Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

Business

Details
UK - At the PLASA Show yesterday, Australian manufacturer LSC Lighting announced the appointment of White Light as its new exclusive distributor for the UK. The announcement was made on the White Light stand, where LSC's Gary Pritchard officially presented White Light's Peter Threadgold with a framed certificate.

Earlier in the morning The White Light stand had also seen the launch of the latest offering from Robert Juliat, - Lancelot - the latest in a line of innovative products from French manufacturer Robert Juliat.

The brightest, most spectacular fixture ever released by Robert Juliat, Lancelot is both a long-throw effects projector and a followspot suitable for the largest of venues, particularly stadiums. Based around a 360,000 lumen 4kW HTI lamp, Lancelot uses a carefully-designed optical train that gives an extremely flat-field beam distribution. Lancelot's modular des

Details
UK - There is a stand missing on the upper level this year - Garwood. Chrys Lindop, instigator of the in-ear monitoring revolution has packed up his house in London and with his wife, Maggie Riley (Moonlight Shadow by Mike Oldfield if you're wondering where you've heard that name before) and moved to Glasgow. Lindop has turned his audio skills to new, more altruistic pastures, working for the Sounds of Progress charity.

Readers may care to remember that name. Essentially, the charity is concerned with making musical expression more accessible to people with handicaps and disabilities. "I've done something that links music and the playing of instruments to colours," Lindop explained briefly. It must be effective, the Scottish education board has asked the charity to expand and adapt the program to support school children with learning needs. Audio in education, is this

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

Details
UK - The new Hippotizer V3 from Green Hippo aims to make convergence a reality rather than a buzzword, the company says. A combination of the video and lighting backgrounds of the Green Hippo design team has resulted in the system's multi-discipline operation and suitability for a variety of new AV tasks. Timeline functionality, HippoNet advanced networking capability, new media management, and efficiency-focused features are all accessible via a definable interface. Hippotizer can work autonomously, control other devices or be controlled externally, say Green Hippo.

Hippotizer V3 keeps all its award-winning features of Hippotizer: True HD capability, frame-blended playback and proven reliability but following a full rework, now heralds a quantum leap in Media Server technology.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
UK - Ortofon, one of the sponsors of the DMC DJ World Championship Finals, was one the busiest stands of Sunday at the PLASA Show, where a host of world class DJs demoed their mixing and scratching skills using Ortofon's famous DJ cartridges designed to work with time-coded vinyl. Guest slots were taken up Tamara Sky, ID, Ms Vicious and many others who were also among artists from 91 countries perfuming at the 2-day Championship Finals, staged at legendary nearby venue, Hammersmith Palais.

Last night's Battle for World Supremacy was won by DJ Coma from Japan with Troubl' from France the runner up, and the Wold Team Battle was won by C2C from France with Disablists from the UK second.

Being contested tonight - the second and final evening of the event - is the ultimate DJ accolade, the Championship World Final (now in its 23rd year), plus the DMC World DJ Summit 2 . . . where f

Details
UK - PLASA '06 has opened, with much of the industry heading to Earls Court 1 to be part of this international event. The mood on the show floor has been positive, business deals have already been signed, and a strong blueprint has been established for the rest of the show.

The exhibition has been busy since the doors opened yesterday at 10am with architects, DJs, lighting designers, sound engineers, production managers and installers arriving in London to take part in the event.

The show's international credentials have been reinforced by the presence of companies from over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Israel, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkey and the USA. All the major names are at Earls Court, amongst them 50 first-time exhibitors, including the innovative Canadian company Cirque du Soleil.

No other show gives visitors such a positive f

Details
UK - Hundreds of products have been launched at this year's PLASA Show, currently running at Earls Court in London. At last night's PLASA Awards for Innovation ceremony, attended by special guest Sir George Martin, eight awards were presented in recognition of the impressive design and development work going on across the industry.

The eight awards went to: Avolites (Stand J30) for its mDMX system; Dolby Laboratories / Lake Technology (BB12) for the Dolby Lake Processor; Global Design Solutions' Blues System (R53); Vieta / KV2 Audio Europe Ltd (GG6) for the So Line; Pharos Architectural Controls (F31) for its Audio Visual Controller; TiMax / Outboard (DD18) for the Track The Actors system; Volex Power Products (FF14) for its V-Lock; and Wybron's InfoTrace system (J38).

In addition to the main award winners, commendations were also given to Adam Hall for its adjustable top-hat

Details
UK - With the advent of high quality plasma screens which can be found in most places where information is required to be seen, comes the need to match such innovations with realistic sound. To meet this demand, ADSworldwide of Stockport has introduced the Genie music distribution system.

The use of high precision miniature wall loudspeakers made from weighty cast aluminium provide an exceptional quality sound which belies their size. A ceiling loudspeaker version is also available, therefore providing a choice between wall and ceiling mounting. The addition of a subwoofer completes a comprehensive sound system unrivalled by any other in terms of both quality and price.

The core of the system is a six-channel amplifier comprising six individual 35W modules, four each feeding an individual loudspeaker and also providing separate volume control. The last two amplifiers are bridg

Details
UK - The Michael Northern Bursary 2006, set up to reward students who show exemplary talent in lighting design, has been awarded to Chloe Kenward from the University of Hull, for her imaginative design for Egbert in the Underworld. The Bursary of £500 is awarded for a project completed within the past academic year, and the judges felt that Kenward's work clearly demonstrated a strong creative flair.

The ETC runner up prize of £250 went to Richard Howell, from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for his work on Twelfth Night, while Joshua Tomalin from LAMDA was awarded the ALD runner up prize of £250 for his work on Mathilde, Serious Money and The Misanthrope.

This year, for the first time, two Honourable Mention Awards, sponsored by PRG Europe were awarded to first year students. The judges - Paule Constable, Mark Jonathan, R

Details
UK - Yesterday at the PLASA Show, ADB Lighting Technologies unveiled major new product releases, as well as an expanded accessory range.

On stand H19, the company unveiled two new ranges of luminaires in the award winning Warp series - the HMI Warp/Daylight and the cool running, long lamp-life Warp/Ceramic, along with new Warp series accessories. Two new dimmers will also be on show - the Eurodim Sine Wave series and the Erack 50 Plus economy dimmer rack.

The new, HMI powered Warp/Daylight automated spot luminaire range, available in both motorised and manual versions, provides the brightest beam in the 575 discharge lamp range. A new fixture range with electronic flicker free ballasts, with two different light output angles of 12-30 and 22-50 degrees, its light output is over 10,500 LUX.

The second luminaire launch at PLASA will be the high light output, cool beam Warp/Cera

Details
Germany - Belle et Fou - The play with lust is a new show in Berlin. It's Berlin's first theatre of senses and offers the observer a unique show with eroticism, dance, music and theatre. The production of Arthur Castro, Hans-Peter Wodarz and Günter Münstermann tells stories about sensuality and attraction of the opposite sex. Belle et Fou is housed in the Spielbank Berlin, where nearly 300 seats are equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and A/V technology.

"Lust knows many forms of expression, but no boundaries", says Arthur Castro - words which inspired lighting designer Andreas Fuchs: besides the 70 moving lights he is using, there are four beamers, one video screen composed of 27 cubes (9 x 2m), several LEDs and 76 Clay Paky Point In are used in the auditorium. The whole system is controlled by a grandMA Light together with grandMA on PC as

Details
UK / Norway - Clockaudio Limited has expanded its Scandinavian marketing and distribution efforts with the appointment of FotoPhono AS as its Norwegian distributor. The announcement was made by Rod Geary, Clockaudio's sales and marketing manager, and reflects the continued growth of the Clockaudio operation worldwide.

FotoPhono AS will be responsible for the sales and distribution of Clockaudio's extensive line of microphones, mixers, headsets and accessories within the burgeoning Scandinavian market. "We are very excited to be distributing Clockaudio," says Erik Torp, FotoPhono divisional manager. "With our experience in the microphone business, we hope to growClockaudio's presence in Norway. We feel we can offer the Norwegian dealer quicker delivery of product, better servicing, and increased local sales and marketing."

Commenting on the appointment of Fo

Details
Australia - Australian lighting control manufacturer LSC Lighting Systems has announced the release of a new touring dimmer called Teko, which, the company says, introduces a new level of power and sophistication for portable dimmers.

With features including 3,000W per channel (@230V), a full 512 channel softpatch, 80 internal memories, seven dimmer curves and remote status monitoring it would easy for the dimmer to be too complex to use. However the clever design uses an LCD touch-screen for the user interface, with clear text labelling of all functions and a context sensitive help display.

However the Teko is a dimmer and dimming lights is where it really exceeds. Using LSC's Pulse Transformer Fired Dimmer (PTFD) output circuitry means that virtually any load can be controlled perfectly. Pinspots, ELV lamps, transformers, strobes and even a 5W pilot lamp can all be connected

Details
UK - With only one day remaining of the PLASA Show 2006, visitors still have time to register their interest in PLASA's National Rigging Certificate. Visitors can learn more about the initiative designed to give riggers working in all sectors a framework by which their expertise and knowledge can be measured.

Over the last year, PLASA has been working closely with the industry and a range of government bodies to develop a scheme that will not only serve the specific needs of the industry, but also achieve national recognition.

Rigging assessors are currently undertaking assessment pilots to demonstrate that they meet the standards within the National Rigging Certificate, and each assessor is also working towards achieving an A1 Award - the nationally recognised award in assessment.

Rigging Assessors and members of the Rigging Advisory Group will be present on the PLASA Stand

Details
UK - Audio-Technica's comprehensive range of wireless products is to be further augmented with the launch of the company's new 700 Series. The series offers customers a range of easy-to-use solutions designed for a variety of performance situations.

Comprising five different packages, the 700 Series includes the Vocal system with handheld mic/transmitter, the Presenter system with belt pack and lavalier mic, the Guitar system including cable for guitar/belt pack hook-up, and the Active system that includes a headworn mic. For ultimate flexibility, the Options system comprises a basic belt pack and receiver, with the customer able to select a microphone of choice from Audio-Technica's Wireless Essential range. (All Wireless Essential models are compatible with the Options system.)

The 700 Series offers eight selectable frequency-coordinated UHF channels, automatic frequency sca

Details
UK - Two school leavers, have been given the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of conference staging, lighting, sound and audiovisual equipment at the UK's leading conference centre, Birmingham's ICC, following a brand new career initiative launched this summer.

Katie Clements,18, from Selly Oak, and Greg Toomer,16, from Castle Vale have joined the ICC to work in various parts of the technical department, and will experience a wide range of conferences, events and exhibitions, whilst gaining a qualification in a related area, on day release at college, starting in September 2006. The programme has been designed to allow trainees to study and complete their chosen qualification, in preparation for a junior technical position within the industry in two years.

Clements, who has recently completed three A-levels at Shenley Court Specialist Arts College, says: "Thi

Details
USA - Color Kinetics Inc (CKI) has announced the unveiling of its latest landmark installation, encompassing more than 1,800 LED-based fixtures as part of a lighting renovation project for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Based on preliminary operation and testing, the LED-based system is expected to consume just 25% of the total energy drawn by the previous fixtures, while also reducing maintenance and cutting the number of electrical vendors required from six to two.

The project called for the replacement of five-year-old metal halide fixtures within 26 glass pylons leading to the airport's entrance, known as the famed LAX Gateway. Ranging in height from 25 to 110ft, the translucent pylons can now display custom-designed colour-changing effects employing CKI's Chromacore technology, as opposed to the use of glass filters, coloured gels, and electro-mechanical colour sc

Details
UK - On August 24 and 25, at a hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof airport, Volkswagen unveiled its IROC concept car to the world's media. Such a major press event, with film crews from television and internet companies, as well as business and motoring press from around the globe, required production values that would match the buzz surrounding the launch.

Responsible for meeting this challenge was eventlabs, a German event agency. Together with technical management company 360GRAD and award winning lighting designer Jerry Appelt, they did indeed create a spectacular event. Jerry Appelt knew the size of the venue required something outstanding, and decided that the G-LEC PhantomFrame would be perfect as the central element of the set.

To produce the reveal of the IROC (so named because the production model may revive the Scirrocco name), Jerry Appelt and 360GRAD designed a massive d

Details
UK - Over the past two years, Birmingham-based Dolphin Media has systematically been upgrading the news studios of all 13 regions in the ITV network, using rear-projected 160in dnp optical screens from Paradigm Audio Visual. But they were forced to break from their standard model when it came to equipping the three ITV Meridian studios near Southampton.

Covering the East, South and West services of the Meridian region, the station wanted to replace the Perspex prints in their three news studios on the Solent Business Park with widescreen projection - but only had the minimum of rear projection space behind the existing set in which to work.

The challenge was to mount a rig that would enable projection onto the TV Studio version of dnp's Giant Wide Angle Studio screen. While the images are shot in 4:3 aspect ratio, the custom-cut screen (trimmed to 3209mm x 1309mm) would be des

Details
France - Now in its 60th year, the Avignon Festival started life in the post-war period of reconstruction in France. Alongside a contemporary art exhibition, which included works by Picasso, Matisse, Braque and Léger, a young stage director called Jean Vilar breathed new life into the art of French stage-craft with the production of three new plays. This mission, of bringing new works to fruition and showcasing French and foreign contemporary drama and dance, continues, attracting an ever growing audience - with over 100,000 visiting in July this year.

The Festival uses about 20 unusual performance venues in and around Avignon, including cloisters, churches, an old stone quarry and school halls. However, the most prestigious performances of the Festival are staged in the Honor Courtyard of the Palace of the Popes and it was here that éric Lacascade directed Maxim G

Details
UK - Serious Stages designed and co-ordinated the construction and installation of a completely customised floating stage on the lake at Kenwood House, London, for the 2006 Summer Season of classical, jazz and pop concerts produced by the IMG Group.

This radical approach was adopted to help contain the environmental noise spillage, by completely isolating the stage so it had no contact with the ground.

The stage, measuring 18 metes wide at the front, 12 at the back by 12 metres wide, featuring 10 metres of headroom. weighed approximately 70 tonnes and was floated on twenty-seven 4.8m x 2.4m wide pontoons, each a metre deep. The pontoons were commissioned by Serious and made by Steeldeck.

The lake sits at the base of surrounding natural amphitheatre like terrain, and the stage shape was developed to offer the tunnel like effects of shrinking perspective to the audience sittin

Details
UK - Arena Seating supplied the seating for the UK leg of the Rolling Stones Bigger Bang World tour.

The Rolling Stones sold out stadiums across the UK and showed fans they are still at the top of their game, performing classic tunes and songs from their latest album, in a spectacular show.

Arena's Seating's Dave Withey liaised with promoters Live Nation to draw up seating plans and ensure over 45,000 seats were installed safely for audiences at Twickenham, London; Hampden Park, Glasgow; Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

The installation of each show was challenging, as Withey explained: "This tour was carrying a huge production with a lot of equipment on the pitch of the stadiums due to the rolling 'B Stage'. This meant we had less time than usual to install the seating between the main production and the doors opening, but the tour

Details
The Radisson SAS Resort on the island of Djerba (Tunisia) has been equipped with the most modern dimmer technology from MA Lighting. The luxury hotel with its approximate 300 rooms and suites focusses on MA digital dimmer, WM' 12 x 3 kVA for the complete installation. The units have a robust coated 19"/ 14 HE steel housing for mounting on walls. They were installed in August by the Tunisian MA distributor MediaCom.

The 44 wall-mounted digital dimmers consist of 12 single 3 kVA dimmers (without RCD) have a large graphic display which shows status values and special functions as well as phase control display. The lighting control, which ranges from classic lights to professional projectors, is via Creston.

Patio Rosinus was responsible for the lighting design of the hotel, with Moris Brill Lighting Design as the executive company.

(Chris Henry)

Details
USA - Total Structures is now stocking truss products in Las Vegas. The truss is being stocked at long-term Total Structures' customer Silver State Wire Rope and Rigging.

Vice-president of Total Structures, Adrian Forbes-Black, explains that the stock consists of a diverse range of truss. "Although our own Californian warehouse is only five hours away from Las Vegas, when we spoke to our customers there they told us that very often if they can get something immediately they will buy it rather than try to sub-hire elsewhere. Even though we can get to Vegas from Ventura in under a day, even this delay can make the difference between getting the sale or not. To improve matters further we have also decided to keep a stock of less common lengths there. This includes items such as four foot and three foot trusses which may not normally be held in large numbers by rental houses or

Details
UK - Live event company Show Presentation Services (SPS) has been awarded the contract to deliver exciting new audio-visual services to customers at the NEC, in Birmingham. The company is the NEC's first ever in-house service provider that can offer everything from simple AV technology to fully-crafted and supported production.

Paul Thandi, recently announced CEO of the NEC Group, said: "Service is at the core of our business, and improving our customer offer to provide and deliver first class audio visual services is part of the vision shared at the NEC. This initiative underlies our continual focus on putting our customers first and leading the marketplace. Ultimately we want to ensure that every live event has tomorrow's technology, wrapped up in excellent service and delivery focus. We are delighted to have SPS on board to help achieve this."

Robin Coles, managin

  1. HSL supplies Bestival 2006
  2. AFIAL set for successful 07 event
  3. PLASA '06 marks another success
  4. Faith & Vision for 5 Star
  5. tsg at Sam & Maxies
  6. ETC lights up Malmö Opera
Page 816 of 1803
Astera - Large MPU - June 2025
Sennheiser - MPU - June 2025

Latest Issue. . .