Denmark - Martin Professional will exhibit a raft of new lighting, sound and fog effects at Frankfurt's ProLight&Sound exhibition next week. On display will be a 250W Fresnel washlight in the new MAC 250 Series of moving heads, the MAC 250 Wash. Equipped with advancements including new reflector technology for greater output, fast and quiet movement, a variable frost filter for zoom effect, and a CMY colour mixing system with a complementing colour wheel, the MAC 250 Wash is an ideal accompaniment to the Krypton and Entour profile spots, say Martin.
Also on display will be a dedicated stage version of the popular Cyclo fluorescent colour changer. Stage Cyclo features four 54W high output fluorescent tubes in red, green, blue and white with the same full color mixing capabilities found in the top of the range Cyclo fixtures from Martin Architectural.
UK - Pro audio manufacturer Audient will present its new digital loudspeaker management system, 'One', at the ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt next week. A brand new top-flight system for sound reinforcement and fixed installation alike, One is available with 4 or 6 outputs and adapts to any system configuration in no time, say Audient. A fast, intuitive interface provides access to a host of features including 45 presets, delay times of up to 480ms, 8 bands of EQ and a broad selection of filter types including the unique Hardman filter.
Audient's sales and marketing director Luke Baldry says: "By using 96kHz operation, carefully matched converters and minimal signal path design, One offers the outstanding quality that is expected from Audient. We are pleased to present it at a pleasantly surprising price too."
The Netherlands - Lumileds Lighting has announced "a quantum leap" in LED technology with new red, red-orange and amber LEDs that produce record-breaking typical lumens per package of 110 for Amber, 140 for Red and 190 for Red-Orange, which, the company claims, triples the industry benchmark previously set by the company's Luxeon family of solid-state light sources and quadrupling the performance of other LEDs. The new Luxeon III emitters reduce the cost of semiconductor-based lighting per lumen, and save space, by reducing the number of emitters required to produce a given light output. They also pave the way for development of new LED-based products requiring brighter illumination and/or simpler lighting system design in red and related colours. Applications range from rear automotive lighting to aviation, manufacturing and architainment.
UK - Next week's Pro Light&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt sees LA Audio launch two diverse new products - Can-D and the PC90. Can-D is a headphone delay unit and amplifier for any live application. With delay times of up to 678ms, users can be 226m from the stage and still enjoy the sound of 'time-coherent cans', say the company, adding that a substantial headphone amplifier provides levels up to and including 'painfully loud'. Can-D's solid build quality with compact casing design and built in power supply proves a cost-effective tool, fitting perfectly into a production case.
The PC90 absolute phase checking system incorporates a separate emitter and receiver module, which can be used with its internal speaker and microphone or can connect via XLR to test phase accuracy throughout any audio system. The PC90's broadband pulse can detect phase inversion regardless of time delay
Denmark -The Mania SCX500 is the first scanner in Martin Professional's Mania series and is billed as "an extraordinary 150W halogen scanner that challenges the status quo of mobile scanners".
Martin says that the scanner produces "surprisingly powerful, brilliant effects from separate colour and gobo wheels. With 15 gobos plus open, 15 rich colours including white and five mixed colours, as well as a split colour option, the SCX500 powers out shows like larger scanners but with all the convenience and savings of its class."
Highly portable, the SCX500 is DMX controllable for ultimate manageability. And as with all Mania products the SCX500 is officially ETL, cETL and CE approved meaning users are assured of the fixtures' safety and performance.
Martin says the Mania SCX500 is "ideal for any show, club, or party and will be appreciated by DJs and
USA - The United States Navy has employed beyerdynamic's MCW-D 200 conferencing system in the Judge Advocate General's Office. The Digital Sequencing Spread Spectrum technology for interference free operation makes the MCW-D 200 ideal for this type of installation, claims the manufacturer.
"Since the beyerdynamic conferencing system was being placed in a secure facility, we had to configure it in a different location and train the officers how to move it back to their site," says Greg Lukens, vice president of Washington Professional Services, the company that undertook the installation.
"The fact that this product is a portable system is integral. The product's digital encryption system allows the user to facilitate the product in a secure manner. It minimises the ability to overhear and eavesdrop into top secret conversations."
Liechtenstein - Neutrik is extending the popular D-chassis line with USB and FireWire receptacles. The new NAUSB and NA1394-6 will be shown for the first time in the UK at Sounds Expo, London, this month.
"Digital signal transmission is becoming more and more important in the Pro Audio world. With these digital connectors, Neutrik eases the integration of digital tools in the sound studio environment, offering convenient connections of any hardware using any of the two standard Bus technologies," says Neutrik's marketing director Norbert Nachbauer.
"The chassis of the USB and the FireWire connector fits to the D-panel cut-out established by Neutrik, which is universally accepted throughput the Pro Audio market. This makes the upgrading of existing consoles and panels remarkably simple - unscrew a no-longer required S-chassis connector and replace it with a NAUSB
USA - Meyer Sound has announced the MICA compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker, the latest addition to the MILO family. The MICA is smaller than the original MILO loudspeaker, but, says Meyer, exhibits the characteristics of high power and extended high-frequency response that have been "MILO family hallmarks".
Designed for touring, rental or fixed installation applications, the new system is billed as "ideal for applications that do not require the higher power or greater throw distance of the original MILO, or in smaller venues that cannot support the weight or size of MILO". It can also be operated as a complement to a MILO main system. For example, a tour playing venues of varying sizes could carry both MILO and MICA, using MILO for main arrays with the new system for sidefill in larger venues and MICA for main arrays in smaller venues.
Sweden / UK - Sweden-based Lab.gruppen has introduces the C Series, a new power amplification solution for permanent installations. The C Series includes three 4-channel amplifiers of varying power levels which feature Lab.gruppen's proprietary NomadLink network interface, and NomadLinkBridge-60E, a 1U remote unit for centralized control of power on/off and monitoring amplifier performance. Lab.gruppen says it has designed the new networkable solution to meet the consultant's expectation for great sounding amplifiers, the contractor's need for flexible and easy installation and the customer's budget constraints, with the least compromise all-around.
The three C Series amplifiers - C 16:4, C 28:4 and C 48:4 - are each four-channel amps with 400W, 700W and 1200W per channel respectively. The C Series amplifier technology is based on the well-established, patented Class TD (Trackin
Italy / Germany - At last week's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Italian manufacturer Manfrotto introduced a completely redesigned range of coupler clamps which, the company says, feature improved performance and safety, reduced weight, and unique design. The new, high-performance Eye Coupler range, which has been developed with the needs of professional users in the entertainment and film industries, all feature full TÜV certification.
Manfrotto has lightened the coupler's structure, optimizing resistance in major stress areas andhollowing excess material in low stress points, resulting in a lighter, yet more robust jawcomposition. The new washer seat on each of the couplers makes the Eye Coupler ultra-safe by eliminating slipping and aiding locking, and the unique design features optimized ergonomics, developed in order to smooth off the jaw's structure, eliminating s
UK - DHA Lighting Services recently announced that in direct response to calls from designers and distributors alike, it has now added over 100 new designs to its extensive standard metal gobo range.
Aiming to fill the gaps in the existing catalogue, DHA's creative team has put together a collection of new images from pantomime phrases to exotic breakups. Each design has been carefully tailored to meet designers' expectations then projected, evaluated, tweaked and remade. The end result is a range of gobos that DHA is understandably proud of. As Diane Grant, MD for DHA commented, "DHA is known throughout the world as the place to come for gobos. It is our responsibility to keep applying a fresh approach to the catalogue and to reinvest in its development. Even as a non-lighting designer, I know that some of these designs are beautiful and I can't wait for people to start us
UK - Sennheiser UK has launched two new "entry-high-end" headphone designs - the HD201 and HD215. Both are closed, dynamic headphones featuring extended, accurate response, impressive dynamic potential and remarkable comfort, say the company.
"The HD201 and HD215 bring the real Sennheiser personal listening experience to impressively affordable levels," says Sennheiser UK's product marketing manager, Nolan Hough, "so we expect them to reveal to a whole new generation just how close to the music they can get."
Sennheiser say that both the HD201 and HD215 are "over-the-ear," closed-back designs that deliver outstanding attenuation of ambient noise, encouraging the wearer to become fully immersed in sound without undue distractions and as good as the HD201's ambient-noise attenuation is, the HD215's is even better. It also features a rotata
The Netherlands - Luxeon I light output performance has been dramatically increased for all InGaN colours (white, blue, cyan, green and royal blue). Typical performance of Luxeon I white emitters improved from 31 lumens to 45 lumens. Other colours have similar increases, all without increasing the package or chip size. No other comparable high power LED offers more light than Luxeon I say the company. Increased performance can be attributed to Lumileds continued technology leadership in epitaxial, packaging and five years experience manufacturing high power LEDs, it continues.
"We continue to advance and develop solid-state lighting technology that address the needs of a wide variety of markets," said Jason Posselt, Lumileds director of product marketing. "Our Luxeon I LEDs are broadly used in applications ranging from LCD television and monitors to architectural,
UK - London's Sounds Expo will witness a number of UK product debuts and promotions on the Shure Distribution stand 525. Firstly Shure's E4c sounds isolating earphones will make their UK debut, having already made headlines, as they were one of this year's International CES Innovations 2005 Award honourees. They are the ideal accessory for music lovers who are serious about sound quality and detail, the E4c's are also the lightest in Shure's family of E Series earphones and mirror the iconic design of the iPod.
Furthermore Phonic's Helix Boards will also be unveiled and consist of two models; the Helix Board 12 is a 12 input compact mixer with 4 mic/line input channels, two paired stereo input channels and two stereo AUX returns. While the Helix Board 17 is a 17 input compact mixer with five mic/line input channels, three paired stereo input channels and three stereo AUX returns
Germany - From an artistic point of view, the use of video and image manipulation is becoming more and more a central element in a wide range of different productions; at the same time, "digital lighting" is also becoming increasingly widespread with the expanding number of inexpensive and significantly brighter LCD and DLP projectors available.
grandMA video has been designed to provide an optimal solution to meet these requirements. As a result, grandMA video is capable of controlling, by means of the grandMA consoles, any commercially available pc server hardware and the video projector plugged into this server.
In cooperation with Publitec, MA Lighting also offer an integrated system solution consisting of special 19" server hardware (publitec proVideor) and moving video lights (beaMovers), which are based on a modular design. The grandMA consoles are at the
USA - Lumileds Lighting introduced new colour-matched white Luxeon Lamps that enable lighting manufacturers to quickly build LED-based luminaires with consistent white light. Advanced binning algorithms applied during manufacturing ensure colour uniformity within each fixture as well as from luminaire to luminaire.
"The lighting community looks for white-point consistency whether viewing the light source directly or the effect that's being created," said Keith Scott, market development manager. "Uniform white light is essential in luminaires, but achieving a consistent colour temperature with LEDs has been a major challenge because of the wide colour variations inherent in the LED manufacturing process, "Our Luxeon Lamps offer the first practical solution to the problem by supplying pre-matched, pre-mounted LEDs that not only provide the desired colour consis
USA - Newly released Djtube from Chauvet offers RGB colours and the extended life of LEDs, but without the stiff price tag usually associated with them at about a fifth of most LED tubes available today, say the company. It houses 90 red, green and blue light emitting diodes inside a durable milky white UV-coated plastic tube and is simple to install and operate, not requiring controller. Each tube performs automated rainbow patterns in seven colours induced by RGB mixing: red, green, yellow, blue, purple, cyan, white. DJtube lends itself to a wide range of DJ, club and architectural lighting applications.
Germany - Osram is expanding its modular SharXS lamp family with the HTI 1200 W/D7/75, which provides cold white light at a colour temperature of 7500K - meaning that the most powerful lamp in the family is now available in two colour temperatures.
Like all members of the SharXS family, the metal halide lamp is compact and double-ended. Its key features are a short arc and eXtreme Seal (XS) technology, which makes the lamps capable of withstanding thermal stress (up to 450°C). Its main areas of application, say Osram, include stage, film and television, and its improved heat handling offers benefits in terms of reduced cooling, smaller housing requirements and quieter operation in the luminaire, say Osram.
The company has also introduced a new version of the SharXS HTI 400 W/D3/75 - which now boasts 30% longer life, of up to 1000 hours.
UK - Following numerous enquiries and subsequent orders from sound hire and touring companies, Smart Sound Direct has launched a special PA package aimed at larger outdoor events such as carnivals, festivals and concerts.
The 'Carnival PA Package' comprises two pairs of Precision Devices-loaded Concert Performance CP115 tops and a pair of CP28SPD subs - offering a total power handling of 7.2kW RMS.
Fitted with a compression driver and super tweeter, the CP115s are rated at 3.2kW RMS, and the CP8SPDs at 4kW RMS. The latter offer added flexibility courtesy of a special input connector plate, allowing for 4 or 8 ohm operation.
Constructed from plywood with a hardwearing carpet finish, the tops and subs benefit from heavy-gauge, zinc-plated grilles for added speaker protection, plus Speakon connectors and bar-type handles for easy handling. Heavy-duty castors and 'skid' mounting
Denmark - Martin Professional has added a Fresnel version to its new MAC 250 Series of moving heads - the MAC 250 Wash - which joins the previously released MAC 250 Krypton and full-featured MAC 250 Entour profile spots to complete the new generation MAC 250 Series, say the company. The MAC 250 Wash has been designed for environments where powerful colour wash effects are required from a compact 250W Fresnel moving head - such as touring and special event applications, television studios, club installations, and retail and leisure environments.
Advancements include a new, more efficient reflector technology for greater output, fast and quiet movement, a variable frost filter for zoom effect and a CMY colour mixing system with a complementing colour wheel, say Martin. The company also says that a highly effective, multi-layered dichroic reflector gives the MAC 250 Wash an excepti
USA - Lightfair International in New York was a great success for Martin Architectural, the company tells us. Reporting a busy booth and overall high level of interest from visitors, Martin was also pleased that its Inground 200 won the award for 'Best New Product of the Year'. Presented at an awards ceremony on 12 April, the award is considered the top accolade of the show. The Inground 200 was also granted the Best of Category accolade for Exterior Luminaires for Flood, Façade and Sports Lighting.
The Inground 200 Series is a durable range of IP 65/67-rated inground luminaires that integrates Martin's colour-changing technology into a system of buried uplights. Designed for all terrains and weather, the series offers high-performance tools for dynamic uplight illumination of facades, columns, landscapes, and interior applications. The series offers three different colour syst
Spain - Based on the success of its powered systems, D.A.S. Audio has expanded its offering with two powered stage monitors. The bi-amped SM-12A 12" two-way and SM-15A 15" two-way systems use the latest in power amplifier technology, offering a Class D 500W amp for the LF section and a 100 W Class A/B amp for the highs, say the company.
The SM-12A utilizes a high efficiency 12" low frequency speaker with a 3" voice coil. The large ferrite magnet structure and pole piece cooling provide high power handling and low power compression. The high frequency section makes use of a neodymium magnet compression driver with 1.5" exit and 3" titanium diaphragm. The compression driver is coupled to a narrow dispersion horn.
The SM-15A's LF section uses a high efficiency 15" speaker with a 3" voice coil. The HF section, as in the case of the SM-12A, u
Germany / UK - High-quality wireless microphone systems do not have to be expensive, say Sennheiser, following the launch of the three freePort systems that Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co KG launched at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt recently - 'Vocal', 'Instrument' and 'Presentation' versions. All three systems allow four switchable frequencies to be operated simultaneously, ensuring high transmission reliability and flexibility. "freePort offers outstanding quality at a tremendously low price," says Michael Polten, industry team manager for the Music Industry at Sennheiser. "The systems can be operated without licensing and without a fee in many European countries."
All three have a diversity receiver installed in a sturdy metal housing, ensuring optimum reception. A dynamics processor provides the freePort systems with a wonderfully clear and natural sound.
Germany - The new optically isolated DMX Output USB Elite hardware interface was on display at Frankfurt's ProLight+Sound exhibition recently. The Elite version has all the features of the DMX Output USB and in addition allows for continuous automatic playback of pre-programmed sequences to infinity. The development of the Elite box enables users to store up to eight dynamic sequences or lightshows, say VisualDMX. The stored sequences or lightshows are then recalled by manual selection of the push buttons.
The fluidity of each programmed sequence allows for subtle movements and colour changes: a compression technique is applied on the storage of the sequences, enabling long sequences to run smoothly and still fit in this small yet powerful hardware interface, say the company. All features of the VisualDMX software can be used in programming including all the features of Matrix M