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14 March 2016

The musical, written by Tim Rice and ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson, tells the story of two Cold War chess masters whose battle for the title of world chess champion is outdone by an even greater contest for the heart of the female protagonist, Florence Vassey.

The modern staging brings together an impressive cast of West End actors and musicians, as well as the creative talents of lighting designer Ben Cracknell and video designer Jack James. UK theatrical supplier Stage Electrics was responsible for providing all the production's lighting and video equipment.

The innovative lighting design by Ben Cracknell features a significant number of Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500s, supplied by Stage Electrics. "M

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14 March 2016

Show Atelier also took the opportunity to announce the winners of their online Get Your Own Vista competition, which Jands Europe sponsored with the donation of the first and second prizes - a Jands Vista M1 console with an 128 channel dongle and a Jands USB-DMX interface with 128 channel dongle respectively.

The two open day workshops took place in different venues, the first at Moscow's Fomenko Theatre and the second at the Theatre & Arts College # 60.

Each day started with an in-depth presentation by Jands Europe's Neil Vann on the Vista v2 software and its many possibilities, with an overview of the power and simplicity that this dynamic control system offers.

Areas covered included tracking b

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14 March 2016

To provide the broadcast infrastructure and the signal distribution backbone, the German specialist for real-time networks installed a comprehensive system that distributed 70 HD/SD-SDI video signals, 1,200 audio signals and 734 communications ports. A total of 70 MediorNet mainframes were used to integrate the various positions and departments into a single system, including the TV compound, commentator positions and the press centre.

MediorNet was responsible for transporting the b

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14 March 2016

The club's operators engaged the services of the Beirut-based sound specialists Hi Fi Service. The team led by managing director Oussama Mansour Abou Faraj has the experience of a large number of high-calibre installations upon which to draw, but the Whisky Mist represented a particularly high hurdle, primarily due to the elaborate interior architecture of the club with its numerous pillars.

Abou Faraj opted for a Dynacord-based systrem. &quo

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14 March 2016

Her seven-date sell-out Stand Up tour stopped at Academy venues in Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin, as well as London's Shepherds Bush Empire and finished up at Belfast's Mandela Hall in April. The colour-changing LED tubed lettering spelling the star's name was the centrepiece of the stage set.

LD Louis Oliver approached LS-Live to create the LED RGB tubed sign based on the shape of Jessie J's logo, which had to be fully controllable by DMX 512 and patched into an Avolites Tiger Touch. Despite time pressures, Oliver said the end result was "fantastic".

"I've never worked with LS-Live on the custom creation of equipment before," he commented, "but they are honest people with honest

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14 March 2016

"An investment in DPA Microphones was an important step to take, and a requirement for recording at the levels I wanted," says Solsvik. "I use a stereo pair of 4041-S large diaphragm microphones for ambience, which are supreme for this type of application, with their very high sensitivity and low self-noise. They provide an openness and airiness to the mix that is difficult to beat.

"For a stereo pair on the grand piano I use DPA 4003 omnis. They handle the piano's fast transients very well and provide a sound characterised by smoothness and roundness. That in itself is a big challenge when recording the grand piano. When they additionally reproduce the harmonic frequenci

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14 March 2016

To mark this important year for the Association - which commemorates its half-century since its foundation by a small group dedicated to raising technical standards - these new products have been designed to meet the needs of the modern technician.

In line with the ABTT's safety and training ethos, an innovative membership card, using 2D barcode technology, has been developed. The plastic, credit card-size pass, will act not only as a traditional proof of membership but also as an effective way of demonstrating the holder's competency. Information stored on the card will include training, safety and insurance records, linked to an online record system.

Also, for those of its membership who wish to take-up the option, Public Liability and Prof

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14 March 2016

The £13m 'One Terminal' development has been designed to unify Birmingham's security checkpoints, creating a single passenger flow and considerably simplifying operations.

Over 300 VIP guests from UK industry and international commerce attended the event, which culminated in the official opening of the new facility by the Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP. Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe welcomed the visitors and paid tribute to the efforts and expertise of its business partners in helping to shape 'Britain's newest global gateway'.

The Pro Audio Systems hire department designed and installed a bespoke sound

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14 March 2016

SR-16 offers all of the AQONDA functionality and unimpeachable audio quality in an Innovason 'skin'. Fully remotely controllable by the Innovason Eclipse and Eclipse GT consoles, both from the console's GUI and the control surface, SR-16 is compatible with existing and upcoming EtherSound set-ups, and there is no limitation to the number of devices that may be controlled.

Alternatively, SR-16 can be controlled using any of the available EtherSound software management programs. By the same token, Eclipse is capable of detecting and controlling a Digigram AQONDA just as if it were an SR-16. It should also be noted that, even in its original factory format,

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14 March 2016

The 31 acre park - described as a place where visitors learn about health, life and the environment "whilst having fun" is laid out in concentric circles, a design by Frédéric Jung meant to evoke the shockwaves caused by the impact of the Ensisheim meteorite, which struck nearby in 1492.

In 2006, designers and manufacturers of high performance portable buildings, Tectoniks, were commissioned by Le Bioscope to create a permanent installation at the Park to house an audio visual show presenting the science of sleep and dreams. In 2010, Le Bioscope decided it was time to update this award-winning structure a

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14 March 2016

The tour took in arenas at Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Plymouth. A highlight was the two London shows - one at Wembley Arena, the other at The O2.

"As the band's first tour of big venues, the first thing we discussed was in-ear monitors," says Richy Nicholson, the band's front of house engineer. "We contacted two of the major manufacturers and Phil Cummings from Sennheiser got straight back to us. He and Mark Saunders came to one of the early rehearsals and they were also really

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14 March 2016

Total control for all lighting and video came from MA Lighting. Four grandMA2 full-size consoles, each with a full backup, as well as five grandMA2 faderwings ran all lighting and video, triggered via timecode. Eleven MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) devices handled all traffic in one session on the MA-Net2.

"It's not even practical to do a show like this without timecode and grandMA2 is the best," said Appelt, "Absolutely every millisecond is cued and then rehearsed again and

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14 March 2016

The event brought together the well established working partnership of prolific UK lighting designer Adrian Barnes and Matt Clutterham of specialist lighting and event service provider MattLX. All under the careful control of the Hippodrome's technical manager and former MattLX project manager, Barry Hope.

The Theatre was turned on its head with the audience seated on the stage immersed in the performance technology, whilst the spectacular evening's entertainment performed over and around them. Hosted by the glittering

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14 March 2016

The two-day Golden Circle seminar uses personalised, small-group instruction and includes a tour of the Sensaphonics custom manufacturing lab in Chicago. Another highlight is a trip to a local recording for a live music session, which is used to demonstrate the basics of PA systems, stage monitoring and in-ear systems from the artist's perspective.

"Musicians are totally different from any other client an audiologist is likely to see," notes Michael Santucci, AuD, Sensaphonics president and founder. "The Sensaphonics Golden Circle members are among the few who have the specialised knowledge to serve these clients properly, whether in the offi

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14 March 2016

The glitz and glamour were centred in the middle of Manhattan at the Jacob Javits Center from 22 April 2011 to 1 May at New York Auto Show, the last car show of the season.

This is the first time that 3D LED Display technology has been customised for automotive events, in this case specifically for the company's media conference. During the show, members of the international automotive media went along for the ride with 3D glasses, to watch a video presentation demonstrating the diverse, active lifestyles of Subaru owners, who are heralded as the most active consumers in the automobile market.

Earlier this year, Creative Technology introduced 3D R4 LED Display to their clients, with impressive results.

Subaru of America Inc. agreed to create a 3D

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14 March 2016

The Mojo Barrier team led by managing director, Jim Gaffney supplied over 300m of aluminium crowd barrier to Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, to secure all four stages. Gaffney directed a crew of three skilled professionals during the build, which also included half a day ensuring the ground was level for the safe installation of the barrier systems. The Mojo Barriers' equipment was loaded in the Friday before the festival and removed immediately after the event finished.

Following this successful event, Mojo Barriers supplied 107m of stage barrier to last weekend's Evol

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14 March 2016

The project cost 24m Swiss francs and saw the main Schadausaal hall at the Kultur und Kongresszentrum Thun (KKThun) completely revamped while an additional hall, the Lachensaal, was added along with a large new foyer.

"We have installed a lot of induction loops before, every time using Ampetronic products, and have had nothing but good experiences with them," says Rolf Aegerter, technical project manager at Kilchenmann.

The existing induction loops in the Schadausaal's two small balconies were re-used, driven by a newly-installed Ampetronic ILD500 loop amplifier. Meanwhile,

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14 March 2016

Despite the extensive technical demands of a complex and sometimes unpredictable event, the production proved the capabilities of the design and engineering crew. The audio side was handled exclusively by Britannia Row Productions who deployed a 30-element Outline GTO system flown in three 10-deep columns, each with three Outline Mantas under-hung for near-fills. The two side-hangs comprised 10 Outline Butterfly elements each, and the whole system was driven by Outline T-Series amplifiers run from Dolby Lake system controllers.

The Midas XL8 at FOH was operated by engineer Colin Pi

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14 March 2016

"The seminar will be along the same lines as last year, although the content has been refreshed and updated," explains Ken Morrison, business area manager at Sennheiser UK. "The accent is still on providing information, education - and a little entertainment - for our installed sound, AV and live sound colleagues in the industry."

The choice of venues reflects Sennheiser's desire for the seminars to make a lasting impression, says the company.

"Last year, we decided that, rather t

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14 March 2016

It was the first time that the opportunity had arisen for him to specify and use a grandMA2 on one of his shows, a chance he had been waiting for since working on the Floating Finale section of the Lord Mayor of London's show, on the River Thames last year. It was here he saw a grandMA 'series 1' properly in action being programmed by David Miller.

"Once I'd mastered the fundamentals, I found it incredibly fast to move on to more advanced programming," states Mills. "Whilst it needs a bit of time at the beginning to set up and le

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14 March 2016

Set-exchange was set up by lighting designer and production electrician Peter Harrison. He told The Stage, "The idea came from me working with some of the small companies as well as the big companies and seeing waste in one and scrimping and saving from the other, so it came out of trying to share resources."

Set-exchange is structu

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14 March 2016

The background to the document lies in the introduction of new EU Directive and national legislation regarding AOR, and the subsequent agreement, by manufacturers attending a presentation that PLASA's Ron Bonner and the Health Protection Agency gave at the PLASA 2010, that guidance should be created.

In short, the new legislation requires employers to assess the exposure to the workforce of AOR and if the exposure is believed to be above permitted levels, the employer will need to measure the levels and take action to reduce the exposure. Manufacturers will also have a duty to supply relevant safety information. In the UK this is enshrined in health and safety law, but will also be part of the conformit

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14 March 2016

The total count of 107 Kinesys motion controlled elements on this production beats the previously held record of 80 by the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest final in Oslo.

Borsato's set and lighting was designed by Ignace D'haese from Arf & Yes who worked closely with show producers John Mulder and Flip Van Ommeren from Mojo Concerts who also did the production management.

WImotion - part of the Belgium based WIcreations Group - were asked onboard to co-ordinate and engineer all the automation design and specify t

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14 March 2016

Project manager Martin Connolly confirmed that in order to eliminate sight-line issues caused by traditional loudspeaker delay masts, this tour would feature a distributed 'ring' delay system with loudspeaker arrays hanging directly from the stadia structure.

"We will be placing clusters of amp racks around the stadiums, picking up AC power locally," he states. "We considered a copper based signal distribution system, perhaps using AES3, but because of the distances involved and the need for electrical isolation we soon realised that an optical system was the correct solution.

"With a project of this magnitude we felt that