High End Systems silenced those who thought they had seen the last true moving light come out of Austin, by launching the Studio Command. This moving head version of High End's Color Command colour changer fixture has an electronic ballast and uses 14 DMX512 channels.
Also being shown on the High End booth was a preview of version four of the media server benchmark - Catalyst. Although High End says that Catalyst has always been capable of running HD content, it has never been something that it has ever shouted particularly loudly about. We can expect that to change in the coming months as Catalyst V4 is rolled out. Also new for Catalyst was a preview and content management interface.
UK - One of the latest innovations from Gary Crawford of CITC, the US-based manufacturer of special effects devices including snow, fog and water effects, has made the headlines in the US. The innovation may be used to control nuisance birds at farms and airports.
Crawford has modified a haze machine and come up with a grape concentrate-based solution that irritates birds without permanently harming them. When birds breathe in the substance, they cough and feel irritated, and keep away from the area. However, the solution does not affect other animals or people, says Crawford, who famously worked on effects for Steven Spielberg's E.T.
The Guardian Birdhaze machine emits a transparent, nearly invisible, haze that lingers in the air for up to four hours in an enclosed area. Outside, it spreads out over an area quickly, but remains effective. Tests in places where birds or their droppings are a problem have shown good results, Crawford said, and with the growing threat of bird flu, he expects interest to grow. CITC has worked with the US Department of Agriculture on the system's development, and now is talking with potential clients, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which uses cannons and other devices to scare birds away from runways, where they can get sucked up into jet engines.
"What I like is we've always done things that made people happy, and now we're doing something that really helps people," says CITC's Stephany Crawford.
(Lee Baldock)
USA - NSCA has announced a major expansion of its attendee marketing efforts to draw increased professional audiences to the NSCA Expo (16-18 March 2006). NSCA Expo traditionally attracts systems integration professionals, with over 11,000 attendees, representing systems contractors/integrators, manufacturers, architects, consultants, sales representatives, specifying engineers, and other allied professionals.
"The most important part of building a better business and a better industry is making sure that you have the right connections before your competitor does," said Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director. "Whether that means the newest product, finding a better way to do business, or meeting a new colleague, attendees and exhibitors can really feel confident that they will be finding the right connections at Expo in March."
The organizers say NSCA Expo will be supporting industry awareness about these new events with an aggressive attendee marketing program that has been designed to draw more attendees from its core member companies as well as reach a wider audience of industry influencers, systems specifiers and designers than ever before. NSCA says it has identified growth markets for its exhibitors and member companies including House of Worship, System Networking, Digital Signage and Architecture. The NSCA Expo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 16-18 March 2006.
(Lee Baldock)
Germany - German pro audio manufacturer K.M.E. recently launched its new, flexible 'Pano' line array at the Gewandhaus Theatre in Zwickau. With Pano, K.M.E. says it has "developed a compact line array which meets highest requirements of professional reinforcement for mobile usage and in fixed installations".
Pano consists of the line array unit QL 906, the flyable and stackable subwoofer QLB 118 and two system rack combinations SR 4800 for passive channeling and SR 7100 for complete active channeling. The 2-way line source unit QL 906 is equipped with two 1" drivers coupled to a wave-former / horn combination and two 8" neodymium speakers combined with "outstanding AQF acoustic filters" say K.M.E.
The line array subwoofer QLB 118 offers a clear, transient response for a minimum distortion in the low frequency range. The sub reproduces a low limit frequency of 33Hz at -6dB, with a maximum SPL of 131dB. Due to the low weight top QL 906 and sub QLB 118 are easy to handle and have an excellent power-to-size ratio, say the company. The black PU coating - standard for both components - guarantees an extreme mechanical load and a high weather stability.
The system includes a fully integrated rigging and stacking system. With four self-locking pins the line array unit QL 906 is mounted on the bottom side of the top bar and can be angled from -3° to 0°. The info display on the rear gives clear information about the configuration of the splay angle. First user experiences prove that size and weight of the system as well as the Quick Releas
USA - Elation Professional has upgraded its 250W DMX Waterfall 250 water simulation effect. The new Waterfall 250 PRO includes greater light output, a new case design, dimmer, remote focus and the ability to create multiple colour combinations - all of which make its ripple-like effects more vibrant and colourful, while giving operators better control, the company says.
A mood-setting effect aimed at nightclubs and dance floors as well as stage shows and theatrical productions, the Waterfall 250 PRO features a redesigned case with a sleek shape that allows for improved optics and up to 20% more overall light output. Elation has also added several thin multiple dichroic colour filters to one of its slots, allowing users to create cascading effects in multiple colour combinations. "With our previous Waterfall models, you could only have a single colour or split colours in the background," said John Lopez, national sales manager for Elation Professional. "But now with the Waterfall 250 PRO, you have the option of having a multiple-colour ripple effect."
(Lee Baldock)
USA - ESTA, the North American Entertainment Services and Technology Association, has anounced that BSR E1.17, Entertainment Technology - Multipurpose Network Control Protocol Suite, the draft standard commonly called 'ACN', is now available for public review until 14 February 2006.
The draft standard is a suite of protocols offering needed services in network management, device management, device description, and device control with reliable multi-cast transport on data networks that use the common Internet Protocols. There are 17 documents that describe various aspects of the suite of protocols, and they are all contained in the approximately three megabyte compressed file ACNDraft3.zip. The public review materials for this draft standard and all the draft ESTA standards currently available for public review are at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php.
In addition to being asked to review the documents to see if they offer adequate advice, reviewers are asked to look for protected intellectual property in the draft standards. ESTA does not warrant that its standards contain no protected intellectual property, but it also does not intend to adopt any standard that requires the use of protected intellectual property, unless that property is necessary for technical reasons and can be licensed and used by anyone without prejudice or preference for a reasonable fee. Any protected intellectual property in the document should be pointed out in the comments.
F
UK - Amanda Chester has been appointed marketing communications manager at Harman Pro UK. Chester joins Harman from Digidesign, where she was UK marketing and PR executive. Prior to that she worked in the IT sector, including at business management software company, Hornbill Systems.
Chester will oversee the marketing and PR activity of the nine Harman Pro brands across seven vertical markets in the UK; JBL, Crown, BSS, AKG, Soundcraft, dbx, Lexicon, DOD, and HiQNet.
Commenting on the appointment, sales director Max Lindsay-Johnson, states: "Amanda brings with her a wealth of knowledge and ability, which will strengthen our current team."
(Chris Henry)
UK - 2005 was a great year for Athlete. Their track Wires was a huge international hit and one of the best-selling singles of the year. It was followed by an emotive appearance at Glastonbury plus further chart success with the singles Half Light, Tourist and 24 Hours not to mention their album Tourist going multi platinum. As the year comes to a close, the band has just finished on a high with a massive sell-out tour. For that show, front-of-house engineer Suneil Pusari has, not surprisingly, chosen the best in outboard gear to highlight the band's great and varied sound . . .
"I'm using Focusrite Liquid Channels as my stereo bus mix compression," he says. "Usually you have to decide what unit you like and hope that it will achieve what you need in terms of holding the mix and letting it breathe. This will always compromise certain tracks if you have a band that plays a set of songs varying in style and dynamics. With the Liquids, having most classic compressors built into the unit allowed me to go through different compressors and settings to see what actually worked best. Instead of guessing, you can make a more informed choice.
"It's something that could never have been done before without a complicated and inefficient use of several various classic compressors," he continues. "It also allowed me to store settings in a user bank, which made compression settings for different songs far more accurate as well as in keeping with what the track needed sonically. Having the same buttons and dials to push made also
Spain - D.A.S, the Valencia-based loudspeaker manufacturer distributed in the UK by Sennheiser UK, has a busy show calendar during the next few months. The company will be represented on the road at a number of trade shows, on both the national and international scenes.
The latest D.A.S. products, such as the Aero-38A powered line array systems and SML-12A 'low-profile' powered monitors will be on display at international shows including NAMM (Anaheim, California, 19-22 January), SIEL (Paris, France, 12-15 February), Entech (Sydney, Australia, 13-15 February), SIB (Rimini, Italy, 11-14 March), NSCA (Las Vegas, USA, 16-18 March), and MusikMesse / ProLight & Sound (Frankfurt, Germany, 29 March - 1 April). On the national level, meanwhile, 15-17 February will see D.A.S. at AFIAL, Spain's pro lighting and sound association's official show, to be held at the Cristal Palace in Madrid's well-known Casa de Campo Park.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - "We've gone back to our roots," said Stage One's Simon Wood, when commenting on the work the company has just completed for the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield and their impressive brand new Christmas production, 'The Magic Tree'.
Stage One built several different sets for the show, which was specially written for the theatre. The complicated set designs had a massive visual impact and Stage One faced the challenge of capturing the designer's 'magic' whilst creating the sets: a recycling yard; the magic tree itself; a circus and a complete proscenium and floor. Simon Wood, added, "We enjoy getting involved in theatrical productions - especially a show like this as it really gets our team in the festive spirit."
The set for the recycling yard, where the shows central family live, has proved to be a feast for the eyes as it truly draws in the audience. It consists of six tracking wing pieces and a 'garden shed', with a medley of junk items applied to them (including corrugated iron, window frames and hub caps) and scenically painted. A ground row panel of wooden fencing was also built for these scenes.
In the show a clown gives the family a pot plant and out of this the magic tree grows overnight. Stage One made the realistic looking tree out of plywood formers, chicken wire and expanded foam, which was also then scenically painted, with flown foliage.
The characters go through a hole in the tree and find themselves at a circus and so the set Stage One built for these scenes needed to capture both the visual nature of the circus a
USA - Following in a tradition that has spanned over a century, Macy's has again created breathtaking display windows at their Herald Square location. This year's Christmas windows feature giant pop-up books that come alive, thanks to PRG Scenic Technologies, a division of Production Resource Group (PRG).
PRG Scenic Technologies provided automation, control systems, scenery and lighting for the six automated display windows, each themed around 'It's Christmas in the City'. The holiday windows recently earned the platinum award (first place) in the 2005 DDI winning windows contest, given out by Design and Display Ideas magazine. "Winning the DDI Award is like winning the Oscar for best picture in our industry," remarks Paul Olszewski, Macy's director of windows, who hired PRG Scenic Technologies for the project. "It's the first time Macy's has won the award, and to win the top award is just amazing."
Creating the magic in the windows was no easy task. Macy's hired Michael Allen Designs to help realise the artistic vision and due to the complexity of the automation, to locate a company with specialised engineering capabilities. "Normally with other automated windows, it's just figures moving back and forth; I don't think most companies would be able to produce the complex automation that came from PRG Scenic Technologies," Olszewski says.
"The mechanics and structures barely fit within the physical structure of the windows. It was challenging to package in the tight spaces and also to work with much smaller scale components than
UK - Concert Sound LTD, a well established rental company based in Luton, UK, recently invested in their first Adamson line-source array. They chose Y-Axis line's Y-10s and a SpekTrix system which they immediately took on the road with the Canadian crooner Rufus Wainwright, whose performance in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator brought him instant worldwide recognition in addition to his years of critical acclaim. This multi-stop UK tour had virtually every venue fully sold out.
Matthew Manasse, Rufus Wainwright's FOH sound engineer commented: "The Y-10 provides such pure audio that I can forget about the loudspeakers and just listen to what the musicians are doing. I am no longer listening to a PA system; I'm mixing a band and finding it possible to concentrate on the music, confident that the majority of the audience will hear exactly what I hear. We achieved excellent coverage and a consistent SPL in a wide variety of venues around the UK. After nearly every show people came up to me giving congratulations for a great sounding show."
Concert Sound chose to use 20 Y-10s and eight SpekTrix as the main PA for all stops of the tour. Lab.gruppen amps provided the power, and XTA DP428 units smoothly processed the sound. Andrew Davies, hire manager for Concert Sound says: "It's not only the outstanding technology and good image, which come along with the Adamson Y-Axis and the SpekTrix systems that convinced us to take this important step for the company; but it's really refreshing to experience how the entire Adamson Europe - DV2 team is supporting
UK - A new county museum, 'The Collection', was recently opened in Lincoln's city centre, including a sound system based around Allen & Heath's iDR DSP system. The £12.5m development, designed by London architects Panter Hudspith, houses art and archaeology from the area, including a large Roman mosaic and other finds from the museum site itself.
The iDR system is being used as part of an invisible sound system for a 'talking wall', located in the museum's Orientation Hall. The wall is a public artwork, commissioned from Dutch artist Adinda van t'Klooster, which broadcasts a multitude of pre-recorded speeches, describing different aspects of Lincolnshire history. These stories are played through 22 Amina flat panel speakers, concealed in apertures in the wall.
"The system was commissioned during the final stages of building the museum, and to ensure quiet we had to do this at night," explains Paul Pinchbeck from AV installers, Cantoris Sound. "A laptop was set up in the hall to fine-tune the system, using a specially-installed data link, and the settings were then saved to the iDR unit in the equipment room. We also tested programming for typical audio distribution settings, such as background music and public address announcements, for possible future use."
The iDR system comprises an iDR-8 16x16 matrix mixing processor and input and output expander units, managing a Fostex hard disk multitrack recorder, with amplification from Mustang. Over a mile of speaker cable links the wall to the equipment room where the units are housed.
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UK - Perhaps the most sought-after party invitation this festive season is the HoHo Christmas Drinks, which this year celebrated its 5th anniversary at the beginning of December at The Players Theatre Bar under Charing Cross station. One of the more inspired Millennium initiatives, it came into existence as the brain-child of Messrs Roger Hennigan of White Light and Paul Hornsby of the Royal Opera House.
As Hennigan explains: "The intention of the evening is to bring together everyone at least once a year for a sociable drinking evening - meet the faces behind the voices and the e-mails and swap an anecdote or two, with the emphasis being on fun and sociability rather than business at the end of a busy trading year."
At its conception there was a small gathering of 20 people at the then Flyman and Firkin (now O'Neills) on Shaftesbury Avenue, but each year has seen the word spread further and this year saw over 130 people party away until the early hours (and yes it was mid-week!) in its stylish new environment of the Players Theatre Bar.
"Such is the success of the Christmas events," continues Hornsby, "that we have also set up a Summer (Ho Ho) Drinks to carry on the socialising! We aim to tell as many people as possible and we always have a good turn out of around 100 people or more, with a good proportion of the lighting industry present from all corners!"
In addition to the twice-yearly gatherings, the Ho Ho now has its own website, complete with photographic evidence and chat forum, covering topics from technical advice, alco
USA - OmniMount Systems has joined the D-Tools Manufacturer Partnership Program (MPP) which gives system integrators the ability to easily specify any OmniMount commercial and consumer product directly through D-Tools' extensive manufacturers database, saving them time and money throughout the entire process of nearly any project, say the company.
"Once a system's audio and video electronics and integration has been specified, selecting the appropriate A/V mounts, furniture, and accessories to complement the desired aesthetics, form and functionality is of vital importance," said Hal Truax, general manager for custom installation at OmniMount. "OmniMount prides itself on customer service that is second-to-none. Our partnership with D-Tools further strengthens this reputation by making OmniMount's immense and diverse product offerings immediately available to system integrators at the right time in the process - making their jobs much easier and more profitable when designing an entire system. Additionally, once an OmniMount product is associated with a manufacturer's device the information is immediately available to all users and stored for future use, further reducing time and costs."
D-Tools software, System Integrator 4.5 (SI 4.5), enables systems integrators and custom installation professionals to create detailed projects managed with automated proposals, scheduling, pick lists, purchase orders and additional documents that streamline the integrated installation of audio and video products. By using a single, shared project file, system
UK - Pro Audio Systems, the Bradford based audio and AV rental, sales, installation, conference and events production company, has taken delivery of its first Yamaha M7CL digital console, among the very first to be delivered in the UK. The console was presented to the company personally by Yamaha-Kemble joint MD, Andrew Kemble, and joint MD, Hiroyuki Wakamatsu.
Yamaha's new M7CL was launched at this year's PLASA show and represents a major advance in the evolution of a truly intuitive easy-to-use interface in the development of digital consoles. The M7CL offers professional digital console performance for live sound in a 32 or 48 channel system, and is actually easier to operate than many equivalent analogue desks, says the company.
Pro Audio Systems has been a Yamaha commercial audio and music production reseller and hire specialist for 18 years. The company is an officially recognised digital console specialist, and a 'PA Supercentre'. The new M7CL is destined for sales and demonstration stock, and the company is looking at adding additional M7CLs to its hire stock in coming months. The company's hire division counts Yamaha DM2000 and smaller digital consoles, as well as classic analogue PM series desks in its inventory.
Operations, sales and marketing director Andy Turner, says: "There was much suspicion from many live sound professionals regarding digital consoles in the early days, but as the products have evolved they have gained wider acceptance. With The M7CL, Yamaha has clearly listened to the views of their customers, and this console represents
Czech Republic / Canada - Quebec-based Intellimix has been appointed as Robe Show Lighting's new Canadian distributor. The deal was sealed in November at LDI 2005, Orlando, say Robe.
Intellimix, founded in 1996, were looking for a world class moving light brand to add to their portfolio, and so Robe was a natural choice. Robe has started becoming popular in the territory, particularly over the last year, the company reports.
Company president Stephen Kosters explained that Intellimix has become a leading player in the Canadian rental market because it has kept its eye on what is cutting edge technology, and also because of it's "customer first" approach that clearly separated them from the competition. Robe Show Lighting's MD Josef Valchar says: "It's great to have Intellimix onboard. I am confident they will do a great job for us."
(Lee Baldock)
UK - For the last 77 years the BBC has been transmitting the annual Carols and Lessons service at Christmas from King's College, Cambridge. For millions of radio listeners, and now TV viewers, around the world it marks the 'official' beginning of the festive period. ELP have been providing location lighting, rigging and power for the TV broadcast of the service for a more modest five years, and in that time have helped lighting director Bernie Davis develop and refine his approach.
In previous years, lighting for the audience, organ, walls and ceiling had all been done from the narrow ledge over the choir stalls. However, a review of safety practices decided that it was not safe to work at height without a harness, and there was no way a harness could be attached to the ancient walls without disfiguring the chapel. So some 'sensitive' rigging was performed by the ELP team. Using a variety of custom mountings a vertical truss was placed at each corner of the choir area, allowing a few lamps on each for 'lifting' the very dark woodwork, organ, and audience. A simple black cloth disguised the truss for the recording.
With Davis' direction, ELP's range of Arri Junior Fresnels and Source 4's did their job admirably. The shadows left by the lighting were filled by the light through the stained glass window, giving a colourful haze. Four Arrisun 4KW MSR PARs were placed outside the building on the lawns to beam light through the stained glass windows and into the Chapel. This produced a wonderfully festive effect.
The famous Kings College roof was almost entirely lit
UK - Le Maitre were asked to create the special effects for the UK premiere of the latest Hollywood blockbuster King Kong, at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square.The crew of four Le Maitre technicians set up four Pyrotek Dragons, using eight heads, on the canopies on either side of the Odeon. The Dragons fired huge flames of up to 50ft into the air as the guests arrived and paraded down the red carpet, then continued to entertain the crowds throughout the three-hour screening of the film.
The crew also rigged a 70ft wide pyrotechnic waterfall from the parapet at the top of the building using 4oz Gerbs. The 30-second waterfall was fired on the arrival of star Jack Black and for the switch on of the illuminated sign 'KING KONG Eighth Wonder of the World'.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - After more than 20 years, Queen returned to the US to play two sold-out shows as a precursor to their 2006 US tour. 16 October saw the band at The Meadowlands arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and on 22 October the band played one of the most celebrated outdoor venues in America, the Hollywood Bowl. Bandit Lites supplied the full lighting production and crew for both shows.
Queen hit the road earlier this year for one of 2005's most anticipated tours, a show for which lighting designer Barry 'Baz' Halpin received much praise, and for good reason. The Hollywood Bowl is an historic American venue, an 83-year-old landmark with a unique shape. Halpin explains his challenge: "The lighting system was built to fit the dimensions of the Bowl. We put the whole European show into the Bowl but our rig is big and square and the Hollywood Bowl is big and round, so we had to come up with a plan B - not a compromise but something intentional. We compacted everything down. It was millimeter tight and had to be 100% perfect. With the help of Dizzy Gosnell of Bandit, who drew up the Hollywood Bowl in 3D, we worked it out. We only had one day to go in so we had to know it was going to work.
"We had a big LED wall 20ft high and we couldn't put any lighting in front of that. We couldn't move the trusses as we normally do during the show and we had to get maximum trim out of everything. We really needed to be absolutely sure it was going to fit before we went in there so Diz drew it in 3D. We came up with several options and picked the best which basically followed t
UK - Live brand experience specialists MMM produced a stylish show for the 2005 Hyundai National Dealers Conference at the Celtic Manor, Newport. The event introduced some corporate restructuring and the new UK manufacturing company, Hyundai Motors UK, which replaces the previous Hyundai importers, RAC PLC. It also showcased the new vehicles for 2006.
MMM's brief was to ensure the day's proceedings were highly motivational for the delegates. The conference was followed by dinner and entertainment led by a male voice choir, and comedian Dominic Holland.
MMM designed the set and supplied the necessary technical infrastructure including staging, sound, lighting and AV. They supplied all personnel and services needed to run the event from delegate registration to logistics and artist booking. MMM compiled the PowerPoint content material, graphics and various video stings and play-ins; the graphic elements of the show were co-ordinated by Andy Darby.
There was an extremely short lead-time of three weeks between Hyundai giving the go-ahead and the actual event. On site, the timeframe was even tighter! The MMM crew gained access to the Caernarfon Suite at 3 a.m. on show day so the operation had to be seamless.
The set was designed to maintain the clean, modern lines of the Hyundai brand and consisted of a 90ft curved cyclorama hung from eight motors, and four tubular steel ellipses filled with white gauze. Bespoke lecterns were designed to match the streamlined look, and the autocues were constructed with white fascias. A 16 x 9 ft rear projection screen was install
USA - Barco has won a contract to provide over 46,000 OLite 510 outdoor LED modules for the new Victory Park development in downtown Dallas. In what Barco say will become one of the largest high-definition outdoor media installations worldwide, 11 individual LED displays will be constructed at Victory Park, one of the most significant master planned urban developments in the country. The Victory Media Network will include two fixed 20ft x 20ft tower displays, a digital portal, and eight movable 15ft x 26'ft LED walls (installed in two four-panel groups that face each other across the 60-foot wide Victory Plaza).
The movable media displays will be mounted on rails, and stacked two-on-two. Using the Barco Screen Movement System, the panels can be choreographed individually with discreet video and surround-sound feeds, or locked together to form 30ft x 50ft HD screens with true 16:9 aspect ratios. The entire project uses four million individual OLite SMT (Surface Mount Technology) LEDs, each with a capability of 185 trillion colours.
Opening in 2006, Victory Park will redefine city living in Dallas with the W Dallas Victory Hotel & Residences, emerging and reputation retail, distinctive dining, modern office space and numerous entertainment venues, including the American Airlines Center. In the open-air Victory Plaza, the Barco LED walls will offer visitors an interactive mix of advertising, education, entertainment and art, and will provide brand advertisers with an opportunity to create unprecedented immersive environments and captivating experiences.
"The
UK - With the all-digital Urei 1601 Series already receiving huge acclaim worldwide, Soundcraft has released a third model in the range, the 1601E, which has a comprehensive digital Effects section built in. The 1601E joins the 1601 and the 1601S series of user-friendly, high performance DJ mixers (the latter having a 2-bank, 24-bit sampler section).
The Urei 1601E Effects section is built around a core of 5 effects (filter, delay, pan, cutter and flanger), but also has a set of 25 combo presets in five banks which allow DJs very easy access to a range of unique chained effects sounds. For example, one preset could include a combination of filter, flange and delay effects. The effects can be individually assigned to each channel, and a bpmfx cross-fader allows the DJ to select the desired degree of effect and original sound with a wet/dry mix.
Two effect parameter controls provide a unique way of modulating key parameters of each effect currently selected, plus there are five selectable effects speeds from 1/4 to 2/1.A separate three-band isolator allows you to select which frequencies of the music pass through the effects section (LF, MID or HF).
Urei's powerful bpm analysis engine automatically synchronizes the effects to the track bpm making the effects very easy to use allowing the dj to concentrate on the effects parameters in the mix. Tap mode allows the dj to manually set the effects bpm by tapping it in (very useful on tracks with no detectable bpm like scratch records and acapellas.
All the standard features of the 1601 are retained of course, such a
UK - Latest in a growing list of Lyceum-owned venues is the Korova Club based in Wood Street in Liverpool's city centre. Korova is actually three venues in one, offering a mix of entertainment. Entry to the main bar/restaurant area is at street level and visitors are greeted immediately by a combination of predominantly pink lighting (LED downlighters), exposed brickwork and a metal beamed ceiling. Retro style red televisions are positioned above the tables, showing playback of live on-stage activity in the downstairs club.
As with other Lyceum venues, quality music forms the essence and the backdrop of much of the entertainment. The main bar uses eight Tannoy V8 loudspeakers and two VS15BP subwoofers whilst the Kitchen Club to the rear of the main bar provides music at typically a lower level and is driven by six Tannoy i8AW loudspeakers.
A short corridor leads you through to the Kitchen Club where white tables, white chairs with chunky white candles burning give the area a modern but intimate feel. A large glazed area at the back of the room allows visibility of the stage in the club below. Backlit images of performing rock bands adorn the plain brick walls.
Accessed from the Kitchen Club is the downstairs nightclub which regularly hosts bands and DJs playing a mix of styles. With its loudspeaker system comprising six Tannoy V12HP, four Tannoy V12 and two iQ18B subwoofers the club is exceptionally loud and dynamic in what is quite a small venue with a capacity just short of 200. Four Tannoy TDX1 system controllers are used for audio distribution throughout th