Pro audio leaders prepare for PALME 2012

A host of loudspeaker systems are set be unveiled at this year’s PALME Middle East show, which opens at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC) on May 1st.

Among those poised to announce major product launches at the show are Tannoy, Bose and Meyer Sound, reflecting the requirements of AV consultants working on projects across the UAE.

PALME show director Richard Brook, commented: “With the market now expanding beyond Dubai, the GCC countries offer enormous potential for high premium installed sound, which is clearly being recognised by these companies and other global pro audio providers.”

Having exhibited at each of the PALME ME shows since its inception ten years ago, Tannoy communications manager Mark Flanagan, commented on the region’s importance to the company: “Despite the growth in areas such as Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Dubai remains the commercial business hub for the region, and the Middle East represents a significant part of Tannoy’s turnover.”

This year they will be joined for the first time by sister brands in the TC Group, Lab.gruppen and Lake, adding a greater dimension to the installed sound front.

PALME Middle East will see several regional firsts from the Scottish-based manufacturer, including the VLS (Vertical Line Source) passive column range, designed for architectural install applications, and utilising transducer technology adapted from Tannoy’s QFlex steerable column range.

Visitors will also be able to see the full range of Tannoy’s VX and VXP Series, the latter featuring Lab.gruppen’s new IDEEA™ (Intelli-Drive Energy Efficient Amplifier) power module. Also on the stand will be Tannoy’s QFlex digital beam-steering array loudspeakers.

Lab.gruppen will be showcasing its new installation E Series amplifier range, along with the PLM Series (which incorporates Lake Processing technology) and Lake LM standalone digital processor.

Another regular at PALME Middle East is Bose UAE Trading, who will be showcasing Bose Professional Systems Division’s new RoomMatch series of array module loudspeakers and PowerMatch PM8500 configurable professional power amplifiers for fixed installations.

Meanwhile, Meyer Sound is set to exhibit its brand new self-powered 1100-LFC low-frequency control element, which is designed to integrate seamlessly in a MICA or MILO line array or a JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker system, while RMS remote monitoring system aims to provide comprehensive monitoring of system parameters.

Competition in the region among loudspeaker companies is likely to remain high, as Flanagan commented: “Commercial audio, which is Tannoy’s core market, is now a real battleground, while for us QFlex beam steering, which is a consultant-driven product, has been one of the success stories in the region and is really taking off.”

But the landscape has seen considerable change since the 2009 global debt crisis, he believes. “Tenders are now very competitive and there is a growing requirement for value engineering — the desire to reduce cost across installed audio systems while retaining the brand — and we are addressing this with our CVS in-ceiling speakers,” he continued.

“There are still plenty of opportunities across the region and we are already plugging into spin-offs from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”