Germany - The Versio VSS 18 is a thoroughgoing digital system unit with integrated, direct-radiating 18" subwoofer and three class D amplifiers with prefixed 24 Bit / 48 kHz digital signal processor.

The analogue input signal is digitalised directly inside the input amplifier using an intelligent 24 bit AD converter and remains consequently digital to the class D amplifiers' output. The unit is powered by a wide-range switched mode power supply with PFC (power factor correction).

The directional (cardioid) dispersion is realised by special, digital controlling in the VSS 18 together with two additional passive 18" subwoofers of the Versio series. The cardioid dispersion in the deep bass frequencies efficiently avoids unwanted backward sound reproduction of the subwoofer.

K.M.E. will feature the new model at ProLight&Sound where the company will also feature its PAN

USA - Conductor specialist Switchcraft has broadened the type of products it offers by launching a top-level instrument direct box, which is named SC800.

Simple to configure and housed in a compact enclosure, the SC800 converts the outputs of high impedance line level audio devices and musical instruments to low level impedance balanced and isolated microphone level signals that can be connected to audio consoles, microphone pre-amps, effects processors and other equipment with three-pin XLR inputs.

Key features include Jensen transformer, dual 6.35mm (¼ inch) throughputs, 20dB pad, pin 1 ground lift, recessed I/O panels, non-reflective enclosure with laser-etched labelling and Switchcraft all metal connectors.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Greenled, supplier of energy saving solutions will be at Ecobuild 2009, demonstrating the core reasons why professionals shaping the built environment should now be using LEDs.

Displaying a range of 35 advanced LED products, including downlighters and retrofit lamps, Greenled will be on hand to explain how LED lighting can benefit the design and construction market, and to dispel any misconceptions surrounding the technology's capabilities.

In the spotlight will be Greenled's collection of recessed downlighters, highlighting why there is no longer the need to install technology using 25W - 40W to downlight a space any more.

"LED lighting means modern, practical and flexible designs, impressive light output, longevity and energy savings in line with regulatory demands," commented James Millar, managing director of Greenled. "LED lighting technology has dev

Germany - FaitalPRO has lined up a number of new products that will be premiered at ProLight & Sound in Frankfurt next month.

Overseas sales manager Flavio Naggi says: "We will introduce several new loudspeakers dedicated to the professional world, which express our 'vital force': a true 'drive' to constantly improve and be ever closer to our sound reinforcement clients - at all levels - by listening to their requests and responding with new technologically rich proposals incorporating the quality for which our brand is a recognised synonym."

In the 1" compression driver area, the introduction of a new, more compact and economical version compared to products already on catalogue is planned. The new 1" HF driver adopts a ring diaphragm based on a 'patent pending' design and re-proposes the high quality and performance of the new FaitalPRO products, says the

Germany - KME will show the first release in a new series of rackmount amplifiers at ProLight & Sound. The DA428 is a four-channel unit, light- weight 19"-2U device equipped with comprehensive DSP features like matrix router, six fully parametric equalizers and two crossover networks.

All parameters can be managed using a simple five-key navigation pad together with four rotary encoders. The sophisticated user interface is completed by a graphic LCD display and four RGB LEDs indicating relevant operation parameters and state of the single channels.

Factory and user presets may be stored inside the unit, an SD- card reader is implemented and can be used to easily transfer preset and system information to other units. An preset editor software and various firmware add- ons are planned.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - D.A.S. Audio will be present at this year's ProLight & Sound and will be showing some of its latest developments, including the new Aero and Avant series models, as well as a selection of its wide and varied range of products.

D.A.S. Audio's export sales team will be joined by staff from its subsidiaries, D.A.S. Audio of America and D.A.S. Audio Asia.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Elation Professional's new IP-rated Design LED 36 Pro LED colour changer can adapt to any application, whether indoors or out, in permanent installations or travelling stage shows, says the company.

The DLED 36 Pro has 108 watts of high-output featuring 36 x 3-watt RGB LEDs (12 red, 12 green and 12 blue). Using a DMX controller, operators can custom blend RGB colours. The DLED 36 Pro can also generate changing colours as a standalone unit, since it's equipped with pre-programmed colour macros and eight built-in programmes that can be called up with or without a DMX controller.

The unit includes a built-in 100V-240V switching power supply, and Edison power in and out and XLR in and out. "Even though it's an IP 65-rated fixture that uses IP 65-rated cable, the connectors are regular Edison and XLR, so you don't have to worry about using special connectors," said

UK - Multiform Lighting will release a number of new additions to its expanding range of professional LED lighting products on the stand of its international distributor Adelto at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt.

The MultiSpot Eco complements the shape of the successful Multispot range,but uses a plastic body with a single bracket, a RGB LED panel using 195 LEDs, plus a linear power supply unit and no sound-to-light circuit. This allows for more competitive pricing whilst maintaining the Multispot appearance and Multiform's 4-channel DMX control, offering stand-alone and also remote operation. The MultiSpot Eco is designed for remote-controlled installed systems or smaller mobile systems that require a less road-proof construction, says the company.

The MultiSpot HP uses an array of nine of the new 3W MulTriCell LED devices to deliver 27W of solid state lighting power. The lens

Germany - The live concerts in the Agora Marquee in the central piazza at the Frankfurt Messe have for years been a feature of the Musikmesse/Prolight&Sound trade fair in Frankfurt. After a number of successful years with the Real Groove Band - along with star guests such as Haddaway, Bobby Kimball and most recently T.M. Stevens - Electro-Voice, Dynacord, Midas and Klark Teknik have secured the services in 2009 of guitarist Steve Lukather.

The session musician and Toto guitarist will be performing with his band three times a day from 1-4 April. "We're proud to be bringing, in the shape of Steve Lukather, a genuine legend to Frankfurt. The Agora Marquee promises to be packed," says Robert Pletz, head of marketing of the business unit communications systems of Bosch Security Systems.

(Jim Evans)

UK - This month sees the release of Liquid 4PRE's Pro Tools TDM/RTAS control plug-in. The plug-in can operate alongside Liquid 4PRE's standalone control application 'Liquid4Control', and provides integrated remote control via Pro Tools software and hardware, including Icon and Venue systems.

As a Pro Tools TDM/RTAS plug-in, it brings other benefits, including comprehensive automation and session integration. This enables, for example, automated gain control of all four pre-amps and full recall of all pre-amp settings (including emulation choice), as part of the Pro Tools session.

Focusrite's LIQUID4PRE four-channel microphone pre-amplifier utilises The Liquid Channel's Liquid technology, marrying a flexible analogue front end with dynamic convolution DSP to deliver the sounds of 40 vintage and classic microphone pre-amplifiers across all four channels.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Link, a leading manufacturer and distributor of products specifically designed to solve wiring and connectivity problems within the entertainment arena, will exhibit its DGlink digital audio distribution system at the Prolight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (1-4 April 2009).

Link, the first manufacturer to introduce printed circuit board based modular snakes and stageboxes over a decade ago, is now introducing the first hybrid multi-protocol enabled modular digital snake system.

The primary objective of DGlink is to offer a solution that will replace, or integrate with, traditional audio distribution systems (analoguee and digital) during live applications, utilizing one or multiple, digital transport protocol standards over Cat 5 or 6 cables. The DGlink modular touring grade digital audio distribution snake (48 kHz/24-bit), is designed for live applications leveraging the

UK - TOA returns to Frankfurt's Prolight & Sound this year with "the most comprehensive range of commercial audio solutions it has ever presented at the show".

Brett Downing, sales & marketing director, TOA Corporation (UK), comments, "Prolight + Sound is our number one tradeshow for Europe and this year we have a whopping 150sq.m stand on which to showcase our products. We expect to attract many new customers with our offering and, just as importantly, to link up with existing dealers and distributors, from markets as far afield as Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East."

Among the new products on offer are the VM-3000 PA/VA System and the SX-2000 Audio Management System, both of which made their debut at February's Integrated Systems Europe show in Amsterdam. Designed for small to medium-sized and multi-site projects respecti

UK / Germany - Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in the music industry in 2008, Fane is ready to announce its largest launch of new products for many years, to be unveiled at the Frankfurt ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, (1-4 2009).

Fane International Limited has announced the launch of two new Colossus drivers handling 1000 and 1500W (AES) respectively and the Sovereign range consisting of 17 new models from 6.5" to 18" designed for a broad spectrum of sound reinforcement situations comprehensively covering midrange, full range, bass-mid and dedicated bass applications.

Director Mark Barnes says: "2009 represents an important year in the development of Fane and our continuing impetus in the international market. After spending a year in research and development, the timing of our product launch could not be better. In the current climate i

UK - Once the accepted solution for linear lighting, traditional gas-filled glass neon tubing is also cursed with inherent technical weaknesses. Recently however, the same effect has been reproduced using LEDs, removing most of the drawbacks of conventional glass neon. LED Neon Flex has not been without its limitations however, most notably that the standard 24V versions would generally only allow for maximum continuous lengths of between 9 and 15 metres, depending on colour.

With this in mind, Batmink Ltd has introduced a new 240V Pro version - which eliminates the need for a transformer - to its range of LED Neon Flex products. Available in Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green and White, the new Pro Neon Flex now delivers maximum continuous lengths of between 96 and 122 metres, depending on colour, say Batmink.

This new product supplements Batmink's comprehensive range of LED Ne

UK - Arcstream AV is launching a Multi-Touch system for event hire or purchase, where users can create interactive presentations, "like using a giant IPhone". The multi-user system can be integrated into tables or designed into a large Multi-Touch wall, depending on the desired application.

The Multi-Touch system reacts to your touch by sensing the infrared signature where your fingers are touching the surface, the result is a system that allows more than one person to manipulate images, video, 3D models and more.

The movement is detected by infra-red cameras, with the screen or tabletop being flooded by an infrared illumination system, with an optical filtering system. A PC with application software controls the specially designed content, beamed on a compliant projection surface. The Arcstream Multi-touch tables and walls support a wide range of gestures enabling y

UK - Highlite International BV, along with the UK partner Overt Light to Sound Ltd, is taking delivery of the first batch of the new Antari DNG-200 Low Fog Generator - originally launched at PLASA 2008 in London last September.

The DNG-200 Low Fog Generator is a ground fog effect solution from a fully self-compacted unit with wheels and handles to stand against tough transport. "With today's rising demand and awareness for environmental and health concern, the effects produced is virtually indistinguishable from that is created by dry ice," the company says.

Distinctively from other products currently on the market, it creates low fog straight from machine's nozzle - "a far more efficient and convenient" system, without any of the hassles of CO2 installations, say Highlite. It is operator-friendly as there are no external controls on the machine. Simply plu

UK - Impact Products (Europe) displayed a wide range of LED fixtures from Chauvet at Even Tech Scotland last month. Utilising three-chord AstraLite trussing from Litestructures, for which it is the master stocking distributor in the UK, Impact demonstrated the control and RGB colour-mixing capabilities of the US manufacturer's COLORado 1, 3 and 6 wash and panel lights and the moving head Q-Wash LED, all to great interest.

Adding to the atmosphere were the full Vue series of static and rotating moonflower effects, offering individual RGB or RGBWY colour control as well as blackout and strobe options, whilst the RGB Technostrobe added dimming to the impressive list of functions available from the effects range.

Impact also surprised attendees with the B50 from Lanta, featuring a bright single blue 50mW diode. With manual, automatic, sound activated and 8 Channel DMX control, the

Germany - Electro-Voice has launched seven new CPS amplifiers, targeted at the pro audio installation market. The new series comprises four two-channel models based on Class-H design and three multichannel Class-D type amplifiers, all housed in 2 U chassis, with Euroblock type connectors on inputs and outputs.

The two channel models feature switchable Hipass filters and bridgeable output channels.

The multichannel amplifier's direct-drive design allows for switchable output characteristics from Low-Z to Hi-Z for each channel individually, ranging from 2 Ohms load up to 100V line drive. In addition, channels can be bridged pairwise for double output power.

All amplifiers provide module slots for optional RCM-810 modules, that can be retrofitted for remote control and supervision via IRIS-Net.

Additionally, the multichannel models CPS4.5, CPS4.10 and CPS8.5 feature the Varia

USA - American DJ has added a new, smaller-size model to its Mega Bar series of LED colour bars. Like the company's original Mega Bar LED, the new Mega Bar 50 RGB is an ultra-bright DMX-compatible indoor RGB mixing bar. But at 1.5ft in length, it's half the size of the original Mega Bar - and less than half the price.

The trimmed-down size makes the Mega Bar 50 RGB suitable for smaller venues and spaces, while the lower price tag puts this LED colour-mixing bar within reach of budget-conscious DJs, bands and clubs.

"After introducing our very successful original Mega Bar LED, we were getting requests from smaller customers for a similar LED colour bar that was scaled to meet their size and budget needs," said Scott Davies, general manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. "Simply put, they didn't need - or in some cases the space couldn't accommodate -- a b

Germany - The design of d&b audiotechnik's new T-Series offers two different loudspeaker technologies in one package. It delivers an impressive performance as d&b's smallest line array and transforms into a stand-alone point source system providing "remarkable economy of scale".

The T10 cabinet is a passive two-way design that houses two 6.5" drivers, a 1.4" exit HF compression driver and can be used either as a compact component in a multiple cabinet line array or, by rotating the horn as a high directivity point source loudspeaker. The HF driver is fitted to a waveguide horn producing vertical line source directivity with a 90° horizontal pattern that is maintained down to approximately 600 Hz.

The T-SUB shares the same width and integrated rigging fittings as the T10 for deployment either flown at the top of a T10 array, in a separate column or it ca

Germany - Cadac Holdings will be showing a comprehensive line-up at Prolight + Sound 2009. The production version of the S-Digital mixing console will be joined by the first of three series of new compact analogue consoles - the Live1 - together with the new Cadac LiveWire 32/8 digital multi-core stagebox and breakout system. Full details will be unveiled at the show.

"In just a few short weeks, Cadac is already seeing the benefits of the initial phases of Soundking's investment in the company, with the first new designs making their debut at Prolight&Sound," says general manager Bob Thomas. "Everything is going full tilt at our Luton factory, where we are working flat out to fulfil a large number of sales orders - with S-Types, F-Types, and an R-Type shipping out to Russia, Germany, Korea and China, together with a quantity of J-Type modules for the USA and Aust

USA - A new drive mechanism and new motors will improve Wybron's series of Eclipse IT mechanical dowsers, the company has announced.

New motors will be installed in six versions of the Eclipse - three Iris models and three Shutter models. The Iris models use a camera-like aperture to block the light, and when the fins retract, 100 percent of the light shines through. The Shutter models use vertical blades to black out the beam, a style often used for quick cuts and chase sequences around arenas.

Both styles are used to dowse sports lights and other discharge lights that can't be dimmed electronically. A new drive mechanism inside the three Iris models will make these units more solid by simplifying the pieces used to open the aperture fins, said Lee Schlais, Wybron's vice-president of engineering. "The Eclipse units were already reliable, but the changes we have made will

Denmark - The Martin Professional Colorfox VX01 is the first lighting controller specifically designed for architectural use with dynamic colour changing fixtures. This simple control solution allows users to customise and personalise a variety of architectural lighting settings.

Colorfox features a tactile design that enables it to fit into nearly any design environment. Its user-friendly interface allows even inexperienced users to access the benefits of dynamic light.

This intuitive controller allows for easy playback of static and dynamic scenes and provides a simple-to-use interface for users to alter the hue, saturation and intensity of their surroundings.

Colour temperature can be easily adjusted from 2000K-9000K to match different luminaire types (RGB or CMY) for identical and consistent color matching, making it easy to replace any fixture without re-programming des

France / Germany - French manufacturer APG reports a new stage in its ongoing product development, building on its experience in line source technology (i.e. Matrix Array). At the forthcoming ProLight&Sound exhibition (Frankfurt, 1-4 April) APG will launch its first Line Array.

Named Uniline, the new system comprises a main cabinet - UL210 - and a Low cabinet - UL115B. Featuring a 3-way system with twin 10" drivers, and the company's Isotop arrangement (a 6,5"+ 1"coaxially mounted with passive crossover), the UL210 is a bi-amplified cabinet. The UL115B low cabinet utilizes the efficient K-Horn load technology found in the company's TB subwoofer range, say APG.

The company says that the ergonomics and the flying points of the whole system are designed to offer safe, simple, flexible and intuitive installation. To operate and drive the complete system, users have

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