UK - Manchester based lighting and rigging specialist dbn is joining forces with full service event technical company Audile, to create a new venture – dbnAudile. The merged company will combine a wealth of experience, skills and talents across the disciplines of lighting, audio, rigging and creative video all under one roof in central Manchester. dbn’s Stephen Page commented, “We have enjoyed a close working relationship with Audile over many years and we share the same principals of enthusiasm for our work in an industry that we love, a commitment to development and fair treatment of our people, a creative approach to productions and a goal to provide the very best service and technologies to our clients. This merger will allow us to widen our scope and improve our offer even further.” The increased scope and range of equipment, expertise and strong syn
UK - Epson and mclcreate have announced a UK wide partnership in the projection rental market. The agreement sees Epson’s installation projectors added to mclcreate’s already extensive portfolio of hire supplies which include audio systems and camera kit as well projection solutions. The agreement currently includes Epson’s EB-L000 series of laser projectors, specifically the EB-L1405U and EB-L1505U, which are ideal for the live events and installation market thanks to their innovative laser light source. A culmination of extensive research, development and testing, the EB-L1000 series of projectors marked Epson’s move into a new era of installation projection. With game-changing laser technology and a range of flexible features they offer a minimal fuss and an almost no maintenance solution. The range allows rental companies as well as visitor attractions, di
Germany - Production Resource Group (PRG) organized its annual summit for the members of its global partner network programme – PRG Alliance – during the Prolight + Sound 2017 in Frankfurt. Currently in its third year, the PRG Alliance has 15 members in 28 countries delivering high quality technical production services worldwide. The theme for this meeting was Building on Success, and celebrated numerous collaboration projects among the members, including some from Italy, Poland, and Portugal. During the summit, they shared success case studies and discussed future initiatives to promote greater business and information exchange. “The PRG Alliance is praised by our clients and the market in general. What started with a recognition of PRG partners three years ago, today is a substantial network of remarkable companies – and the largest resource pool
Spain - Milab Microphones has announced that The Deep Sound has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Milab products in Spain. “We are very happy to present The Deep Sound as our official partner in Spain,” says Mattias Strömberg, marketing manager for Milab. “They are an established company in the Spanish pro audio business and have the technical knowledge and customer base that I believe will make them a perfect fit for Milab.” Sergio Serrano, business manager for The Deep Sound says, "Our greatest ambition is to always put the needs of our clients first and to provide the best personalized solution for every situation. Our partnership with Milab will make our position on the Spanish market even stronger.'' The Deep Sound, located in Madrid, has been dedicated to professional audio for more than 30 years. The company offers a wide range of se
South Africa - DWR Distribution has joined up with Phil Blue from Green Hippo UK, to present a one day training session at their Cape Town (2 May), Durban (3 May) and Johannesburg (5 May) offices. The hands-on workshops will cover topics including Hippotizer Concepts & Terms, Hardware, HippoNet, Startup, Configuration, Output Manager, Media Manager and so much more. All delegates are requested to please bring their own Laptops along with the Green Hippo Programme on it. While the course is free of charge, booking is essential. Bookings can be done on-line via http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/greenhippo/ (Jim Evans)
China - Building upon the English release in September 2016, global design and BIM software developer Vectorworks, Inc. has announced the release of the Chinese version of its Vectorworks 2017 software line, which includes Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Designer and Fundamentals. Part of a worldwide rollout, the Chinese language is the final installment to join other languages, including Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese and Spanish. To demonstrate the new technology features of Vectorworks 2017, Mad Macs Technology Distributions Limited, the Vectorworks distributor in China, will host a series of presentations across the country throughout April and May. Attendees of the launch events can enjoy free refreshments and will have the chance to win a free Vectorworks Fundamentals 2017 license. Space is limite
UK - An online auction of production and broadcast equipment which brought the curtain down at Fountain Studios raised over £670,000. The sale, organised by auctioneers Charterfields on behalf of Fountain Television, attracted worldwide interest with more than 450 bidders registering from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Italy and the Netherlands as well as the UK. Among the range of sound, lighting and camera equipment, the Calrec Apollo 72 fader digital audio console item led to the highest winning bid in excess of £85,000. Fountain Studios closed in December and is described as ‘the birthplace of TV talent shows’ after being home to some of the UK’s most popular programmes since the launch of ITV in 1955. They include TV classics such as On The Buses, Upstairs Downstairs and Opportunity Knocks to modern family favourit
UK - Source Distribution has taken on exclusive UK distributorship of Aphex Systems, makers of professional audio processors, preamplifiers and dynamics controllers. With an over 40-year history, beginning with the original Aural Exciter in 1975, Aphex equipment has become a standard presence in the racks of studios all over the World. The Aphex product range features powerful modern units evolved from popular classics of the past, incorporating many unique technologies pioneered over decades of research and development. These include the Channel Master Preamp & Input Processor, which includes many unique technologies making it an end-to-end solution for essential vocal and instrument recording and processing. In one rack space, it includes patented RPA tube preamp, EasyRider automatic compressor, patented logic-assisted gate, de-esser, and patented Aural Exciter a
USA - Fox Sports recently refitted Stage B at its Pico Studio in Los Angeles with nearly 100% Elation Professional products, an energy-efficient LED-based lighting system designed by award-winning Victor Fable with lighting supply by Kinetic Lighting. The new lighting system includes a host of Elation broadcast-optimized lights including one of Elation’s latest LED wash solutions, the Fuze Wash Z120, a PAR moving head with 120W RGBW COB LED engine. The Fuze light plays an important role in the install and is a fixture that LD Victor Fable is especially happy with. “I had given up on finding a light that had the same characteristics as a VL5, which has been a cornerstone of countless shows,” he says. “That changed when I was introduced to the Fuze Wash Z120.” On his search for a new colour-changing wash light with unique on-camera aesthetics yet one that was
Finland - International sound engineers Heikki Kervinen and Temi Kinnunen, have recently selected Allen & Heath’s dLive digital mixing system as their mixer of choice following their experiences of using the system over the touring season. Heikki, who owns his own PA company, Kervinen Sound, purchased a dLive S7000/DM64 system in preparation for touring commitments with rising solo artist, Erja Lyytinen and renowned blues guitarist, Heikki Silvennoinen. Heikki travelled with the dLive system managing FOH in venues across Europe. Similarly, Temi engineers for some of the top Finnish bands including Vilma Alina, Neljä Ruusua, and Robin. Temi has been mixing Vilma Alina on dLive for all of her festival and tour dates this season, culminating in a major concert at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki, which is one of the oldest rock clubs in Europe. (Jim Ev
Spain - Celebrating 20 years as a Nexo rental house, BTM Sound in Spain has expanded its investment in STM Series sound reinforcement systems with a new order of line array modules, including the STM M28 ‘omnipurpose’ loudspeaker. Based in Girona, on the Costa Brava, BTM Sound bought its first Nexo PS Series cabinets in 1997, commencing a long-standing relationship with Nexo distributor Doscientos Veinte Sonido SL. Since then, BTM has invested in all Nexo’s major loudspeaker lines: Alpha, Geo S8, Geo T, Geo D, and Gwo S12, as well as the 45°N-12 line monitors. In 2014, it became the first rental company in Spain to adopt the STM Series, choosing the STM M28 as the main cabinet along with B112 bass and S118 subbass modules. “This is very modular equipment, which allows us to move from a small event to a super-concert,” says Xavier Morell of BTM. “First ther
Potter Magic - Harry Potter And The Cursed Child won a record-breaking nine gongs at the Olivier Awards in London. The stage follow-up to the world-famous wizard book saga picked up prizes including best new play, and best actor for Jamie Parker, who stars as Harry. Co-stars Noma Dumezweni (Hermione) and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) won in the best supporting actress and actor categories respectively. John Tiffany took home the best director award for the J K Rowling adaptation, which had a total of 11 nominations. Scooping nine prizes - which also included set design, lighting, sound and costumes - meant the two-part spectacular became the most successful production in Oliviers history. Winner of the best sound design award was Gareth Fry, while the lighting award went to Neil Austin. Rock ‘n’ Roll - Family, friends and fans paid their fina
UK - Lighting and rigging dry hire specialist Nexus Dry Hire has received a £1m investment from Evolution Funding, The deal, which sees Evolution secure a 50% stake, will enable Nexus to invest heavily in new equipment, as well as expand its team, increase warehousing space, develop advanced testing areas and progress supplementary services such as transport and logistics. Established in 2015 by managing director Tom Agar, Nexus has successfully bridged the supply gap for providers of AV equipment, allowing customers to acquire the latest lighting and rigging equipment without endangering their balance sheets. Jeremy Levine, CEO of Evolution Funding joins Nexus as executive director to deliver strategic and investment expertise. He says, “Tom’s entrepreneurialism and business acumen attracted our attention. He has already built up a successful and well-resp
UK - Version 2 Lighting and LED specialists LED Creative supported the crew and BBC Studios Production Team for Red Nose day 2017. This year’s star studded fund raiser was broadcast live from Building Six at The O2, London where a stellar celebrity line up gave their time to help raise over £70m, money that will be put to work transforming lives across the UK and in some of the world’s poorest communities. Broadcast lighting providers, Version 2 worked closely with Lighting director Oli Richards and gaffer Mark Gardiner to create the vibrant, versatile installation, designed to easily handle instantaneous shifts between an eclectic mix of moods as the show switched between comedy, interview, musical performance and the ever important reports on the difference that Comic Relief is making in the world. Scenic designer Josh Grace worked with LED specialists LED
USA - Theatres of one kind or another have long played a role in the growth of Christ Community Church. Just before Christmas 1984, the suburban Chicago church, which was founded by four couples, held its first service in a rented movie theatre. Christ Community has since grown into a thriving four-campus house of worship that draws 5,000 people to its weekend services. However, a theatre, albeit of a different kind, still occupies an important spot in the church’s mission. Over the past decade, Christ Community has been successfully engaging young people with its Hub Theatre, a student ministry meeting and worship area on its original St. Charles campus. Recently, the church took steps to make this space more relevant to teens by updating its lighting system with all-new Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by JR Lighting Design of Tinley Park, IL. “We had been
South Africa - Saying goodbye to an unforgettable summer, Hunter’s hosted the three Heat Seekers, visiting cities in Durban (4 March at Peoples Park East), Johannesburg (11 March at Mary Fitzgerald Square) and Cape Town (18 March at The Ostrich Farm, off N7). This year the AV Company, a Durban based rental company, provided the sound, lighting, staging and power for all three venues where the top South African line-up included Cassper Nyovest, Black Motion, Chicana, Nasty C and Ricky Rick. Lighting designers Mbulelo Msuthwana and Keagan Browning from the AV Company programmed on an MA dot2 console with dot2 fader wing. “We loved the simplicity and ease of the MA as well as the node options allowing so many DMX outputs easily spread out,” they both agreed. Twenty-four Robin 600 LEDWash fixtures were used to wash the entire venue and VIP deck as well as lighting t
Europe Visualization expert Barco has kicked off a two-month roadshow throughout Europe. The objective: to demonstrate the power of Barco 4K projection technology and 4K image processing. Departing from Barco’s head office in Kortrijk, the Barco truck first headed for Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt. From there, it will be crisscrossing Europe until mid-June, visiting around 45 partner and customer events. Barco’s product offering for events and venues is constantly reaching new heights to meet the market need for ever-brighter outcomes. If it comes to ensuring really bright images, 4K projection – together with 4K image processing – is just the ticket. To show its 4K solutions at work and encourage real interaction with customers and partners, Barco decided to tour Europe. Visitors to the Barco truck will discover the power of Barco’s 4K laser projectors and its
Germany - Czech lighting manufacturer Robe lighting enjoyed another successful Prolight+Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, taking the opportunity to launch their new German subsidiary, Robe Deutschland GmbH; showcasing 10 new inventive and interesting products and creating another serious showspace for visitors to the annual expo. People packed into the stand right from the moment the show opened on Tuesday morning to the final hour on Friday afternoon. Business was brisk, the new company announcement caused an industry-wide stir, deals were completed and people also enjoyed the networking and communication opportunities, together with great vibes and traditional Czech hospitality. CEO Josef Valchar commented, “I know I have said this for at least the last five years after Frankfurt, but once again, the show was incredible for us! It exceeded all our expectations – and
UK - Arena Group has acquired the seating and mass participation divisions of Wernick Events, with effect from Monday 3 April, rebranding the business to operate as Arena Seating from its existing Coventry facility, as part of Arena UK & Europe. This multi-million pound strategic acquisition continues Arena UK & Europe’s ongoing expansion plans, with the addition of all of over 30,000 temporary grandstand seats, scaffolding, deck & truss. Arena Seating’s UK stock now rises to over 120,000 temporary seats available to the marketplace delivering over 350 projects this year. Grahame Muir CEO Arena UK & Europe states, “We are delighted to have completed this deal which will consolidate our strength as the UK’s premier event seating supplier. We are focused on achieving a seamless integration of the business into Arena Seating, whilst retai
Norway - Nidaros Cathedral recently underwent a major upgrade to its audio system, based around a Dante-enabled dLive digital mixing system, with an IP6 for daily remote control, and a DX32 expander rack to provide additional inputs for live performances. Established in 1066, Nidaros is the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral, the largest medieval building in Scandinavia, Norway’s national sanctuary, and houses relics of the Norwegian king, St. Olav. Attracting over 400,000 tourists a year, the Cathedral also hosts a plethora of concerts and performances each month, many of which are broadcast on national television in addition to the regular daily church services. The purpose of the installation was to provide the Cathedral with a central, remote-controllable system replacing the previous system, which consisted of several separate units and extensive analogu
Germany - SGM has announced the appointment of Venuetech LLC as the sole distributor for the Middle East. Relations go back to 1992, where dynamic lighting made its entrance to the global market. Venuetech is renowned for illuminating a long list of landmark buildings and entertainment projects in the region. With their strong presence and SGM as key player in the global market for dynamic lighting products, together they form a strong alliance. Peter Johansen, CEO of SGM Light, says, “We have high expectations and we look forward to exploring this strong relationship in a market with such big growth potential for LED dynamic lighting. Together, we create the foundation for cementing a number one position in the region.” Elie Kheirallah, technical director of Venuetech, adds, “SGM is going to reinforce our presence due to the extensive product range ideally suit
USA - Since first partnering with Philips on their Platinum lamp technology in 2009, Elation Professional has experienced a great deal of success in putting Philips Platinum lamps into moving head lighting fixtures. The latest examples are Elation’s hybrid Platinum FLX and IP65-rated Proteus series luminaires. Stage lighting is all about creating impactful and powerful effects with high brightness and high-contrast beams. The powerful and intense light of the compact Philips Platinum lamps offer brilliant light, a long lifetime and high efficacy and have allowed for stage lighting solutions that are more efficient, more powerful, more compact and easier to handle. The multi-functional Platinum FLX with its Philips 470W Platinum 20R lamp is an excellent example. The fixture has won praise for its independent dual optics and full list of design features, optimized usin
USA - The American Cancer Society recently wrapped its second annual RelayLIVE event 1 April, a music festival which advocates “fighting cancer at every stage”. Bandit Lites donated the lighting package at no cost for the outdoor fundraiser, which featured a performances by Arts Fishing Club, Mandy McMillan, Zack Dyer, Tony Winkler, Melissa Mickelson, Ali Morgan, Tyler Jordan and David Adam Byrnes. Leading up to the event, participants and businesses formed teams which raised both money and awareness towards eliminating cancer. This year’s effort has raised 39,000 dollars and counting towards programs for patients in Nashville including transportation to and from treatment, counselling, and the operation of Hope Lodge, a haven where patients can stay for free during the duration of their treatment. Using the lighting plot from last year’s inaugural event
UK - The Natural History Museum has invited event suppliers to apply to be added onto the venue’s refreshed accredited supplier list for 2018-2020. With a wealth of renovations underway and new event spaces now available within the museum, the venue hire team are keen to ensure that the new accredited supplier list provides event organisers with an increased breadth of styles and budget options, complementary to the wide range of events booked within the Natural History Museum. Nigel Mullins, senior operations managers at the Natural History Museum explains, “The Museum is going through notable changes this year including the installation of a jaw-dropping Blue Whale skeleton transforming our grand Hintze Hall. We have new intimate galleries opening up for smaller private dining and bespoke exhibition experiences which will add a new dimension to the venue.
