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UK - Commercial audio specialist Ateis International announced a major expansion of its global network with the launch its new UK subsidiary at the ProLight&Sound Show in Frankfurt last week.

Ateis UK is set to bring the company's range of audio and voice alarm products to an expanding UK market - adding to the potential of its existing international reseller network based in 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Far East territories.

Industry expert Neil Voce will head up Ateis UK in its St Alban's based HQ along with his chosen team including Sam Elsdon and John Andrews. Offering a combined 60 years of experience, the team is well positioned to fulfil the increasing demand for commercial audio systems solutions, say Ateis.

In only a few years, Ateis has developed a

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USA - As we mentioned briefly in yesterday's news from Midas at LSI Online, Clair Brothers Showco, one of the world's most influential PA rental companies, has purchased and taken delivery of two Midas XL8 Live Performance Systems.

The Midas flagship joins Clair Brothers' extensive XL4 and Heritage 3000 rental inventory, which continue to be used daily on major touring productions, both across America and throughout the world.

Midas has worked in partnership and consulted with Clair Brothers Showco throughout the XL8's development, with delegations from Midas paying regular visits to Clair's headquarters in Pennsylvania, USA since the beginning of the project in early 2004. These visits proved invaluable, the company says, helping it fine-tune its digital concepts into the flagship XL8.

"As a leading light of the global touring industry we have always been very proud to

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UK - Birmingham-based hire and installation company DMX Productions has been contracted to supply sound reinforcement to the Q Club in Birmingham, and has invested in an Electro-Voice XLD compact line array system which has quickly become a near-permanent fixture in the venue.

The Q Club is back after five years, recently refurbished and under new management. Once upon a time, this massive venue, a former Methodist church, was the heart of Birmingham's clubbing community - now, it is rebuilding its reputation for hosting the top events. With a main dancefloor overlooked by tiered seating which ascends up towards the ornate high ceilings, extra atmosphere is lent by the grand pipe organ that dominates one end of the club.

SJ Grevett, the energetic young owner of DMX Productions, has had his new EV XLD line array boxes in almost continuous use in the venue, particularly by promo

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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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The latest AMG venue, Carling Academy Sheffield, opens next month and is a welcome addition to the UK live music circuit. And the complete refurbishment of the venue has provided great opportunities for installers and manufacturers to showcase their products and services.

As one venue opens, another closes...Just a week after the news broke that the Marquee Club had closed, another long-standing London venue, The Astoria in Charing Cross Road, looks certain to close. London's mayor, Ken Livingston told The Times that it would be demolished to make way for the Cross Rail project which has finally been given the green light. An Internet-based petition to save The Astoria has attracted some big name signatures, but it's probably too late.

Looking on the bright side, though, the Cross Rail project should offer great opportunities for the installation sectors of our industry to get a slic

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USA - A small, portable Saxis control unit and BigTow winch, from Stage Technologies, is being used to create effects for the touring production of Rapunzel. Following a sell-out tour in the UK, the Kneehigh Theatre's non-traditional production has opened at The New Victory Theater in New York.

Stage Technologies worked with production manager and lighting designer, Alex Wardle, on this project, and provided a simple, easy to use system, capable of flying a small platform carrying two performers. The red, oval-shaped piece of floor is flown to stage level during the show, to bridge a gap in two circular stages. The same oval piece is also flown approximately six feet above the stage and supports the two performers who use the platform as a swing.

Alex Wardle commented: "Part of the reason we chose the system is that the Saxis is simple to programme and operate. Dur

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UK - Bradford-based firm Pro Audio Systems has completed a major design and sound installation project at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, which opens this month. The contract, awarded by World Duty Free, was won against stiff national competition.

The brief was to advise World Duty Free on the best and most innovative way to operate a fully integrated sound and visual media marketing package in their stores. Working with one of London's top retail design agencies, JHP and leading visual brand Sony, Pro Audio Systems created an integrated network of high quality audio systems in 13 zones across seven World Duty Free stores in the Terminal. Each zone had specific requirements varying from beauty areas and cocktail bars to arrivals areas.

The provision of clear, intelligible audio was the primary goal, coupled with designs that reflected the ambience of the store, all linked into

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UK - The Mission's recent farewell tour brought much of its own to the stage, but it also gave many nods to some of the highlights of the band's touring past. The rig was structurally reminiscent of some of the first tours they did, with a custom Pre Rigged Truss Arch from the 80s containing a backdrop with an album's cover art on it. The only problem was however, that the original canvas backdrop no longer existed. So instead lighting director Adam Stevenson from Entec turned to Martin's LC2140 for the solution.

"We really wanted to have the album artwork in the arch, and we thought about projecting it, but there were some limitations for projections, especially with the shape of the arch we used. So we thought; how about a screen instead?

"The LC screens were perfect and the audience and band loved it. For the last four nights we used the first four albums, so one

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UK - In April, a group of people with links to the event production industry will be undertaking a charity walk to raise money for research into cancer - specifically an often overlooked form of the disease, pancreatic cancer.

In August 2006, aged 51, Chris Venn a prominent freelance production manager, working for many of the high profile communications and production companies of the last 25 years, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is currently is no long-term cure for this type of cancer, because the level of research funding in to this specific area is relatively poor. Sadly, after 13 months, Chris lost his battle in September last year, the same year that another industry colleague, freelance logistics manager Howard Kerr, was diagnosed with the same disease.

As Howard nears the 12-month mark since his diagnosis, he and his industry colleagues have begun to put

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World - On their recent tour, The Spice Girls sang using personalized microphones: their Sennheiser SKM 935s were lavishly adorned with rhinestones; even the earpieces on their evolution wireless monitor receivers were decorated. The band used (much plainer) evolution wireless guitar systems and all the microphones were used with EM 550 twin receivers.

"For the Spice Girls tour we needed great sounding vocal mics with rock-solid radio performance," explains Ray Furze, the tour's FOH engineer. "The 935 capsule proved to be an excellent choice. We had no radio drop outs on the whole tour and I found they were highly resistant to feedback, even with all five mics 20 metres in front of the PA."

Monitor technician Matt Napier adds: "After Ray Furze and I reviewed all the radio systems that were available for the Spice Girls tour, it quickly became obvious t

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Sweden - United Audio Starlight (UAS) has given its new Nexo Geo S12 line-array system a high profile nationally, taking it all over the country with the Melodifestivalen, the competition to choose which artist will represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Almost 3500 songs were entered for the 2008 Swedish national final, 32 of these made the four semi-finals and 10 artists performed in the final. Performing Hero, Charlotte Perrelli was the artist who received the highest number of points from the regional juries and televoters, and she now goes forward to represent Sweden in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade later this year.

The five-part Melodifestivalen culminated in a grand final at Stockholm's famous Globe venue in mid-March. All the concerts were sell-out shows, and the process up to and including the final selection was broadcast

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Sweden - Yesterday (17 March) Capture Sweden launched a new SmartSoft Edition of its popular Capture visualization software. "At the low cost of only 190 euros, customers can enjoy full bidirectional visualization and device selection with ETC's SmartSoft software, the PC software for the ETC SmartFade lighting control range," says the company.

The new SmartSoft Edition is available through Capture Sweden's dealer network and can be evaluated for free by downloading the demo version at Capture Sweden's website.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - When Sky News was looking to create a new visual dynamic at the end of its Westminster studio, it was suggested that a wall of LED strips would not only be a modern replacement for their ageing projection video cube system but would also be low on maintenance and power requirement. In short it would radically reduce the studio's carbon footprint.

The broadcaster has occupied the Millbank Media Centre (No. 4 Millbank) since 1993, since when it has carried out systematic technology upgrades. In addition to presenting down-the-line interviews to its main studio in Osterley, the studio houses a weekly PMQs show and covers breaking news from around Westminster.

Sky has an open policy when it comes to third party vendors, but during a visit to last year's PLASA Show at Earl's Court, Mark Fowler, who manages Sky TV's lighting department, saw the LED strips on the stand of

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Eire - Barco has installed a large-scale, visual decision-making environment in the main auditorium at Google's Irish headquarters. The Barco display is equipped with advanced imaging and multi-windowing capabilities, and is used to magnify auditorium presentations and create an information-rich, engaging forum for collaborative discussions.

For years, Google was using complex switching and cabling setups, as well as multiple remotes to connect and operate its projectors in order to show various presentations. Google AV/IT staff found this arrangement costly and time consuming. As such, Google decided to replace its existing projection equipment in its auditorium with an up-to-date visual system that offered only the best in terms of ease of use and projecting various types of content simultaneously and flexibly. After an extensive review of display solutions, Google narrowed do

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Germany - Following a year of preparation, Lightpower has opened the 'LED Competence Centre Germany' in time for the official announcement during last week's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. Through this centre, the company will offer sophisticated LED products and low-res LED systems from Barco, Element Labs, Schnick-Schnack-Systems and Ayrton - all under one roof.

For this reason the generic term 'Creative LED' was borrowed from Barco to give the variety of solutions one name, say Lightpower, adding that the term will soon become the internationally accepted term for this product field.

The new centre will focus on close co-operation with the professional end-user, expertise in all disciplines within the sales team, and will offer a synergy of product solutions covering controllers, network components and media serves.

Lightpower also reports that an extens

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China - The Suzhou Science, Technology, Culture, & Art Centre is the newly-established cultural landmark of Suzhou City in China. Designed by architect Paul Andreu, the centre features a 1,200-seat grand theatre, an entertainment restaurant, IMAX movie theater, seven film projection halls, a 33,000sq.m commercial center, and a crescent-shaped open square.

The Centre is equipped with a pair of Zeus DSP intercom matrices by RTS. This system features the same programmability as the top-of-the-line ADAM frame, but in a package that is better suited for smaller installations such as theatres and other performance venues. The Zeus provides 24 channels of audio in a compact 2RU package. Each channel is capable of supporting any of the RTS Digital Matrix Intercom line of keypanels, or four-wire inputs and outputs.

For wired communication, the Centre chose the dual-channel BP-325 beltp

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UK - After 21 years, LHS Ltd (Leslie Hire & Sale) is moving to new and larger premises, just a stone's throw away from its existing premises, on the opposite side of King George's Park, Wandsworth. From 25 March, LHS Ltd will be up and running from the new address:

Unit 2 Riverside Business Centre, 55 Bendon Valley, Wandsworth, London SW18 4LZ.

The phone and fax numbers remain the same and the company hopes to have a new website up and running by the end of March. A company statement says: "We look forward to providing our customers with the same high quality lighting solutions from our new home."

(Claire Beeson)

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UK - Apple Sound Limited, the UK's leading provider of specialist sound systems, sound masking and speech privacy systems, are relocating to new premises at Bretton, near Chester.Based in the North West since 1979, Apple Sound have become the leading sound system and sound masking specialist in the UK, providing solutions for major blue-chip clients, corporate clients and small to medium enterprises both nationally and internationally.

With confidentiality and acoustic comfort becoming increasingly important in modern corporate and enterprise workspaces, Apple Sound's latest developments include the Quell range of active and passive sound masking technologies which provide truly scaleable sound masking solutions to any environment.

The move will be completed by 28 March 2008, but with immediate effect all correspondence may be directed to the new address which is: Apple Sound

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UK - High-performance dnp optical screens are being adopted by the SA Media Group to offer a radical high-impact, rear projection digital solution for advertisers on portable outdoor displays.The high-impact innovation is the brainchild of Scott Anthony, who recognised 15 years ago that products being displayed for outdoor media campaign solutions were not up to agency/media standards. "This was an area crying out for innovation," he said.

Anthony developed his own portfolio of flexible mobile media advertising vehicles. "These were primarily poster media vehicles - however, I started to look at digital media possibilities when I was engaged with private and public sector campaigns, educating people about the risks associated with drink driving. We needed to engage with all the senses - audio as well as visual."

It was then that SA Media Group were introduc

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Portugal - A second major Martin Audio Compact Line Array has been sold to a Portuguese rental house by the manufacturer's territorial distributor, Tecnimusica, LDA.

After evaluating different systems during demonstrations in the Portuguese Algarve, close to their base, Sons da Vicentina have made their first investment in Martin Audio line array technology to service the massive Anjos tour.

After Tecnimusica MD, Jorge de Oliveira and Martin Audio's international sales manager, Martin Kelly set up the audition, the production company's proprietor, Flávio Figueiras took the decision to purchase 16 x W8LC enclosures and two W8LCD Down-fills - giving him two nine-drop hangs - and 12 x WS218X subs. He decided to keep amplification and processing in the Martin Audio domain, ordering a selection of MA12K, MA9.6K and MA2.8s amplifiers to power the system along with a pair of DX2 sys

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Azerbaijan - With the spectacular live show Land of Fire 2008, broadcast live in several countries and on Eurovision.tv's esctv, Azerbaijan searched for its first ever Eurovision Song Contest entry. Three artists - Unformal, Aynur and Elnur - took part in the show which was held in the sports concert complex named after Heydar Aliyev in Baku. Lighting designer Per Sundin relied on one grandMA full-size, one grandMA light and one MA NSP for lighting.

Timo Kauristo explained the choice: "Actually I insisted on the grandMA once I knew the variety of lighting that the rig would contain - 100 movers, LEDs, conventionals - plus the fact that we would have to programme the show in a short time frame. In an unknown situation like this, I need to know I can rely on my desk." The two-level stage was 24m wide and 18m deep. 100sq.m of LED screens were used in the show with

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Russia - Inaugurated in 2000 and now in its ninth year, the annual Laureus World Sports Awards was staged this year in the historic Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall (formerly known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet) in St Petersburg and was televised to a worldwide audience.

Working for production company Done and Dusted, audiovisual services company Creative Technology (CT) provided the event's demanding screen requirements, a service it has been providing to the Laureus Awards for the past three years whilst sister company, Dimension Audio, was on hand to address its audio needs.

In charge of CT's five-man crew was project manager Alex Leinster, who explains what was involved: "We used Barco OLite 612 modules for the main screen in an 8x6 module which was split into four columns that were tracked backwards and forwards on a Vertigo Rigging system during the show, to create en

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