Winter is the traditional time for upgrades and maintenance, given the cyclical nature of the live sound business. This year we decided to bite the bullet and take the next step for the Floodlight system - to provide an on-stage monitor console, in addition to some more practical upgrades.

In contrast to providing a monitor mix from the front of house position, having a dedicated on-stage console means that we can hear precisely what the performer hears, and we are also in close communication with them instead of being halfway down the hall!

We opted for a dual-purpose Soundcraft GB4 console for this task, supplied by LMC Audio . The dual-purpose nature of the console means that it can also be used for smaller front of house work, thus maximising its potential within the company.

To support the move to a dedicated monitor console, we invested in a significant upgrade to our signal path in the form of a 3-way passively split stage box rack. In addition to providing rapid connectivity of both consoles to all the signals from the stage, it also gives us the capability for providing a full recording branch of the signals, an increasingly important attribute for live events. The manufacturing of the stagebox infrastructure was carried out by VDC Trading .

We also furthered our investment in new Turbosound TFM212 wedges, optimising the on-stage sound for clarity, level and sightlines.  We are now 100% TFM212 for wedges, staying with Turbosound TMS2 for drum fills.

The winter also saw the start of a relationship with 5 Star Cases for our flight case requirements. Using their hi-tech CNC manufacturing facility they have produced some fantastic looking new cases for us, all nicely screen printed with our logo on the outside and routed on the inside!

Last, but not least in terms of safety and control, was the acquistion of a new power distribution system from Rubberbox. We can now interface into 63A or 32A single-phase supplies with confidence, with full metering and RCD protection for all involved.

That's about it for this winter. We're looking forward to getting this show on the road!