Stand F38-42 at PALM Expo 2011, held from 2-4 June at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, India, sees Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer Alcons Audio unveiling a selection of its innovative pro-ribbon systems to the Indian market for the first time.
Alcons offers sound system solutions in three different acoustic categories, each with their own problem solving specifications, but all with Alcons' pro-ribbon audiophile sound quality in common.
Amongst the products on display will be the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array from Alcons’ L-Series of loudspeakers. Despite its compact size, the LR7 is a precision sound system that provides a superior size/weight:throw ratio and is the ideal solution for AV projects where excellent clarity from a compact system is a key requirement.
The QR36 line-source column will be present; the definitive solution for excellent sound coverage and ultimate intelligibility over longer distances in acoustically challenging environments. When used in multiples, they form a continuous line-source, extending the nearfield coverage of the system over longer distance and lower frequencies.
Also on show will be cabinets from Alcons’ Digital Cinema ready sound systems, which have already garnered a substantial amount of interest in the European market, where the very best in audio quality has become vital as three-dimensional cinema becomes increasingly established as a mainstream attraction.
At 13:00h on Saturday 4th June, Alcons’ co-founder Tom Back will host a seminar on pro-ribbon transducer technology. Entitled ‘Pro-ribbon transducer technology enabling hifi at concert Sound Pressure Levels’, the session will reveal the history and technical background of this ‘new’ method of sound reproduction, as well as its real world implementations.
Additionally, to enable visitors to get an idea of the quality performance of Alcons sound systems, live, low-SPL demonstrations will take place on the stand, with the VR8 compact monitor and the BF151 bass system along with presentations on the background of Alcons’ pro-ribbon technology will be given at the stand.
“With the Indian market growing in the entertainment sector, of which Bollywood is just one part, we thought the time was right to explore this new territory,” says Back.
“Since we first announced of our presence at the show, we’ve received overwhelming interest from sound engineers, consultants and rental company owners alike. We have a lot of meetings with the crème de la crème of the Indian professional audio business organized, to which we’re very much looking forward!”
Mid-April saw one of the primary trade events for the European cinema industry, Kino2011, take place at the Kongresshaus in Baden-Baden, Germany. It was a highly successful event for Alcons Audio, with show visitors extremely impressed with the company’s Digital Cinema ready systems.
In addition to showing the new Cinemarray modular, pro-ribbon screen system, the 12-14 April event featured an Auditorium in which an Alcons system was demonstrated, as well as the presentation of a seminar by Carsten Albrecht of Alcons Audio Germany.
“The German cinema market really appreciates quality products and it was an extremely successful show for us,” says Tom. “Cinemarray is the industry’s first dedicated cinema system which incorporates line-source technology throughout, the design alone intriguing many visitors to our stand.
“After Carsten’s presentation to a packed Technical Forum on the Wednesday morning, in which he explained the background technology and the advantages of the system, our stand was crowded with cinema owners that wanted to know how Cinemarray could improve their venue’s sound experience.”
The Auditorium system - comprising an L-C-R CR4 pro-ribbon system, new BC543 triple 18” subwoofers and 24 CRMS pro-ribbon surround speakers, all driven by ALC amplified loudspeaker controllers with DDP Digital Drive Processors - also generated a great deal of interest, despite the technical challenges that the venue presented.
“The Auditorium was not designed as an acoustically-optimised venue, having highly reflective walls and ceiling. In addition, the cinema installation was a mobile set-up, with no baffle wall around the screen system, minimal damping of the back wall and surrounds not being able to be fixed to the wall,” says Tom. “So it was really good to get such positive feedback on the sound quality from visitors, who understood the difficult task the Alcons system was facing.
“The unique asymmetric and controlled dispersion of the CR4 system contributed significantly to the performance. Indeed the sound quality was so good that some executives of film distributors asked us to turn up the volume to impressive ‘experience levels’ during the try-outs. Although these levels were not used during the public presentations, it demonstrated the undistorted, Hi-Fi sound quality with exceptional clarity and dynamics.”
The organisers of Kino2011 also pronounced themselves very happy with the sound quality in the Auditorium. They reported that it showed a definite improvement over previous years, bringing attendees a definitive taste of how good cinema can be and showcasing a significantly improved presentation platform to film distributors, which truly brings out the best in their product / movies.
“We are really happy with how the event went and the level of interest shown in Alcons products,” says Tom. “We believe that it has genuinely raised the bar for film experience and look forward to meeting even higher expectations at next year’s show.”
Taking place from 6th - 9th April at Messe Frankfurt, Alcons is exhibiting on stand G60, Hall 8.0 and will be exhibiting the long-awaited production-version of the LR24 pro-ribbon line array system. Previewed at the show last year, the system marks an important advance for the company within the concert touring and large-scale installation market.
Designed to be able to deliver the same SPL as equivalent products in the mid-size line array category, but with 15dB less distortion, the Alcons LR24 system utilises the company’s pro-ribbon technology to set a new benchmark in terms of SPL, projection control and sound quality.
Also on show will be a brand new subwoofer, the BC543. The unit’s front features an industry first, two state-of-the-art 18-inch, long-excursion cardioid woofers, complemented by a 5.3 inch voice-coil with vented triple-spider frame, Neodymium motor structure, carbon fibre cone and dust cap. The rear features a single driver of the same specification. The extreme excursion capabilities of the design extends the output by 3.5dB, compared to traditional 18” woofer designs.
The cabinet features front, centrally-located X Venting™ and a rear Flank Venting™ port. Together these maximise the system’s breathing capacity, increasing overall output, while minimising port-compression and with the smallest possible baffle dimensions.
Every year at Prolight+Sound, Alcons exhibit a new 'design study', providing a glimpse of its R&D activities by displaying assembled prototype developments. This year is no exception, with the 2011 show seeing a preview of an entirely new product group, the P-Series.
The P-series design study is designed to be a cross-over system of a studio reference monitor, a compact PA system and a pair of headphones. It serves a completely new market segment for Alcons and marks the important next-step in Alcons’ synergy philosophy of amplifier/speaker/processing developments.
All three components of the P-Series study will be used in low-SPL demonstrations on the stand and are sure to impress stand visitors.
Meanwhile, that vision will be plain to both see and hear at ProLight+Sound 2011’s 3D Live In Concert experience. Located on stand L28, Hall 8.0, it will allow visitors to experience the very best that 3D sound and vision technologies have to offer.
The demonstration will feature a 5.1 Alcons surround system throughout the show and, as well as the system relaying a unique 3D live recording German hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic Four), Alcons co-founder Tom Back will be hosting a daily presentation on how pro-ribbon transducer technology enhances the 3D experience.
Tom’s sessions take place at 11am on the 6th April, noon on the 7th, 1pm on the 8th and 10am on the 9th.
Click here for the presentation program: http://pls.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/besucher/events/dimension.html
In addition to the company’s own stand, Alcons provided an audio system for ISE’s unique 3D theatre, a co-operative venture by a number of 3D technology manufacturers, including screens, projectors, media-servers, audio systems and acoustic panels. Featuring hourly presentations from the different equipment suppliers about 3D related topics, visitors were informed about the latest technology and it gave company co-founder Tom Back and his team the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how their systems enhance the 3D experience.
“The 3D Theatre was a tremendous success,” he says. “The highlight was a 3D-recorded mini-concert of German hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic Four). Here, the performance of the C-series, and of the Cinema Ribbon Monitor System in particular, showed its unique strength of combining Hi-Fi sound quality with concert sound pressure levels.
WHe continues, “We had a very good show on our stand as well, with high levels of traffic, meeting a lot of new clients that we don’t meet at other shows in Europe.
“Most of the visitors were attracted by the C-series cinema range of systems and the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array. The C-series CR1 and CRMS systems received a lot of attention from dealers worldwide, installing larger home theatre systems for the ‘prosumer’ market.
Alcons Audio develops professional sound systems for quality-conscious clients in the cinema, installation and touring/rental industry. All products are developed and manufactured in house with traditional craftsmanship combined with the latest technologies, materials and production processes.
Stand F38-42 at PALM Expo 2011, held from 2-4 June at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, India, sees Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer Alcons Audio unveiling a selection of its innovative pro-ribbon systems to the Indian market for the first time.
Mid-April saw one of the primary trade events for the European cinema industry, Kino2011, take place at the Kongresshaus in Baden-Baden, Germany. It was a highly successful event for Alcons Audio, with show visitors extremely impressed with the company’s Digital Cinema ready systems.
Taking place from 6th - 9th April at Messe Frankfurt, Alcons is exhibiting on stand G60, Hall 8.0 and will be exhibiting the long-awaited production-version of the LR24 pro-ribbon line array system. Previewed at the show last year, the system marks an important advance for the company within the concert touring and large-scale installation market.
In addition to the company’s own stand, Alcons provided an audio system for ISE’s unique 3D theatre, a co-operative venture by a number of 3D technology manufacturers, including screens, projectors, media-servers, audio systems and acoustic panels. Featuring hourly presentations from the different equipment suppliers about 3D related topics, visitors were informed about the latest technology and it gave company co-founder Tom Back and his team the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how their systems enhance the 3D experience.
