Europe - MIRRAD lighting designer, Jamie Thompson, has been accompanying Irish rock band, The Script, for most of the 12 years they have been touring. And for much of that time GLP’s LED automated lighting solutions have formed a central part of his inventory, dating back to the original impression 90.
By the time the band’s second album was released they were already playing arenas, and now, with the release of their sixth album Sunsets & Full Moons late last year, they were recently back playing Europe’s major venue circuit.
For the production designer, GLP’s new generation of products has provided scope to depict the geometry and vivid colour suggested by the album title, enabling him to build a set with a lot of curvature and concentric arcs.

South Africa - The DWR Distribution sales and training team stepped out of their comfort zone to present a joint live Facebook Q&A session, a webinar which was held on Wednesday, 8 April at 2pm. It didn’t take long for the team to get comfortable behind their screens and were soon interacting and chatting about products, training and tackling any questions the industry had to ask.
Says DWR, “Since the Covid-19 Lockdown in South Africa, the DWR team have shared training videos and live seminars as provided by our suppliers. That said, DWR are known for the extensive training courses hosted over the years and with this in mind decided to personally reach out to the industry, via a webinar, for a discussion that was hosted by Jannie de Jager, head of training at DWR and a panel consisting of Olebogeng Boinamo, Robert Izzett, Dylan Jones, Kyle Robson, Richard S

USA - With the world uniting in social distancing efforts, friends and families are relying more on social media to connect and engage. Bandit Lites reports that it has surpassed more than 120,000 Facebook followers, 54,000 Instagram followers and 16,000 Twitter followers.
“This is a community unlike any other,” says Bandit Lites media relations coordinator Sharon Gross. “On any given week we’re seeing nearly 1m people reached in the touring industry, from veterans to students to people who simply like to see the behind-the-scene looks of their favourite artists’ tours.”
In addition to sharing the goings on of their shops, tours and installations, Bandit’s team has made available tips and insights through the blog Bandit Dimmer Beach (banditdimmerbeach.com). Bandit Lites general manager Mark Steinwachs has written more than 250 posts ranging f

Finland - Genelec is now offering customers the option of a special RAW aluminium colour finish, available on a selection of the most popular models in its Studio, AV and Home Audio ranges.
All the models feature the Minimum Diffraction Enclosure (MDE) design, developed by Genelec in close collaboration with industrial designer Harri Koskinen, and fashioned from recycled aluminium. The RAW versions require no painting and less finishing material than standard painted models - creating an even more environmentally friendly loudspeaker that allows the natural beauty of the enclosure’s raw aluminium to shine through, and gives each individual loudspeaker a unique look and feel.
The models available are all two-way designs, and include the 8020, 8030 and 8040 nearfield studio monitors, the 4020, 4030 and 4040 installation loudspeakers, the new 4420 and 4430 S

USA - Adam Audio is launching the ADAM EDU webinars and videos, designed to enable everyone from audio students to novices and seasoned working professionals to further their education in audio on a variety of business and technical topics pertinent to our industry.
The videos include a variety of lectures and speaking panels with engineers, acousticians, licensing and game audio specialists, studio owners, sales and marketing experts and other business leaders in the professional audio industry who share some of their insights and best practices for success.
The ADAM EDU programmes have included topics such as: Acoustical Fulfillment, Game Audio Implementation, Gear Need vs. Want, How These Notable Engineers Got Their Start, Owning and Managing a Recording Studio, Testing Your Room, Sync Licensing, Careers for Engineers within the Pro Audio Industry and Adjacent Markets, an
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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

USA - As a long-standing customer of TSL Products, NEP Group has relied on the company’s MPA1 units as their audio monitoring solution of choice for live broadcasts. When TSL introduced its new MPA1 V Series audio monitor, designed to directly address the needs of those in live production, NEP was the first to realise the benefits and place its order. NEP Group integrates TSL’s MPA1-MIX MADI-V audio monitor as a cost-effective solution to improve operator workflow within its fleet of OB trucks.
“We are always looking for ways to enhance the workflow of operators within our OB trucks,” says Michael Naugle, design engineer for NEP’s U.S. Broadcast Services team. “The newly designed TSL MPA1-MIX MADI-V units feature an extremely intuitive layout. The left to right ascending order of the knobs is very user-friendly as the operator can easily find the channel they nee

Europe - Pioneer DJ is extending the free trial period for its DJ mix recording app - DJM-REC - from 30 days up to 90 days to help DJs looking to raise their profiles by connecting and sharing mixes with audiences online.
The DJM-REC app simplifies the recording and sharing of music by allowing DJs to quickly and easily connect their DJM to an iPhone or iPad via a USB cable to create high-quality digital format mixes. These mixes can then be directly uploaded from the app to multiple online streaming platforms, removing the complications of analogue conversion or level adjustment.
To support as many DJs and producers as possible, Pioneer DJ is also offering the 90 day offer beyond new users to also include anyone who has previously accessed the free trial.
The extended DJM-REC trial period will run from 7 April until 6 May 2020.
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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

UK - One of the highlights of the music industry’s calendar, the annual NME Awards, took place last month in London with its most ambitious AV design to date, centred around a 158 panel ROE Black Onyx staggered LED display lining the perimeter of the stage, and employing four Tessera SX40 high capacity processors combined with eight Tessera XD data distribution units from Brompton Technology.
After a year off, the NME Awards returned to London’s O2 Brixton Academy to celebrate the best of 2019’s musical talent. It was attended by Taylor Swift, who picked up the award for Best Solo Act In The World, and featured live performances from AJ Tracey, FKA Twigs, rising stars Yungblud and Beadadoobee, a collaboration between rapper Slowthai and Mura Masa, and a five-song closing set by The 1975.
UK LED screen and video production company, IMAG Displays, was tasked with d

USA - The majority of loudspeaker specialist EAW’s staff continue to work from home and the company’s website (www.eaw.com) provides a detailed contact list for clients and customers.
“The Eastern Acoustic Works warehouse is classified as an essential business allowing us to continue shipping,” says EAW. “If you are able to use this time to do some maintenance in your facility, do not hesitate to contact us. Our staff continues to work from home and are ready to help you!”
Meanwhile, EAW has announced the appointment of Quantum Sales and Technology as their new manufacturer’s representative for Southern California.
“We chose to work with Quantum ST because of their strong reputation within their dealer network and their history of brand-building within their territory” explains Josh Garcia, western regional sales manager for EAW. “We share the

Spafford’s Winter Music Tour got off to a fast start, as the Arizona-based jam band played to one sold out house after another on its western swing. In support, they decided to shoot a promotional video of their Saturday 7 March show at 10 Mile Music Hall in Frisco, Colorado, the idyllic Rocky Mountain theatre that holds the distinction of being the highest permanent live music venue in the USA.
As it did with so many other things, COVID-19 brought Spafford’s popular tour to a screeching halt. With no tour to promote, the band re-purposed its video, streaming it as a taped show over Facebook and YouTube. “The guys in the band and I figured this would be a great opportunity to give fans a chance to experience a full concert,” said lighting designer Matt Collier. “Rather than just post the video on our website, we made it a streaming event to give it the excitement of a li

USA - The Best Man at the historic Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia squeezed in a handful of preview performances before shutting down to wait out the Covid-19 pandemic.
Set at the national convention in Philadelphia, and altogether a fitting production for an election year, lighting designer Jimmy Lawlor lights a set that takes us into the back rooms and onto the convention floor where two candidates vie for their party’s nomination.
Lawlor sought a quiet yet versatile luminaire for the production, one he could use to light scenes both stark and soft. “From the outset, we knew we wanted the audience to experience the kinetic energy of a presidential convention,” he explains. “As such, I knew I wanted a lighting fixture that could move and change colours. Since this is a play, and the front of house positions in the theatre are limited, I needed fi

France - ROE Vanish V8 LED panels were used to build a massive screen for the DJ Snake show at the La Défense Arena in Paris. Performing in his hometown Paris, DJ Snake set up a massive show for his 40-thousend fans.
Set designer Romain Pissenem from High Scream raised the bar, designing a set on a huge scale. The opening of the show, revealing DJ snake on the top of a life-size Arc de Thriomphe amidst a dazzling combination of lighting, visuals and special effects created a spectacular moment.
Paris based S Group, well-known for providing audiovisual, technical and scenographic solutions for large-scale live shows and events, was responsible for the technical design of the show, supplying all equipment and crew. A massive amount of ROE Visual Vanish V8 LED panels were used to create a huge cube of video screens. This opened in an L-shaped video canvas, using the Wi-

Russia - Sleeping Beauty Dreams is a fusion of contemporary dance, real-time digital avatar technology and hypnotic electronic music. Based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale, the spectacular production explores The Princess’s – often haunting – dreams, passions and temptations during her hundred-year slumber.
Sound and movement achieved stunning cohesion as Noisia’s Thijs de Vlieger’s futuristic score was presented in L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, with every movement of The Princess, performed by celebrated dancer Diana Vishneva, tracked in real time with BlackTrax motion tracking.
Conceived by Miami-based Magic Reality Group (MRG), Sleeping Beauty Dreams (SBD) combines visual art, contemporary dance and avatar-mapping projection, set to an immersive sound of harsh and, at times, darkly ambient electronic music, to create a unique

Spain - Valencia-based DAS Audio continues to operate aspects of its operation with staff, like so many in the industry, working remotely. The loudspeaker specialist says it is in a position to face industry shutdowns at least until the end of June.
“At DAS Audio we have already adopted all the necessary measures so that our colleagues, distributors, suppliers and family can continue with their lives and agendas without putting your health and ours at risk,” says the company. “You can reach us by phone, mail and video-call platforms, so we can keep in touch and share our passion for this industry.
“Given the current situation we are experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic, at DAS Audio, proud of our family-business spirit, we are determined to look ahead. Getting back to normal requires collective rather than individual action, so no one can be left behi

UK - LSi is sad to report that following a long illness, Alan Jacobi LVO, the founder of Unusual Rigging, passed away peacefully at home on 13 April aged 67.

Jacobi began his career at the Old Vic. He soon moved to the lighting department of the National Theatre, under the directorship of Lord Olivier, and assisted in the theatre’s subsequent move to its current home on the South Bank. He continued to build his comprehensive technical knowledge of show production and toured the world as a freelance production electrician with theatre shows, music and concert production.

Forming Unusual Rigging in 1983, he expanded the company in 1990 to incorporate the production of large-scale national and international events.

In 2018, Jacobi was voted by his peers to receive the Gottelier Award in recognition of his work towards raising the profile and pro

USA - Bandit Lites has announced that long-time team member Stephanie McSpadden will be taking on a new role as a sales support manager. Her new duties will include overseeing sales invoicing, administrative support of inventory, sales project management within accounting, tax reporting, fixed asset reporting, revenue recognition and project administration.
“All these functions occur as Stephanie is seated in a position between sales and accounting,” comments Bandit Lites chair and founder Michael T. Strickland. “She is truly a hybrid leader in her functionality.”
McSpadden first joined Bandit in 2007 as the Knoxville office manager, answering phones and assisting each department as needed. She then joined the purchasing department to support inventory management and shipping followed by a move to the sales department.
“I am so very proud of Stephan

Europe - In the 15 years since Yamaha introduced the HS series of powered studio monitors, it has become a favourite for near-field applications in both professional and home studio environments. Now, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Yamaha Pro Audio, the company has launched the special edition HS MP (Matched Pair) models.
The new, special edition HS MP powered monitors include three models - HS5 MP, HS7 MP and HS8 MP. Each pair of monitors has been manufactured using a unique process, utilising specially selected parts and with matching serial numbers, shipping in a special paired carton with an MP (Matched Pair) label.
The HS MP monitors “continue the same rigorous design principles that have guided Yamaha designs ever since the legendary NS10M Studio monitors, first produced in 1977. Essentially, defining the look and sound preferred by engineers in studios a

Europe - Madrix 5 software has always been available as a demo version for everyone to try out the pixel mapper at the convenience of their own work machines.
Madrix 5.1 launched the additional 'pre-programmer' software license to facilitate show and project preparation without the need for a full output licence.
A new way to fully test Madrix 5 is now being introduced as an additional resource to support the current workflow needs of operators, lighting designers, VJs, and project companies around the world.
Madrix 5 professional is an extensive software licence, which is available free of charge as a time-limited license that works until 1 June 2020. It is fully functioning within this time frame. The only requirement is to make a small, one-time purchase for a Madrix Key from a local dealer. This USB dongle then remains universally usable for the range of Ma

USA - ClearOne has announced the availability of its first release of Convergence AV Network Manager, a unified AV network management platform to monitor, control, and audit ClearOne Pro Audio and Video products and services. A beta version was available to AV practitioners for their evaluation prior to this release.
The new AV management system provides remote real-time system access for at-a-glance and all-inclusive dashboard views in any browser from desktop to mobile. Its unlimited scalability supports organizations of any size and can be configured for one of 12 languages.
The new release provides efficient batch firmware updates on multiple audio and video devices at once. The release adds the ability to download, back up, or restore project files simultaneously for multiple Converge Pro 2 and Converge Huddle systems. The release provides the ability to provision

Thailand - The Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence recently upgraded its headquarters with Harman Professional Solutions AV, lighting and control systems.
Part of Thailand’s Ministry of Defence, the Office of the Permanent Secretary is responsible for determining strategic goals, executing plans, drafting policy and the inspection and monitoring of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
Occupying a grand, nine-story building with multiple wings outside Bangkok, the organisation’s headquarters includes a multipurpose hall which can seat 1,500 and be divided into two separate spaces on demand. To ensure world-class sound, video, lighting and control for presentations and events, the Office of the Permanent Secretary deployed a range of solutions from JBL Professional, Crown, Soundcraft, BSS, Martin Professional and AMX.
"The client needed cutting-edge AV and st

South Africa - Days before lockdown, thousands of fans gathered at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria to celebrate the 2020 edition of RAMfest, South Africa’s music festival for all things alternative.
This years’ line up included some of South Africa’s most popular alternative bands, including Facing the Gallows, Peasant, Man as Machine, Newtown Knife Gang, The Valley, Stoker, and Truth & It’s Burden. Highlights of the event included a much-anticipated reunion show by South African rock legends, The Van Coke Kartel and USA-based death metal giants, The Black Dahlia Murder, who headlined the one-day festival.
Festival organisers Real Alternative Music (RAM) once again contracted Stage Effects and Blue Array Productions to provide technical services for the event. Stage Effects’ Erik de Bruin has been working with RAM on the festival for several years a

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