Lighting

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USA - When Rochester Assembly of God church built its new addition in 1997 it included a rudimentary lighting system, with 'theatrical' lighting consisting of a few coloured lights and a couple of basic 'can' spotlights near the ceiling, all controlled by infrared dimmers purchased from a national electronics chain store. The only control the church had over the fixtures was to turn them on or off.

As the church grew, so did the need for a more extensive lighting system. Church officials wanted to create more professional looking and appealing productions and more emotional traditional weekly services. With its annual Christmas program on the horizon, Rochester Assembly of God decided to upgrade to a new system that would be both cost-effective and expandable.

"We were going to be presenting The Gospel According to Scrooge, so we decided to install a lighting syst

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UK - Robe Show Lighting fixtures have been installed at Spearmint Rhino's busy London Heathrow venue. Spearmint Rhino's is the world's highest grossing upscale Gentleman's Club chain, operating worldwide and rapidly expanding across all territories. The Heathrow club - one of the original UK sites - asked Wes Matthews of 360 Services to undertake the design and installation of upgrading their lighting rig. Matthews has worked with them for the last two and a half years, and looks after all their production technology.

Lighting for 'table dancing' and strip clubs is an area of expertise for Matthews and, over time, he's refined the very specific requirements of the environment into the art of capturing mood and creating an aura of tension and drama. "It's very similar to theatre" he explains, adding that the era of tacky and tasteless lighting in these types of venues

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USA - Former Vari-Lite product designer Mike Bell has joined High End Systems in Austin, TX as senior product manager, the company announced today.

Bell had spent eight years at Vari-Lite in Dallas, where he held the positions of Vari-Lite engineering manager, program manager and principle design engineer of the VL3000, VL2000 and VL2500 spot luminaires. He also has five years of design and project management experience working for Texas Instruments developing military and commercial infrared night vision and DLP products.

Bell commented, "I'm looking forward to working with Richard Belliveau and the engineering team to develop new and cutting-edge products." Said HES chief technology officer Richard Belliveau, "We are thrilled to be working with Mike. His wealth of experience in bringing new lighting products to market is a valuable asset to High End Systems.&q

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Denmark - LD Phil Karatz has specified a Martin Maxxyz console for the current US leg of Ani DiFranco's world tour to control both the lighting rig and his media server. Described as a type of 'punk folksinger', Ani DiFranco's unique socially conscious style of music appeals to a wide audience and she has been on the road for some time, including last autumn's Vote Dammit tour aimed at registering voters and a recently-completed European tour. The winter and spring US dates' rig includes a Maxxyz-controlled MAC rig of MAC 2000 Profiles, MAC 2000 Wash and Jem ZR 24/7 Hazers, supplied by See Factor. Production manager is Steve Schrems.

Karatz used a media server on the Vote Dammit US shows and decided to switch to a console that could run the media server. He comments, "I did some research and found the Maxxyz to be well suited to the way I like to set up and ru

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UK - Salisbury based Stagecraft has announced a new special effects package for hire and sales, aimed at schools, theatres, production companies and lighting designers, which includes the Rosco Image Pro and Vortex 360. Stagecraft will also be one of the first companies to stock the new Rosco X-Effects 3-D Projector.

Stagecraft hire manager Paul Harte explained: "Special effects equipment has long been an expensive luxury for schools and production companies, and we have worked hard to put together a package which suits all budget sizes. Whether hiring or looking to buy, we now have special effects equipment which is versatile, easy to use, and most importantly produces spectacular results."

The Rosco Image Pro, he added, is one of the most cost effective ways of projecting images onto stages, buildings and screens. Using acetate gobos and a simple system which fits

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Italy - Clay Paky has revealed that several new products will be showcased for the first time in France at next month's SIEL 2005 show (Paris 6-9 February) on Stand N61. Commercial director Enrico Caironi said the company's participation in the Parisian event will feature the launch of a number of 'very innovative' new products, full details of which will be available at the show.

(Mike Lethby)

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UK - Visitors to London's famous Somerset House have been soaking up the winter atmosphere and the grandeur of the Victorian era with Calor, the UK's leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas, lighting the way. The open-air Winter Ice Rink located in the venue's main courtyard has attracted thousands of visitors for a fifth consecutive year. An added attraction this year is the use of real Victorian-style gas flame lamp standards, installed by specialist events company EMF Technology. The chosen fuel for the authentic lighting is Calor LPG.

Stuart Roberts of EMF Technology, which provides bespoke special effects and audio and video displays for major events and local authorities, commented that, to provide the right flame effect for the facility, LPG was the only answer. "We wanted to have the right ambience and an authentic look for the Victorian scene. We also had to en

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USA - Affirming that the company is not just about amplifiers anymore, QSC unveiled a 'wall of sound' at the Winter NAMM show, aimed at drawing the industry eye to an ever-expanding loudspeaker lineup including its ISIS WideLine components. A full-range, wide angle line array system built expressly for nightclubs, ballrooms, theatres, concert halls, and houses of worship, each WideLine enclosure is designed for an open, natural sound and a 140º horizontal dispersion pattern, which, says QSC, is the widest of any line array currently on the market.

WideLine's switchable midrange frequency shading is designed to allow system operators to redirect mid-bass buildup without relying upon external equalisation, aimed at improving intelligibility in this problematic bandwidth. The switch can additionally be used to orient each enclosure's low frequency pattern for either house left or

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UK - Lighting balloon specialists Airstar Space Lighting was on hand to assist the homeless charity Crisis at the end of December, providing nine of its Crystal fixtures for use at the charity's annual Crisis Open Christmas event. Taking place across six London venues between 23rd and 30th December, the event was designed to provide skills training & activities, companionship and medical services for as many of London's homeless as possible.

The main venue was located in three buildings at the Millennium Dome, Greenwich, plus associated marquees. Being designed with a 'village' atmosphere in mind, the Crystal lighting balloons were chosen by lighting designer Jenny Kagan to provide illumination for the links between the site's different areas. She deployed seven 2k halogen and two 1.2k HMI Crystals, all 1.6m in diameter. Although she hadn't used Airstar fixtures before, she said

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Estonia - Arup Lighting, in collaboration with MVRDV, has created a spectacular lighting display that will be suspended 35m high over the Old Town quarter of Tallinn in Estonia. The semi-permanent art installation will be lit over the city, making the dark and wintry Tallinn awash with light every evening for three hours, between 3 - 6 February. The ambitious project was conceived at an Estonian designers' workshop for young architects with the aim of creating a lighting installation to enhance the city and inspire its residents during the winter gloom.

Invited by the Tallinn City Government, MVRDV architects and Arup Lighting were asked to find solutions to realise the winning idea - a 'light cupola' above the city. The Light Dome is the precursor to more anticipated installations of a similar nature in Europe, and the design team hopes to install a larger one in London in 200

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UK - Following a record visitor turnout and exhibitor numbers reaching the hall's capacity in 2004, the organisers of the A.C. Lighting North Tradeshow have announced that this year's show will be returning to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds on 26-27 April. Further show details will be confirmed in the coming months, but visitors can expect a repeat of last year's popular format, say the company. Many of the key brands from A.C. Lighting's stock-holding of leading lighting, audio and associated equipment manufacturers who exhibited in 2004 have already confirmed their attendance, as well as a number of new suppliers who will making their first appearance at the show.

As well as the chance to catch up on the latest product innovations and receive demonstrations, face-to-face expert advice and some exclusive 'show-only' exhibitor deals, the show will again include a range of

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Germany - Laser specialist Lobo has announced the latest in a series of installations on cruise ships and a private yacht. Magica, the new flagship of European shipping line Costa, set sail for the first time and, along with its sister ship Fortuna, takes Mediterranean cruising to new dimensions. Each of the 272-meter long floating hotels draws 105,000 tonnes and offers pure luxury combined with Italian ambience for 3,470 passengers.

Among the abundant entertainment on offer is a theatre seating more than 1,000 guests, and its well-specified technology includes a sophisticated Lobo laser system. Three maintenance-free laser projectors are controlled by Lacon-5 workstations and Magica also features Lobo's latest Zaphir moving laser head. The control system allows either completely independent operation of the laser system but also control via DMX, timecode, E

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UK - Twelve James Thomas PixelPAR 90 LED fixtures are at the core of a new high-impact exterior architectural lighting scheme at the Royal & SunAlliance building in Bristol. The Grade II listed West Gate building was designed by renowned British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott - who's work included national landmarks like Battersea & Bankside Power Stations, Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral and the classic red British Telephone Box.

Royal & SunAlliance was keen to stamp its own modern - and lasting - identity on the building for the 21st century. It also wanted an innovative and high quality scheme to reinforce West Gate as a prominent city centre landmark. An additional challenge was that the 'Listed' status meant no signage could be attached to the exterior. Keen to embrace new technology, Royal & SunAlliance decided that lighting was an inventive solution that would also crea

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The Netherlands - Luxeon LED luminaires have been installed by Germany's Bocom as the sole light source in the bar of the Hotel Anna in Munich, Lumileds' LEDs creating a key attraction through the use of dynamic colour-changing light. In total over 1800 LEDs from Lumileds, housed in 12 luminaires throughout the bar area, are used to create the control and imagery needed for this designer hotel.

Harald Spilker, sales and marketing manager of Bocom GmbH, said: "The success and on-going high performance of the Hotel Anna solution underlines the benefits of Luxeon LEDs. Creatively we were able to achieve far greater control and dynamism over the lighting solution, while the minimal maintenance and on-going cost savings provide the hotel with a high-performance, cost-effective installation." Bocom is also responsible for the 35,000 Euro lighting refurbishment of the Rhein T

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Greece - A DiGiCo D1 Live has been specified by sound engineer Aris Koudouris for open air concerts, television shows and music club seasons in Greece. "Ypsilon Live, the rental company I usually work with, and I decided that time had come to switch from an analogue to a digital mixing console," says Koudouris. "We chose the DiGiCo D1 Live primarily because of the way it sounds. We'd tested other mixers, but they didn't completely satisfy us." At the moment, Koudouris is using his D1 for a 60-show season with Greek artist Yiannis Kotsiras at large clubs in Salonica and Athens.

"I'm using the D1 at Front of House with an SLS RLA-2 line array system, with a Lexicon 960 for reverb and a Focusrite compressor," continues Koudouris. "Just because this is the first time I've used the console, I have two D1s mirroring each other. Besides the safety iss

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UK - The Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), nestling at the water's edge of Cardiff Bay, which describes itself as 'the most exciting cultural initiative happening in Europe today', officially opened at the end of 2004, and attention to detail throughout the build was meticulous. Sound and lighting contractor Stage Electrics called upon the expertise and equipment of Ampetronic for an induction loop system to allow those with hearing disability to access audio through a substantial portion of the facility. The building contains 5,000 tonnes of structural steel which can absorb most of the energy from an induction loop system, while the floor of one of the main areas to be covered rests on steel sheets.

"Ampetronic performed a site survey at Easter of 2003," says Stage Electrics' Jonathan Porter Goff. "We'd worked with them before and we were very pleased to be workin

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China - Strand Lighting Asia has announced that they have won a contract to supply a complete lighting and control system for the new Dongguan Opera House in China. The stunning new performing arts complex in Dongguan was designed by Canadian Architect Carlos Ott, whose projects have included the Bastille Opera House in Paris and the Canadian Broadcasting Center in Toronto.

The facility with an estimated cost of RMB 450 million is located on a 40,000sq.m site that houses two theatres. The main theatre is a 1,600-seat Opera House and also includes a 400-seat Experimental Theatre, featuring a fully flexible seating and staging system that can be configured to meet the needs of a wide range of performances.

Strand is supplying 21 dimmer racks to the project with a mix of dimmer module types including 64 3kW and 5kW Sinewave dimmers. There are nearly 1800 dimmers in the system. T

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USA - Color Kinetics Inc has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2004. Revenues for the quarter were $10.7 million, an increase of 39% from the $7.7 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2003. Net income for the fourth quarter increased to $626,000 or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $50,000 or $0.00 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2003.

Revenues for the full year ended 31 December, 2004 were $40.2 million, an increase of 39% from the $28.8 million reported in 2003. Net income for the full year ended December 31, 2004 was $2.4 million or $0.14 per diluted share, compared to a loss of ($727,000) or $(0.26) per diluted share reported in 2003.

"2004 marked several milestones for Color Kinetics, both financially and technologically," says George Mueller, chairman and CEO. "We successfully completed an IPO, strengthened o

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Saudi Arabia - Represented by CEO Mr Nour Assafiri, Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) has appointed Al Salem Schreder Lighting, represented by its general manager, Mr Hatem Mawlawi, as the sole distributor for Martin Architectural products in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al Salem Schreder Lighting is a key manufacturer and supplier of a variety of highly technical lighting products in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The appointment is designed to fortify the Martin Architectural brand presence in the gulf region and extend the channels of distribution respectively.

(Mike Lethby)

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Germany - As of the beginning of 2005, Lightpower's product range includes the new Major One Plus dimmer - an optimal solution for decentralized dimming and control systems, e.g. for installations with followspots. The new Major One Plus is the new version of the previous Major One dimmer. In contrast to the older model the new dimmer includes a slide potentiometer for easy operation.

It is also now possible to connect inductive loads up to 1kVA. The dimmer is delivered including remote control which can be used especially when working with followspots. If the dimmer with its output of 2kVA is used directly with the luminaire, only one power line for the DMX 512 control is required. The 230V can be taken directly at the place of installation. With its address, limit, switch and level functions, the operation of the Major One Plus is very easy, say Lightpower, as the user can na

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UK - London's glamorous Thai-theme restaurant and club, the Sugar Hut, has opened a large sister venue in Brentwood, Essex. Housed in a lavishly renovated Grade I listed building, the Sugar Hut Village features a high-quality but completely invisible dancefloor and clubroom sound system from ElectroVoice.

Following the success of the original Sugar Hut in Fulham, London, owners Chris George, Gary Smith and Frazer Donaldson have taken on a 15th century coaching inn in the heart of Brentwood village. With its unique galleried courtyard playing an important role at the heart of the venue, the old hotel is now home to six different themed clubrooms, bars and restaurants. As a whole, the Sugar Hut Village holds nearly 900 people, dispersed through the Karma Bar, the Krug Suite, the Gallery Bar, the main restaurant, and other areas.

Having worked on the Sugar Hut in London and its s

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UK - When Celebrity Big Brother director Tony Gregory states that, "nowadays it's not about if we use an LED screen, but how we use it," he is emphasizing just how quickly this technology has become integrated into leading television spectaculars, reality shows and outside broadcasts. "It's now an essential part - not only of a show's fabric, but also of people's expectations," he says.

A veteran of staging Big Brother series Gregory worked closely with designer Patrick Watson, lighting director Al Gurdon and video technology suppliers Creative Technology (also BB veterans), to create a set in which the massive 4m x 2m Big Brother 'eye' icon was backlit, using 55 of Creative Technology's Element Labs Versa Tubes.

Both Gregory and Watson were united in emphasizing the level of technical support offered by CT, which enabled them to be mor

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USA - Electrosonic and Scharff Weisberg Systems Integration Inc have signed a joint venture agreement creating Electrosonic New York, an audio video systems integration organization that will operate out of Long Island City. By combining Scharff Weisberg's existing systems installation business with the Northeast division of Electrosonic, the new company will be able to provide New York-area architects, designers, consultants and builders with unsurpassed AV design and installation support from a local source, say the company.

Scharff Weisberg president Josh Weisberg described the collaboration: "We've been friendly competitors for years and have occasionally worked together on projects. So, when Electrosonic decided they would benefit from a higher profile in the New York area, we realized that our clients could benefit as well from Electrosonic's global reach and well-de

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