Europe - Hitachi Digital Media Group has announced two new models that feature HDBaseT connectivity. The CP-WU8451 and CP-WU8461 are able to receive high definition signals from a distance of up to 100m using standard LAN cabling (min. Cat 5e/6). Both models also feature enhancements including a 60% increase in contrast performance

"Hitachi can now offer customers a convenient and cost effective approach to lossless high definition projection at distances of up to 100m. With a higher contrast ratio of 5000:1 these two new models deliver the high-quality widescreen images that customers expect of the 8000 Series but with the added benefit of support for HDBaseT," said Axel Kutschke, senior manager, presentation products for Hitachi Digital Media Group. "By supporting

UK - Following the positive feedback from last year's show, PLASA 2015 is set to move forwards with the introduction of a number of new propositions, as well as the return of a popular feature from previous years.

Part of the new programme is PLASA's sector specific seminar offering, which will see an increase from two to five theatres. Additionally, existing demo spaces are being built on; key networking spaces, such as the show bar and zones in the sector hubs, are being reintroduced; and the show will open late on its second day.

"PLASA 2015 has a progressive new approach, as we focus on five major sectors of the live entertainment technology world: Lighting, Audio, Stage, AV and Live Broadcast," explains Christopher Toulmin, director of events division at PLASA. "Each sector is individually supported by manufacturer led content, as well as PLASA's own indust

UK - Fisher Hires has invested in new lighting and AV stock following a major investment programme to the tune of £500,000. Fisher Hires is sister company to the prestigious event productions agency Fisher Productions, which this year celebrates its 30th birthday.

Fisher Hires supplies lighting, AV and technical expertise for all Fisher Productions events, and was launched as a separate company last year with the aim to widen the business and offer a full dry hire service.

Responding to client demand, Fisher has purchased a number of products from Clay Paky, MA Lighting, Avolites, Prolights and ETC and have significantly increased its stock of wireless uplights to include the Core Colourpoint.

Graham Beswick CEO of the Fisher Productions Group said, "Our upgrade of lighting and AV equipment comprises of over 110 product lines and thousands of pieces of kit, allowi

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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.

South Africa - The Ultimate X festival was staged for the first time this year at the Grand Arena in Cape Town, South Africa's GrandWest Casino, two days of adrenaline-fuelled, gravity-challenging, hi-energy stunts encompassing three breath-taking xtreme sport disciplines - FMX (freestyle motocross), BMX (bicycle motocross) and skateboarding - featuring the best athletes from around the globe.

The event, produced by Old School Productions, was staged in the round and lit by Sean Caie, the venue's head of lighting, using an all Robe moving light rig including BMFL Spots.

It was the first time that organisers had moved the event indoors and the first time it was extended to two days due to massive public demand.

The floor layout comprised a complete skate / BMX Park, with vert ramps and all the death-defying obstacles you'd expect in this raw and uncompromising environment.

UK - XL Video's UK operation has expanded the warehousing and distribution for its LED department, with the opening of a new 20,000sq.ft warehouse near to the company's existing Hemel Hempstead location.

The 50% increase in total warehouse space enables XL Video to create a dedicated space for preparation and dispatch of the company's wide and varied range of indoor and outdoor rental LED screens, and other creative LED products.

This expansion into the new LED facility also creates additional much-needed space in the main XL Video warehouse to allow for the growth in inventory of XL's projection and media server/control departments, both of which announced major technology investments earlier this year with the likes of d3, Barco, and Lightware.

XL Video's UK director of operations, John Hooker commented, "We are pleased to be able to expand our operations into this ne

USA - PreSonus is now shipping its SL-AVB-MIX Audio Video Bridging (AVB) audio networking option card for StudioLive AI-series console and StudioLive RM-series rack-mount Active Integration mixers. These options allow you to create a complete, networked live-sound solution, using Cat 5e or Cat 6 cables instead of a snake.

AVB enables precisely synchronized, real-time, low-latency, streaming of audio across an Ethernet network with no-hassle, self-configuring, true plug-and-play convenience. All StudioLive RM-series mixers already have the SL-AVB-MIX option card installed and just need a firmware update to enable the new AVB networking functionality. The card is offered as an upgrade option for StudioLive AI console mixers.

With this first phase of AVB support, you can use the StudioLive RM32AI or RM16AI as a stage box and monitor mixer for any StudioLive AI-series front-of-hou

UK - Bookings have opened for The Theatres Trust's annual Conference, taking place this year on Tuesday 23 June 2015 at Milton Court Theatre in London, part of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

What value do theatres bring to regeneration, commercial development and mixed use schemes?

Conference 15: Valuing Theatres considers ways in which we can work with the property sector to achieve shared cultural, social and economic returns and create new partnerships with developers to build and protect the theatres of the future.

How do we engage with developers who are playing an increasingly important role as theatre builders and capital investors?

Valuing Theatres is chaired by Jim Beirne MBE, chief executive of Live Theatre who is leading Live Works, a new £10m capital scheme in Newcastle to purchase and develop Quayside frontage and land and buildings adjacent to t

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OPUS X4 PROFILE – the most powerful LED moving head from Cameo to date

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USA - In six weeks, the highly regarded PLASA Focus events series will open at the Kansas City Convention Centre, 20-21 May. Once again, over two days, PLASA Focus will offer hands-on, up close views of products and services from over 35 leading manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and industry leaders and offer over 15 top seminars, including hands-on training, all completely free to attend.

Says PLASA Events show manager Laura Hoepker, "As a trade organization by the industry and for the industry, PLASA looks forward to another successful Focus show in Kansas City and providing another targeted business and networking opportunity to both PLASA members and to regional buyers. Between the show floor and educational seminars, we are providing access to the best in the industry to everyone who attends."

New additions to the top-notch seminar line up, include:

A L

Belgium - The most recent tour by Belgian girlband K3 featured a lighting and video design by Painting With Light's Luc Peumans which was based on the bold, bright, poppy and positive vibe that has characterised the band's remarkable 16 year career.

K3's impressive longevity - achieved without airplay on MTV and other standard music channels - was led by proactive direct marketing through youth and children's TV channels.

Luc has been involved with K3's live performance visuals for 12 years. His team from Painting With Light on this tour included programmer and lighting operator on the road Paco Mispelters and media server programmer and operator Katleen Selleslagh, and the design's starting point came from the band's hit TV show K3 Can Do It which is based on helping children achieve their dreams. The idea was to align the live show with the whole current K3 brand conc

UK - Aurora Lighting is supporting lighting director Oli Richards on the new ITV Saturday sporting comedy panel show Play to the Whistle.

Played out in front of a studio audience at Fountain Studios, Play to the Whistle features host Holly Whillouby presiding over team captains, Bradley Walsh and Frank Lampard.

Produced by Hungry Bear Media for ITV, the show pits two celebrity teams against each other with the aim of working out who sports the best knowledge of all things sporting. Helping to keep order, comedian Sean Walsh also joins the show in the guise of comic umpire for the series.

To assist in creating the show's polished, sporty look, Aurora supplied LD Oli with razor sharp Clay Paky Sharpys, which have been integrated into the set to create 'bars' of light that tower above the guests.

Elsewhere, Oli specified the innovative Doughty H Bar ladder syste

UK - OneBigStar supplied full technical production across eight sites at Aintree Racecourse for the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National Festival. Working directly with Accept Management who were appointed by Jockey Club Racecourses to provide an impressive programme of entertainment and production management for the prestigious sporting event.

Music acts performed in the Aintree International Equestrian Centre throughout the three days of the Festival. The line-up included local legends, The Christians on the Grand Opening Day, followed by X Factor and I'm A Celebrity star Jake Quickenden on Ladies' Day and The Stars from the Commitments on the day of the Grand National itself.

With many of the race goers staying on to enjoy the entertainment, it was vital that OneBigStar delivered the highest standards of production at this hugely popular event. They brought along a full festival s

UK - PSCo has officially partnered with VuWall Technology as its exclusive UK distributor. VuWall Technology develops collaborative visualisation software for video wall controllers. In line with the increasing availability of video wall hardware now available on the market, VuWall Technology develops software products that make it easy for system integrators to deploy video wall projects within mission critical environments such as control rooms.

"This collaboration with VuWall demonstrates the vast range of applications we can service with solutions as well as expert technical advice," comments Stuart Holmes, CEO of PSCo. "We are pleased to be able to offer our customers this software as part of the PSCo portfolio, creating a tailored solution for their requirements."

The collaborative visualisation software from VuWall Technology complements existing PSC

UK - HD Pro Audio has been appointed as a UK main dealer for the new Avid Venue S6L console.

Andy Huffer of HD Pro Audio commented, "It's been a while coming, but we're pleased to say it has proved to be well worth the wait as the S6L looks set to repeat the success of the original Venue platform. Having been with Venue since its inception over 10 years ago, we're primed and ready to go for supply and support of this superb new console. It uses the same workflow and accepts original Venue show files, making it immediately familiar to engineers who know Venue already."

Huffer continued, "HD Pro Audio is also an appointed dealer for Sonnox and the new S6L will bring renewed focus on AAX DSP plug-ins. Our decade with Avid combined together with our experience with Sonnox uniquely places us to provide first class support and delivery for engineers."

HD Pro Au

USA - As part of the company's overall expansion of video touring production services, Production Resource Group (PRG) recently purchased 58 additional Fujinon lenses for use on its newly acquired Grass Valley LDX80 Première cameras.

As part of PRG's recent acquisition of over $50m in new equipment for PRG Nocturne, part of its recently rebranded PRG Music Group, the company placed orders for 21 Fujinon XA99X8.4BESM ultra-wide field production lenses, 27 ZA17x7.6 BERM ENG-Style lenses, and 10 ZA12x4.5BERM wide-angle remote control lenses to service its continually expanding touring production business. PRG Music Group focuses on providing integrated video and lighting solutions for worldwide tours, festivals, concerts, and corporate events.

Mickey Curbishley, CEO of the PRG Music Group, stated, "We're making this initial investment of over $50m in new, state-of-the-art v

Germany - Laserworld has a major presence at this year's Prolight+Sound, not only on their own boot, but also in the Festhalle on the PRG stage, where 22 RTI laser systems are playing for the duration of the exhibition.:

The PRG LEA Awards marked their 10th anniversary on 14 April 2015. This anniversary was celebrated in spectacular style in Frankfurt. An impressive laser setup accompanied the celebration of the awards with more than 22 show laser light systems from Ray Technologies (RTI) - the high end laser manufacturer from Germany - placed all around the huge stage, the balcony and, in conjunction with video projection systems, for special mapping effects.

Overall, laser power of more than 300W emphasized the size of the lighting rig that PRG built for the LEA Awards. Laserfabrik was responsible for the laser show design and control.

There were many famous nominees for t

Germany - Martin Professional has announced Jorge Espinoza as the first prize winner of the 2015 Young Lighting Designer Contest. As part of his prize, Espinoza has been awarded a trip to the Prolight+Sound 2015 show in Frankfurt, Germany where he will be formally presented as the winner at the Martin Professional stand (A93, Hall 9.0) today.

In addition to his all-inclusive trip to PL+S 2015, Espinoza has been awarded a new Martin M-Touch controller and an M-PC kit. Commenting on his win, the 25-year-old from Mexico said, "I really enjoy working with the M-series as it offers the right tools to translate my ideas into real-life shows. I'm pleased and very humbled to be announced as the winner among so much talent. I wanted to share my show and my message, but I never expected to be announced as the winner. Thank you to the judges and everyone who voted for me."

Thro

Germany - High End Systems has announced the launch of the SolaWash Pro 1500, billed as "the brightest in a line of incredibly bright, white light LED products".

With an output, approaching 30,000 lumens from a 600w LED source, the SolaWash Pro 1500 comes packed with CMY, Variable CTO, two fixed colour wheels, framing and a nine to 55 degree zoom range.

Alongside this full feature set, the SolaWash Pro 1500 includes High End Systems' patented thermal control software ensuring that the fixture's cooling system is as efficient as possible while being whisper quiet. Further to this, there are various cooling modes in order to meet differing customer requirements such as opera and broadcast.

"Following on from the incredible success of the SolaSpot Pro 1500, launched at LDI 2014 it is exciting that we have, in such a short space of time, been able to set the bar e

UK - Star Events has published CDM Ready! the first event industry specific interpretation of the updated Construction (Design & Management) Regulations, written to complement the recently released Code of Practice document.

Introduced on 6 April, the revised regulations mean all events with structures must have a client who in turn appoints both a principal designer (PD) and a principal contractor (PC). The PD's primary role it is to ensure that health and safety is planned into a project from the design stage through to the start on site, while the PC takes charge of, and manages, health and safety on site.

Available for free download at http://www.stareventsltd.com, Star's 20-page CDM Ready! document draws from the HSE's latest draft to explain the impact on the event industry and how to comply.

It goes on to detail the company's own response, from designing

Germany - Cadac held the worldwide launch of its new CDC six digital live sound production console on its booth, on the opening day of Prolight+Sound 2015.

The CDC six, for which the company claims the fastest, most intuitive operation and highest possible audio performance of any mixing console, is based around the further development of its advanced gesture-operation user interface.

Speaking immediately after the launch, Cadac brand development manager Richard 'Fez' Ferriday, said, "We have been overwhelmed by the response of the visitors we have had on the opening day of the show. CDC six has been very well received by the pro audio community and, on day one of the show, we have already sold the first production run of this innovative live sound console."

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Martin Audio announced a major new dedicated installation loudspeaker range - the CDD Series - at this year's Frankfurt Prolight+Sound show. Combining distinctive curved enclosures with Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology, the series is designed to deliver class-leading performance, fidelity and coverage consistency to venues that demand the ultimate in cutting-edge technology and style.

Whether it's a bar, an AV installation, a church or a prestige nightclub, the CDD Series has it covered, says the company. CDD has been conceived as a one stop solution; six two-way full-range coaxial systems - from the micro CDD5 to the powerful CDD15, complemented by high-performance subwoofers - cover the majority of install applications; all models come in black or white as standard and all RAL colour variants are available to special order.

The CDD Series has the audience

Germany Frankfurt 2015 sees the launch of Yamaha's TF series digital consoles, designed for small to medium scale mixing requirements.

The TF series offers "advanced features and renowned Yamaha reliability at an exceptional price point". With key features aimed at new users and experienced professionals alike, the TF series offers the kind of facilities and performance enjoyed by large-scale productions for even the most modest sound reinforcement applications, says the company.

The TF series comprises three compact Yamaha digital mixing consoles. The TF5, TF3 and TF1 respectively feature 33, 25 or 17 motor faders along with 32, 24 or 16 rear-panel analogue inputs, which feature recallable Yamaha D-PRE preamplifiers for the first time in a digital console. This facility provides greatly improved support for live music and events where full setup changes need to be m

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