Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Adlib adds sonic magic to O2 Academy Glasgow with Academy Music Group

19/04/2019

Adlib adds sonic magic to O2 Academy Glasgow with Academy Music Group posted: 19/04/2019

Adlib's installation team has delivered another excellent touring spec system - including L-Acoustics and DiGiCo products - to one of the UK's busiest and most successful live touring venues - Academy Music Group's 2,550 capacity O2 Academy Glasgow in Scotland.

It follows similar recent Adlib installations at AMG's O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, and O2 Academy venues in Bristol and Newcastle in the last 18 months, all of which also feature L-Acoustics and DiGiCo combinations.

Led by John Hughes and Roger Kirby, Adlib collaborated closely with Jeff Woodford, applications engineer (installations) and Sergey Becker applications engineer (touring) from L-Acoustics, as the perfect system proved to be a careful blend of the requirements from these two exacting disciplines. Together, they worked with Academy Music Group's Divisional Manager (North), Steve Hoyland.

Adlib also consulted the experience and knowledge of its own production and touring crews and engineers, especially Andy Russell, who all frequently work in the venue which has a theatrical interior, including many original art deco features.

Additionally, O2 Academy Glasgow's Technical Manager Rob Watson and General Manager Chris Johnston had valuable input, as they are well acquainted with the many nuances and intricacies of the environment.

Says Roger, The collective input from all these slightly different perspectives made the process more dynamic and very enjoyable.

The success of the other recent Academy Music Group L-Acoustics installations also played a part and made the L-Acoustics and DiGiCo combination a favourite choice.

The room was initially modelled using Soundvision acoustic profiling software, which suggested that - particularly with its 270-degree seated wrap-around balcony and pros arch design - an L-Acoustics K2 system would produce the best results.

The ultimate objective was to have a versatile system that delivered superb coverage and would work well for live rock'n'roll shows, late-night club nights and spoken word and comedy events explained Steve.

Adlib's Scottish operation had provided similar PAs for some one-off events over the last year, which were a big hit with everyone, so the team was confident that K2 was an appropriate and excellent all-round solution.

It has great reputation within the industry and the PA of choice for many touring artists, often the first option on production riders. We wanted a system that was both high in quality and would stand the test of time says Steve.

O2 Academy Glasgow also happens to be one of Roger Kirby's favourite live UK venues, so he was delighted to be part of producing this sonic excellence. The layout and the d cor - much of it restored in Academy Music Group's original renovations in 2003 - is fantastic, as is the sense of proportion, and shows always have an amazing vibe!

Roger also notes that while 2,550 is a good medium' sized venue, somehow the gigs always feel intimate and personal, which is why audiences love it so much and feel involved.

The new system itself comprises left and right flown arrays of 10 K2 speakers a side - hung from new points - and 12 x L-Acoustics SB28 subs distributed on and beneath the stage.

Four ARCSII a side provide near field stalls fills, joined by two X8 passive coaxial speakers on the centre of the stage apron to fill the area just above and behind the barrier line.

All of these are driven by LA8 amplifiers located in a new climate-controlled amp room that was created in the most recent refurbishment plans.

The FOH and monitor consoles are both DiGiCo SD12s with individual D2 rack stage racks.

In addition to these being popular current touring consoles with which most engineers will be familiar, the choice was influenced by the exceptional training and tech support available from DiGiCo confirmed Roger.

Being a heritage building with Listed status, the ornate decoration, original Art Deco features and plasterwork meant there were plenty of considerations, especially when it came to the roof loading capacity, all of which had to be overcome with Academy Music Group's expertise.

Adlib supplied the two LP1000 D8 hoists - sourced from Merseyside based LTM - to hang the two K2 arrays, and the new steelwork and points necessary to fly these were designed and installed by Manchester-based structural experts, MJ Consulting Engineers.

The venue's power supply has been upgraded to accommodate the new rigging infrastructure and to accommodate all the kit in the amp room.

For monitors, Adlib specified and supplied a sensible general-purpose system to service a wide array of artists, based around 10 of their famous MP4 wedges driven by Linear Research 44M20 amps - a combination that is tried-and-tested, very flexible, sounds brilliant and is constantly out working via Adlib's busy hire division.

A new line system is part of the install together with an input multicore and bespoke patch panels for each of the console breakouts. This new connectivity is part of ensuring that the system is as reliable and rock solid as possible with an amount of future-proofing.

The first artists to have used and benefited from the new audio installation have included Jorja Smith, Richie Hawtin, Glenn Hughes, Daughtry and Rudimental and it's been exceptionally well received by engineers.
LINK: https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/adlib-adds-sonic-magic-o2-ac...
See more stories from liveproduction

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

05/05/2026

Gray Media Closes Purchase of 10 Allen Media Group Stations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Dang Ly Joins Operative as Chief Product Officer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

CIMM, TVB Release Local TV Currency Measurement Guidelines

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

ARRI Introduces Omnibar LED Linear Fixture

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

France Televisions Continues ST 2110 Migration With Imagi...

Project Marks First Major Broadcast Deployment of Latest Addition to SNP Lineup Imagine Communications today announced that France T l visions is the first br...

05/05/2026

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of t...

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award Shotoku Broadcast Systems announced today that its Swoop range of robotic cranes has be...

05/05/2026

DigitalGlues creativespace Intelligence Wins Futures Best...

DigitalGlue's creative.space Intelligence Wins Future's Best of Show Award, Presented by TV Tech creative.space Intelligence (CSI), part of the creativ...

05/05/2026

Zixi Showcases Next-Generation Live Video Workflows and M...

Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will showcase next-generation broadcast workflows at the Media Production and Technology Show ...

05/05/2026

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-screen interactivity

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-screen interactivity Brie Clayton May 5, 2026 0 Comments Huge leap forward in revenues and engag...

05/05/2026

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Shotoku Broadcast Systems Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award Brie Clayton May 5, 2026 0 Comments Shotoku Broadcast Systems announced today tha...

05/05/2026

DHD to Promote Latest Advances in Audio Production at MPT...

Following a successful NAB Show in Las Vegas, DHD will promote examples from its wide range of broadcast-quality audio production equipment at the May 13th-14th...

05/05/2026

LucidLink Redefines Cloud Media Workflows at MPTS 2026

LucidLink today announced its programme for MPTS 2026, where it will exhibit at Stand M59 at Olympia London, 13 to 14 May. The company will showcase its latest ...

05/05/2026

Limecraft Announces Version 2026-3 of its Cloud-Based Tel...

Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.3, the third platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform t...

05/05/2026

Stingr marks its launch with a new approach to second-scr...

Huge leap forward in revenues and engagement...

05/05/2026

Broadcast Solutions strengthens CTO Office for technical...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has taken another significant step in st...

05/05/2026

Operative Appoints Dang Ly as Chief Product Officer to Ac...

Operative today announced the appointment of Dang Ly as Chief Product Officer, signaling the company's accelerating commitment to delivering the next genera...

05/05/2026

World Skills Cafe Returns to IBC2026

The Media Talent Manifesto (MTM) today announces the return of the World Skills Caf at IBC2026, positioning the event as a critical industry forum to confront ...

05/05/2026

ARRI unveils Omnibar: compact, modular, battery-powered IP65 LED bars with precise pixel control

ARRI unveils Omnibar: compact, modular, battery-powered IP65 LED bars with preci...

05/05/2026

NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership Up 58%

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

U.S. Court Upholds Some Patents in LG ATSC 3.0 Infringement Case

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Gray Media and Allen Media Group Close Station Transactions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/05/2026

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma

Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma Brie Clayton May 4, 2026 0 Comments Digital Domain, a global leader in visual eff...

04/05/2026

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download!

just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download! More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir showcased just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026, ...

04/05/2026

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS

just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS More Details:The headline innovation in just:in mac pro 2026 is the new Auto format si...

04/05/2026

SVG Sit-Down: NEP Americas Mike Werteen on How Great Tech, Better People Drive Success

Hardware is still an emphasis - Supershooter 11 is new, and REMI-based 65 is in ...

04/05/2026

Beyond 90 Minutes: How K League's Soccer Blueprint for Growth Has Lessons for Everyone

Head of International Business Development Min Joo Kim explores the league's...

04/05/2026

Audio-Technica ATND1061 and ATUC Discussion Systems Certified for Crestron Automate VX

Audio-Technica has announced that its ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC...

04/05/2026

Triple B Media Launches Bowling TV, a 24/7 FAST Channel Dedicated to Bowling

Triple B Media has launched Bowling TV, a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel dedicated to bowling. The channel is available on Prime Video, LG Channels...

04/05/2026

PlayMetrics Acquires SportsEngine from Versant

PlayMetrics, a provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, has announced the completion of its acquisition of substantially all t...

04/05/2026

IHSE GmbH Appoints Dr. Thomas Niessen as CEO

IHSE GmbH has announced that Dr. Thomas Niessen has joined as CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2026. He joins Frank Breitenfelder, who has served as ...

04/05/2026

PMY Group Deploys Optic Crowd Intelligence Platform at Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix

PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the For...

04/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Reunite for First Take Episode; Donna Brothers Worked Final Kentucky Derby

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

04/05/2026

Spotify Brings Fashion and Podcasting Together With Mina Le and Mia Calabrese

Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify-a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the inter...

04/05/2026

Avid introduce Pro Tools 2026.4

New music & post-production features added Avid's latest DAW update delivers an array of helpful features aimed at both music and post-production users,...

04/05/2026

SAG-AFTRA, Studios Reach Tentative Agreement

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Study: Paramount-WBD Deal Signals New Era of Streaming Scale

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

04/05/2026

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin

Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin The New Orleans native, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, talks about ...

04/05/2026

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June

It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June 4 May 2026 The ABC and Screen Australia are delighted to announce that brand new preschool series, It's Andr...

03/05/2026

Melbourne Instruments' Nina gains Braids engine

Polysynth now features Mutable Instruments' macro oscillators Melbourne Instruments have just released a free firmware update that brings the engine beh...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective for every user

Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...

03/05/2026

Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless

Back to All News Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless Entertainment 03 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Discover the vi...

02/05/2026

Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From Saccharine to Tuner

(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall appear in Tuner by Daniel Roher, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance In...

02/05/2026

Warm Audio launch the Reamper

Versatile re-amping tool announced Warm Audio are best known for their recreations of sought-after vintage studio gear, but their latest release brings a ne...

02/05/2026

FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for May Open Meeting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/05/2026

Sinclair Remains Bullish on Station M&A

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...