Germany - The Chauvet Professional Maverick, STRIKE and COLORado series of fixtures have earned widespread praise as well as a large following in recent years, thanks to their high output, brightness and reliable performance. Now the company is “taking these popular series to the next level” by introducing products at Prolight + Sound that “open even more creative possibilities for lighting designers”. Visitors to the Chauvet stand will get a first- hand look at the new Maverick Storm 1 Wash, an IP65-rated LED moving fixture; the STRIKE P38, an IP65-rated compact warm white LED blinder/strobe; and the COLORado Solo Batten, an IP65 RGBAW LED batten that produces a seamless and unique edge-to-edge homogenized appearance without visible round “eyes” or pixels. “The new fixtures allow us to offer more versatility in three very important series of products t
Germany - Outline is set to announce the launch of its latest concept at Prolight+Sound 2018. Following an evolutionary path from the influential Butterfly design, the new Superfly compact line-source enclosure “sets new standards in performance for a loudspeaker of these dimensions”. Weighing under 38kg (83.8 lb) per module yet with prodigious acoustic potential and class-leading dispersion control, Superfly integrates within the existing Outline portfolio and can be readily paired with any of their subwoofer designs. Powered by the company’s own DSP-equipped X8 amplifiers, Superfly-based systems are flexible, powerful, predictable, quick and easy to deploy and convenient to transport, contributing vital operational efficiencies to any live sound scenario, says the company. Visitors to the show will be able to hear Superfly for themselves in the PL+S Live
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds is bringing the world’s latest entertainment technology to the North of England on 1-2 May at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds. Visitors can expect new releases from top brands, an array of immersive workshops, and leading-edge seminars covering lighting, live sound, rigging, AV and staging. The show is the perfect place to see brand new products for the first time in the UK, including the highly anticipated grandMA3 lighting console. Visitors will also see Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Series, Vari-Lite’s VL2600 range, Sennheiser’s Wireless G4 System and Robe’s MegaPointe. The seminar programme serves many different tribes, from immersive audio and theatre refurbishment, to festival lighting and set design software. There is something for everyone at the industry leading show. The reinvention of the Chester Storyh
China - Star Events’ technology and inspiration was on the menu at a lunch for major promoters, production suppliers and principal venues in Shanghai recently. Hosted by Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena, China’s second busiest music venue, the event focused on the launch of the China PROM (Production Rigging Operations Manual) and the arena’s new house reduction solution, designed and installed by Star Events China, which was demonstrated to the lunch guests. Conceived by Star Events China, with input from engineers, local and international experts, rigging publications and the arena architect, PROM is the first rigging safety manual of its type in China. Built in 2010 for Shanghai World Expo, the Mercedes-Benz Arena has an extensive gallery level serving its sports commitments, which include NBA and NFL games. A roller blind mechanism, designed to scre
USA - Allen & Heath digital mixers were once again in abundance at this year’s South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Mixers from the whole range were used in venues across the city, from corner bars and impromptu stages, right up to the British Embassy Music showcase which saw performances from rising stars like Che Lingo, Pale Waves and Idles, as well as established UK artists including Gaz Coombes and Frank Turner. Hosted at Latitude 30, the British Music Embassy showcase sees a new act and engineer every 40-minutes, so having a system that combines ‘walk-up-and-mix’ usability with extensive built-in processing is essential to the smooth running of the event. To accomplish this, British production company, CATO Music, installed a dLive C3500 system and two S3000 systems to cover FOH, monitors and house continuity. Ano
Germany - Absen Europe will showcase and demonstrate its NXTGEN technologies featuring the recently unveiled Polaris and Altair ranges for the rental market. The 105sqm stand is set to make an impact with Absen’s NXTGEN innovations taking pride of place - including its new COBALT (Chip-on-Board Advanced Light Technology) platform featuring Absen Chip-on-Board (COB) encapsulation technology and NanoShield technologies alongside its HBB (High Brightness Black) with Common Cathode LED driver technology solutions. First to market with its NXTGEN COBALT technology with NanoShield, which has been specifically developed to meet the demands of NPP LED in live event rental applications, Absen has developed the Polaris Series with COBALT. Another industry first, Absen’s NXTGEN HBB (High Brightness Black) technology, is a way to drive black SMD LED at ultra-high bright
Germany - Artistic Licence is set to unveil a number of new products catering for the Art-Net/sACN, DMX512 and DALI lighting control markets. Artistic Licence CEO, Wayne Howell, will be present throughout the show to answer questions, aided by German distribution partner, Soundlight. On show will be the next generation of Artistic Licence ethernet-to-DMX gateways. Based on a more powerful chip technology, the range provides full support for the award-winning Art-Net 4 protocol, giving access to impressive new functionality not offered in earlier releases. The dataLynx II is a 1U 19″ rack mount Ethernet to DMX512 gateway. It converts 12 universes of Art-Net (supports all versions up to Art-Net 4) or sACN ethernet into DMX512/RDM. The product features 12 DMX512/RDM outputs, using front mounted Neutrik connectors: a choice of XLR 3-pin, 5-pin or 8-pin (Ethercon) connec
Germany - Doughty's Lightweight Lighting Stand will make its Prolight & Sound debut this year. Visitors to Hall 3.0 stand E11 can see the new stand, which is currently in prototype format and takes the principles of a Tank Trap but packages them into a neater, more aesthetically pleasing model. Dan Phillips, project sales co-ordinator at Doughty, comments: "The new Lightweight Lighting Stand comprises a flat, round plate and slim tube, slotted at each end to allow cables to run unseen inside it. A 28mm receiver is incorporated in the top of the stand which will take an industry standard 28mm spigot. When used in conjunction with a spigot adapter, the stand can also be used to hold small speakers. This robust piece of kit has a sleeker appearance than the standard Tank Trap and comes with a stacking slot which allows for the stands to be stacked together as well as a carr
Germany - BroadWeigh is set to unveil “exciting new pieces of kit” at this year's Prolight and Sound in Frankfurt including the TwistLink, updated Wind Speed Sensor and a new advanced handheld. With five of the company's product partners from across Europe taking stands at the show, Jonathan Purdue says Prolight + Sound is a good place to debut new products before a truly international audience. "We've been attending the show for some years now and we are always impressed by the turnout and the number of leads that come our way as a result of the networking opportunities it affords us. This year we'll have a presence on the stands of AC-ET (Hall 3.0, Stand F65), Hof Alutec (Hall 3.0, Stand A44), Scanrig (Hall 3.0, StandF33) and SONOSS and Louis Reyners (Hall 3.0, Stand D18) who are exhibiting together, and I will be making appointments with customers and potential
UK - The Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers wrapped up another successful ISCEx event with increased attendances at its annual exhibition and seminar day. ISCEx is a one-day exhibition and seminar programme held annually by the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers at Coombe Abbey Hotel and Country Park. Open to members and non-members, the ISCEx exhibition and seminar programme is precluded by the Institute’s annual general meeting and networking dinner events, held on the previous day. The ISCEx 2018 seminar programme was kicked off by Dr Chris Cocking, senior lecturer at the School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton presenting the Hopkins-Baldwin Lecture, a presentation entitled Busting the Myths of Mass Evacuation. Following extensive research by Chris and his colleagues into crowd behaviour during emergencies and the implic
Germany - New trussing and staging company Sixty82 will make its first appearance at Prolight+Sound, presenting its trussing and staging solutions. The company, which launched in March, was founded by Fokko Smeding and Marc Hendriks from The Netherlands, Adrian Brooks and Lee Brooks from the UK, and Xavier Drouet, Jérôme Bréhard and Alain-René Lantelme from France. Smeding comments: “With some of the trussing world’s most experienced and trusted individuals behind our product line, we are extremely excited to be launching Sixty82 at this year’s Prolight+Sound. We have focused on the introduction of new technology that will become an industry standard within a short amount of time, and in providing our customers with confidence and security.” (Jim Evans)
Germany - Ayrton will launch two new products at Prolight+Sound 2018 as MistralTC and MiniBurst receive their world premieres at the show: the 300W white LED MistralTC spot fixture is the latest, much-anticipated new development in Ayrton’s Automated Luminaires range, while the MiniBurst graphic strobe is the next luminaire to undergo the miniaturisation treatment of Ayrton’s Creative Solutions range. MiniPanel-FX will also be exhibited for the first time in mainland Europe. Mistral-TC is the latest in Ayrton’s new range of fixtures, named both in honour of North African desert winds and some of the hottest performance cars on the planet, which signify a new era in the company’s development as it focuses on a sensational new range of LED spot and wash light fixtures. Sharing a form factor with its compact sibling, Merak, Mistral-TC is a versatile, feature-rich
Germany - Robert Juliat will make its latest Compact range of followspots available at Prolight+Sound with the new, exclusive 600W LED models, Alice and Oz, first in line to ship. These short and long throw followspots exhibit restyled bodywork and all the wealth of RJ features one would expect from Robert Juliat. The combination of a highly efficient LED source and Robert Juliat’s classic optical train ensures Alice and Oz pack a punch equal to that of conventional 1200W discharge models, at a fraction of the power consumption. Additionally, Robert Juliat has promised to reveal “a new, very powerful, FOH LED profile for the first time at the show”. Robert Juliat’s SpotMe, a bespoke, 3D tracking system for followspots, will be demonstrating how it leads from the front in coordinating fixtures to follow performers on stage. The expanding Dalis range wil
Germany - PR Lighting has announced the release of a new LED hybrid strobe - the ARC LED 1360 Strobe T/D. With its IP67 weather resistant rating, making it suitable for use in all conditions, the fixture can function as a graphic strobe as well as a blinder and flood. Available in cool white (6500K) and warm white (3000K), it has a 120° field angle and an LED display with four-button flick-free operation for TV and film use. Featuring 360x1W Osram LEDs, the strobe flash rate is between 0-25 fps (with macros) and there's also a 0-100% linearly adjustable dimmer, LED board temperature and fixture usage time read-outs, over-temperature protection. The unit's die-cast aluminium IP67 housing weighs just 9kg (20lb). The ARC LED 1360 is expected to have its first showcase at next month’s Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt. (Jim Evans)
Germany - Elation Professional is bringing a number of new products to Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. The line-up includes the company’s first European showing of the recently-acquired M-Series range of entertainment lighting controllers. Elation partners with LMP to distribute Elation products in Germany. The M-Series is a range of lighting control solutions with a stable and efficient programming platform that is fast to programme and fun to operate. All M-Series controllers and software solutions are now part of the Elation product line worldwide. This includes M6, M1HD, M2GO HD, M2PC, M-Touch, M-Play, M-DMX, M-Sync and M-PC. “The M-Series range fits well into our core customer base needs and we are excited to now offer this advanced controller series to customers around the world,” commented Eric Loader, global
USA - Ahead of its June ride, the Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) held a raffle and live auction to back Behind the Scenes during the USITT Stage Expo in Fort Lauderdale on 14-17 March. Sales of raffle tickets, auction items, key donations, and sales of BTS and LRLR-branded swag raised over $15,000 for the charity. The LRLR 2018 ride, dubbed the Gap and Notch Tour: A Ramble through New England, starts on 23 June in Manchester, NH. The riders cover all their own expenses, so everything they raise goes to the charity. Sponsor a rider today at www.behindthescenescharity.org/lrlr. Festivities led off with the traditional kazoo parade led by Bill Sapsis and many of the LRLR. Following the parade, BTS Pledge-a-Product partners InCord (Orchestra Pit Safety Netting Systems) and ETC (irFR and aRFR application for iOS and Android devices) presented checks from the sales of
UK - The first Comfest, a comedy night in support of technical entertainment charity Backup, helped raise £14,000 for the organisation. Held at the Royal National Theatre, London, the event was described as “a fantastic night where all the comedians went above and beyond to say thank you to the industry that supports them”. A particular highlight of the night was headliner Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, performing Under Pressure with a member of the audience. Organisers said Comfest 2019 is already on the cards and thanked all the staff at the National Theatre, sponsors SFL, White Light and TSL, all of the audience members, The Cloggz and the comedians. Upcoming backup events include Golf-fest 2018 which is scheduled for 18 April. The annual live events Charity Golf Day is back and even more fun to be had on the day. As 18 teams go Tee - Tee, we have s
USA - The inaugural New Word Rigging Symposium, held 13-14 March in Fort Lauderdale, brought professionals from around the world together for two days of presentations, Q&As and networking. While most attendees were from the US, there were also visitors from Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and China. Joining riggers were engineers, health and safety professionals, venue managers, educators and manufacturers. The panels covered topics such as cruise ships, automation, engineering, risk assessment, standards, and ground support rigs. Highlights included Scott Fisher’s keynote address describing his early days in the industry and how the Navigator System was developed and Tony Galuppi’s impassioned plea for “safety first” who described conducting a risk assessment for hanging Criss Angel over a lake in Florida teeming with alligators. The Hot Button Iss
Germany - d&b is heading to Prolight + Sound to highlight its next generation line array. Sitting above the J, Y and V-Series, GSL delivers “unparalleled cardiod dispersion control across the entire audio bandwidth, setting a new standard for output and accuracy in large-format line arrays for the world’s largest sound reinforcement applications”. This applied evolution is the next step in d&b’s 30-year obsession to deliver precise pattern control, and effortlessly elevates the listening experience for the audience, while ensuring that the creative environment for the system engineers and mixers is revolutionized by rejecting energy to the rear and significantly reducing excitation of the reverberant field, says the company. As well as a focus on the official release of GSL, there will be further opportunities for attendees to experience the newly
UK - Harman Professional Solutions is supporting Teenage Cancer Trust’s 18th annual concert series at Royal Albert Hall with a complete Martin by Harman lighting solution. Conceived and curated by TCT patron Roger Daltrey CBE, frontman of The Who, this year’s line-up includes Daltrey, UB40, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Corteneers, Kasabian, Def Leppard as well as an evening of comedy hosted by Russell Howard. As part of a long-standing pledge to support Teenage Cancer Trust, Harman, along with partners PRG and Fineline Lighting, is supplying a complete Martin lighting rig to provide a premium visual display for the performances. "Teenage Cancer Trust is extremely grateful to Harman Professional Solutions for all their support at our Royal Albert Hall shows,” says Jane Ashton, head of music and entertainment, Teenage Cancer Trust. “The Martin lighting solutio
UK - Two more keynote speakers will be joining Dutch architect Francine Houben of mecanoo architecten at this year’s International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (ITEAC) held on 3-5 June in London. The three-day event will be opened by Louise Jeffreys, Director of Arts at the Barbican. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, with responsibility for the operation and development of Dubai International (DXB) as well as Dubai World Central (DWC), will provide an insight to the challenges that urbanisation brings to large infrastructure projects, and how important cultural development is as part of the process. Ascan Mergenthaler, senior partner at Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, will enliven the stimulation and provocation session, which will spearhead the final day of the conference. A stalwart of this leading firm for more
Germany - Astera will present the iOS version of its AsteraApp for remote lighting control and management as the company attends Prolight+Sound 2018 in Frankfurt. The app will become available for iOS for the first time since it was first introduced for Android devices in 2015. It offers professional-level control over Astera-based fixtures by connecting smart devices to the AsteraBox via Bluetooth which then relays the command to the battery-operated fixtures via radio frequency. The app allows simple to complex operations remotely, including firmware updates, grouping, assigning and configuring DMX addresses as well as controlling colours and effects and monitoring the status of the lights during operation. Thomas Repmann, software developer for Astera in Munich, comments: “We have been working hard to provide the smoothest and most intuitive experience for LDs and
Germany - Green Hippo’s scheduled activities for Prolight + Sound 2018 include exclusive presentations, plus demos with its show partner Notch, maker of the real-time visual creation tool. The Green Hippo stand will be fully equipped with the latest Hippotizer+ Media Servers, enabling guests to experience solutions for real-time media playback and 3D mapping. A key feature of the Green Hippo stand is the opportunity for visitors to gain hands-on experience of Hippotizer’s seamless integration with Notch. Designed from the creative process up, and supercharged by powerful real-time rendering and visualisation, Notch helps creators rediscover the joy of problem solving, experimenting and improvising on the fly. Further demonstrating Hippotizer’s ways with Notch, Green Hippo has commissioned a short dance piece with the London based Tavaziva dance company sh
Germany - ETC is set to present picks from its extensive collection of lighting and rigging products across three stands in Hall 3.0 - E51, F51 and E47. The event will mark the European debut of a number of products from the company’s portfolio of lighting control consoles, LED luminaires and architectural control solutions. Trainers and product experts will be on hand to offer demos and advice on all the products on display. Visitors can get a first look at the soon-to-be-launched Element 2 console – a revamp of the original Element desk – which offers the award-winning Eos software with an interface and price point that is accessible to a broad range of users and venues. Also making its regional premiere will be the ETCpad, a tablet accessory providing dedicated, touchscreen-based wireless or wired remote control for all Eos family consoles and controllers. Se
![Ascan Mergenthaler [photo: Adriano A.Biondo / Biondo Pictures], Paul Griffiths, Lousie Jeffreys [photo: Felix Clay]](/images/113317/iteac-tn.png "Ascan Mergenthaler [photo: Adriano A.Biondo / Biondo Pictures], Paul Griffiths, Lousie Jeffreys [photo: Felix Clay]")
