USA - ESTA and USITT has announced the session line-up for the New World Rigging Symposium taking place 13-14 March 2018 in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo 2018 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In these 10 sessions, participants will be given the opportunity to further their technical knowledge, keep up to date with codes and standards, and learn what it’s like to work as a rigger in other segments of the entertainment industry. Attendees will also hear from experts in related fields. Full session descriptions can be found at www.esta.org/nwrs_sessions. The keynote address will be delivered by Scott Fisher, with the programme including: Show Rigging on Cruise Ships. Big ideas. Tiny venues; Ground Support Concert Rigs; ANSI Standards and ICOPER. Paperwork that’s actually useful; OSHA, Risk Assessments and Rigging Emergency Action P
UK - Manchester-based film, television and photographic equipment rental company PKE Lighting has invested in 16 LSC Lighting Systems consoles to provide its customer base with simple manual control of fixtures on high-profile film and television production projects. PKE Lighting were looking to invest in fader-based consoles that would provide ease of use for end users working on studio, stage and on-location projects. PKE's Matt Evans approached LSC's UK-exclusive distributor, A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET), who supplied six LSC MINIM 24 fader consoles, plus four maXim M 48 fader and six MaXim XXL 120 fader desks. He commented: "The LSC desks have been in and out on film and television production jobs ever since we purchased them, and without any issues at all. We and our customers are really happy with them. As always, the service from A.C. has been e
USA - Chauvet video panels were used for the video wall set up at Vexata's booth at the Oracle Open World conference held in October. Digital Dynamite Productions, which provided the audio and video for the booth, specified Chauvet Professional F3 LED panels. Austin Jansen of Digital Dynamite Productions comments: “We wanted to have a video wall that didn’t look like a video wall. Our challenge was to find an LED panel that had a minimal footprint and one that hid the rigging and rear of the display. The LED video display had to look as though it was part of a large graphic, so visitors could not tell it was really an LED wall.” Jansen mounted 68 F3 LED tiles on plywood panels. “The panels were positioned on six separate surfaces that we custom built out of birch plywood
UK - Scottish-based GAB Audio Engineers recently equipped Heriot-Watt University (HWU) with a variety of flagship solutions from the Martin Audio portfolio. The sound requirements were part of a major refurbishment of two lecture spaces - James Watt 1 (JW1) and James Watt 2 (JW2) - which form part of the university conference centre. Discussions with Martin Audio began at the ISE Expo in Amsterdam, back in 2016. Stated GAB director, Jim Bryan, “Our relationship with Martin Audio started in the mid-90s when we were looking for high quality loudspeakers for our hire stock. We invested in Wavefront, then soon started to install EM series, Blackline, AQ series and most recently CDD in our church systems. It was therefore logical to turn to Martin Audio again to meet these requirements.” In fact, GAB, which was originally set up in 1984 to specialise in a range of
North America - L-Acoustics have implemented the largest AV bridging (AVB) touring system on Arcade Fire’s Infinite Content tour. This is the first time the company has used an AVB system on tour. Supplied by L-Acoustics North American certified provider Solotech, with support from Germany’s Black Box Music, the system’s benefits include simple deployment with minimal network configuring, long-distance network communication, low latency, improved synchronisation and reliability. The tour is carrying a total of 92 AVB-equipped L-Acoustics LA12X amplified controllers, 48 K1 and 80 K2 loudspeakers, 56 KS28 subs, eight ARCS Wide and eight X8 coaxials. Processing is being handled by a pair of redundant Meyer Sound Galaxy units, one driving analogue lines over copper for system fallback. All equipment from L-Acoustics and Meyer Sound is certified through
UK - Technical event production company Hawthorn has officially become an Adamson certified reseller in the UK. Derek Blair, director of Adamson’s UK distributor The Warehouse Sound Services, says: “We are delighted to have Hawthorn on board as one of the first Adamson certified resellers in the UK. They have a wealth of experience in the installation and rental markets and are well-known for providing the very best equipment with customer service that is second to none. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.” Rob Allen, Hawthorn’s group head of sound, adds: “I’ve been aware of Adamson for a number of years and have always been very impressed with its quality, from how their loudspeakers sound to ease of rigging and now, it’s great to see it on many riders and installation specifications in the UK. We’re very proud to be one of the first co
USA - Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit opened in September, with nearly 1,700 custom LED strip lights from Elation Professional mounted to the venue’s vast wire grid. Designed by HOK architects, the $863m, 20,000-seat arena is part of District Detroit, a major new development in the city centre. Lighting and multi-media design firm, Illuminating Concepts (IC), was the lighting designer on the project, responsible for lighting the public spaces through to the theatrical lighting in the bowl. The dynamic ceiling is just one part of the arena’s large integrated lighting network in which all lighting is interconnected – indoors and out – to act as one themed environment. Illuminating Concept’s design for the arena uses lighting to create a space that engages, guides visitors, creates moods and disseminates advertiser information. IC brought in production d
UK - Persian-language broadcaster Marjan Television Network has just upgraded its four-studio complex with new LED lighting rigs featuring Chroma-Q, Spotlight, ProLights and Quasar Science fixtures - supplied, along with all associated cabling, by A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET). Designed so that all four of the studios can be controlled from a single gallery, the facility needed to be flexible to accommodate the wide range of productions, whilst maintaining a contemporary aesthetic. The installation had to be energy-efficient with a multi-purpose lighting package that delivered good colour rendition on camera. Ian Muir, who heads up AC-ET's specialist Film & TV sales division, oversaw the supply and specified a variety of LED lighting solutions, including 22 Chroma-Q Space Force soft light fixtures; over 100 Spotlight Fresnels; and Quasar Science Q-LED li
USA - FOH engineer and sound designer Stan Miller is mixing Neil Diamond’s 50 Year Anniversary World Tour on a JBL by Harman VTX Series sound reinforcement system, provided by Sound Image. Miller has mixed FOH for Diamond for nearly 50 years and has relied on JBL audio systems for Diamond’s tours for many years. For this tour, he selected a JBL VTX V25 system. “I think the sound for this tour is the best we’ve ever had,” Miller says. “We have better control over the system, and we have better technology than in the past. We have better consistency from venue to venue, whether it's indoors or outdoors. And with the Crown amplifiers we’re carrying, we have gobs of horsepower to run everything, but we never blow loudspeakers. Our show runs somewhere around 100 dB max, or maybe 101 or 102. We don't want to overpower people.” The tour system inc
USA - The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has announced that the 2017 production of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, presented by Chase, has undergone a technological overhaul. The production has been enhanced with updated technology including a new 8K LED wall and digital projections that will extend to all eight of Radio City Music Hall’s iconic proscenium arches that will make audiences feel like they are part of the show. The new content for both the projections and the LED wall was created by design studio Obscura Digital, which is behind the world’s preeminent architectural projections including the innovative Empire State Building graphic light shows for Academy Award-winning director Louis Psihoyos’s film Racing Extinction. Additionally, returning this year as designers for several of the Christmas Spect
Europe - Lighting designer Steve Bewley has been deploying GLP LED moving heads on the tour of Dizzee Rascal. Over the course of his career, Bewley has turned to successive generations of GLP LED moving head solutions, starting with the original impression 90, before moving onto Volkslicht and X4/X4 S. Explaining his preference, he said, “I’ve always liked the products that GLP release as they are always of a premium nature.” Bewley works across a range of music genres from grime to hip-hop, soul and even rock. He notes: “I could instantly see an application for [GLP products] across the board,” he admits. “I have seen X4’s on multiple tours and at trade shows - and as for the JDC1 [GLP’s new versatile hybrid strobe], I had a little play with one at Christie Lites and loved them straight away.” the JDC1 have become a central part of his design
Czech Republic - Robe BMFL moving lights were used to light the first Laver Cup international tennis tournament. The new indoor hardcourt men’s tennis tournament is staged for the first time in Prague’s O2 Arena, with the action broadcast worldwide. The fixtures were a mix of 108 x BMFL Spots, WashBeams and Wash XFs, plus 80 x Spiider LED wash beams. The BMFLs were the primary light sources for the main show court, which saw two teams - Europe (captained by Björn Borg) and World (captained by John McEnroe) - battle it out for the trophy. The full lighting production was designed by SMART Productions, providing a team of 28 riggers and lighting technicians on site led by SMART’s Josef ‘Pepa’ Zenisek who was also the event’s overall technical director for the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the host broadcaster. It was Pepa who suggested uti
South Africa - DWR Distribution is expanding its industry footprint with the addition of Quest Engineering. Melbourne-based Quest Engineering has become an internationally recognised audio brand following its humble beginnings in live audio production and 20 years of product development. During this time, Simon Oates, has held the agency in South Africa and made Quest a household name in the industry. “Simon has now passed the torch to DWR, and we are thrilled to introduce Quest as our first loudspeakers to our family of products,” said Robert Izzett, head of sales at DWR. Simon will continue to support his new and existing clients in collaboration with DWR and Quest. Quest’s Frank Andrewartha was in Johannesburg recently to meet up with the DWR team. “This is a good outcome and brings experience as well as a great support structure for production custom
South Africa - VisualAudio Productions’ Staal Van Der Bergh has invested in a new Hippotizer Karst Media Server from South African distributor DWR Distribution. The new purchase complements his existing Hippotizer Boreal Media Server. Staal comments: “I love animals - the more Hippos, the merrier! But in all earnestness, I don’t always need a big Hippotizer such as the Boreal and the Karst’s greatest selling point is flexibility. Now I have the best of both worlds.” DWR’s Dylan Jones agrees: “Staal can send out the Karst on an extra show, he can work on large productions using both the Karst and the Boreal, or he can do a smaller show with just the Karst.” In addition, the unit can also be rented out for dry hire. “The main attributing feature is a 4k Output which can be split into more outputs if needed,” explained Dylan. “Because the Hipp
UK - For Robbie William’s Heavy Entertainment Show, sound engineer Simon Hodge is mixing on a Digico SD7 using an L-Acoustics K1 based system from Britannia Row Productions (Brit Row) and has not found it wanting. “We have played some very tricky venues, acoustically speaking,” said Hodge. “The new amplifiers and subs that Brit Row has invested in have made a big difference. I was expecting the new subs to be better but actually the difference is pretty phenomenal - they produce notes that I’ve not heard before with what feels like effortless power. The new amplifiers have made a difference to the HF as well which seems extended in to the range that only dogs can hear. I have ultimate respect for Josh Lloyd’s system design and line up but that combined with the new system has resulted in the most even coverage that I’ve ever heard in stadiums.” Lloyd’
Portugal - Lighting production company FX Road Lights has announced their first purchase of Core Lighting ColourPoint Mini uplighters as part of their investment into corporate markets. The Lisbon-based company has invested in 48 units to go immediately into production and dry-hire stock. The ColourPoint Mini debuted this year, complementing Core Lighting’s product range as a smaller and cost-effective version of the ColourPoint, a best-selling uplighter in the UK, and a standard among the major rental companies. Agostinho Carvalho, sales manager for Lightset and dealer in Portugal, commented: “Core Lighting has a great reputation as a manufacturer of LED uplighters, and it had the ideal solution to FX – we’re thrilled to debuting the first units in our country.” FX Road Lights, who celebrate their 15th year in the business, have grown rapidly in
UAE - World Class Events supported DXB Live and WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 in the safe and successful delivery of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 15-18 October. Project director John Adkins, senior project manager Brian Gowen and six project managers planned and oversaw the event build, which welcomed 1,300 competitors, 10,000 international visitors and 100,000 visitors from the UAE. John Adkins, managing director of World Class said: “Make no mistake, the de-rig for World Skills Abu Dhabi 2017 was a mammoth undertaking! The scale of the event, size of the venue and large quantities of kit, equipment and exhibits and the timeframe we working to meant that nothing less than a precise and efficient plan would ensure a successful outcome. The way that Showforce switched on all of its departments to mobilise the numbe
Spain - A sizzling 2017 Ibiza summer season saw new clubbing experience Hï burst on the scene with fresh energy and impetus mainlined into the heart of the Balearic dance scene via visual productions created by Romain Pissenem and his team from High Scream. Over 200 Robe moving lights helped Romain define Hï’s two spaces – the Theatre and the Club. These included 72 x Pointes, 24 x Spiiders and 36 x Spikies in the Theatre and 100 x Spikies and another 20 Spiiders in the Club, all supplied by their regular lighting rental partner, France based the SLS Group, who also supplied all Hï’s video. The building was previously known as Space for years by the clubbing fraternity, so a major aesthetic objective was the total transformation involving everything apart from the exterior walls. Romain teamed up with acclaimed show, lighting, set and video designer Will
Belgium - Creative agency ACTLD has been deploying SGM’s LED luminaires for a long time and used various fixtures across their recent projects. More than 60% of the projects ACTLD is involved in take place outdoors, and Koert Vermeulen, principal designer, founder, and managing partner of ACTLD, was lacking a specific product on the market. “SGM is for us a natural partner being the only company at that point to develop an IP65-rated moving head. I had been talking – begging on my knees – for the last 15 years for a fixture like this. Everyone said to me ‘the market isn’t big enough’ or ‘order a thousand and we’ll make you one’. So, when Peter Johansen came with the G-Spot, I felt that finally someone had listened to my prayers,” says Koert Vermeulen with a smile.” Some of ACTLD’s recent projects include Naked Truth for the Bright
UK - A 36-channel Audient ASP8024 desk with patchbay and producer’s desk has been installed at Cornwall charity Livewire Youth Music. The charity offers free and open access to music lessons and its facilities are also used as a teaching space for 10 to 21 year-olds interested in live engineering and studio recording. The arrival of the professional quality Audient console has brought a significant upgrade in sound quality along with a more enriching experience for those on both sides of the glass. Manager Andy Rance has been running the youth centre for the best part of three decades, and was pleased to welcome local three-piece band, The Flying Saucepans as the first to be recorded using the analogue console last month. “Our long-time studio and venue engineer, Will Rodgers led the session with support from two of the older trainee studio engineers,” says
UK - Adlib’s Scottish operation has recently supplied a substantial L-Acoustics package with DiGiCo control to Limelight Event Services, an Inverness-based production and rental company. Limelight had already developed a relationship with Adlib as they previously owned a smaller L-Acoustics system and would use Adlib to source cross hires for larger shows and for spares as necessary. The recent purchases include most of the current L-Acoustics range of speakers - K2, Kara, Kiva and ARCS Wide plus HiQ wedges – supplied together with LA amplifiers, proprietary flying systems, a set of LoadGuard motors and rigging - all fully flight-cased. A DiGiCo SD12 console was selected as a fully-featured user-friendly console with which most professional sound engineers will be familiar. Craig Duncan, owner of Limelight Event Services, said: “We feel that L-Acoustics is
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has been appointed as a Panasonic Solutions partner for the Panasonic range of professional projectors and large format display screens. The product range will bolster the line-up of technologies available from AC-ET’s video sales division. Stuart Burdett, sales manager for AC-ET's video sales division, commented: “We're delighted to add Panasonic to our video portfolio. The brand and its products are synonymous with innovation, first-class image performance and excellent build quality, and we are excited to be able to make the full range available to our customers.” AC-ET has access to Panasonic’s visual solutions, including popular models such as the PT-RZ970 laser projector, which is designed for intensive usage and maintenance-free, long-lasting brightness (9,400 lumens) in permanent installations. Panas
USA - When the leadership team at Joppa, Maryland-based Mountain Christian Church (MCC) found a prime location in nearby Abingdon to establish its fourth area campus, there was one thing that wasn’t quite so ideal - the facility’s low 13ft ceilings, which limited sound reinforcement options for the planned 600-seat worship space. However, AVL systems provider Mankin Media Systems of Franklin, Tennessee was able to recommend a highly effective and elegant solution in the form of L-Acoustics’ new Syva colinear loudspeaker system. This project is particularly noteworthy in that it represents both the first North American permanent install for Syva as well as the world’s first house of worship to adopt the new system. “The Syva system at Abingdon’s campus is the secret weapon that really made the room what it is,” says Mankin’s Tim Corder. “In the p
USA - Playback engineer Romain Garnier and long-time FOH engineer James McCullagh have chosen DirectOut products to improve redundancy and provide D/A conversion for the Backstreet Boys’ entirely digital Larger Than Life Las Vegas residency and forthcoming 2018 world tour. The US boy band that saw international success during the 1990s is currently in residency in Las Vegas – supported by audio company and DirectOut audio vendor Sound Image – with a live show based wholly on a “virtual band” playout of 64 separate and unequalised digitally recorded tracks. Garnier explains: “We chose DirectOut products because they are extremely reliable and offer great flexibility. They’re also compact and robust which makes them perfect for the road.” The playback rig for Larger Than Life includes a redundant pair of MacBook Pro computers running c
