Turbosound’s legendary Flashlight system, which dominated concert touring throughout the 1990s, has undergone a significant upgrade to the high and mid-high frequencies. The new working models have been beta tested extensively on leading shows this spring and summer by premier production company Britannia Row Productions - most recently appearing on the prestigious Route of Kings season at Hyde Park.

Turbosound’s managing director Alan Wick had put his new R&D team, under the direction of Philippe Robineau, to work on refreshing the existing system soon after leading the management buyout of the company back in 1998. A focus group of leading international sound engineers and audio production companies was assembled, who quickly identified the need for a new HF driver and a new top plate and recone for the 6.5" mid/high driver, to create a significant gain in SPL while simultaneously reducing distortion. Brit Row’s equipment manager Jerry Wing confirmed: "Out of this forum of engineers came a new development of the TFS-780H ‘high pack’, which although keeping the same outward appearance, features totally new drivers in the high and mid/high section."

Philippe Robineau said although Flashlight Mk2 took over a year to bring to market, the redesign had to go through several iterations before it was ready for beta-testing. "Although the bass end was essentially fine, we knew we could improve the system, as other parts of the frequency range could be strengthened," he said, and so they focused on the HF and 6.5in high-mid

True to form, Artistic Licence has a number of new products lined up for PLASA 2001.

Truss-Link is a truss-mounted Ethernet to DMX512 converter, which allows the Ethernet output of a console to be cabled direct to the lighting truss and then converted to DMX512. Truss-Link supports the public domain standard Art-Net and is compatible with Artistic Licence, ADB and MA Lighting products.

Down-Link is a wall plate Ethernet-to-DMX converter. The product is built into a standard two-gang wall plate. Ethernet wiring is provided at the rear, whilst the front panel houses two separate DMX512 outputs along with address switches and indicators. Down-Link is specifically designed to allow installations to use Ethernet distribution with local conversion to DMX512 in each room.

Water-Pipe is a linear luminaire based on coloured light emitting diodes (LEDs). The product is housed in an elegant aluminium case comprising machined end-pieces connected to a satin anodised extrusion. The curved lens fits flush with the casing to provide an aesthetic circular cross section. The product mounts to any flat surface by means of two screws at either end bracket. The cable exit is via the base of one mounting bracket allowing totally invisible wiring. The body of the lamp rotates 270 degrees and once focused is locked in place by two grub screws. Water-Pipe is available in both interior and exterior versions.

Micro-Scope 3a is the latest version of the award-winning DMX512 tester. Micro-Scope 3a includes a multitude of new features to further simplify the technician’s life! Micro-Scope

Millbank JustiFire is a new single-channel, four-zone PA/VA system from Federal Signal. The new system is a cost-effective, off-the-shelf product, designed specifically as the integral element of a BS5839 part 8 compliant (European BS EN 60849) emergency voice alarm system for small to medium-sized offices and industrial facilities.

The system is self contained, easy-to-install and has 24 hour integral battery back up. The utilization of a Windows-based configuration programme provides ease-of-use and a simple graphical interface enables Millbank JustiFire to be set-up to meet the requirements of individual installations. It provides a standard solution for the majority of installation requirements and accelerates the process of system design and quotation, building, commissioning and maintenance.

Italian loudspeaker manufacturer Outline will be showing the Soundtracker - the first horn loaded ceiling tile sound system - at PLASA 2001. The Soundtracker has been designed specifically for discos and dance venues where high SPL is required but noise pollution is a problem. Other uses can be in Hotels or Airports etc, where control is needed on dispersion.

Also on show from Outline will be the Kangaru. First shown last year as a prototype, now revised and powered by Class D PWM amplifiers, the Kangaru now comes complete with removable wheelboard, transport covers and all cables and stands required to make the system work out of the box - the first truly 'plug and play’ system. A full 2kW system that can be transported in a Ford Fiesta!

As an easily accessible point of reference for lighting designers and dealers alike, DHA Lighting has produced a poster featuring the 100 most popular gobo designs. As the original UK gobo manufacturer, DHA draws upon its 30 years of experience to design products that set industry standards, including over 1000 metal and 30 glass gobos, as well as providing an unmatched, high quality service.

Available in various sizes and designs, DHA's high quality gobos texture light, evoke a sense of place, project an image or create moods with these versatile tools. Standard gobos are precision etched onto stainless steel to fit most mainstream lanterns including the DHA Gecko, profile spots and moving lights. A range of complementary monochrome and dichroic glass gobo designs hold more intricate images allowing the projection of fine detail. The catalogue of gobo designs and the option of a same-day custom gobo service give lighting designers access to a diverse collection of lighting effects at an impressively low cost.

DHA's account customers should have already received a copy of the poster and the sales team will be visiting London theatres to deliver additional copies to technicians. Posters will be available at PLASA 2001(9-12 September, Earls Court, London), but if you want to assure yourself of a copy please contact Hellen Sutton (sales support) on telephone +44 (0)20 7771 2900, fax +44 (0)20 7771 2901 or email the address below:

At PLASA 2001, Geni Electronics plans to launch a host of new products, including the OBY 5 575W moving head. This value for money fixture boasts powerful features including smooth and silent movement 570-degree pan and 270-degree tilt, two separate wheels with 11-dichroic colours plus white, 9+1 fixed gobos and 6+1 revolving gobos, allocated in two gobo wheels, various special effect lenses such as revolving three-facet prism, 10,000K and 6500K temperature correction filter, 3200K temperature correction filter, 1-7 flashes per second strobe, 0-100% mechanical dimmer, IRIS linear adjustment and automatic focus.

Geni is also launching the BURST 2X/4X - a 360-degree barrel scan effect with die-cast aluminum case. The first 360-degree full-barrel effect, the Burst-2X/4X generates spinning, flipping 14 colored images in all directions. The DMX controlled fixture can utilize HSD200 / MSD200 or HSR400 / MSR400 lamps.

Finally, the MIZAR-12 graces the top of the Geni scanner range. Effects include five rotating gobos, six stationary gobos, eight dichroic colors plus white, colour correction, rotating prism, wash, iris, focus, strobe and dimming. Separate gobo wheels create great overlay effects, and gobos are exchangeable.

Geni can be found on Stand J41

At PLASA 2001, Avolites is to unveil the next major step for lighting control, with the launch of its new generation top-level lighting console - the Diamond 4.

The Diamond 4 is designed for large-scale shows, festivals, concerts, events and multi-purpose venues - the design brief was to create a lighting console that’s intuitive to operate, offers minimum operator fatigue and the fastest, most cost-efficient creation of lightshows.

The D4 builds on the success of Avolites’ Diamond 3 console, incorporating many of the D3’s popular features and addresses the whole spectrum of production situations. For those with more time - and possibly with a designer away from the console - the D4’s newly designed programming panel allows entry and selection of fixtures and palettes by number, whilst the electronic palette gives entry by legend. These entry systems can be mixed in any way, and are always simultaneously available.

New features include the Command Syntax which allows replaying of the last entered button presses, and the storing of these for later use. Also new is the storing of Times within a Palette, expanding the ability to use Palettes during live performance, and ensuring a highly flexible toolkit for use during programming. The built-in Looks and Palettes, and the D4’s ease of use, enable operation of a show when there’s been no pre-programming whatsoever. The new processing engine - running at over 1gHz - ensures that response times for selecting and running anything are fast and seamless. In addition to the 24 high resolutio

PCM/Pfaff-silberblau Ltd will launch two important new winch products at PLASA 2001 - the Tau Winch, specifically designed for flying people and aerial performance, and the Delta Winch - for the fast, efficient accurate scenery moving.

With the increasing popularity of aerial theatre and performance, PCM has designed and developed The Tau electric winch - the first winch to be designed and manufactured specifically for this specialist task. It features a host of inherent safety features, including a double brake system - one on the load, one on the motor, double limit switches, encoder feedback for accurate positioning and monitoring of over-speed and electronic overload protection.

The Delta winch is a quiet, very safe, accurate and durable device for flying scenery and set pieces in all performance situations. The near silent operation makes the delta winch ideal for operas and classical shows. Built to German VBG 70 standards, the Delta Winch’s features include double limit switches, encoder feedback and variable speed options. A unique feature of the Delta Winch is the Zero Fleet angle. The entire winch travels along its mounting skid, ensuring that the rope always leaves the drum at 90 degrees eliminating any fleet angle to the pulley. It also has two electric motors, two gearboxes and two brakes running in tandem to reach VBG 70/BGV C1 German safety standard. Each motor unit is capable of driving the winch completely independently, ensuring maximum safety.

PCM are exhibiting on stand F18.

Brazil-based Selenium Loudspeakers has announced the appointment of Overt Light to Sound Ltd as its new exclusive distributor for the UK. Malcolm Burlow, managing director of Overt, has over 20 years’ experience in the pro audio industry, having previously worked for Numark UK. He says: "We are very proud to be associated with a loudspeaker transducer company with Selenium’s worldwide reputation. Few people realise that the company has been manufacturing loudspeaker components for over 50 years, utilized in some of the finest cabinets available. The market is looking for a high quality and competitively-priced alternative, and we are confident that Selenium will be their first choice."

Overt say that a new range of compression drivers and woofers will be available within six to eight months.

Cadac will be showing its innovative R-Type lightweight touring console on Stand S22 at the 2001 PLASA Show. The R-Type is already clocking up an impressive list of show credits since it went into production earlier this year: in Italy, appearances include the Pavarotti & Friends Concert in Modena, and the Heineken Jammin' Festival at Imola, and in London, the July Picnic with Pavarotti followed by Route of Kings - both in Hyde Park. Contained within a cost-efficient and easily re-configurable package, the R-Type provides comprehensive facilities for both FOH and monitor mixing. It gives rental companies a highly flexible console - using Cadac’s unique ‘plug-anywhere’ modules for fast installation - at a competitive price.

The R-Type features a new lightweight monocoque design and a slimmer module width - combining touring ruggedness with the respected Cadac audio quality and reliability. Its lightweight frame is designed for a two-man lift, and a single 24-slot frame can be configured to handle a small venue or gig easily - with larger consoles being assembled out of multiples of the 24-way frame, up to any size required. A FOH or monitor console for an awards production or multi-talent show, requiring anything up to or even beyond 180-200 inputs, can be easily accommodated by adding additional frames fitted with the required style of inputs. As the standard frames are less than 1m wide, they can be easily arranged in an ergonomic form around the mix position. A typical configuration with the R-Type’s lightweight 24-slot frame provides 48 mono & 3

Visitors to Baldwin Boxall’s stand will see a range of new products. These include the VIGIL Communicare, a product developed in response to the publication of BS5588, which states that every public building must have a communication link to each Refuge Point. The system enables a fire officer to remain in contact with any disabled person whilst they are in the safety of a refuge area. The main Communicare control panel will be available in four versions, covering up to 16, 32, 48 or 64 areas. Communicare will, of course, be compliant to BS5588 and BS5839 part 8.

Also new is the VIGIL Eclipse/BVCOM - a serial data port being designed to enable adecentralised VIGIL Eclipse/BVCOM to be controlled externally via the BVRM intelligent microphone. The company’s R&D team is also currently working on software which will enable the BVR20 to be programmed via a laptop. Finally, the company is showing a new range of Class D Amplifiers which will replace the current VIGIL amplifier range. The amplifiers are far more efficient than their predecessors - as they draw less power and will, therefore, produce less heat.

Baldwin Boxall - Stand S2

A whole range of Sennheiser audio equipment helped ensure the success of Planet 24’s recent production for ITV, Survivor, throughout seven weeks of filming on the remote desert island of Pulau Tiga in the South China Sea. Of particular note was the performance of Sennheiser’s new MKE-2 Gold lavalier clip mic, which successfully provided the principal means of recording broadcast quality sound in the extremely hostile and humid tropical environment.

The new mic is designed specifically for ‘high moisture’ resistance but provides the same acoustic performance as its industry standard counterpart design. "The conditions the microphones faced were very much a worse case scenario - humidity and salt water," explains Planet 24’s technical director Peter Johnston. 16 of the MKE-2 Golds were used, along with their associated UHF SK50 miniature belt pack transmitters and EK 3041 miniature diversity camera-mount receivers. The radio system saw extensive use throughout filming, with remote feeds to the camera crews as they tracked contestants and filmed impromptu links. Sound supervisor Steve Blincoe explains: "The freedom the transmitters gave sound and camera guys and producers was very useful operationally, as it allowed the beach and jungle scenes to be monitored and captured without the limitation of trailing cables. This became essential when we were filming in the surf as we had mixers on our shoulders and water up to our waists! Thankfully we had relatively comfortable accommodation a boat ride away, although we were surviving the

Hacousto International plans to unveil its new fully digital speaker array at PLASA.

"If our predictions regarding the industry’s response to this new digital speaker array prove as successful as our attempts to keep the design and specification under wraps until its launch at PLASA, we will have met our launch objectives," commented Hacousto’s Albert van der Hout. "Our evaluation of market needs has already been proven with a vote of confidence from one of the World Cup Stadiums. Following successful trials The Stadium has already committed to installing the new speakers," he continued. "We are sufficiently confident to invite the industry gurus to take up our challenge with a bench test. But only after the show," Albert concluded.Hacousto - Stand B24

InnovaSon has announced the availability of V6.6, the latest version of its Sensoft software and is available for free download at the www.innovason.com download section. Sensoft 6.5 is still available for download. Sensoft is the software used to run a Sensory Live Console and can be installed also on a stand-alone PC or a laptop. The show can be set up anywhere, without the console, and transferred to the console via floppy disk.

PLASA 2001 sees Avolites also launch the Art2000-US 20 Amp digital dimmer, specifically designed for America.

The Full Mains Patching, virtually silent operation and 100% duty cycle, 20 Amp channels will satisfy America’s sharply growing demand for portable, high density touring dimming systems.The Avolites Art-2000 dimmer is an established and proven design, and the American system utilises the flexible Dimming or Mains Distribution modular design that has made the Avolites Art dimmer popular around the world.

The system features a Mains Patch with four sockets per dimmer channel (total 192) to 162 Patch Cords connected to 25 Socapex and 12 Stagepin outlets. All patch cords are numbered, colour coded and utilise the 32 Amp rated ‘Multi-lam’ contacts. Mains connection is via 5 wire Camloc inputs complete with Camloc loop outlets. The Rack system is supplied with Voltage and Current metering for all phases and neutral. Other features such as Onboard Channel or Memory Control, noise suppression to studio specifications (240ms), dual DMX input with merge and full soft-patching capabilities, enables Art2000 to be utilised on any type of production.

Avolites - Stand C4

PCM, UK and European distributors for Columbus McKinnon Lodestar hoists, will show a selection of the many types of Lodestar motors available, including standard rigging range, VGB 70/BGV C1 type and the FX range - now available for theatrical use. The company will also highlight its renowned and highly successful hands-on Motor School and Rigging School training courses.

A new version of the compact CM Prostar motor is also being launched at the show, with increased capacities and speeds. This new higher speed version will climb at six metres a minute and 10m/min (increased from the industry standard four metres a minute). A new 500 lb SWL @ 4m per minute version is also to be launched - an increase of 200 lbs over the pervious 300 lb SWL.

PCM - Stand F18

The MTFX Party Cannon is a single-shot cannon which fires both confetti and streamers in to the air together using a built-in compressed air cylinder. Each cannon is pre-loaded with a mixture of both tissue confetti and metallic streamers in a wide variety of colours. The confetti shapes include stars, circles, bubbles and flowers as well as regular Flying Fetti!

The Party Cannon is available in four sizes to suit all venues and operators: the 200mm cannons are particularly suitable for smaller indoor venues as they fire the confetti and streamers to a distance of up to 4 metres. The 300mm cannons are ideal for larger parties and venues as they will fire the contents up to a distance of l0 metres. The 500mm cannons are aimed at very large venues and outdoor parties as they can shoot confetti and streamers to a distance of up to 20 metres. The 800mm cannons need to be reserved for football matches and arenas as they fire confetti and streamers to an amazing 40 metres!

The Moving Light Company has added Vari*Lites to its extensive hire stock. The latest additions are the VL2202 spot luminaire and VL2402 wash luminaire. Both based around the same case design, familiar from Vari*Lite's popular VL6B luminaire, the VL2202 and VL2402 both use a 700W short arc lamp to provide high light output. The VL2202 spotlight offers a wide zoom range, fixed and indexing/rotating gobos wheels and an interchangeable colour wheel, while the VL2402 washlight, one of the most talked about products at last year's LDI trade show, offers CMY colour mixing coupled with a highly controllable variable beam.

Both units have already been specified for the forthcoming UK tour of Miss Saigon by lighting designer David Hersey, where they will replace the VL2C spot luminaire and VL4 wash luminaire used on the original London production. The Moving Light Company will be supplying Miss Saigon with 16 VL2202s and 24 VL2402s. At the same time, they will add a further 16 VL2202s and 16 VL2402s to stock, which will be available for hire from this August!