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14 March 2016

"I've been one of the beta testers for the grandMA2, and this year marks the first time that I felt I could exclusively spec the grandMA2," reports Mark Butts who serves as programmer for the tour, with Chesney and McGraw, and programmer and lighting director for the CMA Music Festival. "I'm now specifying them for all my new projects."

The Brothers of the Sun Tour is the tenth that Butts has done with Chesney. The all-stadium tour features "simple straight trusses but a lot of stuff. I decided to go with four grandMA2 full-size just to manage the complexity of the show," says Butts.

The consoles need to manage large amounts of data. "Kenny

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14 March 2016

Organised by the ALD, STLD and Clay Paky and now in its fifth year, the Knight of Illumination Awards provides public recognition for outstanding achievements in lighting design by lighting designers working on productions in the UK.

Professional reviewers who work in each of the specific categories have agreed the shortlists and the awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony on 9 September at Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London.

The shortlists for each category are as follows:

Television - ENTERTAINMENT: Mark Kenyon for Strictly Come Dancing from Wembley; Tom Sutherland for Red Hot Chilli Peppers Live at Koko and Mark Kempton for Not Going Out

Television - SMALL STUDIO: Tom Kinane for Just a Minute

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14 March 2016

The Federal Administrative Court - or Bundesverwaltungsgericht - was established in 1953 as supreme instance of the general administrative jurisdiction. It is one of Germany's six Federal Courts.

The building was erected between 1888 and 1895 by the architect Ludwig Hoffmann. Originally, it housed the High Court of the German Empire. After the end of World War II, however, Leipzig became part of the GDR and the High Court was moved to West Germany. During the years of the socialist regime, the courthouse accommodated various non-judicial institutions, two museums and

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14 March 2016

The PLASA Rigging Conference is delighted to confirm that the conference will close with 'Question Time' hosted by Alan Jacobi LVO, MD of Unusual Rigging.

An iconic figure in the world of rigging, Alan's involvement with the Rigging Conference dates back to its inception, as Conference Consultant Chris Higgs explains: "Alan Jacobi (AJ) opened the inaugural PLASA Rigging Conference in 2010 in his inimitable style but sadly wasn't able to join us last year. I was therefore delighted that he agreed immediately to host the closing Q&A session this year. Alan is an inspirational character to many of us and someone who I have no doubt will again ask insightful questions, act as question m

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14 March 2016

On 14 December 2011, the Hard Rock Café opened its doors to the Budapest public for the first time. Spread over four floors of the Váci 1 building, the magnet of the famous Rock Shop greets visitors as they enter on the ground floor and the views are what may attract people to the top floor. However, the main event is the restaurant, bar, kitchen and the performance stage which are all down on the basement level, boastin

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14 March 2016

The Right Structures team installed a 25m wide stage in the grounds of The Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC ), where the Italian superstar performed to over 5,000 fans .

Geo Stage engineering offers a cost effective system with flexibility to create curves and waves, proven structural integrity and weight bearing capacity.

Ruben Caruana, Right Structures business development director, said, "For us this was a particularly important gig. A rigger tragically lost their life after a stage collapse in Italy on an earlier leg of the Inedito tour, so safety of the artist, her team, the crew and the audience was of the highest priority for everybody. There were eight structural engineers and licensing officials, all diligent in their sc

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14 March 2016

There is no road map to success in the live audio industry and, as with many things worth doing, it can be tough. But if you have the passion and the determination, you could end up spending your life doing something you love. Having taught some of the best in the business, Alchemea know a thing or two about improving your chances. Register for free for this session and hear Alchemea's pro's giving their top tips for success in the industry.

presented by: Alchemea
Wednesday 12 September, 2.00pm - 3.00pm

To book this session and check out other session in the programme, please click here

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14 March 2016

Ibiza 123 is the first music festival to be held on the island, and played host to a diverse line-up of artists featuring global superstars Sting, Elton John and Lenny Kravitz; live performances from chart stars Labrinth and Tinie Tempah; plus sets from DJs including Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Chase & Status, Luciano, and David Guetta!

For the three-day festival, held on the San Antonio coast, XL Video was asked to provide an LED package which would highlight not only the first 123 Festival but also herald the first ever full music festival in Ibiza.

To achieve this XL Video specified an LED backdrop measuring 16m wide by 9m high, made from Pixled's F-30. F-30 was selected due to its suitability for outdoor use.

Three circular LED displays of decreasing size were

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14 March 2016

As part of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, the Jazz Theatre is part of a larger museum that incorporates the State Museum's already substantial collection of jazz artifacts, a collection that includes sheet music, manuscripts, photographs, records (including what is thought to be the first jazz recording, from 1917) and instruments such as Louis Armstrong's first cornet.

The theatre is a modular 4,000sq.ft performance space with a stage that can be configured multiple ways to accommodate

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14 March 2016

Staged at both AC-ET's Northern office in Leeds and Southern HQ in High Wycombe, the events were very well attended with a wide cross-section of attendees representing many different industry sectors - including rental and staging companies, educational establishments, theatres, sound engineers and a variety of venue staff.

Three identical sessions were run each day in both locations to offer maximum flexibility, enabling interested parties to attend at their own convenience.

Each session started with the CL series launch presentation followed by a Q&A session, and then a full hands-on workshop, allowing guests to discover first hand and in-depth, the innovative and adv

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14 March 2016

The Martin Evolution Gallery, a permanent installation, retraces Martin's history in the entertainment technology industry from its roots in the '80s as a fledgling producer of fog machines and disco effects to the leading company it is today.

The historical timeline is set against a background of major world and Martin events and showcases the company's record of technological advancement and product launch frequency through the years, an evolutionary journey that continues to develop.

Besides a fascinating look at technology's unrelenting march over the past 25 years, the timeline offers the visitor a chance to examine t

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14 March 2016

PLASA's new regional trade show model, first seen in Austin and Nashville, and making its way to Stamford on 12 & 13 November, 2012, has been designed to bring manufacturers, regional dealers and end users together in a way that has never before been possible.

"PLASA believes that dealers play a vitally important role in the progression of the industry as a whole and should be represented and supported alongside manufacturers, at any PLAS

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14 March 2016

"We were one of the first sound companies to adopt Allen & Heath's new GLD system in Russia, and had already tested the system at several top level events before the BMW presentation, so we had no doubts about the system's capabilities," comments Alexander Kosarev, general director of City Sound.

Hosted on a specially constructed rooftop stage in downtown Moscow with panoramic views of the city, the agenda included an overview with a sound and light show demonstration of the car, plus performances from a live band and a DJ.

"GLD has proved to be very reliable and we are especially happy with the quality of sound," said Kosarev. "We originally purchased the system for

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14 March 2016

Garðabær based Northern Lights Audio, a design/build firm specialising in audio, video, lighting, security, and heating solutions for both the professional and residential markets, was contracted to design and install the stadium's new sound reinforcement system. Þorsteinn Halldórsson, the firm's owner discussed the project and his

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14 March 2016

After the spectacular success of their first tour Dos pájaros de un tiro (Two Birds with One Stone), Serrat and Sabina have launched a follow up tour Dos pájaros contraatacan (Two Birds Strike Back) that is playing to audiences across Spain and South America this summer and fall.

Oscar Gallardo is one of Spain's top lighting designers, having lit Serrat and Sabina shows for years, as well as other artists like David Bisbal, Luz Casal, Presuntos Implicados, Rosana and many more.

Oscar, along with Juan Gomez Cornejo, Tano Astiaso and Nicolás Fischtel, is one of the forerunners of the Asociación Española de Autores de Iluminación (Spanish Association of Lighting Autho

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14 March 2016

Based not far from Hannover, near the border with the Netherlands, TTL has spent some time with Reinhard Steger from NEXO's Germany distributor audiovation, getting up to speed with the new wedges and with the NEXO philosophy.

"We've been heavily impressed by the product as well as by the service offered by audiovation, they've made us feel comfortable about investing in a new brand,," says Bernd Michael Tombült, MD of TTL.

"After the first six weeks on the road, they've performed steadily, and we've heard the best comments possible coming from all sides. For sure, investing in the N-12s has been the right decision."

The 45°N-12 package has already served its first t

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14 March 2016

In charge of the project and installation were companies Electromontage and Inéo while lighting design was by Lionel Bessière of the Toulouse-based company Quartiers Lumières.

The Tripix 300s are attractively-designed IP66 LED bars based on tri-color LEDs for a better mix of colors under the lens. This produces a wide range of shades, in particular bright whites, subtle pastels, and vibrant saturated colors, with no chromatic decomposition.

The Exterior 410 houses very powerful pre-mixed LEDs and is used for lighting designs requiring perf

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14 March 2016

This class gives a basic overview of the current state of the art in entertainment automation and introduces students to the basic principals involved in mechanical methods, rigging, and show automation. Mechanical system components, network architecture, safety systems and considerations, motion control techniques, system programming tools and instructions, console operation, and basic troubleshooting will all be introduced, with examples and exercises provided for all students. This three day course costs £380 to attend. The course is ETCP recognized for 28 renewal credits for Electrical and Rigging certifications.

This cour

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14 March 2016

Dave 'Lofty' Lockhart, owner of Codex Audio, is currently working as system technician, tour manager and head sound engineer (amongst others!), for The Blockheads and Bruce Foxton's From the Jam.

Codex Audio recently engineered the Wake Up Woking charity event with From The Jam where Lofty was "looking forward to giving some of the new FX an airing". He adds, "The PRO2C is the best of both digital and analogue. It sounds and feels like the best desk with knobs you've ever used, and you don't need a truck to get it to the gig. People (myself included) get excited just looking at them."

Codex Audio recently supplied PA for the Modrophenia show at Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton for FTJ and

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14 March 2016

CPL already has a large stock of Yamaha LS9 and other desks. One reason the CL5 was chosen is that it runs on the same operating principals as these, so all their engineers who are used to working with Yamaha digital consoles will be able to use the CL5 immediately, and quickly familiarise themselves with its many advanced features.

The CL5 system was supplied to CPL by the Birmingham office of LMC Audio Systems.

CPL managing director Matthew Boyse explains that they were keen to be among the first AV rental operations in the UK able to offer their clients all of the benefits offered by the new CL series.

"The compact size and weight for 72 ch

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14 March 2016

"We've added over 100 pieces of this innovative kit to our hire stock," says Calder Sibbald, head of Black Light's hires and events. "This makes us the largest stockist of this kind of staging in Scotland and means that our customers can benefit from the flexibility, good looks and exceptional ease of use of this fantastic range of equipment."

As it is based on an aluminum framework, Lite Deck weighs significantly less than comparable staging made from steel. However, despite its light weight, the equipment has a very high loading capacity. "It's easier to lift and handle," says Sibbald. "It therefore reduces the chance of any strains or injuries happening and allows more effective

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14 March 2016

Stage Technologies was once again platinum sponsor of the conference, which saw an increase of 20% in attendees over the inaugural event of 2008. Mark Ager, CEO of the Stage Technologies Group commented, "As a company we strongly believe in supporting this extremely important theater market. These conferences provide a wonderful forum for like-minded professionals to get together to debate and discuss a variety of relevant issues and push forward the boundaries of stage engineering."

Participants enjoyed a mixture of presentations, networking and backstage tours to the Met Opera and Radio City Music Hall. This year's location, the New York Hilton in midtown

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14 March 2016

The company also tapped further into the portfolio of Harman Professional brands, distributed in the UK and Eire by Sound Technology. They specified 14 JBL PRX 615M self-powered monitors as delay speakers, while a number of JBL Control 1 Pro's have been deployed to provide audio coverage on the upper and lower mezzanine levels of the Grade II-listed building, powered by Crown CDi1000 amplifiers.

Line level cabling has been routed to all the trusses for use with the PRX615M's, which are brought into play when delay speakers are required - since all equipment is deployed on a 'per design' basis. Says LCI project manager (and co-designer) Carl Miller, "These PRX cabine

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14 March 2016

"We've been more than happy with our Vista I3 and it made sense to purchase another console that was already in line with what we were using," commented Jordan Renouf from Scene Change. "By adding the Vista S1 we've gained more functionality and because it is the same software as the Vista I3, the ease of usability for the guys has been very simple."

Renouf states that the surface of the Vista S1 is particularly good with a good number of playback handles for such a small surface.

"Again, it has a similar surface to the Vista I3," he added. "The Vista is such an intuitive console - easy to use and quick. Because of this intuitive design it's very quick to patch and program and have a show up and running quickly. Als