South Africa - The South African Broadcasting Corporation in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, has upgraded their studio kit to include their first ever moving lights - a range of Robins and Sharpies - as well as three Avolites Tiger Touch consoles, MVS hazers, Prolyte trussing and motors.

During 2012 the SABC invited interested parties to participate in a tender process for the supply of lighting gear. Congratulations to Blackmotion Production who were awarded the tender at the end of last year.

Hire Company, Blackmotion, regularly work at the SABC where they've used their own Robe fixtures on five television productions.

"The SABC in-house crew also saw us supply a Tiger Touch to the television series Roots," explained Kagiso Tiro Daystar Moima, owner of Blackmot

UK - the latest UK arena leg of the successful Mumford & Sons Tour of Two Halves world tour featured 2,547 of XL Video's latest FX-200 product, together with three Pixled F11 LED screens, HD cameras / PPU and crew.

The versatile FX-200s were specified by lighting and visuals designer Ed Warren from Next Level Lights.

The band has been touring for the last three years with various different arrangements of tungsten lightsources over and around the stage as an integral part of the lighting rig.

Earlier in this tour, Warren introduced LED festoon lighting, going from the stage and reaching right out into the audience ... and he wanted to take this up another level and add another dynamic and adaptable lightsource to the mix - enter the FX-200.

He had seen the product in action at various festivals over the summer and thought it ideal for the next evolution of his desig

Nigeria - Lagos based sound and lighting company Solution Media and Infotech has invested in its second Midas PRO live audio mixing console in less than a year from local Midas Distributor, NMK Electronics. The investment was made in order to deliver the total sound solution for Africa's biggest gospel music festival, The Experience Lagos 2012.

The PRO3, which was purchased at PALME 2011, was used on monitors while the PRO9, purchased at PALME 2012, took care of FOH. The event was attended by nearly 300,000 people and saw acts including Don Moen, Israel Houghton, Fred Hammond, Deitrick Haddon and many more deliver sharp performances.

"We purchased the PRO9 as a natural progression from the PRO3, which we'd bought the year before." explains Bamishile Dipo, sound engineer from Solution Media and Infotech Ltd. "We decided on the PRO9 because the PRO3 had so totally

featured content

ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light is headed to the Event Production Show next week at Olympia, London to showcase the latest energy saving innovations for event production from CORE Lighting and PR Lighting on Stand B38.

CORE Lighting specialises in battery-powered, wirelessly controlled LED lighting fixtures designed for instant illumination anywhere - events, parties and any other production where lighting fixtures need to be distributed over a wide area, and unsightly power and data cabling must be kept to an absolute minimum. On show will the Point15, Point20 and Point30 fixtures, all RGB-W, and the high-output Flood30, a white LED equivalent to a 750W tungsten spotlight, IP65 rated for outdoor use.

Visitors to the White Light Stand will also get a look at new products from PR Lighting, including the XLED336, a small and super bright LED moving light. The

featured content

New Touring Series by Gravity – Every Scratch Has A Story

When the stage heats up, you need equipment that can keep up without compromise. The Gravity Touring Series has been specifically designed to meet the highest demands – for rental companies, professional musicians, concert organizers, and large event venues. Premium materials, exceptional durability, and impressive longevity make these products stand out. Whether on tour, in constant use, or under the toughest conditions: the Touring Series delivers maximum reliability and performance – every day, on every stage.
FIND OUT MORE >>>

UK - It is becoming difficult to turn on the TV on a Saturday night and not be treated to a display via the Clay Paky Sharpy.

However, the favourite of the talent show has another string to its bow as Rob Myer, managing director of Light Fantastic Production Services explains, "We have been providing lighting, audio , video and staging services to a wide range of private and corporate events across the UK and Europe since 2005. Our clients demand a high level of finish and are always looking to create a new visual aesthetic for each event.

"As long time users of Clay Paky products, we've recently bought Sharpys from Ambersphere Solutions to broaden our rental stock and these have proved extremely popular. A large part of our work is in hotel ballrooms or conference centres where height, power supply and rigging opportunities can be very limited. This is where the Sha

Europe - Barco Lighting Systems and AED group have confirmed a new partnership that will enable AED Distribution to serve as a 'master distributor' of High End Systems' products throughout the UK, France and BeNeLux. Effective immediately, this Agreement enables AED Master Distribution to make its large centralized stock available to other distributors and dealers. They will also have direct access to product knowledge, support as well as stock without having to deal with long manufacturing and/or handling and transport delays.

Glenn Roggeman, CEO of the AED group, comments, "Our mission as master distributor is to be a complete support tool to the distribution network with our experience of large demos, trainings, large stocks, experience in project sales, buying used equipment as trade in with leasing of new.

"The Distribution landscape is drastically changing and

featured content

AZOR® SP2 IP - Compact IP65 Spot Profile Moving Head

Compact design and IP65 protection for indoor and outdoor applications: the new AZOR® SP2 IP is the ideal solution for open-air events and outdoor theatres that require a powerful, weatherproof lighting system. An optimal partner for lighting designers and event service providers looking for a versatile LED show light in a compact housing.

AZOR® SP2 IP – the next generation of robust, weatherproof, and compact lighting for maximum creative freedom, both indoors and outdoors.

READ MORE >>>

UK / France - SSE Audio Group has acquired French lighting company M.E.S through its French subsidiary Melpomen. Both MES and Melpomen have bases in Nantes and Paris and have worked together extensively on sound and lighting projects in recent years.

MES Eclairages was founded in 1981 and is now the leading provider of theatrical and event lighting in western France. It has an extensive inventory of lighting equipment for rental including moving heads, LED units and control and also installs permanent lighting rigs into venues.

In 2012, sound rental company Melpomen, a member of SSE Audio Group since 2001, decided to establish its own lighting department and recruited Jerome Malen to run it. The move came as more and more event promoters in France are looking for a comprehensive and integrated hire equipment package. In line with this, Melpomen has also just created a video de

UK - For the 4th year running Le Mark's high-gloss StudioTak flooring enhanced the stage on ITV's The National Television Awards 2013.

Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTA's and its collection of star-studded award-winning celebrities shone on Le Mark's water-like-reflection studio floor.

Performances from dancing star Darcey Bussell relied on StudioTak's excellent durability.

Soon after, the high-gloss floor offered a glistening reflection for Kimberly Walsh & X Factor rising star Ella Henderson. The set was built and installed by Blackfriars Scenery Ltd.

Blackfriars project manager Perry Judge commented, "StudioTak is fantastic, we never use anything else."

(Jim Evans)

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has announced that Peter Butler has been appointed to their board of directors as audio visual director.

Joining the company in 2003 as audio sales manager, Butler has been instrumental in driving forward and helping to establish the dedicated Audio Division, forging many new associations and relationships with manufacturers and customers along the way, says the company.

In 2011 Butler was appointed as acting video sales manager for AC-ET's Video Division, taking on a range of additional challenges and responsibilities.

Since then, he has played a key role in the expansion of the Video Division, bringing on-board many new video technologies and opening new business opportunities in the fast moving world of show and entertainment 'visuals'.

In his new appointment as audio visual director, Butler will continue to oversee the furth

USA - Mackie has confirmed the sale and transition of Tracktion Music Production Software to the Tracktion Software Corporation (TSC). TSC is led by three principals - Julian 'Jules' Storer, the original creator of Tracktion as well as former 'Mackoids' James 'Woody' Woodburn and Dave Christenson.

"With Mackie's continued focus on creating innovative hardware solutions, the choice to transition Tracktion to TSC was clear," said Matt Redmon, Mackie product manager. "TSC is fully dedicated to the development, support and marketing of Tracktion. Their experience with the DAW market and intimate knowledge of Tracktion made them the perfect group to take Tracktion into the future."

"We are proud to announce not only the acquisition of Tracktion Music Production Software, but that Tracktion 4 is available immediately," remarked James Woodburn of Trackti

USA - Three PLASA standards are now in public review. The public review materials for the standards are available at the web address below. The last day to comment for each of them is April 1.

BSR E1.44 - 201x, Common Show File Exchange Format For Entertainment Industry Automation Control Systems - Stage Machinery, defines a common show file format for the exchange of automation control data between control systems by different manufacturers of stage machinery.

BSR E1.45 - 201x, Unidirectional Transport of IEEE 802 data frames over ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A), defines a minimal method to transport IEEE 802 data frames unidirectionally over ANSI E1.11 physical links using an Alternate START Code. The primary motivation is to allow communication of 802 data to luminaires over an ANSI E1.11 DMX512-A datalink for data transmission from those luminaires using Visible Light Communication,

UK - Peavey Commercial Audio has appointed Mark Coombes as their new European sales manager. The role comes with responsibilities for all direct accounts in the UK and Ireland, as well as distribution customers in Iberia, France, Iceland and all of Scandinavia.

Coombes has worked in the commercial audio and video sectors for more than 15 years, and steps into the post following a six-month candidate search.

"Mark has a great mix of experience," says James Kennedy, operations manager at Peavey Commercial Audio. "His track record speaks for itself, having worked in an international sales capacity for a string of major industry manufacturers including Samsung, Opus and Crestron. He fits all the criteria for the role and we're delighted to have him on board."

Coombes adds, "Peavey is a world renowned company with an amazing audio heritage. I'm looking fo

Germany - Dynacord has announced that Toni Scherrenberg joins the sales team as sales manager for Eastern Europe, effective 1 February, 2013.

After holding key positions in the pro audio industry, both in the United Kingdom as well as the Netherlands, Toni Scherrenberg was further responsible for market consulting in Austria as well as business development in Asia.

"Dynacord is an internationally renowned company with products that - without doubt - can only be described as outstanding", says Scherrenberg. "The Eastern European region is a highly interesting, expanding market, where top-quality products are in great demand. Our partners can be sure that I will put all my effort into focusing on the further development of our partnerships and the position of Dynacord in the respective markets."

"Toni Scherrenberg is a highly qualified sales specialist

France - Clay Paky will show a spread of established and new products at SIEL 2013.

Sharpy Wash 330 is a compact, lightweight 330 W washlight, with the luminous efficiency, graphic and optical performance of a 1000W fixture. It is extremely silent and quick, and fitted with a complete CMY color system, special colors, 6.5°-48° zoom, mechanical dimmer, beam shaping filter and motorized top-hat. It is an eco-friendly light, allowing considerable running and consumption cost savings.

A.LEDA, the new Clay Paky RGBW-LED moving head range have a library of pre-set graphic effects customizable by the operator, electronic linear dimmer, stop/strobe effect and a dedicated channel for color temperature setting. Each LED colour can be dinamically and individually controlled.

The Alpha Profile 800 ST is billed as "the most modern moving beam shaper in existence today for us

The Netherlands - At ISE, Tannoy launched a new flagship digital beam steering loudspeaker array, the QFlex 64.

Extending the performance capabilities of the QFlex range, QFlex 64 complements the six existing models in this product line, with QFlex 48 previously being the largest column available, offering new possibilities for the product in particularly demanding applications.

Tannoy's QFlex is a range of digitally steerable, self-powered column array loudspeakers aimed at the high performance installation market. Purpose-designed for applications with problematic acoustics (where good intelligibility is required), QFlex technology gives the system designer a unique set of tools for controlling sound in large, acoustically challenging, highly reverberant spaces - typically involving expanses of reflective surfaces such as glass, metal, concrete or stone.

The QFlex 64 is no

UK - Continuing a successful long-running relationship, XL Events has once again supplied projection, controls and additional screens for the high-octane Live Action Arena at the annual Autosport International show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham UK.

The Live Action Arena stages live racing demonstrations and stunt shows every day for the duration of the popular racing-themed show, which is named after the UK's most popular weekly auto racing magazine.

To ensure the crowd could enjoy all the action wherever they sat, XL Events, working closely with event production company, Network Productions, as well as production director Malcolm Forbes, supplied a 90m wide by 9m high front projection using six stacks of Barco projectors.

Each stack included one of XL's new Barco HDF-W26 26k projectors on top of a Barco FLM HD20, which gave a total output of 276,000 lumens

UK - Nexo hosted the first public listening sessions for its new STM modular line array, choosing the LH2 Studios in London as a venue for the international production community. Despite terrible January weather causing London airports to close, prominent rental companies from all over Europe, and several from the Far East, made the trip to discover the reality behind Nexo's much-discussed Scale Through Modularity concept.

In LH2's huge production rehearsal studio, which regularly hosts the biggest artists in the world from the Rolling Stones to Robbie Williams, Nexo and its first UK rental customer Capital Sound Hire set up the STM modular line array in a nine-sets a-side configuration.

Over the course of four days, the STM Sessions, which were hosted by Nexo's concert sound manager Stuart Kerrison, also included workshops on Nexo's proprietary design software NS-1, and innov

UK - Independent film and television production house Renegade Pictures have turned to LED lighting solutions from Gemma Lighting Limited for their latest show Car SOS.

Owned by Shed Media, Renegade produces popular television shows such as Don't tell the Bride and Popstar as well as award-winning films My kidnapper and Me and The boys from Baghdad High.

Renegade, based in London, were looking to upgrade their lighting to showcase the classic cars being restored as part of Car SOS, but wanted a more energy efficient lighting solution.

In order to meet their requirements two of Gemma's energy efficient LED lighting products were selected for the project - the Sovereign 96 LED High Bay and Spitfire 48 LED Floodlight.

Both lights give clarity and coverage with high lumen outputs and instant strike up times, whilst the long life span o

UK - As the players - including progeny of some of Britain's theatrical elite - gathered to present Eton College's School PlayMacbeth, they colluded with a technical infrastructure worthy of professional West End theatre, including not only Out Board's TiMax2 SoundHub audio showcontrol system for a second year, but also the addition of a new Digico SD9 console which helped deliver vastly improved sonic detail in the house system.

Following its successful Eton debut the previous year, TiMax2 Soundhub is now a staple element of the School Play - this year a challenging modern-classical "suits & swords" interpretation of Shakespeare's infamous tragedy. Sound designer Rick Sarson envisioned and produced the immersive sound environment and programmed the TiMax2 SoundHub show in rehearsals for the student technical team to operate during the performances.

Act One's

South Africa - HeronBridge College, a private school in a leafy suburb north of Johannesburg, has a new and very attractive auditorium. It has been equipped with a combination of LED and conventional luminaires, and provides users with a system that is easy to operate yet which has the creative capability to surpass regular school lighting.

Lighting consultant Denis Hutchinson did research on similar projects, and, using his experience as one of South Africa's top lighting designers, specified the tender. The tender was awarded to DWR Distribution who supplied a list of brands including Philips Strand, Philips Selecon and Robe as well as lighting bars, associated items and the installation which was carried out in December 2012.

"One of the difficulties in specifying equipment for schools is that all too often the gear is used for three weeks of the year and gathers dust

UK - Pearce Hire has once more demonstrated the diverse breadth of projects they work on, with a magical garden lighting feature installed over the festive season.

The beautiful landscaped gardens at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire were given a nocturnal facelift with a dramatic lighting design created by the team at Pearce Hire for the Winter Lights event.

"We'd like to think we created a little bit of outdoor theatre for the visitors to the gardens in the run up to Christmas," comments Pearce Hire's John Huson, project manager and key lighting designer of this project.

The Visitor Experience team at Anglesey Abbey were first put in contact with Pearce Hire by John Wootten of Eastern Events who has long-standing relationships with both Pearce Hire and Anglesey Abbey but, until now, had never put them together as a project team. As a result of this introduc

Latest Issue. . .

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Advertisement
If you accept, the ads on the page will be adapted to your preferences.
Google Ad
Accept
Decline