Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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Germany - Fohhn Audio AG will present its latest developments in digital technology, system integration and mobile sound reinforcement, as well as new design options for its loudspeakers at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt (Hall 3.1, Stand F81).

This year's main development focus for the company is on achieving compatibility with all audio networks - and the associated increase in flexibility that this brings.

On show in Frankfurt will be the current models in Fohhn's award-winning Linea Focus series, which are now equipped with an Optocore interface. A corresponding Dante connectivity option is currently in planning.

In future, all active Fohhn loudspeakers, amplifiers and controllers will be equipped with digital, transformer-balanced AES/EBU inputs, making them compatible

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UAE - The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), appointed live communication specialist People as the event management agency for the vast 2016 Qasr Al Hosn festival, which took place February 3 to 13, 2016 in Abu Dhabi. Manchester UK based dbn Lighting was commissioned by People, to provide lighting design and on-site lighting direction service.

The festival narrates the ongoing conservation of Abu Dhabi's most historic fort, and through a series of highly interactive elements, hosted a celebratory programme to reinstate the Qasr Al Hosn site as the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi.

Qasr Al Hosn, which has stood as the symbolic birthplace of the Emirate and home to Abu Dhabi's ruling Al Nahyan family, is undergoing a comprehensive process of preservation, restoration and rehabilitation.

Based around the historic Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival

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USA - With increasingly specialized recording programmes springing up throughout the country, Lebanon Valley College, (LVC), Annville, PA, sets itself apart by combining a traditional liberal arts based education with a "professionally oriented" Audio & Music Production Programme, a formula that has been successful for the school's students since the late 1980s.

Students in the Audio & Music Production Programme study music, studio recording, mastering, electronic music, audio for digital media, live sound, game audio, and more. Graduates have gone on to work in recording studios, live sound, broadcast, game audio, retail, and performance with leading creative companies such as The Hit Factory, DreamWorks Animation, ESPN, Insomniac Games, Sony, Universal Music Group, Disney, and even the Ringling Brother Circus.

In order to meet the demands of training students for a diver

Doughty - Banner - from 4 July 2025

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Finland - When the Finnish National Opera (FNO) was given the rare opportunity to stage a completely original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, it took the opportunity to stage a show that wowed audiences with its sheer scale. However, the audio system installed at the Helsinki Opera House could not match sound designers Sakke Kiiskis and Stanley L

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UK - British singer and X Factor winner Leona Lewis toured the UK in February and March with an elegant lighting show designed by Jamie Thompson and controlled by Avolites Sapphire Touch and Tiger Touch II consoles.

Thompson's brief for the tour, which visited 13 cities across England, Wales and Scotland, was to create an intimate show pushing the focus on to Leona and her band as they performed new material and her internationally bestselling back catalogue.

The Sapphire Touch was used as the main console, networked via Titan v9's Multi-User feature to a backup Tiger Touch II.

"Multi-User is incredibly easy to set up and offers some great features, like being able to use the backup as a satellite console, which becomes especially useful when working in theatres where sightlines at FOH can potentially be an issue when programming," says Thompson. "Other than tha

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USA - Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee has installed one of the largest Meyer Sound Leopard linear sound reinforcement systems to date in its 12,500-seat Donald L. Tucker Civic Centre. Known to locals as 'The Tuck', the multipurpose arena serves as the home court for the FSU Seminoles men's and women's basketball teams, and also hosts a yearlong schedule of other sports, convocations, concerts, special events, and graduation ceremonies.

"Overall, there's been a tremendous improvement in intelligibility," says Bruce Jones, FSU's sound engineer for the venue. "Leopard handles speech and music far better than the old system, by leaps and bounds. I've heard nothing but compliments from announcers, coaches, and officials at the scoring table. And after the last commencement, I was told the sound was the best it's ever been."

FSU officials found a solution to the po

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UK - Following its acclaimed, 11-year run in the West End, and multiple award-winning appearances in New York, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Holland and on tour around the USA, the smash hit Billy Elliot: The Musical is now embarking on its first ever UK tour. Having worked on the show throughout its London run, White Light has been called upon once again to provide its services to the touring production.

Based on the hit 2000 film, Billy Elliot: The Musical is set in a northern mining town during the 1984/5 miners' strike. It tells the story of young Billy, who discovers a love of dance then fights to make his dream of becoming a ballet dancer a reality. The musical has a score by Elton John, with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and direction by Stephen Daldry.

Lighting designer Rick Fisher is responsible for the lighting of the show once again, with his desig

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Mexico - The Mexican market is growing for Robe thanks to the energy and efforts of its exclusive distributor, Vari Internacional based in Mexico City.

One of their new customers is Medio Angular, a rental company based in the Las Aguilas area of DF (Mexico City), run by Juan Pablo Guzman (aka Paul) which has recently bought Pointes and LEDWash 300s.

When you rock up to Medio Angular's office - it looks like an ordinary roller shutter garage door on a quiet residential street - full of leafy trees and cool cars. The other side of the door is a large landscaped garden with terraces and full of lush foliage, alcoves for sitting and contemplating, amidst colourful flowers and funky furniture, with a recording studio and several offices flowing with contemporary chic.

This is the pastoral and inspirational working environment that Paul has created for the offices that admi

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ETC Halcyon Silent

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For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

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UK - The Theatres Trust has welcomed changes to the Permitted Development Order (England) as developers now need to address noise impacts before undertaking an office to residential conversion near an existing theatre or live music venue.

From 06 April 2016 local planning authorities will have to consider noise impacts on new residents from existing businesses, under an amended permitted development right that allows offices to be converted to residential use, without the need to obtain planning permission.

The amended Order means developers will now need to seek prior approval from the local planning authority that any noise mitigation measures proposed are suitable to ensure that nearby theatres are protected before a change of use from an office to residential building can be carried out.

Theatres Trust said, "The Trust welcomes the changes to the Permitted Developm

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UK - London and Dubai-based Maestra Group has announced five key staff appointments at the London office, which was launched in January and is headed by Justin Hammond. This follows a strong start to business by the new UK operation and a major new investment in audio and video technology.

"Equally important to investing in the right kit", comments Justin, "Is getting the right people on-board with the attitude and aspirations needed to run a busy, lively and creative environment dedicated to pushing the envelope in all aspects of live event production."

Emma Perrin is appointed general manager. Her role at Maestra London includes overseeing the busy day-to-day operations of the office and warehouse facility at Royal Arsenal in east London, supporting staff and clients, co-ordinating marketing and promotion and ensuring the company is running harmoniously and efficiently.<

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USA - elektraLite has announced the launch of its new DataAir Wireless DMX Data Transmission System. Comprised of the ELE810 DataAir Transmitter and ELE811 DataAir Receiver, the new system brings wireless functionality to DMX distribution with easy convenience for fast and powerful control.

Intentionally designed to be low profile and quick to use, elektraLite's DataAir transmitter and receiver are each no larger than a ballpoint pen and simply plug-and-play ready, requiring only the included power supply to operate. A five-pin connector plugs right into the input or output (depending on transmitting or receiving data), and is configured with a simple on-board LED colour display. Additionally, the system is configurable with up to seven individual wireless networks working simultaneously without interference from each other, allowing for up to seven DMX universes to be utilize

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Germany - Visitors to the Christie booth at the Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt will experience several new solutions for entertainment, integrated systems and content creation from the leader in visual display technology.

Christie continues to supply long-lasting projectors with its HS Series, which tests at 12,500 centre lumens. The 1DLP Christie HS Series - which will be prominently displayed at the booth - is compact and delivers a wide selection of features and connectivity. In Frankfurt, visitors will see the rich and vivid colours generated by a 3x faster colour wheel and the integrated BoldColor Technology that enables the HS Series to produce excellent colours with exceptional reproduction.

Christie is also demonstrating the versatility of the multi award-winning and multi-directional Boxer. The expanded family now includes the new Boxer 2K20, 2K25, and 2K30 all

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Germany - Proel will launch its new compact line array system at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt on booth 3.1G90. Featuring two 8-inch low frequency drivers and a 1.4-inch high frequency compression driver in a lightweight moulded polypropylene enclosure, the two-way AX800A is sure become a vital component of many rental companies' inventory due to its stylish design, ease of setup, and simplicity of operation.

It is designed for many different sound reinforcement situations - such as medium sized indoor and outdoor events, small festivals, corporate events, and even as delays or out-fills on larger shows. In the permanently installed sound system sector, the AX800A is ideal for theatre, houses of worship, live music venues and small clubs, theme parks, leisure and sports facilities, and retail spaces.

The Class D amplifier is a tried and tested DA series module used in many o

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Germany - At the Prolight + Sound 2016 exhibition in Frankfurt (5-8 April), ETC is marking the 40th anniversary of the company's founding with a new stand concept across four different stands.

To mark the 40th year of the company's existence, ETC will be represented at the Prolight + Sound show at the beginning of April, on all four days of the trade fair, on four stands in close proximity.

On the central, main stand (E51), visitors to the exhibition will find control consoles from the Eos and Cobalt families, including their respective Programming Wings. It will also have the Source Four LED system that features three different arrays - Lustr for colours, Daylight HD for cool daylight and Tungsten HD for warm incandescent light. The range is completed by a wide variety of attachments, including fixed focus and zoom lens tubes and both Fresnel and CYC adapters. And making

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UK - Northumbrian folk experimentalists The Unthanks have been using DPA microphones in their live performances after being introduced to the company's product range by their engineer, Joel Borkin. For capturing The Unthanks' performances, Borkin likes to use DPA's d:vote Instrument Microphones, d:dicate 4011 Cardioid Microphones, d:dicate 2011C Microphones and d:facto Handheld Microphones.

Working under the title jBsound, Borkin is front of house and monitor engineer for various artists around the UK. "We recently used a selection of DPA microphones on The Unthanks' headline showcase collaboration with Lau at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall," says Borkin. "The microphones were a joy to work with. Nothing comes close to the precision and clarity of DPA; they are a must for this band."

Well-known for juxtaposing traditional, folkloric storyte

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UK - Named after HRH Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the Princes Hall is a multi-purpose civic venue with a national reputation. For many throughout the UK, however, the 600-seat theatre in the heart of Aldershot is best known for its successful pantomime run each Christmas. There was no "happily ever after" ending in sight, though, for the facility's aging lighting rig - at least not until a collection of affordable Chauvet fixtures came to the rescue.

Now with the new LED technology available it was definitely time for a refresh. The Princes Hall was built in 1972, and the lighting rig had only a few upgrades in the past few years. This year, the venue took the major step to upgrade its lighting system and turned to equipment supply specialist Stage Electrics. Despite a limited budget, Stage Electrics was able to supply a comprehensive lighting rig, including 10 Rogue

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USA - Holo-Gauze, the 3D display solution for hologram effects, has created a 20x9m installation for an augmented reality style launch of Team Speedo, the swimwear and swim accessory manufacturer's line-up of 200 super star swimmers from the UK, US, France and Spain. The New York launch brought together 24 Team Speedo athletes to promote Speedo's Fastskin LZR Racer X suit, incorporating the swimwear manufacturer's most advanced swimwear technology to date.

To introduce Team Speedo, a film charting the success of each individual athlete was projected onto the huge Holo-Gauze display installation, while the 24 champion swimmers were positioned at various heights, unseen, behind the display. Then an augmented reality style grid and info graphics (name, initials, Olympic team) were projected onto the screen, as each athlete was revealed, one by one, through the near-invisible gauz

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USA - Lighting designer Bob Barnhart, a veteran of Super Bowl Halftime Shows, chose Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20s and gold Sharpys to help light the milestone Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Super Bowl Halftime Shows always come with challenges, and the daylight-into-sunset timing of this year's entertainment made it "much more complex from a lighting standpoint," Barnhart notes. "We had fewer fixtures than normally because of the ambient sun and the small portion of stadium lights we used."

It was Barnhart's lighting design goal "to bring the kaleidoscopic colour from the LED floor on the Coldplay main stage into the entire stadium. That was the centrepiece of the creative approach: to make the stadium part of the show. That's why we did a colourful card stunt with the fans and placed Color Bloc IIs on the railings. With a daylight Halftime Show

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UK - Pulse PA in Poole, Total Sound Solutions in Swansea and Fabtronic in Northampton are now taking delivery of new Nexo STM modular line array systems for their rental inventories.

Together with Sound of Music in Derby, the rental houses have identified the new STM M28 'omnipurpose' cabinet as a game-changer for their own businesses, as well as enabling a cross-hire network that allows each STM owner to service projects ranging from 500 people at a club event to medium-sized festivals by pooling Nexo STM resources.

At Pulse PA in Poole, Ralph Walsh says that the arrival of the all-purpose two-way M28 cabinet has delivered new benefits for his rental business, starting with time-saving.

"I've configured my system in four ground-stacks, set up on four dollies each with a STM S118 sub-bass cabinet, a STM B112 bass unit and two STM M28 main modules. Prepped in the wareho

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South Africa - Technical production and solutions specialist Solid Rock Event Technical working for Blue Platinum Events, provided the full technical production - lighting, sound and large format video projection - for a massive son et lumi

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USA- At the Polynesian Cultural Centre (PCC) in Hawaii, Richard Sidal operates as theatrical computer system analyst, handling all computerised lighting systems as well as maintenance, installations and programming of some of the shows. Currently, he is also working on upgrades for the theatres and Luau venues, which includes a comprehensive fixture replacement that started last year.

After experiencing a lot of issues and constant breakdowns and repairs of their 1200 W spots, despite the fact that they were placed under protective domes, PCC decided it was time to renew the lighting rig. Situated close to the sea, Sidal is well aware of the challenges of the site.

"We are an outdoor venue and very close to the sea. Sea breeze carries a lot of salt and moisture ruining all metal parts as well as high humidity. Plus, the show uses lots of flames and the oil residue goes rig

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