The Lenny Kravitz 2018 Raise Vibration tour, in support of his new album of the same name, kicked off earlier this year in Mexico City. The long-awaited tour from singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and actor, and all -round talented rock and soul singer, has created a lot of excitement around the world. The stage show is a large and lively affair with lighting designer, Leroy Bennett, incorporating 224 of Ayrton’s MagicDot XT fixtures into his multi-layered design.

The main set changes at different venues, but the backdrop setting and lighting design stays the same and consists of fourteen diamond-shaped pods with 16 MagicDot-XT fixtures tightly packed into each one, with just a 250mm offset between each fixture within each matrix. The pods are rigged in two rows of 7 and partially concealed behind a massive louvre blind back wall.

Bennett, who was keen to use the MagicDot-XT fixtures for this particular lighting design, explained, “the idea for the design was based on Lenny’s being inspired by the venetian blinds set I designed for Prince’s Controversy Tour. I have been using the MagicDot-XT for quite a while and like their reliability and versatility. They are small and quick and I like their continual pan and tilt feature the best. We were able to get multiple looks from them including using them in a cluster to emulate a large lighting fixture. I think that was my favourite use of the light here, to create a large beam.”

Throughout the shows, which are mostly held in large arenas, the MagicDot-XT fixtures have demonstrated their incredibly versatility. At times they can be seen twinkling through the louvre slats, refracting the light to create a tender mood or, when used with full-on intensity, drenching the louvres with saturated colour. MagicDot-XT’s high output and 2° beam can be used to create different patterns in light, with Bennett making the most out of the diamond formation in particular which is used to fabulous effect.
Sometimes it appears as a single solitary shape, or with several of them featured across the pods to resemble windows in a cathedral, with luminous shafts of sunlight beaming down onto the stage and performers. The fixtures are also used individually, sometimes partially obscured as a large light source behind the louvre slats, creating different a different mood for every song.

“MagicDots as main effect lights of the rig,”

“The MagicDots were the main effect lights of the rig,” confirms Bennett’s lighting associate and programmer, Harry Forster, “partly due to the design and partly due to the versatility of the product. And, as always, Roy’s design was so versatile, that throughout programming the 20 or so songs, we managed to get a different look out of the MagicDot-XT every time.” Forster explained why they wanted Ayrton MagicDot-XT for the tour: “We chose these particular fixtures because of their compactness which made them the best fit to assemble into the pods. We liked that everything you need from it is in the right place. It’s surprising how many fixtures have one or two annoying quirks about how the channels are mapped, or controlled, in this case by a Grandma2 : we didn’t have any of those issues.”

MagicDot-XT sports all the same features as the original MagicDot-R, including ultra rapid movement and continuous, unlimited rotation on pan and tilt, but with larger optics and a narrower 2° beam. The compact footprint permits multiple fixtures to be installed with a minimum amount of space between them, while its ultra-tight, fat beam is impressive over distances and can generate the sharpest of light curtain effects. The fixtures were supplied by PRG for the global tour. The tour which included the UK and mainland Europe continued to the US taking in Atlanta, Louisville, Washington, New York, Broomfield, and San Francisco in October and Las Vegas, before finishing up in Los Angeles. A further European leg is planned for early summer 2019. It seems that not only vibrations have been raised by this outstanding tour, with Kravitz having already sold over 12,000 traditional albums so far.

More information on the extensive portfolio of Ayrton LED fixtures can be found on AYRTON website

New ROBE T1 Profile is a versatile spot/profile moving head, far from looking for maximum bright output at all possible cost or compromise, was mainly designed to gather all necessary top qualities for the Theater and TV markets. Its unique variable CRI, along with fine tuning of color temperature (thanks to its 5 chromatic components led engine including RGB+Amber+Lime) bring countless subtle hues and powerful saturated and rich colors to a maximum degree. The plain evenness of the beam also reaches perfection.  

This model has been designed with maximum quietness in mind, even though it does include fans that sound very discrete indeed while the projector is in full use. The front part of the head is totally closed, for optimum soundproofing of the modules’ working noise, as well. This feature also provides total protection against dust, and very few maintenance operations throughout the fixture’s life.

Global chromatic control is simplified, thanks to its dual color mixing, either in “traditional” CMY subtractive mode, or in additive RGB mode. With a solid 11,000+ lumens light output, more than enough for all applications this model actually targets, the T1 also includes a fast and blameless 10-46° zoom (even wider range of 8-46° on gobo projections).

Its variable CTO, from 2700K to 8000K, allows all intermediate values. Moreover, its CRI (Color Rendering Index) can also be adjusted from 70 to 93 on a separate channel, with an obvious compromise on light output for the latter, but this is the price to pay for the perfect CRI according to your needs. Thus a very demanding theatre or opera stage will emphasise more on perfect respect of skins and stage sets tones, whereas a standard concert situation will require much more light output.

The profile version with blades (all with wide adjustment range) can rotate on 60°. The rotating gobos wheel has quite an unusual choice of patterns, and can be combined with a rotating prism and a rotating animation wheel. Robe says that focus and frost lenses can be inserted into the optical path whatever the zoom and focus settings are, with no collision risks.

A choice of two Frost diffusing lenses are included in to the optics features of the T1 : a « Soft Edge » to soften the projected images, and a second one even more blurringly efficient, replaceable at will according to the operator’s needs.  The iris is fast indeed, and can be closed in 1/3 second.
Last but not not least, the integrated T1power supply is flicker free, by easily and remotely selecting a led PWM frequency amongst a choice of many, and then fine tuning it, once selected.

More info on the Robe website

Flying high on their number one album release, Trench, avant-garde rock icons Twenty One Pilots blazed across the United States through the fall months on their sellout “Bandito Tour.” Packing A-level arenas at every stop, frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun underscored the show’s physical acrobatics and visual pyrotechnics with potent audio delivered by a 138-loudspeaker Meyer Sound LEO Family system supplied by VER Tour Sound in partnership with Concert Investor.

The music of Twenty One Pilots (TOP) defies pigeonholing. It’s a genre-hopping mash of alt-rock mixed with electro-pop, hip-hop, reggae and whatever strikes the duo as imperative in the moment. The inherent challenge of defining the music mix is further complicated by dynamic staging that includes soaring risers, the magical teleporting of Joseph to the rear of the arena, platform crowd-surfing by Dun with his drumset, and performing on an audience bridge and B stage far in front of the arrays.

From the opening song to the close of the show, the music takes you on a journey and tells a story. I feel privileged to be the medium connecting artist and audience. I help make sure everybody hears and understands the message, and feels the impact.” Shane Bardiau FOH Engineer, Twenty One Pilots

Riding herd on the myriad audio complications is FOH engineer Shane Bardiau, who took the helm of TOP’s live sound in 2015 a few months before the release of the breakthrough Blurryface album. For Bardiau, the LEO Family system has proven an important tool for keeping potential audio chaos under control and delivering undiminished aural impact to the audience.

“I first heard a LEO system at a PA listening exercise that VER hosted a few years ago,” he recalls, “and I remember walking back to the far 300 section of the arena. I was blown away by how ‘in your face’ the LEO system still sounded, and the controlled low end. That’s when we decided to take a LEO Family system — which was based on the LYON line arrays for more flexibility — on our mixed venue 2016 tour. But this time, since we’re doing all A-level arenas, we’re anchoring the mains with the larger LEO boxes.”

LEO and LYON array

No matter how loud the TOP crowd — and it does get frantic at times — Bardiau is confident he has the headroom to handle it. “LEO is one of the very few boxes that I’ve used for mixing this artist where I can push it up to a high SPL on the meter, but it doesn’t hurt.”

As designed by system tech Kenny Sellars, the “Bandito Tour” system deploys grand totals of 44 LEO and 56 LYON line array loudspeakers for the front, side and rear hangs. For pummeling yet controlled bass, the system also includes six 1100-LFC low frequency control elements flown per side in 4/2 cardioid arrays, plus 14 more 1100-LFC ground stacked in a 7 x 2 front arc. Fills are eight MINA loudspeakers at front, two UPM-1P for stage thrust, and two UPJ-1P for outfill. System drive and optimization are supplied by nine Galileo GALAXY and two GALAXY AES processors.

For system tech Sellars, the upgrade to the new GALAXY processors for this tour has proven a welcome plus. “I really appreciate having the phase correction settings available for every box,” he says. “My phase traces are gorgeous and that makes me happy!”
For his part, Bardiau gives high marks to the system’s low end. “One of the deciding factors for carrying a Meyer rig was the 1100-LFC. I’ve never heard a sub so controlled in an arena environment. It’s easy to keep my mix from getting muddy, which is no easy feat in a ‘boomy’ arena.”

Bardiau lavishes similar compliments on his sidekick Kenny Sellars and tour audio provider VER. “Every day Kenny and his team get everything sounding incredible despite the unique challenges of different rooms,” he says. “I haven’t been doing sound checks yet every night sounds like the night before. And VER is always on top of things. I always get what I ask for and their gear is top of the line. That kind of support is priceless.”
Feeding into the Meyer rig’s GALAXY processors is a DiGiCo SD5 console augmented with a raft of Waves plug-ins, including C6 multiband compressor, API 2500 compressor, SSL Master Bus and MaxxVolume. The wireless mic system is Shure Axient Digital, with a Shure KSM9HS capsule on the lead vocal mic.

TOP music takes you on a journey

Asked what is most satisfying about mixing TOP’s performances, Bardiau responds: “From the opening song to the close of the show, the music takes you on a journey and tells a story. I feel privileged to be the medium connecting artist and audience. I help make sure everybody hears and understands the message, and feels the impact. It’s refreshing to be part of something so positive in what often seems a very negative world.”

Sellars offers similar sentiments. “Those two guys give it their all every night and I’m proud to be a part of it. Coming to this show is worth it even if you don’t know — or even like — the music.” The “Bandito Tour” kicked off in Nashville on October 16, touched four corners of the country in Washington (Tacoma), Florida (Sunrise), Massachusetts (Boston), and Southern California (Inglewood), packing 21 additional arenas in between before wrapping up in late November in Kansas City.

LD Robert Sommer of POOLgroup praises aesthetic, performance, dust protection of IP65 luminaire.On July 20^th, the Parookaville music festival in Weeze, Germany, opened its doors for the fourth anniversary, for three days of electronic and house music delivered by some of the biggest DJs of the genre such as David Guetta, Zedd, Armin van Buuren, and Hardwell. With 80,000 music lovers in attendance, Parookaville again sold out to retain its status as the country’s largest EDM festival.

The main stage with its spectacular set and attention to detail was among the largest festival stages in Europe at over 200 meters wide. Enhancing the setup and expanding the visual impact even further were 160 Proteus Hybrid™ moving heads, Elation’s market-leading, full-featured IP65 luminaire, which lined the downstage edge with more fixtures spread across the setup.

On site as general technical service provider was POOLgroup and as the skies tend to open up at Parookaville POOLgroup lighting designer Robert Sommer put his trust in the weatherproof moving heads. “Set and stage construction plays a very, very important role at the Parookaville Festival,” he commented.

“Everything is very detailed and lovingly designed. Air domes or other weather protection devices simply do not fit into the picture. In this regard, the weatherproof Proteus Hybrid was invaluable. Quite apart from that, they are absolutely convincing with their own performance. They are fast, bright and well equipped. And, at an open-air festival, it’s nice to not have to worry about lamps when it’s raining.”

 Rain, however, did not materialize in what was an unusually dry summer in Germany. With their multi-environmental IP65 protection however, the Proteus Hybrid luminaires had no problems handling the extraordinary amount of dust that kicked up over the three day festival. “A number of fixtures are classified as waterproof but IP65 also protects against dust, which not only ensures greater reliability and performance but also saves subsequent service costs,” emphasizes Sommer. In addition to the large number of Proteus Hybrids used on the festival’s main stage, additional Elation fixtures were used on other stages and locations at this year’s Parookaville.

 More information on Elation :  https://www.elationlighting.com/

On POOLgroup : https://www.pool.de/?lang=en

On the Parookaville festival : https://www.parookaville.com/en/

Iconic American rock band, Foo Fighters, have recently wound down their 18-month Concrete and Gold world tour which launched back in May 2017 at BottleRock Festival in Napa Valley in support of their 9th studio album released in October 2017. The Concrete and Gold tour has played literally every size and type of venue: stadiums, arenas, amphitheatres, surprise club gigs and festival headlines – including the famous Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

“I think we’ve done somewhere around 120 shows all told,” says the band’s long-term lighting designer and director, Dan Hadley. “We even had a week in April where we did an amphitheater followed by a stadium, followed by a festival, followed by an arena!”. Foo Fighters are well known for the length and dynamism of their shows and this, often, 3-hour long extravaganza is no exception. The responsibility falls to Hadley to keep the visuals incredible and exciting enough to match the energy onstage.

To help him achieve this, Hadley’s lighting rig gives prominence to 36 Ayrton MagicPanel-FX square faced LED fixtures rigged on twelve floating ladders that move to constantly reconfigure and reshape the architecture of the stage. The rungs of the ladders swing freely so that the MagicPanel-FX fixtures maintain their vertical orientation at all times, from where Hadley uses them as dramatic sources of illumination to form strong aerial effects, linear patterns, run graphics and shapes across the face of each fixture and, importantly, as powerful audience blinders – lead singer Dave Grohl likes to see his audience at every opportunity!

The tour was split into two legs which required two different designs, both of which incorporated the MagicPanel-FX. “For the first leg the MagicPanel-FX were mounted low in three static trusses in a sort of horseshoe configuration,” says Hadley. “In the second design we had them grouped on flying lighting ladders above the stage where they change position throughout the show. These two designs were very different due to the parameters of the tours.
The first one, with the static trusses, was used for a few months of, mainly, festivals where the schedule was very tight and we had to be able to set up and get out in very short time. I also wanted to keep this one low on budget and number of trucks, so any fixtures we were going to carry needed to pull their weight. Happily the MagicPanels definitely have a presence and enough flexibility that I was able to get them do perform multiple tasks so we could keep the amount of kit to a minimum to speed up installation and minimise truck space.

“After that tour finished we started the full production tour for the new album. For this the square shape of the MagicPanel-FX fitted perfectly into the geometry of the album art and our video configuration, so keeping them was an easy choice to make, especially as they’d also performed so well on the first leg. Hadley has used Ayrton fixtures to light the Foo Fighters before, notably MagicDot-R which he used to encircle the ‘Iron Throne’ that famously carried Grohl on stage after he broke his leg, and MagicBlade-R for the 2015 Sonic Highways tour, and is also familiar with the MagicPanel range.

Pixels and motion

“I chose the MagicPanel-FX for Concrete and Gold for a few reasons,” he says, “mainly for the sort of visual motion you can get out of the pixels and how it adds a dynamic element similar to video, yet also serves to illuminate the stage. Although MagicPanel-R also did this very well, the addition of the zoom in MagicPanel-FX made it exponentially more useable as it gave more control of the architectural element of the beam. Being able to get a tight column of colour when zoomed in and then be able to produce a very soft star-field type twinkle while zoomed out in the next song is pretty remarkable from the same fixture.”

Hadley made full use of the dynamic nature of the overhead grid, shifting the trusses to form shapes that mimicked the diamond-shape video backdrop, or splitting them out into irregular arrangements and even creating circles on the faces to blend in with the content on the upstage LED video wall. “I was able to get some very nice gradient colour fades across the array of them, some sweeping animation that works great,” he says. “I only use one or two of the MagicPanel’s built in macros in the show, everything else is custom built and has its own feel for the song. I was even able to easily replicate the album’s new ‘FF’ logo during one song, because…well, why not?”

Hadley programmed all the lighting himself and operates the show on a Grand MA2: “The band is pretty loose with the setlist and never plays to any track, so I have to keep things relatively busky,” he says. “This translates into most of my effects having speed faders so I can keep up with the changes they throw at me. The MagicPanel-FX are all in extended mode so I have maximum control over their function, limited only by my own programming time and creativity – both of which run out before we’ve milked the rig dry of options!”

Hadley admits to having a few favourite features on the MagicPanel-FX beside its unique zoom: “There are a few moments when I’m able to mimic what the video content is doing, particularly in one song when there is an ‘infinity mirror’ type array of lights with a ‘virtual’ PAR can rig on the upstage LED wall when the MagicPanels become 3D versions of what’s on the 2D screen. It gives me the ability to bring the 2D content into the 3D realm quite easily, which doesn’t happen often with more conventional fixtures.”

The MagicPanel-FX fixtures were supplied PRG for the whole global tour as part of the full lighting package and have proved both reliable and easy on the maintenance. “They’ve been possibly the least problematic moving fixture on the tour, which may be due to or in spite of the fact that they live on their ladders,” confirms Hadley. “The amount of dust that has settled on the top of the units is a testament to how often we’ve had to replace any of them – which is to say, rarely.”

More information on MagicPanel-FX and the extensive portfolio of Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu

Back in the mists of time dinosaurs roamed and ruled the world…and now with the fabulous arena spectacular Walking with Dinosaurs, they are doing so again. This time the mist, or rather haze and low fog, is courtesy of MDG with three ATMe™ haze generators and three ICE FOG™ Compack HP low fog generators supplied by Sonalyst, the South Wales-based production company looking after the UK and European tour of this fabulous show.
Sonalyst was already aiming to expand its investment in some serious haze and fog equipment when Walking with Dinosaur’s LD John Rayment approached them with his requirements for the tour which called for a huge amount of haze and low fog.

Photo ©Kate Lyon

Rayment, who has been working on the dinosaur production since the very beginning… (of the shows… not civilisation), has always been a great advocate of MDG and pointed Sonalyst in their direction. “We were really keen to get into MDG because we are aware of the capabilities of their haze and fog units as high quality, reliable machines,” says George Pakenham, project manager at Sonalyst. “When John confirmed he was a big fan of MDG, we decided to go down that route. It’s our first investment in MDG and the units have been excellent, really first class!”

Large amount of haze and low fog

He added, “a large amount of haze and low fog was needed to create the right atmosphere, so we purchased three of the ATMe haze generators and three ICE FOG Compack HP low fog generators. Each unit is put in the best position for the airflow of the venue, which of course can change from venue to venue, but a pair of ATMe and ICE FOG Compack generators are usually sited upstage left and right, with one of each toured as a spare.

“The spares are carried more as a safety net in case of accident during transit and set up rather than a fear of failure. The nature of the show means there’s a heavy reliance on fog and haze which we have to guarantee, and as the show is so busy and travels around so much, we need to be prepared for all eventualities.”

Photo ©Patrick Murphy

All the generators are controlled via DMX from the console and programmed into the show. The ATMe units provide a fine, continuous haze that enhances Rayment’s lighting and creates a great primeval atmosphere around the 18 life size animatronic dinosaurs – some of which require 3 people to operate them – which range from Raptors to Tyrannosaurus Rex. The ICE FOG Compack provides a creamy, low fog for a theatrical section mid-show and fills the entire centre of the floor to perfection: “That’s no small task when you consider the stage is 36m deep x 24m wide,” says Pakenham.

Since Sonalyst started, it has supplied tours for the likes of Bill Bailey, Russell Brand, John Bishop, We Will Rock You, The Commitments, Dynamo and Monty Python Live on Stage, as well as television spectaculars Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent and Dancing on Ice. This is the first time Sonalyst has been involved in Walking with Dinosaurs.

No brainer

Photo ©Patrick Murphy

“The choice of MDG was a no brainer,” concludes Pakenham. “The designer recommended them as the best and our involvement with the show has given us the opportunity to invest in MDG and grow our already extensive lighting stock – which of course includes fog and haze effects. We are extremely happy with the effects and reliability of the ATMe and ICE FOG units and would definitely buy MDG again.”

“We pride ourselves on great equipment and service at Sonalyst so it’s fantastic to work with Matt Wiseman and MDG who know their products inside-out and can support them so well,” agrees Sonalyst MD, Rory Madden.

This $20 million giant of a production has already toured 250 cities around the world, requiring 24 trucks to move from venue to venue. You can still catch sight of the dinosaurs through the haze as they tour mainland Europe from September 2018 to May 2019.

For more information on all MDG’s fog, haze and atmosphere generators, visit MDG website

Photo ©Patrick Murphy

New Global Distributor Arrangements Announced For Work Pro Lighting Control Surface. Following a series of recent meetings with distribution companies at international exhibitions including Pro Light & Sound in Frankfurt, WORK PRO has concluded new distribution arrangements for its innovative LightShark lighting console.

“LightShark was something of a bold departure for WORK PRO, going way beyond the capabilities of any lighting control products we’ve released in the past,” explains Juan Jose Vila, WORK PRO’s Chief Sales Officer. “Awareness of the console and its advantages and impressive price point has spread fast and orders are very healthy.

Very rapidly following its launch, we were aware that we would need in some cases to create completely new international distribution channels for the product, distinct in certain territories from our existing routes to market. We have made great progress in the past few months putting those channels in place, and are delighted to announce these new partnerships in LightShark’s key markets. Of course, we are continuing to negotiate arrangements for LightShark distribution in other territories; we will be making more announcements about these in the near future.”
As a reminder of what this « LightShark » range actually does, let’s summarise : it is an attractive combination of dedicated app for mobile phones or iPads, WiFi DMX processor, and lightweight control surface. As a final result, you get a LS-Core central, LS-1 and LS-Wing programming wings and 4 different nodes called LS-Node1,2,4 et 8.

A standard configuration : 1 LS-1 control surface + 1 LS-Wing + 2 iPads for programming and instant easy access.

LS-1

The LS-1 control surface provides 10 play-back faders, 4 rotating encoders, an integrated color touchscreen and a dozen RGB backlit buttons. On the back panel, 2 DMX512 outputs on 3-pin and 5-pin XLR and a WiFi transmitter complete this innovative new concept. This WiFi feature allows complete access to the software, no matter the Operative System (iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, macOS), on any mobile phone, tablet, or PC or MAC.

LightShark is a cross-platform lighting control system, with up to 8 DMX universes, which has an ultrafast web-based User Interface, being able to connect up to 3 devices at the same time to create your own multiscreen control system. Thanks to this concept, LightShark features a plug&play solution, avoiding the inconvenience of having to install any software or driver on a computer. A web browser (Chrome, Safari, Opera) is all you need to have complete access to the software, no matter the Operative System (iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, macOS). LightShark is a new concept in lighting control and it is a perfect solution for applications like nightclubs, DJ´s, medium sized and corporate events, schools, churches, etc…

An integrated slot holds the tablets in landscape mode as a natural extension of the console. The multi-touch capabilities are recognized as native and compatible by the LightShark software. Only the GUI interface is shared by several devices, the DMX software processing is handled by the hardware part on its own for maximum reliability.

The LightShark software

The interface was designed as a crossing between a mobile App and a lighting console. Everything has easy fast access, nothing is unnecessary. With only 4 tabs users can access to all functions, creating looks in record time.

The software is of an easy kind. Work claims any lighting designer in just 15 minutes being able to use 100% of LighShark functionality. Always split in 5 tabs in every different screen, the LightShark is supplied in version 1.0.2.N. as we write this.

LightShark can control up to 8 DMX512 universes, i.e. 4,096 channels, and can support for diverse protocols including DMX-512, Art-Net, ACN, MIDI, UDP, OSC & HTTP, and MIDI as well. The number of fixtures is “limited” to 4,096, with an extensive built-in library and an internal editor.

The integrated slot allows 2 tablets to be used as natural extensions of the console. And if that’s still not enough, a complementary third one can also be used at the same time.

Ten 10 main playback faders, plus 20 virtual playbacks, give you the ability to manage 30 playbacks in total. Extended cue memory of up to 1200 cues, Built-in FX engine with more than 20 customizable effects, with quick access to fanning function, submaster FX size & speed controls, customizable palettes, internal complete color picker and internal event scheduler (useful for architectural applications), all these features are crammed into what seems at first look only a “small” toyish console – but is not, indeed.

LS-Core

The nifty “Magic Box”, with price, size, and connexions that can easily fit clubs and receptions halls needs and budgets, and why not as Deluxe DMX Tester ?

The LS-Core is based on a Raspberry type mini-PC, with software and features equivalent to LS-1. Despite an overall size that could fit any (big) pocket, it really respond like a true 8 DMX universes console, and acts like a plug&play solution, avoiding the inconvenience of having to install any software or driver on a computer. With its built-in web server app, all tabs are pre-loaded instantly in the web client. Its 1/4 19-inch rack format is perfectly convenient for installations, with its RJ45 port and integrated antenna for networking, its USB connector for optional MIDI control, and its deux DMX512 outputs in 5-pin XLR. It can be linked to one of the 4 LS-Node models to get more “real” DMX outputs.

LS-Node

The LS-Node range include 4 DMX ArtNet et sACN compatibles converters, d’une à huit sorties, configurable by web page, with 2 Ethernet ports. The 3 smallest models (LS-Node1, LS-Node2 and LS-Node4) are also in 1/4 rack format, POE (Power Over Ethernet) compatibles and powered thru USB-C port.

The whole LS-Node family …

… with their ergonomic configuration page.

The biggest model, LS-Node8, is a 19-inch/1 U rack format, and in addition includes a LCD screen with comprehensive menu and multi-touch UI interface. The major part of the models also include a DMX merge feature in order to combine two different DMX incoming data flows.

LS-Wing

The LS-Wing is an additional block of 10 play-back fader and 20 play-back boutons. its size is similar to the LS-1 size, with 2 DMX 5-pin outputs, 1 Ethernet switch (3 ports), 2 USB charging sockets for recharge and data transmission uses. Each fader goes with 3 configurable buttons, and an horizontal slot on the rear part allows the insertion of a tablet (13 inch model maximum size).

The LS-Wing.

More information on the Work Pro website

The Chemical Brothers have been at the forefront of inventive, interesting and infectiously rhythmic electronic music for nearly 30 years and were a pioneer of the UK’s ‘big beat’ movement in the 1990s.
They are among the most influential and critically acclaimed for their mixological magic, topping the charts on numerous occasions and getting the whole world foot tapping to the lines of “Galvanize” and “Do It Again” and many more.

This summer they played a hectic festival schedule followed by a week of high-profile headline shows. These were complete with another fantastic visual experience created by show designers Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall who fused effervescence, excitement and new ideas with some vintage Chemical Bothers visual gags … including everyone’s favourite, large-scale dancing robots!

For the first time on the lighting rig, Robe’s MegaPointes also made their presence felt! Marcus and Adam’s decision to spec 50 of Robe’s newest multifunctional moving lights led to Blackburn based lighting rental company Lite Alternative making their first Robe moving light purchase. The Chemical Brothers are well known for their interactive, eye-catching and entertaining visual shows, a perfect confluence of lighting and video which, with the band’s preference to remain in silhouette, is a significant element of all their live performances.

Their shows are also known for their high production values and for not comprising on the end result. The Chemical Brothers is also a desirable tour to be on, with lots of amazing people and friendly vibes, all kept running smoothly and efficiently on the road by production manager James Baseley.

(Not) Out Of Control

Adam and Marcus both have interesting careers. Adam is a well-known film and TV drama director and Marcus creates art projects, many of them using lighting and other visual media. Together as @smithandlyall they have been involved in multiple imaginative projects including – since the early 1990’s – the Chemical Brothers.

Both originally coming from filmic backgrounds has given rise to a highly individual cinematic styling for their live music visual work … the lingering narratives and introduction of characters with whom the audience connect and identify. The Chemical’s visual show is crafted with a script and a strong sense of theatricality. While they play the same set every night, each performance is unique as they constantly re-mix and improvise from their centre-stage hub, a heterogeneous laboratory of rare and unusual synths and other fascinating music apparatus.

Adam and Marcus receive the music in advance of the tour and start planning the looks, styling and ambiences from there. They and their team of visual artists create all the video elements taking the peaks and dips in the music as start points, developing ideas which will fit, some segueing from one section or song to the next, others involving a completely fresh start for a new piece of music.

Light is sweet

The essence of the show design is about connecting with the audience and helping move the energy coming offstage out and all around the space, creating that big, immersive environment and serotonin-synchronised place at the heartbeat of a Chemical Brothers show. And while it is essentially all about the visuals in terms of what is happening onscreen, the lighting plays an a vital supporting role that must be bang on – every cue that’s programmed and executed.

With the new album still in the works, these latest shows featured a mix of favourites and new work. For this run of own-shows, all in arena venues, a large 20-metre-wide by 11-metre-high LED screen filled the upstage area, with the 50 x MegaPointes – which were also part of their festival package – as the main lightsources.

“We wanted beam lights” explained Marcus, “the show is all about beams, and MegaPointes are the perfect lightsource to reach out and touch the audiences and help draw them into the show”. When it came to the actual decision on which moving lights to choose, there were a few other criteria as well, including good CMY colour mixing and brightness, both needed for impact and to reinforce the visuals.

Lite Alternative – the Chemical’s lighting supplier since 2015 – organised a shootout between three different types of moving light, all potential contenders including the MegaPointe, and from this it was chosen as the best option to add all the right elements to their design.

Twelve MegaPointes each were positioned in lines along the upstage and downstage edges of the stage, with another twelve rigged on the downstage truss. There were another 10 behind the LED wall, rigged onto five moving pods together with some LED battens.
The pods flew up and down with lights shining and blasting through the screen, adding an ephemeral mysterious touch and another layer of optical depth and texturing to this very multi-faceted picture.

The MegaPointes were joined on the rig by a load of strategically placed strobes, some LED washes, LED squares and battens, plus a 30-Watt full colour laser, a 30-Watt green laser and 22 x Kinect beam lasers (lasers were all from ER Productions).

From a rental company perspective, it was a major move for Lite Alt to invest in Robe – although some PATT2013s had previously managed to sneak into the rental stock!
However Lite Alt director Jon Greaves observes – pragmatically – that “The compact size and the versatility of the MegaPointes was a clear development to the other moving lights we stocked”. He was impressed by the brightness and the sheer amount of effects and options that one MegaPointe luminaire gives designers, “In all, we’re very happy to add MegaPointes to our rental inventory”.

On working generally with the Chemical Brothers and their team he states, “We were sooooo pleased to be working again with a production that puts so much time, effort, consideration – and a not unsubstantial amount of cash – into creating their perfect show”.

Lighting for the tour was operated by Thomas Dechandon who came onboard earlier in the year after meeting James through his work as lighting designer for French superstars Indochine. He also used MegaPointes on that tour … and loved them!

He was also involved in the decision on which moving light to pick for the Chemicals. “MegaPointe is the best beam light on the market right now, it’s very lightweight and the colours are fantastic” he commented, also mentioning that it’s super quick – in movement and all the effects – and extremely easy to program.

Lighting programming was a complex process, with an average of 200 lighting cues per song, and around 6000 in total in the current show, which he operated using a grandMA2 console. It’s clear from a short visit to the tour that the entire crew has the same mentality and dedication to making the show rock, and this as well as the evolution of the music and freshness of live shows keeps the Chemical Brothers right up there as one of the most popular live acts worldwide.

More information on the Robe website and on the Lite Alternative website

Lights Control Rigging (LCR) have provided twenty Chroma-Q^® Color Force II™ fixtures for Bloc Party’s ‘Silent Alarm Tour’, to create a spectacular back wall wash. As the climax to the European leg of the current tour, Bloc Party played a sell-out show at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The tour revisit’s Bloc Party’s debut album ‘Silent Alarm’, which is being performed in full, as well as fan favourites including ‘Two More Years’ and ‘Flux’ completing the encore.
When released in 2005, Silent Alarm was voted ‘Album of the Year’ by NME and nominated for a Mercury prize. It features some of Bloc Party’s biggest hits songs, such as ‘Helicopter’, ‘This Modern Love’ and ‘Banquet’.

The set design for the show features five individual cyc panels spaced apart, which together display the iconic ‘Silent Alarm’ album artwork.

Ryan Hopkins, LD & Director of LCR, knew that the white artwork would be ideal for creative lighting and wanted to wash the backdrop with a rich range of colour. In order to achieve his designs for lighting this blank canvas Ryan opted to use two Chroma-Q Color Force II LED battens at the top and bottom of each panel.

For the majority of the show these powerful cyc lights flooded the back of the stage in vibrant colour, with the units’ strobe effects used during some of the faster paced songs. Ryan was also able to create a beautiful sunset effect, with the battens at the top of the panels producing a graduated yellow into deep red wash which was met by an icy blue emitted from the Color Force II fixtures at the bottom.

Ryan commented: “It was great to have our Color Force II’s at my disposal for the tour. They provided incredibly bright colour across the stage. I was very impressed by their seamless blending across the entire artwork and I am really happy with the results.”

Ryan completed his leg of the tour as LD at Ally Pally, with LCR providing the Color Force II fixtures throughout Europe. The Silent Alarm tour now takes his design further afield with a series of highly anticipated shows across New Zealand and Australia.

Please visit the Chroma-Q website for more information and a full list of Chroma-Q dealers.

The entertainment, live performance and film sector across Europe call on Member States to address urgent needs for stage and studio lighting. Brussels, 25 october 2018. The EU Commission has released a revised version of the proposed Ecodesign and energy labelling regulations.
The revised texts, which can be read in full at the end of this document, exempt a large number of significant tungsten lamps used in the entertainment, live performance and film industry, and provide several additional exemptions recognising the needs of the sectors.

Although the process so far has been successful and productive, there are still some important areas that need to be addressed, with the aim to continue providing the best experiences for film spectators and audiences of live events. As replacements on the market for available technical equipment is missing for certain special purpose lights used on stage and in film-studios, the following demands remain highly important:

• Exemption from Standby Power mode and Networked Stand-by Power mode.
• Exemption for White Light Sources for specific needs.
• Colour tuneable light sources and widen the definition of wave-length of Green.
• Lamp bases for exemption when used in Professional Entertainment Lighting Products.

The European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition – a European-wide group of associations working in the entertainment, live performance and film/TV sectors, continues to support the overall aims of the Ecodesign regulations and is currently working through the appropriate channels to request these changes.

While there are no guarantees of success, support and contribution from members states across the EU will be most helpful in this process. The regulatory committee will meet with the EU Commission on 17-20 December to decide on the final draft. The text is foreseen to be adopted in springtime and come into force from September 2021.

On behalf of the European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition

• The latest Ecodesign and Energy labelling regulations in full with the link here
• For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact:
  Silke Lalvani – EU policy adviser – Pearle* Live Peformance Europe [email protected]

Two fairs at the same time and place: next year’s Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will be held concurrently on all days, from 2 to 5 April. With a new sequence of days – from Tuesday to Friday – Musikmesse will strengthen its profile as the platform for the professional exchange of ideas and information between music-industry professionals.
The two events will also move physically closer together. For four days, visitors can discover the entire spectrum of products for the music and live-entertainment sector.

“Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound are combining their strengths. With all days now concurrent, we are complying with a request often expressed in the sector”, says Michael Biwer, Group Show Director of the ‘Entertainment, Media & Creative Industries’ Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. “The concept for 2019 emphasises the strengths of the two trade fairs: professionalism, internationality and the synergistic effects between the industries represented.”
The Saturday as part of the fair is not being cut but is changing to a new format with a B2C focus, which will be marketed separately. To be called Musikmesse Plaza, the new event will take the form of a pop-up market with numerous musical events and direct exhibitor sales on 6 April.
To this end, Messe Frankfurt is cooperating with several partners from the creative industry to guarantee a high power of attraction for musicians and music lovers. The Musikmesse Festival, which accompanies the trade fair for the music industry, is being extended by a day and will present musical highlights throughout Frankfurt from the Tuesday on.

Short walking distances, optimum flow of visitors

The layout of Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound is designed to achieve the best possible concentration of products groups and themes. For the first time, the whole spectrum of audio products will be concentrated in a single exhibition hall.

(c) Robin Kirchner

On an area of almost 30,000 square metres in Hall 8.0, visitors will find solutions revolving around public-address systems, permanent installations, studio and recording.
Opened in September 2018, Hall 12 is the optimum setting for the presentation of lighting, stage equipment, entertainment technology and event safety and security systems.
Hall 4 brings together associations of the music and event sector and is home to a joint business and networking area for both fairs. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors also have the opportunity to make presentations in the heart of the Exhibition Centre.

Musikmesse. Les percussions dans le hall 3 © Mathias Kutt

Halls 3.0 and 3.1 spotlight the world of keyboard, percussion, plucked, string and wind instruments, as well as sheet music and equipment.

Rounding off the hall layout is Forum.0 for full-range companies and the Congress Centre with the programme for musical instruction.

Business first!

With free admission on all days of the fair, free cloakroom service, guided tours and many other benefits, the ‘Insider’ VIP programme means qualified dealers receive first-class treatment. In 2019, the programme will be extended to include buyers from the entertainment-technology sector. Now also part of both fairs is the Matchmaking programme, which brings exhibitors together with visitors of particular relevance to them.

Lumière, équipement scénique et réseaux occuperont le nouveau hall 12.

New next year will be a joint Hall 4.1 for Business and Networking for both Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound, which will take the form of an elaborate lounge with a lecture stage and catering zones, all designed to encourage business discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.

The right platform for every brand

From start-ups to key players: Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound support companies of all sizes to ensure perfect presentations. Companies can not only book exhibition space in the halls and on the outdoor area but also be part of the complementary programme of events.

On the new ‘Circle Stages’, exhibitors present event highlights in the heart of the halls. The stages are the ideal setting for product demonstrations, workshops, lectures, receptions or performances by endorsers. The enclosed construction ensures reasonable noise protection. In the evenings, Messe Frankfurt will join forces with companies from the sector to hold extraordinary concerts of the Musikmesse Festival on the Circle Stages.

The Live Sound Arena is being relocated to outdoor area F10 in the immediate vicinity of Audio Hall 8.0. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors demonstrate PA and line-array systems under realistic conditions. Additionally, a Demo Room for indoor audio systems is in planning.

L’esplanade de démos live sera placée à proximité du hall 8 accueillant tout l’audio.

The organisers are also working closely together with companies from the sector for the Discover Music area for young people. Exhibitors are invited to donate instruments, give-aways or systems to this experiential world for musical explorers. By doing so, they can contribute to a successful project and make initial contacts between their brands and young music lovers.
Additionally, there will be several special areas where companies can present their products to specific special-interest groups of visitors. At Prolight + Sound there will be separate presentation areas focusing on event safety and security and digital signage. An area dedicated to instruments for left-handers is being planned for Musikmesse.

Fit for the future

Caught in a whirl of disruptive technologies, new standards and regulations, as well as increasing customer expectations, the sector is changing rapidly. Visitors to Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound have their finger on the pulse of the time and receive insights into tomorrow’s trends.
Following their successful première in 2018, ‘The Future of Music and Audio Technology’ seminars will be expanded and cover, inter alia, subjects that have a decisive impact on the global music industry, such as artificial intelligence, app integration and wearables for musicians. The programme is being organised by the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange (A3E).
The ‘Immersive Technology Forum’ is also being continued. Companies of the event and media-technology sector will provide insights into best practices relating to 3D and spatial audio, virtual and augmented reality, 360° projection and holography.
New in 2019 are the ‘CAVIS – Congress for Audio Visual Integrated Systems’ seminars. They will focus on the growth market of permanent installations and give Prolight + Sound exhibitors the chance to present relevant products and projects.

Musikmesse Plaza to rock the Saturday

Immediately after the two trade fairs have closed their doors, the 1st ‘Musikmesse Plaza’ will launch a totally new event concept aimed wholly at consumers. Located in the eastern section of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, this pop-up market covering a variety of themes and with direct sales by manufacturers and dealers will take place on Saturday, 6 April. By this means, Messe Frankfurt aims to raise the experiential factor to a new level and offer all exhibitors the chance to reach all specific target groups on all five days.

When the ‘bombastic’ Elrow Town festival landed in East London’s Olympic Park it had one main aim: to take revellers on a psychedelic trip through the Swinging 60s to Latin Samba. Challenged with serving up the eye-curdling visual effects was Philip Mayer of GaiaNova, using Avolites Ai R8 servers.
Main stage photos went viral, as attendees shared photos of its kaleidoscopic, swirling colours and enthusiastic performers kitted out in tie-dye clobber on social media. Headliners included Fatboy Slim and Idris Elba, as the up-for-it crowd danced to some of the best house and leftfield tracks around.

The Ai R8 server pumped out perfectly projection mapped content onto the complex 3D stage structure. The visuals were created by Wayne Ellis at Afterlife, along with some content from the Ai stock library. In addition, a live feed of 16:9 HD content from Fatboy Slim’s regular video playback team was taken and live mapped onto the stage’s panels, combined with some custom-made clips.
“Pre-programming involved building a 3D model of the stage within the R8 and dividing this in to several UV-mapped parts,” says Mayer. “There were a number of clips from Wayne that were encoded in to the Ai Server’s QuickTime AiM codec. I then created some palettes of appropriate clips from the Ai content library.

“Because Ai inherently understands how to display video as UV-mapped content on a 3D model, it was fairly straightforward to build a custom 3D model of the stage, and map this in such a way that regular 16:9 content would be intelligently mapped across it. By dividing the stage model in to several parts, I was able to send different video elements to different areas of the stage, and manipulate these all in real-time, working from the single 16:9 live video feed coming from the stage.”

Given that the festival was an outdoor event, the team only had the hours of darkness on the night before in order to make the complicated set up live show ready. “Using Ai, I was able to create the 3D stage model, projection map it, and have the live feed running across it, all within the first couple of hours of the overnight load-in,” says Mayer.

On the night, the show was performed on the fly, with Mayer at front of house, on comms with Fatboy Slim’s onstage video team, mixing and layering their live feed over the pre-rendered video clips playing from Ai.

“All in all, it went surprisingly smoothly, considering none of us knew quite which track Fatboy Slim was about to play next!” he laughs. “It was a good example of live collaboration, and the complete opposite of the fully timecode-playback ‘live’ shows I’ve previously worked on.”

The Ai R8’s outputs were routed through a Lightware 16×16 DVI matrix switch to four quad-stacked Barco 30k laser projectors, hitting the stage with 120,000 lumens of projected light. “The Ai servers worked flawlessly, as ever,” Mayer concludes.

The creative brief for the show came from the Elrow Town organisers, with the technical aspects being overseen by Mark Neil at Production Hire. Bob Jaroc was the video director and Stephen Abbiss was lighting designer for Fatboy Slim, using an Avolites Sapphire Touch.

More information on Avolites website and on Elrow town website