UK - Edinburgh Lighting & Sound School selected Allen & Heath's MixWizard3 16:2 as the main training console on its new Production and Technology course, and an iLive digital mixing system was used for training purposes on one of the modules.

First year students on the year-long course have just graduated, and all 15 graduates have received job offers, including one student who has been employed by Autograph Sound, and is currently working on Damon Albarn's new Dr Dee opera.

"The Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School is delighted to be working with Allen & Heath as a training partner. Allen & Heath has a reputation for high quality products and we are pleased to have a relationship with a British company which has a personal touch and understands the UK entertainment industry," comments George Tarbuck, director at the Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School.

(Jim

Azerbaijan - Battling it out for Europe's highest vote, Green Hippo's Hippotizers were at the core in pulling off a spectacular show at the Eurovision song contest 2012.

Eurovision, known for its epic, weird and remarkable performances didn't fail to entertain us once again as contestants competed, not just with their voices but the effects, lighting and imagery that supported them. This year Europe's guilty pleasure came back bigger and better, with a huge stage, catwalk, six giant LED screens and an enormous lighting rig.

Hippotizer's PixelMapper and VideoMapper components took each performance out into the seating area, bringing the whole 'land of fire' theme into the hall.

Crystal Hall holds up to 20,000 people and the event was witnessed by 125 million people worldwide. The LED screens created an immersive environment for the performances - using all of Hippotizer's aw

UK - Revolutionis the name of a West End dance show featuring some of the UK's finest commercial dance talent. Twenty hand-picked performers, fronted by Sky 1's Got to Dance judges, Kimberly Wyatt and Adam Garcia, performed on six consecutive Sundays (from 6 May - 10 June 2012) at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The Show's futuristic storyline and hard hitting soundtrack required some big-impact lighting and visual effects. But how were the producers (Iron Sea Productions) going to achieve this when they could only access the theatre in the morning of each Sunday show? Not to mention the fact that a full lighting rig for the long running National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors was already installed at the venue.

Cue lighting director Nigel Catmur and a well drilled ELP crew led by Mark Gardiner. "The technical and logistical challenges were t

Europe - Equipment manufacturer Audient has once again joined forces with Prism Sound, to help present more of the popular creative and technical Mic To Master workshops which are being held in Germany this month. Focussing on recording techniques, mixing and mastering, visitors will have the chance to engage in discussion and learn expert tips and tricks of the trade from experienced audio craftspeople, including Echo award-winning producer, Alex Silva.

Participants will hear keynote lectures from creative professionals and top manufacturers, and Audient's very own Simon Horn will be discussing the concept of the 'ideal' recording process.

Adding even more value to the event, all registered attendees are automatically entered into a draw with the chance to win any one of a range of prizes including Audient's MiCO dual mic preamplifier with A/D conversion, with winners to be a

UK - PLASA Skills have been asked to work with SOLT/TMA (Society of London Theatres/Theatrical Management Association) to help create a database of training currently offered within our sector. This information is to be made available to the theatre industry, but will also provide PLASA with a clear understanding of the training capability of our members which will be used to inform queries from those wishing to enter the industry.

Being part of this database will help increase awareness not only of training you provide, but also the wider services provided by the PLASA membership.

If you would like to participate, please enter the details of courses you provide on the document available for download at the web address below - and return to skills@plasa.org by Monday 25 June.

(Michele Enright)

UK - As part of their on-going commitment to providing "quality products with total support", and following a sold out schedule of courses during the spring, Ambersphere Solutions is set for a busy summer, offering training for the MA Lighting products that they distribute exclusively throughout the UK.

Ambersphere hosts a fully equipped training centre at their West London based facility, and there are courses available for users at all levels.

"Our entry level courses are open to people who have a working knowledge of DMX and lighting systems, but we also offer advanced courses, and courses specific to the theatre, rock n' roll and TV sectors," states Chris West, training and support manager for Ambersphere Solutions.

Forthcoming courses cover general use of the Grand MA2 and the new, one-day, onPC command wing introduction course.

"The training

Germany - Arcus Lighting, exclusive distributor in Germany for High End Systems supported Die Happy and LD Rolf Wenzel. Die Happy, a German rock band, played their 1000th concert in Ulm. They started in 1993 and have toured all over Europe. They recently celebrated their 1000th concert at the Roxy club in Ulm, where they played their first concert in 1993. They gave two different concerts during to mark the special occasion. First, they played an acoustic set and then they switched to their full rock set.

LD Rolf Wenzel has worked with Die Happy for many years, designing many of their concerts and tours. For the commemorative concert Wenzel specified 24 Technospot automated luminaires, one Road Hog Full Boar, two Wholehog Playback Wings, two DP8000 DMX Processors, one Hog IPC and an Arcus Lighting Hog Switch 8A as the Main/Backup Switch.

The Technospot fixtures were his first

Poland - The Karol Szymanowski University in Katowice not only boasts one of the most famous music faculties in Poland but is also among the oldest and most highly respected educational institutions in the entire country. Since 1929, the university has been able to offer excellent learning and training conditions for its 850 students - not least because the governing body has evinced a determination to ensure they are provided with the finest possible equipment with which to work.

The sound systems in particular have been chosen with a view to ensuring the closest possible correspondence between the studying environment afforded the university's aspiring musicians and sound engineers and the environment they will encounter in their day-to-day work after graduating. Aside from the technical education, the declared objective of the new Sound Engineering degree of the Department of

UK - When Glasgow's 'Horse' McDonald needed a PA for her recent tour, FOH Andy Jackson chose Funktion One. "Working as both studio and FOH Engineer for Scottish singer/songwriter Horse McDonald for nearly 10 years, I've experienced many, many sound reinforcement systems, from the big festival line array systems to the most intimate of small venue systems - some good, some bad ," says Jackson.

"A colleague (David 'Steedsy' Stevenson) was installing a system in a Glasgow venue, and suggested I'd take a listen. I was blown away. The system was loud! We all know just turning up the volume does not make things better (refer to the loudness wars here!). Although it was loud, I couldn't believe the definition, detail, and more importantly, the headroom that the system had. It was then decided I had to get one of these rigs out touring.

"I had a couple of gigs comi

USA - The submission deadline for the fifth annual Rock Our World Awards is only weeks away, all nominations must be submitted by 1 July 2012. The awards, which recognise ground-breaking achievement by PLASA Members, were designed to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designers or integrators who apply it. The awards were originated by ESTA and are now expanded as a worldwide program under PLASA.

Submissions can range from the simplest problem-solving product to unusual or complex uses of technology to projects that highlight the collaborative nature of our industry. If you've seen something that's impressed you in the last year, now is your chance to tell the world. It could be a piece of equipment you worked with, something you saw at a trade show, read about in an industry magazine, or an event you experienced. It could also be something your com

USA - Shure and Audinate have announced a licensing agreement for Audinate's Dante digital audio networking technology. Dante networking enables multiple channels of audio to be distributed to a variety of devices over a single Ethernet cable. Dante networking provides reliable, low latency audio transport and can coexist safely on the same network as IT and control data.

"Shure chose to work with Audinate because they deliver a robust, scalable, flexible networking solution that is easy to set up and configure," said Christine Schyvinck, executive vice-president of global marketing and sales. "Dante networking will enable future Shure products to be seamlessly integrated with network-based audio-visual systems in all types of applications. We're happy to join the growing list of companies that are embracing Dante."

The first Shure products to include Dante

UK - ETC has begun supplying its latest style of power control product, Sensor3, which was specifically introduced to address the changing needs of venues.

Reaching the market at the same time as mainstream LED lighting fixtures, such as ETC's Source Four LED, the ThruPower modules are designed to work with Sensor3 to provide a perfect power control solution for the growing variety of loads, allowing selection of constant, dim or relay modes.

London's National Theatre has received and commissioned one of the first Sensor3 installations in the UK. Lighting resources manager Michael Atkinson comments, "We expect to see an increasing number of LED and automated fixtures in the rigs across the theatre in the next few years, and so it makes sense to prepare the venue for the future. This move from solid state relays to proper air gap relays will work much better with switch mo

Chile - dBTechnologies' representative for Chile, Audiomusica has been presented with a Golden DVA T4 Award as a commendation for its outstanding contribution to sales of the line array module. The distinctive DVA T4 is stamped with serial number 20,000, which also celebrates the sale of the 20,000th unit since its launch just over five years ago.

Marcelo Aravena, business manager of Fancy Music, part of the Audiomusica Group accepted the accolade at the Frankfurt ProLight & Sound earlier this year. "It's an honour for us to receive this award, and we are really proud to be part of the dBTechnologies family," he says. "We are very happy with the results we've achieved together. I'm not only talking about sales, but also the great teamwork between the two companies. This close rapport gave us a strong advantage when we entered the market."

Audiomusica's part

UK - The development of SA1 waterfront in Swansea aims to reconnect the Prince of Wales Dock to the rest of the city. The vision for SA1 is for it to be a "lively, attractive waterside destination, fostering a high standard of urban design and architecture with an emphasis on innovation, modernity and flexibility". The Ice House Square forms a key public realm space in the development as well as a landing point for the Wilkinson Eyre architects bridge.

The design of the square is based on a formal rectangular grid seamlessly connecting with the riverfront promenade and the surrounding developments. The abstract place making quality of the square is accentuated by 16 boxed trees and a lighting installation by artist Peter Fink. The art work creates an informal overlay over the paving grid using embedded LED programmable strip lighting. The presence of people in the squa

Australia - To coincide with the opening of their major redevelopment, Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art hosted the Southern Hemisphere premiere of Christian Marclay's ground-breaking 24-hour video work, The Clock, which has attracted record crowds wherever it has been shown.

The Clock comprises several thousand short extracts from cinema history, each suggesting a particular time of day or referencing a specific moment, often through the appearance of a watch or clock-face. Marclay has stitched these extracts together to form a continuous visual sequence synchronised with the real time of your visit - if it is noon you'll be watching a scene referencing noon. Even more impressively, the scenes suggest countless interlocking narratives despite the constant changes in genres, eras, locations and plotlines.

"A number of galleries were vying for the rights to

Germany - Everything impresses Osean Studio owner, Sébastien Angrand about the latest ASP4816 console from Audient, and as the first user in Germany - and the world, he is keen to share his first impressions. Situated in a small studio in the Bavarian town of Bamberg, Angrand was looking for a console with minimal power consumption but most important, an excellent sound.

"The desk I was looking for had to be compact, new, clean, clear and easy to use. I bought the ASP4816 and now I have everything I need," explains Angrand. "The sound quality is amazing. You can really focus on the important element of a song.

"Then there's the stereo compressor which makes me very happy. The preamps work beautifully too, very transparent and an excellent response from what you hear at source. A snare sounds like a snare, a guitar like a guitar - and all this without

UK - After first installing, and then extending a BSS Audio digital Soundweb network at the Baitul Futuh mosque in South London around the mid-2000s, RG Jones Sound Engineering recently streamlined the audio transport by fitting BSS Audio's new generation Soundweb London processing.

Two new pairs of BLU-160 and BLU-120 DSPs will provide the mosque with greater flexibility and redundancy, advanced functionality and substantially increased processing power - which is essential since this is the largest mosque in Western Europe.

Originally Inaugurated in October 2003, the giant complex in Morden, South London, provides the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with a focal point for meetings, social and religious events, which are broadcast worldwide on Sky Channel 787 by MTA - Muslim TV and translated simultaneously into eight different languages.

With the available processing power in t

USA - The distinctive white vaulted roof of Oklahoma City's First Christian Church stands as an eye-catching landmark to residents and visitors alike. One of this city's founding houses of worship, First Christian Church has inhabited several locations since its 1889 origin, moving to its current location in 1956.

The massive domed structure - referred to by local press as "The First Christian Church of Tomorrow" during its dedication ceremony - was designed by R. Duane Conner of Conner & Pojezny Designs, a congregation member during the 1950s. The expansive, thin-shelled concrete dome covers the main sanctuary, which seats 1200 in theatre-style pews. The sanctuary houses a large pipe organ and frequently features performances by symphonic orchestras, bell choirs and other chorale groups.

While the building has won much acclaim as an architectural masterpiece, it has

USA - Music Group announced at InfoComm 2012 the formation of a global professional division, bringing together the Company's Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound brands. The new division will "leverage synergies between the brands to deliver integrated solutions to live sound, touring and install customers and applications, while driving new product development aimed at higher levels of integration and control".

The new division will be managed from Music Group's new Manchester, UK Centre for Engineering Excellence.

Music Group founder and CEO, Uli Behringer, made the announcement from the company's Las Vegas office and showroom by stating, "The new pro division brings together three of the most respected brands in professional and touring sound under one roof. Our goal is to offer exceptional pre and post-sale support with a team of dedicated professionals who o

USA - ArKaos has announced the appointment of A.C. Lighting Inc as exclusive US and Canadian distributor for the ArKaos range of show & lighting media server products.

"We are delighted to welcome A.C. Lighting Inc. as our exclusive distributor for USA and Canada," says ArKaos business development manager, Agnes Wojewoda. "A.C. Lighting Inc. has a strong presence in the US market that will ensure ArKaos is represented at a much wider range of tradeshows, broadening our reach and making our products more readily available to a greater number of new customers. We are looking forward to a very exciting relationship ahead."

ArKaos' product line offers software and hardware combinations that allow those working on shows of all scales (and budgets) to incorporate video, projection or LED control into their productions and integrate them with the show's lighting.<

UK - It's a busy expansion time for new company Dry Hire Lighting, as they announce a significant purchase of Clay Paky products from Clay Paky UK distributor Ambersphere Solutions.

In anticipation of a busy summer for events across the UK and with event planning for the Olympics gathering pace, Dry Hire Lighting is making sure it is well positioned to serve the expected increase in demand for rental equipment.

States Rob Merrilees, director of Dry Hire Lighting, "At last the industry can boast a dedicated UK based 'dry hire' company. We do what it says on the tin . . . offering hire exclusively to rental companies . . . but with the added value of exceptional service and top of the range equipment. It goes without saying that Clay Paky needs to feature heavily in our available stock."

Comments Glyn O'Donoghue, MD of Ambersphere: "The premise upon which Dry Hi

UK - May 2012 saw the Sennheiser UK team embark on its third year of the Seminar Roadshow Programme, with information and demonstrations delivered in comfortable surroundings to the company's customers.

The 'palatial' theme of previous years was continued with events at Hopetoun House, South Queensferry (near Edinburgh), Ragley Hall at Alcester in Warwickshire and Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Surrey.

"We appreciate that travelling sometimes very long distances and giving us a whole day out of their schedules is a very generous commitment from our customers, so we really did all we could to make the days as useful and pleasant for them as possible," says Sennheiser UK's Ken Morrison.

"We aimed to fill the days with a lot of useful topics and this year introduced breakout workshop sessions between the main topics, all delivered in a very comfortable and convivial

UK - XL Video continues to supply Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto (MX) world tour with LED screens, cameras / HD PPU, media servers and control plus crew, which has stepped up to play stadiums shows in the UK and Europe.

The expanded design features XL Video's brand new Pixled F-12 LED screen product. XL Video is the first company in the UK to take delivery of this impressively bright and clear surface.

The screen layout for this leg of the tour - developed by production and lighting designer Paul Normandale - features five striking circular F-12 surfaces onstage. The central one measures 9m in diameter and is flanked by two at 8m and then two at 10m on the outside. The two 8m screens are slightly angled to maximise site lines for the audience seated on the sides of the stadiums.

The live camera mix is cut by Andy Bramley, and the media server system is designed, programmed and opera

USA - Under the stewardship of Lab.gruppen, Lake has reached an agreement with industry partners AFMG to develop SysTune measurement integration into the Lake Controller platform for live sound production.

With a prototype already undergoing testing, this new level of cooperation between AFMG and Lake looks to herald a much anticipated development for end users in the field, with integration between Lake's industry leading processing platform and SysTune's advanced measurement capabilities, say the companies.

SysTune is real-time, professional measurement software that embodies a host of major features including spectrogram, transfer function, real-time IR, Virtual EQ, SPL/LEQ and SSA filter for high noise immunity. Their latest update comes with an automatic delay alignment function and support for mobile devices.

"Having the measurements from SysTune as an integration

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