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Belgium / USA - Barco has acquired the products, intellectual property (IP) rights and know-how of Element Labs, an LED video systems expert based in Santa Clara, California. With a focus on mid-end market requirements in rental, staging and fixed installations, the Element Labs products complement Barco's existing high-end product range.

Through this transaction, Barco strengthens its position as a leading provider of LED, projection, image processing and lighting products. This comprehensive product portfolio allows Barco to serve customers with different budget levels in the media and entertainment market. Barco will not book any goodwill on this transaction.

"This expands Barco's portfolio for the mid-range markets," Eric Van Zele, Barco's president and CEO, commen

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Canada - Montreal City Hall has modernized its conference systems, but adopted a 'no compromises' policy toward the building's distinctive and historic style.

Montreal's City Hall, which was re-built in 1922 within the shell of its original walls after the original structure was destroyed by fire, is modelled after the city hall of the French city of Tours, and is designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

The two contradictory objectives were reconciled thanks to the efforts of Grant Ritchie, Mike Davidson and Mark Dunn of Contact Distribution, who demonstrated Iconyx IC7 Steerable Arrays from Renkus-Heinz to the building's engineering staff. IC7s are cost-effective self-powered linear arrays that use individual driver control to deliver precisely shaped beams of sound with factory-programmed pre-sets.

The City of Montreal has acquired six IC7s for use in the Hall of Ho

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Germany - DPA 4006 omnidirectional microphones have been used to record the organ at Passau, Germany, the world's largest cathedral organ, for a charity SACD in aid of the German Heart Foundation. The performance, by cardiologist Dr Hans-Joachim Trappe of Ruhr-Universität Bochum, was recorded in stereo as well as in surround sound.

The giant instrument, which is split into five sections throughout the baroque basilica, was a challenge for recording engineer and Tonmeister Ulrich Lorscheider, from German specialist classical recording company Aeolus. He chose to use mainly DPA 4006 and 4006-TL microphones for the recording, having worked with them in the past.

"Here at Aeolus we are able to run two full surround recording setups simultaneously," says Lorscheider. "For this reason we own a large number of DPA 4006s as it is our main microphone of choice for this

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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 - Lighting rental company HSL and automation specialist Kinesys recently collaborated to stage a two-day Technical Training Workshop on Kinesys' systems at HSL's HQ in Blackburn.

Designed to work as a one or two day course to suit all levels of interest, the response was "extremely positive", and all the places were filled predominantly with working riggers. Some also had lighting experience and were keen to further their knowledge of the system from a creative production angle so automation can be worked in to future visual designs.

HSL's Mike Oates was delighted with the results. "We'll definitely be running further Kinesys training in the future. The demand for knowledge is certainly there and we could have filled this course over again with no problem. I also feel very confident that I now have access to a pool of crew who understand the workings and capa

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USA - Audinate has joined the AVnu Alliance as a Promoter Member. The AVnu Alliance is an industry organisation that is dedicated to the advancement of professional quality audio and video networking via the adoption of the emerging IEEE Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) standards. AVB is a developing standard for media networking that employs elements such as IEEE 802.1as Clock Synchronization, IEEE 802.1Qav quality of service, and 802.1Qat traffic shaping, to improve the transport performance of audio and video across standard Ethernet networks.

The AVnu Alliance is leading efforts to promote and support the creation and implementation of compliance test procedures and processes that provide interoperability of AVB-enabled networked products for the professional A/V, automotive, and consumer electronics markets.

"Since our inception, Audinate has used standards to develop a co

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UK - As football mania descends on the UK in advance of the World Cup, Arcstream AV is working with various clients to develop World Cup focussed interactive technologies, including a new virtual football game.

Neil Dickinson, managing director of Arcstream AV comments, "The World Cup means that people are looking to create fun promotions that engage clients, as well as the obligatory big screen in the office and pub. We have combined two of our most popular products, the interactive wall and floor to create a 'virtual penalty shoot out'. People are invited to kick the virtual football on the interactive floor, while a goalie projected on the wall dives for the ball."

The technology uses interactive cameras to monitor the accuracy and velocity of the kick and determine the player's skills. Dickinson adds, "This is a fun use of interactive technology and you can

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USA - Electronic rock and worship group David Crowder*Band from Waco, Texas recently completed their Church Music Tour beneath a Martin rig with a Maxxyz PC/MaxModule control setup.

"I have always been very interested in the Maxxyz consoles and had some hands on with the full size Maxxyz a few years back at Daystar television network. I loved how the console programmed and ran," stated Cory Fournier of Dallas, Texas, who at only 19 was hired as the tour's lighting director and also handled programming and lighting op duties on the tour.

Fournier LDed for the band during the summer of 2009 and came across many of the industry's top lighting consoles on that tour including Martin's Maxxyz Compact.

"I used them all and they did the job just fine but the Maxxyz stood out the most," he said. "We had been planning for the fall tour and I decided to

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USA - Belfast-based lighting rental company Production Services Ireland (PSI) has made its first investment in Vari*Lite moving lights with the purchase of 12 VL2500 Spots.

These were specified by LD John Gallagher for the All Ireland Talent Show, the second series of which is being shot on Stage B at Ardmore Studios outside Dublin and broadcast live every Sunday evening on Ireland's RTE1.

PSI had been considering Vari*Lites for some time explains PSI's Brian Reilly, due to an increasing number of requests for them from designers. "As a premium brand, we wanted to start building a stock, so when John specified them for the Talent Show, it made sense rather than cross-hiring." He adds that he thinks that Vari*Lites will also compliment their existing extensive stock of Robe moving lights very well

Many features have impressed him about Vari*Lites, in p

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UK - David Atkinson Lighting Design (DALD) picked up two awards at the 2010 Lighting Design Awards, for projects that were supplied by A.C. Special Projects

DALD won the Lighting for Leisure award for The British Music Experience (BME) at The O2 in London. A.C. Special Projects assisted DALD with the specification and supply of the exhibition's theatrical based lighting fixtures and a cutting-edge lighting control system for the immersive exit show; a virtual concert featuring performances from some of the biggest UK acts.

DALD won the Low Carbon award for the Centre of the Cell at Whitechapel in London, an interactive science education centre housed inside a giant orange 'pod'. The centre offers children and teenagers an insight into what scientists actually do and how their work influences real life, through a series of exciting interactive games. A.C. Special Project

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USA - Weighing 225,000 gross registered tons with 16 decks and a 5,400-passenger capacity, Oasis of the Seas has been making waves since Royal Caribbean International first announced plans to build this $1.4 billion ship. Oasis boasts a long list of 'firsts' such as double-deck loft cabins, a park the size of a football field, a zip line extending nine decks above an atrium, and an AquaTheatre that's a pool by day and dazzling water-show theatre at night. Even its layout is like nothing ever seen aboard a cruise ship, comprised of 7 distinct 'neighbourhoods' with names like Central Park, Boardwalk and Entertainment Place.

A ship of this size and imagination required lighting that could accommodate its visionary design and range of attractions, while delivering the low-maintenance reliability and performance demanded by 24/7, indoor/outdoor use. Seeking this balance of features,

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USA - Apogee Electronics has announced the implementation of a German-language website. At www.apogeedigital.com/de, visitors can now find all the latest, most up-to-date Apogee product information and contact info for technical support.

The complete site will eventually include local dealer locations and servicing centres, translated artist features, and a variety of videos for the Apogee enthusiast, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Although still thought of by some as a supplier of theatre lighting, London-based White Light continues to demonstrate that its work now spans every area of entertainment lighting with the recent installation of a dramatic new LED-based lighting scheme for London's Natural History Museum.

Designed by Martin Valentine of AECOM's Lighting Group, the new scheme replaces 64 Philips Arena Vision metal halide floods with 32 Philips/Color Kinetics ColorReach Powercore LED fixtures. The fixtures can re-create - and actually improve on - the white light of the previous lighting scheme, bringing to life the landmark building's dramatic Romanesque architecture. However, the colour-mixing fixtures also provide many other lighting options which can be exploited by the museum's staff on a seasonal basis or for special events.

White Light undertook the installation on behalf of AECOM, A

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Germany - At ProLight&Sound, Outline will unveil EIDOS, an original series of loudspeaker enclosures conceived for fixed installations.

The EIDOS series is the result of the desire to offer an even wider public the quality and distinctive lines that have made the Brescia brand a reference point in the sound reinforcement world at international level, says the company.

Presently, there are four models in the EIDOS range (there will eventually be seven) equipped respectively with 10, 12 and 15 inch speakers, and a subwoofer with twin 15 inch speakers. The anticipated field of application of the units is in the wide variety of so-called permanent installations.

The lines of all the cabinets enable them to be also used as stage monitors. The wide-range models - EIDOS 10, EIDOS 12 and EIDOS 15 - are two-way units fitted with a passive crossover manufactured with top grade compone

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UK - An MA Lighting grandMA2 light console and three MA NPUs (Network Processing Units) are being used to control 18 universes of DMX running all the lighting and a Catalyst media server for the 2010 Strictly Come Dancing Live UK arena tour. The tour's lighting has been designed by Mark Kenyon, who also lights the high profile BBC TV series which has constantly topped the ratings and is one of the most popular programmes in recent history.

The grandMA2 light was programmed during production and technical rehearsals in Manchester Arena by David Bishop, and is being operated on the tour by lighting director Alex Murphy, who very much pushed to go with grandMA, having used a grandMA 'series 1' on U2's seminal 360 tour in 2009. He has been a firm fan of the desk ever since.

All lighting equipment for the Strictly Live tour is being supplied by south Wales-based Sonal

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UK - The Prime Minister has given his full support for the build of the £13 million National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills in Thurrock. This state-of-the-art building, set within the Royal Opera House Production Park, will deliver industry-led training for the creative sector, addressing an anticipated need for 30,000 skilled backstage and technical theatre staff by 2017. It will also provide technical accreditation and professional development for the existing workforce.

This announcement confirms the finance required from the Homes and Communities Agency to start work on the building. This investment complements the £5 million already committed by the Learning and Skills Council. Work will commence on the building in November 2010, ready for a 2012 opening.

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said: "Today's announcement is positive news for the

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Australia / Germany - Smart AV will present its latest Tango software release, version 2.4, at Musikmesse 2010 in Frankfurt next week. Changes include major additions and a myriad of small feature improvements. Smart AV expects the latest version to increase the already widespread appeal of Tango and the efficiency of the user's workflow experience.

Firstly, Tango now works with Desono's DSD/PCM mix engine and Stagebox. Desono products are high quality solutions for audio acquisition and production in the live, recording and broadcast markets, and when combined with a Tango or a Pro Series Smart Console it provides a unique and powerful combination.

Following enquiries from users wanting to use a Stagebox in conjunction with their DAW and Tango, development was initiated and has resulted in a particularly powerful solution. The unit can convert microphone signals into PCM or D

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UK - A series of training weekends for engineers, producers and all other creative audio enthusiasts will get underway in May, 2010, thanks to a joint initiative involving high end recording and broadcast equipment manufacturer Prism Sound/SADiE and JAMES, the education arm of the Music Producers Guild (MPG), the Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS), and the UK Screen Association.

Billed as the Mic To Master Series, these two-day recording technique, mixing and mastering masterlasses and seminars will run at various colleges around the UK, with the first taking place at Deep Blue Sound in Plymouth on 7 and 8 May 2010.

Each event will feature keynote-style lectures addressing specific topics, masterclasses with renowned producers and listening sessions where participants can play some of their own work and discuss techniques to overcome specific problems

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UK - Videowall specialist PSCo has announced the launch of the Infinite Plasma 4250 and 4250R range to its portfolio, with new product developments which positions it as one of the most exciting videowall products currently available in the UK.

According to PSCo, Infinite Plasma is a bezel-less plasma screen which offers the smallest seam gap of any plasma or LCD videowall technology available on the market, at less than 3.5mm in multi-formations. The new OPM-4250 is the fifth generation and boasts improved colour reproduction, increased digital input compatibility and the ability to address a wall of up to 100 screens without external processing.

Technical manager at PSCo, Ed Martin explained: "The OPM-4250 is fractionally slimmer than its predecessors and almost 3kg lighter. Practically every aspect of the Infinite Plasma has undergone some kind of improvement. There ar

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USA - The Hawks basketball team of Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia have a long, proud history dating back several generations. The team has called the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse home since 1949, and has won more than 80% of the games they've played there. Now, after a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation, the Fieldhouse has been reborn as the Michael J. Hagan Arena, with seating for 4200 fans and a powerful new sound system designed by Maryland-based RJC Designs.

The new system features 52 of Community Professional Loudspeakers' Solutions-Series SLS920 horn-loaded systems, arrayed in a distributed cluster configuration, with low-frequency punch provided by 28 VLF212 dual 12-inch subwoofers. Near-field coverage was augmented with six Community iBOX i2W8 systems. The system is powered by QSC amplification, with a pair of Rane RPM88 processors providing system DSP.

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Germany - Mackie's new HD Powered Subwoofers will be on show at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt. The HD1501 and HD1801 subs offer Class-D Fast-Recovery amplifier technology, delivering up to 1600W of peak powerThe HD subs complete the HD system.

"Our new HD Series loudspeakers are on the cutting-edge of loudspeaker technology," said Greg Young, Mackie brand product manager. "With the addition of the subs, you can have a complete high-definition system unlike anything else in the marketplace."

The HD1501 and HD1801 benefit from 15-inch and 18-inch woofers respectively, as well as Mackie's active electronics. The HD1801 18-inch subwoofer is designed for use with either the HD1521 or HD1531, and the HD1501 15-inch sub is for systems using SRM450v2 Active Loudspeakers (or SRM350v2s).

(Jim Evans)

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Hong Kong - Built in the 1960s, the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall is the largest interior venue within the Hong Kong City Hall complex, which also houses a theatre, an exhibition hall, gallery and numerous restaurants.

Administered by the Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the 1434-seat Concert Hall is a multi-functional space capable of adapting to performances of symphony, chamber, recital, jazz, opera and chorus music, in addition to other forms of performing art, such as dance, drama and Chinese opera.

The Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department approached Robert Juliat dealer, Pacific Lighting, seeking to replace the venue's existing, aging lighting fixtures - a move which came about following the successful installation, in January 2008, by Pacific Lighting of 22 RJ 710SX 2K profiles into the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.

Pacific Li

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