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Mexico - The end of May saw Grammy nominated R&B artist Brian McKnight headline the 2010 Riviera Maya Jazz Festival in Mexico. It also brought an introduction to the DiGiCo SD8 for McKnight's Front of House engineer Omatali Beckett.

Beckett has been working with Brian McKnight for about three years but, apart from two day's training at DiGiCo's Chessington headquarters, it was the first time he had been 'hands on' with the SD8.

"I previously used other digital consoles because of the way I work," he says. "I listen and don't look at the desk. I prefer to have one screen and all the features accessible on the control surface.

"When I did the sessions at DiGiCo I was immediately impressed by the SD8's great flexibility. I like the fact that any channel - whet

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South Africa - Robe CitySkape Xtreme LED fixtures were utilised to illuminate what's been officially declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest soccer ball of them all.

The 15mhigh ball currently resides at the Emperor's Palace Hotel, Casino Convention & Entertainment Resort, Johannesburg and is a promotion for Kia Motors intended to mark the culmination of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

To draw attention to the inflatable sculpture, Kia asked Hans Rooseboom of Event Pro Technical Services in Johannesburg to light the ball, for which he decided to try out the CitySkape Xtremes to meet their brief of making the installation "funky and spectacular to match the giant ball".

Four CitySkape Xtremes are placed around the ball on 4m vertical truss sections, two of them at 15m away across the other side of the car park access road, and two to the back,

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UK - Britannia Row has chosen XL8s and PRO6s to cover their major outdoor events this summer, including Hard Rock Calling, Wireless and T in the Park.

Two XL8s took pride of place as the FOH flip flop system at Wireless, in London's Hyde Park. A week earlier, an XL8 and a PRO6 had occupied the same position for Hard Rock Calling, while at T in the Park, Britrow deployed three XL8s at FOH on the main stage. The festival systems were all being managed by Britrow system tech Josh Lloyd.

"Having owned and toured Midas XL8s and PRO6s for several years, we felt it was time to profile them front of house at a major festival," says Britannia Row's managing director Bryan Grant. "As Hyde Park has surely become the most Iconic urban festival site on the planet now, we thought it only appropriate for this most iconic of brands,"

"It was very interesting hearing

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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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Germany - During the evening hours of 30 April, more than 23,000 ravers gathered in Westfalenhalle in Dortmund for Mayday 2010, the largest German indoor-event for electronic music. The event featured over 50 top national and international actswith four large dance floors.

Responsiblity for setting the scene for the event was assigned, for the first time, to EBS Lights of Limburg. Mario Kommorofski, project leader at EBS, shaped the front light as discontinued circular elements and the overhead light as a gigantic propeller, completed by circles and side lines. Light circles composed of large 'energy spools' floated up and down and back and forth above the crowd. The circles were the main lighting element and encompassed more than 300 fixtures.

"My first choice, of course, was to rely on Martin fixtures," Kommorofski commented. "First of all, because we carry a

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Venezuela - Called upon to ensure that Aerosmith's first concert in Venezuela was a success, regional concert sound rental provider, Grupo Zonico deployed JBL VerTec line arrays to support the band in Caracas. Based in Edo Miranda, Venezuela, Grupo Zonico has supplied the nation's top venues and highest-attended concerts with JBL loudspeaker systems since 2006.

To deliver the powerful music of Aerosmith to a massive outdoor audience, Grupo Zonico supplied 30 VerTec VT4889-1 full-size line array elements for the main left/right system, supported by 24 VT4880A Ultra Long Excursion 2x18-inch arrayable subwoofers. Twelve VT4888DP powered mid-size elements with DrivePack technology, developed in cooperation with Crown, were used for out-fill arrays.

In addition, four auxiliary towers each contained three VT4887ADP powered compact line array elements, in coordination with a fifth ar

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UK - At the 2010 ABTT Show in London in mid-June, the RevEAL CW LED Washlight from Prism Projection, distributed in the UK by White Light, continued its successful debut year, picking up the show's Hook Clamp award for Best New Lighting Product against some tough competition.

In awarding the prize, the judges noted the fixture's flat field, its efficiency, and its colour-correcting ability. This functionality sees each RevEAL CW fixture automatically monitor its light output and auto-correct for any changes as the fixture ages, ensuring that output is consistent from unit to unit and over time. The compact fixture offers colour mixing with a variable white colour temperature, offers an average of 46 Lumens per Watt output, does not generate waste colour filters or lamps, and without degrading ultraviolet or uncomfortable infrared wavelengths in the light is a great choice for di

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UK - The second SFX Live! event, organised by lighting, audio, MI and DJ distributor, CPC, will take place at CPC's head offices in Fulwood, Preston from 11am to 4pm on 25 July.

As a direct result of last year's bumper turnout CPC decided to host the show again this year, maintaining the freeentry to all ethos. Products on display will range from live sound, DJ & musical instruments through to installed AV solutions.

The day will feature 29 suppliers representing over 65 brands all in one venue. In addition there will be free prize draws and discounts available on the day.

(Jim Evans)

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Belgium - No less than 35,681 spectators showed up to see a tennis game between Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams on 8 July in the King Boudouin Stadium in Brussels - A world record. The game was part of the BNP Paribas Best of Belgium show that brought together the best of Belgian tennis players and Belgian music.

To protect the ladies against the ever present threat of rain in Belgium, Wicreations were asked to design a roof 10m above the tennis ground with uninterrupted sight lines from the stands. Towers or columns were out of the question. Therefore the company designed a huge canvas (1500 m2) that consisted of three parts, each weighing more the 500 kg. The canvas was fixed to the roof of the stadium by means of steel cables and held down with contra weights.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Following the announcement of the final programme for the PLASA International Rigging Conference - taking place on 13-14 September at Earls Court - delegate numbers are rising daily and global interest has spread.

Running alongside the established trade show, PLASA 2010, this unique event is the first of its kind for the international event and entertainment rigging community and will be an invaluable industry forum.

Delegate numbers have now reached over 100 and include representation from all over the world including Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. Delegate places are still available and there is still time to book to be part of this new international rigging initiative.

Industry icons speaking at the conference include Unusual Rigging's Alan Jacobi, Star Events Group's Roger Barrett, Prolyte's Marc Hendricks, CM ET's Cristiano Giavedoni and Sapsis Rigging's Bill S

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UK - Save Our Sound UK, the body supported by major organisations representing the breadth and depth of the British Entertainment Industry, is calling on supporters to contact their newly-elected MPs to help ensure a fair compensation package for the PMSE (Programme Making & Special Events) sector in the face of the proposed changes to the use of the UK's radio spectrum.

Representatives of Save Our Sound UK have attended a meeting at HM Treasury where once again the plight of the PMSE sector was laid before Government officials. During the meeting it was stated that Treasury and BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills) are trying to find a compensation scheme that is the right one. However, industry representatives are fearful that any scheme, when and if finalised, could eventually prove to be no more generous than the terms originally proposed by Ofcom - the reason

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UK - Representatives of Save Our Sound UK attended a meeting yesterday at HM Treasury. Once again the plight of the PMSE sector was laid before Government officials. During the meeting it was stated that Treasury and BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills) are trying to find a compensation scheme that is the right one. However, industry representatives are fearful that any scheme, when and if finalised, could eventually prove to be no more generous than the terms originally proposed by Ofcom - the reason for launching the Save Our Sound UK campaign in the first place.

On current evidence Government would still appear to be sticking to the line that only Channel 69 capable equipment will qualify and that compensation levels will be based on residual value of equipment. The effect of this will be to exclude owners of equipment that does not tune to Channel 69 but will

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Italy - Forty international Djs on five different stages entirely equipped with RCF TT+ Touring and Theatre systems entertained thousands of people at the Maximal 2010 Italian Electronic Music Festival in Novegro, near Milan.

The new TT+ Large Venues system, composed of TTL55-A line array modules and TTS56-A high power subwoofers, was used for the main stage while the others were provided with TTL33-A line arrays and TTS28-A subs. TT25-SMA coaxial stage monitors were used for the monitoring of the DJ's consoles.

The concept of Maximal 2010 is to involve young people in a move out of the passive kind of entertainment experienced in most of the clubs. A path through four main environments represented by the different stages: Soul, Matter, Energy and Desire, each identified by a peculiar set design, sound, performances and digital art installations.

In order to realise this con

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Poland - Lubuskie Province Day 2010, organized by Lubustkiego Marshal's Office and the Regional Centre for Cultural Animation in Zielona Gora, was held on 27 June 2010. The event featured a variety of activities aimed at building and strengthening the integrity of the region's identity. The highlight was a gala concert taking place in the Amphitheatre Zielona them. A. German.

ARAM was responsible for media for the concert and delivered an 85m ² LED Curtain LED Fourlight Grid, which combined with a huge LED screen Fourlight SMD10 an area of nearly 50m ², filled the amphitheatre stage.

ARAM Multimedia is a one of the largest Polish provider of audio-visual services for events, conferences, concerts, trade fair stands and TV shows.

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South Africa - The 2010 football World Cup kicked off with a a major concert to which Sennheiser wireless equipment made a major contribution.

Taking place at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, the 10 June concert celebrated the competition's first staging by an African country and featured artists from across the globe, mirroring the eclectic collection of nationalities represented by the football teams themselves. Alongside the Soweto Gospel Choir were African acts including Hugh Masekela, John Legend and Angelique Kidjo, with Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and others imparting a truly international flavour.

Audio for the event was supplied by Britannia Row Productions and included a comprehensive array of Sennheiser equipment.

"It was a non-stop show, broadcast live to around a billion people - so no pressure!" says Brit Row's Bryan Grant. "It featured h

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UK - AC-ET's Rigging division received the ABTT Theatre Show's 'Widget of the Year Award' on behalf of Leica Geosystems for their DISTO D5 handheld laser distance meter. The Leica DISTO range of hand-held laser distance meters' provides "quick, easy and precise measuring of distances, areas and volumes with the press of a button".

The DISTO D5 was the measure that really caught the judges' eye. The unit features a measuring range of up to 200m with an accuracy of ± 1.0mm, a tilt sensor that measure angles up to 45°, Pythagoras functions and a robust, water resistant (IP54) design.

A key feature of the D5 is the ability to measure outdoors even in glaring sunlight thanks to the digital pointfinder, which utilises a high-resolution 2.4" colour TFT display with 4x zoom, says the company.

Adam Beaumont, sales manager of AC-ET's Rigging division, commented, &q

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UK - Emma Thorpe, a well known figure in the industry, having worked for Martin Professional as their UK marketing co-ordinator for several years, has decided to go into business for herself as a Virtual Assistant.

Emma explains: "a Virtual Assistant (VA), is an experienced professional who provides a range of administrative and marketing services for busy business people, undertaken remotely from their own office."

So often, while Emma was at Martin, she would speak to many clients who didn't have the time to write their press releases or complete their exhibition paperwork; all of which help to promote their business; because they were always out on site setting up equipment, or seeing potential customers. These clients didn't have the time or resources to have an assistant in the office to help with various marketing or administrative tasks, so Emma believes that

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South Africa - Soccer fans at four official FIFA Fan Fest venues in South Africa followed the games taking place at the main stadiums in the World Cup competition via EAW speaker systems provided by Surgesound, EAW's South African distributor.

The systems consisted of 48 KF760 and 12 KF761 line array modules, including a complement of 48 SB1000z subs, with 48 KF730 compact line array modules and 48 SB730 subs providing in-fill. Monitoring was performed with EAW SM12 units, and 24 UX8800 Digital Signal Processor units provided processing. Surgesound recently delivered a large complement of EAW speakers to Johannesburg-based The Sound Corporation, one of the biggest professional audio production houses in South Africa, in time for installation at the fan parks.

The Sound Corporation installed EAW speaker systems at Soweto (Johannesburg), Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. I

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UK - Media Powerhouse, one of London's leading AV rental services companies, announced that Simon Ireland will head its sets and staging division. Ireland who joined the company last year from Scenicplus has worked in scenic construction since 1986, bringing a wealth of expertise to help drive Media Powerhouse's comprehensive AV rental service solution.Michael Breen, Chief Executive Officer at Media Powerhouse comments: "Simon's expertise is second to none when it comes to sets and staging so we feel privileged to have him on board. His appointment also supports our customer focused ethos at Media Powerhouse. We provide our clients with a solution that includes not only the latest in equipment but also the very best in industry expertise."At Media Powerhouse, Ireland will have a dedicated 5000 sq ft workshop based at Elstree Film Studios with the resources to showcase th

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Europe - DMi D&M Installation (Europe) has announced it is now shipping its new Escient Zone DIN rail lighting system to appointed dealers and installers. The Zone DIN Rail lighting module series offers an automated lighting control system of unparalleled flexibility, cost competitiveness, and ease of installation, programming and control.

The centralised lighting control system fully integrates within Escient Zone, providing scalable lighting control within Zone. The DIN rail modules also work with almost any kind of lighting system, including direct control of DMX and DALI devices, or can operate as a standalone lighting system for almost any size of project. This flexibility of use and installation, along with the remarkable ease with which any system can be programmed and operated, is at the heart of the system design.

The range of Zone DIN Rail lighting modules enables th

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Belgium - Voice alarm products from TOA are at the heart of a new paging, evacuation and BGM system installed at one of Europe's most prestigious conference and exhibition venues, the Brussels Expo.

Built for the World Expo of 1958 and still retaining all the glamour, elegance and modernity of that era, the 12 halls of the Brussels Expo play host to a string of major exhibitions and events every year, among them the industry show Batibouw, the farming event Agribex, and the ICT technology forum.

In 2008, the management of Brussels Expo approached Prévost System Integration (PSI) to design, supply and install a state-of-the-art PA/VA and BGM system to replace the antiquated equipment that had previously been in use.

Walter Geerts, director at PSI, reports, "The first phase of the project comprised renewing all the central equipment racks, for which we offered a sy

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South Africa - DWR Distribution is bringing LumenRadio's CRMX Nova and CRMX Outdoor to the South African market. This wireless DMX, RDM and DALI technologyeliminates long cable runs and is able to provide full reliability in the the most challenging environments.

"There has been a strong growth of sales of CRMX products over the last quarter," says Per Hultén, CEO of LumenRadio. "Customer interest surged with the release of our CRMX Outdoor series which brought reliable wireless DMX, RDM and DALI control to the outdoor entertainment and architainment markets. We believe the entire CRMX product portfolio will see strong sales in the expanding South African market in the next year."

Anders Ardstål, vice president of LumenRadio, adds, "We are excited and proud to see our CRMX products distributed by DWR in South Africa. DWR was our first choic

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