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29 August 2024

UK - The PLASA Show 2024 sees the UK debut of Cadac Consoles’ CM-J50 digital audio mixing console. Following the company's recent announcement of its shift to UK-based manufacturing, Cadac Consoles will showcase the CM-J50 on Stand E85 alongside Precision Audio Solutions, who played a pivotal role in the CM-J50’s international Beta test programme, and UK speaker manufacturer Inspired Audio.

Andi Churchill, managing director of Precision Audio Solutions, comments: “Before taking the CM-J50 out on the road, we spent six months testing it rigorously in our warehouse - everything from identifying software quirks to bouncing it around the car park, loading and unloading it from vans, and transporting it across the country. Despite Cadac's challenge to 'break it’, the CM-J50 withstood everything we threw at it.

“Over the past 18 months it’s bee

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29 August 2024

UK - Data Strategy will be on stand D3 at this year’s PLASA Show, demonstrating the benefits and the ease of electrical and cable safety inspection with QC-Check workstation. QC-Check delivers simple fast and effective safety inspection – for electrical products, cables, RCD-protected devices and lifting equipment.

With PLASA following the summer festival season, Data Strategy’s Iain Roche will be on stand to discuss the many ways QC-Check can make your busiest period of the year go more smoothly. Whether you need to discuss cable identification out on site and the benefits of QC-Check’s simple labelling solution, the latest rental system integrations or QC-Check’s most popular add-on modules, including the Power-Check distro testing, LOLER inspection and SimplyPATS integration software, head to stand D3, shared with SES Entertainment Ltd.

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29 August 2024

Europe - Highlite has announced the expansion of the popular Infinity Raccoon Series with the introduction of four new members to the family: Raccoon P7/7, Raccoon Junior P4/7, Raccoon Junior P7/4, Raccoon S420/4 and Raccoon W40/4.

Designed to meet the demanding requirements of high-end lighting applications, the Infinity Raccoon Series offers “unparalleled performance, advanced control options and rugged IP65 construction, making it a serious contender for professionals in TV studios, theatres, museums and more”.

The Infinity Raccoon Series features meticulous attention to detail in colour calibration, advanced control features and robust build quality. Each fixture in the range offers a wealth of features designed to deliver exceptional lighting experiences, setting new standards for the industry.

The series has been intelligently struc

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29 August 2024

UK - ETC Ltd has announced the newest addition to its growing sales force with Joe McDonald joining as field project coordinator for the UK and Ireland. In his new role, Joe will be managing sales projects and building customer and end user relationships across the country. He will support regional sales manager Jeremy Roberts and associate regional sales manager Matt Cowles in working with ETC’s dealers, distributors, and customers.

McDonald previously worked as assistant head of lighting at Curve Theatre in Leicester where he gained in-depth knowledge and insight on ETC’s equipment and how best to use the products to meet the needs of the shows. Over a number of years his experience led him to work as a production electrician for the theatre’s own shows such as A Chorus Line (UK tour) and Evita. McDonald has also worked on musical p

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28 August 2024

Europe - Neg Earth supremo Dave Ridgway came to the assistance of creative director and lighting designer Terry Cook when he was seeking the kind of raw power from a new-generation washlight that audiences at an AC/DC show might expect.

“It needed to be bright, versatile, bold and strong,” says the designer, one of three partners at Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD). And so Ridgway recommended GLP’s impression X5 IP Maxx, promptly arranging a shoot-out. Terry Cook’s conclusion: “It brought meanness, real character and was unapologetically angry. It was definitely an AC/DC light,” he states. “We have history of embracing new technology on AC/DC tours and the Power Up tour was no different.”

At the same time, he noted a further advantage: the fixture’s IP rating. In fact, its waterproof qualities would prove vital during the tou

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28 August 2024

Singapore - The Star Theatre, the main venue at The Star Performing Arts Centre, has invested in a quantity of Ayrton Huracán Wash fixtures supplied by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the region, Total Solution Marketing.

The Huracán Wash units will become a fixed installation as part of the permanent lighting rig and mark the second investment in Ayrton for the venue.

The Star Theatre is a 5,000-seat capacity theatre that features a traditional horseshoe shape auditorium with plush seating that helps create an intimate ambience. It prides itself in using only high-end professional equipment in its broad programme of events and performances.

40 Huracán Wash fixtures were installed at the request of The Star Theatre's head of lighting, Mohamad Azhar Bin Mazlan, who explains why he chose them: “I specified these particular fixtures be

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28 August 2024

The Netherlands - Conservatorium Maastricht, an international conservatory, is one of nine music academies in the Netherlands. With goals to set its musicians in motion, the school enables its students to achieve their ambitions in various musical fields through theoretical and practical approaches to artistic development and performance, along with cross-departmental activities, elective courses and professional development.

At the end of each year, Conservatorium Maastricht holds a graduation showcase, where students present their final projects. This event allows graduates to demonstrate what they have learned and their capabilities as musicians, composers and/or producers. This year, the event was held at Muziekgieterij, a local concert hall that was tasked with handling the technical aspects, which included providing the best possible sound for the show

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28 August 2024

Brazil - Visual tech provider On Projeções selected Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors to play a starring role at two of São Paulo’s most prominent electronic and techno music events: Time Warp Brasil and Illusionize in Saturn.

Established in 1994, Time Warp Brasil is one of the world's largest techno and house festivals, with events in Mannheim, Madrid, New York, and São Paulo. The festival is renowned for its use of cutting-edge technology to complement the musical performances. For Time Warp Brasil’s 30th anniversary, the festival commissioned On Projeções and The Force agency to project onto the building opposite the event venue, enhancing the attendees' sense of immersion and transforming the event into a visually impactful and engaging experience.

To achieve this, On Projeções used two Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure las

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28 August 2024

South Korea - Busan Film Commission (BFC) has joined forces with Basictech’s Media Solution Department to launch the VP stage, a dynamic facility designed for film, TV and commercial productions. At its core, the stage features a large, fine-pixel LED screen, driven by Brompton Technology's LED processing.

BFC is a pioneering organisation dedicated to supporting film production and has been instrumental in transforming Busan into a 'city of film'. Its VP stage measures 20.5m by 3.5m and is equipped with an AOTO RM series 2.31mm pixel pitch curved LED wall, powered by three 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors and six Tessera 10G data distribution units. The setup also includes an MRMC Bolt high-speed cinema robot and Disguise vx4 and rxII media servers, among other high-quality equipment.

Brompton LED processing ensures that the VR stage delivers colour

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28 August 2024

The DALI Alliance has announced that the annual DALI Alliance Lighting Awards are officially open for 2024, including a number of new categories. This is part of a refresh of the renowned awards to better recognise diverse innovations and applications from across the lighting industry. Interested participants have until 7 October 2024 to make their submissions.

The traditional application categories have been consolidated to a list of five awards: Residential, Commercial Interior, Commercial Exterior, Industrial & Infrastructure, and Horticulture. Alongside the updated application categories this year’s DALI Lighting Awards will include the following innovation categories:

Best Use of D4i: Recognising innovative applications of DALI D4i technology in lighting systems, including enhanced data communication, energy management, and advanced control capabi

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28 August 2024

Europe - Riku Kauppinen, director of business development for MA Lighting, died on 16 August. He was 52 and had been battling cancer. MA Lighting paid tribute:

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Riku Mikael Kauppinen, who died peacefully on Friday, 16 August 2024, at the age of 52, after a courageous battle with cancer. Riku was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his passing.

Riku was a highly respected and beloved figure in the lighting industry, known for his innovative approach, technical expertise, and unwavering passion for his work. Riku held a Master of Arts in Theatre and Drama with a specialisation in Lighting Design from the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. His education and early experiences shaped him into a leader who was not only skilled but deeply connected to the art a

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27 August 2024

France - Creative design practice Concept K employed 100 Elation SŌL I blinders at the Solidays Festival in Paris at the end of June, one of the first uses in Europe of the creative blinder and effect light. Lighting supply was by Dushow, a festival provider for many years, with lighting design by Frédéric ‘Aldo’ Fayard of Concept K.

Solidays is an annual music festival held at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. Organised by Solidarité sida, it brings together more than 150 artists and 170,000 festival-goers for three days with proceeds going to organisations fighting HIV/AIDS.

Aldo, founder and artistic director of Concept K, used the SŌL I blinders to artfully adorn the festival’s main stage, commenting: “Lighting designers have been looking for a source capable of replacing the FL650 and the SŌL I from Elation is the answer to this r

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27 August 2024

USA - To expand research opportunities and community resources, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners partnered with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to develop the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Centre.

The centre was created to provide a comprehensive venue for livestock shows, agricultural fairs, equestrian events, and various community activities. To power outdoor speakers across the venue, the centre turned to the award-winning Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional.

The 37-acre site’s development involved the construction of new pole-barn structures, refurbishment of a 250ft x 150ft indoor equestrian arena, and construction of a new outdoor arena. These arenas included new lighting, PA systems, bleachers, and other infrastructure elements. When it came time to i

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27 August 2024

USA - LightParts, the parts and repair source for entertainment lighting, is celebrating surviving for 20 years in the entertainment lighting business. And a pandemic too!

LightParts was founded in 2004 by Don Pugh and Robert Mokry as the worldwide support centre for High End Systems’ legacy products like Intellabeam and Emulator. Industry support and demand quickly led to support for most all major entertainment lighting products.

In 2018, LightParts introduced its line of metal halide lamps, then expanded into tungsten lamps like the discontinued Strand Leko lamp. In response to customer requests LightParts started selling new, manufacturer B stock and used gear, all with warranty.

Robert Mokry of LightParts comments: “We’d like to thank our customers, our fantastic staff, past and present, along our supplier partners for making Light

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27 August 2024

USA - Electricity was in the air (quite literally) on 11 July, as fans made their way to Ruoff Music Centre in Noblesville to attend the second show in the I Prevail-Halestorm co-headline 24-city summer tour. The display of light overhead matched the mood. All this was the result of a violent storm blowing across the Midwest that delayed the start of the show by 90 minutes.

When fans finally made their way into the 24,000-capacity amphitheatre, just north of Indianapolis, the vibe was just as kinetic, and the lightshow on stage gave Mother Nature’s lightning a run for its money. A dynamic design by Chris Denholm featured 40 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes from PGP.

Denholm worked on his design with Mathes Kuhn who designed the Halestorm floor package and co-programmed their show with Rodger Pugh, Anthony Tran who did mos

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27 August 2024

UK - EM Acoustics is preparing for the 2024 edition of PLASA Show, returning to London Olympia from 1-3 September. Building on the success of their R5, launched at last year’s show, the team is set to unveil the latest addition to the Reference Series, the R6, at the event.

The Reference Series is characterised by its low-profile design and exceptional quality, offering full-range point source loudspeakers that boast remarkably flat frequency and phase responses. The introduction of the R6, which sits between the ultra-compact R5 and the versatile R8, is a logical next step in the expansion of this popular family of loudspeakers.

“The Reference Series has become spectacularly successful. Designers and integrators are now looking to create complete Reference ecosystems and the R6 is another hugely powerful creative tool in the design process,” c

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27 August 2024

UK - On Stand J5 at this year’s PLASA Show, TiMax Spatial will showcase a beta version of the latest innovation to join the fold, TiMax panLab. The original editions of this spatialisation application for macOS have already taken the market by storm.

Now in the stable of immersive audio pioneers TiMax, it delivers an augmented feature set which enables users to take spatialised audio designs further in both entry-level and large-scale systems.

The beta version of the new TiMax panLab application will provide enhanced spatial pan programming and live cue management for shows and systems mapped and rendered in the TiMax SoundHub spatial processor. Optional software licences are included to output to QLab, mixing consoles, processors and TiMax SoundHub depending on user requirements.

Also on the stand is the new TiMax TrackerSP plug-in option

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27 August 2024

The Netherlands - At IBC 2024, Absen will showcase its flexible range of solutions for the broadcast industry and related sectors. Across the four days of the show, taking place from 13-16 September at the RAI Amsterdam, Absen’s range of LED solutions will be demonstrated on stand B24, Hall 2 across four zones: Creative Stage, Conference Room, Studio Solution and Hands on Area.

Taking centre stage on the Creative Stage is Absen’s Saturn (SA) Series 2.6. Designed for indoor performance display, it is available in a multitude of application scenarios of flat, curved and ceiling displays. Featuring a smaller dot pitch with brightness up to 1,500 nits, a 1/12 scan ratio and 7,680Hz refresh rate, the SA2.6 provides unmatched display quality, with striking vivid images and exceptional performance.

Absen’s Pixel Reality (PR) Series 3.9, featuring an i

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27 August 2024

Record-breaker - Taylor Swift finished the European leg of her Eras Tour with a record-breaking show at Wembley Stadium that was packed full of surprises. The star was joined on stage by Florence + The Machine and by Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, rewarded fans with the premiere of a new music video, and gave the first live rendition of her song So Long, London.

It was Swift’s eighth concert at Wembley this summer - overtaking a record for any solo singer, which was set by Michael Jackson with his Bad tour in 1988. "You just made me the first solo artist to ever play Wembley eight times in a single tour," she told fans. "We will never, ever be able to thank you enough for it." The tour has criss-crossed Europe all summer, with the Wembley finale marking the 131st date of her two-year trek.

Brighton rocks - Brighton Hip

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23 August 2024

UK - ETC will be returning to Olympia London for the 2024 edition of the PLASA Show from 1-3 September. On stand B29, visitors will be able to explore the company’s latest lighting solutions and technologies and receive expert advice from ETC specialists about upgrading their venue to LED.

This year at PLASA, ETC’s stand will feature a systems corner with specialist staff on hand to help answer any questions about upgrading to LED. Visitors are encouraged to bring details on their venue’s technical requirements to get tailored advice from ETC’s team. Whether it is advice on upgrading power and data infrastructure to support LED, how to phase transitions to get the most out the budget, or advice on what fixtures suit the installation, ETC’s experts will be available to help.

ETC will also be hosting a seminar on the Balance of Power