UK - Lab.gruppen and Lake have announced details of a new training and certification programme being launched next month.

Taking place initially in the UK in conjunction with Adlib Solutions - with plans to expand the reach to other Lab.gruppen and Lake Centres of Excellence around the world - the programme is designed to introduce key aspects of Lab.gruppen and Lake technologies and develop user familiarity with the companies' industry-leading tour sound hardware and software platforms. The modular course is aimed at freelance engineers, tour/install system designers, theatre sound designers and tour system engineers.

The programme kicks off with the one-day introductory 'Level 1' Certification course, being held at Adlib's facility in Liverpool on 19 and 20 April. Participants will be introduced to the core essentials of Lake & Lab.gruppen technology as well as gaining compl

UK - Experienced end-to-end content and systems providers, tsg Media are increasingly finding the combination of BSS Soundweb London DSP and Crown amplification a winning one, as they seek packaged audio solutions that are both dependable and intuitive for their customers in the bar, restaurant, retail and leisure sectors.

The Midlands based company recently completed a prestigious fit-out, aided by these premium audio tools, supplied by Harman Professional's UK and Eire distributors, Sound Technology.

As part of a £7m redevelopment of the food court at Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield, into the rebranded Oasis Dining Quarter, tsg Media were introduced to help the operators accommodate a greater number of dining experiences tied into a branded integrated design, around the main central circular area.

The brief to tsg media operations director, Ivan Marsden, was to vastly i

UK - Army bands regularly perform for UK troops stationed around the world, and the Royal Military School Of Music (RMSM) has now invested in portable HK Audio Elements PA systems to loan out to groups and accompany them on their travels to some of the world's most inhospitable places.

Elements is compact, lightweight, practically cable-free, sets up in seconds. Using just six individual components, or 'elements', a system for anything from a small conference PA, to a full band stage rig can be configured - ideal for the RMSM's needs in the field.

London-based Just Sound supplied RMSM with the Elements system, which will operate and loan the equipment to the British Army's bands performing around the globe. The rig will be used in dangerous hotspots - such as Helmand province in Afghanistan - where army bands play to military audiences in operating bases all over the area.

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UAE - High End Systems has confirmed the appointment of TechnoPro LLC as its exclusive Middle East distribution partner. TechnoPro will provide sales, support, service and training for High End Systems' full range of Wholehog lighting consoles, automated and digital lighting products."We are planning for this year to launch a series of training seminars on the Wholehog series consoles, the Axon Media Server, and the new Technospot and intellaspot fixtures," said TechnoPro CEO Nabil Bourgeili. "Our goal is to help professionals and to create more certified technicians in the region as well as assisting customers to understand the finest details of High End Systems technologies."TechnoPro celebrated this year its 10th Anniversary of professional accomplishments in the world of audio, visual, lighting and technical events production. "We have High End System

The Netherlands - White Villa, a leading independent production unit, has recently upgraded its production facilities at its headquarters the Netherlands. The newly refurbished studio features a Genelec DSP system with the 8260A monitor ensuring first class results for the many top acts which use the studios for mixing and recording.

Founded in 1997 by John Dirne, White Villa (part of White Villa Entertainment) began life as a small business but has grown to become a dynamic, successful recording company with many hits to its name in almost every thinkable style. Based atEdein the centre of theNetherlands, White Villa has four control rooms and two studios and a hospitality bar area with private pool. Audio consultant, Jan Morel of Morel Muziek chose the 8260A as the main monitor to complement the SSL duality console and other leading edge equipment.

"The 8260A was the pe

USA - Mankin Media Systems (MMS) of Franklin, Tennessee helped Chattanooga's Silverdale Baptist Church find a cost-effective lighting solution for the renovation of existing space into a 2,000-seat auditorium, which includes integration of 15 Aledin 85-watt LED profile spots from Robert Juliat.

Initially, the church planned a new auditorium, but when funding shortfalls required significant budget cutbacks MMS was tasked with figuring out how to retrofit its lighting design into a room that could be renovated. MMS worked with structural engineers to design a catwalk to add lighting capabilities to the pre-existing space while lowering the ceiling for a more intimate feel. The main challenge remained, however: a limit on the electrical supply to the facility since the cost of increasing power capacity to the room would be enormous. Power consumption therefore became a major consid

USA - Woodberry Forest School, situated on the banks of the Rapidan River near Charlottesville, Virginia, is an historic boy's prep school situated on 1200 acres of land that once belonged to General William Madison, the brother of President James Madison.

Using Technomad advanced audio solutions, the school has upgraded sound systems in two athletic facilities in alignment with campus-wide building preservation efforts.

Onyx Audio Visual, a Virginia-based IT consulting company with expertise in audio/video, network infrastructure and lighting, designed and integrated the new sound systems. The company chose a Technomad Turnkey PA System to bring multiple loudspeakers and all required signal processing systems together into a single, integrated solution.

The complete system, deployed in a 70-volt configuration to accommodate lengthy cable runs across four zones, reproduces i

Nigeria - Until recently, most TV channels across Africa were run by underfunded national broadcasters who aired only low quality programming. But things are slowly changing. Increasingly wealthy citizens are experiencing far better TV standards when they travel abroad and then demanding better when they get home. Many are investing in wide screen TVs and personal video recorders; and are wondering why they can't also have HD.

None of the free to air broadcasters transmit in HD, so, along with a few other subscription based stations, Supersport Africa - part of a continent-wide subscription TV network owned by a division of Multichoice International Holdings (MIH) - decided to fill the vacuum.

Multichoice converted a warehouse in Lagos, Nigera, into three TV studios as part of a 'fast-track' project to create an HD broadcast facility using a range of ETC lighting, dimming and

Germany / UAE - For more than 25 years German company LOBO has been delivering stunning laser shows - and wowing visitors to PALME Middle East since its inception in 2003.

As technology has improved these spectaculars have become increasingly advanced, and this year the specialists will present one of their most advanced showcases yet.

CREOS is the name of their eight-minute long sci-fi multimedia show, which will integrate multi-layered video and water screens with LOBO's award winning Sparks lasers and many special effects.

"This show production is a technological milestone in multimedia entertainment due to its sophisticated combination of real video, computer-generated imagery and lasers," promises LOBO creative director, Alexander Hennig.

Hennig himself directed the LOBO creative team, incorporating laser animations, laser 3D effects, green screen stu

UK - Impact, the trade distribution company for sound, lighting and staging, has opened six new UK branches to cope with countrywide demand for the brands it represents. The new branches, in Park Royal (north London), Belvedere (south London), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Preston and Poole, were rolled out in quick succession from late 2011, allowing Impact, headquartered in Northampton, to easily cover the entire country.

"We are demonstrating an unprecedented level of service to the industry by providing a high level of stock holding and customer support, which together have driven a rapid growth in sales," says Impact MD Grant Lester. "Installers, hire companies and retailers now realise it's possible to have low prices and great service, both from the same trade distributor. We're looking forward to an exciting period ahead, for Impact and its customers."

Each n

UK - To promote the UK launch of the new VR-3 Audio Mixer and Video Switcher at the recent Broadcast Video Expo (Earls Court, Feb 2012), Roland Systems Group gave away a brand new VR-3 at the show. All of the visitors to the stand who requested a personal demonstration of the VR-3 were entered into a prize draw - and the winner was Tony Miles, video producer at the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).

After spotting the VR-3 in action on the RSG stand, 'a light went on' in Tony's mind as he realised this looked like the perfect web streaming solution for the university, and particularly for use in its new £75m Business School. The Business School will play a key part in the university, hosting a number of high profile lectures and seminars which the university would like to share with a wider audience by streaming live to the internet. After a demonstration of the cap

USA - Flightcase and loudspeaker solutions specialist Penn-Elcom continued its support of the Breast Cancer Awareness fundraising initiative started by Janal Cases - a Case for the Cure - at the NAMM 2012 trade convention in Anaheim, southern California.

Janal cases - a long term and highly valued Penn Elcom customer - raised over $1150.00 with special signed T-shirts.

The Case For The Cure T-Shirts were signed on the Penn Elcom booth at NAMM by a selection of stars who were lined up by Janal Cases, including legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins, Kelly Hansen of rockers Foreigner, drum addict Ya'el Biz, pop-rock band Hero's Last Mission and Canadian alternative actress and performer Molly Parker.

For a two hour slot on the second day of the exhibition, these T's were available from the stand for a donation to the Case for the Cure campaign of $10.00 .

A crew of Janal Case

Beatlemania - Let it Be, a tribute show to The Beatles, will open in the West End this September. The show - a new version of Rain, which ran on Broadway in 2010/11 - will run at the Prince of Wales Theatre for a limited season from 14 September 2012 until 19 January. The Prince of Wales is where The Beatles played a Royal Variety Performance in 1963 and the show will mark 50 years since the band's first single Love Me Do. It is the first time that the grand theatrical rights to The Beatles' back catalogue have been granted by Sony/ATV for a West End production.

No Show - The Sonisphere rock festival has been cancelled, organisers have confirmed. A web statement said they had fought hard to keep it going but that "a very challenging year" meant the event wouldn't have satisfied fans and the artists. The event was to take place at Knebworth P

UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light supplied equipment and support services to Mr Dickens and the Actors, the recent production marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens held at London's Guildhall and attended by The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The event featured some of Britain's leading actors - including Sir Derek Jacobi, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Bond, Stephanie Cole, Matthew Kelly and Samantha Spiro as well as performers from the Chicken Shed theatre company - performing some of Dickens' most memorable characters, from novels including Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. The event was held in support of the Royal Theatrical Fund, of which the Queen is patron.

White Light was brought in to help with the project by Peter Roberts and lighting designer Alistair Grant, to provide both a lighting rig to transform

USA - Following the outstanding response from Le Mark's recent LDI exhibition, export manager Matt Every returned to even more success on his follow up visit to the States this month. Set to gain eight new distributors in the little over two months with more imminently expected, the US is a rapidly growing market for Le Mark's export team.

"From first stop at the Total Structures training and event day in L.A. through to the final visit in NYC, the welcome I received was far beyond my expectations," says Le Mark's Matt Every. "All our distributors have been working so effectively to promote our range and have provided excellent feedback for our US research and development team.

"The combination of LDI and my return visit has created a huge leap in our attempts to make Le Mark Group and our range of products better known in the US. It's been our Dirty Rigger

UK - Italian acoustic specialist dBTechnologies will present its new UK sales team at the forthcoming PLASA Focus in Leeds. Products to be exhibited are the highlights of the DVA series, including its largest line array module DVA T12 and the active subwoofer DVA S30N, alongside the three Flexsys FM stage monitors and the brand new Cromo 15+ from the recently launched Cromo+ range.

The dBTechnologies team will be welcoming visitors at S-D29 this year with the help of newest recruits, David Finlay and Reuben McCartney. Finlay is responsible for the north of England having gained many years of valuable experience in retail and pro audio business. McCartney is based in the south of England, and has a wide knowledge in retail, pro audio and the recording industry.

A step up the evolutionary ladder from the successful T4 module, DVA T12 is special in its class, providing more power

UK - Production Lighting, training and safety services supplier MattLX has announced a new website at www.mattlx.com. Launched to coincide with the release of the company's new lighting services brochure, the complimentary web design is easier to navigate and reaffirms an ongoing commitment to provide customers with relevant and accurate information.

Creative and managing director, Matt Clutterham said, "Since the company was formed in 2006, we have been lighting some of the biggest and brightest shows and events in the UK and abroad and we thought it was about time we reflected that in our web site. We are sure it provides a better insight into what we do, how we approach it and how our design focus, work ethics, attention to detail and theatrical flair make us stand out from the crowd.

"Apart from lighting one of the key features of the site is the extensive traini

UK - When business owner Steve Graham took over The Torrance Hotel, a hotel, restaurant and bar in East Kilbride, Scotland, he was adamant that the renovation would be a modern and stunning success.

Today it stands testament to Graham's commitment and drive, a stylish and popular destination that has revitalised the surrounding area, and with an audio system throughout that is comprised of Tannoy loudspeakers.

During the renovation, Graham called in independent audio consultant Bryce Keachie of Keachie Electronics to specify and install a system that was both consistent and appropriate for all of the different areas, from discreet speakers in the sleek main dining area to something more powerful in the bar and conservatory.

"I have worked with Tannoy loudspeakers a lot in the past, so I knew that whatever solution I chose would be reliable and have that hallmark of qual

Israel - The buoyant theatre market in Israel is also proving to be a big success for Robe moving lights, and in particular the new Robin Series - which includes the LEDWash 300, 600 and 1200s and the new MMX Spot.

Two recent major productions - the Willy Russell classic Blood Brothers at the Beit Lessin Theatre and I Gave You My Life which is ongoing, detailing the life and music of singing star Danny Sanderson at the Rubina venue of the Habima (National) Theatre, both in Tel Aviv - have utilised Robes as key elements of the lighting design.

The show's lighting designers are Meir Alon (I Gave You My Life) and Uri Morag (Blood Brothers), and the Robes were supplied by the busy Israeli distributor, Danor Theatre & Studio Systems, based in Hod Hashron.

The Habima Theatre is the oldest theatre in Israel. It has four different venues of which the Rubi

UK - The annual First Night Riders charity motorbike event is attracting international attention from industry professionals as more bikers sign up for the event.

Organisers have just announced that theatre consultant George Ellerington of Arup Venue, Dick Lindstrom from the Swedish mechanics and lighting company Anderson & Co, stage designer and engineer Giles Favell and Andy Hayles, managing partner of theatre consultancy Charcoalblue are all signed up to take part in this year's race.

These new riders will set off with bikers hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry on Friday 22 June from the grand Royal Albert Hall in London for a four-day tour visiting Theatre Royal's Bristol and Plymouth, TR2 & Globe Theatre Plymouth, Hall for Cornwall, The Minack Theatre and Kings Theatre Swansea.

Their mission? To raise as much money as possible for industry

Singapore - SWITCH by Timbre, the latest live music restaurant and bar in the Timbre Group is a 300-seat, bilingual venue that sets the stage for the best up-and-coming Singaporean musicians proficient in Mandarin and English pop-rock and offers live performances nightly. As the third Timbre property to utilize D.A.S. Audio loudspeaker systems, SWITCH by Timbre relies on a potent sound reinforcement system drawn from the company's Aero Series 2, Road, and Avant loudspeaker product lines.

As with the other Timbre locations, D.A.S. Audio's Singapore's office was actively involved in the design and specification of the sound system at SWITCH by Timbre. In addition to the deployment of a substantial number of D.A.S. Audio's Aero Series 2 loudspeaker enclosures, this new facility is the first installation in Singapore to utilise the company's new Road Series products, the stage monit

China - Electrosonic's Shanghai office has been designated a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE), an officially registered limited liability corporation. This allows Electrosonic to continue to pursue new business opportunities in China as a legally licensed design consulting and systems integration company while maintaining full control of business operations.

"We are very excited about the WFOE designation for our Shanghai office and look forward to the many new opportunities it affords us," says Chris Conte, Electrosonic's VP of entertainment. "We can now expand and grow our partnerships with local product suppliers, fabricators and installers, which will enhance our efficiency on the ground."

Electrosonic's China operations will conduct business under the new legal name, Electrosonic Audio-Visual Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The office will contin

The Netherlands - From humble beginnings as a café showcase for Dutch acts, in 14 years Vrienden van Amstel Live has grown in size, with the 2012 event encompassing seven sold out nights at Rotterdam's 10,000 seat Ahoy Arena. Such were the technical demands that it required four DiGiCo SD7 consoles and seven of the latest SD racks to manage the audio, with all equipment supplied by Ampco Flashlight Rental.

The televised show included 17 top Dutch bands playing across three stages, set up as main A and C stages at each end of the Ahoy's arena, which featured a 3300Kg per side moving PA and an invisible PA respectively, with a connecting B stage in the middle. The highlight of each night was a Battle of the Bands, which saw the acts playing opposite each other on the A and C stages, with their singers walking along the central catwalk, each facing the other band via

Monaco - Jimmy'z d'Hiver nightclub in Monaco has recently undergone a renovation, during which the 300-capacity club has been equipped with an L-Acoustics ARCS constant curvature WST system.

The new sound system was supplied and installed by L-Acoustics Certified Provider, system integrator and distributor Services Electroniques & Sonorisation (SES). It comprises two hangs of three ARCS, one 115XT HiQ and two 112P coaxials, one SB28 subwoofer, one LA48 and two LA8 amplified controllers.

The owner of Jimmy'z d'Hiver, the Societe des Bains de Mer, is already a committed L-Acoustics client, having installed systems into other of its venues including the famous Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo.

"The ARCS constant curvature WST system is ideal for this type of application, combining strong SPLs and medium throw with controlled directivity in the horizontal plane," says

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