Germany - Following the development of new software, enabling Optocore devices to be connected directly to the Optocore-DiGiCo fibre loop, the German specialists created an ambitious network at this month's Frankfurt Prolight+Sound which threatened to steal the show.

The two companies - along with Clear-Com - certainly ring fenced the opening morning with successive 'virtual' press conferences, where the media thronged to the stands - first to see DiGiCo MD James Gordon hosting, with marketing director Dave Webster speaking remotely from the Optocore stand, followed by Bob Boster, MD of Clear-Com, who was beamed in from the Optocore stand as Simon Browne anchored the press call from Clear-Com's stand location.

The three stands were connected via single mode fibre - all made poss

Germany - K-array's booth at the recent ProLight+Sound 2014 was designed so that visitors could enter into a world where they could "discover K-array solutions and the philosophy of the Italian brand, but also to meet, maybe drink a cup of Italian espresso, and learn about new products during the frequent showcase presentations."

In a break between his frequent presentations, Francesco Maffei, Product Specialist at K-array commented: "Now the number of attendees has been split between ISE and PL+S, and Frankfurt attracts more professionals from rental and staging, events and touring, we've showcased our new products launched at ISE; at PL+S we kept some surprises for those who work on the road."

The new products presented in Amsterdam just over a month ago included: KT2 Tornado, point source compact speaker and the KTL2 version complete with integrated LED

Germany - SUVs have become one of the hottest commodities in the automotive industry. Why? Because people love the idea of combining a sedan's comfortable on-road ride with an all-terrain vehicle's off-road capabilities.

Musicians and DJs have something similar in mind, as the latest global trend towards the "smart rig" attests. They want a sound system that is easy to transport, sets up quickly and delivers premium-quality audio - hence the rising popularity of mono columnar systems. However, a stereo setup is the better choice for many situations. Until now, musicians and DJs who were unwilling to compromise on quality and convenience had to buy two different PA systems.

HK Audio's LUCAS NANO 600 is billed as the world's first PA that can be deployed as a single column and as a stereo system. "LUCAS NANO 600 is to PAs what the SUV is to cars - a crossover soun

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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

UK - HiLo is a unique softsource fixture designed and built by Panalux, a world leading creator of lighting solutions developed specifically for the film, television and entertainment media industries.

Forming part of Panalux's exclusive range of low energy creative lighting products and systems, HiLo is perfect for large scale spacelight installations or as a stand-alone, controllable softlight - combining flexibile operation with energy efficient cost savings of up to 90% to easily outperform more traditional products.

Producing a soft, diffused, uniform light with a single shadow, HiLo can be used individually or in multiples to provide incredibly consistent illumination; and with local control or remote operation via DMX, output intensity is easily managed, evenly, from 0-100% with colour temperature governed progressively between 3000 and 6000K. For added flexibility HiLo

Germany - Martin Audio adds an important loudspeaker to its comprehensive range, following the official launch of the new multi-purpose DD12 at Prolight+Sound.

The multi-purpose DD12 defines the ultimate in performance and versatility for powered, two-way loudspeaker systems. It combines onboard networking, DSP and Class D amplification with state-of-the-art transducers and Differential Dispersion horn technology to achieve best-in-class performance in terms of fidelity, output capability and coverage consistency across the audience.

Differential Dispersion technology delivers more consistent audience coverage than systems with conventional X° x Y° horns - providing more throw to the rear to distribute sound evenly front-to-back, while having wider close-up horizontal coverage for the front rows.

Versatility is a key attribute of the DD12. The system is designed to m

UK - Two Midas PRO6 digital mixing consoles were recently employed to mix the first in a series of "secret" performances by Prince, at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. The PRO6 consoles were supplied by LMC Audio Systems Ltd., and operated by the well-established production company - DB Audio.

DB Audio and the Electric Ballroom have enjoyed a nearly 30-year relationship, and have seen several digital boards rotate through the historic venue over that period. Most were not able to live up to the company's high demands on sound quality and usability, forged from years of working with state-of-the-art analogue equipment.

DB Audio owners Richard and Steve Waterhouse consulted with Will Hinkly, technical field sales at LMC Audio London, to determine which console would best suit Electric Ballroom's diverse requirements. Hinkly had this to say, "We took them through t

UK - This February saw Avolites technology at the heart of The Show: R&B Superstars Valentine's Special - a night of performances by a nostalgic line-up of 90s R&B legends at Wembley Arena in London.

Headlined by En Vogue with Blackstreet2, for the third-year running the evening was an exciting celebration of the best American artists. The show was managed by Birmingham-based production company DMX Productions, headed up by production manager SJ Grevett.

Lighting designer Tom Grant from design house and rental company Siyan Ltd worked alongside programmer Jack Sayer to construct a powerful show design, specifying Sayer Lighting Productions' high performance Avolites Expert Pro with Titan Mobile Wing to control the entirety of the lighting and media, which was run from his Avolites Media Ai T4 Media Server.

Tom Grant explains the concept behind the design: "I was tasked

Belgium - Versuz in Hasselt, Belgium is one of the best known club phenomena in Benelux, regularly attracting a devoted crowd of dance music enthusiasts from Belgium, The Netherlands and many regulars who think nothing of travelling from France and Germany to catch the vibes and grooves courtesy of resident DJ Laurent Wery and a selection of special guests.

Versuz has recently re-opened in a new 3000 capacity venue with even more style and buzz plus the very latest sound, lighting and video technology including a large and spectacular moving light rig from Robe, and three massive custom elliptical trusses in the ceiling made for the space by Wicreations.

With over 140 moving lights in the rig, it's one of the largest Robe club installations to date and arguably the most spectacular in Belgium.

Yves Smolders is one of the three owners. They knew what they wanted, which was a

Ireland - Dublin-based JustLite has recently supplied 19 Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beam fixtures for one of Ireland's top music events - Other Voices - which is transmitted globally online and as a television series. The lighting set was designed by Liam McCarthy and he positioned the beams as the central focus of the stage, in the Glassworks venue on the Derry leg of main shooting schedule of the show.

Now in its twelfth series, Other Voices began as a one-off music show in Dingle church in the west of Ireland. It became a series and has been propelled by the beautiful quality of the music. It can best be described as a music and arts event plugged into and evolving through every dimension of content programming, event formats and distribution channels.

Now also a presence in Derry, London and New York, Other Voices attracts an expanding array of

Germany - Avolites Media's intuitive, live, hands-on Sapphire Media Controller show control surface has won the first ever Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA) for Best Video/Projection Control.

The award highlights Avolites Media's achievements in design and innovation of the Sapphire Media Controller, which connects to and controls the powerful Ai Media range of servers enabling seamless integration of all visual elements.

More than 100 magazines from all over the world voted to determine the best audio, lighting, and musical equipment, attended by more than 300 industry movers and shakers. 2014 marked the debut PIPA awards, which ran alongside the well-established Musikmesse International Press Award, which is now in its 15th year.

The Avolites Media team was present to accept the award at Frankfurt's Messe exhibition centre on Thursday 13 March.

"We'r

UK - Professional lighting firms and training programmes from throughout the UK gathered at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance on 18 March for the 12th annual 'Ready, Steady, Light' competition.

Teams are given the same technical 'ingredients' (lighting instruments and cables) to light specific outdoor parts of the College's beautiful green campus. The team of lighting design students from Rose Bruford College and two teams from UCL's Bartlett School of Architecture also participated alongside contestants from well-established professional practices.

The nature of competition is for teams of professional and commercial lighting firms to match expertise against one another to produce a lighting installation that is judged on both artist merits and technical achievements by a professional judging panel drawn from professional peers from the Society of Light and Ligh

USA - This year, for the first time, the National Hockey League (NHL) programmed four regular season games into outdoor venues in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, scheduling the 2014 NHL Stadium Series between the previously established NHL Winter Classic and NHL Heritage Classic series of outdoor games.

Tasked with mixing the live musical entertainment at the games in all three NHL series for broadcast on the NBC networks, Ron Reaves called on production provider Clair Nashville to supply a DiGiCo SD10 digital audio mixing console with two SD-Racks.

Reaves, who mixed the music and fed it to NBC's broadcast production engineer, who added it into the audio mix, reports that the DiGiCo system's Optocore fiber optic transport capabilities were critical to its successful operation at the Winter Classic. "As it turned out, it was the right choice, because I was 2,000 feet fr

Italy - Yamaha's CIS series installation products are increasingly being adopted across Europe in projects where the requirements of excellent sound quality and reliability are allied with the need for very flexible systems. One new installation with a truly international flavour is in Treviglio, northern Italy, where an Irish pub and live music venue is benefitting from superior CIS sound.

Opened 20 years ago, Treviglio's Clock Tower pub owes its name to the nearby 11th century clock tower of the Basilica of San Martino. One of the Lombardy region's most popular local venues, it is deeply rooted in Irish culture, the furniture all being built locally by Irish carpenters with original materials, following the traditional style of Guinness pubs in Dublin.

Music has always played a leading role in the pub's ambience. It hosts a winter schedule of live shows which attract a wide

Germany - In the world of education, the benefit of high-quality sound reinforcement or media technology is often still neglected, be it for budget shortage or lack of good advice.

The Aalen University of Applied Sciences in Germany knows better. The clearer the sound of a presentation or a lecture can be understood, the easier the mind will follow. So, unhampered understanding and pleasurable sound quality are vital factors for conceiving and memorizing content. Thus, investing in a good sound system would instantly benefit student's learning success.

In 2013, when some of the University's auditoriums needed audio systems, Klartext-Gruppe offered and installed a technically advanced system design, well within budget, that utilised Lab.gruppen's new LUCIA amplifiers to great effect.

The two-channel LUCIA (Localized Utility Compact Intelligent Amplification) is an extremely c

UK - 4HM the UK manufacturer of MADI interfaces, monitors and format converters has launched a new website (www.4hmaudio.com) which as part of their move to reposition themselves in mainstream professional audio. Clearly signalling their intentions, the new website now uses the URL www.4hmaudio.com whilst all recent product introductions have placed as much emphasis on audio infrastructure for live sound and installation applications as they do for broadcast.

4HM Director, Craig Lovell explained, "When 4HM launched into the market with our first product, the SAM64, a quad SDI to MADI converter/de-embedder, it was pretty clearly aimed at the broadcast sector. Since then and as the MADI renaissance has really taken hold, the focus of our latest product developments has been to widen our appeal so that they are equally applicable in whatever environment MADI is found; whether

China - PR Lighting has reported an outstanding response to its latest products from visitors attending the recent GETShow 2014 in Guangzhou.

Held at the Poly World Trade Expo Centre by Industry Association of South China Entertainment Equipment (SCEE) it was the fourth time this burgeoning entertainment technology show has taken place.

The expo again proved its popularity with all the major Chinese lighting and audio manufacturers - with around 500 different companies participating.

Lighting was contained in Halls 5 and 6 and PR Lighting again occupied a prime position right in the centre of Hall 6 with their large, eye-catching 137 sq. metre booth.

International sales director, Ernie Armas reports an increased not only an increase in domestic customers but also those from overseas. "All were extremely satisfied with the products we presented, and in particular the n

USA - For the USITT 2014 Stage Expo and SoundLab, 1602Group TiMax will provide visitors with hands-on demo and workshop access to the TiMax2 SoundHub system matrix, sound-effects playback server and audio showcontroller. Alongside the market-leading TiMax Tracker UWB performer tracking system, visitors will experience real-time delay-matrixed localisation of presenters' radio-mics or effects as they move around a defined performance area.

Also demonstrated will be the powerful TiMax2 SoundHub S-Version sound effects editing, playback and immersive surround panning functions, including the spatially-aware PanSpace effects map which integrates with the TimeLine Editor for intuitive graphical pan programming and editing. The Soundlab workshops will be conducted in conjunction with Alcons Audio loudspeaker systems, featuring the company's exclusive pro ribbon driver technology.

Ti

Germany - Yamaha Commercial Audio enjoyed a successful 2014 ProLight+Sound - not only launching the new QL series digital mixing consoles to a huge gathering of expectant media and dealers, but the company also winning one of the event's debut PIPA awards.

The launch of the QL1 and QL5 was one of the major highlights of the professional audio presence at ProLight+Sound, attracting a great deal of interest and pre-orders.

Featuring virtually all the facilities of Yamaha's CL series consoles in a very compact form, the QL1 and QL5 can be seamlessly integrated into larger CL series systems. The new Port to Port facility gives CL Series consoles access to the QL's onboard i/o, allowing them to be used as external connections, complete with Auto Gain Compensation.

Audio innovator Dan Dugan was also demonstrating his revolutionary auto-mixing technology on the Yamaha stand. Provid

UK - Shure Distribution UK has supplied London-based sound reinforcement specialists Chaps Production Company with a range of new radio microphone products, including four channels of the flagship Axient system, together with several channels of ULX-D, the high-performance digital wireless system.

Given the many outdoor, concert and corporate events Chaps undertake for high-profile UK clients, they are often working in very crowded RF environments in the centre of large cities, and were attracted to Axient and ULX-D for their ability to minimise interference, and for the remote control and monitoring facilities afforded by using the systems in conjunction with Shure Wireless Workbench 6 management software.

"We got the Axient and ULX-D systems when we were asked to provide radio mics for a Microsoft conference in Barcelona last year," explains Chaps Production Compan

Germany - Pasquale Quadri, founder and chairman of Bergamo-based Clay Paky SpA, received the prestigious lifetime achievement prize at the MIPA/PIPA awards held in Frankfurt during Musikmesse.

The ceremony took place on 13 March 2014 and the winner was chosen by an overwhelming majority of the jury, which consisted of journalists from all around the world, representing more than a hundred industry journals.

This is the fifteenth time the annual MIPA awards have been presented. They have been extended this year, for the first time, from the world of musical instruments to the field of stage lighting and sound (PIPA awards). The fact Pasquale Quadri is the first person from the lighting industry to receive this prestigious award is therefore particularly significant.

Pasquale Quadri, better known as Paky, is a well-known entrepreneur in the Bergamo area, although he is not the

Germany - Had you accepted the quest, ProLight + Sound proved once again to be worth the adventure, especially if you like a good trilogy. New products from d&b audiotechnik featured prominently, most significantly: the D80 amplifier.

Why most significant? The arrival of the D80 completes the development of a three stage approach to achieving perfect sound. Also on display were the xC-Series column loudspeakers launched just one month earlier.

The D80 is nominally an amplifier, featuring more channels (4), more power (4000 watts per channel), yet in a slimmer pack (2 RU), but this singular description severely underplays this sophisticated device. Through modern amplifier technology and active Power Factor Correction (PFC) the D80 demonstrates an efficiency that must be measured to be believed. Powerful onboard DSP capabilities incorporate extensive system EQ, limiting, user d

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