In addition to the purchase of the MagicBlade-Rs, Onyx became the first UK rental company to buy the NandoBeam S3s and to have the MagicDotTM-R available to rent. Lighting hire manager, Phil Joyce explains the background, "I first saw the MagicBlades on a BBC 6Music Festival and was instantly blown away by the versatility and stunning looks the lanterns added to the show. It required a bit of investigation to put a name to the units but LD Neil Johnson had already used them on a tour and steered me in the right direction. That's when I discovered Ambersphere Solutions."
Thor André of Ambersphere Technical Sales went down to demo the MagicBlade fixtures and took along a few of the new Ayrton NandoBeam S3s as well. Joyce was equally impressed, "The NandoBeams were an instant hit. For the size, brightness and price, I hadn't been that impressed with a moving wash light in ages. Quite apart from the 'eye-candy' looks, the flood and spot features are fantastic; from one small head you can achieve a relatively tight spot to a massive wash while still maintaining the brightness. For me it was an imperative to place an order as soon as possible."
André picks up the story, "Before Onyx took delivery we were able to invite Phil, along with a few other of our clients, to France for a preview of the products about to be launched at ProLight & Sound. On his return, Onyx immediately placed an order for a number of Ayrton MagicDots as well, making them the first company in the UK to put them into rental stock. With Onyx being a new customer for Ambersphere, being able to bring Phil to France prior to PL&S made perfect sense as it gave us a chance to get some feedback on the new fixtures from a rental company's perspective."
"The generosity and friendliness of both the Ambersphere guys and the people at the Ayrton factory had an instant effect," Joyce concludes. "Seldom do you meet anyone for the first time and almost straight away have an instant understanding about them and their company's vision for the products that they sell. I get on really well with Thor; he really seems to understand the equipment and, more importantly, our business. He goes above and beyond to help with any technical support and advice. I hope that we will continue to build on our relationship and buy lots more equipment in the not too distant future. I think that more NandoBeam S3s and MagicDotsTM will definitely be on our shopping list."
