Events

Specialz

Details: 14 March 2016

>An unusual visitor to PLASA, and a new one, Specialz provide PAT tested, CE marked solutions to set designers (TV, concert, wherever) who wish to place lights and other electrical devices into scenic elements. "We also provide low-tech solutions to complicated problems," said co-director Dave Smith. Two good examples were on the stand; a dimmable ballast for fluorescent tubes, flicker and 'plasming' free between 2%-100% fade; and a delightful pair of roving headlamps built for the Weasley family's Ford Anglia, as used for the recent Harry Potter launch at the Royal Albert Hall.

Alcons Audio

Details: 14 March 2016

>Alcons Audio's primary display was its new LR6 compact line array system. Based on a twin 8" mid/high cabinet, the use of a 6" ribbon device for the high gives the system some unique characteristics. The simplified horn construction is the biggest benefit of this driver, obviously giving the potential for much reduced distortion and better transient response, peak power 1000W in 200msecs, 105dB 1W @ 1m. The horn is also rotatable, making a single cabinet positioned vertically a practicalstand-alone box.

Element Labs

Details: 14 March 2016

>Inevitably, PLASA 2003 saw the biggest range yet of LED-based lighting products. Winner of the PLASA award for Design Excellence in the Lighting category, the Element Labs' Versa Tile is a modular, LED-based panel matrix with front diffuser, each panel corresponding to an individual pixel of a computer screen. A relatively small array of Versa Tiles offers a bright, cartoon-like feel, whereas a bigger installation could deliver high resolution imaging. It's currently available in a 5 x 5 pixel unit (50cm x 50cm), but the company's Jeremy Hochman confirmed that both larger and smaller units are in development.

Roscolab

Details: 14 March 2016

>Two new power supplies were among the new products for Roscolab - the PSU-400 and PSU-200, each with four XLR outputs plus four returns and termination switch. These offer triple-fan cooling and are already set up for RDM protocol. For users of traditional metal gobos, 150 new designs have been introduced and a new Gobo catalogue has been published. The Rosco Vortex 360 dual gobo rotator is a sleek device which can rotate one or two steel or glass gobos at fixed or variable speed. Duncan Smith said Rosco were enjoying an excellent show.

Cirro Lite (Europe)

Details: 14 March 2016

>Cirro Lite (Europe) was demonstrating its Lightning Strikes! range of lighting effects. New to the range is the Paparazzi Flash Quad and Longstrike, offering full-power 10-second flash, with focusing beam. In response to demand Cirro Lite has also developed the DMX 4 bank select which allows users to control Kino Flo fixtures by selecting 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the heads to be on or off. The company's fixtures have been specified for use on the forthcoming Olympics in Athens in August next year.

Mushroom Event Services

Details: 14 March 2016

>Paul Butler from Mushroom Event Services had a busy show long before the doors opened, having been responsible for building the Robe Show Lighting and Studio Due stands, in addition to supplying three other stands, plus the lighting for the DJ competition. Other recent projects have included the Custom House Museum Hotel in Manchester and fitting out the new West 1 Shopping complex in Oxford Street with LED lighting.

Rolec

Details: 14 March 2016

>A new hard drive video player, the VHD3 from Rolec took centre stage on the company's stand. Currently on trial at the Edwards chain of bars (owned by brewers M&B), the high capacity MP2 player schedules audio, video and colour graphics seamlessly.

Delta Loudspeakers

Details: 14 March 2016

>Production line white speakers for churches and temples might seem an obvious change to make, but when it involves a whole range then it's apparent that Delta Loudspeakers has made a very positive commitment to this market. Also of interest was the 2015 - a new horn-loaded bandpass sub based on the company's own-design 15" speaker, capable of handling 500W continuous with a sensitivity of 93dB @ 1m 1W, SPL 123dB @ 1m; a lot of power from a cabinet just 20" square and 12" deep.

Projected Image UK

Details: 14 March 2016

>A unique manufacturing process allows Projected Image UK to produce high-resolution glass gobos in both monochrome and full-colour in a wide range of sizes. It also supplies metal gobos as custom designs and from its new extensive catalogue.

Hall Stage

Details: 14 March 2016

>Three products were highlighted by Hall Stage. First up was the new BGV70 band hoist, a fully programmable, variable speed, load-sensing hoist designed for a variety of lifting purposes, including people flying. The band hoists don't have a clutch, so there are no components to wear out. Also on display was the new 2-channel infra red assistive listening system from Williams Sound, the TX925, as well as the innovative Hold-On clips, designed to hang and fix material without the need for eyelets. Very nice.

Awards for Product Excellence - Lighting

Details: 14 March 2016

>Award for Design Excellence
>Element Labs Inc

>Versa Tile

Element Labs' Versa Tile is a glowing light tile controlled by video signal that generates stunning visual effects when used in large arrays. Versa Tile is much like 'electronic wallpaper' and can be used as a modular building block for walls, floors, ceilings - or any surface for that matter. The system is available in 50cm x 50cm panels (consisting of 25 tiles) which can be joined together to create arrays of unlimited size.

Proven LED video display technology allows Versa Tile to produce a broad spectrum of colours to create an endless variety of moods. Complex sequences can be easily generated with the aid of QuickTime, Flash or other media software and displayed using the DVI output on any computer. Compared to traditional videowalls, Versa Tile offers low-cost, a thin profile, a wide viewing angle, low heat,

Pulsar

Details: 14 March 2016

>One of the most eye-catching stands belonged to Pulsar Light of Cambridge, making effective use of the ever-expanding Chroma range of LED lighting fixtures. Several additions were debuted, including the ChromaMR16 Heart, ChromaDeck modules for dance floors, ChromaPanel 300 (a smaller version of the ChromaPanel 600), ChromaCube and the ChromaBank Mk2. Also on show were prototypes of the ChromaScan moving head unit. Away from LEDs, Pulsar had its full range of other products on display, including Masterpiece controllers and the new WinLite Windows-based virtual lighting desk software, available free from the company's website.

Brähler ICS

Details: 14 March 2016

>Conference mic systems from Brähler ICS have been augmented this year with the introduction of the IRX, a 32-channel Infrared linked system. It offers improved sound quality and a new lighter belt pack with user access to channel and volume controls. A new alarm feature (to prevent users from inadvertently walking off with the listening hardware) is an optional addition. CDS VAN, or Virtual Audio Network allows for large rostrum mic and speaker systems to be daisy-chained with Cat5 cable; all controlled from the CDS software, which gives access to full audio DSP.

Turbosound

Details: 14 March 2016

>A compact addition to its range, the Turbosound TXD-081 contains an 8" and a 1" driver with wide-angle dispersion characteristics and a Max SPL of 122dB peak, aimed squarely at the mobile DJ market. The TSB-110 is a passive sub with a 10" dual voice coil driver: compact, with big delivery. The wave-guide for the 1" driver on the well-established TQ440 brings better pattern control and smoother delivery to the HF.

Fuzion // Nexo // Kelsey Acoustics

Details: 14 March 2016

>The busy stand of pro audio distributor Fuzion featured product from Crown, Littlite, Nexo, Camco, Australian Monitor and Kelsey Acoustics. Crown's new Xs Series of amplifiers were debuted: these are 2U, switch mode,two-channel lightweight touring amps with on-board microprocessor control protection and excellent run time thermal capability. A fourth model, the Xs4300 is a four-channel version.

Also on stand was the US-based Littlite's LED gooseneck light for consoles. Nothing new in the LED concept, but this new version features red LEDs as well as the regular blue/white, making for a more readable light.

From Nexo, the Geo T downfill, the 2805, augments the already well-received Geo T array PA: the cabinet contains a pair of 8's and gives 5° spread. Though only on show in prototype form, the Camco Tecton series of amplifiers promise features such as high efficiency SMPS, outpu

Pathway Connectivity

Details: 14 March 2016

>Canadian company Pathway Connectivity was experiencing a busy show. Manufacturers of entertainment lighting interfaces and distribution devices, the company was showing its Pathport system, which allows up to 64 universes of DMX. It enables flexibility for Ethernet installations and for legacy DMX equipment and enables the user to send data signals wherever they're needed.

Par Opti

Details: 14 March 2016

>Par Opti's stand always offers a wealth of fibre optic lighting products and design ideas. One of the more unusual items from the company is its Katerpillar system - essentially a flexible self-support solution which creates an interesting twist to fibre optics and is available in three colours - black, white and clear.

Garwood

Details: 14 March 2016

>'Marketing by stealth,' as Chrys Lindop would have it, Garwood launched its new Tour Guide system without presenting the actual product on its stand. A radio-based system that can support a virtually limitless number of receivers, Tour Guide is an easy communications solution for leading and informing tour groups around museums and art galleries.

Outline

Details: 14 March 2016

>An elegant line array system, the distinctive Butterfly from Outline was launched in Frankfurt back in March, but this is its first appearance in the UK. The sub cabinet features an 18" front speaker with a 15" at the rear for cardioid dispersion. The elaborately curved mid/high box, made from steam mould ply, contains 4 x 8" drivers, two diametrically opposed, and a 3" compression driver on a DPRWG (Double Parabolic Reflective Wave Guide). Its flying system is very neat, with a very simple toothed plate connector that allows angle variation between 0° and 12.5° on half-degree increments. GL-based (rather than Excel) software provides comprehensive array curve and delivery calculations.

Adda Super Cases

Details: 14 March 2016

>Adda Super Cases was celebrating its 25th anniversary at the PLASA Show this year, and enjoying a very busy show. Monica Saunders commented particularly on the very high level of interest from the Far East.

SSE // InnovaSON

Details: 14 March 2016

>On a stand dominated by a display of the Nexo GeoT system, it is flightcases and supplementary packaging that SSE supply for this PA. Big users themselves in their rental operation, SSE has an unrivalled reputation for the logistical simplicity of its packaging. As UK distributor for InnovaSON, SSE also presented the new Sy80. This desk features 80 motorized faders (an unusually large number for any digital console, making it very 'hands-on') and 48 mix buses, the fact of 80 in/outs and multiplicity of buses making the console suitable for monitors or FOH, and at 94kg including dual PSUs, it's not a bad lift for a touring desk of this capacity.

Audient // LA Audio

Details: 14 March 2016

>Audient showed a new range of Digiboxes from LA Audio (now an integral part of the Audient brand, but retaining its own established identity). Aimed at the broadcast and studio environment (though not without application for live use), these boxes included AES/EBU channel divider; word/superclock generator and 4-way S/PDIF splitter box, as you'd expect. Audient itself had three new products: the G400, C400 and GC400 are all four-channel devices - gate, compressor, and gate/compressor combinations as the names suggest.

ESP (UK)

Details: 14 March 2016

>The new RVE Dimkit dimming system was launched by ESP (UK). Available in six models, this is a flexible dimming system that you build yourself to suit your own specifications. The system is easily updated by the user. Also new from ESP's sister company Mobil Tech was the AlpTek 6.5m stand, which takes up to 250kg in weight. A further new product from the International range was the StandTek 3000.

beyerdynamic

Details: 14 March 2016

>New from beyerdynamic were the Opus 300, 500MKII and 800 series wireless radio microphone systems. Alongside the company's own-brand products was a wide range of distributed products, including Bittner amplifiers, the UK debut of the Renkus-Heinz PNX102 line array, ClearOne's PSR 1212 audio matrix processor and XTA's new DP6I loudspeaker management system for the installation market. Biamp's Audia digital audio platform was showcased, along with two new versions - AudiaSolo and AudiaFlex. Complementing these was Cue's media control system line, while ASL's WS Series digital wireless intercom was also on display.

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