Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

Business

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Europe - Tom Waits headed to Europe in November to play an eight-date sell-out tour. Monitor engineer Derek VanOrd, who was out with Waits for the first time, chose an InnovaSON 48-input console for use on stage.

VanOrd had first used an InnovaSON console on an 18-month tour with Ben Harper following a recommendation from US PA company Rat Sound. "It seems as if everything is going digital now and eventually you're going to have to make the jump," says VanOrd. "There was a month of band rehearsals prior to the Ben Harper tour so that was a great opportunity to learn to operate a new digital console."

Thanks to his intensive use of InnovaSON with Harper, VanOrd had no hesitation in specifying another board as monitor console for the Tom Waits tour. The console's small footprint, combined with onboard dynamics and EQ, perfectly suited the four venues Waits pl

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UK - The Times London Film Festival, presented by the British Film Institute, is Europe's largest public film event. This year, the 48th annual festival attracted over 116,000 admissions, 280 of which were screened from 60 countries. In addition to an impressive roster of film premieres, many of which are introduced by the film's director, producer or stars, the extensive schedule of festival activities include prestigious opening and closing night galas, after-film VIP parties, industry and public forums, education events, lectures and celebrity interviews. Premier PR, who handles many of the film premiers and after-film parties, turned to Sound Division to provide sound and lighting effects for two high profile parties.

The first was for Chinese director, Zhang Yimou's latest film, House of Flying Daggers. The exclusive after-film party for 500 guests was hosted at Lon

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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USA - In order to make the most of an impossible schedule, lighting designer John LaBriola turned to Dallas-based Portal Design Services for help with the Backstreet Boys summer tour of Asia. The band was due to play a night in Beijing and one in Shanghai before moving on to five sold-out nights at the Yoyogi Gym in Tokyo, Japan. LaBriola and lighting director Jason Deboer were to have no production rehearsals for the large-scale arena and stadium-sized shows.

A portable WYSIWYG visualization system from Portal Design Services proved to be the solution to the problem. Portal shipped the self-contained system directly to LaBriola's house so that he could program the show in his home office. "I was able to complete the vast majority of the cueing at home," remarks LaBriola. "The pre-programming was all about information management. We could swap fixtures around in

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Europe - Digigram has announced the appointment of five new European distributors. The company says its new partners will guarantee sales, consulting, and support for Digigram's entire product range (sound cards, networked audio devices including EtherSound products, and audio management software) in their respective vertical markets.

Apex n.v. (www.apex-audio.be), headquartered in Paal-Beringen, will serve the broadcast/MI and public address markets (installed sound and sound reinforcement) in Belgium and Luxembourg; the broadcast and MI markets in Bulgaria will be served by Techno Bulgaria (www.techno.bg), headquartered in Sofia; Naaden-based Media Utilities BV (www.media-utilities.nl) will look after the broadcast and MI markets in the Netherlands and Audio Media Professional AS (www.audio-media.no), headquartered in Oslo, will serve the broadcast and MI markets in Norway. F

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UK - Digital media solutions specialists Projected Image Digital has been appointed as the exclusive re-seller for High End System's Catalyst digital media server software as well as an authorised Apple Ltd reseller. This will enable PID to continue offering the most cost-effective, highly flexible bespoke digital media packages to lighting designers and visual artists working in all areas of entertainment, leisure and the arts.

PID, which has established itself as a leading solutions-based digital media service over the past two years, says that the deals with High End and Apple allow them to offer the latest software-only versions of Catalyst, together with an array of new features and playback hardware at highly-competitive prices. Catalyst Pro software features eight layers, two video outputs, MIDI Show Control input, four serial control devices, three RS422 (Sony 9-pin pr

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UK - When the 26-lane Tenpin Bowl in Gloucester was gutted by fire almost a year ago, owners Tenpin Ltd saw the opportunity to upgrade the design template, and establish a blueprint for the future. The £4.2m multi-zone rebuild of the 500-capacity venue includes an American Pool area, Café Bar and three interlinked conference facilities - in addition to the lanes themselves. It operates from 10am until midnight seven days a week. And when Kevin Hughes' Technation (UK) Ltd successfully tendered for the sound and vision element of the rebuild, he decided to break from the company's traditional speaker brand and use Nexo PS 10s for the first time.

Hughes explains: "While I was familiar with the Nexo PS range I had never installed it before. I was determined to measure all the specs alongside the brand they had been using previously. I looked at dispersion pattern and SPLs, a

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Ireland - The Prince Bar in Athlone, Ireland, has undergone a large-scale refurbishment programme. The new design is wholly suited to the bar's active lunchtime trade but can also be revolutionized into a warm, up-beat haven in the evenings. Owner John Callanan of the Callanan Group wanted something contemporary and attractive, and knew that a good lighting design would be the key to the look and identity of the venue, so he brought in ICAN Technology, who has previously worked on similar projects all over the country.

The large Prince Bar was divided into zones, each with its own innovative décor and purpose to meet varying customer requirements. Downstairs is the carvery area, sandwich bar and a modern lounge and bar section, another small cocktail bar and various seating areas, subtly divided from the rest of the floor plan for privacy. The main fixtures that were used to c

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UK - Pantomime season, and White Light reports that it is supplying equipment to pantomime productions of all scales - from complete lighting rigs for West End theatres to additional effects or moving lights for smaller venues expanding their house rigs to provide the extra sparkle that these shows demand. The list includes no less than 12 different versions of Snow White! Among the shows using equipment from White Light in London are a number productions by Qdos Entertainment, one of the leading national pantomime producers: these include Beauty and the Beast in Hayes, Dick Whittington in Richmond, Peter Pan in Southampton and Southend, Aladdin in Tunbridge Wells and Wimbledon, Snow White in Woking, Cinderella in Wolverhampton as well as the West End pantomime Snow White at the Victoria Palace Theatre. White Light's equipmen

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UK - A colour-matched Martin Audio architectural PA system has been specified and fitted in the new Riverfront Theatre in Newport. Containing a 493-seat main auditorium and 150-seat studio theatre, gallery and conference facilities, the audio installation work in the arts complex was undertaken by AJS Theatre Services, working to a tender document produced by Carr & Angier to a sound system design by Peter Mapp.

AJS followed the formula they had established so successfully with the similarly-configured Brindley Arts Centre in Runcorn (where Carr & Angier were again the consultants). "Martin Audio is our preferred loudspeaker for an installation such as this," confirmed AJS project manager, Chris Coates. "It produces good quality sound - crisp and round - and is perfect for this kind of environment. On top of that the support we receive from Martin Audio has been

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UK - Leading corporate audio specialist Audio Alliance has become one of the first rental companies in the UK to buy the new Meyer Sound SIM 3 audio analyser system. Director Oliver Driver has until now been hiring its predecessor, the award-winning SIM II, since becoming a qualified SIM engineer nearly two years ago. As SIM 3 offers increased power and added features, at a fraction of the original size and cost, it was an easy decision to upgrade, says Driver.

Being so simple to set up and operate with such fast response times, SIM 3 is ideally suited to Audio Alliance's style of business - short-term turn around projects. Driver says: "Although many of our clients may not necessarily understand SIM 3, they are all intrigued and extremely impressed when they watch what it can do and how it seems to SEE sound!"

Soon after arriving at Audio Alliance's Manchester wa

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UK - Newtown-based sound specialists, Sound Induction Systems (SIS), has completed two installations which combine Sennheiser SDC 3000 digital conference and Sennheiser IR systems. The first system was for Monitor Facilities Management at Monmouthshire County Council and the second for the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority HQ in Brecon.

Monmouthshire County Council assessed a number of other systems before arranging a demonstration of the SDC 3000 system with SIS and Sennheiser's John Willett. "In the end," said Phil Nicholes of SIS, "there were two deciding factors, clarity of sound and simplicity of use". The system supplied was an SDC 3000 with 57 delegate units and, as the installation is for permanent use, all wiring is concealed. In addition to the delegate mics, two Sennheiser evolution wireless systems also feed into the system for use in present

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UK - Chatham's Central Theatre has enlisted Marquee Audio to upgrade its PA system as part of the first phase of a number of technical upgrades for the venue. The managers at the Central saw Marquee and the Turbosound PA as a winning combination, having had the opportunity to evaluate the merits of different systems, brought in by various touring production crews, at first hand. Technical manager Chris Stevens said: "These days we get a lot of musical shows, amateur productions of musicals and '70s bands coming through and so we needed a flexible, essentially rock 'n' roll PA. We had been exposed to a lot of Turbosound systems, which deliver a good sound, and when we were ready to upgrade the old system, one of the visiting sound engineers recommended that we include Marquee Audio in our list of companies."

The managers had devised a 'wish list' which included a healt

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UK - Gavin Stewart, managing director of Edinburgh lighting specialist black light, is evidently planning for the company's long-term future with his family. Evidence of this was provided in December when his daughter won an award for lighting design. Robin Stewart won the award for her snowmen design, which was included in the Christmas illuminations for Dunbar, East Lothian. Proof of how far forward her Dad is looking is that Robin is aged just four and three-quarters! "In truth, I was as surprised as anyone," says Stewart, "but it's fantastic to see that Robin is already aware of lighting and is looking at it with a critical eye."

Stewart admits that it may be a few years before his daughter is in a position to succeed him as managing director, but he can't help wondering if this is a sign of things to come. "Of course it's way to soon to wonder what

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USA / China - Loud Technologies, in cooperation with Amoi Electronics, has opened a new distribution and sales office headquartered in Shanghai, China. This office will manage the distribution of Mackie, EAW, EAW Commercial, Tapco and SIA branded professional audio products throughout China.

"The establishment of Loud China will allow us to better leverage our highly complementary professional audio brands throughout this expansive market," commented Loud Technologies director of international sales, Dave Christenson. "With the Mackie, EAW, EAW Commercial and TAPCO product ranges at their disposal, the Loud China office will have the ability to service a broad range of professional audio markets, from individual musicians to large-scale commercial installations and Chinese government ministries."

Loud China has already established a key alliance with Jing

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UK - A Kinesys Elevation 1+ control system and its fully programmable proprietary Vector software is being used as a major dramatic effect on The Darkness's current UK arena tour. This was specified by lighting designer Rod Clay, it's supplied by lighting contractor Neg Earth, and is being operated on the road by Barry Branford.

Clay wanted some large moving elements to his rig, both for general dynamics and for those big 'rock statement' moments. Four moving pods -previously incarnated as a back wall effect for the show earlier in the year - have now evolved into the overhead rig. Once the precision, speed and flexibility of the Kinesys system was demonstrated to Clay at Neg Earth - Clay describes it as, "The most reliable and accurate I have ever used" - he had no hesitation in integrating it into his rig.

Branford and lighting crew chief Nick Barton went to Kine

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UAE - tsg, the Chesterfield-based media programming and installation company has completed its most demanding music profiling assignment to date, after candyrock, the media programming arm of tsg, was tasked with providing themed background music to 40 separate locations within the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai.

Set in the shadows of the world-renowned Burj Al Arab, on the Jumeirah beachfront, the Madinat Jumeirah is a development of grand scale, even by Dubai standards, and on completion will be a self-contained city covering a 40-hectare site with two grand boutique hotels - each comprising 300 guest rooms and suites, 340 guest rooms in stand-alone courtyard villas, a souk-style retail complex and the region's largest conference and banqueting facilities - together with a 500-seat theatre, a spa and a nightclub.

With nearly 100 audio zones and eight processor locations t

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UK - Richard Martin Lighting has announced the purchase of 50 James Thomas Engineering PixelPar 90s and 12 IP PixelLine 1044s. They have also added 20 Pulsar Chroma Set kits and six Moving High Ground fixtures from Italian manufacturer Novalight. RML's Steve Wells says: "The use of LED technology on TV is becoming more and more popular on many shows and to maintain the high level of service and choice of product available to our customers, RML will continue to embellish their stock with the latest technology products."

The PixelPar 90 is a high output solid state lighting projector designed to deliver a symmetrical beam angle and the new IP PixelLine 1044 is a weather proof version of the now industry standard PixelLine 1044. The Chroma Set Kit is a custom made package for RML, consisting of 12 Pulsar ChromaHearts, one ChromaZone Controller, 12 x 10m extensions, 12 x

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UK - Turbosound reports that London-based Audio-Tek International has completed a variety of bar, club and corporate installations using Turbosound's TXD, QLight and Impact systems. Audio-Tek International's recent projects have included Birmingham club venue Air - home of Godskitchen; the Hard Rock Café in Manchester; and the brand's Hard Rock Bar in Bristol, plus the Anam Bar in north London.

At Air in Birmingham, Audio-Tek has installed six Qlight TQ-440 units, along with four THL-828 bass enclosures and TXD-151 systems, while Bristol's Hard Rock Bar features TXD-121 and TSB-110 loudspeakers. As part of a new mezzanine-level development, Manchester's Hard Rock Caférequired a new audio system to provide a medium-level wash throughout the area, with Audio-Tek installing 12 diminutive Impact 50 loudspeakers for the purpose. The company's installation at the very stylish Anam

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Europe - Clay Paky's Alpha moving head fixtures of Garou's winter tour of 31 concerts in eight countries, which will be filmed on TV and recorded on a DVD. The show's LD, Nicolas Labbé, fresh from the nomination as "Lighting designer of the year" at the 26th ADISQ Gala, says: "I was lucky to see these new projectors in action in Montreal early this year, thanks to Clay Paky's dealer for Canada, DCD, led by Sylvain Pelletier. I was most impressed and decided to use only Clay Paky material for Garou's winter tour. I chose the Alphas because they are incredibly innovative, reliable and complete with an extraordinary luminous output. Alpha Spot HPE has many different gobos, plus an animation wheel, a wide zoom and the CMY. Not to mention the Alpha Wash, with its extraordinary linear zoom ranging from 4° to 80° . . . Both projectors feature a very soft dimmer and inno

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Italy - From 11-14 November 2004, the beautiful setting of the Verdi Theatre and the exclusive Caffè Pedrocchi hosted the seventh edition of the Padua Porsche Jazz Festival, one of the most prestigious Jazz festivals in Italy. The event attracted top artists on the Italian and international jazz scenes.

Outline sound reinforcement systems were chosen for the entire festival. The floor-stacked Butterfly Vertical Line Array at the Verdi Theatre consisted of 10 high-packs and two low-packs, processed by two Lake Contours, controlled via wireless tablet PC; amplification was from Outline's Series T amps. Two Stage 15 Plus and two Victor Live subwoofers covered the front rows of the audience, and eight H.A.R.D. 212 monitor wedges were used on stage. In this case, digital control was courtesy of Genius 6 processors, and amplification was once again Series T.

At the Caffè Pedro

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UK - Bandit Lites UK is supplying all lighting production requirements to the current Status Quo UK tour, as Bandit's project manager Lester Cobrin renews his acquaintance with Patrick Marks, the band's LD since 1989. Marks also designs Quo's set, which has evolved over the last few tours. This year, the arena show set contains five upright onstage truss towers filled with scenic Marshall cabinets - symbolic of the power and volume of Quo's own specific brand of rock 'n' roll.

A major challenge on this was the contrast in venues, which range from Wembley one night to Folkestone's Leas Cliff Hall the next. Marks explains how he had had to plan to loose 75% of the equipment at certain gigs, but for it to still look like 'their show'. Before the start of the tour, he spent a week in Bandit UK's visualization suite at their HQ in Bedford, mapping and programming the show using Mart

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USA - Since 1988, the Robin Hood foundation has held an annual fund-raising dinner to help fight poverty in New York. About 3,000 guests are invited to the gala, including cocktail reception, dinner, auction and show programme. With guest star Rod Stewart performing a live show, and Jon Stewart, host of the 'Daily Show', as the celebrity auctioneer, the event successfully raised around $13m. The technical input for the event, which took place at the Jacob Javitts Convention Center recently, was considerable: this year, six MA Lighting network signal processors were used for channel expansion.

Programming more than 400 moving lights required 24 DMX lines, two grandMA consoles, grandMA onPC and a grandMA remote, as well as six MA network signal processors. As in recent years, Abigail Rosen-Holmes was responsible for the lighting of the remarkable event, which Patrick Dierson, Da

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Denmark - Martin's Wireless DMX devices are proving to be extremely popular, say the company. Martin architectural distributor Lux Lumen of Belgium has used the wireless system to great effect on a number of projects and found the system not only easy to use but also stable.

In the town of Charleroi, Lux Lumen has used Martin Exterior 600 washlights to add colour to the castle's belfry, the Beffroi de Thuin. The tower is illuminated using two Exterior 600s working with a Martin Wireless DMX-512 Pro Diversity transmitter with two receivers. The signal is transmitted over the castle's ditch and about 100 meters further. For the client to get DMX lines where they needed them would have cost five times as much as the Martin wireless DMX solution. Lux Lumen's installer for this project commented: "The distance involved was quite extensive. Experience showed that the transmitter

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UK - London's Regent Street celebrated its 50th year of hosting innovative displays of Christmas lights. The mile of style was the first street in London to display Christmas lights back in 1954. The city has continued to invest in the tradition by transforming the street into an entertaining outdoor event each year.

Brit Award winners Busted launched this year's lights with a performance of three of their number one hit singles. SSE Hire was there to provide audio coverage for the event with an arrangement of Nexo Alpha and GeoT. Production manager, Neil Cranston, on behalf of Andrew Cheeseman Productions, commented on how he had 'never seen Geo T ground stacked before but it really fulfilled the criteria of the job'.

With 45,000 people gathering during the day to see the live reindeer, 50 Father Christmases, street entertainers and music through the decades it was imp

  1. A.C. Lighting supply Queen's University
  2. Ice rink canopy for The Eden Project
  3. EV iDS go back to their Rootes
  4. HSL hold Community seminars
  5. A Midwinter Installation
  6. Avolites at The National Theatre
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