World - Star Events designed and built two completely new stages to accommodate Adele’s 2017 fully in the round stadium shows and the impeccable sound required by the tour, which is currently wowing critics and audiences across Australia.
Initial audio planning required eight hangs of V-Dosc K1 and K2, some 10m high, arranged facing outwards around the stage and a substantial sub-bass hang dead centre of the stage. However, for optimum results, the speakers had to be suspended 25m up.
With Adele wanting to be closely surrounded by audience in a genuine 3600 lay-out, there was no available real estate for all the usual control equipment. Tour production manager Richard Young conceived the idea of building the racks into two shipping containers that form the heart of a production area suspended high above the stage.
Required to suspend over 40 tons at 25m before

The Netherlands - Seven halls of Amsterdam’s RAI expo centre hosted an annual two-day event for a well-known brand. The technical production – lighting, audio, video, rigging and special FX - for all areas was delivered by Breda-based Unlimited Productions B.V., who sourced over 600 Robe moving lights for the occasion!
Several lighting designers were involved, working under the supervision of Unlimited Productions across the different areas with their own Bert Kelchtermans designing the general plenary session in Hall 8 for 7000 people.
Michel Suk lit the three food halls and two smaller presentation spaces, while André Beekmans from The Art of Light, well known for his work with EDM superstars like Armin van Buuren and Hardwell, plus renowned dance music LD Ronnie Santegoeds from 4Light put creativity and flair into ensuring the party area was a memorable and fun

China - German production company La Belle Musical saw in 2017 with a truly international production of Mozart! for Chinese fans of musical theatre at the Shanghai Culture Square, PRC.
The production, which combines high-tech contemporary scenography with period costumes, addresses the life and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and features an advanced spatial sound design by award winning Swiss designer, Tom Strebel of audiopool.
The sound system was supplied entirely from Germany by Feedback Show Systems, who purchased a TiMax SoundHub audio delay-matrix processor to meet Strebel’s exacting spatial amplification system spec.
For Strebel, the inclusion of TiMax to sympathetically amplify a full company of radio-mic’d actors across a multi-channel distributed speaker system was a given. He explains that, “it is simply not satisfying without. I have u

World - Dutch DJ/producer, Armin van Buuren, selected Allen & Heath’s flagship DJ mixer, the Xone:DB4, as his mixer for the worldwide Armin Only Embrace tour.
The tour has been operating for the past nine months, with dates in the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, China, Turkey, Mexico, Taiwan, Brazil, Australia and USA.
“I'm really impressed with the sound of the DB4. I love the separate FX per channel and their overall sound,” says Armin van Buuren. “The mixer is really flexible with routing of inputs, filters, EQ's and FX and that makes it possible to be extra creative. The D/A conversion is superb and it really gives my set some truly noticeable extra depth and dynamics. I was able to test the mixer in several big rooms with big PA systems and the difference with other mixers is just stunning.”
(Jim Evans)

World - Coldplay’s Head Full of Dreams tour will commence its Asian stadium leg later this month. The tour has already made history by selling out 100,000 seats in Singapore. At the same time, Kings of Leon is winding up their UK tour and heading for America. What do the Southern rockers from Nashville have in common with the cerebral London band, each heading to opposite ends of the globe? Paul Normandale of Lite Alternative Design is production designer for both tours and Solaris Flare is his LED fixture of choice.
“We’re using 96 Flares for Coldplay and 36 on Kings of Leon,” says Normandale. The genres are a little different but we found the Flares are quite ‘ecumenical,’ the perfect tool for any mood. On both shows we face the Flares toward the audience for maximum effect. We use them in all modes to create interest, occasionally zapping the crowd wit

USA - St. Paul and the Broken Bones, currently promoting their newest album, Sea of Noise, brought their soulful sound to the historic Ryman Auditorium for a two-night engagement with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites.
Lighting designer Chris Lisle sought to create an effective production package that harkened back to the old school looks of lighting. “For this design, I definitely wanted to think outside of the box and perhaps use a few fixtures that were a little more obscure,” Lisle explained.
“I also wanted the system to be conventional heavy with a lot of warm tungsten. With this, we used the Maxi Brute fixtures, SunStrips, and Scoops. I also found some “tubular ripples” that had not seen some action in a while and decided to add them to the rig. The BB7 units were meant to add some colour and punch throughout the songs as well. It was

Australia - Christian College is a primary-to-grade 12 independent school located over five campuses in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The school's Major Events team is responsible for the setup and operation of audio, visual and lighting for events as diverse as band performances at school and local venues, musical theatre productions, débutante balls, art shows and assemblies. When it came time for the school to invest in their own sound system, the Major Events team turned to Fulcrum Acoustic.
Christian College required a versatile, portable audio system capable of delivering high output and pristine clarity for their varied applications through compact enclosures easy for students and staff to handle and set up.
"Based on their familiarity with FA Portable systems I'd provided them over the past few years, Fulcrum became the logical choice for the school's portabl

UK - Working for event designer Jason Morais, the team from event production specialist Maestra London returned to the Freemasons Hall in London’s Covent Garden for the second year to ensure that the 2017 Warner Music Brit Awards after-show party was a success. Maestra delivered the full technical and creative production including supplying all the technical and scenic infrastructure – set, lighting, rigging, audio, all décor – including a myriad of bespoke designed items, carpeting, furniture, drapage and soft-goods.
With Jason’s vision, the team led by production designer Jenny Woollard, senior project manager Aisha Tarayan and technical managers Adam Jones and Edwin Higgins coordinated all elements right down to the colours, textures and styles permeating the rooms. This year the entrance was graced with a spectacular sculpture made from 30 silver helium filled s

The Netherlands - International creative design practice Painting with Light was commissioned by Panasonic to produce a high-impact multimedia live show for their stand at the 2017 ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) expo at Amsterdam RAI.
Painting with Light’s creative director Luc Peumans initiated the idea of simultaneous tracking and projecting onto multiple objects. It was a mission for which no-one could calculate a potential success rate in the confined and frenetic space of an exhibition booth.
Panasonic’s Hartmut Kulessa and Thomas Vertommen, both in charge of the Visual Systems Marketing, first asked the question which fired Luc’s love for creative risk and experimentation - setting a trail of events in motion. “Luc’s vision and determination plus the unwavering support from Hartmut and Thomas were real driving forces,” confirms Michael Al Far, Paint

USA - Former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung hit 70 in mid-February without breaking stride. Performing a two-hour-and-ten-minute Valentine’s Day concert before a packed house at the 3,400-seat Star Plaza Theatre outside Chicago, the singer-keyboard virtuoso exhibited the same spirited infectious energy that made him one of the more popular rockers of the ’70s and ’80s.
Keeping pace with him note-for-upbeat-note on classics like Babe and Come Sail Away was a punchy Mathew Ryan light show that featured a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by JR Lighting Design, Inc.
“We asked JR Lighting for help in beefing up our show for this concert,” said Ryan. “The first thing they recommended was the Rogue RH1 Hybrid, which we added, along with some beams and strobes, to our touring rig. They more than lived up to our expectations.”

Malta - The walled Cittadella on the Maltese Island of Gozo has been of strategic importance since the Phoenicians first set out in boats to trade with their neighbours more than a thousand years before the beginnings of the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, the fortifications were regularly extended and improved by whoever had taken possession of the island at the time. Ironically, 300 years without a siege has meant that it has been allowed to lapse into serious decay.
The Maltese government has adventurous plans to restore the Cittadella as a World Heritage site and museum to cater for the wave of tourists beginning to pour on to Gozo for its natural beauty. Renowned museum and attraction design and AV specialists Sarner International were engaged to design and implement an unusual experimental visitors’ centre located in the Cittadella’s abandoned water storage rese

France - French band M83 has been touring its brand of electro-pop - and its latest album, Junk - around the world, playing festivals including Coachella in the US and Glastonbury in the UK, as well as headlining at academy-sized venues, all to rave reviews.
Their audio system has been supplied by Clair Brothers since the band was big enough to take one out, says Front of House engineer Robbie Barr, with a pair of DiGiCo SD10s now forming an indispensable part of the package.
Robbie has been with the band since 2012, initially on playback / Ableton and now mixing the show for the current album campaign, whilst monitor engineer Laura Davis joined them this year. Both engineers have experience with DiGiCo consoles, both are using an SD10 for the first time for the tour, and both have the latest Stealth Core 2 software which, they say, is a game changer.

UK - Amaluna, Cirque du Soleil’s latest conceptual presentation is playing to packed houses at the Royal Albert Hall. The drama’s underlying narrative unfolds through Cirque’s seductive style, yet that most potent form of mime is melded to an unusually muscular score.
“Amaluna’s music is unique within Cirque du Soleil shows,” confirms Matthew Steuart, Cirque’s head of sound for the show. “It’s a powerful rock driven score, featuring a traditional bass, drums and guitars band alongside some electronic elements that when combined, create Amaluna’s signature powerful musical experience.” That call for a rockier edge saw Steuart ask Britannia Row Productions to readdress the sound design.
“We were extremely happy with the L-Acoustics Kara PA Britrow deployed last year,” continues Steuart. “Prior to last year’s visit in th

UK - A VIP crowd gathered recently in a 39th floor luxury penthouse in London’s South Bank tower for the launch of Fabergé’s new dual time zone watch, the DTZ. Set to the backdrop of London’s impressive skyline, the unveiling of Fabergé’s watch was accompanied by a special live DJ set by Vogue Williams. An equally impressive supporting lighting concept was created within the penthouse, courtesy of Big Fish SRL, which used a selection of Chauvet Professional WELL Fit, Maverick MK1 Hybrid and Ovation E-190WW fixtures to create a lighting backdrop to the celebration.
With the penthouse itself harbouring numerous interesting characteristics such as high ceilings, a balcony, and a central chandelier consisting of stainless steel balls, illuminating the space was a complicated and involved task. One of the fixtures instrumental in achieving this was Chauvet Professional

UK - A.C. Special Projects Ltd. (AC-SP) has specified, supplied, installed and programmed a versatile colour-changing performance and house lighting system for the Belle Shenkman Studio at the prestigious Royal College of Music (RCM), London.
The RCM is one of the world’s great conservatoires, training gifted musicians from more than 60 countries for international careers as performers, conductors and composers. Situated in South Kensington, the RCM's teaching and performance facilities are amongst the highest technical standards in the country for musicians studying at undergraduate, masters or doctoral level.
The project brief for AC-SP was to provide a multi-purpose lighting solution for the RCM's Belle Shenkman Studio, which is used by students to make video recordings of musical performances for their portfolios.
Up until now the college had been using por

USA - Country music star Easton Corbin has been bringing his smooth twang to audiences around the country with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. His newest single, Girl Like You, has been climbing the charts as fans await his much anticipated fourth studio album.
Lighting designer Andy Knighton utilized GLP Impression X4S on Bandit created ‘Go-Go’ Truss, a custom designed A-type truss where a pipe can be mounted down the centre allowing smaller fixtures to be more portable.
“There are also two Bandit exclusive GRNLite pars in the bottom for toners and one Robe Pointe at the top of each tower,” Knighton said. “This allows for an expedited up and down as there is not very much time in between set changes, along with fitting in various clubs and drawing low power.”
Bandit also supplied Chauvet Legend 230 SR Beams, GRNLite moving washes,

USA - The early years of this century were tough on Kmart. Once the second largest retailer in the US, the company had been surpassed by faster, nimbler rivals. Emblematic of the chain’s demise were the vacant Kmart stores that dotted America’s landscape, like the one at 4411 Olton Road in Plainview, Texas. Vacant since 2002, it stood as a neglected eyesore in this West Texas town for 14 years, until it became the gleaming new home of the rapidly growing Harvest Christian Fellowship.
The transformation of the old abandoned store is instantly apparent to all who pull into its spacious parking lot, thanks to the tasteful landscaping and new building façade. Inside, the utilitarian discount store interior has been turned into a warm and inviting worship environment. At the centre of it all is a bright sanctuary stage that projects a contemporary look, while still connectin

Japan - dnp Partner KIC Corporation has installed dnp Supernova Infinity Screens to create a huge display for customers of Satellite Chuetsu, an off-track betting facility in Japan. This not only meets the customer’s demands for size and clarity, but gives the facility a new selling point.
Based in the Niigata Prefecture, Satellite Chuetsu wanted to upgrade its previous two 130” rear projection displays, and so turned to dnp partner KIC Corporation of Tokyo for the solution.
The customer wanted a display that was not only bigger, but would also offer wider viewing angles. KIC had already installed a dnp Supernova Screen solution at Satellite Aizu, a similar facility in Fukushima Prefecture, and Satellite Chuetsu were keen to use similar technology.
Satellite Chuetsu eventually chose a dnp Supernova Infinity display (comprising four 120” units) using 08:8

Czech Republic - Extravaganza is a high-profile corporate event, organized by the multinational Herbalife in the world’s most prestigious cities. The latest edition took place in Prague’s O2 Arena.
The Extravaganza organization enlisted Planet Service for the design and implementation of the event.
The Planet Service staff report, “Extravaganza Prague was an event of the highest technological level. For this production we used the new CORE hybrid moving heads by DTS.
“The COREs have proven irreplaceable for the highly dynamic lighting design we have created. This, thanks to their great luminosity, combined with the wealth of internal effects and their super-fast movements; also they provided the versatility of Spot and Beam projections in the same fixture.
“In addition to the COREs, we installed over 250 DTS projectors of various types. The stage

UK - Almost 300 Robe lighting fixtures were used to illuminate the 2017 Total Production International (TPi) Awards produced by TPi Magazine and staged at Evolution in Battersea, central London on Monday night.
Robe used the opportunity of being in front of the entire industry to launch a brand new lighting fixture - the pixelPATT - featuring seven 30W RGBW LED multi-chips, one in the centre surrounded by a ring of six, housed in a super-slim and lightweight brushed metal frame - which extends Robe’s PATT range of elegant retro-styled light sources.
20 x pixelPATTs graced a spectacular lighting rig designed by Nathan Wan, together with other new fixtures including the Spiider LED wash beam and the Spikie, and favourites like Pointe, ColorStrobe and DL7 range profiles and fresnels.
The starting point for the lighting design was the shape of the screen / set crea

UK - Adlib’s busy start to 2017 has included including supplying a full arena sound system for the European leg of A Day to Remember’s Bad Vibrations tour, complete with a consoles / control package for the other sections of the tour.
Adlib’s Sam Proctor and Mike Flaherty have been working closely with the band's own system tech Justin Lenards to fine tune the system each day for their engineers Nate Northway at FOH and Adam Schuler on monitors. “They are all great people to work with and we’ve really enjoyed being on the tour as well as supplying a suitably punchy system to match the energy of the (punk metalcore) music,” stated Sam.
Adlib has previously worked on UK arena tours with ADTR and their late FOH engineer / tour manager Jeff Kaplan, and was delighted to reunite with these very exciting live artists now being production managed on the r

South Africa - The city of Johannesburg is the country’s hub for film, television and music and that focus on the creative industries spells opportunity for those interested in fields like production, design, and multimedia technology.
City Varsity school of media and creative arts plays an important role in the education of young talent in the region and access to professional equipment is essential. So when the school recently launched a new multi-cam studio at their Braamfontein Johannesburg campus they chose to outfit it with Elation Professional broadcast-optimized lighting including TVL CYC RGBW cyclorama wall wash luminaires, TVL Panel DW softlight luminaires and DW Fresnel LED lights.
Elation’s South African partner The Production Warehouse (TPW) was responsible for consulting and installation on the project from start to finish, including design of the li


UK – Knight of Illumination (KOI) Awards is powering up in preparation for its luminous tenth anniversary event this September. Billed as the ultimate showcase of lighting and video design achievement in the UK, the Awards is already receiving outstanding nominations in lighting and video design as international creatives and industry supporters push to see their favourite works of 2016/17 take home a KOI sword this landmark year.
Work performed or broadcast between the 1st August 2016 and 31st June 2017 in the UK in the Awards’ Television and Concert Touring & Events categories is now eligible for nomination via the official KOI website www.knight-of-illumination.com. Anyone is eligible to submit a show they feel worthy of recognition and lighting and video designers, including international designers who have worked on shows in the UK, are encouraged to sel

UK - Involve, one of the UK’s leading systems integrators specialising in the design, implementation and support of visual collaboration solutions, has recently delivered a two-room meeting space solution based on Symetrix Radius AEC technology to British commercial television studio, ITV Central.
ITV required a solution to make their meeting spaces more flexible and productive whilst maintaining an easy-to-use front end. “We have a regular need for remote comms,” explained ITV’s Ian Glen. “We put two programmes out every day with reporters based in multiple locations. At the end of the day we hold a debrief conversation from those same multiple locations and we were finding that the phone system we were using was unreliable and we had great difficulty in hearing those at the remote end.
“Our head of news instructed me to look into a solution and that led m

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