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France - Pope John Paul II makes an annual pilgrimage to the city of Lourdes in France where, in 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to the maid Bernadette Soubirou. His visit always draws a huge crowd; this year, more than 300,000 people attended the ceremonies which took place over the course of a week, culminating in a keynote speech by His Holiness, choral and orchestral concerts, and the long-awaited mass.

Even On, the French PA company chosen to provide the sound reinforcement system, supplied a large number of Nexo GEO S tangent array speakers, siting them along the Pope's route as well as on the central stage. A total of 8 PA towers were set up, carrying a total of 74 GEO S805 and 8 GEO S830 speakers, powered by sixteen Camco Vortex 6 power amplifiers, each delivering 2 x 2,100 watts per channel. The system was managed by Nexo NX241 controllers and mixed on a Soundcraft MH4 4

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USA - Mackie is using this year's AES Convention in San Francisco to introduce five new products for both recording and live sound applications.

The list includes the Mackie Onyx 400F 10-channel, 192kHz-capable FireWire audio interface featuring Mackie's new flagship Onyx microphone preamps and on-board DSP matrix mixing. The HM54 Headphone Amplifier and HMX56 Tabletop Matrix Mixer/Amplifier allow personalised headphone mixing, allowing the engineer to focus on other responsibilities. The Mackie Control C4 is a sophisticated plug-in and virtual instrument controller that provides four banks of eight V-Pots each, and four full-size displays that provide instant access to as many as 32 software parameters-virtually eliminating the need to constantly "bank switch" a standard control surface display in order to access parameter-rich software modules. It also acts as a &quo

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USA - EAW is using this year's AES Convention to show its new Element Series of all-weather loudspeakers, as well as the JFXi Series that incorporate a new advanced magnet structure geometry, the Orbital Magnet Array. Both will be on display at the AES Convention on booth #230.

The Element Series is designed to high audio performance with the most robust environmental protection, to IEC 60529 and MilSpec 810 ratings. A key factor, according to EAW, is a new acoustically inert yet waterproof enclosure material: high-impact polypropylene with 40-percent calcium carbonate. Shaped into enclosures with few or no parallel surfaces, this new material is designed to make the Element Series sonically indistinguishable from EAW's world-famous laminated Baltic birch enclosures. The LM60 includes a soft-dome tweeter on a Waveguide Plate(tm) and a 6.5-inch woofer, while the LM80 pairs a Wave

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PLASA has announced a joint initiative with CMP Princeton, organizers of the annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, to launch a new pavilion at the event, focusing directly on lighting, audio, AV and staging technologies.

The PLASA@Sea Pavilion will form a key element of the show which is the largest gathering of cruise line owners, operators and suppliers in the world. Although such technologies have been seen at Seatrade before, this is the first time they will feature in a dedicated area.

This new initiative offers a targeted market opportunity for companies who want to directly connect to the growing cruise markets and will also raise the profile of PLASA and its members.

Seatrade takes place in Miami in March 2005 and UK companies may be able to secure funding to participate. For further details call our US office on +1 212 352 2334 or e-mail

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UK - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout was appointed by London based production house Robbie Williams Productions Ltd., to supply all the branding materials and soft goods for the British Olympic Heroes Parade.

Double Gold Medallist Kelly Holmes led the victory parade of 100 medal winners from Team GB along with Paralympic medal winners. The celebratory procession, comprising five giant branded floats, started at Piccadilly and snaked along The Haymarket before arriving in Trafalgar Square. It culminated in a presentation attended by over 15,000 fans, which launched London's 2012 Olympic bid campaign slogan - " Make Britain Proud".

For each float Blackout produced five giant perforated vinyl mesh banners, each measuring 14 x 2.4m to fit each flat bed trailer deck. Designed by Mark Norton of Think Farm, they depicted five different sports disciplines - rowing/sai

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Germany / USA - Messe Frankfurt, organizer of Prolight&Sound, and Primedia, producer of the LDI exhibition and Entertainment Design and Lighting Dimensions magazines, have announced a strategic alliance. The statement issued jointly by the two organizations says: "This allows our attendees and exhibitors to take advantage of a wide range of sales and marketing objectives without increasing the number of shows. The initial result of this agreement will include combined marketing efforts designed to help promote each group's events, with more concrete synergies as the relationship grows."

Details of what the new relationship will entail, and what benefits it might bring to exhibitors and visitors to the two shows, are yet to be revealed, although it appears that Primedia is looking to strengthen the LDI exhibition's pro audio presence by cross-selling exhibiting and mar

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USA - American DJ will be holding its Customer Appreciation Party on February 23, 2005 during the Mobile Beat 2005 Show at Las Vegas' famously popular Beach Night Club, which was voted "no 1 Party Club in Las Vegas" in a 2004 poll conducted by the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The party is free for Mobile Beat show attendees. "It's our way of thanking customers for their patronage and support," said Scott Davies, general manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. On most nights, working DJs provide entertainment so that other people can party and have fun. We thought our customers deserve one night when they can kick back and do the partying themselves."

"The 2005 version of this annual ADJ bash promises to be bigger, better and more fun than ever," said Davies. "In fact, this party will be so jamming that it will take two DJs to emcee

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Belgium - Night of The Proms is a high profile music and entertainment spectacular, currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, with 18 sold-out nights in Belgium's largest arena, the 15,000 capacity Antwerp Sportpaleis, before touring to Holland, Germany and France. Belgian production company EML is supplying lighting, sound - and via E/T/C UK - large format projection.

The show is a fusion of popular and classical music, featuring a 72 piece orchestra and 50-strong choir, conducted by Robert Groslot, plus a series of soloists and special guests. The 2004 Antwerp line up includes Joe Cocker, Shaggy, John Miles and James Brown plus a four-piece 'house' electric band and three backing vocalists.

This year several important production changes were made, the main ones being the introduction of the additional visual component of projection and a new layout for the stage. LD

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UK - Sting and Northern Sinfonia are to perform the classic Waters of Tyne, which will be specially arranged by composer David Lang whilst high wire artist Philippe Petit crosses the Tyne gorge to the upper façade of The Sage Gateshead on 21 June 2005. Lighting for this event is to be designed by Tony Award-winners Fisher Dachs Associates.

Sting - world-renowned singer, composer, actor and activist - will join forces with Northern Sinfonia in June 2005 in his native Northeast. The international chart-topper, who rose to fame as the front man of The Police and went onto global acclaim as a solo artist is to sing Waters of Tyne in an event, which forms part of The Sage Gateshead's opening year of celebrations. Sting commented: "It's really exciting for me to know that this spectacular building The Sage Gateshead will enable visiting musicians to experience this

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Australia - Returning to the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour from 13-15 February 2006, Entech 2006 will see the launch of a new seminar and conference program, the organizer has announced. Continuing to attract the pro audio and lighting markets, the Entech 2006 conference program will also cater for the audio-visual and broadcast market and further explore the integration between entertainment technologies.

The organizers report that the response to Entech 2004 was "overwhelming" and that Entech 2006 is evolving even further. The format remains the same and will occupy halls 5 and 6, several demo rooms and two huge conference rooms. Some changes to the floor plan will provide easier navigation for visitors and more floor space for exhibitors, say the organizers.

Many previous exhibitors have already secured stands after experiencing great s

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UK - Computers Unlimited has teamed up with the Central School of Speech & Drama in London to stage the first ever UK VectorWorks Spotlight event.

VectorWorks Spotlight is an entertainment and lighting design software, which merges sophisticated 2D drafting and powerful 3D modelling with advanced lighting design and production tools. The organizer says the event will provide an opportunity to see some outstanding projects created using VectorWorks Spotlight.

Mark Stephens, director of The Design Division (a specialist VectorWorks reseller and producer of the new VectorWorks Spotlight Training CD), will start the event with an overview of VectorWorks. He will then demonstrate the specific Spotlight features, and will also show the new VectorWorks training CD which now includes specific movies on Spotlight. Alex Wardle, a lighting designer and technical manager, will cover setting up

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Rosco showed a prototype of a new theatrical lighting unit, designed by Dialight Corporation, and powered by a solid-state LED engine array. This is the first solid-state instrument to offer the advantages of a hard-edge beam, shutters, and sharp gobo projection capabilities with specifiable, repeatable Roso colours matched to the Roscolux and E-Color swatch books. Also new from Rosco are the PSU-400 and PSU-200 power supply units, which are compatible with nearly all the colour scrollers, gobo rotators, and other accessory devices in common use. For large-scale fog uses, the Delta 6000 fog machine, which consumes more than nine litres of fog fluid an hour, provides service to very large stages, theme parks, and other big venues. The X-Effects projector utilizes a 200W enhanced-metal arc source, whose short arc allows for an output of 5,000 lumens, and a 2,000-hour lamp life. The colour

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Chainmaster was on hand with its North American distributor, Show Distribution. Frank Hartung, the company's managing director, noted that Chainmaster chain hoists and controllers have been installed at the Deutsche Staastoper in Berlin, the Theaterhaus Gesnerallee in Zurich, the De Harmonie concert hall in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, and the Theatre aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, also in the Netherlands. Chainmaster Variolifts were also used on Sting's Sacred Love Tour 2004.

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Digital Art System's newest product was the Easy Stand Alone Ethernet DMX-512 interface (IP version). This product makes it possible to work either locally or via the Internet. The interface can establish a connection to a server and look for any new updates. The lighting designer only needs to put a new show on the server and the interface will download it at the next connection. The interface can be connected to a WebCam, allowing the installer to update a design and see the changes in real time. The product took a PLASA Award for Innovation at this year's PLASA Show.

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LDI is now prefaced with 'ETS' for the 'Entertainment Technology Show' in a conscious move away from the show's established 'lighting' focus. This year's show was a good, positive exhibition with satisfied exhibitors seeing a good level of business, albeit with a bad level of catering. But let's get on to the business in hand . . .

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Cirque Du Soleil now has six touring shows worldwide and five resident productions in the US - three of which are in Las Vegas, with a fourth, 'Ka', due to open this month at the MGM Grand. So this was a home-from-home for the company's technical and human resources representatives who were exhibiting at LDI to raise the profile of its technical recruitment program. This is an increasingly vital requirement of this huge entertainment concern, which now employs around 2,700 people worldwide. Among those which Cirque is particularly keen to reach are experienced automation technicians - essential to so much of their performances.

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The new DL2 is the latest in High End's line of digital lighting. The DL2 combines intelligent lighting with digital video and wireless DMX control to give designers the ultimate in flexibility. The DL2 has an internal, Windows-based media server that features rotation and movement synchronization and movie playback synchronization between units. High End also premiered the new Axon V2, a WindowsXP-based media server. The Axon V2 features movie playback synchronization between multiple Axon V2s and the DL2, rotation synchronization of X, Y and Z axes, as well as montage edge blending, remote configuration and tiling with different viewpoints. Axon V2 is applicable for use with soft LED curtains, plasma monitors, LED displays, LCD/DLP projectors and High End's own DL1 as well. Catalyst, High End's premier media server, is now currently available in three software-only versions to meet a

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ETC's stand had hints of decadence with a huge baroque proscenium arch set into it, displaying the company's sine wave dimmers in the 'back stage' whilst control and lighting equipment was mainly displayed in the resulting 'FOH' areas. The stand also naturally echoed the company's Hopper-inspired headquarters unveiled in June this year. ETC launched its Smartfade products onto the American market, the newest addition to its Smart Solutions compact lighting control range. Designed to give users at all skill levels the tools to program a lighting show, SmartFade has three operating modes:

Two-Scene, Normal, and DMX Backup. There's no learning curve for novice or first-time users: the simple two-scene mode provides a concise, easy-to-operate 12- or 24-channel, two-scene preset console with a manual or timed crossfade section, bump buttons with master and a grand master. The Normal mode i

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Goddard Design Co, responsible for the Lil'DMXter amongst other products, has developed an interesting software accessory for the LDs or board ops - the Virtual Magic Sheet. Now, instead of having pages of channel lists on the monitors, you can display them on the screen as a graphical representation of the lighting plan. Creating a live Magic Sheet at the designer's production desk or on a laptop computer anywhere in the theatre, it's driven via a Wi-Fi link to the DMX output of any control system. Channel numbers can be placed anywhere on the screen with a simple drag-and-drop interface; labels and arrows and other graphic shapes can then be added to organize the drawing. You can then plug in any console's DMX data stream and watch your plan come to life! Everything from intensity, to colour - at last a simple tool that offers the designer the ability to view lighting control data on h

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Andy Graves was on hand at Pulsar to demonstrate the company's increasingly wide range of LED fixtures, which are finding their way into more and more applications - including club and bar installations, architectural lighting, and television and stage environments. The range was recently enhanced with the addition of a range of 17 decorative MR16-sized fittings for interior design applications. The fittings are based around the ChromaMR16 Heart, which has 18 high-power LEDs and is supplied with 3m of lightweight ChromaFlex cable. Other recent additions from Pulsar include the ChromaBatten200 and ChromaFlood200 - both 200W fixtures rated IP65 for exterior use.

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XL Video is now carrying the new Hibino Chroma Tek 6mm LED indoor panel, which features 12bit color depth, a brightness of 1,200 NIT and can be configured into a variety of shapes. XL also carries Barco products, including the Barco MiPix pixelblocks, as well as plasma and portable video displays. XL provides have offices in the U.S., the U.K., Belgium and Germany.

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Holowalls' stand was one of the most eye-catching at the show: the refracted colours generated by these films is highly effective - especially when demonstrated with the aid of a Martin Atomic Strobe!

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The new, low profile S3S stage from Milos is made of lightweight aluminum. It can be used with standard, adjustable or telescopic legs. Their cell 300 series of clamps are designed for 60-63.5mm tubes, while the cell 400 quick clamp series are used with tubes 38-51mm. Their M520 folding truss come in triangle or box format, and reduces storage and transportation volume by 70%.

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Compulite was showing its Vector lighting control series, offering advanced console design for handling conventional and automated fixtures, dual processor design for high performance and stability, a familiar Windows XP environment, VX Works real-time operating system, and an interactive toolbar for rapid programming. The Vector comes in three colours (Red, Green, and Blue), each of which has specific capabilities.
  1. Furman Sound - reissue of Q-Series Eqs
  2. Enttec
  3. L-Acoustics
  4. Vari-Lite
  5. TMB
  6. A.C.T. Lighting
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