Events

Other Highlights . . .

Details: 14 March 2016

A few interesting microphones turned up. Audio-Technica's ES991, ES993 and ES995 mics joined the Engineered Sound range, a dual-element cardioid condenser gooseneck and two dual-element cardioid condenser rigid-pipe models respectively, aimed at boardrooms, schools, courtrooms, council chambers and places of worship. AKG's TriPower Series makes models D 3700M, D 3800M and C 5900M available either wired or wireless in the same package. Also, finally, it will be interesting to see how many people take up Blue Microphones' 'The Ball' for stage use. It's billed as the first phantom-powered dynamic mic, and uses an active balancing circuit in the output stage to maintain 50 ohms resistance across the full frequency spectrum - while retaining a dynamic's SPL handling. Elvis would probably have liked it.

On the amp front, Crest extended its Pro 200 range with the P

Digigram's EtherSound

Details: 14 March 2016

Apart from the D5T, arguably the other big technology announcement was Digigram's bi-directional EtherSound, although EtherSound itself has been around for 18 months or so. Going in both directions means that a network based on EtherSound is a 64-channel virtual buss, carrying 24-bit, 48kHz audio in every channel.

"Audio can be inserted in the down-stream," explained Digigram's Frank Siedel, "and the last device in the network sends every channel inserted back to the Primary Master device - the first in the network. From this up-stream, audio can be extracted from the network. Previously, we used the whole bandwidth of a 100Mb Ethernet to go one way. However, it's a full duplex network and we've now exploited this."

Only for those who don't need the 'star' configuration of a network, that is: bi-directional EtherSound only works in a daisy-chain. Naturally, star c

A2D in NYC

Details: 14 March 2016

In among the equipment debuts were one or two significant corporate manoeuvres. In the making of Digico's D5T, an offshoot of the D5 Live designed for theatrical production and launched on the first day, Autograph Sound Recording figurehead Andrew Bruce both contributed ideas and formed a US-based company to participate in the sales and distribution of the console. The company is called Autograph A2D, and Bruce was there for the launch. "As soon as I saw the D5 Live, I knew that it was the right vehicle for us to develop something digital for theatre use," he said after the presentation. "So we've given the operator 16 master faders in a row, slightly wider spaced than the eight-plus-eight on the D5 Live, and we've given the desk an off-line editor for the type of cue-lists we use in theatre. Live sound cue-lists are quite short: ours are typically 100-150 cues long. Arran

Yamaha: new input cards for PM1D

Details: 14 March 2016

Yamaha premiered two new input cards for the PM1D, each of which uses the head amp circuitry of the new analogue flagship, the PM5000. This heralded a "warmer, punchier and more open sound" admitted Yamaha's publicity, while also being smaller. In the original system, the AI8 input frame could only hold 16 A/B units. With a 4-channel card, each AI8 can now hold 32 inputs - resulting in a 96-input system of only three frames, rather than six. The LMY2-MLAB is a 2-channel mic/line with A/B input card and 28-bit A/D conversion. The 4-channel LMY4-MLF is a mic/line input card with 24-bit conversion.

It was also revealed that Yamaha has succeeded in supplying a PM5000 to Carnegie Hall, the very place where the PM1D was fanfared four years ago; and that a DM1000, together with no fewer than three DM2000s, have joined the largest fixed installation of V-Dosc in the US at The Aladdin

The 115th AES Convention

Details: 14 March 2016

In its inimitable style, the final edition of the AES Daily newspaper trumpeted: 'The Biz is Back', quoting a 'mobbed' show floor; 12,000 visitors over the first two days of the four; and exhibitors 'blown away' by the traffic. Despite the hyperbole, which has a habit of sounding very similar whatever the empirical circumstances of the show, it's hard to refute that the numbers seemed up in every department, and that most anecdotal comment was genuinely positive.

Quite a lot was made of a 'new generation' coming into the industry, and 'young blood' rejuvenating its financial muscle. The best example of this was Digidesign's tangential spree at the relocated School of Audio Engineering opposite Macy's, where every evening SAE itself hosted informal tours while Digi and other manufacturers put on seminars. Chief among these was the appearance of cult techno figure Richie Hawtin, revealin

Furman thinks internationally

Details: 14 March 2016

Lesa Kinney, once at Apogee, is now international sales manager at Furman Sound, the established audio and music technology manufacturer also located in Petaluma, California. Here was a genuine agenda, with the emphasis on the word 'international' in her title: "Furman Sound has placed a lot of its marketing and engineering resources lately in the home theatre industry, data communications and systems integration," she said, "while continuing to focus on the MI and contractor market. Until recently, most of this activity has been focused on the domestic North American market.

"We are now thinking globally. We now design 230V products as we are developing domestic products. We're doing market research internationally, and directing publicity and press releases to international publications. In order to make it easier for our distributors to get information from us in

Beatdown winner, Tigerstyles, in action. Fabric photography by Dusty

Tigerstyles wins final at London's Fabric

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Stanton presented the Third Allies Allstar Beatdown world finals at London club Fabric, which was rammed to capacity as Tigerstyles defeated I:Emerge in the final, after two closely contested opening rounds. Such was the standard that the contest provided a real challenge for the panel of top judges, headed by the Scratch Perverts. Deliberating with them were DJ Craze, Beatdown promoter Tony Vegas and mixologists, Benny and Go.

At the end of the contest, The Allies' Infamous presented the prize of £2,000, the Beatdown Stanton SA5 mixer and a bunch of accessories. The Allstar Beatdown has turned into one of the most respected and prestigious of all DJ battles, drawing audiences of all ages and cultures.

As a team, The Allies have dominated every DJ battle in the world and the Stanton SA-5 2-channel battle mixer, utilizing custom Penny & Giles line faders and crossfaders,

ESTA's 2003 Dealers' Choice Awards

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - During the recent LDI exhibition in Orlando, Florida (21-23 October) ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association) announced the winners of the 2003 Dealers' and Manufacturers' Choice Awards.

The Dealers' Choice Customer Service Awards offer ESTA's Dealer Members the opportunity to publicly recognize those manufacturers that provide consistently good customer service throughout the year, and recognize high performance in four main areas - Customer Service, Shipping & Billing, Technical Support and Quotations/Project Management. Dealers cast their votes for Manufacturers in each of three categories based on the Manufacturers' number of employees, 1-6, 7-25, and over 25. The winners for 2003 are Doug Fleenor Design (1-6 employees category), City Theatrical (7-25 employees category) and Apollo Design Technology (over 25 employees category).

The Manufacturers'

Gallowglass to provide temporary seating

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Gallowglass Ltd, one of the UK's leading suppliers of crew and modular staging for the events market, has extended its hire division to include temporary grandstand seating. "We are always looking for ways to develop our business and open up new avenues for our core operations. The new seating division will help to boost our summer trade and give us an even greater presence in the outdoor events market," said managing director Paul Grecian. He continues: "We do not see ourselves as becoming a large outdoor event supplier. We will be looking to supply the smaller, niche markets with seating solutions. If we can supplement these contracts with additional crew and staging opportunities - then all the better."

Gallowglass' clients over the past five years have included the likes of BBC Radio 1, M2002 Commonwealth Games, Bloomberg, BP, and most of the FTSE 10

IAAPA and EAASI in partnership

Details: 14 March 2016

USA / Europe - IAAPA (The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) and EAASI (the European Association Amusement Supplier Industry) have agreed to form a new company created to own and manage what they claim will be Europe's largest exhibition for the amusement parks industry. The new exhibition will represent all amusement parks, fairs, manufacturers, carnivals and attractions throughout Europe.

Clark Robinson, president of IAAPA, said: "The strength of the partnership is combining IAAPA's role for the industry worldwide and EAASI's expertise in the European market."

Wieland Schwarzkopf, EAASI president, added: "This historic moment . . . will offer a single meeting point for the European amusement industry."

A final agreement is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

(Lee Baldock)

Sound Devices' 302 compact production mixer.

Shure Distribution UK at SBES

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Shure Distribution UK, sole distributors of Shure, QSC Audio, Phonic, PreSonus, Aviom and Sound Devices will be displaying the latest broadcast related products, at the SBES Show. Stand 53 will be boasting a number of new products including the new Sound Devices 302 compact production mixer which features three high-performance microphone inputs, informative level metering and flexible headphone monitoring. In addition, the highly acclaimed Sound Devices 442 field mixer that now ships with new channel-fader knobs featuring touch and visual feedback for single-finger control.

SBES will also see QSC's QSControl.net, which encompasses the seamless integration of the company's signal transport, control, processing, and monitoring technologies. QSControl.net melds QSC's power amplification and loudspeaker products into a unified system that enables the user to administer it all

LDI reinforces optimism for industry

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Following the success of the PLASA Show in London in September, it began to appear that business was looking up after a tough couple of years; now, with the successful completion of LDI in Orlando, Florida at the weekend, the current of optimism continues to strengthen.

The majority of LDI exhibitors that PLASA Media spoke to at the show expressed their satisfaction with both the quality of visitors and the level of business being done. Exhibitor Michael Bridgman of British Optical, a manufacturer of high quality optical components for the entertainment industry, commented: "It's been very good for us this year - I would say back to the level of business of three years ago."

The 2003 ETS-LDI showcased a number of innovative new products. This year the show's awards were split into two categories - Product of the Year and Debuting Product/Promising Prototype. Th

Prolight+Sound update

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany - With four months to go before Prolight+Sound opens its doors, over 400 companies from 27 countries including Europe, Asia and America have booked exhibition stands at the fair, the organizers report. "The number of registrations and the expectations of the exhibitors indicate that Prolight+Sound 2004 will represent a successful start to the sector's year. Thanks to the first signs of economic recovery in Germany and France, the number of German companies is sure to increase again," says Gerhard Gladitsch, member of the board of management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

The new layout of the fair at the exhibition centre takes account of exhibitor wishes and will also make life easier for trade visitors next spring, the organizers claim. Hall 9 features show and stage lighting, lasers, effects and design and installation, and Hall 8 will host lighting and stage tech

International Society for Performing Arts Conference

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Each December for the past 30 years, the Conference of the International Society for Performing Arts has been held in New York. This year, for the first time ever, it will be held in London at the Barbican Arts Centre, from 12-15 December.

The Conference chair, Anne Millman, together with the Barbican Centre host Graham Sheffield, has assembled a programme titled 'The World in London'. Speakers already confirmed include Germaine Greer, professor at Warwick University, who will be giving the keynote speech; Deborah Bull, former principal dancer and now artistic director of the Royal Opera House's alternative spaces programme; Venu Dhupa of the National Endowment for Science and Technology and the Arts; Hardish Virk, marketing consultant for musicals such as Bombay Dreams; Keith Khan, director of Moti Roti theatre productions; and Robin Archer, artistic director of the

TP announces 2004 Awards nominees

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Total Production magazine has announced the nominees for the 2004 Total Production Awards, due to be held on 9 February 2004 at the Novotel London West hotel. Among the awards and the nominations include: for Front of-house Engineer of the Year - Robert Collins, Pete Keppler, Robbie McGrath, Lars Brogaard and Dave Bracey; for Monitor Engineer of the Year - Martin Wareing, Alan Bradshaw, Paul 'Grubby' Callis, Chris Trimby and John Roden; for Lighting Designer of the Year - Tom Kenny, Barry Halpin, Andi Watson, Liz Berry and Vince Foster; for Set Designer of the Year - Alan Macdonald, Mark Fisher, Jonathan Perry, Bill Laslett and Alan Chesters); Video Director of the Year - Blue Leach, Ian Walker, Ruary MacPhie, Paul Eggerton and Larn Poland.

Among the other awards to be presented are Rigger of the Year, Production Manager of the Year and Tour Manager of the Year, while favou

ILMC gains grant for live music safety guide

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The Safety Focus Group, set up by the International Live Music Conference (ILMC), has won a grant of 160,000 from the European Union to produce a vital safety guide. The guide is intended for use by live music promoters and workers throughout Europe and beyond, and will reflect best practice in a number of European countries. As one of the conditions of this grant, the Safety Focus Group must now raise a further 40,000 funding from the live music industry to secure the project.

The ILMC says that the safety guide will provide a tool for concert and festival organizers to assess and manage risks, and will be useful to everyone from the new event organizer to the most established promoters. Scheduled to be ready by late autumn of 2004, it will primarily be accessible via a specially designed website, although a limited number of hard copies will be produced. With its Euro

XTA for Hammersmith's AC/DC reopening

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The newly re-launched Carling Apollo Hammersmith celebrated its re-opening at the end of October with a one-off special concert by veteran rockers AC/DC - powered by Concert Sound, an EAW PA system and XTA loudspeaker control.

For one night only, on Tuesday 21 October, Carling brought Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams to London's landmark live venue to thrill a gathering of their most dedicated fans with a live show. The seats were also removed from the venue for the first time in its history, making it the biggest dedicated live music venue in London.

Front-of-house engineer Paul 'Pab' Boothroyd was at the controls of a Midas XL4, while long-time mix partner John Roden mixed monitors. Boothroyd opted for Concert Sound's new EAW KF760 line array system, flown as an impressive 14-a-side rig, "so I could maximize the power and cove

MA, Zero 88 and Artistic with ACT

Details: 14 March 2016

California-based distributor ACT Lighting hosted MA Lighting, Zero 88 and Artistic Licence: first up, MA showed the latest addition to the grandMA family - the entry-level grandMA micro. This tiny version carries nearly all the power of the regular grandMA, with 1,024 DMX channels, 10 fader playbacks, 20 button playbacks and support for the Pocket PC remote; it's also compatible with DMX over Ethernet and the grandMA 3D visualization software. Other products included the Network Signal Processor (NSP) which allows you to up your DMX channels to 64 universes, should you so require.

Zero 88 showed its Illusion 500 console, which combines the functionality of the successful Frog range with the power of a theatrical tracking console. The 512-channel desk can control up to 24 moving lights and offers 108 sub-masters, allowing freedom for 'on the fly' changes. Zero also showed the Frog Scre

Midgets from Lycian

Details: 14 March 2016

Lycian showed its new Midget II followspots, available in two versions - a 350W arc and a 575W halogen. These, as the name indicates, are compact, lightweight followspots aimed particularly at clubs, schools, small theatres and places of worship, as well as for TV and film use. The Midget II models include a new dichroic glass reflector, a six-colour boomerang, a new cam-operated brake, fader, Nichrome iris, gobo slot and, importantly, a fast, tool-free lamp change.

Avolites

Details: 14 March 2016

Avo' showed the new D4 Desktop system, providing all the functionality of the D4 consoles by connecting a DMX output from to the PC Simulator and Off Line Editor program, together with the optional Pilot, a plug-in hardware surface. The system is designed for use on applications where physical space is at a premium, where the show is mostly automated or as a backup to a console.

ShowCAD

Details: 14 March 2016

ShowCAD's Rowland Hughes was ensconced on the stand of Techni-Lux, the Florida-based lighting supplier, where ShowCAD Artist controlled all the stand's lighting, which included SGM's Giotto fixtures.

SmartMoves for Apollo Design

Details: 14 March 2016

Obviously doing something right, Apollo Design collected yet another ESTA Dealer Award at LDI this year - for the fifth consecutive time. On show was their SmartMove DMX gobo rotator: this can hold one or two B-size glass or metal gobos thanks to a reversible retaining ring, and is compatible with all the leading profile fixtures - Altman Shakespeare, ETC Source Four, Selecon Pacific and Strand SL. It's a quiet unit, with belt-driven operation, and offers an infinitely variable speed range from 0-21 RPM in either direction. The usefulness of the SmartMove has also increased significantly as Apollo has introduced 150 new standard gobo designs to its catalogue, which now offers in excess of 1,000.

Other Award Winners

Details: 14 March 2016

We've mentioned some of this year's award winners already: other winners included Hoffend, who picked up the Rigging award for the Vortek rigging system; Barco, who won the Projection award for the MiPix Modular Intelligent Pixelblock; Yamaha, who won the Sound award for the DM1000 digital production console; TentTec, who won the Lighting Accessory Award for the ML Bracket; and finally, Lex Products, who collected the Widget award for the E-String.

Compulite's Vector

Details: 14 March 2016

Compulite's Vector lighting control system, which we featured in our coverage of the Australian 'Logies' in July 2003, is doing very well. Currently with 10 Vector units installed worldwide, including two at Channel 9 in Melbourne and another at the Palais du Sport in Paris. With up to 40 due to be in place by the end of the first quarter of 2004, Compulite's managing director Yehuda Shukrun was pleased with the system's progress.

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