Classic Gear Live - PLASA 2023

[Rob Halliday]

Just flagging this for anyone who might be interested: Classic Gear Live at PLASA this coming week.

https://www.lsionline.com/news/plasa-show-announces-classic-gear-live 

We're trying to take the Classic Gear column that I've been writing for LSi magazine for the last (unbelievably to me!) sixteen years and bring it to life.

We'll have:
Some of the famous Strand 'cutaway' lanterns from their London showroom - Patt 263 (launched 1963), Patt 23 (launched 1953 - detect a theme?)

Strand's MMS console

CCT's Silhouette in both original blue and then the final version but in National Theatre 'rep' mode

The very first Cadac mixing console, custom made in 1983 for the musical Little Shop of Horrors - design to completion in just four weeks

Audio equipment from the rock and roll world, including the 1973 Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon PA system, and gear from tours by Bowie, Mike Oldfield and others.

And a very special treat: a Vari-Lite Artisan controlling a VL2 Spot and VL4 Wash, a trio of products that really defined the moving light era.

 

More importantly because products are nothing without people, we'll have some of the key people from the history of these products talking about them:

Alan Luxford and John Wright from Strand

Don Hindle from CCT

Andrew Voller, re-united with the Artisan for the first time in two decades (unbelievably to him!)

Dik Welland from The Lighting Hospital, talking about keeping the VL gear going through all these years

Jon Primrose from the Theatrecrafts / Strand Archive, talking about documenting our history, one scan at a time

Chris Hewitt from CH Vintage Audio talking about the world of rock-and-roll / concert touring sound.

And Paul Johnson - PaulEars from this very website - talking about the Historic Stage Lighting Collective

Plus others, hopefully, as soon as they pin down their schedules.

We' on stand A78, back-left of the hall.

See you there?

Rob.

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by Rob Halliday

[gareth]

There isn't much that could tempt me to the PLASA show these days - but if I wasn't stuck behind a production desk I'd definitely come and have a nosey at this little lot! 

[kerry davies]

Sadly I can't make it either but if you see that reprobate Lenthall could you please  ask him to give an old Welsh hat wearer a call. 

[Oovis]

Hello, Rob. When you see Andy please say hello to him too. Been out of the business for a few years now but it's odd to think how long ago I first worked with you both...

[sparkyweb]

Ohhh that's really interesting. I will pop over during the show to have a look

[IRW]

Ahh, when will you be taking this show on tour Rob?! I’ve just started a new job, so unfortunately won’t be able to make it down!

[J Pearce]

I was lucky enough to see one of these items being dragged out of a store this week. Sadly I won't make it to PLASA this year, but it's good to see the industry making moves to preserve some of the history of how we got to where we are.

[Rob Halliday]

Some more teasers from the load in yesterday.

And there's a confirmed line of up of visiting 'experts' now, with a few more still to come:

https://www.lsionline.com/plasa-show-2023-classic-gear-live-meet-the-experts

A tour you say? What a fine idea.... but for now, if you're at PLASA, come say hi!

Rob.

 

 

[Simon Lewis]

Not going to make PLASA this time, but those pics are wonderful...!

[Rob Halliday]

Last bit of temptation...

 

 

[Junior8]

A reason to go - and I can't.... Typical

[gareth]

12 hours ago, Rob Halliday said:

 

MMS! I remember you had some of the modules, and possibly even an electronics crate, at the event in the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley a few years back - is this now a working system?

[Rob Halliday]

10 hours ago, gareth said:

MMS! I remember you had some of the modules, and possibly even an electronics crate, at the event in the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley a few years back - is this now a working system?

Hey Gareth,

Same modules plus a few more- labels show some are from Chichester, some from the Piccadilly. 
 

Sadly this is the only bit of the exhibit that isn’t alive, in part because we don’t have the frame for it, in part because I’m not brave enough  

John Wright was doing good work explaining it to people today, though, and it was all attracting great interest from visitors of all ages…

Rob  

 

 

[ianknight]

10 hours ago, Rob Halliday said:

Same modules plus a few more- labels show some are from Chichester, some from the Piccadilly. 
 

Sadly this is the only bit of the exhibit that isn’t alive, in part because we don’t have the frame for it, in part because I’m not brave enough  

John Wright was doing good work explaining it to people today, though, and it was all attracting great interest from visitors of all ages…

 

In retrospect, I'm sad that we didn't hold on to our MMS when we decommissioned it from the College Theatre in Coventry - it was a frankenstein system based around the Belgrades MMS some modules and the more modern Power rack from The Albery (we did skip the Belix rack!) but it was a lovely system. One never forgets the heart stopping moment when the alarm light illuminated on the memory module because the 5v rail had wandered on one of the Belix modules!

If anyone does feel brave about trying to power one - it's worth remembering that there is a Strand schedule somewhere that details the data bus & power bus 'load' per module and there is a total load per desk that needs to be observed. I remember my eyes lighting up at getting a tape module from The Albery but being told by our friendly Strand Engineer that to use it - you need to unplug nearly everything else except the memory module! We also had a remote control for the MMS (a great big hunk of wall art it was!) but the module for the desk was lost so we certainly never kept that. 

It would be fab to see one come back to life one day 😄

[Stuart91]

On 9/3/2023 at 7:57 AM, Junior8 said:

A reason to go - and I can't.... Typical

For anyone from Plasa looking through this thread - it's things like this that provide people with a reason to visit the show. It really needs to be encouraged. 

There's not massive amounts of changes from year to year in each manufacturer's offering, so it's easy to skip the show if you're not looking to check out something specific. 

The seminar programme is also a big selling point. I understand that the exhibitors pay the bills, but they're often the least compelling part of the show.