Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
City Theatrical - Banner - July 2025

Events

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>Rubber Box had a very busy and productive show this year, which they say was greatly assisted by the new floor plan making it easier for visitors to find them! New products included the Type 420 Box, designed as a baby brother to the Type 550 Box which was launched at last year's show. The 420 fills a size gap in the company's products and would usually be fitted with 63A to 400A incomers and any type or size of sockets. Endless configurations are possible. Rubber Box's Paul bates told L&SI: "We believe the increase in orders during September and continuing into October was a direct result of exhibiting at PLASA and we look forward to next year's show when we hope to be launching two more new products. Watch this space!"

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>Swefog showed prototypes of its new Live X-Power series smoke machine. The Live foggers will be available in two versions - the Live 22 with an 1800W capacity and the Live 26 which can produce an impressive fog curtain with its 2600W heater. Further standard features involve timer control, precise fog output control - from a light, hazy effect to dense smoke, short warm-up time, powerful output, DMX 512 control, advanced LED display and overheating protection system.
PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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>The launch of the Heritage 4000 monitor console from Midas underlines this company's continuing commitment to live touring consoles. With all the existing features of the Heritage 3000 (one of the most ubiquitous monitor consoles in the industry), the H4000 adds 40 aux sends, ably addressing the increasing demands from performers using in-ear monitoring systems. Midas has added eight stereo mixes to the original 24; the first 24 can be configured as pairs of audio sub-groups, as stereo mixes for IE systems, or as two mono sends: the extra eight pairs are dedicated stereo mixes.

From the joint Midas//Klark Teknik stable comes Elgar, an integrated software suite - essentially a 'shell' into which one or more plug-ins will fit to allow control of any Klark Teknik or Midas devices. Elgar enables remote control via PC simultaneously, from a single application. The first module to run under

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>Aimed at the installation market, Cloud Electronics' CX462 audio system controller was launched, featuring six-input stereo and four-input microphone sections. A tamper-proof cover prevents unauthorized interference with the unit's settings, while a range of optional accessories is available.

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>With the company's range of UK-built chain hoist controllers continuing to enjoy success and TiMax also enjoying a high profile (currently on the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Out Board's Robin Whittaker confirmed a healthy amount of international interest at the show. "It's been much better than the last two shows," he commented, citing (along with several other exhibitors) that the new layout seemed to be having a positive effect. Whittaker also confirmed that several prestigious projects will be featuring TiMax over the coming months - watch this space.

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>Wybron launched the Nexera range of lighting fixtures. This range of profiles and fresnels is equipped with Wybron's new dichroic CMY colour mixing facility. With no fans, the luminaires are very quiet, and will be shipping in December. Wybron also showed the Watchdog III Control System for Remote Device Management (RDM), the new open standard for status monitoring and configuration. The System consists of a gateway, controller software, and unique converter modules (called 'DogBones'). Placing one DogBone into each device's DMX line receiver socket makes non-RDM equipment RDM-compatible.

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>One of the smallest USB-to-DMX512 interfaces in the world was the new attraction on the VXCO Lighting Systems stand. The DMXCreator 512Basic contains all its electronics in the plug, and connects directly to the USB port on computers, requiring no external power supply. It is designed to work with the DMXCreator software.

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>A new filter for the highly successful Omnidrive speaker system processing unit was introduced by BSS Audio. The Thiele filter, identified by the 366T suffix, eliminates the phase anomalies experienced by those using FIR, making for a louder and clearer system sound. On the same stand, Soundcraft had no new product for the show, but reported excellent sales of the MH3 since its launch earlier this year.

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>A testimony to the durability of Rainbow Colour Changers comes in the fact that the same scroller units have been in place on the show Starlight Express for 15 years with very few replacement units. There have been no recent changes to the technology (no need to fix what ain't broke), but Rainbow has introduced a new string service to ensure a custom service to suit the needs of the client.

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>No new products this year to add to MDG Fog Generators' impressive range of products, but plenty of projects on the go. Commercial manager Martin Michaud told us they've been extremely busy working on a number of high profile projects from Celine Dion in Las Vegas to LegoLand in Germany and the new Cirque du Soleil show, Zumanity.

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>The W8LM is a mini line array with its own dedicated sub from Martin Audio. The WLX is a single 18" hybrid folded horn/reflex cabinet capable of reaching down to 35Hz (up to 150Hz). The main mid/high box contains dual 8" and dual 1" tightly fit to a cabinet just 243mm high. A fully designed flying system accommodates both cabinets, the mids giving a claimed consistent 100° horizontal which, if it's anything like its forebear the W8L, will prove to be the case. An early vote of confidence was revealed by the announcement that the Synco Network has already made a significant commitment to the W8LM system.

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>There were two new products from Tomcat: Swing Wing Trussing, winner of a 2003 Eddy award, is an old idea given a new make-over. Still 30" by 30", this trussing is purpose-designed to take a whole variety of modern automated lights 'permanently' mounted within (or at least for the duration of your touring production). Also from Tomcat comes Dek, a re-designed extrusion to improve on the existing stage deck system from sister company Brilliant Stages. The extrusion includes an M10 nut rail to allow the fitting of a host of accessories, not least handrails and steps.

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>The refurbishment of J Type modules to 2003 standards might not sound revolutionary, but when you acknowledge that this Cadac console is the de facto standard for many theatres, and the J-type is over 10 years old, then such updates are of great benefit. A derivative of the J, the S-type is a smaller, less well-featured module designed to address the needs of the smaller theatres, but with the same multi-frame design (for growth and/or custom sizing) and audio quality.

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>The unofficial L&SI staff award for 'Most Entertaining Press Pack' went to Logic System Pro Audio, who managed to combine all the necessary info on the company's new second-generation CM series wedge monitors without any of the over-the-top superlatives and PR bluster that press packs are inevitably weighed down with. The new monitors took pride of place on the company's stand, backed up by the range of CS, IS and LS enclosures.

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>Of principal interest on the Audace stand was the latest software for the SuperHub AV controller. A popular device for installers, the new software enables IR control interface and is an easy upgrade for existing installs. The new Ani-Touch, a touch screen controller for SuperHub, has some of the functions of SuperHub integrated within it and can thus be used stand-alone to control a simple system.

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>Jack Schmidt said Strong Entertainment Lighting was having a great show, with a very busy Sunday. Eight of the company's new Gladiator IV 4kW Xenon followspots, designed for fixed use in large venues or for touring, have recently been sold to Spot Rental BV in Europe.

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>Aside from the Unibar, new for Slingco this year is the Unibar hoist, a cost-effective system developed in tandem with PCM, which allows easily controlled raising and lowering for general lifting purposes. The company has also had a busy year with its popular Cablenet 'virtual floors'. Sales engineer Matt Dykins said they were working on more installations and more applications of the system than ever before.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.

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>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.
  1. Delta Loudspeakers
  2. Projected Image UK
  3. Hall Stage
  4. Awards for Product Excellence - Lighting
  5. Pulsar
  6. Brähler ICS
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