Singapore - Professional entertainment solutions company Music & Lights has appointed Lighting & Sound Distribution as its exclusive distributor of Prolights, Tribe and dedicated architectural lighting brand ArchWork, for Singapore.
With over 18 years of proven track record, Lighting & Sound Distribution has earned a strong position in the show and entertainment market sector, providing quality European professional sound and lighting, architectural LEDs, trussing, media servers and special effects equipment in the Southeast Asia region.
Louis Teo of Lighting & Sound Distribution explains, “Our professional values and commitment towards product quality is what attracted us toward the Prolights, Tribe and ArchWork brands from Music & Lights. We want to ensure that we and our clients share a rewarding relationship and continued product satisfaction that lasts; and the core values at the heart of Music & Lights and each of its brands really convey and reiterate this message.”
(Jim Evans)

Israel - Robe moving lights were present during the recent Israeli general elections, particularly during broadcasts from the country’s main news station, Channel 12, which built a special pop-up studio in front of Israel’s Parliament building, the Knesset, which was live for a week.
Lighting designer Ofer Jacobi was asked by Channel 12 to design a lighting scheme for the studio and Danor Theatre & Studio Systems was appointed as the rental supplier.
Ofer works regularly for Danor and is involved in many Channel 12 productions and Danor’s Erez Hadar is a lighting consultant for the Channel 12 news unit and owners Keshet Media, who turned to the company to deliver the most dynamic lighting solution for this special application.
The show’s creative team sent Ofer 3D plans of the studio together with a list of lighting requirements, and Ofer came back with a kit list that included 24 x Robe MegaPointes, 18 x LEDWash 1200s 12 x Spiider LED wash beams, eight LEDBeam 150s and six Pointes.
The MegaPointes were used at the rear of the studios to create spectacular beam effects along the front drive of the Knesset that looked very dramatic on camera.
The LEDWash 1200s bathed the Knesset building’s imposing monolithic fascia in nice, rich even light, illuminating it beautifully in what became the signature back-of-shot look for all of Channel 12’s reporting throughout the 2019 election.
The Spiiders were used to wash the outdoor area in front of the building, and the expanse of ground in between it and the pop-up studio, whil

Switzerland - For 40 years, the Caves du Manoir in Martigny, Valais have been used for cultural events of all kinds. Different crews, collaborators and teams have been part of the journey through its musical history and the authenticity and the inherent spirit of the venue has become an unspoken heritage.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the venue’s committee decided to renovate the entire caves, including its technical infrastructure, choosing a DiGiCo SD12 plus D2-Rack, supplied by Tonspur AG, DiGiCo’s distributor for the region, as the new Front of House console and upgrading its existing Meyer Sound loudspeaker system.
Sacha Knezevic Rudaz, technical director of the caves’ choices were inspired by the Montreux Jazz Festival. Rudaz, who has been part of the festival audio crew for many years, had had the chance to try out the SD12 during last year’s festival and, following a further long-term test, decided that SD12 would be the right successor for the Caves du Manoir’s ancient analogue console.
“Maybe I’m one of those hardcore DiGiCo fans, but have a look at what DiGiCo can do,” says Rudaz. “They can double the channel count within a single software update, even years after the release of a product; that’s not from this world! For me it was a logical step to get the SD12 into the Caves. The user Interface means we can have two operators working on the console at the same time, and the fact that I have every important control on a dedicated knob or button is just great. The SD12 looks sexy, it sounds sexy and it will do a

USA - Christien Methot, principal lighting designer at Design One in New York City, turned to the scenic design qualities of Elation Professional’s Artiste Picasso colour and graphics moving head for a special snow globe promotion of the all-new 2019 Nissan Altima.
Design agency Fake Love worked with Stuart Weissman Productions to display the car in a 36ft geodesic dome dubbed the world’s largest snow globe. Taped around the holidays in lower Manhattan and open to the public, the online and social media campaign was also a photo opportunity for guests that drove people to Nissan’s Instagram page.
Methot, who worked closely with Stuart Weissman Productions on the project, explains that the brief was very theatrical and all about experiencing the car amidst a fun winter-wonderland complete with snow and changing scenes. “They wanted to create very specific environments with lighting, the way a theatrical lighting designer is asked to do,” he says. “The idea was to show off the all-wheel drive aspect of the new vehicle, so part of my task was to make it look like a crisp, sunny day one moment then a cloudy, rainy day the next, then a snowy day. I needed a light that had some punch but was very theatrical in its capabilities as far as the effects on board, and the Artiste Picasso fit the bill.”
In order to display the different types of clouds you would see in each of the weather events, Methot loaded the Artiste Picasso with custom cloud gobos. “Half the globe was white opaque and half was clear plastic, much as a snow globe would be,

Germany - During Prolight + Sound 2019, ACME showcased a series of professional products, including Solar Impulse, Rissa, Thunder Struck, Spartan Hybrid, Energy Spot Pro, Aries and Oxygen.
Solar Impulse features beam/wash/spot/framing functions, a framing system, new heat pipe heat dissipation technology, high efficiency and noise reduction, 1000W LED light source, 35000 lumen output, zoom range from 5° to 50°, rotatable and replaceable animation wheel. The fixture is fairly quiet, producing no more than 45dB at 1m in standard mode.
(Jim Evans)

Germany Pop rock group PUR is known throughout Germany for their string of #1 hits from the 1990s and 2000s. They’ve ridden this wave of success for decades and still maintain a strong following with a constant touring schedule throughout the country.
For their latest tour, the band wanted to get even closer to their fans, so they decided on a set design with a centre stage. The extreme amount of lighting and sound equipment required for their concert in Dortmund´s Westfalenhalle had to be hung in the centre of the elliptic building, which measures 118m long, 98m wide, 29m high. Unfortunately, the almost 60 year-old venue did not have enough loading capacity to support the equipment needed for the concert.
Production company Satis&Fy contacted the German rigging structure company Malecon, which was tasked with overcoming the limitations of the Westfalenhalle structure and delivering an acceptable solution for hanging the lights and sound. Malecon are known across the country for their ability to provide extreme support structures for the biggest and most demanding concerts in Germany, and gladly took on the challenge.
Malecon was the first customer to invest in the new steel truss line from Milos, so it was natural for them to turn to this truss to help solve this problem. The resulting solution used Milos 145REC S-RTW Steel Truss to create two 42m spans that were each rated for a total load of 9,000 kg.
In addition to providing the steel spans, it was also necessary to ask the Area Four Industries Direct office to provide a design so

USA - CTS recently unveiled their new JBL by Harman VTX A8 line array speaker systems to an audience of clients and industry friends at their sixth annual CTS Jingle & Mingle event.
Based in Nashville, CTS is a full-service production company that specialises in providing audio, lighting, video and staging services for major concert tours, special events, houses of worship and more.
In order to offer better value and performance for its high-profile artists and clients, CTS recently purchased JBL VTX A8 compact line arrays which they put to the test at their sixth annual CTS Jingle & Mingle party. The event featured a performance by Nashville-based jazz artist Karlton Taylor and his band, and also served as the grand opening of CTS’s newly expanded operations center and warehouse.
“We work with JBL V20 and V25 speakers a lot, and we were blown away by the new JBL VTX A8 speakers,” explains Carl Taylor, CEO, CTS AVL. “The A8’s package is beautiful, and together with its size, output, sound quality and price, it was kind of a no-brainer for us. Also, the A8’s voicing is consistent with larger JBL speakers. You can use A12s for your mains and A8s as outfills or delay towers and the blend between them will be spot-on.
“You won’t notice a difference between the speakers’ tonal balance. When we showcased the A8 speakers at our annual Jingle & Mingle event, the guests all loved them and talked about them. A lot of clients said they want to use them on their next project, so that was a big success.”
CTS recently

USA - Criss Angel’s Mindfreak at Planet Hollywood Resort Casino is a spectacle of sight and sound, featuring “mind-blowing illusions” in “the first immersive Las Vegas show”. As the creator, director and executive producer of the show, Angel spent years working on building a most technologically advanced show. For a production that’s running for at least five years, there can be no surprises when it comes to lighting - it has to be consistent.
That’s why lighting designer Josh Selander wanted to incorporate High End Systems’ line of LED automated luminaires and special effects into the more than 2,000 lights in the show. The rig contains 100 SolaHyBeam 1000s, 37 SolaHyBeam 2000s, and for special effects, 22 QUADs and 9 HEX, all supplied through Blue Planet Lighting in Las Vegas.
“Having an LED luminaire is important to help keep the show consistent and have the nightly production team worry less about the colour temperature, output or quality of light of a standard discharge lamp,” Selander says.
Says Angel, “Mindfreak undisputedly boasts the largest and most sophisticated lighting plot in theatre history and HES played an integral and competitive role - alongside the very best that lighting technology has to offer.”
“Having worked with Criss before, the LD understands how to light this all-new spectacle of 75 illusions and many special effects. To enhance that, Angel made it his goal for this production to be “the most immersive experience in Las Vegas – or the world, for that matter – with a ligh

USA - William Succoso readily admits that he has always been “a sucker for Austrian Drapes”. With their fine curvy lines spread evenly across the width of their fabric, these puffy curtains provide, he believes, an ideal surface for light’s intricate patterns to work their magic on. The Long Island-based designer got to showcase the evocative qualities of his favourite backdrop recently, when he lit the popular Americana band I’m With Her on their Winter Tour, which ended in Chicago in early March.
“I wanted something that would reflect the warm sound of these artists’ music, yet would also be vibrant, so the drapes seemed like a natural fit,” says Succoso, who became associated with I’m With Her as a result of designing for the Punch Brothers, who are managed by the same team.
Using the drapes as the backdrop for the group, Succoso accented them with realistic colours from four Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures. “I went with a pipe and drape design, rather than flat hanging the fabric, because I wanted to create enclosed space between the folds for the light to play in,” he says. “I also went with a silvery colour to better reflect the light. My Mavericks were evenly spaced behind the women in the trio to match the angle of the pipe and drape.
“The Mavericks were great as a profile light,” continues Succoso. “They gave me a lot of punch. I wasn’t running a huge amount of haze, so it was nice to have a fixture that showed the beam, even though I had just a small amount of atmosphere running. Mavericks al

USA - Immersive, a production company, achieved a dazzling projection mapping for the 86th San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala. Hosted underneath the dome at San Francisco City Hall, the projection mapping relied upon Modulo Kinetic, a fully-integrated media server solution designed by Modulo Pi.
For the gala, the lavish Rotunda of the San Francisco City Hall was flooded with hundreds of patrons and donors gathering together for a memorable evening. Production company Immersive was in charge of creating a neat projection mapping and lighting install for the event called This is Passion.
Sean Mason, founder & CEO of Immersive, explains: “The projection was built to inspire while incorporating elements of the San Francisco ballet, such as silhouettes of dancers, and slow-motion footage from the performances.”
To project on the 50’x70’ arch of the Rotunda, Immersive made a two-projector blend using Christie Boxer 30K video-projectors. The production company chose the Modulo Kinetic media server solution to host media and power the projection mapping.
“Projection mapping is growing in popularity in the United States, and a media server like Modulo Kinetic makes it more affordable, accessible, and executable” says Mason.
“This is an important customer story advancement to making sure the art form of projection mapping is showcased and appreciated in the US.” One Modulo Kinetic Designer, and one Modulo Kinetic VNode server were used for the Opening Night Gala. Looking to perfectly map out the intricate details o

Germany - The Schauspiel Hannover, part of the Niedersächsische Staatstheater Hannover, offers the audience theatre, entertainment and music in five different venues. In addition to the Schauspielhaus on Prinzenstraße near the main station, these are the Cumberlandsche Bühne, the Cumberlandsche Galerie as well as Ballhof Eins and Ballhof Zwei in the old town.
After the sound mixing desk had been renewed in the Schauspielhaus two years ago, the next logical step was the modernisation of the main and back-stage sound system.
The Schauspiel Hannover serves a wide range of performances and reinforces them as needed. “In general we are seeing an increasing demand for microports in theatre productions,” says sound engineer Markus Folberth. “The demands of the various productions as well as the guest events in the house are already described as very 'mature'.”
With regard to the modernisation of the sound system, the sound engineering department wanted first and foremost a homogeneous coverage of the entire auditorium as well as good speech intelligibility, because the previous point source solution had shown weaknesses in this case. “In addition, the old system audibly reached its limits in music productions and then quickly sounded fatiguing,” says Lutz Findeisen, head of the sound / video department at the Schauspiel Hannover. “The staff of the sound department wanted to find their musical sonic tool. We were looking for a real extension of the expressive possibilities of the sound reinforcement.”
After comparing different line

Germany - Claypaky launched Xtylos, the company’s first laser beam moving light.
The fixture’s laser source lasts 10,000 hours and uses laser technology with RGB additive colour mixing to ensure the coloured light beams are “as bright as a white light beam”. The beam aperture is less than 2° and it can be decreased further to 0.5°. The range of effects features two gobo wheels - with seven rotating gobos and 12 fixed gobos (including 7 beam diameter reducers) - a wheel with three prisms, and a 16 facet prism on a dedicated channel which can be overlapped with the prism wheel.
The Axcor Wash 600 received its world première at the trade show. It is a versatile, enhanced version of the Axcor Profile 600 with the same colour generation technology. In addition, it is fitted with a framing system with four blades and three focal planes. The unit is available with three interchangeable lenses, which may also be purchased separately: PC (standard), Fresnel or Clear.
The HY B-EYE is the latest innovation in the B-EYE range, with all the range's successful characteristic features, which have been improved and further enhanced. It is more powerful (it fits 40W RGBW LEDs), more efficient, more interactive with media servers (with Kling-Net protocol built-in), more versatile and quieter than ever.
The MINI-B is the smallest LED light ever made by Claypaky for the professional market. Although it weighs only 7kg (15.43 lb) and measures only 34cm (13.39 inches), the Mini-B incorporates all the most modern and innovative technological features. Th

USA - A new dLive digital mixing system helps lead audio technician Robb Albrecht and his audio crew manage a busy schedule at Harold Miossi Hall, a 1,300-seat performing arts and multi-purpose venue at the San Luis Obispo Performing Arts Centre on the Central Coast of California.
The venue hosts up to five different shows each week including nationally-known pop artists, symphony and jazz concerts, travelling ballet companies, Broadway shows and local groups.
Albrecht and his staff manage the audio with a dLive S7000 Surface and DM64 MixRack for FOH, an S5000 Surface and DM0 MixRack for monitors, a C3500 Surface and CDM32 MixRack in a control booth and a pair of DX168 expanders located where needed. The system is networked with Allen & Heath gigaACE, fiberACE and Dante cards and was purchased from Bill Gaines Audio of San Luis Obispo.
He explains the decision to adopt a dLive system: “We had older digital mixers in each of these roles. But, when funds became available, I knew that I wanted something more advanced. We have an Allen & Heath GLD-80 in our black-box room and it’s really cool. And, when I saw the dLive at NAMM, I realised it's even another step beyond the GLD. The local Allen & Heath rep brought us a demo and I was blown away with how easy it was to get around on. Now, when we get road shows that don’t carry their own desk, it’s easy to train their engineers and they all love the dLive.”
Albrecht uses the dLive Director software to create show files away from the system which saves a lot of busy work and le

India - ETC’s ColorSource Spot Pearls lit this year’s Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week (LMIFW) in Delhi. The ColorSource Spots with Pearl LED array brought an impressive feature set, with bright tuneable white output and simple user interface to the catwalk. The fixtures lit signature autumn and winter fashion collections for 2019 at the event which was organised by the Fashion Design Council of India.
Delhi-based rental company Modern Stage Services managed the audio, video and lighting production during the four-day event. Managing director Davinder Wadhwa comments: “A reliable lighting system was crucial for the fashion gala. Twelve ETC ColorSource Spot Pearls were implemented for the first time at the LMIFW. The fixture is a variable white-light LED array which enables users to set the colour temperature anywhere between 2700K and 6500K. The ColorSource Spot Pearls brought a much-needed natural glow to the ramp.”
Renowned lighting designer Viraf Pocha, worked on the set for LMIFW autumn / winter 2019 and selected ETC’s ColorSource Spot Pearl to light the fashion show. “I prefer a more organic and subtle way of lighting. In a fashion show the light should enhance the fabric exhibited by the models on the ramp and ETC offers the right scope of lighting that compliments a fashion show”, explains Pocha. “I have been in the industry for over three decades and am well aware of ETC’s presence, globally. Everyone makes profile lights, but ETC just makes it better.”
Hi-Tech Audio Systems is the distributor in India of ETC’s US-manuf

Germany - Music & Lights’ stand design featured the company’s largest footprint to date and played host to over 400 luminaires in the popular Prolights arena along with the 20 new lighting products in the touring, studio and architectural markets also on display which were launched during the event.
The display area featured a new and innovative interactive touchscreen system allowing visitors to test fixtures at their own leisure, interact with the Music & Lights team and the dedicated global distributor network.
New fixtures on show during the show included Panoramaispot, a 420W IP-rated moving LED spot delivering stunning brightness levels, all in a compact housing; RA2000, a custom engineered moving profile/spot light with a proprietary LED engine for both touring and broadcast applications; PixiewashXB, which combines cutting-edge LED technology and traditional single lens styling.
Mosaicoxl is a long-range image projector, while PixiezoomMXB is a super bright IP rated single-source LED PAR.
The new luminaires from the Prolights, Tribe and ArchWork ranges were all available on show and connected to the touchscreen displays allowing users to integrate them into the demonstration. The demo show on the stand was visited by various international media outlets, renowned designers and worldwide customers, who conveyed their satisfaction with the stand and the fixtures to the team and allowed them an environment to share their own experiences.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Hawthorn has announced the appointment of Alex Bingham who has joined the business as technical production director.
Before joining Hawthorn, Bingham held the position of production director at Vibration Group where he was most recently responsible for assisting with the growth and delivery of production at Printworks London.
With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, this isn’t the first time that Bingham has been a member of the Hawthorn team, having been employed as their head of London projects from 2005 to 2011.
Simon Wood, group director of projects at Hawthorn, says: “We’re delighted to welcome Alex back to the team. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the new position and I believe that he will be a great asset to Hawthorn. With his in-depth experience of the industry, Alex knows how to create truly memorable experiences for his clients and shares Hawthorn’s commitment to working collaboratively every step of the way to deliver amazing results.”
Bingham adds: “I’m thrilled to be re-joining the Hawthorn team at such an exciting time for the company, which has seen exceptional growth over recent years. Hawthorn is renowned for delivering award-winning technical production for a wide range of events and venues across the UK and Europe. I’m very much looking forward to working with the hugely talented team here to deliver incredible events.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - North Yorkshire-based lighting rental company R&M Productions has acquired a large stock of Martin by Harman’s MAC Viper Profiles.
Peter Shorten of R&M Productions says: “The MAC Viper Profile is regarded by many as the industry standard in large format spots. We’ve been supplying them to meet riders for the last couple of years and have had client demand for them, so it seemed like the natural progression to make them our next major investment.”
The Vipers were purchased through production equipment sales company A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET), who delivered them in a matter of days to get them straight onto a run of R&M shows. R&M Productions has a long-standing working relationship with AC-ET.
Shorten says of Ben Steppenbeck, northern sales lighting manager for AC-ET: “Ben's a great asset to A.C., we’ve worked with AC-ET for a long time as they've got a proven track record of good service.”
Robbie Baxter of R&M Productions says: “They’ve got a range of gobos and an impressive zoom, as well as exceptional light output and optics. We’ll be using the Vipers on a range of projects over the summer and into autumn, including outdoor events, festivals and tours. They’re the go-to choice for most of the touring LDs we work with.”
(Jim Evans)

Europe - The Cambridge University European Theatre Group toured Shakespeare’s Othello recently and used effects from Elation SixBar 1000 LED battens to enhance the drama. Featuring live jazz, this new take on the famed tragedy, which was set within the world of sixties jazz clubs, played venues in France, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK, before holding an ending run at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge from 15 - 19 January 2019.
The Cambridge University European Theatre Group is a self-sufficient theatrical company that tours a Shakespeare play around Europe every December and has been doing so since 1957. The tour is entirely student run, from organising logistics to the technical elements of setting up lighting and sound in each venue. Tour manager Lily Burge oversaw all logistical elements of the latest tour, while production manager Matthew Latham oversaw the technical elements of the show.
The run posed an opportunity to showcase Elation's multi-purpose SixBar LED battens in a wide range of venues. As it is students that make up the entirety of the company, Matthew Latham says the strong team of crew members were immensely hands on with the fixtures, from designing the rig to setting them up in each venue. Led by production manager Latham and chief electrician Dylan Phelps, the on-tour technicians were able to handle the fixtures throughout the two-week-long tour and provided a chance for the entire company to learn more about how dynamic lights are used.
Eight SixBar 1000s played a key role in Emily Senior’s lighting design, four of w

USA - Lighting and video rental specialist 4Wall Entertainment has invested in new Kinesys automation equipment with the purchase of 36 x Elevation vari-speed chain hoists, 36 x LibraCELL load monitoring shackles, two K2 control consoles and numerous Kinesys Vector control systems.
This substantial purchase is for general stock and reflects the growing trend and demand for automation systems as part of shows, events, touring lighting and video systems as well as set element motion.
The decision to go with Kinesys was made by Brett Puwalski, vice president of operations, a key catalyst in this move to boost the automation resources available for 4Wall’s diverse roster of clients.
Kinesys was selected because the brand has a “great track record for reliability and service, and due to its longevity in this specialist area. Kinesys has proved time and again that it is rock solid,” states Brett.
“The current generation of visual and production designers use automation to move both lighting and video elements to WOW audiences and create amazing drama and stunning stage environments” he added, highlighting how video, in particular, has become a huge part of so many production designs in the last decade.
4Wall’s crew received training at Kinesys’ Atlanta facility at the end of last year and again in 2019, and their general feedback has been that the kit is safe, dependable, easy to install, programme and use - all aspects that are key to a smooth tour.
The first project for the new 4Wall Kinesys kit was an iHeartRadio ALTer E

UK - PLASA has announced the latest additions to the seminar programme of the upcoming PLASA Focus Leeds trade show, taking place on 14-15 May at the Royal Armouries.
In preparation for Stormzy’s upcoming headline appearance at Glastonbury Festival, and in association with Soundcraft, FOH engineer Raphael Williams will explain how he achieve the perfect sound for grime’s leading star. Williams will also give a comprehensive overview of his approach to audio mixing.
In a session dedicated to the Ecodesign regulations, ETC’s technical director Adam Bennette will deliver a seminar unpacking the complex EU legislation. By explaining what has happened so far and what’s next, this seminar is unmissable for lighting professionals.
An introduction to National Event Lifting Training (NELT) will be presented by PLASA during the show in preparation for its launch in the autumn. The course has been crafted to the needs of lifting equipment users and also contains advice for employers. All production professionals who are involved in the delivery of technical production services are invited to attend.
Health and safety consultant Tom Goode will deliver a session on Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, addressing how the regulations apply to various roles across the entertainment industry.
As part of a series on mental health awareness, PLASA will chair a panel of industry leaders to discuss recent outcomes of their respective mental healt