China - LED video processors manufacturer Brompton Technology has opened a new China office.
Based in High Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan, in Shenzhen, the new office was opened in response to customer requests.
“At the first few meetings I had with potential customers in China, there were two immediate comments made,” explains Elijah Ebo, Brompton’s general manager (China). “I was told, ‘It’s nice to meet you, but we don’t speak English, so you’ll struggle to deal with us,’ and ‘London [where Brompton’s head office is located] is a long way away and the time difference is considerable. But if you had an office here . . .’”
In response, Brompton had employed two Chinese speaking field application engineers (FAEs) to help its customers with system design and technical support, whilst Elijah, who is also learning Mandarin, started to travel to China more regularly.
“We acquired the office space in August last year and we’ve already seen a considerable benefit,” Elijah adds. “And in addition to being on hand in Shenzhen we have recently added Chinese language support to all our processors, which can be accessed via the Language section of the Preferences menu, and are in the process of updating all our technical and marketing literature into Chinese as well as working on a new Chinese website.”
Both the new office and Chinese language support have had a big impact on how quickly and how many people the team can see, says the company.
“Our panel manufacturer partners and customers appreciate the fa

Germany - At Prolight + Sound 2019, ETC and High End Systems (HES) will be joining together to showcase the latest line up of product innovations across four stands in Hall 12.1: Stands B40, B41, B46, B47. This includes the debut of a new product which will be revealed at the show.
Visitors to the stands will see ETC’s first automated fixture in over a decade, the award-winning Relevé Spot. Specifically designed for theatre, this moving light boasts a calibrated four-colour additive mixing system and an Ani-gobo wheel.
HES will showcase a selection of pioneering automated lighting technology, including the SolaFrame 3000, SolaFrame Theatre and the new SolaFrame 1000 and SolaSpot 3000. The recently launched SolaFrame 1000 offers a diverse feature set and is available in Ultra-Bright and High CRI versions. SolaSpot 3000 boasts more than 37,000 lumen output with a Bright White LED engine. The flagship fixture offers an unprecedented amount of effect combinations – three gobo wheels for a total of 21 patterns, two animation wheels, two prisms, aerial effects and more.
The TurboRay by High End Systems will also be at the show. This new fixture in the company’s FX range offers a classic retro look with its radial diffusers, and can be used as a narrow-angle wash light or as a powerful hard edge beam that produces beautiful aerial effects and more.
There will be three product lines of control on display at this year’s Prolight + Sound: Hog, Eos and ColorSource. Visitors to the stand should look out for “something new and exciting in the wo

USA - Musician, music producer, composer and DJ, Martin Vogt - known by his stage name of Haywyre - hit the road this February with his Discovery + Form tour to mark the release of his latest series of EPs, Panorama, in November 2018.
Having kicked off at The Crocodile in Seattle on 22 February, the tour runs for 17 dates culminating on 22 March at the U Street Music Hall in Washington DC. The venues throughout the tour vary in size from the 350-capacity Catalyst Atrium in Santa Cruz to the 800-seat EchoPlex in Los Angeles.
To maintain the visual integrity of the production between venues, lighting designer, Taylor (Brotay) Copp chose Ayrton MagicBlade-R fixtures, supplied by Hivemind Lux LLC, as his highly versatile key lights. “We mount the MagicBlade-Rs on to black poles on either side of the stage,” says Eric Bindman, Haywyre’s tour manager. “We can up- or down-scale this arrangement to suit each venue, and because it requires no overhead truss, we can fit into the smallest room.
“The complete scaleability of the design means we can keep true to the identity of the show design without having to rework the set from venue to venue. This is really important, firstly because Haywyre relies heavily on our visual cues, and secondly because it ensures we can deliver the same standard of show to every venue regardless of size. The MagicBlades are totally instrumental in keeping the promoters and the artist happy.”
Bindman first encountered MagicBlade fixtures on stage at a festival in Canada. “I found them incredibly in

UK - The Linbury Theatre has recently reopened following a three-year renovation project which saw the original studio theatre thoroughly refurbished (see LSi March). A key part of the renovation was the installation of a new sound system from EM Acoustics, supplied and installed by Stage Electrics.
The decision to use EM Acoustics for the full PA system turned out to be quite straightforward as both Tom Thompson, technical manager of the Linbury Theatre, and Martin Adams, the technical manager in charge of the redevelopment project, both have a long-standing relationship with EM and already knew the HALO-C compact line array system well. It was also important to them that EM Acoustics is a British brand. “A flagship British institution should use flagship British products, so EM is also ideal from that point of view,” says Thompson.
Thompson describes the new setup with pride. “It’s a very flexible system that can be used in a number of ways, but the standard setup is two hangs of eight HALO-C boxes left and right with a separate set of ground-stackable HALO-Cs at stage level with two pairs of EMS-118 subs - one at stage level and one up high”
“We’ve then got lots more boxes of different types around the space to fill in the little gaps underneath the circle overhangs and also to provide rear surround. They vary in size from EMS-41s and upwards depending on the use of th

UK - At last week’s AGM of the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers (ISCE) Helen Goddard, managing director for AMS Acoustics, was appointed as the new president, for a term of three years, taking over from Phil Price, while Gareth Collyer was appointed vice president.
In her inaugural speech at the AGM, Helen Goddard thanked the outgoing president for his hard work and commitment to the Institute during his term. Phil Price remains as a director of the institute and chairman of the ISCEx committee.
Goddard comments: “I aim to continue the great success Phil has achieved in his term as president for the ISCE, whose membership has evolved enormously to appeal to a younger, wider and more diverse demographic, whilst continuing to support existing members.
“The institute has modernised its infrastructure and now offers more benefits to individual members including training, health and safety assessment testing and ECS Card application processing, allowing members to apply for an ECS Sound Engineer Card.”
Goddard adds: “The Institute is for its members and so we are keen to know about any issues that council may help with. This will help us devise strategies to fully engage our newest members, such that the institute can dynamically thrive for future generations.”
(Jim Evans)

Spain - Christian Orcin has joined d&b as managing director of d&b audiotechnik Spain.
Headquartered in Barcelona, d&b Spain is one of nine d&b subsidiaries around the globe. Orcin’s responsibilities include sales and marketing and overseeing service and support for regional customers and sales partners.
Orcin comments: “My role will be to maintain the leadership d&b has established in the Spanish mobile/rental market. The brand’s potential for growth in the fixed installation market is huge so developing our install partner network will also be a major focus. I’m inspired by the opportunity to implement this ambitious growth strategy and I’m eager to work with the team in Spain and around the world.
“With key audio technology innovations like the d&b Soundscape, and products like the SL-Series family of line arrays, the engineers in Germany are setting the global brand apart in the market,” adds Orcin. “As custodians of the d&b brand in Spain we are responsible for delivering sales, service and support to match that international promise.”
An electroacoustic engineer, Orcin has spent the last 20 years in the pro audio and AV industries, acquiring a strong track record in customer support and an extensive knowledge of the Spanish AV market. Orcin joins d&b from his most recent roles as vice president of sales and product marketing EMEA for Leyard Optoelectronic, having held former positions in visual media at EARPRO and Panasonic.
Phill Coe, d&b EMEA territory manager says: “Spai

USA - Special Event Services (SES) has sent a large complement of Claypaky Scenius Unico, Claypaky Mythos 2 and Claypaky Sharpy fixtures on tour with American country group Zac Brown Band. ACT Lighting Inc. is the exclusive North American distributor of Claypaky.
Zac Brown Band has commenced the second leg of its Down the Rabbit Hole Live tour, the group’s fifth headlining concert tour, in support of its fifth studio album, Welcome Home. Down the Rabbit Hole Live launched last summer; the new 15-date leg kicked off I March in Tulsa, Oklahoma and wraps in Peoria on 27 April. Zac Brown Band won’t be idle for long – their Owl Tour begins in Indianapolis at the end of May and will play 36 dates in North America through October.
SES is the lighting vendor for the band; its sister company Special Event Transportation (SET) serves as the trucking company.
“We’ve worked with Zac Brown Band for the last 10 years, including the first leg of Down the Rabbit Hole,” says Jeff Cranfill, co-founder and vice-president of SES. “The design team has redesigned the rig for 2019.”
Bruce Rodgers is the production designer for Zac Brown Band, Chris Cockrill the lighting designer and Diego Pernia the creative director. Rodgers’s new set for the tour features “Moving LED walls and trusses that create a variety of scenic changes throughout the show,” Cranfill explains.
SES has added 53 Claypaky Scenius Unico fixtures to the new rig. “Chris [Cockrill] asked me for some options; he wanted to move away from

USA - When leading folk music venue The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, recently upgraded their audio system, they also decided replace some older incandescent fixtures with an Elation Professional LED lighting package of Fuze PAR Z60 IP luminaires and SixBar 1000 IP battens.
Designer and programmer of the new lighting system is Kent Cubbage, who specified the lighting console and Elation fixtures in co-operation with lighting vendor and installer Fantasee Lighting of Belleville, Michigan. “When you’re dealing with The Ark, you’re dealing with a piece of history,” says Cubbage of the intimate 400-seat venue steeped in decades of American music narrative. “My goal was to create a rig that visually emulated the classic PAR rig it was replacing.”
To mimic that vintage PAR look, Cubbage used 30 Fuze PAR Z60 IP single source PAR luminaires, which have a lens face that appears as one colour instead of individual LED diodes for a non-pixel look reminiscent of traditional LED wash fixtures.
“With the COB single source, they emulated the PARs they were replacing,” he states. “I knew if I put up a bunch of LEDs, the extremely loyal audience at The Ark would be offended by the ‘skittles’ look.” Cubbage also needed a fixture with a wide angle to deal with the room’s low trim and because the designer had used Fuze PARs for a previous outdoor install, he knew they were IP rated and therefore fanless and quiet. “The Fuze checked all my boxes: LED, quiet, old-school source look and wide angle.”
Because space on the floor is at a pr

USA - Sennheiser unveiled its new Century ANC headset at Enterprise Connect, Orlando (18-20 March).
The new variant, Century SC 660 ANC USB, is designed for customer-centric workers who need a durable wired headset with “outstanding sound quality, effective call handling and excellent comfort”.
The ANC can be switched on and off via the in-line call control and the proximity sensor technology makes it possible to answer a call, put it on hold and resume the call simply by taking the headset on and off. The headset features thick leatherette ear pads which not only ensure a high level of comfort and passive noise damping but also improve the audio music performance. Sennheiser Voice Clarity and the ultra noise-cancelling microphone provide a natural listening experience. The Century ANC variant is UC optimized and Skype for Business Certified.
“It is crucial to businesses that employees can focus and work efficiently even in busy and noisy office environments,” says Theis Moerk, vice president of product management enterprise solutions at Sennheiser. “When using a headset for calls all day, high quality is the keyword. Our new Century ANC headset lives up to a high standard of quality when it comes to both sound, craftmanship and user experience. With this headset, people can stay focused on calls and ensure effective conversations with customers,” explains Theis Moerk.
At Enterprise Connect, Sennheiser also releases two additional wired Century Mobile headset variants: SC 635 USB-C (single-sided) & SC 665 USB-C (double-sided)

Germany - Staged at Munich’s Werk 7 theatre, Die Fabelhafte Welt der Amélie (The Fabulous World of Amélie) is a complete re-realisation of the musical version of the popular movie, Amélie, incorporating the original score and book by Daniel Messé, along with music from the composer of the film, Jann Tiersen.
Paul Gatehouse was asked to create the sound design by Simone Linhof, the creative producer at Stage Entertainment, Germany, and as part of the complex audio design he deployed a pair of Optocore’s DD4MR-FX to give him the large quantity of MADI channels required.
Speaking of the production, Gatehouse said, “I’ve worked with Simone and Stage Entertainment many times over the years and I was thrilled to be asked to design this production.
“The real attraction was the brief created by the producers and Christoph Drewitz, our director. They wanted the production to feel deeply organic and hand-made, and the music had to have a rich acoustic texture, with the cast performing a lot of the sound effects vocally or with props in real time. I also really liked the songs Daniel has written, and after hearing Will Stuart’s orchestration demos, I was in.”
Stage Entertainment hold a large inventory of sound equipment and the designer elected to use their KV2 SL412 loudspeakers as the main system, along with smaller KV2 speakers (EX26, EX6, ESD25, ES6, ES5) as fills and delays.
“I’m a long time DiGiCo user and rely on the ’T’ theatre software as the backbone of my workflow, so we reached a good place where

Poland - Poznań-based Gigant Sound Letus has made a further investment in Outline loudspeakers, adding 36 of the company’s new Superfly design plus 16 DBS 18-2 sub-bass enclosures to its rental inventory. In combination with existing stocks, they now boast the largest inventory of Outline GTO-series products in Europe.
The Polish company was founded in 1993 by owner Jurek Taborowski, and services a variety of domestic clients in numerous fields in addition to other projects in Eastern Europe and even as far afield as the US. Now employing over 30 people, the company also works extensively in television.
Taborowski comments: “Considering the extremely small dimensions (height 24cm), the weight - only 38kg - and the number of components used (2 x 10", 2 x 8", 1 x 3") Superfly is an absolute leader in the audio market in its construction concept and ease of configuration. Dynamics, the range and purity of the sound is unquestionable.
“In particular, the power and accuracy of Superfly compared to its size and weight makes it ideal for our television work, where we often have to put in systems that cannot be easily seen but which must properly cover quite large areas. Superfly is perfect for this, but can also handle many other types of project for us.”
He concludes: ‘I have owned and used Outline systems for many years and they have served my company very well - I have always liked the way they sound and how easy they are to use. Superfly is I think a natural development for Outline and combines all the good things about their products

Spain - Malte Polli-Holstein, key account manager for maritime projects at Hamburg-based system integrator Amptown System Company (ASC), and his team have recently finished integrating media technology into the entertainment surfaces on the AIDAnova, the first cruise ship in AIDA Cruises’ Helios class.
The ship was put into service in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December 2018. It has more than 2,600 cabins, and is the first cruise ship to be run entirely on liquefied natural gas (LNG) in keeping with the concept of green cruising.
“In the highly competitive cruise market, it’s important for a shipping company to set itself apart from its competitors. A great deal has been done with the entertainment offerings and the restaurants on the AIDAnova to wow the guests even more,” explains Polli-Holstein. “We and the shipping company literally started with a blank sheet of paper and began to develop tailored and innovative technical concepts. These were then fine-tuned in the engineering process together with the shipping company’s designers and planners and the Meyer Werft shipyard, and were realized together with renowned manufacturers using state-of-the-art technology. We were able to take the experience we gained with previous new buildings, for example in the areas of videos and projection or in the transmission of all multimedia signals in a fiber-optic network, and apply it to the AIDAnova spectacularly and in new forms.”
“The guests can therefore look forward to sensational shows performed on a 360° stage in the Theatrium,” Poll

UK - Paul Roughton has been appointed as national sales manager for Stage Electrics. Previously regional sales manager for London and the South East, Roughton has been with Stage Electrics for 13 years.
Working for Stage Electrics’ sales director Anna Western, he is responsible for communicating new product developments with prospective clients, whilst offering one to one sales advice and product demos to both existing and potential customers and line managing technical sales consultants.
“Due to increasing demand nationally, we are expanding the sales team, and as a result we needed a manager who could oversee the process,” comments Anna “Paul, with his extensive experience and thorough understanding of our operation, was the perfect candidate for the role.”
She adds: “this is an exciting time for Stage Electrics, we are seeing opportunities to expand our offering and enter new markets. Paul will be pivotal in helping me make this happen.”
(Jim Evans)
*Awaiting pic

Belarus - Since the mid-2000s J:Mors has been one of the most enduring Belarusian rock bands, with a long list of hits, tours and awards behind them.
More recently, J:Mors played a concert called Kryly (‘Wings’ in Belarusian) after the single of the same name in the in the Prime Hall concert hall in Minsk. The programme included both new songs and the most popular songs from their archive
The lighting design was handled by the band's long-time collaborator, Alexander Bobel, director of the GrandLight Studio. Vladimir Pugach had asked for something unusual and GrandLight Studio developed the entire concept, starting with the ideas, equipment and implementation, ending with a final flash of blinder. Assisting him were numerous products from the PR Lighting portfolio.
The designer's partnership with PR Lighting equipment began several years ago, with equipment provided by a rental company. “At that time the XL 1200 was available, and since then I have implemented many projects at Prime Hall using PR Lighting equipment,” he says. “PR Lighting devices perfectly suit the riders of most artists, and there has never been any problem with coordination. Every time I have operated their lights, they have proven themselves in all respects.”
The concert hall also invested in its own PR Lighting technology, and so in this instance he used the in-house equipment. “It made no sense to change the types of devices, since the PR Lighting equipment - namely the XS 1200 Spot, XR300 Beam and XLED 3109 Zoom - cope perfectly with their tasks. The

Albania - Martin Audio is making inroads in the Albanian capital of Tirana, thanks to its distributor Prosound and the BlacklineX series loudspeakers. The most recent installation of this system has been at the L’Uva Bistro Lounge, situated in the heart of Tirana’s nightlife area.
Based in the same city, Prosound were brought in by the venue owner, who was looking to undertake a total renovation. The venue itself is a one-room, 250-capacity establishment, with a veranda by the entrance, which trades through the day and late into the night. Background music during the day makes way for a DJ and occasionally live bands during the weekends.
With this in mind, L’Uva required a sound system with the capability of handling electronic DJ music and live bands, with high SPL levels during the busy weekend nights. At the same time it had to be sufficiently compact to be discreet during working hours in the daytime. ”Other brands were considered but Martin Audio was chosen because of its sound quality and value for money,” states Prosound technical director/sales manager Endrit Veleshnja.
Prosound managing director, Kliton Gjika, who designed the system and managed the project, reports: “The BlacklineX series is an excellent choice, offering a combination of high quality and value for money. All models in the range have surprisingly compact enclosures, making them ideal to install in multifunctional venues where a discreet look is also important for the architecture and the design. At the same time they deliver extremely good sound quality with exc

Poland - Portman Lights, the Polish manufacturer of decorative stage lighting fixtures, has received new investment from The French Team (Xavier Drouet, Jérôme Bréhard and Alain-René Lantelme) the original founders of the successful brands of Axente, Ayrton, Sixty82, and others, in a move that will allow the company to expand its R&D potential, service its clients more efficiently and develop new products more swiftly in response to market demand.
Established in Gdansk in September 2016 by lighting designer, Łukasz Sztejna and business development manager, Dominik Zimakowski, Portman Lights enjoyed immediate success. Now, just 30 months later with three highly specialised, patented products in its portfolio and another due for launch at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt 2019, Portman Lights has a distribution network of 25 distributors covering 35 countries. It boasts a portfolio of concerts, festivals and television shows that includes Cher, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Mumford and Sons, Sting; Glastonbury, Roskilde, Open'er; X Factor UK, America’s Got Talent, Voice of Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Eurovision 2018 finals. and more.
“We want to be a world-leader in decorative stage lighting and are still growing and developing new products,” says Zimakowski. “R&D is the most important area of our company and, to continue producing more mature products with great design and superb features, we decided to search for investors who could help us to move Portman onto a higher level in the industry.
“We needed a truly experienced partner with th

UK - Leading international theatre consultancy Theatreplan has strengthened its team with three appointments. Architect and theatre planner, Anniek Wasser, broadcast and AV consultant, Joel Hauxwell, and architect and BIM expert Carlos González Martín, all joined the team within the last few months.
Anniek Wasser is an experienced architect and theatre planner and arrives at Theatreplan after ten years at AEDAS Arts Team (formerly RHWL Arts Team). She has a broad range of experience working on performance spaces including, the Victoria Palace Theatre; Watford Colosseum; Queens Theatre, London and the Music Hall at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Joel Hauxwell has a comprehensive background in broadcasting studios and systems installations. Whilst working as installation design manager for audio visual contractor, Hawthorn, Hauxwell worked alongside Theatreplan on the delivery of the theatre at London’s Channing School, and the refurbishment of the Grand Hall at Battersea Arts Centre.
Carlos Gonzalez Martin is a qualified architect, with a wide range of experience in Spain. González Martín completed his MSc in BIM Management, at the University Pablo de Olavide in Seville at the end of 2018, joining Theatreplan, immediately afterwards.
Director Roger Fox says: “These recent appointments add significantly to Theatreplan’s knowledge base allowing us offer an even more comprehensive service to our worldwide clients.”
(Jim Evans)

Indonesia - Acoustic Sound Image Integrated Solution (ASIIS Indonesia), distributor and system integrator of hi-end audio, LED, sound and lighting systems, has successfully staged promotional expos in three cities - Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya.
ASIIS Indonesia under the leadership of Andy Mulya Sutikno is the organiser of the ASIIS NEX GEN Sound and Lighting Expo 2019, which aims to provide the latest technological updates on sound and lighting products. 
In this expo, ASIIS Indonesia exhibits many of the brands it represents, including Waves eMotionLV1, Audio Focus, ChamSys, Minuit Une and VMB Lifts.
During the Waves session, Ebenhaeser (sound engineer and Waves specialist) and sound engineer Tommy Utomo explain the benefits and technology of the eMotionLV1, a revolutionary live digital mixer.
During the ChamSys session, Tommy Hartono (lighting designer & ChamSys specialist) elaborates on the hardware and software contained in ChamSys desks.
Lighting designers from house of worships, broadcasters, rental companies, clubs and media attended this event were enthusiastic. This NEX GEN Expo generated clear information about lighting console solutions that could facilitate the works of lighting engineers.
The last session was also related to the lighting industry, but this time the technology presented was very different - IVL Lighting by Minuit Une, a lighting technology with a deep perspective as well as an immersive experience with unlimited effects. Speakers for this session were Eric Phelep (founder of Minuit Une) and W

Slovenia - Nearly 300 Robe moving lights were utilised by lighting designer Žiga Krajnc for the televised 2018 Noč Modrijanov Slovenian folk festival held at the Dvorana Zlatorog Arena in Celje and directed by Marjan Kučej.
Over two days, around 100 different Slovenian singers, folk troupes and dance ensembles presented a range of pieces that were enjoyed by around 12,000 people watching live as they performed on an elaborate scenic stage designed by a collaboration between Andrej Šifer, Miha Prosen and Blaž Podpečan, which depicted a typical Slovenian village.
The shows were recorded and broadcast on RTV1 in the first week of the new year, so lighting - supplied by rental company Event Lighting - needed to work live and on-camera.
Ziga has lit the event twice before, and this year his brief was to highlight the set - comprising seven different styled Slovenian houses, a town hall square and other traditional village landmarks - in two different base lighting states - daylight and night. This was to be applied according to the show script.
On top of this he was able to layer effects, texturing and a variety of looks and scenes adding the appropriate drama and emotion.
“I needed to have as much scope as possible and that’s why I chose all these different Robe fixtures” he stated.
He utilised 10 different types in total - from MegaPointes to ParFects - a wide ranging ‘magic mix’ of BMFL Blades, Spiider wash beams, LEDWash 600s, Pointes, MMX Wash Beam, LEDBeam 100s, CityFlex’s and one Robe RoboSpot remote follow s