Visitors to this year’s Prolight + Sound trade show hoping to see the latest in pro audio gear and technology will be heading to Halls 4 and 8 of Messe Frankfurt when it all kicks off from April 1st to 4th.

The organisers of Prolight + Sound have designed the show to be the premier tradefair for event and communication technology, AV production and entertainment. In addition to exhibitors, it will offer a vast array of workshops, product presentations and discussion events.

With so many things happening throughout the enormous grounds of the show, it is easy to miss the many unique elements of Prolight + Sound. The show’s Concert Sound Arena is set up on the outdoor exhibition to allow eight exhibitors to show off their latest PA technology in a practical situation.

The Pro Stage is another outdoor area where seminars and workshops take place to demonstrate the latest in outdoor concert technology. Experts in the design and development of pyrotechnics, lighting technology, mixing and public-address systems, stage construction and rigging use this area to demonstrate ideas, techniques and the capabilities of their equipment, with a particular reference to safety aspects.
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Allen & Heath
Hall 8.0, B22
Allen & Heath will unveil the  XB-14 Compact Radio Broadcast Mixers , which will be introduced from the ZED range of small-format USB mixers. It will also announce updates to the new iLive-T Series compact digital mixing system, which can now interface with networking standards such as EtherSound, ADAT and Aviom, and the new Xone:22 two-channel analog DJ mixer. Its entire Xone DJ range will also be displayed, including the Xone:D Series of MIDI controllers alongside a cross section of mixers from the ZED, MixWizard, GL, iDR and iLive ranges.
 
Funktion-One – Hall 4.1, F10
Funktion-One is to exhibit its new RM18 triple concentric stage monitor. The all-new triple concentric arrangement has an ultra-fast 18-inch driver with five-inch coil and a Neodymium magnet. A special five-inch driver with a built-in HF compression driver passively crossed-over at 9kHz. The 700Hz crossover point and natural materials used in the cab’s mid-device give an enhanced clarity and definition to the vocal range. The bass response of the 18-inch driver also makes it well suited for use as a drum monitor. 

Adam Hall – Hall 4.1, D45
LD Systems will announce a new addition to its range of LD Systems speakers with the LD Premium Series. The Premium Series features an eight-inch, ten-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch multi-purpose speakers in addition to the VA4 and VA8 line array systems and subwoofers from 1 x 15-inch, 2 x 15-inch and up to 2 x 18-inch. Premier series speaker cabinets are all made of 18mm multiplex and coated with the DuraCoat LX coating.

JTS – Hall 4.1, B30
Japanese company JTS will debut its new TG-10 wireless microphone system, designed for live touring applications. TG-10 works in a UHF band with 16 preset channels, with an operation distance of over 60 metres. It allows at least 12 systems to work simultaneously, while built-in Lithium batteries allow over 14 hours of continuous use. A cabin baggage-sized charger with 36 slots is also available.

Sonic Distribution
Hall 5.1, B66
Sonic will show SE Electronics new sE4400a and Rupert Neve RNR1 microphones this year.
The sE4400a has four polar patterns: cardioid, hypercardioid, figure of eight and omni, in addition to two bass cuts at 60Hz and 120Hz and two pads at ten and 20dB. The RNR1 active ribbon microphone is the result of collaboration between sE and Rupert Neve. Neve has integrated concepts from the 5088 consoles into the mic’s design, namely Discrete Single-Sided Circuits and custom-designed transformers. A limited run of 20 chromed 4400a mics will be available as a special show deal.

RSG – Hall 8, D54
Roland Systems Group will show the new RSS M-48 Live Personal Mixer and RSS S-4000D Splitter and Power Distributor. The M-48 complements its existing V-Mixing system, while being suited for use in recording studios. It provides 16 assignable stereo groups with level, pan, solo and three-band eq featured on each group, in addition to high-quality built-in reverbs and an ambient mic for communication with band members.

VMB – Hall 8, B70
Spanish manufacturer, VMB will show the new Rainbow v1.1 prediction software for VMB and Lynx cabinets. Rainbow v1.1 provides features designed to calculate the SPL response of cabinets and interactions between them, taking in to account the magnitude and phase response of each one, thus enabling the user to correct or even create cancellation if the design requires. It will also show a range of products with DSP control features, including the powerful and lightweight DSX amplifiers and its ADP PA speakers series, alongside a new ADP stage monitor.

QSC – Hall 4.1, D12
QSC will unveil a new series of powered PA speakers, the K-Series. The company is boasting that the new series will redefine the standard in portable powered PA.

Alcons Audio – Hall 8.0, F 41
The Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer will demonstrate numerous new products, including the A/V ready LR7, the micro-sized addition to its L-series pro-ribbon line arrays. It will also show extensions to its L-series line arrays. Its booth will house a new ‘design study’, providing a glimpse of the company’s R+D activities by displaying assembled prototype developments in addition to low-SPL demos with the VR8 compact monitor and the BF151 bass system.

Shure – Hall 4.1, D12
Shure will unveil a raft of new products at the show, including the PG27USB and PG42USB microphones, which are designed to allow users to connect professional standard microphones to a USB port for use with computers and laptops. It will also unveil the SM27 and SM137 microphones, its latest additions to the SM microphone range. On show too is the X2U Adaptor, which allows any XLR microphone to be connected to a USB port for professional recording on PCs and laptops. They are also available as a bundle with the SM57 and SM58.  

Adamson – Hall 8.0,  F21
Canadian loudspeaker manufacturer Adamson will be releasing a brand new product range at the show. It will also show its new M12 stage monitor. The M12 features the ND12L, Adamson’s first lightweight, long-excursion 12-inch Kevlar Neodymium driver. The monitor offers a symmetrical trapezoid design and 65-degree conical waveguide, which allows any two cabinets to operate as a mirrored pair. With a HF section featuring a three-inch diaphragm and 1.4-inch exit, the M12 is fitted with an Adamson waveguide, resulting in a package measuring only eight-inches x 25.125-inch x 11-inch and weighing in at 51lbs.

OHM – Hall 8.0, A56
Ohm Europe is showing its full range and several new products, including a mini line array, the Ersa Minor. It has dual six-inch neodymium main drivers, with a high frequency waveguide that provides a dispersion of 120 x 40 degrees and a power rating of 250 Watts rms. Cabinets are 425mm wide and can be hung in multiples, singles or pairs. A switch in the crossover circuit changes the high frequency characteristics to facilitate single or multiple use. It will also show the newly released BR range. New additions to the range include a wide dispersion dual six-inch BR-7 cabinet, the new single eight-inch plus one-inch BR-9 cabinet and rotational horns for the BR-10, -12 and -15.

Lab.gruppen – Hall 8.0, C16
Lab.gruppen will give the first public display of its products featuring its newly acquired Lake technology. The LM 26 is a full-featured two-in/six-out Lake Processor in a compact 1U frame. It will also show the PLM 14000, which provides 7000W per channel into two Ohms and 4350W per channel into four Ohms, making it ideal for demanding subwoofer and low-end applications. Lab.gruppen will debut three new models in its FP+ Series as well, including the FP 14000, the FP 9000 and the FP 4000, which are optimised for sustained performance into extreme low frequency loads. New versions of its NomadLink control and monitoring suite for C Series and FP+ Series products will be on display, too.
 
Tannoy – Hall 8.0, D18
Tannoy will unveil the VQ Live series of speakers for professional touring/live sound sector. Developed in partnership with live sound veteran Paul Nicholson, who’ll be at the show, VQ Live speakers will be on stand and in a dedicated demonstration room. Tannoy will also show the latest additions to the existing VQ Series range, including new PSW horn formats and a new 15-inch sub module. Its QFlex digital beam-steering array range will be on show too, as well as a wide range of in-ceiling, in-wall and surface mount speaker solutions, including the latest updates to the weatherproofed Di Series.

Neutrik Hall 8.0, E48
The highlight of Neutrik’s booth will be the opticalCON 4 designed for multi-channel point-to-point connections in broadcast and pro audio applications. With four integrated fibers, the opticalCON 4 is based on the well-established opticalCON 2 and is just as dust-proof and compatible to LC connectors. It will also display its multimedia product series which includes USB, HDMI and Firewire feed-through chassis connectors, as well as locking USB and HDMI cable connectors; The HD version of the XX series with protection class IP67; the Neutrik Trouble Shooters, including the EMC XLR with enhanced RF screening. The REAN Mini XLR Neutrik, designed with a compact cable connector and a corresponding chassis connector will also be on show.

Trantec – Hall 8.0, A16
Trantec will preview its new S6 Wireless system. S6 takes the 19-inch, eight-way concept from the S6000 to a higher level while a comprehensive interface on the front panel allows users to configure and monitor all channels, with or without an external PC. The S6 system operates from 590MHz to 865MHz to cope with the imminent regulation changes within the industry. The company will also show the new S-D7000 professional digital wireless system, which benefits from over 20 user channels in an 8MHz TV band with no degradation and digital transmission and 24-bit audio resolution.

MC2 – Hall 8.0, F42
The two-channel, Class D amp E90 amplifier will be on show at MC2’s booth. Designed to delivering an enormous 8,000 Watts RMS per channel into two Ohms or 4,500 into four, the E90 has already seen action on tour with The Pigeon Detectives, powering WE Audio's 24-stack Turbosound Aspect TA-890 and TSW-218 system in venues such as Belfast City Hall.

Yamaha – Hall 8.0, F50
Yamaha CA will show the SB168ES, a true networked stage box solution for the LS9 and M7CL consoles and other Yamaha digital consoles. It will also exhibit the new IMX644 Installation Series rackmount mixer, the eight-channel IPA 8200 amp, its Installation Series loudspeakers, including the IS1112 compact subwoofer, the K&M I-Series brackets, plus the versatile XP, XH and multichannel XM amplifier ranges and the EMX, IM and MG ranges of analog consoles.
Innovason – Hall 8.0, A11
Innovason will focus on its new Eclipse console and particularly on the MARS recording option, which provides 64-track digital recording to a hard disk on the back of the console. The hard disk can be removed and used for post show mixing and editing. The Eclipse builds on the success of the Sy48 and Sy80 consoles, featuring a 48-fader layout and a SmartPanel with an extra 48 channel strips on 12 knobs in four layers, resulting in a total of 96 faders.

DB TechnologieS
HALL 4.1, f11
The company’s new Flexsys F212 and F313 will be on show. An active two-way system, F212 is listed as an efficient and powerful mid-/high-range unit designed to be combined with active subwoofers to construct high-performance PA systems. The new active three-way Flexsys F313 system renders the full frequency range with powerful features that do not require the use of an added subwoofer. Visitors will also see the company’s wide range of active, passive and PA speakers in addition to its IEMs, wireless systems, amplifiers and controllers.

OPTOCORE – Hall 8.0, G32
Optocore will unveil its control software version 2.12 and associated firmware upgrades. It will also introduce Alberto V. Leiva Soulages, sales manager for Spain. Optocore has been at many high-profile events lately, including Echo 2009 where it transmitted 180 inputs to 170 outputs; audio, Ethernet, video and control data of various audio devices where exchanged between FOH, stage, monitor desks and loudspeaker systems.

Digico – Hall 8.0, F42
Digico will be present on the Atlantic Audio booth this year. Technical representatives will be available to show visitors its new small format SD8 console. It has a fixed architecture that employs a smaller Super FPGA than the SD7, while benefiting from all the major features and versatility of its D Series, in addition to the advances made in the SD7. This gives a superlative performance to price ratio, allowing Digico to offer an entry-level console, with remote pre amps, at a price point not previously possible.

Soundcraft – Hall 8, G42
Soundcraft will now show its smaller companion desk to the Si3, the Si2. Designed to offer a large feature set at a competitive price, the Si2 has 48 mic inputs mapped on 24 faders. It also features four dedicated stereo line channels, four dedicated FX returns from the four stereo Lexicon FX processors, eight-balanced insert sends and eight balanced insert returns. Si2 contains 24 Group/Aux busses available at all times, eight matrix busses and a full complement of monitor talkback and main bus outputs. Every input and output of the console has its own dedicated input (output) socket on the back of the console.

JOECO – HALL 5.1, A79
The Blackbox recorder offers full DAW capabilites for live sound applications. It plugs into any standard live mixing console via the normal insert points and to capture live audio and records sound check to help set the foldback mixes and allow the performers to hear the live mix. 24 tracks of audio can be recording directly onto a removable USB2 disk drive that can be immediately plugged into a DAW for further processing after the gig.

TTA - Hall 8.0, C22.
TTA will debut a new customised GUI for its Stagetracker FX matrix at the Mega Audio booth. The new GUI provides user-friendly access to, and control of, the new Pan Between Points (PbP) TTA hopes to widen Stagetracker’s appeal with the new software advancements in order to expand it into use in venues and productions using line-array speaker systems.

NEXO - Hall 8.0 A32/36

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, NEXO will be showing an impressive and mature line-up of tangent-array sound reinforcement systems aimed at touring applications and the fixed installation sector.   Ranging from the flagship high-output GEO T system, with its distinctive silver grilles, to the new scalable compact GEO S12 Series, NEXO’s patented innovations redefine controlled dispersion and extend coherency far beyond traditional line array system designs.

Celestion, Hall 4.1, B71

Celestion will launch the NTR15-3018E at the show, the first 15-inch model of in its NTR range of cast aluminium, neodymium magnet professional audio drivers. It will also announce the introduction of CDX1-1720, a one-inch exit, neodymium magnet, titanium dome compression driver. This product features a “next generation” design phase plug, developed at Celestion’s UK headquarters, using technology that results in a more accurate sonic performance.