--- title: Latest Gear News and Reviews - GearSource description: Stay up-to-date with the GearSource blog, featuring the latest news, insights, and trends in the world of professional audio, lighting, staging, and video equipment. --- # Welcome to the GearSource Blog Your source for news, reviews, and the latest insights from your GearHeads team! [![Night interior of a professional AV rental warehouse aisle, worker in high-visibility vest pushing a metal transit dolly stacked with two large black flight cases marked with red and blue gaffer-tape identification strips, tall racks of road cases on both sides, warm sodium light spilling from a distant doorway](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_13_subrental_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/sub-rental-margin-math-2026) ## [How does sub-rental margin math work... and why do some shops lose money on gear they don't own?](https://gearsource.com/blog/sub-rental-margin-math-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Marketplace](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/marketplace) [Cross-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/cross-rental) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Sub-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/sub-rental) July 30, 2026 Because most operators price the sub-rental after they price the show. The client rate got set on... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/sub-rental-margin-math-2026) [![Large digital audio mixing console at a front-of-house position in an empty arena during soundcheck, three touchscreens showing waveform meters and level bars, illuminated faders and encoders across the surface](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_12_console_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/console-upgrade-cycle-2026) ## [How should rental houses handle the console upgrade cycle in 2026: when to replace, when to refurbish, when to sell?](https://gearsource.com/blog/console-upgrade-cycle-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Used Gear](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/used-gear) [Marketplace](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/marketplace) [Lighting Equipment](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/lighting-equipment) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Consoles](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/consoles) July 23, 2026 Replace only when the rider actually demands it. Refurbish when the workflow still holds up but the... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/console-upgrade-cycle-2026) [![Empty arena an hour before doors, seen from mid-tier seating, with a distant lit stage showing solid magenta and teal LED walls flanked by hanging line arrays](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_11_touring_economics_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/touring-economics-2026) ## [Touring economics in 2026: where the money is actually coming from, and where it's leaking](https://gearsource.com/blog/touring-economics-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Touring](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/touring) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Industry News](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/industry-news) [Concerts](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/concerts) [Business](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/business) July 16, 2026 The 2026 touring business is bigger than it has ever been and thinner than it looks. Mid-year data... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/touring-economics-2026) [![Rear of a semi trailer at a wet nighttime border-crossing customs bay, its doors open showing stacks of black flight cases, with a customs gantry and office building lit in the background](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_10_crossborder_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-crossborder-ai-matching-2026) ## [How can AI matching solve the cross-border regional rental imbalance in 2026?](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-crossborder-ai-matching-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Marketplace](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/marketplace) [Cross-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/cross-rental) [GearShare](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearshare) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Cross-Border](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/cross-border) July 9, 2026 By Marcel Fairbairn, founder of GearSource, 24 years in pro-AV marketplaces. [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-crossborder-ai-matching-2026) [![A row of matte black LED moving-head fixtures clamped along an aluminum truss in an arena, seen from truss level with empty seats in soft blue and amber haze behind](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_09_lighting_truss_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/lighting-design-after-fixture-revolution-2026) ## [What has actually changed on the truss since the LED-hybrid and IP-fixture wave?](https://gearsource.com/blog/lighting-design-after-fixture-revolution-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Touring](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/touring) [GearSource](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearsource) [Lighting Equipment](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/lighting-equipment) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Lighting](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/lighting) [Fixtures](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/fixtures) July 2, 2026 By Marcel Fairbairn, founder of GearSource, 24 years in pro-AV marketplaces. [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/lighting-design-after-fixture-revolution-2026) [![Looking straight up at an arena rigging grid, with steel truss, yellow chain motors, hanging line array, and moving lights silhouetted against work lights](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_08_insurance_rigging_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/insurance-rigging-risk-2026) ## [Insurance, rigging, and risk are rewriting the cost stack of every show in 2026](https://gearsource.com/blog/insurance-rigging-risk-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Touring](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/touring) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Industry News](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/industry-news) [Insurance](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/insurance) [Risk](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/risk) [Rigging](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rigging) June 26, 2026 By Marcel Fairbairn, founder of GearSource, 24 years in pro-AV marketplaces. [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/insurance-rigging-risk-2026) [![Outdoor festival main stage at golden hour with line array speakers, LED walls, lighting truss, and an empty grass field in front](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_07_gearshare_data_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-first-cross-rental-data-2026) ## [What did GearShare learn from its early stage cross-rental data?](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-first-cross-rental-data-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Marketplace](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/marketplace) [Cross-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/cross-rental) [GearShare](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearshare) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) June 18, 2026 The short version: cross-rental in 2026 is bigger, more structured, and more concentrated than most... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/gearshare-first-cross-rental-data-2026) [![Pro-AV repair workshop bench with a disassembled moving-head fixture revealing the gobo wheel and DMX board, a digital multimeter, a torque screwdriver, a clipboard, nitrile gloves, gaffer tape, and an LED inspection lamp on a neutral grey work surface.](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_06_used_diligence_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-diligence-checklist-2026) ## [How do you spot a used gear deal from a used gear disaster in 2026?](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-diligence-checklist-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Used Gear](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/used-gear) [GearSource](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearsource) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Secondary Market](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/secondary-market) [Diligence](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/diligence) June 11, 2026 The short answer is that diligence in 2026 looks different than it did in 2019. Price is no longer... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-diligence-checklist-2026) [![Empty arena backstage corridor before doors, a folding chair with a headset, coiled XLR cable on the concrete floor, dim utility lighting, no people in the frame.](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_05_crew_shortage_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/crew-shortage-live-events-honest-2026) ## [The crew shortage is real](https://gearsource.com/blog/crew-shortage-live-events-honest-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Touring](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/touring) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Crew](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/crew) [Workforce](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/workforce) June 4, 2026 The polite version of the crew shortage story is that the pandemic pushed people out, demand came... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/crew-shortage-live-events-honest-2026) [![](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_04_crossrental_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/cross-rental-survival-strategy-2026) ## [Why is sub-rental now a survival strategy?](https://gearsource.com/blog/cross-rental-survival-strategy-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [Cross-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/cross-rental) [GearShare](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearshare) [Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/rental) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Sub-Rental](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/sub-rental) May 28, 2026 For most of the last twenty years, sub-rental was a side door. You picked up the phone, called the... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/cross-rental-survival-strategy-2026) [![A photo-realistic close-up of a road-worn black professional moving-head lighting fixture sitting on a workshop floor, lit with cool blue ambient light and a warm amber rim from upper right.](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/blog-images/post_03_used_gear_hero_preview.webp)](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-pricing-2026-secondary-market-signal) ## [Used gear pricing in 2026: what is the secondary market telling us about new gear demand?](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-pricing-2026-secondary-market-signal) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [Used Gear](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/used-gear) [Live Events](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events) [GearSource](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/gearsource) [Pro AV](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/pro-av) [Secondary Market](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/secondary-market) May 21, 2026 If you only look at one number this quarter to read where live events spending is going, look at... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/used-gear-pricing-2026-secondary-market-signal) [![](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-05-15%20at%201.10.15%20PM.png)](https://gearsource.com/blog/rise-of-intentional-media-news-aggregators-2026) ## [The Rise of Intentional Media in 2026](https://gearsource.com/blog/rise-of-intentional-media-news-aggregators-2026) ![ Marcel Fairbairn](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/hubfs/IMG_1339.jpeg) [Marcel Fairbairn](https://gearsource.com/blog/author/marcel-fairbairn) [News Aggregation](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/news-aggregation) [EventWire](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/eventwire) [SpeedWire](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/speedwire) [Digital Media](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/digital-media) [Industry News](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/industry-news) [Media Trends 2026](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/media-trends-2026) [Live Events Industry](https://gearsource.com/blog/tag/live-events-industry) May 15, 2026 The digital landscape in 2026 is being shaped by a major shift toward “Intentional media.” For... [Read more](https://gearsource.com/blog/rise-of-intentional-media-news-aggregators-2026) [1](https://gearsource.com/blog) [2](https://gearsource.com/blog/page/2) [3](https://gearsource.com/blog/page/3) [4](https://gearsource.com/blog/page/4) [5](https://gearsource.com/blog/page/5) - Shop Gear - [Lighting](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/lighting) - [Pro Audio](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/pro-audio) - [Video](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/video) - [Staging & Rigging](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/staging-and-rigging) - [SFX](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/sfx) - [Power & Distribution](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/power-and-distribution) - [Cable & Connectors](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/cable-and-connectors) - [Liquidations](https://reverse-proxy.gearsource.com/category/liquidations-and-lot-sales) - [Misc. 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