FRANKFURT, Germany — Prolight + Sound, arguable the largest trade show of its kind, closed on April 7 after a successful run. Last year, more than 43,000 visitors swooped down on 940 exhibitors. It took me four full days in 2017 just to cover the lighting and video areas.
I found three things that really piqued my interest. #1 — Doughty Engineering has a new half coupler for moving lights that folds over 90°. The Space saver. Your days of removing clamps from lights to close the lid are over. #2 — City Theatrical showed me the DMXcat, the best pocket tool a lighting tech could ever ask for. #3 — Swisson showed me the portable Sine Wave dimmer. A 3K model you can easily drag anywhere on a shoot location to dim a light. Take a look at the latest new gear that all the top companies had on display.Absen: The LED manufacturer announced that it was time to make a difference. They showed a large curved screen made from their new ERA 2 version of video tiles. They also displayed some great stacking hardware for a ground support system.
Absen: The LED manufacturer announced that it was time to make a difference. They showed a large curved screen made from their new ERA 2 version of video tiles. They also displayed some great stacking hardware for a ground support system.
AC Entertainment: Jands had their L5 lighting consoles shown by their distributor. The Tourflex line of cables for power, signal and multicores were on display along with Chroma-Q products. Quasar Science Q-LED light tubes were a unique item they displayed.
ADJ: Hosting an exciting booth with a wide variety of products, they offered up the new Vizi series of lights with a hybrid and a wash light offered. A new line of small and affordable smoke machines was shown to the crowd for the first time.
Altman: Showed their popular Phoenix line of ellipsoidals as well as the Pegasus Fresnels. The new Gallery series of scalable fixtures debuted and is perfect for museums, storefronts, galleries — anywhere where the aesthetic and performance expectations are high.
Analog Way: The big news besides a major software release was a new card for the VIO 4K, the ultimate video processing tool. The 4:4:4 sampling of video is the highest spec of any 4K system. They offer optional cards for three separate outputs.
Antari: On display was their wide variety of smoke devices, ranging from haze to fog to low laying fog generators. The F4 and F5 Fazers offer a hybrid mixture of smoke effects for most any application.
Area Four Industries: The alliance of Milos, Litec, JTE and Tomcat offers trussing of every type imaginable, anywhere in the world. From 12” box to Super truss, from Ground Support technology to EXE Technology hoists, their product lines are endless.
Arri displayed their popular line of LED Fresnels for the film business, from the miniature 150 to the ST 2/3 model. Their line of SkyPanels were shown as well as their wide assortment of Avenger grip clamps.
Astera released the AX5, a middle range IP65 rated fixture with three 15W RGBA LEDs. A 3-in-1 fixture, it can be used as a wash light and can be hard-wired or run off a battery and wireless signal. It has a removable bracket for mounting or focus and comes with outer sleeve for cosmetic use.
Avolites showed off their line of consoles including the
Titan mobile, Arena, and Tiger Touch as well as their Titan Processor. The company also revealed upgrades to enhance the flexibility of their Ai media servers.
AV Stumpfl: The Wings family of media servers with the RAW server offer 8K of uninterrupted playback. The new monoclip projection screen options give users an easier way to attach a screen to a frame.
Ayrton: They have a new series of fixtures, the first of which is the Merak. It is a 250W LED with an RGBW light engine that serves as a wash light, with a 7-70° zoom and beam shaping. Also introduced was the Arcaline 3, a strip with 12 RGBW 10W cells, a zoom, and IP 65 rating.
Blackmagic Design: They were on hand with their mobile production facility, showing off their range of professional cameras and video devices such as the ATEM switchers, Davinci software and duplication devices.
Chainmaster displayed their line of chain hoists as well as their wireless load cell system.
ChamSys: The new ChamSys 500 model was released with new hardware, a sleek new shell and some great new functions that will aid any programmer in speed of focusing among other things. The built-in visualizer and ease of manipulation is an awesome tool.
Chauvet Professional highlighted their range of Maverick and Rogue fixtures in Europe including the MK3 Wash, MK2 Wash and MK1 and MK2 Spot models. They also featured their theatrical range of LED fixtures. They announced their acquisition of ChamSys consoles as well.
Christie: Besides their quality line of projectors such as the Boxer 4K30 on display were their new lines of video tiles. Christie’s Merit line of 2.5mm tiles and Extreme series of video tiles were being run from their Pandoras Box line of media servers.
Chroma-Q introduced the Space Force soft light to Europe as well as the Color Force II, an updated, improved version of the popular strip light. Also shown was the new RGBA LED par called the Color One 100X.
City Theatrical: Among the helpful products they offer is the DMXcat. This multi-functional test tool can plug into any smart fixture and test its functions via an app on your phone, even if the light does not have RDM capabilities. Tests cables and DMX signal too. Truly a game changer.
Claypaky: Along with the company’s new K-EYE K20 and K10 fixtures, Claypaky featured the Scenius Unico, and their Mythos 2 fixture gets a new 440W Osram arc bulb. The Axcor Profile 900, their first LED light engine fixture, was also unveiled. Claypaky has also taken over the ADB brand.
CM: All models of Columbus McKinnon Entertainment Technology’s electric chain hoists were featured. The model without an outer shell showed us the sleek interior design of their hoists.
CreateLED was on hand to display a beautiful crisp wall made from their Air Series video tiles, which includes the AirMAG, AirTV and AirULTRA, among others. The company also featured their unique AirMagicBox series of modular video cubes that can be assembled in various designs.
CyberMotion: Chain hoists of all sizes were shown from their CyberHoist series. The digital chain hoists run complex patterns easily with their proprietary controller.
d3 Technologies: They launched the new gx line of servers. The gx 2 features the fastest workstation GPU currently available, and presents two VFC slots (two 4K outputs, or eight HD). It’s designed to be used with real-time generated content software (i.e., Notch).
Dataton: The Watchout system was in use with 3D video mapping on curved surfaces and a protruded 3D sign on the wall. They now offer the WatchPax 4, a tiny media server.
DeSisti: The DeSisti LED Softlight Series is a new range of LED softlights utilizing Remote Phosphor technology (CRI bigger than 90) with LED color mixing.
DiColor LED featured their X-Series of high end video tiles designed for fast installation and flexible shape design. These light and slim tiles have a unique anti-damage design. They have a pixel pitch of 2.8 mm and offer 800 NIT of brightness.
Doughty Engineering: They make great hardware. This year they had the best product on the floor. They made half couplers for attaching a light to a truss. But the coupler has a switch on it and can fold over 90° and lay flat on top. No need to remove a clamp from a mover again!
DTS: Two words: The Brick. A new 8° wash/strobe panel with 24 x 20W RGBW LED cells. 400 watts of power in an IP65 rated, rugged fixture. Easily removable plastic gels attach to the front for various beam angles. Barn door options. They also offer the Mini Brick, a half–sized model.
Duratruss: The innovators of unique truss configurations including angles and curved sections built a sexy color toned display from their truss products.
Elation Lighting displayed a wide choice of products including the new Proteus moving yoke line of IP65 rated products. They released the Paladin, an IP65 rated strobe, wash, blinder luminaire with motorized zoom. 350 will be used on the Eurovision Contest this year.
ETC showed off new advances in the rigging system with stage automation devices. The popular ColorSource products of all ranges were displayed including the new Deep Blue series. Also shown were their wide range of lighting consoles.
Eurotruss showed off the Chainmaster series of chain hoists including the variable speed Vario lift. Also shown was their wide selection of truss, front and top loaded crank lifts, stage railings and stair units.
Eyevis: Showing off video displays, this company offers up LED modules as well as LCD displays for your perfect video solutions.
Gloshine: On site, they had a display wall made up of their 2.9mm indoor video tiles. For exterior use, they offered the 3.9mm model
GLP introduced the JDCD1 strobe fixture. It contains a center white line of LED strobes that is blinding by itself, but add in the 12 sections of RGB strobes that surround it, and it’s amazing. BTW, it has a motorized tilt for focus ability and added effects. Wow factor is high.
GLP’s Truss: Skully made his appearance at the show, proving that truss shapes are an art form. The U-Frame lighting torms one designs themselves and the Stage Deck GT system were on display as well.
Green Hippo: They released the fourth generation of Hippotizers and were on hand to explain the new functions along with models that showed their 3D mapping capabilities on odd shaped structures.
Hazebase celebrated their 10th year in existence with the release of their new Low Fog system. It’s a CO2 low fogger that can create low lying fog when used with either the Hazebase base*classic or base*high*power foggers.
High End Systems: The Hog 4 consoles were on hand to run a plethora of new LED sourced yoke lights in the Sola range. The new Uno fixtures as well as shape shifters were on display to play with.
INFiLED showed us a wide array of video tiles including the HD line with a tight 1.5 mm pixel pitch. Also on display were the S line that contains models from 1.8mm to 2.9. The X line and ER series of big tiles were also shown.
Kinesys: The makers of technology to move any chain hoist showed us their Apex system, used to drive variable speed chain hoists. This includes 500kg and 1,250kg Apex hoists and the drive unit. A new pendant controller called the Dimension has an easy-to-use interface.
Kvant: With a dazzling line of various laser effects, this booth drew a nonstop crowd to watch various devices emitting laser beams. Their new improved line of ClubMax lasers come in four sizes, integrated with the Pangolin FB4 control interface.
Laserworld: With a breathtaking booth, they showed off many applications for lasers, from architectural treatments to live events. This company is the only one that offers every size and style of laser product, from ones that cost 30 Euros to 500,000 — for any application.
Lee Filters showed us their new line of gel specifically designed to color correct LED fixtures. The Zircon filters range from Minus Green to CTO and use a different dye to last longer and remove green cast and color spikes from the lamp.
Le Maitre: Celebrating their 40th anniversary, they showed off the MVS Hazer, a compact sized machine that delivers a whopping amount of haze in a short time. The Salamander is a canister style flame effect capable of shooting 12-25’ high flames. (See Milestones feature, this issue, page 53).
Look Solutions: Celebrating 20 years in the atmospheric effects biz, they showed off a line of their products. They had the Cryo Gate low lying fog, Viper line of high output foggers and other hazers to check out at their booth.
Luminex: The specialists in network intelligence their wide variety of Ethernet to DMX converters for rack and truss distribution. The LumiSplit is a brand new family of extreme powerful and robust Luminex DMX/RDM splitters.
MA Lighting: Besides showing off their console line, they offered the popular huMAn Wall — an art gallery-like display of hundreds of photos of LDs using their product.
Madrix featured their new v5 software. They changed from 32 bit to 64 bit for better performance with effects. They can now play back audio with files as well. They can stream ACN and are now capable of importing CSV files of a light rig for faster setup and use of the product.
Martin introduced the Thrill line, a competitively priced line of club and DJ type lighting fixtures. Also on hand were two great additions to the Sceptron video line, the Fatron and Dotron (See “Product Spotlight,” this issue, page 71). A secret new line of LED yoke fixtures is to be announced soon.
MDG: The Me4 models of foggers were on display, including various sized models dependent on the amount of output nozzles they contained. The MAX series includes their bigger models topped by the stadium version — theONE. Low fog generators were also on display.
Mountain Productions: With a new location in Dublin, Mountain is offering up their MTN Boxes, designed to withstand the rigors of the road, throughout Europe. Their wide line of safety accessories and rigging equipment for technicians is now more readily available everywhere.
Osram: The popular bulb manufacturer continues to blaze some interesting paths. They unveiled their new SplitStar S32 module platform, a light source that gives out 20,000 lumens through the use of a chip with 16 LEDs mounted on it.
Pangolin: The worldwide leader of laser operation software was evident all over the floor. Their software was used in many booths. Various cards and controllers were displayed for users to choose from.
Philips Strand/Selecon: The Strand line of film lighting products joined the ellipsoidal family of Selecon in this booth. The Showline SL eStrip striplight is a beautiful cyc and blinder fixture.
Philips Vari-Lite: The new line of Vari-Lites utilizing an LED light engine were unveiled. The VLZ line (Wash, Spot and Profile models) boasts a 25,000-lumen output. The VL6000 Beam fixture was introduced and is certainly a good searchlight with massive power and a great color system.
Portman: They released their second fixture, a six-lamp bar of their tungsten fixtures, with hinged joints every two lamps that can bend the bar. They attach via spigots and can hang four vertically from one clamp. There is a new color LED model of the Portman fixtures out as well.
PR Lighting: Most impressive was a new fixture called the Butterfly 2. This non-stop rotating effect light has a spinning turret with five self-tilting 40W LEDs on the edge and a stationary one on center. Smaller white LEDs add more effects. Best club effect light I saw on site.
Prolyte: Offers the Verto truss, the original efficient boltless conical connecting truss. Also shown was the heavy duty BGR 70 square stock truss that can cross a 45-meter span. A 40’ straight truss can lift 13,200 lbs in the center with zero deflection.
RC4 Wireless: The world’s leader in miniature wireless DMX devices is back and better than ever. This year they offer the RC4Magic Series 3 Wireless Dimmer that could easily fit in the pocket of an actor or hide anywhere on a set.
Robe: The BMFL Light Master attaches a custom mechanism to any BMFL for an operator to steer and control a fixture. The RoboSpot offers an operator on the ground a way to control a BMFL fixture via a camera. The Patt line expanded with the addition of the pixelPATT and Patt 2017.
Robert Juliat: Their variety of top-of-the-line spotlights were featured as well as their unique Dalis cyclight. New this year is the Dalis 861, a square block of 24 LEDs in a 150W fixture. Good for side lighting. A new footlight model called the Dalis 862 was also revealed.
ROE Creative Display: The Black Onyx screen was displayed in all its beauty with the custom 90° curved corners. These are made from a magnesium alloy that is extremely lightweight yet sturdy. The Carbon series of panels were also on display.
Rosco released the Image Spot — a small IP65 rated gobo projector perfect for stores and exhibition spaces.
Serapid: The makers of rigid chain technology for lifting showed off the new chain driven scissor lift for live theatrical applications.
SGM: Along with their P-1 LED wash light series, SGM now offers the SixPack, a series of LED cells in a row. This goes along with their G-Series of IP65 rated LED yoke lights that include a wash, spot and beam model.
Showtec: They displayed their line of small lights called the Phantom series as well as a line called the Shark. Also shown was their block matrix moving fixture called the Phantom
Matrix.
Stagemaker showed us their EW1, an electric cable winch system for use in theater installs and temporary projects. Their wide variety of chain hoists with double braking systems and easily adjustable/movable limits were on display as well.
Swisson gave us the Sine Wave Dimmer, a portable or rack-mountable single channel 3K dimmer. It is super quiet and handy for film shoots to dim a fixture easily anywhere. It offers three different dimmer curve settings. They also released a new unmanaged gigabyte switch.
TMB shared a booth with another company called NA Stage and Lights. They displayed their Solaris line of LED products along with a plethora of handy theatrical gadgets.
TourPro: They distribute the LightSky AquaBeam, which was on display as an IP65 beam fixture getting pelted with water.
Ultratec Special Effects: These purveyors of atmosphere altering devices showed off the industrial products such as the Dry Icer and Radiance touring system hazers. Most impressive was the Ultra Handy Fogger, a mobile unit you can carry to any part of a set or stage for quick haze.
VMB featured crank lifts of all kinds, from models designed to lift trusses to others for hoisting audio arrays — they had it all. The TE-086 Telescoping lift can handle up to 661 pounds with a 21-foot height extension.
Wireless Solution: W-DMX showed the latest in their line of wireless transmission of DMX signals. The popular BlackBox Series utilizes their patented Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology to automatically avoid interference created by other wireless networks.
