Road Test

15 Oct 2020

Livesound Roadcases

by James Jefford


Lux Productions choose to use Livesound to manufacture our roadcases because we believe in supporting local NZ and family-owned business. Livesound are located in central Auckland, a location that most production and events companies in NZ can easily access and get timely service.

James Jefford is the Director and Head Designer of Lux Productions, based in Auckland, New Zealand. James started his career in production at just 11 years old, operating theatre in the UK. After moving to New Zealand, James returned to live production after high school, starting Lux Productions at the age of 18. Since then, it has grown continuously and has just moved into its seventh warehouse. Lux’s diverse client base includes corporate, cheerleading, high-end weddings, title fights, and one-off events.


You get a more personal relationship with Livesound. You can walk in off the street and get met by Nate, the Livesound dog, who loves everyone. You can have a chat with Livesound’s owners John and Ben Carter, who always go the extra mile to make sure your roadcase or other Pro AV equipment is personalised to your needs.

Advertisement

We rely on Livesound for anything that needs to be custom. They’ve made console, speaker, and motor cases for us, as well as lighting inserts, and rack panels.

Their turnaround time is always at a minimum, and their customer service is exceptional. Lux have bought not just Livesound’s roadcases, but also their design-your-own MyCaseBuilder.co.nz foam inserts, and CNC router cut and laser-engraved rack panels.



Livesound separate their roadcase offerings into two main categories. There’s the premium Livesound ‘Pro-Touring’ range, which are made from high impact ABS sheets laminated to plywood, with solid, locally made Livesound extrusions, and Penn Elcom hardware.

Advertisement

They’re made to such a high standard you can still see 20-year-old Livesound cases out on gigs that don’t have a dent in them.

Then, there’s the affordable Kiwicase range, which is made from hexboard, have slightly smaller locally made extrusions, but still come with Penn Elcom hardware.

Livesound pivoted to the hexboard Kiwicase range in the face of competition with people importing cases direct from China.

I’ve had my share of problems with bowing and dodgy wheels with cases from China. You get what you pay for. Once I took advantage of a shipment that had been ordered by another company from China which had been made with the wrong dimensions.

I bought them at a discount and had Livesound make inserts for them. Even though they weren’t their cases, they still did the job to the highest standard.

Livesound provide superior customer support even with their Kiwicase range.

I bought the first foam insert they ever made via mycasebuilder.co.nz. I was messaging Ben directly about them on a Sunday night, and before I’d finished typing, he was replying.

Nothing is ever a problem, too big, or too small. Livesound genuinely like working through design ideas with their customers.

For example, I bought eight chain motors, and had them shipped directly to Livesound. Ben went through eight versions of a case design for them. The whole time, I was next to him working through the different scenarios, and there was never a moment I didn’t feel welcome.

They were truckpack 600×600 cases that needed to take the one-tonne motors. Initially they thought they wouldn’t fit, but they not only made them fit, they made them useable!

They asked questions of us, the end-user. How do we do this? How do we do that? I personally wanted the cases to have a hinged lid, and they said, “yeah, sure, we can do that, but, if we have a removable lid, you can get at all aspects of the motor, and you can operate at any angle that you want without a lid in your way that could also fall over and catch a cable.”


They brought this level of care and detail even with their budget Kiwicase range. On top of that, we added auto swivelling wheels, wheel dishes, and tour label dishes, all Penn Elcom.

When it got close to the day to pick up the finished cases, they warned me that there was no stock of the tour label dishes. They managed to them air freighted from Penn Elcom in Melbourne, just in time for pickup with two days’ notice. Exceptional!

In production, I hate the word ‘package’. We do dance parties and school balls, but none of them are quoted with off-the-shelf ‘packages’. Each client has an individual budget, theme and venue.

I don’t like it when companies make their offering generic. Livesound have the same philosophy, and it’s why I continue to shop there.


Product Info:
www.livesound.co.nz
mycasebuilder.co.nz




CX Magazine – October 2020   

LIGHTING  |  AUDIO  |  VIDEO  |  STAGING  |  INTEGRATION
Entertainment technology news and issues for Australia and New Zealand
– in print and free online www.cxnetwork.com.au










© VCS Creative Publishing




Subscribe

Published monthly since 1991, our famous AV industry magazine is free for download or pay for print. Subscribers also receive CX News, our free weekly email with the latest industry news and jobs.