White Light lived up to its name - literally - recently, with White Light Sales and The Moving Light Company supplying white StudioSpot moving lights to the Royal Opera House.

The Moving Light Company have been closely involved with the Royal Opera House since its refurbishment, supplying automated lighting equipment ranging from the first City Theatrical Autoyokes in the UK to custom tungsten and HMI moving fresnels created from Light Technik yokes. The Moving Light Company also provide service and support for all of the House's automated lighting equipment.

With the Opera House now extending its use of automated lighting equipment beyond the theatre itself, the ROH's David Harvey turned to The Moving Light Company again. This time, the request was for moving lights to be used as part

David Oberman has joined PRG as senior vice-president of business development and will be based out of the Fourth Phase office in Burbank, California. Oberman was formerly the COO and president of the Obie Company, an industry leader in concert lighting, for 28 years. He made his mark as a pioneer in the use of theatrical lighting and rigging techniques, which led the company to win the contracts for major events such as the Olympic Games, the Papal Visits and the Grand Prix.

In his new role, Oberman will join the senior management team, and will focus on developing strategic relationships and exploring new markets for all the companies within the PRG Group. "We're very excited about David coming on board," says Jere Harris, Chairman and CEO of Production Resource Group. "His experience and reputation in our industry is a complementary addition to PRG."

(Ruth Ross

Wharfedale has launched three new product series to add to its comprehensive loudspeaker portfolio.

Wharfedale have launched a range of trapezoidal enclosures designed to meet the requirements of high output, near field reproduction. The two-way ported, compact Programme 50, 52 and 60 foreground/background systems provide a wide frequency range, coupled with high power handling in an attractive, acoustically-efficient enclosure. The series offers four different versions, with black or white paint finish options (and with 70V/100V line transformer versions depending on markets).

The Programme 50 features a 5.5" woofer and 3/4" titanium driver, the Programme 52 features a pair of woofers and 3/4" titanium driver while the Programme 60 features two 6.5" woofers and a 1" titanium compression driver/horn, with 60° x 60° coverage. The HF horn/driver combination g

As part of a short two-date tour of the UK, SRD Group of Tonbridge supplied a GAE Director sound system to Randy Crawford for her performances at the 2000-seat Fairfield Halls in Croydon, London, produced by Backbeat Music Promotions.

When asked about the choice of system, Stuart Roberts of SRD commented that the GAE Director system was chosen for its exceptional clarity and tight dispersion. Eight stacks of Director, driven by QSC Powerlight amplifiers, were used to provide even coverage throughout the stalls area, the circle being in-filled by the venue’s existing Meyer system. Other equipment provided included five ways of Shure PSM-700 in-ear monitoring, two channels of Shure Premier Beta 87 radio mics, a Midas XL3 front of house desk and a Soundcraft SM-24 for the monitors. Wedge monitors were GAE 152M.

(Ruth Rossington)

Aggressive lawyers and the increasing amalgamation of artist management companies were among the topics discussed at the Music Managers Forum (MMF) Open Day, held recently at the Landmark Hotel, London.

Over 90 delegates attended the event, including a number of record producers who were invited through the Music Producers Guild that, in recent months, has been developing closer links with the MMF. "We were delighted with the attendance and with the quality of debate from both panelists and members of the audience participating in question and answer sessions," said the MMF’s Executive director James Fisher. "It was particularly satisfying that, in our 10th anniversary year, we were able to provide such a highly professional list of panelists to discuss matters that are becoming increasingly important in this new and difficult age for managers and their artists.&qu

Hard on the heels of the successful MP 700 Zoom, the latest product from Coef is the new MP 700 Wash - a spot of minimal weight offering a high light output, CMY colour mixing and a comprehensive range of functions. And all this in a fixture measuring just 56cm high, 37cm wide and 45cm deep, and weighing in at just 28.5kg. But there is more to the MP 700 than its technical specifications alone, for this lightweight fixture is also notable for its modern stylish design.

Stand C32

Smart Sound Direct has announced the availability of the PS802 amplifier from SoundTech. Despite being the smallest in the three-model PS line, the 1U PS802 digital amp is by far the most popular. Weighing in at just 7kg the PS802 employs highly efficient on-board PowerSource SwitchMode power supplies (thereby eliminating the need for bulky mains transformers) and Class-H output circuits, resulting in an amp that’s 20% more energy-efficient.

Despite its diminutive dimensions, with outputs of 800W bridged mono into 8 ohms and 400W per channel into 4 ohms (at 0.05% total harmonic distortion), the PS802 still retains plenty of punch and power, resulting in exceptional performance for an amp of its size and weight. With a unique speaker protection system to guard against DC faults, on/off transient peaks and under/over voltage situations, plus dual Vari-Speed cooling fans, XLRs and 1

Wembley-based recording facility Phoenix Sound has installed an AMS Neve VR60 console in its main Phoenix One control room. The desk complements an AMS Neve Capricorn digital console, featuring fully automated mixing and reset facilities, which has now been operating in the Capricorn Room since February 2002.

The VR60, purchased in June 2002 in collaboration with Mark Derksen of Markant Recording Studios in Holland, has provided Phoenix Sound with the framework to offer traditional recording and mixing facilities in Phoenix One. A further collaboration with Andrew Walton of K&A Productions means that the studio now has a comprehensive microphone collection. Phoenix Sound’s managing director, Peter Fielder, says: "Ever since we opened, back in October 2001, it very quickly became clear that Phoenix One being operational was what the punters wanted. Having achieved the first s

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The Many Looks of Zeo

Delivering ultimate brightness and unique looks, Zeo’s distinct face design is defined by a central LED monolith and four reflectors, backed by four RGBW engines. As a blinder or strobe, Zeo promises powerful impact with 30,000+ lumens. With its sheer brilliance and playful effects, Zeo is ready to amplify the energy on any stage.

Since becoming the sole UK distributor for the Robert Juliat range of lighting equipment just over a year ago, While Light Sales has met considerable demand for these high-quality products - with over 100 lanterns being supplied in the last few months alone.

The bulk of these have gone to the National Theatre, where lighting project manager Mike Atkinson and Lyttelton Theatre head of lighting Paul McLeish specified 76 Juliat 710SX 2000W 10/25 degree zoom profiles as part of the reworking of the lighting rig made necessary by the Lyttelton Theatre's change of format for the National's current Transformation season. The 710SXs have replaced many of the theatre's older Strand Cadenza lanterns, and have already been put to use in shows including The PowerBook, A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Adventures of the Stoneheads.

Elsewhere the baby Foxie 700W MSD followspot has proved popular wit

E//T//C UK, the large format projection specialist, fresh from its success in illuminating Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee, has produced a series of breathtaking 40-minute projection shows for Guernsey’s three-month long Victor Hugo Festival. The free son et lumière show - specially produced by E//T//C UK - that recalled the dramatic life and times of Hugo, who spent 15 years in exile on Guernsey during the 1850s and 60s. The free, three-day son et lumière was timed to coincide with Bastille Day, and also illustrated the rich cultural heritage of the island. It was held on the waterfront at Guernsey’s capital, St. Peter Port, and was a massive success, attracting over 5,000 people. E//T//C’s Ross Ashton was approached by members of Guernsey’s Victor Hugo Working Party last year, following a son et lumière presentation at Chiswick House in London

Audace Ltd, manufacturer of the Intelliplate range of remote control panels for installations, has announced that the launch of the newest member of the range will take place at the PLASA show in September.

The ‘SuperHub’ moves the Intelliplate concept away from exclusively controlling audio towards more general AV control. It does this by providing more control ports, a proprietary scripting language - ‘IntelliScript’, more processing power and Ethernet capability. Benefits to installers will include the facility to access the control system remotely using a standard web browser, facilities for controlling multiple devices with one processor, an integral calendar for scheduled events and an automated error logging facility for diagnostic purposes.

SuperHub is a 1U device, which resides in the rack alongside the equipment to be controlled. It boasts two RS232

A 40-channel Allen & Heath ML4000 VCA live console was used for front-of-house mixing at the recent 'An Audience with Michael Jackson' fundraising event at Exeter City football club (UK). The Bristol branch of Stage Electrics supplied the sound reinforcement system for the event, including the ML4000, a Soundcraft K3 on monitors, an EAW KF760 line array, XTA DP-series processing and Lab Gruppen amplifiers. The Exeter branch of the company provided the technical production for the event which also included lighting, staging and trucking.

Michael Jackson's seemingly improbable appearance at the event can be attributed to his friendship with Exeter City's non-executive chairman, Uri Geller. Jackson travelled to Exeter on a specially chartered train and although his fans were not treated to any songs, he did make a short speech to a packed stadium before being presented with a special team

As the PLASA Show celebrates its 25th annual event, a party to mark the milestone in style will be held on the evening of Sunday 8 September at The Bridge, SE1 - a stunning and atmospheric brick-arch party venue situated beneath London Bridge Station. The informal party will have an international theme to reflect the PLASA Show’s strong international audience, and the ticket price (£50 + VAT per head) will include champagne reception, beer, wine, soft drinks, buffet and dancing ‘til late - not to mention a great chance to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the industry.

Don’t miss out! For tickets and further information, contact Mikaela Fenton-Jones on +44 (0)20 7370 8207.

Kino Proekt Engineering is set to become ETC's first Authorised Service Centre (ASC) in Russia. Already a customer of ETC, Kino Proekt is installing three racks of 96-channel Sensor dimmers, an Obsession II control console and ETCNet2 DMX Nodes in Moscow's Variete Theatre, ready for the touring Broadway musical Chicago, which opens there in September.

Kino Proekt's Alexander Rubin timed his first ASC Technician training visit to ETC in London so that he could also see the London production of Chicago and meet with the show's lighting designer Ken Billington to discuss the lighting rig for the Moscow production. Ken (pictured with Alexander, left, on the set of Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre) has lit every production of Chicago since it opened on Broadway in 1996, and his compelling design won him both a Tony and a Drama Desk award in 1997.

When Chicago lea

Mackie Designs has announced the launch of Mackie Control, a new nine-fader master control surface with nine touch-sensitive Penny & Giles motorized faders. Mackie Control supports software integration for a growing family of DAWs which currently includes Soundscape 32 by Mackie Broadcast Professional, Nuendo and CubaseSX by Steinberg, and Digital Performer by MOTU. Support is coming soon for CoolEdit Pro by Syntrillium Software, Sonar 2 by Cakewalk and many others. In addition, Mackie Control has been pre-mapped to enable power-user functions by many of the supported DAWs, and is the first to offer DAW-specific Lexan overlays allowing users to take advantage of these functions.

Each of Mackie Control’s eight channel strips includes a 100mm optical, touch-sensitive motorized fader, mute, solo, and record arming buttons, signal LED, a channel select button and a V-Pot that can be

Corporate event AV specialist Creative Technology assisted staging company Imagination to create a vivid platform for T. Mobile to make a key presentation to its staff at the Blackpool Hilton recently. The centrepiece of a full technical package was a pair of twin rear-projection screens, mounted stage right behind the lectern, while to the left were blow-up images taken from T Mobile’s advertising campaign.

The screen displays took separate Powerpoint, video graphics and camera-derived feeds projected from Christie S6 and X6 6000 ANSI lumens Roadster projectors. Incorporated in the complement of equipment were graphics machines running Windows XP with new 3D animations effects. CT also fielded a conventional three-camera PPU.

Sited at the end of a purpose-constructed entrance ‘tunnel’ - which ran behind the set and brought guests in at the stage - was a videowall p

Leading technical design consultancy LDPS has opened an office in New Zealand, to service clients in Australasia, the Pacific Rim and the Far East. The move follows four years of LDPS operation in Ireland and the UK, which will continue to be directed from the Cork office. LDPS’s Grant Collie told us: "I’ve had incredibly positive feedback on the New Zealand office and on the business we will be doing in these territories. I’m already working on several projects."

LDPS NZ will concentrate on the company’s core business as a performance venue technical consultancy. The team specialises in all aspects of design including sound, lighting, multi and mixed media facilities, audio-visual and stage technology. Working in the Southern Hemisphere will also give LDPS the opportunity to expand it's service to sports facilities, in particular the design of public

Germany’s capital city of Berlin has been enriched by another cultural attraction: ‘Tepee - The Tent’ is a permanent four-mast tent created especially for cultural events. Jazz, cabaret, theatre, classical music - Tepee (in German ‘Tipi’) offers a broad range of high-quality cultural events.

The company responsible for the sound and light installation, as well as for technical operation during the shows, is Berlin-based RentEvent, who turned to HK Audio for sound reinforcement. Company owner Stefan Schultze says: "We have been working very closely with HK Audio for years now, and we are very happy users of their equipment ourselves. The requirements for the Tepee tent were that the equipment had to be compact and unobtrusive, but capable of delivering very punchy, powerful sound at the same time. Furthermore, the system we put in had to be extremely v

A Welsh professional audio systems specialist is playing a key role in a live historical spectacular, which is being performed in the dramatic setting of Chepstow Castle. A new loudspeaker designed and manufactured at Shermann Pro-Audio's base in Newtown is being pressed into action at the son et lumière, the highlight of every Chepstow Festival. This year's completely new son et lumière creation, ‘1648, The Tides of War’, tells the story of Cromwell's siege of the castle and the national and local events that led up to it, revealing the dramatic consequences for the people of Chepstow. Unique in the UK, this huge community production combines spectacular lighting, specially-composed music, over 100 actors, state of the art projections and pyrotechnics into a stunning show, which ends a three-week run this weekend.

20 Shermann Pro-Audio loudspeakers are being used by Car

The long-standing issue regarding the use of 3-pin, 110V, 16 Amp yellow CEE-form control connectors fitted to CM Lodestar chain hoists has finally been resolved. From 1 September 2002, both PCM and Tomcat UK will be supplying all Columbus McKinnon Lodestar hoists with 4-pin, 110V, 16 Amp yellow CEE-form connectors instead of the current 3-pin version. Both companies will be contacting all of their Lodestar customers shortly to discuss this change and its repercussions.

The issue dates back two-and-a-half years, when it became apparent that the continued use of the 3-pin connector for Lodestar hoists would not be possible. Although the connector was extremely well suited to the application in many areas, for safety reasons, it was felt that the use of the earth pin as a conductor should preclude its future use. This resulted in extensive discussions involving the manufacturer of the Lod

The theme of DHA’s stand at the PLASA Show this year will be very different to previous years and will be designed to show off the company’s products to best effect. New for PLASA will be a CD-ROM version of the moving effects catalogue, bringing to life what has, up until now, only been offered in paper format. The new CD will be very visual, highly animated and interactive, showing the endless number of effects that can be achieved with different gobo combinations.

Stand F14

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