For Bale, this was the inaugural journey on a grandMA2 console. "I had been using the same desk almost exclusively for the last fifteen years; like most people you tend to stick to what you're used to. A desk is a very personal choice but Paul encouraged me, telling me that I wouldn't regret giving the MA2 a try. And, in fact, it was the ability of the board to allow you to set it up in such a way that is unique to its user is something that I feel is real strength of the console - something that initially won me over - without being limited to a fixed set of windows and faders which cannot be altered too much.
"For me and I'm sure a lot of MA users, the real time is spent setting up your desk, doing your house keeping and storing that file as a template for current and future programming with only minor tweaks in preparation for the next scenario you find yourself in. In that way it's an incredibly adaptable and versatile desk."
Normandale's design asked for the grandMA2 to show off one its most exciting features. As he remarks: "With Kings of Leon, the rigs were getting bigger and bigger and we needed the bitmap ability of the grandMA2 - in fact Lite Alternative provided a total of eight grandMA2 for the project."
Bale expands on Normandale's comment. "Paul designed a wall of lights - about 500 in total - for Kings of Leon a couple of years back and this is where the MA2's pixel-mapping abilities really come into their own. On this current design we use 16 Elidy panels at 225 channels per unit. Although the two designs are completely unique to one another, the pixel-mapping again has been a crucial element of the desk's functionality for the purpose of what was looking to be achieved; the ease of the pixel-mapping facility on the MA led to a much quicker programming sessions."
Once out on tour Bale continued to find the grandMA2 full of useful tools, as he explains: "We had lots of different festival scenarios and here, the use of fixture swapping was often crucial to getting everything right for the show. Needless to say that time frames are tight on festival load ins and the ability to swap fixtures with (at the most) minor updates to your already programmed show means you aren't compromising your show and can update other necessary data more quickly."
Ambersphere Solutions, the UK distributor for MA Lighting, Robert Juliat & Clay Paky, score something of a double whammy with Kings of Leon: Normandale has generously populated the rig with Clay Paky Sharpies. "The Sharpy is a great unit that bring something new to the table," comments Bale. "It does exactly what it sets out to do and provides a unique and exciting element to a busy light market where manufacturers are always trying to keep one stop ahead of their rivals."
(Jim Evans)
