The newly-built Chelsea Club - an exclusive leisure facility recently opened behind the Chelsea FC stadium in Chelsea Village - has invested in an array of Turbosound equipment, serving various locations throughout the health complex.

Installed by the official supplier, Atmospheric, the Turbosound system is part of a complete audio-visual installation, which includes plasma screens and a control system that routes numerous audio sources through to six different zones. Four specially prepared Impact 50 speakers - with waterproof coating applied to the cones - have been installed in the impressive pool and Jacuzzi area. A further eight have been mounted in the gym, where 16 channels of ‘personal audio’ are routed to all workout stations. Four further Turbosound TCS-35 enclosure

Christie Lites has announced the appointment of Rob Kennedy, former vice-president of theatre for Westsun International, to the position of rental account manager for Christie Lites Toronto. Kennedy’s early experience as a technical director and production manager in regional theatre and summer festivals, combined with his 14 years’ experience as a rental rep in the theatre market, makes him a very welcome addition to Christie Lites, say the company.

Kennedy’s professional accomplishments include assembling the lighting systems for The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Show Boat, Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Fosse, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Barrymore, Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge, Mamma Mia and productions of Disney’s The Lion King in New York, London, Toronto and Los Angeles.

(Lee Baldock)

Following the news of the death on 9 January of Bob Salt, managing director of RW Salt Communications, details of arrangements for a memorial service have been released. The service will follow a private funeral and will be held at 3pm on Friday 25 January 2002 at St Elizabeth’s Church, Ashley, Cheshire. Bob’s family would like to extend an invitation to all his suppliers, customers and friends from within the audio industry to join them at the church and afterwards at the Greyhound in Ashley.

The family has also requested that those who wish to send flowers instead make a donation to a charity close to Bob’s heart - The Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT), and send them to the company address:

RW Salt Communications
140 Princess Road
Moss Side
Manchester
M16 7BY.

Tel: 0161 226 6696

(Lee Baldock)

Hevacomp, a portfolio of building services design software, has added iLight’s range of lighting control products to its database. The move will enable lighting control to be designed in with the other electrical services, allowing the designer to build the lighting, lighting control and electrical design straight into his system drawing.

Electrical CAD enables electrical systems to be designed on the building drawing using a DXF file or directly with AutoCAD. It comes with a comprehensive and easy to use BS symbol library: as symbols are entered onto the drawing, they automatically snap to wall orientations. Using extensive manufacturer’s databases of boards, protective devices, busbars, cable and luminaires, the designer can build the lighting and electrical design straight onto the drawing.

(Ruth Rossington)

Screenco recently supplied a 15mm Saco LED stage screen at the first ever Top of The Pops Awards, hosted at the Manchester Evening News arena. Commissioned by production company AMP - working for BBC Worldwide - the 20.74sq.m screen was configured in a 14:9 aspect ratio and was positioned off centre stage right in an asymmetric set design.

Serving an audience of 11,500, the screen was used as backdrop support for presenters and artists, as well as nominee clips. Showcasing a rich mixture of the best in pop music over the last 12 months, the first annual TOTP’s Awards Show was also broadcast on BBC One the following day, and hosted 12 performances from international artists including Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, Westlife, Tom Jones, Travis, Nelly Furtado and Jennifer Lopez.

A full report on the Top of the Pop Awards appears in the January issue of Lighting&Sound International.<

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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

Flying in the face of recessionary horror stories, the FX Group has started 2002 on a buoyant note by announcing the appointment of four key new members of staff. This brings the total number of recent appointments to 10 and the total number of staff across the burgeoning group to 45.

The new faces have joined FX from Dreamhire and include business development manager Martin Anscombe, Martin ‘Budgie’ Burden - who joins the rental bookings department - and Copyroom engineers Richard Whittaker and Brian Cunningham. FX Group chairman Roger Evan commented: "These appointments reflect our confidence in the future and our determination to deliver a high level of service to our customers. We are pleased to welcome staff from Dreamhire who bring considerable expertise with them."

FX has also marked the New Year by opening a dedicated Pro Tools transfer suite as part of

The newest vessel in Carnival Cruise Lines’ Fun Ship fleet - the 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride - sailed on her maiden voyage from Miami on December 30. This 88,500-ton ship, built at the Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, is the second in Carnival’s Spirit class, joining sister ship Carnival Spirit which debuted in April 2001. Carnival Legend, the third in the series, will follow in August 2002.

Nautilus Entertainment Design (NED) is the entertainment facility consultant on all three ships, as well as for 12 other ships currently under development for Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines’ parent company which operates six cruise companies worldwide. Previously, NED has designed the lighting, audio, video, projection and rigging systems for the Carnival ships. Their scope of work was extended on Carnival Pride to include the video and audio broadcast systems, a

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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

Sennheiser UK - exclusive distributor for Rycote microphone windshields and suspension systems - has introduced two new microphone mounts and a useful directory from the company. The Utility Mount is a rugged, lightweight, machined aluminium mount with an integral cable clamping system, purpose-built bands positioned at four staggered points and a bracket with pistol-grip handle. The mount can be stand- or pole-mounted via the 3/8" female thread in the base of the handle. Designed to complement the Rycote microphone suspension range, the Utility Mount is positioned between the company’s Softie Mount and its high performance Modular Suspension. The Utility Mount can be used alone or alternatively can slide into a Rycote Windshield for exterior use. The design of the bands supports a broad range of microphones and allows for quick and easy changes.

The Multi-Mount is a modifie

At the end of last year, Maltbury Ltd moved to new offices in Brighton. Since 1995, the staging specialist has supplied its popular range of demountable staging systems to a wide array of organizations and venues including theatres, schools, arenas, film and TV studios and concert halls. With products ranging from the lightweight Aerodeck, versatile Metrodeck and Ambideck to Steeldeck 7.5, currently the strongest demountable staging system on the market, Maltbury also offers a bespoke service and an impressive range of accessories to complement its staging systems.

To coincide with the move to new premises, managing director Philip Sparkes has re-launched the company’s website, which is now easier to navigate and more user friendly. The improved site also gives better access to a wide range of the most up-to-date Maltbury press releases and, complementing the website, the new lo

Stagetec (UK) Ltd has recently completed the supply and installation of production lighting equipment for the BBC Television Centre’s Studio 3 refurbishment. This is one of the major studios at the BBC’s Wood Lane HQ in Shepherd’s Bush, London.

The project, managed by BBC Technology’s Consulting & Projects division, involved Stagetec in the design, manufacture and installation of a complete DMX network running throughout the studio. A total of 148 DMX outlets were installed by Stagetec, dotted around the studio in custom made socket boxes. These were wired back to patch panels located at grid level in the roof and in the new control area. Eight IES 10-way DMX splitters were mounted in the patch cabinets to provide DMX distribution with the existing analogue dimmers retained. Stagetec then installed 552 channels of Compulite demultiplexers in the dimmer room so t

Kelsey Acoustics has recently manufactured and supplied a substantial number of custom-built multicore systems with Litton Veam connectors to Surrey-based rental company Peter Maciuk Installations Ltd (PMI).

PMI specializes in the hire of sound systems to event companies who design and manage large corporate events all over the world. "It’s an exceedingly demanding and competitive environment," explained PMI's Peter Maciuk, "and as events get more and more complex, so the requirement for more diverse multicore systems increases. What we now have is a fully modular multicore system which ranges from 50m 8-pair up to 100m 48-pair with 16-pair return and monitor break-outs. We can also offer a complete stage satellite system comprising three 25m 16-pair dual sex stage boxes to a 48-way dual sex patch panel. In simple terms it gives us the flexibility and the ability t

Sennheiser UK held the national finals of its ‘Best Unsigned Artist Contest’ in December, with a live event at the Wardrobe Club in Leeds. Devised as an integral element of Sennheiser UK’s greater focus on the live music market, the Unsigned Artist Contest was launched last year in conjunction with a number of equipment manufacturers.

Sennheiser’s John Steven described the initiative: "This is a means of establishing closer contact with potential up and coming performing artists. It’s also a way of genuinely trying to help bands and artists who don’t fall into the category of ‘manufactured pop idol’ currently so favoured by the major recording industry."

Winners of heats covering pop, rock, dance, hip-hop, R&B and jazz musical categories from across the country performed live in front of the panel of judges drawn from artists,

Australasia’s leading entertainment technology exhibition opens in Darling Harbour, Sydney, from 4 February for three days. With over 120 exhibits across over 100,000 square feet of floor space, ENTECH is one of the key gathering points for technicians, engineers and designers from all over the region. Held every two years, this show also features a museum celebrating 30 years of entertainment technology - with never before seen video footage from the dark past, and numerous old photos of pioneering bands in Australia using very old equipment. There will be displays of the actual offending apparatus, including a genuine double four-way PA and old Australian-made amplifiers!

Entech runs from 4-6 February at the Sydney Darling Harbour Convention Centre. Entry is free after registration, but limited to trade and those who can demonstrate an interest in the technology, such as studen

Stuart Thomson, formerly of Avalon Communications, has joined MEDC Ltd as the UK northern area sales manager for the Next Two range of loudspeakers. Thomson has had more than 20 years of experience in the communications industry with companies as diverse as Millbank Electronics, Planned Equipment Ltd and Avalon Communications as a proposals manager.

With involvement in major projects such as The Millenium Dome, Paddington Railway Station, London Underground, Newcastle United Stadium and a variety of other commercial installations from shopping centres to office blocks, Thomson brings a wealth of experience to the team. Thomson will assist Next Two customers through advising on loudspeaker layouts and working with third party VA/PA rack manufacturers to ensure a successful installation.

(Lee Baldock)

Wybron’s Eclipse II was honoured with an EDDY Award at the close of last year. This marks the second award for the product in 2001, which also collected an LDI Product of the Year Award earlier in the year.

The Eclipse II is a variable speed DMX controlled iris douser with linear control using a single motor. It can realistically fade fixtures that use non-dimmable arc and metal halide sources, products which are becoming more and more prevalent in lighting design today. One of three lighting accessories awarded the EDDY 2001, it was the smooth and seamless fades of Eclipse II which impressed the panel.

Keny Whitright of Wybron and theatre legend George Izenour collected the award at the 10th annual EDDY Awards at John Jay College Theatre in New York City. The EDDY Awards are presented annually to honour excellence in entertainment design and technology, as well as innovation i

South London-based Blackout Triple E, specialists in the design and manufacture of drapes, starcloths, tracking and production rigging equipment, has recently appointed Warren Connolly as hire and sales manager. He joins the busy rental department with 15 years’ sales and marketing experience, and will be promoting the company’s extensive product portfolio and range of production services to new and existing clients.

Warren will be liaising with producers, production companies and event organisers from the early planning stages of a project. He will be presenting creative and practical solutions for the most challenging special events, theatre productions, exhibitions, installations and conferences. Working closely with the company’s in house design, project management and technical support teams, he will help transform the most complex needs and ideas into reality. W

The Showman’s Show North will take place at The Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 March 2002, and is generating increasing interest across the North of the country.

Organisers Lance Publications report that stand space is being filled by a wide range of event suppliers based in the North, indicating that the exhibition will achieve its aim of providing a show focused on the needs of the region. The show is offering both indoor and outdoor exhibition space, utilizing the permanent facilities of the Great Yorkshire Showground, and will cater for a wide range of event suppliers and organizers.

The show has been borne out of response to questionnaires and requests from event professionals in the North of England and Scotland to bring Showman’s North to serve their part of the country. The visitor marketing campaign is focused on event and s

To further enhance the service Stage Electrics offers its West End and UK touring markets, the company has promoted Chris Patton to work alongside Matt Lloyd in developing and supporting current commitments and future initiatives. Patton will relocate from Birmingham, where he was responsible for developing local business through the theatre and event market. During his time with Stage Electrics he has been on-site with several major theatrical companies, including the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Andrew Suggs has been promoted to branch account handler at the busy Bristol customer service centre. Suggs has worked for Stage Electrics for six years, covering all aspects of hire. Most recently he was a contract handler in the Bristol Warehouse, managing the co-ordination of all major hires leaving the building.

Tony Rhodes has joined the company as business development manager at the NEC

Autograph Sales Ltd, the UK distributors for Meyer Sound Laboratories, have begun the year with the launch of the latest Meyer Sound product - the MM4. Unlike Meyer Sound's more recent larger developments, the MM4 is a compact, wide-range loudspeaker, measuring only 102mm square.

This particular loudspeaker product is ideal when a high quality distributed sound system is required - in delay and fill applications in theatre-style venues, for example. The product has already found a home in France, on the much-talked about and newly-built Lyon Tramway. This latter is a sound art installation and the 88 MM4s can be found distributed along the 18 stations of the Tramway, transmitting ambient sounds and announcements when required.

Back in the UK, the product is being taken very seriously by several sound design consultants and installation companies and has been specified for a number of

Gareth Frankland and David Horsfield have taken over the operation of ACDC Lighting Systems Ltd, part of the Standel Dawman group of companies. The two have been key members of the management team for some time, and had been instrumental in developing ACDC into one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of cold cathode lighting systems.

The company will continue to work with designers to develop lighting solutions and will launch a new dynamic range of high intensity LED products later this year.

(Ruth Rossington)

Ashwin Shah, chairman of the Myriad Group, has announced that, as part of the recent re-structuring of the Group, Richard Crowe has been appointed managing director of its Creative Staging subsidiary. Crowe, who was previously the sales and marketing director of the company, has been with Creative Staging for the past seven years, working in senior positions in the AV presentation industry since 1978. As well as fulfilling a full-time role at Creative Staging, Crowe will also play an active part in the future development of the whole Myriad Group. The Group recently restructured its nine business areas under the four main names of Myriad, Creative Staging, MAP and Visual Systems, offering a range of services for AV and IT communication and presentation.

(Ruth Rossington)

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