Sixty82 presents an all-new TPM29S, a new 29cm box truss that is up to 25% stronger, yet fully compatible with, the M29 series box truss.
By introducing TPM29S, the first in SIXTY82’s new TPM Truss Series, Sixty82 has re-invented the industry’s most popular truss type, the M29S box truss, to deliver a new product with a wealth of added benefits to the end user.

TPM29S is up to 25% stronger than similar box trusses enabling it to withstand the most demanding conditions. An improved design of the diagonal braces helps to increase the strength and stability of the truss system, while the new optimised shape and dimensions provide better support to withstand higher forces.

Extruded end frames enable TPM truss to withstand more load without deforming. The extrusion process ensures a precise and uniform shape that is 100% square with a perfect fit, reducing the risk of failure due to poor connections. The extruded end frame also makes TPM29S bounce- and smash-proof.
The removal of the end diagonal support in the new design makes for easy storage and allows easy placement of uplighters within the truss without interfering with the light output. A new truss spigot made of stronger alloy adds a further key improvement to the strength of the TPM Series.
A major feature of the TPM29S is that it is fully compatible/interchangeable with the current M29 Series and can be seamlessly integrated into any M29 Series setup. In cases where both truss types are used, customers can simply use the loading tables of the M29 truss for safe and reliable operation.

Sixty82 is proud to state that the whole process of design of the TPM Series jigs, robot track and integration of the system was entirely carried out in-house by the Sixty82 team.

“We have taken the holistic approach to improving our whole production process, not only implementing advanced robotics technology, but also adapting the design of the truss to fit the robotising production process as perfectly as possible,” says Sixty82’s Fokko Smeding. “This unique approach has allowed us to achieve maximum output with the shortest lead times of a top-quality product.”

TPM Series truss is the perfect solution for anyone looking to expand their M29 series and take advantage of the latest innovations in truss technology. TPM29S is the first in the series to be released. Contact SIXTY82 to find out more.

For more information on Sixty82, visit www.sixty82.nl

When you imagine an eclectic dining experience in Hollywood, you might not always imagine seeing a performance by a world-class DJs, or from touring performers from around the world—in the same evening, in the same seat.
That is the experience at MainRo, one of the latest “clubstraurants” trending in the area, a creation by owner Romain Zago, known in the Miami club scene for Mynt Lounge in South Beach, Florida.

Zago has brought into fruition the successful merging of savory meals and glamour décor, then transitioning into a nightclub, with stunning lighting effects and professional sound. Redefining the concept of “dinner and a show.”

When Zago began construction at MainRo, he brought in Miami-based system integrator Pawel Roguszczak (clubTech, LLC) to design and install the new audio system. The venue will host many types of performances to include touring DJ’s, vocalists, and live bands— one step beyond the Mynt Lounge approach. Zago gives Roguszczak complete control over the decision and budget for the install.

Pawel Roguszczak

“RCF has always been on the top of my list, there were so many reasons why RCF would work in this particular venue,” said Roguszczak, owner and installer at clubTech. “We were looking for something ultra-compact that would give us tour-quality sound on a permanent scale.” ClubTech got its start in 2007, specializing in nightclub venue build outs, that included two Mynt nightclub locations built by Zago.
“We have experience with RCF’s sister company, dB [Technologies] equipment, installed in both Mynt locations. We’ve worked with RCF in permanent installs with smaller products in the past. RCF quality and price point is amazing, it made perfect sense,” Roguszczak continues.

One of the arrays being lifted. One HDL 15-AS and four HDL 10-A.

The room dimension at MainRo is a standard 100’ by 40’ rectangle, with a stage on one end, full dining in the early evening, which then converts to nightclub with table service.

“The MainRo system is a bit of a hybrid system, the main arrays are HDL 10-A [14] with HDL 15-AS [4] subwoofers for the main arrays, on the floor we installed passive subwoofers from the RCF S-Series, Two double 18” and two single 18’ subwoofers.”

As with many system integrators, when asked about some of the challenges during the project, there is one above them all, “COVID”, Roguszczak replied. “The project started in early 2020 before the pandemic started, I did some technical drawings and I spec’d everything with RCF in mind.

Of course in the venue it wears his protective front grill but this is what’s hidden behind it.

At that time, it was also a time when we could actually buy equipment. It became true enough at that time there would be a shut down, and it became real, so we made the decision to purchase the system in March and put the equipment in storage. We were lucky to book the purchase at that time because LA was very restricted.

During my first trip to LA, Hollywood Boulevard was surreal, like a ghost town. The challenge was whether we would be able to fly, book a hotel, find general contractors, so we had more logistical challenges, more than the installation itself,” describes Roguszczak. “With RCF, the installation was the easiest part, honestly.”

More on RCF or on MainRo

Andre Beekmans and a talented team from his Eindhoven, Netherlands based design studio, The Art of Light, created a stunning lighting scheme for the 2022 Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF) a one-day electronic music extravaganza of epic proportions produced by ALDA and staged at the Johan Cruijff Arena as part of the 2022 Amsterdam Music Event (AME).

Andre chose over 400 Robe moving lights to be a major part of the lighting rig, including 166 x LEDBeam 100s, 192 x Pointes and 76 x MegaPointes, which helped make a significant impact for this glorious first post-pandemic AMF.

Andre has lit the event for the 10 years since it started, and with this year being the first since 2019 everyone’s expectations were even higher than usual, and he worked closely with event technical production manager Maarten Hoogland from ALDA in creating the set and staging elements as well as delivering the lighting design.

A breath-taking line-up of A-list DJs hit the dex between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for 10 hours of nonstop pumping dance mayhem including Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, Timmy Trumpet, Tiësto and more, who thrilled the crowds sonically, while Andre and the team ensured the visuals made it a night to remember!

The big challenge was creating a visuality that fitted the vast stadium space yet also brought the intimacy and special energy of a nightclub.

Taking the multiple crosses of the AMF logo as a visual starting point, eleven giant crosses outlined with LED strip lighting and rigged with additional lights were designed and custom fabricated. Five of these were rigged above the stage – a cluster of three together upstage centre were on a motion control system and flew in and out behind the DJ – which was a visual crowd pleaser!
These three AMF crosses were flanked by two single ones left and right of the stage at the back, with the other six deployed around the other three sides of the football field.
Each 7.5 metre high AMF cross was rigged with 12 x Robe LEDBeam 100s, chosen for their small size, light weight, power, and punch.

Having these set pieces strategically spaced around the stadium ensured there was always a signature brand ident in every direction that people might look or that any of the live camera feeds could be panning, an effect that was magic for all those revelling Insta and TikTok moments!

From the start, Andre had been conscious that this branding should be visible in all the footage and photos, particularly those taken from the DJ booth perspective shooting out across the crowds!

Instead of having a big slab of LED screen upstage, Maarten and Andre were keen to have something more abstract and interesting, more of a LED feature than a bit of TV, so this set piece was created with strips of LED that could work separately or together as one big canvass when needed. It could also be lit from behind to add depth, and the content created by Veemee Visuals was designed to work more harmoniously with the lighting.

“The idea was very much trying to keep the focus on the music and fun and simultaneously present a really cohesive visual picture,” explained Andre, “basically creating this massive dynamic nightclub space filled with energy and great vibes!”

Robe fixtures like Pointes and MegaPointes are a go-to for Andre in this type of situation – their speed, versatility, array of effects and intensity make them ideal for lighting dance music events, as well as reliability as dance shows are a gruelling work out for any moving light!
In this case, six Pointes were rigged on 32 x motion-controlled trusses above the audience across the stadium. The movement brought an additional aesthetic layer to the picture and generated multiple spectacular looks throughout the night, sometimes swooping in dramatically low above the audience.

“To ramp up the club effect, the design really needed lights coming in from all angles and directions,” Andre noted, adding that it was a massive space to fill so they needed lots of bright fixtures, and the moving trusses were designed with Pointes as the optimum lightsources, combined with 76 x Robe MegaPointes across the stage area. “These two fixtures are a brilliant mix,” he stated.

The Pointes and MegaPointes were right at the essence of the design, the MegaPointes were mainly rigged behind and in between the LED video banners for blast-through and other beam-tastic looks – at which they excelled!
Andre’s design featured approximately 650 other lightsources including LED strips, floods, and other moving lights, all controlled via four grandMA3 full size consoles (two live and two backup) operated by a team from the Art of Light.
Joining him on the operating shifts were programmer Kasper Iseger; Jaap Kamps who took care of all the LED strips and other ‘scenic’ lighting, and WYG / previz tech, Kasper Dijksterhuis.

On site they had only one intense evening of programming, and not from the optimum position of being on the football field … as the grass is only covered at the last moment before doors. Then there are all the guest LDs, which is why they made the WYG suite available.

Many artists did bring in their own LDs or lighting operators, including Michael Seeverens, Armin van Buuren’s long time lighting director, an artist also closely connected to The Art of Light. Andre himself operated for the first and last two acts of the night / morning.

“We knew everyone coming to FOH and there’s always a highly social atmosphere and plenty of positive camaraderie on events like this as well as each person being on the quest to give each artist a special show!” he commented.
One of the biggest overall design challenges was to ensure that the global set up had enough latitude to cater for the different styles and genres of music but with 10 ADE’s under his belt, Andre has amassed broad experience in ensuring fans leave with lasting impressions of a great night out!

The ADF show was a massive success as was the whole 2022 Amsterdam Dance Event which looks forward to being back in 2023 bringing a whole new raft of perspectives in celebrating the vibrance and diversity of dance music from around the globe.

Lighting equipment for ADF 2022 was supplied by Ampco Flashlight.

For more info, you can visit the Robe website

Founded in 1993 by musicians and sound engineers, Fohhn has become one of the leading manufacturers for professional loudspeaker systems. Today, mobile and installed Fohhn systems can be found in almost every country in the world.

These products are still developed and manufactured in Nürtingen, Germany. Celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary, Fohhn gets a new logo and a new brand color.

Left to right: Uli Haug, Director Marketing/Sales, Nico Schwarz, Marketing manager and Jochen Schwarz, CEO.

Over time, the Fohhn logo has changed slightly for a few times. The new iteration is certainly the biggest: a clear simplification. The wide “F” is being kept – its now angular shape stands for technology, rationality and precision. Some pianists may also recognise the contour of a grand piano. The circle symbolises emotion, art and sound. It reminds of a loudspeaker membrane.

The previous corporate color orange is replaced by a more muted sky blue. The softer, light color represents openness and also the discreet way in which Fohhn systems can be visually integrated. With the claim “Colors of Sound”, there will also be multicolored elements that underline the diversity and flexibility of the portfolio, Fohhn Customizing and the brand.

The Fohhn SoundLab.

With its new image, Fohhn is looking ahead to an eventful future – with both anticipation and confidence. The foundation for this has been laid. Milestones have been the in-house development of amplifier series, the expansion of the widest beam steering range on the market and the construction of the new company building, including the Fohhn SoundLab.

Future innovations are already underway with new conferencing solutions, PoE speakers and new beam steering systems. The commitment to sustainability is also a key part of the future orientation. Fohhn takes the awards for this field as an encouragement to do even better in the future. More information about new products and sustainability will be shown at the ISE in Barcelona in February.

More information on the Fohhn website

UK rockers alt-J were back on the road again in 2022 having released their fourth studio album “The Dream” earlier in the year, and their enigmatic live performance style could be enjoyed with a new lighting design by Davy Sherwin.

A striking scenic element of the design was created using 60 x Astera NYX bulbs hung on a series of asymmetric drops from the overhead trusses and attached to specially modified mic stands deployed on the floor.
All of this created a cool organic looking ‘forest’ of NYX Bulbs which were supplied together with the other lighting kit for the UK and European dates by Hampshire-based rental specialist, Liteup.

Davy wanted to bring a fresh look to the stage and something that was simultaneously intimate, quirky and interesting, and the NYX Bulb drops were one of the first visual pictures that came to mind when he started imagining the design.

He knew they would work for big scenic looks as well as being able to help close the space down for some of the more intense numbers. He had become familiar with the various Astera products during the pandemic when live events halted, and he was able to transfer his lighting skills and sensibilities to working as a console operator / programmer on several films and television series.

“I needed a versatile, lightweight and cost-effective solution for creating big bespoke looks and it immediately just screamed ‘NYX Bulb’ at me,” he explained. Liteup already had the fixtures in stock as they have a good range of different Astera products.

To create this specific NYX Bulb environment, most of the fixtures are hung on random length catenary wires from all three trusses – front, mid and rear – so they covered the whole area. To add depth and three-dimensionality, Davy deployed approximately a third of the NYX Blubs on the floor stands and around the band for a fully immersive experience.
The stands and the wires disappear into the darkness when the band are onstage and in full flow, so the Bulbs look like they are floating in the air!

It is Davy’s first stage lighting design using these products! On the TV and movie sets he had discovered just how adaptable and dynamic they were to use as practicals and other basic lights, but ever since then he had been waiting for an opportunity to incorporate them more imaginatively into a stage or music show context.

He sees the wireless connectivity as a big advantage although they were used wired on the alt-J tour, and he loves the colours, noting that they are “proper and beautifully mixed,” unlike so many other LED bulbs!

He has discovered numerous NYX Bulb effects in the process of programming this show – colour effects, dimmer effects, twinkling, chasing, sequences and big blocks of colour – and with 60 over the stage area, he was able to use clusters of them to highlight solos or to accent inflections and incidentals in the music – sometimes extremely subtle but with maximum impact like ‘popping’ above the heads of band members during a solo.

“They are simply fantastic for strobing and adding those little kinetic flourishes to certain musical parts,” he noted. “They are an ingenious and well thought through product that is seriously so much more than a colour changing lightbulb!”

Vidéo presentation:

Even Davy was surprised with how inspired he became and the sheer number of different ways he found to use NYX Bulbs in the alt-J show!
Fitting them into regular ES lampholder strings which are light and easy to attach to the trusses made the daily rigging detail quick and efficient.

Lighting for the tour was operated for the tour by Dave Singleton using a grandMA2 Light with Liteup’s Marc Callaghan also on the crew as lighting tec. Marc commented “NYX Bulbs – and all the other Astera kit – has proved a great value investment for us, and designers like Davy are continually finding new and inventive ways of using the products!”

For more information about Astera, you can visit the Astera website

Novelty is pleased to announce the signing of an exclusive acquisition agreement with the Italian Company New Light S.r.l.

Based in Milan, New Light is a technical service provider in lighting, sound, video, truss & rigging, with a stock of equipment very similar to that of the various Group agencies.

The Novelty-Magnum-Dushow Group thus wishes to pursue the support policy of its customers in cities with a strong international presence and in particular Milan where Novelty is already actively working for the fashion weeks.

The management and teams of New Light will remain unchanged. The New Light by Novelty agency will benefit from all infrastructures, logistics, administration and other support of the Group and will become our first Italian agency.

More information on the New Light Italia website and on the Novelty Group website

Dan Norman opts for GLP power to animate complex circular rig and stage geometrics. Post Malone’s GLP lighting solutions have been no strangers to Post Malone’s stage scenography over the years, and his latest Twelve Carat tour – with Dan Norman (of Evolve Lights) now in charge of the visuals – is no exception.

Introduced to the creative team in 2019 to help programme new songs that were added to the Runway tour, he has subsequently worked consistently with the Posty Touring team, along with production manager Dennis Danneels. Along the way Norman designed the artist’s Billboard Awards remote performance in a sand quarry and a New Year’s Eve Bud Lite livestream event during the pandemic prior to a 2021 festival run.

These successes earned him the right to light Post Malone’s latest concert tour, in support of his fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache. Once again, the LD has drawn on a slew of impression FR10 Bars and JDC1 hybrid strobes, provided by PRG.
This formed a large part of a complex set populated with 750 fixtures, illuminating three long runways and multiple small interconnected circular B stages, which allow him to move within the crowd and feel their energy.

FR10

GLP JDC1

“I spent time working out the math with Tait and Dennis [Danneels] to make the stages as wide as possible in the arena while keeping things as close to square and 45 degrees as possible,” states Norman. “Creating the vertical architecture of this stage was important, with the extension of the seven circles into tall columns of light serving as the main look of the show, and overall I’m really happy we were able to find a way for Post to connect with his fans.”

Most of the fixtures reside on concentric rings above and under the seven circle stages, enabling the columns to glow brightly. The remainder of the fixtures were placed in such a way as to connect the circles visually to the one larger stage – including strobes to hype up the crowd and lasers. “Many of the looks were designed to be optimised by what also looks good on cellphone cameras, as everyone posts the show online to some social media platform,” the designer explains.

Having used the GLP impression X4 Bar 20 in previous designs “to create epic sheets of light”, he was excited by the prospect of using the even more powerful GLP FR10 Bar batten to uplight through the grated circle decks to create those seven vertical columns of light. “I needed a unit of intense brightness to combat the almost 40% loss of light due to that grated decking – and the FR10 Bar really delivered,” Norman continues.

“When we turned them on for the first time, we all just went ‘wow!’” Tait created a custom hanging bracket for the 23 FR10 Bars that created the horizontal line of light upstage.
As for the JDC1, according to the production manager, after the first show Post Malone remarked that he immediately recognised and appreciated the JDC1, which had featured on almost every previous show.
In fact the JDC1s have been a long-time workhorse for Post Malone shows, and with so many on this tour they provided the necessary punch to light up the entire arena. “I chose the JDC1 in particular because I love the white strip in the middle,” says Norman. “There is something delicate about arranging them on the automated circle pods over the seven circle stages, and glowing them at 5%. You get this halo that is so ethereal, giving such a clean and cool look.”

With the number of songs in the show, combined with the automation moves on the pods, he also wanted a fixture that could tilt and be used for multiple purposes. “We shine the JDCs outward, using them either as blinders, glowing architecture or quick high power white snaps, and then deep saturated red and blue. I also tilt them inwards and glow the mechanics, chains, cables and structure of the pods to make them feel like they are alive and breathing.”

Returning to GLP’s impression FR10 Bar battens, Dan Norman is a big fan of the RGB and white: “Having a white chip in LED products makes creating less saturate colour way easier – and they look great on camera. We use a wide range of colour on this show, typically using one or two colours plus white for a song, which provides a clean look and is easily distinguished between songs. “We love to see Post in silhouette, with plenty of fog… and the FR10 Bars create that epic look.”

The lighting cues were programmed by Dan Norman on a grandMA3 full-size running MA2 software, assisted by associate programmer Eric Christian, while ‘Six’ is the touring LD.
Of the PRG team, he describes account rep Burton Tenenbein as “a pleasure to work with.” The crew itself was led by Terry Mueller, with systems tech Patrick Sieg, and featured Ryan Textor, Lindsey Norman, Johnathan Reese, Zachary Hair, Edin Castaneda and Randy Foote.

More information on the GLP website

This is the story of a current. An electrical one. It should connect men, bring them energy, comfort, warmth, and light, and yet a twilight gangster who thinks he is a Tsar deprives the Ukrainian people of it, plunged into a war as useless as it is barbaric.

The French political elite is not doing any better by betting on all-electric to fight global warming while abandoning the nuclear sector and not developing enough renewables, which is called squaring the circle for the ENA (a French “grande école”,i.e. an elite institution, which aims to train civil servants).
It is also the energy that has supplied the air conditioners of the stadiums of the newly rich of the desert sands who, with great blows of bribes and sacrificed subcontracting, bought their moment of glory.
The electricity that our American friends are manufacturing by fracturing the planet and its resources, and emitting an astronomical amount of various greenhouse gases while launching the war of cheap amperage to attract energy-guzzling companies in search of a new age relocation.

Finally, it is this same current that feeds our businesses and gives life to our events and their technical infrastructures. If LEDs, switching power supplies and class D amps have almost completely supplanted halogens, toroidals (stadiums), and the like in our parks, electrical requirements have not reduced that much in size.

So since there must be wishes during this holiday season, let’s take into account the scarcity and price of the kWh (kilowatt per hour), and even more of the virtuous kWa because it is renewable or does not emit greenhouse gases. In 2023, let’s do more and better, but with less electrical power, our planet will thank us and for the holidays, take it easy on the electrical needs and go full on the celebration!

The editorial team joins me in wishing you wonderful holidays and a year full of good news, warm wishes, a calmer and supportive year, exciting and fun for all.

Ludovic Monchat

One of Britain’s successful girl groups, the Sugababes, embarked on their first tour in 20 years this autumn with their original line up performing a 17-date tour of UK and Ireland. Award-winning show designer Ed Warren chose 24 Ayrton Domino Profile fixtures as his main source of key light and mood lighting for the tour.

“This is not my first time using Ayrton, I’ve loved what they’ve been doing for many years now,” says Warren. “For the Sugababes tour I wanted an LED fixture that was powerful, with a clear, crisp beam, solid colours and reliability. The Domino has all of that!”
Warren sited the Domino Profile fixtures in sets of eight, on the upstage deck and on each of the upstage and downstage trusses.

“The downstage eight were primarily used as our main source of key light, the rest for setting various moods, backlighting the performers, hitting the mirrorball etc.,” he says.
“I created some nice gobo effects for a few songs, and there were some simple looks where the Dominos were backspotting the three performers from above which was really powerful as a stripped back moment.

“There were some simple looks where the Dominos were backspotting the three performers from above which was really powerful as a stripped back moment” reports Warren.

“The design was based around banks of line fixtures which were very bright and powerful. I needed a spotlight that could hold its own against them… which Domino did!”

The Domino Profile fixtures proved to be versatile and reliable too, as lighting crew chief, Neil Smith explains: “With the mixture of UK venues we played ranging from 2000-capacity academies to arenas, we were able to fit the Dominos in all venues.

Our main eight on the floor were always consistent throughout all venues and, with the way Ed programmed them, they were the first fixture to make the first impact of the show at the first hit of the drums, so these were always a priority presence on all the shows.

“I was especially impressed with the Domino’s beam angle and colour output as, with only a few on the floor, they filled any room with wide and tight beam looks. I definitely have to take my hat off to Ed for his design and programming of the tour.

From the first run through at production rehearsals it was a very powerful show, fitting perfectly with the flexibility of the girls’ back catalogue from big ‘90s pop anthems to slow intimate moments throughout the show.

“Having used Ayrton fixtures from Karif LT to the Huracán on many tours and shows over a number of years, it is always a pleasure to tour with them. This tour was no exception and I found the Domino very easy to tour with. Throughout the five-week tour we had zero issues with them.

All credit to Alex Ryan (Director of Touring), James (Head of Intelligent Lights) and their team at CSE. The kit was serviced and prepped so well that it made our lives much easier on the road. I have had great experiences with all of them and I look forward to seeing what Ayrton has up their sleeve next.”

“At Colour Sound we have invested heavily in Ayrton over the years from the Ayrton Versapix RS to Huracán LT, and we currently hold around 500 Ayrton fixtures in our UK rental stock,” says Colour Sound Experiment’s Alex Ryan.
“In Ayrton we have found a company whose service and reliability are exceptionally good, and a product range that lighting designers are really happy with from the output to all the features, so it’s a ‘no-brainer’ for us to keep stocking and supporting the brand.”

Sugababes One Touch tour began in Bristol in mid-October and finished up in Glasgow in November. More festival dates are slated for summer 2023.

For more information on Ayrton Domino and the full range of Ayrton LED and laser-sourced lighting fixtures, visit www.ayrton.eu

Scottish singer songwriter Gerry Cinnamon concluded his summer tour with two sell-out concerts at his home stadium, Hampden Park, in Glasgow, breaking records as he did so. Cinnamon was the first Scottish artist, and the first independent act to sell out the 50,000 capacity stadium – twice!

His long-term production and lighting designer, Pete Hutchison of Illumination Creative Design, knows all about Cinnamon’s determination to entertain every member of his audience and give each and every one of them an unforgettable experience, whichever part of the stadium they are seated in.

‘This Is The Beginning Of The Rest Of Your Life’ is a maxim which forms a big theme for Cinnamon and outlines his intention to bring the party to his fans. His set and lighting are designed to deliver big moments, which include lots of pyrotechnics, video and lighting effects, and are based on an open design which renders the performer highly visible to all.

From an artist’s perspective, Cinnamon likes a lot of haze coming off stage to create that big party look. “He wants to see beams go right out into the back seats as an extra element to keep everyone involved and part of the show, no matter where they are.
You need to chuck a lot of haze out to achieve that! It helps that we had some really excellent stadium hazers from MDG!” says Hutchison who toured with 4 MDG theONE dual haze and fog generators to help realise his design to its maximum potential.

“theONE is absolutely incredible,” he says. “The volume of haze they produce to fill the whole stadium, yet without making the stadium feel ‘smoky’ – an important factor for audience and artist – was unbelievable.”

theONE generators were positioned on the floor at stage left and right, and upstage either side of centre stage. “We had two days of preproduction at the Hampden Park stadium, and an extra programming day in advance of the shows, but no matter how bad the weather was, we still got a phenomenal amount of haze across the stage and stadium,” he confirms.

TheONE generators were supplied by rental company, Adlib, which has collaborated with Hutchison for Gerry Cinnamon’s tours since the beginning of his rise to fame. “It’s hard to pay a complement to theONE,” says Adlib’s head of lighting and video, Tom Edwards. “How do you say anything other than it’s possibly ‘the best hazer in the world’! It’s called theONE for a reason!

“The fact that we never have to talk about them or worry about their performance on a stage as large as this, outdoors in the Scottish weather, speaks volumes! The stage is 22m tall and 30m wide but we never once struggled for haze.
“They gave us enough haze during the day for beams to cut through and never struggled for beam looks in either daytime or dusk. And they are reliable – they just turn up and they work!”

This is the first time Hutchison has used theONE and they definitely did not disappoint: “I’ll absolutely be taking them on any outdoor gigs I do from now on,” he confirms. “They were fantastic!”

For more information on MDG’s theONE and all MDG fog, low fog and haze products, visit www.mdgfog.com

Following the recent announcement of a new Global Sales and Business Development organization, L-Acoustics is pleased to introduce the new Business Development team.

From left to right: Scott Wakelin, Tim Boot, William Cornell, Olivier Roure and Paul Keating.

Consisting of talented experts within the company, alongside recent appointments of renowned industry leaders, the Business Development team will drive the L-Acoustics vision and strategy within key vertical markets while providing expertise and deep support to consultants, partners, and end users around the globe.

Laurent Vaissié

The new L-Acoustics sales organization is focused on sales strategy, business development, and building territorial sales channels. Under the general management of L-Acoustics CEO Laurent Vaissié, the new team is spread across three divisions:

– Sales and Sales Operations focusing on developing regional sales channels;
– Business Development concentrating on developing commercial expertise and end-user outreach in key vertical markets;
– And Strategy leadership developing mid to long-term go-to-markets strategies and key partnerships as well as managing resource planning and market intelligence.

To offer a complete commercial and technical solution to end users and influencers, the Business Development team structure mirrors that of the Project Application, Vertical Market team, led by David Dohrman.

David-Dohrmann

The Business Development team will focus on setting strategies and roadmaps in five key vertical markets.
– L-Acoustics veteran William Cornell takes the role of Director, Musicals & Theater,
– while Scott Wakelin has been promoted to Director, Hospitality.
– Paul Keating will assume a double role as Managing Director L-Acoustics Creations EMEA and Director of the Architectural vertical.
In this new role, Keating will manage distribution, logistics, and application support for residential, marine, and architectural markets in all direct markets worldwide outside the Americas while building relationships with clients, decision-makers, and private owners in this strategic vertical market.

To round out the Business Development team, L-Acoustics has appointed two new key roles.

Olivier Roure

Olivier Roure joins the company as Business Development Director, Sports Facilities. Roure will bring a global approach to the sports facilities vertical, expanding its share within the market.

Roure has built a career of over two decades in the pro audio industry at leading companies like JBL Professional (a Harman Professional Company), QSC LLC, and as an independent consultant. His extensive knowledge of the North American Sports market will be a key asset in globalizing the approach to this critical market.

Tim Boot

Industry luminary Tim Boot joins L-Acoustics as Business Development Director, Acoustics Solutions. Focused on developing the Ambiance Acoustics System, Boot will develop the strategy for this growing new vertical market, identify and build key relationships, define market segmentation, and support growth strategies.

He will also contribute to product development and improvement via market and competitive analysis. Boot has over 30 years of experience in the industry, including audio production, acoustics, design, and manufacturing. He’s a seasoned business leader, most recently with Meyer Sound.

“This new organization will deepen our expertise in key vertical markets, strengthen our network presence globally, and allow us to plan a multi-year business roadmap that addresses both our current product offering and future innovations in loudspeakers, software, electronics, and services,” concludes Vaissié.
“With this team of outstanding professionals who have proven their expertise within our team and throughout the industry L-Acoustics will continue to elevate the listening experience for live entertainment and beyond.”

More information on the L-Acoustics website

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UK-based Lighting Designer Durham Marenghi is no stranger to high-profile events with numerous Winter and Summer Olympics Opening and Closing ceremonies, Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee events, many citywide New Year’s in London celebrations and more to his credit.

Durham Marenghi (holding the flag). Photo_BWS

He recently lit the Opening Ceremony for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which featured large complements of Claypaky Sharpy X Frame, Tambora Linear 100, Xtylos and Sharpy fixtures throughout the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.
“The ceremony had many symbolic indications that expressed welcome, generosity and hospitality in Arab culture, as well as contemporary musical, cultural and visual performances that were used for the first time in the tournament,” Marenghi explains.

Since the Opening Ceremony took place in a projected world devised by Creative Director Anghela Alo and the content artists at Luke Halls Studio, Marenghi and his team were challenged to light the performers for broadcast without damaging the ‘screen’ environment in which they lived.

“We were operating at a light intensity of around 400 Lux and sports lighting for the games was around 2000 lux, so a very careful approach was required to create the magic to entertain billions of fans around the globe,” says Marenghi. He selected an array of Claypaky fixtures for their light weight, brightness, superior optics and low power consumption.

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“For this event the key factor was weight on the roof and very high truss heights of more than 50 meters to keep the equipment above the technical and camera systems required by the soccer authorities,” Marenghi points out. “Every source deployed had to have a very high light output and very tight beam angle. We usually have lights all around the field of play, but this was not possible with the first game of the competition scheduled only one hour after the opening ceremony.”

He mounted 60 Sharpy X Frames, 40 Xtylos and 80 Sharpys on 20 roof trusses; 16 more Sharpy X Frames on goal posts across two west projection positions; and 18 Tambora Linear 100s plus Neutral Density filters on the side stages and nine more on the center stage. An additional 52 Sharpys were also deployed.

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“Sharpy X Frame was by far our favorite fixture on the rig, a true hybrid,” Marenghi declares. Sharpy X Frame is the most versatile compact hybrid fixture on the market addressing the needs for a bright spot, aerial effects unit, framing fixture and everything in between in an affordable, compact package.

“The Xtylos laser-sourced fixture is a grown up Sharpy, if you will, but with the benefit of additive colors so RGB and CMY are far brighter,” he reports. “It is a very safe fixture, and its IP66 version, the Xtylos Aqua, is perfect for long-throw exterior applications.”

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In addition, “the Tambora Linear is a great and flexible batten with three distinct layers: a conventional solid color wash, which can be overlaid as a mappable pixellated array, and finally the white strobe layer that runs through the center of it. The fixture is bright so we used the ND filter provided on units facing our broadcast cameras.”

Marenghi says, “We were also pleased with the great support and instant response we received from Claypaky in Bergamo, Italy when required.”
Balich Wonder Studio was the Production Company.

For more information about Claypaky, you can visit www.claypaky.com