Visual act, winner of both Awards for Product Excellence in Stage Engineering at PLASA 2001, will present their stage wagons at showcases in Oslo on 23 January, 2002 and in Amsterdam on 8 February, 2002. Anyone interested in attending either of these showcases should submit their interest to Jim Fainberg at jim@visualact.net before 17 January for Oslo and 30 January for Amsterdam.

For more details, including product information, technical specifications and pictures of the company’s award-winning products, visit the Visual act website at the address below.

Young Voices is an annual event featuring competing choirs from local schools. This year's shows have taken place in some of the UK's largest touring circuit arenas - Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham. The show is different to most in that the 'choir' consists of 7,000 schoolchildren! To fit this amount of people into an arena takes up most of the available space.

Canegreen were chosen to supply audio for this year's event because of their experience in this field. Faced with the task of providing a full performance system with total coverage for the attending audience, together with a comprehensive fold back system for 7,000 choristers (and band) and with the added complications of set up restraints because of rehearsals, they decided to use the new EAW 760/761 line array system.

Canegreen managing director and Yes fan Yan Stile said: "We'd previously used this ne

PLASA (the Professional Lighting and Sound Association), in conjunction with British Trade International (BTI), will be conducting an extensive programme of government-funded overseas trade missions and other events aimed at boosting UK export trade, during 2002. The programme is part of PLASA's ongoing aim to provide valuable export assistance to the UK entertainment technology industry.

PLASA is currently organizing exhibitor groups to some of the world's key international trade exhibitions, including the NSCA, USA (April), Pro Audio & Light Asia, Hong Kong (July), and Lighting Dimensions International, USA (October). This is the first time that PLASA has been successful in a bid for funding for the NSCA Show - an event aimed at the sound contracting/installation market which showcases the products and services of over 500 exhibitors. It's also the first time that PLASA has had an op

PCM, the company responsible for establishing the Columbus McKinnon Lodestar electric chain hoist at the forefront of the UK and European professional entertainment and touring industry, has formed a new division to handle the installation of set piece equipment on special projects. Heading up the division is Tony Griffiths, formerly with Harkness Hall, who joined the company in October.

CP Sound has just completed phase one in a major new club sound and lighting installation, in the Cellar Club at Reynolds nightclub in Stafford, West Midlands. The intimate 150-capacity space has vaulted ceilings, with arched passages snaking mysteriously below ground level. Above are two additional floors which are currently being developed and which will soon to become an integral part of what will be a much larger venue.

The sound system is all JBL, supplied by JBL's UK distributors Arbiter Pro Audio. The Cellar's dancefloor area features four JBL MS112 top speakers and two MS125S subs. The bar is serviced with four of the new JBL Control 29s, with Control 24 speakers also in the toilets. For the DJ booth, CP Sound supplied Technics SL1210 turntables and an Allen & Heath Xone:464 mixer, complete with a Denon DN-1800 twin CD player. The mixer was chosen to provide the facility of liv

Sarner and ESP have combined resources to provide a creative solution for Liverpool’s new multi-million pound International Astronomy and Space Centre (IASC). Sarner, which has recently been bought-out by two of its directors, Michael Bennett and Ross Magri, is thrilled to have such an innovative and important project under its creative direction. "This is a great win, not just for us but for the team at Sarner and for all our clients and colleagues," comments Bennett. "Sarner has been highly successful for over 30 years and we intend to build on that reputation and drive the company forward with new commitment to delivering innovative design solutions that have so often won clients’ belief in our skills, quality and service."

Sarner will be responsible for the design and production of special effects for the new visitor attraction, while ESP will projec

South London-based exhibition and corporate creative lighting specialists Stage Light Design produced a simple but effective lighting design for Microsoft TV's stand at IBC, as well as supplying all lighting equipment and crew for the event. Lighting designer Alastair Crooks lit the double deck stand inventively, using Source Four profiles to project ripples, wind, sky and other effects onto a series of crescent-shaped canopies that curled round and descended from the top of the stand in a corkscrew effect.

Crooks also used Source Four profile lanterns generally around the stand to produce break-up and texturing effects. Par cans were then employed for a crisp daylight blue wash across the two decks and the various banners and graphic displays around the stand. The short set-up time meant Crook took full advantage of Stage Light Design's WYSIWYG facilities. The complex stand design dic

Quadrant Visual Solutions (QVS), the specialist supplier, designer and installer of video and film production facilities, was called upon to design, theme, stage and manage the Birmingham Film and TV Festival awards dinner at Birmingham's Burlington Hotel in a sponsorship deal. The festival, one of the UK's most significant moving image festivals, was held from the 15-24 November 2001. As well as the latest international previews, the Festival also included a range of events, workshops and seminars - with advice from professionals like Meera Syal and Pawel Pawlikowski.

Quadrant actively strive to be at the forefront of video/film production services, particularly outside of London, and are soon to open their film, video and media services centre in Liverpool. Among their celebrity guests at the awards dinner will be their Liverpool-based customers, Alex Cox (director of Repo Man) and T

Artistic Licence has concluded a new phase of sales expansion with the addition of no less than seven companies to its list of national and international dealers. In the UK, two companies join the dealer list: Northern Light joins as a mainstream dealer, while Lightfactor Sales has also joined, the Artistic Licence product range providing and excellent complement to the company's existing brands which include LightProcessor and High End Systems.

In Austria, Technik Design will now represent Artistic Licence products in addition to established dealer, Leman. Technik Design has a wealth of practical experience in all aspects of entertainment technology, and Artistic say that their consultancy and sales divisions provide a perfect complement for the Artistic Licence projects and products portfolio. In Finland, two new dealers add to the company's extensive coverage: Studiotec represents o

MC2 Audio has announced the appointment of three new international distributors since the PLASA Show in September. The company has welcomed to its network of agents worldwide IS Music Trading, based in Tallinn, Estonia; Triangle Sound & Image, based in Lebanon; and Prolight, based in Warsaw, Poland. MC2 Audio director Ian McCarthy told PLASA Media: “We are looking forward to working with our new partners to take our products forward in these exciting new markets and we wish them every success."

Flightcase manufacturer Oakleigh Cases has supplied leading UK live and touring video production specialists XL Video with a massive order of 130 flightcases to protect XL's new Barco I-Lite LED screen system. The cases will be toured extensively with XL's expanding list of international artists, such as like Robbie Williams, U2 and Kylie Minogue - as well as on giant corporate events like The Detroit Motor Show, which is where XL Video's I-Lite will make it’s first appearance, on the Toyota stand.

The XL build was completed against the incredibly tight timescale of just over two weeks. Oakleigh’s general manager Martin Cockton comments: "It's a tribute to our collective team ethics, and to the flexibility of our systems that we managed to achieve this challenging goal!" Oakleigh's CEM CAD/CNC machining centre was in operation 18 hours per day to meet the order. T

Classic Sound, the UK's only dedicated 5.1 film and classical music facility, has taken delivery of a TC electronics 6000 surround sound effects unit supplied by distributor HHB. Classic Sound’s 6000 unit is networked to the main 5.1 mix room and the facility’s two editing suites, where it is being used for DVD and film projects and 5.1 mastering work.

Neil Hutchinson, director and co-owner of Classic Sound, say: "Since opening last March we have seen a steady increase in the number of 5.1 projects we are handling. A large proportion of our workload is now for 5.1-based product such as DVDV, DVDA, SACD and cinema release."

He continued: "The TC 6000 was an obvious addition to our equipment list as it complements our already extensive range of outboard reverb units, which include two Lexicon 480L and 300L units and two TC5000 reverbs."

AC Lighting Ltd has announced that the first sale has been made in the UK of an MA Lighting grandMA ultra-light console. The console was specified by Andy Mahaffey, technical manager at Watermans, a multi-purpose entertainment complex in Brentford, West London. The venue is undergoing a complete refurbishment and is scheduled to re-open in Spring 2002. Watermans incorporates a theatre, cinema and 500-capacity multi-function café/bar area as well as a studio and gallery exhibition space.

Following an extensive evaluation at AC Lighting’s demonstration facilities in High Wycombe, Andy Mahaffey found many attributes of the compact grandMA ultra-light to his liking. He commented: "I love the ease of accessibility to functions and adaptability offered by this console," adding: "It’s amazing to have this level of functionality in a console that occupies so little

TC Group, the Danish parent company of TC Electronic, TC Works, and TC-Helicon, has made an offer to the shareholders of TGI plc to purchase their holdings in the company. TGI plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange, is a holding-company comprising four companies representing individual platforms on the pro audio market - loudspeaker manufacturers Tannoy and Martin Audio; Swedish company Lab Gruppen - manufacturer of power supplies and high-end amplifiers, and GLL - a manufacturer of speakers for the in-car market.

"The purpose for wishing to merge with TGI plc is actually quite simple. It is a matter of creating synergy between the TC technology in digital audio processing and TGI's years of experience in developing, producing and marketing speakers. By combining digital technology from TC and the speakers developed and produced within the TGI plc Group, we will be able to devel

Cadac Electronics has extended its successful series of technical seminars, announcing a new programme for 2002. Kicking off on 23 January at Cadac's UK premises in Luton, the 2002 schedule is focusing on Quality Engineering for Live Sound Applications - combining practical presentations on Balancing and Shielding, EMC, Gain Structure, as well as comparisons between Digital and Analogue console design approaches.

The monthly seminar series is designed to provide sound operators, engineers, designers, installers and consultants with an invaluable insight into key engineering and design issues, based on Cadac's extensive design expertise. The seminars are led by sound and console design expert Tony Waldron, formerly head of sound at London's Royal National Theatre.The Cadac Sound Seminars for 2002 reflect Cadac's corporate philosophy of sharing information and providing an educational fr

The Event Lighting & Design Company was asked by Charlotte Wolseley Brinton to design the lighting for the launch of the revamped Royal Exchange in London, and to provide the party with two completely different looks, as well as highlighting the beautiful architectural features of the building. The event aimed to put the Royal Exchange back on the map since its transformation into a luxury retail environment. Filled with exclusive stores such as Hermes and Tiffany's, the Royal Exchange is now one of the city's smartest shopping venues.

Outside, each of the front colonnades was uplit in strong red, the central colonnades in magenta and those at the rear of the portico in contrasting royal blue. The archways at the back were highlighted, with the crest of at the top picked out in open white light. Lamps on the first floor balconies were used to light up the first and second floor facades

Kent's event of the year went off with a bang, as 12,000 people gathered at Hop Farm for a night of fun, fireworks and pop, with performances from acts including Hear'say, Liberty, Jo Breezer, Right Said Fred, Thymes 4, Dodgy, Supersister, A1 and the All Stars.

PA Company SRD group supplied for the event a GAE Director FOH system which consisted of four flown mid/highs per side married with two bass cabinets whilst additional cabinets and bass support were ground stacked. Monitor duties where handled by a mixture of GAE Modular II, Pro-Stage and 152TM cabinets all powered by QSC Powerlight amplifiers, with PL218s, 230s, 236s, PL6s and even PL9s being pressed into service. On the microphone front all wired and wireless microphones were Shure, with Premier Series Wireless fitted with Beta58 and 87 capsules seeing the most vocal action on the day.

In-ear monitoring was again Shure, with

The ancient Herod Atticus amphitheatre in Athens, situated against the stunning backdrop of the Acropolis, recently played host to ‘Bravo China and Greece,’ a spectacular multicultural performance billed as a celebration of the ancient cultures of China and Greece in view of their forthcoming roles as Olympic hosts in 2004 and 2008. Audio production company for the event, one of the biggest ever to be staged in the open-air venue, was Athens-based Sound Control, also the distributor for Midas, Klark Teknik and ElectroVoice.

Production manager, Sound Control's Renos Papapaschos specified a powerful Electro-Voice X-line system for the show, plus a full complement of Midas consoles and Klark Teknik processing. A 64-frame Heritage 2000 was on FOH duties, whilst a Heritage 3000 catered for monitoring requirements. An XL3 plus sidecar looked after the recording of the show and a

The Heritage Theatre software, developed by Stardraw for Midas, was one of five new products to be singled out for an EDDY award for major technical advancement in the field of professional audio.

The Heritage Theatre software sits on top of the Stardraw platform and enables offline editing of any scenes and settings for the Heritage 1000 console. For this system, MIDI is used to communicate with the desk, but the Stardraw engine can communicate with any other hardware or software using any protocol. Stardraw provided Midas with an SDK (software development kit) which can be used by any manufacturer to develop add-ins for their specific products. The same system is used throughout the Klark Teknik Group for all their software-controlled products.

Commenting on the Eddy award, MD of Midas, Bob Doyle, told us: "This is a milestone award for Midas and the Heritage Theatre software

Acoustic Dimensions will be involved in the first challenge for the new reality-based television show, ‘Challenge America with Erin Brockovich’. New York City Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, issued the challenge to rebuild rundown soccer fields and to renovate a theatre in lower Manhattan. Ms. Brockovich has been asked to finish the project in one week - without a cent to work with.

The abandoned theatre was originally designed by Robert Moses in the 1930s. Joseph Papp used it in the 1950s as the first home for the famous New York Shakespeare Festival, which is now based in Central Park. By the 1970s, the theatre itself had fallen into disrepair and neglect, blocked off by chain link fence and covered in graffiti.

Acoustic Dimensions donated its services to consult with HLW Architects on the renovation of the theatre. The new design involved the removal of the dilapidated stage

Critically acclaimed Spiritualized have been using Shure microphones on their latest European tour ‘Let it Come Down’, which unveiled the band’s much-anticipated new line-up and album. A Spiritualized gig is a complex affair: FOH Engineer Graham Pattison dealt with up to 72 input channels from the new 13-piece line-up which featured a 6-piece brass section. For the London shows, a 6-voice choir was also added to the set.

Lead singer and guitarist Jason Pierce used a Shure Beta 58A for vocals, plus a Shure SM57 for miking up his guitar cab as did his two fellow guitarists, whilst the choir all utilized Shure Beta 87As. The brass section benefited from Shure Beta 56s and 57As, which are specifically engineered for drums and instruments. The PA system was supplied by Canegreen and featured two Midas Heritage 3000 consoles for the FOH and monitor positions, plus Meyer amp

After last month's successful sound design for Alice in Wonderland, Autograph Sound Recording has delivered another design and installation to the RSC, this time for their seasonal production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe at London's Sadlers Wells.

The company was called in to take over the sound design for the production for the first time since its stage debut four years ago. Terry Jardine’s new design makes sole use of the Meyer Sound loudspeaker range, including the MSL-2, UPA-1C and UPM-1. A 70-input Cadac J-type mixing console is also in use, along with a 28-channel Sennheiser radio microphone system.

Simon Baker, a leading member of the Autograph sound design team, worked alongside Terry as one of two associate designers, creating over 100 new sound effects for the production, with a standalone system utilizing a Yamaha 03D and two Akai S6000s. Autograph's Chri

The PLASA Media News Team is now signing off for Christmas. As the PLASA office closes today, this is the last time the headlines will be updated for 2001. We'll be back at our desks in the New Year to bring you all the latest developments from across the industry. In the meantime, thanks for all your support over the past year and enjoy Christmas and New Year.

All the best from the PLASA Media Team

Martin Professional A/S has entered into an agreement with Chako and Hiroshi Yoshida, long-time distributors of automated lighting in Japan, to establish a joint company, Martin Professional Japan Ltd. The new company, located in Tokyo and consisting of eight employees, will handle distribution and service of Martin, Jem and Mach products throughout the country.

The establishment of a single professional distributor in Japan, which had previously been covered through three separate companies, is an important step in Martin’s goal of increasing focus on the Asian market. Martin Professional president and CEO Kristian Kolding has assumed the position of chairman of the new company. Other board members include Mr. And Mrs. Yoshida and Martin’s area sales manager Jonas Eisenhardt. The official opening of the new company is expected sometime in February.

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