South Africa - Alfacam SA, a leading industry supplier and operator of HD TV facilities for events and shows in the outside broadcast market in South Africa, has recently invested in a DiGiCo SD12, purchased through DWR Distribution. Alfacam is no stranger to the DiGiCo platform. In 2013, owner Greg Nefdt purchased OB16, now fondly known as OB1, with all associated equipment from Euro Media Group and founded Alfacam S.A., operating out of Bush Hill Estate AH in Randburg. Upon arrival, OB1 was kitted out with a Soundtracs DPC-II and a DiGiCo D1. These consoles had worked perfectly for many years on numerous successful gigs, but Alfacam’s Quentin Davis knew it was time for an upgrade. DWR has been dealing with Alfacam for the past year, assisting with possible DiGiCo solutions and, although Quentin had many different options available to him, his heart was set on DiGi
UK - Following its Northern Open Day held at Gateshead Sage in March, RCF has announced a similar two-day event in Guildford, Surrey. The Southern Open Days will be hosted by Yes Productions at the G Live arts centre on 4-5 June (times yet to be confirmed), with registration now open. Dean Davoile, RCF UK sales manager, comments: “We are delighted to be partnering with Tom [Chennells, Yes production director], and capitalising both on the momentum created by our Northern event and recent exhibition showings at Prolight+Sound and PLASA Focus Leeds. This will be the first opportunity for those in the southern half of the country to hear our ground-breaking new HDL 6-A and HDL 30-A in a real-world situation.” The systems will be r
USA - Global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks has invited professionals, educators and students in the AEC, landscape and entertainment industries to attend the fourth annual Vectorworks Design Summit from 4-6 November 2018 at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference includes industry sessions, tech support, networking events, inspiring keynotes and hands-on training. Multiple sessions will offer continuing education credits. Vectorworks CEO Biplab Sarkar, comments: “The Summit is the most cost-effective way for designers to maximise their investment in Vectorworks and improve their company’s bottom line. It is my hope that all attendees will leave Arizona with inspiration and valuable experience to strengthen their career in the design industry.” There will be two keynotes and 50 sessions led by 35 ind
USA - Adam Hall North America has expanded its operations by merging with its New Jersey-based North America distributor Musical Distributors Group (MDG). The deal is hoped to enhance the Group’s presence in the USA and Canada and strengthen the presence of its brands, including LD Systems, Cameo Lighting, Gravity Stands, Palmer and Defender Cable Protection, as well as MDG’s exclusive distribution brands, such as Höfner, Ultrasone, EBS, Mad Professor and Lock-It Straps. Steven Savvides, president of the new Adam Hall North America, comments: “We are joining forces in order to further drive this growth for all the Adam Hall brands and for our other exclusively distributed brands. It will also allow us to expand into additional market segments. Combining our strategic New Jersey-based location, 32 years of industry experience, substantial resources, expert staff,
Devastating Impact - Theatres around the UK face a total bill of £1bn - more than five times the cost initially feared - if new European Union regulations come into effect. This is the warning from the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre and is much higher than the amount initially estimated. The theatre membership bodies issued a joint statement warning of the devastating impact that proposed restrictions on lighting would have on the industry to their members, which include all West End Theatres and regional theatres around the UK. Due to concerns over energy efficiency, the EU is considering banning the sale of most lighting fixtures that are currently in use in theatres from 2020. UK Theatre and SOLT, along with industry leaders including West End theatre owner Nica Burns, are campaigning for an exemption for theatre lighting to be included in the new r
UK - Burnley-based Bates Box has received its first major order following the company’s recent launch. This order from Inverness-based I-Light will see Bates Box supply two bespoke power distribution units for a catering event. Bates Box offers a lightweight and efficient power distribution solution, compliant with all UK and European regulations, for a variety of applications across many sectors, including TV & film, catering, oil & gas and theatre. Their weather resistant and stackable boxes provide up to 16 power outlets in a single unit, made from recycled material. Bates Box founder Paul Bates says: “We’re excited to be fulfilling our first order, especially since the units will provide safe, robust and effective power distribution for the caterers.” Stephen Leslie, owner, I-Light, adds: “We’re delighted to be dealing with Bates Box. Th
UK - Northern Stage Theatrical Productions in Newcastle recently invested in Spotlight FresneLED 150RGBW luminaires for a touring production requiring a versatile and low-energy LED Fresnel - and after being so impressed with their performance, has now made them a regular fixture in their Stage 3. Northern Stage is the one of the largest producing theatre companies in the North of England, presenting new and dynamic original work as well as up-and-coming, innovative theatre makers. With a recent tour taking in some smaller community venues, Northern Stage production manager, Chris Durant and lighting designer, Richard Flood needed a low-power LED lighting rig featuring a multi-purpose Fresnel solution, to keep the overall power needs down. At the same time, it needed to match the quality and output of conventional Fresnels and have the option to create coloured light
UK - Manchester-based audio specialist tube uk became the first UK production company to take delivery of Yamaha’s new Rivage PM7 digital mixing system, and the company was also the first to use it on a UK show. “Rivage PM7 has many excellent features, the inclusion of the Rupert Neve Designs transformer circuitry and SILK processing through Yamaha’s Virtual Circuit Modelling shows that there is no compromise in quality,” says tube uk managing director Melvyn Coote. “The extensive i/o count also means it is properly multi-purpose and will fit a wide range of audio scenarios. All-in-all it is a great quality system at a good price and, of course, it is underlined by Yamaha’s rock-solid reputation for reliability.” Following Yamaha’s hands-on Rivage system demo day at London’s Abbey Road Studios, tube and Yamaha presented a similar hands-on worksh
Poland - KLANG:technologies has announced the appointment of Konsbud Audio as its exclusive distributor for Poland. Konsbud Audio is a leading pro audio distributor with a portfolio that includes, among others, d&b audiotechnik, Allen & Heath, Audio-Technica, Avid, Genelec, Neutrik and Cordial. Started in 1989, at the beginning of the free market in Poland, Konsbud Audio began with distribution of audio and music equipment. Today, in addition to distribution of pro audio products, the company offers complete audio solutions for rental, recording and post-production studios, theatres, cultural centres, broadcast and AV companies. Konsbud Audio also supports its clients with industry leading technical support and service. Jarosław Kierkowski, Konsbud Audio’s commercial director comments, “We had previously seen KLANG at PL+S in Frankfurt and, at a meeting wi
UK - Special Project Resources (SPR), a new event production company part of HSL Group, has been launched by Tim Dunn and Marcel Wijnberger. SPR has been described as “dedicated to assisting clients on any or all of the technical and design aspects of their concepts and projects through the innovative use of technologies”. The two founders have relocated from Johannesburg to HSL’s HQ in Blackburn, UK. HSL MD Simon Stuart comments: “I am hugely excited about welcoming Tim and Marcel as SPR to the Group, and am looking forward to the dynamics and vision they bring to our equation. It’s going to be a highly productive, fulfilling and enjoyable working relationship. “SPR will work in harmony with all the current HSL Group businesses and help grow, develop and diversify the scope of our work, optimise the talent, skills and personalities we already have a
Europe - German company GLP has become the next major lighting manufacturer to campaign for exemption of stage lighting from the Energy Directorate’s Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019. GLP says it would be “deeply affected” by the plans, which in their current form would impose a minimum efficiency of 85lm/W and a maximum standby power of 0.5W on all light sources from September 2020. Udo Kuenzler, GLP MD, comments: “If this becomes law, it could mean extinction for theatres, concert venues and other sections of the performing arts since no tungsten fixtures and many LED-based entertainment fixtures don’t appear to meet these requirements. “GLP stands for the responsible use of energy and the resources of our planet. However, it is not very helpful do this on flat-rate regulations as provided for in the current EU working paper. Therefore, we advoca
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds celebrated its 10th anniversary with a sold-out show floor, a programme of compelling content, and the unmistakeable buzz of business in the air. Exhibitors represented each corner of the industry, with household names sharing the stage with newcomers. “We’ve had a great experience at PLASA Focus Leeds,” says Rob Moore from Chauvet Professional. “We’ve seen a varied selection of visitors from across the board; everyone from end-users, lighting designers and engineers to specifiers and influencers. We’ve seen lots of new faces, too.” Inesh Patel from Sennheiser concurs: “PLASA Focus Leeds is brilliant - it has been non-stop, so much so that my voice is going from talking too much! The event is valuable as we get in front of the right people, meeting key end users and important dealers.” First-time exhibitor Glyn Harries fro
USA - Upon the opening of the world's largest architectural and commercial lighting trade show, Altman Lighting will be at Lightfair 2018 in booth 3922 inside McCormick Place, Chicago, on 8-10 May. In preparation for their showcase of innovative architectural and commercial lighting solutions, Altman Lighting will be highlighting the power and performance capabilities of their Gallery LED series, Chalice LED downlights, and the popular Spectra Cyc wall wash family of LED luminaires. “With so many talented architectural and commercial lighting professionals all gathered at one time, Lightfair is a significant opportunity for us to demonstrate the innovation behind our lighting solutions,” said Nick Champion, Altman Lighting vice president of North American Sales. “It is amazing to see how the technology behind the industry has grown over the last several years, a
UK - Liverpool-based Adlib Audio has invested in Outline’s Newton advanced multi-source audio processor. Combining new ‘WFIR’ (patent pending) filter technology, multi-format audio signal routing, simultaneous multiple standard conversion and digital signal synchronisation in a single 1RU chassis, Newton represents the next generation of networked audio system control, claims Outline. Ian Nelson, Adlib’s senior engineer commented, “I heard some chatter about Newton on social media, then investigated further on the Outline website and subsequently contacted James Lawford at CUK. “The Newton’s 18×16 matrix and its huge amount of I/O possibilities are the major factors that attracted us to the unit, but the ASRC and SRC on each matrix input is also a big advantage. This, coupled with the multiple levels of input redundancy, is something we had been se
USA - Point Source Audio (PSA) has announced the recipients of its $10K Anniversary Giveaway in celebration of its 10-year anniversary and “give back” initiative to benefit the performing arts. Each of the Grand, Great, and Good prize winners will select from Point Source’s full catalogue of miniature microphones and headsets totalling their prize value of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. The contest was open to public and non-profit schools, non-profit performance art and music-driven organizations, community theatre and performing arts groups and clubs, and church performance groups. “The award winners exemplified to us how it is possible to use the performing arts to entertain while also magnanimously create goodwill throughout their community,” said James Lamb, president of Point Source Audio. “It is heartwarming to see so much good being done day in a
Spain - Sonostudi, one of the Spain’s premier sound production companies, has joined the Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Adaptive network. The Barcelona-based company recently acquired eight Anna array modules along with six Otto subwoofers. “The addition of Anna and Otto to our inventory will allow us to accommodate even more customers with high quality sound reproduction no matter the venue or space we are working with,” explains Jofre Morte, Sonostudi owner. “It will fit well into the needs any event requires plus the ease and speed that Anna’s software (Resolution 2) offers will simplify live event production.” Since Sonostudi was established in 1978, the company has prided itself on being at the technological forefront of the industry. As a result, they are known for providing the products and services their clients need to produce high quality audio-vi
Europe - Avolites and MA Lighting recently joined forces with the organisers of entertainment technology trade event Prolight+Sound to shut down the booth of prolific counterfeit operation PPL (Popular Lighting) from Guangzhou, China. This is just one of a number of steps that both businesses are taking to prevent the distribution of counterfeits. It also sends out a clear message to all manufacturers making direct copies that their actions will not be tolerated. Avolites sales director Koy Neminathan explains: "Avolites synchronised efforts with MA Lighting and with the support of Prolight+Sound to successfully close PPL's booth down before the Prolight+Sound show even opened. PPL shamelessly manufactures and sells counterfeit Avolites and MA Lighting badged products at respected trade shows around the world and we are determined to put a stop to this." Michael Adena
Abba Back - Abba have returned to the studio to record their first new music since the 1980s. The Swedish quartet said the new material was an "unexpected consequence" of their recent decision to put together a "virtual reality" tour. "We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the studio," the band said on Instagram. "And it was like time stood still." No release date has been set for the new songs - but one of them, titled I Still Have Faith In You, will be performed in December on a TV special broadcast by the BBC and NBC. Abba's spokesperson Gorel Hanser told the BBC the atmosphere in the studio was "magic". "It was like no time had passed at all," she said. "It was like the olden days. They were happy, it was easy and warm-hearted, and it was actually quite moving. I wasn't the only one with tears in my eyes
UK - In keeping with its commitment to providing clients with impactful, seamlessly executed experiences, On Event Production Co. has kept pace with the latest technology. This practice recently led it to add 20 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK1 Spot fixtures to its lighting inventory. The Maverick addition came at the end of a long and extensive research process that began when On Event Production Co. first encountered the MK1 Spot at last year’s Prolight + Sound. Impressed by what they saw at the Frankfurt show, the On Event Production Co. team surveyed industry members about the product and did a cost analysis before putting it to a shoot-out test with competing fixtures. “We shot out the Mavericks against some of their competitors at our showroom, and they were certainly the best value for the money when you looked at features, optics and brightness,” commen
Europe - Newly-launched in March 2018, Sixty82, the manufacturer of trussing and staging systems, has announced the appointment of its first distributors and distribution partners. With immediate effect, A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente have been named as the new, exclusive distributors for the UK and France respectively, while pan-pro GmbH of Germany and Set2Stage of Portugal have been appointed distribution partners in their own countries. “We chose A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente as the first in our international network as they represent the strongest importing distributors in their territories, with an historical strength in the trussing and staging marketplace,” says Sixty82 CEO Fokko Smeding, “Similarly, pan-pro and Set2Stage are both well-established companies with well-respected teams and ideally placed for distribution partnership.
UAE - With the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) industry on a steady growth curve, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE is encouraging events and equipment rental companies to obtain the radio frequency (RF) spectrum authorisations necessary for the operation of wireless transmission equipment. Though often overlooked by these organizations, proper spectrum authorization is essential to ensuring smooth operation of broadcast systems, safeguarding equipment investments and adhering to federal laws. Explaining the authority’s drive to create awareness Khalid Al Awadhi, manager broadcasting and space services at the TRA’s Spectrum Management Affairs Department said, “It is the TRA’s responsibility to ensure the best and most efficient use of radio spectrum. The Federal Law mandating all RF transmission to be authorized has existed
UK - The #SaveStageLighting campaign, launched by the UK’s Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) and rapidly gaining traction with associated groups across Europe aims to win full exemption for all professional light sources, from the devastating effect of the EU’s proposed Eco-design Working Plan 2016-2019. The proposed EU Regulations will come into effect on 1 September, 2020 but could be passed as soon as the autumn of 2018. If passed unchecked, they will impose a minimum efficiency of 85 lumens per watt and a maximum standby power of 0.5W on all light sources (lamps or self-contained fixtures) to be sold in the EU. The reality of that situation will be pan-European festival and concert goers watching their favourite bands lit by nothing more than a domestic light bulb or the grey, flat monochrome of street lighting! Many LED-based entertainment fixtures
Europe - The Lightconverse and High End Systems Lighting Challenge 2018 has recently finished. Say the organisers, “Once again we would like to thank all participants for taking part in this annual event. It has been a great pleasure to see the results of unlimited imaginations.” As always, the prizewinners were named at the Prolight+Sound 2018 trade show, held in Frankfurt. The winning designs and their authors receiving Lighting Challenge 2018 prizes follow below. All winning videos can be seen at http://lightconverse.com/forum3en/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3297 First place goes to Amir Cohen who will receive a High End HedgeHog 4X console and Lightconverse Trace including Lightconverse Tools 2018. Runner-up is Mykola Basyuk who takes home Lightconverse Trace including Lightconverse Tools 2018. Thirs is Anton Skakun who is rewarded with Lightconv
Europe - Despite only being launched in February, Yamaha’s Rivage PM7 digital mixing system is already enjoying tremendous sales success throughout Europe. AED Rent - operating in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK - is one of the latest major rental houses to invest. Established in 1985 as a Belgian lighting and sound dry hire company, AED Rent is now part of the larger AED Group and annually supplies production equipment to 60,000 shows and events. After many years of success with Yamaha PM, CL and QL series consoles, AED Rent has now invested in Yamaha’s new flagship Rivage digital mixing system, with the addition of the PM7 to its inventory. “AED Rent and Yamaha have had a strong relationship for a long time. We already have more than 20 Yamaha consoles in our rental inventory, which are used by customers all over the world,” says Pi
