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UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) will host its 2006 AGM and Members Lunch on Tuesday 6 June at the Hurlingham Club in West London.

The event has developed beyond an AGM in recent years, and is now much more of an active discussion forum for members who feedback on the work PLASA is doing and contribute to the future direction of the Association. The Members Lunch, which follows, grows in popularity each year, and in 2006 it is anticipated that 200 member companies will be represented. This year's speaker is business troubleshooter Alasdair Jeffrey who will talk to members about the challenges of growing and running a business. He was 'discovered' by the award-winning BBC series Trouble at the Top in 2004 and, as the subject of the 2006 BBC series The Ferocious Mr Fixit, he has built a formidable reputation over the years as a man who mak

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Benelux - In a major announcement on the first day of Frankfurt's ProLight&Sound exhibition, Ampco Belgium and TM Audio, both divisions of the Ampco / Flashlight Group, announced their joint agreement with Peavey Electronics to create an exclusive partnership covering all Peavey MI and pro audio products for the Benelux countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Under the ground-breaking agreement, which comes into effect immediately, Ampco Belgium and TM Audio will distribute, support and promote Peavey products with a highly developed infrastructure that will include dedicated vertical market sector sales teams, sales force and reseller product training schemes, product marketing support programmes, educational support initiatives and user endorsement programmes.

Uniquely, Peavey will integrate Ampco Belgium and TM Audio into its European logistics system, ensurin

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USA - Theatre designer David Taylor recently previewed plans for the Internet 2 facility being designed for the New World Symphony by Frank Gehry. Taylor has been involved with the New World Symphony, developing the new performance, rehearsal, broadcast and distance-learning facility in South Beach, Miami, in conjunction with the Symphony leadership including maestro Michael Tilson Thomas, since 2003.

Making the presentation on behalf of New World Symphony at the 2006 Internet 2 Performance and Master Class Production Workshop in Miami Beach, Florida, Taylor was joined by Richard Bunn, systems consultant from the London office of Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC). The two are close collaborators on the project, which will occupy two adjacent city blocks and which will enable high definition video and audio to be sent to and from a remote site at speeds thousands of times faster

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UK - A Professional Laser Display Safety training course has been announced by safety specialists Laser Visuals Research. The one-day course, which will be held at the KentScience Park, near Sittingbourne, Kent on 26 April 2006, combines theory with practical examples of many topics specific to laser display safety. In addition to the subjects covered during the course, each attendee receives a copy of the Laser Visuals Research 200 page handbook on laser display safety, and receives a certificate of attendance.

The course has been designed to provide essential and valuable information for anybody involved with working with laser lighting products, whether they be show operators, installation companies, manufacturers, or resellers of laser projectors. Course Director, James Stewart, says that, currently, with the dramatic advances in solid state laser technology, the large, expe

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Germany - In an unprecedented move in the world of audio rentals, seven of the UK's leading rental companies have joined forces to create a new rental company called M7 Audio Ltd. The new company has been formed to facilitate UK rentals of the new Midas XL8 live performance system.

The shareholders of the new company are: Britannia Row Productions, Canegreen, Capital Sound, Concert Sound, Skan PA Hire, SSE Audio Group, and Wigwam Acoustics. M7 Audio has committed to taking an initial eight 96-channel systems and associated components worth in excess of £1m.

The foundations for M7 were laid during 2005 when the worldwide audio rental industry was invited by Midas to evaluate the initial concept and plans for the manufacturer's digital project. Subsequent discussions between the M7 partners revealed a shared consensus that joint ownership was the best way to launch XL8 int

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UK - West Kirk Church, of Helensburgh, Scotland, is home to the Helensburgh Oratorio Choir. In the past, the choir made do with an old system of wooden blocks in the church as their performance area. In 2003, the chairman of the choir, Richard Hassall, decided that it was time for a new stage.

Initially, Maltbury MD Philip Sparkes visited the church to assess the needs of the choir. Tiers were required, but they would have to fit neatly between the organ and choir stalls and take account of a marble altar platform at the back. The stage would also need to store compactly, as it would have to be kept in an outhouse behind the church when not in use. The requirements were very precise.

Frequent communication over two years produced a customised Metrodeck stage. The resulting tiers fit perfectly between the existing fixtures in the church, creating a fully demountable performance

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UK - Ice lighting was proud to support the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, London, last week. Teenage Cancer Trust focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals.

During the week, over a number of quite different shows, Ice lighting played its cool media effects across a horizontal batten array, where it supported a multitude of acts including Razorlight, Bloc Party, Goldfrapp, Anthony and the Johnsons, Starsailor and Boy Kill Boy.

The overall lighting design was by Tom Kenny with individual LD's adding their distinctive feel to the proceedings.

Each day in the UK, six teenagers will find out they have cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust is striving to make life better for them.

(Chris Henry)

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UK - AV and event specialists VideoTheque launched a new AV concept at RSVP exhibition this year, building complete walls of PSCo's 'infinite' plasma screens to create a totally virtual party environment.

RSVP exhibition featured VideoTheque, an innovation which takes the use of AV to a new level, using it to create the backdrop for an entire event. This will allow organisers to create any environment for their party, in any venue, changing it as often as they wish.

The concept included a full sound system, live musicians and vocalists, and party footage created specifically to use the screens to maximum effect. Guests on the stand were featured on the screens as part of the content. This was created by a series of Hot Heads (remote controlled cameras) and hand held camera men which provide video feeds to be used in conjunction with all other pre recorded video material.

The

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UK - West London based Entec Lighting is supplying equipment for the phenomenally successful Doctor Who exhibition. This is currently in residence at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff, returning to its regional roots after an initial launch and six month stint on Brighton's Palace Pier, celebrating the Doctor's much anticipated return to TV screens in the new 2005 series.

Entec was contacted by Martin Wilkie from Experience Design Management Ltd, the production company licensed by the BBC to operate Doctor Who exhibitions and activities worldwide. In addition to the lighting kit, Entec also supplied technician Niall Hannell to rig and programme the exhibition.

The exhibition features a wide selection of monsters and villains - including the legendary Daleks - and a host of original props and costumes, designs and video clips from the new series starring Christopher Eccleston an

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UK - Zig Zag Lighting supplied the lighting and rigging to Amplitude AV of Bradford for a twelve date conference tour throughout the UK for the new Serious Organised Crime Agency. The aim of the conference is to integrate the pre-cursor organizations into the new agency prior to the full launch of SOCA on 3 April.

The rig consisted of a mixture of conventional Source 4s and fresnels, intelligent lights in the form of AC's tourspot, and 24 of the ChromaQ DB4 colour blocks, to create an understated yet interesting look.

The venues, ranging from London to Bolton and Birmingham presented a fewchallenges. Lighting operator Richard George said: "Fitting the set and all its attendant lighting and AV equipment into some of the smaller venues was a real challenge at times, especially on the power side of things.

Then there were the problems of making the set seem to fill the lar

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USA - Biamp today announced that Matthew Packer will serve as the new regional manager for the North Asia/Pacific region, which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong & Macao, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Effective immediately, Matthew Packer assumes responsibility for the coordination and support of regional distributors and channel partners, as well as the maintenance and development of successful integrator relations throughout the region. Based in Beijing, Packer will report to Graeme Harrison, Biamp Systems' vice president of international sales.

Commenting on the announcement, Harrison said: "The size and scope of the installations that Biamp is specified for in the North Asia/Pacific region demand that our sales team has a solid understanding of the region, the industry and the people who make these projects successful. Matthew's technical expertise and real-world experience

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UK - Leicester concert venue De Montfort Hall has recently installed an M7CL to use for a variety of rock concerts and theatre performances. The desk was purchased from London and Birmingham based LMC Audio who bought 10 of them shortly after the launch at PLASA 2005.

De Montfort Hall's head of sound, Alan Smith, who first came across M7CL desks when both Bjorn Again and League of Gentleman used them at the venue, is clearly delighted with the new console. "In conjunction with our in-house PA system the results are truly impressive," he said. "It's very easy to use, in fact it's almost like an analogue desk in digital format. We've trained up 10 people to use the desk and without exception, everyone walked away thinking it was a great piece of equipment. It normally takes about 5 minutes to get a handle on the desk, everything is right there in front of you,"

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UK - Harman Pro UK has installed an integrated audio solution, incorporating a new JBL VRX 932LA line array, as part of a major refurbishment of Aston University's Great Hall, in Birmingham. The installation, in partnership with Quadrant Visual Solutions, is the first in the UK of the new compact JBL line array series.

The Great Hall, within the imposing domed Aston Webb Building, dates back to 1900. A multi-function facility, as well as providing the largest lecture theatre on the campus, the hall is also used for seminars, presentations, examinations, graduation ceremonies, and performances and concerts of all kinds. Last refurbished during the 1960s, the current project was intended to bring it up to fully modern standards for presentation and performance.

Working with Harman Pro UK as a strategic partner, Quadrant put together a tender to provide a flexible, and aesthetica

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UK - RF Specialists Trantec is pleased to announce that Cardiff based Stage Sound Services has added another 12- channels of Trantec's S6002 wireless UHF radio mic system to its expansive rental fleet.

With this latest acquisition Stage Sound Services now boasts 30- channels of Trantec's acclaimed S6000 range. This includes 16- channels of the internationally award-winning S6000 8-way system, and seven units of its sister twin receiver version - the compact S6002.

Recognised for providing advanced solutions for live events, theatre applications and corporate presentations, SSS's Trantec fleet has augmented its potential to supply reliable and flexible systems designs, no matter how challenging the application.

The Trantec ranges fit perfectly into Stage Sound Services' portfolio, which comprises industry standard brands including, d&b audiotechnik, Digico, Soundcraft and All

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The Netherlands - Norwegian (Lapland) hire company Lydfiksern heard about the Sound Projects line-array Linex, deciding to order a first set of 12 Linex cabinets, without even having heard the system!

MD Thomas Mikarlsen says: "We purchased Linex because we heard fantastic reports from users in Norway. The weight and efficiency suited our needs. We found competing systems to have twice its weight and size. People we trust regarded Linex as a better sounding system. Easy setup was important too. We had never worked with any Sound Projects system before, and regret that now!

"The first concert we did with Linex was a jazz concert of the famous Norwegian quartet Tore Brunborg. Because the height of the venue was limited we could only fly three Linex per side. This was no problem; we got perfect coverage from the suggested SPArC settings (the Sound Projects line-array ca

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UK - Following Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's successful three and a half year run at the London Palladium the production took to the road last December to embark on a three year national tour. Currently being staged at the Manchester Palace Theatre the show is set to move to Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bristol and Southampton.

The show's automation supplier Stage Technologies has been working with Delstar Engineering and Stage Services on this project to make a number of significant changes to the original control system to cater for the touring production. The challenging design modifications were necessary to create a transportable set and also adhere to restrictions on the removal of stage flooring in the receiving venues.

The magical flying car was previously flown by a large mechanical arm that raised the car through the stage floor. For this touring production t

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UK - 5 Star Cases has designed and built a series of 20 custom flight cases to house Color Kinetics' new iColor Cove QL LED fixtures, for rental company Richard Martin Lighting.

In total, the cases hold 400 strips of iColor Cove. They are based on the popular 'Light Industrial' specification and were designed by 5 Star's Phil Lawrence working to a brief from RML's Steve Wells.

Light Industrial is becoming popular due to its expedient weight - made possible due to the carcass being constructed from 6mm plywood - and the strength is not compromised as the cases use the same basic fittings found on the heavier Industrial specification.

RML's black laminate exterior and full corporate branding were also part of 5 Star's brief. Each case houses 20 iColor units in two areas, one set of 10 in the base while a further 10 in a removable tray. Both areas of the case incorporated CNC r

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UK - UK mixer manufacturer, Allen & Heath Ltd., has signed a £9m secondary management buyout (MBO) with Close Brothers Growth Capital Ltd. (CBGC), a provider of combined equity and debt funding. The move marks the successful exit of 3i, who backed the original MBO in 2001, and an increase in the management's stake in the company, giving them majority control.

The MBO team is led by Allen & Heath's managing director, Glenn Rogers, who has fronted the company since the early 1990's, along with board members Dave Jones, finance director; Bob Goleniowski, sales director; and Tony Williams, operations director. Peter Adams continues as non-executive chairman, whilst James Blake, who led the transaction for CBGC, will also join the board.

"As is common with investment companies, 3i has supported a small, growing company and made an excellent ROI. After five years and a pe

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USA - Production Resource Group, LLC (PRG) has been honoured by the U.S. Department of Defense for supporting its employees who participate in the National Guard and Reserve Force. The award was presented on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense by the New York Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Recognizing PRG's above and beyond commitment to the Nation's Reserve Component personnel, ESGR presented the company with its 5 Star Statement of Support Certificate. PRG also is listed on the National ESGR website as a 5 Star Level Supporter.

"We are grateful for the sacrifices made by our employees and all men and women in our nations military," says Jere Harris, chairman and founder of PRG. "We are glad to do what we can to support them while they serve."

"Employers can support their personnel by holding jobs open a

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Germany - Genelec Oy: was awarded a prestigious MIPA (Music Industry Press Award) for Best Innovative Product for its latest 8000 series of monitors at the Musikmesse, last month.

This award has become the 'Grammy' of the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio industries. Fifity-eight music press magazine from all over the globe cast their vote to make Genelec winner of the category.

The 8000 Series of near-field, two-way systems took two years to develop. It features a new approach to enclosure design; driver technology and active electronics to further reduce distortion and provide an outstanding performance.

All three models in the 8000 series feature die-cast aluminium, minimum diffraction enclosures (MDE) which have large internal volumes, softly curved edges and outstanding strength to help reduce linear and non-linear distortion. They also incorporate Advanced Directivity

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USA - Electronic Stockroom, a leading West Coast consumer electronics distributor specializing in high-end audio and video electronics, today announced they will open a branch serving the Pacific Northwest territory of the United States.

"We are very excited to bring our experience and expertise to this new market," said Glen O'Brien, president of Electronic Stockroom. "We have developed a strong presence in California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii and look forward to providing our first-class service to the Pacific Northwest."

Part of the Edge Group of distributors, Electronic Stockroom serves the custom installation and custom home integration markets, addressing the professional integrators' need for 'just-in-time' inventory management by offering on-site and next-day availability of virtually all products they distribute. Some of the premium product lines

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Germany - Last October, EtherSound announced its 2006 development roadmap for the open digital audio networking standard, which is fully compliant with IEEE 802.3x Ethernet specifications.

At ProLight & Sound, the EtherSound development team delivered on a key milestone: a proof of performance demonstration of the new ES-Giga System Transport technology, which is optimized for the expanded bandwidth of Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3ab). The demo ran throughout the show, and showcased an Ethernet network handling both PCM digital audio and control data.

"ES-Giga is a System Transport technology because in addition to 512 channels of PCM audio data, it offers a dedicated 100 Mpbs for generic Ethernet data traffic," explains business development manager Jimmy Kawalek. "This allows ES-Giga users to run a variety of software programs that monitor and control devices fr

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Belgium - One of the most famous and revered venues in Europe, the Ancienne Belgique otherwise known as AB has always carefully protected its reputation as a groundbreaking venue. From its early beginnings, through acts like Blondie, The Ramones and Lena Lovich, to the present day with Starsailor, Rufus Wainwright or Heather Nova, AB has come to be known as the place to play for up coming bands.

No surprise then when the technical director Marc Vrebos chose to invite all serious pro-audio manufacturers to demonstrate their latest sound systems when the time came for renewal of the house PA. "The previous system had been installed in '96, we knew fromour own experiences, and from listening to what touring sound engineers told us, that the time had come for a line array," he said.

AB's head of sound Tom Janssen, assisted by Sven Van den Broek, AB's longest serving in-h

  1. Entec debuts d&b J-Series
  2. Color Kinetics appoint new UK Distributors
  3. GearSource and Martin reach agreement
  4. Opus Audio's Jerry Springer Moment
  5. Tough Dimmers for Tough Trucks
  6. PRG Europe is Franktastic on Sinatra
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