UK - With extensive experience in professional audio design, FBT has announced its new Installed Sound division, incorporating indoor and outdoor IP55 rated enclosures, digital steerable line arrays, and multimedia automation systems.

"With a dedicated catalogue, the new FBT Installed Sound division aims to provide full turnkey solutions to the largest possible number of sound contractors, projects and tenders, with products rich with technical features and suitable for the specific applications required," says the company.

The Installed Sound division consists of: Vertus digital steerable loudspeaker arrays MLA 801A and MLA608A; Archon permanent installation loudspeaker series; Shadow all-weather loudspeaker series

MAD4IP multimedia automatic distribution over IP sy

UK - Rigging Services will be conducting live demonstrations of the features, benefits and changes to its online shop RSDirect from its stand RA-C14 at PLASA Focus.

Rigging Services was one of the first companies in the event industry to offer online services from the mid 1990s. Re-branded as RSDirect, the shop site does far more than just allow an online transaction.

"Offering the option to buy online is essential for an industry that is nomadic and working 24 hours a day 7 days a week," states Paul Fulcher, director of Rigging Services. "However we feel that the client needs far more than a simple shop site, which is why the re-launched site is packed with extra features".

A simple click from the home page www.riggingservices.co.uk takes a browser directly into the shop.

Working easily with either a PC, laptop or smart phone the site is very simple to

Italy - The historic Forte di Bard in north-west Italy recently opened its high-tech multimedia museum, spanning more than 20 rooms, and featuring state-of-the art audio visual presentations, touch screens and interactive experiences for the visitor - all controlled by the recently installed Q-Sys Integrated System Platform.

Perched on a rocky promontory high above this small northern Italian town, Forte di Bard (Fort Bard) has been a site of strategic significance since the pre-Roman era. Today its importance is cultural rather than military. Completely restored in 2006, the stunning courtyards of this fortress complex now play host to theatre and ballet performances, summer pop concerts and literary events, while its imposing walls house major touring exhibitions of art and photography.

The new museum is dedicated to the history of the site and its fortifications. This state

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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

Frankfurt Figures - Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound attracted a total of 2,388 exhibitors from 55 countries (2011: 2,380 exhibitors from 54 countries) and around 110,000 visitors from 120 countries (2011: 109,002 visitors from 124 countries).

"Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound 2012 have further strengthened their position. Both, visitors and exhibitors highly appreciated and rated Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound and are in confident mood for orders and business", said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board Messe Frankfurt.

Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan, Peter Gabrieland Suede are the headline acts for Vince Power's Hop Farm Music Festival 2012. The festival will have four music stages this year including a comedy stage, Camp Acoustic stage and Buskers Boulevard as well as "more new, exciting additions to be announced in due course"

UK / USA - Martin Audio has announced a formidable support team to boost awareness of its expanding MLA (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array) family.

Andy Davies has joined the UK manufacturer from rental company Concert Sound Clair, to fill the newly created role of application support (touring). This mirrors a similar position in the United States, where touring and rental company veteran Jim Jorgensen recently took up a similar position to support the growing network across the Atlantic.

Like Jorgensen, Andy Davies has widespread experience of Martin Audio systems and was aware of the long partnership that had existed between Martin Audio and Concert Sound when he started working with the Bedfordshire-based rental company around the turn of the millennium.

An alumnus of LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) Davies worked first as a freelance with Concert Sound befor

UK - After visiting inspHire's stand at the Executive Hire Show this year and having a full demonstration of inspHire's rental software solutions, Sheldon Hire has purchased inspHire Express.

Sheldon Hire is a small plant and tool hire shop, based in Solihull Birmingham which has been running for the past 25 years. Before deciding to implement inspHire, Sheldon Hire was manually tracking all equipment and inputting hire contracts. However, as the company grew it became clear to Sheldon Hire that they needed a rental software system in place in order to reduce the administrative burden of manual invoicing, to help improve their business efficiencies and in turn to continue company growth.

"After reviewing the different hire software systems on the market we decided that inspHire was the right fit. We chose inspHire because of its modern interface, and the overall user-frie

Germany - J&C Joel launched their Reefer String Curtain at Prolight+Sound 2012 in Frankfurt last week.

Manufactured from flame retardant treated polyester, Reefer String Curtains can be made to any size and are available in a wide range of colours, each with the option of interwoven lurex thread in either gold, silver, or bronze.

J&C Joel managing director, Andrew Walsh, said, "The release of the Reefer String Curtain shows J&C Joel's commitment to sourcing new products and providing our customers around the world with the very best in high quality flame retardant fabrics and draping.

"We're thrilled with the amount of interest our Reefer String Curtain attracted in its debut at Prolight & Sound; so much so that we're already planning where we can exhibit it next. This is only one of the many new products that we will be releasing into the market during 2012, which

UK - Leisuretec are excited to be exhibiting at PLASA Focus: Leeds for the second year running following on from the company's success last year.

"Established for 22 years and with our strong foundation, we have the distribution power to ensure we are sourcing the best products in commercial sound, lighting, visual and special effects at the best prices, which translates to greater value for our trade customers," says the company.

The Leisuretec name is synonymous with quality products and at this year's PLASA Focus the company will represent over 70 prestigious brands spanning many market sectors including installed sound, presentation and live entertainment.

"We can offer the choice and flexibility essential to your business whether you are an installer, reseller, hire or events company or other trade professional. Since last year we have added several new f

UK - Auralisation - designing the world with sound will be the theme of this year's Reproduced Sound conference and exhibition, it has been announced. The event, organised by the Institute of Acoustics, will be held at the Thistle Hotel, Brighton, on 14-16 November.

Now in its 28th year, it aims to represent the cutting edge of modern audio and acoustics in an informal environment that allows consultants, manufacturers, contractors and end users to mingle and share insights and information.

Conference chairman Paul Malpas said, "Reproduced Sound has firmly established itself as a 'must attend' event for many people from a wide background - and I am certain that this year's event will match the usual high standards.

"As well as providing delegates with invaluable updates on the latest developments across a wide range of specialist sectors, it has also become

UK - Covering the vast Western Concourse, and spanning the full 150m length of King's Cross station, a new 20m-high tapered central 'funnel' made of a latticework of steel and glass, was unveiled last week.

The architects of the new extension, John McAslan and Partners, worked with Network Rail on the £500m project to create the largest single span structure in Europe, delivering a new station concourse with more than three times the space of its predecessor.

Network Rail brought in Unspun to produce the launch of the spectacular new extension. Unspun's creative team, consisting of Robert Alge as Creative/Executive Director, Glyn Peregrine as lighting designer and Julian Scott as the soundtrack composer, designed a show to highlight the dynamic meeting of the station's original 1852 brick façade, with the striking new curved steel lattice.

Peregrine worked with Dom Sh

Finland - LumenRadio was recently part of a new exciting lighting project called rubix xpress in Helsinki. This larger-than-life installation has for good reasons garnered a lot of attention and accolades from international media and the lighting design community.

The project was part of a free of charge city event Lux Helsinki that is organised by City of Helsinki. The event consists of a cluster of individual lighting installations ranging from the spectacle to minimalistic realizations as well as a number of fire circus performances in the centre of the Finnish capital. Energy efficiency and sustainability is a major theme and designers are also encouraged to utilize new and innovate technologies to catch the attention of the public.

Lighting designer Matti Jykylä has been fascinated by Rubik's Cube, the famous 3D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian scul

UK - When the University of Salford opened its digital learning, teaching and research space at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, it incorporated a flexible audio-visual system that can be customised and utilised in a number of creative ways to inform, educate and entertain students and visitors about the University's current and future projects.

The original technical design was prepared by The Centre for Virtual Environments at the University of Salford, and Electrosonic was awarded the contract to engineer and install the complete system, working directly for the University.

MediaCityUK, which is home to over 1,500 students, acts as a creative space designed to encourage creativity, innovation and collaboration between academics, students, professionals and the industry.

The new entrance area of the building is an elliptical space aptly called the Egg, and is described as &qu

UK - Dominated by its dramatic ceiling, featuring nearly 3,000 diamond-shaped pieces of LED-lit cut crystal, London West End membership nightclub Jalouse recently underwent a complete audio revamp as part of a general structural refurbishment, to prepare the award-winning luxury venue - owned by Moruf Yoozooph and Freddie Achom - for its next phase.

The three-year old club had never been entirely happy with its original sound system. Brought in with the task of upgrading the system and resiting the DJ console, Cosmic Electronics opted for an RCF dancefloor solution, redeploying the existing system to peripheral bar and lounge infill duties. At the same time they carried out some digital rewiring, and placed the crystal ceiling under computerised lighting control.

"We have worked a lot with RCF over the years and it was only when we became involved in another club project

UK - Florence and the Machine's current European dates to promote her Ceremonials album were recently upsized for a three-night run at London's Alexandra Palace, with the band joined by a 12-piece choir and 12-piece string section. A new Midas PRO2 live audio system supplemented monitor world for these gigs, joining the stalwart XL8 at FOH. Both consoles were provided by Britannia Row Productions.

Engineer Mike Gibbard was using the PRO2 to provide monitor mixes for the choir and string section, and to send stem feeds to the band's monitor and FOH desks.

"The PRO2's a natural choice for this really," says Gibbard. "I take a band mix from the monitor desk, a dry vocal mix of Florence and a click, which I then send to the choir and string section. I have nine hardwired mixes for the choir, and I've broken up the string section into cello mix, violin mix and

UK - The award winning Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO) has just confirmed the purchase of a Roland M-480 Live Mixing Console and R-1000 48 Track Recorder as well as two S-1608 Digital Snakes for use on their year round tour dates across Scotland. Under the artistic direction of saxophonist Tommy Smith, the SNJO and its youth orchestra along with visiting artists and soloists produce and present a continuous schedule of live performances which are recorded and then released for sale.

Chief engineer for the SNJO, Mark McKellen, wanted to find a flexible system with a small footprint to replace the heavy desks and cables that they had to constantly move. Glasgow based hire company Sono Vie supplied the M-480, R-1000 and S-1608s on approval during October last year - and they were put to the test at the Music Hall in Aberdeen, the Queens Hall in Edinburgh and the Royal Scott

UK - Lighting and visuals rental company HSL are supplying lighting equipment, a 26-axes Kinesys automation system, all associated trussing and rigging plus crew to Snow Patrol as they embark on the first UK leg of their Fallen Empires world tour.

Lighting designer is Davy Sherwin, who has worked closely with Catalyst and live visuals programmer / visuals operator Robin Haddow and video director Blue Leach. The trio are collectively known as 'The Art Department' on the tour, and the ntelligently harmonised show is the result of some serious triumvirate creative chemistry.

HSL's project manager is Mike Oates. He says, "We love working with Davy and Robin and have seen the band's show and their designs take a real journey and evolution over the last few years. Each tour is always fresh in ideas and this is among the best yet."

Just as the band have explored ne

Italy - The 62nd Italian Song Festival did not disappoint the expectations of those who expected all round entertainment, including impressive stage design, abundant lighting effects and a production designed to exploit all the innovations specifically thought out and carried out on the stage of the Ariston Theatre in Sanremo.

Gaetano Castelli's set was immediately christened the 'ark of music'. It consisted of a large 'space ship' that dominated the stage with surprise effects as it moved and opened. The 20m long, 9m high scenic machine was so heavy (20 tons) that preparatory reinforcement work was necessary on the structure of the Ariston Theatre. The 'musical spaceship' took three months to put together and was entirely built in Rome. The work also involved the capital's TV Production Centre. It was then taken apart and reassembled piece by piece on the stage at Sanremo.

Th

Brazil - DiGiCo's SD10 has just made its first venture into Brazil, with one being purchased by events company Maxi Audio Luz Imagen, based in Sao Paulo. Used on a variety of events, the company is very happy with its purchase.

Maxi Audio technical manager Sandro Monteiro had been impressed by the DiGiCo consoles on show at InfoComm 2009 and, with sound engineers at Brazilian events asking for DiGiCo consoles, he began to investigate what would be the best option for the company.

"As a sound rental company, we need to offer the best products to our clients," he says. "The DiGiCo SD10 has fantastic sound which has the same 'colour' as that of an analogue console. The digital processing has great clarity, the preamplifiers are high quality, the workflow is straightforward and the MADI system is really useful. On top of all that, the console has a great price."

UK - Stage Electrics will be exhibiting on stand RA-18 at this year's PLASA Focus which is taking place on 17-18 April in the Royal Armouries, Leeds.

Stage Electrics will be showing an array of audio products from EM Acoustics. The company has recently become the UK dealer for this leading independent British loudspeakers manufacturer. EM Acoustics loudspeakers are often found in West End productions and on shows on Broadway. Installation versions can be found in venues as diverse as The National Theatre, Westfield Shopping Centre and The Eisenhower Hall (USA).

Other products being displayed on Stage Electrics stand this year is a display of Prolyte Trussing, the new ELC Green Go communication systems, the company's custom built Table Top Stage Managers Desk, Interspace Theatre Cue, Altair Wired & Wireless Communication System, DiGiCo's SD11 console, Pulsar's latest model of t

UK - CAST of Toronto, Canada was recently in the fashion limelight during London Fashion Week (LFW). The runways showcased the 2012 autumn and winter collections of some of the world's top designers including Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Alice Temperley and attracted visitors from over 25 countries including US, France, Italy, Russia, Middle East, China and UAE.

To ensure the designer clothing was shown at its best, lighting was given the utmost consideration. Tupac Martir, director of Satore Studio in London lit the runways at the Temperley, Björn Borg, House of Holland and Vivienne Westwood shows, amongst several others, doing all previsualization in wysiwyg.

"We use wysiwyg for all the shows, it helps tremendously when they occur so closely together," says Martir, "We actually run wysiwyg on a gaming machine at our studio with Alien Ware and two v

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds will see Highlite International present the UK launch of a brand new range of Pipe & Drape products from Wentex. Highlite International have an exclusive distribution deal with Wentex for the whole of Europe.

The new system uses a "revolutionary" and patented 4-way connector with an auto-lock system. The system guarantees solid connections of the uprights and drape supports, while they can still be adjusted to every conceivable direction. The cloths attach with Velcro onto the cross bars, making for easy rigging and adjusting. Cloths are available in black and white.

Highlite International will also be showing the new DMT P10 SMD Tour Pixelscreen. Each panel is 640 x 740 x 90mm, and weighs 18kg, making it easy to rig. The panels are IP65-rated and have a luminance output of 5500 Nits.

Also on display will be the new range of Showtec Spectral

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