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ISE 2016: Avid to showcase live sound consoles

Avid will deliver hands-on demos of both systems

Details: 14 March 2016

The Netherlands - Avid will showcase its latest award-winning live sound consoles at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2016, including the modular and scalable, Avid VENUE | S6L, and the compact Avid VENUE | S3L-X. In the 10years since Avid first introduced the VENUE live sound mixing system, the family of consoles has become one of the most trusted and requested live sound systems in the world.

Powered by Avid Everywhere, VENUE | S6L and VENUE | S3L-X are tightly integrated with industry-standard Pro Tools and functions as the perfect front-end to the Avid MediaCentral Platform, the most fluid end-to-end media management and distribution platform in the industry. On stand 7-M215, Avid will deliver hands-on demos of both systems, showcasing the integration for streamlined recording

Backstage Academy expands in preparation for university bid

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Backstage Academy has seen several new appointments over the past few months, gearing them up for the next phase in their expansion, application for university titleship, and to meet the needs of greater student numbers.

Managing director Paul Barton has been working in the events industry since he was 15 in a wide variety of sectors ranging from events structures to production, site management and sponsorship across Europe, the UAE and Southern Africa. Paul's last industry post was with GL Events as site manager for London's 2012 Olympic Rowing and Canoeing events at Eton Dorney. Paul's career in education started in 2008 at the University of Exeter where he launched the first Events Management module in any Russell Group university, building it from 35 students to 350.

Associate dean, Paul Walters has 15 years' experience in Higher Education with a focus on the event

Felix Garcia has joined JRC as a controls engineer

J.R. Clancy adds controls engineer and project manager

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - J. R. Clancy has added two people to its technical and project management staff.

Felix Garcia has joined JRC as a controls engineer. In this position, he designs and draws electrical circuits for control systems, and tests and troubleshoots the circuits, processors and communications networks of installed equipment. Garcia tests equipment including motors and starters before they are shipped to the customer, and he trains end users in the operation of JRC's control systems.

Originally from Cuba, Garcia earned his degree in electrical engineering in Cuba, and worked for an oil and gas manufacturer in Mexico before moving to upstate New York.

Joe Sheppard returns to his native Auburn, New York, to take the position of standard systems project manager at JRC. Most recently, he served as technical supervisor at the Centre of the Arts at George Mason University, where he

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.

The combined teams of TSL and Point Source Productions.

TSL Lighting acquires Point Source Productions

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - TSL Lighting has acquired London-based rental company Point Source Productions. The move will see both companies' teams and rental equipment combining at TSL's premises during February 2016. Point Source's rental, projects and operations staff have also joined TSL. Customers will retain the same point of contact, levels of quality, service and value for money, say TSL.

Hire manager John Beer comments: "This is a huge step forward for our customers, myself, Ian and all the team joining TSL from Point Source. The operational systems, warehouse space and extra products available are a huge advantage to the markets and clients that we serve. We will continue to provide dry-hire, projects and trade rental, locally and nationally."

The owners of TSL Lighting, Sam Tamplin and Martin Locket, added: "We are pleased to welcome the staff and customers of Point Sourc

Theatreplan, has recently completed a major reseating project for the Finnish National Opera House in Helsinki

Theatreplan reseats Helsinki National Opera House

Details: 14 March 2016

Finland - International theatre consultancy practice, Theatreplan, has recently completed a major reseating project for the Finnish National Opera House in Helsinki. The original seats were installed in 1993 when the opera building was completed. After meetings with the Opera and inspection of the auditorium, Theatreplan's Neil Morton recommended a full reseating rather than refurbishment.

The ergonomics of the original seat were designed for a relaxed seating position with a seat height lower than normal for theatre seats. This resulted in the sightlines from the seats at the front of each of the three tiers being less than ideal. Furthermore, after more than two decades' service many of the seats were beginning to show signs of wear and tear; the foam on many of seat pans had collapsed and several of the components were loose including the frames so that the seats were no lon

DWR to host Fall Arrest training

Details: 14 March 2016

South Africa - A 'Fall Arrest & Basic Rescue' course will be hosted at DWR Distribution from 22-24 February 2016. This will be of interest to riggers and technicians, tower climbers, workers on elevated platforms and site managers - any person who may share in conducting a possible rescue, the company says.

The three day course has been approved by SETA, SAQA, DOL, Eskom, Vodacom, Cell C, MTN, MSN, Huawei Technologies Africa, ZTE, Anglo Coal & Platinum and Exxaro. Delegates who pass this course will receive a certificate valid for three years.

Delegate requirements include: A certified copy of ID document; Valid Medical Certificate stating fitness for work at height (valid for at least 3 months from training date); Learners must be proficient in English Reading and writing, up to the level of Grade 10; Delegates are welcome to bring their own harnesses and rigging gear.

The outdoor tour dates, in public squares, meant it was necessary to use reliable, powerful lights

Clay Paky lights the shades of Pintus

Details: 14 March 2016

Italy - Popular Italian comedian Angelo Pintus was joined on stage by Clay Paky Sharpys for his recent tour. The show featured Pintus's simple, natural humour, his musical skills and his talent as an impersonator. Last year's show at the Mediolanum Forum marked the beginning of a period of technical cooperation between Leader Sound and Angelo Pintus's production team. Lighting designer Gianluca Brunelli put together a lighting rig for the over 60 tour dates in various theatres and for the show at the Forum.

Brunelli decided to put a few Sharpy units on the stage floor: "They were placed on the set as side-lighting in fixed positions for much of the show, and remained motionless until the scenes where Pintus describes changes in the situation. These are usually comical situations."

The outdoor tour dates, in public squares, meant it was necessary to use reliable, po

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The Old Vic in London's Lambeth hosted the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Britannia Row at the London Evening Standard Awards

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - As 2015 drew to a close, it was the turn of The Old Vic in London's Lambeth to host the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards. This prestigious event, presented in partnership with the West End restaurant, The Ivy, is an opportunity for the theatre community to recognise and applaud the best of the year's productions and performances. Steering the ceremony was Rob Brydon just a month after starring in the theatre's first production under its new director Matthew Warchus. He was ably assisted by co-hosts Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen along with the Evening Standard's owner, Evgeny Lebedev.

Production for the event was arranged by Mr Beautiful City and technical director, Jaie Genadt who called in Britannia Row Productions to handle the complex audio requirements for the show. Brit Row's Tom Brown was client liaison manager: "There were a number of factor

The setting for Jacqui Honess-Martin's new festive tragi-comedy is a Christmas tree retailer and the action spans a month over December (photo: Ellie Kurttz)

Pining for Robe at the Hampstead Theatre

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Theatre designer Johanna Town made the most of Robe's new DL4S Profile fixture when lighting Pine at the Hampstead Theatre in London.

The setting for Jacqui Honess-Martin's new festive tragi-comedy is a Christmas tree retailer and the action spans a month over December from early morning to midnight. The witty and incisive narrative incites laughter and tears as a group of 20-somethings from mixed backgrounds and experiences sell Christmas trees from a street outlet ... along the way singing all those gloriously clichéd Christmas songs you love ... and hate!!!

Hampstead Theatre is a small but highly acclaimed studio venue with a limited budget, so Jo explored some options for additional lighting, and Robe was able to help out with the two DL4S Profiles.

She was initially slightly unsure of putting a fully spec'd moving light into a grid with only 3m of

Capital's Keith Davis, Paul Timmins and Martin Connolly

Capital Sound adds d&b to touring inventory

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Due to client demand, Capital Sound has added a J-Series d&b system to it loudspeaker inventory. Coming hot on the heels of its investment in Outline's GTO line array, this investment adds a fourth brand to Capital's offering and provides an extra dimension to its concert touring packages.

The J-Series systems are complimented by D80 amplification and the company's new B-Series subs.

"Historically, we have had a strong presence in the concert touring market and we always want to make sure we have a complete range of up-to-date products to cater for current day demands," says Capital's general manager, Paul Timmins. "The d&b system is both versatile and incredibly rider friendly, which ensures we continue to keep pace with the requirements of larger-scale tours.

"The new B22 subs are one of three d&b sub options purchased and, as d&b has released a

A full Roland setup included two M-5000 consoles

Roland digital consoles in the mix in Barcelona

Details: 14 March 2016

Spain - The Roland O.H.R.C.A M-5000 and M-5000C live digital mixing consoles were the consoles of choice for the public New Year's Eve event in Barcelona, configured in a full R.E.A.C (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication) setup. The Roland consoles were specified by Focus for a system that required over 80 inputs FOH and monitor, and a PA including 12 delay towers. Focus - one of the largest production companies in Barcelona - were in charge of the sound, light and video for the outdoor party and were supported by Roland ProAV product manager Nico Suárez.

The Barcelona New Year's Eve celebrations are attended by around 95,000 people and broadcast live to over 1 million others on Spanish television. The massive celebration spreads from the Montjuic mountains to the Espanya square in the city, with music and performance all along the Maria Cristina Avenue.

A full Roland setup

Ayrton IntelliPix-R loom large over The Weeknd (photo ©2016 Todd Kaplan)

Something for The Weeknd from Ayrton

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - The sold-out Madness Fall Tour by Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer, The Weeknd, in support of his third studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness, was a spectacular production, with set and lighting design by LeRoy Bennett of Seven Design Works. It incorporated over 650 lighting fixtures from Ayrton - including 'every available IntelliPix-R fixture on the planet' - to help realise a design concept that delivered a multiplicity of looks from the subtly atmospheric to a totally engulfing spectacle.

The music of Abel Tesfaye, the musician known as The Weeknd, is very dark and cinematic. Bennett reflected this by creating a mutable set with lots of transparency, depth and changing personalities.

Ayrton fixtures featured heavily in its creation with a grid of 270 MagicPanel 602 fixtures forming a back wall that hid two rows of washlights, and which itsel

The new facility has warehouse space to provide ample storage to support the company's expanded inventory and growth for the future

Blinding Light expands following significant growth

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Blinding Light, the corporate and event lighting specialist has announced that following the company's success and significant growth in 2015, it has now completed a move to new larger premises.

Consisting of over 20,000sq.ft, the new facility has warehouse space to provide ample storage to support the company's expanded inventory and growth for the future. There will also be dedicated prep & pre-production spaces for incoming crews to oversee and prepare larger shows prior to despatch to site, plus a dedicated space to allow clients to hold production meetings.

The new facility is set within a large secure compound with several loading bays and storage for multiple trucks. The expansion will also result in further growth of the Blinding Light team, with a number of new warehouse technicians coming on board to support the additional workload. The new site is well locate

Company fined £36,000 for failing to ensure workers' safety

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - One of world's largest temporary power generation companies was recently (25 January 2016) fined a total of £36,000 for failing to ensure that workers were not exposed to risk. The company, Aggreko PLC, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to two charges, one under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the other under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. They also agreed to pay the Royal Borough's costs of £90,000.

The charges followed an electrical incident where a man suffered electrical burns during the fitting out of the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. Aggreko PLC had been appointed as the main contractor to provide a temporary electricity supply to the Exhibition Centre which was to host the Olympic volleyball tournament.

In order to carry out this work the company engaged a numb

The next, eagerly awaited Showlight event will take place in Florence, Italy, 20-23 May 2017

Showlight 2017 - Call for Papers

Details: 14 March 2016

World - Showlight (Florence, Italy, 20-23 May 2017) is now inviting lighting designers and directors, associates, programmers, scenographers, equipment manufacturers and others to submit their ideas for conference papers for the 2017 programme. Now is your chance to be part of this prestigious event!

The Showlight Quadrennial is one of the few international events organised specifically for lighting professionals by lighting professionals across the performance, television, film, architectural and event worlds. Held every four years, Showlight 2017 takes place in Florence and celebrates the 10th presentation of this eagerly-awaited lighting colloquium.

Showlight has made a special name for itself by bringing together many of the most famous names in lighting. Delegates are given the opportunity to be part of the larger international lighting community, as those with establis

The purchased system comprises eight AKG DSR 800 dual-channel receivers combined with DHT800 handhelds complete with D5 capsules and DPT800 body pack transmitters with AKG CK77 lavalier microphones

AKG and Soundcraft solution for Ground:zero

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Maidstone-based Phonophobia Productions has supplied 16 channels of the new AKG DMS800 reference digital mic systems plus a Soundcraft Si Expression 2 digital console to Rochester based Ground:zero Productions.

Supplied to Phonophobia by Harman UK/ROI distributor Sound TechnologyLtd, the system was sold to Ground:zero Productions to accommodate an increased demand for high end production equipment in their expanding rental stocks.

Ground:zero is an event production company specializing in the production of conferences, product launches, congresses, meetings and awards shows to the corporate market nationally and internationally. The company combines creative flair with technical expertise that includes video production, hybrid events and interactive audience engagement.

Phonophobia's MD, Mark Chant is no stranger to both AKG and Soundcraft. With a host of both AKG an

The invitation-only event honoured the outstanding achievers in gospel music

Chauvet panels back BMI Trailblazers Awards

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - The Rialto Center for the Arts, Atlanta, has seen its share of inspired performances since it opened its doors in 1916, but it's doubtful that anything in the 100-year history of this legendary venue ever surpassed the raw energy level at the BMI Trailblazers Awards. Sponsored by the largest music rights organization in the US, the invitation-only event honoured the outstanding achievers in gospel music.

The brightest stars in the gospel genre were there, including Grammy-winning sibling acts, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Mary Mary; so too were R&B stars. Together, they rocked the house during the ceremonies with full-throated renditions of contemporary and classic songs, visually reflected in all their roaring glory by dynamic displays on ChauvetProfessional video panels.

"The panels were a big part of what we did to support the stage energy and frame the action for th

ISE 2016: Coda Audio offers total system solutions

Details: 14 March 2016

The Netherlands - Loudspeaker manufacturer, Coda Audio will be exhibiting at this year's ISE at the RAI Amsterdam (Hall 7, booth N222). ISE provides the company with a platform to showcase the advantages offered to integrators by its comprehensive range of installation products.

Coda offers a completely integrated system solution, every part of which is designed and manufactured by the company's own in-house team. In short, Coda can cater for every aspect of an audio installation beyond the mixing console. Coda's proprietary LINET technology is used to transport digital signals whilst Coda's LINUS DSP and amplification platform is designed to control all Coda loudspeaker systems. LINUS Live software offers innovative, flexible system design, tuning and monitoring. .

Featured products at the Coda booth will include the HOPSi High Output Point Source loudspeaker system for sma

Elation Professional Europe sales & marketing manager Marc Librecht with HELi Showequipment CEO Uwe Heinrich

HELi Showequipment extends Elation inventory

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany - Rental company HELi Showequipment of Mainz has recently made a purchase of Elation Professional ACL Series narrow-beam LED effect lights. HELI Showequipment has acquired 150 of Elation's new ACL 360i single-beam moving effects as well as a supply of Elation's ACL 360 Bar colour-changing bar luminaires with continuous rotation.

"Elation is an excellent company and the ACL 360i and the ACL 360 Bar fixtures are reflective of that," stated Uwe Heinrich, CEO at HELi Showequipment, which also stocks Elation's Pixel Bar luminaires in its inventory. "The accuracy and precision of the ACL fixtures is great and the price to performance ratio is very favorable. The fixtures are an excellent addition to our dry hire stock and will be used on TV shows, tours and especially music festivals."

HELi Showequipment operates primarily as a dry hire company for vide

The new P-2s really started to come into their own during “the corporate launch season

Lightsource adds SGM P-2s to hire fleet

Details: 14 March 2016

Ireland - When Dublin based Lightsource were looking to replace their existing fleet of LED Pars, which were nearing end of life and no longer supported, owner Billy Mahedy's attention turned last year to SGM's P-5. "This solved all the problems, giving us everything we wanted and more," he said. "And because we are expanding a lot more into the outdoor market the versatility of an IP65-rated fixture was perfect."

And so when SGM launched the smaller P-2 wash light, in a similar low profile chassis but this time weighing just 6.1 kilos he knew it would extend the options further for the amount of corporate work the company in increasingly undertaking. He therefore placed an initial order for 36 luminaires with Ian Kirby at SGM UK, promising that this would be just the start.

"The P-5 and P-2 are giving us more of a summer market which we didn't have

Clay Paky at the theatre with Serena Autieri

Details: 14 March 2016

Italy - Vacanze Romane (Roman Holiday) is back, 12 years after its debut at the Teatro Sistina in Rome. The opening of the 2015-2016 theatre season was entrusted to the notes of this musical, lit by Clay Paky. It was written by Armando Trovajoli and Pietro Garinei, and again starred Serena Autieri and Paolo Conticini. The play is a musical take on post-WWII Rome, inspired by the film of the same name by William Wyler, with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.

Lighting designer Francesco Adinolfi has already taken part in a theatrical project starring Serena Autieri: he was involved in La sciantosa, directed by Gino Landi, last year.

After reading this year's script, Francesco Adinolfi attended the rehearsals of the musical. What inspired your lighting design and gave you your ideas?

"Together with Oscar winner Gianni Quaranta, I studied the works and lighti