OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, the annual Frankfurt Musikmesse has grown considerably, now expanded with the companion ProLight+Sound convention, attracting some 2,340 exhibitors packed into 16 convention halls and nearly 110,000 visitors from 128 countries. The net effect is like going to a combination NAMM/InfoComm/AES/LDI and it’s as big as all four combined! It used to be just musical instruments—yes, it still has an entire exhibit hall of accordions—but is now a major showcase for pro audio and even contracting-related products. Want proof? Check out a few of these Musikmesse/PL+S debuts, representing some serious stuff—hardly kids stuff…

DiGiCo came on strong with its (www.digico.biz) SD9, a small-footprint 32-in, 16-out (expandable to 64×32) digital live console that can simultaneously record 56 channels directly to multitrack software or DAW.

Need bass? The M421 from McCauley Sound (www.mccauleysound.com) is a sub box with four 21-inch woofers. Specs include 13,000-watt handling and 146dB max SPL peaks.

Designed for front-fill, under-balcony and small theater systems, Meyer Sound’s (www.meyersound.com) low-profile Mina curvilinear array is a 1.5-foot long, 47-pound package that outputs up to 128 dB.

Musikmesse/ProLight+Sound returns to Frankfurt next year April 6 to 9, 2011. Meanwhile, for more Musikmesse fun—including video demos from the show floor from our sister publications Mix and Electronic Musician—visit www.emusician.com/musikmesse_2010. Auf Wiedersehen!