Norway - The long-standing Drammens Theatre in Norway has recently replaced its entire stock of LED washlights with the multiple award-winning Clay Paky A.Leda B-EYE K20 fixture in a recent bid to modernise the venue's technological offering. The 200-year old theatre was privy to a special demonstration of the fixture's capabilities, organised by Clay Paky's official Norwegian distributor Elektrik Solutions.

"The client absolutely fell in love with the B-EYE K20 from the second they saw it," says Elektrik Solutions' project manager Peter Nilssen. "Altogether they decided to purchase 20 fixtures. As is the case with every client, the Drammens theatre team were very impressed by the B-EYE's notable amount of macros that make it easier to work with than similar product

UK - A total of 12 Roland M-48 Live Personal Mixers played an integral part in the sound design for the recent Monty Python Live shows at the O2 Arena.

Facilitator, sound designer and engineer Rory Madden specified the personal mixing and monitoring solutions from Roland for his latest sound design project having used them for the UK and European tour of We Will Rock You and for The Commitments in London's West End. The M-48's were supplied by Madden's own rental and production company, Sonalyst.

As one of the first engineers to use the M-48's in quantity for live musical production, Madden chose the M-48's initially for We Will Rock You after comparing the Roland products to other similar offerings in the market. "The M-48's were a lot better in terms of sound quality than the competition. They had lots to play with and loads of cool features,"

Germany - With his reputation for piloting the lighting at two of Europe's leading electronic music festivals - the German extravaganzas Mayday and Nature One - Thomas Gerdon is in high demand. The latter gave him the chance to use GLP's new large-format impression X4 XL for the first time in addition to the impression X4 fixtures at a sold-out event attended by 72,000 people.

In charge of the main open air floor design, Thomas Gerdon has been involved with Nature One since 2002 "We really work closely to the music, tight to the beat." He says. "We don't run timecode - everything is operated live and we can just freestyle and follow the music." Gerdon already had 64 X4 heads incorporated into the stage design, but says, "I really wanted the X4 XL to complete the design."

The X4 series lights were mounted on the open air stage floor for effect ligh

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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

When award winning film composer Hans Zimmer brought his smash-hit tour Hans Zimmer Live to North America fall 2024, the show's audio team sought out to bring infrafrequency bass to the show to add new depth to the show's audio experience. The team chose Danley Sound Labs.

Australia - Typically, it's sunrises that are associated with new beginnings, but for EDM fans in New South Wales, it was a "sunset" that marked the dawn of a new musical day.

The Sunset Music Festival at the Armidale Showgrounds was the first electronic dance music festival held in Australia's most populous state, and its organizers wanted it to provide an experience to build on for future events. Based on the reaction from the thousands of EDM fans who attended the one-day festival, they succeeded in doing just that, thanks in part to some unforgettable eye candy served up by the Nexus 4x4 LED panel from Chauvet Professional.

"The panels surpassed even our already high expectations; their impact was very powerful and instantly communicated to the audience that this was a very special event," said Adriano Mercurio of Showtime Promotions and Productions in

USA - It is television's biggest night, and Pete's Big TVs was there for the first time to support The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards Show with host Seth Meyers.

The high profile event, held annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, was broadcast live on NBC 25 August from the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

"The televised event required the high resolution video equipment that we specialize in," said Pete's Big TVs vice president Guy Benjamin.

Pete's Big TVs provided nearly 500 of the CS5 5mm LED tiles, two Barco HD-W26 projectors (double-stacked at the FOH) and their crew to fulfill the set requirements from production designer Keith Raywood.

The 500 CS5 LED tiles were fashioned into five screens in the set. Two tracking screens mid-stage at stage left and stage right measured 13 tiles high by seven tiles wide. Two "tower" screens at t

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced that Louise Jeffreys, the Barbican's director of arts, will be its new chairman. Jeffreys succeeds Mark White, regional manager UK & Ireland for Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC).

Jeffreys' extensive background in the performing arts, encompassing programming, production and venue management, alongside roles as head of production at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and technical director at English National Opera, make her the ideal candidate to lead the ABTT's Council of Management over the next 12 months, says the association.

Her timely appointment comes at an exciting moment for the ABTT following 12 years of consolidation and steady development under White, and with the full-time Chief Executive Officer Robin Townley now in post.

Elected by the Council of Management, Jeffreys follows in a great trad

USA - Eilon Engineering has announced the launch of the Ron StageMaster (RSM) 6000 G4 Wireless and Wired Shackle Pin load cell for load monitoring and overload prevention. The advanced load cell features a new shackle pin design that makes it ideal for applications where headroom is extremely limited while its wireless capability makes for a quicker installation.

The RSM 6000 G4 Shackle Pin load cell includes a 5/8" standard shackle enabling an extremely low headroom loss of only 2.4 inches (61mm), especially important in indoor applications where ceiling height is often an issue. Made of aerospace quality, high-strength alloy steel, the RSM 6000 G4 Shackle Pin load cell, like all Eilon Engineering load cells, is fatigue rated to withstand unlimited load cycles without the risk of failure or damage to the steel.

The RSM system features continuous monitoring up to 5000 hou

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OPUS X4 PROFILE – the most powerful LED moving head from Cameo to date

The OPUS® X4 PROFILE is the new flagship model from Cameo and is among the most powerful LED moving heads on the market. Equipped with a 1,400-watt LED white light engine, this spot profile moving head produces an enormous light output of 50,000 lm, providing powerful spot and gobo projections on even the largest stages and much more.
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Finland - MultiTouch has announced details of its fourth annual partner summit, which includes an advanced preview of the new MultiTaction 4K 55" display. The main event takes place on 18 September at MultiTouch's headquarters in Helsinki, and is preceded by the MultiTaction Overview & Training event, on 17 September at the same venue. Both events are free to attend, but places are limited so registration is required.

The MultiTouch Partner Summit is intended for MultiTouch resellers, developer partners and end-clients. The annual event promotes the latest developments in MultiTaction interactive display technology, and its applications. This year's event includes a blend of speakers, demos and case studies, from the MultiTouch team, its clients and partners.

The forthcoming MultiTaction 4K 55" Cell boasts four times as many pixels as Full HD displays, and includes i

UK - Blackburn-based lighting and visuals specialist HSL renewed its long standing working relationship with Massive Attack supplying a floor package to the European leg of the band's 2014 summer tour which kicked off in Sofia and Istanbul and played a series of headline shows and festivals.

HSL project manager Mike Oates comments, "You can rely on Massive Attack shows being provocative, different and innovative ... and this was no exception. It's almost like a piece of installation art - a production and a team with whom we are always happy to collaborate."

Lighting was designed by Tim Oliver who has worked with Massive Attack for several years, the last three as lighting designer. His starting point for lighting was the visuals set up with is vital to any Massive Attack live performance, which for this tour comprised a set of upstage rotating horizontal screens, a

USA - American alternative rock band Chevelle has partnered with lighting designer Craig Richter and Bandit Lites on their North American tour. The three man group, comprised of Pete Loeffler, Sam Loeffler and Dean Bernardini are out promoting their sixth studio album La Gargola.

Prior to working with Chevelle, Richter toured with Mudvayne, Rascal Flatts, and Seether when an opportunity arose to be the lighting director for what Richter thought would be a 'short little run' - an up-and-coming country singer named Miranda Lambert. That short little run turned into a three year gig.

Then at the start of the year Chevelle's tour manager/FOH, Chris Morrison, called up Richter and offered the opportunity to work with Chevelle. Richter found the deal was too good to pass up saying, "I'm a big believer in the fact that change can be good now and then."

Change prove

UAE - Sennheiser has announced the appointment of John McGregor as its business development manager (BDM) for the Middle East. The regional office in Dubai reported exceptionally strong growth figures for both turnover and profit in 2013 and believes this move will further strengthen its foothold in the region's education and broadcast markets.

In his new role, McGregor, a former tutor at the SAE Institute in Dubai, will also drive knowledge transfer initiatives directed at the audio specialist's Middle East partners and customers.

McGregor will serve in Sennheiser Middle East's Systems Solutions Division and will report to the company's director of sales and marketing, Mig Cardamone, who said, "On-going digitization and the convergence of IT and audio technologies are prominent trends in the region's broadcast industry, while educational institutions are increasingly lev

UK - Barco was selected as the exclusive projection and video processing provider for the opening ceremony of the second Summer Youth Olympic Games, held in Nanjing (China) on 16 August 2014.

Sha Xiaolan, a well-known lighting design master in China, was the chief designer for the lighting and video at the ceremony. Using 112 Barco HDF-series high-brightness projectors and 56 High End Axon HD Pro media servers, he succeeded in creating the world's largest stage projection, presenting a compelling visual feast to those watching around the world.

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing are the second Olympic competition to be held in China, after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The extensible and movable scroll stage used in the 2008 opening ceremony was extremely impressive; however, the limits of the display technology at that time confined the picture to only a third of the

USA - Lighting designer Jeremy Lechterman chose Robe's Pointe multifunctional luminaire as one of the core elements of his lighting design for rock band O.A.R.'s Summer US amphitheatre tour. Lighting equipment was supplied by Omaha, Nebraska based Theatrical Media Services (TMS).

Based in Brooklyn, New York, it was Lechterman's second summer tour with O.A.R. who were promoting their new album, The Rockville LP.

He discussed various concepts for lighting the show with the band beforehand, and all decided that the performance should be reinforced with a clean, modern lighting aesthetic, resulting in the creative starting point for his lighting design.

From there, he decided on a back 'wall of light' rigged to ladder trusses which also introduced a structural element and shaped the stage.

The 12 Pointes were positioned on these upstage ladders and alternated with wash

Finland - Wireless Solution Sweden has confirmed that Msonic Light + Sound has been named distributor for W-DMX products in Finland.

Msonic is specialized in the distribution and representation of the top brands and the best manufacturers of entertainment technology. The company strives to have both partners and users 100% satisfied both with the products and service.

Mikko Palomäki, managing director of Msonic says, "We are very happy about this new partnership with Wireless Solution. The company has a proven product and an excellent reputation. W-DMX is not only a well established brand, it is of the highest quality and reliability, which is exactly what our company represents."

Msonic sales director Petteri Partinen adds, "W-DMX is a perfect complement to the product range that we offer. We specifically look to offer the best products from the best manufac

UK - If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? It's time to start dreaming of faraway places! Enter the Behind the Scenes UK raffle at the PLASA London show in October and you could win the grand prize - a £2500 travel voucher. Second prize is a £1,000 Amazon gift card, and third prize is a £500 voucher with Mr and Mrs Smith hotels.

Raffle tickets are just £10 each and will be available throughout the show at the Behind the Scenes stand M65. The draw will be held on Wednesday afternoon, 8 October but you do not need to be present to win.

The raffle is to help raise funds for the new UK charity Behind the Scenes which will provide financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals, or their immediate family, who are seriously ill or injured. Grants may be used for

Italy - Pasquale Quadri, founder and chairman of Clay Paky SpA, passed away on Saturday night at his home in Torre De Roveri, aged 67.

Pasquale 'Paky' Quadri was a highly successful entrepreneur, although very reserved. He preferred not to appear very much but every lighting professional, all over the world, knows that he was the creative soul of Clay Paky, the Italian company that exports 97% of its production and is present, with its sophisticated luminaires, on the stages of the most important events and shows in the world.

Just some of the most recent projects that are worth remembering include the London Olympic Games, the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Academy Awards, shows by Bruno Mars and Madonna during the finals of the Superbowl, the tours of many artists such as Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, the Rolling Stones and, in Italy, Vasco Rossi, Ligabue, Laura Pausini and G

World - Since introduced at the 123rd AES Convention in New York City in October 2007, the API 1608 console continues to make its way into colleges and universities across the globe.

In the past year alone, more 1608s have been placed in educational institutions compared to any other year since 2007. These full-featured consoles, each with various channels of recording and mixing capabilities, now grant students, ranging from high school to graduate school, the opportunity to learn on the analogue technology used in professional studios all over the world.

"We're very pleased to have placed so many of these highly-versatile consoles in the past year," said Larry Droppa, president of API Audio. "Each of these 1608s will now join the ranks of top audio schools including the New England School of Communications, American University, and California State University.

UK - The Theatres Trust, the National Advisory Public Body for Theatres, has announced booking is open for Building Better Theatres, its Workshop Programme Autumn 2014 - Spring 2015.

The Workshop Programme offers a series of six day-long, practically-based sessions on the capital development of theatre buildings, led by individuals with real experience of the issues, and specially tailored for people responsible for theatre buildings who want practical and detailed advice.

Workshops include: 28 October 2014 - Theatres and the Heritage System; 27 November 2014 - Fundraising for a Capital Project; 21 January 2015 - Planning a Capital Project; 12 February 2015 -Theatre Maintenance; 5 March 2015 - Delivering a Capital Project; 26 March 2015 - Theatres, the Planning System and Local Government.

Each course includes relevant and up-to-date case studies, provides direct access to t

UK - Avolites is going down the 'size matters' route at this year's PLASA London, showcasing new wings to enlarge its industry-leading consoles, and unveiling a brand new, compact console aimed at the touring market.

The Avolites team will be on stands M10 and M20 at London's ExCel for PLASA, which runs from 5-8 October 2014. First up, they will be offering hands-on demos of the new Quartz console.

"Quartz is the newest addition to the Titan Mobile family, complete with on-board processing and a bright, vibrant 12.1" screen," says Avolites sales manager, Stephen Baird Smith. "Super compact, measuring only 42.5cm wide, the Quartz is positioned as the ideal companion for lighting projects ranging from touring and festivals to clubs and one-offs. It is Avolites' smallest fully-featured console.

"Featuring the same high quality faders and hardware you've

Finland - Finnish pop singer Jenni Vartiainen rose to fame after winning the talent show Popstars in 2002 - as part of a band - and later launched her solo career in 2007. Now she is among the 50 best-selling recording artists of all time in Finland, and by the end of 2014 she will have performed more than 100 concerts this year alone.

Lighting designer, Pasi "Pasu" Koivistoinen, has worked with the artiste for four years. Latest project is her new album Terra, with the live tour that started in November 2013 and reached a staggering 33 summer festival gigs this year.

In early 2013, Pasu first approached local distributor Noretron Communication Ltd and its CEO Timo Kunnas to test some of SGM's fixtures in order to assess his possibilities regarding special strobe effects. These tests influenced rental company Uudenmaan Kiertuetekniikka Ltd to invest in

Poland - As part of the Warsaw Mozart Festival, which has been running for more than 20 years, lighting designer Adam Tyszka this year took on responsibility for an open air performance of the W. A. Mozart opera The Magic Flute. This opera took place in the courtyard of the 17th century Museum of King Jan III Palace at Wilanow, thus using the prestigious façade as a beautiful backdrop for lighting and video creativity.

The concept and location of this event, being open air and using the façade as a backdrop for multimedia content, limited the use of truss. Any type of roof above the stage would cause the truss/construction pieces to obstruct the view of video projections onto the façade. Therefore, the lighting designer relied on the technical crew's ability to protect the equipment located close to the stage.

Owner of main lighting supplier Setlight, Przemyslaw Wrem

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