Lasertec Showlaser from Germany is both a manufacturer and rental operation. They illustrated their DPSS 532 nm range of lasers from 1-10W, and their larger system - the Antaris - of air and water cooled units up to 20W, plus their smaller Nexus 1-3W RGB system. They also offer control and bespoke systems.

Le Maitre again provided an exciting distraction from the main floor with its Pyro demos up on Level Two.New products included the Multi Venue System Hazer - using Le Maitre's patented system. Features comprise variable high output haze - whisper to >80cc/hr, twin variable high-output haze projection fans and 90° electronically variable haze output direction.

Staging manufacturer Steeldeck had an unusual product on display at this year's PLASA. From a distance, the large lump of metal looked like any other, except the clever designers at the company have come up with a de-mountable balcony system especially created for venues who need the ultimate in flexibility. Having already installed a two-level system at the Belgrade 2 in Coventry, the product is now available off-the-shelf. So, if you have ever wanted your own box in a theatre, now you can buy one and take it with you!

A new DSP system management processor from the Audient brand (exhibited by LA Audio), DLX 2000 is suitable for sound reinforcement and installation applications. Key features of the SHARC-based DLX200 Series include 96kHz sampling rate, 20Hz - 40kHz frequency response (+/- 1dB), 8 bands of EQ on every input and output, Hardman progressive filters and 45 user and ready-made presets.

Though they declined to make any statement, Procon still chose to take a stand at PLASA where they took advantage of the opportunity to make direct contact with their many clients who visit the show.

Spotlight was sporting various new products including the Spotlight SL3 ultra-compact motorised LED spot, aimed at architectural and entertainment applications. The fixture offers high-power 3W LED with flicker-free dimming. Also highlighted was the Spotlight Figura 250 CST - a professional profile spot for 250W CST ceramic long-life discharge lamps.

At ChainMaster, the JumboLift made its PLASA debut. This BGV-C1 chain hoist features a load-bearing capacity of up to 6,000kg. It's equipped with a frequency converter, an incremental encoder, and optionally with an absolute value encoder. The controller comes in a choice of one- and two-channel versions, with a switching cabinet control system plus breakdown control available as a further option. Also debuting was a new manual control system for up to 48 chain hoists. With the remote control, which is equipped with a 5.7" touch screen, runs can be programmed, with positions and loads displayed individually. You can also conduct a group shutdown if required. ChainMaster also presented an update for its successful VarioLift, which makes it possible to run higher speeds.

Turbosound was another of the companies to enter this year's Innovation Gallery, with their new TA500DP wide dispersion box that complements the existing Aspect modular point source system. At the other end of the spectrum, Turbosound introduced a new product in a new area in the form of the TCS-C50T full-range ceiling loudspeaker. The 5" low/mid driver and 1" neodymium soft dome tweeter gives wide dispersion with high power handling and is suitable for use on 70 and 100V line systems, say the company.

,b>Nedit from Germany showed 'Media Face' - a low resolution video surface that's ideal for building facades, billboards, giant advertising hoardings and other large-format applications. It can also be used indoors in sizes of 1,000sq.m and over. Transparency is often an issue, and this screen can be fitted over the glass facades and windows of a building without obliterating the lighting or the view for those still working inside.

Infinium has produced a low-cost, long-life contact-free fader for DJ mixers, lighting consoles and other devices. It's smooth, noise-free and has a lifespan of over five million cycles, the company says. The 'feel' can be adjusted according to user tacticity requirements, without dismantling the device, via a magnetic system.

Exhibiting for the first time, Chromlech debuted the modular JA121 Jarag - a powerful, integrated, DMX-ready lighting system featuring 25 individually controlled PAR 20 lamps in a grid layout, and the more recent JA221, featuring 25 PAR 30 lamps. Both offer a colour pallet from amber to white. Jarag interfaces directly with conventional consoles and the integrated control allows for individual manipulation of each lamp in terms of intensity and fade-time. The unit can stand-alone (with 256 pre-programmed sequences) or be DMX-controlled through a matrix. Users can also run complex visuals through the units using a media server. The company is presently looking for UK and European distributors.

VME were showing a wide range of Kling & Freitag loudspeakers on their stand. Used and distributed by VME, this German manufacturer's loudspeakers are renowned for their high quality and ease of use, and the company says it is unique in the industry for its use of special passive filters that optimise phase coherence.

OnlyView software is just four months old, so this was its first appearance in the UK on the stand of large-format projection specialist, ETC UK. Designed for multi-screen control, OnlyView provides the ability to tracka projected image accurately through other projected images - using a positional encoder on the moving target, rather than have to time and block a cue (never a perfect science). Linked by Cat 5 or Wi-Fi, this is ideal for dancers wanting to use multi-media to enhance performance. Sounds simple, is immensely complex and powerful.

Void Acoustics do manufacture the coolest-looking loudspeakers. Alex Skan, general doer of everything, detailed Void's new AirTen mid/high unit for club installation. Sitting on a prototype sub, the ParaPod, the pair were also entered into the Innovation Awards. Void were also showing remodels of the Stasis 3 touring mid/high featuring their own proprietary waveform technology. Most of the Void range could also be heard in their demo room, which Skan described as 'The wonderful world of Disney'. Sounds like the rest of PLASA really!

Gracing the Innovation Gallery as nominees for this year's Awards for Innovation, were three new products from Italian lighting specialist Clay Paky. The Alpha Wash 1200 has been with us since March '06; featuring a zoom of 11°-55°, it is also the most powerful Washlight in the Alpha family. The Alpha Profile 1200 has only just gone into production; replacing the Stage Profile Plus, it is substantially smaller and lighter but with the same feature set. The Alpha Wash Halo 1200 has all the features of the Wash 1200 with a Halogen bulb for even greater brightness, though at the expense of the zoom parameters (14° - 64°). All three lamps are significantly quieter, and come in SV - 'silent versions'.

Made in Germany, the GAE brand of speaker systems is known in the UK but not yet widely used: GAE UK Ltd aims to change that and showed the latest product, Director Waveline. A 100° by 10° line array box (minimum three boxes for the coupling effect) that weighs just 45kg, Waveline contains a pair of 10" for low end down to 80Hz. Each plywood cabinet has an aluminium chassis that allows for very close coupling on the front plane - one reason perhaps why just a six-box-a-side system was man enough for the Expo Islamia at the Manchester Evening News arena.

Proel announced the introduction of the JTS in-ear monitoring system. The UHF PLL technology provides excellent stereo separation and advanced circuit design to ensure excellent signal to noise ratio, say the company. Also on the stand, Proel launched the NEOS range of loudspeakers. Available in both active and passive versions, the cabinets come in 10", 12" and 15" two-way passive and active versions and there are both 15" and 1" active and passive sub-woofers, capable of delivering up to 1,800W each. Additionally, Proel showed new products from B&C, FBT and Alto.

Another leading DJ supplier, Promo Only showcased their latest monthly Chart Video DVD compilation featuring the latest, most popular and exciting music videos on DVD. They also have a Classic Series of tried-and-tested 'floor fillers'. The DVDs are louder than normal, making them very DJ-friendly! Those on show at PLASA were just a small sample of the huge collection offered by the company.

Italian cable and connector distributor Valentini exhibited its rugged range of Syntax multipin connectors, cable and distro. Developed directly from military standards, the company says this ensures products are reliable and can cope in the often hostile environment of entertainment.

The V4 software upgrade for DiGiCo's desks, and D5T (12) are both welcome additions. The (12) variant adds 12 master faders or groups, yet maintains a smaller footprint than the D5T plus wing (achieving the same operational surface) saving four theatre seats. The V4 software adds a hardware element as well - a new, non-volatile random-access memory board, an up-rated processor board and brand new, high-density mini drives.

Software improvements include a redesigned hardware configuration panel; refined networking with graphic interface; auto-route inputs; improved auxiliary architecture; a channel presets recall scope; effects presets; and many more. A major overhaul.

DiGiCo TV - or more correctly www.DiGiCo.tv - answers the problem of console operation familiarisation DVDs becoming rapidly obsolete as DiGiCo issues the next software improvement: desk users can go online and find the

Prolific as ever, Artistic Licence launched four new products: The Pixi-Stream - a media server capable of processing eight layers over 20,000 channels with 3D effects; the Candle-Power CP3-12 - a DIN rail-mounting dimmer for high-power Lumileds and Lamina-style LEDs; 'The Mother Of All Products' (MOAP) - a modular control and distribution system comprising a wide range of plug-in modules (up to 10) which allows for bespoke configuration and finally, Hi-Res - a transparent, flexible, modular light wall with 64 pixels per square metre.

Crest Audio used PLASA to launch a brand new mixing console. The CV20 is a large-format FOH console available in 24-, 32-, 40-, 48- and 56-channel frames. The desk, due to start shipping in January was so popular that sales representative Bob Harrison told us that 10 desks had already been sold at the show.

In addition to the CV20, Crest showed the Ci20x4 and Ci20x8 power amplifiers providing four or eight channels respectively. Both amps are capable of running from 4 ohms through to 70V line switchable per channel and can run 100V system with an optional unit. Other modules allow the amplifier to sit on a CobraNet-8 network providing a fully monitored and controlled solution.

Ben-Ri Electronica demo'd its new range of LT-Light Hydra Light consoles, plus its new hand-held remote control system which offers a wireless Ethernet version running on a PDA. Licensed for Capture 3D stage lighting design tool, Hydra Light comprises three main lines - Spirit, Sky and Space.

Exhibiting for the first time at PLASA, and winning an Innovation Award for its V-Lock connector, Volex Power Products has developed a lockable rugged IEC-compatible connector. Offering a wide range of IEC standard configurations, it features an integral locking feature and inlet, plus a sturdy release button, and is designed to eliminate the problem of accidental power disconnection during live performance.

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