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12 August 2024

Australia - In 2023, Opera Australia (OA) brought Wagner’s groundbreaking production of the Ring Cycle to life at Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). Renowned as the pinnacle of opera, Wagner’s Ring Cycle spans 15 epic hours performed over four nights, featuring a collective of 83 musicians and 102 voices performing some of the most transformative music ever written.

The visionary behind this epic was Chinese creative theatre director Chen Shi-Zheng, who challenged traditional opera boundaries by introducing the world’s first digital 'Ring' into the performance. The production was a fusion of futuristic storytelling and cutting-edge technology, featuring giant LED panels that spun, tracked, and flew to create an immersive, mesmerising virtual world for the audience.

At the heart of this technological marvel

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09 August 2024

UK - International production practice Wonder Works has launched WowAxis, a custom design and fabrication service intended to enhance the efficiency of live event productions. Born out of a growing demand from Wonder Works' clients for bespoke design and fabrication work, WowAxis is dedicated to providing safe, innovative, and intuitive solutions for touring equipment and productions worldwide, the company says.

Led by industry experts Piers Shepperd, Jeremy Lloyd, and Dave Williams, the WowAxis team boasts over 75 years of combined experience in live events. Piers Shepperd, director of WowAxis, says: "WowAxis was created to address the evolving needs of our clients and the industry as a whole. We saw an opportunity to provide a one-stop solution for design, fabrication, and assembly, allowing us to deliver high-quality products that enhance the efficiency a

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09 August 2024

UK - RCF UK partner JPS Sound & Light fielded 108 RCF loudspeaker enclosures at the recent Zimfest Live 2024 festival in Hertfordshire - now celebrating its 25th year.

Involved with this event for the past five years, John Southee’s company has watched the event ­- a celebration of Zimbabwean music, culture and music - mature from its old Colesdale Farm site near Potters Bar to the premium Hertfordshire County Show Ground outside St. Albans, where up to 10,000 people from across the UK congregate over the two days.

JPS was tasked with providing a complete technical infrastructure (sound, lighting and video as well as camera crew) - populating two stages, the enlarged main stage and a six-pole Big Top. “The SmartStage180 provided a massive 15m x 12m stage area, with a 10m high roof. This offered an impressive 20-tonne weight-loading and addit

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09 August 2024

Austria ­- High in the Austrian Alps, nestled amidst breathtaking scenery, lies Onkel Willy's Hutte. This Alpine restaurant and ski hut is more than just a venue for traditional Austrian food and stunning views, it’s also a party haven. The sound system was crucial to achieve their goal of the best view, culinary and music experience, which is why they chose Void Acoustics.

The venue needed a powerful sound system capable of filling the outdoor space and withstanding the harsh Alpine climate. Freezing winter temperatures presented unique installation challenges for the speakers in the outdoor dining areas, as did the limited electrical supply up in the mountains.

Alongside the outdoor speaker challenge, the venue’s indoor spaces also needed a sound system capable of creating the perfect atmosphere for diners.  

Musikuss Tonkultur, Void'

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09 August 2024

USA - Princess Cruises has upgraded the lighting rig in its 1000-seat Princess Theatre on the Crown, Emerald, and Ruby Princess ships. In a project completed in 2023, Princess Cruises fleet lighting supervisor Matt DeJong and the Princess Entertainment technical team selected Robe Lighting TE (Transferable Engine) fixtures, ushering in a new era of LED lighting technology to enhance the cruise line's entertainment offerings and sustainability credentials.

The Crown Class lighting revitalisation project included 69 Esprite Profile, 87 Spiider, 78 Painte Profile, 98 LEDBeam 150, and 48 ParFect 150 wash luminaires, which has reduced the Crown Class’ overall electrical consumption by an impressive 50%. This not only benefits the environment but also leads to reduced HVAC draw and overall fuel costs. Additionally, it significantly reduces operational and mainte

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09 August 2024

Europe - Sometimes, the best new ideas are those that make us most uncomfortable. Such was the case with brutalism, a school of graphic and architectural design that emerged in the 1950s.

Emphasising stark, bold form and function over ornamentation, brutalism represented a radical departure from traditional thinking. Although many criticized this new concept as “unromantic”, it ultimately caught on, reshaping our notions of design, and taking the human imagination to new places in the process.

This summer, some seven decades after brutalism first shook things up in the design world, highly regarded lighting and production designer Bryan Barancik has channelled its visceral power to create a gripping, deeply moving show for Lenny Kravitz on the four-time Grammy winner’s 27-city European tour, which began23 June in Hamburg at Sporthalle. 

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09 August 2024

USA - The Venice Performing Arts Center (VPAC) in Venice, Florida, has recently undergone a significant lighting upgrade with the installation of Elation Fuze PAR Z175 luminaires, facilitated by production and integration company Thunder City Pro. The venue, which previously relied on conventional Lekos and Fresnels for stage lighting, now offers an enhanced visual experience using state-of-the-art LED wash luminaires with dynamic colour mixing and motorised zoom.

“The goal was to incorporate colour mixing and moving lights to enhance the concert experience,” stated Justin Stancil, president of Thunder City, who notes that the upgrade also included Focus Spot 5Z moving heads from Elation sister company ADJ. “The new lighting system really allows for far more dynamic and exciting scenes for all of the concerts and theatrical shows they present.”

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09 August 2024

World - Initially billed as a “reunion tour”, Blink-182’s World Tour 2023/2024 marks the band’s 30th anniversary and first tour with original singer and guitarist, Tom DeLonge, since 2014. Given the significance of the tour, front-of-house sound engineer Charles Izzo and monitor engineer Ray Jeffrey knew there would be high expectations for quality audio during performances from both the band and its audiences around the globe. Pulling from their past experiences with the brand, the duo set their sights on a variety of DPA Microphones vocal and instrument mics.

To ensure the band delivers unbeatable sound on stage throughout the North American and European legs of the World Tour, together Izzo and Jeffrey selected DPA’s d:facto 4018VL vocal microphones for singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus. They also deploy DPA mi

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09 August 2024

UK - Central London-based lighting and event technology and services specialist Halo now has one of the largest and most extensive stocks of Astera products in the UK. Halo's total count of well over 400 Astera luminaires includes Titan Tubes, Helios Tubes, Hyperion Tubes and many others.

Halo’s extensive Astera inventory also features AX2 PixelBar, AX3 Light Drops, AX5 PixelPARS, Hydra Panels, NYX Bulbs, PixelBricks and PlutoFresnels. All of which feeds a never-ending demand on a diversity of events and projects, explained Halo CEO Yann Guenancia.

Guenancia singles out Pixel Bricks for a specific mention, admitting that initially they were a little surprised at how popular these have become, and how “people never stop coming up with creative ways of using them!”

Large UK lighting rental and concert touring companies frequently come to

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09 August 2024

Taiwan - 1 Sound, an American-made premium loudspeaker brand, celebrated its launch in Taiwan with a demo event, organised by official distributor Seapower Technology. Held at the New Taipei City Government’s conference room, a mid-sized theatre with tiered seating for about 330 people, the venue offered a perfect space to showcase the impressive capabilities of a whole range of 1 Sound speakers. The demo presentations were given by 1 Sound’s APAC sales executive, Leonardo Dani and Seapower Technology CEO, Douglas Chang.

“The audience consisted of mostly systems integrators who had nothing but positive things to say. 1 Sound, though a relatively new brand with just two years in the global market, left a strong impression,” explained Chang.

“Taiwan, known as the global hub for high-tech industries with giants like Taiwan Semiconductor Compan

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09 August 2024

Italy - Trans Audio Video (TAV), one of the leading brands of cine-video-photo production products, and Sony Europe supported the creation of exclusive images during Vasco Rossi's live concerts held in Milan from 7-20 June and then in Bari from the 25-30 June. For the first time as many as 22 cameras were used, most of them with full-frame sensors, all part of the Sony line-up to create a film about the iconic rock star during the live events at the San Siro stadium.

The Stadio Comunale in Bibione on 2 June hosted the zero dates of Vasco's tour, where filming with the same Sony cameras was tested and optimised.

Director Pepsy Romanoff, with the Except production company and the technical supervision of the production services company EMG Italia, wanted to give a typical cinematographic connotation to the filming. The aim of conveying the intense emot

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09 August 2024

UK - ROE Visual is pleased to announce its participation in the PLASA Show 2024, London's international event for live entertainment technology, held from 1-3 September at Olympia London.

ROE Visual has earned a solid reputation in the market with a legacy of delivering high-quality, reliable products that endure the challenges of touring while providing captivating visual effects. At PLASA 2024, the ROE Visual booth will showcase LED screens designed explicitly for rental applications in both indoor and outdoor environments. Visitors are invited to experience these innovative products, engage with the expert team to learn about featured technologies and stay abreast of the latest market trends.

ROE Visual will feature its acclaimed Topaz series in a breathtaking curved setup and the new outdoor series Vanish ST. Specifically designed to meet the dem

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08 August 2024

Morocco - Prolights’ Halu Pix illuminated the 24th edition of the Mawazine Festival, organised by the Maroc Cultures association. This event, spread across six different locations between Rabat and Salé, attracts over two and a half million spectators each year with performances by top-tier artists from the Arab, African, Moroccan, and international music scenes.

For the stage at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Kilmi Musique - in collaboration with EcmaPro Systems, the Prolights distributor in Morocco - provided and installed the event's lighting setup, selecting Prolights' Halu Pix.

These LED matrix modules ensured an extraordinary visual experience with 3D volumetric graphics depicting the star of Morocco. This captivating visual effect was achieved through the pixel mapping function, allowing control of each individual LED source.

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08 August 2024

UK - Fabric London has extended its relationship with Martin Audio, dating back nearly a quarter of a century, by announcing a substantial upgrade to its flagship Room One.

Since the installation of Martin Audio W8C, Blacklines and WSX subwoofers at the start of the new millennium, the club has never looked back, having gone through several generations of Martin Audio systems - maintaining its faith in the state-of-the-art sound systems offered to its roster of world-class DJs.

But when it came to the latest refresh, technical manager Matt Smith decided to follow a different path. Nervous at the prospect of losing what he describes as “that distinctive Room 1 sound”, he asked Martin Audio if they would overhaul the existing 20-year-old W8L line array by fitting it with new drivers. The High Wycombe manufacturer was happy to oblige.

Howeve

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08 August 2024

USA - When OC Local acquired the long-established The Pizza Store in Laguna Hills, they engaged Dan Burdett of locally-based dB Media Services to provide a new audio system that would deliver premium quality at a competitive price. dB had previously tidied up a third-party install at one of the restaurant group’s other venues and OC Local were keen to achieve the same audio standards for their remodelled new venue. Burdett recommended, designed and installed an Optimal Audio system for The Pizza Store.

“Optimal Audio was a great option for this project because of its high performance/low cost ratio. Restaurants don’t always have the required budget available for media technology, so the Optimal Audio product matched the needs of the budget without any audio compromise, as well as meeting the high-performance standards expected by dB Media,” explains

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08 August 2024

UK - Avolites’ D9 lighting console, and an Avolites AI Qgen media server running Avo’s proprietary Synergy protocol, were at the heart of lighting and video control for Arcadia Spectacular’s new live experience launching their Dragonfly conceptual art installation, which debuted at Glastonbury 2024.

Originated and designed by Arcadia’s Pip Rush (creative director) and Bert Cole (technical director), the 30m-long, 8.5m-high biomechanical dragonfly is built from an ex Royal Navy Sea King helicopter and was surrounded by a 50,000-capacity evolved geometric ‘energy field’ at the festival.

The sculpture ‘awakened’ every night of Glasto at 23:30, presenting Warraloo - a breathtaking nine-minute show developed by Arcadia in collaboration with the Whadjuk Noongar nation of Western Australia and based on the dragonfly’s pup

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08 August 2024

Colombia - Christie HS Series 1DLP laser projectors deliver a spectacular immersive experience to visitors of La Selva, an educational geodesic dome designed to foster appreciation and preservation of the Colombian rainforests. Located in the Parque Empresarial El Tesoro shopping mall in Medellín, this project is a collaborative effort between the mall and Lonko Labs.

To honour these vital ecosystems and raise awareness about their conservation, Parque Empresarial El Tesoro created La Selva, a sensory experience made possible through a realistic and immersive digital environment developed by Lonko Labs.

La Selva features a 13m (43ft) diameter and 8.5m (288ft) high dome with a negative pressure system. The exterior closely resembles a traditional maloca or jungle dwelling, while inside the dome, six 13,500lm Christie HS Series projectors are blended

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08 August 2024

USA - Chauvet Professional’s new Strike Bolt 1C combines “old school with the new cool” to devise a unique IP65 fixture. This intense colour-infused strobe has a feature that sets it apart from the pack - an innovative, fully integrated Smart Frost filter.

Featuring twin strobe tubes and a single row of 66 RGBA LEDs, the Strike Bolt 1C works superbly as a traditional strobe. However, thanks to its integrated smart glass Frost Filter, the fixture can create solid clean colour block effects, radically expanding design possibilities.

The Strike Bolt 1C’s tool-free stacking feature makes it fast and simple to arrange the fixture in multiple units.  Multiple hanging points, end-to-end connections, and floor feet provide maximum rigging versatility. An included stealth filter can be attached to make the fixture nearly disappear for on-camera use.<

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08 August 2024

UK - Tronios, the UK distributor for beamZ lighting fixtures, has formed a new sales team comprising three experienced industry professionals, each covering distinct regions. They include Damon Crisp (southeast UK), who has an impressive 38 years of sound and light experience in the industry. Crisp is well-equipped to understand and address the unique needs of customers in the southeast of the UK. “His deep knowledge and dedication to customer satisfaction make him an invaluable asset to our team,” says Tronios UK.

Also joining, Ryan Hussey (southwest UK and Ireland) has 20 years of sound and light experience and will serve the southwest UK and Ireland market. “His extensive industry background and commitment to building strong relationships will ensure that our customers receive the best possible support and service,” says Tronios.

Last but

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08 August 2024

France - Robe Lighting France announces that Jean-Marc Farré has joined its team as the regional manager for the vast southern area of France, encompassing Bordeaux in the east to Lyon in the west and everything south of that.

This appointment follows recent internal restructuring related to Robe s.r.o.’s acquisition of UK-based lighting console manufacturer, Avolites, in autumn 2023, resulting in new responsibilities taken on by Terry Di Isernia, who becomes the general all-markets manager for Avolites in France.

Jean-Marc Farré is known for his excellent technical skills, making him ideal for coordinating product and client demonstrations as well as for discussing the specific requirements of concert halls, theatres, opera houses and other venues.

His expertise is the result of many years of experience as a technical director, general d