Germany - A Martin Audio MLA Mini, featuring the company's award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array technology, is playing a central role in the technical upgrade of the Elspe Festival in Germany. One of the largest and most visited show and festival parks in Europe, the 120,000sq.m site is located in the Sauerland Elspe, in Olpe, South Westphalia.

Each year Elspe Festival invests heavily in conservation and upgrading of the infrastructure to preserve its wild west theme, and welcome the Karl May Festival. This is when Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, fictional characters in the Western novels by the German writer, take their place in Germany's largest outdoor theatre.

Last year, renewal of the audio system was high on the agenda and sound consultant Ulrich Schmitz knew it ha

Germany - UK-based instrumentation specialist Mantracourt has announced that its BroadWeigh wireless load monitoring system is to be exhibited at the Prolight+Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (15-18 April).

Mantracourt's technical partners AC Entertainment (Hall 9, Stand D47), Hof Alutec (Hall 9, Stand D60) and Louis Reyners (Hall 9, Stand E95) will be exhibiting at this event and visitors will have the opportunity to experience a full demonstration of the BroadWeigh system and meet key staff from Mantracourt.

The BroadWeigh portable wireless system offers real-time, simple, effective and accurate load monitoring for rigging professionals, safety officials and site managers enabling them to monitor and log the precise loads on any given rigging point.

"We are very pleased to be attending this show," says Kelly Voysey, marketing manager. "The entertainment sector

Germany - At Frankfurt next month, Eaton will introduce the FLX console, part of the Zero 88 Series.

The company says: "It's clean, straightforward, intuitive user Interface offers tools like Patch Wizard and Auto Palettes to consolidate all the prep work, leaving LDs, programmers and operators free to work faster and more harmoniously."

FLX offers 2,048 freely assignable control channels with no fixture patch limitations and is supported by four rotary encoders, 24 dedicated playback faders (with 10 pages) and four UDK's (User Definable Keys).

FLX uses Fe-RAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) to store every button press in real-time and ensure that every second of the work is saved without any battery backup.

Additional USB wings - each with 24 more playback faders - can be added via USBs positioned all around the desk - for complete convenience and full flex

Germany - Avolites will launch its live control-focused Arena console at Prolight+Sound 2015 in Frankfurt. Offering "more live control than ever before", the Avolites Arena is designed for festivals, theatres and anywhere that a larger control surface is required. It combines the popular interface of the Tiger Touch II with 30 additional Playback faders and expanded live control options and features.

Alongside the main display, a second touch screen provides an additional workspace window, also labelling the adjacent macro buttons and rotary pots. These fully assignable playback encoder pots allow intuitive control of channels and effects. The six LCD screens display electronic legends for 30 faders, for speedy access to all your playbacks, fixtures and palettes.

A new optical output means the Arena is equipped for fibre connections, with no signal loss over long dis

USA - At the 2015 NAB Show, Renewed Vision will evolve the storytelling and production capabilities of ProPresenter for broadcast studios, sports venues and live corporate, worship and entertainment events, with an array of new tools and features that amplify the way live production teams present dynamic, high-quality content.

Like previous-generation versions, ProPresenter 6 is, at its core, a cross-platform (Mac and Windows) lyric, slide, and media presentation package. It merges dynamic multiscreen software with off-the-shelf computer hardware to make high-quality live productions simple and affordable. In a typical application, operators control a presentation on one screen, while dynamically affecting the visuals and lyrics experienced by audiences on one or more additional screens. Outputs are always live, allowing operators to edit one presentation as audiences view anoth

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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

UK - AV technology pioneer Peerless-AV has appointed Stuart Robson-Frisby as director of business development for EMEA. Leveraging over 10 years' industry experience in business negotiation, channel and end user sales management, Stuart will be responsible for helping to identify and secure new business opportunities in key vertical sectors throughout EMEA territories.

"Peerless-AV is on an exciting journey as it grows from a successful mounts company to also becoming a recognised global player in Emerging Technology solutions," said Stuart. "It's an ideal time to join the team, enabling me to apply my communication, negotiation and relationship building skills to help drive new leads through our partner base."

Stuart comes to Peerless-AV from ViewSonic Europe where he held the role of European product marketing manager. Prior to that, he worked at Samsung

USA - Maroon 5 are currently on tour promoting their new album V which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200. Escondido-based Sound Image is providing a 54-module EAW Anya system complete with 24 SB2001 subwoofers and eight KF364 point source systems as front-fill in support of the tour.

"The Anya PA is very exciting to mix on," explains FOH engineer Jim Ebdon in describing Anya. "I'm amazed by the consistency of the coverage."

Andrew Dowling, Sound Image system tech for the tour, adds, "When we compared Jim's mix on Anya and competing systems in January the choice was obvious - the way the vocal came forward in Anya was amazing."

EAW Anya, the flagship product in EAW's Adaptive Systems product family, is a complete, self-contained, high-power sound reinforcement system that adapts all performance parameters electronically and requires no

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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

USA - Southern Adventist University, recognized as one of the top tier southern regional colleges, recently took delivery of a substantial sound-reinforcement system incorporating loudspeakers drawn from the catalogue of WorxAudio Technologies, a division of PreSonus Audio Electronics. Deployed in the Iles Physical Education Centre, the facility upgrade includes elements from WorxAudio's TrueLine and WaveSeries series.

Sound Ventures / Lunar Cinema of Knoxville, Tennessee, an AV production services and design firm dedicated to live events and select installations, was contracted to design and deploy the new sound system. Company president Dennis Farley discussed the project and his firm's decision to install WorxAudio loudspeaker systems.

"The Iles Physical Education Centre is a multi-purpose facility that is used for a wide range of activities," Farley explained. &q

UK - Chauvet Europe is going blue to help fight a disorder that affects an estimated 52m people throughout the world, and the company, along with PLSN editor and noted LD Nook Schoenfeld, is hoping that other lighting industry members join in this effort. On 30 March, the company lit its facilities in the United Kingdom and Belgium, as well as its US headquarters a bright royal blue to kick off the week leading up to World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April.

A longtime advocate of autism research and care, Schoenfeld was influential in getting the upper floors of the Empire State Building illuminated blue a few years ago as part of the Light It Up Blue campaign to draw attention to the disorder on Autism Awareness Day. "The organization Autisms Speaks came up with the idea of lighting landmark buildings blue on Autism Awareness Day to raise awareness of the disorder,&qu

Uruguay - The Sodre National Auditorium (Auditorio Nacional del Sodre) in Uruguay has chosen a self-powered Meyer Sound Mina line array loudspeaker system as the first permanent reinforcement system in the 1,900-capacity venue. The upgrade has ushered in a new era for the vibrant local arts community, which now has a performance space that shares high-quality reinforcement with Mina-equipped halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Festhalle in Germany.

In addition to the system's adaptability to the venue's diverse programming of rock, jazz, and pop artists, Mina was chosen for its compact size, which preserves the auditorium's classic architecture. The installation was directed by Cesar Lamschtein, senior audio engineer at the auditorium, who worked with Pablo Janssen, director at Montevideo-based Digital Audio Video.

"Our main goal was to design a system wi

USA - Lighting designer Andrew Cass chose Ayrton MagicPanel 602 and MagicBlade-R LED fixtures for his dynamic lighting of The String Cheese Incident, which toured the US from late summer 2014 to early 2015.

The String Cheese Incident is a Colorado band with an eclectic style that encompasses elements of bluegrass, rock, electronica, calypso, country, funk, jazz and more. Cass put together a vibrant and colourful lighting design which reflected the variety and dynamism of the band's diverse style. "Colours are my signature - I'm an over-saturated guy - and the band give me free rein to do whatever I want," says Cass. "The artists like my saturated colour and it is appropriate for their music. There are not many moments during their set when non-saturated colours fit."

To help achieve this level of intensity and variety, Cass turned to the ever-versatile Ayrt

Hong Kong - The Year of the Goat has already proved that it brings prosperity for Pacific Lighting (HK) Ltd with Robert Juliat sales. "We have received several orders for Robert Juliat products over the past weeks, most of which have been totally unexpected," says Pacific Lighting (HK) Ltd director, Hugh Chinnick.

The Tai Po Civic Centre, managed by the Leisure & Cultural Service Department of the Government, began the good fortune by purchasing 30 Robert Juliat Lutin Fresnels. "Their requirements for the new fixtures were that they should deliver a good light output, be light weight, and have an absence of engineered plastic components," explains Chinnick. "The Department reported they had experienced degradation of plastic parts on a number of Fresnels in their existing inventory, so a fixture without this material was preferred. The venue flying syste

UK - Last week Sky News held a live debate between Prime Minister David Cameron and Ed Miliband as part of the Battle for Number 10. The show was hosted by Jeremy Paxman.

Richard Martin Lighting (RML) provided the lights to LD Richard Bowles. Outside in the main atrium there was a huge array of lights which could be seen for miles, including 24 SGM P5 and six recently upgraded Super-Novas. There were also Chroma Flood TC, City Colours and 12 Clay Paky Mythos.

Inside the main studio, the look of the show was strong, sharp and sensible, just what you would expect which such a high profile event. However, as sophisticated as it was, there were actually quite a lot of lights: Richard chose 20 Vari-Lite VL1000TS, 40 Martin MAC Auras, 22 GLP Impressions and 12 Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330.

(Jim Evans)

Theatre Matters - UK Theatre has drawn up an arts policy wish list for the incoming government. In a new advocacy document - Theatre Matters - published ahead of the general election in May, the membership body said the arts should receive the same additional investment and focus as the so-called STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and maths. It also calls for a safeguarded funding system whereby the Treasury would increase arts subsidy if National Lottery sales were to fall.

UK Theatre president Rachel Tackley said: "These are challenging times for theatre around the UK, but we have an incredibly positive story to tell about an industry that is universally acknowledged as the world leader. UK Theatre is talking to politicians with a national brief for the arts and culture, but we also need more theatres and theatre companies up and down the country to be

Germany - Impressive acrobatic performances and the play of light and shadows are the ingredients for the tour of Shadowland - a performance piece from the Connecticut-based dance company Piobolus. With their bodies, the performers create shadow silhouettes including those of elephants, faces, buildings and cars. Assisting with this shadow play are several ETC Source Four incandescent fixtures, as well as Gio and Ion lighting control systems.

In Germany, the spectacular show became famous through appearances on popular television shows such as the long-running German-language programme Wetten, dass . . . ?, and have been selling out performances across the country ever since. Shadowland production manager Jorge Delgadillo and his team have trusted ETC equipment for a long time. For four years, they have been touring the world with their own Gio console.

UK - Ant and Dec's award winning Saturday Night Takeaway has returned to TV screens for its 12th series, kicking off with a new stunt for the Ant v Dec challenge.

With a track record for pulling off some amazing stunts in the previous series, ITV Studios brought Unusual Rigging back on board to ensure the latest challenge, watched by more than six million viewers, was even more spectacular.

Unusual's Robin Elias said: "Having pulled out all the stops in series 11 with the Men on a Ledge and Lift Shaft challenges, the production guys at ITV Studios wanted us to come up with something that appeared even more daring and impressive. ITV Studios came up with the basic concept. Then it was up to the Unusual team to make that idea a reality and so we designed The Turbine."

Following numerous meetings between the ITV Studios production team and Unusual, Robin design

Cyprus - LumenRadio continues the expansion of its global distribution network with the appointment of ArchiLX as exclusive distributor in Cyprus. With immediate effect, the CRMX product lines will be the only wireless offering to ArchiLX's impressive customer list.

Based in Limassol, ArchiLX serves clients across the island with dynamic lighting schemes ranging from large-scale installations and shows to interior fixtures and fittings. Their extensive portfolio of products represents a broad range of solutions across lighting, audio and show technologies.

Ben M Rogers, design director at ArchiLX comments: "We have followed the LumenRadio journey with great interest and admiration over the years. I have personally known some of the team members for a long time and I have much respect for LumenRadio's highly innovative products. As a specialist in advanced production techn

Germany - Host Thomas Gottschalk, takes celebrities back to their school days in the second season of Back to School, RTL Network's popular quiz game show, and Elation Professional's award-winning Sniper is along for the nostalgia, providing flexible special effect lighting looks.

Lighting designer Thomas Gerdon of gerdon Mediasign has mounted 24 Snipers along with LED wash lights on movable truss towers so they can be moved back and forth between the set's two stages for special musical performances. "There are two musical performances per show and because the show towers are on wheels we can easily move them and use the Sniper effects on both stages," explains Thomas, who is lighting the show for the first time. "We have them located at new positions each time so it gives us great flexibility. Coupled with the different effects you can get out of the Snip

France - The newly opened Philharmonie de Paris, a state-of-the-art building complex designed to host international symphonic ensembles, including the Orchestre de Paris, features Amadeus speakers throughout each of the many musical venue spaces; from the large rehearsal space with public seating, to practice rooms, to the Grande Auditorium and the Music Exhibition and conference rooms, plus the two on-site recording studios. Amadeus speakers used in the project include various sizes of its DIVA, PMX, ML, and MINITRI Series, with over 50 Amadeus speakers installed in the landmark building complex.

Amadeus worked closely over several years with Ateliers Jean Nouvel, the internationally based architecture company founded by French architecture star Jean Nouvel, along with theatre consultants at dUCKS Scéno to create, develop and optimize the most efficient speaker systems f

UK - Blackburn-based lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied lighting and rigging equipment to the latest tour by Katherine Jenkins. The Home Sweet Home tour culminated in a large homecoming show in the Welsh capital city and cultural hub of Cardiff.

A stylish and elegant lighting rig to match Jenkins' dynamic performance was designed by Tim Routledge and directed on the road by his associate, Tom Young. HSL was also renewing its long term working relationships with the tour's production manager, Neil MacDonald.

Tim's overall creative objective was to create a classy look that could be varied and coloured to suit the myriad of moods embraced by Jenkins in her set, in which she was backed by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and also introduced some special guests.

No haze used whilst Jenkins is onstage is a major challenge for lighting, so any beamy looks are ou

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has announced their continued sponsorship of fast-rising UK racing driver, Jack Goff, who after garnering much praise for a podium and top-10 finishes in his first two seasons, is joining reigning constructor / manufacturer champions, MG Triple Eight Racing for his drive in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

AC-ET are one of four key partners supporting Jack Goff Racing in the 2015 BTCC season. The company has watched his progression competing in the Clio Cup for three seasons - which saw him clinch the Clio Cup UK Crown in his final season (2012) - and his first two BTCC seasons to date.

AC-ET's UK sales director, Jonathan 'Jono' Walters, who looks after the company's sponsorship of Jack Goff Racing, states, "We are hugely proud of what Jack has achieved in only his first two BTCC seasons. We a

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