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Italy - Clay Paky supplied Alpha Beam 700s for Gianna Nannini's GiannaDream Tour, which stopped off at all the major Italian indoor stadiums in autumn 2009. The stage setup was highly original and had great visual impact. The artist interacted with a substantial cylindrical structure covered with LEDs that stood in the middle of the stage.

Lighting and stage designer Mamo Pozzoli comments, "This LED screen is a powerful object. Thanks to its three-dimensionality, it can create graphic shapes through the textures it transmits, as well as physical shapes, since the whole structure of trusses and lights accentuates its circular features." It is actually a dual LED screen, since it has two faces - one concave and the other convex - both turned towards the audience. It

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France / Canada - Following the recent launch of their latest version 1.0 IQOYA V*MOTE audio-over-IP codec with SIP software, which is part of the IQOYA family of IP audio hardware and software solutions, Digigram reports successful implementation of the product at the Winter Olympic Games currently being held in Vancouver.

HRT, the national public broadcaster of the Republic of Croatia, has been using V+MOTE extensively for their journalists in the field for live contributions from the various Olympic sites in and around Vancouver back to the studios in Zagreb, without the need for cumbersome additional IP audio hardware.

V*MOTE is an audio-over-IP software solution for remote contributions - usually a journalist in the field reporting back to a studio, as was the case here. By simply installing V*MOTE onto any laptop PC, it becomes a professional "contribution" cod

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USA - On the Madea's Big Happy Family tour, fans of Tyler Perry's successful TV shows and movies follow the comedian in his new play in theatres and arenas across the US. The musical tale reunites the audience with Perry's signature character Madea, a silver-haired, aggressive matriarch. TEC Award-winning Thunder Audio of Livonia, Mich. Is providing a Meyer Sound MIca and M'elodie line array loudspeaker system for the tour.

A deviation from mainstream theatre, Madea's Big Happy Family engages the crowd with spontaneous humour, and features musical interludes that find audiences singing along to well-known R&B and rock and roll hits.

For the arena shows that include the RBC Centre in Raleigh, NC and the Target Centre in Minneapolis, Thunder Audio is supplying 16 Meyer Sound Mica line array loudspeakers per side, in addition to side-hangs of 10 M'elodie line array

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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 - Adlib is supplying lighting, sound equipment and crew to the current UK tour by Welsh rockers Lostprophets.

The lighting design was a collaboration between Adlib's Ian Tomlinson and freelance LD Rob Lister (also the tour's production manager), with active input from Lostprophets lead singer Ian Watkins.

Watkins specifically wanted a moody, edgy feel to the lighting and a complete departure from their previous 'rock' style light shows, so there is no front truss, and much of the set is darkly lit. The only front lighting directly on the six band members is supplied by three pairs of individual PAR36 DWEs which are mounted on custom mic stands, about 30cm off the floor.

All 24 of the moving lights in the rig are Martin Professional MAC 301 LED moving wash lights. There are 10 MAC 301s on the back truss, six on two downstage booms - three a side - for low level cross stage

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Italy - UK based automation specialist Kinesys has announced the appointment of trussing manufacturer Litec as its Italian distributor.

Litec is part of the Vitec Group which also includes companies such as Brilliant Stages and Manfrotto. They are also a master distributor for Columbus McKinnon so Kinesys felt this was the right company and product mix to complement a premium automation product.

Kinesys' sales & business development manager Mark de Gruyter comments, "Litec is a highly respected company with a great contact base and a real knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the live production and performance industry - so we are well matched partners."

As soon as the deal was sealed, de Gruyter and Kinesys' Dave Weatherhead travelled to Mogliano Veneto near Venice to meet the full Litec team and undertake two days of comprehensive staff technical trainin

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UK - Entertainment lighting supplier White Light has enjoyed a busy start to 2010 in the world of theatre, the market in which the company first established itself.

Joining the company's West End roster of shows in January were productions including Jerusalem, transferring from the Royal Court Theatre to the Apollo and lit by Mimi Jordan Sherin, The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick, lit by Jon Clark, and Six Degrees of Separation at the Old Vic, lit by Jason Taylor.

The long-awaited sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, is also currently previewing at the Adelphi with White Light supplying Paule Constable's complex design; the show is due to open on 9 March. December was also a busy period for new shows, with the openings of The Misanthrope at the Comedy, lit by Peter Mumford, and the RSC's Twelfth Night at the D

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Germany - Klotz Digital has been acquired by UnitedScreens Media. In association with the acquisition, the companies have also entered into agreements securing the future financial support of Klotz Digital. The agreements are intended to contribute to the long term stabilisation of the company, and to insure its further economic growth.

Dr. Andreas Gruettner has been appointed as the new Klotz Digital CEO, with the mission to take the company to a new era and direction. He is taking over from Thomas Klotz, who has resigned from his position with immediate effect.

Gruettner identifies the company's main potential for growth in the international PA market. He also plans to boost Klotz Digital's position in the industry, and to increase its economic efficiency. "Even if we will not instigate drastic strategic changes at Klotz Digital, we now have a solid new base for the com

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UK - Audio visual and IT rental company DB Systems has won a major contract to supply the internet and telecommunications systems and services to all exhibitors at the 2010 and 2012 Farnborough International Airshows.

DB will be responsible for the telecommunications needs, including the supply of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), for around 1,300 exhibitors and 60 business chalets, which are the areas where multi-national companies decamp during the airshow. These chalets become large-scale, semi-permanent business centres and offices, as well as hospitality areas.

This move into the internet and telecommunications market will involve a significant investment by DB in equipment and systems, including purchasing around 2,000 IP phones.

Grahame Jones, operations director for Farnborough International, said, "Following an extensive and detailed tender process, DB Syste

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USA - Harold Cummings is the founder and CEO of Drummer Boy Sound, a Miami-area production company. "After I did a couple demos on the new iLive-T, I was blown away with what it could do, especially for such a great price. Our roots are in live sound, and we do a lot of high-profile events around Miami," he notes. "When I began using the console at those shows, I can't tell you what a difference it made. Small footprint, easy and fast to set up, no outboard gear - and it sounds fantastic."

One of the first events Cummings did with his iLive-T was the National Day of Prayer at Miami's Faith Centre, which seats about 4,000. The event was also recorded by the Telemundo network. "A situation came up," recalls Cummings, "where a guest musician taking the stage inadvertently crossed through my cordoned off power management area and tripped the

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USA - New York-based violinist Mark Feldman has been using a DPA 4099V clip instrument mic for performances with the John Abercrombie Quartet at international concerts and jazz festivals, including The Montreal Jazz Festival.

Feldman joins a list of performers including Sting, saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Bobby Ricketts, trumpet player Randy Brecker and violinist Nigel MacLean, who have adopted the 4099.

Feldman himself owns a valuable antique violin, a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume made in Paris in 1862. He was more than happy to use the 4099V microphone's gentle mounting accessory to attach it to his instrument.

"The DPA 4099V attaches to my violin very easily in just a few seconds, and has never damaged the delicate antique varnish," says Feldman. "It captures and reproduces every nuance of my violin so precisely. I love this mic. The sound is amazing; engineer

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Finland - Turku City Theatre has installed a TiMax2 SoundHub audio showcontrol matrix and TiMax Tracker performer-tracking system, following demonstrations on-site last year by TiMax distributor Hedcom and Out Board director Dave Haydon. The installation marks the first of several similar TiMax procurements by Scandinavian theatres all undergoing major sound system upgrades during the spring and summer of 2010.Turku City Theatre's refurbishment is timed in anticipation of Turku's 2011 status as European Capital of Culture. The theatre is Finland's oldest municipal theatre, founded in 1946 although re-built in 1962, and Turku itself is Finland's oldest town and a former capital.

At the core of Turku's audio refurbishment is a 48-in/48-out TiMax2 SoundHub-R48 delay-matrix processor equipped with a bespoke selection of audio interfacing options. An onboard Ethersound module provide

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USA - The week of 15 March, the Wybron Mobile Showroom begins its sixth leg, hitting the Los Angeles area.

The Mobile Showroom has become increasingly popular, and presents a survey of Wybron's stable of products, including the new Cygnus LED Wash Light, in a environment more intimate than a trade show. "The challenge of this industry is to actually get information to the people who will benefit from it," said Wybron CEO Keny Whitright. "A trade show is terrific, sure, but you're often lacking time to connect with all the folks you would like to."

The Mobile Showroom provides hands-on demonstration of Wybron offerings and an opportunity for tΩte-à-tΩte with lighting professionals, including their local dealers. Most importantly, however, the Mobile Showroom offers education on the general theory behind and mechanics of professional lighting to

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Europe - D&M Business & Professional Group (Europe) has introduced the second model in the new Denon Professional solid state player series. The DN-F400 is a compact half-rack size SD and SDHC flashcard player with both serial and parallel control capabilities, for critical installation applications requiring continuous playback audio, or repeated programmed or instantly triggered messaging or audio FX. Also now available is a dedicated serial remote controller, the RC-F400S.

The DN-F400 is an advanced digital media solution for the continuous or triggered playback of MP3 and uncompressed .WAV sound files stored on SD and SDHC flashcards (up to 32GB). Its compact, single half-RU space saving form and simple facia with hardwire (dip switch) rear panel setup are designed specifically for instant or programmed repeat messaging, fire and safety voice alarm announcements, radio spots

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UK - Point Source Productions of London reports "a fantastic reaction from exhibitors and visitors alike" to its provision of lighting solutions for the latest London Fashion Week (19-24 February) 2010 Designer Exhibition.

Organised by the British Fashion Council, this landmark event takes place at Somerset House with the Designer Exhibition spread across four floors of this historic building. The exhibition showcases over 200 designers including established names such as Erickson Beamon, Angel Jackson and Beatrix Ong as well as emerging talents like LF Markey and Georgia Hardinge.

Point Source Productions and Fine Art Lighting were brought on board by Blonstein & Associates following a successful collaboration between the two companies over a recent installation for All Visual Arts at One Marylebone, London.

"Blonstein & Associates were impresse

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UAE - The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest building, features Tannoy's of in-ceiling and in-wall loudspeakers integrated throughout the vast structure, on almost every single one of its 160 habitable floors.Over 5,000 of the Scotland-based speaker manufacturer's CMS Series in-ceiling loudspeakers have been installed, along with over 1,000 IW Series in-wall speakers.

The majority of the in-ceiling loudspeakers installed were CMS 501PI, which benefit from being supplied with a separate pre-install back can. These zinc plated, fully wired back cans are designed to be pre-installed into newly constructed, non-suspended ceilings leaving the product to be inserted at the final system commissioning stage of the install. This makes them particularly suited to large scale, potentially complicated new-build developments such as the Burj Khalifa, where the contractor needs to get

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UK - A growing number of wireless DMX success stories are coming to light, many of them involving RC4 Wireless, a front-runner in the field with experience all the way back to early productions of The Phantom of the Opera in the 1980s. Today, RC4 products are reliably used all over the world, in numerous productions by Cirque du Soleil, Disney and many others.

"My technical support channels are so dead, I sometimes wonder if anybody is actually using my stuff," says James David Smith, president and product designer at RC4. "Last year I started contacting past customers, to ask them if everything was OK. What a thrill to discover that my systems are not only working well, they are being used constantly. There are numerous repertory companies that purchased an RC4Magic Series 2 system for one particular show, and have incorporated it into every production sin

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Money Matters - U2 made more money than any other music act in the US in 2009, according to Billboard magazine. The music journal said U2 made $109m (£71m) from touring, record sales and other royalties - almost twice as much as the second place, Bruce Springsteen who took home $58m (£38m), followed by Madonna with $47m (£31m) and rockers AC/DC with $44m (£29m). A string of younger pop stars - Britney Spears, Pink and the Jonas Brothers - came next on the list. Coldplay were the most successful British group, at number eight, with takings of $27m (£18m).

Culture Matters - The final four cities hoping to be named the UK's first city of culture in 2013 have been revealed. The cities chosen by an independent judging panel are Birmingham, Derry, Norwich and Sheffield, with a winner due to be announced in the summer. The competition aims to

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UK - Cooper Controls UK has announced the appointment of Ken Berreen as sales manager UK, Middle East & Africa for its Zero 88 and State Automation entertainment brands. As part of the company's ongoing restructure and strategy for the performance entertainment marketplace, Berreen will be responsible for managing day to day sales and commercial activities for the Zero 88 entertainment lighting control and State Automation high density dimming system product ranges in these markets.

Berreen started in the entertainment lighting business in 1977, gaining a full understanding of electrical installations working for Theatre Sound & Lighting, as a freelance technician at the Shaw Theatre and also gaining formal qualifications with an electricity supply company.

In the last ten years Berreen has worked as a lighting project manager, technical supervisor at the Millennium Dome in Lo

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The Netherlands - Visual Productions reports that it is one of the first software lighting control manufactures to overcome the incompatibilities of working with 64 bit Windows 7. Cuelux software lighting control is now more than ever proving to be a platform independent system that can be used on Windows and Mac operating systems, says the company.

Visual Productions has made a Cuelux driver for all 64 bit versions of the Windows operating systems, XP, Vista and the new Windows 7.

Developer Maarten Engels explains, "A key design goal for Cuelux was to offer cross-platform support, which we had already achieved for 32 bit windows and Mac OS. We are very excited about adding support for 64 bit windows, making the unique cross-platform feature even stronger."

The new release of Cuelux is available to download free of charge from www.visualproductions.nl

(Jim Evans)

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Germany - SGM will be showing a family of moving heads with different beam apertures at ProLight+Sound under the 'Idea' banner - giving them the capabilities of deliver high powered profile and wash lighting with superior colour mix.Idea Spot 300's features include an electronic ballast, which ensures the fixture runs flicker-free. With its linear zoom, which enables instant adjustment of the light beam from 16° to 35°, CMY colour mixing system, seven interchangeable gobos and effects wheel, Idea Spot 300 is able to meet an endless variety of creative requirements, says the company.This lightweight fixture (weighing just 28 kg) can be installed anywhere: with the rechargeable back-up battery that powers its display, the fixture's display menu address can even be set when it is switched off, while the innovative wireless DMX connection, fitted as standard, greatly increases

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Germany - Laser specialist Lobo takes its biggest ever stand at PL&S this year, and will unveil a host of new products. Among them will be the Bliss series - a new generation of modular, ultra-bright laser systems which builds on the success of the Sparks series and expands its scope into the lower price range. The Bliss line of compact multi-colour laser modules is based on next generation diode lasers. The units are suited for large indoor applications, discotheques and even smaller outdoor jobs. The modules are available as stand-alone units or as complete systems inside a projector. Bliss lasers provide full DDL-2-support including functions, such as remote monitoring and remote configuration, say Lobo.

LOBO will also present an ultra-bright Sparks laser projections system with two integrated projection heads. This allows the unit to display even very complex laser projectio

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