UK - Alfie Boe's Serenata tour arrived at the O2 Arena in London recently, where the tenor was supported by a five-piece band, a 16-piece orchestra, New Zealand musical trio, Sol3 Mio ... and a powerful Martin Audio MLA Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array, provided by Capital Sound.

Mixing the sound at FOH was experienced producer/engineer, Matteo Cifelli (owner of Fastermaster Studio) assisted by system tech, Joseph Pearce.

With 86 inputs at the desk (including 80 mic channels), there was plenty to challenge the sound team as Boe worked through an Italian-based romantic repertoire, assisted in one instance by Rick Wakeman on keyboards. But once again MLA passed the test with flying colours.

The same sound team had just come off a six-month stint with Il Divo, who share the same management (Vector) as Alfie Boe, and Pearce had taken the opportunity to tweak the design in order

UK - The Entertainment Industry has seen many improvements in safety practices in recent years as 'health and safety culture' becomes common place in all aspects of day to day business.

One of the latest areas of focus is the design and management of temporary electrical systems in not only the TV and Radio world, but also in films, at events, in theatres and other similar workplaces.

Whilst the current IET Wiring Regulations BS7671 (17th Edition) qualification exists for fixed electrical systems, there has not been an agreed industry qualification for BS7909 - the Code of Practice on Temporary Electrical Systems in the Entertainment Industry.

Therefore, an industry working group involving the leading broadcasters, lighting rental companies, BECTU, PACT - representing the Independent Production Companies, several key employers and, Creative Skillset have all come together to

USA - With the celebration of its one-hundredth year in operation still fresh on everyone's minds, the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Department in upstate New York secured modest funds to refurbish the AV systems in its 4,500sq.ft recreation room.

The room is used by the volunteers and the community for gatherings spanning everything from lectures to parties and bingo to movie nights. In addition, the company uses the room to stage training and other educational events. A new Ashly Audio Pema 4250.70 combination 8x8 Protea matrix processor and four-channel amplifier has breathed new life into the system.

"Their old audio system was little more than a basic mixer-amplifier and a few wired mics," explained Karl Maciag, A/V integrations engineer at Toshiba Business Solutions in nearby Tonawanda, New York. Its AV solutions department designed and installed the system for t

Germany - British manufacturer Audient has appointed Sonic Sales as exclusive distributor in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to handle sales, service and marketing for the entire Audient product range - with immediate effect.

Located in Bielefeld, the newly appointed distribution company is headed up by Matthias Herbst, who says, "The people behind Sonic Sales are well known as successful sales and marketers of big names in the pro audio business. The team has been instrumental in the growth of brands like Native Instruments and Ableton in Germany, with sales cooperation right from the beginning. In order to be a successful sales team, we need to have outstanding products and with Audient, we see great products with huge potential for the future."

Audient's Simon Blackwood is similarly enthusiastic. "2014 saw our business grow significantly, with further develo

Germany - When Gunther Hecker's name is on the design credits for a show, you know it's going to be visually interesting, idiosyncratic and a bit 'out-of-the-box' with a few flourishes of the unexpected ... and so Gunther has created another epic stage, set, lighting and video design for maverick German hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier's latest - and current - Record tour.

Prominent on the lighting rig are 50 Robe BMFL Spots - the brand's new multi-functional signature fixture - which are supported by another 180 Robe moving lights - 40 Robin Pointes, 60 Robin LEDWash 800s, 68 Robe ColorWash 2500E ATs and 12 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs.

Gunther is working closely with lighting director and FOH systems engineer Marc Lorenz on this tour, with the Fanta Four celebrating 25 years at the top of a massively successful career.

Robe's busy reporting team caught up with the tour

USA - DPA Microphones returned to The Rainbow Room for a New Year's celebration for PBS' second national, primetime celebration from the recently re-opened Manhattan venue, New Year's Eve at The Rainbow Room with Michael Feinstein. After the success of the Fall Arts Festival programme, DPA's d:facto Vocal, d:vote 4099 Instrument, d:dicate 4011 Cardioid and d:screet Miniature mics once again found their way onto the guest list for the esteemed event.

The company's wide range of products was perfectly suited for the various aspects of the production, including vocals and instrumentals. With the show's swing/big-band at the heart of the special, there was no concern for the SPL levels, which can become soft in these situations. The DPA d:vote 4099 was properly adjusted to close-mic each instrument. Andy Brattain, Michael Feinstein's production manager and FOH engineer placed

Kuwait - Wireless Solution Sweden AB recently played a pivotal role in High PRO Event Management in Kuwait using W-DMX for the Journey of Hope sailing expedition. The journey took a ship to 39 ports in 19 countries over 210 days of sailing around the world, with the purpose of spreading a global humanitarian message for the benefit of the mentally challenged. The boat docked back in Kuwait on 1 December 2014.

The ship departed in May 2014 from Marina Crescent Ground near the seaside, Salmiya in Kuwait. W-DMX sent signal over a 1000m distance to a variety of fixtures including 30 Clay Paky Sharpys on top of the Marina Hotel. Signal was sent from 2 W-DMX F-1 transmitters with booster, parabolic antenna and 12 W-DMX receivers.

W-DMX also sent signal to 12 Griven Kolorado 2500 fixtures to illuminate the boat, eight VMB Dimmers for the key light of the stage with 18 ETC Profiles, 3

USA - The Austin City Limits Music Festival returned to Zilker Park for two three-day weekends in October to showcase more than 130 rock, pop and hip hop artists on eight stages, including Outkast, Beck, Eminem, Skrillex, Calvin Harris and Pearl Jam. Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20 and Sharpy fixtures were on hand to provide lighting support and control for festival performers.

Eight K20s, supplied by LD Systems, were dedicated to each of two secondary headline stages and positioned in an upstage array across the rear truss.

"Most of the rig was a lot of smaller fixtures, so we wanted something that would give a big, full color wash," says Seth Jackson, who served as festival lighting designer and lighting coordinator. "There were no backdrops on these stages and, given the power situation, the B-EYEs were the perfect choice to fill the whole back picture. They reall

Germany - From 9 to 11 June 2015 exhibitors and trade visitors from around the world will be taking part in Stage|Set|Scenery, the trade fair for theatre, film, media and event technology in Berlin.

Stage|Set|Scenery targets the industry's forward-looking international markets. Its partnership with international associations and close cooperation with Messe Berlin's international representatives has made it possible to attract a growing number of international exhibitors.

Thus, a few months ago partnerships and sponsorships were secured with the International Organisation of Scenographers and the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), the latter as presenters of the awards for the Theatre Architecture Competition (TAC). Other industry associations include the OETHG from Austria, SVTB-ASTT from Switzerland, USITT from the USA,

World - Lighting designer Caio Bertti has become one of the first to specify the new Clay Paky Stormy CC RGB LED strobes for a major tour, choosing them to deliver a plethora of dramatic effects for rock and rollers Motorhead.

Bertti's simple yet powerful rig includes 17 of the Stormy CC fixtures, supplied by GLS.

"Ian Turner from GLS, which has been the lighting supplier for Motorhead for many years, recommended the Clay Paky Stormys," says Bertti. "I had originally specified a different strobe, which he said he would confirm after the PLASA exhibition. A week later he sent me an email saying the Stormy CC had impressed him so much at PLASA he wanted to offer me that instead. I trusted him and accepted and I'm glad I did."

The Brazilian designer used the Stormy CC fixtures for strong side-lighting, blinders and powerful yet considered strobing looks thro

Germany - Lighting designer Manfred 'Vossi' Voss used 100 x Robe BMFL Spots to light the 2014 Ein Herz für Kinder (A Heart for Children) show, a high profile charity fund-raiser, produced by Schwartzkopff tv staged at the new and trendy Tempelhof airport, Berlin, and broadcast live on German national public services channel, ZDF.

Technical provider was the Berlin based PRO LIGHT Lichttechnik Vermietung GmbH. The BMFL Spot fixtures were supplied by NicLen.

Sixty of the BMFL Spots were used to light the audience and 40 were dotted around the stage - all hung on trusses in the roof. They were used throughout the show for a variety of tasks including creating general lighting ambience and scenes as well as spectacular effects for the cameras and the live audience.

The show featured special live performances from The Voice Kids, Norske Talenter star Angelina Jordan, award

Norway - When Top Gear Live arrived at Oslo's 15,000-capacity Telenor Arena for three days of adrenaline-fuelled motoring spectacle, Leo-M and Lyon linear line array loudspeakers from Meyer Sound provided high-impact audio support. Top Gear Live is a theatrical adaptation of the popular BBC show, engaging audiences with its trademark blend of quirky humour and rip-roaring car races, stunts, and explosions.

"The system performed perfectly, and the coverage from the Leo and Lyon arrays was exceptional in every seat," says Theis Romme, system designer and audio project manager for Victory Tour Production, principal audio supplier for the shows. "The sound quality of the music tracks and effects supported the visual spectacle, while the vocal clarity brought out the unique personalities of the hosts."

An elongated, U-shaped audience area was cover

USA - Most fans probably didn't know what to expect when evenly matched Georgia Tech and Mississippi State squared off at the 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl, but there was one thing that everyone thought they'd see when they entered Sun Life Stadium for this iconic bowl game: a memorable halftime show.

Amazing entertainment has become a tradition at the Orange Bowl, which in recent years has featured standout performances from the likes of Train, the Goo Goo Dolls, Kelly Clarkson, Kool & the Gang, Ciara and ZZ Top. This year, Grammy-winning country superstars Little Big Town did the game's halftime tradition proud with a nonstop high-energy seven-minute performance set against a dynamic lightshow featuring Nexus Aw 7x7 panels from Chauvet Professional.

Lighting designer Abbas Ritscher of The Design Oasis used 32 of the Nexus Aw 7x7 panels at the show, which was produced by ACT P

USA - More than 20lbs of confetti rained down on 130,000 people in Music City as the sixth annual Jack Daniel's Bash on Broadway rang in 2015. Bandit Lites worked with lighting designer John Lucksinger and production manager Chris Lisle to provide the lighting for the event where more than 40 acts, including Lady Antebellum and Gavin DeGraw performed. Storme Warren emceed while Charles Esten hosted the segments airing on ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest!.

Lucksinger created three looks for the bash: the main stage, tower and Broadway. The main stage consisted of an "old school" look with 324 1k pars, 40 Clay Paky Sharpys, 18 VL 2500s, 10 ETC source 4 lekos and six 8-light moles.

"Pars are great for doing the show on the fly," said Lucksinger. "Just an old flash and trash show. The Sharpys were chosen to cut through th

UK - d&b audiotechnik has appointed two UK sales Partners in its newly restructured sales network - SSE Audio Group and The Warehouse Sound Services.

SSE Audio Group, backed by the experience of Wigwam, has offices in the north, south and midlands, along with a highly experienced and integrated sales team. Wigwam Acoustics, part of SSE Audio Group since 2013, has been an established d&b supplier for Hire, Sales and Installations for many years. Pro audio specialist The Warehouse, with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, has 25 years' experience as a leading d&b audiotechnik UK sales partner, and this appointment reinforces this already long-standing relationship.

Over the past 12 months SSE has expanded its expertise in the d&b brand. Peter Codron, who has vast experience of d&b, joined the company as sales and installations manager for London, and is able to represent both SSE

UK - SSL Live UK dealer, HD Pro Audio, is holding a series of workshop sessions for the SSL Live L500 and L300 consoles in conjunction with Home, Manchester's new contemporary arts centre opening in May 2015.

The sessions will be held from 10:00am each day on 27 and 28 January 2015 at Number One, First Street, Manchester M15 4FN. They will focus on a range of functional aspects of the consoles with experts on hand to provide professional guidance and advice.

"These events are the perfect way for engineers to get hands on experience whilst simultaneously having product specialists there to answer questions", comments HD Pro's Andy Huffer, "Attendees will experience the streamlined workflow of these consoles as well as the new standard they set for live audio quality."

Places for the sessions are limited, so anyone interested in attending should contact e-m

USA - A Jands Vista system was used to control the lighting & visual media elements for Texas-based WaterTower Theatre's spectacular production of Bonnie and Clyde.

Founded in 1996, the multi award-winning WaterTower Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre company in Addison, Texas. It produces six main stage shows each season in its flexible, state-of-the-art facility, which is part of the Addison Theatre Centre.

The Centre already owned two Jands Vista consoles - the ultra-compact M1, and the original Vista T2 model, but recently added the range's flagship L5 console to their inventory.

Dan Schoedel of FullStageProductions.com, who was the lighting designer for Bonnie and Clyde, comments, "We actually upgraded from our existing Jands Vista T2 to the L5 during the show run. This is one thing that I love about the Vista line - the fact that the so

USA - Founded in 2005, Tech Solutions and Sales is an AV manufacturers' representative company covering the states of Indiana and Kentucky.

Owner Dave Fellabaum and associate William Stewart have many years of experience as reps and integrators in the AV business. Both Fellabaum and Stewart have extensive sales and design experience in commercial audio, educational, house of worship and other AV market areas. From this background Tech Solutions and Sales has built a representative firm that emphasizes great customer service and builds lasting relationships with the AV integrators, engineers, acoustical consultants and end users in their territory.

"We can consult on system design," said Fellabaum, "and, because we understand the nuts and bolts of the integration business, we can help our dealers close their sales and bring in a profit on their jobs." Fellab

Dominican Republic - On 18 October 18th at the Centre Court of the Hotel Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, Puerto Rican reggaeton singer/songwriter/producer and actor Daddy Yankee performed his version of urban music to an enthusiastic audience of approximately 18,000 people.

The Centre Court is one big outdoor performance venue, so when the crowds approach the maximum 20,000 person capacity - as they did for the Daddy Yankee concert - a serious sound reinforcement system is required. To ensure the music had all the power it needed, a sizeable assortment of loudspeakers drawn from the Aero Series 2 and Road catalogues of Valencia, Spain-based D.A.S. Audio were placed into service.

Dominican Republic-based Enlab, a technical production services company specializing in audio, lighting, video, and staging for concerts, tours, and special events, was contracted to handle sound rei

UK - An Optocore fibre distribution system has been specified by Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC) and installed by Northern Light at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre's (EICC) new Lennox Suite, with the venue's £30m expansion. The new fibre routing matrix is in keeping with the requirement of the new multi-purpose suite to transport a number of different signal protocols within a flexible environment.

The new suite, measuring 1600sq.m, represents a multi-level expansion of the existing EICC, complete with a glass atrium and additional event spaces. This versatile auditorium contains a reconfigurable moving floor, which rapidly transforms the space from a flat floor to a fully raked auditorium, as well as making it operational in both arena and tiered cabaret modes, so that a variety of events can be hosted. It can also be split into a total of three rooms or

Italy - Dolce and Gabbana is a widely known Italian fashion worldwide firm. The headquarters of the firm, located just a few minutes from the historical centre of Milan, in Viale Piave, were recently renovated. The complex, consisting of three parallel buildings overs a total area of 10.000m², a showroom with the latest clothes, their central offices, a restaurant and common areas.

For this project, the company in charge of the installation chose the Neo Series of loudspeakers developed by Work Pro. The reasons was significant: these loudspeakers blend in with the architectural and decor style selected by the customer, a project based on open spaces where mainly crystal and GRC panels are employed.

Neo loudspeakers unify a high quality sound with an elegant design. Its ease of integration in all kinds of decorations and structures along with its power and small size make thes

UK - Sennheiser UK is always keen to support new talent. Part of this commitment is a long relationship with the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford, which recently held the final of a new competition for original composition. Sennheiser supported the project with prizes for the winners, while a K-array audio system was used for the performances.

Sennheiser's work with the University has included support for the Oxford Surround Composition and Research studio (OSCaR) - a bespoke, state-of-the-art electronic music studio, which opened last year.

This year, the company sponsored the Oxford/Sennheiser Electronic Music Prize (OSEMP), a competition set up by the University to highlight the increasing importance of electronic music in its teaching and research programmes. Also supported by Warp Records, the aim of the national competition was to find the most innovative new

Australia - Lighting designer and long-term ArKaos advocate, Francesco Calvi, turned to ArKaos MediaMaster Pro yet again to deliver the creative visuals for the 11th season of Big Brother Australia 2014, the popular reality television series.

The Big Brother House was located at Dreamworld on Australia's Gold Coast, from where the live shows, hosted by Sonia Kruger, were broadcast weekly over three months by the Nine Network, before culminating in a grand finale in December.

In a now-traditional move, Calvi used ArKaos MediaMaster Pro software to stream the creative visual effects and video content onto 180 C14 VuePix LED Screens. The screens, which were supplied by The Technical Direction Company (TDC), were hung in columns around the walls of the TV studio, surrounding the audience as well as the Big Brother eye, to form a main stay of the Big Brother set.

Th

UK - Tony Award winning tenor Alfie Boe completed a very successful UK arena tour just before Christmas with video designed by Stuart Merser of Vis-A-Vis Video and the camera / projection package supplied by XL Video.

Stuart was asked by Boe's new management company Vector Management to direct the live video on the strength of his intricate and powerful work for Il Divo.

Over time, he has developed a distinctive visual aesthetic which works extremely well with this classical / musical theatre / pop crossover genre of music and style of performance, and ahead of this tour, he talked extensively with Alfie himself and the tour's Production Director Dave Nelson, before presenting a series of ideas for how video might work in a live concert context.

It was already decided that there would be no LED screens or onstage video, so the idea was that IMAG combined with some carefully

Latest Issue. . .