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14 March 2016

Houston-based LD Systems designs and deploys sound reinforcement and lighting on a massive scale for the HLSR. This year, LD Systems' massive 108-speaker Electro-Voice X-Line rig was augmented by the new Midas XL8 digital live performance system.

The HLSR features 23 top tier acts over 20 days, running the genre gamut from George Strait to Beyonce to ZZ Top. Having had the opportunity to demo the XL8 during the day prior to soundcheck and showtime, well over half the performers' FOH engineers opted to use the XL8 for their evening mix - all became comf

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14 March 2016

Amanda Chester, marketing manager for Harman Pro UK, comments, "We've been really knocked out by the response to this competition. It just goes to show how vibrant the UK's new music scene is,"

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The ceremony and dinner, which was held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on 28 March, presented a total of 12 awards, including a lifetime achievement award for John Grisham. The Nibbies are the only awards which take votes both from the public and the Academy of the British Book Industry, made up of publishers, booksellers, past winners and other industry representatives.

PRG Europe supplied some 40 Vari-Lite luminaires and 60 conventionals, including ETC S

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14 March 2016

This follows on from the successful 2005 ESC production in Kiev, which featured 350 Robe fixtures. Once again, the show's technical production manager is Ola Melzig, and the production company is Spectra from Sweden. Lighting equipment for the event, staged in Helsinki's 12,000 capacity Hartwall Areena is being supplied by locally based Eastway Oy, and the Robe units will be delivered directly to the show from the Czech Republic.

The ESC deal was cut with Robe's International sales manager Harry von den Stemmen, who comments, "This is take two for Robe at Eurovision, and it is really very exciting to be working with Ola and the Spectra team again. I caught a glimpse of Mikki's ideas for the show

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14 March 2016

The Jan Smit setup features a Midas Heritage 2000 at front of house and a Heritage 3000 on monitors. The workshop demonstrated the DN9331 Rapide which gives direct access to all graphic equalisation functions of KT's Helix digital equalisers, providing instant recall of fader positions by the use of 31 console-quality 100 mm long motorised faders.

The Rapide provided fader control for two DN9344E quad Helix EQs and one DN9340E Helix dual-channel master for dynamics control, working via the Solo Tracking System (STS)

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14 March 2016

During 2007, 20 WorldNet Oslo units will be deployed to a variety of European Public Service broadcasters who will use them to transmit live radio broadcasts in surround sound. Success for this pilot project will lead to the roll-out of an additional 50 units in 2008 to the remaining member and affiliate broadcasters that belong to the EBU.

In recent months the EBU has been actively seeking to agree formats and standards with regard to transporting Multi Channel Audio. A working group brought together the collective findings of those broadcasters who had already experimented with live surround sound, including ORF in Austria and WDR in

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14 March 2016

"Ford's licence of Color Kinetics' patents marks a very exciting milestone - both for the accumulating strength of our licensing programme and the penetration of LED technology into bigger, broader markets," said Bill Sims, president and CEO, Color Kinetics. "We believe that the ability to personalise spaces, whether homes, workstations or even cars, has widespread market appeal, and the opportunity to put this advanced control in vehicle owners' hands is

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14 March 2016

Bandit UK's chief executive, Lester Cobrin comments, "Working with Steve [Levitt], Peter [Barnes] and Dave [Lee] is always a pleasure. Westlife continue to raise the bar and we are honoured to be part of such an exemplary production."

Barnes' design utilises some clever eye trickery, making the stage appear a lot larger than it actually is. He has dispensed with a front truss to give the impression of as much openness and space onstage as possible, and overhead there are seven architectural st

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14 March 2016

The lighting is a collaboration between lighting director Daunte Kenner and production manager Alan Thompson. The rig includes 12 PixelLine 1044s, 24 PixelArc Rs and a variety of moving fixtures.

It is the first time Daunte has used PixelArcs as floor fixtures and comments, "PixelLines do an excellent job of filling in the blanks of a rig when you are on a tight budget and low on fixtures. They're quick to set-up and require very little labour. They offer multiple services: wash lights, audience abuse, truss warmers, awkward set pieces, cyc lights and you can even pump video through them."

He continues, "Even more valua

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14 March 2016

The Jasmine, designed in Art-Deco style features a QS 1082, driven by K.M.E. SPA 450 S amplifiers. The digital controller was programmed to customer requirements with different presets while mixing is via a Midas Venice 160.

The Bank boasts a 120sq.m dance floor. On both the right and the left side of the DJ pulpit six PANO QL 906s on TB 500 are flown. QLB 118 subwoofers are set in blocks. The DJ uses K.M.E. CLP 320 as monitors. As front-fill QS 1082 have been installed into the pulpit radiating on the dance floor. Below the gallery on the left and right side QS 1082 are installed as side-fill.

Also, the bar area and lounge are equipped with QS 1082s as delay controlled by a DAP 26. The electr

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14 March 2016

"I started the relationship with Columbia University's Lerner Hall by providing rental gear," said Lou Mannarino of L&M Sound in Staten Island, New York. "They would rent our equipment for events and activities in Lerner Hall - for everything from culture shows to meetings, concerts and other activities."

The Hall's previous system included a centre cluster that was not covering the room properly, making for unintelligible speech. Plus, the two mix positions were awkwardly placed. "One was behind glass and the other was difficult to manipulate," said Mannarino. "The system itself was underpowered with ceiling speakers used as under balcony fills."

Mannarino's system is based on the Turbosound

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14 March 2016

The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust wanted to update the existing lighting of the bridge with a new solution that would display the immense achievement of the structure. Illumination has long been part of the bridge's appeal, but previously it had focused more on a lit bulb component, rather than lighting the bridge structure itself.

With the bridge a key landmark of Bristol and the surrounding region, the Trust wanted the main elements of the bridge (the deck, the chains and the towers) to be treated with concealed light sources wherever possible. In ad

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14 March 2016

Although Manos started out as a backline company, it has developed its inventory to include consoles and control systems. "We've been developing this concept since digital mixers came onto the market, and have been waiting for Midas to make this big step," says Manos owner Vasilakis Stamos. "Our aim is to provide top quality equipment that PA companies maybe can't afford or don't want to buy, but which they find they need."

Manos Backline Hire will be providing a month of training for local sound engineers upon delivery of the XL8. The first Midas XL8 to arrive in Greece is now up and running at Ath

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14 March 2016

Says Jazz at Lincoln Center lighting director Zakaria Al-Alami, "The upstage wall of the Allen Room is all glass, looking down at the circle and straight down 59th Street - the perfect visibility for our brand. Displaying a sign of any sort in the window was a tad challenging for a number of reasons. Thenext best thing: use the back wall of the Allen Room. But we still needed something bright, legible, and economical and something that would fit right in with the architecture and aesthetics of the room. Building a light box was out of the question."

The solution was to use an ETC Source Four spotlight fitted with ETC's Enhanced Definition Lens Tube (EDLT) and

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14 March 2016

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14 March 2016

Adlib's Andy Dockerty says, "We consider it an honour to be able to look after Pete, and with so many other quality companies out there we believe in going the extra mile to ensure he is happy. Pete and I have a very similar attitude towards mixing bands and I believe I know what he requires his system to do. The major difference between Pete and myself as engineers is that he is good .....and understands digital."

Keppler used one of Adlib's JBL VerTec line array systems on the tour - 12 elements of

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14 March 2016

Adams has been on the road since November 2006 and in that time has toured South American and the USA. For these sections, they toured the Avo console throughout and picked up local rigs for each show.

"You need a board that's totally hands on in this situation" says McRobb, "I need to be able to grab and access looks, scenes and fixtures instantly and to be able to improvise and go with the flow in real time - just as he does."

The rig is based on three trusses and a back wall. The back wall contains 15 Skypans and twenty 4-cell Moles. The rear truss features four N

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14 March 2016

"Britrow had told me they had one available and I'd been looking at using it for a fair while as an avid XL4 user in the past," says Lemon. "It's a matter of opportunity; I happened to be in London, I was already thinking about these shows, and Mike Lowe told me it was available and I thought, why not?"

After completing the three shows Lemon says: "In practise it came back to that sonic aspect, the desk just stands head and shoulders above everything else for sheer panoramic range. Lots of

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14 March 2016

Based in Groningen in the north of The Netherlands, De Geluidsmaker is one of the country's leading theatre sound suppliers with shows such as Soul of Motown. De Geluidsmaker's D1 is destined for a new production of the highly successful musical Fame, due to open in The Netherlands in September.

"We looked at various consoles, but decided on the D1 for many reasons," says De Geluidsmaker's Herman van Mal. "DiGiCo's David Webster came over to Holland to demonstrate the console for us and we were extremely impressed. The combination of compact size, sound quality, the new V4 software and the ability to record straight fro

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14 March 2016

Audio Engineering Recording Fellow Gene Gerhiser was on hand to capture the concert on Pro Tools, and used the eight-channel True Systems Precision 8 mic preamp.

"I had used a Precision 8 on one other occasion and knew that it was solid and reliable, which was important given who I would be recording," Gerhiser reported. "In addition to that, the Precision 8 has dual outputs, which allowed me to easily record a primary to Pro Tools and a backup to digital tape."

Gerhiser recorded the concert with two Schoeps MK4 capsules on CMC6 bodies configured in an ORTF configuration. He supplemented those with two Schoeps omnis and a pair of Neumann 140s as an XY pair on the woodwinds

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14 March 2016

Ben Teale from Berkshire-based Congo Blue provided lighting, sound, set and full technical production for this section of the show for the eighth season. This year he wanted something different to incorporate into his set design which had to be a versatile effect and fit the budget.

The StageBanners were mounted on the top rail of the rear truss above the runway entrance, Four polycarbonate panels with different sized holes cut into them, were suspended below each StageBanner, painted white on one side and black on the reverse. Small spinning bases were positioned at the bottom of the panels, supporting them on th

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14 March 2016

The four-month redevelopment programme will see the total building capacity increase to 1,150 (from the former 750) following the purchase of the adjacent retail outlet.

AMG will create three separate performance spaces for live music and club nights, with state-of-the-art facilities both front of house and backstage and full in-house production.AMG plans to rename the main venue (downstairs) Carling Academy Oxford which will have a maximum capacity of 900, though it will be flexible for alternative configurations.

The secondary venue will be the upstairs area of the building and named The Zodiac with a capacity for up to 436 p

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14 March 2016

The Avalon Sound division of the Las Vegas-based entrepreneurs' design/build firm, John Lyons Systems, is responsible for the custom PA and lighting systems being used at the new Martini Park venues. Lyons also owns Avalon clubs in Boston and New York, as well as Avalon and Spider Club in Los Angeles, and was co-developer of the Avalon Series professional loudspeakers. "My extensive experience in the entertainment industry enables me to provide visionary design concepts combined with

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14 March 2016

Southampton based hire company, GLS Lighting provided the lighting rig, a large amount of LED VersaTubes, a Hippotizer media server, live cameras on stage and to control it all - a ChamSys MagicQ MQ200 console.

The rigs itself comprised of 20 Robe ColourSpot 1200Ate, 20 MAC600, 14 Atomic strobes with scrollers, 20 ChromaQ Colourblock DB4, 20 LED PAR 64s, 260 VersaTubes driven from a Hippotizer plus a variety of moles, generics and dimmers over four universes of ArtNet.

Lighting Designer, Esteban Caracciolo found the transition to the MagicQ extremely easy and he was particularly impressed with the powerful media and LED control, and with t