Germany - In the second weekend of August, the Museums Insel (museum island) in Berlin saw (or more accurately 'heard') the first appearance of Alcons Audio's 'The Ribbon' line array system. Its debut came at the museum's annual festival, which takes place on the museum island in Berlin, and features a range of concerts.

Götz Berge, owner of Lichtwerk Berlin who were responsible for the lighting and sound elements of the event, commented: "With a concert stage in the centre of Berlin, and especially in a cultural place like the Museums Insel, we've had to deal with a lot of specific requirements for the audio specification. A number of problems had to be addressed, including limited SPL leakage to surrounding buildings and the fact that SPL inside the adjacent Berliner Dom (

UK - Rob Fowler has joined the Projected Image Digital team as technical applications engineer. He will be providing technical field support for the various digital servers and associated hardware supplied by Projected Image Digital, and applications advice relating to digital content, training and programming support.

Fowler has been in the professional lighting industry for 12 years. His career started at Theatre Projects in Greenford, from which he moved on to Vari*Lite's technical support department. He also worked at the Millennium Dome as a programmer/operator for the Wholehog II consoles running the Central Show, plus multi-tasking in other areas of the attraction. In 2001 he joined Flying Pig Systems' technical support department, and has now moved to P.I.D.

In addition to his wealth of experience in technical support, Fowler has also worked on a variety of live events

USA - Edirol has announced availability of the world's first multi-port high-speed USB (USB2.0) audio recording interface - the UA -1000. This is the new flagship of the Edirol Audio Capture product line, and offers high quality audio capture and playback with features that make it an ideal centrepiece of a PC-based recording studio, say Edirol.

The UA-1000 is connected to the computer via a single USB 2.0 cable connection. Data transfer is a fast 480Mbps, which offers 10 fully duplex audio channels of 24-bit/96kHz which can be channeled and routed in various modes, including stereo and surround channel formats up to 7:1. An added feature is that the volume knob can be set to control the stereo master or alternatively all surround channel levels at the single touch of a button.

The UA-1000 has a very strong selection of connectors and interfaces for use in the studio, includin

UK - MTFX's Firedance system has proved very popular this year, with shows up and down the country accompanying many Firework Fantasia¹s and Classical Concerts. It can be used both in daylight and night time productions with extreme versatility. The standard system consists of 12 large jets of fire 8m high. Each jet is synchronized to a smpte track or other show system for millisecond accuracy, or the whole effect can be played live.

For safety reasons, each jet is intelligent enough to shut itself off should the pilot light be lost, thereby disabling that pod until a suitable ignition has been established. The materials used for the effect are completely non hazardous in their primary state, causing no problems with transportation or on site storage. MTFX completed in total over a thousand 'burns' of various sizes, without incident and with the material igniting every time (th

UK - Worldwide automated lighting manufacturer High End Systems Inc (HES) has introduced the Catalyst DL1 - a digital video engine that bridges the worlds of automated lighting and video projection. The Catalyst DL1 incorporates rugged moving light technology with a digital video engine and includes both lighting and video communications protocols. HES is positioning the DL1 as the lighting industry's first commercially available digital moving light and will immediately begin promoting it to entertainment and information markets including theatre, television, film, concert touring, night clubs, churches and corporate events planners.

HES will publicly debut the Catalyst DL1 at the PLASA Show in London (7-10 September). Preview showings in August include the Nissan Auto Dealer product launch in Mexico City and the Aerosmith world concert tour.

Catalyst DL1 is the second genera

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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

UK - Leading UK manufacturer, Trantec Systems, specialists in the design and supply of sophisticated Radio products, has sponsored talented Irish/London stand-up Comedian John Ryan, supplying him with their award-winning S3500 wireless microphone system. Ryan is making his debut at the 57th International Edinburgh Festival Fringe with two productions, Kids are Best and John Ryan Isn't Normal, which both run through the Festival from 3-25 August. Staged in the heart of the Fringe at the Pleasance Courtyard and The Edinburgh Comedy Room, he has been taking the critics by storm.

Already recognized across Europe as one of the most naturally funny men in Britain, he performs regularly in London's Comedy Store and major comedy venues nation-wide. Taking inspiration from his five-year-old daughter, he has cunningly undermined the adult focus at the Fringe by delivering a

UK - 'Popstars' finalist Liberty X recently made a headline appearance at the Newmarket Races. The event featured the first ever UK outing for AKG's revolutionary WMS 4000 professional wireless system. First past the post in employing the new true diversity UHF system was Nottingham-based Merlin PA. Five headset systems and five handheld systems were flown in specifically for Liberty X's performance and the events proved to be a resounding success.

Neal Allen, owner of Merlin PA, commented: "We were very impressed by the ease of setting up this high end multi-channel system and with the monitoring facilities that the WMS 4000 system offers for both RF and AF integrity. This was also the first time that the company used the AKG C420 headset mics and I was stunned by the quality and clarity of these units."

The AKG WMS 4000 systems are now available from stock and feat

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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

Liechtenstein - Due to an acute risk of forest fire, a Lobo laser show was organized in record-breaking time to replace a cancelled large-scale fireworks display that had been booked to celebrate the national holiday in Liechtenstein.

The long period of drought and the increasing number of devastating fires in the heart of Europe took their toll, and the Liechtenstein government was forced to cancel the traditional fireworks just three days before the event. It was a hard decision for the tradition-conscious Principality in the heart of the Alps, as the national holiday and especially the magnificent large-scale fireworks are a symbol of national identity and an attraction for tourists from all over the world.

The solution to the problem was not far away: by noon that day the telephone was ringing at the facilities of the laser show market leader, Lobo. A few hours later, Lobo

UK - Stagetec has just completed stage two of a highly flexible new dimmer installation at Fountain Television Studios in Wembley, the conclusion of a project started two years ago: the reason for the protracted lead-time was that the studio's schedule has been so hectic and August 2003 was the first opportunity the company had to complete the work.

The full installation consists of 32 Compulite CompuDIM 2000 modular dimmer cabinets plus an additional mobile, flightcased system used on the studio floor and elsewhere in the building. An impressive total of 726 x 20A (5kW) dimmers and 20 x 40A (10kW) dimmers has been supplied and installed, split between Fountain's two large studios. The combination of reliability, performance, ease of control and monitoring made the Compulite range the ideal solution for Fountain.

The 5kW dimmers are all fitted with Hard Power Bypass switches s

UK - Stage Electrics is holding a sale of theatrical and disco lighting and ancillary equipment on Saturday 20 September 2003. The auction is being held at the company's headquarters in Third Way, Avonmouth, Bristol at 10.00am. Lots will include smoke machines, theatre lanterns, dimmers and desks, flightcases, cables, disco consoles and various effects.

Patrick Behan, who has organized the previous successful Stage Electrics auctions, told us: "This year it has been difficult to keep the lots to 1,000 as we have acquired a considerable amount of new and second-hand kit. There should be loads of bargains and the usual chance to meet up with a few mates from the industry."

Electronic versions of the catalogue are available from Monday 8 September and hard copies from 12 September. Auction catalogues can be requested by emailing auction@stage-electrics.co.uk or by phoni

UK - DL Electronics has recently completed the installation of a four-zone background music system by Cloud Electronics at Scalini's Italian restaurant in Botanic Avenue, Belfast. The system is controlled via a Cloud Z4 router with remote source and volume controls, providing control in each of the four areas. A total of 24 JBL Control 23 loudspeakers provide excellent coverage without becoming intrusive to the numerous clients. The loudspeakers were supplied in a white finish but were delicately painted by the interior designers to match the colour scheme and decor.

Meanwhile, DL Electronics also reports that Cloud equipment has also been utilized for the main announcements and foreground music system for the re-furbished Belfast Opera House. The existing JBL Control 1 loudspeakers were re-sited, along with the installation of two 19" LCD monitors for display of the stage

UK - CT Screenco recently undertook its first contract for the burgeoning esoteric dance festival, The Big Chill, a 16,500-capacity sell-out event which was held for the second year in the grounds of Eastnor Castle in the Malvern Hills. Working alongside production manager Ruari Cormack and AV manager Adam Seaman, CT Screenco provided a 5x5 15mm LED screen on its own ground support, situated upstage centre on the Sanctuary stage. Video is the equal of audio playback as the primary content in this dance extravaganza, and Screenco's daylight screen was put to good use, fed by a succession of VJs, providing self-originated video, animations and graphics to complement their respective artistes.

Since the festival was using a Wango elliptical stage (allowing a lot of natural daylight to penetrate the stage) the production would not have been effective without such a high brightness s

Australia - ARX Systems has released the new EQ130 single-channel 1/3rd octave graphic equalizer. Following in the steps of ARX's legendary EQ60, the EQ130 is ideal for all critical sound reinforcement, installation and broadcast applications requiring one channel of high quality equalization.

The EQ130 features 30 of the company's new extended resolution long-throw, centre-grounding sliders, switchable to either ±15dB or ±6dB, for the ideal combination of high fader resolution and maximum cut and boost. Other features include a Gain Level control with up to +10 dB of gain; a Clip LED to indicate circuit overload, a sweepable 20-200Hz high pass filter, and an In/Out hardwire bypass switch with optional transformer output. With its state of the art circuitry and ultra low-noise design, the EQ130 boasts a signal-to-noise of 95dB un-weighted, a dynamic range of 120dB and distorti

UK - A Shropshire audio-visual company has re-launched its website with an online facility aimed specifically at DJs wanting to purchase new equipment.

Telford-based BK Sound & Vision Ltd specializes in the hire of audio equipment, computer projectors, video recorders, stage and theatre lighting and public address systems. The website, however, concentrates on selling DJ tools - everything from headphones, microphones and record cases, to turntables, mixing desks, lighting and portable public address systems. BK director Colin Willacy decided to offer online purchasing having noticed a change in the market. "Initially BK was only a hire company supplying AV equipment to local businesses and hotels. In the last two years, there has been a shift towards sales caused mainly by the ever-falling purchase price of electronic equipment. Our new website reflects this, offering qual

UK - www.StageAccess.com - launched in April 2003 and now joined by over 2,500 members - has revealed the next generation of features that are to be added to the site over the coming months. The unique Teams Tool feature, which has been piloted as a stand-alone module on the Robbie Williams European tour this summer, will be the first major addition when it is fully integrated into the StageAccess.com website in late August. From that point on, all its powerful communications features will be available to every StageAccess member.

Teams Tool allows anyone to set up a group of people and communicate with at once them from a computer via SMS and e-mail. Important documents can also be shared and uploaded for all team members to view and share, and members can set up and join multiple teams, invite new members and join relevant discussions.

The Tour Guide and Events Module is sch

UK - The first Nexo GEO S system to be installed in the UK or Ireland was finally commissioned in the Millennium Forum, Derry, by Rea Sound (NI) Ltd. The theatre's technical manager, Jim Nelis, was demonstrated a number of key sound systems, but ultimately chose the Nexo GEO series for the clarity and quality of sound throughout the auditorium.

This 800-plus seated auditorium required a sound system that would cope with the wide range of uses, from poetry recitals to modern pop and rock bands, from local school productions to West End extravaganzas. With the GEO system the theatre is able to provide a high quality sound system previously lacking in Ireland's largest purpose built theatre. Rea Sound (NI) Ltd, the Irish Nexo dealer, installed the system, consisting of seven GEO S805, one GEO S830 and a pair of CD12 sub each side of the stage.

The installation team used speciall

UK - Le Mark will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the launch of its new catalogue at PLASA 2003. After nine months in the design and production, the new catalogue will be launched on Sunday 7 September at the PLASA Show, Earls Court, and will include many new and innovative products.

This issue will reinforce Le Mark's reciprocal trading policy: the catalogue features exciting accessories from Apollo Design Technology Inc, City Theatrical Inc and GAM Products. For the first time, products from Le Mark's recently-announced production partner Tesa UK Ltd are introduced, including the new high heat-resisting Scroller-Tak splicing tape. "Le Mark offers an 'open house' on the day of the launch, with a Champagne toast at mid-day," says catalogue design co-ordinator Mark Gibbons. "It's been a tough time for many areas of the entertainment industry - we have worked ha

UK - Allen & Heath has announced the promotion of Jamie Ward to the new position of area sales manager for UK (South), due to the increasing level of business from the company's nationwide network of resellers. Ward will be responsible for liaising with dealers across the southern regions, from briefing them on new product ranges to negotiating purchasing requirements.

Ward joined Allen & Heath's Sales Department in 2000 at the company's base in Cornwall, UK, where he managed sales activities for the UK reseller market. Sales and marketing director, Bob Goleniowski, commented: "Jamie has developed excellent relations with our dealer channels during his time working in the sales office. His insight into the audio market has matured and we believe he is more than capable of supporting our UK dealers as our market share continues to grow. I am confident that he will quickly be

UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association have announced that they are now members of the RIBA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Network. This reflects the increasing importance that audio and lighting now plays within an architect's brief and underlines the growth within the architectural and design markets.

The first involvement will be at this year's PLASA Show (7-10th September at Earls Court, London), where the demands of this dynamic audience will be met with an extensive educational programme. This event is supported and endorsed by the RIBA CPD Providers Network. Included in the masterclass sessions will be a talk from English Heritage on the Conflict between Historic Accuracy and Modern Standards, whilst from Conran Design, David Chaloner will be talking about Retail Dynamic Applications. The industry seminars will cover topics including challenges a

UK - Arbiter Pro Audio has supplied Liverpool-based Over Audio with JBL speakers for the Ministry of Sound's substantial refit. The project, at the world famous London nightclub, involves extensive building works and wide-ranging technical upgrades.

In the main bar area, the existing JBL SP128S subwoofers have been upgraded with four of the new horn-loaded units from JBL's AE range - the ASH6118. Arbiter Pro Audio's Andy Duffield said: "The single 18" driver within these units is extremely efficient due to the 14ft folded horn inside the cabinet. Given the coupling effect of having the cabinets stacked as they are, the result is a formidable partnership with the existing VerTec Line Array system in this bar."

As part of the upgrade, two new exclusive private rooms have been developed within the VIP area, both of which have the JBL SMS1 Soundzone Music System pro

UK - Studio Due has chosen the PLASA Show to launch its most recent product development in the field of architectural lighting - the Hercules. The chassis of this fixture is manufactured in die-cast aluminium, guaranteeing safe use under the most extreme conditions.

Featuring a new reflector made of borosilicate glass, light-emitting efficiency has been significantly improved. The innovative shape of the reflector allows ultimate exploitation of light output (the lamp may vary, from model to model, between the new Philips MSA600 with 6000 hours life and excellent colour rendering, or the Osram HMP 575 and the Sylvania BA800W SE HR) thus making this new fixture an excellent alternative to projectors using 800W lamps.

The Hercules will be available on the market from October 2003 in two models - 600 and 800W. The 600W will come with magnetic ballast, dimmer, CMY colour-changing

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