South Africa - Rosco has confirmed a new partnership between Rosco and South African lighting design company Congo Blue Design. After being appointed as a new Rosco distributor for South Africa, Congo Blue Design can now offer South African customers the full range of all Rosco colours and products. Having been regular users of Rosco products on many of their projects previously, Congo Blue Design will now stock Rosco products themselves and distribute them throughout South Africa.
Congo Blue Design specialises in lighting design and consulting for both theatrical and architectural environments. They are headed by lighting designer Declan Randall, who has worked on projects all over the world especially in South Africa and Europe, and they are joined by Dave Whitehouse as senior l
Germany - Ultrasone, has announced the launch of its new professional headphone range: the scientifically designed S-Logic Natural Surround PRO headphones.
The PRO headphones are designed using S-Logic Natural Surround technology, an exclusive design to improve sound quality by using decentralised driver positioning. This moves the sound out of your head and into the space around you to create quality which resembles that of a live concert, without all the additional equipment. The S-Logic Natural Surround design projects the sound pressure at reduced levels by up to 3-4db and can potentially cut the risk of hearing damage by up to 40%, says the company.
As with all Ultrasone's headphones, the PRO range is designed with Ultra-Low-Emission (ULE) technology, which produces a low-frequency magnetic field. In traditional earphones, the magnetic radiation produced can be as much a
World - This Saturday (28 March) at 8.30pm local time, the world is being encouraged to act with their light switches to combat climate change. Organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the worldwide blackout is described as an election between Earth and global warming. "For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote - Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming," says the Earth Hour website.
WWF are attempting to reach a target of 1 billion "votes for Earth", which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
In London, the famous Coca Cola sign in Piccadilly Circus will be switched off for only the third time since the Second World War. Other famous London
The Netherlands - With the introduction of Electro-Voice's new FIR filter-based system upgrades, EV distributor E-audio Benelux started its IRIS-Net/NetMax with FIR-drive two-day, basic-level training.
Axel Nagtegaal, MD of E-audio Benelux, explains, "IRIS-Net software, NetMax hardware, and the RCM DSPmodules have been on the market for years and are popular in the fixed install market, but with FIR-drive EV has ushered in a new era in system control for concert sound. Almost our entire line array client group switched to the new EV NetMax N8000-1500 platform with FIR-drive due to the sonic improvement the equipment achieves and the operational flexibility of IRIS-Net and NetMax. That said, we needed a professional and consistent training program in order to get the most out of this incredibly powerful control system.
UK - Kramer Electronics has announced the introduction of the VP-728 ProScale presentation scaler/switcher. The VP-728 is a nine-input scaler/switcher that sets new quality and performance benchmarks in the Kramer line up of ProScale scalers and scaler/switchers with the incorporation of Silicon Optix HQV video processing.
The VP-728 is HDTV and HDCP compatible offering 720p, 1080i and 1080p HDTV output resolutions as well as numerous other user-selectable pre-defined output resolutions and one user definable output resolution setting.
The VP-728 presentation scaler/switcher employs Kramer's FTB (Fade-Thru-Black) switching for glitch-free switching. The VP-728 can switch between any of nine inputs that include three-wire universal video inputs on RCA connectors (each can be composite video, s-Video or component video as chosen from the menu), two computer graphics video inputs
USA - One of the biggest stars in country music, literally, is the 6' 7" Trace Adkins. The newest addition to the resume for Trace is star of the TV show The Celebrity Apprentice, with Donald Trump. Adkins is currently touring in support of his newest work, X (Ten).
Tour manager Jeff Gossett, production manager Benny Durham and lighting designer Jeff Lavallee have worked with Bandit for some time with Trace. Lavalle has captured the rock-n-roll sprit of Adkins with his up-tempo lighting presentation, using MAC 2000 wash and spot fixtures, along with High End Studio Beams, Maxedia Media Servers and a Jands Vista Console.
Brent Barrett at Bandit handles the daily needs of the Adkins tour. The tour has programmed twice at Bandit Lites rehearsal facility, Venue One, in Nashville, a full service facility that allows an entire show to be flown with band gear and s
Germany - Trantec will showcase its extensive wireless portfolio at PLASA Focus 2009 which takes place 28-29 April in Leeds.
The spotlight will be on the Trantec S-D7000 - billed as the world's first professional fully digital wireless microphone system. Features include 24 bit audio resolution, network monitoring for over 60 channels, and over 20 user channels in an 8MHz TV band .
Trantec will also be previewing the new S6 wireless system which builds on the success of the S6000 range, taking the 19", 8-way concept to a higher level. Trantec has now incorporated a comprehensive user interface on the front panel allowing the user to configure and monitor all channels, with or without an external PC. Based on Trantec's award-winning technology, the internal circuitry of the S6 beltpack and handheld transmitter has been redesigned and upgraded, extending the frequency capab
Germany - Prolyte has teamed up with two specialist companies for its Theatre Projects range. Partners Silicon Theatre Scenery and Silk both have a wealth of practical experience in providing staging and theatrical solutions. With their shared knowledge, Prolyte, STS and Silk are able to translate the specific technical requirements of the theatrical environment into comprehensive solutions and the appropriate products to match.
The first fruits of these collaborations will be seen at ProLight&Sound in Frankfurt, where the Performer Fly System, a modular fly system, built in a H40V truss, approved at SIL 3 levels will be shown alongside a new winch for stage and theatre use.
(Jim Evans)
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ETC Halcyon Silent
High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features.
USA - In addition to its home on the web at www.tomcatglobal.com, Tomcat USA has a new page on Facebook. Those who visit the page will find photos of products, workshops and projects. In addition, anyone with an account can stop by and become a fan of the staging and lighting equipment company.
"We encourage everyone to stop by and check it out," said Lisa Jebsen, marketing assistant for Tomcat USA. "We see this as another great opportunity to interact with industry professionals and show off our work. In the near future, we plan to offer special giveaways to our 'fans.'"
Singapore - The first iLive-T digital mixing system off the production line has been purchased by Singapore AV company, the Production People. The company debuted the system, comprising an iDR-48 MixRack and iLive-T112 Control Surface, at the Kids Horizon Appeal Gala event held at the Ritz Carlton Millenia hotel in Singapore.
The charity dinner, held annually to raise funds for children suffering from cancer and HIV, was attended by many distinguished local guests. The highlight of the evening was a performance by Singapore's premier large-scale jazz ensemble, the 16-piece Thomson Big Band. iLive-T managed audio requirements for the evening, which included the band and several speeches by presenters and guests.
The Production People's Sheldon Gooi was very pleased with his recent purchase and impressed by how easy the system is to set up with just one Cat 5 cable in pla
UK - Deptford-based ARC Sound has extended its long relationship with JBL loudspeakers by adding 12 VerTec VT 4887A enclosures to the company's rental fleet. Established by James Dougill back in 2000, initially as a rehearsal facility, ARC Sound has constantly sought to keep its equipment at the cutting edge.
"We've always got on really well with both our point source Venue units and the fixed curvature VRX line array, which for its size and weight performs tremendously," says Downer. "But as a company, we were being asked to tender on bigger events, which clearly required a more appropriate solution."
He continues: "We considered several other options, but as most of our existing fleet is JBL, it made very practical sense to choose a product which we could easily integrate with our older stock. We're really comfortable with the product, It's very plea
Spain - D.A.S. Audio's new website has been launched. It includes the company's wide range of products and offers a better browsing experience, with more information available and a new corporate image.
The new website boasts an enhanced layout both from an aesthetic and from a practical point of view, in order to simplify navigation and search experience. The current logo uses a new font for the first time since the creation of the brand.
By means of drop-down menus, users can access all kinds of information about the company, navigate through the different product categories, and learn about the brand's latest developments, facilities, corporate events, seminars.
More importantly, the website now offers users a series of new services through a Support tab, giving them access to an industry glossary, obsolete products, technical datasheets, and spare parts.
Switzerland - Lighting for the majority of shows of the 2008 AVO Session indoor music festival in Basel was controlled by a grandMA full-size lighting console. The event featured 13 evenings of sold-out musical performances, including appearances by international artists including Zucchero, Kelly Rowland, Michael Bolton, Jethro Tull and Gary Moore.
In addition to the main grandMA at the FOH lighting position, grandMA programmer/operator Patrick Rakus had a laptop running grandMA onPC software and a 12-channel DMX desk that was triggering one page on the grandMA, giving an additional twelve faders for TV and band key lighting.
Werner Kokott, CEO of Five K Lighting & Video Design, who supplied lighting equipment for the Session, said: "Most Lighting Designers - including Günter Jäckle, Billy Bigliardi, Geoff Hall and Marco Zepeda - were happy to use the grandMA for their
UK - A/V services company PSP has continued its rolling investment programme with the addition of more state-of-the-art equipment to its inventory.
The recent purchase of a Panasonic AVS-400 multi-format live vision mixer, Christie S+20K Roadster projector, Barco DCS 200 dual channel seamless switcher and additional Grass Valley Turbo iDDR digital media recorder/players has reinforced the company's commitment to quality.
"High definition is becoming more and more of a client requirement and so we have to ensure that we can deliver it whenever requested," says PSP's David Woodcock.
"The AVS-400 and DCS-200 are both tremendously versatile. With great input and output flexibility for all formats, they provide the ultimate in vision mixing and switching capabilities and are also remarkably cost effective.
"We aim to deliver the ultimate in visual quality an
UK - Ableton is taking its Live software on the road again - with free Loopmasters samples, Novation prizes and Ableton goodies to give away at every venue.
After the success of last year's Ableton Live tour, Ableton and Novation have teamed up again to showcase Live 8 at select venues. With a new schedule of demonstrations and workshops, the organisers say there will be something for everyone - from beginners taking their first steps to seasoned power-users wanting to check out the new features. This time the focus will be on Scotland and the North of England.
An Ableton specialist will be on hand to introduce the software to those who haven't yet seen Live in action. The workshops will also give existing Live users a chance to explore some of its more advanced features and participate in question and answer sessions.
There will also be various Ableton goodies to give away,
UK - To celebrate the launch of the new Chroma-Q Color Block 2 LED fixture and the growing success of the lighting brand worldwide, www.chroma-q.com has been launched.
Dealers and end users are provided with easy access to a dedicated online portal for the latest Chroma-Q product news, user applications, support and reseller information.
The site includes product information, extensive application case studies and testimonials from a diverse range of clients including lighting designers, technicians, venues, rental and production companies, plus access to full 360° product views, high resolution colour photos, brochures, detailed technical specification sheets, manuals and exploded diagrams.
UK - The latest phase in Litestructures' studio's development will be to create a dedicated, permanent exhibition space within the building. This will be accessible to performers, technicians, riggers and all production crew and visitors. As such, it will provide a sales and display opportunity for companies and organisations offering products and services to this important industry sector, says the company.
Those interested in supporting this venture and in exploiting the potential it represents should contact Laurie Giraudeau or Ben Brooks to discuss their detailed requirements or to explore the options and alternatives.
Litestructures exhibition will be based around well lit spaces for exhibitors created from Litestructures trussing and staging products, giving an attractive display for all participants. The maximum booth size will be 4m2 per exhibitor.
World - After an eight year absence from the stage, Tina Turner is back with a world tour spanning North America and Europe. Based on a production design by Baz Halpin and a set design by Mark Fisher of Stufish, Turner is backed by some of today's finest lighting technology.
Two grandMA full-size, one as a back-up, and six MA NSPs, (Network Signal Processor) including two spares, form the heart of the lighting control for a rig that comprises 80 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300s, 64 Vari*Lite VL 3000 spots, eight VL3500 washes as well as Coemar, Syncrolite and Martin fixtures. In total, the lighting consumes 16 DMX universes.
Lighting designer Baz Halpin explains his design, "The show is a recap of the last 50 years of the career of one of the most stunning female artists in history. We tried to create a system that was versatile enough to cope with not only the stylistic changes
Korea - A QSC WideLine-10 line array system has been installed in a new cultural centre in Korea. With two hangs of four WL2102 enclosures per side, the line array forms part of a complete QSC solution proposed by the manufacturer's Korean distributors, Sama ProSound, to deliver optimum sound at the YEJU Cultural Art Centre in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk.
The Centre was originally opened in June 2004 to promote comprehensive culture and art within the community. It was equipped with a variety of facilities such as a 530-seat performance hall, exhibition room, cultural lecture room and library; and it is in the performance hall that the WideLine-10, with its 140° horizontal dispersion characteristic, has been specified.
With responsibility for staging a variety of cultural and community events - including classical and concert performance - the Centre had insisted on top quali
UK - Studiomaster, the UK-based manufacturer and supplier of professional audio systems, has announced the appointment of Max Lindsay-Johnson to the post of international sales manager. His initial remit is to grow the worldwide distribution network of the Studiomaster brand. Following its acquisition last year by the Soundking Group, China, Studiomaster is introducing a number of new products at this year's Frankfurt Music Messe.
Lindsay-Johnson was formerly managing director of Harman Pro UK. He commented on his appointment, "Studiomaster has a substantial pro-audio heritage, stretching back to the mid 1970s, and is a well-respected name worldwide. My appointment coincides with the brand's re-launch, and I couldn't be joining the company at a more dynamic time in its history.
"Studiomaster has been re-organised, new products have been designed, and it's on track to
UK/Germany - 2009 sees the 30th year since the launch of Trace Elliot as a brand, in Essex, UK. To commemorate this a special promotional video has been commissioned.
It was 1979 when the first Trace Elliot amplifiers became available and these quickly revolutionised the way the industry perceived bass amplification. Coincidentally it is also 20 years since this was repeated for acoustic players with the launch of Trace Acoustic in 1989.
With both ranges again generating much interest, these milestones are being celebrated with the imminent release of an entertaining and insightful video. This refers to the continuity of the origin of the brand's design and also reveals some of the reasons that make these brands different.
The five and a half minute video will be officially released on the first day of the 2009 Frankfurt Musikmesse, 1 Aprilt, and will be freely available in