USA - VLPS Lighting Services recently provided a lighting package on renowned Video Artist Bill Viola's latest project, The Raft. Commissioned by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's Cultural Olympiad as part of the "Transcultures" exhibition, The Raft features water shot at high velocity from two sides onto a group of 19 people. Representing the various ages, religions and cultures of humanity, each of the 19 actors will react a different way to the water's impact and the aftermath.
"We'll shoot the scene on 35mm film in super fast speed, about 225 frames per second from a Wilcam," explained veteran director of photography Harry Dawson. "We're extending time out to get the full effects of the water and the actors' emotions, translating about 75 seconds of real time footage to 15 minutes screen time which will loop all day long at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Greece."
A package of VL1000 TS luminaires and VL3000 Spot luminaires was requested because control and flexibility were needed on this unique project. "I want the lights to change emotionally along with the actors from a peaceful beginning to violent reactions in the middle and ending with a cleansing finale." explained Dawson. "The Series 3000 fixtures served as backlight for the water and I was able to strobe the lights a bit for different effects. By using various gobos and changing the modeling, I could get some three-dimensional looks as well."
The "Transcultures" exhibition, scheduled to open on 6 July for four to
UK - The 2004 Classical Brit Awards is one of the first events in the UK to benefit from the new version of ElectroVoice's powerful IRIS control software, driving EV's Precision Series remote-controlled amplifiers and an X-Line array system for the British classical music industry's big night at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Derrick Zieba is the sound designer for the event, coordinating Britannia Row's team and the freelance engineers that regularly work with him on these televised spectaculars. The Classical Brits includes eight live acts - Vanessa Mae, Bryn Terfel, Nigel Kennedy, the Kings Choir and Hayley Westenra are amongst those on stage - and the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Simon Wright; the show is being broadcast by ITV.
For Zieba, this show is relatively relaxed. Thanks to the success of the EV X-Line system at last year's event, Zieba is using essentially the same design, with the PA cabinets flown high above the stage lighting grid to facilitate camera sightlines. The X-Line S and T cabinets are deployed in a splayed L,C and R formation, the outer hangs consisting of eight Xvls and four Xvlt boxes, and the centre hang, which addresses the floor of the Hall all the way through to the back, uses seven Xvlx and three Xvlt cabinets. "Because the orchestra is on the floor, the line arrays are set up to fire from the second half onwards, and we've placed the subs halfway down the floor, in front of the orchestra," explains Zieba, referring to the Albert Hall's famous promenaders' floor which will seat the English Chamber Orchestra
Japan - Staged on and around the outdoor ice rink of the Sapporo 1972 Winter Olympics, Toyota Big Air was a snowboard ski-jump event with a real difference. Dangerous sports like snowboard jumping are closely associated with youth culture, so it was no surprise the event was augmented by an outdoor festival stage where top Japanese punk skater band Shaka Labit performed to the many fans who came to watch the jump-offs. Throughout the event the ever-swelling crowd were kept entertained by leading Japanese DJs, some lively commentary, and the occasional piece of advertising.
Despite the crowd's huge size, a PA system comprising just 12 of d&b audiotechnik's new Q1 loudspeakers (six per side) and eight Q-SUBs (four per side) was used to cover the crowd (80m deep). Stefan Goertz from d&b's Application Support (who supported Hokkaido Kyoriz Co Ltd on this, their first trial event with the new Q-Series) commented: "It wasn't covering such a large crowd that proved a challenge. The big problems were the extremely low temperatures and the snow."
Conversely, crowd coverage proved less of a challenge than originally envisaged. Goertz continued: "The main system needed to be loud enough for the audience close to the ramp, where they were at their most noisy and shouted a great deal but we also needed to retain intelligibility in the grandstand at the rear and originally installed a small delay system to cover this area. However with levels close to the ramp being so high we found that by making physical adjustment to the main system array we were able to ensu
Japan - High in Tokyo sky, on the 52nd (top) floor of the Mori Tower building in Roppongi Hills an all night event Roppongi Hills Cultural Festival 'till Sunrise was held for the release of the new Japanese movie Innocence.
Tokyo based rental company Sound Service MMU, in co-operation with Sound Projects representative STK, provided the sound equipment for this special event, with main FOH systems based around the Sound Projects 4 (SP-4).
Sound engineer Asada split the area into two zones (two stages). For the main stage he specified double SP4 Diamond stacks for FOH, two SP2-FM floor monitors on stage and two personal monitors as side fills. The second (smaller) stage was reinforced by a SP-3 systems and again personal monitors as side fills. All around the top floor several X-act full range monitors and XM studio monitors were used.
The event took place on Valentine's Day 2004. Many popular Japanese DJs and artists, such as jazz singer Kimiko Ito who sings the theme song of Innocence, performed in this exceptional setting. Positioned 250m above sea level, all enjoyed the 360° view and the rising sun over Tokyo city.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
Spain - Hotel Omm in Barcelona, designed by Juli Capella, a young architect is at the forefront of modern architecture in Barcelona. Inside the hotel, the Moo restaurant, managed by the Roca brothers, offers a gastronomic experience second to none. After putting on the calories in the Moo restaurant, patrons can dance them off at the Hotel's Ommsession Club, Barcelona's newest nightclub which also boasts live music. This new venue demanded a high quality and flexible sound system. Netso PTB was called in to design and install a system capable of delivering sound quality for live concerts and a variety of other events. "It was important that the sound system fitted in with the hotel's carefully chosen design standards," said Reni Mititieri of Netso PTB.
With support from d&b audiotechnik's local office, Mititieri chose a minimalist system powerful enough to be used in both the Moo restaurant and the Ommsession nightclub. Six E0s were used in the restaurant, while two Ci90s with rotated horns were placed horizontally on the ceiling of the Ommsession club. Two Ci-SUBs with a MAX12 as a centre cluster complete the main PA system while four E3s cover areas where columns produce 'shadows'. White E0s at the nightclub entrance relay the sound from inside. All loudspeakers are powered by d&b E-PAC amplifiers, which also set the proper delays and the main equalization.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - White Light Events recently supplied lighting design services to King's College in central London for an evening's entertainment which told the story of the college's history - marking its 175th Anniversary. Inspired by son-et-lumiere-style presentations on other historic buildings in London, King's College created a light show and theatrical performance complete with marching bands, a re-enactment of the famous Duke of Wellington Duel, dramatic musical presentations and a huge firework display as the evening's finale. This all took place in the college's historic quadrangle, hidden behind its 1970s facade.
"Our brief was to transform the look of the building, bringing it to life" comments Jason Larcombe, lighting designer for White Light Events, "and at the same time to use lighting to support and enhance the drama of the show. Up until one week before the load-in, we were expecting over half the building to be covered in scaffolding as part of a campus redevelopment programme! Fortunately careful negotiation allowed us to win a two week delay to the scaffolding work so that we were able to show the building in all its splendour!"
Larcombe designed a lighting system based around three principal elements. StudioDue CityColor 2500W colour-changing floodlights were used to wash the building's 150m frontage. "The CityColors are superb at providing high volumes of light and crisp, saturated colours," notes Larcombe. "Martin MAC2000 spotlights - mounted in weatherproof domes - complemented the colour wash by allowing images and
UK / France - The grand finale to the Cannes Film Festival - a concert promoting the new movie De-Lovely - made the most of its stunning beach-side location, with a stage in the middle of the sea. De-Lovely, a drama based on the legendary American composer Cole Porter, is the latest musical to come out of the studios of MGM. To create a stage set which was in keeping with the theme of the movie and also elegant enough for the performers, including Robbie Williams, Alannis Morrisette and Sheryl Crow, MGM turned to scenic artists Hangman to come up with a concept for the design. Hangman in turn called upon LiteStructures to help them realize their ideas.
"MGM asked us to come up with a concept for the stage set, sending us to a top secret preview screening of the film to give us the opportunity to sketch out some ideas", explained Hangman's Sam Booker. "Jotting down our ideas in a darkened auditorium we decided on a very theatrical, Hollywood-style concept. Knowing the stage was out at sea, we wanted the set to look like a 1940s cruise liner, complete with handrails, bright sparkling fabrics and a big neon 'De-Lovely' sign."
While Hangman had no problem visualizing what the set should look like, they had to take into account the limited amount of space on the stage. Being built out at sea and watched from the beach, it was also vital that the set consisted of many levels so that each artiste could perform their song from a different setting. Booker continued: "Some of the songs were big band numbers while others were more in
USA - Autograph A2D, US distributor for the DiGiCo D5T digital sound console, has confirmed its first sale to Masque Sound, the well-known New York rental company. The console will be used for the US premiere of We Will Rock You, which opens at the 1,450-seater Paris Theatre Des Arts in Las Vegas, this coming September.
Scott Kalata from Masque Sound says: "We are very enthusiastic about the use of the DiGiCo D5T on We Will Rock You, this console has definitely initiated a new era in theatrical sound design. It's a highly refined product that even Broadway's most particular designers are keeping a very close eye on. Let the revolution begin!"
The D5T is the result of an 18-month collaboration between DiGiCo and Autograph's Andrew Bruce, which has transformed the D5Live into its theatre counterpart, the D5T. The first fully featured console was installed in March when the London production of Les Misérables transferred to the Queens Theatre from the Palace, its home for 19 years.
Three things distinguish the D5T from D5Live. The behaviour of its surface controls, under the new LiveUpdate mode, allow controller changes to automatically track from cue to cue as if it were an analogue console but is also supplemented by several logical improvements. Two other significant enhancements take the form of a dedicated operator's control surface, labelled the D5Tc and an integrated software package specifically tailored for the cue-driven world of musical theatre, dubbed CueEditor. All these new features have been subjected to an extensive
UK / Germany - The Praesideo digital public address and emergency sound/evacuation system from Bosch was recently awarded SOLAS approval by Germanischer Lloyd. This follows on from the TÜV IEC 60849 certification gained earlier in 2003, as well as the existing BS 5839 approval. This new recognition means that the Praesideo now conforms to the most stringent industry standards.
SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. By gaining SOLAS approval from Germanischer Lloyd - specifically in the C, EMC1 and EMC2 environmental categories - the Praesideo is certified suitable for use on cruise ships, other merchant vessels and offshore gas and oil drilling platforms. It meets the strict safety and reliability criteria demanded by the treaty, which deal with issues such as monitoring of loudspeaker lines and resistance to corrosion from saltwater. It can therefore be used on-board for broadcasting general information and background music as well as specific evacuation messages. The Praesideo is characterized by flexibility in system configuration, simplicity in installation and high-quality audio reproduction. Its high output power and ability to be configured for many different zones makes it ideal for such large ocean-going ships or rigs. Bosch is already the market leader in cruise ship sound management systems, largely due to the Praesideo's predecessor, the SM40.
The Praesideo was the world's first fully digital public address and emergency sound system, and, after
France - Nexo has released the NX242 Digital Tdcontroller, an advanced proprietary processor that provides crossover, driver protection and system alignment for the whole range of Nexo cabinets, as well as enabling high-quality audio networking using the EtherSound protocol, through the NXtension Expander Board.
The new NX242 offers all the generic functions of a digital loudspeaker controller, but its real value is its precision interface with Nexo loudspeakers. Acoustically matched to each Nexo component, the NX242 uses complex software algorithms and precision circuits to provide flexible loudspeaker management and enable increased sound pressure and operational reliability.
For the first time, a Nexo digital controller is able to offer flexible networking options. Through use of the optional NXtension Expander Board, the NX242's functionality can be enhanced by Digigram's patented EtherSound protocol, which allows transmission of synchronized audio channels over standard Ethernet. Capable of addressing a huge number of networked audio devices, EtherSound offers up to 64 channels of 24-bit digital audio at 48kHz, plus bi-directional status and control data, with a very low latency.
The NX242 carries an NXtension -ES4 Expander Board, which adds four digital inputs and outputs, and can provide full networking, or local remote control management, of channel assignment and parameter control. By adding a DSP chip and flash memory, the NXtension Expander Board can double the NX242's memory capacity.
The NX242 delivers user-configurable inter-channel gain, delay
UK - Pro audio specialist Autograph Sales will be attending next month's ABTT show - exhibiting in the Lawrence Hall on stand 116. The event is being used as a launch pad for many new products, now available exclusively in the UK though Autograph Sales. This includes the global premiere of the Swedish LDS 'invisible' true line source theatre loudspeakers.
Another addition to the Autograph Sales portfolio is Aviom, the leading intelligent personal mixer and distribution system. The company's new A-Net digital multicore system, which is available with a Yamaha interface, will be on display and demonstrated with the DM1000 digital mixer.
Autograph Sales' technical department will be hosting a Design Clinic, to discuss any sound reinforcement issues, assist with ongoing designs or projects, and to offer its widely respected consultancy services to venues, installers and audio professionals around the country.
Fischer rechargeable batteries and chargers will also be on show, another product distributed by Autograph Sales in the UK. On each day of the exhibition two sets of four new ultra-high capacity AA rechargeable cells and an intelligent charger will be given away in a prize draw. Simply hand over your business card for a chance to win.
Other products being exhibited include Clear-Com's award winning CellCom wireless communications system, the Meyer Sound UPJ-1P loudspeaker and K&M mic and speaker stands.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - Leading UK LED lighting design and manufacturer i-Vision has appointed two new European distributors - in Germany and Ireland - for its full range of LED products. In Germany, Munich-based Richard Schahl Group GmbH (the world's largest lamp distributor) will be promoting the i-Vision brand, while in Ireland the company has appointed Dublin-based FibreLED.
The deal is part of ongoing expansion plans by Wales-based i-Vision, which includes the launch of 'Lumos' - a new range of LED products. i-Vision chose the Richard Schahl Group because they're one of the leading German lighting practitioners, with a dedicated LED division and an excellent reputation in the architectural, commercial and industrial sectors. The deal was finalized at the recent Light & Building exhibition in Frankfurt.
i-Vision's LED business has been very active in Ireland over the last two years, particularly in entertainment and leisure areas. FibreLED - already a distributor for SuperVision - were looking to expand its portfolio, which has been highly successful in the fibre optic and signage fields. The next logical step was to complement this with a quality LED brand, say the company.
i-Visions' Luke Dodd comments: "This is just the start of our European dealer network. It reflects the increasing importance of the European marketplace for our products and the growing number of inquiries we're receiving. In Richard Schahl we now have a respected and knowledgeable partner to expand our business in central Europe. There's a great synergy between the two companies and we look forward
Denmark - Mach Speakers has expanded its Ceiling/In-wall series of loudspeakers with the new MIW66. The MIW66 is a two-way ceiling or in-wall speaker with separate driver units and excellent sound quality in a strong, moulded plastic cabinet, with a specialized backing case.
The MlW66 is designed for discreet placement and easy mounting in areas where high-definition in-fill sound is required. It features a built in 70/100V module and includes a six-step variable output volume. A 1" polycarbonate dome tweeter and 6.5" propylene woofer provide 90° x 90° dispersion and outstanding sound quality, says Mach. It includes an easy-to-use and secure mounting system, as well as simple press-release terminals for fast connection.
The MIW66 is suited to a wide range of wall cavity or ceiling cavity installations - venues of all sizes, conference rooms, retail stores and more. Designed to blend, the MIW66 complements the other products in Mach's Ceiling/In-wall range - the MIW62i and CS 5, 6 and 8. All speakers have been developed with the same strict demands on sound and build quality as the rest of the Mach range.
(Lee Baldock)
USA - Barco Events has reported that all the LED displays used at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) show, were from Barco. Approximately 3,510 tiles of Barco's popular indoor LED display products and 19,000 tiles of its innovative MiPix LED blocks were used at the show, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, from 12-14 May 2004. Over 400 exhibitors and audience of 65,000 industry professionals attendedE3.
Barco's indoor LED display systems represented at the E3 show were supplied via some of the company's worldwide rental partners, including Creative Technology USA, XL Video USA, IMAG USA, AV Dimensions, Background Images, VER, E-Videowall, Impact, GL Image and AVHQ. In addition to its new award-winning MiPix displays and its indoor ILite 6 mm and 10 mm products, Barco's DLP projection products and its new flat-panel LCD displays also impressed show attendees, say the company.
"We are proud to have been such a primary part of visual imaging during the Electronic Entertainment Expo with our esteemed rental partners," said Mike Jones, general manager at Barco Events, USA. "Barco's ILite and MiPix products are known for their superior image quality, in addition to their reliability and quick installation, which is why Barco continues to dominate trade shows such as E3 and the International Auto Show circuit."
The Barco ILite indoor display technology combines high brightness with high resolution in a slim, modular package. The intelligent LED-based display solution offers new standards in the video and graphics worl
UK - The new RoadGear range from Phonic is a fully integrated mobile sound solution, housed in a moulded case, it contains a powered mixer and two loudspeakers along with all relevant cabling. Both models in the range, the RoadGear 160 and 260, offer enough storage space to safely pack microphones and associated microphone and speaker cables, plus dedicated space for wireless microphone storage, making RoadGear the perfect sound system for use in pubs, clubs, schools, churches and a variety of other applications. Set-up can be achieved quickly and when it comes to break down, RoadGear can be quickly packed up and wheeled away.
The RoadGear 160 and 260 have an output capacity of 160 and 260W as well as four and six channel powered mixers respectively. Features common to both models include 2-band EQ, XLR inputs with universal phantom power, a digital effects processor, 3-band equalizer, plus two speakers and all the cables required need to get on the road.
UK distributor, Shure Distribution UK, is offering RoadGear packages containing two Shure PG58 vocal wired microphones, with the option to upgrade to any Shure vocal wireless system.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
UK - Soundtracs has reported record sales in the first quarter of 2004, with consoles being purchased by an increasing number of post production facilities across Europe. Sales include DS-00s to Molinaire Studios and Alchemy, along with Peter Vitesse's console at Sphere in London; a DS-00 to BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham; a DPC to Sky TV adding to its already extensive inventory of Soundtracs products; a dual master section film-spec DS-00 to Alea Jacta in Belgium; a DS-00 to Yellow Cab in Paris, France plus two DS-00s to Endemol Nederland BV, and another to Archipel Productions in Paris.
"We're seeing a general up-turn in the post-production industry," comments Soundtracs' director of sales, James Gordon. "This is reflected in the amazing amount of sales we've made so far this year and the rest of the year looks set to be equally as good."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
USA - Biamp Systems has supplied an AudiaFLEX system to Central Interconnect of Grand Rapids, Michigan for installation into the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center there. According to Biamp, a single Audia unit can provide the power of an entire rack of processors, bringing even the most difficult acoustic environments under control. "Our flagship Audia currently brings Biamp Systems quality and reliability to the world of networked audio," says Biamp Systems president, Ralph Lockhart. "We're excited to have an institution of the calibre of the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center choose Audia as its central networking platform."
The audio demands at Forest Hills were rigorous. As part of the creation of this multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art fine arts facility, the designers created an auditorium for musical performances. Originally, facility owners designed a system with 64 microphones on stage and wanted to run them to the projection booth in the back of the auditorium to a patch panel with a connection to the front-of-house mixing booth. In addition, all these mics would be routed to the side of the stage at the monitor mix position. Later in the design stage, the management decided they wanted to add a TV studio and would need access to all of those mic inputs, exponentially increasing the size of patch panels, cabling and amplification systems.
After evaluating the system's demands, the engineers and designers at Central Interconnect decided to use the AudiaFLEX system, which provided distinct advantages. As an alternative to patch panels the
USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of David Rahn as national sales manager. "David has a strong background in pro audio sales and marketing," said Renkus-Heinz president, Harro Heinz. "He understands the needs of both manufacturers and independent representatives, having contributed to both types of organizations. We're excited to have him on board as the leader of our US sales team."
Before joining Renkus-Heinz, Rahn covered the Southern California and Las Vegas territory for the Harman pro brands through their independent rep firm Sound Marketing West. As an independent rep, Rahn managed the touring and installed sound markets in these regions. During this time he was involved in the development and successful deployment of JBL's VerTec product line. Rahn left a position as market development manager for AKG Acoustics to join Sound Marketing West. Prior to working for AKG Acoustics, David spent time in retail sales in both the MI and consumer electronics markets.
(Lee Baldock)
Australia - Hippotizer, the versatile digital media server from Scene Change, has found a home in Australia, having been selected by the Rise nightclub in Perth as the centrepiece of a new visuals system, installed to help the venue set the standard for clubbing in Perth with "a massive dancefloor, a world-class sound system and a lighting rig that redefines the phrase full-on."
Simon Barwood, managing director and resident DJ for Rise, explains: "We were ready to launch Rise into the 21st century with the installation of a club visuals system. I first came across Hippotizer in a review in DJ Mag's VJ Scan section. After extensive research of software and hardware products I could find no other comparable system offered as an 'out of the box' solution, which included pre-loaded content and an intuitive interface. The claims in the technical literature were substantial. And, as there were no units in Australia, we took a giant leap of faith and purchased the Hippotizer sight unseen, relying on the reviews and specifications. Our concerns quickly evaporated when, within a few minutes of turning the system on, it was apparent that it would live up to the hype - and then some! The Hippotizer has entirely changed the look and feel of our venue, literally dragging us out of the dark ages and propelling us head first into a bright future full of possibilities!"
Rise's Hippotizer was supplied by Clearlight Shows Pty, the Australian dealer for the Hippotizer range. Hippotizer is available in four versions, covering the full spectrum of show styles and
Australia / New Zealand - For the Australia/New Zealand opening leg of Sarah McLachlan's 2004 world tour, lighting designer Graeme Nicol opted for a 'warmer' look, employing a mixture of Vari*Lite automated fixtures. Nicol has 10 VL1000 tungsten units, eight VL5 fixtures with tungsten source and eight VL3000 Spot luminaires. He comments: "I'm running the VL3000 Spot units with full CTO all the time because I want that warmer look. I didn't want it to look like an MTV thing."
The eight VL3000 Spot fixtures are placed on the mid-truss, evenly spaced and alternating with the VL5 units. Because the automated rig is a scaled-down version of the rig he will use for the forthcoming North American tour, Nicol was somewhat limited in his design. But he plans to use this first run of dates to get a better idea of his design for the rest of the world tour. One thing that will carry over onto future legs is the VL3000 Spot luminaire, says Nicol: "They can stop making moving lights now; there's nothing left to do," Nicol says.
Q1 Production Technologies in Vancouver provided the Series 3000 fixtures and VL5 units for the opening leg of the tour, while Nicol plans to rent the VL1000 luminaires locally. Q1 will provide all of the Vari*Lite fixtures for the North American and European legs of the tour - for which Nicol expects to double and possibly triple the number of VL3000 Spot fixtures.
One of the biggest difference for Nicol in creating the lighting design for the different legs is working around the video. The design for the North American tour calls
UK - Adlib Audio and Harman Pro UK collaborated closely to design, supply and install a JBL VerTec line array system at the Isle of Man's new flagship multi-purpose venue - the Villa Marina, situated alongside its sister, the Gaiety Theatre.
Adlib won the competitive tender to supply the kit - which also includes other Harman brands including BSS, Crown and Soundcraft. The project was co-ordinated by Adlib's Andy Dockerty and Harman Pro UK's Max Lindsay-Johnson, and for the client by Steve Dawson, general manager of the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre Complex.
The brief was to specify the right production values to attract regular touring artists of all types. It also had to match the architectural integrity of the room and maintain clear sightlines from all around the auditorium. Harman did an initial site survey and constructed an acoustic model of the venue, along with a 3D wire frame model from the architect's drawings. The on-the-ground installation work was carried out by Adlibs's Marc Peers and Roger Kirby, assisted by local sound engineer Anglin Buttimore.
The main arrays are 12 VerTec 4888 elements - six per side - complete with two VT4887 under-hang boxes per side for front-fill. Under the balcony are 12 JBL Control 30s for delay, concealed behind architectural panels in the balcony roof. Front-of-stage are four JBL AM6212/64 enclosures for out-fills. Adlib Audio 281 enclosures are used onstage for front centre-fills. Adlib also designed and built special custom sub-bass units fitted under the stage. FOH console is a Soundcraft Series 5, complete with
UK - Neil Muckle has used his 14 years' management experience with Mitchells & Butlers to convert the popular Isobar, in the Cornish holiday resort of St. Ives, into an all-day café bar and nightclub venue and at the same time to increase the capacity. Muckle and his Dude Bars business partner Nick Kenlay decided to retain the name of the popular venue, which has been operating as a nightclub for many years.
To accomplish this he turned to Nigel Hodgson of Core Design, who in turn enlisted Mark Brown of Marquee Installations. Hodgson's brief was to get the ground floor bar fully functioning as a multi-purpose chameleon venue in its own right - from an early breakfast and coffee operation through to a pre-club feeder. "As well as the interior design our brief was to re-design the flow round the entire building to enable it to function as a single unit," says Hodgson. The original club entrance is now a fire escape and the first floor dance venue is accessed from steps at the rear of the downstairs café bar."
Brown specified the entire audio and visual infrastructure. Eight of his favoured RCF Monitor 8s (wall-mounted) reproduce the daytime music from a Pioneer multichange CD player in the two-zone main bar, matched with a pair of Tannoy T40 bass bins. By night, source playback devices can be bought out of store to the DJ plug-in point, the Technics SL1200 decks are cased in a DJ coffin, alongside a Pioneer DMJ-500 mixer and Denon 1800F twin-CD player.
The music is switched via a Cloud Z4 four-zone mixer and the chill-out areas are washed with Pu
UK - James Thomas Engineering's Pixel Range team hits the road for two weeks at the start of June with a roadshow highlighting the capabilities of its rapidly-expanding Pixel product range. Pixel Range's Tony Cameron will head the roadshow, alongside Andy Sugars and Emma Long from IRAD, who will be demonstrating the PixelDrive control system.
Products will include the hugely popular PixelPAR 90 and the Pixelline 1044 batten. The roadshow will stop at some of the best-known lighting rental companies in the country. The routing was planned to get a good geographical spread and make catching it for the day as easy and convenient as possible. Those hosting the roadshows will have a chance to invite their customer base plus selected lighting designers and programmers.
Cameron comments: "Roadshows are a great opportunity to demonstrate the new products to existing Pixel Range users, but also people who have only heard about the ranges capabilities, this will be their opportunity to view and operate the system in a hands on environment," adding that "it also gives JTE invaluable direct feedback from the users, opinions and suggestions for future developments."
The Roadshow dates are as follows:
Thursday 3 June: Hawthorne Theatrical, Leicester.
Tuesday 8 June: Entec, Northolt Middlesex.
Wednesday 9 June: Entec, Northolt, Middlesex.
Friday 11 June: Fourth Phase, Croydon, Surrey.
The Entec show includes a lighting design by Dave Byars, which will also be a comprehensive demo of the PixelDrive video-based software control system. Pixel
USA - Professional loudspeaker manufacturer Apogee Sound International has promoted Tim Thornton to vice-president of International Sales. Thornton will report to Dave Chambers, executive vice-president of sales, who said: "Tim will be a key contributor as Apogee Sound moves forward to increase its international business in more than 40 countries."
Thornton joined Apogee Sound in 1997 as national sales manager, developing a technical and sales training curriculum for Apogee's factory representatives and dealers. Thornton's classes include topics ranging from the basics of pro audio, loudspeaker technology, system design and system operation, to building a sales staff and bringing them up to speed on Apogee Sound products and customers. Thornton built successful relationships with sound consultants, consulting engineers, designers and architects, and increased Apogee Sound's sales to houses of worship, theatres and hotel chains, say the company.
"During my six years in domestic sales at Apogee Sound, I also started relationships with many of our current international distributors," said Thornton. "I'm not only looking forward to developing those further, but also sharing the Apogee Sound techniques used domestically to help consultants and end users grow their businesses."
Thornton has 20 years of experience in the pro audio industry. His ground-up experience includes technical as well as sales positions and included backgrounds in the associated fields of lighting, video, staging, labor, set design, and production control system