Solotech pilots revolutionary L Series system; deploys the technology for the first time on Helene Fischer’s tour.

In an article detailing the launch of the L-Acoustics L Series line source array, TPI Magazine highlighted the crucial role Solotech played in the technology’s deployment. As an important L-Acoustics partner, Solotech piloted the L Series, using it for the first time ever at Helene Fischer’s “Live 2023” kickoff show at Barclays Arena Hamburg on April 11th.

The concert sound system met the needs of Helene Fischer’s team due to its power, control, and consistency in a format that is almost half the size and weight of an equivalent traditional line source array.

“L-Acoustics is a long-term partner, and we are quite proud to be the first company to pilot L Series on tour with Helene Fischer, for whom we are providing audio, lighting, lighting, and video,” said John Probyn, Head of Business Development, Live Productions Division, Europe, Solotech.

For more details, read the full article here.

Source: TPI Magazine (April 18, 2023), L-Acoustics Launches L Series

Contact:

media@solotech.com

For the first time in his history, Solotech won the 2023 InAVation Awards for the Best “Live Event” in Barcelona on January 31, 2023. The company is proud to have been recognized for its audio, video, and lighting work on Katy Perry’s “Play” residency at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas.

Katy Perry, the undisputed “Queen of Camp” not only came to play, she came to put on a sensory experience that made her show stand out among the rest – not an easy feat in the city renowned for over-the-top glitz and glam. Throughout the well-choreographed performance, a fully immersive environment was created that submerged concertgoers in a colourful world populated with oversized toys, bathroom items and even magic mushrooms. At the integrated Resorts World venue, Katy Perry put on a show that was opulent, quirky and extravagant, yet maintained an intimate rapport with the audience of 5,000. The ultra-high-resolution L-ISA Immersive hyperreal technology installed by Solotech and state-of-the-art visuals made every seat the best seat in the house!

Contact

Héloïse Meunier
Corporate Communications Advisor
media@solotech.com

Pre pandemic there were few artists that had  such a rapid rise in poularity as Lizzo with hits such as Juice and Good as Hell. This popularity didn’t dwindle in the early 2020s with the her new album Special cementing her popularity and claiming a GRAMMY Award for Record of the Year in the process.

When the LIve Production industry emerged from lockdown, Lizzo set out on a global tour starting in America in the autumn of 2022, before heading for European and UK stadia in February 2023.

The Lizzo production team brought in Solotech to supply audio, lighting, video and rigging for the tour. “It certainly makes it easier when one company supplies the majority of your tech,” commented Production Manager Chris Coffee. “There will be those shows where you are dealing with  four different companies just for rigging. It really makes a difference when you have just one company that’s handling it all.”

Solotech’s US Senior Vice President Business Development for Live Productions, Lee Moro, added that the relationship was mutually appreciated. “We’re really proud to work with Lizzo who is so positive and such a talented artist. She and her team have been a pleasure to work with. Their professionalism and kindness starts at the top and runs right through their organisation. Our team really enjoyed assisting them and deploying shows that are so much fun to experience.”

This news item was adapted from an original article in TPI magazine, written by Stew Hume with photos by Alex Waespi and TPI magazine.

Read the full TPI article here: https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpi275_digitallr/42

Since releasing his first EP in 2018, the career of singer songwriter Yungblud has gone from  strength to strength. The artist’s latest tour took in arenas and concert venues across the UK and Europe, with Solotech providing a d&b auditechnik GSL system for the duration.

Owen Charles, who can also include Pendulum in his current client portfolio, has been at FOH for Yungblud since 2017. Back then he was mixing on a Waves LV1, that could be packed down to three peli-cases and thrown on a tour bus or aeroplane – testemony to how far Yungblud has progressed in just a few years.

On system spec, Owen explained, “We went for d&b audiotechnik GSL as it is my first choice for indoor venues. Our production manager Wez Wearing is a big fan of the system especially the ArrayProcessing, so that sealed it. With the leading line arrays it comes down to the system tech: you really nead someone who knows what they’re doing, it can make or break your mix.”

For this latest tour, Chris Drew, a former tech specialist at d&b’s UK office took on the all-important system tech role. Owen continued, “Chris was recommended by Tom Pickett (Solotech Hire Manager) and he’s been excellent. Solotech’s support has been fantastic. I’ve been using them since the end of the pandemic. Tom has always given us great crew and most importantly great system techs.”

Monitor engineer Scott Howarth who has over 20 years’ audio industry experience and has been with Yungblud since the end of the pandemic was also delighted with the service from Solotech: “I have a really good relationship with the company and have used them for many years. Tom Pickett worked really hard to keep us as clients and meet the budget expectations of the production.”

“By the nature of a Yungblud show, things get broken on stage. Tom gets that and I feel as soon as I’ve put the phone down, someone is on the way with a replacement. That plus my monitor tech Freyja Lawson really makes this production work for me. I know my back is covered and I just watch and listen to the madness on stage and concentrate on mixing the band.”

This was adapted from an original article by Steve Moyles in LSI magazine.

Read the full LSI article here: https://bit.ly/LSI-Yungblud-April-2024

Frankfurt, Germany, April 17, 2023 – Known for her spectacularly acrobatic shows, German superstar Helene Fischer kicked off her 71-date ‘Live 2023’ tour on April 11th at Barclays Arena Hamburg for a 15-city run through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and the Netherlands. Although Solotech has long provided technological solutions globally, this is among the first times Solotech’s Live Productions Division, Europe, provides a complete 360-degree solution in Germany.

Produced by Live Nation and created by Cirque du Soleil, the tour comprises multi-night mini-residencies, with audio, lighting and video production needs provided by Solotech’s Live Productions Division, Europe, including L-Acoustics’ new compact and powerful L Series line source array. Additionally, Solotech provided Avid S6L and Yamaha consoles, wireless in-ear/microphone packages, Roe Visual Vanish 8T LED panels, robotic cameras, a full-blown lighting rig, and other related infrastructure.

Significantly, Solotech and Fischer are also the first to use the L Series Progressive, Ultra-Dense Line Source by L-Acoustics on tour. This concert sound system meets the needs of Helene Fischer’s team due to its power, control, and consistency in a format that is almost half the size and weight of an equivalent traditional line source array.

“On a show like this, technical aspects dictate what you deploy and how it’s deployed,” says Holger Schader – Senior Consultant, Touring and Special Events, Solotech in Germany. “Here, we had problematic weight limits in every venue, so we were looking for options to reduce weight and speed up load in and load out times.” L Series also leaves plenty of real estate for other system elements and limits the type of visual distractions a larger system often results in, he adds.

In addition to being smaller, lighter and easier to deploy, the L-Acoustics L2 and L2D elements provide substantial audio benefits. They offer significantly enhanced power density, consistency over the audience area, and improved rejection everywhere else. They are powered by the new L-Acoustics LA-RAK III platform, which provides 48 channels of amplification and DSP in a 9U touring rack package, enabling high resolution control and power to each L2 and L2D speaker.

All of these elements were critical for Fischer’s tour. “There’s so much other infrastructure, so many lighting and video elements, that a high-density, low-weight system, with the full benefit of L-Acoustics’ proven technology behind it, plays a big role in a show like this,” Schader notes.

Solotech’s partnership with L-Acoustics and long-term association with Cirque du Soleil, as well as the company’s willingness to adapt and innovate relentlessly in service to its clients, was a significant benefit for this project. The creative process was enhanced by enabling a more fluent dialogue than would ever be possible if using multiple equipment providers. Solotech was involved early in the creative process in May-June 2022 so that Live Nation and Cirque du Soleil could refine their needs for lighting, video, and audio fluently and seamlessly, with Solotech providing real-world solutions, no matter how complex or ambitious the design concept.

“As a client, you’ve got to look for a company that can adapt to all your needs, especially on a show where so many changes are made during the creative process. Not every company can do that,” says John Probyn, Head of Business Development, Live Productions Division, Europe, Solotech. “But because we are used to doing 360-degree shows of this size, if one option doesn’t work, we can easily provide multiple options to adapt to any artistic or creative changes down the line. Whereas other companies might struggle to enable designers to fulfill their vision.” 

Solotech’s provision of a full 360-degree live production solution speaks volumes in terms of the company’s willingness to go the extra mile and leverage its relationships with manufacturers to get ahead of new technologies and get the job done.

Contact

media@solotech.com

Photo Credits

Joern Pollex

Solotech has announced the appointment of Nick Lythgoe as Technical and R&D Director for Live Productions in the UK.

Nick Lythgoe is already a well-known figure at Solotech in the UK. After a long career as a freelance system tech and FOH engineer for the musical Stomp, Nick joined Solotech in the summer of 2021 as Technical Manager. His knowledge of the audio industry is second to none; he is one of only nine L-Acoustics K system engineers in the UK and is also an accredited L-Acoustics trainer.

Nick commented on his new position: “This role is pivotal to aligning Solotech’s technical standards across all aspects of our 360° operation in the UK. I will be working closely with our North American colleagues to ensure the adoption of best practice across our global operation, establishing common standards throughout the group and maintaining our position as a market leader in Live Productions.”

John Probyn, Solotech’s Head of Live Productions for Europe added, “I’m confident Nick will play a key role in taking our organisation to the next level as we grow our 360 business across the UK and Europe. I wish him well in this new position.”

Miley Cyrus stole the show on New Year’s Eve

The pop star marked the occasion with a performance on NBC live from Miami’s Telemundo Studios, with appearances from celebrities like Sia, Paris Hilton and Dolly Parton.

While the performances had the star power to make for a memorable evening, Solotech’s technology was there to help them shine!

VL5LED Wash lighting fixtures, mostly rigged to the arches of the scenic structure over the main stage, helped achieve a classic rock concert feeling behind the performance area.

Tom Sutherland, CEO and Lead Designer at DX7 Design who delivered the lighting design, was singing the praises of Solotech’s gear.

“The most impressive feature of the VL5LEDs by far was the brightness,” Sutherland said. “They were never above 50% intensity for the entire show, yet still easily competed with the other conventional and arc sources on the show.”

For more details, read the full article here.

Source: TPI Magazine (March 14, 2023), vari-lite vl5led wash delivers vintage looks and club-style effects for miley cyrus

Contact

media@solotech.com