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Knw. by Live Matters unterstützt Jalsa Salana Deutschland bei smarter Veranstaltungssteuerung
28/08/2025
MGG Productions debuts new L-Acoustics K2 system at South Africa’s premier Afrikaans arts festival
28/08/2025
Sub-Events setzt Payton Parrish beim Wacken Open Air mit Scheinwerfern von Sagitter in Szene
26/08/2025
Newly acquired L-Acoustics L2 arrays power Katie Melua performance at Poland’s Ladies Jazz Festival
26/08/2025
Robe illuminates “Nuova Scena” launch party
26/08/2025
Meyer Sound unterstützt Montreux Jazz Festival erneut als Innovations- und Strategischer Partner
19/08/2025
d&b Audiotechnik unterstützt „Soundscapes in the Garden“ in der Neuen Nationalgalerie Berlin
13/08/2025
Zactrack supports “Souk Wonders”
12/08/2025
Highlite-Scheinwerfer beleuchten Soenda Outdoor 2025
Beim diesjährigen Soenda Outdoor, einem Festival für elektronische Musik in den Niederlanden, wurden insgesamt 512 Scheinwerfer von Showtec und Infinity genutzt. Die Highlite-Leuchten kamen in den drei Hauptbereichen des Festivals - Java, Komodo und Timor - zum Einsatz.
Auf der Java-Bühne wurden 100 Showtec-Spectral-M800-Q4-Pars und 124 Showtec-Helix-S5000-Q4-Washer verwendet, im Komodo-Bereich 142 Infinity-IB-2R-High-Energy-Beam-Moving-Heads. Die Timor-Bühne wurde mit 124 Showtec-Spectral-M800-Q4-Pars, zehn Infinity-Furion-S401-Spot-Moving-Heads und zwölf Infinity-iW-1915-Pixel-RGBW-Wash-Moving-Heads ausgestattet.
Das Lichtdesign verantwortete Lars Aarts von T.Y.S Productions. Wesley Houben, Tom van de Burg und Kenneth Brouns übernahmen die Programmierung und Bedienung während der gesamten Veranstaltung. Ihre Arbeit wurde durch immersive Videoinhalte von Luuk Meuffels und Jessica Dreu von Deframe ergänzt, während Nathan Kok von Elevation Events die technische Produktion leitete. Die Ausrüstung und die Vorproduktion wurden von Lennard van de Palen und Tomas Erich von StageLight unterstützt.
(Foto: Highlite)
George Gorton chooses Robe for Peach Pit tour
Canadian indie rockers Peach Pit completed the North American section of their “Long Hair, Long Life” tour with a new lighting design from George Gorton from Vancouver-based creative design studio Loud Entertainment Design Group.
The visual concept relied heavily on lighting for impact - there were no video elements on this leg of the tour campaign - and included some key Robe products, including Forte moving lights and HolyPatt scenic luminaires, supplied by rental company Promosa, also from Vancouver.
Gorton has been working with the band for four years as their LD. For the “Long Hair, Long Life” tour, he imagined a completely new design. With a black backdrop upstage and no video, it was a perfect space for lighting to play important literal and scenic roles in the show. The bent milk crate image from the album cover artwork inspired him to think of linear lines contrasting with the spherical HolyPatts and riffing on the contrast between the two shapes.
Gorton says he wanted HolyPatts “for their interesting appearance and the distinctive look they bring to the stage”, and this became a starting point from which the lighting design evolved into an upstage row of thirteen wide by two high HolyPatts rigged on ladder trusses, with the fixtures alternated in height and positioned just in front of the black (back-cloth).
Based on Robe’s Patt2013, the larger HolyPatt has a 4W LED Vintage Soft Coil filament lamp with a colour temperature of 1,800 K to illuminate the transparent gold-brown parabolic reflector which produces an atmospheric glow. “I love the texturing and richness of incandescent lighting, and while these are LED fixtures, their dimming response, retro styling and brushed aluminium casing add the impression of a softer tungsten warmth to the picture”, Gorton explains.
Six of the ten Fortes were positioned along the floor at the back, with the other four - two a side - deployed left and right for low level cross light. “I needed power and lumens from these angles, especially when in saturated colours, and Fortes were perfect”, states Gorton. “They were a huge part of the lightshow.” He says he had used HolyPatts only once before on a tour with Ocie Elliott, which was also a bit of a test run to see how they would work onstage and how they would fare with touring - being pleasantly surprised in both contexts.
Challenges for the Peach Pit tour included the variety of venues being played and the consequent levels of light pollution. A memorable lighting moment of the set was during the song “Peach Pit”, when Gorton used all the HolyPatts glowing at around 20% and a single Forte, a simple framing of the action that was highly visually effective.
Working with Gorton on programming for the tour was assistant designer and associate Averil Bott who also directed some of the dates when Gorton had to jump off to fulfil other commitments. Looking after the “roll-on-roll-off” rig on the road was lighting crew chief Andrew Balzer from Promosa.
Gorton adds that Robe’s Forte/iForte fixtures will continue to be used and specified for all Loud Entertainment Design Group projects, including upcoming ones with all-girl rockers The Beaches and rapper Shubh.
(Photos: Kyle Dean)
Cameo-Scheinwerfer lassen Tomorrowland nach Großbrand neu erstrahlen
Das Tomorrowland 2025 in Boom (Belgien) begann mit einem Paukenschlag - allerdings nicht auf musikalischer Ebene: Nur wenige Tage vor Festivalbeginn zerstörte ein Großbrand die Main Stage. Veranstalter, Technikpartner und Crews errichteten innerhalb von 24 Stunden eine neue Bühne. Cameo unterstützte das Festival mit insgesamt 260 Outdoor-Scheinwerfern, die auf mehreren Bühnen für große und kleine Lichtinszenierungen genutzt wurden.
Für das Lichtdesign und Rigging auf der Main Stage zeichnete PRG BeNeFra verantwortlich. „Das war ein Schock“, erinnert sich Managing Director Peter Robberechts an den Moment des Brandes. „Doch sobald feststand, dass niemand verletzt wurde, ging es sofort darum: Was muss jetzt getan werden - und wie schnell?“ Die neue Main Stage wurde mit einer Auswahl sofort verfügbarer Scheinwerfer ausgestattet, darunter die Cameo-Zenit-W300-Outdoor-LED-Wash-Lights. „Die Zenit W300 waren ein starker visueller Anker für die neue Bühne“, so Robberechts.
Die Herausforderung bestand darin, innerhalb weniger Stunden Technik, Stromversorgung, Rigging, Vernetzung und Programmierung neu zu organisieren, ohne Kompromisse hinsichtlich Sicherheit und Wirkung einzugehen. „Das war eine der inspirierendsten Erfahrungen meiner Laufbahn“, sagt Robberechts. „Alle Beteiligten - von den Crews über die Lieferanten bis zu den Veranstaltern - haben gemeinsam Außergewöhnliches geleistet. Diese gegenseitige Unterstützung war unbezahlbar.“
Auch auf den weiteren Festivalbühnen kam Cameo zum Einsatz. Auf der muschelförmigen Planaxis Stage, die direkt an eine Wasserfläche grenzt, sowie auf der im Wald gelegenen Rise Stage entschied sich der langjährige Technikpartner L&L Stage Service für den Otos W12, einen IP65-Wash-Moving-Head, der unter anderem für atmosphärische Effekte zwischen Bäumen und Wasserelementen genutzt wurde. Vor allem nach Sonnenuntergang erzeugten die Otos W12 spektakuläre Beam-Effekte durch die Baumkronen.
Auf der schwimmenden Crystal Garden Stage mit ihren riggingtechnisch begrenzten Möglichkeiten kamen auch in diesem Jahr wieder Cameos IP65-zertifizierte Oron-H2-Hybrid-Phosphor-Laser-Moving-Heads zum Einsatz.
(Foto: Adam Hall Group)
Knw. by Live Matters unterstützt Jalsa Salana Deutschland bei smarter Veranstaltungssteuerung
Vom 29. bis 31. August 2025 versammelt die Jalsa Salana Deutschland auf dem Flugplatz Mendig über 40.000 Teilnehmer aus ganz Europa. Die Infrastruktur der jährlichen Veranstaltung der Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Deutschland reicht von Gebetsflächen über Verpflegung bis hin zu medizinischer Versorgung.
Reibungslose Abläufe, kurze Wege, gute Versorgung und ein Gefühl von Ruhe und Orientierung sind dabei laut Veranstalter von größter Bedeutung. Um dies zu erreichen, seien eine präzise Steuerung aller logistischen Prozesse und verlässliche Daten vonnöten. Erstmals kommt ein digitales Besucheranalytik-System von Knw. by Live Matters GmbH zum Einsatz. Sensoren an Ein- und Ausgängen erfassen kontinuierlich die Bewegungen der Gäste. Die Daten werden über Starlink übertragen und auf einer webbasierten Plattform visualisiert - in Echtzeit und für alle relevanten Bereiche nutzbar.
Die Lösung ermöglicht eine Personalplanung nach Auslastung (zum Beispiel für Ordnerdienste, Reinigung oder medizinische Versorgung), eine Cateringsteuerung nach Besucheraufkommen, eine Optimierung von Check-in-Zeiten, eine dynamische Anpassung von Infrastruktur und Services sowie eine transparente Nachbereitung für zukünftige Veranstaltungen.
„Unsere Lösung liefert ein Echtzeitbild der Veranstaltung - nicht nur für die Technik, sondern für alle operativen Bereiche“, sagt Michael Tschakert, Managing Director von Knw. „Die Sensorik hilft dem Veranstalter, Bewegungsmuster zu erkennen, Ressourcen gezielt einzusetzen und Abläufe dynamisch zu steuern. So entsteht ein intelligentes Veranstaltungsmanagement, das auf Daten basiert - und dabei auch sensible Aspekte wie Aufenthaltsdichte und Besucherfluss diskret berücksichtigt.“
Chauvet’s Color Strike M and Colorado PXL Bar 16 selected for Stick Figure tour
Geometry was reflected in the approach that Justin Casey and his team at Helm Projects took to lighting reggae band Stick Figure’s 15-date “Island Holiday” summer tour, which recently concluded with a performance at the Levitate Music Festival. Working closely with the band, Casey wanted to include a wide variety of design elements in his production.
“With this design, we really focused on clean lines and unique shapes”, he says. “There were a lot of moving parts to this show. It was all about getting a nice balance of lighting, video, and lasers. Having a good blend of shapes helped us pull it all together into one seamless flow.”
A key part of Casey’s geometry was the “Triforce” truss configuration that he flew over the stage. Spanning almost the entire width of the stage, this structure was made up of triangles within triangles. In addition to the outer structure, there were four other triangles inside the main triangle, two along its base, one inverted version in its middle, and one at its apex.
The interplay between the different triangles created a smooth sense of balance that tied all the light sources and rainbow of colors together in a unified whole. On the subject of colors: at times, Casey had four or five of them on the stage simultaneously without having them appear to be conflicting or confusing. “We kept all the colors clean thanks to the distinct lines and shapes we used”, he says. “The band loved the colorful looks that we picked, and it brought some great energy.”
Adding to the power of the Triforce structure to balance the design were the 54 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorized strobe-washes in the touring rig. “We lined the Triforce truss design with the Color Strike M”, says Casey. “This helped make the triangle outer shape pop with color - and then we had them on the intersections to help give us some punch of color facing the audience.”
Also pulling the rig together were its forty Chauvet Professional Colorado PXL Bar 16 motorized tilting battens, which lined the video walls. “They helped pull your eye into the video. We were able to make sheets of light around the video and make it feel like it was an extension of the content”, says Casey, adding: “Another way we extended the video impact was through our big riser setup. The band approached me wanting big risers. They wanted to elevate part of the band. I pitched the video steps to give them areas to walk around on as well as being about to extend the video all the way to the stage deck, so it felt more immersive. I ended up doing three layers of half-meter panels.”
Casey also acknowledges the contributions of collaborators like touring LD Joe Donnelly, programmer Nick Stabile, and crew chief Zach Schulz, as well as the teams at Helm Projects and Stick Figure.
(Photos: Chauvet Professional)
MGG Productions debuts new L-Acoustics K2 system at South Africa’s premier Afrikaans arts festival
MGG Productions - celebrating its 25th anniversary this year - has deployed its newly-acquired L-Acoustics K2 sound system at the Innibos Lowveld National Arts Festival. The strategic investment in K2 technology positions MGG to take on increasingly important projects across diverse market sectors.
Since its inception in 2004, Innibos has evolved into one of South Africa’s most significant cultural celebrations. This year’s 3-day festival welcomed 78,800 attendees across a 9,500 sqm audience area, featuring eight theatre productions, ten music and lifestyle shows, and performances by over thirty of South Africa’s top artists. The festival generates an estimated R80-100 million economic impact for the local Lowveld economy.
MGG Productions acquired its K2 system through L-Acoustics Certified Provider Distributor DWR Distribution. The system acquisition, which began with discussions at ISE 2025 in February, was delivered in time for the festival deployment. “Expanding the L-Acoustics inventory is an important investment in our future capabilities”, comments Günther Müller, MGG Project Manager. “The K2 system enhances our ability to serve clients across diverse market sectors.”
For this year’s Innibos Lowveld National Arts Festival, MGG faced the task of delivering audio coverage across the venue’s layout at Hoerskool Bergvlam. “The venue presents unique acoustic challenges”, says Dean Parker, MGG’s Head of Audio. “Despite being situated on a sports field, the stage angle combined with off-axis grandstand, multiple VIP areas and surrounding tents, demanded a sophisticated approach to sound distribution, with complex coverage requirements across the entire audience area.”
The system design phase leveraged L-Acoustics Soundvision software for venue modelling and coverage optimisation. Parker’s team imported the venue layout and stage configuration, then used the software’s prediction capabilities to address the acoustic challenges. According to Parker, the software proved particularly valuable for assigning amplifiers, loading FIR filters, and making real-time adjustments during the event setup.
MGG deployed a comprehensive L-Acoustics sound system featuring L/R hangs of twelve K2 enclosures with three Kara II down-fill speakers per side. Behind the main arrays, ten SB18 subwoofers were flown in two side-by-side hangs of five units each. Out-fill coverage was provided by nine V-Dosc enclosures per side with three dV-Dosc down-fill units, supplied by Gearhouse South Africa. The low-frequency foundation consisted of a delay arc of 24 KS28 subwoofers in twelve stacks of two units. Three delay towers of Kara II - configured with six, another six, and nine enclosures respectively - ensured consistent coverage throughout the expansive audience area.
The system featured advanced networking capabilities through LS10 switches and P1 processors, providing full Milan-AVB redundancy and streamlining setup procedures. This network-based approach required only power and network connections for each amplifier location, eliminating the need for traditional AES/EBU or analog cabling infrastructure. The integration of SFP modules in the LS10 switches enabled fibre-optic connections to LA-Rak amplified controllers positioned on either side of the stage, creating a redundant infrastructure.
Load-in presented unexpected challenges when larger transport vehicles were prohibited from accessing the grassed area in front of the stage. However, L-Acoustics’ transport casing and stacking system enabled efficient deployment despite the logistical constraints. The entire PA system was operational within a single day, with only minor delays related to tower positioning rather than the core system installation.
The technical crew comprised experienced L-Acoustics users, including front-of-house engineer Murray Lubbe, who is also involved in the festival organisation. DWR Distribution provided on-site expertise through Solutions Architect Kyle Freemantle.
Pictured (left to right): Kyle Freemantle (DWR), Duncan Riley (DWR), Mark Gaylard (MGG), Nardus de Lange (MGG), Günther Müller (MGG) and Richard Smith (DWR). (Photos: Innibos Lowveld National Arts Festival/L-Acoustics/MGG Productions)
Herm Schneider and The Design Oasis immerse at Secret Dreams Festival with Chauvet
Fans of Secret Dreams like to say that they aren’t just “at” this summer festival, but are actually “living” inside it - such is the power that this three-day celebration of music, art, culture and solidarity has to draw people into the magic of the moment.
This immersive vibe extended beyond the gently rolling hills of the festival’s 230-acre grounds in Thornville, Ohio, with their interactive art activities and yoga classes. The same absorbing, engaging quality also radiated from its main stage, due to a deep, multi-dimension lighting, video and production design that featured over 100 Chauvet Professional fixtures from The Design Oasis.
Lighting designer Alex “Herm” Schneider of Herm Productions collaborated with John Hollingshead of The Design Oasis, Antic Studios for video, and Matthew J. Kator who did the original concept and drawings, to create a production that drew festival goers into the roughly 160-foot-wide (not including the crowd wings past the video walls) main stage.
With trims ranging from 31 to 40 feet, the roofed stage afforded visiting LDs ample room to create looks for their clients. Directing light against the stage roof accented the depth of the stage. The 3D effect of the stage was also amplified by the arrangement of fixtures with the angled video walls provided by Antic Studios. Positioning the main video wall upstage of the artists created even more depth. There were also downstage video walls, as well as angled side and DJ booth walls designed by Antic Studios.
The lighting fixtures were flown high or positioned to either side of the stage, leaving ample space in the middle. “Given that we had many guest VJs who don’t normally like to see fixtures within their video space, we flew everything out of the way to keep everyone happy”, says Schneider. Playing a prominent role in the lighting rig were 22 Maverick Storm 1 Hybrid, 24 Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash, and eight Maverick Strom 2 Profile fixtures, flown on three rows of overhead truss and arranged along the stage deck.
Also anchoring the lighting rig were 48 Color Strike M fixtures, which filled a variety of roles. “They gave a wash of color that could be tilted to wash the stage roof and video wall”, Schneider says of the motorized strobe-wash. “They also provided the LDs with plenty of strobe options, and they illuminated the aerialists who performed stage left and right. On top of that, we had them behind the upstage video wall to add depth and give a dramatic dimension of light coming through the wall.”
“Rigging was a challenge on the wing fixtures, but John Hollingshead with The Design Oasis made some great last minute decisions on these problems and the rig came together nicely”, Schneider notes. “Credit too to the entire team including rigging lead Will Roth, Bew Productions for the infrastructure, Shpongle rigging and staging, PM Chis Salvato and everyone else involved.”
In addition to transforming the main stage, Chauvet contributed to the dynamic looks on Stage 2 with eighteen Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes and twelve Maverick Storm 2 Profile fixtures, and eight Color Strike M motorized strobes.
(Photos: Chauvet Professional)
Sub-Events setzt Payton Parrish beim Wacken Open Air mit Scheinwerfern von Sagitter in Szene
Beim Auftritt des amerikanischen Metal-Sängers Payton Parrish auf dem diesjährigen Wacken Open Air nutzte das Lichtteam Produkte des italienischen Herstellers Sagitter. Eingesetzt wurden unter anderem die Modelle Blok2TW, Archer W3, Archer W8 sowie Archer X10.
Die technische Planung und Umsetzung des Gigs, der am Nachmittag und somit bei Tageslicht auf der Harder Stage stattfand, übernahm die Hamburger Firma Sub-Events Veranstaltungstechnik. Sub-Events verantwortete die gesamte Abwicklung, von der Gerätewahl über die Logistik bis hin zum Aufbau. Die gelieferten Sagitter-Scheinwerfer wurden über den Partner Eventhandel bezogen.
„Dass unsere Technik beim Wacken Open Air auf einer der Hauptbühnen eingesetzt wurde, erfüllt uns mit großem Stolz“, kommentiert Fabiano Camoranesi, Business Unit Manager bei Sagitter. „Wir bei Sagitter entwickeln unsere Produkte speziell für Anforderungen wie diese.“
(Fotos: Christian Kaiser)
Newly acquired L-Acoustics L2 arrays power Katie Melua performance at Poland’s Ladies Jazz Festival
Katie Melua’s technical rider specified L-Acoustics for her performance at the 21st edition of the Ladies Jazz Festival, Europe’s only recurring festival dedicated to female jazz artistry, held at the 4,500 capacity Polsat Plus Arena in Gdynia, Poland.
The response came through a strategic partnership between Polish rental company Krupski Sound and L-Acoustics Certified Partner Audio Plus, deploying flagship L2 arrays that transcended the venue’s difficult acoustics. Krupski Sound’s path to L-Acoustics’ flagship technology is a development of its partnership with Audio Plus, which began in 2023 when Krupski was persuaded by systems engineer Krzysztof Polesinski to acquire L-Acoustics’ A-Series line array systems. Krupski expanded into Kara II systems for larger productions before reaching the current L-Series.
When Melua’s rider arrived specifying L-Acoustics with emphasis on even coverage throughout the venue, Krupski’s newly acquired L2 arrays positioned them to meet the most exacting technical requirements. The Polsat Plus Arena presented multiple acoustic and logistical challenges: a glass panel separating the rear balcony from main seating, absence of rear wall diffusers, as well as a specially created suspended truss structure to accommodate the festival’s extensive lighting design, and a television production crew on-site broadcast the performances.
Audio Plus deployed experienced trainer Jerzy Kubiak to work alongside Krupski’s team, ensuring optimal system configuration and performance. “When you’re deploying a new system in challenging conditions, hands-on support makes all the difference to achieving the best results”, notes Pawel Kuhn, Marketing Director at Audio Plus.
The final configuration featured L/R main hangs of one L2 and one L2D per side, supported by seven Kara II units per side as out-fill arrays, and seven A10 units (five Focus, two Wide) for front-fill coverage. Twelve KS28 subwoofers were ground-stacked in cardioid pairs to control low-frequency directivity, with the entire system operating via Milan-AVB protocol through a P1 processor and AES/EBU redundancy. Last-minute lighting design changes by the television production team required repositioning parts of the system. The L2’s design enabled Krupski’s team to execute rapid system adjustments while maintaining the desired coverage patterns.
Katie Melua’s response resonated beyond technical achievement. Taking to social media, she wrote: “Thank you for the most epic evening. I loved every second of that gig”, highlighting her crew as “genius technicians” while noting feedback from venue regulars: “On this trip I was told ‘that’s the best sound I’ve heard in this venue and I’ve been coming to shows here for years.’”
(Photo: Krzysztof Sklodowski/Audio Plus)
Robe illuminates “Nuova Scena” launch party
The latest series of Italian talent show “Nuova Scena - Rhythm + Flow Italia”, which scouts out some of the best rising star rappers, kicked off with a launch party staged at Milan live music venue and nightspot Fabrique, complete with a lightshow created, programmed and delivered by Cattaneo Cattaneo of design studio Cue s.r.l.
Fabrique has a Robe moving light rig installed, featuring over 150 moving lights - a mix of Fortes, MegaPointes, LEDBeam 150s, Spiiders, TetraXs, Tetra2s, Paintes and Pointes all supplied by Robe’s Italian distributor RM Multimedia through the venue’s resident in-house technical provider, For Sound.
Cattaneo Cattaneo used all these fixtures, and additional LEDBeam 350s further augmented the lighting rig with twenty-four Robe SVB1s and four HolyPatts, supplied as “specials”, together with all the additional technical production needed to make this event rock, also supplied by the rental division of For Sound.
Cattaneo was asked to design lights for this launch event by creative agency La Tarma. The evening was essentially a party with DJ sets plus additional live performances by “Nuova Scena” contestants and judges. Some of the scenic elements onstage - e.g. the judge’s desk - were inspired by the TV show. A large upstage LED screen was flanked by two smaller side stage LED screens and goal-post trusses, and all the event’s technical production was co-ordinated by Live Nation.
Cattaneo has lit multiple shows in Fabrique, and he is a big advocate for Robe products and has been using them since the early days of the XT and AT series, way back when the brand originally launched. Always interested in new tech, he jumped at the chance to use the SVOPatts and HolyPatts, both for the first time, to assist in shaping this show.
The SVB1s were positioned on the upstage/overstage trusses. The four HolyPatts were used for creating a specific texture of background light with very distinctive characteristics behind the DJ and judges - something that looked and felt “iconic and radiant, but simultaneously with ‘hollow’ or open areas to let other light beams cut through”, as Cattaneo puts it.
(Photos: Chiara Buonvino)
Olly Murs FOH/monitor engineers use DiGiCo Quantum 5 consoles on tour
Rob Sadler at the front-of-house position and John Lumsdon on monitors both chose the DiGiCo Quantum 5 console, supplied by Solotech, for Olly Murs’ latest UK tour, including the O2 Arena dates in May 2025. The engineers joined Olly Murs a little over a year ago but, as Sadler explains, their relationship with DiGiCo consoles began much earlier.
“I first used a DiGiCo in 2011, and I’ve used them on almost every tour I’ve done since 2015”, he recalls. “It is definitely the console I feel most comfortable behind and most things are now second nature. I’ve been on tour with Olly for about sixteen months and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s what I’d class as a proper pop music concert. There are pyrotechnics, confetti and automated staging, there’s even snow!”
“The show typically starts with a lot of excitement as the intro-video rolls, then thousands of screaming fans join in as Olly appears on stage”, he continues. “I don’t tend to make many adjustments to the mix during the show, just the odd fader ride for guitar solos, horn solos and key BV lines. I’m also using Snapshots on each song for muting and sending MIDI signals to the outboard reverb units. My main focus throughout is vocal impact and intelligibility. Olly wants the crowd to have a great night, so he also tells a lot of stories between songs. I use Macros to change the Naga 6 between my ‘singing’ and ‘talking’ presets. It’s something that I couldn’t do the gig without now.”
“I chose the Quantum 5 because I like the layout of the console”, Sadler furthers. “My entire show is laid-out over the first two layers, so it’s all just one button-press away. This is my first time touring a Quantum console and I feel like I haven’t gone as deep as I could have with the Mustard channels, but it’s something I’ll definitely try out in the future, along with the v20 updates. I’m looking forward to trying the MSE (Mustard Source Expander) and seeing how it compares to similar analogue units.”
At the monitor position, John Lumsdon, who has used DiGiCo consoles since 2017, is also using a Quantum 5. “The show is a jam packed, exciting, all action, with a feel-good vibe”, he says. “With ten band members and Olly I need to keep an eye over the whole stage, so looking down at console isn’t an option. The Snapshot and Matrix features make everything smooth. We have lots of different parts to the show where new instruments come in and others go off-stage, so we can make transitions seamless without disrupting the workflow.”
Lumsdon is responsible for the monitor mixes, all delivered via in-ear monitoring, not just for Murs and the band, but also for tech and stage management, a total of sixteen wireless IEMs and a further four hardwired units. There are also sub-bass loudspeakers onstage to give a tactile response for the drum, bass and keyboard players.
“It’s always important from a monitor point of view to get the vocals to have the correct impact in the ears”, Lumsdon explains. “Using a digital radio mic AES output directly into the SD Rack and running at 96K helps to cut latency down to a minimum. That, combined with the 32-bit outputs, starts the mix off right.” Looking forward to dates over the summer, Sadler and Lumsdon will continue to use their Quantum 5s.
(Photos: Ben Gibson Photo)
Elation Paragon plays key role in modern “Hamlet” at Mark Taper Forum
A world-premiere modern adaptation of “Hamlet” recently wrapped at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. Adapted and directed by Robert O’Hara, this modern take on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy blended video, new scenes and characters, and a film noir aesthetic with lighting design by Tony Award nominee Lap Chi Chu. To help realize the show’s visual concept, Chu turned to Elation’s Paragon LED framing profile moving head.
Running from May 28 through July 6, 2025, the production was boldy imaginative and anything but traditional. With a younger audience in mind, the creative team leaned into a stylized visual approach, and lighting played a central role. “We were looking to do something exciting and new”, says Chu. “The lighting and design mandate was film noir, and I was looking for dynamic, single-source lighting to capture that feel.”
Chu collaborated with Los Angeles-based Kinetic Lighting. Chu and Aaron Staubach, Head Electrician at the Mark Taper Forum who operated the show, were introduced to the Paragon through Kinetic along with Elation Product Application Specialist Nick Saiki. “Nick articulated well why the Paragon is different”, says Chu. “What really stood out was CRI as an adjustable, fadeable parameter. In the past, you had to rather ungracefully drop in a CRI filter, but Paragon gave us the ability to fade smoothly from one CRI value to another - going from looking great on skin for a front light special to cutting through space with greater firepower. That was very exciting to me as a designer and is a big advantage in live theatre.”
Staubach agrees: “My role is technical so I go to a lot of demos, and the difference between fixtures can be marginal. But when I heard about Paragon’s CRI adjustability, that was big for me as well. Being able to dial that in on a cue-by-cue basis, more punch one moment and adjust for skin tones the next, gives designers a lot more flexibility. As head electrician, being able to point out that feature to a designer is very exciting.”
Five Paragon M fixtures were used in overhead positions throughout the 739-seat space, providing coverage for the three-quarter thrust stage. Chu says the lighting palette was aggressive and blunt, dropping the CRI to a low level for some scenes and using the CMY color mixing to achieve the desired colors. The set - a drained luxury pool surrounded by Spanish architecture - was bathed in saturated blue and teal-green tints, helping set a cool, moody tone.
The Paragon’s color mixing system proved especially versatile in the show’s most dramatic transitions. The ability to shift to a bold, all-red look for the show’s final moments gave the lighting design added impact. “There is a scene at the end, very stylized, a death scene where everything bluntly turns to red - here we went from a white shaft of light to a signifying type of saturated red with the CMY system”, says Chu, calling it one of the production’s most striking effects.
(Photos: Jeff Lorch)
Meyer Sound unterstützt Montreux Jazz Festival erneut als Innovations- und Strategischer Partner
Vom 4. bis 19. Juli 2025 brachte das 59. Montreux Jazz Festival rund 250.000 Musikfans an die Ufer des Genfer Sees in der Schweiz, um internationale Musiklegenden und Newcomer in über 700 Konzerten live zu erleben. Von Jazz, Latin und R&B über Pop und Rock bis hin zu EDM und Hip-Hop waren zahlreiche Genres vertreten.
Meyer Sound war bereits das 39. Jahr in Folge als Innovations- und Strategischer Partner des Festivals vor Ort. Während der Festivaltage kamen über fünfzehn Venues verteilt mehr als 400 Meyer-Sound-Lautsprecher zum Einsatz. Das Sound Design wurde von José Gaudin, Application Architect bei Meyer Sound, entwickelt. Bereitgestellt wurde das gesamte Audio-, Licht- und Videoequipment von der Genfer Rental- und Systemintegrationsfirma Skynight.
Für die Open-Air-Hauptbühne, die Lake Stage, direkt am Ufer des Sees, wurde ein System aus Panther-Line-Array-Lautsprechern und 2100-Low-Frequency-Control-Elementen verwendet, unterstützt von Leopard-, Lina- und Ultra-X40-Lautsprechern. Erstmals wurde die Main-PA dieser Bühne vollständig mit Class-D-Verstärkern betrieben, wodurch das Gewicht der geflogenen Systeme deutlich reduziert werden konnte.
„Das System ist so fein getuned und so präzise, dass wir die Energie gezielt auf das Publikum richten können, ohne die Fenster der Nachbarn zum Klirren zu bringen - sogar mit einem fünfstöckigen Wohnhaus direkt neben der Bühne“, betont Martin Reich, Sound Coordinator des Festivals und Resident Engineer der Lake Stage. „Das Festival findet mitten in der Stadt statt, da ist Systemkontrolle einfach unabdingbar.“
Abseits der Lake Stage wurden Meyer-Sound-Systeme für Performances in ganz Montreux genutzt, inklusive immersiver und experimenteller Shows: Im Ipanema, der ersten Adresse für DJs, kamen neue Ultra-X80-Point-Source-Lautsprecher als Main-PA zum Einsatz, unterstützt von Ultra-X40 und Ultra-X20. Mit dem Spacemap-Go-Spatial-Sound-Design- und Live-Mixing-Tool konnten die Künstler den Klang im gesamten Raum verteilen, auch bei einfachen Stereo-Setups.
The Memphis, der Hotspot für nächtliche Jam-Sessions, erweiterte in diesem Jahr seine kreativen Möglichkeiten: Hier waren Ultra-X80 als Main-PA im Einsatz, die durch weitere Ultra-Family-Lautsprecher ergänzt wurden, um immersive Effekte einzubringen. Spacemap Go unterstützte bei den Konzerten sowohl traditionelle Mixe für Gasttechniker als auch experimentelle räumliche Klanglandschaften mit Echtzeit-Panning. Das betreuende Tech Team verknüpfte die Klänge, die sich im Raum bewegten, mit der Lichtsteuerung, um immersive Erlebnisse zu erzeugen.
„Für dieses Festival müssen wir gleichzeitig groß und klein denken“, sagt Andy Davies, Senior Director of Product Management bei Meyer Sound. „An der Lake Stage liefern wir pure Energie, während wir im Ipanema und im Memphis gezielt immersive Momente schaffen. Diese Bandbreite macht das Montreux Jazz Festival so besonders - und wir freuen uns, auch nach fast vier Jahrzehnten weiterhin gemeinsam zu wachsen.“
Im nächsten Jahr feiern das Montreux Jazz Festival und Meyer Sound vierzig Jahre Zusammenarbeit. Der Umbau des Auditorium Stravinski soll in den kommenden Monaten fertiggestellt werden, sodass die großen Shows im nächsten Jahr wieder indoor stattfinden können.
Crew-Foto (v.l.): Die Meyer-Sound-Montreux-Jazz-Festival-Crew - Roland Morcom (Sales Manager, Europe), Andy Davies (Senior Director of Product Management), José Gaudin (Application Architect), Ianina Canalis (Application Architect - Spatial Audio Specialist) und Oscar Barrientos (Latin American Technical Services Manager). (Fotocredits: Marc Ducrest/Lionel Flusin/Emilien Itim)
Jason Patsel chooses Chauvet for Carbon Leaf homecoming
On August 3, 2025, Richmond, Virginia-based Carbon Leaf headlined Music at Maymont, a live performance series that takes place in a 100-acre greenspace in the middle of the capital’s downtown, fifteen miles from the college campus where the quintet’s musical journey started about thirty years ago.
Enhancing the show’s mood was a mellow lighting design by Jason Patsel who utilized Maverick Force S Spot and Rogue R 2 Wash fixtures from Chauvet Professional, supplied by 81 Productions and LiteTek Entertainment. Positioned along upstage rows, the Mavericks and Rogues created colorful audience lighting to underscore the connection between the band and its hometown fans. The RGBW Rogue units also washed individual band members in richly textured colors underscoring the emotional power of the show.
Given that Carbon Leaf’s show ran two hours, Patsel had to rely on more than sweet, nostalgic vibes to keep his show interesting. “The show had a lot of looks”, he says. “We wanted some of these looks to create a creepy but bold output. For other looks, we had opened zooms and no gobos for crowd participation. There were also big out looks for the sing-alongs, as well as rock and roll looks as the band paid their respects to the late great Ozzy Osborne with ‘Crazy Train’.”
“Big shout out too to Chris Waugaman and Tammy Melton for the great photos, Sean McLane and LiteTek and 81 Productions”, he adds, noting there was a “family vibe” throughout the production crew.
(Photos: Waugtography)
Mariah Carey concerts in Shanghai mark large-system Cohesion debut in China
On May 16 and 17, 2025, Mariah Carey returned to Shanghai’s HongKou Football Stadium for two sold-out shows, as part of the “Celebration of Mimi” tour, which was an extension of the singer’s Las Vegas residency and an anniversary of her tenth album, “The Emancipation of Mimi”. More than 75,000 fans attended each of the two evenings.
These shows marked the Chinese debut for a full-scale Cohesion audio system that supported both nights in Shanghai. Jiangsu RenTian relied upon local vendor Shanghai Akus Co. Ltd to provide audio for the evenings, and Shanghai Akus partnered with AirFusion Global to secure a robust Cohesion audio system that would provide the necessary coverage and output for the tour de force performances from the six-time Grammy Award winner.
FOH Engineer was Paul Falcone, who first experienced Cohesion while mixing Mariah Carey’s Christmas tour last year. “Cohesion is our PA of choice for Mariah Carey since Paul and I initially weighed our options”, states System Engineer Connor Murray.
The mainstage system was designed with an end stage configuration with main hangs comprising sixteen Cohesion CO12 left-right and an additional sixteen CO12 on side hangs. 270° hangs comprising six Cohesion CO8 each were deployed upstage of the side hangs for additional reinforcement at the near sides and along the sell line in the upper bowl.
Nine front-facing Cohesion CP218 II+ subwoofers were hung behind the mains in gradient configuration and offered significant infra rejection directly behind the deployed CO12 arrays. On the ground, nine additional CP218 II+ were stacked left and right in cardioid configuration directly under the aerial main system for further support.
For front fill support, a dozen additional CO8 were placed along the mainstage, and two arrays of three Cohesion CO10 each were flown stage left and right within the stagehouse for side fill. “I typically have a multi-band compressor and use that essentially as an EQ, and I found I did not need that with the Cohesion rig”, notes Falcone. “A lot of it was mixed on the near fields, and it translated very well to the mix itself with just a little bit of system EQ.”
Two additional arrays of six CO12 each were flown as delays on the back of the FOH structure. These arrays were closer to fans in those sections to reduce the number of enclosures required for full coverage and reduce unwanted energy to radiate outside of the venue in accordance with the local promoter and municipality.
After the Shanghai shows, Falcone was invited to participate in the Prolight + Sound Expo trade show in Guangzhou and talk to an audience of thousands about mixing Mariah Carey on a Cohesion PA.
Pictured (left to right): Connor Murray, System Engineer, Mariah Carey; Frida Guo, General Manager, AirFusion Global; Dave Shatto, Lead Application Engineer, Cohesion. (Photos: Cohesion)
Mehr als 200 Cameo-Scheinwerfer bei „Love the 90s“ in Valencia im Einsatz
Beim „Love the 90s“-Festival Ende Mai 2025 in Valencia verwandelte sich das Open-Air-Gelände vor dem Museu de les Ciències in eine 90er-Jahre-Party mit Acts wie Snow, 2 Unlimited, La Bouche und DJ Sash. Begleitet wurden die Künstler von einer Lichtshow des spanischen Kreativstudios Experiencias Visuales, für die der verantwortliche Lichtdesigner Edu Valverde mehr als 200 Cameo-Scheinwerfer nutzte.
Valverde, der seit 2017 für das visuelle Konzept des Festivals verantwortlich ist, setzte auch in diesem Jahr auf eine geometrisch klare Bühnengestaltung mit großflächigen Set-Elementen: „Die Bühne sollte wie ein monolithisches Bauwerk wirken und zugleich als Projektionsfläche für die LED-Videos dienen“, erklärt er. Eine zentrale gestalterische Herausforderung bestand im nahtlosen Übergang vom hellen Tageslicht in die Dunkelheit am Abend.
Für die Umsetzung griff das Team auf drei unterschiedliche Cameo-Scheinwerfertypen zurück: Pixbar 400 IP G2, Zenit W600 und Otos W12, abgestimmt auf die verschiedenen Lichtanforderungen im Tages- und Nachtverlauf. Die Pixbar-400-IP-G2-LED-Bars wurden als durchgehende Lichtlinien entlang der weißen Set-Elemente eingesetzt und sorgten bereits ab dem frühen Nachmittag für Akzente, auch bei voller Sonneneinstrahlung. „Wir haben mit 100 Prozent Leistung gestartet“, so Valverde. „Sobald es dämmerte und dunkel wurde, haben wir schrittweise bis auf zehn Prozent heruntergedimmt.“
Das Zenit W600 ist für Valverde nach eigenen Angaben mehr als nur ein technisches Werkzeug, sondern ein „alter Freund“, mit dem er bereits zahlreiche Großprojekte realisiert hat. Bei „Love the 90s“ setzte der Lichtdesigner die Outdoor-LED-Wash-Lights erneut ein, um sowohl die Bühnenarchitektur als auch angrenzende Flächen flexibel auszuleuchten.
Die Otos W12, IP65-Wash-Moving-Heads, kamen hingegen erstmalig zum Einsatz. „Der W12 eignet sich mit seinen Zoom-Ebenen sowohl für breites Flächenlicht als auch für kreative Effekte“, sagt Valverde. Geliefert wurden die Cameo-Scheinwerfer vom spanischen Rental-Dienstleister Fluge Audiovisuales. Die gesamte „Love the 90s“-Vorproduktion erstreckte sich über mehrere Monate und wurde frühzeitig mit 3D-Visualisierungen umgesetzt.
(Fotos: Adam Hall Group)
Dodd Technologies deploys Ayrton lighting, GrandMA3 consoles and MDG hazers for AT&T WNBA All-Star Game events
Pendleton, Indiana-based Dodd Technologies, Inc. utilized an array of Ayrton lighting fixtures, GrandMA3 consoles and MDG hazers for the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. Dodd acted as the production partner with Pacer Sports & Entertainment for the All-Star Weekend events at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Friday night (July 18) featured the WNBA Skills Challenge, which was broadcast on ESPN. The game was played on Saturday and aired live on ABC, Disney+ and ESPN+. Dodd was not only responsible for the game’s halftime show, headlined by GloRilla, but also for the musical team introductions and other performances that added entertainment value to the weekend telecasts. The company had previously worked on the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and has a number of major sports credits.
Dodd designed the halftime stage to be an organic part of the court. “We wanted to make sure what we built looked like part of the existing architecture of the space”, says Vice President Andy Meggenhofen, who acted as the event’s lighting designer. “The all-LED stage had an upstage wall, side walls that staggered down to follow the seating lines, and a large LED floor. It was a very dynamic stage with a lot of depth and 3D effects while keeping the sight lines to all the seats. It provided great backgrounds for camera and great visuals for the live, sold-out audience.”
About half of the Ayrton lighting used for the event had previously been sold by Dodd to the Fieldhouse to be part of its permanent inventory. Dodd supplemented that gear with its own Ayrton fixtures. Fifty Ayrton Khamsin units were mounted in trusses about 100 feet over the main stage to deliver key lighting and effects.
Sixteen Zonda 9 FX furnished back light for the main stage. Four more units were set into the teams’ entry hallways to highlight players’ exits from the tunnels. Seventy-four laser-source Cobra2s were also deployed. “We’ve found a good niche for them with their beam effects outlining the court and their scanning effects and unique projections on the court”, explains Meggenhofen.
Dodd has been using the GrandMA platform for about fifteen years. and Meggenhofen says, “we’re very entrenched with them”. The company programmed the halftime show on GrandMA3 consoles and provided a complement of gear for the show’s lighting control. Two full-size GrandMA3s operated on the ground and at FOH for focus. Both eventually moved to the FOH position with one desk acting as a backup unit. In addition, Dodd supplied two XL processors, four 8-port nodes and a replay unit.
Dodd also placed one MDG ATMe haze generator with fan in each of the four corners of the catwalk. “This is our standard hazer for these types of events”, says Meggenhofen. Dodd conferred early on with ACT Entertainment, the distributor of the Ayrton, MA Lighting and MDG brands in North America, to confirm the plans they had in mind for the event.
For the WNBA events, Jason Lenhart and Asher McKenna were the master electricians, Nic Claypool the lead rigger, and JD Fackler the house rigger, working alongside Chris Lintner (house lighting), Jennifer Beavers (game lighting), Otis Howard (TV lighting director), Stephen Sakowski (follow spot lighting director), Jess Baker (programmer), Mike Grimes (gaffer), and Nolan Howard (lighting PA).
(Photos: ACT Entertainment/Ayrton/Dodd Technologies/RPGough Photography)
d&b Audiotechnik unterstützt „Soundscapes in the Garden“ in der Neuen Nationalgalerie Berlin
Ende August präsentieren d&b Audiotechnik und die Neue Nationalgalerie die Konzertreihe „Soundscapes in the Garden“ - immersive, ortsspezifische Performances, die den Skulpturengarten des Museums in eine räumliche Klanginstallation verwandeln. Das Event lädt Besucher dazu ein, neue Synergien zwischen Skulptur und Klang zu entdecken, wobei Spatial Audio selbst zum skulpturalen Medium wird.
Im Zentrum des Projekts steht das d&b-Soundscape-System, das es Künstlern ermöglicht, Klang als kreatives, räumliches Werkzeug zu nutzen. Zum Einsatz kommen zwei Softwaremodule: En-Scene erlaubt die präzise Positionierung und Bewegung von Klangquellen, während En-Space eine Echtzeit-Akustikemulation bietet. En-Space schafft dabei nicht nur räumliche Tiefe, sondern auch eine kontrollierte akustische Umgebung, von der sowohl die Künstler als auch das Publikum profitieren: Die Künstler umgibt eine Klanghülle, die die Sicherheit und Reaktion eines realen Raums bietet. Das Publikum erlebt einen intensiven, räumlichen Klang, der Nähe zur Performance schafft.
Die vom 27. bis 30. August 2025 stattfindende Veranstaltung knüpft an die Konzertreihe „Jazz in the Garden“ der 1970er Jahre sowie deren Wiederaufnahme im Jahr 2022 unter dem Titel „Sound in the Garden“ an. In diesem Jahr erwarten die Besucher drei Abende mit Live-Performances, die die Grenzen zwischen Klang, Raum und Skulptur verwischen sollen. Die teilnehmenden Künstler - darunter Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Stephen O’Malley, Pantha du Prince, Hania Rani, Loraine James, Blackhaine und Limpe Fuchs - arbeiten mit immersivem Audio, das auf die räumliche Struktur des Gartens und dessen Kunstwerke abgestimmt ist.
„Ich erinnere mich noch gut an die legendären Events mit Kraftwerk 2015, kurz bevor die Neue Nationalgalerie für die Renovierung geschlossen wurde“, sagt Ralf Zuleeg, Director of Creative Community bei d&b Audiotechnik. „Das war absolut episch - und zehn Jahre später mit diesem Projekt zurückzukehren, fühlt sich absolut stimmig an. Wir arbeiten eng mit einer großartigen Gruppe von Künstlern zusammen und unterstützen ihre kreativen Konzepte.“
Gregor Quack, Live Programs Curator bei Freunde der Nationalgalerie, ergänzt: „Die Neue Nationalgalerie von Mies van der Rohe gilt als eines der ikonischsten und schönsten Museumsgebäude weltweit - und zugleich als eines der herausforderndsten. Unser Garten ist ein Ort zum Umhergehen, nicht zum Sitzen wie in einem klassischen Saal. d&b Soundscape ermöglicht es uns, dies zu berücksichtigen. Es gibt nicht nur einen ‘Sweet Spot’, sondern praktisch für jede Person im Publikum einen.“
„Soundscapes in the Garden“ endet am 30. August mit einem Sonderprogramm im Rahmen der Langen Nacht der Museen in Berlin.
(Foto: d&b Audiotechnik/Neue Nationalgalerie)
LiveSpace selects EAW Adaptive products to deliver audio at annual high-profile gala
LiveSpace, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based national audio, video and lighting company, has supported a Michigan healthcare organization’s annual gala for more than a decade. “We don’t want it to look the same from year-to-year, but the sound needs to be consistent”, says AJ Sweeney, President at LiveSpace. “This event has evolved from a 250-person gathering to a 2,000-person experience, and the audio plays a large part in setting that tone.”
The venue was transformed into a circular layout. While this design improved visual closeness and minimized throw distance, it presented some audio challenges. LiveSpace turned to Eastern Acoustic Works’ AC6 Adaptive Column Loudspeakers and Anna 3-way Full-range Adaptive Array Modules to meet these demands. The main system included a total of four arrays of two stacked AC6 columns. Twenty-four Anna arrays served as delays. The front fills were RSX89 2-way Self-powered Loudspeakers for the high-value seats nearest to the stage, and the bottom end reinforcement came from four Otto Adaptive Subwoofers to ensure a consistent full-frequency presentation.
EAW’s Adaptive technology played a pivotal role in the delay support by enabling precise start and stop coverage for the primary arrays from any trim height. This flexibility helped ensure no disruption of sight lines. The deployment of EAW’s Otto Subwoofers, placed under the stage in a 360-degree configuration, allowed LiveSpace to manage the subwoofer dispersion to maintain audio clarity throughout the room. This was an essential feature given the venue’s circular layout and acoustically reflective services.
“EAW was a purpose-purchased product for us because of how intentional their systems are”, says Sweeney. “Resolution software and Dante integration let us build accurate models that reflect what happens in the room. That accuracy is essential for events such as this one.” Austin Burkholder, lead audio engineer at LiveSpace, adds: “EAW’s Adaptive technology allowed us to control SPL and coverage with precision. In a big room like this one, where unwanted reflections can occur, directing sound into the audience makes all the difference.”
The afterparty, which was hosted inside the same venue in a partitioned lounge, was also powered by EAW. LiveSpace used twenty-four RSX208L 3-way Self-powered Loudspeakers for the after-hours celebration, with seamless audio coverage between the main event and the dance floor.
(Photos: EAW)
Chauvet’s Color Strike M sets mood for Ilario Alicante at Milanese venue
Electronic music producer and DJ Ilario Alicante recently performed at Milan, Italy’s Ex Macello, a former municipal slaughterhouse built in the early 20th century, to present his latest project, “Link”. Supporting the show were 36 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M motorized strobe blinders imported by Zalight and supported by technical supplier AMG International. Decibel Events was also a technical supplier.
Run by programmer/operator Daniel Campano, the lighting reflected a vast range of moods. Half of the Color Strike M fixtures are part of the house rig at Ex Macello’s event area and are used on-stage in all the shows scheduled from April to September. For the “Link” debut, the design team, which included Executive Producer Ricardo Ammesiamilano, and DOP/Show Designer/Director Expect Nothing Studio, added eighteen additional units to the site’s iconic tower.
The Color Strike M projectors served a dual function acting as strobe and full-color Wash projectors, accenting the tower and the surrounding area with its contemporary artwork created by the Panterra Collective. A particularly dramatic element of the design was the hyper technology tower in front of the century-old facade of the Ex Macello. At one point, fans witness the massive tower in the act of “collapsing” to the ground; an apocalyptic scenario that integrated well into the post-industrial structure of the Ex Macello, becoming part of a set design created by Felix Musillo of Expect Nothing Studio.
Dynamic video content also contributed to the mood of the event, delivered by visual operator Arcore VJ, Shot Like This, Stefano Lauritano, SL Studios, D1ing Visuals, and Altrimage.
(Photos: Gabriele Canfora/Lagarty Photo/Chauvet Professional)
Infiled and MHB AV deliver visuals for Yves Berendse shows at Ziggo Dome
When Dutch singer Yves Berendse took to the stage at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome in June 2025 for two sold-out concerts, he did so beneath a Y-shaped LED screen that became the instant visual signature of the shows. Measuring fourteen metres tall and four metres wide, the centrepiece was built to order by Dutch visual integration specialist MHB AV using Infiled’s AR3.9 panels.
For Berendse, performing at the Amsterdam arena was a boyhood dream come true. To mark the milestone, his booking agency, Agents After All, conceived an ambitious stage design with a massive Y-shaped structure as its centrepiece. “One of the main challenges was the tight build schedule - we had just one day to complete the entire set-up”, says Thom Althuis, account and project manager at MHB AV, who worked with set designer Rock Solid Stage and additional technical experts, including lighting and audio specialists, to bring Agent After All’s vision to life.
“Several technical teams were working on the same stage simultaneously”, he adds. “Because the ‘Y’ had decorative panels on the sides, we had to coordinate closely with the scenographic team - after each row of LED was installed, they would immediately follow up with the decor elements. Thanks to the M10 mounting holes in the AR Series panels, this process was seamless and efficient.”
The panels were transported in Infiled’s purpose-built dollies, allowing the MHB AV crew to move them into the venue in pre-rigged mode. Behind the LED, additional truss and scaffolding ensured the giant “Y” would remain structurally secure throughout the concerts which welcomed more than 30,000 fans across the two nights.
(Photos: Bart Heemskerk/Infiled)
CTC Events realisiert R+V-Zukunftsdialog in Hamburg
Für ihren langjährigen Kunden R+V Allgemeine Versicherung AG hat die Wiesbadener Agentur CTC Events die Konzeption, Organisation und Umsetzung des Zukunftsdialogs der Verbundpartner realisiert. Die Veranstaltung unter dem Titel „Ernährung & Food von morgen“ fand Anfang Juli 2025 in Hamburg statt. Eingeladen waren die Bankdirektoren von Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken sowie R+V-Vorstände und -Vertriebsdirektoren mit ihren Partnern.
Der dreitägige Event startete für die 120 Teilnehmer mit einem Get-together-Abend im Penthouse Elb-Panorama. Am zweiten Tag fand vormittags im ehemaligen Hauptzollamt ein Zukunftsdialog mit den Speakern Dr. Gerd Wirtz (Experte für medizinische Innovationen, Longevity und Digital Health) und Katharina Weiss-Tuider (Wissenschaftskommunikatorin und Autorin) statt.
Nachmittags brachen die Teilnehmer zu verschiedenen Learning-Touren auf. Passend zum Veranstaltungsmotto konnten sie das 2021 gegründete Start-up GoodBytz besuchen. Das innovative Hamburger Unternehmen aus dem Bereich Food-Tech/Robotik entwickelt, produziert und vertreibt professionelle Küchenroboter für die flexible und skalierbare Essenszubereitung.
Mit dem Foodlab lernten die Teilnehmer einen Anlaufpunkt und Co-Working Space speziell für die Food-Branche der Hansestadt kennen. Dieses Angebot richtet sich an Food-Start-ups, Gründer, innovative Gastronomen, Foodies sowie Medien- und Marketingexperten und ermöglicht es ihnen, an einem Ort zu arbeiten, sich zu vernetzen und neue Produkt- und Gastro-Ideen zu testen.
Hobenköök präsentierte den Teilnehmern ein Konzept in der Hafenstadt, das gleichzeitig als Markthalle, Restaurant und Catering-Anbieter agiert und in dessen Zentrum die Verarbeitung und der Verkauf regionaler und saisonaler Lebensmittel steht. Wie nachhaltige Proteine mithilfe von Mikroorganismen und Fermentation entstehen, erfuhren die Teilnehmer beim Besuch von MicroHarvest, einem Hamburger Biotech-Start-up.
Bluu Seafood gewährte ihnen einen Einblick in die Herstellung von kultiviertem Fisch aus Fischzellen. Das Biotechnologie-Start-up hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, nachhaltige Alternativen zum Fischfang zu schaffen, in dem es Fischfleisch im Labor aus Zellen von Lachs oder Forelle produziert. Unterstützung bei der Zusammenstellung und Umsetzung dieser Motto-spezifischen Learning-Touren bekam CTC Events von der Köchin, Buchautorin und Gastro-Beraterin Antje de Vries.
Den feierlichen Abschluss des zweiten Tages bildete der Award-Abend im Kaispeicher an der Elbe, bei dem die Leistungen der Vertriebspartner gewürdigt wurden.
(Foto: Christoph Haake)
Zactrack supports “Souk Wonders”
A Zactrack Pro automated tracking system - with 32 active trackers in use, and arguably the largest to date - was used by lighting designer Ben M Rogers from A Loud Minority (ALM) to deliver an automated follow spotting solution for the immersive “Souk Wonders” performance show staged at the Mayadeen Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Zactrack system - server, trackers, and anchors - was supplied by German based specialist TrackingPro to “Souk Wonders” lighting rental vendors PRG. Thirty-six Zactrack anchors were deployed to provide tracking of lighting across the full volume of the performing area, an 80-metre square/approximately 90,000 cubic metre space. This configuration of 36 anchors - with some performers wearing two tags - in one system was possible due to not all the anchors being able to “see” one another simultaneously as they were activated/deactivated to maintain a high refresh rate.
“Souk Wonders” was devised by creative producers Dragone with Filippo Ferraresi as the principle artistic and creative director; Patrick Larsen designed the set and scenic elements. The overall technical production was delivered and supported by A Loud Minority (ALM) undertaking the project management, acrobatic rigging design, lighting design by Rogers and audio design by Calum Robinson. Leading the ALM team was Karl Jenkins - also founder of the company - as Dragone’s technical director for the project. It was the first time the team had used a Zactrack system of this size, but Rogers had every confidence that it was the right tech to achieve all the technical and creative goals. TrackingPro did the advance planning of the system, whilst Jaro Brinkmann and Raphael Doelle from TrackingPro were on-site for tech support.
“Souk Wonders” played an initial three-week season with two shows a day. Visitors entered the 6,400 square metre event space inspired by traditional Diriyah buildings, offering multiple food, beverage, and retail outlets together with art installations. It blended the vibrance of the souk with live performances, culinary experiences, art, and interactive entertainment. Four distinct performance stages were involved in the live show action which also happened around the entire venue, including aerial acts and a thirty metre high wire, so the Zactrack anchors were needed to offer full 3D coverage around the fourteen metre high steel structures that were part of Patrick Larsen’s immersive scenic concept.
The Zactrack trackers where primarily attached to artists, two on each, integrated using a range of sewn on pouches, 3D printed clips and pockets depending on their costume and movement during specific segments. A larger prop piece was also tagged to allow for precise tracking when moved around the space by the performers. Eight performers each wore two trackers, there was a complete second set of trackers, plus sixteen spare trackers to deal with up to three shows per day, often with only a 1-hour break in between, so 32 trackers were actively used, with half deactivated per show.
A total of 24 moving light fixtures - 14 x Ayrton Huracán and 10 x Ayrton Eurus - were used as follow spots and tracked with Zactrack, which had the capacity to integrate further elements of the lighting rig if needed. TrackingPro created approximately 300 auto-function points, so each performer could enter the stage area, disappear into one of the buildings/towers, and move freely across the entire area, being automatically faded in and out.
Explaining what made Zactrack the most viable option for this event, Rogers says that using traditional follow spots was out, and a camera-based remote spotting system would have struggled with blind spots due to the scenic design. “Zactrack fitted the bill perfectly. There was no other practical way we could achieve 360 degrees follow spot coverage for the area”, he states.
Rogers also needed to accurately track performers moving at speed throughout the space - on rollerblades and bicycles. “Due to the organic flow of the show, I also needed to have lights available to pick them up from multiple entrance points as the blocking of the show would evolve in response to the audience flow”, he adds. Meantime, the Zactrack system’s 2D view of the performance area allowed the technical team to know the exact position of artists, even when they were out of sight.
The show lighting ran on a GrandMA3 console (in MA2 mode) and Rogers’ associate Charlie Hickey co-ordinated the MA and Zactrack integration, creating some smart macros and layout views for quick visual identification of which fixtures were allocated to which tracking pairs. Hickey and Rogers both worked on programming the show lighting. The complete technical package - lighting, audio, and video - was supplied by PRG with Pitch Black covering the specialist acrobatic rigging.
(Photos: Dragone/Zactrack)
Emil Koller chooses Robe for Pula Film Festival
The 2025 Pula Film Festival - staged at the Pula Arena in Croatia, the world’s only remaining Roman amphitheatre with its four side towers fully preserved - featured Robe moving lights as part of a design by Emil Koller to support the movie programme.
The 72nd edition of this event, running from July 10 to 17, 2025, saw an increase in visitor and audience numbers, and more participants from the Pula Pro industry programme for film professionals and students maximising the professional networking and education opportunities. Koller has lit the event - including opening and closing ceremonies - for the last twenty years. This year’s opening ceremony was broadcast live on Croatia national television’s HRT1 channel.
“My role with lighting is very much to enhance the environment in which these movies are being staged”, says Koller. A 23-metre-wide x 10-metre-high projection screen took centre stage, allowing approximately 5500 movie enthusiasts to enjoy the nightly cinematic offerings of two movies, typically one Croatian and one international. Their start timed to coincide with sunset. At the core of Koller’s lighting rig were six Robe Fortes rigged on top of the screen and used for dramatic backlighting of the speakers and the orchestra for the opening ceremony, and also for beaming projections all around the arena, accenting the grand Roman architecture.
The Fortes were complimented by six Robe MMX WashBeams - rigged alternately - also along the top of the screen. Twelve LedPointes - making their debut at Pula Arena - were placed around the back of the stage for specials. Six LEDBeam 350s were deployed each side of the stage for washing the side walls in colour, and they could also sweep out into the arena when needed. They were also used when actors and directors went up on stage after their movies had been screened.
Six BMFL Spots were positioned at the back of the arena on poles located in the audience tribunes for front spotting and beaming, with two BMFL FollowSpots - complete with LightMaster externally mounted programmable handles - sitting on top of the projection cabin right at the back. Throwing around 75 metres to the stage, these were used as primary follow cover for presenters and others who needed highlighting onstage.
As the opening ceremony was also lit for broadcast, Koller says he “appreciated Robe’s attention to detail with good tungsten emulation and colour profiling/mixing” which meant that all the newer LED sources could be matched seamlessly with the discharge lamp fixtures for continuity. During the nightly movie screenings, Koller created a series of static scenes that worked as eye-catching illuminative backdrops to the various movies.
All the lighting equipment was supplied to the week-long event by IDD Production, who have been the Film Festival’s lighting rental vendor for many years. They had three days to set up, programme and be ready of the opening. Having moving lights on this show has made a massive difference, according to Koller: “We can rig, focus and program so much faster and have a much wider range of options, so I can be vastly more creative”, he says.
(Photos: Pula Film Festival/Matija Sculac/Louise Stickland/Paul Clarke)
Events United and One If By Land Productions call on Chauvet for Fitz and the Tantrums
Events United has partnered with One If By Land Productions for the recent Fitz and the Tantrums show at Providence College’s Peterson Center in Providence, Rhode Island. “For this event, we had the challenge to take the band’s show design, adapt it to what we had available for fixtures, and then have our LD run their show”, says Chase Clark, the Director of Event Productions and Rentals at Events United, who worked alongside Project Manager Martin Lyons, Production Designer Rachel Fahey, LD Ryan Lane, L2 Meg Fiske, and the rest of the Events United team.
Working with a rig anchored by 74 Chauvet Professional fixtures, they created an arena-style show that enveloped the entire room while reflecting the personality of the six-piece band. “We brought our fixtures in, turned off the venue lights and really painted the room”, says Rachel Fahey, explaining the team’s vision for the design. “There is no doubt that the lighting does a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard. Something people may not think about though, is actually the trim heights of the motors. With trim heights and alternating them, we can create some forced perspective in the room. Whether we fly them all the way out to make a room feel that much bigger or bring them further in to make an event feel more intimate.”
Since the show had no video elements, the Events United team had to rely on layering light on the 40’ wide by 24’ deep stage to create a sense of depth. This task was made more challenging by the venue’s weight limits. “Thankfully Fitz and the Tantrums had requested uprights in their rider for their timecoded show”, continues Fahey. “These coupled with the flown rig fit together really nicely and made a great show within the limitations we faced.”
Helping create a vibrant backdrop for the performance were the rig’s twelve pixel mapped Nexus 4x4 panels, which were hung on the sides of the pre-rig truss. A collection of eight Maverick Force 2 Profile fixtures positioned upstage added texture to the show. Also making their presence felt were ten Color Strike M motorized strobe-wash fixtures (four flown and six on the floor) that served up bold pixelated effects.
As audience involvement is a key part to any Fitz and the Tantrums show, the Events United team used twelve Maverick Storm 1 Washes to light up the crowd when they weren’t serving as front light. For more crowd connection, eighteen Strike 4 blinders were included in the rig.
Everything came together for this show, say Clark and Fahey, not only in terms of the fixtures in the rig, but also in terms of the collaboration of the team, which, in addition to the aforementioned members included Donald Van Slyke (FOH Audio), Blake Rivera (Audio Monitor), and Zach Dafeldecker (Patching Audio) as well as Jack Redding and Tony Wallace who handled logistics.
(Photos: Pat Dunn/Events United/Messi Productions LLC)
