Business News
Enttec opens U.S. factory
Posted on Friday, September 3rd, 2010
The growth and success of Australian lighting solutions company Enttec Pty Ltd has led to the opening of its first North American office and factory this summer: Enttec Americas, LLC.
Located in Durham, N.C., Enttec Americas houses the U.S. sales and warehousing operations for the Melbourne-based Enttec. The U.S. operation’s large showroom displays its variety of innovative lighting control systems for both training and demonstration purposes.
“We started our U.S. operation five years ago. Since then we have seen steady growth every year,” says Nicolas Moreau, Enttec Pty Ltd’s founder and managing director. “The next logical step was to open an office and factory space to further support our North American customers; a location where we would offer training for our existing product line and our new LED-based products. I’m really excited by this new project and confident our customers will appreciate the improved level of service too.”
With 4,000 square feet of space, Enttec Americas stocks a large inventory so orders may be fulfilled off the shelf more often. Combining warehouse, sales and accounts under one roof allows increased efficiency and more flexibility for customers.
“I’m thrilled about the new office and the new company structure because it will give us room to expand in several key areas,” said Jeremy Kumin, general manager of Enttec Americas and U.S. sales and marketing manager of Enttec Pty Ltd. “It’s great to be able to walk around the corner from my desk and see the stock in the warehouse, and watch it get packed and picked up by courier. It makes me feel connected to the lifeblood of the business in a way that filling out a form on my screen couldn’t. Also, I’m looking forward to using some of the new space to assemble certain products here in the United States. That’s a whole new challenge for me, but it will keep things fresh and interesting for a long time to come.”
One factor in the choice of location was close proximity to Research Triangle Park. This region provides additional opportunities for growth, from a highly educated and technologically oriented workforce to the potential for strategic partnering with neighboring companies. Thanks to the integral loading dock and fenced storage area for shipping containers and trucks, high volume orders will be easy to fill. With 3,000 square feet on the ground floor and 1,000 square feet of mezzanine, the new facility offers additional space for storage and for more offices in the future.
In its new permanent showroom Enttec displays its latest products – from its Aleph 1 Series, a low-cost line of LED lighting solutions, to its popular DMXIS packages, Din-Tec products, and E-Streamer devices. By appointment, customers are welcome to visit and receive demonstrations and training.
High Noon passes the winning post with Martin and MA
Posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
The irrepressible Dyke Dunning, managing director of Brisbane-based High Noon Productions, likens his recent purchases from Show Technology to race horses.
”My stable needed another top performer and the grandMA ultra light was the ultimate choice,” he related. “It’s got good breeding, it’s got good form and it has been a proven winner.
”The grandMA fulfills the multimedia area with control through the lighting console and so it has becomes more and more popular. As a result, the AV guys who used to be around twenty years ago with their RGB demanding lots of money have lost to the lighting guys who now do their job!”
Spurred on by excellent reviews which made them a dead cert, Dyke also added sixteen Martin MAC700 fixtures to his stable.
”Again, with the MAC700’s I needed a top performer in my stables so I looked at what the Europeans were doing and the MAC700’s were the new, beaut thing over there. I bought the MAC700’s without trying or testing them – or riding them – because of their proven reliability, track record and breeding.”
The grandMA and the MAC700’s are used on High Noon’s own productions and in the dry hire department.
”The sixteen MAC700’s are a very good dry hire commodity,” commented Dyke. “However, I’d rather have sixteen race horses………”
Dyke notes that Show Technology are the best company that he has ever dealt with and it’s odds on that he’ll remain a faithful punter of theirs for years to come.
”I have a lot of admiration for Emmanuel and the way that he runs his business,” he said. “Their backup service is second to none.”
Photographed are: Regan Hammond and Josh Songergeld
www.showtech.com.au
grandMA2 pushes the Frontier
Posted on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Perth’s Frontier Lighting rolled out the red carpet for their latest acquisition of a MA Lighting grandMA2 light plus wing. The console was highly anticipated by the Frontier crew who were keen to see how the already amazing grandMA – which they own – could be improved!
”The new console boasts all the old favorite grandMA features with the addition of many new and exciting features,” commented Daniel Hocking, Frontier’s Production Manager. “Plus there are a lot of newly developing ones ensuring that we stay on the forefront of control systems. After a “few” days of self-teaching and a surprising willingness to glance at a few pages in the manual, our MA2 went out on its’ first show.
Daniel particularly likes the 3D visualization pixel-mapping on the MA2 as he likes to pixel map various LED fixtures as well as Frontier’s new JARAGs.
”The grandMA2 is a perfect new addition and a big step forward in lighting and media programming,” he said. “It has the same reliability and ‘feel’ of the original grandMA light, and packs a powerful punch with its’ new effects engine. It also features a sexy a multi-touch display for mixing and shaping a fixture plus the ability to run series 1 or series 2 software.”
The grandMA2 is a combination of the grandMA software platform and the newest in hardware technology. The system offers intuitive and fast control of conventional or automated fixtures, video media, LED displays or other technology. Programmers have flexibility to create the layouts and views they desire; this unique level of adaptability makes it the ideal console for all types of situations.
ALIA Committee Nominations close today at 5pm
Posted on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
All committee positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and six ordinary committee members, are open for nominations and election. This is your opportunity to have an input to the direction of ALIA. Due to our members’ wide geographic dispersion and frequently frantic work-habits, the 2010 election of office bearers will be held by a combination of postal ballot, secure on-line voting via the ALIA Forums web site, and personal voting at the meeting.
Nomination forms are available here and should be sent to the ALIA Returning Officer:
Phil Dunesky,
Herkes ProSupport,
PO Box 7213,
Alexandria, NSW 2015
Fax 02 9319 0204
Email: prosupport@herkes.com.au
Nominations for all positions close at 5pm (EST) on Wednesday 18th August.
A list of nominees will be published on the ALIA web site Thursday August 20th, and where there is more than one nomination for a position, members will be able to vote by post, email, fax , on-line, or in person at the AGM. The returning officer will collect and tally all votes for office bearers and committee members.
Postal voting will close on Monday August 23rd, while on-line and fax voting will close at 4pm (EST) on Tuesday August 24th.
Discontinuation of Repair Service for Wholehog 2 Consoles
Posted on Friday, August 13th, 2010
The Wholehog 2 lighting desk has enjoyed an outstanding history as an integral staging component in thousands of prestigious and important events. While we have honored the original service agreements since our acquisition of Flying Pig Systems in 1991, we must now announce the discontinuation of our repair service for Wholehog 2 console hardware, effective August 11, 2010.
Despite the outstanding quality of the consoles, eventually with age, the copper traces are subject to corrosion and flexing breakage of the traces. Solder joints become less reliable. Switches have only a limited number of actions. Electronic components have a finite lifetime, and many components of the Wholehog 2 console are no longer available or at end of life. Therefore, it is not feasible to continue repairing the units.
However, to assist customers with upgrading their Wholehog 2 consoles, we have extended our console trade in program through August 31, 2010. Contact your local Barco / HES dealer for full program details and to take advantage of this limited time offer.
Pro Shop LED’s storm the Gold Coast
Posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010
The Gold Coast is one of Australia’s prime destinations for incentives, meetings and events with many of the premium venues such as Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Jupiters Hotel and Casino and Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort serviced by Staging Connections.
The busy Staging Connections office in the Gold Coast has been building quite an impressive stock of Pro Shop LED fixtures: forty-eight PAR 64 LED cans, forty PAR 56 outdoor LED cans, eighteen MultiPAR Tri-Colour LED cans, twelve LED Fusion Bars and twelve Honeycomb 72 LED bars.
A further thirty Honeycomb 72 LED bars are located at the Sunshine Coast from where they can service the Hyatt Coolum and the Sheraton Noosa.
“The LED fixtures have opened up a whole new world for staging events,” commented Mark Lunt, ?? at Staging Connections Gold Coast. “Previously with ordinary PAR 64 cans we would have heat and gel issues plus if they were on the floor there were health and safety considerations with the public. With the LED fixtures we get a lot more colour and the ballrooms are a lot safer.”
Mark is particularly enamored with the outdoor PAR 56 LED cans which he describes as great for all of the gorgeous pool settings around the coast and reportedly look fantastic.
“Our Pro Shop LED fixtures give our set designers much more freedom with colour and light placement,” he said. “They also help our lighting engineers with power usage as they require no 3 phase or dimmers. We have found all of the Pro Shop LED fixtures to be popular and reliable.”
Vari*lite VLX – So Much More Than Green
Posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010
In an effort to embrace green technology, The Videoplus Group has been researching more environmentally friendly light sources and this lead to them recently trialling the new Vari*lite VLX LED wash light.
Two of the Vari*lite VLX fixtures were utilised on the Breast Cancer Awareness Gala Dinner hosted by Olivia Newton John and held at Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast. The VLX supplied general room wash and effect as well as stage lighting for acts such as James Blundell.
”We’re actively trying to become a greener company,” remarked James Dee, Regional Manager Queensland for The Videoplus Group. “The new Varilite VLX moving wash were very impressive. They deliver such richness and variety of colours in the LED – in fact the colour rendering is spectacular, also through the colour correction and skin tone.
James reports that the dimming curve on the Varilite VLX has to be one of the smoothest he has ever encountered.
”The smooth operation plus low fan and motor noise is also impressive in a venue with a low ceiling height,” he added. “The strobe control is also an excellent feature of the VLX as is the fact that they are lightweight and easy to setup.
”The other positives to the VLX were low power consumption, low heat, long life, and low operating costs. The VLX also impressively shows no evidence of flickering shot through digital video cameras.
”All in all a very impressive and flexible wash light for any production company.”
You can never have enough MACs
Posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Resolution X has recently taken delivery of their 100th Martin MAC700 Profile.
ResX first purchased the Martin MAC700 Profile way back in January 2006 quickly followed by the MAC700 wash. Since then both have proved to be a reliable, bright and packed with features in a compact design.
“You’d hardly know we own this many MAC700 because as there’s such a high demand for them from all areas of the industry, they never spend long in the warehouse before they’re off on another gig,” commented ResX’s Hire Manager Marcus Pugh.
Resolution X has found that the MAC700s are very popular for everything from rock ‘n’ roll, to corporate events, onto TV game shows and theatrical productions.
“Martin has managed to put a lot of features into a relatively small body while still being robust,” added ResX’s Moving Light Manager Liz Beedle who has the easy task of maintaining and ensuring the MAC700s can perform all their functions every time they go out.
From CMY colour mix plus a colour wheel, 16 bit extended movement not just on Pan & Tilt but also on; gobo indexing, Iris, Focus and CMY plus the ability to run the units in regulated fan mode to keep running noise down make the MAC700 a versatile fixture for all lighting applications.
Clearlight Shows Launch Their ETC ION Training Room
Posted on Monday, June 28th, 2010
After record sales of over ten ETC consoles into theatres and colleges around Victoria, Clearlight Shows Managing Director, John McKissock, has installed a dedicated ETC Ion lighting console into the training room at their Moorabbin office.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to customer service and support, an ETC Ion console has been set up with Capture Polar visualising software,” said John. “This has several lighting designs available that are suitable for both entry level console training and advanced training. It is also suitable for show programming for experienced console operators.”
V3 Hippotizer media servers are also available to interface with the console and visualiser software to make the facility unsurpassed in its state of the art technology and user friendly features.
Training will be conducted by Clearlight’s in-house staff with further support from ETC training DVD’s.
Clearlight Shows have also added an Ion 2000 channel console into their hire department inventory.
The training room will be available to all customers, bookings are essential so please contact john@clearlight.com.au or visit www.clearlight.com.au for further details.
The Leederville leads the way with MA2
Posted on Friday, June 25th, 2010
The Leederville is an iconic Perth nightspot with six bars spread across two floors but the most prominent feature of the hotel is the massive outdoor arena, featuring a 5m x 3m LED screen and a full on lighting rig. This is the city’s ultimate night time playground and the atmosphere is always fantastic.
Production manager for the venue is Tim Bowyer, a very tech-savvy and hands on guy who takes great pride in his work. For nearly a decade the venue has been using an aging Compulite console that desperately needed to be retired leaving the way clear for a more capable and modern console.
“The Leederville features a huge beer garden, under a big super-truss system, that can hold up to 2000 people,” explained Tim. “Consequently we have a large lighting rig with forty moving lights which need appropriate control. After a lot of research I decided to go with a MA Lighting console.”
In fact Tim opted for a MA Lighting MA2 ultra-lite console favouring its flexibility particularly the ability to set it out in a variety of ways.
“I like having access to many chases and movements right in front of me without having to change pages etc,” Tim remarked. “The ability to have two external touch screens is great too – or will be once the software is available – as it gives me access to even more movement. As I’m operating live to the music I like to have everything laid out in front of me.
”The majority of the time I’m still using my MA2 in MA1 mode but the great thing about this console is that you can run it as a MA1 with the older software. The latest version of the MA2 software is still missing a couple of features which I use all the time, and that’s why I’m still in MA1 mode. Last month’s software update included a few more things I wanted and was just about all there – basically I‘m on the cusp of using the MA2 software and can’t wait!”
More Inventory for Cliftons Perth
Posted on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
After their last purchase of the Robe ColorSpot 700E AT’s, Managing Director Ed Matthews decided to purchase 8 more fixtures to keep up with the amount of work they had to cover the summer festival season. Adding to the Robe 700 range, Ed decided to purchase 8 Robe ColorBeam 700E AT’s to add to his extensive inventory. Ed says “We bought a further 8 Robe ColorSpot 700’s to add to our existing stock as they are a great compact light with awesome output. They have proved to be reliable and the guys just love using them. We also purchased 8 Robe ColorBeams 700E AT’s as they are a new light on the market and something in-between a spot and a wash. The tight beam angles and the amazing light output gives you a whole new look on stage when compared to conventional movers”.
The VuePix®P25 LED Panels have also been a proven success for Clifton Productions Perth when engaging in festivals and corporate events. Ed says “We invested in more VuePix® P25 LED Panels because they proved to be a hit with customers, especially in the festival market. Their extreme lightweight panel is probably the most key feature as it allows you to rig large scale screens in awkward venues that don’t have the weight loadings. For festivals we can rig a decent screen in a marquee or big top without all the associate heavy duty rigging that would be needed for the traditional heavier and bulkier screens.”
Ed said he is really happy with his purchases, especially with the Robe ColorBeam’s as he was really happy with its features. Ed says “This fixture has such huge potential, and I know for a fact the festival market will love it”. Recent gigs showing off the new inventory are the Blues & Roots festival, Future Music and the Laneway Festival.
left to right is Mick, Kim, Aidan & Marty
Hills SVL Unveils Innovative New Website
Posted on Friday, June 18th, 2010
Hills Sound Vision and Lighting (Hills SVL) is the leading provider of the world’s finest professional audio and audiovisual solutions in Australia and New Zealand.
They have just unveiled their new website, located at www.hillssvl.com.au.
The new online hub offers a wide range of product, resources and technical information.It is designed to provide customers with up-to-the-minute Hills SVL news and developments, available via sign up to their RSS feeds.
Crestron Australia and New Zealand – a division of Hills SVL has also launched a new website located at website: www.crestron.com.au
Long overdue for an overhaul, the Hills SVL team has reinvigorated the design and functionality of the websites, in addition to expanding the content. Customers can now download and view brochures, data sheets, product manuals and white papers and directly interact with comprehensive product information
Hills SVL realised that website visitors wanted to be able to access product information in a timely and efficient manner. Challenged by a comprehensive product catalogue, Hills SVL approached the website design and infrastructure with a user interface focus, which provides a seamless interactive experience for all who visit Hills SVL online.
Visit www.hillssvl.com.au www.crestron.com.au
Crazy Offers from designLED
Posted on Friday, June 11th, 2010
Take advantage of some great savings on designLED fixtures including LED Multipars, LED Par Cans, and LED flood lights.
All fixtures can be controlled via DMX or will run in stand alone modes. This includes built in macros for colour changing or single colour. We have RGB and RGBAW fixtures available.
Multipar 3 Watt – Buy 4 for the price 3
RGBAW + RGB, great colour mix, bright and quiet
Available in black or silver
Order Codes: DESMPHP3B, DESMPHP5B, DESMPHP3S, DESMPHP5S
LED Par Cans – Buy 4 for the price 3
High Power LED Par cans (RGB) Pack of 4
Available in black or silver
Order Codes: DESPARHPB, DESPARHP
LED Flood Lights – Buy 2 and Save 20%
Special Offer – Limited Stock – Be Quick!
RGB 1 watt, Full outdoor IP65
Order Code: DESFLD360
LED Panel Floods – Buy 2 and Save 20%
Special Offer – Limited Stock – Be Quick!
Light and Bright, Easy to use, 10mm LED’s RGB
Order Code: DESPAN100
Offer ends June 30th, 2010 or while current stock last.
For orders and further information, please contact Hills SVL on (02) 9647 1411 or at www.hillssvl.com.au
Pulsar Announces Product Guarantee
Posted on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
With over 40 years of innovation, design and manufacturing experience in the United Kingdom, backed by the support of its worldwide network of distributors, Pulsar has built a reputation for creating products that stand the test of time and are proven to be solid long term investments for its global customers.
In line with its commitment to the highest levels of customer support, Pulsar has announced that it will extend its Product Guarantee to three Years with immediate effect.
All Pulsar product ranges are now automatically covered by the Pulsar Three Year Product Guarantee. This serves to endorse Pulsar’s investment in quality, design and manufacturing processes for its ChromaRange LED fixtures and its Lighting Control System products alike.
www.pulsarlight.com
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au
PLASA and ESTA Vote To Merge
Posted on Friday, June 4th, 2010
ESTA, the principal trade association for the entertainment services and technology industries in North America, and PLASA, the lead body for those working in the live events, entertainment and communication industries worldwide have voted to merge their two organizations.
The announcement comes on the back of lengthy consultations with both sets of memberships which concluded recently in a formal vote of Members – ESTA via a month-long electronic ballot which ran throughout May and PLASA via its annual AGM, which took place on Wednesday 2 June in London. Well over 93% of Members from each Association voted in support of the move, which will see ESTA and PLASA integrated to create a single international trade association operating under the PLASA name.
The merger is a significant development for the industry, as it will effectively create the first truly international industry-wide membership body of over 1200 manufacturers, installers, dealers, rental companies, service providers and consultants working across the entertainment and installation industries. This will also include members of PERA – the former Production Equipment Rental Association – which recently merged with ESTA.
In reality, the merger is a continuation of an already established relationship between the two organizations who have worked together on a range of initiatives for many years and who share the same values and aims. Uniting under the PLASA name will lead to a stronger voice for the organization and allow it to actively develop its range of business services and industry initiatives. Both teams will now spend the next six months putting in place the infrastructure behind the merger, the first formal stage of which will be completed by December 2010, allowing the new organization to go live on 1 January 2011.
As part of this, an overarching Governing Body will be established to look after the interests of the membership worldwide, which will work closely with Regional Boards in North America and Europe.
The Boards of both ESTA and PLASA, who actively recommended the merger to their respective memberships, are delighted with the positive vote, as they believe combining PLASA with ESTA will create a highly effective and responsive trade body.
In a joint statement, PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths and ESTA executive director Lori Rubinstein said: “We believe the logic driving the merger is totally sound: the strengths of both organizations are evident and we have an unequalled opportunity to increase the value we provide to Members through services, networking and improved business opportunities. A united approach to the issues and challenges of our industry will provide major long-term benefits and greatly broaden the role of PLASA.
Sydney Theatre Upgrades with EOS and Pathport
Posted on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Sydney Theatre is a state-of-the-art home for the best in Australian and international performing arts. The space comprises an impressive 896-seat auditorium with outstanding technical capabilities as well as a sprung-floor rehearsal studio, spacious function room and stylish, sweeping foyer spaces.
Throughout the year, Sydney Theatre plays host to productions from the Sydney Theatre Company as well as dance and drama productions from the best-loved companies from Australia such as the Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Ballet.
Since many recent productions have been specifying next generation lighting consoles such as ETC EOS, Head of Lighting Andrew Tompkins decided it was time to upgrade. After testing various consoles the undisputed winner was the ETC EOS range.
“EOS gives us a very powerful set of lighting tools to meet the expectations of today’s designers, while providing a familiar syntax for operators moving up from our old Strand consoles,” remarked Andrew.”
Deputy Head of Lighting and Board Operator Sophie Kurylowicz agrees, “I was thrown into the deep end last year with an incoming show on the ION, and after a little training it just felt right!”
Herkes Professional Lighting have supplied Sydney Theatre with a package consisting of EOS, ION, remote processor, remote video interface and Pathport data distribution, including the first Pathport Octo in the country.
“Herkes have been great, ETC reply almost before I’ve sent the email and the ETC user forums have a massive worldwide user base,” added Andrew. “Upgrading a lighting system isn’t meant to be this easy!”
Phil Dunesky from Herkes stated, “It has been a pleasure to be able to assist Andrew and his team at Sydney Theatre with these upgrades. The products speak for themselves and through our excellent relationship with Jands we have been able to offer very keen pricing and back up. We look forward to representing this range into the future.”
The Palais Theatre opts for Robert Juliat
Posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
The technical guys at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre recently decided that maybe it was about time they retired their 25 year old Berkey Colortran follow spots in favour of a newer model. After a good look at what was on the market and after questioning many follow spot operators, Technical Manager Adrian Smith knew there was only one option – Robert Juliat
“It’s been good getting into the 21st century!” he declared. “Not surprisingly, compared to the Berkey Colortrans the Robert Juliat follow spots are an absolute gem! Everyone loves them and they’ve been a huge hit.”
Adrian reports that his operators are thrilled with their three new Topaze follow spots especially now that they don’t have to ‘gel up’ their new follow spots.
“The Topaze follow spots are really easy to use and maintain,” remarked Adrian. “The guys love the fadeout action – the Berkey Colortrans had no manual fadeout and you basically had to use a shutter to do a blackout.
“They’re good to operate, fit the size of the room upstairs and the cost was good too. They’re a compact unit with a small footprint, a stunning light output and a great field.”
The Robert Juliat Topaze follow spots, supplied by Phaseshift Productions, are 1200w MSD follow spots with high-performance double condenser optical systems. They feature a 100 percent closing iris with backplate follower in a removable cassette, 100 percent closing mechanical dimmer and a six-way Boomerang colour changer system fitted with removable filter frames.
Production Shop launches new website
Posted on Monday, May 24th, 2010
The Production Shop are pleased to announce the go-live of their new website and webstore: www.productionshop.com.au
“We work in an industry where quick turnaround on pricing, availability and technical information is of paramount importance, as is an efficient and effective purchasing solution,” said Charlie Nelson at The Production Shop. “The system we’re putting in place here is first rate and we think that our customers will find the new site an invaluable resource in their day-to-day operation.”
With more items, manufacturers and categories being added all the time, www.productionshop.com.au is set to become a popular point of call for much of the Australian industry.
The first twenty new orders over $100 placed through the website will ship with a limited edition t-shirt.
The Production Shop supplies film & TV, touring acts, schools, theatres and architectural installations with whatever they need in order to make their shows or installs happen, as well as carrying out installations in their own right and dealing with the general public on a retail basis. See www.productionshop.com.au for what they carry and for any current specials. You can also call them on 1300 099 492
Vista Up In Flames
Posted on Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics are creators, producers and providers of spectacular fireworks and special effects. A need arose for a DMX controller to control their flame system which shoots flames up in the air from 3 metres to 20 metres high.
”We needed a DMX controller to control each head, to turn them on and off so that we can create rapid movements of flame over great distances,” explained Stuart Bensley, Howard & Sons Display Designer. “We looked at pretty much everything available on the market before deciding upon a Jands Vista for control. The big thing for us was the timeline interface as we do things a little different to the way that lights are programmed. Vista was the only controller that offered us that. Once it’s programmed it’s very simple for an operator on site to use.”
The image shows the flame system in action on the 100th Big Day Out show.
AVSA now Australian Support Centre for LD Assistant
Posted on Monday, May 10th, 2010
Audio Visual Software Australia (AVSA) have been appointed as the sales and support centre for the AutoCAD based LD Assistant design and visualisation software.
You can contact Alex Howard at AVSA for a fully working 30 day trial version of both the standalone full CAD program LD Assistant 2010 Ac10 and the AutoCAD2010 plug-in LD Assistant 2010 PL10.
The program is a fully working 30 day trial. You are only limited by the number of blocks, textures and movies that are included with the demo.
LD Assistant – www.design-drafting.com
AVSA - www.audiovisualsoftware.com.au
RSS feed of ALIA News is available
Posted on Monday, May 10th, 2010
If you use an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader to aggregate your news, you can add a feed of the ALIA News page <http://www.alia.com.au/?feed=rss>.
An RSS feed of the ALIA Forums has been available for many years at <http://www.alia.com.au/forums/rss.php>
Recycled Tech: second hand professional lighting gear on the web
Posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010
Show Technology introduces a specialist local web site offering used and superseded professional lighting equipment at reduced prices.
As part of the Show Technology group, the Recycledtech web site is primarily a tool for the all of the company’s clients including dealers, rental companies and resellers, but also reaches out to all users of the company’s gear.
Recycledtech provides a place to buy used, ex-demo or factory clearance professional lighting technology. All gear traded and offered on Recycledtech will have undergone a Show Technology standard service and will be issued with a condition rating. All stock listed is available from the company’s Sydney warehouse. A minimum seven-day warranty is provided, so that you can ensure that the units work on arrival. In some cases 3, 6 and even 12 months warranty is offered.
Recycledtech features equipment from lighting brands such as Martin, MA, JEM, Look, Kupo, Robert Juliat, Pro Shop and Pulsar. Equipment is constantly sourced both from trade-in deals among many locations around the country and from Show Technology’s own superseded stock lines. Even special purchases from manufacturers may be added to this list.
Recycledtech will constantly be looking for equipment to add to its lists so if you have something for sale, contact them through the sell function. If you are looking to purchase equipment you can sign up for the early bird notification emails and youll be notified of new Recycledtech equipment becoming available for sale.
Robert Juliat spotlighting Dubbo
Posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010
The Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre (DRTCC), a major project which bought together a new 500-seat tiered theatre and the existing Dubbo War Memorial Civic Centre building, opened in April this year.
The tiered theatre boasts a full state-of-the-art computerised sound and lighting control room, a box office, acoustically designed auditorium, hydraulic orchestra pit, raised stage, dressing rooms, ‘green room’, refreshment bar and designated seating for people with disabilities.
When appointed as the venue’s Technical & Production Coordinator, Shane Lomman knew there was one piece of equipment he had to have – the Robert Juliat Topaze follow spot. In fact he ordered two!
Shane is a great fan of the Topaze follow spot and it seems that wherever he goes it goes too. Previously Shane was the Head of the Lighting Department at Mackay Entertainment Centre where he purchased two Topaze follow spots followed by another for the Mackay Convention Centre and it was the same story before that when he was at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
In fact the photo above is two years old and was actually taken in Mackay but Shane pointed out the Topaze still looks the same and he’s probably still wearing the same shirt!
”In the last eight years I have purchased seven RJ Topaze follow spots,” declared Shane. “I have been hugely impressed by them since day one. I frequently check to see what else is available on the market in that range but there’s nothing that compares. Robert Juliat has always been good to me and I was more than happy to go with them again.
“The optics on the Topaze are really excellent and the balance is good. I do like the internal frost arrangement that particular model has but the most redeeming feature of the Topaze is the dowser and the way it is controlled by a rotary bar half-way down the lens tube of the lamp. It means you don’t have to actually take your hands off the follow spot to fade it up and down. All of the people that I have employed over the years have had nothing but praise for this system.”
More Martin MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures for Matrix
Posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Late last year Matrix Productions took delivery of a dozen Martin MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures which have proved to be popular, reliable and generally fabulous. So much so, Matrix is now in the process of ordering eight more of these amazing powerful LED wash lights.
Revered for features such as a quick response time, a versatile zoom function and brightness that needs to be seen the believed, the MAC 301 Wash™ LED is proving to be the ideal fixture for a variety of productions.
“We’ve taken the decision to embrace LED technology as much as possible and once we’d checked out MAC 301, we knew they were the fixture to order,” commented Darryl Edwards, director of Matrix Productions. “We’ve been really pleased with them and had no problems putting them on jobs. They’re doing the job for us and our customers are happy using them. As well as doing concerts and corporate work, we’ve cross-hired them several times.”
A devote fan of the Martin brand, Darryl has not been disappointed with their MAC 301 Wash™ LED pointing out that having no lamp issues is a big bonus.
“With other moving lights we’re always trying to manage the look of the lamps across all of them so that if we rent two out to an event we don’t end up with mismatched lamps,” he said. “The low power draw is great and takes away a few issues that can pop up from time to time. Often it means we don’t have to hire in generators for some productions.”
Pictured are Matrix’s Mick Letchford, Darryl Edwards and Chris Hastie.www.showtech.com.au
W-DMX™ Gives Free Gear to Facebook Fans
Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Wireless Solution Sweden AB is running a special promotion to attract fans to their facebook fan page. All fans that join from now until May 10 will be entered into a draw to win free W-DMX gear. Current fans will be included in the draw.
“We want an easily accessible way for our current and potential clients and OEM partners to keep track of what we’re doing,” says Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution, “We think this new social media outlet is a great way to do that and we want to spread the word as fast as possible.”
The facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wireless-DMX/267608936069?ref=ts&v=wall or just search “Wireless DMX” or find Twitter at www.twitter.com and search “wirelessdmx”. In addition to news stories, the sites will post training schedules, trade shows, Wireless University seminars and other relevant information. Those with technical questions are asked to direct them to helpdesk@wirelessdmx.com for an immediate response.
The draw will be held on May 15 and announced on the facebook site.
W-DMX™ by Wireless Solution Sweden AB has become the world standard for wireless DMX, winning awards on both sides of the Atlantic. W-DMX “outshone the rest” in an independent test (Lighting & Sound International). Specified with perfect results in high-profile lighting projects everywhere, W-DMX has been used for lighting the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver; the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Headquarters in Kuwait; Andrea Bocelli live at the Colosseum; Times Square in New York City; the Nobel Prize Banquet; the Berlin Wall 20-year Anniversary; and many more.
For more information about W-DMX™ by Wireless Solution, visit www.wirelessdmx.com.