Ian Bond relies on Midas HD96 console as rock legend Fish signs off in style on farewell tour. ‘The Road to the Isles’ tour of the UK and Europe saw Scots music legend Fish bid farewell to the live arena. After a 45-year career during which he enjoyed a meteoric rise with prog-rock favourites Marillion, before an action-packed life as a solo artist, the fan-favourite hung up his microphone to retire to a croft in the Outer Hebrides. More than 30 shows in Europe late last year preceded this year’s fourteen-date UK tour which concluded with two sold-out shows in…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Craig David’s front of house engineer is Paul Cooper, with Ash Wilkinson on monitors. Both are using DiGiCo Quantum consoles, supplied by UK rental and production company, Major Tom Audio Production. Choosing a Quantum 852 for front of house and Quantum 7 for monitors has given the production total flexibility. Wilkinson has worked with Craig David since 2013. For him, choosing DiGiCo is all about flexibility. Working with an artist who is performing across a wide range of venues, and with a such varied set list, means specifying a DiGiCo guarantees he can cope with any type of performance. “I…
Martin Audio partners dBS Solutions have invested further in the Wavefront Precision line array series with the largest format speaker—the WPL—taking their total WP box count to an impressive 136. The company had already increased its stock of Martin Audio’s compatible iK42 multichannel DSP amplifiers, enabling them to reconfigure larger racks for greater efficiency and faster load-ins—all in preparation for a busy outdoor schedule. Explaining the underlying reason for the step up, Managing Director Chris Bogg, said that having enjoyed two successful seasons with WPC, this year it was pre-booked on a summer tour. “This left us with a bit…
Waves Audio has announced a Free Plugin Pack, including free ongoing updates. With Waves’ Free Plugin Pack users can get started for free, with tools trusted by the world’s leading producers and engineers. Packed with plugins for warm analogue saturation, analogue-modelled EQ and compressors, speciality reverbs, creative FX pedals, and even a FM synth, this collection goes beyond the stock plugins found in a typical DAW’s library. This pack is designed to inspire creativity and elevate sound quality, and it also includes future free updates. The Waves Free Plugin Pack includes these plugins: Lil Tube: Sweet Analog Saturation, IR Live Convolution…
Armando Gallardo has been part of the lighting service industry since the early 2000s and is the owner of LDGS Lighting, a company based in Chula Vista, California. With over sixteen years of experience, LDGS Lighting specialises in lighting and staging, design and programming, special effects, 3D rendering, trussing for concerts, and event production. The company has collaborated with well-known artists such as Bad Bunny, Manuel Turizo, Marc Anthony, Nicky Jam, Sebastián Yatra, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. For these productions, Gallardo has worked closely with professionals and lighting engineers who have tested and selected various MEGA-LITE fixtures, with the…
64 Audio has announced new additions to its recently launched Aspire Series of Universal In-Ear Monitor (UIEM) are now available. Aspire 1 is 64 Audio’s first pro single-driver IEM, whereas 2, 3, and 4 are hybrid designs using both dynamic and balanced armature drivers. “Specifically designed for musicians and live music professionals, the three new Aspire models (1, 2, and 3) have been designed with the same sonic characteristics and technology worn by the world’s greatest performers using 64 Audio custom in-ear monitors,” explained Vitaliy Belonozhko, 64 Audio founder and chief executive officer. “The Aspire Series separate themselves from any…
Front-of-house engineer Andrew Peters (Dragonforce, Iced Earth) has chosen the Waves eMotion LV1 Classic for Queensrÿche’s 2025 “The Origins Tour.” The American progressive metal band Queensrÿche, formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, is renowned for its powerful live performances. When asked about the technical performance of the eMotion LV1 Classic, FOH engineer Andrew Peters highlights the sonically pristine quality and an endless number of plugins as the most beneficial features during live shows. He noted: “The sound quality is absolutely stunning. It is a significant step up from other consoles I have used in the past. With the LV1 Classic and the…
DirectOut’s PRODIGY.MC is a modular audio converter and the device of choice for Matt Manix, owner of Method Audio, a Tennessee-based audio company specialising in recording and producing live music for broadcast. Manix began his career with live bands, touring the world and noticed the prevalence of PRODIGY series products when interfacing with outside broadcast (OB) trucks. When he made the jump to broadcast sound himself, he really began to understand the versatility of the PRODIGY series, starting with the EXBOX.MD for MADI to Dante conversions and quickly purchased his own when the .MC was released. “We were early to…
Ayrton has released its new Stradale Profile, the most compact, lightweight and versatile luminaire in the Ultimate range. A creation built around the unique concept of minimising the fixture’s footprint while significantly enhancing its performance, Stradale Profile is the first ultra-compact luminaire in Ayrton’s brand-new 1 Series. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive North American distributor of Ayrton solutions. Following in Rivale’s footsteps with a 15% reduction in visual footprint, Stradale Profile’s design embodies the principle of uniformity that defines the Ultimate range. Through meticulous engineering and extreme miniaturisation, every detail is optimised to streamline the structure, refine effect modules and…
Clair Global is expanding its global footprint by welcoming the Ampco Flashlight Group, a European provider of audio, lighting, rigging and motion solutions to the team. This partnership strengthens Clair’s European presence and enhances both companies’ ability to deliver experiences worldwide. Ampco Flashlight Group with its sister companies, have been a name in professional audio, lighting, rigging and motion for decades. The team delivers high-profile projects in live entertainment, theatre, broadcast, and events – both in the Netherlands and internationally. That focus remains unchanged. Clients will continue to work with the same people, receive the same level of service, and…
zactrack highlighted two exciting new features available for its ingenious tracking solution products –SMART, PRO and MINI at the 2025 Prolight + Sound expo in Frankfurt. The company also previewed zacview for the first time, a visualisation product specialised for the pre-programming of stage machinery, and the team met plenty of people and organisations interested in their technologies. Having recently taken the worldwide distribution of zactrack products back to Vienna, zactrack CEO Werner Petricek felt it was imperative to have a strong presence at the show. He and the team saw it as an opportunity to connect with new and…
MA Lighting has announced that from now on, the grandMA3 Nodes portfolio is presented in a new shape. The former portfolio with plenty of different product options is now reduced to 5 remaining models, which fulfil the needs for all different applications. The grandMA3 2Port Node, grandMA3 4Port Node and grandMA3 8Port Node are coming directly with PoE and onPC parameters – for a lower price than before. The grandMA3 I/O Node also includes the PoE option by default. And the grandMA3 4Port Node DIN-Rail remains as the workhorse in all fixed installations, where you need direct PCB connection or…
The live events industry is full of passionate caring people who go above and beyond, and Backup Partners are a shining example of just that. During 2024, Backup welcomed three new companies to their list of partners, and it is our great pleasure to announce L-Acoustics, Platinum Partners, Chauvet, Gold Partners and Carallon, Sliver Partners. The contribution that all Backup Tech partners make is testimony to the spirit of the industry and each company has its own unique reason for joining. The end result is the same: helping continue the amazing work Backup does to support industry family members when…
Hive has appointed CAST as its official distributor in Germany, expanding its footprint in central Europe. The partnership draws on CAST’s reputation, technical expertise and presence in the entertainment technology sector. CAST is a leading distributor of lighting, stage and media technology. The company works closely with lighting designers, technical directors, planners and creatives across theatre, corporate events, studios, architainment, cruise ships, trade fairs and convention centres. CAST supports both fixed installations and touring projects, offering a comprehensive portfolio for system integrators and live event professionals. CAST will offer Hive’s full product range, built around the Beeblade media engine. Designed…
TMB has announced the addition of Nick Berenok to the TMB Customer Development team for the European, Middle Eastern, and African (EMEA) region. Based in Nice, France, Berenok brings over 20 years of experience in entertainment technology, international sales, and software development. He has held key roles at Ayrton and Light Converse, where he successfully combined technical expertise with strategic business development across global markets. Fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian, and conversational in French, Berenok is known for building strong relationships across global markets. His appointment marks a strategic expansion of TMB’s reach and commitment to delivering trusted support…
MA Lighting International has announced its partnership with Gobo Oy as its exclusive distributor in Finland. This strategic collaboration will officially commence on 1 August 2025, marking a new chapter for MA Lighting. Gobo Oy brings a strong network, deep market knowledge, a shared vision for the future, and is an ideal partner for the next phase of growth. In addition to Finland, Gobo also serves as the exclusive MA distributor in Denmark and Sweden. Stephan Saremba, Managing Director of MA Lighting International, commented: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Gobo Oy as our reliable partner in Finland. With a…
MA Lighting Technology has announced key developments in its leadership structure as the company continues its commitment to innovation, continuity, and long-term growth. Effective March 1, 2025, Stephanie Waldorf and Rene Berhorst have been appointed as Managing Directors of MA Lighting Technology. Waldorf has been with MA Lighting Technology for six years and has most recently been in the role of team leader finance, HR, and administration. Berhorst has previously been with MA Lighting International for more than 16 years, at the end as a Head of Product Management and has then moved to MA Lighting Technology in 2022 in…
Robe will have a strong presence at Prolight+Sound 2025 in Hall 12.1 on Booth D10 together with all its associated businesses – Avolites, Anolis, LSC Control Systems and Artistic Licence, all of which will be adjacent. New Robe products launched will include the T31 Cyc and T31 Cyc Slim and other just-launched tech will be showcased, including the new LedPOINTE – the first LED version of Robe’s famous and best-selling Pointe family of products – alongside the mind-blowing new WTF! strobe and the iESPRITE LTL. Robe’s famous Showtruck will be parked outside Hall 12 as an additional meeting and product…
