SGM UK has now provided design support for system integrators, Cosmic Electronics, who have installed another SGM 3D pixel extravaganza (along with other SGM effects) in the newly-opened Faces in Wolverhampton, on the site of a former Oceana.
Having stood empty for around 19 months this landmark building has now reopened after undergoing a £750,000 refurbishment.
In common with earlier themes, Faces contains two dance rooms split across two floors (the 1000-capacity 'Tomorrow' and smaller 600-capacity 'Yesterday'). In the larger room, the lighting system has been completely replaced with a giant 'canopy' comprising 200 SGM LT-100 1-metre 3D pixel tubes hovering over a vast floor - enabling flexible usage ranging from a conventional dancefloor to providing the location for a boxing ring. This is the fourth large scale LT-100 centrepiece No Saints has called upon.
The model resembles the operators' Wonderland in Maidstone, with the LT-100's, augmented by a 'curtain' of 16 SGM Idea Beam 300 conventional moving heads, and eight SGM X-5 white strobe on the octagonal rig pulsing further energy into the high octane atmosphere. But it is the programming that sets this apart - with SGM UK's Rob Kirby optimising the pixel tubes by programming the latest software version (3.0a) of the Madrix LED effects generator - to stretch the tubes' creative abilities - while a ShowCad Artist 3 (also artistically programmed by Greg McLennan and used with a MIDI keyboard) handles the other dynamic effects.
With the easy to access presets stored as templates, along with a library of dynamic 3D FX, LJ Chris Beardwell is able to trigger a stupendous show, full of high impact, from the moment the LT-100's kick into life midway through the evening.
According to assistant manager Paul Cave, himself a highly accomplished and experienced light jockey, the club can now 'float' a letter 'F' through the vertical lighting matrix to increase the sense of surrealism. He explains, "Early on in the evening we will only use slow beam movement from the moving heads and introduce the pixel sticks later when the DJ wants to fill the dancefloor and create a wow factor."
And general manager Mark Hickey, who had presided over the final days of the old Oceana, can also sense higher impact. "The light tubes provide a fantastic effect, and in terms of modern FX lighting this is as good as it gets," he says.
(Jim Evans)
