UK - Adlib Audio introduces three new managers to its Merseyside-based operation - Dave Jones (PA hire), Roger Kirby (sales) and Peter Abraham (lighting hire).It is the final element of a staged realignment exercise that started 12 months ago and has included a £250K investment in revamping, expanding and re-organising its warehouse and offices and the acquisition of lighting rental operation Adlite by Adlib Audio.

"It's all designed to streamline the company further and ensure we deal efficiently with the massive increase in workload we've experienced over the last two years," explains director Andy Dockerty. He says: "It's also aimed to free up the director's time to focus on actually structuring and 'directing' the company. Apart from that, hopefully I'll a

USA - Renkus-Heinz will introduce the IC7 self-powered and ICX7 non-powered Iconyx array systems at the 121st AES Convention in San Francisco.

Unlike their predecessors, the IC7 and ICX7 are passive arrays with fixed beams that can be mechanically steered. The IC7 is self-powered and the ICX7 is designed for use with an external amplifier. Both feature seven high performance 4-inch coaxial transducers in an architecturally transparent enclosure that is only 44 3/8" (112.7 cm) tall, 5 11/16" (14.5 cm) wide and 4 3/8" (11.1 cm) deep.

Iconyx digitally controlled array systems use advanced technology to provide natural music and intelligible speech in the highly reverberant environments typically associated with architecturally distinguished buildings. Their slender "thin stick" vertical profile mounts flat to the wall, blending easily with both classical

Worldwide - The current sell-out Rolling Stones tour, A Bigger Bang, reached the shores of the UK in August 2006, with a spectacular production incorporating 350m of Mojo aluminium barriers.

Mojo Barriers' MD Patrick Jordon explained: "In May 2005 Jake Berry (production director) approached us to supply the Rolling Stones with our barriers for their US dates starting in August 2005. Having worked with the Stones before, we were delighted to be awarded the contract to supply barriers for the whole Bigger Bang World Tour. Due to commitments with U2, Jake passed the role of the tour production manager to Dale 'Opie' Skjerseth to look after the daily business on the road."

Mojo Barriers supplied 220m of black aluminium Mojo Barriers for the US stadium shows. This allowed Opie to create a specially shaped barrier in front of the stage that extended around the thrus

UK - Stage Electrics says it has identified that it is possible to incorrectly use the Squelly Adaptor, thereby rendering the product dangerous. The earth pin can be inserted correctly yet the neutral pin can be inserted into the live socket of the adaptor, leaving the live pin of the plug exposed.

Although the company says the product is perfectly safe if used correctly, it has taken the decision to withdraw and recall the product from the marketplace, and is asking owners of the units please remove this product from use immediately.

Stage Electrics says it contracted a design and manufacturing company of considerable repute in the UK within the domestic electrical market, and is therefore extremely disappointed to find this issue with a product which they were informed conformed to regulations.

Stage Electrics has set up an information point on their website on how to retu

UK - PLASA 2006 will see the worldwide launch of Audica, a new brand to the professional audio installation market, on the stand of its UK distributor, CUK Audio. Audica focuses on three key elements; style, audio quality and innovation.

Cambridge-based Audica Professional Ltd products are designed the heartland of UK audio in Cambridge and engineered by a world-leading acoustic design house in Germany to meet the very highest standards for discreet elegance and application flexibility for high fidelity installed sound. The Audica Microseries is ideal for background music systems in applications such as restaurants, retail outlets and hotel public areas and for AV systems in boardrooms, meeting facilities, museums, visitor centres and hotel bedrooms.

Microseries consists of two ultra-compact wall-mount and one ceiling-mount 'micro-spot' loudspeaker which give wide-band audio s

UK - Colour-Tramp is a versatile lighting controller for two- and three-dimensional arrays of colour changers. Since its launch, it has become a market leader for large architectural lighting systems with installations worldwide, according to its manufacturer, Artistic Licence.

Colour-Tramp leads the way in the convergence of light and video by allowing the designer to choose their preferred medium. Lighting designers are able to use the free-of-charge 'off-line' version as an authoring tool for the client presentation, with the benefit that once the contract is won, the off-line programming can be re-used for the actual show.

The latest version release (1.45) contains a wealth of new features that have been requested by customers or simply needed for a particular installation. One particularly innovative feature is the concept of visual mapping fixture date. Colour-Tramp uses

UK - Loudspeaker manufacturers, don't always get enquiries they expect - as was the case when TV production house Objective Productions contacted Surrey loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics with a rather unusual request.

Objective Productions, known for producing shows such as Derren Brown, were working on the first show for a series called Fear Of . . ., with the first programme dealing with Flying. The show features 'thought therapist' Lawrence Leyton, who throughout the course of the programme splits people's fear of flying into core elements, such as heights and claustrophobia. The participants are put through a series of tests to illustrate their fears, and then return to the same tests after therapy, and finally get on a plane for a real flight. To bring out the effects of claustrophobia, Objective Productions approached EM Acoustics for the use of their anechoic c

Peru - More than 25,000 people gathered in the esplanade of Lima's Estadio Monumental recently to bask in the music of Carlos Santana. The Mexican guitarist, on tour to promote his latest album, All That I Am, had not appeared in Lima since his first visit in 1995, and a capacity crowd was on hand to welcome him back.

Sound providers Carlinho Hermes Landa and Iluminación Artistica RTA opted for a system based on Meyer Sound's MILO high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker system. Freelance system engineer Andres Cuadros commented: "For me, it was necessary to have the very best equipment," he says. "With MILO, we got excellent response from the system. As a result, the public reacted very well, because both the show and the technical production were at the highest level."

The main system was made up of 12 MILO cabinets on each side, with four UPJ-1P

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UK - On 31 August and 1 September, the Association of Lighting Designers is holding its first Forum, in collaboration with Rose Bruford College. A two-day event, the Forum is comprised of "Pick and Mix" workshops and discussions based around a central theme, relevant to modern theatre practice to help educate members and share ideas.

The "Pick and Mix" format has been designed to make the event as flexible as possible to those with work commitments. The event is free and food and drink will be provided. This year the theme is Digital Scenography. With the use of video projection and other digital media becoming more widespread in Theatre, the worlds of video and lighting are converging. The aim of the Forum is to raise awareness of this equipment and it's use, and discus how it is going to affect designers in the future.

Workshops throughout both days will

UK - Speaker company JBL will exhibit a new addition to the existing popular VRX900 line array at the PLASA Show this year, and also show a new, affordable PA line for the first time at an exhibition in the UK - the MRX500 series.

The VRX900-series 'constant curvature' line array is designed for small to medium-sized venues, and can be used in a fixed installation, or to form a portable PA. The first speakers in the series to be launched, the two-way VRX932LAs, featured the JBL-patented 'constant curvature' waveguide which lends its name to the series as a whole. Three compression drivers are mounted on a continuous arc in each speaker, and when further VRX932LAs are added to the system, the speakers fit together in such a way that the arc of drivers continues. In use, the acoustic effect of this is that the drivers work together as though they were a single driver on a continuo

USA - Gear-Source Inc has launched a new website specifically marketing Martin Professional pre-owned inventory. The site (www.MartinCheckMarked.com) is now online and features a 'Check Marked' program, developed in cooperation with Martin - a sliding scale system in which five Checks designates an item as almost new, with one 'Check' indicating a product that has extensive usage hours. New value-added services are under development to add further value to the program, say GearSource.

The site is the first of its kind, and although designed exclusively to move Martin pre-owned inventory, it is managed and operated through GearSource.com's complex backend site administration system.

As part of this agreement, all existing Martin dealers will have full access to the dealer level of the system, and can also gain access to GearSource dealer prices on other brands, which will appea

UAE - Production Technology LLC, better known in Dubai as Protec, recently provided full lighting production services to their Dubai-based client, Al Nabooda Automobiles, for the Middle East's largest-ever car launch. The event took place in the iconic Sheikh Rashid Hall of Dubai's International Convention Centre. One grandMA full-size, one grandMA ultra-light and two NSPs controlled the vast variety of lights during the show.

Al Nabooda, the leading Audi distributor in the Middle East, launched the latest top of the range SUV from Audi: the Q7. The event was attended by over a thousand invited guests, including several local VIPs. The set consisted of, among others, eight hydraulic scissor lifts, four of which lifted two cars through the stage, with the other four featuring UK based pyrotechnic performers from Phoenix Productions. Eight cars were flown in from the roof of the v

USA - Entertainment Technology has announced the release of software version 3.1 for the complete line of Marquee lighting control consoles. "We are very excited to be releasing software version 3.1 for the Marquee lighting control consoles," says Alan Keen, Entertainment Technology product manager. "As the popularity of all Marquee consoles continues to grow, we are dedicated to providing lighting programmers with the latest technology to complete their lighting designs."

Designed by Horizon Control, Marquee software version 3.1 introduces new moving light and intensity effects, independent attribute timing, redundant tracking backup, a new colour picker tool, and astronomical time event control.

Robert Bell, Horizon control product manager, said: "For this release, the most challenging hurdle for the development team was to 'tame' our very powerful e

UK - This year's PLASA Show will be Harman Pro UK's first European showing for three new Lexicon products which are now shipping to dealers. The Lexicon MX400 and MX400XL are 1U, 4-in 4-out hardware reverb processors aimed at studio and live users which expand upon the spec of last year's successful MX200 reverb. The MX200 was a stereo device with two effects engines, and as their name suggests, the two MX400 models are four-input, four-output devices with four independent effects processors each. The only difference between the two models is that the analogue inputs and outputs on the MX400XL are professional XLR connectors, while the MX400 sports standard TRS jacks. S/PDIF digital I/O is also available on both models.

The effects engines offer the usual complement of high-quality, rich-sounding Lexicon reverbs (a total of 17 different types), say Harman, plus delays and effect

UK - AKG are renowned for the quality of their microphones, and for the intense research and design that goes into them. In recent years, competition in the budget mic market has been fierce, and so to keep up with developments at the ultra-affordable end of the microphone business, AKG released the Perception Series 100 and 200 condenser mics last year. Designed in Europe but made in the Far East, the 100 and 200 manage to be excellent value without sacrificing design standards, says the company.

AKG are now introducing the Perception 400 at this year's PLASA, a new microphone which sits at the top of the Perception range, creating 'good, better and best' models for purchasers to choose from. The Perception 400 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone with multiple pickup patterns (cardioid, omnidirectional and figure-of-eight) designed for both live and studio-based applicati

USA - Altman Rentals has appointed Sabrina Asquith to its staff as a rental agent. "We are very happy to have Sabrina join our strong team," says Randy Altman, owner of Altman Rentals. "Her focus will be on working with many of our existing clients as well as introducing the services that Altman Rentals can offer to new clients as we continue to expand. Customer service is a main priority for us and I think that Sabrina understands that and will offer first rate support to our customers."

Prior to joining Altman Rentals, Asquith worked in sales and customer service for City Theatrical Inc. Asquith is looking forward to working in the rental shop side of the business; she is a graduate of SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film Design Technology with a Lighting Design focus. "I like being able to work more directly with the customers," sa

Hong Kong - LED video screen manufacturer Lighthouse Technologies has introduced its new video processor, the X-Drive One, which provides an all-in-one image processor and a fully integrated LIP SX/DX (Lighthouse Interface Processor) LED video display controller in a single rack-mountable unit. The unit features offers execellent image quality and scaling of video and computer graphics, say Lighthouse, and is aimed at rental, staging and fixed installations.

The minimum screen size of 128 x 96 pixels considerably exceeds that of previous models and is therefore capable of fitting a much wider range of screens, the company says, while the 6.5" (16.5cm) TFT LCD analogue VGA monitor dispenses with the need for a separate preview screen and is capable of Dual Identical Output, thus allowing the same image to be sent to two identical screens, where previously only Single Output

Romania - Mondy's Club - a 1,000 capacity nightclub on the Romanian Black Sea coast - has recently reopened after full redesign and refurbishment, which was completed in just 45 days. The venue leads the way in the country in many ways: it hosts the largest bar (12m long), it is the first to install large beds for the comfort of the night revellers and displays not one but two large fishtanks, one as an eye-catching backdrop to the main bar and one as a most unusual flooring to one of the bedded relaxation areas.

Local company 3 Fingers was responsible for the entire design and installation for club owners Calatis. Although all the furniture was custom-made, the walls were purposely kept bare and white to emphasise the vast LED lighting installation. A total of almost 16m of flexible colour changing Tryka LinkLED systems illuminate the main bar fishtank and the second bar front,

UK - UK distributor Stagetec has announced the product line-up from Compulite for the PLASA Show. The company's Dlite range was officially launched at PLASA last year and has already been popular in a wide range of applications including TV studios, theatres, arts centres, schools and colleges. This year sees the launch of the largest system in the Dlite family with an integral 48/96 channel manual console.

Also new, CompuPACK is a range of portable digital dimmers being launched at PLASA.Available in either 12 x 2.5kW or 6 x 5kW power ratings, a range of formats will be shown including hard-wired, UK 15A, Ceeform, Schuko, Socapex and Weiland. CompuPACK can be controlled via DMX or Ethernet and incorporates both MCB protection for the incoming mains supply and an MCB per output channel. The built-in LCD display and function buttons allow quick and easy set-up of a whole host of

France - Located in Vallée de la Maurienne, Savoie in the French Alps is the family-oriented ski area of La Norma. Henri Ratel, La Norma's mayor, and Bruno Garros, managing director of Martin Professional France, met in 2004 to discuss the idea of creating a special one-week event with dynamic lighting during the ski season. Mutual interest was quickly recognised and a plan agreed upon: Martin would provide technical know-how and equipment while La Norma would offer Martin Architectural the opportunity to invite customers to experience the resort dressed in an overall dynamic lighting concept.

The event was a success and ultimately the town's tourist office chose to invest in the lighting to illuminate both the town and the base of the ski area. La Norma wished to associate the dynamic lighting scheme with the resort's new blue and rose-colored logo as well as the town's

Worldwide - After her last album The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey has launched her World Tour The Adventures of Mimi. Beginning in Tunisia, the journey leads trough the USA, Canada, Japan and ends on 28 October in China. On the road with Mariah are two grandMA full-size consoles and four NSPs.

The MA system was great support to lighting designer Justin Collie and lighting director Michael 'Sparky' Anderson who applied among other things 56 Vari-Lite 3000 Spots, 50 MAC 2000 Wash, 38 Atomic Strobes, six 7K Syncrolites and 44 Color Kinetics Color Blasts for the lighting rig. The task of programming the show was given to programmer Demfis Fyssicopulos. He comments: "As expected for Mariah the production is as big as she is. Everywhere one looks, there's something that just can't be missed."

The performance area consists of two stages - a main stage and

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