UK - Max Webster’s intense production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, opened to positive reviews at London’s Donmar Warehouse in December.
Played out on Rosanna Vize’s stark, minimalist set, comprising a flat white platform backed by a glass wall that isolates off-stage actors from the action, the audience listens through binaural headphones that catch every nuance of the actors’ speech, drawing them deeper and more intimately into the text - and Macbeth’s mental state.
Lighting designer, Bruno Poet, accentuates this intensity with the help of Ayrton Khamsin TC fixtures: “The simplicity of the set - the sharp-edged white platform contrasting heavily with the black surroundings - combined with the detail of the soundscape meant it wasn’t always necessary to see the actors’ faces fully,” explains Poet. “This gave me a lot of freedom to use lighting in a very directional, sculptural way, and the Khamsin TCs were the key element in this.”
Poet used just six Ayrton Khamsin TC (True Colour) fixtures in the overhead rig as his main workhorse fixtures. “The quality of light from the Khamsin’s TC engine was beautiful and the output gave me so many creative possibilities,” he says.
One Khamsin TC was rigged over each corner of the stage with a further two in upstage- and downstage centre positions. “Because the zoom goes so wide, I found to my delight, I could light the whole stage using just one Khamsin. Obviously at other times we balanced them in different ways, but one single
UK - LIVE has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.
Launched this week, the new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. The survey aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes live music a great industry for freelancers. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in April 2024.
Industry organisations such as Entourage Pro, Production Futures, NOWIE, Rego, and Power of Events are all key supporting partners of the survey.
Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE, said: “Freelancers are crucial to the success of the live music ecosystem and our industry relies on them to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans. This survey will give freelancers in our industry the information needed to get the most out of the work they do and help to deliver impact change for every freelancer and the organisations that rely on freelance talent.”
Suzi Green, tour manager and manager of the Back Lounge, said: “We were hearing on The Back Lounge that new people coming into the industry had no idea what to charge, and more seasoned crew were unsure given how much things have changed post-pandemic. Last summer rates
Europe - PRG is expanding its extensive sound reinforcement portfolio with several LD Systems MAILA XXL systems including accessories. In Germany, PRG is represented by over 350 employees at five locations and has more than 20,000m2 of warehouse space.
"We heard MAILA for the first time during an on-site visit to the Adam Hall Group Experience Centre and were immediately impressed," explains Udo Willburger, CEO of PRG AG. "This applies not only to the sound, but also to the efficient handling of the entire system.
“Especially in the corporate events sector, a system with a slim form factor and high flexibility in a wide range of applications is an enormous advantage when it comes to producing cost-effectively and still being able to deliver top results."
MAILA XXL is the largest and most powerful MAILA (Modular All-Round Intelligent Line-Array) system with a total output of 20,000 watts. In contrast to the ground stack systems, MAILA XXL was primarily designed for flown applications, but can also be reconfigured into several smaller ground stack systems if required. This means that MAILA XXL is not "one" product, but a scalable sound reinforcement system that sets new standards in terms of diversity and flexibility. PRG sees the MAILA concept with its flexible configuration options as the ideal sound reinforcement system for corporate events, conferences and similar events.
In order to familiarise PRG employees with all the features and functions of the MAILA system concept in the best possible way, LD Systems field application engineer Je
Spain - Robe Lighting will exhibit on booths 1C700 and 1D700 in Hall 1 at ISE 2024, where it and sister businesses - Anolis, Avolites and Artistic Licence - will share a present an interesting array of new and popular products.
Robe highlights several new products including from its award-winning IP rated i-series - the iForte and iForte LTX, iPainte, iESprite, iBeam 350, iTetra2 and iT12 Profile - for all environments - characterised by their innovative features, rugged weather resistance and for being identical to non-IP rated versions of the same products, allowing the flexibility of easy mixing on the same lighting plot.
A new variant of the T32 Cyc will be previewed, as will the latest in the Footsie1 and Footsie2 footlight range, the Footsie TM Slim.
Also previewed is Robe’s much anticipated iBolt. With the same feature set as Robe’s groundbreaking and universally popular MegaPointe, the iBolt can be a beam, spot, wash and effects luminaire for stage and outdoor use.
There will be a timecoded ‘Voice of God’ presentation on the booth highlighting all the Robe products, and the company will also have a strong presence at the nearby EarPro&EES / Midwich Group showroom which will be utilised for invite-only demos of some new and upcoming surprises.
Robe’s architectural and LED lighting brand Anolis has its own space on the booth and will highlight its new Calumma, Ambiane and Eminere product ranges.
Part of the Robe group, Artistic Licence will display a selection of its omnipresent lighting control technology p
Spain - Christie will showcase how its smart technologies help to deliver ‘unforgettable experiences for customers’ at ISE 2024.
In Hall 3, on stand 3K500, Christie will present its latest visual solutions, including LED video walls, 1DLP laser projectors, RGB pure laser projectors, and powerful content management and processing solutions. With several first-time product showings in the region, visitors will see how the latest technologies perform in a range of engaging applications, under this year’s theme of ‘Experience is Everything.’
“As founding members of ISE, we’re delighted to be part of the show’s 20th anniversary,” says Arlonna Seymour, executive director, corporate marketing, at Christie. “Fuelled by 95 years of experience and know-how as a technology innovator, our solutions allow creatives and partners to deliver exceptional immersive experiences.”
Christie’s executive vice-president for enterprise, Michael Bosworth, adds: “We want to inspire attendees and empower our partners to achieve outstanding projects which, in turn, engage users and audiences. We offer complete end-to-end solutions designed to work together from display technology to content management and processing, and we work with partners to strategically come up with the best technology solution to meet their customers’ needs.”
In Christie’s immersive room, six Christie 4K13-HS 1DLP laser projectors - which make their debut at ISE - will be used to project up, down, and all around, using content created by THÉORIZ and sensory technolo
Spain - Sennheiser will focus on its industry partnerships and alliances at ISE 2024. Located in Hall 3 of the Fira Barcelona, Gran Via, the Sennheiser booth (3C500) will feature an interactive touchscreen for attendees to easily discover the Sennheiser technology and collaborations that streamline integration and deliver engaging experiences.
Integrators, consultants, and end-users can explore the full potential of Sennheiser products when paired with solutions produced by its global partners and alliances. Throughout the event, Sennheiser is collaborating with 20 leading manufacturers from their partner network, including Airtame, Audac, AVer, Crestron, Lightware, Lumens, Q-SYS, Xilica, and more, to deliver an in-show campaign that highlights the benefits of their combined solutions.
ISE attendees are encouraged to participate in an app-led scavenger hunt across Sennheiser and partner booths. Participants will be rewarded with exclusive Sennheiser-branded socks and the chance to win a TeamConnect Bar Medium.
Over the past couple of months, Sennheiser has made several announcements with some of its key industry partners. Most notably, Sennheiser has gained support for its TeamConnect Ceiling Medium, with announcements with AVer, Crestron and Lumens detailing how Sennheiser’s newest ceiling microphone works seamlessly with their solutions to provide camera tracking and high-quality audio.
Spain - Claypaky will be showcasing its recently launched products for all kinds of events from touring to theatre productions. Booth 1D150 at Fira Barcelona is where visitors can see and learn about the latest products and innovative technologies for the entertainment industry. It is also the first time since ARRI’s acquisition of Claypaky, that two companies will be exhibiting together at ISE and presenting an even broader portfolio together.
With demand for IP-rated fixtures continuing to grow, Claypaky will feature the Shield Family IP66 product range with fixtures such as Arolla Aqua and HY B-EYE K15 Aqua. The Shield Family - which included Skylos, Arolla Aqua, Mini-B Aqua, Xtylos Aqua - launched a new standard of weather-resistant, high-performance, ultra-durable and long-lasting fixtures. These IP66-certified lights have advantages in performance, handling and use. Whether used indoors or outdoors, the high level of impenetrability minimises the need for time and resources spent on maintenance allowing users to fully dedicate themselves to their productions.
Arolla Aqua is Claypaky’s new top-of-the-range weather-resistant light, a versatile workhorse IP66 fixture. It offers high-power and high brightness with top-level performance in a remarkably compact and lightweight package that enables fast pan and tilt movements.
HY B-EYE K15 Aqua is the newest member of the IP66 Shield family. Based on the well-known Claypaky ALEDA B-EYE technology with rotation and pixel-mapping, Aqua boasts true IP66 protection and has been rigorously tested to
USA - Obsidian Control Systems has announced the addition of Daniel Boerner to its expanding global team as a newly appointed technical support and training specialist. Daniel started in the new position in November and uses his expertise in lighting control to support Obsidian’s Netron line of data distribution products. Over time, his role will extend to encompass support for all products under the Obsidian brand.
Daniel brings experience from his previous position at Acuity Brands, where he served as a technical support specialist for six distinct product lines. Additionally, he served as coach, author, and publisher for a Knowledge Centered Service (KCS) programme, contributing content for customer-facing troubleshooting and training.
In his new role at Obsidian, Daniel’s primary responsibilities encompass firmware/software testing, customer support, and the creation of technical documentation and training materials for the Netron line.
Matthias Hinrichs, product manager at Obsidian Control Systems, comments: “Daniel is a great addition to our Obsidian team, who is already positively impacting the support we provide to our customers worldwide. He comes with a lot of valuable, real-world experience in entertainment data applications that allows him to provide expert-level support to ensure clients' success.”
Italy - K-array, is marking the beginning of 2024 with a series of new appointments aimed at strengthening the brand’s development on a global scale, with a focus on the AV market. Internally, Francesco Maffei, Simone Rossoni, Daniel Strasserra and Lorenzo De Poi are adopting new and strategic roles within the company, whilst well-known industry name, Vincenzo Borelli, joins K-array in the role of business development manager focused on the live events market.
Francesco Maffei, formerly area sales manager EMEA, has been appointed to the new role of sales director. In this role, Maffei will oversee commercial efforts across all regions. “Having been part of the K-array story since the beginning, I'm very proud and excited to take on this new role,” he states.
Also joining the sales team, Simone Rossoni will be responsible for driving growth and providing comprehensive sales support in the Italian and Swiss markets.
With 16 years of experience working globally with K-array, Daniel Strasserra will take on the role of global business development manager, with a broad focus across all vertical market sectors. "I'm excited for 2024, where I’ll be focused on increasing our impact on major projects, building relationships with international artists and DJs and growing our partnerships with rental companies,” explains Strasserra.
A further appointment from within the K-array family is Lorenzo De Poi, who will be heading up brand management across both the K-array and KGEAR brands. De Poi has been instrumental in growing the prominence of KGEA
UK - Owing to the demand in services, Artistic Solutions has appointed a regional hire manager to oversee operations north of the border in Scotland. Neil McCallum is based in Fife, and his primary role will be to continue to support clients into 2024 and beyond.
Neil joins Artistic Solutions with considerable experience, with a strong background in live theatre working with both professional and amateur organisations. His expertise will cover hire, sales and installations.
France - At a height of 107m, the Dôme des Invalides is the tallest church building in Paris and a shrine of some of France's leading military figures, most notably the tomb of Napoleon.
Built during the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century, the stunning architecture of this building with its six chapels is brought to life in the Aura Invalides night-time experience in which visitors are immersed in orchestral music as the walls become a canvas for dynamic video projections and lighting effects.
The experience was designed by Moment Factory at the request of cultural operator Cultival and produced through a partnership with Musée de l’Armée, France’s national military museum. An all-Nexo sound system finished in a custom RAL colour to match the stone walls of Les Invalides was designed and installed by French AV technology and events production specialists Novelty Group, with assistance from the engineering support team at Nexo.
Eight clusters of four Nexo Geo M6 compact line array elements are wall-mounted close to the pillars at the entrances of the four corner chapels, with each cluster facing the opposing pillar. L18 subs are mounted above each of the four corner arches, with a single GEO M620 at each corner firing into the dome to create a virtual source.
Compact Nexo ID24s above each arch face the floor, with additional pairs of ID24s mounted above the Turenne and Vauban monuments in the two side chapels, and pairs of ID24s supplemented by an IDS110 sub in each of the four corner chapels.
Sound is central to the experience
Spain - L-Acoustics has launched the Xi Series, an extension to the X Series of coaxial speakers. Visitors to ISE 2024 will be able to see and hear the freshly launched X8i and X6i models in Hall 7 booth #7F150, Hall 2, #2G500, and Hall 8, Audio Demo Room #B4. The Xi Series is designed to meet the demands of every type of integration project that requires powerful, premium sound in a discrete format that can seamlessly blend into any room architecture.
The Xi Series offers a range of installation-focused coaxial enclosures with distinct formats, bandwidth, and SPL specifically tailored for short throw applications.
"The Xi Series represents a significant leap forward in meeting the diverse demands of premium installations,” says Germain Simon, director of product management at L-Acoustics. “The refined acoustic and physical design combines with a plethora of simple yet purposeful accessories to ensure premium professional audio can be created in any space."
One of the key features of the Xi Series is its coaxial technology, which allows for a compact design and constant tonal balance over distance. This technology ensures smooth coverage for off-axis audiences, eliminates the need for a minimum listening distance, and provides high feedback rejection. With an exceptional bandwidth-to-size ratio, the Xi Series boasts L-Vents to deliver clear low-frequency power and features a weather resistant IP55 rating, making it suitable for indoor and outdoor installations.
The X6i and X8i feature slender, streamlined designs that seamlessly integrate
UK - HH Audio has announced the appointment of Kyle Watson to the post of product manager. Kyle has been a member of the Headstock family for more than a year, having worked as an after-sales & service coordinator across the group’s brands. Prior to that he gained sales experience at PMT’s Birmingham store.
HH Audio director of international sales Ian Wright comments, “Kyle’s skills and experience, combined with a keen interest in the development of audio technology, mark him out as an excellent candidate for his new role. He’s a strong communicator with a ready feel for the needs of the market who understands exactly how our products and our business work.”
Visitors to this year’s edition of ISE in Barcelona can meet Kyle on HH’s Booth 7L760 where he will be part of the team introducing a number of new products to the market. He comments: “I’m very much looking forward to the new challenge and certainly expect to hit the ground running at ISE.”
USA - LD Systems is expanding the MAUI G3 series with the MAUI 11 G3 MIX and MAUI 28 G3 MIX models, which further extend the application possibilities of the MAUI G3 with the integrated digital 6-channel mixer, professional effects and convenient wireless remote control via smartphone or tablet. This makes the MAUI G3 MIX an all-in-one solution for all artists who don't want to bring a separate mixing console to their live gigs.
The MAUI G3 MIX series combines all components for flexible live use: mixing console, effects, dynamics processing, DSP controller, power amplifiers and speakers. The integrated digital 6-channel mixer offers four XLR/line combo inputs for connecting microphones, line devices or high-impedance instruments (Hi-Z available on channels 1 + 2), supplemented by a stereo Bluetooth connection on channels 5 + 6.
The mixer settings can be adjusted manually via the control element on the rear of the subwoofer, as well as fully remote-controlled. For this purpose, LD Systems offers a free app (iOS/Android) for smartphones and tablets, which provides full access to the mixer channels, monitor channels and the comprehensive effects section with reverb, delay and dynamics tools. A parametric 5-band EQ is available. Depending on requirements, the complete app control of the mixer can be operated in Easy or Expert mode.
The MAUI 28 G3 MIX is based on a 12'' subwoofers with 2,060 W (peak) and two aluminium column elements with twelve 3.5'' midrange drivers, which are designed as cardioid loudspeakers and enable controlled sound dispersion.
USA - BNW, a leading production rigging company based in New York City, founded and run by Tony Bonilla, successfully executed the challenging lift of the Sonic Sphere at The Shed utilising Eilon Engineering’s Ron StageMaster wireless load cells to ensure precision and safety.
Bonilla, with over two decades of rigging experience, recognised the need for higher calibre rigging in the industry following years of work on concert tours, Broadway musicals, the circus and car industrials. The realisation led to the establishment of BNW in 2012, a company that has since become synonymous with safe and effective rigging solutions in and around New York City. An ETCP-certified rigger since 2005, Bonilla also oversees rigging at Cipriani venues and has imparted his extensive knowledge to aspiring riggers over the years through seminars and teaching.
The Sonic Sphere, a 65ft diameter spherical concert space suspended in the air within The Shed's 115-foot-tall McCourt, posed challenges in its setup and tear-down. BNW was enlisted to make sure the weighty structure got up and then down safely and employed Eilon Engineering's Ron StageMaster wireless load cells to monitor the loads throughout the process.
The complexity of the project required meticulous planning and execution and the weights involved were enormous. The Sphere housed a stage deck surrounded by amphitheatre seating, along with entrance and exit bridges. Inside were performers, audience and a myriad of equipment, including musical instruments, lighting and surround speakers. Original design loa
Spain - disguise brings its integrated ecosystem of software, hardware and services to ISE 2024, with new product releases and integrations, demonstrating its market positioning to unlock the next dimension of entertainment.
Tom Rockhill, chief commercial officer at Disguise, said, “We are delighted to be back at ISE to showcase some fantastic new developments to our technology ecosystem, bringing even more power and engagement to live shows and experiences of all sizes and levels of complexity.”
The Disguise stand (3H210) will feature numerous product and service showcases, giving ISE visitors a view of its latest solutions that have enabled some of the world’s most talked about live shows, including U2’s show at the Las Vegas Sphere, and the BBC Earth Experience in London.
ISE will mark the first public reveal of Disguise’s soon-to-be-released VX 3 hardware - the latest addition to its flagship VX range, alongside the recently-launched VX 2+, both built to run pre-rendered and real-time content at scale, with three and two video outputs respectively.
As part of a technical partnership with Smart Monkeys, Disguise will reveal the initial phase of its Designer software integration with ISAAC, the industry-standard tool for content scheduling and remote system monitoring.
A dedicated demo pod will showcase the Disguise Cloud toolset, including the Disguise Drive virtual collaboration workspace and recently integrated Mapping Matter projection simulator, both enabling seamless cross-team collaboration.
Visitors to Disgui
South Korea - Lux Machina Consulting, specialists in virtual production and official authorised service-based partners of Stage Precision, recently wrapped up work on the production of Riot Game’s League of Legends World Championship e-sports competition. Through the implementation of Stage Precision’s flagship SP software into their workflow, the team were able to manage a complex and multi-layered AR production with ease.
“Within our work at Lux Machina Consulting, we’ve used every tracking tool out there,” says Wyatt Bartel, VP of production at the company. “Most of the workflows available are proprietary, meaning you’re locked into a particular manufacturer's ecosystem. We came to know Stage Precision when we were searching for a platform to stabilise our camera tracking practices across film, television, and live events markets and upon learning about their lens calibration features and Shield plug-in we realised it was exactly what we’d been looking for - a tool that would unify data from several sources.”
For the League of Legends project, the Lux Machina Consulting team opted for several different tracking solutions, including an inside-out optical tracking data system via Mo-Sys, a tracked cable camera, and a SuperTechno crane, but needed a tool to provide a common link between data sources with offsets and profiles.
SP proved to be the best solution. “SP provides us with a workspace in which we could view the data coming in and out,” explains Jeptha Valcich, camera tracking specialist at Lux Machina Consulting. “H
Poland - Chopin Airport in Warsaw, named after the famous Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, has recently undergone an impressive improvement in acoustic technology. The installation of an extensive Praesensa system from Bosch Building Technologies marks a turning point in the way information and music is transmitted and played in the airport building.
The new system features advanced loudspeaker technology and a high level of automation, providing outstanding sound quality and clear, crisp voice transmission, which is of great benefit to the operator, passengers and ground staff.
The new passenger information system is based on the Praesensa solution from Bosch. It uses LS1-OC100E-1 hemi-directional ceiling loudspeakers and LC1-UM12E8 built-in loudspeakers, which ensure that passengers at every gate are addressed with pinpoint accuracy and excellent intelligibility.
By integrating a text-to-speech solution from a third-party provider, the flight number, airline, destination and boarding information are automatically retrieved from the central computer at Chopin Airport and reproduced in synthesized voice information. These are output in Polish and English as well as other available languages, achieving a previously unattainable sound quality. The result is a significant reduction in the workload of airport staff.
The modernisation of the public address and voice alerting system was urgently needed, as the old analogue system had reached its limits. Information was often lost in an indistinct fog of sound, and manual announcements of boarding
Spain - Artistic Licence will showcase its current range of products. “From the distinctive 'skinny rack' octoboxes to the channel-dense and feature-rich dataLynx range, we have multiple rack mount products designed to meet a variety of budgets and technical requirements,” says the company.
The rackSplit octo is an optosplitter/data-fixer for DMX/RDM with eight outputs, featuring Neutrik XLR5 connectors. Specifically designed for 19" racks, it conveniently occupies a 1U slot with a slim depth of only 50mm. The compact metal case is ideal for saving space on wall-mounted overhead racks.
The rackLynx octo serves as an eight-port Ethernet gateway, proficient in converting up to 8 Universes of Art-Net/sACN to DMX512/RDM. Tailored for 19" racks, it occupies a 1U slot with a slim depth of 50mm. Its compact metal case is designed for efficient space utilization, making it suitable for wall-mounted overhead racks.
The dataLynx II is a 19" rack-mount gateway facilitating bidirectional conversion between Ethernet and DMX512. Capable of converting 12 universes of Art-Net or sACN Ethernet to DMX512/RDM, it also supports the conversion of DMX to Art-Net/sACN. The device is versatile, featuring additional protocol support for RDMnet LLRP.
The sunDial quad DMX 1K is a DMX/RDM controlled mains dimmer featuring trailing edge technology for smooth dimming of LED, CFL, or incandescent sources, even at low intensities. Notably, each channel, with a rating of 250W, or when used in pairs, up to 500W, allows for a customizable dimmer curve for added flexibility
Spain - Follow-Me Tracking Solutions is exhibiting on their own booth for the first time at ISE. Since Follow-Me began with the development of their first remote follow-spot software, the company has gone on to develop full systems for both manual and auto-tracking.
The Follow-Me product range allows for growth within the scope of manual tracking right through to full auto tracking. Follow-Me is fixture independent: it can control any manufacturers type of moving light via Art-Net, sACN and includes OSC & PSN to integrate with sound systems and motion control. A manual Follow-Me 3D System is completely scalable to also include the additional FollowMe Track-iT System for auto-tracking.
Follow-Me enables multiple performers, unlimited fixtures per performer, sizeable performance area (from small theatre to a large stadium) and also the requirements of both manual and auto-tracking in the one scalable system.
Denmark - Set in the rolling hills of the Danish countryside, HimmerLand is a resort combining golf and spa facilities with award-winning bistros, bowling alley, outdoor sporting activities and flexible meeting spaces.
HimmerLand recently expanded its offering to include a large multipurpose hall, smaller meeting rooms, a golf simulator and fitness centre. Leading the AV design and integration was COMM2IG - a Danish company specialising in technology solutions - who opted for a Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker system.
"The off-axis dispersion of Genelec models is excellent, which is very helpful for meeting rooms," explains Søren Maibom, solution manager and sound designer at COMM2IG. "HimmerLand also wanted a very Nordic design for these spaces, and Genelec’s form factor works really well in this context. In fact, the team wanted to hide the loudspeaker system initially, but after seeing how sleek and beautiful Genelec’s Smart IP models were, they decided to put them in full view right next to the screens."
COMM2IG chose six of Genelec’s 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers in black for the meeting spaces. "The Smart IP models were an excellent fit as they offer a local analogue input in addition to being a networked IP solution. They can also be monitored remotely, which is great for troubleshooting," says Maibom.
As COMM2IG were concluding their work on HimmerLand’s new meeting rooms, the resort threw the integrators a new brief - to completely renovate the resort’s existing bar into the new Larsens Sportsbar & Bistro in a timeframe of ju
Spain - ISE 2024 is set to be a busy show for the OCA Alliance with news of new products from member companies, new presentations from technical experts, and a new update to the AES70 control standard. Throughout the show, the OCA Alliance will be demonstrating the benefits and possibilities of an open public control standard at booth #7G400 in Hall 7 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.
On hand during the show will be representatives of member companies showcasing products and solutions that support AES70. Software, hardware, finished products, and development platforms will all be on offer, highlighting the vast OCA ecosystem of AES70-supporting technologies from all areas of the industry. For integrators, developers, and users alike, these demonstrations will highlight the flexibility, ease, and opportunities that open public standards bring to product development and system design.
Education is also a tentpole of the OCA Alliance booth, and industry experts will be on hand throughout the show for discussion. In addition, the OCA Alliance will be providing regularly scheduled presentations throughout the show on topics such as technology overviews, developing products with AES70, and the latest updates included in the newly published AES70-2023 standard. These presentations will be held at 11:00, 13:30, and 16:00 on each day of the show.
Europe - Following its release as an infrastructure matrix, DirectOut has announced the first major upgrade of its PRODIGY.MX. The upgrade will be shown for the first time at The NAMM Show 2024 and ISE 2024.
Bundled in the ‘Advanced’ system licence, the DirectOut development team has added a number of new features to extend the scope of its latest PRODIGY mainframe. The smart platform now offers a 64x64 Matrix Mixer (MatMix) and 64 Flex Channels, which can be loaded with IIR Filters, Dynamics and Delay PlugIns. 64 Input Managers and EARS for all Input channels add an extraordinary level of redundancy and resilience to the system. To tailor cost-effective solutions, all features can be purchased as part of smaller plugin bundles or in combination as part of the ‘Advanced’ system licence.
“We are excited to see how our Audio Solution Model (ASM) comes to life with this big upgrade of the PRODIGY.MX,” says DirectOut’s CTO Claudio Becker-Foss. “ASM is an innovative approach developed by DirectOut that focuses on providing comprehensive audio solutions. It is structured as a five-layer model, based on hardware platforms in combination with skins, control protocols, GUI and add-ons. The model allows for flexibility, precision, and the ability to tailor solutions to specific needs. The PRODIGY series is our top line hardware platform and the power we can unleash by adding Software and Firmware features is just stunning.”
DirectOut also announces the availability of the HOME control licence, enabling the full integration of its PRODIGY Ser
UK - Over the course of the last 30 years, Prolight has grown from a small enterprise in Bolton to a global supplier of sound, lighting and ancillaries. It is now creating ‘a next-generation workplace environment that brings together industry leading innovation and distribution’. The Building Our Future project is based around a new headquarters located at the end of the M65 in Colne, Lancashire.
The new headquarters will act as a catalyst for the future development of products and services, and is located in its own secure grounds on a 10-acre site which will be known as Edison Point.
On the site initially will be a modern warehouse along with an overflow building for the storage of bulky items including truss and staging. The main building will allow Prolight to increase its stock lines by more than 50% and also allow a higher stock holding of all items. The main building will accommodate a new modern open plan office, along with service, R&D and cable manufacture departments.
Managing director Andrew Jeffrey commented: “This significant investment into the Edison Point site will allow us to expand without having to move again. The benefit of this site is that we can just construct new buildings dedicated to where the future takes us, whether it be for more stock holding or in-house manufacturing etc. This really is a very exciting time for all at Prolight.”
The project to install the new infrastructure that is needed is currently underway and the move from Prolight’s current home at Lumen House in Blackburn is expected to take