UK - Electrosonic has announced the promotion of Rob Smith to sales manager of the Cultural Entertainment and Leisure (CEL) business for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Smith joined Electrosonic in 2010 as client account manager for the CEL team, acting as the single point of contact for clients. His ability to continuously exceed expectations has led to his current promotion from Account Manager to Sales Manager.
"Rob brings new ideas and fresh thinking to Electrosonic. His management roles throughout his career made him a perfect choice for this newly developed position at Electrosonic. I admire his keen business skills as well as his strong relationships with our clients, suppliers and associates." commented Chris Conte, vice president of entertainment. "H
Germany - Laser specialist LOBO will present new innovations which complete its comprehensive product portfolio, including additions to its successful Sparks series, a completely new projector for small- and medium-sized applications and an all-new version of its Modula controllers.
The Bliss-XT Compact projector brings the advantages of the award-winning Sparks series to smaller or medium-sized events. Besides a stylish design, it also bundles all characteristic features of its big brother in a compact housing, and is silent in operation. "Considering that the unit is furnished with one of the best scanning systems money can buy, this product is also a small revolution in terms of price," the company says.
Also new, the 'Sparks Power Deck' is dedicated to permanent installations with extreme brightness demands or the need for individual optical set-ups. "In add
Germany - Christie will be supporting two of its partners - Videlco and Vision Tools - at Prolight+Sound 2012, Frankfurt.
Videlco: (Hall 9, Stand B10) is one of Christie's main partners for the Spyder range of products and has developed a console ideally suited for Christie's range of video processors: Vista Spyder and Christie Spyder. The 42 Controls, Single Point of Control (S.P.O.C.) console which Christie is distributing as a third party product, is a media controller centralizing the control of multiple third party systems including projectors, media servers, matrix switchers and video processors - making it ideal for rental and staging applications, broadcasts and live events.
Visitors to the Videlco stand will get the opportunity to see a wide range of Christie solutions including an edge-blended large format projection using four Christie HD10K-M, Christie MicroTiles a
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Strictly FX, Pushing Boundaries
Strictly FX was founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee. Our expertise and knowledge of the world’s leading pyrotechnic, laser, and flame manufacturers allows us to curate astonishing live events. With over 500+ shows performed a year, there’s good chance you’ve seen some of our work!
UK - Continuing its policy of supporting UK trade events for the life safety and security industry, TOA Europe has announced it will exhibit at Firex South, Sandown Park Exhibition Centre, on 13-14 March 2012.
"Firex South is a highly focused, regional event that allows us to spend quality time with the local fire detection, life safety and security installer communities," comments Brett Downing, sales & marketing director, TOA Europe. "The nature of the systems we supply - and the increasingly diverse range of the projects in which they're installed - means it's very important for us to support our customer base, and events like Firex South give us a great opportunity to do just that."
At Firex South, TOA will be showing off its full range of voice-alarm and emergency evacuation systems based around the established modular SX-2000, VX-2000 and VM-3000 plat
Germany - 2012 sees German smoke machine manufacturer Look Solutions celebrating its 15th anniversary, proudly selling their German-made fog and haze generators to professionals worldwide.
Instigated by Kirsten Eicher and originally operating from an office and small workshop storing and dispatching a small product range, Look Solutions soon found it necessary to move in into its own large premises in Ronnenberg/Hannover. Now, with distributors in more than 31 countries and a subsidiary in the US, Look Solutions is a truly global company.
Part of its success is derived from the close working relationship between the production, consultation & sales and service departments which all share the same premises. "This enables fast and constant communication creating the ideal conditions for the development of innovative products, allowing the designers to respond quickly to cus
Germany - After its first presentation to the MA Lighting global distributor network, the MA onPC command wing received much praise and was eagerly anticipated. Now MA Lighting has started shipping this new tool to its distributors for demonstration purposes.
All interested parties can now experience the MA onPC command wing live at their local MA distributor. A list of all distributors can be found on the MA lighting website: www.malighting.com.
Germany - Highlite International will have a prominent presence at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt where the company will reveal over 200 new products in its DMT, DAP Audio and Showtec brands.
The Showtec brand will introduce some new LED products including LED moving heads which will be prominently displayed at its 350sq.m booth.
Thanks to the close cooperation with one of Europe's leading textile manufacturers in the event industry, Showtec will offer "an exciting and new range of innovative textiles and accessories".
DMT will show its new P10 SMD screen which is extremely lightweight and user friendly, as well its new P14,4 mesh screen which can be built in curved shapes.
There will be sneak-previews of the latest KlingNet fixtures.DAP Audio will launch a spread of new products.
(Jim Evans)
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ETC Halcyon Silent
High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features.
UK - Bose Professional Systems Division has introduced its latest FreeSpace products: the FreeSpace IZA 250-LZ/190-HZ integrated zone amplifiers, and the FreeSpace ZA 250-LZ/190-HZ zone amplifiers. Each is easy to install and use, and offers greater flexibility and configurability for creating premium sound solutions for retail stores, schools, hotels, restaurants, and houses of worship, says the company.
The new FreeSpace IZA integrated zone amplifiers are designed for background/foreground music and paging applications. Proprietary Bose Opti-voice paging provides seamless paging over music, ensuring clear, natural speech is heard at the appropriate sound level in the selected area. When used with Bose FreeSpace DS 40 and DS 16 loudspeakers, sound is further optimised through onboard selectable EQ presets.
The new FreeSpace ZA zone amplifiers provide basic amplification and s
UK - The R&D department at Artistic Licence Engineering has been working overtime to produce three new 'ranges' of products along with seven OEM solutions. The new products will have their first full showing at PLASA Focus Leeds.
Fresh for the show will be the two-input DMX / RDM splitter, Duo-Split RDM, and the Panel Range of Mica, Diamond, Quartz and Zircon architectural wall panel controllers. New products and modules have been added to the Multichrome Range, all of which will be on display, plus the expanded Rack PC Controller range featuring the new dVnet '10 click' media server.
Previewing at the show will be the Data Harvester range, focusing around the core component, Art-Sense. This range of products will unlock the world of system integration utilising the benefits of RDM and will change the way a system is managed, says the company. To discover more, quiz Simon Hobd
USA - After a nearly five year hiatus - and eight gold and platinum albums of retro soul and rock 'n' roll - Lenny Kravitz takes to the global highway with an eight-piece backing band in support of his latest and ninth studio album, Black and White America. Taking musical cues from the past while looking forward in true Kravitz style, he pulls together a wide range of musical and cultural influences.
Working with Mike 'Spagoo' Sprague of Sound Image, production/FOH engineer Laurie Quigley crafted an elaborate touring rig that would allow them to retain the high audio quality Kravitz demanded, regardless of the venue size. These two mirrored systems are comprised of DiGiCo SD7s at both FOH and monitors (with engineer Dan Horton) for use on bigger show dates, with a pair of diminutive SD11s for use on the band's myriad promo gigs and fly dates.
Austria - Full service provider Light and Sound has provided an L-Acoustics KARA/KIVA WST line source system for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck.
Innsbruck's city centre was transformed into a huge party zone for the 2012 Games, with an action-packed programme taking place at Medals Plaza, which hosted not only the daily Victory Ceremonies but also the week-long Innsbruck 2012 Music Festival.
The challenge was to find a perfect setup for the wide ranging styles of music performed, from Austrian folklore and folk music through to hip hop, rock acts and the daily Victory Ceremonies, and also taking into account the 90dB limit set by the city.
Light and Sound made good use of L-Acoustics' SOUNDVISION 3D acoustic simulation programme to create a KARA/KIVA system that guaranteed optimal sound and speech intelligibility at every listening position.
Europe - The neo-progressive rock group SAGA was at the height of its popularity in the Eighties, and it seemed when front man Michael Sadler quit the band four years ago that another great Canadian institution had come to an end. But now Sadler's back, and success has returned with him; SAGA has just completed an extensive European tour received enthusiastically by fans and critics alike.
To ensure the voice of the charismatic singer would be reproduced with maximum fidelity on his return, the band turned to Electro-Voice. Sadler's performing style, which makes use of the entire stage, meant that a wireless microphone system was the only viable solution. After a number of tests and comparisons, the band opted for an REV system from Electro-Voice with a hand-held microphone equipped with an N/D767a capsule.
Monitor engineer Chris Kostyra, who has been freelancing for a variety
UK - The NEC in Birmingham has completely refitted its Skywalk with LED lighting to improve the visitor experience while saving energy and lowering carbon emissions.
The NEC asked MHA Lighting to devise a bespoke solution for the Skywalk that would reduce energy bills whilst improving light quality.
MHA Lighting were also selected to replace the traditional fluorescent lighting in their Concourse and Gallery suites with their LED lighting that uses wave guide technology to achieve energy savings of up to 80% with intelligent controls.
MHA Lighting installed 144 TiLites in the Concourse and Gallery Suites and 260 bespoke RodLites above the 400m long Skywalk that were designed to be match the NEC's corporate branding and to be in-keeping with lighting finishes in other areas.
The 30watt RodLites replaced 54watt T8 Tubes (58-60watts with ballast) - immediately creating energy
Georgia - Chauvet is lighting one of the historical buildings in Era Square of the subtropical European city of Batumi located on the shores of the Black Sea. A former national bank for decades, the building is under construction inside, but completely refurbished on the outside, uplit by 121 COLORado 3p IP and 33 COLORado 1 IP fixtures.
Both carrying an IP 66 rating and designed to withstand the harshest weather conditions, COLORado 3p IP and COLORado 1 IP are designed for this kind of permanent outdoor installation in a climate where showers are frequent all year long.
The lights dress all four levels of the building's exterior in saturated washes. The architecture combined with the lighting design transform this building every night at twilight into a fairytale-like castle. All fixtures have been programmed to automatically start-up when ambient light gets low.
Germany - Audio manufacturer Audient will be showcasing its latest compact recording console ASP4816 at ProLight + Sound, this time at a new booth location shared with Dorset-based microphone manufacturer, Sontronics in Hall 5.1 A71. Audient also takes this opportunity to present regional sales manager Simon Horn, who will be on hand on the booth demonstrating products and meeting customers.
Horn handles sales & support for the German, Swiss and Austrian territories since the recent decision to deal directly with these customers was taken. "This is the first time many of our European customers will have had chance to get their hands on our latest analogue console," he says. "It's a fantastic desk, and I have every confidence that there will be a lot of interest during the show."
The Netherlands - The Final Qountdown ended 2011 for the Trance and Techno scene in the Netherlands. Taking place in Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall the event, it was organised by Q-Dance. Lighting designer Tamil van Draanen was keen on giving this event, the last version of a series of Qountdowns, a special mood. Using a grandMA2 full-size and a grandMA2 light as backup gave him the assurance needed to accomplish his mission.
Programmer and operator Martijn van Summeren stated, "We chose the grandMA2 consoles for two main reasons. First because of the extended Timecode function. The show contained seven timecoded shows, one of which was nearly 15 minutes long. Second because of its rich and varied programming features.
"Macros helped me to create the show quickly, and the Effects Engine gave me the creative freedom that I needed to create a dynamic sho
The Netherlands - ISE 2012 gave Alcons Audio the opportunity to again demonstrate how pro-ribbon audio technology is bringing an ever-more lifelike experience to 3D cinema.
For the second year running, a highlight of the show was the 3D theatre, which brought together several of the leading manufacturers of 3D cinema equipment to provide a real world demonstration of their technology.
A collaboration between Alcons, DVS (who provided the server and content), Image Screens (projection screen), Infitec (3D glasses) and Lang AG (projection), visitors were treated to a range of 3D Blu-Ray and CD presentations, including Teutonic rockers The Scorpions in concert action.
The Alcons 5.1 surround system comprised a CRMS (15" LF, 8" MF, 4" pro-ribbon HF) front system and 12 CRMS surround speakers (which feature 8" MF and 4" pro-ribbon HF). Powered and control
USA - Sensaphonics has announced the opening of its new online store. The new e-commerce site is primarily devoted to parts and accessories for Sensaphonics custom earphones and earplugs, and features a secure checkout system powered by Volusion.
"When our clients are on tour, the need for items like replacement cables and desiccant is obviously not limited to business hours," notes Michael Santucci, Sensaphonics founder and president. "Our secure online store allows our customers to order the supplies they need online, anytime."
Notable accessories available online include the dB Check in-ear sound level analyzer, Dry & Store Zephyr desiccant system, and earphone supplies such as Oto-Ease lubricant, cleaning wipes and earpiece soft wraps. Replacement parts run the gamut from earphone cables and cleaning tools to Pelican storage cases and replacement filter
Germany - The Avolites Group takes to the road for 2012's first international trade fair for the events technology sector covering a broad spectrum of products and services with their German partner Trendco in Hall 11, stand D50 and C50 at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt. Avolites Media Ltd. will exhibit its new Ai Media Server in tandem with Avolites Ltd's Sapphire Touch and Titan Mobile lighting control consoles.
Recently, Avolites Media Ltd bought the intellectual property rights to manufacture and distribute the Ai Media Server worldwide. Prolight + Sound offers visitors the chance to view the future of this advanced and fast developing system. As well as demonstrating the currently available Ai Media Server, visitors will be granted the first preview of Sapphire Media. The Sapphire Media Live Video Controller creates a new class of show media controllers unlike anything seen be
Germany - ProLight + Sound 2012 will be the scene of a major celebration for MDG and cast C.Adolph & RST Distribution as the two companies celebrate a long-standing association. The show marks the 20th anniversary of MDG's appointment of cast C.Adolph & RST Distribution GmbH as its distributor for Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
"Twenty years in Germany in association with the same people and the same company is a real cause for celebration," says MDG's Martin Michaud. "Cast has been fantastic in support of MDG products and the team, led by Heinz Siller, have worked tirelessly to bring MDG to a wide range of customers. Prolight & Sound is an opportunity to celebrate the journey so far and to look forward to the next twenty years."
MDG will be displaying the latest version of its dual mode Digital Atmospheric Generator, theONE complete with its adaptable t
USA - Roger Keim who heads up the marketing department at d&b audiotechnik Inc. knew exactly why the company wanted to have a presence at the first ever PLASA Focus in Austin Texas.
"The idea of regional trade events is very appealing to d&b audiotechnik because of the more personalised opportunities it affords our clients. We also recognise that the tie-up between ESTA and the PLASA organisation can only strengthen the industry's voice at government level; so we felt it was doubly important to support this inaugural show."
The d&b audiotechnik booth featured two distinctly different loudspeakers this year, both from the Black range. Part of the T-Series is the T10, a multifunctional cabinet that can be used either as a line array or as a high directivity point source loudspeaker. The HF driver is fitted to a unique waveguide horn producing vertical linesource direct