UK - One of the world's leading cruise ships, the QE2, has undergone an extensive technical refurbishment of its Grand Lounge, the largest entertainment venue on the ship. A new Martin Audio sound system has been installed to handle the Lounge's diverse programme of events.
The Grand Lounge stretches over two decks of the ship, accommodating 450 people in cabaret-style seating on two levels. Twice a night, the ship's on-board cast present theatrical production shows, and occasionally guest cabaret artists perform, as well as dance bands. Cunard's entertainment technical manager Andy Pygott had to search for a sound reinforcement system that was flexible enough to handle these shows, as well as all the other events that are hosted by the Grand Lounge throughout the day.
"We were looking for a system that would deliver even sound coverage across the whole room, with a particular emphasis on vocal clarity," says Pygott. "The system needed to have the ability to handle all these different types of shows and provide the levels required without feedback for everything from a speech to a full theatre production. We looked at a lot of options, considering also what would be easy to install. We'd used Martin Audio speakers previously, and concluded that this system would be the ideal passive solution for our refurbishment."
With the stage thrusting slightly forward into the audience area, Andy Pygott and Ross Portway, the sound designer, couldn't use a conventional theatre configuration. Either side of the stage is a column where two W2 full-range
USA - Color Kinetics and Spectrum Manufacturing Inc, a subsidiary of UK-based A.C. Lighting, have announced a patent licensing agreement through which Spectrum will expand the Chroma-Q line of products with a new LED-based offering. The first new product, called Color Block, will be unveiled by A.C. Lighting at the PLASA show in London (12-15 September).
"Color Kinetics works proactively to help OEM and Licensing customers enter and find success in the intelligent solid-state lighting space, and we're very pleased to extend the advantages of our intellectual property to Spectrum, whose Chroma-Q line will now feature the proven benefits of LED technology," said Bill Sims, President and COO, Color Kinetics. "This agreement represents the latest achievement in maximizing the value of our technology know-how and supporting industry-wide adoption of intelligent solid-state lighting."
"When it comes to intelligent solid-state lighting, we recognize the advantages of aligning with Color Kinetics, which we believe provides a competitive edge in bringing our new LED-based products to market," said David George, president of Spectrum Manufacturing. "We view this relationship with Color Kinetics as a critical differentiator in the planned expansion of the Chroma-Q line for entertainment and event lighting."
Color Block is a modular block of four DMX-controlled colour-mixing LED lights, which can be used independently or configured in stacks or rows to make battens, blinders or in other combinations. The product is scheduled for S
UK - James Thomas will show its comprehensive ranges of trussing, tower and ground support systems - including the new Mini Tower trussing system - and theatrical lanterns. The latter include the legendary aluminium PAR can, cyc lights, spot banks and light battens.
The Mini Tower system is a small ground support tower designed to lift loads of up to 1000 kg to a maximum height of 7.5 metres in a three or four tower configuration; 7.5 metres in a goal post (two tower) configuration. JTE is also showing examples of its large range of standard aluminium trussing, ground support and roofing structures. JTE trussing and aluminium products are in clubs and destination venues of all types, large scale festivals, theatres, concert tours, theme parks, visitor attractions and retail environments. The most popular aluminium products include GP (General purpose) trussing, SuperTruss, Super Lite, Moving Light Truss, Circular truss, towers, roof systems, catwalks, follow spot chairs and a whole selection of rigging accessories. JTE's 30.5cm x 30.5cm SuperTruss is designed to offer all the advantages of the 52cm SuperTruss in a 30.5cm x 30.5cm layout, increasing the load bearing capacity substantially over standard GP 30.5cm x 30.5cm truss.
The PAR can needs no introduction as one of the industry's most ubiquitous and well respected sources of illumination. James Thomas were the first and original manufacturers of the spun aluminum PAR can, and are proud to still be at the forefront of one of the most revolutionary developments of show business technical history! PAR cans are
UK - Mission Pro, the professional division of the British company at the leading edge of loudspeaker innovation for over 25 years, is exhibiting on Stand CC42 at PLASA 2004, Live at Earls Court, from 12-15 September.
The highlight of the Mission Pro stand will be the award winning TecSonic portable PA system. TecSonic is a groundbreaking, lightweight package that includes a specially designed full range panel loudspeaker, an efficient mixer-amp and all the accessories needed to provide an ideal sound reinforcement solution for PA presentation and background music applications. For easy and safe portability, the complete system is housed in a sturdy and protective carrying case.
Also on display will be the SM6A active studio monitors, which have already received excellent coverage in numerous MI Pro publications. The SM6A features a 150mm Paramid cone bass unit, coupled to a 26mm ring dome treble unit that extends high frequencies to 30kHz and above. Built from structurally braced MDF with a 38mm thick front baffle, the SM6A cabinet forms a solid base for the drive units and is finished in a scratch resistant black. The monitor features a discrete transistor amplifier with independent LF/HF power supplies to provide powerful, reference-quality amplification.
In addition and already proving very successful in the market place, the Mission Pro BMS (Business Music System) has been installed in many retail environments. Comprising the fs-8p subwoofer and a choice of either two or four fs2 Pro satellites, this simple to install system provides 180 degree dispersed,
UK - The Product Excellence Awards at the PLASA Show has been a popular feature of the event for many years, highlighting the significance of the show as a focus for new developments for the industry. To reinforce this role, the PLASA Awards have undergone an important change for the 2004 event (12-15 September), in order to focus on genuine innovation.
For the re-branded PLASA Awards for Innovation, the judges will be looking for products which advance the industry, demonstrate a new style of thinking, represent a key step forward in safety terms, or improve technical practices. There will be eight Awards for Innovation at the judges' disposal and currently over 60 nominations have been received, with just three weeks before the deadline of Friday 3 September. Exhibitors who still wish to nominate a product are urged to submit their applications as soon as possible. Nominees who have already submitted their entries will be featured in a special PLASA Show preview in the September issue of Lighting&Sound International.
The awards ceremony takes place on Monday 13 September at 6.00pm at the PLASA Central Bar. All award winners will then be featured in the October issue of L&SI.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - A high-profile vodka bar in Bedford has become a showcase for the latest fashions in LED lighting. Purchased recently by Mark Walker for his girlfriend Deborah, Bar Soviet is equipped with the latest Mood panel and high-power Solar MR16 RGB downlighter technology - supplied by Ian Kirby's Lighting Effects Distribution.
Having finally taken over the premises which he had tried for four years to acquire, the new owner - who also runs the company Laser Light International - wasted no time. First he applied for a PEL (which he hopes will give him a 3am license) and then he contacted his friend, Glasgow-based Nadar Shahzad of Blue Audio. Shahzad reports, "Mark wanted the venue to constantly change colour. Although he hadn't seen the Mood panels, we had been sent a demo unit last year - and I knew this would be the perfect solution for him."
Offering a split screen display, Mood Light Panels can be mounted on virtually any surface, making them perfect for bars and restaurants. At Bar Soviet six panels form a matrix display and throw blocks of colour at customers, surrounding what is Bedford's biggest vodka bar.
Once Shahzad had begun the design everything else fell into place and the Mood panels are complemented by ten of the three-watt and 32 of the six-watt RGB MR16 LED downlighters - with their high-lumen output and 50,000-hours plus lamp life. These are distributed throughout the venue to provide an ever colour-changing atmosphere.
For Mark Walker, whose first bar venture this is, the result is spectacular. "I have spent £200,000 on this ve
USA - Loud Technologies Inc has announced a cross-licensing agreement with Echo Digital Audio, which will see Loud Technologies license FireWire audio technology from Echo, while Echo licenses Mackie-branded application and plug-in products from Loud. "This partnership leverages each company's strengths," commented Tony Rodrigues, business development manger at Loud. "Echo is a recognized leader in the development of high-quality audio devices for computer-based audio workstations. Combining their expertise with Mackie's exceptional analogue and digital audio technologies will result in a new generation of high-performance audio I/O products that will bring a host of innovative features and capabilities to the desktop and professional recording markets."
As part of this agreement, Echo will begin bundling Mackie-branded software products with their PCI and FireWire devices. This bundle will include Mackie Tracktion, the easy-to-use digital recording and MIDI production software; as well as Final Mix, the stereo mastering plug-in originally developed for the award-winning Digital 8*Bus console.
Milo Street, CTO of Echo Audio added: "We are very proud to be associated with Loud, and specifically the Mackie brand. Adding Mackie software products will bring both professional capabilities and tremendous ease-of-use to Echo's digital product line. We believe that this is just the beginning of a great relationship that will ultimately benefit both Mackie and Echo customers alike."
(Lee Baldock)
USA - Utah's Salt Lake City Olympic Legacy Theatre uses a pair of Jem Glaciator heavy foggers to create a special cloud effect during the opening and closing scenes of a feature movie that is presented several times each day.
Supplied by Las Vegas-based atmospheric and effects specialists Water FX, the Glaciators are used to create a three-dimensional cloud at the beginning of the film, a curved 37ft (11.3m) fog barrier that covers the projection screen. The fog creates a curtain onto which three projectors cast images of blue clouds. The fog curtain is controlled via fans and manifolds, and at one point a hole is blown through the cloud to create for the audience the effect of flying through the clouds.
At the end of the movie, viewers journey back through the clouds. Some 150ft (45.7m) of ducting, plus 120ft (36.6m) of manifold and 100ft (30.5m) of tubing with a large diverter box are used to channel the effect. The fog effect is designed to operate every 20 minutes for 12 hours a day.
Effects Designer Tim Vanwormer of Water FX says that not only have the Glaciators performed well, they have saved money on alternative systems - as well as trouble. "Handling is easier with the Glaciators than with dewar vessels and CO2 would have been hard to handle," he says. "Also, CO2 takes oxygen out of the air and they would have had to install a complete oxygen subsystem and oxygen monitoring devices to make sure they weren't endangering the people in the theatre. They are saving money on the front and backside of the installation - both the installation
UK - Thousands of loyal folk fans gathered in August for one of the most eagerly anticipated folk festivals of the season, Cropredy. The long-running festival, which has been a regular fixture since the late 70s, was headlined again by Fairport Convention - the original founders of Cropredy. The festival also featured the Oysterband, Jethro Tull and Nick Harper. SSE Hire was once again the chosen audio contractor for the event. The PA system was the Nexo Geo T with a Midas Heritage 3000 console out front and a Midas XL348 onmonitors.
Huw Richards, FOH engineer for SSE commented: "Every engineer had something positive to say about the system this weekend - all were really happy. It's the first time I've used a line array at a folk festival and I was really impressed at the quality of the output, especially with such a wide range of acoustic instruments in use. Overall it was a great festival as it always is."
Over the years, Cropredy has developed from a local fundraiser to a renowned cultural phenomenon featuring three days of laid-back music, great scenery and a relaxed and casual atmosphere. With the festival also bringing a diverse audience of the old, young and families it has become established as a significant part of the Oxfordshire folk scene.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - ShowCAD will again be exhibiting at PLASA, demonstrating new features of its Artist show control system. Artist is now linked with Cast Lighting as a Registered WYSIWYG Developer, enabling users to program/visualize lighting plots virtually using their WYSIWYG software. ShowCAD has also linked up with Pathway Connectivity to utilize the Pathport Ethernet DMX distribution system. This powerful system is also ACN-ready, and gives Artist up to 32,000 DMX channel capability.
Automaton is a new product - ShowCAD's long awaited low-cost stand-alone show controller which can be programmed from a computer on or off-site using a web browser, and will then replay the programmed shows without the need of a host computer. ShowCAD will also be demonstrating how to integrate Artist with IP commands, as well as the standard MIDI, RS232, and digital connections. Also, the company reports, the power of Powerpoint presentations and Macromedia Flash applications can be utilized within the Artist environment.
ShowCAD will be working with iVision UK who have adjacent stand A70. ShowCAD Artist software will be demonstrated controlling iVision's range of intelligent lighting as well as LED fixtures and displays. All the latest developments in Artist will be shown, such as Artist's improved effects and control engines and comprehensive LED matrixing and pattern generation capabilities.
Recent prominent Artist installations include The Hippodrome, London; Limelight, New York City; The Avalon Ballroom, Hollywood; Guru, Valencia; and The Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas. In the UK, the
International - Bryan Ferry is currently touring the globe with Audio-Technica microphones, including the AE5400 large-diaphragm, cardioid condenser - his long-standing choice of stage mic. Ferry has used an AT4054 capacitor microphone exclusively for his vocals for several years but has recently taken up with the A-T Artist Elite AE5400 - the successor to the AT4054 - with a significantly richer LF response and a switchable HP filter, say Audio-Technica.
These mics allow Ferry to switch from voice to harmonica, cupping the capsule without fear of feedback or any 'muting' of the harmonica's tone. The live mic list also includes AT4050 condensers on piano and guitar cabs, two ATM35 high-intensity, clip-on, cardioid, condenser instrument mics on harp, an ultra-miniature hanging AT853a cardioid condenser mic on violin, an AE2500 Dual Element, dynamic/condenser on kick drum, ATM25 high SPL dynamics on floor toms and three AT3060 large-diaphragm, vacuum tube condensers on drum overheads and sax.
Steve May, long-standing monitor engineer for Ferry, says of the A-T mics: "Great sound, very robust, quality product," he opines. Ferry's studio work has always had a reputation for luxurious production standards, and his style of close and intimate vocal recording is signature. Again the A-T capsule provides that optimum effect for him in the studio. Bryan is currently working on a new album in his studio, scheduling sessions in between the live shows, and making extensive use of much of the same A-T kit as on stage and of course the AE5400 on his voice and harp.
UK - Surprising as it may seem to some of the skeptics, since his appearance on "I'm a Celebrity...", Peter Andre has shown a phenomenal increase in popularity throughout the UK - and as such has recently completed a five-week sell-out UK tour. Basingstoke-based rental company Eurohire - providing audio, lighting and risers - chose EM Acoustics Quake subwoofers as the ideal solution for the low-end.
The system is built from EAW KF 800 series products primarily - KF850's ground-stacked four per side and KF853's flown - with just four Quake subwoofers each side. The whole system is processed by XTA DP224 controllers, and powered by LabGruppen amplifiers.
FOH engineer Graham Ewins commented: "I found the Quake subs to be extremely responsive, and surprisingly powerful for a single 18" driver. Stacking four in a block each side gave us excellent low-end throw right to the back of the venue, while still covering the whole audience area. I'd like to try these with a variety of different systems - they work great with EAW 850's, and we had the chance to try them with a d&b audiotechnik system at Birmingham Symphony Hall, where they excelled once more."
Eurohire MD Mervin George was delighted with the results: "Everyone who has heard these has loved them - engineers and artists alike. They work brilliantly as a complement to any system and as such we are looking to purchase more over the coming months."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - August saw the Royal Bath & West Showground in the West of England's rural Shepton Mallet besieged by 'pilgrims' from all over the country attending the annual Christian New Wine Festival, followed by Soul Survivor.
During the changeover to Soul Survivor, the ranks of 11,000 people swelled to 14,000 - stretching the site's services to the limit - when the 96m x 69m Albion Woods Big Top was reconfigured for the more youth-oriented event.
Some of the traditional problems experienced by the promoters were eased this year when both events converted to a Martin Audio Compact Line Array (W8LC) for the first time, provided by Wigwam Acoustics.
"There had always been a desire to fly a directional system, to reduce the spill outside the tent and minimize the impact on the surrounding villages," explained production manager, Greg Szabo. "On top of that we now have far fewer speakers dotted around the tent."
Long-standing FOH engineer Charlie Jones takes up the story. "People had been raving about the Martin system. With the W8LC we now have absolute control and can focus the sound where we want it."Both men paid credit to the efforts of Martin Audio's Jim Cousins, who set up the system, using Martin Audio's predictive software ViewPoint - which both optimized the performance and obviated any spill. As a result Jones and his team (co-engineer Steve Phillips and monitor man Ian Hopkinson) were delighted to be mixing the wide range of source material - from lectures, seminars to full ensemble live performance - through the system.
A lo
UK - AVC, the audio-visual equipment hire company with its HQ based in Dublin, Ireland, has become the latest European rental operator to invest in the NEXO GEO S Series tangent array system.
Having taken the decision to buy a line array, John Magann and his team at AVC have opted for the NEXO GEO S series "because of the technology and because of the compactness of the system." Already a NEXO PS Series user, AVC has now made the strategic decision to concentrate its hire stock entirely around the NEXO designs. "It's a perfect fit," says Magann. The GEO S elements are ideal for the concert and cabaret work that we do as well as being perfectly suited to our corporate clients and the events market. The NEXO PS Series can be used as a monitor system with GEO S, or in its own right for the smaller jobs."
AVC made its decision after discussion with local dealer Rea Sound, and a visit to the Millennium Forum in Derry, where a NEXO GEO S sound system was recently installed. AVC's initial order comprises: 12 x Nexo GEO 830 cabinets, 4 x Nexo GEO CD12 sub-bass units, 2 x Nexo GEO 805 cabinets, 2 x Nexo GEO NX241 digital controllers plus two complete sets of flying brackets, and Crown MA-3600VZ power amplifiers.
"GEO S is the big job made easy," according to Magann. "It can take less than an hour to set up a system that will handle 2000 people; it's so flexible and easy to use."
With offices in five counties across Ireland, AVC will be taking NEXO GEO S to the widest range of clients, primarily the audio-visual and conferen
Belgium - Simple Minds recently headlined at Suikerrock and Lokerse Feesten, two of Belgium's premier rock festivals. Among the key pieces of kit in FOH engineer Patrick Demoustier's rack were a pair of Apex Intelli-Q digital EQ units from the Belgian manufacturer APEX.
Demoustier specified the Apex Intelli-Qs as part of an Adamson line array system, powered by Lab Gruppen, that was supplied by EML Productions. "The Intelli-Q is the new generation of EQ," says Demoustier, who has been closely involved in its development. "I'm using them on Simple Minds with the digital Input option, and using the delay to get the subs and the line array into phase. Each unit is a super-quick processor, faster than other systems on the market, which gives me precise control over two discrete audio channels, as well as providing one of my favourite parametric EQs. Thanks to the AES/EBU I/O on the unit, I could keep the entire signal digital from mixing console till crossover. And one of the best things about the Intelli-Q is its size: it is a really compact unit, just 1U high."
Simple Minds made their appearances at Suikerrock and Lokerse Feesten during their European tour, with Demoustier mixing all shows on a Yamaha DM2000 front-of-house console. The band has a soft spot for Belgian music events as their first ever major festival appearance was at Torhout/Werchter in the 1980s. Suikerrock itself has a long tradition as a city festival. Held in the centre of Tienen, it welcomes Belgian and international bands including, this year, Thé Lau (NL), Krezip (NL), M
UK - On of the UK's leading entertainment lighting suppliers, White Light, will be at the PLASA Show once again this year, showing new products and introducing new members of staff on stand G29. New products on show will include the Digital Festoon System, a radical rethink of conventional festoon lighting that allows each lamp along a festoon to be individually dimmed, giving the possibility of creating stunning lighting displays from apparently simple strings of lights.
The Digital Festoon System (DFS) can be programmed using a laptop or can be controlled from a DMX lighting console for integration with a lighting rig. The system carries both 48V lamp power and DMX using a patented data system; up to 200 lamps can be individually controlled on a single cable from each DFS power unit. Offering exciting opportunities to lighting designers, the DFS has been nominated for the PLASA Show's Award for Innovation, and will therefore be on show in the show's Innovation Gallery as well as on the White Light stand.
Also on show will be the new DMX-controlled version of White Light's VSFX optical effects system. Fully compatible with all existing VSFX projectors and accessories, the new DMX-VSFX drive unit features built-in DMX control, allowing easier integration in DMX controlled lighting rigs.
White Light's stand will also provide a home at the show for many of the companies distributed in the UK exclusively by White Light. Representatives and products from Robert Juliat lanterns and Look Solutions smoke machines will be on stand, as well as examples of Rainbow colour
UK - Entec, Avolites and James Thomas's Pixel range team joined forces to make Air's recent show at the Eden Project in Cornwall a memorable one. It was the first time that the attraction's famous Biomes had been illuminated with Pixel fixtures. Integrated into the live performance, they formed a beguiling multi-coloured backdrop to the stage. Entec supplied both lighting and sound production for the UK and European legs of Air's extensive 2004 tour, working with the FOH team of LD Dave Byars and sound engineer Paul Ramsay.
The 'specials' element of the lighting rig - which toured everywhere including all the festivals - consisted of 14 Studio Spots, eight James Thomas Pixelline LED battens and four Manfrotto stands on risers. It was designed with festival practicality in mind - quick and simple to rig and wheel onstage - whilst also providing Air with their own unique set of visuals. With the band primarily static onstage, lighting plays an important aesthetic role in the show. Byars wanted to keep the fixtures low, shooting through the band into the audience, kinetically transferring the energies and vibes of live performance from the stage into the crowd.
For control Byars chose an Avolites Diamond 4. He first used the console on one of the US legs, and then decided it was essential to have one on the rest of the tour. He needed a lightweight desk with compact dimensions that was on one hand easy to hoist up FOH festival towers, but that also offered plenty of creative power. The D4 was ideal from all perspectives.
Byars thinks the desk is "brilliant&
Australia. - The newly opened AFL (Australian Football League) "Hall of Fame and Sensation" has made extensive use of ARX's Level 8 Audio Line Balancer. Centrally located on Swanston Street, Melbourne's main CBD thoroughfare, the Hall of Fame features a series of "walk-through theatre-ettes" each showing video clips of Australian football history. Each visual display is accompanied by an appropriate audio track from a bank of un-balanced sources triggered by movement sensors.
As the distance from the sound source to the screen displays is up to 40m the normally un-balancedsignal would be prone to any number of interferences. Installation Contractor DRM Project Audio Visual installed 10 units of Level 8s offering a total of 80 Channels to balance the Soundtrack signals and provided strong clean interference free signal paths.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
USA - At the forthcoming AES exhibition in San Francisco, the APRS (the Association of Professional Recording Services), in collaboration with British Consul General in San Francisco Martin Uden, will be holding a reception at the British Consulate on the evening before the show opens, Wednesday 27 October, at 6.00pm. The idea behind the reception, say APRS, is for exhibiting companies to identify key customers they expect to visit them during the show and invite them to enjoy some British hospitality and to mix with friends and colleagues from the UK industry. In addition to key clients and potential new customers, the APRS will be inviting many familiar industry faces based in the USA, including well-known producers and engineers, to the reception.
Due to space limitations, numbers are limited to a total of 80 guests, so tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Anyone interested in attending the reception is asked to contact Francesca Smith (01803 868 600) or Peter Filleul (020 8699 1245) for further information.
(Lee Baldock)
UK - Julie Harper joins White Light from DHA Lighting where she spent over 11 years in various sales, PR and marketing roles. Julie began her career on a West End followspot and after nine years decided it was time to get a proper job so she went to bag gobos for two days a week at DHA.
This proved to be less painful than anticipated so she joined the sales office and was soon writing press releases, which ultimately lead to her overseeing DHA's PR and marketing operations. Latterly, after expressing a conflicting desire to travel and a pathological fear of flying, she was given the role of sales manager for Asia-Pacific establishing and maintaining DHA's overseas dealer network.
Julie subsequently overcame her fear of flying and brings all her experience to White Light, where she is looking forward to in her new role as EPL sales manager, promoting the product ranges - Robert Juliat, Look Solutions, Rainbow and ELC - for which White Light are the exclusive UK distributors.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
Germany - MA Lighting has announced that in the four months since the first grandMA micro lighting console was delivered in April this year, more than 100 consoles have been sold. The console with serial number 100 is in use in Italy, purchased by Gmep-Molpass. MA Lighting director Michael Adenau says: "At the moment the grandMA micro is the most compact console on the market. It relies on the software platform of the award-winning grandMA range, which means that it is compatible with the show files of the other grandMA consoles."
The grandMA micro can control 1024 parameters for dimmer channels and moving lights as well as LEDs, effects and video. The configurable colour TFT touchscreen and the digital encoders are only a few of the convincing features of the console. The operating philosophy of all grandMA lighting desks is the same, so that the orientation for the user is very easy. Moreover, the grandMA micro offers a divided DMX input, and MIDI and analogue inputs. Although it has limited network functionality, it can be used for more complex shows and upgrades include timecode control. In addition the grandMA micro can be controlled via the grandMA remote or even a pocket PC. For real-time visualization of the show the console can be connected to a PC with the freely available grandMA 3D program.
(Lee Baldock)
Spain - Kylie Minogue recently gave a one-off performance for 500 VIP guests of Deutsche Bank at the Finca Mas Solers outdoor casino, just outside Barcelona. Kylie's system providers Capital Sound Hire supplied the PA, with XTA DP226 crossovers specified for speaker control, on a Martin Audio W8LC Line Array system.
The 70-minute Greatest Hits show, was a mixture of numbers from the last two major tours, Fever and A Night Like This, performed on a custom-built set. Capital Sound's Paul Timmins has been working with Kylie for the last four years, and although this was only a one-off show, the preparation took in excess of two weeks, with 10 days' rehearsals and four days' on-site time.
At front-of-house, Martin Audio W8LC Mini Line Array loudspeakers were flown in two hangs of seven per side, under a pair of W8LX subs, with a floor-mounted W8LS on each wing. DiGiCo D5 Live digital mixing consoles were used at both FOH and monitor positions. Chris Pyne was FOH engineer with Rod Matheson on monitors and Dave Wooster as system tech.
The system was tuned using the XTA DP226s. Four DP226s controlled the 16 W8LC line arrays, four W8LX and two W8LS subs. The W8LCs were running 6-way, with two mid bands and three high bands in use. The overall PA was flown quite low to help achieve an even and intimate experience. The subs were controlled using one DP226 and the frontfills (had they been needed) would have been assigned to another 226.
"XTA's proprietary Audiocore PC control software was used as the interface for managing the system - it is quick an
UK - The introduction of the VL3500 Spot and VL3500Q Spot luminaires by automated lighting pioneer Vari-Lite provides new opportunities for lighting designers requiring 1200W fixtures with automated shutter capabilities, say the company. The VL3500 Spot luminaries, which can be seen at the PLASA Show, match with the VL3000 Spot fixtures to provide a complete 1200W spot package.
The VL3500 Spot fixtures share the same performance standards set by the original Vari*Lite Series 3000 Spot luminaires. The shutter system consists of four shutters on two planes, which allows the blades to be operated independently or in unison on the two planes. This, combined with the opposing chamfers, allows designers a clear, crisp focus on all four blades at once.
"Designers will be pleased with this product," said Vari-Lite product manager George Masek. "No other competitor can provide the 6-to-1 zoom range we do in a 'Q' version, silent-running 1200W fixture with shutters."
The VL3500 Spot fixtures have 11 total gobos - five rotating and six static. With its shutter configuration, the fixtures have just three fewer gobos than the original VL3000 lights. Gobos and carriers are interchangeable with all Series 3000 fixtures, which should please rental houses. The fixtures are available in the popular 'Q' version, which has a 50% less audible fan noise. "Designers become comfortable with the tools they're used to and the way they work," Masek said. "Rather than giving them a completely new fixture that they have to become acquainted with the n
Russia - Currently the chain hoists and chain hoist controllers of ChainMaster of Eilenburg in Saxony are in demand all over the world, the company reports, with further successes in Russia underlining the trend: first it was the Kremlin, where 35 BGV-C1 chain hoists in the 500kg weight category, including encoder-driven way measurement equipment and a network controller (all from ChainMaster) were installed at the behest of the Arlecchino Business Center at the beginning of the year; then, one of Russia's largest festivals, at which the well-known events and entertainment service provider Arsenal Music of Tyumen recently gave its new set of ChainMaster hoists their first outing.
(Lee Baldock)