PLASA London’s second trip to ExCeL will see a strong exhibitor line-up and an even stronger Professional Development Programme. Covering Audio & AV Theatre and Lighting & Stage Theatre, the four-day programme of seminars and discussions will feature key figures from across the entertainment technology industry.
Highlights of this year’s programme include ‘Rediscovering lighting control– Past, Present and Future’ presented by Neil Austin, Robert Bell, Rob Halliday, Jim Laws, Richard Pilbrow (chair) at 15:45 on the first day of the show. This is followed by Tony Andrews and John Newsham discussing ‘Point source. Line Array. What do these terms really mean?’ at 14:00 on Monday, with ‘The convergence of video and lighting – whatever next’ presented by Selvin Copper taking place at 14:45.
Lighting and lighting control
Artistic Licence will show a range of new lighting control products. Topping the bill is the versaSplit system, a rack-mount product that can be a radio distribution system one day, or a DMX splitter or ethernet node the next, versaSplit embodies a modular and configurable solution that breaks down the barriers between conventional product types. Also on show will be its recently upgraded and expanded range of DIN rail mount DMX splitters. Rail-Split RDM – a 6-output DMX/RDM enabled splitter – now offers the additional functionality of a fix/filter mode, which can be a panacea for a host of DMX compatibility issues. For those needing a simple, high-quality splitter without RDM or fix functionality, Rail-Split DMX should prove a draw for budget conscious customers. Finally, there will soon be the option of Rail-Split Extreme, which offers all the features of Rail-Split RDM, while benefitting from extra output protection against electrocution and static discharge.
Avolites will showcase the new Quartz compact console. “Quartz is the newest addition to the Titan Mobile family, complete with on-board processing and a bright, vibrant 12.1in screen,” says Avolites sales manager, Stephen Baird Smith. “Super compact, measuring only 42.5cm wide, the Quartz is positioned as the ideal companion for lighting projects ranging from touring and festivals to clubs and one-offs. It is Avolites’ smallest fully featured console.
Also on stand will be the Avolites Tiger Touch Fader Wing, which has the same profile as the Tiger Touch II and features 30 playback faders all electronically labelled with an LCD screen.
The Philips Entertainment stand will be showing the latest products from the Vari-Lite range while LED innovation will come courtesy of Philips Selecon. Visitors will get to see the VL400 spot in action twice daily in London. The new member of the Vari-Lite family boasts a new colour mixing system, which is said to be ultra smooth whether operating in a slow fade or instant snap, as well as variable CTO colour temperature correction and dual five-position colour wheels. Philips Selecon’s RAMA LED Fresnel is designed for 230V operation. It provides an adjustable cone of light, has a soft edge and is easily blended with adjacent beams to provide even illumination. A key benefit of the luminaire is that it is no longer necessary to change lamps and as a 3000K LED source designers can use colour filters in a similar way to a tungsten unit. It is also useful for general stage lighting as it has a smooth dimming curve and offers significant reductions in power consumption over traditional 1/1.2kW tungsten halogen luminaires.
Audio
Shure Distribution UK (SDUK) will be giving two new products their UK public debut at PLASA: the QLX-D wireless microphone system and the PSM 300 Stereo Wireless Personal Monitor System.
Using the same underlying technology as Shure’s high-end ULX-D digital wireless microphone system Shure’s QLX-D delivers transparent 24-bit digital audio with a flat frequency response, but comes in a more affordable package and with a streamlined feature set compared to ULX-D.
PSM300 introduces stereo, 24-bit digital audio processing to the PSM line of in-ear monitors, while still offering users the customised mix control for which PSM systems are renowned. The PSM300’s two-tier entry-level/pro-grade control interface allows any user to get a personal monitoring mix up and running with speed and confidence, whether they’re experienced engineers or new to IEM systems.
Cadac is showing its CDC eight-32, CDC eight-16 and CDC four digital consoles, as well as the LIVE1 compact analogue desk, at this year’s PLASA London exhibition. The company is launching the latest V2.3 CDC eight software, which brings a host of new features to the flagship concert sound console, as well as exhibiting the CDC MC Router and MC MADI Bridge – integral components of the high performance MegaCOMMS network. Notable highlights of the CDC eight software update include aWaves interface card integrated within the console, providing connectivity to the Waves MultiRack server and control via the console touchscreens. This allows up to 64 channels of Waves studio-grade processing tools to simultaneously run alongside CDC eight’s own native effects options.
