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UK - At the close of the 2004 PLASA Show in London this week, it was clear that a new level of confidence has returned to the industry, with buyers making substantial orders of new equipment and a high level of visitor quality being reported by exhibitors across the show floor.

James Thomas Engineering, Cadac Electronics, A.C. Lighting, Artistic Licence, D&M Professional, Vidicom, LSC Lighting, Le Mark, LDR, Strand Lighting, Robe Show Lighting, Fuzion and Rackz were among the many companies who expressed their satisfaction at the level of business conducted and the quality of the trade visitors to the exhibition.

Glyn O'Donoghue, product development director at A.C. Lighting, told PLASA Media that the response to the Jands Vista console had far exceeded expectations, with no less than 12 consoles sold at the show - as well as hundreds of the new Chroma-Q Color Block LED modul

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USA - Since 1981, Florida-based Full Sail Real World Education has offered instruction in sound reinforcement and concert lighting, developing a full program in 1998 and adding the 13-month Show Production & Touring Associate of Science Degree Program. Their overall goal is "to provide students with the knowledge to enter the live event industry with the practical and technical tools required to succeed in many career paths."

Specifically, they say the Show Production Degree program is dedicated to technical theory, engineering skills and design concepts within several key areas of the entertainment industry, of which audio is a significant part. Full Sail has recently added a DiGiCo D5 Live digital mixing console to its impressive roster of sound equipment to allow students access to the most up-to-date products during their training for the world of live events.

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UK - Debuting at the PLASA 2004 show was Flying Pig Systems' Hog 3 PC, which offers the convenience, flexibility and power of the Wholehog 3 operating system on a personal computer. The system of software and hardware components combines to produce any system that an end user needs, from cost-free Hog 3 PC software for viewing and editing Wholehog 3 shows through to a fully-fledged 4,096-channel console, depending on the number of USB DMX widgets. The company has also announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with ESP Vision Inc to provide Wholehog 3 lighting console users direct connectivity with ESP Vision software.

Firstly the product - Hog 3 PC offers popular features including the effects engine, a new remote focus device, which provides the freedom to operate all console functions from any location without the burden of cables. Hog 3 PC controls automated

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UK - August saw the end of the summer festival season as crowds of revellers gathered from all over the UK for the annual V and Carling festivals. Both V and the Carling festivals have become established highlights of the UK summer event circuit and are renowned for their parallel shows over the same weekend.

In its ninth year V attracted its biggest crowd of over 130,000 music fans to the host sites; Hylands Park Chelmsford and Weston Park Staffordshire. Over 40 bands performed at the festivals with big name acts The Strokes and Muse headlining the main stages. Other main acts included The Pixies, The Charlatans, Dido and Pink.

SSE Hire supplied the audio equipment for both the V Main and NME stages at both sites. The main stages utilized identical Nexo Geo T systems with Alpha delay towers. The FOH mix was via two Midas Heritage 3000s working on a flip-flop system with one e

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USA - Production Resource Group (PRG) served as the primary supplier of lighting, staging, and scenery for the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. PRG supplied over 1,000 lighting fixtures for the event, including 235 moving lights. The lighting package included some of the company's most popular fixtures, including VL3000 spot units, VL2000 spot units, VL2000 wash units, MAC 2000 wash units, and MAC 2000 Profiles.

As a result of PRG's recent merger with VLPS Lighting Services, Bill Klages, the event's lighting designer, was able to obtain all of the lights needed for the event from PRG. Staging and scenic elements provided by PRG included: The main stage and stairs used during the first three days of the event. This stage included a motorized slip stage and hydraulic lift for raising and lowering speaker platforms. Both the slip stage and lift were controlled

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UK - Initiated by James Thomas Engineering and hosted by BBC Training at Wood Norton, near Evesham, Worcestershire, the LED Workshop event aims to give LDs, set designers - and anyone else involved in lighting - an opportunity to learn more about LED lighting; the equipment, the uses and control.

Taking place on 30 September, the start time will be 1pm for lunch, followed by a workshop-style conference in which Andy Sugars from PixelRange will explain the development of the LED and the current state of play, followed by a discussion of future development. There will be a chance to investigate the colourimetry of LEDs as a light source for flesh tones: Philips, Thompson, Ikegami and Sony cameras will be available to use.

Pixeldrive software will be on hand for attendees to play with, and they will also be given the chance to compare LED sources side by side with conventional t

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UK - Allen & Heath hosted an anniversary party during PLASA on the walkway of London's Tower Bridge to celebrate 35 years in the pro audio business. Around 70 guests from its network of overseas distributors and the press attended a dinner with special guest speakers from the original management team - Andrew Sterling and Ivor Taylor - who joined the company in 1969.

Allen & Heath's managing director, Glenn Rogers, commented: "For anyone in the manufacturing industry to survive 35 years and to still be continually expanding is a phenomenal success. Allen & Heath has an extraordinarily innovative past and we are heading towards a bright and exciting future. Here's to the next 35 years!"

The evening also acknowledged the individual achievements of Allen & Heath's international partners, with the presentation of the annual distributor awards. Pro Audio Marketing in Germ

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The Netherlands - Electronics giant Sony has committed to the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition for the first time as both a sponsor and exhibitor. As a unique pan-European platform, the show offers Sony the opportunity to showcase its wide range of products designed for integrated B2B systems solutions. Sony's involvement will feature both on the exhibition floor and in the educational programme, say the show's organizers.

In addition to premiering new products to the European market, Sony will exhibit its diverse product range offering architects, consultants, designers, engineers and integrators the opportunity to experience Sony application-led solutions for the workplace and other public venues. ISEurope's intensive training programmes staged throughout the show will cover a variety of topical issues including home theatre, multi-room automation and digital signage. Offe

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UK - London's Regent Street was transformed to host a spectacular international festival at the beginning of September in support of BBC's charity Children In Need. Attractions included musical and theatrical performances, exhibitions, dance and a Victorian fairground. The entire street was closed for the day to make room for the festivities.

The day was officially opened by four-time Olympic gold medal winner Matthew Pinsent followed by a performance by popular classical band Amici Forever. Other acts included Asian pop group Punjabi Hit Squad, Inspiration choir and Peter Andre. Many shops on Regent Street also opened their doors to host in-store concerts by up-and-coming musicians. SSE Hire provided audio services for the live music element of the day, using a combination of Nexo Geo T and Nexo Alpha speakers at the BBC/Bovis Sound Stage. More Nexo Alpha was supplied for the Z

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China/Spain - As well as the Olympics, another sporting event that created high interest in China this summer was the International Full Contact Kick-Boxing championship, which pitted China against Japan's best and received nationwide television coverage. Kick-Boxing, one of the martial arts sport disciplines, has thousands of followers throughout Asia and is extremely popular around the world. The D.A.S. distributor in China, Concord Trading Co. Ltd., was the official sponsor of the event in which the Chinese fighters won by five rounds.

Due to the large size of the venue and the number of people attending, a wide variety of systems were used to provide adequate coverage for everyone. The main PA was made up of ground stacked Aero 28 line array systems. Concord also installed eight CA-28 mid-hi packs and four CA-215 subwoofers for the event. Around the ring the systems comprise

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UK / USA - The Ford Motor Company has awarded design and communication agency Imagination with its Q1 2004 status. The certification was awarded after Imagination met rigorous performance and ongoing quality management criteria set out by the Ford quality assessment. Q1 certification is recognized and highly-regarded throughout the Automotive and its related business and support industries as a symbol of excellence, customer satisfaction and on-going high quality consistency. Although Ford has recognized others of its suppliers with the latest Q1award, Imagination is the first marketing services supplier in Europe to obtain this Status.

Ford presented Imagination with the status in an awards ceremony held at Imagination's headquarters in London. Ford's senior purchasing manager Steve Proctor, and its manager of exhibitions Derek Cockerill, presented Gary Withers, Imagination's

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UK - Next year's Total Production International industry awards event - TPi Awards 05 - will take place on Monday 31 January 2005, once again at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith, west London. The organizers promise another night not to be missed, with formidable production values, a host of surprises, excellent food and the chance for professionals to network and catch up on the previous year!

Since their inception in 2002, the Awards have attracted the involvement of such celebrities as Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, Damon Albarn, TV and radio personality Mike Read, Lemmy of Motorhead, promoter Harvey Goldsmith, soul pioneer Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave fame), Michael Eavis, jazz legend Chris Barber, blues singer/radio presenter Paul Jones, and last year's host, Spandau Ballet bassist-turned-actor Martin Kemp.

Next January's

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UK / Sweden - Lightfactor Sales has announced a UK distribution deal with Wireless Solutions from Sweden, who's wireless DMX system - W-DMX - won a PLASA Award for Innovation at the Show in London last week. Wireless Solutions' Niclas Arvidsson was looking for a well-known and respected sales company to distribute his product: "We want to work with the best - Lightfactor has a great reputation and is very well connected," he comments. The two companies have actually already been acquainted with one another for some time: like Lightfactor, Wireless Solutions is also a distributor for SGM moving lights.

Lightfactor's Peter Coles comments: "W-DMX fits perfectly into our product portfolio. It was the right product at the right time and the fact that it won the PLASA Award is extremely well-timed and a further boost."

W-DMX - described as "taking wireless

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UK - One of the UK's hottest restaurants and nightspots, Tiger Tiger, has opened its newest location in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. Offering a high-end environment for lunches, happy hours and late night dancing, the club has other locations in London, Leeds, Manchester, Portsmouth, Glasgow.

Club owners, London-base Urbium plc, is also the proprietors of several other leading venues in the UK, including Oxygen, Wax Bar, Warwick, Motion and the Zoo, and has established a reputation for creating environments with exquisite visuals and leading edge sound.

The Aberdeen Tiger Tiger boasts several distinct areas over three floors, including the Tiger Bar, Club, Restaurant, Club Lounge, Lounge Bar and Oriental Bar, each with its own unique vibe and soundtrack. Systems integrators Green-i Ltd. designed the signal routing and remote integration, based on the model it created last ye

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Australia - When rock star Jimmy Barnes took to the stage at Star City Showroom recently, the impact of his performance was significantly enhanced by the country's most advanced lighting design, a suite of some 24 show lights from Clay Paky's range. The Clay Paky product was recently installed by Total Concept Projects, the exclusive distributor of Clay Paky product in Australia. Star City's general entertainment services manager Bicci Henderson comments: "The impact of the new lighting on the Jimmy Barnes show was fantastic, with very startling colour saturation and vibrancy. It is Australia's most stunning show lighting system."

Commenting on the lighting set-up, he says: "The lighting set-up was so good that the Barnes' producers just walked in and did the show without having to move a thing. It was great!" Henderson continues: "The Clay Paky lighti

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UK - At the PLASA Show last week, Midas announced the appointment of Shuttlesound as the UK distributor for all Midas products with effect from 1 October. Shuttlesound already handles all Klark Teknik product as well as Midas Venice; taking on the rest of the Midas range, therefore, is seen as a natural move that will enable UK customers to obtain all Midas and KT products from a single source.

Sales and marketing director for Midas and KT, David Cooper, commented on the decision: "By moving distribution to Shuttlesound, we're effectively doubling our resource base for Midas service and technical support. In other words, in addition to everything we already offer the customer out of Kidderminster, we can now offer the same facilities from Shuttlesound's London base," says Cooper. "That is to say a huge demo facility, stock of emergency spares and a fully trained

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UK/Greece - Creative Technology was contracted by Sportsmark, the American event management and marketing agency, to provide a full technical staging service, including lighting, audio, video projection and indoor Barco iLite 8 LED display, during the Olympic Games in Athens.

Nick Whitehead and Rob Merilees managed the project, with lighting design by Nick Whitehead. Six venues were used as hospitality suites for Sportsmark's clients, including Visa, Xerox and Bank of America for the duration of the Games, with additional special events.

The lighting design incorporated effects from CT's LED lighting inventory, including its latest acquisition - the Colorblaze 48 LED batten from Color Kinetics - and the Colorblast 12 fixture, which is extremely useful in view of its low power consumption and heat output.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - Having made its inaugural appearance on the Prize Stage at the PLASA Show, the first DiGiCo D1 Live left Earls Court immediately after the show to go out with Concert Sound for Katie Melua's European tour. Matt Manasse, Melua's FOH engineer, was on hand during PLASA, helping to demonstrate the D1. "Obviously there's not been much time for me to work with the console prior to this," he said. "But as with the D5 Live, it's an incredibly intuitive interface, so I'm already confident in my ability to go out there and use it. I think it's going to be a great asset on the Melua tour."

"DiGiCo is a very agile company," adds Concert Sound's Tim Boyle. "David Webster really pulled out all the stops to get us the console in time for this tour. They're constantly reacting to what the market wants and needs and I think they've come up trumps again wi

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UK - The Institute of Acoustics (IOA) marks its 30th anniversary at its Autumn Conference Dinner to be held on 6 October 2004 at The Oxford Hotel, Oxford and has arranged for Dr Leo Beranek - "father" of acoustical consulting and the Internet - to speak at the Dinner.

In 1948 Beranek co-founded the American consulting firm Bolt Beranek and Newman, later BBN Technologies, famous for its wide ranging influence in many aspects of acoustical engineering and computing and credited with establishing what is now know as the Internet.

Now in his ninetieth year, Dr Beranek continues to pursue his consulting interests in concert hall and opera house design. His breadth of knowledge and experience will surely result in a fascinating address. Members of the Institute and others can reserve seats at the dinner separately from attending the conference.

Details are available from

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Finland - FogScreen Inc has been chosen as a winner of the IST prize, which is awarded to European innovations with most business potential and technical excellence, among other things. The European IST Prize is organized by the European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering, with the sponsorship and support of the Information Society Technologies Programme of the European Commission.

FogScreen has been asked to participate in the IST event (held in The Hague from 15-17 November), where three IST Grand Prize Winners will be selected from among the IST Prize Winners. "We have taken part in three competitions: InnoSuomi, VentureCup, Laval Virtual Awards and IST Prize, and we have every time been chosen either as a winner or a finalist. That implies the ingenuity of our invention. Perhaps the biggest outcome of this prize may be increased possibility for fu

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UK - Salisbury-based Stagecraft has been awarded UK Independent Dealer of the Year 2004 award by specialist lighting manufacturer Zero 88. Presented to Stagecraft at PLASA 2004 last week, the award recognizes the company's expertise and knowledge of the Zero 88 product range. Stagecraft's sales and project manager, Martin Palmer, was presented with the award.

Graham Eales of Zero 88 commented: "Stagecraft has surpassed its previous efforts on behalf of Zero 88. It has grown its sales of our products by over 100% in 2003/2004. We believe this growth has come as a result of Stagecraft's focus on us as its sol supplier of lighting control products, a good stocking policy, excellent PR and staff trained in our products."

Stagecraft was one of the first companies to install new Zero 88 touch screens in a £100,000 lighting refurbishment for Salisbury nightclub, The Chap

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Ireland - Dublin-based AV Rental Company CAVS has recently incorporated a Subsidiary Company called Celtic Sound Ltd. This Company has been established to handle the management of the recently purchased V-Dosc concert system. The initial inventory of 24 V-Dosc, 16 SB218 Subs, plus LA Amplification and XTA DSP sees a new direction for CAVS - hence the establishment of Celtic Sound.

Fran Quigley, managing director of CAVS sees this development as follows: "We have experienced a huge increase in our audio contracts over the past two years and some of these projects prompted the idea for the purchase of a large format concert system. Ireland is a unique market - and as we saw a gap in that market, we decided to fill it. Celtic Sound Ltd is a dry hire audio company, providing equipment for rental only. We present V-DOSC as a turnkey system package including the cabinets, amplifi

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UK - Reviewed as 'one of the best yet', V Festivals 2004, the two-site event which started in '96, enjoyed a strong line-up of artists, ever-swelling crowds and good weather. Sennheiser UK supplied a full range of evolution mics for the Music Choice Stages at Chelmsford and Stafford, through Capital Sound Hire who provided the sound for both. Sennheiser also had a backstage booth to provide support throughout the events.

The mics supplied included e935 for lead and backing vocals, e865 for lead vocals if a condenser was required, e614 condenser overheads, e609 for guitar cabs, e602 for kick-drums, e604 clip-on for drums and e903 for snare. Commenting for Capital Sound, project manager Martin Connolly said, "We were really pleased with the Sennheiser mics, which impressed throughout. Both FOH engineers, Mark Javitt and Dave Worcester, reported that they were very happy with

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UK - Continuing a 12 year relationship, the recent Edinburgh Festival Fringe saw Delta Sound once again supply the audio requirements for the Assembly Rooms. The venue comprises of six spaces, with capacities ranging from 80 up to 750. For 25 days it puts on a marathon 56 shows each day, running from 10.45am until two o'clock the following morning.

As the spaces are not used as performance venues for the rest of the year, rigging, draping, seating, power, sound and lighting all have to be installed to create a professional theatre experience for the paying public. Delta Sound's brief was to supply a PA and foldback system in each space, carefully tailored to the individual room.

"In all venues; the aim was to have equal coverage in all areas, without it sounding amplified," says Delta Sound project manager Steve Lutley. "The other big challenge was dealing with

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