The Glastonbury Effect - Lionel Richie says he has Glastonbury to thank for bagging his first number one album in the charts in more than two decades. The veteran saw The Definitive Collection By Lionel Richie & The Commodores hit the top spot. The album only reached number 10 when it was released back in 2003, but jumped up 103 places following his widely praised performance at Worthy Farm. It is the 66-year-old's first UK number one album since Back To Front 23 years ago. "I was overwhelmed performing at Glastonbury in front of all those people and for the fans to make the album number one is unbelievable," he said.

Live and Licking - The Grateful Dead have given what they say will be their last group performance in front of 70,000 fans, some in te

UK - White Light recently provided its lighting services for a series of concert tours featuring two long established names in the music industry. Both Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Gladys Knight are currently touring the UK, with both playing the Royal Albert Hall before visiting venues in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds. Each tour has been organised by concert and tour promoters Kennedy Street, who approached White Light to provide the lighting, rigging and crew in order to create an unforgettable experience for audiences across Britain.

Jim Colson, production manager at Kennedy Street, states, "Both Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Gladys Knight are absolute icons in the music industry. The fact that they are both still in such demand after so many years indicates the impact their music has made and how their already huge fan-bases continue to grow&q

Italy - Rome's Palalottomatica indoor sports arena hosted this year's Italian Summit by global nutrition and weight management company Herbalife.

The event's AV, lighting and ground support contractor was Planet Service of San Marino, whose audio team consisted in Alessandro Saudelli (audio chief, responsible for the system's design and fine-tuning), Emanuele Vischi (sound engineer and PA man), Francesco Passeri (mic tech and PA man) and Edoardo Michelori (PA man).

Saudelli explains how the team faced the venue's infamous acoustics (the domed ceiling and extremely reverberant environment are many a sound engineer's nightmare), ensuring excellent sonic quality for the 8,000 attendees.

"Our brief was for a central stage, to exploit the venue's entire capacity. This, plus the fact that the rig couldn't be flown, meant we had to opt for a ground support format, with consequ

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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 - Fifty years after forming their band at a Palo Alto music store, the surviving founders of the Grateful Dead kicked off their end-of-an-era Fare Thee Well mini-tour at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. with a Meyer Sound Leo linear large-scale sound reinforcement system driving a quadraphonic surround setup.

The two Silicon Valley shows were a landmark occasion with more than the 60,000 devoted Deadheads in attendance each evening. It was also a milestone in the band's decades-long association with Meyer Sound CEO John Meyer, a relationship spawned from a shared passion for audio experimentation and audience experience. The Grateful Dead's original sound engineer, Owsley "Bear" Stanley, first tapped Meyer to create acoustic solutions for the legendary 'Wall of Sound' system in the 1970s.

The Meyer Sound Leo system with its accompanying 1100-LFC low-f

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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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UK - An array of PreSonus StudioLive AI loudspeakers have recently been installed in London's premier 'boutique fitness destination', Core Collective. Part of a highly integrated project at the new Kensington gym, the StudioLive AI speakers are responsible for delivering the pumping soundtrack of the facility's fixed-bike spinning classes.

Designed to perform with the clarity of a studio monitor in live and installed sound situations, each StudioLive AI enclosure delivers a remarkable 2000W of power. All units are based around PreSonus' 8" Co-Actual driver - which delivers accurate high and mid-frequency reproduction - with woofer configuration and frequency response being among the distinguishing features between models.

A total of five 328AI speakers - with their 3x8" driver design - and a single 18sAI subwoofer were specified for the project by Belgravia-based

UK - Analog Way has announced a new partnership with the AV rental specialist company Paragon Projection in the UK. Effective 1 July, Paragon Projection will have Analog Way's LiveCore systems available for rental all over the UK.

Analog Way, based in the Midlands and Central London, provides high-end projectors and professional display equipment for exhibitions, conferences & training seminars. Paragon Projection is adding Analog Way's LiveCore series of Premium Presentation Mixers to their inventory. Several Ascender 16-4K and Ascender 48-4K units will be available for rental from 1 July.

Mark Davies, sales manager at Paragon Projection Ltd states, "We have been looking into investing in high-end switching equipment for a while now and when Analog Way launched their LiveCore series we realized it was the perfect solution. One of the key factors' when making our decision

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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.

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UK - Following the recent announcement of Pro Audio Systems as a main dealer, EM Acoustics has confirmed the appointment of Manchester-based pro audio specialists, Audio Alliance. This latest move brings the number of EM Acoustics UK main dealers up to 10.

Audio Alliance specialises in providing innovative solutions to their clients in a number of market areas, from conferences to international launch events, theatre and broadcast. The company already has a thriving rental department and is currently developing a sales side to the business with selected products and clients.

Audio Alliance's MD, Oliver Driver explains. "We've had a long-standing relationship with Ed [Kinsella] and Mike [Wheeler] that goes back over 10 years. We have always liked their products and specified them where appropriate. Indeed, the sight of Ed's Landrover piled high with new speakers for us to

UK - Take That, are currently promoting their seventh studio album,III, on their Live 2015 tour with seven Robert Juliat followspots playing major roles in highlighting the artists and the many theatrical antics that surround them.

Creative director, Kim Gavin, has devised a show that involves a high degree of theatricality with acts, including aerial stunts, taking place across a large set, designed by Misty Buckley, that loops out into the arena from a multi-level dynamic main stage.

Lighting designer, Tim Routledge was briefed to produce a design with "a very theatrical look, but with a huge pop punch over the top". His enormous lighting rig contains a large number of powerful moving light fixtures and LED video screens. Routledge therefore needed followspots that would punch through the sheer amount of lighting and video and cope with the long throw distan

USA - From Friday 26 June to Sunday 28 June, more than 200 people from around the world joined ETC in Madison, Wisconsin, for lighting education, console training and certification, networking and special events. The third professional development conference that ETC has hosted, this CUE event included more classes and events - and was attended by the largest group of lighting professionals and students representing several countries and all segments of the lighting industry - than ever before.

CUE kicked off with a keynote address by CEO Fred Foster, in which he talked about the growth of ETC over the last four decades, and the company's focus on customer service and product innovation. Foster also unveiled new products, including the affordable ColorSource Spot profile LED luminaire and console programming wings that will officially debut in July.

Josh Allen, an award-winnin

USA - Located in Delaware County near Philadelphia, Ridley High School serves 2200 students in its new facility completed in 2001. The school is well-known for its athletic programmes and its wide variety of elective classes including music and drama.

Ridley's attractive auditorium is well designed for dramatic performances and musicals with a large stage and modern technical and lighting systems. Unfortunately, the original audio system was poorly designed and installed. Its loudspeakers were suspended above the acoustic clouds resulting in numerous dead spots, poor vocal clarity and muffled music quality.

In early 2015, after several unsuccessful repair attempts, the school asked Clear Sound, Inc. of Yeadon, Pennsylvania to propose a system upgrade.

Clear Sound's Chris Hughes designed a new loudspeaker system using three Community I Series model IP8-1152/96 loudspeakers su

UK - Growing from a small local shop to a hugely successful international enterprise in the space of two decades is not easy. Achieving this success while advancing and upholding deeply held ethical principles makes the accomplishment all the more noteworthy. Management at Lush Cosmetics recognized this, which is why they wanted to make their company's 20th anniversary celebration stand out. That's precisely what they did, thanks to some help from Presentation Design Services and a collection of fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

Lush Cosmetics first appeared on high streets throughout the UK in the mid 1990's. In the ensuing years, the organic beauty merchant has carved out a reputation for quality handmade beauty products, all the while upholding the ethics-conscious principles of fair trade and protecting animal rights.

In celebration of this 20-year milestone, Lush Cosmet

USA - In response to tremendous growth, New Beginnings DFW Church in Bedford, Texas purchased a former ten-screen Cineplex and converted it to a stunning sanctuary for contemporary worship. Its high-energy services, complete with a full band and plenty of vocalists, benefit from the simple, but tremendously powerful Danley Sound Labs loudspeakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers that Jeff McLeod at Church Audio Video designed and installed.

"It's a big space, and we needed to fill it with musical, intelligible sound," said McLeod. "Clarity is everything, and Danley has a proven record of delivering products that are well-articulated and powerful. We gave them a left-centre-right system that would convey all of the excitement and invite all of the immersion that their energetic services deserved."

At the front end, two Yamaha CL5 consoles paired with two Yamaha R

UK - One of the many highlights of a very busy exhibition (at its new home of Alexandra Palace in north London) was Autograph's acceptance of the prestigious ABTT 'Sound Product Of The Year' award on behalf of DiGiCo for the new S21 console, shown exclusively on their stand.

Held on the evening of the first day in the Londesborough Room, the evening included both the ABTT Theatre Awards and the SMA National Stage Management Awards, presented by the ABTT's chairman Louise Jeffreys, the Barbican's director of arts.

In making the award, the ABTT jury commented, "The S21 sound desk has the sound quality DiGiCo are renowned for, but at a price that makes it achievable for small and medium scale theatres and tours. The intuitive user interface makes the desk easy to use, and the built in MADI USB interface makes connection to recording and complex show playback systems exceptio

UK - DiGiGrid is expanding its line of advanced audio interfaces with DiGiGrid IOC, a control room I/O for SoundGrid systems. Ideal for the control room, the DiGiGrid IOC audio interface offers a range of connectivity options, including two mic/line inputs with broadcast/studio-grade preamps; eight line inputs/outputs; 16 AES and ADAT inputs/outputs; and two headphone outputs.

With DiGiGrid IOC and a dedicated SoundGrid DSP server on their network, users will be able to run hundreds of SoundGrid-compatible Waves and third-party plugins, all fully integrated within their DAW of choice. By plugging DiGiGrid IOC into a SoundGrid network with a single Ethernet cable, users will enter a new world of real-time tracking, mixing and monitoring, with extremely low latency of only 0.8 milliseconds.

USA - Philips Strand Lighting has announced that the NEO lighting control system is now expanding with the introduction of the Submaster and Playback Wings along with the rack-mount Playback Controller. Designed for use in theatrical, house of worship, and themed entertainment productions, the expanded NEO lighting control system can help you realize the full potential of your lighting designs quickly and intelligently.

"The NEO lighting control console has been proven to be a powerful and easy-to-use lighting control system and we are excited to now be expanding its power and control even more," said Bobby Harrell, Philips Strand Lighting product specialist. "With the addition of the Submaster and Playback Wings plus the Playback Controller, the NEO family now offers more control options and innovative control technologies for whatever type of production or light

Canada - The AES 59th International Conference, with an emphasis on Sound Reinforcement Engineering and Technology, will take place July 15-17, 2015, at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. This is the first AES International Conference in over 25 years dedicated to large scale sound reinforcement, public address and live sound, and the conference is being supported by an impressive list of sponsors, including some of the preeminent forces in live-sound technology. At the conference, sponsors will be displaying cutting-edge technologies with experts available to discuss and demonstrate their products.

Confirmed sponsors include Meyer Sound, Solid State Logic, Yamaha Commercial Audio, Audio-Technica, Professional Sound Magazine, KV2 Audio, Erikson Audio, McGill University's Schulich School of Music, Gerr Audio, SMAART, Solotech, Flex Acoustics, DiGiCo, Ashly Audio, Shure, Tanno

Italy - RCF has introduced two new members to its V-Max family - V6 and V10 high-power two-way bass reflex full range systems. The V-MAX Series represents "a no-compromise compact design and construction, offering a very natural sound in recorded music and live situations," says RCF.

All V-MAX Series cabinets are in birch, heavy duty coated with weather resistant polyurea paint. Free from spurious vibrations, they offer a reinforced construction at the highest levels in the professional market.

"The V10 mid bass transducer is designed to provide an excellent frequency response linearity with very low distortion. A very strong magnetic structure guarantees dynamics and precision, whereas a new and unique 2.5" voice coil design provides a very high power handling."

The V6 is the smallest member of the V-MAX family and is a flexible and powerful tool

UK - Following its sell-out debut success in Australia, Vision Nine and BBC Worldwide recently brought the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular to the UK for an arena tour. A musical celebration of the BBC series, the Symphonic Spectacular featured Doctor Who's most captivating music, video sequences from the past 50 years of the show, along with a host of live monsters including the Cybermen and Daleks. White Light was the choice supplier for providing the lighting, rigging and crew to deliver the full tour; comprising of 13 performances across London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Working alongside the show's producers, White Light expertly recreated lighting designer Paul Collison's original vision, whilst making subtle adjustments to suit the logistical intricacies of each venue. The highly ambitious project incorporated 100 different performers, including t

Europe - One of the industry's brightest lights dimmed on Thursday, when Fulvio Cotogni, ETC's regional manager for Southern Europe and the Middle East, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

A funeral for Cotogni was held on Saturday, where friends and family had the opportunity to share memories of him. ETC CEO Fred Foster gave a eulogy in which he noted, "I am incredibly honoured to have known Fulvio for a couple of decades, and to have been his colleague for much of that time. My wife, Susan, refers to Fulvio as an 'ancient soul', not because he was old, but because he had the wisdom and patience of the ages. It was in his eyes, it was in his rich voice and in his wry smile. Fulvio has taught us all more than we even realise."

Cotogni was known for his immense personality, sense of humour and infectious laugh. He began his career in lighting when he w

UK - In the Great Hall of St. Paul's Girls' School in London, two new Meyer Sound CAL 64 column array loudspeakers provide vibrant and life-like reproduction for speech, live music performances, and video soundtracks. Custom-coloured to match the surrounding oak woodwork in the historic 1904 auditorium, the two slender columns employ precision beam-steering and -splitting technology to deliver uniform coverage across the seating areas.

CAL was selected for the venue after Ian Hawes, the school's theatre manager, and Jonny Burns, head AV technician attended a convincing demonstration. "We listened to the sound quality, saw the slender profile, turned to each other and said, 'This is exactly what we need for the Great Hall,'" recalls Hawes. "The system is in constant use, mostly for speech but also for pre-recorded playback, and occasionally for singing voices or fo

Chile - Fifty Robe Pointes added to the fun and excitement of the Opening Ceremony kicking off the 2015 Copa America international football tournament for South America's national teams which is being staged in Chile.

The fixtures were part of a lighting design by Toni Amoros for the event staged at the Estadio Nacional de Chile in the Chilean capital, Santiago. The event was attended by 60,000 football fans packing the stadium and experiencing the carnivalesque atmosphere as well as seeing Chile getting off to a rocking start in the first game, beating Ecuador 2-0.

The Pointes were positioned around the field of play and used for beams and aerial effects for which they are renowned. They were chosen by Toni for their power and brightness, for the precision of the beams and the variety of possible effects.

The event - which featured a cast of 600 actors, musicians and dancer

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