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Australia - The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra has launched their new Theatrette located in the NFSA's heritage-listed art deco building. The refurbishment included a larger stage, new seating design and new audiovisual technology. The 114 seat Theatrette is an intimate option for screenings, live performances, conferences, lectures, and break-out sessions. It will also allow the NFSA to stream HD content to any venue in the world.

Fredon was called upon to install a performance lighting system the rigging of which was a major challenge. However Allan Wade, Fredon's ACT manager for Audio Visual Solutions, describes the result as "absolutely spectacular".

"The fact that we got it looking so good in such a challenging ceiling space i

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UK - The AniMotion Show, hailed as "ground-breaking" by The Scotsman and "an inspired collaboration with Panasonic " by the Financial Times, was embraced by an enthusiastic audience from all walks of life who filled the magnificent St.Giles Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh and one of Scotland's foremost iconic landmarks.

Translated onto architecture, the AniMotion Show is a pioneering vehicle for art, music and digital technology. The AniMotion Show unites art and music in real time. Paintings unfold in front of the audiences, akin to a live storyboard in which music plays the role of the script. This mix of live painting combined with the technical wizardry of projection mapping and live music from some of the world's top virtuosos created an incredible feast for all the senses.

When artist Maria Rud approached projection and digital art

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USA - Oakwood Baptist Church in New Braunfels, Texas, has invested in new audio equipment to manage a growing worship programme, based around an Allen & Heath's iLive digital mixing system.

The Church's regular worship band includes a ten-person praise team, drums, keyboard, bass, piano and two guitars and a seven-piece horn section

"Sundays are different every week, we can have a guitar player leading our services, a piano player, or our Pastor. On most Sundays we have a hundred or more choir members," relates Jeff Owen, technical director.

From traditional services to concerts and community events, this is a multi-purpose worship venue with several spaces needing flexible, reliable and crystal clear audio signals. Charged with delivering a solution was Doug Windell, design manager of Ace Audio in Hutto, Texas.

"It was time for a new mixing console to repla

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

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UK - The 'Topsy Turvy' theme of an elaborate Christmas party was taken to new dimensions by video production specialists Central Presentations Ltd. (CPL) who supplied a projection system and control for the event staged at Motion nightclub in Bristol.

CPL's project managers Nick Diacre and Jimmy Smith worked closely with producer Ansy Oswin from Bright Productions and his team to help realize the zany and original upside-down production design concept which had a great impact on guests.

Motion was divided into three areas based on a house for the occasion. The first one was outside representing the 'garden'; the main area of the club was an inverted 'front room' with everything hanging from the ceiling ... with the buffet laid out in the third area which was the 'kitchen'.

Over 1000 guests joined the celebrations, many in full fancy dress, entering the main space to be greet

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UK / USA - Peavey Electronics has announced that version 1.7 of their powerful MediaMatrix NWare software suite is now available in general release. Control MediaMatrix NWare projects from anywhere via any smart device.

NWare version 1.7 introduces Kiosk2Go, the latest addition to NWare's impressive control capabilities. Kiosk2Go allows designers and integrators to extend the custom kiosk control interfaces they create in NWare to any mobile device via the platform's web browser component and HTML5. This provides the end user custom control interfaces that they can then control from their own mobile devices, providing them ultimate mobility and freedom.

Any control interface that a designer creates in NWare can be accessed wirelessly with any Android, iOS (Apple), Blackberry, Windows or Linux mobile device. MediaMatrix NWare allows custom control interfaces to be constructed f

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Spain - Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar (HNMPL - Today I Can't Get Up) is a hugely successful Spanish 'jukebox musical' from Drive Productions telling the story of two struggling young musicians surviving in Madrid against a backdrop of drugs, AIDS and other social phenomena and chaos in the 1980s and immediate aftermath of Franco's collapsed fascist regime.

Based on the music of 32 hits by Spanish supergroup Mecano, this new second version of HNMPL has just opened in Madrid's Coliseum Theatre, complete with a lighting design by Carlos Torrijos - featuring among others - 24 Robe Pointes.

This is the first time Torrijos has incorporated Robe products into his work. He states, "I was looking for the best moving head beam light on the market ... and after trying and comparing a few options .. I chose the Pointe."

He explains that the first edition of the production pl

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UK - LSiOnline has learned of the death of Gavin Aldridge, an experienced AV systems designer and installer, and owner of Kent-based Fulford Sound & Communications Services. Gavin, who was 36, was killed at Bethersden Business Centre near Ashford at the start of December, when the 4x4 vehicle he was working beneath fell on top of him. He was declared dead at the scene.

Fulford Sound & Communications Services specialises in the provision of professional services to the industry for custom audio visual systems for museums, theme parks, visitor centres and retail applications. Gavin bought the company from founder Bill Fulford in 1996, and later took time out from the company to gain wider industry experience, working for a number of AV industry specialists including Electrosonic. He returned to Fulford in 2008, since when the company has grown and developed to the point where it i

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USA - Elation Professional has launched the Volt Q3 and Volt Q5 - two versatile RGBW LED washlights that run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Their go-anywhere portability, combined with an in-built DMX receiver and all-weather IP65 housing, means the Volt Q3 and Q5 can be used for a large variety of indoor or outdoor applications, say Elation.

Battery life is 8-12 hours between charges, and the units are compact, at only 11 inches high (approx. 28cm. Three (Volt Q3) and five (Volt Q5) 100,000-hour, 15W, quad-color LEDs provide full color mixing capability. Field angle range is 7-13° and snap-on diffusion filters allow the user to soften and spread the light when needed. A rainbow effect and auto-programmed chase effects provide added dynamic capability while a variety of other effects are possible via 0-100% dimming, a variable strobe and more.

Both Volt washlights

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The Netherlands - Christie has achieved best-in-class 1-chip DLP brightness with the new Christie Q Series that debuts at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Amsterdam from 4-6 February. The Christie Q Series 1-chip DLP platform has brightness options ranging from 8500 to 10,000 lumens and XGA, WXGA and WUXGA resolutions.

For rental staging applications including concerts, conventions and other events where visuals are a vital component, end users will see the Q Series' difference when blending and warping images from multiple projectors onto flat, curved, hexagonal, or spherical surfaces.

Usable in either single or dual-lamp mode, Christie Q Series is equipped with eClarity -advanced image processing that significantly enhances images by providing greater control over image sharpness, gloss and shading.

(Jim Evans)

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Singapore - Mahajak SKM Electronics (MSE) hosted the Architectural Media Systems Training from 19 to 22 November 2013 at the Mahajak SKM premises in Singapore. The training was conducted by Alwyn Wong, applications engineer at Harman International and attended by audio consultants, equipment specifiers, installers, venue audio technicians and freelance sound engineers.

For the four-day training, attendees were required to bring their own laptop installed with the latest version of Audio Architect and London Architect software. Subjects covered included BSS BLU-806, BSS BLU-800, Crown DCi Network Amplifier, Crown XTi amplifier, Crown USBX, and an iPad with Motion Control and powered by Crown apps (already installed).

The applications for Architectural Media Systems are wide and varied and its scalability enables it to provide the same high quality audio experience from a

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UK - The end of 2013 saw Jessie J playing the major arenas of the UK and Ireland on her 20-date Alive tour. Monitor engineer Andy 'Baggy' Robinson's DiGiCo SD5 helped to ensure that the UK songstress put on a show to remember.

"I've mixed in my usual style of using a DiGiCo console; making it work for its money," smiles Baggy, who has to account for a four-piece band and three backing vocalists as well as Jessie herself. "I doubled up on quite a lot of channels for Jessie, so I was using all but six of the faders."

As well as monitoring, Baggy also had a comprehensive talkback system set up. This allowed him and the band members to all talk to each other during the show, without distracting the leading lady and he could also talk directly to Jessie when required.

Sound quality and flexibility are a given, but what Baggy appreciates most about the SD5 is i

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UK / USA - Following a comprehensive review and analysis of the PLASA organisation, the PLASA Boards and staff have recently completed new strategic and operating plans to guide the organisation through the next several years of its development.

While the strategic plan focuses on building the membership from all areas of the entertainment technology industry, enhancing member value and continued development of PLASA's programs serving the industry, the operational plan details the structure, tactical approach and financial resource required.

Fundamental to the successful implementation of both plans is a revised senior management structure that will see three executive directors (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer), plus six divisional directors - of Membership, International Programs, Sales, Marketing, Events, and Media.

Matthew Gr

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UK - Martin Audio's MLA Mini loudspeaker array made another high profile appearance at a recent private party, when production and event agency - Penguins, staged an 'invitation only' gathering at Searcy's at the Gherkin, for around 200 prime donor/sponsors of the British Airways/Comic Relief UK Flying Start charity.

Special guest Katherine Jenkins delivered a stirring operatic performance - as Matt Manasse's company Bluefish Audio faced the inherent reflections of the glazed dome roof in this landmark London skyscraper, and the difficulty of manually humping all the gear 180m up to level 40.

Fortunately for Manasse's team, the MLA Mini is both lightweight and portable. A top line sound engineer in his own right, he was already familiar with Martin Audio's compact philosophy when he became the first sound engineer to air the W8LM Mini Line Array - on tour with Katie Melua way

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Denmark - A new concept and tradition has been born in Denmark: a light festival in the city of Kolding. With the purpose of presenting a new and different experience for the city, local business people pooled together to add culture, beauty and technology to the public domain.

Project manager from Get Visual, Jacob Elsig, delivered lighting installations to many of the graphic and innovative projects and participated in the creation of the urban attraction together with the festival's coordinator and his lighting designer, Christian Vigs°. With the environment in mind, a key factor for the festival was to utilise light sources based on LED technology.

"It seemed natural to contact SGM in relation to this festival," says Elsig who was involved in The Spanish Steps, The Train Station Square's installation named The Spider, Hotel Saksildhus and other smaller one-da

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UK - ETC's SineWave dimmers have helped bring silence to the new production of Henry V at London's Noël Coward Theatre - stripping out the filament noise from the eight DHA Digital Light Curtains that formed a core part of lighting designer Neil Austin's rig for the show.

"I've been using the DHA Light Curtains for a long time," comments lighting programmer Rob Halliday, "and while we've always been aware of the noise they make - a combination of the filament ring from six Par56 lamps and the buzz of the transformer driving them - it's never really been an issue before, perhaps because we've often used them on loud musicals, or perhaps because they were hidden behind masking. But on this show, with an exposed rig, a hard, curved back wall that seemed to throw even the slightest sound straight out into the audience, and a director and lighting designer dete

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USA - When the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago was planning its newest permanent exhibit, Future Energy Chicago, it turned to Electrosonic to provide the audio and video systems for the exhibit's film and simulation game, which challenges guests to compete on teams to make wise energy choices for a more sustainable city.

Exhibit-goers begin by rediscovering the nature of energy in the dynamic Energy Garden area, where they can transform energy from one form to another via a series of electro-mechanical devices and immerse themselves in a short film that dramatically presents the story of energy in our world. Guests then convert their knowledge into action via a multi-player simulation game in which they design an energy-saving car, house, neighbourhood, transportation system and city power grid.

Electrosonic teamed with exhibit designers Evidence Design, interac

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Roaring Success - Long-running musical The Lion King was the most successful show on Broadway in 2013, taking almost $97m (£58.7m) in ticket sales in its 16th year. In second place and after a decade on Broadway, Wizard of Oz musical Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre created history in the last week of 2013 by becoming the first show to take more than $3m in a single week on Broadway when its nine performances saw ticket sales of $3.2m (£1.9m). Since opening in 2003, it has achieved cumulative box office earnings of $797m (£480m). It took $95.3m in 2013 (£58.0m).

Noises Off - Performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre, London, have been cancelled for an extra week until 11 January. The venue had originally planned to reopen after 4 January. However a statement on Nimax Theatres'

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USA - On New Year's Eve, approximately 17,000 'Bassheads' converged at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to usher in 2014 with Bassnectar, the electronic music DJ whose immersive live shows have earned him legions of devoted fans. To ensure an equal experience for all attendees, the 360-degree event featured a rotating stage, as well as the largest Meyer Sound Leo large-scale sound reinforcement system to date.

"The sound was spectacular, and incredibly even for an in-the-round setup," says Brendan Hoffman, FOH engineer and production manager. "From FOH at one end of the arena up to the stage and the higher seating sections, differences were negligible. It was a gut punch on the floor and a gut punch at the top level."

Supplied by VER Tour Sound, the Leo system comprised 96 Leo-M line array loudspeakers deployed in four arrays of 14-each for long-end throws, an

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USA - Game Seven Grill is a barbecue restaurant located in the Gila River Casinos Plaza at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. With a name that evokes the D-Backs Championship victory in Game Seven of the 2001 World Series, Game Seven Grill's casual atmosphere and family-friendly style are reflected in its interior design which builds on the brick and open-beam architecture of the building.

Before opening in March of 2013, Game Seven Grill underwent a major renovation including new seating, championship décor and a new sound and video system featuring Community CP6 pendant loudspeakers for the interior and R.25-94T loudspeakers for the Grill's outdoor plaza seating.

Game Seven's sound and video systems were designed and installed by Parsons Technologies of Phoenix, Arizona. Mark Schultz, Systems Engineer, designed the systems at Game Seven Grill

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France - Four JoeCo BlackBox BBR64MADI systems were recently used for virtual sound checking and recording 224 channels of audio at one of France's largest and most impressive live music events. The Lorraine de Choeur 2013, held in the Galaxie d'Amneville, featured a 2000-strong choir, soloists, a 50-piece orchestra and electric band under the direction of Jacky Locks. The event takes place every two years and this year's performances attracted audiences from far and wide.

Philippe Barguirdjian, technical director of DUSHOW, and his sound team were responsible for mixing and recording the three shows, each of which lasted around four hours. For rehearsals, four linked BBR64MADI systems were connected directly to the front-of-house DiGiCo SD7 and SD10 consoles. Here, the recorder's virtual soundcheck facility came into its own, enabling singers to save their voices ready for the

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Canada - Justin Timberlake kicked off his 20/20 Experience World Tour in Montreal and Clay Paky Sharpys and Sharpy Washes were out in force. Solotech provided the lighting equipment.

True to its name, the tour is "an experience rather than a show," says lighting director Nick Whitehouse. "It's very visual with lots of projection and lighting and a lot of new technology. We got pretty creative with everything and had fun putting it all together."

The tour is in support of Timberlake's third studio album, which has a sophisticated vibe. The singer will play dates in North America, Europe, Australia and South America.

"We did seven weeks of rehearsals," Whitehouse reports. "The gear really got a work out - 20 hours a day." On the tour "the whole rig is hidden behind a scenic back wall and ceiling. We have 80 Sharpys and 130 Sh

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