UK - A new improved version of DMX-Workshop, the free software application for lighting network management, analysis, configuration and diagnostics, is now available for download. The latest update includes numerous improvements based on work done at February's PLASA PlugFest in Lille. The software offers functionality across many protocols, including Art-Net, sACN, DMX512, RDM, VLC and DALI. Key improvements include the curve editor for Artistic Licence's PLASA Gold Award-winning trailing edge dimmer, sunDial. Using DMX-Workshop, users can now define whether they want sunDial to generate a linear or log response. The latter results in a very smooth low end curve - a major benefit for dimmable replacement LED bulbs, which often perform poorly in this range. In addition, Artistic Licence has put in significant R&D effort into developing custom cu
USA/Europe - Elation Professional has several new lighting products launching this spring. The weatherproof Proteus range welcomes the Proteus Lucius, a compact and powerful LED profile with IP65 rating that features a 580W hotspot LED engine and over 30,000 delivered lumens to cut through in any environment. Feature-packed and outfitted with framing shutters, 20 gobos on 3 wheels, animation and CMY + variable CTO colour mixing, Proteus Lucius offers outstanding projection qualities and is the latest step in Elation’s quest to provide “the widest range of IP65 moving heads on the market”. Elation is introducing two additions to its multi-award-winning Artiste LED moving head series, the Artiste Rembrandt and Artiste Mondrian. The Rembrandt and Mondrian partner alongside the Artiste Monet and feature the same seven-flag SpectraColor colour mixing system (CMYRGB+CT
UK - Following his India Idol win, the Mewat-born Salman Ali went on to record songs for popular TV programmes and Bollywood films, in addition to cutting his own records. On 15 February, just weeks before the prohibition of live events took effect, he reached another milestone, appearing for his first solo concert in the UK before a sold-out crowd at SSE Arena Wembley. Providing big bold looks that matched the budding star’s soaring performance, which was produced by Rock On Music, was a sweeping Roosevelt Dsouza lighting design that featured 42 Chauvet Professional moving LED fixtures supplied by Pro System Services. Filling the air with vividly coloured crossing beam patterns, and accentuating his client’s performance with bursts of white audience lighting, Dsouza endowed the venerable arena with a sense of energy that captured the moment. Balancing the
Switzerland - Stagelight, one of Switzerland’s leading production rental houses, recently provided a Green-GO event comms solution as part of the full technical production package for a high-profile professional wrestling show at Zurich’s multi-purpose Hallenstadion. The event was another success for Green-GO’s digital intercom over Ethernet technology, which has become a firm favourite in the events industry. With the show production built around the central wrestling ring, Stagelight’s team designed a 360° sound system on a completely flown rig, with no ground support to block the all-important sightlines. With four followspot positions located high in the stands surrounding the ring, the intercom solution had to be distributed to the furthest reaches of the venue, via both wired and wireless beltpacks. The system fielded by Stagelight was part of a re
South Africa - With the country in lockdown due to coronavirus, DWR Distribution’s staff remain available during office hours, while the company is offering a range of online learning opportunities. “We have entered into completely uncharted territory as individuals as a country and as citizens of a global community,” says the latest update from DWR. “The South African government has taken up the call to become a part the most ambitious and courageous global effort to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus that is causing Covid-19, placing the lives of its citizens before commerce and profit. We at DWR Distribution stand behind our government and our world leaders and pledge our support to stem the threat posed Covid-19 by staying at home. “However, staying in our homes does not mean that we have closed our doors. We have simply installed a virtual
UK - Ollie Searle has joined Stage Electrics as a service engineer working within their busy service department. As part of a team of five service engineers, Ollie will be responsible for visiting customers across the UK, maintaining and repairing a wide range of production lighting audio and video equipment. Stage Electrics are authorised service centres for ETC, Chauvet, ChamSys, Zero 88, Avolites, Martin Professional, Vari*Lite, Strand, Yamaha, DiGiCo RCF, TecPro, Altair and Swisson brands. “It is something I have always wanted to do. My degree was in music production and I enjoy fixing things. Both of these go hand in hand with this role,” said Ollie. Rob Ley, service manager, comments: “Ollie brings with him experience of setting up and operating audio systems in a live sound environment, as well as diagnostic/fault-finding and workshop repair skill
USA - Pigeons Playing Ping Pong thrives on contact with their large, loyal base of hardcore fans. Feeding off the energy of the crowd powers the psychedelic funk jam band through a relentless touring schedule that includes about 200 shows a year. But a wildly cheering audience was nowhere to be seen when the irrepressible quartet took to a temporary stage set up at Showtime Sound’s warehouse in Baltimore on 14 March for a live streamed concert on nugs.tv. Nevertheless, ‘the flock’, as the quartet’s aficionados are affectionately called, got a healthy dosage of Pigeons magic thanks to 90 minutes of free-flowing music, accompanied by a lively Manny Newman designed light show that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures. Covering the stage with bold vibrant colours, Newman evoked the band’s unabashedly modern-hip image on stage while still keeping his looks mana
Europe - Elation Professional’s European website has received a thorough makeover with a redesigned look that makes for a more engaging visual experience with more intuitive interaction. The website’s improved functionality and cleaner, uncluttered design makes it easier for visitors to find the information they need in a more visually appealing interface. The new website, still found at www.elationlighting.eu, is more reflective of the professional development and increased market presence the company has experienced over the past few years. Elation Europe’s new-look website is easier to navigate and features an enlarged format with enhanced visual content. Compatible across multiple platforms/browsers with an adaptive screen size and design for phones and tablets, the new webs
The Netherlands - Throughout the Netherlands bundles of light were visible in the sky on Sunday 22 March evening from 20:00 to 20:30. The light and sound industry joined the #LightTheSky #StayAtHome initiative. Organiser Highlite reports, “This showed once again that the power of entertainment is in all of us, no matter the situation. “From Highlite, we want to thank all those people who are working so hard for all of us to stay safe while we are being affected by the Covid-19. We would like to thank all the industry colleagues who made it possible and projected a light of hope in the sky. We especially like to thank not only the proud owners of our brands but everybody who shared with us and sent us pictures. “Participants included THE LIGHTS.nl, CREATE amazing things, Paco support, the Light Package and Highlite Rent, who used Infinity Intelligent Light and Sh
South Africa - The technical production industry is known worldwide for its resourcefulness and determination, and the coronavirus pandemic is energising some intrepid ideas to help keep businesses rolling and communities safe and functional during the crisis. With all conferences and live entertainment work cancelled or postponed, South African rental company MGG based in Johannesburg was looking at their 32 idle vehicles - ranging from 45ft artics to small run-around vans - when owner and MD Mark Gaylard came up with the idea of offering the fleet for moving essential medical and other supplies during the crisis. Mark composed a quick Facebook post about the transport fleet which went on his own personal page and before long it had nearly 400 shares and people started talking and calling. The initial inquiries have started to become a steady trickle of work,
Europe - LED lighting manufacturer Astera has launched Astera Academy, an online resource of free webinars dedicated to the company’s hardware and software offerings. Available at www.astera-led.com/academy, the new venture enables interested parties – lighting and visual designers, DOPs, directors, gaffers, grips, engineers and techs - to utilise and maximise their time in self-isolation to learn. The Astera Academy is doing its bit to help make the best out of the worldwide situation and assist the creative and resourceful entertainment technology industry to be ready to hit the ground running when life and business return to normal! The Astera Academy offers free webinars allowing people to learn more about the AsteraApp and various Astera lighting fixtures. Topics will include subjects like Getting Started with the AsteraApp to discover its
USA - Last October, Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia debuted a high-tech scoreboard and arena lighting system that has enriched the fan experience and set a new standard for arena scoreboard displays. Full-service production company Light Action Productions of Delaware played a leading role in specifying, designing and supplying the lighting and included a range of Elation lighting products in the system. Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers fans know all about the massive configurable display that is described as the most technologically advanced arena scoreboard in the world. The world’s first 4K kinetic centre-hung entertainment system, the new scoreboard has become a huge part of the fan experience. The new scoreboard is the latest step in Wells Fargo Centre's extensive renovation plan, a $250m multi-year transformation of the arena that began in 2017. Completed in c
UK - One of the biggest stars of the immensely popular Irish country music scene, Nathan Carter and his band recently finished a 13-date tour of England backed by an ADJ-led lighting and effects rig. From beams to stage washes, smoke effects to dry ice, Nathan’s long-time lighting designer, Derek Reilly, relies on ADJ equipment to create the backdrop for his jubilant performances. Born and raised in Liverpool by a family that originated from the city of Newry in County Down, music has always been a part of Nathan Carter’s life. After spending his youth traveling to Ireland to compete in the Fleadh Ceoil singing competitions as well as playing accordion and piano in a Liverpool-based Ceili band, he moved across the Irish sea at the age of 18 to pursue a fulltime career in music. Over the following decade, Nathan has honed a distinctive sound that draws together coun
Canada - Lighting designer Normand Chasse of Montreal-based Wysart selected Robert Juliat Dalis 864 LED asymmetric footlights for the recording of Mix Sonore, a new English-French music variety programme, which will air on Canada’s TV5Unis starting in May. Mix Sonore is a live music series which features Martha Wainwright hosting a line-up of English and French-speaking artists at Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Marquee Ballroom. Performers on the 13 shows include Rose Cousins, Classified, Matt Andersen, Basia Bulat, Jason Collett, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Sam Roberts, Etienne Fletcher and Yann Perreau. It was produced by Connections Productions Inc. of Halifax. Normand Chasse says he was “excited to see” the Dalis 864 fixtures at last year’s LDI and has been kept up to date on the fixtures by ACT Canada’s Alex Monat. The Dalis 864 is a new, 150W colour v
USA - At 7pm on Saturday 21 March, the four members of Feed the Dog found themselves someplace they never thought they’d be a few weeks earlier: standing before microphones ready to perform their high energy blend of rock and bluegrass music. There was no audience present, but the jam banders, who have played at clubs across the US and festivals like SXSW, didn’t care, it was a chance to perform live music - plus it was all for a good cause. The Feed the Dog show was the first of what promises to be a series of livestreamed concerts at the warehouse, turned studio, of JEM Productions in Wausau, WI. Joe Ellis, the owner of the production house, came up with the concept of doing the Saturday livestreams, which are lit by his company’s collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue, STRIKE and COLORado fixtures. A guitarist himself, Ellis wanted to do the shows, f
Germany - Ever since 1963, the Philharmonie Berlin has been the capital's musical heart - at the opening when it was still located at the periphery of West Berlin, and even more so when it became part of the new urban centre after the reunification of Germany. Today, the Philharmonie designed by Hans Scharoun belongs to the Kulturforum Berlin along with the Chamber Music Hall, the museum of musical instruments and a series of other buildings, and is just steps away from the Potsdamer Platz. Its exceptional design reminiscent of the shape of a tent and the conspicuous yellow colour visible from afar have made it one of the city's landmarks. While initially the unusual and innovative character of its architecture and concert hall design provoked controversy, the Berliner Philharmonie has since inspired architects of concert houses everywhere in the world. The Chamber Mu
USA - On 10 March, the Black Rock Church planning team met with the pastoral staff in Fairfield, CT to discuss the upcoming weekend’s services, as well as the church’s 63rd Missions Conference, which was slated to begin five days later. Like many plans in every corner of the world, the ideas the team was drawing up were interrupted by growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. “Reports about COVID-19 infections increasing were obviously very worrisome,” said Christopher Palazini, lighting and associate technical director at the 171-year old church. “The chance of some 2,400 Sunday morning worshippers - and many hundreds more attending the planned conference - being exposed to the virus was not something we wanted to risk. So, after consulting with local health and town officials, the church leadership chose to suspend on-site services, most likely through the en
Germany - Lighting control specialist Madrix has scheduled a free live streaming programme to start next week. “To stay connected with our industry and lighting community, we would like to invite everyone to join us live on YouTube from the Madrix headquarters,” says marketing manager Martin Fritzsche. “We will be offering an update on what we are working on to stay connected. Among those is the world premiere of a brand-new hardware product.” The programme includes: Madrix: 2020 March Update - an overview over the latest updates regarding the company’s range of LED lighting control solutions made in Germany; Madrix Radar - Unleash the full potential Of RDM - Learn how to unlock unprecedented RDM functionality with this brand-independent tool with fully automatic 24/7 device monitoring and automatic e-mail notifications; the world premie
USA - The Knoxville Museum of Art held the 17th annual L’Amour du Vin, its primary fundraising event that features a wine dinner and auction. The soiree took place on 7 March, and Bandit Lites donated a lighting system for the event, lighting spaces ranging from the façade of the museum to multiple interior spaces and the tents into the gardens. “For these locations, we chose the Chauvet Freedom Par Quad-4 IP,” said Bandit Lites general manager Giff Swart, noting that most of the spaces had limited power available. “Another advantage of the Freedom Par is that they can be controlled wirelessly, and this keeps cables from cluttering the floor and creating trip-hazards.” “As an event planner and designer, I can attest that few other event elements have the same impact as lighting,” said event designer Carla May Paré. “It has the power to transform an e
UK - When forming special effects company, Encore SFX, George Baker and Anthony Earles, both of whom have many years’ experience in senior roles in the SFX business, decided to invest in the highest quality special effect products available, and knew exactly which company and products they wanted to partner with. “We needed great products from a reliable company who could offer not just the quality but the essential support required, and immediately thought of MDG,” says Baker. The company purchased four MDG Ice Fog Q HP low fog generators with DMX interfaces, and four pneumatic Round Floor Pockets with remote control boxes. The Ice Fog Q HP produces a thick, low-lying fog with zero residue. The award-winning Round Floor Pocket is DMX/RDM operated and can be embedded in the stage floor or set wall to conceal a fog output and deliver low fog or fog to precise lo
China - Shanghai, a metropolis with a population of more than 24 million people, has a new venue - Club Beehive. Two Eindhoven-based design companies were behind its design: multidisciplinary design studio, 250K, created the Beehive concept and commissioned The Art of Light to come up with an equally stunning lighting design for this new club venue. The partnership follows a successful first collaboration for Club Myst in Suzhou, west of Shanghai. In keeping with the Beehive theme, Mees Bouman, 250K’s set designer, developed a concept based around a tornado of hexagon shapes arrayed in a honeycomb design. An organic, tree-shaped centrepiece is sited behind the DJ booth which, in turn, is flanked by curved LED screens. The honeycomb theme is repeated throughout the entire club interior as well as across the set design and décor. The honeycombs spread up and out abov
USA/UK - Elation Professional and the ADJ Group of Companies “wish to bring a heartfelt message to everyone in our beloved lighting community”. “Like you, we are shocked and saddened by the devastation the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the world, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected,” say the companies. “Throughout our 35-year history, we have always been a company that cares deeply about our personnel, and therefore place the health and safety of all our employees and their families as our top priority. “In order to provide a safe and secure working environment while continuing to support our customers, we are adjusting staff levels and operating on a reduced schedule going forward. To further minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission and to adapt to the current business climate, we have decided to temporarily adjust our US opera
UK - Lighting console manufacturer ChamSys has announced an online programming contest - the ChamSys Online Programmers Competition. The competition is open for entries until 10 April and participants will be in for a chance to win a MagicQ MQ70 console. The first 25 entries will also receive a MagicDMX Test Kit, and the three runners-up will get a ‘premium swag bag’. For the competition, ChamSys is utilising Chauvet Professional’s 200-fixture rig that was meant to premiere at the now-cancelled Prolight+Sound 2020 tradeshow. To participate, entrants must download the Vis/Base show file of the rig, select a one to three-minute song of their choice, and programme the lights using MagicQ with MagicVis visualistion. Entrants then have to record their entries via screen capture and submit them, along with the show file, to competition@chamsyslighting.co
Europe - Benelux rental companies recently took part in #LightTheSky, an initiative in support of key workers and those on the frontline of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. On 22 March, for half an hour, companies and individuals - in fact anyone with access to a light - were invited to point it upwards and #LightTheSky. The idea was conceived by a Dutch rental company and became a clarion call taken up by numerous entertainment rental companies, venues, broadcasters and others, by people working in every segment across the whole Benelux Region with some extremely creative results. Heart shapes were a popular choice and many of the lighting schemes utilised Robe products - MegaPointes and Pointes were a favourite for their brightness - however other products and brands were also involved in this spontaneous and imaginative expression of solidarity. It highlighted gra
