Sweden - A sound system from d&b has been installed at Stockholm’s historic Maria Magdalena church as part of the building’s renovation. SoundCop Consulting, who provided consultation and installation services for the project, had initially chosen another system, but switched d&b’s xC-Series column loudspeakers after attending a demo by d&b’s local partner Arva Trading at another Stockholm church, Stefanskyrkan (Saint Stephens church). SoundCop Consulting decided to go with a combination of d&b’s xC-Series 2-way passive column loudspeakers, xS-Series loudspeakers, and B4 cardioid subwoofers along with the 10D four channel amplifier. Natanael Lyckelind, sales and support AV/pro audio, at Arva Trading explains: “The passive cardioid function of the xC-Series column loudspeakers results in excellent dispersion control, which makes them p
UK - Creative technical event production company Hawthorn constructed a 4,830sq.m set for eSports company ESL Gaming at the UK’s biggest games trade fair, EGX, held at NEC Birmingham in September. Hawthorn delivered the vast custom-made set and supplied lighting, sound, rigging and staging, with five artic lorries needed to transport their kit - three of which were used just for the mammoth set. The company created two large gaming stages, the ESL Premiership stage and the Twitch stage, both of which designed by ESL. Hawthorn custom built each set to ESL’s specifications, including the creation of custom gaming desks for the high-octane competition over the four days. “With the ESL Arena covering nearly 5,000sq.m of space, this was a demanding job for us in terms of scenic creation” says Hawthorn senior project manager Ryan Grant who led the project.
UK - SGM moving heads are used for an art installation currently projected on the facade of Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. Wall of Dreams by Danish poet and artist Morten Søndergaard is being showcased from 18 October to 1 November as part of the Centre’s year-long Nordic Matters programme and aims to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in Europe. The projection is realised by the deployment of 16 SGM G-Spot LED moving heads mounted on existing poles surrounding the building. Special gobos have been designed containing the textual messages with each moving head containing several of these custom-made gobos making it possible to alter the building facade over night for a changeable appearance through programming. The bright output of the G-Spot produces razor-sharp effects for spectators to see and read from a distance. “The li
Romania - Acclaimed DJ David Guetta used the Claypaky Scenius Spot as the exclusive lighting fixture in his festival rig at the launch of Romania's inaugural TimeShift held at Bucharest's Romexpo arena in July. Guetta's set design comprised four pieces of automated truss forming a large diamond shape that was rigged with 24 Scenius Spot fixtures. "TimeShift's main stage rig was an adaptation of Guetta's touring rig," says Bogdan Gradisteanu, technical manager of Marbo Trade, Claypaky's official Romanian distributor. Marbo Trade worked alongside rental house Bivolul and ASC Systems to supply the festival's entire lighting package. Providing keylight from the sides of the main stage were 16 Claypaky B-EYE K20s. "We selected the K20s because of the fixture's advanced versatility, beamshaper and CTO," explains Gradisteanu. The award-winning LED hybrid
UK - Adlib has become an authorised Allen & Heath dLive sales partner. The company has also invested in two dLive S7000 surfaces (fitted with Waves v3 audio networking cards) with DM64 MixRacks for its rental offering. “Integration was an important consideration for Adlib, who configured the systems to run perfectly with their existing fibre infrastructures. Support was also crucial to the company, which is why we provide our ‘red carpet’ package with dedicated 24 hour phone support,” explains Audio-Technica’s dLive specialist Rich Soper. As a certified dLive reseller, the company is also able to deliver expert after-sales back up and service for the S Class and new compact C Class dLive surfaces, associated MixRack and networking options and accessories. Dave Jones, from Adlib’s rental division says, “We did some field tests with dLive p
Everybody’s Talking - A new musical about a teenage boy who wants to be a drag queen has scooped two theatre awards. Everybody's Talking About Jamie won best musical production at the UK Theatre Awards, with its star John McCrea named best musical performer. The UK Theatre Awards reward the best stage shows outside London. The musical has songs by Dan Gillespie Sells, lead singer with pop band The Feeling, and a script and lyrics by writer Tom MacRae. The show's West End transfer begins at the Apollo Theatre in London on 6 November. Other UK Theatre Awards winners included Narvik by Lizzie Nunnery, which was named best new play; and Joseph Millson, who won best performance in a play for his role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Rover. The Who's Tommy picked up the prize for best touring production, while Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse ar
UK - More than 45,000 music fans attended this year’s Wild Life Festival and Digital Insanity used Hippotizer Media Servers to help direct visuals throughout the two-day run. The resulting ‘all-LED wall’ seamlessly integrated with performances from acts including Fatboy Slim, Hannah Wants, David Rodigan, Disclosure, Maya Jane Coles and Gorgon City. Launched in 2015 by Disclosure and Rudimental, Wild Life has quickly become one of the South East’s most highly anticipated music gatherings. Occupying the open expanse at Brighton City Airport – formerly Shoreham Airport – the venue offers the organisers plenty of space in which to create, as well as host thousands of revellers. Digital Insanity secured the welcomed task and for a third year provided playback for the festival. The UK-based video solutions provider called on Hippotizer’s playback power
UK - HSL supplied lighting, trussing and rigging equipment to the two main arenas at the 2017 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) for event producer and artistic director Nadia Raibin and her company, The Production Team. Nadia and The Production Team have been involved with HOYS for over 20 years, bringing together the best imaginative and technical solutions. Their brief to HSL included providing theatrical lighting for a number of equestrian-based entertainment and display acts as well as lighting for the main international show-jumping competitions, working hunter and driving classes. Nadia explained that when she first decided to bring a rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere and ‘entertainment experience’ to the main International Arena – there was some trepidation from the horse fraternity! “This is the pinnacle of the horsing calendar so the idea of addin
Europe - Robert Juliat’s Lancelot followspots are joining Ed Sheeran for his 187-date world tour. Supplied by UK-based lighting hire company Lights Control Rigging (LCR), the two Lancelot followspots were specified for the tour by production designer, Mark Cunniffe, who has worked with Sheeran as lighting and production designer since the star first broke onto the music scene in 2011. Robert Juliat’s Lancelot is a 4000W HTI followspot designed for very long throw applications, with a 2°- 5° zoom and an innovative optical train that delivers an extremely flat beam and improves on the power of its smaller counterparts. It was clear Cunniffe needed a quality fixture to pick out the singer to his best advantage against the massive, video-heavy set that surrounds him. “I chose the Lancelots for a number of reasons,” says Cunniffe. “Firstly, I love the opti
UK - Audio-visual integrator Design AV Europe cooperated with AMS Acoustics and sound reinforcement manufacturer Nexo on the new sound system for the recently-renovated Winter Gardens Pavilion in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Design AV Europe was contracted to provide audio and video technology in four areas of the Pavilion: the ballroom, the adjacent bar and restaurant, the reception, and the College reception. Damien Orritt of Design AV approached Nexo to supply the audio system for the ballroom/concert hall, designed to work in any one of five audio scenarios: speech, dinners and table-seated events; live band and concert-type events; a ballroom mode with sound only on the dancefloor; and a full DJ mode with sound on the dancefloor and the promenade. The central space of the Pavilion is the unusual oval-shaped ballroom, with a raised promenade encircling the sunken f
Thailand - Mahajak Development recently installed a multi-zone distributed audio system by Harman Professional Solutions at Vana Nava Jungle Water Park. Located on eight acres outside of Hua Hin, Thailand, Vana Nava is Asia’s first ‘water jungle’ and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. In order to provide excellent sound quality for background music and announcements across a wide range of facilities and attractions, developer Proud Real Estate hired Mahajak Development to design and install a complete Harman networked multi-zone audio solution throughout the entire park. “The project required a great number of loudspeakers, and the Harman constant-voltage speakers enabled us to extend the number of outputs and minimize power loss over long speaker cable runs,” said Roengrith Jantarima, project manager, Mahajak Development.
USA - Canadian superstar Celine Dion’s lighting designer Yves Aucoin has added Robe’s new MegaPointe multi-purpose moving light fixtures to the rig for her popular Celine show at the Colosseum, Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas. This is the first live concert show for MegaPointe in North America. The Grammy Award-winning artist plays around 70 shows a year in Las Vegas in a series of three-week stints, and tours other territories in between. Yves has worked with her since 1989, and Montreal based lighting supplier Solotech, represented by Richard Lachance and François Desjardins, has also been involved since Celine’s shows first started carrying a production. Yves jumped at the chance to add MegaPointes to the Vegas spectacle! He likes to keep the long running residency looking fresh by introducing new elements. The 4,296 capacity Colosseum was in
USA - KDKB 93.3 radio celebrated alternative music with a star-studded Dia De Los ALT show at the Mesa Amphitheatre. Featuring Top Ten alternative recording artists from around the world, like New York’s Bleachers, London’s Bishop Briggs, and Denmark’s New Politics, the event served up a nightlong smorgasbord of music done in a seemingly endless array of quirky and highly individualistic styles. John Garberson of Creative BackStage reflected this quixotic music in light as it wove its way through a free-flowing stream of creative interpretations. Aiding him in this undertaking were his assistant LDs Rita Assi and Chris Brodman, as well as a very flexible rig that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures. Key to creating this immersive visual flow were the rig’s eight Maverick MK2 Spot moving fixtures. Flown four apiece on midstage and upstage truss,
UK - A 48-channel Audient ASP8024 Heritage Edition console has recently been installed at the University of Huddersfield, where students of Music Technology & Audio Systems BSc(Hons), Popular Music BSc(Hons) and Popular Music Production BA(Hons) courses are already putting it to work. Music Technology technical team leader Ben Evans was part of the team that specified the supersized desk, which comes complete with patchbay and producers desk, and appreciated it from the start. “The integrated patchbay took a lot of the hassle out of installation and is really well laid out. This meant we had the desk up and running very quickly after delivery,” - an important factor when the beginning of term looms. “Staff and students have all been impressed when they see the console,” he adds. “It really has the wow factor. “Students love the work flow of the desk, an
Belgium - Manufacturer of flame retardant fabrics, drapery and stage engineering solutions, J&C Joel has appointed of Luxillag as its new bronze dealer in Belgium. Luxillag was established in 1986 and supplies lighting equipment and tailor-made installation solutions to stage, cinema, television, photography and architainment professionals. Over the last 20 years, the company’s primary focus has been in theatre and broadcast with an expansion into architainment and entertainment. The business has been involved in major projects including lighting design and full installations for the theatre and photographical and broadcast Industry as well as stage and studio scenery. Luxillag’s owner and managing director, Gianfranco Galli, said: “We are very pleased with this new partnership. J&C Joel’s extensive range of products and impressive achievements
UK - The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) has announced its 2018 sponsored student scheme is open for applications. The scheme offers students, who have not previously been members of the ALD, the opportunity to enjoy free ALD membership until the end of March 2019. Student members benefit from the increased opportunity to network with lighting and video production professionals at insightful events organised by the ALD, such as their monthly members’ socials and visits to shows and theatres. Membership provides vital interaction and connection between established figures in professional lighting and video design, and the next generation of talented designers, programmers and technicians. Member benefits for students also include complimentary copies of the ALD magazine, Focus, as well as full access to the ALD web site and the members’ own micro-site. Memb
UK - PLASA continues its business training programme with an intensive one-day course covering all aspects of Key Customer Management. The aim of the day is to help delegates develop a range of business analysis and planning skills using proven techniques. Content includes an examination of where the company is currently, techniques for increasing effectiveness, analysing your top 20 customers, the eight-step negotiation framework and much more. As with all PLASA courses, numbers are limited to enable a highly interactive and personal approach. The next course takes place on Thursday 26 October 2017 at Leisuretec in Leighton Buzzard. Find out more and book at www.eventbrite.co.uk.
France - L-Acoustics and French theme park Puy du Fou have signed a privileged partnership agreement, joining the Puy du Fou Club of Partners. The partnership between L-Acoustics and the Puy du Fou represents the culmination of more than 10 years of collaboration between the two organisations. The first L-Acoustics system at the Puy du Fou was installed in 2000 for the Gallo-roman Stadium. Today, the manufacturer’s sound systems are in use throughout the park, most notably in Le Dernier Panache, which featured the first permanent installation of the new L-ISA hyperrealistic immersive sound technology by L-Acoustics. “Being a member of Puy du Fou Circle of Partners gives us a unique terrain to expand our creativity,” says Christian Heil, president at L-Acoustics. “It will allow us exclusive development opportunities to continue to apply our most cutting-
The Netherlands - Elation Europe gathered lighting professionals for a PRO Theme Day, a day of seminars and discussions on relevant industry topics and technological developments. Held on 10 October at the company's European HQ in Kerkrade, the event featured various presentations including a talk by Ola Melzig, head of production for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Elation Europe sales & marketing manager Marc Librecht said: “Thank you to everyone who shared a sensational PRO Theme Day with us. It was really a big success and perhaps the best PRO Theme Day we’ve ever had. Ola was as informative and entertaining as ever and our guests came away with a lot of valuable knowledge. It was a full house and a fantastic day!” Participants could engage with Melzig and network with other industry colleagues. Melzig shared the ins and outs of the biggest live
UK - Liverpool-based rental and production company Adlib specified and supplied an L-Acoustics Kara sound system for the recent tour of Damien Chazelle’s multiple Academy Award-winning box office blockbusting movie La La Land - accompanied by a 51 piece orchestra who played the foot-tapping musical score live. Adlib was working for Senbla’s Harvey Leslie as production manager & Kitty Stafford-Clark as producer, with a crew of four chiefed by Alan Harrison who was also the system tech, joined by Laurie Binns and Steph Fleming looking after the patch and monitor engineer Max Taylor. Also on the audio team was FOH engineer Arne Bock (working directly for the production.) Kara was selected to deliver precision and detail, with the compact size and low weight of the speakers also key. The predictable frequency response of the Kara meant the system design for
South Africa - Robe was the moving light of choice for the second season of The Voice South Africa. Multi-Media were again appointed as technical production company by TV producers AMPN, with Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier once again appointed as lighting designer. The show, aired on M-Net, moved from a 500-capacity studio to the 3000-seater Mosaiek Teatro in Fairland, Johannesburg, prompting series director Darren Hayward to “go for it” with more drama and excitement. Josh specified over 200 Robe fixtures across the series, a package co-ordinated by Multi-Media’s Chris Delancey. As well as lighting the artists, stage and set, Josh paid a lot of attention to the audience lighting, for which he adopted a subtle EDM-style approach. Lights were rigged on a set of ‘finger’ trusses running upstage / downstage, fanning out from the centre, faci
USA - Lighting designer Victor Fable turned to new generation LED fixtures from Elation Professional for the season finale of Survivor: Game Changers. “We wanted to move to more LED and try something different without taking away the success of past live shows,” said Fable, who has traditionally used a profusion of discharge lamp fixtures on Survivor finales. “We wanted to see how much could be rolled over to LED and see how much more bang we could get with the extra fixtures it allowed us to use.” “It’s the most LED we’ve had on a Survivor show,” Fable added. “The show looked as good as ever and the client was very happy.” The rig consisted of over 250 lighting fixtures, including 80 Fuze Wash Z120, 26 Fuze Wash Z350, 40 Colour Chorus 12, 10 Colour Chorus 48 and 16 Satura Spot LED Pro, all Elation LED fixtures, along wit
Vietnam - Ba Sao Investment recently installed a complete audio system by Harman Professional Solutions at the Central Circus Theatre, the oldest circus in Vietnam. In order to enhance the facility’s sound quality and provide a more immersive performances experience for audiences, the theatre hired Ba Sao Investment to update the facility’s aging audio system with a cutting-edge integrated audio solution. Ba Sao Investment selected a Harman audio solution made up of JBL speakers, Crown amps, dbx signal processors and Soundcraft digital mixing consoles. “One key requirement of the audio system was that it needed to be powerful enough to cover our theatre’s needs, and portable enough to suit our touring needs,” said Mr.Lê Quang Tuyến, vice president of Central Circus Theatre. “Ba Sao Investment worked closely with Harman to provide us with a customised so
UK - Paul Hatt’s sound hire and production company CS Audio has been supporting the Icelandic singer Björk, using KLANG:technologies’ 3D personal monitor mixing system for the string section at the headline festival shows in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Japan. The KLANG:technologies system was specified by Hatt after he’d used it with Massive Attack in Hyde Park for the same purpose, but it also caught the eye of the production manager who also worked on both shows. He asked Hatt about the system’s availability, having been suitably impressed the first time it was used. Hatt explained the set-up, “This time the KLANG was connected via the MADI on the DiGiCo SD8 console, quick and easy to set up, we were up and running in no time without any issues. I sent groups of each string section, playback mixes, click, vocal and of course themselves to allow each music
