Pro mix engineer, guitarist and producer Mike Butler was given the opportunity to record a band live on location last month, he tried his EVO Expanded System for the job. Butler had been asked by singer, songwriter and ‘genre-bending’ musician, The White Buffalo to record a two-night stint at the world-famous Belly Up in Solana Beach and make a double live album. He used his EVO 16 interface and two SP8 8-channel mic pre units along with his 2020 13” MacBook Pro (M1) running ProTools, which he decided would be “robust and powerful enough to handle recording the shows.” Butler…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
Madonna kicked off her 12th concert tour in October 2023 at the O2 Arena in London. With 81 shows on the schedule, visiting cities in North America, Europe and South America. Art McConnell of A.M.G. Rigging was contracted as head rigger and also as the overall touring CAD drafter. McConnell in turn, brought Broadweigh on board to help monitor the loads. McConnell commented: “I’ve been involved with the Celebration tour from the beginning. As the dancers were in rehearsals, I was gathering information for the venues, working with the creative team on how to draft their vision, creating the overall…
Equinox Charter announced a collaboration with global travel authority, Rough Guides. Rough Guides will now offer bespoke travel companions for touring artists booking with Equinox, This collaboration established Equinox Charter as the first private charter company to offer localised insights as part of passengers’ flight briefs. When booking tour transport through Equinox Charter, artists and their teams can receive a personalised Rough Guide along with their itinerary. This will come in both printed form, to peruse in flight, and a handy digital version for quick reference on the go. Giovanni Manzella, Equinox Charter Operations Manager, said: “We’re delighted to work…
Erwin Van Lokeren’s lighting was varied, engaging audiences throughout the 90-minute Ruben Block show by changing looks and relying now and then on the element of surprise. His navigation between light and shadows, along with the clever use of his rig’s 18 EPIX Strip IP fixtures, helped him achieve this effect. “The whole idea for this tour was working with shadows and different contrast with lights on the backdrops and on the artist himself,” said Van Lokeren. “There a lot of different effects coming from Ruben and his guitar in the songs, and this blended perfectly with the shadow idea…
JL-Group announced the appointment of Ross Warwick as their new Warehouse Manager. With a career spanning over 16 years in the Audio-Visual industry, including pivotal roles at PSCo and Carillion Communications Limited, Warwick enters his role armed with extensive experience and expertise in warehouse management. Under Warwick’s seasoned leadership, JLL anticipated a journey towards heightened efficiency and innovation in warehouse management. The company looks forward to leveraging his talents to achieve milestones and elevate standards within the organisation. In his capacity, Warwick will assume responsibility for overseeing all facets of warehouse management, encompassing asset management, logistics, and team leadership. He…
Young Voices returned to UK arenas for a 30-date tour with audio design and delivery from Britannia Row Productions. Over 2.5 million children have been given the opportunity to perform in arenas worldwide, a statistic that has become poignant partially because they’re singing with touring solutions worthy of any pop or rock star. “A key element from the very start was to give the same production values to the children that we had for adults,” noted Ben Lewis, Young Voices CEO. “For a child, Young Voices can often be their first large-scale live musical experience so it’s vital we get…
CGS Dry Hire is one of the first rental companies in the world to add the brand-new GLP JDC2 IP hybrid strobe to its inventory. Two hundred pieces of the fixture are now available for dry hire from CGS. The new JDC2 IP features IP65 housing, larger plate, performance, visibility, and digital graphic effects. Following the product launch and initial market reaction, it quickly became clear to CGS Dry Hire that the JDC2 IP was a must-have. The devices were delivered by GLP in mid-March, so they would be available immediately for the approaching 2024 outdoor season. Josef Reichenstetter, CGS’s…
ADJ is preparing to showcase its latest products at the Sound:Check Xpo in Mexico City. On display will be the new ElectraPix Series of battery-powered wash fixtures, as well as the latest additions to the company’s Vizi and Hydro Series of automated luminaires. The IP-rated Jolt Series strobe/blinders will also be on display, alongside the new WMS2 high resolution LED video panel and Aria X2 wireless lighting control solution. Offering a host of features, the ElectraPix Series is a collection of battery powered and wirelessly controllable LED wash fixtures. Each product in the series features the same color-calibrated 20-Watt Hex…
Riedel Communications announced that 4K Projects is using a range of Riedel products to enhance clients’ on-site productions all across the country and to power the company’s own studio setup. 4K Projects’ core Riedel products include the Bolero wireless intercom system, Artist-1024 intercom nodes, RSP-1216HL SmartPanels, Mediornet MicroN, and the punQtum IP partyline intercom system. “In the fast-paced world of event production, clear and efficient communication is paramount,” said Balder Thorrud, operator and partner at 4K Projects. “Riedel systems help us work together seamlessly with tight deadlines, multiple stakeholders, and complex events. We would never consider anything other than Riedel…
EUROPALCO announced major investments in three dynamic Portuguese companies: Rise, NEW Audiovisuais, and AV Tech, marking a significant step towards geographic expansion and technological advancement in the events industry. Founded in 2012, Rise quickly became a reference option for companies looking for innovation in their events. NEW Audiovisuals, established in 2017, specialises in the rental of audiovisual systems and technical support for events and AVTECH, founded in 2016, is an audiovisual engineering company that designs and implements integrated solutions for various venues, including auditoriums, hotels and commercial spaces. Filinto Francisco, CEO of Rise, expressed his enthusiasm for the agreement: “We…
d&b group announced the appointment of Melanie Stegemann as its new Vice President of Brand and Corporate Communications. With more than 15 years of experience in brand, public relations and marketing roles, she will play a key role in d&b’s management team. At d&b group, Stegemann will head up a diverse team of brand and communications experts and will focus on building a collaborative environment that drives company success. Her role included a broad range of responsibilities, from brand positioning and communication leadership to content production, thought leadership activities and supporting the strategic decision-making process. Before joining d&b, Stegemann spent…
CUBE Studio’s 7,500 sq. ft. full-service virtual production studio opened in Spring 2023. It incorporated the latest VP technology with the help od Brompton Technology LED processing, which has attracted big names such as EY, Final Pixel, McKinsey & Co., Nokia, and RadicalMedia. Investing in the latest technology was a commitment both James Hakesley, Co-Founder & CEO, and Roy Kimani, Co-Founder & Director of Innovation, felt strongly about “As a business, we’ve consistently embraced innovation and that’s what attracted us to virtual production. After witnessing the potential of the technology when it was used on Mandalorian, we wholeheartedly immersed ourselves…
TAF introduced its new PA Vertical Tower 1 (PAV1). A choice for safely and securely hanging heavy speaker arrays at your large-scale events due to its design, the PAV1 not only serves as an independent PA tower or part of your stage setup, but also as stable support for LED walls. Utilising TAF’s specially designed top section and heavy-duty HT44 or TT44 truss segments with quicklock connection system, users are provided with certified loading up to 1,000 kg at heights up to 8 meters. Stability is ensured by its robust base, which accepts ballast up to 2,000 kg and features…
Vectorworks invited designers to its fourth Open House event on Tuesday, 7 May 2024. This free virtual experience is tailored specifically for customers in the architecture, interiors, landscape architecture and design, and entertainment design industries, allowing them to engage directly with experts on the Vectorworks team. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to explore Vectorworks’ latest features and innovations and gain valuable insights to enhance their specific workflows. “The Vectorworks Open House is a uniquely engaging event that we eagerly anticipate each year,” said Vectorworks Chief Product Officer Darick DeHart. “It offers a wonderful opportunity for our global…
Elation welcomed William Irwin as a new Regional Sales Representative for the U.S. Mountain States region. Irwin has been involved in production and systems integration since 2006, including as Business Development Director for Clearwing Productions. Before joining Elation, he worked at GLP as a Brand Manager and product developer for Scenex Lighting, the company’s custom LED solutions division. He has also been active with IATSE, specialising in atmospheric and pyrotechnics for film. Irwin started in the new position at Elation in early March and is enthusiastic about the role, “I’m looking forward to being a driving force behind a company…
With the Music Venue Trust (MVT) projecting 10% of grassroots venues closing in the near future, the Swansea Music Venues Working Group (SMVWG) is petitioning to improve late-night transport in the city and surrounding areas to encourage punters to attend more live music with greater convenience of being able to travel home afterwards. The petition appeals to the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Government) and has, at the time of writing, over 5,000 signatures and must reach 10,000 signatures by 7 May 2024 to be considered for debate in the Senedd. Coming hot off the heels of the SMVWG’s event The Swansea…
Rick Wakeman recently took to the road with a raft of Allen & Heath digital mixing solutions including dLive, Avantis and Qu mixers to handle 32 channels of Rick’s synths alone, alongside guitar, bass, drums, vocals and additional keyboards. Wakeman’s impressive array of vintage and more modern synthesizers includes Moog, Korg Roland and Yamaha models, with an Allen & Heath Qu-32 mixer at the heart of the set-up. Longtime co-producer/engineer Erik Jordan has used Qu products since their launch and described the Qu-32 as “a complete game-changer for us on tour. I’d go so far as to describe it as…
When IDLES embarked on their 2024 Love Is The Fing European tour, the production included a large complement of Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision line array elements for the main PA. FOH engineer Chris Fullard first requested the platform back in 2019, when Solotech provided the award-winning MLA, but when the band later played the West Stage at All Points East in 2022, it was through the newer tech of Wavefront Precision, in the shape of the largest format WPL. For the 2024 European campaign, Solotech Account Manager, David Preston, specified the WPL/WPC/WPS system after conversations with IDLES’ production. With venues…
