South Africa - MJ Event Gear used 12 of their Robe BMFLs at the MultiChoice Super Stars Year End event hosted at the Mosaïek church in Fairlands, Johannesburg. MJ have not looked back since purchasing the BMFLs and the fixtures have been booked out by other rental companies for various events around South Africa.

MJ worked with their client Edith Venter, and the lighting designer for the event was Gary Sam, a freelancer who programmed on a grandMA 2 Light.

"The evening consisted of two parts, a show and an after party," commented MJ's Theo Rood, project manager. "Prior to the show, staff from the MultiChoice Call Centre participated in auditions and a knock out system, something similar to an Idol's type competition. The top eight singers performed at the grand finale, hosted at the Teatro auditorium at the Mosaïek."

Gary Sam needed something that wo

Italy - This autumn one of Italy's best-loved pop acts, Al Bano and Romina Power, released their first album in 20 years. The multitrack recording for The Very Best - Live aus Verona was made on Steinberg Nuendo Live, via monitor engineer Francesco Spadaccino's Yamaha CL5 console and Rio3224-D i/o units. It was the first time that a major label album release has been recorded in this way.

Released on Universal Music, the album was recorded at the duo's Arena di Verona concert in May. The show was also broadcast live on Rai 1, Italy's premier national television channel.

Francesco has worked with Al Bano for many years and has used many digital mixing consoles. His favourite is undoubtedly the CL5. "My job is to keep the artists on stage happy and the CL5 is always my first choice to achieve that," he says.

He continues, "This show was huge. We had a

USA - As an international superstar, Kaskade's gift to connect with his audience goes beyond pounding synths and tight reverbs. Kevin Mignone, owner of KM Productions, called on a collection of fixtures from Chauvet Professional to support this artist-audience bond during the dance maven's sold out Automatic Tour concert during the annual Pier of Fear on Manhattan's West Side.

Mignone positioned 24 Legend 330SR Spot moving fixtures over the audience section of the 135,000 square foot converted ocean liner terminal (officially called Pier 94) for the Kaskade show, which was produced by RPM Presents. All of the fixtures were directed at the crowd of 10,000 fans.

"Audience lighting is critical at any EDM concert because fans want to be engaged with the artist," said Mignone. "However, this is especially true with an artist like Kaskade because of the way h

USA - To kick-off the holiday season, World Outreach Church, Nashville, created Give Thanks, a celebration designed to repurpose this season with hope and thanksgiving held at the Bridgestone Arena. Filled with inspirational speakers, a musical performance by Martina McBride, plus an energetic percussion display by Stikyard, production designer Scott Moore, Go Live Productions, needed a video backdrop that could highlight the unique performances onstage, but also capture the essence of the message being delivered. So working with Nashville-based Elite Multimedia, a PixelFLEX rental partner, Moore created a video design using 140 FLEXCurve 8mm LED video tiles.

"I've been involved with Give Thanks for the last three years, and each year the design process is entirely dependent upon what the programming material is going to be," began Moore. "I knew I

USA - With its backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Anita Park is considered by many to be the world's most beautiful thoroughbred racetrack. It hosts some of the most prominent racing events in the United States including the Breeders' Cup and the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap.

The track's previous sound system, installed in the late 1990s, used four, pole-mounted loudspeaker clusters aimed back at the spectators. However, after a major renovation in 2013 along with a new press box and additional luxury suites, the pole-mounted loudspeaker clusters faced a wide expanse of newly-added glass causing unwanted audio reflections onto the seating and the track.

In 2014, Santa Anita asked AMT Systems of Santa Clarita, California to propose a new system to eliminate the reflections, add audio coverage in some of the newer areas and upgrade the overall sound quality to me

Europe - A Jands Vista S3 console and two Jands D1 Playback Processors have been used by designer, Robb Jibson of So Midwest, Inc. to provide lighting and media control for American rockers, Fall Out Boy's recent 2015 international tour.

The high-profile US rock band have been touring in support of their 2015 album American Beauty / American Psycho, and undertook UK and European Arena shows throughout October, following a series of US dates over the Summer.

A long-time Jands Vista user, Robb took the S3 and D1 combination on the entire tour. The custom setup consisted of the S3 control surface, which was connected to an Apple i7 Mac Mini running the award-winning Vista v2 software, and a Wacom Cintiq Multi Touch pen tablet surface built into a custom case. The system ran with an identical back up and two Vista D1 Playback Processors, which were rack-mounted in a road-

Australia - Seating a respectable 967 people in Lyric mode, Townville's hardworking Civic Theatre has been catering to touring companies and local groups since 1978. At the end of 2015, senior lighting technician Nate Leslie is busy with a full schedule of dance recitals, end-of-year presentations and Christmas concerts. Always a busy time of year, 2015 has been made a little easier by his lighting rigs recent expansion to include eight units of High End System's SolaSpot Pro CMY.

"What prompted me to look at the SolaSpot PRO CMY was how brilliant they are for theatre," Nate explained. "So many other fixtures in the same range don't offer nice variable colour correction and don't have a quality frost. The Pro CMYs are stunning in their intensity. They can match to a conventional halogen rig and give us that quality we need in theatre lighting, even with an LED en

South Africa - Design company Formative was contracted by multi-award winning recording artist and record producer Cassper Nyovest to provide full creative direction, production & content design, show and technical production for his #fillupthedome show at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.

The production design was based around his dynamic music and the creation of special 'moments', a process that built throughout the show, revealing different elements as the music called for them. For lighting and video control, Formative relied on grandMA2.

Formative ran two media servers and two grandMA2 full-size consoles, with an additional grandMA2 full-size at 'dimmer beach' as well as four MA NPU (Network Processing Unit). "We ran Art-Net from the media servers into grandMA2 for pixel mapping and split timecode between all the systems for full redundancy", Peters explained

UK - Faithless hit on the road again in 2015 after a four year break, taking their infectious dance rhythms to an eager public celebrating 20 years since the formation of the band in the heady 1990s, when rave culture became a defining musical genre of the late 20th century. Faithless have left their stamp on the scene with rousing electro anthems like God is A DJ and Insomnia.

Andy Hurst was asked to create a visual concept and Blackburn rental company HSL supplied lighting equipment which included an investment in 300 Martin VDO Sceptron 10 LED battens, which were rigged on custom structures to form a giant '88' digital clock face.

The large digital figures were an idea that Andy and Sister Bliss from the band had thought about in the quest to have something different from conventional video with large screens and content onstage. When the dialogue with Andy

UK - Following recent purchases by industry-recognised rental companies, the versatility and usability of CORE Lighting's products means that they are now being utilised more than ever before. As CORE's exclusive European supplier, White Light is able to offer their full range of wireless battery products to production companies and rental partners as well as conference centres and venues.

WL stocks a full range of high-quality CORE products, all of which are available for purchase. Amongst these is the ColourPoint, of which more than 5,000 units have now been shipped worldwide. The ColourPoint is a lightweight, lithium battery-powered LED event uplight which uses the latest Wireless DMX Control.

Phil Ion, founder of CORE, comments, "What's great about the ColourPoint is its versatility. It is ideal for outdoor use and can be used for lighting up trees, three storey bui

UK - When freelance sound engineer Stu Hunt took over Worcester-based Insert Audio from its owners in January 2014 he not only inherited classic Martin Audio equipment but also a contract to service the technical requirements of 355-capacity local venue, Huntingdon Hall, which is also equipped with Martin Audio components from yesteryear.

"This installation was completed 15 years ago by John Brown's Limit Audio and all the equipment - including W3P, S218, EM15 and LE12JB - is still going strong," says Stu. "We maintain it every year, but have never had a single fault with any of the gear to date. 'Service' generally amounts to little more than cleaning the amp rack, or repairing the occasional pin on the EDAC."

As a rental company Insert Audio also holds a vast inventory of Martin Audio components, including W8C, WSX, WS2A, W3, F12, LE12JB, LE400 and LE20

China - Now in its 8th year, the Hong Kong music and arts festival Clockenflap has turned into one of the biggest events in the region. Staged in a picturesque waterside location in West Kowloon, this three-day festival brings together a diverse bill of international performers and musical styles.

With over 60,000 music fans attending, the 2015 event was the largest to date. For the first time, Clockenflap invited French loudspeaker manufacturer Nexo to be the festival's audio partner, a huge undertaking which meant supplying PA systems to seven separate performance stages (monitoring included) as well as a number of lounges, VIP areas and band common rooms.

The festival was the ideal showcase for Nexo's modular line array system, the STM Series, allowing the four-module system to be configured in four different ways to suit the main PA requirements of four different princip

USA - While the Grateful Dead celebrated their 50th anniversary last summer with five Fare Thee Well stadium shows, true Deadheads knew that in real life The Music never Stops.

This has been demonstrated loudly and clearly by the sold-out shows being put on throughout the fall and holiday season by Dead & Company, featuring original band members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. Playing to sold-out audiences, the 10-stop coast-to-coast tour is serving up some tasty new arrangements of classic Dead songs with renowned rock guitarist John Mayer filling the role of the departed Jerry Garcia on the guitar and vocals.

Contributing to the immersive experience is a beautiful lightshow anchored around a collection of Nexus 4x1 linear fixtures from Chauvet Professional provided by Upstaging.

Jon Pollak designed the lighting rig, but all the looks were fabri

Spain - Matadero de Madrid welcomed the first Spanish masterclass with lighting designers Al Gurdon and Peter Canning, who have illuminated shows like Eurovision, the halftime of Superbowl or the opening and closing of the Sochi Olympic Games. The event was organized by Clay Paky and its Spanish distributor Stonex.

Javier Latorre, Stonex CEO, opened the conference commemorating the 35th Anniversary of Stonex. "We are happy to share with all of you this seminar. Al Gurdon and Peter Canning's Masterclass is the best scenario for sharing knowledge and experience in the lighting field."

Francesco Romagnoli, area manager for Clay Paky, presented their latest products including Scenius, Spheriscan and Mythos, among others.

Al Gurdon opened his speech by highlighting the importance of a good light. The tours of Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Beyonce were some of the shows

USA - Elation Professional is a new sponsor of the AV Alliance (avalliance.com), a network of the world's leading event technology rental specialists.

Active in 47 countries on six continents, the AV Alliance acts as a quality seal with AV Alliance members involved in over 100,000 projects a year. The AV Alliance is committed to professional service at the highest quality and is devoted to creating synergies among members to further professionalize the industry. Of the many sponsor benefits is the opportunity to network with AV Alliance member companies, which includes AV rental companies from all over the world.

"We are pleased to have Elation Professional on board as a sponsor of the AV Alliance," stated Nico Ubenauf, member of the AV Alliance Board of Directors and CEO of German production company satis&fy. "Elation continues to become a more visible player

Malaysia - Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) successfully held an open-house event on 17 November 2015 to introduce Clay Paky's The Projectors series: the Scenius, Mythos, Supersharpy and Stormy. A&L held a similar show in Singapore earlier this year, and chose to repeat their success in Kuala Lumpur to welcome the Scenius, the latest member of the series. The open-house event was held in conjunction with Clay Paky at Bentley's Auditorium, located in the heart of Mutiara Damansara.

A&L put special effort into carefully selecting the venue. "It took us quite a while to find the right place. We had to consider some special factors when choosing the venue," explained Eric Loo, who was in charge of finding the site for this event. "We knew the capabilities of these lights. In order to show off their full potential, the height and length of the venue were crucial. Acce

UK - In 2015, White Light reaffirmed its position as the leading lighting supplier to West End and UK touring theatre by working on a vast array of theatre productions. The complete production solution specialist is continuing to support shows throughout the festive season by providing the lighting equipment on more than 40 pantomimes all across the UK.

Since its formation 44 years ago, WL has built a strong reputation of supporting pantomimes, with this year being no exception. One of the most popular Christmas shows is the classic story of Snow White, which is currently playing at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre. Nev Milsom is the lighting designer on the production. He comments, "Snow White is such a lively, busy show so it was important that the lighting rig not only worked with the cast and scenery but also produced vivid colour and texture throughout. Pantomi

USA - Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma has chosen an ArKaos PRO Stadium Server running ArKaos MediaMaster 4.0 software to handle the environmental projection mapping at their church. Lighting director, Tim Ottley, uses it to present some stunning visual backdrops across their 300ft wide/30-60ft tall walls to enhance both modern and traditional services.

This Christmas season sees the interior of the church awash with imagery, produced by Jason Yang of Invisible Element, based on the Christmas story and depicted in colourful visuals reminiscent of stained glass. Advent is a season of anticipation and Ottley's theme is to present a beautiful and welcoming environment as the congregation enters each week in the build-up to Christmas.

"Our aim was to create a short video clip as an opening sequence to the services over the five week period of Advent,"

UK - Stage Technologies has provided the automation for London's newest hit musical Elf. The cleverly engineered stage show and heart - warming winter tale, is currently sprinkling a huge helping of festive cheer over the West End and features extensive automation throughout.

Stage Technologies has supplied winches for four automated floor tracks which are used throughout the show to track on and off, a huge variety of trucks, furniture and props for every scene in the show.

The production also incorporates the 200m2 steel show deck and track system designed and built by Delstar Engineering for the initial run in 2014-2015. For the show's run at the Dominion Theatre, Stage Technologies were tasked with creating a much more complex series of automation effects than had been used previously at the Theatre Royal Plymouth & Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin.

Ted Moore the director

UAE - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) in Abu Dhabi recently appointed Martin Audio customer, Almoe AV Production & Rentals, to provide the Ramadan 2015 sound system for all the indoor areas throughout the mosque - with a peak attendance of 65,000 people.

With strict coverage specifications dictated by SZGMC's audio consultants and in-house sound engineer, the requirement was met in the Main Hall, largely by using Almoe's Martin Audio MLA rental system for the main prayer hall. The promise of MLA being able to deliver the specific coverage from front to back with minimal reverberation was key to Almoe's bid, as was the finished look.

"The only goal we were given was 'to deliver consistent coverage everywhere'," said system designer and technical project manager, Bruno Vitanza. "We showed all the prediction results and calculations in the Display softwa

UK - Loudspeakers from Audica have been used to create an enhanced atmosphere within a new exhibition at the V&A in London. A total of 41 Audica MICROpoint loudspeakers have been positioned strategically around The Fabric of India to create an ambience that is in keeping with the exhibition.

The Fabric of India explores the rich world of handmade textiles from India. Music composed by sound artist Jason Singh complement the spectacular display. Audica MICROpoint loudspeakers were chosen for their ability to deliver high quality sound despite their small size, which allows the speakers to discreetly blend into the background.

Richard Gainsborough, business development manager at Audica, said, "The MICROpoint has been designed to be the smallest possible loudspeaker to deliver high quality audio over a wide area, whilst the softly shaped design ensures it is

Romania - Inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, the American Broadway musical West Side Story has been successful ever since its production start in the 50s.

In Romania, West Side Story has been adapted by choreographer and show director Razvan Mazilu to be presented at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) for the organisation Uniter - Theatre Union of Romania.

SGM's Romanian partner FIVE'S International supplied a SGM package consisting of 12 x SixPack blinders, four P-5 wash lights and two G-Spot moving heads. For the outer theatre building, the IP65-rated Q-7 RGBW flood lights were deployed for architectural illumination.

Lighting designer Alin Popa reports, "We needed the clean colours of the P-5, the fine dimming of the SixPack, the power of the G-Spot and its large pallet of colour temperature control settings. The SG

Germany - HK Audio is set to make musical history and soundtrack a gigantic world record attempt featuring 10,000 performing musicians - some of them big stars, some of them professional instrumentalists, some of them hobby players, and everything in-between - and 30,000 fans at Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena.

We're filling the stadium: powered by HK Audio takes place on 9 July 2016 and will see what would be the world's biggest ever orchestra performing four pieces - excerpts from Dvorak's 9th Symphony and Beethoven's 9th Symphony (4th Movement), the Starlight Express musical's title track, and John Miles' Music (Was My First Love) - under the watch of renowned conductor and ECHO Award winner Wolf Kerschek.

Later in the day, celebrated German performers Yvonne Catterfeld, Johannes Oerding and Daniel Wirtz will help the 40,000-strong crowd celebrate their

USA - Two of the hottest musicals this Broadway season are supported by reinforcement systems built around Meyer Sound Lyon linear line array loudspeakers. School of Rock features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and sound design by Mick Potter, while On Your Feet, the inspiring story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, is supported by a system designed by Andrew Keister and Steve Canyon Kennedy of SCK Sound Design. Both shows mark the Broadway debut of Lyon.

With School of Rock opening in early December, Potter says that his choice of Lyon to cover the 1,500-seat Winter Garden Theatre was a matter of scaling up from the Leo Family's newest and smallest loudspeaker, Leopard.

"We workshopped the show at the much smaller Gramercy Theatre, where we had 10 Leopardss per side," explains Potter, who has designed sound for Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions for

Latest Issue. . .

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Advertisement
If you accept, the ads on the page will be adapted to your preferences.
Google Ad
Accept
Decline