Martin Professional announces the release of a new operating system for its M-Series lighting controllers, which encompass the M1™, M2GO™, M-PC™ and Maxxyz™ consoles. The new software, version 2.90.400, includes over 70 new features and upgrades and can be downloaded at www.martin.com/controllersupport Highlights of the software upgrade include:

New operating system for Martin M1 and M2GO (Windows 7 Embedded):
- Optimized for SSD drives
- New touch-friendly menu system
- Added support for Matrox Dual and Triple Head for M1
- Supports generic Windows 7 touchscreen devices
- New ELO touchscreen driver

New "plug and play" MaxNet System:
- Zero Configuration Device Discovery
- Network Interface Connection management with Auto, Static, EtherDMX shortcuts
- Show can be joined or pushed to other devices
- All playback operation is synchronized
- All Cue and Preset data is synchronized
- MaxNet chat window
- Network show and device info screens
- Multiple consoles can be used in parallel for show playback

A complete list of changes is included with the software download.

M1 hardware changes
In other lighting controller news, the M1 lighting controller now ships with an SSD drive, as well as a new LCD screen with LED backlight at no extra cost. With the SSD drive, console speed and reaction time is greatly improved, boot-up time is reduced, and the console is more stable in high vibration environments.