Business

Details
UK - The partnership of Capital Sound and their Martin Audio MLA systems - both the full size and compact multi-cellular versions - are asserting themselves increasingly in the dance sector as the new festival season kicks in.

With top accounts ranging from Deadmau5 to Fatboy Slim already in their portfolio, the London based production/rental company was tasked with delivering sound for two growing, if quirky DJ events on the same May Bank Holiday weekend recently. We Are FSTVL in Upminster, Essex, and Run to the Sun at Newquay in Cornwall tested the mettle of their premium and award-winning Martin Audio PA systems - and once again they came through with flying colours.

Both also occupied challenging sites where sound containment was of paramount importance. We are FSTVL dance promoters Reece Miller, Nikki Gordon and David Winney, fired by the success of 2013's one-day event (

Details
UK - For 10 years Sky has been sponsoring young people in schools by providing mentors from the top people in sport. Sky Sports Living for Sport is one of Sky's Bigger Picture initiatives. One of the new shows that has stemmed from this is Game Changers, a new sports show for kids, packed with a range of ideas and activities to help young people get involved in anything from athletics to zumba.

The show, which is filmed live, includes appearances from celebrity guests and athletes from all sorts of different sports, alongside fun tips and master classes from superstars.

Last week the show had its very own Awards, presenting winners of categories such as Student of the Year. Richard Martin Lighting (RML) provided Sky and the team with the lights for the event.

When LD Richard Bowles heard that we had recently taken stock of the Clay Paky A.Leda B-EYE K20, he jumped at

Details
South Africa - All you need is Robe! This was the case for the Chinese Taikang Conference held on 23 April, where the Edwardian arches and high ceilings of the City Hall in Cape Town were lit in green by Robin DLX and DLS fixtures. The technical was supplied by CCPP and the show run on a grandMA2 Ultra Light.

Cape Town based CCPP Group) were the technical supplier for the Taikang Conference, an event attended by some 830 Chinese speaking delegates.

CCPP's founder, Clint Cawood, is all about getting the job done right. For this event, one of the client's requirements was creating an environmentally friendly or green event. This is right in line with how CCPP likes to operate.

He purchased 12 Robe Robin DLX fixtures, four Robe Robin DLS's and one grandMA2 Ultra Light from Bradley Bruchhausen who represents DWR Distribution in Cape Town.

"The end result spoke for itself,

Details
The Netherlands - Wireless Solution Sweden AB's award-winning W-DMX was once again centre stage at one of the world's most popular holidays. Easter is undoubtedly a huge event in many parts of the world but The Netherlands did it justly with the 2014 production of The Passion.

The Passion is a musical play that tells the paasverhaal (Easter tale) in a new way, even revolutionary some say. This year, the third Passion was held in the major northern city of the Netherlands, Groningen. The big stage was at the Vismarkt, a square in the heart of town. Dutch actors play Jesus and his twelve disciples and the other important roles in the story.

Thousands of people attended the event, while a 6m long white, neon cross was carried from the soccer stadium of FC Groningen all the way to the square.

PRG EML Productions in Utrecht handled the lighting for the projec

Details
UK - Nottingham Trent University's new Brackenhurst Campus Library, which supports study in animal, rural and environmental sciences was completed in August 2013 at a cost of £2.75m. This eco-friendly building was purpose-built to offer an exciting environment for learning and is richly resourced to achieve its goal. Part of the Brackenhurst facility is a soft-seated social area with an impressive media wall and it was into this area that POLARaudio and installers Roche Audio Visual, was invited to assist.

As one might expect, the media wall offers a variety of audio-visual content but its situation within the library precipitated a potential problem in the form of unwanted sound disturbing the surrounding areas. Traditional quiet study areas in libraries are sacrosanct but in any modern learning environment a media wall is considered a vital resource and so it was imperat

Details
UK - Over 1000 visitors and industry experts attended the 2014 Rose Bruford College Graduate Exhibition and New Writing Season at the prestigious Bargehouse on London's South Bank from the 5-8 June.

The exhibition included work by over 100 upcoming graduates from the Sidcup based college's School of Design Management and Theatre Arts (DMTA), including; Costume Production, Creative Lighting Control, Lighting Design, Performance Sound, Scenic Arts, Theatre Design and Stage Management.

In addition to the Graduate Exhibition, students from the Acting and Actor Musicianship programmes collaborated with the School of DMTA to present the college's 'New Writing Season' with three new plays and productions; The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe , Perfect Boy by Lawrence Till (adapted from Frank Wedekind's Lulu) and The Litter by Matthew Dunster.<

Details
Canada - HHB Communications Canada has announced its appointment as the full line product distributor for Merging Technologies in Canada. This appointment is effective 1 July, 2014. HHB Canada has established an excellent reputation for systems integration and sales as well as technical support and after sales service. The company is a significant supplier to the music, broadcast, post production and production markets in Canada.

Commenting on the appointment, Chris Hollebone, Merging's distribution sales manager stated, "HHB presents an excellent mix of direct sales and systems integration combined with a strong dealer network across Canada. The company has a good mix of brands that support rather than conflict with our own and has demonstrated that it has an excellent marketing plan. Merging products have been selling well in North America and we believe that HHB will acc

Details
South Africa - Pretoria-based Benjamin Pro Audio has been named as the new distributor for Audient's compact product range, concentrating on the USB interface, iD22 and the 8-channel mic pre and ADC, ASP880.

CEO Jacob van der Westhuizen is definitely a fan of the British-made boxes. "The Audient units are amazing. The iD22 is an extremely affordable, stable and fantastic sounding unit, as is the ASP880," he says. "Audient makes high end converters and preamps (which equals a high end sound) available to our clients that always thought it was out of their league! Truly a step above any unit even remotely around that price range."

"The Audient brand joins an impressive line-up of products distributed by Benjamin Pro Audio," says Audient's sales & marketing director Luke Baldry. "Jacob van der Westhuizen and his team have shown great enthusiasm

Details
South Africa - South African equipment rental and technical support house Kilowatt AV recently invested in the Avolites Ai Media Server EX series to power the country's first-ever choreographed 3D video-mapping experience.

The event, for global car manufacturer Nissan, integrated live dance with 3D virtual mapping technology to create a show that demonstrated the blurring of lines between human and virtual arts.

"Our scenic team designed a 24m wide 3D stage set that required the Ai Media Server to power three 14K HD Christie Projectors, which covered the area," explains Dillon Jearey, chief executive officer for Kilowatt AV. "The biggest challenge for us was that the deadline between content load-in and show production was incredibly tight. Thankfully, the Ai proved itself to be extremely versatile and reliable, handling the fast-tracked programming schedule wit

Details
UK / USA - The Association of Sound Designers (ASD) has issued an official response to last week's announcement that the Tony Awards was to drop the two Sound Design Awards from its future programme.

The ASD says: "We were disappointed to hear of the decision by the Tony Award Administration Committee to remove the categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical from their roster last week.

"In 2008, Howard Sherman spoke on behalf of the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League to introduce the inclusion of these new categories, saying 'We want to reflect an evolution of the understanding of the sound designer's role, both among artists and in the community at large. This is not an award for placing a microphone somewhere. It's about the creation of an aural environment that impacts our relationship to a production, just like any other d

Details
Spain - NEC Display Solutions and Coca-Cola have partnered in Europe to promote the development of digital signage installations in cinemas at CineEurope 2014, being held in Barcelona, Spain from 16-19 June, 2014.

NEC is working with Coca-Cola to create "CineEurope's most interactive and visually appealing show lounge". It will demonstrate the exciting future of the cinema-going experience to the industry. Coca-Cola chose to work with NEC based on its vast range of cinema solutions optimising every space in the cinema, from outdoor billboards to the foyer and concession stands, through to the latest projection technology for the big screen.

Coca-Cola invited NEC Display Solutions, YCD Multimedia, Littlebit Technology and Intel to provide digital media and digital menu signage presence on its booth on the Trade Show.

NEC installations on the trade show include motio

Details
USA - The story of how a group of residents from Savannah, Georgia, joined together to save the city's historic Lucas Theatre from demolition has entered American theatrical folklore. Not content with just saving it, however, the building continues to be updated for 21st century audiences. The most recent improvement has been an Alcons Audio system, which has delivered superb sound without impacting on the venue's aesthetics.

Originally opened in 1921, dwindling audiences saw the Lucas Theatre close in 1976. Various attempts to convert it to different uses came to nothing and a decade later the derelict building was on the brink of demolition. But a spirited local campaign saw the venue purchased and the start of what would ultimately be a 14 year, $14m restoration.

Reopened in 2000 as Lucas Theatre for the Arts, nowadays the venue is supported by Savannah College of Art and D

Details
Hungary - When Budapest's National Theatre opened in 2002, it was fitted with the most advanced lighting technology available at that time. After more than a decade, the venue - which is at the forefront of dramatic theatres in Hungary and is internationally renowned - decided it was time to upgrade their lighting control system, and chose ETC Eos family desks for the job.

Zsolt Fésus, the head of lighting for the National Theatre, knew that selecting a new lighting system would be an extensive and complex undertaking, which needed very careful consideration. He didn't want the changeover to disrupt theatre operations, and he knew that factors like budget, sustainability and product longevity needed to be assessed. "The lighting system's design took more than a year and a half of meticulous planning," he says. In that time, he and his staff tested products by a

Details
UK - It's never been a secret that Dirty Rigger gloves often go above and beyond their call of duty. Their ability to continually develop, test and construct gloves and rigger wear of such world dominating endurance is widely known and recently they've given a sneak peak as to how they've done it.

Over the last three years, Dirty Rigger have worked closely with one of the UK's largest crew service suppliers, Crewsaders. By sending in a selection of new, existing and under development rigger wear to be worn by the Crewsaders team, Dirty Rigger have been able to closely monitor the performance of their gloves throughout the varied industries in which Crewsaders work.

From event security to rigging crew, the trained Crewsaders staff have provided report sheets which help to pinpoint any weaknesses in the gloves and identify areas of possible improvement.

Dirty Rigger's Steve Ma

Details
The Netherlands - The creative team behind popular Dutch dance event organisers Q-dance turned to the power of the Clay Paky Sharpy when building their latest immersive club night Qapital at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome.

Show designer Mark Rietveld worked with the Q-dance creative team to design and build a giant 'industrial' DJ set that swept down to encompass the 12,500 strong audience.

"Our in-house stage designer Tamil van Draanen created a centre stage in the Ziggo Dome, inspired by the architecture of Paris' Eiffel Tower," explains Rietveld. "It was a creative decision to design a show that did not include the use of video/ LED-walls. In this way we were able to keep the focus on the artists performing at the center of the structure. Challenging, but ultimately better for the overall experience."

Rietveld enlisted the help of 68 x Clay Paky Sharpys from D

Details
The Netherlands - A new D.A.S. Audio sound system was included on the list of recent upgrades made to the Netherland's historic TT Circuit Assen, which hosts the Dutch TT Motorcycling World Championship each year. Built in 1955, the race track needed a facelift after decades of use and a new D.A.S. WR (Weather Resistant) series sound system to provide sound coverage for the track's main grandstand was installed as part of an update of the Assen's older equipment and facilities.

D.A.S. Audio distributor Iemke Roos Audio B.V., with Bert Koenders leading this project contacted trusted local integrator DIA Light, Sound and Vision to handle the install. The former system, which covered the grandstand located on the track's main straight, was installed 25 years ago and the DIA technicians gave it a major overhaul, installing a total of 26 D.A.S. WR-8826CX to ensure perfect sound for t

Details
Australia - Queensland's Tannum Sands State High School has upgraded the audio in its multi-purpose sports facility courtesy of Stage and Audio Event Solutions.

Ryan Hocking, technical consultant and operator at Stage and Audio Event Solutions, removed their inadequate sound system and replaced in with the JBL CBT Series line array columns with Constant Beamwidth Technology.

"We installed four CBT 70J-1 and two CBT 70JE-1, spaced evenly along one side of the hall," explained Ryan. "We have quite a lot of JBL speakers in our hire stock, and they have always reliable and great sounding, so when we saw the JBL CBT range we knew they would be good. It's such a reputable brand and we've found the CBT speakers deliver great coverage and really suit the venue. The JBL CBT's provide line array coverage and clarity for a fraction of the cost of other systems. Plus, they'

Details
UK - Eve has been confirmed as sole supplier of vehicle trackway, fencing and barriers to The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, one among a telling number of extra-curricular contracts for 2014.

Brian Logan, Eve's divisional manager in the North, comments, "The breadth and depth of sporting events in Scotland this summer is unprecedented. It's hugely exciting to be involved, in and around Glasgow and at Gleneagles, alongside our traditional work."

The Ryder Cup, which pitches the cream of European golf talent against the United States, comes to Scotland in September, for the first time since 1973, and Eve has committed new trakway panels to the project.

Edward Kitson, match director, Ryder Cup Europe, comments, "We have had a very good working relationship with Eve, built up over years of service at the Scottish Open, so we know they always put an outstanding team on s

Details
UAE - Melody House, a sole distributor of HK Audio in the Middle East, has recently supplied Café Belge, DIFC with the complete installment of an HK Audio System.

HK Audio's Elements solution was selected as the best option inside the venue, while its Premium Pro cabinets are used outside. The sound system includes four active Elements E110 Subs, five install kits of Elements E 435 and two Elements E435 Satellites. Each E435 unit is fitted with four 3.5-inch speakers, developed specifically for HK Audio by Celestion. The nominal power handling of each E435 is 150W RMS, with a quoted frequency response (10dB) of 140Hz to 20 kHz and a sensitivity of 97dB for an input power of one Watt at one meter. A frequency response of 45Hz to 150Hz ( 10dB) is quoted for the active sub, determined by the integral active system crossover and subsonic filter.

Café Belge is the reg

Details
Portugal - PRG were contracted by Imagination, the global creative agency, to provide lighting and rigging services for the Ford Mustang Experience at the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final in Lisbon. Imagination designed and managed Ford's presence at the Lisbon Final.

Held in a custom built dome in the Portuguese capital's Praca do Comércio, the launch introduced guests to the new Ford Mustang, ahead of its official European debut in 2015.

PRG were approached by Imagination lighting designer Lucy Record and production manager Robert Wiggs back in February 2014 to help realise a creative brief; to bring to life an interactive wall - an impressive 4m high and 9m wide curved structure featuring 36 x Martin by Harman AF-2 Fans, with each fan backed by an LED fixture.

Account director Loz Wilcox comments, "The original designs featured a stunning bespoke aluminium fra

Details
The Netherlands - After seven years of using Hippotizer on some of Europe's most high-profile productions, Netherland's Tenfeet have decided to upgrade their first generation Hippotizer.

In conjunction with Green Hippo's exclusive distributor in Benelux, Interlight, technical sales manager Sarah Cox arranged for Tenfeet to trade in their first generation Hippotizer HDs for the latest spec i7 machines. Says Sarah, "Green Hippo offers a very competitive trade in policy to their customers to get new i7 Hippotizer servers for their V3 legacy machines. We want to make sure all our clients have the opportunity to trade in older hardware to the latest specs, so they can produce the best possible projects with the latest available hardware."

At Tenfeet, where the Hippotizers have well proven their value over the last seven years and it was decided to trade in the old machine

Details
Poland - Audioprof NV, the Belgian manufacturer of the Apart Audio brand has announced Konsbud Audio Sp. zo.o. as its exclusive distributor for Poland from 25 June 2014.

Being present in over 80 countries worldwide, Apart Audio offers a complete range of loudspeakers, electronics and accessories for the small and medium sized fixed install market.

Agnieszka Pyrich, president of Konsbud Audio group comments, "We are happy to have entered into co-operation with such a professional partner as Audioprof. We highly appreciate their understanding of a long- term relationship based on trust, well-thought-out vision of growth but also hard work.

"The Apart Audio products offer an exceptional value for money ratio and they fit well into our portfolio of installation products bringing synergy also for the entire Konsbud Audio Group."

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Barco has joined USAV's Preferred Manufacturer Partner (PMP) programme as its latest outstanding ProAV supplier. Under the arrangement, Barco will gain access to a nationwide network of more than 40 integrators, serving as a preferred supplier of business projection, presentation/collaboration, digital signage, and networked visualization solutions for use in many applications throughout the enterprise.

The new agreement between USAV, the leading ProAV integrator association, and Barco offers significant mutual benefits. As a USAV PMP, Barco will now be plugged into a network of integrators who can specify Barco products in their solutions to meet a variety of ProAV needs in all types of businesses, government entities, educational institutions, houses of worship, healthcare organizations, and entertainment venues. From digital lobby signage and artwork, to high-performanc

Details
USA - The unconventional rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch is lighting up Broadway, and its lighting designer, Kevin Adams, is using Robert Juliat Victor followspots to light up the stage at the Belasco Theatre.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as Hedwig Robinson, who's described as the "internationally ignored song stylist," in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's musical tale of life, love and a botched operation. The show has garnered eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Lighting Design of a Musical, for Kevin Adams, Best Musical Revival and Best Actor in a Musical, for Mr. Harris.

Adams consulted with his associate Paul Toben on what followspots to use for the show, and Tobin "spoke highly" of Robert Juliat's Victor 1800W MSR followspots. "He knew the parameters and selected the Victors," Adams says. "We needed really br

  1. Chennai's AV Express chooses WideLine-10
  2. Clay Paky goes Bollywood at the IIFA Awards
  3. Robe has the X-Factor in Slovakia
  4. Sennheiser technology scores in Brazil
  5. The Knight of Illumination Awards announces new venue for 2014
  6. The Week in Lighting & Sound
Page 1613 of 1813

Latest Issue. . .