Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Renkus-Heinz - Banner - May 2025

Business

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City Break - The city of Malmö is to host next year's 68th Eurovision Song Contest, it was announced on Friday, following Sweden's victory in Liverpool in May. The coastal town in the south of the country was selected ahead of the capital Stockholm after "dialogue with several cities", organisers said.
The Malmö Arena will stage the semi-finals on 7 and 9 May 2024, as well as the final on 11 May. Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was "thrilled" that Sweden's third-largest city will host it for a third time. "Malmö holds a special place in the history of the contest, having successfully hosted it firstly in 1992 and then in 2013 - following Loreen's last win," he said.
"We're excited to be returning to this vibrant and dynamic city which has demonstrated it has the venues a

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UK - For the past 15 years, associate sound designer Hyder Khalil has been crafting the audio that brings the long-running London stage musical Wicked to life.
Working alongside sound designer Tony Meola, Khalil abides by Meola’s philosophy when micing shows: whether you’re working with instruments or cast members, get the mic in the correct place without being intrusive, and then get the sound as perfect as possible. With these goals in mind, microphones designed to provide authentic audio were the obvious choice when upgrading the theatre’s sound system.
DPA Microphones fits all of the sound needs for Wicked. After initially integrating the DPA 6061 Subminiature Lavalier Microphones, the theatre added the brand’s 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid, 4055 Kick Drum and 4099 Instrument Mics to its lineup.
“As a whole, DPA makes things easier,”
Renkus-Heinz - Banner - May 2025

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UK - Sparks Theatrical Hire has recently added an additional 16 Martin MAC Ultra Performance fixtures to their existing rental inventory as a direct result of LD demand in theatre.
“We have been extremely pleased with the feedback we have had from designers and technicians in the field, and the fact that they have proved so popular means we were pleased to add even more units to our rental inventory.” says Sparks director, Paul Anderson. All units were purchased from Martin's exclusive UK distributor, Sound Technology.
Since taking delivery, the MAC Ultras have proved extremely popular with Sparks’ clients. The first units went onto the production of Straight Line Crazy at The Bridge Theatre designed by Jessica Hung Han Yun, and subsequently they have been deployed in the West End transfer of Oklahoma lit by Scott Zielinski, Operation Mincemeat

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Italy - Vasco Rossi decided to delight his many fans again in 2023 with a short concert tour that criss-crossed Italy. As always, Giovanni Pinna was in charge of lighting, and made extensive use of Claypaky fixtures.
“The set design changed radically this year," says Pinna. “We mainly used 70-by-26m stages based around a triangle: there were three triangles of automated battens of different dimensions around a large central triangular LED wall. Each batten was fitted with a modular rig complete with all the lights.”
Pinna told us he deliberately chose to use only three kinds of moving light so that the stage was as uniform as possible. The ultimate goal was to achieve a high-impact, fully consistent visual result. Pinna used 148 Claypaky Hy B-EYE K25 units and 70 Claypaky Tambora Batten Squares as key lights, along with a few brand new Claypaky Skylos fixtures.

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Europe - Touring in support of their ninth studio album, Will Of The People, Muse are back on the road with long time audio vendor, Skan PA Hire. Building on two decades of trust between the bespoke audio rental company and one of Britain’s most intriguing and progressive bands, the Will Of The People tour delivers with impact.
The band have entrusted their nuanced repertoire to FOH Engineer Marc Carolan since 2001. “I’ve only missed one show since,” confirms Carolan. “It’s been incredibly satisfying working with them, and to hear their evolution; nothing has ever stagnated, and they consistently perform at the highest level.
“As musicians, they are very good at expressing specifics, so working out the audio brief for the tour is always an efficient process.”
Carolan, who is supported by FOH Tech Eddie O’Brien, has used Skan PA Hir

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Denmark - Soundwise is a busy Aarhus-based full production rental company which was founded by Lars Thorsager in 2001, initially as an audio specialist. Their client base includes music and cultural shows and events, touring and corporates, the latter being a rapidly expanding sector.
It’s that growth in premium industrial shows over the last year that has fuelled a new investment in Robe moving lights, with 12 x Esprites and 12 x LEDBeam 350s joining the rental fleet.
These were initially purchased with an event at the Clarion Hotel at Copenhagen Airport in mind. “The design featured 100sq.m of LED screen, so we needed lights that could punch through and excel even with all that ambient light onstage,” explained Lars.
He noted that many of the awards show designs for which Soundwise supplies production have LED surfaces prominent on the stage, so intensit

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India - Jaipur’s Suntech Sound recently invested in their first L-Acoustics system comprising of Kara II and KS28 high-power subwoofers. With the aim to exceed their clients’ expectations, Vaibhav Goel, founder of Suntech Sound strategically planned the company’s future with L-Acoustics.
The purchase was done through Hi-Tech Audio & Image who are L-Acoustics official India distributor and have been associated with the brand for a decade.
The move marks a significant milestone for Suntech Sound as it expands its product portfolio and further solidifies its position in the audio rental industry.
Vaibhav Goel comments: “L-Acoustics sets a new benchmark in audio reinforcement with their cutting-edge loudspeaker technology and advanced sound design solutions. Their precise and immersive sound reproduction, coupled with their extensive range of scalable sy

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Australia - Production company Krank'd relied on Show Technology, Prolights distributor in Australia, to expand their rental inventory with Prolights fixtures. The new selection includes the EclProfile CT+ LED profile and the EclCyclorama 100 soft-edge linear projector.
Wes Bluff, CEO of Krank'd, explained that the decision to invest in these new devices was driven by the need for a high-quality LED colour Profile solution: “Having used the Prolights EclProfile CT+ in high-level Queensland venues, and in discussion with local designers and crew, it was clear that everyone was raving about the EclProfile CT+.”
Wes says that it wasn't the fixture's extensive list of features that caught his attention, but rather the quality of light that they produce: “You can achieve the natural effect of a traditional incandescent fixture, yet they also produce an excellent range

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USA - June is Pride Month, a month honouring the 1969 Stonewall riots, but also a time to celebrate members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride Month brings parades, festivals, and more events. “We love seeing how designers put on productions to honour the month and community,” says software designer Vectorworks. One such creation is from Ami Hanna, a production designer, technical director, and LSO for Luma Box Designs.
A stage designer for the Salt Lake City Pride event each year, Ami Hanna cites the community and her own sexuality as reasons why the event means so much to her.
Hanna took over the Stageline production for Salt Lake City Pride in 2015. She inherited the job from a colleague, Nick ‘Murph’ Murphy, who went on to start Murphy's Production Services.
Murph supplied Hanna with a detailed draft of the event’s Stageline 250 - a drawing he did in

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USA - The 2023 AES International Conference on Audio Archiving, Preservation & Restoration, held at The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia, concluded ‘with resounding success’.
Over the course of three days, nearly 200 researchers and practitioners from around the world gathered to discuss critical preservation issues and explore strategies that foster collaboration and interoperability between the industry and the preservation, restoration, and archiving communities.
The conference, which took place from 1-3 June, provided an opportunity for experts in the field to come together and share their knowledge and insights. The event's focus on audio archiving, preservation, and restoration emphasized the importance of safeguarding our sonic heritage and ensuring its accessibility for future generations.
Part

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UK - Star Live, the specialist production agency that delivers live event and specialist build solutions, has secured a significant investment from LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group.
Star Live was responsible for the bespoke stage, grandstand seats and Royal Box at last month’s Coronation Concert. The company has delivered other major projects at events including the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, BST Hyde Park and the Platinum Jubilee, along with stadium tours by acts such as Adele.
The business is enjoying considerable growth, having increased revenues by more than 30% in the last year alone to reach over £24m. It has also secured major projects both in the UK and internationally, including the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, alongside a multitude of major sporting, cultural and entertainment pr

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UK - Based at the historic Birmingham Hippodrome, the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of five major ballet companies in the United Kingdom. Known for its intensive touring schedule, the company required a reliable communication solution that could be easily deployed in a variety of venues. The solution came in the form of an innovative punQtum and Riedel solution, specified by UK distributor Autograph.
Prior to the upgrade, the production team were using a two-stage system, composed of a one- or two-channel hard-wired system and a Motorola radio system. “Depending on the venue, we often found that their hard-wired systems were far from being able to accommodate the size and complexity of our productions,” says Johnny Westall-Eyre, technical manager of Lighting/AV at Birmingham Royal Ballet. “That meant we had an in-house system we couldn’t rely on and that wasn

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Italy - With a wealth of platinum and gold records to his name, Italian singer-songwriter and ‘father of Italian blues’, Zucchero Fornaciari, affectionately known as Diavolo in Reggio Emilia, celebrates his 40-year career this year with his World Wild Tour 2023.
The tour kicked off in New Zealand in April, before returning to Zucchero’s home- town of Reggio Emilia on 9-10 April where he played to capacity crowds at the RCF Arena, formerly known as Campovolo.
With these two shows, Zucchero inaugurated the new-look Campovolo, which now has a 35,000-seat capacity, and a purpose-built 5% slope that ensures optimal views and acoustics across the whole site, making the RCF Arena the largest outdoor music venue in Europe.
Zucchero’s lighting designer, Daniele De Santis, chose 60 Ayrton Cobras for the key feature of his lighting design for these two special show

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UK - This year, Martin Audio’s open day programme returns over an extended three-day period (from 6-8 September) at their High Wycombe base, following on from the PLASA Show, London.
It was exactly six years ago that the manufacturer launched the first of what has become a hugely successful programme.
This September the open days will offer more demonstration times each day and a half day extension plus the introduction of a new product at their newly refurbished offices. It will be sharing the stage with fellow brands within the Focusrite Group, namely Optimal Audio, Linea Research and Focusrite, ‘delivering on the promise of a mini tradeshow, without the walking’.
Martin Audio will be showcasing their recently announced point source series, FlexPoint, the full line up of constant curvature Torus loudspeakers, a selection of optimised line arrays from the

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UK - Audio networking specialist, AuviTran has appointed Glasgow-based CUK as distributor for the UK and Ireland with immediate effect.
AuviTran has been developing audio networking products in the shadow of the French Préalpes since 2003, initially with a range of EtherSound interfaces for mixing consoles. Today, the company produces a wide range of Dante interfaces along with the innovative Audio ToolBox modular solution for routing between and converting multiple audio formats including Milan certified AVB, Dante, EtherSound, CobraNet, MADI and AES-EBU.
International sales and marketing manager at AuviTran, Cianna David-Kivlehan, comments: “CUK tick all the boxes for us when looking for a distribution partner. Their presence in both live sound and installed AV allows them to service our two key market sectors. Having a strong technical focus means that customers

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USA - The recently-opened Bankroll is a new take on a Philadelphia sports bar. This 13,000sq.ft and 350+ seat restaurant and entertainment-viewing social experience is an impressive addition to Center City’s nightlife. CEO, Padma Rao states: “I think are going to change the game on how people come together to experience sports and live events with our range of access levels and experiences.
“We’re encouraging guests to look up at the same big screen together, celebrate big wins and monumental moments with the table next to you, and ask for advice on the under from a real person that’s sitting across the bar. We’re bringing people back together with technology rather than keeping them apart.”
Electrosonic led the audio/video system installation, outfitting this elevated sports bar with an installed 1 Sound audio system and 1,200sq.ft LED screens. Bankroll

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USA - A new Anolis external lighting scheme is illuminating the facades of The Godfrey Hotel in Boston, picking out the detail and architectural intricacies of the former Blake & Armory Building, a historic commercial site at the corner of Temple Place and Washington Street in the city’s Downtown Crossing pedestrian shopping zone.
Ron Kuszmar of PORT led the project and explained that the hotel’s owners brought them onboard to specify, design and install a new LED lighting scheme that would highlight the building in all its glory and replace the previous system dating back to when The Godfrey originally opened in 2016.
Based in Seabrook, New Hampshire, an hour out of Boston, PORT is well known as a theatrical, stage and architectural lighting and control specialist. The client found them via a Google search and was impressed with some other commercial lighting

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South Africa - Core Productions, a Cape Town based company established in 2015 by Bernard Gramann, has taken ownership of a grandMA3 onPC command wing XT and eight Claypaky Axcor Beams 300s, all supplied by DWR Distribution.
Business has picked up in the live events sector in SA. “I think all the companies that fought through the pandemic are doing well,” says Gramann. “The biggest change we have seen is that most live events now have a virtual element. We are doing more hybrid events than just standard meetings or events. In addition, we have had to upgrade our skills in content creating, editing and recording.”
“The grandMA3 onPC command wing XT is a little console with the capabilities of a full-size console,” comments Bernard. “What more do I need to say? For us, it’s definitely the leading brand in the lighting world, can do anything required from

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Switzerland - Each spring, the Cully Jazz Festival immerses jazz fans in a blend of music and picturesque scenery in the heart of Switzerland’s wine country. The most important event in Swiss Romande's vibrant cultural calendar, the festival was born in 1995 from the passion and dreams of two Daniel Thentz and Emmanuel Gétaz. Since then, the festival has grown from a humble two-day event, to one of Switzerland's most influential jazz festivals spread across nine days.
This year marks Cully Jazz Festival’s 40th anniversary, and the event now includes the entire village in its festival atmosphere. Year after year, the festival's demanding yet accessible programme attracts more than 70,000 festival goers. The festival line-up features musical performances across various genres and over three stages, including new Chapiteau, an outdoor stage, designed to elevate the live pe

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Germany - Prolights illuminated the world's largest inclusive sporting event, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023. The event was all about visibility, social participation, empowerment, and integration, as 7,000 athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities stepped into the limelight to take part in 26 different sports.
Under the artistic direction of Sven Sören Beyer, the collective phase7 performing arts was responsible for the creative concept of the opening ceremony, as well as its planning and implementation in collaboration with mediapool Veranstaltungsgesellschaft on behalf of the local organising committee. Technical services were provided by the POOLgroup and the lighting fixtures were provided by Lightpower, the Prolights distributor in the region.
On behalf of phase7, Flo Erdmann (von | BERG) developed the lighting design for the impressive

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UAE - Dubai-based iRIG has announced its partnership with Eilon Engineering as the exclusive distributor of their Ron StageMaster load monitoring systems. The partnership became effective on 1 June 2023, marking a significant milestone for both companies in expanding their presence in the Middle East market.
Eilon Engineering’s innovative load cell technology and commitment to quality have earned them a solid reputation among professionals worldwide. By partnering with iRIG, Eilon Engineering aims to leverage their expertise and strong regional presence to better serve customers in the Middle East.
The partnership will allow iRIG to enhance its product portfolio with Eilon Engineering's wireless and wired load cell solutions, providing customers in the region with access to the appropriate products for their lifting and load monitoring needs.
Both iRIG and Eil

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USA - Environmental Lights has announced that it has acquired City Theatrical, Inc and City Theatrical, Ltd (UK). The acquisition continues Environmental Lights’ growth trajectory as it expands its footprint and product offerings in the scenic market.
City Theatrical, based in Carlstadt, New Jersey, has been servicing the scenic and theatrical markets for over 37 years. Its Multiverse Wireless DMX technology is widely accepted as the standard in live performance globally, serving both Broadway and West End theatrical productions.
“Environmental Lights is focused on being the lighting leader in each of our core verticals. The acquisition of City Theatrical combines two strong businesses in the scenic market under one roof, positioning us as the clear leader,” said Brad Tedder, CEO of Environmental Lights.
“City Theatrical has established itself as a premi

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Germany - d&b Group has announced a major investment by Providence, a private equity firm specialising in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education and technology. With the support of Providence, d&b plans to further strengthen its global market-leading position in the professional audio market while also further integrating its capabilities in the audio visual, lighting and media (AVLM) solutions sector.
Providence has a track record of investing in businesses that deliver world-class technology and experiences. As part of the transaction, the d&b management team will also acquire a stake in the company, ensuring long-term leadership and strategic continuity. The parties have agreed not to reveal details of the transaction, and the conclusion of the transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.
Founded in

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Lithuania - Located along the banks of the slow-moving Nemunas River and surrounded by green meadows, the Old Church of St. John the Baptist stands alone as a sentinel against time. The picturesque Gothic church, with its striking steep-pitched roof, draws tourists and photographers from around the world to the Lithuanian town of Zapyškis.
While the building is no longer used for religious purposes, it was given the status of a Cultural Monument in 2002 and is now a popular venue for cultural and music events like the annual Kite Festival and Pažaislis Music Festival. Steerable loudspeaker arrays from Renkus-Heinz were installed in the building to combat long reverberation times, improve intelligibility and enhance the experiences of festival attendees.
Church staff contacted Vytautas Stasiukaitis, system designer at Audiotonas, to help redesign the audio system. As
  1. Green-Go DanteX enables Tori Amos comms
  2. Behind the Scenes releases 2023 Holiday Cards
  3. Cameo lights Tante Mia Tanzt Festival 2023
  4. Robe on the money at Theatre Royal of the Mint
  5. Tempest helps deliver WWII mapping experience
  6. RJ Arthur LT Followspots in action in Seoul
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GLP - MPU - Feb, Apr 2025

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