Austria - Vienna State Opera has taken delivery of ETC's newest lighting control desk, Gio, following an extensive search over a number of years.

Lighting chief Rudolf Fischer told Prospect magazine, "Our existing desks served us faithfully for 16 years, but no longer met our requirements. They lacked a Moving Light Engine, and spare parts were difficult to obtain, making maintenance difficult."

The theatre invested in four ETC Gio desks, along with two Remote Processor Units (RPUs) and an Ion to cover the main stage lighting, auditorium and Kinderzelt, a tent on the roof for children.

"We have a very large repertoire with a very wide range of lighting - there are over 200 shows, dating back to 1957. So the ability to handle traditional fixtures as well as our old desk could, was very important to us. We watched the market for some time, waiting until t

UK - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Professional Development Programme, which will run alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May 2013.

Whether you are a seasoned campaigner in the entertainment sector or a student considering the live events industry as a career, the PLASA PDP is an unmissable opportunity to learn new skills, watch new product demonstrations, and meet some of the most respected practitioners in the business.

Kicking off is Adam Bennette, Technical Director of ETC Europe, who leads a discussion about how to design new systems that support both tungsten and LED lighting in a rational and sustainable way. Requirements for Data and Power Infrastructures for LED Stage Lighting is a seminar where audience participation is an important part of the process so system designers, technical managers from thea

USA - On 31 December, over 11,000 devoted 'Bass Heads' packed Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the new year with Californian dubstep musician/producer Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar.

LMG Touring, which supplied sound and video for the artist's 2012 New Year's Eve show at the same venue and subsequent 32-date fall tour, once again provided this year's technical production elements, including a sizable L-Acoustics K1 System.

Abandoning last year's end-stage setup for a new in-the-round design, Bassnectar's main PA for the 2013 event was comprised of eight hangs of eight K1 enclosures, each with three-Kara down-fills, flown in LR pairs around the arena's massive central Jumbotron display.

To deliver the generous LF that one would expect from an artist named Bassnectar, LMG positioned 72 SB28 double-18-inch subs on end around the perimeter of the circular rot

Germany - MasterCraft Boat Company, a premium manufacturer of inboard wakeboarding, water skiing and luxury performance boats, and known across the globe for its impressive boat show displays, has unveiled their biggest effort yet ...with a little help from Martin Professional.

Debuting two brand new models at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in January, Martin equipment added extra dynamic to the presentation with logo projection and colour wash at the centrepiece of the display - the all new MasterCraft XSTAR.

Providing control for the show was the Martin LightJockey USB DMX. Will Furze, MasterCraft international marketing manager, comments, "I've been a fan of Martin products since the 3032 era and the LightJockey 2 provides the perfect control format for my needs at our International boat shows. The speed at which I can program, especially when time is extremely limited, is t

USA - Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley kicked off the Locked & Reloaded Tour on 17 January with concerts scheduled throughout the US. Lighting designer Chris Lisle carefully conceived a design to suit Miranda's rock'n'roll style and to capture her talent, also incorporating 66 Chauvet fixtures. Bandit Lites provided the Chauvet gear.

"Miranda's music can have a very rock'n'roll feel as well," Lisle said. "I wanted a design that can accentuate her music, while filling the space visually. We also use a lot of circular truss to make it look like a big rock'n'roll concert."

For dramatic and energising looks, Lisle uses 26 Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beam moving yokes that steal the show with their big, punchy beams. "Twenty of these powerful fixtures shoot bright, powerful beams from behind the band, while six are on the floor, at the front

Australia - Following a two-year, $136m inside-out redevelopment, Australia's Arts Centre Melbourne reopened its Hamer Hall with one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest and most sophisticated Meyer Sound systems. Featuring the advanced precision beam steering technology in the CAL column array loudspeaker - which began shipping this year -Hamer Hall is now outfitted with 147 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers operating in three modes tailored to different acoustic and amplified events.

Inside the 2,464-seat Hamer Hall, two CAL 64 column array loudspeakers provide "exceptional intelligibility without exciting reflective surfaces". These slender columns handle both emergency voice alerts and any speech applications with orchestral concerts, such as narration or comments from the conductor.

According to Nick Carroll, operations manager for sound at Arts Centre Melbo

USA - With over 25 years of rigging industry experience, USA based The Rigging Box offer a level of service and professionalism that exceeds many others in the industry.

Looking to increase their brand awareness and streamline their packing process, The Rigging Box extensively researched local printed packing tape suppliers before turning to UK based Le Mark Group.

The Rigging Box's Selina Conrad said, "The best price I could find was anywhere from about $3.00 to almost $4.00 a roll, but with Le Mark the tape costs could be as low as $1.25 a roll. Even adding less than $0.25 a roll for shipping still made it worth the purchase.

"Using Le Mark's printed tape has saved us a lot of money. It's easy to work with, no razor needed to cut the end of the tape. The employee can break it off with his hands once he has completed the job and the end is always easy to find when

Italy - Clay Paky and RUMI are partners in the Moto 3 category of the Italian Speed Championship (CIV) motorcycle races.

RUMI was one of the most important Italian motorcycle manufacturers in the 1950s and 60s. It earned a reputation for innovative concepts that gave rise to motorcycles with engaging designs and excellent mechanical features.

Nowadays RUMI no longer manufactures commercial motorcycles. It concentrates on the bike racing world. It has taken part in the 125 cc class of the Italian Speed Championship for some years, and competes with multinational giants, such as Honda and KTM.

Clay Paky and RUMI are both prominent names on the Bergamo business scene. What they have in common is their continuous search for innovation for their products, their constant will to achieve technological excellence, their readiness to take on new challenges in the pursuit of new goals

Czech Republic - Robe lighting is sponsoring Czech MotoGP racer Karel Abraham for the 2013 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix - the premier championship in the world of motorcycle road racing.

Karel, aged 23 and born in Brno, Czech Republic, is competing as part of the Cardion AB team for the 2013 season, riding a super-charged new cutting-edge Aprilia ART (Aprilia Racing Technology) bike.

Says Robe CEO Josef Valchar, "We are extremely proud to be sponsoring Karel, who is competing in his third season at the very top level of international motorcycle road racing. He is young, ambitious, talented and has all the qualities required to become a champion in one of the most exciting motorsports."

(Jim Evans)

Russia - The 10th anniversary 2012 Muz TV Awards, held at the famed Olimpiisky stadium in Moscow was more than a showcase of top musical talent, it also provided a backdrop (both literally and figuratively) to demonstrate the capabilities of Light Converse's 3D Show Platform software and server hardware in action

The more than three hour show (Muz TV is Russia's answer to MTV) depended heavily on awe-inspiring visuals to match the level of performance onstage. Besides a magical-looking crown-like three screen center piece over center stage, video elements were also projected on two large arches (33m x 15m) stage left and right. The multiple piece arches, which opened and closed as acts performed or readied their place on either the left and right stages, required precise video mapping as content was projected while sliding elements of each arch dynamically moved in seven directi

UK - Lighting rental company Siyan continued its long standing working relationship with cult band Marillion, supplying a floor package to lighting designer Yenz Nyholm from newIllumination for their latest run of dates in Europe.

These dates constituted the forth leg of their Sounds That Can't be Made tour and follows an extensive touring schedule throughout 2012, with lighting equipment for the UK and European elements also supplied by Siyan.

Marillion has enjoyed a special relationship with High Wycombe based Siyan, where their account is managed by Steve Finch, who was the band's LD before joining Siyan full time in 2005. While his association with the artist stretches back an impressive 12 years, Yenz started with them from 2004, initially that year as Steve's tech, before taking over the LD position 12 months later.

The 'specials' on this latest leg of the tour

UK - A compact Allen & Heath iLive system was recently carried on tour with comedian, Frankie Boyle. FOH engineer, Steve Pattison, selected an iDR-48 MixRack with rackmount iLive-R72 Control Surface due to its very small footprint, and road tested the new dynamic EQ and multi-band compressor features from iLive's latest firmware update, V1.9.

"For me, the iLive-R72 is essential for theatres shows where FOH space is at a premium, as it is so compact but offers all the functionality and quality of much larger desks," explains Pattison.

Most of the tour venues were large theatres featuring multi-tiered balconies where there are many facets to the PA system, such as main hangs, monitors, delays, out-fills, in-fills, under-hangs and front-fills.

"In multi-level venues it can be a real pain (not just for your legs) when you need to check on all areas and make change

Germany - The Theater Ulm in Germany has expanded its intercom system with an Artist solution by Riedel Communications. Riedel, one of the leading providers of real-time networks for video, audio and communications, delivered a comprehensive Artist Digital Matrix Intercom system that also allows for radio integration.

The Theater Ulm, founded 1641, is a multistage house offering opera, play and ballet. As a result of general renovations, the Theater in Ulm has received a new Riedel Artist Digital Matrix Intercom system.

At the heart of the installation is a Riedel Artist 32 mainframe that lays the foundation for the communications infrastructure. Due to Artist's free scalability, Artist systems can be easily expanded to form infrastructures with up to 1024 x 1024 non-blocking ports per installation.

"Especially the scalability of the Artist system was really important t

USA - Orlando-based Alcorn McBride is well positioned for growth in international markets. In the past year, Alcorn McBride has restructured distribution in Asia, partnering with Wincomn in China and Hong Kong, Electori in Japan, Sovico in Korea, and several companies in Singapore.

"We anticipate significant growth in the themed entertainment and family entertainment markets in Asia. Our products are uniquely engineered for the those markets so we sought to partner with the most aggressive and well respected distributors in each area," notes Alcorn McBride's sales manager Larry Howard. "We also expect an increase of projects in Europe, the Middle East and Russia and are ramping our presence in those areas as well."

Alcorn McBride's European office in Paris, France has been directed by Henry Corrado of Alcorn McBride s.a.r.l. In 2012 Mr. Corrado expanded his

UK - Sennheiser UK has reinforced its commitment to the sound industry's future by launching a partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, bringing many new opportunities for the audio professionals of tomorrow.

Launched on 29 January, in the audio studios in the High Wycombe-based University's Gateway building, the arrangement includes the university's main recording studio being renamed The Sennheiser Sound Lab. The manufacturer will provide a range of equipment for use in the studio, including state-of-the-art digital microphones, giving students access to the very latest audio technology.

Sennheiser UK has worked closely with the university on an informal basis for the past eight years, providing education days, master classes, workshops and advice to dissertation students, but the new venture takes the interaction between the two much deeper.

A key element is the s

Belgium - L-Acoustics has announced that Brussels-based sales and distribution team, XLR, has joined the new L-Acoustics Certified Provider network for Belgium as a distributor. Jan de Brucker and Louis Lukusa head the team dealing with Dutch-speaking Belgium and with the French-speaking side of Belgium respectively, backed up by the technical expertise of Sébastien Desaever.

Jan de Brucker and Louis Lukusa said, "L-Acoustics is the leading brand in our market and we are proud to be part of the Certified Provider network. The high level of quality offered by L-Acoustics fits perfectly with the needs of our customers. We look forward to working with L-Acoustics going forward."

Tim McCall, regional sales manager at L-Acoustics said, "We are very glad to work with Jan, Louis and Seb, who have extensive experience of the audio industry, to help promote L-Acou

UK - On February 11 2013, ConcertSound Clair changes its trading name to Clair UK. One of Britain's first-generation live audio service operations, the company was founded in 1977 as Concert Sound Limited. The firm evolved from the break-up of Welsh rock band, Man, whose team included manager Barrie Marshall, agent Tim Boyle from the Arthur Howes Agency, tour manager David 'Tag' Hall and road crew Jeff Hooper and Robert Collins. At Boyle's suggestion, Man's PA system began to be rented out to other artists after they played their last show in December 1976, and Concert Sound was born in Watford with Hall initially at the business helm.

Within the first two years of operation, Concert Sound quickly earned a reputation for its excellent standard of service with artists ranging from Dire Straits, Tom Jones and Leo Sayer to a new breed of punk rockers including The Clash and The Ram

USA - As football fans gathered at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and in front of television sets around the world for Super Bowl Sunday, Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a Masque Sound Company and experts in supplying and supporting wireless systems for live and broadcast events, was on location in New Orleans to provide its expert frequency coordination and RF management for referee microphones, as well as pre-game and halftime entertainment.

For the company's 17th consecutive Super Bowl, PWS once again partnered with ATK Audiotek and Versacom for the big game. Recognising that preparation is extremely important to ensure interference-free RF management on game day, PWS project manager Jason Eskew and his team began their work almost five months prior to the game. "I did a site survey at the Superdome in October and submitted our frequencies in November for approval,&quo

USA - The creative forces of Blue Man Group (BMG) have been working for two years to bring an all-new production to the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. This international entertainment phenomenon - one of many adaptations around the globe from Berlin to Boston -comprises a trio of blue men and an electrifying combination of music and inventive technology celebrating the intersection of art and apparatus. The show, co-created with world-renowned 3-D designer Michael Curry, adds a few new elements to the mix: instruments (including Percussipede, a musical centipede of percussion instruments), a six-piece band and a Showbot robot character.

One of the casino's interior theatres was gutted for BMG's new Vegas home and its audio team descended on the space to build out the room and install a new system. Sound supervisor Marcus Ross spearheaded the efforts and programmed t

China - The 1912 blocks of the trendy Nanjing, China are draped in history and modern luxuries. The year 1912 is known as one of the most bustling and prosperous periods in the history of Nanjing and the district carries over the historical and nostalgic background in its architecture and layout. Built around the Presidential Palace, the commercial buildings still carry characteristics of the Republic of China over a century later. Nanjing's popularity is rooted in its vibrant nightlife, trendy shops and restaurants.

Club Enzo is the latest addition to the popular strip and this new 9500ft² club is considered the flagship venue of the Nanjing Trendsetter Entertainment Management Co brand. The club was designed and architecturally constructed with high calibre dance music in mind. Adamson products were chosen due to their effectiveness and performance, and installed as a distrib

UK - Star Events Group Ltd has signed a preferred supplier agreement with R.C Robinson Haulage Ltd. These two long standing Bedfordshire based companies have been working together over the past year and chose to formalise what has been a very successful relationship between them for some time. This agreement coincides with significant changes introduced by Cheryl Bowden the new logistics manager at Star Events Group.

After 25 years of running their own trucks, Star Events have made the switch to subcontracting all of their haulage in order to introduce cost savings and efficiencies. Bowden says, "I'm really pleased to have found a local supplier with a strong fleet of vehicles, which not only do the job but look the part too. Robinsons have proved themselves to be extremely professional offering consistently high standards of service over the past year and we're all looking

USA - Bandit Lites reports that it is lighting Barry Manilow's return to Broadway. After more than two decades, Manilow brings his l collection of hits to the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Opening night for Manilow on Broadway was Tuesday, 29 January 2013 and the show will run until 2 March.

Lighting designer Seth Jackson worked diligently with Manilow to create an elegant and polished environment for the intimacy of a Broadway house. While some lighting designers could be daunted by the compact environment, Jackson adapted his design to fit the traditional venue with legs, borders and proscenium.

"Cues can have more subtly and precision, colour choices can read much clearer, and the kind of looks and focus choices you make are much more contained," said Jackson of the smaller space. "We did our best in the process to forego the 'usuals' of the concert look and

UK - XL Events supplied Haymarket Exhibitions with LED screens, projection, camera systems, control and crew for their annual fashion event, Clothes Show Live.

The event took place over five days at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre in December, with top designers and fashion retailers showing the hottest upcoming trends.

The central point of the exhibition was the Suzuki Fashion Theatre, a catwalk show that ran several times daily and featured more than 40 models and dancers.

For the catwalk show, XL Events supplied a 4.5m wide by 5.4m high LED screen located centrally at the rear of the stage. This was formed from 120 tiles of lightweight Pixled FX-11.

The LED screen was flanked either side by scenic projection using double stacks of Barco FLM HD 20 projectors, managed by chief projectionist Chris Johnson.

Built into the end of the main runway was an LED floor, u

UK - One Direction performed from a stunning sloping stage designed and built by LS-Live for the band's video game themed sets on ITV's X Factor final at the end of 2012. The hit talent show culminated in a live final at Manchester Central with the boyband as special guests.

The production team was keen to raise the tempo of the show by producing a stage set that would differentiate the band's performance from the contestants, whilst fitting seamlessly in to the existing production at the venue.

Production manager on the job, Kenny Underwood of Cheeky Rascal Productions, is a long-standing client of LS-Live's. He contacted the company direct to bring to life the designs of Stufish's Ray Winkler, in just one week. The 3m wide by 12m long stage, which sloped up to a height of 2.5m, had to be assembled and roll on the stage in just three minutes.

LS-Live custom built a s

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