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Rogue Hybrids light Sixwire livestream

The multiple images worked to make the space seem larger

Details: 24 November 2021

USA - Designer and programmer Keith Hoagland and co-designer Steve Leopard of Leopard Production recently lit a corporate event livestream for country band Sixwire with special guest Steve Augeri, the lead singer of Journey from 1998 to 2006.
Accounting for the small studio space that the livestream was shot in, the two designers deliberately kept their video wall backdrop simple. “In some instances, it’s better to approach video with the less is more mindset, especially when space is an issue,” said Hoagland. “In this case, having a quite backdrop with a series of smaller video walls, allowed us to paint the area between those walls with rich colours. This gave us depth of field for the cameras to read.”
The duo lined the walls of their set with seven video pa

Most of the show was timecoded, but some cues were manually called up

MagicQ meets Ninja Warrior challenge

Details: 24 November 2021

Austria - For the two million Austrians who tuned in every Monday to watch the country’s 2021 Ninja Warrior championships, keeping pace with the gifted young athletes as they raced across unstable bridges, swung along series of hanging rings, and hauled heavy weights up a ‘salmon ladder’, would have seemed like an impossible task. But, for Bernhard Endl, it was a matter of routine.
Endl didn’t physically run through the new show’s gruelling obstacle course, but he did keep pace with its athletic participants, when lighting the programme on Austria’s Puls4 network. Powering his 89-universe 936-fixture lighting design was a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M console.
“This was a fun project with a different set of challenges than you typically face on a tour or other kind of show,” said Endl. “We had to create an even illumination over the entire parkour with all it

APG speakers shine over Spanish summer

Details: 24 November 2021

Spain - Used for everything from indoor rock shows to open-air flamenco events, Zero Dbs’s APG inventory demonstrated its flexibility over the course of an 80-event summer calendar in southern Spain.
Cabra-based Zero Dbs boasts one of the biggest APG inventories in the region, having worked with the French manufacturer since 2012. For the 80+ live events it helped produce this summer (20 June to 20 September), the company leaned heavily on its APG equipment, which includes 20 Uniline Compact line-array speakers, four SB118 subwoofers, two Unitrack flightcase racks, and ten compact DX (Dispersion series) multipurpose speakers and stage monitors.
Spain saw “an explosion of events” in the summer months, and businesses like Zero Dbs had to be ready to respond to the unprecedented post-lockdown demand for live shows, according to the company’s owner, Juan Antonio Cu

IBC20201 organisers say they will now focus on bringing the content and technology community together via IBC Digital

IBC 2021 cancelled due to COVID

Details: 24 November 2021

The Netherlands - This year’s in-person edition of the broadcast and electronic media industry tradeshow IBC has been cancelled. The event was set to go ahead on 3-6 December at RAI Amsterdam, but a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands has forced the organisers to change their plans.
The decision was made following visitor and exhibitor feedback and with the view to prevent people from travelling to the country in these uncertain ttimes. Instead of the in-person event, the organisers are set to use IBC’s online platform IBC Digital to bring the community together.
Peter White, CEO of the international trade association for broadcast and media technology (IABM), comments: “IBC exists for the industry only. Unlike other events, it is entirely owned by the industry and, thanks to its success over the years, has contributed a great deal through this struct

Prolight Concepts introduces Kuzar’s K-10

Details: 23 November 2021

UK - Prolight Concepts has added the Kuzar - K-10 7m 500kg ground support tower system to its product offering. The K-10 is an easy-to use ground support tower requiring only one person to setup. It is erected using the integral winch, hoisting the tower over the base’s pivot joints into the vertical position, whilst the rigid steel base gives stability.
The rest of the tower is built with 30 × 30cm Kuzar truss composed of 50mmØ thick tubes with integral brake runner, giving the user an overall height of 7m. Once the tower is erected, the max. 500kg load is lifted with the manual hoist, and non-slip and adjustable supports are used in the base. Adaptors are available separately to integrate with Global Truss F34PL or Global Truss F34 Standard horizontal truss sections.

The Week in Light & Sound

Details: 23 November 2021

Hard Times - One third of musicians were still earning nothing after restrictions on live events were lifted this summer, according to UK charity Help Musicians. The music industry is one of the last sectors to recover from the pandemic, it said, with 83% of professional musicians unable to find regular work. The findings are based on a survey of 929 musicians in August. Almost nine in 10 were earning less than £1,000 per month, and 22% were considering giving up music altogether.
Restrictions on live music were removed in England and Wales in July, and Scotland in August, after Covid had kept the live music industry shut for most of the pandemic. Help Musicians said it had seen a 60% increase in people getting in contact for mental health support, with one in eight saying they were experiencing a mental health problem that was preventing them from returning to work.

The arrangement covers Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky

McFadden Sales becomes Danley partner

Details: 23 November 2021

USA - Ohio-based McFadden Sales is now the Midwest representative for Danley Sound Labs loudspeakers, subwoofers and amplifiers.
“Danley has a great reputation in providing high-quality audio in large venues,” says Andy Kerr, principal of operations for McFadden Sales. “Danley’s product line fits well with our sensibilities in the marketplace and among the other products we represent. Danley Sound Labs provides a technology niche we needed in our portfolio of products and is a great solution for big distributed audio and larger venues we serve.”
“We’re always excited to bring on new partners,” said Mike Hedden, chief steward in charge at Danley Sound Labs. “The McFadden Sales team is well known throughout our industry and we’re excited about the future of this relationship.”
As a Danley partner, McFadden Sales now represents Danley Sound La

Stage Audio Works designed and integrated a sophisticated audio, lighting and rigging solution for the main arena

SAW solution rounds off Faith Dome renovation

Details: 23 November 2021

South Africa - Faith Broadcasting Network has consolidated a vast following of approximately 264m viewers worldwide since its inception two decades ago, with satellite, terrestrial and digital broadcasts reaching worshippers all around the world. With headquarters in South Africa, and studios in the USA and the UK, MyFaithTV is the largest religious broadcaster on the African continent.
To accommodate such growth, the Faith Dome - the ministry’s base in East London, South Africa - has been undergoing renovations for many years. Parts of the premises have been refurbished to house different aspects of the ministry’s work: including a number of television studios, humanitarian aid warehouses, activity spaces as well as their main broadcasting studio.
In 2015, work commenced on the ceiling to replace it with the dome we see today. Stage Audio Works were called upon t

New World Rigging Symposium remains virtual

Details: 23 November 2021

USA - The 2022 New World Rigging Symposium, produced by ESTA and USITT, will take place online 5-7 April 2022 whilst the USITT Conference and Stage Expo will take place in person early March. “We’ve heard from presenters and attendees alike that continuing the NWRS conversation virtually is the best choice,” say the organisers.
“The 2022 virtual symposium will allow the widest range of entertainment technicians to further their rigging knowledge, hear about challenging projects, get up to speed on new technologies, discuss current industry challenges, and get their questions answered by a host of subject matter experts.”
The three-day symposium will also include breakout rooms where attendees can get in-depth information from sponsors as well as virtual networking opportunities with attendees and presenters. The symposium will carry ETCP education renewal cr

Pytch is to provide a full AV package for one of the country’s largest arenas including an exhibition space

Pytch extends Martin Audio inventory

Details: 23 November 2021

UK - Bristol based experiential company Pytch has added to its stock of Martin Audio loudspeakers, used in both their rental stock and virtual studio.
They have purchased a further 24 of the ultra-compact, DD6, utilising Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology. At the same time, they have ordered five SXP118 subwoofers for low frequency extension.
The reason for this latest purchase - which brings Pytch’s stock of DD6’s up to 48 - is to fulfil a contract to provide a full AV package for one of the country’s largest arenas, including an exhibition space. “We have been appointed sole in-house provider to the arena,” confirms Pytch founder, Johnny Palmer.
DD6 has been chosen for its versatility. “Most of our installations are not defined by volume but intelligibility and DD6 has become an essential tool to deliver the customer experience - whether for

WHC audio director Joe Cooper manning the sanctuary’s new DiGiCo Quantum338 monitor console

World Harvest Church reaps Quantum rewards

Details: 23 November 2021

USA - World Harvest Church is a major operation. The 122,000sq.ft main building is home to a sanctuary that seats over 5,200 people and contains an auditorium, a television studio, a children's ministry that includes Sunday school for children newborn to sixth grade, the Harvest Preparatory School, the ministry’s administrative offices and more, all on a 57-acre campus in Columbus, Ohio. The church even incorporates Valor Christian College, a co-educational institution located on the property.
The church’s most recent acquisition - a new DiGiCo Quantum338 console, serving as its monitor mixer - is an addition to its existing DiGiCo infrastructure, which includes an SD8 console mixing front of house and an SD-Rack that has now been upgraded to include 32-bit ‘Ultimate Stadius’ microphone pre-amps.
The audio system infrastructure update further involved moving al

The new fixtures are rigged in the 1,200 seat Fartein Valen concert hall (photo: Louise Stickland)

Stavanger Concert Hall installs Esprites

Details: 23 November 2021

Norway - Stavanger Concert Hall is a glass and steel architectural building occupying a waterfront location in Norway’s ‘oil capital’, where the hustle of marine-based industries fuse with a passion for culture and live performance.
The venue - busy reopening for an action-packed autumn - has not been quiet during the pandemic period, which has seen the delivery of 66 x Robe Esprite moving lights and 24 ParFect 150s, all part of an ongoing technical upgrade overseen by head of lighting, Nils Foss.
The new fixtures are rigged in the 1,200 seat Fartein Valen concert hall, named after the Norwegian composer Fartein Valen and featuring a magnificent organ made of 65,000 parts. Fartein Valen is home to the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.
They are also in the fully flexible multi-purpose Zetlitz hall which has capacities of 850 seated and 1,900 standing and is u

ROE LED screens adorned the stage powered by Brompton LED processing

Brompton helps The Freedom Experience

Details: 23 November 2021

USA - As the first of its kind, the 1DayLA event saw 20,000 members mobilised between 18 and 24 July to offer communities across the county of Los Angeles help and hope. It culminated in a massive concert named The Freedom Experience, which was hosted at the new SoFi Stadium and subsequently aired on YouTube, where volunteers and contributors from across the Los Angeles region gathered to give one final cheer to this celebration of humanity, and enjoy the experience.
The concert featured a star-studded line-up, with performances from headliner Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly, Chandler Moore, Chance the Rapper, Jaden Smith, and Grammy Award-winning artist, Kari Jobe. 4Wall Entertainment provided lighting, video and rigging, including Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and ROE Visual LED panels.
“That weekend was just unbelievable for the 4Wall team, and we were so thri

The plaque was unveiled by Alan Jacobi’s wife, Peta

Drury Lane dedicates fly tower to Alan Jacobi

Details: 23 November 2021

UK - The new fly tower at Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been dedicated to Unusual Rigging founder, Alan Jacobi, LVO (read Rob Halliday's report on the theatre's two-year refurbishment in LSi November 2021). Jacobi passed away in April 2020 and due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, a funeral was restricted to immediate family only.
But last Monday, in the company of 500 friends, family, colleagues and industry peers, Jacobi’s life was celebrated on the stage of the restored Theatre Royal with tributes from those who knew him during his early years, through to royalty and his closest friends and family members who were with him in his final days.
The plaque, unveiled by Jacobi’s wife, Peta, duri

PRG makes senior appointments

Details: 22 November 2021

USA - PRG has made two senior appointments. Stephan Paridaen (pictured, right) has been named CEO. He currently holds the role of president & COO at PRG, leading its operations in EMEA & APAC since 2010, and will step into his new position from 3 January 2022.
PRG has also appointed Jeremiah J. (Jere) Harris (left) as the company’s executive chairman and CCO.
“There’s no one better prepared and able to lead the company than Stephan Paridaen,” Harris said. “Since arriving at PRG 12 years ago, he has demonstrated an exceptional passion for our mission and has focused on the continual growth of our business in the EMEA and APAC regions, while improving our operations and expanding our offerings.”
As executive chairman & chief creative officer, Harris will work with and support Paridaen and the leadership team. Harris felt that the timing was

The Proteus Rayzor Edge and Proteus Rayzor Blade allow ‘unlimited placement in any outdoor and indoor environment’

Elation debuts Proteus Rayzor Edge and Blade

Details: 22 November 2021

USA - The Proteus Rayzor Edge and Proteus Rayzor Blade are billed as a striking visual combination of linear wash, high-intensity strobe line and SparkLED FX inside a compact IP65 linear fixture design. Envisioned to provide the designer ‘unlimited creative control of powerful colours’ and high-powered strobe effects from a single unit, they allow unlimited placement in any outdoor and indoor environment, greatly enhancing their capabilities, says Elation.
Protected from dust and water ingress, they are part of Elation’s industry-leading Proteus range of outdoor luminaires, matching colours and SparkLED effects with the popular Proteus Rayzor 760.
Driven by six or 12 independently controlled 60W RGBW LEDs, Proteus Rayzor Edge and Blade provide a powerful beam. The oversized front lenses create a large visual surface on the fixture that is enhanced by the epatent-

The latest series was produced at Studio 10 at the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg (photo: Duncan Riley)

Idols SA 2021 switches to grandMA3

Details: 22 November 2021

South Africa - Idols SA 2021 became the first television show in South Africa to use a fully grandMA3 - software and hardware - lighting control platform, chosen by Joshua Cutts and Andre Siebrits from Visual Frontier to run their lighting design for the final televised segments of the popular and high-profile singing competition.
Other ground-breaking aspects for this year’s broadcast shows included a move away from the State Theatre venue in Pretoria after several years, decamping to Studio 10 at the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg. With that came the need for a completely different aesthetic approach and treatment.
“The objective was to ensure it looked amazing from all camera angles,” explained Josh, adding that his own Idols expertise - this is his 17th series - plus Andre’s fresh eyes as an LD has been “a great combination”.
Knowing th

The updated DIN SPEC 15800:2021 will be published by Beuth Verlag sometime after LDI

Updates revealed for GDTF standard

Details: 22 November 2021

Europe/USA - With fellow General Device Type Format (GDTF) founders MA Lighting and Robe Lighting, global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks has revealed several updates to GDTF - the standard for describing the hierarchical and logical structure and controls of any type of controllable device in the lighting and entertainment industry.
The GDTF file format has continued to evolve with input and involvement from manufacturers across the globe and critical feedback from its many adopters, resulting in a newly published update to DIN SPEC 15800:2021.
“Receiving recognition in the form of a published update to DIN SPEC 15800:2021 is a testament to the continued evolution and success of GDTF,” comments Vectorworks CEO, Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “The necessary work will continue to take place to ensure GDTF’s bright future so that its benefits can not only advan

‘Post Covid re-opening of live shows, they wanted to make a big impression’ (photo: Brad Wood)

Nottingham Rock City rolls with Robe

Details: 22 November 2021

UK - Live music venue, Rock City in Nottingham boosted its house lighting rig for October this year - a busy period including some lively university Freshers Week events - with a rig of 60 Robe moving lights, with extras supplied via rental and production company Zeal.
Rock City’s lead project lighting designer Will Brown explained that with the post Covid re-opening of live shows, they wanted to make a big impression, especially to make up for last year when everything had to be cancelled!
Will designed lighting to cover an array of events, from popular bands to heaving club nights, as people from all over the city celebrated being able to congregate, have fun together and enjoy live music again.
While many bands will bring their own productions and floor packages, historically for crew the venue is famous for band productions loading out while the disco is

Ayrton celebrates 20th anniversary

Details: 22 November 2021

Europe - This month sees LED lighting solutions manufacturer Ayrton celebrate its 20th anniversary.
“When Ayrton was created, we didn't know at the time, but we were going to revolutionize the world of lighting with a totally disruptive concept, digital lighting,” says Ayrton founder, Yvan Péard. “Over the past 20 years we have created more than 70 extraordinary digital luminaires that are as innovative as they are effective. We are very proud of our achievements and the way we continue to lead the way, pushing technology and design to the limits. This year we are celebrating 20 years of passion, creation and design; 20 years of working with the world's greatest lighting designers, who have placed their trust in us to make the tools they want to use; 20 years of innovation to bring the wildest projects to life.”
Péard first brought Ayrton to life in 2001, nam

Bill Morris, Apex general manager, and Liam Feeny, CEO of Spotrack

Spotrack appoints Apex North American distributor

Details: 22 November 2021

USA - Spotrack has appointed Apex Technologies as its exclusive North American distributor.
Liam Feeney, CEO of Spotrack, explains: “When you take into account the far-reaching knowledge and experience of the Apex team, it’s easy to understand why we are so excited by the prospect of working with them in the United States. The North American market already has a highly distinguished Spotrack client base, and there is huge demand for our products into other market verticals. We are confident that we have found the perfect partner to help release the full potential of Spotrack for the benefit of the US entertainment production community.”
Bill Morris, general manager at Apex Technologies, adds: “Spotrack has developed some incredible technologies for follow-spot control that we haven’t seen here in the American market. The ability to interface with fixtures an

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