Key Digital launched a line of plenum active optical HDMI fiber cables available in lengths from 10 meters / 33 feet to 100 m / 328 ft. This active optical copper hybrid cable series is 4K-capable and supports up to support up to 4K 24/25/30 Hertz 4:4:4/12 bits or 50/60 Hertz 4:2:0/12 bit, as well as HDR10 (High Dynamic Range) with 18 Gbps of bandwidth.

The Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables include KD-AOCH33P, KD-AOCH49P, KD-AOCH66P, KD-AOCH98P, KD-AOCH131P, KD-AOCH164P and KD-AOCH328P (numbers indicate length) and unlike traditional copper HDMI cabling, they can send signals at greater distances. The signal of the video and audio layer is not subjected to typical signal degradation due to sending the TMDS channel, the heaviest portion of HDMI signals, over optics. A minimal amount of copper wiring is included inside the cables to carry power and essential EDID handshaking information and HDCP authentication.

With 28 AWG measurement, Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are thin and flexible. They support a tighter bend radius than most traditional HDMI and Key Digital’s Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are HDCP 2.2 compliant and backward compatible with previous HDCP versions. They also include an Audio Return Channel (ARC), allowing audio to be returned from the display back to the HDMI source for amplification and display. The cables also include support for digital audio formats includes Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio.

More information based on the Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables is here.

Just Add Power (J+P) has started to ship its 1G AV-over-IP accessory called Warp Engine. It’s a 1RU transmitter/receiver explicitly designed for video walls to allow the content to be displayed at any imaginable angle — thus, allowing you to use varying display configurations to create “shapes” or “galleries” of monitors making up one wall.

We shot a video of that at CEDIA:

With the new Warp Engine, installers can rotate any HDMI source in 0.1-degree increments in real-time using 1G JPEG2000 decoding. The rotated image can then be sent to an unlimited number of receivers in the network, allowing for the creation of artistic video walls using a single Warp Engine; that’s HDCP-2.2-compliant.

Xantech just started shipping its Premium 4K AV-over-IP solution that streams 4K over a 1 GB network with one frame of latency.

The solution includes three products — a transmitter, a receiver and a control module — that work together to deliver HDMI signal, bidirectional IR and RS232 over a single category cable at lengths up to 330 feet (100 meters).

Xantech’s new Premium 4K video-over IP solution includes three SKUs:

• The XT-4K-VIP-TX: 4K Video over IP Transmitter with Audio Breakout that runs on PoE from the network switch or local PoE source. It transmits HDMI, bi-directional IR and RS232 over a single category cable up to lengths of 330 feet (100 meters).
• The XT-4K-VIP-RX: 4K Video over IP Receiver with Audio Breakout that runs on PoE from the network switch or local PoE source. It transmits HDMI, bi-directional IR and RS232 over a single category cable up to lengths of 330 feet (100 meters).
• The XT-4K-VIP-ACM: 4K Video over IP Control module that allows third-party control of the Xantech system using TCP-IP, RS232 or IR.

Middle Atlantic Products is celebrating 40 years of engineering professional AV solutions that deliver greater system reliability, efficiency and flexibility to commercial and residential applications. To mark the occasion, the company held a full week of activities last month. These included opportunities for its manufacturing and office employees to come together to reminisce about Middle Atlantic’s rich history, which has led the company to where it is today and share their passion for the future of AV. In addition, Middle Atlantic sent treats to its 40 oldest customers to thank them for all their years of support.

“Middle Atlantic was founded with a focus on supporting the professional AV community, which includes our customers as well as our employees,” said Tim Troast, vice president and general manager at Legrand | AV, Middle Atlantic Products. “Their service has not only shaped our customer-first mentality but also sparked our innovation that goes beyond our racks and into our furniture and intelligent power solutions. We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has contributed to this achievement. We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for their unceasing commitment.”

For the past four decades, Middle Atlantic has engineered AV solutions that are innovative, expertly designed and solve integrators’ toughest challenges. Founded in 1979, the company released its first product: speaker grills. Since that time, Middle Atlantic has gone on to expand its product offering to countless award-winning products and more than 30 patents across a broad range of AV categories. These include the CEDIA Hall of Fame-honored RSH Series Custom Rackshelf and AXS Series rack; the number-one-selling AV rack, the BGR Series; the L7 Series height-adjustable AV lectern; and the company’s innovative power solutions, the DC Power Distribution family and RackLink intelligent power distribution options.

Extron has launched the TLP Pro 300M 3.5-inch portrait wall mount TouchLink Pro Touchpanel. The TLP Pro 300M can control video, audio, lighting, shades, HVAC, security and other systems within virtually any environment and uses a native 320×480 capacitive LCD that’s scratch and smudge-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. The TLP Pro 300M also features Power over Ethernet and mounts in a one-gang junction box without the need for additional mounting hardware.

The TLP Pro 300M works with any Extron IP Link Pro control processor or HC 400 Series system and is designed for use in AV system applications that require complete, interactive control of a broad range of source devices. TouchLink Pro touchpanels operate using standard network infrastructure and are easy to install with reliable and cost-effective Ethernet cable. All TouchLink Pro touchpanels can be customized using Extron GUI Designer software. This powerful interface design software offers ready-to-use templates for a wide variety of rooms and presentation environments. These designs may be used as-is or customized for the application by simply changing individual graphic elements.

A new update for the Atomos Shogun 7 HDR monitor-recorder-switcher (AtomOS 10.4) was released today, and it adds touch-controlled switching, quad monitoring and ISO recording functionality. This allows the user to switch back and forth between four live HD SDI video streams (up to 1080p@60Hz). Tapping on an input stream’s window (while in the quad-view mode) will switch to that source as the program feed; that feed is then output via HDMI, SDI or both simultaneously. You can record all four streams, with the switched program output as a fifth stream. This is all done asynchronously, without the need for genlocked sources.

The streams are all recorded to the same high-performance SSD drive and can be ready to edit moments after the shoot has finished. Each is recorded as a separate ISO in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNx, providing post-production with creative advantages and the convenience of having multiple, synchronized camera angles when they come to craft the story in the edit suite.

All input switches are recorded in metadata with a choice of transition type. Once you’ve finished capturing your streams, import the resulting Apple Final Cut XML file along with your ISOs into your NLE and the timeline automatically populates with all the transitions in place.

Plus, every ISO can record the two-channel embedded digital audio from each source, as well as analog stereo channels coming into the Shogun 7 (via optional XLR breakout cable). The program stream always records the analog feed and can switch between audio inputs for the on-camera audio to match the switched feed. On-screen, you can choose to view the four input streams at once in a quad-view, or a full-screen view of any one of the four input streams. In full screen, you can access tools like waveforms, magnify or engage peaking check focus for each angle and make any adjustments to get the perfect HDR or SDR shots.

PROLIGHTS is glad to announce the appointment of A.L.A. Equipment as official distributor for Cyprus.

A.L.A. Equipment was founded in 2001 in Cyprus by Andrea Piemonti and Tony Lyssiotis, whose cooperation allowed the company to flourish, representing into the territory a world class brand. Thanks to its twenty-year experience, and a product portfolio which ranges from distribution and contracting to services of professional audio, light and automation technology solutions, A.L.A Equipments is definitely a landmark in this field.

Andrea Piemonti, Managing Director for A.L.A. Equipment said: “I work in this industry for more than thirty years but when I first approached to PROLIGHTS I was pleased to join a partner who shares our commitment in delivering the best solutions. It’s a well-rounded company, a breath of fresh air in the AVL market.
PROLIGHTS wide selection of products offer enormous advantages suited to any kind of needs: from broadcast and live shows, right through to the architectural projects. They provide a higher grade of attention to develop a unique design, making their technologies accessible to a wide users range. I had the chance to visit PROLIGHTS Headquarter with some clients and their feedback were extremely positive too. I’ve seen closely the hard work behind PROLIGHTS solutions and their long term vision of strong brand establishment. I have no doubts that the future will be bright for this brand. We’re looking forward to start this collaboration”.

Paolo Albani, International Sales Manager for PROLIGHTS said: “Having A.L.A. Equipments on-board make us really proud. Their twenty-year experience is a strength and thanks to them PROLIGHTS brand will grow throughout Cyprus, also bringing their technological background into new products addressed to architectural market. We’re sure that this will be a successful partnership”.

MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE – December 2019 — L-Acoustics is pleased to announce the creation of Authorised Calibration Centres, designed to both strengthen the technical partnership between L-Acoustics and its Certified Providers (CPs), and to deliver a greater level of system configuration and calibration expertise at a local level for small to medium installations.

Companies that become Authorised Calibration Centres are able to offer their customers a service level, from design to commissioning to calibration, that is identical to that provided by L-Acoustics. The Authorised Calibration Centres will extend L-Acoustics’ geographical proximity to end users while guaranteeing the same in-house level of L-Acoustics quality service and responsibility.

The first three CPs to become Authorised Calibration Centres are France’s 4J Evenements, Switzerland’s Hyperson and Creative Technology Middle East, all long-established L-Acoustics partners.

“Becoming an Authorised Calibration Centre means an increase of skill and expertise at 4J Evenements,” says 4J’s Raphaël Maçon. “We now have access to awesome new tools such as the P1 processor and the M1 integration in the LA Network Manager software, that currently don’t exist outside L-Acoustics. Sound system optimization is heavily reliant on good calibration and optimization presets. We’ve always delivered excellent results, but becoming an Authorised Calibration Centre take things to the next level for our clients.”

Maçon also notes that being an Authorised Calibration Centre gives the company more credibility, from the beginning to the end of a project, allowing them to be certified in every part of the systems integration process.

“This is a partnership that is built on discussion and understanding; a real exchange with the technical support and the sales team at L-Acoustics that makes us better in the scientific and technical aspects of design, installation and now measuring and tuning a sound system,” Maçon adds. “Being an Authorised Calibration Centre improves us every day. It’s great to be a part of this new program.”

“Becoming a Calibration Partner is very important to us,” concurs Hyperson’s Fabian Schild. “It allows us to consolidate the knowledge we have gained over many years and offers even closer and more focused service to our customer network. This status also offers us a more intense collaboration with L-Acoustics and allows us to follow the latest developments of the M1 platform in particular. We will now be able to give our customers impeccable follow-up on their fixed installations.”

“For Creative Technology, being an Authorised Calibration Centre allows us to provide a greater level of service, knowledge and support to our clients, both from within our technical engineering teams and having direct access to L-Acoustics development and support management,” says Andy Reardon, Middle East Managing Director. “We pride ourselves in delivering solutions based on engineering and from the ground up. Being an Authorised Calibration Centre gives us greater levels of understanding of L-Acoustics systems, processors and procedures. It’s a great pleasure to be appointed as one of the first Centres globally and it represents the next step in our relationship with L‑Acoustics.”

“The partnership with our CPs is extremely important to us,” says Arnaud Delorme, applications engineer at L-Acoustics. “We maintain a very close two-way relationship with them, keeping them up to date on innovations at L-Acoustics while also constantly seeing their field experience and feedback. This new level of partnership will continue to be rolled out with partners where technical relations are already well established and who wish to go even further with their L-Acoustics systems.”

Philadelphia, PA — December 12, 2019 — Almo Professional A/V today announced it has acquired certain assets of NewComm Distributing, the distribution arm of manufacturing representative, NewComm Technologies.

As a result of the acquisition, Almo Pro A/V is now sourcing all of NewComm’s ClearOne inventory, while giving former NewComm customers access to Almo Pro A/V’s more than 60 AV brands, nine warehouse locations, Sound OptionsL dedicated audio sourcing and technical engineering group, and revenue-generating Managed Services.

“This acquisition offers benefits for both our existing partners as well as former NewComm customers,” explained Rob Ziv, director of business development for Almo Professional A/V. “Our existing partners now have a larger quantity of inventory to access in different locations throughout the nation. At the same time, former NewComm customers can now take advantage of all Almo Pro A/V has to offer to increase profits and margin, such as products from the top AV brands, and business-expanding services like content creation for digital signage, sourcing labor, control systems, ClearOne DSP mixer programming, and bandwidth service.”

“When we made the business decision to exit distribution, we wanted to make sure our customers would be taken care of by a reliable, well-stocked and technically-astute distributor,” said Alex Schouten, sales and dealer communication for NewComm Distributing. “Almo Pro A/V has a proven, secure path for these resellers and integrators with the benefit of ongoing opportunities for growth and profitability in the future.”

ClearOne Products Available Through Almo Pro A/V

Almo Pro A/V carries ClearOne’s complete line of audio conferencing, visual collaboration, and AV networking products to professional audio/visual integrators, dealers and consultants throughout the USA.

ClearOne products available through Almo include DSP mixers, microphones, speakerphones, conference phones, video collaboration platforms, BYOD collaboration solutions, professional cameras, network media streaming equipment, sound reinforcement solutions, and audio distribution products.

Almo Sound Options Group

Announced last year, Almo Pro A/V’s Sound Options group offers all the favorite audio product brands while providing the audio-specific sales, technical, and engineering expertise needed to complete a smart and successful AV installation through a single resource. From mics, speakers, DSPs, mixers and specialty applications, Sound Options is the trusted resource for everything professional audio with all products backed by Almo’s service, support and warranty.

LAGOS, NIGERIA, DECEMBER 12, 2019 – Rack Centre, the first and only truly carrier neutral state-of-the-art Tier III Constructed Facility Certified data centre in Africa offering colocation, content distribution, interconnect and Cloud services announced it has won The Operations Team of the Year Award at the Global Data Centre Dynamics (DCD) award ceremony recently held in London.

Often referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the data centre industry, the DCD Awards is a global award recognising worldwide excellence in the data centre industry.

The DCD judges recognised Rack Centre Operations team’s excellent performance in the data centre operation management despite a very challenging operating terrain, characterised by lack of reliable grid power and limited access to skill sets, the Rack Centre team has continued to achieve set objectives at Nigeria’s first carrier-neutral Tier III colocation data centre, using purely local talent and 100% uptime of the Rack Centre data centre facility.

Reacting to Rack Centre being celebrated by winning such an outstanding award, Ezekiel Egboye, the Chief Operating Officer of Rack Centre, said “availability is the most critical goal and Rack Centre Operations Team have put in place processes, procedures to deliver 100% availability of services and infrastructure since launch, and an outstanding track record of customer satisfaction. Rack Centre operates the most comprehensive Tier III certified ecosystem of carriers, ISPs and content distribution networks in West Africa.”

Rack Centre is not new to winning DCD awards having won in 2018 the Data Centre Manager of the Year awarded to its Head of Data Centre Infrastructure Sunday Opadijo, the first of such win in Africa. Rack Centre was also the first Africa Data Company to win at DCD award with the Data Centre Impact award for Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2015.

Los Angeles, CA, December 13, 2019 — HDTV Supply, one of the nation’s top Internet providers of consumer electronics devices and related products, announced their new HDTV Supplys WolfPack HDTV Supplys WolfPack™ HDTVBHR90 Rotate TV Controller a new vertical screen signal conversion processor. It adopts unique embedded structure design and can be connected to HDMI high-definition image signal source input. The processing process is completely hardwareized and does not require computer software to control operations. The operation is very simple.

The WolfPack HDTVBHR90 picture rotator uses cutting-edge processing techniques such as motion detection and compensation, interpolation, edge smoothing and clutter suppression. 3D video bright color separation circuit unit, 3D progressive processing and frame rate normalization The conversion circuit unit, the 3D digital signal noise reduction unit, converts ordinary PAL/NTSC interlaced video signal acquisition into progressive high-resolution, high-resolution high-definition image signals. There is no delay in the picture, no tailing phenomenon, natural smoothness, fine picture quality and good color reproduction.

The WolfPack HDTVBHR90 picture rotator supports direct conversion of HDMI input signals to 90 / 270 / 180 degree HDMI signal output, up to 1920×1080 resolution input and output, support for 1080p HD signal input / output.

Rotate TV Controller Features:

Pure hardware structure, plug and play, no need to set up, easy to Operate.
Support 1080p HD signal inputoutput.
Support 90 degree 270180 degree image rotation.
Support HDMI inputoutput.
Low power, low power consumption

Rotate TV Controller Specification:

• HDMI input
• Protocol: HDMI1.4(HDCP1.3)
• Resolution: Supports 1920X1080，480I~1080P
• Color space: 24bit, 1677
• HDMI output
• Resolution: 1920x1080P/60HZ
• Color space: 24bit,1677
• Others
• Power supply: DC12V 1A power adapter
• Working Temp: 0－65˚C
• Working Humidity: 5～95％RH
• Power Consumption: 3W
• Dimension: 122mm x80mm x30mm
• Weight: 309g

The WolfPack Rotate TV Controller with Lifetime Telephone, CHAT, TEXT, FAX & Email Tech Support and is available now and can be purchased at $275.00 at HDTV Supply’s website

Artist Michael Skura had been working with hand-blown glass for more than a decade when one day, a single beam of light passing through a piece of glass in his studio caught his eye. The effect was both magical and subtle, inspiring him to explore the possibilities of light and glass through controlled illumination and projection.

Just over five years later, Skura and collaborators AJ Freysteinson, Creative Director at RabCup and Meghan Athavale, CEO of LUMOplay, are using 19 Epson LightScene accent lighting and three PowerLite L615Ulaser projectors for an interactive light art exhibit. The movement and sound responsive show, entitled “Tendrils,” is currently running at the Riverside Art Museum, in conjunction with The Festival of Lights, in Riverside, California.

“From a single beam of light playing on a piece of glass, to the complex effects created by video and color, this has been a fascinating process of discovery and invention,” said Skura. “Light has become the central focus of my work. The possibilities to recreate and amplify light are greatly expanded with Epson laser solutions. The projectors provide intriguing lighting phenomena and prismatic color separations without aesthetically taking over the exhibit.”

The installations that comprise “Tendrils” are designed to push the boundaries of materials and technologies and celebrate the essence and creative expression of the materials. Instead of fighting the natural inclinations of molten glass, which many glass artists see as defects, Skura “coaches” glass to have a mind of its own. This is done through asserting itself through distortions, bubbles, debris and stress marks. Lighting, interactive technology and gaming technology are integral to crafting responsive sculptures that change and flow with the movements of passersby, encouraging visitors to slow down, observe and embrace a mindful, meditative and receptive state.

Blending technology with artistic vision, the installation required sophisticated methods to amplify the interactive effect of the light on the glass elements. Skura employed more than 20 Epson laser projectors to illuminate the art pieces, rigging them discretely throughout the exhibit. He worked closely with Freysteinson on content creation, design and production, and with Athavale to coordinate content across all projectors, creating the interactive aspects for each piece using LUMOplay interactive display software.

Here’s a video so you can see this from conception to installation — watch all the way through!

The first piece, titled “Shy,” transforms over 500 pieces of wall-mounted hand-blown glass into an undulating array of elusive, twinkling creatures. As the motion slows and quiets around the shy wall, the glass pieces gradually illuminate and come forward to meet and interact with visitors. Sudden movements and loud sounds result in a quick scamper away into the darkness of the black wall. A second piece, called “Television,” displays large glass orbs on a wall-mounted board with proportions resembling a flat-panel TV. Video content is mapped only on the glass, producing light tendrils and a motion sensor that triggers additional distortion of the image, similar to pebbles in a reflecting pool, when viewers are still and quiet.

“Skura’s unique vision, from the colors he has chosen to the sculptural element of his work, explores the contrast between purity and complexity, brightness and darkness,” said Remi Del Mar, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc. “Light is a significant component in his art, and being able to introduce Epson’s projection technology as a source of light in this impressive installation is a step toward the future — where we see the lines between art, technology and human experience continue to blur.”

The “Tendrils” exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through Jan. 5, 2020, at the Riverside Art Museum in Riverside, California.

I googled “wire monkey 3rd class.” I was not disappointed.

Time passes. And things change. And while the French saying “Plus ça change, plus ça la meme chose” – the more things change the more they stay the same is mostly true (this understanding applies to not all, but most things), some things, at least with AV technology do indeed change a lot.

There are times when I get reflective and contemplative, and think about the things I’ve seen in my time in this channel. Progress is inevitable, and we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves for decisions we made that were the best choice we had at the time with what we had available.

Still, there are some choices that ended up being a waste of time and money.

Dismounting the TV from the wall at my old house I reflected that while I ran HDMI, component video and Ethernet in wall to the TV location I really only needed HDMI, the rest was surplus to requirements.

My old 60-inch plasma wasn’t a Smart TV. They exist back then, and I never replaced it with one. Well, I did, I have a new 75-inch LED TV, but I put it in a new house.

That got me thinking about running component video in wall back in the day. It was the best solution at the time, but only very, very briefly. Video over Cat5e arrived and all those runs of triple coax cable for Y/Pb/Pr were obsolete.

And the same applies when it comes to the brief period that were specifying and installing really long HDMI cables, fifty feet or more to locations like projector mounts.

I feel especially guilty about that because not only were the prices for really long HDMI cables exorbitant, but back in the early days HDMI was notoriously unreliable. I spent countless hours on too many projects troubleshooting blank screens where no blank screens should be.

None of this should be interpreted as nostalgia for an idyllic past. AV technologies are SO MUCH BETTER than they used to be.

Are there still headaches? Of course there are, that’s life. But the challenges we faced in the past were fixed by innovation, and we really are better off as a result.

Trust that any problems you’re facing on your projects today will also get solved.

Barco announced this week that a security vulnerability was discovered within its ClickShare product, which is fixed with an update available immediately, ClickShare update 1.9.1. This vulnerability was discovered by security consultants F-Secure through a process known as “ethical hacking.”

“In October of this year, consultants from reached out and shared that they had managed to gain access to our ClickShare solution,” said Michael Vanderheeren, director of product management. “By upgrading to our 1.9.1 software release, customers can further harden their devices and continue enjoying the best experience and security on their ClickShare. We strongly recommend all customers to upgrade to this latest version.”

Updating ClickShare units can be done through the ‘auto-update’ function in the product, or by using the free XMS (Cloud) Management platform. For units that are not connected to the network, updates can be downloaded and installed from here.

You may recall a series that our editor, Sara Abrons, wrote earlier this year about all the security issues the AV industry faces as we add more network-enabled AV gear to systems, particularly with regards to OEMs. If you haven’t read that, and the stories linked inside it, you should. It specifically referenced a security issue Barco had with regards to its wePresent product, which also existed in several OEM versions on the market under different manufacturer brands.

According to Barco, the ClickShare products are designed with security, privacy and confidentiality in mind, and with every quarterly software release, new features and fixes are added to the product range. Next to being ISO27001 certified, Barco also has a Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT). The PSIRT continuously monitors privacy and security risks on the portfolio and drives security improvements to ensure ClickShare continues to be a trusted wireless collaboration tool.

PSIRT expert David Martens adds: “Security flaws always sound very scary, as most of us think of intercepting information, installing malware or retrieving passwords. To date, we have not received any reports of vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild, and when upgraded to the 1.9.1 software, the only way to get access to confidential information will be through physical access to the ClickShare Base Unit. Simply put: unless you tamper with the electronics inside the Clickshare hardware, you will not get access to any information.”

Almo Professional A/V detailed its acquisition of NewComm Distributing (also known as NewComm Technologies). As a result of the acquisition, Almo Pro A/V is now sourcing all of NewComm’s ClearOne inventory. The company is also giving former NewComm customers access to Almo Pro A/V’s more than 60 AV brands, nine warehouse locations, Sound Options dedicated audio sourcing and technical engineering group and managed services.

“This acquisition offers benefits for both our existing partners as well as former NewComm customers,” explained Rob Ziv, director of business development for Almo Professional A/V. “Our existing partners now have a larger quantity of inventory to access in different locations throughout the nation. At the same time, former NewComm customers can now take advantage of all Almo Pro A/V has to offer to increase profits and margin, such as products from the top AV brands, and business-expanding services like content creation for digital signage, sourcing labor, control systems, ClearOne DSP mixer programming and bandwidth service.”

“When we made the business decision to exit distribution, we wanted to make sure our customers would be taken care of by a reliable, well-stocked and technically-astute distributor,” said Alex Schouten, sales and dealer communication for NewComm Distributing. “Almo Pro A/V has a proven, secure path for these resellers and integrators with the benefit of ongoing opportunities for growth and profitability in the future.”

Almo Pro A/V carries ClearOne’s complete line of audio conferencing, visual collaboration and AV networking products to professional audiovisual integrators, dealers and consultants throughout the USA. ClearOne products available through Almo include DSP mixers, microphones, speakerphones, conference phones, video collaboration platforms, BYOD collaboration solutions, professional cameras, network media streaming equipment, sound reinforcement solutions and audio distribution products.

Announced last year, Almo Pro A/V’s Sound Options group offers all the favorite audio product brands while providing the audio-specific sales, technical, and engineering expertise needed to complete a smart and successful AV installation through a single resource. From mics, speakers, DSPs, mixers and specialty applications, Sound Options offers everything professional audio with all products backed by Almo’s service, support and warranty.

L-Acoustics announced Friday the creation of Authorised Calibration Centres. They are designed to both strengthen the technical partnership between L-Acoustics and its Certified Providers (CPs), and to deliver a higher level of system configuration and calibration expertise at a local level for small to medium installations.

Companies that become Authorised Calibration Centres can offer their customers a service level, from design to commissioning to calibration, that is identical to that provided by L-Acoustics. The Authorised Calibration Centres will extend L-Acoustics’ geographical proximity to end users while guaranteeing the same in-house level of L-Acoustics quality service and responsibility.

The first three CPs to become Authorised Calibration Centres are France’s 4J Evenements, Switzerland’s Hyperson and Creative Technology Middle East, all long-established L-Acoustics partners.

“Becoming an Authorised Calibration Centre means an increase of skill and expertise at 4J Evenements,” said 4J’s Raphaël Maçon. “We now have access to awesome new tools such as the P1 processor and the M1 integration in the LA Network Manager software, that currently don’t exist outside L-Acoustics. Sound system optimization is heavily reliant on good calibration and optimization presets. We’ve always delivered excellent results, but becoming an Authorised Calibration Centre takes things to the next level for our clients.”

Maçon also noted that being an Authorised Calibration Centre gives the company more credibility, from the beginning to the end of a project, allowing them to be certified in every part of the systems integration process.

“This is a partnership that is built on discussion and understanding; a real exchange with the technical support and the sales team at L-Acoustics that makes us better in the scientific and technical aspects of design, installation and now measuring and tuning a sound system,” Maçon said. “Being an Authorised Calibration Centre improves us every day. It’s great to be a part of this new program.”

“Becoming a Calibration Partner is very important to us,” said Hyperson’s Fabian Schild. “It allows us to consolidate the knowledge we have gained over many years and offers even closer and more focused service to our customer network. This status also offers us a more intense collaboration with L-Acoustics and allows us to follow the latest developments of the M1 platform in particular. We will now be able to give our customers impeccable follow-up on their fixed installations.”

“For Creative Technology, being an Authorised Calibration Centre allows us to provide a greater level of service, knowledge and support to our clients, both from within our technical engineering teams and having direct access to L-Acoustics development and support management,” says Andy Reardon, Middle East managing director. “We pride ourselves in delivering solutions based on engineering and from the ground up. Being an Authorised Calibration Centre gives us greater levels of understanding of L-Acoustics systems, processors and procedures. It’s a great pleasure to be appointed as one of the first Centres globally and it represents the next step in our relationship with L‑Acoustics.”

“The partnership with our CPs is extremely important to us,” said Arnaud Delorme, applications engineer at L-Acoustics. “We maintain a very close two-way relationship with them, keeping them up to date on innovations at L-Acoustics while also constantly seeing their field experience and feedback. This new level of partnership will continue to be rolled out with partners where technical relations are already well established and who wish to go even further with their L-Acoustics systems.”

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Dec. 16, 2019 – LG Business Solutions USA announced the immediate availability of two new UltraFine™ IPS LED monitors offering significantly enhanced performance capabilities for macOS users. The new 24-inch class 4K model and 27-inch class 5K commercial monitors each include upgraded connectivity options and seamless macOS integration.

LG’s new UltraFine IPS LED monitors deliver improved color performance, 500 nits of brightness, virtually seamless control through macOS, and Thunderbolt 3 power delivery that enables charging a MacBook Pro through the monitor. “These features are designed to benefit multimedia artists, designers, photographers and other professionals who rely on macOS for their most demanding digital tasks,” said Stephen Hu, head of commercial desktop monitors, LG Business Solutions USA.

The 24MD4KLB-B LG UltraFine IPS LED monitor is a 23.74-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) model with a Thunderbolt 3 port that supports daisy-chaining for dual-monitor setups and enables up to 85 watts of power delivery to charge Macbook Pro laptops.

The 27MD5KLB-B LG UltraFine IPS LED monitor is a 27-inch 5K (5120 x 2880) model that raises the total power delivery to 94 watts, enables simultaneous transmission of 5K video, audio, and data, and adds a built-in microphone, camera and rich bass speakers for expanded functionality.

Both new models include a convenient display stand that offers height and tilt adjustments. Users can customize the display height to create a more personal, comfortable workstation, or easily wall-mount the display with the use of a VESA mount bracket (sold separately). They can also adjust display settings such as brightness and volume through macOS without requiring any physical buttons on the monitors. The high-definition monitors with IPS minimize color shift and deliver detailed, accurate images with consistent edge-to-edge color.

Models 24MD4KLB-B and 27MD5KLB-B are both available now. For more information, please visit www.lgsolutions.com.

Madrid, 16 December 2019.- IFEMA has adapted its public address and voice alarm system to the international standard EN 54, performing the largest EN54 certified PA/VA installation in Europe recently.

This project has meant applying all the standards required by this regulation to the sound system for 1 million square meters, using 385,640 watts distributed in electroacoustic and amplification systems. GHESA Ingeniería y Tecnología was the engineering company responsible for the project and site supervision.

All these elements are managed through a control equipment certified under the EN 54 standard, able of broadcasting up to 52 simultaneous and different evacuation messages, and backed by a customized management software that allows operating over the venue system, fully scalable and expandable so that more areas can be added depending on the future needs of IFEMA.

The project’s main objectives required, on the one hand, to strictly comply with the regulations through their technical specifications, which apply to the fair because it is a building with an occupation that exceeds 500 people and, on the other, to guarantee a good performance of the installation using a robust and certified system. All this to cover the needs of one of the major fair institutions in Europe, with more than 4 million visitors a year.

Ruybesa Global Technologies is the integrator company assigned as a contractor for this project, which has been carried out using advanced LDA Audio Tech systems. Ruybesa Global Technologies has more than 40 years of experience, having previously installed audiovisual and public address solutions in IFEMA, while LDA Audio Tech is a pioneer in Spain in the design and manufacture of EN 54 certified solutions, used in facilities in more than 50 countries around the world.

With this large project, IFEMA continues a process of technological transformation within its philosophy of ongoing innovation and its strategic growth plan. Under this line of work is the recent achievement of the AENOR Emergency Management certification, as well as the improvement of security systems, the renewal of the Wi-Fi network, capable of simultaneously connecting up to 65,000 users, or the installation of latest generation 5G technology in the venue.

Guaranteed safety in the whole venue
The new public address and voice alarm system is supported on the fully redundant data network installed in IFEMA, working as a communications base infrastructure. From there, each of the EN 54 systems, both in the pavilions and in the other locations, can operate locally and independently. This way, if the data network goes down, messages could be emitted from each communication room, either directly through the microphone or with prerecorded audio, stored in the equipment itself.

The central control system is based on redundant servers, so that the failure of any equipment does not entail the loss of any installation functionality, thus guaranteeing the security of the fair in case of emergency.
These are some of the relevant figures for this installation:

– 100 % coverage for the whole venue, including indoor and outdoor areas.
– Possibility of simultaneous broadcasting for up to 52 different emergency and evacuation messages in different zones.
– More than 200 sectorization zones.
– More than 5,400 speakers.
– 221 multichannel amplification equipment.
– 516 acoustic boxes.
– 1,200 amplifiers with 250, 500 and 1,200 W, to reach 385,640 W of total power.
– 200 km of fire-resistant cable used for speaker installation.
– Text-to-speech and multilingual voice systems.

Technologically innovating solutions
The technical scope of the project includes the following solutions:
– LDA NEO central control system that allows remote control and supervision of distributed public address and voice evacuation equipment.
– LDA NEO Extension public address and voice evacuation system for individual control and amplification of each area. This system replaces the previously installed one and complies with the EN 54 standard for all areas: pavilions, cores, North, South and complementary doors, technical booths, machine rooms, parking lots, K-door accesses, galleries, Central Avenue and tents.
– Implementation of EN 54 speaker systems and infrastructures.
– Automatic audio volume control system in pavilions, tents, halls and auditoriums of North and South doors through the installation of strategically located probes.
– Integration of a local sound inhibition system in the exhibitors, automatically controlled by the emergency and voice evacuation system.
– Real-time notification system of any anomaly in the system.
LDA Audio Tech public address and voice evacuation systems have been complemented with JBL speakers, as well as products from other manufacturers.
Channeling, wiring and installation of speakers in height have also been carried out, including 516 speaker boxes over 12 meters. For this, up to 6 lifting platforms and 12 machines have been used simultaneously, three of them with the possibility of installing up to 25 meters high.
The user interface of the control software is similar to the previous one, so it has not meant a great change in the operability of the system. It allows to manage the audio volume and to control each zone of the venue, also including the deployment of the system in the new installed areas.
A total of 42 full-time people and 9 with partial dedication have worked on this project continuously and during the different phases of execution. The team has been coordinated at all times with the rest of IFEMA personnel, adjusting the working deadlines to the fair activity, also considering the delivery times for materials to be able to finish within the established deadlines and not affect the normal functioning of the organization.

Chessington, UK, December 16th 2019 – Audiotonix, a global market leader in professional audio mixing consoles, is pleased to announce they have reached an agreement for a next stage investment from Ardian, the world-leading private investment house. Ardian manages assets in excess of US$90bn across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

James Gordon, Audiotonix CEO, is clear on the benefits the new investment agreement will bring. “This is an outstanding opportunity to partner with Ardian to enable further growth, and it represents a significant step in the future development of Audiotonix. We have built an incredible infrastructure within the group in the past five years, which has clearly benefited all our brands with manufacturing know-how, developing new technologies, and growing their worldwide reach. Ardian’s financial support and advice, combined with Astorg’s, who are also remaining as an investor for this next phase, will help expand our brands and product portfolio even further.”

Olivier Personnaz, Managing Director, Ardian Buyout, comments: “How people enjoy live, televised and streamed entertainment is going through a revolution. The world’s top acts, performers, broadcasters and supporting creative industries, want to give audiences the very best experience. Events, music and media content are becoming more immersive, embracing new technology and relying even more on great sound. That’s why we are excited about how this new partnership will help Audiotonix differentiate itself even further through the undisputed quality of its audio technology and service to customers. The highly experienced management team are well placed to grow the scope and reach of the business, delivering outstanding audio experiences to more and more people worldwide.”

François de Mitry, Managing Partner, and Stéphane Epin, Partner, Astorg, said: “We’re very proud to have supported Audiotonix during an acceleration phase of their history, at a time when private equity was not so familiar with professional audio. Under our tenure, the group launched an amazing series of very successful new products, acquired the brilliant “boutique” brand SSL and the exciting technology of KLANG. Many new projects have their coat and hat on and are ready to go out. No less importantly, many new senior talents joined Audiotonix, and have strengthened the team ahead of a new phase of expansion. We’re thrilled to go on supporting the journey.”

Since its initial formation with leading pro audio brands Allen & Heath, Calrec and DiGiCo in 2014, Audiotonix has seen expansion of its business and portfolio with further acquisitions. In 2017, the group integrated leading US importer and distributor Group One Ltd, and in December of that year purchased prestige studio console brand, Solid State Logic. In December 2018, DiGiCo announced the acquisition of KLANG:technologies, a pioneer in immersive sound technology and personal In-Ear monitoring solutions.

Woodland Park, NJ  — December 17, 2019 – FSR, a leading manufacturer of a wide variety of infrastructure solution products for the audio/video, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), education, corporate, hospitality, and government markets, has announced that its recently released Smart-Way Raceway system is the recipient of an Award of Excellence from Tech & Learning Magazine. The awards program evaluates and salutes outstanding products that are improving the way educators work and students learn. Smart-Way Raceway was honored in the “Best re-invention of a classic” category.

“For 40 years, Tech & Learning has reported on how edtech products are improving teaching and learning,” says Tech & Learning Group Publisher Christine Weiser. “In keeping with this mission, our 2019 Awards of Excellence contest focused on stand-out products that are both unique in the K-12 market, as well as those that are helping schools solve specific problems.”

The Smart-Way Raceway System provides a cost-effective way for schools to get the power and data connections to the exact locations they need for reliable, safe connectivity, making it ideal for classrooms and collaborative work environments. Today’s classrooms are breaking from traditional settings with more flexible furniture and seating arrangements creating a real challenge to transport power and data efficiently.  Smart-Way eliminates obstacles by allowing schools to position connections anywhere in the room, delivering the power necessary for students to benefit from the technology that comes with today’s advanced devices and connected workspaces.

“Electronics continue to be integrated into schools to serve as a key learning tool in the modern classroom”, explained Jan Sandri, FSR President. “But as these devices become more sophisticated their demand for AC power rises as well. We’re honored that ‘Tech & Learning’, the premiere publication and leading resource for education technology professionals, recognized how Smart-Way provides a cost-effective way for schools to get that power and data to the exact locations they need for reliable, safe connectivity.”

Award winners will be recognized in Tech & Learning’s December/January 2020 issue and are invited to a special reception during the TCEA Convention & Exposition in February 2020 in Austin, Texas.