Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
LSi 40 - Banner - July-Nov 2025

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Italy - Is now the time to challenge the traditional concepts of how to mix a live concert? Igor Fiorini of VDM Studio in Rome certainly thinks so and he is not alone. For some years now, the recording industry has used DAWs to record critical concerts with admirable reliability and Pyramix has already been used on Olympic opening and closing ceremonies with no issues at all; so why not mix a concert live with the same technology.

Not only does this reduce the size of the rig needed, it also introduces many less obvious advantages. It opens up the opportunity to use a huge array of plug-ins, offers large channel counts without taking up any more space in the auditorium and offers higher resolution DSP than is generally available with a conventional live mixing console.

The conce

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Brazil - In Southern Brazil, on the coast of Santa Catarina, sits one of the world's largest Art Deco statues. At the top of Morro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross), the statue of Jesus Christ stands overlooking the city of Balneário Camboriú, with one arm outstretched, welcoming visitors from near and far, and the other carrying a symbol of the sun.

Measuring 33m in height (including the pedestal) and 22m wide (from fingertip to fingertip), the task of lighting this majestic tourist attraction at first seemed less than straightforward. However, when Mario Luiz Pretto of Cristo Luz (Christ Light) contacted SGM's Brazilian distributor, João Alonso of LBO Lighting Comercio e Importação e Exportação Ltda, requesting a more powerful lighting output than the former installation could provide, João Alonso proposed the SGM P-5 wash light featuring 44 high power 10W RGBW LEDs per u

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Germany - German electronic musician and actor, Paul Kalkbrenner, has embarked on a pan-European tour, with Berlin-based Complete Audio fielding a Martin Audio MLA PA system to provide coverage for up to 10,000-seat arenas.

André Rauhut's company first introduced Martin Audio's multi-cellular loudspeaker array system to the artist's production back in 2011, when the two operations started working together. "We first used an MLA/MLX rig for a big outdoor show," remembers Rauhut. "They really loved how the system sounded, and as a result, they have since continued to work with us. MLA has become vital to the quality of the live sound."

For the current Guten Tag tour, which takes in most European countries, Complete Audio are providing a total of 26 MLA enclosures, two MLD down-fills, 16 MLA Compacts and 18 MLX subs (scalable to suit the venue).

City Theatrical - Banner - July 2025

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Argentina - Situated in the city of Cosquin in the Punilla Valley, and attended by around 9,000 people per day, National Folklore Festival Cosquín is the most important festival of folk music in Argentina. Dating back to 1961, it runs for nine nights each January, which are traditionally referred to as the Nine Moons Coscoínas.

Service and distribution company Deligio Iluminación first became involved back in 2006 and this year again rigged the large Atahualpa Yupanqui stage in Cosquin's main Prospero Molina Square - named in honour of the legendary guitarist. Deligio fielded PR Lighting's high brightness/low wattage XR200 Beams, imported by PR Lighting's Argentinian distributor, Martellota, and supplied by Carlos Capra's Audio - Line, alongside XS 1200 Spots, a versatile, bright moving head with rapid beam movement.

"We like the XR200 Beam for its overall performance,

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USA - In addition to providing and installing a full counterweight rigging system, complete with track and drapery - InterAmerica also created a SkyDeck tension wire grid orchestra pit cover for the brand new Manatee Players Performing Arts Centre.

Using a SkyDeck over an orchestra pit is an exciting application that is continuing in popularity. It can be paired with a pit filler or other removable wood decking finished to match the stage floor. When the orchestra pit is in use, the wood decking is remove expose the acoustically transparent SkyDeck below. The SkyDeck panels act as a pit safety net while the framing members are strong enough to carry a 125 psf load.

IAStage designed the Manatee Player's SkyDeck pit cover in conjunction with project architect, John Toppe. Like all SkyDecks, this one is a modular system. Panels can be removed if ever required. This special applic

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UK - Ayrton reports that all new Ayrton products equipped with a wireless DMX/RDM receiver module will feature award-winning CRMX technology by LumenRadio.

After an extensive testing campaign, Ayrton selected LumenRadio because of its superior quality and reliability. The LumenRadio Coexistence technology allows smarter use of the frequencies by continuously scanning the radio spectrum and dynamically adapting its frequency-hopping pattern to the surrounding environment. This eliminates interference and maximizes performance whatever protocol is in use, whether DMX or RDM.

Ayrton and LumenRadio started working together during the European Motor Show in Brussels where they were faced with the challenge of controlling hundreds of custom LED fixtures using wireless RDM. The result was perfect and Ayrton decided to collaborate with LumenRadio for their entire product line.

The f

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UK - The organisers of the Shakedown Festival and the new Love Supreme Jazz Festival have confirmed Flare Audio as their preferred sound supplier for 2013.

For the past two years Flare has provided the sound for Shakedown's Supercharged Dance Stage, which has played host to artists including Zane Lowe, Chase and Status, Knife Party, The Freemasons and Kissy Sell Out.

Receiving positive feedback from artists and audience members alike, Flare's range of speaker systems "impressed festival organisers so much they have asked Flare to provide the sound for the entire festival this year, as well as for their new Love Supreme Jazz Festival," says the company.

The festivals' promoter Nick Beveridge commented: "Flare Audio will be providing both festivals with the best speakers I've ever heard in a field. With the introduction of Flare's new Space technology to complem

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UK - Today, Tuesday 26 March, PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths appeared alongside members of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony creative team to represent the entertainment and installation technology industries before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee at the House of Commons.

The invitation follows a period of intense political lobbying by PLASA, on behalf of its members, many of whom were dissatisfied with the restriction surrounding the promotion of their involvement in the events. The questions asked will be used by MPs to assess the true extent of the role that the Olympic and Paralympic Games had in showcasing the UK creative industries, and what impact they have had on the sector subsequently.

"Many of our members were disappointed to discover the pervasiveness of the orders set up to protect the sponsorship deals of companies from outside the creative industr

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UK - - Venue consultancy Charcoalblue has worked with long-term collaborators Haworth Tompkins Architects, in close association with the National Theatre's directors and in-house teams, to design an intimate, exciting, low-energy and sustainable temporary theatre on London's South Bank: The Shed.

Managed for Charcoalblue by senior partner Jon Stevens, the project was designed in under six months and built in eight. "This forward-thinking experimental building will serve as a temporary and flexible space during the closure of the Cottesloe Theatre, which is undergoing major refurbishment before reopening as the Dorfman Theatre in Spring 2014 as part of the National Theatre Future project."

Steve Tompkins, Haworth Tompkins Architects comments, "The Shed was conceived in a process of concentrated dialogue between trusted collaborators. We always enjoy Charcoalblue'

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USA - When production for Smokey Robinson presents Human Nature: The Motown Show decided to relocate from the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas to the nearby Venetian Hotel, experienced lighting designer Steve Cohen received a call out of the blue from the show's creative director, David Rudder. "They had already hired a set designer [Andy Walmsley], and were interested in having me light the show in the new space," he recalls. "Although we had never met before, since I live in Vegas, it was easy for me to see the show and see if we hit it off."

Fortunately for both the show's male vocal group Human Nature and Cohen they did; but since the group wanted to come up with a whole new look for their show, the designer had to choose his fixtures carefully to compensate for the limitations of the room and budget, as well as the existing lighting infrastructure. So

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UK - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire based lighting rental company Siyan supplied equipment and crew to the first UK leg of Indie rockers The Courteeners ANNA tour working with Lighting Designer Dan Hill.

The tour incorporated a string of sold out academy and student union venues culminating at Brixton Academy as The Big London Show and was the band's first proper production tour on this scale.

Siyan's project Manager Jez Johnstone says, "This is the first time we've worked with Dan on a full tour and it's been a pleasure. He knows exactly what he wants to see and is proactive and flexible when it comes to making things work during the prep stages. In terms of the show - the design is solid, his programming is tight and his timing is spot on! I'm looking forward to the next one!"

Hill has designed The Courteeners lighting for three years, and he worked

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UK - Motorised systems specialist Triple E has launched a new wireless control for its popular TracDrive motor systems.

Triple E - which has a 30-year history of inventing engineering solutions for the entertainment industry - has already put the system in production prior to its debut appearance at PLASA Focus in Leeds at the end of April. The system is a simple plug and play unit that attaches to the XLR socket on all TracDrive, Edrive, and SDrive motors.

Triple E's motor units all use pre-stretched polyester rope with a grade and colour coded braid made only for Triple E. The rope offers near silent operation and is more user friendly than steel wire rope.

"Many venues require additional control positions or even the ability to operate anywhere in a building or auditorium so the simple 'plug and play' wireless system with a hand held pocket size remote is the answer,

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USA - It's only right and proper that d&b audiotechnik should feel a special warmth for Milwaukee USITT, "Any town that has a famous song about beer is OK with us," said d&b USA marketing manager Roger Keim, "It even has a German name." But there is a serious intent to USITT that's not to be ignored, that's why d&b chose this event to launch ArrayCalc V7 in the USA. "This is a hub for US audio professionals," continued Keim, "These users will quickly realise that ArrayCalc V7 is a potent modelling tool in the designer's arsenal." Loudspeakers on display included models from the V and E-Series, and several elements from the d&b White range.

The essence of the new ArrayCalc V7 is its ability to perform acoustic simulations with mixed point source and line array system configurations; notably the White range installation products from the xS-

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USA - Behringer has unveiled its Eurolive B207MP3, a multi-purpose, 150-Watt, active loudspeaker designed for vocal and/or keyboard monitoring, multimedia, press conferences, and other applications where space is at a premium. Based on the company's hugely popular B205D, the B207MP3 takes high-efficiency loudspeaker design to an entirely new level, one that is as feature-rich as it is versatile, says the company.

The B207MP3 features a built-in high-performance MP3 player for playing audio files from a USB stick, three-band EQ, and built-in four-channel mixer that accepts XLR, TRS and RCA inputs. Phantom power is provided for condenser microphones and one input allows connecting a Hi-Z instrument without the need for an external DI. There is also a dedicated stereo input for keyboards, MP3, CD or other sources.

The B207MP3 is compact and light enough to be mounted on a mic sta

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Olivier Awards - Michael Frayn and Gillian Lynne will be given prizes for their outstanding contribution to theatre at this year's Olivier Awards ceremony. They will both receive their Special Awards at the event, which is taking place at the Royal Opera House on 28 April and will be hosted by Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith. Frayn is best known for writing his 1982 play Noises Off as well as dramas including Copenhagen and Democracy. Lynne has choreographed more than 50 Broadway, West End and international stage productions including musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

Downsizing - Irish alternative rockers My Bloody Valentine and US singer-songwriter Rodriguez are to headline this year's scaled-down Hop Farm Festival in Kent. Promoter Vince Power said the festival, the sixth to be held since 2008, would be over two days, on

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USA - "White is the presence of all colours. ETC wanted to make a white-light LED spotlight that would be worthy of professional broadcast, film, and video production," says ETC's Matt Armendariz-Kerr. So ETC has released the new Source Four LED Studio HD, which utilises the colour technology of ETC's Selador x7 Color System for a more spectrally complete white light that can be finely tuned to the on screen talent.

With a special recipe of LED colour blending, the Studio HD is designed to perform in a high definition production world where people (with varying flesh tones) need to look their best. The Studio HD combines exceptional light output with an ultra-flexible, variable white light (2700K-6500K), for more accurate colour rendition on camera.

A multipurpose tool, the Source Four LED Studio HD is ideal for key, bounce, smooth or textured lighting. And as a Sour

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UK - ShowTex will be exhibiting at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013 to demonstrate its collection of stage and cinema screens for front, rear, or twin projection as well as the enhanced HiSpeed Roll Up hardware system for fast screen motion. The company also specialises in panoramic glassless mirrors, giant mirrors, and projection foils for glow-in-the-dark fabric effects and glasslike inflatables. ShowTex will also present its improved EasyDrape system in Leeds.

The new EasyDrape now features a versatile coupler and telescopic horizontal drape supports with double Velcro. The flexible couplers make it possible to install the EasyDrape system in several directions at the same time allowing for multiple corners with one coupler. A variety of EasyDrape applications can now be built up by just one person. Expo drape and starcloth curtain heights of 2 to 5 meters can be easily obtained by ad

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UK - Martin Professional invites lighting professionals to PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013 to be the first in the UK to get an up-close look at the newest members of the award-winning MAC Viper Family, as well as the first fixtures in an all-new Martin product range - RUSH - light in the fast lane!

Join Martin 30 April 30th to 1 May at the Royal Armouries in Leeds where visitors can check out these latest technologies, network with industry professionals and enjoy a relaxing chat with Martin personnel at Booth N-E16.

A host of other new Martin products will also feature: MAC III series luminaires, VC series LED video and smoke and haze solutions.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - A Chorus Line, the legendary Broadway musical, has returned triumphantly to London's West End, for the first time since the original production opened there in 1976.

The new production, playing at the London Palladium, is a faithful re-creation of the original Michael Bennett show, staged by members of the original creative team including director/choreographers Bob Avian (co-choreographer of the original production) and Baayork Lee (a member of the original cast, who has re-staged many productions of the show since), set designer Robin Wagner and the late costume designer Theoni V Aldredge.

The show also retains the legendary lighting design by pioneering lighting designer Tharon Musser, who passed away in 2009. For the 2006 Broadway revival and subsequent productions of A Chorus Line, her work was re-created and updated to current lighting technology by award-win

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Italy - Visual design company Teslacoop has created the first life-size virtual 3D forest using wysiwyg R30.

The live simulation, originally conceived for a show by a prominent fashion label, was designed to be held within a circular theatre in Milan. The walls of the theatre, usually mirrored, were covered in a 50 by 6m screen, forming a 270-degree surface surrounding the audience and catwalk, onto which was projected a vast 3D video from five 20K Christie projectors driven by a CatalystPM media server and Compulite Vector Green console. The entire production was realised in wysiwyg, using the software's video manager to split the image into five portions, divided equally among the Christie projectors.

Luca Baraldo, president of Teslacoop explains, "If you normally use an image that is 1024 by 768 pixels, you can't project this onto a 50m by 6m screen, so my graphic desi

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UK - Event support staff and services provider, Showforce has been officially recognised by London 2012 organisers for its work on the opening and closing ceremonies.

Showforce has been granted a licence under the Supplier Recognition Scheme (SRS), which was launched following a deal between the Government, British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee. The first of its kind in Olympic history, the SRS formally recognises eligible suppliers for their roles in the successes of London 2012 and Showforce has been given the designation "supplier of event and technical crew (Ceremonies) to the London 2012 Games".

Throughout the course of the ceremonies, Showforce provided in excess of 530 crew members for various elements of production including build-up, breakdown and rehearsals as well as during the actual ceremonies. Members of the team set the 'G

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