Germany - LumenRadio recently helped to put some additional shimmer on the Thier-Galerie, a new upscale shopping and entertainment centre in Dortmund. Its sleek and elegant design, with a four-story glass covered house-within-a-house as an architectural centrepiece, has raised the bar for design and innovation in such public spaces.

When time came to add something special for Christmas the task to develop and implement a concept that could take the already glittering interior to the next level was given to Jens Graube from Straight Technical Solutions GmbH. No less than 8,000 super-sized golden Christmas ornaments would take centre stage and a compliment of designer Christmas trees and decorations would complete the picture. The entire installation was lit by an assortment of Lite

USA - EAW has appointed Steve Davis to the position of EAW service manager. A longtime member of the extended EAW family, Davis for many years held this same position, before shifting his focus to his company Performance Audio of New England (PANE), where he continued to contribute with his service expertise.

Coincidentally, PANE has been located in the same mill complex where EAW designs and manufactures its loudspeakers. The announcement was made by Jeff Rocha, EAW president, and reflects the company's dedication to enhanced communications and direct access to resources for greater overall efficiency and faster turnaround on service issues.

Having worked as an EAW employee then a contract vendor, Davis is now in his 25th year as EAW's primary service resource. As a result of the new appointment, he will soon relocate to a new dedicated space in EAW's manufacturing complex.

Germany - For d&b audiotechnik 2011 was not only the year they celebrated 30 years but also when their Black product range was joined by the new White range. From 21 to 24 March 2012 at the Messe Frankfurt in hall 8.0 stand J46, d&b will again be celebrating by giving centre stage to several new additions within their Black range of loudspeakers as well as highlighting the xS and xA-Series from their White range of integration cabinets.

Elements from the established T, J and E-Series within the Black range will be displayed alongside the newly introduced teenyweeny E4 and E5 loudspeakers. And being typically d&b there will be" a little, well actually quite large, something up their sleeve in the form of the brand new V-Series to whet the appetite".

(Jim Evans)

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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

Germany - Two new ArKaos innovations will be on display on the ArKaos stand at ProLight+Sound as the company presents its new ArKaos Hub network monitor and a new Video Mapping Software.

ArKaos Hub is an application specifically designed to monitor the state of multiple servers running MediaMaster in fixture mode. ArKaos Hub's key function is as a real-time backup system that gives instantaneous protection against server failure.

"A mid-show server failure has potentially drastic effects on your live show and takes time to restore as you struggle to re-establish the physical connections between projector and backup server. Enter ArKaos Hub!" the company says.

ArKaos Hub monitors servers in real-time and, in the event of server failure, automatically issues a configurable command to the video switchers, instructing them to re-establish connections between projectors

Germany - Hall Stage are gearing up to exhibit at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt (March 21 - 24). Amongst the products on show will be the new Chaindrive system for T60 & T70 track systems, which enables heavy curtain motorisation through tight and complex curves, even in 'rearfold' format - without the need for additional and expensive off-stage storage space, says the company.

Also on the stand will be samples of SKYDECK wire grid floor systems - with which Hall Stage has recently completed a 1,200 square metre installation in the UK - and the acoustically tested and analysed range of acouStac acoustic banners and rollers.

Visit Hall Stage at ProLight+Sound - Hall: 9 / Stand: F82

(Claire Beeson)

UK - PLASA Focus: Leeds will see English Braids of Malvern exhibit for the first time. On show will be their range of rope that they have been manufacturing for the Theatre, Film and Entertainment world for over 40 years.

As well as the polyester ropes they will also have on show their new range of Technora ropes produced in 2.5mm through to 24mm. Developed primarily for the entertainment sector, the range is having a lot of success in rigging applications and are "a perfect replacement for steel-wire," says the company.

Steve Hayman, sales manager says: "Technora ropes are ideal for applications where low stretch and high strength are required. The product can be used at temperatures of 200 degrees centigrade for long periods and has a thermal decomposition of 500 degrees". He continues, "We are very pleased with the feedback we have received from rig

UK - Pro Light Concepts Ltd is a rapidly expanding supplier of innovative lighting and sound equipment to the entertainment industry. On display on stand S-D12 at PLASA Focus: Leeds will be product displays from its vast range of brands.

Staff will be on hand to discuss the products available from Pro Light's office and distribution centre in Lancashire for worldwide dispatch. The stand will also feature many new products, including the LED Quad colour Q Color and Color Storm LED Battens along with the Xperior Platinum 5R Spot from iSolution. Many other new items from eLumen8 will be launched at PLASA Focus including fixtures specifically designed for theatre, stage and T.V.

UK - Canford is providing PLASA Focus: Leeds debuts for the new, enhanced Tecpro Wireless handsets and TW403 wired-to-wireless interface; the impressive new RTS BTR-240 wireless comms system; CAT5E stageboxes and multicore cables in several lengths up to 75m; and last but not least the clever EMO E810 LED racklight that interfaces with comms systems to flash letting the operator know of a call inbound.

Canford will also show a selection from their comprehensive range of cables including the D'n'A series which redesigned all their most popular audio cables including loudspeaker types to handle both analogue and AES digital audio.

The new enhanced Tecpro Wireless beltpacks offer full Duplex Operation and licence-free operation in the UHF frequency band. The powerful new handsets can supply up to 200mW with a 400m max Range and now benefit from a range of enhancements. New featur

UK - IT & AV rental company DB Systems has achieved an ISO9001 accreditation following an audit by independent certification body ISOQAR. The ISO9001 accreditation means that DB has met internal standards for quality and that these standards meet internationally set guidelines.

DB's operations director, Mark Danvers, who led the project to get the accreditation, said, "The ISO9001 is recognised as a mark of quality, which we achieved following a rigorous independent, internal and external audit.

"DB has always been a rental company that strives to provide a first class service. The accreditation shows all our customers that we have a proven quality management system in place. It also demonstrates that we are committed to providing a quality service and willing to work towards improving efficiency.

"Additionally, I think this accreditation helps enhance our app

Ireland - Production Services Ireland (PSI)'s Dublin branch kicked off 2012 with the supply of full lighting production, trussing and associated rigging for two high profile TV series - Take Me Out (Ireland) and Family Fortunes - both recorded at the Helix Theatre, Dublin City University.

Andrew Leonard, lighting designer for both shows worked closely with console programmer and live visuals operator Peter Canning from High Resolution Lighting. PSI's project manager was Ciaran Tallon, and it was the first time that Dublin and Belfast based PSI has been involved with either show.

The series producer was Billy McGrath, and the production company in both cases was Sideline Productions for TV3. Twenty episodes of both shows were shot in two two-week slots, with a two-day changeover in-between, and the sets for each production were designed by Anita Barrett.

For

UK - After using two rented Yamaha M7CL digital mixing consoles on a trio of highly successful concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last year, British songwriter extraordinaire Paul Carrack was so impressed that he and his production team felt it was time to move on from their existing analogue sound rig. They went straight out and purchased a pair.

Having recorded the album A Different Hat with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carrack squeezed the entire orchestra into the Royal College of Music's 400-capacity Britten Theatre for the sold-out concerts. Playing such intimate shows meant that space was at a premium, so a pair of Yamaha M7CL-48ES consoles was employed for mixing front of house and monitor sound.

"Because of the way we work, we like to carry our own audio system with us," says Carrack. "Previously we had an all-analogue rig, but w

USA - Madonna may have headlined Super Bowl XLVI's Halftime Show, but Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures made a name for themselves too, helping to light up the stage for the Material Girl at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Lighting designer Al Gurdon, of UK-based Incandescent Design, utilised 204 Sharpys supplied by PRG after being impressed with their performance on FOX's X Factor.

Gurdon has been recognised internationally for his TV and event lighting design. He holds the Lighting Designer of the Year title from the TPI Awards and has netted Lighting Design Awards, Royal Television Society Awards, and Australia's Helpmann Award and Knight of Illumination Award. He has served as lighting designer for the Eurovision Song Contest.

For the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Bruce Rodgers of Tribe Inc. was once again the production designer, All Access Staging built the s

UK - London's newest members club, Dorsia in South Kensington, has installed a JBL sound system as its primary sound reinforcement system.

Managing director Nick Andreen brought in Colin Pattenden of CP Sound, who specified JBL's Contractor Control series as offering the most cost-effective solution, as part of the £2.4m refurbishment of the former Firehouse club/restaurant.

The 300 capacity venue comprises a members' club, bar and restaurant set within decadently stylish surroundings over three floors The operation is fronted by Andreen and colleague Fraser Carruthers, both of whom have eminent backgrounds in London's premium hotel and nightclub scene, most recently at Boujis.

Pattenden, who has worked for the two men previously, equipped the venue with JBL, distributed through eight zones, specifying industry-standard DJ tools and a router to access the various areas

UK - On Thursday 9 February, second year students from the Production Lighting and Lighting Design strands of the BA Theatre Practice at Central School of Speech and Drama hosted the New Technology Showcase for White Light in the Embassy Theatre.

The event gave White Light the opportunity to invite their guests and members of the ALD into a "sales force free" theatre environment to check out the latest lighting kit. The ALD annual Pub Quiz then followed, providing a chance for a bit of lighting-orientated fun and a few drinks with friends.

For the lighting students at Central, the day of the event was the tip of a much bigger iceberg. They took key roles in planning and running the whole event, and worked with Production Lighting professional Nathaniel Seekins and lighting programmers from MA Lighting. They also learnt the importance of prepping, on-site with White L

Denmark - UK-based automation and motion control specialist, Kinesys, has appointed Light Partner as its exclusive Danish distributor in the latest expansion of its global distribution network.

The Herning based company is celebrating its 20th year of being at the forefront of the entertainment technology industry.

Says Kinesys' business development manager Mark de Gruyter, "As always, we select our distributors very carefully. Ideally they should already have a good working relationship with a reputable hoist manufacturer, which Light Partner has with Columbus McKinnon. Apart from being a group of genuinely nice and dedicated individuals the company is very well established and respected and the perfect choice for our partner in Denmark."

Light Partner also represents James Thomas and Litec trussing ranges as well as other premium brands like Vari*Lite.

Light Pa

UK - Manchester based dbn Lighting has supplied a custom LED and control solution to the city's Whitworth Art Gallery which will run for three months as part of the Cotton : Global Threads exhibition - a compelling story about the production, consumption and global trade in cotton.

The light work is designed by artist Liz Rideal and involves the illumination of nine large windows on the top storey at the front of the building, with video material from a film - Light Curtain - which is played back via a media server also supplied by dbn.

Challenges included having to fit all the necessary LED lighting equipment to light the windows into a 30 cm deep space, keeping each window's physical lighting installation completely self-contained within its recessed space.

dbn's Nick Buckley is project managing. dbn has worked for the Gallery several times in the past, and t

Denmark - DPA Microphones has appointed Susanne Seidel as executive VP sales and marketing. Seidel joins on 1 March from Sennheiser Electronics, where her most recent position was president of global marketing.

"A large part of the market for microphone solutions is cornered by better and smaller microphones to meet the continuously challenging conditions of sound reproduction," says Seidel. "I have been watching DPA Microphones closely for many years and I'm confident that DPA has great market potential with its innovative technology and products.

"The market consists of some very technology-focused companies and some very volume-focused companies. At DPA, you clearly sense the passion and dedication for both the user of the products and for the core microphone technology. I look forward to participating in bringing the DPA brand to an even higher level an

USA / UK - Peavey has announced the availability of the Impulse 261, a wide-range high-output permanent install two-way loudspeaker system designed for bars and restaurants where music clarity and aesthetics are a primary importance.

With two 6.5" woofers and 1" titanium dome tweeter mounted on a waveguide, the system is capable of excellent controlled coverage, with a hi-fi sound character, says the company. The speaker system is protected from overload by independent overload protection for the woofer and the tweeter. This coupled with an advanced design crossover network provide smooth, yet clear sound with low distortion and reliability. Connection is via a locking Euro (Phoenix type) connector with screw terminals.

Features include: Two-way surface mount speaker system; dual 6.5" high-performance woofers; 1" metal dome tweeter with Neodymium magnet on

UK - PLASA's Technical Resource Office announces that an RDM and sACN Developers Conference and Plugfest will take place on the 26 - 28 April, in the UK, at Gatwick Manor, London Road at Lowfield Heath, just south of Gatwick Airport.

This Developers Conference aims to provide a European forum for manufacturers, designers, consultants and prospective users; and to ensure that the adoption of these new standards achieves desired levels of interoperability and reliability.

The "Plugfest" is a hands-on opportunity for product developers to try their products and code implementations with products from a variety of other manufacturers, with support from their industry peers in an environment that encourages co-operation and improved understanding of the standards, and with the aim of achieving high levels of interoperability.

Typically, engineers participate in these ev

Germany - At ProLight+Sound 2012 Havells-Sylvania will be showcasing its range of Photo Optic lamps for the professional stage and studio lighting market.

Havells-Sylvania will be in Hall 9, on stand 0F42 demonstrating the benefits of its SPG (Special Product Group) lamp products, throughout the event. Products on display will include the full BriteArc range of Photo Optic Discharge Lamps, as well as the PAR56 LED designed for underwater applications.

Lieven Maes, international director of the special product group comments, "This is an extremely important show for the international market and we are looking forward to demonstrating our products to the key decision makers in the industry. Our comprehensive range of Photo Optic lamps is suitable for all actual applications. This 'Made in Belgium' BriteArc range exceeds even the highest standards."

One of the highlig

Australia - The main showroom, known as the Whitlam Room, at Sydney's Revesby Workers Club has had a spruce up including an upgrade of its technical equipment with Saltec supplying and installing a new Electro-Voice PA system.

Phill Webb, AV technician at Revesby Workers, reveals that there were four speaker brands being considered for the upgrade but the Electro-Voice system promised to deliver the best 'bang for buck' and he hasn't been disappointed.

"I've used the EV XLC system at The Cube in Campelltown, which hosts similar acts, many times and I think it's a great system," said Webb. "I really like that our system has FIR filter drive and offers the ability to network the amplifiers so that they can be monitored front of house. Plus of course it sounds great! It certainly has more than enough grunt for the room."

Due to the age of the room it was dif

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