Installation

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Over a 12-year period, Lancaster-based Lee Engineering has proven to be one of the UK's most dependable technical resource groups. The company's scope of work extends from offering support to large industrial and architectural lighting projects (including power stations on the Isle of Man to lighting the toll booths of the Forth Road Bridge) to providing regular services to the BBC.

Lee Engineering also has a reputation for thoroughly scrutinising each new piece of equipment before it goes out. "The kit goes straight into the workshop," says director Phil Leedal. "We are a sales rep's worst nightmare as we won't sell anything that we know will give us grief."

One of the company's major accounts is right on its doorstep - Lancaster University's nine colleges and Student Union nightclub, The Sugar House. In the past, each of the colleges had operated its own indepen

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UK - National WiseUp2Work Day will be held on Wednesday 30 August 2006. WiseUp2Work is a major initiative by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) to address head-on the issue of safety for the under 21s when they are starting work, apprenticeships or work experience. On average, 10 young people are killed and 2,500 badly injured every year.

The aim is to make employers, trainers, youth workers and teachers, and young people themselves, aware of the risks they face in the workplace and what they should be doing to mitigate them. WiseUp2Work is sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and supported by the National Youth Agency and the British Chambers of Commerce.

National WiseUp2Work Day is being staged at a time when many young people are embarking upon their careers or starting work experience placements, and are at the highe

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Serbia - The European Agency for Reconstruction has delegated ETC to furnish the lighting systems for Radio Television Serbia in Belgrade.

Radio Television Serbia (RTS) has had an eventful past. Established in 1929 as Radio Belgrade, RTS was expanded to a television institution in 1956 by the Serbian government. In the following decades, RTS acquired an excellent reputation with the production of documentaries, sitcoms and quiz shows.

Under the regime of Slobadan Miloševic, the broadcast station entered dark times. Journalists who did not want to be utilised as instruments of the regime were fired, and RTS devolved into the megaphone of Miloševic's propaganda. The tragic climax came when 16 people were killed during the bombing of the studio headquarters on 23 April 1999, by NATO troops.

Since then, Serbian television has been privatised. Thanks to support from the Europea

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UK - Single plasma displays are no longer acceptable in the foyers and reception areas of progressive corporate establishments, believes Tim Verran, a director of system integrators Ikure Audio Visual Management.

When that office is situated within the famous Northern and Shell Building on the Thames, presided over by publishing tycoon, Richard Desmond, that observation becomes particularly relevant.

ODL Securities Limited (ODLS) was founded in 1994 as Options Direct (Europe) Ltd in response to a movement away from the 'open outcry' system of trading on the LIFFE derivative products market. The company believed that the future for trading financial instruments would be screen based and the use of technology would be paramount in the development of the financial markets.

Boasting some of the widest ranging and most technologically advanced resources in the financial industry,

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Australia - Luxeon LEDs from Lumileds have been used to light the InterContinental Executive Club Lounge on the 32nd floor of the InterContinental Hotel in a project which provides a lounge for guests along with a viewing deck of Sydney's Botanical Gardens and Harbour.

Ndylight specified Megabay Lighting Enterprises, a certified member of the Luxeon Lighting Network, to create a relaxed, stylish environment through the creative use of light, while taking advantage of the stunning views of the city.

As the new lounge is surrounded by glass on three sides, lighting design director, Susan Lambert, had the challenge of minimising the amount of interior light being reflected back into the lounge. To achieve this, Ndylight's solution for the Executive Lounge incorporates Luxeon LEDS on both the interior and exterior. These are used to highlight individual elements of the design.

O

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UK - Slingco has built and installed a modular CableNet tensioned wire grid system over the auditorium and stage of the brand new Seckford Theatre at Woodbridge School in Suffolk. A major reason for specifying the 8-frame modular CableNet is - for the first time ever - to provide completely safe roof access for students and working personnel including wheelchair users up in the grid.

The £4.5 million project, designed by architects the MEB Partnership from Oxford, has seen the creation of a 343 seat flexible space - which can also be configured in thrust and in-the-round formats - to service the school's own busy Performing Arts Centre department's productions as well as those of visiting companies, assorted local 'am dram' shows plus conferences and events.

Funded by the Seckford Foundation, which is dedicated to the young and the old of Woodbridge, it's a professional

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USA - A new sound reinforcement system recently implemented at the Stadium Theatre in downtown Woonsocket, Rhode Island is headed by a Mackie Onyx 4880 house mixing console.

The historic theatre, built in 1926 and eventually falling into disrepair, re-opened in 2001 as a performing arts centre following years of renovation work by the all-volunteer Stadium Theatre Foundation. Since re-opening, however, sound quality within the theatre's Grand Hall was not up to expectations, leading the foundation to seek a professional solution.

The shoebox-shaped Grand Hall offers approximately 1,100 seats split between the main floor, balcony and side boxes. Its ample stage now hosts more than 90 events a year, including concerts, theatrical productions and lectures.

The new system was implemented by ATR/Treehouse of nearby Providence, Rhode Island, with input and support from Stadium The

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UK - A new £7m boutique hotel development in Edinburgh's fashionable West End has been equipped from the ground up with audio products from the Fuzion plc catalogue.

The Hudson Hotel, the latest addition to the 21-strong Festival Inns portfolio, is the result of merging a former post office, night club and office block into a complete leisure operation, including 31 technology-led bedrooms, The Hudson Bar and Hudson Club. To fulfil the brief of providing cutting-edge technology the company turned to Edinburgh-based Dynamic Productions.

Dynamic's project manager Graeme Anderson has brought all his expertise to bear over the three hotel room floors, ground floor bar/reception and basement nightclub, where he has worked magnificently to convert a space with restricted ceiling height into a vibrant, atmospheric dance venue.

Working within the confines of a Grade-B restrict

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USA - In the past several months, Minneapolis has added two state-of-the-art dance clubs with incredible sound systems powered by amplifiers: the MC2 Audio E25 and E45 power amps. The sound systems for both the new Karma and Visage clubs were designed and installed by Minneapolis-based Light N Trax, and the MC2 amplifier sale was made by John Bormann of Bormann Marketing.

Karma enjoyed a warm reception to its opening in the heart of Minneapolis's club district. There, a sound system based on the EAW Avalon speaker system is propelled by 55,000 Watts from a combination of MC2 E25 and E45 amplifiers powering the mains, subs and fills. The two-story club features a separate VIP suite and several private cabana areas.

Visage, which opened in April, has a fashion theme - a video display behind the bar presents the French fashion channel FTV and non-stop runway action, while every F

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USA - First established in 1892 as a supplier of rugged clothing, Abercrombie & Fitch's (A&F) name has come a long way in its century-plus of existence. Today, A&F's line of casual clothing for men and women and its hundreds of retail stores make it one of the most recognised brands in retail.

Now A&F has taken retail environments even further with its new, 36,000sq.ft flagship store on Manhattan's highly competitive Fifth Avenue, enticing shoppers with a uniquely rich sound experience powered by Meyer Sound UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage and MM-4 miniature wide-range loudspeakers, supported by UMS-1P ultra-compact subwoofers. With the store's four high-ceilinged sales floors and stylish lighting, the precision of the sound system is critical to setting the store's club-like feel.

"Abercrombie & Fitch expects every aspect of their stores to be stimulating. They don't

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UK - At the start of the new millennium universities were starting to realise that in order to compete with the town centre nightclubs they had to radically improve their own campus facilities. The Union at Leeds University was quick out of the blocks, establishing the then quite radical Stylus nightclub, with technology company Green-I providing a powerful Martin Audio Blackline dance surround system.

Meanwhile, the adjacent Harvey Milk Bar (named after San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor) was slowly falling into dilapidation, and closed entirely back in 2001.

Five years on, the derelict building has reopened as the 450-capacity Mine, offering an all-day restaurant within a brand new infrastructure, which has seen the old staircase removed and replaced with a DJ booth - thanks to interior designers Studio BAAD and Green-I.

Assistant events manager Tom Salmon sa

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Iceland - QSC signal transport system has been specified in the regenerated multi-room Eldborg Conference Centre, on the site of a famous geothermal spa in Iceland.

Situated just outside Reykjavik, The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most popular choices for international visitors, is in the midst of a major redesign and expansion programme, set to complete by the spring of 2007. This will include the bathing, shower and lagoon facilities, but also a greater choice of restaurants - including a 250-cover diner built into a lava cliff - and the sophisticated Conference Centre. With three separate rooms and an entrance hall, it can accommodate up to 400 people (220 theatre style) in the largest of its reconfigurable facilities.

The new system is part of a turnkey AV upgrade of an existing system in which the ceiling speakers, amplifiers and video projectors have been retained.

Th

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UK - Just Oriental boasts one of the most glamorous locations in London in the heart of Piccadilly. Offering clients a beautifully furnished club-like lounge bar and brasserie with comfortable booth seating and mellow music, diners can choose from an extensive cocktail list and authentic oriental cuisine. A magnificent sweeping staircase connects Just Oriental to sister restaurant Just St James at ground level and a contrasting, quintessentially English atmosphere. When the time came to update the background sound system for Just Oriental, the company turned to installation experts Sound Division.

According to Sound Division's, David Graham, Just Oriental's needs were straightforward. "The whole system needed refreshing and updating. Some equipment was completely replaced, some was refurbished, and we also added several new elements to the system in order to give Just Orien

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UK - Salisbury-based Stagecraft Theatre Services (STS) is celebrating the completion of new sound installations worth in excess of £120,000 at two schools and a live events venue. STS, which is a leading staging, lighting and sound company has been responsible for the complete design and installation of the new systems, which include new QSC modular loudspeakers and Yamaha digital mixing desks.

"It has been exceptionally busy for the sound department this year and so far we have completed over 30 installations," explains Stagecraft's Martin Palmer. "Each project has varied dramatically, from the installation of simple microphone and speaker systems in a school hall, to complex mixing desks and modular loudspeakers at a live events venue."

The main installations for the company this year have included work at Sherborne Boys School, Guildford School for

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Indonesia - The grand opening of new 304-seat theatre at the Jaya Ancol Resort in Jakarta, marks the largest installation to date of the innovative "4D" entertainment systems designed and installed by Kraftwerk Living Technologies (Wels, Austria). Housed in a structure resembling a pre-Columbian Peruvian pyramid, the theatre's cutting-edge networked digital systems create a synchronised, multisensory experience that bridges the gap between cinema and a full-blown theme park ride.

On screen, dual Christie HD video projectors create superimposed, colour-encoded screen images that, when viewed through the provided special glasses, result in three-dimensional visuals of startling depth and detail. At appropriate moments in the film's story line, the seats jolt, shake, and emit wafts of cool air or sprays of moisture. Finally, to complete the sensation of total immersion, t

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Macau - RCF's distributor in China, Eastern Acoustic Development Ltd has recently supplied a complete sound system for the Fashion Bar in the newly developed Macau Fisherman's Wharf. As the first-ever themed entertainment attraction in Macau's tourism industry, Fisherman's Wharf is centrally located at the outer harbour, near to the Macau Ferry Terminal and Heliport. It combines entertainment, retail, food, hotel, marina, convention and exhibition facilities, all in one place.

The installation was carried out by local company High Fidelity & Stereophonic Co. Eastern Acoustic's Grace Ng commented: "We were very proud to part of this prestigious venue in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf. Working with the installation company, we decided to use a combination of RCF ART active and passive speakers. Because they will be having live acts on the stage we also used the larger RCF 4PR

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Australia - The Everingham Rotating House (ERH) is attracting attention around the globe. Borne out of the comment, "Wouldn't it be handy to have a house that could move?", the ERH is the result of thousands of hours of research and development and a dedication to the integrity of a design based on ecologically sound building principles.

Luke Everingham, the man behind the design and its fruition, wanted a house that met the following criteria: the cost must not exceed that of a conventional house of the same size and level of appointment; the layout and finish must be highly functional; it must require very little maintenance; it must be white ant proof and; must allow the occupants to maximise weather conditions, seasonal conditions and the outstanding 360° views on this property located in the Australian bush. The result is a house that rotates 360° - capabl

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Greece - Outline has announced a Butterfly 'outlinearray' installation at Athens' MOV, one of the Greek capital's most famous bouzouki bars. Recently inaugurated, the MOV hosts top Greek singers and artists (such as Stelios Rokkos and Zafiris Melas), who entertain the venue's select clientele with live performances.

A total of eight Outline CDH 483 Hi-Packs and four CDL 1815 Low-Packs (the firm's low frequency enclosures with cardioid characteristics) were flown and aimed with the aid of Outline VIP software, in order to ensure even coverage right from the front seats, eliminating the need for any additional front-fill systems, say the company.

Four HARD 212 ultra-slim enclosures are used for stage monitors, while four Victor Live subwoofers are installed on the floor to handle the ultra-low frequencies. The consoles used are a Midas Verona and a Midas Siena, on FOH and monito

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As ETC unveiled its London HQ to the industry, Lee Baldock spoke to the company's CEO Fred Foster about his latest unique creation . . .

UK - Back in June 2004, ETC unveiled its new $21m corporate headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin, complete with an elaborately-themed common area for staff. Designed by the company's engaging CEO, Fred Foster, along with a talented team of architects and artists, this themed set-piece was described as being "like an old-time movie set waiting for its gangster extras, or a Broadway musical stage before the dancers appear".

Foster saw the theatrical concept as an homage to the business his company operates in. Based on the paintings of Edward Hopper, the 'Town Square' concept was designed to provide ETC's 450 employees with a more rewarding, communal space in which to work. When the company's European HQ in London moved recently from

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USA - dbx Professional Products, a Salt Lake City-based manufacturer of professional signal processing products and a division of Harman International, has announced that five of its premium DriveRack 4800 loudspeaker management processors have been selected to control a JBL sound system in one of London's premier cinemas.

The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square, which hosts many of the UK's film premiers, has undergone a much needed equipment upgrade following its takeover from UCI by the newly-formed Empire Cinemas Ltd. According to The Empire's marketing and development manager, Kevin Anderson, the investment has run "well into six figures".

Technical manager for the Group, André Mort, says that the requirement was for a THX-approved system, and appointed Bell Theatre Services (BTS), who have a long association with the venue, to come up with a specification

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USA - The recently renovated and expanded worship sanctuary at Blackshear Baptist Church, located in Flowery Branch, Georgia, includes a new sound reinforcement system headed by Danley Sound Labs SH-50 and SH-100 full-range loudspeakers, along with the company's TH-112 subwoofers.

Blackshear Baptist is one of the fastest growing churches in the Atlanta area, with the expansion of the sanctuary from 1,000 seats to more than 1,700 reflecting this growth. The sanctuary now offers theatre-style raked seating and a huge balcony wrapping around three sides of the room. Members enjoy worship services that include spoken word, a large traditional choir, and more contemporary music provided by a rhythm section and brass/reed section.

dB Audio & Video (dB A&V) of Gainesville, Georgia, provided the sound system design and installation, in addition to the acoustical design and a sophistic

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USA - Aviom has been selected to enhance the sound system at 30,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston, the largest church in the US. Lakewood Church televises its broadcasts, reaching over 200 million households. Audio Analysts, the audio technology company for Lakewood, installed several AN-16i Input Modules and AN-16o Output Modules in addition to multiple Pro16 Personal Mixers for the worship team.

"Aviom's bandwidth is excellent," says Joe Caruso, senior audio engineer for Audio Analysts. "It's easy to use and guarantees an accurate performance. We tested it against other snakes and listened to the bandwidth for any concern in regards to audio degradation and there is none."

Caruso installed two Aviom AN-16i Input Modules and two AN-16o Output Modules to amplify the sound in the newly renovated church. Both AN-16i Modules are set up in the monitor room

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India - PALA India has announced the appointment of Visionaire Group as a sponsor of Install India 2006, held in conjunction with PALA India. The company will provide 'proof of concept' showcase installations, demonstrating the most advanced AV integration solutions for the Modern Boardroom and The Smart Home.

Visionaire is a leading region-wide systems integrator throughout the Middle East, India, and South East Asia. The company's advanced solutions for systems integration span across the meeting, living, security, learning, retail, and hospitality markets.

Visionaire's installations are prevalent throughout the region and include some of the most prestigious projects and developments, says the company, such as The Indian School of Business, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Reliance Infocomm and Reliance Petroleum NOC's, L&T Infotech campuses in Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore, Micr

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UK - Stage Technologies have supplied the Royal Shakespeare Company's Courtyard Theatre with a portable automation control system. The new 1,000 seat theatre is a temporary venue for the RSC while major renovation works transform their permanent home at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The temporary venue has been designed as a prototype for the auditorium planned in the permanent theatre which will re-open in 2010. The new thrust-stage brings the audience closer to the actors to re-create the intimacy of the theatres known in Shakespeare's time.

The entire Courtyard Theatre project is estimated to have cost in the region of £6m and following careful planning it is envisaged that a large amount of the equipment and materials will subsequently be reused in other RSC theatres and to support its works in London and on tours in the UK and around the world.

  1. Sound Division receives royal welcome
  2. Lighting make-over for gas and steam plant
  3. Sennheiser sponsors Musicians Hall of Fame
  4. Interton installs Community
  5. First UK VersaPixel install
  6. DJW's 'virtual view'
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