Lighting

Details
USA - Production Resource Group, LLC (PRG) and High End Systems, (HES) have announced a joint licensing agreement regarding their patent portfolios of lighting and control technology. The agreement goes into effect immediately.

Both PRG and HES have been innovators in developing digital and analogue lighting fixtures, systems and controls for the entertainment industry. Both companies hold extensive catalogues of patents in the United States and abroad. Under the agreement, PRG will be able to offer licensees a single license that covers both the PRG and the HES patents.

"This means that manufacturers who develop products can conveniently access both PRG and HES patents with a single license from PRG," says Jere Harris, chairman and founder of PRG. "We expect that this agreement will make it easier for manufacturers to utilise the innovations developed by PRG an

Details
USA - The Chauvet Q-Spot 575 won the 2007 Club World award in the Best Lighting Category. Every March, the Club World Awards honour the club industry's best, from LJs, DJs and club designers to lighting, sound systems and the clubs themselves. Editorial staffers of Club Systems International magazine and parent company Testa Communication select nominees from a submission pool. A panel of industry experts determines the winners who were announced at a ceremony held in Miami, FL.

Development Manager Victor Menendez accepted the Best Lighting Product award for the Q-Spot 575 on behalf of the entire team Chauvet. Also in attendance was CEO Albert Chauvet. " This means a lot to us," he said, "because we not only feel that it does justice to the Q-Spot 575's outstanding performance but it also validates our team's hard work and determination to make a difference

Details
UK / USA - UK manufacturer GDS has formally announced the appointment of TMB as the exclusive distributor for its award-winning 'Blues System' in America, Asia and the Middle East.

The system was extremely well received at its North American debut at USITT in Phoenix, says Chris Curran, TMB's architectural sales director: "The Blues System is truly one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' new products. It solves many backstage lighting problems as well as offering options that were previously impractical. We were almost overwhelmed by the positive response at USITT and also by the various possible new applications that arose during conversation with the many visitors to our booth."

Specifically designed for backstage lighting applications in the working theatre, the Blues System won a PLASA Innovation Award at its European launch at the PLASA Show last year, and a

Details
Spain / Portugal - Quercus Equity has invested 60 million euros in the acquisition of the Spanish group Stonex and the Portuguese audio-visual group Alfasom - owner of the Spanish companies Aysav and Congress Rental Ibérica - creating the largest audio-visual group in the Iberian Peninsular.

The Stonex group, founded in Madrid in 1980, specializes in engineering and turnkey stage equipment projects for theatres, auditoriums, congress centres, casinos and theme parks, encompassing stage engineering, show lighting, architectural lighting and audio-visual installations. The company has offices in Madrid and La Coruña, and boasts more than 300 reference projects in the Iberian market, such as WB Madrid theme park, Pamplona Auditorium and congress centre (Baluarte), Colon Theatre in La Coruña, Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Expo 98's Lisboa Camoens Theatre and Gran Casino de A

Details
UK - After some 34 years in the lighting controls industry, David H Kerr will be retiring from Polaron Controls at the end of May. Kerr began his career with Electrosonic and over a tenure of some 20 years led the company into being a world leader in lighting controls and architectural dimming systems. During that time he was credited with instigating the global standard of 'Scene Setting', which is now in use in most lighting controls applications in Architectural and Residential buildings around the world.

Kerr is also credited with founding Dynalite Ltd in the UK in 1993, which went onto be the brand leader in the UK with projects such as Bluewater, Windsor Castle and Millennium Dome. In 2001, Kerr was the driving force behind the launch of the iLight Group, which embraced the Zero 88 Lighting and iLight brands.

Due to health and family considerations, Kerr sold the iLight

Details
UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), is sponsoring Performing Theatres, part of The Theatres' Trust Conference 07. Performing Theatres follows on from the successful 2006 ABTT Theatre, Architecture and Engineering Conference and develops the need for there to be a stronger profile for users in setting out requirements for building and refurbishing theatres.

Raising issues about how best to maximise theatre design in the 21st Century, the Performing Theatres Conference is chaired by Ian Brown, artistic director, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Genista McIntosh and Venu Dhupa, director of creative innovation, Southbank Centre. The one day event promises to offer a lively and wide-ranging debate on how the design of theatres will meet our needs in the 21st Century.

Complementing ABTT's annual Theatre Show, which highlights technological innovation a

Details
Hong Kong - Following the 64PXL panel series, Traxon Technologies has released modular elements in compact 25 x 25cm size with 16 individually controllable pixels with which architects, lighting designers and consultants can create their own lighting scenarios and installations. The lighting effect created by the 16PXL Board and Module with their wide beam angle of 120 degrees provides intricate colour changing patterns, graphical displays, scroll texts and logos, says the company.

Installed behind semi-frosted surfaces, the Board unfolds its full potential, while the Module is designed for direct view applications and features a protective housing that allows for a variety design inlays. The 16 pixel Board and Module can be easily installed on almost any surface including walls, ceilings and ground surfaces.

The Quick Clip Mounting System ensures fast mounting and demounting,

Details
UK - HSL pulled out all the stops to deliver in excess of 700 Pulsar Chroma Heart LED fixtures to illuminate the set of the new ITV games show Golden Balls for LD Tom Kinane.

Golden Balls is an Initial-produced 40-part series being recorded in TV6 at the BBC's Wood Lane Studios. It is directed by Simon Stafford and Julian Smith and aired daily during the 5-6pm prime time slot on ITV1. Presented by veteran comedian Jasper Carrot, it is a game of luck, intuition and barefaced bluff as four contestants battle it out to win - or loose - thousands of pounds.

HSL's project manager Sean McGlone comments, "We already had 150 Chroma Hearts in stock and allocated for this project, and then at the last minute, it was decided to increase the level to over 700 units. Rising to the challenge, Sean decided to purchase the additional 600 units and Pulsar decided they were g

Details
USA - ETC has released version 4.3 of the control software for the Congo and Congo jr lighting control consoles. This software update is mainly designed to provide system features such as multi-user operation and support for streaming ACN, the new lightweight single-direction protocol used to transmit whole DMX universes over Ethernet.

Many other smaller improvements have also been made. The update also allows Congo Offline Editor and Congo Client PC to run in a standard Windows frame. This makes it possible for the application to run on lower spec computers.

(Jim Evans)

Details
Europe - UK-based wireless specialists dAFTdATA, Belgium-based Luminex, manufacturers of Art-Net products, leading UK rental company Essential Lighting and French equipment distributor Sonoss, all joined forces to send the first "eDMX" wireless DMX signals across the Channel from France to England, as reported in the latest issue of Lighting&Sound International.

The link up took place on 15 March between Cap Gris Nez, west of Calais in France, and the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK. The distance covered was, according to GPS, 20.82 miles/ - believed to be the world's longest ever wireless DMX signal transmission to date.

The experiment germinated from a meeting between dAFTdATA and Luminex at LSI's wireless 'shootout' in 2006. Discussions ensued which resulted in them working together to produce systems that tal

Details
Latvia - GaCo is one of the oldest sound, light and stage rental companies in Latvia. Recently it celebrated its 10th anniversary. For the birthday show with 150 guests, lighting designer Maris Meness used one grandMA light, grandMA video and three MA mediaPC servers.

The main idea of the event was to bring together all customers, partners and producers to celebrate together and to show how the company has grown in the past years.

The grandMA light and the MA mediaPCs were used to display logos, bitmap effects etc. on five screens: "It was a good chance to show to Latvian entertainment people what you can do with a grandMA," said Maris Meness.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Fuzion plc has announced a series of regular, affordable training courses through May, June and July on the latest Compulite consoles, Dlite and Vector.

The course includes both introductory and advanced levels, with topics covering media-server connectivity between Hippotizer and Catalyst, LED matrix programming, Timecode programming with MIDI and SMPTE, and Networking awareness.

All courses will take place at Fuzion's offices in Walton-on-Thames, and run from 10am to 5pm (including lunch with refreshments). The courses are already booking fast and have limited spaces, says Fusion.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Leisuretec Distribution and Global Design Solutions (GDS) are coming together at ABTT to showcase the Blues System.

GDS will also be showcasing its new i Stage Managers Desk which was manufactured for the Royal Welsh College of Music Drama and Art in 2006, since then the company has supplied three more desks for major UK venues and are working closely with both the British and Irish Stage Managers Association for both consultation and advice.

(Jim Evans)

Details
Denmark - Martin Professional is introducing two new foggers in its expanding Magnum range of durable fog machines. Tough enough to meet the demands of any nightclub or special event, and ideal for DJs and performers of all types, the Magnum 1200 and Magnum 1800 foggers feature an all new, sleek design, says the company.

Features include a remote control storage compartment, rugged aluminum handle, easy accessibility for quick service, and large fluid containers for long runs. Also included is a new timer remote control to accurately set both fog output and on and off timing.

Soft start electronics give a smooth, low-noise output at the low end while operation is continuous at reduced output levels. Both machines are also daisy chain capable. A lid-up fluid container is included to easily view low fluid levels even when the machine is placed in a dark corner.

Featuring the p

Details
USA - Despite the dizzying success and exploding fan base of Arcade Fire over the last year, their current Neon Bible Tour has the remarkable feel of a very intimate show, say observers. Lighting designer Paul Normandale put together a stage design that kept things slightly less assuming, but just as bold and entertaining as the band's theatrical performances. Using a mix of Martin moving lights, LEDs and some projection, the show achieves a powerful, energetic feel that is at the same time close and informal.

"There is a real emphasis on the band's performance," says Normandale. "It is definitely not an R&R show." Having specified MAC 700 Profiles on several recent projects, he chose them again as the main spot for his lighting design, while the MAC 250 Wash served as the foundation of dynamic colour on the band and background.

He continues, "W

Details
UK - A Radical Lighting RADlite NG1 digital media server is in action on the current Australian Pink Floyd UK arena tour which has just kicked off again with a completely new design for 2007. The RADlite is being used for soft-edging and masking images, movies and effects being projected onto a 60ft wide upstage arched surface with a 5m diameter circular truss hung in front of it.

Lighting director Phil White and show projectionist Chris Gadd were instrumental in getting RADlite specified for the tour, having used the system before and knowing that lighting and video supplier Entec has also invested in RADlite systems.

Visuals are looked after during the show by Gadd, along with White and video aficionado Richard Hutton. These three are joined by super-tech Simon 'Boff' Howarth, another Entec regular, and rigger Danny Spratt. Lighting has again been designed by Dave Hill, who

Details
USA - Bandit Lites provided lighting for the first annual 'Volscars', an awards banquet for The University of Tennessee's athletic departments. Lighting director Will Twork used a combination of Martin MAC 2 Ks, 600s and 500s, High End Cyberlights and Coemar LED pars and ETC Source Fours to light the event, all controlled by a Whole Hog II.

Twork said that the vibe he was going for was similar to that of the Oscars or Grammy Award Shows. He designed a warm look for the awards section of the evening and a cooler look for the dinner. MAC 500s and 600s were projected on the ceiling to provide backlight for the room.

Martin MAC 2000 Performances were used to animate triangle-like structures covered in white fabric, which were placed on either side of the video screens.

In transition between gigs with Brian Wilson's world tour and lenny Kravitz, Twork says, "I am very thankf

Details
USA - American DJ says it has taken the LED par can to "a new level of brightness and professionalism" with the introduction of its new Pro Series which includes the 64B LED Pro par can, 64P LED Pro par can and Punch LED Pro colour wash.

The 64B LED Pro black-finish par can and 64P LED Pro silver-polish par can are equipped with 181 bright 10mm LEDs (36 red, 85 green and 60 blue) that combine to create smooth palettes of colour. Identical in every way except for their exterior finishes, these par cans are flexible enough to be used as spotlights or uplights. A convenient dual bracket system allows them to be hung securely or set squarely on the ground, says the company.

The Punch LED Pro complements the two Pro Series par cans by functioning as a wall wash effect with fast or slow colour change operation. Featuring an ultra-bright Punch Panel with 252 powerful 10mm L

Details
UK - Paul Roughton is the new face representing Stage Electrics on the London scene, having joined the existing business development team of Darren Beckley, Matt Townsend and Chris Patton.

For over five years prior to joining Stage Electrics, Roughton worked in the West End for The Really Useful Theatre Group. He was the deputy chief electrician at Shaftesbury Avenue's Lyric Theatre, and then most recently at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he worked on shows including Anything Goes and The Producers.

Roughton will be splitting his time as a business development manager between long term hires and installations from the London office, working closely with the existing team. "My previous experience will allow me to bring a user's perspective and insight, to make sure our customers receive the best possible service, " he says.

(Jim Evans)

Details
Eire - Dublin-based Just Lites joined forces with Robe UK to stage an open day at its facility in the north of the City that showcased all the latest products available from Robe. This included the new DigitalSpot 5000DT moving head projector and Robe's new Series 700 moving light fixtures.

The two day event was attended by a stream of lighting designers, programmers, operators and rental companies, all of whom took a great interest in the products.

Just Lites is run by three brothers, Paul, Ian and Alan Smith. It is one of Ireland's most successful and best known lighting rental houses. They have invested in over 200 Robe fixtures in recent years, used regularly for all their shows, events and festivals, and have also supplied them to a variety of installations.

Robe UK's sales director Ian W Brown and technical manager Nathan Wan went to Dublin to put the new products thro

Details
World - LD Dom Smith is using an Avolites Diamond 4 console to run his lightshow on Bloc Party's current A Weekend In The City world tour. The UK leg of the tour also features a RADlite NG1 digital media server which is run via the D4.

Smith came onboard in December last year, and the band's latest touring campaign kicked off in the new year. He was given a free rein in the design, although the band had a few pointers - primarily as to what they didn't want.

The new album takes a more serious and reflective turn from the first one which was poppier and softer, and so Smith decided to take the lighting into moodier and more edgy realms, still infused with some classic theatrical touches, as is his oeuvre.

"A Diamond 4 is always my first choice" Smith confirms. "For all the reasons I love Avo desks - their power, ease of operation and massive flexibility.

Details
Bahrain - Organised by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Spring of Culture gathered a wide variety of artists and performers together in a number of venues around the kingdom. In front of the historic Arad Fort an amphitheatre was constructed for the major concert performances. Bahrain production company AVL Concepts brought in Dubai based Nige Holbrough as lighting designer and consultant to oversee the installation of the rig and reconcile the performers' varied requirements.

"From the outset I knew that grandMA was the control system I wanted, but there are not many consoles in the local rental market yet, and non were available for the shows, however, with a MA 2Port Node, a tablet PC and a DMX fader wing I could have the next best thing," explained Holbrough.

The first act he used the technology for was Youssou n'Dour. "We had an overnight

Details
UK - The first Light Relief Day is being held today - 24 April 2007 - to support the work of Light Relief, the registered charity for people in the Lighting Industry who have fallen on hard times. This day has been chosen in memory of Light Relief's founder, Tony Gottelier, and the Trustees of the charity hope it will become an annual event.

On this day, the contributing lighting designers will make a contribution to Light Relief in the form of the royalties they receive from the evening's performance. We are hoping that others in the Lighting Department and industry will join with them to support Light Relief.

Light Relief exists to make grants to people in the lighting industry who have fallen on hard times. The charity has already helped many people with grants for their specific practical needs. If anyone would like to know more about Light Relief or want to suggest someon

Details
USA - The self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Bar Band" is touring North America with High End Systems products enhancing their blues-rock hits.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers embarked in early April on their spring/summer tour of North America with five DL.2s and eight Studio Spot 250s. A Wholehog 3 console controls the rig, all from lighting contractor Toucan Lighting of Oklahoma City.

LD Rev Jones is using the DL.2 digital light fixtures to project logos on the backdrops as well as for beam effects. Using DL.2's Collage Generator software feature allows him to create single large panoramas from the multiple units.

"The DL2's are amazing. Aside from the unlimited graphics and video capabilities, the best thing I've found is that there is no reason to ever carry one or multiple backdrops again," says Jones. "I just use the DL2s and project a differ

  1. i-Pix LEDs dancing on ice
  2. CEDIA supports Install Middle East
  3. Wybron introduces Split IT
  4. Palco 5 adopts W-DMX technology
  5. MA Lighting sponsors ALD seminar
  6. SmartFade in demand
Page 723 of 1201

Latest Issue. . .