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USA - With seven locations in south Florida, Bru's Room has a well-earned reputation for Buffalo wings, big screen sports and family-friendly environs. The brainchild of former Miami Dolphins linebacker Bob 'Bru' Brudzinski and his partner, Wings 'N Things founder Eddie Hauk, the company has been voted Best Sports Bar in Florida for 19 years running.

Bru's Room recently opened what promises to be their flagship location in Coconut Creek. The upscale 20,000sq.ft purpose-built facility boasts five different rooms including a family dining area, outdoor covered dock, patio bar, kids ice cream parlour and private lounge, each outfitted with audio and video systems designed by Coral Springs-based SoundVision Systems.

The high-powered sound system in the main areas is centred around C

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USA - The Warhol Live exhibition, now at San Francisco's de Young Museum, offers a wide-ranging retrospective into Andy Warhol's use of music in his works. Through a low-profile yet powerful audio system supplied by Meyer Sound, Warhol's iconic creations are brought to life, from portraits of pop stars and album art to his prolific and controversial films and influential New York Silver Factory scene.

Acclaimed sound designer Philippe Wojtowicz, who implemented the sound system for the John Lennon, Unfinished Music exhibit in Paris in 2006, was charged to create the aural experience for the event. As Wojtowicz explains, the expansive range of the artist's material called for a multitude of different approaches in sound design.

"For some exhibits, we wanted to localise the sound source to a visual element," says Wojtowicz. "For example, havin

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Denmark - Martin Professional A/S has announced the appointment of Frank Hoehn as senior vice-president - business development & marketing. Hoehn, who previously held the position of senior vice-president - architectural at Martin's Danish-based headquarters, assumed the new position on 1 March 2009.

Christian Engsted, Martin Professional A/S CEO, said: "Following years of building and establishing the Martin brand in the entertainment industry, Martin has now arrived at the next stage. In the coming years, we will see a stronger focus on leveraging the Martin brand through developing new business within the entertainment industry as well as in the architectural/commercial lighting world. Frank is an internationally seasoned and strong manager who understands how to create value for our customers."

In addition to his business development responsibility, Hoehn will ta

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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 the seventh year running Sennheiser microphones, in-ear monitoring and personnel were at the heart of the Brit Awards in London.

Having been invited to support the event by The Brit Awards' sound designer, Derrick Zieba, and sound company Britannia Row, presenters, performers and award-winners all chose Sennheiser as they entertained the sell out crowd at Earls Court and an audience of millions on ITV.

To introduce the event, host Kylie Minogue - ably supported by James Corden and Mathew Horne - used SKM 5200 microphones with Neumann KK 105 heads and the same combination was used for all guest presenters.

For their live vocal performances, Take That chose chromed SKM 5200 with KK 105 heads, the Ting Tings choosing e 935 wired mics.

Best International Artist and Best International Album winners, Kings of Leon, opted for e 945 wired mics, and Girls Aloud favoured cu

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Europe - US rockers The Killers kicked off the first European leg of their 2009 Day & Age world tour complete with an inventive lighting design by Steven Douglas.

This is a total departure from the more classical theatrical lighting and look that characterised their previous major Sam's Town world tour, bringing a lively, contemporary multi-LED based ambience to the stage. Part of this look is created with the latest i-Pix BB fixtures - of which there are 15 BB7s and 27 BB4s on the tour.

The Killers were the second band to use i-Pix's BB7s after their launch last year - following Radiohead, for whom the fixture was developed. They formed an integral part of the floor specials package on the Killers' summer festival tour throughout 2008.

The 15 BB7's - added for the Euro leg Day & Age following the start of the tour in the US - are positioned in a long li

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UK - After its Jarag-5 halogen array was specified for use on both The Brits with U2 (where the set was lit by experienced LD Al Gurdon) and a London Fashion Week event (by board operator, Tupac Martir), French company Chromlech has appointed Lighting Effects Distribution as its official UK distributor.

L.E.D managing director, Ian Kirby, comments: "We are delighted to be handling this ingenious product, which represents a classic blend between retro and new technology. It is a versatile and high-impact pixelated wall ideal for touring and television, and already attracting considerable interest."

Containing 25 x 75W halogen lamps (outputting over 1800W) in a 580mm square aluminium frame, the Jarag-5 comes in two versions - the PAR30, E27 version with aluminium reflector offering 10° beam spread and PAR20 GU10 version, providing 25° beam spread.

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UK - Surrey-based AV distribution company Smart-e Limited is celebrating 10 years trading. The company, known for its purple coloured equipment, has designed and manufactured AV equipment for a wide range of industries and uses across the globe since 1999.

The company, which now has a workforce across the UK and an extensive network of distributors worldwide, moved to larger premises last year, despite the economic climate.

Smart-e's equipment transmits signals via inexpensive and easy-to-install Cat 5* cabling, providing robust networks for all types of AV systems with superior transmission quality. Co-founder Jon Lane, says: "We started the business because we saw a gap in the market for using Cat 5* structured cabling for transmitting AV signals. We spent several years extolling the virtues of Cat 5* cabling for AV use, however it was only in 2005 that people began to

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The Netherlands - Prolyte reports that Gonher distribuidora has chosen Prolyte to add to the range of brands for the light and sound markets they represent in Mexico.

Gonher will distribute the complete range of Prolyte products, including trussing, staging and Prolyft hoists.

CEO Jorge González Silva comments: "We were looking for a truss brand over a long period, but following our company philosophy, we also wanted to add quality to our portfolio of professional brands. Prolyte not only has an extensive product line, their focus on high quality products combined with excellent support and technical know-how, is exactly what we like to offer our customers.

The Sound Check Expo in Mexico City this week will be the official start of the distributorship. Gonher will show the complete range of Prolyte products and Prolyte engineer Ivo Mulder will present a technical semin

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USA - For 25 years, Faith Church EPC in Rochester Hills, MI, had gone without a building of its own. Based in this attractive Detroit suburb, the church's congregation met at various schools and rented facilities on Sundays and holidays, having to go through the arduous process of transporting and setting up its equipment every week.

The challenges of meeting these constant set-up demands gave Faith EPC administrators an appreciation for equipment that is durable, dependable and easy to work with. So when the church finally fulfilled its long-held dream of constructing its own building in 2008, it wanted a lighting system that was user friendly and reliable, in addition to being performance-driven and priced within its budget.

Based on these criteria, Faith's technical and creative director Tom Moyer put together a lighting ensemble comprised largely of LED fixtures from Elati

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UK - Highlite International BV, along with the UK partner Overt Light to Sound Ltd, is taking delivery of the first batch of the new Antari DNG-200 Low Fog Generator - originally launched at PLASA 2008 in London last September.

The DNG-200 Low Fog Generator is a ground fog effect solution from a fully self-compacted unit with wheels and handles to stand against tough transport. "With today's rising demand and awareness for environmental and health concern, the effects produced is virtually indistinguishable from that is created by dry ice," the company says.

Distinctively from other products currently on the market, it creates low fog straight from machine's nozzle - "a far more efficient and convenient" system, without any of the hassles of CO2 installations, say Highlite. It is operator-friendly as there are no external controls on the machine. Simply plu

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UK - Impact Products (Europe) displayed a wide range of LED fixtures from Chauvet at Even Tech Scotland last month. Utilising three-chord AstraLite trussing from Litestructures, for which it is the master stocking distributor in the UK, Impact demonstrated the control and RGB colour-mixing capabilities of the US manufacturer's COLORado 1, 3 and 6 wash and panel lights and the moving head Q-Wash LED, all to great interest.

Adding to the atmosphere were the full Vue series of static and rotating moonflower effects, offering individual RGB or RGBWY colour control as well as blackout and strobe options, whilst the RGB Technostrobe added dimming to the impressive list of functions available from the effects range.

Impact also surprised attendees with the B50 from Lanta, featuring a bright single blue 50mW diode. With manual, automatic, sound activated and 8 Channel DMX control, the

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USA - In an effort to effectively insure life safety and maintain the structural integrity of the space, the award-winning San Diego Convention Centre has revised its rigging requirements. Among the new requirements, the policy states that all rigging installations must be done under the supervision of a rigging supervisor who is certified through the Entertainment Technician Certification Programme (ETCP).

"As an early supporter of the Entertainment Technician Certification Programme, we at I.A.T.S.E. Local 122, understand the value of supporting the vision of ETCP to provide a benchmark set to establish the skill levels of technicians within our profession," said Carlos Cota, I.A.T.S.E. 122's business agent. "So, when the San Diego Convention Centre proposed a change in their rigging policy stating that there would be an ETCP certified rigger on every rigging ca

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UK - The £6.5 million British Music Experience (BME) at The O2 in London opens to the public today (9 March). UK-based audio-visual system integrator Sysco is the lead audio and video installation contractor for the new attraction. Sysco worked with Land Design, BME's exhibition designers, and three software designers (Studio Simple, ISO and Clay) to create the rich, interactive environment of BME in a very short timescale.

BME takes over the 22,000sq.ft on the top floor of The O2 bubble, The O2's exhibition space. A permanent, high-tech, interactive music exhibition, it's also among the most technically complex AV installations ever undertaken in the UK visitor attractions sector.

Sysco's team, led by project manager Chris Mothersdale, director of engineering Glyn Hughes and director of technology Graeme Bunyan, specified and installed the projection, audio and computer

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USA - Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry's co-headlining tour, which kicked off in September last year, has proved so successful that the run received a lengthy extension through the winter of 2009. Nigel Paul and Steve Shaw, FOH engineers for Avenged Sevenfold and Buckcherry respectively, both credit the tour's success not only to both bands' popularity and reputation for killer live performances, but also to the clarity, power, and warmth of the show sound, mixed through the new PRO6 digital mixing console from Midas.

"For me, the Midas name has always been synonymous with the best-sounding, best-designed live mixing consoles in the business," says Paul. "In the analogue realm I have long-considered the XL4 to be peerless, but with the XL8, and now the PRO6 digital audio system, Midas has met and even exceeded the widely respected sonic qualities of their analog f

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UK - Martin Audio has carried out a radical overhaul of its website - www.martin-audio.com - to coincide with publication of the company's new product catalogue.

Marketing consultant Rob Lingfield, the driving force behind the initiative, said: "We worked on the original website five years ago, but due to the fast-moving modern technology, it had become out of date; we needed to move with the times and were very much driven by America, where the use of the internet is probably greater than our own."

The rationale was to make the site - which includes footage from last year's PLASA show - as simple and logical as possible, he continued. "You should be able to get to where you want to go in two or three clicks. We appreciate that news is being streamed onto the world wide web much quicker these days and we need to be at the forefront with accessibility. The compan

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USA - J. R. Clancy will present the Promote Safe Sets session at the USITT Conference and Stage Expo 20 March. The session lays out a plan to keep your rigging systems in good shape by following three simple steps: train, inspect, and maintain. Although the session focuses on rigging, the techniques can be used for all types of safety training.

"As we take on more complex productions, and add new equipment to our theatres, we need to look at how this affects backstage safety," said Tom Young, vice-president of marketing for J. R. Clancy. "With changing technology, regular training on new equipment and safety procedures is essential, maintenance requirements change, and inspections become more important than ever. Our panel discussion will cover how training, inspection, and maintenance fit into every theatre's backstage safety plan."

(Jim Evans)

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Germany - Electro-Voice has launched seven new CPS amplifiers, targeted at the pro audio installation market. The new series comprises four two-channel models based on Class-H design and three multichannel Class-D type amplifiers, all housed in 2 U chassis, with Euroblock type connectors on inputs and outputs.

The two channel models feature switchable Hipass filters and bridgeable output channels.

The multichannel amplifier's direct-drive design allows for switchable output characteristics from Low-Z to Hi-Z for each channel individually, ranging from 2 Ohms load up to 100V line drive. In addition, channels can be bridged pairwise for double output power.

All amplifiers provide module slots for optional RCM-810 modules, that can be retrofitted for remote control and supervision via IRIS-Net.

Additionally, the multichannel models CPS4.5, CPS4.10 and CPS8.5 feature the Varia

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Together Again? - Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are to appear at a charity concert in New York next month. Sir Paul will headline the concert at the Radio City Music Hall on 4 April, while Starr has been named among a string of special guests. The David Lynch Foundation initially said the pair would perform together, but a spokesman for Sir Paul said a collaboration had not been confirmed and a spokeswoman for Starr said he would perform "a few songs on his own". The David Lynch Foundation, set up by the film director, promotes transcendental meditation in schools.

Glasto Update - Glastonbury Festival organisers are planning to mark its 40th anniversary next year by booking 40 bands from the past 40 years to play the 2010 event. "We want to have a band from every year on the Pyramid Stage," said Emily Eavis. "We'll have a lot of the biggest p

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UK - Registration is open for Showlight 09 which takes place from 16-19 May at BBC Scotland's new headquarters in Glasgow. Further details and registration forms are available at the web address below.

Speakers will include Haris Zambarloukos, Mamma Mia! (the movie); Angus Farquhar, The Storr Project; Iain Ruxton, Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi; Bernie Davis, The Royal Variety Performance; Paul Collison, Beijing Olympics and Roberto Schaeffer, ASC, Quantum of Solace.As well as listening to the speakers, Showlight delegates get the opportunity to talk to them - over coffee, lunch and tea and at the Conference Dinner. The visits programme includes Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, City Halls, the Philips factory at Hamilton, The House for an Art Lover, not one, but two distilleries, and Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.

Showlight sponsors include Martin Profession

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USA - Dessa Darling, emcee for Minnesota-based hip-hop group Doomtree, performed at the Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio in Minneapolis in celebration of the release of her new book Spiral Bound, a collection of short fiction and poetry. Twin Cities-based production and rental company Windy Shores Sound provided a compact sound system for the event - the XA from Dynacord.

Sound engineer Maury Jensen comments, "I had heard of other engineers' favourable experiences with Dynacord products," says Jensen, "but I had never used any of them before. When we loaded in the system, I was very impressed by how light the speakers were and how easily they stacked. The system set up fast and I loved being able to run the PA off of one small lightweight amp rack."

He continues: "When I first fired-up the system and played my usual soundcheck CD, the overall so

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UK - XL Video is supplying 180 Spider 40 LED tiles, a Catalyst digital media server and crew for the Kaiser Chiefs current Off With Their Heads tour.

These are an integral digital component of Richard Larkum's lighting and visual design, and take the look and feel of the Kaiser's almost non-stop touring schedule over the last two years to a new and different dimension.

Larkum states: "The band and I were determined that any 'video' elements interfaced seamlessly with the lighting". He also wanted a digital lightsource with its own visual integrity, and definitely not a massive LED surface that dominated the performance space.

XL UK's project manager Jo Beirne says, "It's always fun and exciting working with Richard - his ideas are innovative and varied and he never loses sight of the basic elements of lighting a band onstage well, and for the enjoyment

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