dBTechnologies has officially announced the global release of the VIO W12T, a high-performance 12” coaxial active monitor developed to address the evolving technical requirements of stage monitoring and distributed sound reinforcement across a variety of deployment scenarios. Purpose-built to perform as a wedge, the W12T features a 12″ / 1.3″ coaxial neodymium transducer housed behind a rotatable 60° × 40° horn, delivering 138 dB SPL (AES75). This configuration provides directional precision and point-source coherence for highly intelligible performance in short-throw and tightly controlled zones, while remaining adaptable to a range of deployment scenarios via optional rigging hardware. The system is…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Houghton Festival in Norfolk is a magnet for electronic dance music purists. With 12 stages delivering DJ sets around the clock, it focuses on presence in the moment and quality of experience in every detail – and in that, d&b sound systems, supplied by regular rental partner Encore Pro Audio, played a major role. Ever since its debut in 2017, Houghton Festival has maintained a core ethos of positivity, creativity, and quality. As Mixmag said, “Houghton is a festival the UK is lucky to have.” Founded by creative director, curator, artist and DJ Craig Richards, the festival celebrates creativity in…
Fuse Technical Group has become the first customer in the Americas to invest in Disguise’s next-generation GX 3+ media server. With an order of 50 units – representing a third of all available stock worldwide – Fuse will own the largest GX 3+ fleet on the planet, underlining their commitment to creativity and innovation. Already the largest Disguise inventory holder globally and the only US-based Disguise Certified Solution Partner (CSP), Fuse is doubling down on this mission with a game-changing expansion that will see it deliver even more complex and visually ambitious shows across every entertainment vertical. Fuse operates from…
What inspired you to pursue a career in live events and touring? “I’ve wanted to work in live audio since I was 14 years old. My mum took me to me to my first ever concert, One Direction, and I had the time of my life. I went into school the next day and told my music teacher about how cool I thought it all was, and she opened my eyes to the fact there was a whole career path around live audio. She inspired me to believe that it was a job I could achieve and helped point an…
Six-piece multi-genre Australian band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard recently brought their energetic stage show to the United States on this summer’s Phantom Island tour, which featured collaborations with local orchestras on eight nights of the 12-date run. For the first time, the band’s FOH Engineer, Sam Joseph and Monitor Engineer Joe Santarpia, both longtime DiGiCo console users, were behind new small-footprint Quantum326 desks, a change that delivered several significant benefits. The reduced footprint of the two Quantum326, which were supplied by Nashville-based Worley Sound, offered critical space savings at the FOH and monitor positions. That is ideal for…
The Martin Audio /TiMax series of roadshows moves to Massachusetts for its next US Open Day, which will take place on October 28, with separate presentations and product demonstrations at 11am and 2pm. Hosting the event this time are Charles River Studios (Studio A), based at 495 Turnpike St. Canton, MA 02021. The US team will be on hand to present and talk to attendees about upcoming projects and the attributes and potential applications. They will demonstrate Martin Audio FlexPoint, TORUS constant curvature and Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays, as well as TiMax immersive audio solutions, all of which will…
At jazzopen stuttgart 2025, Naostage’s K SYSTEM tracked the performers in real time on the main stage. Seamlessly integrated with d&b Soundscape, it enabled precise spatialisation of sound objects, synchronised with the performers’ movements. While the K SYSTEM’s lighting tracking capabilities had already been widely used at numerous European festivals this summer – from the Manchester International Festival in the UK to Art Rock, Poupet, Solidays, Main Square, Les Vieilles Charrues, and Roi Arthur music festivals in France – jazzopen stuttgart marked a key milestone by leveraging the full potential of the K SYSTEM to offer the audience a groundbreaking…
Robert Juliat enjoyed a successful PLASA London, where it exhibited on the stand of its exclusive UK distributor, Live Technology. The RJ Bizet range of LED profiles and Fresnels were on show in pride of place, alongside the Tristan LED followspot and SpotMe followspot tracking system. Bizet 670SX profile spot is a range of powerful white LED spots which provides the perfect LED alternative to the famous RJ 700SX 2kW Series. Designed for front of house applications, with a choice of 3 zoom ranges, Bizet is available in tunable white (500W) or fixed cool white (600W). It ensures superior colour…
Poland’s Pol’and’Rock Festival, created by Jerzy Owsiak has become a symbol of community, music, and humanitarian commitment. What began as a thank-you to volunteers has grown into one of Europe’s largest open-air music events, attracting hundreds of thousands each summer to the airfield in Czaplinek. The 31st edition, held from 31 July to 2 August 2025, once again required extraordinary technical resources. Audio delivery for an audience of this scale is no small feat, and the task was entrusted to GigantSound – Letus, one of Poland’s foremost rental companies and Europe’s largest Outline GTO inventory holder. Their choice underlined a…
With the Met Office confirming 2025 as the UK’s warmest summer on record, Adlib looks back on a standout season of festivals and headline tours. From the Hebridean Celtic Festival (HebCelt) in the Scottish Isles, to Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool, Radio 2 In the Park in Chelmsford, to Glastonbury, the Green Man Festival and Manchester’s Sounds of the City, Adlib’s teams across the UK successfully delivered integrated technical production across audio, lighting and video. The summer months also saw an impressive roster of headline acts partner with Adlib including Noah Kahan, Sam Fender, Yungblud, Nelly and Pitbull, from…
In support of its aim to increase knowledge and accessibility in the sector, Production Futures has just launched its eagerly anticipated global online community platform. The platform has been created to connect newcomers, freelancers, students, and employers in an unprecedented way, unlocking around-the-clock access to jobs, training, events, and up-to-date industry insights. The platform, which attracted a substantial waiting list in the run-up to launching, is an important step forward according to Production Futures’ Hannah Eakins:“Over the last three years, we’ve been lucky to work with our partners to grow an IRL (In Real Life) community, built on connection, access,…
On 1 September 2025, David Schubert joined the sales team of GLP – German Light Products as senior sales manager. In his new role, he supports sales activities in Germany and Switzerland, contributing to the continued expansion of the company’s market presence. A trained wholesale and foreign trade specialist, Schubert brings more than two decades of experience in the professional event and media technology industry. Following his vocational training, he gained extensive expertise in both inside and field sales and soon specialised in the distribution of lighting technology. Since 2010, he has been continuously active in sales, focusing primarily on…
Gary Barlow’s 2025 Songbook tour visited a range of venue sizes and styles across the UK and Ireland, so, for engineers, having a constant and reliable mixing console to work from is a necessity. Skan PA, a Clair Global company, supplied two DiGiCo Quantum 7s, allowing engineers to share stage racks, saving space on the truck and delivering peace of mind. Luigi Buccarello is FOH engineer and has toured with Gary Barlow since jumping into the Take That tour of 2024, and explains why, for him, only a DiGiCo will do. “I’ve used DiGiCo consoles on and off for many…
The 45th Milwaukee Irish Fest returned August 14–17 2025, drawing a total of 130,000 guests over the four-day event to the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park for what has become the world’s largest Irish music and cultural festival. Now on their fourth year at Milwaukee Irish Fest, dBTechnologies USA struck the right chord on the festival’s Main Stage, partnering with AudioBiz to power performances from the Red Hot Chili Pipers, Cherish the Ladies, Hermitage Green, Maebh McGlinchey, The Howley Brothers, Elias Alexander, and The Bog Bodies. System deployment and optimisation on the Main Stage was a collaborative effort between dBTechnologies…
LJKE supplies CODA Audio N-APS system for Secret Sessions at major Belgian festival. Lokerse Feesten is a ten-day festival of music, food, and community, which takes place in the Belgian city of Lokeren in August. This year’s event saw appearances from The Pet Shop Boys, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sex Pistols, and Iggy Pop, and was attended by more than 100,000 visitors. A newly added feature for 2025 was an intimate stage near the entrance to the main stage which hosted a series of Secret Sessions, a platform for local and emerging artists to shine at this high-profile event. The small,…
Hip-hop icons Wu-Tang Clan capped their touring career this summer with “The Final Chamber,” a 27-date North American farewell tour celebrating the New York group’s 30-plus years at the forefront of rap. Lighting Designer Ben Walton and associate lighting designer/programmer Eliot Jessep relied on Elation’s PULSE PANEL FX and PROTEUS HYBRID MAX supplied by Fuse Technical Group. Few groups have had more impact on the shape and evolution of hip-hop than Wu-Tang Clan, a group that helped define the sound of 1990s New York rap. The farewell concert series in June and July followed the April release of their album,…
The Backstreet Boys recently made history as the first pop act to perform at the Sphere in Las Vegas, where their summer-long residency at the fully immersive venue celebrates the 25th anniversary of the release of the band’s Millennium album. To interface with the Sphere’s unique 360-degree sound system, front-of-house mixer James McCullagh and playback engineer Tim Rose have integrated a total of five Thunder | Core-driven Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) Core 256 interfaces into their setups to handle playback and recording and to host plug-ins. “This is a complicated setup and a complicated show at one of the most…
The Production Services Association (PSA) has announced that it is renaming its Training Bursary Scheme to the “Dave Keighley Bursary”, in honour of the former chairman, who passed away earlier this year. Dave Keighley was one of the founding members, and his support included his most recent role as Chairman, which he served in from 2020 until his retirement due to ill health in May 2024. The renaming of the bursary recognises his extraordinary contributions within the live production sector. Launched in January 2025, the scheme addresses critical skills shortages in the live events industry by supporting PSA members with…
