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UK - DB Systems (DB) reports that it has purchased approximately £100,000 of new equipment, including seamless LCD panels and 3D Pyramoid units, which are a form of 3D holographic projection.

DB has also made a further investment in Microsoft Surface units, which the company originally introduced to the UK event and exhibition market at the end of 2009. Microsoft Surface is a revolutionary multi-touch system that allows several users to simultaneously touch up to 52 points on the screen. Users can also operate a variety of programmes and features to perform numerous functions at any one time, such as maximising and minimising windows, viewing product data, as well as animation and video content.

The investment in new equipment has come as DB prepares for a busy spring cale

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UK - Showsec continued its long-term partnership with the 2010 International Live Music Conference. Communication was a recurring theme as company directors sat on three expert panels debating issues and discussing best practice.

The four-day London conference began with a production day, attended by several hundred international suppliers to venue, tours and festivals. Showsec managing director Mark Harding participated in a panel about how to deal with emergency incidents arising from inclement weather.

Every year there are a significant number of casualties caused by bad weather related incidents at outdoor events and members of the panel recounted personal instances and experiences as to how to avoid or overcoming these. Responding to questions from members of the audience, Harding explained the value of effective planning and communications infrastructures from managing s

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Australia - Darren McKenzie from Melbourne-based production The Loft Productions used ARX's USB - DI USB Digital to Analogue transformer isolated interfaces at the recent Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.

McKenzie described the USB DIs as being ideal for the "on air play out" from the commentators computers and audio feed located in the Pit commentary position below court level. The transformer isolated outputs ensured noise free performance when connected to the complex broadcast audio system used at the Open.

The commentary was streamed via the USB DIs to the 'Tennis Radio Network' and then up-streamed globally though the world wide web to an estimated on line audience of around 2m tennis fans.

(Jim Evans)

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 - With the Soundcraft Vi Series now established on both the touring, broadcast and installed sound scenes, Soundcraft has taken this platform to another, more affordable level with the release of the new Vi1 console. Many users have asked for a smaller, lower-priced desk that still has the acclaimed Vistonics user interface, says the company.

A complete standalone the new console package features 32 channels of analogue input to 27 analogue outputs, plus six digital inputs, four Stereo FX Returns and six digital outputs in one chassis. As standard, Input to mix capacity is 46chs, but by adding a stagebox (compatible with the existing Vi racks), simultaneous channel count increases to 64. Channels are routable to 24 multifunction busses, plus LR and Mono Mix busses.

Up to eight of the busses can be configured as Matrix mixes, each with up to 16 sources.

The surface is just

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USA - At ShoWest 2010 in Las Vegas, Dolby Laboratories announced it is working with Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios to deliver a new audio format, Dolby Surround 7.1. Disney and Pixar have stated that Dolby Surround 7.1 will be launched in select theatres with the release of Toy Story 3 in 3D this June.

"For 40 years Dolby has not only provided content creators with the tools to create a more realistic audio experience, but has also enabled the exhibitor to deliver audiences the ability to experience the content as the creator intended," said Page Haun, senior director, marketing, Cinema market segment, Dolby Laboratories. "The release of Toy Story 3 in a discrete 7.1 mix will raise the bar for movie theatre owners and their patrons."

Dolby Surround 7.1 brings a more exciting sensory experience to audiences for 2D and gives co

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USA - The BankAtlantic Center (BAC) in Sunrise, Florida is using dynamic visuals from Martin Professional to enhance the fan experience and expand the venue's marketing platform with the added benefits of attracting larger crowds and ultimately greater revenue.

BAC is a state-of-the-art, 20,000 seat capacity arena that is home to the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, as well as the Lingerie Football League's Miami Caliente. The venue also hosts a number of other major events every year.

The expanding cost of stadiums and arenas necessitates keeping the seats full by maximizing the marketability of a venue. But with other high profile teams like the Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins, Miami Heat and several top college teams in the region, not to mention great weather and endless beaches, BAC has a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar.

"Martin solut

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Switzerland - TiMax2 SoundHub recently helped launch several new models from Spanish car manufacturer Seat, taking control of the multichannel sound system plus a variety of talent and content sources on their lavish stand at the Geneva Motor Show.

TiMax was specified by Pere Capell of BTM Sound in Gerona as the system matrix to tie together a complex hook up of the exhibition stand's distributed presentation system and a full concert sound system used in the press launch which featured a live performance by Grammy Award-winning Latin pop diva Shakira.

The press launch system consisted of five Meyer M'Elodie line arrays and two M1D arrays including subs, which the TiMax delay-matrix blended with a distributed system consisting of fourteen Meyer CQ1 and nine Meyer UPA powered enclosures. TiMax also provided grouped system EQ and level-profiling across the booth's multiple overl

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UK - Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-awaited continuation of the story of The Phantom of the Opera has finally arrived in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre and fans have been looking forward to the revival of all the principal characters in a world of new hope and old obsessions.

The story unfolds at the turn of the 20th century in Phantasma, a fabulous showground in Coney Island, New York - home to freaks and entertainers. Bob Crowley's set and costumes combine the colours and thrills of the fair with the dark longing and macabre mania of the Phantom. A series of projections on layered tabs creates an immersive experience that opens up elaborate illusions of space and dimension, reality and fantasy, past and present.

The Really Useful Group, producers of the show, approached Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering for the automation system. The Stage Technologies group

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USA - For the 13th year in a row, a broad range of Audio-Technica microphones was selected to outfit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. A-T supplied over 50 mics to capture the audio for this widely celebrated musical event, which took place at New York's Waldorf Astoria.

The 25th annual induction ceremony of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was held on 15 March, 2010, with inductees including ABBA, Genesis, The Hollies, Jimmy Cliff, The Stooges and non-performers David Geffen, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Elie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, Jesse Stone, Mort Shuman and Otis Blackwell. The show was broadcast live on Fuse and www.fuse.tv.

Audio-Technica's Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless System was used with the AEW-T5400 handheld microphone/transmitter for frontline vocals on performances by inductees Jimmy Cliff, and the Hollies (Graham Nash, Allan Clarke and Te

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USA - The versatile COLORado 1-Tri Tour from Chauvet features 14 high power 3W tri-color LEDs to allow colour mixing in each LED rather than the fixture as a whole. All diodes stay on continuously to produce a more vibrant and even colour without multi-coloured shadows.

Colour temperature presets range from 3,200 K to 10,000 K. Five distinct dimming curves provides improved, smoother dimming.

The COLORado 1-Tri Tour responds to three, four, five or 10 channels of DMX control. It provides a nearly limitless colour range, from rich vivid hues to delicate pastels. RGB colour mixing can be performed with or without DMX. Vector Speed provides smoother colour changes. The output is a bright 1,600 lux @m. Additional features include an LED display with password protection, a gel frame holder and PowerCon connectors for power in and out as well as direct DMX connectors.

The luminair

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Hungary - Budapest-based Interton Electroacoustics has recently completed the installation of a Community Professional Loudspeakers PA system at the City Stadium in Nyíregyháza.

Nyíregyháza is situated near the border with Ukraine, Slovakia and Romania and is the seventh largest city in Hungary. It is also one of the most prosperous, being both an educational centre and a popular tourist destination.

The 6,000 capacity Nyíregyháza City Stadium has been a venue for major international events and is also home to the local soccer team, Nyíregyháza Spartacus, which plays in Hungary's top professional league, the NB1. In a project that commenced in August 2009, the 50 year old stadium has undergone much reconstruction and a complete refurbishment to bring it up to modern international standards. The works have included the renewal of the grandstands, athletic field and buil

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USA - Zaxcom has launched a new line of encrypted bodypack receivers for interruptible feedback (IFB). Due to be displayed at the forthcoming NAB show (12-15 April, Las Vegas, USA) Zaxcom's new ERX1 and ERX1TCD bodypacks receive high-quality digital audio, timecode, and metadata from any IFB transmitter in the Zaxcom TRX product series, providing a secure platform for television and film production crews to manage the full range of IFB signals required for their productions, the company says.

Both the ERX1 and EXR1TCD feature an LCD display for showing timecode and current scene-and-take metadata in real time, and offer a hold button that enables script supervisors to record timecode-based events. The ERX1TCD model builds on this feature set by including an integrated timecode reader/generator and an output to continuously jam digital slates. This feature prevents timecode drift

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UK - In a world first for the entertainment rigging industry, PLASA Events has announced the launch of the PLASA International Rigging Conference, to be held alongside two days of PLASA 2010, at Earls Court, London on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 September.

The aim of the conference, the first of its kind in the world, is to provide a unique specialist forum that will bring together entertainment rigging companies, riggers, venue operators, tour and event production managers and more. It is the latest industry-specific forum to be presented by PLASA Events and reflects the PLASA organisation's stated intent to reinvest in the entertainment and installation technology industries and deliver bespoke industry relevant events.

Chris Higgs of Total Solutions Group, consultant on the conference, comments: "This is one of those ideas that when you mention it, everyone says 'what a f

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USA - Lighthouse, TS Sports and the Pawtucket Red Sox are set to provide PawSox fans with a major league video experience from the comfortable minor league atmosphere of Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium.

The incoming Lighthouse LED video screen is two-and-one-half times the size of the outgoing board, and will provide the PawSox faithful with a video experience generally reserved for watching Boston Red Sox games on NESN.

"Lighthouse is pleased to be a part of McCoy Stadium's continuing improvements," said Ed Whitaker, Lighthouse N.A.S.A director of sales. "Our LED video technology and experience is a perfect match for the Pawtucket organization's tradition of excellence."

Completely overhauled in 1999, McCoy Stadium is now considered by minor league insiders as perhaps the most fan-friendly minor league park in the country. Lighthouse's new Pi20-FRA 20mm LED vi

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USA - Doug Short, FOH engineer for Megadeth is using a Midas PRO6 desk for the first leg of the band's promotional tour for the new Endgame album.

"I had done some training on Midas digital up in Minnesota over a year ago. But when Megadeth started up, my bid list required a Midas XL4 at front of house," relates Short. "The plan was to carry control gear from Thunder Audio - consoles and processing. Basically, Paul Owen, Thunder Audio principal, saw my bid list, called me and said tempted me to give the PRO6 a shot. I figured a five-week promotional tour was the perfect opportunity. As Paul says, 'Hey, instead of taking out 1,168 pounds of XL4, why not give the Pro6 a shot?' I mean, it is a Midas, right?"

The final step was to complete Doug Short's basic training on the new desk. "Erik Rogers from Thunder was the guy who made it happen," he

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USA - Connectivity solutions provider Gefen today announced the availability of its new Video Wall Controller. A "premium solution for professional applications", it provides an easy method of creating high definition imagery spread across four displays stacked in a 2x2 configuration, say Gefen. A rugged metallic enclosure makes it suited to rental and staging applications as well as static digital signage presentations.

The Video Wall Controller outputs high definition video up to 1080p full HD from a single PC or video source using DVI connectivity. When combined with computer applications, resolutions are supported up to 1920x1200. One DVI input is split to four DVI outputs connected to four hi-def displays. Video can be spread across all four displays or just three, two or one display, giving users additional control over the creative content.

Pivotal to the Vide

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Germany - The Compulite team will be displaying at ProLight&Sound in Frankfurt with Feiner Lichttechnik, Compulite's German distributor.

On display will be the new compact and powerful Vector Violet and Vector Ultra Violet. The Vector Violet line offers the power, versatility and flexibility of the Vector consoles in a sleek, compact and affordable packaging, says the company. Also showing will be the new 3.18 Beta 'candidate release' software.

The Compulite and Feiner teams will be on hand to answer any questions as well as demonstrate the full capabilities of these consoles.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - While the Government is taking steps to 'divvy-up' the airwaves in the face of strong opposition, it keeps thinking of reasons not to fully compensate the little-guys being booted-out. Save Our Sound UK asks 'why the inconsistency in political will?'

In an unprecedented move last week, the Government sought approval from Parliament to tell the regulator Ofcom how to cut the spectrum cake, which the Government has referred to as the 'billion pound prize'. Meanwhile, the same Government has found a number of obscure barriers to delivering what Save Our Sound UK believes is needed to prevent a major setback to the live events and entertainment industries.

The eviction of the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) sector from the airwaves in question will generate a massive windfall for the Treasury. Just to make sure that it is allocated in the right way, the Government

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USA - Cree has announced the commercial availability of the award-winning XLamp XP-G LED in warm- and neutral-white colour temperatures (2600 K to 5000 K CCT). These new XP-G LEDs extend Cree's highest level of light output and efficacy across the white colour spectrum, driving general lighting applications such as LED replacement lamps, outdoor area and commercial luminaires.

The warm white (3000 K) XLamp XP-G provides up to 114 lumens and 109 lumens per watt at 350 mA. Driven at 1.0 A, the XP-G warm-white produces up to 285 lumens at 84 lumens per watt, which is four times the light output than the highest available XLamp XR-E warm-white LED at equal efficacy.

The neutral-white (4000 K) XLamp XP-G provides up to 139 lumens and 132 lumens per watt at 350 mA. Driven at 1.5 A, the XP-G neutral-white produces up to 463 lumens, which is four times the light output of the XLamp XR

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USA - In February 2010, a team of world-class instructors and about 60 participants from all over the United States and Canada travelled to Midland, Texas to attend Tomcat's Hoist and Truss workshop or the Rigging and Truss workshop.

The Hoist and Truss workshop featured the disassembly and reassembly of a one ton Lodestar, a Prostar as well as advanced troubleshooting with Dave Carmack of Columbus McKinnon. Dave Sowa (ETCP certified electrician and formerly of Tomcat USA) led a discussion on control systems and conducted demonstrations of load testing. Instruction was rounded out by Dana Bartholomew of Fisher Technical Services, who gave instruction and demonstrations on automation.

G. Anthony Phillips, of RigRider Rigging Services and ETCP certified rigger and instructor taught safe rigging practices and principles while Morgan Neff gave instruction on fall protection practi

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UK - The second biennial conference of the Schools' Theatre Support Group (STSG) was held on Saturday 20 February at Rugby School in Warwickshire. The STSG was founded in 2005 for technicians, designers, managers and teachers working in school or college theatres. The Group has over 100 members from independent and state schools, colleges and universities around the country, allowing members to share ideas and problems, as well as raising awareness of school theatre work amongst fellow professionals.

The conference was organised by Paul Durose of The Leys School, Cambridge, and was hosted by Rugby School. The event was generously sponsored by White Light, Philips Selecon, Showcomms, A.C. Entertainment Technologies, Zero 88 and Stage Electrics, with workshops run by KV2 Audio, Philips Selecon and Showcomms.

Brian Attwood of The Stage newspaper chaired an open?forum session, in

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