Columbia - Begun in the mid-1980s and brought online a decade later, the Metro de Medellín is the circulatory system of Medellín, Colombia, the country's second-largest metropolitan area. Serving a population of over three million, the system averages more than 400,000 riders each day across 20 miles of lines - two light rail and three aerial tramways - that have a combined 34 stations. The multi-modal system also incorporates a new Metro Plus system of bus lines that feature dedicated roadways and a planned total of 21 elevated-platform stations.
For paging and platform music at all stations, Metro de Medellín has created the world's largest integrated NetMax networked matrix system, with 57 Electro-Voice N8000 matrix controllers. The system-wide installation also includes more than 250 Electro-Voice EVID series ceiling loudspeakers powered by more that 150 channels of Elect
South Africa - Rental company Pan Tilt has just taken ownership of 12 new Philips Vari-Lite VL880 Spots, the first of these fixtures available for rental Africa.
Kurt du Preez, owner of Pan Tilt, admits that he was a little concerned when he saw the size of the fixtures. This soon changed when he turned the VL880s on. "They were so bright," said du Preez. "The size of the beam is incredible."
He finds the gobos refreshingly new and different "for a change" and is loving the effects beam offering rings, multi-rings, lines, dots.
Pan Tilt have used the lights on some corporate gigs to wallpaper the venue with gobo designs and rich colour. The fixtures were also used recently to light an audience. "They were phenomenal," commented Kurt. "What speed, and even at full wide, they were quite bright."
Australia - Paul Collison used the new MA onPC command wing to control the lighting of the Main Arena Spectacular at Sydney's Royal Easter Show.
"I was really keen to give it a go on this show," he commented. "It allows you to have hard buttons, knobs and faders to control grandMA2 onPC software which is basically grandMA2 on your computer. Now, rather than trying to put in a 'large' console in a control room where there is no space, I've got the compact MA onPC command wing."
Wherever it is physically difficult to use a grandMA2 console, the MA onPC command wing, in conjunction with the grandMA2 onPC software, enables the customer to program or playback within the grandMA2 world.
Collison used a grandMA2 light to programme the show, switching to the MA onPC command wing for replay. "It's not too dissimilar to using an actual console and I was surpri
USA - Visitors to the Dinosaur Hall in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County experience the wonder of the prehistoric creatures in a totally new way with innovative exhibits featuring audio-visual systems provided by Electrosonic.
Twice the size of the old galleries, the recently-opened 14,000sq.ft Dinosaur Hall displays specimens - including the world's only T. rex growth series of baby, juvenile and adult skeletons - mounted on platforms and preserved and articulated using modern methods. The skylit L-shaped Hall is flooded with natural light; a glass-sided mezzanine runs along the short side of the L where additional wall-mounted exhibits reveal more about the amazing creatures and show what it's like to find fossils in the field and study them in the lab. Electrosonic was responsible for the design, engineering, fabrication, installation and programming of the Hal
USA - The accolades are nonstop at New York's recently renovated 40/40 Club, owned by hip-hop superstar Jay-Z and partner Juan Perez. As part of the multimillion-dollar renovation, a huge complement of Meyer Sound loudspeaker systems is installed throughout the 12,000sq.ft nightclub from the main floor and the VIP lounges to the bathrooms and hallway.
Fort Lee, N.J.-based JD Audio & Video Design (JDAV Design) handled design and installation of an A/V package that also includes four three-by-three video wall arrays - each measuring 165 inches - and over thirty 55-inch LED flat-panel HD monitors.
According to JDAV Design president Gabriel Karlis, 40/40 Club's proprietors had previously installed a sound system that featured equipment from various manufacturers. "I kept telling them that Meyer is a much clearer-sounding system," he recalls. "You can't come close to
UK - AV & IT rental company DB Systems has added top-of-the-range 80-inch LED screens to its expanding rental inventory.
DB has bought the Sharp LED screens due to demand from clients and because it is this year phasing out its LCD and plasma screen stock. This latest investment takes DB's current screen inventory to over 1,500 screens of various sizes, from 22" up to these 80" models.
The Sharp screens are True HD 1920x1080 screen and, despite their size, weigh just 65kg, which is half the weight of an equivalent plasma version.
Oliver Richardson, DB's sales & marketing director, said, "LED technology is definitely the way forward for 2012. LED screens are lighter and thinner than the standard LCD and plasma screens, and have the added advantage of being more energy efficient. We expect this product to be in the 'what's hot' list for 2012.
Singapore - Pacific Lighting's Singapore operation has recently been appointed as exclusive distributor for GLP - in both the Singapore and Malaysian territories.
Pacific Lighting director Hugh Chinnick comments, "GLP is a growing company, with a track record for innovation and quality. We have been very cautious in entering the moving LED fixture market, but are confident that GLP will successfully fit into our existing bespoke product range."
Michael Münz, general manager GLP Asia, adds, "I am very happy to have Pacific Lighting on board with us. They are a very experienced and well known player throughout Asia and the perfect match for GLP. Together with them we are looking forward to maintaining our rapid growing in Asia."
Since the opening of GLP's Asian Office little under two years ago, sales in the region have increased dramatically. "Recent
UK - The performing arts are a vital part of life for girls at the Notre Dame School in Cobham. So when the Governors took the major decision to create a new theatre, members of the school's Performing Arts Committee enrolled help not only of Sisters, pupils, parents and teachers to contribute to the planning and realisation of the new facility, but also called in theatre consultants, Theatreplan, from the start.
Although the construction cost was set at £2.4m, it was a tight budget for a project of this scale. Set within London's green belt, the new building required the demolition of the previous school hall theatre. Theatreplan devised an unusual compact polygonal auditorium for a capacity of up to 400. The geometry reflects the galleried space of an Elizabethan playhouse where the actor or singer is paramount, and also adapts for an end stage presentation when required
USA - ETCP has announced that Gravitec Systems and Production Resource Group (PRG) have joined the ranks of elite training opportunities by becoming ETCP Recognised Training Programmes. ETCP certified technicians who attend these courses will receive full renewal credits.
When it comes to protecting workers at height, Gravitec knows the value of education. Curriculum is designed to prepare workers and empower them to use available equipment and implement systems to protect themselves. Fall protection training provides riggers with the knowledge they need to perform their job safely. Gravitec offers a full range of fall protection and rescue courses, from basic fall hazard awareness to advanced climbing and rescue techniques, designed to address safety issues commonly faced by riggers and entertainment technicians in the field.
Participants enrolled in Gravitec courses will lea
UK - A design innovation that delivers better sound quality to a wider concert audience has won West Sussex based manufacturer Turbosound a 2012 Queen's Award for Innovation. This is the third Queen's Award that the company has earned in its 30-year history of creating loudspeaker products, adding to its 1987 and 1997 Export Achievement Awards, which were granted in recognition of exceptional consecutive years of export growth.
Managing director Simon Blackwood said, "The design team has come up with two truly innovative concepts - the Polyhorn and Dendritic waveguides - deployed across three product ranges which contribute towards the ever-increasing quality of sound reproduction at live concerts and in permanent installations, and which are set to earn the company significant income both at home and in our 45-plus export markets."
UK - Following on from previous successful courses, Avitas is hosting another seminar on temporary power systems for events on 13 June at White Light in London.
The one day course focuses on how - and why - the IET Wiring regulations and BS 7909 apply to temporary events and delves a little into why they are relevant and more importantly how compliance is not necessarily difficult. As well as looking at how to implement them correctly it also examples where current practice is not always best practice, showing where potential dangers exist in a typical event. It will also be of particular use to rental companies as the course gives the delegate a sound understanding of the importance of portable appliance testing.
The content is aimed at those with a reasonable appreciation of electrical systems and covers areas such as multiple sources of supply, RCDs, earthing and bonding, i
UK - The Projection Studio, headed by visual artist Ross Ashton, designed and created the record-breaking video artwork featuring 32 animated mosaic portraits of HM The Queen that was projected onto Buckingham Palace last week.
The 'Face Britain' project was instigated by The Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts and brought to life by PhotoBox. It has enabled over 200,000 children to make their faces famous on the front of one of London's most iconic landmarks.
It is also the first time that video projections have ever been used on the front of the Palace.
Ashton has previously projected onto the building three times - famously for the first time during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 - for which he used PIGI projectors. This time, leading UK video rental specialists Creative Technology (CT) have supplied the 24 Barco and Panasonic 18K and 20K video pr
UK - Manchester based lighting and rigging rental specialist dbn supplied three giant truss crucifixes used as a dramatic and eye-catching backdrop for the BBC's live broadcast of The Preston Passion.
The event re-telling of the Crucifixion of Jesus was instigated by Preston Guild, directed by Mark Murphy and hosted by Fern Britton for the BBC on Good Friday at Preston Bus Station. The outdoor and live mass participation elements of the event were produced by innovative arts / performance company Walk The Plank,
Each crucifix was 9m tall with a 4m cross piece, and was constructed on the top floor of the multi storey car park above the Preston Station.
The crosses were clad in wood, painted black, and erected one at a time using an electric chain hoist and self-climbing tower methodology. This was choreographed to happen while three short sections of pre-recorded drama
UK - Pro audio mixer manufacturer Allen & Heath has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. The honour has been granted for the company's outstanding achievement in export growth between 2008 and 2011, with overseas earnings growing by 64%, along with growth in turnover and profit.
This is the second time the veteran Cornish manufacturer has won a Queen's Award, having previously been recognised in 1995 in the same category.
"As a British company, we are thrilled to be recognised by the Queen's Award Office once again. Since Allen & Heath's inception in 1969, our goal has been to build a premium global brand, and the relationships we have formed with our distribution partners, which now number more than 80 across the globe, are key to our success," comments Allen & Heath's MD, Glenn Rogers. "Not only do we rely on this inte
Austria - The Burgtheater in Vienna has added five DPA d:fine omnidirectional headsets to its armoury of more than 70 DPA microphones. The d:fines were purchased from DPA's Austrian distributor, Studer Austria.
The Burgtheater actually comprises three separate stages: the 1200-capacity Burgtheater itself, the 400-capacity Akademietheater and the 350-capacity Kasino. There is also a fourth stage, the Vestibuel, which can seat 65.
The d:fines are being put through their paces on productions such as the prominent discussion panel Debating Europe, where top politicians and experts discuss the future of Europe. "We achieved excellent results using our new d:fine headsets for the latest discussion panel, and also had very positive feedback from the people wearing them," says David Muellner, head of the Burgtheater's sound department.
Oman - Melody House, distributors of HK Audio speaker systems has recently supplied Omani based rental firm BIG Rentals with the ConTour 108 cabinets. The Business International Group (BIG) originally began in 1978 and since then has grown into one of Oman's leading multi sector organizations that are now part of the Zubair Group. The rental department has grown rapidly in the past few years procuring equipment to enhance its offerings to its clients in the Sultanate.
"In terms of compact 8" cabinets, the CT108 from HK Audio is fast becoming the industry standard in the Middle East," commented Amrith Verghese, HK Audio product specialist at Melody House. "The reason for this is their capability to easily deliver great audio quality at high levels with a very small footprint."
UK - Single source live event technical solutions provider, Universal Event Productions (UEP) from Buckinghamshire has invested in the latest Robe LED moving lights to boost its inventory of LED lightsources.
This is following busy trading for the last two years and a healthy order book for the upcoming months. It's also part of an on-going commitment to providing greener and more eco-friendly lighting rigs to its varied client base.
This latest purchase involves six of Robe's Robin 600 LEDWash units to complement the 12 Robin 300 LEDWashes bought last year, plus 12 of the new Robin 100 LEDBeams - just launched at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt in March and already proving popular. Also new are six Robe Robin DLX LED Spots.
Says UEP's Steve Butcher, "Many events are becoming a lot more carbon-conscious, and, apart from that from a rental perspective, there are all the advant
UK - LD for Florence and the Machine, Chris Bushell, is using VL3500 Wash and VL3000 Spot luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite to deliver his evocative and atmospheric lighting design for the band's sold-out world tour.
Playing venues such as Alexandra Palace, MEN Arena, plus a raft of vast spaces in Europe and the USA, Bushell's lighting skillfully pulls the audience focus to the centre of the stage without losing the essential theatricality of the early Florence shows.
Lighting is ethereal with Bushell using it more as a statement than for big effects. He discusses, "The overall theme is based around 1920s Baroque fashion and architecture. While a great deal of thought and planning went into the set, I also wanted the presence of the lighting to complement and exploit the space around the set piece. The VL3000 Spots were perfect for this. With their wide angles and long th
UK - Some of the first ETC Source Four LED fixtures have been sold to the National Theatre of Scotland by ETC's Edinburgh-based dealer Black Light, just hours after they were first put on sale.
The Company's technical director Niall Black explains: "ETC's associate regional manager for UK & Ireland, Jeremy Roberts, brought a range of different fixtures to Scotland in February to provide a demonstration to our technicians and others, including Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, freelance technicians, designers, and students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
"Jeremy let everyone just play with the fixtures. We compared a 750W tungsten Source Four to the new LED version in a shoot out; inserted gobos; and got a chance to get a good all-round look at them. It was obvious that the Source Four LED is a fantastic unit.
UK - Not even the rain could dampen the enthusiasm at the Royal Armouries last week as PLASA Focus: Leeds 2012 opened its doors for two days of unparalleled access to the newest and most innovative products on the market for the live entertainment industry.
Visitor numbers reached a record-breaking 2122 - an increase of 8.5% on 2011. In all, 2680 people attended the show over the two days and such was the confidence felt by exhibitors that an unprecedented number of exhibitors re-booked on-site for 2013.
As always, the combination of the Professional Development Programme which profiled the effective use of new products and explored areas of special interest through seminar and discussion, together with the dozens of new products for people to get their hands on proved a massive hit with visitors and exhibitors alike.
Among the many new products making their UK debut were Ch
UK - Julie's Bicycle has announced a new sponsorship deal with entertainment lighting specialist White Light. Julie's Bicycle and White Light have developed a strong relationship over the last five years based on a mutual commitment to environmental sustainability, a shared understanding that this issue is at the forefront of business trends, and respect for one another's work, which has now culminated in a three-year sponsorship deal.
White Light's sponsorship will support Julie's Bicycle's UK-wide theatre programme. Julie's Bicycle and White Light have already jointly promoted events for theatre professionals specialising in lighting, and have identified the challenges and opportunities presented by low carbon solutions for front o house and auditoria lighting.
White Light's sponsorship has contributed to the development of a new IG Tool for Production - the latest carbon ca
UK - As part of their on-going business growth strategy, Northern Light has announced the launch of Northern Light Direct.
Northern Light Direct is the division of the company responsible for the supply of goods and services to theatres, educational establishments and other performance spaces right across the UK.
Ed Gamble, head of Northern Light Direct, said, "Northern Light Direct will offer customers a huge range of boxed goods and consumable items, delivered direct from our warehouse to their venues. We will also be a variety of aftercare services to Northern Light's installation customers, including lots of advice and provision of loose equipment to enhance their installed systems."
Additionally, the Northern Light Direct team will be offering tailored maintenance contracts to ensure that venue systems remain at the very peak of performance.
Columbia - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced the addition of the first Energia Beta partner in Latin America. Bogota, Colombia based C.Vilar Amplificacion LTDA, has been a long time Adamson user, with one of the largest Adamson inventories in South America. C.Vilar provides production for high profile shows, tours, festivals and installations. Recent Colombian productions with C.Vilar at the helm include FIFA, Coldplay, US President Barack Obama's recent visit, The Cartagena Classic Music Festival, Rock al Parque and The Bicentennial Celebrations of Colombia in Bogota.
C.Vilar sound designer Leonardo Vilar comments, "Energia's global network is growing rapidly and it's exciting to be a part of the vision from the beginning. Energia is without question the world's leading concept as far as innovation and interactivity is concerned. Many of Adamson's competitors have
Norway - ARX Systems, the Australian based pro audio designer and manufacturer has announced the appointment of Horten based Intersonic AS as its new distributor in Norway.
Headed by JP Westerlund formerly of distributor PSS, Intersonic was established in 2011 by JP as a joint venture with distribution heavyweight IntersonicAB of Sweden.
Along with ARX Intersonic also represents other hi end manufacturers including Camco, Coda Audio, Sabine and Orban.