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Innovations on the Neutrik stand included the EMC-XLR cable connector, a 3-pole male/female XLR cable connector with capacitive cable shield - shell connection to avoid RF-interference and LF-noise. A hands-on experiment with a mobile phone was proof of the pudding enough. The new OpticalCon, a hybrid fibre optic connector system will be shipping in six months. The OpticalCon is a solid and dust-protected fibre optic connector system with a robust metal housing, push-pull locking mechanism, and automatic sealing covers.

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Nicolaudie/Sunlite showed its range of software products on the stand of official Italian distributor, Teclumen srl - as well as on several other stands belonging to its worldwide partners. The company reported a successful show, with visitors showing interest in all of its products, but particularly the new Sunlite 2006 software.

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Spanish audio manufacturer Vieta, big in consumer markets, introduced the So Line, a remarkable design for table-top monitoring without cables. Battery powered, the omnidirectional 'So Cubes' use 16-channel wireless transmitters specified by Garwood, and the sleek look of the product marks it out for a huge range of private or public applications where style matters.
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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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Meanwhile, Asia's leading RF manufacturer made its step into the digital realm. Mipro's single-channel ACT-81 and dual-channel ACT-82 are described as "true digital wireless systems", and promise CD audio quality thanks to new proprietary DSP algorithms and digital modulation RF technology. Signal security is bolstered by 128-bit encryption, while a new sub-band algorithm has been developed to tackle compander noise.

Otherwise, all the expected advantages of going digital are laid out: no HF saturation or distortion with high SPL input.; built-in selectable mic capsule sounds, modelled on leading brands; more resistance to interference and, in that sense, better sound quality than analogue. Plus, naturally, PC software for control and monitoring of large scale systems.

The use of wireless is on the increase almost everywhere you look, pointed out Eugene Chen, VP of internat

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InnovaSon simply couldn't be left out of the festivities, such was the heady atmosphere of digital live progress. The new logo presents the letters 'IS' in a faintly Star-Trek inspired juxtaposition suggesting man and machine in unison - in this case a FOH engineer and, presumably, an InnovaSon console. "Why this changeΩ" asked commercial and marketing director Xavier Pion, rhetorically. "Well, InnovaSon has been around for 10 years, which means it's the 10th anniversary of the first ever digital live console. That occasion needs to be honoured. Our product range is not very broad, but it's very accurate, so we're changing our image to show our continuing presence in the market. New system packages are available, new technology is on the way - and we're not that expensive. We're competitive!"

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The Netherlands - There were exuberant celebrations when the victorious Ajax football team showed off the Gatorade Cup to 15,000 fans in Leidseplein in the centre of Amsterdam.

Following their 2:1 victory over PSV, the contingency plans for the victory celebration swung into action. Mojo Barriers worked with the City of Amsterdam and local police in advance to plan secure areas for the players and ensure the prestigious buildings around the square were protected.

Mojo's Jeroen Tap led a team that installed 110m of Mojo Aluminium Barrier to create a safe area for the team bus to drive into and the team to move onto the theatre steps to show off the cup.

The Mojo Barrier configuration allowed crowd management stewards and local police to successfully manage the good natured but exuberant fans, with a great atmosphere for all to enjoy the occasion and very few arrests.

(Chris

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Slovakia - Lighting designer Martin Kubanka used 70 Robe moving lights and a wide selection of conventional and studio fixtures for the final of the 2006 Slovakian Miss Universe qualifier. All lighting was supplied by the country's top lighting rental company, Q-99.

The show was staged at the National Tennis Centre in Bratislava in front of a live audience of 4,000, and broadcast live on Saturday night by Joj (pronounced 'yoy') - Slovakia's largest private TV channel. It attracted an audience of up to four million (80% of the country's population) making it one of the highest profile media events on the Slovakian TV calendar.

Kubanka has designed the show's lighting for the last eight years, and Q-99 has provided lighting and sound for the same duration. Each year the visuals have evolved in complexity and in terms of technology, and Kubanka explains that it's a collaborative

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Frankfurt remains the ideal platform, along with PLASA, for corporate announcements on the European stage. Swedish power amp specialist Lab Gruppen emphasized its C Series amplifiers, while entertaining most of its worldwide distributors with the first ever Lab Gruppen International Distributor Awards ceremony. Introductions were made by Michael J Christensen, VP of sales, and the awards were presented by Thomas Mittelmann, international sales manager and Claus Behrens, European sales manager.

"We felt it was time to honour those who have excelled in their geographic regions," said Christensen, and awards were duly presented in two categories - Distributor of the Year and Outstanding Achievement - across three the main territories: the Americas, Asia/Pacific and Europe/Middle East/Africa. European winners were Audiosales in Italy, for Outstanding Achievement, and Apex in Belg

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Zero 88's Graham Eales and Clare House were at the show, supporting distributors in various markets. The company has also committed to an African aid charity called Lean on Me: instead of giving out t-shirts or other swag, Zero makes a donation to the charity which supports people affected by AIDS across Africa.

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German manufacturer Fohhn Audio introduced a range of DSP-controlled active, lightweight speakers for fixed installations and mobile applications. The self-powered compact speakers in the 12"/1"CD, 12"/2"CD and 15"/2"CD class can be operated remotely, are network-compatible and are equipped with fully programmable 10-band EQs, delays and dynamic processors. Parameters are easily configured via the 4-line LCD display or a laptop and can be saved as presets. The speakers are equipped with digital stereo amplifiers (2 x 1000W/8ohm) and can be connected to other passive Fohhn Tops or a passive Sub.

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There's a new lease of life for flat-panel loudspeakers: Layered Sound is a new venture by Canadian concert pianist and inventor Shelley Katz, who has developed a combination of conventional and NXT-style distributed mode loudspeakers (DMLs). "He was in search of the perfect digital piano," revealed Ian Gair, well-known for many years at Fane Acoustics and now Layered Sound's executive for Commercial Audio. "Having found that the speaker output was the real problem, he identified NXT speakers as the potential equivalent of the piano soundboard - but it only worked when he combined them with conventional ones. One set deals with the direct onset of sound, the other handles the early reflections that provide clarity and depth."

One PhD later, funding was secured and Layered Sound went into business. Obviously, digital pianos aside, all of the previously identified app

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JBL showed several new products including the new VT4887ADP three-way line array element and VT4881ADP powered subwoofer, which features JBL's newly-developed Ultra Long Excursion 460mm (18") woofer with 2000W continuous (AES), 8000W peak power handling capacity, the model 2269. Using the company's patented Differential Drive dual voice-coil loudspeaker technology, the 2269 provides high output capabilities with an "extremely advantageous" power-to-weight ratio and is used in JBL's two newest Vertec subwoofers, the VT4881ADP compact powered unit and VT4880A full-size passive. Adding to the VRX portable line array series, JBL is introducing the VRX915M two-way, 15" floor monitor designed for live performance. The company was also showcasing its Venue Performance (VP) Series of powered loudspeaker systems.

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Sound Projects introduced the baby of the family, the Gluon, which is an extremely small speaker system with high acoustical output. It is designed as infill- or spot monitor. Also introduced was a new fly-able self-powered sub-low system: the SP18, which will make any small system sound big. Sound Projects' Dreamline Line-array system in a prefab housing was introduced at the show. Each Dreamline is individually configured by Sound Projects to match the location parameters. Its low weight of around 100 kg (depending on configuration), makes the Dreamline compliant with most standard theatre rigging points.

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Tannoy was showing two new Precision monitors - Precision 6iDP and 8iDP. These intelligent active monitoring systems combine the Tannoy Dual Concentric and WideBand technology with the latest digital processing from TC Electronic. In the V-Series loudspeaker range, Tannoy has announced active versions of various models under the 'PowerV' banner. The in-ceiling range of loudspeakers is being extended with four new compact high performance models.

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Meanwhile Ampco Belgium and TM Audio, divisions of the Ampco/Flashlight Group, announced their joint agreement with Peavey Electronics (see news last issue). The deal sees Ampco Belgium and TM Audio distributing, supporting and promoting Peavey products through dedicated vertical market sales teams, reseller product training schemes, product marketing support programmes, educational support initiatives and user endorsement programmes.

Uniquely, Peavey will integrate Ampco Belgium and TM Audio into its European logistics system, enabling access to its huge inventory of MI and pro audio products. The move signifies Peavey's ambition and commitment in the region, and in a statement Marc Kocks, MD of TM Audio, said, "Peavey is one of the world's largest MI and pro audio brands, and has enormous potential for growth in Benelux. Both TM Audio and Ampco Belgium have had long experience w

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Steinigke Showtechnic previewed a couple of new products before Frankfurt, with their PHS-250 - a small mover - and PHS-1200 or 1200E (denoting electronic ballast) - the top model at the other end of their pro-line. Matthias Schwab explained that the PHS-1400 will follow.

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UK - Crown International has launched its new 'Contractor Digital Intelligence' series 2-channel amplifiers, introducing new standards of cost performance ratio, and advanced features for the installed sound market, says the company.

The new CDi Series amplifiers feature the same Class-I (Balanced Current Amplifier) Crown patented technology as its I-Tech Series, coupled with advanced DSP functionality and USB computer connectivity, enabling setup and control via the included HiQnet System Architect software, on PC or Mac.

The CDi Series also sets a new standard in weight to power ratio for amplifiers of its class, both models - the CDi 1000 and CDi 2000 - weighing in at under 17lbs for a 2U rack space unit. The two models are identical except for their power rating, with the CDi 1000 and CDi 2000 respectively providing 500 watts and 700 watts per channel into four ohms. Other

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UK - Soundworks, based in Cardiff Bay, has become the first audio facility in the UK to install a Digidesign ICON console in a Dolby licensed film dubbing theatre. To ensure that the wiring for this major equipment upgrade went ahead without a hitch, Soundworks turned to cabling specialist VDC Trading to supply everything it needed.

"The best thing about VDC is the technical support you get to ensure the installation goes smoothly," says Soundworks' founder Simon Jones. "We spent about a week discussing exactly what we needed with VDC's technical staff so that when we actually received the cables, which were made up into runs at their premises in London, we were able to install them really quickly and easily with minimal fuss. It was all very straightforward and the service we received was excellent."

Soundworks, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this m

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USA - The Iconyx Series Digitally Controlled Array Systems will be at Infocomm following its launch last autumn. These loudspeakers will be demonstrated live at Infocomm 2006 in Orlando in Demo Room W-203A. An Iconyx system has also been selected to provide audio for the AV Awards Banquet on Tuesday evening - where, coincidentally, Iconyx is among the finalists in the Most Innovative Loudspeaker For Commercial Installations category.

The Iconyx Series uses advanced technology to provide natural music and intelligible speech in the highly reverberant environments typically associated with architecturally distinguished buildings. Their slender vertical profile mounts flat to the wall, blending easily with both classical and contemporary architecture. The integrated system inside provides a powerful new solution for consultants, contractors and architects who need pre

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UK - Three innovative products, 11 stand-out projects and a UK lighting designer were the outstanding winners at the Lighting Design Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, on 30 March.

PLASA and the PLASA Show played a key role in the evening, sponsoring the new Entertainment Lighting Award, designed to give lighting designers recognition for their creative work. Following a rigorous judging process, the Award went to the Old Man of Storr in Trotternish on the Isle of Skye, which became the centrepiece for an extraordinary night-time event as an average of 200 people nightly took the midnight walk to the spectacular rock pinnacle. The Storr forest, cliffs and corrie provided the backdrop for a subtle and imaginative light and sound installation by Dave Bryant.

Peterborough Cathedral, which dates to 1118, won the Heritage Lighting Award for a scheme,

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UK - Blitz Sound was commissioned by religious organisation, the Christ Embassy to provide audio and video equipment in support of a three day Easter rally at ExCel involving 5,000 people on site, plus a further seven million people world-wide via a live satellite feed.

The event was a charismatic renewal conference which started with all 5,000 devotees gathered in the main hall for a welcome and worship. A programme of interactive events including teaching and prayers then took place all day Friday and these were followed by an overnight vigil. A further two shows ran on Saturday and Sunday featuring charismatic leader, Pastor Chris preaching from Lagos. This sermon was transmitted via a hard satellite feed to Excel ensuring it could be watched in both London and South Africa. Blitz Sound recorded both audio and video throughout the four days, which were edited, remixed and sol

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