After a successful première last year, the Performance + Production Hub at Prolight+Sound will not only return from 25 to 28 April 2023 but will also be expanded.

In cooperation with the makers of the Sample Music Festival and well-known brands in the audio sector, an elaborately designed Experience Zone will be created in the Portalhaus. Visitors can try out creative sound tools, experience showcases by international artists and attend top-class workshops.

The PRO MUSIK association is also on board as a new partner. This year, an action stage of the PRO MUSIK association is part of the Performance + Production Hub. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to talk to professional musicians, find out about career opportunities and watch performances, interviews and lectures. For the first time, live music will also take place on the Live Sound Arena on the open-air site. The artists taking part in the programme include Mrs Greenbird, Marvin Scondo & The Highcuts, Lui Hill, Christina Lux and Markus Vollmer.

This expands the Performance + Production Hub’s offerings to include topics such as acoustic music, band performances and the symbiosis of analogue and digital sound worlds.

On all four days of the fair, the 800 sqm area will offer technical innovations and an overview of new products in the DJing and producing market. In addition, product specialists will present innovations in the broadcasting sector. At the centre of the concept is the combination of product experience, knowledge transfer and entertainment. In addition, a compact version of the Performance + Production Hub is being created at the Radisson Blu Frankfurt, near the exhibition grounds, as a foretaste of the overall experience at Prolight + Sound.

Testing is allowed and encouraged in the Performance + Production Hub. Visitors can try out products ranging from DJ equipment to digital audio workstations, sequencers, midi controllers and modular synthesizers to sound reinforcement technology – the brands’ product specialists will be on-hand to demonstrate.

Brands such as AvoIPoE, Ableton, Audanite, Audinate, Embed Signage, Gravity Stands, Technics, Herrmutt Lobby, Humpter, LD Systems, LiteConsole, Matrox Video, Melodics, Netgear, Ortofon, Oyaide NEO, Panasonic, PioneerDJ, Serato, Sharp/NEC, SY Electronics, Tascam and Thinlabs will be presenting.

In addition, the Performance + Production hub will offer special Jam Boxes where visitors can get creative together and bring innovative sound tools to life in the style of jam sessions. There will be action areas for both the DJ sector and the modular community.

Education at the hub
Together with the Raycademy, one of the most renowned DJ schools in Europe, the Performance +
Production Hub presents exclusive training sessions with multiple DJ champ Ray-D. In the Music Production Corner, Ableton-certified educators will give an insight into the creative power that arises when software tools meet midi controllers and beat sequencers and production merges with live performance. There will also be specialised education stations on topics such as field recording, motion sensors and live sound branding.

Other partners in the education area include the German Pop Academy and the DJ Talks and DJ City communities for networking and exciting content.

Showcases and Special Events to be held alongside the show
Renowned performers will give an insight into their skills on the show stage of the Performance + Production Hub. Among others, ARKAEI (Poland), 69 Beats (Poland), Tony Beatbutcher (Belgium), 2Tronics (Berlin) and Soundadd (Berlin) will be part of the show. Live acts at the Performance + Production Hub include London DJ and producer Gnarly.

On the evening of 26 April, a Beat Making Competition will take place in the area, followed by a networking event in a relaxed atmosphere. On 27 April, after the fair closes, all visitors are invited to the official evening event of the Performance + Production Hub that will be held at the Radisson Blu Frankfurt.

Audio to be a mainstay
In addition to the Performance + Production Hub, Prolight + Sound will also offer a variety of
special presentation and programme formats, thus underlining the importance of the audio segment as a mainstay of the event.

For example, the ProAudio College will be held for the first time as part of the show: In cooperation with the Education Institute of the German Tonmeister Association (BiW-vdt), the new seminar series will present top-class workshops and lectures for audio engineers, interested musicians and young professionals in the live and studio sector on all four days of the fair. After a successful premiere in 2022, the Studio Village will also be continued: Here, companies will show
their innovations in music production and mastering.

Another highlight in the audio area is the Vintage Concert Audio Show in Hall 11.0. The curated exhibition will show over 200 exhibits from the history of sound reinforcement over five decades and will present exciting discussions with personalities from the audio business.

Participation in all workshops, showcases, and educational offers is free of charge for Prolight + Sound visitors.

Prolight + Sound