For the third year running, dBTechnologies returned to Lucca Music Festival with large-scale VIO Series line array systems deployed by the festival’s trusted sound partner, TEMA Show Service, across the city’s challenging historic venues, including Piazza Napoleone and the Mura Storiche – providing visiting performing artists, engineers and technical production teams the consistency and confidence to perform.
Among those on site was the effervescent Andrea Brasolin, Product Specialist at dBTechnologies and part of the company’s Application Department, who was on hand to support the system deployment. “It’s an interesting and difficult venue,” he explained. “Every year, we make slight modifications to guarantee a better experience. This is a square in a medieval city, with many different acoustic reflections from the surrounding buildings. The stage is not in a symmetrical position within the square, and the back of the venue is also not symmetrical. We also have some trees and a giant statue of Maria Luisa of Bourbon (Duchess of Lucca and former Queen of Etruria) to contend with.”
Brasolin and the dBTechnologies team were responsible for designing, deploying and tuning the PA system. Far from being a plug-and-play application, the site presented a series of acoustic and environmental challenges. “It requires a lot of problem-solving and troubleshooting,” the product specialist continued. “The area is 55m by 140m, so we decided to use the same number of boxes for the main system and the outfills to guarantee the same tonality from the clusters, although they are set up differently.”
The outfills also must reach the furthest points of the venue, requiring a tailored approach to high-frequency management. “There is a lot of hot air at ground level and cold air above, so the sound moves around, making it difficult to reach the final row of people. That’s why we have a processing approach specifically designed for this scenario. We need to reach the sky box over the glass, which is the goal, and we have managed to do that.”
The festival’s programme encompasses everything from pop, rock and classical performances to conferences on non-show days. As a result, consistency was critical, with the system designed to maintain approximately a 3dB SPL difference between the first and last rows of people.
Four clusters were deployed as the main system and outfills, with a central cluster covering the first rows above the stage.Additional point-source loudspeakers provided further SPL coverage across the audience and towards the sides of the venue. The system comprised 48 VIO L212 loudspeakers for the main and outfill hangs, with 15 VIO L1610 units forming the central cluster and front-fill line on stage. Four X310 loudspeakers were deployed as point-source outfills, while 40 VIO S218F subwoofers were flown in a gradient stack, with further low-frequency reinforcement beneath the stage in an arc array, supplemented by two end-fire blocks at the sides.
“The double 12-inch boxes guarantee a bigger transient response, which is why we have 38 double 12-inch, three-way boxes,” Brasolin explained. “The subwoofer is a double 18-inch, flyable version. Everything else is the right speaker for this setup – double 10-inch, three-way boxes for the front fill, point-source three-way boxes for the outer fill, and smaller double five- or six-inch speakers backstage. Everything is the appropriate dimension for the result we need.”
The system also had to accommodate the incoming production design for David Byrne’s Who Is the Sky? Tour, with chairs removed from the front and sides of the audience area to make room for the production, including three LED video walls. The visiting audio team also added delay elements to the centre cluster.
FOH Engineer for David Byrne and owner of SpiritHouse Studio in Massachusetts, Danny Bernini, was positive about the system: “I like it. I’ve used it in a couple of different places and have been very happy with the sound,” he said. “System Engineer Val Sulejmani and I feel like it’s a very musical PA. It sounds very good, and it’s fun to mix on… I met Andrea [Brasolin] four years ago, and he’s a real sweetheart. dBTechnologies have been hugely supportive.”
Brasolin highlighted the approach taken by Byrne’s touring audio team, particularly its willingness to combine measurement and software tools with critical listening. “What I love about this production is that they have a very scientific approach,” he said. “They close the software and use their ears before adding delays and so on. The reverb of the outfill blends with this addition, and I heard the difference. From the microphone it was wrong, but to the ears it was ideal. Sometimes the ears are the best.”
WORKING WITH ENGINEERS
According to Brasolin, collaboration with visiting engineers is a key part of dBTechnologies’ approach to system deployment and product development. “We love to log feedback, which is important for product and software development, and interact with engineers who use multiple PA systems in different situations to see how we can make their lives easier,” he said.
The festival provided an opportunity to demonstrate the latest iteration of dBTechnologies’ Aurora Net software, which incorporates several new features, including subwoofer tilt. “We’ve used subwoofer tilt to guarantee a much better result in reaching the corners of the venue,” Brasolin explained. “The new arc-array capabilities also help us deliver smooth results for the sides of the venue. The software’s ability to change the settings of the speakers at the touch of a button saves a lot of time for engineers. The overall flexibility of the system, its frequency and transient response, and the ability to modify anything in a second are super important.”
With multiple artists passing through the stage, system flexibility was essential. “The PA must be adaptable to the artist and their team’s specifications,” said Brasolin. “Sometimes we have to compensate for the high frequencies during challenging weather conditions outdoors, such as wind.”
Environmental restrictions played a role at Lucca. The festival enforced daytime curfews and sound-level restrictions, with levels reaching a maximum of approximately 98dB SPL. Brasolin also pointed to one particularly unusual performance during the festival, when 12,000 people experienced a two-hour silent performance by Ludovico Einaudi. “12,000 people completely silent for two hours was amazing,” he recalled, buoyantly.
The Lucca deployment was not the only major Italian festival application for dBTechnologies. Around 20km down the road, the company’s PA systems were also deployed at La Prima Estate, with a headline bill featuring artists including Jack White, Richard Ashcroft, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Gorillaz and Twenty One Pilots.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” Brasolin concluded. “We love to support our customers. It is the most important thing, in addition to the reliability of the services we provide and the knowledge we can share. Experiences like this are like gold to me. I will return to the dBTechnologies office with feedback gathered, and I’ll be able to expand our network of sound engineers.”
HISTORY AND HERITAGE
dBTechnologies’ identity is closely connected to its home city of Bologna and the wider Emilia-Romagna region. Founded in 1973, the company began life as AEB Industriale, initially repairing microphones before developing into the loudspeaker manufacturer known today as dBTechnologies.
That regional connection remains apparent when visiting the company’s headquarters. Bologna is a city steeped in arts and culture and is home to the world’s oldest continuously operating university, while Emilia-Romagna has developed an international reputation for engineering and manufacturing, with automotive names such as Ferrari and Ducati among its most recognisable exports.
Geography has played a role in the region’s development as an industrial and logistical hub. The mountains and Adriatic coast are within easy reach, while the Port of Ravenna provides access to international shipping routes. High-speed rail connections also link Bologna with Rome in around two hours, making the city well positioned for the movement of equipment and materials.
dBTechnologies’ Founder, Arturo Vicari, was born and raised in Bologna, and the company’s workforce remains strongly connected to the city and its culture. More than five decades after its establishment, the company has grown considerably. dBTechnologies now occupies multiple facilities incorporating warehouses, an anechoic chamber, administrative offices, R&D laboratories, product testing areas and demonstration spaces.
Components and prototypes, including woodworking and other manufacturing processes, are developed in-house. The company has occupied its current headquarters for more than three decades, although plans are in place for purpose-built facilities in Bologna in the coming years. Its international footprint has also expanded, with branches and offices in Cologne, Paris, Madrid, Prague, the US and the UK, while distribution reaches markets across much of the globe.
Closer to home, the Unipol Arena, one of Italy’s largest indoor venues, is located nearby and is equipped with VIO sound systems. The arena has hosted performances from artists including The Cure and Peggy Gou, among others, including Kanye West’s 360° in-the-round setup.
Globally, VIO has been deployed across an increasingly diverse range of applications, from Lollapalooza stages in Argentina and Chile; Antonio Solís’ performances in Honduras, television specials in Germany and Austria, to Wasteland and FivePoint Amphitheatre in the US, K-pop shows in Vietnam, Jungle Music Festival in China and, most recently, SXSW in Austin and London.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
dBTechnologies’ growth has been accompanied by a strong emphasis on research and development. “We’re committed to connecting feedback with R&D, and building the brand and awareness based on demand of the marketplace,” dBTechnologies’ Stefano Bini said. Today, approximately 60% of the company’s revenue comes from touring, with the remaining 40% split between installation, a growing market, and the retail and MI sectors.
The company continues to expand its portfolio, with several new products including the 1608, which debuted at The NAMM Show and featured at ISE Show in 2026. dBTechnologies has continued to invest in its relationship with the wider professional audio community. “We listen to our community,” Bini said. “We hold periodic meetings at the headquarters to gain feedback from the audio community as well as running an Academy.”
Founded in 2022, the dBTechnologies Academy provides training and certification for VIO operators, while also covering wider audio principles and practices. Courses are hosted internationally taking place over two days. “Our goal is to share knowledge, develop as a brand and grow as a sector,” Bini concluded.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Francesco Prandoni and TPi
