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07 January 2025

UK - The Royal Albert Hall in London hosts diverse performances every night of the week. DiGiCo consoles are at the centre of the building’s audio setup, a Quantum 852, Quantum 7, SD10, SD9 and SD11 are all owned by the venue. This ensures continuity for quality of sound, whatever the performance, and enables the audio department to prepare shows in advance, improving workflow during quick daily turnarounds.

Ben Evans has been audio operations manager since 2021. “During 2018, we went out to tender and had a d&b audiotechnik system designed for us, in addition to new network infrastructure,” Evans says. “We have a different show pretty much every day, so our five consoles allow us to prep and rehearse efficiently. When combined with our fibre networking, we can serve our multitude of shows effortlessly.”

Tom Marshall is a sound designer

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07 January 2025

UK - NYC post-punk band, Interpol, concluded the penultimate leg of its world tour with five dates in the UK at the end of the year. The tour celebrated the 20th anniversary of the band’s seminal landmark album, Antics, which the band played in full.

In keeping with Interpol’s image, Ed Warren’s lighting carried a spartan quality which is a work of modern art in itself. The stripped-back design employed 21 Ayrton laser-sourced Cobra fixtures – Warren’s only moving lights – in what Warren terms an “extremely considered and precise” show.

“There was a lot of symmetry going on between all the elements, and paramount to the geometry of it all was to have clean straight beams emanating from above and below,” the lighting designer explains. 15 Cobra were flown on a staggered array of truss fingers over the band

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07 January 2025

Denmark - SL Production in Skive is a new lighting and sound rental company – founded in 2020 by Jesper Poulsen and his business partner, Kasper Holm Nielsen – who joined forces and merged their respective companies into one entity to offer quality production values for all types of events.

Before starting SL Productions, Poulsen ran his own company operating as a mobile DJ and LJ spinning tunes and utilising his skills mainly for tractor pulling events – a booming phenom in Denmark – and the numerous town festivals that are popular across the country.

As soon as the new company was formed, they purchased some Robe moving lights – six MegaPointes and eight LEDBeam 150s.

“We knew that if we wanted to grow the company and be taken seriously, we needed to offer lighting and visuals, so in addition to excellent audio, we also believed

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07 January 2025

USA - Bandit Lites rang in 2025 with its Annual General Meeting, a gathering of its team members to recap the previous year, celebrate milestones and forecast the upcoming year. Bandit Lites chair and founder Michael T. Strickland addressed Bandit’s continuing successes and robust career opportunities.

Multiple Bandits celebrated milestone anniversaries with the company, including Carter Hopkins and Jesse Poreca for five years, Sarah Eucker, Carter Fulghum, Craig Richter and Ty Veneziano for 10 years and Scot Sepe for 15 years. World renowned designer Chaz Martin reached the 40-year mark at Bandit in 2024.

“Bandit stands alone with full-time employees and longevity is our key,” stated Strickland. “We have numerous 20, 30 and 40-year Bandits. By providing a career rather than a job, Bandit is able to provide the same people every year for our

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07 January 2025

UK - An Audient ASP880 eight-channel mic preamp was chosen for the new production studio at Soho House|Soho Works in Dean Street. Consisting of a spacious control room and live room, the studio is tailored to meet the needs of artists, writers and producers and is available to Soho House members.

The equipment was supplied and installed by studio installation specialist, Arcadia Solutions. The live room is cabled directly to the control room patchbay so clients can patch into an array of outboard, which includes the Audient ASP880.

Gavin Miller, owner of Arcadia Solutions explains: “The live room has the space to be able to record up to eight vocals and instruments at one time and Soho House needed an option for a bank of preamps to cater for multi-channel recording. ASP880 was the natural choice.”

Studio manager Sarah Haycox comments:

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07 January 2025

India - Goa’s Spectrum Audio Solutions has commissioned a further round of investments. The move aims to bolster the company’s audio, lighting, and trussing inventories to meet the evolving demands of high-profile live events.

Known for delivering unparalleled technical reinforcement for some of the most prestigious events in the region, the company continues to cement its reputation as a trusted partner for world-class productions. And Maria Rodrigues – the dynamic 23-year-old director of Spectrum Audio Solutions – has been instrumental in shaping the company’s success with her visionary leadership that has driven the company’s innovative approach, and her hands-on involvement in operations that has solidified its reputation for excellence.

She credits this success to the company’s unwavering commitment to quality, as she comments: “

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07 January 2025

USA - There were many magical moments in Boston’s 7,200-seat Agganis Arena on 14 December as Christmas came early for music fans with the arrival of Teddy Swims' Deck The Hall Ball. 

Contributing to the special mood at the show was a balanced production from the team at Events United led by project manager/systems engineer Chase Clark, which drew on the bright output and colour rendering prowess of 82 Chauvet Professional fixtures.

Rachael Fahey, production designer for the concert, described how the fixtures were used. "When I design a show, I try to give our lighting designers a variety of tools to work with," she said. "Our light director Meg Fiske consistently does a great job working with these lighting rigs with amazing success."

Playing a key role in making the show come alive were 82 Chauvet Professional fixtures from Even

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07 January 2025

Columbia - Esteban Gil Arcila, professionally known as Esteban Tosta, has risen to become a well-recognised reference in the lighting design community of South America. Working alongside stars like Colombian singer Maluma, Esteban turns to Elation’s new lighting technology to fulfil his clients’ vision and create stunning visual experiences that enhance their performances.

“Every show we imagine is tied to the type of equipment we use,” he says, adding, “That’s why the constant innovation of brands, offering new equipment and fresh ideas, is key. This not only facilitates the design but also allows for testing and experimenting with new setups, which boosts confidence when integrating them into the riders.”

Early in his career, working for one of Medellín’s biggest production companies, Genesis Producciones, gave him the chance to wo

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07 January 2025

Europe - DJ and record producer David Guetta is an advocate of K-array’s sound solutions. Guetta first encountered K-array systems in an entirely unexpected way. “I organised a big party for my son, and they told me there would be a K-array sound system,” Guetta recalls. “I was a bit nervous because the space was huge, but I couldn’t believe how incredible it sounded. The clarity and power were astonishing.”

Impressed by the quality and innovation, Guetta was eager to associate his image with the brand, making it an integral part of his weekly residency at Ibiza’s Ushuaïa nightclub.

Working mainly with K-array’s point source Dragon range and Kayman and Mugello line-array loudspeakers, Guetta now includes a full K-array system on his weekly residency. “Every Monday, I use the K-array sound system for my events and e

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07 January 2025

Spain - Martin Audio is gearing up its ISE presence this year with The FlexPoint Pitstop Challenge, a competition to test your speed and skill in rotating the driver on its flagship FlexPoint loudspeaker, the FP8. The contestant with the fastest time recorded over the four-day event will be crowned ‘the ultimate speed champion’, and receive a prize package valued at £10,000, including 2x FP8, 2x SX112 and 1x iKON iK41.

Each model in the FlexPoint range – aside from the ultra-compact FP4 – features a multi-angle enclosure that allows seamless orientation in either portrait or landscape mode. Thanks to Martin Audio’s proprietary quick-release grille latches and captive release clamps, the FlexPoint driver can be effortlessly rotated 90° by hand, without any tools.

This design ensures quick adjustments in the field, a feature Martin Audio is

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07 January 2025

Spain - The OCA Alliance, the trade association supporting the AES70 standard for Open Control Architecture, is to host an event at ISE 2025. In partnership with the Audio Product Development Alliance (ADPA) – an association dedicated to improving the knowledge and skills of professionals involved in the development of audio products, from concept to delivery – the OCA Alliance is holding a product development meet-up on their stand 7-E260 at 2pm on Wednesday 5 February, 2025. 

Interested parties are invited to learn more about how the incorporation of open standards such as AES70 into their products can help get their products to market faster and appeal to a wider audience. It’s also an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow professionals and exchange ideas and insights. To enrol, register your interest here by 17 January 2025: https://ocaalli

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07 January 2025

China - Wharfedale Pro has welcomed Marko Jovanović to its International Application and Solutions team. Based in China, Jovanović will support local customers while contributing to the team's global strength.

Jovanović has extensive experience as a live sound engineer, specialising in FOH and stage monitor mixing for events and festivals in Eastern Europe before continuing his career in China since 2015. His expertise in live sound engineering includes system design for large-scale events and also encompasses his role as head of dept for the world's largest immersive audio system in Shanghai.

"Marko's experience will be a great asset for us here at Wharfedale Pro," says Danny Clarke, sales director. "With his extensive European background and expertise in immersive audio, he brings a wealth of knowledge that will greatly strengthen our global sup

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07 January 2025

Festival Finances - Glastonbury Festival has reported that profits more than doubled last year, as it faces criticism for being too "corporate". The festival brought in £5.9m in pre-tax profits for the year to March 2024 – up from £2.9m the year before. During the same period, the event also donated £5.2m to charitable organisations including Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid.

A spokesperson for the festival said "successful, dry Glastonburys in both 2023 and 2024" had helped to "rebuild the event's vital financial reserves". The spokesperson said it also allowed them to "continue to support good causes and charities". Like many festivals, Glastonbury saw record losses during the pandemic, with the event called off in 2020 and 2021, "costing the festival millions", said the spokesperson.

In The Courts - A cyber hacker has pleaded g

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06 January 2025

USA - Sphere Entertainment delivered the Sphere New Year’s Eve Celebration presented by Lexus – a custom Exosphere content show to ring in 2025 on the world’s largest LED screen. This included a celebration of major cities around the world as different time zones approach midnight, culminating with Sphere serving as Las Vegas’ official countdown to 2025 as part of the destination’s citywide New Year’s Eve fireworks show.

And immediately after the clock struck midnight, Sphere showcased content from Afterlife Presents Anyma The End of Genesys, which played inside Sphere on New Year’s Eve. The Celebration also featured a festive Lexus activation and art from XO Artist UON Visuals.

“Sphere is a global landmark, and we’re excited to be sharing New Year’s Eve with our fans around the world through our Exosphere show,

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06 January 2025

UAE - Netherlands-based manufacturer ELC Lighting has announced the appointment of Sonic Evolution FZC as the new exclusive distributor for both its brands, ELC and Green-GO, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Based in Sharjah, Sonic Evolution FZC is now set to provide both of ELC Lighting’s award-winning product ranges – the ELC range of DMX-over-IP lighting control products and the Green-GO family of digital wireless intercom solutions – to its customer base throughout the UAE.

A distributor of specialist technologies for the professional production industry, Sonic Evolution was set up just last year by India-born Dr. Rajesh Khade (an actual medical doctor, as well as a drummer and live sound engineer) and his partner Arnold Coelho (an audio and mechanical engineer) to provide targeted technical solutions to entertainment production professio

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06 January 2025

Poland - Australian manufacturer LSC Control Systems has welcomed Prolight, a well-known provider of professional lighting equipment and services, as its new exclusive distributor for Poland.

Founded in 1996, Prolight has built a leading position in the Polish market and is now looking forward to providing its customers with access to LSC’s innovative range of power and data management products, all of which are designed and manufactured in Melbourne, Australia.

As well as representing a portfolio of leading brands in the fields of lighting, multimedia, and stage technology, Prolight provides services including maintenance, installation and training.

Kacper Rzeczkowski of Prolight believes the LSC range brings important synergies to its offering. He says: “Since its acquisition by Robe Lighting, awareness of LSC in Poland has significantl

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06 January 2025

India - As it marks 33 years in the live event sector, rental solutions company Mowzz Entertainment has made significant investments in new technology, with L-Acoustics’ K Series loudspeakers and the first Celto Acoustique IsoRay system in India.

"From its inception, Mowzz has only partnered with globally reputed brands for its inventory – be it loudspeakers to backline and anything in between. We’ve consistently set the benchmark for quality and performance in everything that we’ve done over the past 33 years; and this year proved to be the perfect time for Mowzz to leap into a new era of performance excellence,” states Zakir Alladin, founder-director of Hyderabad-based Mowzz Entertainment.

Prakash Savio, partner and head of technical production at Mowzz Entertainment adds: “A strong commitment to superlative performance and reliability,

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06 January 2025

Denmark - Travel up the Jutland peninsula to Denmark’s northwest coast and you find one of the country’s largest and most popular amusement parks, Fårup Sommerland. The park showcases a popular light festival each autumn, Lysfald, which this year ran for 16 days in October and attracted over 12,500 guests per day.

Pivotal in ensuring that the lighting installation ran smoothly were Netron EN6 IP nodes, award-winning data distribution devices by Obsidian Control Systems that played a critical role in managing the large-scale, synchronised lighting display.

Fårup Sommerland is home to seven roller coasters and the country’s largest amusement park water park. Four years ago, in collaboration with AV solutions provider Profox, the park sought to extend its season into the autumn by creating a new attraction – an immersive, park-wide li

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06 January 2025

India - PP Sound Light Productions delivered the soundscape for Mumbai’s India Cocktail Week with technologies from Meyer Sound, DiGiCo and d&b Audiotechnik.

“India Cocktail Week is a celebration of sensory experiences, and sound plays a crucial role in amplifying the audience’s connection to the event. Our goal was to deliver an immersive and consistent audio experience across the expansive festival grounds, ensuring every attendee enjoyed impeccable sound quality, regardless of their location,” says Prasad Parkar, founder-director of PP Sound Light Productions.

India Cocktail Week (ICW) returned for its fifth edition on 30 November and 1 December 2024 at Mumbai’s Jio World Garden.

A vibrant community platform, ICW has long established itself as more than just a festival. It is a melting pot where spi

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06 January 2025

Spain - Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi is the largest indoor arena in Spain, but even this sleek 18,000-capacity venue couldn't contain all the energy and excitement generated by the 19th edition of the annual Los 40 Music Awards held there this November.

First there was the music: with 17 international artists performing 40 songs, the ceremony celebrated virtually every facet of Latin and urban music. There were also the awards presentations – and this year an extra dimension, as Los 40 served as a telethon, partnering with The Red Cross to raise money for those affected by the 2024 Spanish floods.

Designer Alain Corthout with help from operator Timothy Demets supported the various dimensions of Los 40 by serving up a range of lighting looks that were equally at home pulsating to the music of performers like Rauw Alejandro, Ana Mena, Lola Índigo,