Business
Zappa Engineer/Pro-Audio Exec Mark Pinske Dead at 70
Across five decades, Mark Pinske was a renowned studio owner, audio executive, and live sound engineer, most notably for Frank Zappa.
Tour Sound
Gear and Technology
L-Acoustics Launches K3 System
Tipped as the bridge between the K2 and Kara II, the new L-Acoustics K3 is a compact, full-range enclosure for mid-sized events.
Live
Warner Grand Theatre Dials In DiGiCo Desks
Aiming to become a high-profile tour stop, San Pedro, CA’s 1,525-seat Warner Grand Theatre has installed a new sound system to take on all comers.
Business
Clair Global Acquires Eighth Day Sound
Clair Global has acquired Eighth Day Sound, bringing two of the largest tour sound companies in the U.S. under one roof.
Live
Indie Band’s Tour Sound Ready to Wreck and Roll
L.A. pop-punk act The Wrecks rips it up live, but that's aided by an inspired high-tech, low-cost system the band carries on tour.
Business
Crew Sues Over Deadly Tour Bus Crash
Lawsuits fly over last fall's deadly tour bus crash that killed a monitor engineer and injured seven others.
Live
Inside Stereophonics’ In-The-Round Sound
Stereophonics filled arenas on its most recent UK tour—not only with audiences but with creative sound engineering, too, ensuring the audio held up when the band played a third of its show on a mid-floor B stage.
Gear and Technology
Exclusive: Yamaha Launches Rivage PM5, PM3 Desks, DSPs, More
Take an exclusive sneak peek of Yamaha’s most ambitious expansion for the Rivage series yet, as the company introduces two new consoles—the PM5 and PM3—as well as a pair of new DSP engines—DSP-RX and DSP-RX-EX—and Version 4 firmware.
Live
The Vocal Chain that Brings Halsey’s Vocals to Life in Concert
Halsey is known for her genre-hopping, and FOH engineer Simon Thomas ensures her vocals play the part with an SSL Fusion.
Business
Roy Williams, FOH Engineer for Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin, Dead at 73
A veteran of the live concert business, Roy Williams helmed the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion and multiple Robert Plant tours.
Live
Danny Leake, Legendary Studio/Live Engineer, Dead at 69
In addition to working as Stevie Wonder’s FOH engineer for three decades, Danny Leake also recorded dozens of top artists in the studio, leading to six Grammy nominations for his efforts.
Blogs
When Will the Gigs Come Back?
The segment of pro audio most visibly hit by the pandemic has been the sound reinforcement industry, with thousands of live sound pros out of work overnight, with no gigs ahead for the foreseeable future due to tours put...
Live
Bon Iver Tour Rolled Out with Firehouse
Firehouse Productions deployed L-Acoustics’ L-ISA technology for the second leg of the ongoing 2020 Bon Iver tour.
Live
Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix on Mics, Quarantine
Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix muses about his favorite live mic and the unexpected benefits of quarantine times.
Live
Dolby Atmos Moves into Live Sound
By Steve Harvey. Immersive audio is already available in cinemas and homes. Live sound is increasingly exploring ways to bring that element to the concert world with artists like Meek Mill and Santana. The live sound team at Dolby...
Business
Live Nation to Aid Concert Production Pros
Live Nation has co-founded a fund to provide financial aid to concert production professionals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live
On the Road with Jason Aldean
Until the coronavirus pandemic derailed the spring touring season, country star Jason Aldean was packing arenas nightly with help from Nashville’s Spectrum Sound.
Gear and Technology
API Launches API 2500+ Stereo Bus Compressor
A full 18 years after the original API 2500 Stereo Bus Compressor was released, API has launched a newly updated edition, the API 2500+, offering additional controls and functions.
Live
Live Sound Showcase: Guster
Alternative folk-pop mainstay Guster spent the start of the year on the road with a U.S. acoustic tour that not only showed off the band’s instrumental skills but also found it performing with an unlikely monitor setup.
Business
Clair Global Jumps into Community Disaster Relief
Live sound powerhouse Clair Global is helping create temporary disaster relief structures for use during the coronavirus outbreak.
Live
The Pro Sound News Centerstage Chart for April 2020
Pro Sound News runs down the crews and gear on the top 10 highest-grossing tours of the month.
Live
Tyler the Creator Tours with Waves eMotion LV1
Tyler The Creator's monitors are mixed nightly on a low-key, lightweight Waves eMotion LV1 Live Mixer
Business
Roadie Rescue Aims to Aid Pros Who’ve Lost Gigs
Clair Global, Event Safety Alliance, Take1 and others team for GoFundMe campaign to benefit freelance production professionals.
Business
Coronavirus and Pro Audio: Developing News
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE! As the coronavirus pandemic continues, this page will be updated regularly with related pro-audio news.
Business
Andrea Bocelli’s Engineer Talks Coronavirus
Speaking from Firenze, Andrea Taglia, FOH engineer for opera superstar Andrea Bocelli, discusses the novel coronavirus from the vantage point of Italy.
Business
Recording Academy Establishes COVID-19 Relief Fund
The Recording Academy/MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund will help musicians and touring pros whose livelihood has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Blogs
Come Back Better, Stronger and Smarter
What do you do when the work dries up and all your gigs are cancelled? Daniel Shatzkes, founder & CEO of Gig Gear, rethinks the live sound standstill.
Business
L-Acoustics Closes Overseas Operations Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak
Aiming to protect employees while also helping mitigate the coronavirus' spread, French loudspeaker manufacturer L-Acoustics has closed nearly all its facilities worldwide.
Business
Post-Coronavirus, How Will Live Sound Go Back to Work?
How will the live-sound industry have changed when it comes out of its coronavirus-induced hibernation?
Business
Industry Reacts as Coronavirus Shuts Down Tours
Live sound pros are grappling with a touring shut down across the U.S. that is intended to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
Live
Alison Krauss Hits the Road with ProductionOne
Memphis-based ProductionOne fielded its new Alcons Audio LR18 line array for shows with the bluegrass icon Alison Krauss.
Live
Hairball Turns It Up with EV
Arena-rock tribute act, Hairball, has been touring loud and proud with the help of Purple Hat Productions and a sizable EV/Dynacord system.
Live
Keeping the Mix Cool for Art on Ice
European ice skating show Art on Ice toured with an Allen & Heath dLive desk this year.
Live
DirectOut is In with Hans Zimmer Tour
A top touring draw in Europe since 2018, the symphonic The World of Hans Zimmer tour carries a variety of DirectOut gear.
Live
Wicked Takes Quantum Leap with New Console
The touring edition of the Broadway musical Wicked has taken a DiGiCo Quantum 7T console on the road.
Business
Solotech Acquires Miami’s Pro Sound Inc.
Canada-based Solotech makes further advances into U.S. live production and systems integration markets with new acquisition of Pro Sound Inc.
Live
Legendary Monitor Engineer Brian Hendry Passes at 67
Monitor engineer Brian Hendry spent 40 years mixing top acts, from Tom Petty to Jennifer Hudson.
Business
Funktion-One Co-Founder John Newsham Retires
Capping more than 40 years in pro audio manufacturing, John Newsham retires to return to live sound engineering.
Live
Centerstage Chart for March 2020
Pro Sound News runs down the crews and gear on the top 10 grossing tours of the month.
Live
Pro Sound News Centerstage Chart: Top Tours of 2019
Pro Sound News runs down the crews and gear on the top 10 highest-grossing tours of 2019.
Live
The Chainsmokers, Rat Sound Go to War
Dance act The Chainsmokers hit the road recently for their World War Joy tour with Rat Sound and a massive L-Acoustics rig in tow.
Live
Live Sound Showcase: The Who Brings Symphony Along on Moving On! Tour
The Who have 50 years of touring under their belts. For their current production, Moving On!, the band is playing with a symphony orchestra at each stop, bringing even more heft and might to their classic rock staples.