USA - Networked media systems specialist Biamp Systems reports the installation of an Audia/Nexia audio solution combination in the newly built Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado.

As the US Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, ESIF houses 200 researchers and staff in eight diverse work spaces. Each of the spaces was uniquely designed to fit the research and testing needs of the different work groups and include A 3D collaboration lab, a control room that monitors and controls the facility processes, visualisation labs where experiments being performed in the electricity, thermal, and fuel labs can be visualised on a large, high-definition screen, and conference rooms of various sizes throughout the facility.

Architectur

Australia - PR Lighting has announced that, with effect from 1 November, Jands will be distributing its product portfolio in Australia.

"We are very excited to have PR Lighting on board as part of the Jands professional lighting range," said Tim Kennard, lighting sales manager of Jands. "PR has been around for over 29 years as a manufacturer of professional lighting products and I think it's fair to say that so far they have exceeded our expectations in every area.

"Prior to signing on with PR we visited their factory in Guangzhou and the facilities are world class with a large, dedicated R&D division as well as first rate Quality Control processes in place at every level. With a great stable of products backed by a strong support team both at the factory and here at Jands we are looking forward to introducing new customers to the PR brand throughout Austra

Australia - Solid State Logic has announced that its long-standing partner Amber Technology has been appointed as its Live console distributor in Australia and New Zealand. Amber is the latest company to join SSL's growing commercial distribution network for the live sector.

"We have been waiting for the SSL Live with great anticipation," says Leon Hart, business unit manager at Amber Technology. "Here at Amber, we have been carefully adding to our live production equipment portfolio to increase our presence in this market. The SSL Live is a technology platform with a fresh approach to how a live console should sound and operate giving engineers a control surface that helps them deliver exceptional performances. It is exciting for us to be able to build on our successes with SSL consoles in the music and broadcast industries through Live. The Live console has been

USA - Biamp Systems, a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems, has announced the installation of an Audia/Nexia audio solution combination in the newly built Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado.

As the US Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, the ESIF houses 200 researchers and staff in eight diverse work spaces. Each of the spaces was uniquely designed to fit the research and testing needs of the different work groups and include: A 3D collaboration lab; Control room that monitors and controls the facility processes; Visualization labs where experiments being performed in the electricity, thermal, and fuel labs can be visualized on a large, high-definition screen; Conference rooms of various sizes througho

USA - In one of the New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) most anticipated days ever, social media giant Twitter rang the opening bell on Wall Street to market its initial public offering on 6 November. A lighting display featuring Martin Professional lighting fixtures, provided by See Factor, brightened the façade of the NYSE with Twitter's globally recognized logo the entire day.

Rental company See Factor designed the system for the NYSE façade with Martin's MAC 2000 wash lights - the standard See Factor uses for events at the NYSE. For most NYSE events, a full crew installs the system with additional generators during the prior evening. However, for the Twitter event, Michal Ahern of Michal Ahern Production Services requested See Factor use three 20-amp outlets in the NYSE lobby, rather than bringing in additional generators, and setting up and breaking down the day of the event

Australia - As part of the week of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House, Crown Prince Frederik and Australian -born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited the Harbour City to honour the Danish architect J°rn Utzon's crowning achievement.

In cooperative effort between SBS, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the royal couple and the charitable Bikuben Foundation, their Highnesses presented the annual Crown Prince Couples Awards at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, the first time the awards ceremony has been held outside its native Denmark since its inception in 2004.

The awards were established by the Bikuben Foundation as a wedding gift for the royal couple and celebrate Danish excellence in arts, culture and society. The creative teams behind the television series The Killing and Borgen received the Cultural award, while violinist Rune Tonsgaard S&d

UK - Black Light has been busy championing ETC's ground-breaking Source Four LED CYC units. Not only is it the first company in the UK to have the fixtures in its hire stock, it has also recently run a demo day to highlight the CYC's strengths and has hired out a number of the units for their first ever use in a live event in Scotland.

"We love breaking new ground," says Black Light's head of marketing, Barclay Dakers. "It was fantastic to see these unique units in action and to give our friends in the industry the chance to get their hands on them and see just how well they work in a full-sized theatre environment."

The Black Light CYC demo day was held in conjunction with ETC at Edinburgh's King's Theatre on 14 November. Key lighting designers and theatre technicians from across Scotland came to see 18 of the CYC units in a full theatre set-up. They also

South Africa - Every year thousands of predominantly Afrikaans speaking South Africans embark on a two hour drive from Johannesburg to Sun City's Superbowl to attend Huisgenoot Skouspel where some of the best Afrikaans artists are heard and the most popular artists of the year are honoured. This year was no different as fans either stayed at Sun City for the weekend, or commuted on the day, to see their favourite performers on one stage during October 2013.

The production strongly embraced a theatrical feel, with carefully selected songs and nostalgic video content stirring emotions. A combination of fixtures were used to create clean looks, as lighting deisgner Joshua Cutts painted in colour. For lighting control he used 1 x grandMA2 light, 1 x MA onPC command wing, 2 x MA VPU plus (Video Processing Unit) and 1 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit).

Cutts from Visual Frontier ha

UK - Lighting designer Andy Hurst created a completely new lighting, set and visual design for the latest Chase & Status UK Arena tour which started off their campaign promoting their new album Brand New Machine.

HSL has supplied Chase & Status with equipment right from the start of their touring career, and production manager Michael Clegg once again sourced all lighting and LED screens from the company, where they were looked after by project manager, Mike Oates.

The design involved over 150 moving lights plus substantial quantities of Martin LC and EC LED screen.

Hurst's starting point for the stage aesthetics was that the 'Brand New Machine' album featured a slightly more clubby and commercial sound than their previous works of more hardcore drum 'n' bass ... so he created a contemporary look to the stage but laced it with throw-backs to the most specular classic

USA - DPA Microphones is drumming up some attention while on the road with the Grammy nominated alternative rock band Paramore for the band's self-titled world tour. DPA's d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones and d:dicate 2011C Compact Cardioid Microphones are keeping Paramore's touring drummer in beat with band mates and fans by delivering clean, clear and precise percussion. Equipped with universal mounts, these mics ensure that every stop on the band's self-titled international tour features the natural sound of each percussion instrument.

Eddie Mapp, Paramore's front-of-house engineer, chose the microphones to help provide the band and audiences alike with optimal sound. Mapp has been using the d:votes on his acoustic guitar in the studio for quite some time, but received a tip to try them out on the drum kits from Metallica's front-of-house engineer Mick "Big Mick"

USA - Antelope Valley College's Performing Arts Theatre in Lancaster, Calif. is using a Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system to support its diverse schedule of events. At the press of a button, venue operators can adapt the auditorium's acoustical characteristics to suit performances for the resident Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, Shakespeare plays and opera.

"Constellation's effect is often subtle, but when applied in just the right amount, it is very effective and sounds remarkably natural," says David Newby, artistic director and conductor for the resident Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale. "We always apply some enhancement for the orchestra, and usually select a preset with a bit longer reverberation for the chorus, particularly when singing a capella. I'm very satisfied with the results."

The audio system in the theatre in

Sweden - Working with consultants Runda Idéer AB, Stage Technologies has completed the second of two fixed installation projects in Östergötland County, southeastern Sweden. The theatres in Linköping and Norrköping, form the "Östgötateatern" or "Östgöta Theatre", Sweden's largest regional theatre, together with a third stage in in Linköping called the Elsas Hus "ung scen/öst" ("young stage").

Considered the "centre of cultural life in the County", these venues present 25 productions for audiences of over 100,000 per year. Stage Technologies updated the stage equipment in Linköping between July and October 2012, and completed a similar refurbishment on Norrköping in the same time frame in 2013.

Runda Idéer AB's Karl Runqvist said, "It was clear from the very first meetin

USA - PLASA Events has confirmed the dates and locations for the next two editions of its North American regional trade show series. Following PLASA Focus: Nashville 2014, to be held on 18-19 February, 2014, at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, the PLASA Focus series is coming to Baltimore on 8-9 May, 2014, and Austin on 10-11 September, 2014.

PLASA Focus: Baltimore 2014 will be held in the Reitz Arena at Loyola University, Maryland, located just 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore and 30 minutes from BWI Airport. PLASA Focus: Austin 2014 will be returning to the Palmer Events Center in Austin following the success of two PLASA Focus events previously held at the venue.

Having made a name for itself during the past two years, the PLASA Focus series will continue to provide live production professionals with access to the very latest pro audio, lighting, AV and stage technolog

Switzerland - Systems integrator, SLG Broadcast (SLG), has provided a complete broadcast centre for Radio 24's new complex in Zurich, including IP-capable fit-out of two broadcasting studios, a layout-studio, a stage, 24 editors' workplaces and integration of the station's OB vehicle.

Regarded as a "most modern studio" at the beginning of the 1990s, the privately operated radio station had outgrown its old location by 2012, and was no longer at the cutting edge of technology. Since then, the 'Löwenbräu' Area of Zurich has provided an ideal new space - not more than 1200ft from its old location. Here, SLG constructed an entire studio complex at the beginning of 2013 in the time-honoured 'blue hall' in the Löwenbräu Area.

In a record-breaking construction period of just two months, two state-of-the-art broadcast studios and associated equipment rooms were built, pl

Denmark / Sweden - Building on the continuing interest of Solid State Logic's dive into live audio production, the company is regularly adding to its commercial distribution network for the new SSL Live console. As a result of this enthusiasm, the company has appointed Alfa Audio as the official SSL Live dealer in Denmark and Arva Trading will oversee distribution in Sweden.

"With live equipment portfolios that perfectly complement SSL's Live console combined with a wealth of experience in the live market, both Alfa Audio and Arva Trading are ideally suited to partner with SSL in this new venture," says Tim Harrison, area sales manager, SSL. "The highly innovative new Live console has rightly generated high expectations from our prospective clients to deliver a sales support structure of the highest standard at the local level. This is accomplished through Alfa Au

USA - PLASA has announced the winners of the 2013 Members' Choice Awards presented on Saturday, 23 November at the LDI and PLASA Awards Ceremony .The awards recognised newly released outstanding entertainment technology products. Voting on these awards was open to all employees of PLASA member companies who attended the LDI show.

Awarded in the Expendable Category was the Nano Spot by Darklight. As the smallest and more affordable LED spotlight on the market, members were pleased with its small size as well as the easily adjustable swivel head.

In the Gadget Category, members awarded the Source Four Mini by ETC. Impressed by its crisp Source Four optics and image projection, members appreciated its efficiency.

In the Equipment Category, members awarded the Phoenix LED by Altman Lighting, taking notice of its brand new 250 watt LED unit offered in 3K, 5,600K, RGBA and RGBW ve

Lebanon - Allen & Heath's GLD-80 digital mixer has been installed in the theatre of St. Joseph School in Lebanon by Technosound.

Located in Metn, east of Lebanon's capital Beriut, St Joseph is a tri-lingual school, teaching in Arabic, English and French. The GLD replaces an existing analogue mixer and will manage various performances which take place in the theatre.

"The Allen & Heath GLD-80 digital mixer was the perfect product to supply the school, I knew it would meet their every need when it came to creating a quality sound they needed for their performance. St Joseph's are very happy with the digital console," said Mr. Pierre Fahed, sales manager for Technosound.

"Technosound has long been a partner of PAXT and they continue to develop sales and broaden the range of Allen & Heath available in their market. We are happy to continue to support our successfu

USA / Canada - Electronic rock and art fuse in the eclectic sound of Phantogram as the duo from New York State are currently enjoying the crest of a wave of anticipation.

Lighting designer Ed Warren - known for his stylish and inventive stagecraft - was asked to create lighting for their latest US and Canadian tour which was out for a month playing a variety of venues between 800 and 1500 capacities to sold out audiences and receiving rave reviews.

Warren chose eight of Robe's tiny LEDBeam 100s to be a key part of the toured lighting rig - which had to fit into a trailer being towed behind the bus with all of the band's backline. They were chosen for their compact size and ability to help showcase the original lighting concept.

Warren received a brief from the band which referenced some of the artists they had seen recently including The National, Flaming Lips, Beach House a

Latvia - LumenRadio and Company NA have announced a distribution agreement whereby NA Company will serve as the distributor for the CRMX brand in Latvia.

"Company NA gives LumenRadio a strong partner in the Latvian market," says Jessica Björk, sales & marketing manager at LumenRadio. "With their excellent sales presence, technical support and strong brand awareness, I believe we are heading towards a really successful business relationship."

Company NA, founded 1994, is one of the leading professional companies in Latvia, with a wide range of light equipment, light system control and management equipment for theatre and stage use. Company NA has provided equipment to some of the largest installations all round Latvia, including the Eurovision Song Contest in Riga 2003.

"We are extremely proud and thrilled to be part of the LumenRadio family," e

USA - The Miss America pageant returned to its Atlantic City origins this year and lighting designer Allen Branton was charged with lighting the cavernous Boardwalk Hall and making sure 53 beautiful women looked their best whenever the TV camera turned their way. He was aided by Clay Paky Sharpy and Sharpy Wash fixtures from Atomic Lighting in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

Branton marked his sixth consecutive year lighting the pageant, which was televised on ABC-TV. After spending a number of years in Las Vegas the show moved back to Atlantic City where "the venue, audience and scenery doubled in size," he reports. "Given the size of the hall and way the show was set in the room, every single element of production had to be rigged from overhead - and there's no permanent rigging infrastructure. So there were 240 individual rigging points for lighting, sound, video, scener

UK - Clear-Com reports that Britain's largest shopping channel, QVC UK, has installed an Eclipse-Omega Digital Matrix and a FreeSpeak Digital Wireless Intercom into its relocated and newly built production headquarters and HD studios. Staff members at the new London-based broadcast complex can relay critical programme messages over the flexible and reliable Clear-Com communication systems, regardless of their location.

As part of the upgrade, the studio installed an Eclipse-Omega system as its intercom backbone. It is used for connecting the wireless FreeSpeak users with the Eclipse V-Series key panel users in the facility's two identical control rooms. The V-Series panels primarily serve those working in the "galleries" section of the control room, including sound control personnel and directors, producers and their assistants. Having used the FreeSpeak system at its

The Netherlands - XL Video collaborated closely with Ogle Hog to supply video production equipment, expertise and crew to the spectacular 2013 MTV EMAs staged at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.

XL delivered nearly 800sq.m of various LED surfaces, video projections and creative / scenic LED elements plus control and 12 crew under the project management of Guido Ruysschaert to help realise an ambitious production design by Wieder Design from Germany. This was based on an intergalactic theme and featured a giant UFO style structure above a spherical stage.

The 2013 EMAs, directed for live broadcast by Russell Thomas and lit by Tom Kenny, was attended by a live audience of around 12,000 and aired across MTV's global network drawing record viewing figures - claimed to be over a billion! Fans worldwide cast a staggering 292m votes across all MTV digital platforms to help decide the 201

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies video division has supplied a Christie Roadster DS+14K-M projector to Clockwork Audio Systems Ltd to project a series of historic visuals onto Plymouth's 124ft Devonport Column in commemoration of its restoration.

Local social enterprise company, Real Ideas Organisation (RIO), oversaw the restoration and re-opening of the Grade I listed column. Their brief to Nick Western at Clockwork Audio Systems was to provide a solution to project historical images marking the life of the column - mapped onto its face, with an accompanying soundtrack and a fireworks climax.

The second requirement for the projector was that it could be used in the associated Devonport Guildhall next to the column - to project images for conferences and events - but also to use as part of a cinema experience.

AC-ET's Video division, which offers complete creative LED, p

USA - As of 1 November this year, Le Maitre USA, LLC relocated to Las Vegas, just 30 minutes off the Strip, and it's a move that couldn't have come at a better time, the company says. With a new president at the helm in the US, further investment in R&D and production at Le Maitre's pyrotechnics manufacturing location in the UK, and a steady stream of new products being added to their already extensive portfolio, Le Maitre believes it is "exceptionally well placed to forge ahead in North America as well as around the rest of the world".

The move from Le Maitre's previous US headquarters in Austin, Texas was something that Le Maitre USA joint-owner Karen Haddon had been keen to make happen for a while. She says: "Finding the right location for us in Vegas has involved a great deal of time and effort, but it's absolutely been worth it all. The move to Vegas offers a

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