Business News
RSS feed of ALIA News is available
Posted on Monday, May 10th, 2010
If you use an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader to aggregate your news, you can add a feed of the ALIA News page <http://www.alia.com.au/?feed=rss>.
An RSS feed of the ALIA Forums has been available for many years at <http://www.alia.com.au/forums/rss.php>
Recycled Tech: second hand professional lighting gear on the web
Posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010
Show Technology introduces a specialist local web site offering used and superseded professional lighting equipment at reduced prices.
As part of the Show Technology group, the Recycledtech web site is primarily a tool for the all of the company’s clients including dealers, rental companies and resellers, but also reaches out to all users of the company’s gear.
Recycledtech provides a place to buy used, ex-demo or factory clearance professional lighting technology. All gear traded and offered on Recycledtech will have undergone a Show Technology standard service and will be issued with a condition rating. All stock listed is available from the company’s Sydney warehouse. A minimum seven-day warranty is provided, so that you can ensure that the units work on arrival. In some cases 3, 6 and even 12 months warranty is offered.
Recycledtech features equipment from lighting brands such as Martin, MA, JEM, Look, Kupo, Robert Juliat, Pro Shop and Pulsar. Equipment is constantly sourced both from trade-in deals among many locations around the country and from Show Technology’s own superseded stock lines. Even special purchases from manufacturers may be added to this list.
Recycledtech will constantly be looking for equipment to add to its lists so if you have something for sale, contact them through the sell function. If you are looking to purchase equipment you can sign up for the early bird notification emails and youll be notified of new Recycledtech equipment becoming available for sale.
Robert Juliat spotlighting Dubbo
Posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010
The Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre (DRTCC), a major project which bought together a new 500-seat tiered theatre and the existing Dubbo War Memorial Civic Centre building, opened in April this year.
The tiered theatre boasts a full state-of-the-art computerised sound and lighting control room, a box office, acoustically designed auditorium, hydraulic orchestra pit, raised stage, dressing rooms, ‘green room’, refreshment bar and designated seating for people with disabilities.
When appointed as the venue’s Technical & Production Coordinator, Shane Lomman knew there was one piece of equipment he had to have – the Robert Juliat Topaze follow spot. In fact he ordered two!
Shane is a great fan of the Topaze follow spot and it seems that wherever he goes it goes too. Previously Shane was the Head of the Lighting Department at Mackay Entertainment Centre where he purchased two Topaze follow spots followed by another for the Mackay Convention Centre and it was the same story before that when he was at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
In fact the photo above is two years old and was actually taken in Mackay but Shane pointed out the Topaze still looks the same and he’s probably still wearing the same shirt!
”In the last eight years I have purchased seven RJ Topaze follow spots,” declared Shane. “I have been hugely impressed by them since day one. I frequently check to see what else is available on the market in that range but there’s nothing that compares. Robert Juliat has always been good to me and I was more than happy to go with them again.
“The optics on the Topaze are really excellent and the balance is good. I do like the internal frost arrangement that particular model has but the most redeeming feature of the Topaze is the dowser and the way it is controlled by a rotary bar half-way down the lens tube of the lamp. It means you don’t have to actually take your hands off the follow spot to fade it up and down. All of the people that I have employed over the years have had nothing but praise for this system.”
More Martin MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures for Matrix
Posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Late last year Matrix Productions took delivery of a dozen Martin MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures which have proved to be popular, reliable and generally fabulous. So much so, Matrix is now in the process of ordering eight more of these amazing powerful LED wash lights.
Revered for features such as a quick response time, a versatile zoom function and brightness that needs to be seen the believed, the MAC 301 Wash™ LED is proving to be the ideal fixture for a variety of productions.
“We’ve taken the decision to embrace LED technology as much as possible and once we’d checked out MAC 301, we knew they were the fixture to order,” commented Darryl Edwards, director of Matrix Productions. “We’ve been really pleased with them and had no problems putting them on jobs. They’re doing the job for us and our customers are happy using them. As well as doing concerts and corporate work, we’ve cross-hired them several times.”
A devote fan of the Martin brand, Darryl has not been disappointed with their MAC 301 Wash™ LED pointing out that having no lamp issues is a big bonus.
“With other moving lights we’re always trying to manage the look of the lamps across all of them so that if we rent two out to an event we don’t end up with mismatched lamps,” he said. “The low power draw is great and takes away a few issues that can pop up from time to time. Often it means we don’t have to hire in generators for some productions.”
Pictured are Matrix’s Mick Letchford, Darryl Edwards and Chris Hastie.www.showtech.com.au
W-DMX™ Gives Free Gear to Facebook Fans
Posted on Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Wireless Solution Sweden AB is running a special promotion to attract fans to their facebook fan page. All fans that join from now until May 10 will be entered into a draw to win free W-DMX gear. Current fans will be included in the draw.
“We want an easily accessible way for our current and potential clients and OEM partners to keep track of what we’re doing,” says Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution, “We think this new social media outlet is a great way to do that and we want to spread the word as fast as possible.”
The facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wireless-DMX/267608936069?ref=ts&v=wall or just search “Wireless DMX” or find Twitter at www.twitter.com and search “wirelessdmx”. In addition to news stories, the sites will post training schedules, trade shows, Wireless University seminars and other relevant information. Those with technical questions are asked to direct them to helpdesk@wirelessdmx.com for an immediate response.
The draw will be held on May 15 and announced on the facebook site.
W-DMX™ by Wireless Solution Sweden AB has become the world standard for wireless DMX, winning awards on both sides of the Atlantic. W-DMX “outshone the rest” in an independent test (Lighting & Sound International). Specified with perfect results in high-profile lighting projects everywhere, W-DMX has been used for lighting the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver; the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Headquarters in Kuwait; Andrea Bocelli live at the Colosseum; Times Square in New York City; the Nobel Prize Banquet; the Berlin Wall 20-year Anniversary; and many more.
For more information about W-DMX™ by Wireless Solution, visit www.wirelessdmx.com.
301’s the One for ResX
Posted on Monday, April 19th, 2010
Resolution X has added the flexible Martin MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures to their hire department. Hailed as one of the most exciting LED products on the market, the MAC 301 Wash™ is very compact and bright, has amazing response time and a zoom function that makes it extremely versatile.
“Normally we are the first to show new product to our clients,” remarked Tim Hall, Managing Director at ResX. “However with the MAC 301 Wash™ the table was reversed as we had several clients who had used the MAC 301 Wash™ interstate and loved them. Basically they were demanding we got some!
“I’m glad we were pushed as they have proved to be outstanding units; bright, fast and quiet. Of added benefit is how many you can pack into a small space – both in the air and the truck”.
Capable of producing a wide range of exceptional colours from rich saturated shades to pastels through the entire zoom range, the MAC 301 Washes™ are ideal for corporate work and since their arrival at ResX the MAC 301 Wash™ LED fixtures have been working hard on several corporate events.
Pictured is Marcus Pugh, Hire Manager at ResX with some of the new units.
Total Concept Projects (TCP) placed in receivership
Posted on Thursday, April 15th, 2010
The Receivers and Managers Ferrier Hodgson are conducting an urgent assessment of the operations of TCP and in the interim are trading the Total Concept Group with the view of selling as a going concern.
The Receivers and Managers are currently preparing an information memorandum and will have it out to interested parties as soon as possible. Any interested parties wishing to make an offer for the purchase of some or all of the assets of the business of the Total Concept Group should contact Ferrier Hodgson at http://www.ferrierhodgson.com/
New SDVpro 17 Catalogue
Posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
ULA is proud to announce the release of the new SDVPRO 17 range.
The SDVpro 17 range now encompasses both the effects and general lighting that has made SDV a consistent market leader, together with the growing suite of LED lighting products that represents the advancing technology in lighting as well as leading the way with the latest visual trends. The evidence of the fast moving emerging LED technology within the entertainment market is once again apparent with the exciting new product represented in this issue of SDVPRO.
With a great range of new and exciting products be sure to check out the new catalogue at www.sdvpro.com.au
ULA Winner
Posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010
Adrian Wright from NIDA was the winner of the SDVpro High Powered LED Par Package to the value of $4000 (including 2 x T Bar Stands with 8 x High Powered LED HO Par Cans and a light and easy controller). All he had to do was subscribe to ULA’s E-News during March to win. ULA’s E-News will keep you up-to-date with new release products, product training opportunities and demonstrations as well as general news to keep you at the forefront of the latest technology and events around Australia and the globe.
Half a Tonne of TW1’s!
Posted on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Resolution X had just notched up a half century with their 50th Martin MAC TW1 added to their hire stock.
”These units have proved immensely popular across all our markets,” remarked Tim Hall, Resolution X’s managing director. “Even though we now have over 50 MAC TW1 units in hire there is hardly ever one in the factory. Everyone seems to love them and as soon as they are back we barely see them before they go out the door again.”
The MAC TW1 is a powerful, silent tungsten wash light with a clean, even, soft-edged beam, a motorized zoom, exceptional and rich CMY colour mixing and dimming can be operated from either the built-in dimmer or from an external dimming system.
Captured is Liz Beedle, head of moving lights for ResX, making the most of a rare moment when some of the MAC TW1’s are actually available for photographing!
Vari*lite VLX Wash Luminaire Debuts in Australia
Posted on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Queensland’s Avcom Staging is a specialist event staging company with over twenty eight years experience within the corporate events industry. This experience has taught managing director, Luke George, to only select the best in equipment technology with Vari*lite being a preferred choice.
”You can’t go past the name and reputation,” he commented. “It’s an internationally acclaimed product with quality and durability ultimately delivering long-term reliability and an excellent return on investment.”
It was no surprise that Luke looked to Vari*lite when choosing a LED moving head fixture and he was delighted with the new Vari*lite VLX Wash Luminaire. He particularly favoured the potential low maintenance and running costs associated with the VLX.
”The significantly reduced power draw will yield great direct and indirect benefits on all our events,” added Luke. “All of this aside, it is performance that counts. The VLX is bright, punchy and very quiet with exceptional speed and agility of the moving head mechanism. Colours are extremely accurate and colour mixing is equally impressive – totally free of shadowing. I’m sure they will prove to be the right choice for our business.”
The first project Avcom Staging used their new VLX Wash luminaries was a corporate conference held at Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast. The VLX fixtures were used for the Gala Dinner held in a white lycra-lined Hoecker pavilion. Set on top of 1.2 metre platforms, VLX’s were used as stage colour wash as well as full ceiling colour wash.
”Four VLX’s coped with both tasks easily even in a 45 metre x 25 metre Hoecker,” reported Luke. “While the photograph supplied doesn’t show the actual fixtures, you can see how intensive and complete the VLX’s coverage is. My guys thought they were fabulous!”
Martin MAC301 LED fixtures rushed to Perth AV
Posted on Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Perth AV found they were in a bit of a pickle prior to the busy Christmas and New Year period – they just didn’t have enough lighting gear for all the fabulous projects they were asked to light particularly the prestigious Hopman Cup Ball.
They couldn’t subhire from any other production companies as they were all flat out too and lighting a few candles wasn’t going to cut it! Fortunately Show Technology’s managing director Emmanuel Ziino mounted his white charger and came to the rescue.
Ever keen to support his dealers, Emmanuel arranged for twelve Martin MAC301 LED fixtures, eight Martin MAC250 Entours and four Martin MAC700 profiles to be sent to Perth AV asap.
”The Hopman Cup Ball is held on New Year’s day hence no gear available,” explained Mike Bird, of Perth AV. “We put all of the Show Technology gear into the Ball which featured Vanessa Amorosi as the headline act. Her lighting designer Rohan Thornton loved the MAC301’s in fact he said he was going back to Melbourne to spec them on some of his shows!”
Since then Mike reports that the MAC301 have hardly seen the inside of the shop as they’ve been so popular – not just with clients but other production companies wanting to sub-hire them.
”Everyone loves the size of the fixture, the output it delivers and the speed,” said Mike. “The biggest attraction is the low power consumption for such a high powered fixture. It’s perfect for a corporate environment.”
The Martin MAC250 Entours and MAC700 profiles were added to Perth AV’s Martin inventory which Mike plans to keep topping up!
Warrnambool Entertainment Centre Adds ETC Ion Console
Posted on Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Clearlight Shows has sold an ETC Ion console to Warrnambool Entertainment Centre where manager Greg Diamantis and his crew have been acquainting themselves with the console.
Warrnambool Entertainment Centre is an imaginative blend of old and new architecture offering a mix of venues suited to a range of purposes from conferences, conventions and exhibitions to performances, functions, meetings and forums. The Centre has plans to redevelop the venue within the next couple of years and this was an important factor in choosing an ETC Ion console.
“I wanted to ensure that whilst the redevelopment was happening we would still be able to operate shows and the mobility of the Ion was important,” said Diamantis. “I didn’t want to have a large console I couldn’t move around. Plus I’ve used an ETC Express in the past so I was used to the ETC operating manner and also there isn’t the factor that every venue has a Strand anymore.
“We needed a console with intelligent light capability and also one that we could build on further down the track. The Ion fitted our requirements perfectly.”
Diamantis was also aware that many lead touring companies were purchasing the Ion for its versatility and reliability. Added to the fact that more and more Victorian regional venues were adding Ions, the Ion held great appeal.
“At the same time we purchased fourteen LED PAR cans so we needed a console that could manage them too,” Diamantis revealed. “We’ve found that the ETC Ion has really sped up the lighting process for acts like dance schools and one-nighters as they can now get what they want very quickly. We recently did a local amateur musical production and Ion enabled us to speed up the lighting plot session by about five hours on the first day. There were no problems whatsoever.”
Diamantis states that prior to receiving the ETC Ion they were living slightly in the dark ages with a Jands Event Plus console and consequently he loves just about every feature on his new Ion! “It’s been a long time between upgrades!” he said. “I love that the Ion comes with dual screens at no extra cost so you can position the console in the configuration that works best for the operator and the room. I like that with the Ion if you don’t know what you’re doing, use a little commonsense and you can usually find out where you should be.”
Barco Acquires Element Labs
Posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Barco has announced that it has acquired the products, intellectual property (IP) rights and know-how of Element Labs, based in Santa Clara, California. With a focus on mid-end market requirements in rental, staging and fixed installations, the Element Labs products complement Barco’s existing high-end product range.
Through this transaction, Barco strengthens its position as a leading provider of LED, projection, image processing and lighting products. This comprehensive product portfolio allows Barco to serve customers with different budget levels in the media and entertainment market. Barco will not book any goodwill on this transaction.
“This expands Barco’s portfolio for the mid-range markets,” Eric Van Zele, Barco’s president and CEO, comments. “Element Labs’ products in these markets have proven their worth on many occasions and perfectly complement Barco’s more high-end oriented market portfolio.”
Paul Matthijs, VP of Barco’s video and lighting solutions business, continues: “Element Labs’ products have added a spectacular dimension to numerous concerts, events, corporate headquarters and flagship stores around the world. This transaction will help to accelerate the turnaround which is under way in our Video & Lighting activities, by enabling Barco to address a wider segment of the market, and further leveraging Barco’s existing sales, marketing, and service capabilities.”
With immediate effect, the name “Element Labs” ceases to exist. Structured as an asset sales transaction, Barco obtains all product designs, rights and intellectual property of Element Labs, without assuming the liabilities of the former EL-company. As of today, the core team of Element Labs in Santa Clara, California, will function as Barco’s competence center for creative LED solutions, whereas Barco Kuurne (Belgium) will remain the competence center for tiled LED solutions. Barco will announce its new mid-range LED products in the coming months.
www.barco.com
www.elementlabs.com
AVE keep ahead of the game with grandMA2
Posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Recently Sydney-based Audio Visual Events has noticed one product constantly popping up on production riders – a MA Lighting grandMA2 ultra-light console and to keep up with the techo-trend they just had to purchase one!
”In order to keep up with the industry we decided to take the step to meet the demands,” remarked Daniel Bergan, manager at AVE. “This is our first MA Lighting console and we’re amazed at how easy it is to use. The touch screen makes it so easy to program and do quick edits on the fly. We love the overall package – it does everything you want plus more. It’s really what we needed to move forward as a production company.”
The grandMA2 ultra-light is the little sister of the grandMA2 light. It features the full network performance of the MA Lighting family with the best price-performance ratio.
“Basically it’s a reputable brand that we find people want,” added Daniel. “With LED technology now in everyday use, we needed a console that could manage all the different types of lighting and digital lighting fixtures. The grandMA2 offers real time programming for conventional lights as well as moving lights, LED surfaces/fixtures and media servers. It’s surprising it doesn’t make a cup of coffee too! We’re rapt with the support and performance of the console.”
Philips Entertainment in Australia
Posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010
When Royal Philips Electronics acquired Selecon last year, the company joined Vari-Lite and Strand Lighting in the newly formed Philips Entertainment sector of the world’s largest lighting company sharing the collective goal to meet the specific needs of our entertainment community.
The Philips Entertainment group is investing heavily in new product and market support to meet the demands of our lighting designers, technicians and audiences while delivering on our environmental responsibilities. Some of the resulting technologies demand a high level of system engineering design; installation and support.
Recognising this demand Philips Entertainment is pleased to announce the appointment of Bytecraft Entertainment, with offices in Melbourne and Sydney, as their Project Partner. They will be responsible for our Strand Control project solutions and have access to all the Philips Selecon entertainment and display lighting lines to best meet the needs of our customers. Our current long-standing Philips Selecon Dealers also now have access to much of the Strand Lighting product ranges.
Jeremy Collins, GM for Philips Entertainment comments, ‘This reorganisation recognises the long association that Bytecraft has with our Strand Lighting business. They provide the skilled engineering support required to deliver the more advanced stage and studio systems for which Strand has had a long and successful worldwide reputation, such as the current multi-million dollar Doha Convention Centre currently being installed in Qatar.
Now as Philips Entertainment partners the existing Selecon network have access to a whole new range of products with which to support their customers. As we look forward to delivering exciting new solutions under the Strand and Selecon brand through 2010 our customers will be well served by these knowledgeable and dedicated entertainment lighting professionals.’
The first of these new products will be previewed at this month Pro Light and Sound in Frankfurt and include high output LED display, theatre and studio luminaires; a 21st century high efficiency tungsten halogen ellipsoidal profile range; choke less, quiet IGBT dimming solutions and new console software.
The Vari-Lite range of moving lights continues to be distributed in Australia by Jands Pty. Limited.
To help manage this business growth, Peter McKenzie, Philips Entertainment Australia Market Manager has been scouring the country for a new team member to join him and we can now announce the success of this search with the appointment of Paul Lewis as technical sales specialist based in Sydney.
Peter comments, “After searching the continent Paul Lewis came to our attention via one of our valued clients and, in fact Paul was a client himself several years ago when the Martin Place Studios for Channel 7 were established. As the lighting director on the Sunrise morning program Paul was instrumental in the fit out of this studio complex. So, after his name came up, we touched base and he decided to take on the new challenges that this position presents.
Paul brings with him a wealth of experience, a thirst for knowledge and a passion for lighting and design, all of which will hold him in good stead to service the Philips Entertainment dealer network, with special expertise in the Strand control, network and dimming markets.”
Conference winner gets his prize
Posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010
At the 2009 Drama Australia conference, Andrew Murrell of De La Salle College in Malvern, reached his hand into the Lightmoves ‘Dip or No Dip’ case like many teachers before him. But unlike all the teachers before him, Andrew was lucky enough to pull out the ticket with the major prize – a full copy of LSC’s Clarity lighting control software. Recently, Lightmoves’ Peter Gray and LSC’s Richie Mickan visited Andrew to deliver the prize, install the software and a give a quick tutorial.
LSC Clarity is a powerful PC-based lighting and media control package that will have even the most experienced lighting operator intrigued. The software is a replacement for traditional lighting desks, allowing for control of all stage lights including LED’s and moving lights.
De La Salle College currently have their own drama space, but as it is shared between the Drama Department and the Music Department as well as being used for Dance and Personal Development classes, it is more of a multi-purpose hall than a theatre. With Andrew recently being promoted as the school’s Head of Drama, an expansion of the performing art space – as well as the drama and theatre studies curriculum – is very high on his priority list. The school has a long history with the Rock Eisteddfod and various other music and dance programs, as well as performing an annual musical in conjunction with Sacre Coeur girl’s school. Despite all this, Andrew has still had some trouble attracting students towards theatre studies. “We currently have Drama compulsory for Year 7 and 8 and an
elective for 9 &10. While we do offer theatre studies for VCE, we’ve had a bit of trouble creating large volumes of interest in it.”
Lack of interest in drama can be a common problem at an all-male school, but one that Andrew will address with help from his new software. By installing the software onto all the computers in the computer lab, Andrew will be able to conduct theatrical lighting classes and tutorials without the hassle of having an entire class crowd around a single lighting desk in a heavily used venue. He hopes that by creating more technical opportunities within the curriculum, that interest in theatre studies will increase.
“It is a very exciting time for our drama department” says Andrew enthusiastically, “and with the addition of this amazing prize (LSC Clarity) into the mix, I couldn’t be happier.”
ULA’s Subscribe and Win Giveaway
Posted on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Simply subscribe to ULA’s E-News during March to Win! ULA’s E-News will keep you up-to-date with new release products, product training opportunities and demonstrations as well as general news to keep you at the forefront of the latest technology and events around Australia and the globe.
This great offer gives one lucky subscriber a SDVpro High Powered LED Par Package to the value of $4000 including 2 x T Bar Stands with 8 x High Powered LED HO Par Cans and a light and easy controller.
Simply click here and register your details to win!
Entry is limited to one subscription per person and will close on Wednesday 31st March 2010. The winner will be announced on 1st April 2010 by phone/email, and will be published on the ALIA website . No correspondence will be entered into.
Maidment Theatre Receives an ETC Ion 2000 Console
Posted on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Maidment Theatre is located at 8 Alfred Street, in the heart of cosmopolitan Auckland, on the University of Auckland city campus.
The Maidment Theatre, seating 448 and Musgrove Studio seating 104, offer clear and unimpeded views of the stage in air-conditioned comfort. Both theatres host a variety of professional, community and campus performance throughout the year.
In a twin-theatre complex, performance space, technical, ticketing, stage management and front of house services are provided to a diverse range of community and commercial producers.
Technical Manager Rob McDonald recently decided that it was time to retire the theatre’s old Strand 520 console and so he had a look at the latest offerings on the market.
”I looked at competing products extensively but found the ETC Ion came out on top” remarked Rob. “Fortunately I came across the ETC Ion 2000 at the ETNZ tradeshow and compared to the other offerings the Ion was a stable console ready for use right now. I really like the keys on the Ion – they’re very sturdy and you know when you’re pressing them. The user interface is nice and in terms of software, it does everything that we need in a traditional theatre at a perfect price. It has all the core fundamentals you’d expect from an ETC console.”
Fifalite Effects Lighting Chooses the New Technology from ULA
Posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Fifalite Effects Lighting started as a hobby in Sydney in 1979. When owner David Pfeiffer moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1981, the “hobby” gradually developed into a business. David has been lighting anything and everything on the Sunshine Coast since then – theatre, school productions, corporate, dance,… you name it, he’s lit it.
Despite having almost 50 Robe moving lights in rental, David realised that he had a gap in his inventory, and had actively been considering the Robe ColorSpot 575AT, until ULA’s Blair Terrace proposed the new Robe Robin 300E Spot. David says “I was looking at the Robe ColorSpot 575, however when I spoke to Blair, he suggested I waited until the Robe Robin range was released, as the Robins had the ‘punch’ of a Robe ColorSpot 575 but with more features”. When David saw a demo of the Robe Robin 300E Spot his reaction was “Wow! All the features of my ColorSpot 1200’s (& more), but in a small package. Dare I say, the ”perfect” small intell”.
When asked what David’s favourite feature of the Robin 300E Spot is, he couldn’t narrow it down to one. David’s favourite feature is everything! “The brightness, the huge zoom range, the CMY colour-mixing, the full-colour touch screen, and particularly the unique variable hot-spot (peak / flat field adjustment). And of course, the fact that they’re Robes!” says David.
Not only did David decide to purchase the Robe Robin ColorSpot 300E’s from ULA, he decided it was time to invest in an Avolites console – the Avolites Pearl Tiger. David says “Avolites have seemingly been around for ever – they have a proven track record. The Pearl has the reputation of being a great desk for live “busking” – making it up as you go along. Much of my work is this type of operating.” He continues “The compact size, the ease of programming, the classic “Rolacue” scene storage & playback system, the huge inbuilt fixture library, the sturdy construction, the list goes on and on. Also, Avolites’ website and backup are extremely good”.
David’s new additions to his hire inventory are already paying off as the Robins’ first outing was the large Carols By Candlelight at Caloundra in December, where they were used extensively on stage.
The Pearl Tiger has already done several gigs on the Coast and in Gympie, controlling a mixture of various-sized Robes, conventionals (dimmers), and LEDs.
David concludes to say “I love Robe products: they’re well-designed, robust and very reliable. The new Robins have been designed from scratch – they’re not just a re-worked older model – I like that! The Pearl Tiger is my first Avolites product, but I’m sure it won’t be my last. ULA, as always, provided great advice and service – it’s a pleasure dealing with them”.
New grandMA’s for Novatech
Posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Novatech Creative Event Technology is excited to announce the arrival of their new grandMA and grandMA 2 consoles continuing their commitment to provide Adelaide and Australia with top quality, cutting-edge technology.
The Lighting Department is very happy to have a grandMA full-size and a grandMA 2 Lite and couldn’t wait to get stuck into them. An intense training session with Vince Haddad from Show Technology helped to bring the entire department up to speed with the extensive programming options available on the units.
“These new consoles are a great addition to the Novatech lighting arsenal,” commented Jayden Sutherland, Novatech’s new Lighting Department Head (pictured). “The grandMA full-size has become an industry standard and with the NSP addition we can offer our clients full redundancy backup meaning zero downtime on the rare occasion that a console faults.
”Our grandMA 2 Lite also features Australia’s first NPU allowing those engineers ready to step up to the grandMA 2 the same level of backup as the original grandMA with the addition of a further 8 DMX outputs”.
Leko Novakovic, Novatech’s Managing Director, added “We were overdue to extend our lighting console inventory and you can never have enough grandMA’s. With our lighting inventory growing rapidly we can always use bigger and better desks, complementing the larger lighting rigs being designed. The grandMA 2 is an amazing piece of machinery. Capable of up to 256 DMX outputs it opens up a world of options to our designers and the many touring designers and engineers we work with. I know the boys are excited to unleash the grandMA 2’s capabilities and I am sure we will see some amazing designs based on its great technology”.
New Martin MAC 250 washes with beam kits as well as a new range of MAC700 Profiles and Washes will also extend the design options for the lighting department.
Scene Change Crew Opts for Jands Vista I3
Posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Scene Change, an AV company that specializes in conferences and events, was in the market for a new lighting control console. Company director Vicken Hekimian opted for a Jands Vista I3 over another brand, in part because his crew, many of whom were trained on Hog consoles, felt more familiar with the Jands console.
“The crew chose the Jands Vista I3,” Hekimian noted. “I don’t like to dictate to the crew what to use, as they’re the ones who have to use the gear. I like them to have ‘ownership’ of the gear, and thus treat it as their own; consequently, we involve them in the purchasing decisions.
“The Jands Vista I3 has all the functionality we need,” he added. “The drag and drop functionality of the programming window – the realtime programming feature – is great. We really like the simplicity of arranging fixtures in the patching windows. All your DMX and fixture information is easily reviewed and updated.
“The Jands Vista I3 provides us with versatility by having the touch screen or LCD attached and the crew love its simplicity of operation and ease of use. Plus Jands has been a terrific supplier and have really looked after us in terms of price and service,” Hekimian added.
All Access Staging & Productions Expands to Brisbane, Australia
Posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Seasoned staging veterans, Ross Butler and Jeff Lamour have partnered up with All Access Staging & Productions to provide Versa Stage systems and service in the Pacific Rim. All Access, with locations in Los Angeles, New York, and London, has been eager to provide its Versa Stage systems locally in the Australian market.
“We’ve been sending gear to the land down under for ten years,” comments vice president, Bob Hughes, “and we thought it was time to offer our clients such as Fleetwood Mac, The Killers, and Lily Allen, a local solution to the same quality equipment and service they’ve come to expect from us worldwide.”
ResX opens the Box
Posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Resolution X is the first production company in Melbourne to add Coolux Pandoras Box to the rental market.
“With heavy demand for integrated control solutions and LED products we needed to expand our media server options.” said Tim Hall, Managing Director at ResX. “We wanted a rock solid, scaleable system. Ongoing support and local training were key issues. Pandora’s Box ticked all the boxes. Vince Haddad from Show Technology has already completed two training sessions with us and responses from our clients and staff have been very positive.”
ResX has available Pandora’s Box Media Manager STD and Pandora’s Box Media Player PRO systems. The systems have already seen use on Carols by Candlelight and a Honda launch event.
Pictured is Liz Beedle of ResX and Lynden Gare of GTV9 with some of the systems.
Osram Opto Semiconductors Launches New LED Light Site
Posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010
The new LED Light Site, ledlight.osram-os.com, launched by Osram Opto Semiconductors is a new leading source of LED information, resources, tools, technology and LED lighting solutions for the solid state lighting and general illumination spaces.
The new website is dedicated to serving as an interactive online resource to educate, empower, connect and communicate with customers in the burgeoning LED and solid state lighting space. The LED light resources and information is tailored to customers in the outdoor, indoor, retail and architectural market segments.
“Osram Opto Semiconductors is committed to providing our customers in the general illumination market with the most up-to-date information and resources available about LED and solid state lighting,” said Tom Shottes, president and chief executive officer for Osram Opto Semiconductors, Inc. “Our customers in the LED general illumination industries find themselves pioneering critical and growing new markets with many unmet needs and untapped opportunities, and Osram Opto Semiconductors wants our new LED Light Site to be the premier resource available to help customers meet those needs.”
The site features breaking news and trends in LED lighting technology, resources dedicated to help customers apply LED lighting solutions to their specific industries, guidelines for regulatory standards and interactive product charts where users can go directly to the datasheets and CAD files as well as the electrical, optical and thermal files. New video content featuring Osram Opto Semiconductor experts and executives will be uploaded on a regular basis.
“The new website is an additional interface to our end customer,” said Michael Fiebig, head of SSL marketing at Osram. “The quality of an LED lighting solution is realized in the final application with the intelligent combination of LED components, modules, lamps and luminaires which bring new lighting designs to life. ledlight.osram-os.com offers our customers inspiration and support in designing the LED lights of the future.”
In conjunction with the launch of the new micro site, Osram Opto Semiconductors will also launch a Facebook page, LED-Light-by-Osram, and a YouTube channel, Osram LEDlight, to engage customers in new and dynamic mediums.