Details

30 May 2025

USA - At this year’s Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, innovation wasn’t only reserved for the artists onstage. Behind the scenes at the Ford Centre at The Star in Frisco, Sennheiser’s Spectera was undergoing its own critical test.

While Spectera was being put through its paces in RF testing, the Digital 6000 wireless system, paired with both the MD 9235 and MMD 935 capsules, supported the performances of Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini and the Backstreet Boys as millions of viewers tuned in.

Stephen Vaughn, RF coordinator for Soundtronics, was the engineer tasked with giving Spectera its first high-profile trial run in a live award show environment notorious for difficult spectrum and unforgiving conditions. Vaughn admits he was cautious at first. “Honestly, I was a bit hesitant. Given the environment we were in - a live show - I was al

Details

30 May 2025

UK - Follow-Me is inviting lighting industry professionals and venue owners to its inaugural open day at its new meeting and demo space at Underbelly Boulevard Soho. Scheduled for 17 June from 11:00 to 15:00, this special event will offer hands-on demonstrations of Follow-Me's performer tracking solutions, supported by SLX.

The open day takes place at Follow-Me's newly established demonstration facility within Underbelly Boulevard Soho, situated in London's bustling Soho district. This venue provides industry professionals with direct access to Follow-Me's remote follow-spot and performer tracking technology in a real-world environment.

Luke Edwards, designer relations liaison UK at Follow-Me, will lead the day's activities, offering personalised demonstrations, Q&A opportunities, and technical consultations. Visitors can explore Follow-Me's comp

Details

30 May 2025

Denmark - The We Will Rock You musical is a massive worldwide success and, since opening in London in 2002, numerous versions have been staged in every corner of the globe.

For the most recent version in Denmark, sound designer and head of sound, Magnus Hansen, has made full use of the DiGiCo SD7 T console personalisation. This preparation work ensures the complex requirements of this high-octane show do not overwhelm his team and leaves space for creativity. The extensive console programming allows engineers the freedom and flexibility to get the most out of the show, night after night.

The new Danish translation of We Will Rock You opened in the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen ahead of a nationwide tour and is produced by Lion Entertainment. The DiGiCo SD7 T at front-of-house is accompanied by a Quantum 338 and KLANG at the moni

Details

30 May 2025

UK - At midnight on 31 December 1999, Longplayer, a 1000-year-long piece of music composed by Jem Finer, began playing. This year, British manufacturer of professional loudspeakers, EM Acoustics sponsored the project, donating loudspeakers for a sound system upgrade at Longplayer’s Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse listening post, where it has been playing for the last 25 years.

“Many within the music industry remember Longplayer as part of the millennium celebrations back in 2000,” says Greg Clarke, brand manager at EM Acoustics. “Twenty-five years later, we are thrilled at the opportunity to sponsor this project, which is truly an expression of human and artistic legacy across space and time.”

“Working with EM Acoustics on this new spatial listening post for Longplayer at the Lighthouse has been a real pl

Details

30 May 2025

Iceland - Founded in 1945 and until recently the oldest operating cinema in the country, Bæjarbíó in the port town of Hafnarfjörður is today a thriving concert and event venue hosting singer/songwriters through to rock bands.

Such a varied programme requires an installed sound system that can shift through the gears to handle any scale of show that comes to town. So, venue operators contacted local AV technology and production services specialists Exton to propose a new sound system that would ensure fans of all musical genres enjoy top-quality sound at every Bæjarbíó event.

“The venue had received a proposal for a system from another manufacturer but, after visiting and taking measurements, we were able to propose a Nexo system that would meet the performance criteria at a significantly lower cost,” reports Exton sound consultant/technic

Details

30 May 2025

USA - GLP fielded its largest ever deployment of fixtures at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival for the recent 2025 event – including all its latest in-demand touring products.

The massive global event has been staged successfully across two weekends since 1999 at its Empire Polo Club location in the Californian desert, close to Palm Springs.

Various stages – including the main stage and Sahara tent, as well as the Yuma club tent – were awash with GLP fixtures specified by international LDs, adding extra floor package drama to the existing generic house rigs.

The industry was eager for a first look at the might of the super-powerful Mad Maxx – used by Dan Norman with rapper Travis Scott on the main Coachella Stage – while production designer Rob Sinclair gave a sneak preview of the JDC Burst 1 in a taste of what to

Details

30 May 2025

France - In the northeast corner of Paris, the sprawling 55-hectare Parc de la Villette has evolved into one of Europe's most dynamic cultural districts where science, music, and art converge. This vibrant urban park hosts a concentration of cultural institutions, from the acoustically renowned Philharmonie de Paris to Europe's largest science museum, the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie.

Dominating the landscape is the Grande Halle de la Villette, with its distinctive 19th-century industrial architecture featuring soaring glass and intricate cast iron framework. Originally commissioned by Napoleon III as an abattoir in 1867, this impressive 20,000sq.m structure was reimagined as a versatile cultural venue in 1985, now showcasing everything from international art exhibitions to rock concerts to avant-garde theatrical productions.

Building on a lo

Details

30 May 2025

USA - Green Hippo’s new Hippotizer MX Series Media Servers were out in force for this year’s WWE WrestleMania spectacular, pumping out 4K live action and pre-made content across a wealth of LED screens and strips.

Eight Hippotizer Kasai MX Media Servers – which are distributed by ACT Entertainment in North America – were at the heart of the video setup, working with 12 Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 and two Hippotizer Karst+ MK2 Media Servers. The 2U, 10-bit video playback, robust Kasai MX Media Servers empower users to run two 4K outputs and offers Genlock for large surface displays that need more than one output.

The Netflix live-streamed, two-night WrestleMania event took place at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas. Upstaging once again took the video helm, supplying all the Hippotiz

Details

30 May 2025

UK - 12th Knot, the rooftop cocktail bar at the riverside Sea Containers Hotel, is known for its city views and upscale atmosphere in a prime location on London’s South Bank. When the time came to upgrade its audio system, the hotel turned to Tateside, who already provides managed AV services across various areas in the hotel. The client envisaged a new audio solution that would complement, rather than compromise, the carefully curated ambience of its popular rooftop destination.

“We’ve worked on projects throughout the Sea Containers hotel for a long time, including the cinema, background audio systems and the event space,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “When it came time to upgrade the 12th Knot bar, they trusted us to deliver something special.”

The existing audio system at 12th Knot was no longer meeting the evolv

Details

30 May 2025

Europe - TAF has increased the quality, efficiency, and output of its truss manufacturing activities with the addition of a highly advanced laser cutting machine on its production line.

Aluminium tubes used in the construction of TAF’s highly regarded truss will now feature precisely curved and angled cuts that are not only carried out extremely quickly and efficiently but will also contribute to higher strength and stability.

Thanks to the increase in production output with TAF’s new laser cutting machine, TAF is able to further ensure the delivery of its Truss on Time promise.

Details

30 May 2025

USA - Amadeus Acoustics will showcase its Amadeus ART platform at InfoComm 2025. Unveiled for the first time at ISE 2025 in Barcelona, the platform will be shown on the Amadeus booth #7050.   

The Amadeus ART platform is a versatile, software-based audio system that empowers venues of all sizes to achieve superior sound control. Its modular and scalable design enables seamless management of sound across individual spaces or multiple zones, providing precision and adaptability for any event or application. Whether hosting immersive audio experiences, managing advanced room acoustics, or delivering crystal-clear sound for corporate presentations, ART offers versatility and performance.   

"ART was created to push the boundaries of what’s possible in audio control," says Fabio Kaiser, CEO of Amadeus Acoustics. "We’ve combined cutting-edge tech

Details

30 May 2025

Germany - HK Audio has introduced a powerful new system package within its Linear 5 MK2 series: the Linear 5 MK2 High Power System. Designed as a scalable, ready-to-deploy solution for large venues and open-air events, this new configuration combines key components from the MK2 range to deliver ‘exceptional sound pressure, throw and low-frequency performance’.

At the heart of the system is the Linear 5 MK2 308 LTA mid/high unit. This horn-loaded, long-throw active mid/high speaker is suitable for wide dispersion and deep coverage in demanding environments. When combined in clusters or stacks, users can benefit from preset-based configuration and seamless horizontal coverage.

The system is paired with the Linear 5 MK2 118 Sub HPA - the most powerful subwoofer in the series. With its 18-inch woofer and bass reflex design, it delivers significantly

Details

30 May 2025

USA - Shure will be landing in Orlando as a headline partner for InfoComm 2025. Celebrating 100 years of innovation, Shure demonstrates its continuous dedication to the AV industry by revealing solutions for all professional environments.

Ahead of the show, Shure is announcing two new conferencing solutions that will enable AV and IT integrators to better support varied meeting spaces.

In January, Shure introduced its IntelliMix Room Kits. Now, the company announces that the powerful compute and touch panel included in the room kits will be offered as a standalone base kit - the IntelliMix Foundation System - enabling qualified AV professionals to mix and match with Shure’s versatile Microflex Ecosystem portfolio of microphones and loudspeakers and complementary third-party camera and control products.

“Shure has been offering superior, d

Details

30 May 2025

USA - Elation invites lighting professionals to Experience Tomorrow at Booth #7671 at InfoComm in Orlando.

Elation will showcase new product lines including the award-winning Paragon, Elation’s new flagship automated lighting series. With TruTone variable CRI technology, interchangeable lenses, a comprehensive FX package, and a weatherproof IP54 rating, Paragon combines multiple fixture roles in a single design, representing ‘a leap forward in intelligent lighting for entertainment’.

Also new is the first luminaire in a bolder breed of workhorse lighting, Rebel. The Rebel Profile is a powerful yet compact LED profile moving-head with IP65 rating designed for attention-grabbing visuals in both indoor and outdoor applications. The fixture delivers intense beams, sharp projections, and a comprehensive effects package for captivating mid-a

Details

30 May 2025

USA - The lighting design community is mourning the loss of Paul Marantz, co-founder of Fisher Marantz Stone, who has passed away. A lighting visionary, he helped to transform the perception of lighting design as a profession.

Alongside Jules Fisher, Marantz co-founded the company that would become Fisher Marantz Stone in 1971, creating a legacy of creativity and genius that continues to inspire to this day.

Paula Martinez-Nobles, president, Fisher Marantz Stone said: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Paul Marantz. Paul and Jules founded the company that would become FMS in 1971, creating a legacy of creativity and genius that continues to brighten our lives and the world around us. Thank you, Paul, for your wit and wisdom. We honour your life and legacy.”

Initially working in theatre lighting, Marantz held a strong inter

Details

29 May 2025

UK - Teddy Swims’ record-breaking and sold out I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy tour headed across the UK and Europe with PRG providing video, automation and lighting, including their brand-new GroundControl Multi for the Followspot system.

Having amassed over 8.7bn streams globally, Teddy Swims has captured the hearts of music fans worldwide with his live show and chart-topping hits such Lose Control and The Door. For his 2025 UK and European leg of the I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy tour, the team once again chose PRG to provide lighting, automation and video, but this time upgrading to PRG’s latest followspot innovation – the GroundControl Multi.

The GroundControl Multi is the newest addition to PRG’s GroundControl Followspot family. This system can control up to 16 lights through a single Ground

Details

29 May 2025

Hungary - Lightware Visual Engineering emphasised its status as a European-based technology company to clients and colleagues at its recent seminars. With all product design and manufacturing carried out at its headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, the message was clear: ‘Lightware is well-positioned to face the current global challenges with confidence and ensure its customers continue to benefit from an efficient service and cutting-edge technology’.

As supply chains face increasing uncertainty, Lightware’s commitment to local, European manufacturing offers a reliable and future-ready alternative for partners across the continent and around the world.

Although manufacturing is centralised in Budapest, Lightware operates across a total of 18 offices worldwide, supporting customers in the EMEA, APAC and Americas regions. This combination of Europe

Details

29 May 2025

UAE - Situated in the luxury residential area of Dubai Hills, on the Business Park, DUO Gastrobar has joined the growing list of haute cuisine restaurants being sucked into the fast-developing neighbourhood.

Founded by Duoband Restaurant Group from St. Petersburg, headed by Renat Malikov and Dmitry Blinov, it has already earned a Michelin star for their cuisine, while their clientele ‘luxuriates in an interior characterised by light, airy colours and natural materials’. The musical ambience is delivered by Martin Audio’s CDD series.

It wasn’t the aesthetic of the white CDD5s so much as the sound quality that had impressed the owners, according to regional distributors Pro Lab LLC. Already with a presence in the area, the operators were aware that Martin Audio is the brand of choice for many upmarket establishments and also for project designe

Details

29 May 2025

Germany - The Digital Signage Summit (DSS) Europe concluded with a record of almost 500 delegates following three days of strategic insight and technologies at the Hilton Munich Airport, Germany. Organised by invidis in a joint venture with Integrated Systems Events (ISE), DSS Europe took place from 21-23 May, bringing together innovators and thought leaders to debut its new three-day format.

Florian Rotberg, conference chair and managing director of invidis consulting, reflected: “Over the past three days, DSS Europe 2025 has not only set a new benchmark for innovation and collaboration but has also highlighted the pressing challenges and future opportunities that our industry must address.

“From groundbreaking advancements in digital signage to meaningful conversations about sustainability and user engagement, this year’s summit has truly red

Details

29 May 2025

The Netherlands - The 3,000-capacity Poppodium 013 concert hall was transformed into a nightclub when NachtCollege brought its all-night party to the Dutch city of Tilburg in mid-April. Technical production was led by the venue’s in-house team, headed by senior lighting designer Paul Cox.

To help deliver the immersive experience the event called for, 48 ADJ Vizi Beam CMY fixtures were dry-hired from local rental supplier Spectrum AV to supplement the venue’s house rig. Paul arranged the fixtures across four trusses – two on each side of the dance floor – running the length of the hall. The upper trusses were mounted near the ceiling with fixtures suspended downward, while the lower trusses hung directly below, with fixtures positioned upright. This layered setup allowed Paul to fill the air above the crowd with intricate, overlapping beam patterns th