Czech Republic - The newly opened City Club in Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech Republic, is fully fitted out with a complete Robe Show Lighting moving light rig and is already creating a buzz in the area.

The 900 capacity venue is something totally new in Roznov. It's part of the main City Casino complex and features an industrial-chic interior design, stripped back, full of metal and brick surfaces and a dynamic music policy.

Coincidentally, Roznov is also the home town of Robe Show Lighting. Despite the close proximity of the factory, this is the very first installation of Robe lighting products in the locality.

The City Club's Independent owner, local entrepreneur Pavel Zet, wanted to create something completely different. The aim is to be hip, trendy and also to appeal to an 'over 25' audience, with the intention that the club and adjacent casino might feed each other with c

New Zealand - "An enormous variety of shows, and that was just our first week," said Andrew Craig of Western Audio in Wellington. "We took delivery of our new d&b audiotechnik Q-Series system on a Friday and I did the first show that following Sunday. I wanted to be the first to mix with it." The d&b system delivered to Western Audio comprises Q1s, Q7s and Q-SUBs all driven by d&b's D12 amplifier with system remote capabilities. "It was easy to use, in fact I forgot the PA was there," said Craig.

Two days later, Craig was into an altogether more challenging environment: "The Opera House in Wellington is a fairly classic lyric theatre; the 2,000-strong audience is on three levels. If you look at the auditorium in profile, in terms of the audio image there's a focal point for the audience about 20ft upstage. I flew two Q1s high up to cover the go

USA - Color Kinetics Inc is marking its 10th year in business with the debut of a new corporate identity. "Color Kinetics has been credited for sparking the beginning of a lighting industry transformation back in 1997, and in many ways our original corporate identity embodied the spirit of defying convention. Since that time, performance and application trends indicate that LED technology is integral to the future of lighting - not a passing fad - and our company's role and influence have grown in parallel," said Bill Sims, President and CEO, Color Kinetics. "We've proven ourselves a dominant player in an increasingly important category, and this in turn guided the creation of our bold new mark."

By refining its corporate identity to better match its leadership position, Color Kinetics aspires to broader recognition as one of the lighting industry's foremost

UK - The Single purchase counterweight flying system at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, has been refurbished in the short space of only six days between two productions in the venues' very busy current season.

The project was comissioned to Hall Stage Limited, who also installed the original systems in the theatre when it was built in the 1960s.

The flying system has been upgraded to the highest professional standard, providing an increased number of flying bars - up to 42 x 14m ladder bars, with a far quieter, safer performance.

Jon Woodley, Abbeys stage production manager says: "A tremendous amount of work was achieved in a short space of time, all thanks to an excellent team of skilled people working very hard.

"I could not be more happy with the project and I am most grateful to all involved, and highly praise the level of expertise and professionalism displayed

USA - It's been described as "the best new musical nobody has heard of", Striking 12, which made its sold-out New York premiere last year, was back in New York for a second season at Union Square's Daryl Roth Theatre. Directed by Tony Award winner Ted Sperling (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza), Striking 12 is a witty and entertaining blend of musical theatre and live concert starring the three members of the pop-rock group GrooveLily.

Written by the group's Valerie Vigoda (violin) and Brendan Milburn (keyboards) in collaboration with playwright Rachel Sheinkin, the show's minimalist approach helps the clever lyrics and distinctive musical score truly stand out. Sound designer Robert J. Killenberger created an audio system that was exceptionally well suited to the intimate yet distinctive venue.

The system was based around two arr

UAE - Some 280 MAC 2000 Wash fixtures made the trek from the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in December to Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE for the January 17 opening of the 18th Gulf Cup.

Lighting designer for the biennial football tournament's Opening Ceremony was Paul Collison. "These fixtures in particular were amazingly reliable," Collison comments. "They had already spent almost three months in dessert like conditions in Doha, Qatar, for the Asian Games. Over there we were hit with rain and dust. Once we got onsite in Abu Dhabi every single fixture was stripped and cleaned out. The Procon service staff did an amazing job getting every fixture back online. Once the system was installed, I could count on one hand how many MAC 2K Washes were swapped out. They performed admirably.

"As far as I know, there is nothing that even comes close to a MAC 2000 Wash. Th

UK / Germany - Turbosound has appointed a new distributor for its products in Germany. With effect from 1 March 2007, Turbosound professional loudspeaker systems will be exclusively available from eas GmbH (Excellent Audio Support), based in Emsdetten in the north of Germany.

Building on almost three decades of innovative pro audio developments, and endorsed by internationally renowned acts such as David Gilmour, Jamiroquai, Primal Scream, Robbie Williams, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, Oasis, Brit Award winners The Fratellis, and Depeche Mode, Turbosound is looking to develop strong business opportunities in Germany together with its new German distribution partner.

"Eas's major strength is their positive attitude towards customer support," says Turbosound's European sales manager Chris Hinds. "Availability of spare parts and direct access to knowledgea

New Zealand - Theatrelight has announced that a date has now been set in September 2007 by the High Court of NZ for a defended hearing of Theatrelight's case against Charlie Zheng, once a director and general manager of Theatrelight NZ. Charlie Zheng is now the manager of "Tai Li Lighting" of Zhuhai, PRC, Selecon's sole distributor for China.

Theatrelight is suing Charlie Zheng for losses of US$3 million suffered by Theatrelight in New Zealand in the period 1994 to 2002, when he was dismissed from the board of Theatrelight. The company says "this sum does not include losses in China due to difficulties with our one-time joint venture partners, estimated conservatively in excess of US$10 million, including the loss of all rights and equity in Theatrelight's joint venture 'Zhuhai Tai Li Theatrelight', the theft of all Theatrelight designs and intellectual property u

UK / Germany - Cambridge-based Audica Professional has announced the further expansion of its rapidly growing international distribution with the appointment of Trius GmbH & Co. KG for Germany.

Trius are a leading distributor in the German market, handling many top live sound, MI and installation brands including Audix, Cloud, Focusrite, Furman, Lab.gruppen, L-Acoustics, Sabine, Symetrix, t&m, Amina, Apex, Countryman, Lucid, TSC Music and Australian Monitor.

Trius' sales manager, Kai Böckmann, says: "We are very happy to become the exclusive distributor for Audica Professional in Germany. They understand the specific needs of high profile background music systems and offer an excellent combination of products and features for a highly attractive price. Audica's products complement our existing portfolio perfectly and we are looking forward to a successful business!"

UK - Lightfactor Sales, UK distributor for SGM has supplied 16 of the new Giotto Synthesis moving light fixtures to leading Scottish design and rental house, SKL. This boosts SKL's existing SGM inventory which includes Palcos, Ribaltas and the workhorse Giotto 400s.

Edinburgh-based SKL works in all areas of the industry, including corporate events and conferences, parties, rock 'n roll tours and festivals. They have also used various SGM fixtures to realise architectural lighting schemes.

The Synthesis deal was cut between Simon Kennedy of SKL and Lightfactor's Peter Coles. There were many reasons Kennedy made this latest investment - complimenting his existing SGM stock was one, and knowing he can rely on comprehensive, quality service from Lightfactor was another.

Operational and creative considerations were also high on the agenda. "It's a more precise unit than othe

UAE - Two giants of control automation have again given their backing to PALME Middle East in May - and will be exhibiting a range of systems aimed at both the residential and commercial sectors.

Crestron will be demonstrating its 'Every Room Connected' philosophy, with new products including the Media Processing System (MPS), the latest generation of facility-wide network control software (RoomView 7.0) and the latest Isys i/O WiFi touchpanel, the TPMC-8X.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity of showcasing our single platform solution and related product portfolio to decision makers at this, the most important AV event in the Middle East.," explains Vincent Philippo, regional director, Crestron Middle East. "We will be able to demonstrate that Crestron can deliver the only complete control and connectivity solution for every room, every application and ev

USA - The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes announces the first two Challenge Grants during the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo. I. Weiss and Sapsis Rigging will both be sponsoring $5,000 challenge grants at the upcoming USITT Raffle, March 15 - 17 in Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks to both companies coming forward after the announcement of the Challenge Grant Program, every dollar donated at this year's USITT will triple in value.

Established challenge grant slots are still available for the Behind the Scenes / Long Reach Long Riders 2007 USITT Raffle, March 15 - 17 in Phoenix, Arizona at $5,000 each (four openings left) and The Long Reach Long Riders 2007 New England Charity Ride, July 29 - August 6 at $10,000 each (two openings).

David Rosenberg, president of I. Weiss, explains that it was an easy decision for his company. "We believe that we should be supportive of th

UK - Psychedelic popsters the Flaming Lips are currently on tour with a UFO setpiece that has to be seen to be believed: the concept created by the band is an amalgamation of innovative DIY solutions and Oklahoma City-based lighting and rigging specialist, Toucan Productions.

Owner Robin Alvis has known band leader Wayne Coyne for several years and was intrigued when Coyne asked him if he had read a news story featuring the band in Rolling Stone? In the article, Coyne had been asked what was in store for the band and he had suggested that for the upcoming tour the band would arrive on stage in a giant UFO, play the gig, get back in and take off! A few days later, the reporter asked Wayne to sketch his concept - which he promptly faxed over and was published.

Alvis explains: "I hadn't seen the sketches until Wayne showed them to me! We discussed some ideas of how we could

UK - Audio-Technica Ltd. has contributed a collection of microphones and monitor headphones to the Charlie Jones Live Room, at the School of Sound recording in Manchester. The room has been built as part of The Charlie Jones Project commemorative scheme at SSR, inaugurated by Wigwam Acoustics Ltd, and dedicated to the memory of the celebrated freelance live sound engineer, who died last year after almost 30 years in the industry.

Microphones donated by Audio-Technica include the classic AT4040 side address large diaphragm condenser, and ATM350 low profile clip on cardioid condenser and ATM650 hypercardioid dynamic models from the new Artist Series. ATM250 dynamic and ATM250DE dual dynamic/ condenser element models are also included from the Artist Series, and U857QL gooseneck condenser mics, featuring the company's UniGuard RFI shielding, are provided for presentation applicatio

UK - Bandit Lites UK is once again working with Production North on the much-anticipated Shayne Ward UK arena tour. Supplying full lighting production and support, Bandit UK chief executive, Lester Cobrin joins production manager, Jason Danter and lighting designer, Tellson James on this project.

"For a relatively small lighting package within the arena environment, Tellson James' creativity was far-stretched as he had to produce a show with fresh dynamic looks from the outset, and without any duplication throughout the entire set," Cobrin explained. "Tellson strategically positioned the hardware with precision, and it has certainly paid off."

The lighting design for Shayne Ward is based around a mid-stage box truss with six vertical floor-to-ceiling truss towers which were hung at regular intervals along the upstage truss, neatly framing and shaping the pe

UK - 5 Star Cases has supplied Warwickshire-based conference production and installation company, Insight Presentation Systems, with a range of bespoke flightcases to house a wide variety of equipment - including lighting fixtures, TFT Screens, projectors, microphones and many more elements. Insight first encountered 5 Star at PLASA 2006 - drawn into the stand by their eye-catching fish-tank flightcase - and were immediately impressed with the diversity of 5 Star's ranges and the rugged build quality of the trunks.

Since then, 5 Star has manufactured and supplied a steady stream of cases to the AV specialist. These have been selected from 5 Star's recently-launched lightweight EX brand through to their robust and popular Tour Grade specification, and has also included bespoke cases for Doughty stands, PAR 64 floor cans and HP printers. The EX range is particularly suited to ligh

France - In an exceptional collaborative move, several of the leading PA companies in France have joined forces, with one another and with leading loudspeaker manufacturer Nexo S.A., to create a new shared-inventory scheme - Nexstep.

Amongst those already signed up to the agreement are ATech, Blue Squares, C.S.E., Euroson, Even On, Novascene, Melpomen, Twin Audio Live and Z Professionel, many of whom have been long-time customers of Nexo loudspeaker products. Negotiations are still underway and the list is expected to grow.

The basic concept of the Nexstep community is to share resources when and where necessary. All members of the group have purchased inventory of the new Geo D Series loudspeakers, Nexo's third-generation tangent-array system comprising D10 high-output array modules and Geo SUB cardioid subwoofers. To complete the package, they have added Nexo's NX242 digital

Dubai - Formed in August of last year, SGMedia's Live Events division has immediately made an impact on the UAE's events market, the company reports. Started by UAE-based businessman Steve Graham and production manager Nick Groves, the business stemmed from a need in the market place for a more personal touch within the live events market. "Our clients expect and require more than just a crew and equipment; they like to know that we are on the end of the phone 24/7 and are willing and able to assist them with all of their production needs," states Nick Groves, the managing partner of the events and special projects division.

"I think that the recent success lies in the personal touch. We take on the brief and follow it through from concept to completion. We then sit down with the client post-event and do a thorough 'post mortem'. It enables us to constantly improv

UK - ChamSys held extensive training courses in the range of MagicQ products which they report, proved to be extremely popular. Held in Southampton, the courses attracted attendees from as far as Korea, Spain, Belgium and Luxemburg, as well as those closer to home.

The course covered the use of all MagicQ products, including the range of PC Wings and MagicQ consoles. This included programming generic, intelligent and LED fixtures and interfacing to media servers. The course was aimed at all skill levels, as it worked from no knowledge to advanced programming.

The two days saw the meeting of users ranging from novices to experienced LD's, allowing them to share their knowledge, swap experiences and network with peers while learning new skills.

(Chris Henry)

USA - After LG Action Sports World Championships lit up the Dallas Reunion Arena by day, Clay Paky's new Alpha Spot HPE 1200s illuminated the space by night when the Deftones kicked off a series of evening concerts.

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, the fastest growing manufacturer of mobile phones worldwide, sponsored the Championships. The culmination of the 2006 LG Action Sports World Tour, the event brought together more than 200 of the world's biggest names in skateboarding, BMX riding, and aggressive inline skating who competed for action sports' biggest purse and most coveted title. Ticket holders were also treated to nightly concerts by five top-name bands who performed live on the main stage.

"The Championships occupied a full arena floor: On one side was a large half pipe, in the middle was the street course, and at the other end was a concert stage,

The Netherlands - The Muziektheater in Amsterdam has replaced its analogue wired intercom infrastructure with a fully digital intercom solution from Clear-Com, including wireless beltpacks and matrix frames. The Netherlands Opera and Dutch National ballet both create and produce their own operas and ballets which involves a large amount of rehearsal time on stage where clear communications are vital. The Clear-Com FreeSpeak beltpacks provide a reliable, wireless system for Muziektheater stage, lighting, sound, and technical teams.

"Intercoms are the lifeline between the artistic staff and technicians," said Hans-Willem de Haan, head of sound and video department at Muziektheater. "We have a long-standing relationship with Clear-Com, so when we decided to move to a digital intercom system, we chose the Clear-Com 4000 matrix in combination with the FreeSpeak beltpac

Russia - ChainMaster, the German manufacturer of chain hoists and chain-hoist controllers for stage and show use, has designed a VarioLift chain-hoist system for the Chekhov Theatre in Moscow capable of being used either as a mobile system or a fixed installation.

It is built around twelve of ChainMaster's new 250 kg VarioLifts, which are capable of speeds up to 35 metres per minute. For the project, ChainMaster is working in concert with the Rock Stage Agency, its local distribution partner.

The VarioLift from ChainMaster came onto the market in 1998 after an 18-month development and test phase. It offers maximum precision and reproducibility in the positioning of chain hoists, the company reports. The lift is based on an integrated, vector-controlled frequency converter, supplied by a high-impulse incremental encoder and operates with a positional accuracy of 0.2 millimetres

USA - If you watched this year's Super Bowl on 4 February then you saw Tait Towers outwit the elements. Tait Towers built and installed a deployable roof and grid structure for the broadcast booth on field at Super Bowl XLI in Miami. Since the weather decided not to cooperate-it rained long and hard throughout the game-the structure kept the crew, cameras and lights dry. The structure also incorporated a rain gutter to channel the water off to the sides and away from the camera shots.

The Tait structure was a 4,000lb, 48'x32' unit that rose up 25' holding the lighting grid and a roof to keep everybody dry. It was used during the pre-game broadcast, half-time, and post-game coverage and had to deploy and retract in minutes. "From the time the game clock goes to zero at the end of the half, we then had the first commercials to deploy everything for a thirty seconds spot that

Colombia - Alex Campos, arguably the most prominent gospel artist in Colombia today, and one of the best selling Hispanic gospel artists in America, recently recorded a live DVD named El Sonido Del Silencio-Acoustic/Unplugged-2007. The concert took place at the Iglesia Filadelfia Puente Largo in Bogota, Colombia in front of a 1000 strong live audience. Campos was joined by special guest stars including Marcos Witt, a Grammy winning, Latin Christian artist, Lilly Goodman; a female vocalist from the Dominican Republic and Dr.P, a Hip-Hop revelation artist, hailing from Puerto Rico.

Alvaro Llano, Campos' FOH sound engineer, also runs an Audio Consulting/Contracting Company in Bogota, whose main market is Houses of Worship. He recommends Adamson as a premiere choice, and wanted Adamson for the show.

He chose to use the Adamson SpekTrix line, a more compact line array system

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