UK - Peavey Electronics has announced their support of the Music Makeover Competition which gives venues the chance to win £10,000 of Peavey PA equipment through the music equipment retailer GAK. Venue owners can head over to the PRS for Music Website now and enter into the Music Makeover competition.

The competition, which is being run in association with the Musicians' Union, the British Beer and Pub Association and music retailer GAK, offers pubs across the UK looking to host live music the opportunity to win £10,000 of Peavey PA gear.

There will also be £200 worth of GAK gift vouchers up for grabs for ten runner ups. To enter the Music Makeover competition, simply complete the online application form or print it and return it to PRS for Music by 31 December

UK - The first tour for Robe's new CycFX 8 fixtures is with UK post-punk rockers White Lies, as specified by lighting designer Matt Waterfield and supplied by London based lighting and visuals rental specialist, Colour Sound Experiment, who purchased 32 of the units directly off the booth at PLASA London in October.

The critically acclaimed White Lies released their third studio album Big TV in the late summer and the tour is generating much interest in their moody mix of intelligence and rock 'n' roll.

Waterfield who started working with the band at the start of 2013 is very excited to be the first to tour a brand new product and comments, "I love the CycFX, they can produce amazing effects that no-one has seen before, and they are standing up very well to the touring environment."

In addition to the 20 x CycFX 8s he has in the tour, the floor specials pack

UK - Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems is delighted to announce the formation and launch of both a new commercial division and a 'brand makeover' for their existing businesses. Blynk Digital Media now takes its place alongside a re-vamped Pro Audio Systems in the group's portfolio of operating divisions.

Established in 1988, Pro Audio Systems spent much of the intervening period providing a range of hire, sales and installation services within professional audio, and in 2004 were appointed one of five Meyer Sound dealers for the UK. Their hire inventory subsequently expanded to include a Milo system and many other Meyer Sound products, all of which are deployed across a diverse portfolio of work.

It was their work in high-security airside installations, however, that provided the genesis for the new operating division. Co-founder and director Paul Siddall takes up the story, &q

USA - PLASA presented its highest honour, the Eva Swan Award, to Rocky Paulson at its annual Cocktails and Awards Reception the evening before LDI. The Swan Award, which is presented only when there is a worthy recipient nominated, is presented to a member who has put forth exceptional efforts in time, expertise and personal resources on behalf of PLASA; been instrumental in shaping and promoting the strategic direction of the Association; made major contributions to the realization of the mission, goals and objectives; and enhanced the value of membership for all.

The award was presented to Rocky by Mike Garl, co-chair of PLASA's Technical Standards Council, who stated, "The person we are honouring tonight was one of the first members of the Technical Standards Program as well as one of the early supporters of what has developed into the ETCP. He has continued generously g

USA - PLASA has presented the 2013 Frank Stewart Volunteer of the Year Award to Paul Rabinovitz for his work with the Business Peer Group Program, and to the members of the Technical Standards Program's E1.21 Task Group for their work on the newest version of the American National Standard for Temporary Ground-Supported Overhead Structures Used To Cover Stage Areas and Support Equipment in the Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events.

The award to Paul, owner of PRMi Consulting, was presented by Steven Way, a member of the Peer Group and President of ALPS / Advanced Lighting & Production Services. Paul was instrumental in helping develop the details of the Peer Group Program in 2008. He has since stayed on as the group's "parental unit," as they affectionately refer to him, to ensure the group is following anti-trust guidelines during its four meetings a year. Steven

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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

USA - When the NFL champions Baltimore Ravens gathered at the team's training facility for the Super Bowl Ring unveiling ceremony, Clay Paky Sharpys played a key role in the gala evening.

Frank Serutto, president of Excel Lighting Services in Baltimore, developed the initial lighting design for the event with Mario Serutto then selected lighting designer Mike Lurz to fine tune the design and program the team's big evening, the first event of this scale in their training facility.

Excel aimed to create a party atmosphere mixed with a corporate environment for the dinner and ring presentation. Versatility was the name of the game, so Serruto selected 60 Clay Paky Sharpys to fill a number of lighting roles.

"We needed to pinspot 60 tables for the actual presentation of the rings, which was done simultaneously," says Serruto. "Then, with the remainder of the eveni

USA - The sixth annual Rock Our World Awards were presented at the PLASA Cocktails and Awards Reception on Thursday evening, 21 November, the evening before the LDI show. These awards, which recognize ground-breaking achievement by PLASA Members were created to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designer or integrator who applies the technology in a real world environment.

Forty nominations were received from across the industry internationally and these were narrowed down to a shortlist of eight finalists for our distinguished panel of judges to review. The judges for this year's awards were: Sebastian Frost, Alan Jacobi, Tim Mills, Nick Pain, Richard Pilbrow, Lee Rose, Artie Siccardi, and Josh Weisberg.

The judges panel was chaired by Mike Wood, who said prior to announcing the winners, "A Rock Our World Award takes a look at the big pictur

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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

USA - Martin Professional is targeting the installation market with the affordable line of effect lights, RUSH by Martin. At LDI last week, the company launched the RUSH Wizard - a lighter, brighter, more compact and even more energy efficient update of an old favourite, the Martin Wizard Extreme.

In April of this year, Martin Professional released the first RUSH by Martin products to wide acclaim from the markets for clubs and bars, DJs, bands and leisure environments.

"Returning to the market for effect lighting has been quite exciting for us at Martin, and the RUSH by Martin line launching now in USA reinforces our commitment to the market for effect lighting," says Uffe Kristensen, product manager, RUSH by Martin. "These are products with broad appeal that will add a new and exciting dimension to the installation market - and the exciting range of RUSH produ

Russia - Canadian lighting designer Luc Lafortune will be in St. Petersburg on 5 December this year for a special conference, called Art and Poetry in Stage Lighting.

This exclusive event will be held at the Alexandrinsky Theatre by the theatre's managerial staff, with the cooperation of TDM Stage Equipment and Clay Paky. The event media partners are the Evening Petersburg newspaper, the main Russian media and state television.

Luc Lafortune is considered one of the most creative lighting designers of the last 30 years. He has worked with Cirque du Soleil since 1984, when the Cirque took its first steps. His work extends to many projects in the world of touring, theatre, and big events, where his accomplishments always stand out for their creativity and originality.

During his lecture on Art and Poetry in Stage Lighting, Lafortune will guide us through h

UK - The third edition of Lumiere Durham, Durham's popular light festival came to a close, Sunday 17 November at 11pm. First estimates put the number of visitors at around 175,000 attending the festival over four nights. The festival is produced by leading creative company, Artichoke, and commissioned by Durham County Council. The event is also supported by Arts Council England and a raft of sponsors and funding bodies.

Artichoke says that early estimates indicate that 175,000 people attended the festival over four nights, and the city's restaurants and hotels were full to bursting over the weekend. The event passed off safely and without incident.

This year, to spread the crowds, the festival had extended opening times and a free ticketed system during peak hours in the central area for the first time.

Visitors from all over the world flocked to the festival to see t

UK - Richard Martin Lighting's most recent purchase is the Philips SL NITRO 510. This LED based strobe provides intense bursts of light and dynamic effects.

"The tightly packed array of over 1300 high power LEDs ensures maximum output and full-field, even distribution across 1200. The rugged construction, Showline standard LCD menu system, continuous-on operation and lower power consumption guarantee the SL NITRO 510 is the perfect strobe luminaire for any application," says Steve Wells, RML operations manager.

"A quick-connect systems allows SL NITRO 510 units to connect together easily top-to-bottom and side-by-side. In addition, the form factor of the SL NITRO 510 matches the SL BAR 520 so the two luminaries can be interconnected providing unlimited design possibilities.

Six different zones of control allow ultimate flexibility while unique built in chases

UK - Pulsar (Pulsar Light of Cambridge Ltd.), has announced the arrival of Cambridge Light, a new brand and trading style of the company targeted at white light industrial, commercial and architectural applications.

The launch of Cambridge Light coincides with the release of the Eco-Range Flood 130: a 130W 13,000 lumen powerhouse meeting the high-performance needs of the industrial, commercial and architectural markets.

Combined with Pulsar's outstanding build quality, the EcoFlood 130 is an obvious replacement for existing Metal Halide or Son/Sodium fittings, says the company. It is a flexible choice for contractors, agencies, and individuals looking for an LED fitting that will deliver for years in all weathers.

The EcoFlood 130 is eligible for the UK government's Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme. This enables businesses to write off the total cost of purchasing, tr

USA - The Empire State meets state-of-the-art display technology from Christie for a spectacular, fully immersive visitor experience this holiday season at the Barneys New York flagship store in Manhattan. Barneys and Christie have partnered again to bring back the traditional family shopping experience in a "bricks and mortar" setting, creating magical windows and an in-store gallery through the use of visual technologies.

Inspired by native New Yorker Shawn 'JAY Z' Carter, visual artist Joanie Lermercier and Barneys' creative director Dennis Freedman, A New York Holiday is a series of windows facing Madison Avenue and an interactive in-store gallery brought to life by the latest generation of Christie digital display technologies.

A New York Holiday premiered on 20 November, benefitting the Shawn Carter Foundation, a charity which awards post-secondar

UK - Lighting and visuals rental company Siyan has made its first investment in Chromlech's Elidy product, with the purchase of 24 x Elidy-S panels which went directly out on the current Texas tour, as specified by lighting designer Paddy Farr.

Siyan is supplying all the tour's lighting and associated rigging, a project that started off as a floor specials package for some of the smaller shows in Europe and then expanded to the full production rig for the latter half of Europe and the UK section as the venues increased in size.

Siyan's project manager Jez Johnstone comments, "Paddy came up with a really versatile, flexible design, complete with a great 'classic' look and feel to it, and we are very happy to be working with him on the tour."

Farr was not given a brief as such for the design, but when he initially spoke to lead vocalist Sharleen Spiteri, she mentione

USA - To call the last two years of work on the Long Beach Arena "a renovation" would be a substantial understatement. In reality, the work done by Theatre Projects, working for John Sergio Fisher Architects, Jerry Sherman AIA, and the city of Long Beach, could more accurately be described as a reinvention - breathing new life and new commercial potential into a venue that - at 50 years old - had fallen behind its newer, larger competitors, and found itself unsuited to meet the needs of some potential clients.

As the arena creates a new identity for smaller events - The Pacific Ballroom at Long Beach Arena -and begins hosting concerts, receptions, fashion shows, sporting events, and numerous other events, it will do so at a pace and with an ease-of-use unrivalled in the convention industry. This newfound viability is thanks in large part to a one-of-a-kind moveable gri

Germany - The Windsurf World Cup Sylt is one of the sport's biggest global events, and consequently, only a high SPL PA system will handle its audio coverage. For that reason, German rental company Ambion provided almost 80 speakers from Nexo's PS Series for the 10-day event, held on the North Sea island of Sylt.

The town of Westerland, where the event takes place, routinely experiences strong onshore winds and lots of choppy waves; ideal for windsurfing but not so great for a sound crew trying to create enough SPLs and intelligibility for daily crowds of around 25,000. The system also needed to be flexible enough to provide sound reinforcement for recorded music, DJs, live commentary and announcement, and interviews.

Ambion is one of Europe's longest-standing Nexo clients, having owned the brand for more than two decades. The company has provided systems and technical service

Poland - The 900-seat Musical Theatre ROMA in Warsaw has installed Meyer Sound MIna line array loudspeakers to support its repertoire of musical productions. Designed and supplied by Warsaw-based Polsound, the new system was installed in the historic, early-20th century auditorium just prior to the opening of its latest production, Singing in the Rain.

"Our goal for many years has been to install a Meyer Sound system, and we simply love it," says Wlodek Kowalczyk, the venue's principal sound engineer. "The Mina system delivers sparkling definition, and a dynamic range that covers all the subtleties of sound in musical theatre. It responds to what I wish to achieve, without compromises."

The main FOH system comprises 28 Mina loudspeakers, which include twin left and right hangs of 11 each and a centre cluster of six. Four 1100-LFC low-frequency contro

Russia - Oslo Concert Hall is Oslo's music festive hall which opened in 1977 and has since become one of the most important institutes for music and culture in Norway.

Working with AVAB CAC AS, J&C Joel manufactured and installed five custom dyed Austrian Curtains made from IFR Sowerby Velvet (VEL700). The bespoke royal blue curtains were installed into the main hall which has a capacity for over 1400 seats. Each curtain was made separately to allow individual control with the installation of new support pulleys, hauling lines, aluminium spines and other hardware to bring the existing system up to date and enhance its operation.

The Front of House Curtain consists of a main curtain measuring 20.9m wide and two front side maskings measuring 2.7m wide and all with a 12.7m drop and 50% fullness. To complete the Front of House Curtain two rear side maskings were manufactured measu

UK - Following a highly successful church install earlier this year featuring KV2 Audio's ESD Series, Hull based sound specialists HPSS have installed KV2 in another Church. This time St John Newland Church in Hull is benefiting from the performance of KV2.

HPSS' technical manager Iain Firth assessed the church's requirements and advised that from a sonic and aesthetic viewpoint, KV2's passive ESD Series would again be the best solution.

Following advice from Firth the church opted for a Left/Centre/Right system flown above the stage area. The two-way 10" ESD 10 was the loudspeaker of choice complimented by a single 12" ESD 1.12 subwoofer installed under the stage. A pair of two-way 6" ESD 6's were used to handle delay duties.

For this project the Church took advantage of KV2 Audio's alternative colour options, choosing to go with white enclosures rather than

USA - The new MAC Quantum Wash by Martin Professional, which launched at LDI 2013, Las Vegas, features "tight beams, beautiful wash fields, a market-leading colour palette and uniform mixing that combines to accommodate the most demanding applications, offering brightness and perfection". Combining an impressive 750-watt of RGBW LED power with Martin's optical system ensures that the 1:6 zoom on the MAC Quantum Wash operates with maximum output and superior performance.

"By combining the lens shift possibilities first seen in the MAC Viper Quadray with the MAC Aura's ground-breaking optical system, MAC Quantum Wash sets new standards for light and colour morphing effects from a wash light," says Peter Skytte, product manager, Martin Professional. "Putting together the new beam twister, the patented Aura effect and the nice wash capabilities sets new stan

Canada - CAST Software has announced the release of Vivien 2014 with new graphics, some serious new and improved features, myriad performance enhancements, and some Library additions.

The new Import Wizard imports JPEG or PDF format floor plans directly into Vivien and includes onscreen features, such as rotation, selecting insertion points, and it will even properly scale the floor plan so you can start planning the space right away, making it easier and faster to work in Vivien. New features for file importing facilitate management of layers to ease management of AutoCAD2013, and still speedily handle Google SketchUp, PDFs, and JPEGs.

Regardless how a floor plan gets into Vivien, the new Room Builder Wizard transforms a 2D floorplan into a 3D venue. Import a JPEG of the venue, trace the outline and Vivien delivers walls, floors and ceilings. At this point, the User can work

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