Barnes also used PixelDrive for controlling the content running through the Pixel fixtures. The ability to drag, drop, rotate and resize video sources via PixelDrive proved invaluable for his design, as none of the battens were rigged straight. The batten's own onboard effects made it possible to have fast strobe sequences, as seen with The Who and Paul McCartney.Show lighting director for the BBC was Bernie Davies with all lighting equipment for the Hyde Park show supplied by PRG London.
Pixel team's Chris Ewington and Radical Lighting's Simon Carter supplied the latest software and to celebrate the Live 8 occasion, they added some additional new functionality and features, which will now come with all PixelDrives.
Sound Trigger: enables any attribute of the fixture - pulse, colour, strobing etc - to be connected to a sound trigger. PixelDrive offers user-definable sound triggers that synch precisely with the music, using elements of the sound frequency spectrum, e.g. bass, hi-hats, guitar, etc.
Particle Generator: This functions similarly to visualisation programmes on media players, producing movement via oscillations, bar graphs, etc. It allows large quantities of Pixel products to be programmed exceptionally quickly.
Preset Function: This allows the user to take a snapshot of PixelDrive from the laptop and store as a playback on the lighting console's Cue Stack, from where all the attributes can be tweaked. All these new features make PixelDrive even quicker and easier to programme, say the company.
10 PixelLine 1044s and PixelPUPS were used to internally light the onsite interview bubble in Hyde Park. These were supplied by ELP (LD James Campbell) and chosen for their low heat properties and high quality light output. Further 1044s and PixelPAR 90s were used to externally and internally up-light the interview bubble.
The lighting rig for Live 8 Paris, staged in front of the Palace of Versailles, also featured the distinctive look of zigzagged PixelLines. They utilized 80 1044 battens, supplied by main lighting contractor Regie Lumiere. This was also run on a PixelDrive system triggered from the WholeHog II console. French distributor Sonoss supplied the Rome event via locally-based Limelite with PixelLine 1044s and 110s.
(Cheryl Constable)
