Denmark - Despite surging forward with its Supernova front projection programme, dnp denmark is reporting a sharp uplift in OEM rear projection cube business.

With a growing global market for monitor and control rooms - particularly in their key Chinese market - dnp is continuing to explore new technologies to create higher visual acuity and reduce bezel sizes even further to ensure seamless tiled videowall displays with edge-to-edge pictures.

According to S°ren Weis Lindegaard, dnp business manager, OEM & special projects, the company has called on its heritage in pioneering advanced lens technologies -offering a number of alternatives fit for purpose. But it is the Cross Prism Screen (XPS), supplied by the Danish company, that OEM customers are favouring, while the more mature screen types, like Ultra Contrast Screen and Black Bead Screen, continue to remain popular.

T

Argentina - The Teatro Colón is the main opera house in Buenos Aires and its reputation for magnificent acoustics and opulence places it as one of top five opera houses in the world. It has hosted the likes of Maria Callas, Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanini, Igor Stravinsky, Enrico Caruso, and Luciano Pavarotti. Pavarotti once described the acoustics of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires as so perfect that they challenge singers because "if one does something wrong, it is noted immediately".

However, the past century had seen the building deteriorate to the point where balconies were blocked off, walls suffocated under as many as 10 coats of paint, bronze ornaments were splattered with floor polish, carpets were stuck to the floor with cement and the stage equipment had become obsolete.

In 2006 the city government's original 'master plan' to renovate involved structu

USA - Audinate and Four Audio have confirmed a collaboration in which Audinate's Dante networking solution will be integrated into several future Four Audio products.

Four Audio has licensed Audinate's Dante Brooklyn modules to provide a synchronized TCP/IP networking solution for their HD2 loudspeaker management system. This will enable users to stream 24-bit audio data, control and have the ability to monitor HD2 devices over a normal computer network using only one Ethernet cable. Next to the usual features of an audio controller, the HD2 provides more than 130 dB dynamic range at the inputs and allows control of the phase response of the speaker down to very low frequencies. Its limiter concept uses RMS and peak limiters for the amplifier and thermal and peak limiters for the speakers.

Four Audio is also integrating Dante into their solutions for wave field synthesis syste

UK - ETC Congo lighting control desks have been used for the annual Summer Sundae music festival in Leicestershire.

Starring Tinchy Stryder, Seasick Steve and folk rock band Mumford & Sons, the three-day festival focuses on indie, alternative and local music. The festival began as a single day event in 2001 and has grown since then to three days, adding two campsites. Programmer Florian Baeumler and lighting designer Andy Finn used a full size ETC Congo on the main stage this year, with a Congo jr as backup, supplied by Hawthorne Theatrical.

"This is the second time I've worked on the lighting for Summer Sundae," says Baeumler, "but only the first time we've used Congo control. I love the versatility of the desk and its ability to handle live events with ease. It makes a big difference that you can program blind, not affecting what's happening on s

Hungary - Hungarian audio distributor, Interton, has supervised a major sound system installation as part of a complete cultural centre rebuild in the city of Ajka.

Located in the north-west of the country, the local government-run Nagy László Cultural Centre has been re-equipped with an end-to-end QSC solution, including an Installation Line Array (ILA) system.

Interton has a long relationship with the venue's acoustic consultant, András Kotschy, who specified QSC components in the tender. "Due to our good relationship with the main contractor [Csönget? Ltd.] we managed to win the supply of the equipment - and the installation works as well," stated Interton MD, Géza Balogh.

The scope of the contract included the commissioning of a new sound reinforcement system for the main auditorium, as well as the intercom system.

The ILA not only had to demonstra

Norway - Midas distributor AVAB CAC is reporting multiple sales of Midas digital consoles, with several leading venues purchasing models in the Midas PRO range, including the first Midas PRO3 to be installed in the country.

The Arendal Cultural Centre has taken delivery of the entry level Midas PRO3 where technical co-ordinator Finn Cato Andersen comments, "We know how much engineers value the Midas sound, and we wanted the best possible equipment for our venue."

The console is being used at FOH in the centre's performance space, which has a capacity of up to 1,200 standing (700 seated) and hosts a full range of performance arts from theatre to musicals, classical concerts and rock gigs as well as occasional conferences. With a large number of engineers coming in to use the equipment, Anderson is particularly impressed with the PRO3's intuitive design. "It's sim

USA - J. R. Clancy has been selected to supply the automated rigging for the Parker Arts, Culture and Events (PACE) Centre in Parker, Colo. The centre is scheduled to open in fall 2011.

J. R. Clancy will provide 14 PowerLift automated hoists and an Altus rigging controller for the centre's 500-seat theatre. Designed for mid-level backstage rigging systems with up to 48 hoists, Altus allows operators to create up to 200 cues with different speeds and targets for each hoist. Its 12-inch graphic touch screen makes this an easy console to learn to use, even for crew members with limited backstage experience.

In addition, Altus will control the H&H draw curtain machine on the front curtain.

(Jim Evans)

UK / Thailand - Rycote, the UK-based manufacturer of microphone suspensions and windshields, has made its first charitable donation from the sales proceeds of its universal microphone suspension system, the Universal Studio Mount (USM).

When the USM was launched in January 2010, Rycote committed to donating one pound from every mount sold to a recognised charity. After much deliberation, the company directors chose the not-for-profit Future Light Children's Home in Tak province, north-western Thailand, which provides a home to 40 orphans from Myanmar (Burma).

Founded in 2006 by a Thai couple and now run by volunteers Jennifer Lo and Natasha Whiting, the Future Light home was begun to provide accommodation for several orphans from over the nearby border with Myanmar, who were discovered begging under a bridge in the village of Mae Sot. The home has moved and expanded several ti

USA - Tulsa, Oklahoma's Church On the Move (COTM) is a modern-day house of worship whose contemporary appeal is exemplified by a dynamic and ever-changing rig of Martin Professional lighting gear.

"We are constantly changing our sets to keep things fresh and help our creative team connect with our audience," says Daniel Connell, who has served as the COTM's full time lighting designer for the last three years. "On average we do a redesign every three months or less and average about five or six sets a year.

"For this reason we've decided to stick with renting all of our intelligent lighting rather than purchasing. This gives us the flexibility to change things up as we need without being hampered by the cost and difficulty of buying new gear and selling old. This also keeps labour costs down by not having to keep a moving light repair tech on staff."

UK - For the third time in 18 months, production company Event Engineering has expanded its inventory of Electro-Voice Tour X loudspeakers, citing their versatility and cost-effective performance as just two reasons to keep coming back.

Shuttlesound first supplied Tour X to the Loughborough-based rental company in March 2009 when it was one of the first customers in the UK to purchase the new enclosures. "EV's Tour X appealed to us for a theatre show we were doing on the Brighton fringe, and we made an initial investment of a stack a side," says Event Engineering's Mark Thornton.

The price:performance ratio of Tour X ("which is also very loud", adds Mark Thornton) proved an attractive rental proposition, the system paying for itself quite quickly by being such an all-rounder. "Small corporate awards, conferences, outdoor concerts, even the new Vinta

USA - Union University in Jackson, Tennessee is approaching the final stages of a widespread rebuilding project following a devastating storm that saw a tornado tear through the heart of campus. The campus most recently opened the doors of its large new student commons building, in time for the Fall 2010 semester.

Technomad supplied the outdoor background music systems for two patio areas connected to the new Bowld Student Commons Building. Here, students can gather to socialize and listen to music of their choosing. The PowerChiton amplifiers provide stereo inputs for iPods, mp3 players and CD players, with four Technomad Vernal weatherproof loudspeakers on each patio to playback high-quality audio with pristine musical reproduction.

The Bowld Student Commons Building was just one part of a lengthy rebuilding process.

The F-4 tornado struck the bulk of the residence complex

UK / USA - lighting designer Paul Normandale specified a grandMA2 light console to run lighting for the Scissor Sisters current Nightworks world tour. Normandale likes the feel of the console, and used one with Glen Johnson (Scissor Sisters lighting director) on the Courteeners earlier in the year. Johnson has been using the grandMA2 ever since it became available with great success and enthusiasm.

Instrumental to them choosing it this time around was the new Universal Effects and Universal Presets, features implemented with the latest software upgrade. This means that if a colour is programmed in CMY it can be applied to all fixtures using a CMY effect, dispensing with the need for separate palates for fixtures. If two dimmer channels are used to create a dimmer effect (i.e. a chase) then stored as a Universal Effect, any fixture with a dimmer can be selected and this ap

USA - The ESTA Foundation has announced the Behind the Scenes note cards, featuring original artwork by Andrew Hefter and Christine Jones. These cards are blank inside, making them suitable as opening night cards or for any occasion throughout the year.

Andrew Hefter's card designs include four stunning photographs shot on the set of An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin onstage at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre, consisting of 29 different ghostlights. Christine Jones' design features an image of a ghostlight in the heart of Times Square. These striking images will each be sold in packs of 12 with the Hefter pack a mix of all four designs.

Christine Jones' work includes American Idiot, for which she has received a 2010 Tony nomination, Julie Taymor's The Green Bird, her 2007 Tony Award-winning Best Scene Design of a Musical for Spring Awake

USA / Europe - After meeting while recording in Nashville, Robert Plant and lighting designer Chris Lisle ended up at Bandit Lites for a few days experimenting with old tried and true lighting fixtures. Plant had very definite vision of what he wanted, and it was lighting standards of PARs, lekos, fresnels and cyc lights - All of this is scattered around on a series of small stands and vertical pipes.

The show is controlled with the classic Hog 2 console and sets up in little to no time. Bandit client rep Brent Barrett worked with Lisle, tour manager Rick Feulner, production manager Gary Trew and Trinifold Management rep Nicola Powell to insure complete satisfaction of the simple but dynamic vision Robert Plant held in his head.

Plant and Lisle spent a few days at Bandit Lites Nashville facility programming the lights and completing the show before it even hit the road with hi

UK - WiSE (Women in Stage Entertainment), the industry organization set up to address the under representation of women in the backstage, technical and design disciplines of entertainment, smashed even its own expectations during PLASA 2010.

Co-founder Sarah Rushton-Read says: "During the show we shot past the 200 barrier in terms of membership and now have over 270 members and counting! It was great to meet and greet so many of our members on our own stand and we thank our sponsor Bryan Raven of White Light, Esther Heaslip and the White Light team for making this happen. The WiSE stand was heaving every day during Tea O Clock (4pm - 6pm), where WiSE members served tea and cakes to industry colleagues and other WiSE members. Of course we could not have achieved this without all the wonderful WiSE women who were prepared to - tongue in cheek - don their pinnies, bake some fa

UK - Havells Sylvania, the global designer, manufacturer and provider of professional lighting solutions has opened its European headquarters in London. The move aligns with the global strategy of Havells Sylvania to better serve its European customers and become more agile in a dynamic international market and high growth developing markets, says the company. The new office will be inaugurated by Qimat Rai Gupta, chairman & founder of Havells Group.

A statement says, "This decision underscores the company's vision to consolidate Havells Sylvania's position as one of the leading global designers and suppliers of lighting products. Set in a global lighting market characterized by an increasing demand for energy-saving and eco-friendly light sources which is forecast to reach US$24 billion by the year 2015, Havells Sylvania is well-positioned to cater for the European market

UK - Companies and individuals from across the country picked-up accolades at the inaugural Live Music Business Awards, held on 7 October at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, in London's West End.

The capital dominated the major venues' league, with Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena winning the respective Best Venue Teamwork (Stadium/Arena) awards, although the O2 Academy in Newcastle beat London's Koko to Best Venue Teamwork for a major club.

Other winners included Spectacle of the Year - Muse at Glastonbury, Best Festival (below 15,000 capacity) - Bloodstock Metal Festival and Agent of the Year - Geoff Meal of The Agency Group.

Breakthrough Artiste was won by Mumford & Sons, while the Outstanding Contribution award went to Mark Cooper and Alison Howe, co-directors of BBC Television's Later ... with Jools Holland, for the boost the programme has given to the liv

UK - Audio visual rental company Terry Tew has become the first hire company to purchase a SoundField DSF-2 and DSF-3 digital microphone system for discrete-channel 5.1 audio capture. Within weeks of the digital SoundField mic arriving at the Terry Tew HQ to the north-east of London, the system was in such demand that managing director Tew has now purchased a second complete DSF-2/DSF-3 rig and a UPM-1 stereo-to-5.1 upmix processor as well.

"Anyone that does HD OB work for Sky is now required to use a DSF-2/DSF-3 system, and although Sky has rigged many of them permanently at some Premier League stadiums, not everywhere has one," reports Tew. "We received a few calls asking if we rented them, and I realised it would be worth our while to have a system.

"SISLive used our system this year at Wimbledon, and then our customers started using it so regularly that

UK - Stage Electrics has once again provided full technical production for the Guardian Hay Festival, held in Hay-on-Wye in the Brecon Beacons each summer. The world's leading literary festival, famously labelled by Bill Clinton as The Woodstock of the mind, has also exported its concept to create sister events in India, Columbia, Mexico, Spain, Maldives and Kenya.

In 23 years the event has grown from a number of venues in the picturesque town to a much larger greenfield site just outside. The site infrastructure is designed to ensure that visitors and guest celebrities alike enjoy the experience without traditional festival discomforts. Generous trackway and tentage ensure that encounters with mud, even in a wet year, are minimised; conversely, on sunny days there is plenty of space for visitors to relax on the lawns.

Content spans the literature readings and di

UK - A total revamp of the Baldwin Boxall website (www.baldwinboxall.co.uk) has just been announced. There is information on current product ranges with access to downloadable literature, however, there are also presentations, video and accreditation downloads available. In addition, general information on voice evacuation, emergency voice communication and a news page can be found.

Baldwin Boxall care very much about providing full documentation. With this in mind they have ensured that, as well as information on all current product ranges, older material is included too. Instruction manuals for 'out of manufacture' products can be quickly located, either by button navigation or via the site's useful search facility.

Commenting on the new website, Nick Baldwin, marketing director said, "Here at Baldwin Boxall we are all delighted with the finished article. During the des

USA - Lighting designer Tim Dunn from Gearhouse South Africa will give a presentation about lighting the acclaimed Closing Ceremony for the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Robe at the Lighting Design International (LDI) exhibition 2010 staged in Las Vegas 22 - 24 October.

The presentation is currently scheduled to run once daily for the three days of the show - one of which will be in Spanish. Full details to follow. Interested parties can register for a place at the front desk of the Robe booth.

Robe ColorWash and ColorSpot 2500E ATs and REDWash 3-192s were used extensively - along with other fixtures - in the award winning event at Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, produced by The VWV Group.

Dunn's presentation will detail the challenges faced by him and his team, which included precision lighting around the large format pitch video projections. Dunn will also expan

India - The 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi which finishes today is being broadcast for the first time in high definition - 26 Yamaha LS9 consoles are being used by outside broadcast specialists SIS LIVE to ensure that the televised audio is as good as the images.

SIS LIVE is Europe's largest outside broadcast and satellite uplink provider and is supplying production / coverage facilities and services to cover the Games. The company won the multi-million pound contract from India's public broadcaster, Doordarshan, part of Prasar Bharati, the Broadcasting Corporation of India.

Taking delivery of the 26 LS9-32 consoles from SSE Audio Group, SIS LIVE is using YG2/YS2 mini-YGDAI cards, also supplied by SSE, to seamlessly integrate the consoles with a huge Optocore network. The system is bringing 17 different track and field events from 12 different venues to a global television a

USA - The nearly 12m viewers of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, telecast from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on 12 September, saw Sennheiser microphones and wireless technology deliver much of the excitement - at the celebrity arrival area, on the main stage, and across both the indoor and outdoor performance areas. The event showcased a mix of established artists and fresh faces, including Eminem, Rihanna, Paramore, Linkin' Park, Florence + the Machine, Drake, will.i.am, Nicki Minaj, among many others.

Host Chelsea Handler used a Sennheiser wireless microphone, as did all presenters. Wireless specialists Soundtronics supplied one dozen channels of true-diversity receivers, including EM 3532s, along with SKM 5000 and SKM 5200 wireless handheld transmitters.

Sennheiser was also featured in many of the night's performances. Eminem, one of the big award winner

USA - Entering its sixth performance season, the $64 million DeBartolo Performing Arts Centre at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, campus has recently upgraded its former audio system in the Leighton Concert Hall and now hosts a Soundcraft Vi4 digital console with BSS Soundweb London digital signal processing.

After many demos with the Vi4 and several other consoles, the Centre's technical crew unanimously agreed on bringing the Vi4 to Notre Dame.

"The Vi4 was the perfect investment for the centre's transition to digital sound," said audio engineer Joshua Ingle. "Everything from its ease of use and amazing sound quality to its sleek looks and size were considered, and the Vi4 fits the bill better than all the other choices."

The acoustics in the Leighton Concert Hall are world-class, with the ability to mechanically change wall surfaces and reverb ti

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