Details
UK - Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons - the Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, nestled in the Oxfordshire countryside - has completed an overhaul of its meeting and private dining room, the newly-renamed La Belle Epoque. The AV design and installation project was entrusted to Chris Gunton of CGA Integration Limited and was based around Cloud Electronics' new digital amplifier and eight-channel output zoner, DCM-1, with a pair of CDR-1 digital wall controllers for end user ease of use.

CGA Integration has worked with Le Manoir for a number of years, developing a relationship originally through audio-visual maintenance within the 32-room, listed hotel. Chris Gunton's company is now the chosen contractor for new works. The meeting room installation follows a contract to provide a new I

Details
UK - London's Westway A40 flyover has been illuminated and the area made safer by a joint venture between Light Projects, arts organisation Urban Eye and TFL. The result is a transformation of the dark and dangerous areas under the flyover near the communities of Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road.

This major structure, which was previously underlit and one of the two main police crime 'hotspots' in the Borough, has been completely transformed into a pleasurable scene of activity between North and South Kensington. The new work includes striking artwork on some of the walls designed by Miles Watson, and a colourful lighting scheme by a creative partnership of Miles Watson and Lightscape Projects, part of the Light Projects Group. The innovative combination of art and lighting has transformed the oppressive and uninviting area into a safer, warm and visually-appealing street scen

Details
UK - Vaughan Sound Installations (VSI), in conjunction with Whitehead Building Services, completed the supply and installation of a full public address and voice evacuation system at the new and recently opened home of Llanelli RFC, Parc y Scarlets.

The high-tech stadium is located at Pemberton, Llanelli, UK, with close links to the M4 and surrounding areas.

VSI's long and established partnership with Whitehead BS includes work on numerous projects together. Whitehead were the electrical sub contractor to main contractor Andrew Scott on this, for end client Llanelli RFC and Scarlets Region. The project was a partnership between the Scarlets and Carmarthenshire County Council.

VSI's history with the club also dates back, including the installation of a public address system at the famous Stradey Park ground in 1999, for the Rugby World Cup.

VSI opted for the Community range

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
UK - A Stage Technologies automation system has set the scene for the European première of the musical Spring Awakening. The rock-and-roll, coming-of-age show (winner of 8 Tony awards including 'Best Musical 2007') has taken London audiences by storm, playing to packed houses when opening at the Lyric Hammersmith. The UK production involved the original Broadway creative team; further tours are planned worldwide and a major film version is also in development.

Stage Technologies was on site at the Lyric for installation, commissioning, show programming during technical rehearsals, operator training and the press performance. The equipment installed consisted of an Illusionist console, a Maxis PTS control system, eight BigTow Classic winches, four counterweight assist winches (used to propel in-house flying bars), two point hoists installed in the grid (used for a platform eleva

Details
UK - Nestling against the dramatic backdrop of the Cornish coast, almost at Britain's most southerly point, lies the Minack Theatre - a gloriously visual outdoor performance venue. Northern Light has recently completed the upgrade of the venue's house lighting, which included cabling infrastructure, fixture renewal and DMX distribution.

Chris Watts, who had overall responsibility for project management on behalf of Northern Light, said: "It truly has been a joy to work on such an exceptional venue. An open air theatre presents its own unique challenges, particularly in terms of Mother Nature. The bulk of the installation took place in January during extremely inclement weather, but we stood up to the wind and rain and finished the job on time and on budget. The only other real issue was the distraction provided by the beautiful scenery."

New Blues System LED fittings

Details
UK - Over three months of Saturday night television saw primetime UK talent show The X Factor crown its latest winner in time to get the coveted Christmas Number 1 chart slot. February and March 2009 gave many of the finalists and their newly found fans a chance to get up close and personal as the X Factor Live tour played multiple shows at the UK and Ireland's main arenas.

With a live backing band and the various different performers singing individually before all coming together for the finale, it is a complex show to mix. But with sales and rental company Wigwam Acoustics supplying a DiGiCo SD7 and D5 on monitors and at Front of House respectively, the show is able to maintain its pace.

On stage, monitor engineer Sean Horsman has a combination of in-ears, wedges and sidefills, with 56 input channels and 12 mono and 12 stereo outputs on his SD7.

"As eac

Details
UK - The Lighting Hospital is a unique new concept developed by production industry technical maverick Dik Welland to take care of, treat, offer TLC, counselling and repair of specialist lighting equipment elements - with a fast, efficient, cost-effective and personal service, says the company.

The primary products repaired and serviced are electronic switch mode lamp power supplies up to 7Kw. Welland comments: "There was a definite gap in the market for the quick and efficient repair of these, especially when out of warranty, and that's initially why I have set up the company".

Additionally, The Lighting Hospital also caters for a far wider range of products, including low voltage switch mode power supplies and control boards covering a whole gamut of moving light brands including Vari*Lite, High End, Martin Professional, Robe lighting and others.

Xenon 7Kw and 5K

Details
UK - The hit revival of Oliver!, starring Rowan Atkinson, has opened in London's West End using ETC lighting and controls. And not only has the show received acclaim from the critics, but the Eos lighting desk has also received acclaim from lighting designer Paule Constable.

"We looked at other desks to use on this show," explains Constable, "but the Eos is definitely the most theatre based, with the best support available. I was really impressed. Eos is establishing itself in the lighting world as the best board for the theatre."

Programmer Nick Simmons says: "Paule and I first experienced the Eos two years ago, when we worked together at the National Theatre on War Horse, and the desk has come a long way since then. We worked with the Eos product design team and provided feedback which resulted in changes to the way some features work w

Details
South Africa - Robe DigitalSpots took their share of the limelight at a special concert staged in the Big Top Arena, Carnival City Johannesburg, ZA, to celebrate 10 years at the top for leading South African singer/songwriter, Juanita du Plessis.

Lighting for the event - also recorded for DVD and enjoyed by a live audience of 3000 - was designed by Francois van der Merwe from MJ Event Gear, the company contracted to supply all the lighting and AV equipment.

The over-stage lighting rig was based on three trusses - front, mid and back - and the four DigitalSpot 5000DTs were placed on an additional V shaped truss, positioned centre stage front. Video footage ran for every song, so it was a vital component of the look and feel of the show.

Images from the DigitalSpots - 60% of which was supplied by du Plessis herself who took a very active interest in the overall show design - w

Details
Fewer Freebies - About 200 fewer free tickets will be handed out to people living near Worthy Farm in Somerset, the home of Glastonbury Festival. A spokesman for the festival told the BBC a change had been made to the area in which people have to live to receive a free festival pass. He said despite that, more than 3,000 would still be given away. Those finding themselves just outside the boundary will be given a free pass for Sunday's performances. They will also be able to claim £60 off the price of a ticket for the festival.

Traditionally festival organiser Michael Eavis has given free tickets away to people living in the villages of Pilton, Pylle and Sticklynch. The idea behind the give-away is to make up for disruption to roads when about 200,000 people arrive for the event at the end of June. The spokesman said: "No other major festival looks after people who li

Details
USA - The Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) and the Production Equipment Rental Association (PERA) have announced an agreement to merge, subject to final ratification.

Under the agreement, PERA will become the PERA Council within ESTA, retaining its focus on the production of film, television and commercials. The Council's mission is to focus on development and implementation of programs and services for production rental businesses.

The move will provide PERA members with immediate access to a wide array of benefits and services as well as the support of a professional staff, while allowing the PERA leadership to focus on their core mission. By adding a key sector, ESTA strengthens its voice on behalf of the entertainment technology industry and brings an important new dimension to many of its programs.

ESTA President Bill Groener commented: "In

Details
UK - Christie has introduced the world's first LED-based SXGA+ and WUXGA resolution projection display system, purpose built for control room and videowall applications.

The new Christie Entero LED is a LED-illuminated, 1-chip DLP product line that features a "zero maintenance" design. The LEDs are rated at more than 50,000 hours- over five years of dependable operation. With no consumable components such as lamps, filters or colour wheels to replace, the Christie Entero LED delivers the ultimate in uninterrupted, 24/7 performance for exceptional reliability and low cost of ownership, says the company.

"The new Christie Entero line of LED-based rear projection modules has no equal in the industry for long life and dependability. They are as close to 'worry free' as you can get in a videowall display solution," remarked Jim Gavloski, director of product mana

Details
UK - Lightfactor Sales is taking two stands - RA-D6 and RA-D12 - at the 2009 PLASA Focus Show, in prime positions either side of the bar, a move anticipating that this should be a strategic meeting point for all visitors.

Both Lightfactor's stands will be replete with a wide selection of products aimed at core theatre and live performance orientated applications from high profile manufacturers like SGM, LDR and Novalight from Italy; SFAT from France and LightProcessor from the UK. Lightfactor is the exclusive UK distributor for all these products.

One of the highlights from SGM is the new Giotto Digital 1500 fixture. Using a special patented application of DLP technology, the Giotto Digital 1500 combines digital effects generation with a fully-featured moving head fixture. It offers the features of a moving light with an innovative all-digital system for generating graphic eff

Details
UK - There is a long historical association between the theatre and education. Most schools stage plays and have some kind of auditorium. Then there are the colleges and institutions that specialise in training the next generation of actors and theatre technicians.

This year The ABTT Theatre Show (Association of British Theatre Technicians) reflects the link and features many exhibitors who have supplied equipment for major school and college theatre installations over the last couple of years.

Sound and lighting equipment will feature heavily at The ABTT Theatre Show, but also on show is a whole range of products and services - from staging to floors to rigging and electro-mechanical hoists - that are as important in creating a theatre or performance space as loudspeakers and lights.

Among this year's exhibitors is Centre Stage Engineering, which has supplied and installed

Details
UK - Stage Technologies has announced that it has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2009 in the category of International Trade.

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise recognise and reward outstanding achievement by UK companies and are presented in three separate categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development. The Awards are made each year by Her Majesty The Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of Government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions.

This is the second time that Stage Technologies has received a Queen's Award, the first being in 2003 in the same category for its 'outstanding international trade performance'. This year's Award has been bestowed in part due to an 84% increase in overseas revenue over a three-year period. The company also reports a sustai

Details
Taiwan - ARX Systems has announced the appointment of Taipei based Taiwan Access Co Ltd as its new distributor for Taiwan.

ARX managing director Colin Park commented: "Taiwan Access's Rick Chen and I have been discussing the possibilities of working together in Taiwan for some time. Rick thought with the release of new additions to our USB DI product range the time was right to expand ARX's presence in the Taiwanese market.

"Rick and his sales team also felt our range of signal processing products was a very complementary fit with the other lines they currently represent, they were especially excited by the new products we released at the recent Frankfurt Pro Light and Sound Exhibition."

Alongside ARX, Taiwan Access represent a number of companies including Schoeps, Superlux, Auralex & Monster Cable.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - As part of Martin Professional's ongoing reorganisation, the company has announced that general management responsibilities in the UK will continue to be handled by Tony Browne, who has served as managing director of Martin UK since 2007.

As we reported in January, Martin Professional A/S is in the process of creating a regional sales organisation, Martin EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) based at Martin's headquarter office in Aarhus, Denmark. During 2009, Martin's current European subsidiaries will be integrated into the new structure while Martin's distributors within the area will be served by the new European regional organisation at a later stage.

Villads Thomsen, previously managing director at Martin Professional's Scandinavian subsidiary, heads the organisation as vice-president EMEA.

Browne commented: "These are challenging times that are creating man

Details
USA - Once again filling the MGM's Grand Garden Arena, the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards drew Nashville's hottest acts to Las Vegas, where Shure wireless proved to be the choice of a number of artists performing at the annual event.

"From an audio and RF standpoint, Shure's UHF-R Series and the SM58 capsule continued to provide us with maximum stability and flexibility," production mixer J. Mark King said, commenting on the stage blueprint responsible for capturing the night's live performances. Giving credence to King's statement, the show opened with Brooks and Dunn, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, and other A-list artists, all using UR/SM58 wireless to sing a medley of hits.

Shure endorser Heidi Newfield and her UR/SM58 mic took the stage shortly thereafter, as did Toby Keith, who broke slightly with the night's established standards by singing into a UR/KSM9

Details
UK - If you're an established freelancer or just starting out in the industry, you can take advantage of a free advice session being run as part of the programme of seminars at next week's PLASA Focus event in Leeds (28-29 April).

This one-hour session, which takes place at 12pm on Wednesday 29 April at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, will provide freelancers with an overview of a wide range of areas relevant to their working lives, including an examination of key legal requirements and responsibilities.

Its main focus will be an introduction to Health & Safety law for freelancers, including a review of risk management, individual levels of responsibility and risk assessment practices. It will also provide an understanding of financial issues such as IR35 and what it means for an individual's self employment status, outlining the measures that can be taken to protect it. There w

Details
USA - Harman Professional chief executive officer, Blake Augsburger has been named a recipient of Texas Tech University's Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering Distinguished Engineer Award. The Award is recognition of University alum who have excelled in their profession, have provided inspiration to their peers and have demonstrated a continuing interest in areas outside of engineering. Blake Augsburger joins Chi-Ming Chang, James A. Edmiston, Shelby Johnson and J. G. Soules as 2009 Distinguished Engineer Award recipients for outstanding contributions to the engineering field.

"I am honoured and humbled to be named a Distinguished Engineer by Texas Tech University," Blake Augsburger said. "Having attended the school for my graduate and post-graduate degrees, I am acutely aware of the depth of talent that passes through the University's halls. It's a grea

Details
China - Lying at the Western end of China's Great Wall, Jia Yu Guan has been a strategic transport nexus since the days of the Silk Road. This historic city, placed at one of the major crossroads of civilisation has added a grand new theatre to its already bustling streets.

It's a measure of the astonishing speed with which complex projects can be completed that the Jia Yu Guan Grand Theatre opened just sixteen months after builders first cut turf. An ambitious project by any measure, the fact that this prestigious arts venue was completed during the final year of China's massive construction project for the 2008 Olympics makes it all the more laudable. Jiuquan Iron & Steel (Group) Co, Ltd chose to install a d&b audiotechnik PA system in the venue.

"The main theatre seats just under one thousand two hundred people," explained Daniel Chan from the Hong Kong office of

Page 2326 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .