UK - Blackout will reveal their complete range of starcloth (coloured fibre optic, colour RGB LED, white LED and peabulb) and pipe & drape on stand G58 at this year's RSVP exhibition between 29 - 30 March, 2006 at Olympia, London.

"We literally do thousands of corporate events and parties each year and each one of them requires that special touch. The RSVP show, with over 5,000 visitors, provides the perfect platform for us to show and inspire ideas for parties and special events," comments Steve Tuck, managing director at Blackout Ltd.

Visitors and guests will be treated to a video presentation highlighting major exhibitions, parties, productions and events over the past year and will also be entertained by a surprise guest performer.

(Chris Henry)

Germany - In its combined roles as one of the world's leading 'boutique' amplifier manufacturers and as German distributor for Nexo, Camco GmbH is anticipating more traffic than ever before on its stand at the ProLight&Sound expo in Frankfurt in March, the company reports.

Alongside its successful Vortex Series and Tecton Series of amplifiers, Camco will be showing its new DSP Module, which allows both Tecton and Vortex models to become a UCA, or Universal Controller Amp. Full parametric EQs, delays, IIR-filters, X-over and limiters are naturally selected and controlled via the multithreading Camco WinCai remote control application. The new UCA module is fully integrated with Camco's amplifiers, and data exchange is achieved via internal interfaces, say the company.

In addition to freely programmable controller software, 'parameter sets' can be downloaded into the UCA from an

Italy - Outline's products have been increasingly used at events of worldwide importance - including the Rome and London Live 8 concerts last summer. Now, the Northern Italian manufacturer's loudspeaker systems have made a considerable contribution to the sound reinforcement for the Winter Olympic Games in Turin.

Outline provided 40 Butterfly CDH 483 Hi-Pack systems flown on either side of a maxi-screen in the Piazza San Carlo, backed up by 18 floor-stacked Victor Live subwoofers. Amplification and control hardware consisted of 36 Outline T6.5 digital power amps and 2 Genius 26 processors respectively.

In the famous Piazza Castello - re-christened 'Medal Plaza' for the occasion - 18 Outline HARD 212 SP stage monitors were chosen for the large rotating stage - one of the largest ever seen - which hosted artists including Whitney Houston, Andrea Bocelli, Lou Reed, Duran Duran, J

UK - For the second year running Stage Electrics supplied staging and lighting for the Laurence Olivier Awards, the highlight of the West End calendar, presented annually by the Society of London Theatre.

Stage Electrics provided crew together with 36 Source 4 lanterns, four MAC 250 Entours, a MAC 250+, 15 MAC 500's and 13 MAC 600's for the awards held on Sunday 26th February. Lighting design was by Matt Evered, the awards were project managed by Stage Electrics' Andrew Loveday.

Stage Electrics would like to congratulate all the Olivier winners especially Paule Constable for Best Lighting Design and Paul Arditti for Best Sound Design.

Stage Electrics have strong links to the awards and winners, especially so in the case of Guys and Dolls who were successful in securing the award for Outstanding Musical Production, Stage Electrics supply lig

UK - In late February, Community UK held an outdoor demonstration and seminar at Love Street Stadium, home of St Mirren FC in Paisley. The stadium was hired for the day to enable Community to effectively demonstrate the company's range of high power and long-throw, all-weather systems, and is part of a series of such days being held at various locations throughout the year for the benefit of installers and audio consultants.

Community UK staff were on hand, not only for presenting the product and answering questions, but also advising on system design and projects.

Commenting on the day, Stuart Cunningham, general manager of Community UK Said: "The human ear remains the most critical instrument in evaluating how a loudspeaker performs, and hearing it in an appropriate environment is essential. Half way through the event, the Scottish weather also obliged with a hail-storm

UK - Cadac's flagship analogue console scores a full house in the Best SoundDesign category. All the nominations for the 2006 Olivier Award for Best Sound Designfeatured a Cadac J-Type Live Sound Production Console, reports Cadac Electronics Plc, demonstrating the J-Type's enduring position as the console of choice for leading sound designers around the world for major productions.

The nominees included Paul Arditti for Billy Elliot The Musical, Christopher Shutt for Coram Boy and, on Guys and Dolls, Terry Jardine and Chris Full, with Paul Arditti scooping up the Best Sound Design Award at yesterday's gala presentation.

Managing director Bob Thomas believes that more than 75% of the current Broadway and West End shows feature a Cadac analogue console, reflecting Cadac's continuing supremacy in sound quality, reliability and bullet-proof performance,

France - Kinesys' new K2 automation control system was used to fly an impressive 16 metre high spiral staircase reveal, which was the centrepiece for Karl Lagerfeld's highly visual Ice Princesses show for Chanel during Paris Fashion Week. This was staged in the elegant, newly renovated Grand Palais, just off the Champs Elysees.

Flemish rental company EML supplied sound, lighting and rigging equipment for the event which was production managed by Alain Van Isacker. The stage was a Stageco structure and the show's technical aspects - including the staircase - was conceived by Hans Willems of Stageco. The staircase was constructed by French company Devineau, with the truss tower and all the load bearing mechanical elements supplied by Stageco

The highly versatile K2 system - which EML purchased last year and debuted on the Clouseau show in Antwerp (see the January i

UK - The Theatrical Guild (TTG) is delighted to announce that it is exhibiting for the second year running at the forthcoming ABTT Theatre Show 14th-15th June 2006.

The Theatrical Guild is the only registered charity in the UK providing help and support to anyone who works or has worked Backstage or Front of House, be it general staff or management.

Offering an extremely valuable service, TTG gives financial aid to those who are unable to work due to illness, accidents or to those who have retired.

Karen Nichols, Chief Administrator, explained: "We found exhibiting at The ABTT Theatre Show enormously worthwhile. It gave us the opportunity to meet with theatre professionals from around the country. It was invaluable meeting face to face and being able to let them know that The Theatrical Guild exists and explain how our charity can make a dramatic difference should they

USA / Germany - The forthcoming NSCA and Frankfurt exhibitions will be the first chance for British manufacturer XTA to show the world its flexible new offering for speaker system control.

XTA's Guy Lewis is spreading the news: "With hundreds of our 4 in, 8 out processors now driving audio systems worldwide, we are completing the family, and really giving every sound company and installer a flexible choice of how they structure their drive processing and speaker systems.

"If a 4 in, 8 out format is not perfect for your world, we can now offer either 2 or 4 inputs, with either 4, 6 or 8 outputs - plenty to choose from."

Lewis is referring to the new DP446, DP444, DP424 and the renamed DP448. "It does not matter if it is an LCR system, a two-way monitor rack, four-way front-of-house system or four-channel EQ front-end. Anyone can fit the processing to their

UK - This year the Global Infusion Group (incorporating Eat to the Beat, Chevalier Event Design and e2B Logistics) has committed its support to the 'One Water' charity, which aims to provide access to free, clean water in third world areas by generating profits from the sale of 'One' branded bottled water.

By supporting this charity, Global Infusion has pledged to buy 80,000 500ml bottles in 2006. This in turn will raise £5,000 to buy a village a well, a pumping system and a 'magic roundabout'. The children of the village play on the roundabout, and each revolution pumps a litre of water into storage tanks, so water can be freely available.

The concept was launched to the team at Global Infusion Group at their AGM in January this year by managing director Duncan Goose. The team wholeheartedly bought into the concept without exception.

Currently, one billion people in t

UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) has launched the first in a new suite of financial services designed to help member companies protect themselves against the risk of bad debts and to assist them in trading competitively in the growing global market.

The three new services - free credit checks, credit insurance facilities and a debt collection service - have been launched to minimise the risks involved in trading with particular customers and enable members to make more informed decisions.

PLASA Members can now request free credit checks on all UK companies. The service, provided by CreditSafe, allows members to request Reports on clients or business contacts. Updated on a daily basis, the Reports include financial information, key ratios, trend analysis, directors' details, payment record and a rating system classifying companies on a scale from 0 t

France - The famous modern French variety singer Mylene Farmer has made a successful return to the stage after performing at the Paris' Bercy from January 13th through to the 29th 2006!

The equipment used for the shows was so vast and complex that no tour has been planned by way of follow up, as only the Bercy was able to welcome such an huge technical show. The sound system alone comprised an impressive L-Acoustics system consisting of 30 V-Dosc and 128 dV-Dosc cabinets, with 48 SB218 subwoofers for the combined main and central systems (the show happening on both the stage and the central pit).

The sound design was devised more than a year ago by sound engineer Stephane Plisson, and Laurent Delenclos a freelance Certified V-Dosc Engineer (CVE). Delenclos made it possible to realize Plisson's ideas and was in charge of positioning the speakers. Plisson assisted by Vladimir Co

France - French company SCV Audio has scooped dbx's coveted European Distributor of the Year award.

The announcement was made during the Harman Pro conference prior to this year's NAMM Show in Anaheim, but the presentation was formally made the following month by Glen Harris, director of European sales for dbx and Lexicon, during the SIEL Show in Paris.

Harris congratulated SCV sales director, Thierry Lamotte (centre) and product manager Franck Surena (right) on the considerable growth they had registered with dbx sales during the past 12 months. "In particular we are delighted with the performance of the retail-based products," he said. "SCV's 'Rack Road' and 'Global Answer' initiatives have had considerable impact on growing the business in that respect."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

Italy - Fifty-six years after it first appeared on the European entertainment landscape, the famous San Remo Festival continues to go from strength to strength. Promoted by Italian television giants, Rai, the song contest has always enjoyed high production values and this year's event on the Italian Riviera saw the installation of a complete digital solution in the 1900-capacity Ariston Theatre.

Harman's HiQnet connectivity and control protocol was used within a CobraNet environment so that all audio and control data could be routed over a common Ethernet pipe. Making its debut alongside other HiQnet-compatible devices in the Harman product portfolio were five of the new dbx DriveRack 4800's - the first to be used outside the United States - optimizing the performance of the two powered 10 x JBL VT 4888 DP-CN Vertec line array hangs.

With its 96kHz DSP engine and standard anal

USA - Audio-Technica supplied over 200 microphones for the live broadcast of the 48th Grammy Awards, held on 8 February at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. The event featured a wide array of Audio-Technica microphones, including many hard-wired mics and Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless Systems.

The Emmy-winning Grammy Awards was the first major awards show to venture into HDTV and 5.1 surround sound, and makes increasingly elaborate forays into using current technology to the fullest advantage. Once again CBS delivered the most advanced form of HDTV, with 1,080 lines of picture resolution and 5.1-channel surround sound. To meet the sonic demands of this format, the audio engineers and music mixers employed a range of Audio-Technica microphones for the show's audio.

ATK/ Audiotek provided the sound system with FOH (front-of-house) engineer Ron Reeves and Mikael Stewart,

UK - A resounding Brit Awards at Earls Court was confirmation - if confirmation were needed - that all things within the British music business are in good health; including the application of the latest audio technology and it's leading adherents.

Having pioneered the practice of using digital consoles for award shows, Derrick Zieba, the shows principal co-ordinator of the live sound/broadcast sound interface, describes how he feel about them five years later as he approaches his 14th Brit Awards show: "There's no turning back now, the advantages far outweighs any concerns that may have surfaced in the early days. The fact that you can rehearse half a dozen major acts on the Sunday before the Brits, and then several days later recall every detail of every setting for every band absolutely perfectly is just unbeatable."

Further significant elements to such shows have

UK - The entertainment, architectural and installation industries are changing. Advances in lighting, sound, AV and safety technologies are driving new ideas: creative projects are becoming more innovative and less derivative, whilst commercial installations are benefiting from sophisticated life safety systems.

Harnessing all these advances together in one place at one time is PLASA06 - the main international exhibition for the theatre, architectural, touring, DJ, club, leisure and TV sectors, which takes place from 10-13 September at Earls Court in London.

Six months from opening, the show is 80% sold, guaranteeing that the industry's top 500 brands will be at PLASA06 showing the latest innovations in the lighting, audio, AV, stage engineering and control fields. Not only will PLASA06 have a strong showing of core products and services to meet the demands of projects and ins

UK - ELDA+ (European Lighting Designers' Association) has held its first workshop in the UK in Birmingham, enabled by BDP's director of lighting Martin Lupton.

Martin Lupton, worked with Birmingham City Council to make possible the success of this year's workshop, titled 'Eastside Story' and held in the city's industrial Eastside area. The purpose of the workshops is to educate students and professionals as well as private and public agencies and the public, about lighting design and how it can contribute positively to the environment and enhance people's sense of safety.

As technical coordinator of the February 2006 event, attended by 47 students from 24 different countries, Martin Lupton reported that this was the most gritty, urban and industrial of all ELDA+ workshops to date. He said of the project: "Students had the opportunity to work on sites of a uniquely urban s

UK - Denon DJ is sponsoring the prime category in this year's Trance Awards 2006 (powered by Trackitdown.net) - for the Best DJ. The Trance Awards 2006 is a celebration of the best in the world of trance over the past 12 months. Featuring 15 categories - voted for by the public via online portal www.tranceawards.com - the Trance Awards 2006 is set to be the biggest date on the global trance calendar.

Promoted by premier dance music download portal www.trackitdown.net, alongside Godskitchen (promoters of the 50,000 capacity Global Gathering festival), Mixmag and TV channel MTV Dance, this year's Trance Awards features partnerships with some of the biggest players in dance.

With last year's debut awards seeing thousands of votes coming in from over 100 countries, and with the ceremony taking place at south coast super club Slinky, this year's awards already features a star studd

USA - Floating above a sea of trade show booths, Chaparral's 16' circular trussing logo caught visitors' attention as they entered the 65th Miami International Boat Show. The giant frame that carried the name of the leading boat manufacturer was part of a Global Truss America trade show booth package that Chaparral Boats purchased especially for the Miami Boat Show held Feb. 16-20 at the Miami Beach Convention Centre.

As large as a basketball court, Chaparral's 55' x 75' booth featured eight 20' columns of Global Truss Square 12" Trussing that supported a horizontal truss beam set at 10' high, which ran around the booth's perimeter. The sleek, industrial-looking display supported the lighting system that showcased eight recreational boats ranging in length from 18' to 31' displayed by Chaparral Boats at the show.

Springtree Media Group, the company that designed and const

USA - XL Touring Video is presently touring with Korn as video contractor for the band's See You On The Other Side - 2006 world tour.

XLTV collaborated with the artist and management to provide custom made 19' x 18' electric roll down screens, which provided removable projection surfaces for the six SLM Barco R12 projectors. Christian Lamb was brought in to provide content, which was programmed on Doremi hard drives.

"It was the most amazing content I'd ever seen," says XLTV's' President, John Wiseman, "it fits like a glove".

Touring on behalf of XLTV is Engineer, Rob McShane and projectionist, Mike Green.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

Rako - wireless lighting controls, offering solutions to any application. This modular system is designed to cover all lighting types, e.g. low voltage, fluorescent and LEDs. And being wireless, is easily installed into existing systems.

RCF reported great visitor interest in their 4 PRO speaker systems. Leo Di Nicola of RCF France explained: "During the show we had a lot of interest in the system from end-users, small PA companies and dealers alike. It's the first time that we have shown the complete 4 PRO range and the larger 6001 and 7001system drew the most attention. We were also very happy with dealers' reaction the new Monitor Q compact contractor speakers.

ArKaos were showing the latest version of its product, the ArKaos 3.5 ETC Edition. A software-based visual synthesizer that runs on a normal PC or Mac, ArKaos 3.5 ETC Edition is a tool for lighting designers or visual artists to create and control amazing visual projections. At SIEL the application was connecting via ETCNet2 with ETC's new Congo console. The ArKaos product will be become available after SIELt

Latest Issue. . .