Ayrton Mistral and Diablo were chosen for Hiromi Go’s 50th Anniversary tour concert special.

Hiromi Go, the super-legendary Japanese pop singer, celebrated his 50th anniversary in 2022. He toured all the country throughout the whole year to meet his fans and share the celebration.
In the final month, December 2022, a special prestigious tour “Hiromi Go 50th Anniversary Tour, The Final Countdown in 2022” took place. Mainly composed of his ballads, this proved extremely popular, and was performed with an especially luxurious stage setting.

This special concert was revived in 2023 for a special one night show at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall, this time not only to celebrate Go’s 50th anniversary, but also to commemorate the concert venues’ 50th anniversary and its very last year. The Sun Plaza Hall, which had served as a landmark concert venue for many famous artists in Tokyo for half a century, finally closed in the summer.

Naomasa Kajiura, an award-nominated lighting designer for PRG Japan, who has supported Hiromi Go’s tours for decades, chose to use Ayrton Diablo and Mistral as main set-up for this special staging.

“Not only for this show, but also for other shows, these devices are small and compact, yet offer excellent brightness and functionality, and enable dynamic performances” he says.

Ayrton Diablo

Ayrton Mistral

“This is especially true in Japan, when these types of tour are conducted mainly in local concert halls, where there is a tendency for those concert halls to have weight limitations on the load the trusses can safely hold. In these situations, Diablos and Mistrals are especially useful: they still offer great brightness with low power consumption. That is why I felt these fixtures would be best for this show.

“In addition to which, the fixtures are perfect not only as a beam intended to light the space, but their compactness allowed me to set the fixtures directly on the stage, even in the smaller halls. This allowed me a wide variety of expressions on the floor, and at the same time use it effectively to light the singer.

“On a different occasion, I had the opportunity to use Perseo and Huracán fixtures in a major large stage setting, and they were great! Their LED source showed comparable robust brightness among other fixtures, even against the large screens that formed the background.”

PRG Japan has been the local exclusive distributor of Ayrton since 2019. “We feel that Ayrton’s extensive fixture lineup can be used in a variety of ways to suit the characteristics of each venue in different Japanese entertainment scenes,” says Naomasa Kajiura. “More and more they shall become the preferred choice of Japanese lighting designers in the near future!”

For more information on Ayrton Diablo, Mistral and the full range of Ayrton LED and laser-sourced lighting fixtures, visit www.ayrton.eu

Ayrton is distributed exclusively in Japan by PRG Japan. For information, visit www.prg.com

The colourful, funky, eye-catching architecture of the Soweto Theatre stands at the centre of Jabulani, an area fast developing into a bustling future CBD. For the last 10 years, the venue, designed by Afritects, has provided a buzzing performing arts hub and forum for creative expression reaching into the heart of the local community.

In 2023, the lighting department, headed by Nkululeko Mazibuko, received 12 new Robe Esprite moving lights as part of a technical upgrade which was co-ordinated by the venue’s technical manager, Lebugang Andrew Mnisi.

The lights were delivered by Robe’s South African distributor, DWR, and join the original Robe LEDWash 300 and 600E Spot moving lights that have been working hard in the theatre since it opened in 2012, together with the LEDBeam 150s that were purchased in 2019. The Esprites, which will be deployed in the Soweto Theatre’s largest closed performance space, the Gibson Kente Theatre, are “a big leap forward,” says Nkululeko.

The Theatre hosts a diversity of theatrical and drama performances and is also regularly used for concerts, music-based TV programmes, gospel shows, musicals, DVD shoots and festival events so Esprites were chosen for their multipurpose nature.
They are also bright enough to be rigged on the outside amphitheatre stage. Now at the back part of the Theatre, this was Soweto’s original performance space and can accommodate up to 10,000 people in its current format, complete with sweeping views of the hills and south part of the city.

Esprite fitted all their criteria for a bright profile LED fixture that was versatile, with good gobos, robust, well engineered and with good longevity. The LED light source was important to save power which is a constant challenge in South Africa with daily load shedding.

Soweth Theatre technical manager, Lebugang Andrew Mnisi (L) with DWR’s Kevin Stannett (centre) and lighting designer Nkululeko Mazibuko (right)

The Esprite’s TE, transferable engine, technology was another key point for both Nkululeko and Lebugang for whom the concept and possibility of replacing or being able to swap out the LED engine makes perfect sense. Lebugang also mentions that being able to use them as a follow spot if needed was another bonus. Nkululeko could hardly contain his excitement as the new fixtures were delivered!

He lights many of the shows there and loves the fact that the Esprites will “allow us to broaden our imaginations with all their features so we can really push the boundaries of what is possible to evoke with lights and lighting.”
He thinks that Robe’s product development is generally “innovative” when it comes to creating tools to allow people like him to “create magic onstage”, and that having them on the rig will enhance the whole theatre and performance experience for those onstage and in the audience, a craft he describes as a “fine balance” of environmental authenticity, illusion, and emotion.

The theatre’s programme also includes many community productions, and everyone there enjoys giving these a professional presentation. “These new fixtures will help us make people’s work look great, and that’s what we enjoy making happen,” he added.

Soweto Theatre’s general manager, Vincent Motau, commented, “Soweto Theatre is constantly improving its technology to broaden the horizons of an artist’s creativity while also limiting the problems that they might encounter. As a result, our theatre practitioners now have more time to contemplate and expand their creativity.

“Robe, the recognised leader in moving light technology, has made another major leap in innovation, and the Esprite Profile LED automated luminaire has a fast-change, low-cost, transferable light engine ingeniously solving the problem of performance longevity for those preferring the higher brightness of white source LEDs as an obvious replacement for old and ageing stock of discharge workhorses.”

Soweth Theatre technical manager, Lebugang Andrew Mnisi (L) with DWR’s Kevin Stannett (right)

DWR’s Kevin Stannett, who looks after the Soweto Theatre account, highlights that getting a luminaire like Esprite in house also makes sense from a cross rental perspective. “If they need to increase the quantity for a specific show, the stock can be augmented as there are already plenty of Esprites in circulation.”

Both Nkululeko and Lebugang understand the importance of good tech support and having a great relationship with the supplier, in this case DWR, something that has been built up over the last decade.

“Our schedule is constantly busy with shows going in and out every week, so we have to keep going, and if anything needs swapping in and out or fixing, then that has to be now!” noted Lebugang, to which Nkululeko added that “consistency and reliability” is a given with DWR. Lighting control is grandMA.

Both Lebugang and Nkululeko have worked at Johannesburg’s famous Market Theatre, groundbreaking in welcoming “all races” onstage and in the audience during the apartheid era of racial segregation, during the early parts of their careers.

The Market is known as a hotbed of independent thought and imaginative expression and has touched the lives of so many of South Africa’s truly great actors, creatives, technicians, producers, directors, and theatre professionals over the last 50 years. It also now has an extensive rig of Robe T1 Profiles and Washes.

Lebugang has also toured internationally with several shows and started at the Soweto Theatre when it opened in 2012, initially as a sound engineer. In 2014, he became technical manager.

Nkululeko studied business at the University of Johannesburg, became involved in the drama group there as an actor but found he enjoyed backstage activities and technology more than treading the boards! There was no-one doing light or sound at the time, and the system was prehistoric, but he made it work and became fascinated with the power and energy of lighting.

After graduating, he applied for an internship at the Market Theatre, learned a massive amount about lighting and design and made some important contacts, working as a freelance LD for a while before joining the team at Soweto Theatre in 2012.
Everyone at the Soweto Theatre is dedicated and passionate about their work, community and how music and theatre can have a positive effect, engaging and uniting people, ideas, and societies.

For more press info on Robe lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz

Grammy Award-winning global super star, Burna Boy, brought his Love, Damini Stadium tour to the 80,000 capacity London Stadium last summer in front of his largest solo audience to date, simultaneously becoming the first ever African artist to headline a UK stadium.

The tour celebrated his sixth album “Love Damini”, with his electrifying performances, and dramatic production and lighting designs from Anthony Hazelden of Live Lighting.

Ayrton Domino LT

Hazelden chose a quantity of Ayrton Huracán LT, Eurus Profile and Domino LT fixtures as the mainstay of his London Stadium rig, which were supplied by London-based Colour Sound Experiment. Ayrton is distributed exclusively in the UK by Ambersphere Solutions.
“We went with all-Ayrton gear because their products are all LED-sourced,” he explains. “Another major reason for our choice was our need for high power output, but also some IP-rating and the Domino LT meets all of those needs.
Most of the shows I design now are heading towards IP fixtures. Crucially this allows us to place units around the stage or the stadium which is something we just couldn’t do before.”

Hazelden rigged 40 Huracan LT as the main flown spot fixture on stage, with 30 Eurus Profiles at centre stage lining the risers, all within the protection of the stage roof. 32 of the IP-rated Domino LT fixtures were rigged on the FOH delay towers, cat walk and B stage, and in the stage right and left wings all in areas that have no weather protection as the units’ IP-rating afforded all the protection that was needed.

Ayrton Huracan LT

Ayrton Eurus Profile

“By having a range of Ayrton fixtures, we could be sure the colours matched nicely without having to make many changes,” he explains. “We could also have the same gobos across all the fixtures which made the lighting states look a lot more uniform.

“Because there were so many wash fixtures, I needed spots that would be very bright, and able to cut through with amazing aerial and beam effects. The light output from these units is incredible: some of the looks where the units face towards the roof of the stadium and light the whole structure looked stunning!”

Burna Boy’s Love, Damini tour continues across North America until March 2024.

For more information on Ayrton Huracán LT, Eurus Profile, Domino LT and Ayrton’s full range of LED and laser-sourced lighting fixtures, visit www.ayrton.eu

Ayrton is distributed exclusively in the UK by Ambersphere Solutions

Colour Sound Experiment can be found at www.coloursound.com

Midwich Portugal, part of the Midwich Group, is thrilled to announce the addition moving light manufacturer Robe Lighting to its exclusive distribution portfolio for the Portuguese market.

Based in the Czech Republic, Robe develops and manufactures moving lights and LED lighting technology for the professional entertainment, performance, and broadcast industries and for architectural and architainment applications.
For 30 years, Robe has been producing innovative and trailblazing tools for designers and creatives working in and across these diverse and dynamic disciplines. The products are proudly ‘Made in Europe’ and known globally for their quality engineering and inventive features.

In addition to technical excellence, Robe is known for its people-focused approach to business, its commitment to sustainable production and its interest in developing a range of related opportunities that will encourage present and future industry professionals to grow and evolve their craft.

Midwich Portugal welcomes Robe with open arms. The brand will be integrated into the Portuguese market by a fully dedicated team. Robe will strengthen the company’s market positioning and reinforce its philosophy of offering the highest quality solutions combined with the best customer service and attention to detail.

Ingo Dombrowski, International Sales Director for Robe Lighting s.r.o., commented: “There is a saying, ‘Nothing beats a winning team!’, and I think there is nothing better than giving a winning team more responsibilities! A well-developed market like Portugal needs a strategic and analytical approach, and we already know this is integral to Midwich Group’s Spanish branch, so it is a completely logical step to widen our collaboration to include Portugal.”

Pere Castro, Managing Director Midwich Portugal, added: “We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Robe to our catalogue of top solutions. After more than a decade of successful partnership with Robe in Spain, now having such a great, supportive, and loyal partner in Portugal is excellent news. Together with the recent announcement of the ‘Avolites – A Robe Business’ ranges being added to our Portuguese portfolio, we can consolidate and strengthen our philosophy of offering top brands and service!”

For more info about Robe lighting, you can visit the Robe website

Jochen Sommer, Director of Operations EMEA.

Adamson is proud to announce VGt, the first cardioid, large-format line-array module, with onboard Class-D amplification, Milan AVB and full DSP, in the Vergence Group; setting a new standard for high-performance audio products with seamless integration.

“VGt represents more than a technological advancement; it’s the next level in sound engineering, designed to deliver unparalleled power and sonic performance.” “VGt isn’t just changing the game, it’s redefining it.”

Innovative Technology Meets Exceptional Design

Brock Adamson, President & CEO.

At the heart of VGt lies our patented mid-range technology, which redefines the capabilities of a line array system. Combined with onboard class-D amplification, redundant and daisy-chainable Milan AVB, and comprehensive DSP, VGt delivers astonishing power and clarity while maintaining a surprisingly compact size and weight.

“Over the years, we have always managed to innovate with designs that lead the field in loudspeaker development, with a focus on mid-range.”

“When I envisioned the M140, the concept was to bring the power of our ground-breaking M200 transducer to a concentric line array enclosure, while improving on the performance. What our team has managed to produce with the VGt outperforms the best that the market has to offer.”

The patent-pending M140 MF compression drivers introduce cutting edge technologies redefining the quality of the mid frequency range. Both the M140 and the 3” HF compression drivers are loaded to critically optimized sound chambers producing a slightly curved wavefront.

The M140 MF driver covers the range from 300 Hz to 4 kHz, just like the soft domes of studio monitors, the best solution for clear voice reproduction.

The horizontal coverage, a pipeline from 150 Hz to 18 kHz.

The LF section contains both direct and directional components to achieve a multi-mode low frequency dispersion pattern. VGt is designed to provide uniform 90° horizontal coverage across its entire frequency range, while outputting an impressive SPL with ultra-low distortion.

Customizable Sound Coverage

Understanding that every venue has unique acoustic challenges, VGt offers variable low-frequency coverage patterns. Users can choose from various cardioid or non-cardioid configurations to tailor sound coverage precisely to their needs.

3 different low-frequency presets.

Efficient Rigging System

A closer look on the Autolock rigging system, as well as the onboard Class-D amplification, intelligent networked DSP endpoint and connections including power, analog audio and redundant network containing Milan digital audio and AES70 control data.

Our Autolock© rigging system allows a single technician to quickly and safely set up an entire system.

This innovation streamlines the process, saving time and labor costs.

A Complete Ecosystem

VGt is more than a standalone product—it’s part of a comprehensive ecosystem. This includes brackets, dollies, accessories, and covers, all designed to work seamlessly with our Array Intelligence software.
This powerful combination enhances design, deployment, control, and monitoring capabilities in both mobile and installation environments.

Optimization Without Compromise

From the start, VGt users will benefit from Adamson’s Optimization feature, ensuring broad-band coverage correction without adding any latency, for an optimal listening experience.
Using the ArrayIntelligence software allows for seamless combination of VGt with CS-Series, while the Adamson Bridge closes the gap to integrate all legacy ground amplified systems.

ArrayIntelligence meets every need in terms of design, monitoring, remote control, tuning, optimization, and much more.

Pieter van Hoogdalem, Business Development Strategist.

“After years of in-house development and testing, the launch of VGt starts a pilot phase with a handful of exclusive partners extensively using the VGt on the road. The first deployments received nothing but positive feedback.”

“Throughout the year we will be organizing live demonstrations to give everyone ample opportunity to experience VGt in action.”

Maximized Efficiency

Four VGt on the new dolly.

The dolly design optimizes truck space and includes a flat-top platform option for additional stacking flexibility, accommodating both 3-high and 4-high dolly configurations. With energy efficient and lightweight electronics in each loudspeaker, rack-space is drastically reduced.

As an example, an array of 18 VGt require 4 rack units, and only 6 power and network homeruns.
In contrast, current rack amplified arrays similar in size, require more than 20 rack units and offer less headroom and control.

As speaker cables are virtually eliminated in VGt there is no speaker cable loss and even long home runs are possible without impacting quality.
By getting rid of most rack space and transporting all space consuming accessories on the dolly, VGt forms the tightest truck pack possible, reducing environmental impact.

Versatile Bracket Solutions

An underhang bracket expands VGt’s functionality, allowing users to fly CS10 under the VGt. It also doubles as a pull-back frame and a secure point for the array during harsh weather conditions.

A glance below the grille reveals one of the 13″ at the front and the 10″ in charge of bass directionality and forward energy addition, both sporting Adamson’s trademark yellow Kevlar cone.

VGt is not just another speaker; it’s a large-format line array enclosure including 8 transducers and 5 amplifier channels that’s been meticulously crafted for use in arenas, stadiums, festivals, performance halls, and more. This groundbreaking product is set to transform the way audiences experience live sound.

To have more on VGt

ETC dealer, Oasis Enterprises have supplied ETC control, networking and fixtures for Al Hadath’s brand new broadcast studios in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Al Hadath news channel, which specializes in both regional and global current affairs, has launched its new studio as part of an ongoing expansion of the channel’s operations in the region.

Oasis Enterprises worked with Al Hadath to achieve its requirements of a creating a modern, dynamic space that is equipped with the latest advancements in LED technology.

Their fixtures of choice were ETC’s versatile ColorSource Spot jr’s, these were controlled by Eos Apex selected for its powerful color tools and award-winning software.

They also chose Response Mk2 DMX Gateways for networking and powerful data distribution in the studios. These were installed following a year of planning for the modern space.

“Our goal was to enhance the visual experience and flexibility of the studio and we did this using the superior capabilities of ETC’s products. Using the Eos Apex console – the latest in the field – brought great value for the project and fulfilled the operator’s requirements,” comments Oasis Lighting System Manager Karim Abdel Massih.

ETC’s latest line of Eos consoles offer a powerful programming surface packed with advanced technology allowing for easy manipulation of color on-camera; with its designer tools allowing for effortless adjustment of skin tones.

The ColorSource Spot jr’s small form factor and stylish design makes it a flexible fixture for any sized space, perfectly tucking into the ceiling of the newsroom, and its flicker free mode ensures perfect UHD content. The system runs on a backbone of Response Mk2 DMX Gateways for data distribution, allowing for easy configuration and error reporting over RDM direct from the console.

“The Al Hadath studio project reflects our commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology; creating an immersive and dynamic space for unparalleled visual experiences,” adds Karim.

ETC Regional Sales Manager for the Middle East Mark Larcombe comments: “We are thrilled to see ETC gear at the new Al Hadath studios. The impressive newsroom is sure to be a leading studio in the region and we are happy to be a part of their latest expansion plans using advanced technology. Thanks to Oasis Enterprises and the Lighting Manager of Al Hadath, Mr Safwan Harcouss for all of their work and support on this project.”

For more information about ETC, you can visit the ETC website

Sphere Entertainment Co. revealed new details on its work with STMicroelectronics a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, to create the world’s largest image sensor for Sphere’s Big Sky camera system.
Big Sky is the groundbreaking, ultra-high-resolution camera system being used to capture content for Sphere, the next-generation entertainment medium in Las Vegas.

Postcard From Earth as seen inside Sphere.

Inside the venue, Sphere features the world’s largest, high-resolution LED screen which wraps up, over, and around the audience to create a fully immersive visual environment.

Big Blue on a gyrostabilized head attached to the underside of a helicopter, ready for the filming of Postcards from Hearth.

To capture content for this 160,000 sq. ft., 16K x 16K display, the Big Sky camera system was designed by the team at Sphere Studios, the in-house content studio developing original live entertainment experiences for Sphere.
Working with Sphere Studios, ST manufactured a first-of-its-kind, 18K sensor capable of capturing images at the scale and fidelity necessary for Sphere’s display.

Big Sky’s sensor, now the world’s largest cinema camera sensor in commercial use, works with the world’s sharpest cinematic lenses to capture detailed, large-format images in a way never before possible.

Deanan DaSilva

“Big Sky significantly advances cinematic camera technology, with each element representing a leap in design and manufacturing innovation,” said Deanan DaSilva, lead architect of Big Sky at Sphere Studios.
“The sensor on any camera is critical to image quality, but given the size and resolution of Sphere’s display, Big Sky’s sensor had to go beyond any existing capability.
ST, working closely with Sphere Studios, leveraged their extensive expertise to manufacture a groundbreaking sensor that not only expands the possibilities for immersive content at Sphere, but also across the entertainment industry.”

Alexandre Balmefrezol

“ST has been on the cutting edge of imaging technology, IP, and tools to create unique solutions with advanced features and performance for almost 25 years,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President and Imaging Sub-Group General Manager, STMicroelectronics.
“Building a custom sensor of this size, resolution, and speed, with low noise, high dynamic range, and seemingly impossible yield requirements, presented a truly novel challenge for ST one that we successfully met from the very first wafer out of our 12” (300mm) wafer fab in Crolles, France.”

Hidden inside his body, a ST’s 316-megapixel, hence 18K sensor.

As a leader in the development and manufacturing of image sensors, ST’s imaging technologies and foundry services cater to a wide range of markets, including professional photography and cinematography.

Big Sky’s 316-megapixel sensor is almost 7x larger and 40x higher resolution than the full-frame sensors found in high-end commercial cameras.

The die, which measures 9.92cm x 8.31cm (82.4 cm2), is twice as large as a wallet-sized photograph, and only four full die fit on a 300mm wafer. The system is also capable of capturing images at 120 fps and transferring data at 60 gigabytes per second.

Viewing the various shots from Big Blue after filming in the Alps.

Big Sky also allows filmmakers to capture large-format images from a single camera without having to stitch content together from multiple cameras avoiding issues common to stitching including near distance limitations and seams between images. Ten patents and counting have been filed by Sphere Studios in association with Big Sky’s technology.

Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth, currently showing at Sphere as part of The Sphere Experience, is the first cinematic production to utilize Big Sky. Since its debut, Postcard from Earth has transported audiences, taking them on a journey spanning all seven continents, and featuring stunning visuals captured with Big Sky that make them feel like they have traveled to new worlds without leaving their seats in Las Vegas.

More information about The Sphere Experience is available at thesphere.com
And more info regarding STMicroelectronics

Talk about truth in advertising! Big Nite DC, which bills itself as the largest NYE convention hall party is indeed “big” in every way. The event draws around 10,000 party goers, spread out over two ballrooms and 12 additional spaces.
The main ballroom, which serves as the hub of the evening’s festivities, measures 45,000 sq. ft. and has 270-degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass windows affording stunning views of the Potomac River.

Animating the big event this year, as it has in the past, was an upbeat and colorful lighting and video design from Evan Kirkendall and the team at Harford Sound LLC.
“Every year we challenge ourselves to create a fresh, new design in the primary ballroom,” said Kirkendall. “We get to design this large rig from the ground up, so we really like to push ourselves each year.”
Although lighting Big Nite DC is “loads of fun,” it is not without its challenges. Aside from the usual issues of lighting entertainment in a ballroom, such as fixed ceiling height, and very limited rigging options, Kirkendall and his team also had to contend with a room that was… well, BIG, next to the size of its stage.

“The overall stage size is quite small, compared to the size of the room, “ said Kirkendall. “A key goal of ours was to make the stage look as big as possible, while working within the limitations imposed by its size, and the ceiling height. We wanted to put the largest video wall possible on stage this year, but we also needed to make room for lights.
So, we ended up building the widest possible video wall we could do but kept it on the shorter side so we could essentially frame it with lights and then build ‘wings’ from the top to make it look massive. I think the overall layout worked really well!”

Helping Kirkendall, crew chief Steve Wozniak, and their team meet this challenge was a collection of over 100 Chauvet Professional fixtures, plus 72 F4XIP video panels taken from Harford Sound’s own inventory.
The convergence of video and light created a dynamic and varied visual panorama that engaged partygoers the entire evening. “Our in-house video head, Sam Choiniere, ran the entire show,” said Kirkendall. “We had a mix of sponsor content, client logos, DJ logos, live camera feeds, and the most importantly the midnight countdown on the wall.

Sam ran everything through our media server with Resolume to create a very exciting show using a mix of in-house created content and stock content overlayed with the live camera feeds and logos. We also had an ArtNet merge the lighting console and video world so Sam could control the on-stage Color Strike M and Colorado Solo Batten fixtures for seamless colors between video and lighting.”

Chauvet Color Strike M

There were 28 Color Strike M motorized strobe-washes in the Big Nite DC rig, as well as 16 COLORado Solo Battens.
The design team positioned five Color Strike M units on each side of the video wall, and arranged all of the batten units below it, to create a colorful frame.
The remaining Color Strike Ms were flown in blocks of blinders and strobes, providing LD Zack Slater with a limitless opportunity to create compelling looks.

Slater also used the rig’s 34 Maverick Storm 4 Profile fixtures to create some memorable NYE specials.

Maverick Storm 4 Profile

“We had eight Storm 4 units on deck, and six per truss in the air,” said Kirkendall. “The incredible output of these fixtures was the star of the show. They could easily throw massive beams 300-plus feet to the rear of the ballroom and had no issues overcoming the video wall’s brightness.

“A lot of smaller fixtures have gotten lost in the video wall in previous years when we did Big Nite, but the Storm 4s had no issues keeping up,” he continued. “Our team loved being able to focus gobos so precisely to create incredibly sharp, massive looks with any color combination. Even the darkest colors still cut through everything else going on in the air.”

The entire evening in all the various rooms was busked by the Harford Sound team, which in addition to Choiniere and Slater, included Jackson Craig, Holly Jorgensen, Jake Horanoff, Gabe Odachowski, Milo Matunis, Izzy Ladrillono, Oliver Nelson, Robby Gossweiler, Hayden Behr, Matt Vivlamore, and Zach Kreiner. Together, they put in a solid week prepping and doing previz for the NYE event. Unlike in some projects, they actually got to run what they created at Big Nite DC.

“Oftentimes, we spend a bunch of 10-hour days building these cool rigs, run them a little in the daylight, and them watch somebody else create all these awesome looks in the dark,” said Kirkendall. “At this event our team actually gets to run the show they built. It was quite the rewarding experience”

Not to mention, a great way to start the new year!

For more info on the Chauvet Professional website

For 75 years, RCF has pushed the boundaries of audio innovation. Founded in 1949 by a group of passionate engineers, RCF’s heritage is rooted in a relentless pursuit of superior sound quality and technological advancement.

RCF’s fully integrated approach leads the way in the professional audio industry today. With R&D, manufacturing, and distribution all under one roof in Reggio Emilia, Italy, RCF can rapidly turn ideas into market-ready solutions. This vertical integration model gives an unparalleled competitive edge in quality, reliability, and value.

RCF the transducers factory back in the seventies.

Part of the transducers assembly line today. Rest assured, the ladies’s magic hands are still on duty for the pro line.

RCF’s versatile product portfolio includes everything from installation-grade speaker systems to portable PA solutions and large-scale line array technologies. Flagship offerings like the new TT+ Audio GTX series redefine the standards for clarity, control, and setup speed in demanding touring and fixed install environments.

RCF’s huge new logistics center.

Beyond products, RCF provides full-cycle support capabilities to integrators, engineers, and end users. The in-house acoustics team, RCF ESG, assists with complex design projects, while the Audio Academy shares applied knowledge with the global pro audio community.

Arturo Vicari, RCF CEO.

“I am proud to lead a company with such a rich heritage and bright future. There is no way I can’t be filled with pride for what we have achieved together as RCF over these past years and all that is still to come” comments Arturo Vicari, CEO.

The solid technical expertise, built on 75 years of history, its modern manufacturing facility, and its continuous technological improvement make RCF a fundamental reference for all audio professionals and enthusiasts. RCF distributes products directly in the United States, France, Germany, Benelux, Spain, and the United Kingdom, plus a network of over 120 trusted professional distributors throughout the rest of the world.

Italian pop rock star Ligabue at his 2023 summer concert at Rome’s Olympic Stadium thanks to the new TT+ Audio GTX series.

RCF MILESTONES

To find out more about RCF and their presence at NAMM and ISE, visit the RCF website

Seen from the sky, it is breathtakingly beautiful, majestic, and silent. What if this was the paradise promised to us if we were good? Has a prankster reversed the pages in our book of life?
When in doubt, let’s work twice as hard to be happy and to bring happiness, give a little more than we take and do rather than say, especially in these times when man shines too much by his negative sides.

In paradise we imagine there is always love, nature, and friendship, but also art and thrills of pleasure thinking of everything that happens in our professions to increase the attractiveness of the live shows and the happiness of the spectators. 2024 promises to be full of new developments.
It’s a true constellation of events, technicians, services, technologies, fixtures, places, and innovations that we will talk about and bring to you every day on a silver platter. Wherever you are, on a tour bus or a ski lift, we will be there. Thanks to you and for you.

In 2024 in SLU, the immersive will be in all flavors, from Lompal to the Théâtre du Temps with Gaïa, from Pitto Cha to the Lido. New laser sources will tear the sky apart. The acoustics of the rooms will change with a click. Mériadeck (an Ice Rink housing concerts in Bordeaux) will have multi-diffusion sound. The LED sources will exceed 1,200 W. The speakers will amplify, lengthen, and tame the bass.

`Rivale, Storm4, LTX, and IP65 will chase away water, not Lux. The sound of Vegas will make you dizzy. The Voice of Johnny (Hallyday), The Playback Engineer, Jehenny Beth, CQLP, your talent will shine so brightly. A new dry-hire company from Brittany will arrive on the market and the Olympics will dust off your parks. And all this is just an appetizer of what is being prepared for us in 2024.
So it’s true, you probably won’t be able to read our articles everywhere in the galaxy because we still don’t know if there is life on Mars and/or beyond, on the other hand, we will be omnipresent on the little blue planet and we even have a surprise in store for you very soon. A big one and, as always, it is free.

Happy (and healthy) New Year from the entire SLU team.

Novelty is pleased to announce the acquisition of the company CHS – Creative Productions. Founded in 1994, this company co-founded by Carlos Esteves is specialized in technical services for festivals, concert tours and events.

CHS is now part of the Novelty-Magnum-Dushow Group and becomes the reference agency for Portugal (CHS by Novelty – Novelty Portugal).

The executive team includes Jacques de La Guillonnière as President, Olivier Hagneré and Christian Lorenzi in General Management, and Carlos Esteves, co-founder of CHS, who will continue to lead the team.

CHS by Novelty-Novelty Portugal will benefit from the entire infrastructure and support services of the Group to ensure clients the same expertise. The Group will support this new Portuguese structure by investing in new audiovisual equipment and relocating to new premises, 30 minutes from the center of Lisbon.

Carlos Esteves

Carlos Esteves, Head of the Portuguese subsidiary says: «It is an honor to join the Novelty-Magnum-Dushow Group, to serve the Group’s clients in Portugal, and to expand our technical offerings in the Portuguese market.»

We welcome the CHS by Novelty-Novelty Portugal teams in the Group.

Feel free to contact our teams: Carlos ESTEVES | Director | [email protected] | + 351 212 321 926

Nashville-based PTP Live has invested in 60 Ayrton Argo 6 FX lights for its live production work for music, festival and corporate clients and to bolster its rental inventory of lighting and video equipment. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton fixtures in North America.

The new Argo 6 FX lights expand PTP Live’s roster of Ayrton fixtures, which already includes Ayrton Khamsin S and MagicPanel 602 units.
“We’re doing a lot of shopping this year, adding a lot of new inventory,” says President Andrew Sparks. “We were looking for a fixture that was super bright, versatile and for outdoor use, and had great eye candy effects as well as general wash capabilities. We saw several different brands of fixtures, and the Argo 6 FX lights filled the bill.”

The Argo 6 FX is a versatile, fully-equipped luminaire designed for a multitude of applications. It offers all the features of a wash light and can generate many complex effects, including the graphic LiquidEffect, for new creative opportunities.

“ACT introduced us to the Argo 6 FX and enabled us to stage a demo with it for a handful of lighting designers who bought into it pretty quickly,” Sparks reports. “We liked its overall intensity and built-in feature set, you can run video through it for cool effects, and its price point was great. We already had 80 Khamsin S fixtures, which have been on tour since February, so we knew the reliability factor of Ayrton lights is very, very high.”

PTP Live took delivery of the fixtures in August and dispatched them for a September 26 concert by country star Lainey Wilson at Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre where the company handled all of the lighting. Wilson is a winner of the CMA Awards’ “Female Vocalist of the Year” title, and PTP Live had previously worked with her on tour.

Mitch Mueller, Lighting Designer and Touring Lighting Director for the Red Rocks concert, was one of the designers that PTP Live invited to the Argo 6 FX demo. “He told us, ‘if you buy them, I will use them!’ so he took them to Red Rocks as a front wash and to provide eye candy effects,” says Sparks. “We didn’t even drive them at 100 percent, and they kept up with other fixtures with no problem. The Argos also gave us the security of an IP rating, which was key to working outdoors in Colorado in September.”

Sparks notes that PTP Live is “pushing to buy outdoor-rated fixtures” as it expands its lighting inventory. “With the amount of festivals and stadium shows we do, having an IP rating has become a high priority,” he says. “With IP-rated fixtures we don’t have to worry about weather conditions, and we keep our uptime higher.”

PTP Live is hoping to work with Lainey Wilson again when she does a four-day Las Vegas residency in December. A number of conversations about 2024 tours are also taking place, which have prompted Sparks to plan to add 60 more Argo 6 FX for delivery in Q1 2024.

“ACT was great about working with us through our first Argo order, and now we hope to double that order,” says Sparks. “ACT kept us updated about delivery time and even managed to get the Argos to us a week-and-a-half before they were due.”

More information on Ayrton Argo 6 FX, and the full portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED and laser-sourced products can be found at www.ayrton.eu

The artist Alligatoah is not easy to pin down. He nonchalantly marries rap with catchy pop melodies, slips into ever-changing personae and has been delighting large audiences for years with his unique overall package.
The theatricality certainly suits him, and in Autumn 2023, this phenomenon of German rap will continue with the latest leg of his ‘Retour’, which will introduce tracks from the current album ‘Rotz & Wasser’.

Christoph Schneider is responsible for the lighting design on this tour, which is promoted by ibb Booking GmbH and Boldt Berlin GmbH. He specified 46 GLP JDC1, 10 JDC Line 1000 and five impression X5 Wash to fulfil the artist’s vision.

“Alligatoah is a very creative person who is heavily involved in the show design,” states Christoph. “He designed most of the set himself, as well as the intro and choreography for individual songs.
To complement this, I created the lighting design and programmed the show, further developing Alligatoah’s ideas and bringing the concept to life.

This influenced, for example, the positions of the risers in the individual songs and the question of when everything stands still or when (and how much) it moves.” The artist himself made the prop selection for the individual songs.

Show in three acts

In keeping with the musician’s passion for skillful theatrics, the show is divided into three acts: Act 1 takes place in a parcel sorting office, Act 2 takes place outdoors, where the packages are delivered (including using illuminated drones), and Act 3 is set in a monochrome orange world, that initially doesn’t bode well.
The show is generally lit in a reductive manner, and often only from one direction. The classic lighting of the treadmills is provided by alley towers. The lighting design itself is predominantly monochromatic until it emerges in a colourful finale.

Christoph explains: “My designs are always about contrasts and the greatest possible dynamism … very small looks versus very large ones, monochrome versus shimmering colour explosions. The goal is to tell a story and take the audience on a journey.”
Show design

‘Retour’, the title of the tour, defines the style of the design. The stage depicts the supposed heart of modern society: a parcel warehouse. Two 14-metre-long conveyor belts send packages, musicians and props back and forth, with the lighting on the belts varying fundamentally throughout the three acts.

While in the first act the impression X5 hidden inside old industrial lamps sets the lighting mood, package drones with beamlights are used in the second act. The third type is characterised by two light lines made of GLP JDC1, which float above the conveyor belts as variable light objects.

In addition, two movable risers for DJ and drums ensure constantly changing light images. The trapezoidal dystopian stage set is closed off at the front by a roller shutter. The look of the entire show in this instance is rather dark and disturbing.

Stage architecture with JDC1

Using the GLP JDC1 one of Christoph’s favourite tools—the designer traces the trapezoidal shape of the stage. A second trapezoidal truss that tapers towards the front deliberately reverses this shape. Together with compact beam lamps, JDC1 also forms the floor set and creates a minimalist-looking architectural space, especially in the third act.

“JDC1s basically have a permanent place in my designs because they are so incredibly versatile,” states the designer. “I regularly use them to replace classic wash lights, strobes and floodlights. I also like to use them very graphically. The amount and density of hybrid devices in the rig allows me to stage them almost like a coarse-pixel LED wall.”

Christoph chose the impression X5 because of its baseless design; thanks to this, it fits into the limited space of the industrial lamps selected. “I wanted to make the moving lights completely disappear in the lamps, but still allow for some movement. Therefore, I chose an appropriate compact device.”
For the third act, which culminates in a gigantic rainbow after all the predominantly monochrome and reduced-lit looks, Christoph designed a clear architectural space with LED bars and a central light object made of JDC Line 1000, which looks like a light art installation in a museum.

The lighting object consists of two lines of light, which primarily shape the dynamics in the third act. For the last song ‘Willst du’ they repeat this, changing the entire light space again.
Through strobe effects and sometimes faster, sometimes slower chasers, they emphasise rhythm and tempo… from the gently flowing to the lightning fast and blindingly bright, while the JDC1s mainly illuminate the curtains in this final act.

In addition to the lighting design, Christoph Schneider programmed the show purely in timecode, with only a few ‘live’ cues (e. g. Blinder, Followspot, Fog machine). Adrian Schmidt operated the first tour segment in February of this year, while Thomas Stranzl took over the festival shows and the Autumn tour.

For more info about GLP, you can visit the GLP website

ETC is thrilled to introduce the High End Systems Ministar, a game-changer in our automated lighting product line. Ministar brings exceptional versatility and performance at an affordable price point; with a compact footprint, punchy output, and a professional feature set, Ministar fits the spec and budget for small to medium-sized venues.

Automated Lighting Product Manager Matt Stoner dives into key features that define the Ministar. “What sets this fixture apart are the dual color wheels that create the VersaColor technology, offering a spectrum of 60 pure and elegant colors that are accessible via a single channel. This empowers users to create beauty with an extensive range of color options.”
Complementing the VersaColor is QuadraTech, an innovation that harnesses the power of four colors within the projection. Matt Stoner elaborates, “QuadraTech revolutionizes the creation of stunning visual effects, both in washes and aerials, offering a unique edge that sets the Ministar apart. This technology unlocks a realm of beautiful color combinations that are easy to use and provide unique projections and aerials.”

Video presentation

Ministar uses a 300 W custom LED to generate an impressive output exceeding 9,700 lumens. Its feature package includes dual pattern wheels for gobo morphing and textural manipulation, variable frost for softening edges and washes, a prism to elevate theatrical applications and create breathtaking aerial effects, and swift pan & tilt functionality for dynamic movements. Notably, its ingeniously engineered 6.5° – 48° zoom function is housed within a remarkably lightweight 16 kg/37 lbs. design.

Tania Lesage, ETC’s Market Manager, outlines the Ministar’s position within ETC’s lineup, emphasizing its outstanding performance and reliability. “The Ministar exemplifies ETC’s commitment to industry-leading innovation while remaining costeffective. It heralds a new era in lighting solutions, empowering professionals with budget constraints to elevate their creativity without compromise.”

For more information on Ministar, you can visit the ETC website