Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

Business

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Italy - Panariello non esiste (Panariello does not exist) is a typical modern TV programme that freely mixes different genres and forges them into a show which is enthralling for both the guests in the studio and the viewers at home.

The director of photography Massimo Pascucci reports, "The concept of the lighting design stems from the need to strike a fair balance between the purely theatrical setting of the sets designed by Gaetano Castelli and the need to transform them into a sort of concert stage, in order to achieve spectacular effects during dances, acrobatic exhibitions and conjuring tricks."

The lighting consists almost entirely of Clay Paky units. In detail, 70 Alpha Profile 1500s are used for the orchestra, backstage and audience backlighting. Fifty Sharpys have been positioned vertically in mid-air on eight tubular structures behind the orchestra,

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Qatar - The Aspire Zone is the triumphant symbol of Qatar's sporting heritage. Spread over a 250 hectare site, the city has been designed to attract local and international sport enthusiasts alike. Embodying the spirit of the 2006 Asian Games, The Torch Doha is "a beacon of luxury and wellbeing offering a unique 5-star experience". At 300m high and with 360° panoramic views across the whole of Doha, The Torch is billed as "a haven for the discerning traveller whether they are sports enthusiasts, business leaders or health and wellness seekers".

AVTech, Paxt's distributor for Allen & Heath in Qatar, was given the task to meet and overcome the most complex applications and install a user friendly solution. AVTech decided to opt for Q-Sys developed by QSC, and an Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer to provide separate audio management and control.

In seven me

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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The Netherlands - Audient distributor, Maarten's Sound & Vision is organising a workshop to be held at the SAE Institute, Rotterdam on Friday 27 April. Collaborating with Audient and Sonnox, the afternoon will be split into two with a view to introducing the new Audient ASP4816 compact console as well as Sonnox Plug-ins, and giving attendees an insight into recording and mixing from the perspective of industry stalwarts.

Kicking off at 2pm, Audient's Luke Baldry will be running a live recording and mix session with local band CrowdedBEATS. The demonstration will include general mixing tips and tricks for analogue in-line recording, whilst highlighting the benefits of working with the Audient flagship console ASP8024 as well as the more compact, recently launched ASP4816. The smaller desk will be connected to a multitrack HD recorder, giving visitors the opportunity to get hands

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Greece - The first Red Bull Soundclash in Greece was supported by a TTL+ active line array system from RCF - provided as part of a complete sound, lighting and visual package across two identical stages by Greek production company, Kariotis Meletios Events Productions.

This band competition, famous throughout the world and held for the first time in Athens' Building 56, saw a battle between Greek bands Vegas and Melisses.

With two identical stages installed opposite each other in the same venue the concept of the competition was that the audience would vote vocally for the best group after each of the songs (Melisses recording 124dBA on the decibel meter to emerge as victors).

Sound reinforcement for the event included four arrays of four TTL55-A active line arrays and a TTS36-A flown subwoofer, with four stacked arrays of two TTS-56A subs, divided equally cross the two stag

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France - Out Board has announced that Audiolead is the latest addition to its expanding global distribution network. Based in the Paris suburbs, Audiolead will now provide France with all sales and support for the TiMax2 SoundHub and TiMax Tracker products.

Audiloead director Bruno Ghidionesco comments, "The TiMax SoundHub products seem very powerful and practical, with good pricing for our markets. TiMax Tracker also looks a well advanced system and very interesting to our theatre and event customers."

Out Board director Dave Haydon adds, "We're delighted to have a distributor with Bruno's breadth and reputation handling distribution of our exciting and unique TiMax products in France. Audiolead are highly respected in the territory and their extensive experience both in live productions and installations will be invaluable to growing our diverse new markets fo

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UK - SKY TV recently requested Dirty Rigger's full fingered Leather Grip Gloves for their indoor and OB camera & film crews.

Dirty Rigger's product manager Steve Marshall says, "We've been talking to the team at SKY for some time. Working with their camera crews we sent over a few samples of our 'camera gloves' for them to test in the field. The Leather Grips really stood out in the testing and the camera guys were apparently really chuffed with the results. SKY are a huge corporation and one that rely on the durability and reliability of its kit, so we feel great pleasure in them choosing the Dirty Rigger gloves."

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Christie would like to extend its congratulations to Absolute Audio Visual Solutions managing director, Alex Parmee, and project manager Brian Cook, who recently scaled Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. With the help of Christie and other corporate sponsors the pair reached the summit and raised a considerable sum for the British Heart Foundation.

Parmee reports, "It was a truly amazing experience, but probably the hardest thing either of us have ever done. In total we raised just under £7000, and we are absolutely delighted to have achieved such a fantastic result."

The website www.global-adventures.co.uk followed their progress and achievement and still enables donations to be made.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - The Revolution, the band that shared the stage with Prince for many years came together again in support of one of its own-to celebrate drummer 'Bobby Z' Rivkin's one-year anniversary of surviving a near-fatal heart attack-and to raise heart health awareness and money for MyPurpleHeart.Org and the American Heart Association.

More than 1,500 friends and fans from around the world packed First Avenue in Minneapolis to see the band play together for the first time in years.

Furthermore, the show brought back many of the original crew - drum tech Brad Marsh, guitar tech Mike Soltys, and respected FOH engineer Rob 'Cubby' Colby, who worked with the band from 1982 to 1989 and mixed the benefit show on a DiGiCo SD7.

DiGiCo national sales manager and Prince crew chief alum Matt Larson was the show's production manager, along with Mike Kranz as assistant PM and stage manager. O

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UK - On their current tour, Florence and the Machine are using Sennheiser microphones and in-ear monitors.

The system is supplied by audio rental company Britannia Row, Florence herself uses a customised SKM 5200 with MD 5235 head, with musicians and backing vocalists making use of 2000 Series in-ear monitoring.

"When I inherited the show, we were still doing clubs and Florence was using a wired Neumann KMS 105," says Ian Laughton, Front of House engineer. "When we got bigger, we went for an SKM 5200 with a KK 105 capsule, but then we realised there was too much spill going down the 105."

Laughton still asserts that the 105 is the ideal microphone for Florence, because of its rich bottom end and perfect top. "But we've got a heavy Tom-Tom orientated drummer," he says.. "In fact, it's a very drum orientated band - there's even a song called

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The Netherlands - De Effenaar is a busy live music and multi-purpose venue in central Eindhoven. Its two very flexible spaces offer capacity for 1300 people (standing) and 400 (standing) respectively, and a cafe restaurant area can cater for up to 100 people for functions and special events.

The venue has an eclectic programme of arts and entertainment including live music of all genres, dance shows, corporate events and parties and is both a producing and a receiving house. The average performance rate is about six shows a week throughout the year.

The venue recently made a large investment in Robe moving lights at the instigation of technical manager Charles Konings. The Robes were supplied by the Dutch office of Benelux distributor Controllux, which has had a healthy and happy working relationship with De Effenaar for some time.

The first delivery of Robes into the venue

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USA - It was a dream date for Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures and Alpha Profile 700 automated spotlights when they accompanied American pop star Katy Perry on her California Dreams tour in support of her new Teenage Dreamalbum.

Lighting designer Baz Halpin added 30 Sharpys tothe US leg of the tour after having used them for Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum shows.

"Katy's tour was very theatrical. It was set in a 'Candyfornia' world that was very colourful and thematically-inspired, very much like Katy herself," he explains. "The show was divided into five acts with different colour schemes for each, ranging from pastel to dark to monochromatic."

Halpin found that he needed "very small but punchy" fixtures on the floor upstage and along the perimeter of the stage. "Since we didn't have rehearsals, I wanted a light I already knew abou

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UK - d&b audiotechnik reports a successful debut at PLASA Focus Leeds. "Our first outing here and it's proved an ideal forum for us," said Stephen 'Oggi' Hogg who heads up the GB office for d&b. "We have a strong distribution in the north of the UK, and enjoyed the opportunity to meet and engage with their clients."

Two elements from the d&b productrange were presented, E-Series loudspeakers from the Black range in the form of the teenyweeny E4 and E5; and two comparable models from the White range, namely the 4S and 5S.

Two seminars were also presented, Can you hear me at the back? presented by Oran Burns, which looked at the acoustic signal path from loudspeaker to the listener's ear, and, Combining subwoofers within cardioid distributed arrays delivered by Steve Jones, which explored methods that can be used to achieve even sub bass coverag

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Columbia - Begun in the mid-1980s and brought online a decade later, the Metro de Medellín is the circulatory system of Medellín, Colombia, the country's second-largest metropolitan area. Serving a population of over three million, the system averages more than 400,000 riders each day across 20 miles of lines - two light rail and three aerial tramways - that have a combined 34 stations. The multi-modal system also incorporates a new Metro Plus system of bus lines that feature dedicated roadways and a planned total of 21 elevated-platform stations.

For paging and platform music at all stations, Metro de Medellín has created the world's largest integrated NetMax networked matrix system, with 57 Electro-Voice N8000 matrix controllers. The system-wide installation also includes more than 250 Electro-Voice EVID series ceiling loudspeakers powered by more that 150 channels of Elect

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South Africa - Rental company Pan Tilt has just taken ownership of 12 new Philips Vari-Lite VL880 Spots, the first of these fixtures available for rental Africa.

Kurt du Preez, owner of Pan Tilt, admits that he was a little concerned when he saw the size of the fixtures. This soon changed when he turned the VL880s on. "They were so bright," said du Preez. "The size of the beam is incredible."

He finds the gobos refreshingly new and different "for a change" and is loving the effects beam offering rings, multi-rings, lines, dots.

Pan Tilt have used the lights on some corporate gigs to wallpaper the venue with gobo designs and rich colour. The fixtures were also used recently to light an audience. "They were phenomenal," commented Kurt. "What speed, and even at full wide, they were quite bright."

(Jim Evans)

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Australia - Paul Collison used the new MA onPC command wing to control the lighting of the Main Arena Spectacular at Sydney's Royal Easter Show.

"I was really keen to give it a go on this show," he commented. "It allows you to have hard buttons, knobs and faders to control grandMA2 onPC software which is basically grandMA2 on your computer. Now, rather than trying to put in a 'large' console in a control room where there is no space, I've got the compact MA onPC command wing."

Wherever it is physically difficult to use a grandMA2 console, the MA onPC command wing, in conjunction with the grandMA2 onPC software, enables the customer to program or playback within the grandMA2 world.

Collison used a grandMA2 light to programme the show, switching to the MA onPC command wing for replay. "It's not too dissimilar to using an actual console and I was surpri

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USA - Visitors to the Dinosaur Hall in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County experience the wonder of the prehistoric creatures in a totally new way with innovative exhibits featuring audio-visual systems provided by Electrosonic.

Twice the size of the old galleries, the recently-opened 14,000sq.ft Dinosaur Hall displays specimens - including the world's only T. rex growth series of baby, juvenile and adult skeletons - mounted on platforms and preserved and articulated using modern methods. The skylit L-shaped Hall is flooded with natural light; a glass-sided mezzanine runs along the short side of the L where additional wall-mounted exhibits reveal more about the amazing creatures and show what it's like to find fossils in the field and study them in the lab. Electrosonic was responsible for the design, engineering, fabrication, installation and programming of the Hal

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USA - The accolades are nonstop at New York's recently renovated 40/40 Club, owned by hip-hop superstar Jay-Z and partner Juan Perez. As part of the multimillion-dollar renovation, a huge complement of Meyer Sound loudspeaker systems is installed throughout the 12,000sq.ft nightclub from the main floor and the VIP lounges to the bathrooms and hallway.

Fort Lee, N.J.-based JD Audio & Video Design (JDAV Design) handled design and installation of an A/V package that also includes four three-by-three video wall arrays - each measuring 165 inches - and over thirty 55-inch LED flat-panel HD monitors.

According to JDAV Design president Gabriel Karlis, 40/40 Club's proprietors had previously installed a sound system that featured equipment from various manufacturers. "I kept telling them that Meyer is a much clearer-sounding system," he recalls. "You can't come close to

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UK - AV & IT rental company DB Systems has added top-of-the-range 80-inch LED screens to its expanding rental inventory.

DB has bought the Sharp LED screens due to demand from clients and because it is this year phasing out its LCD and plasma screen stock. This latest investment takes DB's current screen inventory to over 1,500 screens of various sizes, from 22" up to these 80" models.

The Sharp screens are True HD 1920x1080 screen and, despite their size, weigh just 65kg, which is half the weight of an equivalent plasma version.

Oliver Richardson, DB's sales & marketing director, said, "LED technology is definitely the way forward for 2012. LED screens are lighter and thinner than the standard LCD and plasma screens, and have the added advantage of being more energy efficient. We expect this product to be in the 'what's hot' list for 2012.

"Our clients

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Singapore - Pacific Lighting's Singapore operation has recently been appointed as exclusive distributor for GLP - in both the Singapore and Malaysian territories.

Pacific Lighting director Hugh Chinnick comments, "GLP is a growing company, with a track record for innovation and quality. We have been very cautious in entering the moving LED fixture market, but are confident that GLP will successfully fit into our existing bespoke product range."

Michael Münz, general manager GLP Asia, adds, "I am very happy to have Pacific Lighting on board with us. They are a very experienced and well known player throughout Asia and the perfect match for GLP. Together with them we are looking forward to maintaining our rapid growing in Asia."

Since the opening of GLP's Asian Office little under two years ago, sales in the region have increased dramatically. "Recent

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UK - The performing arts are a vital part of life for girls at the Notre Dame School in Cobham. So when the Governors took the major decision to create a new theatre, members of the school's Performing Arts Committee enrolled help not only of Sisters, pupils, parents and teachers to contribute to the planning and realisation of the new facility, but also called in theatre consultants, Theatreplan, from the start.

Although the construction cost was set at £2.4m, it was a tight budget for a project of this scale. Set within London's green belt, the new building required the demolition of the previous school hall theatre. Theatreplan devised an unusual compact polygonal auditorium for a capacity of up to 400. The geometry reflects the galleried space of an Elizabethan playhouse where the actor or singer is paramount, and also adapts for an end stage presentation when required

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USA - ETCP has announced that Gravitec Systems and Production Resource Group (PRG) have joined the ranks of elite training opportunities by becoming ETCP Recognised Training Programmes. ETCP certified technicians who attend these courses will receive full renewal credits.

When it comes to protecting workers at height, Gravitec knows the value of education. Curriculum is designed to prepare workers and empower them to use available equipment and implement systems to protect themselves. Fall protection training provides riggers with the knowledge they need to perform their job safely. Gravitec offers a full range of fall protection and rescue courses, from basic fall hazard awareness to advanced climbing and rescue techniques, designed to address safety issues commonly faced by riggers and entertainment technicians in the field.

Participants enrolled in Gravitec courses will lea

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UK - A design innovation that delivers better sound quality to a wider concert audience has won West Sussex based manufacturer Turbosound a 2012 Queen's Award for Innovation. This is the third Queen's Award that the company has earned in its 30-year history of creating loudspeaker products, adding to its 1987 and 1997 Export Achievement Awards, which were granted in recognition of exceptional consecutive years of export growth.

Managing director Simon Blackwood said, "The design team has come up with two truly innovative concepts - the Polyhorn and Dendritic waveguides - deployed across three product ranges which contribute towards the ever-increasing quality of sound reproduction at live concerts and in permanent installations, and which are set to earn the company significant income both at home and in our 45-plus export markets."

The company has recently launched

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UK - Following on from previous successful courses, Avitas is hosting another seminar on temporary power systems for events on 13 June at White Light in London.

The one day course focuses on how - and why - the IET Wiring regulations and BS 7909 apply to temporary events and delves a little into why they are relevant and more importantly how compliance is not necessarily difficult. As well as looking at how to implement them correctly it also examples where current practice is not always best practice, showing where potential dangers exist in a typical event. It will also be of particular use to rental companies as the course gives the delegate a sound understanding of the importance of portable appliance testing.

The content is aimed at those with a reasonable appreciation of electrical systems and covers areas such as multiple sources of supply, RCDs, earthing and bonding, i

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UK - The Projection Studio, headed by visual artist Ross Ashton, designed and created the record-breaking video artwork featuring 32 animated mosaic portraits of HM The Queen that was projected onto Buckingham Palace last week.

The 'Face Britain' project was instigated by The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts and brought to life by PhotoBox. It has enabled over 200,000 children to make their faces famous on the front of one of London's most iconic landmarks.

It is also the first time that video projections have ever been used on the front of the Palace.

Ashton has previously projected onto the building three times - famously for the first time during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 - for which he used PIGI projectors. This time, leading UK video rental specialists Creative Technology (CT) have supplied the 24 Barco and Panasonic 18K and 20K video pr

  1. dbn rigs Preston Passion crosses
  2. Allen & Heath wins Queen's Award for Enterprise
  3. Vienna's Burgtheater debates with d:fine
  4. Oman's BIG Rentals adds ConTour cabinets
  5. Universal Event Productions invests in Robe
  6. Philips Vari-Lite on tour with Florence
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