Lighting

Details
UK - Essential Lighting was asked by Andy Ayres of Mantaplan to provide lighting for the 60th anniversary of VE day, in Trafalgar Square. Under the direction of Mark Kenyon, Essential's Tony Hall took on the challenge of installing two 40ft trailers worth of equipment into the Square.

The site was particularly difficult, given a very limited back stage area, and many hours were spent playing "flightcase Tetris". Over a three-day fit up period, 145 moving lights (mainly Martin MAC 2000 units of various types) were rigged in and around the Square, to Kenyon 's specifications. The spec included 16 City Colours to light the National Gallery, City Beams for the fountains, 60 MAC 2000 wash lights and 60 MAC 2000 profiles, with eight MAC 2000 Performances thrown into the mix. Additional effects were from 60 Chroma cans, and 24 Chroma banks.

Control was under the mighty fin

Details
Making its official world debut, the ice*lighting super-batten from Telectra provides stunning lighting effects with efficient control. Designed and engineered by transferring technologies developed for the aerospace and electronics industries, each batten contains over 300,000 micro lenses providing colour blending effects with very little attenuation of the light. The blending is enhanced by the use of 384 individually controlled tricolour LEDs per batten, giving high definition pixelization with no apparent point sources.

With only 8 DMX channels per batten, control sequences across 1152 emitters, offering the potential for complex sequences, individual batten control, speed control, freeze frame and frame nudge facility in real-time RGB control and real-time dimming. Shows and sequences are saved in solid-state memory and triggered by DMX control, and are uploaded to battens via Et

Details
USA - Following the letter in the last issue from Brett Kingstone, president and CEO of Super Vision Inc, L&SI put some further questions to Color Kinetics regarding its recent US patents and patent applications.

L&SI: Patent application (20050044617) for 'Methods and apparatus for illumination of liquids', was filed on 3 March 2005, and another, very similar Patent (6,869,204) was granted on 22 March 2005. The abstract of the granted Patent 6,869,204 'Light fixtures for illumination of liquids' appears to be very close to that of the latest application. What is the purpose of applying for the second, very similar patent?

George Mueller, Color Kinetics: "The patent applications referred to here (dated 2005) are actually continuations of previously filed, issued patents and pending applications, dating back as far as 1997. The specific details are c

Details
The A&O Falcon Beam is a large-format Xenon beam lamp on a moving yoke, developed by German based A&O, built in the UAE, and sold by TMB. Available in 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8kW versions, TMB claim the unit is far more dependable than any of its main rivals.

Attracting even greater interest on the TMB stand was the Pharos architectural control, a small install type Ethernet based programmable lighting controller. Highlighted in L&SI in March 2005, this unit will control a, "whole hog load of different lighting fixtures," said Tommy Stephenson of TMB, and more significantly, "can be controlled and re-programmed over the phone via direct connection."

Details
Two Italian manufacturers - LDR and Studio Due - teamed up to introduce 'a new concept in lighting' - the Xpress Moving, which combines the high technology of a Studio Due moving head with the functionality of an LDR colour scroller. The fixture uses standard colour gel filters, and is precise and completely silent in use, making it ideal for theatre, TV and live events.

Details
A raft of new offerings from Robe Show Lighting covered a range of markets. First up, the MediaHub 2X4 D is a media server located inside the base of Robe's ColorSpot 575AT, for easy rigging. It has four parallel outputs and combines two digital layers with a selection of up to 255 video clips or images per layer. It supports MPEG1, MPEG2, PNG and BMP.

The StudioWash 750H AT, which is based on the functionality of the ColorWash 1200E AT, is the first fixture from the company to use a halogen source. Also from Robe, the ColorWash 250 AT completes the AT line of moving heads and boasts a new optical system which, Robe says, makes it 50% brighter than its predecessor, the Wash 250XT. Next, the latest additions to Robe's Club and Bar series are the ClubRollers 250 and 150CT and the HIP-HOP. DMX controllable, they offer stand-alone or master-slave operation.

On the fog front, the new Robe

Details
MA lighting highlighted a powerful new software tool for LDs and programmers: grandMA video is capable of controlling, via grandMA consoles, any commercially available PC server hardware and the video projector plugged into it. In cooperation with Publitec, MA also offers an integrated system solution consisting of special 19" server hardware (publitec proVideor) and moving video lights (beaMovers). The grandMA consoles are at the heart of the system and can be network-linked to a maximum of 15 grandMA video applications using MA-Net. This interactivity ensures that grandMA video can be used at full capacity, including the entire range of effects available.

As grandMA video is a fully integrated part of the grandMA network system, it is not just triggered via DMX. This has many advantages.

On the one hand a minimum of setup and configuration is required due to bi-directional com

Details
LSC Lighting previewed the company's soon-to-be-released lighting desk, Xtc. Based on the proven maXim engine and advanced moving light control from the popular PaTPad touch screen module. Offering a multitude of playback masters - up to 29 simultaneously, 500 memories, 100 fixtures, 100 groups, 100 presets, 100 palettes and 1024 DMX output channels. With no faders, it has dedicated latching and flashing buttons with a tri-colour status LED for each playback. Also on show was LSCs range of installation digital dimmers - EKO. Available in a number of formats, designed to make the installer and operator's life easier, its mounting frame allows termination of load and data wiring prior to the dimmer being on site. Connection of the dimmer to the frame and output wiring takes less than five minutes. Alan Graham, sales director told me that Spectra Stage & Event Technologies AB has recently t

Details
Clay Paky showed its Alpha range of high quality effects projectors introduced in the autumn of last year, including the Alpha Spot HPE (offering a 10°- 40° zoom, electronic focusing, full CMY colour mixing and up to 20 gobos which can be used in conjunction with a graphics disc) and the Alpha Wash Halo (Halo signifying its Halogen lamp source), which is aimed at high-spec applications including theatre and television, say the company. The Alpha Wash halo offers CMY colour mixing, a 14°-64° linear zoom, variable frost, indexable ovalizer, electronic dimmer and a stop/strobe effect.

Details
Osram added to its modular SharXS lamp range with the HTI 1200 W/D7/75, offering a colour temperature of 7500K. As with all SharXS lamps, the metal halide lamp is compact and double-ended and features short arc and eXtreme Seal (XS) technology, allowing them to handle thermal stress up to 450°C. Its main areas of application, say Osram, include stage, film and television, and its improved heat handling offers benefits in terms of reduced cooling, smaller housing requirements and quieter operation.

Details
UK - All budding lighting designers should be hard at work as the submission deadline looms for the annual Michael Northen Bursary, organized by the Association of Lighting Designers in conjunction with ETC and the Mousetrap Foundation. With the competition closing on 31 May, judging will take place in mid June at the ABTT theatre show.

Last year the judges were so impressed with the standard of entries that, in an unprecedented move, they agreed to present two runner-up prizes of £250 each, in addition to the first prize of £500. Judge Mark White, ETC's UK regional manager for UK and Ireland, said: "I had no hesitation in saying that ETC would augment the main prize with a further £250 for each of the two runners up and am pleased to confirm that ETC will be doing the same this year. The level of work we saw last year was of the highest calibre and it is only right that

Details
USA - SurgeX has re-engineered its one-rack-space (1U) surge protectors and power conditioners to feature new Advanced Series Mode surge suppression and proprietary power-conditioning technologies such as Impedance TolerantEMI/RFI filtering, SurgeX ICE inrush current elimination, and COUVS catastrophic over/under-voltage shutdown.

Advanced Series Mode technology is the latest generation of SurgeX's proven Series Mode circuitry, which uses an inductor as the first and primary surge-suppression component to intercept and contain destructive surge energy. There has never been a failure of Series Mode protected equipment. Unlike other approaches, Advanced Series Mode technology does not rely on metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) as a sacrificial component. In addition, it creates no ground-wire contamination or common-mode surges and has zero let-through voltage.

SurgeX 1U products prov

Details
UK - West-London based Projected Image Digital, has supplied and installed a series of bespoke Element Labs VersaTUBE LED display systems for telecoms giant O2. PID was working to the specification of leading UK brand experience and production company Imagination.

The installations - involving nearly 300 TUBES - are now operational in the shop windows of selected flagship O2 retail outlets around the UK. Inbuilt into customized two-metre wide racking, the VersaTUBE linear LED fixtures are running a 15 minute loop of high-impact, low-resolution video visuals.

Imagination wanted a turn-key solution for the project. It also sought a supplier able not just to specify the right product, but to offer the requisite amount of technical expertise, support and back up, both during the installation and thereafter - in the specific area of digital media. This is why PID was chosen for the

Details
UK - Siyan Lighting recently supplied 20 Chroma-Q Color Blocks for use on alternative rock band Athlete's three night residency at Brixton Academy in April. Athlete is currently touring the UK to promote the bands No.1 album, Tourist.

Siyan lighting designer Bryan Leitch and co-designer Dom Smith decided to add an extra visual backdrop during particular songs in the band's set. This involved using White canvas drops, just above stage height, washed with vibrant colours to provide a strong contrast to the stage backlighting.

Lighting the drops required an LED batten solution that could be floor-mounted directly below each of the four 0.75m wide canvas strips. The fixture needed to be very bright to effectively up-light the full height of the drops and produce the richness of colour required. Leitch required varying lengths of batten and having heard of the modular design

Details
UK - Following the Junior Scan 2, the Junior Barrel is available with a 150W discharge lamp. Barrel scans spread the single beam into many beams. Featuring 15 dichroic colours plus white, two multicolor effects and 19 Gobos (two exchangeable).

In addition the Junior Barrel has a 4.5mW laserdiode and mechanical shutter for high-speed strobe effects (like all fixtures of the Junior range), DMX addressing and adjustment of all functions like Audio stand alone and Master-Slave is made very easily via the display. The fixture is available in black and silver.

The lamp is an Osram discharge lamp HSD 150/70 with an average service life of 3.000 hours and colour temperature of 7.500 k. The unit offers a mirror barrel with a pan of 230°. The unit also features a laser 4,5 mW laserdiode with DMX control.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

Details
UK / UAE - The recent PALME 2005 show launched James Thomas Engineering's PixelRange officially into the Middle East lighting market with their newly appointed distributor - Avolites ME. Avolites had one of the largest stands at the PALME show and certainly the best entrance position to demonstrate the PixelLine and PixelDrive system to all visitors entering the show, say JTE.

This even included a royal seal of approval on the second day, when before the show opened Avolites received a royal visit to the stand by HH Sheikh Hassan Lottah with his entourage and Dubai TV crew. As a customer of Avolites, the Sheikh personally chatted with Avolites MD Tony Shembish regarding the show's activities and once the royal party had left - the show opened to trade professionals.

Avolites designed their impressive PALME stand around the LED PixelRange. The PixelDrive software running the Pi

Details
USA - James Thomas Engineering's new PixelLine 110ec batten is making its touring debut on Alicia Keys' The Diary US tour. Specified by LD Michael Trifillis and supplied by Nebraska based Theatrical Media Services.

PixelLine 110ec is a high brightness linear wash device comprising of five cells, each of which uses five blue and green 3W Luxeon emitters and six red and amber 1W Luxeons. These high intensity emitters can produce 42 million colour combinations. Trifillis is using 24 PixelLine 110ec's in total and it's also the first time he has used James Thomas's LED units.

Twelve are used primarily as 'toners', to light several upstage drapes including the main beige scenic drop, two beige swag drapes and white chiffon drapes in between the two swags. Drapes play a major scenic role in the stage, set designed by Paul Pape. The beige was chosen to give the drapes a differ

Details
USA - New Jersey-based Circuit Lighting has announced a number of changes as it continues to modernize its operation, including modernization of its offices, the introduction of a new logo and the launch of a new website. Company president Richard Tilley says he felt it was time to create a new logo to symbolize the many changes and his desire to create a fresh, sunny and bright company outlook.

Circuit Lighting's office modernization has seen the addition of a new warehouse distribution computer system that barcodes all inventory. New Robe Show Lighting fixtures will replace its existing moving light inventory, ensuring superiority and latest technology in the production field. Circuit Lighting's fleet of new trucks will deliver anywhere within the United States on time, say Tilley.

Finally, on the personnel front, Circuit Lighting has announced the addition of Mark Toth to i

Details
Australia / USA - Australian manufacturer Enttec, producer of popular DMX tools including the Datagate and the Open DMX USB Pro, has announced the opening of its US warehouse, distribution and repair centre, in Maryland, USA. The new site, opened to service the company's ever-growing client base in the US, carries stock of the full Enttec range and all US-based orders are now sent from there, thus minimizing transit time and offering overnight shipments for urgent orders, say the company. The staff at this centre can also perform repairs on all Enttec devices.

Enttec is now looking to expand its dealer network in the USA and Canada.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
Iceland - Iceland's premier TV production company, 365 Media, has been a Robe distributor since Robe's direct brand launch at PLASA 2002. The dealership was secured by Alfred Sturla Bodvarsson, head of the 365 Media's lighting department. Since then, the Czech moving light manufacturer's representation in Iceland has grown in line with Robe's international success; the company has imported over 70 fixtures to Iceland with just 280,000 inhabitants.

Recently 365 Media used nearly all its Robe stock to light the finals of the most popular TV show in the country's history - Icelandic Idol. Set and lighting were designed by Alfred Sturla Bodvarsson. The show's LED-lit truss half-dome, was supplied by Eurotruss in Holland and clad with LED starcloths from Universal Stars Ltd, as was the rear projection material, onto which Apollo Design Technology glass cloud gobos were project

Details
UK - After some 20 years of working together, the directors of DHA and Rosco have announced DHA has transferred all assets, staff and services to Roscolab Ltd. The alliance came about as a result of strategic development discussions during which it became apparent that both companies could benefit from being a stronger, united force.

The combined statement announcing the deal said: "Culturally, DHA and Rosco are a natural fit, bringing together the best of product innovation and customer service. They know that investment in processes, production and people is necessary in order to maintain their position as market leaders in the supply of gobos and projection solutions and they are determined to move the gobo business forward in the coming months and years. Together Rosco and DHA have the expertise, reputation and product range to explore new markets and develop new territ

Details
USA - IBM's PartnerWorld 2005 brought together 5,600 of the computer giant's business partners and executives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlimited Visibility Lighting Design's (UVLD) John Ingram was asked by executive producer Tom Spaulding of Drury Design Dynamics, to light the event which showcases IBM's on demand business strategy and sales execution plans to the largest annual global gathering of IBM Business Partners. Along with UVLD co-designer Paul Sharwell, Ingram created a spectacular visual landscape with hundreds of moving lights on a tight schedule and with automated set pieces.Held in the arena at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center, IBM's PartnerWorld had just three days of load in and rehearsal time before the first show day. With 81 Martin MAC 2000 Wash fixtures, 88 MAC 2000 Profile fixtures, 36 MAC 2000 Performance fixtures and 22 High End Studio Spots, progra

Details
UK - Hawthorn has taken exhibition space for the first time at this year's ABTT Theatre Show (15-16 June 2005, Royal Horticultural Halls, London). "The show will give us the opportunity of raising awareness of our Hire, Sales and Installation teams and also give our staff the opportunity to meet the people they talk to on the phone," said the company's Alan Jackson.

Hawthorn was started nearly 20 years ago by MD Martin Hawthorn, hiring equipment out of his garage, and has now grown into an international company with over 85,000sq.ft of warehouse space in Old Dalby, near to Melton Mowbray, at the heart of Britain. "Being dealers for many of the world's leading suppliers and with a team who have many years of professional theatre, events and entertainment experience, we feel we are very well placed to offer all our customers the best advice and product available&quo

Details
USA - The SeaChanger Colour Engine from Ocean Optics can be used to produce dramatic architectural lighting effects in large venues such as museums and churches, say the company. The SeaChanger is a CYM colour changer for ETC Source Four Ellipsoidal Spotlights. It uses robust dichroic filter technology, which requires no cooling, to create a virtually endless palette of stable, reproducible colours that do not shift or fade with time or temperature.

Ocean Optics says its patented process yields the most robust dichroic filters available, allowing users to control colour, intensity and saturation to unprecedented levels of precision. The company says its filters also provide higher transmission efficiency than gels and other filter materials, and their resistance to temperature and humidity eliminates the need for noisy fans.

SeaChanger employs four patterned filters: cyan, yel

  1. Bamboogie for LED
  2. Zero 88's Frog for Flock Rock
  3. Strand announces UK consolidation
  4. One Big Weekend for Martin
  5. New CEO for Martin Professional A/S
  6. AVR takes up Super Vision licence
Page 634 of 1201

Latest Issue. . .