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23 July 2025

UK - Live Technology has announced two significant appointments as the business bolsters its team to support customers across the live events sector, following its launch last month.

Tim Haskell joins the dedicated live events distributor as product specialist – professional lighting, bringing more than 15 years of industry expertise with a focus on the film, TV, and broadcast sectors. Tim will be supporting Live Technology’s professional lighting team, helping to expand its presence in these markets following the addition of Sumolight and Elation to its portfolio, alongside Martin Professional, Robert Juliat, Macula, and StageSmarts.

Tim joins from Rotolight, where he played a key role in developing both sales and customer relationships in the UK and several major international markets.

Stuart Down has been appointed head of audio and wi

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22 July 2025

USA - Neutrik Group celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Neutrik brand with a dynamic and heartfelt event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, just minutes from the company’s Americas headquarters.

Held on 10 July, the milestone gathering brought together numerous attendees, including employees, customers, partners, dealers and distributors from across the region. With a theme inspired by speed, performance and innovation, the evening blended nostalgia, gratitude and forward momentum.

A centrepiece video and photo montage honoured Neutrik’s 50-year legacy, highlighting breakthrough innovations, key partnerships and the dedicated people who shaped the company into a global connectivity leader. Among the evening’s highlights were the NASCAR Hall of Fame venue and bringing all of the company’s top partners together for one e

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22 July 2025

UK - Audient has announced its partnership with Jet Stream Audio for the sales and support of mixing consoles in the UK. Based in London, Jet Stream is headed up by Bryn Wildish, former UK market manager for Audient.

Bryn says: “Jet Stream is proud to distribute the Audient ASP range of consoles in the UK. Having worked with Audient for nearly a decade previously, and overseen the installation of hundreds of their consoles around the country, this was an easy fit for both of us. It provides a consistent and easy transition for Audient customers.

“Jet Stream and Audient share a customer-first ethic and we genuinely hold Audient, their products and the team in the highest esteem. I look forward to a renewed and ongoing partnership.”

Audient CEO Simon Sinclair says: “When approached by Jet Stream Audio, the decision to collaborate was st

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22 July 2025

USA - dBTechnologies has debuted its dBTechnologies Academy, delivering the first-ever stateside VIO Operator Level 1 and Level 2 certifications.

Hosted by The Rave, a multi-room Milwaukee venue and recent adopter of multiple dBTechnologies VIO systems across its performance spaces, the two-day event welcomed audio professionals from across the Midwest for immersive training with dBTechnologies’ road-ready VIO series - a modular system designed for both complex installations and demanding live environments.

Attendees included technical teams and leadership from The Rave, AudioBiz - the dBTechnologies USA reps for the region - and sound companies, with participants ranging from system techs and engineers to sales and support staff, all eager to deepen their knowledge of system design, deployment, and performance using dBTechnologies

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22 July 2025

Italy - K-array has announced the launch of its new online e-learning platform, enabling accessible access to training on K-array products and technologies. The courses are AVIXA certified, meaning learners can collect Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) Renewal Units, required for maintaining their continuing professional development. 

“The launch of our e-learning platform is a natural evolution of our commitment to increasing skills and knowledge within our industry,” explains Daniele Mochi, customer support director at K-array. “Aimed at systems integrators, sound designers and everyone involved in audio design and installations, our courses provide learners with an accessible toolkit to empower their work and get the very best out of K-array products in various environments.”

A full portfolio of courses will be available on the e-lear

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22 July 2025

UK - Sound designers, engineers, and industry friends gathered at London’s Tileyard last week to raise a glass to the launch of the new TiMax Spatial Studio – the TiMax London HQ, R&D space, and training facility, designed to inspire the next chapter of spatial audio innovation.

In a brief toast, pioneering TiMax founders Robin Whittaker and Dave Haydon welcomed guests to “the space we’ve always wanted to build for the TiMax community”. The duo, who brought the concept of spatial audio to market over 25 years ago when they developed TiMax – still recognised as one of the most powerful spatial audio rendering platforms available – thanked the Focusrite Group for the care taken with the company, and spoke of their confidence in stepping back, knowing a formidable new development team is now at the helm.

They handed over to product and

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22 July 2025

Bulgaria - The annual BG Radio Music Awards ceremony took place at Sofia’s Arena 8888, with a sold-out show seeing Bulgaria’s biggest names perform in an immersive video environment, driven by Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers.

The stage consisted of 10 individual LED media surfaces, forming a highly modular and immersive visual environment. The centrepiece was a wide, curved LED wall, complemented by additional vertical and horizontal LED elements integrated into the set. All LED surfaces were controlled via six Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers.

“Delivered in a fully tour-ready rack system, the servers allowed us to achieve extremely fast setup times - the system was ready to operate within minutes,” says Sebastian Huwig, aka Huwi, managing director at trust event group, which delivered content design, operation, server system special

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22 July 2025

UK - White Light (WL) supported the latest immersive production from The Lost Estate - Paradise Under the Stars. Set in a reimagined 1950s Havana, this Cuban cabaret experience has transformed a “secretive” venue in London’s Earl’s Court into the Tropicana Club since March 2025.

Lighting designer Peter Small, a long-standing creative partner of The Lost Estate, was once again tasked with shaping the visual world of the production. To realise his ambitious lighting concept, he partnered with WL to supply a comprehensive lighting package, including a substantial amount of period-authentic fixtures.

With a setting steeped in rhythm, romance, and rich folklore, Small’s approach was rooted in capturing the explosive energy of 1950s Havana through light. “The vision was to create a transportive, immersive atmosphere - one that celebrat

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22 July 2025

Brazil - After a career spanning over six decades, Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil is midway through a farewell tour titled Tempo Rei. This is taking him through sports palaces and stadiums in nine Brazilian cities – including the 42,000-cap Ligga Arena in Curitiba and the Farmasi Arena in Rio di Janeiro – and is scheduled to run until November.

At all but one of the shows he has been playing through an evergreen Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker array, provided by partner Gabisom Audio Equipment.

Responsible for the sound system design, optimisation and recording is Martin Audio devotee, the eight times Latin Grammy award-winning Daniel Carvalho, who has regularly mixed through MLA – a popular presence in Brazil since it first appeared at the famous Rock In Rio festival.

“Farmasi Arena [aka the Jeunesse] is not an ea

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22 July 2025

China - The Dongting Lake Museum in Yueyang City has taken its visitor experience to new heights with a full-scale sound system installed across all exhibition areas, including its immersive underground ‘5D Theatre’. Designed by Wharfedale Pro's consultant Marko Jovanović and installed by Minghe Group, the system delivers immersive-ready audio that complements the theatre’s array of visual mapping, water effects, moving machinery and lighting.

Covering an expansive 50,864 sqm, the Dongting Lake Museum showcases the rich history and biodiversity of Dongting Lake. At the heart of the museum's underground level is an advanced 5D theatre, which spans 900 sq.m and accommodates approximately 200 guests. This space significantly enhances visitor engagement by integrating motion, visual effects, and interactive environmental elements.

Changsha-based

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22 July 2025

UK - Formed in 1947 above a butcher’s shop in the town centre, Macclesfield Amateur Dramatic Society (MADS) was created with one main purpose – to foster and promote theatre in Macclesfield by giving local people the opportunity to perform on stage. Fast forward almost 80 years and the Society is still going strong, having now produced over 250 main season productions, along with several one act shows, studio pieces as well as festival entries.

Since 1954, MADS’ home has been a purpose-built ‘Little Theatre’ situated on Lord Street and has been upgraded accordingly over the years; now even boasting a bar and lounge area. Following a mechanical inspection conducted by Solutions On Stage, the company was asked to carry out some remedial works within the theatre’s main performance space – to ensure it was safety compliant.

Solutions On Sta

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22 July 2025

Capital News - A series of concerts by global stars is likely to benefit London's economy and showcase the city as "the undisputed capital of music", the mayor of London has said. International acts Beyoncé and Billie Eilish have played multiple dates here and home-grown performers Oasis and Coldplay are due to do the same. About 630,000 people are expected to attend Oasis' concerts at Wembley Stadium this summer - bringing a financial boost of nearly £500m.

According to UK Music, an estimated 7.5m people attended concerts and festivals in London last year, accounting for £2.7bn of the country's total £10bn revenue generated from the live music industry. The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: "Our world-renowned venues are drawing more than 3.6m people to enjoy unforgettable experiences and boost our hospitality indust

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21 July 2025

UK - After more than 60 years in the business, UK distributor John Hornby Skewes & Co (JHS) is to cease operations. The JHS business comprises of a property company and a trading company, both majority-owned by family trusts set up by the late John H. Skewes, the settlor of those trusts who stated that after his death, the companies should be sold.

While primarily a musical instrument and accessory distributor, JHS has worked with and for various pro audio brands over the years, including HK Audio (now distributed in the UK through Polar).

A JHS company statement reads: “Steps have been taken over the last few months to try and secure a buyer to take John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. forward under new proprietorship. This has thus far not been possible.

“Therefore, the trustees, shareholders and board of John Hornby Skewes & Co. L

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21 July 2025

Turkey - Outline has appointed Upout Teknoloji as its exclusive distributor for Turkey. Based in Istanbul, Upout will represent Outline’s full portfolio, including the Newton processor, GTO Series, Superfly, Mantas systems, and the company’s latest loudspeaker lines: P Series, H Series, and A Series.

For Can Cankardeş, general manager of Upout, the agreement reflects shared priorities and a common long-term vision. “Our motivation to partner with Outline stemmed from shared values, exceptional product quality, and strategic alignment. We were especially drawn to their reputation for innovation, engineering excellence, and reliability - qualities that mirror our own standards

“The Newton processor is a game-changer in signal management. With ultra-low latency, multi-format integration, and precise control, it’s ideal for today’s complex l

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21 July 2025

Spain - Teatro Baluarte's 1,600-seat main auditorium presented a classic audio challenge: achieving consistent coverage across 40m of depth without delay systems, while accommodating programming that ranges from classical orchestras to contemporary rock concerts. The venue's reverberant acoustics and requirement for clean stage presentation - essential for flamenco and classical performances - demanded a solution that could deliver professional touring-grade audio within strict aesthetic constraints.

Baluarte Congress Palace, adjacent to Pamplona's 16th-century Citadel, serves as Navarra's primary cultural venue with 63,000sq.m of conference and performance space. The main auditorium's acoustic properties and diverse programming schedule - from Madrid pop-rock band Morgan to violinist Ara Malikian - required a system capable of handling vastly different soni

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21 July 2025

Poland - Introducing a new generation of concert goers to live music, Polish sound specialist 120dB doubled down on a pair of SSL System T consoles and full Dante network to cater for a sell-out arena tour by Polish social media sensations Genzie.

Using an audio setup specified by 120dB founder Michal Mika, the company used its own 48 fader System T S500m flypack in the FOH position while a 32 fader System T S500 was provided by SSL’s Polish distributor Commercial Audio for monitor mixing all artist IEMs.

Formed in 2021, Genzie is a collective of content creators from Kraków with more than two million YouTube subscribers and billions of video views. Taking the brand on the road, this year’s Genzie Offline Tour gave fans the opportunity to see them live on stage at a series of sell-out concerts culminating in Warsaw’s COS Torwar Arena.

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21 July 2025

USA - A significant installation of tvONE CORIOmaster video processors at the Virginia Tech State University has transformed how students learn, and lessons are taught.

Four distinct areas within the institution’s Alexandria campus now feature LED screens, projections or displays driven by a range of CORIOmaster2, CORIOmaster mini, and CORIOmaster micro units. The project is part of a wider upgrade of projector screens, LED video walls and TVs.

Virginia Tech’s AB1 AV manager Diego Romero worked closely with the tvONE’s Mid-Atlantic regional sales manager Mitch Klein to find solutions for all four spaces at the Alexandria campus’s Academic Building One. This building includes 300,000 sq.ft of academic space and research and development facilities, across 11 floors.

“The overall aim was to provide users with a smooth experience when s

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21 July 2025

Canada - “We never do anything traditional. We never go through the front door. It's always the back door, or an open window or something.” Smash Mouth frontman, the late Steve Harwell described the band’s approach to making music in a CNN interview. 

Though Harwell passed away two years ago, the quintet from San Jose is still following its own happily quirky path, something they’ve been doing since the release of their debut double-platinum album Fush You Mang, in 1997.

The band’s party vibe is still going strong. The band recently headlined at the three- day Musique Fest Premier Tech festival on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Enhancing this free-flowing fun-in-the-sun mood was an equally ebullient lighting design by Marc-Antoine Pelletier that engaged the big crowd with some intense audience lighting and

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18 July 2025

Germany - The family-run Lightpower Group is transferring to a new HQ in Paderborn. The group has united national and international sales companies in the field of professional stage lighting for more than 45 years. In addition to Lightpower GmbH, which distributes an exclusive brand portfolio in Germany and Austria, the company MA Lighting International operates worldwide as a master distributor.

With the Lightpower Group’s new building, these companies will also move under a ‘new roof’ in the future and are scheduled to move into their new home in mid-2026. After more than 35 years, the company leaves the location at An der Talle and lays the foundation stone for the new headquarters at Barkhauser Straße in Paderborn.

"With the new Lightpower Group building, we are taking an important and targeted step into the future. In doing so, we remain

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18 July 2025

UK - Production Futures has announced that nominations are now open for its Breakthrough Talent Awards 2025. The awards recognise the achievements of young people across the production industries and seek to inspire future generations. With the support and sponsorship of key industry partners, the Awards cover 21 different categories, reflecting the diversity of opportunity within the production industries. Previous winners have gone on to enjoy flourishing careers with a wide range of companies or have taken up roles as in-demand freelancers with the skills and confidence to meet any challenge.

A keen sponsor of the Breakthrough Talent Awards is independent lighting, rigging, and control supplier for the UK and Europe, Neg Earth Lights, whose head of marketing Anna Gould comments: “We are delighted to be once again sponsoring the Breakth