UK / USA - The Association of Sound Designers (ASD) has issued an official response to last week's announcement that the Tony Awards was to drop the two Sound Design Awards from its future programme.

The ASD says: "We were disappointed to hear of the decision by the Tony Award Administration Committee to remove the categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical from their roster last week.

"In 2008, Howard Sherman spoke on behalf of the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League to introduce the inclusion of these new categories, saying 'We want to reflect an evolution of the understanding of the sound designer's role, both among artists and in the community at large. This is not an award for placing a microphone somewhere. It's about the c

Spain - NEC Display Solutions and Coca-Cola have partnered in Europe to promote the development of digital signage installations in cinemas at CineEurope 2014, being held in Barcelona, Spain from 16-19 June, 2014.

NEC is working with Coca-Cola to create "CineEurope's most interactive and visually appealing show lounge". It will demonstrate the exciting future of the cinema-going experience to the industry. Coca-Cola chose to work with NEC based on its vast range of cinema solutions optimising every space in the cinema, from outdoor billboards to the foyer and concession stands, through to the latest projection technology for the big screen.

Coca-Cola invited NEC Display Solutions, YCD Multimedia, Littlebit Technology and Intel to provide digital media and digital menu signage presence on its booth on the Trade Show.

NEC installations on the trade show include motio

USA - The story of how a group of residents from Savannah, Georgia, joined together to save the city's historic Lucas Theatre from demolition has entered American theatrical folklore. Not content with just saving it, however, the building continues to be updated for 21st century audiences. The most recent improvement has been an Alcons Audio system, which has delivered superb sound without impacting on the venue's aesthetics.

Originally opened in 1921, dwindling audiences saw the Lucas Theatre close in 1976. Various attempts to convert it to different uses came to nothing and a decade later the derelict building was on the brink of demolition. But a spirited local campaign saw the venue purchased and the start of what would ultimately be a 14 year, $14m restoration.

Reopened in 2000 as Lucas Theatre for the Arts, nowadays the venue is supported by Savannah College of Art and D

featured content

LD Systems ICOA PRO series – high-performance coaxial PA speakers for professional demands

The popular ICOA PA systems have been further developed to include two active full-range coaxial speakers – ICOA PRO 12 A and ICOA PRO 15 A – as well as the active 21″ bass-reflex PA subwoofer ICOA PRO SUB 21 A. With its professional features and high output power, the ICOA PRO series is aimed at ambitious bands, musicians and DJs as well as hire companies and commercial customers looking for a compact, robust and powerful PA sound system. The ICOA PRO series is rounded off with modern connection and control options via Bluetooth 5.1 and the specially developed ICOA PRO app, for use on smartphones and tablets.

ld-systems.com/icoapro

UK - Doughty Engineering has appointed Mathew Brake as the newest member of its export team, where his experience and customer service skills will provide customers with greater continuity, complementing the two existing part time members of staff.

Speaking of Mathew's appointment, Laurence Dyer, Doughty's UK sales representative, said, "In the short time that Mathew has been with us, we've already noted his great potential. He hit the ground running on day one and has demonstrated his excellent customer service skills, expertly dealing with some very challenging customer requests. Being a full time member of the export department, Mathew's skills and experience will allow me to focus on carrying out my customer facing role to greater effect, which will inevitably lead to a better experience for both new and existing clients."

Mathew, who was previously with K-Tech R

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

Hungary - When Budapest's National Theatre opened in 2002, it was fitted with the most advanced lighting technology available at that time. After more than a decade, the venue - which is at the forefront of dramatic theatres in Hungary and is internationally renowned - decided it was time to upgrade their lighting control system, and chose ETC Eos family desks for the job.

Zsolt Fésus, the head of lighting for the National Theatre, knew that selecting a new lighting system would be an extensive and complex undertaking, which needed very careful consideration. He didn't want the changeover to disrupt theatre operations, and he knew that factors like budget, sustainability and product longevity needed to be assessed. "The lighting system's design took more than a year and a half of meticulous planning," he says. In that time, he and his staff tested products by a

UK - It's never been a secret that Dirty Rigger gloves often go above and beyond their call of duty. Their ability to continually develop, test and construct gloves and rigger wear of such world dominating endurance is widely known and recently they've given a sneak peak as to how they've done it.

Over the last three years, Dirty Rigger have worked closely with one of the UK's largest crew service suppliers, Crewsaders. By sending in a selection of new, existing and under development rigger wear to be worn by the Crewsaders team, Dirty Rigger have been able to closely monitor the performance of their gloves throughout the varied industries in which Crewsaders work.

From event security to rigging crew, the trained Crewsaders staff have provided report sheets which help to pinpoint any weaknesses in the gloves and identify areas of possible improvement.

Dirty Rigger's Steve Ma

featured content

Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

The Netherlands - The creative team behind popular Dutch dance event organisers Q-dance turned to the power of the Clay Paky Sharpy when building their latest immersive club night Qapital at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome.

Show designer Mark Rietveld worked with the Q-dance creative team to design and build a giant 'industrial' DJ set that swept down to encompass the 12,500 strong audience.

"Our in-house stage designer Tamil van Draanen created a centre stage in the Ziggo Dome, inspired by the architecture of Paris' Eiffel Tower," explains Rietveld. "It was a creative decision to design a show that did not include the use of video/ LED-walls. In this way we were able to keep the focus on the artists performing at the center of the structure. Challenging, but ultimately better for the overall experience."

Rietveld enlisted the help of 68 x Clay Paky Sharpys from D

The Netherlands - A new D.A.S. Audio sound system was included on the list of recent upgrades made to the Netherland's historic TT Circuit Assen, which hosts the Dutch TT Motorcycling World Championship each year. Built in 1955, the race track needed a facelift after decades of use and a new D.A.S. WR (Weather Resistant) series sound system to provide sound coverage for the track's main grandstand was installed as part of an update of the Assen's older equipment and facilities.

D.A.S. Audio distributor Iemke Roos Audio B.V., with Bert Koenders leading this project contacted trusted local integrator DIA Light, Sound and Vision to handle the install. The former system, which covered the grandstand located on the track's main straight, was installed 25 years ago and the DIA technicians gave it a major overhaul, installing a total of 26 D.A.S. WR-8826CX to ensure perfect sound for t

Australia - Queensland's Tannum Sands State High School has upgraded the audio in its multi-purpose sports facility courtesy of Stage and Audio Event Solutions.

Ryan Hocking, technical consultant and operator at Stage and Audio Event Solutions, removed their inadequate sound system and replaced in with the JBL CBT Series line array columns with Constant Beamwidth Technology.

"We installed four CBT 70J-1 and two CBT 70JE-1, spaced evenly along one side of the hall," explained Ryan. "We have quite a lot of JBL speakers in our hire stock, and they have always reliable and great sounding, so when we saw the JBL CBT range we knew they would be good. It's such a reputable brand and we've found the CBT speakers deliver great coverage and really suit the venue. The JBL CBT's provide line array coverage and clarity for a fraction of the cost of other systems. Plus, they'

UK - Eve has been confirmed as sole supplier of vehicle trackway, fencing and barriers to The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, one among a telling number of extra-curricular contracts for 2014.

Brian Logan, Eve's divisional manager in the North, comments, "The breadth and depth of sporting events in Scotland this summer is unprecedented. It's hugely exciting to be involved, in and around Glasgow and at Gleneagles, alongside our traditional work."

The Ryder Cup, which pitches the cream of European golf talent against the United States, comes to Scotland in September, for the first time since 1973, and Eve has committed new trakway panels to the project.

Edward Kitson, match director, Ryder Cup Europe, comments, "We have had a very good working relationship with Eve, built up over years of service at the Scottish Open, so we know they always put an outstanding team on s

UAE - Melody House, a sole distributor of HK Audio in the Middle East, has recently supplied Café Belge, DIFC with the complete installment of an HK Audio System.

HK Audio's Elements solution was selected as the best option inside the venue, while its Premium Pro cabinets are used outside. The sound system includes four active Elements E110 Subs, five install kits of Elements E 435 and two Elements E435 Satellites. Each E435 unit is fitted with four 3.5-inch speakers, developed specifically for HK Audio by Celestion. The nominal power handling of each E435 is 150W RMS, with a quoted frequency response (10dB) of 140Hz to 20 kHz and a sensitivity of 97dB for an input power of one Watt at one meter. A frequency response of 45Hz to 150Hz ( 10dB) is quoted for the active sub, determined by the integral active system crossover and subsonic filter.

Café Belge is the reg

UK - Studiomaster has announced the pricing for its Starlight ML combined sound and lighting cabinets; these are now shipping to MI stores and pro-audio dealers worldwide.

Starlight is an exclusive new Studiomaster product concept, offering an instant gigging solution for solo artists and small groups; or all-in-one 'straight out of the box' sound and lighting for small venues. The Starlight concept with its portable compact form factor reduces the weight, complexity and cost of PA and lighting. With Studiomaster's renowned product quality and performance, and a price tag of under £500 a pair for the 12ML and £570 for the 15ML (mrrp inc. VAT), Starlight ML represents incomparable value for money, says the company.

The 2-way 12 inch or 15 inch cabinets combine self-powered front of house (FOH) and stage monitor sound, and LED stage lighting. The 'matched' 'left' and

Portugal - PRG were contracted by Imagination, the global creative agency, to provide lighting and rigging services for the Ford Mustang Experience at the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final in Lisbon. Imagination designed and managed Ford's presence at the Lisbon Final.

Held in a custom built dome in the Portuguese capital's Praca do Comércio, the launch introduced guests to the new Ford Mustang, ahead of its official European debut in 2015.

PRG were approached by Imagination lighting designer Lucy Record and production manager Robert Wiggs back in February 2014 to help realise a creative brief; to bring to life an interactive wall - an impressive 4m high and 9m wide curved structure featuring 36 x Martin by Harman AF-2 Fans, with each fan backed by an LED fixture.

Account director Loz Wilcox comments, "The original designs featured a stunning bespoke aluminium fra

UK - Doughty Engineering has been awarded the ABTT 2014 Theatre Award for Engineering Product of the Year, following the introduction of its new range of Drop Arms, T Bars and H Frames at this year's show.

The range of complementary modular products was showcased on the Doughty stand and has been designed to allow designers to quickly create robust and professional lighting or scenic structures of varying drops and shapes.

Accepting the award from Olivier award winning actor Lesley Manville, Julian Chiverton, sales director of Doughty, said, "Until now, the Drop Arms, H Frames and T Bars have only been seen in prototype form. so we really weren't expecting to be in the running for this award. But feedback on the stand from lighting designers and others has been amazing and we're honoured that our new range has grabbed the attention of so many of our peers and industry exp

The Netherlands - After seven years of using Hippotizer on some of Europe's most high-profile productions, Netherland's Tenfeet have decided to upgrade their first generation Hippotizer.

In conjunction with Green Hippo's exclusive distributor in Benelux, Interlight, technical sales manager Sarah Cox arranged for Tenfeet to trade in their first generation Hippotizer HDs for the latest spec i7 machines. Says Sarah, "Green Hippo offers a very competitive trade in policy to their customers to get new i7 Hippotizer servers for their V3 legacy machines. We want to make sure all our clients have the opportunity to trade in older hardware to the latest specs, so they can produce the best possible projects with the latest available hardware."

At Tenfeet, where the Hippotizers have well proven their value over the last seven years and it was decided to trade in the old machine

Poland - Audioprof NV, the Belgian manufacturer of the Apart Audio brand has announced Konsbud Audio Sp. zo.o. as its exclusive distributor for Poland from 25 June 2014.

Being present in over 80 countries worldwide, Apart Audio offers a complete range of loudspeakers, electronics and accessories for the small and medium sized fixed install market.

Agnieszka Pyrich, president of Konsbud Audio group comments, "We are happy to have entered into co-operation with such a professional partner as Audioprof. We highly appreciate their understanding of a long- term relationship based on trust, well-thought-out vision of growth but also hard work.

"The Apart Audio products offer an exceptional value for money ratio and they fit well into our portfolio of installation products bringing synergy also for the entire Konsbud Audio Group."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Barco has joined USAV's Preferred Manufacturer Partner (PMP) programme as its latest outstanding ProAV supplier. Under the arrangement, Barco will gain access to a nationwide network of more than 40 integrators, serving as a preferred supplier of business projection, presentation/collaboration, digital signage, and networked visualization solutions for use in many applications throughout the enterprise.

The new agreement between USAV, the leading ProAV integrator association, and Barco offers significant mutual benefits. As a USAV PMP, Barco will now be plugged into a network of integrators who can specify Barco products in their solutions to meet a variety of ProAV needs in all types of businesses, government entities, educational institutions, houses of worship, healthcare organizations, and entertainment venues. From digital lobby signage and artwork, to high-performanc

USA - The unconventional rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch is lighting up Broadway, and its lighting designer, Kevin Adams, is using Robert Juliat Victor followspots to light up the stage at the Belasco Theatre.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as Hedwig Robinson, who's described as the "internationally ignored song stylist," in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's musical tale of life, love and a botched operation. The show has garnered eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Lighting Design of a Musical, for Kevin Adams, Best Musical Revival and Best Actor in a Musical, for Mr. Harris.

Adams consulted with his associate Paul Toben on what followspots to use for the show, and Tobin "spoke highly" of Robert Juliat's Victor 1800W MSR followspots. "He knew the parameters and selected the Victors," Adams says. "We needed really br

India - AV Express, an audio-visual equipment hire company based in Chennai in India, recently added a QSC WideLine-10 system to their sound reinforcement inventory comprised of 16 three-way WL2102-w modules with six GP218-sw subwoofers.

For a decade, AV Express on India's East coast, has been one of the city's premier audio-visual events hire companies, handling audio, video and lighting for everything from live bands and DJ sets to corporate shows.

"When we were looking for a new system to upgrade our existing audio inventory, we would not compromise," comments Mr Murugesh, one of AV Express's principal partners. "We had a lot to choose from, but only the QSC WideLine system matched our parameters of quality and performance. Plus, QSC's representative, Pro Visual Audio, walked us through the entire operation and workflow of the system during our demo, and gave

USA - An awards show like none other took Tampa's Raymond James Stadium by storm when the annual International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards came to the US for the first time. The IIFA Awards honour artistic and technical excellence in Bollywood, India's famed Hindi-language film industry that sells more than 3 billion tickets every year. The show, which aired on Star World Network, used a large complement of Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures.

"The IIFA Awards are the Indian equivalent of the Oscars with 800m viewers worldwide," says lighting designer Eugene O'Connor. "Cinema is huge there, and the awards show lasted more than five hours. It had a very big open and included production numbers with 60-70 dancers."

O'Connor knew that Clay Paky Sharpys "were always going to be the main light" for the show in a stadium that demanded "big looks"

Slovakia - Robe moving lights once again proved they had 'that special something' for the X-Factor - this time the final of the Czech and Slovak edition of the popular talent competition reality TV show, which was staged at the Incheba Expo Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The lighting and visuals designers were Michal Schmidt and Tomás Lecky, and the lighting equipment included 56 x Robe Robin Pointes, 22 x ColorSpot 700E ATs and 20 x ColorSpot 1200E ATs, the supply of which was supported by Slovakian rental company Showservice, based in Bratislava.

The production company was Jam Film 1999 s.r.o and the event was broadcast live on TV channel JOJ in Slovakia and Prima in the Czech Republic. Over 1000 X-Factor fans enjoyed the action live in the arena.

Schmidt & Lecky worked closely with set designer Jaroslav Holota from Ungroup s.r.o. to create the stage environment and the l

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