UK - Green Hippo has announced the first full release of Hippotizer V3 software for its media server range. Although V3 hardware has been available for several months, all systems to date have been supplied with V2 software alongside a Beta Version of the latest incarnation. Extensive testing has been carried out on projects as large as The Eurovision Song Contest with Spectra in Finland and Frobisher with Mode Studios in the USA to ensure the system has real-world verification, says the company.
Features new to Version 3 are timeline, media synchronisation across servers, HippoNet multi-system communications and built in media encoding capabilities. The frame-blending and full HD playback capabilities remain, as does the intuitive user interface, albeit now with multi-monitor integration.
"To some of us it feels like we've been in BETA phase for ever," says Green Hi
USA - Crown has implemented GainSeeker data aggregating software from Hertzler at its plant in Elkhart, Indiana.
This latest upgrade follows the company's establishment last year of a Strategic Quality Team, the addition of a Reliability Test Lab, and a successful transition to RoHS compliance. By utilising the latest technology available, Crown has now fully transformed its manufacturing approach from a traditional batch and queue assembly method to a state-of-the-art, streamlined, continuous flow process with a constant examination of quality from start to finish, says the company.
Crown quality support manager Rupa Shanmugam comments: "Whereas most companies are simply looking for defect management, Crown has gone beyond this basic use and is utilising GainSeeker in three different areas: real time data collection of test results at board level and finished product, re
UK - Allen & Heath will be unveiling the new ZED Series entry-level USB mixer range and a new addition to the established Xone DJ range at this year's PLASA show.
The console manufacturer will also be exhibiting the latest developments in its iLive digital mixing system, and the Xone:3D, 2D and 1D DJ MIDI controllers. Models from the ML, GL, WZ, PA, and iDR Series will also be on display.
USA - Launched at the summer NAMM show in Austin, American DJ has introduced new array of LED products. The new offerings range from LED versions of the Jewel and Vision to high impact colour bars.
The Jewel LED is an LED version of the classic moonflower effect. It features an output similar to a 100W halogen lamp with 47 sharp red, green, and blue high output coloured beams.
The Vision LED features an output similar to a 400W halogen lamp with 26 large, sharp red, green, and blue high output coloured beams. It can be operated as a sound active light show or as a DMX effect.
The Revo Scan LED, a flat-mirrored scanner, has an output comparable to a 250W halogen lamp, with 52 total red, green, white and blue LEDs. There are three operation modes: Master/Slave, Sound active, and DMX. The Revo scan has 4 DMX channels with a four button LCD display and is linkable via XLR connec
UK - Avolites will launch the latest in its series of Pearl consoles - The Pearl Tiger - at PLASA 2007. The Pearl Tiger is a powerful, streamlined 10-roller playback version of Avo's established lighting console line.
Aimed at a wide range of sectors and applications, the Pearl Tiger is equally suited for small theatres, conferences, schools & colleges, small to medium scale productions or production companies, tours, venues and nightclubs, says the company.
The Pearl Tiger's features include Theatre Playback, timecode, MIDI triggers, 2,048 channels to 240 moving lights on four isolated DMX outputs, 10 playback submasters, expandable to 15 with external playback wing, plus full personality library in the console, with free updates on website.
Also featured at the show will be the new D4 Infrastructure products - specifically Avo's Showsafe system; the Tablet PC for remote de
UK - 5 Star Cases will show a wide variety of its specialist and 'standard' cases and products at PLASA 2007 including the industry standard 'Touring' grade range. Centre-stage will be 'Robo-Jock', a unique fully-featured special project which demonstrates 5 Star's custom concept, design and build capabilities. This is a collaboration with two other leading UK companies, ABB - a world leader in industrial robotics and automation - and club specialists Pioneer GB.
At the heart of 'Robo-Jock' is an ABB IRB140 six-axis robot which operates a complete video console featuring Pioneer DVJ players and DJM mixer. 5 Star designed and built the entire 'Super Tour' case in which Robo-Jock operates, featuring all-round vision panels and a CNC-machined 'Inner Pod' to house the Pioneer equipment.
The Pod also includes 10" TFT monitors and a full audio system. Engineers at ABB programme
UK - HSL Group Holdings is highlighting its diverse range of products and services at the show, plus the team's indomitable abilities to run a superlative bar and social area. This will be located just behind the Robe Show Lighting stand. The HSL bar is designed to be lively, interactive and fun, paying homage to the massive amount of industry business that gets processed and finalised "over a couple of drinks".
One of the fastest growing lighting and rigging rental companies in the UK, HSL services a host of entertainment sectors including theatre, live events, concert tours, festivals, television productions, corporate presentations and special events of all types. The last 12 months has seen an increase in activity in every market sector for HSL, the company reports.
HSL has large stocks of all the latest lighting technology - including moving lights, LED light so
UK - M-Audio has announced shipment of its EX Series EX66 digital high-definition studio reference monitors. Sold individually, the monitors easily integrate into both 2-channel and multi-channel environments, say the company.
The M-Audio EX66 uses a midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer (MTM) vertical array configuration to provide optimal imaging. Traditional 2-way speaker designs can cause significant early reflections from consoles, floors and ceilings, resulting in coloration and smeared details in the audio. In the M-Audio EX66 monitor's MTM design, the interaction of the two large drivers with the tweeter channels the sound into a much narrower vertical band, thereby eliminating many of these reflection problems, say M-Audio.
The M-Audio EX66 monitor uses two separate 100W continuous power amplifiers to drive the 4-ohm woofer combination and 4-ohm tweeter separately in an audioph
USA - The new Antari M-5 Fogger from Elation Professional is a versatile 1,500-watt stage fogger that's designed specifically for stage and touring use, the M-5 Fogger combines heavy-duty, rugged durability with a high-capacity tank and a stage-friendly case design, all in a portable unit that's quick and easy to set up, says the company.
Featuring a low-profile level rectangular case, the M-5 Fogger is designed to lay flat on a stage floor securely and unobtrusively. Two oversized handles allow for easy mobility and positioning. Another feature is its high-capacity 10-litre tank.
"With the M-5, Antari has created a truly one of-a-kind fogger designed uniquely for staging and touring," said Eric Loader, director of sales for Elation Professional. "Now bands, stage shows and touring productions can have all the incredible features of Antari's top-notch fog machin
UK - Clay Paky will launch three small moving body projectors for professional use designed with "the big features of the whole Alpha Series" - the Alpha Spot HPE 300, Alpha Spot 300 effects projectors and the Alpha Wash 300 washlight.
The Alpha Spot HPE 300 is compact, light, silent, easy to install and extremely bright, with superior graphic and optical performances, says the company. It features a wide Zoom, CMY, 8+1 Colour Wheel, 15 gobos (of which eight are rotating), rotating prism, linear frost, smooth frost, 0-100% dimmer on dedicated channel, iris and stop/strobe. It has electronic ballast as standard.
With the same optical, lighting engineering and constructional qualities as the Alpha Spot HPE 300, the Alpha Spot 300 is fitted with two 8+1 colour wheels combinable together, 15 gobos (of which 8 rotate), rotating prism, 0-100% dimmer on dedicated channel an
UK - The headlines on the Shuttlesound stand at PLASA 07 are all about the 80th anniversary of Electro-Voice. New to the UK is EV's ZxA5 powered speaker, which features an integrated high output, lightweight digital amplifier that produces 1000W LF and 250W HF. Designed for a wide range of applications, the DVX3150 provides lightweight reliability, but with a heavyweight 500W power rating.
Shuttlesound is focussing its high-end product display on compact line array, featuring flown hangs from three different ranges, the XLC, XLD and XLE. The well-established XLC design has recently been given a major boost in the shape of the DVX upgrade, incorporating new EV 12" low-frequency/mid-bass woofers into the XLC127 cabinets, giving greater high-SPL stability and full-bandwidth intelligibility than previously available.
EV's smaller XLD systems are also capable of producing conc
UK - Void Acoustics, celebrating its fourth year at Earls Court, will be featuring the new Waveform Series, offering "sweeping curves and ultra modern design for those discerning club owners and consultants wanting to give a venue that extra edge over its competitors in the all too familiar 'Black Box' environment.
The portable line array system Arcline has been designed to take the logistical difficulties away and "provides amazing sound for most venues without having to constantly travel with four plus workers to set up and break down with a mire of cabinets". Designed to be a one-man system to feed 2000+ arenas, but with a price tag that's very cost effective, says the company.
Void Acoustics touring series Stasys has been augmented with the addition of the Stasys X double 18 bass enclosure.
Also on show will be the Kryo and Infinite amplifiers, while the B
UK - Sound reinforcement specialist Vieta will unveil its proprietary network protocol and software - Vieta-Net - demonstrating its potential with another new product, the Ti Line compact remote-controlled amplifier system.
Designed to DIN rail size and fixing standards, compatible with an extensive range of over-the-counter accessories, these simple devices can connect via IP to Vieta-Net to drive small, medium and large installations, which can be monitored and controlled remotely, says the company - "Fit them in a shop or hotel in London, and manage the installation from a laptop on the beach in Barcelona."
Vieta has also produced new accessories for the established So Line wireless speakers. An adaptor now allows the So Cube to be mounted on any microphone stand, and a new Junior Flightcase/Re-charging station for six units enables the So Line technology to be us
UK - The past 12 months have seen further growth into an increasingly varied selection of projects and markets requesting Kinesys products, says the company. High profile touring artists using Kinesys systems have included Genesis, The Killers, Keane, Snow Patrol, The Arctic Monkeys, Lionel Richie, Kylie and many more. Installations have included the Royal Albert Hall with over one hundred channels of positioning chain hoist control.
Highlighted at PLASA 07 are two newly launched hoist control products - Smart 8 and Sentinel - along with other innovations including Kinesys' K2 control software.
The Smart 8 expands on Kinesys' existing Power 8 product and offers full positioning facilities built into a standard hoist controller. Smart 8 allows fixed speed encoded hoists to be programmed and controlled from a single unit, offering cost savings over the traditional approach of a
UK - Out Board will be showing the all new LV-Series Low Voltage Hoist Controllers and DV-Series Direct Hoist Controllers, plus new ergonomic RC handsets and accessories. Features include built-in phase detection and selection, integral E-Stop and linkable Remote Go and E-Stop functions.
LV6 and LV12 controllers are configured in multiples of three channels of control and power mixed on two or four Ceep (Socapex19-style) connectors, to match the widely-adopted standard established by Out Board's former CM Series controllers.
LV8 provides two sets of four-channels of control and power on separate male and female Ceep connectors respectively. New LV4 and DV4 units deliver four-channels each of low voltage or direct control via rear panel C-Form connectors.
Also on show will be the Savant fully-automated PAT and Cable Testing systems with database logging, including single-user
UK - A little over two years after Nexo and Yamaha announced the formation of a strategic alliance for product development and distribution, the first fruits of the collaboration are to be revealed at PLASA 2007.
For the first time on the international stage, Nexo will unveil the NXamp, a powered TD Controller. The integration of amplifier, available in two 4-channel sizes, with the Nexo TDController is a cooler, cleaner and more efficient solution which will bring cost and operational benefits to live use as well as fixed installation, the company says.
The TDController function provides crossover, sensed amplifier control and system alignment, using digital software algorithms to combine this calibrated data with sensed voltage and current measurements, precisely controlling the temperature and displacement of each driver.
UK - PLASA 2007 will mark Logic System's tenth appearance at the show. Recent shows have seen additions to the Ethos Array live sound products and PLASA 2007 continues in that vein with the launch of Ethos Nd bass options.
The heart of Ethos Nd is new generation long excursion neodymium drive units. Three products will be launched at the show with further additions coming on line over the next 12 months.
Ethos Nd215 has been introduced to compliment the Ethos CA fixed angle array box and will form the basis of ground stacking CA or have the capability to be flown above it.
Nd315 has been designed to fulfil the same role with Ethos VA vertical array, while Ethos Nd218 aims to be the reference touring sub bass enclosure. All cabinets share the new driver technology which has permitted both a reduction in weight and size combined with an increase in both power handling and usab
USA - SpeakerCraft has announced three new models in its series of TIME motorised loudspeakers. Last year's introduction of the Theatre in Motion Experience (TIME) changed the way people looked at flush-mounted ceiling speakers, says the company.
The drivers in all three new models are mounted at a fixed 45° angle inside of a cylinder that smoothly descends out of the ceiling when the system is activated. During setup the installer manually rotates the cylinder to point the speakers toward the listening area. The speakers return to their flush position when desired. All of this is accomplished through the use of a rugged miniature motor assembly, which is controlled and powered by a Cat 5 cable.
The TIME Mini 2 is the smallest of the new offerings with an exterior diameter of 5.75" with a 2.5" full-range driver. The TIME Mini 5.1 and 5.3 models both have an exter
UK - Soundcraft will be emphasising the compact footprint of its range of mixers at PLASA 2007, displaying a selection of its multipurpose consoles ranging from the flagship Vi Series of digital desks to a trio of new effects mixers featuring on-board Lexicon processing.
The Soundcraft Vi Series of digital live sound consoles has lately been extended with the new Soundcraft Vi4 model, offering all the functionality and facilities of the Soundcraft Vi6, but in a smaller, more compact footprint better suited for space-conscious applications such as theatres, houses of worship, and venues or clubs with space-limited mix positions.
In just under 1.5m/5 feet, the Soundcraft Vi4 offers access to 48 inputs on 24 faders, with a total of 27 output busses available for use as masters, groups, auxes or matrices. All other features of the Soundcraft Vi6, such as the Vistonics II touch-scr
UK - At the PLASA Show this year, Anglo-French large format projection specialists E//T//C Image will demonstrate its versatile proprietary control software - OnlyView. This deals practically and flexibly with all the major challenges of large format projection programming including complex masking and soft-edging of the images, says the company.
The company has projected onto some of the most iconic buildings in the world including Buckingham Palace and Nelson's Column in London, St George's Hall in Liverpool, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland; The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, Dubai International Financial Centre, Malta's Fort St Angelo in Valetta Harbour, the Château des Duc de Bretagne in Nantes and many more.
E//T//C has also provided large format projection solutions for some of the highest profile global events including the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Manchester
UK - Batmink, one of PLASA's original members, will introduce a spread of new products at this year's show. International companies will be showcased alongside an extensive range of own brand LED and generic light fittings.
The Visage LED Video Floor Module is a new stage and club lighting product utilising RGB LED as a light source. Using advanced digital and video technology it can reproduce stunning motion effects as well as real time video, driven through PC DVI. A fully modular system, each floor panel measures 500mm x 500mm and inter-connect, allowing for total flexibility in both size and design. The panels use 12mm toughened glass as a faceplate, ensuring safety and durability.
This combination of form and function make this product suitable, not only for conventional dance floors but more unusual shapes such as catwalks and walkways.
UK - Community Professional Loudspeakers is exhibiting at PLASA 07 with UK distributor CUK Audio. On display will be an extensive selection from the recently introduced iBOX and VERIS installation loudspeakers, the all-weather R-Series and WET Series ll, CLOUD ceiling and I/O indoor/outdoor loudspeakers and, for professional musicians and portable applications, the new SONUS Series.
New at PLASA is an addition to the iBOX Series. The Community i2W8 is a two-way, full-range loudspeaker system designed to provide high quality music and voice reproduction in applications requiring smooth, ultra-wide, horizontal coverage. It provides an uncompromised musical system in a compact, attractive package, says the company.
Designed for use in distributed systems and for fill, the loudspeaker enclosure and baffle are constructed of 13-ply Baltic birch; LF cones are low mass, high stiffnes
USA - Elation Professional has introduced the Design Spot 575E, a larger 575-watt version of its popular Design Spot 250 "hybrid" effect, which functions as both a spotlight and a colour wash.
Like its more compact cousin, the Design Spot 575E is a professional-quality moving-head fixture that offers both Frost and Iris capabilities in one unit. The Frost feature is what allows it to function as a hybrid, taking away the hard edges of a spotlight and converting it to a wash-type fixture. The Frost is variable type, so users can control how much edge is taken away, from hard edge to soft to no spotlight edge whatsoever. The Iris allows users to pinpoint performers at any distance and is also capable of creating an eye-popping pulse effect.
Now in its brawnier 575W version, the 24-channel Design Spot 575E is designed for stage productions, churches, theatres, concert h
UK - The latest additions to the Turbosound TA-500 family of professional point source loudspeakers are the TA-500t and TA-500tDP touring enclosures. These two new products are aimed specifically at regional, national and theatre touring applications, taking advantage of a fully integrated rigging system.
Aspect system flybars are designed to offer both simplicity and flexibility, being available in 2-wide and 3-wide fixed angle configurations. They are designed with reference to international safety standards such as BGV C1, BS7905:2001, BS70906:2005, LOLER and ESTA, with a safety factor of 12:1.
The new additions bring the TA-500 Aspect Wide series up to a total of seven self-powered and bi-amped/tri-amped products, providing a spread of practical solutions for both flown and ground stacked touring, down-fill and in-fill use, as well as for fixed installations, while the TA-