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24 March 2025

USA - Dreamstate SoCal's creative design team’s vision for their main 70ft high, by 160ft wide, and 60ft trim stage was to deliver a production that took fans on an evolving journey across the universe. 

Designed by Erik Mahowald of Bending Light Productions with animation overseen by Brent Bucci of The VJ Collective, the stage was far more than just massive. It also transfixed the Long Beach crowd by exploding with vibrant colours, mind bending video imagery, immersive 3D features, inflatables from Airworks, and scenic designs from Leisure Expert Group.

"The stage was designed to evolve throughout the festival, taking fans to different planets, environments, and worlds," explained Bucci. "Working closely with Jeff Ryan, director of Dreamstate, our team developed a total of 20 major show looks, with custom intros for each artist.

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24 March 2025

USA - Houston house of worship, The Dwelling Place, opted for TiMax SoundHub-S32 object-based spatialisation to complement a Meyer Sound loudspeaker system upgrade within its sanctuary space. Sound designer, John Hettinger, wanted to create an immersive experience that would reach out to his congregation, work seamlessly with his choice of loudspeakers, and liberate vocals from static positioning at the front of the church.

The Dwelling Place previously worshipped in a traditional stereo audio setup and Hettinger noted the main problem was “how few of the seats were truly stereo in this setup”.

The sound designer added: “We wanted a sound system that had depth and soundstage for every seat in the room. We wanted to create a worship experience you could get lost in, and that was an experience you had to be in the room for. Broadcast is incredibl

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24 March 2025

South Africa - The Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the UJ Arts Centre in Johannesburg has recently upgraded its technical capabilities with the addition of Robe LEDBeam 350 FW (Fresnel-Wash) fixtures and a grandMA3 onPC command wing XT, complementing their existing grandMA3 compact XT, supplied by DWR Distribution.

The UJ Arts Centre, part of the Faculty of Art, Design, and Architecture (FADA), is known for producing and presenting world-class arts programmes, both for students and professionals.

Thato Maroga, the theatre's production manager, has been with the theatre for seven years, starting as a resident stage manager. He works closely with Tebogo Ramatapa, the theatre's technical manager, and together with a team of eager annual interns, they bring their shared passion for theatre to life.

“We do so many different things here,

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24 March 2025

China - Christie reports that its Inspire Series 1DLP laser projectors are delivering stunning immersive experiences at electric automaker BYD’s new energy vehicle museum in Zhengzhou, the first of its kind in China.

Known as BYD Zhengzhou Di Space, this 15,000sq.m complex offers a holistic exploration of the power and artistry of new energy vehicles. Spanning four floors with over 300 exhibits, visitors are guided through interactive visual narratives that merge science, technology, and innovation, providing a comprehensive view of BYD’s pioneering automotive vision and the potential of new energy for future mobility.

A total of 26 Christie DWU860-iS laser projectors are at the heart of Di Space’s dynamic visuals, delivering vibrant, lifelike imagery that enchants visitors in each themed area. Christie’s trusted partner Jianye Display instal

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24 March 2025

The Netherlands - SoMMedia Studio has elevated its production capabilities with an updated Prolights lighting rig, ensuring an enhanced visual quality for projects. The SoMMedia video production studio offers a balance between functionality and aesthetics, tailored to the needs of every production or event, with technical support and innovative solutions.

The studio at Strijp-T is designed with meticulous attention to detail, allowing creators to fully focus on their artistic vision while SoMMedia ensures seamless technical assistance.

The studio has achieved high-quality lighting thanks to the Prolights EclFresnel VW, supplied by Full AVL. These fixtures deliver true-to-life illumination, making them suitable for video recordings, interviews, commercials, and even virtual productions. With an adjustable white light CCT from 2,700K to 5,600K and high

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24 March 2025

USA - When TobyMac launched his headlining Hits Deep Tour in 2025, Bandit Lites was there to deliver a system that matched the energy that has been inspiring fans for three decades. With more than 25 Dove Awards and seven Grammys, TobyMac released his newest album, Heaven On My Mind earlier this month to wide acclaim.

In addition to TobyMac, the Hits Deep Tour features performances from Crowder, Cain, Ryan Stevenson and Terrian. Lighting designer Noah Wood needed to design a system that could support all the bands, in different venue spaces for multiple shows.

He also needed a flexible rig that was able to match the energy and diversity of TobyMac’s music.

Bandit Lites provided Ayrton Magic Panel 602, Chauvet Rogue R3 Washes, Chauvet Strike Array 2, Claypaky Sharpys, Elation KL CYC L, Robe BMFL Spots, ADJ Jolt Bar

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24 March 2025

USA - One of the best-known casinos on the Las Vegas Strip has elevated its guest experience with a system renovation using advanced audio technology from Powersoft.

Designed and delivered by Global AV Group, a boutique outfit from Long Island, New York, the finished project includes 26 Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP-D and 13 Quattrocanali 8804 DSP-D amplifiers, both with built-in DSP and Dante networking, as well as five X4L amplifiers with DSP.

Amid the constant chime of slot machines, the buzz of card tables filled with hopeful players, and the steady movement of patrons and servers weaving through the aisles, the soundscape of a casino can be overwhelming, which calls for pristine sound management. Installing Powersoft amplifiers across the casino marks a significant step forward in modernising its audio infrastructure.

“The client wa

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24 March 2025

USA - Harman Professional Solutions has announced the launch of its Martin Exterior Projection Pro Compact, an outdoor image projector designed to inspire captivating creativity and versatility across a diverse range of architectural, façade, and landscape applications.

Featuring a modular design with 11 configurable options and up to four layers of effects, including precise façade framing, the fixture offers a broad spectrum of creative possibilities while minimising complexity and cost. Its compact footprint and lightweight design facilitate pole mounting and seamless integration into various setups, delivering multiple application possibilities. The fixture’s sleek, professional appearance ensures it blends effortlessly into any environment.

The built-in zoom system enables precision adjustment of the projection angle from 15° to 45°, suppo

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24 March 2025

Europe - With the new JDC Burst 1, GLP offers a significantly more powerful strobe/wash hybrid. Inspired by the innovative technology of the new JDC2 IP, and building on the success of the JDC1, the JDC Burst 1 delivers ‘an impressive blend of power, colour intensity, and flexibility’.

The JDC Burst 1, with its segmented, controllable white strobe line that's 10% brighter than the JDC1, delivers punch and impressive strobe effects.

In addition to the white strobe line, the JDC Burst 1 features two powerful RGBW LED plates, offering significantly improved colour performance compared to the JDC1. As GLP's first hybrid strobe with RGBW LED plates, the Burst 1 enables not only rich, vibrant colours but also delicate pastel tones to be achieved. The RGBW plates are also precisely controllable in 20 x 240 RGBW pixels (divided into 12 x 4 segments of 5

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24 March 2025

Europe - Leyard Europe has announced the expansion of the popular DirectLight family with the DirectLight Slim Series. Launched at ISE 2025, the Made in Europe Series features an ultra-thin, narrow width form factor. The new fine pixel pitch MicroLED video wall display accommodates curved and space-constrained applications that benefit from its unique form factor, including control rooms, broadcast studios, virtual production, extended reality, simulation and training, research and more.

Offering an installation depth of less than two inches, the new DirectLight Slim Series is suitable for tightly curved video walls with the solution’s reduced width delivering minimal colour shift compared to other LED displays. The series is also well-suited for flat video walls in tight spaces because of its minimum depth and front serviceability. Models feature MicroLED

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24 March 2025

USA - DirectOut is announcing the RAV.IO and RAV.SRC.IO 256 channel-mode upgrade and the NMOS Out-of-Band (NMOS OOB) network functionality upgrade at NAB 2025. For the first time in the USA, DirectOut will also offer visitors the opportunity to view the brand-new Dual Network Audio Modules.

The new mode will double the capacity of the network audio module. The module-bound licence upgrade means that licences can be installed on multiple host devices and will automatically activate only when the licensed RAV.SRC.IO or RAV.IO module is inserted. This increases the flexibility and performance of the Ravenna stack, being able to max out physical limits, while saving budget for increasing demands.

DirectOut’s HD SRC is also available on board RAV.SRC.IO, ensuring seamless operation across clock boundaries while maintaining signal integrity with just one

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24 March 2025

UK - Brompton Technology is expanding its customer services team as part of its ongoing commitment to providing support at every stage of the customer journey. The newly structured team will oversee the entire process - from order processing and delivery coordination to training, technical guidance, and long-term product servicing.

Leading this initiative, Chris Grandin has been appointed director of service delivery and will join Brompton’s leadership team. Since joining the company in July 2019 as technical support manager, he has played a pivotal role in enhancing technical support services. With over two decades of experience in live entertainment and events, including previous roles as group technical advisor at Gearhouse Group and technical services supervisor at Christie Digital Systems, Grandin is well-positioned to lead this expanded function.

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24 March 2025

USA - Allen & Heath USA has announced the appointment of mixing engineer and experienced touring professional Jake Hartsfield as its new live sound and touring manager. Hartsfield, known for his work with artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Ben Rector, and Vulfpeck, brings expertise and a passion for audio that will significantly strengthen Allen & Heath’s commitment to live sound users.

Hartsfield's predecessor in the role, Mike Bangs, has been promoted to senior manager of live sound and touring - a new position with focus on high-level market development for touring customers and oversight of Allen & Heath training curricula.

In their new roles, Hartsfield and Bangs will both be instrumental in the expansion and delivery of Allen & Heath University, the company’s comprehensive in-person and online training programme. Drawing on h

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21 March 2025

UK - Continuing to expand its brand portfolio, Prolight Concepts (UK) has partnered up with Netgear in the UK to bring Netgear AV to its customer base.

With a market presence of almost 30 years, Netgear is a global leader in innovative networking technologies. Netgear's Pro AV solutions are engineered specifically for #AVoIP with out-of-the-box support for every networked AV solution. Their fully managed switches have a revolutionary AV GUI simplifying configuration, whilst options such as ports on the rear or front along with PoE, multi-gig, and SFP options allow for flexible mounting.

“This collaboration once again solidifies our position in the market, ensuring we have a full and complete product offering for our customers,” says Prolight. Stock of Netgear products will be arriving early April.

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21 March 2025

UK - Built on 13 years of audio research and four years of video data, the 2025 edition of the RH Consulting (RHC) report provides a detailed analysis of the adoption of audio and video networking protocols into manufacturer products. Compiled by leading audio consultants and engineers at RHC and considered a benchmark document by industry professionals, the report contains an analysis of 6,942 networked AV products across 676 brands.

“One of the headline findings from this year’s report is that we can now consider audio networking adoption for professional audio products to be complete,” confirms Roland Hemming, audio consultant at RHC. “There is a massive choice of networked audio products available in all categories, and in our opinion, the next increase we can expect to see in coming years is the adoption of the technology in sectors suc

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21 March 2025

Estonia - Void Acoustics has announced its new partnership with RGB Baltic as its distributor for Estonia. This partnership marks a significant step in Void’s continued global expansion and will strengthen its presence in The Baltic States.

Based in Tallinn, RGB Baltic has established itself as a premier AV solutions provider. With over 20 years of industry experience and a team of more than 50 AV professionals, the company has delivered audio-visual installations across a range of sectors, including high-end corporate environments and entertainment venues. Notable projects include turnkey AV solutions for Bentley car dealerships and complete production of the Estonian Final for Eurovision entry.

The partnership between Void Acoustics and the Estonian-based distributor began during ISE 2024 in Barcelona. Impressed by the products Void Acoustics unv

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21 March 2025

USA - Harman Professional Solutions brand products made a major impact at SXSW 2025, powering some of the festival’s top music venues with JBL Professional, Soundcraft, and AKG. This marked Harman’s most significant presence at the festival in years, reinforcing its commitment to delivering world-class audio experiences.

One of the most significant activations at this year’s festival was Rolling Stone’s Future of Music at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre. Over the course of four days, the event featured a powerhouse lineup, including performances by Benson Boone, Megan Moroney, Ivan Cornejo, Rema, and more. The venue’s sound was elevated by JBL Professional’s flagship VTX line array system, with 24 VTX A12s serving as the main loudspeakers, 24 VTX A8s deployed as side clusters, and 15 VTX B28s ground-stacked subwoofers. Additionall

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21 March 2025

Bahrain - A large complement of Claypaky lighting fixtures was on hand for the celebration hosted by the State of Kuwait at Bahrain National Stadium, following the victory of the Bahrain national team at football’s 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, the second win in Bahraini football history.

The reception was attended by His Majesty the King and many notables in sports and government. Fans went wild cheering the team which scored a victory over Oman to achieve their second title in six years.

Faalyat Event Management was the main event organiser. Showtech Productions W.L.L., an event management company in Bahrain, produced the gala event and provided the lighting design and fixtures. Lawrence Rodricks, CEO of Showtech, was the lighting designer. Claypaky fixtures included 40 Skylos, 40 Xtylos, and 40 Scenius Profiles. 

Alex Douglas, a freelance ligh

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21 March 2025

Australia - Kevin Northrup, lighting designer for Luke Combs, chose an array of Ayrton fixtures, MDG theONE and Atmosphere HO foggers/hazers, and grandMA3 consoles for the singer-songwriter’s recent stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand. All of the brands are exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment.

The Winston Salem, North Carolina-based Northrup has been working with Combs since his headline arena show in Asheville in 2017 and was lighting designer for Combs’ 2023 Australian arena tour. The new tour played eight dates in January and February in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The show continued the look established by production designer Ollie Metcalfe for Combs’s 2023 North American stadium tour. “We knew that looked good, would work and fit the timeline we had,” says Northrup. “Luke likes to do real

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21 March 2025

UK - IPS (Impact Production Services) has announced the addition of the Martin MAC Viper XIP to its lighting rental stock. In response to strong customer demand, this latest addition to the Martin lineup introduces an LED source, IP-rated version of the classic Viper fixture family, enhancing all the best attributes of previous models.

Included as part of IPS’s Technical Production and Dry Hire service, the addition of the MAC Viper XIP expands IPS’s inventory, providing event professionals with access to advanced lighting technology suitable for a variety of applications.

IPS head of lighting, Davis Cmoch, highlighted the technical capabilities of the new fixture stating: “The new Viper XIP boasts Framing Shutters as standard, a key feature that previously set the Performance fixture apart from the Profile version. Additionally, its impressive