Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 4 July 2025

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Japan - The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Queen have graced its stage; artists from Bob Dylan to Blur have released albums recorded within its walls. Now, live music has returned to the Nippon Budokan, as rising J-pop stars Little Glee Monster recently kicked off their Japanese tour at the Tokyo venue. An Adamson Systems Engineering system supported the ground-breaking event for the group, the start of their largest arena tour to date.
The Budokan was built in 1964 as a martial arts competition space for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The venue’s octagonal shape can make sound reinforcement difficult, but system engineer Ryuichi Kawakami selected Adamson speakers for their clarity and coverage.
Kawakami describes the space’s challenges: “The Budokan is mostly built with wo

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UK - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed the four steps England is set to take towards “cautious yet irreversible” easing of lockdown restrictions over the coming months. The roadmap indicates that theatres, cinemas and other indoor entertainment attractions could reopen with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place as part of step three, provisionally set to take place from 17 May. Johnson specifically said that as part of step three “theatres and concert halls can reopen their doors”, with pilots of larger events set to take place using enhanced testing. If coronavirus rates continue to fall as predicted, step four could see all restrictions lifted in England from 21 June. This will mean all sectors should be able to reopen.
The #WeMakeEvents campaign has issued the following statement in response to the announcement: “We welcome

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UK - Agency client Generate Events turned to the Stream Stage team to deliver a trio of broadcasts on behalf of clients MAD//Fest.
Based in Borehamwood on the edge of North London, Stream Stage is a fully equipped broadcast studio & gallery from established technical experts Light Fantastic Production Services.
MAD//Fest is a forum for leveraging technology in marketing, advertising & disruption. MAD//Fest events bring together global brands to share ideas, challenge the status quo and network. Events typically attract a high calibre of speakers and delegates who naturally expect high production values. Used to running highly successful ‘bricks and mortar’ events, the MAD//Fest team had a vision of how they wanted to take their content anywhere and make it accessible to all in the midst of a global pandemic – and the concept of MAD//Anywhere was born.
PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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Italy - The Cinema Teatro Lolek stands in Italy’s first oratory with NZEB (nearly zero-energy building) classification and features a modern structure, technology and systems are concerned.
The complex, located in Rezzato, on the outskirts of Brescia, occupies an area of 2,700 m2 above ground and includes a series of buildings at the service of the local community and neighbouring areas.
At the centre of the structure, there is a multi-function hall, the project’s key element: a large oval-shaped space designed for use as a theatre and cinema, but also to host exhibitions, events, conferences and much more.
A feature of this hall is the fact that, thanks to a special shutter system, it opens outwards, enabling to hold events with the stage used in the opposite direction, looking out over the rear outdoor audience area.
In a context in which great care

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Sweden - Harman Professional Solutions recently partnered with LiteNordic and Light Bureau to update the Øresund Bridge with a revitalised architectural lighting design to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Originally constructed in 1999 and opened in 2000, the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, with a total length of more than five miles. The bridge - an instantly recognisable landmark to worldwide viewers of the hit Nordic drama series The Bridge is financed and operated by a joint-stock company owned by the Danish and Swedish governments.
In 2020, the bridge’s operating company hired European architectural lighting consultants Light Bureau to update its aging lighting solution with a more robust and vibrant lighting design in celebration of the bridge’s 20th anniversary. Light Bureau appoi

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USA - So Midwest, Inc. provided turnkey creative and technical services for Self Destructor, the new music video for rock band Chevelle. Executive producer and production designer, Robb Jibson, selected Ayrton Perseo fixtures for the video, which So Midwest concepted, designed, directed, produced and edited.
Focusing on science deniers and written before the coronavirus pandemic, Self Destructor is the lead single from the band’s upcoming, space-themed ninth studio album, Niratis (an acronym for Nothing is Real And This Is a Simulation).
“Coming up with a theme of a visitor from space carrying a glowing energy orb that would ultimately suck the band inside its energy, we back-tracked the story to come up with the script and the shot list,” says Jibson of the concept, which combines performance footage with clips of Chevelle on a night hunt f

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South Africa - DWR Distribution will present Basic Rigging Training in Cape Town, a two-day workshop presented by Robert Izzett which covers basic rigging hardware and calculations according to SANS 10366. The course, limited to 20 delegates, will be held at the on 15 & 16 March 2021 at the Cape Audio College in Observatory.
With a focus on safety, delegates can look forward to gaining a better understanding of the rigging laws applied in South Africa, and on a practical level, the handling and use of rigging hardware, shackles, steel wire ropes, trussing, endless rounds and chains.
“The main emphasis of the course is for technicians to familiarise themselves with the technicalities of hardware,” said Robert Izzett. “Not every shackle is a shackle and not knowing the difference can have serious consequences. There is also a misconception that there ar

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UK - Audio-Technica has announced several new variations of its ES945 Omnidirectional Condenser Boundary Microphone and ES947 Cardioid Condenser Boundary Microphone, developed as a direct response to market feedback. All models are intended for surface flush-mount installation and include Audio-Technica's UniGuard RFI-shielding innovations for unsurpassed immunity from radio frequency interference.
The existing standard ES945 and ES947 models are being replaced and enhanced by the new ES945O/XLR (omnidirectional) and ES947C/XLR (cardioid), which feature upgraded functionality including IPX4 water resistance. These mics are designed for surface-mount applications such as conferencing, recording, monitoring and other demanding sound pickup applications.
Audio-Technica is also introducing new miniature, space saving variations, known as ES945O/TB3 and ES947C/TB3. These m
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USA - Registration is now open for the New World Rigging Symposium (NWRS), produced by ESTA and USITT, which will take place online 6-8 April, 2021. The NWRS provides a virtual opportunity for riggers and those interested in the entertainment rigging industry to network, discuss current issues and new technologies, and help shape the future of the industry. The cost has been reduced to $99 and the symposium carries up to nine ETCP education renewal credits for re-certification.
Participants will be given a range of opportunities to further their technical knowledge in sessions on video wall rigging, automation and motorization, performer flying and rescue, and types of ropes. They’ll have a chance to learn about how the installation of a tension grid is working in a major facility, to get their questions answered by a panel of the industry’s most knowledgeable structural

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UK - Having guided Void through four years of growth and structural change followed by a profitable year, David Bissett-Powell has stepped down as chairman of Void Acoustics.
Alex Skan, co-founder and managing director of Void Acoustics has made a statement on behalf of the company. “We are extremely sorry to lose David as our non-exec chair. Over the past four and a half years David has brought tremendous opportunities to us all in the company, and shared with us his wealth of expertise and knowledge of the audio sector.
“The company has benefitted from David’s guidance and unending enthusiasm for Void Acoustics. We will be forever grateful for the input he has given and owe David a huge debt of gratitude for all his energy and encouragement. He will be sorely missed by the Void family across the globe.”

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Mars - NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover touched down on the Red Planet last week, with DPA Microphones along for the historic ride. Outfitted with DPA’s 4006 Omnidirectional Microphone, MMA-A Digital Audio Interface and MMP-G Modular Active Cable, the rover provided the first sounds from the surface of Mars (see LSi December 2020 for our in-depth article on the project).
After being put through vigorous testing by NASA scientists, the DPA equipment, affixed to the Mars Perseverance Rover, officially launched into space aboard the Atlas V-541 rocket in July 2020. Over the past seven months, the DPA equipment has faced pressure changes while leaving Earth’s atmosph

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USA - Solotech continues its expansion programme with the acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound. The purchase was announced yesterday by Martin Tremblay, president and CEO of Solotech.
Morris Light & Sound was formed nearly 30 years ago by industry ipersonality Dale Morris to outfit tours for the country music supergroup Alabama. Morris changed the landscape of touring by creating a business model that not only represented and managed artists but also provided full production services all under one roof.
“The audiences that Alabama drew were unprecedented in country music at that time,” Morris stated. “We needed a sound system that would project their music over the sounds of the crowd, so I turned to an audio company in L.A. who configured sound systems for rock groups which was what we needed to start in production.”
The InteRise

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UK - Leisuretec, trade distributor of professional and commercial audio, lighting and video equipment, has partnered with Void Acoustics to distribute its professional audio products in the UK.
Leisuretec will become Void’s largest distribution partner in the UK, supplying AV installers, hire production houses and events companies with strong stock holding, knowledgeable technical sales support and efficient after-sales service.
Mike Henden, managing director of Leisuretec, comments: “We are very excited to bring Void into our diverse portfolio of professional audio brands. Not only do their speakers sound incredible, they behold an attractive aesthetic that will offer our customers a unique and stylish alternative when planning their projects.”
“We are delighted to welcome Leisuretec Distribution Ltd to our already expansive network of Void dealers in t

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Income Loss - Three quarters of creative freelancers or organisations working in areas dependent on live audiences have seen their income drop by more than half since the pandemic began, new figures from the Creative Industries Federation have revealed. Failure to ease the hardship being faced by many in the sector could result in “crippling inequalities” in future, and consequences that stretch beyond the creative industries, the federation warns.
According to its newly released statistics, creative freelancers were experienced the biggest drop in revenue, and are 20% more likely than organisations to have seen a reduction in income of three quarters or more since the beginning of the pandemic.
Following the findings, the Creative Industries Federation is calling on the government to take urgent support measures for the sector in the forthcoming Spring Budget. The

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Switzerland - Since upgrading his studio to incorporate a pair of PMC IB2S XBD-A monitors, Swiss producer and engineer Patrik Schwitter has undertaken a steady stream of high end projects at his Zurich based facility.
In recent months, he has worked with internationally acclaimed harp player and Grammy Award Winner Andreas Vollenweider on a new album, Quiet Places, which was recorded in Swiss broadcasting company SRF’s Studio A and Vollenweider’s own studio House on the Lake. Schwitteris is also currently mixing music for a documentary film about the influential Swiss writer Adolf Muschg, which is scheduled for release later this year. Entitled Adolf Muschg – The Other, the film is directed by Erich Schmid and features music by 86-year-old computer Jazz legend Bruno Spoerri.
“My PMC monitors just blow me away because they are so incredibly detailed,” P

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Italy - Claudio Mazzucchelli created Papa Watch My Fly, a livestreamed multi-media operatic work performed at the historic Teatro Coccia in Novara.
Featuring over 70 socially distanced performers, representing a wide range of musical genres from classical and jazz, to pop and rock, as well as aerial dancers and a “live” painting by Giuseppe Ravizzotti, Papa Watch Me Fly portrays the evolving relationship between Mazzucchelli and his father over a 54-year period, from 1962 to 2016.
Reflecting the passions and nuanced emotions of this story, was a Nicolò Damiani lighting designed that featured 26 Maverick MK2 Wash and 18 Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures. Audiosales Entertainment Solutions, which managed the production, rented the Chauvet Professional fixtures from Fumasoli Audio & Lights.
Led by sales manager Marco Alterini and product specialist G

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South Korea - To enhance the elegant atmosphere for weddings at Luvel Gangdong with quality audio for speech and music, TechDataPS Co recently supplied the venue with an end-to-end Harman Professional Solutions audio system.
One of several venues owned by Apelgamo Wedding & Party, Luvel Gangdong is an upscale wedding hall located on the 35th and 36th floors of East Central Tower in Seoul’s Gangdong district. Featuring design elements and decor reminiscent of French formal gardens, the venue’s wedding hall can accommodate 160 guests, while the reception hall can host up to 500.
Luvel Gangdong required a high-quality yet user-friendly audio system capable of providing powerful and clear sound reinforcement for speech and music. To achieve these goals, TechDataPS outfitted the venue with an audio system consisting of JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, dbx, BSS and A

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Japan - The theatre production of Inspire Onmyoji, starring famous Japanese actor Takao Osawa, ran at the 1300-capacity Nissei Theatre in Tokyo from 31 December 2020 to 6 January 2021.
A Umeda Arts Theatre production, the show was scripted by Brazily Anne Yamada, Takaya Okamoto, NatsuTeranishi and directed by Junya Yamada. Takao Osawa performed the role of Japanese ancient wizard ‘Onmyoji’ with next generation video, sound and lighting effects, making full use of latest technologies. This included Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision platform (WPM) and Sound Adventures immersive 3D, with all outputs controlled by the SARA II Premium Rendering Engine.
Show producer, Junya Yamada, had wanted to create unprecedented special effects with the sound system for this, and so he contacted Iwao Tsurusawa, president of MSI JAPAN Tokyo, Martin Audio’s rental partner.

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Germany - The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is one of Germany’s foremost producing houses. In the last year, the venue has added 20 x Robe T1 Profiles which are available across its stages, a move specified and overseen by head of lighting Robert Grauel and his team including Linus Zahn who is the lighting systems tech and person in charge of new technologies.
The main stage was originally built in 1850 and the building now consists of two adjoining stages – the 600-capacity main stage and the 280-seat Kammerspiele established by the legendary Max Reinhardt in 1906 for modern drama – sharing a common, classical façade.
The Box is a black box studio space located in the Kammerspiele foyer with seating for 80 people, and there are extensive rehearsal rooms, workshops, and storage facilities in a new building behind.
The Robe T1 Profiles were selected from a s

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UK - SES Entertainment Services has been working with JLLighting on their most recent batch of 72ways, HDPE distro and cables.
“We got a call from Jack (managing director) at JLLighting looking to purchase some of our SES 72ways as they wanted to move away from their previous supplier,” says SES group director Gordon Cooper. “The quote started off as three of these units however quickly turned into HDPE distro, moulded rubber K9’s, soca splitters, custom fan outs and Powerlock linking sets as well. Quotes and drawings were supplied quickly as there was a tight deadline to stick to.
“We worked closely with JL on the specs and branding to ensure they received exactly what they were after and only the best quality branded components were used on all the builds.”
The 72ways are 27u 19” racks are made from Zintec steel and have a black powder coat on the

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New Zealand – It is re-assuring that somewhere in the world, 2020 ended with a music festival. That’s what happened in the shadow of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, where the Rhythm & Alps Festival saw off the year with a celebratory vibe enhanced by TomTom Productions, whose Hippotizer Media Servers from Green Hippo delivered the visuals for three separate stages.
Rhythm & Alps, which has become South Island’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, was also celebrating its 10th anniversary with this event, which was held over the last three days of December. TomTom, based in nearby Queenstown, is the festival’s regular provider of full production design and supply services. This year, their contributions included the provision of Hippotizer Karst Media Servers to meet the varying playback requirements of all three performance stages: the Alpine Arena main stage, the
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