UK - The Institute of Acoustics' much anticipated new website has been launched with facilities for e-commerce. The new site, www.ioa.org.uk, which has the facility to make bookings for events and conferences, includes a new improved modern interface with various features designed to make the user experience more enjoyable.

As well being able to book online for some of the IOA's major events, users will also be able to order publications from the online shop. The new site also includes a newly developed online version of its Buyers' Guide for Acoustic Products, Services and Instrumentation. This is a searchable database of acoustic products, services and instrumentation, containing direct links to supplier's websites.

The Buyers' Guide comprises three main categories: consultati

Spain Mallorca, the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands, is home to its capital Palma's Teatre Principal, a venue dating all the way back to the 1600s. Through the years, it has seen a number of alterations, renovations and reconstructions, and in 2001, work began on a comprehensive project to bring Teatre Principal into the 21st century.

Crucial to the theatre's update would be a cutting-edge sound system, holding up to the rigours and demands of a wide variety of current theatrical productions and musical events. Fernando García Carrión, the head of the A/V department of Madrid-based installer Chemtrol's División Teatro (theater division), selected a wide range of EAW products as the system's loudspeaker and monitor components. Chemtrol recently installed the full system, with the support of EAW's Spanish representativePro3 & Co.

To determine the necessary sound system co

India - The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Award Show took place at the Venetian Macau-Resort-Hotel as the highlight of a weekend of lavish celebrations promoting Indian cinema to the world on 13 June 2009.

Lighting director was UK- based Paul Birks with Dubai-based Nigel Holborough as lighting and visual media designer. Technical production was organised by Hong Kong's Xtreme Xecution and the extravaganza was produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment.

The IIFA Award Show is the biggest South Asian media event and is considered among one of the most-watched global annual events. It is due to be aired to a TV audience of 800m at the beginning of July. The show was run on five grandMA's controlling over 200 moving and 600 conventional lights along with six MA media PCs putting content into LED screens integrated into the Venetian themed purpose built set.

(Jim

UK - Zero 88 are pleased to announce a series of ORB training dates in the UK. Following unprecedented interest at the recent ABTT show, Zero 88 is offering users open access to the ORB console in the form of free training days.

Designed to provide innovative control of the latest LED, Moving Head and Video System technology, the ORB combines extreme flexibility, incredible capability and contemporary styling to create a sophisticated control solution for those operating in theatrical environments.

Training days will be held at the Pleasance in Islington, London as well as at the Zero 88 facility in Cwmbran. These training events are open to anyone who has recently purchased or is considering purchasing an ORB or anyone looking to extend their range of console knowledge. Each day runs from 10am until 4pm with lunch included. Places must be booked in advance. Training days at t

UK - HSL supplied substantial quantities of ColorWeb and ChromaStrip LED products to the latest series of Britain's Got Talent - the high profile and super-hyped final of which saw teenage dance troupe Diversity beat hot favourite, singer Susan Boyle.

The series, presented by comedy duo Ant & Dec, was shot over a week in Studios A and B of Fountain Studios, Wembley, London - the largest TV stage in the UK. The highly versatile LED-based set was designed by Dominic Tolfts and featured several different types of LED, all of which were sourced and supplied to the production by Simon Deary of LED Poison who specialises in digital lighting.

Deary has also procured all the LED for the last 2 BGT series and comments; "I know I can always get a fantastic service and a great package from HSL, and that's why I keep going back to them. In this case, we could also acqui

UK - Over 140 i-Pix BB4 wash lights are featuring on the stadium shows of Oasis' current Dig Out Your Soul world tour, together with 17 i-Pix BB7s. This is an increase of nearly 100 BB4 units - the standard touring rig started with 42 along with seven BB7s - and is currently the record amount of i-Pix fixtures used on a single concert touring show.

Gawler's original basic over-stage rig concept which started the tour in October 2008 utilised 30 BB4s, with six units rigged horizontally onto each of five steeply raked upstage/downstage 'finger' trusses. These were attached via custom brackets fabricated by lighting suppliers PRG, and are utilised to produce a general stage wash.

When the summer 2009 stadium shows appeared on the itinerary an extra finger truss was added over the stage, making six in total, along with another six integral BB4s now rigged in vertical pairs,

USA - Known among astronomy buffs as the location of Southern California's Mt. Wilson Observatory, the mountaintop is also a metro-media centre for relay broadcasting of radio and television frequencies heard and seen across the greater Los Angeles region. With an imposing antenna farm perched at its summit, the site bombards the Monrovia High School below with RF of a magnitude that is hard to find just about anywhere else.

That's why Temecula, California-based Jeff Dykhouse of WorshipMIX, an AV design and production house, had one of his most recent existential moments when he was approached about designing and implementing a 24-channel wireless system for the school auditorium. Slated for use with the school's theatrical presentations and other events, the system was designed to exist, quite literally, in the eye of a very serious RF storm.

"There are more than 20 TV a

USA - More than 45 years after their first concert, The Dead (previously the Grateful Dead) continued to set the highest sonic standards on their 22-show, 17-city tour, the band's first tour in more than five years. Known for their unyielding requirement for low-distortion sound, The Dead's new tour was again supported by a Meyer Sound Milo line array loudspeaker system supplied by Bay Area associates Pro Media/UltraSound.

The system, designed to provide up to 360-degree coverage for the tour's multiple arena dates, included main left and right arrays of 16 Milo and two Milo 120 line array loudspeakers each. Left and right side arrays of ten Milo and two Milo 120 loudspeakers each were augmented by identical arrays covering far left and far right areas, for a total of 72 loudspeakers in all.

The rear areas were served by left and right arrays of 12 Mica line array loudspeakers

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USA - Element Labs' Cobra LED display technology has been awarded Best LED product at InfoComm 09, presented by Rental & Staging Systems magazine and InfoComm International.

Barbara Nelson, CEO of Element Labs says, "We believed in the Cobra from the start, and this award is symbolic of the industry endorsement this revolutionary LED platform has received since its introduction. Cobra has proven itself to be an absolutely fantastic LED product for the rental and staging industry. With the successful introduction of Cobra, Element Labs consolidates its strategy to lead through product innovation, as it establishes us with knockout competitive advantages on every front - now and in the future."

(Jim Evans)

USA - An easy-to-navigate graphical interface highlights the redesigned Wybron Web site, launched this week.

With detailed information and photos for every model of each product, the redesigned site should make it easier for customers to find exactly what they need, said Wybron president Keny Whitright.

"We're really passionate about colour here at Wybron, so it makes sense for our Web site to reflect that, with lots of colourful photos and graphics," Whitright said.

The redesigned site also offers some new features, including an online chat programme that allows customers to connect instantly with a Wybron customer service representative.

The site also will soon feature tutorials for Wybron's products, giving a detailed look at how to use each one - something that should prove beneficial for lighting novices and experts alike, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

USA - The ESTA Foundation has announced the launch of eSET (www.eset.net), a web based source for essential terminology used within the entertainment technology industry. From Lekos to Cheeseburgers, eSET cuts through the jargon and establishes clear terminology that will ensure better communication from region to region and person to person, says the organisation.

Subscription based, eSET's searchable database provides the user with the terminology they need to understand and to be understood wherever their work takes them. In addition to the terminology, assessments for each discipline are provided as well as the means to create your own resources for learning and teaching.

For industry professionals, it is a quick reference for new (or very old) terms. For teachers and students eSET is an additional text that clearly defines what is important to teach and to learn and, with

USA - The Entertainment Technician Certification Programme (ETCP) will launch practice exams for Rigger, Arena, Theatre and Entertainment Electrician certification exams on 15 July 2009. The web-based practice exams will consist of 50 questions and are available from that date forward for thirty-five dollars at www.goamp.com.

The ETCP Council understands that there is a certain amount of fear surrounding the exams because many candidates have not taken an exam in quite some time and/or may be unfamiliar with computer-based testing. The 50 question practice exams will provide candidates with a valuable tool for self assessment. There is no application process with the practice exams; so any interested candidate will be able to take the exam privately at home, at the office or on the road whenever it is most convenient for him or her.

"I speak with candidates every day who

UK - Since 1988 the market town of Hay has been the setting for one of the world's biggest book festivals. The event is now an essential feature in the cultural calendar attracting authors, publishers and media attention from all over the world.

The main venue at the festival has always presented a challenge for audio reinforcement. To manage this, Stage Electrics supplied L'Acoustics' Kiva Curve Linear Array this year.

The numerous novice public speakers and interview format used creates a level problem along with acoustic challenges arising from staging the event in a marquee, the numerous reflections and the inclement Welsh weather.

Sound designer Paul Turner specified the L'Acoustics' Kiva system due to its formidable reputation for speech reproduction. Previous attempts to install a line array in the venue had presented problems due to limits on weight loading and sight

Switzerland - Meyer Sound systems are a mainstay on the summer festival circuit. Perennial European favourites have long relied on Meyer Sound loudspeakers, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Germany's Moers, Sziget in Hungary, and many other outdoor festivals in Norway, Sweden, Spain and the UK.

In Eastern Europe, Slovenia's Festival Novo Mesto is supplying Meyer Sound systems for a range of musical celebrations including Festival Lent and Rock Otocec, while To Breathe as One 2009 Song and Dance Celebration will attract a massive crowd to Tallinn, Estonia, with reinforcement provided by local sound company Eventech.

In the US, Meyer Sound systems are powering stages at Michigan's Rothbury Festival (Thunder Audio), Colorado's Mile High Festival (Dowlen Sound), and Wisconsin's Summerfest (Cl

Dubai - With nine channels and 90 million viewers worldwide, MBC is the leading provider of news and entertainment in the Middle East. To optimise communications in MBC's headquarters in Dubai, the Group recently invested in BTR-700 RadioCom systems from RTS.

The wireless intercom systems are being used by MBC's two leading channels: MBC1, the region's leading purveyor of family entertainment, and Al Arabiya News, the top news channel in the Arab world. In each case, the wireless BTR-700 system facilitates communication between the floor manager and cameraman.

Regional sales manager Ammar Fawzy comments: "The BTR-700 is extremely reliable and has a long range - even in a complex building where the signals have to pass through a large number of intervening walls. These characteristics make the BTR-700 the perfect solution."

(Jim Evans)

UK - When Production Hire realised the amount of summer festival work and Autumn dance events on offer if the company could provide adequate PA coverage, proprietor Mark Neal decided it was time to invest in a potent line array system. And the move paid instant dividends.

After evaluating various systems, he purchased 24 x Martin Audio W8L Longbows, and gave them a powerful initiation at the RockNess Music Festival near Inverness this month, where Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal and Flaming Lips were among the headliners.

'Knocker' Neal ran 12 W8L hangs a side, with W8LD down-fills on the front corners providing the necessary in-fill, while Martin Audio's predictive 3D Display software made sure the coverage was fully optimised.

"The system definitely throws and there must have been 25,000 in front of it when Prodigy appeared on stage," Neal reports.

USA - Barco products were involved in projects which won awards in each of three prestigious awards ceremonies held by Lighting&Sound America, ARCHI-TECH and PRO AV, during the InfoComm exhibition in Orlando, Florida (17-19 June). During InfoComm's Rental & Staging Forum and Reception, Lighting&Sound America (L&SA) presented the Staged Events Awards.

Freeman Audio Visual Solutions received the award for Best Overall Staging for a Corporate or Association Event for their staging of the Miller Brewing Annual Distributors Conference. Four Barco SLM R12+ projectors, one Barco FLM HD18 high definition projector and Barco's Encore Presentation System contributed to the event.

The projectors used on the white pleated fabric were blended and shaped to create a solid specific background look for each presentation. Each pai

Norway - Rental company, Sceneservice AS, has purchased a second Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system to add to its hire stock inventory.

Based in central Norway, the company originally invested in an iLive system, comprising an iDR10 MixRack and iLive-144 Control Surface, in 2008, employing it for various tours, events and festivals on its roster. In autumn it managed FOH duties on the main stage at the Blues in Hell Festival in Stjørdal, which included headline performances from Walter Trout and Marcia Ball. More recently, it managed FOH at the Nidaros Blues Festival in Trondheim, which featured headline act, Little Feat.

"All the guest band engineers like iLive, without exception, which is why we decided to invest in a second system when the time came to increase our digital capability," claims Sceneservice's Stein Larsen. "Our faith

UK - Christie announced the launch of the Christie Mirage WU Series at Japan's Industry Virtual Reality Expo (IVR). The series is an expansion to Christie's Mirage Series of 3-Chip DLP, 3-D Active Stereo projectors. The four new projectors, the Mirage WU3, Mirage WU7, Mirage WU12 and Mirage WU18 offer more pixels, with WUXGA 1920 x 1200 native resolution and brightness options of 3,000, 6,600, 12,000 and 18,000 ANSI lumens.

The projectors feature built-in edge-blending and Christie Light Output Control (LITELOC) for constant brightness tracking and monitoring of lamp output. They also feature Comprehensive Colour Adjustment (CCA), allowing the adjustment of actual RGB channels in individual projectors for even colour matching across multi-screen applications. The optional Christie Twist module for internal image warping allows projection on virtually any screen or surface.

The

UK - England hosted the second ICC World Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place from 5 - 21 June. The tournament saw the men's and women's games integrated for the first time. The men's tournament format consisted of 12 teams, played across three venues - Lord's, Trent Bridge and The Oval. The women's tournament consisting of eight teams was hosted at Taunton.

innovision was appointed to create, manage and deliver the opening presentation at Lord's and all the in-stadium activation across all four venues, under the tournament theme of Everyone's Game.The in stadium activation - or 'sportainment' - was aimed to enhance the excitement of the game with the introduction of specially choreographed dancers, live presentation teams that included DJs and named MCs, visually arresting film packages, global sponsor activations and seamless interface between live event

UK - Rycote has announced the immediate availability of a redesigned version of its Softie windshield and microphone mount incorporating the company's Lyre suspension technology. As a result of the improvements, the new Softie system is lighter overall (145 grammes), and offers better isolation from handling noise, says the company.

The Softie is Rycote's robust, push-on microphone windshield and mounting system for shotgun mics, and is widely used by documentary makers and in news-gathering applications.

(Jim Evans)

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