South Africa - JP Ridgard is an avid user of Obsidian Control Systems’ Onyx lighting control platform and in 2023 turned to the growing brand’s NX4 lighting console for the Lowveld Gin Fest in Mbombela. “The NX4 proved to be a game changer for me during this event,” reflected JP, who procured the console from Obsidian’s local distributor in South Africa, Electrosonic. “Its built-in touch screen and ample work surface made it the perfect tool for both programming and playback.” The 2023 Lowveld Gin Fest took place 9-10 September at the Lowveld Botanical Gardens
Europe - Linea Research, high-performance amplification, DSP and system control manufacturer, has announced a strategic partnership with Ampco Flashlight Sales as their distributor in the Benelux. “The collaboration between Linea Research and Ampco Flashlight Sales signifies a commitment to providing the Benelux market with unparalleled audio solutions and reinforces both companies' dedication to advancing the audio industry,” says a statement. In April 2023, Linea Research was awarded the King’s Award in recognition of its innovation in the field of audio technology.
Arise, Sir Michael - Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis was among those recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours list. Eavis, 88, who founded the Glastonbury Festival on his Somerset farm in 1970, is awarded a knighthood for services to music and charity. Each festival contributes more than £2m to charity. "We started with 500 people and we've finished up with millions wanting to come every year," he says. "That's quite extraordinary, isn't it?" BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright dedicated his MBE "to all the people in broadcasting who gave comfort and public service during the p
The Netherlands - In collaboration with FullAVL, Prolights distributor in the Netherlands, Lichtpunt Theatertechniek delivered a cutting-edge Prolights lighting system to the Concert Hall Theatre in Tilburg. Renowned for its versatility, the theatre hosts a diverse array of theatrical performances, dance shows, concerts, musicals, and cultural events. Given its dynamic and eclectic programme, the theatre had a pressing requirement for an entirely new lighting system. This system needed to meet the highest quality standards while offering adaptability to cater to various production
USA - Building on the momentum from the previous year’s launch of the Panther large-format linear line array, Meyer Sound closed out 2023 as yet another banner year marked by breakthrough new product introductions and record-breaking sales figures. “We’ve been on an exhilarating journey these past two years,” says senior vice-president John McMahon. “It’s been a transformative time for Meyer Sound. What started last year with Panther and continued this year with the introduction of the 2100‑LFC [low-frequency control element] has inaugurated a new era for our company
USA - The City of Paramount in California kickstarted the holiday season at the end of November with the 25th instalment of its annual Tree Lighting Celebration. Lit by a variety of ADJ luminaires, the free event was attended by thousands of locals and featured live musical and dance performances. The evening culminated when Santa Claus arrived on the scene surrounded by a flurry of synthetic snowflakes created by six of ADJ’s powerful Entour Snow machines. He then joined city officials on stage to throw a large lever shaped like a candy cane which turned on the downtown Christm
Australia - An array of stars gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Michael Gudinski at Mushroom 50 Live! In Melbourne at the end of November. Gudinski founded Mushroom Records in 1972. Over the years, he recorded, promoted and nurtured a generation of transformative Australian stars like MacKenzie Theory, the Skyhooks, The Choirboys and Kylie Minogue, among many others. Along the way, he became a legend, earning the title ‘father of Australian music’. Honouring his legacy, the Mushroom Group recognised Gudinski’s half-century of achievements by holding
World - The LSi team is getting ready for their festive break, but before we go, we’d like to thank you for reading and supporting us this year. Our daily online news service will resume on Tuesday, 2 January 2024, but if you find yourself missing LSi in the meantime, all 38 years’ worth of our back catalogue is accessible for free, HERE. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! The LSi team
UK - Stereo Covent Garden is the creation of Experimental Group, known for luxury hospitality spaces throughout Europe and the United States. A vibrant and varied music programme is offered each night, beginning with a house band providing relaxed vibes, before the stage is turned over to a rotating series of resident DJs. The interiors of Stereo Covent Garden have been designed by London-based studio Afroditi, which has created a moody atmosphere for Stereo's interiors, using lighting and mirrors reminiscent of the prohibition-era. Considering the opulent interiors and the wide a
USA - Toby Keith recently returned to the Las Vegas stage with three sold out shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM this December. The two-hour performance featured a lighting system designed by The Darkroom Creative and provided in part by Bandit Lites. Keith was recently honoured with the Country Icon Award at the People’s Choice Awards and released his 100% Songwriter album in November to critical acclaim. Lighting designer Seth Jackson of The Darkroom Creative shared the news of the performances was unveiled on a call with just 45 days to prepare, as well as instructions that loa
USA - There are strong evocative feelings tied to time and place in Jane Chambers 1980 landmark play, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove. That’s often the case with cultural milestones, a category this play certainly fits into, being the first major lesbian drama. Lighting designer R.S. Buck and the rest of the production team appreciated the significance of this when they worked on a recent production of the 43-year-old classic at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, but their vision extended beyond the play’s historical context to focus on the stories of the eight women po
Australia - While visitors to the BBC Earth Experience in Melbourne are being transported on a journey through the natural world, a new video explains the technical magic behind the scenes. The BBC Earth Experience is an immersive exhibition narrated by Sir David Attenborough which has recently opened at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Produced in collaboration with Moon Eye Productions, Live Nation, BBC Studio and Tinker Imagineers, the multi-room digital art experience guides visitors through Earth's diverse ecosystems across seven continents. What se
Sri Lanka - The production of Kuweni the Musical by Charitha Attalage showcased the seamless integration of Allen & Heath's audio equipment with the multidisciplinary performance. A captivating multi-sensory experience uniting a diverse team of composers, musicians, visual artists, songwriters, and more to create an immersive performance, the musical took place over four days with five sold-out shows at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksha Theatre. Allen & Heath's audio solutions played a pivotal role in bringing the production to life, with the equipment lin
USA - In a recent survey of professional audio manufacturers whose product lines span the gamut of audio specialties, half the respondents said immersive audio now ranges from a significant to a solidly pervasive and permanent component of audio production workflows, while all respondents expect to reach that level of pervasiveness within five years. The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) conducted the survey, asking its member companies to assess the impact of the burgeoning immersive audio movement on their product development and business. Two-thirds of participa
Belgium - VRT, the public broadcaster of the Flemish Community in Belgium, is paving the way for a new era of media production with its latest cutting-edge studio. The new multifunctional studio of VRT represents a pivotal leap into the future of media production. Equipped with an immense U-shaped LED wall, measuring an impressive 33m in width and 4m in height, crafted from Leyard Europe's VEM Series LED solution, the studio promises to ‘usher in a wave of creativity, efficiency, and accessibility in the production proces’s. It will also allow VRT to stay relevant in a rapidl
USA - GAT3, an audio facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, has transformed a former stereo tracking room into a 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos studio equipped with PMC Ci series monitors. Established 27 years ago by Glenn A Tabor III and his wife Susan, GAT3 is renowned for its outstanding facilities and equipment. The facility has five studios handling a range of audio projects, from music recording, mixing and mastering to voice overs, ADR and post production for film and television. It also has two sound stages, two video stages and a recording academy, teaching the next generation of audi
UK - Provider of AV and IT services Tateside, is marking 15 years of operations. In 2008, amid the challenges of a global recession, Tateside emerged out of a conversation among the co-founders, Andy Sullivan, Graham Agambar and Richard Day, who were all previously employed by Astro Communications, based in Kent. The trio recognised an opportunity to deliver fully managed services encompassing telecommunications, networks and audio-visual solutions. Their inaugural client, Time Inc. (formerly IPC Media), entrusted Tateside with a comprehensive service contract, marking the beginning of
Germany - As the current fiscal year draws to a close, Neumann & Müller Veranstaltungstechnik presented an initial assessment at its shareholder meeting and examined the prospects for 2024. The conclusion reached by the N&M managing board was that, following the disruptions caused by the corona pandemic, the company is now on an "absolutely stable long-term course". In view of this assessment, the shareholders of the service provider for technology for live communication expressed their confidence in the management. Following on from a period lasting almost three y
USA - In-ear monitor specialist Jerry Harvey Audio LLC (JH Audio) has filed for Chapter 11 reorganisation protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Florida. Although the specific details and terms of the filing currently remain undisclosed, JH Audio Founder Jerry Harvey has issued the following statement: “The recent global pandemic created unparalleled challenges for businesses across the nation, and our company was no exception. Despite the resilience and determination of our team, the prolonged closures within the music and live sound industry, combined wi
USA - An accomplished painter when she isn’t busy as a LD, Denise Simpson says that she often likes to play with colours to do things a little differently when designing shows. This was evident this December when she lit The Christmas Experience, a well-orchestrated one-hour musical programme at the Lexington Baptist Church. “Often one of the unique ways that I create looks is by slightly offsetting colours in some of my big monochromatic looks,” remarked Simpson. “I generally lean towards monochromatic looks as I am building up the end of a song, and also for those
UK - The festive period is a busy time for the riggers at Unusual. The team certainly has its hands full with Christmas lights being hung in Regent St, more than 20 pantomimes taking place across the UK and a big Christmas musical on the West End. Based on the Hollywood hit movie starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, Elf opened at London’s Dominion Theatre on 15 November for a limited eight-week run, with production manager Stuart Tucker bringing the Unusual team on board to handle the rigging requirements. Stuart commented: “This is quite an involved show from a riggi
Germany - Samsung has collaborated with KSCAPE to transform the meeting room experience at the Samsung Display Experience Centre in Frankfurt. The result is a solution based around KSCAPE Rail, which aims to eliminate the chaos of cables via integrated lighting and audio capabilities within a single dedicated product. The inspiration for this project can be traced back to conversations between Kris Hogg, head of partnerships at Samsung, and Tom Ríby, global sales and marketing manager at KSCAPE. “Kris and I shared a frustration with modern meeting room disorganisation and
Germany - The upper Franconian town of Wunsiedel is not only home to the largest rock labyrinth in Europe, but also the oldest open-air stage in Germany, which is used by the Luisenburg Festival every year during the summer months. The performance area of the main stage extends over several levels amidst rocks and forest. In this natural setting, the technical team at the Luisenburg Festival once again used weatherproof spotlights from Fusion by GLP this year. Twenty-four X-PAR 12Z, 24 Fusion Stick FS20, 12 Fusion SuperNova SN70 and four GLP impression X5 washlights formed part of
