AUSTRALIA: AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA media server platform recently took centre stage on one of Australia’s biggest touring productions of the year, with Melbourne-based production company Diverse Audio Visual Events (DAVE) deploying the PIXERA two RS Gen.2 as the backbone of the full video system for Hilltop Hoods’ Never Coming Home Tour 2026.

The nationally sold-out arena tour saw one of Australia’s most successful hip-hop acts perform across major venues including Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, and Perth’s RAC Arena, placing Diverse AV at the centre of a technically demanding large-format touring production requiring scalable playback infrastructure, seamless visual integration, and low-latency performance.

Diverse Audio Visual Events Founder and Managing Director Brad Hurle led the design and delivery of the tour’s complete video production workflow, selecting the PIXERA two RS Gen.2 following discussions with Branden Butler of Show Technology Australia. According to Hurle, the compact 2U media server platform provided the balance of performance, flexibility, and scalability required for the arena production. “Going with the PIXERA two RS Gen.2 ensured we delivered both performance and flexibility without compromise,” says Hurle.

The tour’s visual environment was built around a unified 4K canvas spanning all LED surfaces, utilising INFiLED Black Widow mesh LED systems with an 8.3mm pixel pitch to create a seamless large-format stage image. Operating on timecode for precise repeatability from show to show, the system was additionally required to manage extensive live camera integration and rapid camera switching throughout the performance. “The main goal was to build a turnkey video system that could scale easily from arenas through to festivals, while still keeping latency low so the crowd felt totally connected to what was happening on stage,” explains Hurle.

Ahead of the tour launch, the production team utilised PIXERA zero for pre-programming, enabling the show environment to be built and refined prior to deployment on the road. During live operation, the PIXERA two RS Gen.2 handled all playback responsibilities, while a ChamSys MagicQ PC Wing provided real-time control for layer manipulation and opacity adjustments.

“One of the standout features for me is the timeline workflow. The ability to make live edits and adjustments on the fly has been a gamechanger,” says Hurle. “When I was sitting down with the Hilltop Hoods team and the LD, Paul ‘Pauly’ Owen, it allowed us to be incredibly reactive to any and all ideas and requests in real time. We could quickly shape how the overall visual looked, and, more importantly, how everything tied in with the lighting design and how the act felt onstage.”

The production also marked Hurle’s first deployment using Notch, working alongside Adelaide-based content designer and programmer Brenton ‘Marchie’ March, also known as CtrldChaos. According to Hurle, PIXERA’s workflow simplified the process of exporting control modules and integrating Notch blocks into the live environment. “Once we had that dialled in, it really opened things up creatively, while still keeping the system running clean and stable,” says Hurle.

The Never Coming Home Tour additionally represented Hurle’s first full deployment of the PIXERA ecosystem. In preparation for the production, he received guidance from Paul Collison of elevendesign, a longtime PIXERA user and one of Australia’s most experienced lighting designers. “I’ve been keeping an eye on PIXERA for a few years, but I haven’t had the right project to fully leverage its capabilities. The Hilltop Hoods tour was the perfect opportunity,” says Hurle. “Transitioning from another platform was very straightforward. What sold me was the balance of affordability, flexibility and scalability.”

Reflecting on the experience, Hurle described the deployment as a significant milestone for Diverse AV’s growing touring video operations; stating “I can’t say enough good things about the direction and capability of the PIXERA platform,” he concludes. “Diverse AV is stoked to be a rental house of LED screens and now to have the ability to control and manage those screens via PIXERA too.”