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UK - Following the launch of Flare Audio at PLASA 2010, the company has announced the appointment of its first UK dealer. Mustt Audio based in Sheffield UK purchased a full Stealth Array X4 system with CF182 bass enclosures and Lab Gruppen PLM series amplification to add to their hire stock, the company has taken on official full dealership status.

Flare's Davies Roberts said: 'We are very pleased to have appointed our first UK dealer, Waq (owner of Mustt Audio) totally understands where we are going and we are honoured to have appointed him as our first UK dealer. At the show we received some great comments about our products and demo room from some of the most respected people in the industry; this was extremely encouraging for a brand new company. Following the PLASA show, we are in discussions with a number of large venues including one major installation."

"We a

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UK - GDS received another notable accolade at this year's PLASA show. The GDS BluesSystem LED performance working light system was nominated for the Theatres Trust Peoples Choice Award alongside prominent manufacturers including, ETC, Philips Vari' Light, Whitelight, I-Pix, JB Lighting, Robert Juliat and Prism Projection Inc. The award was presented to GDS by the Theatres Trust at its new Ecovenue feature on Tuesday 14 September.

The Theatres Trust's Ecovenue feature was designed to highlight the pioneering environmental efficiency practices being implemented across London venues and featured technologies designed to improve the environmental footprint of theatres. The People's Choice Award was voted for by industry professionals visiting the show and was presented to GDS, for the product that demonstrated the most significant improvement in sustainable theatre technology.

Tim

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UK - The people of Sunderland gathered earlier this month for the unveiling of the city's revamped rail station. The £7m renovation has seen new waiting areas, lighting, ceilings, floors and wall panelling installed, but the most impressive additions are the three art installations, one of which is a dazzling new light installation designed by Jason Bruges Studio and supplied by Architainment Lighting UK.

In creating the light wall installation on platform five, Jason Bruges called on Architainment for a custom solution. Architainment supplied 717 Philips Color Kinetics eW Flex SLX fittings with 15 node strings. This warm white string LED solution is a versatile strand of 50 individually controllable white light LED nodes. The durable, flexible form allows for dynamic points of white light to be installed across nearly any interior or exterior surface, including walls, cei

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UK - The long running BBC children's TV show Blue Peter is in its 52nd year this year and continues to go from strength to strength. Richard Martin Lighting continues to support Lighting Designer Lee Allen in bringing a fresh and energetic look to the ever more contemporary show. This week Disney Channel diva Selena Gomez and her band The Scene perform her latest single Round and Round in the Blue Peter garden.

RML's recently purchased Global Design Solution (GDS) Liteware HO-Uplighters were the focal of the music number - 24 of them positioned around the trees, stage and tree house.

"The Uplighters were used to up light bits of the garden and facing towards the cameras for some eye candy for the music number," says Allen. "As always the close up of the guest had nothing behind them but that wasn't a problem I just picked up the lamp repositioned i

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USA - Pop/rock hitmakers Train continues to turn to Audio-Technica for wired and wireless microphone solutions as the band rolls through North America and Europe this fall.

Train's current mic setup includes the following models: Audio-Technica's Artist Elite 5000 Series wireless systems with AEW-T5400 transmitter for lead vocals, AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone for lead and backing vocals, ATM650 Hypercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone for snare, AE5100 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for hi-hat, ATM450 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for overheads, and ATM250DE Dual-Element Instrument Microphone and AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone for guitars.

The band's FOH mixer Rob Thomas stated, "This is simply the best sounding microphone selection I've had in years. I love them all. The ATM650 is like a great instrument mic on stero

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UK - Lighting designer Tim Routledge has finished two major shows at the homes of rugby in England and Wales - A Concert for Heroes and The Ryder Cup Concert.

Routledge was lighting director for the Help for Heroes concert at Twickenham Stadium. Headlined by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow. Also performing that night were Enrique Iglesias, Alexandra Burke, Alicia Dixon, The Wanted, Katherine Jenkins, Peter Kay. Creative director was Kim Gavin for Live Nation.

The rig was co-designed by Tim Routledge and Steve Nolan who was also production manager of the show and managed by PRG's Rich Gorrod. The comprehensive rig based around the 'H' stage designed by Misty Buckley was supplied by PRG and featured a large rig of VL3000 spots, VL3500 wash and FX units, GLP Impressions, Alpha Beam 300's, 2 lites, Color blocks and Infinity XL washes.

Routledge was responsible for the lighting o

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Germany - TOA will present their EN 54 certified VM-3000 series compact public address and voice alarm systems at Security Essen 2010. The company will also show their EN 54-24 certified speakers including the TOA PC-1867FC flush-mounted ceiling and the BS-680FC wall-mounted public address speakers. TOA's fully EN 54-4 certified power supply with the VX-2000DS at its centre will also be on display.

"TOA has an extremely long and solid record in standard compliance," says Wolfgang Pein, director, German sales at TOA Europe. "EN 54 stipulates the product and testing requirements for voice alarm components in fire detection and alarm systems and TOA were first to bring the compliant products to market. They can be found in a number of systems in use today such as the OpernTurm in Frankfurt Germany."

EN-54 aims to improve the communication of installed systems

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UK - Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK, the Cadac LIVE1 compact console, the company's first ever development in the affordable console market, ships in November.

The delivery of the first LIVE1 series consoles to dealers and distributors in the first week of next month, heralds the UK's leading heritage mixing console manufacturer's move beyond its traditional high-end musical theatre and live sound production markets, in which its reputation for product quality, innovation and sonic performance has remained unchallenged for more than 30 years.

LIVE1 is a fully specified, fully Cadac console, that incorporates the company's analogue engineering heritage within a lightweight, compact, affordable design. Available in 16, 24 and 32 channel frame sizes, the LIVE1 exploits modern design and manufacturing techniques to deliver a compact console at a price point that ma

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USA - With 11.6m tickets sold between 2000 and 2009, the Dave Matthews Band was the top touring act of the last decade. Now with its 2010 tour, DMB is picking up where it left off, selling out even the largest arenas and baseball stadiums such as Wrigley Field.

The group's ability to create a genuine emotional connection with its audiences, along with its widely-known support of environmental and charitable causes - from Farm Aid to Hurricane Katrina relief - have undoubtedly played a big role in attracting this loyal fan following. One of the 'newcomers' to the 2010 tour is the Design Wash LED Pro, a compact energy-efficient high-power RGBW moving head colour wash from Elation Professional.

DMB lighting designer Fenton Williams and programmer Aaron Stinebrink are using 16 Design Wash LED Pros, supplied by Theatrical Media Services (Omaha, NE), as colour-changing truss toners.

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USA - Audio-Technica has declared its support for the recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to protect wireless microphones from interference by TV Band Devices (TVBD).

The FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order issued 23 September sets aside two TV channels in each market specifically for wireless microphones. This will allow wireless microphones to operate in those protected channels without interference from new 'white space devices'. In addition, according to the FCC ruling, professional users of large arrays of wireless microphones, such as theatrical performances and music concerts, can apply for extended spectrum coverage via a geolocation database that the FCC is building and that is currently up for bid for management.

This long-awaited FCC ruling is the culmination of over two years of testing and lobbying efforts among competing interests for the white s

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UK - Stylish, glamorous and beautiful set the tone for the 2010 Women's Aid ACT Gala Dinner and fundraiser, which was produced by west London, UK, based creative practice, DesignScene.

The star studded event for 260 top patrons and supporters of the high profile domestic violence charity was staged in the ornate Ballroom of The Dorchester in London's and presented by Neil Fox.

It included live performances by Will Young and the Poofs And A Piano who entertained guests in the reception area. Other highlights were special addresses by Sarah Brown and Duncan Bannatyne, who drew attention to the goals and principals of Women's Aid's 'Real Man' campaign, bringing a new and additional dimension to the evening.

DesignScene was asked to produce the event for the second year running, after bringing a fresh and innovative visual approach to last year's much acclaimed gala dinne

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China - Wireless Solution Sweden participated in the ACE Open House in Shanghai on 17 September, where the new W-DMX G4 range of products was introduced to over 100 professionals from the Chinese market.

Attendees of the open house, which included prominent lighting designers from the television, live event and architectural lighting segments, were given a presentation of the W-DMX G4 product line, detailing its range of innovative new features including Adaptive Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technology to dynamically avoid frequency ranges in use by other radios, built-in dual-band 5.8GHz support to allow designers and technicians access to unfettered frequency bands, and support for RDM to allow fixture feedback information through the W-DMX system.

Attendees were also impressed by the fact that all three universes of DMX in the presentation venue were running off W-DMX

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Denmark - Following the success of the Martin US road show this past summer - a 37-city, 18-week tour that saw Martin personnel hold 85 local events across the US - Martin EMEA is launching a Road Show of its own this fall with local events scheduled across Europe.

Martin EMEA is continuing the Martin Brighter World road show theme yet in a slightly smaller format. The Brighter World road show tour is an innovative approach to relationship building that brings Martin directly to important lighting professionals, says the company. Targeted at the entertainment, as well as commercial and architectural markets, the on-the-road concept allows for a more detailed, personal dialogue and is aimed at exposing lighting professionals to the latest Martin gear through product demonstrations, application and hands-on training, and on-site presentations.

The Martin European R

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Australia - Established in Cairns in 1992, the JUTE Theatre represents the vision of three women, Kathryn Ash, Susan Prince and Suellen Maunder who recognised the need for a professional theatre company to service the Far North Queensland region of Australia.

When an overhaul of the JUTE black box theatre became necessary, Arts Queensland as the venue managers put out their tender and after demos and quotes were submitted, and with the invaluable guidance of Keith Clarke they decided on the Philips Selecon SPX and called on the long-time, local Philips Selecon dealer to supply.

"There were a few raised eyebrows around the place when the order came in and we saw the required delivery date; to say it was going to be a little tight is something of an understatement but as ever, and with very little persuasion, our friends in Auckland came through and the fixtures were built

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USA - Xantech has expanded its commercial division's sales team in the United States with two new rep appointments.

Reisterstown, Maryland-based Samuel K. Macdonald (S.K. Macdonald) has been named Xantech representative for the Mid-Atlantic region. Also, Anew Communication Technology (Anew C.T.), who has been successfully representing Xantech Commercial throughout the West, including Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho and Montana, expands their territory to include the Pacific Northwest. These announcements were made by Rick Seegull, Xantech director of business development.

"S.K. Macdonald is one of the industry's oldest and most reputable rep firms and we are pleased to have them as part of the Xantech Commercial sales force," stated Seegull. "We are very glad to be working with Perry D'Angelo and his team, and

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UK - The 4th annual APRS Sound Fellowship Lunch is to be held at the Roof Gardens, Kensington on Tuesday 16 November. Tony Wadsworth, chairman of the BPI, has been invited to give the 'keynote' address by way of proposing the special 'Harewood Toast'.

The Harewood Toast was introduced last year, designed to provide an opportunity for a prominent member of the music, film and TV businesses to speak about the relationship they have with the studios and service providers that make their products.

The inaugural proposer of the Harewood Toast last year was Jeremy Lascelles, CEO of Chrysalis Music who is the son of the Earl of Harewood, the founding President of the APRS and its current Patron.

The APRS's annual celebration, hosted by Sir George and Lady Martin, sees the recognition of six new recipients of the APRS Sound Fellowship bestowed on individuals who made a 'significant

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Sold Out - Tickets for Glastonbury Festival 2011 sold out in just over four hours after thousands of fans flooded the website and phone lines. The festival's website and Twitter feed apologised to those who missed out, adding there had been some issues with getting through "due to the sheer volume of people". Tickets sold out eight hours quicker than last year, the festival said. Fans were able to reserve up to eight tickets at a time. They had to pay a £50 deposit now and the rest when the booking site re-opens on 1 April 2011. Passes for next year's festival, which starts on 22 June, cost £195 - up £10 on last year's price.

Staying On - Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis says he's not ready to hand the day-to-day running of the festival over to his daughter Emily yet. Eavis, 75, celebrated the festival's 40th anniversary earlier this year but

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UK - The first ever PLASA International Rigging Conference for the event and entertainment rigging industry has proved a major success with delegates and speakers alike.

Taking place last month at Earls Court Conference Centre, alongside PLASA 2010, the event brought together over 200 delegates from as far afield as South Africa, North America and Australasia to discuss a range of issues and to share experiences.

The two full-on days of discussion were opened by Unusual Rigging's Alan Jacobi LVO, an industry icon who engaged delegates with a fascinating history of the rigging industry across the past five decades. The back-to-back programme of sessions and interactive debates which followed were well received by the capacity audience.

Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, part of the international line-up of speakers at the event, summed up the view of many: "The PLASA Interna

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UK - AV specialist Media Powerhouse has acquired AV and broadcast equipment specialist Clockworxx Limited. Clockworxx was created in 2009 following the merger of Clockwork Capital's Technical Services division and Boxx, the technical staging expert. Clockworxx delivers expert AV design and build services along with facility installations for broadcast. The company also provides project based rentals for the live events industry.

Moving forward, Clockworxx, led by Albert Seaward, will join the Media Powerhouse group of companies further strengthening its audio visual offering. The trading title of Boxx is to be re-established under the ongoing stewardship of live events expert Terry Barnes.

Terry Barnes, Head of Technical Projects at Boxx, says: "Both Charles Beddow and Michael Breen are industry and business experts. Their customer focused ethos ensures that their clients

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USA - Tait Towers and Fisher Technical Services Inc have formed an agreement which allows the two companies to coordinate and share resources and technologies. The two companies say they are now able to provide "a competitive and formidable combination of tightly integrated staging and automation technologies for clients in all sectors of the entertainment industry".

Tait Towers has used the FTSI Navigator control system on many of its flagship projects, including the recent tours for Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga and Roger Waters' The Wall. This technology has given Tait the ability to equip clients with systems that are able to coordinate and control deck machinery, chain hoists, video walls and other motion effects while simultaneously sharing information with lighting and video systems.

"Navigator continues to allow us to do things that would have otherwise bee

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USA - The Wybron Mobile Showroom will return to the road 11-15 October, making stops in Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky during the thirteenth leg of its first national tour.

The showroom will make its first stop Monday, 11 October at Mainstage Theatrical Supply in Memphis, Tenn., before heading to Bradfield Stage Lighting in Nashville and Tennessee Lighting Company in Knoxville on 12 and 13 October respectively.

Then it's off to Vincent Lighting Systems in Solon, Ohio, where the showroom will remain parked on 14 October before visiting Vincent's sister store in Erlanger, Ky, 15 October for its final stop of the month.

Each stop will provide visitors with a hands-on survey of new and classic Wybron gear, including the Cygnus advanced color LED line, as well as a chance to chat with Wybron staff members and enjoy complimentary food.

"In this first year of touring we've pi

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USA - The American Airlines Arena is Miami's top sporting and entertainment venue, hosting everything from family entertainment such as Disney On Ice through to concerts from major international artists (Shakira, Lady Gaga and more). However, above all, the AmericanAirlines Arena is home to professional basketball team, The Miami Heat, currently one of the highest-ranking teams in the NBA. The facility is now also home to an Eclipse digital mixing console from Innovason following a recent AV upgrade which has moved everything into the digital domain.

The Miami Heat's director of broadcast services, David Vickery, explained their decision to purchase an Eclipse, "In fact we already had an Sy48 that we were looking to upgrade with new cards and so on, but then we visited InfoComm and saw the new Eclipse. Kevin Madden gave us a demo, and after that, there was no going b

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UK - Midas Klark Teknik has presented Bucks New University with wall plaques to recognise a burgeoning relationship between the organisations, and their joint efforts to tailor courses to the audio industry.

Bucks New University prides itself on strengthening links between education and industry, and the hookup with the brands is a striking example. Midas Siena and Verona consoles, plus Klark Teknik equipment including Square ONE Dynamics and Graphics units are being used for live sound modules in the university's BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production and Music & Live Event Management courses. The university has a 500-capacity venue for which students book bands, promote concerts and provide sound and lighting expertise. The Midas and KT equipment allows them to experience a real-world setup, with dedicated front of house and monitor consoles.

"We'd seen a growth in live mus

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India - The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi relied heavily on Barco technology. No less than 32 ultra-bright FLM R22+ projectors lighted up the event, making it an unforgettable experience. In total, 50 of these projectors will be in use during the Games.

The Commonwealth Games are being organized for the 19th time this year - and for the first time ever in India. During the event, thousands of athletes from the members of the Commonwealth of Nations compete against one another in 17 sports and four parasports.

At the start of the ceremony, a huge helium balloon lifted up from the centre of the jam-packed stadium with colourful puppets dangling from it to welcome the spectators. The aerostat, which is said to be the biggest helium balloon in the world (40 x 80 x 12 m), has a 360-degree projection surface. The lighting on the field of play was reflected on i

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  2. RCF sets up new UK Service Centre
  3. ETC lights China's Guangzhou Opera House
  4. Martin in control at Expo 2010 Shanghai
  5. Vieta on ice in Islington
  6. PSI at BBC Proms in the Park Belfast
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