business news

Niethammer is Back: Worldwide Distribution by Premiere Lighting Products International

Niethammer as well as Rainbow Colour Changers and Major are now distributed worldwide by Premier Lighting Product International. Michael Althaus, managing director of PLP International commented: “We are very excited to have with Niethammer, a well respected manufacturer in our portfolio, delivering high quality products that are strengthening and complementing our international distribution approach with a clear focus on theatres.”

Made in Germany, Niethammer stands for highest quality and reliability in combination with a very positive image. Niethammer offers profile spots in the 1kW, 2kW and 2.5kW classes. The 1kW and 2kW profile spots are also available as silent (without fan) versions, making them the perfect choice for noise-sensitive projects. All Niethammer products have proven themselves in the market for years and are especially popular in theatres.

Rainbow is known worldwide as the synonym for the classic colour changer. Rainbow Colour Changers has maintained its leading reputation since its introduction. They are fast, work precisely, maintain a low noise level and their reliability and toughness are convincing features. Rainbow Colour Changers are used everywhere from the classical theatre to the concert touring business.

Major products are high quality, professional and have evolved and been adapted according to the needs of the market. Major offers bespoke solutions where no appropriate industry products are available. All products manufactured in Major’s own master workshop solve problems and are made for daily use.

23rd May 2013

4000 Dirty Rigger Gloves for ShelterBox Aid Workers

2013 has seen a constant stream of heart wrenching news stories being broadcast, many involving building collapses caused by natural disasters such as earth quakes. More often, it is by specific man made destruction from rocket or high explosive shells as in Syria.

However it was caused, people - men, women and children - were killed or trapped under tons of rubble.

“We are so lucky not to experience or live through such horrendous and simply unimaginable circumstances,” quoted Stuart Gibbons managing director of Le Mark Group including the Dirty Rigger work glove brand. “However, my parents and in particular my mother, did live through the London Blitz of 1940/41, I have never forgotten the stories I was told as a child.”

Watching people scrabble through rubble with their bare hands, Gibbons realised Le Mark could, in a very small way, help.

Having recently decided to ‘write off’ very early production work gloves for aesthetic and minor faults, the decision was made to offer these gloves to a disaster relief charity; but to who and how? A very quick google showed that the international disaster and emergency agency Shelterbox would be the people to contact.

ShelterBox is a Cornwall-based charity that responds rapidly to help families made homeless by natural or man-made disasters. It provides tents and other equipment, often having to work where damaged buildings or vegetation have to be cleared, so its response teams are very grateful for the donation of strong work gloves.

Leanne Baker, Le Mark head of UK sales made contact with Shane Revill of Shelterbox, and the rest, as they say, is history.

www.dirtyrigger.com

23rd May 2013

Audinate and Bose Corporation Announce Licensing Agreement

Audinate announced that Bose Corporation has licensed Audinate's Dante patented media networking solution. The agreement will enable Bose Professional to integrate Dante into its professional audio products.

Bose Professional manufactures loudspeakers, amplifiers and sound processors for a wide variety of installations, ranging in size and complexity from retail spaces to stadiums. With a focus on enabling consultants, systems integrators and installers to create the best audio experiences for their customers, Bose Professional products are also enhanced by software for acoustic design, network control and monitoring, and hardware configuration.

Dante is built on IT standards, and is a complete media networking solution. Dante delivers low-latency, tightly synchronised, sample-accurate playback, while simplifying installation and configuration of AV networks.

“By including Dante in our products, we make it easy for our customers to meet the requirements of the installations that call for this solution to exchange high quality digital audio over virtually any network layout”, says Akira Mochimaru, general manager, Bose Professional Systems Division.

“Bose is one of the best known brands in the world,” says Lee Ellison CEO of Audinate. Ellison adds: “Bose products offer powerful professional quality and superior performance, and we value the fact that their customers are requesting Dante for their networks.”

Dante is a proven and scalable system widely deployed in thousands of installations today, ranging from hotels, transportation centres, hotels, shopping centers, public address systems, live sound reinforcement, theatres, concert halls, stadiums and athletic venues to corporate boardrooms, universities, broadcast facilities, recording facilities, houses of worship, government facilities and courtrooms.

22nd May 2013

LOUD and POLAR Audio Announce Ampeg and Mackie Distribution Agreement

LOUD Technologies Inc. (“LOUD”) and POLAR Audio Limited today announced a distribution agreement whereby POLAR Audio will serve as the distributor for the Ampeg and Mackie brands in the UK and Ireland, commencing 1st June 2013.

"Together, the Mackie and Ampeg brands have over 60 years of history in the UK and Ireland markets with one of the industry’s most loyal dealer and user bases,” explained Tony Williams, director of sales, EMEA. “POLAR Audio will build on this success by delivering improved local stock availability, excellent in-market sales, technical support, and elevated levels of marketing and brand awareness.”

“We are extremely excited and feel privileged to be chosen as the exclusive UK distributor of these market leading brands,“ stated John Midgley MD of POLAR Audio. “Mackie and Ampeg are at the core of the music industry and we are confident that with our local support and strong relationship to the dealer network we can gain further market share in the UK.”

POLAR Audio will show the Mackie and Ampeg brand lines at the MIRC event on 26th June and will be pleased to meet the MIA membership to discuss further details of this partnership.

15th May 2013

Beta Test Recruitment - Green Hippo Needs You!

Green Hippo are recruiting for members to our new Beta Testing team and this is your chance to join one of the most exciting companies in the media server world.

As ongoing progress to our development and testing team, we have now introduced a dedicated and integral Beta testing plan. Once registered and accepted, you will be given access to all the latest builds and tools that make Hippotizer the world’s favourite media server. With these you will be asked to participate in testing, logging issues and suggesting new features. For the duration of the Beta Testing Program, you will become part of Green Hippo and have access to the Quality Control team at our HQ.

An internal forum will allow you to engage in discussion with fellow testers, as well as share new ideas, ways of working and experiences with each other.

Hippotizer product manager Lee House says: "Our users are the real designers of Hippotizer products. Without their input over the last 10+ years we would not have achieved the product that we have today. What we have been able to do here, is design a program that allows us to capture this information and include the testers into the heart of Green Hippo in a new way. This is also giving them a chance to see and be part of the future here at Green Hippo."
To sign up to this program you will need access to a Hippotizer product, some spare time and a willingness to be part of the Green Hippo Team.

To sign up please visit: www.hippotesting.com

For further questions, please email: beta@green-hippo.com

14th May 2013

Lighting Hospital Expands and Moves to Larger Premises

The Lighting Hospital - the UK and Europe’s only independent dedicated Electronic Service Department for the professional lighting industry - has recently moved to new expanded premises in Bristol. This has enabled further streamlining of its processes to offer an even faster and slicker service for damaged lighting kit needing urgent treatment.

The success of the operation, launched in 2009 by well-known industry engineer Dik Welland, has been built on the fast turnarounds, friendly and efficient service, attention to detail and the quality of the repairs – all of which carry a 90 day warranty, but with equipment rarely seen again. "We pride ourselves on the excellent recovery rate," says Dik.

The Lighting Hospital space now comprises over 2500 square feet dedicated to the repair of lighting fixtures of all types, specialising in electronic ballasts and moving light control boards as well as the full fixtures themselves and also lighting consoles.

Dik and his team of engineers and technicians have honed their skills to deal with the specific nature of certain ‘standard’ repairs that are encountered day-to-day, and also extended the scope of their work as the business has become more established.

With his extensive industry history and knowledge, from the start, Dik geared The Lighting Hospital to work in line with touring and live show schedules. The concept of when something needs fixing, often it needs to be now is fully understood, together with the stress and pressure involved, and the need for all repaired items to be returned to the right places … so the show will go on.

Says Peter "Pedro" Thompson, Interim head of lighting for Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ European Tour : "Dik and his team understand the realities of a touring show and accommodate us very well."

This has been one of the elements contributing to the company’s rapid growth. The additional experience gained since the launch of The Lighting Hospital has also helped structure and refine the whole process from repair to pricing to the benefit of all clients. There is now a new competitive two tier pricing structure which means that quick repairs command a lower price than the time consuming longer fixes.

A vast body of ‘repair strategies’ has evolved and dramatically increased the range of items that can be dealt with to The

Lighting Hospital’s exacting standards. "New challenges appear as items hit their end of warranty periods," explains Dik "Allowing us to add them to our ever-expanding portfolio".

A roll-in loading bay at the new premises ensures smooth passage through the physical stages of the repair process – from triage to full recovery. Urgent repairs can be ‘expressed’ for a small additional charge and all items leave the building via FedEx or UPS and are fully traceable.

The new improved facilities plus a complete range of test rigs enables The Lighting Hospital to handle all types of moving light control boards and all Vari*Lite, Sheiderwerk and High End ballasts using their extensive range of dummy loads, igniters and lamps.

A new dedicated fixture repair department has been set up to deal with the repair of complete units from most major manufacturers, and The Lighting Hospital also supplies spare parts.

The Lighting Hospital is now also the official High End warranty repair centre, the UK Flying Pig repair centre, the Element Labs legacy repair centre for the EMEA region and it also stocks and supplies comprehensive spares for Element Labs, Vari*Lite, High End Systems and Flying Pig.

"Once rental companies or venues / installations have come to us they never look back," says Dik. The Lighting Hospital ensures broken and non-rentable fixtures are quickly returned to good working order and can be back out on the road again.

Ironically the Lighting Hospital’s own growth has been partly fuelled by the economic climate continuing to be challenging, with rental companies being keen to keep stock they already own working and earning … rather than investing in new kit.

One thing is for sure, no matter how robustly built and well-engineered products are, components and electronics can and do have problems – and The Lighting Hospital is ready to sort this out quickly and painlessly.

13th May 2013

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

OPTI Announces New Ownership

In partnership since 1970, one of the longest in the industry, Phil Brunker and Neil Rice, founding directors and shareholders of Optikinetics Ltd, have recently passed ownership of this world renowned UK manufacturer to Rob Stitcher.

Neil and Phil will continue to serve OPTI as consultants to ensure a smooth transition and customer continuity.

Said Neil Rice: “I am delighted we have found Rob, whose experience in business management will, I’m sure, re-energise and re-focus our future.

“The recent introduction of LED projectors has revitalised that side of our business whilst Trilite continues to be the de facto brand in the exhibition sector.”

OPTI would like to ensure all customers of their continued support.

In picture: Neil Rice and Phil Brunker with new owner Rob Stitcher (centre).

9th May 2013

Stage Electrics Completes Management Buy Out

Stage Electrics has announced a management buy out of the business from the estate of David Whitehead. This was fully supported and agreed by David Whitehead prior to his stepping down from the role of managing director in May 2012 as a way to position Stage Electrics for future growth and security.

The new shareholders combine considerable business experience with a strong knowledge of the entertainment technology industry and are made up of: Trevor Smallwood, Dan Aldridge, Bob Smith, James Irvine, Anna Western, Adam Blaxill, Adrian Searle and Ian Tregaskis. Under the new ownership structure Trevor Smallwood will continue as chairman of the Board and the executive directors of Stage Electrics remain unchanged.

Dan Aldridge commented: "Stage Electrics is in a solid position; we have an order book that is in growth, an experienced team and a strong operation. With a business plan for growth and clearly identified market opportunities there is a strong future ahead of us. In order to meet these opportunities I will continue to build my team to ensure we have the best mix of talent and relevant experience to support our strategy. As we enter our next phase of growth I am determined to ensure that Stage Electrics retains the integrity and brand values that it is known for."

In picture: the Stage Electrics management team.

www.stage-electrics.co.uk

8th May 2013

Alcons Announces LR24 Launch Partner Program

Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer Alcons Audio has announced the start of its Launch Partner Program for the long-awaited LR24 pro-ribbon line-array system.

Designed specifically for the concert touring and large-scale installation market, and first shown at the Prolight+Sound in 2010, Alcons Audio has now concluded LR24s initial beta phase.

Since then, the Alcons’ R&D team has worked very hard to produce what is seen as the holy grail of sound reinforcement: HiFi sound quality at concert sound pressure levels. This has now been achieved.

The LR24 mid-sized pro-ribbon line-array system is actually a synergetic toolbox of line-array modules, bass array module, different subwoofer principles, dedicated power and processing platform, power-, signal- and transport logistics, high-resolution simulation software and factory-direct user-network support.

One of Alcons Audio’s strengths is the development of its own acoustics, mid/high frequency transducers, amplified electronics and processing. The pièce de résistance of the LR24 is the newly developed, multiple-patented pro-ribbon transducer for the reproduction of mid and high frequencies.

Philip ‘Dr. Phil’ de Haan, co-founder and head of Alcons Audio R&D, explains: "A long time ambition was to see how far we could take our pro-ribbon transducer technology, in terms of sheer power output. For the LR24 we purposely built the 02-platform and even more efficient than our evolutionary 01 platform."

The result is a 14" tall, single-diaphragm pro-ribbon with 14" voice-coil and, combined with a number of patent-pending developments, with up to 90% lower distortion and a flat frequency response beyond 20.000Hz at concert sound pressure levels.

Another crucial element is the new Sentinel amplified loudspeaker controller, which contains multiple processors, as well as four individual audiophile HiFi amplifier stages, totaling more than 10kW of power, directed by an integrated Linux micro-computer, under touch screen control.

"The completely linear response, the stunning resolution and dynamic response of this system, in combination with perfect throw capacities, will change the way engineers create their mix," says Alcons co-found Tom Back. "Even the most subtle details are now audible, becoming a relevant ingredient of the performance. Or, as we would put it: What You Mix Is What You Get."

The LR24 is part of The Ribbon Network, Alcons’ global rental network, for dry-hire cooperation between members, joint product development, information exchange and factory-direct support. The complete LR24 system contains no less than six global patents and patent-applications.

Back continues: "Unlike our peers, we don’t have an extensive user backbone in the live-sound/touring market. This enabled us to start with a blank piece of paper in terms of development, without any protocols or heritage to take into account. At the same time, it allows us to cater for the interest we receive from owners across all top brand systems.

"With the Launch Partner Program, we enable a select group of forward-thinking users to get access to this technology at an earlier stage; these innovators will be part of the final development stage and we’re inviting those who are interested in the program to get in touch with us."

In picture: the Alcons LR24 R&D team, in front of the LR24 array: Tom Back, Philip "Dr.Phil" de Haan, Boudewijn Groen, Sjaak Seignette and Reinier Kuipers.

8th May 2013

5 Star Sponsors Jack Goff Racing

Leading European flightcase manufacturer 5 Star Cases launches its first season of motorsport sponsorship in sponsoring British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) racing driver Jack Goff.

5 Star join a number of other high profile professional entertainment industry players including Robe, HSL, AC Entertainment Technologies, Green Hippo, J&C Joel and LS Live, who are enthusiastically supporting Jack’s first season on the BTCC grid. Jack is part of Tony Gilham’s Team HARD / RCIB Insurance Racing - following his stunning win of the 2012 AirAsia Renault Clio UK Championship.

5 Star’s Keith Sykes comments: "It’s really exciting to be involved with Jack’s rapidly accelerating career. He is highly talented and completely dedicated as well as having a really great personality, and we wish him all the best for a great season ahead."

Sykes is a newcomer to the world of motorsport, but having supported the team at just three race meetings so far, he is fast becoming a major a fan. He sees the sponsorship as an ideal opportunity to share the experience of attending race meetings and taking part in the on-track action and off track fun and hospitality with his clients and staff.

"Already with two race meetings under our belts it’s proved to be a great day out and there is some serious camaraderie and industry networking going on," says Sykes, adding that he feels the sponsorship will also raise awareness of the 5 Star Group within the motorsport industry.

Jack, aged 22 is one of the hottest emerging talents of British motorsport. For the BTCC 2013 season, he’s driving an NTGC Vauxhall Insignia.

5 Star have also made cases for motorsport associated events, including for International Formula 3000/GP2 Series Trust Team Arden, who commissioned the Wisbech, Cambridgeshire based company to build two enormous flightcases to house their two GP2 cars running in the GP2 Asia Championship.

In picture: Jack Goff (left) with the Vauzhall Insignia Car and 5 Star’s Keith Sykes.

www.5star-cases.com

8th 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

Technical Stage Services sole supplier of Edge-Safe for UK and ROI

Technical Stage Services have been appointed the sole UK and the Republic of Ireland distributer for Edge-Safe, an invention that greatly reduces the risk of working on stage. Dan Dawson, managing director of Technical Stage Services commented: "Edge-Safe is a fantastic product which simply sits on the front of a stage providing a physical and visual barrier for performers and crew whilst working on stage. Edge-Safe will stop items rolling off the front of the stage as well as giving people on stage reassurance of where the edge is."

Edge-Safe can be used during load-in and load-outs but unlike anything else in the market can stay in place during the performance.

Health and Safety legislation stipulates that where there is a risk of falling, or objects falling from height, the risk must be reduced to an acceptable level. Edge-Safe help you achieve this. "If Edge-Safe can stop one injury and help to improve the safety of people in our industry, that’s all that matters." says Dawson.

Edge-Safe has gone through a long design process and is manufactured in the UK by top manufacturers. "Edge-Safe is a quality product which will last for many years; for this reason we want to keep a strict eye on the production process and by keeping manufacturing in the UK we are ensuring the standard stays high," says Edge-Safe MD Ellis Ginn. "The partnership with Technical Stage Services allows us to respond to queries quickly and they have the same high standards we associate with Edge-Safe."

More information can be found on the Edge-Safe website www.edge-safe.co.uk. Technical Stage Services can be contacted on 08450 941385 or via enquiries@technicalstageservices.co.uk

In picture: Dan Dawson and Dave Jackson of Technical Stage Services with Ellis Ginn of Edge-Safe at PLASA Focus in Leeds.

 

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

Penn Elcom Continues Steady Expansion with Acquisition of Flightware BV

Penn Elcom GmbH has acquired Netherlands based flightcase manufacturer Flightware BV in a very amicable agreement which will strengthen and diversify The Penn Elcom Group’s flight case product design capabilities and ranges yet further.

The agreement was reached between Thomas Mostert CEO of Penn Elcom GmbH, the distribution arm of the Penn Elcom Group in Continental Europe, and Marcel Vlot, MD of Flightware, who is now planning to leave the industry to pursue other interests.

Roger Willems, Chairman of the Penn Elcom Group comments: “Marcel is delighted that his business has been delivered into good hands, and that the innovation and standing that he’s built up over the last 30 years of dedication to the industry will be continued.

He adds that Flightware’s history of producing high quality hardware and accessories for flightcase construction is a natural match with Penn Elcom’s core business. The operation was also extremely well connected and respected.

Flightware had a number of exciting new designs in the pipeline that Penn Elcom will now bring to the market, and these, plus existing Flightware products will be available worldwide through the Penn Elcom distribution network.

The move is part of a steady on-going expansion strategy by Penn Elcom geared to consolidating its worldwide operation and enhancing the brand’s already considerable reputation for quality, dynamic product ranges, efficiency and the very best service and support.

The company recently gained a majority shareholding in Chinese based 19 inch rack manufacturer, Forsight. and has also ramped up its general production capacity in Hastings, UK.

Over a million pounds worth of investment last year has boosted the floor space in Hastings, accompanied by a complete tooling upgrade and addition of the latest Trumpf machinery to the existing suites – making it the largest concentration of Trumpf technology in Europe.

This is all very timely, as Penn has just landed a major OEM deal from Latin America worth £1.8 million, so the newly revamped Hastings plant will be busy for the next two years.

In picture: Tomas Mostert and Roger Willems.

3rd May 2013

Marquee Installations Changes its Name to Marquee AV

The specialist AV design, supply and installation company, Marquee Installations, has announced it is changing its name to Marquee AV to reflect better the company’s business activities.

Director Mark Brown explained: “With our roots in the famous Marquee brand, our original name was based upon the sound ‘installation’ business section we had built, however as we grew we also became heavily involved in visual and lighting supply and design. Marquee Installations is well known in the industry, to our customers and for the reputation we’ve established, but we’ve grown substantially to now operate four divisions each serving different market sectors so feel it is appropriate to change the name of our Marquee Installations business to Marquee AV to better represent our operations. Also, as a great deal of opportunity now comes from the internet and its search facilities, it is important for companies to have their branding properly describe their business”.

“We have a new group web page at marqueeav.com, which shows the divisions we operate and links visitors through to the various goup sites”, continues Brown. “But it’s only the name and logo that change. Our staff, facilities and the high standard of service that we provide our customers remains the same”.

2nd May 2013

POLARaudio Corners Cornered Audio

POLARaudio has announced the exclusive UK distribution of Cornered Audio speakers. These loudspeakers are ergonomically designed for the provision of background music in a range of settings from retail environments to bars, entertainment venues and cafes. With a distinctly Scandinavian edge to design, form and function, they represent an interesting and decidedly original addition to POLARaudio's range.

The unique mounting method of these cornered speakers allows for a large variety of different applications. With a 90-degree triangular shape, the design enables mounting to be flush against a wall or ceiling, without a bracket taking up space behind the cabinet. Mounting holes are integral to the cabinet design, with the result that installation time is reduced to a minimum.

In terms of coverage, the speakers are designed with emphasis on uniform and wide dispersion, with special emphasis placed on phase through the crossover point and cone/dome geometry. A single cabinet offers approximately 90x90 degree dispersion but multiple cabinets can be used in conjunction to expand coverage. The versatility of the cornered speakers means that they can be positioned in various combinations for optimal coverage. In this way, two cabinets might be coupled together back to back and mounted flush onto walls and ceilings to offer 180 degrees of coverage, three cabinets can be mounted together around a corner to offer 270 degrees of coverage whilst four could be suspended together from a ceiling for full a 360 degrees.

POLARaudio MD John Midgley looks forward to a successful relationship with another high-quality brand: "Cornered Audio represents another exciting opportunity to make available some extremely well designed and engineered audio products into the UK market. These specialist speakers are rugged but still aesthetically pleasing and take the concept of wall-mounted sound reinforcement to a very high level."

Cornered Audio speakers will be exhibited on the POLARaudio stand (N-C13) at PLASA Focus Leeds (April 30th / May 1st). Also on display will be products from beyerdynamic, Behringer EUROCOM, AD Systems, Wyrestorm and Williams Sound.

29th April 2013

Calibre UK appoints new distributor for sub-Saharan Africa

Calibre UK has extended its global reach still further with the appointment of Prosound as its new distribution partner for sub-SaharanAfrica. Based in South Africa, Prosound is a hugely experienced distributor and rental company with several decades of expertise in supplying professional sound and lighting equipment under its belt.

With more and more of its customers also requiring hardware solutions for multi-screen shows and installations, the link with Calibre UK was a natural progression, according to Prosound’s technical director, Mark Malherbe: "Our reputation has been built on using only market-leading products in both our sales and hire departments, so when the opportunity arose to add Calibre to our roster, we jumped at the chance.

"We supply a number of high-end production companies not just in South Africa but in East and West African countries as well. Whether they are putting on a small conference or a 10-screen, multi-input show, we believe we will have a Calibre UK image-processing solution that meets their needs, and which they can trust to be seamless and stable."

Pauline Brooksbank, managing director, Calibre UK, adds: "The market for high-quality image processing in sub-Saharan Africa is growing very fast, and we believe Prosound is perfectly positioned to offer our entire range to this market including the HQView and FoveaHD ranges.

"The synergy between video production, sound and light is growing not just in the rental arena but in fixed installations as well, and we look forward to seeing more of our products being sold into all these sectors through the good auspices of the team at Prosound."

In picture: HQView

29th April 2013

Lumonic Ltd move to bigger premises

Lumonic Ltd, who design and manufacture Innovative LED lights under the ilumo brand, have moved.

Mike Edwards, Director at Lumonic says: "Our expansion as a business over the last year has allowed us to search for and find premises that are now much more suited to our needs. Our new premises are more than four times the size and afford all the requirements that we wanted to best serve the requirements of our business and customers. We are excited about the move!"

Lumonic Ltd’s new address is: ilumo House, Broadoak Business Park C5, Ashburton Road West, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1RW. Telephone numbers and email addresses remain the same.

www.lumonic.com

29th April 2013

ArKaos Pro Signs Distribution Agreement with ESL France

ArKaos Pro, the leading provider of realtime visual processing technologies for live visual performances, has announced the appointment of ESL as its new exclusive distributor for France. The agreement is the first new appointment since the formation of ArKaos Pro was announced at Prolight + Sound, Frankfurt.

ESL will be exclusively responsible for promoting, distributing and servicing ArKaos Pro’s Stage and Stadium media servers as well as the ArKaos MediaMaster Express and Pro software across the whole of France.

Established in 1992, and with offices in Montpellier and Paris, ESL introduced the first comprehensive catalogue of stage lighting in France and has provided top class distribution and service across the country ever since. The company prides itself on enabling companies of all sizes to have easy access to high performance products at the best possible prices. ArKaos Pro customers in France will now be able to benefit from ESL’s accessibility and dedication to customer service.

"We are very happy to be able to offer the ArKaos range to our customers," says ESL’s cofounder Alain Cornevaux. "Video has become a very important part of the entertainment technology scene and we have thought hard about which system to support. We chose ArKaos because their system is very powerful, yet logical and smart in the way it operates. At ESL we will only adopt new technology when we feel we have the in-house technical knowhow to back up our sales activities, and we are confident that with the ArKaos system we will be able to maintain our high level of technical service.

"We also chose ArKaos because they are able to offer a full range of software and hardware that covers all our customers’ requirements from the simple and economical up to the full server options. And I must add at the end that we met a fantastic team at ArKaos."

In addition to ArKaos Pro’s well established MediaMaster software, ESL will focus on promoting the Stage media server, which offers 2 outputs, and the new Stadium media server which features 6+1 EDID managed full HD outputs.

The ArKaos Stadium server received its official release at Prolight & Sound, Frankfurt where it drew a great deal of attention and excitement from the visitors. "The stand was buzzing with customers wanting to see the Stadium Server in action," says ArKaos business development manager, Agnes Wojewoda. "We had so many visitors to the stand we can truly say this was one of the best show’s ever for ArKaos. It was a very good forum, not only to launch our new division, ArKaos Pro, and our new products, but to announce the appointment of ESL as our new exclusive distributor for France and to welcome them to the ArKaos network of distributors.

"We chose ESL because they understand the technology behind ArKaos products and have a strong presence in the French market. They have a very close relationship with their customers so can provide local product demonstrations and training sessions very quickly. This will make ArKaos products extremely accessible to the market including the television market where ESL is also very strong."

In picture: Video mapping on a car at the ArKaos Booth / Agnes and Toon from ArKaos with the team from ESL France.

26th April 2013

Allen & Heath Appoints new Distributor in Argentina

Allen & Heath has appointed ARS as its exclusive distributor in Argentina. Established for 12 years, the company already distributes leading brands, such as Turbosound, Sennheiser and TC Electronic.

"ARS is a profitable and healthy business operating in a tough financial climate. The company has great sales and support networks in place, and are technically very proficient. ARS complements the A&H brand well and we are looking forward to working with the team," explains A&H sales and marketing manager, Debbie Maxted.

To mark their appointment, ARS are planning to host various workshops, seminars and training events in all of the major cities in Argentina throughout the year.

"We are very pleased to represent Allen & Heath, one of the most prestigious British sound console manufacturers. It is a great honour to have been selected because Allen & Heath is a world-leading brand. The product range is very diverse and complements our other brands, plus the addition means we can now offer a whole audio package from microphones to mixers. It is our pleasure to represent Allen & Heath in Argentina and we are certain that we are going to help the brand enter into a new era of prosperity and market share in our country," comments ARS sales director, Mauricio Diz.

In picture: A&H’s Debbie Maxted (centre) with ARS’s Ricardo Pousa (left, managing director) and Mauricio Diz (sales director).

25th April 2013

A Virtual Look inside ‘The Pixel Depot’

For anyone that hasn’t yet visited The Pixel Depot, displayLED’s state of the art showroom and industry resource, there’s a video to show you what it’s all about and some of the products on display. Go to
http://youtu.be/wveoU5SPu2w.

The Pixel Depot opened last autumn at displayLED’s headquarters in Surrey, designed as Europe's most comprehensive collection of innovative LED video displays from a range of leading manufacturers. For US visitors keen to visit the Depot, contact the team who will be happy to arrange a tour according to your schedule.

“Our experts have scoured the world and tested products, including the latest technology from China, to find the most innovative, effective and user-friendly options currently on the market,” explains CEO Graham Burgess.

The showroom provides LED solutions across market needs, providing a valuable resource for AV rental companies, systems integrators, TV studios and broadcast media, digital advertising, shopping malls, sports and events venues, architectural applications and building design, galleries, theatres and conference and exhibition markets, as well as unique and creative applications.

The Pixel Depot showroom is also available for rental companies and designers to demonstrate options to potential clients, and as an educational resource and training facility.

Says Graham Burgess: “With products ranging from a ground breaking 1.9mm to 40mm pixel pitch we’ve been able to put on the best LED show in Europe. Never before have buyers had such an opportunity to compare and contrast the best in LED technology and decide exactly what they need for their application. And it’s not just about one single market.  The Pixel Depot has attracted many of the top people in the AV rental, integrator and TV markets as well as some of the leading creative agencies, and the feedback as to the quality of the environment we’ve created and products on show has just been amazing.” 

"The Pixel Depot is a most welcome new resource. It is a real help to designers and specifiers because it allows direct comparisons between displays of different resolution and construction; and it also has the space to show many imaginative, not to say wacky, variations on the LED theme, from video floors to bendy screens," comments Robert Simpson, founder director, Electrosonic.

Dave Crump of CT UK says: "The Pixel Depot is a great facility where a wide range of different LED products can be seen and compared in a relaxed and informal environment."

24th April 2013

Martin Audio goes Turnkey in Turkey, with InfoGroup

Martin Audio has appointed Istanbul-based InfoGroup Sound Lighting and Visual Systems Ltd as its new Turkish distributor.

The partnership was confirmed, with immediate effect, by Martin Audio Export Sales Manager (EMEA), Dominic Jacobson at this year’s Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt. He said that the company offered impressive credentials and would promote the entire Martin Audio portfolio.

“We needed to find a dynamic partner that was active in all our key markets — in order to boost market penetration in the region,” he said. “We short-listed two potential partners, but were particularly impressed with the professionalism of InfoGroup. They took me to meet customers in each of their core sectors, and there was clearly a lot of warmth and positivity towards them.”

Established in 1991 InfoGroup specialises in sound and vision product distribution as well as project management. Their key markets include the concert touring rental sector, and permanent installations in conference rooms, houses of worship, stadiums, bars and restaurants, cinema and other cultural centres.

InfoGroup General Manager, Salih Maras, and Foreign Trade Manager, Ozge Can, confirm that the company has the capability to carry out turnkey installations supported by a CAD design and full technical support in house. They first spoke to Martin Audio at the ISE Show in February, and are relishing the opportunity to work with the UK manufacturer.

“We were familiar with the strength of the company’s brand and reputation in global markets,” said Maras.

“Although Martin Audio is well-known in Turkey, we believe we can create greater visibility. The brand will fit perfectly into our distribution portfolio as more and more projects are starting to specify leading European brands.”

In picture: Tayfur Maras, Salih Maras (InfoGroup), Dominic Jacobson (Martin Audio), Tolga Unlu, Bilal Metin Ozar and Ozge Can (InfoGroup).

24th April 2013

Amas Produksjon becomes Adamson Distributor in Norway

Amas Produksjon is the latest distributor to join the Adamson team. They announced their new partnership while at Prolight and Sound this year. The Norwegian company started as a booking agent in the early 90’s but quickly grew to include equipment rental, and in 2004 they began sales and distribution of top brands in the pro audio world. Amas specializes in turn-key pro audio solutions in both the sales and rental markets. These services include everything from rental to full sound design, installation and 24hr service to their clients in installation and live touring markets.

CEO, Morten Paulsen says: "Our main focus is always to create good complete, turn-key solutions for our customers, combining different products to suit each customer’s specific need." The addition of Adamson products to their ‘line card’ paired with Powersoft Audio amplifiers will give them the ability to supply Norway with what they believe is the best technology available in the industry. In addition to pro audio equipment they also have the ability to provide lighting with products available from Ayrton, OXO and Green Light Lighting, as well as staging and barricades from Europodium.

When asked about why Amas decided to carry the Adamson brand Morten explains: "We have always known that Adamson was a high quality manufacturer. Our engineers are constantly touring in Europe and we’d only heard good things. We were comparing the speakers available in the pro audio industry and Adamson stood out as the best. We contacted the European office and ask about the products and after some discussion we knew it would be a great fit for our business. A few short months later the deal was made and we’re excited to be partnered with Adamson."

Morten knows that being both a rental house and a distributor provides a unique opportunity for Amas. Adamson has, up until this point, been an unknown commodity in the Norwegian market but Morten see’s their sales model as a direct route to breaking the products into the market. "Our rental department uses brands featured in our sales catalog, which gives us a great opportunity to demo our equipment, do showcases and provide a working knowledge of the products we sell. Our business is perfectly suited to introduce new brands to this market. The fact that we are ready to put them to the test against other manufacturers shows that we believe in the quality of the products. It also doesn’t hurt that they sound amazing."

Amas has already made an imprint in Norway with their first sale to Konsert-Service, a rental-house, who recently added a significant investment of Metrix, Metrix W, Metrix Subs, M12s, M15s, Point 8’s along with rigging and dollies. This full service sale is what Morten hopes will set Amas apart in Norway. He says, "We are also hoping that our approach to complete systems and integration will be a defining part in our sales and in our installations. "

"Adamson and Amas are very like-minded in the sense that we obsess over delivering products that are well thought out and technologically advanced. We were very impressed with the Adamson line because there is no compromise in the quality and execution. The products are Innovation and the care that went into the safety of their rigging impressed us. Adamson should be one of the first brands you inquire about if you are buying a new PA, or doing a new installation, " concluded Morten.

In picture: Morten Paulsen

23rd April 2013

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