France - Known simply as 'Le Theatre', the new national theatre of Saint-Nazaire on the west coast of France occupies what used to be the old station of Saint-Nazaire. One of 70 national theatres that form part of the network of the French Ministry of Culture, le Theatre is an impressive concrete edifice reminiscent of a huge bunker. The outline is softened in places by the imprint of a floral pattern chiseled into the concrete, a theme which is also reflected inside the building.

As a national theatre, le Theatre had to conform to exacting technical standards, making it an extremely highly specified venue at every level, including of course the audio set-up. Technical director Patrick Balaud had no hesitation in specifying an Innovason Eclipse GT digital console as the FoH consol

USA - Experts in theatre and stage equipment PNTA have become the latest company to take on the full range of Dirty Rigger Gloves & Accessories in the USA.

With nearly 40 years in the business, Seattle based PNTA has grown over the years to offer one of the widest selection of equipment & consumables on the west coast.

PNTA's Richard Buckley said, "We are incredibly excited to introduce the Dirty Rigger tool pouch and rigger glove range. All the team here are really impressed with the quality and materials used on the construction of the gloves and accessories, and the stitching is excellent. They have a style of rigger glove that will suit just about any setting out in the field"

The Dirty Rigger range will be available at PNTA's online retail store and on display in their spacious new warehouse located on Andover Street, Seattle.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG) is pleased to announce that Mbox Studio, a software-only media server application, is now available for purchase. A compact version of the popular Mbox media server, this product can be easily installed and operated on a user-supplied Intel-based Apple Mac computer (Intel processor, OSX 10.6.7 and higher).

Mbox Studio, with fewer parameters and less complex operations, offers substantial functionality and versatility. It operates identically to the full Mbox in both movie playback, effects, and in transition functions. Designed primarily for playback of SD content, it can also handle HD content. It offers eight playback layers and a fully functional pixel mapping toolset. A free demo content library, available as a separate download, can be used as a starting point for content creation with Mbox Studio.

Mbox Studio Version 3.6 is t

Europe - The Music Group has announced the appointment of Nigel Beaumont as head of its new Professional Division, overseeing all aspects of the company's Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound brands worldwide. Beaumont retains his role as senior vice president for operations that he has held since joining the Muisic Group in 2011. The appointment is effective 1 March, 2013.

CEO Uli Behringer commented, "Over the past two years, Nigel has added tremendous value to the Music Group and I am very proud of his achievements. With Nigel's profound pro experience at Harman, I am convinced he will continue, and accelerate, the growth of the division." Before joining the Music Group, Beaumont was with the Harman Pro Division, being most recently responsible for the management of the European operations of the division, encompassing Soundcraft, Studer and AKG.

Nigel Beaumont comm

USA - The rolling hills and fertile farmlands along the Delaware River were among the first to be settled by European colonists, and the area is rich in historic buildings and landmarks. Among them is Alexandria First Presbyterian Church, whose main sanctuary was built in the late 1800s, and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Despite being one of the older buildings in the area, Alexandria First Presbyterian is all modern on the inside, thanks to a sophisticated audio and video system designed and installed by Blackwood, NJ-based JD Sound and Video. The system includes distributed HD video, with multiple screens throughout, as well as a sound system featuring Community Professional Loudspeakers' Entasys column arrays and VLF Series subwoofers.

"It's not a large building, and it's not very ornate," says JD Sound's Joe DiSabatino. "But they've

UK - BVE 2013, to be held for the first time this year at Excel London, will see Sennheiser UK exhibiting its microphone, wireless system, long distance RF transport, headphone and monitoring products, as well as highlights from its distributed partners including Nagra and Avalon.

A highlight of this year's products will be Sennheiser's flagship Digital 9000 Series. Launched at IBC 2012, Digital 9000 is a digital wireless system that can transmit completely uncompressed audio, artefact-free and with superb dynamics. Targeting broadcasting professionals, (musical) theatres and high-profile live audio events; Digital 9000 sets a new benchmark in digital wireless transmission. The system, which includes the EM 9046 receiver, SKM 9000 handheld and SK 9000 bodypack transmitters, and a comprehensive suite of accessories, has been meticulously designed for the highest channel counts in

Germany - LumenRadio's CRMX technology, together with lighting fixtures from Robe and Anolis, was recently used to illuminate and enhance a fascinating public renovation and arts project, named Iktomia, by German designer and sculptor Volker-Johannes Trieb.

Iktomia consists of an art gallery, an event venue, a sprawling public garden, and the old railway station of Sutthausen; a picturesque village located in the German countryside close to the border with the Netherlands. The design mandate called for an extensive lighting system to make the area attractive and engaging to the public also after dark.

Trieb, in cooperation with LumenRadio's distributor LMP, commissioned a lighting rig of powerful, yet inconspicuous, CitySkape 48 and CitySource 96 Robe fixtures; all with wireless CRMX OEM modules already installed. This rig, with a compliment of Anolis in-ground A

UK - XL Events supplied video production - including high powered projection system, control, screen management and crew - for the 2013 National Television Awards, broadcast live on ITV from London's O2 Arena.

Working for producers Indigo Television, the event was project managed for XL by Paul Wood. XL has been involved in the event - this was its thirteenth year - since 2005, in which time the production video elements have expanded significantly.

This year, the stage and set was designed by Wieder Design from Munich, well known for their work on German Idol, X-Factor and a myriad of other high profile TV extravaganzas.

It consisted of a large upstage projection screen measuring 11 x 6m, surrounded by four smaller screens - two at 6 x 3m and two at 5 x 3m.

The large screen used four of XL's new Barco HDF W26 26K projectors. Each of the outer screens was fed by a pair of

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Austria - Vienna State Opera has taken delivery of ETC's newest lighting control desk, Gio, following an extensive search over a number of years.

Lighting chief Rudolf Fischer told Prospect magazine, "Our existing desks served us faithfully for 16 years, but no longer met our requirements. They lacked a Moving Light Engine, and spare parts were difficult to obtain, making maintenance difficult."

The theatre invested in four ETC Gio desks, along with two Remote Processor Units (RPUs) and an Ion to cover the main stage lighting, auditorium and Kinderzelt, a tent on the roof for children.

"We have a very large repertoire with a very wide range of lighting - there are over 200 shows, dating back to 1957. So the ability to handle traditional fixtures as well as our old desk could, was very important to us. We watched the market for some time, waiting until t

UK - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Professional Development Programme, which will run alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May 2013.

Whether you are a seasoned campaigner in the entertainment sector or a student considering the live events industry as a career, the PLASA PDP is an unmissable opportunity to learn new skills, watch new product demonstrations, and meet some of the most respected practitioners in the business.

Kicking off is Adam Bennette, Technical Director of ETC Europe, who leads a discussion about how to design new systems that support both tungsten and LED lighting in a rational and sustainable way. Requirements for Data and Power Infrastructures for LED Stage Lighting is a seminar where audience participation is an important part of the process so system designers, technical managers from thea

USA - On 31 December, over 11,000 devoted 'Bass Heads' packed Nashville's Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the new year with Californian dubstep musician/producer Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar.

LMG Touring, which supplied sound and video for the artist's 2012 New Year's Eve show at the same venue and subsequent 32-date fall tour, once again provided this year's technical production elements, including a sizable L-Acoustics K1 System.

Abandoning last year's end-stage setup for a new in-the-round design, Bassnectar's main PA for the 2013 event was comprised of eight hangs of eight K1 enclosures, each with three-Kara down-fills, flown in LR pairs around the arena's massive central Jumbotron display.

To deliver the generous LF that one would expect from an artist named Bassnectar, LMG positioned 72 SB28 double-18-inch subs on end around the perimeter of the circular rot

Germany - MasterCraft Boat Company, a premium manufacturer of inboard wakeboarding, water skiing and luxury performance boats, and known across the globe for its impressive boat show displays, has unveiled their biggest effort yet ...with a little help from Martin Professional.

Debuting two brand new models at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in January, Martin equipment added extra dynamic to the presentation with logo projection and colour wash at the centrepiece of the display - the all new MasterCraft XSTAR.

Providing control for the show was the Martin LightJockey USB DMX. Will Furze, MasterCraft international marketing manager, comments, "I've been a fan of Martin products since the 3032 era and the LightJockey 2 provides the perfect control format for my needs at our International boat shows. The speed at which I can program, especially when time is extremely limited, is t

Czech Republic - A.C. Entertainment Technologies has announced that Ales Grivac will be working with their international sales team as regional sales representative.

A well known figure within the entertainment technology industry, Grivac brings with him over 10 years experience in the business. Based in Czech Republic, he will be travelling extensively to further increase AC-ET's growing presence within the European market, as well as promoting the company's wide range of key and exclusive entertainment technology brands.

Grivac comments, "After taking a couple of years out, I am delighted to be back in the industry and working with such a long established and experienced company. I look forward to catching up with old friends, making new ones, and introducing the wide range of lighting, audio, video and rigging products that AC-ET offer."

AC-ET's Managing Directo

USA - Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley kicked off the Locked & Reloaded Tour on 17 January with concerts scheduled throughout the US. Lighting designer Chris Lisle carefully conceived a design to suit Miranda's rock'n'roll style and to capture her talent, also incorporating 66 Chauvet fixtures. Bandit Lites provided the Chauvet gear.

"Miranda's music can have a very rock'n'roll feel as well," Lisle said. "I wanted a design that can accentuate her music, while filling the space visually. We also use a lot of circular truss to make it look like a big rock'n'roll concert."

For dramatic and energising looks, Lisle uses 26 Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beam moving yokes that steal the show with their big, punchy beams. "Twenty of these powerful fixtures shoot bright, powerful beams from behind the band, while six are on the floor, at the front

Australia - Following a two-year, $136m inside-out redevelopment, Australia's Arts Centre Melbourne reopened its Hamer Hall with one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest and most sophisticated Meyer Sound systems. Featuring the advanced precision beam steering technology in the CAL column array loudspeaker - which began shipping this year -Hamer Hall is now outfitted with 147 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers operating in three modes tailored to different acoustic and amplified events.

Inside the 2,464-seat Hamer Hall, two CAL 64 column array loudspeakers provide "exceptional intelligibility without exciting reflective surfaces". These slender columns handle both emergency voice alerts and any speech applications with orchestral concerts, such as narration or comments from the conductor.

According to Nick Carroll, operations manager for sound at Arts Centre Melbo

USA - With over 25 years of rigging industry experience, USA based The Rigging Box offer a level of service and professionalism that exceeds many others in the industry.

Looking to increase their brand awareness and streamline their packing process, The Rigging Box extensively researched local printed packing tape suppliers before turning to UK based Le Mark Group.

The Rigging Box's Selina Conrad said, "The best price I could find was anywhere from about $3.00 to almost $4.00 a roll, but with Le Mark the tape costs could be as low as $1.25 a roll. Even adding less than $0.25 a roll for shipping still made it worth the purchase.

"Using Le Mark's printed tape has saved us a lot of money. It's easy to work with, no razor needed to cut the end of the tape. The employee can break it off with his hands once he has completed the job and the end is always easy to find when

Italy - Clay Paky and RUMI are partners in the Moto 3 category of the Italian Speed Championship (CIV) motorcycle races.

RUMI was one of the most important Italian motorcycle manufacturers in the 1950s and 60s. It earned a reputation for innovative concepts that gave rise to motorcycles with engaging designs and excellent mechanical features.

Nowadays RUMI no longer manufactures commercial motorcycles. It concentrates on the bike racing world. It has taken part in the 125 cc class of the Italian Speed Championship for some years, and competes with multinational giants, such as Honda and KTM.

Clay Paky and RUMI are both prominent names on the Bergamo business scene. What they have in common is their continuous search for innovation for their products, their constant will to achieve technological excellence, their readiness to take on new challenges in the pursuit of new goals

Czech Republic - Robe lighting is sponsoring Czech MotoGP racer Karel Abraham for the 2013 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix - the premier championship in the world of motorcycle road racing.

Karel, aged 23 and born in Brno, Czech Republic, is competing as part of the Cardion AB team for the 2013 season, riding a super-charged new cutting-edge Aprilia ART (Aprilia Racing Technology) bike.

Says Robe CEO Josef Valchar, "We are extremely proud to be sponsoring Karel, who is competing in his third season at the very top level of international motorcycle road racing. He is young, ambitious, talented and has all the qualities required to become a champion in one of the most exciting motorsports."

(Jim Evans)

Russia - The 10th anniversary 2012 Muz TV Awards, held at the famed Olimpiisky stadium in Moscow was more than a showcase of top musical talent, it also provided a backdrop (both literally and figuratively) to demonstrate the capabilities of Light Converse's 3D Show Platform software and server hardware in action

The more than three hour show (Muz TV is Russia's answer to MTV) depended heavily on awe-inspiring visuals to match the level of performance onstage. Besides a magical-looking crown-like three screen center piece over center stage, video elements were also projected on two large arches (33m x 15m) stage left and right. The multiple piece arches, which opened and closed as acts performed or readied their place on either the left and right stages, required precise video mapping as content was projected while sliding elements of each arch dynamically moved in seven directi

UK - Lighting rental company Siyan continued its long standing working relationship with cult band Marillion, supplying a floor package to lighting designer Yenz Nyholm from newIllumination for their latest run of dates in Europe.

These dates constituted the forth leg of their Sounds That Can't be Made tour and follows an extensive touring schedule throughout 2012, with lighting equipment for the UK and European elements also supplied by Siyan.

Marillion has enjoyed a special relationship with High Wycombe based Siyan, where their account is managed by Steve Finch, who was the band's LD before joining Siyan full time in 2005. While his association with the artist stretches back an impressive 12 years, Yenz started with them from 2004, initially that year as Steve's tech, before taking over the LD position 12 months later.

The 'specials' on this latest leg of the tour

UK - A compact Allen & Heath iLive system was recently carried on tour with comedian, Frankie Boyle. FOH engineer, Steve Pattison, selected an iDR-48 MixRack with rackmount iLive-R72 Control Surface due to its very small footprint, and road tested the new dynamic EQ and multi-band compressor features from iLive's latest firmware update, V1.9.

"For me, the iLive-R72 is essential for theatres shows where FOH space is at a premium, as it is so compact but offers all the functionality and quality of much larger desks," explains Pattison.

Most of the tour venues were large theatres featuring multi-tiered balconies where there are many facets to the PA system, such as main hangs, monitors, delays, out-fills, in-fills, under-hangs and front-fills.

"In multi-level venues it can be a real pain (not just for your legs) when you need to check on all areas and make change

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