Laval, Québec-based Creative Lab, which creates lighting and visual installations of all kinds, has invested in 24 Ayrton Mistral-TC LED spot moving lights. The new fixtures have already been put to work on the Montreal Canadiens’ “Samedis FANatiques” (“FANatic Saturdays”) pre-game show and on a glitzy auto dealership event.
“The Mistrals are our first Ayrton fixtures but certainly not our last!” declares Francis Aubin, President and Founder of Creative Lab. “They are also our first moving light purchase. We decided to go with Mistral because the fixtures are well known in the industry by lighting professionals. Mistral is compact, versatile and powerful – the ideal first moving light to add to our inventory and bring more creativity to our design.”
Creative Lab’s Mistrals have already been hard at work. They are used for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens’ live streamed promotional programming, “Les Samedis FANatiques” (“FANatic Saturdays”), before each Saturday home game. Featuring a specialist hockey guest and a DJ performance, the shows are staged in the Creative Lab studio and live streamed on Twitch as well as displayed on the jumbo screen at Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens. The 30-minute programs entertain fans and ramp up excitement before the team hits the ice.
Creative Lab plays a 360º role on “Les Samedis FANatiques,” acting as executive producer of the show for client Groupe CH. The Mistrals are used in front of the artists at centre stage to envelop the performers in light and to create effects with columns of light that change to match the musical ambiance.
“The Mistrals were chosen for their versatility and for the visual quality they bring to the video capture,” says Aubin. “Their different gobos and the vividness of their colours also made the Mistrals the fixtures of choice for this application.”
The Mistrals played a key role in a corporate project with high production values. GM Paillé, an auto dealership in Berthierville, Québec, staged a student competition in which participants were invited to present an innovative marketing pitch to the company’s top executives. Creative Lab served as technical supplier for the show working with production company Axe Media Evénements and Lighting Designer Julien Laflamme, who used the Mistrals to create textural effects on set.
The Mistrals lived up to their expectations on both projects. “These were the first uses of the fixtures, and everything went perfectly!” Aubin reports. “The results that we achieved on set and on camera speak for themselves.” ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America, and Aubin notes that, “ACT Entertainment supported our purchase in a very important way: we received the fixtures in under four days, and less than 24 hours later everything was installed and ready for use.”
More information on Ayrton Mistral and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu
Optimal Audio, manufacturer of control, amplification and loudspeakers for small to medium-sized commercial installations, particularly multi-zone venues, has announced an addition to its range in the shape of the Up 6O, a 6” two-way passive, full range open back ceiling speaker.
With a sensitivity of 90 dB SPL and a frequency response (with its own preset) ranging 65 Hz to 18 kHz ±3 dB, the Up 6O delivers a Max SPL of 111 dB Peak.
Delivering a consistent conical 110° coverage pattern, Up 6O features a 6” low frequency driver paired with a 0.7” metal dome tweeter, and is supplied without a back can for ceilings with a minimum cavity depth. An integral fixing system achieves a simple and clean installation. Up 6O is suitable for both high quality speech and music reproduction in a wide range of cost-conscious commercial environments, from hotels and concourses to retail outlets, bars and restaurants. Each Up 6O can be run on a series of 70 or 100 Volt taps or at low impedance, and with a 16 ohm setting allows up to four units to be connected to each amplifier channel at low impedance for an efficient install. Up 6O joins Optimal Audio’s range of ceiling speakers with the entire Up series now shipping in APAC, followed by EMEA from March, and North America to follow later in the year.
Al McKinna
Product manager, Al McKinna, said: “With the entire Up ceiling series, including this latest addition, now shipping, they join Cuboid and Sub to complete our loudspeaker offering. With our amplifiers also shipping and our controllers soon to follow, the Optimal Audio ecosystem of control, amplification and loudspeakers working seamlessly together is now becoming a reality. 2022 will be the year we see Optimal Audio really take off.”
Based in Berlin, Germany, edelmat. sees itself as a partner for event technology, with a philosophy based firmly on the values of loyalty, efficiency, and sustainability. Edelmat. services include consultation, conception, implementation, as well as service, for rental and installation projects in the field of event technology.
It is here that the human being is in the foreground, and edelmat.’s well-trained specialists maintain consistent contact with each and every client to develop budget-oriented and individual solutions. Sixty82 and edelmat. have very similar values and goals, and the cooperation between the two companies has proven promising.
“At edelmat. we connect people through conception and technology,” says edelmat.’s Ayke Bröcker. “The innovative solutions of the Sixty82 brand fits perfectly into our portfolio and our joint work is successful and fun. It is partly for these reasons we chose to become a reseller for Sixty82.”
edelmat. will offer the full product portfolio from Sixty82. “We find Sixty82 products durable and innovative, which in turn helps us create inventive solutions for our customers in the rental and installation business,” confirms Bröcker. edelmat. has completely converted its rental park with products from Sixty82 and, as a sales partner with its own stock, can provide its customers with comprehensive assistance in the rental and installation business at short notice.
edelmat. has already participated jointly as exhibitors with Sixty82 at Future of Festivals, the leading trade fair for the festival industry, with great success. “Personal customer contact is very important to us,” says Bröcker. “Going forward, our goal is to strengthen the visibility and reach of Sixty82 in the metropolitan region of Berlin Brandenburg and beyond.
“We really like Sixty82’s products and are looking forward to developing the brand with them. We are ready to create great things together.”
Nashville, TN – The Twelve Thirty Club in Nashville is full of headliners. A modern take on the supper club, the “dapper-as-hell” restaurant was developed by James Beard Award nominee Sam Fox alongside pop superstar Justin Timberlake, with architectural and entertainment lighting control designed by Energy Systems Design.
ETC’s control systems and infrastructure.
The project was only possible because of ETC’s control systems and infrastructure. “This was a fantastic opportunity to create beautiful lighting in a storied location – Broadway in Nashville, right across from the former home of the Grand Ol’ Opry,” says David Empey, Technology and Design Department Head for Energy Systems Design. ESD is a full service, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and technology design firm with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Austin, Texas.
“We designed the lighting, lighting controls, and network for the entire venue. As the designs for the building were developing, I knew I needed the flexibility of ETC systems so we could handle whatever architectural or entertainment needs came up. I also knew I could rely on ETC, Bradfield Stage and Extreme Electric to provide the commitment and technical know-how to implement the design correctly.”
A lot did come up for this ambitious venue. The entire club has many different spaces. The first floor is used as an energetic and “elevated honky tonk a step above the rest of Broadway,” with dining and music every night. The mezzanine level is an intimate cocktail lounge primarily for members and the second floor is a majestic 400-seat “Supper Club” where a suit and tie wouldn’t be out of place.
ETC helped create an elevated honky-tonk on the Twelve Thirty Club’s first floor.
The restaurant and lounge feature antique chandelier light fixtures, opulent booths, a row of windows overlooking Bridgestone Arena, an outdoor terrace with views of The Ryman – and of course a stage ready for acts of any stature, from Justin Timberlake to Kelly Clarkson, to Lady Gaga, or the next big act coming out of Nashville.
“There’s a movement in Nashville towards a more upscale feeling, not limiting themselves to the loud and raucous, while still embracing the energy and vitality of Nashville’s storied musical scene,” says Empey. “Working with design team, what they were looking for was a traditional honky-tonk, but radically elevated.”
Lighting-wise, that meant they wanted to evoke an extremely warm and refined look. The light is tuned to 2200K, more amber than white since “Sam Fox likes very low and very warm lighting,” explains Empey. “The design draws the eye to chandeliers and individual fixtures, so it feels like they are the main sources of illumination even though they aren’t. They can’t be.
The intimate Members Only bar in the mezzanine of the Twelve Thirty Club is controlled by ETC’s Paradigm system.
Chandeliers at the low intensity the client wanted couldn’t provide enough light. By paying attention to distribution and making sure the light was really warm – the exact same color temperature is used throughout the restaurant – the light can come from everywhere, even as your eyes are drawn to the chandeliers.” The lighting control is a mixture of DMX and 0-10V dimming throughout the Club, with ETC’s Unison Paradigm system controlling everything throughout all spaces. “The entire building is all linked back to a single control panel – but also easily available via an app.”
Bringing sexy back
The crown jewel of the Twelve Thirty Club is the second floor Supper Club, a space that needed to provide a luxurious, world-class venue for performers. Crescent-shaped, tufted-leather booths with copper inlays line the walls, red velvet chairs surround wooden dining tables topped with antique fixtures, and deep club chairs provide an intimate seat near the stage. It was Energy Systems Design’s job to make sure the stage lighting lived up to this level of opulence.
“The team wanted it to simultaneously be elegant – but not show theatrical fixtures. To feel like a stage – but not having anything that looked like a stage standing out,” describes Empey. “So, we built an old school supper club, like an early Frank Sinatra might have played in. Then we hid our stage fixtures – ColorSource Spots – in an architectural cove. We chose ColorSource because they are a rich, full-range fixtures that allowed us to get that warm color we were aiming for.”
ETC controls the architectural and entertainment lighting and makes them work in harmony in the Twelve Thirty’s third-floor supper club.
The ColorSource fixtures are capable of other colors as well, but the design team was apprehensive about color changing fixtures because of their traditional aesthetic. “There was a very serious conversation about how to do color changing in a way that was elegant yet that could enrich the performance.” ETC’s ColorSource fixtures were able to create a rich, natural look, without the artificial, electronic feel of other LED luminaires. Eventually the colors won them over. Color changing also comes from pixel tape in the cove, and RGBA downlights in the ceiling throughout the space. “I sat with Sam Fox, and we picked exactly what color amber he wanted,” says Empey. “So, when you need a dance floor, you can pull tables out of the way and have a whole dance floor as well.”
What they’re working with
The switch between restaurant lighting and entertainment lighting is handled by Paradigm, which also handles all the architectural lighting controls. In this instance, the entertainment lighting is completely segregated. The entertainment console takes priority over ACN and owns stage lights during a show. Everything else is controlled by Paradigm in the background.
“Everything else” is a combination of ETC Sensor3 power control racks, Echo Relay Panels, and Foundry Panels, all on an ETC network, with a variety of Response Mk2 DMX Gateways and 0 10V Gateways scattered throughout the space. In this project, everything dims, including the kitchen. “Sam Fox is a fan of public kitchens, and he wants the kitchen to be warm and match the rest of the restaurant.”
As a benefit to the operations team, Paradigm triggers all the dimming events throughout the day. “Lighting for all spaces is controlled via Paradigm Touchscreens and apps. Different spaces have separate menu screens. Managers have the Paradigm Remote app on their phones, and if they need to adjust levels in a scene, they can do that there.”
Opulent supper club with entertainment and architectural lighting controlled by ETC, the Twelve Thirty Club is bringing a new level of refinement to Nashville’s nightclub scene.
With so much to attend to, and such high standards to maintain, the managers and staff appreciate just how easy the Paradigm system is to run. During the training in May, just as the first-floor honky-tonk opened, David approached the general manager to train him on the lighting system just before closing. “It was a long day, he was exhausted, and he asked me to keep the training under 30 minutes.
I said: ‘If I do it in five can I get a Twelve Thirty Club hat?’” Taking the GM’s phone, he installed the Paradigm app and associated it with the network. “Then I handed it to him and said ‘Push the Dinner button.’ He hit Dinner, the Dinner light setting came on, and we were done. Took about three minutes, and I got my hat.”
The Paradigm system was so solid that even as they worked through a phased opening, with installers continually getting into the electronics of the system to add more components and more capabilities, the staff and patrons almost never saw an interruption in functionality. “ETC has never stopped saying that all this control and integration was possible, that everything could work together seamlessly. And they definitely came through.” Energy Systems Design worked closely with Fox’s internal visionary team and ETC to deviate from the ‘status quo’ and create a truly unique and user-friendly experience.
For more information about ETC, please visit etcconnect.com
A new Anolis LED lighting scheme is illuminating the famous exterior façade of the Rosary Basilica at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (Sanctuaire de Notre-Dame de Lourdes), an ultimate destination calling pilgrims and worshipers from worldwide to the south of France.
The stunning new lighting was designed and specified by Bruno Le Vacon, founder of audiovisual design office BLEV ORGANISATION, and Sébastien Gaye from ACE Event Group. The physical installation of the luminaires – chosen from Anolis’ Divine, ArcPar, Eminere and ArcSource ranges – was completed by ACE Event who are locally based, with the equipment supplied via Anolis France. Each luminaire was individually customized at the Anolis factory in the Czech Republic before dispatch to France.
The delicate and meticulous application of light on this special monument was a huge challenge for Bruno whose task was to enhance the magic and spirituality of an already sacred place. In front of the Rosary Basilica is a large public area, where visitors gather to celebrate, and they can now have their experience enhanced with the intensity and beauty of the lighting.
Bruno Le Vacon has a long history of working on events in and around ‘the Domain’ as it is known in Lourdes, which comprises 51 hectares, and includes 22 separate places of worship. Various elements of lighting have been introduced and upgraded across the site over several years.
Bruno encouraged the church hierarchy, including the bishop, to look at his tasteful lighting proposals for lighting the Rosary Basilica which had previously been poorly lit with tired old sodium units.
The general feeling was that the time was right for something that not only highlighted the façade’s splendor and grace, but that was contemporary and sustainable. LED was the obvious way forward offering a better lifespan, lower power consumption, less maintenance, and it was at this stage that Sebastian and ACE Event introduced him to the Anolis brand. ACE Event, a Robe customer for many years, trusted the fact that Anolis products are also designed and built to the same quality standards.
Extensive onsite tests over two evenings were conducted by Eric Tabuteau from Anolis France with ACE Event which established exactly the fixtures needed and where they should be positioned to realize the design, after which the specification was confirmed, and the special requests for customizations submitted to Anolis. In early 2021, Bruno received the final green light to proceed with the installation plan and it then became a race to get it installed and running before the prime summer pilgrimage period commenced.
Bruno Le Vacon was impressed with the diversity of the Anolis ranges, the quality of their light output and colour mixing facilities – perfect for a design of this complexity and detail – plus the willingness of the factory to produce custom solutions to give the exact tools needed to optimize lighting this incredibly special and historic treasure.
ACE Event had also helped convince the end-user that Anolis was the correct route, so the next task was to meet the deadlines, for which the Anolis factory fully stepped up. Here, Robe France’s CEO Bruno Garros also really pushed the Rosary Basilica project forward and ensured that the timescales were viable. As a proud born and bred Lourdes citizen, the city is close to his heart!
Around 80 x Anolis fixtures – a mix of Divine 160s, Divine 72s, ArcPar 150 Outdoors, Eminere 2s, 3s and 4s plus ArcSource Outdoor 16MCs and ArcSource Outdoor 4MC Pixels – are lighting the intricate stone tapestry of arches, crown, crosses, statues, belfries, stairs, the square and the lectern of the Rosary.
The statues are lit with ArcSource Outdoor 4MCs rigged at their bases and on the arches and the crown featured by ArcSource Outdoor 16MCs. All fixed in place with special brackets to protect the façade. The two main towers come alive with lumens from Divine 72s, while the larger arch is lit with Eminere 4s and the smaller one with neat Eminere 2s.
For general lighting, more Emineres are positioned inside the structure itself attached to a hidden rail, with further Emineres highlighting the wall paintings. The small and powerful Eminere units were ideal for this project and provided exact solutions.
Slightly in front of the Rosary Basilica two trussing towers built off to the sides, left and right, are rigged with Divines shooting across for general light, with more Divines inserted between the sculptures and statues for fine detail lighting. Each light source is fitted with specific lenses and filters for individual optimization. Anolis’ architectural ranges are all developed for this type of environment, to deal with the harsh weather extremities and to be in constant use without deterioration.
The entire system is controlled via a wireless DMX system. With concerts and events frequently staged in the square, it was important to offer control of the Rosary Basilica lighting installation to incoming productions, so these can be integrated with their own show lighting if desired. This Rosary Basilica is a notable example of a significant historical building exquisitely amalgamated with the very latest lighting technology.
The R&D at SIXTY82 has developed the ALPHA82 connector, a structural support component, in other words a cornerstone for all kinds of structures, especially those that aren’t necessarily available as standard.
The Alpha connector, held by Xavier Drouet, one of the founding partners of Sixty82.
In addition to its modularity, the advantages of this genuine innovation in the world of trussing, can be measured in economic and ecological terms.
An open truss assembled with the ALPHA82 connector. It’s a pity that the standard color of the system will be aluminum gray, but any color is available upon request.
The SIXTY82 team organized a launch event for the ALPHA82 system at its production facility in Drachten, in The Netherlands, attended by distributors from all over the world and their own customers, to unveil the most important innovation of the last 30 years.
Axente, the French distributor for SIXTY82, has chartered two sleeper buses to take a number of its loyal customers to their destination in comfort. We headed for Drachten at nightfall after checking our health passes and an antigen test, to make absolutely sure we weren’t going to generate a Delta cluster.
The impressive group of SIXTY82 customers invited by the French distributor, Axente, in front of the sleeper coaches.
After a good night’s sleep, we arrive fresh and well-rested in Makkum, at the north-eastern tip of Holland, to embark on an old sailing ship, the “De Boekanier” to sail Lake Ijsselmeer. The launch ceremony for the ALPHA82 is scheduled for the late afternoon, so we have time to sail in the early morning, under a timid sun, towards the North Sea, bathed in the spirit of the Dutch navigators of the 17th century.
It’s time to hoist the sails and…
… a few hours later, and after a few swings…
… to stow them before coming into port.
And we discover that many show technicians are well qualified as sailors when it comes to hoisting the heavy sails. But, since we have one-track minds, our conversations quickly return to the subjects that concern us day to day: new Ayrton fixtures, the latest MA3 software release, and questions about the new structure that awaits us!
SIXTY82
Reunion time: surrounding Xavier Drouet are Fokko Smeding, CEO of SIXTY82, on the right, and his son Rainier, CCO, on the left.
A red carpet and management team, dressed to the nines, await us at the entrance to the modern 4000-square-meter building. After almost two years of videoconferencing, the associates are very happy to be meeting in person again.
Founded nearly four years ago by three groups of experts – English, French and Dutch – SIXTY82 is a young company with a wealth of expertise at producing aluminum structures.
The team is made up of the Englishman Adrian Brooks and his son Lee, specialized in the manufacture of custom-made structures for the big international productions; the Frenchmen Jérôme Bréhard, Xavier Drouet and Alain-René Lantelme, distributors of structures for 30 years; and the Dutchmen Gert Felten, Marc Hendriks, Ronald Seinen and Fokko Smeding, inventor of the truss with conical sleeves. In just four years, they have succeeded in bringing together 34 of the most influential distributors in the world in the structures market.
L’usine
The headquarters and production facility, 4,000 m² in Drachten.
At this plant, SIXTY82 carries out aluminum tube cutting, truss assembly and welding, and quality control testing with certified personnel.
Alain-René Lantelme, deputy CEO of Axente, guides us during this visit. Here, the discarded pieces that are destined to be recycled.
The raw materials, such as aluminum tubes of different cross-sections, machined parts like male and female couplings and the steel parts, are sourced from European metalworks. Similarly, the stage decks made of Finnish birch plywood and coated with phenolic resin are supplied by industrial carpenters and cut at SIXTY82.
Their production equipment, which we peruse as we walk through the production lines, consists mainly of bending stations, semi-automatic and manual welding lines.
One of the six height-adjustable welding benches. Once the tubes are held in the jigs, the crossmembers are positioned on guides and the welding is done manually.
“Semi-automatic welding,” explains Alain-René Lantelme, “saves time and allows us to obtain a nice uniform weld on the female sleeve at the end of the tubes as they rotate. Next comes manual welding of the cross members when the tubes in question are assembled on jigs”.
A welding station for the corners.
We note that the welding benches are height-adjustable for the welder’s comfort and to help improve the quality of the welding process. We also note the presence of tube torsion stations, which can adjust the axis by ¼ of an inch, so that the holes are well aligned.
You can appreciate the uniformity of the welds.
The automated cutting station for aluminum tubes.
“On the whole,” continues Alain-René, “every truss on the planet is made this way, but it is the quality of the alloys, the jigs, the alignment, the welding stations, the quality control, the certification of the welders and the investment in production tools that make the difference”.
Weldy, the robot welder.
Speaking of investment, we discovered a brand new robot designed to weld the frames and supports of the stage decks. The different dimensions of the decks are programmed and, after manual positioning of the tray and the supports at the four corners, the robot automatically welds the components.
One just has to position the deck and the supports for the legs, which doesn’t require a certified welder – as confirmed by Jérôme Bréhard, CEO of Axente.
It’s always fascinating to see a robot in action, plus it’s the only one working on this holiday and Weldy has a lot of fans. He is eight times faster than a human and provides a nice and consistent weld quality. We won’t get to see all of this factory, since the equipment in many areas has been pushed up against the walls and hidden behind drapes in order to accommodate the guests.
ALPHA82 System
Marc Hendriks, CTO, and Matthias Moeller, STO, present the new innovative system…
It’s time to unveil the new product. Its called ALPHA82, a modular truss system, which can be configured to suit your needs. It is the subject of an international patent.
ALPHA82 consists of an extruded and machined aluminum connector, similar in shape to an arch, onto which ladder trussing with a width of either 52 cm or 101 cm are bolted, to form 3D box trusses.
… And here it is.
The ladder trusses are available in two widths, 52 cm and 101 cm, as well as in four different lengths.
The assembly of the ALPHA82 system.
What’s more, this ALPHA82, connector, which is available in several versions, has M12-size slots on four sides for connecting accessories: hoist rings, clamps, brackets, curtain rails, struts… Anything is possible!
The ALPHA82 connector is available in two standard versions and several sizes, while cut-outs are available on request.
The compatible accessories.
Rather than a lengthy explanation, here are a variety of possible assemblies to give you some ideas of the solutions that can be created: stackable open trusses, pre-rig trusses to accommodate chain motors inside the truss, putting an IPE beam inside a trolley, assembling a trolley with a motor inside, building a truss integrating LED screen supports to save clearance, easily doubling a truss for a specific need.
So obviously, we are not going to have fun dismantling standard trussing after each performance, but, rather, thinking about the shapes that can bring solutions to recurrent needs in a production and storing them assembled. On the other hand, it turns out to be quite cost-effective to build them like a Meccano set for specific needs, for events or on tour. This means that you don’t have to store large parts all year round or rent them out. The ALPHA82 system is also ideal for integrating into fixed installations.
The ALPHA82, kit is child’s play to assemble.
And in the specific case of costly transportation, the advantage will be that the structure package can be transported in parts to reduce the volume by 75%. Considering the increased shipping costs, it seems worth the investment.
To define the load tables, SIXTY82 provides all the calculation information regarding all the possible constructions. And as for the modeling, which could appear to be a headache, the quick solution is to make a rough calculation, by entering the general load values of a square truss, for instance, into the computer.
Video presentation:
Innovation in the structures sector is still possible at SIXTY82, who have it in their DNA. And Fokko Smeding, the man behind the small conical sleeve, together with his team of experts, undoubtedly has more to contribute. After this presentation, which was enthusiastically received by the guests, an exceptional evening awaited us, offering many attractions for food lovers, casino fans, dancers, rock fans or simply those who were looking forward to chat with friends who have been out of touch for the past couple of years.
Denmark based rental companies VIGSØ and Profox have invested in CLF Poseidon Hybrid fixtures, boosting their existing inventory of CLF Orion and Yara fixtures. Whereas Profox is a full-service company, the main activity of VIGSØ is dry-hire. Both companies were looking for a relatively small IP65 rated hybrid fixture. After an extensive process of comparing and testing, the Poseidon Hybrid became the obvious choice.
Rasmus Stoltenberg Sørensen (Profox) was pleasantly surprised when he saw the output of the Poseidon Hybrid for the first time. “Its output is impressive, the projection is very crisp and compared to other IP rated hybrid fixtures, its weight is very low. I would like to emphasize the feature package of the Poseidon Hybrid. It is offering a lot, at a very reasonable pricing point.” The fixtures will be deployed during a lot of outdoor projection jobs of Profox, which are scheduled during the winter period.
With this investment, VIGSØ fills in a gap in their rental stock. “Outdoor hybrids are requested a lot by our clients, since we have to cope with a Scandinavian climate”, said Christian Vigsø. “When buying IP rated fixtures we are really interested in the serviceability. The Poseidon Hybrid meets our requirements, just like the other CLF fixtures in our rental stock. We like CLF fixtures because they are designed for rental and touring applications. Also, their support is very good. We are seeing an increasing demand for CLF fixtures across Denmark.”
The investment is part of VIGSØ’s long term strategy, which is based on extensive partnerships with production companies. “When buying new products, we are always looking for other companies to cooperate. This creates a lot of buzz around the product, but also an increasing demand”, concluded Vigsø. In total, more than 60 fixtures will be available for rent in Denmark.
German manufacturer GLP German Light Products has announced 16th February as the day for its eagerly awaited global launch of the new impression X5 fixture.
Following a preview at the 2021 LDI exhibition in Las Vegas, the impression X5 boasts a wealth of new and improved technology gained from countless hours of conversations with users combined with traditional German foresight and precision.
GLP managing director Udo Künzler and product manager Michael Feldmann will lead the presentations at four different points during the day to capture every time zone, with the impression X5 presented in detail and followed by a live question and answer session afterwards.
Register for the event and see the teaser video at X5launch.glp.de
Metallica – among the most influential and legendary hardcore speed metal bands of all time – treated their fans to two epic concerts at San Francisco’s Chase Center in December, celebrating an incredible 40 years of provocative, ground-breaking music and performance.
Lighting designer Rob Koenig collaborated closely with production designer Dan Braun whose stunning visual architecture – featuring 45 large multi-layered and overlapping video surfaces – set the visual tone for this unique in-the-round live retrospective. While the screens were key for showcasing playback video, interviews, artwork, and other archival material spanning the last four decades, lighting highlighted both Metallica and their audience, uniting and energizing an incredible bond that’s seen them remain at the very top of their game since the 1980s.
Robe BMFL WashBeam
Needing the most powerful, dynamic, and flexible lighting solution possible for these shows, Rob and Dan chose 148 x Robe BMFL WashBeam moving lights to be the heart of the lighting rig, plus another 16 x BMFL WashBeams which were running on four RoboSpot systems.
Apart from 19 x moving LED bars, these BMFLs were the only lights on the rig from which the design team created 36 songs worth of unique, impressive jaw-dropping looks and treatments.
The first show kicked off with “Hit the Lights” and Rob did just that … enjoying the chance to push the creative boundaries of theatre, drama, and raw emotion for 16 songs that night, followed by another 16 – an incendiary mix of classics, blockbusters and coveted rarities – for the second gig. Extra special moments included the first ever live rendition of “Fixxxer”, a darkly complex and confrontational fan favorite from 1997’s “ReLoad” album, delivered on night one.
Rob and lighting programmers Joe Cabrera and Cat West prepared a pool of 36 songs. However, with no definitive setlist available ahead of the first couple of weeks of previz, and a selection of exceptional wildcards played for the first time in over 10 years, a few curve balls flew! Come showtime, Rob also found himself improvising more than once which kept him fully energized and locked into a “completely invigorating” workflow. The starting point for the lighting design was the physical and structural layout of the video elements flown from the venue roof on a series of elegant elliptical-shaped trusses.
As the video design evolved, serious discussions also revolved around lighting placement, with Rob needing enough lights coming in at different angles and levels to hit to the stage and also illuminate the audience the entire night, without blinding them, and without touching the screens. Lighting had to both harmonize and contrast with the overall visual look. Twenty-four BMFL WashBeams were deployed above the stage, wrapping around one of the smaller ellipses holding the central cylindrical-shaped video monolith, with another 48 on one of the larger ellipses that was also broken up by PA elements.
In the audience, three levels of strategically placed BMFL WashBeams added depth and dimension to the picture, one batch of 24 at ice (floor) level, another 24 fixtures at concourse level, with the third and highest set of 24 BMFLs flown over the audience at optimum positions for hitting the stage, a 44ft diamond-shaped construction in the center of the space. A slightly different mindset and approach permeated this show elucidated Rob, who has worked with Metallica since 2008. That shift was away from being fundamentally dark, brooding and menacing, and while no less intense than standard Metallica shows, there was also an air of celebration.
“Being a 40-year landmark, that vibe was embraced in the lighting but all the time retaining vital Metallica intricacies and characteristics,” he explained. Rob, Dan, and live video director Gene McAuliffe all collaborated closely on crafting this almost metaphysical aesthetic. The songs were delivered chronologically from the oldest first on the first night and in the reverse order for the second which offered further chances for spontaneity, keeping all on their toes which was “way, way more fun!” declared Rob. “I loved it – so far from the norm of knowing what might happen next!”
They used “every possible BMFL trick – and that’s A LOT” to keep the energy and vibrance pumping. The BMFL WashBeam has been a Metallica ‘anchor’ fixture for some years now, after Rob initially fell for it on Guns ‘n’ Roses 2016 “Not In This Lifetime” reunion tour. He describes the maverick luminaire as “still my best choice today for high power and huge versatility”. Follow spotting is critical to lighting an in-the-round show effectively. The format is favored by the band for getting them closest to their fans, and while it is always more challenging for productions, the results of in-the-round are always worth the additional creative and technical efforts.
The 16 x BMFL WashBeam Follow Spots were positioned along the larger ellipses, spread out to take advantage of some of the negative space up in the roof as well as for beam separation and depth, with four units tracking each band member.
Apart from the continuity and perfect color matching, with the BMFL WashBeams on the rig Rob could control all the main follow spot parameters – color, intensity, iris, etc. – from his grandMA2 console, allowing the operators – positioned on the venue catwalks amidst all the PD and processing – to concentrate on following the band. The RoboSpot focus tracking control was extremely helpful when the band moved around the stage as the follow spot beam sizes could remain proportionate.
Gaffer David Hunkins looked after setting up and balancing the spots. Rob was delighted to have him on the team, and “he completely embraced me breaking rules to make things absolutely pop on camera,” which was also crucial as the show was streamed live and recorded via a 21-camera shoot. Metallica has a long history of playing large one-offs defined by a highly talented technical and creative production operation and a crew with enormous passion and commitment to making this a signature art.
Specific lighting challenges for these two 40th shows included programming. Even songs that had been lit hundreds of times previously had to look fresh, new, and diverse, while context needed adding to those rarely played. All this took time and energy and a fair few imaginative risks, whilst also giving Rob the chance to explore and push out of his comfort zone. The load in was galvanizing as the kit needed to be spread out everywhere across the venue, and while they did have four days in which to do it, all of that was needed and used productively and efficiently. Video was rigged first as lighting waited patiently until the screens were all flown into place.
This is another example of where the meticulous advance detail and co-operation between the two disciplines – between PRG project manager Eric Geiger and crew chief John Moore, and Premier Global Productions project manager Anthony Kordyjaka and crew chief Jason Lanning – paid off, with Rob’s BMFL WashBeams cruising into place once their time came thanks to some superlative thinking and planning by Head Rigger and “all around magician” Chad Koehler.
Lighting equipment was supplied by Premier Global Productions out of Nashville, Tennessee, and Rob’s account handler there is James Vollhoffer. Lighting crew chiefs on site were Anthony Kordyjaka and Jason Lanning and video kit was from PRG. The two visual departments also merged and co-managed all their cabling and other basic infrastructure. Even after 14 years and multiple memorable Metallica experiences worldwide, being part of these two shows was “amazing,” recalls Rob. He got to rediscover songs like “Bleeding Me”, and “Dirty Window” … as well as “Fixxxer” which ignited the internet and thousands of memories from a performance action packed with memorable moments.
Most of all he enjoyed the incredible teamwork – under tight control of production manager John “Lug” Zajonc – the natural synergy, plus the expertise and imagination of the individuals and departments involved in creating and making these shows such great events, of which “everyone can be proud”.
For more info about Robe Lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz
Over 1200 people representing more than 60 countries around the world have already registered for ETC’s 2022 CUE conference. This 24-hour event is slotted for February 17 and starts in Asia at 11:00 AM HKT with a keynote address from ETC’s Vice President of Marketing, David Lincecum.
This is followed by the European sessions which take place from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM GMT. ETC staff and other industry experts follow with a series of sessions over the course of the day in multiple time zones and multiple languages including French, German and Russian. The conference wraps up in North America at 5:00 PM CST.
Join students, educators, designers, technicians, and other industry professionals to learn about the topics impacting the live events industry. Session topics include product technology, building theatrical systems, industry sustainability, and encouraging diversity in the workplace. No matter which corner of the industry you work in, you’ll find something of interest. ETC promises to bring you the best training, insightful discussion sessions, and of course, demos of their cutting-edge products.
If you’re tuning in for the North American sessions, you won’t want to miss Amber Whatley as she talks about Black Out, the program she founded for underrepresented individuals with an interest in lighting design. Stay for the live panel discussion on encouraging diversity in the industry, led by Tony award winner Karen Olivo.
If you work or volunteer in the industry, are an educator to the industry, love the technology of stage productions or are a student hoping to someday work in live events, then CUE is for you. You will also be able to catch up with sessions from other time zones as well as any that you might miss if you have registered, sign up here: etcconnect.com/CUE
For more information about ETC, please visit etcconnect.com
Situated on the edge of London’s Kensington Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall – that internationally respected bastion of music – continues to mark its 150th anniversary through special events to the end of 2023. The truly iconic venue, which hosts over 390 shows a year including classical, rock and pop concerts, ballet, opera, awards ceremonies, charity performances and banquets, many of which are televised, is now fully equipped with 4 MDG ATMe haze generators, supplied by TSL.
Photo Dan Street
The RAH lighting team initially invested in two of the industry-leading ATMe generators in July 2019 before adding another two in November of the same year. The ATMe haze generators are in almost constant and exclusive use with two freestanding machines located on stage and two permanently installed in custom flight cases on the stage edges at circle level. “Good haze is particularly important at the Royal Albert Hall,” explains RAH lighting designer, Richard Rhys Thomas. “When lighting a concert there is no scenery, and often little or no video, so the lighting becomes the scenery. It forms an important part of the overall look, so you need good haze to show the beams from the roof to ground level.”
The procurement of MDG generators had been on the RAH’s agenda for some years following consultation with Matt Wiseman at MDG UK. “As we built up our lighting service with new fixtures, we realised the thing we were lacking was good quality haze,” he explains. “We had an amazing rig, but if you can’t see the beams, it doesn’t matter how good the lights are!”
MDG ATMe
The team was also getting comments from incoming lighting designers about how the haze distribution was affected by the auditorium’s antiquated air cooling system which pumped in fresh air from beneath the arena and stalls. “This meant the haze on stage got pushed upwards, so we would get a nice haze in the roof but not on stage where you need it!” says Thomas. “We had to do something!”
Like most public buildings worldwide, the Royal Albert Hall did not escape closure during lockdown but this dark time was turned to advantage, enabling the acceleration of a programme to install additional airflow units.
“With the new system, cool air now also gets pumped in from above, so this helps us achieve a nice smooth, even coverage of haze, but it is largely due to the MDG machines and their particle size and type of fluid which has made it all come together in such a nice way,” states Thomas. “MDG haze is so fine that you really don’t see it until you put strong beams through it, which is how it should be.”
With the RAH’s previous haze machines, complaints about the ‘clouds of smoke’ and the smell were all too common: “If the source of the haze is very visible, the perception of it is raised which tends to generate a psychosomatic response that can affect the comfort of the audience and the artists,” explains Thomas. “Since we’ve had the ATMe generators, we have no ‘clouds of smoke’ and no negative comments!”
The new ATMe generators are operated from the lighting console and have proved very efficient in terms of fluid use. “We found we don’t need to run them very high at all to get a nice even coverage. And if we need a bit more, we can simply push them up a bit and they fill the (very large!) space very quickly. We run a careful management programme to keep their fluid supply topped up and they are all sited in positions where the bottles can be easily changed during a show without interruption.”
Thomas is also impressed with the quietness and reliability of the MDG generators: “They run very quietly which is very important for a lot of our shows, both in the auditorium where they are quite close to audience, and also on stage where they are close to orchestras, microphones, television cameras, etc.
“We are very happy to have finally got our MDG haze machines. I’ve lit many shows here now and can remember when you just didn’t know if you were going to have good haze or not. It could be cloudy or up in the air – there was no certainty to it and no guarantee. It was very disappointing to put so much work into a design for it not to be realised to its full effect. Now we can guarantee good results and it is very satisfying to know we have that level of quality there at all times.”
For more information on MDG’s ATMe haze generator and all MDG fog, low fog and haze products, visit www.mdgfog.com
Adding to the family of the award-winning SHARPY fixtures, Claypaky introduces the SHARPY X FRAME multifunction luminaire. The SHARPY X FRAME takes the best features of the SHARPY line and integrates a four-focal plane shutter system in a lightweight, compact fixture. The unit’s source is the powerful 550- Watt arc lamp that makes this fixture extremely bright and produces deep and vivid uniform colors (including an unmatched deep red).
The unit boasts the flexibility to be the light you need when you need it. As a completely hybrid, multifunction fixture, the SHARPY X FRAME not limited as to beam effects, it can also be a spot, profile, or wash unit. This fixture replaces much larger luminaires using the longer life 550 Watt arc lamp.
Although a small fixture by most standards, nothing is sacrificed in the SHARPY X FRAME fixture’s feature set. In addition to the four-focal plane shutter system, the unit offers a rotating gobo wheel with eight rotating gobos, a static gobo wheel, four and eight-facet rotating prisms, linear frost, a color system featuring CMY, CTO and a separated color wheel, and six beam reducers starting at 0.5°.
With a zoom range from 2° to 52°, the SHARPY X FRAME can do unparalleled visual effects. The unit is fitted with a 160mm front lens and proven Claypaky optics for producing sharp images and collimated beams.
The SHARPY X FRAME is the most versatile, compact hybrid fixture on the market that addresses the needs for a bright spot, aerial effects unit, framing fixture and everything in between in an affordable, compact package.
The Olympic Qualification Tournament in curling took place in the Netherlands in December and the ice has never looked better thanks to MHB AV and Elation’s tunable Kl Panel LED soft lights. Held at the Elfstedenhal sports complex in the town of Leeuwarden, a professionally illuminated surface of the highest standard was a must for the Olympic qualifying event.
The Olympic Qualification Tournament was the first international curling tournament to be hosted by the Netherlands. Teams from across the world competed in the two-week event in the hopes of advancing to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, which starts on February 4. As stones slid across the curling sheet and echoes of “sweep!” filled the air, the stakes were high and concentration was at its highest.
Months prior to the event, MHB AV (www.mhbav.nl ) had contacted Bert Schmeits, Key Account Manager Benelux at Elation, and as a result invested in the full-color-spectrum and color temperature-adjustable KL light panels. Schmeits reports that the company was so enthusiastic with the high-quality illumination and enormous output that they immediately saw the soft light as the perfect candidate to illuminate the curling event.
MHB AV has plenty of experience designing and suppling audiovisual solutions for sporting events, having worked with clients such as Triple Double sports marketing and EMG media group. For the Olympic Qualification Tournament in curling, MHB delivered a complete lighting, audio, video and rigging package.
Lighting for TV and video has particularly demanding requirements. For example, the illumination levels required for televising curling are much higher than for normal competition play. A uniform field of light across the entire ice surface was also a prerequisite.
“We needed a bright, high CRI lighting setup that we could place above the curling lanes in order to deliver at least 1400 lux onto the ice so that the curling players and television cameras had a perfect light without shadows,” stated Marten Hylkema of MHB AV.
“We chose to use 90 units of the KL Panel because of its good light output, high CRI and perfect color tuning.” The KL Panel units were mounted in rows approximately 7 meters above the ice.
Housing a 295W RGBW + Lime + Cyan LED array, the KL Panel outputs 24,000 lumens from a small form factor to produce a flat field of soft white light or full-color washes if required. Color rendering is of the highest quality with a CRI above 95.
Color temperature is adjustable and the unit is adept at matching the white balance for camera through a green shift adjustment and virtual gel library. Virtually silent, the KL Panel is fully optimized for broadcast with 900-25000Hz LED refresh rate adjustment.
Besides the benefits of an LED system like lower power draw and greater reliability, the luminaires produced less heat in the arena, meaning the cooling system for the ice did not have to work so hard.
American rock band Widespread Panic made its first MEMPHO appearance at the 2021 edition of the show where versatile Ayrton Domino IP65-rated LED profiles took the stage with the popular festival headliners.
A mix of touring national acts and local favourites, MEMPHO 2021 was held from October 1-3 at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Radians Amphitheater. Widespread Panic, which has been together for more than three decades, played two nights of the musicfest. Known as true road warriors, the band has broken attendance records across the country and headlined most of the major US festivals. They’ve sold in excess of 3 million albums and 4 million downloads and have been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
Paul Hoffman, one of the owners and President of Pulse Lighting in Nashville, became the lighting designer for Widespread Panic in 2009 after serving as the band’s crew chief for three years. He worked with ACT Entertainment, Ayrton’s exclusive North American distributor, to obtain Domino fixtures for Widespread Panic’s MEMPHO debut. “We love working with ACT,” says Hoffman. “We own probably 150 Ayrton Mistral and Ghibli fixtures, which have been great workhorses for us, and have grandMA consoles, motors and cables from ACT. Domino marked our first go with IP-rated fixtures, but we’re interested in any products in the Ayrton line.”
Domino’s IP65 rating makes it particularly attractive for outdoor shows like MEMPHO, he reports. “The saying is that you’re only one weather event away from a $100,000 hit. You have to be prepared to take hits sometimes, and rain covers do work for lights, but it’s great to have a fixture that can defend itself against the weather so you don’t have to worry about it.”
As it turned out, the Dominos’ IP65 rating was not tested at MEMPHO 2021, but Hoffman had confidence that the fixtures would perform well if the weather had turned inclement. He placed 10 Dominos on the stage floor behind the band to silhouette the musicians and put patterns, colour washes and break ups on them from the rear.
“They were really punchy,” he recalls. “We also used them in beam mode for searchlight effects behind the band. Then we turned them around to do graphical stuff on the back wall of the stage like the star field we used for the song, ‘Space Wrangler.’ We had a lot of fun playing with them.”
Hoffman calls Domino, “by far the most powerful LED-based fixture I’ve used – their output was their most notable feature. They blew through everything with a big, powerful wash – much more than I was used to. I was very impressed.” Hoffman puts Domino on Pulse Lighting’s Wish List for 2022. “I’d definitely love to have some Dominos in our inventory,” he says. “They’d be useful fixtures year round, and their IP65 rating would come in especially handy for the summer festival season.”
More information on Ayrton Domino and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found at www.ayrton.eu
In the family of “the ultimate tools for theatrical lighting designers and cinematographers who demand control and color,” Robe introduces the T2, which combines a Profile fixture with a multicolor LED engine. We’ll tell you all about it.
[private]
The fixture features a typically attractive Robe design and delivers nearly 15,000 lumens of flux, which is impressive for a unit in this category. The CRI of the white is around 76, but can reach up to 90 without the addition of filters, just by adjusting the different primary hues in the source. The beam offers the standard possibilities of the high-level professional fixtures of this category: a zoom range from 5° to 55°, complete color control, two gobo wheels, a motorized framing module, an iris, two indexable rotating prisms, two frosts… in short, everything you would expect from a sharp-edged beam fixture. The unit weighs 36 kg and draws up to 1150 watts at maximum output.
The zoom, from 5° to 55°.
The T2 can be controlled in three different modes. The first two offer an emulated CMY palette, and the third provides direct access to the five LED primary source colors in additive mode. The smallest mode occupies 36 channels, and the extended modes have 52 and 56 parameters, respectively.
Dimmer
The dimmer is ultra-fine and precise, it is obviously a regulation of the LEDs, and the software is very well written, since the colorimetry and the CRI remain constant over the entire dimming curve.
The dimming curve from 0 to 100%.
The dimming curve from 0 to 10%.
CRI
A dedicated channel allows you to adjust the CRI from 76, which is the minimum value, up to 90, obviously at the expense of a reduction in light output. Whatever the CRI value selected, the unit adapts its performance to this required baseline, regardless of the color being used. The slight reduction in punch is, logically, a little more visible on cold whites than on warm whites.
The Green correction parameter
This parameter allows you to manage the minus green, (or even the “maxi green” if you wish…) for video shots, and it’s very flexible. It can go from an almost “greenish” colored beam to an extremely “pinkish” beam. Between the two, any hue is obtainable. At the zero point or at DMX value 128, there is no correction, but from this median value, you can get a progressive minus green in either direction.
The green correction: absolute flexibility for tuning whites for video shots.
Color temperature
The library of the console that we used (grandMA2) sets a default color temperature of 6200 K. (It is also at this value, where the source is most heavily loaded, that we performed our photometric measurements). So with this color temperature parameter, we can adjust the temperature in a linear progression from 2700 K to 8000 K, starting from 6200 K.
The color temperature variation, from cool to warm white.
Again, with this setting, you can choose the desired color temperature for the entire fixture. Every generated colors will automatically take this setting into account. The result is a really nice variable white color, which can be matched to any type of source. If that’s not enough, and your love for conventional sources demands even more, you can select in DMX, via the “color functions” channel, different emulations of tungsten lamps, from 80 V/750 W to 2500 W of conventional spotlights. The lighting characteristics of five major fixture families can be emulated.
LED driver frequency
This function, common to most professional fixtures, is highlighted here and the two most extended control modes offer direct control via two DMX channels for video requirements. The operator can adjust the driver frequency of the sources on the first DMX channel between 300, 600, 1,200 or 2,400 Hz with a simple turn of a knob, while the second channel provides fine tuning around the selected primary value.
The color, the hues
By default, the fixture manages color in CMY using the control modes 1 and 2. It is an electronic emulation which allows the T2 to react like any “classic” fixture equipped with a Cyan/Magenta/Yellow color mixing system.
CMY emulation.
In mode 3, we have access to all the native primary source colors independently: red, green, blue, amber and lime.
The colors of each of the individual sources.
The colors are beautiful and saturated, they are bold, the pastels are clean, everything is beautiful. And the whites are really clean too. The concern was with the whites, which have always been the most delicate to obtain on a fixture of this type. But that was then and this is now… The electronic management of the T2 is exemplary, just like that of the T1. In spite of all the possible variations linked to the dimmer, the CRI, etc., the T2 is a very good luminaire. There is nothing to be desired, the unit responds flawlessly.
As always with the multicolor LED engine machines, the energy of the colors is remarkable.
A control channel called “Virtual color wheel” allows direct access to many standard LEE gelatin colors, but also to “custom” hues called “multicolor”, special mixes that will generate multicolor beams. This produces nice effects, especially on gobo and prism beams.
The dual-color effects with the “multicolor” color libraries.
The framing shutters and iris
The framing module is quite traditional. The shutters, arranged on four distinct focal planes, are completely independent of each other. Each shutter blade is capable of complete closure. The absolute sharpness on the four blades at the same time will therefore sometimes be a little difficult to obtain, but it is clearly in the high, or even very high, average in terms of the performance of a framing module in a fixture of this type. The framing module allows a total of 120° of rotation, allowing it to profile the beam in any direction. An iris completes the profiler and can reduce the beam to a tiny speck of light.
The gobos
The gobos are distributed on three levels. A wheel of six indexable rotating gobos, a wheel of eight static gobos, and an animation wheel (which can be considered as a third gobo wheel with a continuously animated gobo…). The selection of gobos, very “theatrical” (but well, that’s what T2 is all about) includes foliage, textures, stripes, etc.
In other words, we have the same gobos as the T1, with the addition of fixed gobos. Generally speaking, almost all the gobos have the same aerial appearance. It is the animation wheel that gives the beam a more festive look.
The rotating gobos.
The static gobos.
Prisms and frosts
The two prisms, both of which are rotatable and indexable, each have six facets. The first one multiplies the image radially around the axis of the beam, while the second one is linear. The prisms offer nice projection quality, with a multitude of overlapping images. On the other hand, they don’t spread the beam out over a very wide angle, which is logical for a fixture that is intended mainly for the theater world. The two prisms can be combined, but this doesn’t really increase the spread, just the number of projected images.
The prisms.
The T2 is equipped with two frosts. One light and one heavier. Both are advertised as progressive because they can be inserted from zero to 100% in a linear fashion in the beam. However, as with many current units, the progressiveness of the frost effect is not real. Instead, a halo of blurred light is seen invading the main image, while its contours are only really altered and go out of focus when the filter is engaged at 100%.
The frosts.
We’ve gotten used to not worrying too much about it, even if it can be a problem for those who want to add a certain level of blur to a projection, to a profile with the shutters, etc.
The framing shutters and the frost.
The control menu and connectivity
As with all of the latest generation of Robe fixtures, the touch screen control panel is complemented by four physical keys for navigating through the menus (just in case…). Configuring it is simple and straightforward; you have access to everything. There are DMX and network setup menus, but also for the optional wireless system that can be installed on the T2. The unit also dialogs with consoles in RDM, via its XLR connector, which allows you to access many settings remotely. The network connector receives the ArtNet, MA-Net, MA-Net2, and sACN protocols.
Calibration between units is a great feature that is also found on the latest Robe units. Each fixture is equipped with a sensor that continuously analyzes its luminous performance, and then matches a set of connected fixtures to the unit with the lowest performance. This can be very useful if your lighting rig includes a mix of older and newer fixtures. In a few seconds, you can be sure that all your T2 units will produce exactly the same light and the same beam. It’s a bit like in the old days when you used to match sets of lamps on a fleet of fixtures because a director of photography pointed out to you that the units numbered 14, 22, 27 and 34 were a bit more punchy than the others, and that fixture number 17 was really green… except that here, it doesn’t take two and a half hours, but just one minute, and without any tools!
Video presentation
The noise level of T2
The T2 is a quiet fixture. Despite its fans, control of them is very well optimized because, even at full power and in prolonged use, the noise remains discreet. There are three ventilation modes to choose from, including a “quiet” mode that guarantees an almost inaudible noise level, and even a mode that could be called “Extra Quiet”, in which the fixture shuts down all cooling systems as soon as there is a blackout. Total silence…
Photometric Measurements
Derating
Le T2 propose deux modes de derating. Dans le mode classique, machine allumée à pleine puissance, l’éclairement se stabilise en 5 minutes avec une atténuation de 12 %. Robe a ajouté un mode stabilisé “Light Output Stability” qui sollicite moins les leds à l’allumage pour que l’éclairage reste très stable. Sous ce mode, l’éclairage est stable. L’atténuation de la lumière ne dépasse pas 2 %.
A plot of the derating curve in classic mode.
A plot of the derating curve in stabilized mode.
Tightest sharp-focused beam
At the default color temperature of 6,250 Kelvin that is configured when the machine is turned on, the center illuminance reaches 45,000 lux after derating (51,340 lx when cold) and the flux is 8,360 lumens (9,530 lm when cold). The tightest sharp beam corresponds to a divergence of 5.4°.
20° beam 6250 K
At 20°, the illuminance increases to 6,120 lux after derating (6,960 lx when cold) and the flux climbs to 14,830 lumens (16,910 lm when cold).
20° beam 7800 K
The T2 exhibits its optimal performance in cool white. At a color temperature of 7800 K, we measure a center illuminance of 6590 lux after derating (7515 lx when cold) and the flux is 15,870 lm after derating (18,090 lm when cold). The luminous intensity curve is obviously identical, whatever the color temperature.
Widest sharply-focused beam (6250 K)
We return to the default white of 6250 K. We measure a center illuminance of 888 lux after derating (1020 lx when cold). This gives us a flux of 14,200 lm (16,190 lm when cold). The widest beam with sharp focus is at a 52.5° angle.
Disassembly
The T2 can be completely disassembled using just a Phillips-head screwdriver. That’s great news. There is nothing more irritating than fixtures that require very specific tools to access certain parts. The head can be locked on both the pan and tilt axes. As expected, this can be done at several angles, so that you can work in any position you want.
The head
The LED source module.
The head can be disassembled by removing the two halves of the cowling, which are held in place by four ¼-turn screws, and by detaching (again with a Phillips screwdriver) the small safety cables that hold them in place. At the rear, six large fans – three on each side (three taking in air and three blowing it out) – surround the source, which is enclosed behind large heat sinks using a heat pipe system. It is necessary to keep those 850 watts of power cool!
Internally, the source module consists of a complex arrangement of LED sources, the flux of which are processed by dichroic filters and lenses to produce a single uniform beam.
The rear of the head, with the source module enclosed in the heat pipe/heat sink cooling system, behind the fans.
The rear section that contains the LEDs and their cooling system is completely isolated from the rest of the head and from the “effects” section. No air flow passes from one section to the other. Only the electronics are located on the “effects” side, near the output lens of the source.
Between the LED module and the output lens, everything is removable. As with the Forte, each module is connected with a single connector that provides power and data.
The gobo module.
The first module, immediately following the source, houses the gobo wheels and the animation wheel. Usually, closest to the source, it would start with the colors, but on the T2, no dichroic filters and other glass systems are needed to color the beam, the multi-color LEDs take care of that!
The animation wheel is inserted into the beam by means of a motorized bracket, then comes the wheel of static gobos that can be clipped in place with a reference marker – in case of replacement – and, finally, comes the wheel with six rotating gobos.
The module is equipped with two fans designed to cool the LED control circuit. It also includes a small “squirrel cage” impeller to cool the optical window where the gobos are positioned in the beam (there is still a lot of energy in the beam).
The framing module.
The next module includes the framing shutters and the iris. It is more or less the same as that of the Forte and the Esprite models. The small shutter blades are articulated on four independent planes, and the whole system can be rotated 60° in one direction and 60° in the other.
The last section houses the zoom and focus modules, with their large lenses mounted on a motorized carriage and conveyed on heavy-duty rails to ensure linear movement. This carriage also holds the prisms and the frosts. All the optics are accessible without having to disassemble the module.
The lens carriages, with the frosts and prisms.
The zoom/focus module removed from the head. Note the frosts and prisms.
The mechanism prevents these effects from being used on only 10% of the zoom range, the tightest part.
The fact that the prisms are mounted on the focus optics partly explains why they only moderately spread the beam, but this is a choice that makes sense on this type of fixture.
Just like on the T1, there is an unusual accessory on the outside of the head: a filter holder that will allow some users to insert a specific filter, if necessary.
The yoke arms
By removing four screws from each cover, you can have access to the yoke arms. As is typical, on one side is the drive system and on the other side the wiring harness and the electronics. The drive side is exclusively dedicated to the tilt movement, with the transmission mechanism from the motor located in the lower part of the yoke, up to the axle of rotation via a toothed belt with its tension adjustment device. It is sufficient to remove a small reinforcement plate in order to free the belt for eventual replacement.
The pan motor is easily accessible.
On the other side runs a thick bundle of cables that passes through the axis, and a ventilated electronics module. These are the motor drivers (in particular, pan/tilt). Just below it, in the lower part, is the pan motor, which is very easy to get to. Disassembling the central part of the head allows you to free the axle and the motor slots to work on it, if required.
The base
Removing 16 screws allows you to take off the two plates that cover the base of the fixture, in which you will find the power supply and DMX/software control section. There is no particular surprise in the base: switching power supply modules, a DMX PCB that manages the software and interface with the control screen and the data connectors. Small metal plates are clipped on top of the power supply modules to channel the air and promote cooling within this neat but densely packed space.
The touch screen display.
On one of the longer sides is the touchscreen control panel with its four direct-access keys. The opposite side hosts the connection panel. It includes a True1 power input with the main fuse holder of the unit, XLR5 DMX input and output, duplicated on XLR3 connectors, if necessary, and two RJ45 Ethernet ports (there is an on-board switch and a signal repeater).
The connection panel.
The underside of the base features attachments for the omega brackets. Four different mounting angles are available: in both perpendicular and parallel orientations to the base, as well as two slanted angles. The lug for the safety cable is located in the center. Omega brackets with offset are available as an option (too bad they are not supplied as standard, as these are such important accessories…).
Conclusion
The T2 is a beautiful fixture. Robe is pushing the concept of the multi-color LED source to new levels. This fixture will most likely be able to satisfy almost any requirement of the most demanding users in theater and video production. This light has been designed for them, just like the T1 (with which it is fully “compatible”, since they have exactly the same beam and color criteria).
It is a precision machine. Precise in its functions, precise in colorimetry, precise in its capacity for purely “luminous” adjustments. Robe has even announced that it will be available in versions with a Fresnel and with a PC lens. In any case, for some it will be the ultimate weapon.
What we like:
What we don’t like:
