Billled as the first tracking and show control system dedicated to professional audiovisual applications, Naostage’s K System used computer vision and AI to track main stage performers at jazzopen stuttgart 2025 in real time. Integrated with d&b Soundscape, it enabled precise spatialisation of sound objects, synchronised with performers’ movements.
While the K System’s lighting tracking capabilities have been widely used at European festivals this summer – from the Manchester International Festival in the UK to various music festivals in France – jazzopen stuttgart leveraged the full potential of the K System to give the audience a groundbreaking spatial audio experience.
At the request of d&b audiotechnik, Dutch company So-light BV orchestrated the integration of the K System for the German event. ‘We were invited by d&b audiotechnik to collaborate on the festival,’ explains CTO of So-light and sister company So-lution, Olaf Jenniskens. ‘Our role was to deploy and operate Naostage’s K System for real-time stage tracking, ensuring perfect coordination with d&b Soundscape and delivering a new dimension of spatial sound on the main stage.’
As Naostage’s distributor in the Benelux region and a key partner in Germany for more than 18 months, So-light used the K System to continuously capture performers’ positions and transmit this data via OSC (Open Sound Control) to the Soundscape engine for precise and natural audio positioning, where voices and instruments seemed to emanate directly from the location of the performers, whether stationary or moving.
‘We were able to create a vibrant and immersive soundscape that followed the artists’ movements,’ Jenniskens says. ‘This precision enhanced the connection between the audience and the performance, far beyond what a traditional stereo mix could achieve.’
The audio system was provided by d&b audiotechnik, while So-light/So-lution handled tracking and on-site integration, with support from a Naostage team led by Sales Director Alexis Reymond.
With inexcess of 64,000 attendees and performances by Kraftwerk, Kylie Minogue, Joe Bonamassa, Jean-Michel Jarre and Lionel Richie, this edition of jazzopen confirmed the value of immersive audio in a festival experience. ‘The enthusiastic response from the audience demonstrates that this type of system offers unique value,’ Jenniskens says. ‘Festival-goers experienced a soundscape of striking realism, where every stage movement was instantly reflected in the sound space.’
This stop in Stuttgart was part of the Naostage on Tour summer tour, the most ambitious to date, which supported eight festivals between June and August.
‘Seeing the K System operate night after night in such diverse contexts illustrates its robustness, technological maturity, and ease of integration with third-party immersive systems,’ comments Alexis Reymond. ‘This confirms that markerless, automated stage tracking is ready for large-scale live productions and seamlessly integrates into established workflows.’
Looking ahead, So-light anticipates widespread adoption of this technology. ‘Markerless real-time tracking simplifies installations and ensures reliable operation,’ Jenniskens concludes. ‘This approach, combining time savings, flexibility, and creative freedom, is poised to become the standard for major live events.’ For the audience, this translates into more interactive, immersive, engaging, and memorable experiences.
More: www.naostage.com/en