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UK - Zero 88 has announced the release of version 5.3.0 software for the ZerOS consoles. Version 5.3.0 can be installed on Zero 88 Leap Frog 48, Leap Frog 96, Frog 2 and ORB consoles and adds a number of new features together with bug fixes.

Key features introduced in version 5.3.0 include a Non Tracking mode for cue stacks, support for multi-part cues and the ability to store user-defined views directly onto UDKs on ORB. These new features add to the feature set of ZerOS and are in response to user feedback.

ZerOS 5.3.0 can be downloaded now from the Zero 88 support centre (http://support.zero88.com), together with release notes and an Offline Editor (Phantom ZerOS) for all ZerOS consoles. This upgrade is provided free of charge.

For more on Zero 88's Orb console, look out fo

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Belgium - This year marks the 25th anniversary of both Night of the Proms and ShowTex. For years ShowTex has provided the main stage fabrics and motion systems for this international music tour. This edition of Night of the Proms will be no exception.

The show kicks off at the Antwerp Sportpaleis on 23 October and travels from Belgium to Holland and Germany for 42 concerts. More than 600,000 audience members in total can once again experience spectacular live music backed by dazzling effects.

Headliners for this year's classical pop fusion extravaganza include OMD and the first reunion concert of Swedish rock stars Roxette. Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, jazz legend Toots Thielemans and Peter and Zoltan Katona.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) has recently been updated to provide extra protection to the Partially Sighted, putting emphasis on both the illumination of Stairs and making columns and pillars in public areas more visually apparent. Light Tape can assist in both these areas with cost-effective simple solutions, says UK supplier Light Tape UK.

PolyLight is a new electro-luminescent (EL) product aimed at improving safety by making steps, stairways and other features more visible. It is available in a variety of sizes with ether 12mm and 25mm illuminated strips for both indoor and outdoor stairs with six grades of anti-slip, in a variety of colours for both the anti-slip insert and the Light Tape. PolyLight's connections are embedded in resin, making the product waterproof for outdoor use.

PolyLight anti-slip illuminated inserts have been developed primarily to fit

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

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UK - When the Imago art gallery in the heart of London's art centre underwent a recent refurbishment, they called on specialist contractor PEL Services to design, install and commission state of the art audio-visual, fire detection and security systems into its new contemporary art gallery.

The sophisticated new audio-visual systems feature the latest technology but have been designed by PEL to be easy to use. A Bose Professional Freespace 3 multi-zone, multi-floor sound system was installed, together with a Crestron control system for flexibility and ease of use. Each floor of the gallery can play different music, allowing the gallery space to be utilised to the maximum.

Music can be played via the five-disc CD player installed or using the iPod docking bay - simply drop an iPod into the unit and immediately play music throughout the system direct from it. In addition to the

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UK - West Sussex-based creative design house 7thSense has supplied four of its Delta media servers to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago for the new Giant Heart within the YOU! The Experience exhibit, which opened 8 October 2009.

YOU! The Experience, located in the Museum's Abbott Hall, is one of the first and most comprehensive exhibitions that showcases the connection between the human mind, body and spirit in the 21st century. The 15,000sq.ft exhibit provides a hands-on opportunity to explore and optimize your personal health, fitness and well-being. The 13ft tall Giant Heart is a focal point of the exhibit, and allows guests to see different interior and exterior views of this amazing virtual organ-and it can even beat in time with guest's own pulse.

Ian Macpherson, co-founder and director at 7thSense, offers this overview of the Giant Heart's AV des

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UK - Stage Electrics' most recent addition to its extensive hire portfolio is the latest lighting console from Zero 88, the ORB. This latest offering joins an expanding list of lighting control available to hire from Stage Electrics, and answers the recent demand from customers requiring a professional end market product for their theatre productions. Stage Electrics is also the first hire specialist to add this advanced theatrical lighting console to its rental stock.

The ORB has been designed for 21st century theatrical lighting control, with 2048 DMX control channels allowing users to control multiple LED fittings, intelligent lights or media servers controlling video, as well as the standard generic dimming systems common to theatres and television. The console has recently proved popular on a variety of Stage Electrics' Pie and Pint events across the UK, where Zero 8

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UK - On the eve of staging the BBC Electric Proms 09, the Roundhouse in Camden has commissioned a new Martin Audio dedicated cinema system for its 102-seat Studio Theatre (where the BBC's New Music Shorts initiative took place to coincide with The Proms).

The venue ordered three Martin Audio Screen 3s as a conventional L/C/R system, along with eight Effect 3Rs as a cinema surround sound, along with a Screen Sub1A (1 x 18") from Autograph Sales. The resellers also provided consultation, product recommendation and design and installation assistance.

Purpose-designed for screening rooms, the Screen 3 is a three-way system, with dedicated mid-range and high frequency sections, while the Effect 3R two-way passive system is a reduced-height enclosure specifically made for screening rooms with low ceilings such as this, to ensure that it can still be optimally installed a

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South Africa - With its past experience validating Soundcraft's ability to handle even the most complex setups and the 2010 FIFA World Cup coming to South Africa next year, Shattered Glass recently purchased the Soundcraft Si2 to prepare for the events ahead.

"We chose the Si2 because it is so user-friendly," said Adriano Landi, the technical director for Shattered Glass. "Any good sound engineer will be able to use this desk in a matter of minutes without using it before. It's compact, straightforward, easy to learn and so easy to train on."

Shattered Glass has already used the Si2 for several events, including the Coca-Cola Moment 4 Summer Recruit, the MNet Long Service Awards, and the Vodashop Spring Break at Sun City.

"The Si2 is an absolute pleasure to work with and outstanding value for our money," Landi adds. "We

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UK - Up to 1125 new Apprenticeship places will be created to train 16-24 year olds for a career in the creative and cultural industries. Apprenticeships Minister, Kevin Brennan, announced yesterday that the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills (NSA) has secured funding to run an Apprenticeship Service, which will be available from April 2010.

The announcement is a significant step forward in the creative and cultural sector's campaign to provide more mainstream training opportunities for young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Apprenticeships offer non graduate entry routes into the sector and open up opportunities to young people who do not choose to go into higher education. Young people who do one of the Apprenticeships will be equipped with the skills and qualifications they need to break into the industries represented by the Sector Skills Counci

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Italy - FaitalPRO, the professional division of the Milan based Faital company has recently announced the launch of two new compression drivers for HF. Following the innovations developed in these two models, they will soon be joined by four others of slightly larger sizes, says the company.

Flavio Naggi, FaitalPRO overseas sales manager states: "No new model here is made 'by chance', we want to propose an ever more complete catalogue that responds to all the demands of acoustic enclosure manufacturers in the pro audio market."

The HF10AK and HF10RK compression drivers feature an innovative Ketone Polymer diaphragm having elevated strength and resistance at high temperatures while maintaining elasticity and flexibility.

They boast greater efficiency and extension in high-frequency response; they hold 60W-AES at continuous power (120W peak power), but their characte

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USA - Founded in 1998 as a mission of St. Ann's in Marietta, Georgia, St. Peter Chanel has grown continually from its original six families, becoming a parish in 2000, and today includes over 2500 families. A new church, completed in 2008, adds a traditional neo-Gothic note to the St. Peter Chanel campus, yet features a contemporary audio system featuring Renkus-Heinz Iconyx loudspeakers.

Designed by CDH Partners and built by Van Winkle & Co, the traditional cruciform church includes a 1224-seat sanctuary and a smaller chapel that is open 24 hours a day for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Lee Sound Design of Atlanta, Georgia designed the acoustical treatment for the new church. The sound system was designed and installed by Baker Audio of Norcross, Georgia.

"St. Peter Chanel contacted us in the spring of 2007," recalls vice president Jason Hicks. "They had som

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UK - History came alive in a big way on September 17th at the world premiere of Ben Hur Live at London's O2 Arena, a musical behemoth that features a cast of 400, ship battle, real chariot races and a lighting rig of more than 200 Martin MAC 2000 Wash XB, MAC 2000 Profile and MAC III Profile moving heads.

The adaptation of the Oscar-winning 1959 film, which was based on the 1880 novel by Lewis Wallace, is produced by Franz Abraham with music by The Police's Stewart Copeland. The spectacular stage design is the creation of Mark Fisher and Ray Winkler with tour production by Art Concerts GmbH, a world leader in the production and distribution of monumental musical productions.

Lighting design is by one of the industry's top designers, Patrick Woodroffe, who worked with associate LD Adam Bassett to paint the expansive scenes in luminous colour and pattern.

German Produce

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UK - The UK music industry has been given the opportunity to have a say on how best to achieve the priorities of a £multi-million investment plan for digital innovation in the sector.

The government backed Technology Strategy Board, set up to promote innovation in technology, is asking music businesses to visit: innovateuk.org to share their thoughts on how to maximise the impact of future funding programmes to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of digital innovation in the creative sector.

With the support of key influencers in the sector, the Technology Strategy Board recently published The Creative Industries Strategy 09, which identifies key areas of where emerging technologies and business models will have the most significant impact and outlines how funding might be spent.

The Board is now hoping many

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UK - Green Day's ongoing world tour in support of its latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, has its monitors mixed on Studer Vista 5 SR digital mixing console. It was the first choice for monitor mixer Beau Alexander, who has worked with the multi-platinum Green Day since 2004's American Idiot world tour.

Alexander, who has also mixed for artists including Tool, Hootie and The Blowfish and My Chemical Romance, says the Vista 5 is an excellent fit with the Green Day tour. "What makes it a great fit for Green Day is the number of outputs it has," he says.

"When we started the 21st Century Breakdown record cycle, I didn't know if we were going to be using in-ears or wedges for monitoring, so I had to set the desk up for both, and when I did that I was using somewhere around 40 outputs, which the Vista 5 can easily handle."

(Jim Evans)

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UK - After a five-year hiatus, the long-running quartet Phish reformed earlier this year, culminating in a new release Joy and subsequent 27-date national tour including headline spots at the Bonnaroo Music Festival and a four-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver.

During the first leg of the tour, FOH engineer, Garry Brown made the decision to switch mid-stream to a DiGiCo SD7. And after a laborious and exhaustive A/B comparison of his current console and the SD7, the decision was made. Aside from a brief outing with the band Third Day in 2004 on a DiGiCo D5, this was Brown's first extensive hands-on experience with a DiGiCo console.

"During the first leg of the tour, we had been using another digital console, which in the context of the live sound of the shows had not been an issue. We came to realize that the board tapes that were released for downloads

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USA - The Howard Community College's Smith Theatre in Columbia, Maryland, has installed an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system, comprising an iDR10 MixRack and iLive-112 Control Surface, as the control centre for a new PA system.

A typical day at the venue might include everything from theatre and film activities to lectures and meetings, with the occasional live concert thrown in as well. With inputs ranging from a single voice up to 56 inputs and outputs that might be mono, stereo or full surround sound, it was critical that this multifunctional space have a sound system with maximum flexibility and sonic clarity.

The theatre seats 420 in three sections, with identical left and right mezzanines above the main floor. Designed by Acoustic Dimensions and implemented by AVI-SPL, the audio system uses a left-right-centre approach, with delay speakers addressing the mezzanin

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UK - On 27 September, lighting designer Jeff Atkisson positioned himself behind a Martin Maxxyz lighting console in London's Royal Albert Hall, ready to light the 10th Anniversary celebration of Sing Live a concert consisting of over 600 singers.

"It was at times overwhelming, but also amazing knowing that I was walking into the Royal Albert Hall, yet completely prepared for the show before it even happened."

Atkisson's confidence stems from pre-visualization and pre-programming prep work done weeks before and an ocean away on a Martin Maxxyz lighting console. Atkisson programmed 100 moving lights and 200 conventional lights in Orlando, Florida on Martin's ShowDesigner lighting and set design visualizer, which was connected to a Maxxyz console.

"Programming 100 moving lights on a visualizer for one of the biggest venues in the world was probably one of

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Austria - The Lindner Seepark Hotel is one of the most luxurious new hotels to open in Austria, located on the shores of Lake Worthsee by Klagenfurt in the south of the country close to the border with Slovenia. The distinctive looking four-star conference and spa hotel, clad in an ultra modern aluminium skin, opened to its first guests at start of July with a grand opening later in the month.

The new premium standard destination hotel has nearly 100 Tannoy loudspeakers installed, including small format CVS and CMS in-ceiling speakers as well as Di5 full-range wall mounted speakers.

Installed by Graz based AV integrators Pichler Medientechnik, the choice of Tannoy loudspeakers was driven by some good previous experience with the products in similar hotel installations, as company owner Mr. Gerhard Pichler explains, "We used Tannoy's CMS 801 and CMS 801Sub in a recent inst

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The Netherlands - 24 October marks the worldwide premier of Amandla! Mandela: A Musical Journey to Freedomat Amsterdam's Royal Carré Theatre.

ShowTex Netherlands created a stage element that features throughout the show. The original ShowTex curtain was designed by stage and television veteran Eric Goossens.

Goossens reports: "I wanted to use a pattern that had significance for South Africans, a design that immediately put you in the atmosphere of the culture without feeling like you stepped into a souvenir shop. The bold black pattern with transparent openings in between creates depth onstage but also becomes a perfect prop for helping to tell the story. The dark lines can function as prison bars, and a dividing line between Mandela and his freedom."

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Red Square Audio's Paul Nicholson became the first person in the UK to purchase the new NTi Audio XL2 Audio and Acoustic Analyzer system at PLASA 2009. The advantage of the XL2, says the company, is its flexible user interface. Its measurement screens can be personalized with only a limited subset of the comprehensive functionalities enabled for simplified operator interfaces. Advanced users may access all menus, settings and store their preferred measurement configurations.

Previously having used the AL1, Nicholson was impressed with the replacement XL2 and took it away from the show. He has already used it at a concert for SPL and FFT mapping and for RT60 and STI measurements at a prestigious installation project on behalf of an audio consultancy company.

Nicholson comments: "The XL2 is a brilliant audio tool. It's really simple to use and gives me quick, accurate

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Germany - The International Motor Show or Internationale Automobil Ausstellung (IAA) is the world's largest motor show and is held biennially in Frankfurt.

This year's show again saw some very innovative booth designs - based on sophisticated lighting designs and new construction techniques. One such design characterised the booth of Daimler AG.

Responsible for the lighting design was Richard Profe of TLD Planungsgruppe, who worked with his assistant lighting designer, Alex Orkisch and used a grandMA system to control more than 500 moving lights.

Programmer Demfis Fyssicopulos reports: "As usual it was an absolute pleasure to work with Richard and the team at TLD. Daimler AG took up the entire Frankfurt arena (Festhalle) for their booth. It was dominated by 45,000sq.ft of canvas that formed a majestic cone and funnel structure with lighting, projection and

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