business news

Lumonic Ltd appoint Pacific Lighting as Distributor for Hong Kong and Singapore

Mike Edwards, director Lumonic Ltd. Says: "We are delighted that Hugh Chinnick and his team have decided to become distributors for the ilumo brand in Hong Kong and Singapore. Our brand fits perfectly with the ethos that drives Pacific Lighting. They strive to bring innovative lighting units to their market place, supported by technical knowledge and expertise and backed up with many years’ experience in theatre, opera and leading festival lighting. They operate at the professional end of the market place offering excellent service to their discerning clients."

Hugh Chinnick, director Pacific Lighting, responded: "Over the past fourteen years Pacific Lighting has gained a reputation for supplying quality lighting products to the expanding professional entertainment markets in the region, and we are very cautious when choosing manufacturers to add to our bespoke distribution list. The ilumo brand is ideal to add to our stable of thoroughbreds."

www.lumonic.com

13th May 2013

DPA Microphones Opens a New Office in Hong Kong

Following a record year for sales in the Asia and Pacific regions, DPA Microphones is consolidating its success by opening a new regional office in Hong Kong.

Headed by Ken Kimura, DPA’s general manager for the APAC region, the new office signals DPA’s commitment to its partners and customers by acting as a hub for sales, marketing and after-sales service. It will also enable the company to expand its sales network and develop new business channels in market sectors that have yet to discover the benefit of DPA’s high quality microphone technology and products.

Kimura, who was previously based in Shanghai, says: "Establishing our new office in Hong Kong makes sound economic and geographic sense. By basing our office here we can significantly expand our reach as well as visibility within the entire region and thereby aim our ambitions much higher."

During the last trading year, DPA’s sales have been on the increase in virtually every APAC country with some showing growth as high as 40%. This incredible success has been achieved by DPA developing strong partnerships with its distributors and dealers so that they can fully support their customers.

Christian Poulsen, CEO of DPA Microphones, says: "The increased consciousness of good quality in the Asian markets, combined with our ability to develop fantastic products, has resulted in our huge success in this region. To follow up on this we take the next important step by establishing this new office to support our sales partners even more and encourage their commitment to the brand. This support has been delivered in a variety of ways, including listening to our partners’ needs and implementing specific activities such as customer events."

Renowned for their audio accuracy, reliability and superb engineering, DPA microphones are the first choice for numerous recording and touring artists and sound engineers. The company’s extensive product range also encompasses many other industry areas including broadcast, film, theatre, installation, conferencing and security.

"The breadth and depth of our product range is really quite staggering and gives us plenty of scope to develop our customer base around the world," Kimura says. "The APAC region is no exception – there are many applications for our technology that have yet to be exploited and our aim is to be highly visible so that we can make the most of these new business opportunities."

DPA plans to supplement its existing team in Hong Kong with new sales staff and is interested in hearing from any suitable candidates.

In picture: Ken Kimura and Christian Poulsen

8th May 2013

Midas / Klark Teknik Appoint New Distributor for India

Midas and Klark Teknik have appointed Dhanashree Electronics Ltd. as their distributor for India. As the subcontinent’s preeminent pro-audio wholesaler, Dhanashree’s vast dealer network will enable MKT to capture a substantial share of India’s growing analogue/digital market. All Midas / Klark Teknik products distributed by Dhanashree Electronics Ltd. are covered by Music Group’s three-year Limited Warranty Program.

Midas / Klark Teknik brand development manager, Richard Ferriday had this to say: "This provides a huge opportunity for growth due to our new competitive pricing policy — and Dhanashree are the perfect partner to take full advantage of that. I welcome Dhanashree to the MKT family and look forward to delighting their customers with plenty of high-quality, reliable and affordable MKT products."

Mr. Abhishek Toshniwal, director of Dhanashree Electronics Ltd. commented: "The Midas and Klark Teknik brands have earned the admiration of audio engineers all around the world for their sonic performance, feature sets and rugged reliability. We are excited to now offer their entire range of top-tier products to our partners. Our aggressive marketing campaign, coupled with highly-competitive pricing, will ensure a large market share for Midas and Klark Teknik products in India’s rapidly-growing entertainment industry."

www.midasconsoles.com

7th May 2013

ArKaos MediaMaster Pro Performs for Master DJ Tiësto at Stereosonic Festival

ArKaos, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Dirigent Corporation Japan for the exclusive distribution of the ArKaos GrandVJ product range.

“We are very excited about this new collaboration with Dirigent,” says ArKaos business development manager, Agnes Wojewoda. “Dirigent has been established for a very long time and is ideally placed to bring our GrandVJ range to the Japanese music market. The team is very eager to start distributing our products, organising workshops and product training and is in an excellent position to offer full and reliable after-sales support.”

Dirigent Corporation was founded in Tokyo in 1990 to introduce new brilliant technologies, products and services to the Japanese Market. More than just a distribution company, Dirigent prides itself on the level of information and advice it gives its customers, conveying ideas for creating fascinating sounds and providing better solutions to Japanese designers.

ArKaos GrandVJ is a real-time video mixer software which allows up to eight layers of video to be composed on the fly. Its intuitive interface lets the musician or VJ turn their keyboard into a super controller for zipping through the functions. Take any video from a hard drive, add effects to it and start making your own video show. GrandVJ runs on both PC and Mac and accepts all common video and image formats.

“We, Dirigent, have conducted our business in the field of musical instruments, software and DJ equipment in Japan for 24 years,” says Dirigent's sales manager, Fukashi Nakaya. “Now we are greatly excited to make this collaboration with the world-famous visual software development team, ArKaos. Our long experience combined with ArKaos' innovativeness will definitely make a successful synergy in Japanese market.”

3rd May 2013

City Theatrical Launches New Website

City Theatrical is inviting visitors to explore its new website. The new website has been designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing customers to access detailed product information and videos with the option to share information across all major social networking sites.

The new site includes extensive product information to help customers understand City Theatrical’s complete rage of products for theatrical and architectural lighting. Technical data, videos, and case studies work together to provide a detailed overview of City Theatrical’s capabilities over a wide range of sectors, including custom manufacturing.

The new website means that customers can now benefit from richer online content that is easier to navigate and share with others. All of the products have been organized into four categories: Electrical/Electronic, Beam Control, Hardware, and Software, making it easier for visitors to locate what they are looking for. The new site includes detailed specifications, manuals, videos, white papers, technical bulletins and a whole lot more.

On the City Theatrical website, visitors can also stay informed with the latest news of the company in the What’s New section.
Furthermore, the new website allows users to share products and pages that interest them with others across Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email.
Visit the new City Theatrical website and give us your feedback by posting a comment on their Facebook Page.

www.citytheatrical.com

23rd April 2013

High End Systems Announces Partnership with EZPro International (HK) Limited

High End Systems and EZPro International (HK) Limited have announced a new partnership that will enable EZPro to serve as exclusive distributor of High End Systems’ products throughout China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Effective immediately, this agreement enables EZPro to make HES’ products available to their extensive network of local distributors and resellers. They will also have direct access to product knowledge, support as well as local stock.

Jun Zhu, president of the EZPRO group, comments: “High End Systems is the creator and industry leader of professional lighting products and lighting control systems. It is an inspiring event that EZpro becomes the exclusive distributor for the High End Systems brand in China. We are looking forward to creating a brand new development for High End Systems in China.”

Tao Zhang, vice president of product promotion and techniques of EZPro group, comments: “With joint effort from EZpro team, along with the great support from High End Systems, we believe that High End Systems will win its deserved position in China.”

Renaat De Wilde, VP of sales for High End systems, comments: “The agreement with EZPRO is strategic for HES because of the importance of the Chinese market and our desire to work with the strongest local partner. EZPRO will offer us unrivalled benefits, dedicated focus and resources, over 500 local partners, a strong relationship with key stakeholders, a strong financial position allowing for local stock and localized marketing initiatives. We are very confident that EZPRO will strongly increase our exposure and our market share in the fastest growing geographical and economical market worldwide.”

12th April 2013

EM Acoustics goes live with new website

UK loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics has announced the launch of their all new website. Featuring a brand new, modern look and feel complete with interactive links to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the new site is designed to better reflect where EM Acoustics is today as a company.

In addition to all of the existing product information, including of course all the data on EM Acoustics’ latest launch, the HALO Compact line array system, the new site will feature increased technical detail including 2D & 3D CAD drawings, as well as data for EASE, as well as EASE Focus 2 line array prediction software for the new HALO Compact system.

An upcoming innovation will be a new Technical Resource section which will contain training videos, useful information and a FAQ section amongst other things. A complete news section, including live feeds from Twitter and Facebook is also included in the new website.

According to operations director, Mike Wheeler, the new site marks yet another significant milestone in the company’s history. "I’m delighted that we’ve brought this project to fruition," he said. "It’s been a huge amount of work, but I think the results speak for themselves. Finally we are able to provide our customers with the tool they have been asking for – thoroughly modern, interactive and constantly evolving, the new website is designed to grow as we grow. We are able to offer our customers access to more technical resources than ever before as well as the ability to contribute content. 2013 is looking as though it’s going to be a year of major milestones for us in a number of ways, and so the timing for a new website and a new image couldn’t be better."

4th April 2013

Bandit Lites Launches BanditBuys.com for New and Used Gear

Bandit Lites has announced the launch of its new e-commerce website BanditBuys.com. The new site (www.banditbuys.com) will feature used and new gear for sale, including lamps, fixtures, consoles, effects and foggers.

With more and more people shopping online, Bandit is hoping to make purchasing quality lighting more accessible and easy. Special deals will also be available in addition to sales and social media discounts.

All equipment has been tested by Bandits’ trained technical staff, providing customers the same standard of service they have come to expect from its 40 years in the industry. Shipping will be available both domestically and internationally as well.

"We’re thrilled for this new endeavor," said Roth Edwards, Bandits’ director of technical operations. "We know there have been other online sources of purchasing new and used gear, and we hope to be a supplement to that going forward."

27th March 2013

L-Acoustics deploys the KSE Accreditation Program

Since the introduction of the K Systems Standard in 2008 L-Acoustics has trained over 2200 technicians in over 270 training sessions worldwide.

L-Acoustics is recognizing this accumulated field experience in the trade by providing accreditation to experienced System Technicians through the L-Acoustics K Systems Engineer (KSE) Accreditation Program. The KSE status represents recognition by the industry and peers that the individual has achieved an advanced level of understanding in implementing L-Acoustics systems.

David Brooks, application department, L-Acoustics, who was responsible for developing the KSE Accreditation Program, said: "We are thrilled to be able to acknowledge the high level of expertise in the field that L-Acoustics system technicians have accumulated. Our training program reinforces our support for the Rental Network agents and technicians in their continued effort to offer the best service to their clients. We look forward to its continued success."

To submit your candidature, pre-requisites include: a minimum of five years’ experience in the audio industry; following qualification as an ST you need to have two years or more experience on both one modular and one large format L-Acoustics line source systems; an extensive real world experience and working knowledge of the above mentioned L-Acoustics systems; demonstrated fluency in both Soundvision and LA Network Manager software.

Applicants that pass the reviewing process and qualify for the status of KSE will receive an official welcome letter accepting them into the program, an official identity card issued by L-Acoustics, a KSE jacket and publication in the online KSE directory.

Applications to the Accreditation Program will be reviewed by the L-Acoustics Application department. We invite you to fill out and submit the application form, submitting also five of your Soundvision system designs and associated LA Network Manager session files.

27th March 2013

Ayrton Chooses LumenRadio as Wireless Partner

Ayrton has announced that all new Ayrton products equipped with a wireless DMX/RDM receiver module will feature award-winning CRMX technology by LumenRadio.

After an extensive testing campaign, Ayrton selected LumenRadio because of its superior quality and reliability. The LumenRadio Coexistence technology allows smarter use of the frequencies by continuously scanning the radio spectrum and dynamically adapting its frequency-hopping pattern to the surrounding environment. This eliminates interference and maximizes performance whatever protocol is in use, whether DMX or RDM.

Ayrton and LumenRadio started working together during the European Motor Show in Brussels where they were faced with the challenge of controlling hundreds of custom LED fixtures using wireless RDM. The result was perfect and Ayrton decided to collaborate with LumenRadio for their entire product line.

The first projector to benefit from the new CRMX wireless features will be the MagicPanel 602, a modular LED luminaire equipped with continuous double rotation in PAN and TILT mode. MagicPanel 602 is also able to display media due to its integral Arkaos KlingNet protocol, or be controlled via DMX or RDM protocols through its XLR connectors.

MagicPanel 602 will receive its official launch at Prolight & Sound Frankfurt, where Ayrton will be exhibiting in Hall 9.0 Stand E70.

22nd March 2013

L-Acoustics for Hills SVL Group

The Hills SVL Group has announced its appointment as distributor for iconic speaker brand L-Acoustics.

L-Acoustics needs no introduction having pioneered the modern day line source array with the legendary V-DOSC system. The French based, engineering driven company offers a full range of products including coaxial point source systems, constant curvature systems, variable curvature systems and amplified controllers.

The agreement between the Hills SVL Group and L-Acoustics covers Australia and New Zealand and sees the Hills SVL Group promoting and supporting the range through its seven sales offices and warehouses across Australia and NZ.

Don McConnell, head of product for the Hills SVL Group commented: "We’re delighted to be involved with such a respected and innovative company. The timing of the agreement is perfect with new products including ARCS Wide, ARCS Focus and ARCS II sure to create a lot of interest. This along with respected line source products such as KIVA, KARA and KUDO, and the coaxial range, provides us with a wide yet complementary product offering. We’re looking forward to introducing the full range of products to our customers. We know they’ll be impressed."

Tim McCall, sales manager for L-Acoustics commented: "We are excited about working with Don and the Hills SVL team to further develop the L-Acoustics brand in both Australia and New Zealand. The Hills SVL Group have a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise which combined with their commitment to support, education and hands-on demonstrations make them a natural choice for us to work with. L-Acoustics has had great success in the local production market thanks to key local supporters and customers and we believe that working with Hills we can build on that success and replicate it in the contracting market. Working together we can ensure we are closer to the market and can respond more quickly to the needs of our customers – both old and new. "

Laure Guymont, international business supervisor for L-Acoustics, added: "It’s clear that with our products and technologies and Hill’s expertise this partnership will be a long and successful one."

In picture: Laure Guymont, international business supervisor, L-Acoustics, Don McConnell, head of product, Hills SVL Group and Tim McCall, sales manager for L-Acoustics.

22nd March 2013

Bandit Lites Launches Redesigned Website

Bandit Lites has revamped its website, www.banditlites.com, with a vibrant, dynamic new look. The website includes updated information regarding lighting tours, special events, system sales and solutions and LED technology.

Galleries showcase photos ranging from concert tours with Garth Brooks to special events such as the Presidential Debate. Additionally, an installation gallery highlights projects including Dollywood, The Hollywood Wax Museum and Pirate’s Voyage.

The site will be a one-stop site where people can not only discover Bandit Lites current news and projects, but also find manuals to Bandits’ GRN Lite fixtures, apply for employment opportunities, read about the rehearsal facilities and even shop for used gear.

"I feel like we hit the mark on this site, as we updated it to include many of the Internet’s best practices such as social media integration," said Bandits’ director of computer resources, Jim Guinn. "We will continue to update the site with new press releases, content and photos as quickly as we get them."

18th March 2013

Arup Integrates Artec Consultants Inc into its Global Practice

Arup and Artec haveo announced the integration of their acoustics, audio visual, and theatre consulting practices, effective immediately.

This combines two of the world's premier practices specializing in the planning, design, and engineering, of venues for performing arts, contemporary entertainment, education, conference, convention, sports, and worship.

"Our expanded team offers clients around the world unrivaled knowledge, experience, skills, and cutting-edge tools to plan and design innovative venues for the 21st century and beyond," said principal Raj Patel, Americas Arts and Culture Business Leader for Arup.

"Joining forces with Arup, enhances our collective ability to provide highly specialist skills anywhere in the world, through the resources of a large, global organization, serving projects of any scale, with the best international design thinking, delivered to clients locally from start to finish," said Tateo Nakajima, former partner at Artec and now a principal at Arup.

Arup will integrate the former Artec staff into the New York Acoustics, Audio Visual and Theatre Consulting team led by Raj Patel. Tateo, Ed Arenius, Todd Brooks, Christopher Darland, and Tom Clark join the leadership team at Arup in this move. They will work closely with Arup's regional leaders, Andrew Nicol (Australasia), Sam Tsoi (East Asia), Rachid Abu-Hassan (Europe) and Rob Harris (UK, Middle East, and Africa).

This enhanced team strengthens Arup's ability to provide clients and their projects whole life relationships - from cultural master planning, project inception and concept development, through design, construction, and post opening. Holistic service supports the owners, operators and users in delivering performances to their audiences.

6th March 2013

GLP Announce New Distribution Partner for China, Taiwan and Macao

GLP German Light Products GmbH has appointed Guangzhou Ruisheng Lighting & Audio Equipment Co. Ltd. as their exclusive distributor for China, Taiwan and Macao.

Ruisheng has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu and with nearly 70 employees has set course for becoming the most prominent supplier of international professional lighting and audio systems in China. The innovative product range from GLP, which includes the Impression Spot One and Wash One and the new Impression X4 add to their rich, quality oriented portfolio.

Michael Münz, general manager of GLPs Asia Office in Hong Kong, said: "Since we started GLP Asia two years ago we have really been able to grow our business all across Asia. Our products are now used on stage with some of the most famous artists in the Peak Tower, right here in Hong Kong."

Munz will work closely with the staff at Ruisheng to ensure the highest level of customer service and support, adding: "Together with Ruisheng, I look forward to building the GLP brand to great success."

CEO of GLP GmbH, Udo Kunzler commented: "This is a promising opportunity for our company. Our partnership with Ruisheng will allow us to bring our products to one of the world‘s fastest growing markets."

Will Chen, president and CEO of Ruisheng added: "This is a great step for our company. Our partnership with GLP will allow us to introduce innovative and top of the line products into one of the world‘s most advancing markets."

In picture: Will Chen with Cherry Zhang, Ruisheng’s lighting sales manager.

22nd February 2013

Penn Elcom Launches New Sales & Distribution Centre in Malaysia

Flightcase and speaker cabinet solutions specialist Penn Elcom has opened a new sales and distribution hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This is designed to enable fast access through local sales support centres - primarily in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - of the full range of Penn Elcom products.

It reflects generally buoyant markets and strong trading in Asia over the last 12 months, as well as being an integral element of Penn’s planned medium-term global expansion strategy.

Heading up the operation will be Jane Li, who has worked for some time as operations manager for Penn’s Logistics & Quality assurance centre in Xaimen, China. She will initially run a full time staff of three people.

The creation of the new KL facility enables Penn Elcom’s clients and end users of all sizes to benefit from direct shipments and optimised efficiency, ensuring even faster turnarounds for their orders.

"It effectively streamlines our entire operation servicing this part of Asia and the surrounding areas," confirms Phil Stratford, CEO of Penn Elcom Inc.

He adds that they in turn will have access to a far broader customer base and clients already enjoying Penn Elcom’s renowned service can tap in to numerous additional advantages including immediate access to products and same-day dispatch / shipping.

Penn Elcom will be the only hardware and component manufacturer in the region to offer such a comprehensive range of these types of products from stock.

Penn Elcom’s Chinese based manufacturing operation was launched in 2005. The company was among the first in the entertainment industry to underline the potential for high end, quality-engineered production in China delivering all the standards of excellence for which the brand is famous.

Penn Elcom has also recently expanded its 19 inch rack production capacity in China.

11th February 2013

W-DMX Celebrates Key Achievements and Prepares for the Future

Wireless Solution Sweden AB is proud of its achievements during 2012 and ready for an even stronger future. The company broke its own record with a 50% increase of turnover between 2010 and 2011, and an additional increase between 2011 and 2012, even during a slower economy.

Wireless Solution was nominated the highest ranking of financial strength in 2012 from International Dun & Bradstreet with AAA, which accounts for less than 2% of companies in Sweden.

Wireless Solution has invested heavily in a new approval for Russia, being the first company outside Russia that has import approval to Russia as well as an import license, with Russia promising to be a significant market in the future. Wireless Solution is also the first European wireless DMX company that has completed both ETL and C/ETL (similar to UL and C/UL). In addition, the company has been awarded a new patent in USA for Wireless Lighting Control as well as in China and Germany.

Finally, with the recent addition of Isac Alkstrand as operations manager and R&D Engineer Anders Zellén as chief technical officer, the company shows its dedication to investing in key talent in the Wireless Solution staff. Its strong core in both people and financial position set the company up for a powerful 2013.

In 2013, Wireless Solution is planning to invest in additional R&D staff in preparation for the future. The company recognizes that in a slower economy, some of the best investments are strengthening an already solid foundation, yielding long term results.

“We have always been dedicated to the success of this company and our products,” says Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution. “We have been very strategic with our cash flow over the last 4 years, now having zero debt and being in a position to use our funds for investments in an even stronger staff and new products. Once the economy picks up, the company will be in a very solid position. Basically, we don’t need any external capital. Not all companies can say this.”

28th January 2013

Penn Elcom Acquires Forsight in Further Expansion of Asian Manufacturing Operation

Specialist flightcase and speaker hardware manufacturer, Penn Elcom has acquired the majority shareholding in Chinese based 19 inch rack manufacturer Forsight.

In a move which is part of Penn Elcom’s planned medium term strategy for expansion in the region, Forsight will relocate to a newly constructed facility adjacent to Penn’s existing Asian operation in Guangdong Province, China.

The resulting 55% increase in floor space gives the combined operation a total of 17,000 square metres. The incorporation of the cutting edge CNC technology utilised in Forsight’s rack production will further enhance Penn’s existing high-end manufacturing capabilities.

First off, Forsight’s new production line will be a fresh range of high quality 19 inch rack cabinets for distribution throughout Asian and global markets via Penn’s existing global network of depots and distributors.

This will include an imperial model geared specifically to the USA, and an option of threaded rack rails for the other world markets - eliminating the need for cage nuts - and simplifying the process of populating racks with equipment and panels.

Penn-Elcom chair Roger Willems comments: "Forsight is already an established and well respected manufacturer with a reputation for fine engineering and robust product lines. In addition to this experience, they will bring their extensive CNC based knowledge and substantial hardware investment to the Penn Elcom equation."

The 19 Inch rack market is expanding rapidly for Penn Elcom in Asia and the Pacific Rim, particularly in the AV, IT and surveillance market sectors. The past five years has seen the company investing heavily to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to tap this potential, and to maintain its capability to deliver products made to the standards of excellence for which Penn is renowned.

There will be full continuity between Penn’s Chinese operation and their two manufacturing plants in the UK – in Hastings, East Sussex and Washington, Tyne & Wear.

Production capacity has also been simultaneously ramped up in Hastings. Over a million pounds worth of investment in 2012 saw the floor space dedicated to rack manufacturing boosted to 9,000 square metres, with a complete tooling upgrade and the addition of the latest Trumpf machinery to the existing suites, making this the largest concentration of Trumpf technology in Europe.

Rack design, technical information and production planning schedules will be shared between Hastings and China, with a duplication of manufacturing processes, RoHS certification and other quality control procedures at both sites.

"This ensures not only a continuity of availability, but also maximises global logistics, allowing us to respond immediately to demand from any location worldwide," explains Willems, adding that this is a "must" in today’s marketplace.

In picture: Penn Elcom chair Roger Willems with Mrs Qi, general manager of Forsight.

22nd January 2013

Soundtracs reintroduced at NAMM

NAMM sees the reintroduction of the Soundtracs brand by digital solutions manufacturer, DiGiCo. Soundtracs has a long history in both music recording and postproduction studios and is set to preview an exciting range of new products that are designed to take advantage of DiGiCo’s advancements in digital FPGA designs and Stealth Digital Processing.

The last significant launch for Soundtracs was the DS-00 production console in 2003 and the reintroduction has been a long planned project.

"Moving back to studio market with Soundtracs was always something we planned to do," says James Gordon, DiGiCo’s managing director. "The challenge was developing products with the right technology that would offer something revolutionary.

"There have been lots of technology shifts in the last few years and we saw this as a great opportunity, but we needed to partner with the right company and there was really only one option for us, but we will keep you guessing until the NAMM announcement."

"I was fortunate enough to get a preview of the project the Soundtracs design team were working on during the summer," adds Simon Blackwood, business development director of DiGiCo. "The design concept is truly compelling and the NAMM product launch will challenge market perceptions of the Soundtracs brand. The product line is set to change the shape of networked audio and create significant new opportunities for our prospective users.

The new range will ship progressively from Q2 2013.

www.digico.org

22nd January 2013

LightFactory Celebrates 10 Years

Ten years ago, the first of many copies of LightFactory, the PC-based control system, was put on sale, and the newly created company was up and running. Founder and CEO Martin Searancke developed LightFactory out of a passion for the industry and a knack for writing code. Today, the control system enjoys worldwide success, which is a credit to its power and economy, as well as to the hard work of its founder and employees (one of which is his wife, Helen).

Before LightFactory, Searancke had co-founded a dot com company and then invested the profits in what was then his hobby of lighting design. Before long, the new company was thriving. The motivating factor was his search for the ideal controller. Unable to find an affordable controller with powerful features, Searancke wrote a small application called "DMX Expander", which eventually led to the development of LightFactory.

We purchased a small 24/48 scene desk and developed the software to provide access to the full 512 channels," he said. "The rest, as they say, is history. DMX Expander actually became LightFactory."

Working with DMX Expander made Searancke realize that the computational requirements of a lighting controller was "a walk in the park for PCs."

Searancke still designs lighting and operates several shows every year, which gives him better insight into the needs of the programmer. What he learns from these shows informs the further development of LightFactory software.

"Second to reliability," he explains, "speed of programming is the most important thing in a console. The faster you can get your show programmed, the more creative you can be and the happier the client or LD will be. I often tweak the software because I have found that programming a particular look or effect is inefficient."

His tweaks have taken the software from the first show 10 years ago, to a full-fledged, feature-rich controller. LightFactory now has more than 5500 licensed users worldwide and it’s seen great success in a variety of applications from running major stadium spectaculars to local theatre pantomimes, night clubs and events, museums and architainment applications. The largest show run by LightFactory used 114 universes of DMX and ran from a single processor in a synchronized cue listed show.

LightFactory blends traditional theatrical dimmer controls with a full-featured, interactive moving lights suite and the latest in multi-media capabilities.

Searancke says his wife calls him a "lighting geek", and he says he’s okay with that. "I really am still very passionate about the industry and love hearing about the shows people use LightFactory on."

22nd January 2013

Allen & Heath Appoints New Distributor in the Philippines

Allen & Heath has appointed JB Music as its exclusive distributor in the Philippines. The A&H brand has been rapidly gaining market share in South East Asia, and JB’s great dealer network, excellent service department and in house technical expertise mean they are able to serve this growing customer base.

"We at JB Music Philippines are very proud and honoured to finally exclusively distribute and promote Allen and Heath! Allen & Heath has been an institution in the pro audio industry and now we can officially say that we are a complete musical and pro audio company," said Jerico Fernando, VP sales & operations and marketing director at JB Music.

"We are so excited and encouraged by JB Music's team. They bring a level of professionalism that has been refreshing to watch and experience. We expect to see great things in the important Philippine market," concludes Bardy Hayes, director of Global Market Management and Allen & Heath’s regional sales manager.

In picture: Jerico Fernando, VP of sales and operations and marketing director of JB Music, Bardy Hayes, and Randy Ascuncion JB Music's pro audio sales manager.

11th January 2013

Harman International Industries Acquires Martin Professional

Schouw & Co., parent company of Martin Professional, has entered into an agreement with Harman International Industries to sell Martin to Harman. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q1 2013.

Through this new combination of two worldwide industry leaders, Harman and Martin are convinced that their comprehensive offering of audio, lighting and video solutions for the live stage and events, as well as permanent venues and installations, will provide new, exciting opportunities and will take customer satisfaction to even higher levels.

This transaction will create a One-Stop-Shop for the professional entertainment market. Adding Martin to Harman’s USD $4.4 billion organisation and combining two of the largest R&D budgets in the audio and entertainment lighting industry will enable the companies to grow and improve the lighting and video product offering to the benefit of all existing and new customers.

The companies are confident that not only will they cement their respective positions in their industries, but will additionally and not least make their customers more successful by providing new, innovative and improved products, services and solutions in the future.

Blake Augsburger, executive vice president and president of the Harman Professional Division, is looking forward to welcoming Martin to Harman and states: “Martin product lines are an excellent complement to our professional audio business. After the transaction closes, we will be able to offer a full line-up of audio, lighting and video solutions for the live stage as well as permanent venues and installations.”

Christian Engsted, CEO of Martin Professional commented: “We very much look forward to exploring the mutual benefits this change in ownership offers and continuing to develop our business relationship with our customers and partners across the globe.”

Martin Professional will continue as an independent business unit within the Harman Professional Division, with the existing points of contact.

In picture: Christian Engsted (Martin), Blake Augsburger (Harman) and Jens Bjerg Sørensen (Schouw & Co.).

19th December 2012

Allen & Heath Appoints New Distributor in Taiwan

Allen & Heath has appointed a new distribution partner in Taiwan called Seapower. The company has close contacts with Allen & Heath’s Chinese distributor, Sanecore, and therefore has access to a wealth of product knowledge and experience with the brand. 

"We are honoured to have been appointed to distribute the prestigious Allen & Heath brand.  In particular, we see a lot of potential for the digital products and look forward to professionally supporting these products as the brand grows in Taiwan," comments Douglas Chang, owner of Seapower Technology Co., Ltd.

"We are very excited about this new relationship with Seapower. I've known Douglas for many years and I've been very impressed with his professionalism and his team's technical expertise. I look forward to a successful relationship,” comments Bardy Hayes, director Global Market Management and Allen & Heath’s regional sales manager.

In picture: the Seapower pro audio sales and technical staff.

 

10th December 2012

TEAM Cancer Awareness

Everyone knows someone who's had cancer, and while no one can predict where or who it will strike, most people agree that encouraging healthy choices and receiving regular medical checkups are key to avoiding and treating the disease. Annual checkups and simple screenings can dramatically increase rates of early detection. Breast, prostate and colon cancers are three that can be aggressively attacked with regular examination and screening protocols.

Members of the commercial AV industry are joining together in a grassroots effort called TEAM, or Tell Everyone Awareness Matters, to raise awareness of the positive impact healthcare and lifestyle choices can make in reducing risks of serious disease. Founding members Juice Goose, Community Professional Loudspeakers, HP Marketing (Colorado) and Women in AV (WAVE) invite you to join in TEAM Cancer Awareness. TEAM focuses on education and communication - its primary mission is to raise awareness, provide information and influence healthy lifestyle choices.

TEAM encourages all those within the commercial systems market, including AV manufacturers, distributors, sales representatives, integrators, resellers, end users, and related organizations, to join the awareness effort by showing support via the Facebook page (facebook.com/teamawareness) and by encouraging proper lifestyle and healthcare choices among their professional contacts, associates, family and friends.

For more information about TEAM Cancer Awareness, please email info@teamawareness.org.

5th December 2012

TV One Maidenhead Official Opening

TV One, a leading designer and manufacturer of cutting-edge video and multimedia processing equipment, continues to expand its presence with the opening of a new R&D and Training centre in Maidenhead, UK.

Located in the M4 corridor, just 25 minutes by train from central London and 25 minutes by taxi from London Heathrow Airport, the new facility has been designed to provide an R&D Centre of Excellence that includes a Training Room for 16 students and a Conference Room. Up to 45 staff will be employed at the Maidenhead site; the vast majority will be new recruits, mainly R&D engineers.

"This investment represents our commitment to growing our business and I am excited by the great opportunity the Maidenhead office offers" says Steven Mattingly, TV One's managing director. "Maidenhead is a town with excellent air, road and rail access. This along with a thriving town centre of shops, cafes and restaurants made the decision to locate here a no brainer."

The new facility was officially opened on November 21 by The Worshipful the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Councillor Colin Rayner. "I am delighted that TV One has shown confidence in investing in Maidenhead," said the Mayor. "It is a two way commitment between the town of Maidenhead and TV One."

"We have had tremendous success over the last 28 years and we continue to see potential for more global growth," notes Mattingly. "The Maidenhead site allows us to build the market, promote the TV One brand and provide the high level training required for TV One's professional AV and broadcast products."

26th November 2012

New Gerriets Catalogue: the new SOURCE BOOK (2)

The first Source Book, produced in March of 2011, has been overwhelmingly popular, and Gerriets has now published a greatly expanded, 650-page second edition close on the heels of the original. Updates include new projects and products, a revised index, and more extensive information about their line of technical systems.

The new edition of the Source Book is published not only in the usual German/French/English version, but also in an English/Spanish/Portuguese language version.

To highlight just a few of the new products you will find: the Batten Clew, an ingenious alternative to expensive point hoist systems and the G-TWIST, for quick and easy ceiling mounting of our classic TRUMPF95 track system.

These and many other new items can be found in the new Source Book (2). Please send an email to office@gerriets.com to receive your free copy.

19th November 2012

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