The Netherlands - J&C Joel Limited has announced the opening of its new Benelux office headed up by new appointee Martin van Hekken.

Van Hekken, who lives close to Amsterdam, has been in the theatre and entertainment industry all his working life and has an enviable mix of practical and 'in the field' customer service experience. He will be using his expertise to advise both current and new customers on all aspects of the J&C Joel range including fabric, drapery, flooring, printing, projection screens, tracks and stage engineering.

The opening of the office and the appointment of Martin van Hekken represents a significant commitment to J&C Joel's customer service in the region and we are looking forward to developing existing and new relationships, says the company.

Office Det

Italy - Built in the early 12th century, the stately Romanesque Cathedral of Sessa Aurunca in Italy, recently installed a Meyer Sound CAL column array loudspeaker system to solve a speech intelligibility problem commonly found in highly reverberant spaces.

The cathedral's high, vaulted interior is acoustically reflective, with stone walls and columns surrounding a tile mosaic floor, and hard plastic seating. To bring speech clarity to this reverberant space, two CAL 32 loudspeakers were deployed to focus acoustic energy precisely on the congregation seating area with minimal energy exciting the adjacent hard surfaces. The CAL loudspeakers are adjustable to one degree of vertical dispersion.

"The cathedral is an ancient and historic building, and almost nothing is permitted that would alter the appearance of the interior," says Lorenzo Benigna of system provider Linea

Japan - Martin Audio's MLA (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array) provided coverage for three principal stages at the famous Rock In Japan 2013 in August.

One of the country's largest, and most pre-eminent events, the picturesque Hitachinaka Seaside Park location, bathed in sunshine, was the backdrop for Martin Audio's flagship system to flex its muscles in front of 177,000 people who attended over the three days. And its innovative control solved problems of sound escape that had hitherto proved problematic at the three-day festival.

The system was provided by MSI Japan. At Sound of Forest and Park Stage nine MLA modules and one x MLD Downfill were flown at each wing, along with double stacked MLX centre subwoofers, in six rows. Park Stage returned for the first time since 2011, the year of the great earthquake in the east of Japan - and in both locations, Martin Audio's Display2

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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

USA - Looking to create a new stage ambience for country legend Toby Keith, long-time LD Seth Jackson has become the first production designer to use GLP's new impression X4S LED wash light.

He has specified 83 of the compact 'S' fixtures, which introduce a new level of functionality, incorporating RGBW homogenous colour mixing, a 7 to 50 degree zoom range and high output level within a smaller footprint than the original X4. Supplied by Bandit Lites, they dominate the set for Keith's current Hammer Down tour.

Jackson had been seeking a fixture with the ability to travel in the new Bandit GoGo Truss, a modified version of the 20.5" standard truss, developed by Dizzy Gosnell and Mike Golden (hence 'GoGo'). "We needed the lights to sit in the center of the truss and keep our vertical towers centred with weight," he explains. "GoGo allows the lights to

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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 - How do you create a bespoke light unit that can multi-skill as a piece of set with real visual impact, be a versatile source of low level light, achieve different tones of light and colour - and become a dynamic silhouette when lit itself - all without breaking the bank?

The answer, according to Paul Normandale, is to commission a work from Specialz Ltd., the production design and manufacturing house that prides itself on tailoring every job with a sympathetic and knowledgeable eye to the specific requirements of each individual customer.

As both set and lighting designer for the Kings of Leon, Normandale went to Specialz with a very definite blueprint of what he wanted to create. "These units are a theatrical version of old fashioned surgery lights; they are deliberately quite retro in design but of course built on a big enough scale to fit accurately in proportion

USA - Clearwing Productions, a full service production company specializing in audio, light, stage and video support for major concerts and festivals, chose an Outline GTO-based speaker system to provide the sonic thunder at the Miller Lite Oasis Stage for Summerfest 2013.

Dealing with an eclectic range of music acts from Diplo (EDM), Dropkick Murphys (Celtic punk) and Imagine Dragons (rock), to Leann Rimes (country) and Nelly (rap), among others, the Outline system faithfully delivered the essence of each musical genre for eager audiences of up to 15,000 people per show.

"Summerfest 2013 was our first experience with the Outline GTO system and I can say the sound quality was exceptional," says Bryan Baumgardner, audio operations and logistics, Clearwing Productions. "We knew Outline was very good, but the system far exceeded our expectations and worked flawless

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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.

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Australia - Established in 1982, JMC Academy was originally founded in Sydney to meet the demand for qualified professionals in the entertainment technology industry. Recently, the Academy relocated to a new purpose built three level campus in Ultimo, Sydney.

The PA People were called in to supply and install the audio visual requirements of the campus including the auditorium where a JBL VRX PA system was chosen.

"There are three VRX932LAP speakers per side as well as a VRX918SP subwoofer per side," revealed Brett Steele, project manager for The PA People. "As the auditorium ceiling is quite low, the sub is mounted in behind the three VRX932 boxes to maintain as much height as possible. The client wanted a system that was quite punchy and the VRX certainly delivers."

Four JBL PRX612M speakers have been provided for use as stage monitors. A BSS Soundweb L

UK - Surrey-based AV designer and manufacturer Smart-e Limited has launched two new KVM long-range extenders, the FDX-3000S and FDX-3500S, capable of transmitting over very long distances with no signal loss.

The FDX-3000S extends signals over 400m with multi-mode fibre, whilst the FDX-3500S using single-mode fibre, transmits to devices at up to 15km distance from the source.

Consisting of a transmitter and receiver pair, this equipment is capable of distributing DVI-D, stereo audio and USB keyboard and mouse with the option to send RS232 commands to the display. The receiver features 2 USBs, 1 audio, 1 DVI-D video and RS232 inputs.

Featuring high content resolutions up to 1920x1200 at 60Hz, the extenders support USB touch screens, are compatible with KVM switches and have a programmable DDC table. Powered from a single DC supply, the unit can be mounted in a standard 19&quo

UK - Cadac has increased its R&D team at its Luton HQ to 25 personnel, taking on nine new engineers, including graduates from top universities in the UK and abroad.

Commenting on the major expansion of its R&D team, Richard Ferriday, Cadac brand development manager, says, "This latest round of recruitment at Cadac is a visible indicator of the renewed energy and direction in the brand in its pursuit and integration of new technologies into console design, and the continuing commitment of our parent company, Soundking, in investing in the brand and in the UK centre of operations."

Prior to the new intake, more than half of Cadac's personnel were employed in R&D, that figure is now 70 per cent. R&D director Nick Fletcher states, "These are exciting times at Cadac. We are expanding an R&D team, recognized throughout the industry for its passion and dedication to en

South Africa - New Robe lighting fixtures have been installed in the Cape Town home venue of South Africa's renowned and innovative Zip Zap Circus School.

Zip Zap is a registered non-profit organisation, a circus school, a performance and technical training facility as well as being active in a number of youth outreach programmes, all aimed at taking the magic of circus and performance - together with all the elements involved with its presentation - and encouraging, enhancing and enriching people's lives with the possibilities of confidence, inspiration and self-development.

The new lighting in the Zip Zap Dome has been made possible by Robe and its South African distributor DWR, who have come on-board as technical sponsors.

Robe's CEO Josef Valchar, who is passionate about supporting the arts and particularly programs and companies interested in training and sharing skills

UK - The Beacon Arts Centre, opened in January 2013, is one of the finest new arts venues in the UK. It replaces the Greenock Arts Guild Theatre, which served the area well for more than 65 years.

The Beacon is situated at Customhouse Quay in Greenock, overlooking the River Clyde estuary, with stunning views towards the hills of Argyll and Dunbartonshire. The infrastructure of the new Centre has been carefully designed to accommodate the widest possible variety of uses, comprising as it does, a 500 seat theatre, a black box studio space, three large rehearsal rooms, as well as a bistro and bar.

The main stage itself is one of the largest in Scotland and it is anticipated that The Beacon will become a venue of choice for touring productions of all kinds, as well as providing a first rate facility for local community groups. The first spade in the ground, at the commencement of

USA - This summer's premier North American '90s group tour -- Under The Sun - is aptly named, since the five-band show plays in just about every type of venue 'under the sun' during its marathon 36-city sweep. Travelling on tour buses with limited space and having to quickly set up gear to illuminate stages of all shapes and sizes presented some tricky challenges for Ian Staer of Circuit Six, lighting designer for Smash Mouth, headliner of the show, which also features the Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray, Vertical Horizon and Fastball.

"We're playing a lot of differently sized venues all over North America, and it's important to me that no matter whether we're on a free-standing outdoor stage or in an amphitheatre, the band looks BIG," said Staer. Although bright, dynamic lights were a must for Smash Mouth's performance, the LD also needed fixtures that were lightweight

UK - The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The museum is a major London tourist attraction, attracting 3 million visitors annually and is world renowned for its historic collections, awe-inspiring galleries and inspirational exhibitions. As well as its many exhibits, the museum provides educational and outreach resources and science shows for schools and community groups throughout the UK. As a multi award-winning corporate event venue, the Science Museum offers large and small scale facilities for conferences, product launches, meetings and exhibitions. Whilst recently considering improvements to the audio-conferencing provision in its Director's Suite, it was to be expected that the Science Museum's authorities would settle for nothing less than the highest quality possib

UK - Now in their 13th year, the Forestry Commission's Forest Live concerts are an established part of the UK's summer outdoor music season. AP Security supplies crowd management and safety services at all seven sites and, this year, their success at these shows saw them specially asked to work at a new event in Northampton.

Paul Weller, Paloma Faith, Blondie, The Charlatans, James, The Script, Elvis Costello, Olly Murs, Jessie J and Jools Holland headlined a total of 23 Forest Live shows through June and July this year, the majority of which were sold out. The nature - both figurative and literal - of the sites hosting combined audiences of over 125,000 presented different challenges to many venues. AP's experience played a major role in ensuring that the family-friendly events enjoyed such a relaxed atmosphere.

"Each site has its own quirks and variables in terms of acc

Belgium - Lighting and visuals designer Luc Peumans from Genk, Belgium based creative practice Painting With Light was commissioned to design lighting for the renowned Summer Opera Alden Biesen's 2013 season

They performed Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto - to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Italian composer's birth - in the beautiful environs of the moated castle of Alden Biesen. The season ran for a month and was, as always, completely sold out.

It was the first time that Peumans had lit a show for the company, which has a great reputation for producing quality works featuring international casts and a leading orchestra. This year's production was directed by the acclaimed Carlos Wagner.

The performance space is covered by an elegant tensile roof with four large vertical king poles, so these and the metal superstructure of the roof to some extent dictates where the

Denmark -Martin's new MAC Viper Beam is a beam fixture with linear zoom system that projects a very narrow pencil beam of high-intensity light. The final fixture in the MAC Viper family, it is available as an easy-to-install front lens replacement kit for any standard MAC Viper AirFX.

Designed for high-impact, big beam effects and longer throws, it houses the same high-quality feature set as Martin's MAC Viper AirFX, including a vibrant colour mixing system and "stunning aerial effects". It has also inherited the same compact form, impressive speed and light quality using the same 1000 W source as the other Viper Family luminaires.

With 80 percent greater intensity than the MAC Viper AirFX, the MAC Viper Beam can cut through all forms of ambient lighting. Its linear zoom creates a tighter beam and the auto-linked focus means that hard-edge effects hold their focus th

The Netherlands - Creative Technology has announced that Edwin de Haan has joined the project management team of Creative Technology working out of CT's Holland operation.

Effective 1 August 2013, de Haan brings with him a wealth of experience in managing large complex video productions on a national and international basis, having spent seven years in a similar position at XL Video in the Netherlands.

Jeroen Jongenelen, general manager of CT's Holland operation commented, "We are delighted that Edwin has agreed to join CT. With his industry experience, I am confident that Edwin will be supporting CT's business development and continued growth. We look forward to his contribution to our Holland operation."

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - Aalsmeer, Netherlands based technical solutions and rental company Eventec has recently invested in over 80 new Robe moving lights, including Pointes, LEDWash 300s and MMX WashBeams ... all to keep pace with their busy schedule.

This includes the supply of lighting, video and audio to the Aalsmeer Studio complex for United Broadcast Facilities (UBF) which produces a slew of leading TV shows including So You Think You Can Dance, its junior version The Next Generation, the Dutch Junior Eurovision Song Contest, IQ Test and numerous others.

Eventec's MD Wijnand Mol and his co-director Frans Mulckhuijse also head up the very successful events production operation Liberty Entertainment, for which Eventec is also the principal technical supplier.

In 2012, Eventec purchased 24 Robe LEDWash 300s and six LEDBeam 100s to service that series of

USA - City Theatrical is hosting a series of free webinars on wireless DMX. The first of five webinars in this series is What You Need To Know About Wireless DMX (27 August). In this session you will get a general overview of wireless DMX.

The second webinar in the series is on the SHoW DMX SHoW Baby 5 (24 September) where you will learn how to set up a simple, plug and play wireless DMX system. The third webinar is on City Theatrical's professional SHoW DMX Neo system (29 October). In this session, learn how to set up a complex multi-universe wireless DMX system and to tune it to meet the needs of a professional show.

The fourth webinar is on the SHoW DMX Vero and Vero Net where you will learn how to set up a permanent outdoor architectural wireless DMX system (10 December). The last webinar in the series is Using Specialized Antennas With Wireless DMX

Brazil - For football fans sad at the lack of a FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship this summer, the FIFA Confederations Cup provided ample compensation. Hosted by current holders Brazil, the colourful closing ceremony was mixed on a DiGiCo SD8 console.

Seen by many observers as a 'dry run' for Brazil hosting next year's World Cup, the home team emerged victorious on the pitch, beating current World and European champions Spain 3-0 in the tournament final.

Held at Rio's Maracana Stadium, prior to the final's kick off, the closing ceremony demonstrated the city's well-founded reputation for a colourful party. Loudness Sound Rental & Services was tasked with supplying the audio system for the ceremony, choosing a DiGiCo SD8, plus an L-Acoustics PA and Shure wireless microphones and IEMs.

"A big challenge for us was the project only being confirmed very close to t

UK - Yamaha Commercial Audio (UK) has announced the appointment of Stephanie Halstead to the position of commercial audio sales and marketing support.

Previously working for Yamaha's Central Operations division, Halstead's new role includes daily contact with Commercial Audio dealers and customers, as well as logistics, stock management and providing backup to the Commercial Audio sales and technical support teams.

"My previous role involved being in contact with hundreds of Yamaha dealers, whereas in CA I will be working with a smaller network of customers on a more personal level," she says. "It will be good to be able to build closer professional relationships, to properly get to know the people on the end of the phone. I'm here to help them in any way possible.

"I also wanted to expand my knowledge within the company and focus on one product group, so

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