PLASA ranks as one of the premier shows of its kind, presenting groundbreaking technology to an international audience of pro audio, lighting and stage technology experts. Here are some highlights from this year’s event, staged for the second year at London’s ExCeL Convention Center.
According to event director James Ashwood, the overall number of attendees for the Oct. 5-8 event was “just over 11,000, putting us slightly ahead of 2013, with a surprise increase of 55 percent in the number of re-visits to the show, demonstrating that people have been returning on more than one day.”
Of particular note at this year’s PLASA show was an expanded program of educational activities. And with more than 2,000 attendees participating in the learning and seminar activities, PLASA plans to expand the program in 2015. Among the session highlights were “Pin the Mic on the Actor” from the Association of Sound Designers; Martin Professional’s sessions on “The Use of Intelligent Lighting in TV” and the “Technology of Theater Lighting;” and Avolites Media’s “Convergence of Video and Lighting — Whatever Next?”
More specialized, yet certainly important, was the fifth annual Rigging Conference, which ran alongside PLASA London 2014 in a new one-day format on the second day of the show, with more than 160 delegates attending from 18 different countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the U.S. “This year’s conference allowed delegates to contribute to the formation of an international rigging code of practice,” said program curator Chris Higgs, “and discuss the likely impact that CDM 2015 regulations will have on the industry.”
Instruments: The Main Attraction
However, for many, the star attraction was on the show floor, where hundreds of exhibitors revealed their latest product innovations.
Probably the most notable exhibitor was Robe (www.robe.cz), which set up a huge 1,000 square meter arena with a large stage, sound system and plenty of Robe instruments, in an ongoing celebration centered on its 20th anniversary that provided a showcase for the launch of its new Bright Multi-Functional Luminaire (BMFL) high-powered spot lighting fixture.
Designed for large venues, BMFL features a large front lens, a proprietary new Osram lamp that can operate at 1,200/1,500/1,700 Watts, yet can produce 40,000 lumens, yielding 250,000 lux at five meters and over 2,500 lux at 50 meters, with the ability to create both rich saturated and pastel colors. Effects include the Dual Graphic Wheel (first introduced in Robe’s MMX), a very fast iris, smooth dimming, two rotating gobo wheels — both with high-definition glass Air-fx and breakup gobos, three variable frost elements and two rotating prisms. Also standard is 11:1 ratio zoom optics that can go from a tight 5 degrees to a wide 55 degrees in a split second, and the EMS Electronic Motion Stabilizer that reduces the beam deviation caused by movement or vibration of the truss or set. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Not to be outdone, Clay Paky (www.claypaky.it) came on strong with packed demos of its new “The Projectors” line, which consists of three new instruments: Mythos, SuperSharpy and Stormy. Mythos is an advanced combination 470-watt spot and beam light, with a 4- to 15-degree (12:1) zoom ratio, along with an indexed visual effect disc, which can be superimposed on its six rotating and 18 fixed gobos. In beam light mode, Mythos can switch to a minimum beam angle of just 0.5-degrees, while adding a CMY mixing based on three gradually fading color wheels, two rotating prisms, CTO, CTB and a frost unit.
Taking CP’s popular Sharpy to the next level, SuperSharpy is an ACL beam type moving head featuring a high-output 470 watt, 7,800 K lamp. Said to reach never-seen-before mid-air distances, the SuperSharpy may be the first low-wattage beam light that can challenge a searchlight. As a plus, onboard effects include seven rotating gobos, 18 fixed gobos, rotating prism, CMY, color wheels, CTO, CTB and more.
Stormy offers classic strobe effects, yet uses a strip of powerful white LEDs, that emulate a bright Xenon linear lamp and an enhanced flash effect from its strobe-like parabolic reflector, which does not project the light directly forward like other LED strobes. The frequency, duration and intensity of the pulse are digitally controlled, and these parameters are independently adjustable. The light turns on/off instantly, to create the jerky movement illusion and the pulse duration (the time the light is on) may be extended as required. Stormy also includes RGBW LED’s that can flash in any color, so there’s no need for gels or scrollers.
Philips (www.vari-lite.com) was showing its most powerful Vari-Lite ever, the VL4000 Spot, which boasts 33,000 lumens and features a whisper quiet “Studio” mode outputting 25,000 lumens. High-resolution optics offer tight center-to-edge focusing, an ultra-wide contrast ratio and a 5:1 zoom that covers 9 to 47 degrees without sacrificing output or clarity.
The VL4000’s entirely new Infinity color system provides CYM color mixing, variable CTO color temperature correction and dual five-position color wheels, along with dual rotating gobo wheels with a remarkable new collection of optimized gobo patterns for both aerial and projected imagery. Dual animation wheels simplify creating dynamic motion effects as well as the chromatically tuned Dichro Fusion effect. Also standard are smooth dimming flags that combine with independent strobe blades for flexible dimming and strobing abilities, while new multi-point connections allow the VL4000 to be hung at any angle. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Chauvet Professional (www.chauvetlighting.com) showed a number of new releases, including the Next NXT-1 moving head pixel-mapping panel with 25 quad-color RGBW LED’s. The Next NXT-1 combines fast pan/tilt movement with a tight 6-degree beam angle to create in-motion displays designed to wow audiences at concerts, festivals and live productions. The Next NXT-1’s ultra-bright output allows its sharp pixel-mapped images to cut through haze and washes on stage and when used as an LED wash, offer maximum punch at long throws. Besides offering sharp pixel-mapped displays, the Next NXT-1 has a “virtual-gobo wheel” stocked with static patterns and alpha-numeric characters, allowing designers to effortlessly create text displays and effects.
Chauvet also expanded its ÈPIX Series with the ÈPIX Tile 2.0, a user-friendly fixture that makes it easy for lighting professionals to add high-quality pixel-mapping video content to their designs. This square-shaped 300 x 300 mm panel has 160 tri-color (red/green/blue) SMD LEDs and features a 25mm pixel pitch, high output (up to 3,290 nits), accurate color rendering and a wide 120í viewing angle. Housed in a lightweight, rugged aluminum alloy material the ÈPIX Tile 2.0 providing a conveniently transportable pixel-mapping video system for clubs, tours or installs.
House lighting needn’t be bland, thanks to a new model in Chauvet’s Ovation line. The H-105WW LED house light uses COB LED technology for outstanding flat, even and flattering fields of light in your venue. This silent LED fixture is standard with interchangeable lenses for adjustments for differing heights, 5-pin DMX and install terminals for permanent and temporary installations. Also onboard is 16-bit dimming response, remote device management for added programming flexibility and adjustable PWM to avoid flickering in filmed environments. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Elation Professional (www.elationlighting.com) unveiled the Sniper 2R, a new type of hybrid multi-effect lighting fixture/laser simulator. Emitting a powerful, ultra-narrow 3-degree beam, a high-speed X/Y scan and Z rotation mirror system allows Sniper SR to spread high-speed moving laser-like effects including liquid sky, laser wave, and laser cone effects, even projected and “scanned” into the crowd — without the hassle of laser regulations.
The DMX-controllable Sniper SR is powered by the new 132-watt Philips MSD Platinum lamp (6,000-hour lifetime rating), providing an intensity of 45,010 lux at 5 meters. Designers have 14 dichroic colors and 17 static gobos (including beam reduction gobos) at their disposal to create a variety of dynamic effects delivered at lightning speed thanks to its ultra-fast mirror system. The high-precision beam and effects can be multiplied via a 3-facet rotating prism and further manipulated using a variable speed shutter, mechanical dimmer and strobe. Power consumption is just 205 watts. SFor the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
GLP (www.germanlightproducts.com) launched a number of new products, but was focusing on its impression X4 XL, which uses an array of 55 RGBW high output LED’s, each rated at 15 watts, coupled with a highly efficient zoom range from a tight 7 degrees to a wide 50 degrees. The X4 XL’s high output will throw for extremely long distances. The output is a full RGBW color system with additional variable color temperature correction for added flexibility when working with whites. Also standard is a variable-speed electronic strobe mode, smooth full range dimming — with no color shift — and 16 bit pan and tilt movement, with feedback control. As a bonus, the impression X4 XL’s individually controllable LED’s allow a range of different patterns to be created and displayed on the front lenses, including arrows, numbers, letters and much more, either from stock patterns or through user-created patterns. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Steinigke Showtechnic (www.steinigke.de) was demoing its new FutureLight-Wave LED Moving Bar lights, which are comprised of a single head with two bars having three LED’s in each. What sets these apart is that while the pan rotation of the two bars is constant, the tilt movements of the two three-LED halves can be individually (and steplessly) controlled. The result — with the ability to rotate fully 360-degrees — is reminiscent of wave motions, hence the product name. In addition to a powerful cold-white version with six 20 watt LED’s, Steinigke also offers a color version with 10-watt 4-in-1 LED’s. All beams have a 2.5-degree beam angle and are ideally suited for beam shows. Full RDM (Remote Device Management) support is standard. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Bring on the Big Gun!
Designed for stadium, arena and larger theater applications, the new Merlin touring followspot from Robert Juliat (www.followspot-merlin.com) is perfect for large arena settings. With a 2,500W HMI lamp and a massive 3- to 12-degree beam range, Merlin covers both long- and medium-throw ranges in a single unit, while its newly designed bodywork is easy to install and maintain, yet tough enough for the road. Rental companies will appreciate Merlin’s stainless steel housing with strong aluminum frame, integral lifting points and a dedicated flight case that stacks into touring trucks. With an HMI lamp and 16A power socket, Merlin’s 2,500W power consumption produces an output almost equivalent to a 3,000W xenon source, but without the dangers of touring with a xenon lamp.
Other Merlin features include an all-new Eco Mode to reduce power consumption when it’s in stand-by mode, such as before the show or during intermissions. EcoMode can be automatically or manually activated or disabled completely. An optional dimmer accessory can plug into any manual Merlin spot to allow perfectly synchronized, DMX-operated, fade-to-black directly from the control console. Parameters can also be adjusted for use as a limiter.
Not Just Instruments
Flashy new lighting is great, but sometimes — as with all things — a little control is in order, and in this category, PLAZA 2014 didn’t disappoint.
At a packed press conference, Avolites (www.avolites.com) new Quartz console made its first public appearance. This latest addition to the successful Titan Mobile family measures just 17 inches wide and weighs slightly under 18 pounds, making it ideal for the portable market, ranging from touring and festivals to clubs and one-offs. Avolites’ smallest fully-featured console, Quartz may be compact, but packs powerful onboard processing, multi-band Sound to Light Triggering functionality, a bright 12.1-inch screen and full compatibility with Multi user.
Need more? Avolites also debuted its Tiger Touch Fader Wing, which lets users expand their control surface with 30 playback faders — all electronically labeled with an LCD screen — in a profile designed to complement the Tiger Touch II. Also showcased at PLASA was the new Ai S2 media server, offering the benefits of Avolites’ powerful hardware in a smaller, lower cost server. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Bringing its Windows-based software approach to creative, powerful LED lighting control is Madrix (www.madrix.com), which was showing its Version 3.2 application. The software is both an effect generator and media server with unique real-time effects. Stunning visuals can be easily be created using Madrix’ pixel mapping and the built-in graphics and render engine. Madrix can be used alone, along with any DMX/MIDI console or desk or the company’s offerings of complementary hardware for seamless integration. Supported standards include DMX512, DVI, Art-Net, Streaming ACN (E1.31), Philips Color Kinetics (KiNET) and Insta/ROBE protocols, Eurolite T9 and ColourSmart Link. For the video on PLSN-TV, CLICK HERE.
Little Product, Big Hit
While the PLASA show floor was overflowing with mouth-watering new lighting instruments and controllers, it’s somehow ironic that I was perhaps most impressed with a product that audiences will never see or experience. Artistic Licence (www.artisticlicence.com) launched its nanoScope, an easy-to-use, compact pocket-sized tester for DMX512 and RDM — and best of all, it’s shipping now.
This lightweight, battery-powered unit features a built-in 5-pin XLR connector that enables it to be attached directly to any DMX512 cable. The device lights up in different colors to indicate its findings — providing a fast, hands-free result that’s easily visible at a distance — definitely handy when hanging off a truss. I certainly could use one of these!
Back to the Future
There were plenty more cool (and hot!) lighting products at PLASA 2014 and we’ll be covering these in future issues of PLSN as well as on our web site at www.plsn.com. If you missed out on PLASA 2014, don’t dismay — most of these products will be on display at this month’s LDI show in Las Vegas (exhibits are from November 21 to 23), so you can catch most of the action there. For more info on LDI, visit www.ldishow.com.
In terms of the PLASA expo, changes already in the works will redevelop the scope and delivery of the 2015 show, including moving from a four-day to a three-day event, introducing a new floor plan concept, expanding the education offerings and investing in the audio, staging, AV and broadcast elements of the live entertainment technology at the show to accompany the highly successful lighting element.
Exactly how each of these goals will play out is yet to materialize, but one thing is certain. The PLASA show is set to return to ExCeL London on October 5 to 7, 2015. Book those hotels now! (For more information, go to www.plasashow.com):
