Swedish full production and rental company Soundstar, based in Skövde, invested in some of Robe’s MegaPointes and Spiiders at the end of last year as they needed lighting fixtures with “more punch” than their rental stock at the time.
The company normally delivers audio, lighting, video, rigging, and has an OB-truck, for the full complete technical solution, and is working on a wide selection of corporate and industrial events and conferences. It was founded in 1991 by Per Larsson initially as a DJ service company and has steadily grown into a solidly well-respected production house.

“We wanted fixtures weighing around 25kg for easy handling by one person,” explained Soundstar’s Daniel Wiklund. They looked at various brands “and felt that Robe had a bigger advantage in weight and output, and they are also multi-purpose luminaires!”

Soundstar’s owner, Per Larsson.

They completed several projects with the new Robe lights before the Covid-19 lockdown including two big conferences for Volvo Cars, and a 40-year celebration event for Swedish home improvement store JULA which included a couple of thousand employees from around the world. Both these events were at Skovde Arena.

The Robes were also on a 60th birthday event for Benders, Sweden’s biggest roof tile manufacturer, hosted at one of the company’s facilities in Uddevalla, and another project was the Sweden Game Conference, a forum for games developers, experts and start-ups, etc., also staged at Skovde Arena with an international audience.

Since then, naturally everything has changed! And while Sweden took a different approach to its lockdown in going for ‘herd immunity’, like everywhere else in the world, large scale events also came to a standstill. Since this time, Soundstar has produced some internet / web shows and other stream-based events utilising their OB-truck and their Robe fixtures.

When not busy with these activities, Per, Daniel, and the team have been extending their warehouse and offices into a 500 square metre purpose-designed space which should be ready for the winter if everything goes to plan!

Soundstar first bought Robe products around 2002 – when Robe initially launched as a brand – with some 250 Wash XTs and 575 Wash XTs for rental stock, and early on they also installed Robe MS Zoom 250 XT compact moving heads and the then-popular Spot 250 XTs and DJ scan 250 XTs.
More recently it was the proactive work of Robe’s Swedish distributor Bellalite that convinced them the newest technologies being produced by the Czech-based manufacturer were better than the competition! “So, we gave it a shot and have not regretted it at all!” concludes Daniel. “Robe is very reliable, and we appreciate the awesome after-sales support.”

During the lockdown, Daniel states that their biggest challenge has been to survive ”mentally” in terms of thinking about and imagining how the industry might be after the pandemic, together with real practical concerns about how long it will last and how exactly the event industry might recover and get back on its feet. All unknown questions causing plenty of anxiety and consternation right now.

What Daniel misses most is “Standing behind a lighting console on a BIG live event or live concert, hearing the production-manager in my intercom saying ‘3, 2, 1, GO!!!’ and then the roaring crowd!”
Hopefully, we are starting to see small signs of hope that some of this live event activity will be safely possible to resume in the medium-term future.

For more info, check the Robe website

New York City’s El Museo del Barrio’s multipurpose theatre has added a Robert Juliat Topaze followspot to its rejuvenated lighting rig during its extensive renovation.
4Wall was the lighting integrator for El Teatro which was meticulously restored in 2018 and reopened early in 2019.

© David Joseph, Courtesy of Katz Architecture

Originally called The Heckscher Children’s Theater, El Teatro was built in 1921 and boasts a Landmark-Quality interior with a remarkable series of 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. It was the original home of the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival.
The theatre seats approximately 600 and is a venue for museum-hosted performances and rental events.

The restoration included an upgrade to the theatre’s lighting plot, which included Robert Juliat’s Topaze, an economical yet full-featured followspot with a 1200 W MSD source.

The fixture’s long lamp life and low running costs make it a powerful, cost-effective solution for mid-size theatres and shows.

Among its features are a fully closing iris cassette, universal adjustable gobo holder, frost filter, individually removable colour frame, colour changer and easy focus reference.

“The Topaze is mounted in the projector booth above the balcony and shoots through glass to the stage,” explains Mark Mainolfi, Technical and Production Coordinator for El Museo del Barrio. “We’re impressed by the reach and ease of Topaze. It also offers control parameters for focus, frost and iris.”

Most recently the museum used the Topaze to highlight dancers during a performance by The Manhattan Ballet School. “The lighting director was pretty impressed by this state-of-the-art spot,” Mainolfi recalls. “He appreciated the ability to quickly switch between multiple gel frames at once for precise colour matching and correction.”

© David Joseph, Courtesy of Katz Architecture

Topaze also was used for the return of the 1983 musical about African-American singer Doris Troy, “Mama, I Want to Sing!” The show made its debut at The Heckscher Children’s Theater and has toured worldwide for decades. The musical came back to El Teatro to mark its 35th anniversary late last autumn.
At El Teatro, Erica Vargas is the Director of Operations. Dan Snyder is Assistant Project Director at 4Wall.

For more details on Robert Juliat’s Topaze followspot and others in the extensive followspot family, as well as Robert Juliat’s full portfolio of LED, tungsten and discharge lighting fixtures, visit the Robert Juliat website

Robert Juliat is distributed exclusively in North America by ACT Lighting, Inc. For more information, visit the ACT Lighting website

For the third year running, Brompton Technology has been ranked in the Sunday Times Sage Tech Track 100.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 private tech (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales over the last three years.

This year’s special Covid-19 edition highlights the important contribution that technology companies have made to the UK during the pandemic, from supporting the NHS to enabling remote working.

The current situation has had far reaching effects on the entertainment and corporate events industry, but Brompton has continued to work closely with its customers, supporting them in the development of new initiatives, such as the use of LED screens to provide virtual backdrops for TV and film production in studio rather than on location.

– For more information about the Sunday Times Sage Tech Track 100

– And other information can be found at the Brompton technology website

Suzhou in China is one of the fastest growing major cities in the world, located just 100km west of Shanghai on the lower Yangtze River. It boasts many interesting historic and modern attractions, not least its latest nightclub, the 800-capacity Vela, which opened its doors in December 2019.

Lighting designer, Andy Taylor of Gasoline Design, was appointed to provide the dynamic lighting for the club and chose to use a whopping 174 Ayrton MiniPanel-FX for his design. He detail his choice: “I have used Ayrton products on nightclub install designs before, most notably DreamPanel™Twin in Jewel, Las Vegas, and MagicPanel™-R and MagicBlade™-R in Omnia at Caesar’s Palace, also in Las Vegas.

The fittings worked with spectacular effect in both of those designs, so when I was looking for something different to use as the workhorse of the effect lighting for Vela, the MiniPanel-FX was a natural choice. The client was also keen for the design to look like nothing he had seen anywhere else and to create that elusive ‘wow’ factor. Having a large array of MiniPanels ticked both those boxes to great effect.

“I don’t recall seeing any fixtures with the same square lens configuration as MiniPanel-FX, which was a big selling point.
The most important thing for me is quality of function and reliability I don’t want to put 174 fixtures in a design and get 174 different shades of white and with Ayrton you can guarantee uniformity, even after many hours of use.”

Taylor was able to use the MiniPanel-FX to achieve the dynamic effect he wanted for the club. “The MiniPanels are primarily rigged in clusters at the centre of six rectangular moving pods.
The intention was to create a ‘ceiling’ of moving light capable of being pixel-mapped as a low resolution screen that can mirror and complement the club’s LED screen content, as well as create massive in-air moving beam looks.
There are also 40 MiniPanel-FX mounted on the back wall behind the DJ, sited in between, above, below and in two rows either side of strips of LED screen. These create beam and pixel-mapped effects that shoot out into, and over the guests.”

So which moments of the design stood out most for Taylor? “For me it’s important to instill in the operators and programmers that, just because something can spin around continuously, it doesn’t mean it has to all the time!” he says. “With a club it is particularly important to build the night, punctuated with ‘wow’ moments.

So, for the first part of the night the MiniPanels are relatively leisurely in colour and movement. Their big reveal is the first time the ‘pods’ start moving. This is their first ‘go as bonkers as you like’ moment and it really heightens the disorientation and excitement caused by, in effect, the whole ceiling moving and twisting over the heads of the guests.

“Once the resident techs learnt how to program these unique fixtures, they were very excited about the potential of the looks they could achieve with MiniPanel-FX, which is always refreshing to see. It’s important that the guys who have to look after, program and operate the system night after night are as excited about its potential as I am.”

“We are so happy with the performance and results from the MiniPanel-FX,” says Vela’s general manager, Julie Zhou. “It’s very important to us to emphasise Vela’s unique structure in the best light, and the MiniPanels deliver this with amazing colour and a great quality, soft light.
The house technicians enjoy having individual colour control over MiniPanel-FX’s four lenses, which they haven’t experienced with other comparatively-sized moving heads. The result is we now have a club that is very dramatic and full of colour, which we all like very much!”

More information on MiniPanel-FX and the extensive portfolio of Ayrton LED fixtures can be found on the Ayrton website

More information on Gasoline Design can be found on the Gasoline Design website

The Warner Grand Theatre is the last of a series of classic Southern California Art Deco-Moderne cinema palaces from the 1930s. In 1996, the theatre was purchased by the Department of Cultural Affairs and has continously operated this landmark and Art Deco gem since that time.

An interior view of the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA during the unboxing of many exciting toys.

Now, the 1,525-seat historic film house in San Pedro, California hosts classic and art films as well as concerts and other live performances. It’s doing that with very modern sound thanks to newly installed DiGiCo audio consoles: an SD12-96 at front of house and an SD9T for monitors, as well as an SD-Rack with Stadius 32-bit I/O mic pre’s on an Optocore HMA optical loop.
These desks control a brand new VUE Audiotechnik al-8 line array sound system, all of which were installed there in July by El Segundo, CA-based Bell Event Services (BES) under the direction of Audio/Operations Manager Tim Campbell, who served as the project manager.

Saved from possible demolition or re-development in 1995 by a local group of preservation activists, the Warner Grand Theatre is poised to be the hub of this Los Angeles neighborhood’s renovated downtown. “The combination of the new consoles and the new PA system means that this is a world-class destination for touring shows,” states BES President Michael Bell. “That’s why the choice of DiGiCo means so much; any audio engineer in the world would be able to walk in here and be familiar with these desks and be happy to see them, because they’re such great consoles.”

Warner Grand Theatre Master Electrician and FOH Engineer Victor Prudeaux at the venue’s new DiGiCo SD12 console.

In addition to their functional and operational benefits the SD12 is supercharged with the SD12-96 upgrade, taking it from 72 to 96 channels and from 36 to 48 aux / subgroups, while the SD9T offers a redesigned “T” workflow to suit theatrical requirements the consoles are also remarkably compact. Bell says the SD12, installed at the rear of the auditorium, takes up far less space than the previous FOH desk.

“They would be able to add more seats as a result, for increased show revenue or social distancing purposes,” he says. “And the SD9T has a really small footprint. We have it installed on the stage, but it can be easily moved around, repositioned based on whether it’s being used as the monitor mixer for a musical concert or a theatrical performance at the front-of-house position. These are the perfect consoles for this room for a number of reasons.”

Victor Prudeaux wears many hats: at the Warner Grand Theatre he is both its front-of-house mixer as well as its master electrician, and he mixes and consults at various other venues and stages in the Los Angeles area. Thus, he was well positioned to know what he wanted for the renovated Warner Grand Theatre, and he wanted DiGiCo.
“I have worked on every digital console under the sun and nothing compares to DiGiCo sound quality and functionality,” he proclaims. “It’s simply the best there is.”

Prudeaux says the SD12-96 is an excellent all-round FOH console for any venue because of its ability to tailor its workflow to meet that of the operator and the moment. “With DiGiCo, I’m not tied down by a set workflow,” he says. “I don’t have to scroll through a thousand pages to get to the one I need.”

Left to right: Joe Dismondi (BES), Victor Prudeaux (WGT) and Tim Campbell (BES) behind the newly-installed DiGiCo SD12 at Warner Grand Theatre’s FOH mix position.

He finds the SD9T equally praiseworthy. “We do a lot of theater here, and the SD9T’s theatrical software’s snapshot function means that if an understudy has to suddenly go on, I can just select the understudy in the Player feature, and the all of the custom settings and processing we’ve previously edited and saved for that character’s replacement actor are there,” he says. “I don’t have to rebuild an entire show like I have to on other consoles, and we’re ready to go within moments.”

Finally, Prudeaux says the Stadius 32-bit preamps in the DiGiCo SD-Rack will allow for enhanced speech intelligibility and clarity for theatrical performances. “And every show that comes through here, concerts or theater productions, will find the same consoles they likely carry on the road DiGiCo which works to make us a preferred destination for shows,” he says. “That’s a lot of good reasons to go DiGiCo.”

The Warner Grand Theatre, which was declared a historical and cultural monument of the city in 1982 and added to the National Register of Historic Places, is getting ready for its next 90 years, with upgraded projectors next on the list of planned enhancements. “When touring comes back, the Warner Grand is going to be a real showcase room, thanks to the DiGiCo consoles,” says Bell.

For more details on :

– The Warner Grand Theatre website
– The Belle Event Service website
– The DiGiCo website

Available from Q1 2021, this state-of-the-art solution is based on Dante audio networking and comprises the new RM-CG dynamic beamforming ceiling array microphone, the dedicated RM-CR conference processor, Yamaha’s innovative VXL1-16P line array speakers and the optimized SWR2311P-10G PoE+ switch.

The RM-CR Conference Processor, sleek, small and yet very powerful.

ADECIA is very easy to install, set up and operate. The heart of the system is the RM-CR conference processor, which automatically recognizes microphones and speakers on the same network.
During commissioning it automatically sets the optimum sound settings for the environment, taking into account the location of speakers and microphones, the room’s reverberation characteristics and echo responses.

The rear of the RM-CR sporting a Dante port to connect with the RM-CG dynamic ceiling array microphone.

Auto-tuning is achieved with a simple, five-step process using a special web-based interface. The system then performs auto mixing of all connected Dante audio sources.

The conference processor can handle a wide range of sources, including dynamic microphones, analogue line level I/O, USB, Bluetooth and SIP telephony.

The RM-CG dynamic beamforming ceiling array microphone.

The RM-CG dynamic ceiling array microphone features multi-beam tracking technology which focuses on voices.
Thanks to the special spiral layout of its microphone elements, the RM-CG provides the narrowest, most precise beam for voice capture, while continuous background noise is eliminated using Yamaha’s advanced noise reduction algorithms and Human Voice Activity Detection (HVAD). Combined with its beam tracking technology, it can clearly pick up individual voices, even when more than one person is speaking.

Forget any visible microphone, but not the sound !

ADECIA features further intelligent audio technologies including speaker tracking, adaptive acoustic echo cancellation and more to deliver crystal clear, stress-free remote communications, without requiring any technical knowledge to set the system up.
Dante audio and the control and power are supplied through one LAN cable, while three different mounting methods ceiling, VESA and wire mount are included to suit any space.

The optimized SWR2311P-10G PoE+ switch.

The Yamaha RM-CG ceiling microphone and RM-CR processor are also designed to work seamlessly with other Yamaha or third-party components for even more flexible system design.

Yamaha’s innovative VXL1-16P line array speakers.

If, for example, a Yamaha MRX7-D matrix processor is used with a PoE switch supplying at least 15 watts, the RM-CG can be integrated into existing installations.* (* In these installations automated room alignment and quick set up web UI is not available).

“As times and business requirements change, achieving pristine audio quality in rooms for training, conferences, meetings and multi-purpose use normally require costly expertise to design, install and set up,” says Nils-Peter Keller, Senior Director Pro Audio & AV Group Yamaha Europe.

Nils Peter Keller

“The introduction of ADECIA now allows customers to easily customize and configure a professional audio solution for remote conferencing and collaboration.
With added safety requirements in today’s spaces, ADECIA enables a contact-free conference experience, meaning remote working and social distancing have no impact on the ability to communicate.”

With over 130 years of mastering the best possible sound quality whether it be world-class instruments, concert hall acoustics or high-tech DSP algorithms Yamaha’s development of ADECIA encompasses this collective knowledge, technology and research in an effective, easy-to-use solution to solve today’s and tomorrow’s communication challenges.

More information on the Yamaha website

Brompton Technology is pleased to announce the release of its DynaCal Reporting App which generates detailed, multi-language, browser-based reports that offer an objective assessment of a panel’s performance based on accurate measurements using the Hydra Calibration system.

This brand-new tool allows Brompton customers to see at-a-glance headline LED panel performance figures such as achievable luminance and colour gamut, presented in terms of percentage coverage of the Rec 2020 colour space. There are also options to view comprehensive information down to a per-pixel level for each individual panel using convenient, interactive, visual displays.

The DynaCal reporting app is available for any LED panel that has been calibrated using Bromp-ton’s new Hydra Calibration system. Utilising the detailed information collected by Hydra, reports can be generated for individual LED panels, or for entire batches.
These reports can easily be shared and viewed in any browser without any special software installed, and the report language can be switched between English and Chinese on the fly.

“The great thing about DynaCal Reports is that our customers are just one click away from data that can help inform decisions about how their panels should be used,” says Thomas Walker, Brompton’s Product Manager. “The reports offer a quick and easy way of comparing panels and checking they are capable of delivering what is needed at any given point or for a specific project.”

Luminance maps show how the LEDs are performing across the entire panel surface, with addition-al histograms to analyse the distribution of pixel luminances for each colour.
For those looking to dive deep into the colour capability of the panel, DynaCal reports include spectral plots showing the precise distribution of light across the visible spectrum, including peak wave-lengths and spectral width for each colour.

Per Pixel Precision Dynacal report.

An interactive CIE xy chromaticity diagram shows the panel’s measured colour gamut versus standard colour spaces such as DCI-P3 or Rec.2020, with the ability to zoom in on a ‘point cloud’ for each primary colour to assess the colour consistency (or ‘binning’) of the LEDs.
Another important feature is a convenient thermal image of the panel, captured by the Hydra Calibration system at the time of measurement, along with the chosen target calibration temperature and measured ambient temperature.
Together, these give a clear picture of the thermal environment at the time of measurement to ensure consistency throughout the batch.

“In addition, our ThermaCal feature offers a separate profiling solution that compensates for the thermal patterning that can affect LED panel performance,” explains Walker. “More information on ThermaCal can be found on our website.”

“At Brompton, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to bring additional value to our customers, with the new DynaCal Reporting App being no exception,” concludes Managing Director, Richard Mead. “When we announced the Hydra camera and Dynamic Calibration last year, we proved to our customers that when it comes to content playback, it is the quality of the image and not neces-sarily pixel pitch, that is the new driver for LED display technology.
With this new App, we have once again created an industry defining tool to deliver beautiful, easy to read, easy to share, fully interactive LED panel calibration reports, which will reconfirm why our customers chose to invest, and continue investing, in Brompton Technology’s products.”

In order to use the DynaCal Reporting App, new or existing LED panels must be fitted with Brompton’s Tessera R2 receiver card and measured using Brompton’s exclusive Hydra calibration sys-tem.

More information on Hydra can be found on the Brompton Technology website

Mexican ballerina Elisa Carrillo, principal dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin and 2019 winner of ballet’s top prize, the Prix Benois de la Danse, traveled to her country of origin to present a series of ballet performances called “Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends.”

The special shows, which took place last year in some of the most renowned venues in Mexico, including the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, were lit by Rafael Mendoza using Elation Artiste Picasso LED profile luminaires.

“Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends” featured performances by renowned figures in classical and contemporary dance from some of the most important ballet companies in the world such as the American Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Berlin State Ballet, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

Mendoza has served as lighting designer for the “Elisa and Friends” ballet gala for years, effectively from the beginning of the project, and has years of experience lighting ballet, dance and opera behind him.

He comments: “Mexico, with its different dance expressions and genres, classical dance, Mexican folklore, contemporary dance and many that have been added in the last 40 years, all involve the wonderful human body expressing itself in different ways.

I design lighting thinking about the body and movement, adding symbolism or other elements that, for example, in ballet is often defined in the script. Light often defines the space, defines the time, and defines interior or exterior places where you want to take the viewer.
Color is often chosen depending on those spaces or simply highlights the state of mind of the dancers, modeling the body by contrasting it through the beam angle and color, generating drama and interest for the viewer.”

On “Elisa and Friends,” Mendoza used the Artiste Picasso™ for the first time.
“I was in search of new LED fixtures when I found Elation’s Artiste series and the Artiste Picasso,” he explains. “These luminaries have enchanted me with all the possibilities they offer and, above all, for the applications they can cover in the type of work I do.

I studied the fixture, saw it perform and understood that they were the ideal fixtures for me to transition to LED technology. They have given me the possibility to use LED lighting for any dance genre due to its technical possibilities, color temperature options, high color saturation and power. They are also very quiet.”

Mendoza says it was interesting to compare the light quality and intensity of a fixture with a discharge lamp with a fixture of the same light quality and technical capability but now powered by an LED engine that consumes 30% of the power. “But what impressed me the most about the Picasso was its zoom range and framing system,” he says.
“Being able to shape the beam according to my needs, to match the scenery or to hide a scenic element or body was decisive in my choice. I have loved getting to know the Artiste series and the truth is it has left me pleasantly satisfied.”
The Artiste Picasso is a full-featured theatrical-grade luminaire with 620W 6,800K Cool White LED engine and advanced optics that delivers over 23,000 total lumen output. It houses theatrically useful design features like graphics, animation and framing.
Combined with a full-spectrum CMY color mixing system and linear CTO color temperature correction.

For more information, check the Elation website

Auckland, New Zealand-based lighting designer Rachel Marlow of Filament Eleven 11 created an edgy and exciting ambience with ‘Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle’, an immersive lighting and audio installation work staged over four days in Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber.

©Louise Stickland

This was part of the ‘Auckland Live Fringe Town’ aspect of the city’s annual Fringe Festival event, a proudly independent and hugely popular open-access arts festival which took place earlier in the year, just before the Coronavirus pandemic shut down the industry for an indefinite period.
Rachel used the venue’s lighting equipment which includes Robe MMX Spots, WashBeams and T1 Profiles to help realise the piece, which was commissioned by Auckland Live programmer, Anders Falstie-Jensen.

Rachel Marlow and Bradleu Gledhill. Photo by Louise Stickland.

Collaborating with Rachel was Bradley Gledhill who assisted in the design, rigging, lighting programming and timecoding; Thomas Press who produced the special 20-minute soundtrack; and dramaturg Benjamin Henson with whom both Rachel and Brad have worked on previous invigorating projects.

Rachel and Brad pitched their initial ideas to Auckland Live midway through 2019, which was followed by lots of discussions and some early renders created in Capture. Being able to pre-vis the show helped enormously with gaining the commission as it offered the client a clear notion of how it would look.

Combining a dynamic mix of technical disciplines and fusion of ideas, a unique performance concept was developed to unfold Elizabeth Clark’s traditional story a favourite from Rachel’s childhood in a new and engaging medium.
Lighting wise, this included the notion of creating an art installation using what are essentially rock ‘n’ roll moving lights, plus a few custom elements, and this was one of the key provocations.

©Louise Stickland

The performance area was beneath a box truss in the centre of the room. The four MMX Spots and eight MMX WashBeams were rigged on this, with the single T1 Profile (generously on loan from JANDS NZ, and Auckland Live subsequently purchased a new batch of 5 x T1 fixtures) was positioned right in the centre of the box.

Framing the piece with a narrative storyline structure was fundamental to Rachel’s vision of relating the tale ‘The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle’ which encompasses many contemporary and relevant themes like complacency, dissatisfaction, entitlement … and taking life and people for granted!

©Louise Stickland

Another galvanising factor was the room which usually hosts seated musical and theatrical performances but had to work spatially for ‘Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle’. As it turned out people – audiences were limited to 20 per show – stood all around the space and moved as the journey evolved and propelled them through the experience sound, lighting and imaginations working together to evoke a series of thrilling individual experiences.

The T1 Profile was selected for the centre luminaire because Rachel needed a powerful light source with framing shutters to keep it in a tight space, and a fixture with a wide range of looks, colours and effects for that central role.
Well familiar with the MMX range as a general lighting tool for her theatre and music work, Rachel knew exactly how to make the fixtures work for this piece. Brad also knows the Robe fixtures very well, which assisted in programming the finer details.

©Louise Stickland

T1 and MMX effects included rapid shutter cut chases that gave the impression of movement and fluidity around the space as the light mimicked the audio image during certain parts.
Having these Robes available ”definitely helped facilitate the ideas I wanted to achieve,” commented Rachel. “The T1 is a fabulous light to control and it especially had a lot of impact during the louder and more intense moments towards the end.”

Moving lights used in a concert context are usually highly visible, however in this scenario, their role was intimate and understated, to draw people into the action rather than impress them when standing back and looking from afar.
At the heart of the installation suspended from the truss were three ‘pixel clusters’, each comprising multiple lightbulb shaped housings with a single LED tangled together by a spaghetti-knot of transparent cords.

A bespoke item made by Rachel, they caught and refracted the light beautifully adding depth and dimension to the space, as well as providing a focal point for the eye.
Custom LED strips with Perspex covering hung on catenaries from the truss about a meter off the floor … were also specially made by Rachel and Brad and these echoed the shape of the room and the square of the trussing.

©Louise Stickland

Two projectors rigged on the trussing and pointing vertically downwards were used to project very subtle abstract moving images onto the floorspace immediately below the box.
All the lights were programmed on one of the venue’s grandMA2 consoles and ran to timecode for the four evenings that the show ran.

For more press info, check the Robe website

Designed as the fusion of performance, features and value, Elation’s Fuze series of LED fixtures has found a niche in the market whenever outstanding price: value is high on the list.
Elation is pleased to be expanding the series with the Fuze Wash FR™, an automated LED Fresnel fixture with framing designed for a wide array of precision lighting applications and ideal for the refined performance required in theatrical venues.

The Fuze Wash FR features a new 480W (6,500K) 92 CRI engine that utilizes a 5-color homogenized LED array of Red, Green, Blue, Mint and Amber sources, the same color system found in the Fuze Profile™ and Fuze Spot™ for a perfectly calibrated color match.

High color quality and color manipulation are central to the Fuze Wash FR. A virtual gel swatch book, virtual color correction, magenta/green adjustment plus CMY emulation give designers access to an impressive LED color array including a beautiful mixed white.

The carefully-tuned RGBMA LEDs and extremely high native CRI ensure accurate color reproduction while delivering a powerful output up to 14,000 lumens.
The Fuze Wash FR features a specially designed Fresnel lens for a smooth and even wash and houses an 8.2° to 42.1° (beam) and 12.7° to 62.1° (field) motorized zoom for tight to wide coverage.
A full blackout framing system with four rotating blades gives full control of the beam shape when required and can index +/- 60-degrees.

A variable frost filter can be added at any time for an extra layer of smoothing. The fixture dims seamlessly all the way to zero with 16-bit selectable dimming curves included. An iris for advanced beam control and high-speed electronic shutter and strobe round out its feature set.

The Fuze Wash FR is designed for any application where an automated Fresnel fixture with outstanding colors, a wide zoom range and framing beam control where a soft field is required. It is powerful enough to use in all sizes of rigs and because it is remarkably silent can be utilized in any noise sensitive environment.
The Fuze Wash FR is fully optimized for broadcast environments as well with LED frequency adjustment for flicker free operation. It is outfitted with all the professional control and connection features that designers should expect from a modern luminaire.

With the Fuze series, Elation has given the market an option when it comes to compact yet feature-packed professional automated LED luminaires. A truly remarkable compact Fresnel for any application, the Fuze Wash FR is sure to create outstanding projections and beautiful bright washes on any stage.

For more information, check the Elation website

The South African entertainment industry unified en mass for their August 5th #LightSARed ‘Code Red’ activation to shout out the critical state of the live entertainment industry and its support infrastructure, which has had no work, no cashflow and no meaningful government support for 5 months since mass gatherings were banned on March 15th due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

©_SkyPixels

Over 500 buildings, structures, monuments, venues, spaces and places all over the country were lit including the side of Cape Town’s most famous natural landmark Table Mountain. Robe moving lights were used on many of the installations, and the various action was coordinated by project teams in major cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Free State, Port Elizabeth, East London and Kimberley. Industry friends and colleagues from neighbouring Namibia also enthusiastically joined the action.

Under a month ago, #LightSAred was initiated by Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution and quickly gained momentum and support from The Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA), the Technical Production Services Association (TPSA) and the SA Events Council.
Duncan and Sharif Baker, chair of the TPSA, energised a wide range of industry sectors including rental and production companies, venues, artists, promoters, agents, technicians, producers, directors and creatives working across all disciplines for this hugely successful consciousness-raising event.

Livestream

A continuous livestream – an idea initiated by DJ and music producer Dino Moran – and broadcast by SkyRoomLIVE from virtual studios at MGG in Johannesburg and the Solid Group in Cape Town – was streamed on multiple channels during the day highlighting and debating key issues facing the industry and its basic demands from government.

Kyalami Expo Center ©Duncan Riley

Several prominent SA artists played guest slots on the stream including rockers Ross Learmonth of Prime Circle, stand-up comedian John Vlismas, DJ and music producer Kyle Cassim and Afrikaans singer / songwriter Refentse Morake.
Various technical production and live event spokespeople were joined at one stage by Collen Hlatshwayo, deputy director for cultural development in event technology from the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture (DSAC) who could hear first-hand the immediate concerns.

MGG’s warehouse pic is … courtesy of MGG.

His presence was the result of a communication sent to government the day before, requesting a discussion on finding solutions for the events sector.
The DSAC acknowledged this, then the following day Collen Hlatshwayo met with Sharif and others for a round table discussion and was also interviewed on the #LightSAred stream.

Demands

The campaign is demanding:

– That government and financial institutions extend fiscal relief to those dependent on the technical production and live events industry for an income … until work is permitted to resume.
– That the government engage with elected leaders from SACIA, TPSA and the SA Events Council, and provide a platform for collective voices to be heard.
– That the government recognizes and supports the non-profit organisations and NGOs trying to sustain destitute crew and others from the technical production and live events industry.

Heart of the Movement

Right at the heart of this movement and the push to get national media and government attention was Robe’s South African distributor DWR, a company passionate about the industry and all the talented and amazing people who make it rock.
On the night, Kavir Magan and DWR marketeers Nicole Barnes and Sherryn Riley had their fingers on the social media pulse, furiously posting and re-posting which had a phenomenal response as the installations started going live in the evening. One Eyed Jack and Amplicon PR were responsible for attracting the attention of the mainstream media.

#LightSARed trended number 2 on Twitter South Africa, and several TV and radio news portals picked up on the activation and sent reporters to red-lit buildings to broadcast live including ENCA, TalkRadio 702, Metro FM, Star, The Citizen, Newzroom Afrika and Hot 91.9FM. Of the 500 red buildings, Robe moving lights were used on a significant amount of them due to the brand’s prevalence in SA and the need for powerful light sources with amazing colours.

Signature Sites

©_Duncan_Riley

Signature sites in Johannesburg included the impressive frontage, main entrance and fountain of the Montecasino entertainment complex – lit by rental companies MJ Event Gear and Lucidity utilising 36 x Robe LEDWash 600s, 12 x Pointes, 24 x LEDBeam 100s and 24 LED PARs plus four MegaPointes for the Palazzo bell tower.

Rental company MGG lit their warehouse and created an outline shape of Africa in their parking area with the help of 24 x MegaPointes, 9 x Tetra2 moving LED battens and 18 x Pointes, plus 6 x Robe CitySkape Xtreme LED washes, 14 x LEDWash 1200s and some profiles.
MGG’s Studio A was used for the Johannesburg segments of the livestream where the lighting rig comprised six Robe DL4S Profiles, 16 x LEDWash 600s and four PATT2013s.
The conference centre at Kyalami Racetrack radiated ruby red, courtesy 24 x BMFLs supplied by MJ Event Gear in collaboration with ShowSync and AV Systems.
Cape Town Stadium was beautifully lit by rental company CCPP using 24 x Spiiders and 24 x BMFLs.

SkyPixels SA did the amazing drone footage of Cape Town Stadium. ©_SkyPixels

Table Mountain was lit red by crews from Gearhouse’s Cape Town branch, who boldly trekked up the mountain with giant red coloured gel frames and covered all the lighting ‘pits’ containing the landmark’s permanently installed fixtures.

Table Mountain by Andrew Gorman

Ingenious Lighting Activism

©Duncan_Riley

However, the coolest Robe installation of the night was arguably on the top of DWR’s Bruce Riley’s Jeep Rubicon … designed to give mobile ‘illumination support’ around the vast Johannesburg area on an “as and when needed” basis.
With a specially modified rigging system designed by father and son team Keith and Tyler Pugin, two BMFL WashBeams and two MegaPointes were secured to the vehicle’s roof rack, together with a RoboSpot Motion Camera for control.

The passenger seat was removed, a RoboSpot Base station fitted in place that could be operated from the back seat, and with a 10KVA generator being towed, Bruce behind the wheel and Tyler poised at the RoboSpot control, they set off to light the town red!
They assisted in lighting several landmarks including the amazing Northcliff Water Tower perched up at 1807 meters on the second highest point in Jozi with stunning views of the city.

Northcliff Tower, Kyalami, Montecasino, Bruce Riley’s mobile lighting rig – all by Duncan Riley

For #LightSARed, Northcliff Tower became a beaming red beacon visible from all over the Johannesburg valley, lit with two Robe Tarrantulas located at its base and with its standard permanent white light fixtured gelled red for the occasion.

For the top part of the tower, Bruce and Tyler parked up 300 metres down the hill and shone their mobile lighting rig up, enveloping the whole structure in red and beaming the #LightSARed logo around the top.

Apart from these, there were a host of other fantastic projects activated during the evening and everyone enjoyed great camaraderie and the excitement of doing what they love … working and making events happen.

Positive (Campaign) Results

Sharif concluded, “The entire experience was surreal. Even the next morning, I thought, ‘Wow, did we really do that?’” He also confirmed that the DSAC now acknowledges “our existence as the technical production and live event industry, is aware of our cause, our requests, and is undertaking to engage in a consultative process geared to developing a strategy and ensure that the sector does not cease to exist during this difficult time.”

Sharif added, “I am honoured to be part of the campaign and to be asked to speak for #LightSAred. It is a cause worth fighting for, and we believe we can all assist the government to kickstart the economy by letting them hear our collective voices.”

More info on the Robe lighting website

ETC released the Eos v3.0 software, bringing powerful three-dimensional programming and augmented-reality control to the Eos platform. This update marks the official integration of the Augment3d toolkit into Eos.

With Augment3d, users can program moving fixtures with unprecedented speed and ease, visualize their cues in an imported model of their space, and even position lights with a flick of an augmented-reality smartphone “focus wand.” Over 5,000 beta users tested the software in recent months, and their feedback has helped to build one of the most exciting new Eos feature sets yet.

The 3d programming environment for the new version 3.0 of EOS.

The new software runs natively on all the latest Eos Family hardware and can be used with the ETCnomad software on Mac and PC. Educators, students, and those wishing to learn the software can download the latest ETCnomad software for free and make use of the Augment3d programming space to create virtual design projects in offline mode. ETC has also created a virtual light lab show file to help students use Augment3d to learn about lighting.
If the educational potential of Augment3d seems perfectly timed for the current distance-learning moment, the long-term professional applications for Augment3d are even more powerful. Augment3d supports over 50 different 3D file extensions for importing venue or set models, and you can easily import your fixture plot using a Vectorworks plugin.
Even without a pre-existing plot or model, you can use the Fixture Position Estimation tool to quickly reverse-engineer the spatial coordinates of your moving fixtures from as few as four focus palettes. Loading into a new touring venue has never been easier.

Once you have your virtual rig, Augment3d offers a host of new tools to make focus and cueing a breeze. You can position the beam of a moving or static fixture with a click or a touch. Turn on stick-beam visualization to drag your beams into place using Focus Handles and then maintain their spacing as you move multiple selected fixtures together.

You can even focus from the perspective of the fixture to get an electrician’s-eye view. A new “Staging Mode” provides a busking-friendly alternative to “Live” and “Blind,” allowing you to preview and edit your looks before recording or playing them. A new “Staging Mode” keycap for your console is available on the ETC website.

The operator uses the Wand function of his smartphone application.

ETC’s iRFR and aRFR focus remote apps also now boast an exciting new augmented-reality “Wand” function.
After scanning an AR target placed in your space, you’ll be able to view and to select your lights using the camera on your phone, swipe up or down to control intensity, pinch for zoom, and point your beams with the “find me” function or by using your phone as a pointer wand.

The Eos v3.0 update contains more than just Augment3d, however. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) has undergone a major overhaul, including new display management features that let you drag and rearrange tabs. Additional information has also been added to the Faders, Palettes, Presets and Groups displays. Users working in video applications can now toggle optional reference overlays on the Color Picker to assist in choosing camera-friendly colors.

Updates to Magic Sheets include options for creating non-interactive, display-only objects or magic sheets, and the ability to change an object’s type while retaining all other linked information. Magic Sheet objects can now also be linked to softkeys, display a color assigned to a particular targeted macro, or let you monitor the status of networked relays and timecode clocks. Additional Magic Sheet features offer improved control of mechanical dowsers and of individual cells in a fixture.

The software also introduces new tools for working with effects, multi-cell fixtures, fixture parameters, and more. Eos v3.0 gives you more control over “random” effects, allowing you to either create a “true random” that is different every time or to audition different “randoms” until you find one you like.
New controls also let you add multiple mirrors to your Offset selections, invert your channel selection when using a jump offset, or to use the channel selection order from a group to create an offset pattern. A new graphic displays an animation of the offset pattern applied to your selected channels.
A new multi-cell tool lets you easily create subgroups for all the cells in a channel, while another new feature allows the value of one parameter to be copied to other parameters. Other updates speed the processes of patching pixel maps and updating fixture profiles.

Introductory video by Nick Gonsman ETC Field Project Coordinator

Because of the demands of the 3D-programming environment, Eos v3.0 is incompatible with some older, Windows XP-based Eos hardware. However, the new software includes an option in the shell that allows you to boot the desk in an earlier software build in case you need to use it alongside XP-based hardware.

To learn more and download the Eos v3.0 software, visit the ETC website

© Clearwing Systems Integration-Waterford Union High School

Clearwing Systems Integration (systems.clearwing.com) has included Ayrton Diablo profile luminaires in provision of systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues. Waterford Union High School is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee office.

© Clearwing Systems Integration-Waterford Union High School

Clearwing was charged with modernizing the high school’s outdated lighting inventory from house lights to theatrical instruments as they migrate from conventional and tungsten-based fixtures to an all-LED roster.

“Flexibility and performance were the biggest factors in lighting fixture selection, along with the energy and cost savings that went along with moving to LEDs,” says Mitch Van Dyke, Engineering & Estimation at Clearwing Systems Integration. “The school trusted us to get the best lighting we could for their budget.”

Clearwing chose Ayrton Diablo fixtures for permanent installation in the school’s auditorium, which is used for student theatrical productions, administrative meetings and a summer theatre camp as well as rented to others in the community in need of a theatrical venue.

Ayrton Diablo is the smallest, lightest, brightest and most efficient profile fixture in its category. Weighing just over 20kg, with a record output of 19,000 lumens from its 300W source, Diablo is versatile and feature-rich, and specially designed for stage applications.
Its monochromatic LED light source can generate an ultra-high output and metallic white light calibrated at 6500K, and with a native CRI greater than 90, high TM30 readings and a 5700K colour temperature is geared for applications requiring perfect colour rendition.

“The school needed a highly capable moving head fixture to add to their traditional theatrical lighting plot,” Van Dyke notes. “The Diablos’ extensive zoom range, high-quality colour mixing and framing, all wrapped into a sleek package, made these fixtures a solid choice to complement the conventional plot.”

Van Dyke says the Diablos’ small form factor was also important to their selection. “The school wanted a moving head that would give them everything they were looking for from gobo washes to front light specials in a small size that fit seamlessly into the rig. And the Diablos delivered.”

More information on Ayrton Diablo and the extensive portfolio of innovative Ayrton LED fixtures can be found on the Ayrton website

Ayrton is distributed exclusively in North America by ACT Lighting, Inc

LOS ANGELES – August 2020 – Recently wrapping up a multi-faceted renovation, its most significant project since 2013, Dodger Stadium has now become one of the best-sounding sports venues in the country thanks to the new L-Acoustics K2 line source array sound system installed this summer covering the stadium seating, and L-Acoustics A15i and X8 speakers covering the new Centerfield Plaza and existing Outfield Pavilion areas.

A wide-angle view of Dodger Stadium, home of the L.A. Dodgers.

Constructed in 1962, Dodger Stadium harkens back to an era when ballparks were designed and built solely to host baseball games. As many of these original venues have been replaced with new-build stadiums that are intended from the drawing board to be multi-use spaces for concerts, special events and other mass gatherings, Dodger Stadium remains one of the few ballparks to retain its original architecture and feel.

With the addition of an L-Acoustics K2 system, Dodger Stadium keeps its original look, while updating its feel with a modern, powerful sound system capable of handling any event. The installation marks the first MLB project for L-Acoustics and one of the most important installations of the manufacturer’s systems in the global sports market.

Derek O’Hara

“Our goal was to have a state-of-the-art sound system at the stadium,” says Derek O’Hara, Director, Planning & Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “Dodger Stadium is designed the way ballparks were at the time it was built, with point-source sound systems that need to throw long distances.
We wanted to modernize the stadium’s sound, allowing it to host many different types of events besides baseball, while keeping the park’s architecture as traditional as it has always been.”
The K2 makes the long throw over 600 feet from arrays to top deck seating with ease, as well as with total phase coherence, intelligibility and impact.

The new Dodger Stadium sound system comprises two PA towers supporting a total of 62 K2 loudspeakers: 20 enclosures are flown in both the left and right main arrays, flanked by adjacent side arrays of 11 more K2 per tower. For low-end reinforcement, 21 SB28 subs are positioned on the right field tower, with three SB28 on the left field side. Twenty coaxial X8 serve as left and right Pavilion delay fills.

The park’s right tower sports 31 K2 enclosures and 21 SB28 subs.

To further enhance the fan experience, L-Acoustics A15i and X8 speakers are deployed in the new Centerfield Plaza and Outfield Pavilion areas. The entire system is powered by 32 L-Acoustics LA12X amplified controllers.

Two Milan certified P1 processors for AVB networking and processing reduce cabling, provide atmospheric control and monitoring for temperature and humidity variations, enhance system communication and control, and further future-proof the venue’s sound infrastructure.

O’Hara, who has a background in architecture and, at one time, was a scout for the team, worked with the L-Acoustics support team and the collective experience of system designer Idibri and integrator Pro Media Audio & Video to keep as much of the sound within the stadium—including the powerful low end coming from the ballpark’s new SB28 subwoofers.

“The subwoofers are arranged in an endfire configuration, which provides some critical directionality to the low end, keeping it from escaping the stadium walls and keeping the impact on the seating,” O’Hara explains. “The K2 is a great sound system, and its horizontal directivity makes it a strong ally for sound control issues. But so much of what it can do is also because of the expertise that L-Acoustics, Idibri, and Pro Media brought to the project.”

Ryan Knox

Ryan Knox, Senior Consultant for Idibri on the Dodger Stadium project, says new stadium architectural configurations modified the spectator seating and standing areas in the outfield section, posing a coverage challenge.
That was resolved using L-Acoustics Soundvision modeling software, which helped finalize the placement of the speaker-support towers.
“That was a two-to-three month process itself, and Soundvision is a great tool for that,” he says. “It models quickly and accurately, and it has an excellent workflow.”

Putting systems of this scale into the Los Angeles area comes with its own unique requirements. “In addition to keeping the sound system installation’s look consistent with the architecture of this iconic stadium, we also had to meet Southern California’s seismic requirements,” says Demetrius Palavos, Project Executive for the integrator, Pro Media Audio & Video.

Demetrius-Palavos

To secure the structural-engineering certification of the sound installation, Pro Media and L-Acoustics engineers worked together, ultimately deciding to upgrade the standard K2 external rigging hardware with a new exoskeleton devised by Pro Media and L-Acoustics engineers.

“We then built a mockup of that in the L-Acoustics Los Angeles warehouse to verify and validate the modifications that we made before we went to fabrication,” says Palavos.
“It had to take in a number of critical points, such as soil composition and rigging heights and weights. But we met all the certification requirements and kept the K2 looking sleek and cool. It’s a very flexible box.”

O’Hara says that choosing a new sound system was a learning experience, which required him to speak with leading system designers and manufacturers. A key inflective moment, though, was when he asked each manufacturer to rate competing systems. “There was a lot of respect for L-Acoustics from all industry players,” he recalls. “That meant a lot in the decision. We feel we now have the best sound system in major-league baseball, and we’re excited about it.”

A rear view of the right tower supporting 31 K2 and three SB28.

Although Dodgers fans will have to wait a bit more to experience the upgraded stadium and the premium sound in person due to the ongoing pandemic, players and announcers are already enjoying their new sound system on the field during the adapted MLB season that started on July 23 at Dodger Stadium. In the meantime, fans watching the telecasts at home are still able to enjoy stadium sounds through virtual crowd configurations leveraging the L-Acoustics system.

For details on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium, visit the Dodgers website

Idibri and Pro Media Audio & Video can be found respectively online on the Idibri website and on the Promedi Audio Video website

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on our lives and industry, lighting professionals are taking the downtime as an opportunity to educate themselves and prepare for the eventual reopening.
Elation Professional is offering just such an opportunity with launch of a new online Learning Center available on the www.elationlighting.com website. Designed to provide lighting professionals with easy-to-access learning options, the new resource site is full of free educational and training material.

View Training Videos from Obsidian Control Systems covering the Onyx platform, Dylos pixel composer, Capture Visualization software, and more; or access Elation Educational Experience (E3) training videos, many presented by one of the industry’s top technical educationists, ETCP Recognized Trainer Richard Cadena. Other resources like White Papers and How-to Articles covering a host of topics relevant to lighting professionals are also available.
The entire Elation Hour and Innovation Hour webinar series is available to view. Elation’s popular virtual presentation series addresses the technology and process behind the company’s most popular product series and includes discussions with some of our industry’s most noted designers.

Check out Elation’s Virtual at Home Demos, a video series that sees Elation’s sales team and product specialists demoing some of Elation’s newest lighting products from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Another feature of the Learning Center includes videos of product, trade show and showroom light shows. Visitors can also view and register for upcoming E3 events, as well as schedule a demo room appointment at Elation facilities in the U.S., Europe or Mexico.

The Elation Learning Center will be continually updated with new material so lighting pros can return to it again and again. For access, follow the Learning Center link at the top of the www.elationlighting.com webpage.

For more information, check the Elation Lighting website