Installation

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Hungary - The Palace of Arts is a multifunctional and extraordinary architectural construction. Situated along the banks of the Danube on the Pest side of the Lágymányos Bridge in Budapest, it is described by the Palace of Arts Co. as "a place where tradition and avant-garde can coexist and interact fruitfully, in all branches of the arts."

The building's design - by Zoboki, Demeter and Associates - and a 21st century technological backbone enable the staging of high quality and large-scale performances, bringing together various branches of the arts under one roof. Its permanent residents include the Ludwig Museum, the National Concert Hall and the Festival Theatre. It is part of the Millennium City Centre, a major urban renewal development program in Budapest that includes the adjacent National Theatre.

Client and main contractor on the project, Arcadom Co. Ltd.,

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UK - Windsor is rapidly becoming home to a thriving community of stylish bars and nightclubs, designed to standards more usually found in the capital, just 25 miles away. The latest addition to Windsor's nightlife is Bar Indigo, built underneath the arches supporting a railway line, with all the acoustic challenges to match.

Privately owned by local Berkshire entrepreneur Duane Clark, Bar Indigo comprises two discrete areas; a separate bar and chill-out zone at the front of the club, and a much larger bar and dancefloor at the back. The long tunnel-like shape of the club premises ensures a great architectural space, but also offered, "fairly foul acoustics" for sound installer Paul Knight of Ascot Audio.

"The reverb time is horrendous, like being in a cave," says Knight. "The only solution was to get everyone as near to a direct source as possible, so

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UK - Weather Cluster is an ambitious multi-screen permanent video installation launched in November 2005 at the Clacton County High School. The installation is part of 'Coast', a major visual arts project which started in 2003. Over four years, a series of newly commissioned permanent and temporary artworks will be installed along and around the Essex Coast.

Hanging in the atrium of Clacton High School's new wing, Weather Cluster is a complex web of screens and data-cables, which resembles a 21st Century chandelier. This cloud of thirty screens emits weather conditions from around the world. Students from the school film weather conditions at every opportunity; these video clips form a computer database, which constantly searches the Internet to ascertain the local climate. As the weather conditions change, the computers broadcast the relevant video loops. Year after year, the d

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UK - Amnesty International's Protect the Human week was launched on 23 October 2005 at its newly opened Human Rights Action Centre. The new headquarters are in London's Shoreditch area of the East End. There was music from an all star line up including Starsailor, The Others, Dreadzone, Mark Moore from S-Express and an acoustic set by Kill City.

Protect The Human is major new initiative 'to get a million more people standing up for human rights in the UK' by 2010. During the weekend, AV rental company Mushroom Event Services supplied dramatic lighting for the new building, with a total of 60 2K Fresnels illuminating 30 windows across three floors. Each light was individually controlled and dimmed, giving a wide variety of colour and brightness at any window at any given time.

Protect The Human was written across the façade in 25Watt lamps hung from the roof with steel rope wh

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UK - Color Kinetics products have been installed into recently completed projects for The Tonight Show, CNN's Washington DC Newsroom and The Situation Room, MTV Total Request Live, and The X Factor- one of the UK's top-watched entertainment programs with an estimated 10 million viewers.

Its systems will also vividly light the globally anticipated Final Draw ceremony for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which will be broadcast in 145 countries on 9 December from Leipzig, Germany.

These mark the latest in a growing number of high-profile television events and programs to apply ColorKinetics' LED-based systems as a practical alternative to conventional lighting methods in set design. Unlike conventional sources, they require no gels or filters to supplement fill and background lighting with colour. In the use of white light, they uniquely allow color temperature control to

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New Zealand - Founders Theatre is home to a broad array of performances and gatherings for the roughly 160,000 residents of Hamilton and its neighbours in the surrounding Waikato region of New Zealand. Recently, the theatre's management decided it was time to upgrade the 20-year old sound system to a contemporary design that would, as technical officer Kelvin Ballard describes, "deliver consistent level and quality to every seat in the house, with both a high level of musicality and uncompromised clarity of vocal reproduction." The theatre settled on a configuration of three arrays built around 34 Meyer Sound self-powered curvilinear array loudspeakers provided by Hamilton's Audio Video Solutions under the direction of Hanspeter Frick, in consultation with Harley Richardson of Meyer Sound Australia.

"Events here range from international tours to very simple confer

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UK - Lynnsport and Leisure Park, situated in seventy-two acres of parkland near King's Lynn in Norfolk, is one of the largest sports and leisure facilities in the country. At the heart of the centre is the Bodyworks Fitness Suite offering a full range of cardio-vascular machines, resistance equipment and free weights. The Sound Division Group recently won the contract to supply and install a sophisticated Tryka LED colour change lighting system with Pulsar control, a 24-station eight-channel Audeon wireless cardio entertainment system and numerous plasma and LED screens, plus an Abstract VRX Gladiator lighting system in the spinning studio.

The brief was to provide a thoroughly modern yet sympathetic environment for exercisers using the latest technology. However, it had to be a system that would be easy for untrained personnel to use and operate. To that end, Sound Division ins

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Israel - Haoman 17 (Ha Oman meaning 'the artist' in Hebrew) is Tel Aviv's newest mega-club. The original Haoman in Jersusalem is universally acknowledged and consistently voted as the best club in Israel, yet the new Tel Aviv venue is billed as even bigger and more sophisticated than its famous forebear. Set in the trendy Florentine district of Tel Aviv, Haoman boasts a huge sunken dancefloor with elevated platforms, a live stage, five different bars and a secondary dancefloor separated by a peek-a-boo glass wall. At the heart of it all is a mighty EAW KF850 sound system installed by EAW distributor and systems integrator, Pro Touch Ltd.

According to Pro Touch's Shmulik Mazuz, the client evaluated no less than four audio systems from high profile manufacturers before selecting the EAW solution. "The customer already owns the most successful club in Israel, and he knows what

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Spain - Bosch reports that a purpose-built integrated conference and information system went live on 12 September in the debating hall of the historic Congreso de los Diputados, the Madrid home of the Spanish Parliament. The system is the first of its kind, say Bosch and, most importantly, was implemented without disturbing the historic and elegant furnishings and surroundings of the building - a key customer requirement.

The newly installed system integrates a Bosch DCN Next Generation microphone, voice and voting system, with an HP PC-based thin client and server information and display system. In addition to modern conferencing and voting features, this facility also provides parliamentarians with on-floor informational (office-type applications), messaging and display functionality, interconnected with high-speed Cat 5 data and conferencing networks.

The system features 35

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UK / USA - Following the UK launch of its new Congo lighting control console at PLASA 2005 and subsequent introduction to the US market at LDI last month, ETC has registered some 550 requests for Congo Offline Editor, which allows anyone to take the board for a test drive - by trying out the software on their own PC. Such intense interest in the free download is backed by sales and orders, both of which are growing rapidly. Congo has been selling extremely well in Europe, but now sales in the States are rapidly gaining on them, says the company.

One of the most recent installations in North America is the Holland Performing Arts Centre, a new state-of-the-art complex in Nebraska. "I had my choice of any lighting console for the Holland," says production manager Buck Weyerman, who had read about Congo's heritage before the board was available to American markets. He was

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UK - As part of the build up to the Olympic games in 2012, PLM Illumination has been getting involved with developments in alignment with regeneration projects and development initiatives across the country. These include recent developments in Regents Parks' multi-million pound redevelopment project to update sports facilities. The state-of-the-art building, called 'The Hub', includes fully equipped changing facilities, including ones for referees and people with disabilities, spaces for alternative forms of exercise as well as a café with panoramic views of the park. 'The Hub' opened summer 2005 and is set to bring accessible sports facilities for a wide range of people.

The pathway surrounding 'The Hub' contains bespoke LED, in-ground fittings designed and manufactured by PLM Illumination. The low energy, zero maintenance lighting is a proprietary PLM fitting, manufact

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Australia - Melbourne's Grand Hyatt, one of the city's most prestigious entertainment and accommodation venues, has recently undergone six months of extensive renovations to the Level 8 Banquet floor.

Lighting designer Mike Huggins, from Light Directions in Hong Kong, previously designed the lighting for Melbourne's Park Hyatt. His concepts for lighting control relied heavily on a total integration of all kinetic light sources and functional lighting, but with a simple front end. This was no easy task when the system was required to perform a range of tasks, including local or global control, complex room joining, plus control over a mixture of incandescent, metal halide, fluorescent and LED light sources.

Lightmoves of Melbourne was invited to offer specification for a control system that could achieve these objectives, within the tight budget constraints. During the developm

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China - In 2004 the city of Shenzhen in China's Guangdong province began to implement a strategy they described as "building a culture-based city". The arts industry boomed in that year, accounting for nearly 5% of the city's total GDP, a growth of more than 20% compared over 2003. In further support of this initiative, the LongGang Cultural and Arts Centre, located in the city's LongGang district, has recently undergone a major refurbishment of its audio system to provide world-class sound reinforcement facilities for the Centre's extensive theatrical and music entertainment program.

The main sound contractor, Artco Music Co, worked jointly with Jolly Pro Audio's Andy Leung to specify a system comprised of PAS speakers, Yamaha console and a TiMax ImageMaker16 audio imaging system. The console feeds multiple microphone groups and sound effects components to the eight i

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USA - As America's first indoor role-playing theme park, Wannado City is equally educational as it is entertaining. It offers children aged between four and 11 role-playing options in strikingly-realistic environments, including: children-sized police and fire stations; television and radio studios; a fully functioning theatre; a newspaper office; and even a dance club.

With nearly 250 professions available in over 60 venues, designing an authentic and fully integrated AV system was critical to 'keeping it real'. Wannado contracted Richard Wagner, principal with Integrated Electronics, to design and install the complete audio / video system.Wagner explained: "This was a gargantuan undertaking from both a strategic and technical perspective. Each venue has a combination of its own music and sound effects. It's highly interactive, and timing is critical between the venues.&

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UK - Although the Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society turned back the clock to the 15th Century for their summer school in Hertfordshire, the Harlequin Liberty floor they used embodied advanced dance floor technology of the 21st Century.

In what was described as a return to the 15th Century courts of Italy and Burgundy, the DHDS 38th Annual Summer School at the All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney, provided classes and workshops led by tutors who had reconstructed the dances from the original manuscripts. The importance of a floor to provide the right degree of spring was recognized by organiser, Chris Saunders: Liberty is a floating floor system composed of sprung floor panels and available for either permanent dance studio installation or as stage panels for touring and events such as summer schools, say Harlequin. Designed for safety and suitable for a range of dance disc

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UK - £9m was earmarked for a development of the Student Union building at Brunel University in Uxbridge, including £1.7m to refurbish The Academy, a multipurpose entertainment venue. Working alongside main contractors, Overbury's, mechanical engineers TGA, architects Devereaux, and lighting consultant Hoare Lee, Peter Varey's PVAV successfully tendered for the sound and lighting contract.

Varey opted for a Martin Audio solution. "Given the variety of the entertainment - from Urban and Bhangra nights to comedy, cabaret and cheesey disco, Martin's Blackline range provided the flexibility I needed," said Varey.

The refit included a raised stage area, with DJ plug-in points and extra mic feeds. Varey re-orientated four Martin Audio new AQ215 (2 x 15) subs in the horizontal access, and recessed them under the stage to create additional rumble. The PA system wa

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Hong Kong - Lighthouse Technologies reports a 60% year on year growth in sales for 2005, reaffirming its position as a world leader in the manufacturer of LED screens, says the company.

High points in 2005 included the installation of a Lighthouse LED screen at Samsung's flagship advertising site in London's Piccadilly Circus. The 12m x 12m P16 16mm pixel pitch, 5,000 Nits brightness screen, had already proven its worth in this location on the Coca Cola site. With Samsung's position being adjacent, they wanted to have something that was equal in quality.

"This screen has a very high resolution," explains Lighthouse's Northern European sales manger, Simon Taylor, who coordinated the project. "The colour rendition is accurate - something that is an extremely important consideration for companies needing to ensure that their corporate identity is precisely rendered

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UK - Latest in a growing list of Lyceum-owned venues is the Korova Club based in Wood Street in Liverpool's city centre. Korova is actually three venues in one, offering a mix of entertainment. Entry to the main bar/restaurant area is at street level and visitors are greeted immediately by a combination of predominantly pink lighting (LED downlighters), exposed brickwork and a metal beamed ceiling. Retro style red televisions are positioned above the tables, showing playback of live on-stage activity in the downstairs club.

As with other Lyceum venues, quality music forms the essence and the backdrop of much of the entertainment. The main bar uses eight Tannoy V8 loudspeakers and two VS15BP subwoofers whilst the Kitchen Club to the rear of the main bar provides music at typically a lower level and is driven by six Tannoy i8AW loudspeakers.

A short corridor leads you through to

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USA - Barco has won a contract to provide over 46,000 OLite 510 outdoor LED modules for the new Victory Park development in downtown Dallas. In what Barco say will become one of the largest high-definition outdoor media installations worldwide, 11 individual LED displays will be constructed at Victory Park, one of the most significant master planned urban developments in the country. The Victory Media Network will include two fixed 20ft x 20ft tower displays, a digital portal, and eight movable 15ft x 26'ft LED walls (installed in two four-panel groups that face each other across the 60-foot wide Victory Plaza).

The movable media displays will be mounted on rails, and stacked two-on-two. Using the Barco Screen Movement System, the panels can be choreographed individually with discreet video and surround-sound feeds, or locked together to form 30ft x 50ft HD screens with true 16:

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UK - A new county museum, 'The Collection', was recently opened in Lincoln's city centre, including a sound system based around Allen & Heath's iDR DSP system. The £12.5m development, designed by London architects Panter Hudspith, houses art and archaeology from the area, including a large Roman mosaic and other finds from the museum site itself.

The iDR system is being used as part of an invisible sound system for a 'talking wall', located in the museum's Orientation Hall. The wall is a public artwork, commissioned from Dutch artist Adinda van t'Klooster, which broadcasts a multitude of pre-recorded speeches, describing different aspects of Lincolnshire history. These stories are played through 22 Amina flat panel speakers, concealed in apertures in the wall.

"The system was commissioned during the final stages of building the museum, and to ensure quiet we had to

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USA - Following in a tradition that has spanned over a century, Macy's has again created breathtaking display windows at their Herald Square location. This year's Christmas windows feature giant pop-up books that come alive, thanks to PRG Scenic Technologies, a division of Production Resource Group (PRG).

PRG Scenic Technologies provided automation, control systems, scenery and lighting for the six automated display windows, each themed around 'It's Christmas in the City'. The holiday windows recently earned the platinum award (first place) in the 2005 DDI winning windows contest, given out by Design and Display Ideas magazine. "Winning the DDI Award is like winning the Oscar for best picture in our industry," remarks Paul Olszewski, Macy's director of windows, who hired PRG Scenic Technologies for the project. "It's the first time Macy's has won the award, and to

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USA - Brevard County's Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts reopened following major renovations totaling $1.3 m to improve the sight lines and concert sound system at the main theatre, and included the installation of four Lake Contour digital speaker processors and two Lake Mesa Quad EQ digital matrix processors. The six Lake Technology processors, which were supplied along with a wireless touch pad and access point, control multiple zones of loudspeakers at the 2,000-seat performing arts hall.

"Because of the wireless tablet, the Lake Contour system is great because it allows us to 'walk the room' and make adjustments in real time for any location in the house," said Tim Freese, technical director. "It is a perfect match to our JBL VerTec speaker system, which is a perfect match for our facility."

One Lake Mesa Quad EQ provides individual contr

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USA - The sheer physical size and scope of the modern athletic venue, combined with the demand to accommodate high-end, simultaneously distributed, on-demand audio and video needs of multiple user groups, can test the installation skills of the most seasoned AV systems integrators.

Delta Systems Integration was selected to implement a new AV system at Reser Stadium. Though Delta's integration expertise and experience working in the stadium market was essential to installing the facility's new sound system, one tool, a networked digital sound management system from Symetrix Audio, made the task far simpler.

The Dallas consulting firm, WJHW, specified the DSP-based SymNet networkable, modular audio mixing, routing and processing system in their initial design. As the entire AV concept for the stadium hinged on flexibility, pinpoint control and sound quality reliability, a tradit

  1. Digital 'raises nightclub bar'
  2. Hemisphere breaks the sound barrier
  3. PRG helps create flexibility in Carnegie Hall
  4. First Yamaha M7CL-48 in Estonia and Finland
  5. Amsterdam Arena invests €1.4m in sound
  6. Soundcraft helps school get on-air
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