ISE 2010 again a successful show for Alcons [15-02-2010]   Alcons can look back on another very successful participation in the ISE show, where Alcons displayed both her general product line and the AV / Digital Cinema product line. Tom Back: “Again, the ISE show was able to attract potentials that we would not have met at other shows. It speaks for itself that the new CRMS reference system attracted a lot of attention, with many home-theatre and sound-for-picture integrators visiting the stand to have a look and listen to this novelty. Also the micro LR7 line-array could receive the warm interest of the ISE public, following superb critics from German and French test magazines. Also, stand visitors were very impressed with our pro-ribbon sound quality from the VR8 monitors. We’ll be back at ISE in 2011 for sure!”.       Top 2000 in Concert with Alcons [11-01-2010]   The Newyear’s event Top 2000 In Concert took place in Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall and was broadcasted on January 1st 2010, right after the clock striked 0:00 marking the end of 2009. This eleventh edition saw national and international artists performing their own song + one personal favourite from the Top2000, among which Acda en de Munnik, Ruth Jacot, Spandau Ballet, Jamie Cullum, Björn Again, Lee Towers, Rowwen Hèze and Jeroen van der Boom. The live-sound was engineered by The Ribbon Network member Hof Audio from Haren, with the system designed by Bart Hof. Main system consisted of two flown arrays of 24 units Alcons LR16 compact line–array systems, complemented by groundstacked subwoofers. The frontfill system was configured using in total 12 units Alcons LR14 ultra-compact line-array systems. “Especially the LR14’s small front- and footprint make this speaker ideal for this application, although being an array speaker”, according to Bart. The Dutch engineers as well as Spandau Ballet’s engineer, Colin Norfield who used Alcons systems with Toto concerts were all enthusiast about the result.       First Alcons pro-ribbon seminar in Berlin [23-12-2009]   End of October, a group of Alcons owners and engineers gathered at The Ribbon Network partner Lichtwerk in Berlin, for the first Alcons pro-ribbon seminar. The participants were explained the basics of pro-ribbon technology, with historical background info up to application examples, along with Alcons’ company and product development philosophy. Main point on the program was the software- and hardware handling of the Alcons products in general and the pro-ribbon line-array systems in specific. In cooperation with Lichtwerk, Carsten Albrecht (Alcons Audio Germany) and Niels Janssen (Alcons Audio headquarters) were given the opportunity to give a “hands-on” training at Lichtwerk’s new premises, on system set-up, striking and transportation. Due to the excellent weather conditions, even an impressive far-field demo of the new LR7 micro line-array and a QR36 array of 3 metres was possible outside Lichtwerk’s warehouse. All in all a successful first Alcons training with good feedback from the participants. More to follow!       Ascon gets Alcons into Denmark [16-11-2009]   Alcons announces the establishment of the Danish representation of her products. Company Ascon Trading A/S from Aalborg has been appointed the sole Pro-Ribbon Partner for Denmark. Established in 1988 by Knud Eskildsen, the company is active in the music, installation and pro-audio market, with established brands such as Midas, Tascam, Klark-Teknik, a.o. Torben Laursen, in charge of pro-sales: “The first thing that struck us when listening to the Alcons speakers was the total lack of listening fatigue, the “in the face” vocals and the smooth response above 10kHz. It offers a 3-dimensional experience, that we haven't found anywhere else and this has been proven on every shoot out we’ve done so far. We love selling something that's different from the rest and the interest from the pro audio people has been way above our expectations.” Tom Back, Alcons Audio MD: “we think it’s essential for Alcons Pro-Ribbon Partners that there’s an “emotional click” with the product and the people. And with the Ascon team, we’ve got the right partner to represent the brand and support the Alcons users in Denmark.”       Alcons @ Uitmarkt Amsterdam [16-11-2009]   The Uitmarkt festival in the centre of Amsterdam marks since 1977 the beginning of the new cultural season, attracting an estimated 500.000 visitors. Focus Showequipment from Amsterdam was responsible for audio, video- en lighting of 17 different locations: The three largest stages featured Alcons pro-ribbon soundsystems. Much attention was there for the main stage on the Dam where artists like Matt Bianco, Ruth Jacott and Alain Clark performed with the 60member Metropole orchestra. For this stage, systemtech Gijs Schouten configured a special system, consisting of 18 Alcons LR16 line-array systems per side, left and right flanked by a special 12” mid-bassarray; This was to ensure a controlled projection, with minimal spill on stage. For sub response, per side 9 pcs. Alcons BF362 were positioned in a “3x3 end-fire” cardioid configuration. As in-fill a further 6 pcs. LR16 per side were used. According to system tech Gijs Schouten the system passed the test with enthusiastic reactions from visiting engineers. Gijs: “I was surprised how easily the system could be adjusted to all different styles of performances: The gain-before-feedback was very impressive, with so many open (orchestra) mics on stage”.       Evolutionary Audio Solutions™ in Johannesburg [05-08-2009] www.matrixsound.co.za   With a show presence extending from low-SPL demo’s on stand H14, high-SPL outdoor demo’s, sound reinforcement for the giant LED screen and a seminar on pro-ribbon technology, Alcons made itself seen and heard at Mediatech Africa through Alcons’ South African representation Matrix Corporate & Theatre Sound. On the show floor, the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array and the new LR7B line-array bass module were on display, as well as the other pro-ribbon line-arrays LR14 and LR16, plus a performing QR36 line-source column. The recently released LR7 caused quite a stir on the stand with a number of audio visual companies directly expressing interest in the compact, lightweight system. Trevor Peters, CEO of Matrix: “no doubt, both the LR7 and QR36 were the main ear-catchers; The 1m tall QR36 piqued everyone’s interest after Tom’s outdoor demo’s with its three degree vertical dispersion creating a focussed beam of sound over an incredibly long distance. Our decision to participate in the demo, together with most of the market’s respected brands, has proven the right one, as many listeners congratulated us on the awesome sound quality of the LR16 system. Even I was impressed again, as this was the first time we deployed the system with DDP digital drive processors. With the many leads we have to follow-up, we can look back on a great show”.        Alcons @ Frankfurt ProLight+Sound [16-04-2009]     Defying the current economic sentiment, Alcons Audio can look back on the most successful PL&S show in her existence. Main eye catcher on the stand was the “MSRA” design study; “Modular Stacked Ribbon Array”, is an evolutionary concept consisting of a vertically scalable high-power line-source monitor system, applying the excellent pro-ribbon’s (cylindrical) array ability. Highlighted product was the LR7 micro line-array, latest and smallest member of Alcons’ successful line-arrays. Flown above the LR7 array, the LR7B also attracted a lot of attention. Applying a newly developed dual-tuned concentric bandpass configuration, a single long-excursion 12” Neodymium woofer creates a highly-efficient and compact LR7 bass extension. Low-SPL demonstrations took place, with VR8 monitors and BF151 subwoofers, to enable visitors to get an idea of the quality performance of Alcons pro-ribbon systems. Tom Back: “with our stand literally packed with Alcons users and interested visitors, Alcons enjoyed again significantly increased interest. Drawing-up the balance sheet, with new distributors, a portfolio of projects and leads to follow-up, it was without doubt our best show so far. The annual Pro-Ribbon Partner dinner on Thursday night with Alcons rental-users, dealers, distributors from all over the globe saw a similarly packed restaurant”.        Alcons @ ISE [28-01-2009]     Playing on home-turf, Alcons Audio will be exhibiting her pro-ribbon sound systems at the forthcoming Integrated Systems Europe show in Amsterdam. For the first time, Alcons will display both her general product line and the AV / Digital Cinema product groups at the same time. Main focus will be on two recently introduced products: The CR1 ultra-compact 3-way AV/Digital Cinema sound system, in a 18cm/7-in. ultra-shallow MDF enclosure. It is designed to provide medium output, high quality A/V sound reproduction, for cinema theatres, board-rooms, Home Theatres / residential sound systems a.o. First install was made at the ZOO studio’s in Chile. The other highlighted product is the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array, latest and smallest member of Alcons’ successful pro-ribbon line-arrays, ideal for A/V projects, where very compact form factor is required, without any sacrifice on throw and imaging. Also featured product is the QR36 pro-ribbon column array system. The Q-series scalable ribbon-array columns are designed as solution to obtain excellent coverage and ultimate intelligibility over longer distances in “acoustically challenging” environments. Applications include churches, reverberant halls, and any application where beam-steering solutions doesn’t bring the desired SPL and frequency response. Latest project with QR36 is the Koekelberg basilica in Brussels. All Alcons systems are available in Color Option, for excellent interior matching. More information on our stand 1i124 or on www.alconsaudio.com        New ARC™ simulation software available for download [31-10-2008]     The latest version of ARC™ (Alcons Ribbon Calculator) for the L-series pro-ribbon line-arrays is now available for download. The V1.05 features the simulation data for Alcons’ latest line-array, LR7 and LR7/90 in both stacked and flown configuration. At the same time, also the stack configurations for LR14 with LR14B and LR16 with LR16B have been added. ARC™ is based on actual system measurement output data and is designed to offer two-dimensional modelling of Alcons' L-series pro-ribbon line-arrays and Q-series pro-ribbon column-arrays. The algorithms that drive the program take into account the coupling principles of arrayed (line-)sources. Being a set-up tool, ARC™ offers a relatively simple, intuitive modelling tool, while supplying the required prediction data for optimal system performance. To go to the ARC™ page, click here.        Alcons @ SIEL & SATIS ‘08 [10-10-2008]     For the first time ever, Alcons Audio will be participating in the upcoming SIEL SATIS show. The presence will mark the entry of the Dutch sound system brand into the French market. Tom Back: ”needless to say, the French market is a tough nut to crack; But with the flow we have in the market, the different sound experience our products offer and the opportunity the combined SIEL –SATIS show offers, we decided to participate.” Most important on the stand will be the definitive LR7; latest and smallest member of Alcons’ successful pro-ribbon line-arrays. Typed as “micro pro-ribbon line-array”, the system features a single 6.5” woofer, next to a 4” pro-ribbon driver, designed to meet the requirements of A/V projects, where very compact form factor with perfect line-array throw and imaging are required. Other Alcons developments on show in Paris are the Digital Drive Processor (DDP™), the exchangeable processing device of the ALC amplified loudspeaker controllers; The very successful LR14 ultra-compact line-array system, now available in both a 120-degree and a 90-degree version; And the VR8 ultra-compact pro-ribbon monitor. For a demo of Alcons’ famous pro-ribbon sound technology, visit booth number N39.        Alcons @ PLASA 2008 - Post-show report [09-10-2008]     Hosted for the first time under the flag of Alcons Audio UK, Alcons Audio can look back on a successful PLASA 2008 participation. Most attention on the stand went to the definitive version of the LR7, latest and smallest member of Alcons' successful pro-ribbon line-arrays. Typed as "micro pro-ribbon line-array", the system features a single 6.5" woofer, next to a 4" pro-ribbon driver, in a 15-degree vertical projection configuration. A choice of (Real!) 90-degree or 120-degree horizontal projection, makes the LR7 ideal for A/V projects, where very compact form factor with perfect line-array throw and imaging are required. Another UK-first showing was the "R-Ray" design study; Alcons shares a glimpse of R&D projects, by displaying assembled prototype products of which part developments may be applied in future products. R-Ray showed the study on achieving maximum projection control through a modular point-source cluster, utilizing (pro-ribbon) line-source technology. On Tuesday morning, as part of The PLASA08 Seminar Sessions, the "Pro-Ribbon Technology" seminar on the current status and future direction of pro-ribbon transducer technology, was very well-received and -attended. Other developments displayed on the stand were: the QR6 line-source column under-fill extension; the updated BF302 subwoofer; the V1.5 firmware version of Alcons proprietary Digital Drive Processor; a.o. Tom Back: "It is always a tough one to organise the show, but show attendance was good and it has been an excellent platform for launching Alcons Audio UK. It was great to see the positive response on getting Steve (Badham) on board. We initiated the annual London Pro-Ribbon Partner dinner on Tuesday night with our UK and global "ambassadors" (rental-users, dealers, distributors), which will become a nice tradition."        Alcons presents “pro-ribbon technology” seminar at PLASA [01-09-2008] www.plasashow.com   As part of The PLASA08 Seminar Sessions, Alcons Audio UK will host a seminar on “pro-ribbon technology” at the show. “HiFi quality sound system response” and “high-SPL sound reinforcement” have always been looked at as a contradiction, seemingly impossible to merge. When looking at the requirements of modern day media, current 80+ year old compression-driver mid/high frequency transducer technology seems to be reaching the end of its capabilities. Changing demands require new thinking; Dutch manufacturer Alcons Audio has been implementing since five years (proprietary) pro-ribbon transducer technology in her sound systems, ranging from point-source, line-source to line-array systems. In a one-hour presentation, main focus will be on explanation in a popular-scientific way, the current status of pro-ribbon mid/high frequency transducer technology, like history, durability/reliability, etc. and the implementation of it in real-world high SPL applications. The seminar takes place on Tuesday September 9, from 11.00am - 12.00pm and will be presented by Steve Badham and Tom Back. More information and booking of (free) tickets at http://www.plasashow.com/seminars/        Alcons again “award-winning” at Musical Awards Gala [19-06-2008] www.focusamsterdam.com   The live-televised 2008 Dutch Musical Awards Gala brought the award ceremony, for the best musicals of 2008. The first two award-winning musicals feature an Alcons sound system; As expected, “Ciske de Rat, the musical” broke all records with no less than 7 awards, out of 13 nominations; This musical is not only the most-successful Dutch musical, but the largest touring musical ever as well. The show is on tour with an Alcons LR14 system, BF302 subs, ALC amplified controllers a.o. Runner-up in total number of awards was Les Miserables, with 4 awards; This musical is performed in Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Luxor theatre; With a large number of Alcons LR16’s, SR9’s, subs and ALC’s. During the Gala, previews of new productions were performed as “appetizer” for the coming theater season. As last year, the Awards Gala itself was also amplified through an Alcons pro-ribbon sound system; This year, designer Jeroen ten Brinke, decided to opt for 7 arrays of 8 pcs.LR16 pro-ribbon compact line-arrays each. Being a live-broadcasted event, sightline-disruption (for sake of best sound projection) is out of the question, so multiple arrays had to be flown, with a steep tilt downwards. The complete system was supplied by Focus advanced event technologies of Amsterdam.        Alcons auditioned for the X-Factor! [19-06-2008] www.dwa.me.uk   Recently, DWA of Oxted, Surrey supplied an Alcons LR14 system for the preliminary round of the X-Factor auditions. Already in its fourth series, the show is one of England’s most popular broadcasting concepts. With auditions held in Londons’ o2 Arena, some 34,000 people attended over 2 days. Dave Woodman, MD of DWA commented on the system for holding area outside: “Acoustically it was amazing; We ran the LR14 full range. I paced out the area to 120 metres deep, and loud and clear sound was travelling all that way, almost fullrange! This was particularly impressive as the Genie lifts were angled so you could only ever see one of the PA towers. The presenter used one B87 handheld radiomic NEXT to the PA, which was throwing his (soft) voice 120metres!!! “ Dave enthusiastically continues: “After we rigged the system it absolutely poured down with rain for 2 days. We packed the PA away overnight, but I am please to say that even with water running down the front of the grilles, it all still works fine! “        The Word spoken out loud (and clear) [19-06-2008] www.hof.nl   In the second weekend of May, the annual Whitsun conference “Opwekking” was held for the 38th time, this year again in the event area of Walibi World in Biddinghuizen. In the course of years this family conference has developed into a weekend event where thousands of Christians from several churches and municipalities jointly celebrate Whitsun. The event, attracting this year no less than 50.000 visitors (of which around 15.000 were staying on the camping ground) has a diverse program, performed on different stages. As in previous years, the organization turned to the company Hof audio – light- visual for the sound reinforcement of the whole event. The system for the Main Stage outdoor consisted of 3 arrays of 15 pcs. LR16 pro-ribbon line-array + 3 pcs. LR16B line-array bass each, with each array flown from a separate crane, to have enough height to reach even the farthest listening positions. Totalling a 45 units LR16 and 9 units LR16B, driven and controlled by ALC4 amplified loudspeaker controllers™ all with Digital Drive Processors™ and fed by a Midas XL8 live performance system. Inside, in the tent, to support the stage and video screens, another 18 units LR16 (2x 9) + 4x LR16B were flown.        James Taylor on Alcons! [01-05-2008] www.profimusik.de   The American Folksinger/songwriter James Taylor performed at the Hamburger Laieszhalle with his One Man Band, Larry Goldings, accompanying him on piano and keyboards. The five-time Grammy winner, with 20 albums made and around 40 million records sold, has a career spanning almost 40 years. With famous songs like “Fire and Rain”, “Sweet Baby James” and “You’ve Got A Friend”, he still sings and plays the guitar on his “One Man Band” European tour. The Alcons system deployed by Profimusik in Hamburg consisted of: 6x LR16 per side, with 6x LR14 as underhang, powered and controlled by ALC2 and DDP processing, with for bass fundament 1x BF302MK2 per side on ALC6 with DDP processing. As stage-lip fill for the first rows, 4 units SR9 with ALC2 and DDP came into play. His engineer David Morgan and James’ crew were extremely happy with the system sound. Or to quote a visitor: “Super! I’ve never heard such a good sound during a concert. It is perhaps not that difficult to obtain with just one voice and two instruments, but it was striking how cleanly, powerful and clear his voice and instruments came over”. Do we need to say more?        Alcons launches the new release of ARC™ [01-05-2008] Go to ARC™ section   The Alcons Ribbon Calculator™ is Alcons’ line-array simulation and set-up tool, turning the Alcons line-arrays and line-source columns into a precision instrument. Instead of developing a proprietary tool, Alcons decided to commit to standardised simulation platform; Not only to have optimised integration between line-array set-up tool and acoustical project simulations, but also to have a platform where users can compare different systems from different manufacturers. The Alcons ARC™ was developed in cooperation with Software Design Ahnert GmbH, the originators of the industry-standard EASE electro-acoustic design a.o. The ARC™ data files are compliant to the EASE Focus platform. ARC™ is based on actual system measurement output data and is designed to offer two-dimensional modelling of Alcons’ L-series pro-ribbon line-arrays and Q-series pro-ribbon column-arrays. The algorithms that drive the program take into account the coupling principles of arrayed (line-)sources. Being a set-up tool, ARC™ offers a relatively simple, intuitive modelling tool, while supplying the required prediction data for optimal system performance. Currently, ARC™ files are available for LR16 compact line-array, LR14/LR14-90 ultra-compact line-array, QR18 and QR36 line-source column arrays.        DDP™ firmware release V1.5 [28-04-2008] Go to DDP™ download area   The V1.5 firmware for the Digital Drive Processor has a number of new features, additions and optimisations:The phase response of the LR14 has been optimized, in combination with LR16 array (LR14 as downfill). The superb phase matching provides a uniform coverage in the vertical plane. Together with the first shipments of the LR14/90 line-array, the new presets for this model have been included in V1.5. Array-length optimisation, stacked or flown configurable and a choice of cross-over settings, to match LR14B bass and B-series subwoofers. A new option in BF181/BF362 presets is selectable response settings: after the system type/filtering has been chosen, one of three response settings can be selected: “sub”, “bass” and “punch”. Herewith you can chance the response from sub into more punch/kick LF response. A new option in BF181 presets; settings are included for BF181 when used in cardioid subwoofer arrays. These settings are based on a stack of 3 BF181 cabinets, with the center cabinet rotated 180-degrees and controlled by the cardioid processing setting, a cardioid (“rearward rejection”) pattern is achieved.        Alcons’ Prolight+Sound “best ever” [21-03-2008]   Becoming an annual “stand feature”, Alcons shares a glimpse of R&D projects, by displaying assembled prototype products of which part developments may be applied in future products. This year’s “R-Ray” showed the study on achieving maximum projection control through a modular point-source cluster, utilizing (pro-ribbon) line-source technology. The viewing of the LR7, latest and smallest member of Alcons’ successful line-arrays, also attracted a lot of attention. Typed as “micro pro-ribbon line-array”, the system features a single 6.5” woofer, next to a 4” pro-ribbon driver, in a 15-degree vertical projection configuration, with a choice of (Real!) 90-degree or 120-degree horizontal projection. Tom Back: “our fifth anniversary was the best show so far: Looking at the amount of stand visitors, the number of new contacts, the “buzz” that’s going through the market; We could also measure the Alcons’ success by looking at the number of copies we saw.. The annual Pro-Ribbon Partner dinner on Thursday night really showed the bond between Alcons “ambassadors” (rental-users, dealers, distributors) from countries from all over the globe; It’s this team spirit that is key to our motivation to continue improving our performance in any possible way”.        Alcons “down-under” in Australia [25-02-2008] www.loudandclear.com.au   For the second time, Alcons was present at the Entech 2008 show, with distributor Loud and Clear Sales. Dave Betteridge, MD Loud and Clear Sales: "The show was very good for Alcons; it was clearly (..) visible that awareness of and interest in Alcons has steeply increased, since Alcons' first Australian appearance at Entech 2006. A lot of brand recognition of people not yet involved with Alcons, but also a lot of hands-on experience from engineers, that have worked with the pro-ribbon systems. For a large part due to the reference pro-ribbon projects and rental activities in Australia, with specific theatres around Sydney.” On show the triple LR14 line-array on stand, as well as the QR36 pro-ribbon column array received a lot of interest. In the coming months, even more Alcons demo equipment will be flown into the country to be able to follow-up all requests.        Sonus introduces Alcons in Slovenia [07-12-2007] www.sonus.si   A presentation and demonstration of the V-series, Q-series and of course the LR16 Ribbon line-array marked the inroads Alcons is making in the Slovenian market. Alcons Pro-Ribbon Partner for Slovenia, Sonus, organized the event in the Narodni Dom cultural centre in Maribor. Coinciding with the Izzven jazz festival in the same location, the introduction started with a lecture of Tom about the development of pro-ribbon technology, continued with different demonstrations of VR8, QR36 and LR14 configurations and was finished with a concert in the evening. Charlie Hunter, kicking-off the festival with his remarkable eight-string guitar (allowing him to play bass and guitar at the same time!) put the LR14 system with BF362 subs through its paces. Behind the FOH controls during the festival weekend was Gaber Lesjak, engineer of rental company Bobencek (with Miha Plohl of Bobencek audio on monitors). Borut Celik, managing director of Sonus: “the show-up of invitees at the demo was very good and we could notice that the “Alcons” name has already been going through the market for some time. Together with the projects we’ve already materialized, this presentation clearly proved the potential of Alcons in Slovenia.” photo courtesy of Žiga Koritnik   Gaber, Tom, Borut (l. to r.)      Alcons @ Music Moscow show [06-12-2007] Ltm.com.ru   Alcons was present at the Music Moscow show through her Russian Pro-Ribbon Partner LTM Music. For already the 7th year, LTM participated with no less than 3 booths with a surface of 240 m2 in total. The absolute unique part of the Music Moscow show is the “sound hall”: In this hall, a manufacturer can demonstrate its sound system for 5 minutes at full (!) SPL. After 5 minutes, the next door neighbour performs its demo, etc.. In this way, a visitor follow the different sound performances through the hall. Konstantin Guzev of LTM: “there’s always lots of interest in the loud demos. Most vendors try to attract customers with bright lights, special messages, even live shows! Almost like a birds bridling dance! As a contrast, we always demo the Alcons sound through sound quality: The pure-fidelity flow makes orthodox Russian souls vibrating, even with playing the “popular" pro-audio-tests tracks. Again a great show!”        O’mage, South Africa’s latest The Ribbon Network member [19-11-2007] www.omage.com   O’Mage is more than just a production house; They create events, environments and interactive experiences that engage and entertain audiences while delivering corporate communication objectives. They have now gone a step further with the acquisition of a considerable amount of high-end technical equipment. Their choice, when it came to purchasing a line-array sound system, was the Alcons Audio LR14 system complete with LR14B’s and being powered by Alcons ALC2 and ALC4 amplifiers. The system was delivered recently by Matrix Sound of Johannesburg and christened in the warehouse with the team flattening a bottle of Moët to celebrate! The LR14 system was purchased with all flying and ground stacking options enabling maximum flexibility and the ability to adapt comfortably to almost any venue. The highly-integrated speaker-amp-processing and unified logistics for easy dry-hire expansion, was a large part of the attraction to join The Ribbon Network in South-Africa.        Alcons present in Portugal [19-10-2007]   Through Pro-Ribbon Partner for the Portuguese market, Arte Dos Sons, Alcons was present at the Musicalia sound & light show in Lisbon. Timed shortly after the PLASA show in London, it was the first time Alcons was present at this bi-annual show, with LR14, LR14B, SR9, VR12 and BF181(controlled by the ALC incl. the DDP drive processor). Joaquim Pais de Olivera, owner and MD of Arte Dos Sons: ”with all activities we deployed with Alcons over the last year in Portugal, it was a simple decision to be here. It was a very successful show with lots of interest in the pro-ribbon technology and a good number of leads to follow-up. The Portuguese market is relatively small with a large number of brands represented; However, the very different technology and sound quality or Alcons’ pro-ribbon systems is raising a lot of attention throughout the market”.        Alcons enters Finland [18-10-2007]   At the PLASA show, an agreement was reached between Alcons Audio and Oy Hedcom from Helsinki for the representation of the Alcons product range for the Finnish market. Hedcom were already active with some Alcons products in Finland with great success and very enthusiastic feedback. Jarmo Roivas, MD of Hedcom; ” In a small but technologically intelligent market such as ours we need to efficiently cover all vertical markets and niche’s with dedicated and appropriate solutions demanded by our customers. This applies to all of Hedcom´s divisions including our AV, broadcast and lighting systems businesses. This can only be done with the right tools. Alcons pro-ribbon line source technology is unique and provides these specialist solutions and tools." Tom: “we’ve been working together for some years on the T-series now, but we knew someday the time would come, where the pro-ribbon products would attract attention in Finland; That time has come and Hedcom is the best Pro-Ribbon partner to bring the Alcons products to the market.”   Jarmo Roivas, Ari Manninen, Tom      Alcons’ 5th PLASA show in London [02-10-2007]   Alcons’ 5th PLASA show in London, was again a very successful one; Many new clients and interested potential Alcons users found their way to the Alcons stand, this year located on the ground floor of Hall 1 in the new PLASA format with 2 ground floor halls, deleting the upper-level stand space. Tom: “We can look back on another very successful event, where we could welcome many new Alcons-interested people and existing clients from around the globe: Denmark, Israel, Sweden, United Arab Emirates a.o. It was good to see that they could find us on the main floor of Hall1 between the diversity of light, hazer en sound exhibitors, where in previous years people could easily go upstairs to see (the majority of) audio manufacturers and exhibitors.” Following its presentation at Frankfurt’s ProLight & Sound, the Phitom “large-format pro-ribbon sound-reinforcement” design study was also present in London and proved again to be the centre-point of interest and discussion. Besides this, also the Q-series pro-ribbon column arrays and the L-series pro-ribbon line-arrays were on show, including the LR16 line-array, as featuring in London WestEnd’s Fame, the musical. Tom continued: “With PLASA also attracting user groups from different territories + taking place in the second-half of the year, the show continues to be an important platform for our international presence.”        Disney’s Beauty & the Beast moved to Berlin [09-08-2007]   After a very successful period in the Metronom theatre in Oberhausen, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has moved to the Theater at Potsdamerplatz in Berlin. With the beautiful costumes, impressive décor and vibrant music arrangements and choreography, the Joop van den Ende / Stage Entertainment production also received great critics from the Berlin media. The musical sound is being reinforced through a large Alcons pro-ribbon line-array system, designed by awarded sound designer Jeroen ten Brinke. The sound design consists of three vertically flown arrays, of 10 units LR16 each, as left, center and right. For front, there are two stacks of 4 units LR14 left and right; Front-fill is taken care of by 8 units SR9, while bass is reinforced by 6 units BF302. All Alcons systems are powered and controlled by ALC4 and SDP analog processing.        JazzBaltica 2007 [30-07-2007] www.profimusik.de   At this year’s edition of the “JazzBaltica” Jazz Festival in Salzau, Germany, artists like Gary Burton, Nils Landgren and Chick Corea, a.o. were reinforced through Alcons sound systems. Responsible for the sound in the different performance areas of the event was company Profimusik from Lüneburg. Jürgen Thiele, Profimusik founder und MD: “the fantastic results from last year’s Randy Crawford tour left no choice but to utilize Alcons systems.” Besides the excellent sound quality, another requirement for the sound system was to be very compact, avoiding (live) broadcasting sightline obstruction. Thiele again: “we’ve developed an interesting concept, where we use 4x LR16 und 1x LR16B as center array, with one QR36 pro-ribbon line-source column per side for the stereo-imaging. This combination guarantees a perfect synergy between throw and sound from a, for tv-recording virtually invisible, sound system.” Also in the second (smaller) area, the Alcons pro-ribbon sound was very convincing; Here an LR14 system consisting of 3x LR14 + 2x LR14B array for left/right and 3x LR14 as center-array came into play. All systems dedicatedly powered and controlled by Alcons ALC’s.        TOTO on Alcons (again) [25-07-2007] www.blue-sound-gmbh.de   Recently, the superband Toto played on Alcons while visiting Germany, on their European “Falling In Between" Tour 2007. The famous classic-rock band known for tophits like “Hold the line”, “Rosanna” and “Africa” and her all-star member line-up, is touring to promote their 18th and latest album “Falling in Between”. For this tour, the band consisted of: Bobby Kimball (vocals), Steve Lukather (lead guitar), Simon Philipps (drums), Greg Phillinganes (keyboards, vocals) and long-bearded Leland Sklar (bass), replacing Mike Porcaro. For the gig in Bremerhaven, Herbert Heinze of Blue Sound Veranstaltungstechnik, technical director and responsible for the light and sound, designed a sound system based on Alcons pro-ribbon line-arrays. The system consisted of in total 36pcs. LR16 (main left/right), 12pcs. LR16B (bass left/right), 12pcs. LR14 (under-fill left/right), powered and controlled by 17pcs. ALC. Sub was handled by 16 pcs. double 18”. Overall system control was taken care of by a Dolby Lake processor. Console of choice was a Digidesign Venue. Reaction from TOTO’s engineer Jon Ostrin, short and sweet : “The Alcons pro-ribbon line-array is a great system: I love it!”        Successful Alcons introduction in Greece [16-07-2007] http://www.ima.gr   Under a temperature of 40+ degrees Celsius, well-established pro-audio distributor IMA of Greece introduced the Alcons product range to the Greek market. With the great skyline of the hills just outside of Athens as background and the undivided attention of the attendees, the complete product line was presented and explained by Tom. The day after the presentation, there was already press coverage on the Internet. The IMA team built a stage where complete LR14/LR14B and LR16/LR16B arrays were flown and the also erected an FOH tent, enabling the visitors to work on the systems themselves. Michalis Asitzoglou, MD of IMA: “we could welcome many rental companies and consultants from all over Greece; We even had a few sound engineers that came from gigs, without having had any sleep which was a clear demonstration of the interest Alcons is generating! Alcons is a great addition to our port-folio, serving the top-level clients. We can look back on a very successful event, as kick-off for Alcons on the Greek market”.   The IMA team     Alcons’ “award-winning” at Musical Awards Gala [11-06-2007] http://www.stichtingmusicalawards.nl   At this year’s live-televised Dutch Musical Awards Gala, not only were two “Alcons reinforced” musicals awarded, but also the Awards Gala itself was amplified through an Alcons pro-ribbon sound system. “Rembrandt, the musical”, produced by Stardust Theatre in 2006 (the “Rembrandt year”) received the award for best male actor (Henk Poort) and best (set and costume) design (Jan Aarntzen); The Alcons sound system for the Rembrandt production in Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam consisted of 26 units LR16 and 15 units ALC4 and was supplied by Orbital Sound from London. The Audience Award for the best large musical went to “The Wiz”, produced by Joop van den Ende theaterproductions. The Alcons sound system for the Wiz production in the Beatrix Theater Utrecht consists of 30 units LR16, 8 units LR14, 8 units BF302 and 23 units ALC and was supplied by Focus showequipment from Amsterdam. Nice detail of the Audience Award was that all three nominated productions (Rembrandt, The Wiz and Cats) feature(d) Alcons pro-ribbon sound systems. The Oeuvre Award went to the famous British producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. During the Gala, snippets of new productions were performed as preview for the coming season. The Gala in Studio 24 in Hilversum was reinforced by an Alcons LR14 line-array configuration, with main system per side 10x LR14 and 2x LR14B ea. and 3x down-fill of 6x LR14 ea. Engineered by (awarded!) designer Jeroen ten Brinke, supplied by Focus showequipment.       Maranatha Church South-Africa chooses Alcons [21-05-2007] http://www.matrixsound.co.za/   After a lengthy period of time during which a number of the players in the pro-audio industry did demonstrations of their sound systems, Maranatha Community Church chose to go with Alcons for the upgrade of their sound system. The Matrix Sound team designed a system based on the L-series: The left and right hangs each consist of one LR14B and six LR14 enclosures while the centre hang consists of three LR16’s with three LR14’s underneath them. The LR14’s are seamlessly attached with the Alcons CNVB14 adaptor bracket. The entire system is being powered and controlled with Alcons ALC2’s. Trevor Peters, MD of Matrix: “The challenge was to provide even, quality coverage on the three sides of the venue containing upstairs seating - as well as even, quality coverage downstairs from right in front of the stage to under the balcony at the very back – without flying any delay speakers. This was achieved by hanging the three drops of speakers on the arc of a circle and by combining LR16’s and LR14’s in the centre, to cater for longest throw in the venue. In the final analysis this installation is much more than simply supplying a newer speaker system. It is a venue-specific design which in combination with the correct product ultimately delivers the desired results.”       Alcons’ 5th edition of ProLight & Sound [16-04-2007]   Alcons’ 5th edition of ProLight & Sound was a very successful one, with again further increased interest and attention from the sound-reinforcement market. Tom: “We can look back on a very successful event, with a larger stand on a (much) better, central position within Hall 8.0. Needless to say the Phitom pro-ribbon design study was a real “head-turner”, but also the shown VR8 top + new BF151 compact bass system astounded many when played. The 4 meter QB363 bass array was a visual statement of our vision on array technology.” The annual Alcons dinner on Thursday evening was a great mix of Alcons relations from around the world, with delegations from South-Africa, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Austria, to name a few, all sharing the same passion: Alcons. Right before the show it was decided to clear the “Phitom” design study for exhibition on the Alcons stand. This evolutionary design concept is a study on how to implement pro-ribbon technology into a large-scale sound reinforcement system. Utilizing a complete new generation of extreme-power pro-ribbon transducer technology, as well as new state-of-the-art cone driver designs, this development platform was without doubt the highlight of the Alcons stand. Tom continued: “”HiFi at concert SPL’s” has always been seen as the “Holy Grail” of sound reinforcement market; With Phitom we wanted to show that that Holy Grail is now within reach. Every input we received on the study will be used for further research done on our pro-ribbon transducer technology in general and the development of larger-scale systems in specific”.       Alcons in Guatemala [27-02-2007] http://www.proacoustic.ws/son_profe.htm   Recently, the first Alcons system ever landed in Guatemala, South America. Company ProAcoustic took delivery of a complete LR14 system, with 12 units of LR14, 4 units of LR14B and ALC4 processor-amplification. Julio Nápoles, owner of ProAcoustic: “Believe it or not: We’ve bought the system unheard! In all honesty, the system managed to exceed our expectations. We are very happy with Alcons LR14, I have 20 years of experience in sound, and this is the best sound than I have listened to in my race, Congratulations!” Right after the delivery of the LR14 system, it was put through its paces on Christian convention “Profesia 2006". ProAcoustic has already a group of very interested clients lined-up for evaluation demos       Jan Jaap van der Wal on tour [27-02-2007] www.janjaapvanderwal.tk   Jan Jaap van der Wal is a nationally famous stand-up comedian and currently touring the Netherlands with his “BSUR” (“be as you are”) reprise show, on an Alcons LR14 pro-ribbon line-array. His sound engineer for quite a few years has been Jochum Vrijland of Pudding Theatertechniek Amsterdam. Alcons was Jochum’s system of choice, almost right from the beginning of Alcons Audio! Jochum: I’m very happy to work with this talented guy; His sharpness and timing is almost second to none. However, in the speed of his performance, speech intelligibility is very difficult to achieve. For this I need the right tools to get it right. Line-arrays have proven themselves already in these type of applications, but Alcons is my absolute favorite. The transparent high frequencies cater for an unsurpassed intelligibility en the natural “air” around the voice makes it very comfortable to listen to. This is an excellent asset, as for an audience it’s not easy to listen to one voice for 1,5 hours, regardless of how good the performance is. The quick set-up and strike makes it also comfortable for me.”       Alcons @ Integrated Systems Europe ‘07 [27-02-2007]   Playing on “home-turf” Alcons Audio was present at the ISE show in Amsterdam with a representation of her pro-ribbon speaker systems of both the general product line-up as well as the (home)cinema product line-up. Both offering unusual solutions in a wide variety of installs. “Ear-catching” detail was the 5 meter flown array of QR36 pro-ribbon columns; Cylindrically projecting bird sounds over the isle with a length of 50meters, it caught the ears of many visitors! Tom: “Although we didn’t know quite what to expect, as the show tends to lean mostly towards video, we had a great show where we could meet a lot of AV integrators, as well as many of our rental companies, specializing in the corporate / AV market. A surprisingly good show for Alcons.”