China - Outline has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Guangzhou Aga Audio Technology Co. This agreement grants Aga Audio exclusive distribution rights for Outline products across China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Over the past years, Aga Audio Technology has successfully installed a variety of Outline’s high-performance point-source systems tailored for permanent installations. With their growing technical expertise, Aga Audio is now poised to expand its offerings to include Outline's line-array systems and audio processors, including Newton. This strategic decision reflects Aga Audio's commitment to delivering comprehensive audio solutions to its customers.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Outline for developing products specifically targeted to the Chinese entertainment market,” says Anson Ai, general manager at Aga Audio Technology. “Their dedication to understanding the unique needs of our customers and delivering innovative solutions has been instrumental in our success over the past years. As we embark on this partnership, we are excited to further leverage Outline's expertise and product range to offer our customers even more comprehensive audio solutions.
"Aga Audio Technology has always been committed to excellence, and our growing technical expertise is a testament to our dedication to providing top-notch audio solutions to our customers. With highly skilled technicians in the live/touring industry, we are now well-positioned to expand our offerings to include Outline's renowned line-array systems and p
UK - Guildhall School of Music & Drama has announced a new BA degree in performance design, starting in September 2025. The three-year, full time BA programme will equip students with the practical and imaginative skills required to create designs for stage performances and live events.
Led by stage designer Dr Susannah Henry, the BA in Performance Design is the newest course to offered by Guildhall’s Production Arts department. The Performance Design programme blends studio-based design work with hands-on experience, including collaborating on a wide range of performances using Guildhall School’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Student designers will gain an understanding of the creative, collaborative and practical elements of performance design, developing their skills through studio-based projects, before building to fully realised designs for public performance. The programme also explores the histories of art, design and theatre, incorporating self-led research to shape and inform students’ own identities and aspirations as emerging performance designers.
Working in close collaboration with students on Guildhall School’s other Productions Arts courses, including the School’s BA in Production Arts and BA in Digital Design & Production, Performance Design students will have the opportunity to develop design skills in areas such as costume, video and lighting, and learn about the technologies and processes needed to make a performance happen. They will also build connections with existing the School’s industry partners and a n
USA - Flogging Molly’s 21-city Road To Rebellion tour started 16 February at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and closed 17 March, St. Patrick’s Day, at the downtown Las Vegas Events Centre.
Keeping pace with all the hand clapping and sing-alongs is a colourful and lively Peter Therrien lightshow that features a 100-percent Chauvet Professional floor package supplied by JDI Productions.
“I do build a page for every song with Flogging, but nothing is timecoded, as it’s all about spontaneity and freshness,” said Therrien who ran his show on a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium console. “As far as my colour selection goes, it’s based on the feeling I have for the band’s music. So, for instance, when I hear ‘Drunken Lullabies’ it’s always white. I’ve tried blue and amber in the past, but it just feels wrong. The colour choice has to be in the moment.”
Helping Therrien create this party rainbow are eight Maverick MK1 Spot fixtures, eight Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes, 14 Rogue R1 BeamWash units, 12 ÉPIX Bar Tour strips and one Ovation 2805FV batten. Adding brightness, geometric forms and audience lighting to the mix are 12 Nexus Aw 7x7 panels.
This rig was positioned on four 8ft I-stand truss structures, and two 5’ wheeled trusses. Therrien hung two Color Strike M units on the face of each tower. “I like to use the plates as a wash behind the band,” he explained. “Also, love the incredible plate effects for eye candy. I’ll also use the white tubes as a powerful hit effect during various parts of the
USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has announced the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge - a partnership with the greater Las Vegas community that gives select members of the general public the opportunity to see their art featured on the Exosphere.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is a collaboration between Sphere and the Clark County School District (CCSD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) that will provide more than 100,000 Clark County-based students with an opportunity to create art for the Exosphere.
Eight student winners ranging from elementary school through college will be chosen by a combination of voting by the general public on thesphere.com, and selected by professional artists who have designed for the Exosphere, including Refik Anadol and Michela Picchi.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which will kick off this month, will be themed around the 4th of July, with winning students’ artwork debuting on the Exosphere on July 4, 2024, which will also mark the one-year anniversary of the first illumination of the Exosphere.
In addition, winning high school and UNLV students will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. Winning elementary and middle school students will earn a $10,000 donation from Sphere for their school’s art programme to further art education in public schools, as well as tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience this autumn.
“Sphere is more than a venue - it is a new entertainment medium uniting art and science to broaden our understanding
Germany - Robe celebrates 30 years of embracing the challenges of the entertainment and performance industry with a number of new products launched in Hall 12.1 on stand D10, the centrepiece of which will be the iBOLT - a powered searchlight type of fixture.
Other products being launched include the iESprite Fresnel, the T15 Fresnel, T15 PC, the Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim versions, the T32 Cyc and the T32 Cyc Slim, the iProMotion Landscape + iProMotion Portrait, the Forte Fresnel / PC and the iSpiiderX.
Also launched is the iT12 Fresnel, a powerful outdoor Fresnel wash fixture which includes an ingenious new patented F2L Fresnel-lens system, comprising two lenses engineered with a smooth outer surface to eliminate the debris accumulation commonly found on outdoor Fresnel lenses. The iForte LTX LightMaster will be previewed.
Robe will present the final show in its Power of Imagination live performance trilogy which will ‘energise visitors who can enjoy some knife edge action onstage, and a high energy lightshow designed to show off the creativity and potential of the new products in their native environment’.
Power of Imagination will play several times a day, and in between an interactive timecoded presentation on the booth will highlight the best features of the new products.
The booth - Robe’s largest to date at any Prolight expo to emphasise the significance of the occasion - will feature two dedicated demonstration areas where people can see the products in depth. The Robe information flow will continue outside H
Germany - Receiving its worldwide launch at Frankfurt will be Green-GO’s Stride Antenna - the first product in the company’s new Stride wireless series.
Stride offers seamless roaming, greater DECT spectrum efficiency and increased user mobility, without affecting the range or the audio quality of devices on the network. Compatible with existing Green-GO WBPX wireless beltpacks, Stride enables higher DECT device density, allowing more WBPX beltpacks to be used simultaneously within the same area.
“True seamless roaming has been a goal for Green-GO’s customers since the very beginning,” says Silvio Cibien, CEO of Anima Network, the company responsible for Green-GO’s export and marketing, explaining the importance of this innovation. “Now, with Stride, we can finally deliver it. Achieving this function is a huge success for us, requiring a significant investment for the licence to enable us to develop our own control of the DECT protocol.”
Green-GO’s Stride Antennas synchronise automatically. DECT time slots are synchronised across multiple Stride Antennas via PTPv2 (Precision Time Protocol version 2) technology, without additional action required from the user. This effectively enhances the consistency of coverage within a given area, providing seamless roaming. Now, with Stride Antennas, a Green-GO system can make full use of the available DECT spectrum, allowing a greater device density than was possible before.
The use of Stride Antennas will not compromise the range of a single antenna or cell on the network, says Green
Europe - MA Lighting has released grandMA3 software version 2.0.0.4. This software release features new functionalities and workflow improvements for many different applications.
The area of data handling and organization shows’ lots of improvements’. Sheets can be filtered and reorganised to create a personal workspace. The transfer of fixture data gets much easier with the new Clone window. Working in big sequences with a lot of data is now improved by the use of new tracking functionalities. And the new Fixture Type Presets allow the user to easily transfer predefined content from show to show.
The MA University with the grandMA3 special course v2.0 presents detailed information about the new software release - online and completely for free. Additionally there is an update to the grandMA3 User Training and a new grandMA3 Essentials Training available. Local MA distributors will help to get access to the MA E-learning platform.
MA Lighting is offering grandMA3 v2.0 public webinars in April, presented by the MA Lighting tech-support.
UK- Thursday 11 July will see Backup Tech’s The Village Fete return to Daytona Sandown Park in Surrey for more fun and frivolity. So, dig out your best tweed and flowery dresses, dust off your cake recipes and get ready to purchase your tickets, which will go on sale at 9am on Monday 25 March for Backup’s Partners and at 9am on Wednesday 27 March for general sale.
“We had such great feedback about last year’s fete that we’re adding more fun and frivolity,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “Last year, we changed the whole look and feel of the day to make sure the Village Fete appealed to so many more people outside of the karting.
“This year, we’re building on the success of the fete by adding more fete stalls, a ‘Veg Off’ to complement our very successful ‘Bake Off’, bringing back the Lions Barbers Collective, The Straw Stage for live music and workshops, peasant shooting with laser clay shooting, our brilliant food and craft fest stalls and, of course, Vinnie and his ice creams.”
Adding to the esteemed Parish judging panel this year, Martin Fullard (ex-Conference News editor) has been enlisted to provide a corporate approach to cake eating and will be joining the judging panel alongside LSi’s Claire Beeson, TPi’s Stewart Hume, AAA’s Chris Barrett and PLASA’s Peter Heath. “We realised there were a lot of calories consumed by the judges last year,” Lee notes, “so adding Martin might help spread the load!”
The Backup village Council also wanted to offer something different for companies wanting to attend
Qatar - Qatar Vision (Qvision) utilised a wide array of Claypaky lighting for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. The fixtures illuminated pre-match ceremonies, the Fan Zone and coronation ceremony at the 18th edition of the cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation.
Although the event bore a 2023 date, it was scheduled for 12 January to 10 February 10, 2024 due to Qatar’s high summer temperatures. Twenty-four national teams participated with host Qatar the defending champion and, as it turned out, the repeat title winner. Four cities in Qatar furnished nine stadium venues for the games, including Lusail Stadium, with a capacity of nearly 89,000, hosting the opening and final matches.
Based in Doha, Qvision offers a comprehensive slate of event production, technical integration solutions, marketing, creative design, video production, information technology and large-scale branding to a roster of international clients.
For the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, Qvision played a central role in every stage of the tournament process from inception to execution. Their execution of stadium infotainment, pre-match ceremonies, the coronation ceremony, and fan zone activations delivered ‘an unforgettable experience for both spectators and participants’.
Among the tasks that Qvision was charged with were the implementation of comprehensive technical AV overlays across all nine stadiums; the development, production, and delivery of stadium infotainment for all 51 matches; leading the creation of bespoke pr
Canada - PK Sound, the robotic line array company, has added Ranger Son Éclairage (RSE) to its global network following the company’s investment in a PK Sound T8 robotic line source system. Based in Greater Montreal, RSE is taking full advantage of T8’s patented multi-axis robotics to precisely tailor audio coverage to any venue or environment.
“We’ve been following PK Sound for several years as the benefits of its robotic line array technology would be quite valuable to the wide range of projects we cover,” shares Anthony Ranger, vice-president of RSE. “Using PK .dynamics software, we can control the vertical and horizontal coverage of our T8 system to focus sound only where it’s intended, and away from reflective obstacles and unwanted areas. Considering the amount of work we do in urban environments, the ability to mitigate noise pollution while maximising clear and consistent sound in the listening area delivers the best possible results for RSE and our clients.”
RSE’s initial investment comprises 20 T8 robotic line source modules and 12 T18 intelligent subwoofers. The company also purchased a PK Cell, which combines signal, data and power distribution in a globally standardized modular touring rack.
The company has deployed its T8 robotic system on events such as music festivals, high-profile corporate events and brand activations in tandem with major league sports teams. With over 30 years’ experience, the team at RSE designs and deploys professional audio, lighting, video and staging solutions for a myriad of events and a
USA - In 2022, Groot Hospitality and Pharrell Williams’ The Goodtime Hotel, upgraded their sound system to a 1 Sound distributed audio system at their rooftop pool club, Strawberry Moon.
Two years after the successful installation of Strawberry sound system, which helped solve the club’s noise pollution issues prior, 1 Sound and Anthem Productions, the audio integrator, made a suggestion to the hotel. They thought it would be a great idea to match their 1 Sound loudspeakers to their signature Strawberry Moon pink and blue right before the start of Music Week and spring break season in Miami.
1 Sound sent two team members to drive down from their manufacturing headquarters in New Jersey, to replace the loudspeaker grilles on site with the new pink and blue fabric grille choices decided on by the hotel. The 1 Sound team refreshed each and every metal grille on site with no need for new speaker parts or material other than the fabrics. They washed each grille then reupholstered and installed the new pink and blue grilles with UV protectant. The duo was able to complete this system refresh in two days while the pool remained open without disruption to their normal operating.
“At 1 Sound, we aim to offer the best support we can, by keeping products and custom colour options in-stock for quick turnarounds, providing design support, system optimisation, and after-sales service like this colour change by the 1 Sound Custom Shop.”
USA - Inspired by the radiant sun, the SŌL I Blinder is the first in a new series of creative LED blinder and effects solutions from Elation that marries technology with artistic ingenuity. With a tiny form factor, IP65 rating, and sleek and modern aesthetic, SŌL I ‘seamlessly integrates into any stage or event setting, offering limitless creative potential’.
Using simple fixture interconnects, threaded adapters, mounts and yoke accessories, designers can effortlessly link SŌL I to other fixtures or devices, exponentially expanding creative options for unique shapes and arrays.
Multiple lens options, coupled with a host of accessories, enhance the fixture's potential even further. An optional Bowens mount adaptor ring allows for a number of Bowens mount accessories to be attached to the front of the fixture for even more aesthetic options and creative impact. Add to that a variety of mounting options and designers are empowered with the flexibility to craft individual visual experiences tailored to each performance or event.
The SŌL I Blinder boasts a full spectrum of colours from a 250W RGB+Lime+Amber+White LED engine with 93+ CRI for high-quality colour reproduction. The proprietary RGBLAW engine delivers exceptionally bright, high-fidelity whites while offering a full colour range that takes LED blinder colour to the next level.
Despite its compact form, the SŌL I packs a punch at over 8000 lumens. Fully variable 16-bit colour temperature adjustment from 2400K - 8500K is achievable and a dim to warm or red shift emulation function
Germany - Power and lighting control specialist LSC Control Systems will launch a number of new products at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt.
LSC’s Unity, GEN-VI and APS product ranges already provide peace of mind in top-end performance and leisure venues, events and productions worldwide. Now, visitors to Prolight+Sound will be among the first to see the new GEN-X and APS-X products - each offering important new enhancements to the manufacturer’s power management systems. Also on show will be the latest Mantra 4.0software, and the new Nexen Portable, adding further to LSC’s family of protocol converters.
New at Prolight+Sound this year is the GEN-X. A new version of the GEN-VI (pronounced ‘GEN6’) advanced dimming and power distribution system, this introduces an Ethernet input alongside the DMX, allowing for direct control via sACN and Art-Net. GEN-X offers all the features and advantages of the GEN-VI, including LSC’s TruPower, which lets the user configure any output in any combination to be an 8-bit or 16-bit dimmer or a direct power relay channel. This enables the seamless dimming of conventional lamps, or the powering of moving lights, LED fixtures, video screens or audio power amplifiers - or any equipment needing controlled power distribution.
At the same time, bringing Ethernet functionality to the inputs of the APS (Advanced Power System), will be the APS-X. Providing an elegant solution to the challenges of powering large numbers of LED screen panels, audio amplifiers or moving lights, the APS sequentially switches the outputs a
UK - In operation since 1993, The Forum is an award-winning independent music venue situated in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, hosting a mix of genres, from rock and punk bands to singer-songwriters, hip-hop acts and more.
To mark 30 years of keeping the music alive, the venue recently upgraded its existing sound system, working closely with sound designer Dan Roncoroni and British loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics.
“I became involved with The Forum around 18 months ago, through a project at the nearby Assembly Hall Theatre,” says Roncoroni. “Impressed with the results, the Assembly Hall recommended my services to The Forum, which eventually led to the system PA upgrade project.”
On hearing the existing system, which was largely as old as the venue itself, Roncoroni suggested an upgrade to the PA system. “We set up a demo of the EM Acoustics system at their factory to showcase the entire product line-up to The Forum team,” recalls Roncoroni. “They were impressed by the power and slim form factor of the boxes and decided to invest in a couple of EMS-81X’s as small front-fills for the existing PA system before committing to a full EM system.”
In preparation for their 30th anniversary, the team were still looking to modernise their overall sound system and a full PA from EM Acoustics was the natural next step. EM Acoustics allowed the venue to borrow a demo system for a month, further solidifying The Forum’s plans to upgrade with a full solution from the British brand.
"I've had a long relationship wit
Spain - Visitors to ISE in Barcelona were greeted by the sight of a custom-made 7.5m umbrella, where 61,500,000 pixels of animations enlivened every panel using six 10-bit, 4K, 20,000-Lumen projectors which were driven by Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers.
The project was realised by UK-based Motion Mapping, who were challenged with creating the concept and delivering the unusual exhibit, which was rigged on the Epson stand.
“We managed to load up the two Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers with the new Hippotizer 4.9 software and used the SHAPE toolkit to 3D map the undulating surfaces of the umbrella’s many panels,” says Stuart Harris of Motion Mapping. “We constructed a 3D model in C4D and then the real thing was constructed in Germany. SHAPE helped us to calculate everything and visualise it all in pre-production and then blend and line it all up on-site. We worked closely with Epson’s stand designer to achieve the projector positions, above their stand. I find Hippotizer to be adaptable and SHAPE is our go-to for many projects.”
The team worked with the eight panels of the umbrella and the canvas as a whole, with graphics focusing on images of a spinning world which zoomed in on individual countries, and a range of other content. The bright colours on each panel showcased vivid colours and high intensity graphics. Green Hippo’s technical product manager Nick Spencer and Hippotizer product architect Zep Mouris were on site to offer support if required. “The support we get from them is second to none,” adds Harris.
Saudi Arabia - Despite only launching in 2022, Gamers8 has become the largest globally recognised Esports tournament. Taking place in Riyadh over eight weeks, this year’s Land of Heroes event kicked off on 6 July, bringing together gaming enthusiasts from all corners of the world, who competed to take home cash prizes and the Gamers8 trophy.
The production behind Gamers8 is considerable, as alongside the intense gaming tournaments it also plays host to live concerts, attractions, and entertainment shows. A line-up of world-renowned artists and DJs, including Afrojack, Macklemore, Iggy Azalea, Imagine Dragons and more performed across its eight stages this year, in a show-stopping production.
Visual design and technology studio bright! studios were responsible for the media playback and virtual production of the gaming tournament elements of the event. bright! worked alongside other production companies and a pool of freelance technicians to take care of on-site virtual production, as well as augmented reality, lighting design and show control.
“Gamers8 is an incredibly big project,” begins Leon Herche, creative producer at bright! studios. “Stage Precision’s SP platform was imperative to the work we were doing, as it was able to handle and control many different hardware and software platforms. We had around 30 Unreal Engine machines, 28 tracked cameras and 36 disguise servers that were all controlled using SP.”
Stage Precision’s SP software is a data and control platform for tracking workflows, virtual production and advanced
Portugal - Nescafé presented its new Dolce Gusto NEO coffee machine in Portugal, which was complemented by a spectacular 182,000 lumen immersive projection display.
ADLC Audiovisuais selected nine Christie projectors to flood the auditorium of the Fundação Champalimaud in Lisbon with light and colour for the official presentation. At the launch event, produced by the UPPartner agency for Nescafé, approximately 300 guests had the opportunity to participate in an unforgettable experience that integrated artificial intelligence, human avatars, video projection, tasting areas, and exclusive personalised animations.
The event placed a special emphasis on the brand’s strong commitment to sustainability, as both the machines and the capsules are made from recycled materials. In addition, all materials used by Nescafé in the presentation were able to be recycled after the event. An impressive 22.5m wide by 8.20m long wraparound screen lit by five Christie M 4K25 RGB pure laser projectors engaged the audience.
Two additional Christie 3DLP projectors illuminated the stage floor to complete the immersive experience. Various images related to the brand were projected, while a group of dancers from the company Ritmos Urbanos performed choreographies that interacted with the projection. In addition, two Christie D13WU2-HS laser projectors, with 1DLP technology, WUXGA resolution, and 13,500 lumens, projected on two large screens shaped like glasses that were located on the wall of the auditorium.
“These projections, with such an original format, c
UK - The desert planet Arrakis came to life in London’s Leicester Square for the world premiere of Dune: Part Two on Thursday 15 February, with nearly 30 tons of sand shipped to the site for the gala created by Limited Edition Event Design. But the rainy weather during the build-up days leading to the star-studded red carpet affair was anything but desert-like. No matter though, the IP65 rated 3.9mm pitch panels were more than up to the task of handling rain.
“For the actual red carpet part of the event when the stars were there, it was just a little chilly and dark, but clear,” said Tom Warden of Milton Keynes-based IPS, which supplied, installed, and ran the gear for the widely publicised premiere. “However, the weather during the build days certainly tested the IP rating of the REM 3IP, as it rained most of the time. The screens passed with flying colours!”
When the weather cleared, and stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Hans Zimmer & Souheila Yacoub graced the red carpet, the event, with its impressive sand dunes, flaming torches and other dramatic scenic elements, dazzled fans and media alike.
Shining brightly during the festivities and defining the atmosphere were the video displays on the over 200sq.m screen that was artfully made from the REM 3IP panels.
“We ran the panels as a single screen, creating a huge seamless backdrop wall,” said Warden. “The dimensions of the screen itself were 42m wide by 5m high. The final output
Europe - Architectural LED lighting manufacturer Anolis - A Robe Business - enjoyed a busy and positive 2024 Light+Building expo in Frankfurt, launching two new product ranges - Lyrae and Agame plus the new iProMotion, an IP65-rated moving head effects and video projector, as well as showcasing its current flagship ranges of Calumma, Ambiane and Eminere.
The team enjoyed a steady flow of visitors across the four-day event, seeing people working across the many and ever-diversifying sectors of architecture and built environments.
Anolis considers Light+Building to be among the most important architectural lighting exhibitions in Europe, and arguably worldwide. “We wanted to be there for multiple reasons,” explained Anolis product manager Bruno Francois, “one being to expand our influence and presence, and also to emphasise the significance of the architectural sector in its own right with its own special requirements.”
He added that Anolis products are being constantly developed and supported in the architectural world with help from input related to the wishes and needs of end users - architects, lighting designers and contracting customers - all providing critical feedback that is helping to drive product development.
The slick, clean, contemporary booth design incorporated both the new Lyrae and Agame product lines, integrating them seamlessly into its structure, in the process illustrating their effectiveness in situ.
Gentle curves, rounded edges and three elegant arches on the booth followed the organic ergonomics of the ne
Germany - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its Adam Hall Integrated Systems division. Christian Latzelsberger has been appointed as head of sales - Adam Hall Integrated Systems. In this capacity he is responsible for shaping the strategic direction and overseeing the sales division of Adam Hall Integrated Systems.
Supporting him in the DACH region is Uli Golka, who serves as technical support engineer integrated systems. Product management is handled by senior product manager, Gabriel Alonso Calvillo while Jens Werner assumes the role of junior product manager. The rapidly-growing AV business segment of the Adam Hall Group will be led by Christine Gerhardt as its marketing manager.
Christian Latzelsberger brings over 30 years of experience in the AV, broadcast and pro audio industry, most recently serving as global intercom senior product manager for Bosch Security and Safety Systems. His focus will be on prioritising the expansion of the AV integrator network and fostering extended cooperation with technology partners with the aim of gradually expanding into the hospitality, leisure, corporate, retail and event venue sectors. Christian Latzelsberger will report to Markus Jahnel, managing director/COO of the Adam Hall Group.
Before joining the Adam Hall Integrated Systems division Uli Golka, worked for the Adam Hall Group for more than 10 years as sales representative for Northern Germany.
Gabriel Alonso Calvillo is also taking on a new position within the Adam Hall Group. As senior product manager, integrated systems, Gabriel leads th
Germany - Since 1999, Sommer cable has not only been soldering, but also making contacts. Despite the advancing digitalisation and further development of radio technologies, we still need cables and signal connectors in large quantities, be they analogue or digital. Cables still offer the highest signal transmission quality and data (interception) security.
Sommer Cable GmbH was founded in 1999 by Rainer Blanck and Friedhelm Sommer. Together with friends, cable specialist Pascal Miguet, musicians, sound people, electronic engineers and event specialists, they began to develop cables and connectors which became known for their sound quality and user-friendly design.
Today, Sommer Cable stands as a premier cable manufacturer, offering a comprehensive array of products spanning the audio, video, multimedia, broadcast, and hi-fi sectors.
"The foundation of our solution competence lies in our attitude: the passion for what we do. It's ingrained in every member of our team and evident in every aspect of Sommer Cable", explains Rainer Blanck, CEO and company founder. "How do we do that? By forming a team with our employees and our customers. We turn the talents of our people into those of our company and the requirements of our customers into our own. This approach sets us apart in today's industry landscape. And that's what makes us different."
With this ethos, customer-centric approach, and expert guidance, Sommer cable today inspires customers worldwide, spanning the professional audio sector including architects, planners, studio, media, event te
Germany - Astera will showcase a full range of its powerful and flexible wireless LED lighting solutions on stand B30 in Hall 12.1 at the PL+S next week, including the award-winning PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel fixtures and the new ProjectionLens for PlutoFresnel.
The contemporary stand design will enable sales director Sebastian Buckle and the team to welcome visitors and highlight numerous current Astera innovations like the HydraPanel, PixelBrick, AX9 PowerPAR and AX2 PixelBar, the smart and neat NYX Bulb and, naturally, the flagship TitanTube family – Titan, Helios, and Hyperion – which are popular and ubiquitous in show and event lighting worldwide.
It is important for Astera to have a significant presence at PL+S which is always a busy and productive show and a crucial platform for engaging with industry professionals from many sectors on multiple levels.
As well as for networking, it’s also seen as a key forum for staying abreast of trends and general innovations in the worlds of professional lighting and visual technology.
Targeted product demonstrations will highlight the versatility, performance, and invention for which the brand is known, and the show is also an opportunity to gather valuable industry feedback from experts and end-users that can be fed into ongoing product development and planning.
The Astera booth will feature eye-catching 4-sided LED screens at the top. The space has subtly been expanded with more room for products, while the overall style is consistent with other Astera booth designs. The HydraPanel
UAE - When the UR&E team received a job enquiry back in July 2022, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary about it. Little would they know that 18 months later, they would be involved with one of the biggest box office successes of the year on the set of Dune: Part 2.
The epic science fiction film, produced by Legendary Pictures, directed by Denis Villenueve and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures, is the sequel to Dune (2021). It follows Paul Atriedes as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to wage war against House Harkonnen. So far this year it has grossed over $197m making it the fifth highest grossing film of 2024.
The UR&E team was asked to supply a rental of almost 2000rm of truss in 30cm, 40cm and 52cm, that required delivery as far as the Liwa Area of Abu Dhabi. Unlike other projects in theatres or arena shows where the requirements are known well in advance, the movie set experience couldn’t have been more different.
Denis Bramhall, managing owner together with Joie Salar, project coordinator at UR&E said: “The greatest challenge on this job was the increasing and changing requirements day by day with the rental period overlapping from one LX Rigging Truss requirement to another Grip Truss, and having to make sure that all truss requirements were supplied on time. This was all happening between October to December – our busiest season of the year. Fortunately, we have a warehouse resembling Aladdin’s Cave and so their wish was our command – but it really stretched us to
USA - ETC has announced the release of Hog 4 version 4.0 software. Enhancements include significant improvements to colour handling and Hog 4’s Color Picker, a new Record Defaults function, and Fixture Builder upgrades.
Senior product manager Sarah Clausen comments, “Ultimately, the new colour system relieves programmers and designers from the challenges in controlling rigs with multiple colour engines. By providing multiple colour input languages through the colour pickers, virtual colour functions and the gels library, and full ‘physical’ function controls linked to the virtual controls at all times, colour control becomes seamless.”
For colour handling, v4.0. represents a major overhaul of the colour mixing system used in Hog 4 OS. Substantial changes have been made to the fixture library, colour picker, gels, palettes, effects, plots, pixel mapping, and the playback of colour. All colour mixing systems including native HS, xyY, CMY, and all additive colour engines are now fully integrated and supported by the colour system.
Additionally, Hog 4 OS v4.0 features a new Colour Picker window with a tabbed interface that features a wide variety of controls for quickly and seamlessly mixing colour across all fixture types. A new Colour Mix preview column has been added to the output window and editor windows, indicating the colour being output by colour mixing fixtures.
Version 4.0 is compatible with all generations of Hog 4 hardware. This major release introduces significant improvements to the OS, resulting in a show file compatib