Video technology company, 80six, recently opened the doors to its virtual production studios in Slough. The VP facility boasts a preconfigured curved LED stage, ideal for shooting in-camera VFX. Brompton Technology products are part of the studio’s high-end technical backbone.

photographer Tom Oxley Virtual Production

80six has been at the leading edge of building and implementing xR stages and has now directed its attention to live LED in-camera virtual production, which uses similar technologies. The company has spent the last 20 months carrying out extensive R&D with LED and cameras for film and TV productions with trusted partners such as Epic Games, Dimension Studio, DNEG & OSF.

“Throughout the last couple of years, we have carried out various tests that have given us a solid understanding of the principles of VP. We can now confidently advise our clients as to the benefits and limitations they can expect when shooting in-camera VFX or when using LED video panels as light sources,” says Jack James, Director at 80six.

Set in an overall area of approximately 335m2, the Virtual Production Stage includes an 18m x 4.5m high-resolution LED volume, built with award-winning ROE Visual Diamond DM 2.6mm for the rear wall and ROE Carbon 5.7mm for the LED ceiling, along with movable lighting dollies.
The ROE screens run on Brompton Tessera SX40 4K Version 3.1 LED processors. “Brompton’s 3.1 software high frame rate capabilities allow for smooth, fast play-back of content, which is particularly useful for slow-motion for film, TV and esports,” says James.

Talking about the choice for tech for the studios, Jack James notes the experience 80six gained through supporting 2021 VFX Oscar® Winner, DNEG, and Dimension Studio on the production of ‘Fireworks’, a ground-breaking VP short film shot at 80six’s virtual production studios at the start of the year.
“We were involved in an indie film shoot with DNEG, a multiple Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award-winning visual effects and animation company, and Dimension studio, where it was necessary to calibrate our ROE Diamond 2.6mm for HDR,” James explains.

“We used Brompton’s Hydra calibration system, enabling the panels to produce incredible true-to-life colours that were required for the photorealistic background content, and got outstanding results. The request for HDR was the result of several months of testing involving colour scientists and VFX teams. We’re fortunate that the majority of our LED inventory is armed with Brompton R2 cards enabling us to recalibrate them using Hydra whenever necessary.”

Building LED Volume for VP tests at Virtual

Throughout the pandemic, filmmakers, DOPs and VFX studios celebrated the benefits of shooting LED in-camera VFX. From reducing pre-production travel costs to the complete control over the immersive environments in which they shoot, and the transposition of the creative process, which has moved into the pre- rather than post-production phase, these new workflows are transforming how films and TV series are made.

“The benefits of Virtual production are undeniable and companies like Brompton are constantly developing new software features that open up even more possibilities,” James concludes. “Brompton’s Frame Remapping is another interesting concept we are looking forward to exploring as it means you can now have multiple cameras shooting the same physical screen, but with different layers of content represented on each individual frame for each camera.
As a filmmaker, this means you are no longer limited to a particular shot; you can effectively have two scenes running at the same time, or a green screen frame as the second scene that you can then use for keying. This gives filmmakers the flexibility to edit in post-production.”

Through a combination of high-resolution LED screens, video games engines, camera tracking technology and media servers, 80six’s studios give clients premier access to the newest virtual production technologies and resources. More information can be found at www.virtualproductionstudios.com

For more information about Brompton Technology and their products you can visit www.bromptontech.com

Ocean Park Hong Kong is thrilling guests with dynamic lighting enhancements courtesy of MPHK Group Ltd. and Elation Professional. The popular Hong Kong attraction updated the exterior lighting at its iconic main entrance, along with lighting upgrades to its awe-inspiring “Gala of Lights” multimedia shows. The show and park-wide lighting upgrades were designed by award-wining multimedia studio Moment Factory.

Main Entrance impression

Situated in Hong Kong’s Southern District, Ocean Park is a marine park, oceanarium, animal facility and theme park resort all in one. The 44-year-old attraction, which merges entertainment with conservation advocacy and education, is one of the city’s longest-serving recreation parks and tourist attractions.

One of the thrills of any theme park resort visit, and certainly at Ocean Park, is the moment a visitor first sets eyes on the entrance marquee and gets a glimpse of what awaits inside. As part of the lighting upgrade, the main entrance canopy arch at Ocean Park now beckons guests with lighting effects from a line of 10 IP65-rated Proteus Maximus LED moving heads.
The 50,000-lumen power luminaires are used to spread color and pattern across the entrance plaza while powerful beams cut through ambient light to help build excitement and portend the thrills that await.

Much of the entrance area ticket counters, coral alley, boardwalk and village, is bathed in color from 157 SixPar Z19 IP luminaires, IP65-rated 6-color PAR wash lights with zoom. Headquartered in Hong Kong, entertainment technology specialists MPHK Group Ltd supplied the Elation lights to contractor BYME Engineering Ltd. for the main entrance portion of the lighting upgrade.

Aqua City Lagoon and “Gala of Lights”

The Grand Aquarium, one of Ocean Park’s most iconic attractions, and the Aqua City Lagoon situated right next to it, are home to the park’s nighttime special “Gala of Lights,” where 360-degree water-based multimedia shows thrill guests in an immersive multi-sensory experience.
“We sought to enhance the existing architecture at Aqua City by illuminating areas around the Lagoon and engaging with guests to encourage them to stay and experience the new nighttime offerings,” said Timothy Ng, Executive Director, Operations & Entertainment at Ocean Park Hong Kong.

“Gala of Lights” boasts two immersive multimedia shows – “Soul of the Ocean,” a one-of-a-kind spectacle celebrating nature in all its wonder, and “Visions of Hong Kong”, a dazzling multimedia fountain show that takes the audience on an inspirational journey through the city and beyond.

MPHK supplied Elation lighting along with lighting from Elation sister-company Acclaim to contractor ArcSource Ltd. for the Lagoon area install. Some 48 Proteus Hybrid beam/spot/wash moving heads mounted on light poles around the Lagoon area serve both aesthetic and functional purposes while 8 custom-painted Proteus Hybrid fixtures work from the Aquarium roof. Acclaim products include 56 Aqua Graze linear LED fixtures and 8 Acclaim Aqua Drum HO wash fixtures mounted on the performance stage. Some 140 meters of Acclaim Flex Tape trace an outline of color from around the edge of the stage.

The lighting covers a large surface area and from its rooftop and pole positions provides multiple grand gestures with sweeping beams. “It was necessary to integrate the technology into the architecture as seamlessly as possible,” commented Ng.

With their ability to position at will and project in virtually any direction, the Proteus Hybrids can be used as attention-gathering beams one minute and show lights the next. “We wanted the lights to offer a variety of effects to support all show formats, including dynamic show lighting and frontlight for performers,” concludes Ng.

For more info about Elation Lighting and their products you can visit their website : www.elationlighting.com

Portugal Huracán © Ralph Larmann

ESC specified a large number of Ayrton Huracán-X, Karif-LT and MiniPanel-FX LED fixtures for the 65th Eurovision Song Contest at the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena, at the request of Head of Lighting, Henk-Jan van Beek of Light-H-art.

France Huracan shutter cuts and beautiful key light © Ralph Larmann

With some 39 countries and 55 scenes to create and programme different looks for, van Beek needed fixtures that would give him a lot of variety, and used the ‘trilogy’ of Ayrton fixtures for three different purposes.

ESC lighting designer, Henk-Jan van Beek of Light-H-Art. © Nathan Reinds.

“Huracán-X is our workhorse,” says van Beek. “We chose it because it gave us all the power, possibilities and creativity in one fixture and we used every feature of it.”

180 Huracán-X were rigged over the main and B-stages where 40 of them were mounted on extendable drop arms, and on three levels around the auditorium from where they were used for show and key lighting.

“Huracán-X gave us all the colourful looks and gobos we wanted for top and side lighting, and superb architectural looks, textures, beams, and audience backlighting from the auditorium fixtures. It also helped us work around the massive video wall that is the backdrop to the whole show.”

Florian Wieder’s set design was inspired by the long lines and low horizons of the Dutch landscape – a motif that van Beek continued through into the linear looks of his lighting design. It was imperative that none of the technology should interfere with these lines or impinge on the video backdrop.

“By using Huracán-X rigged at a distance and located on three different levels, we were able to maintain completely clear sightlines to the video wall, but still retain all the options and power we needed,” says van Beek.
“Even from the back walls the Huracán-X still had plenty of punch, and their movement and positioning gave us multiple angles at every level, to give all the angles, intensity, colour and effects we could need.”

The 40 Huracán-X mounted on drop arms enabled van Beek to close in on the performers for more intimate looks and even change the shape of the stage frame. “Mounting the Huracán-X on drop arms was originally a functional solution to maintaining the clean, straight lines of Wieder’s set design,” explains Ampco Flashlight’s Operational & Commercial Director, Dennis van der Haagen.

“The grid is too high for useable performer key lights so the drop arms brought the Huracáns down to a more useable angle. The Huracáns’ reliability was also important in this location. They then became a design feature in their own right, serving both a functional and effect purpose, reshaping and framing the stage and adding to the linear looks. The result is really impressive.”

Huracán on drop arm used as followspots. © Ralph Larmann

Fifty-eight Huracán-X fixtures were calibrated to a Follow-Me tracking system and used as key lights and followspots on the artists. For the second semi-final interval act – The Power of Water by Davina Michele & Thekla Reuten – the Huracáns were integrated in the FollowMe system to follow the dancer in motion.
“It was spectacular to see,” says van Beek. “They delivered a beautiful tone and quality of light, even from the farthest side lights at more than 25m distance and the effect we achieved from having the fixtures rigged over the three layers of the venue gave the most fantastic look with every angle covered.

Ayrton Karif LT

Second on van Beek’s inventory of Ayrton fixtures – and also a first time use for him – were 64 Karif-LT LED beamspot fixtures which were rigged in small clusters on the balconies and goal posts, and located on the floor and upstage truss behind the video wall to be revealed through large rotating doors in the centre.

“Karif- LT is a smaller unit which we used mainly for effects and creative backlighting,” says van Beek. “The upstage units were very effective for entrances, while the auditorium units worked especially well in the clusters. They gave us a useful alternative to the laser line effects, with plenty of punch and colour for bumps and effects over the 25m throw distance.”

Ayrton MiniPanel-FX

The large video wall had two huge rotating doors set into its centre, on the back of which were embedded 140 Ayrton MiniPanel-FX – the third of van Beek’s trilogy – with mirrors attached to the reverse of each fixture.

“We had a lot of compliments about the MiniPanels on the revolving doors,” says van Beek. “They are amazing fixtures which fit precisely into the custom made set piece and integrate perfectly. The doors became like huge impressive fixtures in their own right.

“I used many configurations of individual pixels – there so many variations just from the face of the unit – and the mirror on the back certainly added another dimension,” says van Beek.

“There is one special moment at the end of the Switzerland entry when the doors are rotating and the MiniPanel-FX fixtures are turning over and over in a cascade of continually rolling MiniPanels, flashing the lights and mirrors alternately. It’s a really nice effect I used a couple of times.

Norway MiniPanel-FX. ©Ralph Larmann

A close partnership has existed between Ampco Flashlight and Ayrton since the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon in 2018. “We knew of Ayrton before, mainly as an effects lighting company,” says van der Haagen, “but when we met at Lisbon we experienced for ourselves how very versatile and reliable their products were, and how solid their support was. Ayrton is always available, and very proactive when it comes to ensuring projects like this work.”
Following the two semi-finals on 18 & 20 May, the Eurovision Grand Final was broadcast on 22 May 2021 to 180 million worldwide viewers and in front of a 3500 seated audience. It was produced by Netherlands’ host broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS on behalf of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). ESC Head of Production was Erwin Rintjema.

Spain Huracán. © Ralph Larmann

And more info about :

– The Ayrton Huracan-X
– The Ayrton Karif-LT
– The Ayrton MiniPanel-FX
– Ayrton and their products
– Ampco Flashlight
– Light H Art

The ID84 is NEXO’s first column speaker design, introducing the company’s trademark characteristics of size-to-power ratio, variable directivities and highly flexible scalable configurations to a loudspeaker category that is relevant for a wide variety of applications.

The touring version of the low-frequency extension module ID84L revealing the eight powerful 4” long-excursion Neodymium LF drivers.

Packed with technical innovations, including a patent-pending HF arrangement, the ID84 is a performance loudspeaker which offers an outstanding Peak SPL output of 135dB, and a frequency response of 90Hz-20kHz.

The HF arrangement of the eight dome drivers.

With its smooth and musical sonic signature, the ID84 stands apart from other column speakers on the market, equally competent at speech and music reinforcement, and able to perform as a front-of-house reinforcement system in its own right.

This slender metre-high package is presented with two companion products, a low-frequency extension module (ID84L) and a partner subbass (IDS312), which can easily be configured to provide an innovative scalable solution for acoustically challenging architectures.

Potential markets include all kinds of public spaces, particularly transport hubs, houses of worship, theatres and sports venues.

The Column

The touring version of the ID84. Six out of the eight 4” are visible, the top two are hidden behind the plate supporting the eight 1” dome drivers.

Weighing just 15kg (33 lbs), the ID84 measures 990mm x 150mm x 215mm (39.0” x 5.9” x 8.5”). For the first time, NEXO engineers have crafted a rigid lightweight enclosure out of aluminium, with a steel spine to host the rigging system and facilitate the hanging of multiple cabinets.

Magnelis side covers and front grille complete the sleek contemporary aesthetic, which is available as standard in black or white, with custom RAL colour options to match any installation environment.

In the 2-way passive box are eight of NEXO’s powerful 4” long-excursion Neodymium LF drivers, and eight 1” HF drivers in a unique arrangement which maximises the efficiency of these units.

Joseph Carcopino and and his now famous white sunglasses !

Joseph Carcopino, NEXO’s Director of R&D, explains that this patent-pending arrangement “makes a big difference to the acoustic characteristics of the ID84.

For the first time, we are using dome tweeters instead of compression drivers.
These have very low distortion, and by using multiple units in this particular shape, we can achieve the desired efficiency, 105 dB SPL 1W@1m, as well as a very high quality sound.”

The Coverage

The switch on the back plate.

The ID84 offers smooth even coverage that can be tightly controlled by switchable dispersion.
The user has a choice of two vertical directivities, selected by a switch on the back plate, offering with +0/-10 degrees ‘Narrow Mode’ or +0/-25 degrees ‘Wide Mode’ dispersion for 100 degrees horizontal coverage. Dedicated presets are available for each directivity.

ID84 shares the same phase response as other NEXO loudspeakers, making it extremely easy to partner with different models, for example, for side fill or front fill, without risk of comb filtering or the need for complex electronic adjustment.

Joseph Carcopino presents the ID84 on this first video

The Configuration

The unique design of the ID84 achieves superb versatility by enabling two modules to be coupled “head to toe” to increase throw, with each module keeping its own directivity options.
Because the HF arrangement is located at one end of the ID84 column, inverting the second cabinet enables all the HF to be kept in the middle of the 2-metre line, ensuring perfect coupling.

For long-throw applications requiring even longer lines, the ID84L low-frequency extension cabinet can increase the possibilities of the ID84. This powerful speaker extension has almost exactly the same footprint as the ID84, and contains eight 4” LF components.
By doubling the line length, the vertical directivity of the assembly is increased in the low frequencies, leaving horizontal directivity unchanged.

This graph explains it all. It shows the vertical directivity from 100 Hz to 2 kHz with in light gray the ID84 alone and then, going towards darker gray and therefore, more directivity, three other couplings, namely 2xID84, 2xID84 and 1xID84L and lastly in dark gray 2xID84 and 2xID84L. As you can see the latter is almost at 10° vertically at 100 Hz. Well done Nexo.

By coupling four units (2x ID84 with 2x ID84L), the HF arrangements can be paired at two mid-points, producing cardioid radiation down to 90Hz. This yields an exceptional level of control of coverage from a 4-metre speaker assembly.

Opposite, the four units configuration made of 2x ID84 and on top and bottom 2x ID84L

The Cost

Nominal impedance for the ID84 is 4 Ohms. Eight ID84s can be powered by one NXAMP4x1Mk2, which is NEXO’s primary amplifier recommendation, or a single ID84 per channel of any professional amplifier partnered with the NEXO DTDcontroller.

By exploiting a combination of mechanical steering and passive filtering, the ID84 is able to offer some of the benefits of beam steering whilst keeping system costs down through the economical use of amplifier channels.

1,300W per channel at 2 ohms with all the needed processing for eight ID84s.

François Desfarges, Engineering Support Director, presents the possible applications with ID84 at the Palais du Grand Large in this second video.

The Character

A pair of ID84 on the base plate.

“Even though we could call this an ‘industrial monitor’, it has a very hi-fi sound,” says Joseph Carcopino.
“If it is used in a FOH application, we can provide set-ups which give a very smooth and easy listening musical character.

The ID84 can stand alone on a specially-designed base plate, or on the dedicated sub, a 3x 12”, which is high enough to position the HF of the ID84 at the optimum height.
The minimal footprint and homogeneity of appearance will give it aesthetic appeal for small stages.”

The IDS312 sub weighs 31kg (68 lbs) and measures 1160mm x 380mm x 350mm (45.7” x 15.0” x 13.8”).
Frequency response is 40Hz-120Hz and output is 138dB Peak SPL. It uses three high-excursion Neodymium drivers in a bass-reflex enclosure design.

The IDS312, a lot of punch for a little weight.

: The IDS 312 topped by a ID84, without any apparent wire thanks to a specially-designed base plate holding and feeding it.

The crossover between the IDS312 and ID84 has been designed to extend both the frequency response of the main speaker and the directivity by acting like a homogenous 2-metre high sound source.

The ID84, ID84L and IDS312 are available in Installation, Touring and TIS versions.
Connectivity is made through cable gland and captive two-core cables, and the Installation version is IP54-rated.

And more information on:

– Nexo’s event page

– Nexo’s FaceBook page

– The Nexo website

After the widespread cancellation of the 2020 Graduation and Commencement season in the States, students were anxious to know whether this year they would be able to celebrate the completion of their degree programmes on a grand stage.

Cooper Cannady of Martin Audio partner RMB Audio, the event’s long-term services provider, was faced with the same conundrum. “We have serviced Duke University Commencement at the Wallace Wade Stadium [in Durham, N. Carolina] since the evolution of the campus back in 2003,” said the RMB Audio owner, whose company is based nearby.

“This year I was invited to initiate planning for an event which I knew may never occur.” However, when University president, Vincent Price, finally received the green light from the Center for Disease Control and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the RMB Audio tech team had to function test all equipment that had been dormant for one year.

The event was set for May 2; the stage loaded in on April 23 and the RMB Audio crew arrived on April 27. But the problem was that with strict socially distanced guidelines in force, the layout kept changing. “Every day brought with it a new scenario,” stated Cooper.

While some 5,700 students had graduated, 2,000 undergraduates would attend, originally spaced 6ft apart in the inner field (to engage them closely with the event), while the seating plans revised to allow an additional two guests. The 40,000-cap stadium would now host a total of 6,000 attendees, and the original 6ft social distancing was reduced to 3ft.

The Martin Audio W8VDQ.

However, with the new seating design came a revision of the audio orientation. The planned seating at 180 degrees to the stage now increased to 220 degrees, placing seating behind the video wall.

“We were tasked with improving the audience experience in a setting that was entirely new from what everyone had practiced for years. Suddenly we were unable to accommodate a third house left MLA Compact tower and instead had to deploy a stealth Martin Audio W8VDQ, driven by iK42 amps, to cover the expanding audience,” he explained.
This was integrated and concealed at the base of the further house left tower, while the two hangs of 12 MLA Compact enclosures at stage right were accompanied by a single hang of 12 MLA Compact at stage left.

“Decorators were insistent that no cabinets could be within the main camera image that required Martin Audio DD12’s to be placed on stands at ground level corners of the stage to cover the centre first row of seats. The audio image was seamless.”

The changes had been necessitated by the fact that the additional guests were set behind the stage in a J-shape, without visual access to the stage, but instead to a large Jumbotron at the far end of the field, the I-MAG supported by two LED walls, stage left and stage right.
However, such a sparsely occupied stadium presented challenges for system tech, Matt Johnson. “It meant there were more reflections to deal with, although we generally have reflections off the seating in any case.” In Martin Audio’s proprietary DISPLAY 2.3 operating software, they were able to deploy the Hard Avoid function to mitigate these reflections.

Three identical lecterns were placed on stage, one of which was used by singer-songwriter John Legend, who delivered the commencement speech and also received an honorary degree. There was no live orchestra present this year only a pre-recorded track but there was a 7-piece acapella choral group spaced 4ft apart.

“From the presenters’ perspective we set the monitor gain above the stadium reflections by having a monitor engineer listen from the stage participant position via a Neumann microphone to distinguish the monitor pulse and the SPL of the stadium reflections.
“We also had a medical kit, windscreens for the mics with disposable wraps, cleaning and sanitisation which was all very discreet.”

Two MLA Compact hangs.

Emphasising the crucial role played by MLA Compact, and the reason he evangelises it, Cooper Cannady said, “We have used this system for the past three years and W8LM before that, in view of the weight restrictions.”

He had invested in MLA Compact back in 2012 when it first became available. “The reason we favour MLA Compact is because of the ability of the system to directly cover the audience in detail, and in sensitive situations such as this, these are the devices we prefer to use.

“In fact it’s proven to be a fantastic device for us. Nothing can touch the technology that has gone into it … there is no other system that can take a slice out of the middle of an audience.”
He confirmed that at the Wallace Wade Stadium they had achieved exactly the same sound at the first seat as at the back, with just a minimal drop-off in SPL overall.

And summing up the ceremony as a whole, he added, “In all instances the production requirements were increased above the project need to make certain we delivered a bigger and better auditory experience. We will never see this type of health restrictive production again; the event could have been terminated at any time due to COVID-19 restrictions and I applaud the university for completing the memorable graduation.”

The University agreed, and following the event, the Office of the Duke University President referred to the event having been a resounding success. In a comment to Cooper Cannady, they said, “I know that it was a very meaningful experience for our graduates and their families, particularly given the challenges of the past 14 months.”

RMB Audio staff on duty included: Roger Dennis, Matt Johnson, Wayne Sowder, Rick Null and Robert Weddings

For more information on the Martin Audio website and on the RMB Audio website

As historic churches strive to serve their existing congregations and expand their reach using new technology, inevitably they find themselves balancing their needs for quality audio systems with the desire to maintain the aesthetic beauty and singular atmosphere integral to the worship experience.
That’s of particular concern in historically important spaces like Eisenstadt, Austria’s Dom St. Martin, which recently deployed a low profile, high fidelity Adamson Systems Engineering PA to improve speech intelligibility and reinforce small, contemporary musical ensembles with clarity and depth.

Previously known as St. Martin’s Church, the Gothic cathedral was completed in 1522 and features a pipe organ created to the specific instructions of Austrian composer and ‘Father of the Symphony and String Quartet,’ Franz Joseph Haydn.
Over time, it’s been damaged by fire and rebuilt, and, more recently, in 2003 underwent a painstaking remodeling undertaken by architects Lichtblau-Wagner. Put bluntly, when it comes to atmosphere, history, and aesthetics, the Dom, the seat of the Eisenstadt Bishopric since 1960, requires a great deal more attention to detail than your average install.

On the left wall, one of the two Point 8 acting as mains and on the right, on a steel pipe, one of the six PC5.

The Dom is also renowned for its presentation of sacred music, including Eisenstadt’s annual Haydn Festival, and required an audio system that delivered class-leading vocal and instrumental reinforcement and pristine reproduction of speech.

“These types of churches were designed to project the voice without any reinforcement because there was no reinforcement,” says Jochen Sommer, Adamson’s Hamburg, Germany-based Director of Operations. It’s a difficult acoustic environment, he continues: “So, to upgrade and achieve more intelligibility, from a system design and aesthetic point of view, is challenging.”

That challenge was met by audio consultant and sound designer Martin Laumann, who specified two Adamson Point 8 for mains and six compact, passive, 2-way coaxial PC5 loudspeakers as delay lines, all driven by two Lab.gruppen PLM 5K44 amplified controllers. Commissioning and installation of the system was supported by GH-Beschallung’s Günther Huemer.

The Point 8, PC5 Adamson and Lab.gruppen PLM 5K44.

“Previously, the church had column speakers installed, but the setup lacked intelligibility in the rear of the sanctuary and wasn’t suitable for some of their music performances,” Huemer explains. “We did a simulation and then tested the Adamson set up during Easter services in 2019, and everyone in the whole church could hear everything very clearly.
Once the previous system was switched on again afterward, the decision to go with Adamson was obvious. ”While many churches gravitate towards column speakers, the Adamson loudspeakers provide more effective reinforcement, particularly for music.

Günther Huemer, head of GH-Beschallung.

Huemer adds: “Sometimes there are two or three musicians playing guitars and/or keyboards and the Point 8 and PC 5 are very small and provide more output and clarity than column speakers.”
Ultimately, with the Point 8 cabinets mounted to the wall on either side of the altar roughly two and a half metres high, and the PC 5 placed on steel pipes two metres high flush against architectural columns in the cathedral’s sanctuary, “the transparency and frequency response is much better.”

Although the Point 8 is the smallest member of the Adamson’s Point Series family it packs a lot of punch and, in tandem with the PC 5, provides highly detailed reproduction of both speech and live music. “And even though they have five microphones that are open all the time and a very loud organ, we have no feedback in the sanctuary.”

The result is extremely even coverage and excellent intelligibility throughout, adds Martin Laumann, who also uses an Adamson System consisting of eight S10, two Point 12, four Point 8, and four PC 5 for his work as ‘Tonmeister’ at Vienna’s prestigious Musikverein concert hall, and whose company, X Audio, installed and aided in the testing of the cathedral’s new system.

The three white PC5 alongside the cathedral coloumns, barely visible yet precisely delayed. Good sound comes at the right time.

More information on the Adamson website

For many years Thomas Gerdon from Gerdon Design has been in charge of lighting the German TV show Verstehen Sie Spaß (Do You Understand Fun?), in which unsuspecting people are victims of pranks and filmed with a hidden camera.

© Marek Papke

Kimmig Entertainment GmbH produces four editions a year in the Bavaria Studios in Munich, two of which are broadcast live. The first live edition on 17th April 2021, provided the space and opportunity for a world premiere of lighting technology: the brand new FUSION Stick FS16 Z from FUSION by GLP was used for the first time.

As lighting designer and lighting cameraman, Gerdon used the new LED battens on the show stage during the performance by Sarah Lombardi and Luca Hänni as an effective show light. Six towers were placed on the stage, each of which had two horizontally hung FS16 Z LED battens in addition to further spotlights.
“Our goal is to develop an individual lighting design for each show act, so we were extremely pleased to be able to test the FS16 Z in a live situation for the first time within the context of this show,” said Gerdon, who had been keenly anticipating the arrival of the new batten.

Halo ring makes for nice camera looks from every angle

“There are countless LED battens on the market, but not one that is really fit for purpose,” said the designer. “With the FUSION Stick FS16 Z, GLP has once again developed a device that can do everything that an LED batten needs to be able to do today. The batten has a good zoom (8-40°), a great colour mix and is IP65 rated.
Nevertheless, it is not particularly big or heavy. With these features alone, it is basically suitable for every application, both indoors and outdoors, without exception. The highlight, however, is the new halo diffuser ring, which makes a huge difference in the TV business.”

© Marek Papke

Speaking about the further evolution of the popular FUSION Stick FS20, GLP key account manager, Oliver Schwendke, said: “We developed the halo ring around the front lens to improve the visibility of the pixels, especially in TV applications. The FS16 Z’s individual pixels are clearly visible in all camera angles and still allow razor-sharp beams. Thanks to the IP65 protection, the battens can be used outdoors without restriction even in poor weather conditions.
The convection cooled design means there is never any fixture background noise, which is why it is also suitable for noise-sensitive environments such as theatres or TV studios. Like all GLP LED bars and battens, the new FS16 Zs can also be seamlessly connected to one another, which not only makes great, even effects possible, but also shortens set-up times.”

For Thomas Gerdon, who works extensively in the TV sector, GLP has hit the nail on the head with the FUSION Stick FS16 Z: “For us, the new batten is really a precision landing! The special thing about GLP is that they listen, and then implement 100% what the market demands. And if there is still further feedback following a field test, the team continues to listen, and works consistently to refine the device. This is how outstanding products are created time and again.

GLP FUSION Stick FS16 Z

“In TV applications, LED battens were always somehow inferior,” he continued. “They are used as a self-luminous object at relatively low intensities so that they do not shine sufficiently brightly when the camera is shot from the front. From an oblique camera angle, however, such battens quickly look as if they weren’t even on.

“The small halo ring on the front lens is awesome and has finally eliminated this problem,” states the lighting designer. “This frost ring really makes a huge difference. At the same time, the batten looks very nice overall, because the ring itself stands out from the light source. That provides great looks in the camera from every angle.”

An LED batten for all applications, without exception

© Marek Papke

Although the FUSION Stick FS16 Z fits perfectly into studio applications, Thomas Gerdon basically sees it as suitable universally: “Thanks to IP65, I can imagine the batten anywhere. For example, at an outdoor rave I would have a nice, bright LED batten that offers a cool extra with the frost ring.
But it is also suitable as a single spotlight, as a decorative lamp or as an ambient light. And when thinking in terms of larger quantities, the really attractive price point becomes a determining factor.”
He concludes: “There are a lot of LED battens on the market, but GLP has succeeded in building one that can do everything better than the others. The use of the fixture on Verstehen Sie Spaß? was a first test that makes you want more! ”

As an integral part of the set, the show also includes 30 GLP X4 Bar 10, 20 X4 Bar 20, 27 GT-1, 24 impression X4, 83 X4 L, 18 JDC-1 and 24 JDC Line. The lighting technology is supplied by PRG, with Carsten Hempfling as the on-site manager.

In addition to Thomas Gerdon (LD, DoP), the Gerdon Design team consists of René Gamsa (lighting technician), Felix Heilemann (effect light operator), Klaus Kubisch (white light operator), Marek Papke (Media Server operator) and Leon Schwerdt (Server Farmer).

For more info about GLP and their products, you can visit www.glp.de

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

Xite Labs – founded in 2018 by visual and production design specialists Greg Russell and Vello Virkhaus – was approached by director Mike Carson and The 92 Group to assist in the production of stunning XR environments for Talented trapsoul singer, rapper, and songwriter Bryson Tiller who recently recorded an XR concert for later broadcast in Calabasas, California at Xite Labs’ XR stage facility.

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

Xite received a detailed brief with a set of storyboard images and a flow concept of the four dynamic worlds that they wanted to build.
The 3D spaces were created by multiple highly skilled artists using Unreal Engine and Notch.

For the shoot, the physical studio design comprised three-sides including a back wall of LED, an LED floor with rear lights at high angles following the back wall curve, plus several front and side filler lights.

Two cameras were involved, one mounted on a tripod and one on the end of a human-operated 12ft arm crane. The crane camera was fitted with a Canon 18-105 lens, and a stYpe Red Spy optical camera tracking system, the combination of which enabled a wide range of motion and looks.
The secondary camera had a long lens and was offset to the left of the main LED screen and used for a range of classic static telephoto looks.

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

To support and complement any sort of XR / AR performance, it is crucial that lighting is fully aligned with the environments which exist only in the background to avoid the subject looking ‘shopped’ on camera.
“In XR / ER / AR, etc. lighting has to provide all the ambient light and the many related subtleties from the environment that would normally affect a subject,” explained Vello, so it must be super precise and very carefully thought-through.

On this occasion, the Robe Tetra2s were used for side fills, the T1 Profiles and BMFL Blades were rigged in the front and high side lighting positions, while the SuperSpikies were at the back.
All of these provided light on Tiller that closely mirrored the activity of the richly contrasting environments which included shadows from trees or pulsing lights from glowing mushrooms bursting with color and other elaborate fantasy plant life, to vast open spaces with dramatic stark minimal blocks of color and texture.

“All these needed lighting applied that reflected on the artist and created that fully immersive look,” stated Vello. Over the pandemic, T1 Profiles have become a favorite for XR and AR video shoots for several reasons, and Vello confirms this.

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

He cites the great CRI and accurate framing shutters for the T1, the latter essential to accurately eliminate any light spill onto the LED screens, plus a good set of gobos and the ability to reproduce environmental color changes instantly via the Multi-Spectral LED (MSLTM) light engines, an attribute that runs much slower with white source fixtures.
He loves the prism and gobos effects of the SuperSpikie and in this instance the fixtures could also create background variants with their immediate color changing and “good hybrid-like feature set.”

While initially thinking that the Tetra2 multiple zoom zones might be “a bit much”, things soon changed when Vello and Greg had these in the studio and this same feature turned out to be super useful in getting both a varied foreground ‘hotspot’ and fill effects from the same lighting unit! “A lot of variation and power for a batten / strip light.”

The BMFL Blades were brought in as an extra by DoP Russ Fraser and used to side light the artist and create patterns and light movement.
A grandMA2 system was used for control, with lighting and video cues timecoded for perfect synchronicity between the creative and narrative events.

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

The biggest challenge was creating long-form narrative worlds that would transform seamlessly from one song to the next through complex spatial, geometric and lighting sequences and “drilling more deeply into the cinematic aspects of Extended Reality”. A total of 14 songs were recorded.

Lighting equipment was supplied by Russ Fraser Films and the production company was HPLA with Bryson Tiller, Ryan Hahn, and Neil Dominique as executive producers. Mike Carson was the show director, and the overall creative direction was a collaboration between Vello Virkhaus and Greg Russel, Amish Dani, and Sam Ashcroft.
Lighting director was Mike Robertson from Lightswitch who also did the timecode pre-programming and show file setup, and the d3 server operator was Simon Anaya.

© Billy Woods Xite Labs

Xite Labs frequently use Robe in their work. “The combination of versatility and high light output is much appreciated,” commented Vello, adding that some Robe products have absolutely “ideal” feature sets to complement virtual productions and other projects and especially the “radically diverse” array of work being produced at Xite Labs!

They and production partner company Lightswitch have been using Robe for many years and they keep returning to the brand for their “notably quality products”.

For more product and general info about Robe and their products, you can check www.robe.cz

ARTECHOUSE NYC, located in a never previously occupied boiler room beneath the iconic Chelsea Market, is one of the most unique art destinations and experiences in New York City. Despite its century-old confines, ARTECHOUSE rightly presents itself as the art organization for the digital age.
It’s an innovative space for immersive and interactive art exhibitions dedicated to providing the most advanced platforms for genre-pushing artists experimenting with emerging technologies and new forms of creative expression.

Julius Horsthuis

Geometric Properties, which runs through September 2021, is a perfect example. Fractal visuals created by Dutch artist Julius Horsthuis, with original soundtracks by Michael Stearns and David Levy, the gallery’s newest exhibition is a 30-minute, eye-popping environment that “explores fundamental mathematical patterns to stimulate existential self-reflection and emphasize the pure wonderment of being,” according to the artist’s website.

But what makes ARTECHOUSE NYC unique, and what enables artists to push their creativity to new levels, is the implementation of L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology.
Designed and installed in the main gallery for the venue’s grand opening in September of 2019, L-ISA allows artists to expand their canvases from the visual to the aural.

“This is ARTECHOUSE’s third location, and we wanted it to push the benchmark of the experience,” says ARTECHOUSE Executive Creative Director Riki Kim. “When we were looking into the audio element, L-Acoustics and L-ISA stood out from the competition.

The appeal was to have an immersive sound system with no ‘hot spots’ in the room, plus a clear and transparent sound that could express the art’s wide range of tone and emotion. But it wasn’t just the product; it was also the people at L-Acoustics and how they approach us as partners in artistry. With L-Acoustics, the people and the products are a complete package.”

Queens-based See Factor supplied the 31-channel sound system at ARTECHOUSE NYC, which comprises 20 L-Acoustics X8 speakers used as perimeter/outer speakers, ten 5XT speakers deployed as overhead/inner speakers, and two SB15m subwoofers, which function as a single mono channel. The entire sound system is powered by a total of six LA4X amplified controllers, with the immersive mix running through the L-ISA Processor.

The sound technology is complemented by Barco-powered, 16K-resolution, 150-megapixel raster laser projection system.

Kerim Karaoglu

Art-installation composers and sound designers—such as Berlin-based composer Kerim Karaoglu, who provided the sound design for ARTECHOUSE NYC’s inaugural installation, Machine Hallucination, by Refik Anadol use the L-ISA Source Control plugin in a Logic Pro session to adapt and localize the installation’s score to the immersive environment.

Outputs from the processor are then rendered to multitrack files that are played by the in-house media server for video and audio. MADI from the computer is converted via an RME M32 Pro to analog, feeding the LA4X amplified controllers.
In effect, L-ISA became an extension of the artistic process during the mixing of the show, enabling artists to create and deliver new multidimensional sound experiences for live and recorded productions.

Jesse Stevens

“ARTECHOUSE was a very fulfilling project to be involved with on many levels,” says sound designer Jesse Stevens, who designed and engineered the installation.
He worked in conjunction with Kim and the ARTECHOUSE team to develop a system that would give maximum resolution within the necessary design constraints, such as not putting speakers in the projection area.

“We were tasked with thinking about a system not only with our usual engineering eye but also from a creative point of view.
It needed to adapt to any artistic idea, and even become an extension of the artists’ work.” Stevens went on to mix sound for Machine Hallucination, and he says that implementing the Keraoglu’s rich and beautiful score was a “dream come true.”

Stevens says that Geometric Properties was a unique installation, broken into two distinct halves, delineated by the contrasting musical scores of composers Michael Stearns and David Levy. “They asked me to make the best use of the L-ISA technology and do the live mixes of both scores, as well as to add and augment sound effects to each piece. So there was quite a bit of work to do from both a mixing standpoint, as well as adding some sound design and sound effects, which would all run as a continuous loop,” Stevens explains.

Levy’s score occurs first, which Stevens compares to an action movie trailer. “It’s very dynamic with a lot of very cinematic elements,” he says. “David comes from the video game composing world, so there are very intense hits, sounds, whooshes, crashes, and a lot of dynamics.
Literally, the only way to be doing the mix in this sort of space was with L-ISA because we were able to take this very complex score and all of these elements, separate them, and place them in different places around the room. We also had to develop an interaction between elements so the viewer could get a unique mix depending on where they’re standing in the room.”

Furthermore, Stevens adds, the mix had to be considered from all different angles because the audience is constantly walking around inside the space, experiencing the visuals and the sound from wherever their vantage point happens to be.

“There are a lot of very specific placements of objects that create this interaction between elements and work with the dynamics of the pieces,” he says. “But we also had to be able to step back to make sure that the perspectives of the audio matched the perspectives of the visuals in the space. Only with L-ISA technology could I have accomplished that.”

For Michael Stearns’ score, which Stevens characterizes as “much more subdued, more ambient,” he created a combination of sound effects and sound design. “It was great for the audience to have a bit of a break after the adrenaline rush of the first half, but we still wanted to match the tone and energy,” he says.
“I was able to design and preview the sound effects and music mix in my home studio and then send it to Michael, Julius, and Riki, for input and collaboration. Michael’s piece has a lot of sound effects, which required finely detailed editing to synchronize with the visuals. The movement of the effects adds dimensionality and excitement, and it was important for them to work in perfect tandem with the visuals. L-ISA gave me the ability to precisely place all of these elements.”

Stevens credits L-ISA with being a creative partner in the process. “What’s really unique is that L-ISA technology itself is incredibly intuitive,” he contends. “For example, I played all the audio on a Pro Tools system, and we recorded automation for placement and movement in Pro Tools.
I then controlled all that using the L-ISA Controller, listened to each single element, and then recorded its position or trajectory in real time. Being able to layer the elements while recording automation allowed total freedom for iteration, which was crucial because it was the only way to tackle this dense, large-scale mix. It’s a one-of-a-kind process.”

Kim adds the impact of L-ISA technology is evident in the satisfaction of both artists and visitors to the venue and the installations. “They can’t always put it into words, but everyone experiences it viscerally,” she says.
“And the composers and sound designers are always excited to hear that we have L-ISA available. You can tell it makes a difference for everyone involved.”

And more information on :

– The ARTECHOUSE NYC website
– The See Factor website
– The L-ISA website

innovative, go-for-it entrepreneur, Johnny Palmer, the founder and manager of Pytch, opened a string of livestream studios during the height of the pandemic. He works hard to keep these creative flames glowing throughout his well-established event company, even when it means buying the fuselage of a Boeing 727 jet liner and parking it on shipping containers in his warehouse lot.

It was on a trip to Cotswold Airport to look at a private jet that he came across the Boeing 727. The plane instantly caught his attention. “I saw this beautiful old bird and thought why not,” he recalled. “So, I got permission from our local planning commission and agreed to a price with the owner. Once that was done, we had to figure out how to get the plane to our facility.”

Transporting the 40-meter long 27-ton plane roughly 40 miles from the airport to Pytch’s headquarters in Brislington was an adventure onto itself. Navigating the small, winding country roads was a challenge. Then there was the bridge overpass that was too low. In the end though, the aircraft made its way just fine, garnering plenty of publicity en route.

Maverick MK1 Hybrid

Having the plane on site inspires wonder and creativity, just as Palmer intended. This was evident soon after the aircraft arrived at Pytch, when the company’s Pytch Labs team used it as a cylindrical canvas for a nighttime lightshow featuring CHAUVET Professional fixtures.

Around the base of the plane, they arranged eight Maverick MK1 Hybrids, eight Rogue R1FX-Bs and 10 STRIKE P38 units. These fixtures elevated the more than half-century-old aircraft to new heights (visually) covering it with multi coloured beams, swirling gobo patterns and giant sweeps of light.

Positioned on the tops of the containers at the front and rear end of the plane, the 440W Maverick MK1 Hybrid was used as both a spot and beam to create stunning areal effects around the craft, in addition to decorating the fuselage with gobo patterns of various striped configurations. Also enlivening the plane and giving it a celestial feeling were brilliant white spots created with the Strike fixtures.

The linear Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures were also placed on the container tops along the length of the plane. In addition to uplighting the aircraft in a range of colors, the RGBW fixtures were used to create dynamic areal effects. Drawing on the pan and tilt movements of the fixture’s five independently controlled moving heads, the Pytch team was able to move light beams around the plan in a variety of different directions.

The Strike

The Rogue R1 FX-B

The Well Fit stand-alone projector.

Adding to the atmosphere were the 30 Well Fit fixtures used to uplight the metal containers holding the plane. The Pytch team was able to set widely different tones around the pane by bathing the supporting containers in a rainbow of colors from amber, to deep blues and greens.

“Our team prides itself in pushing the envelope to develop new ways of creating moods and impressions with light,” said Palmer. “Using a plane as a canvas for light was a great exercise.
There were some novel challenges. Since the fuselage is round, light stretches when it hits the curve. Addressing these issues was a good thing for us as designers.”

Although this lighting display was a one-off to welcome the plane to its new home, Palmer says it will be repeated for special events.
In the meantime, the plane provides a unique background for video shoots, and functions as a site for client meetings and livestreams. It also serves as the site for some of the Pytch team’s most creative brainstorming sessions.

There amidst the thrust levers, instrument panels, and galley bins, the Pytch teams’ minds are free to wander into that wonderfully childish state of imagination where anything seems possible. It’s a place where the best ideas often happen.

Plus d’infos sur le site Chauvet

The first of its kind in France, Virtual Production Studio-xR, was created as a partnership between PRG and MADO XR. The 360-degree LED facility, which is powered by Brompton Technology Tessera SX40 4K LED processing, brings the infinite power of virtual production to any type of pre-recorded or live production.
The space is constructed as a high-tech LED cave featuring ROE Visual LED panels, with multiple Tessera LED processors running the entire set-up.

All Rights Reserved MADO XR

“Situated on the outskirts of Paris at the historic TSF Studios, we designed a modular studio of approximately 800m2 to provide full control over both the lighting and the filmed scenes in a real-time recording environment. We have put a team together that is fully dedicated to the studio and is composed of PRG and MADO XR staff who will be able to advise and guide you in the realisation of your projects,” says Thierry Kra, Managing Director of PRG France.

CEO and Co-Founder of MADO XR, Louis De Castro, utilised over 10 years of experience working with some of the biggest fashion houses, including Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and luxury brands such as Cartier and Baccarat, to merge his creative industry knowledge with PRG’s global reach and technical expertise to create a top notch XR studio.

“Our studio is 15m wide by 5m tall and 7m deep, meaning it has an LED backwall, a ceiling, a floor and front panels, which is a unique offering in France,” says Yves Winand, PRG’s Senior Video Project Manager & Technical Advisor. “Together with MADO XR, we pulled together a set of technologies for real time tracked images to be rendered with extremely low latency, allowing the actors to be immersed in photorealistic 3-D environments that up until now were unimaginable for a live set up. The choice for the Brompton Tessera processing was obvious right from the start.”

All Rights Reserved MADO XR

115m2 of ROE BO2 2.8mm LED panels are used for the curved LED back wall; 105m2 of ROE BM4 including the latest generation matt covers for the floor; and 75m2 of ROE CB5 panels for the ceiling and front wall that create effective virtual lighting. This powerful set-up is complemented by equally impressive processing, with Tessera SX40 LED processors running the complete LED cave. The set is constructed to be fully modular, with the LED floor, ceiling and front wall easily moved to suit specific production requirements.

According to the MADO XR team, Tessera’s On Screen Colour Adjustment and ChromaTune were features they found especially useful. “In XR, the relationship between the colour profile offered by the LED processor in relation to what the sensor of the camera is receiving is extremely important,” adds De Castro, “To be able to fine tune the colour profile in the Tessera software made our workflow much more precise and efficient. It gave us incredibly realistic images that are simply the best possible quality.”

PRG and MADO XR are firm believers that XR is set to become a new tool for companies to express their brand identity and bring their stories to life.
“At PRG, virtual production has never played a more significant role, not only for TV and film creators, but in music, corporate events and emerging fields like esports. This is the next level of storytelling! MADO XR and their ambition in the virtual production world is exactly that. The range of technologies and people skill sets available and our ability to bring all these technical solutions and workflow experiences together in our studios allow us to realise the project vision of our customers,” explains Stephan Paridaen, COO & President of the PRG Group.

All Rights Reserved MADO XR

Apart from the cost efficiency and sustainability benefits that come with using digitally created XR environments rather than building a physical set design that is normally discarded after an event.
Castro notes that XR has the power to produce broadcast content with a texture and quality that is unique to artistic films, “and that can truly immerse a viewer in a beautiful, life-like image they can access as a livestream on their device from anywhere in the world. It truly opens doors and brings diversity and inclusion, not just to the world of fashion but to many other areas such as corporate presentations and music events.”

Feedback on the Virtual Production Studio facility has been fantastic, and productions such as the unveiling of the new brand platform and the design of the new Peugeot logo by Havas Events, Dassault Système for Live! and the fashion shoot of the Balmain FW2021, have been the first to take full advantage of the spectrum of creative tools the studio can offer their productions.
“It really depends on where you are coming from,” concludes De Castro. “In the live entertainment sector, for example, creative boundaries can be pushed a long way; you really can go in all possible artistic directions. The motion picture business, on the other hand, is a lot stricter as photo realism, the science of colour, and precise skin tones are all absolutely paramount.
Tools like Brompton’s Tessera LED processing allow us to move seamlessly between these two very different worlds and by offering demos to our clients, our team of experts from PRG and MADO XR is able to demonstrate the best use of virtual production technology for every type of production. Once a client has had a chance to test the technology, they become truly ecstatic about it and love the results. We are very proud to be part of their journey.”

More information about Brompton Technology can be found at www.bromptontech.com

In a snapshot of the full Showlight event, an exciting series of papers will be presented by international keynote speakers, interspersed by a series of Video Shorts from the likes of Peggy Eisenhower and Bill Klages. There will also be a discussion panel based on the subject of diversity in the lighting industry, chaired by award-winning lighting designer, Paule Constable.

Your speakers for Virtual Showlight 2021 are:

Each paper will be followed by a Q&A session giving delegates the opportunity to put their questions to the speakers, and plenty of opportunities for networking and touching base with our sponsors in their breakout rooms. Further details of the speaker line up will be available shortly on the Showlight website (www.showlight.org).

Tickets
Tickets for Virtual Showlight are now available via the website (https://www.showlight.org/virtual-showlight). Registration is free of charge but Showlight is supporting two backstage charities, Backup and Behind the Scenes, and delegates are encouraged to make donations to these charitable organisations at registration. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a day of networking and raise some money for these worthy causes.

More information on:

– Website: www.showlight.org
– Facebook: @showlightevent
– Twitter: @Showlight2021
– LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/showlightevent

Passionate about light, the actors of this young Polish company have proven their creative potential by producing retro-futuristic decorative lights that can be found on stages and TV sets around the world. With 28 distributors, Portman Light is present in 42 countries.

Today, May 18, Portman Light presents its new LED lighting fixture with a unique design, protected by an international patent. Mantis departs from the hexagonal shape and retro style associated with the brand, in favor of an original polymorphic outline.

It is the independent control of its different LED sources that determines its footprint: ‘insects, tungsten lamps, spaceship or colored drops isolated or in trio, with a warm, disturbing or poetic touch. The scenographers will love it!

Mantis has dimmable main sources in warm white, bathed in colored lights. The 250 W of total power is distributed over three main heads simulating halogen with smooth gradation.

At low intensity, the color temperature glows at 1600 K and at maximum power it reaches 3200 K. RGBW sources add a nice colored reflection to each head and in the central part, to create a link between the three branches, another RGBW source associated with a frosted diffuser offers the ingenious possibility of installing gobos and diffusing them in color.

With 65 cm wingspan, 20 cm deep and 8 kg, Mantis is a light and easy to carry device. Its yoke allows it to be oriented in all directions and to consider any type of fixing, on a tripod, hanging on truss or pipe.The shape of the lamp allows you to build larger structures and combine them into various shapes.

Ready to travel the world, Mantis can be powered by any current 100-240V 50Hz / 60Hz. To communicate, the projector receives two XLR5 connectors (input / output) and can also be controlled wirelessly in WDMX.
The electronic supports the RDM protocol and six DMX modes from 21 to 43 channels are offered with macros to use the projector in stand-alone mode.

Mantis will arrive in the following days at its distributors for demonstrations and will be available for sale in early July 2021.

More on the Portman website