BroaMan has announced that it will now offer its Multipurpose Fiber Extender for Video, Audio and Intercom (MUX22) with 12G-SDI interfaces—to support greater resolution, frame rates and colour fidelity.

The BroaMan MUX22: now with 12G-SDI capability.

The 12G addition to the existing 3G support means that BroaMan will not only continue to support 4K SDI transport formats but also routing and transport of high bandwidth data streams, such as 10G IP traffic for SMPTE 2110. Uniquely, the company offers not only single-mode but also multi-mode options for 12G fiber transport.

Stated BroaMan Technical Sales Manager, Maciek Janiszewski, “12G migration is our step into the future. Our customers have been asking about 12G and IP technologies, and the new hardware upgrade will allow us to meet all modern requirements; it means we can offer pure 12G-SDI, pure IP or a mixed 12G-SDI and IP transport solution.”
He explained, “At the very beginning we decided to use CWDM multiplexing technology, which is not restricted to bandwidth, to run multiple signals over a single fiber. “The migration to four times higher bandwidth is a logical step for us and means we can keep the same form factor of our well-known products.”

For further information visit the BroaMan website

Denmark based dryhire company Vigsø A/S recently invested in CLF Orion hybrid fixtures, supplied by Danish distributor Atendi. 65 pieces were added to the rental stock. This investment follows after using the CLF Yara LED par for almost two years.

CEO Christian Vigsø comments: “We needed a powerful and feature packed hybrid fixture to offer to our clients. We had a look at various hybrid fixtures and the Orion really stood out in terms of features, reliability and easy maintenance. Comparing different features, reliability was the most important factor for us. Additionally, CLF products are available in large quantities in Europe when necessary.”

The Orions have been on the road for a few weeks now. Vigsø: “We received very positive reactions from our clients. Especially the complete feature set and affordable pricing are mentioned. This helps clients getting the right number of fixtures to fit their budget.”

At Vigsø all products are cleaned and checked after each rental, so they looked for products that are easy to handle and maintain. Therefore, service technician Michael Mølgaard had a closer look at the Orion during the purchase process.
“Besides serviceability it is also important to have access to fast and decent customer support and parts. We know that we can rely on distributor Atendi and CLF Lighting.”

Astera, LED lighting manufacturer, has organized its 10,000 m2 factory in Shenzhen, China together with its workforce to assist with the delivery of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) items, including face masks. These are desperately needed worldwide as countries continue to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.

Astera’s CEO Norbert Ernst explains that they were about to temporarily scale back operations in the factory, whilst the entertainment lighting business was quiet due to the crisis, when he was approached by a contact asking if they would be willing to assist with the production / distribution of face masks.

“Naturally I jumped at the chance,” states Norbert, “It offered a path to keeping many staff employed full-time which is great, and also helps contribute positively to the ongoing global demand for face masks which are vital to help meet the unique challenges of containing Covid-19.” Additionally, he feels that having the factory working in this capacity will assist a rapid return to full LED lighting manufacture when conventional business starts to resume.

Two types of mask are being safely and cleanly packed at the factory – the standard disposable face masks and KN95 respirator masks. They are first enclosed in sanitized plastic bags which are sealed, then packed into an inner carton, and finally into outer boxes which are secured and palletized ready for shipping and transporting around the world.
During normal peak times, over 250 people working at the Astera factory across all departments. Currently, around 100 Astera staff (primarily from production, quality control and the warehouse) are dedicated to this project.
Astera’s management team in Shenzhen are considering hiring another 100 temporary workers for the face mask project, depending on demand. The current contract runs for 3 months, after which Astera has the option to continue or switch back fully to producing their range of wireless battery powered LED fixtures.

Astera’s factory / warehouse houses all production elements involved in the manufacturing process plus other departments including some sales, purchasing, and part of the Astera R&D team. The brand’s quality control, operations, production and engineering all feature a dynamic mix of local and European management, while the company’s administrative HQ, senior management and R ‘n’ D are based in Munich, Germany together with sales and marketing.
Having been manufacturing for two decades in China, Astera embraces the spirit, energy and diversity of a truly harmonious international operation combining the best of Asian and European design, creativity and efficiency – in bringing its high-quality products to market.

More on the Astera website

Well known “The Brothers: Celebrating 50 Years of The Allman Brothers Band” show took place at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden just before the state went into lockdown in a massive effort to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Photo Jake Brick

Lighting designer Chris Ragan utilized over 100 Robe fixtures in his dynamic design for the epic four-hour performance which delighted Allman Brothers and Allman Brothers Band (ABB) fans from several generations and all walks of life. The Brothers’ cult status and their dynamic fusion of blues, jazz and country with their own distinctive rock sound have resulted in their music and influence being relevant long after their first period of ‘glory days’ in the 1970s.
Chris has many connections and crossovers with several current members of the ABB, which has been a client for lighting rental vendor BML-Blackbird for 30 years – showing some impressive client loyalty. When the late Earl “Pappy” Francis, ABB’s long-time lighting director passed away last year, Chris and many others in the lighting community lost a well-loved friend and hugely respected mentor. So, Chris was honored and proud to be asked to light this seminal 50-year celebration show.

Photo Jake Brick

The Robe count included 44 x Spiider LED wash beams, 20 x BMFL Spots, 26 x MegaPointes and 12 x PixelPATTs, all supplied by BML-Blackbird. By the time the event reached the design stage, the show had been sold in a 360 format, so Chris knew exactly what was needed in terms of sightlines.
The Allman Brothers were known for having liquid lightshows during the 1970s and “we all really wanted to involve that look and style in this show,” explained Chris, adding that a substantial visual challenge was adding a video element that could be projected onto, without blocking any in-the-round sightlines.

The creative process started on a cocktail napkin – a near-mythical place where so many great ideas have germinated – during a flight to meet the MSG management team for a walkthrough of the venue. Chris sketched a “large mushroom” that would hang above the band onstage – adding a projection surface surrounded by lighting. The mushroom was originally adopted by the Allmans as a psychedelic orientated logo that had transcended the history and various line-ups of the band.

Photo Jake Brick

A photograph of the napkin was sent to LX crew chief Mike Deitz – and by the time Chris was disembarking the same flight – the “Trusshroom” was already born!
The 20ft by 30ft mushroom was created using an assortment of 12-inch truss circles, and when complete offered multiple projection surfaces.

Mike, the “engineering mastermind” behind this, is a person whom Chris describes as a “veritable Swiss Army knife of the lighting industry!” They then added four LED walls positioned at each corner of the stage to provide IMAG and to show custom show content created by Johnathan Singer, Marco Ferrero and Steve Pavlovsky. Adam Paul was the IMAG / camera / stream director.
The rest of the trussing configuration stayed straightforward as “real estate was at a premium” due to the large scale of the trusshroom centerpiece! It comprised four 21ft runs of HUD upstage, four 16ft runs overhead and one 52ft length downstage.

Once all this was determined, Chris positioned his lighting fixtures.

The Robe BMFL Spots were rigged on the upstage and overhead trusses; the Spiiders were also on these two trusses and downstage on the deck; the MegaPointes were on the upstage deck and overheads, and the PixelPATTs on a series of upstage truss towers at different heights.
BMFLs are Chris’ ‘go-to’ powerful profile fixture. “They have the brightness and intensity to light a canvas the size of MSG!” he declared. He chose MegaPointes for their renowned speed and diverse range of features which were “great for framing the stage and providing cool prism effects”.
The Spiiders and PixelPATTs were used primarily as wash lights, together with their jazzy and dynamic pixel ‘tricks’ and the Spiiders doubled for “very effective” painting of the audience utilizing their flower effect.

Photo Jake Brick

“I love having the ability to mask pixels, it gives so many combinations and looks from one type of fixture and all of this helps keep the show fresh!” stated Chris. As you can imagine, over the course of four hours – with one interval – a major challenge was evolving and growing the visuality and atmosphere and ensuring that there was always something interesting and dramatic to look at.
Chris specifies Robe products frequently for his work, and this is for the “consistency and reliability show after show.” Also on the MSG rig were some profile moving lights for keys, plenty of strobes and around 100 lights dedicated just to audience illumination.

Control-wise, they used a grandMA2 platform with WYSIWYG. Luciano Savedra built the WYG file and Max Blackman assisted in programming.
Time was a massive challenge on site as they had only one day to load-in and get show-ready. Vid, (David Sutherland) the band’s production manager “did an amazing job” in getting everything in and up-and-running in a timely manner, elucidated Chris!

After that, the next challenge was the length of the show!

The two 90-minute sets were punctuated by a 30-minute interval, and followed by a 30-minute encore, timing in at around 240 minutes or 4 hours!
“Luckily, the band was very in tune with the setlist and its relationship to the dynamics of the lighting, visual and audio production, so they were also involved with the timing of lighting and video cues.”

Photo Jake Brick

Chris was inspired by many things whilst working on this landmark show, “The music of course and getting the chance to work with great friends,” were right at the top of the list. Those great friends included the team at BML-Blackbird, including Shelly Diamond and Eric Todd with whom he’s had a working relationship for around 25 years!

“They really hit it out of the park on this one!” enthuses Chris, impressed with their continued levels of support throughout the whole design and execution period. In addition to Mike and Max mentioned above, he hails his “fantastic” crew from BML-Blackbird – electricians Lowell Hayley, Mike Hale, Jeff Toombs and Noam CC Cooperstock.

For more info check the Robe website

Bespoke Entertainment Solutions as been appointed by Ayrton as its new exclusive distributor for South Africa with immediate effect. Currently based in Randburg, Johannesburg, Bespoke, has plans to expand into other major cities with strategic partnerships.
Bespoke Entertainment Solutions’ technical director, Suren Lutchman says how this exciting new arrangement came about: “Having recently taken on several installations and new technical personnel on a full-time basis, the door was opened to us for other opportunities, including becoming the distributor for Ayrton in South Africa.

“With my experience mainly in sales, support and design of intelligent lighting solutions for the entertainment industry, I have always wanted to offer this service as well. Because the market within South Africa is very competitive and most of the major brands are represented, we didn’t focus too heavily on this area at first. However, after a meeting with Ayrton’s Jonas Stenvinkel, the opportunity arose for us to consider the Ayrton range of products.”

Lutchman was very happy about the potential he found in the Ayrton range: “We believe Ayrton is ‘ahead of the game’ with its range of LED light-source fixtures, compared to its competitors in the market. With the world in need of finding better, more efficient energy saving products – and not only in the entertainment industry – I believe Ayrton offers the best return on investment in our industry.
“Ayrton products are very well designed, compact within their specific classes and offer a great return on investment. The LED engines are extremely well engineered, and especially suited to the South African market where reliability and energy consumption are key. I believe Ayrton has a range of products that can substitute any discharge lighting fixture out there.”

Bespoke Entertainment Solutions will distribute the full range of Ayrton products across the installation and rental markets, with a core focus on key products that best suit the South African market. Lutchman was very impressed not only with the product range, but also the company itself.
“During a recent visit to Ayrton HQ in France, we immediately felt its warmth and genuine spirit as we entered the premises and heard how the company began and how its central focus has remained constant since the beginning.
This was a big contributor to us taking on the brand and we think this is the perfect time to get this up and running. In the current climate, it’s going to be tough, but we have never shied away from a challenge, and we really can’t wait to get started.”

“South Africa has always been a very important market, and we are delighted to have Suren and his team join the Ayrton family,” says Stenvinkel. “Suren has shown dedication and commitment, and we have spent much time together in South Africa and at the Ayrton HQ in Paris. Launching a new distribution in these times might seem odd but I think this is the exact time to do it. Ayrton stands by the market and Bespoke through these times and we will all come out strong.”

More information on the full range of Ayrton LED lighting fixtures, on the Ayrton website

Mark White

Mark White has announced his retirement from the company after nearly 20 years.

Speaking about his departure from ETC Ltd, Mark comments: “ETC has been a fine company to work for. I am retiring at a time of new and exciting product development in the company which will keep ETC in pole position as the go-to suppliers of entertainment lighting.”

Darren Beckley, Sales Manager – ETC Ltd, adds: “Mark has been an integral part of developing the company’s brand these past 20 years. We thank him for all of his efforts and wish him the very best on his retirement.”
Jeremy Roberts, ETC Ltd Regional Sales Manager, will take over growing the business in Ireland and progressing ETC’s stage machinery offering across the UK.

More information on the ETC website

P. Keating with C. Heil

To support the commercialisation of L-Acoustics Creations auditoria solutions worldwide, L-Acoustics has designated DeltaLive as International Distributor of the full L-Acoustics Creations product range.

DeltaLive is represented by Paul Keating, Director of Corporate & Private Relationships for L-Acoustics Creations.

“The team at DeltaLive possess a unique technical and regional savoir faire,” explains L-Acoustics CEO, Laurent Vaissié.

Laurent Vassié

“Their proven ability to forge connections with key markets and influencers, their technical expertise in audio visual support and their ability to deploy and demo L-Acoustics Creations solutions makes them the ideal partner for us as we present our market-leading audio products and technologies for specification in state-of-the-art residential, artistic, cultural, and experiential spaces.”

“We are surrounded by immersive technologies and experiences. It’s time for a different approach to home entertainment that transcends traditional high fidelity and cinematic audio formats to offer a more visceral listening experience,” states Founder and President of L-Acoustics, Christian Heil.

“Sound is still poorly understood, and often neglected, in designing a space. We’re here with the technologies and the teams to make listening spectacular again. DeltaLive, as an early adopter of L-ISA technology, and the company tasked with installing the first Island prototypes on L-Acoustics premises around the world and for special events, is a perfect partner to help break new ground.”

The Island Prestige, in an actual living room. credit Cyprian Chojnacki

Paul Keating, Director of Corporate & Private Relationships for L-Acoustics Creations adds, “When DeltaLive became part of the L-Acoustics Group, it was still the early days of L-Acoustics Creations. Recent months have brought clarity and our long-term commercial plan is now focused and defined. Our products and technologies are unique in the marketplace and we have something really special to offer our clients in terms of immersive experiences.

24 audio sources fed by as many amp channels.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for DeltaLive and really supports what we have been doing with L-ISA technology in general. Also, it’s inspiring to be working alongside such an industry visionary as Christian Heil.”

To help bringing the renowned L-Acoustics concert-grade technology to extraordinary sound spaces in private residential, cultural, and marine AV environments, Nick Fichte joins L-Acoustics Creations, completes the existing new business team and positions the division to make headway in key installation markets, leveraging the relationships and knowledge that Nick has forged in his 15-year career in the AV industry.

Nick Fichte

Nick first stepped into the AV industry when he was still a student, applying to work for custom installer, Audio Vision. He was offered the position and boarded a flight to Turkey the following day to assist on technology integration for one of the world’s largest superyachts.
This experience cemented a vocation and led to his career progressing at Audio Vision where he became Store Manager of one of their Bang & Olufsen dealerships. Nick later held sales roles at London-based custom installers Olive Audio Visual and Inspired Dwellings, then, prior to joining L-Acoustics, Crestron.

At Crestron, Nick began as Residential Business Development Manager, working closely with architects, interior designers, and property developers to deliver professional development and solution-based designs. More recently, for the past four years, Nick has acted as Regional Sales Manager, Residential, interfacing as a trusted counterpart with many of the company’s leading dealers in the residential Crestron Residential reseller network.

The Night Edition of the Island Prestige.

Nick expresses, “I am extremely excited to join such a world-renowned professional audio manufacturer to drive growth as we enter the residential and marine AV markets. With unique solutions designed for the most exclusive homes and yachts, this is going to be a great journey.” He adds, “Although confinement and social distancing have impacted our dealings at this time, I welcome the opportunity to connect remotely during the coming weeks and lay the groundwork for doing business together in the future.”

A sneak peek of what’s inside the Island, basically eighteen X8 coaxial speakers, two 18” subs, five LA4X amps and an L-ISA player…

“We are very pleased to have Nick on board,” comments Christian Heil, President and Founder of L-Acoustics. “L-Acoustics Creations brings a new way to experience music and home entertainment to market.
It requires rethinking current approaches which in turn requires close collaboration with integrators and end users. Nick’s proven ability to liaise with key players and stakeholders in the AV industry and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships will be key to our success.”

L-Acoustics Creations is further supported by teams and functions throughout the L-Acoustics organization. L-Acoustics Creations main office and Sound Art Gallery showcasing Island, Ocean, and Bubbles created in the BluSpace4 standard are located in Highgate, London, UK.

The Highgate sound art gallery.

To learn more about L-Acoustics Creations and for team member contact details, please visit the L-Acoustics Creations website
And stay up to date with current events on Instagram @l.acoustics.creations

Osram launches AirZing Pro tubes, whose UV-C radiation guarantees the destruction of viruses, including Covid-19 with 99% success. A great health opportunity for all closed public places indeed.

The sterilizing action of UV-C radiation (200 nm – 280 nm), particularly around 250 nm wavelength, was discovered at the end of the 19th century, and since 1960 its action on DNA has been confirmed.

When a micro-organism (bacteria or virus) is exposed to a radiation of 253.7 nm, an element of its DNA / RNA (called Thymine) absorbs photons and undergoes a transformation so important that the cell can neither multiply nor survive.

Based on these data, Osram has developed the AirZing Pro tube series, now proposed in two versions, 1.058 m long for the 5030 and 1.363 m for the 5040. They emit UV-C radiation of precisely 253.7 nm, diffuse over 360°. In other words they kill all the viruses and bacteria exposed to their light in an area between 80-150 m2, depending on the room height. Here is a news which unveils clear skies on the horizon.

The drawback is that this radiation is very, very harmful to human beings. All disinfection must be carried out in an empty room. Osram has provided infrared security for this, which ensures a 30-second start-up delay and instantly cuts off the power supply at the slightest break in the IR beam.

Wuhan City already installed more than 1,000 AirZingTM PRO tubes in 38 of its hospitals in March 2020.

There are many places that will benefit from the effects of this device: hospitals, schools, businesses, transports and of course theaters, cinemas, concert halls, clubs, bars, etc.

These tubes are available from your local Osram dealers. Relate to the Osram Website

It is with great disappointment that we announce the postponement of Showlight 2021, scheduled for May 2021 in Fontainebleau, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been an extremely difficult decision, which has been made in view of both the immediate effects and anticipated recovery period that will be needed by companies and individuals across the industry in the coming months.

The state of the lighting industry, the probable extension of restrictions on gatherings and the effect that this is having on theatres, cinemas, events and concerts worldwide where audiences are involved, are immediate and catastrophic, and the resulting effect to employment and income within all aspects of performance and the technical support of entertainment at all levels, are equally devastating.

While we sincerely hope that, by May 2021, the situation will have improved, we cannot tell to what extent events and social interaction will have returned to ‘normal’. While last month we were confident enough to continue preparing for the original dates, the ongoing feedback from the industry makes it evident that the after-effects will take longer to subside. The industry will need time to recover, and companies and individuals will need to prioritise their own financial recovery.

So, while we acknowledge that Showlight is a much-loved event, the well-being of everyone in our industry comes first. We need to be sensitive to the financial situation that many of our sponsors, exhibitors and delegates may find themselves in, through no fault of their own, after the worst of the pandemic has passed.
We understand the cost of exhibiting, travel and accommodation for Showlight would be an added strain on company and individual finances at a time when income and wages are severely reduced, so we feel that postponing Showlight until these have had a chance to recover is the most sensible thing to do.

In addition, Showlight is a voluntary organisation entirely dependent upon the support of its sponsors, and exhibitors. Without sponsorship from many companies and the goodwill and attendance of lighting industry exhibitors, the economics of Showlight would be severely impacted. We also have to consider our delegates, many of whom will spend a large proportion of the next few months either unemployed or furloughed, in which case attendance at Showlight, so soon after the crisis, may not be possible for a variety of reasons.

So for now we, like everyone, urge you to stay at home, be safe and keep connected (via the website (www.showlight.org), the Showlight mailing list, Twitter and Facebook) for updates on a revised date for Showlight, and we look forward to meeting you in happier, healthier times.

Take care, be safe and more information on:

– The Showlight website

– The Showlight Facebook

– The Showlight Twitter

Astera AX1 Pixel Tubes are doing their bit – both as energising effects luminaires and as practical lights – marking out the social distancing spaces – onstage at Delivered Live, a brand-new performance-based web streaming concept for music and comedy. The show is broadcast weekly from The Studio at Harry The Hirer Productions’ HQ in the Richmond district of Melbourne, Australia.

Photo Andrew Panella

The project is being driven by artist agency Handshake Management, technical and production rental company Harry The Hirer Productions and The Victoria State Government, offering a lively mix of entertainment from some of Australia’s most talented established and rising star artists who are based in and around the city.
It’s also designed as a fundraiser to provide vital financial assistance for those directly impacted by the devastating effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the live show and events sector.
The Studio is the production / demo area within Harry the Hirer Productions’ copious main office / HQ facility, a large technical ‘development space’ complete with lighting and audio consoles, previz viewing, etc., all intended for LDs, engineers and production designers to block, program and work on their projects.

Photo Scott Ando Anderson

Delivered Live’s lighting designer is Marcus Pugh who works full-time for Harry The Hirer Productions, usually as business development manager which also entails some production design. To light the 2.5-hour webcasts, currently being streamed every Saturday evening, he is using a variety of lighting fixtures including the Astera AX1s as well as Astera AX3 LightDrops and AX5 TriplePARs.
The event operates within strict social distancing guidelines, with a maximum of 10 people in the 250 square metre studio at any one time. A bespoke built stage offers separate areas for bands (up to a 6-piece) and comedians, each with their own personal space marked out with AX1s.

“The beauty of using them for this very important task as a visual barrier, is that they can also be fully incorporated into each performance as a lighting element,” explained Marcus. “Being wireless is an absolute perfect solution for this scenario in a relatively confined stage space … no mess or fussing with cables!”
He is also using additional AX1s – up to 16 in total – dotted around the rear and sides of the stage as back-of-camera effects lighting. “They look great on camera in an arc behind a solo performer,” he commented, and he can also utilise them for set dressing and a wide range of improvised effects, all run through his grandMA light control console.

Photo Andrew Panella

Marcus is a big fan of Astera generally and their various fixtures have featured in his designs for the last couple of years. The AX3s – handy for their tiny size, big punch and magnetic bases – are used for lighting around the bar area, behind which Delivered Live presenter Henry Wagons sits at a safe distance introducing each act. The performers also shimmy over to the bar for a short interview after their set, a routine that’s become a favourite part of the webcast.
“For every job on which I normally go to site, I will grab a couple of cases of AX3s and some AX5s and put them on the truck … as we can always find something to light with them! They are an invaluable tool on any event!” In The Studio, the AX5s are being used to up-light the walls and provide general lighting for the host position.

On the very first act of the first Delivered Live broadcast – when everyone was still ‘feeling’ their way around – the cameras were shooting a flat-looking upstage brick wall … which was quickly transformed into a dynamic backdrop with four AX5s as up-lighters. Again, being wireless makes them grabbable and quickly deployable; “you can literally put them anywhere – plonk-and-play – they will do a great job and look excellent!”

Photo Richard Whitty

Harry the Hirer’s stock of Astera fixtures has been supplied by Australian distributor, the ULA Group. As Marcus usually only occasionally gets hands-on behind the lighting board now … he is loving this opportunity to polish his operating skills, as well as being very proud to work on the show which is bringing some much-needed live entertainment during the lockdown.
Delivered Live is currently drawing around 20,000 viewers and selling over 2000 ‘tickets’ each time. The show is free to stream, and viewers are encouraged to donate the equivalent of an average gig or concert ticket if they can afford it, and the money is divided up between the participating artists and crew. Each act also nominates one person on their regular road crew plus their favourite performance venue … to also receive a percentage of the funds!

For more on the Astera LED website

Australian alternative dance trio, RÜFÜS DU SOL, have been steadily building their reputation over the past decade. Masterminding the lighting on their tours since 2014 has been Matthew Smith from Melbourne-based Colourblind.

Photo by Collin Black

As part of the Solace album tour, the band had appeared at CRSSD Festival in San Diego’s Waterfront Park at the beginning of March. “We redesigned the show to give it new life for the second half of the album cycle, deciding to replace the 24 GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s with more [GLP] JDC1’s,” explained Colourblind director, Matthew Smith, who was responsible for carrying out the redesign.

In fact the production is now using 38 of the JDC1’s in total, run in SPix mode 3 (68-channels)—seven upstage behind the band, seven on the front truss and 24 behind the transparent video wall. Colourblind was fortunate that local San Diego vendor, Maktive, had plenty of JDC1s in its hire stock, enabling the company to ‘top up’ to the requisite number in its festival design. “The show at CRSSD looked incredible as a result,” said Smith.

Maktive proprietors, Bryan McClanahan and Patrick Randall, have been the festival lighting designers and providers since CRSSD started in the Spring of 2015. But they introduced an additional surprise to this year’s event as the rig also incorporated 54 of GLP’s new Fusion Exo Beams, since Maktive had become an early investor.
This is a powerful IP65-rated moving head, with a sharp, defined beam angle of just 0.1°, that can be seen for long distances. Fully featured—with incredibly fast pan and tilt movements—the Exo Beam features a single, powerful and highly efficient 90 W, 7,500 K white light LED engine.

Photo by Collin Black

On the festival stage a 4×4 matrix of Exo Beams in each wing equated to 16 fixtures per side, with 22 fixtures in the roof spread between three rows. The design accommodated the needs of several touring acts including RDS while allowing the festival stage design to still have a unique identity.

Stated Maktive’s Patrick Randall: “We first saw them at LDI in 2019 and placed our order before the convention was over. The extremely narrow beam was impressive and could be seen cutting through other booths’ lighting from across the convention center. The other features that really drew us in was the IP water resistant rating and LED engine. We consistently do large outdoor shows and having a large quantity of this beam fixture really met the needs of our designs.”

Matthew Smith certainly had no doubts about their attributes either. “I loved them and would be very interested in using them again. It’s the most powerful, compact LED-sourced beam I’ve seen,” he said. “Having used other [narrow beam] fixtures on our touring shows in the past, these were a fantastic alternative.”

Photo by Collin Black

Working with the band’s creative director, Alex George, Smith was assisted by lighting programmers Steven Mills (US) and Brad Salt (Australia). Providing inventory for the remainder of the tour has been Denver-based Brown Note Productions. Maktive’s festival LD on duty at CRSSD was Evan Dunn.

In summary, Matthew Smith said: “As always all the GLP products performed above and beyond expectation.”

More info on the GLP website

Several landmark installations that have been lit with Anolis lighting fixtures have been turning blue on Thursday evenings for the ‘Clap For Carers’ initiative in support of the National Health Service (NHS) and other essential workers engaged on the front lines in battling the Coronavirus Pandemic.

This includes Rhyl Promenade in North Wales where several key features are lit; Bromley High Street in Kent, a major thoroughfare in the heart of the city and popular live music venue the O2 Guildhall in Southampton, Hampshire.

Rhyl

All the Anolis-lit areas across the seaside town of Rhyl are turned blue for the NHS including the Pavilion Theatre, Clock Tower, Sky Tower, waterfall, and seafront viewing shelters.

The spectacular 80-metre-tall Sky Tower is highlighted with ArcSource Outdoor 48MC RGBW integrals which transform it into an elegant beacon of light at night with smooth and even coverage of lumens up and down the mast.

The current Pavilion Theatre is located further along the seafront on the East Parade where an opaque Perspex strip covers ArcLine Optic 36 RGBW linear fixtures running up the exterior of the tower, with more lights brightening up a large panelled area on the venue’s front façade.

The concrete viewing shelters were the first element of the overall Rhyl lighting scheme to be implemented … and they are brought to life with ArcSource 1MCs RGBWs which produce a stunning blue.

O2 Guildhall Southampton

Opened in 1937, the main concert / show venue in this building is now managed by the Academy Music Group and is one of the most popular live music showcases on the UK theatre / town hall touring circuit. That part of the building is currently closed under the lockdown, however, the exterior façade is still shining bright … lit with Anolis ArcSource 96 integrals and ArcPad 94s.

The architectural lighting was supplied via Sera Technologies who won a tender to supply for the project from Southampton City Council.

Bromley High Street

The scheme for lighting the façade above key shopfronts was designed by Matt Owen from Technical Entertainment Services working for (the London Borough of) Bromley Council, and the lighting comprises a mix of Anolis Divine 160s and ArcPad 48 fixtures over 50 in total, which are attached to the base of the façade.
The illuminated section covers a stretch above major retail spaces like Top Shop, Offspring, Primark, and Marks & Spencer. Famous author HG Wells whose masterworks include The War of The Worlds and The Time Machine was born in 1866 in a china shop which once stood where the Primark site is now!

Anolis UK’s Simon Gooding commented, “It’s great to see so many venues across the UK uniting to show their support for essential workers in these difficult times, and especially those that have been forced to close due to restrictions. Utilizing the Anolis fixtures that were once highlighting their buildings to energise and impress people means they are now standing proudly in Blue for respect. Stay safe!”

For more info check on Robe lighting and on Anolis

Part of Thailand’s Ministry of Defense, the Office of the Permanent Secretary is responsible for determining strategic goals, executing plans, drafting policy and the inspection and monitoring of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
Occupying a grand, nine-story building with multiple wings outside Bangkok, the organisation’s headquarters includes a multipurpose hall which can seat 1,500 and be divided into two separate spaces on demand.

To ensure world-class sound, video, lighting and control for presentations and events, the Office of the Permanent Secretary deployed a range of solutions from JBL Professional, Crown, Soundcraft, BSS, Martin Professional and AMX.

“The client needed cutting-edge AV and stage lighting systems for the multipurpose hall that seats 1,500 people,” said Pongsakorn Kanchanachayphoom, Director of Project, Mahajak Development Co. Ltd. “A robust and flexible solution was necessary to facilitate different types of events. Evaluating these requirements, we designed a system with HARMAN’s industry-leading networked AV and lighting solutions, providing the client with the required flexibility and allowing them to upgrade the platform in the future.”

To achieve crystal-clear sound reinforcement in multiple room configurations, the Office of the Permanent Secretary installed a range of JBL loudspeakers in the main hall. When the hall is divided, 15-inch JBL AM7215 speakers serve the larger half, while 12-inch AM7212 models serve the smaller half.
The speakers can be combined for maximum coverage across the entire hall, and the entire system is augmented by STX828S dual 18-inch bass reflex subwoofers. JBL PRX800-Series monitors ensure crystal-clear sound for speakers and guests onstage. JBL Control 328CT 8-inch coaxial ceiling loudspeakers provide additional coverage outside the hall.

The Office of the Permanent Secretary selected Crown amplifiers to power the sound system, including the advanced XTi 2 Series and the cost-effective CDi 1000. Two Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital mixing consoles were installed, which provide a flexible, streamlined solution with plenty of inputs and a color-coded FaderGlow interface for ease of use.
Networked together via a BSS Soundweb London BLU-100 signal processor, the two consoles can easily be configured to function independently or together, depending on the room configuration.
To illuminate the stage efficiently, the Office of the Permanent Secretary deployed energy-saving Martin MAC Quantum Series LED lighting fixtures. The MAC Quantum Profile serves as a main spotlight, while the MAC Quantum Wash provides rich, even washes of color. Both fixtures feature Precise CMY color mixing and a variety of effects controlled by DMX.

The hall also features 350- and 300-inch screens as well as 4K HMDI projectors equipped with projector lifts for accurate positioning and stowing when not in use. To control the integrated AV and lighting systems effectively, the facility is equipped with AMX touch panels. The control room, located next to the stage, features a 4.3-inch AMX wall-mount touch panel, while the facility’s main meeting room features a 9.7-inch panel.

“We wanted a system that would enliven the atmosphere of the multipurpose hall during seminars, performances and other events for our guests,” said spokesperson for Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defense. “HARMAN’s diverse portfolio of products are easy to learn and manageable to support. They fulfilled every criterion of our request.”

“HARMAN is honored to be associated with the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence, and to be able to extend customized, multifaceted solutions through a unified platform,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “We thank Mahajak for providing exceptional audio-visual and lighting solutions, and for creating an exceptional space that heightens the audience experience while encouraging participation.”

More information on the Harman website

photo by Jasmine Safaeian

American singer Halsey kicked off her Manic World Tour 2020 in Madrid in February supporting her just released studio album, also called Manic. The Manic World Tour spans 48 shows, and kicked off in Europe, with the next legs currently being planned for Asia and North America later this year.
disguise gx 2c media servers were selected by All Of It Now to drive the show’s video and Notch IMAG real-time effects.

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

Numerous features of the disguise solutions came into play for the tour starting in pre-pro. “The show’s video design used a multi-layered frame, and the 3D workflow of disguise Designer allowed us to create parallel maps that placed content on the screen spatially without requiring specific renders for certain songs,” explains Danny Firpo of All of It Now, a disguise Rental Partner and Workflow Specialist based in San Francisco, who did the tour’s video programming with Cade Moore. “This gave us the creative flexibility to move content around the screen and explore different approaches for certain songs.

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

“The show used three different frame sizes for the tour – small, medium and large – but we did not have enough time to see all of the different sizes in rehearsal. We relied heavily on the 3D pre-vis in disguise to confirm how content would look on each of those different sizes.
When we loaded in to the first venue using the smaller size, the content was mapped perfectly and required minimal changes during load in.”

The new EVO workflow was also used in the early pre-vis stages, merging the disguise and MA3D environments, and creating additional opportunities to integrate lighting and video departments. “For Bad at Love, the EVO overlay gave us the ability to see the Video and Lighting elements merged together in a single screen, and Arlo was able to program the stage lighting to match the lighting within the on screen content”, says Danny.

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

With the disguise Designer workflow, All Of It Now was able to program all three show files in parallel using the track export and import functionality to push specific programming changes to each of the show files.
That saved a lot of time, according to Danny, because the track did not have to be reprogrammed three times.

The Manic World Tour takes a “very cinematic approach” with disguise “used almost like a non-linear editing tool on a couple of songs,” says Danny. “This gave us the flexibility in rehearsal to arrange and duplicate clips for rapid revisions and fast collaboration, which alleviated some of the need to re-render content.”

In addition, “the additional GPU power of the gx 2c gave us the creative freedom to explore more GPU-intensive Notch looks,” he reports. “For Graveyard, we explored a 2D fluid simulation that emulated watercolor paint flowing onto the IMAG screens. This was also used as a transitional effect for the IMAG to swirl off the screen during key moments in the song.”

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

Specifically, All Of It Now employed disguise’s screen position layer for automation visualization. “This was helpful in previewing content with all the different stair movements and positions throughout the show,” Danny says. Likewise, file naming and automatic file versioning was essential for rapid revisions.
“Content could just be sent over the network, and updated, without having to manually select new content.” The content itself made heavy use of gradients of both chroma and luma space, so “the NotchLC codec was crucial in reducing banding and compression artifacts,” he notes.

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

At All Of It Now, Cade Moore is the Touring Operator, and Kevin Zhu the Notch Designer.
The tour’s production management is by Jimi Storey, and creative management by James Richardson. Tarik Mikou of Moment Factory and Aude Guivarc’h are the Creative Directors; tour production and content design is by Moment Factory. Arlo Guthrie and Jose Antunes are the Lighting Designers, and Screenworks is the video equipment provider.

For more information, please visit the Disguise website

Created at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Bliss is a refreshing new musical fantasy full of emotion and humor that shatters assumptions about what a fairytale princess should be. The empowering tale had its world premiere run Feb 7–23 and was enthusiastically received for its catchy music and nontraditional storyline, not to mention a fabulous scenic and lighting design.

Photo Credit Tracy Martin

The unorthodox ethos carried into the lighting rig as well where lighting designer Yael Lubetzky incorporated Elation Rayzor 760™ luminaires in her design, an LED moving head fixture you more typically find in a concert rig, which is exactly where the LD first discovered it. “I saw a Rob Thomas concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York and saw the Rayzor 760 and thought these are exactly what we want in the show,” Yael shares. “When I saw the units sparkle effect, I was so surprised. I had never seen anything like it before. It was fantastic!”

SparkLED

The Rayzor 760 is a wash effects fixture with seven large RGBW LEDs, wide zoom and continuous rotation, but it was the luminaire’s unique SparkLED™ background illumination system that really caught her attention. “[Elation National Sales Manager] John Dunn did a great demo for us and showed us everything it could do,” the lighting designer says.
“When I saw the SparkLED I knew how perfect it was for our show. Not only for the music and concert effects, but also as a reflection of this character who lives in the Castle of Mirrors. It was specifically because of it that I chose the fixture.”

photo by Jason Ardizzone West

SparkLED is a unique sparkle effect created by 28x 2W white LEDs inside the fixture’s oversized lenses. The high-brightness pixels allow for distinctive lens illumination and eye-candy twinkle looks and are controllable via the lighting console or driven by a multitude of internal FX patterns. “We had them hung on two vertical trusses facing straight forward on a scenic unit that flew in far downstage.

The Rayzor unit for us was a unique scenic element with movement so it could transform into a concert. They provided a great visual look for the audience,” Yael explains, noting that the fixtures were used for scenes featuring a particular character in the play called Prince Devin, who has a rock star image and is usually surrounded by an entourage of jester dancers. “I wanted to bolster this rock ‘n’ roll look with something special.

The unique quality of the SparkLED within the unit was something I had not seen in the theatre before and knew it would play a big part in these production numbers. With much of the concert lighting design inspired around the idea that we would get these lights, when we did, I was thrilled. The Rayzor were just perfect and like nothing else we had in the show. We were able to deliver an exciting mini rock concert lighting rig on this flying unit that appears in a forest of layered trees.”

Prince Devin Flying Unit

Yael worked closely with Scenic Designer Jason Ardizzone-West on a special scenic unit that housed the Rayzor 760 units, which they dubbed the Prince Devin Flying Unit. “The overall aesthetic of the show is about indirect light and hidden light, but when this one character comes in the whole visual language changes,” Jason explains.
“Prince Devin’s character is all about loving himself so we designed this rock ‘n’ roll, fly-in equipment truss that also was a huge vanity mirror with chasing vanity lights around it.” The Prince Devon Flying Unit was made up of a large platform fronted by two tall ladder trusses with three Rayzor 760 units mounted on each side. “As a set designer, I looked on the Rayzor lights as a piece of scenery,” he said. “What I love about them is that they’re beautiful to look at.”

photo by Jason Ardizzone West

The Rayzor fixtures alternated with profile fixtures to complete the rock ‘n’ roll feel. “The visual quality of the Rayzor units, what they looked like to the audience, was really special,” Yael states. “There was a great variety of beautiful colors, and the unit is so versatile, but the SparkLED effect is really why I wanted them so much for the show.” The scenic unit served a dual purpose actually. With lights mounted underneath it, when up in the air it acted as part of the first electric.

Two numbers

The Rayzor fixtures were used in two big show numbers, each with a different feel. In the first act, the scenic unit flies in to reveal a rock star entrance of Prince Devin. He performs a concert with his entourage of jester dancers in the forest. Here the Rayzors are very active with a lot of movement and cueing. In the second act, Prince Devin welcomes the audience to his Royal Ball accompanied by his back up boy-band jesters. The Rayzors start here with deep saturation and slow sparkle movement for a ballad and then shift later as the number transforms into a hip hop style number.

“The music style inspired how we used them, but the sparkle aesthetic was always an underlying symbol of his vanity as well as a visual texture background that also echoed the shimmering light reflection that was created by the fantastic costume design.” Yael adds that she didn’t have as much time beforehand to familiarize herself with the fixtures as she would have liked.
“Having the internal effects that we could grab quickly initially on the SparkLEDs was really helpful. To have a new unit on the show and not be able to spend a lot of time with it ahead of time can be hard, but we had a great team and our moving light programmer Stephen Graham learned how to use them very quickly and built us some really great effects in a very short amount of time.”

photo by Jason Ardizzone West

Yael reports that audiences response to the new take on a princess story every night was thrilling but also from a production perspective, the show was quite special. “I feel so lucky to have worked with this creative team,” she concludes. “The relationship between lighting and scenery was such an incredible collaboration and really depended on one another in a way I haven’t experienced on a project before.”

The Rayzor 760 fixtures were supplied for Bliss by lighting vendor Christie Lites.

For more information visit the Elation Website