Live sound

Formula 1 Racing kicked off its 75th year with a massive event at London’s O2 Arena. Photo: Britannia Row. London, UK (May 22, 2025)—Formula 1 Racing is celebrating its 75th anniversary and marked the occasion with a special live event, F1 75 Live, at London’s O2 Arena. Racing fans snatched up tickets for the confab, selling it out in less than an hour, and the event’s highlight was the reveal of this year’s cars from all 10 F1 racing teams, including Ferrari, Aston Martin, Red Bull and McLaren. Revving up the audio for the big production was Clair Global’s UK-based Britannia Row, which handled audio duties, blending hi-end corporate and musical expertise. Also on-hand from Clair’s brands was broadcast specialists, Plus 4 Audio, which supported Sky Sports, which televised the event. There were plenty of audio sources to work with, too—the evening was introduced by comedian Jack Whitehall, and there were also performances from Clair Global clients Take That (Skan PA Hire), and Kane Brown, Machine Gun Kelly and Tems (Clair Global). Britannia Row Productions account executive Tom Brown, noted, “For this project, our aim was to adequately cover the room given the extreme weight limitations in the roof—the set design was centered around a 360-degree wall. Our P.A. had to fit within the given restrictions, keeping every member of the live audience in mind whilst flying equipment within the specified weights.” Turning Up the Volume for ‘Black Sabbath – The Ballet’ With those restrictions in mind, Josh Lloyd, Britannia Row’s head of Engineering, designed a sound system based around an L-Acoustics rig with K2 main hangs, KARA II enclosures, KS28 subwoofers, and A10 Focus enclosures for front fill. Yamaha Rivage PM Series control surfaces were used for mixing spoken word and presenter speches, while musical portions were mixed on DiGiCo Quantum 338 control surfaces. Wireless RF systems onsite were a mix of Shure AD Axient Digital handhelds and Sennheiser 6000/9000 handhelds, with Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring used throughout. F1 75 live production manager, Chris Vaughan, shared, “This was quite a unique experience, not only for us, but for the F1 teams. We had to produce a show that consisted of 10 bespoke car launches and make a night of memorable entertainment. It’s a very similar event style to the BRIT Awards, which Britannia Row works across every year, the main difference being that the ‘star’ of each segment was a car and its drivers.”

Gateway Studios & Production Services. St. Louis, MO (May 22, 2025)—Arriving on schedule, Gateway Studios & Production Services (GSPS) has officially opened its massive touring/studio complex in Chesterfield, Missouri, and is already eyeing the opening of its Phase Two expansion in Fall 2025. The 32-acre facility is designed to be a flexible, if enormous, space, able to host touring productions, television and film projects, and high-end corporate events in a purpose-built environment designed to help creatives and crews to prepare, collaborate and execute all manner of projects. Since opening, GSPS has begun hosting a variety of clients and productions, providing rehearsal and staging, as well as on-site support services, technical infrastructure, production support and more. The site additionally offers three previsualization (pre-vis) suites for designing lighting, video, and staging elements prior to build. Also on site are storage facilities for touring acts. The lynchpin of the campus is Studio 80, a flagship space that GSPS says the largest dedicated rehearsal studio in North America, offering 52,500 square feet of rehearsal space, an 80-foot grid height, and a 2,000,000-pound grid weight capacity. Studio 80 sports a 10,800-square-foot receiving/staging area with six loading docks, a drive-in ramp, shore power for six buses, and 15,000-square-feet of dedicated dressing rooms with ensuite private bathrooms, offices and a catering lounge. Gateway Studios & Production Services Complex Sets May Opening Nearby sits Studio 75, with 15,000 square feet of rehearsal space, a 75-foot grid height, and a 1,000,000-pound grid weight capacity. Intended for arena sized productions, its amenities include a 4,000-square-foot receiving/staging area, three loading docks, a drive-in ramp, and 8,000-square-feet of dedicated dressing rooms. A third space is Studio Support, offering 15,700 square feet of open space with a 48-foot ceiling with rigging points at 42 feet. Additional features include a 3,400-square-foot receiving/staging area, one dedicated loading dock with leveler and truck power, a drive-in ramp, and two offices with dedicated restrooms. Despite all that opening this month, GSPS is already looking ahead to Phase Two of its Gateway Studios campus, expected to open this fall with the introduction of Studio 65 and a new office building. Studio 65 will offer 12,500 square feet of rehearsal space, a 65-foot grid height, and an 800,000-pound grid capacity, while the new office building will serve as GSPS headquarters and include leasing opportunities for industry partners with the aim of creating a collaborative ecosystem.

FOH engineer Thom Pike, who mixes Sleep Token on the road. London, U.K. (May 19, 2025)—Sleep Token deftly weaves together metal, electronica, DJ and prog rock-style mythos into an intoxicating sound—one that is held together with an undeniable beat. Bringing that beat to the masses live is FOH engineer Thom Pike, who captures the sound of the band’s drummer, II, with the Audix D6, used in expected—and unexpected—ways. “I’ve never used anything but the D6 on kick in my professional career,” he said. However, he also puts the dynamic mic to work elsewhere: “In addition to the kick, I use it on the 10-inch, 12-inch, and 16-inch toms,” explains Pike. “Each has their own D6.” Putting the D6 on toms happened almost by accident, he said, recalling, “We tried it as a laugh in sound check one day; then, both the drummer, II, and I loved it so much that we stayed with it, and now that’s our standard setup. The mics are large compared to the rest of the D series, so to onlookers who can see the kit, it almost looks like there are extra tiny drums or maybe coffee mugs up there, but the sound is well worth the visual oddity. Sleep Token drummer II has his kick and toms captured nightly via Audix D6 mics. “When we put them on the toms, they sounded correct before even adding any EQ. It gives you that presence, but the ‘gut’ of the tom as well. Also, we have triggers for gates on the drums to control bleed because the stage is quite loud, and the response of the D6 interacts well with the gates. It makes the whole kit sound very snappy and punchy. I’ve never used anything but the D6 on kick in my professional career. The D6X, which we acquired recently makes a great mic even better by giving you the versatility of different sounds.” It’s the First Annual National Roadie Day Pike plans to try Audix SCX1HC condensers on Sleep Token’s cymbals soon. “I just acquired the tiny pencil mics, the SCX1HC condensers, and their sound is amazing for their size,” he said. “They’re literally the size of your pinky finger. I want to capture the detail in some of the smaller cymbals like splashes and need something that can go very close and be low-profile.” Also in Pike’s immediate future is the D6X, an evolution of the D6 which, via a three-position switch, duplicates the original D6 frequency response, then adds two curves with increased midrange and high-mids. “I just got the D6X,” he notes. “We haven’t had a chance yet to A-B it with the D6 or use it under fire, but I’m quite looking forward to it.”

Christopher Wrigley, lead audio engineer at V1 Church. Knoxville, Tenn. (May 13, 2025)—V1 Church is using a Waves eMotion LV1 Classic console for both its FOH and broadcast needs at its main broadcast location in Brooklyn, N.Y. Christopher Wrigley, lead audio engineer at V1 Church, comments, “A typical Sunday service features a full worship team performing three songs, followed by our pastor, Mike Signorelli. During the third song, we simulcast to all our campuses, transmitting the click, tracks and lead vocals across locations. This ensures synchronization, with the lead vocalist from our broadcast campus guiding the performance on LED screens nationwide. The sermon is then broadcast live in real time to all campuses,” he says. “Our main broadcast campus is currently in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which doubles as a 1,500-person capacity music venue during the week. This means we set up and tear down our entire church setup every week. Despite these challenges, the eMotion LV1 Classic handles the complexity and rigors of our Sundays seamlessly.” He continues, “I’ve mixed on a lot of consoles, but the first time I heard a full band through the LV1 Classic was like a breath of fresh air. There’s something about the combination of its amazing preamps and the use of Waves plug-ins that ensures a pristine source and a clean, musical mix every time. It’s the ease of a digital console that feels and sounds like the best analog desk you could ever hope to work on.” Wrigley says that one of the advantages of the eMotion LV1 Classic is its simplicity: “It never feels overwhelming. Its well-designed interface keeps things straightforward, making operation effortless even for new users, and the compact design allows it to fit into a relatively small and easily transportable case. For FOH, all that’s needed is a small table and a network cable connection. Additionally, I’ve used many other consoles and I have to say that the LV1 Classic’s routing options are the most straightforward and user-friendly that I’ve seen on any console out there. It all just makes sense.”

Marcoussis, France (May 13, 2025)—L-Acoustics has launched the LA1.16i, an ultra-compact, 16-channel amplified controller specifically engineered for the installation market. Purpose-built for near-field and short-throw applications where higher sound pressure levels aren’t the priority, the LA1.16i is ideal for hospitality venues, retail environments, cultural spaces and residential installations. Its high channel count enables the deployment of large quantities of speakers—for example, up to 48 x4i compact enclosures—while its space-efficient, 1U design maximizes rackspace utilization and cuts costs. The LA1.16i is described as ideal for front-fill and delay systems in theaters and performing arts centers, distributed background music systems in restaurants, hotels, and retail spaces, L-ISA spatial audio and Ambiance active acoustics installations, and home cinema and yacht entertainment systems. “Following the success of our LA7.16i amplified controller, we identified a clear need for a complementary solution for small to medium installations,” says Genio Kronauer, executive director of R&D, Technologies and Platforms at L-Acoustics. “The LA1.16i applies the same innovative approach to these applications, significantly reducing the cost-per-channel of amplification while maintaining the sonic signature and reliability that L-Acoustics is known for.” Like its predecessor, the LA1.16i incorporates L-SMART, L-Acoustics’ patented power management technology that intelligently matches real-time power delivery to the needs of the loudspeaker system. This innovation optimizes efficiency and is said to ensure reliable performance while reducing energy consumption compared to traditional amplifier designs. For network integration, the Milan-certified LA1.16i supports Milan-AVB and AES67 audio network protocols with seamless redundancy, alongside AES/EBU and analog inputs. Installation-friendly features include terminal block connectors for all audio outputs, GPIOs for third-party control system integration, and a 24V DC backup power input for the DSP card. The LA1.16i is remotely configurable, monitored using L-Acoustics LA Network Manager software, and offers integration with popular media control systems through Q-SYS plugins, Crestron modules, and HTTP API. The L-Acoustics LA1.16i will ship in summer 2025.

The Mighty Wurlitzer of the Riviera Theatre. Photo by Steve La Cerra. I recently worked a show at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, N.Y., a venue I’ve visited several times in the past few years. The venue has slowly been making significant upgrades, some technical and some related to the building itself. But there’s one “upgrade” that’s been ongoing continuously for more than 75 years, and it makes the Riviera Theatre special. Here’s some of the back story… The Riviera was built in 1926 and touted as the “Showplace of the Tonawandas” (near Buffalo, N.Y., for those who were wondering). As was the case with many theaters built during the Vaudeville Era, the venue presented live shows as well as movies, many of which were silent and featured accompaniment by live musicians. In the case of the Riviera, music was supplied by an organist playing the in-house organ, aka The Mighty Wurlitzer! Keyboard virtuoso Christopher Clark playing The Mighty Wurlitzer, elevated to stage-level, at the Riviera Theatre. Photo by Steve La Cerra. The town of North Tonawanda has a strong connection to Wurlitzer because the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, located there, was purchased by Rudolph Wurlitzer in 1909 and became the Wurlitzer factory. Hard to believe it now, but Wurlitzer organs were very popular at the time as a main source of sound for showings of silent films. Introduced ca. 1910, the “Mighty Wurlitzer” theater organ became the company’s landmark product, with installations in theaters, churches and even private homes worldwide. READ MORE: Mix Blog Live—Dumpster Diving? Crate Digging? Alas, these magnificent beasties no longer roam the Earth in the same numbers as in their heyday, but there are still working examples scattered around the globe. One of those lives in the Riviera. Installed in 1926, the Model 235 Special features three manuals and eleven “ranks”—sets of pipes designed to produce specific tones. Use of the organ diminished in the early 1930s as “talkie” movies gained ground, and the instrument fell into disrepair. Efforts to restore and maintain the organ continued intermittently: a round of replacing missing and damaged pipes, and cleaning the electrical contacts (mid-1940s); a graft of parts from another Wurlitzer that had lived in the Kensington Theatre in Buffalo (ca. 1970); restoration of the console artwork and paint; installation of a computer-based system to replace the aging mechanical relays; extensive tone tweaks, replacement of damaged pipes, reworking of the wind lines, and replacement of non-Wurlitzer components (ca. 2010). The results are amazing! I had the chance to hear keyboard virtuoso and Band Geeks member Christopher Clark take the Mighty for a spin, and it’s breathtaking to hear the instrument in person—and really cool to see the elevator raise the organ console from floor to stage level while the organist is playing! Kudos to the theatre association for recognizing what a special instrument they have in the house, and for resolving to repair and maintain it over the years. The RCF P.A. hang. Note the organ console at floor level, lower left. Photo by Steve La Cerra. Let’s not forget the other improvements at the Riviera. The audio system recently had a major upgrade with the addition of a Yamaha DM7 digital mixing console at FOH. The main P.A. features RCF HDL-30 (active two-way line array elements) flown eight per side, with three RCF TTS36 subwoofers set as a center-cluster in cardioid. Having mixed at the Riviera pre-DM7, I can say that the console markedly improves the clarity of the system. The last time I visited the venue, the front lobby was being renovated; that has been completed, with a new concessions area, bar and an outdoor patio. The new lobby concessions area. Photo by Steve La Cerra. Next on the list is construction of new dressing rooms and green room facilities, which will be built into a new space adjacent to the theater. Like many theaters from that era, the existing dressing rooms and production spaces are bare-bones, so I’ll be looking forward to that… and hearing that Wurlitzer again! Keep your eye on the Riviera website if you’re interested in hearing The Mighty Wurlitzer, The Riviera still hosts silent-movie nights, with live accompaniment played by organist Bruce Woody.

Monitor engineer Josh Mellott at the DiGiCo Quantum852 console. Escondido, Calif. (May 12, 2025)—Veteran FOH engineer Laurie Quigley and monitor engineer Josh Mellott are currently on the road with multi-Grammy-winner Lenny Kravitz and a pair of DiGiCo Quantum852 consoles. Quigley, who has been with Kravitz for more than two decades, and Mellott, who has been touring with Kravitz for 11 years, initially as a monitor tech, switched to the Quantum852 consoles at the start of 2025. Sound Image, a Clair Global brand, is supplying a control package for Kravitz’s Blue Electric Light tour that also includes two DiGiCo SD-Racks and six SD-MiNi Racks, plus three Fourier Audio transform.engine platforms. Kravitz and Craig Ross, his guitar player and longtime collaborator, are extremely knowledgeable about audio, writing, performing, recording and mixing all of Kravitz’s studio projects. On the road, apparently,the pair are also very hands-on. “Lenny and Craig will go to front-of-house and listen to the band with Laurie and make adjustments,” Mellott explains. “Craig will come to the monitor console and listen to his mix and make adjustments. We all talk to each other and work together to make this whole collective thing work, because audio is such a big part of Lenny’s performance.” During band rehearsals in the Bahamas for the current tour, Mellott and Ross regularly visited the studio to document every delay and reverb used on the Blue Electric Light album, then combed through the plug-ins on Fourier’s transform.engine to best replicate the devices used on the recordings. “I listed eight different reverbs and eight or 10 different delays just for Lenny’s vocal,” Mellott says. He programmed those into Quigley’s transform.engine at FOH, but instead of duplicating everything at monitors, he simply takes whichever effect Quigley has currently applied over the Optocore loop. Mellott can then make that effect available to anyone who wants to hear it in their monitor mix. Since 2019, the crew has also been generating a broadcast mix whenever it is required, inserting a third DiGiCo console into the fiber network. “Quality control is a big, big thing with this operation, and we don’t leave anything to chance,” Mellott stresses. “We bring our own Quantum5 and have our systems engineer, Frank Müller, provide a stereo mix anytime we do a broadcast. We loaded the front-of-house file onto it and programmed it with Craig over the last year or two in rehearsals. All the plug-ins that Laurie is using get sent to Frank and he can also throw up delays and reverbs as needed. With DiGiCo, it’s all one big ecosystem, and one that works very well for us.”

New York, NY (May 8, 2025)—Disturbed exploded onto the scene in 2000 with The Sickness, an out-of-the- box smash that went five-times Platinum and instantly earmarked the band as one to watch. In the quarter-century since, the group has made good on that label, changing with the times but never afraid to inject melody into metal, whether in its own songs or while pulling off left-field covers of Tears For Fears, Sting, Genesis and Simon & Garfunkel. It’s also readily evident on the band’s current arena tour, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Sickness with a complete album playthrough, followed by a separate “Greatest Hits” set. Helping fill every sold-out arena with The Sickness are (l-r): Scott Jarecki, system tech; Brad Divens, FOH engineer; Kevin “Milhouse” Leas, RF/comms tech; Blair Bondy, monitor engineer; Sevrin Huette, P.A. tech; and Liam Tucker, crew chief/monitor tech. Photo: Clive Young. Overseeing the FOH position for the journey, much as he did for the previous tour cycle behind 2022’s Divisive, is veteran engineer Brad Divens, whose history with the band stretches all the way back to the original Sickness era: “I met these guys on an Ozzfest tour in 2001 because I was doing Linkin Park; I was friends with some of their crew guys, so we all ended up hanging out.” A veteran musician himself, having played in Kix and Wrathchild America in the 1980s, Divens shifted into live mixing in the 1990s and has since manned the board for acts as disparate as Cyndi Lauper, Jane’s Addiction and Enrique Iglesias. “In the summer of 2022, I sent out three emails,” he recalled. “Enrique wasn’t doing anything and I figured I should see if anyone needed somebody to cover them on one-offs. Within five minutes, Greg Price emailed me back, saying, ‘Hey, I’m busy with Metallica. You want to cover Disturbed?’ I did some one-offs, and February of 2023, they said, ‘Do you want to do a tour now?’ Enrique wasn’t busy, so it worked out.” The engineer transition was a good one, with Divens’ mix style fitting the band’s aesthetic well. “My approach is, obviously, I want to hear everything,” he said. “I listen to the record, listen to how it’s all put together, and then implement the mix in the same way, getting as close to the record as I can while maintaining a live element. There are elements in each song that the people are going to know from the record, and those are the things you want to make sure you get across. It also depends on the sounds that you’re given, because a record is one thing and live is another. It’s bass, drums, guitar and lead vocal, but everybody’s a real player in this band and David [Draiman] is a great singer.” Those four musicians account for 96 inputs coming from the stage to the Avid S6L front-of-house desk that Divens inherited from Price’s time with the band. A substantial number of those inputs come from mics on the two drum kits, as drummer Mike Wengren has opted to use both the kit he played on the original Sickness tour on the album set, and a current-day kit on the hits set. Adjacent to the Avid desk is a considerable amount of outboard gear, much of it from Rupert Neve Designs and Stam Audio. Photo: Clive Young. Adjacent to the Avid desk is a considerable amount of outboard gear, much of it from Rupert Neve Designs and Stam Audio. “It’s the go-to rack of analog goodness,” said Divens. “Plug-ins are good, but there’s something about running your signal through transformers and wire and tubes and everything else. When I took this gig, I thought, ‘What if I put a Rupert Neve Shelford Channel on David’s vocal, and the Rupert Neve [Portico II] Master Buss Processor on left and right, and see what happens?’ I put them on there, and I couldn’t unhear what it did! I did a few shows like that, and then when I had the opportunity to build the rig for the tour, I said, ‘Okay, I want to go with some more group processing.’ I’m really happy with the way everything has come together.” Adding to the outboard accumulation at FOH is a 500 Series rack stuffed with Rupert Neve 542 Tape Emulators used on the guitar group; a pair of 535 Diode Bridge Compressors applied to the bass group; an SPL Big on left-right for a touch of stereo imaging; Empirical Labs Pump compressors, which aren’t being used (yet); and Maag EQ4s on Draiman’s vocal group. “I have the summation of David, which is a stereo group and then the parallel, compressed stereo group which is getting a pair of Distressors,” said Divens, “so it’s the blend of that coming out of the output of the summing mixer that I’m applying a little bit EQ to, both of those groups together.” Up at stageside, monitorworld is looked after by engineer Blair Bondy and crew chief/monitor tech Liam Tucker. Like Divens, Bondy oversees an S6L that was inherited from his predecessor, Ashton Parsons, and uses it to create mixes for the band’s JH Audio in-ear monitors; no wedges or sidefills are in play. “They’re all on Roxannes except for David, who is on JH16 V1s,” said Bondy. “I wear JH13 V1s. I like the mid-range and the top end in the 13s and the 16s, so me and David are hearing a really similar sound. I have a pair of Roxannes if I need to dive into that world, and also I know what it’s supposed to sound like with my 13s.” Disturbed are playing two sets nightly on The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour—one of the namesake album and the other packed with greatest hits. Photo: Scott Legato/Getty Images. Miking onstage is straightforward with Draiman belting into a DPA d:facto 4018VL vocal mic, while the identically miked drum kits sport a combination of Shure Beta 91As on the kick; Earthworks DM20s on the toms; DPA 2012 cardioid mics on the snare; Neumann KM 184s on both high hats and ride cymbals; and AKG 414s used as overheads. The show’s microphones are also an example of the synergy between the front-of-house and monitor mix positions, as Bondy shared: “We had problems with some microphones at one point, and I said selfishly, ‘What if we use these’—which were mics that I wanted. Brad was like, ‘Sure! I like those, too!’ It’s not every day where you’re working with somebody who’s open to anything and a really good hang, but also is one of the best engineers. He’s got one of the best mixes I’ve ever heard.” The audience gets to hear those mixes via a sizable Cohesion P.A. system fielded by Clair Global for the tour. A typical hang consists of 16 CO12s for each main hang, flanked by 14 CO10s per side for outfills. Bolstering their impact are a half-dozen flown CP218 subs on each side, along with a trio of CP218 ground subs on the right and left sides each as well. Adorning the stage lip are 10 CF28s used as frontfills. The Sound of ELO’s Final Tour The show tends to hover around 98 dBA, which is just where Divens likes to keep it—unless he’s taking it even lower. After an evening of perceived loudness, he pointedly pumps the brakes, three songs before the end, for the band’s cover of “The Sound of Silence.” The shrewd move turns the thunderous show’s quietest moment into one of its biggest highlights. “I take the whole mix down 5 dB at least,” he chuckled. “I pull everything back and make it very intimate, because David sings it really well and it’s a great song. My assistant, Scott [Jarecki, system tech], mentioned it the other night—‘It’s like the crowd’s leaning in to listen.’ You can almost hear a pin drop, because everybody’s just hushed. Then all of a sudden, way in the background, you’ll hear people start to sing the lyrics. It’s pretty cool!”

A new exhibition exploring the artistic side of James Cameron uses dBTechnologies’ IS speakers. Turin, Italy (May 8, 2025)—A gorgeous film starts its visual journey as a series of images, and that’s proven by The Art of James Cameron, a new exhibition at Italy’s Museo Nazionale del Cinema, located inside Turin’s renowned architectural landmark, Mole Antonelliana. Helping bring those images to life for every museum visitor is a meticulous sound design delivered by dBTechnologies’ IS passive installation series speakers. Cameron, the writer/director behind films like The Terminator, Avatar, Aliens and Titanic, is profiled in this “autobiography through art,” to quote Cameron’s own words. The exhibition unfolds across six thematic sections and showcases drawings, paintings, costumes, photographs made or adapted by Cameron himself and more. The exhibition was developed by creative studio MYBOSSWAS, as was the sound design, with implementation and operational support from DADA Servizi Musicali. Quadraphonic configurations present the sound through four channels, resulting in a wider dynamic range, allowing for more detailed and nuanced sound reproduction across six audio stations distributed along the museum’s spiral path. Each station is defined by an original track and a unique sonic identity. Oxford Town Hall Show Recalls Pink Floyd Each of the six multichannel listening stations positioned along the helical path deploys four IS4T units mounted on brackets with additional two IS25T-WP units providing sound for the exhibit entry area. The soundscape was composed by creative lead Giorgio Ferrero and Rodolfo Mongitore and presented on dBTechnologies’ IS series loudspeakers. “We needed highly directive speakers able to define the sonic space precisely without interfering with adjacent stations,” Ferrero explains. “The quadraphonic setup proved optimal as the IS series speakers are visually discreet and naturally blend into the museum space, while delivering enough sound pressure level with excellent acoustic dispersion control Their flexibility makes them ideal for multichannel installations, and I would confidently use them again in other exhibition settings.”

Tribute act The Delicate Sound of Pink Floyd recently played Oxford Town Hall with the help of Event Production Services and a sizable Nexo GEO P.A. Oxford, UK (May 7, 2024)—Any time a major band decides to call it quits, there’s a tribute act waiting in the wings to give fans the nostalgic live shows they crave. Some acts do it better than others, but when the right players and behind-the-scenes pros come together, the experience can be magical. That’s certainly what fans of tribute act The Delicate Sound of Pink Floyd look forward to when they catch the 11-piece lineup live. The UK band, based on the 1988-89 ‘A Delicate Sound of Thunder’ touring band, often takes things to the next level by performing in architecturally impressive venues—such as the group’s recent show inside Oxford Town Hall, a Grade II-listed, late 19th Century building. Adding to the show’s aura was the use of lighting, lazers and a Nexo P.A. and monitor system, provided by Oxford-based Event Production Services.   “We’re using a Nexo GEO M12 front-of-house system,’ said EPS managing director Robert Nisbet. “It’s very quick to rig, it sounds fantastic and its directivity keeps things well controlled within these types of buildings where there’s often hard surfaces everywhere. We’re using Nexo Geo M6 as delays, chosen primarily because they’re so closely voiced to the rest of the Geo M Series, and then we have our stage monitor package which is all based around Nexo’s P+ range. We have a number of P12s on stage and they are just fantastically well controlled. The directivity works really well and gives us lots of separation on stage—and there’s so much headroom. They’re really clear, they’re really loud and they do it without problems with feedback.” FOH Engineer Asa Holbrook was satisfied with the selection, noting, “Mixing on Nexo has been really good; it’s got the throw and highs that we need, and also a nice tight low end.” Speaking for the band, bass player and lead vocalist James Winnicott said, “After the first show we did, we got about 150 very complimentary emails, with so many people saying the sound was crystal clear. The Nexo gear has been absolutely faultless. The sound is second to none.” “We’ve bought quite heavily into Nexo” said Nisbet in conclusion. “The voicing across the range is so consistent. It gives us the opportunity to provide really high-quality coverage to a variety of events, from the smallest scale corporate events right through to larger rock and roll shows like this.”

Recently introduced from the folks at RF Venue is the CP Stage Antenna, a rugged, IP-rated, high-performance antenna intended for use with wireless microphones and IEM systems. The CP Stage can be operated in the UHF range between 470 and 928 MHz, covering 470 to 698 MHz in North America, 823 to 832 and 863 to 865 MHz in Europe, and the 902 to 928 MHz ISM band. The CP Stage is housed in a lightweight enclosure that is IP44-rated for weather-resistance, enabling it to be used in portable as well as permanent outdoor installations. The CP Stage features a low-profile, circularly polarized element that provides optimal 360-degree signal for IEM packs and wireless mics. The circular polarization ensures consistent signal to IEM body packs regardless of performer orientation. It can be easily deployed on any standard microphone stand or wall-mount bracket, enabling a secure means of boosting signal quality (+3 dBi at 500 MHz). A single CP Stage can be used for IEM transmission, while two can be used for diversity reception of wireless mics. Specifications include bandwidth 458 MHz, average return loss 10 dB, impedance 50Ω, pattern 120-degree conical, and range 200 feet. Connector is a BNC-F, and the CP Stage is appropriate for applications where users may get within 10 feet of the antenna. Dimensions of the CP Stage are 10x12x1 (inches), and it weighs in at only 2 pounds, making it ideal for touring and fly packs. It is available now at an MAP of $349.

Digigram has announced the release of two new sound cards, the ALP280e and ALP280e-MIC, as part of the ALP-X series, both purpose-built to address the evolving needs of audio acquisition and processing in audio applications such as broadcast, acoustic measurement, court rooms, public safety, and 24/7 operation installations. The low-profile PCIe sound cards are optimized for the recording of eight analog line-level or mic-level audio inputs with zero latency, monitoring and onboard mixing capabilities. They also have eight balanced analog inputs, two balanced outputs, and eight GPIs and GPOs. They are stated to deliver +24 dBu max analog level, adjustable analog gain (up to +56 dB for mic inputs), an E.I.N of -124 dB and an SNR higher than 115 dBA on inputs, as well as a sampling rate from 8 kHz to 192 kHz. An FPGA-based zero latency mixer supports the routing and mixing of 16 inputs (eight analog channels and eight playback channels) to 10 outputs (two analog channels and eight recording channels), making the ALP280e and ALP280e-MIC well suited for complex audio capture workflows. Inter-board synchronization with up to eight ALP-X cards, combined with Digigram’s unified Windows control panel and Linux support, helps ensure integration into any system. “ALP-280e and ALP280e-MIC will power a larger array of 365/24/7 run applications that require reliable acquisition and recording of audio signals,” states Digigram presales manager Stéphane Bert. “Thanks to the low-profile form factor, plus support for Linux and Windows operating systems, these new cards deliver performance where it matters most – from broadcast studios to critical communication systems.” Go here for more specifics. Digigram The post Digigram Releases New ALP280e & ALP280e-MIC PCIe Sound Cards appeared first on ProSoundWeb.

Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Dubai-based StreamPort Media as its authorized distributor in the Middle East, supporting the company’s full range of intercom and wireless communication systems. “This collaboration marks an important step in strengthening Clear-Com’s presence in the Middle East,” says Samer Mouwanes, regional sales manager at Clear-Com. “With StreamPort Media’s deep market knowledge and commitment to service excellence, we are confident that our customers will receive the highest level of support and access to our communication technology.” Clear-Com The post StreamPort Media Appointed Distributor For Clear-Com In The Middle East appeared first on ProSoundWeb.

Engineer Ian Bond delivered front of house and monitor mixes via a Midas HD96 console on the “The Road to the Isles,” the farewell tour by Scottish rock singer Fish of the UK and Europe following a 45-year career that saw him rise with prog-rock band Marillion before becoming a solo artist. More than 30 shows in Europe late last year preceded this year’s 14-date UK tour that concluded with two sold-out shows in Glasgow. Audio for the tour was supplied by Bond’s IPB Audio, and he was responsible for delivering the house and monitor sound for Fish and his band of seasoned professionals. IPB Audio recently invested in the HD96 console, with Bond noting, “I’ve been a Midas user for as long as I can remember. First with the XL Series and Heritage analogue, and then into digital with the CL8 and Pro series. We’d borrowed a demo HD96 console from Nick Bellis at POLAR (Midas UK distributor) for a couple of festival shows in 2023 and after that experience, we knew it would be a good investment. “The amount of features that come as standard, plus the overall audio quality were the main reasons, but when we considered the price, added in the channel, Aux, Matrix and FX slot count, it was a simple decision. Given that we already have six Pro Series desks, the HD96 also fits in with our stage box and infrastructure inventory.” He deployed the HD96 on a number of festivals in 2024 and then in support of Fish. “We love it! It has all the facilities you need, without any external processing, and it sounds great,” he says. “We’ve got another summer of festivals around the corner and we’re planning on adding a second HD96 to our inventory, so we have one at either end of the multi. A mention must also go to Nick (Bellis) and the team at POLAR for their after-sales support — they are always extremely helpful.” Bellis, business development manager at POLAR, adds, “Since its launch, the Midas HD96 has proven to be a hugely popular choice for touring, festivals, and installations. As well as Ian’s tour with Fish, we recently saw Gun out on the road with Kira Mac supporting, where both bands’ engineers were using HD96s! Some significant venues have also recently installed the console, including The Fleece in Bristol and SWG3 in Glasgow, each of whom have invested in two consoles, an indication of how the HD96 provides an exceptional solution in terms of audio quality, usability, and value for money.” Midas The post Midas For Mix Engineer Ian Bond On “The Road to the Isles” Tour By Fish In The UK & Europe appeared first on ProSoundWeb.

L-Acoustics announced that it has won legal judgments against two European counterfeiters of the company’s professional audio equipment. Working through its dedicated Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, L-Acoustics pursued legal action in both Germany and Norway against companies that were acquiring and renting fake L-Acoustics products, including loudspeakers and electronics. Initial analysis of the seized counterfeit products revealed safety concerns, including metal components only half the required strength of authentic L-Acoustics specifications — resulting in a 48 percent decrease in safety factor. In Germany, the court ruled against a rental company utilizing counterfeit Kara loudspeakers, rejecting their defense that they were not liable as they were only renting the equipment rather than selling it. The tribunal recognized the products as counterfeit, prohibiting the company from using other fake products. The court also mandated the disclosure of information regarding the origin of the counterfeit products, enabling L-Acoustics to investigate potential larger distribution networks. “L-Acoustics extends its appreciation to the German court for this significant ruling,” says Laurent Ostojski, senior legal counsel at L-Acoustics. “This judgement not only protects our intellectual property but also helps maintain the integrity of the professional audio market.” In Norway, L-Acoustics acted against a local rental company offering counterfeit products at significantly reduced rental prices. The intervention was motivated primarily by safety concerns, as the fake loudspeakers and amplifiers were being deployed in confined spaces with high occupancy at “russ bus” end-of-year student celebrations, creating a potentially dangerous situation. When faced with legal proceedings, the counterfeiter admitted wrong doing, paid damages, and halted pending orders of additional counterfeit products from China. “These cases highlight our dual commitment to safety and market integrity,” Ostojski adds. “The counterfeit products not only infringe on our intellectual property but present a real danger to unsuspecting audiences and venue operators. Our priority will always be protecting the public from substandard products that fail to meet proper safety standards.” All seized counterfeit products are being transported to L-Acoustics headquarters in Marcoussis, France for analysis before being properly destroyed and recycled in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. L-Acoustics is working with certified European WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) organizations to ensure environmentally responsible disposal and maximum material recovery. The eco-organization eCologic, a member of WEEE in France, handled the entire destruction and recycling process, which was overseen by a bailiff to ensure compliance. Ostojski: “In addition to identifying the rigging dangers of these fake products with half the amount of metal required for our rigorous safety standards, our investigation also revealed that some of the counterfeit amplifiers had already failed before seizure. This underscores the risk these products pose. By ensuring proper recycling of these materials, we’re removing dangerous products from the market while minimizing environmental impact.” L-Acoustics manufactures all products in Europe under strict quality control and safety standards. More information about the L-Acoustics Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force can be found at l-acoustics.com, where users can also report any suspected counterfeit L-Acoustics products. L-Acoustics The post L-Acoustics Secures Victories Against Counterfeiters In Europe appeared first on ProSoundWeb.

Wedemark, Germany (April 24, 2025)—Sennheiser has announced that shipping for its Spectera wideband wireless ecosystem begins April 25. By putting the power of a multichannel system into a single 1U rack unit, and accommodating wireless mics, IEMs, and control data in the very same RF channel and a single bodypack, the bidirectional solution offers unprecedented ease of use for both RF managers and the entire audio team. The hardware includes the Base Station, the bidirectional SEK bodypack, in versions for the TV-UHF and 1.4 GHz bands, the DAD transceiving antennas (also in TV-UHF and 1.4 GHz versions), MADI cards and various accessories. The software for the ecosystem includes the LinkDesk software and the browser-based Spectera WebUI.

Photo by Steve La Cerra. A month or two back, the Recording Industry Association of America released its year-end revenue report on music sales in the United States for 2024. The findings mark the first time that paid streaming subscriptions surpassed 100 million in the U.S. While that’s not much of a surprise, it may be somewhat surprising to learn that sales of vinyl records continued to grow for the 18th straight year, accounting for almost three-quarters of physical format sales, and a tidy sum of around $1.4 billion—the highest since 1984. Wow. I had hair back then! This is not the first time we’ve explored the topic (see Vinyl Rising… Pass It On) and why it remains popular, but today—as I made a few record-hunting stops with a tour mate on a day off in Sacramento—I was reminded of the record jaunts my cousin Frank and I would make. Or maybe it was more like he was making the record jaunt and dragging his little cousin along. Frank was (is) six years my senior, and somehow when I was in my early teens he became entrusted with steadfastly coaxing me down the road of good rock music, turning me on to bands like The Stones, The Kinks, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, et al. My older sisters were listening mostly to pop music at the time (which was actually pretty decent in the late 1970s/early 1980s), but Frank’s taste in music resonated with me, not in small part due to the fact that I was learning the drums and marveled at Ian Paice’s command of the kit. READ MORE: Mix Blog Live—Pardon the Delay. Anyway, Frank and I would make trips every so often to stores that had new and used records. I remember going with him to a record store called Titus Oaks, and it was a revelation: The place was stacked with bins of used records. My funds were limited at the time, but I could find tons of used vinyl records, often priced at $3 or $4 each. If I had scraped together 20 bucks from washing my dad’s car (or whatever else he might need done around the house), I could walk out with an armful of records with no care about whether they were new or used. It was glorious! I felt a little bit of that today. The debut album from prog-rock pioneers U.K. for 10 bucks? I’ll take it. Aurora by Jean-Luc Ponty on vinyl for a dollar? No brainer. Even the CDs were cheap: Robert Plant Pictures at Eleven, $3, and Sly and The Family Stone Greatest Hits for five bucks. I admit I dropped a few dollars for a Japanese import of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis, but I’ve been looking for that one for a while and trolling for it on eBay is a drag. This is a facet of vinyl’s popularity that doesn’t show up in the sales reports because there’s no way to track it, although I imagine it could be done to some extent for purchases that have a bar code. The artist receives nothing from sales on the secondary market, but it’s a boon for the music lover because you might stumble across a sidewalk sale or drop into a Goodwill store and find some gems without the need to break the bank. And that’s always a win!

New York, NY (April 21, 2025)—Ideally, theater takes us away from our surroundings, transporting us far from our seats to other places—so long as those places fit on a stage. However, Redwood, a new Broadway musical, takes audiences to a space that can’t fit in any playhouse, hundreds of feet above the ground in the canopy of the show’s namesake trees. Creating a multi-sensory experience that envelops audiences and brings them closer to the sky, the show cleverly makes use of integrated staging, lighting and video, all bolstered by an immersive soundscape created by sound designer Jonathan Deans.  Staged at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre, the show stars Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel as Jesse, a New Yorker recovering from a horrible tragedy. Impetuously driving cross-country to Northern California, she soon meets a pair of scientists…and a tree. Before long, they suit up in rappelling equipment and climb among the redwoods, where Jesse’s emotional journey continues. Throughout the show, Deans’ sound design, heard through audio equipment provided by PRG, evokes the characters’ surroundings, whether it’s the familiar jostle of New York City just outside the theater itself or the undulating serenity of a forest 3,000 miles away. However, the soundscape also underscores Jesse’s psychological state at any given moment, immersing the audience not only in the peacefulness of the redwoods, but also the emotional thunderstorm raging within the character as well. “This production needs a multichannel, immersive system because of the kind of music and the type of visual impacts,” said Deans. “The sound has to ‘belong’ to what you’re seeing. The thing about sound is that if you’re doing something badly and it doesn’t belong at all, then it becomes noticeable and that’s a problem. The more it belongs, the less it’s noticed—so I’m very aware of the audience not being aware of it.” As a result, the audio is enveloping, but not immersive in a showy way, as Deans opted to make the sound and even the music feel organic to the story’s surroundings. “I want to create the feeling that you’re in it,” he explained. “It’s not coming at you; you’re in the middle of it. The orchestra feels like a blanket of sound that comes around you and keeps you warm, so it’s a cozy feeling to go with what you’re seeing.” Meyer Sound UP-4slim loudspeakers are used for immersive sound throughout the Nederlander Theatre’s underbalcony area, going all the way back to the DiGiCo Quantum 7 console at the house mix position. PHOTO: Clive Young. Most of the story takes place among the redwoods, so Deans duly went to Northern California to capture binaural recordings of the forest. “I went to record ‘nothing’—well, what would be considered nothing, but actually it’s a lot,” he laughed. “I had to find somewhere where people were not—which took a long time because people are always milling around. You need an open space where you can just feel and hear the air. The recording on its own has movement to it, purely as a factor of where the microphones were placed. I didn’t add to the sound, but I did pull the sound apart in order to make that recording work in the format of a theater. I had to make sure it didn’t break—and it didn’t; it became true, so we play the binaural back every time you’re in the redwoods in the show.” Creating a sense of veracity for the audience, where every seat in the house feels like it’s up in the redwoods canopy, paid off in other ways, because that realism let other potential audio issues slide. Jesse and the scientists spend much of the show wearing rappelling harnesses, but that climbing gear includes metal buckles and carabiners that noticeably clank together and are picked up through the cast’s DPA headset microphones. Deans remembers, “The carabiners clinking on each other—initially, it was, ‘Oh, this is never going to work; can we do something about this?’ And of course, no, you can’t, because this is a safety issue; they’re climbing.” The actors were taught how to put on harnesses and climb for the show, and as they became more familiar and confident with the equipment, it turned out they made fewer errant clanks as a result. Now the occasional jangles that are picked up by the mics simply blend in as an organic part of the moment and don’t distract the audience. The five-member cast and nine-piece orchestra are mixed on a DiGiCo Quantum 7 console, chosen for its DSP and integrated control of Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go immersive loudspeaker system. The entire P.A. is controlled by Meyer’s Galileo Galaxy and D-Mitri network platforms. “We use D-Mitri to handle the multichannel output of all the surrounds, and within that, we use Spacemap for the movement of the surrounds,” Deans explained. For Broadway’s Redwood (l-r), Khaila Wilcoxon, Michael Park, Idina Menzel, Zachary Noah Piser and De’Adre Aziza are heard via DPA headset mics. PHOTO: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made. Recognizing that audience members will see the show differently depending on where they’re seated, Deans opted to embrace that and design four multichannel surround systems—orchestra, under balcony, front and rear balcony—that lean into those unique experiences. “We don’t want to make it all the same, because otherwise you end up with mono,” he said. “You get to enjoy the fact that you’re in this space, having this sonic adventure.” The result is a complex loudspeaker arrangement based around 16 Meyer Sound Leopard and 18 Lina line array speakers. Also employed are two Ultra-X40, 14 Ultra-X20, and 16 Ultra-X22 point-source loudspeakers and 56 UP-4slim ultracompact loudspeakers, many of which are used throughout the underbalcony area to the very back of the auditorium. Elsewhere, there are UPA‑2P and UPJ-1P boxes, as well as a variety of subwoofers, including four 1100-LFC, three 900‑LFC and two 750- LFC. Bringing Louis Armstrong Back to Broadway A further 26 loudspeakers are installed onstage. “I put stage monitors in the floor pointing up whenever I can on a production, because when you’re walking around up there, it provides a very even dispersion,” said Deans. “That sounds a little intense, but it’s really not— and it sounds a little expensive, but it’s really not. It gives the actors a constant, unified level of what’s happening onstage, and you don’t have a sidefill speaker in the proscenium potentially feeding back as they move closer to it.” The tightly integrated performances, direction, staging, lighting, video and sound of Redwood combine to create a literally evocative experience for theatergoers. “There’s a number of reviews that mentioned an environmental sound in a particular scene—but we don’t have that sound in the show!” Deans said in amazement. “That’s all the elements working together—the visuals and where the music’s placed and the intensity of Idina Menzel singing and performing. It creates this incredible feeling that conjures up personal experiences, and clearly it triggers these things that people then comment on. That is incredibly exciting, actually, because that’s what you want to give the audience: a unique experience that you cannot have anywhere else. That’s what I’m interested in—creating that experience in the theater.”

Ampco Flashlight Group. Lititz, PA (April 21, 2025)—Clair Global has acquired Utrecht, Netherlands-based event and touring production provider and retailer Ampco Flashlight Group. As a European provider of audio, lighting, rigging and motion solutions for decades, Ampco Flashlight Group (AFG) consists of a collection of 10 brands, each with its own area of expertise within the field. Variously they tackle projects across live entertainment, theater, broadcast, and events in the Netherlands and internationally. AFG’s roles and services will continue as currently offered, according to the companies—clients will continue to work with the same people and receive the same level of service, though they will be able to draw from a larger pool of resources worldwide as part of Clair Global’s network of companies. Powersoft Partners with Clair Global’s Cohesion Ampco Flashlight Group and its sister companies will continue to operate under its own name and leadership, with Dick van Berkum and the existing team at the helm. Day-to-day operations will remain the same, now serving customers of both Ampco Flashlight Group and Clair Global. “This feels like a very natural step,” says Dick van Berkum, CEO of Ampco Flashlight Group. “We’ve experienced significant growth in recent years, and this partnership allows us to take the next leap forward. We’ll retain our own style and way of working but gain additional opportunities and global connections. For our clients, little will change, except that we’ll be operating with even more strength and expertise.” With the acquisition, Clair Global is now a collective of 26 brands spanning 35 geographic locations worldwide.

Salzburg Hall’s Control Room. Austria (March 18, 2025)—Austrian public broadcaster ORF has upgraded the audio control room at the Grosses Festspielhaus (Grand Festival Hall) in Salzburg with Lawo technology. The Grosses Festspielhaus, with a seating capacity of 2,200, is an opera and concert venue that opened in 1960; since then, it has served as central stage for the Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele). As part of a recent refurbishment, the venue now has a Lawo mc²56 MkIII audio production console with 32 faders. The system is powered by the A__UHD Core audio engine, complemented by A__stage64 and A__stage80 stageboxes for high-resolution audio interfacing, and A__madi6 for integration with additional audio components. The Waves SoundGrid integration provides sound processing capabilities, while a fully IP-based network infrastructure with redundant switches aids signal transmission. The new Lawo system has been in operation since early 2024, supporting events such as the Mozart Weeks, Easter Festival and other music events. Frank Wendtner-Andraschko, ORF tonmeister, noted, “Opera productions uniquely blend music, vocals and stage performance. The orchestra plays from the pit, while singers and choirs perform on stage. Additional musical and vocal elements are often positioned behind the scenes, on lighting bridges, in the loft, or beneath the stage. Each production presents new challenges, from microphone placement to mixing in 5.1 surround. Another factor in choosing Lawo was its integration into ORF’s broader infrastructure. “Our studio control rooms and OB trucks already use Lawo technology, allowing us to rely on a proven system. IP-based signal distribution enables us to seamlessly control productions not only in the Grand Festival Hall, but also in the Felsenreitschule and the House for Mozart. The stage boxes are then housed centrally in the central hub, where the signals from all the venues are received and distributed via fiber optics.”