Details
UK - A new onslaught of Saturday evening reality television shows has begun with both sides vying for the best viewing figures for the family audience. This year, the BBC is launching a new singing competition, one that has already had remarkable success in the Netherlands, Germany and the USA, to compete with the sixth series of ITVs Britain's Got Talent. The Voice, a new concept in reality TV talent shows focuses on nothing but the voice.

Creative Technology (CT) has been involved in setting the scene for the striking backdrop to the show. Alongside the creative talent of Julian Healy, the production designer on the series, CT had a set and light period of only three days, in which time over 150sq.m of LED screens as backdrops and floor covering were rigged.

With

Details
UK - Black Light's next pyrotechnic training course is set to go off like a rocket on the 30 April when the company's training team lights the blue touch paper at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. The one-day course is designed to give practical advice and instruction on all the key aspects of stage pyrotechnic design, operation and safety and will include hands-on workshop sessions during which participants will be able to try out everything they have learned.

"Our pyrotechnics courses are always popular," says Black Light's customer relations manager, Claire Södergren who is helping to organise the course. "This one should appeal to a wide variety of people - from those who have never used pyrotechnics before through to participants who want to see what the latest technology can do. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a nationally-reco

Details
Germany - Among the new Clay Paky products making their international debut at ProLight+Sound were the new A.Lleda LED moving head range. The line consists of three models with wide fast pan and tilt movements: 100 W, 300 W and 600 W approx. The 100 W model has a fixed 6° aperture, whereas the two more powerful models have a 8°-40° (over 60° at 10%) electronic zoom, which makes them suitable for use in most professional environments.

This line is a valid alternative to discharge-lamp washlights of equal power, with all the benefits of LED lights: intense, highly vivid saturated-tone colours, light-weight, energy saving, longer light source life, and lower operating and maintenance costs, says ythe company.

All the models in the A.Leda line are fitted with advanced electronics, have a compact light-weight design, and can be easily adapted to all areas of applica

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

Details
USA - The bell tower of First United Methodist Church in Conway, SC, has been a landmark in this coastal city's historic downtown since the early 1960s.

In recent years Conway has undergone something of a revitalization, and First United Methodist is no exception. The 600-seat Georgian-style sanctuary was recently treated to an extensive renovation that included everything from foundation repair and new flooring to an elevator and a new, state-of-the-art sound system featuring Iconyx digitally steered column arrays from Renkus-Heinz.

Audio engineer David Clyburn of Roebuck, SC-based MusiCraft explains the selection of the Iconyx IC16-R systems. "The sanctuary is a beautiful, large, rectangular space with high ceilings and tall windows," he says. "Even before the renovation, we measured the reverb time at more than three seconds, and that was before they expanded

Details
Australia - St Kilda's Australian National Memorial Theatre is a 783-seat theatre and theatrical arts school which exists to provide Australian and international students with affordable, world-class training in ballet and dance, drama and music theatre. This not for profit theatre provides a dynamic, caring, non-discriminatory environment that recognises the potential of the performing arts to enhance life skills as well as provide a career.

The venue houses a versatile, professional performance space that is also available to community, educational and professional organisations at favourable rates. It operates with a minimal technical crew, usually only two, and so a reliable wireless communications system is a necessity.

"Keeping in contact with our staff was becoming more of a problem especially with the dance school performances where you may have up to 300 children

Details
Sweden - Immediately after unveiling its new MLA Compact system in London, Martin Audio was able to announce its first sale.

DM Audio AB, its long-serving Stockholm-based rental customer (and part of the EM Nordic Group), has invested in a System 36 (comprising 24 MLA Compact top boxes and 12 DSX subwoofers), which is supplied with all necessary cabling and accessories for rental stock. The order was handled by EM Nordic AB's sales arm, XL Audio.

Although long term this will provide DM Audio with a system for rental stock, it was immediately sub-hired to Norwegian rental company Rubicon, for use as an out-fill system at the 9,700-capacity Oslo Spektrum for two Morten Ramm comedy shows on 24 March. Rubicon themselves purchased a full-size MLA system from XL Audio Norway back in November 2010.

Rubicon head of sound, Roar Ånestad, accompanied DM Audio's Lars Wern and Barney Ga

Details
UK - This week marks the end of an era for both TV and Richard Martin Lighting (RML) as the very last Harry Hill's TV Burp was filmed. The series, featuring comedian Harry Hill, has been running since 2002.

Long standing lighting designer Martin Kempton comments, "It's very sad to see it go - it's been a regular fixture in my diary for the past 11 years and I've been really proud to have been associated with it."

The four-time BAFTA winning ITV show uses a small and selective amount of lights (including MAC 250's, MAC TW1's, Pixel Par 90's and Alpha Spot 575 HPE's) to create a bright yet 'homely' look to compliment the set.

(Jim Evans)

Details
Germany - As ever, consistency remains a key word in the d&b audiotechnik almanac. However, this year, it was a multiplicity in size, colour, application and intelligent solutions that were centre stage at Frankfurt prolight+sound 2012.

Taking the lime light was the new V-Series, a formidable addition to the d&b stable of line array offerings within their Black product range. The latest cabinets to the E-Series ,the teenyweeny E4 and E5 were also on display alongside fresh options for installers contemplating the d&b White range.

Frankfurt was the choiceby d&b audiotechnik for their worldwide launch of the V-Series. This mid-sized line array system comprises the three-way passive V8 or V12 loudspeakers having 80 and 120 degrees horizontal dispersion respectively. These loudspeakers are supported by the dedicated V-SUB which incorporates the d&b patented passive cardioid techno

Details
Germany - UK loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics presented a range of self-powered products at ProLight+Sound 2012; a move that breaks new ground for the company. EM Acoustics self-powered solutions are amongst the most advanced in the industry and bring new levels of flexibility to product function and integration, especially into digital systems, says the company.

All new products are self-powered versions of existing products. They all utilise the same amplifier and DSP package, keeping use techniques consistent across the product range. Denoted by the suffix 'SP', so far they include: X3-SP, X3-DFSP down-fill, MSE-218SP, MSE-156SP and MSE-159SP. Further self-powered additions to the range are planned for the near future, retaining the same features and design philosophy.

So what sets an EM Acoustics self-powered solution apart from the crowd? According to operations dire

Details
UK - For the new production of Pippin at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the concept was to place the show inside a video game. As you walk towards the theatre entrance, the character Pippin is playing a video game - then during the opening number, Pippin gets sucked into the game that is then played onstage.

Lighting designer Ken Billington reports, "For the production, Tim Bird created a very neutral set with many levels and then with his team from Knifedge created visuals that were projected on all the surfaces requiring fast moving changes like a video game. This of course impacted the lighting in that it needed to change quickly and drastically with intensity and colour. With a very low ceiling (4m) and limited electricity - LED fixtures became almost essential to make the concept work. To give me the bang of LED I chose the PixelRange QPar 10°, 20° asymme

Details
USA - Line 6 is now shipping the XD-V75 and XD-V35 series of digital wireless handheld, lavalier, headset and bodypack microphone systems.

Designed for professional vocalists and performers, the new flagship XD-V75 line includes handheld, lavalier, headset and bodypack digital wireless systems. The family offers pure, 24-bit sound with unparalleled reliability and a full complement of professional features including signal encryption, dynamic filters, gain control, channel scanning and more to handle the most complex applications, says the company.

Utilizing the same fourth generation digital wireless platform as the XD-V75, the compact and portable XD-V35 family includes handheld and lavalier systems.

"For performers who want wired mic audio performance and wireless freedom, the combination of Line 6 modeling and our class-leading digital wireless platform makes the la

Details
UK - When entertainment lighting specialist White Light expanded into additional warehouse space last summer, part of the goal was to provide the company with extra working space for the extensive range of sales and rental projects it now supplies. But the company was also keen to provide lighting designers with somewhere new to experiment with light - lighting equipment and lighting ideas - in the kind of space lighting is normally created, rather than in a tiny demonstration room.

"Something we've often heard from lighting designers is that they long for a decent sized space where they can just try things," explains White Light's managing director, Bryan Raven. "They wanted somewhere they could come and experiment with new products, new colours, new ideas, away from the crazy pressure and schedules that come when you're actually creating a new show. There's alwa

Details
UK - Pyrotechnics and special effects manufacturer Le Maitre has announced the appointment of three new members of staff joining their Research & Development teams.

Dr. Hamish Cavaye (PhD) and Tobias Phillips (BSc.) join Le Maitre's Pyrotechnics R&D division based in Peterborough, while Mark Rhind (MEng) has joined the Smoke & Haze and Special Effects team based at Mitcham.

Hamish Cavaye obtained a first class degree at Oxford and went on to obtain a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Queensland in Australia. Toby Phillips has a BSc. in analytical chemistry and joins Le Maitre from 3M where he worked as a product & process development scientist. Phillips also spent some time on secondment to Afghanistan (mobilised reservist) where he worked with the Bomb Disposal Unit recovering explosive components to conduct forensic, physical and chemical exploitation.

Commenti

Details
Singapore - Following the departure of the long-servicing Patrick Lau, Colin Quek has been appointed director of APAC sales, Martin Audio - based in Singapore.

With global experience in the pro audio industry, Quek will be returning to Loud Technologies, with whom he previously worked between 2005-7, to oversee Martin Audio's sales activities in the APAC territories. His function with the company will place high emphasis on market development in a region that covers India, Japan, China, and out to the Pacific Rim, including Australia and New Zealand.

"I have great regard for the work Patrick has done in building the Martin Audio brand, and for me it is a case of hitting the ground running," he stated.

"Under the APAC leadership of Davwinder Sheena, Loud Technologies' business in the region has become so successful that each brand component now needs dedicated

Details
Germany - Lighting, dimming and controls manufacturer ETC has reported an enthusiastic response to its stand at Prolight & Sound this year.

For the first time, a stage area was set up on the stand, where field project coordinator Mark Tobler gave presentations in German or English describing ETC's overarching philosophy: Layers of Light. He showed how different types of lighting - tungsten, HID and LED - can be used together with ETC's latest control desks and Sensor3 power control system to create the right light for any kind of purpose.

Market anager for ETC GmbH Sarah Clausen says, "With ETC, our focus is on the quality of light; we wanted to show how we can really enhance the stage and what's on it.

"By setting up our famous mannequin with a brightly multi-coloured dress, we showed how we can make colours balance, 'pop' or appear dull by adjusting each o

Details
UK - HVFX worked with Katy Perry during her live performance on BBC1's Let's Dance for Sport Relief show.

Thrilling the audience with her song Part of me, Perry was surrounded by 12 large plasma balls and four plasma columns, topped off by her own laser display; the ensemble made for an electrifying show.

The vibrant colours of the plasma balls and columns were echoed by the pink and blue stage lights, making the whole vision a show to remember.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Long standing Allen & Heath user, John Digweed, has adopted the new Xone:DB4 digital FX mixer as his mixer of choice for all tours and gigs.

"I've been using A&H mixers since the Xone:62 came out and I've always been a fan, insisting on A&H at every gig," says Digweed. "As a DJ, you want to turn up at a gig and know you can rely on the equipment. The DB4 is stable, well built, with excellent, warm sound - it just delivers."

Digweed has been using the mixer for several months, thoroughly road-testing it on his rigorous tour schedule, which spans the globe.

"I love the DB4's layout, which is similar to the Xone:92, and it is well thought out; for instance, certain knobs are backlit, which is great for a dark environment but also signals when the mixer is in different modes as the colour changes," he states.

Digweed's set up comprises the Xo

Details
UK - Ambersphere's regional tour of the UK continues in March and April with two headline appearances - at the Black Light Open day in Scotland, and at PLASA Focus in Leeds.

These showcase exhibitions follow hot on the heels of the South-East roadshow that Ambersphere held recently in Brighton.

The Black Light Open Day, which is Scotland's largest gathering of lighting industry professionals, is taking place at Black Light's HQ in Edinburgh on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 March, and will be the first opportunity for those North of the Border to get a close up look at the new products on offer from Clay Paky and MA Lighting.

"It's really exciting to get on the road with the dazzling array of new products that Clay Paky and MA Lighting have recently brought to market," says Glyn O'Donoghue, managing director of Ambersphere.

"With a number of regional exhibitions

Details
UK/Germany - After trialling Martin Audio's active Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) on a series of high profile events, premier UK rental company, RG Jones Sound Engineering has become the first UK company to invest in the new system. The rental company confirmed the purchase of a System 36 on the opening day of this year's Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt.

The complement of 24 fully-integrated MLA top boxes and 12 MLX subs, with six dedicated amplifier and DSP channels per enclosure, will make their debut on a series of high-profile shows at the end of April and beginning of May.

Championing the cause for RG Jones had been the company's experienced sound engineer Simon Honywill, who had put MLA through its paces on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds tour, Raymond Gubbay's Classical Spectacular and on shows with Katherine Jenkins in Ireland t

Details
UK - Following news last week of record visitor registrations of over 1,000 in just two days, it seems that exhibitors are equally eager to confirm their places before space runs out. Although the available exhibition space is the same 3,000sq.m as the three rooms at the Royal Horticultural Halls, the new venue is a single exhibition area on two levels with all facilities together in the same space.

Show director Roger Fox said, "I am so pleased that the exhibitors have responded so positively to our determination to make the ABTT 2012 Theatre Show an immediate success in its new home. Visitor registrations continue to be buoyant and we have a growing waiting list of would be exhibitors. The signs are very good for a bumper event."

Close to 100 exhibitors will be offering a wealth of products, services and advice to practitioners, designers and technicians involved i

Details
UK - More than 2000 professionals from the North of England's entertainment and installation technology communities have registered to attend PLASA Focus: Leeds 2012, taking place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, on Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 April. Organisers PLASA Events are attributing this year's stronger-than-ever pre-show figures to the record number of new products on show, a flurry of first-time exhibitors, and the event's well-loved, friendly format.

Joining 130 exhibitors across two sold-out halls will be 20 new exhibitors, including audio, video and lighting installers TMC Ltd; audio manufacturer Electro-Voice; laser system specialists Laserworld AG; audio manufacturers KV2 Audio; audio contractors FBT Audio; designers and manufacturers of modular stages and portable sound and light systems, Unistage Ltd; and audio sales, rentals, and integrated installations company,

Page 2808 of 3465

Latest Issue. . .