South Africa - With regular power cuts in South Africa a fact of life, The Guild Theatre in East London had to come up with a solution to an enable the show to go on, even during load-shedding, and thus preventing a loss of precious income.

Philips Entertainment Lighting distributor for South Africa, DWR Distribution, therefore supplied 30 Philips Showline SL PAR 155 Zoom homogenised LED Par luminaires, which can run off a generator when needed, to the venue.

"The team at The Guild wanted new technology, something that would add a bit of punch, that was flexible, and above all would enable them to run professional looking stage lighting from their generator," said Dave Whitehouse from DWR. "Originally they considered LED par cans but instead chose 30 Philips Showl

UK - Allen & Heath has launched three new mini mixers from its ZED analogue console range, including the first ZEDi hybrid mixer / interface. The ZED-6, ZED-6FX and ZEDi-8 are designed with all the features and quality required by musicians, recording artists and for AV work, in a compact, portable format.

"The new ZED models deliver Allen & Heath's renowned build and audio excellence in a small format, making it the ideal choice for quality conscious musicians, singer / songwriters and venues. Whether it's bouncing ideas around at home, performing live or recording tracks to share on YouTube and Soundcloud, they are versatile companions for every step of the creative journey," comments Allen & Heath product specialist, Harry Garcia.

All the new models feature two mono channels with separate XLR and TRS jack sockets and two stereo channels. The mono channels include

USA - When Rachel Miller, an LD and project coordinator for Kinetic Lighting, was contacted by Chauvet vice-president Berenice Chauvet to create a design for the company's LDI booth, she instantly grasped the nature of her mission.

"There's obviously a great deal going on with lighting at LDI," said Miller. "Every exhibitor wants to do as much as possible to attract attention. My mission was to create a design that would get people to stop in their tracks as they passed the Chauvet Professional booth. I imagined it like we were in the proverbial 10-second elevator, where you meet someone on an elevator and they ask, 'What do you do?'

"You have 10 seconds until you reach the next floor to tell them. Chauvet Professional has so many great products. I often use them myself as a designer. I wanted to create a design that very quickly gave visitors an idea of th

Sweden - Dataton has announced the acquisition of software developer and production company, IXEL. Based in Sweden, IXEL specialises in the development of software for immersive environments and content production for fulldome applications. With the acquisition, Dataton strengthens both R&D and project management teams in the industry-key sectors of virtual reality, simulation software and film production.

"The team at IXEL has proven expertise of software development and content production for fulldome and 3D environments, both of which are already important application areas for our award-winning Watchout multi-display software and associated products," said Lars Sandlund, COO at Dataton.

IXEL's Miroslav Andel has been appointed chief software developer at Dataton and commented, "There is enormous development potential in the kind of large-scale visual and imm

Germany - Robe was the moving light brand of choice - with nearly 200 units - at the opening ceremony of the 2015 European Maccabi Games (EMG2015), Europe's biggest Jewish sports event, staged at the Waldbühne amphitheatre in Berlin's Olympic Park, and officially declared open by German President Joachim Gauk.

A lighting scheme was designed by leading Israeli LD, Ronen Najar for the occasion, working for the combined Israeli and German production team.

Ronen frequently specifies Robe for his work. He is prolific in both television and live events and known for his fresh and innovative approach to crafting light. He designed the last Maccabi Games OC in the Teddy Stadium Jerusalem in 2013 and has worked internationally on several high profile projects with the ceremonies' director Ran Tzahor over the last decade.

For the EMG OC, a stage was erected at one end of the circular

Europe - Global flightcase and loudspeaker component manufacturer Penn Elcom has launched a tough new low-noise 3U heat extraction unit which can be fitted to the front or back of any 19 inch racking unit to quickly, efficiently - and silently - suck the heat out of an enclosure.

This is good news for any environment e.g. conference and presentation spaces, theatres, concert halls, lectures theatres, interactive AV displays, boardrooms and demonstration facilities, etc. utilizing AV equipment where noise is a potential issue, distraction or annoyance, says the company.

Penn's R 'n' D team has pooled its considerable experience and practical knowledge of the racking market and produced an ultimate and well-engineered solution.

The versatile FP02-Q-3U fan unit emits 22.5 dB(A) - with a Sone (loudness) value of 0.3 - and can be fitted to any existing 19 inch racking unlit. At t

Italy - The Mon Amour nightclub in Rimini combines a high quality dining experience with late night DJ sets and live music by top Italian artists. A recent audio upgrade saw Mon Amour added to the long list of Italian venues which trust Yamaha products to deliver high class entertainment to their customers.

The upgrade was carried out by Promo SRL of Alba Adriatica, which has been installing Yamaha equipment in prestigious projects for eight years.

The company installed four Installation Series IF3115 three-way, UniPhase loudspeakers to cover the dining area. Featuring a 15" low-frequency driver, eight-inch midrange driver and three-inch HF compression driver, the IF3115 can deliver a calculated continuous SPL of 127dB, with exceptional clarity. This makes it suitable for nightclubs where seamless sound is required between the dance floor and surrounding areas.

In addit

USA - Since delivery of its new Meyer Sound Leopard line array loudspeaker system, Nashville-based Mid-Coast Sound has seen an immediate growth in its live sound business on the home turf and in events stretching from Kentucky to Mississippi. The team expects the power-to-size ratio of Leopard to play a major role in the company's future projects.

"For most events we do, Leopard is just about the perfect loudspeaker," says Bruce Bossert, owner of Mid-Coast Sound. "To use a boxing analogy, it punches way above its weight. It has the horsepower of most competitive boxes weighing twice as much. It allows us to support large-format events in buildings where it would be a struggle to fly other systems."

Mid-Coast has used its Leopard system at the Silver Star Convention Centre in Philadelphia, Miss. for artists such as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Merle Haggard,

UK - On Tuesday 24 November at The Pavilion Theatre Rehearsal Space, Glasgow, the d&b audiotechnik GB team will present a new breed of point source loudspeakers with sales partner The Warehouse Sound Services.

The event marks the Scottish debut of the d&b audiotechnik V-Series point source loudspeakers. Oran Burns from d&b audiotechnik GB Education and Application Support will showcase the V7P, V10P and V-GSUB.

Oran will host two presentations one at 11:00 and another at 14:00. Both demonstrations will offer industry professionals the chance to familiarise themselves with this new breed of loudspeakers and all their rigging options.

Janet Murray, director at The Warehouse Sound commented: "We're really delighted to be showcasing the V-Series point sources which we think are exceptional. The design of the mid range horn means that the vocal performance is extraordinary.

China - In Sichuang province, an Allen & Heath ZED-436 4 bus mixer has been installed in Mingshan stadium, one of the key reconstruction projects following the 2013 Lushan earthquake.

The recently completed stadium is a multi-functional venue capable of hosting sporting events, conferences and exhibitions, and large-scale cultural and theatrical performances. The venue covers an area of 4000sq.m and can accommodate 2,500 people. It features a central basketball court, surrounded by some fixed stands, with a temporary stage and additional stands.

Designed and installed by EZPro, the ZED-436 was chosen for audio mixing and control.

"The ZED-436 is the perfect choice for this application because it provides enough input channel and professional grade sound quality." said Mr Lian, technical manager at EZPro. "The mixer features 32 mic or line inputs plus 2 dual st

UK - Central Presentations Ltd. (CPL) brought expertise, innovation and full technical production - sound, lighting and video - to the recent high profile ID Live roadshow by L'Oréal, working for producers Bright Productions.

The intense four-date back-to-back tour visited Dublin, Glasgow, Leeds and London. It is L'Oréal's widest attended event showcasing the latest cutting, colouring and styling trends for AW15, offering live and close-up education from L'Oréal's team of ID artists across four evenings of action, inspiration and fashion.

CPL's project manager Lee Gruszeckyj worked closely with Andy Oswin from producers Bright, who initiated the roadshow's overall concept, set and video design and developed the video content to ensure the presentation environment was as cutting edge as the hair-art.

The show design involved a 20m long runway denoted by a

USA - British rock powerhouse Coldplay premiered new visuals for 2015 in Las Vegas and New York this autumn designed by video director Ben Miles of Mixed Emotions, London, using Avolites Ai S4 servers.

Coldplay performed one-off shows at the two live music events: The Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in New York City, which also featured Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, was timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations' new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect the planet and end extreme poverty by 2030; the other was the iHeart Radio Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with a plethora of acts including Sam Smith, Jason Derulo and Duran Duran.

"The band wanted me to produce some screen treatments for these one-off shows that were fresh and new," says Miles. "Having worked with Coldplay for so many years now I

Brazil - Since 1985, Rock in Rio has been one of the world's most successful music festivals. In its spiritual and historic home of Rio de Janeiro, it continually sells out its 700,000 capacity. This year, the heavyweight line up included Queen + Adam Lambert, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Seal, Katie Perry, Rihanna, John Legend and Motley Crew, with a DiGiCo SD7 as master console.

The entire audio system was supplied by Brazilian rental company Gabisom, which has provided audio for the last 13 editions of Rock in Rio, including those in Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.

Sound designer and FOH system engineer for the World Stage at the Rio de Janeiro event was Gabisom's Peter Racy.

"The world stage was loaded with a massive PA system, which comprised 126 line-array elements, as well as 50 flown subs and 32 ground subs," says Peter. "There were several artists who opted

China - Advanced audio technologies from Meyer Sound help deliver an immersive experience for audiences of all ages at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom's 5D Castle Theatre in Zhuhai, China.

Located in the Chimelong International Ocean Resort, the 1,000-seat theatre presents an animated show with support from 119 Meyer Sound loudspeakers. The theatre's sophisticated, multichannel presentation includes 26 input channels and various output channel configurations connected to the D-Mitri digital audio platform via one of the world's largest AVB (Audio Video Bridging) networks.

"D-Mitri with AVB was my favoured solution for this application," states Leo Wagner, infrastructure manager for Wels, Austria-based Kraftwerk Living Technologies, which designed and engineered the technology behind the theatre's mesmerizing experience. "The fact that the AVB data shares the same networ

USA - Bandit Lites has announced three promotions within its Nashville location: Erich Hudgens to shop foreman, Jimmy Hatten to project manager and Shawn Lear to client representative.

Erich Hudgens has worked with Bandit for seven years both as a lighting technician and project coordinator before taking on the role of shop foreman. In his new position, Erich will work to ensure all the events prepping on the floor have their needs met, assist with shipping needs, check in returning shows and ultimately make sure the shop stays organized and efficient.

Jimmy Hatten's new position as Project Manager fulfills a critical role in bringing lighting designers' visions to reality. Using the clients' ideas, Jimmy will create touring systems, festivals or one-off shows from the beginning stages of prep, to being loaded on to the trucks, to then providing support throughout the entire r

Germany - For 10 days - from 17 to 27 September - visitors to the Opel booth at IAA 2015 could create their own personal Opel Selfie Jump - a bullet-time tracking shot with frozen scenery, known from the Matrix films and numerous commercials.

The automobile manufacturer relied on the experience of PRG XL Video for the planning, design and technical implementation of their exacting requirements. Bellprat Associates AG was responsible for the idea and the concept. The graphical user interface of the terminals, the Facebook connectivity and implementation of the barcode scanners was realized by bluelemon Interactive GmbH.

For Opel Selfie Jump the full-service event provider developed a system using 75 digital SLR cameras arranged in a semi-circle of 270 degrees, which was aligned with millimetre precision with the booth visitors in the centre of the circle. As a vis

South Africa - Insane Sound & Lighting is a busy technical production and design company based in Cornubia, Durban, run by the charismatic Vimal Rawjee, who took the name from his DJ days when he earned a reputation for cramming "insane" amounts of audio kit into all types of imaginable - and unimaginable - spaces and making lots of noise!

Starting as a sound company, Insane added a lighting division in 2010 - and later LED / video - to ensure they can supply top quality full technical service and design packages to their clients.

The company now has over 100 Robe fixtures in stock, including around 40 moving heads and over 60 x LEDForce 18 PARs.

Vimal and his team - 11 full time staff and three regular casuals presently - deliver a wide variety of corporate shows, pumping dance and EDM events and weddings.

Weddings - and particularly Indian weddings - are a mass

UK - AML Event Lighting Hire from Dundee recently supplied a whole host of Showtec Lighting Fixtures for the Freshers Ball at Dundee University.

The products included Pixel Bar 12 'pixel-mapping' battens and iB-16R moving heads - part of the Infinity Family from Highlite International. The whole Event was programmed by LD Lewis Day.

Alistair McCready, MD of AML Event Lighting Hire comments: "The iB-16R's have an incredible light output. They tick all the boxes expected from such a high-performance moving fixture. Once again we received first class support from Dave Hartley, Ryan Hussey and the team at Highlite UK."

UK - Last Saturday, the 2015 Rugby World Cup drew to a dramatic close, with New Zealand beating Australia at Twickenham Stadium. Throughout the tournament, White Light provided the lighting, sound and production support for various aspects of the competition, helping to make this year's Rugby World Cup one of the biggest yet.

Following a year of constant expansion, WL was able to offer the Rugby World Cup a whole range of its expert production services. This included constructing three studio and two pitch-side sets for the ITV Sport Team. These were then toured to various stadiums across the country, where the WL team was on-site to help recreate the set-up at each venue.

WL was also called upon to fulfil a similar role on the BT World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge which was broadcast on ITV. With the tournament being held at the Copper Box at the Olympic Park, London, WL was on

Denmark - Lighting manufacturer SGM A/S has filed for bankruptcy in Aarhus, Denmark, according to reports in the Danish media.

SGM Lighting, owned since February 2012 by entrepreneur Peter Johansen, currently employs 85 people in Aarhus, according to Danish television station TV2, and the majority of the staff have now been sent home while the company's situation is clarified.

TV2 reported that the company's legal representative, Christian Jul Madsen, has said that several interested parties have submitted offers to buy the entire company.

Originally an Italian lighting brand, SGM was acquired by Italian pro audio manufacturer RCF in April 2009. In November 2010, at a press event in central London, RCF president Arturo Vicari introduced Peter Johansen as the new head of R&D for SGM. Johansen was already well-known in the professional lighting industry as the founder of Marti

UK - London's bi-annual Festival of Life is a major religious gathering of the global Pentecostal Redeemed Christian Church of God. Attracting 40,000 worshippers to ExCel London, the event features a dynamic mix of music, dance, drama and gospel.

SFL Group has provided sound reinforcement to the event for the last eight years and this October they designed an L-Acoustics Kara sound system, while also deploying an L-Acoustics X Series stage monitoring system for the first time in the UK.

London ExCel is a difficult venue, the sound system needs to cover 20,000m2 of highly reverberant space, yet deliver audio clarity to each and every congregant. The highly controlled directivity of L-Acoustics Kara allows SFL to focus the sound away from the metal roof structure, keeping it only where it's needed.

"The best way to deal with a reverberant space it is to create a direct so

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