Lighting

Details
USA - Brian Dowd, the well-known general manager and East Coast sales manager for TMB, is to join LED lighting effects manufacturer Color Kinetics on 16 August, overseeing sales in the Mid-Atlantic region. An experienced lighting designer and technician, Dowd oversaw sales, operations and business development at TMB, and the launch of the company's New York office. His 27-year career includes sales, management, and technical experience at entertainment lighting companies Main Light Industries Inc and McManus Enterprises, as well as corporate meeting design and technical direction for DuPont Company. Dowd has also been directly involved in the work of several industry bodies, including the ESTA Technical Standards Program.

Details
UK - This year's Glastonbury Festival was again hailed a huge success, with many companies battling the inclement weather to supply staging, lighting, sound and AV to this ever-developing event. With so many stages, tents and zones on site, the following can only be a snapshot of those industry experts who worked so hard - some regular festival suppliers and some new faces - to ensure the continued success of arguably the world's most famous annual outdoor musical event - ever!

Lighting

In action for Oasis' Friday night headline slot on the Pyramid stage were192 James Thomas Pixelline LED battens - part of a stunning lighting scheme designed by LD Andi Watson, with gear supplied by LSD/Fourth Phase.

On The Other Stage, LD Jonny Gaskell used 55 Pixellines and PixelDrive software, supplied by Bandit Lites, for Orbital's final set. Taking an experimental approach, Gaskell took

Details
UK - London's Hammersmith Odeon played host to the first gig of The Corrs' European tour in June, showcasing the songs from the band's new album, Borrowed Heaven. Absent from the touring scene since 2001, the band has spent 18 months recording the new album in Dublin and Los Angeles, and will tour British arenas in November, taking in Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester and London's Wembley Arena, following a month visiting European destinations.

The band has used live sound specialist Canegreen since its first set of UK dates in 1998, as tour manager Henry McGroggan explained: "The Corrs have grown with Canegreen; tonight we have 80 channels of audio running from the stage and the Canegreen boys can manage it. The technology has moved on significantly over the years and Canegreen keep right up to date in terms of offering us new equipment that will make the ban

Details
USA - Elation Professional's new UV Wash is an ultra-violet fixture designed for mobile use and rentals. Weighing just 11lb (5kg), the UV Wash is more lightweight and transportable than traditional black lights, due to the use of a compact fluorescent UV lamp instead of the typical gas discharge lamps, which require a heavy transformer to operate.

"Through the years, black lights have remained one of the most universal special effects for club and stage use - and they keep getting better with new, improved features," said John Lopez, national sales manager for Elation Professional. "Now, with the UV Wash, you can achieve great ultra-violet effects without having to lug around an awkward light with a transformer that weighs a ton, thanks to its compact fluorescent UV lamp."

In addition to using a fluorescent UV lamp, the UV Wash is rugged and durable, with

Details
UK - Following the pattern of the previous two years, PLASA 2004 will see the introduction of a new member of ETC's family of Smart Solutions products. Although the company is keeping details under wraps until the show itself, they do say that it (whatever it is!) will be extremely smart, functional and versatile . . .

Dimming will be a major feature of the ETC stand, following the recent acquisition of IES, a pioneer in sine wave dimming technologies. IES' products provide silent dimming for concert halls and theatres and will become an integral component in ETC's total lighting systems.

ETC's own Sensor dimming now benefits from the new Control Electronics Module (CEM+), adding the functionality of a network and a graphic user interface. Visitors to the show will be able to see how Sensor CEM+ receives and manages Ethernet control signals and two DMX512 inputs, controls dimm

Details
UK - Robe UK has supplied M32 Audio and Lighting with a complete new moving light rig for installation for a major upgrade at The Reds Theatre on the site of Butlin's in Skegness. The new moving lights include four Robe ColorSpot 250s, six Wash 250s and six Scan 575s, chosen for their reliability and great value. The theatre's capacity is 2,000 and it entertains up to 3,000 people daily during the peak holiday season, with the lighting rig in constant use.

M32's Adrian Neilly explains that having used Robe fixtures for many club, pub and bar installations, they had no hesitation recommending them for this installation, knowing they would be used heavily: "The build quality is excellent, they are very robust, the price is excellent plus there's the great service from Robe UK and the two-year warranty - we couldn't go wrong," he states. Robe UK made several fixtures ava

Details
USA - American DJ has introduced two new strobe lights - the Energy One and Energy DMX. The 200W fixtures are built to be extremely road-worthy, say the company. Both are lightweight - a mere 4.5lb (2kg) - and come with a durable, high-tech plastic case that protects the units from damage during transport, setup and teardown. The difference between the two strobe lights is that the Energy DMX - as indicated by its name - can be operated with a DMX lighting controller.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
UK - Stage Electrics has been selected as lighting supplier for the new musical Mary Poppins. Jointly produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney, Mary Poppins plays its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome on 28 September before transferring to London's Prince Edward theatre in December. The show is production managed by Simon Robertson from Cameron Mackintosh and Nic Harris From Disney, while production electrician is Fraser Hall with Rob Halliday programming the Strand control system.

Lit by Howard Harrison, the moving light rig consists of 65 Vari*Lite fixtures made up of VL2000 spots, VL2000 washes, VL3000Qs and VL5Bs. In addition to this, nearly 40 of ETC's new Revolution moving heads have been specified alongside two Martin MAC 2000 Performance units where remote shuttering is required. The conventional rig consists largely of ETC Source Four profiles in v

Details
USA / UK - Minnesota-based Light N Trax Inc, specialists in lighting, sound and video products and services, has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of the Light*Wand performance product range for the USA. The Light*Wand range of quality task lighting is LED-based, and the light is spread by passing through the Bead*light diffusion system (patents pending) developed for the aerospace industry. Lights include console lighting, rack lighting and music stand lighting.

Until now, Telectra, the manufacturers of the Light*Wand has fulfilled USA orders from its facility near Oxford in the UK. Demand for the product, however, was running at such high levels that finding a distributor became a priority. Light N Trax made contact with Telectra after one of its customers showed them the Light*Wand products he had purchased.

Eddy Hoyer, president of Light N Trax commented: "W

Details
UK - MA Lighting will show its full grandMA range of compatible lighting control desks at PLASA. The range is characterized by its flexibility, intuitive user interface, comprehensive functions and reliability - even when working in a multi-user network with up to eight stations and 16,384 parameters at full speed, say the company. All grandMA consoles use the same software, the main differences being in the hardware options.

Highlights of the PLASA stand this year will include the grandMA Video Software, which enables the operator to animate videos, graphics and 3D objects in real-time via a grandMA lighting desk. In contrast to other media servers, grandMA Video offers the possibility to choose any kind of animated 3D projection objects. Videos, graphics and the 3D objects can be selected, scaled, positioned, tiled, coloured and intuitively manipulated in a number of ways, si

Details
UK - A.C. Lighting has announced the appointment of Lee House as technical sales and support specialist for the company's Lighting division, with particular focus on supporting the new Jands Vista console, the MA Lighting grandMA range and WYSIWYG control software.

House was particularly drawn to the role by the prospect of working on the launch of the revolutionary Vista console with A.C. Jands development team contributors Neil Vann and Glyn O'Donoghue. The Vista officially launches in September at PLASA and represents a radical departure from the traditional method of lighting console programming and design. Having previously played a key role at Flying Pig Systems for four years, House is no newcomer to the console market and brings a wealth of experience to the role. During this time he helped set up the European Technical Support department and provided support for all Hog

Details
UK - The introduction of the VL3500 Spot and VL3500Q Spot luminaires by automated lighting pioneer Vari-Lite provides new opportunities for lighting designers requiring 1200W fixtures with automated shutter capabilities, say the company. The VL3500 Spot luminaries, which can be seen at the PLASA Show, match with the VL3000 Spot fixtures to provide a complete 1200W spot package.

The VL3500 Spot fixtures share the same performance standards set by the original Vari*Lite Series 3000 Spot luminaires. The shutter system consists of four shutters on two planes, which allows the blades to be operated independently or in unison on the two planes. This, combined with the opposing chamfers, allows designers a clear, crisp focus on all four blades at once.

"Designers will be pleased with this product," said Vari-Lite product manager George Masek. "No other competitor can

Details
Germany - MA Lighting has announced that in the four months since the first grandMA micro lighting console was delivered in April this year, more than 100 consoles have been sold. The console with serial number 100 is in use in Italy, purchased by Gmep-Molpass. MA Lighting director Michael Adenau says: "At the moment the grandMA micro is the most compact console on the market. It relies on the software platform of the award-winning grandMA range, which means that it is compatible with the show files of the other grandMA consoles."

The grandMA micro can control 1024 parameters for dimmer channels and moving lights as well as LEDs, effects and video. The configurable colour TFT touchscreen and the digital encoders are only a few of the convincing features of the console. The operating philosophy of all grandMA lighting desks is the same, so that the orientation for the

Details
UK - Julie Harper joins White Light from DHA Lighting where she spent over 11 years in various sales, PR and marketing roles. Julie began her career on a West End followspot and after nine years decided it was time to get a proper job so she went to bag gobos for two days a week at DHA.

This proved to be less painful than anticipated so she joined the sales office and was soon writing press releases, which ultimately lead to her overseeing DHA's PR and marketing operations. Latterly, after expressing a conflicting desire to travel and a pathological fear of flying, she was given the role of sales manager for Asia-Pacific establishing and maintaining DHA's overseas dealer network.

Julie subsequently overcame her fear of flying and brings all her experience to White Light, where she is looking forward to in her new role as EPL sales manager, promoting the product ranges - Robert

Details
UK - Entec, Avolites and James Thomas's Pixel range team joined forces to make Air's recent show at the Eden Project in Cornwall a memorable one. It was the first time that the attraction's famous Biomes had been illuminated with Pixel fixtures. Integrated into the live performance, they formed a beguiling multi-coloured backdrop to the stage. Entec supplied both lighting and sound production for the UK and European legs of Air's extensive 2004 tour, working with the FOH team of LD Dave Byars and sound engineer Paul Ramsay.

The 'specials' element of the lighting rig - which toured everywhere including all the festivals - consisted of 14 Studio Spots, eight James Thomas Pixelline LED battens and four Manfrotto stands on risers. It was designed with festival practicality in mind - quick and simple to rig and wheel onstage - whilst also providing Air with their own unique set of v

Details
UK - On of the UK's leading entertainment lighting suppliers, White Light, will be at the PLASA Show once again this year, showing new products and introducing new members of staff on stand G29. New products on show will include the Digital Festoon System, a radical rethink of conventional festoon lighting that allows each lamp along a festoon to be individually dimmed, giving the possibility of creating stunning lighting displays from apparently simple strings of lights.

The Digital Festoon System (DFS) can be programmed using a laptop or can be controlled from a DMX lighting console for integration with a lighting rig. The system carries both 48V lamp power and DMX using a patented data system; up to 200 lamps can be individually controlled on a single cable from each DFS power unit. Offering exciting opportunities to lighting designers, the DFS has been nominated for the PLAS

Details
UK - ShowCAD will again be exhibiting at PLASA, demonstrating new features of its Artist show control system. Artist is now linked with Cast Lighting as a Registered WYSIWYG Developer, enabling users to program/visualize lighting plots virtually using their WYSIWYG software. ShowCAD has also linked up with Pathway Connectivity to utilize the Pathport Ethernet DMX distribution system. This powerful system is also ACN-ready, and gives Artist up to 32,000 DMX channel capability.

Automaton is a new product - ShowCAD's long awaited low-cost stand-alone show controller which can be programmed from a computer on or off-site using a web browser, and will then replay the programmed shows without the need of a host computer. ShowCAD will also be demonstrating how to integrate Artist with IP commands, as well as the standard MIDI, RS232, and digital connections. Also, the company reports,

Details
USA - Utah's Salt Lake City Olympic Legacy Theatre uses a pair of Jem Glaciator heavy foggers to create a special cloud effect during the opening and closing scenes of a feature movie that is presented several times each day.

Supplied by Las Vegas-based atmospheric and effects specialists Water FX, the Glaciators are used to create a three-dimensional cloud at the beginning of the film, a curved 37ft (11.3m) fog barrier that covers the projection screen. The fog creates a curtain onto which three projectors cast images of blue clouds. The fog curtain is controlled via fans and manifolds, and at one point a hole is blown through the cloud to create for the audience the effect of flying through the clouds.

At the end of the movie, viewers journey back through the clouds. Some 150ft (45.7m) of ducting, plus 120ft (36.6m) of manifold and 100ft (30.5m) of tubing with a large diver

Details
UK - A high-profile vodka bar in Bedford has become a showcase for the latest fashions in LED lighting. Purchased recently by Mark Walker for his girlfriend Deborah, Bar Soviet is equipped with the latest Mood panel and high-power Solar MR16 RGB downlighter technology - supplied by Ian Kirby's Lighting Effects Distribution.

Having finally taken over the premises which he had tried for four years to acquire, the new owner - who also runs the company Laser Light International - wasted no time. First he applied for a PEL (which he hopes will give him a 3am license) and then he contacted his friend, Glasgow-based Nadar Shahzad of Blue Audio. Shahzad reports, "Mark wanted the venue to constantly change colour. Although he hadn't seen the Mood panels, we had been sent a demo unit last year - and I knew this would be the perfect solution for him."

Offering a split screen di

Details
UK - The Product Excellence Awards at the PLASA Show has been a popular feature of the event for many years, highlighting the significance of the show as a focus for new developments for the industry. To reinforce this role, the PLASA Awards have undergone an important change for the 2004 event (12-15 September), in order to focus on genuine innovation.

For the re-branded PLASA Awards for Innovation, the judges will be looking for products which advance the industry, demonstrate a new style of thinking, represent a key step forward in safety terms, or improve technical practices. There will be eight Awards for Innovation at the judges' disposal and currently over 60 nominations have been received, with just three weeks before the deadline of Friday 3 September. Exhibitors who still wish to nominate a product are urged to submit their applications as soon as possible. Nominees w

Details
USA - Color Kinetics and Spectrum Manufacturing Inc, a subsidiary of UK-based A.C. Lighting, have announced a patent licensing agreement through which Spectrum will expand the Chroma-Q line of products with a new LED-based offering. The first new product, called Color Block, will be unveiled by A.C. Lighting at the PLASA show in London (12-15 September).

"Color Kinetics works proactively to help OEM and Licensing customers enter and find success in the intelligent solid-state lighting space, and we're very pleased to extend the advantages of our intellectual property to Spectrum, whose Chroma-Q line will now feature the proven benefits of LED technology," said Bill Sims, President and COO, Color Kinetics. "This agreement represents the latest achievement in maximizing the value of our technology know-how and supporting industry-wide adoption of intelligent solid-

Details
UK - Following the news from Color Kinetics on its new licensing agreement with Spectrum Manufacturing, A.C. Lighting has given full details of the first in the new Chroma-Q line of high output LED products manufactured under the agreement. The Chroma-Q Color Block DB4, which was previewed in prototype form earlier this year, is a block of four DMX-controlled colour mixing LED lights which, due to its modular design and comprehensive range of fixing options, allows users to create a complete LED system using stock of just one generic fixture type.

The Color Block can be used individually or in a number of configurations. By changing a few quick-release clips or brackets, the units can be easily stacked together to make blinders or locked together in rows to make battens. Fixing options include wall, floor or truss-mounting using a yoke attachment, or by utilizing the built-in M

Details
UK / USA - Artistic Licence has announced the re-launch of its LED based digital lighting range in the United States. The ET-LDI show in Las Vegas will provide the venue from 22 to 24 October. Artistic Licence offers a wide range of LED based colour-mixing products. The range includes 'off-the-shelf' products along with a projects department focussed on bespoke design. Artistic Licence has recently completed two major projects in London, totaling over 100,000 LEDs. The Projects department continues to expand with 'in-progress' sites in Melbourne, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.Artistic's managing director, Wayne Howell comments: "We are very excited about the US re-launch of our LED range. We have a diverse product range and a committed projects team that has a lot to offer the US market. Many of our competitors take an 'if it's not in the catalogue, we don't do it' a

Details
USA - Elation Professional has been appointed the exclusive North American distributor for Antari products. Based in Taiwan, Antari has been designing and manufacturing fog machines for 20 years, as well as other atmospheric effects such as snow and bubble machines.

"We are extremely proud to represent such a world-renowned supplier as Antari," said John Lopez, national sales manager for Elation Professional. "Not only do they make some of the highest quality fog machines, but for the past two decades they've been a leader in research and development and have introduced countless innovations to the category."

Elation Professional will exhibit the Antari line at the 2004 LDI Show (Booth #2000) in Las Vegas, October 22-24, and a range of the Taiwanese manufacturer's newest foggers and other atmospheric effects will be on display. "We are very excited t

  1. Robe Show Lighting at PLASA
  2. New patent for Color Kinetics
  3. ETS/KV2 create 'Golden Sounds'
  4. PRG Europe to sell Bak Pak
  5. From GM to BT with Colourhouse
  6. Lamp recycling lights the way forward
Page 604 of 1201

Latest Issue. . .