USA - This year's Super Bowl halftime show certainly surpassed its predecessors in terms of memorable images - and some of the best had nothing to do with a certain 'wardrobe malfunction'. Incorporated into the staging design by Mark Fisher Studios' production team, 76 Versa TILE units from Element Labs provided visual support for the lighting design by LD Allen Branton. "The Versa TILEs were phenomenal," says lighting director Christian Choi. "They worked out great. Allen and I were really impressed with their performance."
The Versa TILEs lit up eight sections of stage along the perimeter of the stage riser. Half of them were eight panels wide, at 40 pixels wide and five pixels high, and the other half consisted of 11 panels, at 55 pixels wide and five pixels high. Choi used Adobe After Effects software to create custom content, which he matched pixel by pixel and then uploaded onto two High End Systems' Catalyst v3 Media Servers. Choi triggered all the lighting effects through a Wholehog II console. Data was sent to the Catalyst server, which was in turn connected to the Versa DRIVE processor that sent the cues to the tiles for a seamless integration of lighting and video looks.
"I built them into my lighting cues so it was all in sync, and I would freeze them in open white or strobe them in blocks or bring them into a wide range of different colours," he explains.Choi also brought in video clips that he scaled down for the TILEs' size. "The combination of Catalyst and Versa TILE was amazing," he says. "In contrast
UK - The leafy environs and mock-Tudor mansions of the Surrey stockbroker belt are home to more than a few rock and pop stars and music industry moguls. It's also home to an ambitious fledgling loudspeaker manufacturer which is starting to raise eyebrows in the industry.
Operating out of a converted fire station, Instigate Media and its loudspeaker division EM Acoustics were set up in 2002 by partners Ed Kinsella and Mike Wheeler on their graduation from Cambridge and Imperial College universities respectively.
"While at University, we were both quite extensively involved with sound systems one way and another and it seemed to us that people should be able to get elegant, acoustically excellent loudspeakers without breaking the bank," says Wheeler. "We didn't want to blow the lid off the market either, rather get back to something more simple. Our thinking was that there was no reason why you can't provide quality at a reasonable price, and yet still make a reasonable living."
"Initially we set up Instigate as both an installation/hire company and design and manufacturing operation. While we did execute a number of small installations in our first year in business - including supplying the enclosures for a major system for Imperial College - we are now concentrating more on the design and development aspects of loudspeaker systems under the EM Acoustics brand."
The duo have been building up a range of products and eventually aims to cover the full spectrum of the installation and reinforcement markets. "It's not been an easy
USA - DiGiCo and Soundtracs will share the spotlight on booth #2808 at the NSCA Convention in Las Vegas (19-21 March) with a live linkup between a DiGiCo D5 FMX and a Soundtracs DS-00 - showing how efficiently live and recorded sound can be handled on a single, integrated digital system. The two console systems share a common software platform and MADI digital interfaces, and employ identical file formats.
"We intended from day one that the two systems should be able to work seamlessly together," says DiGiCo LLC CEO Eric Wade. "This allows a live and recording production - such as a large TV music show - to be mixed live at both front-of-house and monitors on the D5 FMX system, sharing a common fibre loop, while being recorded through a Soundtracs DS-00 on the same loop. The benefits are a completely stable gain structure, total freedom from ground buzzes or other earth-related problems, and the ability to exchange effects and dynamics settings and all snapshots freely."
Taking the concept a stage further, the show could also be recorded direct to a DiGiTRACS hard disk show recorder, a high-capacity, plug-and-play rack mounted system. Its editing interface is based upon the acclaimed Merging Technologies Pyramix system, allowing instant location editing on a Windows PC.
Wade says: "This complete system allows live and broadcast audio teams to work closer than ever before, greatly reducing signal problems on location, allowing much wider freedom for resource sharing and mutual creativity, and reducing setup time for everyone involved in
UK / USA / France - Leading UK manufacturer and RF specialist Trantec has appointed two new international distributors - Group One in the USA and Best Audio in France. Both companies will handle Trantec's entire portfolio of advanced radio products, which offers sophisticated radio solutions for the most challenging contemporary audio applications.
Trantec's legendary radio microphone systems include the award winning S5000 and most recently the acclaimed S6000 with its advanced, user-friendly features, all of which have been specifically designed for the professional user. Other Trantec products, including the S10 Soundfield system and PT1 Personal Trainer, offer solutions for leisure, conferencing, education and ecclesiastical markets.
Farmingdale, NY-based Group One's appointment follows shortly after Trantec's S6000 made its mark in the US, scooping an EDDY Award in the category of 'Best New Sound Product' in 2004 shortly after its introduction to the marketplace. Trantec complements Group One's existing portfolio of audio products, which includes Celestion, MC2 Audio, Optocore and XTA. Group One's Tom Bensen said: "We're thrilled to have been appointed to handle the US distribution for the Trantec range. The company is recognized for innovation and pushing the boundaries of technical achievement. The S6000 is really exceptional and has already been positively received by designers and rental companies. The three main theatrical hire companies have expressed their desire to use the system on some major up coming productions, both on Broadway and on Nat
Australia - In 2004 Show Technology, Australia's leading distributor of lighting equipment, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by introducing new ideas and marketing initiatives aimed at developing closer working relationships with industry partners. Increased staffing, personalized service, product training and a new trade show strategy, are all key elements of the initiative.
Show Technology distributes brand names such as; Martin, Studio Due, MA Lighting, Kupo, Geni, ELC and Pulsar. Martin in particular has achieved an increased share of the market in Australia and is again expected to have a successful year in 2004. Last year Martin presented Show Technology the award for Stage, Studio and Event Distributor of the Year.
The company has had a 40% increase in company turnover since 2000 and a record year in 2003. It will place increased focus on customer service in 2004 by adding more personnel and developing closer working relationships with partners, lighting designers and consultants. Show Technology will also be opening a Perth office and warehouse in February to service Western Australian clients. Emmanuel Ziino, Show Technology's managing director, said: "In my opinion, the market is more mature and sophisticated today than it has ever been. No longer do industry professionals rely on trade shows for direction. Rather they look for personalized service that is tailored to suit their individual needs." That initiative has led to the difficult decision not to exhibit at ENTECH 2004. After a market analysis and careful consideration by the compan
International - Gilbert Briggs produced his first loudspeaker in the Yorkshire valley of the River Wharfe over 70 years ago: now the Wharfedale brand is part of a multinational corporation with a wholly-owned, 500,000sq.ft manufacturing facility in China. In fact, in many ways, the International Audio Group (IAG) could claim to provide a prototype business model for all consumer and professional manufacturing across both lighting and sound - as the 21st century gets into its political and economic stride.
The group comprises Wharfedale, Quad, Topaz and Apogee Lighting, and at his HQ in Huntingdon, UK, MD Steve Woolley is afraid of neither politics nor economics. As Karl Marx would have appreciated, the IAG owns the means of production. The factory it has built - not leased - near Hong Kong features wood and metal shops, tooling and plastic injection plants, and a mineral-free cone-making plant. Only the magnets are bought in, at least for the loudspeakers. As employees, factory managers Bernard and Michael Chang sing from the same hymn sheet, and oversee each vertically controlled brand.
The Professional and Systems division has its own marketing experts, such as those who address Quad Industrial's architectural and interior design needs. But over the last 12 months, John Adams has been developing the Apogee Lighting division as president, industry veteran and something of an entertainment technology guru. This is the latest addition to the group - expanding the 'audio' remit somewhat, but showing the confidence in the business model with absolute clarity.
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UK / China - James Thomas Engineering UK opened its Asian headquarters in Hong Kong this week. The new HQ will cover Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, China and Japan and is headed by Philip J Walker. Walker has been based in the region for 10 years, supplying cutting-edge technology for the leisure, entertainment architectural and consumer industries.
JTE's Tony Cameron said: "It's great to have someone of Philip's experience and knowledge onboard. The Asian market has enormous potential for us, and we're confident it'll be a great success."Walker was initially attracted to the large application range of JTE's Pixel range, its energy and power conservation properties are ideal for a number of forthcoming architectural projects. He commented: "The Asian market is picking up, and there's plenty of positive feelings that the next few years will be see healthy commercial growth and expansion. The market for quality LED products is massive, and presence is the key to capitalizing on this."
James Thomas Engineering HK, will offer a full technical support network for all end-users of the Pixel Range products.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
Eire - Leading Irish AV company, CAVS (Corporate Audio Visual Services) has just invested in a new Heritage 3000 console to add to their already considerable Midas inventory. During 2003 alone, CAVS purchased two 40-channel Midas Legend 3000s and 30 Venice consoles of various frame sizes from Midas's distributor in Ireland, Dublin-based Sound Communications.
According to Sound Communications' Alan Murphy, CAVS's acquisition of the Heritage 3000 bears witness to the company's continuing expansion into high-end audio in both the corporate and concert sound markets. "Over the past three years CAVS has invested hugely in updating their audio inventory and is now reaping the benefits both in terms of customer satisfaction and the quality of work coming their way. CAVS is now definitely a major league player in the Irish AV market."
CAVS managing director Fran Quigley sees his investment in Midas as a key factor in the expansion of his business. "Midas is one of the world's premium brands when it comes to live production mixing consoles, therefore by investing in this brand, and in particular in the Heritage 3000 which is the industry standard in terms of concert sound, it represents a statement of intent to our customers to supply them only with industry-standard, globally accepted products. We've enjoyed enormous success over the last twelve months with our Legend and Venice consoles, so a move up to the benchmark Heritage 3000 was the next logical step for us. It confirms our position as one of the leading suppliers to the AV industry in our territory
UK - Indie combo Aqualung recently supported UK festival favourites, Feeder, for a series of dates on their UK arena tour kicking off at Glasgow NEC and including Wembley Arena. It was also one of the first ever outings for the brand new Verona console from Midas, officially launched at the NAMM show in January 2004. FOH engineer Tony Perretta and monitor man Roberto Pieroni (also house engineer at Fabric) took the opportunity to put the new Verona through its paces.
Perreta said: "I thought Verona was a great desk for many reasons, not the least of which, it's a Midas! It looks and feels like a Midas and, more importantly, it sounds like a Midas. It was a very easy transition from the larger desks, and I was pleased that while Verona is clearly designed to be a far more cost-effective option that its larger brothers and sisters, it retains all the traditional Midas qualities. The mic-preamps sounded great, the control surface was sensibly laid out and easy to navigate, plus there were some really nice touches like the fact that all four bands of EQ had frequency control."
Pieroni agreed: "I'm delighted that Midas have finally brought out a console for this market. I'm a great fan of the Venice, which I think is a fabulous little desk, but unfortunately just a bit too small for many venues. Verona is exactly what we need and I hope to see it replacing the current crop of desks in small to medium sized venues. I spec'd a Venice for Aqualung in NY recently, but I would have jumped on the Verona if it had been out at the time. It's very simple to use,
Germany - HK Audio's new Cohedra line array system recently met the demanding requirements of Walter Haupt's ambitious touring production of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Haupt presented Carmina Burana on the grand scale, with a large choir, a symphony orchestra and 200 singers and actors performing on a 20m tower with four stages, complex scenery and impressive lighting and sound systems provided by Langeburg-based hire audio rental company, Klangschmiede.
Sound designer/engineer Gerd Drücker (mixing FOH on a Yamaha PM1D) used a Cohedra line array system from HK Audio, comprising 56 CDR 208 S/T mid/high units, along with between eight and 16 CDR 210 subwoofers, depending on the size of the venue. The main clusters consisted of 16 CDR 208 S/T each, with five flown CDR 208 Ts in the centre cluster.
Serving as front-fills were two VT 112 II F (12"/2") cabs from HK's T-Series, with more T-Series cabs used for monitoring, and looked after by monitor engineer Miriam Wernet with a Midas XL250. Vocal microphones are mainly from Audio-Technica's 4000 Series, while 75 Symphotec mics catered for the orchestra.
Lighting designer and operator for the show was Andreas Kisters, supported by Thomas Thaser, Dietmar Plisnier and Maurice Appoloni. Kisters' rig consisted of 28 Studio Colors and a pair of Studio Spots from High End, 12 Martin MAC 2000s and nine Martin MAC 300s, while conventionals included Coemar 2kW fresnels, Strand Altos, and Par bars and strips from James Thomas. Control was from a Wholehog II with expansion wing. Technical chief was Achim Lanzend
UK - Lighting designer and consultant Andrew Dixon and Lightfactor Sales' Paul de Ville worked together to produce a stylish new architectural lighting scheme for St Barnabas Anglican Church in Ealing, London.
Lightfactor supplied all the equipment for the new installation - which was sourced from a variety of British manufactures, including customized Par 64 and AR111 fixtures from James Thomas Engineering, and a custom lighting control panel designed by Mick Hannaford and made by LightProcessor. The result has transformed St Barnabas into a modern, practical and well-lit venue appropriate for a dynamic range of church-based activities.Built in 1915, St Barnabas's spacious 15m high environment has several unique features, including an unusual fresco above the high altar that helps soften the otherwise austere atmosphere. However, the lighting has had very little improvement since the 1970s.
Dixon - who also works prolifically in television, corporate events and theatre - lives locally, and has been involved in many St Barnabas events and activities over the last 20 years. He knows the space intimately and has lit a range of different performances there. He knew how positively the interior would respond to new lighting, and worked hard at getting the green light for the new scheme to proceed.
His design had to be conducive to worship and aesthetically pleasing, but also had to satisfy certain criteria. These included being able to light the nave separately for 'collegiate'-style services (with choir and the congregation facing each other) to light the roof and
Italy - Renowned for its cheese and ham, the Italian city of Parma also boasts the Farnese - the largest baroque theatre existing inside a building. Built in 1618, this was also the first theatre in the world designed for use with movable scenery and with a proscenium arch.
This historic venue recently hosted an Italian version of Elizabethan dramatist John Ford's 'Tis a pity she's a whore (pictured), directed by Luca Ronconi. The show's lighting designer is Guido Levi, who has worked with directors such as Warner Herzog and Jonathan Miller.
The Farnese's steeply-tiered U-shaped seating influenced later theatre design, but this, combined with the fact that it's built almost entirely in wood and stucco, compelled Levi to run a series of strict tests on moving head fixtures, as the 3,500-seat venue's problematic acoustics amplified any noise from fixture motors. Levi selected SGM Giotto 400 and 250 units (10 of each) for their quiet operation.
He said: "I'd already used these fixtures on other productions, so was quite familiar with them, but chose them after comparison tests with others on the market, carried out in situ."
The rig also included 60 ETC Source Four profiles and a mixture of Robert Juliat 2k halogens and 2.5k HMIs. As the truss bars were flown from the bridge at a height of 22m, the moving head units had to ensure plenty of power as well as being noise-free. Levi added: "I'd opted for moving heads as they can be positioned from the console - in this case a Compulite Spark - and if need be, settings changed immediately as rehearsa
UK - Boy George's cult musical Taboo has taken to the road this month, choosing Audient's Aztec desk to provide the mix for the entire 26-venue, five-month tour of the UK. Supplied by rental company Stage Electrics, Aztec has proven to be the right choice according to the show's number one sound engineer Graeme Asher: "It's a challenge changing venues every week, as no two venues are the same. Audient's live desk makes things a lot more straight forward being so easy to configure, not to mention a lot lighter than I'm used to."
Asher continues: "I'm really pleased with the sound quality too. In fact it's so good we have been able to hear degradation in other parts of our audio system that we were previously unaware of. This has led to us being able to improve the whole system reaching even higher standards of audio. "We went for a lightweight flightcase, which means Aztec can be moved around by only four people. Most importantly, Aztec has cut down on our chiropractor's bills!" laughs Asher.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - Northern Light has announced a number of changes to its operation to allow it to concentrate on its core business, which the company reports is currently expanding. The company says the changes will allow further development of its project installation, engineering and manufacturing divisions, which are currently handling some 30 projects throughout the UK - including the new Gateshead Music Centre, Newcastle College Performance Academy, Perth Concert Hall and the Tally Ho Arts Centre at Finchley in North London.
The Reading office will close at the end of March and all matters relating to overseas sales will now be referred to the head office in Edinburgh. Derek Gilbert will continue to work with the company as a consultant. The Audio Visual arm of Northern Light, based at Reading and known as Immedia, will close and all AV contracts and sales will be handled through Immedia at the Edinburgh HQ.
The current service operation in Edinburgh is being amalgamated with the Projects Department in Edinburgh. Greg Joy, who has managed the Service Department for the last few years, leaves the company, and any out of normal working-hours calls should be made to the Edinburgh office, where they will be dealt with by engineers in the Projects Department.
As part of the restructuring arrangements Dave Martin, formerly the sales manager, and Andrew Emond, formerly the contracts manager, also leave the company.
(Lee Baldock)
UK / USA - When L&SI Online revealed in January that six key members of the Flying Pig Systems team had resigned from the company - including FPS co-founder and Wholehog designer Nick Archdale and product manager Richard Mead - it triggered a spate of rumours across the industry about the fate of High End Systems' European HQ, and of its flagship control product, the Wholehog III.
HES has been quick to dispel the rumours and reassure its customers and dealers of its continued commitment to the Hog III, saying: "We have an aggressive schedule for new control products as well as software enhancements for the Wholehog III. We recently released a new Beta version software (version 1.3 Beta 4) for Wholehog III, which brings new functionality . . . Reaction among early users and Beta testers is exciting. We're also working on development of Hog III PC."Debi Moen at HES has also confirmed to LSI Online that there are no plans to close down or to relocate its London office. "As a matter of fact," says Moen, "a technical recruiting agency has been retained to hire two UK-based senior level positions. This new UK team, along with the remaining two UK-based developers, will co-develop with the software team in Austin, where five more software developers and software testing engineers have been hired. In the US, Robbie Bruce, a former HES lighting control developer, returns in a new position as director of software development."
Following the departure of the six members from FPS, Richard Mead told us he was disappointed that things had turned o
UK - London's fabric nightclub has completed major upgrades to its sound and lighting systems. Key to the lighting installation is a package from Coemar UK and its sister company, Lighting Effects Distribution. Coemar iSpot 575 moving heads, iCyc 250s, ProSpot 250s and a variety of LED-based products have been utilized in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 as a result of a new design from Dave Parry's technology team at the club.
The new equipment is predominantly for Room 2. "The room is essentially a black box, but I wanted to put a bit more focus onto the lasers," said Parry. "The room contains a massive block of colour and we've used Coemar iCyc 250s as an architectural backdrop."
The club has also used six Thomas PixelPar 87s from Lighting Effects Distribution to highlight the structural arches, along with a pair of Coemar iSpot 575s and a CF7 as a centrepiece effect. Parry has worked the design around some of the existing fixtures, giving him more targets for the 1W laser, making for a more dramatic lightshow.
Parry says: "I have always liked Coemar products and specified their yokes - ProSpots 250s and 575s - for Rehab in Leeds, where they have continued to work well." He added: "We can now produce a full-on lightshow in Room 2, which is filled with colour, while the use of the architectural LED effects creates a great environment for the corporate market."
In Room 1, Parry has four further iSpot 575s, along with two iCyc 250s and another CF7. The iSpots fill the space with beams, ceiling-mounted off the original truss, which is r
Eire - Leading Irish audio installation company Rea Sound recently completed the refurbishment of Scraggs Alley in Carlow, where the traditional Irish bar is benefiting from a new Nexo PS10 sound system. The bar is huge - capable of holding up to 500 people - but has a very low ceiling level. Consequently, Rea Sound has wall-mounted the Nexo PS10 full-range cabinets with asymmetric horn in a horizontal format. Throughout the bar, there are 16 Nexo PS10 speakers, with eight Nexo LS500 sub-bass units in support, powered by PS10 amplifiers.
Although there is a nightclub upstairs at the Scraggs Alley venue, in the evenings DJs also mix club tracks in the main bar. Roger McMullen of Rea Sound explained: "This was one of the main reasons for choosing Nexo as the principal sound system. We needed a loudspeaker that could perform clearly and efficiently during the day when the pub just has background music, and yet had the capability to deliver high power at night when there is a full house and a DJ. The PS10s were ideal; they have a lot of output yet they are really quite small boxes."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
Australia - Following the enormous success of Australian entertainment venue OneWorld Sport, situated in Sydney's Darling Harbour, a second venue has been opened in the city's Parramatta district. The new bar/club/restaurant follows the same all-action formula, with a barrage of audio-visual, carrying a non-stop feast of sports.
With four big screens, dozens of plasma screens and six satellite feeds, patrons are never far from live sports action. The internal fit-out, by Sydney club specialists Swerve Design, features numerous old and modern classics including a Ferrari racing car, a suit worn by Michael Schumacher and a bat used by Don Bradman.
Sydney-based audio-visual installer Saltec was contracted for the fit-out, which includes Allen & Heath mixing and control, Martin Audio Wavefront 8 system (with over 50 speakers), powered by QSC amplification. In 'The Arena', an area for live and club entertainment, an Allen & Heath Xone:464 club mixer is installed, feeding four BlackLine H2 mid/high satellite cabinets and three S218 double 18" subs, complemented by QSC PLX amplifiers. A single BlackLine F8 (8" 2-way) and four pairs of F10s (10" 2-way) cover the DJ monitoring and delayed fill for the perimeters of the room.
Adjoining 'The Arena' is 'The Sin Bin', an exclusive VIP area with six BlackLine F10s and two S15 single 15" subs. On special event nights the two rooms are combined to accommodate the increased patronage. The 'One World Bar' is a second live performance area providing a more intimate venue for live acts. The audio system include
UK - This year's TPi Awards - the third annual Total Production International magazine awards event - took place at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith earlier this week. Hosted by former Spandau Ballet bassist and actor Martin Kemp, the event saw 25 awards presented, with winners including Jake Berry (Production Manager of the Year), Robert Collins (FOH Engineer), Blue Leach (Video Director), LSD Fourth Phase (Lighting Rental Company), Star Events Group (Staging Company) and Carling Academy Brixton (Venue).
Highlights of the evening included the presentation of The Editor's Award to video director Dick Carruthers, made by Led Zeppelin rock legend Jimmy Page. This year's Lifetime Contribution Award went to the original founder of Brilliant Stages, Charlie Kail - presented to him by Brian Croft - and Robbie Williams' tour manager Andy Franks picked up a personal award, plus an award for Live Production of the Year.
In the hours leading up to the Awards event, the Novotel hosted both the PSA Annual General Meeting and DaytimeTP - a new programme of technical seminars, showcases and workshops from Meyer Sound, d&b audiotecknik, Midas, Klark Teknik, Yamaha, Martin Professional and Music By Appointment.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
USA / Canada - Rod Stewart has launched a major tour of arenas throughout North America, and will be touring with a Meyer Sound system based on arrays totalling 52 MILO high-power curvilinear loudspeakers. Lars Brogaard is at the helm of the sound rig, serving as both FOH engineer and production manager for Stewart's first major North American tour in three years. Sound Image of Escondido, California is providing the sound system.
The MILO arrays are supplemented by 11 UPA-1P compact wide-coverage loudspeakers for front fill, while two LD-3 compensating line drivers provide corrective equalization for low-frequency buildup inherent in line arrays and for atmospheric conditions.
Stewart's From Maggie May to The Great American Songbook tour kicked off at Office Depot Center in Sunrise, Florida on 6 February and travels around the continent until finishing up back in the Deep South at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Alabama on 24 April. The tour is currently scheduled for 44 dates, but more are being added.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - Autograph Sales reports growing sales of Fischer battery chargers and in-ear monitoring amp packages to some of the UK's top rental and technical catalogue companies. After noticing there was a niche in the UK market for such a product, Autograph Sales worked with Fischer to secure the UK distribution. The products proved an immediate success and had their official UK launch at PLASA 2003.
Not only does Fischer manufacture the standard plug-in chargers, but also 19" rack-mountable kits for professional use on tour and stage, for NiMH 9V cells or AA-cells. Batteries are contained in removable drawers, allowing easy access. These batteries also have a much greater capacity than most others on the market, making them more reliable to the user.
Network Audio, one of the UK's fastest growing corporate AV companies, opted for the rack mounted ALC161 and ALC 89. Owner Nick Halliday was extremely pleased with the service he received and explained: "We look to well established and reliable suppliers such as Autograph Sales to supply us with high-end professional equipment. We bought these products to use at the recent Autosport show at the NEC and the feedback from the end user was exceptionally positive."
The company also reports success with Fischer's in-ear monitoring range. Numerous systems have gone to rental houses across the country, including Real Time Audio, Production House and Pro Sound & Light.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - The Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon, part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has recently purchased nine Vari*Lite VL1000 Tungsten Profiles. The units will hang inside the Elizabethan-style space as a permanent addition to the lighting rig.
Lighting supervisor Wayne Dowdeswell, who chose the VL1000 units commented: "They offer a broad appeal for us, not only as versatile specials but for more delicate moving effects. It is vital that any fixtures we hang are totally silent, as the audience sits within just a few feet of the rig in our theatre space."
The VL1000TS luminaires have already been used in a number of productions by the RSC but these are the first units they have purchased. Wayne continued: "They offer astounding value at present which was a key factor in our decision."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK / USA - Scary US rocker Wednesday 13 (Murderdolls, Frankenstein Drag Queens) will be using Carlsbro amps on his Graveyard-a-Go-Go tour of the UK in March. While visiting the Carlsbro stand at the NAMM show in Los Angeles recently, Wednesday 13 was so impressed with the Carlsbro Sound that he will be using two NuTone stacks and 1 Bass Reactor stack on his UK tour, which kicks off at the Birmingham Academy on 13 March.
Carlsbro also reports that its amps are currently on tour with Swedish 'thrashed-up Synth Punk' band Surferosa, who are using Carlsbro's NuTone stack and a Bass Reactor stack on their UK tour, which began at London's Club Fandango on 3 February.
(Lee Baldock)
UK / India - Audio Design Services of Stockport has been selected to provide sophisticated sound equipment for the world's most advanced school, which has been functioning since December 2003. The school, which attracts more than 5,000 pupils from around the world, is not in the USA, or one of the more fashionable European cities, but is situated in the picturesque foothills of the Aravalli Hills, south of Delhi in India. More surprisingly, the school belongs to an individual - A K Goenka, a well-known businessman.
The campus is spread over 60 acres of land, and includes a five-hole trainer golf course, set in 17 acres with night play facilities. The school, which has a total of 10 buildings over a covered area of 800,000sq.ft, has two all-season indoor swimming pools that cater to all water sports including water polo, and horse riding is a special attraction. From a technology point of view, students will have touch screens in each class with a full communication capability throughout the school. Plasma screens and electronic white boards provide the ultimate teaching aids for students who enjoy a 10:1 student-teacher ratio. An on-site radio and television broadcast studio with the latest state-of-the-art digital recording facility will provide the students and the teaching staff with all the latest conceivable technological aids.
The Indian company Harness Overseas MKG P Ltd, in association with AVE Systems in the UK, was responsible for the design and the engineering of the system. Audio Design Services was introduced to Harness by the Ohm Group of Knutsford,