Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

Events

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UK - Hand Held Audio's growing involvement in Outside Broadcasts has kept them "very busy" in the first part of 2007, the company reports. Apart from the now regular contribution of all things wireless at the BAFTAs and the BRITs, the North London wireless specialist has a large system of Sennheiser 1046 radio mics on this year's Comic Relief fund-raiser, Celebrity Fame Academy.

A complex system spread across the facilities of BBC1, BBC3 and CBBC has a total of 44 channels of radio microphones and nine channels of in-ear monitoring. A combination of personal mics for the reality section and chromed hand-held mics for presenters Patrick Kielty and Claudia Winkleman uses five of Sennheiser's 8-way 1046 receiver racks and two of their 3-way 203 racks. Transmitters are SK50/SK3063 body packs with MKE2 Gold for the personals and the new SKM5200 hand-held transmitters

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USA / Germany - Since its introduction two years ago, the Digidesign Venue live sound environment continues to gain momentum with 350 flagship D-Show systems sold worldwide. Venue has been used by engineers on major tours with artists such as Beck, The Good, The Bad And The Queen, The Cure, Snow Patrol, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Barbara Streisand, Manic Street Preachers, U2, and many more.

Inline with market demand, Digidesign introduced a second Venue System last September and in just five months the Venue D-Show Profile has sold more than 100 units worldwide. With its more compact footprint, the D-Show Profile extends the benefits of Digidesign's unique solution into new live sound applications such as theatre installations and corporate AV.

Digidesign's European Live Sound sales manager, Mike Case, attributes Venue's rapid adoption to its unique feature

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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USA - Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton, was the traditional glittering affair this year, where nominees, presenters, record industry executives and celebrities rubbed shoulders as a string of A-list music performers took to the stage. Delicate Productions of Camarillo, California once again provided the sound equipment for the annual event, outfitting the stage with Sennheiser wired and wireless microphones for performances by Smokey Robinson, Black Eyed Peas, Akon, and the night's highlight, Jennifer Hudson.

"We used 16 channels of the Sennheiser EM550G2 wireless microphone receivers, with SKM935G2 handhelds," says monitor engineer Scott Scherban. "There were eight channels of EW300IEMG2 in-ear systems." The setup also included two Sennheiser NET1 wireless management systems, providing control, monitoring and management of the microphone and

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UK - Among the many companies honoured at this year's Total Production Awards ceremony was the Birmingham based Total Solutions Group. "We were absolutely delighted and proud to receive the award for 'Favourite Stage Set Company'," said managing director Chris Cronin. "It's a tremendous 'thank you' to our dedicated and hard working team who are always prepared to take on the next unusual challenge that this industry constantly issues."

Hosted by Suggs, of Madness fame, a record 1,200 people from the live entertainment industry attended the ceremony. "It's a great honour to be recognised as an industry leader by your own peers," said a clearly delighted Cronin.

Over the year, Total Solutions provided staging for Kylie, Il Divo and George Michael along with a host of other top artists. The Company specialise in blank paper design challenges such as

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USA - Super Bowl XLI may have suffered through a downpour, but it was Prince who reigned, with an electrifying performance that was hailed by some as one of the most thrilling halftime shows in the history of the game. Conditions were far from ideal for any electronic equipment, but the most critical item, Prince's chrome-plated Sennheiser wireless vocal microphone with a Neumann capsule, took the rough weather and the singer's rough handling in stride.

"My big worry was that Prince's mic was going to get soaked and quit working," admits James Stoffo, who has been in charge of wireless systems for the musical entertainment segments of the Super Bowl for many years. "But it never did die. It was soaking wet when we got it back, but it never quit on me.

"Although there was a spare standing by, the vocal microphone, which pairs a chrome-plated handheld Sennhei

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USA - XL Touring Video recently completed its project as video contractor for Rock Star Supernova's You Can't Stop The Party 2007 World Tour, which kicked off in January in Hollywood, FL, and finished up the American leg at the end of February.

XL worked with production designer Brian Hartley to provide an 8ft XLTV custom-designed MiPix Globe populated with 2,500 MiPix LED, which was suspended over the crowd, stage left; four Mainlight Soft LED High Res panels, hung upstage, three portrait-style Barco D7 panels configured two wide x three high were positioned in front of the soft LED panels and two High End Systems Catalysts.

XLTV's president, John Wiseman, said: "Rarely do we get a chance to work so closely on the front end as we do with Tommy Lee on all his projects. For RSSN, we were given the chance to bring in our favourite creative team including Nick Militel

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UK - Adlib Lighting supplied equipment and crew to Mika's recent tour. Adlib designer Ian Tomlinson was brought onboard by tour manager Jamie Butterworth - the two have previously worked together on Mylo.

Adlib's head of lighting Pete Abraham says: "It's exciting to be working with such an amazing breakthrough artist as Mika. There's a massive buzz about him and he's a great live performer. Ian came up with a highly adaptable and dynamic rig that fitted a variety of venue sizes." These ranged from the Birmingham Barfly to Koko in London.

Tomlinson started with floor-based trussing to build a structural outline for the stage. To give it a quirky flavour - matching Mika's interesting performance style - he chose a semi circle of truss that rested on the floor at the back creating an arched effect, flanked by two quarter circles, which also appeared as arches.

Onstage

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Germany - Danish manufacturer DPA Microphones will be co-exhibiting with its German distributor, Mega-Audio at ProLight&Sound 2007, Frankfurt.

Among the wide selection of DPA products on display will be the SMK4061 Stereo Microphone Kit, billed as a cost-effective and flexible stereo recording solution aimed at project studios and for discreet mic setup on stage. The kit packages two DPA 4061 high quality omnidirectional miniature microphones with a variety of mounting accessories.

Another recently introduced product is the BLM4060 Boundary Layer Microphone for use in boardrooms, conference facilities, courtrooms, teleconferencing and any application "requiring excellent vocal pickup". The BLM4060 is a transducer designed to work under optimum conditions when placed on a tabletop, and also performs well on any hard, flat surface that reflects sound.

Also on show at

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Germany - Midas will be displaying a grand total of five XL8 live performance systems at Prolight + Sound 2007, Frankfurt. One of the systems can be found on the PADCO stand and another, a full flight cased touring system, on the Bosch Communications Systems, EVI Audio stand.

For those who want to hear a XL8 through a large PA system, two more will be performing front of house duties for all three stages at the Agora Tent, handling a range of live performances throughout the day and into the night, while the fifth XL8 will be installed in a private VIP room where Midas will host hands-on demos for the duration of the show.

XL8 is the first of a new generation of open-architecture, cross-platform, integrated audio control and distribution systems, which brings control of not only audio, but other aspects of live performance to a single, intuitive control centre. XL8 represents

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Norway - Video projector manufacturer Projectiondesign is joining forces with Dataton at ProLight&Sound in Frankfurt this year, to demonstrate the scale and impact of multiple projected images in both rental and fixed-install applications.

On the Dataton stand, five DLP Projectiondesign projectors - one F20sx+, three F30 sx+ and one Cineo30 1080 - will be integrated with Dataton's Watchout software platform for edge-blending and large-screen presentations. All projectors utilise Texas Instruments new BrilliantColor technology for the reproduction of images.

First unveiled in 1999, Watchout is a PC-based platform that allows for the creation of automated, multi-display presentations at corporate events, trade shows and live theatre productions, and also in installed applications such as theme parks, corporate headquarters and shopping malls.

"For some time now we have be

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UK - HSL supplied a 12-way Kinesys automation system, 220 ChromaQ ColorBlock DB4s and 4 Robe DigitalSpot DT5000s to LD Rob Sinclair for the latest leg of Keane's Under The Iron Sea world tour, which featured a series of sold-out UK arena shows.

The lighting supply was a joint production between HSL and its Blackburn neighbours Lite Alternative. This combination worked well on the recent Human League tour which Sinclair also directed.

HSL's Mike Oates says: "It's great to be working with Rob again. He has a unique vision and creative direction, and is always coming up with new and innovative ideas and presenting us with new challenges."

Sinclair wanted his lighting design to be flexible enough to give the band plenty of space when they needed it, whilst also to being able to close the show right in at more intimate moments. He chose to do this using pantograp

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UK - Keane's audio crew chief, Ant Carr, has selected a 24-channel Allen & Heath GL2400 multipurpose console for the band's new studio, a converted barn in the South of England.

As well as a rehearsal space, Keane will be using the premises to write new material. The band is currently rehearsing for its forthcoming UK arena tour, which will be closely followed by a tour of South America in April.

Freelance engineer, Ant Carr, started working with Keane when he was part of the Skan PA Hire team in Reading, where he covered system tech duties for several band engineers. "I had a look at what consoles were available before deciding on the GL2400," he says. "I had a set budget and in all honesty, there wasn't another desk available for the price that could provide the professional features that the band needs."

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Daft Punk's conceptual show, featuring a fusion of lights, LED and video required the addition of a separate stage at the Bang! Music Festival in Florida.

Andre Serafini, technical production manager for the event, explained: "This was very much eleventh hour. As soon as we saw the renderings of their huge triangular set, a mass of Pixel Line, Versa Tubes and video wall we knew there was no way we could put other acts on in front of them without revealing the magic."

Promoters, Haddad Productions, also saw the dilemma and without hesitation ordered in another 60 x 40 outdoor stage. "We also had to pull in another PA system," continued Serafini. "My company, Beach Sound Incorporated, already had the other four stages covered, but we were max'ed out equipment wise with some simultaneous corporate events elsewhere in the States taking the last of ou

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Europe - Lighting&Sound International magazine is making an unprecedented special offer to European industry professionals at the forthcoming ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (28-31 March).

For the first time ever, L&SI is offering full-time professionals on the European mainland the chance to sign up for one year's FREE subscription to L&SI magazine - a subscription that would usually cost around 75 euros (£50). Visitors to the show can sign up for this great offer by visiting the PLASA/L&SI stand at the Hall 8.0 Walkway, stand J80. (Look for the VPLT, ESTA & PLASA signs).

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Blitz, the technical staging specialists and part of the Blitz Charter Group, recently employed a range of AV technologies when it worked in partnership with 2LK Design Ltd at the Business Travel Show at Earls Court, London, to provide an interactive stand for Virgin Trains.

Arranged and managed by Stephen Rickard at Blitz, the stand operated as an input station; it incorporated an array of AV equipment designed to encourage visitors to key in their thoughts and ideas about possible future inventions and lifestyle ideas that might improve the travelling experience.

These visitor contributions then appeared interactively in 'clouds' above a full motion image of the Virgin train, displayed on six horizontally mounted seamless plasma screens. This method of data capture ensured that Virgin would be able to provide specific and relevant information about Virgin Trains to the

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Russia - Building on the success of its flagship event, Integrated Systems Europe, Integrated Systems Events, a joint venture company of CEDIA, Infocomm International and NSCA, has entered into an agreement with MidExpo International Exhibitions and Fairs to produce Integrated Systems Russia in Moscow 8-10 November 2007. Integrated Systems Russia will be held in conjunction with MidExpo's Hi-Tech House and Building Exhibition and will take place at the Gostiny Dvor.

Integrated Systems Russia will include a comprehensive programme of workshops, seminars, round table discussions and company presentations. Aimed at custom installers, dealers, resellers and influential buyers, the educational programme will "not only inform, but also influence and inspire the key decision makers", according to the organisers.

Attendees are expected to convene from across the vast CIS reg

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Germany - The L-Acoustics will be promoting its KIVA PA system at ProLight&Sound. Packaged in a sleek, fully integrated, ultra-compact design, KIVA is intended to "meet the highest demands of audio professionals and deliver the ultimate performance level in its category".

KIVA also fulfills the five WST (Wavefront Sculpture Technology) criteria in line with the scientific concepts introduced by L-Acoustics in 1992 and shared by the benchmark WST lineage of V-Dosc, dV-Dosc, and Kudo.

The system is "highly appropriate" for both the fixed installation and rental production markets. The main system components consist of KIVA, full-range element operating from 80 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth; KILO, complimentary low frequency extension element operating from 50 Hz to 100 Hz bandwidth, and the LA4 amplified controller.

"KIVA delivers a considerable number of imp

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Germany - eJamming AUDiiO is being promoted as "the first and only software application and online service that enables musicians to find, network and play music with one another over the Internet in real time and in perfect synchrony, facilitating music education, social networking and collaboration".

eJamming AUDiiO provides a virtual practice and recording studio for musicians and singers worldwide. With eJamming AUDiiO, musicians can write, rehearse, record, learn and play with each other over the Internet, in real time and more importantly, in synchrony. All they need is access to a computer, broadband connection, audio interface device and microphone, says the company.

The eJamming AUDiiO portal includes such social networking features as searchable musician profiles including music samples, an automated calendar for scheduling sessions, forums, celebrity blogs

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Czech Republic - Robe Show Lighting will showcase its latest moving light and digital lighting products at Prolight & Sound in Frankfurt. These will include the ColorWash 2500E AT, the new 700 Series, Robe's StageQube 324 and the DigitalSpot 5000 DT, complete with new functions. Robe will also highlight the new StageFaze 1500AT and its powerful, expediently sized Club Series of moving lights.

The ColorWash 2500E AT is the most powerful wash light currently available in the Robe range. Using the MSR Gold 1200 SA/SE FastFit lamp and a 1400W electronic ballast, the fixture offers a smooth linear motorised zoom, full CMY + CTO colour mixing system, two colour wheels with six easily replaceable slots and combined dimmer/shutter unit.

Also highlighted will be Robe's newly released 700 Series of moving heads, featuring the ColorSpot 700E AT, ColorWash 700E AT and the ColorWash 750AT

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USA / Germany - Following the success of the SRM450 and SRM350 Active PA speakers, Mackie will unveil at ProLight&Sound the newest member of the SRM family, the SRM150. This compact active PA System is designed for a variety of sound reinforcement needs. With 150w of ultra-efficient Class D amplification and the 5.25" EAW-designed, full-range neodymium driver, the SRM150 delivers high sound pressure levels.

"The SRM150 integrates the proven technology from the SRM series, along with an easy-to-use onboard mixer in a compact package," said Mackie Brand group vice president John Boudreau. "It makes the SRM150 the perfect choice for a wide range of applications such as boardroom and classroom A/V, and live music performance in venues such as coffee houses, piano bars, and rehearsal rooms. Plus, the SRM150 outperforms everything in its class by delivering higher

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UK - FeONIC is to unveil its latest generation of loudspeaker driver systems, which it says can turn any resonant panel or surface into a loudspeaker. The sounders can be placed onto the hidden side, say the company, so no wiring, speaker grilles or boxes are visible.

Currently aimed at domestic applications, but also likely to attract attention from designers of retail and leisure spaces, FeONIC technology can be used with any audio system with sufficient power rating, replacing conventional speakers in 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 and even 9.1 systems, the company says.

FeONIC says its audio systems can be created from standard plasterboard, MDF, plywood or blockboard, and hardwood floorings, creating a truly integrated, hidden sound system. It also offers the benefits of an even dispersion, rather than the 'sweet spots' associated with conventional loudspeaker technology.

(Lee Baldock)

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Australia / Germany - This year's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt promises to be LSC's biggest and best, the company says. What they have in store for the show is "top secret", with the only clues a teaser advertisement campaign in the run-up to the show.

All they'll say about the new product release is: "It has legs, it's powerful, it's built well, and more importantly it's want you've been asking for."

Alongside the new product release will be the full LSC catalogue including: the maXim control consoles with built in Capture Visualisation Software allowing the user to fully integrate with their programming, and the complete range of dimming and power distribution products.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Aviom debuted its AV-M8 Mic Input Module at NSCA 2007. Promoted as "ideal for distributing audio in boardrooms and conference rooms", the Aviom AV-M8 Mic Input Module saves contractors time, money, and labour, says the company.

The AV-M8 converts 8 analogue audio channels to a digital stream and provides eight mic-level inputs. It offers plug-and-play simplicity that runs over an easy-to-install Cat 5e cable, requiring no drilling of conduit.

Two channels include a 30dB switchable pad, allowing line-level signals to be connected. Eight channels of digital audio may also be input via ADAT, from a second AV-M8 module. Analogue audio is input via eight latching 5.0mm Euroblock connectors. Each analogue input channel features a set of configuration DIP switches for individually selectable gain settings, +48V phantom power, and low cut filter.

Analogue input chann

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USA - Blues System's North American debut at USITT, Phoenix was a great success, according to the company. The product range, manufactured in the UK by Global Design Solutions and specifically designed for backstage lighting applications in the working theatre, won the PLASA 2006 Innovations Award at its European launch last year and Blues System has already been installed at various venues in Europe.

TMB has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Blues System in the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Said Chris Curran, TMB's architectural sales director: "Blues System is truly one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' new products. It solves many backstage lighting problems as well as offering options that were previously impractical. We were almost overwhelmed by the positive response at USITT and also by the various possible new applications that arose during con

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