As a lighting partner in Music City Lab, TLS created an Elation showroom at the facility, featuring some of the lighting supplier's leading products and technologies. Included are Elation's EWDMX wireless DMX control system, Impression RGB LED moving head, Platinum Spot 5R with Philips MSD 5R lamp technology, Design Beam 300 spot/wash/beam projector, and Opti Tri Par RGB LED par can, just to name a few. Products from Elation's sister companies Global Truss and American DJ are also featured.
The Elation lighting display is shown in combination with other lab partners' video and sound gear. The entire 5,000sq.ft Music City Lab space is designed to replicate a realistic club/stage-like setting, so that visitors can see firsthand how the products perform in a real-world application, explained David Milly of TLS.
"Music City Lab is set up to look like a nightclub with a stage - only I don't know of any club with that much gear. said Milly, whose company provides lighting for the tours of major Nashville artists, including Brad Paisley. "It's a place where people going on tours can get an idea of what's available, what's happening and actually pick out some items they want to use on their set."
The idea of launching Music City Lab came about after XL Video enjoyed success with a similar lab concept in New York City, designed to allow industry professionals to view the company's most advanced LED video screen technology. "We could tell right away it was something the industry needed. Professionals from all over were drawn to it," said XL Video's Ken Gay, who is now the director of Music City Lab.
Based on that experience, the video manufacturer decided to implement a lab in Nashville, but gear it toward the city's touring artist segment and "invite others in the industry to show off their wares as well". "Nashville did not have a central location for pre-production," noted Gay. "Music City Lab is the city's first pre-production facility that is friendly and open for any tour manager, production manager, artist or designer to see the latest and greatest in touring technology and get creative."
Music City Lab's location, in downtown Nashville's trendy historic Cummins Station building, is convenient to the city's Sommet Centre concert arena and Broadway Street club district. The lab is open to industry members by appointment, and it's also available on a rental basis for parties and special events.
"We've had everything from control console training sessions to after-awards-show parties and No.1 record parties in there," said Milly. "Or if a production manager needs a place to meet with his crew, we'll let them come in and use the space. What we're trying to do is get people in there, so they say, 'What in the world is that new light,' then go back and tell other people, 'You gotta get down there and see this.' That's what gets the buzz going."
Recently appointed as an authorized Elation service center, TLS is committed to maintaining the Music City Lab lighting display for the long haul, said Milly. "There's maybe $100,000 worth of Elation products in there, and it's all strictly for display. We're not going to take it down or rent it out."
(Jim Evans)
