UK - PLASA has announced dates for Plugfest, a three-day lighting conference running 25-27 April 2018 at The Copthorne Hotel near London Gatwick. Plugfest is an unmissable event for all lighting equipment manufacturers who want to ensure the interoperability of their equipment. It’s a hands-on place to ensure the reliability of lighting products, debug and improve connectivity with others. Representatives who would benefit from the event include product development engineers, system integrators, production electricians and technical support staff. The expert team behind Plugfest, Hamish Dumbreck of JESE Ltd, Peter Willis of Howard Eaton Lighting and Wayne Howell of Artistic Licence, have helped create and define many of the communication protocols relevant to the lighting community and will be on hand throughout the event. Attendees can expect ‘break-outs’ and t
Namibia - dB Audio in Namibia has continued its investment in Robe moving lights with the recent purchase of 12 Spiider LED wash beams adding to their inventory of over 150 Robe moving lights, the largest Robe stock in Namibia. The lights were supplied by DWR and are the latest addition in a steady commitment to the brand which dates back 13 years by dB Audio, one of the busiest rental and production specialists in Namibia. Owner and founder David Benade started the company in 2004, initially as an audio supplier, however it soon made sense to offer other production disciplines like lighting and rigging. At that point, audio was his specialist area, a competitor moving brand was dominant in the region, and, being a start-up, budget was tight. When it came to purchasing some new LED washes, Spiiders were an obvious choice as specified by the dB lighting team led b
UK - Born out of the back of van 24 years ago, BCS Audio has gone on to become one of the UK’s premier, multi-faceted pro audio companies. BCS owner David Shepherd explains why DiGiCo’s latest console, the SD12, was “an obvious investment” and the appropriate choice for the current James Arthur and Tom Odell tours. “When the SD12 was launched, I could immediately see it being a very popular console because it’s such a great fit for both small and large jobs,” explains David. “The footprint of the console means it will fit into a bus or trailer, whilst its twin screens give it the feel of the larger consoles in the range, which helps Front of House engineers with speed of workflow. That’s why we bought two of them and they worked hard all summer on the tours, as well as for the both artists’ appearances during the busy festival season.” “I was u
UK - At the start of 2018, Johanna Town stepped into the office of chair for the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD). Just two months on, she has solidified the manifesto that will steer her course and chart the direction of the association, as she embarks on this role. Town’s diverse career as a successful lighting designer contrasted against the learning struggles she faced at school inform her manifesto. Starting in the 1980s at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, where she applied for and successfully completed a two-year apprenticeship course, Town later became head of lighting at London’s Royal Court, where she remained for 17 years having lit over 50 Royal Court shows, before embarking on being a solely freelance lighting designer. Town says of her new role that she would like “to be a springboard to bring out the best in people who have plans and ambitions
USA - The Audio Engineering Society will hold its third International Conference on Music Induced Hearing Disorders at Columbia College in downtown Chicago from 20-22 June. The conference will focus on strategies and technologies for safer long-term hearing outcomes in the music industry and includes two days of papers and presentations augmented by lively panel discussions. Registration is now open, with Early Bird pricing through 15 April. The Conference on Music Induced Hearing Disorders will feature presentations by a roster of notable audiologists and researchers. The keynote speech, Music for Brain Health will be delivered by esteemed scientist, inventor, and musician Nina Kraus, PhD, of Northwestern University. Other notable presenters include Sharon Kujawa of Harvard, Dr. Marshall Chasin from Toronto, research psychologist Elizabeth Beach of Austra
Vietnam - Adamson Systems Engineering and its Vietnamese distributor, Van Lam Audio Equipment, have welcomed Ho Chi Minh City’s Van Nghe Music Centreas Vietnam’s first E-Series partner. Following the delivery of Adamson’s Applied Certification training for Van Nghe Music Centre’s technicians, the company will demo its new system at Ho Chi Minh City’s Demo ProSound in Vietnam 2018 trade show from 22-23 March 2018. “I had an opportunity to hear several products from Adamson’s E-Series and S-Series at an intimate demo in Hamburg last year, and was immediately impressed by the audio quality. I knew right there that we’d found the high-end system we’d been looking for that will help scale our company to the next level,” says Mr. Hieu Van Nghe, the owner and namesake of Van Nghe Music Center. “The support we’ve received from Van Lam, Sonos Libra in Th
Switzerland - Avolites has reached an agreement with Cast Swiss Light Consulting for distribution of its full range of Titan lighting control and Ai media server products in Switzerland. For more than 24 years Cast Swiss Light Consulting (Cast) has been a leading supplier of fixtures, lighting control, staging, power, signal distribution and accessories for the entertainment, theatre, studio and film industries. The agreement now sees the company become the sole distributor of Avolites control consoles and media servers in Switzerland. "We were looking to expand to meet demand from our client base for top-class consoles and media server technology and we realised only a major player like Avolites could fill the gap," says Silvio Cibien, Cast's chairman. "We believe we are a great match - both companies are focused on delivering the best quality equipment for the indust
Sweden - Rigging Works Sweden (RWS), one of the country’s largest independent rigging and automation specialists, has recently invested in the latest Kinesys Apex technology, having purchased eight new vari-speed Apex hoists to an already extensive Kinesys inventory. The company is run by John McDonough, universally known as JonnyMac. All eight of the new motors were supplied to the country’s high profile 2018 Melodifestivalen tour, together with four of RWS’s existing Liftket motors running with Kinesys Elevation 1+ drives, a Kinesys Mentor 4 controller - offering SIL3 safety over Ethernet - at the hub of the system and one of RWS’s flexible Kinesys Vector control platforms. This gruelling six-week event, known for its high production values, visited six cities to select the Swedish song and entrant for the annual Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
Indonesia - CSA Indonesia recently supplied Gamung Productions with a complete inventory of live audio solutions by Harman Professional Solutions. The Harman systems supplied by local dealer CSA Indonesia include JBL, Crown and Soundcraft solutions. Setiawan Winarto, CEO of CSA Indonesia, says: “An inventory of high-end products is essential to supplying performances with exceptional sound quality and coverage - no matter the size of the event. With the addition of JBL line arrays, Crown amplifiers and Soundcraft consoles, Gamung Productions gained an advantage over its competition, establishing a reputation for versatility and reliable service.” Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, Harman Professional Solutions, APAC, adds: “We’re happy to see our products being used by Gamung Productions, a leading touring and rental solution provider in Indonesia.”
UK - From 2 April, Stage Electrics will become the exclusive distributor of Strand Lighting TV, studio & location lighting in the UK. The Stage Electrics team have already received training from Philips Entertainment Lighting and the distributor is expected to soon be offering product demonstrations to customers nationwide. Shaun Robertshaw, key account manager at Philips Entertainment Lighting, comments: “The decision to make Stage Electrics the sole distributor, has been made to help best serve the marketplace. This arrangement will bring many bonuses, including demonstration product being held at Stage Electrics in the UK”. Anna Western, sales director of Stage Electrics, adds: “We are increasingly operating in broadcast sales, installation, system testing and maintenance. Partnering with Philips to become their Broadcast Lighting’s sole distribu
USA - From today (15 March), Strong Lighting assumes sales, servicing and manufacturing duties for the full line of Phoebus followspots and searchlights. Omaha-based Strong Lighting, which manufactures the Strong followspot, Syncrolite and SkyTracker ranges, will now add the Ultra Quartz II, Ultra Arc II, i-Marc, i-Chip, Titan and various searchlight models to its production line. Phoebus product support, repairs will be provided by Strong Lighting’s team of lighting experts while parts and replacement lamps will also be shipped from its facility. Paul Rabinovitz, president of Strong Lighting, comments: “The Phoebus name is familiar to everyone in the entertainment lighting industry and Strong Lighting is proud to be in a position to carry that tradition forward and take Phoebus products to the next level. Our deep knowledge of followspots and searchlights a
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds, the essential event for entertainment technology, returns to celebrate its 10th anniversary at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds on 1-2 May. Free registration is open for the show that has already sold out, with over 130 international brands set to introduce their latest products. In addition to the wide array of exhibitors from lighting, audio, AV, staging and rigging, attendees will have unlimited access to a seminar programme packed with hands-on technical workshops to inspiring keynote talks. Journalist and LSi contributor Phil Ward will explore the advanced challenges of spatial and immersive audio alongside a panel of manufacturers and sound designers including Tom Slater from Call & Response and Sco
UK - Green Hippo held its 3D Projection Mapping Masterclass at Down Hall Hotel and Spa in Essex this month. The Masterclass training course explored all things SHAPE and 3D projection mapping and attracted participants from Dubai, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland and the UK. The 3D Projection Mapping Masterclass event involved 10 members of Green Hippo, plus two representatives from A.C. Entertainment Technologies, Green Hippo’s UK distributor and two trainers from Notch, the real-time visual creation tool that keeps up with your ideas. A special aspect of this course was the opportunity for attendees to get ‘hands on’ 3D projection mapping experience. At the end of the day, once classroom sessions, delegates headed outdoors to pre-prepared projection mapping stations, equipped with Green Hippo kit, and eight HD Panasonic projectors, provided by VER. The beginn
Norway - ARX has announced the appointment of Oslo-based Prostage AS as the new exclusive distributor of the ARX product range in Norway. The Oslo-based company will represent the full ARX range, including the AudiBox Series, with new models such as the ‘USB DI PLUS’ second generation USB ‘Plug and Play’ digital to analogue pro audio interface, as well as a new range of Dante enabled interface products. The ARX product range will add signal processing tools to a distribution portfolio that also includes Prolights, Yamaha, Lynx Pro Audio, Protruss, Lewitt, JTS, VMB, Enttec and Swisson among others. “Prostage AS is a well-known and respected distributor of professional audio, lighting and AV products and is the ideal partner to grow the market and user base for our digital and analogue product range throughout Norway,” says ARX MD, Colin Park. “Here at ARX
USA - Elation Professional has acquired the M-Series range of entertainment lighting controllers from Harman Professional Denmark ApS, formerly Martin Professional ApS. The asset-based acquisition, set to be completed before the end of Q1, will include a limited-term licence agreement to distribute current controller products using the name M-Series and provide continued technical support and warranty service for prior Martin M-Series sales. Elation already has in place key personnel with expertise in M-Series technology in order to provide on-going support and development of new products. This will ensure a seamless transition for the already established M-Series customer base, offering continuity and continued support by Elation on past sales of M-Series controllers by Harman Professional Solutions. Toby Velazquez, president of Elation Lighting, comments: “W
UK - PLASA, the professional lighting and sound association, will host its Members’ Day and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, 31 May at the Royal College of Physicians, a beautiful and central venue in Regent's Park, London. The day will provide a unique opportunity to network with fellow members, strike up new relationships and share the latest industry insights. Attendees can look forward to a generous lunch and flowing drinks with an enlivening key-note speaker. The PLASA AGM will also take part during the day, keeping members up to date with the association with time to give feedback and ask questions. The event is also an opportunity for members to meet representatives of the newly elected PLASA board, including new chairman Adam Blaxill. There is plenty to celebrate at the event following a successful year for PLASA. The appoint
Creative Funding - Arts Council England has launched a £14.4m fund for research and development projects. The money will be made available to individual artists and practitioners, “without the immediate pressure of showing their work publicly”. Recipients of the Developing Your Creative Practice fund will be able to use the grants – of between £2,000 and £10,000 each – to support periods of research, develop new ideas, international work and training, networking or mentoring. Arts Council chair Nicholas Serota comments: “Every creative person needs time to breathe, to broaden their experience and to develop their ideas. We want all our arts organisations to continue to commission and present new work from a diverse range of artists but we also need to invest in the future. This fund will give creative talent of different ages from different backgrounds th
Argentina - Martin Audio has appointed ARS Technologies as its distributor for Argentina. The Buenos Aires-based company, which also distributes Sennheiser, Allen & Heath, Neutrik, Studer, Rode, Thorens, Universal Audio, ART, Dynaudio, K&M, TC Electronic, RapcoHorizon, Sonifex, Lab.Gruppen and Orban, has extensive experience in the installation and commercial application of professional audio equipment both nationally and internationally and covers sectors including telecommunications, TV and post-production, industrial sound and special events. ARS’ Ricardo Pousa comments: “It’s a great honour to be named representatives of a leading brand such as Martin Audio. In addition to their prestige, history and renowned audio quality, it is unquestionable that they have the loudspeaker array with the highest technology to date - the MLA system - as well as gr
Germany - Motion GmbH, which specialises in dry hire, has added Elation Professional Proteus Hybrid and Artiste DaVinci moving heads to its portfolio of moving lights. The fixtures are available at the company’s facility in Fürth, Germany, near Nuremberg. The Proteus Hybrid, winner of the 2017 PLASA Award for Innovation, is an IP-65 certified 3-in-1 Spot/Beam/Wash floodlight that brings ideas to light under any weather conditions. The unit includes a sophisticated optical system with motorized zoom, CMY colour mixing and a revolutionary cooling principle. HG Dünkel of the Motion Group explains the decision to go with the two innovative luminaires: "We chose the Proteus Hybrid because the combination of a 470-watt hybrid with a weatherproof housing is truly a unique selling proposition. As far as the Artiste DaVinci, it proved the best option in direct comparison w
UK - Digital and live production specialist Really Creative Media has continued its investment in the latest Panasonic projection technology. Nick Dew, managing director of Really Creative Media, announced the company has recently completed the purchase of Panasonic PT-RZ21K 20k lumen laser projectors, ahead of a busy 2018 of high-end fashion events and summer touring with headline music artists. Nick explains: “The new units made a lot of sense for us. They complement our existing rental stock of equipment including the Panasonic RZ31K 30,000L projectors and all the existing lenses and accessories.” The projection can handle 360° install through any axis which makes it easy to integrate into rigs and set designs with less than favourable vantage points for to project from. Nick continues: “As a live production agency we take huge pride in deliverin
Europe - Sennheiser has made a deeper foray into immersive audio by investing in two specialist companies. The German audio giant has acquired Sonic Emotion AG, bringing the Swiss-based company's immersive audio solutions for soundfield control and loudspeaker playback to Sennheiser’s Ambeo technologies. Sennheiser has also made an investment into Dear Reality, the creators of the dearVR 3D audio engine and the Spatial Connect software. Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO of Sennheiser, comments: “We are excited to be complementing our broad Ambeo expertise with additional capabilities in the areas of processing, controlling and reproducing object-based immersive audio.” Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, co-CEO, adds: “Augmented audio will play a huge role in the future, and this expansion will further strengthen our position as the go-to experts in the field of a
UK - Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is launching a full-time online BA (Hons) Theatre Studies degree that will start this September. The course, set to cost from £5,760 per year, is described as an affordable alternative to traditional undergraduate programmes, where students typically cover tuition fees of up to £9,250 in addition to living costs. The course will be accessible from anywhere in the world and will offer a range of online modules led by a team of expert practitioner-academics, who will provide theoretical and practice-based perspectives as they study working theatres, practitioners, playwrights and directors alongside theatre studies at large. Programme director, Jayne Richards, comments: “Using our experience of developing a part-time online programme for mature students, we believe we have created a comprehensive but flexib
USA - National full-service audio, video and lighting integrator and live event production company LiveSpace has added an Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) Adaptive system to its inventory. The system is made up of Anna enclosures and Otto subwoofer modules. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based LiveSpace was first introduced to Anna at a couple of industry trade shows. Since then, they have had the opportunity to demo the Anna/Otto systems for a variety of clients who each have unique audio environments. At that point, it became clear that they could benefit from owning their own Adaptive system. “We were so impressed with the versatility and quality of the system that we decided to invest in it ourselves,” explains company President AJ Sweeney. “It will plug-and-play into our existing live productions and we felt it would further expand our business by offering another nat
USA - High End Systems has launched HogFactor USA 2018, the company’s annual two-phase collegiate lighting programming competition held in conjunction with major trade shows in North America and across the globe. Universities are now invited to enter teams of up to three students. The submission deadline is 30 June and over 20 collegiate teams have already signed up to participate in Phase One. To enter, each team is required to provide a performance lighting piece programmed on a Hog or Hog 4 PC that can be downloaded for free with a special demo version of Light Converse visualisation. Three teams will be shortlisted by 31 July to participate in Phase Two and programme a performance lighting piece based on High End Systems’ 2018 LDI booth design. The teams will then be invited to perform their shows live at LDI on 19 October (Friday) at the High End Systems boo
