South Africa - The eighth biennial advanced media and entertainment technology tradeshow, Mediatech Africa, will take place from 15-17 July 2015 at the Dome at Northgate, Johannesburg.

Mediatech is Africa's leading trade show for the live entertainment technology, AV systems integration, broadcast, film, production, post-production, animation and new media, studio and recording and pro DJ equipment sectors, and offers an open platform to showcase new products and technologies.

Stand sales opened at the beginning of October 2014 and the orgainsers report that response from the industry has thus far been "phenomenal", with a host of big name exhibitors have already confirmed. Bose, Sony Professional Solutions, Sound and Light City, Concilium Technologies, Alpha Technolog

UK - Shure Distribution UK (SDUK), exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Spanish manufacturer WORK Pro, has announced the availability of two new additions to the Neo range of installation loudspeakers. Supplementing the existing pair of two-way Neo models and one subwoofer, Neo 5 A ES and Neo 5 IP are compact, stylish speakers designed for installed sound applications, and like the rest of the range, can be used in low-impedance or 100V installations.

The Neo 5 A ES is an updated version of the existing Neo 5 A self-powered compact installation speaker, with an added 'eco-friendly' energy-saving mode which saves on power consumption. When not receiving audio signals, the speaker goes into shutdown mode, reducing its consumption to below 1W.

Neo 5 IP is the two-way passive model of the Neo range, and is rated IP65 on the industrial Ingress Protection scale, meaning t

USA - The 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place in a blaze of glamour at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and was attended by some of the biggest names in Latin music and a sold-out audience of nearly 17,000. Almost 10m television viewers - the highest figures to date - tuned in for some or all the three-hour live broadcast on the Univision network.

For the fifth consecutive year, the lighting was designed by Carlos Colina, LD for all of Univision's major shows and events. After using Robe's Pointes for a successful show-stopping 'special moment' last year, he chose Pointes again this year to add extra elements of magic to key moments in an evening of great entertainment, collaborations and landmark live performances, plus a string of Awards.

Colina worked closely with set designer Jorge Dominguez to create the aesthetic for the show. They took full advantage of t

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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. 

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USA - The Audio Engineering Society is set to bring the AES139 International Convention to the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, NY, from 29 October to 1 November 2015.

Following highly-successful conventions in Los Angeles (2014) and New York (2013), which saw increased attendance as well as the development of expanded attendee and exhibitor offerings including the Project Studio Expo, Live Sound Expo and High Resolution Audio sessions, the 139th AES Convention will bring together the world's largest gathering of audio professionals for four days of audio technology, information, and networking, says the Society.

From recording and production, to broadcast and streaming, game audio, live sound, post-production, sound for picture, product design and more, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from top audio industry figures while immersed in the latest research an

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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.
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World - Since the beginning of the Arctic Monkey's last global journey in May 2013, lighting director Sam MacLaren estimates he must have had his hands on over 50 different grandMA2 consoles from rental sources across the world.

So he must have been a regular grandMA2 user before then? "Well, actually that wasn't the case," says MacLaren. "I used the MA1 a few times but more recently have been using a few boards from other manufacturers, all of which have had some issues with reliability. So when we were deciding on the specification for this tour, the choice of console was obviously high on my list of priorities. I knew I would be picking up boards from local companies as well as touring closer to home with a full rental rig so my choice had to have reliability and availability at the top of the tick list. Integral to the decision was the knowledge that we would

UK - Teatime quiz show Eggheads is currently filming a new series. The show, hosted by Jeremy Vine, sees two teams going head-to-head through five rounds of gruelling questions and brain teasers. The Eggheads teams consist of highly regarded quiz and game show champions, (rotating each episode) against a series of teams of five 'challengers' who in each episode attempt to 'beat' the Eggheads.

Lighting designer Martin Kempton continues to originate the show, supported by Richard Martin Lighting (RML) and features their latest purchase the VL4000 Spot. The VL4000 Spot includes all the tools needed to create dynamic and useful lighting on any stage. Every aspect of the luminaire has been designed with performance in mind. To go with the rest of the set Martin chose MAC Auras, Chroma Banks and MAC 250s.

The show for 12 Yard Productions is filmed at the Pacific Quays, Glasgo

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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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UK - A.C. Special Projects Ltd (ACSP) have supplied, installed and commissioned the LED lighting and control system for a high-profile Christmas holiday season display surrounding the iconic Eros statue at the heart of Piccadilly Circus in London's West End.

Based on a concept designed by Wildstone and approved by Westminster City Council, Wildstone developed an eye-catching 'Box of Christmas Presents' to surround the statue of Eros at Piccadilly Circus. Each side of the octagonal box features a 2.5m by 2.5m high definition LED screen promoting pre-Christmas marketing campaigns from a number of high-profile brand sponsors associated to West End retail.

ACSP were approached by Wildstone to tender for the supply of lighting fixtures used to light the 'Christmas Presents' boxes, which surround the figure around the top of the display.

Due to the harsh environment - which requir

South East Asia - DPA Microphones has reorganised its distribution channels in South East Asia by appointing new distributors in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan. The appointments reflect the company's ongoing commitment to develop new business channels and support DPA's influential customer base.

The new appointments include AV United in Malaysia, Vision One Co. Ltd in Thailand, Pro AVL in Vietnam, Promedia in Indonesia and Shin Lee Sheng Music Corp. (SLS) in Taiwan. "Sales in virtually every APAC country are showing growth as the market recognizes the quality and breadth of DPA's product range," says Ken Kimura, DPA's general manager for the APAC region.

Francis Lai, DPA's regional sales manager, adds: "With our new distribution channels in place, we are now better able to promote DPA's microphones and increase brand awareness in many industry

UK - Since launching earlier this year, Yamaha's QL digital consoles have become favourites with education, the flexible facilities and familiar ease of use ensuring that students are given the best training for a job in the entertainment industry. One of the highest profile installations is at Tonbridge School in Kent.

Established in 1553, Tonbridge is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18. The school still occupies its original site, albeit with many new buildings constructed over the centuries. One of the more recent is the EM Forster Theatre, built in 2000 and named after the famed novelist and Old Tonbridgian. When another former pupil, James Mitchell, took up the post of chief technician last year, one of his first priorities was to upgrade the 370-capacity theatre's audio system.

Drama, theatre and technical live production are key parts of the scho

UK - Audiologic, is now shipping some new lines from Ecler. Committed to developing products in direct response to customer feedback and demand, Ecler has built on the success of its CA40 micro stereo amplifier to produce the CA120. Still compact, the more powerful 2x60W CA120 offers even wider scope within applications that require integration with external control devices, including classrooms, meeting rooms and retail premises. Its remote control features include serial RS-232 port, IR receiver and 0-10 VDC remote port.

Addressing the need for single box solutions in retail, bars and restaurants, ECLER's HMA is a series of self-powered public address mixers. With nine audio inputs and a high/low impedance amplified output alongside an extensive set of control connections, the HMA 180 covers the full spectrum for a variety of applications involving background music, microphone

The Netherlands - RCF spa will present a wide range of products at next year's Integrated Systems Show (ISE 2015, Amsterdam RAI, 10-12 February).

Receiving a special showcase will be their new flagship DXT 9000 and DXT 3000 digital voice alarm systems, certified to EN 54-16 and EN 54-4 standards. The DXT 9000 is completely scalable. The first fully digital PA/VA system to be designed from the ground up by RCF engineers, the DXT 9000 is sufficiently versatile to be used in almost any kind of application, from the smallest school or hotel to huge campuses that include multiple buildings.

The DXT 9000 is a distributed system in which every component, including the loudspeakers, has its own physical address, can be monitored according to current EN 54 standards, and can be configured after installation where necessary.

While paging and voice evacuation are the primary uses for t

Australia - For the second year in a row, Audinate has been recognized by Deloitte as one of the fastest growing technology companies in the prestigious 2014 Asia Pacific Technology Fast 500 with 186% growth. Audinate was also recognized in the Technology Fast 50 for Australia.

Audinate develops the industry-leading Dante digital media networking solution enabling the delivery of high quality, low-latency audio over traditional IT networks. Dante has been adopted as the industry standard in pro audio, live sound, recorded music, conferencing, houses of worship, broadcast and communications.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific programme recognises technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of annual revenue growth in the Asia Pacific region during the past three years. It includes those companies based in Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesi

UK - Really Creative Media's VJing skills were put to the test when worked alongside lighting designer Rob Sinclair to design all the animated content for and produce the live shows on The Human League UK Tour.

The stunning stage set, designed by Sinclair, was built with video integration in mind to bring the electro beats and vibe to life through the accompanying visuals for the audience. It included three cascading arches of 12mm video screen, the largest being 48ft wide with 25ft legs down to the stage floor. These surrounded the central upstage screen which was 24ft x 8ft of 6mm.

In the smaller tour venue, this was reduced to just the central display and one arch. Our creative team of animators had to keep this in mind during the design process, to ensure that the more intimate venues had the same show experience as the larger ones.

Nick Dew, managing director at Really

USA - Lighting designer, Jason Bullock of Infinity Point Design Inc, brought a wealth of new Ayrton lighting fixtures to Wiz Khalifa's Under the Influence of Music Tour this year. Under the Influence of Music is an annual event which brings the biggest new names in hip-hop to venues across America.

Bullock was amongst the first to use Ayrton's MagicPanel 602 last year and has returned to it this year incorporating 48 of the units in his design. To these he has added fresh offerings from Ayrton's newly released Radical Series, employing 36 MagicBlade-R linear fixtures and 12 massive MagicRing-R9 fixtures.

Bullock, like Khalifa, is determined to expand the visual presentation of the tours using the latest technology to explore the unique design possibilities that new products present.

"After the success of the MagicPanel 602, I met with Ayrton in Europe and

Italy - Bringing a taste of Cuba to metropolitan Italy, Todos a Cuba is a new bar and restaurant located in the centre of Milan. A Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) delivers high quality, seamless sound to its customers.

Located close to the Colonne di San Lorenzo, Milan's noted Roman ruin, Todos a Cuba was designed by Novara-based architects Archizero. Comprising a single level, L-shaped space, the brief was to create a venue with a strong individual identity. One side of the L accommodates the bar area and the other customer tables and seating, the contrasting elements of each linked by visual devices, like the suspended ceiling of the seating area being imitated in the fascia of the bar.

A two-zone audio system was specified for background music and a feed from a Sky TV decoder for live sport. This was the ideal type of installation for Yamaha's CIS products -

USA - VER (Video Equipment Rentals), one of the top AV rental companies in North America, with locations in Canada and Europe, recently purchased an extensive Optocore fibre optic audio system in its ongoing commitment to provide their customers with leading edge technological solutions.

The 500+ audio channel network will additionally support routing and distribution of video, digital intercom and a variety of DSP based control and communication via the high speed 100 GBit Ethernet capability.

Brady Belavek, audio production manager, commented: "VER was one of the first North American AV production companies to incorporate fibre optic products in its inventory to offer advance services to customers who are the pinnacle of TV and event producers and technicians.

"Every year their visions of production expectations pushes the status quo and they come to us for bette

UK - HHB Communications has supplied Imperial College London's Student Union with professional audio and video equipment for a major refurbishment of its radio, television and music facilities.

The TV production studio at Imperial is now equipped with an Avid S3L-X mixing system, while its radio station features a Studer OnAir 1500 console. Genelec loudspeakers, a PreSonus digital mixing console, Yellowtec m!ka microphone stands and microphones by R°DE and Shure are also employed throughout the building. The Union's new HD video infrastructure utilises a selection of Blackmagic Design video equipment, and a compact ElectroVoice PA system was supplied for its Rock and Jazz Contemporary Music Society.

The Avid S3L-X mixing system is used in dual mode, as both a live sound console for TV audio during the day and as a Pro Tools HD audio post production mixer in the evening. Th

UAE - Dubai-based rental houses, Eclipse Staging Services and Delta Sound, both unveiled new equipment as Lady Gaga made her Middle East debut in Dubai.

Promoted locally by AMI Live and ATW Live in association with Live Nation Global Touring, artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball took place at Meydan Racecourse. Eclipse provided the lighting, video and primary and secondary power distribution, while audio was supplied by Delta Sound.

"We are immensely proud to have been selected as event technology supplier for such a landmark show, the fact that so much of the production was able to be serviced locally is a real testament to the local market's ability to compete on a global stage," said Martin Lubach, general manager of Eclipse Staging Services.

The main stage lighting featured many fixtures, including 67 Clay Paky Sharpys, 11 Clay Paky Alpha Wash 1500s and 24 Clay Paky Sharp

Denmark - Copenhagen Central Station was recently equipped with 24 SGM P-5 wash lights with the goal of making it more welcoming for its approximately 100,000 daily visitors.

The contractor on the project was Matrix Sales ApS with Urs Friis-Alstrup as the project manager responsible for budgeting, product selection and programming.

The mission was to light up the arched ceilings of the more than 100-year-old railway station which consists of two 100-metre long halls - each with more than 20 metres to the ceiling.

The halls, bearing the architecture and craftsmanship of the early 1900s, are set in dark green and red, which cause the visitor experience to be very dark and gloomy, especially during the winter months. Therefore, the challenge was to create an installation that respected and preserved the original building construction, while bringing it alive.

Friis-Alstrup ex

Mexico - Vatel Producciones, founded and managed by Miriam Villalobos is celebrating its eighth birthday with a wide range of events utilising their Robe equipment in Mexico City.

Vatel's owner Miriam Villalobos was curious to learn about the production industry, and back in 2000 took a job in public relations at local company A1 Audio, during a show by Mexican band Molotov. The company was the main one in Querétaro and serviced all the major shows in the area, allowing her to meet professionals and engineers from many other places.

She says: "Audio became my passion! After four years, I met Héctor Alvarez - currently soft rock singer Camila's engineer - and he recommended that I move to Mexico City because the market was bigger, more dynamic and interesting. He said I would never get tired of learning and also seeing new technologies which often don't reach

UK - With Christmas in sight the team at Fix8Group are once again run of their feet getting everyone's pre-holiday events programmed, operated and running perfectly in all their glory.

The MTV European Music Awards took place at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Sunday 9 November 2014 and saw artists like Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, U2 and Alicia Keys amongst many others perform, with the awards being hosted by Nicki Minaj.

The enormous setup for the show involved a range of companies such as XL Video, who provided all the LED screens, fixtures and projection for the show; multiple graphics agencies, and Chris Saunders from Ogle Hog, who was in charge of coordinating and managing all the media playback and control systems. Ogle Hog invited FIX8Group on board to programme and operate their Hippotizer fleet, which included media formatting, outputting and programming.

For the event p

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