced another of its successful training days for live sound engineers who wish to know more about the Soundcraft Vi6 digital live sound console. This time, the event will take place on Friday 7 March 2008, at the head office of live sound specialists and equipment hire company SSE Audio in Redditch, near Birmingham.

Two training sessions will be held on the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each catering for up to 10 engineers. At each session, following an initial technical presentation, the 10 will be divided into two groups of five, each with access to their own Vi6, so that every attendee is assured of some properly supervised hands-on time with the console.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Richard Martin Lighting has recently increased its range of Alphas with the investment of the Alpha Spot HPE 300 and Alpha Wash 300.

The Alpha Spot HPE 300 is compact and with 16,000 lumens at just 5m's it is an exceptionally bright fixture. This light also has 15°-40° zoom, morphing effects, rotating prism and 0-100% dimmer.

The brother to the HPE Spot 300 is the Alpha Wash 300, this light also has an impressive 20,500 lumens and with equally impressive features of full CMY with 8+1 colour wheel and 2 levels of frost to provide diffusion of colour. This fixture also has a 0-100% dimmer on a dedicated channel and stop/strobe effect.

(Jim Evans)

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Finland - Near the end of last year the Finnish shipping company Viking Line Abp signed a contract with Aker Finnyards Oy for the construction of a high-speed passenger ferry for the route between Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia), with delivery set for April 2008.

The new Viking XPRS had to be tailored for the growing customer needs that have characterised the Helsinki-Tallinn route since Estonia joined the European Union in May 2004. The emphasis was thus on providing full facilities, including a modern range of shopping and dining choices, flexible conferencing spaces and a nightclub. At the same time it needed to meet the increased requirement for passenger vehicles - 365 days of the year.

Multiple Soundweb SW9088iis DSP devices from BSS Audio were specified to create the routing flexibility.

Jouni Sironen, AV co-ordinator for Viking Line Abp, developed an archite

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