L&SI’s series of industry networking events got off to a flying start on 10 October when 58 delegates joined the PLASA Media team and the technical production crew at the London Palladium for a backstage tour of the world’s most technically-advanced musical production, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
After a welcome drink in the Palladium’s Cinderella Bar, delegates were welcomed to the theatre by L&SI editor Ruth Rossington, before being given a fascinating potted history of the site and the venue by theatre manager Nick Bromley. Following this, the delegates were split into groups to begin the behind the scenes tour, which took in the automation control position, the lighting control room, the lighting rig, FOH sound desk, the under-stage engineering and the radio racks, plus a chance to view the amazing car itself, built by Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd. At each point, delegates could talk to the operators or designers, as well as the equipment and service providers, about their role in the production.
Following the tour, delegates were given the chance to observe from the stalls the stage reset for the evening’s performance, before retiring to the Cinderella Bar once again for food and refreshments. To top off the day, the delegates stayed for the evening performance of this impressive musical production.
L&SI was joined at the event by representatives of companies who played key roles in the production, including Autograph Sound Recording, Stage Technologies, Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd and White Light. Manufacturers including Sennheiser, High End Sys
St. John's Church in the Lebanese city of Achkout, 15 kilometres north of Beirut, has recently had a brand new sound system installed. With seating for 750 and a maximum capacity of 1,000, St. John's is one of the largest Christian churches in the area.
Installer Tony Abou-Khair outlines the brief: "In terms of speech intelligibility, the old system was not capable of doing justice to the demands of today. As an ever-increasing number of people have been frequenting the services, the sound system had to be expanded. The budget was tight so the loudspeaker cabinets we chose had to be capable of producing a balanced sound with excellent speech intelligibility, even without any type of external controller. As a result, we opted for the HK Audio Linear 3 Series. The acoustics in the front portion of the church are problematic because of a potentially unpleasant build-up of mid to high frequency reflections; thanks to the cabinets' integral Sound Field Selector (an internal HF-damping), we were able to keep these under control without even having to resort to any external EQ." The church is divided into three zones and covered with six LR 112 cabinets mounted to the side walls, with HK Audio BWH 3 wall-mount adapters.
(Ruth Rossington)
Urbium plc notched up their 26th venue this month with the opening of the expansive Tiger Tiger in Newcastle. In keeping with their policy, the venue forms part of a new £70m leisure and retail development called The Gate at the top of Newcastle’s Bigg Market drinking circuit, in the shadow of the former Mayfair Ballroom.
To maximize an ideal location, Urbium brought back interior designers Tibbatts & Co to deliver this 1800-capacity multi-bar concept. With a large ground floor Tiger Bar, Moroccan-themed Kaz Bar, Manhattan-style Loft, colonial-style Raffles Bar and the retro feel of The Den, as well as a clever tunnel which acts as a bass trap into the industrially-appointed club, the venue caters to all tastes. There is also further evidence of the company’s move towards fine dining with the stylish, silver service restaurant. Yet where Newcastle has become truly groundbreaking is in piloting a network management system which enables the operation to be serviced and maintained online.
When Urbium’s technical manager, Jeremy Dowding, and technological innovators, Green-I, pooled their collective knowledge of applied electronics, an elaborate ‘dial-up’ scheme was devised. In addition to monitoring the installation, this network would report any operational activities outside predefined parameters, ensuring that the system would run on autopilot if necessary. The design was based around two essential digital control and virtual dynamics blocks - the BSS Soundweb and the less obvious QSControl, from American amp giants QSC.
The latter&rsquo
Cadac Electronics Plc reports that its J-Type Live Production Console features on three of the current Mamma Mia! productions. September saw the show's debut in Sydney at the Lyric Theatre, Star City, underlining the Australian's continuing enthusiasm for the sunny musical. In November, the first ever non-English language production premièred in Hamburg - at the refurbished Operettenhaus an der Reeperbahn. The Umi Theatre in Tokyo completes the picture for 2002, where Mamma Mia! opened on 1st December.
For this latter, Mamma Mia! is being staged by the Shiki Theatre Company at this brand new 1200-seat theatre, which is located in the new Bayside Tokyo Shiodome SIO-SITE complex. The show is the latest in a long line of large-scale musical productions under the Shiki banner, including Phantom of the Opera, CATS and The Lion King. The Shiki team was responsible for the design of the Umi Theatre and the acoustics, giving them an ideal level of control from the outset. The sound designer for the show was Bobby Aitken, with Brian Beasley as associate sound designer.
In Hamburg, Mamma Mia! broke a number of records in the run-up to the official opening. Four days before the première, production company Stage Holding reported that over 150,000 tickets had been sold via the ticket hotline. In order to meet the unprecedented demand, they had to employ more than 300 ticket agents. In Australia, meanwhile, Mamma Mia! has been touring the country with a 70-channel J-Type. The tour kicked off in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre in early 2001, with 26th September 2002 marking the s
21st century audio technology has joined 11th century history in the first ever Renkus-Heinz ST-STX installation in Europe. The Dala-Husby Church in the very heart of Dalarna, Sweden, has chosen the high powered Renkus-Heinz ST7, with built-in Class D amplification and integral processing, to deliver sound throughout its large, highly reverberant main hall.
The installation was supervised by DAT AB, Renkus-Heinz’s Swedish distributor. DAT installed the new Renkus-Heinz ST7/94 (90 x 40 degree dispersion) loudspeaker and a series of distributed nearfield speakers in the church, to minimize the effects of a long reverb time while projecting vocal and musical clarity throughout the building.
Faced with a limited budget and the requirement for a compact, simple, but state-of-the-art sound system, DAT measured the reverberation time at almost 4.5 seconds and created an EASE model of the church. Their conclusion was that one single speaker with added nearfield speakers would be the optimum solution. Robert Nilsson, head of DAT AB, explains: "The church is built entirely of stone with highly reflective areas everywhere. Even the brick floor placed serious demands on the sound system design. The best way to solve this was to use a full-range enclosure with a large format horn and tightly controlled dispersion as the main sound source.
"Since the budget was tight, I knew that if we only proposed one solution with a comparatively high price tag, we wouldn't get the job. So earlier this year, I set up a demonstration of different speakers and different system solu
Metropolis Studios has consolidated its position as one of Europe’s leading recording studio complexes through the reconstruction of two of its main rooms around SSL consoles. The 72 channel SSL XL 9000 K Series will be fitted into the customized 5.1 and stereo Studio E and an SSL 9000 J into Studio A.
The move is certain to be seen as adventurous in the current climate and watched with interest by senior industry figures. The studio industry has been in a state of flux for a couple of years with a change in the way records have been made, resulting in a number of mid to large studios closing. Metropolis created studio E, one of the world’s first purpose-built music surround mix rooms in 1996 and was the first major studio complex to embrace the ProTools revolution in the early 90s. The Group was also unique in offering ProTools workstations for every session with Prism converters included in their standard rates.
Metropolis Group’s Head of Technical John Goldstraw, who constructed the studios with Chairman Carey Taylor, said: "We recognized early that the multi-channel music format was only waiting for a commercial carrier. These now being available [SACD, DVD-A, DVD-V] guarantees the success of this art-form in music."
The new XL will form the core of studio E, Metropolis’ premier stereo and 5.1 surround mix and overdub room, which boasts past artists such as Robbie Williams, Westlife, New Order and Slipknot to name a few. Studio A has been the scene of some of the finest recording sessions in Metropolis history, perhaps most notab
The Jewish Free School's new campus in North London was officially opened by PM Tony Blair in October. Designed by leading UK architects Terrence O'Rourke, the new campus provides a base for approximately 2000 students.
In charge of the development of the 22,224sq.m facility was Jarvis plc, a facilities management and infrastructure services group, and the first company to win a schools project under the government’s Private Finance Initiative. The Jarvis team worked in partnership with the local education authority to create the facility, and also with a number of sub-contractors - amongst them Maltbury, who fulfilled the staging part of the contract.
As the facility's main hall is used for school presentations and exams, the Jarvis team wanted to provide under-stage storage for the exam desks without lifting the height of the stage. To achieve this, Maltbury designed and built storage units to fit neatly underneath the stage which was built from 33 units of its heavyweight Steeldeck 7.5 system. In addition, Maltbury also supplied a selection of accessories, including handrails and treads. The package was customised further with drapes to match the main stage drapes and, to add the finishing touches, a removable velour carpet to cover the whole stage.
For the school's drama centre, Maltbury supplied a package of 30 Metrodeck units and to provide maximum flexibility, the module units came with painted tops, handrails, treads and black wool serge drapes. Special trolleys were also supplied to facilitate understage storage for the accessories when not in use.
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Lighting designer David Agress approached this year’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular with two specific problems in mind - how to maintain the artistic integrity of his lighting design for the show when there were multiple companies touring that same production simultaneously, and how to cut the load-in time at each move. Agress, working with programmer Paul Turner, turned to three separate building blocks and put them together in pre-production to accomplish both goals - the Prelite Studios in New York, XYZ positioning on Whole Hog II and WYSIWYG.
The team began work with the show file from the 2001 production. Two focus grids had been constructed, which the team called a Map. The first focus grid was built on the downstage 20’ of the deck, with 4’ centres stage left to right and 3’ centres downstage to upstage. The second grid was further upstage, with the left to right on 5’ centres and downstage to upstage on 4’ centres. Each of the 96 moving lights in the rig needed to be included in each of the 95 focus points provided by the grid.
In 2001, refocusing each light in each focus point (96 lights x 95 focus points) took about 16 hours. It was critical to the team to reduce this time. Because separate programmers were also individually modifying the preset data, each show had the potential for looking different - for example, if one programmer used a flip command when another didn’t. Agress and Turner wanted to remove this variable to assure each production maintained the original look of the design.
The first step
QSC Audio has reported two major sales of its amplifiers via Dutch importer, Holland Audio Import (HAI) BV. The sales have been made to rental companies P&B Audio and Story Sound. P&B Audio purchased two racks, each containing a pair of QSC’s PowerLight PL4.0 and PL2.0HV models - as well as an additional PL6.0 rack to power the company’s Funktion One system.
At London’s PLASA Show, P&B discovered Funktion One’s Resolution 2 system and, noticing the demand for high-end larger scale FOH PA, they made the radical decision to do away with almost their entire previous inventory to invest in a larger system. "As a result, we switched to QSC’s PowerLight Series - and we wished since that we had done this years ago," says P&B’s Michel van de Beek. The new QSC system drives the company’s eight stacks of Funktion One Resolution 5/F218s. "With the 'top-racks', we have the capability to drive more cabinets per rack, and this is something we are planning to do in the future."
Van de Beek adds, "For touring applications, QSC is the best sounding amplifier available to date - in fact, Funktion One recommended them as first choice. Having tested several amplifiers, we have come to the conclusion this is indeed the best partnership - it produces the richest, warmest sound, with the most detail of all the combinations we tested."
HAI has also been hard at work with another rental company, with the result that Story Sound added a new amp rack containing six PowerLight PL6.0 amplifiers. Having operated their JBL PA r
Large screen specialist GL UK is supplying production company Endemol UK for the BBC’s latest pop phenomenon Fame Academy, with 55 panels of Barco I-lite 8 mm LED screen for the 12-week series. The screens were specified for the show by the original director Tony Gregory, who worked with GL UK on Big Brother earlier in the year.
Throughout the week, leading up to Friday, they are also filmed auditioning, working, performing and practising, etc. In the studios, the screen panels are configured in two very different-sized formats. One is a seven panel wide by four panel high widescreen, and the other is a three wide by nine high horizontal screen. The latter is split into three equal sections, allowing images of three different performers to be shown simultaneously. This effect is specifically used as they approach their ‘jeopardy moments’, after which the voting eliminates one out of three.
Tony Gregory wanted the screens integrated into the stage design to evoke the feeling of a large event taking place for the series. "Screens are now a recognized symbol of the large event environment," he explains. He also wanted it to look modern, and to have screens available for general IMAG.
The 3-way screen is also utilized for revealing Fame Academy’s different plot lines, as the three upcoming contestants‘ activities, ideas, opinions and thoughts are followed in the run up the Friday broadcasts. Again, the need was to find a visual device that offered all three participants an equal billing to the viewers and live studio audience. The v
A new feature awaits some of the two million visitors who flock annually to Madame Tussaud’s in London. Guests can now stand on a podium between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair, and via a discreet camera have their image beamed onto a rear-projected screen above and behind them - thanks to a 120" New Wide Angle screen from dnp.
The installation is the work of systems integrators, Sysco, whose relationship with The Tussauds Group extends back nearly 10 years to when they first fit out sister attraction, Tussaud’s London Planetarium. Managing director Hugo Roche explained: "Over the years we have undertaken a lot of the Group’s AV work - sometimes winning competitive tenders, on other occasions being appointed during the design phase and working more on a design/build basis."
In terms of delivery, Sysco looked at a number of ways of achieving the brightness given the ambient light level and the need for wide viewing angles. "The 120-inch dnp rear projection screen won hands down," said Roche. Features of dnp’s New Wide Angle Screen include 180° horizontal viewing angle, enhanced contrast, image brightness and image resolution - the opportunity to optimize for either high contrast or high gain and high corner to centre brightness.
The entire rear projection rig, which cradles a Sanyo XF30 at the critical angle, was supplied by UK distributors Paradigm AV. The screen itself sits on a frame - supplied by Sysco - which is integral to the rear projection rig, and The Tussauds Group provided the necessary cladding. Roc
East London-based gobo and projection specialist, Projected Image, has taken on an additional new premises at its HQ in the Three Mills Island Studio complex, Bromley-by- Bow. This is part of an on-going expansion plan in line with recent company developments and the establishment of sister company Projected Image Digital.
In November, Projected Image announced an exclusive UK distribution deal with RADlite, the revolutionary new PC-based computer generated effects package. Expanding to the new, larger, 1100sq.ft premises will allow Projected Image to enlarge its gobo production facilities and move all administration into the new space, leaving the original area free to be set up and utilized as a permanent RADlite demonstration. "We’re very excited about the move," said director David March. "The intention is also to offer the facility to lighting designers and video directors wishing to programme their RADlite system into the lighting desk and their show ahead of production rehearsals."
Apart from the new company, Projected Image’s core gobo business has also been so successful that a larger physical operation and another cutting-edge laboratory will allow yet more streamlining and efficiency. The company has fast gained a reputation second-to-none for delivering high quality work to incredibly tight deadlines.
Projected Image was keen to remain at the charismatic Three Mills location because of its convenience to central London, and its many links to the live, television and event production industry. Several other related companies
Two well-known names in the entertainment lighting industry have launched an "e-commerce website with a new concept" - Gearmarket UK - on 9 December. Keith Dale, ex-managing director of Celco and John Lethbridge, ex-managing director of Cerebrum Lighting, have been working with software developers for several months to come up with a concept that is possibly unique in the entertainment technology industry - a web-based customer loyalty scheme.
The Gearmarket site offers innovative new products and a selection of popular products from several key manufacturers from around the world. Buyers can shop and pay in Euros or Pounds Sterling. Most E-commerce sites present the potential buyer with a single price, invariably discounted - but one can never be sure how good the price is without comparing prices available elsewhere. On first sight, the Gearmarket website only appears to show the manufacturer’s Recommended Retail Price and the Gearmarket Discounted Price, but as soon as the user registers as a member, the discounted price is reduced by a further 5%. If the customer orders £500 worth (or 800 worth) of goods on-line, Gearmarket will acknowledge the order at an even better price, until you reach £1,000 YTD turnover (or 1,600), at which point discount on all product lines increases further.
Most product lines on offer have several tiers of discount that relate to a customer’s total spend in the preceding 12 months. Once on the highest discount tiers, customers stay at that level provided the annual purchases do not fall below a given level. Onc
Colin Park, managing director Australian-based pro audio manufacturer ARX Systems, has reported that following a general re-organization of ARX’s European distribution in early 2002, the company’s European sales have continued to increase through the latter half of the year.
ARX’s recently-appointed distributor for The Netherlands, Electric Audio, has supplied EQ-60 graphic equalizers to the Ogterop Theatre in Meppel; Maximix line mixers to Video Schaay in Rotterdam and EQ-60 and EQ-15 graphic equalizers to Super Sound, the Leiden -based rental company.
German distributor Show Service supplied DI-4 direct boxes and AFW 1 anti-feedback workstations to the Baptist Church of Waldbrol; EC 2 electronic crossovers and AFW 1s to the Detmold Gospel Church; Mixxmaster mic line mixers to Siro AV in Mainz and Maxisplit line splitters to AV Long in Lindlar, while Swiss distributor TonArt has also been busy with ARX.
Park told us: "We still have several more distributor appointments to announce in early 2003 to complete our re-organization, with new people on board and the range of new products being released at Frankfurt in March, 2003 looks like being an exciting year for the ARX worldwide."
(Lee Baldock)
Artistic Licence has recently supplied Protocol-Converters for two large TV studio complexes, allowing the integration of DMX512 products with other control protocols. The ITN studios in Gray’s Inn Road have a mixture of Strand lighting consoles including 530, 300, and Galaxy units. A variety of dimmers, some using D54 and others DMX512, were connected to these consoles. The addition of four Artistic Licence Protocol-Converters has allowed equipment to be used in any combination. Protocol-Converters offer conversion of a variety of lighting protocols to or from DMX512. A Cue-Patch unit was also used, allowing the various studios to be combined in the most flexible manner.
Paul Flook, Head of Broadcast Engineering, told us: "The combination of the Protocol-Converters and the Cue-Patch has not only saved us money by allowing us to have a common control protocol but also allowed us to matrix the studios together. Any studio can be controlled from any gallery. This has allowed us to maintain our position as one of the leaders in broadcasting technology."
QVC UK is also using a Protocol-Converter at their Marco Polo House studios in Battersea. Broadcasting live for 17 hours a day means using products that are extremely reliable. Artistic Licence has worked with the company to meet these demanding standards, not only in the UK but also in QVC’s USA studios. The QVC studio in Philadelphia is a flagship installation for the Artistic Licence networking solution of Art-Net Ethernet.
(Ruth Rossington)
Arbiter Pro Audio has supplied Reading-based sound installers, Reflex Ltd, with JBL Evo intelligent speakers and AKG microphones for an impressive installation at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. The vast Churchill Hall auditorium is the largest MoD briefing facility in the South of England, providing lecture facilities for every officer candidate in the British Army in addition to hosting major conferences for high profile UK businesses and organizations.
The auditorium - seating 1,202 with a ceiling height of 50ft - was opened in 1970 and has been in constant use ever since. Matt Horwood of Reflex Limited was approached by Margaret Young, head of media support at RMA Sandhurst to improve the ageing facilities in the auditorium. With the help of specialist audio distributor Leisuretec, Horwood came up with the specifications for the project. In turn, he approached Arbiter to supply JBL speakers.
The question of clarity was absolutely crucial, so Horwood and Arbiter decided that four of the potent JBL EVOi.324 powered speakers were the ideal solution. The speakers are flown from the ceiling above the stage, and to each side of the theatre, supported by an EVOi.net audio control system enabling the audience to clearly hear vocals from every part of the auditorium. The EVOi.net system provides highly intelligent speaker control and is fully capable of adjusting to its environment. The frequency will self-adjust to compensate for the effects of the surroundings, and the system will also set its own delays knowing where the speakers are situated.
The EVOi.net system
Martin Audio Blackline speakers have made their second appearance at a West Midlands football stadium - courtesy of Birmingham-based Argus Services Ltd. The contractors had already fitted Blackline F10s at Birmingham City’s St Andrews ground when the PA/VA specialists were asked to put a distributed system into Walsall FC’s Bescot Stadium.
Argus director, Jerry Matthews, said that a 30-year-old system had to be removed to accommodate the new Martin enclosures - which are used for music reproduction on match days. After the construction of the new Purple stand (formerly Gilbert Alsop stand), Argus were called in to bring the public address and sound reinforcement in the remainder of the stadium up to the same level. The solution was provided by 27 of Martin Audio’s Blackline F10s, assigned to five QSC 100V line amplifiers. These are all mounted individually under the stand canopies or bolted overhead in the Purple stand, which was officially opened on 23 November by Pete Waterman.
Argus were first introduced to Martin Audio’s products by a commercial audio specialist, and came face to face with the High Wycombe manufacturers at this year’s PLASA Show in London.
(Lee Baldock)
PCM’s Projects division has supplied the main theatre space in Dublin’s Liberty Hall Centre for the Performing Arts with specialist lighting bar winches. The new venue has been completely refurbished - along with the rest of this historically significant building. It was re-opened as the Performing Arts Centre by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD.
Installation of the new lighting and technical infrastructure was undertaken by Dublin lighting supplier Stage Lighting Centre, who also supplied a full set of stage curtains, complete dimming system and stage lanterns. They worked very closely with Brian Tracey, Liberty Hall’s head of technical, throughout the installation period. When it came to custom engineering and installing the specialist lighting bars required at the FOH and forestage positions, Stage Lighting Centre’s Paddy Farrell approached PCM.
Working to the strict directive of Dublin-based architects, Brian Hogan & Associates, the FOH lighting bars had to be secreted as high up in the auditorium roof as possible. To maximize this very tight roof void space, PCM designed and installed two 9-line lighting bar winches, each of which raises and lowers three independent 6-way lighting bars. When in the ‘up’ position, the bars are tucked tight up to the ceiling in the theatre’s open-plan roof - completely unobtrusive for sight lines, yet able to hit the necessary onstage positions with ease. Each lighting bar winch was supplied by PCM, complete with two 500kg GIS motor units, a clewed travel-and-track system, head and divert pulleys,
Midas has announced the launch of Midas DIRECT, a web-based service designed for the sale of pre-owned Midas consoles. As part of the Approved Pre-owned Console Programme, Midas engineers inspect each console - mechanical and electrical components, chassis, all modules, case and power supplies. The console is then music-tested before being offered for sale on the website. For further peace of mind, all consoles, regardless of age will be sold with a comprehensive six-month ‘unlimited hours’ warranty from the factory. Alternatively, if the console is less than three years old, the balance of the existing warranty will be transferred to the new owner.
Midas’ head of sales, David Cooper, says the new initiative has two key benefits: "Firstly it allows us to offer an upgrade service for our existing client base - say from an XL200 to a Heritage 2000," he said. "Secondly, we then have a pre-owned console from a known source with full service history that we can offer for sale via our website. We can guarantee that it will be in tip-top condition, having been fully serviced and tested by our engineers here at the factory, and we even issue a six-month warranty to go with it if the original warranty has expired."
He pointed out that Midas DIRECT is an ideal first port of call for anyone who likes the idea of owning a Midas console but may have been put off by financial considerations, or who simply wishes to upgrade or add to his existing inventory in a cost-effective manner yet still with the benefit of a factory warranty. "Midas DIR
Rental company Centre Stage have made a strategic move into high-end PA, with the purchase of 20 Martin Audio Wavefront W8C/WSX stacks. Centre Stage proprietor, Graham Baker - who shares his Staples Corner warehouse facility in north west London with another W8C-based company, FX Music - placed the order through Steve ‘Bunty’ King at LMC Audio in London. This will give the combined companies a joint stockholding of 50 W8C stacks - providing ample power to undertake large stadium and arena shows.
In the past Centre Stage have specialised in one-off arts events shows and local authority events - and this summer provided coverage for Miss Dynamite at West Ham’s Upton Park stadium. Graham told us: "I was introduced to Martin Audio and have always felt confident about their systems. The day FX Music went out and bought 30 stacks the writing was on the wall."
He added there were numerous reasons that had driven his purchasing decision: "Principally these are that the system sounds good, it trucks well, it’s easy to cross-hire - and the back-up is exceptional. We looked at other systems, and as we became increasingly aware of their problems, it turned into a one-horse race."
(Lee Baldock)
Marquee Audio supplied a new L'Acoustic dV-DOSC system to Belfast's Production House, just in time for the city's biggest-ever Children in Need charity event, staged at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Production House flew 12 dV-DOSC, with four dV-Subs, each side of the stage for a line-up that included Ronan Keating, Lulu, Daniel Bedingfield and local star John Daly performing for 9,000 people.
The show was mixed by Harry McLean from BBC Northern Ireland, who was as impressed by the dV-DOSC rig as its new owner, John Willis of Production House. "The coverage was even, and the output and sound quality was impressive for such a physically small box. Once Harry had done a walk round the venue, he was completely confident that everybody in the arena would be hearing the same thing and that let him concentrate on mixing the show which, in true Children in Need style, was hectic from start to finish.
"The system worked very well and we were able to get a high SPL at the back seats without killing the front row as well as an even spread across the room. The ARRAY2000 software made this an easy task as it seems to be very accurate in its predictions . . . once you put the correct information in!!! The dV-DOSC has negated the need for delays which is such a bonus from an equipment and time point of view."
John Willis began his search for a new system about 18 months ago, narrowing the field down to a few different manufacturers although not necessarily a line array system. "Glen Smith at Marquee did a great job of listening to, and advising me while we talk
Stage Electrics is extending its reach into the TV arena, following a series of successful projects during 2002, including BBC Songs of Praise in Blackburn, where the company supplied a full rig of tungsten heads, MSR Fresnels, dimming distro and twin set generation; the Good Food Show at the NEC (with two satellite OBs running in parallel in Manchester and London); and Children in Need for the BBC in Cardiff, where the outside of Broadcasting House was lit up for the week prior to the event and an outdoor stage was constructed for Radio Wales OB.
The Welsh connection is particularly strong, with Stage Electrics Wales, which is based in Cardiff, picking up two televised outside broadcast programmes recorded in Amlych (Da De Dil Di) and in Machynlleth (Dafyd Iwan Concert) in the past few weeks alone. Over their 22-year history, the company has supplied technical equipment and skills for this specialised market, as Sales and Marketing Manager Linda Moore explains: "We have always had a share of the TV Outside Broadcast market and we have earned a good reputation in pockets of the country, particularly in the South West and, more recently, in Wales. But this year, we have picked up a steady stream of new TV work, perhaps in the wake of Playlight’s demise, but more probably because word is getting around that we are delivering good quality products and services in this sector."
(Lee Baldock)
Alfie have become the latest high profile act to join the Audio-Technica family, signing an endorsement deal following a series of successful product evaluations. According to bass player Sam Morris, "the initial contact with A-T came about through our management company. As well as looking after us, they also represent The Charlatans, who have used and trusted A-T mics for ages. We thought it was a great idea in principle, but we wanted to make sure the mics were right for us." After talking to Audio-Technica’s market development manager, Paul Mason, and checking out a range of Audio-Technica mics in rehearsals, the band were keen to extend the association and become fully fledged members of the Audio-Technica endorsee family.
"For the gigs we now have 20 channels of A-T mics", explains Morris, "covering all of the kit, vocals and the bass and guitar rigs, and we’ve also taken them into the studio to get that same sound down on the album. In a nutshell, the A-T mics allow us to stay true to our sound." The five-piece band are currently in sessions recording their so far untitled follow-up to their acclaimed ‘A Word in Your Ear’.
(Ruth Rossington)
Lightfactor Sales has supplied lighting designer David Hurst of Full-On, and installers Entserv Ltd, with a variety of bespoke lighting, audio and show control equipment for the £1.2 million ‘Bond, James Bond’ exhibition at the Science Museum. It’s the biggest ever official James Bond exhibition, and arrived in London following a six-month installation at the Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford. The run at the Science Museum was designed to tie in with the recent launch of the new Bond film ‘Die Another Day’ (a full report on this appears in the December issue of L&SI).
The exhibition's main contractor, Themetech, was appointed by project manager Jacqui Wicks, in December 2001; they, in turn, approached David Hurst and Steve Richley of Entserv to assist in the huge project’s realization. Entserv have worked on numerous international touring shows and exhibitions, including Madame Tussaud’s in Hong Kong via Singapore and Australia.
Lighting designer David Hurst followed an initial brief to design a lighting concept using a modular system with a standard range of fittings, which was flexible enough to be moved and reassembled in all the touring venues. Entserv’s ideas also took onboard the initial brief which included designing an electrical system and supplying the equipment, which was bought from Lightfactor Sales.
The Science Museum was actually the first venue on the tour to be designed, as it was hosting the exhibition in its largest format. The equipment orders to Lightfactor were based on this. &ls