The Netherlands - Community has expanded the system design versatility of its flagship I Series Engineered Loudspeaker Systems at ISE 2016 with the addition of five new Compact models, and Weather-Resistant options featuring breakthrough PolyGlas outdoor enclosure technology.

I Series Compact loudspeakers are designed to match the performance, appearance and voicing of the larger I Series Point Source and Subwoofer models. All Compact I Series have best-in-class LF extension, sensitivity and maximum output, ensuring high quality sound reproduction whether used as fill speakers or in distributed applications.

The 6.5-inch IC6-1062 features unprecedented LF extension for its cabinet size and a very wide dispersion 100 x 100 degree fabric dome HF on a shallow waveguide, providing a pleasantly smooth response while retaining high sensitivity.

The single 8-inch IC6-1082 and

The Netherlands - Atlas Cables, the engineering-led cable specialist, has launched two new installation-centric cable ranges dedicated to performance-led custom installations - Hyper si (Screened Installation) speaker cable and the Integra Duo analogue interconnect range.

With the significant increase of wireless signals around any residential or commercial property, RF pollution is the scourge for all system designers and integrators. To combat the effects of this air-bound interference on the delicate audio signals that often require long cable runs, Atlas Cables has produced a range of products dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the audio signal both within the equipment rack and from amplifier to speaker.

Hyper si is a top performing domestic and commercial speaker cable featuring twin 2.5mm2 (13awg), high purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) conductors. Each conduct

The Netherlands - ISE 2016 marks the world debut of a new networkable conferencing audio solution from Shure, Microflex Advance, designed to dramatically improve the audio quality for modern conferencing applications where pristine speech intelligibility is of utmost importance.

Comprising high-quality networked ceiling and table array microphones, audio interfaces, intelligent mixing DSP and intuitive, browser-based control software, Microflex Advance draws on Shure's extensive experience in microphone, audio networking and automatic mixing technology, and packages it in a discreet, architecturally unobtrusive design. Microflex Advance significantly improves the sound quality experienced by employees in the workplace, making offices and businesses better places to work, and thereby creating a more creative and productive workforce.

"We are extremely proud of the engineeri

The Netherlands - Genelec is showcasing the 8430, a new addition to the Smart Active Monitor (SAM) range of products. As well as being the latest member of this series, the 8430 is also the world's first commercially-ready AoIP (Audio over Internet Protocol) studio monitor.

Six years ago at ISE 2010, Genelec demonstrated its first audio-over-IP showcase system. The showcase was selected as one of the 'Picks of ISE 2010' as it was recognised as among the best new innovations presented at the show. Since then, extensive research and development has been made and also much has happened in establishing more mature standards for audio-over-IP. This work has been actively pursued in several forums, but in particular the AES67 standard on audio-over-IP interoperability, published in 2015, is now fast gaining acceptance and is rapidly establishing audio-over-IP in the mainstream.

The Netherlands - A 28,000 lumens laser projector, a 1.8mm bezel videowall display and the industry's most compact, 10,000 lumens laser 1-Chip DLPTM projector are among the innovations exhibited by Panasonic at ISE 2016 in Amsterdam.

The Panasonic booth features a 'Robotic Experience' or RobEx, developed in collaboration with event company XPION. Industry grade robots with 98-inch 4K resolution displays were used to create an immersive viewing experience.

In projection, Panasonic launched the PT-RZ31K, the company's highest brightness 3-Chip DLPTM projector series using SOLID SHINE laser technology. The projectors, available from autumn 2016 in both WUXGA and SXGA+, each output at 28,000 centre lumens.

Designed for rental and staging applications, the projectors offer continuous maintenance-free operation. The compact projectors are compatible with existing 3-Chip DLPT

The Netherlands - HK Audio is debuting its new Linear 5 LTS passive mid/high unit and Linear SUB 4000 subwoofer at ISE 2016.

HK Audio is also showing off the rest of its install stable at the show, with speakers from the Elements, Linear 5, Cadis and Vortis ranges on display alongside the accompanying Lab.gruppen IPD controllers. In addition, portable PA enthusiasts can get hands-on with the brand new LUCAS NANO 608i, the first ever all-in-one-PA with an iPad-enabled mixer.

Many of the HK Audio customer system solutions that were debuted at the 2015 ISE show have also been improved and expanded upon for 2016 - making operation simpler and more efficient than ever before - and are available to view for the first time at this year's event.

Alexander Wollenberg, HK Audio product manager, said, "With our new passive Linear series speakers - especially the LTS Long Throw Sy

The Netherlands - With the ever-increasing pace of adoption of IP based networking in AV, there is a mounting lobby for standardization and interoperability based on open standards. Consequently, the Media Networking Alliance (MNA) - the professional AV industry alliance, charged with promoting awareness and adoption of AES67, the open standard that provides for the common interchange of digital media between different IP networking platforms - is exhibiting for the first time at ISE.

MNA members and member manufacturers will be undertaking a programme of educational and communication activities and events throughout the exhibition.

Of major interest, to AV manufacturers, integrators and end users alike, will be a live demonstration of audio networking interoperability on the MNA booth (7-X230), featuring 22 commercially available networked-audio products from 11 different

UK - Artistic Licence CEO and Art-Net inventor, Wayne Howell, has combined forces with lighting controls expert, Dr. Geoff Archenhold of Integrated System Technologies (IST) Ltd. to ensure Art-Net is ready for the advent of a new and potentially disruptive communications technology - Visible Light Communication, or VLC.

Coming soon to an LED near you, VLC provides a means of transmitting information by modulating the light at a frequency too high to be perceptible to the human eye. A simple conceptual analogy would be using a torch to flash a message in Morse code. Unlike a torch, however, VLC is exciting because of the high data rates that can be achieved and the fact that LED is a huge growth market. Other benefits relate to security and/or safety in environments where radio frequency transmissions are undesirable, such as hospitals.

Aiming for the highest possible data

USA - PixelFLEX has introduced the reFLEXion LED video display. The freestanding and WI-FI enabled reFLEXion is a lightweight, portable and customizable LED video display solution that allows you "to promote your message wherever needed throughout any commercial, hospitality, retail or entertainment environment".

"Understanding that our clients often need to relocate their messaging to better serve their business and promotions, we are very excited to announce the reFLEXion LED video display," said David Venus, PixelFLEX director of marketing. "A breathtaking addition to our line of award-winning LED video products, the reFLEXion LED video stand is a truly redefining product for the consumer retailer, restaurant and entertainment industries. By giving our clients the opportunity to move and customize their messaging wherever needed, we have created complete, indoor mobile mark

UK - MCS has announced that MCS-rm, its leading rental software solution, now offers a comprehensive integration to the popular cloud-based online accounting software package, Xero.

With more rental companies choosing to move their entire software solution to the 'cloud', MCS has met this demand by integrating MCS-rm with the Xero accounting software solution for those clients who wish to host all of their key business applications remotely. The technology union will help businesses to work smarter and faster, improve team collaboration and give a holistic view of their operations and finances.

With the integration of the two systems, users can automatically sync and seamlessly transfer financial transactions such as invoices, credit notes, cash payments, depreciation and client details from Xero to MCS-rm and vice-versa. In addition, they can view aged debt, any outstandi

USA - Clear-Com has announced that its DX410, two-channel 2.4 GHz digital wireless intercom system is now shipping. The new system which features 7 kHz wideband audio for exceptional audio clarity is the first DX Series wireless intercom system to offer this level of audio frequency range. Easy to set up and configure, the DX410 also features lightweight yet rugged beltpacks and All-in-One wireless headsets.

Each BS410 base station can support up to 15 registered BP410 wireless beltpacks and/or WH410 all-in-one wireless headsets. In a single-channel operation, any four beltpack users can engage in simultaneous, full-duplex (talk-listen) communication, while three users may be in full-duplex mode in a dual-channel operation. The BP410 and WH410 have rugged, reinforced casings and long-lasting keypads with no mechanical switch, proven to withstand harsh production environments.

UK / The Netherlands - Martin Audio took full advantage of this year's inaugural four-day ISE Show in Amsterdam, announcing the new weatherised CDD-WR installation series and showcasing the products in a live demonstration.

The combination proved successful as they unveiled these weatherised variants of its multi-award winning and highly successful CDD range at a packed press gathering. During the course of the show, over 800 people were taken through the live demonstrations across 14 sessions, covering CDD, O-Line and MLA Mini. In addition, the separate stand was busy throughout the period with many new enquires taken for its portfolio.

Director of marketing, James King, said, "We've grown a very steady reputation for our demonstrations in the last couple of years, so we were delighted to be able to showcase our products in a way in which the installation community could

Canada - The new BlackTrax Beta 2.0 makes tracking even easier, faster to calibrate, programme and use. Developed for over a year, 2.0 has the largest number of new features, GUI and workflow improvements in any BlackTrax release yet.

"A lot of these improvements were developed from customer suggestions, requests and general feedback," explains Marty Cochrane, BlackTrax product manager. "This includes better system reporting, real-time chapter programming and more control over fixtures during the calibration process."

Highlights include: All-new GUI designfor BlackTrax, BTWyg, Tracker, and Follower - with full-screen mode for BlackTrax and new simpler basic mode for Tracker and Follower; new Fixture Calibration mode improvements ensure faster calibration; rigid and soft frames for more flexible tracking operations and objects. Frames combine a collection of Stringers (aka

UK - Following a year in which Doughty Engineering has upped its game in the film and TV industry, visitors to the company's stand E39 at BVE 2016 will see a range of its products specifically designed with the broadcast sector in mind. With two new additions to Doughty's award winning Modular Rigging System making their début at the show, as well as a selection of grip, rigging, suspension and lifting equipment on display, Julian Chiverton, sales director at Doughty, believes shows like BVE are more important than ever to the company.

"We really got our teeth into the broadcast space in 2015," he said. "We're involved in an ongoing job with the Stop Animation and Puppet Making faculty at the University of Staffordshire and have some fascinating projects within the media department at Queen's University in Belfast under our belt, as well as working with major shopping c

Germany - At the recent ISE show, Shure introduced two-channel, physically compact versions of the charging and routing hardware in the Microflex Wireless range.

Launched in 2013, the versatile and scalable MXW Systems range of wireless microphones and supporting hardware have become a popular solution for managed AV Conferencing in large corporate boardrooms, multi-room environments and networked campuses.

Shure is adding to the range the MXWAPT2 - a two-channel version of the Access Point Transceiver, or wireless mic routing hardware - and the MXWNCS2, a two-channel version of the existing four- and eight-channel networked charging stations. The compact dimensions of both units extend the use of Microflex Wireless to even smaller-scale installations than before, for example in compact strategy planning and 'huddle' rooms. The more compact hardware is also suitable for en

Germany - Philips Entertainment Lighting will be unveiling a broad portfolio of new creative tools for lighting designers as part of the group's immersive 'be inspired by light and create great experiences' stand concept at Prolight+Sound 2016.

From Philips Showline comes the SL HYDRUS 350, which will be launching live at the show. The first Platinum lamp-based luminaire in the originally LED product line, the SL HYDRUS 350 is a super bright hybrid moving light that is designed for the live event and TV market because of its small size and speed.

Feature-packed with a wide zoom range in each mode, the SL HYDRUS 350 offers a vibrant colour pallet and is loaded with all the tools a designer needs to create mid-air effects, clear and precise projection as well as seamless blended animated washes.

"We're really looking forward to launching the SL HYDRUS 350 at Prolight," s

USA - Lumileds today kicks off Mid Power March, a month-long event to introduce a variety of mid power products that feature "breakthrough performance and unmatched product reliability".

"Since we first entered the mid power market in 2012, our focus has been to offer mid power LEDs with a performance edge over our competitors," said Lumileds senior VP of sales & marketing Emmanuel Dieppedalle. "Part of that edge has come from leveraging our leading high power technologies for the mid power market. Mid Power March is all about showcasing the many breakthroughs we've made and are making in application-optimized mid power LED development."

Lumileds will release products during Mid Power March to specifically address different market needs. These new products will join Lumileds already extensive mid power and low power family.

"We know that the mid power LED market is gro

UK / USA - With the NAMM announcement of DiGiCo's Stealth Core2 upgrade, you will soon be able to upgrade your current SD9 with the latest processing and application code. This upgrade will be an option for the company's SD series digital mixers and is due to be released this summer across the range.

Whilst the external architecture of the SD9 remains in its familiar form, Stealth Core2 will open up a massive additional amount of processing ability, thereby taking the complete range to a new level of processing and flexibility.

"Being able to expand not only the features, but the audio processing in the SD range consoles, is really allowing our customers to gain more value from their existing and future investments," confirms James Gordon, managing director, "In fact, we are even going to apply discounts to the upgrade to make it even more accessible for all our existing c

UK - Pearce Hire reports that after a five year hiatus they will be showcasing their production services and rental business this week at the Event Production Show (EPS) at Olympia in London.

With an ever increasing client portfolio in the outdoor event and corporate conference sectors, alongside continuing investment in a significant brand inventory, Pearce Hire have made the decision to return to the Event Production Show for the first time since 2011.

"The extended opportunities the co-location of Event Production Show alongside Confex offers Pearce Hire makes the show an interesting proposition," explains Shaun Pearce, MD, Pearce Hire. "Having not exhibited here for a few years we are looking forward to seeing plenty of our long standing corporate, conference, festival and outdoor event clients, as well as expanding our network with new connections across these industr

Germany - Market-leading Finnish media playback experts, Picturall Ltd., are gearing up for a busy Prolight+Sound 2016 in April. The company will be presenting a range of media servers including their flagship Octo server as well as the all-new Duo media server. In addition to their own displays, visitors can also witness Picturall products in action on the Panasonic stand where the Japanese electronics giant has elected to use a Picturall Octo server to run a number of screens.

First launched in 2009, Octo was the first media server in the world to have eight physical dual link DVI outputs, ten optional Full HD inputs and to fully control sixteen Full HD displays. Still going strong at the heart of the Picturall range, the latest incarnation of Octo - as shown at ISE - raises the bar still higher with up to sixteen physical outputs (DP 1.2/HDMI/Dual DVI) and the ability to pl

Germany - BroadWeigh's newly updated wireless load cell monitoring system will make its Prolight + Sound debut at this year's show. Distributors for the brand, including AC Entertainment (Hall 5 Level 0, Booths A26 & A27) Hof Alutec (Hall 3.0, Booth A44) and Louis Reyners (Hall 3.0 Booth C14) are all set to feature BroadWeigh's latest offering on their stands.

Jonathan Purdue, sales manager at BroadWeigh who will be on hand for the duration of the show to meet with customers, said, "We're delighted to have three of our European distributors demonstrating our updated system at Prolight+Sound. BroadWeigh has worked hard to develop a new radio module which gives four times the range of the previous system. Improvements in the omni-directional antenna have provided increased performance in more challenging environments such as high concentrations of truss or wall. We want our cust

USA - As energy use restrictions grow, consumers need more reliable, flexible and affordable power-control solutions for lighting systems. ETC developed the Unison Echo family of products to meet those demands and to enable complete integration of control systems.

With the addition of EchoAccess and the DMX Scene Controller - both of which are compatible with all currently shipping Echo hardware - users can configure and customise self contained systems, presets and zones while maintaining system wide control. Existing Echo products have also been updated in terms of capabilities and features in order to better meet energy codes, such as ASHRAE 90.1, CA Title 20/24 and IECC.

EchoAccess is ideal for those looking to utilise the full capabilities of the Echo lighting system. Consisting of a Bluetooth interface and a mobile app, EchoAccess allows you to remotely configure and

UK / Germany - Following six years of development, British loudspeaker manufacturer, Funktion-One, has chosen Prolight+Sound Frankfurt for the launch of Vero - a new, large format touring sound system. The company will also debut the Evo 7T Touring loudspeaker and F132 bass enclosure at the show.

The impetus for Vero germinated from frustration with the declining standard of audio quality in the live environment, coupled with an understanding that the industry's ergonomic expectations demand a system that can be flown quickly and easily, and with minimal crew. In answer to this, says the company, Tony Andrews, John Newsham and the Funktion-One team have designed a system that is conveniently arrayable and boasts a new level of performance characteristics relating to sound quality, efficiency and directivity.

Vero is a complete system, with each element specified or designe

Germany - Triple E is launching the 'universal building system', ModTruss, Europe-wide at Prolight + Sound Frankfurt 2016 in Hall 3, Level 0, Booth 19.

The team launched the US-designed ModTruss in the UK in June 2015, immediately winning 'Engineering Product of the Year' at the ABTT Theatre Show Awards in London.

Best described as full size Meccano, the ModTruss system features a lightweight aluminium construction and a repeating hole pattern, meaning applications are practically unlimited.

"When I first saw ModTruss at LDI in Las Vegas I was immediately inspired by its potential," says Triple E's managing director, David Edelstein. "We've put a lot of hard work in to bring this product to the European market and are extremely excited about what it can achieve for the industry. ModTruss is now available exclusively from Triple E and interest is incredible. There is no

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