UK - The National Theatre's Avolites Diamond 4 Elite console has been in action on the company's 11 week summer outdoor season, featuring over 150 free riverside events, 6 days a week, presented in and around Theatre Square, an outdoor piazza and performance space on London's South Bank, just outside the NT entrance.

The console was purchased by the National Theatre's LX department, headed by Huw Llewellyn who also invested in a second Avolites eDMX wireless DMX system. The Summer Season performance spectacles are diverse. ranging from surreal Barcelonan hairdressing duo, Sienta la Cabeza to performance, drama, music and dancing from all eras and corners of the world.

When it comes to lighting these events, explains Llewellyn, flexibility is paramount. There ís a standard stage position, but performers can change this if they wish and play at either or both ends of the space

USA / Europe - American DJ has introduced the Color Fusion - a compact DMX-compatible stage colour wash effect which, the company claims, offers professional RGB colour-blending at a price within reach of any performer or club owner. Designed for bands, small nightclubs, DJs, and a wide variety of staging applications, the The 4-channel Color Fusion can be operated using any standard DMX controller, or set to run as a sound-activated plug-and-play unit which uses its own in-built chase patterns. The powerful, easy-to-use fixture is ideal for everyone from experienced, veteran lighting users to budding young performers who are just getting started in the entertainment biz.

The Color Fusion provides electronic dimming from 0-100 percent, so users can adjust the intensity and depth of a colour wash on the fly. Convenient barn doors give users the ability to change the dimensions of

USA - Northern Sound & Light (NSL), a nationally recognized audio and lighting products dealer with a thriving Internet presence, recently hired Christopher Cleary to its professional sales staff. Cleary joined NSL from Hollowood Music and Sound of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he served on the retail sales team. "We're very happy to have Chris join our team," said Steve Raslevich, founder and president of NSL. "He's quickly used his years of expertise as a musician and audio professional to assist our customers."

Cleary's previous experience includes the SoundTree educational division of Korg USA where he served on installation teams, and Minella Guitars where he focused on guitar repairs and restoration. "I'm glad to have joined NSL where my professional background is a good match for the company," he said.

A lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh

UK - 5 Star, the Cambridgehire based cases manufacturer will be show-casing its recent investment into 3D modelling and design software. Solid Edge, a high end package from UGS was purchased from Cutting Edge Solutions of Witney and has been integrated into the company's existing CAD and quotations systems.

The demonstration will include how the software links with other office applications such as database and spreadsheets. Solid Edge is made up of various elements including 'Design and Drafting', 'Part Modelling and Assembly' and 'Sheet Metal'. A vast library of case hardware has been produced using a powerful set of tools, most of which using the 'Sheet Metal' section of Solid Edge.

Visitors will be able to see the assembly of virtual cases which of course, are real-time meaning that the geometry is actual size of the proposed finished case. Any faults of design can immedia

Denmark - Martin Professional has hired Thomas Gosvig as after sales and service manager. He is based at the Martin head office in Aarhus, Denmark.

Over the past 15 years Thomas has worked in all aspects of after sales, most recently with American Power Conversion and before that with ITC Scandinavia Group. He is a certified electrician and maritime engineer and has held positions in areas such as network installation management, product support engineering, product management, new product development, sales- & service management consultancy and communications management.

In his new position Thomas will be responsible for Martin's corporate service department, including development and implementation of the Martin Professional after market strategy, optimisation of service business processes, service product lifecycles including quality assurance, and customer satisfaction - a

UK - New products from A.C. Lighting to be introduced at the PLASA Show include further new accessories for the Color Block range. LED Pipe - The rectangular, contoured LED Pipe is manufactured using an ultra durable Polycarbonate material which has been designed to withstand the rigours of the entertainment environment. The pipe slots easily over the front of each DB4's set of four LED cells and locks into recesses in the unit for a secure fixing, taking just seconds to attach or detach. Acting as a light diffuser, the pipe blends together the output from individual RGB cells and shows it as a uniform colour across the display area. As a result, camera lens flare is also eliminated when the DB4 is used in TV studio lighting applications.

For improved diffusion, the pipe moulding features a second 'outer' layer which acts as an additional filter. The result is optimum diffusion

USA - Larry Kellerman, director of PRG's Permanent Installation Group, has died of a heart attack. Kellermann was a long-time lighting industry member, having begun his career in the early 1950s at Century Lighting, the predecessor of Strand Lighting He was named CEO in 1973. Kellermann left Century in 1974, opening his own manufacturer's rep agency. Over the next 20 years, his company worked on more than 600 Broadway shows, including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Miss Saigon. He also worked on many installation projects, including ABC's Good Morning America stiudio, the network's Nightline studio, the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood studio for PBS, and others. He also worked as a construction coordinator and project manger for Tishman construction, Morse Diesel, ITT Sheraton, Princess Hotels, JWP, CBS-TV, ABC-TV, and Hilton Hotels.

In a statement, J

Australia - The new Craigieburn Bypass now provides a freeway link between the Melbourne Metropolitan Ring Road and the Hume Freeway in Australia's second city. Amongst the unique features of this road-building project is the world's first traffic controlled lighting effect, conceived by landscape architects Taylor Cullity Lethlan and engineers Webb Australia in conjunction with local artist Robert Owen. The system was then designed and installed by Lightmoves Pty Ltd.

A 300m matrix of colour changing LEDs, forming part of an acoustic barrier to reduce road noise, was installed parallel to the road. The design brief required the lighting effects to be controlled and regulated by transducers in the road. Lightmoves turned to Artistic Licence to provide the necessary control software via Colour-Tramp.

Colour-Tramp is best known for its ability to control colour changing arrays w

USA - The Light CoPilot III is a new analogue chase control system from Elation Control Systems. A complete package for controlling multiple sound-active effects, it features Elation's popular 16-channel Light CoPilot II analogue chase controller, plus two 4-channel LC-4SP power packs and two 25-foot connector cables.

With two power packs included in the system - as opposed to one 8-channel pack - the Light CoPilot III gives DJs and clubs more options for configuring their lights. For example, they can string four fixtures in two different areas of a club, rather than having to rig all their lights on one truss or T-bar. Plus, users will have fewer messy extension cords and wires to hassle with.

"The Light CoPilot III's extra power pack really expands what you can do with your light show," said John Lopez, national sales manager for Elation Control Systems. "It

Argentina - MA Lighting has appointed Daniel F Ridano as technical manager to respond to the technical needs of customers in Latin and South America. His responsibilities include answering all technical questions about the grandMA range and other sophisticated solutions from MA Lighting. In addition, Daniel will support customers regarding up coming projects. Furthermore, he'll be organizing special workshops for grandMA consoles, grandMA video, MA digital dimmers and other MA lighting products.

As a specialist with a Bachelor's degree in digital electronics, Daniel F Ridano has a broad technical knowledge and more than 12 years of practical experience in the lighting business. Being one of Latin America's first-call grandMA operators, he worked for musical productions such as Peter Pan and Aladdin as well as being in demand as a moving light technician for interna

UK - Bandit Lites is supplying UK techno punk band The Prodigy with lighting production for their current summer run of festivals and shows, in the build-up to the launch of their new album. Under the working title of 'Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned', the album is the first studio work by The Prodigy since 1997's seminal 'Fat of The Land'.

Lighting designer Ian 'Mac' MacEwan has worked with The Prodigy for nine years, "Nine LOUD years," as he puts it. This year, Bandit Lites was chosen as lighting supplier for the first time - a move which Mac says has been excellent in terms of "getting the service and attention we need". It also reacquaints Mac with Lester Cobrin, as this is the first time the pair has worked together since Cobrin joined the Bandit UK team in 2004 as business development manager.

Cobrin comments: "I've been working with Mac on va

The Netherlands - Lumileds Lighting has announced an agreement for Royal Philips Electronics to purchase Agilent Technologies' interests in the company. The acquisition is structured to allow Lumileds to continue operating as an independent business group, within the Philips Lighting organization, supporting its customers as it has since the company's inception. Customers will continue to work directly with Lumileds and its authorized distributors including Future Electronics for all their product needs. Lumileds manufacturing operations in San Jose and Penang, business offices, sales, marketing, engineering and R&D organizations remain in place and continue to serve the needs of customers around the world.

"Throw away last week's charts that show expectations for LED performance," said Mike Holt, CEO of Lumileds. "Increased access to and closer working relationsh

UK - PLASA 2005 sees VisualDMX controlling 4,000 channels via the unique Matrix Mania! element of the software package. Visitors to PLASA are invited to see the use of matrix patterns, scrolling text and animated GIF graphics, demonstrated live on the new Lighttech floor panels from TDE.

VisualDMX is available for personal demonstrations throughout the show, offering an insight into the fast, live and programmed control of lighting, including the new Conventional and Intelligent sequence editors. For those with a sense of fun, the company is offering the opportunity to explore the full strengths of the VisualDMX software editing their own animations in Matrix Mania.

VisualDMX can be found on the stand of Lightstorm Trading, B39.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - The Le Mark Group will be showing the US-manufactured SetWear range of A&E work clothing. Billy Davila from SetWear Inc in California will be on the Le Mark stand at the Show, ready to offer advice on the right Setwear item to make your working life safer and more comfortable, say Le Mark.

Michael Erpenbeck from Light Equip Köln, Germany will also join Le Mark, for all SetWear Distribution enquiries from main land Europe and Scandinavia.

This SetWear product range offers accessories for many areas of the entertainment industry, say Le Mark - riggers, electricians, fly men, stage technicians, gaffers, cameraman, makeup artists and pyrotechnicians will all find something to make their job easier. A daily prize draw will also be held on the stand, so remember to leave your business card.

Le Mark - and SetWear - can be found on stand F12.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - XL Video exhibits at PLASA for the first time this year, aiming to introduce the company to the business and live event communications sector of the AV industry, and demonstrate the potential for crossover of equipment from concert touring - the market with which XL is most commonly associated.

XL Video is the UK and Europe's largest and busiest touring video rental company, supplying expert technicians and equipment to rock 'n' roll, concert touring and festival productions. XL Video works across all sectors of the business, leisure and entertainment industry as well as the above, including special events, theatre productions, public arts projects, product launches, corporate presentations and parties. With operations in England, Belgium, Germany, plus the East and West coasts of America, XL Video is an international group, investing in the best practitioners in the busine

UK - Main Light Industries is offering High End Systems' Catalyst software for use with its SoftLED drapery. This combination provides many visual options for use on the theatrical stage, concert tour, corporate or trade show, say the company.

Says Main Light's Aidas Gimbutas: "We're basically using the Catalyst Xpress as the media server for our Soft LED drapery as a standard solution. We package Catalyst Xpress with the new Apple Mac-Minis and install them into our video processor racks or our independent Main-Light server systems. Of course, we provide Catalyst Pro, for more demanding applications," he adds, "What we have is a loyal dedication between Main Light and High End and we are willing to do our best to strengthen the use of the Catalyst brand."

Catalyst Xpress is billed as the budget-oriented solution for those who want to combine the effects of

USA - PRG has announced the debut of the PRG Series 400 Power and Signal Distribution System. The patent-pending PRG Series 400 system integrates power and data into one trunk cable providing flexibility, safety and efficiency that reduce both setup time and labour costs, according to PRG.

The Series 400 system combines power, DMX and Ethernet data through a single custom-designed trunk cable. The data system includes Ethernet switches with the ability to route any DMX universe to any DMX output connector in the system, along with complete electrical isolation. As a result, lighting systems can better accommodate the growing need for data and use less cable and technicians can re-route signals from the user menus without making physical changes to the system.

"The Series 400 opens a new world for both designers and technicians," notes Jere Harris, chairman and CEO of

UK - Hawthorn are holding the next in their series of 'Hawthorn @ Home' events on Friday 2 September 2005.

Generic Lighting gives attendees the opportunity to find out more, discuss with product representatives and have a hands on comparison of lantern ranges from Selecon, ETC, Strand and others, plus an opportunity to visit the warehouse and offices and meet the team. There will be special lantern offers exclusively available on the day.

Their next event on October 7th 2005 entitled Flash, Bang and Feedbackwill feature a demonstration of Pyrotechnics by Le Maitre and Radio Mics by Sennheiser, Sony and Trantec.

(Jim Evans)

USA - High End Systems' DL1 digital lights and Catalyst media servers are adding a 'live' dimension to LeAnn Rimes' US summer/fall tour. LD Steve Fallon has designed a flexible theatrical show to fit all sizes of venues, using 4 DL1s with the Digital Eye camera technology, two Catalyst media servers and a moving light package, controlled by the Wholehog 2 console. Lighting contractor is Premier Global Productions of Nashville.

"The design is based on versatility and change on the fly," says Fallon. "We were trying to achieve a design and system that would work in multiple venues, from fairs to arenas to casinos to corporate shows. Having a multi-media show gives me the versatility - it's large enough and yet compact enough."

"DL1s with the Digital Eye gives us the ability to use live camera shots. Chas Herington [of Zenith Lighting], from whom we sub-r

USA - For the sold-out Diverse City Worldwide Tour - featuring the multi-award winning combination of Audio Adrenaline and tobyMac - lighting designers Jeff Lava and Matt Waldner had to develop a unified lighting design that would be effective for both performances. Utilizing a complete lighting package from Bandit Lites, the two worked together to bring this inspirational tour to life.

"Matt and I had to put our heads together and come up with a design that would work for the both of us," said Audio Adrenaline LD Jeff Lava. "We had to pack everything in one truck, so we were very limited, but the fun part of it is we had to think outside the box."

"It was a challenging project," stated tobyMac's LD Matt Waldner. "We needed to have a lighting rig that could fit into small venues and not look small in bigger venues. We ended up with five revis

USA - Coldplay's video Speed of Sound is up for four of MTV's Video Music Awards this year, including Video of the Year, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Special Effects - for which production designer Michael Keeling of Project X is honoured. In an unprecedented application, nearly the entire video shoot was done with LED lights from a total of 700 Versa TUBEs, which Keeling commissioned from Element Labs.

The production team, including director Mark Romanek, producer Arif McGarry, and production companies Anonymous Content and A52, filmed the band on a massive sound stage in front of a half crescent back wall composed of 640 Versa TUBEs placed on approximately 6" centres. Since the TUBEs were used without diffusion sleeves and the surrounding structure is quite minimal, the lights appear to be suspended in midair.

"I'm very flattered with the fact

UK - Telectra's new ice*lighting Super Batten made its TV debut on ITV's cd:uk, this Sunday. The dispersed video array took centre stage supporting The Bravery, Lee Ryan, Jo O'Meara, Simon Webbe and Rihanna.

Recommended to use ice*lighting Super Battens by Richard Martin Lighting, LD Nigel Catmur created a blend of video effects across the Super Batten Array, together with conventional LED lighting effects to provide a stunning display never previously available without the use of a media server. The wide display angle (140°+) allowed lighting effects to be picked up by TV cameras from shallow angles and the LED diffusion system powered by Bead*light Technologies abolished pixelization and significantly reduced the flare normally associated with LED "look-at" light, say the company.

The ice*lighting Super Batten recently won the ABTT lighting product of the year and

Taiwan - Vari-Lite has appointed Total Solution Marketing to operate its Regional Service Centre in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. With the creation of the new Centre, Vari-Lite says it will be able to provide prompt, convenient and qualified service to all end-users in the rapidly developing Southeast Asian market.

"The Regional Service Centre will act as an extended arm of the Vari-Lite factory after fulfilling all the rigourous paperwork and technical training requirements as required to become an authorised Vari-Lite Service Centre," said Julie Smith, Vari-Lite support services director. "This will serve our customers better by minimising equipment downtime, increasing product life span via timely qualified maintenance, and reducing customers repair expenses through logistical savings. It will also serve to facilitate future training and knowledge transfer to all

UK - Pearce Hire provided the lighting and power for five open-air forest sites this summer, for concerts by Ian Brown, The Beautiful South, Madness, Daniel Bedingfield and Jools Holland. The Forestry Commission organised Forest Tour has been growing in popularity over the last four years while still maintaining its relaxed atmosphere. Pearce Hire provided the site power and lighting for High Lodge, Thetford Forest, Bedgebury Pinetum, Westonbirt Arboretum, Delamere Forest and Dalby Forest in the North Yorkshire Moors.

Each concert has a specially installed temporary infrastructure among the trees in the forest, and attracts crowds from 3,000 to 5,000 people. Pearce ran the stage power from a pair of synchronised 200kVA generators. Power distribution was installed to the dressing rooms, bar areas, catering and at Westonbirt, hospitality area.

The stage lighting was suppl

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