The dimmer room of the Düsseldorf Opera now contains 16 dimmer cabinets, each with a main processor and an auxiliary processor for reliable and redundant control of a total of 660 2.5kVA and 48 5kVA channels. The entire lighting control system is networked using Ethernet/DMX technology, providing flexible yet safe operation and allowing the lighting director to constantly monitor operating status throughout the system, right through to the luminaires themselves. Michael Schepers, the head of the project at transtechnik Lichtsysteme, described the use of this network technology as particularly "future-oriented." There are, for example, eight E-Gates plus units (for conversion between Ethernet and DMX) installed in flightcases. This allows DMX sockets to be placed at precisely the location required for the current production. One E-Gate pro is located directly on the revolving stage in order to integrate the DMX-controlled equipment. The E-Gate itself is controlled using wireless Ethernet technology. But it's not just the network technology in Düsseldorf that provides the ideal basis for the use of moving lights and other modern lighting and effects equipment. The intuitive Libra console makes it much easier to control equipment that is difficult to parameterize, allowing the lighting engineers to concentrate on the really important work.
The system also provides for problem-free rehearsal operation in parallel with preparations for other performances. A "Pace Book 600" installed in the directors workplace is also able to access the network using the wireless Ethernet. This, combined with PC remote control and an additional PC office workstation with a WYSIWYG and AutoCAD, allows the most efficient use of preparation and rehearsal time, making the lighting of performances as fail-safe as possible.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
