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Germany - Optocore has expanded its series of intercom interfaces - following the development of proprietary intercom systems for various OEM partners.

The new generic X6R-FX-INTERCOM-IC444 and V3R-FX-INTERCOM-IC444 interfaces made their world debut at this month's Prolight+Sound 2013 in Frankfurt.

The nomenclature is derived from the IC444 board, which is equipped with two 37-pole connectors -one male, the other female - and provides four Line Inputs, four Line Outputs and fourGPIO. The X6R-FX can be equipped with two IC444 boards while the V3R-FX can be equipped with a single IC444 board.

These latest solutions are the result of fulfilling a custom request from Norwegian state broadcaster, NRK. On that occasion Optocore's sister company, BroaMan, populated the 4LI/4LO board

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Brazil - The beginning of 2013 has seen DiGiCo consoles partying on down in two of Brazil's hottest destinations, with an SD8 on monitors for Jamiroquai at the Credit Card hall in São Paulo and the flagship SD7 at Rio de Janeiro's legendary Carnival.

Monitor engineer Dan Ungaretti has been working with Jamiroquai since early 2011, and uses a DiGiCo SD8, provided by long-term supplier Britannia Row Productions, to mix the band's in-ear monitors.

"Jay Kay prefers wedges and has a fair few of them around the stage, so he has a separate console and engineer for them. And as there are 11 other musicians on stage, it makes sense to handle them separately.

"There are 60 inputs from stage. I have some extras for the ears and rehearsals, so I'm using all 60 channels on the desk, plus I've snuck another couple in the back door. The entire band wears IEMs and there is a pair

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Europe - Events crewing firm Gallowglass is expanding its European operations with the opening of two offices - in Paris and Monaco.

The company established its first French base in Nice in 2006 and has become a regular presence along the Cote d'Azur, particularly at the Cannes Palais des Festivals, Nice Acropolis and Grimaldi Forum Monaco.

Gallowglass managing director Nick Grecian said: "The fact that we undertake jobs right across mainland Europe, and consistently in France and Spain made it essential to have local bases, and we opened in Barcelona and Nice at the same time. Since 2005, our Cote d'Azur activity has enjoyed solid growth so it was a natural progression to establish a permanent presence in Monaco as well."

The company's Paris office has been four years in the planning but has quickly filled its order book with jobs such as Google Arts at the Mus&ea

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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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Eurovision Update - Abba's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are set to write an anthem for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers have announced. The pair will team up with Swedish DJ and producer Avicii to compose a theme track for the event in Malmo, Sweden. We Write the Story will be performed for the first time at the opening of the grand final on 18 May.

Show Statistics - Musikmesse and Prolight+Sound closed with113,000 visitors from 142 countries (2012: 109,481 visitors, 120 countries). "This visitor response has far surpassed our own expectations and that of the exhibitors", says Detlef Braun, managing director of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. "With 113,000, the visitor numbers not only exceeded last year's results by three percent, but it also surpasses the all-time record high from 2009 (112,478 visitors). This is a fantastic result for th

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Germany - ETC's Layers of Light Theatre proved once again to be a popular attraction at this year's Prolight+Sound, with visitors standing off the stand and on tip toes to see the two different presentations.

The first presentation demonstrated how each of the different types of fixtures - tungsten, HID and LED - can work well either individually or together as instruments in a lighting director's tool box; while a second showed how easy it is to set up a lighting system for a gig, making use of the new Magic Sheets function on the control desks and RDM technology, and demonstrating how ETC control desks, fixtures and power control products work together.

Everyone who attended both presentations as well as a personal demonstration of any ETC product was entered into a draw to win a Source Four Mini. The winners were announced as Markus Fuchs, Jan Lemmenmeier, Marcus Schindler

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Germany - Due to its ultra-compact footprint, light weight and some radical design inspiration, Martin Audio's new MLA Mini - which had its world premier at this month's Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt - will be able to share the award-winning MLA technology across a far wider range of smaller-scale portable and installed sound applications requiring the ultimate in fidelity, consistency and control, says the company.

Scalable and versatile, MLA Mini's ultra-compact size understates its output capabilities - a 12-box array will throw 35m (115ft) and deliver live music in venues of 750-1000 people.

"When we first pioneered the revolutionary MLA technology back in 2009, we always hoped that one day we would be able to make it available to mass market on a reduced footprint and without compromise," said director of sales, Simon Bull. "Due to some inspired inventio

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Germany - Robe concluded its "busiest and best" Prolight+Sound exhibition to date at the Frankfurt Messe.

The action-packed four-day Robe schedule included the launch of six innovative new fixtures, a press event announcing the company's sponsorship of Czech MotoGP racing star Karel Abraham and a show-stopping lightshow on the booth that had people packing the aisles each day waiting in anticipation ... and receiving it with rounds of rapturous applause.

Says Robe's CEO Josef Valchar, "We said that last year's Frankfurt was the best ever trade show ... but this year's has surpassed, both in terms of the business completed, the interest in the new products and the general vibe - it has been incredible!"

The much-anticipated Pointe moving light was the focus of Robe's new technology launches this year - a small, very bright, multi-functional fixture which c

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UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds this month, exhibiting at the annual PLASA Focus exhibition 30 April - 1May. Visitors will find White Light exclusive products including lighting, effects, and rigging in both show venues -on stand NA2 in New Dock Hall and on stand RA-C4 in the Royal Armouries Museum.

Stand NA2 will feature products from Arkaos, Altman, Chromlech. Interactive Technologies, James Thomas, JB Lighting, Look Solutions, and LSC Lighting. Products CITC, Coemar, Core Lighting, Galaxia Electronics, PR Lighting. Robert Juliat, and Wireless Solution will appear on stand RA-C4. White Light Sales and Hire staff will be on hand throughout the show, to answer questions and offer advice about your venue, project, or production.

Two new White Light exclusives -the CORE Lighting ColourPoint and the James Thomas Engineeri

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UK - At the start of the X-Factor auditions in 2010, One Direction as a band didn't even exist. By the end of the competition they had only come third. Today, they have sold over 14m singles and 8m albums and are credited with sparking the resurgence in the boy band concept and of spearheading a new "British Invasion" in the USA.

The production values for their extensive 2013 tour, taking them through the UK and Europe, on to the USA and into the Australasian market, reflect their status as the boy band of the moment. Why have Load Cell Rental been contracted to weigh parts of their rig? Production North's director Steve Levitt has a straightforward answer, "Any show needs to be safe. There have been too many incidents of things falling over in the past couple of years - the video screen that dropped in Florida last month is a case in point - as a touring producti

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UK - MilTec (UK) Ltd will use the PLASA Focus show to unveil their new British made speakers to the UK entertainment industry. The Blakite and Blakite TR ranges signal the beginning of a new era for the company.

David Faulkes, sales director commented, "We didn't want to spend any more money shipping boxes filled with air from China to the UK and decided to spend it on components and materials from the UK and Europe instead."

Designed at MilTec's HQ near Maidstone, Kent the new speakers will be built in the UK and will replace the highly successful TP range which has been a standard fixture in clubs, bars, schools and rental companies for the past three years.

The mid/top speakers are available in black and white and will all include pole fittings, flying points, bracket adaptors, rubber feet and a 35 degree rear slope for use as stage monitors. The subs are all ba

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UK - Martin Professional invites lighting professionals to PLASA Focus Leeds to be the first in the UK to get an up-close look at the newest members of the award-winning MAC Viper Family, as well as the first fixtures in an all-new Martin product range - RUSH - light in the fast lane!

Join Martin 30 April to 1 May 1st at the Royal Armouries in Leeds where visitors can check out these latest technologies, network with industry professionals and enjoy a relaxing chat with Martin personnel at Booth N-E16.

A host of other new Martin products will also feature: MAC III series luminaires, VC series LED video, plus smoke and haze solutions.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - At PLASA Focus: Leeds, nestled conveniently close to the New Dock Bar you will find the d&b audiotechnik stand at N-A24. Make yourself comfortable, come and chat, come and listen; it's what the d&b team love to do. Questions and answers, discussion and debate, fact and opinion; take your time.

A working display area showcasing the new ArrayCalc V7 will be at the stand inviting installers and integrators to learn more about the sophisticated additional algorithms of this latest software advance. Addressing the requirements of a d&b style simulation and planning tool for a complete installation project as well as corporate and AV markets ArrayCalc V7 accommodates not only line array but point source designs or a combination of both into a single hybrid system design.

Across the Piazza in the salubrious surroundings of the Bury Theatre another treat lies in store. Oran Burns

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UK - This year marked 25 years since Red Nose Day first burst on to our screens and it continues to go from strength to strength, working with some of the biggest names in show business to pull out all the fundraising stops and do something funny for money.

To help capture the fun and energy of Red Nose Day Night of TV: Comic Relief - Funny For Money Richard Martin Lighting (RML) once again came on board to shine the light on some of Britain's best celebrity talent including Michael McIntyre, Rob Brydon, John Bishop, Lenny Henry and Claudia Winkleman.

Chris Kempton, who has designed the lighting for Red Nose Day Night of TV shows for the past 11 years used all the lighting tricks of the trade to bring the show to life, using s Robe Robin 600 LEDWash's, VL1000TS, MAC 700's, VL2000 Wash's, MAC 600's, Sharpys and VL3500's.

Chris Kempton said, 'The Red Nose Day Night of T

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UK - Suppliers to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games can now champion their involvement in the sporting spectacular, after a landmark deal reached by the Government, British Olympic Association (BOA) and International Olympic Committee (IOC). The new Scheme - the first of its kind - provides eligible suppliers recognition for the part they played in the success of the London 2012 Games.

Le Mark have been awarded a specific licence due to the incredible contribution they played in the opening ceremonies and in recognition of the work and services provided and can now legally promote this worldwide.

With the licence now approved "Supplier of custom printed floor (Ceremonies) to the London 2012 Games." Le Mark are able to promote their work at trade shows both in the UK and internationally, apply for industry awards for their London 2012 work and use the

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France - Along with St. Moritz and Kitzbühel, the French ski resort of Courchevel is one of the favourite playgrounds of the international jet set - a fact to which the presence there in recent years of Prince William, George Clooney and Robbie Williams is testimony enough. One of the most chic restaurants in the resort, without question, is Le Cape Horn, which, at an altitude of 2,100m, boasts an outstanding location, first-class cuisine and a peaceful ambience.

The sense of perfect wellbeing in Le Cape Horn owes much, naturally, to the sound system. To offer its highly demanding clientele the finest possible acoustic fare, the restaurant's managers invested recently in a new distributed sound system from Electro-Voice. This serves the 1,250sq.m outside terrace as well as the interior of the restaurant. The design and realisation of the installation was the work of the Paris-b

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USA - Opened early in 2013, San Francisco's SFJAZZ Centre is the first performance and education complex in America that was built from the ground up exclusively for jazz. At the centre's heart is the world-class Robert N. Miner Auditorium, which strikes a meticulous balance between the hall's controlled natural acoustics and the transparent audio reproduction by Meyer Sound's MIna line array loudspeakers.

The design of the audio system and the room's physical acoustics presented a challenge to Sam Berkow, founder and principal of SIA Acoustics.

"SFJAZZ wanted the ultimate room for musicians to play in, for the audience to listen, and for engineers to record," Berkow says. "To do it all in a relatively small space that allowed flexible seating for up to 700 wasn't easy."

As the hall's natural acoustics are designed to carry the stage sound into the audien

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UK - After taking Ibiza by storm this summer, Hot Creations brought their Ibiza party to London for a special Paradise event at Brixton's O2 Academy on 13April 2013.

This in-demand event featured the live debut of Hot Natured, the collective of Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Luca C and Ali Love. Latest single Benediction has become one of this year's biggest dance tunes, and their debut album and live shows are set to be one of the significant stories in electronic music in 2013. DJ support came from Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Richy Ahmed, Infinity Ink and PBR Street Gang.

PRG's Andrew Strachan worked alongside Ben Pound, director of Futureline Events to supply lighting, media server and creative LED. Gregory Douglas was overall project manager and Chris Scott was crew chief.

Cameron Bannister worked with Strachan and Pound to design a complex array of 50 x 1500mm and 12 x 375mm

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UK - Multi award-winning lighting designer, Tim Routledge, chose to specify Clay Paky 800W Alpha Spot QWO 800 luminaires to deliver an intense sparkle to British singer Gary Barlow's glittering UK tour.

Routledge, known for his work with Madonna, Katherine Jenkins and Sterophonics, specified 26 powerful Alpha Spot QWO 800s, supplied by Neg Earth, praising them as 'superb optic spots, perfect for cutting through LED'.

"I specifically picked the QWO800s having used them on the Queen's Jubilee Concert," says Routledge. "For the Gary Barlow tour we were playing theatres and smaller concert venues and I really wanted as bright a spot as I could find in the smallest body - I really dislike seeing big ugly fixtures spoiling the architecture of a show or a venue. The QWOs really fitted that bill - they are small, compact and extremely bright and moreover the optics on t

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World - Avolites Media's Ai Media Server is delivering fast moving evocative visuals on The Script's sell out arena world tour. Conceived by award winning lighting designer Jamie Thompson, in collaboration with members of the band and creative London based content producers Immersive, the show visuals are operated by US based Jeffrey Brown.

"The theme of '3' - reflecting the album and tour titles - was very important, and dictated much of the layout of LED fingers and stage graphics," says Thompson. "The Ai is being used to power a mixture of live camera feeds, video and visual content onto the main back video wall, and over the three, three-dimensional LED screens, which are embedded in the stage floor and run above the stage to reach into the audience like outstretched fingers. After witnessing the power of Ai at previous events, I knew we could create a stunnin

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UK - RCF will be showing some of their flagship systems at this year's PLASA Focus: Leeds. The Italian manufacturer will be exhibiting products from both the RCF Commercial Audio and Installed Sound range, plus Professional Speaker Systems - in two dedicated display areas.

New in the Commercial and Installed catalogue will be the AX8042 DSP Matrix Automixer, DXT9000 Voice Alarm System and Media Series M1001 and M1201 .

The AX8042 is a versatile digital matrix mixer designed on a powerful DSP platform, with eight universal Mic/Line inputs (one of which can be set as noise detection input) and six outputs on four lines. Thanks to the available processing power, a large number of audio parameters can be set and expansion possibilities exploited.

The DXT 9000 is a fully scalable, EN-54 compliant digital voice alarm system, built on a double-ring topology, with all digital amplif

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Austria - For two weeks in February it was all downhill for the Austrian town of Schladming, as the Alpine World Ski Championships provided thrills, spills and plenty of entertainment. Broadcaster Euro TV subcontracted Hannover-based TVN Mobile Production to supply outside broadcast facilities for the men's course, which included a Yamaha CL3 digital system.

The Championships featured 650 skiers from 70 nations taking part in 11 events. Including the opening ceremony and training runs, TVN delivered 50 hours of live production over 14 days. With over 100 microphones and 98 cameras, many located from the top to the bottom of the men's course, the broadcast was both a technical and logistical challenge.

TVN is renowned for providing cutting-edge technology and staff for broadcasting projects for nearly 30 years and the company installed the CL3 to handle submixes in its TVN-UE2H

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