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UK - Celebrated lighting director Chris Bushell chose a powerfully compact Quartz console from British manufacturer Avolites to busk the emotively impactful lighting for James Blake's gig at Brixton's 02 Academy, London. The show was part of the minimalist electronica star's world tour to promote his third album, The Colour in Anything, the follow-up to his Mercury-Prize-winning second album, Overgrown.

Having previously worked with Amy Winehouse, Florence and the Machine and Arcade Fire, Bushell has been Blake's lighting director for over six years - accompanying him on his rise from unknown music graduate to Best New Artist nominee at the 2014 US Grammys.

Although an electronic artist, Blake insists that he and his band play all their instruments and gadgets live on stage. Similarly, he stipulates that the lighting and visuals are manipulated live too - to

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USA - Shaping Sound, the contemporary dance company founded by Emmy-nominated choreographers Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, and dance visionary Kyle Robinson, wrapped up its six week fall tour with a lighting package designed by Seth Jackson and provided by Bandit Lites, and while Robinson was the only one of the four to hit the road with the production titled Dance Reimagined, the show itself continued to wow audiences with its visionary prowess.

The part rock concert and part pop show with breath-taking dance numbers followed the story of a girl (performed by So You Think You Can Dance season 12 winner, Gaby Diaz) as she struggles being in a loveless relationship. The most recent iteration of the story featured a few new additions as Travis Wall went deeper into the abusive boyfriend character, with the lighting giving the audience members immediat

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Germany - The Musikalischen Komödie (Musical Comedy), a division of the Leipzig Opera and one of the highest occupied stages in Germany, has opted for a solution from the Dutch sound system manufacturer Alcons Audio.

The focus of the house, which is known far beyond the city limits as MuKo, is on operettas and musicals, and increasingly also on ballet performances. As the sound system of the auditorium got old, a modern solution was being sought that would satisfy the needs of the 520-seating, acoustically demanding room and would match the stage program as well.

The company HFE professional studio technology from Leipzig was responsible as an advisory and executing service provider for the installation. Hans Hermann Hönsch from HFE explains, "I've known Alcons Audio for a long time and recommended the Alcons LR7, because the system is in my opinion particularly well sui

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China - The highly prestigious Beijing Film Academy has put their trust in Merging Technologies once again. Beijing Film Academy's School of Sound has constructed a new film music mixing studio.

Integral to this studio is the Pyramix audio workstation with a MassCore engine to provide ultra-low latencies and allowing users to have enough power to mix very high track counts simultaneously. This studio is also equipped with Merging's Horus which provides excellent AD/DA conversion quality and supports up to DSD256 and DXD (352.8 kHz PCM).

The high number of I/O channels necessary are easily accommodated via the RAVENNA/AES67 protocol which uses one Cat 5e/Cat 6 cable to connect to Pyramix. Channel routing can be done remotely using the same connection, providing the ultimate in convenience with superb sound quality.

The Dean of the Sound School, Professor Tong Lei summar

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UK - Holy Trinity Church in Frome was built by the architect H.E. Goodridge in the middle part of the nineteenth century. This Grade II* listed building is noteworthy for a few reasons, not least that where traditionally a church would be expected to face east, Holy Trinity faces northwest. Its collection of Victorian windows designed by pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones and made by William Morris, add to the interest at this very active and vibrant community church.

In 2008, Architects Benjamin and Beauchamp won a competition to design an extensive re-ordering of the interior of this large 'Hall' church. Their scheme involved the creation of some new spaces within a more flexible interior that would better suit the changing needs of a contemporary church. Any scheme in a historic, listed building requires painstaking attention to heritage and conservation details. In m

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UK - More than 130 years have passed since St Katherine's College opened its doors in Tottenham. It was the first of eight colleges that eventually came together as Middlesex Polytechnic in 1973. Two further decades passed before the Polytechnic was granted university status by royal assent.

In the intervening years, Middlesex University has become a world-class institution with campuses in Dubai, Malta and Mauritius adding to its extensively re-developed Hendon site. The remodelling of an underused quadrangle situated around previously isolated wings of the College Building has completely changed the face of the Hendon Campus and has transformed the space by means of a strikingly modern and innovative glass roof. Part of a phased £14m masterplan, this newly created area is used throughout the year for a number of special events and presentations.

The Sir Raymond Ric

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Europe - Cruise ship operator Fred Olsen and EW Production Services have been working hard on projects and have recently completed another installation on MS Braemar, part of the award-winning Fred Olsen Cruise Lines fleet.

Braemar is the youngest of the four Fred Olsen ships. Whist in keeping with the other ships in the fleet, Balmoral, Boudicca and Black Watch - its smaller size means that it can access ports that the larger vessels cannot, thereby enabling more interesting itineraries. Capable of accommodating up to 929 guests, Braemar has a stylish, intimate feel, with friendly staff, offering an exceptional level of personal service.

When it comes to on board entertainment, the Neptune Lounge on deck 5, at the front of the ship, is the place to be! With cabaret-style shows and performances from live singers, dancers and comedians, there is something to suit every gues

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USA - The largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, has set sail with a large energy-efficient Elation Professional LED lighting package used in the ship's main entertainment and relaxation areas.

As the third member of Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class, Harmony of the Seas is similar to her two sister ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, however with design changes, extra amenities and entertainment technology upgrades.

Built by STX France in Saint-Nazaire, France, the 5,479-guest ship has something for everybody and like Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships, Harmony of the Seas is an environmentally friendly 'smartship' in which energy savings and energy efficiency take priority. It continues the high standard in energy-efficient entertainment lighting that Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas set in 2014 when it firs

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UK - The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals was a truly memorable event: as Arena Group celebrated an unforgettable project at The O2 in London, installing over 8,500sqm of bespoke temporary event structures and the Murray brothers achieved World number one rankings in singles and doubles, November 20th, 2016.

On court this year's tournament took on special significance with Andy and Jamie Murray's achievements creating tennis history, while behind the scenes UK based Arena Group supported the ATP and AEG to produce a new look tournament having secured a three year contract with the ATP Tour.

Following the 2015 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals AEG informed the ATP that the space used for the Fanzone was no longer available and conversations between the ATP and Arena Group began to redesign the event's footprint. It was decided to move the players and sponsors facilities, includi

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Germany - Running from August to October each year, the Ruhrtriennale international festival brings music, dance, theatre, performance and other arts together in the former industrial buildings of Germany's Ruhr region.

The festival's focal point is the Jahrhunderthalle, a former boiler house for the vast Krupp steelworks in Bochum. Its acoustics provide many challenges for audio engineers, but this year a Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 console helped to tame the sound for the opera Alceste.

Jahrhunderthalle is a unique venue. Originally built in 1902 as a temporary exhibition venue in Dusseldorf, the following year it was relocated to the Krupp site and converted to generate power for the steelworks. In 1991, 20 years after the works closed, the unrestored building was returned to entertainment use. Since 2003 it has been the main stage complex for the Ruhrtriennale.

The m

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Taiwan - Christie's rental staging partner Hexogon Solution Pte Ltd has ignited the Christmas spirit by delivering spectacular visuals that captivated thousands of spectators who turned up for the official lighting up ceremony of the highly-anticipated Christmasland in New Taipei City event on 19 November.

The stunning projection mapping performances, which run nightly until 2 January 2017, are planned and executed by Hexogon Solution using a total of 42 Christie Boxer 4K30 3DLP projectors. A slew of bright and vibrant visuals depicting Christmas adventures of the Santa Bear and Fang Tou Bear family project onto the fa

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USA - On 2 August, 1956, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed papers that enacted Constitution Week. Since that time, communities throughout the United States have used the occasion to commemorate and honour the 4,543-word document that has served as the framework for the country's legal system for the past two-and-a-quarter centuries. In most communities, these celebrations pass in relative obscurity, but not in Gilbert, Arizona.

Located 22 miles southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert holds what is widely regarded as the largest Constitution Week celebration in the US, complete with food, fireworks, theatres, live music, flyovers and educational programmes. A highlight of this year's event was a stirring performance by the 700-voice Millennial choir that was illuminated by a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Creative Backstage.

John Garberson, owner of Cr

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UK - 18 November saw the 2016 BBC Children In Need appeal raise an astonishing £46.6m, in fitting tribute to its late, much-loved figurehead Sir Terry Wogan. BBC studios throughout the UK were full of broadcast performances and events helping to raise funds, with Yamaha digital mixing consoles playing their part at Maida Vale studios in west London.

The studios were host to a three hour live-to-air broadcast by BBC Radio London, hosted by Robert Elms and Gary Crowley, as well as a performance by the cast of School of Rock - The Musical. Live Audio production in the studios was handled by John Henry's Ltd, contracted for the event by BBC Radio's senior live music producer Andy Rogers. For the consoles, John Henry's supplied a Yamaha PM5D-RH, two QL5s, a QL1 and an M7CL-48.

The live broadcast was hosted in Studio 3 and featured three stages. On one a PM5D-RH was

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Switzerland - The Zurich Openair Festival, which has existed since 2010, attracted more than 60,000 visitors this year to the festival grounds on the outskirts of Zurich.

The musical spectrum included indie, electro and rock music, and included a mixture of internationally known musicians, bands and newcomers. This year, Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, Sigur R

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USA - Ever since Atlanta-based lighting designer Greg Ellis discovered Robe's BMFL moving lights which were launched in 2014, he has been recommending them to as many people as possible and continues to be "consistently impressed" with Robe's subsequent product launches.

He just finished the latest leg of a Pretty Lights US tour where 36 x Spikies and 14 x BMFL Spots graced his lighting rig and helped create a stylish and invigorating show for rising star DJ and music producer Pretty Lights with whom he has worked for the last seven years.

The Episodic Festival Tour comprised five two-day experiences staged over different weekends at interesting and cool locations around the US - including Telluride in the Rocky Mountains, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, both in Colorado, as well as Chicago, Nashville and New Hampshire.

The rig didn't change but the idea was to embrace the

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UK - Following its record-breaking two year run in London's West End, The Commitments is now embarking on a UK tour for the first-time ever. Adapted for the stage by Roddy Doyle, it tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young, working-class musician who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateurs and friends into the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. The show is currently visiting venues up and down the country. White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

The lighting designer on the show is Jon Clark, who also lit the West End production. Callum Humphries is the chief electrician, working alongside Sophie Wilkins as well as the touring production electrician Justin Cook. He comments, "As chief LX, it's my role to not only run the electrics department but also recreate Jon's design within each venue. This includes positioning and focusing individual

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New Zealand - Eastgate Christian Centre in Auckland recently upgraded its audio system, selecting a combined dLive digital mixing and ME personal monitor system from Allen & Heath to manage FOH and monitor audio requirements.

"We needed a greater auxiliary count and a more flexible workflow than the existing FOH mixer could provide, plus the monitor system was no longer reliable, so the church decided to replace both systems with a higher capacity system that can easily handle the most demanding services," explains Matt Bayly, technical arts director at Eastgate.

After researching and seeking advice from AV consultants, the church enrolled its team of volunteers to test out different mixers before a purchasing decision was made.

"It was a unanimous decision - everyone preferred dLive as it had a superior work-flow, was more user friendly and it sounded incredible," say

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UK - The Hyundai Mercury Prize, took place at London's Eventim Apollo Hammersmith and was won by Skepta, who beat new albums by a variety of artists including Radiohead, David Bowie, Anohni, and The 1975.

The awards event was produced by Lipfriend Rodd International. Producer David Davies, and technical director, Robert Lipfriend contracted PRG XL Video to supply rigging, and lighting for the show which was filmed and broadcast by BBC Music.

The lighting design for the show was created by award-winning designer, Nigel Catmur. PRG XL Video's account director, Chris Walker worked with a rigging brief which needed to accommodate both lighting and video elements, all of which moved during the show. Chris explains, "We worked with the design from Nigel Catmur, which included lighting, LED screens, and masking trusses.

"Our rigging team, led by head rigger, Chris 'Karrit' Ha

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UK - Of the many Houses of Worship visited by AV installation company, Old Barn Audio (OBA), the Syrian Orthodox Church in East Acton will rank as one of the more unusual.

Fitted out with Martin Audio's radical CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) sound reinforcement in time for its consecration in November, the church is described as "an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world". Due to the war in Syria, the community of Syriac Orthodox Christians in Britain has grown considerably.

The Church employs the oldest surviving liturgy in Christianity, the Liturgy of St. James the Apostle, and uses Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic spoken by Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as its official and liturgical language.

OBA was one of several companies asked to tender, and was awarded the contract largely as a re

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Denmark - The MCH (Messe Center Herning) group is one of Scandinavia's largest congress centres, based in the city of Herning, mid Jutland, with large buildings and arenas for hosting conferences, sports events and rock concerts.

The group has just installed a new d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker system into its theatre in Herning town centre, which will be used for both conferences and live music events.

The decision to select d&b was made by a team of in-house and external professionals after presentations and listening tests. MCH's head of sound, Tommas Hviid Kristensen, commented, "We wanted a premium brand system that would be rider friendly for both in-house and visiting engineers, so we asked a number of companies to tender. Each company set up a mono hang of their system so that we could hear them in the theatre and then decide which we preferred."

Lars Baun Freder

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Croatia - Avolites control consoles and Ai media servers powered beat-perfect visuals across Outlook and Dimensions, two of Croatia's leading dance music festivals, seamlessly merging lighting and video to immerse and enthral the crowds of revellers.

The sister festivals are held every year in Croatia's medieval town of Pula in the ruins of the town's 150-year-old Fort, 'Punto Christo'. Providing the lighting and video aspects for both Outlook and Dimensions was UK lighting, rigging and production expert Fineline Lighting, which has been involved in the festivals since 2012.

"This year we looked after The Void, Mungo's Arena, The Stables, Noah's Ballroom, The Moat, The Garden and the main stage," says Fineline Lighting's managing director Rob Sangwell. "The two festivals celebrate EDM and soundsystem culture, so lighting and visuals are always high on the agenda."

Sang

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Cambodia - Johnny Strife, head of lighting and lighting designer at PNN TV in Cambodia has been announced as the lucky winner of Zero 88's popular In Control competition and he's chosen a Zero 88 FLX console as his prize.

Johnny is absolutely delighted. He could hardly believe it when he opened his FB page and found Zero 88's congratulations message, "I was so excited. I will use the new console to control many more performances," he declared.

The competition was extremely well received and open to anyone working with, using or owning a Zero 88 lighting control product - desks or dimmers - or even anyone even thinking about it!

Entrants snapped a photo of their Zero 88 product 'in control' in a real lighting environment and submitted this together with a short caption to the Zero 88 team via social media or Email. The entries were examined closely by a panel of experts

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New Zealand - Auckland Live is a busy umbrella organisation running all the live performance venues in New Zealand's largest performing arts and convention centre complex right in the heart of the city.

Their existing stock of Robe moving lights is now boosted with the addition of 44 new LED moving lights - 12 x DL4S Profiles and 32 x LEDWash 800s.

Head of lighting Malcolm Ibel has been using Robe moving lights increasingly in his work in recent years, and Auckland Live initially invested in the MMX Series with the purchase of 12 x MMX Spots and 12 x MMX WashBeams.

Having been extremely happy with the performance of these and what they brought to lighting the various venues and shows, they had a solid basis for the decision to go with the latest purchase.

The DL4S Profile was selected for its finesse and elegance as a theatrical luminaire - compact size, light weig

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Switzerland - Now equipped with Nexo's Geo M6 compact line array, the Rosey Concert Hall at Institut Le Rosey near Lausanne is already being acknowledged as one of the finest concert halls in Switzerland.

This 900-seat venue sits at the heart of the Paul and Henri Carnal Hall, a visionary building by architect Bernard Tschumi that has recently been added to the campus of the exclusive Rosey boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. The auditorium, designed by Arup Acoustics, is dedicated to classical music, welcoming world-famous orchestras such as the St Petersburg Philharmonic. With the addition of a Nexo sound reinforcement system, it is also able to stage concerts, musicals, operas, lectures and film shows, as well as a huge range of other events to nourish students' cultural appetites.

ZAP Audiowas invited to design a PA system for this elegant hall. ZAP director Fr&eacu

  1. Production Park acquires AspectUnlimited
  2. Illuminating Unspun with Matt Forde
  3. ACSP technology at Reach Academy Feltham
  4. Thrilling lighting for Heidi Ride
  5. grandMA2 tours with Red Hot Chili Peppers
  6. Chaillot National Theatre adopts 3D sound
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