“I don’t know that there’s another desk that we could really do it all with,” began Chad Olech, front-of-house mix engineer for Fall Out Boy, talking about managing the band’s comms infrastructure that sees three separate talkback lines coming into his DiGiCo Quantum5 console. Rob Smuder is one of those comms sources, as he mixes the band’s monitors from a DiGiCo Quantum7 console, along with the stage manager and backline crew lines. “The main reason that I use the Q7 out here, honestly, is the matrixes,” commented Smuder. “We have a ton of talkback mics that are routed all over…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
The Finals Festival, presented by Tennis Australia with production design & management by Gig Control, the Festival was held over the final weekend of the Australian Open in 2024 and saw Novatech deploy the ROE Visual transparent V8T in a creative way. “The AO Finals Festival was such a sold-out success last year, so it was a very easy decision for us to move it to a bigger venue with bigger crowds, and that’s exactly what we’ve done hosting it at JCA (John Cain Arena),” said Tennis Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer, Cedric Cornelis. To suit the larger venue, Novatech adopted…
Lightware Visual Engineering announced its evolving strategic Alliance relationships, recognising its partners. Through its partnerships with Barco, Cisco, Logitech, Sennheiser and Utelogy Corporation, Lightware is actively expanding its partner ecosystem. Lightware and Sennheiser joined forces to revolutionise AV interactions in hybrid working environments. Together, they have developed an integrated AV solution, combining Sennheiser’s advanced ceiling microphones with a choice of Lightware solutions. Through another strategic alliance partnership, Lightware offers integration with Cisco Room Devices in meeting rooms and collaboration spaces, featuring its Taurus UCX/TPX and MMX2 series, unleashing the full power of USB: USB-C, USB A/B respectively. All series (MMX2,…
Allen & Heath has made a huge splash at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, TX. The British Music Embassy stage, renowned for showcasing the best of up-and-coming British talent, was equipped with several of Allen & Heath’s flagship dLive consoles covering both FOH and monitor mixing positions. The venue also featured a dedicated engineer lounge, offering a space for sound professionals to relax and network, while also getting hands-on experience with dLive and Avantis systems. SXSW Artists had exclusive access to a range of Allen & Heath products in Allen & Heath’s Green Room, including the…
Audient announced that ORIA, the all in one audio interface and monitor controller designed specifically for multi-speaker arrays ranging from stereo to 9.1.6 setups (and everything in between) is now shipping. ORIA is now available to buy after bagging a ‘Music Editors Choice’ award at NAMM as well as featuring on the front cover of Music Tech digital. ORIA’s Drivers can be downloaded from the Audient website enabling both macOS and Windows users to install the ORIA Desktop App. macOS users will be able to benefit from the full Sonarworks integration giving them the ability to measure and calibrate a…
AV Stumpfl announced that Rainer Brandstätter has rejoined the company in the newly created role of product partnership manager. Brandstätter studied media technology at St Pölten University of Applied Sciences and originally joined AV Stumpfl in 2015 as a support technician. He was later promoted to project manager and trainer, where he was responsible, together with Florian Eder, for training on AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA media server platform on a global basis. After transitioning into an IT consultant role during the Covid-19 crisis, he returned to AV Stumpfl in September. In his new position, which he described as a hybrid role…
Sterling Events Group recently added to its professional audio offering through a investment in EM Acoustics loudspeakers. The investment, comprised of 24 R8 Reference Series loudspeakers, complemented by 12 S215 subwoofers, has granted Sterling Events Group access to an audio arsenal. “EM’s R8s have proven to be a game-changer for us. We recognised the need for a an accessible, yet still high-quality option to meet diverse demands of some of our client base,” commented Tom Wright, Assistant Head of Audio at Sterling Events Group. “The Reference Series fits the bill, offering remarkable musicality and great value when compared to other…
Tale of Us made their fourth stop on the Latin American leg of their “Afterlife” world tour when they recently played Buenos Aires. Claypaky lighting took centre stage at the Mandarine Park & Tent at Punto Carrasco on 8 and 9 March. Tale of Us launched “Afterlife” in 2016, a show billed as an odyssey through the realm of consciousness, an immersive experience that transcends the limits of reality. Lighting Designer Pascal Bach was involved in the design of Afterlife. For the Buenos Aires show, BALS (Buenos Aires Live Show) provided a large complement of Claypaky fixtures to showcase the…
HARMAN Professional Solutions announced the opening of the HARMAN Experience Center in Bangalore. Amar Subash, vice president and general manager of HARMAN Professional Solutions for India and APAC, was joined by Michael Mauser, HARMAN president and chief executive officer; Dave Rogers, HARMAN president of Lifestyle; and other HARMAN leaders for the opening ceremony in March. The new facility expands the growing global network of HARMAN Professional Solutions Experience Centers. The Bangalore Experience Center is located at the HARMAN Professional Solutions India headquarters. Designed to showcase how HARMAN solutions address customer needs across a variety of entertainment and enterprise market applications,…
Les Rencontres Trans Musicale, which was founded 44-years ago by Béatrice Macé and Jean-Louis Brossard. The festival serves up an outpouring of original music in an array of genres from a variety of places, which this year featured over 30 different nations. The festival embraces a potpourri of artists for the express purpose of finding “the next big thing.” Future stars, as well as established artists, performing in the festival’s spacious Greenroom hanger were supported by a dynamic and colourful lightshow with all the flexibility necessary to reflect their highly individual styles and personas. This was accomplished thanks to a…
Avolites showcased its new and latest technology at this year’s Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt. The main attraction for the Avolites stand was the new Diamond 7 (D7) console, the next in the line to its flagship Diamond 9 (D9) console. This initial product launch allows Avolites to gain feedback from lighting designers and operators. The full product launch, with all the product variants, is planned for the end of this summer. Product features of the New D7 include a new clamshell screen panel and locking mechanism. The console control surface follows the Diamond 9 design language. The D9-215…
Vectorworks has establishd a new corporate office in Japan to expand and support its growing customer base. The Nemetschek Group has acquired A&A, the Japanese distributor of Vectorworks software, from Canon Marketing Japan. The A&A business will be renamed Vectorworks Japan as part of this transformation, which will be completed on 1 May. “Advancing our presence in Japan marks a significant milestone in our commitment to serving designers in East Asia and beyond,” said Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar. “The A&A team has a rich history in the region and has been instrumental in delivering Vectorworks’ products while providing unparalleled…
Rock Circus Volume 2 returned to the stage at IFEMA in Madrid, Spain, produced by Productores de Sonrisas, choreographed by Albert Sala and lit by Juanjo Llorens with a set design by Anna Calvo. Ten dancers, an 18-piece rock ‘n’ roll band and over 100 Robe moving lights brought the performance to life, embracing 40 musical moments. Having lit the first Rock Circus edition in 2022, Llorens enjoyed working collaboratively with a creative team including video designer Romera Infografía and technical director Flavio Bañuelos alongside producers Manu & Rafa González. Lighting was developed in a theatrical style that blended the…
SIXTY82 welcomed Avenion to its growing network of resellers in Germany. This addition aims to strengthen SIXTY82’s presence in the German market. Under the guidance of Matthias Matthes, Avenion has quickly become known for its ideas and commitment to quality. Furthermore, the team has extensive experience in the areas of rigging and trussing. “We’re really excited to have Avenion GmbH join our team,” said Fokko Smeding, CEO of SIXTY82. “Matthias Matthes and his crew are exactly what we look for in partners – they’re young, they’re innovative, and they’re all about pushing the limits of what’s possible. We’re not just…
Clear-Com announced the appointment of Dave MacKinnon as its new Vice President of Product Management. MacKinnon’s career path showcased a diverse and accomplished journey. With six years dedicated to working in the US Government, he has gained an understanding of mission-critical communications and public safety. MacKinnon spent twelve years at NBC Universal, further honing his expertise in the broadcast industry. In the subsequent three years as a consultant, MacKinnon expanded his reach into public safety, government, and medical sectors, solidifying his connections with mission-critical communications vendors and clients. MacKinnon is well-known for his exceptional network in both the government and…
ColorSource PAR jr is the newest addition to the line of ETC fixtures. A complement to Spot jr, PAR jr boasts a similar feature set and includes a four-colour red, green, blue and lime array. The fan-free, convection cooled design makes this luminaire ultra-quiet and at nearly half the weight and half the price of a full-sized ColorSource PAR, PAR jr is ideal for varying venue size. Offering colours and dimming, this wash light is available in two array options. The Original array provides subtle pastels and white light to enhance skin tones, while the Deep Blue array is for…
Ambersphere Solutions has officially become a part of ACT Entertainment. This development promises to leverage the strengths of both companies to deliver products, technical service, and support to entertainment professionals worldwide. “We are excited to bring together ACT and Ambersphere and continue to build on our mission of providing technology for our customers to realize their creative vision,” noted Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “Just like ACT, Ambersphere prides themselves on offering industry-leading products with an accomplished staff of experts in sales, service, support and training. I have tremendous respect for Lee (House) and Philip (Norfolk) and am excited…
ADJ Group marked the passing and celebrated the life of Donn Nelson. A well-known and much-respected industry veteran, Nelson led Pro Media Marketing, ADJ’s manufacturer’s representative firm covering Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and West Pennsylvania. Nelson was born in 1953 and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Raised with a strong work ethic, he started his first job in middle school, fixing bikes at Campus Bike and Toy. At around the same time, he began learning to play the guitar, a passion that stayed with him throughout his life and set him on the path to a career in the music…
