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14 March 2016

As the leaders of 192 different countries gathered in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference, Bluman Associates were providing full project management to American 'dome industry leaders' Absolute Hollywood. Designer James Lanier conceived a 20m tall Total Sphere representing Planet Earth which dominated the central square of Copenhagen.

The giant globe changed in appearance as it responded directly to text messages and emails from all over the world. Bluman Associates deployed 10 Christie S+20k c/w/TWIST projectors and two Delta Media Servers, running over 2 kilometres of custom-made fibre-optic DVI distribution

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14 March 2016

TAO was brought in 21 days before show day by Creative Entertainment Groups CEO Peter Brightman to assist with one of Egypt's biggest concerts at the new resort of Port Ghalib on the Red Sea coast. The event included a support show of aerial performance art supplied by Newsubstance Creative Agency from the UK.

CEG initially required production consultancy from TAO, with Andy Cotton fly to Egypt. The first issue was the staging structures which had been newly purchased by the Egyptian production company Golden Show from Eurotruss. Although the stage roof had sufficient weight loading for the Beyonce rig, globally there was a requirement for a 7.5 tonne touring video wall to be flown from the rear arch.

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14 March 2016

Thompson's lighting rig, supplied and operated by Kinetic Lighting of Los Angeles, consisted entirely of new luminaries including the MAC III Profile, LED sources, and other automated lights. Thompson sought a rig that featured LED, but also needed a luminaire that could handle the long throw distance and challenging surface of the building and turned to the MAC III.

Thompson comments, "We had to project colour and patterns from the east side of G

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14 March 2016

Avopo will distribute the SpinetiX HMP100 Hyper Media Player. The HMP100 is able to completely replace PC based digital signage platforms. It utilises open software standards and has a small footprint with a very practical feature-set.

"Not only will Avopo increase the accessibility of our HMP100 to Chinese companies, they will manage and develop the Chinese partner and customer channels. This includes the provision of dedicated customer-based training at their Beijing demonstration centre, events support and project support for a wide variety of customers and markets in regional Chinese territories," says Nikola Knezovic, vice president of sales of SpinetiX.

"The partnership with Avopo Technologies is an excitin

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14 March 2016

For a crowd of roughly 80,000 people, the sound reinforcement system had to be a solid performer. That's why Medellin-based Grupo HANGAR - the firm contracted to produce the concert and provide sound - deployed a sizeable loudspeaker setup consisting of components from the D.A.S. Audio catalogue.

Alvaro Alzate, general manager for Grupo HANGAR, reports: "As in the previous five

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14 March 2016

In addition to Fuzion and SSE Audio Group, companies which have had a long and steady association with the Nexo brand, the new members of the dealer network are: LMC Audio, Adlib Audio, Sysco AV, RG Jones, TG Baker, A.C. Entertainment Technologies, Northern Light, Leisuretec, ETA Sound, Musicland, Whitwam and Batmink. Rea Sound will continue to be the most prominent representative for Nexo in Ireland.

Nexo's UK sales manager Gareth Collyer comments: "These are some of the most recognisable companies in the UK industry, with top-flight track records in retail, installation, live performance and entertainment. Within the team, we have the skillsets necessary to work with consultants and architects,

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14 March 2016

It was at least the 5th year that PSI has been involved with the Belfast YV Christmas concert, produced by London based Sound & Light Productions and featuring a mass choir of 5000 schoolchildren, plus featured artists which this year included VV Brown and classical superstars, All Angels.

The Odyssey Arena was used in a 'back-to-front' format for this show, with the stage at the opposite end to normal, due to there being more bleacher seating in the rear of the venue to accommodate the enormous choir, which was wrapped around the back and sides of the stage.

This presented its own challenges for the PSI team - who had to light all the choir

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14 March 2016

The Clothes Show Live was hosted at the Birmingham NEC in December for Haymarket Exhibitions. Production manager Paul Divine worked with XL Events on an ambitious set where all three screens were built onto revolves. The rear of the screens were dressed seasonal style to resemble giant bow-wrapped Christmas presents! These were constructed from three large Lighthouse R7 screens with varying panel counts and a right angle in each.

Tim Riley, project manager for XL Events says, "This was a challenging yet rewarding project. We had great support from Stage One who created the structure supporting the screens and the dressing at the back, and coupled with cool graphics, all elements combined to make an excellent show."

In November 2009, XL Events secured the contract to sup

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14 March 2016

"The clarity and functionality of the system from voice to music is amazing," said Louis James, athletic director at Hatboro-Horsham High School. "The system is used for all our home stadium athletic events along with band competitions. The system as a whole is much better than I could have expected for high school events."

The Technomad system, featuring two Technomad Noho weatherproof loudspeakers and a turnkey signal processing rack, replaced a pair of agin

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14 March 2016

The Intercontinental hotel was completely transformed by a team of builders, artists, and technical designers taking 5,600 man hours to complete. Decorative structures were supplied by Deco Sun. L&S & Co. KG, Hupfer Beschallungstechnik, and Darkselection & Co. KG all whom own Adamson inventory, came together to provide complete sound production. Kaluza&Schmid managed the event, and PAM Events, Jands , LichtBlick Bühnentechnik provided lighting.

A discreet sound design was created for four separate stag

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14 March 2016

A total of eight DVX DM15s, a DVX12 and a DVA S10 subwoofer were loaned to the festival, much to the delight of vLOS stage tech/engineer, Craig Williams. "They were incredibly easy to set up and had a sonic clarity and detail you would not usually expect from a self-powered monitor," he reports.

"They are awesome products that I would take anywhere in the world, especially in a situation where weight, size and reliability are an issue," continues Williams. "The limiting system meant I could spend more time with the African artists and less time wor

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14 March 2016

Pozzoli incorporated a visually stunning cylindrical LED screen made up of Martin LC Series LED panels into the design. He explains his decision to use the LC panels, "I needed LED panels with a medium pitch between 30 and 60mm to ensure intelligibility and transparency simultaneously. Rental company Giochi di Luce offered me the LC Series so I took the opportunity to test them in combination with Martin's Maxedia media server and Maxxyz lighting console."

The LC panels formed an arcing 6m wide by 4m high cylindrical structure positioned at centre stage, the visual centrepiece of the set.

"With both concave and convex sides facing the audience, in practice we achieved two superimposed sc

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14 March 2016

In addition to being a major social highlight and an annual must-watch ritual for thousands of footy fans, it plays a huge role in the pre-match build up. The breakfast includes a Grand Auction, with all proceeds donated to the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Clifton Productions were employed to provide lighting and visuals for the 1500 guests, including a veritable who's who of Australian sport, politics and culture plus performances from some of the biggest acts in town.

Robe moving lights were employed to creatively light the event, with 28 Robe ColorSpot 1200 ATs and 24 Robe ColorWash 1200 ATs rigged above the triangular s

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14 March 2016

"I had heard a lot about the great sound of DiGiCo consoles, so I decided to try them out," says Raphael Rupprecht, Concept Solutions technical director. "I tried the D1 and was amazed at the quality of the preamps, the EQs and the dynamics. Even my reference CDs sounded better over the PA when routed via the D1 - I could hear details I had never heard before."

The next DiGiCo console he tried was the SD8, and this immediately became the 'gold standard' for Concept Solutions.

"I contacted local distributor TON Eichinger and got an SD8 for evaluation. We tested the desk

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14 March 2016

XL-Technologies was commissioned to build the screens by Frankfurt-based design agency Atelier Markgraph. The company was recommended to provide a bespoke LED solution for the project by rental partner XL Video, which has worked on a variety of Motor Show Mercedes stands designed by Markgraph.

The two specially shaped screens are different sizes and flown at different angles in the showroom, Each has staggered edges and is made up from specially adapted and sized Pixled modules.

Screen 1 consists of 22 Pixled modules giving a full screen area of 20.6sq.m, with a plasma monitor inset at the lower levels. The second screen is constructed from 30 Pixled F-30 panels, making up a total surface area of 29.7sq.m with a much larger plasma mon

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14 March 2016

Orbital Sound has provided an equally impressive complement of sound equipment, with Mick Potter adapting his original design for the 2006 West End production to cope with the venue variations and the tight schedule on the extensive national tour.

Overall, the touring version of the show matches up closely to the West End production, with the exception of a slightly re-organised orchestra to allow for the logistics of touring a 14-piece band. The sound system revolves around Potter's trad

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14 March 2016

The IEC-lock is an IEC female line plug with an integral locking system that is backwardly compatible with existing IEC male inlet sockets. An internal latch clamps the earth pin, making it resistant to accidental disconnection and vibration. The IEC-lock is used just like a normal power cable, except to unplug it, the user simply pulls back a red button on the underside of the connector to release the lock.

This makes the IEC-lock's locking mechanism suitable for protecting entertainment technology electrical appliances, including computer equipment and data communications applications that require a secure power source.

The IEC-lock is availab

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14 March 2016

A Streetcaster screen is more than just an electronic billboard with video and audio capabilities. "The commercial options of a Streetcaster screen are quite obvious." says creative director Hans ter Burg of Streetcaster. "But a Streetcaster screen does have much more possibilities. Every screen is supported by an editorial staff which engages itself to generate content for the screen. Apart from public announcements and commercial messages, the screen can also be used for news made available

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14 March 2016

"Our existing sound system didn't offer the quality of playback that we need for guests using our landmark ballroom on 42nd Street in the heart of Manhattan," says Matt Adams, the hotel's VP and managing director."

The Empire Ballroom comprises six interlinked areas that together can host events for between 100 and 1,700 patrons. The larger ballrooms B, C and D are laid out in a row with dividing air walls, while ballrooms A and E plus the West Ballroom serve as satellite areas with interconnected AV systems. "Previously, Grand Hyatt has brought in music-playbac

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14 March 2016

Dreamland Aqua Park contacted Jean-Paul Jeannet, director of The Brain Concepts company - a special effects design company working for the entertainment industry - to be the show designer and constructor of the newly-built Volcano Dreamland attraction.

The Brain Concepts selected Medialon to be the main show and media control system of the attraction which is located in the water park and offers visitors a special experience inside the volcano itself.

When coming to the Volcano, visitors can watch a spectacular three-minute show filled with fire and water explosions, roar sounds and many other special effects.

One Medialon Manager V5 Pro license embedded i

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14 March 2016

Cover It Up helped transform the main Arena and the Pavilion areas of the venue into one of the biggest and most successful dance party events in the country, celebrating the start of a new decade with six action packed arenas and a dynamic line up of DJs and performers.

Cover It Up's main challenge with this one was to design and rig a sonic baffling system that would separate the sounds between the two principle spaces - the main One Nation arena and Hardcore Heaven - which were set up back to back in the NEC's Arena.

The client was primarily concerned about the potential bass seepage between the two arenas, but Cover It Up's Elliot Stennett r

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14 March 2016

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 15 for short, closed with top marks given for the lighting of the entire proceedings. Seelite A/S under the direction of lighting designer Lars Nissen, deployed more than 1000 GLP Impression fixtures to light the plenum rooms, television broadcast locations and other ancillary areas. Seelite used all of their own fixtures, which they originally purchased for the Roskilde music festival and sub hired the remainder from AED Rent in Belgium, knowing that the Impression could easily handle this task.

A goal for using the fixtures was the reduction in power consumption over previous systems, without compromising light quality. The Danish foreign ministry, Se

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14 March 2016

"As an engineer I wanted hands-on control and flexibility," says Meirlaen. "Audient Zen gives me all the control I need. Hooked up with my ProTools HD2 system, a rack full of outboard gear and a small patchbay, I can now do and control everything from one location, be it providing eight separate mixes for tracking several musicians at once, to mixing down 32 channels coming from PT and inserting outboard and adding FX without compromise.

"What's even better is that I've got 16 more great sounding preamps and a versatile bus compressor added to the already fantastically clean and crisp sounding desk.

"I need to be able to grab any opportunity or challenge t

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14 March 2016

John Hastie, operations director comments, "The site is aimed to reflect what theatre automation should be all about - it's easy-to-use, visually exciting, dynamic and we wonder how we ever managed with the old, static site."

(Jim Evans)