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UK - Black Light has played a key part in the 50th birthday celebrations for one of Scotland's most iconic pieces of engineering. The Edinburgh-based company provided all of the lighting for the concert that was a highlight of the festivities surrounding the Forth Road Bridge's anniversary.

"We designed, supplied and operated all the equipment for the main Bridge Party concert stage and performance arena," explains Russell Cobden, who was Black Light's project manager for the job. "It was an exciting thing to be involved with as it was a high-profile event that attracted a lot of media attention."

Black Light worked on the project with the organisers Unique Events. The two companies have a long-standing working relationship having collaborated for many years on world-class events such as Edinburgh's Hogmanay. Feedback was extremely positive, with Rab Randal

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UK - Having become the first UK investor in Martin Audio's MLA Mini system, London Speaker Hire (LSH) - the AV rental division of The Hive Partnership - has underlined its commitment to the award-winning platform by purchasing an MLA Compact system.

The company has added 16 MLA Compact enclosures to its inventory and pressed the system straight into service on the inaugural On Blackheath Festival, featuring Massive Attack, and promoted by Harvey Goldsmith.

With 25,000 people descending on Blackheath Common in south-east London, with its three stages, there was a strong desire to keep the sound away from local residential properties. According to LSH director, Grant Turner, the promoters were well aware of the extraordinary control capabilities of MLA's Multi-cellular Array control technology, having witnessed events at Hyde Park for AEG Live, where for noise pollution reasons

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USA / Europe - Following the recent success of their highly successful solo tours, Beyoncé and Jay Z have combined their talents to deliver a 'Bonnie and Clyde' themed stadium tour, On The Run. The tour recently completed a 20-date North American leg before heading off to Europe earlier this month.

For the duration of the tour, Beyoncé and Jay Z have relied on Sennheiser's Digital 9000 wireless microphone system, which was purchased specifically for the tour by Eighth Day Sound Systems, Inc. at the recommendation of front-of-house engineer Stephen Curtin and monitor engineer James Berry - both veterans of the tour.

The tour amalgamates band members from both the Beyoncé and Jay Z touring camps and features two stages, a massive video wall and an elaborate lighting design - making it a sufficiently challenging environment from an RF perspective. Soni

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Directors' Cut - Leading theatre figures including Marianne Elliott, Matthew Warchus, Vicky Featherstone and Jeremy Herrin have launched the industry's first body aimed at representing stage directors. Increasing fees in the sector is one of Stage Directors UK's first priorities. It will also represent directors on issues such as royalties, contracts, digital rights and copyright, as well as leading on training initiatives. Directors can become members of Equity, but SDUK says the lack of an organisation dedicated to the needs of opera and theatre directors has "led to an increasing sense of anger and frustration" in the sector.

Who's Next - The Who have unveiled their first song in eight years as they mark their 50th anniversary. Be Lucky includes lyrical references to Australian rockers AC/DC and French electro band Daft Punk and will be included in a d

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USA - The new Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tennessee, USA, has been supplied with leading-edge media serving technology from 7thSense Design in the UK. The Delta Media Server has been installed inside the Earthquake simulator by system integrator, Electrosonic and serves as one of many state-of-the-art educational and entertainment experiences on display at the centre.

Part museum, part education centre, Discovery Park of America sits on a 50-acre site and the benchmark of the park is Discovery Centre, a 100,000 square foot building with 70,000 feet of exhibits in Obion County, Tennessee - two hours from the city of Memphis. Hailed as a world-class educational space and filled with a range of exhibits, the family attraction holds ten experience galleries - most of which feature audio-visual equipment installed by AV integrator, Electrosonic.

As one of the most prom

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UK - This year saw the Philips Selecon RAMA LED Fresnel, which features full warm white output, make its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut. The luminaires took up residence over the festival period in one of the Fringe's most exciting venues, C south, part of leading Edinbugh Fringe venue producer C venues, where a range of theatre companies put on up to 12 productions a day.

Another new addition to this year's rig was the Vari-Lite VLX Wash. Together the luminaires blended seamlessly with the numerous Tungsten fixtures, providing the various productions with a plethora of LED associated advantages.

While the RAMA LED Fresnel luminaires took care of the warm and cool Front of House wash light two VLX Wash luminaires were installed as key light FOH with two additional luminaires providing back key light.

"Both the Selecon RAMA LED Fresnel and the Vari-Lite VLX Wash luminai

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UK - The last 30 years has seen a wide variety of world changing events. The fall of the Berlin Wall, an ever increasing amount of military conflicts, several royal births, deaths and marriages along with major developments in sport and entertainment.

What do these have in common? They've all been subject to the attention of an increasingly dynamic and technically developing media circus. As a result there is also a very good chance they've been audibly recorded using equipment supplied by Raycom.

Since 1984, Raycom has used its close working relationship with the UK's premier broadcasters and location sound engineers to secure distribution rights with some of the world's most innovative manufactures of professional broadcast quality audio solutions. The radio microphone and IEM ranges from Wisycom of Italy and US based Lectrosonics are recognised as the top of their field for

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USA - In addition to being the alma matter of pop icon Gloria Estefan, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (OLLA) is a paragon of Catholic academic excellence and has been since it was founded in 1963. To continue to effectively fulfill its mission in the twenty-first century, however, the school embarked on a four-phase, $15m improvement project, which included construction of a state-of-the-art gymnasium.

Revelation Sound, Inc. (RSI), a state licensed A/V specialty electrical and integration firm that has niche markets to houses of worship and their associated academic institutions since 1984, was awarded the contract for the audio, video and intercom portion of the project.

The acoustic consulting and analysis for the project was done in partnership with Robert Bernecker of SEFI Consulting in Dallas, Texas. RSI has partnered with SEFI on numerous projects, with the collaboration re

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UK / Germany - Following the company's recent restructuring into global, channel-specific business units, Costa Mesa, California-based QSC Audio Products LLC has announced a realignment of its distribution in the UK and Germany, with effect from 1 November 2014.

The company's Systems business unit, serving the integrated systems channel, will continue to be represented by Shure Distribution, the QSC distributor for all the company's Pro and Systems products in the UK and Germany since 1992 and 2007 respectively.

"Shure's capability to support our rapidly-expanding Integrated Systems technology in the region is unparalleled. Their complementary product portfolio, combined with their technical knowledge, vast experience, and highly developed sales and marketing functions make them an ideal partner to deliver compelling QSC System solutions to customers in the region,"

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UK - Industry veteran Peter Maddison has announced the launch of a brand new company, PCM Distribution Ltd, at the PLASA Show next week (5-8 October, Excel, London). The company, a UK distributor of professional lighting, sound and accessories, has already been appointed UK sales agent for Amp-Pack Cases and for the Italian lighting brand, Studio Due, as well as UK sales agent for Mach Audio - and the company will be displaying a selection of the latest Mach speakers on the Amp-Pack Cases stand from Sunday 5 October.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA / Canada - Clay Paky Sharpys illuminated the Journey and the Steve Miller Band along for the ride that took them to 30 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

The tour united two of the groups that helped define The San Francisco Sound. In careers spanning 40 years, Journey has sold 80m albums worldwide and the Steve Miller Band more than 30m records.

Tour Tech East Ltd. in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia provided lighting support for the tour supplying 34 Sharpys and 20 Sharpy Washes. Senior account executive Tracey Ploss has worked with Journey and the band's lighting designer Kevin "Deuce" Christopher for eight years.

"Last year Deuce used a couple of Sharpys, but this year he specifically wanted Sharpy Washes for the tour so we added them to our inventory," says Ploss. "We've made a significant investment in the Clay Paky fixtures." Sharpys are very p

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Croatia - The Outlook Festival is staged over four days in the beautiful and slightly desolate environs of Fort Punta Christo just outside Pula, the main city on Croatia's bustling Istrian coastline, known for its mild climate, smooth sea and unspoiled nature.

Outlook - this was the seventh edition - features the largest collection of dub step, bass music and soundsystem culture in Europe with an action-packed line up uniting some of the biggest names from these vibrant dance genres.

Overall project, production and site management for Outlook 2014 - and the four day underground electronic beats Dimensions Festival on the same site the previous weekend - was undertaken by Bristol UK based WNY, headed by Ben Price, with lighting design and rigging site wide by Fineline Lighting, also from Bristol. They were working for the event organisers, NVS Promotions.

Each year the produc

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World - Lady Gaga is on her tour, ArtRave: The Artpop Ball, and Clay Paky's A.leda B-EYE K20 innovative, LED-based moving lights and Clay Paky Sharpys are along for the wild ride.

ArtRave marks Lady Gaga's fourth concert tour. It is in support of her third studio album, Artpop and kicked off in Fort Lauderdale with 78 dates scheduled in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

PRG has provided 120 B-EYEs for the tour as well as a large complement of Clay Paky Sharpys. Lighting control is performed with three full-size grandMA2s and 10 NPUs.

"Production and lighting designer Roy Bennett's approach to the show was to make it an immersive rave that reflected Gaga's non-stop party aesthetic," says programmer Jason Baeri. "That means active, alive, vibrant and high energy -- it requires us to be just as active on stage as in the crowd. The audi

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UK - Two days after the close of IBC 2014, eligible residents of Scotland went to local polling stations to answer one question, "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

Irrespective of the outcome, the need to communicate the referendum and its ramifications for Scotland and the UK was vital. Trilogy Communications, a leading intercom supplier, has announced that BBC's coverage of the Scottish Referendum relied heavily on Trilogy talkback throughout the coverage. Trilogy's main system had already been installed in Glasgow in the primary studio that was used for the BBC's coverage, with links to two galleries on site that provided output, backup and graphics for the results coverage.

The Glasgow system was linked to Trilogy's flagship Gemini intercom system at the BBC's OB operation at Elstree Studios in England by virtue of Gemini's unique IP and distributed mat

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USA - Meyer Sound systems made sure the two main stages at Boston Calling Music Festival were loud and clear. On the Red Stage, the Lyon linear sound reinforcement system made an impression on the FOH engineers, many mixing on this new Meyer Sound system for the first time.

"That rig really rocked," says Carl Davino, FOH engineer for The Replacements. "Lyon has transparent highs, broad and articulate mids, and adjustable low-mids to handle any desired punch. The band's performance was outstanding as well, and with that combination I felt like I could take the audience anywhere I wanted."

The Red Stage's 24 Lyon linear line array loudspeakers were augmented by 12 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements and three 700-HP subwoofers, plus four UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers for front-fills. A Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system with four Galileo Callisto

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Tunisia - At age 71, George Benson is still winning over the audiences with his signature soft jazzy touch. GB played a beautiful concert in the historic context of the Roman Theatre of Carthage, Tunisia, last 16 July.

The music performed was excellent, with energetic renditions of timeless hits such as On Broadway and Give Me The Night, in front of an audience that would have liked to hear even more songs.

Everything was perfect, including the expressive light show. The lighting system - including Raptor and NRG 1201 moving heads from D.T.S. - was installed by Sybel Light & Sound.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Creative Technology is again providing the wide range of visual solutions seen in the popular Saturday night dance show, Strictly Come Dancing.

The show's iconic art deco-inspired theme is visualised using two curved proscenium arches with CT's MiTrix LED display and Flyer LED back screens, and this year sees new Side Arch screens within the set. The studio floor comes alive with projected images from six Panasonic PT-DS20K Projectors, enabling each dance performance to be perfectly synchronised with different visual themes, the company says.

Project manager Nic Maag, who is heading up the CT operation with his dedicated team, comments: "It's fantastic to be back on the Strictly set; three months of weekly glitz and glamour! This show only gets better each year, and it's great to be a part of it."

(Lee Baldock)

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Germany - Event industry experts now have an opportunity to help shape the content of two Stage|Set|Scenery formats at the international trade show and the International Stage Technology Conference. They are currently invited to submit their entries for papers at the International Stage Technology Conference and for the Safety in Action stage. The deadline is 3 December 2014.

The International Stage Technology Conference organised by DTHG will be an integral part of Stage|Set|Scenery. Taking place in Hall 4.2 and consisting of two parallel forums, it features an international symposium, lectures, workshops, seminars, round tables and presentations and is an ideal opportunity to find out about current and future industry developments and to actively contribute to the event. Applicants are requested to email their papers to: conference@stage-set-scenery.de. A jury will examine all

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USA - Pro audio brand Aphex has moved the company to Salt Lake City, in order to increase operational efficiencies by being closer to parent company DWV Entertainment and the core Aphex creative and engineering teams. The move, completed this month, includes opening a new Aphex warehouse in Utah to complement existing manufacturing and shipping facilities in California.

Aphex chairman David Wiener stated, "Aphex has been making big changes in recent months to take advantage of growth opportunities in Pro, Prosumer and Consumer audio, as well as licensing and new product development. Bringing Aphex HQ to Utah allows Aphex to take advantage of DWV Entertainment's facilities and creative resources.

"Our enhanced sales, marketing and operational efforts will give Aphex an added boost that's easier to achieve with people in the same zip code." Wiener added, "Aph

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USA - It was a sight those in attendance would never forget: more than 50 soldiers, some who served in World War II, marched their way through sabre arches into a room where a thousand people gathered to honour their acts of bravery and courage for which they had been awarded the Medal of Honour.

Michael T. Strickland, Bandit's chair and founder, found himself deeply touched. "I was moved in a way I will never be moved again," he said. "To be in a room with that much greatness... simply defies explaining."

As a sponsor of the event, Bandit Lites donated more than a year's worth of labour, equipment and funds to ensure these Medal of Honour recipients received the star treatment they so richly deserved.

"It's a labour of love," said Strickland of the work chairman Joe Thompson and his committee did to bring the event to Knoxville. "It's a hu

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UK - Launched last month, new cloud based rental management system, Current RMS, is already setting high standards in the rental software market and can't wait to show all PLASA London visitors and exhibitors what it has to offer.

Built from the roots up for the AV, lighting, production and events sector by CEO, Chris Branson, together with a close knit team around the product, extensive research into industry requirements, and cloud technologies were identified prior to product development.

"It was at this point, a gap in the market was acknowledged - the industry needed an online, intuitive and modern rental management system," said Branson. "A system that wouldn't hold this industry back, removing accessibility issues that are present with Windows based systems, allowing every user to action and manage all rental processes from any device and location."<

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Dominican Republic - The new Hard Rock Café in the chic heart of the Dominican Republic's bustling capital Santo Domingo offers all of the attractions that have made this chain so popular around the world. Aside from enjoying great food and a festive atmosphere, guests can also see Rihanna's famous dog tag dress, a sequin dress worn by Shakira, plus memorabilia from the likes of Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry.

This Hard Rock location also serves up something extra, however, in the form of two very special LED video walls created by Jhansen "Mangu" Reinoso of Word Up Sound and Lighting, using PVP S5 Video Panels from Chauvet Professional.

Measuring 16ft wide by 10ft high, the first wall is the largest LED video display in Santo Domingo. Set behind the large stage in the café's club, it lends a true concert atmosphere to the glittering mix of EDM, islan

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USA - CCI Power Supplies, a specialist in the design, engineering and manufacturing of power supplies and ballasts for high performance power conversion in architectural, theatre, stage and studio lighting applications, has released a new, patent-pending power supply technology for high performance, full-range LED dimming.

Powered by CCI's new DimMaster LED phase cut power supply technology, the technology allows dimmable LED fixtures to match the dimming performance of incandescent fixtures, the company says. "Notably, the technology supports the transition of high performance lighting applications to LED, by seamlessly blending highly cost-efficient LED lamp fixtures into existing incandescent lighting arrays. Users can make this transition without investing in new dimmers or consoles, and without new wiring, because dimming is driven by the power supply within the LED la

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USA - "It is all about the audience experience. Whether seated on the main floor, or anywhere in the two tier balcony, the Peter Kiewit Concert Hall at the Holland Performing Arts Center hopes to offer even, balanced, coverage for every person," says Omaha Performing Arts production manager, Kate Williams.

Since first opening its doors in 2005, the Holland in Omaha, Nebraska has been celebrated as a world class concert hall. Originally designed almost a decade ago to enrich live acoustic performances, the two thousand seat shoebox style space is used for a variety of purposes, showcasing jazz, blues and popular performers presented by Omaha Performing Arts and is home to the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, who play here several times per month.

After almost a decade, however, the venue has noticed a significant increase in the number of amplified shows it hosts. Williams a

  1. SAE Institute recording with Roland
  2. Roswell high school comes alive with Danley
  3. Ohio high school switches to Ashly Audio
  4. Creative Technology on Strictly Come Dancing
  5. Clay Paky delivers powerful lighting for Godiva
  6. Martin Professional lights Ubisoft at E3
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