Coleraine-based Light & Sound FX has installed a new PA system at Coleraine Football Club. The system, commissioned by Mackie Designs’ technical manager Mick Williams, is based around RCF’s new RX 3000, a programmable matrix for sound system management and control. Light & Sound FX’s Darren Gardener explains the background to the install: "Initially, we were dubious about using a 100V line system. We were concerned about both the quality and clarity of such a system. During consultations with Mackie/RCF in the early stages of the project, both Andy Austin Brown and myself spent a lot of time going over the pros and cons for a low impedance system or a 100V line system. In the end, we felt that Andy had a stronger case and we went with the HD 550/HFT horn speakers and the RX3000 matrix system. On the day that Mick Williams came to commission and test the system, I have to say that we all held our breath. But there was no need to worry, when we heard the system for the first time, we immediately knew that we had made the right decision."

Working from the initial brief from Darren Gardener of L&S FX Williams worked on the RX 3000 system basic programming and configuration. The work was carried out during system build and test at Mackie's Wickford technical workshop. Williams explains: "The system design called for dual amplifiers for each of the three stands, with alternate A/B speaker wiring. This was to ensure 50% system operation in the event of amp or line failure. When I arrived at the ground, I was delighted to find that the job had bee

Lighting&Sound International, PLASA Media’s leading entertainment technology journal, is sponsoring the New Technology Gallery at PLASA 2001. This is the showcase of all products nominated for the prestigious PLASA Awards for Product Excellence. Situated on the Top Deck of the PLASA Show, near to the main bar area, the showcase offers visitors a chance to check out the features and capabilities of all of the major product innovations at PLASA 2001, in one place.

L&SI will be based on the Lower Deck (stand K19), where we will be offering free readerships to qualifying UK industry personnel, plus special offers on international subscriptions only available at PLASA 2001 - plus PLASA Media freebies to all new subscribers!

L&SI can be found on stand K19.

Lighting design company MAD Manufacturing will be providing lighting design support for John Hornby Skewes’ stand at this year's PLASA Show. At the recent JHS Event 2001, held on-site at the music trade distributor's Garforth head office, MAD provided an impressive full lighting rig as visual support in the HK Audio pro audio demo theatre, in addition to being a guest exhibitor at the JHS Event. With a well-deserved reputation for innovation in what is a highly competitive industry, MAD were impressed by the level of reaction they received during the JHS Event 2001 from the many music trade visitors, and are delighted to be involved with JHS again for the PLASA Show.

JHS can be found on Stand E46.

The Entertainment Services and Technology Association has launched projects to draft three new American National Standards:

BSR E1.18, Recommended practice for the selection, installation, use, and maintenance of single-conductor portable power feeder cable in the entertainment industry. The standard is intended to offer guidance on how to select, install, use and maintain single-conductor portable power feeder cables. The project will promote safety and compatibility in the equipment and practices used in live performance and in film and video production in North America.

BSR E1.19, Recommendations for the use of ground fault devices in the entertainment industry. The standard is intended to offer guidance on how to select, install, use and maintain ground fault protection devices in the entertainment industry. The project is intended to promote the use of these devices to protect people and property from hazards associated with using electrical equipment in wet locations, such as when pools of water are used on stage or a location video-shoot is conducted in the rain, and to promote reliability and avoid nuisance tripping.

BSR E1.20, Remote device management over USITT DMX512. The project is intended to develop a method of bi-directional communication over a USITT DMX512/1990 data link between an entertainment lighting controller and a remotely-controlled dimmer, moving light, or other device. The protocol for this communication is also intended to work with the BSR E1.11 lighting control protocol being developed by the same working group.Int

Running from 3-6 February 2002 at the Paris Expo Centre, Porte de Versailles, the 2002 SIEL event celebrates its 20th anniversary and looks set to continue its successful run. Last year the event received close to 24,000 visitors in attendance to meet some 280 exhibitors. Now uniting three major entertainment markets - SIEL Entertainment, SIEL Night & Show and SIEL Event, SIEL offers visitors access to a diverse and complementary range of products. Reed Expositions France, organisers of SIEL, can be contacted at: 70, rue Rivay - 92532 Levallois Perret, Cedex, France.

Building on the success of its original Lightforce speaker enclosures, Italian specialist PA builder FBT is set to launch its new Lightforce 2 series at this year’s PLASA show, on the Proel International stand. For users who demand wood - not moulded plastic - enclosures, Lightforce 2 offers a unique solution - the sound quality and substance of wood, but with lightweight, due to FBT’s poplar ply construction method. The Lightforce 2 range comes in both passive and active bi-amped versions. Total component reliability is ensured thanks to FBT’s ADAP electronic transducer protection system and the carpet-covered asymmetrical trapezoidal enclosures incorporate several unique features that make them easy to adapt for flying, stacking or installation uses.

Models in the unpowered Lightforce 2 range run from the two-way LF32 1x10" plus 1" compression driver, which will handle 150/300W RMS, through 12" versions up to the LF62, with its 15" plus 1" compression driver, handling 300/600W RMS. Powered models in the Lightforce 2 range run from the bi-amped LF32A 150 plus 50W RMS enclosure, through a 12" 200 plus 50W version, to the bi-amped LF62A, delivering 300 plus 50W.

Also on the Proel International stand will be the UK debut of Discotech’s new spinHEAD, whose specification, say the company, equals that of moving heads costing twice the price. SpinHEAD offers 2.4 revolutions per second continuous pan rotation, six revolutions per second continuous tilt rotation, 16 gobos plus open, 14 colours plus white, variable speed rai

Next Two, the leading provider of loudspeakers for background music, public address and voice alarm systems has launched two new ceiling speakers, the MC 4FT and MC 6 Coaxial. This new range of loudspeakers complements the existing Next Two MC-5 and MC-6 range and share the same heritage of acoustic engineering for high quality music production, aesthetic appeal and user friendly fixing mechanism. The new loudspeakers represent a high quality and cost effective solution for personal address, voice evacuation and background music systems. The Next Two Range of loudspeakers including the new MC-4 FT and MC-6 Coaxial will be on display at PLASA, 9-12 September 2001, Earl’s Court, London, UK, Stand S26.

A huge 17m x 10.5m Harkness Hall Airscreen took centre stage at two open air screenings during the revived Cambridge Film Festival. Shown as part of the Festival’s first run Children’s Film Festival, the highlight of the week long programme of events took place on two consecutive evenings with free screenings of Disney’s immensely popular ‘Toy Story 2’ and Aardman Animation’s smash hit ‘Chicken Run’, which entertained audiences of some 5,000 late into the night. Registering another first for the Festival, ‘Chicken Run’ was shown in a special subtitled version, making it the biggest screening ever to take place for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.

The Airscreen, a giant inflatable frame incorporating a projection surface from Harkness Hall, was rigged and de-rigged for each show in a little over 25 minutes. A powered air pump quickly inflated the PVC frame, which was anchored by guy ropes to four water-filled ballast weights. No other supporting structure was required. Outdoor screenings have been a speciality of the Cambridge Festival and technicians from the Festival's umbrella organisation, City Screen, are regularly called upon by other organisations for their expertise in this area, so it is with particular pride that the Festival returns with such a spectacular event.

Revived this summer, in association with the Independent, the Film Festival provided Cambridge and its regions with the full wealth and breadth of cinema - from the very big with screenings in widescreen 70mm, to the not so big in the Shor

Federal Signal has moved to strengthen its position as one of Europe's leading suppliers of public address/voice alarm (PA/VA) systems with the appointment of a new distributor for The Netherlands. Prof Sound Systems, based in Veldhoven, replaces Federal Signal's previous distributor and will provide a regional marketing and sales base for the company's range of commercial products, including Ultima and Talisman PA amplifiers. It is anticipated that Prof Sound Systems will eventually handle the distribution of Federal Signal's system products, notably the new JustiFire single-channel, four-zone PA-VA system.

For those visitors new to PLASA or simply keen to remind themselves how impressive last year’s event was, the Show website now features a virtual tour of last year’s PLASA Show. The tour takes in various elements of the exhibition with views from both the lower and top decks. By clicking on any of the green circles featured, visitors can look at the show floor in 3D and also explore other facilities at Earls Court 1.

DHA has announced its new licensing agreement with Rosco, granting the company exclusive rights to manufacture the most popular gobo designs from DHA's catalogue for supply to Rosco dealers around the world. The new system now means faster delivery of standard gobos for Rosco's customers. "Having worked with DHA for 17 years we are very happy to continue the relationship and pleased that together we are able to respond to increased customer demand for rapid delivery by streamlining our systems," said Joshua Alemany, product manager at Rosco Laboratories. He continued: "Complementing DHA's international network of dealers, Rosco continues with its agreement to be DHA's exclusive distributor of gobos in the USA, South America, Australia and Canada. The worldwide network of Rosco companies and existing global stockists will benefit from the new arrangement and we both expect to see increased growth and new product introduction."

Until PLASA 2000, Rosco and DHA shared an exclusive marketing agreement. This was then redefined, in a move to align DHA's international marketing strategy with its UK business practice and to enable the company to market its full range of products direct to overseas customers. Diane Grant, joint managing director of DHA, said: "We have been working successfully with Rosco since 1984 and since our move to Waterloo Road six years ago, our capabilities have increased tremendously. Customer expectations have also changed and they should no longer have to accept the delays in delivery caused by shipping gobos to the USA from the

A new company - Digital Talkback - has been formed to manufacture a new range of wireless communication products. The company has been set up by Mike Weaver of Mike Weaver Communications, and already has Andy Lillywhite (also of Mike Weaver Communications) and Richard Barman - formerly a director of Autograph Sales - onboard. Lillywhite and Barman are undertaking technical and marketing/sales roles respectively.

The first product launched by Digital talkback is the DTB-2001 wireless beltpack system which has been developed over the last 12 months by radio communications specialist Weaver. The product debuts at IBC (in September - and will be previewed the preceding week at PLASA in Earls Court on the Autograph Sales stand (B4). The DTB-2001 beltpack/base station system is based on DECT technology and is licence exempt in the UK, as well as the rest of the EU and many other territories. The system avoids competing with the already clogged radio frequency networks, and over 100 users can use the system in a single location, with no frequency management or time-consuming and complex set-up necessary.

Digital audio transmission also enables all packs to be full duplex, and ensures that audio quality is always crystal clear. Each beltpack has its own dedicated base station, and each base station can be integrated with either 4-wire systems, standard two-wire ‘party line’ intercom systems or even both at the same time.

Digital Talkback can be contacted at Unit 6, Fullwood Close, Coventry, CV2 2SS, UK. Tel: +44 (0)2476 617743.

As a key part of their re-equipment programme, major PA production company Britannia Row is switching exclusively to DSP by making a further heavy investment in the new BSS Minidrive. The initial 36 two-input/four-output FDS-334s will run the company’s new floor monitors, powered by C Audio Pulse switched-mode amplifiers. Brit Row’s equipment manager, Jerry Wing, confirmed that the first eight-unit system is already in use with Depeche Mode on their US arena tour and has been performing flawlessly. "I believe that we are the first rental company to make this level of commitment in digital stage monitoring equipment," stated Wing. "We aim to lead the way not only in audience but also in stage coverage. To that end we have developed new wedges, drumfills and amplification packages over the past year with advice from our client engineers - and the Minidrives are the final, vital, part of our update. Minidrive provides the functionality required by many applications, but by not including all the high-end functions of the Omndrive, is made more affordable to a wider section of the market.

Available in two models - the FDS-334 and FDS-336 - the former’s two-input/four-output configuration is purpose-designed for the monitor rack. Crossover filters are completely user-adjustable, with selectable filter topologies of Bessel, Butterworth and Linkwitz-Riley. Minidrive has the usual DSP crossover additional facilities such as delay on inputs and outputs, assignable equalisers (up to 60 bands), and mid-filter limiters. Input and output level meters ar

In preparation for the recent PALA 2001 and continuing its commitment to international workshops, DHA Lighting recently organised a day of workshops in Singapore in association with Audio Light Asia. Showing how theatrical lighting effects can be translated into alternative design contexts, Julie Harper, DHA's sales manager for the Asia Pacific region, demonstrated a variety of DHA products. In addition to theoretical guidance and professional demonstrations, the workshop provided hands-on opportunities to experiment with a range of lanterns and accessories. The audience was able to experience the potential of creative lighting when used to produce a variety of atmospheres which can be used across several market sectors, including themed entertainment, architecture, retail and interior lighting.

Taking her audience through a wide range of moving effects, Julie also used the compact DHA Gecko Image Projector, specifically designed for architectural use, in conjunction with its accessories for image animation and movement. The Gecko's style and compact design make it an ideal vehicle for creating lighting effects in any environment where space is limited or high tech design a feature. Other effects were demonstrated using Selecon's Pacific, ETC's Source 4 and Strand's SL lanterns.

Lynx Digital has completely refurbished a derelict 16th century barn and other farm buildings in Denham Village and converted them into a unique sound recording and comprehensive editing facility. The easily accessed complex in the West of London combines rustic character with 21st century technology to create the perfect creative environment.

The facilities comprise 12 separate, fully-equipped on and off-line sound and video editing suites, an orchestral sound recording studio, comprehensive DVD authoring and mastering facilities, plus impressive graphics and web design departments. Barn Studio also boasts a fully licensed exclusive Bistro, as well as meeting and private viewing facilities. The facilities are equipped with the latest technology including Symphony Smoke & Flame, digital editing for complex multi-layering, two Avids, two AMS Neve Logic suites, plus a host of other hardware and software packages. Because the complex has been custom designed and built, all suites are completely interlinked with full 'plug-and-play' cabling.

L&SI has received official notification that Studiomaster is in administrative receivership. The Milton Keynes-based company, which was officially registered as Studiomaster Diamond, had recently been experiencing problems with the chain of supplies from its Indian manufacturing plant and had been forced to contact customers advising them that the dispute had left them with no option but to put the company into administrative receivership.

Studiomaster was well known in the industry as a designer and manufacturer of professional audio equipment, a role it had been performing for over two decades, although the current company wasn’t incorporated until 1991.

Its first ever products were power amplifiers followed quickly by mixing consoles for live sound. Around this time the first affordable multitrack machines appeared and Studiomaster designed a studio quality desk to meet the needs of amateur recording enthusiasts. In the years since it has pioneered console development, from the Series II, the first mixing console to incorporate MIDI automation, through to the first professional standard compact console, the 6-2-1.

It’s not clear what will happen next - calls to the company are continually met by an engaged signal. However, in January this year, the company set up a new company simply called Studiomaster and we understand that it may well resupply products under the Studiomaster brand name sourced from an alternative manufacturer.

Baker Tilly has been appointed administrative receiver - at this stage they are unable to give any information regarding th

Lighting design and events specialists Rainmaker recently lit an open air stage on Brighton Beach for a Channel Four party event starring dance impresarios Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim and Groove Armada, and enjoyed free by approximately 35,000 excited revellers.

The main focus of the stage was a giant Screenco LED screen. This had been rigged to facilitate a C4 broadcast of the Ashes cricket from Edgebaston on the Thursday through Sunday. However, Channel Four then decided it would create a great local buzz of they threw a party on the Friday night, offering an opportunity to groove the summer evening away with the best in contemporary club vibes with local hero - the Fatboy himself! They then decided to broadcast parts of the party a week later on C4’s ‘Fatboy Slim Night’.

The Fatboy Slim event originally started out just as a just live show, with Rainmaker initially asked by production company Skybridge to supply four Space Cannons to reveal spectacular architectural illuminations on Brighton’s famous West Pier at a strategic moment late in the evening. However, a few production meetings down the line, it turned into a filmed event for Channel 4 and became obvious that additional stage lighting would be required as the event gathered pace. Rainmaker’s Paul O’Brien produced a dynamic lighting design for the stage. Using the two 10 metre high PA towers featuring a L-Acoustics’ V-dosc system supplied by Delta Sound and engineered by Andy Jackson, plus two additional six metre towers, Rainmaker installed a spectacular, highly flex