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UK - Autograph Sound Recording, the theatrical sound design and rental specialist, is well known for its work on musical productions, both in the West End and around the world. However, the company is also at the forefront of sound design for a range of straight plays and dramatic productions.

The Duchess of Malfi, which opened at the National Theatre in late January, is just one of many current West End plays which Autograph is working on. Sound for the production was designed by one of Autograph's team of experienced designers Simon Baker, a former National Theatre sound supervisor who was specifically requested to work on the production by director Phyllida Lloyd. This was the first production Baker had designed at the National since joining Autograph in 1999.

The modern dress version of the play features a host of sound effects and subtle uses of music and sound, dr

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UK - As the sun set over Waterloo Bridge on Wednesday evening, the stars came out in force at the Old Vic and the BA London Eye glowed a glorious orange. Two separate events linked by one lighting supplier: The Moving Light Company. At the Old Vic theatre, Elton John played a concert to raise funds to repair the theatre's leaking roof - and also to welcome the theatre's new artistic director, Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey. As well as Elton John, the concert included appearances from Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Lulu, Elvis Costello and Courtney Love.

The lighting designer for the event was Nick Richings. Basing his design around the rig for The Tempest, currently playing at the Old Vic and also using equipment from The Moving Light Company (including DHA Digital Light Curtains and Digital Beamlights, Strand Pirouettes and High End Studio Colors), Richings also brought in ex

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USA - Switchcraft Inc, the US manufacturer of connectors, audio and video patchbays and cable assemblies, has strengthened its international distribution by appointing Orbitec to distribute its products to the French broadcast and pro audio markets.

Stephen Waldron, Switchcraft's director of international sales, said: "Orbitec is an established stocking distributor of our products and we are very pleased to enter this enhanced relationship that will provide our audio and broadcast customers with improved product availability, service and support."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Event services supplier ARB and international temporary utility supplier Aggreko announced a strategic alliance at the 2003 Event Show in London. Since being acquired by the CSS Stellar Group Plc, ARB has implemented significant restructuring and expansion plans, focusing its various services into specialist divisions to offer clients improved service in all areas.

Aggreko is a world leader in the supply of temporary power, temperature control and oil-free compressed air services and has a track-record of successfully supporting events such as the FIFA 2002 World cup, numerous winter and summer Olympic Games and the 2003 Ski Championship in St Moritz.

This exclusive partnership will see the complementary strengths of both combined to deliver total power, cooling and technical solutions to events of all sizes and type throughout Europe. "The opportunity this link pres

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Spain - Barco last week hosted what has become an annual networking event to the events and Rental & Staging industries - its annual Rental Partner Meeting - in Marbella, Spain. Held at the Meridien Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella from 26-29 January, the three-day event was attended by 120 key commercial and technical representatives from 50 rental and staging companies from across Europe.

Due to the overwhelming response, attendance was strictly by invitation only for Barco's key European Rental Partners, who in line with Barco's Golden Account Strategy, were treated to a carefully-constructed agenda which included hands-on workshops with Barco's proprietary Events Controller and ViewScape, as well as demonstrations of the brand-new SLite 10 and SLite14 LED displays and workshops on the SLM R10 Performer and RLM G5 Performer projectors. As a finale to the three-day event, the Ba

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UK - Liverpool-based Adlib Audio has taken delivery of the first of Soundcraft's new MH3 consoles. The mixing desk has gone straight out with FOH engineer Steve Cole on a two-month nationwide tour with tribute band 'Rumours of Fleetwood Mac'. The tour is playing a wide variety of town hall and theatre-sized venues, and they had been looking for a versatile and outstanding sounding console for some time, when the MH3 came on stream.

Adlib's Andy Dockerty ordered the 24-channel desk immediately. He knew its high spec and expedient sized footprint were ideal for medium-sized tours such as this one. The console is very dynamic, serving equally well for mixing monitors as FOH, in addition to being keenly priced. The MH3 has many neat features you would expect to find on a more expensive piece of kit, including an extra 4 stereo channels, which can be utilized for stereo keyboards, mi

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UK - Skan PA Hire has invested in a DiGiCo D5 Live digital console, adding rock and pop concerts and touring to the brand's fast-growing applications. Skan chose the D5 Live 56E after trying out competitive brands. The console, which can be upgraded from 56 to 96 microphone inputs in the future should the need arise, comes complete with a channel control surface. It includes local and remote DiGi racks which contain the A/D and D/A converters and are connected to the console via optical fibre.

"We chose the D5 Live for its intuitive and simple operation and good features," says Skan PA Hire director Chris Fitch. "We also liked the fact that it was a British product, and had confidence in the DiGiCo sales and support team."

According to Fitch, the decision to invest in a digital console was informed by its customers while reflecting the company's desire to s

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France - Le Petit Prince has come back to life in the Casino de Paris Théâtre. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's grand novel is now a journey through worlds of enchantment and colourful characters, a metaphor for man's vices and virtues. The show began on 1 October, 2002 and will run through the end of June 2003. Produced by Victor Bosch/NODO Productions, the show features music by Riccardo Cocciante, with lyrics by Elisabeth Anais, and is directed by Jean-Louis Martinoty.

Jean Kalman served as lighting designer, a lighting artist whose work has appeared onstage at the National Opera of Paris, the Musical Theatre, the Royal National Theatre of London and numerous other theatres, festivals, and concerts the world over for internationally acclaimed artists.

In Le Petit Prince, Kalman demonstrates how recently the possibilities of theatre lighting have expan

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Austria - Five giant Lighthouse LED video screens are greeting visitors to the Austrian Tyrol this winter in a networked advertising project by Munich-based advertising specialists City Channel. City Channel run LED advertising billboard sites in a number of European cities, and for this year's ski season decided on five prime locations at leading ski resorts for semi-permanent screen installations, showing a mixture of advertising and TV and satellite broadcasts.

The locations are in the Tyrol region, in the Kitzbuhel area at the Fleckalmbahn ski-lift (800 metres), the top of the Pengelstein ski-lift (1939 metres), by a popular bar in Mayerhofen at the foot of the Penkenbahn ski-lift, nearby at the bottom of the Horbergbahn ski-lift, and at Haus near Schladming at the foot of the Hauser Kaibling ski-lift.

The screens were installed between 11-13 December and will be used thro

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UK - Blitz Birmingham was recently commissioned to add the audio-visual elements to the biggest dating party the UK has ever seen. The first ever 'Chemistry' event, held at London's Vinopolis from 29-30 January, offered the 3,000 people who attended the chance to find Mr or Miss Right. It was managed by Brand Events, who commissioned Blitz.

A number of different zones were created to help break down barriers and encourage mingling. 'The Ocean' was the centre of the action with Capital FM DJs Martin Collins and Justin Wilkes getting the party started. A 10k d&b audiotechnik sound rig was provided for the DJs, and Blitz supplied a network of Sony plasma screens to provide ongoing images of the crowded dance floor switching to vox pops carried out during the evening, which gave participants a few minutes of fame and a chance for some self-promotion.

Speed dating, an adult version

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UK - Sister companies Tomcat USA and Brilliant Stages recently came together to create a stage system for the 'Curtain Up' show designed by Joe Ragey for Princess Cruise Lines. One of the challenges of the project was a very demanding stage system. Its complexities included the need to change several times during the run of the cruise. With this in mind, the design teams of Tomcat Global created a system which could be easily assembled and disassembled using their own bolt-free hook and channel system.

The multi-level stage system is made of a series of decks on aluminum frames. Each deck has a birch plywood surface covered with a black dance floor surface from Harlequin Flooring. As space is limited, two of the main upstage risers may be turned on their sides and used as dollies to store the remainder of the stage.

Fourteen collapsible 2ft x 2ft x 6ft dressing room lockers we

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UK - Shure Incorporated, the leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics, announced yesterday that it had purchased its long-time United Kingdom distribution centre, HW International, from Wilton Investments. The new Shure subsidiary will keep all current employees, as well as the distribution of its other existing product lines - Phonic, QSC and PreSonus. Dennis Harburn will continue as managing director at HW, and will report directly to Shure Europe GmbH management.

"The purchase of HW International provides an opportunity for Shure to have more direct contact with its customer base in the UK, one of Europe's largest markets," said Mike McGinn, Shure's executive vice president of global marketing and sales. ''This supports our plan to further develop the brand there.'' Markus Winkler, managing director of Shure Europe added: "From the standpoint o

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Russia - The world-famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow recently took delivery of 35 DHA Digital Light Curtains, the first permanent installation of these fixtures in Russia. The DLCs will be used to add the finishing touches to the much-needed renovations at the theatre.

Damir Ismagilow, lighting designer for the Bolshoi Theatre, said: "I specified DHA DLCs after seeing them in use in New York - I really liked the many varied effects that can be achieved with them. DHA has a very strong reputation as a company and its equipment is consistently reliable. The DLC provides a unique combination of features for the lighting designer - it's a multifunctional and flexible product. There is nothing quite like it in Russia."

This project is representative of the progression towards the use of new technology in Russia. The latest equipment in theatrical applications will bring gr

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UK - Chameleon Audio amplifiers helped power the Apogee Sound PA system for Cirque du Soleil's recent sell-out performances at London's Royal Albert Hall. 28 Chameleon 3500 DP/2s and eight 2000 DP/2s were supplied by Alex Schloesser Audio of Cologne, a hire company supported by Chameleon's German distributor, AS Audio. The amps powered an Apogee Sound rig comprising 24 3x3 cabinets and three Apogee Sound AE 15 subwoofers. In addition, six Apogee APL-220 full-range self-powered loudspeakers were added to the existing AE-8 Compact Concert loudspeakers.

Says Schlosser: "I had no hesitation in choosing Chameleon amps to power the Apogee Sound system. They have proved themselves on past projects that I've been involved in, such as the Chancellor Party in Berlin, and did so again at the Albert Hall. The self-powered speakers worked very well with the existing system, too."

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Germany - When well-known television lighting designer Manfred 'Ollie' Olma was looking for an exciting new light to integrate into the set for the final three shows of the German version of Pop Idol ('Deutschland sucht den Superstar'), he opted for Color Stream from Pixeon.

The blockbuster show, broadcast on German station RTL was the world TV premier for Color Stream. Color Stream uses LED technology in an encapsulated package to create subtle colour effects and linear sequences which have hitherto been unattainable in the lighting designer's pallet. The system consists of one metre long diffused tubes, which conceal the LEDs, and connect together seamlessly to make long lines of light that can be programmed to evolve in a series of synchronous events.

The Color Stream tubes contain dense arrays of red, green and blue LEDs arranged in individual pixels. Each pixel is control

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UK - When publishing and exhibition giants CMP Information held their Business for Excellence awards recently they were set on presenting a stage backdrop that everyone would remember. Hired by production company Reality Ltd, Creative Technology dressed the stage in Grosvenor House Hotel's Great Room with an array of plasma screens, together with crisp and powerful images on two motorised projection screens - supplied by Reality - to enable the 900 attendees a clear view of the activity at the event.

A white gauze created a 72ft x 20ft backdrop, behind the stage, to create a blank canvas for the intelligent lighting to wash ever-moving colours behind the guest MC, Jack Dee. An avi file was transferred to a Doremi hard disk, which looped a continuous flame rising above the CMP logo. CT drew exclusively from their pool of Christie DLP projectors, providing Christie S6 SXGA DLP pro

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UK - The penetration of Martin Audio Blackline systems into the UK's dance venues continues. The latest company to turn to the high-powered, low-cost solution is Gravesend Sound & Light, with two new installations in their native Kent for Luminar Leisure. "Blackline is a great product, and we can't seem to go wrong with it," said Gravesend installation manager Simon Middleton. "It just doesn't produce that harshness of sound we have experienced with other systems."

Club Indigo/The Beach has been a popular venue on the Folkestone coastline since its original incarnation as La Parisienne. When the sound system began to repeatedly break down the Gravesend company recommended a system comprising eight Martin Blackline F15s, flown in pairs and angled around the dancefloor.

The foundations of the sound are a block stack of S218 subs, forming a single point source

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Europe - Lego has recently opened three new retail stores in Cologne, Milton Keynes and Moscow. These stores all make extensive use of effect lighting to add atmosphere and excitement to the specialist display areas in the stores. Designed and maintained in house by Lego AudioVisuals, the architectural and effect lighting in all stores is controlled by a Medialon system.

The objective of the new Lego stores is to bring excitement to users. Leif Andresen, AV project manager says: "We think it is important that there should be something to stimulate the interest of both children and adults. For example, the lighting will change colour throughout the day. The large video screens will constantly show new images, and as soon as a new Lego product is announced, it will be marketed in a special way in our brand stores."

Ethernet is used as the backbone for transmitting the

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The Netherlands - Alcons Audio is a new Dutch company set up to develop and manufacture professional sound systems for quality-conscious clients in the cinema, installation and touring industry. The company was set up by former Stage Accompany sales and marketing director Tom Back in October. Back comments: "Not satisfied with the products available on the market and the opportunities we had in our previous positions, we left as a team and decided to establish our own company."

Alcons Audio is backed by a group of private investors with Tom Back and senior R&D engineer Philip de Haan owning the majority of shares. The company employs seven people in total, each with 15+ years experience in the different aspects of development, manufacturing and marketing of professional sound systems. "The investors are willing to allow us the time necessary to achieve a good posi

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UK - The Newcastle Regional Art Gallery in the Hunter region of NSW, Australia, rivals all other public collections in Australia with its quality and breadth. Some 3,000 works of art present an encyclopedic view of Australian art from colonial times, and many major artists are represented in the exhibition. A recent change of curator at the Gallery has led to some key changes, one being a proposal for a new look for the front of the building. Newcastle-based company Custom Audio Installations was approached by the Gallery to develop some ideas on how to enhance the rather plain, concrete wall that greets the visitor.

Colin Rothapfel owner of Custom Audio met with gallery staff to decide what could be used to brighten the façade and attract more people to the Gallery. Custom Audio had, on previous occasions, supplied the Gallery with Martin MACs to light a number of launches and

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UK - Heaven, described as the most famous gay nightclub in the world, has taken delivery of a new high-powered 4-way sound system. Inspired by its new owners, David Inches (who has been involved with the club since its beginning), Jeremy Millins and Paul Savory - who recently bought out Virgin Clubs' interest in the venue - the contract was entrusted to experienced installation contractors, Blue Box Company.

Headed by Mark Metcalf - who has a long association with Millins - Blue Box specified a QSC PowerLight system to drive the component parts of a carefully thought-out Funktion One system design. Resident production manager, Rob Barton said that the venue, situated under vaulted arches at London's Charing Cross, had recently benefited from £50,000 of sound screening and acoustic treatment, which had prevented sound leakage and enabled Heaven to raise the power rating fro

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UK - The optical precision of Christie digital projection has helped Immedia (the newly-formed AV division of Northern Light) to provide a lecture theatre solution for the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, Surrey. Operating in partnership with the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, The Institute of Cancer Research is one of the world's leading cancer research organizations.

The new Brookes Lawley Building is designed to implement several exciting new scientific initiatives, particularly relating to the Cancer Genome Project. It was in the new 197-seat tiered lecture theatre on the facility's first floor that Immedia installed a projection system - as part of a complete AV fit-out - based around Christie's digital Vista X3, front-projected onto a roll-down screen.

Immedia project manager, Dave Pritchard, says: "The origins of this project go back four years. We urged the Insti

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USA - When the latest production of the smash-hit ABBA musical Mamma Mia opened in Las Vegas on 3 February, it became the eighth full-scale production of the show running concurrently in the world - and saw the show taking delivery of a further 17 DHA Digital Light Curtains, bringing the total used by the musical to 136.

Mamma Mia first appeared in April 1999 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, the production directed by Phyllida Law and designed by Mark Thompson with lighting by Howard Harrison. Harrison made use of a wide selection of automated lighting equipment, but central to the rig were eleven eight-lamp Digital Light Curtains "absolutely fantastic for creating a strong backlight, the clean, clear look of Greek sunlight," said Harrison.

The show immediately became a smash hit, with Harrison nominated for an Olivier Award for his lighting. Mor

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UK - Channel 4 and E4's latest reality TV show, The Salon, is using Audio-Technica microphones to ensure the audience misses none of the drama. The ES933 microphone, with its combination of broadcast quality sound and diminutive on-screen presence, has proved itself well suited to the requirements of the show's unique AV system, with a total of 33 units discretely suspended throughout the studio.

Also on duty is an AT871WR boundary layer microphone. Originally developed for water sports broadcasts, the waterproof 871WR has been charged with the task of handling the high-humidity environment of the Sauna. Freelance sound supervisor, Oliver France, is responsible for specifying and running the audio system on behalf production company Endemol. Having enjoyed great successes working with Audio-Technica on the last two series of Big Bother, France had no hesitation in once again tur

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