Projects

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08 May 2024

Canada - The Big Air Show ski/snowboarding event at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ontario, featured a fast moving and colourful lighting design created with Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Production Service Industries (PSI).

Lighting designer Andrew Dawson and production manager/co-designer Matt Chambers lined each side of the 200ft landing with five towers, separated by about 50ft. Each tower had three Color STRIKE M motorized wash-strobes and a single Rogue Outcast 2X Wash on top.

Drawing on the intense output and colour rendering prowess of these fixtures, the designers created a series of distinct and colourful looks for the 20-to-30 skier and snowboarder jumpers who participated every night.

“We broke our colour combinations down into a few segments,” said Dawson. “This year's show featured a ‘competition mo

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08 May 2024

Germany - The Hannover State Opera selected Prolights Astra Hybrid330 to light up the 2024 Opera Ball, held under the theme Let the Sunshine In. The event drew over 3,330 guests and showcased a range of musical performances, from classical to modern, necessitating a flexible and adaptable lighting system.

The Astra Hybrid330 proved to be up to the challenge with their hybrid design, which includes both beam and spot capabilities, a wide zoom range, and CMY colour mixing, enabling seamless transitions between different styles of performance.

Positioned 12m above the main stage, these spotlights provided an exceptional performance under the direction of lighting designer Fabian Grohmann who shared his enthusiasm for the Astra Hybrid330: "I was truly amazed by their capability. Despite their compact size, the Astra Hybrid330 spotlights are incr

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07 May 2024

Australia - Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius at The Lume Melbourne, located in the Melbourne Convention Centre, is an immersive exhibition created and produced by Grande Experiences with Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the custodians of Leonardo’s original manuscripts, the Codex Atlanticus, housed in Milan. The gateway to Leonardo's life and legacy is a colossal 3,000 sqm/ four-story high multisensory gallery that envelops visitors in an immersive journey, engaging all the senses with sights, sounds, scents, touch and taste that recreate the ambiance of the Renaissance.

Craig Smith, Grande Experiences' head of production, operations & technology comments, “Several years ago, when looking for a spatial audio solution for The Lume Melbourne, aFX Global and Encircled were among the first companies we spoke to. IOSONO quickly became the

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07 May 2024

USA - Rat Sound Systems continues its tradition of delivering quality audio experiences at Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. With the Outline Newton FPGA-based processing platform powering the festival’s audio systems for another successful year, Rat Sound Systems reaffirms its commitment maintaining standards in live sound reinforcement.

Since its debut at Coachella in 2019, the Outline Newton processor has been a cornerstone of Rat Sound Systems’ audio setup. Dave Rat, sound system designer, sound engineer and president of Rat Sound Systems, highlights the critical role of the Newton processor in their audio distribution: “We use Newton in our master distribution racks. I do believe all of our stages have it as we use the Newton to tie into the event security override system with the GPIO.

“The racks they’re in are our master drive rack

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07 May 2024

Italy – The Laugh-Out-Loud funny LOL Talent Show returned this spring with audiences entertained by comedians who performed in theatres in Milan, Naples, and Rome. On stage, an eight-metre-high backdrop displayed pixel dot imagery, with LED strip ‘LOL’ lettering all driven by a Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 V4 from tvONE.

The upstage screen in designer Francesco Mari’s colourful set was created entirely from RGB programmable light chains - pixel dots - with a 20cm pitch, which was customized by E-Kube Srl with help of Modena-based real-time LED expert DigiLight. This created a ‘curtain’ that acted as a background ‘matrix’ screen. The three wooden LOL letters were rigged with Philips iColorFlex LEDs, covered with opal plastic cabochons. The outline of the letters was illuminated by a programmable RGBW LED strip, while the letter

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07 May 2024

USA - Light Action of Wilmington, Delaware, acknowledges that they have one of the best gigs in the industry. Each year for more than a decade, they’ve provided full-service production for a string of legacy acts on Rock Legends Cruise, a floating rock festival with a cause that sails the Caribbean every February. For years they have relied on Elation lighting to illuminate multiple stages and this year turned to newly acquired Proteus Lucius LED profile fixtures to raise the production even further.

“Gigs don’t get much better than this one,” stated Brian Market, COO at Light Action. “We have a great client in the Native American Heritage Association, it’s a great cause, and there is literally a boatload of rock talent on board. People love it so much they come year after year, and we help keep it exciting for them with top level production on t

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07 May 2024

Poland - Robe supported the 2024 Scena Jutra (Stage of Tomorrow) two-day symposium in Warsaw, which this year changed up to a new venue inside the city’s Palace of Culture & Science in downtown, one of Europe’s tallest buildings.

The sixth edition of this growing two-day event featured over 120 speakers, both international and from across Poland, who gave a series of presentations or joined lively panel discussions. These embraced an eclectic variety of topics all related to production design, visual and sonic art also embracing architecture and built spaces, plus several more esoteric but related subjects.

While the designated exhibition area provided a backdrop for Robe to showcase some of its latest tech, the vibe was more about stimulating ideas and exploring the adventure of possibilities that might be achieved now and in the future thro

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03 May 2024

USA - The promoters of the 27th Arizona Bike week billed their event as a ‘five-day celebration of motorcycles and music’. Half a million visitors attended the event at Westworld of Scottsdale in early April.

John Garberson and his team at Creative Backstage designed the stage using fixtures from their own inventory as well as gear supplied by LIT Lighting. The production team’s effort provided a vast and supportive canvas for LDs from Godsmack, Yelawolf, Brantley Gilber, Everclear, and George Thorogood & The Destroyers.

As part of their plan to create a larger impression during the festival, Arizona Bike Week organisers asked Garberson to have larger IMAG Side screens. At the same time the bands had their own requests. As Garberson recalls it: “Our client wanted to beef up the side screens from last year, while the production teams from

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03 May 2024

Denmark - Østre Gasværk is a theatrical venue in Copenhagen. It opened in 1979 on the site of a redundant gas works and the theatre is housed within the old gas tank. Its giant cylindrical shape makes it a dramatic place to stage the musicals and theatrical events that Østre Gasværk is known for.

The addition of a new DiGiCo Quantum 7T has revolutionized the programming and rehearsal process. Morten Frank, head of sound and board operator for its latest musical, UrineTown, explains what it means to have the DiGiCo Quantum 7T at the front-of-house position.

“Having the Theatre software for our Quantum 7T has really helped,” he says. “It gives us a great overview of the cues in the show, and quickly being able to change members of Control Groups during rehearsals has been a massive improvement to our workflow.”

The DiGiCo Theatre so

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03 May 2024

The Netherlands - On 23 March 2024, the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus in Scheveningen, echoed with the beats of music and the excitement of the crowd as the sold-out Must x Kurhaus took centre stage. The event not only showcased an impressive line-up of artists, but also underlined the rich history and allure of the venue.

The Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus stands as a monument to elegance and grandeur, with roots dating back to 1818. Over the centuries it has served as a beacon of luxury and sophistication, hosting dignitaries, celebrities and now events like Must x Kurhaus.

Headlining the event was internationally acclaimed Spanish DJ David Penn. Joining him were Mr Belt & Wezol, DJ Roog, Divine and MC Roga, each contributing to an electrifying atmosphere that captivated attendees from start to finish.

Enhancing the sensory experience was th

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03 May 2024

Italy - On 3 March, pop-rock band The Kolors played the Forum d'Assago in Milan before announcing their new international tour which, in addition to Italy, will visit Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Belgium.

The lighting for the concert was designed by lighting designer Francesco De Cave who chose 120 Ayrton Cobra laser-sourced fixtures for the event, supplied by Italian service company, Agorà.

Cobra features a native contrast never before achieved by a digital light source, 0.6° beam angle, and extreme focus range that allows the shape of the beam to be adjusted to suit operation at any distance XT -Focus.

“I have already used Ayrton fixtures for many tours and programmes: Eurus, Domino, Perseo, Cobra,” states lighting designer, De Cave. “This time I chose Cobra as the special feature in the lighting design pre

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03 May 2024

South Korea - With 4,000 seats, Noksan Church in Gangbuk, Seoul is one of the largest worship spaces in the country. It’s also the first to install an immersive sound system, placing the congregation at the centre of the celebration made through words, music and praise.

With cooperation from Nexo distributor A-Works and using Yamaha AFC for ambience control and object-based mixing, the system was designed and installed by CTO Kim Do-seok and the team at immersive media technology specialists Sound Korea ENG.

Five arrays of nine Nexo Geo M10 are hung above and across the stage at the front of the chapel, with two lines of six Nexo MSUB 18 hung centrally. Amplification and processing are provided by Dante-networked Nexo NXAMP4X2Mk2 Powered TD Controllers.

“The installation at Noksan Church is the latest immersive sound project by Sound Kore

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03 May 2024

USA – Pop band LANY recently wrapped up the North American leg of its 2024 tour, A Beautiful Blur, named after their fifth album released in 2023. Bandit Lites provided the lighting for duo Paul Klein and Jake Goss who named their act in honour of Los Angeles and New York.

Lighting designer Ben Gilbert sought to streamline the design with LED fixtures, offering both a cohesive design and easier time programming. He drew inspiration from the cylindrical halo video element and curved the lighting trusses around it.

Bandit Lites supplied Ayrton Khamsin S, Chauvet Strike Array 4, Chauvet Color Strike M, Chauvet COLORado PXL Bar 16 and Bar 8, VL 3600 and ROBE Pointes as well as two grandMA 3 Full consoles and a Follow Me System.

“The Khamsin is the workhorse of this design and is a fantastic LED fixture,” said Gilbert. “With its f

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03 May 2024

Belgium - The Flanders Technology and Innovation Festival (FTI) is a six-day celebration of technology and innovation hosted across different cities in Belgium. The entertainment event takes place at the Buda Island in Kortrijk and is organised by Hangar K. Split into five distinct areas, the festival aims to bring people together to experiment, strengthen bonds, innovate and tackle the technological challenges of the future.

Leyard Europe’s LN Series LED screens delivered for the Unwrap Arena at FTI. The space celebrates new technology with an educational bias. During the festival children, educators and interested adults are invited to test out new equipment and immerse themselves in gaming to find out more about this booming Flemish industry.

Chief catalyst, Vincent Vanderbeck, is the power behind Hangar K. The company has a passionate ambition

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02 May 2024

USA - For the March world premiere of One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse in Southern California, lighting designer Jaymi Lee Smith turned to Elation’s new Proteus Odeon LED profile fixture to fulfil a number of lighting roles.

The Odeon, a full-featured 30,000-lumen moving head that houses a variable CRI LED engine, allowed the designer to find the best blend of intensity and colour accuracy to accurately form the onstage lighting while energising the theatre with full-on effects after the final curtain. 

Founded in 1917, Pasadena Playhouse, distinguished as the official State Theatre of California and honoured with the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, stands as one of the nation’s most prolific theatres, having staged thousands of original productions. One of those original plays, One of the Good Ones, which ran f

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02 May 2024

USA - Supporting Shaindy Plotzker’s performance at The New Jersey Performing Arts Centre on 6 April was a deeply immersive, multi-level set design on a substantial (18ft deep and 13.5ft trim) stage.

At times, this expansive set evoked images of an ancient courtyard, at others it inspired with majestic mountain-like imagery. Lighting designer Moshe Baskin and programmer-operator Max Blackman brought this spectacular panorama to life with help from 170 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Shaya Alder’s Eagle Production.

Baskin described how the design came together. “This concept came from an Israeli designer, Ronen Najar. Eli Gersner of EG Productions, who produced the concert, reached out to have us create something with it. I took it into Vectorworks and worked on it until I was happy. I substituted the original fixtures with Chauvet Prof

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02 May 2024

Romania - When WJB Media was looking to build the first certified Dolby Atmos Music Studio in Bucharest, together with Ines Sound, they turned to LEA Professional to amplify the space.

The team’s end goal in creating the studio was to ensure more engineers and artists could experience the immersive effects of Dolby Atmos first-hand. The studio, which runs a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system with Lipinski speakers and four LEA Professional amplifiers, is already attracting musical talent from far and wide.

The visionary behind the studio is legendary sound engineer Joe Hellow, who has worked with some of the top artists and labels before using the pandemic experience to redefine what was next in music production. This was Hellow’s second experience working with LEA Professional amps, having already created a similar studio in Nashville, TN.

“What

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01 May 2024

Denmark - Lighting designer Niller Bjerregaard, of Happy Light Guy, who has achieved global acclaim for lighting metal arena tours, has found that his current work for singer-songwriter Jacob Dinesen’s 40-city 2024 tour of Europe has led him to reignite many ideas from his early work for King Diamond.

“I joined Jacob Dinesen Band in 2017 for a lengthy tour of Denmark as the new LD and production designer,” said Bjerregaard. “Now, I am with his current tour, and it’s been a great learning curve for me to get involved in that scene coming from metal music. This is a genre of music with a fan base that is absolutely dedicated to the genre and style, but believe it or not, there are many similarities between this and metal from a design point of view. The reason I find Jacob and his music so interesting is his openness to a theatrical approach for his

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01 May 2024

UK - Office rentals specialist Halkin recently opened new premises on King William Street, in the heart of the City of London’s financial district. Distributed across four floors, the workspace required an extensive AV system that would fit the brand’s technology standard and enable collaboration and ease of use for clients. London-based AV and IT specialists, Tateside led the integration of a complete AV system across a total of eight meeting rooms.

“We have worked with Halkin on several workspaces over the past couple of years,” reveals Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “We started out collaborating on smaller jobs such as upgrades of existing meeting rooms. The complete integration of the new office spaces at King William Street is our largest project with Halkin.”

Halkin has established a technological standard across all

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01 May 2024

Italy - Prolights’ VersaPar has been included in the lighting setup for 100Minuti, the new prime-time show on the La7 network, hosted by Corrado Formigli and investigative journalist Alberto Nerazzini.

Provided and installed by AMG International, the VersaPar units will be used throughout the duration of the show, illuminating the studio's perimeter and contributing to creating a captivating setting. These LED PARs are ideal for broadcast environments, thanks to their high luminous output, extensive zoom range, and advanced colour mixing capabilities.

The versatile design of the VersaPar, combined with its colour uniformity and quiet operation, makes it a vital element for any television production that seeks to combine high visual and technological quality. Additionally, VersaPar's HD Dimming technology ensures that every detail is visibl

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30 April 2024

Qatar - The opening ceremony of the AFC Asian Cup at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, on 12 January 2024 featured an impressive lighting design by Roland Greil and his team.

Greil chose a grandMA3 system to control the lighting. This comprised four grandMA3 full-size consoles for the production and four grandMA3 light as mobile consoles in the stadium, supported by 12 grandMA3 processing units XL. In addition, a further three grandMA3 full-size consoles were used for preparatory work at the previz studio.

“The full redundancy as well as the incorporation of the remote consoles into the network were particularly important to us as it allowed us to operate from several different locations within the stadium. And for a show of this magnitude, the multi-user capability of the lighting consoles is indispensable, as we work with several programmers in these c

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30 April 2024

Australia - American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan played a vibrant, sold-out show at Perth’s Red Hill Auditorium in Western Australia in front of 5000 fans.

Lighting director, programmer and operator Alexandra Lutz-Higgins utilised a largely Robe lighting rig supplied for this show by lighting and visuals rental specialist, Showscreens, also based in Perth. The company has recently invested in Robe Fortes.

The Robe count totalled 22 x Fortes, 21 x BMFL WashBeams (four running on a two-way RoboSpot system), plus 32 x Spiider LED wash beams.

Chase Hall from US-based design studio Cour Design originated the visual design and Lutz-Higgins has been onboard and on the road with it since May 2023 when the tour kicked off once Kahan’s third album, Stick Season, dropped.

Lutz-Higgins originally programmed the show together with Wi

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30 April 2024

UK - The multi-use requirement of Cardiff Students’ Union’s Great Hall presented SWG Events with several challenges when designing and installing a frontline PA. The venue is a multipurpose space with a capacity of 1,500 and a variety of needs. First, the PA system needed to meet the approval of incoming circuit bands and productions, and at the same time be completely adaptable to a wide range of events. Since live music events are hosted in more than one space within the building, the PA needed to be demountable and reappropriated together in various locations.

SWG Events successfully met the challenges presented to them, their pitch based around Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision WPS line array. Joe Bailey, account manager at SWG Events, adds, “With our strong ties to the Wavefront Precision product range in our busy rental inventory, we were conf

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30 April 2024

Europe - Swedish metal band Amaranthe recently performed a near-sold out, 24-date tour of Europe promoting their latest studio album, The Catalyst, which was released in February.

The band’s lighting designer, operator and project manager, Lutz Neemann, together with systems technician and LD No2, Daniel Scheuch, used 14 Ayrton Diablo S fixtures as their main source of key lighting. Ten Diablo S were rigged on lighting towers and a further four on top of a truss set on a dolly as part of the floor package.

“I chose Ayrton Diablo S for this run with Amaranthe as they are equipped with the perfect features. They have great rotating gobo wheels, impressively real colour mixing and great dimming behaviour,” said Neemann. “It's simply remarkable how quickly the lamp responds to the dimming effects. As a touring LD for metal bands, I've se