Details
UK - Nick Edwards, formerly of PRG Europe, has taken up a new post as project manager at Panalux, where he will be working in the Broadcast and Events Division, alongside Ed Pagett and Simon Roose.

Edwards began as a service technician for installation company Design Intervention in 2000. In 2002 he joined VLPS (PRG Lighting) at Greenford and went on to serve as a senior Vari-Lite technician working on site across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. His experience has included theatre, corporate events, television and concert touring, with highlights including the MTV Europe Awards, The Brits, The Baftas, Live Earth, The Royal Variety Performance and most recently the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow.

At Panalux, Edwards will be project managing a wide range of shows for t

Details
Live in Birmingham - Just over 12 months ago, Academy Music Group (AMG), whose shareholders include Live Nation, SJM Concerts and Metropolis Music, announced its acquisition of the former Dome nightclub on Bristol Street, Birmingham, for development of its new venue, O2 Academy Birmingham, due to open in September 2009. AMG is currently undertaking a £5m refurbishment programme of the 45,000sq.ft purpose-built 1970s nightspot.

A multi-room operation, O2 Academy Birmingham will have an overall building capacity of 3,859. The three venues can operate independently as well as simultaneously and will feature "state of the art in-house production". The main auditorium has a capacity of 3,009 and artists already confirmed to play this autumn include Bloc Party, The Maccabees and Dizzee Rascal.

Commenting on progress to date, AMG operations director Richard Maides say

Details
Europe/ - In support of the 20th anniversary reissue of his debut album Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz is touring Europe with DiGiCo SD7s, provided by Sound Image, at the monitor and front of house positions.

Kravitz is touring with a seven-piece band and has a large monitor rig, so the SD7's high channel count on both in and outputs has proved very important. Monitor engineer Kevin Glendinning comments: "We have pretty much everything - lots of side fills, lots of wedges, lots of in-ears - so it's nice to have a large amount of inputs and outputs. I'm constantly making up new channels that are pertinent to just ears, just side fills or just wedges.

"I have four channels set aside just for Lenny's vocal - one has extreme compression measures that he insists on hearing in his ears; another very flat and unaltered that feeds effects; one that is sent to band's and

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
Spain/Hong Kong - D.A.S. Audio has opened an office in Hong Kong, continuing a recent international expansion in Asia that has seen the company open a subsidiary in Singapore. D.A.S opened this new operation to support its growing customer base in the region, which includes a direct presence in China. Eduardo Lopez, D.A.S.' regional manager, will operate the new office from which he also plans to consolidate D.A.S. products in Hong Kong and Macau.

By taking advantage of the location of the Singapore subsidiary, says the company, D.A.S Audio in Hong Kong can fulfil orders immediately not only for Hong Kong and Macau but also for China, offering all the guarantees of factory direct contact along with customer service for technical issues under the direction of Ron Koh, technical support representative in Singapore.

The opening of the D.A.S. Hong Kong office coincides with the ce

Details
UK - Following their successful supply of sound to Denver based piano rock band The Fray's 2007 tour, Adlib Audio was again asked to provide FOH control and a stage system for the band's recent UK and European tour, plus a lighting specials package from Adlib Lighting.

The Fray's FOH engineer Mark Maher specified a DigiDesign Profile console for his mix, to which he added a pair of Empirical Labs EL8-X distressors for the snare drum and acoustic guitar.

Adlib systems engineer Declan Fyans toured a Dolby Lake processing system and wireless tablet remote, which he used to EQ and fine tune the house speaker systems. "It was interesting working with different loudspeaker brands each day, all have their own characteristics and nuances, but generally all the ones we encountered were good quality, and we achieved great results in all the different rooms". The various system

Details
UK - HSL supplied moving and digital lights plus LED elements to the latest series of 0 ond 1, a Welsh language travel quiz show produced by Boomerang for S4C. The rig was specified by lighting designer Martyn Rourke and the eight shows were recorded in a week at Omni Studios near Cardiff.

Rourke's rig included 30 Robe ColorWash 700E AT and four Vari*Lite VL 3000 Spot moving lights, CK iColor Tiles, ColorWeb LED panels and SoftLED cloths as well as 30 ETC Source Fours, i-Pix BB7s, JTE Pixel PARs, trussing and lighting control - all supplied by HSL.

HSL won the tender to supply the kit, and Rourke comments: "They offered all the kit at the best price - and along with that came the great HSL service as always". The account was handled by HSL's TV specialist, Sean McGlone.

The show was shot on a 360 degree set designed by Sid Scott. The 12 initial contestants w

Details
UK - Monitor engineer Paul Keeble is using a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console on Maxïmo Park's UK club tour, designed to promote their new album Quicken The Heart. Brought in a few months ago by tour manager John Martin, Keeble is nearing the end of the first leg of an international schedule which will take him through to the rest of the year.

"The Vi6 is the only desk that makes sense," he says. "A lot of the digital boards are fine at front of house but they fall down on access in a busy monitor environment. This is probably the best desk for monitors, because not only is the sound quality way better than other digital desks I have used but it has a better footprint. This is a big issue on small stages and also visiting festivals where having a slim profile desk is a big advantage."

The five-piece Maxïmo Park are partly on in-ears and partly floor

Details
UK - At the ABTT Show (Horticultural Halls, London, 10-11 June 2009), Avolites will show the new ART PowerCube Dimmer along with the powerful Pearl Expert Titan and the Tiger Lighting consoles.

Based on the proven technology of the ART 2000 Touring range, the ART PowerCube features 12 Dimmer circuits, six combined Dimmer and fixed mains circuits, six dedicated fixed mains and two 16A utility circuits, all contained in a compact flightcase that can be lifted by one person and securely stacked.A built-in two-outlet DMX splitter and Ethernet input with ArtNet support will cover the varied control situations that this system will encounter, say Avolites.

18 local control fades allow for quick access to lights and provide for 12 memories to be replayed. The familiar ART2000 operating system features Softpatch, separate Channel Curve, Limit and pre-heat attributes and remote memory

Details
UK - Based on an increasing demand for its maintenance services, Point Source Productions has instituted a dedicated equipment service department created specifically to overhaul clients' own equipment.

"Point Source Productions has always serviced its own hire equipment and, in the past, we have serviced our customers' equipment on a more or less ad hoc basis, fitted in around our existing work schedules," says hire manager, Ian King. "But a large increase in demand over the past year has shown us there is a distinct need for a dedicated service department."

Equipment servicing can take place either at the client's own premises or those of Point Source Productions and can be tailor made to suit each customer.

"Many schools, for example, have their annual Portable Appliance Testing done by electricians who have little knowledge of theatre equipment,&

Details
UK - PSCo has announced the relaunch of its website, www.psco.co.uk. Managing director Stuart Holmes comments: "We are launching the first phase of the website which is online now, designed to help clients access technical information more freely, find out about our training courses and to make contact with the team more simple. We wanted to create a site which easily cross referenced the products with their accessories and gave clear outlines about our services to the trade."

The new site has video content, showing the PSCo technical team in action as well as details of the company's upcoming showcase events, product information for the 108" Sharp LCD, Orion Infinite Plasma and Samsung large format display range and an area to contact the training team directly for details of upcoming courses.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - The ESTA Foundation has announced the 2009 Behind the Scenes holiday cards created by some of the industry's most talented designers. Four designs are offered this year.

Scenic designer Douglas Schmidt has created an elegant stage waiting to be brought to life by dancing snowflakes, while colleague Beowulf Boritt's card is a challenge for theatre lovers, filled with props to identify from some of the many shows he has designed.

Photographer Andrew Hefter is back for a third year with a card featuring the ghostlight as a beacon of hope against a brilliant night sky. Tim Hunter Design has used a large canvas with the Behind the Scenes ghostlight to remind us that the holidays are the time to care for each other and for those less fortunate.

There are several ordering options. Meeting the minimum order of 250 cards, you can personalise your card with a company logo and a

Details
UK - DMi D&M Installation (Europe) is introducing three new in-ceiling designs from its Boston Acoustics brand of CI loudspeakers. The new models - HSi 430, HSi 435 and matching HSi S6W2 subwoofer - are designed to resemble small modern lighting fixtures and provide uncompromised sonic performance, says the company.

The small 'lighting can' style designs comprise the 3½ " models HSi 430 and HSi 435 and the matching 6" subwoofer model HSi S6W2. In addition to their small size, the speakers feature a dramatically reduced visible bezel and magnetically fixed grilles.

The HSi 430 features a round bezel and the HSi 435 a square bezel. The new reduced bezel size on both models allows for a lighter, virtually invisible installation in the ceiling. Both models are two-way configurations, with 3½ " woofers and ¾" tweeters, and each features a metal back enclosure

Details
Australia - Robe moving lights got right into the fast lane for the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show, where they were used on several stands for which lighting equipment was supplied by Victoria-based Clifton Productions, one of the exhibition's main technical suppliers.

Different combinations of Robe ColorSpot 1200 ATs, ColorWash 2500E ATs and ColorSpot and Wash 700E AT Series fixtures were used to illuminate a host of premium automotive brands including Toyota, Holden, Mazda, Lotus, Honda and Nissan.

Each of the stands lit by Cliftons had its own design and layout - developed with each of the individual LDs involved, complete with specially created lighting effects. These ranged dynamically from Lexus' massively impressive display with large washing effects to KIA's modernist LED screen presentation.

"Lighting effects play a huge part in having impact and makin

Details
UK - eMerging, the UK distributors for Merging Technologies' Pyramix audio workstation and the Smart AV Tango control surface, has signed a supplier agreement with Jigsaw Systems, the Nottingham-based hi-tech equipment retailer. Under the new deal, inked after the Broadcast Video Expo show earlier this year, Jigsaw will be able to offer Pyramix systems and Tango controllers to their customers in the creative audio-visual and IT industries.

"We're well known for being Pro Tools suppliers, but we've never carried Pyramix before," says Mark Rickaby, audio consultant at Jigsaw Systems. "However, when eMerging showed us the Tango at the back end of last year, we thought it had a lot of potential. We put the Tango on our stand at the Broadcast Video Expo show in February, and the response we got from visitors there was so overwhelming, we signed the deal with eMerging s

Details
Russia - Martin Professional again played a starring role in the Eurovision Song Contest, this year with a remarkable 1,120 m2 Martin LC Series LED panel backdrop specified by UK lighting designer Al Gurdon of Incandescent Design.

Also involved were 400 MAC 2000 Washes, 76 MAC 600 washlights and 112 Atomic 3000 strobes with an extra 20 MAC 600s adding colour to the VIP Green Room. Main technical supplier for the Eurovision Song Contest was Procon Event Engineering. PRG served as a secondary supplier with a local Russian contractor also supplying some equipment. Supervising all of this was Rich Gorrod from Incandescent Design.

More than 750 moving heads and over 100 km of cabling were utilised. Procon sent 42 trailer trucks with technical equipment and a team of more than 70 people to this year's event at the Olimpiysky Arena Moscow.

Incandescent Design was contracted to prov

Details
Hong Kong - Fashion and accessories brand Chanel turned to Lighthouse Technologies, for a high-tech makeover using the latest LED screen technology at its new storefront, located at the Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

For the Hong Kong showcase, which follows hot on the heels of Lighthouse's installation at Chanel's US shop in Beverly Hills, 40 6mm front access panels (P6-FA) were installed in a 5 x 8 panel configuration, 3.2m wide by 3.84m high. Adjacent to the store's staircase, the screen is visible to audiences walking down the stairs or looking in through the windows as they pass by. Lighthouse was responsible for the entire installation, which was completed in March.

"Chanel is a brand that thrives on creativity, a value that Lighthouse pursues in every project we take on," says Peter Chan, general manager of Lighthouse Technologies. "The fact

Details
UK - RG Jones Sound Engineering demonstrated the versatility of its custom Martin Audio AM distributed stadium system when Wimbledon's Centre Court retractable roof received its inauguration at a TV spectacular.

A packed crowd assembled to see a programme of exhibition tennis, and were at the same time treated to songs by Katherine Jenkins, Faryl Smith and the four-man classical/pop group Blake. Jenkins and Smith performed Amazing Grace as the opening number to coincide with the roof inching its way across to full cover position for the very first time.

RG Jones worked with production company 360 Events to stage the production, which was broadcast live on BBC2.

RG Jones' Tim Speight, who had joint project managed the installation for The All England Lawn Tennis Club with Jon Berry, explained, "When the requirements of this system were first set out three years ago, it w

Details
Israel - Two Allen & Heath iLive digital systems were used at the recent Noshfim Bakikar festival in Kfar-Saba, Israel. Now in its 20th year, the annual event is a celebration of the town's musical heritage, featuring performances from many of the country's national youth orchestras, and attracting 40,000 visitors.

The three-day music event comprised a series of indoor and outdoor concerts, celebrating the wind instrument. The first day included a special open air performance by an 'all-Israel' symphonic youth orchestra, involving the National Youth and Tel-Aviv Music Academy orchestras. The second day had youth orchestras playing at venues around the town, as well as jazz and improvisation workshops.

Israeli PA company, More-Kol, managed the audio requirements for many of the festival's larger events, employing a pair of iLive systems, comprising iDR10 MixRacks and iLive-144

Details
USA - When Capron Lighting & Sound Company's David Gruber was looking for a powerful light with which to project the Jake Burton logo at the 27th annual US Open Snowboarding Championships, he decided that Robert Juliat's 4000W HTI Lancelot was the right light for the job.

The championships, which took place in March this year at Stratton Mountain, Virginia, were to be televised, so a bright, sharp image was called for to ensure the logo of the world's leading snowboard manufacturer, and founder of the championship, was presented to best advantage, for both broadcasting purposes and to the surrounding audience.

"I needed a fixture that would project a sharp image at a distance of 500ft," explains Gruber, who was project lighting manager for the event. "My research indicated that a Robert Juliat Lancelot 4,000 watt HTI followspot would be the best choice, and that

Details
UK - The 2009 festival season kicked off in May with BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend and a host of artists on both stages using Sennheiser equipment. This year's Big Weekend took place at Lydiard Park, Swindon and was covered on Radio 1, BBC Three on TV, on the Red Button and on BBC Mobile.

The main stage was supported by Sennheiser in conjunction with Britannia Row and saw their crew, with assistance from Sennheiser's Dave Hawker and Mark Saunders, undertaking the set up. Additional equipment was supplied to Brit Row by Sennheiser, with Dave Hawker helping with the planning and licensing as well as setting up antenna distribution on the preceding Friday afternoon.

This led to a large amount of Sennheiser equipment on the main stage; all In Ear Monitors were Sennheiser EW 300 G2 IEMs and all of the main stage's presenter mics were Sennheiser SKM 5200s with KK 105 heads.

In additio

Details
USA - Building on their prior joint success at The Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Total Structures recently provided EPIC Production Technologies with over 500ft of its Element 12 & Element 20 truss for Club Nokia L.A. Live, the latest entertainment venue to open at this new Los Angeles entertainment development.

The truss, all powder coated with a specific texture of black, varied from straight 20.5" square Element 20, fitted with steel fork-ends for maximum strength, to 12" square Element 12 nut and bolt connection truss, custom radiused to match the architectural lines of the newly completed building.

The truss, which was designed, fabricated and delivered to site in less than three weeks from date of order, was supplied with specific California stamped engineering reports to provide the 2,300 capacity, 59,000sq.ft venue with accurate loading capabilities of their new s

Page 2343 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .