Russia - In celebration of the 2014 World Cup final game, the three towers of Vorobievy Gory, an iconic residential complex in Moscow that faces the German Embassy, were lit during the match with the colours of Germany and Argentina's national flags. With only a single day to light the towers, lighting designer Sergey Babaliants of Moscow-based BaSinstall was brought in to programme the tower's existing system, which includes 198 Martin Professional Exterior 200 fixtures.

Installed in 2006, the exterior lighting for each of the three towers features 30 Exterior 200s for the 'crown', located on the roof level and 36 Exterior 200s for the 'gallery', located three floors below the crown. The design is controlled via LightJockey placed on the second level below the middle tower, while the left and right towers were connected through wireless DMX signal via an omnidirectional antenna

Austria - Every summer, the Theater im Hof, in Enns, Upper Austria, produces a classical production, such as Faust, Cyrano de Bergerac and pieces by Shakespeare. This year, the company will present The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Long, Singer and Winfield, which contains all 38 stage works and 154 sonnets all in one. The ambitious show was programmed with the help of ETC Eos software on the new ETC Nomad controller.

After years of using a large riding hall, this year's production will be staged in the basement of the Ennsegg Castle. With little space to spare for front of house control positions and a hectic production schedule, technical director and lighting designer Ueli Riegg found the new PC based Nomad controller to be the solution.

Thanks to the new screen management in Eos v2.2 software, including a simple to use onscreen co

World - One Direction embarked on their worldwide Where We Are tour this spring, performing in some of the biggest stadiums around the globe to millions of screaming fans. For shows of this size and scope, lighting designer Paul Normandale turned to the powerful versatility of the Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash FX luminaires, supplied by Lite Alternative.

Having designed shows for some of today's biggest concert touring artists including Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay, Normandale is used to making a huge impact with his designs, which often feature the VL3500 Wash FX at their core. "The VL3500 Wash FX luminaire has long been a favourite of mine," says Normandale. "Because of this, it has formed the basis of many of my designs over the last few years."

Normandale's design for One Direction needed to pack a huge punch in order to stand up to the extensive onstage

Australia - Sydney's Rockdale Town Hall has recently undertaken a major refurbishment, designed to reinvigorate the City's regional arts and cultural hub.

The works provided fresh life to the historic complex and provided the City with a state of the art venue that can accommodate a varied array of events from musical concerts and variety shows to business, community and social events.

The auditorium's beautiful Art Deco detailing has been lovingly restored, and is now accompanied sensitively by a new PA and communications system from The P.A. People. It was imperative that the historical and architectural values of the venue were as important as the necessity for a modern multi-function auditorium.

Cabling was run as the renovation team opened up the floors and roof spaces, building in infrastructure to serve modern needs without disturbing a classic look.

So as not to in

UK - Last month saw Ivor Novello award-winning producer/songwriter Steve Booker's new Cake Studios open its doors following the installation of a 48-channel SSL Duality equipped control room to complement the existing writing facilities already on site.

Technical installation was handled by Langdale Technical Consulting who have a long standing working relationship with VDC and the studio marked the 100th Control Room installation on their part, almost all of which have been complemented by Van Damme cable. Langdale's Bill Ward commented that since the introduction of Van Damme in 1987 they have been using the cable almost exclusively due to it unrivalled sonic excellence and proven long term durability.

The studio was wired throughout with Van Damme blue series studio grade cable and along with the Duality console the spec list included a huge 96 channel Pro Tools rig and a h

The Netherlands - Front-of-house engineer Sjoerd Terpstra relied on DPA Microphones to capture the sound of the Kyteman Orchestra's recent concerts at the Utrecht Tivoli in Holland. The six concerts, which took the form of elaborate jam sessions, were all multitrack recorded for subsequent mixing and broadcast on the internet using the company's d:vote 4099 Instrument, d:dicate 2011A Recording and d:screet 4061 Miniature Microphones.

Terpstra, who has been working with Kyteman for the last five years, says he chose DPA Microphones for this project because he knew their mics were capable of delivering studio quality from the live stage. The microphones were supplied by Amptec, DPA's distributor in the Netherlands.

"Our aim was to create a library of completely original Kyteman material," explains Terpstra. "There are approximately 18 musicians in the orchestra an

USA - Masque Sound recently presented a charitable contribution to Road Recovery, a non-profit organization devoted to helping today's youth overcome addiction and other adversities. With this donation, Road Recovery will continue its mission of empowering the younger generation to face their adversities through its range of music-focused programmes and events.

An organization that is important to Stephanie Hansen, vice president and general manager at Masque Sound, Road Recovery was founded in 1998 by music industry veterans Gene Bowen, a tour manager and recovering addict, and Jack Bookbinder, an artist manager who struggles with Type II diabetes, to help young people battle addiction and other adversities by harnessing the influence of entertainment industry professionals who have confronted similar crises and now wish to share their experience, knowledge and resources.

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USA - At selected Foreigner concerts, VIPs, superfans, industry professionals and other special guests get to enjoy an intimate, acoustic meet-and-greet performance by the band before the main show. For these special events, the band and their technical team have chosen L1 Model II systems with B2 bass modules and T1 ToneMatch engine from Bose Professional Systems based on their audio quality, ease of setup and low-profile design.

The VIP meet-and-greet performances generally feature a three-song acoustic set for an audience of anywhere from 35 to 150 people. The band sets up four L1 systems for these performances, in a stereo configuration. The system serves as a house mix, left and right, as well as monitors for the band. To accomplish this, they place an L1 Model II system with single B2 bass module in the rear corners of the stage and to either side on the floor in front of

UK - Hire company, Point Source Productions, and event production company, Light Motif, have entered into an exciting new partnership to service the events industry.

Founded by Rob Mills, Light Motif is a young company made up of creative individuals with extensive experience in the events industry.

Light Motif specialises in the creation of vibrant, bespoke designs that determine the look and feel of an event. Strong emphasis is placed on the advance presentation of visuals to the client and high levels of pre-planning to ensure every event delivers the 'wow' factor and meets the clients' expectations.

The company is expanding rapidly and has recently appointed Kelly Yeomans, previously of Fisher Productions, as Business Development Manager, to drive forward its business with venues, agencies, clients and other event suppliers.

Part of this exciting growth includes the ne

UK - Adlib supplied technical solutions, system design and infrastructure, plus audio, lighting, AV and equipment for the 2014 International Festival for Business (IFB).

The Liverpool based company won two competitive tenders issued by Liverpool Vision and worked closely with creative design specialists Evoke who planned the various environments and event meeting spaces that were utilised throughout the Festival.

Adlib invested around £250,000 in new equipment to help provide a world class set up for the high profile event.

The scope of their work included helping to create The IFB's Trade and Investment Hub and nerve-centre inside the Merseytravel building on Mann Island, which featured its own programme of events.

Additionally, the second tender dealt with providing technical services and equipment for around 150 main events in the Festival that focussed on creatin

USA - Take Me Downtown is Lady Antebellum's third headlining tour, taking the Grammy Award-winning trio across North America and into a wide range of venues, including casinos, civic centres and amphitheatres, both indoors and outside. It began in January in Peoria, Illinois and ran nearly nonstop through June, when the band began its summer state fair itinerary.

For the entire first half of the year, Lady A worked exclusively with touring sound provider Sound Image's L-Acoustics K1 line array system. Sound Image's Mike L. Adams, who handles the account, comments, "The K1 system is reliable, consistent and never lets us down. When we deploy this system, every night sounds incredible and we never get one of those late night calls. The peace of mind is invaluable."

For most of the group's performances, Sound Image flew left and right main PA arrays of 14 K1 plus

USA - Cardinal O'Hara, a Catholic High School in Springfield, PA, is known for the excellence of its sports, music and academic programs. As the only Philadelphia Catholic League school with a home football stadium on school premises, Cardinal O'Hara's Lions Stadium has large home and visitors bleachers, an enclosed press box, an artificial turf field and a modern track.

In 2012 Cardinal O'Hara added outdoor lighting for night games and, recently, they replaced an outdated paging horn system with a new audio system using Community R-Series Loudspeakers.

Designed and installed by Tony Albano of Naamans Creek AV in Avondale, PA, the system uses three Community R.5 loudspeakers and one Community R.25 loudspeaker. Two of the R.5s are installed at the outside corners of the press box to cover the left and right sections of the home bleachers and a third is installed on a lighting p

UK - XL Video, working with US conference and event production agency metroConnections, supplied a large-scale audio-visual solution for the IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) International Conference at London's ExCel Centre.

The event, which comprised a 1500 delegate main auditorium and 9 breakout rooms in Excel's Capital Room, took place over three days in early July.

For the auditorium presentation, XL supplied a giant 20m x 11m projection screen, flown behind the stage. The screen was stretched on to about 1.8 tonnes of Tomcat truss surround and created the backdrop for the presentation as well as a projection surface for graphics and video content.

Four Panasonic PT-DZ21K projectors, each providing 20,000 Lumens, were used for the main screen to create a blended image. These had to be flown at difficult angles to the screen to avoid projecting on to any activity on s

USA - Award-winning Broadway actress; New York Times best-selling author; Grammy recording artist and American Idol winner - Fantasia Barrino has already worn many hats extraordinarily well in her young career, but this multi-talented superstar is (by her own description), one thing above all else: a soul singer. This much was very evident to the fans at her recent southeastern tour stops. Holding nothing back, Fantasia rocked the house to its very core with a heartfelt collection of powerful tunes all supported by an appropriately intense light show featuring a variety of Chauvet Professional fixtures.

Lighting designer Jay Chiari and lighting tech Brandon Thomas of Audio Visual Services (Macon, GA) used 12 Q-Wash 560Z-LED moving yoke washes, six COLORado Batten 72 Tour linear washes and 18 Legend 230SR Beam moving beams in a rig that drenched the stage in intense colours. &quo

Sweden - Heron City is one of the largest shopping centres in Sweden. The 46,000sq.m facility, located in Huddinge, just outside of Stockholm, was originally opened in 2001; and from the offset, it was designed to be a true entertainment hub rather than just a large mall. The main attraction was a huge 18-screen multi-cinema complex (the first of its kind in Sweden), which could accommodate 4,000 people; driven originally by US giant, AMC Entertainment International, the cinemas were sold to SF Cinema in 2003, and renamed Film Heron City.

Then, in March 2011, investment company, NIAM, injected millions into the development, part of which led to a brand new networked audio system, with a Peavey Commercial Audio MediaMatrix backbone.

Heron City has always used MediaMatrix, but the original system (with an AMX front-end) was in need of an upgrade, as audio needed to be distribute

Germany - Not to be mistaken for a swimwear company, Bikini Berlin is a culturally protected Grade II listed building in the German capital, whose recent revitalization included the installation of over 1000 energy-efficient LED luminaires from Elation Professional.

Located next to the famous Berlin Zoo, Bikini Berlin is a concept shopping mall with stores, offices, cinema, and hotel, a day and nighttime destination for locals and tourists alike. Aimed at a style-conscious audience with high standards when it comes to a shopping experience, Bikini Berlin opened in late 2013 after a three-year renovation that preserved the initial character of the venue.

The centrepiece of the building complex is the historical 200m long Bikinihaus, a light, open colonnade and architectural symbol of Berlin's west cityscape. Popularly called Bikinihaus due to its two-tier architecture that is r

USA - If there's one thing we've learned in pro audio over the past couple decades, it is that the world's appetite for wireless is insatiable. Between microphones, in-ear systems, and intercoms, channel counts in the dozens are commonplace, with that number routinely going into the hundreds for large productions and installations. Managing that much RF without interference, dropouts, or intermodulation requires significant expertise.

To meet that need, Brooks Schroeder founded Frequency Coordination Group (FCG) in early 2013. Schroeder carries a wealth of experience, having designed and deployed antenna systems and managed frequency conflicts for a wide variety of clients. "I struck out on my own to provide a needed service," he says. "Depending on the situation, the best wireless solution may involve products from a variety of manufacturers, and being independen

South Africa - Cape Town-based rental and technical production company, Ultra Events has completed its first purchase of Robe Robin Pointe moving lights - with a delivery of 12 units from Robe's South African distributor DWR Distribution, to be followed by another 12.

Ultra's owner and founder Costa Champanis first saw Pointes at the 2013 Mediatech trade expo in Johannesburg, and was immediately impressed.

"I like their versatility and they are also hugely popular at the moment and getting specified frequently. So knowing I could get a good ROI, I went ahead with the investment," he explains, adding that one of Ultra's central philosophies is also to keep abreast of the latest technologies ... and owning the Pointes keeps them right there!

"The flexibility of the Pointe being able to go from a tight parallel beam to a spot, to a comprehensive wash and producin

UK - Solid State Logic has confirmed its Live Console Operator Training Days. Aimed at serving as an introduction to the SSL Live console, these free one-day courses will include hands-on experience for all participants. The training sessions will take place at the company's Oxford, England-based headquarters on 17 and 18 September, 1 and 2 October and 5 and 6 November. While these events are completely free, numbers are strictly limited. All interested parties are encouraged to apply via the online application form, found online at store.solidstatelogic.com/forms/live-training.

Currently featuring its V2 Software, SSL Live is the company's first console for live sound production, suited to touring or installation, FOH or monitor systems for venues, arenas, houses of worship and concert halls. Reception to the console by the industry has been extremely positive since its announc

UK - Two important sessions have been announced for this year's PLASA Rigging Conference, adding further weight to the event's standing within the rigging community. The new one-day format will host a discussion from Michael Anderson about the revised CDM Regulations and an update on the International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICoPER) led by Lori Rubinstein.

The PLASA Rigging Conference 2014 takes place on Monday 6 October 2014 at ExCeL London. For the first time, the whole event will be packed into a one-day schedule, meaning delegates can attend the full conference at a reduced cost.

PLASA's director of international programmes, Lori Rubinstein, will moderate the first session of the day, which will look at how the ICoPER has developed over the last 12-months. Prior to last year's conference, PLASA commissioned a review of the various codes of practice from

UK - The 2014 Edinburgh Festival and Fringe is the biggest yet, increasing on last year's program by 11% and making it the world's largest arts festival in history. Eaton's Zero 88 team have reacted in a similar manner by increasing their support and training opportunities at the festival. Product Specialists Paul McEwan and Jon Hole, along with UK sales manager Mark Morley, are all staying in Scotland's capital city to ensure superior support is provided throughout the festival's three-week run.

"The exact number of Zero 88 consoles at the festival is still unknown, but estimates are that over 150 different performance spaces are using everything from ORB XF and Solutions, through to Jesters and even Level 6s," commented Paul McEwan, who is in Edinburgh for the whole festival. He added: "Around 50 of these venues took advantage of our free training before they op

Peru - 2014 has been a landmark year for Lima-based DBLUX S.A.C. With a Meyer Sound Leo linear large-scale sound reinforcement system, founders Andres Cuadros and Guillermo Riera have grown the company into a rental powerhouse chosen for top international tours stopping in Peru. Artists who have performed with DBLUX's Leo system include Paul McCartney, Metallica, Soundgarden, One Direction, Jack Johnson, Marc Anthony, Rubén Blades, and Daddy Yankee and Prince Royce.

"The concert promoters have been extremely pleased by the great coverage, power, and overall musical quality of the LEO system," says Cuadros. "Obviously Leo's reputation has spread among FOH engineers; many who haven't used it yet are eager to try it. And when they are finished mixing, they are impressed-and sometimes even surprised-by what the system can do."

Other notable events covere

UK - Celebrating its 34th year, World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) is an annual eclectic world-music festival of "artists whom we might not get to hear anywhere else" and the largest and most prestigious event of its kind. As with WOMADs of the past, Britannia Row Productions Ltd. once again provided sound services for the festival. But this year had a new team member - SSL Live consoles at FOH for two stages: the main Open Air Stage and at WOMAD's new Society of Sound marquee.

Having worked as front of house and system engineer in WOMAD's Siam Tent last year, New Zealander Johnny Keirle returned to mix FOH at the Open Air Stage. An SSL Live console was used by Keirle to mix acts travelling without a FOH engineer. "The SSL Live provides an intuitive, logical workflow and is very easy to use in a festival situation," he says. "Despite the time restric

UK - Rock legends Europe and the Black Star Riders headlined this year's Steelhouse Festival, which claims to be the biggest and the highest heavy metal festival in Wales. It was also the debut appearance in the UK for Nexo's new STM M28 compact line array cabinets.

The M28 omni-purpose cabinet completes the line-up of Nexo's STM Series modular line array. At Steelhouse, it was being used as the Main cabinet with the B112 Bass and S118 Subbass cabinets, in a system designed by rental company SMS-PA together with Nexo concert sound specialist Val Gilbert.

In its stunning rural location on a Welsh mountain peak, the Steelhouse Festival was attended by 5000 people over two nights, enjoying a busy schedule of national and international bands. Last year, the festival used a Nexo GEO S12/RS18 system and SMS-PA owner Ian Smith was eager to take a pioneering role with the new M28, lau

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