France - In November and December French singer Raphael played several gigs across France beneath an Andi Watson (Radiohead, Dido) designed MAC rig that included Martin Professional's new 1500 watt MAC III Profile.

Lighting supplier for the tour was Arpège Son Lumière who, together with Watson, is the first in the world to put MAC III Profile production fixtures on a tour. Arpège purchased 14 of the new generation MAC fixtures via Martin France just in time for the tour's start.

"Although load in started 1 November, we didn't receive the fixtures on site until 4 November 4th with a first show on 7 November at the Zénith in Nantes," stated Jan Lambrecht of Arpège. "We purchased the MAC III Profiles because Arpège plays a big role in the touring market i

Ireland - Out Board has announced that Mosco Sound Design is the latest addition to its expanding, global distribution network. Dublin-based Mosco will now provide the Republic of Ireland with all sales and support for a new range TiMax products.

The company, headed by directors Mick O'Gorman and Kevin McGing, provides a platform in Ireland for the brand's latest innovation, TiMax SoundHub, an scaleable multichannel audio mix engine and playback system for theatrical productions, live events and AV installations.

Mosco will also take on the TiMax Tracker system which makes perfomers' radio mic audio accurately follow their position onstage in 3D using precision radar-frequency UWB sensors, and which is also currently being tested for control of live cameras and video server content.

Mick O'Gorman comments, "After a long and positive relationship with Robin and Dave and

UK - Free Registration is now open for PLASA Focus - Leeds 2009 which takes place at The Royal Armouries in Leeds on April 28th and 29th

Providing a dedicated business platform for the North of the UK, PLASA Focus is designed to reflect the world class creativity and innovation on display at the region's shows, venues, installations and events, say the organisers.

"Register now to take part in this two hall, two day event. This is an opportunity to meet the major stake holders in entertainment technology, from some of the most exciting and innovative small companies to international market leaders.

"Be you a buyer, installer, integrator or a student - if you have a need for entertainment technology then you can register now, completely free of charge".

Register at the address below and your ticket will give you access to The Saviles Hall and The Royal Armour

UK - NSR Communications has announced that it has been awarded a three-year contract for the Driffield Show, in North Yorkshire. NSR will be responsible for supplying a complete PA system for the entire Show site, which attracts over 25,000 visitors making it Yorkshire's, and possibly the UK's, biggest one day show.

This year, the Show is planned for Wednesday 22 July. As well as live competition and displays in the main ring visitors can look forward to a wide range of exciting areas for all the family including the Enterprise Village that showcases what local rural enterprises can offer in terms of products and services.

NSR Communications has been supplying the event industry with audio and visual equipment for purchase or hire for over 50 years.

(Lee Baldock)

USA - Synthe FX has announced the immediate availability of Luminair 1.1.5 for iPhone and iPod touch. This new version brings performance enhancements and other bug fixes, and is a free update for current users.

Luminair allows users to wirelessly control, view and manage intelligent DMX lighting fixtures and consoles, straight from iPhone or iPod touch using Art-Net over a Wi-Fi connection; control intelligent lighting equipment through touch-sensitive fader and innovative channel-layout controls, or analyse incoming data packets in realtime.

"Luminair has been extremely successful in its first six months on the iTunes App Store," says company founder Ryan Hisey. "Customers worldwide are using Luminair in a wide variety of markets, from theatre and stage, to architectural and studio. We are extremely happy to be able to offer our users a significant discount of

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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 - Stage One has helped to usher in a new era of the cult show Countdown, by providing a fresh modern set to accompany the new series, which launched on 12 January hosted by two new presenters.

Working with the producers of the show, Channel 4, and production designer, Nick King, Stage One was responsible for providing Countdown with its most expansive and stylish set to date, demonstrating Channel 4's commitment to the continuing success of the show, which has been running since 1982.

Stage One provided new presenter and contestant desks and built the large set backing panels. These panels were mounted on to trucks in order to enable a smooth transition between shows as they are moved in and out of the studio.

The company also provided a central floor motif for the set that consisted of a backlit polycarbonate graphic, along with incorporating further backli

USA - Auralex Acoustics is now offering its Room Analysis service in a retail package. The in-store kit is a complete, user-friendly programme providing all the tools necessary to acoustically analyse any room, says the company. Auralex Acoustics' lead acoustical engineer Gavin Haverstick is hosting several Room Analysis Plus overview demonstrations at the company's booth at this week's Winter NAMM in Anaheim.

Auralex's In-Store Room Analysis Kit includes a Behringer ECM8000 omni-directional measurement microphone, a USB drive featuring swept sine signals, as well as a complete instructional guide.

Room Analysis Plus is an off-site analysis service where consumers download an audio file featuring a swept sine signal from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Users can then record the sweep with an omni-directional measurement microphone in the location of the room in question. All files can be se

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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 - Allen & Heath has launched a new compact digital mixing system. Evolved from the flagship iLive digital range, the iLive-T Series has all the performance and power of the original iLive in a new lightweight, affordable package, says the company.

The T Series comprises the fixed I/O iDR-32 and iDR-48 MixRacks and iLive-T80 and iLive-T112 Surface options with remote CAT5 connection. Each rack can be used with either control surface, and all models will be compatible with the existing iLive units.

"The T Series has been developed using proven digital technology from our flagship iLive professional range. It has flexible audio architecture, with configurable buses, patching, control and FX, and offers the same processing power, DSP algorithms and functionality. We are thrilled to be able to deliver the same stunning audio performance in a smaller footprint at a fraction

USA - Dirty Dancing- The Classic Story On Stage is now playing at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. Sound designer Bobby Aitken has brought a stellar crew to design and run the elaborate Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker system, including associate sound designer Garth Helm, UK associate sound designer and programmer Simon King, FOH engineer Bill Ruger and monitor engineer Allen Sanders.

"We have such a large dynamic range in this show, from whisper dialog and underscoring to full-on concert levels," says Garth Helm. "The M'elodies have met all our demands and SPL requirements of a box twice its size."

The main system, provided by New York-based Sound Associates, was designed by Helm with assistance from Meyer Sound's Design Services using the MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program. The system comprises left and right hangs of 16 M'

UK - Flightcase manufacturer 5 Star kicks off 2009 with the launch of its new Arena range of general purpose road trunks.

Simon Edwards, 5 Star's head of technical design says: "The current economic climate means we have to be as flexible as possible, offering a good range of options that won't break the bank whilst also not compromising on basic fundamental principals like quality."

Featuring a durable ply carcass with smart High Pressure Laminate (HPL) finishing, the Arena range is constructed using 5 Star's regular glue-and-pin method and finished with the usual Penn-Elcom hardware.

Arena is available from stock in black, or to order in any of 5 Star's standard range of colours. Three standard sizes are available, the Arena 600, 900 and 1200. Each size coming complete with divider rails and partitions.

(Jim Evans)

UK - On 5 January 2009, Bandit Lites moved its European operations into a new, larger facility. The building is located on Ampthill Road, very close to the Bedford bypass allowing access to the A1 and M1 motorway.

The 50,000sq.ft facility includes 6,500sq.ft of office space. The remaining space is divided between the Technical Services Department, LED & Special Effects Department and the Generic & Rigging Departments, as well as a virtual programming suite, storage space and a substantial amount of system prep areas, allowing Bandit to prep multiple lighting systems simultaneously.

Parking for numerous trucks is available in the rear of the estate with acreage for future construction when it is needed. There are offices and a full kitchen available for visiting lighting designers as they work in the virtual programming suite within Bandit to programme their creations before th

UK - Eton College has installed Vieta's So Cubes in its 15th century College Hall. Specified by Scanaudio for use at the school's dinner functions, a fully portable six-unit system takes less than five minutes to set up.

With extensive oak wall-panelling reaching up the walls of this medieval banqueting hall, "attaching loudspeakers or cables to the fabric of the building was an absolute no-no," explains Scanaudio's William Couchman. "The beauty of the Vieta So Cube solution is that we didn't have to make any physical changes to the Hall's historic interior.

"All the control and processing equipment is built into a 8U mixer rack which is wheeled out for the functions. And it takes minutes for a member of staff to put the wireless So Cubes onto the dining tables. "That's a PA system for up to 130 people set up and ready to go in under 5 minutes."

USA - At San Francisco's Fort Mason, YouTube staged its first live event, using Meyer Sound systems supplied by Pro Media/UltraSound of Hercules, Calif. Billed as a "part concert, part variety show, and part party", YouTube Live included presentations ranging from the music of will.i.am and Joe Satriani and turntable mixes by Bay Area DJ Mike Relm to the showmanship of Mythbusters and Will It Blend host Tom Dickson.

With stages at either end of the 400ft long Herbst Pavilion, and a third in the middle, Pro Media/UltraSound sound designer Mike Brady outfitted both end stages with left and right hangs of six M'elodie line array loudspeakers and two 700-HP subwoofers. Three staggered stereo pairs of legacy MSL-2A loudspeakers in either direction provided distributed delay for each stage. A Galileo loudspeaker management system using two Galileo 616 processor

USA - Elation Professional has launched the RMD-1220 12-channel rack-mount dimmer. Serving up 20 amps per channel, the RMD-1220 is a larger version of the company's RMD-1210 10-amp dimmer with more load capacity and features, making it a suitable dimming solution for large stage shows, concerts, tours and productions.

"We were getting a lot of requests for a 20-amp dimmer, so we developed the RMD-1220," said Eric Loader, director of sales for Elation Professional. "At 20 amps per channel, users can hook up a bigger load to each channel, so they can control either more fixtures or higher wattage ones. We also added some brand-new features, while keeping the price tag surprisingly affordable."

Among the new features found on the RMD-1220 is compatibility with ArtNET or Ethernet protocol. The pack comes equipped with an ArtNET connection, allowing it to be con

UK - Monacor International has announced the MKS-48/WS sound reinforcement system, in which each separate speaker forms an individual 'segment' of a complete 360° hemisphere (when four are used).

Thus the MKS-48/WS can be used singly (as a ceiling corner-mount unit), in pairs (as a flat 180° vertically- and horizontally-radiating wall solution), in threes (wrapped around a column) or with four segments fitted together, to provide a hemispherical ceiling speaker.

The MKS-48/WS is a high-quality 10cm full range 'universal' speaker which because of its versatility allows perfect integration into any indoor application, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

Canada - Surround microphone manufacturer Holophone has named AppleWorld Distribution as the company's exclusive UK distributor. Through AppleWorld Distribution's relationship with more than 300 dealers across the country, Holophone is looking to make its products more accessible to its users in the UK.

AppleWorld Distribution is the distribution arm of Planet Audio Group, which is also made up of Planet Audio, Planet Video and MacUniverse. The group specialises in advanced audio, video and storage solutions.

"With AppleWorld coming from a Mac-based background and much of the content for film, video and podcasting being produced on Mac computers, we feel this partnership will help nurture our current UK customer-base as well as help introduce Holophone into areas of the market where we are looking to expand," says Holophone CEO Jonathan Godfrey. "The company's b

USA - Loud Technologies has confirmed the appointment of Tokyo-based Onkyo Tokki as the exclusive Japanese distributor for its Mackie & Tapco brands. Onkyo Tokki already distributes Loud's EAW brand in Japan.

In a related move, Loud also announced the 30 January closure of its Tokyo office and the transfer of all four former Loud staff members to the Onkyo Tokki team. Loud's Tokyo office will continue normal operations through 30 January and Onkyo Tokki will begin Mackie & Tapco sales on 2 February 2009.

"Onkyo Tokki is a long-standing Loud partner and will be instrumental in expanding the Mackie and Tapco brands' presence in the very important Japanese market. And with the added continuity of the former Loud Japan team, they will provide our existing dealers with continued levels of outstanding support and service," commented Davwinder Sheena, director of sales Loud

Canada - Ross Video has announced the appointment of Jan Mills, as director, marketing communications. He enters his new position after 31 years with Ross, spending the last 10 years as media marketing manager.

"This promotion recognises the significant impact that Jan has made over the past 31 years with Ross. Jan has been instrumental in building and promoting our brand and communicating the innovation and integrity that it stands for." said Jeff Moore, executive vice president, sales &marketing. "

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Lighting designers Andreas Ellmerer and Thomas Brügge used nearly 180 Robe ColorSpot 1200E ATs for the high profile TV event, Pro 7 Stock Car Race. Lighting equipment was supplied by Ellmerer and Brügge's Cologne based company, Cape Cross Studio & Filmlichtgesellschaft who were working for show producers Brainpool.

Staged at the LTU Arena in Düsseldorf, the latest Pro 7 event, the TV Total Stock Car Crash Challenge saw about 30 VIPs - including singers, TV and sporting personalities - competing to demonstrate their driving skills in the race that was recorded and broadcast on German TV channel, Pro 7.

Of the 177 ColorSpot 1200E ATs, 40 were placed in the pit lane of the track, 72 were on a stage in the middle of the track mounted on the floor and 72 were on trusses in the ceiling of the indoor venue.

These were programmed, along with other moving l

UK - One of London's latest high profile office and leisure developments, Kings Place offers high quality public arts facilities, including a concert hall, recital rooms, art galleries, waterside bars, restaurants and corporate event spaces.

Also acting as the headquarters for two orchestras - the London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - the Dixon Jones-designed building has been developed with acoustic excellence at its heart, with the inclusion of three Ampetronic induction loop systems ensuring that as many people as possible can appreciate the outstanding programme of events that the resident King's Place Music Foundation is providing.

Installed by Edinburgh-based Northern Light, two Ampetronic ILD1000G loop drivers power a pair of induction loops in the main concert hall at Kings Place. With an all-seated capacity of 420, the hall features a narr

UAE - Qatar's Al-Khor and Al-Wakrah football stadiums have recently installed Meyer Sound Milo line array loudspeakers and the SB-2 parabolic wide-range sound beams, with the entire project handled by AV-Tech of Doha.

The two stadiums are located about 55km apart on opposite sides of Doha, the capital of Qatar. When AV-Tech was contracted to install jumbo video screens and accompanying sound systems at both venues, the goal was to deliver highly intelligible speech and wide-bandwidth music to all 20,000 seats from one screen-side tower. It was an ambitious goal, as each point-source system would have to cover all of the seats at the stadium.

"Our design specification called for 105 dB SPL throughout, the same as for similar stadium systems we had done previously," says Hadi Arzouni, general manager of AV-Tech. "But here, because users wanted to have music during

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