Frankfurt’s Prolight + Sound has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was due to take place In April.

Organisers at Messe Frankfurt have been forced to pull the plug on this year’s show, having initially hoped that the COVID crisis would have subsided sufficiently for an in-person gathering to take place in April. However, in a statement issued today (January 18), organisers have confirmed that the next Prolight + Sound will be held from April 26-29, 2022.

“The coronavirus pandemic has taken centre-stage, and our plans have not escaped its impact,” said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt. In light of the current situation, it would not be possible for us to satisfy our customers’ requirements for international trade fairs in April or May,” 

Messe Frankfurt is currently planning a programme of digital Prolight + Sound content.

Meanwhile, today sees the digital iteration of the annual NAMM Show – NAMM Believe In Music Week – get underway. The physical edition of the event was also cancelled due to the pandemic.

You may also be interested in:

• ‘This is a new NAMM show, not a replacement’: NAMM boss talks Believe In Music Week
• ‘This year is different, but our needs are the same’: Audio execs on why we need NAMM Believe In Music Week
• L-Acoustics to host eight video sessions during Believe In Music Week 
• ‘It ain’t work if you love it’: How tired cliches are devaluing the industry 
• NAMM 2021: Antelope Audio launches Zen Go Synergy Core

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Prolight+Sound director Mira Wölfel has told Audio Media International that there is strong industry support behind the decision to run the show as an in-person event, despite the high-profile cancellation of other major trade shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scheduled to take place from April 13-16 2021, the Messe Frankfurt event intends to buck the trade show trend of either postponing until a later date or cancelling altogether and reinventing as a virtual affair. As it stand, all trade shows originally due to take place in the remainder of 2020 have been called off, while NAMM and ISE, set to take place in January and February 2021 respectively, have been forced to alter their plans. The former has opted to run a digital version of the show, while the latter has pushed its dates back to June in the hope that the pandemic situation has improved sufficiently for the event to take place in its usual form.

Prolight+Sound, however, is standing by its decision to proceed as planned, citing industry demand for a “presence event” as key to its decision making process.

“As a mirror of the industry, we react with our events according to the wishes and needs of our customers and partners,” Wölfel told AMI. “We always make important decisions in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders – especially in these challenging times. We feel a strong support of associations, organisations and companies for Prolight + Sound as a presence event: they require a platform where the sector can meet face-to-face for the first time since the lockdown and present products under real-life conditions. Hardly any other industry has been and still is so hard hit by the crisis. In this context, the call for a new stimulation of business activity, to which a trade fair can make a decisive contribution, is very clearly heard in this industry. The strong support from the industry confirms our decision to proceed with full commitment in our planning for Prolight + Sound from 13 to 16 April 2021.”

You may also be interested in:

• Britannia Row director pens open letter to Boris Johnson demanding support for live events 
• 1,385 arts organisations to share £257m boost from government Culture Recovery Fund
• Backup announces Hardship Fund for production personnel 
• PPL grants £100,000 to Stagehand COVID-19 Crew Relief Fund

As for how the event will be able to run safely in light of COVID-19 concerns,  Wölfel was keen to reassure all visitors and exhibitors that it will be adhering to strict hygiene measures.

“Messe Frankfurt has developed a sophisticated protection and hygiene concept for holding trade fairs and congresses on the exhibition grounds,” she continued. “This has been agreed with the responsible authorities and can be flexibly adapted to any changes. Cornerstones of the concept include: a spacious hall design with a minimum of five-metre wide aisles, compliance with distance rules, including appropriate partitions and floor markings, clearly regulated ticketing with full registration, and more intensive cleaning as well as provision of adequate disinfection facilities. In addition, the halls will be continuously supplied with fresh air during the event. The safety of all those involved has top priority when participating in a trade fair – at the same time, we ensure that trade fair operations run as smoothly and successfully as possible.”

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At the end of a busy week in the world of pro audio, Audio Media International has rounded up the 10 biggest stories from the past seven days, just run case there’s anything you may have missed.

Topping this week’s chart is Britannia Row director Bryan Grant’s open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding support for the live events industry. You can read the letter in full at the link below.

Elsewhere, Prolight+Sound’s statement that it is planning to proceed with its 2021 event in Frankfurt despite COVID-19 concerns caught the attention of the biz, as did news that music licensing company PPL has donated £100,000 to Stagehand, a charity for those working in the live events industry who have seen their livelihoods impacted by the pandemic.

Also popular this week was news of AMI’s partnership with 2% Rising, a networking hub for women and non-binary engineers and producers.

Check out the Top 10 in full below…

1. Brit Row director Bryan Grant pens open letter to Boris Johnson demanding support for live events

Britannia Row Productions Director, Bryan Grant, has written an open letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, calling on him to provide urgent support for the live events industry, which has been devasted by the COVID-19 pandemic…

2. Making a feeling a reality: Mav Karlo talks Strangers Like Us, mental health and the art of production 

Ahead of the release of his debut solo album on October 16, Mav Karlo caught up with Audio Media International editor Daniel Gumble to talk going it alone for the first time, running his own record label and the importance of protecting the mental health of artists in an increasingly demanding industry…

3. Jean-Michel Jarre among BIME PRO 2020 speaker line-up

Electronic music pioneer Jen-Michel Jarre is among a raft of speakers and panellists confirmed to appear at the eight edition of the BIME PRO Convention, set to take place in Bilbao, Spain from October 26-29…

4. PPL grants £100,000 to Stagehand COVID-19 Crew Relief Fund

Stagehand, a charity designed to support those who work in the live events industry, has been granted £100,000 by music licensing company PPL to boost its new COVID-19 Crew Relief Fund…

5. Over 25 countries participate in We Make Events day of action 

Yesterday (September 30) saw over 25 countries come together to participate in the We Make Events day of action, aimed at raising awareness of the live events industry’s urgent need for government support…

6. ‘A guitar god and a beautiful soul’: Tributes pour in for Eddie Van Halen 

Some of the biggest names from across the music world have been paying tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen, who has died at the age of 65 after a long battle with throat cancer…

7. Prolight+Sound commits to 2021 show despite COVID-19 concerns 

Messe Frankfurt, organiser of the annual Prolight+Sound show, have stated their intent to run the event next April as an in-person affair, despite the high-profile cancellations and postponements of other leading pro audio-related trade events.

8. AMI partners with 2% Rising – a hub for women and non-binary engineers and producers 

Audio Media International is excited to announce that it has agreed a new media partnership with 2% Rising, an online networking hub for women and non-binary engineers and producers…

9. 400 musicians perform in London and Birmingham in bid for government support 

At 12pm today (Tuesday, October 6) 400 freelance professional musicians will gather at Parliament Square in London and Centenary Square in Birmingham to raise awareness of the urgent need for government support in the creative sectors.

10. ‘A game changer for artists’: Dean St. Studio relaunches with Dolby Atmos 

Legendary London recording studio Dean St. Studios has relaunched with brand new Dolby Atmos mixing facilities at the heart of Studio 1, which have been hailed by the facility’s managing director, Jasmin Lee, as a “game changer for artists”.

If you have any news you would like to send us, please do so at news@audiomediainternational.co.uk

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Messe Frankfurt, organiser of the annual Prolight+Sound show, have stated their intent to run the event next April as an in-person affair, despite the high-profile cancellations and postponements of other leading pro audio-related trade events.

Due to take place from April 13-16, Messe Frankfurt has issued a statement confirming that, as things stand, there are no plans to postpone the event or run it as a virtual show. The organiser cited the backing of several major exhibitors as part of its decision to proceed as planned. Among those that have confirmed their participation in the event are Adam Hall, Analog Way, Audio-Technica, Avolites, Ayrton, Bosch, FBT, Klotz, König & Mayer, Lawo, Meyer Sound, Mipro, Pan Acoustics, Peavey Electronics, TW Audio, Waagner-Biro and more.

“Given the exceptional situation, the industry’s commitment to Prolight + Sound 2021 exceeds our expectations,” said Mira Wölfel, director Prolight + Sound. “We are grateful and proud for this support. As a trade fair company, we are part of the global event family and are aware of the incredibly demanding tasks currently facing the entire industry. This makes it all the more crucial to create a place where a wide variety of players can confront the crisis with a spirit of innovation and proactive action. The event is just as important for highlighting the economic and social significance of the event industry to the public, and we are delighted that many companies and institutions are joining us in this endeavour.”

You may also be interested in:

• Britannia Row director pens open letter to Boris Johnson demanding support for live events 
• Over 25 countries participate in We Make Events day of action 
• Katie Tavini joins AMI as new monthly columnist
• ‘A no compromise tool’: L-Acoustics reveals new compact K3 line source system 

Messe Frankfurt’s commitment to the show taking place in its traditional format may come as a surprise to some, given the decisions taken by other major international trade events scheduled to take place at the start of 2021. The January NAMM Show has been cancelled, with a virtual iteration of the event being launched in its place, while ISE, originally scheduled to take place in its new Barcelona home in February has been postponed until June.

Prolight+Sound 2021 exhibitors will be contacted with special regulations and recommendation regarding stand planning and health and safety at the event.

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L-Acoustics has launched its new ARCS product range at Prolight + Sound 2019 in Frankfurt.

The ARCS family comprises four constant curvature enclosures – A15 Focus, A15 Wide, A10 Focus, A10 Wide – and a dedicated subwoofer, KS21. ARCS enclosures offer flexible coverage options, achieving a throw of up to 45 meters and a maximum output of 144 dB.

Mounted on a pole, stacked, or flown in a vertical or horizontal line source array, the new ARCS family comprises modular, plug-and-play ease and international market acceptance.

The A15 and A10 systems are designed to scale to events large and small, from weddings and galas, to the main system for a corporate event, theatre, or mid-size festival stage with KS21 extending low frequency bandwidth to 30 Hz. At large events, ARCS can be used as an effective fill or delay solution as a complement to larger K1 and K2 systems.

The plug-and-play simplicity of A15 and A10 Focus and Wide extends to amplification. The enclosures were designed with LA4X capabilities and 1-to-1 ratios in mind. Each LA4X amplification channel pairs with one A15, one A10, or one KS21. The 1-to-1 ratio extends to A15 and KS21, where one sub is recommended for each A15 enclosure. For A10, the recommended loudspeaker-to-sub ratio is 2-to-1. For further flexibility, ARCS also functions with LA12X amplified controllers.

“The flexibility that can be achieved with this new generation of ARCS is unprecedented,” said Germain Simon, L-Acoustics product manager. “The mounting, stacking, and rigging options, combined with user configurable L-Fins to adjust waveguide directivity, gives users a plethora of permutations to work with. For example, with only two ARCS elements, you can easily achieve 15 different coverage patterns.

“We see the new ARCS line of products as the perfect way to welcome providers into the L-Acoustics rental network,” Simon added. “The versatility and scalability of ARCS is really a ‘choose your own adventure’ scenario that only leads to happy endings. We look forward to seeing new customers approach the live events market in creative ways that allow them to capitalise upon their initial investment quickly and take their rental business to the next level.”

L-Acoustics can be found in Hall 8.0 on booth H85 at Prolight + Sound 2019.

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Funktion-One has unveiled its latest technological development with the launch of Vero VX at Prolight + Sound 2019 in Frankfurt.

Vero VX, which has been in development for the last three years, promises Vero sound for a wider range of venues and environments thanks to its more compact footprint. The system comprises VX90 full-range vertical array elements, V124 or V221 bass enclosures, amp racks, fly bars, transport dollies, ground stack hardware, cabling and Projection predictive software.

The VX90 is a 3-way vertical array element with four new Funktion-One designed Neodymium drivers in a horizontally symmetric configuration: two reflex loaded, high efficiency 12” mid bass drivers; one Axhead loaded wide bandwidth 8” cone midrange driver; and a single 1” compression driver on a proprietary isophase diffraction waveguide. The VX90 measures 1120mm wide and 340mm high; its usable bandwidth is 50Hz to 20kHz and horizontal dispersion is 90°.

The patented Lambda rigging system results from 40 years of development and refinement of Funktion-One rear tension rigging methods. This enables cabinets to be transported and flown as straight columns, then tensioned into pre-set angles once the complete array is suspended.  

The Lambda system’s optimised rotation axis is designed to ensure perfect alignment at vertical angles between 0-12.5° for coherent summation. There is a choice of fixed or movable point flying beams. The movable point beam incorporates motorised adjustment, enabling the inclination and declination of the entire array to be remotely set while flown from a single motor.

Funktion-One’s driver and waveguide technology enable a single transducer to cover more than four octaves of the audio spectrum, from 300Hz – 5kHz. The high crossover point to the compression driver provides additional performance advantages including increased headroom, and reduced harmonic and modulation distortion. Psychoacoustically informed use of FIR filters and microsecond time alignment provide wide, consistent horizontal coverage whilst preserving transient response.

The very high electroacoustic efficiency of the horn-loaded mid/high section is supplemented by a new bass driver technology, which is designed to significantly increase true power efficiency. Unlike a conventional line array element, the VX’s huge LF resource ensures spectral balance and dynamic impact whether used as a single box or in a 24-box array. Vero VX’s energy efficiency means up to eight cabinets can be powered from a single amplifier. A 32-box system plus additional subwoofers can be powered by just six amplifiers.

“While Vero VX has been in development for around three years, we were building from the technological breakthroughs we made with Vero and the Evolution Series,” said Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews. “That said, applying our acoustic principles to this footprint was challenging. It has pushed us to the next level and we’re extremely pleased with the result.”

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KV2 Audio will present its most compact loudspeaker yet at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt this week.

The ESD Cube ultra-compact passive five-inch loudspeaker utilises a unique trans-coil design for superior vocal reproduction, extended high frequency response, increased dynamic range and the “lowest distortion of any comparable loudspeaker in its class.”

“What sets the Cube apart from similar offerings by other manufacturers is the unique trans-coil technology incorporated into its 5-inch twin cone speaker,” said KV2’s founder and chief engineer, George Krampera. “We had already seen excellent results using our AIC technology in other, larger systems, and I was determined to develop it still further for the Cube. The results have been beyond even our own expectations with perfect phase response, increased dynamic range and the lowest distortion of any speaker in its class.”

The ESD Cube may be used as a standalone system with up to eight Cubes powered by a single ESP1000 amplifier or with the ESD1.10 single 10-inch passive subwoofer for applications requiring more low end reinforcement. One ESP1000 amplifier will run up to four Cubes and two ESD1.10s. A simple, proprietary flying bracket completes the system for a low profile look and easy installation.

The Cube’s compact dimensions make it an ideal solution for bars, hotels, houses of worship, museums, tourist attractions, and corporate venues.

Visitors to Prolight + Sound this week can see the Cube for themselves on KV2’s booth at Hall 8, stand B71.

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Powersoft will return to Messe Frankfurt for this year’s Prolight + Sound to show off a range of its new solutions, including the X4L amplifier, the LOTO DSP 1-2 in / 4 out Advanced DSP board, the DSP-Lite ETH 1-2 in / 3 out DSP interface, and an update for its Snapshot Selector mobile app.

The company’s stand, which can be found in Hall 8.0 (G40), will also feature some of its more established products, including the T Series amplifier platform.

The X4L amplifier has been created to drive modern high SPL woofers that require very high voltage, and is designed to deliver up to 300V (peak) to loudspeakers.

The new amplifier has five output connectors to allow easy connection without adapters for many of the expected configurations, such as channels 1 and 2 driving a cardioid sub solution, while channels 3 and 4 drive some 2-way front fill in parallel.

LOTO on the other hand is a 1-2 in / 4 out advanced processing board specifically designed to provide advanced DSP functions to any powered product. It comes in two different flavours: Basic and Advanced, both featuring the same characteristics of the X-Series platform. LOTO delivers parametric raised cosine filters, custom FIR and IIR equalisers, as well as TruePower, RMS and Peak limiters, Active DampingControl, and Live Impedance all supported and managed via Armonía Plus.

LOTO Advanced furtherly increases routing options by adding 2xAES3 digital input streams through XLR connectors, and the support of Dante digital audio networking architecture, with two inputs and two outputs.

Compatible with Digimod PFC2- PFC4, IpalMod, Litemod family, and Minimod4 amp modules, LOTO is designed for any application with high processing and digital audio networking requirements. DSP-Lite ETH is a 1-2 in 3 out processing board designed for LiteMod Series, MiniMod4, and DigiMod PFC2/PFC4 amp modules, integrating an extremely compact interface panel compatible with mono-in / link-out or stereo-in configurations.

As well as the new hardware offerings, Powersoft will also use PL+S to launch an update of its Snapshot Selector app, which was originally released at the end of 2017. The free program is now also available for iOS devices, and it allows users of Powersoft’s X Series, Ottocanali DSP+D Series and T Series power amplifiers to instantly recall a full set of saved settings by connecting their phone to the front of their amplifier with a USB cable.

Following its launch at NAMM, another of Powersoft’s latest touring products – the T Series – will be presented to PL+S visitors. The T Series consists of both 2- and 4-channel models available in 3,000W and 6,000W versions supporting channel powers from 750 W to 3,000 W in a single rack unit.

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Allen & Heath will be highlighting some of its ultra-compact dLive touring systems at Prolight + Sound next week.

Central to the dLive Wings concept is the compact C1500 surface, which allows engineers to manage upscale shows from a 19” console, using its 12” touchscreen, 19 assignable SoftKeys and 12 faders over six layers. Paired with any of the dLive MixRacks, the C1500 is designed for scenarios where space and weight are at a premium.

For scenarios where users are seeking an even more compact solution, the company will also be showing off a surfaceless dLive system, with a pair of touchscreens running dLive Director software controlling the MixRack and a headphones/PFL feed over Dante. These surfaceless systems are often paired with Allen & Heath’s IP8 and IP6 controllers, and/or the MixPad App for even more control options.

“Going from a 36 fader surface to a 12 fader C1500 or a touchscreen can seem daunting at first,” said Ben Morgan, dLive product manager at Allen & Heath. “But with a bit of planning and smart use of SoftKeys, it’s amazing how quickly engineers embrace the Wings concept and the freedom it brings. I hope we can encourage more people to explore the potential of ultra-compact touring at Prolight + Sound.”

“From the moment we first introduce dLive Wings to any engineer, they just ‘get it’,” added Léon Phillips, live sound and touring with Allen & Heath. “Here’s a flexible, compact rig, with the same power as all our dLive systems, but easily checked at baggage and flown on a standard commercial flight. There’s nothing else quite like it.”

Allen & Heath will also be showing its Qu and ZED ranges, while visitors will also be able to get their hands on the SQ series, complete with optional DEEP processing plugins.

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The Adam Hall Group is presenting a number of new products from its event technology portfolio at this year’s Prolight + Sound (April 2 to 5) in Frankfurt.

Firstly, LD Systems will showcase the U500 IEM Series – in-ear monitoring systems for bands, musicians and rental companies. Available as a set with and without headphones, the U500 IEM Series offers switchable transmit power of 2mW, 10mW and 30mW, an OLED display, a 3-band EQ with parametric mids, user name input, storage space for ten presets and allows – depending on the frequency band – the operation of up to twelve systems in parallel.

Also at the show will be the company’s MAUI i1, featuring nine 3-inch full-range woofers and two 1-inch neodymium high-frequency drivers, including a 2-way crossover, delivering 120 watts (RMS) to 8 ohms. Thanks to the BEM-optimised high-frequency waveguide, the vertical radiation behaviour can be precisely controlled to ensure even sound distribution in acoustically problematic environments.

Meanwhile, LD Systems is extending its growing installation portfolio with new power and mixer amplifiers special for fixed installations. The IPA Series includes DSP-based 4-channel power amplifiers – IPA412 (120W) and IPA424 (240W) – with integrated transmitters per channel, 100V / 70V taps, and a low-Z (4Ohm) output.

The IPA models can be equipped with an expansion card to control all parameters via Ethernet and integrate the amplifiers into larger installation networks via Dante with AoIP connectivity. In addition, the IPA series can communicate with remote devices and paging microphones through a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus.

LD Systems will also present the first member of the new IMA series. With a wide range of input and output options, including Bluetooth for wireless music source connection and multi-level priority switching, the mixer amplifier can be flexibly integrated in a compact 9.5-inch enclosure for commercial and industrial applications. The IMA30 offers four priority levels for emergency calls, microphone / line inputs and connected music sources, as well as an optional standby mode.

The installation loudspeakers of the new DQOR series are equally suitable for indoor and outdoor projects. The 2-way systems are available in 3″, 5.25″ and 8″ sizes and are available in low and high impedance 8 and 16 ohm versions, respectively. The DQOR models can also be integrated in a 70/100 V environment via a variable power selector switch. For flexible use in a variety of indoor and outdoor applications, the housings have an integrated wall-mounting bracket and a slide / lock mechanism.

Check out all this and more on the Adam Hall stand (Hall 8, F28 / F30) at Prolight + Sound 2019.

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