USA - Rogue Productions showcased the capabilities of its Rogue Servers, powered by Pixera (a media server software made by AV Stumpfl), during the co-headlining Sweat Tour featuring artists Charli XCX and Troye Sivan.

COUR Design, a Nashville-based creative content house spearheaded the tour's design. The production called for seamless integration of live camera feeds with dynamic visuals, precise synchronisation with music and lighting, and the ability to make real-time adjustments. These demands required a media server solution capable of balancing technical sophistication with user-friendly workflows.

Joe Vaughn from Rogue Productions explained: "COUR Design approached us with a clear vision for the tour. They wanted to push beyond the limits of traditional playback systems. While other platforms are fine for pre-rendered content, most l

USA - CMA Award winner Cody Johnson kicked of 2025 with the Leather Deluxe Tour, celebrating the release of his new album of the same name. The tour launched only a few short weeks after he wrapped his 2024 touring schedule in mid-December playing 30 sold-out concerts. Known for his traditional country sound, Johnson’s authentic storytelling and electrifying shows has solidified him as one of the hottest acts around.

Bandit Lites provides the lighting package for lighting designer Richard ‘Wookie’ Whitley. Comprised of Ayrton Khamsins, Ayrton Argo FX, Chauvet Pro Strike Array 4, Strike Array 2 and GLP JDC-1, Wookie designed a system that would wrap around the band while tapering down from downstage to upstage.

“I’m very happy with the outcome,” he said. “It gives some great looks without any crazy positioning or grouping as wel

Hungary - As part of a complete renovation of the Avas Lookout Tower in Miskolc, a dynamic lighting scheme, controlled by Pharos Architectural Controls, now illuminates the famous landmark during the darker hours.

Standing 72m tall, the Avas Lookout Tower was designed by Hungarian architects Miklós Hófer and György Vörös. Built in 1966 to replace an outdated tower made of wood, the new Avas tower stands as an emblematic feature of the Miskolc landscape, serving as a key monument to the social-realist history of the city. The renovation project features a refurbished visitor experience, while the area surrounding the tower has also been dramatically improved.

Pharos was appointed by the city’s local government to equip the Avas tower with the capability to run a decorative lighting system. The Pharos team worked alongside Lisys-Project – spec

UK - When the highly anticipated stage version of the blockbuster film The Devil Wears Prada debuted in Chicago in the summer of 2022, it was to mixed reviews.

By the time it arrived in London’s West End at the end of 2024 it was with an entirely fresh production, including a new creative team and an original score from Elton John.

Paule Constable, who lit the show in Chicago, had praised GLP’s then newly launched Impression X5 washlight. And when LD Bruno Poet took over the reins in the UK, he went even further – specifying around 120 GLP fixtures across the entire Impression X5 Series, punctuated by JDC1 hybrid strobes.

Poet has been a devotee of GLP’s LED solutions for a number of years, making expansive use of their X4 Series, notably the award-winning Bars (on the highly acclaimed Sigur Rós tour and Tina: The Musical).

Uganda - Situated in the bustling heart of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Noni Vie Lounge & Restaurant has raised the bar as a premier destination venue – in terms of both its cuisine and its music.

The latter was something that the proprietors definitely weren’t going to skimp on. It was while on a visit to London that they visited the Tiger Tiger nightclub and marvelled at the quality of the sound. Investigating further they realised it was a Martin Audio rig, and after contacting the manufacturer, they were directed to Tech Ease Systems, who distribute the brand throughout Central and East African countries.

The systems consultant, Vincent Kasule recalls the original website inquiry. “When I met the proprietors, I could see they were trying to create a modern club and restaurant that would be unique in Kampala, with an excellent audio expe

Switzerland - For 22 years from 1994 to 2016 the Kuppel (Dome) in Basel was a legendary concert venue and club which successfully hosted national and international acts. It was a wooden structure that had originally been built for a gardening show and was temporarily relocated onto public land in the city. Never intended as a permanent fixture, the city’s government eventually had the Kuppel demolished, but so popular was the venue that a trust committee had been established, and eight years after its removal, the new Kuppel was inaugurated.

Architects Vécsey*Schmidt designed the new venue and worked closely with the Basel office of global AV consultant, Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), who was appointed as the project’s acoustic engineering specialist. A high priority was placed on the total acoustic insulation of the venue owing to its location in

Ireland - CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration and content digitisation specialist, has built a new green screen studio for TG4, the major Irish-language broadcaster based in Galway. The new facility, which has taken over an existing studio, will be used initially for weather and continuity, but the broadcaster is eyeing future possibilities around sport’s continuity and virtual production for children’s TV.

TG4 had been using a very small space for its weather forecasts, which was inflexible, impractical and quite uncomfortable for its presenters. Reorganisation of its facilities meant another studio became available and TG4 looked to the industry to convert it for chromakey.

In an open tender process, CJP suggested the maximum flexibility could be achieved with an L-shaped screen, 5m long on each side and to a height of 3m. The

UK - Brick and Mortar, a high-tech boutique grading studio in Glasgow, was set up with the intention of providing filmmakers with a facility to rival the best in London’s Soho – traditionally the home of UK post-production expertise – both in terms of technology and talent.

To establish Scotland’s first DCI-compliant grading studio, Brick and Mortar picked a Christie CP4420-Xe Xenon projector with 2.0KW LB Xenon and Premium High Contrast Zoom lens.

Bringing the post-production prowess of Soho to Scotland was the brain-child of colourist, Tom Cairns and creative director, Jack Lang, who recognised that many filmmakers are not located near London and wanted to provide a high-tech alternative.

They teamed up with Savalas Post who not only had an established audio team and a high-end Dolby Premier mix theatre, but a location in Film City

Canada - K-array has become a go-to brand for AV integrators working in the restaurant scene across Canada’s Québec region.

"Restaurants in Montreal and the Québec region overall place significant emphasis on creating the right atmosphere, and high-quality audio is a key component of that," explains Daniel Huard of DDH Audio. "Music plays a central role in shaping the customer experience, making the integration of good-quality sound systems essential."

The restaurant industry in the Québec region has seen a move towards the popularity of all-in-one nightlife in recent years, with many new restaurants including sit-down dining, bar areas and live entertainment within one space. The concept is that customers can spend an entire evening in one place, avoiding the need to travel between bars, restaurants and clubs.

These establishments range

Germany - Located in the heart of Berlin, MAAP's experiential retail space merges cutting-edge design with cycling culture. As a premium performance cycling apparel brand, MAAP is known for ‘seamlessly merging aesthetics with performance while crafting physical spaces that embody its brand ethos’. When the Berlin MAAP LaB opened, sound was recognised as a pivotal element in shaping the customer experience, and Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers have been integral to the project's success.

The Berlin MAAP LaB focuses on fostering a sense of community. “Our LaB is a cultural touchpoint for the cycling community, a space that connects with Berlin’s dynamic spirit,” says Matt Ward, manager of MAAP LaB in Amsterdam, but who played an active role in the Berlin project. Ward has a long history as a music professional and led the effort to transform sound into

UK - The latest creation from the team behind MEATliquor, BLOODsports combines the most enjoyable elements of sports bar and ‘dive’ bar into a nightlife spot in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. With a menu featuring classic MEATliquor dishes, the bar broadcasts live sports all day and night, followed by late-night horror movies, with elements of classic horror films woven into the bar décor.

Having worked with founder Scott Collins on AV system design, implementation and maintenance for the MEATliquor chain, London-based systems integration specialist, Tateside, was on board with the project from the outset.

“We’ve worked with MEATliquor for around five years, so we were enthusiastic to be a part of this new concept,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “You don’t find many sports bars around these days, and with i

UK - Established in 1971, Harlow Playhouse has since been a cornerstone of the cultural landscape in Harlow, Essex. The venue hosts an array of performances across two theatres: a 400-seat main auditorium and a 120-seat studio theatre. Showcasing a variety of events, from music and comedy to musicals and drama, Harlow Playhouse plays a pivotal role in the local arts scene.

Following the success of two capital funding bids, the venue was first able to enhance its audio system, a project successfully managed by sister company d&b solutions. To further its commitment to sustainability and operational efficiency, Harlow Playhouse secured a second capital bid to upgrade its lighting system. The venue approached White Light, a d&b solutions company, to oversee this major investment.

Operations manager Emily Parsley spearheaded the lighting overhaul

Malaysia - The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) has made significant strides in advancing the nation’s film industry with its ICVFX Virtual Production Studio, a facility equipped with Brompton Technology’s Tessera LED video processors. Located in Ampang Jaya, the studio, which was upgraded last year, is now fully operational and serves as a modern facility designed to meet the growing demands of filmmakers and content creators in Malaysia.

Established in 1998, FINAS Studios has long been a cornerstone of Malaysia’s film industry. The complex features three studios for the use of film industry professionals: a flagship 790m² space and two smaller 97m² studios. In response to industry evolution, FINAS transitioned from its traditional green screen setup to a fully integrated Virtual Production (VP) system, enabling compatibility w

USA - ADJ Jolt Bar FX linear LED lighting fixtures and VS3 LED video panels created a vibrant and versatile backdrop for the first North American leg of Lawrence’s Family Business tour. The heavily themed shows utilised video content extensively, while the on-stage lighting was essential to the production design as well as for complementing the band’s high-energy musical performances.

Fronted by siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, who have been writing and performing together from an early age, Lawrence is an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals.

In support of the band’s fourth studio album, also called Family Business, the successful

USA - Crane Club, a vibrant dining experience located in the heart of NYC’s Meatpacking District and created by the Tao Group, has officially opened its doors. To complement the restaurant's elegant design, the venue sought an audio system capable of delivering exceptional sound quality across multiple floors, that varied in needs.

Tao Group enlisted Anthem Productions to complete this seamless audio integration for this 24,000sq.ft space and requested 1 Sound loudspeakers.

In the grand yet intimate double-height main dining room, Anthem integrated 1 Sound’s Cannon C6 and C8 loudspeakers. The extended low end of the Cannons is especially valuable for a seat that might be further from a subwoofer, that seat still clearly hears the full vocal range down to 60 or 55Hz.

The distributed Cannon C6s and C8s were mounted using the Swivel Mount ac

Belgium - For more than half a century global family business, Beaulieu International Group (BIG), has produced flooring material solutions. With a strong focus on providing sustainable choices, its aim is to ‘enhance the quality of living and working for every generation’.

Last year, the company decided to create an interactive experience centre at its Belgium headquarters. To achieve its aim, it called on the expertise of Ocular, a technology company specialising in immersive and interactive installations, to create a space that incorporates its diverse brands and brings them together as a cohesive whole. The centrepiece is a Leyard MGP Complete LED screen, used to introduce its solutions to visitors, and used as a presentation screen, or for events.

The team at BIG chose to build an interactive showroom because they wanted the people they inte

UK - Unusual Rigging has played a pivotal role in bringing Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Oliver! to the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End.

Tom Lee, senior production manager, commented: “We needed to work with a team that could transform the space and overcome some rigging challenges. Moving the production from Chichester to the Gielgud required careful planning and adaptation. The Unusual team, led by design engineer Emily Egleton, had to contend with a constantly evolving brief which involved recreating some elements of the show in a completely different space.”

With Egleton at the helm, the team needed to devise a way of supporting the production’s large and heavy set pieces, including an LED screen that could not be suspended from wires due to a projection surface above, and also needed to be easily movable. “The

UK - A performer and songwriter of consistently fresh ideas, Craig David’s polished melodies and thoughtful lyrics gently insinuate themselves into your mind and then take up permanent residence. After 25 years he’s still doing it as he takes his anniversary tour around UK arenas, performing hits such as 7 Days and Rendezvous for his loyal fans.

Oli Metcalfe, the show’s designer and a man with a reputation for challenging himself, took the opportunity to reflect David’s innovative song cycle with some new tech and a fresh idea of his own. “For arenas it's a bijou design with some real-time video elements,” he says. “It’s cool stuff. I’m using Unreal Engine (Epic Games), console driven via NDisplay for workflow, effectively working 3D scenes with a virtual camera embedded.”

Figuratively placing your artist within

USA - ATK Audiotek, a Clair Global brand, supplied live audio reinforcement and a stadium-wide communications network to the Super Bowl LIX, hosted at the 83,000-capacity Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans on 9 February.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles took centre stage for the NFL action, which saw the Eagles reign supreme in a sports battle that was accompanied by Clair Global touring client, Kendrick Lamar's Halftime Show.

ATK has worked across 27 Super Bowl games in a row, ensuring the event – produced by Roc Nation and DPS (Diversified Production Services) – is executed with technical prowess.

This year, almost 130m broadcast viewers tuned in as ATK devised the in-bowl audio, pre-game, Halftime, and in-game stadium sound, alongside the vital site-wide comms. The scope also extended to distributing audi

The Netherlands - Theater De Maagd, a converted church-turned-theatre in Bergen op Zoom has recently undergone technical modernisation, part of which included transitioning from halogen to LED lighting.

Ampco-Flashlight Sales, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for The Netherlands, recommended Ayrton Diablo TC, as a versatile and advanced LED fixture that perfectly aligns with the theatre’s vision for its future, installing 16 Diablo TCs as front lighting and an additional six units for use on stage.

The drive for innovation and a new way of working was precisely the reason the theatre chose Ayrton Diablo, as Cees Snellink, head of technology at Theater De Maagd, explains: “Switching to Ayrton Diablo saves us time and money because we now need much less physical setup compared to the conventional halogen lighting we used previously. Much of the pre

UK - To celebrate their ninth birthday, Salford’s Hope Mill Theatre put on a production of Nine, a Tony-Award winning musical centred around fictitious film director Guido Contini. The story is set in Venice, Italy and covers Contini’s struggles with writer’s block, marriage breakdown and a distressing midlife crisis. Featuring an all-star cast, including Ruthie Henshall and Ramin Karimloo, the production took place at The Lowry’s Lyric Theatre using an audio system from KV2 Audio supplied by Autograph Sound.

Theatre sound designer, Nick Lodge, who was in charge of audio for the production, comments: “I have worked with KV2 on multiple productions in the past and have total confidence in their ability to provide a system that meets the unique demands of musical concerts. The pristine sound quality and transparency of KV2 loudspeakers is al

UK - The Westfield London Shopping Centre is inviting its customers to “step into a world of light, colour and wonder” for an inaugural winter light experience called Here We Glow. Based around a number of outdoor light art sculptures, it is designed to dazzle visitors of all ages, and will run until the beginning of March.

Of the eight commissioned exhibits, two - Shifting Visions by Adam Povey Lighting and Tessellis by Italian Angelo Bonello - are brought to life by sympathetic soundscapes delivered through Martin Audio loudspeakers.

The audio system for both of these quite diverse features has been designed by David Gregory, at London-based Clay Productions.

The company specialises in delivering large-scale immersive projects, and in the case of Shifting Visions they have deployed Martin Audio Adorn

France - The city of Lyon (France) recently hosted the 47th edition of WorldSkills, an international competition that brought together nearly 1,400 young competitors from 66 countries, aiming to inspire youth through excellence in vocational skills. Held across several sites in the city, this global event welcomed 140,000 visitors and featured opening and closing ceremonies worthy of the largest sporting events, planned and executed by Groupe Novelty.

The WorldSkills opening ceremony kicked off in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron at a sold-out LDLC Arena, in front of 12,000 spectators.

Two Groupe Novelty companies, Novelty Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Novelty AURA) and Alabama Média, handled all technical requirements for the event under the direction of Stéphane Simmat, technical director for the opening ceremony, and

South Africa - For three weeks in November, Time Square’s 8,500-capacity SunBet Arena in Pretoria is home to Afrikaans is Groot, a series of performances devoted to Afrikaans music and culture. 2023 was the first outing with DiGiCo Quantum consoles and in 2024 the audio team increased their capacity with a Quantum 338 and Quantum 326 Pulse at Front of House and Quantum 338 at the monitor position.

The 2024 edition was Afrikaans is Groot’s biggest year yet, boasting nine shows over two weekends, with over 70,000 people enjoying the experience. Kyle Freemantle is head of audio for the production and has overseen the growth over the last decade. He offers his insight into why DiGiCo continues to be Afrikaans is Groot’s console of choice.

“DiGiCo consoles are at the top of my list because of their flexibility regarding Optocore

Latest Issue. . .

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Advertisement
If you accept, the ads on the page will be adapted to your preferences.
Google Ad
Accept
Decline