UK - Black Light recently moved to new premises in the Granton area of Edinburgh. Thanks to this relocation, Black Light says it is now able to offer an improved level of service to all its customers.

"We're now in a superb warehouse that allows us to offer all our services under one roof," says Black Light's managing director Gavin Stewart. "This is our third move in Granton. We love the area and now we've found the perfect building we can concentrate on developing the business and adding new equipment and services."

According to Stewart, the move has gone smoothly and has been a great opportunity for the company to think about how to serve our customers even more efficiently. Before the move the company had to divide its equipment and workforce between a nu

France - Christie, technical partner to the Cannes Film Festival for the fourth year running, has announced that Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (presented out of competition), opened Cannes in full 2K digital resolution. The film was screened on the next-generation Series 2 projector, the Christie SolariaT CP2230, which features DLP Cinema technology from Texas Instruments.

Designed to meet all Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) specifications, the Christie Solaria series is scalable and geared towards 4K digital cinema. Its Christie Brilliant3DT technology delivers "the brightest 3D projections in the market" with an output power of 32 000 ANSI lumens (CP2230) on screens up to 100ft wide and with the lowest cost of operation.

Christie, which will be providing digital technology for all the films at the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival, recently reached the hi

UK - Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, has opened at London's Adelphi Theatre, with cast and orchestra fully miked up with DPA microphones, specified by sound designer Mick Potter and supplied by Autograph Sound Hire.

All 36 cast members are miked with DPA 4061s, with the principals wearing two each with dual transmitters and receivers. The 21-piece orchestra is miked with a selection of DPA mics including 4022 and 4011 cardioids and 4007 condensers across brass, woodwind and percussion. For the string section, Potter has chosen a combination of 4011s as ambient mics and 4061s for close miking.

"The balance between these two mics changes per cue depending on the required feel," says Mick Potter. "In the big cinematic moments the mix is biased towards the 4061s and in the more subtle orchestral moments the 40

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LD Systems ICOA PRO series – high-performance coaxial PA speakers for professional demands

The popular ICOA PA systems have been further developed to include two active full-range coaxial speakers – ICOA PRO 12 A and ICOA PRO 15 A – as well as the active 21″ bass-reflex PA subwoofer ICOA PRO SUB 21 A. With its professional features and high output power, the ICOA PRO series is aimed at ambitious bands, musicians and DJs as well as hire companies and commercial customers looking for a compact, robust and powerful PA sound system. The ICOA PRO series is rounded off with modern connection and control options via Bluetooth 5.1 and the specially developed ICOA PRO app, for use on smartphones and tablets.

ld-systems.com/icoapro

UK - Lift Turn Move has qualified for full membership of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA). LEEA is a technical association involved in the design, manufacture, hire, repair, refurbishment, test, examination and use of lifting equipment. Applicants are subject to technical audits before full membership is granted and then to a continuing assessment programme.

The approval process involved full technical audits carried out by LEEA officers which led to some minor changes to processes to ensure best practice. Certified LEEA training for all staff was also carried out. All LTM workshop staff are now fully certified by an independent body to carry out hoist and lifting equipment assembly, inspection and maintenance.

LTM's John Jones reports, "We are upskilling to allow work on more complex projects. All LTM engineers are now LEEA certified with Team Cards whi

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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. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

UK - Summit Steel played a key role in the action and excitement for the UK movie premiere of The Back-Up Plan, which took place at the Vue Cinema, Leicester Square, London.

The film sees Jennifer Lopez's return to the big screen in this romantic comedy co-starring Alex O'Loughlin.

Summit was asked by production company Premier PR to 'float' a double sided screen 4m in the air outside the cinema on the north east corner of Leicester Square. This allowed the crowds of fans waiting outside, gathered on both sides of the road, to clearly see all the red carpet action as celebrities and beautiful people rocked up for the screening.

Summit's team starred project manager Jay Call. He has worked on two previous events for Premier PR in Leicester Square, both which involved hanging a single sided LED screen in a similar floating fashion, with no visible lifting frame or suppo

UK - Stage Electrics has recently signed a new sponsorship with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD). The college is the national conservatoire of Wales offering specialist practical and performance based training in Acting, Music, Opera and Theatre design.

As part of Stage Electrics' long standing commitment to training, which includes support in the past to the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and RADA in London, a new sponsorship agreement has been put in place with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to provide financial assistance to students who would otherwise be unable to take up professional work placements of their own.

The RWCMD's thriving Stage Management department which offers a three-year BA (Hons) Stage Management degree course at their Cardiff campus is accredited by the National Council for Drama Training and at the heart of the sponsorship de

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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

Mexico / Spain - VMB has appointed Hi Tech Audio as its exclusive distributor for lifts in Mexico. Hi Tech Audio will be distributing all VMB models.

"We made contact with Hi Tech Audio in Frankfurt" says Ben Sinclair, VMB's export manager, "and it was immediately apparent that the company was an ideal partner for the Mexican Market. They knew our product well and were aware of all the features and benefits the product delivers. Their approach and experience in the sector leave us convinced that they will do a fantastic job in promoting the brand and offering superb service and sales."

The Mexican distributor recently premiered the TL-A220 at Expo Sound Check and was able to demonstrate to the Mexican Pro Audio market the Line Array lifting system.

Jose Antonio Martinez, from Hi Tech Audio said, "We are very happy to introduce to Mexico a completely

Spain - ARX, the Australian-based manufacturer of USB, Digital & Analogue interface and signal processors has appointed Seville-based Rental Multimedia Systems S.L. (R.M.S) as its new distributor for Spain.

ARX Managing Director Colin Park finalised the distribution agreement with R.M.S's Rafael Jimenez and Alvaro Elena at the recent Frankfurt Pro Light + Sound.

R.M.S is a subsidiary of Meyer Sound Spain and currently also represents Digico and Whirlwind.

(Jim Evans)

Georgia - The new trading centre Karvasla, a project heralded as the first and biggest international standard shopping mall in Georgia, features 350 dBTechnologies M50TW loudspeakers. Situated metres from the capital city's central railway station, the shopping centre opened with suitable pomp this month in the presence of the mayor of Tbilisi.

Specified and subsequently installed by local company and dBTechnologies distributor Smarthouse and Office LLC, the full audio system was put to the test on its opening day. "There was a live band and a presentation, in front of many guests as well as the city mayor," says Konstantine Beruchashvili of Smarthouse. "We supplied dBTechnologies' Opera speakers for two floors of the new shopping centre for the opening ceremony, and I'm pleased to report that both the installed and the live system sounded perfect."

Finance

Mexico - To launch their new partnership, Clay Paky and Hermes Music organised a special event in April at the Aldama Theatre in Mexico City, where over 200 dealers, lighting designers and rental companies took part. The event was an opportunity to get together, but there were also plenty of in-depth technical demos regarding lights and new applications.

Clay Paky sales and marketing manager Pio Nahum presented the company to the guests, stating, "Clay Paky is a sturdy company, which has managed to get over the crisis that affected the world economy unharmed. We are counting on the strength of Hermes Music to grow further in the Mexican market."

Francesco Romagnoli, Clay Paky sales manager for North and South America, said "There was an immediate mutual understanding between Clay Paky and Hermes Music both on a personal and business level. Hermes Music is very w

UK RAT Music Stands has introduced a mains voltage LEDlight which needs no separate power supply, and can therefore be plugged straight into the mains.

"An enormous number of venues around the world are still using lights we made literally decades ago using candle or golf ball bulbs" says sales manager Keith Hogben. "The new mains voltage LEDlight enables them to get into the 21st century by upgrading those old lights to the very latest technology."

The new light uses warm white LEDs which operate in the only part of the spectrum that professional musicians will tolerate. They give very bright and very even illumination of the score, and the sharpest cut-off of any light on the market.

"Our customers face a constant battle between the musicians and the lighting designe,r" says Andrew Michell, MD of RAT Music Stands. "The musos always want m

USA - The week of 23-28, the Wybron Mobile Showroom begins its eighth leg, hitting the Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, WI areas.

The Mobile Showroom presents a survey of Wybron's products, including the new Cygnus LED Wash Light, in a environment more intimate than a trade show. "The challenge of this industry is to actually get information to the people who will benefit from it," said Wybron, Inc. CEO Keny Whitright. "A trade show is terrific, sure, but you're often lacking time to connect with all the folks you would like to."

The Mobile Showroom presents a survey of Wybron's stable of products, including the new Cygnus LED Wash Light, in a environment more intimate than a trade show. It provides hands-on demonstration of Wybron offerings and an opportunity for tΩte-à-tΩte with lighting professionals, including their local dealers.

The Mobi

Germany - Sommer Cable has introduced the Club Series Tempoflex miscrophone cable, especially developed for use on theatre stages, for musical backdrops and large live events.

"Take a pair of conductors with thin 0.34 mm² copper litz wires, braid around them several Kevlar strain relief elements and jacket the whole thing with a special TPE SP moulded sheath (° 7.3 mm) - and here it is, the microphone Liana," says the company.

"We have braided the screen made of aluminised fleece and tinned copper mesh in a motion-optimised angle so that the sturdy cable reels easily on a cable drum and in addition to permanent installations may also be used for mobile applications. The Club Series Tempoflex withstands temperatures between -20 °C and +110 °C."

(Jim Evans)

UK - An Audient ASP8024-48 high resolution mixing console sits at the heart of the brand new Sound Engineering facility at Herefordshire College of Technology (HCT). Comprising five recording studios, the facility's rebuild is just part of a £32m development project centred on the main Hereford campus, which is "set to transform post-16 education and vocational learning in Herefordshire", according to its website.

"The Audient console is used in our flagship control room," says course tutor, Dan Armstrong. "The room is fed from two Roland REAC-based Digital Snake setups, supplying 32 channels of mic lines. The console is used heavily for tracking, mixing and programming. We've got Mac Pro running Logic 9, and ProTools 8, which feeds into the console. The (Alesis) HD24s also feed directly into the console across all 48 channels."

The ASP8024

UK - Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical The Phantom of the Opera, opened in London in March with an ETC Eos control desk and a plethora of ETC Source Four Revolutions and Source Fours.

Control for the rig as a whole is from an ETC Eos control system, including an Eos 8K desk and RPU backup together with a remote video interface (RVI) complete with X-Keys keyboard, in order to provide video to the lighting designer, Paule Constable. Well known for her work in the fields of opera, drama and musicals, Constable has specified 48 ETC Revolutions among the moving lights in the rig, which also includes 40 ETC Source Fours of varying beam angles.

Commenting on the Eos, she says, "I'm the world's biggest fan; it does everything I want it to do. As well as running the lighting, I also had it running a Hippotizer media server and F:light s

Festivals Boost - The popularity of festivals has helped fuel a rise in the fortunes of live music events, new figures show. UK fans spent £1.45bn on gigs in 2009 - up 4% from the previous year, according to songwriters' body PRS For Music. Some £275m of that was spent on festivals, up about £50m - a sharper rise than any other area of live music. "This seems to be a UK phenomenon," PRS chief economist Will Page said. "I don't think anywhere else in Europe has seen the same explosion in festivals."

There are more than 670 events being held in the UK in 2010, according to efestivals.co.uk guide. PRS For Music put the boom down to promoters appealing to all types of music fan by offering a wider variety of events, with innovations including crèches for families. "They're growing this market with incredible acumen," Mr Page said at t

USA - TC Group Americas (TCGA) has announced it is to distribute Audica Professional in North, Central and South America, adding the brand to its existing portfolio of Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, Dynaudio Acoustics and Linn Products. TCGA will introduce Audica Professional formally at Infocomm Las Vegas in June.

Audica Professional manufactures the MICROseries range of electronics and loudspeakers combining for commercial background music, corporate AV and audio communications. For applications such as retail outlets, restaurants, hotel public areas and guest rooms, meeting rooms, museums and visitor centres the MICROseries systems fit neatly below the level serviced by Tannoy's product range and both TCGA and Audica Professional view the expanded offering of the two brands as very complementary.

"America is key for most pro audio manufacturers",

Jordan - Robe lighting has appointed a new Jordanian distributor - Tarkeeb AVL - based in Amman.

Tarkeeb AVL is a new division of leading rental company Pro4 that has been set up to supply lighting, video and audio solutions, design, consultation, sales and installations for all types of projects and venues, including restaurants, hotels, multi-purpose and live entertainment venues.

Robe's Middle East regional sales manager Elie Battah explains that he had been looking for a distributor in Jordan for some time as the market is strong there.

Pro4 has been using Robe moving lights exclusively for the past eight years, and so the brand already has a track record in the country. "When they decided to set up the new division, it made real sense to offer a distribution deal" confirms Battah.

Through their work with Pro4, the Tarkeeb team had also already received all t

Belgium - Dating back to 1425, the University of Leuven is Belgium's oldest university. It has had a turbulent history, things finally settling down after the 1968 division into two separate institutions, the Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and its French-speaking counterpart, the Université Catholique de Louvain. The former has recently seen the installation of Ampetronic induction loops in two of its most prestigious teaching spaces, allowing hard of hearing students to enjoy exactly the same teaching experience as their fellows.

The Pieter de Somer and Gasthuisberg auditoria are respectively the oldest and newest lecture theatres at the university, but each needs to provide an equally high quality experience for the users of the induction loop systems.

"The university has students who are hard of hearing, but its administration also realises that l

UK - Following Chelsea's success in winning the Barclays Premier League and the FA Cup, Sunday 16 May saw innovision manage their victory parade through the streets of west London, providing fans with an opportunity to celebrate their successes.

Having created a strategic event framework for the delivery of complex road closures, crowd management and health and safety programmes, innovision also project managed the parade itself.

With agreement from London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the Metropolitan Police, innovision managed all elements of the parade, which saw two open-top buses transport the team from Stamford Bridge, along Fulham Road, down Hortensia Road, along King's Road and New King's Road. At Eel Brook Common the buses stopped, as interviews with key members of the team were broadcast live to the crowd via a big screen

USA - The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona describes itself as 'the world's first global musical instrument museum' with an impressive array of instruments from nearly 250 countries and territories. Integrated audio and video experiences enable audiences to appreciate the sounds of these instruments, as well as to see them played in their cultural context.

The building, a 190,000sq.ft structure located on a 20-acre campus, was designed by award-winning architect Rich Varda, along with RSP Architects. The architecture evokes the topography of the American Southwest with a richly textured Indian limestone façade. Interior galleries are linked by an undulating central corridor known as 'El Rio'.

Stage Technologies Las Vegas installed an automation system in the museum's 299-seat Music Theatre. The team worked closely with general contractors Ryan Construction and co

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