WHAT A GREAT WEEK, but it’s finally over and the numbers are in, making this year’s show the second largest InfoComm event ever held, with 32,002 AV professionals attending from more than 90 countries. With 925 exhibitors filling the halls of the Las Vegas convention center, we were nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of cool products and technologies—way more than we can cover in the space of this blog, so check back to the SVC website and in the new products, news, and technology showcase sections of our print editions for more InfoComm coverage in upcoming issues.

Meanwhile, InfoComm 2011 returns to sunny Orlando, Florida, next year from June 11 to 17, 2011. Mark your calendars now!

Cool stuff, there was lots of it to be had at InfoComm 2010. For anyone technically inclined (that would be the majority of folks attending InfoComm), getting the scoop on the latest and the greatest new gear is generally pretty high on the list of things to do at InfoComm. Unfortunately with the show covering a fair amount of real estate and the time the expo floor is open being finite, sometimes you just don’t have the opportunity to see everything. I highlighted a few things yesterday. Here’s a brief review of some of the other offerings seen at the show:
QSC Audio introduced paging station hardware and software for its Q Sys digital signal processing platform. QSC designed this for transportation hubs as well as other facilities needing a sophisticated paging capabilities. more…

You can catch of rebroadcast of Marthin De Beer’s keynote here.

1 One corner of Sennheiser’s booth was constantly buzzing, with necks craning to see the K-array speakers. You had to twist your neck a bit – the K-arrays are on a scale with Matchbox toy cars. But imagine a Matchbox Shelby Cobra with 4.9-liter engine under the hood. That’s what the new KK50vb line array speaker system is like: only 2.2 inches deep and weighing just 5.5 pounds but it packs up to 120 dB of output. It can also change vertical coverage from 7 degrees to 120 degrees with the flip of a switch.

2. Atmosphere is what its name suggests: 4 screens with a band member or dancer or DJ in each, shot in 4K, with synched audio, intended to grease the mood with settings for lounges, discos, cruise ships, retail, HOW and other environments. Atmosphere North America is handling distribution here for the German company. more…

The Sennheiser booth has been buzzing during the entire InfoComm with attendees packed in to hear the ultra-mini Lyzard micro-sized line array speakers from the Sennheiser-distributed K-Array line. If you haven’t heard these, you’re missing out, so drop by, give ‘em a listen, and find out what everybody else has been talking about. Just walk by the corner of booth C6536, take 30 seconds for a quick audition and you’ll be impressed. Yeah!
K-Array

The Sennheiser booth has been buzzing during the entire InfoComm with attendees packed in to head the ultra-mini Lyzard micro-sized line array speakers from the Sennheiser-distributed K-Array line. If you haven’t heard these, you’re missing out, so drop by, give ‘em a listen, and find out what everybody else has been talking about. Just walk by the corner of booth C6536, take 30 seconds for a quick audition and you’ll be impressed. Yeah!
K-Array

Keeping with the theme of simple, real-world tools for school environments, Rane’s MLM 65 Mic/Line Mixer is designed for easy manual mixing of up to six mic/line inputs and playback of one of several stereo audio sources, including USB audio and an onboard RIAA preamp to support all those schools (and there are plenty of them) that still have large music collections on vinyl. It’s designed to be operated by non-technical personnel, like elementary teachers or custodians, but adds analog and digital (S/PDIF, TosLink optical and/or USB) outs, a dedicated USB Charge port and ¼-inch and 1/8-inch headphone jacks.

The MLM 65 provides six manually mixed mic/line XLR inputs each with a front panel Pan and Fader Level control, plus a window slot atop each input for installer-created labels. Hidden on the back, inputs also have independent rear-panel screwdriver Gain trims, overload indicators, 12 volt phantom power and mic/line switches.

It’s shipping now and see it at booth C6819. http://www.rane.com/mlm65.html

There’s a lot of amazing stuff here at InfoComm, but sometimes what really impresses me are the simple things based on clever ideas that are designed to make your life easier. One great example of this is the new SC900 Direct box from Switchcraft. Yes, I realize there’s not usually much excitement about a passive direct box (even if it features a pad switch and a Jensen transformer). But the magic here comes from a brilliantly simple (and patent-pending) feature that automatically activates the unit’s ground lift switch when 48 volt phantom power is applied, effectively creating a remote controllable ground lift. There’s also a manual switch for selecting (or defeating) ground lift. Check it out at booth C6836. Awesome!—George Petersen

Hitachi America, Ltd., Digital Media Division, Business Solutions Group is debuting the CP-WUX645N 3LCD projector; a new projector that combines ease of installation and functionality with superior technology and advanced operation. With WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution, 10-bit image processing and a brightness of 4,200 ANSI lumens, the CP-WUX645N is the ideal projector for large venues and for viewing HDTV content. Read on at The Briefing Room

More InfoComm 2010 news from The Briefing Room

At InfoComm 2010, JBL Professional is introducing its new Commercial Series ceiling speakers, providing excellent performance for paging and background music applications, such as retail stores, restaurants, schools and other environments. These affordable ceiling speakers are designed to meet the requirements of UL1480 and UL2043 for use in plenum ceiling spaces. Read on at The Briefing Room

More InfoComm 2010 news from The Briefing Room