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Business

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UK - Flashlight Ltd has announced it has been experiencing high demand and great feedback from customers on the ARRI Skypanel range since it started shipping in September. Both the Manchester and London offices are reporting extensive sales to broadcasters, rental companies and studios. With over 200 units sold so far the team are adding to their unprecedented numbers of ARRI LED L-Series sold.

Flashlight's Andy Dodd says: 'It has been phenomenal so far, although not surprising as it is a fantastic product. The technical aspects of the product, with its competitive price point is making it an attractive unit for many of our customers."

The BBC and ITV have been some of the first to invest in the new units, taking a large quantity of Skypanels to bolster their various studios. Andy has received nothing but positive feedback from staff there: "They offer everything u

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Denmark - The Musikteater in Vejle, Denmark is a busy - primarily - receiving theatre with a 1200 capacity flexible main auditorium that can be fully seated in a traditional set up or have a standing configuration. The venue also hosts corporate and private events, and the technical team co-ordinate production for a month long outdoor summer entertainment season in the park. They additionally provide technical production for the nearby Spectrum Conference & Sports Centre, which is also run by the city.

Musikteater's investment in Kinesys products started around six years ago, explains technical manager Tor Futtrup, who has been working there for 13 years and initiated this move with a first purchase of 10 3.25 tonne Kinesys LibraCELL load measuring shackles and the Kinesys LibraBASIC system.

The Libra shackle pin is designed to work with the globally recognised Crosby safety

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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USA - VER, the global provider of production equipment and engineering support, announced that it has acquired the business of DPS Inc., a production services company. In a sale ordered by the bankruptcy court, VER acquired more than half of the company's lighting and film equipment, nearly all of its audio, video, and rigging equipment, its 70,000sq.ft facility near Burbank, CA and retained nearly half of the company's employees.

VER is already consolidating its rapidly growing, industry-recognized lighting division at DPS's former location. The new VER Light Lab is being expanded to create the most significant facility in Southern California, enabling clients to design, test, and prep systems in real time, supported by the VER engineering team, enabling even more creative solutions and a streamlined programming and design process.

VER will invest further to enhance the alr

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UK - Taking place as part of the London International Mime Festival, Tipping Point is the latest production from renowned theatre company Ockham's Razor and features five acrobatic performers using simple metal poles to create an unforgettable theatrical experience. It is currently running at the Platform Theatre, London, and has already achieved critical acclaim. With its strong reputation as the leading theatrical lighting supplier, WL is providing the equipment for this ground-breaking show.

Tipping Point is a co-commission by the London International Mime Festival and The Lowry, Salford Quays, and is produced by Turtle Key Arts. Alison King, chief executive at Turtle Key Arts, comments, "With Tipping Point, we wanted to create something extraordinary. The emphasis was on exploring the use of circus equipment yet in an unconventional manner. We were eager

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Poland - Lighting designer Michal Dobek has created a mind-bending light show featuring over a hundred Clay Paky fixtures on the 16th edition of one of Poland's biggest techno music events, Mayday festival.

Taking place across the three levels of Katowice's Spodek Arena, Dobek employed 72 Clay Paky Sharpys and 32 Alpha Spot QWO 800 to shoot intense aerial effects over the audience at the event's main stage. The festival lighting system was supplied by TSE, with the main stage operated by Dobek, Waldemar Osentowski and Marcin Kalu?ynski.

"The Sharpy is the ideal fixture for electronic dance music festivals, especially at this venue," says Dobek. "It is incredibly fast with a precise and reliable beam and is very lightweight."

Weighing just 19kg, the Sharpy produces a perfectly parallel, laser-like beam. The fixtures were spread across several automated

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Germany - An array of Clay Paky Mythos and Sharpy Wash 330 fixtures have been recreated in minute model form at Miniatur Wunderland's latest attraction - an exact functioning replica of German pop superstar Helene Fischer's sold-out concert at the Berlin Olympiastadion in July 2015.

The model features the real life audiovisual elements and detail of the open-air performance, including the lighting rig used for the original full-scale design by Patrick Woodroffe and Andreas Kisters. The build, led by project manager Sven Hinzmann and a highly skilled team of around 40 Miniatur Wunderland designers and engineers, took eight weeks to complete.

Working off detailed spec sheets and 3D drawings supplied by Clay Paky, Hinzmann and his team meticulously built each of the models, integrating the Mythos with RGB LED controlled via DMX. There is also a functioning video element display

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Germany - Traditionally, in Berlin the New Year is greeted at the Brandenburg Gate. Once again, TLT Event AG was in charge of production and technical implementation.

The turn of the year was also the go-ahead for TLT to invest in a RockLink system. On New Year's Eve it came into operation for the first time in order to provide a redundant fibreoptic network for the MA-Net between FOH and Dimmercity.

"As we are placing great value on reliability for our productions, we have been working with Rock Solid Technologies' RockSwitch Mk2 for some time. Moreover, there was an increasing internal necessity to invest in a redundant fiberoptic network", stated Helge Rabethge, technical director Light and Rigging.

"For the buying decision, it was important to us to invest in a reliable system that consists of as few individual components as possible and that is easy to

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UK - Provider of technical production services, Adlib, recently invested in Coda's new AiRAY fully integrated compact 2 x12" / 3-way line array system. Adlib have been involved with Coda for several years having first bought the AIRLINE LA12 and ViRAY systems and subsequently supplementing those with the smaller TiRAY system. Happy with the performance of its Coda range, Adlib were naturally keen to explore any advantages offered by the AiRAY system and identified a number of positives that prompted an immediate investment. From their comprehensive experience of the industry, Adlib identified what they saw as a gap in provision for theatre productions where smaller available line-array systems were not quite adequate but where the requirement for 'the next size up' in the shape of systems designed for arenas, constituted an overkill in both audio provision and trucking requir

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UK / Italy - Audio-visual consultants and engineering experts Hoare Lea chose Shure's Microflex Wireless installation microphones as part of their design for the UK Pavilion's AV systems at the World Expo 2015 in Milan. In developing systems to implement the UK Pavilion's soundscape and audio-visual elements, Hoare Lea worked with architects BDP and integrators Stage One amongst others.

British involvement in the Expo was led by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) with support from seven HM Government departments. The UK Pavilion was designed by award-winning British artist Wolfgang Buttress to reflect the theme 'Grown in Britain & Northern Ireland', and incorporated visual technology, interactive lighting and sound design, a 360-degree immersive speaker array and musical elements to evoke the journey of a honey bee through a series of landscapes as visitors passed through the pavil

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Germany - Motörhead blasted off in the 1970s and rocked gloriously loudly for the next 40 years until their last live gig in Berlin on 11December 2015.

The band officially ended on 28 December 2015, two and a half weeks after that memorable show in Berlin, and part way through the Bad Magic tour with the passing of founder, lead singer and rock 'n' roll warrior Lemmy (Ian Fraser Kilmister) aged 70.

The Bad Magic tour was supporting their 22nd studio album - for which lighting designer Caio Bertti sculpted a classic rock 'n' roll look with the contemporary twist of moving lights from Robe.

The famous Motörhead bomber set piece also flew again for this European tour - its last as it would turn out - and its first time on a tour for many years. It was completely refurbished and brought bang up-to-date with new lighting including Robe Pointes and LEDWash 600s plus a full au

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USA - German sound reinforcement specialist HK Audio announced at NAMM this week that it is undertaking a complete global overhaul of its visual and identity with the introduction of its new marketing campaign: the Soundmakers.

The Soundmakers campaign is the result of two years of work, preparation and planning by HK Audio's marketing team in collaboration with a number of external agencies from across Europe, says the company.

Focusing on the Soundmaker - the person who is fascinated by the energy of sound from any perspective - the campaign brings clean, fresh visuals to the entire HK Audio output, from websites and social media channels through to traditional print advertising and even products themselves.

The new HK Audio corporate design philosophy will be applied by the brand's worldwide business partners immediately, with results set to be seen across an increasin

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UK - The Ministry of Sound (MoS) nightclub, which runs Martin Audio sound systems exclusively throughout its London venue, has extended its long partnership with the British manufacturer by installing 16 of the company's new CDD15 (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) installation speakers in the ceiling of The Box, its premier dance room.

This will enable the club to utilise Dolby Atmos sound technology. Dolby Atmos transforms music performances by allowing sound to move anywhere around a room, even overhead.

The New Year will see the first in a number of Dolby Atmos enabled events, kicked off by Hospital Records on 23 January, utilising 22 Martin Audio loudspeaker channels.

Incorporating synchronised lighting cues, generated from music mixed in Dolby Atmos, Ministry of Sound will immerse visitors in unprecedented soundscapes delivered through the new Martin Audio CDD's and

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UK - Rock band Skindred are known for their lively and energetic live performances as well as their music which is an eclectic fusion of heavy metal, punk rock, hip-hop, electronica and reggae - and so the pressure is always on lighting designer Jordon Cooper to come up with a few surprises and touches of the unexpected.

This design for the current Volume tour is diverse, different and practical to stage in different sized venues. It was also one of the first to feature Robe's new LED ColorStrobe, together with several other Robe fixtures including MMX Spots LEDWash 600s and CycFX8s and 4s.

Jordon, one of a new wave of UK LDs designing for a series of rising star artists - has lit the band for two years.

The design for the latest leg of the tour - which culminated in an amazing hi-energy performance at London's Brixton Academy - started with the set and backdrop. The band

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Austria - One of Vienna's finest concert houses, the Konzerthaus, recently upgraded the public address system serving its Great Hall and Mozart Hall, selecting Meyer speakers and Allen & Heath's iDR installation matrix mixers.

Installed by ATEC Pro, the new system is designed specifically for voice reinforcement. The iDR DSP systems comprise an iDR-4 matrix mixer for the Great Hall, and an iDR-8 for the Mozart Hall, with a PL10 8-channel rotary panel for remote control, and a PL-8 logic box installed in the Mozart Hall for interfacing to external systems.

Control of the entire sound system is via the iDR-8 and additional PL10 controller, including management of a hand-held radio mic and CD players for playback. The system default is Stage Manager mode, enabling limited access and control of settings for simple use.

The iDR-4 and iDR-8 units can be switched in both room

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UK - Following a year which saw White Light expand both its expertise and resources, the company is now launching a new platform from which its extensive range of lighting, audio, rigging and video equipment will all be available to purchase: ShopWL.

The site, www.ShopWL.com is now live and has more than 5,000 products available for purchase, with more than 1,000 of these ready for next-day delivery. The site will offer every type of entertainment technology from state-of-the-art lighting and loudspeakers to the essential consumables such as batteries and tape.

Peter Threadgold, WL's customer services director, comments, "As a company, WL is renowned for providing complete production solutions. We wanted this reputation to be evident with our online shop hence the launch of ShopWL. As more customers than ever before are making their purchases online, it is important tha

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UK - To celebrate five years since the formation of The Aloud Charity - www.thealoudcharity.com - which comprises Only Men Aloud, Only Boys Aloud, and Only Kids Aloud, a one-off concert - Aloud @ 5 - was staged at the Wales Millennium Centre in late 2015.

The charity offers free choral tuition and membership for young people from deprived backgrounds, and the chance to perform in some of the world's largest productions. These have included Britain's Got Talent, The X Factor, and the Queen's Jubilee Concert.

With a total cast of around 350 singers, the sold-out show was recorded by Orchard Entertainment for broadcast on Welsh language channel S4C on Christmas Day.

Founder of the Aloud choirs is artistic and musical director Tim Rhys Evans, and together with Broadway and West End creative director, Jonathan Butteral, and production designer, David Marson, he c

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UK - RH Consulting has launched a major new edition to their guide to voice alarm systems. Originally released six years ago, the e-publication has been comprehensively updated to become the definitive guide to all types of emergency audio system for consultants, manufacturers, installers and venue owners.

Running to 200 pages, it covers all applications where VA systems are likely to be installed, from stadia to public buildings to nightclubs, theatres, transport hubs, shopping centres and much more. It is packed with tables, diagrams and animations to help people comprehend this often misunderstood subject. The guide covers standards worldwide, including Europe, Australia and the USA as well as delivering comprehensive information on the industry-changing topic of EN54.

"We wrote the book on two levels' says RH Consulting founder, Roland Hemming. "For those new t

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Iberia - In January and February, audio engineers in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands can take advantage of advanced tuition on Yamaha's CL and QL series digital mixing consoles and Dante networking, as the company runs a series of free, day-long seminars.

Taking place in Madrid (27 January), Santiago de Compostela (2 February), Barcelona (10 February), Lisbon (1 March), Porto (3 March) and Tenerife (9 March), the training is part of the Yamaha Commercial Audio Training Seminar (YCATS) programme, which provides free, advanced training for sound engineers who already have a good working knowledge of digital audio mixing.

The major topics of each day will be: General overview of the Yamaha CL and QL consoles; System Configuration; Using two consoles (FOH and Monitors); Working with Gain Compensation; Live multitrack recording with Nuendo Live; Advanced Memory Management

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UK - Following last year's successful launch of White Light's audio department, the company will continue building its audio expertise and equipment catalogue all throughout 2016. With a commitment to offering the very latest technology within the audio industry, this has seen a host of prolific clients use the company solely for its audio services. The company's reputation as a leading audio supplier has now been further enhanced by its latest investment in the highly-acclaimed DPA d:screet 4080 and DPA d:vote 4099 microphones.

WL has already invested in the DPA range, with its existing hire stock including DPA d:fine headsets, DPA d:screet 4060s along with the Podium microphones. This latest investment includes a large quantity of DPA d:screet 4080s and DPA d:vote 4099s; all of which will be available for hire.

Marcus Wadland, WL's audio project manager, comments, "It

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UK - Over 65 years after its first production, the popularity of musical Guys and Dolls is as great as ever. The success of the 2014/15 Chichester Festival Theatre production has seen it transfer to the West End, with a tour to follow. Stage Electrics has worked closely with lighting designer Tim Mitchell to help make the transition.

Produced by Runaway Entertainment, the show has just started an eight week run at London's Savoy Theatre, after which it tours 18 UK and Irish cities through to the end of July. As an associate artist at Chichester Festival Theatre, Tim designed the lighting for the original run. Yet, unusually, you won't hear him say the word 'compromise' regarding the tour.

"Budget and time are obviously the two main creative constraints for a tour and we had to massively modify the rig. But I think we've actually improved it. It looks a lot sharpe

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Taiwan - In Taibao City, Taiwan, a southern branch of the National Palace Museum has opened, driving cultural, educational, social and economical development to both northern and southern regions of Taiwan. To commemorate its inauguration, Aurora Lighting was called in to overview the design, and local distributor Jackson Yu of DLHG, to offer project support to the job.

A total of 61 fixtures were used, including 20x Fine Art 230 BEAM, 16x Fine Art 1500 Spot, 20x Studio Due City Colour and five PASP 4K SKYBEAM luminaires. Controlling these automated fixtures was an MA2 Full-size and 4x W-DMX™ BLACKBOX F-1 units.

To enhance the important landscape surrounding the building, the lighting display for the opening ceremony took place by the lake side, which created a barrier between control and lighting rig. "We got worried about DMX runs until we realised DLHG were W-DM

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Spain - Clay Paky Sharpys have one again played an integral role in an epic stunt by trailblazing light artists Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) and lighting designer Matthew Button, who have combined their creative genius to pull off a sensory spectacular for Lexus Europe and singer will.i.am.

The technological feat, which is part of Lexus's campaign for the Lexus NX SUV, sees will.i.am create a choreographed laser light show in time to his hit #thatPOWER, using a trio of Lexus NXs on a disused Spanish runway lined with 350 motion-sensitive lasers and Sharpys. The number-one artist was challenged with directing the three cars to hit the beams at the right cadence to synchronise with his track.

"The fantastic beam quality was the driving force behind the choosing the Sharpy," explains Button. "Having used them previously on a project for Castrol where they

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USA - Avid and Focusrite have a history of industry-shaping collaborations, from the world's first plug-ins to feature a fully skeuomorphic GUI (D2 and D3), to the original Focusrite-designed Mbox interface that brought Avid Pro Tools software to the masses, and Control|24TM, Avid's first mid-format console. Twenty-one years after that first collaboration, Avid and Focusrite are "in deep discussions once more, the results of which they look forward to announcing soon".

Dave Froker, CEO of Focusrite PLC, comments, "We want to make the experience of using Focusrite hardware and Pro Tools software together the best possible experience for all our customers. Avid recognises Focusrite as an ideal companion to Pro Tools and Focusrite recognise Pro Tools as the most mature professional recording platform for new Focusrite customers to adopt.

"Focusrite are the l

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Dubai - Protec, the one of Dubai's largest event rental companies used its BlackTrax real-time motion tracking system and its d3 Technologies' 4x4pro media servers to deliver some complex projection mapping for the grand opening ceremony for the World Air Games 2015 held at Sky Dive Dubai.

Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) ushered in the 4th FAI World Air Games (WAG) at an impressive and colourful opening ceremony on December 3, 2015 in front of an appreciative audience of nearly 5,000 spectators, which included officials and contestants from over 50 countries.

"It was great," said Polish microlight team member Kajetan Ruks. "I've never seen anything like it before. And now, I want to see it again." Joao Franciso, who came from Portugal to compete in the air navigation race said, "O

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