USA - Capitalizing on the growing demand for IGBT dimming and the tremendous success of recently introduced products, Dallas-based Entertainment Technology (a division of the Genlyte Thomas Group LLC, owner of Vari-Lite) is aggressively expanding its distribution chain and reports that it is currently in the process of completing distribution networks in Asia, Europe and Latin America. At the same time, the company has also expanded its presence in Canada, appointing a dedicated regional sales manager for that area.

"We are taking advantage of the tremendous advantages silent dimming offers our customers, and are introducing IGBT technology into new areas," said Bob Schacherl, Entertainment Technology's vice-president of sales. "Other manufacturers are only now beginning to realize the advantages of silent dimming and are struggling to enter the market. Entertainm

USA - Ziggy Marley and Spearhead have just completed a co-headlining US tour. California-based Rat Sound supplied the concert sound system, including a pair of InnovaSON digital consoles which enabled the live sound production company to meet the weight restrictions of the truck and the space limitations at some of the smaller venues.

Crew chief and monitor technician Chris 'Grandpa' Rymarz, is something of an InnovaSON veteran, having recently completed a year-long world tour with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and a pair of InnovaSON Grand Live digital live sound consoles. For the Ziggy Marley/Spearhead tour, Rymarz brought along a Grand Live at front-of-house and an Sy40 for monitors.

Ziggy Marley, son of the legendary reggae star Bob Marley, was promoting his first solo album, 'Dragonfly' - a recording made with a seven-piece backing band instead of the Melody Maker

Ireland - L-Acoustics recently announced that CAVS (Corporate Audio Visual Services) based in Harcourt Lane, Dublin, has become the first L-Acoustics V-Dosc Network Partner for The Republic of Ireland. CAVS initial hire stock purchase includes 24 V-Dosc and 16 SB218 subs all powered by L-Acoustics' LA amplifiers. The Turnkey system will now line up alongside the company's existing dV-Dosc, Arcs, MTD, and XT systems.

Fran Quigley, MD of CAVS commented: "I see the V-Dosc purchase as significant because it allows CAVS to offer the same high level of audio quality and service associated with the V-Dosc network to our existing Irish customer base, plus allows touring acts, promoters (Irish and international), large one off events, and international touring rental companies the use of this prestigious brand in this territory or abroad. Furthermore, I also see this investment as a

UK - Birmingham based Presentation Service Providers (PSP) is continuing with its extensive investment programme in new equipment with the recent acquisition of Analogue Way's new OCTO-FX Switcher and a new range of projectors, the PLC XU55 and PLC XT16.

The OCTO-FX Switcher will enable seamless switching between computer, video playback and camera. The PLC XT16 projector is suitable for roadshows and meetings and the PLC XU55 is a wireless ultra portable projector ideal for medium sized meetings and seminars.

In addition to the recent investment in new equipment PSP has also announced the continuation of its expansion programme with the opening of a London base. PSP's decision to open in London is a reflection of the company's increasing client portfolio based in the Capital and its commitment to develop into one of the country's leading technical services providers.

Commen

UK - Hire and production company Villa Audio has recently been putting KV2 speakers though its paces, which included a very special party. Villa Audio's Gareth Jones takes up the story, "Having known Andy Austin-Brown for some years, I was very happy to be introduced to the KV2 range. I knew that this new product range would be no pup and fortunately the system lived up to all my expectations".

To begin with they ran the system up in a warehouse as Gareth explains "Running up loudspeaker systems in a warehouse is never an ideal environment, hard walls and floors, let alone the unexpected items that are shaken out of the roof! Without a doubt, this was by far the most convincing warehouse experience I have had. Seamless, clear and extremely punchy."

Once he was convinced of what the KV2 system was capable of, his next task was to convince the engineers, &quo

UK - Summit Steel has designed, co-ordinated and installed a versatile rigging scheme for Cliff Richard's current month-long run at the Royal Albert Hall. In addition to the usual production rigging requirements for a large V-Dosc PA and four lighting trusses, this also allows for the straightforward staging of a variety of other shows during the 'dark' slots in Cliff's standard two days on and one off schedule.

The diverse selection of 'other' shows include a tribute to Ronnie Lane, an Islamic Relief event and shows for Classic FM and 19 Management as well as a gala dinner. The Cliff Richard run continues Summit MD Jon Bray's long standing association with the artist, and his production team, which stretches back over 20 years to 1982, and includes the galvanising Cliff 40th Anniversary Tour, staged in-the-round at the same venue in 1998.

This year sees him renew his acquaint

The Netherlands - De Tiliander is a new multi cultural building in the Dutch city Oisterwijk. It houses a theatre, a school of music, the Grand Café and a library. Sound Projects dealer Van De Klundert recently installed a compact Sound Projects 10 (SP-10) line array set-up in the theatre (450 seats).

The main system consisted of five SP-10 line-array systems per side. To provide the first four rows with sound, two compact X-act full-range systems are positioned as front-fills. To augment the sub-lows, three self-powered SP-15s were also flown with the line array. Three Sound Projects SP2600 amplifiers power the array, while a dbx 480 DriveRack does all necessary processing.

Van de Klundert sound designer Dennis van der Vleuten commented: "Our choice for a Sound Projects line-array was obvious. The Sound Projects Wave-shape-transformer promises a real HF line source, nec

Australia - Sydney Olympic Park, the home of the 2000 Olympics, recently saw the first outing for the new Midas Verona mixing console in Australia. The event was a concert entitled Would you like Music with That and featured artists such as Eon Groove Orchestra, Swing City and OzOpera.

The console was a Verona 560 fitted with 48 mono inputs and eight multi function inputs (can be either stereo or mono). Sydney-based rental company Coda Audio, already well known for its considerable inventory of Midas mixing consoles, and thus an obvious choice to take the Verona out for its first spin down under, supplied the production for the event. Coda proprietor Michael Wilkie was impressed with the size and feature set and surprised by the extensive EQ on the input channels. The console performed faultlessly on the gig and delivered the classic 'Midas Sound' that engineers have come

USA - Three new documents have been posted on the ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association) website for public review. Two of them are draft American National Standards, while one is an informational handbook, designed to help camera crane operators use cranes safely. Comments are requested by the dates indicated below.

Camera Crane Operator's Handbook: Public comment is invited on a proposal to publish a Camera Crane Operator's Handbook. Camera cranes are simple devices, but improper use of them can result in injury or death. The handbook is intended to offer nonbrand-specific advice on how to use a camera crane safely. The public review of the Camera Crane Operator's Handbook is scheduled to run until 17:00 Eastern Time on 8 June. The complete public review packet, including the draft handbook, is available on the ESTA website at

UK - May 26 2004 sees the launch of the Musicians Channel (M-Channel), the first digital television channel dedicated to encouraging, inspiring and educating all people with an interest in musical activity. The launch is seen by many key figures within the music industry as a new dawn in creating opportunities and the teaching of music. It will be broadcast on the Sky platform, free to air, and plans to make itself available to as many digital homes across Europe as possible. And, the channel's owners believe, there is a huge market for a service of this type, citing research by the National Campaign for the Arts, which reveals that 53% of UK adults (23 million) take part in arts or crafts activity, and as many people play a musical instrument as play football.

The main aim of the channel is to promote participation in music through access and education - and to equip its potent

Spain - Blitz Communications, one of the UK's leading providers of audio-visual equipment and services, has supplied sound and video facilities for the pan-European launch of General Motors' new Opel Astra and Tigra cars in Spain.

Blitz worked with Pci:Live, a live brand communications agency, to supply equipment used throughout the launch event, which was held over three weeks in two venues on Spain's southern coast. The unveiling of the new models took place at the Circuito de Jerez (host to this year's Spanish Grand Prix) and the farewell gala dinner at an indoor bullring in Torrestrella. The event was attended by over 8,000 dealers with their partners, as well as Fleet guests.

Frank Kucharski, project leader at Pci:Live commented: "We have managed similar launches for a variety of clients but this was one of the most ambitious and challenging. We needed the equipment

Finland - Allen & Heath's DSP system and accompanying PL range of remote controllers have been installed in a new operation facility of the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Helsinki, Finland. The audio equipment will improve VHF radio communications, which are crucial to the rescue operations taking place at the stormy Gulf of Finland.

EP-Engineering Ltd Mediasolution managed the installation, equipping the operation centre with innovative and advanced multimedia and communication technology, making the centre the largest and most modern facility of its kind in Scandinavia.

Operations of the network of rescue units are determined by the crucial information received from different VHF radio channels. The MRSC needed a solution that would effectively aid access to the VHF radio channels. The challenge was to set up five operators at individual console locations, and enable t

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians' annual showcase - the ABTT Theatre Show, to be staged in London's Royal Horticultural Halls on 16 -17 June this year, is set to be bigger than ever, say the organizers. By encouraging new exhibitors from areas such as PA/VA, video and building services, alongside those from the more familiar lighting, rigging and audio sectors, the show has broadened its appeal and is already 95% sold out. Among the exhibitors will be VLPS Lighting Services, showing the new Virtuoso EX1 Media Server which brings a whole new dynamic to digital lighting by using a moving perspective camera and four-point lighting in a virtual 3D environment.

ETC will exhibit a selection of its lighting, control and dimming product such as The Source Four Revolution, which has already won the Best Debuting Product/Promising Prototype Award at LDI 2003. Also on sh

Germany - Lumileds Lighting has announced the formation of the Luxeon Lighting Network, a certification, training and technical support programme designed to assist lighting specifiers to bring the benefits of solid-state lighting to their clients. The programme will give specifiers access to a pool of lighting manufacturers and other suppliers with proven expertise in engineering and fabricating LED-based luminaires.

The benefit to designers, architects and other specifiers who work with certified network members is the assurance that they will receive luminaires capable of delivering the desired lighting effects as well as reliable long-term performance. The benefit to luminaire manufacturers and related solution providers is the ability to guarantee performance to specifiers and end users through a clearly defined set of design and development requirements, making it possible

UK - Robe UK has supplied eight Robe ColorSpot and four ColorWash 250 moving lights for an upgrade to the house installation in the main auditorium at the renowned Scala, Kings Cross - London's alternative venue for live music clubs, film and food. The lights were specified by the popular venue's technical manager, Christian Smith, and supplied via Bristol-based Utopium Lighting in a deal co-ordinated by Robe UK's Stuart Fenwick.

A recent increase in the Scala's live music schedule made the upgrade necessary, to keep pace with the need to supply a versatile and effective house rig for the vast array of artists appearing. Smith approached Utopium's Angus Chinn to discus the best options, and after comparing several brands, Robe fixtures won the day in terms of features and cost-effectiveness.

Smith, an LD and programmer in his own right, had also used the Robes before on other

Portugal - Cast Software recently announced that, for the first time, the forthcoming Rock in Rio festival - one of the world's major rock festivals - will be pre-programmed using the company's software, WYSIWYG Perform. This year the organizers expect over 500,000 people to attend the festival, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal from 28-30 May and from 4-6 June. Bright Preproductions in Germany has been hired to provide the WYSIWYG services for this occasion.

Bright is a member of the WYSIWYG Certified Service Providers program and they will supply services and WYSIWYG Perform Systems to do the on-site pre-programming for the show. Totalling more than 4,000 channels, they will offer a full simulation of the automated rig for the Palco Mundo which consists of approx 100 moving lights hung on nine moving trusses, giving the LDs of the headlining acts the ability to perfectly pre-cu

USA - Color Kinetics Incorporated (CKI) has announced that it has been issued two new US patents. U.S. patent number 6,720,745 is a utility patent covering a 'Data Delivery Track'. The patent relates to an LED lighting system where the lighting control signals are communicated through a light track. This facilitates designs and installations that call for intelligent LED illumination in a traditional track lighting scheme. The data used to control the LED-based lights on the track may be communicated through the track itself.

US patent number 6,717,376 is a utility patent covering 'Automotive Information Systems' that, in part, relates to colour-controllable automotive lighting systems. This includes the application of LEDs in colour and dimmer-controlled systems used to customize the look and feel of a vehicle, as well as feedback-controlled lighting systems that tailor the lig

Russia - The cinema market in Russia is enjoying a sustained boom, with large, luxurious cinemas equipped with state-of-the-art equipment springing up in all the major cities. The latest example is the Cinema Park in Moscow, which opened on 15 February. The multiplex cinema in the heart of the Russian capital boasts nine cinemas of different sizes, covering all needs from a relatively small atelier cinema showing art house movies and foreign language films to a huge screening auditorium designed for the premieres of major releases.

After conducting numerous comparisons, interviews with prospective suppliers and exhaustive tests, the management of the Cinema Park awarded the much-coveted commission to supply the sound systems for the complex to EVI Audio's Russian partners, Ruton S. It was a decision based on two main considerations, say the company. Firstly, Ruton S, which is ma

UK - The lease on Central London's legendary Hippodrome - made famous in the 1980's by Peter Stringfellow - has been extended by 12 months to new incumbents, following the departure of previous operators, Luminar Leisure, last September. As a result, a consortium headed by Chinawhite director, Jeremy Hartley and Leicester Square Association chairman, Steve Bowen, have taken on the lease, and earmarked a £750,000 development budget, with a large percentage going on lighting.

A contract worth £150,000 has been awarded to Ian Kirby's Coemar UK for the supply of a large consignment of Coemar moving head dancefloor and mid-air beam effects plus Hungaroflash strobes, James Thomas Engineering LED battens and ShowCAD computer control.

Replacing the majestic satellites - the mainstay of the club's dynamic lightshows through the '80s - the fixtures have been purchased and installed by

UK - Audio-visual specialist Integrated Circles has been nominated for a Museums and Heritage Excellence Award 2004 in the 'Best use of Technology' category. The nomination is for the use of the company's own digital SoundStore in the 'M11 LINKED' project. The digital SoundStores are hidden in lamp-posts along a three-mile walk, transmitting music, recorded testimonies and the rekindled memories of those who once lived and worked where the controversial M11 Link Road now runs.

Integrated Circles' managing director, Simon Beer commented: "It was certainly an unusual project. We custom-designed a solution featuring a powerful radio transmitter and our own digital SoundStore technology at its heart, which we knew was reliable enough to endure the harsh outdoor conditions. We also had to provide 1,000 receivers for the visitors to wear to pick up the commentary along the route

Germany - The Volkstheater in the Stiglmaierplatz area of Munich, Germany, has upgraded its FOH console to a 40-channel Allen & Heath ML3000 VCA console, in preparation for the theatre's 2004 season. The theatre specializes in traditional Bavarian folk plays and adaptations of modern novels.

Volkstheater's sound engineer, Pit Ries, commented: "The theatre has used Allen & Heath consoles for many years and we have had nothing but good experiences with them. When an upgrade was required, Allen & Heath was the only choice for the replacement. The ML3000's features give me great confidence and I am particularly impressed with the console's quality EQ. The VCA capability makes grouping easy to set up and operate during live situations. Furthermore, in a practical sense, the mixer does not take up much space, which helps us provide more seating for the audience."

(Sarah Ru

UK - The Harman Pro UK team became Match Programme Sponsors for the recent UEFA Cup Quarter Finals, second leg, between Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven, held at NUFC's St James' Park. Harman, JBL's UK distributors, used the opportunity to plan a special event for a selection of key stadium audio consultants, contractors, designers and installers. It proved a great chance to show off the new JBL sound system at the Premier League stadium - one of Europe's largest stadiums.

The installation was completed by Blackburn-based Romers for the start of the 2004 season. It's been a great success, and Harman's guests included Romers' John Caton, who explained the intricacies of the audio remit, and the acoustic challenges they faced at St James' Park. Harman's Dave Budge co-ordinated the event, and was also integrally involved in the St James' Park PA installation project. He stated: &

Canada - For the team of lighting designer Jean Renaud and his associate designer/programmer, Vincent Colbert, two televised music award shows provided a natural opportunity to put a Super WYG 5000 channel system through its paces, as they lit both the 2004 East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs) and the Juno Awards, Canada's version of the Grammys.

Halifax, Canada-based Tour Tech East supplied both the Super WYG system for the ECMAs and technician Roy Mombourquette, who also served as the ECMA's crew chief. "The producers of the ECMA's were amazed when we were able to show them the actual camera shots!" says Mombourquette. "With the aid of WYSIWYG, we were able to demonstrate how many people would have obstructed views because of television cameras or other unforeseen obstacles."

This year's ECMAs were particularly challenging for the lighting department with six

UK - Marquee Audio have returned to the BRIT School in Croydon - six years after carrying out the original sound system installation - to bring Britain's only free Performing Arts and Technology institution into the digital age.

Backed by the British Record Industry Trust (hence the name BRIT) Marquee Audio sales director, first started talking to the School's senior technical manager, Andrew Smith, about the prospect of going digital two years ago, and whet his appetite by providing a Yamaha DM2000 desk to evaluate. Finally the funding became available for them to invest in one - along with an Optcore fibre optic system - as part of a thorough upgrade. Smith said: "We needed a digital desk for student training and production in live music technology."

Marquee's Andy Huffer added: "In view of its size, the DM2000 will not only enable the School to mix its own

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