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China - LumenRadio's CRMX distribution technology, was employed for lighting up the first ever Gregorian calendar New Year's countdown and celebration at the majestic Temple of Heaven park in central Beijing.

When the city government decided to use the countdown to the year 2012 as an opportunity to promote Chinese culture, and the city of Beijing in particular, it did not spare any effort to make it an event to be remembered. BeiAo Festival International Culture Development Co, the event and production company renowned for its central role in the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, was in charge of all logistical and technical aspects of this gigantic production.

The large size of the site and the stated ambitions of the organisers, to match or surpass similar international events in New York, London, Tokyo, and Sidney, demanded large-scale sol

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USA - Stampede Presentation Products has entered into an agreement with Radvision to distribute a suite of Radvision products within the United States. The new partnership expands Stampede's offerings for high definition and standard definition videoconferencing and gives Stampede's dealers more options when choosing a video conferencing system.

According to Stampede president Kevin Kelly, "More and more businesses, both small and large, are utilizing video conferencing to save time and money, which makes Radvision's professional-grade video conferencing products a very exciting addition to our product range and gives our dealers a greater ability to win more jobs."

Radvision's general manager of the Americas, Gaby Koren, said, "Through our new distribution agreement, Stampede is giving its US dealers access to some of the most advanced industry leading video co

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Turkey - Late 2011 saw the annual finals of the Hal?c? Computer Aided Composition Contest held at the Babylon venue in Istanbul. Ensuring that the finalists' live performances sounded their best was a DiGiCo SD9 console.

Sponsored by Hal?c?, one of Turkey's leading software companies, the contest has been run for the past 18 years. Open to all amateur and professional composers, the competition's main aim is to give entrants the opportunity to showcase their songwriting talents to both the national and international music industry.

Sixteen finalists were selected from 78 entries, who then performed live at Babylon in front of a distinguished jury of Turkish music, arts and technology professionals.

Elit Light & Sound Technologies, DiGiCo's Turkish distributor, supplied the SD9. "The snapshot feature made mixing 16 different performances very straightforward," says

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UK - Crestron is set to open its new experience centre at its UK headquarters in Cobham this summer. The new centre will launch with an open day for integrators, architects, end users and consultants looking to gain both information and training in the latest industry leading solutions for the residential market.

On 13 June, Crestron will open its doors to the experience centre and is extending an open invitation from 10am to 6pm to all customers. Along with refreshments being available throughout the day, the sales team will be on hand to guide visitors through the full range of Crestron products which, as part of the experience centre, will be on full display.

"Our HQ in Cobham is just a short hop from Junction 10 on the M25 and close to London. With our new centre we are offering our dealers and integrators a home-away-from-home to highlight working Crestron solutions

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Europe - Innovason has been busy over the last few weeks with a highly successful Eclipse workshop tour that has taken sales director Marcel Babazadeh all over Europe. Babazadeh has been accompanied by his team of demonstrators as well as a number of distinguished guest engineers and artists in order to present hand-on workshops on topics ranging from PA for philharmonic orchestras, working with Eclipse and digital microphones and digital workflow generally.

Depending on who was the special guest for the workshop, topics varied from place to place. In Hungary, Innovason's special guest was Tonmeister and engineer, Carsten Kümmel. Innovason distributor, Microsound organised a workshop/seminar in the Millenaris Park Theatre in the centre of Budapest.

"Carsten ran an excellent workshop on the use of Eclipse for classical concerts using the examples of the Classic Open Air f

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UK - Following the success of last year's event, the 2012 Black Light Open Day promises to be bigger and better than ever. The Open Day brings together all the latest AV, sound, lighting and stage technology under one roof. It will take place on 30-31 March at Black Light's headquarters at the West Shore Trading Estate in Edinburgh.

"We've already got over 30 of the biggest names in the industry confirmed," says Black Light's head of company development, Phil Haldane. "That means that this year's Open Day will be our most exciting yet. It will be a great chance for everyone to come and see the hottest new equipment in action, quiz the experts and, of course, meet friends and colleagues."

As in previous years, the day will feature a wide range of exhibitor stands at which visitors will be able to talk to manufacturers and suppliers and see their products 'in

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UK - Nick Gray of UK creative lighting design practice Renegade once again designed lighting for the main British Fashion Council (BFC) Courtyard Show Space at Somerset House for London Fashion Week (LFW) 2012.

Working for his client Bacchus, he also lit the new Embankment Gallery Space at Somerset House and the Portico Show Space. Offsite, Gray designed lighting for the high profile Burberry show in Kensington Gardens.

This is the sixth season that Gray has lit the BFC Space, which features up to six shows a day for the five day LFW event including some of the highest profile designers like Marios Schwab, Bora Aksu, Mark Fast, Jasper Conran, Issa London and many more.

His imaginative input has brought a fresh and new look which is flexible and adaptable to accommodate a dynamic selection of shows, simultaneously giving the all-important runway light coverage for the photogr

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UK - Berkshire-based distributor Selectronix Ltd, recently donated waterproof Vents free-of-charge to Sport Relief. The vents were used on enclosures housing recording equipment for the John Bishop's Week of Hell TV programme.

The IP67 waterproof Vents clip into enclosures, allowing air to flow through the membrane without letting dust or water ingress. Technicians were concerned about pressure build-up inside the enclosures due to changes in temperature which create differences in pressure; this pressure build-up can ultimately damage the seals of the enclosure, leading to failure of the sealed enclosure.

"The Vent will allow this pressure difference to equalize inside with outside," says the company. "It also reduces condensation build-up by allowing moisture to escape out of the sealed enclosure."

Richard Redding of Selectronix commented: "

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Norway - Australian location recorder Daniel Blinkhorn has been using DPA 2006A twin diaphragm omnidirectional microphones, supplied by local distributor Amber Technology, for his location recording work in the polar archipelago of Svalbard, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Blinkhorn travelled to the region on a traditionally rigged tall ship, working on creative field recordings for sound installations and electroacoustic compositions as well as a feature for ABC radio's 360 programme and his own research into composing with environmental sound.

"It's an area renowned for its visual and cinematic beauty, and sound plays an integral role in the uniqueness of its appeal," says Blinkhorn. "There's a great deal of sonic activity within the archipelago, both animal - aquatic and birdlife: walrus, arctic fox, deer, polar bears etc - and aqueous: ic

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UK - Audio console manufacturer DiGiCo commissioned 5 Star Cases to build a special exhibition promotions 'Sideboard' for their busy upcoming 2012 trade show and event circuit.

The brief was that it must accommodate a screen measuring a minimum of 46 inches, complete with Blu-ray player, laptop docking station, coffee maker and an integrated loudspeaker system.

5 Star's team began the initial design by sketching a few variants from which DiGiCo could choose a definitive version.

The overall design selected was a long 'Sideboard' type layout, housing all the necessary equipment including power sockets.

At the heart of it is an electric TV lift sourced from Penn-Elcom, featuring 730 mm of vertical travel and a wireless remote control. This device is the basis for an inbuilt 47" LG LED screen giving a 1080p full HD display.

The powered TV lift includes a flush fitting

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UK - Set in stark contrast with the widespread cutback in library services by cash-strapped local authorities is a rising tide of local communities determined that these hubs of town and village life should not suffer the fate of red telephone boxes and disappear forever from Britain's cultural landscape. It is a fight that is seeing communal spirit making a dent in an all-pervasive economic nihilism.

The former coal mining town of Newbold Verdon, Leicester, has the first fully funded library built by the National Lottery, where its manager, Christina Baker, has successfully created a community hub in a village without a community hall, by bringing in Stage Electrics to install a lighting, PA and video projection system in a bold attempt to breathe new life into a social facility often viewed as outdated. "It's hard work but the rewards are worth it," she says proudly

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USA - On Tuesday 21 February 2012, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama marked Black History Month at the White House with a celebration of that most American of roots music - the Blues.

In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues brought together some of the greats of the genre, including B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, duo Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi, Warren Haynes, Keb' Mo' and Shemekia Copeland for a once-in-a-lifetime concert.

Sound reinforcement was via an EAW system provided by Anderson Audio of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the long-time sound reinforcement provider for this auspicious series of concert events.

The event was produced by public television station WETA; Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of The Grammy Awards; and Robert Santelli, executive director of The Grammy Museum, for AEG Ehrlich Ventures. The event was also broad

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USA - Recognising the growing importance of video in lighting design, Elation Professional is sponsoring a seminar on the subject conducted by internationally acclaimed lighting designer Dave Maxwell. Entitled The Fusion of Lighting and Video, the seminar will be held on Monday 23 April at Sound Check Xpo in Mexico City, Mexico.

"The convergence of lighting and video has been one of the major developments in our industry and it touches virtually every aspect of lighting design in stage, touring and display applications," said Eric Loader, director of sales for Elation Professional. "We can't think of a timelier topic for a seminar, and we can't think of a more qualified and respected professional to conduct it than Dave Maxwell."

Maxwell has been widely hailed for fusing a diverse mix of elements into his work, including lighting, video, graphics, co

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Germany - Sports fans the world over associate the name 'Bayern Munich' with soccer; yet in basketball, too, having won the German championship already in 1954 and 1955, the club is capable of great things and ambitious of a tradition to compare with that established in the beautiful game by the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, and Oliver Kahn.

Bayern's basketball team re-entered the Bundesliga - Germany's top division - in March 2011, and since then the sport has experienced a renaissance in and around the Bavarian capital. To accommodate the team's ever-growing army of fans, in May 2011 the club decided to stage home basketball matches in the Rudi-Sedlmayer Hall, which, after extensive modernization and rebuilding, was renamed the Audi Dome prior to welcoming its quota of 7,200 spectators to the official opening at the end of September.

To be sure of offering first

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UK - The DiGiCo SD7 console installed at the Royal Shakespeare Company's refurbished Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon, in 2011 has proved such a success that, when the Company needed an additional mixer for its touring shows and West End transfers, another SD series console was their first choice - this time an SD9.

"We have a long relationship with DiGiCo and needed a console to transfer shows that currently exist on an SD7, but would be playing in smaller venues," says Jeremy Dunn, head of sound at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. "We looked at all the usual comparable desks, but the audio team were very keen to stick with DiGiCo software and their way of working."

The smaller footprint and ease of transferring shows programmed on the SD7 were important for Dunn and his technicians, but he is also impressed with many of its other facilities.

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Scandinavia - Swedish rock band Takida has embarked on its sellout spring tour of Scandinavia, The Burning Heart, with Midas PRO2 consoles being used for FOH and monitors. Leading Scandinavian hire company Starlight, which purchased the PRO2s from Midas' Swedish distributor Intersonic, is the first company in the region to use a dual system on a tour.

"Overall the system is very stable, and I really feel I can fully trust it," says monitor engineer Robert Egnelius. "The POPulation and MCA groups are two excellent features I use a lot, they make accessing channels very quick and effective. As well as being easy to use, the PR02 sounds very good and has wonderful EQ and dynamics. I like the patching, and the fact that I have control over what to patch to the outputs. The assignable XLRs on the network effectively give me 16 XLR outputs on the control surface

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Austria - High End Systems equipment aided an annual event in Austria that kept the artists and the audience alike up much of the night. The benefit concert, Let's Spend the Night Together, was held just days before Christmas in the town of Graz. It featured the coming together of the theatre, Orpheum Graz, promoter Vojo Concerts and event supplier Preworks to financially help those organizations in need with donations from the show.

Preworks has over the years supplied High End Systems equipment, and because they are an HES Authorized Reseller, they usually can provide the newest technology in the HES line of luminaires and control products available.

For this event on 17 December, LD Rolf Schreiber specified seven Technospots along with two DL.3 Digital Light fixtures and two Axon media servers. For control, he chose two Road Hog Full Boar consoles with four Road Hog

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UK - Multi award winning lighting designer Andrew Bridge used the Royal Albert Hall's (RAH) arsenal of automated luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite to deliver the stunning lighting on Raymond Gubbay's production of Verdi's classic opera Aida.

Bridge's dramatic design emphasizes the grand scale of the Royal Albert Hall, without losing that all-important intimacy of a scene when required. Staged in the round, the workhorses of Aida design are the Vari*Lite VL3000 and VL3500 Spot and Wash luminaires, provided by PRG and account director Peter Marshall.

Bridge's sculptural design bought life, dimension, time and atmosphere to distinguished director Stephen Medcalf's staging and Isabella Bywater's striking set design. No stranger to large scale production, Bridge is all too aware that lighting a show on such a grand scale, in the round, can present its own set of challenges a

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UK - The second year of TMB coolux college kicked off last month at TMB-UK's London office. The event was a sell-out, with attendees keen to get hands-on with the latest features and additions included in the Pandoras Box V5 release, and to take home their personal copy of coolux Offline Manager.

TMB coolux college began 2012 with a fresh emphasis on Pandoras Box Version 5 software and its many new features. Targeted towards lighting and scenic designers, programmers and videographers, TMB coolux college offers instruction on all elements of coolux media systems: From programming tools like Media Manager's real-time editing to creating custom user-interfaces with Widget Designer.

In addition to exploring and explaining many coolux features, each two-day seminar includes: Overview of all coolux media systems; Programming sequences using keys and cues; Working with multiple FX a

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UK - Structure specialist De Boer has agreed an informal partnership with two industry-leading companies, broadening the range of services and products on offer to customers.

The agreement will see the Brackley-based business working in collaboration with Star Events Group, whose services include seating, staging and rigging, and with XG Group, a large-format printing expert - offering the opportunity for De Boer's clients to customise structures for specific shows, exhibitions or events.

The partnership was unveiled as the three companies jointly hosted a stand (pictured above) at IOEX, the International Outdoor Event Expo staged this week at London's ExCeL.

John Cochrane, De Boer's sales director - events, said, "This is a truly exciting collaboration for all three businesses. It enables De Boer to build on its industry-leading reputation in the temporary structure ma

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Ukraine - Czech Republic-based aluminium trussing specialist Milos has supplied a substantial amount of trussing to the new Arena Lviv in the Ukraine. These facilitate the hanging of audio speakers underneath the top of the grandstand roofs on all four sides of the venue.

The 35,000 capacity football-only stadium has been three years in the building, and is one of the eight Euro 2012 venues as well as home to FC Kapaty Lviv.

Its spectacular opening ceremony was followed by an inaugural 'friendly' match between the Ukraine and Austria.

Milos was contacted by director Andrey Garkaviy from local rental company Sound House Pro, who proposed and supplied the Milos trussing solution to Lviv State Administration. The project was managed for Milos by Michal Zykan.

In addition to the speakers, other technical production equipment - like lighting and AV - can also be hung on the sam

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That's the question being explored by James Simpson of The Royal Opera House, Convent Garden, at his seminar at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2012. It may be a new technology to many but Simpson is keen to dispel the notion that visualisation as a concept is a novel idea, "Visualisation, simulation, virtual reality, illustration, demonstration, concept planning, call it what you will. It is all a method of demonstrating a thought process to other people. We have been visualising since cavemen drew on the walls to describe an idea and whilst the technology has progressed into hyper computers with 3D models, the concept of displaying the thought process hasn't changed. Every industry has a form of visualisation whether it is hand-drawn illustration or a complex 3D model with working parts. For the largest part of the entertainment industry's history we have had 2D plans, whether they be tidy Aut

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UK - Liverpool band The Searchers, who topped the charts with Sweets For My Sweet in the 60s and have been playing and touring solidly ever since, have turned to HK Audio to give their live shows quality sound.

The band has acquired an HK Audio Projector system, plus a set of Premium PR:O stage monitors (three PRO15XA active one PRO15X passive wedges) for their constant touring, which they have now kept up for a staggering four decades.

The Searchers have owned their own touring sound system for many years and wanted to upgrade to something smaller and lighter. Paul Brambridge at Nuneaton Musical Equipment (who has worked with the band for years ) then recommended they check out HK Audio.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Hall Stage was contracted to design, supply and install the complete stage engineering package at London's newest creative educational hub - the University of the Arts London - where the former occupants of the old Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre in Holborn now reside.

The 'KX Platform' sits at the northern end of the UAL site on what used to be the old Marshalling Yards, train sheds and Grain Store serving Kings Cross mainline station.

Working with principal contractor Overbury and Andy Stone/Drama By Design as project coordinator, Halls utilised the new Brickhouse counterweight cradle and wall frame design from TSE in the US to great effect and the complete system went in on time and on budget. Hall Stage also provided all structural work including SkyDeck, technical gantries, ladders and Front of House lighting bridges.

(Jim Evans)

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  6. PRG tours with High Flying Birds
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