China - What started with a major opening ceremony has also proved to be a huge success for grandMA - the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

During the ceremony the full scope of MA Lighting's grandMA series was used - including grandMA2 consoles, MA NPUs (Network Processing Unit) and MA NSPs (Network Signal Processor). But that was far from the end of the story for MA Lighting - it was just the beginning. A plethora of pavilions, stages, central buildings and squares on the huge Expo site also trust in the latest control technology from the German company.

Sites using grandMA/grandMA2 systems include: Culture Centre, Expo Centre, Performance Hall, European Square, Asian Square, Pacific Square, City Square, African Square, American Square, Greenland Square, Baosteel Stage, Boatyard Theatre, Chinese Pavilion, German Pavilion, Lithuanian Pavilion, Private Enterprises Joint Pavilion and the The

Italy - ETC's Rome office has been busy recently, with a number of outings for the Selador series of LED fixtures. At the third Festival of Scenic Arts at the Casa dell'Architettura in Rome, Fulvio Cotogni, regional manager for southern Europe at ETC, joined Italian-based lighting designer AJ Weissbard on stage to discuss the latest developments with ETC's Selador series of LED fixtures.

In spite of difficulties faced as a result of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, which meant that invited speakers from several European states could not attend, the four-day conference saw audience figures top 800.

"Selador received a great deal of interest at the festival, thanks to its innovative colour mixing," commented Cotogni after the event. "The latest additions to the range - Vivid Fire and Vivid Ice - were specifically designed in response to user requests, who

South Africa - Robe Robin 300 Spot and Wash moving light fixtures are making a big impact in the World Cup Broadcast studio for SABC (the South African Broadcasting Corporation), which has been set up in Exhibition 1 at the Sandton Convention Centre, central Johannesburg.

All SABC's 2010 FIFA World Cup match coverage happens in this studio along with several other regular programmes which are broadcast from this temporary location for the duration of the World Cup.

The spectacular set is designed by Dewet Meyer and has lighting, depth and dynamics much in mind. The lighting design is by Andre Rossouw of SABC and Francois van der Merwe of MJ Event Gear. Van der Merwe also programmed the show and is sharing operating duties with Theo Roodt. The equipment is supplied by MJ and SABC.

MJ brought in the moving lights - including the 36 Robin 300s which were purchased specially for

UK - The 2010 ABTT Theatre Show saw the launch of a new online store for the entertainment industry - oubiance.co.uk. The idea behind the website is that the goods available are not simply uploaded from a product database; each item is input by one of the experienced technicians on the team.

Barclay Dakers, who heads up oubiance.co.uk, said: "Traditionally, online shopping for theatrical consumables can take up a considerable amount of time, wading through difficult to understand codes and product descriptions. We wanted to offer a completely different way of doing things. This site is run by techs, for techs."

The site utilises easy to navigate menus and aims to cut through the confusion by offering simpler methods of finding the desired item. For example, the range of replacement lamps is illustrated to enable users to compare what's in their hand with what's on th

UK - Returning to London from touring with Beyonce and recording her debut album in New York, Katy Shotter performed a homecoming concert at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

Lighting designer Dan Terry chose White Light to supply lighting and video equipment for the event. The lighting rig consisted of 12 VLX LED moving heads and six VL3500Q Spots. Due to the limited load in and fit up time the design needed to be quick to rig, reliable and versatile.

"A variation of effects and looks was needed for a concert that was full of different musical styles. I was eager to use the new VLX wash lights and I was impressed with their output. I also needed spots with a bit of punch and the VL35000Qs were ideal," says Terry.

Supplementing the lighting rig, White Light supplied a Hippo Critter Media Server. Terry pre-loaded the content onto the Hippo Critter at White Light's Sou

USA - Welsh rockers Bullet for my Valentine have just finished their club tour across the US which saw them taking in the breadth of the country with a tightly packed schedule.

Lighting designer Christian Bonde knew that with lots of travelling, short load in and out times - and no certainty of the house gear each day - that he needed to bring fixtures that would be bright, fast, easy to rig, and take up next to no space in one of the two bus trailers they had (which also had to take backline, audio, wardrobe and merchandising).

Bonde decided that the GLP impression fitted the bill and took eight as the main part of his system for the show (moving up to 10 for the European leg). He commented, "The impressions were perfect - plug and play, just as I like them. This meant I could rig and de-rig them easily by myself if the local crew were busy with the extensive backline we

UK - When events management company Rel-Event was looking for someone to light a series of outdoor events, they started by seeking personal recommendations - and one company which kept coming up was London Light Production Services.

They went on to commission London Light to provide design, equipment, crew and transport for the production lighting for three outdoor events over the summer period, with the first taking place at Dunsfold, Surrey, in June. The event, called Strings and Wings, started on a Friday evening with a Queen tribute act, re-enacting some of the finest music of the 1970s. Then, on the following day, the history of the aerodrome was celebrated with a classic concert in honour of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

James Hodgeson, managing director at Rel-Event, says, "Although we've worked with London Light's technical director Sam Cro

Germany - PR Lighting has achieved a major breakthrough in Europe with its new XLED 590 LED moving head wash lights.

Experienced German event services company Satis & Fy, with bases spread throughout the country (and Holland), have broken this product into the market after acquiring 48 of the heads - and receiving immediate approval from The Scorpions' long serving LD Rainer Becker, and another of Europe's most respected LD's Vince Foster (presently touring with Nena).

Satis & Fy's Werne-based head of lighting and product acquisition, Rudi Luyckx, placed the order with PR Lighting's German distributors, Focon-Showtechnic after receiving a demonstration. He said he was delighted how quickly these products had been accepted, in a highly-competitive sector of the marketplace.

"Focon asked me to try them, and although the XLED 590's may not originally have been first choice

Rock & Royal - This year's Glastonbury will be remembered for the unusually sunny weather and the number of surprise guests. U2 guitarist The Edge joined Muse, Kylie Minogue sang with Scissor Sisters, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played an unannounced set and Lou Reed was among those on stage with Gorillaz on Friday. Prince Charles also surprised fans when he went on a walkabout and trod the Pyramid Stage boards during the festival's first royal visit on Thursday. Organiser Michael Eavis said his event had "finally got the royal seal of approval" on its 40th anniversary.

Stevie Wonder helped the festival celebrate its 40th anniversary with a crowd-pleasing set to close this year's event. He brought Michael Eavis on to the stage to help sing a version of Happy Birthday.

In The Sale Room (1) - A crystal-studded glove belonging to the late po

Germany - Six cities were on the route of the grandMA2 Road Show that was launched by Lightpower, MA Lighting's German distributor.

In each city the demonstration of the grandMA2 series was welcomed with much enthusiasm - with all participants equally impressed by the convincing performance and the features of the consoles on one network with the MA VPU (Video Processing Unit) or the MA NPU (Network Processing Unit).

The demonstrations gave a detailed overview of the current software version, along with information about the many high profile projects utilising grandMA2 over the last few months. Furthermore, MA Lighting's experts took their time to answer in depth the questions from the numerous grandMA2 users and the many new prospective buyers.

Ralph-Jörg Wezorke, Lightpower's managing director reports, "We know that there is a huge interest in the grandMA2, b

Denmark - Martin Professional has announced the release of Maxedia 4.2, an important milestone in the development of Martin's media server.

In 2009, Martin introduced Maxedia Broadcast on i7 hardware along with the new Maxedia 4 engine, allowing up to eight simultaneous video playbacks in Full High Definition resolution. This latest software update includes over 40 new features from ultra-low latency video input engine performance to a new user interface with enhanced controls.

A series of enhanced controls has been implemented to accelerate workflow and give Maxedia a better feel. The new user interface includes a new colour scheme to facilitate long programming hours in the darkness, yet will still be familiar to Maxedia users, says the company.

Maxedia 4.2 is fully optimised to work with the new ultra-fast MCC Maxedia Capture Card. It also allows 20 layers with Maxedia Co

USA - MultiDyne has delivered two units of its LiGHTBoX to Yonkers Raceway in New York, which employs the systems to transport video from cameras located in strategic spots on the racetrack and the entire complex.

"The MultiDyne LiGHTBoX gives us a lot of flexibility, providing connectivity over one multiple strand of fibre cable," says Michael Rooney, director of Media Convergence, Empire City Casino/Yonkers Raceway. "We can go places we never thought we could, and whether it's in the casino, Winner's Circle or down in the paddock, if there's fibre there, our cameras can be there as well. Also, it was easy to integrate our older analogue cameras onto the LiGHTBoX, along with our SD and HD cameras, which gives us more camera shots and flexibility."

Rooney adds, "I will continue to use the LiGHTBoX for other organizations I work with such as the Pittsbu

The Netherlands - Elation Professional has introduced the Design Brick 70 indoor wall wash and IP-rated ELAR 180 RGBAW indoor/outdoor par can. Both of these compact high-power professional units are equipped with five different color LEDs - red, green, blue, white and amber (RGBAW).

The Design Brick 70 comes loaded with 70 x 3-Watt LEDs (14 each red, green, blue, amber and white), giving a total output of 210 watts. The ELAR 180 RGBAW features 60 x 3-Watt LEDs (12 each red, green, blue, amber and white).

"Compared to typical three-color RGB mixing LED units, the Design Brick 70 and ELAR 180 RGBAW give you more richly blended colours and much more versatile colour-mixing possibilities," said Dirk Kast, general manager for Elation Europe. "With RGBAW colour mixing, you can get very precise and create the exact shade you need, from whites, pastels and skintones to

UK - In June, Black Light installed the stage equipment for one of the largest Christian music festivals in the country. The company constructed the Frenzy Festival's massive main stage inside the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston near Edinburgh and a number of additional stages and technical platforms.

"This is the kind of work that our team love to get their teeth into," says Stephen Reid, Black Light's head of hires. "We love the challenge of creating something really impressive within a relatively narrow time window. It's really satisfying when our team swings into action and all our careful forward planning proves its worth in a job well done."

Thanks to Black Light's comprehensive inventory, it was able to exactly fulfill the client's staging brief and its team of installation experts were happy to work within the strict time parameters demanded by t

Norway - The 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo brought a worldwide audience 'back to the basics' with lighting designer Al Gurdon's array of layered effects, including 88 Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1200 fixtures.

The Alpha Spot fixtures were right in the middle of the action, with the highest number of profiles used on the show. They were built into alternating positions with Jarag units to make up one of the giant walls which could move up or down via Kinesys motion control. The entire back wall was pre-fabricated with custom designed brackets at PRG Birmingham and shipped to Oslo.

Other 'layers' included a wall of Colour Block low-resolution LED fixtures, a 3D curtain of 2000 XL X-Balls over the centre of the stage, and other textural elements such as choucroute, Deko silk drapes, a starcloth curtain and a kabuki drop. PRG with support from Frontlite provided all technical

Cyprus/UK - Global Design Solutions (GDS) has announced the appointment of ArchiLX as its exclusive distributor for Cyprus, further expanding its global distribution network.

Limassol based ArchiLX, founded by lighting designer Ben M Rogers and technical consultant Nearchos Pittalis, offers a comprehensive design and consultancy service for permanent installation and temporary events. The company also distributes leading lighting brands and offers a complete sales and support service to end-users and production companies alike. ArchiLX carries an extensive portfolio from leading manufactures including Clay Paky, Phillips, ETC and Zero 88.

Ben Rogers, design director and consultant at ArchiLX comments, "Paramount to building our product portfolio has been the directive to deliver first-class creative solutions using the highest quality products. The innovative design of th

Denmark - Barco lights feature on the Orange Stage during the Roskilde Festival 2010. The festival takes place from 1 to 4 July and uses a combination of High End Systems automated luminaires and Axon Media Servers to bring a series of stunning effects to the festival's stages.

Roskilde Festival is the largest open-air culture and music festival in northern Europe. Its grounds have room for six different stages, 150 bands, 75,000 visitors and 25,000 volunteers. With capacity for 60,000 people, the Orange Stage is the largest of the six and hosts bands such as Gorillaz, Alice In Chains, Muse, the Prodigy, Motörhead, Prince and many more.

The Orange Stage's lighting rig includes Barco's High End Systems Cyberlight 2.0, Showgun 2.5, and Showbeam 2.5 automated lights. In addition, the Arena Stage uses Axon Media Servers as the main source for the video. The equipment and support

UK - i-Pix BB 2x2 LED fixtures made their live event debut on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury 2010. Twenty of i-Pix's latest BB 2x2 fixtures were incorporated into the general Pyramid production design by Fraggle (Andy Porter). They were rigged on three of the overhead trusses and used for camera candy and general stage washing.

The units were used extensively both after dark and during the daylight sessions - such is the brightness and smooth quality of the light output - and they made a great impression during the day when many other sources would not register on the TV.

Being low on power - drawing a mere half an Amp on full - the BB 2x2 also offers benefits in terms of producing maximum light for minimal electricity.

Pyramid and other stage lighting equipment was supplied by Neg Earth, and headliners throughout the three-day festival included Muse, Gorillaz and Stevie W

South Africa - SABC (The South African Broadcasting Corporation) set up the hub for its World Cup broadcast studio in Exhibition 1 at the Sandton Convention Centre, central Johannesburg. All the match coverage and several regular programmes are being transmitted from the studio for the duration of the tournament.

With a set designed by Dewet Meyer and a lighting design by André Rossouw of SABC and Francois van der Merwe of MJ Event Gear, a grandMA full-size was chosen to control all the lighting. This is supplied by MJ and was also programmed by van der Merwe, who is sharing operating duties with Theo Roodt due to the demanding schedule, which includes the accommodation of several regular SABC programmes as well as comprehensive match coverage.

The rig includes Robe and Martin Professional moving lights, LED fixtures, generics, scrollers and Robe Media Spinners.

The m

Australia - The Jands HPC represents a fully featured range of power control products designed for the remote control of all mains powered equipment. It integrates both dimming and high current full-on and full-off contactor-type elements for each channel to create a power control product that can be used to control any type of mains load.

Relay operation is dependent upon the channel mode as set by the operator. Additionally the appropriate relay/s will operate if the dimmer drive level is at full or off for more than one minute, maximising system efficiency and safety. You can now connect a dimmer per outlet in your stage lighting system and without the need for patching and be able to deliver high quality dimmed power or clean mains from each socket as required, says the company. The adaptability of the HPC series is not limited to the output mode however as it is fully capab

UK - PLASA 2010 is to gain a host of new features this year as the list of exhibitors in audio, video, lighting and staging technologies continues to grow.

There are over 43 new exhibitors who weren't at the show last year, including Ateis, Baldwin Boxall, Bosch, Bose, Christie, Chroma-Q, EAW, Electro-Voice, Intertek, Korg, Lighthouse Technologies, Line 6, Mackie, Martin Audio, M Studio, Penton, Turbosound, Stageco, Sundrax, Taiden, Tomcat, Wasp and Zero 88.

These will add to an already comprehensive line-up of leading manufacturers and industry specialists underscoring PLASA's position as the place to see new products and major industry brands.

The PLASA Innovation Gallery, which profiles all the launch products nominated for a PLASA Innovation Award, will showcase a new format on Sunday 12 September, when entrants will publicly demonstrate their products to the Awards judg

USA - The week of 19-23 July, the Wybron Mobile Showroom begins its tenth leg, visiting New England.

The Mobile Showroom presents a survey of Wybron's stable of products, including the new Cygnus LED Wash Light, in a environment more intimate than a trade show.

"The challenge of this industry is to actually get information to the people who will benefit from it," said Wybron CEO Keny Whitright. "A trade show is terrific, sure, but you're often lacking time to connect with all the folks you would like to."

(Jim Evans)

USA - One of Broadway's recent hits, American Idiot, received the honours of 'Best Scenic Design of a Musical' and 'Best Lighting Design of a Musical' at this year's Tony Awards Show. The award-winning scenic elements of the show centre around numerous video displays and projections, driven by a system comprising a total of 17 Hippotizer HD media servers.

With a musical score based on Green Day's album of the same name, American Idiot debuted on Broadway in April under the direction of Michael Mayer. Mayer led a creative team that included scenic design by Christine Jones, lighting design by Kevin Adams, and video and projection design by Darrel Maloney. SenovvA implemented the designers' vision, and provided the show's custom video system.

Twelve of the Hippotizer HDs on American Idiot are specially configured machines, outputting up to four 720p video feeds to

UAE - Promoter Fluid Production brought Grammy-nominated DJ David Guetta to the Dubai World Trade Centre on 9 April to rock his Middle Eastern fans. His eclectic musical style of combining electro, hip hop and R&B called for a pulsating lighting approach.

Lighting designer Frank Schotman created the special lighting and chose to work with Martin Professional's MAC 301 Wash, MAC 401 Dual and MAC 2000 range luminaires, as well as Martin LC Plus LED panels. The lighting equipment was supplied by Eclipse and acquired from Martin Middle East.

Schotman placed most of the MAC gear on five finger trusses that covered most of the event centre hall, allowing him to envelope the audience in color. He also placed Atomic strobes and other lighting on five truss towers for special effects.

Guetta's show was enhanced by an LED backdrop displaying a multitude of graphics and images. To crea

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