Projects

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17 October 2024

UK - Edinburgh’s W Hotel is the latest addition to the Marriott International estate.  Atop the building’s steel-spiral-clad exterior is a 12th floor rooftop terrace that boasts sweeping vistas of the city’s skyline and is the setting for a multi-speaker sound system from K-array, installed by London-based Link Media Systems.

“Sound is a big thing with the W brand,” affirmed W Edinburgh’s IT manager Kevin Edwards. “It's one of our key components of the brand makeup, and therefore getting the sound right is incredibly important.”

The Link Media technical team came up with a speaker system design that floods the whole terrace area with high level sound while remaining discreet and is also well protected from the elements, thanks to their stainless steel construction.

“We realised straight away that we couldn’t just install

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16 October 2024

USA - Touring arenas and stadiums in support of ninth studio album Trustfall – the fourth to go straight to the top of the UK album charts – P!nk’s successful Summer Carnival tour continues for a second year.

Supplying audio for its entirety, under the expertise of Britannia Row Productions account executive Dave Compton, the tour kicked off in England June 2023, and is currently playing across North America, with a finale planned for Miami this November.

“I’ve been working with Britannia Row since 2010,” begins audio crew chief, Guillaume Burguez. “One of the best feelings is knowing that anytime - day or night - you have their support in case any issues arise. It’s a great family to be part of.”

Riding the faders at FOH is Stephen Curtin, who is no stranger to the capabilities of the Clair Global Group wh

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16 October 2024

Italy - The Vasco Live 2024 tour took place across three venues with a total of 12 shows, kicking off at the Stadio Comunale in Bibione, followed by seven dates at the San Siro Stadium in Milan and concluding with four performances at the San Nicola Stadium in Bari. As every year, the tour of Italy's leading rocker was marked by an impressive deployment of equipment and technology, including a powerful, visually striking lighting rig.

Vasco's lighting designer, Giovanni Pinna, comments, “We used the same rig and the same kinds and number of lighting fixtures as last year, and the same stage layout as in the past two years. However, we made a significant improvement in light programming and overall use. With today’s complex technology, it is not easy to use all the features the lights offer straight off. This year, though, after last years’ exp

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16 October 2024

France - With its striking pink façade typical of the Art Deco style of the 1930s, the Palais des Congrès d'Issy operated by Viparis is a vibrant conference and entertainment hub in the city of Issy les Moulineaux in the southwestern suburbs of Paris.

Renovated in 2018, preserving interiors adorned by stained glass, mosaics, parquet flooring and marble, this historic building now features 2,800 m² of configurable space including 11 meeting rooms, two multipurpose areas and the Berlioz Amphitheatre.

Inspired by the inside of a cello, this nearly 1000-seat venue stages a variety of productions ranging from intimate concerts to grand opera productions. Initially delayed by Covid lockdowns, a planned upgrade to the sound system has now taken place, with services partner SAV sub-contracting Chalezeule-based event and theatre sound specialists Espace Co

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16 October 2024

Brazil - Started in 1985, Rock in Rio is a flamboyant celebration of music, held in Rio de Janeiro every two years., the festival has a worldwide reputation of excellence, not just in the artist line up, but the festival site itself. The choice to use DiGiCo consoles for the main front of house systems is down to artist preference, explains Peter Racy, Rock in Rio’s front of house (FOH) system manager and mix engineer.

“We are seeing a dominance of DiGiCo consoles being used by artists on the main stage,” he says. “The choice of consoles for the festival is usually determined by the artists’ engineering team and their preference is often a deciding factor. In front of me at the mix position, three of the four consoles are DiGiCo; it seems to be a trend. We are also using an SD-11 to control system feeds, including video mapping, p

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16 October 2024

USA - Clair Global was engaged by Latitude 38 Entertainment (L38), part of Live Nation Entertainment, for the eighth year to provide data solutions to three-day music and food festival, BottleRock Napa Valley.

Clair Global’s data services enhanced the festival experience for 45,000 attendees who came to watch a line-up of musical talent, including Clair Global touring clients Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, The Offspring and Queens of the Stone Age.

Clair Global engineers built the network infrastructure to support production connectivity needs around the festival venue, the Napa Valley Expo, before deploying specific solutions for food and drink vendors, access control locations, and site wide attendee WiFi, using enterprise grade network equipment overseen by a crew of 14.

Clair Global relies heavily on the reliability and performance

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16 October 2024

Germany - This summer, A Chorus Line premiered at First Stage Theatre in Hamburg. The final project of the graduates of Stage School Hamburg runs until October 2024. The annual joint project receives support from the media technology students of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), who are in charge of the automated control of the lighting technology and use a zactrack SMART system for this purpose.

“In this venue, it’s absolutely essential to use followspots,” explains Fabian Oving, who supervises all student projects as a research assistant in the lighting laboratory of HAW Hamburg and also uses zactrack in the university’s own showroom for training purposes. As the First Stage Theatre does not have any dedicated personnel for followspot applications, someone came up with the idea of using the tracking system for the produ

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15 October 2024

USA - Justin Munana, aka Collie, of design house Nimblist employed an abundance of Elation Artiste Monet LED framing profile luminaires for Chris Brown’s recently concluded 11:11 tour. One hundred thirty-eight fixtures were distributed across the rig to ensure a consistent wash over the entire set, contributing to the elaborate and visually striking production. Fuse Technical Group provided lighting and video.

The tour followed Brown's November 2023 release of 11:11, which topped the Top R&B Albums chart. Beginning in Detroit on 5 June and concluding in Los Angeles on 6 August, the tour featured a complex production, with Justin overseeing the performance environment design.

The theatrical production features several intricate elements, such as lifts and elevators to move performers and set pieces, a rotating B stage, kinetic

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15 October 2024

USA - Grammy Award-winning artist Gary Clark Jr is touring the world with his new album JPEG Raw, complete with a lighting scheme designed by John Adamo and Robert Fuller.

For the first US leg of the tour, John utilised Robe Footsie2s (RGBW) footlights and TetraX moving LED bars on his lighting rig, which were supplied by Bandit Lites.

Virginia-based John, who has been working with the singer and musician since 2018, said his starting point for this completely new production design was … the music. The artist’s collage of soul, blues, rock and funk is often complex and multilayered. John and Robert wanted to deliver an impactful design that complemented the dynamic range of the music.

Robe’s TetraX was chosen for its versatility as it can be used as a wash, beam or eye candy fixture as well as its ability to create subtle effec

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14 October 2024

Poland - Pol’and’Rock is a three-day event held at the Czaplinek-Broczyno Airfield that bills itself as ‘the largest free festival in Europe’. Inspired by Woodstock, Pol’and’Rock drew over 800,000 fans this year for the 30th edition of the festival.

Artists from nu metal and alt rock, to classic rock and hip-hop performed on the festival’s two stages. Among them were international acts like Guano Apes, Clawfinger, Modestep, Flogging Molly and Motionless in White, as well as Polish stars, including Coma and T. Love.

Supporting their performances was a light show designed by Jacek Chojczak and the Green Beam Design team. At the centre of the massive main stage (it measures 80m x 20m with a 21m trim) was an automated RGB ring that captivated the crowd by changing positions throughout shows. Thanks to its half rounded stealth filer

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14 October 2024

Europe - Australian lighting designer David Gordon – known industry-wide as Gordo – wanted to create a different lighting ambience that was transportable and transposable anywhere around the globe for the ongoing Living Room Sessions world tour by indie folk rockers Angus & Julia Stone.

He turned to 48 of Astera’s powerful and handy NYX Bulb products to help produce this smart, eye-catching, and highly individual aesthetic which packed neatly into a Pele case.

The NYX Bulbs were purchased by the band for the tour and for future use. They pack into a bespoke moulded tray for transit which is fitted into a Pele type 1607 case, weighing around 20kg when full, which is “great for freight” as well as being sustainable.

The NYX Bulb lighting concept is built around a theatre show set up. Onstage, 30 x NYX Bulbs are (typically

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14 October 2024

Poland - Produced by Euforia Festivals, Tranceformations is one of Poland’s largest EDM Festivals. It takes place annually at the Centennial Hall, a UNESCO-listed building in Wroclaw, capital of Lower Silesia. The historic venue, built in 1913 to a design by architect Max Berg, holds 10,000 people beneath its 42m high x 67m diameter dome.

This was the location for the sixth edition of Tranceformations which hosted a line-up of international Trance music artists including Aly & Fila, Brinary Finary, Jordan Suckley, Nilsix, Thrill Seekers, Solarstone, Genix, Marcus Schulz, A.D.D.A, Roger Shah and Simon Paterson.  

Lighting designer, Marcin Chrzanowski of CM Light, Poland, used over 500 moving lights and 55 high-powered lasers to bring to life the light show, transforming the mid-air into a colourful work of art, with the DJs and artist

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14 October 2024

France - The Festival d'Avignon celebrates its 78th edition in 2024. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, this major international performing arts event attracts thousands of enthusiasts each summer to various venues around the city.

At the heart of the festival, the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes is an emblematic venue, offering the setting for a variety of performances. This year, eight Claypaky Sinfonya and six Claypaky Rhapsodya fixtures were installed, combining the latest technology with high artistic requirements.

Before making their choice, the festival's technical team carried out rigorous tests at FabricA, a theatre in Avignon with dimensions similar to those of the Cour d'Honneur. These tests allowed the performance of the spotlights to be accurately assessed.

Manuella Mangalo, general lighting manager, explains, “I wa

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14 October 2024

Singapore - Arts venue, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, has recently invested in its first consignment of Ayrton fixtures having purchased 21 Argo 6 Wash and 12 Rivale Profile units for its Recital Studio.

The fixtures were chosen after a thorough evaluation process by Esplanade’s technical theatre managers and lighting team who judged the Ayrton fixtures to be a good balance of performance and reliability which met all their technical requirements. “Ayrton's products stood out for their versatility, innovative features, and the positive feedback we received from other industry professionals,” said Heryadi Yusof, head of lighting, technical production, The Esplanade Co Ltd.

The Ayrton Argo 6 Wash and Rivale Profiles proved well-suited to the intimate 245-seat Esplanade Recital Studio, meeting all the tender specifications and criteria set out

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14 October 2024

UK - Essex-based event production and AV installation company Spotlight Sound has announced its partnership with Hylands Estate. Spotlight Sound is now the accredited event production partner for the 574-acre estate.

Chelmsford-based Spotlight Sound was founded in 2009 by director Sam Dimond. In that time, the business has grown exponentially and now supports events with production and audio-visual equipment across Essex and throughout the UK. Spotlight Sound has worked on the BBC Make A Difference Awards, The London Football Awards, and many other high-profile events. During the Covid pandemic they spectacularly lit up Hylands House as well as other venues across the city in NHS colours to thank our emergency services for their work on behalf of Chelmsford City Council.

Sam Dimond says. “Our partnership with Hylands Estate means

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11 October 2024

Hungary - Robe fixtures were prominent on a number of lighting installations designed by Centrum Production and delivered by VEG (Visual Europe Group) for the 2024 Hungarian National Day Celebrations in capital city Budapest.

iBolts, iFortes and iForte LTXs together with MegaPointes and Tarrantulas were utilised across five key sites on the main day of celebrations which included performances, attractions and events taking place along a 5km-long stretch on both sides of the River Danube that dissects the Hungarian capital city.

The project was managed for VEG by Kristof Nagy and the five areas utilising Robe products were the 118m-wide Hungarian Parliament Building, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Elisabeth Bridge and the Mandoki Soulmates stage.

The imposing and majestic Parliament Building on the Pest side of th

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11 October 2024

Czech Republic - Žerotín Castle in Valašské Meziříčí has a new look and style for after dark with an installation of Anolis Calumma M and L LED fixtures, which were chosen to illuminate this heritage-protected building that houses a museum and gallery centre covering the whole Zlín region.

The initiative to light the building was led by Valašské Meziříčí’s city council working with lighting design studio Archlights.cz from Usti nad Labem, who provided expertise and selected the Calummas for the job.

The architectural lighting practice has utilised Anolis – a Robe business – products on several other jobs with great success, so it again looked towards the brand for a stylish, high-quality lighting solution.

The brief included creating some very specific colours to match the brickwork and general ambience of the Baroque-sty

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11 October 2024

Norway - Just off the coast of the North Sea lies the Norwegian island municipality of Askøy. Bounded on all sides by coastal fjords, the municipality of 30,000 people is home to several boat-building companies, football clubs, and a bustling seafood industry.

The island’s population greatly expanded after the opening of the Askøy Bridge in 1992. To expand its options for local artists and theatrical performances, the local government recently commissioned the creation of a new cultural hall – the Kultursalen Kipo. Powering all the loudspeakers in the acoustic enhancement system are Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional.

Venue staff contacted Benum Norway A/S to design the audio system for the cultural hall. Based in Oslo, Benum is well-versed in the challenges associated with performance venues like Kultursalen Kipo.

“Norwa

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11 October 2024

Canada - Simon Fraser University (SFU), consistently ranked among Canada's top research institutions, has taken a pioneering step into immersive communication and spatial acoustics processing. Thanks to a recent grant, SFU established an acoustics lab equipped with 128 Renkus-Heinz C Series loudspeakers to support its research in the field.

Located across British Columbia’s three largest cities – Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver – SFU offers diverse programmes ranging from anthropology to marine science. The university's drive to leverage technology for societal benefit led to the creation of a new lab focused on 3D multimedia applications, including surround sound, video, and spatial acoustics, commonly referred to as "immersive communication."

Senior professor Rodney Vaughan spearheaded the project and partnered with TiMax, Advanced Audio, Dire

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10 October 2024

USA - Rock titans Metallica roared into North America this autumn for the latest leg of their juggernaut M72 World Tour, now elevated by the power and precision of Meyer Sound’s 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements.

The tour, which began in April 2023, stops for two nights in each city, presenting two sets on ‘no repeat weekends’. Fans experience a stereo mix in every seat, one that’s faithful to 40 years of studio recordings, explains FOH engineer Greg Price. “Our goal was to bring that intimate environment into a stadium.”

Staged in the round, the tour is supported by a staggering 522 Meyer Sound loudspeakers, including 288 Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers, 96 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements, 48 VLFC very low‑frequency control elements, 16 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements, 22 Ultra-X40 com

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10 October 2024

USA - Jonny Tosserello, production manager and lighting designer/director for Lynyrd Skynyrd, is continuing his long-time use of Claypaky Xtylos for The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top co-headlining. Tosserello is a principal of Rock’n’Roll Drive-in based in southeastern Missouri.

Lynyrd Skynyrd, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, kicked off the 22-city North American leg of the ongoing tour with ZZ Top in July in West Palm Beach and wrapped in Ridgefield, Washington in September. Premier Global Production Company, Nashville, is the lighting vendor for the tour.

“I started deploying Xtylos in 2021 when they became available through Premier,” recalls Tosserello, who has been Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lighting director since 2010. “I wanted more beam fixtures in the band’s floor package, and Steven (Creech) Anderso

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10 October 2024

UK - The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of World War One France. Filled with stirring music and songs, it has become renowned for its astonishing use of life-sized horses by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who help bring this story to life on stage.

Having first been performed in 2007, the show is returning once again for an all-new UK and Ireland tour, featuring a lighting design by Rob Casey. Given the company’s long-term involvement with the show, White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, was called upon to supply the touring lighting rig.

The original production of War Horse was lit by Paule Constable, who would also light subsequent touring productions. For these, Casey initially served as one of

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10 October 2024

Spain - Alfalite has been selected by Telefónica Tech, the technology arm of the global telecom giant Telefónica, to complete one of the standout installations at the new Espacio Movistar, the company’s latest flagship venue.

Located in the Telefónica Building on Madrid’s Gran Vía, the project is part of Telefónica's 100th-anniversary celebrations. Alfalite has designed and installed a five-sided immersive LED cube, covering three walls, the floor, and the ceiling, using its Alfalite Modularpix Pro 1.5 ORIM panels.

This LED cube creates an immersive sensory experience for visitors, leveraging state-of-the-art visual technology. The cube’s multiple high-resolution screens, combined with the durability of Alfalite’s panels draw viewers into dynamic and immersive content. The installation is part of Telefónica Tech’s strategy to infuse i

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10 October 2024

USA - The Struts recently concluded the 28-date USA leg of their Pretty Vicious tour. Lighting designer Carlos Katsurayama transformed the stage with a shifting variety of dramatic looks throughout the show that wrapped themselves tightly around the mood of the music. Helping him create this evocative canvas on stage was a rig supplied by LIT Lighting of Phoenix, which featured 14 Chauvet Professional Maverick Force S Profiles.

Positioned on the riser, behind the guitar amps, the compact moving fixture with a seven-slot colour wheel and 14,000 lumen output was used to create a dynamic backdrop for the band. Drawing on features like the profile’s 120-degree complete module rotation and wide zoom ranges, Katsurayama was able to conjure up a variety of captivating looks.

“The Force S Profile brought a good level of intensity to everything,