4 days of Industry innovations, Partner building and the search for the HOG Factor.AED Distribution NEWSFLASH
PLASA 2014, which says to be the place to check out cutting edge, contemporary entertainment
technology, was approached as a local UK tradeshow where AED Rent UK and AED Distribution
UK were taking the forefront. The overall experience was positive for both subsidiaries of the AED
group, who designed its 110m2 sized stand around a shared lounge area for networking.
“PLASA was a good show where we were able to spend quality time with many LD’s, Operators, integrators and rental companies from across the UK.” comments David March, Managing Director at AED Distribution UK. “It was another key opportunity to communicate and explain the strong solutions that AED can offer to AV Professionals, going from Rent and Distribution, through Lease, Second Hand, Store and even the AED Studios. As Master Distributor for respected brands, we were able to discus how we provide training and product support to truly underpin our customers so they can concentrate on their key strengths”.
New product introductions
AED Rent & AED Distribution are pleased to have welcomed the following new products to its PLASA stand and product range:
High End Systems
• ShapeShifter: Offering awesome power, incredible speed and total flexibility. 7 independently controlled modules housed in 1 moving fixture create a multitude
of highly defined beams coming together to form an amazing array of effects. Nominated for the PLASA Awards for Innovation.
• SolaSpot Pro 1500: outputs 20,000 lumens using a 400w LED engine. The LED Fixture couples unparalleled LED brightness with features incl. framing shutters,
CMY color mixing, linear CTO 2 gobo wheels, animation effects, a prism, an iris, frost and an 8 to 40 degree zoom range (amongst others).
• Moving Mirror System (MMS): Using a custom front surface, optically flat mirror, leveraging High End’s optical expertise, the MMS range delivers sharp,
bright and incredibly detailed High Definition images anywhere the designer wants, when combined with any of Barco’s high brightness large venue projectors.
Clay Paky: The Projectors
Only available in dry-hire at AED Rent in the UK.
• SuperSharpy: an ACL beam type moving head, which features a 470 watt, 7,800 K lamp. If you are amazed at how bright the Sharpy is, then the SUPERSHARPY
will leave you stunned.
• Mythos: a state-of-the-art hybrid luminaire, featuring a 470 watt-lamp. Mythos’s optical system, with a 1/12 ratio zoom range includes a beam that is sharp from
the first millimeters out of the lens and along its entire length. The zoom can switch to an aperture of just 0.5°, to produce a dense, 170 mm-diameter parallel longthrow
beam. The wash effect is amazing. Mythos was granted the PLASA Award of Innovation.
• Stormy: applies the latest LED technology while retaining the charm of a classic strobe. A strip of powerful LED, enhanced by a parabolic reflector, emulate a Xenon
linear lamp. Available in white and RGBW versions.
Robert Juliat - Born to be Bright
Only available in dry-hire at AED Rent in the UK.
• Merlin: easy to transport, install and maintain, the new Merlin incorporates Robert Juliat’s superlative optical and ergonomic qualities into a robust package that
beats the rigours of touring.
QSC Audio Products
• TouchMix: offers musicians, production professionals and live performance venues the power and capability of a large format console in a highly portable, fully
integrated, affordable and easy to use product. The range comes in 2 versions: TouchMix-8 (12 input channels) and TouchMix-16 (20 input channels).
Doughty Engineering
• Modular Rigging System: a strong, safe alternative to ‘home made’ drop arms that uses tried and tested connectors to give a SWL of 100kg and enables the
safe and speedy rigging of luminaires from truss or fixed tubes or barrels. It also provides for a range of configurations to open up the possibility for highly innovative
lighting design.
www.aeddistribution.com Solutions for AV professionals
HOG Factor, which was organised and hosted for the first time by AED Distribution, drew a lot of attention to the AED stand on Tuesday
7 October. The Design and Programming Competition with High End Systems Luminaires and a HOG4 Console was open to Full-Time
Students currently enrolled on a Live Entertainment Technology course. Entering schools were Rose Bruford College, the Royal Central
School of Speech and Drama and the University of South Wales.
The 5 participating teams were given a piece of music chosen in advance by the judges, and a pre-determined rig of High End Systems’
Fixtures. Their challenge was to release their full creative talent combined with good programming skills and to program a light show.
Colin Wood, Freelance Lighting Designer, Programmer and HOG4 Family Trainer and Product Specialist, was onsite for coaching the
teams during their preparations.
The Jury at service comprised some of the most respected Industry Lighting Professionals:
• Ross Williams: Emmy Award Winning Lighting Programmer and Designer, working worldwide in Theatre, Concert, Television, Live Events and Film. Recent credits
are the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 Opening and Closing Ceremonies and The Voice UK.
• Oli Metcalfe: TPi Award Winning Stage, Video and Lighting Designer, working with some of the World’s Biggest Music Acts incl. British Mega Band ‘MUSE’ and
‘Linkin Park’.
• Frank Schotman: currently the High End Systems and HOG4 Family Product Specialist for AED Distribution who has worked across the World
as Hog support for major international shows like the Turin Olympics.
Team ‘Hogwarts’ from Rose Bruford College and Team ‘LXUSW” from the University of South Wales were selected for the Semi-Final. It
were eventually Joe Lott, Harrison Routledge, Matt Kemp & Josh Palmer from Team Hogwarts who were believed to have the HOG Factor
and were handed over the prize - a HedgeHog 4 console - by Nick Archdale,
the original founder of Flying Pig Systems and inventor of the HOG consoles.
High End Systems was so kind to donate a second HedgeHog 4 to the runner
up, Team 5 LXUSW, after showing great enthousiasm during the competition.
Team Captain Joe Lott shares: “All of us in the team have broad knowledge of
different lighting consoles but none of us had every used a hog. The opportunity
to use it programming physical lighting fixtures, rather than work in a visualiser
was really valuable. Being able to get feedback from the judges is definitely an
experience that we won’t forget quickly!”.
Frank Schotman adds: “To be able to stage the first ever HOG Factor at PLASA
was a thrill and very fitting as London remains a key city for our industry. Thanks
to everybody that participated in this unique experience, which we plan to repeat in the future!”
QSC Pro Audio distribution in the UK
PLASA served as the official reveal of the expansion of AED Distribution’s partnership with QSC Audio
Products. Having worked together for 20 years in the BeNeLux, AED Distribution has now also been
appointed official distributor of QSC Pro Audio products in Germany and the UK.
QSC’s Systems business unit, serving the integrated systems channel, will continue to be represented by Shure Distribution. Management
of QSC’s Pro business unit, serving the Retail, Rental/Production and Portable PA channels, will be conveyed to AED Distribution as of
November 1st, 2014.
“AED has been and continues to be among our company’s top distributors. They continually demonstrate an extraordinary ability to deliver
results that exceed expectations,” states Ray van Straten, V.P., QSC Professional. “AED’s passion for the QSC brand combined with their unique,
compelling range of customer-focused solutions will create myriad new opportunities to share the QSC value proposition across the region.”
Pro and Systems customers alike in the Benelux region will continue to be served by AED Distribution in the near term. QSC anticipates
transitioning its Systems business in those countries to Shure some time in 2015.