USA - Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), one of the city's newer performing arts venues, recently upgraded its sound system with the installation of an L-Acoustics ARCS and dV-SUB loudspeaker setup.

The 468-seat theatre now benefits from twin horizontal arrays each comprised of two ARCS enclosures flown above the left and right sides of the stage accompanied by a single dV-SUB enclosure per side down on the deck. L-Acoustics LA Series amplifiers power each of the loudspeakers.

According to Michael J Graphix, production manager and technical director for Kanbar Hall, "We've wanted to upgrade our system since we opened in 2004. We present many European and Israeli performing artists, and L-Acoustics equipment is usually their first request on the tech riders."

In addition to the new ARCS/dV-SUB system, Kanbar Hall has also utilised L

Russia - In Omsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia, the General Court has commissioned a Nexo line-array sound system installation. The remarkable historic interior of the Courthouse calls for an aesthetic solution as well as a sonic one, and the loudspeaker modules have been supplied in white to complement the sky-blue walls and white detailing of the main courtroom.

Design and installation of this sound reinforcement system has been carried out by Light Sound Systems Company in Omsk City. LSS's Alexander Muravitsky had to propose a solution to the challenging acoustics of the courtroom, which has a ceiling height of 9m, and large picture windows down one side of the room.

"It was not an easy installation, but, from our point of view, the Nexo Geo S8 arrays provided the ideal way to minimise problems with reverberation, while still giving us the perfect dispersion cu

UK - Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, West London, is continually looking at ways to improve its facilities. Its most recent project was to develop a centre of excellence in the performing arts, to which end a bespoke building was constructed, which includes an impressive distributed audio system designed and installed by leading professional audio company, Autograph Sales.

The building, which owes its existence in large part to an anonymous donor, is connected to the existing arts centre by glass bridges, includes 110-seat recital hall, a dance/drama studio, a suite of teaching rooms that can house between one and six students and a music room that can accommodate a full orchestra.

Autograph designed an extensive audio infrastructure allowing analogue and digital audio signals to be routed to and from any room in the building, allowing many digital and analogue audio/medi

Singapore - The Victoria Theatre in Singapore has been refurbished. A new MA Lighting dimMA solution consists of four 19" racks with 228 channels of 3kVA and 12 channels of 5kVA. Each dimmer rack was equipped with one MA Network Dimmer Processor (NPD - two to operate the dimmers and two as a backup. If the main MA NDP fails the backup system takes over 'control' without interruption.

In the second phase a grandMA2 full-size console will be installed for control. As the shipment of the grandMA2 consoles will not start until 2009 a grandMA full-size series 1 will be used until the new console arrives.

Raymond Yong was the project manager. Desisti Asia Pte delivered the lighting equipment. The electrical contractor was Xin Bao.

(Jim Evans)

Dubai - IIR Exhibitions has pledged greater focus on the Install market - in both the Commercial and Residential sectors - for PALME Middle East 2009.Exhibition director, Alex Heuff, has confirmed that a dedicated Install Middle East vertical show will provide the hub of this year's show on April 26-28 2009 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. As part of the continuing evolution of the PALME brand, Install Middle East will have its own dedicated space and entrances, and will host more than 150 exhibitors. The show will also feature for the first time an Integrator Pavilion, which will allow up to seven of the region's major project consultants and installers to show their portfolios.

Heuff states: "The Pavilion is specifically for regional systems integrators and is aimed at attracting the property developers and consultants who work with them.

UK - One of London's latest high profile office and leisure developments, Kings Place offers high quality public arts facilities, including a concert hall, recital rooms, art galleries, waterside bars, restaurants and corporate event spaces.

Also acting as the headquarters for two orchestras - the London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment - the Dixon Jones-designed building has been developed with acoustic excellence at its heart, with the inclusion of three Ampetronic induction loop systems ensuring that as many people as possible can appreciate the outstanding programme of events that the resident King's Place Music Foundation is providing.

Installed by Edinburgh-based Northern Light, two Ampetronic ILD1000G loop drivers power a pair of induction loops in the main concert hall at Kings Place. With an all-seated capacity of 420, the hall features a narr

UK - A.C. Special Projects has designed, supplied and installed full technical facilities for the Sidney Stringer School's multi-purpose theatre and drama studio. The School has built a reputation as an innovator that encourages experimental teaching practices, and offers a range of BTEC vocational courses including drama & theatre arts, and music, for students aged 11-18.

After losing its original theatre in a fire, the School's head of drama, Michael Collins, approached A.C. Special Projects to provide complete technical facilities for the new installation. Starting with an empty shell and power feed, the company specified the entire lighting, rigging, audio and AV products inventory for the theatre. Also, various equipment was supplied for a separate drama rehearsal space.

The lighting equipment includes an extensive list of ETC, Robe & Chroma-Q conventional, moving light &

Ireland - Robert Juliat, has supplied a substantial quantity of its 1K and 1.2K fresnels and PC fixtures to Ireland's first custom-built opera house. Wexford Opera House, in South East Ireland, is concealed behind a re-instated street front in the town's main street.

Occupying 4.5 times the space of the old opera house it replaces, Wexford Opera House has been built to the highest standards with quality and attention to detail given to every aspect of its development and construction. The result is an exciting new multi-purpose performance space capable of offering a varied, year-round programme of opera, theatre and dance.

The specification of Robert Juliat lanterns had been on the cards with the Opera House's design team since the initial conception in 2005. Amongst this team were theatre consultants, Carr & Angier, which was involved throughout in the design of both the mai

Russia - Moscow's "MODI", which serves as an Arts Center for the Kuzminki region, recently underwent a major renovation that included new audio and lighting equipment, cabling, power equipment, new seats, complete hall renovations (ceilings and flooring) and more. On 18 December official dignitaries commemorated the opening of the renovated theatre.

LTM Music supplied the lighting and audio equipment for the theatre which houses two venues. The first includes 593 seats in the main hall and a further 191 seats in the balcony area, whilst the second venue has 199 seats.

Compulite lighting equipment included: Vector Red; Vector Blue; 7 CompuDim 96/48 cabinets (244x5kW, 100xRelay 25A); 2 CompuDim 72/36 cabinets (100x3kW, 24xRelay 16A); and 4 MobileDim (40x5kW, 32x3kW).

LTM engineers worked closely with in-house technical management when selecting the lighting consoles

UK - Maurice Brill Lighting Design called upon Artistic Licence to provide the control solution for the permanent lighting installation and for the Opening Night ceremony of Ballymore Properties' landmark residential building, the Pan Peninsula, at Mill Harbour near London's Canary Wharf.

One of Europe's tallest residential buildings at 509ft, this 50-storey building consists of two towers, the top of which are illuminated by external LED feature lighting. The LEDs form a series of asymmetrical patterns of intersecting horizontal and vertical strips across the top 5 storeys of each tower. Reflected in the water below and surmounting a signature restaurant and a 50th floor cocktail bar with panoramic views of London, the lighting serves to increase the aura of this world-class architecture, says the company.

Artistic Licence's award winning Colour-Tramp system was specified to

UK - Curve, the theatre complex in Leicester, opened to the public in November - with ETC providing the building's lighting and making up much of the lighting rig.

Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, Curve sits at the heart of Leicester's new Cultural Quarter. The building is designed to provide a highly versatile series of performance spaces: a dividing wall between the stage of the Main and Studio Theatres can be flown out to create one combined stage, and the side walls of the stagehouse can be flown out as part of the building's remit to expose the behind-the-scenes workings of theatre to the visiting public.

Lighting control for this versatile space presented a particular challenge to Leicester Theatre Trust, the management organisation of Curve, led by theatre consultants CharcoalBlue, lighting consultant Ian Moulds and the Leicester Theatre Trust's Capital Projects D

Snow Business - Heavy snowfall caused several West End theatres to cancel their Monday evening performances. The newly-opened Oliver!, Avenue Q, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys were all called off. The Royal Opera House performance of Die tote Stadt was also cancelled. Promoters said the weather meant that they could not guarantee the performers and crew would be able to make it into central London.

Eurovision Countdown - Jade Ewen has been chosen to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK in Moscow. The Londoner won the public vote ahead of Sheffield siblings The Twins and Welshman Mark Evans after all three acts performed My Time. The ballad, heard for the first time, was composed by Lloyd Webber with US Grammy-winning lyricist Diane Warren. The compo

The Netherlands - D&M Installation (DMi) has announced the signing of an agreement between D&M Europe B.V. and Control4. The agreement provides D&M with access to Control4's digital home automation technology to produce a range of Escient home control products. The Escient branded products will be available in over 50 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"The Control4 control platform is a comprehensive complement to the Denon, Marantz and Escient product lines," said Bert Kiggen, brand director of DMi. "This agreement is a further milestone in our objective of providing custom installers with best in class, end-to-end system integration solutions for whole home entertainment, and environmental and security control. We look forward to working with Control4 in extending our system integration offerings throughout the EMEA CI markets."

USA - When the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Centre (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute opened, its theatre, concert hall and two studios were ready for action with automated rigging from J. R. Clancy.

Eight years in the making, the 221,000sq.ft Curtis R. Priem EMPAC near Troy, NY, includes nine levels of studios, a 1,200-seat concert hall, a smaller 400-seat theatre, a studio with seating for 240 people, another that seats 120, a 1,500sq.ft rehearsal studio and four artist-in-residence studios.

Designed by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners of London and New York, the project's construction began in 2003. Theatre consultants Fisher Dachs Associates designed rigging systems, with J. R. Clancy supplying the rigging and acoustical equipment for the four performance spaces.

For the theatre, the company provided 22 high speed (0 - 240 fpm) hoists with 2000-lb. capacit

Australia - The Franciscan church of St. Mary Immaculate is located on the east side of Sydney. To improve the sound of the existing system located in the church, R&B Sound & Vision chose the D.A.S. Audio Artec and Factor systems.

D.A.S. Audio distributor in Australia, Magma Systems & Engineering, offered their considerable experience in the installation of D.A.S. systems in religious centres. They recommended the use of the new Artec systems. Specifically, four white Artec 26 sound boxes were placed vertically in the altar area. These systems, ideal for near field applications, offer clean cut and sleek styling fit perfectly in any type of architectural space, says the company.

On either side of the hall, four white Factor 5 systems were used for paging and background music. These two-way propylene monitors offer precise directional sound symmetry. Pete Hotson of Magna System

Germany - The Trade Fair Tower in the heart of Frankfurt Main is considered one of the most exclusive and attractive venues in the Rhein-Main region. With eight meeting rooms, two lounges and a bistro, the Trade Fair Tower offers plenty of room for the most diverse events: conferences, roadshows, , main assemblies, incentive events, or after-work parties.

Since the beginning of 2008 PDM Light & Sound has been the official technical supplier to the Frankfurt Trade Fair Tower Service GmbH. PDM manages the existing audio-visual technology already installed in the building, and provides additional equipment and professional support as the need arises.

"We're happy that the Frankfurt Trade Fair Tower Service has chosen us to be their long-term partner," states Fred Jung, managing director of PDM Light & Sound. And Carsten Krause, sales manager for HK Audio Concert Sound a

Spain - The Goya Theatre, which was founded in 1914, first started its theatrical activity in 1916 and was later converted into an important theatre in the city of Barcelona. In addition to being used as the headquarters of the Aragonese Centre, the theatre has staged productions in which many famous have taken part.

In 2004, the theatre was forced to close and was on the verge of ceasing its activities, but the Focus Group took charge of bringing it back to life in order to prevent the loss of one of the most emblematic artistic and drama centres in the city.

The refurbishment work executed in the Goya Theatre, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2016, is based on building a new theatre within an existing frame. The theatre has a capacity for 520 people, including both the tiered stalls and the amphitheatre. The remodelling project has a cost of 3.7 million euros, of w

USA - Vibrant colours from Wybron's Nexera colour-mixing luminaires enhance worship services at Woodmen Valley Chapel, a 6,000-member church in Colorado Springs.

Ten Nexeras, in both profile and wash models, paint the back of the church stage, including the fabric draped dramatically on either side of the main projection screen.

"It brings life to the stage. It enhances the senses," says Mark Shrimplin, Woodmen Valley's director of technical arts.

The Nexera combines a powerful light fixture and CMY dichroic colour changing in one unit. The Nexera's compact size and quiet convection-cooled operation make it popular among churches and small theatres.

Shrimplin likes the Nexera's smooth colour changes. Having the colours morph seamlessly into one another helps the church's volunteer lighting crew, he says. The Nexeras also provide quality light for the church's tel

USA - Built in 1920s, Hollywood United Methodist Church's architecture was inspired by Westminster Abbey and has provided the backdrop for Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act in addition to hundreds of scenes in other movies.

But Hollywood UMC's outdated and underpowered sound system could not survive the transition to more contemporary music. It consisted of a handful of little 6" speakers mounted near the bottom of the cathedral's awe-inspiring support columns and was barely sufficient for the choral reinforcement for which it was originally designed.

Eventually the church's A/V tech, Dave Whittaker, requested meetings from area integrators for a Renkus-Heinz-centered system. One of the firms he contacted was Platt Design. Their president and senior designer, Bill Platt, is a two-time Emmy winner and spent 15 years as director of audio and show development for all of Wa

UK - In March 2006, the Leicester Theatre Trust, part of Leicester City Council, ordered an integral automation system as part of the building of Curve - a venue that was boldly commissioned to make the world of theatre visible from the outside in. This imaginative and unusual brief required the innovative thinking of automation pioneers and Stage Technologies was chosen to meet the challenge.

In July 2008, champagne corks popped as the venue was handed over, fully kitted out with a remarkable automation and flying system that incorporates 76 winches and 12 portable point hoists, a grid that encompasses the entire performance area and a control system comprising two mobile Nomad desks and two handheld Solo consoles.

Visibility was a key element of the brief, with the project directors wanting to be able to exhibit the performance area to a wider audience at the press of a butt

UK - The PAI Group of Companies - incorporating Vaughan Sound Installations, Lighting Technology Projects, PA Installations and Link AV - has been awarded ISO 9001 certification.

The rigorous two-day external assessment recognises the Llanelli-based company's work in the "design integration, supply, installation, service and support of bespoke audio-visual, lighting, sound and dynamic signage solutions to the leisure, retail, education, heritage and sports industries".

PAI Group MD Paul Adams says: "ISO 9001 status is a great validation of our systems and working practices. It's also a massive tribute to the overall vision of all the companies in the group in addition to the incredible teamwork of our full time project managers, administration, service and support personnel and regular sub-contractors. It will enable us to move forward with our current strategic

USA - Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC) was approached by the architectural firm of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates to help with the renovation of the American Wing Courtyard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA). As part of the renovation, they were looking for a better way to access the exhibit lighting for routine maintenance and focusing. The old method was undesirable for the MMA staff and did not work within the design of the renovation.

Approximately 60ft above the exhibit floor, the existing lighting position spanned over 100ft in length and was situated along the edge of a third story gallery. "By applying a little entertainment technology to the museum environment, we provided a well-designed and efficient solution," says Robert Young, associate Theatre Projects Consultants.

Young and Michael Nishball of TPC, through close collaboration, designe

Australia - Adelaide Convention Centre (ACC) has recently invested in 90 Robe 575E AT Series moving lights.

Located in the CBD of Adelaide, the venue's multi-purpose facilities include 14 meeting rooms, 11 halls and an outdoor performance space on the river front. It can accommodate up to 6,500 banquet guests and offers approximately 10,500sq.m of pillar-less floor space for conferences, exhibitions and special events of all types.

Robe was the preferred option for ACC's specifications and requirements once the green light was given for the purchase of new professional moving lights, says technical manager Jamie Masefield. "Robe first came to our attention as the brand with a strong industry credibility for robustness and reliability."

Masefield continues: "We needed large numbers of both profile and wash fixtures for business and logistical reasons. The Robe

New Zealand - Auckland's latest music bar has opened its doors, and features an audio system based around an Allen & Heath audio distribution system comprising an iDR-4 digital mixing processor with PL controllers for easy system control, and a Mark Audio speaker system.

Located in Auckland's popular Kingsland suburb, Neighbourhood is owned by New Zealand brewers, Macs. Installed by Jansen Professional Audio & Lighting, iDR manages audio distribution to various areas in the bar as well as to an outdoor area.

The bar mainly plays mp3 music during the weekdays but on the weekend a DJ plugs into a custom-designed outlet plate connected to the iDR, which is configured with different EQ settings for the DJ, and parameters for hard-limiting and compression on each speaker feed. Jansen used a custom serial data string function on the iDR to control video switching for the DJ's accomp

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