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23 April 2024

USA - Las Vegas-based OSA International provided Ayrton Huracán LT and Zonda 9 FX lighting fixtures, grandMA3 consoles and MDG TheONE atmospheric generators to lighting designer Aldo Visentin for the North American leg of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s arena tour. Ayrton, MA Lighting and MDG are all brands exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

Andrea Bocelli kicked off his run of US and Canadian dates with a Valentine’s Day performance in Raleigh, North Carolina and wrapped his tour in Detroit on 14 April. OSA International provided the full package of lighting, rigging, audio and video equipment for the tour. 

A member of Show-Crew, Aldo Visentin has been Bocelli’s lighting designer since 2006. He used Ayrton fixtures on Bocelli’s previous set, which toured for almost two years, primarily in Europe. He designed the

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23 April 2024

Europe – Area Four Industries’ A4I.TV Trussing and Rigging Television has released a new educational video in which technical director, Norbert Tripp discusses the correct and, most importantly, safe use of Cubes in Truss assemblies.

As a member of the Rigging Commandos group, Norbert brings a wealth of valuable knowledge, experience, and tricks to the field of trussing and rigging.

The video takes a close look at the different types of available Cubes. ‘You will learn what properties they have and that the installation situation is decisive as to whether a Light-duty or Heavy-duty Cube should be used. So, you can be sure of achieving maximum safety and effectiveness for your structure.’

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23 April 2024

USA - The 1,500-capacity Showtime Theatre show lounge and central entertainment hub of the 306m long Carnival Magic cruise ship has been upgraded with the installation of 30 x new Robe Painte, 30 x LEDBeam 350 and 12 x miniPointe moving lights, which were installed while the ship was still in operation around Miami.

Co-ordinating the upgrade project was Carnival Cruise Line fleet supervisor for lighting Silviu Ardelean and lighting manager Alexander Nelson, who explained that the refit saw the replacement of the original moving lights.

The three-tiered show lounge is located over decks 3, 4 and 5 of Carnival Magic and serves as the ship’s main live performance space, presenting a wide array of different productions. David Horner redesigned the venue’s lighting, incorporating the new fixtures, and giving it a new twist. However, everyone was keen

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23 April 2024

Investment Opportunity - Industry body Creative UK has launched a general election manifesto urging the next government to treat the arts as an "investment opportunity, not a cost".

The Royal Shakespeare Company, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London’s National Theatre are among the organisations quoted in the manifesto, which is entitled Our Creative Future. New funding models, advocacy for freelancers, intellectual property protection and protections for UK creatives in international trade deals are among the hallmarks of the manifesto’s "vision for the future" ahead of a general election later this year.

The manifesto calls for "radical new action" towards these aims, including greater access to creative education and the upholding of the UK’s "gold standard" IP protections for the cultural and creative industries "in the age of arti

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22 April 2024

UK - The recently announced Profile Awards have created much interest within the industry, with sponsorship take up for all the 16 Awards. The Headline Sponsor is Ayrton with the TV Awards being sponsored by ChamSys, ELP, LCR, Light Initiative, Roxxlight and Version 2 Lights. The Theatre Awards are sponsored by Chauvet, Elation, ETC, Fix8, GLP, TSL, SLX and Vari-Lite; the pre-show bar is sponsored by Ambersphere Solutions and the Goody Bags at the end of the evening are sponsored by JLL.

The Profile Awards have been created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD; the Awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and television in the UK and the inaugural event will take place at the Alexandra Palace theatre on 6 June 2024.

Alongside eight specific Theatre awards and six TV awards

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22 April 2024

USA - On the winter leg of Disturbed’s Take Back Your Life tour, Alex Mungal created a raw, powerful visual dimension that matched the intensity of the music.

Featuring multiple layers of lighting fixtures that projected colours and pixel effects in every direction - and often enveloped the band in brilliant hues – in addition to serving up volcanic eruptions of pyro effects and fog, the production design fused seamlessly with the gripping music to create an overwhelmingly moving and all-embracive experience.

Mungal and the design team were able to work their magic using an array of tools supplied by Premier Global Production of Nashville. “We had so many fun instruments to play with,” he said. “It was great working with the pyro team on arrangements and programming to find moments where lighting would pass off focus to pyro, or ev

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22 April 2024

USA – EAW has introduced its new UXA4416 Amplifiers along with a companion update to its Resolution software. UXA4416 represents a new generation of EAW four-channel DSP amplifiers, offering high-power class D amplification, innovative processing and analogue/digital audio management.

Pairing seamlessly with the brand’s KF and SB Series products, these new amps ensure stability and continuity for KF passive line source systems deployed at stadiums, arenas, houses of worship, amphitheatres, outdoor festivals and more. 

“Through the creation of our own line of amplifiers, we are unifying all EAW system packages,” says TJ Smith, president of EAW. “Our ongoing strategy makes cross rental more predictable and reliable by deploying products that are optimised by EAW engineering.”

This generation of amplifiers provides clean, robust pow

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22 April 2024

USA - Altman Lighting has announced the appointment of Ethan Aberg as the new regional manager for the western region of the United States.

Ethan Aberg brings over 20 years of experience in the lighting fixtures and controls industry with a proven track record at Martin Professional where he contributed to the development and execution of the annual sales strategy and objectives for the Martin by Harman Professional lighting division for the installation market. As the North American brand ambassador he contributed to supporting relationships with regional sales teams, representatives, product development teams, marketing teams, key distributors and dealers.

Other notable accomplishments and positions include his work at Illuminarc where he developed and maintained new channels of distribution for business-to-business sales of architectural lighting

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22 April 2024

Europe - Lighting designer and programmer Jimmy Olausson was with his client, Avatar, on their European tour, when the metal band suddenly released a new song, Make It Rain, and asked him to programme looks for it.

“Normally, I prefer to do my programming in my office where I can focus on the details, so creating the lighting for Make It Rain during the tour was a challenge,” said Olausson. “But it turned out to be a fantastic addition to our set and gave me the opportunity to think outside the box, crafting a visual style for this song that stands out from the rest.”

Turning up the intensity level on his 12 Chauvet Professional COLORado Panel Q40 rectangular washes, Olausson created pixel mapped sequences that evoked the turbulent mood of an approaching storm. He coupled this with a ‘waterfall’ effect that he created wi

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22 April 2024

USA - Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Centre, a multipurpose indoor arena and events centre at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, has replaced its ageing audio system with an all-new high-end set-up powered by Powersoft’s cloud-based Unica amplifier platform.

Home to the Lamar Cardinals and Lamar Lady Cardinals basketball teams, both of which compete in the top-flight NCAA Division I, the 10,746-seat Neches Arena also hosts volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, boxing and martial arts events, as well as concerts and other live entertainment. Lamar University, the venue’s owner/operator, additionally hires out the arena floor (which can be expanded to 19,965sq ft/1,855m²) for graduation ceremonies, proms, dances, banquets and conferences.

Kendall Bowman, acoustic engineer for Anthony James Partners (AJP), which designed and speci

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22 April 2024

Sweden - Örebro University has unveiled the latest addition to its USÖ (Örebro University Hospital) campus, a modernised, technology-connected centre for medical training and clinical research. The centrepiece of the renovated and expanded complex, designed by architect KLARA arkitekter, is an auditorium equipped with a Constellation acoustic system by Meyer Sound.

AV systems for the auditorium and related spaces were designed, engineered, and installed by Danish consultant and integrator Stouenborg ApS, which also provided acoustician services.

The project began in 2019, when Örebro University, embarking on the final stage of its USÖ Campus expansion, approached Stouenborg with a strategy inspired by the firm’s work on Copenhagen’s landmark Maersk Tower, home to the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. “

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19 April 2024

USA - ACT Entertainment has become the exclusive North American distributor of Green Hippo media servers and digital display products. ACT acquired Green Hippo in late 2023 as part of a larger acquisition that also included tvONE, a video processing and media server brand, which will continue with its existing strategy.

Green Hippo has garnered acclaim for its innovative and high-quality media server products, which are recognized globally for performance, reliability and cutting-edge technology. With ACT Entertainment as its exclusive distribution partner, the brand’s products will now be more accessible than ever to customers across North America.

“This exciting partnership brings together two powerhouse brands that share a commitment to excellence and innovation,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “The Green Hippo products align

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19 April 2024

UK - De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, East Sussex, is a venue with a strong sense of community. Training is at the heart of everything they do and Mat McQuade, technical stage manager, knew this meant they needed a DiGiCo console at the heart of their venue. Sited on the beachfront, De La Warr Pavilion boasts an impressive variety of music, comedy, and theatrical performances each year.

De La Warr Pavilion also supplies various early career programmes with work experience, creative careers sessions and apprenticeships all available to young people throughout the year. Training is just one part of what they do here, but it was a strong influence on the desk they chose, as McQuade explains.

“Visiting engineers expect a DiGiCo, and it became the norm for us to hire in SD12 consoles because they’re the standard that everyone’s looking for,” he say

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19 April 2024

Spain - The growing Avolites team has welcomed aboard Gonzalo Herranz Gutierrez as a senior product specialist, who will be based in Madrid, and will be providing comprehensive support related services to Avolites customers and distributors focusing on Europe and Latin America including training new users and their own sales and support staff.

Avolites MD Paul Wong stated, “We’ve worked with Gonzalo for many years and are absolutely thrilled he’s joining the Avolites global team.

“He brings long lasting relationships, a strong knowledge of the market, and an in-depth knowledge of both Avolites lighting and media products, all of which will be key to helping us continue to grow our international footprint with a specific focus on Europe and South America.”

Gonzalo commented, “I Love the Avolites brand. The team is amazing and the t

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19 April 2024

USA – Harman Professional Solutions has introduced the Martin MAC Viper XIP, the next-generation Viper-class fixture that integrates Viper performance, Martin’s patent-pending XIP weatherproofing technology, and the most robust feature set Martin has ever developed. Drawing on features that defined the renowned Viper lineup, MAC Viper XIP sets a new standard for all-in-one performance, innovation, and reliability. 

Integrating powerful lumen output, XIP water and dust ingress protection, and whisper-silent noise levels, MAC Viper XIP is not only designed for temporary, year-round outdoor needs but equally suitable for theatre, broadcast, and other noise-sensitive applications. Featuring Martin’s tailor-made light engine, the fixture delivers 28,000 lumens consistent output, outperforming much larger products on the market.

Unleashing an impres

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19 April 2024

Lithuania - Situated in the heart of Vilnius, the newly reconstructed concert hall of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra (LVSO), formerly known as the Vilnius Congress and Concert Hall VCCH, opened its doors to visitors in March this year. Equipped to the latest standards and featuring exceptional acoustics, especially adapted to symphonic music, the venue is poised to become one of the most attractive concert spaces not only in Lithuania but across all the Baltic countries.

The project, conceived in 2018, involved designer Marius Mateika and the services of Lithuanian architectural and building acoustic company Akustika Plius, collaborating with ADA Acoustics & Media Consultants (a WSDG company), along with the construction company INFES. Their joint efforts were instrumental in bringing the old hall up to world-class acoustical standards suitable

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19 April 2024

France - The renowned Théâtre de la Renaissance is the latest venue in Paris to choose ETC gear to upgrade its lighting. ETC dealer So What & Co supplied High End Systems Halcyon Titanium fixtures for the Parisian theatre.

Well-known spaces across France including the Bordeaux Opera, the Théâtre National Populaire, the Comédie Française and the Grand Théâtre de Provence have all recently selected Halcyon automated fixtures to light their spaces. In the heart of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the Théâtre de la Renaissance also made the same choice with the support of So What & Co.

Halcyon’s quality, powerful output and low levels of noise were just some of the features that appealed to the technical director of the Théâtre de la Renaissance Éric Milleville when deciding on the right solution for the theatre. “The first thin

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19 April 2024

UK - Record label Warp Records has added two Funktion-One systems to its London headquarters, bringing new levels of monitoring to its studio and album playback spaces. The label, known for its roster of artists like Aphex Twin, Mount Kimbie and Flying Lotus, has been a subversive creative force in the music industry since it was founded in Sheffield in 1989.

The introduction of the Funktion-One monitor systems was instigated by head of A&R/creative director Dominic Flannigan, who was intent on improving the office listening experience.

“The main reason we want amazing monitors in the meeting room is to give a really impressive first listen to our team,” explains Flannigan. “The people from the marketing team, the licensing team, from retail, you want to blow their socks off the first time they hear a record. You want to hear it at its best

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19 April 2024

Slovenia - Writer, actor and TV personality Lado Bizovicar presented the 2024 Slovenska Muska extravaganza, staged at Ljubljana’s Stožice arena, the first time in the venue’s history that a 360-degree show had been presented, which bumped up the capacity to 13,000, with every seat sold.

The production and lighting design was created by Crt Birsa of design studio Blackout and Greta Godnic and recorded for broadcast. Crt utilised 355 Robe lighting fixtures in the 500+ luminaires on the rig, from the high-powered Forte to the scenic Patt 2013 plus seven other types of Robe product, all supplied by rental specialist Event Lighting from Ljubljana.

At the heart of this production design was an elaborate metal structure, the top part of which resembled a giant multi-level spider crawling through the roof area. This structure cleverly incorporated the v

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18 April 2024

China - Holoplot has announced Prime Connections International (PCI Group) as its official distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau, as part of its continuing push to bring its Matrix Array systems to the Asian audio market.

The distribution partnership will see both companies enjoy significant expansion in not only the experiential and live entertainment industries but also fuel growth in speech-based applications, within the education and business sectors, says a joint statement.

“Holoplot is a perfect fit for a multitude of applications we serve,” says Jason Huang, PCI Group’s general manager. “As a Holoplot distributor, we can provide customers with transformative audio experiences that set them apart from the crowd. Holoplot’s approach allows for unprecedented control over the direction and focus of sound resulting in exceptional aud