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14 March 2016

The Q Club is back after five years, recently refurbished and under new management. Once upon a time, this massive venue, a former Methodist church, was the heart of Birmingham's clubbing community - now, it is rebuilding its reputation for hosting the top events. With a main dancefloor overlooked by tiered seating which ascends up towards the ornate high ceilings, extra atmosphere is lent by the grand pipe organ that dominates one end of the club.

SJ Grevett, the energetic young owner of DMX Productions, has had his new EV XLD line array boxes in almost continuous use in the venue, particularly by promo

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14 March 2016

As one venue opens, another closes...Just a week after the news broke that the Marquee Club had closed, another long-standing London venue, The Astoria in Charing Cross Road, looks certain to close. London's mayor, Ken Livingston told The Times that it would be demolished to make way for the Cross Rail project which has finally been given the green light. An Internet-based petition to save The Astoria has attracted some big name signatures, but it's probably too late.

Looking on the bright side, though, the Cross Rail project should offer great opportunities for the installation sectors of our industry to get a slic

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14 March 2016

Stage Technologies worked with production manager and lighting designer, Alex Wardle, on this project, and provided a simple, easy to use system, capable of flying a small platform carrying two performers. The red, oval-shaped piece of floor is flown to stage level during the show, to bridge a gap in two circular stages. The same oval piece is also flown approximately six feet above the stage and supports the two performers who use the platform as a swing.

Alex Wardle commented: "Part of the reason we chose the system is that the Saxis is simple to programme and operate. Dur

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14 March 2016

The brief was to advise World Duty Free on the best and most innovative way to operate a fully integrated sound and visual media marketing package in their stores. Working with one of London's top retail design agencies, JHP and leading visual brand Sony, Pro Audio Systems created an integrated network of high quality audio systems in 13 zones across seven World Duty Free stores in the Terminal. Each zone had specific requirements varying from beauty areas and cocktail bars to arrivals areas.

The provision of clear, intelligible audio was the primary goal, coupled with designs that reflected the ambience of the store, all linked into

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14 March 2016

"We really wanted to have the album artwork in the arch, and we thought about projecting it, but there were some limitations for projections, especially with the shape of the arch we used. So we thought; how about a screen instead?

"The LC screens were perfect and the audience and band loved it. For the last four nights we used the first four albums, so one

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14 March 2016

In August 2006, aged 51, Chris Venn a prominent freelance production manager, working for many of the high profile communications and production companies of the last 25 years, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is currently is no long-term cure for this type of cancer, because the level of research funding in to this specific area is relatively poor. Sadly, after 13 months, Chris lost his battle in September last year, the same year that another industry colleague, freelance logistics manager Howard Kerr, was diagnosed with the same disease.

As Howard nears the 12-month mark since his diagnosis, he and his industry colleagues have begun to put

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14 March 2016

"For the Spice Girls tour we needed great sounding vocal mics with rock-solid radio performance," explains Ray Furze, the tour's FOH engineer. "The 935 capsule proved to be an excellent choice. We had no radio drop outs on the whole tour and I found they were highly resistant to feedback, even with all five mics 20 metres in front of the PA."

Monitor technician Matt Napier adds: "After Ray Furze and I reviewed all the radio systems that were available for the Spice Girls tour, it quickly became obvious t

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14 March 2016

Almost 3500 songs were entered for the 2008 Swedish national final, 32 of these made the four semi-finals and 10 artists performed in the final. Performing Hero, Charlotte Perrelli was the artist who received the highest number of points from the regional juries and televoters, and she now goes forward to represent Sweden in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade later this year.

The five-part Melodifestivalen culminated in a grand final at Stockholm's famous Globe venue in mid-March. All the concerts were sell-out shows, and the process up to and including the final selection was broadcast

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14 March 2016

The broadcaster has occupied the Millbank Media Centre (No. 4 Millbank) since 1993, since when it has carried out systematic technology upgrades. In addition to presenting down-the-line interviews to its main studio in Osterley, the studio houses a weekly PMQs show and covers breaking news from around Westminster.

Sky has an open policy when it comes to third party vendors, but during a visit to last year's PLASA Show at Earl's Court, Mark Fowler, who manages Sky TV's lighting department, saw the LED strips on the stand of

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14 March 2016

For years, Google was using complex switching and cabling setups, as well as multiple remotes to connect and operate its projectors in order to show various presentations. Google AV/IT staff found this arrangement costly and time consuming. As such, Google decided to replace its existing projection equipment in its auditorium with an up-to-date visual system that offered only the best in terms of ease of use and projecting various types of content simultaneously and flexibly. After an extensive review of display solutions, Google narrowed do

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14 March 2016

For this reason the generic term 'Creative LED' was borrowed from Barco to give the variety of solutions one name, say Lightpower, adding that the term will soon become the internationally accepted term for this product field.

The new centre will focus on close co-operation with the professional end-user, expertise in all disciplines within the sales team, and will offer a synergy of product solutions covering controllers, network components and media serves.

Lightpower also reports that an extens

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14 March 2016

The Centre is equipped with a pair of Zeus DSP intercom matrices by RTS. This system features the same programmability as the top-of-the-line ADAM frame, but in a package that is better suited for smaller installations such as theatres and other performance venues. The Zeus provides 24 channels of audio in a compact 2RU package. Each channel is capable of supporting any of the RTS Digital Matrix Intercom line of keypanels, or four-wire inputs and outputs.

For wired communication, the Centre chose the dual-channel BP-325 beltp

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14 March 2016

Unit 2 Riverside Business Centre, 55 Bendon Valley, Wandsworth, London SW18 4LZ.

The phone and fax numbers remain the same and the company hopes to have a new website up and running by the end of March. A company statement says: "We look forward to providing our customers with the same high quality lighting solutions from our new home."

(Claire Beeson)

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14 March 2016

With confidentiality and acoustic comfort becoming increasingly important in modern corporate and enterprise workspaces, Apple Sound's latest developments include the Quell range of active and passive sound masking technologies which provide truly scaleable sound masking solutions to any environment.

The move will be completed by 28 March 2008, but with immediate effect all correspondence may be directed to the new address which is: Apple Sound

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14 March 2016

Anthony developed his own portfolio of flexible mobile media advertising vehicles. "These were primarily poster media vehicles - however, I started to look at digital media possibilities when I was engaged with private and public sector campaigns, educating people about the risks associated with drink driving. We needed to engage with all the senses - audio as well as visual."

It was then that SA Media Group were introduc

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14 March 2016

After evaluating different systems during demonstrations in the Portuguese Algarve, close to their base, Sons da Vicentina have made their first investment in Martin Audio line array technology to service the massive Anjos tour.

After Tecnimusica MD, Jorge de Oliveira and Martin Audio's international sales manager, Martin Kelly set up the audition, the production company's proprietor, Flávio Figueiras took the decision to purchase 16 x W8LC enclosures and two W8LCD Down-fills - giving him two nine-drop hangs - and 12 x WS218X subs. He decided to keep amplification and processing in the Martin Audio domain, ordering a selection of MA12K, MA9.6K and MA2.8s amplifiers to power the system along with a pair of DX2 sys

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14 March 2016

Timo Kauristo explained the choice: "Actually I insisted on the grandMA once I knew the variety of lighting that the rig would contain - 100 movers, LEDs, conventionals - plus the fact that we would have to programme the show in a short time frame. In an unknown situation like this, I need to know I can rely on my desk." The two-level stage was 24m wide and 18m deep. 100sq.m of LED screens were used in the show with

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14 March 2016

Working for production company Done and Dusted, audiovisual services company Creative Technology (CT) provided the event's demanding screen requirements, a service it has been providing to the Laureus Awards for the past three years whilst sister company, Dimension Audio, was on hand to address its audio needs.

In charge of CT's five-man crew was project manager Alex Leinster, who explains what was involved: "We used Barco OLite 612 modules for the main screen in an 8x6 module which was split into four columns that were tracked backwards and forwards on a Vertigo Rigging system during the show, to create en

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14 March 2016

The walk through experience was entitled Inspire Life 2008 and was attended by top business executives, MEP's and Government representatives, amongst others. Products from across Hitachi's entire range were exhibited through the area.

"We had several challenges to contend with," said Simon Wood, sales director, Stage One. "Both of which are hardly unique; the first being access and the second, time. However, we worked hard to overcome both and delivered the project on time, on budget and to the high specification required."

The eight different

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14 March 2016

From now until 17 July, proposals for sound logos can be uploaded directly onto the website below. Each entrant can upload a maximum of five tracks in MP3 format (stereo, 128, 192or 256kb/s, max 10MB). There is no optimum length for a sound logo, but audio tracks definitely shouldn't be any longer than eight seconds.

In August, 30 finalists will be chosen from all the submissions. At the end of the month, these thirty tracks will be placed before the public in an on

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14 March 2016

"The sound was loud, but pretty much unintelligible," explains Mike Shetler of Atlanta-based VisionQuest Design and Production. "People in the stands couldn't really make out what was being said, but the school was getting plenty of complaints from the neighbours."

In fact, says Shetler, it ended up becoming a safety issue. "The night of their first home football game of 2007, they needed to evacuate the stadium due to a lightning storm, but the sound was so bad the crowd couldn't understand the announcement."

Shetler designed a

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14 March 2016

The five-piece band is currently in the midst of an 80-city European tour in support of their latest release, Domino Effect, playing to packed halls and arenas through a Meyer Sound system courtesy of Hanover, Germany-based Rocksound Management.

The sound system comprises left and right arrays of 12 M'elodie line array loudspeakers each, with powerful bass provided by two 600-HP subwoofers per side. On stage, four MJF-212A stage monitors handle the band's monitoring.

Lothar Strunk of Rocksound comments: "The M'elodie's output is truly exceptional for such a small cabinet. It's powerful, but also delivers great intelligibility. And the small size makes it very easy to handle as well."

(Jim

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14 March 2016

Proaktiv will be responsible for the management of sales, distribution, service of Powersoft product range through their regional offices and Partners located in Singapore (Headquarters), Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

"We carry brands that complement each other, however, we had a missing link, power amps . . . But choosing the right brand was not a difficult decision at all," said Chandan Mahtani, managing director of Proaktiv Sys. "Powersoft was the only company we approached and it was an obvious choice. We are very happy that Powersoft appointed us as their distributor for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. I like the energ

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14 March 2016

John Lacina of PA Plus, who mixed the music portion of the show, reports, "The XL8 sounds, feels, and behaves like an analogue Midas, but with huge digital processing power. I noticed a marked improvement right from the start in the sound quality over other digital products I have used. The XL8 lived up to the hype, so to speak, in that it does not sound digital at all. In this sense the stellar onboard EQ and Dynamics can be used to fine tune, rather than outright fix, the sound, sometimes encountere