The exhibition is co-produced by three prominent theatre associations: United States Institute for Theatre Technology Inc (USITT), the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology/l'Institut Canadien des Technologies Scenographiques (CITT), and the International Organization of Scenographer
This year's event, already a sell-out according to the organizers, is set to build on the outstanding success of PALME 2004, which attracted 30% more exhibitors than the 2003 event, 134 companies from 25 countries, from as far away as the US, Australia, Korea and Belgium, participating - this exceptional growth is the result of the high quality of the eve
"The internalisation of manufacturing operations has brought about faster time to market and cost-effectiveness in production, and product design and development," he said, and anyone with lingering doubts as to whether better products are going to cost even less in the future was obliged to go outside for a q
"Over the past year, we have had great support from our distributors, who have helped us to reintroduce RCF to the market," Vicari announced. "We now find ourselves with strong distribution in most of the key areas of the world. As a result of this we can now begin work in developing RCF in North America."
Radda himself added: "We know that it is difficult for a European company to launch in the States,
Brand development manager Richard Ferriday was on hand to place the desk into precise context. "Siena and Verona are both dual-purpose consoles," he told me, "but the Verona is a FOH console that can also do monitors, while the Siena is a monitor console that can also do FOH
With a good portion of the exhibition's content (some 40-50% according to Blackman) geared towards residential applications, there was still much for the professional commercial and architectural markets. So what would you have seen there? Well, lots of systems . . . display systems, projection systems, sound, video, lighting, conferencing and broadcast monitoring systems, among other
Also new were the S200 Series and C Series passive loudspeakers, and updated versions of the CFX range of live sound effects mixers. Scheduled for release later this year, the new CFX.mkII Series mixers have gained Onyx Series knobs, new graphics for better visibility in dim lighting conditions and impact-resistant rubber side panels - at a lower RRP than the original CFX Series. The mixers are available in 12, 16 and 20-channel configurations, and all feature four subgroups, nine-band stereo graphic EQ and Mackie's trademark EMAC 32-bit dig
The P-LS8695 incorporates a 24-bit, 96kHz DSP processing engine developed from the same acoustic performance algorithms used in the original LS8695. Two digital amplifiers have been incorporated to power the LF and HF drivers independently, sharing one high-voltage, high current power supply.
The LF amplifier provides 1,000W to drive the lows and mids, while the HF amp provides 500W - said to be optimized for today's 24-bit, 96kHz digital format. The input to the amplifier section is fully balanced with adjustable sensitivity, and a balanced transmitter is included for looping multiple P-LS8695 systems.
Tapco also introduced the first in a new family of audio accessory products, the DI-1A and DI-1P active and passive direct injection boxes. These boxes provide signal and impedance matching for the direct connection of instruments to amplifiers and mixers. In addition, both feature a Thru/Out jack to allow a clean signal to be sent to any amplifier in addition to a mixer for greater control during live performances.
The DI-1A active model offers the option of power via a 48V phantom from a mixer or internally via two 9V batteries. The DI-1P passive model comes complete with a filter for enhancing bass and guitar sounds.
Finally, Tapco announced updates to
A-Net Pro is bi-directional and increases capacity to 64 channels on a single wire pair in a Cat 5 cable, while maintaining 24-bit resolution. This is expandable to 256 channels in custom networks, but the company is also keen to emphasise that using the system has not become a more complicated process as a result, and that its core values of uncompressed, low-latency audio through a 'plug-and-play' system
Elgar provides a single place to store, load and edit Add-Ins such as Helix RCS and the Heritage 1000 Library Manager, creating a framework within the PC that allows the Add-Ins to communicate with the relevant piece of hardware. The latest release, V2.02, features the Elgar Comms Manager, which allows multiple Add-Ins to be run simultaneously.
Helix can link to the DN6000 real-time audio analyzer to provide auto-EQ functions if required, and the NAMM launch of the Midas Siena adds another console - along with the Heritage and Legend ranges - which can use the Helix Solo Tracking
The PU 901 M/L UHF wireless microphone system is digitally controlled with detachable antennae, 16 selectable frequencies, multi-channel capabilities and digital code squelch. Up to eight PU 901 systems can be operated simultaneously in a single TV channel, while an optional active antenna splitter - the AS 6 - is available for multi-channel installations. Hand and pocket transmitters are powered with a standard 9V battery; operating time exceeds 30 hours.
The event will combine music from dance music's superstar DJs, industry workshops, a record fair and a main exhibition showcasing the latest DJ equipment from the market's leading brands. Visitors will be able to try out the latest DJ technology and sound and light systems.
(Lee Baldock)
Triple E and Black Light have joined the list of course sponsors this year and will exhibiting alongside PRG Europe, Le Mark, Rosco, Rope Assemblies, White Light, Zero88, Autograph Sales and Hall Stage. Also new to the show will be Lift Turn Move and Learn 2B Safe, as well as several industry organizations such as the ABTT, SMA, PSA, PLASA and the ALD, many
