FRANKFURT, Germany – Prolight+Sound returns from March 19-22 to the Messe Frankfurt fairgrounds in Frankfurt, Germany and is expanding its pro audio offerings for the 2024 expo. Four outdoor stages — a record for the show — will run ongoing pro audio speaker system demos outside Hall 11.
Also within Hall 11 is: the Immersive Audio Dome driven by Adamson Systems’ Fletcher Machine, a multichannel audio rendering processor; a sizable (3,000 m²) Performance + Production Hub area; an Audio Bar showcasing headphones and an expanded program of specialist lectures.
The exhibition halls will feature lighting, theater and stage technology, but for us sound types, our interest focuses on new developments in audio gear. With that in mind, here is a preview of some interesting items (listed alphabetically) to check out at Prolight+Sound 2024…
AND NOW… THE GEAR!
Adamson Systems will feature its VGt — a 3-way powered, Milan-driven line array system with two 13” Kevlar woofers, two 10” Kevlar cone directional drivers, two Kevlar M140 compression mids and two 3” HF compression drivers — all in a tour / install-friendly package capable of 151 dB peak SPLs. adamsonsystems.com; Hall 11.0, Booth C12
Audio-Technica launches its A-T LINK protocol for digitally connecting compatible A-T Commercial Audio mic and mix solutions transmitting uncompressed multi-channel digital audio and control info via Cat-5e (or better) cables with minimal latency. A-T LINK is natively supported by the ATND1061 beamforming ceiling array mic (shown) and A-T’s Engineered Sound wireless system including the ESM-R4180LK receiver and Digital SmartMixers. audio-technica.com; Hall 11.0, Booth B41
Avante Audio’s Imperio Pro IMP328 3-way active small-format line array is engineered for medium-to-large events and pairs nicely with the Imperio Pro IMP218 dual-18” subwoofer. The IMP328 has two 8” low-mid drivers and two HF drivers on a precision waveguide, with 2,800 watts of peak power. avanteaudio.com; Hall 12.1, Booth E57
CEDAR Audio will spotlight its new DNS 8D noise suppressors. With near-zero latency, this 8-channel unit is suitable for live situations in venues such as theaters, concert halls, conference venues and places of worship. As a bonus, the DNS 8D is the first DNS with a Dante interface in addition to AES3 audio connections. cedaraudio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth C20
CELTO Acoustique is showcasing its line of pro sound reinforcement loudspeakers including the compact (33-pound) IR10+ 10” full-range coaxial point-source model and the CSW221 dual-21” subwoofer (shown here) — the latter designed to replace dual-18” subs, while adding additional SPLs and extended LF response. Power handling is 3,600W RMS, while weight is just 218 pounds. celtopro.com; Hall F12, Booth B01A
DAS Audio’s new EVENT-28A is an ultra-compact, 1,300-watt powered line array with two 8” neodymium LF transducers, an M-60 compression driver on an advanced waveguide design and easy DAScontrol system configuration. Weight is just 44 pounds. DAS also expands its ARA Series: the ARA-P12.74 with a 12” woofer; the ARA-P28.74 having dual 8” drivers; and the ARA-M210 10” stage monitor. All have 1,200 watts and 96k Hz FIR processing. dasaudio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth C01
dBTechnologies’ VIO C series of active 2-way arrayable point-source speakers includes the 12” VIO C12, the 15” VIO C15 and the dual-12” VIO C212 — all paired with a 1.4” compression driver on a 22.5° horn (for creating horizontal or vertical clusters), 1,600 watts of Digipro power and RDNet communication for remote control via Aurora Net software with future Dante upgrades. dbtechnologies.com; Hall 11.0, Booth B10
HK Audio unveils its CX 210 LT, the new Long Throw Point Source model in its CONTOUR X series. Thanks to coordinated DSP presets, perfectly matched FIR filters with linearised phase response and IIR filters for critical applications, all components of the CONTOUR X and COSMO series can be combined in almost any way. The CX 210 LT’s 60° x 25° horn is rotatable for cluster operation. With its 1.4″ driver and MCT (Multicell Transformer) it offers precise dispersion, with even, defined coverage, and its two 10″ mid/high drivers form a powerful foundation. Integrated Cluster and Flyware is standard. hkaudio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth C02
InEar GmbH will show its full line of IEM earpieces, but will spotlight its new hearmix® PRO active ambience sound system. A special cable with built-in microphones offers musicians infinitely variable control of the outside sound, mixed with the monitor feed from any wireless beltpack, and with its use of standard 2-pin earpiece connectors, it can be used with nearly any pro IEM. inear.de; Hall 11.0, Booth C46
IntelliEvent will be showing Lightning, its latest cloud-based rental business management software that helps rental companies, venues and AV / production pros manage every aspect of their business, including inventory tracking, barcoding, creating proposals and invoices, labor management / scheduling and more. intellievent.com; Hall 12.0, Booth D82
Kling & Freitag’s LFX (low frequency extension) speakers offer six 4″ drivers in two separate volumes, to transform the company’s popular PIA column speaker into a full-blown full-range system, while retaining the elegant, discreet look of a slim line-source speaker. As the housing dimensions of the PIA LFX are identical to the PIA M, both systems can be connected to form a long line in just a few simple steps. PIA LFX is designed, offering good low-frequency performance even at high levels. kling-freitag.com; Hall 11.0, Booth A02
KV2 Audio’s EX28 is a 2.5-way active system that builds on the success of the EX26, while adding LF extension. Its compact profile is ideal for FOH and infill applications in theaters, houses of worship and concert halls. Two 8” neodymium woofers are paired with a 1.75” neodymium compression driver on a 100° x 80° horn. Specs include 500W of total power with 132 dB peak SPLs. kv2audio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth A07
L-Acoustics expands its X Series with the X8i and X6i installation models — two passive coaxial enclosures for short-throw applications, either standalone or combined with a subwoofer. Each features a 1.5″ compression driver coaxially loaded on a 6″ or 8″ LF transducer in a bass reflex cabinet. A weather-resistant IP55 rating makes them suitable for indoor and outdoor use. l-acoustics.com; Hall 11.0, Booth C06
Lawo’s Power Core Gateway modular networked I/O node for its Lawo mc² audio consoles provides 64 I/O channels (or 128 via MADI) — all controlled by an mc² console, with native RAVENNA/AES67 compliance and #ST2110-30 standard support. lawo.com; Hall 11.0, Booth D11
LD Systems’ MON G3 Series of active 8″, 10″, 12″ and 15” coaxial stage monitors feature an integrated 50° x 90° horn and a 300w RMS Class-D amplifier. All are low-profile designs and include a pole socket for doubling as a stand-mounted P.A. ld-systems.com; Hall 11.0, Booth A50
Luminex’ GigaCore 10t AV Ethernet Switch is designed for touring, in a rugged half-rack chassis with threaded M10 inserts for easy mounting, and is available with both a 10Gb option and a PoE++ option on all ports. Features include pre-configured QoS, IGMP multicast and PTPv2 settings for a stable network environment in time-critical protocols such as Dante, AES67, Q-SYS and others. Additionally, AVB/Milan is supported out of the box. luminex.be; Hall 12.0, Booth C38
MIPRO will feature its new, compact ACT-58TW IP67-rated waterproof digital wireless bodypack transmitter, which operates in the ISM 5 GHz ultra-high frequency band. Features include a built-in antenna design, lightweight belt clip for easy wearing and ultra-low latency of less than 1.5 ms. mipro.com.tw; Hall 11.0, Booth C15
Neutrik will spotlight several new innovations. The IP65- and IP67-rated etherCON TOP Airtight connector series (shown here) is engineered to endure harsh outdoor weather conditions and adds corrosion resistance and UV protection. The etherCON ESD-Series combines the etherCON A series with a new “ESD” electrostatic discharge pushbutton to help prevent electronic component damage during use. And the silentPLUG 2023 improves with 2K material for optimum feel and automatically mutes (shorts) an instrument (guitar) cable to avoid pops and squeals when changing the cable under load. neutrik.com; Hall 12.1, Booth D68
NTi Audio will spotlight new functionality for its XL3 Class-1 Acoustic Analyzer, including new firmware V1.26, and the XL3 API (Application Programming Interface). The latter allows integrating the unit into your own software solution, whether locally via USB, or on the intranet or internet via LAN or WLAN whether via Streaming API for continuous measurements such as noise monitoring or Control API for remote control of the XL3 in flexible applications with changing requirements. nti-audio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth A11
RCF announced Version 5 of its RDNet integrated software platform for sound system management and control, whether for small live installed setups or massive arena systems. RDNet combines system control, line array design and detailed audio measurements into a powerful software solution for managing every device on the network, from individual components to multiple groups, with seamless integration of self- and externally-powered systems. The platform offers comprehensive DSP control of compatible devices, with flexible configuration tools for efficient system tuning. rcf.it; Hall 11.0, Booth B16
Riedel Communications will show a wide range of communication solutions for venues and production companies. These include the Bolero wireless intercom, which supports up to 250 beltpacks and 100 antennas in a single deployment, while adding numerous features such as operation as a wireless beltpack, a wireless keypanel, or — in an industry first — a walkie-talkie. riedel.net; Hall 11.0, Booth C21
Sommer Cable is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a premier cable manufacturer, with an array of products for the audio, video, multimedia, broadcast and hi-fi sectors. New is the SC-Mercator Cat-6a Proflex (0.34” outer diameter) network patch cable, which features a two-stage, cold-flexible soft PVC jacket that protects against abrasion, pressure or kinks to maintain flexibility and optimum reeling properties without loops and trip hazards, while supporting standards such as 10GBaseT & 1GBaseT Ethernet, Dante, AVB, ACE, GigaACE, ARTNET, MA-Net and HDBaseT. sommercable.com; Hall 12.1, Booth B33
TT+ Audio, an independent brand within the RCF family, will spotlight its GTX Line Array System, which separates the power amplification from the speaker enclosures, moving it to touring racks, each with up to three XPS 16k-watt, 4-channel DSP amps communicating via RCF’s RDNet management platform. The line includes the GTX 12 three-way line array; GTX 10 two-way line array; and the double-19” GTS 29 high-performance sub — all in waterproof birch ply cabinets with optimized rigging hardware for touring or installs. ttaudio.com; Hall 11.0, Booth B16
Voice-Acoustic will show its ultra-compact, powerful CXN-12 12″/1.4″ coaxial stage monitor. With an overall height of just 30cm and an elegantly rounded housing, it blends inconspicuously into architecturally demanding environments. Voice-Acoustic also expanded its amplifier platform with the VADAS-12K4D, a 4-channel model with with 4x 3,000 watts into 4 ohms and analog, digital AES/EBU digital and Dante/AES67 connectivity. voice-acoustic.de; Hall 11.0, Booth A01
MORE TO COME!
For more info about Prolight+Sound, visit prolight-sound.com. Next up is Prolight+Sound Guangzhou, China from May 23-26, 2024. Auf wiedersehen!