Germany - Pro audio specialist DirectOut Technologies has announced a new hardware version of its popular EXBOX.BLDS automatic redundancy switch.
As a result of requests from FOH engineers all over the world, the hardware - which has proved to be a life-safer for big playout systems in live environments - will ship with a modular MADI interface in order to cover all applications and formats in multichannel MADI systems.
CTO Stephan Flock explains the reason for a new hardware revision five years after its launch: “EXBOX.BLDS has always been a special product for DirectOut, since it is one of our typical problem-solving solutions. Very many live systems and broadcast environments worldwide rely on our fail-over hardware to ensure proper signal transmission in redundant recording setups or playout rigs.”
However, one of the limitations of the EXBOX.BLDS hardw

USA - Audinate has announced the availability of Dante Adapter Modules, designed for the production of cost-effective, compact, manufacturer-branded Dante audio adapters and low-channel count audio devices. Dante Adapter Modules are pre-programmed and are easily integrated into larger host devices to provide Dante network support without the need for PCB design and manufacturing, component procurement and programming, significantly reducing time-to-market.
The Dante Adapter Modules family contains six models - single and dual-channel analogue input, single and dual-channel analogue output, 2 in / 2 out AES3, and 2 in/2 out USB. These modules can be used to create custom-featured adapters or incorporated directly into low-channel count endpoint products such as powered speakers, direct boxes and more.
Using the same high-quality field-tested components as the Dante AV

Europe - Sennheiser is launching a new series of professional in-ears, beginning with the IE 40 PRO entry model which will be available towards the end of this month. The IE 40 PRO ensures “impeccable audio reproduction with warmth, great detail and natural clarity”, thus improving the artist’s focus and performance control even in difficult stage situations.
This audio performance is complemented by a well thought-out mechanical design that includes a patent-pending, break-proof cable ducting. In early 2019, the IE 40 PRO will be joined by the IE 400 PRO and the top-of-the-range IE 500 PRO.
“The IE 40 PRO is the first and most accessible in a new series of fantastic sounding dynamic in-ear phones,” says Jannik Schentek, product manager professional audio at Sennheiser. “In the field test phase, the IE 40 PRO’s sound reproduction astounded the engineers a

UK - Crest Audio unveils the PB-32 SoundGrid-to-Dante network bridge for the very first time in the UK at PLASA 2018. Brand new out of the box at InfoComm 2018, PB-32 provides the connection between Crest Audio’s flagship Tactus digital mixing system and the new powered Versarray Pro line array system, both of which will also be featured at PLASA.
The PB-32 enables the audio signal to remain in the digital domain from the desk right through to the Dante-enabled Versarray Pro PA system. It may also be deployed by any other audio systems utilizing the Dante audio networking protocol, thereby also offering compliance with the AES67 interoperability standard.
Housed in a rugged, 1U ½ rack chassis, the PB-32 provides up to 16 channels of bi-directional audio to be transmitted and received by each network (SoundGrid and Dante) via interchangeable 16x16 networking modules.

Europe - Digital control specialist ArKaos has announced its support for software-driven IP workflows using NewTek NDI Network Device Interface protocol.
Joining the industry’s largest IP ecosystem of products, and a rapidly expanding number of companies enabling IP-based customer workflows, ArKaos has integrated NDI into its MediaMaster PRO, MediaMaster Express, Grand VJ and Grand VJ XT products, which are all now recognizable as a source by other NDI-enabled applications and devices connected via a standard Ethernet local area network.
The ArKaos Ecosystem allows for the maximum and most flexible control of lighting and video, in one easy-to-use comprehensive tool.
ArKaos hardware and real-time video software is present in every major market sector and industry, from IOT / architectural and architainment installations to LED applications and media solutions

UK - Robe, a platinum sponsor for PLASA 2018, will launch a major new product at the trade show taking place on 16-18 September at London Olympia.
The Czech manufacturer is keeping all details under wraps until 10.00AM on Sunday, 16 September, when it will reveal all on stand D40.
Also highlighted at the show is Robe’s modular RoboSpot remote followspotting system, now available with the latest Multi Device Control (MDC) software. RoboSpot comprises several different elements which can be used in a variety of combinations to control up to 12 units of Robe’s newest fixtures including the BMFL range, MegaPointes, Pointes, DL7 and DL4 series luminaires.
The BMFL FollowSpot LT is another new fixture to be shown at PLASA for the first time. It’s a brighter long-throw version of the standard BMFL FollowSpot, with all the same as the standard BMFL FollowSpot, how

UK - Curtain Call, a network for theatre professionals, is exhibiting jointly with Soulsound, a leading online resource centre for audio engineers, for the first time at PLASA this year. The two companies will be offering a special joint membership offer.
Hailed as ‘LinkedIn meets IMDB, for theatre’, Curtain Call is an online network dedicated to connecting theatre professionals. Members can build profiles, find jobs and collaborate with new and existing connections using the game-changing platform.
Soulsound has been helping sound engineers to improve their skills, find work and be insured since 2011. Members benefit from full public liability insurance as well as training and mentorship from highly successful professionals who share their knowledge and experience.
Together, Curtain Call and Soulsound cover all the needs of theatre and live event technicians

UK - Martin Audio has announced nine new products spread across the spectrum of electronics and loudspeakers. These represent a significant development in the company’s portfolio advancement with increased tools for system integrators, installers and specifiers. Furthermore, they will be on display and demonstration at the company’s UK Open Days, 18-20 September in High Wycombe.
First out of the gate is the new ADORN series of on-wall loudspeakers that bring class-leading performance, reliability and value to a wide range of commercial sound installations. From the retail store to the boardroom, ADORN loudspeakers are designed for distributed sound applications that require high performance from visually-discreet, ultra-compact enclosures. They also provide a seamless sonic transition within a multi-zoned complex using larger Martin Audio systems such as CDD or Blackline

USA - Lectrosonics has announced the release of the RPS4, a high-reliability universal DC power supply with redundant internal supply modules. The unit is designed as a 12V DC source for low-voltage devices such as wireless microphone receivers, IEM transmitters, IFB transmitters, and audio signal processing equipment.
The 1RU chassis eliminates the need for a separate power strip with individual DC supplies for each device. The RPS4 is ideal for use in broadcast, theatre, touring, houses of worship and many other professional applications.
The RPS4 supplies four 12 V DC thread-locking (LZR type) taps, each providing up to 1.5 Amps. Two internal power supplies and two temperature-controlled fans operate in a failover mode for an automatic backup in the event one of them fails. Individual 2A automotive blade-type fuses protect each 12 V tap from overload or direct short

UK - Holoplot will show its complete audio solution ORION at stand W61 at PLASA 2018. The series consists of the audio module Io, the Eta processing core, and the software interface Orbit.
Holoplot products offer radically new opportunities for applying and controlling audio in various applications, as well as the creation of true immersive sound experiences. The system uses wave field synthesis technology components, but the company has developed its own configuration and approach to making the system scalable and applicable to a large number of use cases, enabling sound engineers to work in new dimensions of sound reinforcement.
Using knowledge from over 10 years of research, this product is able to generate different and more efficient audio wavefronts, ranging from spherical to cylindrical and planar, says the company. This results in the fact, that the system’s

UK - KV2 Audio has announced a dedicated KV2 demonstration facility running for the entire duration of PLASA 2018.
Situated in The Club Room, this facility will offer industry professionals and users the invaluable opportunity to experience a selection of KV2’s exceptional range of products at their leisure throughout the show.
Products from KV2’s Active EX and Passive ESD ranges will be on show as well as larger format Active-Driven Systems from the ESR and SL ranges with the ground-breaking VHD 4.21 2x21” subwoofer system also ready to demonstrate why some of the world’s largest dance clubs have embraced KV2.
Members of KV2 Audio’s UK office and head office will be available to talk through any requirements show-goers might have, and can be found on Stand L10 on the show floor or in the Club Room itself.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Data Strategy has announced the first showing of a new product - VeriCal - on stand K10 at this year’s PLASA 2018. The new product, which is available for purchase or hire, verifies that the Out Board PAT-4 testers, an integral part of the QC-Check system, are within their operational specifications.
The QC-Check system provides fast and accurate safety inspections and the robustly packaged PAT-4 tester provides the perfect solution for Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), cable (continuity and insulation resistance) inspection and testing of equipment protected by RCDs (distro).
VeriCal consists of a calibrated hardware module that is controlled by a QC-Check style application that guides the user through the verification process and generates a test certificate upon successful completion of the process. A certain amount of adjustment of the PAT-4 calibration set

UK - Robert Juliat will be exhibiting at PLASA 2018 with exclusive UK distributor Ambersphere Solutions on stand K40. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the latest products, ask questions and network.
Robert Juliat has added two new fixtures to its Dalis range. First launched at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt earlier this year, Dalis Access 863 and Dalis 864 Footlight both feature a four-colour mixing system (red, green, royal blue and warm white 2200K).
Dalis Access 863 is a 150W LED batten fixture designed to give small-sized venues or those with smaller budgets the first access to Dalis technology. Sharing all the technology of the original Dalis 860 Cyclorama fixture, Dalis Access 863 has just four colours and 24 of the patented Dalis asymmetrical micro-reflectors, but otherwise all the functionality and quality of the original. Equipped with an advanced fanless

UK - MDG will be exhibiting on stand D50 where it will be showing its WPE Series of IP55-rated weatherproof and dust-resistant haze and fog generators, which will be represented on the stand by the ATMe WPE haze generator and Me1 WPE and Me2 WPE fog generators.
These rugged units are non-stop, variable output, ATMe haze and Me fog generators respectively, encased in a weatherproof enclosure. WPE versions of the extremely successful Me1 and Me2 fog generators were launched at Prolight & Sound, Frankfurt earlier this year, joining the already successful ATMe WPE to ensure the WPE Series provides the ideal fog and haze solutions for theme parks, outdoor laser shows and the enormous number of outdoor festivals around the world.
The outdoor units continue to be of particular interest to rental companies which supply a wide variety of outdoor events and need the securit

UK - The career of rock photographer Neal Preston spans more than 40 years. He has built up an extensive body of work from Alice Cooper to Frank Zappa, from Led Zeppelin to Queen, on and off the stage.
His work forms the core of the Lightpower Collection of Rock ‘n’ Roll photography and cover art - a collection born out of a company culture with a passion for collecting Rock’n’Roll art.
For the past four years, the Lightpower Collection has toured worldwide with In the Eye of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hurricane, an exhibition which shows the body of Preston’s work. In it are more than 70 of his iconic pictures: legendary album covers, views behind the scenes, moments that made history – the essence of rock and concert touring that has dominated out industry since the late ‘60s.
Now it is PLASA’s turn to proudly present a fine selection from t

UK - GoboPlus.com will be exhibiting at PLASA 2018 on stand B2 in London Olympia (16-18 September). GoboPlus.com will present its custom and standard gobos in metal, glass and plastic, plus accessories and Rosco E-Colour filter.
Sister company CutColourPlus (sharing stand B2) offers a bespoke filter-cutting and scroll-making service to the entertainment, educational and architectural markets.
GoboPlus’ latest gobo projector, GoboQuick, will also be showcased. GoboQuick (pictured) is a dynamic effect lantern, with an in-built gobo rotation function, that projects sharp images from glass or metal size-E gobos.
GoboQuick is available with a 30W white LED or a 30W RGBW LED engine with long-life white LEDs. The fixture is supplied with an adjustable mounting bracket / floor stand, a “Welcome” gobo mounted in the rotatable gobo holder, a spare gobo holder, a 1.

UK - Ayrton will unveil two new lighting fixtures and showcase others in the UK for the first time as it exhibits on stand K40 at PLASA 2018 on 16-18 September.
The French lighting manufacturer will launch the Bora-S wash and the Khamsin-S spot, two low-power LED fixtures that are also up for PLASA Awards for Innovation.
Bora-S is a high-output, low-power LED washlight that delivers 38,000lm output from an 8,000K white LED engine of just 750W. Ayrton says its performance surpasses that of any other LED fixture in its class, and 1500W/1700W discharge fixtures at a fraction of the power consumption. Bora-S is ideal for large scale venues and outdoor and indoor arenas, but it's also fully featured with a 178mm PC front lens, a 8:1 zoom delivering a beam range of 8° to 64°, full field framing, an iris, a rotating gobo wheel,two colour wheels and a full CMY + CTO colour

TMB has introduced the first ethernet patch cable with verified performance up to 100m.This one-of-a-kind, stranded, flexible CAT6a patch cable is suitable for all portable networks up to 10-Gigabit, and features renowned ProPlex durability, reliability, handling, low skew, noise rejection, and data transmission characteristics.
In entertainment applications, ProPlex Cat 6a Extended cable is especially useful for front of house cable runs, where the industry standard lengths for sound, lighting, and video are typically either 100m or 300ft. Prior to the introduction of this cable, no portable, stranded Cat 6a or Cat 5e cables providing 100% verified performance were available to support these lengths.
Drawing upon over 30 years of experience and over 15 million feet of ProPlex Data Cable sales, ProPlex CAT6a Extended combines the highest data transmission integrity with the

UK - Prolight Concepts Group will exhibit at PLASA (stand G40), highlighting its expanding product range and an eventful business year that saw the company move to a new warehouse and office complex and refresh its logo (pictured).
At the PLASA Show, Prolight Concepts will feature eLumen8, LEDJ and Global Truss and launch many new products, including dynamic backlit blinders and Kudos moving heads, IP65-rated Endura pars and Evora series all from eLumen8.
LEDJ will feature a pixel version of the Spectra Flood Q40 and an addition to the new CZ Stage Pars with an RGBA version, and Prolight Concepts will also showcase its ever-expanding Global Truss staging systems.
(Jim Evans)

UK - EM Acoustics is shining the spotlight on its new HALO Arena large-format line array system at PLASA 2018 (Stand U61), which will be shown with its dedicated transit chariot. Nominated for a PLASA Innovation Award, HALO-A has enjoyed a busy summer season including a series of successful demos at London’s LH2 rehearsal and production studios, convincing testing in Norway, and a recent outing at Silverstone for the MotoGP. Further demos will also be taking place at the G Live arts centre in Guildford on 11 September for anyone who would be interested in hearing the system prior to PLASA.
HALO Arena is built on the same core “maximum headroom” design intent as the highly successful medium-format HALO-C system, but it takes overall SPL capability to a level suitable for much larger applications, whilst still maintaining consistent performance throughout the SPL range.<

UK - The PLASA 2018 seminar programme includes a Safety First presentation by Helen Goddard, fellow and director of The Institute of Sound & Communications Engineers (ISCE), which takes place on Tuesday 18 September, 14:00-14:45 hrs in the Fast Track Theatre.
Helen will be outlining the ECS Certification Scheme and how it affects audio engineers working on sites and in venues. She will also describe how sound engineers can become accredited for this growing Health & Safety and core competencies standard within the construction industry.
A recognised ECS trade card is increasingly requested by clients and main contractors in order for operatives to gain access to sites and venues for equipment upgrades and routine maintenance. The ISCE is the only dedicated provider of ECS cards to sound industry professionals.
The 45 minute seminar will outline the

Europe - Nebula, the popular LED pixel tape driver from Madrix, has received two major new upgrades.
The improved hardware now features two separate Ethernet network ports. Both are fully functionally for data input and output and can be used for the data connection without using a separate network switch or router. More importantly, these ports enable daisy-chain support to linearly connecting several devices together with ease.
On top, firmware 2.0 has been released. The new update adds numerous features to all Nebula devices. They include support for Streaming ACN as well as ArtSync, and settings for start channel, channel order, and output in case of connection loss.
New types of LEDs are also regularly added, and the list currently boasts over 35 SPI protocols for different ICs.
(Jim Evans)

USA/Europe - ADJ has announced the immediate availability of the latest addition to the company’s Entour range of professional effect generation equipment. The Entour Faze is a robust and affordable portable faze machine, with patent pending rapid heater technology, that creates a thin mist of atmospheric haze using regular water-based fog fluid.
It is suitable installation in a wide variety of venues, including bars, lounges, clubs, entertainment centres, community theatres and churches, and is also suitable for mobile use by entertainers and production companies.
The new Entour Faze builds on the success of the popular Entourage professional touring faze machine and Entour Venue installation model, offering a more affordable and compact solution that still generates an impressive output. Combining the latest heating technology with a high-powered fan, the unit uses

UK - L-Acoustics returns to the PLASA Show in 2018 from 16-18 September with a booth space for the first time in 10 years.
The L-Acoustics team invites you to visit them on the ground floor on booth C20 to discover mixing in L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound on the L-ISA Controller using KLANG:technologies 3D in-ear monitors.
L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound is a revolutionary technology for multidimensional mixing and processing that offers extremely natural and vivid sound, creating a sense of proximity and deeper connections between artist and audience.
Join Sherif El Barbari, director of L-ISA Labs as he discusses Bringing the Audience Closer: How Technology is Changing the Live Sound Experience with a panel hosted by SoundGirls.org taking place on Tuesday, 18 September at 11:00am. Space is limited with advanced registration available on the

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