- Named in honour of the late Tony Gottelier, PLASA08’s Gottelier Award was presented to digital mixing console manufacturer DiGiCo’s Technical Director, John Stadius.
- Stadius’s association with the company spans three decades. In 1978 he joined Soundtracs plc, the company which DiGiCo purchased in 2002, initially designing disco consoles, mixers, power amplifiers and loudspeaker. In more recently years, he has taken digital mixing consoles to a new level by developing the first, and only, consoles based around a single FPGA engine – the SD7 launched at PLASA07 and the SD8, launched at this year’s show.
- PLASA states that award recognises innovative developers who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the equipment and tools that enable entertainment technology practitioners to continually push the boundaries of event production, presentation and installation. Both Stadius and DiGiCo are proud that the industry has recognised his efforts and achievements.
- “I’m very pleased to have won the award,” says Stadius. “It isn’t just recognition of what I’ve achieved personally, it’s recognition of what we have achieved as a team in the R&D department.”
- “John has driven this technology way beyond what anyone else has achieved so far,” adds DiGiCo’s Managing Director, James Gordon. “John and his team built their first DSP engine in 1993, other companies are still using the same technology today, but he has gone not just one, but several steps further with our new products.
“John is not just a DiGiCo designer, he’s a member of the audio community and the fact that the audio community has looked back at him and recognised what he has done is significant. “It’s a great achievement for both John and the company and we are immensely proud of him.”
