Professional Development Program Launched

Free registration is now open for the PLASA Professional Development Program, running alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014 on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29 - 30, 2014, at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK.

The Professional Development Program provides visitors to this popular trade event with free access to over 20 seminars and demonstrations delivered by some of the industry's leading experts, and provides an opportunity to learn new skills and have questions answered.

Kicking off on Tuesday, a panel of representatives from the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) will address how we talk about the artistic side of lighting design for live performance, what is meant by "good" or "outstanding" lighting design, and find ways to talk about this most ephemeral of art forms, in a discussion entitled "And The Award For Best Lighting Goes To..." Questions under discussion will include "Is 'good lighting design' the same thing for the lighting designer as it is for the director, the other designers, the general audience, the critics, or other lighting specialists?" and "What are useful ways to describe the aesthetics of light on stage?"

Wayne Howell, managing director at Artistic Licence, will examine the crossover between DMX512 and DALI in "When DMX Gets Surreal - Bringing DALI into the Picture." The frequency with which DMX and DALI systems are being used together is increasing, and it is therefore important to understand the strengths and limitations of each. Howell will cover issues including the differing speeds, cable topology, and functionalities of the two protocols. Solutions for converting between DMX and DALI will also be discussed, and tips for avoiding some common pitfalls will also be given.

Isac Alkstrand of Wireless Solution will discuss how to get the best experience with wireless lighting controls in "Wireless Lighting Control with DMX and RDM." With more and more products having RDM added as a standard feature, this is an opportunity to find out about the advantages of using DMX for controlling fixtures and RDM for fast configuration and diagnosis.

On Wednesday April 30, a day of audio talks and demonstrations will take place in the Bury Theatre. Sponsored by Soulsound, these sessions are aimed at sound engineers and will provide expert advice on how to progress in the industry, as well as demonstrations and question and answer sessions with some of the most influential thinkers in pro audio.

The day kicks-off with Darryn de la Soul, head of Soulsound, presenting "Getting a Foot in the Door - How To Make Your Way In The Live Sound Industry." This talk will provide aspiring sound engineers with advice on how to approach employers and how to get a response to your CV. The principles under discussion will be equally applicable to those trying to get into other parts of the entertainment technology industry.

Getting the drum sound right in any and all circumstances is a quick way to stand out from the crowd and make yourself a sought-after engineer. In "Live Drum Micing Techniques," veteran sound engineer Justin Grealy will demonstrate a variety of drum micing techniques to help you get the best out of any situation, whether at your local pub with a low budget, or a massive gig where money is no object.

In "What Does Good Sound Sound Like?" a trio of audio experts will examine what we perceive as "good sound." Tony Andrews and John Newsham of Funktion One, and the legendary live sound engineer Roger Lindsay, will demonstrate the influence of individual links in the audio chain. An interactive discussion of individual perception will also take place.

In "An Insight into the World of RF - Is it a Dark Art?" Tuomo Tolonen of Shure Distribution UK will unravel the mysteries of RF, enabling engineers to be confident in their dealings with radio mics and IEMs -- now an integral, yet often misunderstood, part of the pro audio skill base.

Additions to the Professional Development Program will be announced in the coming weeks. All sessions are free to attend. To get more details on the sessions of your choice, register as a visitor, or to find out more about what's on offer at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014 go to the URL below.