DiGiCo unveiled at NAMM 2020 the new DMI-KLANG, an immersive in-ear mixing expansion FPGA processing card that can be mounted directly into DiGiCo consoles, equipped with DMI slots.
The New DMI-Klang FPGA card.
KLANG’s acclaimed immersive in-ear mixing systems make spatial and transparent in-ear monitoring possible. With lower listening levels – on average up to 6dB less – it eliminates the feeling of isolation associated with a normal in-ear stereo mix and offers less fatigue. Its applications range from personal mixing for touring monitor engineers to spatial mixing for recording studio sessions.
The DMI-KLANG follows in the footsteps of the KLANG:fabrik. “This is the first hardware product since KLANG and DiGiCo joined forces,” says DiGiCo’s General Manager, Austin Freshwater. “We took KLANG:fabrik’s immersive in-ear mixing core and rebuilt it with today’s latest FPGA technology. With one device, we can now deliver immersive mixes of 64 inputs for 16 musicians. This is the highest input count of any KLANG product to date. And the best thing is, we were able to bring the processing latency down to a quarter of a millisecond.”
The DMI-Klang processing card hosted inside Quantum 3 38, the latest DiGiCo desk.
The DMI-KLANG connects directly to DiGiCo consoles’ internal audio stream without any additional hardware I/O or overhead. This makes it possible to route any audio channel from the console to the DMI-KLANG and return the immersive mix to the Aux merge input.
Via the DiGiCo KLANG console link, monitor engineers can stay in their usual mixing workflow, use snapshots, faders and knobs, but with all the benefits of immersive in-ear mixing. This makes it the perfect companion for any monitor engineer who needs to deliver the ultimate 3D mix for their artist.
Pascal Dietrich
“The DMI-KLANG is just the beginning of a new line of products,” says KLANG’s co-founder Pascal Dietrich. “Together with the DiGiCo OrangeBox and the many I/O expansion cards available today, we can now interface with almost any professional digital mixing console.”
The 3D view and actual rendering of the audio as shown by the Klang:app.
Available DMI cards offer MADI (TP, BNC), Optocore, Dante and many other digital formats. Additionally by utilising the KLANG:app, personal mixing can be done on tablet, smartphone, or PC/Mac.
Since 2016 Vienna State Opera with its chief sound engineer, Athanasios Rovakis, started investigating the possibility of moving its audio and video distribution to fiber and after purchasing Optocore units, invested this year in a complete BroaMan architecture.
The Opera being under a preservation order, the fiber is the way to go…
At first, the Opera House modernised its audio system, purchasing a network fiber solution based around Optocore X6R-FX analogue devices and M8 MADI switch to bring together additional signal sources from distant places in the house, and to share signals for broadcasting. Looking to expand their communications outreach, by the following year they were considering further options provided by Optocore’s partner company BroaMan.
A rather busy yet up to date Control Room thanks to the BroaMan Repeat48 tunnelling fiber intrastructure.
This resulted in them purchasing a point-to-point set of Mux22 multi-signal transmission devices, with the new FrameSync8 board. Offering a superior upgrade to traditional frame sync technologies it allowed sync distribution together with eight video channels, IP and serial data.
But the upgrade path was far from complete, and this year the State Opera invested in a complete BroaMan architecture, with a system based on 10 Repeat48WDM, which provide five point-to-point transport systems with 12 video channels, each transported on a single duplex fiber; a Repeat48 electrical-optical media converter, with six SDI-In and six SDI-Out; and six compact Repeat8-NANO to convert SDI to and from fiber. In a fairly unique deployment, all video is transported on multimode fiber.
When designing the system Mr. Rovakis had quickly realised that BroaMan devices were essential, as in view of the extreme transmission distances in the vast building copper was not an option, and fiber the only viable solution. “The audio control room has been steadily upgraded over the past 70 years, with devices from many generations and manufacturers — all with their own unique formats, connections and protocols,” he said. “It is a major challenge for any new device that gets installed as it has to work with the old ones. But BroaMan’s Repeat48’s brings a complete tunnelling to the entire Opera.”
Another view of the Control Room with the legendary walnut touch of the Yamaha’s big desks, like this Rivage PM10.
He added that since the Opera is under a preservation order, new cables are difficult and expensive—therefore they have to work with a limited amount of space, channels and bandwidth. “This made multiplexing basically the only viable option.”
Athanasios Rovakis said he had full confidence in specifying the BroaMan solution since the Optocore-BroaMan platform had been rock solid since first being installed in 2016. He also saw its many advantages over similar systems. “In contrast to others, the Repeat48 has no boot-up time, which is vital for events with little prep time, and there is zero latency which is equally important.”
Concluded BroaMan’s Technical Sales Manager, Maciek Janiszewski, “We have recently noticed huge interest in our solutions for the installation market, specifically in concert halls and theatres. These venues require ultra-fast fiber transport with high flexibility, and lower channel count than in broadcast. “The BroaMan portfolio fits very well in that regard, offering simple and cost-efficient, yet extremely reliable solutions. The Vienna State Opera video system is based on point-to-point multichannel fiber transport between different locations in the building, and the Repeat48 family is a perfect match for that.”
Carola, a Swedish singer and songwriter has been one of Sweden’s popular performers since the early 1980s, her range of albums over the time encompass pop and disco to hymns and folk music.
Photo Karin Törnblom
She’s just played 12 sold-out festive shows at the Slottsladan (Castle Barn) in Steninge Slottsby, around 35km north of Stockholm with special Christmas lighting designed by Danne Persson of Roxy Lighting and including a selection of Robe moving lights – 18 x MegaPointes, 8 x T1 Profiles, six BMFL Spots and one RoboSpot system. The venue is newly refurbished. The old barn was ‘discovered’ by Carola when she relocated to Steninge Slottsby a couple of years ago and it became her dream to perform there.
The space is 60 metres long, 20 metres wide and dates to 1900. It’s now adjacent to a collection of retail outlets and restaurants which have been built more recently. Construction company Gelba thought restoring the barn was a great idea and started rebuilding it – tastefully – specifically as a performance venue in 2018. The goal was to retain all the old world ‘barn-like’ charm, and with creative use of contemporary materials like Plexiglass, insulation, and modern heating, offer some cool 21st-century event production facilities.
Photo Karin Törnblom
In December 2018, Carola played seven shows at the newly opened Slottsladan which sold out immediately. The shows were so universally popular that this year she doubled the number of gigs to 14 and recorded “Carola’s Advent”, a 4-part TV series for Sweden’s TV3 channel. Danne has worked with the artist on several occasions during one-off shows, festivals, and telecasts, but this was their first full-scale artist / designer production collaboration.
They decided on no video elements for the shows, so the visual impact and atmosphere was all down to lighting and set. The set was designed by Carola herself including a 12 x 8 stage with a 5-piece band on stage right and a 12-person choir on stage left on risers. Stairs led from the stage to a 25-metre-long 40cm high runway going right out into the audience. Danne and Carola discussed mood boards. “We wanted a warm CTO feeling at the start of the show and Carola was adamant about emphasizing the warm, cosy and inclusive feeling of the barn,” he explained. They decided to keep the back wall of the barn as the backdrop, so Danne could wash it with colours and gobo texturing or just let it provide ‘relief’ for a variety of moods.
They added tungsten effect rope lights and LED candles to the set plus some vintage camping lantern with flame-effect LED bulbs which were carried by the choir as they entered. Flying is limited so lighting rental company Scenteknik AVL from Uppsala built two ground supported box trusses 16 metres wide by 9 high, with 9 metres of headroom – that were cleverly concealed behind the Barn’s structural wooden beams.
Photo Karin Törnblom
The first was over the stage and this was rigged with 12 of the MegaPointes on the upstage most truss with three MegaPointes on each of the two upstage legs. In the middle of the back truss, a T1 Profile was positioned and linked into the RoboSpot system for back follow-spot style lighting. MegaPointes were chosen for rear lighting and for their beams and gobos which provided the main effects lighting for the whole show.
On the second box truss over the catwalk, the T1 Profiles rigged on the front section were used for general downstage washes, and on the next truss back was a T1 Profile also linked to the RoboSpot system, with a RoboSpot remote camera beside it providing line-of-sight view to the stage for both T1 Profile follow spots. A one-metre long truss was flown above the bleacher seating complete with a T1 ‘front array’ at the end of the catwalk, covering the areas that the follow spots could not reach. All the T1s were picked for front light and follow spotting duties for multiple reasons, including their excellent tungsten emulation, which was fundamental to recreating the warm ‘classic’ ambience required.
Upstage on the floor were the six BMFL Spots. Their main function was to project gobos onto the back wall and engage in aerial beam work. Scenteknik AVL had newly invested in the T1 Profiles. They wanted a new LED profile and narrowed it down to two brands. After Danne saw the T1 at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt he added them to his initial lighting designs for these shows and this helped convince the company to choose the Robe option. “The T1 fulfilled and totally exceeded my every expectation after Frankfurt,” enthused Danne having just completed the run of shows! He especially likes the zoom and the white colour correction plus the big front lens and the fact that it makes a nice eye candy as a backlight. “The optics are great, and it works brilliantly with the RoboSpot system,” he adds – and is also really looking forward to working with T1s on a television project. The RoboSpot BaseStation was located at FOH.
Photo Karin Törnblom
The operator had control of zoom and tilt to adjust the back light, and the rest of the parameters, including dimmer, were controlled by Danne’s grandMA3 light console, which ran all the Robes and some other lights including LED washes, LED PARs, LED floods and some conventional static profiles. He had specifically wanted a remote follow spot system that had handles for the operator – like a camera stand – rather than a mouse, as he believes it’s more intuitive with the body flow and therefore easier to make smooth and fluid physical movements this way.
Danne was pleased with how the lighting worked for these shows – especially the gobo projections onto the back wall of the barn to emphasise its unique ambience. He and the other production crew all received many compliments from audiences each night after the shows. He enjoyed being part of a ”great” team which included Jonas Hessel of Scenteknik AVL who was crew chief and looked after dimmers, RoboSpot operator John Nilsson, stage manager Timmie Malmberg and project manager Lotta Bjurenstedt-Waern.
Visual design studio Tenfeet’s longstanding relationship with Dutch rockers BLØF resulted in some dazzling effects as the much-loved band played two sell-out gigs at Rotterdam’s 16,000-capacity AHOY Arena.
Tenfeet video programmer Pim Elberse specified and supplied two Hippotizer Boreal+ Media Servers – one main and the second as a full live backup machine – to handle pre-made content mixed with multiple effects and live feed blend. The content ranged from sweeping landscapes to computer-graphics, lyrics and pictures.
“We needed a system that could cope with various live feeds and feed a variety of content that was mixed with live, as well as control an SDI-matrix with 10 cameras on stage surrounding the band,” explains Elberse. “The Boreal+ provided total flexibility in combination with our Hog4 lighting console.”
BLØF’s stage was only 10 metres wide despite the large venue. It was designed for an intimate feel. The stage floor was transparent, with lighting fixtures beaming up from underneath. Behind the band was a large LED screen, rising from the stage to a height of 16 metres – almost to the ceiling. At each side of the stage, multiple trusses supported the lighting and worked in collaboration with an LED strip around the LED wall to enhance the sense of height.
“The staging and rigging structure gave us the freedom to create unique looks for every song, and unite set, light and video,” Elberse continues.
“During shows, besides running the programmed cues, I’m always controlling content and effects to integrate the video with the show and make it more dynamic and intense.
With the Boreal+ machines and Hippotizer, it’s quick to program multiple cues for each song and adjust and control in real-time.
“In addition, it’s easy to build your own personalities, to design what you want to control in Hippo and how. And because it’s so simple to make the ZooKeeper interface look how you want it, it all gives you a very flexible and clear view of what you are programming and playing back.” Working alongside Elberse was stage design and video content creator Bart van Rooy of BigVis; lighting designer Patrick Kramer; and lighting operator Andre Beekmans from Art of Light. BLØF played the duo of gigs to celebrate 25 years of hits in their homeland.
A UFO has come down to earth! The American brand proposes a new full-featured LED Spot with framing shutters. After the Picasso and Monet moving heads with white LED sources, Elation adds to its range a Spot/Profile equipped with a 5-color LED array. Designed for versatility rather than for record-breaking luminous flux, this fixture marks a new milestone in the Fuze series. With its highly competitive price, it is designed to adapt to all types of applications and to satisfy both lighting companies and their customers.
The numbers game
The lighting fixture market and, in particular, the LED fixture market, is booming. Not a month goes by without someone proposing a new spot, a new profile, a new wash. Of course, every one of them is much more efficient than the previous model and the competitor’s new product. Elation, who is taking part in this one-upmanship, has also understood that it’s very important to stand out from the crowd.
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Thanks to its international affiliates, the American brand has also been able to listen to lighting companies from around the world. We would all like to have the best products, but reality quickly comes back to put our feet on the ground and, more and more often, the first condition for winning a contract is the number at the bottom of the bid. The Fuze Profile is a fixture designed to adapt to the technical and financial requirements of small and medium sized companies.
Its design reflects its name. The two very streamlined cowls of the head give it a certain space-ship look, with a distinct elegance that allows it to fit into many sets or sceneries. The sides and rear completely break up the curves, bringing character to the whole ensemble and adding a futuristic look. The yoke, with its lines and angles, contrasts with the very rounded design of the head without burdening the overall look. Integrated in one of the yoke arms is the tilt lock and on the horizontal part is the pan lock.
The base is still very conventional. It is fitted with four feet that are high enough to allow the passage of cables or the safety cable when it is deployed on the floor. It is a small detail but, just like the pan and tilt locks, it makes the work easier and saves a few precious minutes. The two large handles on either side of the base are also very practical. As the Fuze weighs 26 kg, it can be carried by one person. The clamps are attached to two ¼-turn Omega brackets supplied with the fixture.
Setup can be carried out using the touchscreen or via four control keys.
The control section is located on one side of the base of the fixture. It is possible to configure it without the unit being connected to a 220 V mains power supply. Simply press the button with the “battery” symbol to access the menu using the internal battery. To adjust the settings, you can either use the four keys on the right side of the display, or the touch-screen function of the display.
Navigating through the five menus is very easy. There are, of course, some options common to all fixtures but also some less common or more advanced ones, such as a master/slave mode for a simple and quick copy of programming information from one unit to another. In addition to the five dimming modes (Standard, Stage, TV, Architectural, Theatre and Stage 2), a sixth option – Dimmer Speed – features 21 predefined fade times. For the use of Fuze in the context of video acquisition, a multitude of LED driver frequencies is available: from 900 Hz to 1500 Hz, it is adjustable in steps of 10 Hz. Elation has also provided presets of 2.5 kHz, 4-, 5-, 6-, 10-, 15-, 20- and 25 kHz. A last small feature is the 630° option for the pan range. This might not be used every day, but can be very useful in a 360° performance space. On the right side of the screen, there is a USB port for updates.
There’s nothing superfluous on the connection panel, but nothing is missing.
Moving around the base, you’ll find the connectors. Nothing superfluous, just the essentials! Two Neutrik powerCON True1 connectors are available for power. One is used to power the unit and the other to distribute current to another unit.
For control, Elation has two XLR5 connectors for DMX/RDM, one of which is for throughput. Nothing more is necessary. It should also be noted that the fewer options there are, the lower the potential for failure. As you can see in the first image, there is a ventilation grill on each side. An air path runs through the base to cool the power supply and the motherboard.
Under the hood
The head of the Fuze is quite packed!
The whole unit can be easily disassembled and reassembled using a single Phillips screwdriver for all the cowlings. An interesting feature – that is found on every fixture – is that the sides and the center of the yoke have independent covers, which are easier to handle during maintenance.
Inside one of the arms is the tilt drive for the head. The motor operates a belt that runs around the pulley on the axis of the head. A tensioning roller adjusts the belt tension for proper transmission. In order to allow indexing and position reset in case of a shock, blockage or mishandling, a notch and solenoid system is located on the pulley connected to the stepper motor.
The Pan motor is housed in the other arm with the control board of the two movement axes, the cable runs for the power supply of the LED array, and the control of the actuators for the other effects.
The pan and tilt control board and, beneath it, the pan motor.
The tilt mechanism with the belt that drives the head.
Removing the two cowlings from the head of the Fuze reveals a three-level design where every millimeter is important. The first element at the rear is a metal plate about 3 mm thick. This facilitates the work of the tilt motor by counterbalancing the weight of the output lens. This is a clever solution that avoids compensating the difference in weight with a more powerful motor and therefore reduces the final cost of the fixture.
Heat pipe and fan, a classic combination on planet LED.
The rest is much more technical, as it concerns the cooling of the LED module. It uses a heat pipe radiator and four fans, (two above and two below), which evacuate the hot air.
The RGBMA LED engine (Red, Green, Blue, Mint and Amber) is mounted directly onto the heat sink. The architecture of the fixture prevents us from seeing and photographing the light source.
The next compartment contains two removable modules, each secured by two screws equipped with knobs that allow for disassembly with or without the use of tools. In order not to find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, do not forget to unplug the connector that links the module to the circuit board before removing it. The quality of the manual is commendable, as all the steps are very clearly illustrated. Going in order, first there are the six motors that control the effects wheels (insertion and rotation) on the back of the board, followed by the static gobo wheel and the rotating gobo wheel. All the gobos are very easily removable and interchangeable. All indications on gobo size, thickness and image size are also specified in the manual.
The gobo module on the motor side. We can see the effects wheel and one of the seven static gobos.
By turning this element upside down, it is very easy to access the six rotating gobos.
The second element in this compartment is the framing and iris module. With two motors per shutter, plus the rotation of the assembly over 90° and the iris, it was necessary to fit ten motors around 360°. In order to save space and wiring, the motor control circuit board is located directly above the motors. This also simplifies and secures the cable tracking during the rotation of the module.
The electronics of the second module.
The four framing shutters arranged on two planes.
The rest of the design of this element is quite standard. The wiring for its power supply is secured to the chassis by cable ties. Don’t forget to cut them before removing the module from its bracket and to have some others on hand for reassembly. It is also necessary to verify that the zoom is not inserted into the module.
The optical compartment.
The third and final compartment houses all the optical features. There are, of course, the zoom and focus as well as the 4-facet prism and the variable frost. As is customary, the two lens blocks are moved by means of toothed belts. These are inserted into the beam by rotating around the axis of their supports. As with the gobos, the prism is mounted on a toothed support which is driven by a wheel fixed on the axle of a motor. This allows the prism to be indexed and rotated.
A look at the numbers
When it comes to technology, the first and most frequently cited parameter is the power of the light source. When this source is an LED array, one of the factors that must be taken into account is the derating, i.e. the attenuation of the luminous flux due to heating. The importance of the cooling is therefore immediately apparent. This is why we start our measurements by plotting the derating curve with the fixture switched on at full power. Once the flux has stabilized, we can then perform our photometric measurements.
This negligible derating of 6.1% is a very good feature, which can open the doors to video production.
With the cool fixture positioned at 5 m from, and centered on our target, we turn it on at full power and we wait 30 seconds to measure the illuminance. In this way we avoid the peak at the moment of activation. The luxmeter reads 4,575 lux. Measurements are then taken at five-minute intervals. There are only two increments, one at 4,350 lux for 10 minutes and then the flux stabilizes at 4,300 lux, which is a derating of 6.1%. This is a very nice result and a pleasant surprise.
Measurements at the tightest sharp-focus zoom setting
We start with the narrowest sharp beam, which corresponds to a divergence angle of 8.2°. We measure the illuminance at the center at 19,790 lux after derating (21,055 lx cold) and a flux of 6,770 lumens (6,770 lm cold). The luminosity curve is smooth and shows a nice uniformity of the beam.
Measurements at 20°
We measure 4,710 lux at the center after derating (5,010 lx cold). The flux reaches 10,960 lumens after derating (11,660 lm cold). Despite a slight spike at the center, the intensity curve is very smooth.
Measurements at the widest sharp-focus zoom setting
Elation-Fuze-Flux-large
At the widest sharp-focus zoom setting, which corresponds to a divergence of 54.2°, the illuminance at the center is 980 lux after derating (1,040 lx cold) and, 84 readings later (every 10 cm along the four axes of the target), it is possible to calculate the flux, which again reaches 10,150 lumens after derating (10,800 lx cold). The luminous intensity curve is smooth and shows nice beam uniformity. We then check the graduation of the dimmer from 0 to 100% and then from 0 to 10% in order to verify that there are no unpleasant surprises during a fade with a long transition time. Apart from two nicely formed curves, there is nothing to report: the fades are perfectly controlled.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ignition
The fixture has four control modes: Standard, Extended, CMY and CMY Extended, which use from 36 to 59 channels. The control of a 5-color source is not as simple as the usual three channels of RGB or CMY of a typical fixture with a white source. An algorithm allows you to switch from RGBMA to CMY, which is interesting if you don’t use a console with this kind of interface. The difference between Standard and Extended mode is, as usual, a choice between 8 bit or 16 bit control and some additional options. In both of these modes, the Dimmer, Pan and Tilt parameters are controlled on two channels each. Whichever mode is selected, the learning curve is fast. For the test we have, naturally, selected the extended mode, and are pleasantly surprised to find a lot of the menu options.
Now that we’ve finished the measurements, we can blow some haze to view the beam. The first parameter is, of course, the dimmer. We have already tested its linearity, so no surprises, either with a cut or a long fade. In Extended mode we can add a delay time between 0 and 10 seconds. I’m a fan of letting the console manage the timing, but mode control is always a good feature. Of course, with 16-bit resolution, the slow movements are very smooth and it passes the diagonal test flawlessly. The projector is very dynamic when it comes to changing directions but I find that the damping at the end of fast movements feels a bit exaggerated.
From left to right: the narrowest sharp beam, the widest sharp beam and the smallest sharp iris setting.
The zoom range from 8° to 45° is sufficient for most applications. The zoom and iris are very smooth and, even if the zoom lacks a little bit of speed, you won’t have any worries about programming or even dynamic effects. On the other hand, we do notice some spurious light at small apertures. At higher zoom settings, a shadowy area appears around the edge of the beam.
With such a rich light source, color is undeniably Fuze’s greatest asset. It is certain that when compared to a monochrome array of the same power, in terms of light output on a pure white, there is no contest. It is also undeniable that for a Spot or a Profile, a white source is preferred. But if we consider the idea of the range of applications for the greatest variety of benefits, then the RGBBAM array becomes interesting. It allows for greater light output as soon as color is used, especially on saturated colors.
The Color Palette
There is also better color consistency and more attractive transitions. Therefore one doesn’t hesitate to use color or to use only color. On small or medium productions, it is quite possible to use only one type of versatile source. Plus, the addition of Amber and Mint provides a much richer color palette.
Thanks to the RGBAM array, the Fuze offers a very nice color palette.
By adding a few options, Elation’s R&D department has made the color section even more interesting and fun. These include a series of 60 color macros corresponding to Lee filters, and a collection of 100 temperatures of white, ranging from 2400 K to 8500 K, which should satisfy even the most demanding director of photography. And, for those who really need it, the American brand has even added a variable Minus green!
I also like the gobo wheels. The selection is both original and clever. It can do both aerial effects and projections. I prefer this option of two wheels, one of which has static gobos, where all the gobos are usable, rather than two wheels of rotating gobos, or even three wheels, and having only 1/3 of the pattens usable.
Fixed gobos
The projection of the fixed gobos is sharp.
Rotating gobos
The rotating gobos are also projected sharply.
The framing module is well up to the task for a fixture of this price. With the optics, the shutters can be slightly rounded depending on the zoom setting, but this is often the case even on high-end products. The sharpness between the four edges is, of course, not perfect, but it’s not that far off, either. It is possible to completely close the beam with two shutters. A series of macros allows you to quickly obtain basic shapes. The frost has been specially chosen to blur and harmonize the framing shutters.
Some examples of the framing module, including one with frost.
To create animations you can combine the gobos with the effect wheel or the prism. For those who are more daring, if you choose the right combinations, you can use all three at the same time and even add a second gobo!
The 4-facet prism with a gobo and a tight iris.
A multipurpose all-terrain machine
As you can see, the Fuze is not a Profile like the others. It doesn’t pound its chest, it doesn’t flex its big arms, but it does the job very nicely. If the initial concept was to develop a fixture capable of adapting to the greatest number of projects while staying within a very reasonable budget and maintaining a certain level of quality, it’s a success. Even if some functions are not perfect, none of them are mediocre; on the other hand there are some very nice things, such as the color section and the originality of the gobos. With its price (€4750 ex VAT) and its quality, the Fuze should seduce many lighting companies or venues that are not looking for a weapon of mass destruction, but rather a good product that can be put on a lot of shows without raising the bottom line of the bid.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first projectors in the “Servo” range (Servospot, Servozoom and Servocolor, all spot and wash moving heads with MSD250 lamp inside), Starway has launched two projectors named Aperta and Dino, part of a new range of compact and powerful fixtures. Let’s see what’s hidden under the hood.
They’re introduced by Stéphane Caria, Product Manager for Starway.
Aperta
A large clear lens identifies the Aperta, the new Starway LED Beam.
Aperta is a Beam moving head comprising a 50 W RGB LED source. The machine can therefore do without a color wheel, this is a first for Starway which until then used “R” type discharge lamps to produce this type of beam.
This device has a gobo wheel, two rotating prisms, a Frost … basically the classic functions boarding most Beam type moving heads. The device stands out for its infinite Pan and Tilt and its control protocols: DMX (RDM compatible), ArtNet and Kling-Net, all these features are not that common as standard on other devices of the same category! In terms of dimensions, the Aperta does not exceed the height of 45 cm (head up) for a weight of 11.5 kg.
Dino
The Dino is a Spot moving head with a 200W white LED engine inside. Although its design is slightly different, it takes the proportions of the Aperta to within 2 cm.
Dino, the new Starway compact Spot moving head.
Looking at its features, we first discover a linear zoom whose angle can vary between 10 and 25 °, a first wheel of rotating and indexable gobos, complemented by another wheel of fixed gobos.
A single color wheel equips the Dino, and two rotating prisms (once at a time) will animate the beam. Dino is also equipped with infinite Pan / Tilt, control via DMX (RDM), ArtNet and Kling-Net.
CODA Audio USA announces that Sound Decision Productions of Muskego, Wisconsin servicing regional clients in Milwaukee, Illinois and Michigan, has chosen to add an AiRAY system to its inventory consisting of 20 x AiRAY boxes and 12 x SCP subs.
CODA Audio USA is excited to announce that SDP Event of Muskego, Wisconsin, has chosen to add an AiRAY system to its inventory. SDP Event has taken delivery of 20 x AiRAY boxes and 12 x SCP subs. A family run company with impeccable credentials, SDP Event has been in business for more than twenty five years, servicing regional clients in Milwaukee, Illinois and Michigan, as well as undertaking national tours in support of a wide variety of artists.
CEO and Head of Systems Engineering, Mark Hartzell’s first experience of CODA was trialling a HOPS8 system on a handful shows in October, before witnessing AiRAY for the first time at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on the Fantasia tour in November. Mark then took the opportunity to trial 6 AiRAY enclosures and 4 SCV subs, as he describes:
AiRAY : 2 x 12” Nd woofers, 2 x coaxial 6” DPP Double Diaphragm Planar wave drivers, bi-amped, 40 kg and 148 dB SPL Max…
“We were hopeful that what we were going to hear lived up to the science that appeared so impressive on paper. It made sense and after hearing the products in action, we were believers! After doing some in-depth analysis and comparisons to our current brand’s models, we were even more amazed. At the Fantasia show we were really just focused on the AiRAY tops – budget restrictions meant that we had not intended to buy any subs on the initial purchase – but after hearing how tight and defined the sub information was, we realized that we had to get a complete system.” SDP Event had been looking for a turn-key, rider friendly, high quality system that could cover everything from smaller corporate events to arena shows. Upon discovering that AiRAY matched the weight of their small line array box but had a higher output than their large line array box, the decision to invest was easy.
Mark Hartzell continues: “We do a lot of summer festivals with an SL 100 stage, where we are limited to flying 6 of our smaller boxes per side due to weight. Sometimes the promoter will use these small stages in front of a few thousand people and that really stretches the output of our current boxes. Having the CODA system now means that without using another flying solution – or a bigger stage at greater expense – we can use 6 AiRAY per side and get much more output. As far as being rider friendly goes, I’m confident that the more people hear and mix on it, CODA will rapidly become a favorite.”
CODA USA Managing Director Luke Jenks.
CODA USA Managing Director, Luke Jenks, adds: “Sales of our systems for both the touring and fixed installation markets continue to grow in the US. SDP Event’s investment in AiRAY offers yet more firm evidence that an increasing number of forward-thinking audio professionals are switching on to the advantages of our next generation technology. Every indication suggests that 2020 will be another very special year for the CODA Audio family.”
Since 2016, a dedicated research team was formed at ETC to work on future technology and product to improve fixture specialised in light for use on camera. The findings from this study on color perception come together in the family of fos/4 panel lights, now available from ETC.
Each of the three panel sizes (small, medium, and large) deliver brightness in two array options..
The Lustr X8 array incorporate a deep red LED to its mix that enrich the spectrum by enhancing skin tones and giving new depth to blues, greens, and ambers.
The Daylight HDR is a tunable white light array that, using a calculated selection of LEDs from the X8 color system, produce a natural warmth when rendering skin tones and is optimized for output in cooler temperatures.
These soft lights offer a shocking level of brightness, and selectable CCT between 1,900 – 10,450 K. All without compromising on color quality. The full-color screen and tactile encoders on the user interface were designed with the cinematic workflow in mind. fos/4 gives nuanced color control from the full-spectrum color picker within the UI, letting you choose how you mix each color.
Use the Tune function to choose brightest, best spectral, or a hybrid of the two. Save your customized color palette to one of the many programmable presets. The industrial design of the fos/4 panel is ergonomic. Features include the Griprail, a bracket that acts as a mounting location for the fixture as well as for the numerous accessories found on a shoot. Handles that double as safety cable locations, rounded corners, and an industrial gray finish add to the visual appeal without compromising functionality.
Product presentation video
Additional features include NFC configuration from your mobile device, Multiverse Wireless control from your console using City Theatrical’s Multiverse transmitter, and a suite of effects that you’d come to expect from a fixture of this caliber including emergency lights, beacon, camera flash, and party. And like all ETC products, fos/4 Panels are made in the United States, come with an impressive fixture warranty and a customer support promise.
Learn more about fos/4 and how it’s changing the way you light for camera at Studio ETC Connect
With the help of Kinetic Lighting and Elation Professional’s theatrical-grade Artiste DaVinci™ LED moving head, The historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California, near Long Beach, an opulent art deco venue, is moving into a new era of performance.
Photo by George Simian; San Pedro City Ballet production of “The Nutcracker”
Wdlcoming visitors since 1931, the 1500-seat gem features a vaudeville-size proscenium stage with T-guided fly system that makes it a great place for concerts, dance performances, multimedia presentations, film screenings or any cultural event.
In recent years renovation to restore the theatre has been done including a lighting upgrade with the latest in a series of on-going improvements. Kinetic Lighting collaborated with the Warner Grand and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to transform the theatre from a conventional lighting to a completely LED-based system, assisted by Victor Prudeaux, Master Electrician at the theatre.
Photo by George Simian
Looking for a technical sophistication of a contemporary performing arts venue while maintaining its historic integrity, a highlight of the new lighting package are Artiste DaVinci LED moving heads, full-featured spot luminaires and the first moving lights the theatre has ever owned. Kinetic Lighting has been working with the Warner Grand Theatre on the project since October of 2018, assisting with site visits, demos, quoting, and the specs of equipment. “The theatre wanted an all LED upgrade to be up to date with technology and be able to provide renters top-of-the-line, industry standard equipment,” stated Kinetic Lighting’s Laura Green.
“They were looking for an LED source moving light with color-mixing and great gobo options, something that was lightweight and compact and the Artiste DaVinci met all the requirements. It provides stunningly bright and saturated colors and can be used for specials, gobo washes, effect lights, etc. They are versatile enough to be used for everything from theatre and dance to concerts and film shoots.”
Photo by George Simian
Spread across box booms, the deck and overhead electrics, the award-winning DaVinci is an energy efficient CMY and graphics luminaire with a 300W LED engine and 7° to 48° motorized zoom that powers out over 12,000 lumens. “They will be able to make more artistic choices now that they have not only the functionality of moving lights, but color-changing and gobo options that they didn’t have before. They don’t have to dedicate static fixtures to specials for certain colors/gobos anymore,” says Green, adding, “They are thrilled with the results and so happy to have these new fixtures.”
Kinetic Lighting project organised the install, designed a plot, installed, prepped, addressed and programmed the new lights, and provided training on the new fixtures. Other new fixtures in the upgrade include ellipsoidals, battens, par lights and followspots – all LED based – along with a new lighting console. The LED upgrade has allowed the theatre to cut its power costs dramatically while realizing savings on both labor and lamp costs. The upgrade to color-changing fixtures has eliminated the need to cut and use gels and the new moving lights allow fewer lights to be hung for specials.
Photo by George Simian
The overhaul also means that clients booking events at the venue no longer need to bring in their own rental gear to insure the use of top-end technology. And for shoots, the new fixtures are all camera ready. “The lighting has brought a new life to our venue and we’re extremely grateful,” sums up the Warner Grand Theatre’s technical director Mark King Sr.
The lighting upgrade was completed in late November with a San Pedro City Ballet performance of “The Nutcracker” this past holiday season the first performance using the new gear.
Solid State Logic has launched their first-ever dedicated audio interfaces as part of their new personal studio range: the SSL 2, and SSL 2+. Both are USB-powered and include class-leading mic preamps, legacy 4K analogue enhancement mode inspired by classic SSL consoles, studio-quality monitoring, and an SSL Production Pack software bundle.
SSL has been designing cutting-edge mixing consoles and processing tools for the world’s finest recording studios for over four decades, and the new SSL2 and SSL2+interfaces takes this technology and know-how, and places it in the hands of today’s creatives and aspiring professionals.
Designed to be at the heart of a project or personal recording set up, the SSL 2 personal studio is perfect for individual singers, songwriters, or media producers, while the SSL 2+ collaborative studio provides expanded I/O for musicians working and recording together.
“When SSL’s founder, Colin Sanders set about making his first mixing console in the early 70s, he did so because every other console at the time fell short of his expectations and needs,” comments SSL Director of New Products, Niall Feldman. “Fast-forward 40 years, that same philosophy has inspired the team to create the SSL 2 and SSL 2+ for the personal studio market, and share some of that amazing technology in a new format.”
The 2-In/2-Out SSL 2 packs in two classic analogue mic preamps (- 130,5 dB EIN) together with pristine 24-bit/192kHz conversion to capture and hear every detail, a single high-grade headphone output, easy-to-use monitor mix control for critical low-latency monitoring tasks, and balanced monitor outputs.
In addition, the ‘Legacy 4K mode – inspired by the studio favourite, hit-making SSL 4000 series consoles – gives you the ability to add extra analogue character and sparkle to your input sources. The included « SSL Production Pack » software bundle, which includes some of SSL’s own studio-grade Native plug-ins, gives you an incredible arsenal of tools for refining your recordings. The SSL2+ feature set builds in a production hub for those wanting to collaborate, with an additional headphone output with independent monitor mix, MIDI I/O, and additional un-balanced outputs for DJ Mixers.
The SSL 2 is available for £149.99 ex vat /$229.99 /€179.99 The SSL 2+ is available for £199.99 ex vat /$279.99 /€239.99
For more information please contact your favourite reseller or go to our website SSL
L-Acoustics announces the new LA-RAK II AVB flyable touring rack. 12 channels of amplification in 9 U.thanks to 3 Milan-certified LA12X controllers, 2 LS10 AVB switches and power & signal distribution panels offering plug-and-play, reliable and redundant networked audio.
Genio Kronauer
“Our goal at L-Acoustics is to consistently evolve our technology to optimize system design, deployment and control, so that sound engineers can focus on creating extraordinary experiences for their artists and audiences,” explains Genio Kronauer, director of electronics development and Avnu board member. “Launching a dedicated AVB rack is our way of making tours and mobile installations as fast and simple as possible for sound professionals while further improving audio quality.”
The presence of two LS10 AVB switches in a 1 U space within the rack allow for seamless dual network redundancy and a full AVB ecosystem from the P1 processor at FOH all the way down to the Milan-certified amplified controllers. If any failure occurs on the primary audio network, the redundant AVB network is standing by to automatically switch over and continue the show with zero audio loss. The console-to-amplifier AVB signal guarantees better sound quality. Up to 8 channels in one AVB stream can be passed over a single cable, saving labor and cable costs.
As with its predecessors, LA-RAK II AVB is rugged, featuring a shock-absorbing inner frame, protective and handling elements to facilitate transport. Compatible with any voltage standard, LA-RAK II AVB functions worldwide and facilitates tour logistics and cross-rental between L-Acoustics rental partners. LA-RAK II AVB is mechanically and electronically compatible with the legacy LA-RAK II and LA-RAK standards.
An LA-RAK II AVB upgrade kit will be available for existing LA-RAK II owners wishing to upgrade to AVB.
“As the list of AVB and Milan protocol adopters grows, more industry professionals recognize that there is no other networking technology that fulfils the requirement for robust loudspeaker systems,” concludes Kronauer. “The simple fact that Milan is the only deterministic network for professional audio guarantees precise and stable audio transport, which means better quality. The LA-RAK II AVB will let sound professionals forget about network setup and concentrate instead on what they do best – creating amazing performances.”
East Eventz, reached Pawel ‘Spider’ Pajak, and PERCEPTO [LAB] to design and deliver creative solutions for a one-off concert and they chose Ayrton MagicPanel-FX and Khamsin-S fixtures to provide contemporary, densely-coloured and dramatic effects for this special evening. The two-artist featured were singer Dawid Podsiadlo and rapper Taco Hemingway, and was the polish gig featured was sold out with an attendance of 60,000 people.
Spider tells us why he choses to use Ayrton’s technology for this event: “This is not the first time I’ve used Ayrton products – I’ve been using them successfully for quite a few years. I first started with MagicBlade-R then moved to the FX versions, and have also used MiniPanel-FX, MiniBurst and MagicPanel-FX. I have also adopted Ayrton’s range of more classic, but still distinctive, moving lights, starting first with Ghibli, and this year added one of the latest releases, Khamsin-S, and I want the brand to become even more available in the Polish market.
“I really like multifunctional fixtures with maximum pixel control options so I can use them, not only as lighting fixtures, but also as part of low-res video surfaces. I always use them in the highest mode for the maximum creativity. I’ve been able to rely on Ayrton fixtures for several years on so many different productions, from club tours and special events, right up to large scale stadium shows.”
The lighting was supplied by Transcolor and included 64 MagicPanel-FX and 44 Khamsin-S fixtures. Spider tell us more about his design and how he preferred to use the fixtures: “The MagicPanel-FXs were hung in four groups of 16 pieces each on separate truss structures run by Kinesys motors. Each structure consists of three trusses joined together as one structure, corresponding with the whole stage and multimedia design. The MagicPanel-FX were used for various truss looks, both as lighting effects and in combination with the video content as low-res screens.
“The Khamsin-S fixtures were rigged on four straight trusses above the stage and also powered by Kinesys motors. Each truss consists of 8 Khamsin-S which were used to produce numerous beam and stage lighting looks based on different truss positions above stage.
“Another 12 Khamsin-S fixtures were positioned on the upstage floor to create key looks from behind the band and with the effects being highly visible throughout the show. They also produced some beautiful silhouettes. “Khamsin-S fixtures are definitely top of my list these days when considering powerful and effective LED based spot luminaires.”
Spider stated his preferred uses and features in the Ayrton fixtures for this concert: “I really liked the moments when the banks of MagicPanel-FX fly in and out, and transform rapidly from lighting fixtures in one moment, into moving low-resolution screens that run content alongside the video screens. The whole set up of 64 MagicPanel-FXs on four separate truss elements gave me a lot of creativity and were fun to use.
“I find the pixel mapping features very attractive and useful. With a matrix of 25 pixels you can really create many different looks, and by using groups of pixels for different purposes during a song, you have a lot of options. The variable zoom is very useful, particularly on a single pixel, as you can have a nice single, strong, beam of light or an eye-catching diffused point of light, both of which also work well in a group.”
Spider was also happy about the reliability and usability of the Ayrton units. “I can’t complain! They are extremely reliable and most definitely worthy of touring. Some of the on-board macros are very useful, especially when time is at a premium. Ayrton products are one of my first choices and have been for some time.
There are so many fixtures on the market and you need to choose the ones that can help you shape the show according to the creative concept and be effective and attractive at all times. The MagicPanels are one of those tools that give me a lot of creative possibilities and lighting tools like the MagicBursts are still unique on the market.”
A delighted Spider stated, “I’m very happy with the performance of all the Ayrton fixtures that I’ve used for this show. They were very important for the whole lighting design and helped to create the very spectacular and vivid stage looks throughout.”
The first drone light show ever done in Mexico has been performed by Verge Aero, the specialist in high performance drone light shows. Together with Sky Precision, a local partner, Verge Aero has put in place a system of 150 drone lights to create moving, color-changing pictures in the sky in order to open the performance of Dutch DJ Martin Garrix, and celebrate Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) at the FIG19 hot-air balloon festival.
The FIG (Festival Internacional del Globo) hot-air balloon festival, which was founded in 2002, takes place each year in the city of León in central Mexico. It has become one of the leading balloon events in the world. The organizers this year were keen to provide a cutting-edge visual treat for visitors and called on Sky Precision to deliver it. Taking up the challenge, specialists from Verge Aero and Sky Precision thought of a custom choreography to accompany a set of four songs, including an opening number by Mexican guitar maestros, Rodrigo y Gabriella.
Escandra Salim Alle, CEO of FIG says, “We are excited to have hosted the first drone show ever here in Mexico. The show content was amazing, Verge Aero did an excellent job. The enormous crowd loved the drone show and our social media had a blast!” As with every public drone light show, the primary concern for all involved was safety. Emerging from their protected safe landing zone, the drones took to the air to create colorful, dynamic, pre-choreographed movements and shapes including guitars, balloons, flowers – and, of course, the iconic, grinning Día de Muertos skull – in the sky above the performance stage.
Israel Canino, CEO of SkyPrecision says, “We are really satisfied by the professionalism and responsiveness shown by Verge Aero. They performed an amazing show, no matter the changing circumstances in a short time. We’ll definitely keep working with them on many shows in the future.” This ground-breaking aerial performance delivered an unforgettable treat for the audience. At a festival where balloons of all colors, shapes and sizes fill the daytime sky, Verge Aero and Sky Precision showed that airborne entertainment of a different kind can now fill the night-time sky.
The Netherlands saw the debut of the Robe’s new ESPRITE LED moving lights at the high-profile AMF event staged in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. This event, showcased five days of electronic music conference sessions, debates and live events related to the 2019 Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). The AMF totalised 40.000 visitors and some high energy sets from David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Alesso, Don Diablo, Timmy Trumpet and many more.
Photo Courtesy Alda
The production design was created by Maarten Hoogland from organiser ALDA, who is also the overall production manager and Andre Beekmans from creative visual design practice, The Art of Light. The look featured a series of ‘crosses’ and other large geometrically-shaped video pieces flown 360 degrees round the Ajax stadium, and involved approximately 1000 lighting fixtures. Around half of these were Robe, supplied by a combination of Flashlight (the over-stage fixtures) and The Purple Group (lighting around the ArenA).
Photo Courtesy Alda
Andre and his team at The Art of Light have lit AMF from the very first edition in 2013, and in this time the show has developed a signature lighting design which is used as a base, with different variations and ideas introduced to make each year’s set up distinctive and different. The stage end production was 120 meters wide, and full perimeter trussing facilitated lighting, audio and video positions around the venue floor (usually the football pitch) and the first tier of seating to complete a fully immersive experience.
Photo Courtesy Alda
The centre of the arena was filled with 8 long trusses (lengthways orientated) which were sub-hung with 40 x shorter moving trusses on 80 Cyberhoist axes, all rigged with lights. These flew in and out at strategic moments through the event. “The idea was to create a massive nightclub atmosphere in a stadium,” explained Maarten, “for which we needed to be able to close the space right down and make it feel intimate at times, whilst still providing all the WOW factors expected by an AMF audience in a stadium.”
Photo Alive Coverage
In addition to this, for lighting, Andre considered the ‘standard’ rider lighting requirements for each of the artists – all used to their own eye-catching productions. Always interested use new technology, he was happy to have the opportunity of integrating the 38 x ESPRITES into the design. They were deployed on the perimeter trusses around the edges of the arena and used as effects spotlights and for back and side light onto and into the audience.
Photo Alive Coverage
“The ESPRITE is a very a complete and powerful spot,” commented Andre afterwards. He frequently specifies Robe for his various projects and enjoyed weaving Robe’s latest LED moving light – launched only last month – into the bold, vibrant lighting scheme. The ESPRITES worked very well with the BMFL Blades and BMFL Spots on the rig, all needed for their power due to the 13-metre trim height of the perimeter trusses.
Photo Alive Coverage
The ESPRITE is a powerful LED light source and the first LED moving light with a fast-change, low-cost transferrable light engine. Fully developed at Robe’s factory in Europe, this solves any performance longevity issues for high brightness LED fixtures and makes ESPRITE a viable and far more cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to ageing ‘workhorse’ discharge lighting fixtures. For AMF’s beam fixtures – essential for any dance / electronic event – 72 Robe Pointes were rigged over the stage / DJ booth area and worked together with another 240 beam moving lights which were rigged out in the arena.
Photo Alive Coverage
For wash lights, Andre spec’d a combination of Robe Spiiders – with 224 on the plot – and their larger LED wash product, Tarrantula. The Tarrantulas were used for potent rear lighting onstage, with some Spiiders in the over-stage trusses and the majority spread out across the lengthy audience trusses. One hundred and eight Robe LEDBeam 150s were positioned all around the perimeter truss, their remarkable brightness for the tiny size of the unit holding its own! In addition to all the moving lights, Andre had plenty of strobes, LED wash / strobe / blinders and conventional blinders. Stretched in between the gaps of the three large video ‘crosses’ above the stage were multiple LED strings (installed by 4Light), and the cross shape video panels themselves were outlined with LED strips and battens. It was a case of being and thinking stadium BIG and club ‘intimate’ simultaneously. As a lighting and overall design concept this worked spectacularly well to present AMF 2019 which ran from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the energy, music, visuals and great vibes kept pumping! The lighting control was grandMA.
Video content was created and delivered by EyeSupply with the LED screens and video hardware from Pixelscreen and audio was supplied by Purple Group, Jari van Leerdam from Backbone was the technical production manager with an eye on all the tech disciplines, working closely with Maarten.
Photo Willem Jan Smulder
The biggest overall challenge for the event was the short load-in time and the logistics that had to be crunched to make all of this happen sequentially, as, due to the Ajax football match schedule, the grass pitch could only be covered for 24 hours. This entailed some ingenious rigging solutions and the application of that famous practical and lateral thinking for which this industry is renowned says Maarten with a big smile!
All the side and overhead trusses were prepared around the edges of the pitch and utilising the seating stands, so immediately the stadium roof was closed these were moved into place and picked up on pre-hung motors. Once the long trusses were floating in place, the 40 motion trusses had to be were sub-hung, a complex job needing yet more time! All the rigging was completed by Flashlight and Frontline rigging.
Photo Willem Jan Smulder
On the get-out, this was even tighter! All the production elements over the pitch had to be struck and de-rigged by 8 a.m., two hours after the event had finished – so ArenA staff could uncover the grass and re-open the roof … a goal achieved by some fantastic teamwork and excellent advanced planning!
One hundred years of life and history. Robert Juliat’s longevity would deserve an entire book and a dedicated museum. On the JTSE stand, a carbon-arc lantern and an antique follow-spot seduced visitors by their timelessness, while in the “Black Box” stand, new technologies were discreetly integrated into the brand’s latest flagships.
Nice fixtures from the Robert Juliat museum, this ancient follow-spot…
…and this carbon-arc projector.
Ludwig Lepage, Lighting Products Manager, sums up the latest Robert Juliat innovations.
Gamme Zep2
Thus, the LED Profile and Fresnel projectors range has undergone a slight, yet efficient change of LED generation, still Made in Osram, with a better output ratio, from 10% to 15% more, and a better colorimetry spectrum consistency.
The Zep2 660SX2 Profile projector.
The number 2 displayed here makes it possible to distinguish the two generations, as in use the Zep2 will be brighter, albeit with slightly different color temperatures. To summarize in a few words, the Zep2 640SX2 and 660SX2 Profile spots comprise 150 or 300 W LED sources, in 3,200K or 6,000K. The electronic power supply is dimmable without flickering, can be controlled locally or in DMX and remains perfectly silent. The use of plastic gobos is possible, three variable zoom optics are available: 28°-54°, 16°-35° or 11°-26°. The Fresnel Zep2 340 and 360 LF2 are also provided with 150 and 300 Watt LED sources, in 3,000K, 5,000K, 5,700K as well as in variable white 2,700-6,500K. The zoom is manual, the source is controlled by DMX, locally or in wireless DMX as an option.
Arthur follow-spot
The Grand Premiere presentation of the LED Arthur follow-spot occurred for the Americans, favored by the LDI’s short week ahead of the JTSE. From the body of the Oz follow-spot, Arthur’s 800 W LEDs promise to tickle a Victor’s 1,800 W HMI, but with all the benefits of a modern source. Scheduled for March or April 2020, this 7°-14.5° follow-spot will no doubt be aimed at winning a reward at Prolight + Sound as the most powerful in its class.
Maestro and SpotMe
The SpotMe module, thanks to which the Follow-spot operator can direct any batch of moving heads simultaneously with his movements, makes an encouraging start in theaters and one-man shows. This is mostly true to control both backlit and frontlit fixtures in real time by following the artists. This operator tracking system uses the PSN protocol, and was almost usable only with a GrandMA2 console, video servers and possibly a future Chamsys update. It is now compatible with any console thanks to a dedicated server, the Maestro. Developed with the company Zactrack, which has more than 10 years of experience in intelligent tracking in all forms, this complementary unit to SpotMe allows real-time calculation of the movements of all the moving heads tracking the movements of the follow-spot.
SpotMe now compatible with any light desk thanks to the Maestro server.
The engineering behind the Maestro is now being finalized to be available very soon. If prediction algorithms allow to take into account the inertia and the speeds of the different intelligent projectors to be as precise and reactive as possible, other technological advances are expected. Thus, the server will allow to create virtual zones on or off stage with automations to modify the lighting plot whenever the subject reaches one of these zones.
The automatic management of the beams’ sizes, by adjusting the zoom value according to the distance, to always keep the same projection size in real time, will also be proposed. Finally, the integration of the Dalis Footlights and LED Cyc projectors natively in the server, will allow these fixtures to also follow the tracking of the follow-spot, by lighting up around the targeted subject.
The Robert Juliat lighting calibration now integrated into Eos
Particularly appreciated in the theater world, like ETC products, it seemed logical that Robert Juliat should use Eos consoles to control his projectors. The Dalis projectors for Cyc lighting which use eight colors of LEDs to offer the best possible colorimetry are already calibrated in the ETC EOS consoles. This means they were measured, characterized and recorded as data in the libraries in order to give perfect equivalences of gels.
The simpler 4-color LED Dalis 863 is also calibrated inside the ETC lighting desks.
At year start, the four-color Dalis models underwent the same operation to get as close as possible to the eight-color Dalis when they are managed at the same time on an Eos desk. Concretely, the console has the possibility of choosing among the color charts from LeeFilter, GamColor, Rosco and others, hundreds of references, or standard colors, or even variations of white at different color temperatures according to their CRI.
There are three more options to go even further in color management. If the lighting designer wants the best possible spectral distribution, he will use the Spectral mode of the ETC. Brightness mode is available to get more brightness, and Hybrid mode is a compromise between the two. This colorimetry system is reserved for ETC and Robert Juliat projectors. This way, one can perfectly match a Source Four Lustr+ Profile spot and a Dalis 860 Cyc projector.
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