1 Aug, 2019 | ETC, High End Systems
While the founding of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre dates back to 1776, its production team is looking to the future with the newest LED technology from High End Systems.
The world-renowned theatre
– a cultural landmark and home to the Bolshoi Ballet, Opera and Orchestra –
opened a second venue, the New Stage, in 2002 to host performances while the
Historic Stage underwent refurbishment. By 2011, both neighbouring performance
venues were offering a full schedule of events in the heart of Moscow.
In 2018, it was time to
make some changes over at the New Stage. Lighting Designer Anatoly Samosadny
was seeking an alternative to the older lamp-based fixtures. Preferring to work
with a modern, LED-based automated luminaire in his productions, he turned to
High End Systems’ Moscow-based distributor SiM, which recommended High End
Systems’ SolaFrame Theatre fixture. Engineered without fans, it is the
industry’s first LED automated luminaire to deliver a completely silent
operation.
Before being awarded the
starring role, the SolaFrame Theatre had to pass the audition. The “chorus
line,” so to speak, was set up onstage at the Bolshoi with various contenders
under consideration. The LD gave the SolaFrame Theatre high marks and his
approval as the lighting fixture to solve their needs.
Eight SolaFrame Theatre units were supported, tested and delivered by SiM to the Bolshoi in September and made their premiere in productions shortly after that. The main tasks of the fixtures are to serve as back truss lighting and front support light.
“The absolute silent
operation allowed me to install the SolaFrame Theatre units directly above the
orchestra or in the auditorium,” says Samosadny. “These positions are very
important when working with certain productions, such as The Orchestra Survey
and Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals.”
He adds, “The framing
shutters are also extremely beneficial to my designs. The colour mixing, CTO,
prism, zoom, gobo wheels, frost and iris add even more effects and solutions to
a multitude of live situations. I like that the colours remain consistent with
the LED source so that all my fixture colours match and don’t degrade as older
lamp sources do. And the fixture has a bright white beam. I enjoy using the
SolaFrame Theatre in my work.”
The LD has deployed the
SolaFrame Theatres in other recent shows including the Bolshoi Ballet’s Etudes,
Romeo & Juliet, Heroes Of Our Times, Russia Seasons, Golden Century,
Petrushka, Paris, Joy, Undina, Lost Illusions, The Taming of the Shrew and
Anuta. He’s also used it for the Bolshoi Opera’s Bogema, TPVG, Figaro’s
Marriage, Idiot, Iolanta, The Stone Guest, Barber of Seville, Don Pasquale, and
Rusalka.
The SolaFrame Theatres
join other HES/ETC family products at the venue. In the New Stage, a Hog 3
console controls video while the ETC Titanium and Gio control lighting. Also in
the house are ETC Sensor Dimmers, ETC Source 4 Fix Zoom 25-50 degrees and 15-30
degrees, and some Source 4 Lustr+ fixtures. The Historic Stage uses two Hog 4
consoles with DMX Processor 8000s to control video, while an ETC Titanium
console controls lighting.
SiM’s Ivan Rumyantsev
says, “With the SolaFrame Theatre, we solve typical and specific tasks for the
creators. We are happy to supply high-quality solutions from High End Systems.
We are thankful to the theatre; they trust our team and we are privileged to
support the fixtures and consoles for the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre stages.”
30 Jul, 2019 | ApexPro News, ETC
Earlier this year, High End Systems launched a new addition to its family of automated framing fixtures – the SolaFrame 1000. ApexPro, the South African distributor of ETC lighting solutions, demonstrated the unit just weeks later in Johannesburg. Now, Cape Town has also had a chance to view the units in action, at a demonstration held at the Studio of the Fugard Theatre.
High End Systems was acquired by ETC two years
ago, and we are seeing the early fruits of that union. Mathew Lewis, ETC
product manager at ApexPro, tells us that “the first fixture that was
conceptualised, developed, produced and released with those two
research-and-development teams together is the SolaFrame 1000.”
“It’s the first fixture to mix the DNA of the
two companies: the theatrical DNA of ETC and the rock n’ roll DNA of High End.
The result is a really beautiful light that can do almost anything.”
Indeed the SolaFrame 1000 is an impressive
beast. Boasting a 20’000 lumen output, a 470 Watt LED chip, full framing
shutters, rotating and fixed gobo wheels, multiple colour systems, 12° – 40° zoom, animation effects “plus all
the bells and whistles required by the modern LD,” the SolaFrame lives up to
the rep. Lighting students and professionals alike gazed in wonder at what the
fixture is capable of, particularly the strong, beautiful colours.
Available in Ultra-Bright and High CRI versions, the SolaFrame 1000 ships with a TM30 Filter that boosts the Ultra-Bright engine to 85+ CRI. Other features include Iris and Light Frost, Rotating Prism and High End Systems’ patented Lens Defogger System.
Also on display was the SolaFrame 750, the
most compact framing fixture in the Sola Series family of automated tools. Featuring
a compact footprint but a huge feature set, SolaFrame 750 is a perfect fit for
smaller to medium-sized venues, and its 11’300 lumens can easily cut through
the competition. With 6°
– 50°
degree zoom, a 270 Watt LED chip, rotating gobo wheel plus fully continuous
animation and much, much more, SolaFrame 750 offers the widest array of effects
currently available in a fixture of its size.
With all
of this on offer, the SolaFrame series is ideal for the rental market.
“From a rental company’s perspective, they need something that can go and be an effect light in a corporate day, and then they need something that can do a theatrical show the next day. The problem has always been that you’ve then had to buy a beam light, a spotlight and a wash light… The idea behind the SolaFrame family is that it can be all of those in one. It can be a true, workhorse light.”
Also at the demonstration was the Source Four
LED Series 2 Lustr, as well as the ColorSource fixtures. Using ETC’s x7 Color
System, the Lustr combines a balance of up to seven colours to create evocative
colour mixes that can use the full spectrum. A theatre was the perfect setting
to view its capabilities, as, in Lewis’ words: “ETC’s heritage is theatre, so
everything they do is really dedicated to being practical for a theatre
environment.”
“When
the LED revolution hit, the colours wouldn’t always match, or there would be
the dreaded flickering when you took it down to ten percent. ETC took their
time coming out with their own LED offering, but when they did, what we have is
a very high quality fixture.”
If you would like to know more about any of the
above fixtures or book a demo, please contact Mathew Lewis at mathew@apexpro.co.za
23 Jul, 2019 | ApexPro News, ETC
Award-winning color tools. Advanced, granular control. From large-scale theatre to television, opera and dance, to academic, experimental and multipurpose venues, the Eos Family provides a sophisticated environment that feels like home.
Join us on 30 & 31 July for a 2 day course presented by SA ETC brand manager, Mathew Lewis. Please RSVP to rsvp@apexpro.co.za
19 Jul, 2019 | ETC
The Rytmisk Sal of Musikhuset Aarhus, the largest music house in the Nordic region, has upgraded
its stage machinery system with ETC’s Prodigy P2 hoist and QuickTouch+ 12 controller.
The
popular culture and events house in Denmark draws over a million
visitors each year for concerts,
musicals, theatre shows, opera and much more. The building’s lighting
and technical teams had been looking to renovate the rigging system in
the Rytmisk Sal (or rhythmic hall), also known as the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll
hall’ in the music house.
Head
of lighting at Musikhuset Aarhus, Ole Nielsen, came across ETC’s range
of upper stage machinery
products during a visit to the renowned ETC factory in Middleton, USA
and was keen to find out more. He recommended the equipment to
Head of production, Jonas Knive which lead to Atendi, the Danish distributor of ETC, being contacted to supply
the equipment.
8
Prodigy P2 hoist systems were selected to upgrade the current system.
“With the quantity of
shows and productions held at the Musikhuset Aarhus, the challenge was
fitting the installation into the busy schedule of the event house,”
comments Jonas. There was just one time slot available, and the project
was installed just three weeks after the quote
request. The short turnaround was so fast it required delivering and
converting the Prodigy P2 hoists held in European stock from their
compression tube mounting arrangement into the variant that can be
mounted vertically and suspended on the main beams.
“This
is a perfect example of how Prodigy hoists adapt to suit any venue,”
says ETC European Rigging
Sales Manager, Enrico Nobile, “the P2 motorized winch unit can be used
with compression tube to remove lateral loads on a building structure,
to provide easy and free drop pulleys placement or without compression
tube installed vertically or horizontally (above
or below the grid) however the installation requires it.” The
load feedback and the position control are supplied as a standard,
together with all the safety features
including: slack line detection, overload and underload, overcurrent
protection, hard limits (2+2), load profiling and error log file to have
a constant and complete hoist report.
QuickTouch+ 12 control station
offers
users complete system control in an affordable and user-friendly
package; the LCD screen offers a simple and quick view of all main
parameters coming
from the hoist system.
Jonas Knive comments: ‘Here at Musikhuset Aarhus we host over 1500 events a year across our
10
stages and 6 halls, which means time is always short. The simplicity of
the ETC Prodigy system makes it much easier for us to accommodate
the wishes of the visiting productions and dedicate more time to their
needs.”
18 Jul, 2019 | ApexPro News, ETC, High End Systems
High
End Systems’ Hog consoles pioneered the world of large scale automated
lighting control. They have enduring loyalty from programmers worldwide.
The Hog 4 was built around the way you work, which leads to legendary
ease of use. Its tools are designed for programming efficiency, which
means even advanced features like pixel-mapping and plot layout are
optimized for programming speed.
An extensive range of consoles and accessories designed for markets of all shapes and sizes, all Hog 4 products use the same intuitive and powerful Hog 4 operating system software for seamless compatibility and total control of your show. The Hog 4 OS has proven itself on the world’s most demanding shows – but it also scales to small clubs and theatres.
Join us for our HOG 4 console training with special guest, Michael Mayler from Germany. Space is limited, please contact mathew@apexpro.co.za to RSVP.
16 Jul, 2019 | ETC
Sue the T. Rex is the Lady Gaga of the dinosaur community. The magnificent murderbird (a favorite term to describe the T. Rex) has an often-hilarious Twitter feed, legions of adoring fans, and a brand new home in the Chicago Field Museum’s Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet. Lighting and AV presentation for Sue’s new home were designed by Lightswitch Chicago, using ETC and Xicato luminaires, and ETC controls.
Although the fossil is named after Sue Hendrickson, who discovered the skeleton in South Dakota in 1990, Sue the T.Rex may not even be female. (They use the pronouns they/them/their.) This is just one of the facts learned about Sue since their discovery and exhibition at the Field Museum in 2000.
Sue’s move to their own 5,000-square-foot area, The Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet, was completed months ahead of schedule to satisfy a clamoring public. Following a three-month prototyping phase to show the curators how Sue would be lit in their new quarters, the design team at Lightswitch Chicago produced a meticulously cued AV presentation worthy of the world’s most expensive ($8.7 million) fossil.
“Conservation of the delicate stones and resins is very important – Sue will receive about a quarter of the light, and none of the direct sunlight, they did before,” says Thatcher Waller, Senior Lighting Designer for Lightswitch Chicago.
The project called for the complex integration of control protocols and diverse fixture types including ETC Source Four LED Series 2 and ColorSource fixtures, as well as fixtures from another vendor, Xicato, that are wirelessly controlled using DMX over Bluetooth. System Integrator Ivan Jones expected a “sandstorm” but was pleasantly surprised. “ETC did special programming for the job. Chris Price wrote an entire new control module inside Mosaic to speak to Xicato. They handed me a product that worked – I never had to patch it.”
In fact, this is the world’s first execution of the interoperability between ETC Mosaic and Xicato Controls. “We believe interoperability between control systems is essential as we move into the IoT age of lighting,” says Ron Steen, VP of NA Specification Sales for Xicato. “Our open API has allowed ETC to harness the benefits of our system in concert with Paradigm and Mosaic.”
The Control Stream
The heart of the AV system is an ETC Mosaic controller playing an unusual role. “For Sue, Mosaic is acting as the switchboard instead of the commander. It does not make a single decision on its own. It is being commanded by both Watchout and AMX. It provides feedback to AMX while acting as the integration point to Xicato wireless lighting and Paradigm,” explains Jones.
A Mosaic MSC1 controller handles all inbound commands, controls DMX lights related to Sue’s scenic lighting, and recalls presets in the Xicato Wireless Bluetooth lights. Mosaic accesses the Xicato Control network to recall scenes and fade the house lights up or down based on cues starting or ending the theatrical presentation.
The Xicato Control solution features a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless protocol. Names, groups and scenes were set in the Xicato individually addressable modules. When asked about using DMX over Bluetooth, Waller merely replies “Why run a bunch control wires to all the fixtures if I don’t have to?”
ETC Paradigm handles all the white house lights that operate on standard relays or dimmers and also provides control stations for temporary override.
A Day in the Life
No longer free to roam the Badlands, Sue’s daily schedule is carefully regulated.
Their day begins in an overnight look. Most of the lighting in the space is off except for strategically-placed security lighting to allow safe path finding and camera illumination.
AMX starts the day with a TCP command telling Mosaic to go to the normal gallery look. Mosaic passes a message to Paradigm to go to the normal show presets. Then Mosaic’s instructions come from Watchout as TCP messages as it starts the multimedia show. Watchout will cycle through a series of commands that pull up various triggers as the show repeats every fifteen minutes.
At the end of the day, AMX instructs Mosaic to enter the gallery security look and tells Watchout to stop sending messages to Mosaic. The monotony of Sue’s life is broken by the occasional special event where they become the center of attention. This calls for a look with lots of party lighting, all under the watchful eye of Mosaic.
“The museum was concerned about allowing a color picker because it seemed likely that we would exceed the maximum light threshold for preservation,” explains Jones. “To ease their concerns, Mosaic automatically reduces the output to a safe level limit whenever a color picker command is received. When a normal preset is recalled, Mosaic automatically removes the intensity setback and resumes everyday functions.”
Sue’s new home has been a huge hit with their legion of fans. Waller attributes the success of the exhibit to the way in which technology was used. “The use of theatrical fixtures control the focus on different parts of Sue, making them appear more life-like,” Waller shares. “We created drama through fixtures that excite the audience, encourage them to use their imaginations, and share the amazing story of Sue.”
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