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Following his participation in the US last year with the Long Beach Long Riders charity motorbike ride, Triple E's David Edelstein was shortly to set off on another, longer charity ride across the US, this time taking his young son with him on the back of his Harley! The company was this year exhibiting its range of products for the theatre market, including the 3Way track system, launched at ABTT last year.

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Rope Assemblies, purveyor of a wide range of rigging accessories to the entertainment industry, picked up the Stand of the Year award for its interactive 'snakes and ladders' showcase which was designed to promote knowledge of the LOLER regulations.
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As is becoming its habit at ABTT, theatre sound specialist Orbital announced a major product addition to its portfolio - Zaxcom's wireless microphone systems. The TRX900 transceiver's features include a built-in IFB (interruptible fold back) receiver and a six-hour internal recording facility with Timecode. Other features include RF remote control of body pack; and digital drop-out protection. Also from Zaxcom, the TRX990 is designed for boom pole applications and, the manufacturer says, "takes the place of a traditional wireless transmitter, a 48V phantom power supply, an IFB receiver and a walkie talkie".

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The main news from pro audio distributor Fuzion was that they've taken on the UK representation of Vity Technology products - a range of automation products for the corporate and home installation markets. The product range, from the French manufacturer, includes IP-addressable LCD panels, matrix switchers and scalers for the corporate boardroom and multimedia market, and are seen as "a perfect addition to the company's product portfolio".

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Lighting rental company HSL has attached increasing importance to theatre and live performance markets recently, and has seen significant growth in its operation. The company was using ABTT to promote its theatre experience and wide equipment inventory. Currently supplying touring productions of This is Elvis (LD Ben P Cracknell) and Blood Brothers (LD Nick Richings), HSL was, importantly, also supplying another vital need of the theatre market by sponsoring the bar at the show.

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Turbosound was showing its increasingly successful Aspect Series loudspeakers, recently seen in L&SI on tour with David Gilmour. The TA-500 is a trapezoidal three-way full-range unit which includes the company's patented Polyhorn technology first seen in the TA-890 touring and TA-880 trapezoidal cabinets. The TA-500 is designed to offer wider dispersion (50° horizontal x 25° vertical) medium throw coverage for medium-sized venues and touring applications.

Also on show was the new TSB-118 bandpass subwoofer, a compact cabinet featuring a single 600W RMS 18" driver, producing 136dB peak SPL. Tuned to provide a frequency response usable to 30Hz, the TSB-118 is designed as a complement to QLight and TCS Compact series enclosures.

Marketing director Martin Reid reported visits from "an increasing number of rental companies".

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An ABTT regular, Avolites was showing a number of its products with theatre market appeal. These included the Diamond 4 Elite and the flexible Pearl 2004 lighting control desks, the eDMX wireless data transmission system (see Technical Focus L&SI July-August) and the ART 2000i installation dimmer.

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Slingco showcased the Cablenet tension wire grid (one of which is installed in the newly re-opened Roundhouse in Camden, London), the award-winning Unibar and the Vortek range of motorized rigging solutions from Hoffend.

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Trantec, whose recently-appointed director, the affable Steve Baker, was on the stand, showed its award-winning S6000 UHF radio mic system, which is available in either 8-, 2- (S6002) or single-channel (S6001) variants - and also boasts a 72MHz tuneable range, which allows for greater flexibility in hostile RF environments.

Also displayed was the new S4.4 radio mic system, a licence-free UHF system which Trantec say offers a cost-effective and flexible alternative for presentations, musical instruments and vocals. The range includes a handheld system, with a cardioid dynamic capsule for vocal application; a beltpack system, with a transmitter supplied with a small lapel mic, for presentation applications, and an instrument cord which allows the beltpack to be used with electric instruments.

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Pfaff-silberblau Ltd is the UK subsidiary of Pfaff-silberblau GmbH, Germany, and was showing its range of actuators, winches, hoists and handling equipment. Several new products were launched at ABTT, including the new range of Silverline Chain and Ratchet Lever Hoists. New additions to the range include a 250kg chain hoist and a 300kg lever hoist.

The electric chain hoist from GIS has been re-engineered and launched under the CH brand. Single and three-phase models are available in dual speeds. The CH range offers new features which included a 15% reduction in operational noise levels, the company says.

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Best New Lighting Product:Strand Lighting's new range of Palette lighting consoles.

Best New Sound ProductOrbital Sound for the CSC Show control software.

Engineering and Rigging Award:AVW Controls for its Pegasus winches.

Best Widget Award:Tomcat for its Chain Runner.

Stand of the Year:Rope Assemblies.

Technician of the Year:presented posthumously to Anthony Bridges, for his exceptional career working witha host of leading industry lighting figures and organisations.

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Alcons Audio introduced the very small SR9 ribbon-loaded front-fill system; double 5" + Alcons' RBN401 pro-ribbon driver in a sealed, non-reflex cabinet. With a dispersion of 120 degree horizontal x 15 degree vertical, the SR9 is specifically designed as stage-lip fill, without shooting in the orchestra-pit, or hitting the balcony front.

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Lightfactor's main focus was on the Synthesis Spot 700 from Italian manufacturer SGM. Features include onboard wireless DMX as standard and protection against rogue power supplies up to 380V. Using a 700W HTI lamp, available in colour temperatures of 7200°K or 5600°K, other features include: automatic hot restrike, colour mixing, linear dimming and automatic electronic pan-tilt unlock.

From LDR, Lightfactor had the Xpress range of scrollers along with a new Xpress power distribution system designed to feed a single Xpress colour scroller. Also from LDR, the new Canto followspot.

LightProcessor's Paradim and Dimension dimming ranges, available as installation or touring versions, were also shown.

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Underlining the potential they see in the products, Leisuretec Distribution was focusing its presence entirely on the new BlueBeam and BlueDome systems, from GDS (Global Design Solutions), for whom Leisuretec acts as UK distibutor.

First previewed in L&SI back in December 2005, these innovative products are designed for use in technical backstage or FOH interior and exterior areas. BlueBeam offers a spot source and BlueDome a flood. Both are IP67 rated, produce little heat and are capable of dimming via an integral 0-10V dimmer, and large numbers can be daisy-chained together if required.

Also showing were accessories for the fixtures - a push-on cowl (for the Beam or Dome fixture) and an eyelid (for the Dome).

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In the spirit of a recent sporting event that cannot have escaped even the most hard-working of our readers, the ABTT was a trade-show of two halves. The first morning saw visitors queueing down the road long before the show opened, whilst exhibitors hurriedly put the finishing touches to their stands, and the remainder of the day continued in a similar bustle.

Day 2, and specifically the afternoon, slowly wound down to a trickle of only the most ardent of non-football fans, and of course those manning the stands that were paid to be there. But that said, it's the end result that counts when the whistle blows, and it was wins all round by the looks of things (fortunately no shirt-swapping, though) . . .

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British Harlequin were exhibiting examples from their range of floorings for the performing arts, alongside accessories such as tapes, cleaning products, roll straps, etc. Floorings include: portable,roll-out floors, cushioned, heavy-duty permanent floors, plus permanent and touring spring floor systems.

Harlequin's new publication, Specifying Dance Floors - a Guide for Architects,was launched for the Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (see July-August issue of L&SI). The guide covers the sprung floors in Harlequin's range; giving test results, specifications, and case studies.

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White Light was proudly showing the new Robert Juliat Lucy followspot, that had only touched down in the country two days before. Lucy is a short-throw version of the Korrigan, whose new successor the Super Korrigan, was also on show. The Super Korrigan 1200W HMI followspot offers a 25-30% increase in light output over the original Korrigan, say White Light.

White Light is also UK distributor for Wireless Solutions' DMX system, which was on display, as was LDDE's SpectraConnecT5 four-colour fluorescent flood units. ELC's range of DMX signal distribution tools was also on stand.

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The latest products on display at the Martin Professional stand included the brand-new Mac 700 Wash, the new Maxxyz PC, the complete Mac 250 range and Maxedia Media Server. The Mac TW1 tungsten washlight, was launched at the show at a private showing. (See July-August L&SI.)

The TW1 has a twin lens zoom that offers a variable range of between 19°- 40°. The fixture can be used with external or internal dimming systems and a mechanical shutter allows for dimming without variation in colour temperature, and a strobing effect. Provision for turning off the cooling fans is made via DMX control. Lamp replacement is simple with a single-ended quarter-twist lamp, and its modular design has maintenance in mind. An auto-sensing switch-mode power supply ensures global compatibility. A range of accessories is also available, such as barndoors, gel frames, or top hats.

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Beadlight were experiencing a busy show. Managing director Pat Wisby explained that they had expected their ice*lighting product to appeal to the rental market, but they were pleased to be seeing more and more demand for the install market.

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Tomcat claimed Widget of the Year Award for its Chain Runner, designed by Mylan Lester of Creation Logics with the entertainment industry in mind. Some chain runners require the removal and reattachment of the hook to fit. Other 'split' style runners can spin and be noisy. Tomcat's on the other hand can be added and removed very quickly. These strong runners are quiet, and won't spin or fall off - even if the two sides haven't been attached together. Tomcat's runners are suitable for CM Lodestars.

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Established in 1987, the Arts and Entertainment Technical Training Initiative (aetti) was promoting its range of courses. Current courses that lead to BTEC Intermediate Awards are available in Technical Skills in Live Entertainment and Stage Lighting, Rigging and Operation. These courses are delievered in partnership with Loughborough College, in venues throughout the country.

Courses in development include an Intermediate BTEC Award in Sound, and a Level 3 qualification in Lighting, to be partly delivered and assesed online. To demonstrate the prospective course, a fun quiz was taking place. Fortunately, no shame was brought upon the L&SI name, but there were brighter sparks at the show who claimed the aetti t-shirt.

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Zero 88's Betapack was celebrating it's 16th birthday with cake at the show, and an updated version was launched. New features include: MCB protection as standard; isolated DMX input; 12 programmable backup memories; three programmable 99-step sequences with adjustable times; auto DMX termination when loop-through plug is removed; temperature monitoring.

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Belgian gobo specialist Goboland, months after setting up its London branch, was enjoying a successful show, and receiving a good response to its recently reorganised, easy to follow, 'logical' gobo numbering system - which sees a straightforward glass/steel, series, design number and size coding in the order number. The gobos are also now individually packed with their own barcodes for easy stocktaking. The company's growing catalogue of designs includes over 500 steel patterns and over 200 glass patterns, with custom designs are also available. Goboland gobos are now being stocked by White Light, the company reports.

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UK - Last year, director Peter Sellars presented his Tristan und Isolde at the Opera Bastille in Paris, with specially commissioned contemporary visual art by Bill Viola as the backdrop to Wagner's opera.

This summer the work has been adapted into a museum-scale exhibition showing across two venues - Haunch of Venison Yard and St. Olave's College - and presenting over 10 new works under the title Love/Death: The Tristan Project.

At St. Olave's College these are being shown over four feature areas in two separate halls - ranging from room-sized video projections of image and sound (in the main assembly hall and gallery) to three smaller projection screens an a plasma display.

The highlight is the back-to-back presentation of Fire Woman and Tristan's Ascension in the main hall. Here, the artist displays high-definition projection onto a 19ft x 10.7ft screen using

  1. Frog 2 visits the British Motor Show
  2. Turbosound Aspect at O2 Wireless Festival
  3. Cornbury success for KV2's VHD system
  4. d&b at the Roskilde Festival
  5. Visionaire Group sponsors Install India
  6. Funding for PALA India
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