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UK - Sound, lighting and AV integration specialists The PAI Group has completed an innovative contemporary audio/visual and lighting installation at the Gwernllwyn Country Club, Carmarthenshire. The 700 capacity venue - owned by local independent entrepreneur Will James - features a split level design with a function room on the first floor and a nightclub below.

PAI Group's general manager Keith Elms led the project, taking Thomas Parry Architects' interior design as an aesthetic starting point for the design, specification and supply of a complimentary, avant-garde technical infrastructure. Elms comments: "We know that the fusion between interior design, AV and lighting systems is intrinsic to delivering the most cutting-edge results for the client."

The club's peripheral features utilise state-of-the-art LED architectural lighting. These architectural elements are

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UK - Lighting Designer Max Conwell devised a staging concept for Razorlight's recent tour and forthcoming summer shows which required eight 2m by 8m drop, DMX controlled Venetian blinds, behind which were flown eight tracking video screens. Additionally the Venetians' 80mm wide louvres had a finish that took colour well and allowed for both colour effects and projection to used on the closed louvres slats which gave a variety of very different looks.

Conwell also commissioned a 5ft high 24ft long 'Razorlight' sign with 800 bulbs which was flown from the front truss. The sign was made out of polycarbonate and when not lit either with its integral lighting or the main show lighting, blended into the rest of set seamlessly.

Max Conwell comments, "Specialz are the first call to make for me when I need bespoke and unusual fixtures and scenic elements. I am always safe in the k

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UK - HSL supplied full lighting production, associated rigging and crew to the recent Simon Webbe theatre and arena tour, with lighting and set designed by (Stephen) Abbiss and production managed by The Production Office.

The account was handled by HSL's Mike Oates, who says: "It was great to be working with Abbiss again. As always, he came up with a really inventive design and a flexible rig offering lots of options for the different sized venues."

Abbiss's initial brief expanded as the tour sold more tickets and some dates moved up to bigger venues, resulting in the final itinerary ranging from the 16,000 capacity Manchester Evening News Arena at the larger end of the scale to Norwich UEA and Ipswich Regent Theatre at the cosier end. "This was the real challenge," says Abbiss, "Designing something that looked equally good in different spaces and that

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Russia - Barco's Encore presentation system, FLM R20+ and CLM R10+ digital projectors were selected for use in the 11th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The forum, which took place on 9 and 10 June 2007, saw a gathering of 10,000 people - including more than 200 CEOs from top international companies - for a series of high-level industry workshops under the auspices of President Putin.

A new conference hall was built at the Lenexpo complex for the forum. Within the complex, one of the largest Encore presentation systems ever deployed in Europe was set up for the event. The system, along with projectors and other Barco image processing equipment, had been brought over from Finland by Finnish rental partner SVV which is the official video supplier for the event.

Mika Vakkilainen, MD of Suomen Videoviestint (SVV) states: "The event was a great challenge for us wi

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UK - The winners of this year's Annual Awards and the Technician of the Year, were presented with their Hook Clamp trophies - jointly sponsored by Andolite & Triple E - at the Annual Awards Dinner, sponsored by PRG Europe and held at London's Commonwealth Club.

Chairman of the judges, Robin Townley, ABTT Hon. Secretary, remarked that there were again more nominations this year than ever before and that nominations continued to arrive from the ABTT Theatre Show floor, well into the morning.

Judging took place throughout the day, with the final decision made shortly before the start of the Awards Dinner in the evening.

The ABTT Sound Product of the Year 2007 went to Orbital Sound for the Zaxcom digital radio mic system which the judges described as "very impressive, forward thinking application of digital technology".

Other awards included: Lighting Product of the

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UK - Like much of the rest of the contest, it was a close-run thing at the end. The final of mic manufacturer AKG's 2007 unsigned bands competition, Unsigned Heroes, which was held at London venue Koko on 1 June, promised a night of great music and a fine display of new talent, and it delivered in full.

Camden's The Standards won the day with their finely developed stage presence and great melodic performance, but Hertfordshire's Flamboyant Bella and Merseyside's The Kashmirs came close behind. As the judges said as they stepped up to make the final announcement: "This has been a really tough decision . . . we'd like everyone to have won."

Amanda Chester, who as Marketing Manager at Harman Pro UK, AKG's UK distributors, played a key role in organising Unsigned Heroes 2007, says, "It's been great to organise this competition on behalf of AKG, and it

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World - The problem of product piracy is one that UK, European and US manufacturers are increasingly aware of. The growth in cheap copies of high-end lighting and audio products is visible at almost every major trade show on the industry calendar, and few manufacturers have not witnessed their own designs on other exhibition stands. Yet tackling this problem is an expensive and arduous task - with doubtful end results.

In the September issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine, we will look at the problem, speaking to leading manufacturers about their experiences, and to leading Intellectual Property advisers, trade show organizers and industry bodies about what, if anything, can be done to combat it. How do we stop importers from selling on copied product? How do we educate end-users about the pitfalls of using cheap c

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Ireland - For the third time in a row Dublin's National Concert Hall (NCH) has opted for a Sound Projects sound reinforcement system. The new configuration, primarily Linex line array, gives the venue access possibilities to wider programming elements. It is the first such installation of its kind in Ireland.

Sound Projects entered the NCH in 1997, when the Dutch audio manufacturer built and supplied a custom made centre cluster which was later replaced by eight Sound Projects SP-2 active cabinets.

The newly installed configuration consists of a Sound Projects Linex clustered 10-cabinet line array facing forward, with four SP-4 Linex speakers facing the rear balcony and one facing each of the side balconies.

Stereo imaging is made possible by the addition of eight SP-2 and four X-Act active loudspeakers. A remotely controlled LCR configuration is also possible. The system is

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Ukraine - With Eastern Europe now clearly highlighted as an area of growing opportunities for pro audio equipment manufacturers, Prism Sound has strengthened its position in this market by appointing Real Music as exclusive Ukraine distributor for its range of recording products.

Founded in 1998 by Sergey Shelkovenko, Real Music offers two distinct services -distribution of high-end pro audio equipment for manufacturers such as TC Electronic, Allen & Heath, Tannoy and Meyersound, and the installation of equipment into music recording facilities. The company employs 56 staff and has four retail outlets, along with offices in three of Ukraine's largest cities, Kiev, Odessa and Donetsk.

"We sell goods all over Ukraine through a network of more than 50 dealers," says Shelkovenko. "We are delighted to be representing Prism Sound's recording products as the company ha

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UK - Three years ago, Basingstoke-based rental and production company Eurohire purchased the first eight production units of EM Acoustics' Quake subwoofers. Demonstrating their commitment to the brand, Eurohire's MD Mervin George recently took delivery of a further eight units to complement their existing point source and recently-purchased line array stock.

Eight of their Quake subwoofers were recently deployed on the Wisley Music Festival in Surrey. The three night event played to sold-out crowds each evening, with a different genre each performance. The first night included Catherine Jenkins, the second featured music from the hit musical Dirty Dancing, and the third night gave the system the chance to really show what it could do with music from the Counterfeit Stones and Killer Queen.

The system comprised four Quakes per side, underpinning a 7-box EAW line array ha

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UK - When Jamaican-born Patrick Marché set out to establish an authentic Caribbean restaurant in London's east end, his sights were initially set on the high footfall cultural area of Stratford - rather than in the shadow of the ExCeL Exhibition & Conference Centre in the fast developing Docklands.

But when council red tape delayed the proposed Stratford project - which will now open towards the end of this year - Patrick and his investors instead launched the 3,400sq.ft Caribbean Scene concept at the Western Gateway overlooking ExCel Marina.

Inside the building the owners tasked The Sound Division Group with creating a vibrant and versatile cross-cultural mix in which audio and video signals can be patched randomly through the building's four zones (including toilets), to change the mood, atmosphere and operating base at will.

Under the project management of Jon Care

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Germany - Klotz Digital has announced that it will supply a Varizone system to the Opera in Halle, the city on the Saale, Germany.

Varizone will be the core technology of the PA system and is included in the opera's central stagecraft/stage management application. Product supply comprises V888 Matrix Controllers and the digital multi channel amplifier modules, I-PAM, which was recently introduced at ProLight & Sound in Frankfurt.

The contract has been awarded to Klotz Digital's German sales and service partner FG-Elektronik, who will be responsible for the complete system integration.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers are on the road in the UK, touring their eighth album Send Away the Tigers. These are the band's first touring shows for two years and Preacher Nicky Wire promises, "Springsteenesque long sets, working-class rage, make-up and dumb punk fun".

This is the Manics' first tour with SSE Audio, although the band and its front-of-house engineer Dave Cooper made use of Nexo Geo T array systems at a large radio show at Christmas (XFM's Winter Wonderland). However, recent developments have transformed the PA system they last used. The implementation of NXStream, an all-new suite of loudspeaker processing software for Nexo's loudspeakers, has proved so successful that John Penn of SSE Audio reckons "I've got a new PA system."

SSE is currently upgrading all its Nexo NX242 TDcontrollers, the second-generation digita

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Malaysia - With its strategic location at the hub of the central business district and its purpose-built facilities, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has become one of the Malaysian capital's competitive assets. It raises the city and Malaysia's profile by providing a world-class venue to both major international conferences and trade fairs plus the colorful entertainment sector for international concerts, musicals and family stage shows.

Realising a gap in the market for high-end sound systems, Orange Events, a preferred supplier for sound, lighting and AV systems of the Centre, aimed to enhance the existing sound system by improving overall sound quality, coverage and capacity to handle events in large venues such as the 3,000-seat auditorium, Plenary Hall.

After thorough research and technical consideration regarding the exact requirements of the Centre, Oran

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USA / The Netherlands - Color Kinetics Inc, the Boston-based manufacturer of LED lighting systems, has announced that it is to be acquired by Royal Philips Electronics in a deal worth approximately $791 million. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2007.

Color Kinetics has achieved over 15,000 installations worldwide with its LED lighting technology, and has famously amassed a powerful patent portfolio encompassing 71 issued patents to date. The company licenses its technology throughout the lighting industry, and has worked alongside government agencies to promote the advancement of LED lighting as the best long-term choice for energy efficiency. "The acquisition by Philips will dramatically fortify the combined company's reach and efforts to make its technology the de facto platform for intelligent L

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UK - - Last year, Butlins Holiday Resort in Minehead carried out a major sound and lighting refurbishment, with a view to rolling the model out at their other Resorts in Skegness and Bognor Regis. This aim has now been realised, and the new technology infrastructure was completed at both sites this Spring by the Birmingham-based Cloud One Group.

The pro audio specialists have enjoyed a close relationship with Butlins Resorts over a 15-year period, and during this time they have regularly specified Martin Audio sound reinforcement systems on their projects.

In addition to the new W8LM Mini Line Array installations in Skegness and Bognor Regis, Cloud One also made some enhancements to the original W8LM installation in Minehead - initiated by Martin Audio's Brad Watson and Butlins' Technical Manager Dirk Peace.

This has resulted in all of Minehead's premium entertainment venues

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UK - Rising interest rates are bad news for many - but they could be a lifesaver for some businesses, according to commercial analysts Plimsoll Publishing.

"Our research shows over a third of UK sound equipment companies are in more debt than they have been at any time in their history," says David Pattison, senior analyst at Plimsoll. "Rising rates are a useful wake-up call. Many of the companies in question have been enticed by low interest rates and the lure of easy debt secured on rapidly rising property prices, and so have been able to cover up flaws in their business strategies - effectively buying time. There is just enough time left for these firms to look seriously at their balance sheets and change direction."

If companies reduce their level of debt and streamline their business models, they may have a future, according to Plimsoll. But if they ig

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USA - Morin Productions, the US distributor for Outline Audio Products, recently took a musical walk through the seven deadly sins when its Butterfly line array was used at the Boston Conservatory's Heaven & Hell production. The show, an adaptation of Joe Jackson's 1997 concept album of the same name, gives a modern slant on sin, including a sloth enjoying a super-sized soda in front of a mega TV screen. The production featured an uncluttered set and featured the talents of both Conservatory students and audio professionals.

"I have 97 separate mute scenes for the 75 minute show," said Heaven & Hell FOH guru Nick Joyce, a veteran live sound engineer who mixed the show on a Crest X8 provided by Marathon Sound from Salem, NH. "The production seems simple to theatre-goers, but it's a complex audio production with rapid-fire lines and singing in singles

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Greece - The final of the Soccer Champions' League on 23 May, in which Liverpool and Milan faced one another in the former Olympic stadium in Greece's capital, was broadcast to an estimated 1.2 billion viewers worldwide with a little help from two SoundField DSF-2 digital microphone systems. The multi-capsule microphone heads for both systems were rigged in the stadium to provide simultaneous phase-coherent 5.1 and stereo stadium ambience and crowd response for the HD and SD transmissions.

A single world transmission feed, authorised by UEFA and its exclusive media partner TEAM Audio AG, was used to provide TV companies from all around the world with their SD and HD pitch coverage. On the night of the match, the world audio feed was mixed by Robert Edwards of UK broadcast sound specialists Video Sound Services, assisted by Frank Mosch, the technical head of sound at Belgian comp

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USA - One of the highlights of a visit to the famed Opryland resort in Nashville is taking a cruise on the General Jackson Showboat. Visitors can enjoy dinner and a stage show while sailing along the Cumberland River in this 300ft vessel, which is styled to resemble a 19th century paddlewheel riverboat.

But while it's steeped in Old South tradition, the General Jackson has gone strictly 21st century in its theatrical lighting. A new package of intelligent fixtures from Elation Professional was recently installed in the boat's Victorian Theatre, a majestic two-story dinner theatre where the main stage shows are held.

The room's lighting had previously consisted primarily of conventional par cans and Ellipsoid fixtures, but the boat's entertainment and design staff felt it was time to upgrade. "They wanted to move 100% into intelligent lighting," said Peter Vaque of Sp

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UK - Media programming and system design company tsg, has installed an Audica Professional MICROseries audio system in the new Cruise store in Chester.

Established in 1984, Cruise is one of the UK's leading luxury retailers, with a reputation not only for designer brands, but also as a showcase for fresh, innovative fashion. Their stores house a selection of menswear, womenswear, footwear, bags and accessories from some of the world's leading brands.

Operating with formats of larger mainline and smaller specialist stores, Cruise Chester is the company's second stand alone footwear, accessory and bag store, stocking international labels including Gucci, Chloé, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Vivienne Westwood, Dolce and Gabbana and Paul Smith. The timber-framed building developed for the new store dates from 1664 and incorporates many of the site's original features including an Eliza

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UK - PSL, one of the UK's leading rental & staging services companies, has, in the last three months, invested £1 million into the latest audio, video and projection equipment, to keep its inventory right at the cutting edge. "And that won't be the end of it. It's part of our ongoing fleet upgrade programme," says PSL MD Gary Davis. "We are planning further purchases in autumn 2007."

Providing rental & staging event management and technical services, PSL has become a prominent supplier to the events industry. From company conferences to a Pet Shop Boys tour to the Farnborough International Airshow, PSL is able to provide a comprehensive package of technical services and staging, or specific expertise in video projection, lighting or AV, says the company.

The bulk of this spring's investment has been in the latest Christie Roadster S+20K and S+8K proje

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Germany - The Porsche Arena, an events location in Stuttgart's Neckar Park that opened in May 2006, recently took delivery of a lifting system from ChainMaster that will be used to manoeuvre the video cube.

The system consists of four 2,500 kg VarioLifts with two chain-falls each and a computerised control system for installation work. The ChainMaster controller not only synchronises the drives but also supervises the loads. The Porsche Arena is capable of accommodating up to 7,500 people at a time for corporate events, sporting functions and concerts.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - For all the logistics of massive, high profile live music tours, it's often live shows designed for a very young audience that prove just as gruelling and technically challenging for production crews.

Created in 1999 by Tell-Tale Productions (now WISH), The Tweenies is a highly successful BBC television series aimed at 3-6 year olds. Over 300 episodes have been made, with arena-sized tours also giving the television audience a chance to see the popular Tweenies characters in the flesh, rather than through the television screen.

2007's Enchanted Toyshop tour has seen the Tweenies do a UK theatre tour for the first time. The more intimate venues mean that children can get even closer to their heroes, but with no compromises on the quality, fun and excitement of the show itself.

The tour began on 16 March and runs through to 27 October, taking in no less than

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  5. XL Video acquires Show Support
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