LSC and Pharos in control of Visitors’ Centre
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Brisbane’s North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) is a massive project; a new road that will connect north-south traffic under Brisbane between Woolloongabba and Bowen Hills. This vital piece of infrastructure to the Brisbane community will open by 2010 and in the meantime a new permanent NSBT Visitors’ Centre has opened in Kangaroo Point.
The Visitors’ Centre is an initiative of the Brisbane City Council, Rivercity Motorway and LBBJV Consortium who, as part of Queensland’s largest Public Private Partnership (PPP), has created a state-of-the-art information centre for Brisbane residents and visitors. The Visitors’ Centre provides a one-stop-shop for residents, visitors to the city, employees and business owners who would like to know more about the Project. The Centre features artist impressions, models of the finished tunnels, maps, photography throughout the construction and short construction videos.
Brisbane based, Iceworks Design was given only seven weeks to design the centre from initial concept sketch through to finished project. The predominant feature in the centre is the map wall that has touch screens and an RGB LED component through it that shows the alignment of the tunnel itself with lights; as the project progresses the LED’s light up mapping the path.
“The position of the tunnel boring machines will show up in red, the completed excavations behind them in green and the remaining alignment in front of them in blue,” explained Jason Raft, managing director of Iceworks Design. “We also have Selecon light fixtures for displays and five Pro Shop LED tiles in the theatrette roof to enhance the tunnel structure.”
Control for the lighting in the Visitors Centre is courtesy of a Pharos LPC1 architectural controller, an LSC ePRO dimmer and LSC ePlate control panels. The LPC1 is a complete DMX lighting console in a compact DIN rail mounted box. It includes the unique ability to be remote programmed over the internet via the standard ethernet port located on the bottom of the unit. This allows easy reprogramming from the Iceworks office as the clients requirements change over the construction of the tunnel. The LSC ePlate control panels connect directly to the LPC1 to provide simple push button control of even the most complex DMX lightshows.
Jason chose to use the Pharos LPC1 primarily for the flexibility that it offered.
“The technical specification from the client for the Centre was fairly loose so we basically engineered into the Centre itself a lot of room to move,” explained Jason. “We had a look at a few other controllers but we liked the format and flexibility by which the Pharos LPC 1 programmed which is similar to the consoles we use everyday. It allows the ability to easily integrate other fixtures over a period of time. At the moment it’s running at quite a basic level running dimmers and LED fixtures but further down the track it may take control of other feature pieces that may be included during the next four years.
“It’s very simple to get your head around. Richie Mickan from LSC Lighting was very helpful in programming triggers for the ePlate and for on the spot phone assistance, overall as soon as you have used the offline editor once the system is very easy to use.”
All lighting equipment and sales support came from David Nemeth at The Production Shop.
www.lsclighting.com.au

Waratah Room invaded by Sharks
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Located on the site of the former Pharaohs Restaurant, the Waratah Room is Rooty Hill RSL’s brand new multi-purpose function room that can cater for a wide variety of events including parties, seminars and live entertainment for up to 300 patrons.
SVC Sound & Video Contracting supplied sixteen Studio Due Shark moving head fixtures, chosen for their outstanding value for money.
“Initially the stage and show lighting for the room was an open-ended amount with details to be finalised,” explained Craig Samstrom, lighting operator at the club. “We were able to secure a larger amount of money that could be spent on lighting so at that point we had a meeting between the club’s production crew, the builder James Clifford and SVC where we established more detail of what we wanted."
Four Studio Due Sharks are located on stage mounted on bars to the rear of the stage whilst two are used as portable fixtures. The remaining ten fixtures are mounted within the radial troughs that spread out from the central LED ceiling feature. Each trough contains a lighting bar and by mounting the Sharks in this manner all that is visible are the fixture itself and no unsightly wiring.
“I realise that the Studio Due Shark is not at the top of the range when it comes to moving head lights, in fact it’s at the lower end of the price bracket, but it really is good value for money,” commented Craig. “It has nice bright colours on the colour wheel, attractive gobos which rotate as well as fixed, and there’s a three facet prism that adds to the dimension of what you can do. They have a good pan and tilt range so you can spin them around to any part of the room or stage whilst changing colour, gobo etc. They really are a great fixture and very cost effective.”
Stage lighting also included thirty Kupo Multi Pars which Craig favours for their architectural styling.
www.showtech.com.au

Martin on the road to Mandalay
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A piece of Las Vegas has landed in the Cross, and Sydney’s nightlife is never going to be the same. One of Sydney's newest nightspots, the Mandalay Room is a bar on Level One of the Las Vegas Hotel at Kings Cross. Owner Jason Gavin and designer Paul Kelly packed their suitcases and took a trip to Las Vegas for inspiration: think dazzling lights, stunning showgirls and plenty of bling.
The club plays homage to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas with cage-dancing girls and human fish tanks in which aquatic divas swirl and pole-dance, dressed in Swarovski crystals.
Lighting, supplied and installed by Avsound Productions, includes a couple of obligatory ADJ mirror balls above the dance floor where four Martin MAC250 Krypton fixtures supply the action lighting. With its’ bright output, superb image quality, exciting gobo patterns and smooth movement, the MAC250 Krypton is particularly suited to the club market. A stage area that hosts both DJ’s and live bands is also lit by the Kryptons. Paul Kelly, who has designed many bars and clubs around the country, has a keen interest in lighting and he always prefers Martin.
“I always chose Martin because they are such reliable, high quality fixtures,” he said. “We had the Kryptons especially painted white to blend into the ceiling. I’m also using four Martin Alien 05 flush mounted fixtures to light the dance cages when the performances are one; it just adds some colour to the performers. They really are quite punchy those Aliens.”
Two Alien 05 fixtures bathe each of the two dance cages in a variety of hues from slow, smooth fades to fast changes. They are controlled by an ELC Mini DMX Controller. This unique controller is a mini DMX desk that can control 6 or 12 channels and is ideal for this type of application.
The Alien 05 recessed colour changers have a sleek and stylish design that compliments Paul Kelly’s interior. For someone as attentive to detail as Paul not only must a product live up to its’ specifications, it has to look good too and Martin delivers.
www.showtech.com.au

His Majesty's Theatre undertakes major upgarde of lighting
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Since opening on Christmas Eve in 1904, His Majesty's Theatre in Perth has become one of Western Australia's most-loved heritage icons. A stunning example of Edwardian era architecture, the building is a design masterpiece.
The venue has always preferred to own its lighting and audio equipment rather than hire gear in and this is also the preferred method of the State government, owners of His Majesty’s Theatre.
“It’s beneficial for us to own the gear in-house as then we can support other clients as we don’t just run our own theatre; we provide support to a number of other venues,” explained Jon Davey, head electrician at His Majesty’s.
The process of upgrading the lighting system at the theatre started with an electrical fire in the patch bay in 2003. It was decided that serious faults were starting to occur in the system, and also none of the luminaires had been replaced since 1992.
“It was all becoming a little bit too old and tired. It was becoming harder for us to meet the specifications of the shows that come in,” continued Jon. “We spend most of year catering to ballet and opera, and essentially we had to emulate the look of the Sydney Opera House. Obviously this was becoming very difficult with Sil30’s and JTM dimmers.”
The theatre turned to Bytecraft Entertainment to supply and install a package that was dominated by Show Technology gear including 12 x Martin MAC2000 Performances, 8 x Martin MiniMacs, 2 x Look Solutions Unique Hazers, 2 x Look Solution Viper 2.6 smoke machines, 110 Kupo Multipars, some mirror balls, motors, Par 16s, and TMB DMX cable. Design Quintessence supplied the trussing.
”When it came to choosing the MAC2000’s there were only a couple of lamps in the shootout that met our specifications,” said Jon. “We discovered that the MAC2000 met the specification and then some. For the price they were available for, well there was nothing else on the market that could compete. Obviously the contract went to tender and most of the suppliers specified MAC2000s.”
Jon particularly likes the ease of use that the MAC2000 offers as well as their brightness, the even colour field and the intuitiveness of the operating system.
“The fact that they have a really good maintenance record was also very significant,” he added. “We were very keen on the fact that they have a shutter system as it’s important for theatre applications. The noise factor was also a primary selection factor.”
To meet OH&S standards, over 100 Kupo Multipars were installed to replace the outdated 110 Volt pars.
”The Kupo Multipars were the logical choice,” said Jon. “The fact that they can house a number of different lamps with minimal fuss and turn around made them very attractive. The Look Solutions hazers and smoke machines speak for themselves in why we bought them; the output, ease of operation and silence of the units is phenomenal. I don’t think there’s another hazer or smoke machine at that level within the market that can out strip them.”
The MiniMACs were chosen for the theatre’s cabaret venues; the Dress Circle Bar and Downstairs at the Maj. They support a broad variety of functions across both venues. Having these moving heads in the rig enables a much faster turn around with very little crew.
“It’s been a good process and to finally see it come to fruition has been really pleasing. We really have the Dept. of Culture and the Arts and our Minister Sheila McHale to thank for making it happen.”
www.showtech.com.au

Pulsar ChromaRange adds class to Bada Bing
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The world-wide trend for strip clubs to shed their seedy image and move upmarket has finally reached Sydney’s notorious Kings Cross with the refurbishment of the legendary Bada Bing club.
The space is divided into a main area with a mobile stage and the obligatory pole, a fairly large bar and then a smaller stage and pole to wards the rear. This stage can be curtained off from the rest of the venue if required. To one side there are a couple of booths for private dancing.
Michael Budge of Quantum Electrical has been working with the Kings Cross strip clubs for around eighteen years and has noticed a move away from the tacky, underground situation which he believes has been necessary primarily because of licensing issues.
“The club owners have realised there is more money in these types of clubs with classy venues,” he said. “Prior to this renovation, Bada Bing was just a dingy black hole with a stage at one end.”
Pulsar ChromaRange MR16 LED down lights are the main lighting source in the venue, apart from three designer, suspended lampshades. Initially the owners had planned on installing more lighting effects however once they saw the Pulsar lights they decided that no more effects lighting was required.
“I didn’t look any further than the Pulsar range of LED lighting because of their reputation and reliability,” declared Michael. “Darren McLanders from Show Technology showed me how to programme the LED lights. There are several programmes that are easy to access and run although we usually have a moderately slow colour change running although the speed increases as the night goes on. I’ve chosen colours that work well with flesh.”
The main dance stage is an ellipse shape reflected by a corresponding ceiling bulkhead that is ringed by twelve Pulsar ChromaRange LED down lights with the smaller stage serviced by eight of the fixtures.
www.showtech.com.au

Studio Due go with the Flow
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The Gold Coast’s Dreamworld is riding the crest of imagination to the perfect wave having introduced a brand new, unrivalled, aquatic experience never before seen in Australia. Born from the roots of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and body boarding, the Flowrider is set to take the nation by storm.
Flowrider generates a thin sheet of rushing water that flows over a stationary form allowing riders to drop in on their own unbroken wave, slide down, carve a turn, cut back and ride up the padded surface.
When the sun goes down, the surf stays up! Nightrider gives you big stage atmosphere with lights, music and a crowd to cheer you on.
Creative Lighting supplied and installed a Martin Freekie controller and five Studio Due MiniCity 150 colour changing flood lights, four of which house 28 degree lenses. A single gantry above the ride houses all of the lighting and audio.
”I liked the fact that the Studio Due MiniCitys were available with the wider lense and they’re also very cost effective,” said Lance Stewart, managing director of Creative Lighting. “The functions offered by the MiniCity were ideal; the ability to have lighting that reacted to the music yet was constrained within the ride itself. And also of course they’re IP rated which was necessary as they are completely exposed to the elements.”
Cost effectiveness and functions on offer were again the deciding factors when Lance opted for the Martin Freekie controller.
“It has the ability to react to the music or to run pre-programmed sequences,” he said. “It’s very easy for the operator to learn and use.”
www.showtech.com.au

The Mean Fiddler Irish Pub currently resides in what was the Royal Oak Inn in Rouse Hill, Sydney. Built in 1826, this building has seen many uses including a residence, inn, a la carte restaurant and popular watering hole. Steeped in history, The Mean Fiddler commenced trade on Friday 6th December 1996.
The Mean Fiddler blends Australian tradition with Irish charm. On one end, the Convict built coach house has been carefully restored to its former glory whilst at the other end The Woolshed has become a popular live entertainment venue. Recent and ongoing renovations bring in a contemporary element whilst complimenting the existing history.
Unique doesn’t begin to describe the design and fit out of The Mean Fiddler Irish Pub. Attached to the original Cobb & Co. refreshment station house and dating back to the early 1900’s, this pub must be seen to be believed!
A Parisian 1880’s chandelier, a village church pulpit and sunken Irish fiddle displays are just a few of the artefacts to be found whilst exploring this bar.
The main Mean Fiddler Bar is a warren of small nooks and crannies with the main lighting being down lights. The venue owners wanted to be able to make the lighting in the Heritage Bar, which is part of the Mean Fiddler Bar, a bit different but due to heritage restrictions and commonsense most light fixtures would look out of place in this historical setting. Something was needed that would not require structural changes and that would blend into the existing architecture.
Enter the Pulsar ChromaRange MR16 LED down lights! These revolutionary lights could be simply installed by retro fitting them into the existing down light holes. The venue was so impressed they installed fifty of these fixtures controlled by one ChromaZone controller.
During the day and when the Heritage Bar is not being used for a special occasion the Pulsar down lights are set on a blue and green theme which compliments the interior as pictured. However when the area is hired for a function or a band is playing the fixtures begin a slow color fade bringing extra zest to this unusual bar.
www.showtech.com.au

Geelong College chose LSC for $8 million Performing Arts Centre
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For many years, Music and Drama have been acknowledged as areas of excellence at The Geelong College in Victoria and recently they opened an $8 million music and performing arts centre. The impetus for the project was the generosity of Mrs Jill Humble who provided a benefaction of approximately $2 million to the school for use in the centre in memory of her late husband, the renowned musician, Keith Humble. The Keith Humble Centre for Music and the Performing Arts features a 250 seat music auditorium, incorporating an historic Wurlitzer pipe organ, a versatile ‘black box’ drama theatre, a three level foyer, a music technology laboratory, recording and editing booths, a bio box, green room, music library, rock studio, multiple classrooms and music practice rooms, drama rehearsal studios, staff, offices and much more. McGlashan Everist was the architects for the project with Rob Mitchell of RTM International acting as theatre consultant. Geelong-based Bishop Audio & Lighting was contracted to supply the audio and lighting requirements.
The installation is exclusively controlled by LSC products with the Music Auditorium housing a LSC iPatch 72 and a LSC maXim M console whilst the Drama Space utilises a LSC iPatch 42 and a LSC maXim LP console.
”LSC products are always our first choice for projects of this type,” stated Kevin Bishop, managing director of Bishops Audio & Lighting. “The maXim consoles offer lots of versatility particularly when you include the PaTPad moving light control module. The Drama Space is also a teaching space and we saw that in the future that there would be requirements for moving lights and that’s why the model with the PaTPad was especially chosen.
“We find that the LSC lighting consoles fit in very well in a school environment; people find them straightforward to operate and there are plenty of features if they need to do things such as store shows.”
Shared between the performance spaces are four LSC iPAK/A dimmers which Kevin chose because they are simple to install, mount very neatly on the wall and combined with the LSC Patch systems, work very well.
“It’s very tidy, simple to use for the installer and time efficient which is very important to us,” said Kevin. “We find that we never have any problems with our LSC dimmers. I’ve been installing them for many years and I can’t remember ever seeing one returned to me.”
House lighting is controlled by an LSC EKO 324 dimmer (twelve channels each for the Drama Space and the Music Auditorium) with two 8 button wall plates mounted in each performance space.
www.lsclighting.com.au

The Lone Pine continues LED upgrade
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Last year the owners of The Lone Pine Tavern in Sydney suburb Rooty Hill decided to give their venue a new lease of life by jazzing up their gaming room with a variety of LED fixtures and highlighting the hotel exterior with colour-changing light.
They were so impressed by the make-over and the compliments that it received; the decision was taken to go another step further. Based on the success of the Gaming Room, the theme was continued through to the Main Bar as it had become time for its scheduled refurbishment. Again they turned to Show Technology and installers DMC to wave their magic wand.
Twenty Show Technology Pro Shop LED Mini Strips, running off their own controller which is triggered by linking together with a Pulsar ChromaZone, are installed beneath the bar overhang to create an entrancing effect as well as in an alcove above the water feature behind the bar. This water feature is lit in ever changing colour by three Pulsar LED down lights controlled via the ChromaZone running the LED in the Gaming Room. This way not only do you negate the requirement to purchase an additional controller but the entire Main Bar and Gaming Area then has a colour change synergy through-out both locations.
Although the Main Bar is flooded with ambient light the power of the LED fixtures still draws attention something that would not be possible with conventional lighting effects.
Whilst the installed system offers a lot of flexibility in terms of colour effects, the owner prefers to stick with a couple of looks that he favours hence the fixed blue colour beneath the bar.
www.showtech.com.au

Skynews move to CST technology
As part of the new Foxtel Sydney studio development, the Skynews studio was simultaneously involved in its own upgrade.
The new Skynews studio included a larger studio space as well as a control room and associated facilities. As part of the development, the requirement existed for a range of new lighting equipment including both a lighting console and dimmers.
For some time, Skynews had a been a user of De Sisti lighting products and it was no surprise that Blake Heaton, Technical Director for Skynews, contacted Simon Prictor of Coemar De Sisti Australia to discuss the most recent developments in equipment available from Coemar De Sisti Australia (CDA).
In due course, Blake was able to view first hand several new lighting products including the new De Sisti CST 250 fresnel, which features an inbuilt dmx dimmer.
The CST 250F utilises the Phillips Ceramic ST 250 HR lamp, a discharge lamp which operates at a tungsten colour temperature - a 3200k hot-restrike, discharge lamp! Designed to be the perfect partner to De Sisti’s Delux fluorescent range, the package provides a COLD lighting solution which not only provides superior optical and luminous output, it also reduces the load on air conditioning systems by minimising heat output. Ideal for compact, low ceiling studios, the low heat output on studio talent is also a significant additional benefit of this extremely energy efficient lighting system.
With dimming an essential requirement with most studio users, De Sisti has incorporated a patented dimming system by utilising an out-of-focus iris that is DMX controllable (in fact, the fixture also features local control of the dimming function). The dimming function provides perfect dimming from 0% to 100% and, since the iris travels with the lamp holder and is located behind the Fresnel lens, there are no striations in the light field – perfect, flat dimming.
In addition, the CST 250F outputs approximately the same luminous output as a 1000 watt tungsten fixture whilst consuming only 25% of the power and producing 75% less heat with a rated lamp life of 6000 hours. Significant features, to say the least.
Current users of the CST fixtures include the QVC studios and Michigan Television in the USA and Star TV in Hong Kong. Michael Saunders of Michigan Television has commented, “We really like the CST 250 fresnel. We use them not only in the studio, but we have also taken them out on a few remotes. Since they only use 250w you can plug them into any standard wall outlet and not have to worry about blowing the circuit, and they put out a lot more light. They’re very rugged (no filament to break). They put out a lot of very nice white light, and we’re impressed with them”.
In addition to the CST 250F fresnels, Coemar De Sisti’s package for Skynews included De Sisti Delux fluorescents, 1kW Fresnels and Dimmer racks. Skynews also become another of the growing band of TV studios to select from the Compulite range of consoles, having chosen the new Dlite console to control their lighting.
www.cdaust.com.au

Zink in colour
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The advent of LED into the market place has allowed the designer to go crazy with colour. One such installation by a long time user of the popular Coemar De Sisti Australia Xchip RGB led system is the Zink club in Queensland.
As you can see from the photos, the Xchip led system provides all of the lighting for Zink. The whole atmosphere of the venue is generated by the lighting from the Xchip. The designers have put Xchip wherever possible with the bar front illuminated by Xchip, the bottle displays behind the bar and even the venue name above the bottle fridges all coloured by Xchip.  
Distinctive decorative wall panel features line the walls of the club and these too are highlighted by the Xchip led which prove a splash of colour behind the panels.  
The XChip LEDs provide the main lighting for the club with maximum lighting impact using a product which not only uses a fraction of the power of more conventional entertainment lighting, it also puts out only insignificant heat, thus reducing related cooling costs dramatically.   T
The use of the XChip in this venue is quite dramatic and an outstanding example of the innovation that LED lighting offers today.
www.cdaust.com.au

Martin Maxedia for huge projection wall at Yaralla Sports Club
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Yaralla Sports Club, the home ground of entertainment in Gladstone, Queensland, is a venue that is highly regarded for its fantastic facilities and adding to their reputation for innovative approaches is a forty metre video wall which has just been installed into their gaming lounge.
Club AV Pty Ltd, a well respected installation and design company for over twenty years, installed the giant video wall – a task that both consultants and others said could not be done.
“The requirement was very difficult to work with,” explained Andrew Wood, Queensland Operations Manager for Club AV. “The Client wanted a full forty metre digital video system that would handle the requirements of a unique experience for his patrons as well as handling any colour, video or image for the venue if needed for special events.
“After drawing up the proposed system with our suppliers we had the client come and inspect the proposed system and, needless to say, this was only the start of a challenging and frustrating systems design. Basically at the meeting, what was presented and what was required were two totally different things. However after returning to the white board and further conversation with our suppliers, we were able to bring both systems together as one which was obviously more than pleasing to our client.”
The system uses some really funky products to achieve the required result. From the moment the client asked about digital images in a video wall Andrew’s instant thought was the Martin Maxedia.
”Being the fact that it is a product designed to bring together the lighting and video engineer in a production environment used mainly on LED panels or large projectors, no one had tried or done what we planned to do. After speaking with Show Technology this is the first Maxedia installed permanently in a venue of this kind in the country.”
Club AV also commissioned a digital video processor for the vision requirements; the wall uses 10 XGA Infocus Projectors to handle the vision with each projector receiving hi resolution images over Cat 5 cabling transmitted and received using Magenta Research products.
“Both Ian Medland, Club AVs in-house AV and IT support Technician, and myself spent a lot of time on the video processor and I clearly believe that we broke a few rules with this one!” stated Andrew. “The client is over the moon with the final result. They can have a simple colour changing wall or have clouds rolling by, you can even have the State of Origin playing whilst colouring the walls at the same time in the team colours! Really your imagination is the limit and we are currently working on taking the system again to the next level for the client.”
“It was a hard slog for both the Club AV guys and I, trying to make the customers’ vision become a reality,” added Darren McLanders of Show Technology. “I can tell you my brain was melted after the first meeting. The whiteboard looked like that of a physics lab! My hat is off to the Club AV guys though; they certainly made it all happen.”
www.showtech.com.au

LSC Lighting EKO Dimmers for new Foxtel Studio


Foxtel in Sydney have reconstructed a small studio at their Pyrmont premises as well as building a large studio at their Ryde complex. The larger studio, which measures 300m², has been in use since the beginning of May.
Coemar De Sisti Australia were contracted to supply a complete lighting installation including De Sisti hoists, wiring and dimmers resulting in a complete turn-key system. Peter Kemp, CDA’s managing director, surveyed the market for a wall mount dimmer suitable for the application.
“We decided that the LSC Lighting EKO was suitable for the requirements we had for the studio. There were a number of features that we favoured; ease of installation including the facilities within the rack for logging and various functions you can set up with the EKO. They were the best dimmer for the job and fitted the need.”
Ease of installation is one of the primary attractions of the EKO dimmer and this factor certainly helped make the Foxtel project run smoothly. The EKO comes in two parts: the install frame, which includes all the data and load connections, and the actual dimmer with its complex electronics.
The install frame was supplied to the building site approximately three months before the studio was due to open thus allowing the building wiring to be terminated in a clear and unhindered manner. The frames were mounted on the wall by the onsite electricians who then terminated the load and data cables, did a full continuity test and then left. Photograph number one clearly depicts this phase of the installation.
For the next two months other trades, such as tilers, painters, and carpenters, all worked in the same room as the EKO frame without any risks of damaging the sensitive electronics in the dimmers as they were not yet installed.
On the day before commissioning the EKO dimmers were delivered to site where attaching each dimmer to the frame and plugging in all the connectors took less than 45 minutes for all eight dimmers! Photograph number two shows the final result; a good, clean installation ready to go!
www.lsclighting.com.au

Pro Shop LED Tiles crucial to venue tansformation
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Avsound Productions have supplied and installed a stunning Pro Shop LED flooring solution to Sydney’s latest, most fashionable nightspot ‘Slide’.
Situated in an old Art Deco bank on trendy Oxford Street, Slide is the creation of former Home nightclub owner Ron McCulloch. The venue is a bar and restaurant that morphs into a nightclub as the evening grows late; a concept that is not easily marketed to the clientele. Essential to making the transition from lounge bar / restaurant to full on, thumping nightclub is the LED flooring which is used to herald the change. In dining mode the LED tiles are usually lit in one, subtle colour effect but as the venue turns into a nightclub and the chairs and tables are packed away, the LED tiles signal the change by fast-paced movement and splendid colour changing.
Aiding this transition are four Martin MAC250 Kryptons and two MAC250 Washes which also swing into action bringing the room alive with colour and movement. Another prominent feature in the room is the projected Slide logo, courtesy of all of the profile units, which acts as a decorative element as well as selling the concept of corporate logo projection to the future hirers of the space.
The original control system needed to be revisited as although it ran the MACs extremely well, the enormous amount of LED tiles in the venue and the extent of control that was requested meant that a new solution needed to be sourced. Show Technology, in conjunction with their supplier TMB, helped find the venues’ ideal control solution in the UK built Pharos Designer System. As well as complete control over the MAC fittings this system uses “pixel mapping” technology allowing complete control over individual tiles so that they can be fed images and video via DMX.
The Pro Shop LED tiles are split between three platforms, the bottom two consisting of an 11 x 8 tile grid (with an extra five to make up the area), whilst the top platform is a grid of 5 x 10 tiles. Each of the platforms are stepped up from the previous, the bottom platform is about 100mm high, with the top platform at about 500mm off the floor below. In total there are 231 LED tiles used with 29 x Power Supply/Controllers supplied to run them.
“I’m very pleased that I’ve been able to install these LED tiles,“ said Ron McCulloch. “It adds a really great aspect and when the mirrors we have featured in the ceiling combine with the LED matrix panelling it results in the most amazing reflections around the room.
”Now that we have installed the brand new control system it gives us even more scope with the LED panels – we can actually feed in video to the 3 levels and have clouds going through them, a swirling rainbow of colour or a flower opening, etc. Obviously at this scale it has to be low resolution, but it looks fantastic from the mezzanine level.”
“They have already made their mark on the local bar/restaurant market in the short time they have been open, and now that this is established they are gearing up and moving to the next level…and it’s pumping into the wee hours of the morning!” said Darren McLanders of Show Technology who assisted with the project.
The raised platforms also act as small stage areas for a variety of performers and the light emitted from them actually colours the entire room delivering continual fresh new looks. The Macs swing around and it becomes a live performance venue.
www.showtech.com.au

Hillside Hotel in the Sydney suburb of Castle Hill is a venue that is forever changing and growing. It first opened six years ago and has since gradually expanded as it has acquired neighbouring property. It’s a colorful, modern tavern popular within the district.
Michael Lang of Congo Blue Solutions said we where actually there to provide an outdoor video projection solution, after many discussions with the owner we came up with a design that would use fifty-eight Pro Shop LED Pinspots. Forty-two of the LED pinspots are situated in the outdoor lounge area giving it a more vibrant atmosphere. The lounge can take on many different looks just by the changing colour of the LED Pinspots.
The remaining sixteen LED Pinspots have been installed above the Hotels water feature which is located at the main entrance to the venue. Previously the water feature had been a little underwhelming; a grey monolith with badly flowing water and a hardly noticeable ‘Hillside Hotel’ sign. Michael fixed up the water flow and introduced a stunning LED colour array to the feature making it a much talked about element in the venue.
The LED lit water feature now acts as highly visible signage for the venue since it is very noticeable from the busy Old Northern Road.
The LED Pinspots are programmed into a Martin LightCorder an easy to operate lightshow recorder that allows you to record and playback a recorded light show from start to finish at the touch of a button.
www.showtech.com.au

ULA at Varsity Lakes Tavern
Varsity Lakes, one of the Gold Coast’s fastest growing planned communities with architectural designed homes and community centres, now has a new upbeat watering hole for the locals, near Bond University. Located 20km south west of Surfer’s Paradise, the Varsity Lakes community has always considered their suburb to be it’s own separate town out of the way from the “hustle and bustle” of Surfer’s Paradise. The local Varsity Lakes Tavern was always planned for the hard working men and women of the community but has only been upgraded to accommodate for the younger patrons. Now with the upgrade of its facilities, the Varsity Lakes Tavern has reopened its doors, catering for both the traditional patron and the younger and “trendy” patrons of Varsity Lakes.
The two main entertainment areas in the night club section of the Tavern and are used for the two separate patron types. To the north, the Tavern has opted for the trendy and upmarket concept, with the Robe 170AT Recessed Spots primarily lighting the dance and social floors. The Robe 170AT Recessed Spots were given a custom finish to match the décor of the entertainment area. According to the Tavern’s management, they decided to use the Robe 170AT Recessed Spots as they seamlessly blended into the modern design of the venue. To the south is the sports and TAB bar, where patrons can relax and watch their favourite sports. With the success of the Robe and iSolutions products, the Varsity Lakes Tavern Management are upgrading the sports bar lighting to include some additional Robe 170AT Recessed Spots in the near future.
Also included in the lighting for the north area are iMove 7 Spots, iRock 7 Scanners and DMX Giga StRobes. All immerse the patrons in the excitement of the bar’s live and commercial entertainment, building on and complementing the Robe 170 ATs.
www.ula.com.au

Jordons Restaurant makes a mark in Darling Harbour
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Jordons Seafood Restaurant has been an integral part of the Darling Harbour dining scene for seventeen years gaining a favourable reputation amongst locals and tourists alike. The restaurant has recently completed a face-lift, designed to add new vibrancy to the venue and enhance the harbourside ambience.
Set among the bright lights of this popular city location, the venue needed something special to announce its’ presence. Surrounded by neon signs, intense street signage, and illuminated buildings, as well as their own restaurant lights which glow through the glass façade of the venue, the solution needed to be super-bright, moving and quirky.
Enter the Martin Mania PR1 projector a high precision optic luminaire that can herald your image, your logo, your decoration or your message onto any wall, floor or ceiling. Supplied by Lamba, this Mania PR1 is situated above the main entrance from where it projects the fish logo that is synonymous with Jordans onto the pavement outside.
As the fish slowly rotates, passer-bys cannot help but be drawn to the venue. It is a simple yet highly effective signage solution. Amid the lighting bling of Darling Harbour this moving piece of art stands out with spectacular style.
www.showtech.com.au

Bring in the decorators - Martin Ego X5's!
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Every Friday and Saturday night the ground floor level, known as Party Central, of Sydney’s Retro Hotel comes alive to the classic tunes of yester-year. The décor isn’t fancy – no swanky interior designers have been employed here – but the room has been redecorated in a novel and cost effective way. Eight Martin Ego X5 effect lights bathe the thronging crowds in a sea of colour, pattern and movement.
The Martin Ego X5 is the only one true kaleidoscopic effect on the market today with a blazingly bright output and razor sharp images to cut life into any show, club or party.
With the ease of DMX control and 12 inbuilt macros to get you on the road fast, the Ego X5 is the supreme mood instigator for the light hearted professional.
The DJ’s at the venue have an easy life with the Ego X5 as it can operate in either auto or music trig mode. In trig mode variable behaviour tuning allows DJs to adjust how aggressively the effect reacts to music. The Ego X5 comes with spectacular macros included for fast programming and demonstrations as standard.
Also included is a variable strobe effect with 0–100% digital dimming. Variable effect speeds on both the double mirror tunnel optics and the specially designed kaleidoscopic gobo wheel give maximum flexibility and dynamic effect. Rotation is continuous and smooth on all effects.
So next time you want to dress-up a plain venue don’t take out a bank loan – just invest in Martin Ego X5’s!
The installation was carried out by Total Concept Projects and project manager Ralph Rudolf is so impressed by the Ego X5 he has also installed six into the Central Coast’s Club Troppo; a bare auditorium used as a night club on Friday nights that now has instant décor!
”They certainly dress a room very effectively,” he commented. “I’ve also installed six Martin Ego 3 effect lights into Penrith RSL’s ‘The Boogie Lounge’ – again a one nighter event.”
www.showtech.com.au

Lake Kawana Community Centre opens with LSC
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A community celebration featuring a spectacular fireworks finale on Lake Kawana marked the official opening celebrations for the much anticipated $11.5m Lake Kawana Community Centre. Kawana is Caloundra’s newest master-planned suburb and its community centre boasts state of the art multi-function halls, performance stages featuring high quality sound and lighting, a commercial kitchen and bar, rehearsal courtyard, meeting rooms and kiosk.
Entertainment Services Theatrical of Brisbane was contracted to supply and integrate the lighting, audio , curtaining and specialist staging equipment. The venue is designed around a large flat-floor auditorium with two raised stages; one at either end. Two central operable walls can divide the space into two or three spaces. The inhouse lighting is mainly conventional with moving lights hired in when required and Kent Dayhew, Entertainment Services’ Projects Manager, knew straight away which lighting console would be ideal for this venue and hence recommended the LSC maXim LP and a maXim XXL consoles.
“The LSC maXim console is perfect for this type of venue because it can have a simple, analogue interface for the amateur user but can be quite powerful as well when you look at the PatPad option on the maXim LP,” he stated. “These LSC consoles are becoming more and more popular in fact they are becoming the standard for smaller and amateur/community-type venues. Thus I’m finding that more and more people know how to use the maXims but if they don’t know, it’s very easy to learn the basic analogue section. Plus there is an easy to follow training video for the PatPad.”
Originally another locally manufactured console was specified but Kent strongly recommended the maXims.
“My feeling was that as the maXims become more popular they will be regarded as standard in these venues,” he explained. “At the moment, there are probably more of the other manufacturer’s consoles out in middle of the road installations such as this, but I believe that their technology is dated and LSC have recently put a lot more into their R&D in this market.”
Accompanying the two maXim consoles are LSC Delta DMX splitters used to ensure an optically isolated signal to each of the dimmers and a dedicated interface for hire-in movers. Power distribution for exhibition mode is provided by two LSC Delta distributors and nine iPaks, which Kent describes as bullet-proof, provide the stage dimming.
“I’m also very familiar with the iPak dimmer and always happy to use them,” he added. “I’ve never had any problems with iPak dimmers and it’s reassuring to install a product that you know is going to work.”
“The LSC consoles are the most modern and suitable for the venue,” concluded Greg Hughes, Entertainment Services’ Project Co-ordinator. “Other locally manufactured consoles suitable for this multi-user type of venue are quite old technology in comparison to the LSC products.”
www.lsclighting.com.au