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Turkey - The end of May saw the spectacular opening ceremony of the five star Mardan Palace hotel take place in Antalya, drawing an illustrious international presence of celebrities and press. LSE, the Belgian based multi-media show company, worked with long-time collaborator Tara W Smith, the Australian creative director of Stargrace, to create a memorable visual experience for the opening.

The event, which took place over two days, was a high profile affair featuring presenters and performers including Sharon Stone, Richard Gere, Paris Hilton, Monica Belluci, Tom Jones and Seal.

Two multi-media shows took place over the two days, the first at the Grand Inauguration on 23 May, the second the following day at the Dance of the Scorpion beach party on the hotel's Scorpion P

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USA - The Broadway production of British-born musical Billy Elliot swept the board at last night's Tony Awards, taking home 10 of the 15 awards it was nominated for including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (for Stephen Daldry - who also directed the film version of Billy Elliot) and Best Performance by a Leading Actor for the three teenagers who share the role of Billy - David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish. It was the first time in the 63 years of the Tonys that three actors won for one role in the same category.

At the Creative Arts Awards, a special ceremony held prior to the main event and broadcast online at www.tonyawards.com, British theatre talent continued to shine as Billy Elliot won in six categories - including Rick Fisher for Best Lighting Design of a Musical and Paul Arditti for Best Sound Design of a Musical. The award for

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USA - SIA Acoustics has recently completed the design and commissioning of the P.C. Richard & Son Theatre in TriBeCa, NYC. The 5,500sq.ft theatre will serve as a live performance, recording, and broadcast space for Clear Channel Radio, which includes New York stations Q1043, Z100, WKTU, Power 105.1 and Lite-fm.

To meet the theatre's demanding performance requirements, two four-element arrays of Outline Butterfly C.D.H. 483 loudspeakers were specified, powered by Outline T7 amplifiers. Low-frequency reinforcement is provided by six Outline LAB 15 SP subwoofers, arranged as three cardioid pairs under the stage.

For delay, one array of three Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. self-powered line array loudspeakers is employed, with additional fill provided by Micra II SP self-powered loudspeakers. Both the Outline T7 amplifiers and the Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. self-powered loudspeaker include on-board DSP

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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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USA - Jeff Dunham has amassed legions of loyal fans with his thousands of sold-out arena, theatre, and comedy club performances, countless television guest spots, and three top-rated specials on Comedy Central. Building on this success, Jeff Dunham is taking North America by storm in 2009. Dunham's newest tour, Spark of Insanity, is playing to sold-out arena crowds. An Electro-Voice sound system from LIVE! Technologies is taking care of sound reinforcement.

The tour's extensive run includes stops at American Airlines Arena in Dallas and the HP Pavilion in San Jose. To meet the challenges posed by such imposing venues, Dunham and his crew needed a touring rig with a reputation for outstanding audio quality and reliability. LIVE! Technologies prescribed Electro-Voice X-Array and X-Line loudspeakers for the job.

The Spark of Insanity touring rig comprises 12 X-Lin

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Denmark - Peter Høy has been appointed Martin Professional's new factory manager at its 12,500sq.m facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark.

Høy, who started in the position on 4 May, brings with him more than 20 years of experience from highly technological companies in the electronics industry including Thrane & Thrane, Eurocom Industries and S.P. Radio.

Høy has several years of general management experience at the director level in Operations. He also brings with him broad staff and management level knowledge, particularly in the areas of production, logistics, quality assurance and IT.

"I look forward to the challenges and responsibility that comes with the manufacture of hi-tech quality products and am proud to be working with such motivated employees in a factory that is the world leader in its field," Høy stated.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Baldwin Boxall has presented the staff of RAFT with two very heavy collection boxes. Over £400 was raised for the charity on Baldwin Boxall's exhibition stand at this year's International Firex. Visitors to the, now infamous, Plug & Socket stand were asked for donations in return for a glass of Harveys Real Ale.

The boxes were presented to chief executive of RAFT Leonor Stjepic and laboratory technician Julian Dye. The team at RAFT were delighted by the amount raised (£437.04) in such a short space of time. The charity relies heavily on donations such as this.

After a tour of RAFTs laboratories in Northwood, Nick Baldwin, marketing director, Baldwin Boxall, commented, " We had the idea of raising money shortly before the show. Although we have supported RAFT on other occasions, this is the first time we have used an exhibition for this purpose. The

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India - Volkswagen, Europe's largest vehicle manufacturer, recently opened the doors of its new corporate factory in Chakan, India, with one of the year's most prestigious corporate launches. Sound engineers from India's Sound.com selected the Soundcraft Vi6 digital console to mix the high-profile event. The occasion required a versatile and intuitive board and the engineer, Fali Damania, mixed the event with the assistance of the Vistonics interface of the Vi6.

Sound.com managing director, Warren D'souza, noted that the success of the event would set a new benchmark for the Indian sound industry to live up to and states: "Many managers pitched for this project and the entire industry was anxious to see how well this event would be executed."

D'souza continues, "The production of the show needed to be flawless, which is why we selected the Soundcraft Vi6."<

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UK - Taking to stage a wildly successful Australian film about two drag queens and a transsexual driving across the Australian outback in a bus, including 25 big show songs, is a challenge definitely not for the faint hearted. But with Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical, this is exactly what production company Back Row Productions has achieved.

Receiving rave reviews, Yamaha digital consoles are helping to ensure that Priscilla is also queen of the London stage.

Award-winning sound designer Michael Waters is a long-term user of Yamaha consoles and, for the run at London's Palace Theatre, switched to a PM1D from the PM5D he specified for the stage show's original Australian run.

"My first mixing was done on an M916 in the mid 1980s, progressing to the PM2000, M2800, PM3000, PM4000, PM5000 and many more from the O1V to the PM1D/PM5D," says Mich

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USA - Ahnert Feistel Media Group (AFMG) will launch its new A/D-D/A converter, the 8-input EASERA Gateway x.8, with its worldwide distributor Renkus-Heinz at this month's InfoComm in Orlando. The x.8 is the product of a collaboration between AFMG and German hardware designers DSPECIALISTS, and is designed to complement AFMG's EASERA and SysTune audio measurement software tools to provide sound system engineers with a complete PA system tuning package.

The Gateway x.8 is billed as the first 8-input/2-output converter specifically designed for live sound and installed sound measurement. It provides four XLR/TRS combo mic/line connectors, eight SUB-D-25-based line connectors and two TRS servo-balanced outputs, and is fully integrated over Ethernet with both EASERA and EASERA SysTune Windows-based software packages.

The x.8's eight input channels allows large systems, in particula

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UK - The Lightfactor stand at ABTT 2009 will be filled with a wide selection of products aimed at core theatre and live performance orientated applications from high profile manufacturers including SGM and LDR from Italy 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 effects, whilst maintaining fundamental features like fast movement, brightness, control standards and compact dimensions.

Other SGM products will include the IP65 Genio Fixed and Genio Mobile LED 'bricks' and the full complement of SGM

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UK- Lifting and rigging specialists Lift Turn Move, LTM, will present its extensive range of lifting and rigging equipment including the new LoadGuard electric chain hoists at ABTT 2009.

LoadGuard hoists are available in capacities from 250kg to 5 tonnes, they are available as standard rigging hoists and hoists to higher safety standards- for example the British Hoisting Entertainment Standard BS 7906: Part 1, Category A, and the German Standards BGV D8 Plus or BGV C1 (VPLT SR 2.0) - all of these standards allow some form of load positioning and holding without secondary suspension to support the load.

The hoist comes in modular form, allowing standard hoists to be ordered now for retrofitting later with special components to meet present or future higher integrity standards. The big feature of these hoists are that the clutch is not in the drive train meaning that clutch wear

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UAE - Milos trussing was at the heart of the rigging system designed and utilised by Almoe AV Productions' Dubai office for the official launch event of the new UEA-based budget airline, flydubai.

The venue for the high-profile VIP event was the former Royal Hangar at the Expo site at Dubai International Airport, and Almoe were contracted direct by flydubai LLC as the technical services provider. In addition to rigging, this included sound, lighting and AV.

The big technical and creative challenge for the Almoe team was to transform the barn like structure of the hangar into a theatrical space for the event. The launch culminated in the reveal of a new Boeing 737-800 airliner, which necessitated flying trussing the length of the hangar, and bringing the new aircraft in underneath screens that were suspended from it. With the plane valued at $75 million, the rig above had to be

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UK - A.C. Audio, a division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies, has recently been appointed as a key stocking dealer for both Allen & Heath and Soundcraft's latest digital audio consoles; the iLive-T Series and Si / Vi Series respectively. The new ranges extend A.C.'s portfolio of digital consoles, which includes Yamaha's LS9, M7CL and PM5D models.

Peter Butler, sales manager of the A.C. Audio division, commented, "A.C. are thrilled to be named as a key stocking dealer for both brands. We have been eagerly anticipating the release of these ranges for some time now and the entire Audio sales team are thoroughly impressed with the final products, which have exceeded all our expectations."

He continued, "Allen & Heath have really thought about the needs of the current user when designing the iLive-T. They have brought to the table an extremely cost-effective digita

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UK - Rental supplier Amber Lites (Scotland) invested in Chroma-Q Color Web 125 LED panels to provide scenic elements for the recent Elaine Paige 40th Anniversary UK tour and other client events.

Amber purchased 60 Color Web 125 LED panels to offer their clients a flexible LED stage backdrop suitable for different size tours and events. William Adie, a director of the company, commented, "Originally, we looked at traditional LED display screens, but after seeing a demo of the Color Web at our premises we knew it was ideal for our clients' needs.

"The product is very effective for providing both video and lighting effects across a large stage area. Also, it is an elegant solution for touring as it can be transported in small, flightcased sections. From our point of view it's a great investment and we expect a lot of interest."

Lighting designer Martin Nicholas h

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France - Johnny Hallyday used a bespoke stage built by Stageco when he embarked on his tribute to American rock culture, Tour 66. Hallyday, who took the inspiration for this tour from symbols such as the Harley Davison, the American eagle or the iconic Route 66 shield emblem, needed a stage which would look impressive on an international scale.

The tour is scheduled to play stadia of all sizes in France, Belgium and Switzerland, so it required a flexible touring set that would create a dramatic visual impact in different capacity venues, from the 60,000 seat Stade de France in Paris to smaller venues like the Stade Jules Deschaseaux in Le Havre.

Stage designer Mark Fisher of Stufish designed a stage dominated by a large mythic bird, wings outstretched and spanning the entire width of the performance area. Beneath it were two pairs of giant caryatids, half human, half av

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Good Show Business - The summer exhibition season gets into full swing this month and despite all the negative news continuing to hog the headlines, event organisers are reporting healthy exhibitor levels and strong visitor pre-registrations.

This week's ABBT Theatre Show - the 31st - will host a full-house of over 100 exhibitors. Show director Roger Fox notes: "Exhibitions are so important in our seemingly faceless world of E-commerce, as they offer an opportunity to get face to face with customers. We're looking forward to another successful year, highlighting the true potential of theatre technology and its impact on the West End, in regional theatres, education and retail."

Meanwhile, over in Orlando, Florida, Infocomm 2009 (14-19 June) is being billed as the largest and most comprehensive pro-AV event in the world. According to the organisers, more than 30,000 p

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UK - The organisers of the ABTT Theatre Show, which takes place in London this week, have told L&SI that the Show is set to open its doors despite the 48-hour strike by London Underground workers. Spokesperson told L&SI: "The ABTT Theatre Show is delighted to announce that show will be opening its doors tomorrow, 10 June, despite the Tube strike. Presenting a full house of over 100 exhibiting companies, the show's pre-registration figures are up by 5% on last year's figures, which highlights the interest and demand for technical solutions in auditoria and multi-purpose performances spaces."

Transport for London (TfL) has said it will bring in a taxi-sharing scheme at all major rail stations, escorts to lead cyclists across the capital and additional parking for cycles as part of its contingency plans. Oyster cards will be accepted on all trains, 100 extra buses and a f

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UK - Martin Audio has confirmed Northern Light as an approved dealer for Scotland. Northern Light will in a position to provide the full range of Martin Audio equipment including W8L line array, Wavefront, the LE Series, OmniLine and BlackLine. The company is already installing Martin Audio's Wavefront across a variety of UK venues.

Al Brown, UK account manager for Martin Audio, said: "We are delighted to have a company of Northern Light's stature with a well deserved reputation for quality and superb customer support representing us in Scotland. We are currently involved in a number of very exciting projects together and are looking forward to a superb mutually beneficial relationship."

Paul Brown, Northern Light's purchasing manager, commented: "Combining the knowledge and experience of Northern Light and Martin Audio will prove extremely beneficial to our cli

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USA - American connector specialist Switchcraft has expanded its versatile EH Series range by adding feedthrough connectors for Cat 6 and Cat 5e applications.

Fitted inside housings that mount into 24mm diameter (XLR size) panel cut outs, the new connectors can be supplied with shielded and unshielded feedthrough adapters and all versions comply with TIA/EIA 568B standards. Other features include gold-plated contacts.

Switchcraft's EH Series provides a wide range of audio, data and video connectors all fitted inside easy to install XLR-type housings and the options include fibre-optic, 9 and 15 way D-Sub, FireWire (400 and 800), USB, BNC, RCA/phono, SVHS and 3.5mm mini jack.

(Jim Evans)

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Germany - The DSA series from Dynacord comprises four models: the DSA-8204 (2 x 450 W), the DSA-8206 (2 x 600 W), the DSA-8209 (2 x 900 W) and the DSA-8212 (2 x 1200 W). Designed for fixed installation, these new amplifiers are equipped with Phoenix inputs and outputs, level controls on the rear panel, a switchable 50Hz/18dB high-pass filter, and a ground lift switch.

In addition to rock-solid components and technology, the DSA series offers ease-of-use and a wide range of options. The Power Remote provides a convenient, remote activation of DSA power amplifiers, and all four models in the DSA series support the use of the RCM-810 module, which introduces new possibilities, such as integration with IRIS-Net, which allows for remote control and supervision. A GPIO block also offers the additional advantage of two inputs and outputs for control, and two additional reference output

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South Africa - Lighting designer Tim Dunn used 30 Robe ColorSpot and Wash 700E AT moving lights to light the first high profile live performances of rising young South African music star Jesse Clegg at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre.

Dunn utilised the 18 Robe ColorWash 700E ATs in the 1200 capacity theatre's house rig, adding another 12 ColorSpot 700E ATs of his own supplied by Gearhouse South Africa. The only other fixtures he used were Source Fours, for key lighting Clegg and his 4-piece band.

"I knew that 30 Robe 700s would give me more than enough options to cover Jesse and his band," reports Dunn, who also brought in his own grandMA full size console to run the lights for the three highly critically acclaimed evenings of performance.

Jesse Clegg is the son of Johnny Clegg, one of South Africa's best known musicians and songwriters. His first single Today

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