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20 January 2025

France - More top names from across the lighting industry have joined the line-up of speakers set to present at Showlight 2025, which visits Dijon, France, this 19-22 May.
With topics drawing from innovations in mixed and multimedia lighting, the illumination of spaces from the smallest venue to the wide open sky, and the subject of climate change and sustainability initiatives, the second batch of names and topics revealed includes . . .

Lighting ‘Cine-Theatre’
Nick Schlieper, one of Australia’s most highly awarded designers, will examine the considerable challenges posed by lighting Cine-Theatre, a style of production which utilises live feed video combined with pre-recorded footage with which the performers constantly interact. The term was coined by a critic, writing about a ground-breaking production of The Picture Of Do

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20 January 2025

USA - The 2025 NAMM Show will take place at the Anaheim Convention Centre this week as planned, with events beginning on Tuesday, 21 January running through to 25 January.

As previously reported, there had been fears the wildfires in Northern Los Angeles might cause a postponement.

“We have been in constant contact with our partners and city officials all week, and Anaheim is still unaffected by the wildfires in northern Los Angeles,” said John Mlynczak, president and CEO of NAMM, at the weekend.

“We have confirmed that the air quality is safe, that traffic between LAX and Anaheim will not impact relief efforts, and that our hotel rooms will not displace any evacuees. We want to be sure that we can gather for a safe, successful NAMM Show while also supporting the ongoing relief efforts.”

Mlynczak continued: “The 2025 NAMM Sh

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20 January 2025

UK - Lang UK has confirmed that it is now an official rental and sales partner of AV Stumpfl’s Pixera media server system.

Lang UK’s managing director Anika Lauth says of the partnership: “Our whole team is excited to start this journey with AV Stumpfl’s Pixera system. Pixera servers are powerful, versatile and future proof, making them an excellent fit within our portfolio.”

Craig Harrower, managing director of AV Stumpfl says: "With their in-depth market expertise and well-established regional network, Lang UK is an outstanding partner for the UK. Their logistical excellence ensures the fast and reliable delivery of our products. We are confident that this collaboration will enhance our service quality and strengthen our presence in the UK market.”

Lang UK was originally formed in 2017 in Hemel Hempstead, relocating in 2021 to a

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20 January 2025

The Netherlands - A new installation of Robe T11 Profiles in the 200-capacity Small Hall at the Theater de Bussel in Oosterhout, southern Netherlands is helping to save electricity and enhance the scope of lighting shows and events there, explained the venue’s head of technical, Evelyn van ‘t Hof.

The 32 x T11s are the first Robes in the house, and they are replacing a larger number of ‘conventional’ profiles and PC luminaires.

The new fixtures are part of a general drive to reduce energy consumption, an initiative shaping new investments in all venues across the Netherlands.

Adaptability was also a key consideration here, as the programme encompasses theatre productions, musicals, symposiums, parties and assorted other performance genres.

Evelyn has been working at this busy producing and receiving house since 2008. The 450-c

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20 January 2025

UK - “I enjoy being the wild card. I enjoy being the outsider and being different," rapper Sainté declared in a recent interview.

He kicked off his Still Local tour at the All Points East festival supported by a powerful, fast-moving Elliot Baines lighting design that effortlessly balanced grit and grace.

Representing a city-street basketball court with custom-made controllable ‘streetlamps’, a brick-and-fence facia, and a graffiti wall backdrop, the distinctive set evoked powerful images of an urban landscape. Baines, owner of Spiralstage Lighting, intensified this mood with a bold lighting design that featured ample amounts of atmospherics.

Helping Baines achieve these evocative looks were 24 Color Strike M motorised strobe-blinders and an equal number of Maverick Storm 4 Profiles. Part of the house rig, the Chauvet

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20 January 2025

Europe/USA - DPA Microphones has unveiled MicroLock, its new compact microphone connector, which builds on the strengths of the MicroDot connector currently deployed with the brand’s microphones.

MicroLock has a newly developed locking mechanism and compact design compatible with a variety of wireless systems. A dependable microphone connector with flexibility, reliability and durability, MicroLock will be showcased at the 2025 NAMM Show (Booth 18206) and ISE 2025 (Stand 7P600).

“Innovation and advancements in materials and miniaturisation, coupled with valuable market feedback, have enabled us to develop MicroLock,” says Helga Volha Somava, product management director, DPA Microphones.

“This new connector embodies DPA’s commitment to superior performance, providing an uncompromising solution for those who demand the best from their

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20 January 2025

USA - Electrotec Audio has announced that its new Stage One wireless portable SKAA/Bluetooth pro/consumer speaker will be featured with an active display during the 2025 NAMM Show (booth #18313) this week.

“Getting every spec met, and even exceeded in many cases, as well as having the cabinets built here in America has been an immeasurable process, but we have succeeded in each and every facet of our design goals and we can’t wait to show Stage One to industry professionals during the 2025 NAMM Show,” said Rikki Farr, Electrotec Audio CEO and co-founder.

“I never thought it possible due to our incredible initial and in-process design and production goals to have a speaker that surpassed these objectives once complete, but we did it,” Farr continued. “We have been hosting audio pros and experts at our Fountain Valley headquarters the past

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20 January 2025

USA - Audient has announced the launch of iD48, the eight-channel 24in / 32out USB-C audio interface, previewing at this year’s NAMM show.

Audient’s Andrew Allen says: “Since we launched the iD Desktop Interface Range, our customers have been shouting for us to deliver an 8-channel iD audio interface, so we are extremely excited to announce that it is finally here. iD48 is the ultimate Audient interface, building on the core feature set that has made the iD range so popular, delivering astonishing audio performance alongside an incredibly intuitive user experience – but this time with more than enough I/O to handle any session.”

iD48 is designed with producers and engineers in mind, delivering standard features for the working pro. With Audient console mic preamps, advanced 32-bit ESS converter technology as well as the all-new Switchable A

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20 January 2025

USA - Audix (booth 14102) is set to release the D6X, the next generation of one of the most popular microphones in its 40-year history. The D6X extends the capabilities of the classic D6, which has become a contemporary standard for reproducing kick drum, floor toms, bass guitar cabinets, and other low-frequency sources.

The D6X introduces a recessed, no-tools-required switch that selects between three frequency response profiles:

Deep (bottom position): Identical to the D6 and the most familiar starting point for a forward sound that cuts through the mix.

Balanced (centre position): Provides more midrange and upper midrange, lending itself well to a somewhat more traditional kick drum sound while retaining the impact for which the original D6 is known.

Natural (top position): Selects a more linear response, with even more midrange an

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20 January 2025

Spain - Klvr will launch the Charger Pro at ISE 2025 (stand 5F100), creating a simple way to eliminate extensive use of single-use batteries from live events and AV. The Klvr Charger Pro enables sound engineers and AV technicians across music venues, conference halls, universities, houses of worship, and corporate facilities to move beyond disposable batteries or inflexible proprietary charging solutions, reducing environmental waste and saving costs.

Over one million disposable batteries are used every year by entertainment venues, theatres and production companies in Norway alone (Kulturrum Report), representing a significant environmental and cost issue. Sonic City, a medium-sized Norwegian music touring and event production company, estimates it uses 20,000 batteries a year. 

Disposable AA/AAA batteries are still widely used because of

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20 January 2025

Spain: Chauvet Professional has built its booth (6M100) for ISE 2025 around the theme of Finally True Colours Revealed.

For Chauvet Professional, the true colours phrase refers to its recent breakthroughs in LED technology and optics that allow its fixtures to render a rainbow of colours that are truer and more realistic than ever before, says the company.

The results of these colour rendering advances will be evident throughout the company's booth, including in the Maverick Storm 1 Flex and Strike V, two products built on the reputations of their namesake series in terms of output and performance.

For the Maverick Storm 1 Flex, the story begins with it being a high-output, lamp-free multi-functional fixture. This fixture allows installers, integrators, and other lighting professionals to enjoy the flexibility of a multi-functional u

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20 January 2025

Spain - Absen will work in partnership with industry ecosystem partners to provide a visitor experience with a range of display solutions during ISE 2025. On Booth 3N400, Absen will showcase its latest product advancements for applications including control rooms, conference rooms, DOOH, creative commercial displays, as well as AbsenLive rental staging solution.

Together, Absen and Datapath, providers of visual solution services, have developed an advanced control room solution by integrating Absen's KLCOB V2 series with Datapath's Aetria.

Absen’s KLCOB V2 LED display is specifically designed to meet control room requirements, displaying data clearly with high contrast, colour accuracy, and reliability. It works in coordination with Datapath’s Aetria, a centralised control room solution, allowing operators to manage data sources and IT systems fr

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20 January 2025

UK - After a year of development, UK-based company Automated Film Props is offering new automation solutions designed to be utilised with film, television and stage props.

“We do this by delivering enterprise-class prop automation software and components that turn narrative events into actions from your props. We use industrial design to build PCBs, modules and subassemblies that you can use in your props during the build process, and the 'grip-equipment' to drive BTS kit like lighting and movement,” the company says. “Your props can display real values and respond to stimuli in a believable fashion.”

Extensive (and costly) production time is taken up between takes and rehearsals in order to reset props for the next one. By creating the infrastructure that allows props to be instantly set/reset, this can help ensure a more efficient, less str

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17 January 2025

Germany - Singer Helene Fischer hosted her annual Die Helene Fischer Show at the end of 2024, with a host of guest stars and a total of 21 separate LED surfaces all powered by tvONE’s Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers.

A total of nine Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 and two Hippotizer Tierra+ MK2 Media Servers were specified to run 21 LED surfaces, alongside two Hippotizer Play licences to manage the systems. The content primarily consisted of pre-rendered visuals, provided by Gravity Germany, which were designed for the multitude of performers.

“The video materials were delivered as individual loops, which were then programmed and assembled within the Hippotizer Media Servers,” says Christian van Deenen from trust.event group, which specified and supplied the Hippotizers. “Throughout the show, more than 1.5TB of data was played back, cons

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17 January 2025

USA - German DJ Bunt is touring with a "barrier-free" production design. "Bunt shows don't follow your typical format, where fans are barricaded off from the stage," said Tony Caporale, lighting designer for the current global tour, which ends later this month in Australia. "There are no boundaries. Bunt’s DJ booth is smack dab in the middle of the venue floor with the audience surrounding him. He wants to share the experience with the fans up close and personal."

Reflecting this philosophy, Caporale, of Infinitus Vox, creates a "perimeter of light" around Bunt and his fans. This, he says, "allows everyone to be in the moment with him from start to finish."

This openness has made it easy for the good vibes to flow between Bunt and his fans, but lighting an in-the-round DJ booth on a multi-city tour is not without its challenges. "We've had to retro

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17 January 2025

UK - Lighting designer Elliot Baines from Spiralstagelighting reached for some Astera PixelBricks to help create an imaginative, memorable, and high-value lighting effect for the London show of Canadian indie band Wild Rivers, a showcase gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire that was part of their 2024 UK tour.

Introduced to their tour manager Ben Pollard by Portsmouth, UK-based lighting rental company LiteUp, the brief was to create a homely and warm vibe onstage, whilst also impressing fans who packed out the London show, which was a great success.

Baines achieved results by using a careful combination of the 20 x Astera PixelBricks which were used as ‘specials’, the venue’s house lighting rig and the band’s own touring lighting specials.  

Wild Rivers were already touring a number of filament light bulbs on stands for additional

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17 January 2025

Belgium - Follow-Me has announced a new sales partnership with XLR Pro in Belgium and Luxembourg. The partnership aims to ‘revolutionise live performance experiences’ by integrating Follow-Me’s tracking system with XLR Pro’s range of lighting and audio equipment. As a result, Follow-Me's independent solutions will soon be offered to the entire market. 

The collaboration will bring together Follow-Me’s performer tracking solutions, which supply precise positional data for performers, with leading lighting and audio systems. This synergy is designed to enhance the connection between performers and their audiences by enabling more dynamic, immersive and responsive environments for both lighting and sound. 

Located in Brussels, XLR Pro delivers innovative premium AV equipment to theatres, recording studios, broadcasters, system integrators, r

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17 January 2025

Switzerland - Clear-Com successfully delivered a high-capacity, secure communication network during the 2024 Street Parade in Zurich, one of the world’s largest techno music festivals. Partnering with MGM Audio AG, Clear-Com provided vital communication tools that helped ensure real-time coordination and operational safety across the event, which attracted over 920,000 attendees. 

The Street Parade spanned Zurich’s city centre, posing challenges for communication across large, densely populated areas. Clear-Com’s Gen-IC virtual intercom system, known for its IP-based capabilities, robust signal integrity, and flexibility, was deployed to support reliable communication for teams stationed throughout the city. 

Gen-IC played a key role in facilitating tactical coordination, including the ability to issue real-time announcements and updates fr

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17 January 2025

UK - Nugen Audio has announced the immediate availability of its new Reverb Map on the brand’s website. Inspired by the brand’s Paragon and Paragon ST reverb plug-ins, the Nugen Audio team created an interactive map of the world that pinpoints spaces with unusual acoustic characteristics.

From churches and subway stations to concert venues and tombs across the globe, audio enthusiasts, audiophiles, backpackers and those with a passion for interesting architecture, among other hobbies, now have a unique exploration checklist for their travels.

“Our team worked hard to put the map together, and we look forward to hearing from Nugen customers who manage to visit some of these locations,” says Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, product specialist, Nugen Audio. “What better way to impose your audio fascination onto friends and family than by dragging them

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17 January 2025

Mexico - In designing the reality show La Casa de los Famosos, the Mexican version of Celebrity Big Brother, lighting designer Miki Molina uses innovative Elation lighting technology to transform the set into an impressive visual spectacle that blends aesthetics with emotion.

For Molina, whose career in film, theatre and television stretches to collaboration with giants such as Amazon, Disney, HBO, Netflix, Sony, Telemundo, and more, lighting design is not just technical but more akin to “painting with light”. His work on La Casa de los Famosos, which airs on TelevisaUnivision, has elevated the reality show to remarkable visual levels while tapping into the emotive facets of the show. 

Since beginning his collaboration with Endemol Shine Boomdog, Molina has worked to capture the key moments of the show through a desig