Business News
BCEC adds Martin MAC Vipers
Posted on Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre has taken delivery of twelve Martin MAC Vipers to add to their extensive range of Martin MAC fixtures.
The MAC Viper Profile was the first fixture in Martin’s MAC Viper Family of moving heads, which has since grown to include seven different variants. It is convincingly brighter and more efficient than 1200-watt fixtures and is even an alternative to 1500-watt fixtures.
“We were looking to upgrade our Martin MAC700 around the time that Martin released the Viper so they were on our radar,” commented Mathew Burke, BCEC’s Production Supervisor – Lighting. “Add in the fact that Show Technology are second to none compared to other suppliers around Australia and we knew we were onto a winner. Our history with Show Technology’s fantastic service and great products made the decision to stick with them an obvious one.”
As to be expected the lighting department crew are very excited by their new Vipers finding them to be bright and punchy and of course, it’s always fun to have a whole new set of gobo patterns to incorporate into designs.
“The Vipers have a great zoom range and you still get a lot of punch out of them from a large throw distance,” added Matthew. “In fact, I like everything about the Viper; great gobos, good colour mixing, great zoom and it’s bright as hell. They also have quite a small footprint which is important for corporate work.”
Whilst the MAC Vipers may be stealing the glory it is worth noting that BCEC’s MAC700’s are still reliable and in use – just a little outshone by the Vipers!
Microhire has invested in the most advanced LED lighting technology
Posted on Friday, June 14th, 2013
ULA Group has won the contract to supply the latest Robe LED lighting technology to Microhire QLD to be used as the in house lighting inventory at the Royal International Convention Centre (RICC) in Brisbane.
After tight negotiations and accessing all major brands and products available on the world market, Microhire decided to make their investment in the latest Robe LED lighting technology which was recently launched at the international ProLight&Sound show in Frankfurt.
“This lighting purchase will place RICC as one of the most sustainable venues in Australia in terms of its event lighting being the latest in green technology available”, stated Russell Bennett, Microhire QLD General Manager.
Cuono Biviano, Managing Director of ULA Group comments: “Firstly congratulations to Shane, Russell and all of the Microhire team for being awarded the in house AV contract at RICC, this is a great achievement in such a great venue. It is again a real pleasure to continue working with Microhire and its dedicated team on such a major and strategic investment, this places Microhire at the forefront of energy efficient intelligent event lighting, and highlights Robe and ULA as the leader in this field. We look forward to the long term partnership with Microhire and RICC and thank them both for their commitment in ULA.”
Microhire had been awarded the contract as the in-house AV supplier for RICC earlier this year. The newly released Robe fixtures will be used as a part of the permanent lighting installation in the movable truss grid system in the halls of RICC.
The recently acquired lighting set includes 30x Robin 300 LEDWash Plus fixtures, 24x Robin DLX Spots, 6x Robin DLS Profiles and 12 Robin MMX Wash Beam fixtures.
Robe lighting was the only manufacturer in the world who was able to offer the full range of LED based fixtures (Spot, Wash and Profile range) with RGBW Multichips.
The combination of Robe’s reliability, reputation and outstanding performance and the ULA Group’s full local service and support was not the only factor in brokering the deal. The new technology LED product assembled in the lighting rig offers a great return on investment and significant savings on overall operational costs. The versatility of the fixtures, their compact size, low power consumption, great light lifespan and minimum ongoing maintenance costs offer additional saving for both Microhire and the RICC venue.
The latest Robe LED products come fully featured with the full range of true whites, quiet operation, smooth and seamless color mixing with no image stacking shadows and beautifully even light output. All the Robe fixtures are fully manufactured and designed in Europe and made to the highest quality and environmental standards.
Martin MAC700 Profiles chosen for Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre
Posted on Wednesday, June 12th, 2013
Totally Sound recently supplied Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre with six Martin MAC700 Profiles. The MAC 700 Profile combines a full CMY colour mixing system with an 8-position colour wheel and a patented gobo animation system for subtle or dramatic effects. It also features rotating gobos, fixed gobos, iris, zoom system and rotating prism.
“These will complement our existing range of equipment which includes MAC600s and MAC250s, taking our moving head range to a total of 28,” remarked Linda Buck, Technical Manager. “The MAC700s have already been put to good use on a number of shows from The Angels to 360 All Stars and Rhonda Burchmore to The Wiggles.
“Prior to my appointment at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, I have most recently worked in the corporate world, and it is nice to be back in a theatre but I didn’t expect the Capex budget would be high. We are, however, fortunate to be in a good financial position and to have a decent annual budget, especially for a regional venue.”
The lighting department at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre has been impressed by the compact and powerful MAC700’s favouring the animation system and strong output. The improvement of the speed, the gobos and colours has also been welcomed.
“Our head of lighting, Lachlan Campbell, is excited by the addition of the MAC700s to our stock reporting that he likes their size and that they have excellent mechanics,” said Linda. “With the building expansion work going on at the moment – a new 250 seat black box venue and three function rooms due to open next year – we hope that we can add further to our stock in the near future.”
Change of Directorship at The Production Shop
Posted on Friday, June 7th, 2013
The Production Shop announces that on 01/06/2013, Graeme Hicks ceased to be a director of The Production Shop. Graeme is no longer involved in the running of The Production Shop, nor does he represent the Company in any capacity.
Garth Tanswell, an equal shareholder in The Production Shop, has taken on responsibility for the management of the business until another appointment can be made. It is our intent to continue trading, serving the needs of our customers and our industry for the long term.
If you have any enquiries regarding the above, please contact The Production Shop directly on +61 (0) 7 3896 1000 and ask for Charlie who, if unable to answer your question, will be able to direct it to the relevant person.
Production Shop would like to thank our customers and suppliers for their continued support during this time.
MAC Vipers at the Frontier
Posted on Friday, May 31st, 2013
Frontier Lighting’s sixteen Martin MAC Viper Profiles have proved to be extremely popular since their arrival a couple of months ago.
MAC Viper Profile was the first fixture in Martin’s MAC Viper Family of moving heads, which has since grown to include seven different variants. It is convincingly brighter and more efficient than 1200-watt fixtures and is even an alternative to 1500-watt fixtures. It is a double award-winning luminaire and has found a home on riders the world over since its launch last year.
“The Vipers have been amazing,” said Jared Hawke, managing director at Frontier Lighting. “We’ve had to order more as everyone seems to be specifying them. They certainly are the next workhorse of the industry. The guys here love them and we get lots of positive comments back from people who use them.”
Jared has been impressed by the speed and output of his MAC Vipers as well as their versatility.
“I think that they will replace the MAC 700 Profile and they are brighter than a Vari-lite VL3500,” he noted. “They are also more compact and faster to manoeuvre than a VL3500. Plus they have a massive zoom capability.
“The gobos are fantastic – really sharp with good aerial effects and breakups. I think they are the best ever produced by Martin.”
Jared is also enthusiastic about the colours produced by the MAC Vipers describing them as remarkable and rich.
And of course with its 1000-watt HID source, the Viper consumes less power, making it over 50% more efficient than its 1200-watt rivals.
Frontier Lighting: www.frontierlighting.com.au
Martin Professional: www.martin.com
Source Show Technology media release.
grandMA2 light for PCEC
Posted on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013
Perth’s AV Partners, based at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, have purchased a MA Lighting grandMA2 light console for their busy department.
The grandMA2 light has 4,096 parameters, 15 motorized executor faders and two touchscreens available. All further features and controls are identical to those on the grandMA2 full-size.
The console is chiefly used by AV Partners’ main lighting person Mat Brooke who was unfamiliar with MA consoles when he took up his position with the company.
“I’ve been learning the MA1 and MA2 consoles at the same time which has been quite helpful as I can really understand their main differences,” he commented. “I love the effects engine on the MA2, which I find a lot more intuitive than with the MA1, as it gives you a much clearer understanding of what the effect is actually doing.
“It’s just a nice console to use; nice big screens and plenty of room to lay things out. It’s a good physical hardware console to use.”
The grandMA2 light at PCEC has been used mainly for corporate events and Mat has discovered it to be the ideal tool to control all kinds of lighting including conventionals, moving lights, and LEDs, whilst supplying intuitive and fast control of all connected fixtures and channels.
ULA Group & Robe continue to support young Australian Talent
Posted on Thursday, May 16th, 2013
ULA Group together with Robe keeps supporting young Australian Performing Arts students and work closely with Australian Universities, Academies and Training centers to give their students the opportunity to experience the latest technology available on the market.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) is one of our partner institutions, which pay an extra attention and effort to train their students on the most advanced technology. In a move to keep up to date with the latest technology WAAPA has recently invested in the latest Robe DLS Profile Spots adding to their extensive stock of Robe intelligent luminaries, which are in constant use with the students of their Advanced Diploma of Live Production, Theater and Events (Lighting) course.
Tony Lukeman from the ULA Group worked closely with Jon Davey to specify the new fixtures for use in their 320-seat proscenium arch theatre, 200-seat music auditorium, two performance studios, outdoor amphitheatre and a 190 seat court-style theatre. After the careful consideration and seeing the fixtures in action at the ULA Summer Roadshow hosted by the State Theatre of Western Australia, they decided that the Robin DLS Profile fixtures – equipped with the world’s first point source RGBW LED module and a unique framing shutter system, were the best option for them. With an LED source life of 20,000 hours the fixtures can be used in a classroom environment for teaching as well as for WAAPA’s hectic production schedule without having to worry about ongoing lamp replacement costs and taking advantage of reduced power consumption, which relates directly to real dollar savings.
Jon Davey from WAAPA comments: “Having just completed our third round of shows with the new DLS profiles, the new units have really shown their value both in production and in training. The tremendous versatility of the DLS profile allows uses from a full stage wash to a tight area special. Framing shutters and animation wheel offer our students a level of complexity that greatly enhances their training. With the support of ULA and Robe, we have commenced re-furbishing our older ColorSpot and ColorWash units, a process which sees 3rd year students getting in depth experience in the field service and maintenance of Moving Heads, guided by fully qualified and endorsed service agents. WAAPA is firmly committed to training students in an industry focused, production based environment; it is with the engagement of companies like ULA and Robe that we maintain currency in an ever-changing world. Special thanks must go to Tony Lukeman and all those at ULA for their sound and un-biased advice.”
In addition to the Robin DLS Profiles ULA Group have supplied 12 Litecraft MultiPAR 12FCs for the in-house stock as well as a G4 W-DMX system and wireless dimming modules from RC4..
Cuono Biviano, Managing Director of ULA Group together with Josef Valchar, CEO of Robe lighting, visited WAAPA during their recent Perth trip. They took the opportunity to meet the students in person and thank Jon and his team for their continuous support and dedication to not only Robe, but the students of WAAPA and the performing arts industry.
Cuono Biviano comments: “We were extremely impressed by the quality of the facilities and the depth of the curriculum at WAAPA. It is refreshing to see that there is a college left in Australia where students, who have a genuine interest in the industry and can be educated and qualified and graduate industry ready. Once again I would like to thank to Jon and his team for their many years of support of Robe and look forward to the continuing years ahead.”
Every year, the WAAPA students, staff and critically acclaimed guest artists collaborate to present over 300 performances – more productions and more diversity than any other arts training institution in Australia. WAAPA is recognized both nationally and internationally for the quality of its graduates. The Campus provides the most comprehensive range of performing arts training in Australia and students can choose from a range of internationally recognized courses to realize their artistic ambitions.
WAAPA designers, arts management and production graduates are highly sought after and many hold influential positions across a wide range of performing arts companies, festivals, venues, film, television, major events, arts organizations and teaching institutions. Many well known actors, dancers, musicians and music theatre stars including Hugh Jackman, Frances O’Connor, Marcus Graham and William McInnes (amongst many others) called WAAPA home.
Photos: Jon Green, Jon Davey
Res X take on more Clay Paky Alpha 700 Profiles
Posted on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
Resolution X have added more Clay Paky Alpha 700 Profiles to their existing stock bringing the total to twenty-six.
“We bought our first batch in late 2011 and have since bolstered our numbers due to their popularity,” commented Marcus Pugh, Res X’s Business Development Manager. “The real winning factor with these has been the reliable and accurate shaping shutter module within a lightweight compact fixture. ”
The Clay Paky Alpha 700 Profiles went straight out to the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Runway show in the Peninsula room of Central Pier. Lighting designer Chad Spencer used ten Clay Paky Alpha 700 Profiles and two Clay Paky Alpha 1500 Profiles to assist in lighting the 55 metre catwalk.
“We used traditional catwalk lighting but also included down the spine of the room through the centre truss which is part of the house truss, the Alpha 700 profiles to add texture and colour to the floor,” remarked Chad. “The two Alpha 1500’s were used to dress two white flats at the end of the catwalk. The Alpha 700’s are great and have a fantastic zoom range which is really important for me as it makes them a very versatile fixture.”
Chad also made use of the in house Martin MAC101 moving head LED fixtures – all 120 of them!
“Having them there, ready to go in house was just awesome and they really helped to set the mood in the room,” said Chad. “They were very helpful.”
Jands Stage CL Console Becomes The Wizard Of Oz
Posted on Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
Tony Jex, managing director of Oz Management Entertainment is thrilled with his new Jands Stage CL console, the little winner designed specifically for LED fixtures but just as suitable for conventional lights. Put simply, he loves the Stage CL’s capacity to control LED lights in an easy, old-school fashion with flash buttons and faders.
“With some of the small DMX consoles you almost need a calculator to work out which fader is going to control which element of the DMX functions on your fixtures,” commented Tony. “With the Stage CL, Jands has recognised that and seen a gap in the market. I did look at some software options as well but I prefer to ‘play’ the console like a musical instrument. A lot of the work I do is with bands that I may be working with for the first time and the Stage CL allows me to easily interact with them.”
One feature that Tony particularly favours is the ‘one channel strip per fixture’ which helps him to change colours easily as well as fade in and out. He also likes the record feature that allows him to easily bring up a scene, hit the record button and in two steps it is locked away.
“You can lock a scene away in a variety of places then recall it quickly and easily in a number of different ways making it perfect to use on the fly,” Tony added. “I also like the snapshot (“hold”) function as well as the preset modes for colour mixing and chasing.”
“In the Mimic mode you can see the digital fader position, level of luminosity and colour for each fixture as it is all graphically laid out for you on the screen, as are elements such as individual steps of chases making editing super easy.”
Oz Management Entertainment specialise in corporate events, small bands, weddings, conferences and gala dinners and they don’t carry large amounts of inventory compared to some of the larger AV companies, however what they do have, they own unlike most of their competitors.
“We aim to provide a quality production but within the budget range of our marketplace,” stated Tony.
PCEC increases Martin MAC101 stock
Posted on Friday, May 3rd, 2013
AV Partners based at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre has recently added eight more Martin MAC101 moving head LED fixtures to their existing stock of sixteen MAC101.
“Those little lights really pack some punch,” commented Ryan Taylor of AV Partners Perth. “We’ve been very impressed by them and the price point is very attractive too.”
Since acquiring some MAC101’s, Ryan has been amazed by the versatility they offer as opposed to larger moving head lights.
“They not only give us a point of difference from the bigger moving heads, they can be placed into tighter spots,” he said. “They’ve performed excellently and the guys love using them. They really are an awesome little light.”
Although they are housed at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, the MAC101’s often travel to various Perth venues for special events.
“They are ideal for travelling as they are so small and lightweight and fit great into a variety of ballrooms,” added Ryan. “They go wherever our clients take us and they are always popular.”
Lux Events chooses Clay Paky A.Leda K10 moving LED fixtures
Posted on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
Lux Events in Perth has recently added sixteen new Clay Paky A.Leda K10 moving LED fixtures to their lighting inventory and are very happy with the acquisition.
Jerry Reinhardt, General Manager of Concert Services stated, “I am very pleased with these fixtures. They are lightweight, solid, quiet and bright. With 9000 lumens of output and a 14 to 70 degree beam angle these units perform with flying colours in corporate ballrooms as well as large concert venues. The zoom is fast too – the K10 can widen out from 14 degrees to a full 70 degrees in under a second whilst retaining 50 percent of its light output at full zoom.”
Features favoured by Jerry include the ability to individually control each of the 19 quad coloured LEDs plus the macros full of preset colour combos as well as graphic shape effects. Clay Paky is writing various colour effects and patterns into the cells to cut down on the programming time it takes for all the cool eye candy.
“The colour mixing works well and the primary colours are deep and saturated,” added Jerry. “The CTO feature is great for finessing skin tones and is an added benefit for camera work plus it can give you a tungsten-looking light source if you wish.”
The Clay Paky A.Leda K10 has a small footprint but is powerful and built tough to survive the rigours of touring. In fact the K10 is constructed so tough that Clay Paky believes the fixture itself may outlive the 50,000-hour estimated life of each LED cell.
“The K10’s are fantastic and will certainly be our new workhorse wash unit,” concluded Jerry.
The photo shows the Clay Paky A.leda Wash K10 fixtures on the Oz Concert. Also in the rig were MAC700 Profiles, MAC101s, Tri-colours and DQ Ground Support.
Lux Events is a full service production management company with a comprehensive technical offering.
New Strand 250ML console available from Herkes
Posted on Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
This is the perfect desk to introduce you to the world of intelligent fixture control. Built for entry level operation and small to medium sized theatres, the Strand Lighting 250ML console gives you a simple interface, great features and an even better price.
It merges the world of conventional dimmer/channel control using traditional Command Line operation with an easy to use interface for attributed fixtures using a colour LCD screen that has soft keys and attribute encoders.
Strand Lighting’s 250ML console can control 250 channels for dimmers and 30 automated luminaires for Moving Lights and LEDs. Your looks can be stored as either Sub-masters for easy access or Cues for traditional theatre playback.With the 250ML console’s extensive and editable fixture library, you’ll never be without the tools you need to control your lighting rig.
www.strandlighting.com
Herkes www.herkes.com.au
Vari*Lite VL3000 Spots & VL2500 Washes Go West
Posted on Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Concert & Corporate Productions in Western Australia supplies lighting equipment and crew to some of the most prestigious corporate clients as well as national and internationally recognised touring acts. As CCP continues to grow stronger, larger, and to increase their inventory, their equipment choices tend to be driven my market demands.
“As our industry is spec driven we have to go by what people are wanting and most of the specs we’ve seen in the past eighteen months have requested Vari*Lite VL3000’s or higher,” commented Sean McKernan, General Manager at CCP. “To purchase some was just a natural progression for our path of where we wanted to go.”
In February Concert & Corporate Productions in Western Australia took delivery of twenty-four VL3000 Spots and eight VL2500 Washes which have seen action on a wide variety of events from Celtic Thunder, Neil Finn & Paul Kelly to the West Coast Blues’n'Roots Festival (pictured) and Future Music Festival.
“The output of the VL3000’s is still very impressive,” Sean declared. “The colours they deliver are amazing with a broad choice and fast colour mixing. And everyone knows how fantastic the Vari*Lite gobo set is. It is a very bright lamp, with excellent zoom optics. Add the fast iris and it really is the best workhorse spot on the market. There must be a reason why they are on nearly every rider.”
Sean is pleased to report that CCP’s clients are delighted with the availability of VL3000 Spots and VL2500 Washes.
“They came out of the ATS truck and onto their first gig on the same day and have not stopped working, which is a true indication as to how popular they are,” commented Sean. “Nobody baulks if you say you’re supplying them with a VL3000. There hasn’t been a single client who has objected to us substituting a unit with a VL3000 – everyone has been happy to have them. I’ve never seen such popularity with a light that we have purchased before. I’ve also never had a light that has given us a financial return as fast as the VL3000!”
The Vari-Lite VL3000 Spot luminaire features a 6:1 zoom optics, CYM colour mixing, variable CTO colour temperature correction, a six-position colour wheel, three gobo/effects wheels, a beam size iris and separate dimmer and ultra-fast strobe mechanisms. A standard pallet of gobos, effects and colours is provided with the unit. Custom gobos, effects and colour are available.
As for the VL2500 Wash, Sean describes them as a solid, reliable workhorse that supply good coverage, great colours and good speed. The VL2500 is small, lightweight, and fast with a 700-watt short arc lamp, impressive lumen output, and a zoom range from 18.5° to 42°.
ETC Gio finds a home at the Riverside Theatre
Posted on Thursday, April 11th, 2013
Located on the banks Sydney’s Parramatta River, Riverside Theatres offers three venues under the one roof: the intimate Rafferty’s Theatre, the flexible Lennox Theatre and the largest theatre, the Riverside Theatre which can house up to 761 patrons and has a conventional proscenium arch stage with orchestra pit and fly tower. Larger scale productions including international acts are often seen on the Riverside stage including Shakespeare, comedy, drama, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals which results in over 700 events at Riverside each year.`
About the same time that the ETC Eos and Ion lighting control consoles became available the technical team at the Riverside Theatre decided it was time to upgrade their Strand 520i console. Upon making initial enquiries with Jands, Sean Clarke, Riverside’s Technical Coordinator, was informed that a new console that sits between the Eos and Ion was soon to be released.
“It sounded ideal so we held off from our planned purchase of an Ion and waited for the Gio which was certainly more suitable for our main theatre,” commented Sean. “We’ve found it to be a very easy console to utilise particularly as it works on a similar platform to the Strand 500 series. However it also has the functionalities of a grandMA console in regards to moving lights.”
Positioned in the middle of the popular Eos console range, between the Eos and the Ion consoles, Gio features the family’s powerful hardware and software for sophisticated effects – like pixel mapping and media server control as well as the instantly recognizable ETC syntax.
Gio includes two articulating LCD multi-touch displays, allowing the screens to be positioned flat for shipping and angled for programming according to preference. Whether a programmer is sitting or standing, the view is adjustable to his or her sightline and comfort.
” I really like that the touch-screens are adjustable so you can position them at any height on a hinge and I also like the fact that every key on the console is backlit, said Sean. “This frees up your worklights for scripts and note taking rather than actually lighting the console to see what you’re doing.”
Gio also supports up to three high-density external displays all of which can be multi-touch thus speeding up programming by putting navigation and more control right at the fingertips.
“That’s a great feature,” added Sean. “Obviously the Gio handles intelligent fixtures far better than our previous console and having colour pickers via touch-screens really speeds the process of plotting and programming. However, whilst the Gio is fabulous for moving lights it also has an inbuilt functionality for standard generic fixtures such as a groundrow or cyc lights. The ability to handle traditional fixtures is also important for us.”
Riverside purchased the Gio Console, the Infrared focus remote, a wing fader as well as two external touch screens through Herkes Electrical in Sydney.
The Gio offers the same software as the Eos, with an expanded user interface that brings new definition to the term “user-friendly ergonomics.” Sean comments that his crew love the Gio’s programming software as it is so simple to learn that most anyone with a little training could be programming the desk in no time.
“We recently held a production of The Wizard of Oz with over eighteen moving lights and around 100 channels of conventional lights and our technician Greg Lyons was a bit apprehensive when it came to using the Gio as he had only had a one day of training with Eddie Welsh,” remarked Sean. “However, as soon as he started the plotting process he was quietly surprised by how easy and user-friendly it was. ”
Martin M1 installed into Hunter Theatre
Posted on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
A1 Audio recently supplied a Martin M1 console to Newcastle’s Hunter Theatre which is located on the campus of Hunter School of the Performing Arts. Hunter Theatre is one of the region’s prime performance spaces and hosts a wide range of concerts, musicals, plays, dance and other events. Seating 380 patrons, Hunter Theatre has created its own niche by being an intimate yet fully serviced proscenium arch theatre equipped with a fly tower and orchestra pit.
Gavin Pickles is the man responsible for teaching lighting and sound to the students and he recently decided to add a Martin M1 to their inventory for one main reason – sheer simplicity of use.
The M1 is Martin’s all-in-one lighting console that sets new standards in simplicity for a full featured desk. With the full power of a larger console and the agility of a smaller one, it is the most affordable full-featured lighting console on the market.
“The students and I have found it very easy to pick up,” he remarked. “We’ve had Strand consoles in the past and I did look at an ETC Ion but found it to be not suitable. The standard 10 cuelist faders and the 12 playback faders on the M1 make it easy to control any show. Without any knowhow of the M1, you can soon find yourselfup and running in no time.”
The Martin M1 has been designed from the ground up with a single philosophy in mind – simplicity. The surface is clean and easy to navigate with fewer buttons and options to overwhelm the user.
“I really like the effects engine on the Martin M1, it’s very easy to get some effects up and running on the fly,” Gavin stated. “A lot of the stuff we do runs live however I recently programmed a show with thirty moving lights and I found it easy to drive. It was easy to programme and update cues and track forward.The M1 has all the great controls of the bigger consoles but without the heavy motorized faders. ”
The M1’s growing popularity stems from a design based on simplicity combined with a fast dual-core processor that ensures an extremely responsive user interface. The easy-to-use concept and portable package has struck a chord with lighting programmers and designers across the globe.
Lighting Designers Team Up for Save Tungsten Campaign
Posted on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
An international group of entertainment lighting designers have banded together to preserve the production of tungsten light bulbs. The initiative, sponsored by the UK-based Association of Lighting Designers, has lined up an impressive list of supporters.
The concern among designers is that major manufacturers are reducing production of various types of tungsten lamps and are no longer investing in tungsten products. A letter being sent to ALD members and others, to be circulated among their colleagues, says, “This is not a campaign against any particular other sources, such as LED or discharge, but merely an attempt to preserve a particularly beautiful species that seems under threat. Of course, we all want more efficient and less carbon-producing sources … but to consider the gradual extinction of tungsten sources is something that makes myself and many other theatre-based LDs weep.”
The list of lamps to be saved includes the ETC Source Four/Ushio HPL range; MR16 range; PAR 64, 56, and 36 lamps; Svoboda and DLCs; Beamlights; T11, T14, T17, T18, T19, T24, T25, T26, T27, T28, and T29s; GE M38 and M40s; 575W HPL; and K class linear floods.
The plan is to issue a draft statement and also plan meetings with manufacturers to press the case. Among those who have already pledged support are, in the UK, Richard Pilbrow, Duram Marenghi, Paule Constable, Patrick Woodroffe, Neil Austin, Rick Fisher, Mark Henderson, Howard Harrison, Andrew Silverman, Andrew Bridge, Johanna Town, Francis Reid, Paul Pyant, David Hersey, and Hugh Vanstone. In the US, supporters include Jennifer Tipton, Donald Holder, Kenneth Posner, Ken Billington, Howell Binkley, Brian MacDevitt, Steve Shelley, M.L. Geiger, Jules Fisher, Seth Jackson, Robert Wierzel, Kevin Adams, Christina Giannelli, and Jane Cox. Others include, from Australia, Nigel Levings and Nick Schlieper; from Canada, Alan Brodie and Joshua Hind; and from France, Jean Kalman and Christophe Forey.
Lighting designers wishing to register their support can do so by sending a message to savetungsten@ald.org.uk. Further discussion and updates can be found at the link below.
New Research into LED Lighting discovers added benefits
Posted on Monday, April 1st, 2013
Research out of Lausanne, Switzerland points to an unexpected benefit to onstage LED lighting; not only does LED save you power and reduce heat emissions apparently it can now save your follicles.
According to Dr. Karl Blickensderfer of the Swiss HSI clinic for the hair-challenged(which has close links with Australia’s Advanced Hair Studio) and specialises in Alopecia senilis, the increase in use of LED stage lighting has been traced to a reduction in baldness onset in musicians.
“We have treated many famous musicians at our clinic but recently we noticed a drop in enquiries,” says Dr Blickensderfer in his recently published paper. “Upon further investigation our scientists began to see a correlation between hair loss and LED lighting. The LED targets the DHT in the scalp resulting in miniaturisation of the follicle. This effect is particularly noticeable in the green part of the spectrum (495 – 570 nm). We are currently involved in extensive research as to why this so. Unfortunately it is too late for performers such as Billy Joel.”
To read Dr. Blickensderfer’s full paper click here
Nitezone up the ante with Martin MAC Viper Profiles
Posted on Friday, March 22nd, 2013
As soon as the Martin MAC Viper Profiles became available in Australia, Nitezone’s managing director Mish Bosnjak immediately saw a huge investment opportunity and promptly ordered eight. Mish was keen to secure some of these amazing fixtures at the beginning of their life cycle and in doing so, his company became the second in Sydney to own some and the phones haven’t stopped ringing since.
“As soon as word got out that we had the Vipers our clients were making enquiries,” he remarked. “The MAC Vipers are all set to be a fantastic replacement for the MAC2000 Spot and are heaps better.”
The new MAC Viper Profile is the first fixture in Martin’s 1000 watt MAC Viper family of automated luminaires. Its 26,000 lumens of power make it brighter than 1200 watt fixtures on the market with a smaller form and lower weight.
Mish states that he was totally blown away by the light output delivered by the MAC Vipers which he says can really cut through and stand their own against LED walls.
“Their light output is incredible and they have a good, even beam,” he added. ” Their optics are amazing. I really like their zoom function which allows a fat wide beam down to a sharp narrow beam without even using the iris. The gobos are awesome with heaps of effects to chose from plus they stay crisp and clear through the MAC Viper’s large zoom range.”
Mish is also impressed by the compact size of the MAC Viper and he particularly likes their road case.
“I love the protection foam insert and the compactness of the case considering the size of the units,” he said. “It’s great that the clamps can stay on the units in the case – it’s a really handy feature. ”
As soon as Nitezone’s MAC Vipers arrived they were whisked away to the Future Music Festival where they helped Innovative Production Services to produce a couple of high impact stages.
Rosco Laboratories to Acquire the Assets of GAM Products, Inc.
Posted on Friday, March 22nd, 2013
Rosco Laboratories, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Los Angeles-based GAM Products Inc. The addition of GAM’s widely regarded products such as GAMColor, GAM Patterns, Blackwrap and TwinSpin, among others, will dramatically expand the creative solutions Rosco offers to designers, technicians and artists.
For more than 35 years, GAM has provided high quality lighting products to the theatre and film community. Rosco will continue to market and promote them worldwide through its extensive global distribution network.
“For existing and loyal GAM customers, it will be business as usual with GAM’s entire catalog of products available through Rosco. But we’re especially looking forward to leveraging our world class dealer network to expose these excellent products to new clientele,” said Mark Engel, CEO of Rosco.
GAM was founded in 1975 by Joe Tawil and has pioneered a range of tools now considered to be indispensible to generations of lighting professionals. “Stan was the first person I called when I decided it was time for me to exit the business. It was important to me to find a company with the same reputation for
excellent service that GAM’s customers expect. Rosco was the natural choice and I’m excited by the prospect that GAM products will now be seen by an even larger audience.”
Stan Miller, Chairman of Rosco Laboratories, adds, “I’ve known and respected Joe and his company since the beginning. I’m proud that he trusts Rosco to continue his brand and legacy. GAM’s business will complement Rosco’s perfectly and the customer will now have an even larger selection of tools from which to choose. We look forward to the opportunity.”
Founded in 1910, Rosco Laboratories provides unique and effective solutions to the global community of lighting professionals in entertainment, film, architecture and photography. With 13 offices and over 600 distributors, Rosco products are available virtually anywhere in the world.
LEE Filters discontinues gobos
Posted on Friday, March 22nd, 2013
Recently posted to the LEE Filters mailing list:
We regret to inform you that effective immediately, LEE Filters has made the decision to discontinue our full Gobo range. LEE Filters will no longer be a Gobo supplier.
Our patterns have all been removed from our website and we will no longer be accepting new orders. However, we will honor any order that has already been placed, and we will be sure to complete those orders as requested.
We understand this could create some issues with customers and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have an ongoing production in need of our patterns, please contact us and we will come up with a solution.
As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
LEE Filters USA
Morpheus Lights Supports Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Australia
Posted on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are thrilling audiences “Down Under” this month with sold-out shows in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, as well as an outdoor event at Macedon Hanging Rock on the Australian leg of the 2013 “Wrecking Ball” tour.
Morpheus Lights is pleased to be supplying the lighting rig for the Australian tour in cooperation with Chameleon Touring Systems of Sydney, Australia. Morpheus shipped down specialty trusses and luminaires required to maintain the overall design integrity of the Springsteen rig, designed by Jeff Ravitz of Intensity Advisors – including 52 active Ayrton Wildsun 500C LED automated wash fixtures and 16 Morpheus CP7™-IP LED blinders.
Chameleon is providing the balance of the rig, including various Vari*Lite fixtures as well as Robert Juliat Alex tungsten halogen truss spots.
Back in the USA, Morpheus crews are hard at work prepping a complete duplicate rig that will ship in early April for the European leg of the tour – with the first show scheduled at Telnor Arena in Oslo on April 29.
Morpheus Lights is a distributor and dealer of professional lighting products for the entertainment, worship and architectural markets, as well as a full-service lighting production company, equipment rental source, and manufacturer of innovative products for the professional market. Morpheus has sales representation in Las Vegas, Nevada to serve the US market and New York, NY to serve European and International markets. Further information on products, services and contacts can be found at www.morpheuslights.com.
Information on Chameleon Touring Systems can be found at www.chameleon-touring.com.au.
ArKaos Launches ArKaos Pro, a New Division for Large-Scale Lighting Projects at Prolight + Sound
Posted on Monday, March 18th, 2013
ArKaos, a provider of technology for live visual performances, has chosen Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, Germany, April 10-13, to announce the formation of a new division — ArKaos Pro.
ArKaos Pro has been formed specifically to serve the large-scale, professional-level show and lighting projects which now dominate much of the ArKaos client base. The new division will operate alongside the existing ArKaos organization. “We have formed Arkaos Pro in acknowledgement of how ArKaos has grown and developed since its start,” says business development manager, Agnes Wojewoda. “ArKaos products have evolved into far more sophisticated solutions over the past years as our software has continued to stretch boundaries and our client base diversified.”
“ArKaos Pro will dedicate its time and expertise to the professional lighting market which has expanded exponentially for us in the last few years and now demands greater attention, energy and more dedicated support than ever before.”
The announcement of the new division coincide with the release of the new ArKaos Stadium Server which features 6+1 EDID managed full HD outputs and is shown for the first time at Prolight + Sound.
ArKaos Stadium server specifications include 6+1 EDID managed full HD video outputs; full SSD storage allowing up to 900 MB/s from the disc; multiple AMD FirePro GPUs; up to 8K width videos; two network connections; two HD-SDI inputs; Neutrik connectors on the back; and custom case with front display and LED strip for visual feedback.
Wojewoda concludes: “We have decided that the time was right to make this distinction as the arrival of the new server marks a significant step forward in our professional product range and the international standing of Prolight + Sound provides the ideal springboard from which to make this announcement.”
In addition, ArKaos Pro is launching the first major revision of its Video Mapper. Among other improvements, this new version adds a new circle primitive, more control on the cropping area, a new way of combining multiple outputs with soft edge, and a first support for DMX control of surfaces and cropping.
The official launch of ArKaos Pro, the new ArKaos Stadium Server, and the Video Mapper version 2 will take place Thursday, April 11, at 11am on the LMP stand in hall 11.00 stand B60.
www.arkaospro.com
Australian Distributor: ULA Group www.ulagroup.com
Martin M2GO console the best for Pan and Tilt!
Posted on Friday, March 8th, 2013
John Panetta has a fabulous new addition to his production company Pan and Tilt Lighting Entertainment Services – a Martin M2GO console. Equipped with a fast, dual-core processor with no external computer required, the M2GO answers the demand for a more powerful lighting console in a smaller form. It offers a professional level of features in a portable package and has been developed with cost, ergonomics, feature set, size and weight in mind.
“I needed a console that was powerful enough to run any size show but also has a small footprint because most of my work is corporate,” explained John. “It had to be small, light and easy to set up as most of my shows are for one night only. You don’t need two people to handle the M2GO yet it still has faders and all the hardware like larger consoles.”
The M2GO may be a tiny console but John is impressed by how well thought out it is stating that the touch-screens are fantastic and very neat.
“It’s a very user-friendly console and I love it,” he declared. “I particularly like the lamp-on macros which is a short cut by holding down the menu button, that’s fantastic. I believe there will be a wing available soon which I’d love to get as it gives you more faders. ”
John has also purchased some more Pro Shop LED Strip HO fixtures bringing his total to thirty-one. Using the latest in high powered LED technology, the LED Strip HO certainly lives up to is “HIGH OUTPUT” tag.
“They’re great and go out on jobs all the time along with our Pro Shop LED MultiPARs,” he said. “They’re great for lighting sets, cycs and drapes as you can butt them up to each other and they take up very little floor space. The lack of power that they draw plus the versatility and saturation of the colours makes them ideal – you just can’t get that out of an incandescent groundrow unit with gels in it.”
Jands Stage CL For 32 Hundred Lighting
Posted on Monday, March 4th, 2013
Although LED fixtures are increasingly being used as a cost-effective and flexible lighting solution, there was an absence of a suitable console for LED fixtures that would give direct control of their colour and intensity. That is until Jands saw the gap in the market and produced the Stage CL console which gives you all the manual controls and automation you need to get the most out of your LEDs.
With twelve direct fixture control channels, powerful yet simple recording function and a touch screen interface in a compact and elegant chassis, the Stage CL can be carried in one hand.
Iain Reed, managing director of 32 Hundred Lighting, was one of the first to see the potential of the Jands Stage CL describing it as an ideal console for the stand alone market.
“It’s really cool and great not to have to send a large console out on small job,” he added. “We use it for small corporate jobs as well as domestic jobs. We just set it up and leave it with the audio person to run it! You can pre-program your console with standard looks and special effects suitable for any occasion, and the console is so easy to use, just about anyone can operate it.”
Packed with features for users to get the most out of their LED lights, the Stage CL console is designed for simple operation enabling even a novice to operate comfortably. The console addresses the unique needs of venues that do not have a dedicated lighting operator by enabling people with little or no knowledge of lighting to still create an impressive visual impact.
“However, Stage CL’s simple controls also make it easy to operate shows on-the-fly,” noted Iain. “It has a very simple, intuitive interface and so far, our Stage CL has performed perfectly. It does its job and I view it as a Stage 12 for LED’s – excellent!”
Designed with smaller venues and operators in mind, the Stage CL is ideal for rental applications, audio-visual suppliers, clubs, karaoke bars, retail spaces, schools and houses of worship.
Photo: Iain Reed and Martin Bevz
Scene Change invest in GLP Volkslicht zooms
Posted on Friday, March 1st, 2013
Scene Change, Australia’s #2 AV company, have added a dozen GLP Volkslicht zoom LED moving head fixtures to their lighting stock. The GLP Volkslicht zoom combines the best technology features with the footprint and weight of a small and unobtrusive fixture.
The fixture has a motorized zoom, changing its beam size from 10 to 26 degrees, whilst maintaining a strong output.
“We needed a small moving LED fixture that was fast and had a zoom,” commented VickenHekimian, Scene Change Sydney Director. “The GLP Volkslicht zoom was bright, fast and compact plus it was provided by Show Technology who supply great after sales support and have always been very supportive of Scene Change.Having Show Technology as the supplier gives us a lot of confidence in the product.”
All of Scene Change’s purchasing decisions have to meet the following criteria: it needs to be excellent quality, be able to be installed quickly, be reliable and be fit for the purpose. The GLP Volkslicht zoom meets those demands and more.
“The price was attractive too – the purchase price versus the rental return is great,” added Vicken. “They’re quick and easy to install which is a priority for us as usually we have very limited time to set up a show and have short deadlines. We need a reliable fixture that is easy to transport, can install easily and is quick to set up.These weigh only 8kg each and fourof them quickly pack away into a small case.”
Often the venues that Scene Change work in have low ceilings and larger moving head fixtures tend to look obtrusive and aesthetically wrong.
The Volkslicht Zoom uses 60 Luxeon Rebel LED’s in an RGB configuration to give a broad mixing palette of colours from its primary saturates, through to the more subtle pastel shades.
“The colour mixing is very good and the dimmer curve is great,” remarked Vicken. “Plus it has a white mode which can be useful.”
www.glp.de
Australian Distributor: Show Technology www.showtech.com.au