Argentina - More than 35.000 people enjoyed Peter Gabriel's concert at Velez Sarsfield Club Stadium in Buenos Aires on 22 March where Buenos Aires Live Show provided the sound system, stage sets, lights and video facilities.
Powersoft amplifiers K10, K8 and K6 powered the entire sound system with a main L/R of 14 JBL Vertec VT 4889-1, the out-fill with 12 JBL Vertec VT4889-1 per side plus several VCA Sub Low 2x21 subwoofers.
USA - Northside Christian Church of Spring, Texas, recently installed a new sound system featuring loudspeakers and subwoofers from EAW. The installation was completed in March 2009, with final system commissioning on 28 March as part of the development of the church's new worship facility.
Vance Breshears and Kelly Dunlop of El Cajon, California-based Sound Technology Consultants were the A/V and lighting design consultants for the project, and the A/V installation contractor was David Hairel and a team from Hairel Enterprises of Conroe, Texas. The church's team included music director Jeremi Carnes and mix engineer Jose Barni. Other key individuals included Bruce Green from Irvine, California-based Visioneering Studios who served as design architect for the new facility, and Kirk Guillory from Columbia, Maryland-based Waldon Studio who was the project architect.
Live & Free - Coldplay are to give away a free CD at every remaining live show in 2009, the band have announced. Starting with the group's first North American tour date in Florida on 15 May, fans will be given a copy of nine-track album LeftRightLeftRightLeft. The band said the giveaway was meant as a "recession-busting mark of gratitude" to their fans for supporting them. LeftRightLeftRightLeft will also be made available as a free download on Coldplay's website from 15 May. "Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans - the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen," the band said on its website.
In The Sale Room - A rare Motown seven inch single has fetched a world record price of £25,742 after its seller Kenny Burrell, from Fife, put it up for auction. The copy of unreleased 1965 single
USA - For nearly six decades, Drexelbrook, PA, has been a first-call gathering spot for events large and small in the tri-state area. Its historic Georgian style mansion and Grand Ballroom have been the backdrop for countless weddings, proms, trade shows and corporate retreats and The iconic TV series American Bandstand filmed some of its earliest episodes there.
Drexelbrook's 15000sq.ft Corporate Events Centre, opened in 2000, is the largest facility of its kind in the region, and offers state-of-the-art audio and video systems including an elaborate distributed sound system using Community CLOUD6 ceiling speakers.
Brian Latocha of Aston, PA-based Toner Sound reports: "The old system was underpowered to begin with, and with the room's 25ft ceilings, it had been pushed to its limits for years, and was showing signs of age. We installed a distributed system of 60 CL
UK - New lighting consultancy Flare Lighting opened its doors for business on 1 May 2009. Launched by business partners David Amos and Ben Cash, the West London-based company provides lighting design and system delivery for the event and entertainment industry, and builds on the pair's many years of experience in the field.
Flare offers a range of services, from lighting for corporate events to theatre to architectural installations. As part of the business launch the company has commissioned a website, live now at www.flarelighting.co.uk.
Amos and Cash have joined forces following successful individual freelance careers. Previous clients have included Brandwidth, Blonstein and Ultimate Experience . Their years in the industry mean they have a large team of experienced and professional freelance crew and technical staff to draw upon.
UK - Lighting designer Leggy (Jonathan Armstrong) upped his count of i-Pix BB7 LED wash lights from 19 to 35 for Bloc Party's two sold out shows at London Olympia, the latest on a world tour that kicked off in January.
Bloc Party's Intimacy tour is the first time that Armstrong had incorporated BB7s into his rig - a move prompted by wanting a very bright, soft edged source with fabulously smooth colour mixing to produce the main over-stage washes.
On the first section of the tour he used four BB7s a side for front and side-stage washes, plus four on the floor behind each musician, for silhouetting and other style effects. The other nine BB7s were arranged on an inverted triangle on three back trusses - typically a main truss with two sub hangs - dependent on the venue and available space.
At Olympia, the triangle was expanded to four trusses - mid and back with two su
UK - The APRS (The Association of Professional Recording Services) is launching its re-designed web site at a social and networking event on 18 May at The Bath House, 96 Dean Street, Soho, London starting at 7.00pm. Open to everyone (members and non-members) the event will be an opportunity to learn more about the new features of the website.
A key element of the new site will be a fully searchable database of members' details. This will be of great benefit to members and non-members alike as site visitors will be able, for the first time, to search for member studios, facilities or manufacturers which match their project criteria.
Webmaster Mike Brown explained, "There's more to this than meets the eye because we've also been streamlining and centralising many of our back-end office procedures as part of this upgrade. New members will be able to apply online and subscrip
UAE - "The presence of so many of the region's events industry professionals at our One year in Dubai party reflects the level of success EFM has already achieved in the Middle East," said Mike Llewellyn, the company's Managing Director, at the event.
Dylan Owen, regional director of EFM in the Middle East, together with general manager, Chris Lumb have undergone a busy 12 months, since the Dubai office's opening in April 2008, building the business and gaining increasing respect from a wide network of contacts across the GCC region. Together with the EFM international management team, they welcomed fellow events professionals to the poolside iKandy Bar at Dubai's Shangri-La hotel for an evening reception to celebrate a successful first year.
During the last 12 months in the Middle East, EFM has moved an extensive list of events supplies in, around and back ou
Italy - With an ultimate retail floor space of 26,500sq.m, Italy's Mondovicino outlet village, retail park and shopping centre will be the biggest of its kind in the country. And with Yamaha audio equipment bringing the best audio quality to shoppers, it is certain to offer the ultimate retail experience.
Located near the town of Mondovì, in the province of Cuneo, north west Italy, the first phase of Mondovicino - with about 60 stores - has opened, with the rest of the development progressively opening in the near future.
Sound designer Adriano Zigante and his company Alto Gradimento won the contract to design and install the audio system at the complex. Zigante specified a comprehensive Yamaha system, which will deliver high quality audio via a highly flexible, multi-zone system.
The indoor shopping centre forms the first completed phase of the development and features fou
UK - Classical vocal group Blake and soprano Natasha Marsh recently brought together their musical talents for a special four week tour of the UK, performing popular classical works, their own hit material and pop arrangements. The tour, universally praised as a captivating and emotional show, ran from 22 March 22 - 9 April.
Lighting and production design was by Mark Cunniffe, who used Martin MAC III Profile, MAC 700 Profile and MAC 700 Wash luminaires to light the memorable series of shows. Known for his detailed attention to artistic requirements, Cunniffe's wealth of experience includes working with artists such as Elton John, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder.
"Steven Howard and Jodi Mitzman from the TCB Group requested a show that contained projected imagery together with lighting to provide an operatic and theatrical mood not normally associated with this
UK - Percussion combo Noise Ensemble are touring with 30 SGM Idea 250 moving lights. These have been newly purchased for the tour by Snap To Black, the tour's supplier of lighting, AV, crew and production management. The purchase was made through SGM's UK distributor Lightfactor Sales.
Lighting has always been an essential element of the show and part of the original concept since its inception at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2004. The latest tour's design is again created by Ben M Rogers - who has been involved with Noise Ensemble since Edinburgh - and is based on bringing edgy, moody multilayered drama to the performance.
For this tour however, Rogers wanted to up the production values and create a new setting and ambiance via the meticulous and well thought-out lighting. The intention with the new moving lights - a substantial rig for a theatre tour of this scale - was also
USA - Nominations have opened for the second annual ESTA Rock Our World Awards, which recognise groundbreaking achievement by ESTA Members in new products, product applications, or projects. These awards were created to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designer or integrator who applies the technology in a real world environment.
Contestants for the 2008 awards showcased a wide variety of new products and product applications from the simplest problem solver to complex uses of technology that extended the boundaries of the entertainment technology field. Project nominations showcased everything from theatrical productions to special events to permanent installations and highlighted the collaborative nature of our industry.
Nominations may be made by anyone in the industry, but an ESTA Member must be involved as the designer, manufacturer,
Switzerland - Barix announces that Acutron Electroacustica of Portugal has completed the installation of a Barix Audio over IP zoned audio solution for the Colombo shopping mall in Lisbon. The solution provides Colombo, one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, with a point-to-multipoint solution to deliver voice, audio and control signals to more than 30 locations.
The complete Barix Audio over IP solution features Instreamer 100 encoding and Exstreamer 100 decoding devices for voice and audio distribution as well as Barionet and IO12 devices for control and system monitoring. The entire system is controlled using Acutron software for signal distribution to any zone from the central server and local operator terminals.
According to Antonio J. de Oliveira, co-Founder and head engineer of Acutron Electroacustica, the Barix solution provided a flexible, multi-zone entertainme
USA - "I think we were always attracted to that sort of infinite sound that you can create," Julian Hamilton says, trying to define the motivating force behind his and musical partner Kim Moyes' fascination with electronica. "There are only so many sounds you can make with a violin or piano. With synthesizers and samplers, you can create totally new worlds."
As The Presets, Hamilton and Moyes are Australia's techno dance duo extraordinaire. Currently touring in support of the album Apocalypso, the pair have made the transition from studio to stage with the help of Shure SCL5 earphones and UHF-R wireless systems.
"When we write our music - especially for this last record - it's a very computer-based thing," Hamilton says. "The music takes on a whole life of itself, and after it hits the stage, it does step up in terms of energy. It's a r
Russia - Moscow is introducing 450 tonnes of the latest stage and lighting technology to the huge Olimpiyski Arena for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. 2,000sq.m of LED walls will bathe the two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May and the final, on 16 May, in an extraordinary display of light and colour. And for audio transmission, host broadcaster Channel One's partner is Sennheiser.
Since Dima Bilan and his rendition of Believe won last year's competition, Moscow has been preparing for the world's biggest live music show. The Olympic Arena can hold a crowd of 80,000 but as the stage of the 54th Song Contest is so vast - 1,000sq.m - there will only be space for an audience of around 20,000.
When the artists' first rehearsals start on 3 May, Sennheiser's RF expert Klaus Willemsen will have already been on site for a week - the wireless microphone and monitor equipment was
UK - When the producers of the Thriller Live musical arrived at the Lyric Theatre in London, they found themselves faced with the difficult challenge of isolating a wireless radio frequency within the heart of London's theatre district. After much deliberation, the company turned to Shure and the Joint Frequency Management Group (JFMG) to provide the solution.
"The issue we have in such a densely populated area is isolating RF channels that are not already in use," explained Chris Whybrow, the production's sound designer. "We basically needed to make sure we weren't stepping on anyone's toes."
The iconic venue is located in London's West End, surrounded by numerous theatre, musical, and comedy productions. The crowded nature of the area made isolating RF for on-stage instruments and vocal artists very difficult. Following a full assessment of his req
Mexico - In a precursor to his current world tour, Sir Elton John played a series of benefit dates in South America and Mexico beneath a Martin MAC rig in support of Buchanan's Forever, a charitable organization that raises money for local community enrichment programmes.
Three intimate shows took place in late January in Caracas, Venezuela; Bogota, Colombia; and Mexico City. Buchanan's Forever, which also featured renowned Latin American musicians, selected Elton John to headline the cause-related musical experience (Jon Bon Jovi headlined the first edition of Buchanan's Forever last year).
The benefit shows followed a series of tour style shows that the artist performed in South America. Unlike the touring shows, which were full Elton John and band performances, the private Buchanan's shows were solo performances - Elton John and his piano.
Lithuania - When White Light and theatre owner ATG announced the phased replacement of the Strand 500-series lighting consoles across ATG's UK venues with ETC's Eos and Ion consoles, the intention was that the 'retiring' lighting consoles would return to White Light to join the company's rental stock and to provide service support and spare parts for the many 500-series consoles still providing good service in venues around the UK.
One of those consoles has now embarked on a whole new chapter of its life - travelling from Milton Keynes to Lithuania where it has joined the Bohemieciai, a new opera company that is part of the Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra in Vilnius.
The donation was instigated by lighting designer Peter Mumford, who has lit several shows for the company and decided to try to improve their equipment stock in time for his next show, the musical Sweeney To
UK - Pearce Hire provided power distribution, lighting and audio services to a series of events at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in April for client JA Productions including the high profile launch of its Future Foundations Appeal attended by patron HRH Prince William.
The Future Foundations Appeal aims to raise £8 million which will be used to expand the site's education facility, Veterans Pavilion and central space where major memorial services can be held. These developments are part of an ongoing process to establish a living and lasting UK memorial arboretum. Based in Staffordshire, it will commemorate those who have given their lives in service of their country and society, offering a haven of peace, contemplation and hope.
Owing to the sensitive nature of the event, it was essential that there were no technical faults. Pearce Hire worked to its usual high
USA - Audinate, Inc., announced that its Dante audio networking solution was used during the world premiere of the new Star Trek movie at the Sydney Opera House. The 150 million dollar Paramount Pictures film debuted with the stars in attendance last month at the red carpet event.
For the event, Audinate collaborated with Dolby and d&b audiotechnik to deliver a truly impressive audio video experience. The Sydney Opera House was transformed using Dante to impeccably transport digital audio from the media servers to over eighty speakers across the Concert Hall. Over 1500 people enjoyed Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound at the highest audio quality through the full showing of the movie.
Surround sound from the digital cinema projectors was transported via Dante through a complex network of Cisco switches and amps. The audio network reached all areas of the Concert Hall using fiber
Ireland - HSBC has moved its Ireland headquarters to Dublin's Grand Canal Square - the new commercial heart of the city - and its AV systems were supplied by Electrosonic.
Completed in October and with a project value of in excess of £750,000, the new base contains 11 meeting rooms and two boardrooms, alongside a building-wide digital signage and employee information network.
A scaled installation, the AV systems have been specified according to the complexity required - the internal meeting rooms are equipped with high definition video conferencing, PC and laptop display, as well as DVD and tape replay with full remote control, whilst the main boardrooms support full video and audio conferencing.
For private conferences, the boardrooms offer multi-point microphone audio conferencing, and a dual, wide rear projection screen on which blended images can be displayed. For
UK - Britannia Row Productions has purchased a third Midas XL8 Live Performance System. The purchase comes as one of the company's systems continues its world tour with Oasis, with a further two spec'd for Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe which begins in Israel in May.
"Oasis went into rehearsals for their world tour last summer and will have had a Midas XL8 out on tour on monitors for nearly 15 months by the time they finish in October 2009," says Britannia Row's Mike Lowe. "That console, specified by their monitor engineer Nahuel Gutierrez, is now on the South American leg of the tour.
"Another Midas XL8 went into in SIR studios in New York with engineer Sarne Thorogood for Depeche Mode monitor rehearsals. Anthony King, the band's front of house engineer, also specified a Midas XL8, and as the Depeche Mode World tour will go into 2010, we purcha
UK/France - Christie reports that it has been appointed by XDC for the third year running as the supplier of digital cinema projection solutions at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, 13-24 May 2009. This includes the opening 3-D screening of Up, the new Pixar/Disney animated comedy adventure.
XDC has specified a Christie CP2000-SB projector to deliver the long-awaited 3-D presentation of Up, which takes audiences on an immersive journey into a lost world. Enhancing this inaugural screening, the CP2000-SB's in-built Christie Brilliant3D innovative technology "maximizes brightness and its single lens system reduces operating costs, without compromising on quality".
France is spearheading the digital cinema revolution in Europe with over 392 screens in 113 commercial theatres going digital as of early March 2009. Out of these 80 have been equipped with a 3-D s
UK - A meeting aimed at covering the concepts of audibility and inaudibility is being organised by the Measurement & Instrumentation Committee of the Institute of Acoustics in London.
Did you hear that? - concepts of audibility and inaudibility on 23 June will look at where threshold levels are either suggested or legislated. It will also cover what may be subjectively audible to one listener may not be to another.
Other areas covered in the meeting will include: What in practice should those quantified thresholds be, how can they be measured and are they enforceable? Likewise, in some instances it may be prudent to ensure inaudibility, what should these maximums of audibility be? How can they be measured and could they be directed to one segment of the public?
Did you hear that?, being held at the Royal Society, London is a one day meeting, with papers from In