Slovakia - Based in Bratislava, the Slovak Philharmonic is the leading symphony orchestra in Slovakia. Since the early 1950s, the orchestra has resided in the Reduta Bratislava, which was constructed in 1773. In 2011 and 2012, the centrally located Baroque building, which is capable of accommodating audiences of up to 700, underwent a thorough renovation that included modernisation of all the building's electrical systems.

As well as new audio and video equipment, the Reduta now possesses a professional communications system designed to cover a wide variety of needs - a modular system offering outstanding sound quality, easy setup and user-friendly operation. To ensure the solution chosen met these requirements, the Reduta's operators called in Bratislava-based specialists Centron Slovakia to plan and install the new system.

After giving the matter careful consideration, Centr

Norway - Midas' long time Norwegian distribution partner AVAB CAC is celebrating its fiftieth sale of the PRO2 and PRO2C consoles in just 12 months.

Although most of the consoles have been sold to rentals companies AVAB CAC has also seen a number go direct to end users, including concert venues, theatres and even individual sound engineers.

"It's good to see engineers investing in their own personal consoles," says Asle Nilsen, head of Audio sales at AVAB CAC. "The ability to use the same showfile on all MIDAS Console models, combined with the new G2 software, makes the PRO2C an extremely powerful control platform in a conveniently small frame."

Midas brand development manager, Richard Ferriday comments, "When we launched PRO2/C, we knew that we were offering a fantastic package - the major concept of the PRO2 and PRO2C is to take the audio quality,

USA - New U.S. production company ECTO Productions, based in Chicago, has recently made its first lighting purchase of exclusively Martin fixtures and is supplying Martin Professional's MAC Viper Profile for the Umphrey's McGee tour with lighting design by Jefferson Waful.

"All of ECTO's gear is brand new and working great and we couldn't be happier with them," says Jefferson, who also handles lighting direction on the tour. "The Viper was the obvious choice," he says of his decision to use the 1000 W profile. "I find the sharp focus of the aerial gobos to be my favorite feature, in addition to the brightness of the beam and the lightweight body."

The American jam band played a large variety of venues across the U.S. this fall from Austin City Limits to Red Rocks Amphitheatre to the newly renovated Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

With such

Norway - Comprising three spaces of up to 1,500 seats each, the new Stavanger Konserthus (Concert Hall) in Norway was always going to be an ambitious project - especially given the current economic climate. But thanks to a careful reading of the consultant's spec by Bico's project manager S°ren Jørgensen, and with lighting and power control from ETC, the project was delivered on time and on budget.

The project started at the end of 2009 - installation work began only this year 2012 - and was, says Jørgensen, a long process with many special items included in the specification. Norwegian law says that system specifiers cannot stipulate any individual pieces of equipment or manufacturers, but instead have to state its purpose and what it should be capable of doing. This led, according to Mark Ryan of Theatre Projects Consultants, to a long and detailed tender doc

UK - XL Video is supplying LED screen, custom scenic video elements, cameras / PPU and crew for the new Killers Battle Born tour which has just kicked off in the UK following the release of the band's fourth and eagerly anticipated studio album in September.

Video was specified by lighting, set and visuals designer Steven Douglas, known for his innovative and original approach. It renews a positive and long-term working relationship between XL Video and the band, and follows XL's supply of video specials for festival headliners and own shows throughout the summer. XL's project managers are Jo Beirne and Phil Mercer.

Douglas's starting point for the tour design was that the band wanted the stage to have a generally more raw and stark look and feel than in the past. He also wanted the video to be different, distinctive and edgy, toned with subtlety and suggestion yet high

UK - Members of the musical performance phenomenon Blue Man Group are putting a lightweight screen, digiTHIN, to ground-breaking use when they appear to materialise from a video projection in their latest production. The screens, developed by international video specialist displayLED under its digiLED brand, are worn by the artists who perform rigorous routines animated by breathtaking visual effects.

The group attracts 47,000 people per week to shows in New York, Boston, Chicago and Orlando, with a new Las Vegas production now open at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.

According to BMG show director Bill Swartz, the effects illustrate the group's creative idea that a hybrid space exists between real life and the technical world of phones and texts. "We call it 2.5D space," he says.

The modular 320mm x 160mm digiTHIN tiles are fixed to the performers using magnetic mou

UK - Marl International reports the completion of a £100,000 project to install feature LED lighting at The Alnwick Garden, one of the UK's top visitor attractions adjoining Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.

The Alnwick Garden is a public attraction founded by the Duchess of Northumberland and the new LED lighting is the first phase of Sparkle, a new permanent lighting installation conceived by the Duchess herself. The £100,000 project completed by Marl is specifically designed to focus on the central area of the garden, the Hornbeam Arbours and the Grand Cascade, which are the most prominent features when visitors first enter the garden. There is also lighting all the way up the central part of the garden from the steps, through to the dramatic archway at the very top of the garden, which can just be seen from the Pavilion area, abo

Off Stage - Stevie Wonder has pulled out of a concert raising money for the Friends of the Israel Defence Forces. The singer had been scheduled to perform at the Los Angeles event on 6 December. In a statement, Wonder said: "I am and have always been against war, any war, anywhere."

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is currently in place, after a week of violence in Gaza last month. But tensions still run high. This week's gala concert supports an organisation which raises money for Israeli soldiers and their families. Wonder said the United Nations had recommended cancelling his performance because he is an official UN Messenger of Peace.

Festivals 2013 - Rihanna and Mumford & Sons have been announced as headliners for next year's T in the Park festival. The event, Scotland's biggest festival, is celebrating its 20th year in 2013 and will see US singe

UK - Capital Sound was recently approached by Trigger, Professor Green's tour manager, and Ben Ashbourn of Relentless Energy Drink promoter Vision Nine to supply an audio package for the Professor's last UK gig this year, before he heads into the studio to work on his next album in early 2013.

Held at St John at Hackney Church in London for Relentless, Capital's production manager Charles Ellery knew straight away that the gig was going to present him with an acoustical challenge

"Essentially, St John's is a stone box that measure 45 x 45 metres, with a domed roof 18 metres high and the natural acoustic properties of a swimming pool!," says Ellery. "Initially, we looked at a system comprising Martin Audio LCs and WS218X subs, but in the back of my mind I knew we should be looking at the Martin Audio MLA Compact system for this, as it would be a great test of wha

Germany - Riedel Communications, one of the leading providers of real-time networks for video, audio and communications, celebrated its 25th anniversary on its premises in Wuppertal.

More than 1,400 guests from the broadcast, event, theatre and industry markets joined the celebration. The event included a total of five different areas with accessible installations, 3D project mappings, outdoor whirlpools and a captivating fire-show. Numerous acts in changing locations from Klezmer and jazz performances over high wire acrobats to a heavy metal playing robot band were the ingredients for an inspiring night.

"It is incredible, what my team realized in the last 25 years", Thomas Riedel remarks. "Their dedication and passion play a vital role in our success. We are looking forward to the coming years. We already have some interesting ideas for projects and products l

UK - TAIT Technologies have been awarded a Guinness World Records title for the world's largest landscape video display. Consisting of 634,500 individual pixels, TAIT's pixel tablet debuted at the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony on 27th July 2012 and was used with stunning effect at all other ceremonies during the games.

Throughout the ceremonies, the audience were able to hold TAIT's pixel tablet in their hand, becoming part of the vast seamless ring of images surrounding the stadium seating area. TAIT created 70,500 tablets, one for each stadium seat, integrating the audience into the ceremony performance. Opening Ceremony artistic director Danny Boyle worked with Frederic Opsomer, CEO of TAIT Technologies on his vision of turning the audience into a giant canvas.

"The assembly of dispersed LED pixels to form very large video images has been with us for some time,&

The Netherlands - Philips Vari-Lite luminaires have been specified by lighting designer Marc Heinz for Utrechtse Spelen's stunning portrayal of Christoph Willibald von Gluck's opera, Orfeo ed Euridice. Directed by Jos Thie, Orfeo ed Euridice was performed at the former home of the late queen Juliana - the stunning Soestdijk palace,Utrecht.

Staged on water, the set comprises a 'floating' orchestra pit, the stage and a system of underwater catwalks. Although Heinz has designed for a number of large-scale operas performed in stadiums and arenas across Europe, working on water in a protected area presented a number of never experienced before challenges.

"We worked closely with ecologists to ensure the natural environment wasn't damaged by the production in anyway. In terms of the lighting we worked under very stringent rules. Our nighttime working hours were rigorousl

USA / UK - Everyone knows someone who's had cancer, and while no one can predict where or who it will strike, most people agree that encouraging healthy choices and receiving regular medical checkups are key to avoiding and treating the disease. Annual checkups and simple screenings can dramatically increase rates of early detection. Breast, prostate and colon cancers are three that can be aggressively attacked with regular examination and screening protocols.

Members of the commercial AV industry are joining together in a grassroots effort called TEAM, or Tell Everyone Awareness Matters, to raise awareness of the positive impact healthcare and lifestyle choices can make in reducing risks of serious disease. Founding members Juice Goose, Community Professional Loudspeakers, HP Marketing (Colorado) and Women in AV (WAVE) invite you to join in TEAM Cancer Awareness. TEAM focuses o

UK - Le Mark enjoyed a busy evening at the 2012 Hunts Post Business Awards. Winning every award they were nominated for, the Le Mark team bought home a trio of prestigious honours.

Sales director Linda Gibbons said, "It was a huge surprise and such an amazing achievement to win three individual awards. The Le Mark team have worked so hard this year with some amazing achievements, from supplying the 2012 London games with our portable flooring to amazing second-year results with our new Dirty Rigger range of tool pouches and rigger gloves. I'm incredibly proud and grateful to all of them."

Managing director Stuart Gibbons also commented, "What a way to mark 30 years in business - playing a vital role in the Olympics opening ceremony, gaining new distribution deals throughout the year and across the globe for our MagTape professional gaffer tapes & Dirty Rigger ra

USA - LumenRadio has confirmed 0energyLighting Inc as its newest OEM partner. The US based company is a renowned manufacturer of the FlexAray Stage and Studio LED luminaries with its patent pending hexagonal shape. This design allows multiple units to be connected along each of their sides to create different configurations for a variety of applications.

All fixtures from the product portfolio, RGBaW, Variable White and Static White fixtures, will now be available with integrated CRMX technology.

RGBaW colour changing fixtures employ a combination of red, green, blue, amber and white LEDs for a full range of output options. Through its proprietary design, not only can RGBaW create beautiful saturated colours, but it can also produce earth tones and pastel colours that are rarely achieved by LEDs.

Variable White fixtures have a colour temperature range of 2700K-5600K, which a

Europe - Canadian rockers Billy Talent celebrated the release of a new album in September by jumping straight into an arena run of Germany and central Europe. Having tested the touring waters on the summer European Festivals, the production and design was in the works and big things were being planned. Lighting Designer Dara Guiney had worked with the band briefly in 2010 and was invited to come aboard for the new album touring cycle.

The band are very much into big chorus rock looks with smooth verses. Dara had specified 28 Alpha Beam 1500, 24 Alpha Profile 1500 and 16 sharpys. "The power and beam from Clay Paky fixtures I find unparalleled at present and their reliability is fantastic. The fire power chosen had the ability to go from slick smooth looks to iris beam chaos without haste and the beams go for miles."

The design incorporated three straight lighting trus

USA - The Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield is known for its lush, rolling hills, palatial homes, and sense of community. And the Jewish Community Centre is a local nexus, a sprawling campus offering athletic facilities, continuing education, a range of community outreach programmes. The JCC is also home to the Berman Centre for the Performing Arts, a newly-built 600-seat theatre hosting a steady calendar of music, dance, performance, film festivals, and special events.

The theatre is designed for flexibility, with movable walls that close to form two adjacent ballrooms, or open to create a single large theatre, with pull-out seating that expands the main room's 300 seats to 600. "It's very much a multi-use facility," explains Advanced Lighting and Sound's Bob Sullivan, the contractors on the project. "The system had to be adaptable to several different room confi

New Zealand - Mojo Barriers supplied one of 2012's most hotly anticipated film premieres, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey held in Wellington, New Zealand, 28 November 2012.

Wearing elf ears and wizard hats, an estimated 100,000 fans waited patiently to greet their favourite stars including Cate Blanchett and Elijah Woods, who have both reprised their roles from Lord of the Rings.

Mojo Barriers worked with clients director Sir Peter Jackson's production company, 3 Foot 7 and Wellington City Council to install over 600m of barrier along the entire length of the red carpet which lined the city streets.

The barriers allowed fans to view and talk to the celebrities in complete safety as they made their way to the Embassy Theatre where the premiere took place. The carefully-designed configuration featured access gates to allow cast and crew cross over locations and

Japan - ARX Systems has appointed Tokyo based Studio Equipment Corporation as their new Distributor for Japan.

Specialising in the broadcast, studio, and installation markets Studio Equipment Corporation exhibited ARX products at last month's Interbee Exhibition in Japan.

ARX's managing director Colin Park said, "Studio Equipment Corp's Toshihiro Inada told ARX that the exhibition was very successful for them with many visitors expressing interest in the ARX product ranges, especially the USB Direct Box & MSX Mic Line Splitter ranges which were being exhibited in Japan for the first time.

"We're excited to be working with the Studio Equipment Corporation team in Japan, they're enthusiastic about the bpossibilities for ARX and our products amongst their extensive client base."

(Jim Evans)

France - A worthy array of Philips Vari-Lite luminaires have bought rhythm, colour and architecture to a Gospel Choir Variety Show, staged at the theatre of Draguignan, a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region to raise money for worthy causes.

A chorus of Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash and VL3000 Spot luminaires worked in harmony with the Gospel Choir to create an ethereal atmosphere, bathing France's favurite singer - and judge on the French version of hit TV show The X Factor - Julie Zenatti, in a veil of sculptural light.

Lighting was supplied and designed by the French rental house Pan Pot, Var, co-owned by long-time Vari-Lite fans Laurent and Serge Begnis. Lighting was rigged and programmed in such a way as to build a cathedral of light around the performers giving them a transcendental quality.

Equipped with the Vari*Brite mode, the VL350

UK - A club with a rich tradition, Gloucester Rugby currently boasts one of the top teams in England's Aviva Premiership. Kingsholm Stadium, where the club plays its home matches, is one of the county's best-loved landmarks. Recently renovated at a cost of £6m, the 16,500-seat stadium also serves as a venue for events such as rock concerts, conferences and major hospitality functions. One aspect of their brief was for the stadium to be able to cater to a variety of genres of entertainment, which led the club's management to invest in a new sound reinforcement system.

Converge Networks - not only the club's IT partner but also respected and experienced in the field of fixed installation - was charged with responsibility for the design and installation of the system, having established a reputation in the area through its work in a variety of regional sports arenas.

Conver

USA - The Lincoln Highway was the first automobile road across the United States, stretching from New York's Times Square to San Francisco. Marking the road's western end, high on a hill overlooking the Pacific and the Golden Gate Bridge, is the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. The building, a magnificent three-quarter-scale reproduction of Paris' Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, is home to a wide and varied collection of ancient and European art spanning more than 6,000 years.

The Palace is also home to the Florence Gould Theater, an ornate 333-seat jewel box auditorium designed by museum architect George Applegarth. Opened in 1924 as the Little Theater, the venue hosts a regular calendar of concerts, lectures and theatre performances.

The theatre's massive columns, rounded walls, and domed ceilings create a breathtaking environment, as well as some legendary ch

UK - Bristol's flagship venue Colston Hall has completed a £20m redevelopment project which "fuses stunning contemporary architecture with the historical splendour of the 145 year old building". This has created a range of new meeting and conference spaces, putting the South West of England on the map of international event organisers.

The most notable external change is the glass-fronted foyer building, finished with a striking recycled copper cladding, designed by architects Levitt Bernstein Associates. On arrival into the building, guests are greeted by a spacious atrium crossed at upper floor levels by a series of bridges, seamlessly linking the new foyer with the existing main auditorium and other parts of the historic hall building.

The new spaces available for dry hire or day delegate event packages includes Bar level 3 and the adjoining terrace. This is

UK - Lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied nearly 300 moving and LED lightsources and over 100 generics to a series of Welsh language channel S4C Light Entertainment programmes recorded in a 10 day block at Studio 1 of the NEP Cymru (ITV Wales) facility at Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff .

These were specified by Cardiff and London based Lighting Designer Steffan Jones, who designed lighting and video for the raft of programmes, many featuring live artists. He was working for production companies Boomerang PLC in association with Alfresco TV and Apollo TV, and co-producers Mr. Producer.

HSL's TV and broadcast specialist Sean McGlone co-ordinated the project. He comments, "It's always a pleasure working with Steff. His drive, enthusiasm, imagination and keen visual eye are refreshing and invigorating, and his designs always interesting."

NEPC is the largest OB

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