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Polish National TV keeps rolling with Robe

TVP’s Miro Madry (left) and Andrzej Jakubowski either side of Robe Polish distributor Prolight’s Rafal Rzeczkowski (photo: Louise Stickland)

Details: 21 July 2023

Poland - National broadcasting organisation Polish National Television (TVP) S.A. broadcasts across 24 TV channels with creative production and programming covering every genre of broadcasting from news and sports to drama, soaps, talk shows and documentaries. It also produces its own series and movies together with an array of festivals.
The organisation has enthusiastically invested in Robe moving lights over the years with over 600 now in the inventory.
The first Robes to come onboard were 24 x Colour Spot 170s in 2005 - which are still working although not in daily use - and the latest were 32 x Esprites, delivered during the pandemic in 2021 by Robe’s proactive long-term distributor, Prolight. At the time, these were the first Esprites in Poland.
Telewizja

Herbert Grönemeyer - back on the arena circuit (photo: Carsten Klick)

GLP makes impression on Herbert Grönemeyer’s arena tour

Details: 21 July 2023

Germany - In the early summer of 2023 Herbert Grönemeyer was persuaded to return to Germany’s arenas, having released his latest (and 17th) album Das ist los back in March. At 67 years old, Herbert Grönemeyer hops and prances about the stage and gives tens of thousands of fans two hours of entertainment, night after night.
For his latest tour, creatives Gunther Hecker and Rob Sinclair (Peter Gabriel, Madonna, etc.) designed an impressive stage, including a footbridge and B stage. Hecker, who has been part of Grönemeyer’s design team for years, staged this with a lighting rig that included over 220 fixtures from GLP, including impression X5 and X5 IP Bars.
The general technical service provider for the tour was satis&fy AG, while airformance design created the decorative elements that characterised the stage design in lightweight construction.
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Many more programme sessions will be announced in the coming weeks

PLASA Show announces first wave of sessions

Details: 20 July 2023

UK - With just six weeks to go, PLASA Show has announced the first wave of programme sessions, which include global brands and eminent thought-leaders from across the entertainment technology industry.
Taking place in Olympia London’s Grand Hall from 3-5 September, the show will feature 70+ keynote talks, panel discussions, live demonstrations, and practical training sessions - all of which are free to attend with an entry badge.
Lighting designer Tim Routledge will present his creative vision for lighting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in the UK. Ahead of his session, Tim comments: “I'm thrilled to be able to talk at the PLASA Show this year, and to share the journey my team and I had to create Eurovision 2023's monster show. It was a dream come true for me and an experience I will never forget. I hope that the story I tell will inspire others

All new shipments of the mk2 model will be automatically upgraded to the mk3 version

RCF launches updated subwoofer models

Details: 20 July 2023

Europe - RCF has launched the mk3 models of the SUB 702-AS, SUB 705-AS and SUB 708-A which feature several improvements over the mk2 versions. The new features improve the sound quality, appearance, and durability of the products, while the dimensions of the enclosures remain unchanged.
All new shipments of the mk2 model will be automatically upgraded to the mk3 version.
The new SUB 7 Series mk3 models feature: state-of-the-art transducers and a 1400 Watts class-D amplifier; up to 131 dB of maximum sound pressure level; proprietary DSP algorithms, including bass motion control for accurate power handling, and durable birch plywood enclosure with heavy-duty polyurea coating and powder-coated metal grille.

Skylos - more than just a simple searchlight

Claypaky Skylos offers multiple features

Details: 20 July 2023

Italy - Claypaky's Skylos comes with a long list of features and performance specs that make it much more than just a simple searchlight. The Skylos is a versatile fixture aimed at the touring sector, where LDs are constantly on the look-out for dense, solid beams of light and ever-greater light output.
The Skylos fits a custom 300W white light laser source, which provides a parallel, uniform beam, while attenuating the well-known temperature and safety issues found with units that use Xenon lamps.
With a power consumption of only 600W, the Skylos has the same light output as a 4000-watt Xenon lamp.
The beam pours out from a large 300mm front lens, specifically designed in Claypaky’s R&D department. In combination with the light source, it produces a dense, full-bodied column of light, which is highly visible even from afar. The beam is perfectly uniform an

Europalco was responsible for the scenery, stage, audiovisual, automatic controls, and furniture

Europalco deploys Kuka robots for truck launch

Details: 20 July 2023

Portugal - Europalco delivered a memorable event using Kuka robots for the truck and bus manufacturer Fuso to unveil the new eCanter, a light truck 100% electric. Prime Minister António Costa, Secretary of State for the Economy Pedro Cilínio, and company representatives were among the 150 guests.
Team4 relied on Europalco to organise the one-day event at Fuso's manufacturing plant in Tramagal, Portugal. It took two days and 20 dedicated audiovisual and structural technicians to assemble and programme an event that marked the commencement of the manufacturing of the new Fuso truck.
The Lisbon-based provider was responsible for the scenery, stage, audiovisual, automatic controls, and furniture. Europalco built an 8x4m LED wall that displayed the opening reel of the event.
For the unveiling of Fuso's new truck, Europalco designed a show to reflect modernity, nove

Playing key roles in the design were Chauvet Professional fixtures from LD Systems’ own inventory

Chauvet colours Visit San Antonio

Details: 20 July 2023

USA - Everything looks better in colourful light, even something as remarkably beautiful as a world-famous tourist attraction that draws some 34m visitors a year. LD Systems demonstrated that recently when it transformed the city of San Antonio into a glittering field of brightness and colour for the US Travel Association’s IPW 23 Visit San Antonio event.
Using large format video and lighting systems, the company worked its magic at 12 different locations throughout San Antonio from the Alamo Plaza to the city’s famed River Walk, which was recently named one of the five most beautiful sites in the USA.
From the diverse array of imaginative gobos that brought depth and life to familiar sites and walkways, to bold aerials that animated the sky overhead, to uplighting that colorised the sides of tall buildings, the LD Systems design added extra sparkle to the city fo

The new facility aims to streamline workflows and enhance the quality of services provided

Pearce Hire opens new expanded warehouse

Details: 20 July 2023

UK - Pearce Hire has announced the opening of its new warehouse in Peterborough. The new facility aims to streamline workflows and enhance the quality of services provided.
Located in the heart of Peterborough, the expansion from 17,000 to around 27,000sq.ft of floor space will not only help the business to grow upon its already extensive inventory of lighting, sound, video and rigging equipment, as well as its staging and power distribution systems but also offer more space to prepare and process equipment for different departments.
As projects started to increase after the COVID pandemic, it became evident that Pearce Hire began to run out of space. From storing, to manoeuvring and maintaining equipment, more space was needed to prevent staff from working longer hours, which in time, could have increased the risk of mistakes.
Designed from the ground up, this

The SD11 has become an indispensable companion for Lexington Band's touring shows and events

DiGiCo elevates production for Lexington Band

Details: 20 July 2023

Serbia - Founded in Belgrade in 2004, Lexington Band has played hundreds of concerts across the country throughout their nearly two-decade-long career, cultivating a large community of passionate fans. The group reached the height of their success with a massive concert at Stark Arena in March 2020, captivating an audience of 20,000 people.
As their popularity and concert attendance grew, the band’s members became increasingly interested in advanced audio equipment and its impact on sound quality. In pursuit of the ideal solution to meet their on-stage requirements and enable audiences to fully appreciate their music, they decided to invest in a Waves-enabled DiGiCo SD11 mixing console.
AVL Projekt, the DiGiCo’s Serbian distributor, was engaged to offer support and invited the band to visit their demo space in Novi Sad, where audio engineer Dragoslav Beljin, who ha

MLA played an active role on three stages: Sky Stage, Sunset Stage and Buzz Stage

Martin Audio MLA contains crowded Japan Jam 2023

Details: 20 July 2023

Japan - After cancellations had been imposed on Japanese outdoor festivals with the outbreak of COVID-19 - followed by restrictions (including masks to be worn) - finally this year all regulations were lifted, and large-scale rock festivals returned to the annual calendar.
Japan Jam 2023 was no exception. The event is held over Japan’s Golden Week holidays and sets out to honour the best rock music performed by domestic musicians. Artists are drawn from alternative, indie, metal and other rock music genres, and this year the festival saw a record number of participants.
But Chiba City Soga Sports Park, where Japan Jam takes place, is surrounded by heavily populated residential and commercial areas. And so with the lifting of restrictions, and requirement for a higher SPL to be reinstated, emphasis needed to be placed on tight noise control, to prevent sound from esca

Powersoft expands footprint in China

Details: 19 July 2023

China - Miao Wang has joined Powersoft China as a solutions engineer in its new Beijing office.
Wang, who will host the Chinese launch of the UNICA platform at InfoComm China (19-21 July), is the latest hire for Powersoft’s local operation, which recently relocated to the national capital from its previous office in Shenzhen. He will report directly to Abbu Hu, Powersoft’s chief representative officer in China.
Wang joins Powersoft from a local pro-audio equipment manufacturer, where he worked with clients to deliver professional sound solutions, introduce new products, and provide manufacturer support for important projects and installations. Previously, after studying professional audio at university, he worked as a sound engineer at a television station, handling live sound mixing and recording.
“I am looking forward to contributing my experience and un

Analogue output from TiMax supplied six KV2 Audio ESP1000 4x250W amplifiers

KV2 and TiMax in the mix at Sound Kitchen

Details: 19 July 2023

Czech Republic - Sound Kitchen, now in its 15th year, recently took place as part of the Prague Quadrennial 2023. Held every four years - as its name suggests -the Prague Quadrennial is an international festival of theatre and stage design that celebrates the diversity of all theatre arts in a holistic and interactive way.
Sound Kitchen, as part of PQ2023, provides an opportunity for the audio-curious to perform their work and exchange ideas in an experimental and experiential, multichannel and immersive environment.
The collaborative exploration project is organised and co-curated by sound designer, Peter Rice, and Out Board’s Robin Whitaker, with support from a selected team of international sound designers, engineers and artists, as well as manufacturers, committed to the highest quality audio reproduction.
Invited to join the fold for this year’s Sound Ki

Zukan Museum offers an immersive and interactive journey to discover the natural world beyond time and space

Genelec creates immersive journey in Tokyo

Details: 19 July 2023

Japan - Inspired by Shogakukan’s NEO series of picture books, the Zukan Museum Ginza in Tokyo is described as an ‘experience-based facility’ that fuses the digital and the real. Zukan Museum offers an immersive and interactive journey to discover the natural world beyond time and space. Over 100 Genelec loudspeakers combined with cutting edge video technology help drive the experience where natural environments of forests and water are seamlessly connected for a magical journey through the world of living things.
"The museum faithfully recreates the ecosystem of the natural world, with different creatures appearing in each area, such as the forest, savanna, underwater, etc., where the act of observing and recording the creatures is interactive. For example, if you get too close to a creature, it will be startled and run away," explains Mr. Jun Fujiwara of invisi Ltd, w

The event celebrated Albania's rich cultural heritage

Prolights enchants Muza 2023 in Tirana

Details: 19 July 2023

Albania - Prolights fixtures created an enchanting atmosphere during the grand finale of Muza competition 2023. The project, conceived by the Union of Albanian Municipalities, aims to inspire young enthusiasts and professionals to ‘revive ethnographic elements in the world of fashion design’.
The grand finale, held in Tirana, brought together the different Albanian-speaking sectors, who showcased their extraordinary collections in a show that mesmerised the attendees. The event not only celebrated Albania's rich cultural heritage but also recognised the exceptional talent of its up-and-coming fashion designers.
ASLV Albania designed and created the lighting for this event and relied on ASLV, Prolights distributor in the area in an event organized by Kuadr Events.
The lighting system used for the grand finale featured the following range of Prolights fixtures

Fall Out Boy is playing outdoor dates in the U.S. through the summer with an indoor European tour launching in the autumn (photo: Andy Jauregui)

Fall Out Boy kick off with Elation and Magmatic

Details: 19 July 2023

USA - American rockers Fall Out Boy released their first new album in five years in March, So Much (For) Stardust, and then kicked off their So Much For (Tour) Dust tour in style on 21 June, playing a 27-song set at a packed Wrigley Field. Lighting design is by Connor Sullivan of So Midwest, who is using Elation’s new Fuze Wash 500 on his tour design, along with Prisma Wash 100 lights from Magmatic effects. Lighting supply is by Upstaging.
The new album has been described as 'cinematic' and the tour’s creative directors Amber Rimell & Bronski of Tawbox, along with Connor, talked about doing something for the tour that was more storytelling and theatrical. The entire point, says Connor, just like the new album, “was to show separation and difference while also showing balance. We have our outward sides that we show the world and our inside that we keep

HIVE & Production Park forge partnership

Details: 19 July 2023

UK - HIVE has forged a strategic partnership with live experience and entertainment campus, Production Park. This partnership is based on the shared future visions of HIVE and Production Park - innovative technology with a reduced carbon footprint that is disruptive to the marketplace. Additionally, through this partnership, HIVE now has access to capital to support its growth and product roadmap.
HIVE and Production Park’s partnership will continue to strengthen through the sponsorship of HIVE products within Production Park studios & classrooms, whilst Kane Sargent, an ex-student of Backstage Academy at Production Park, has joined the HIVE team as a full-time support engineer.
“Production Park is where the industry comes together, and we’re thrilled that our technology has a place there,” remarks Mark Calvert, co-founder at HIVE. “It’s also important

Additions to the portfolio include integrations for Q-Sys, Crestron, Crestron Home, AMX, RTI and Control4

K-array announces plug-in partnerships

Details: 19 July 2023

Italy - K-array has announced the extension of its control plug-in offerings. The latest additions to K-array's control plug-in portfolio include integrations for Q-Sys, Crestron, Crestron Home, AMX, RTI and Control4. By forging these key partnerships, K-array ensures its products integrate seamlessly with some of the industry's most widely used control platforms, across both commercial and residential markets, says the company.
“These partnerships are beneficial as they allow our customers to choose their own control processor, enabling them to easily include and integrate our products with the platforms they are already familiar with," says Matteo Barbaro, software product manager at K-array. “By providing them with all the necessary tools to interact with and manage our devices, integrators are able to work more efficiently, which in turn, benefits the end user.”

Wharfedale Pro has recently hosted distributor training events in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, the Netherlands and Japan

Wharfedale Pro grows global training

Details: 19 July 2023

World - Wharfedale Pro has recently hosted a range of training and education courses aimed at its global network of distributors. With partnerships in 88 countries worldwide, Wharfedale Pro believes in the importance of offering these trainings to ensure brand consistency and promote better deployment of its system solutions.
Over the past six months, along with many remote online sessions Wharfedale Pro has hosted in-person distributor training events in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, the Netherlands and Japan.
“It is important that we share our experience as a manufacturer and create an open and trusting relationship with customers,” explains Alex Lane, applications & solutions manager at Wharfedale Pro. “Training seminars are a fantastic platform to build relationships and learn from each other, as well as a tool for inspiring creative ideas.”

‘The Qorsys - Renkus-Heinz partnership is a natural fit’

Renkus-Heinz confirms Philippines distribution

Details: 19 July 2023

Philippines - Renkus-Heinz today has announced its partnership with AV distributor Qorsys AV Technologies to bring the Sound Solution to the Philippines.
Established in 2019 and based in Manila, Qorsys is a respected AV distributor that works to bring well-known AV brands to its customers throughout the Philippines.
“The Qorsys - Renkus-Heinz partnership is a natural fit, given our goal of becoming a well-rounded AV-centric distributor,” said Qorsys general manager, Ramon Borja. “Renkus-Heinz complements the other brands that we offer and allows us to enter into the high-performance and acoustically-sensitive environment markets.
“We view Renkus-Heinz as the leader in beam-steering technology, which no other brand can equal in terms of performance and reliability.
“Qorsys is purely a distribution organisation. This allows us to work with various

Creative Technology (CT) was one of the first organisations to join the cause

Backup launches Are You OK? mental health campaign

Details: 19 July 2023

UK - At this year’s KartFest, the Village Fete saw Backup launch Are You OK?, a campaign aimed at raising further awareness of mental health throughout the technical entertainment industry.
Founded in the early 2000’s to provide financial support to technical professionals across sectors such as concert, live events, theatre, TV and film, Backup expanded its remit during the pandemic and has adapted its services to support colleagues not just potential facing financial hardship from physical illness, but their mental health and wellbeing.
The annual KartFest has been the most prominent and successful of Backup’s fundraising activities, bringing together karting fans and spectators alike to enjoy a fun-filled day, with this year’s Village Fete theme adding much to the enjoyment whilst raising money and much-needed awareness of their cause. Around 70% of the tech

The Week in Light & Sound

Details: 18 July 2023

Anti-War Revival - A revival of Oh What a Lovely War will mark the 60th anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s anti-war musical as it tours nationally from September. Produced by Blackeyed Theatre, the run will include three weeks at Southwark Playhouse Borough. It stars Christopher Arkeston, Rose Bruford graduate Tom Crabtree, Harry Curley, and Alice E Mayer.
The production is directed by Nicky Allpress with musical direction by Ellie Verkerk and movement direction by Adam Haigh. Allpress said: “I’m so thrilled to be directing this unique piece of theatrical history, having followed Blackeyed Theatre and their extraordinary work for many years.
“One of the most exciting things about Oh What a Lovely War is how universal, timeless, and ever relevant it is, and testament to the brilliance of the work is how it can bear endless reinterpretation. Our con

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