Showbeam 2.5 Debuts on Three Tours

Digital and automated lighting pioneer Barco announced today that three premiere band tours — No Doubt, The Crystal Method and the upcoming Aerosmith tour -- are all debuting the new High End Systems' SHOWBEAM 2.5 in their shows.

The SHOWBEAM 2.5 is a new 2500-watt automated wash luminaire that features the revolutionary Twin Beamâ„¢ technology, allowing two hard-edge beams to exit the fixture on command. Features include variable control over the Twin Beam's deviation and rotation speed, all with little brightness degradation, the ability to add incremental color to the Twin Beam using the CMY color mixing system, and a unique LED tracking system encircling the lens.

Butch Allen, No Doubt's Lighting Designer, said, “These lights are amazing. Well done!” Tour lighting contractor Epic Production Technologies is supplying six SHOWBEAM 2.5 fixtures, along with six HES DL.3 Digital Lights. No Doubt's North American tour kicked off May 2.

“I love the colors,” said Lawrence “Loz” Upton, The Crystal Method's Lighting Designer. “First of all, you can use SHOWBEAM 2.5 as a very powerful wash light, and I especially love the colors with the ring of LEDs. It works really well in the show with our circular trussing. The next thing is, at a moment's notice, you can turn on the Twin Beam effect, and it's pretty hallucinogenic,” continued Upton. “You go from a beam focus, and then all of a sudden, you've got this crazy two-beam focus that comes in, which is just awesome, and it also has a cool oscillation effect. Ours is an effects-driven show, and SHOWBEAM 2.5 adds to the layers of looks to match our layers of sound. Barco's High End lighting products are very innovative, and personally, they work well for me.”

Delicate Productions is the lighting contractor for The Crystal Method's tour. In addition to SHOWBEAM 2.5, the tour includes SHOWGUN, StudioPix and Axon Media servers, plus CLM projectors — and all controlled from a Wholehog 3 console and DMX Processor 8000. The Crystal Method's North American tour began on May 5.

Aerosmith's North American tour starts June 10. “SHOWBEAM 2.5 will work out great in my design,” said Bryan Hartley, Aerosmith's Lighting Designer. “I needed a strong wash light and the Twin Beam is really cool. Plus, it has the LED ring, which gives it a SHOWGUN look. I'll have 10 SHOWBEAMs in my rig for the tour, and I'm psyched.”

Hartley will control the lighting with a Wholehog 3 console and a DMX Processor 8000. Creative Stage Lighting (CSL) is supplying the SHOWBEAM 2.5s to Epic Production Technologies, the lighting contractor.

“Barco's High End Systems knows what designers want,” noted CSL's George Studnicky IV. “Another year goes by and they bring another innovation and benchmark to the table. It's a very exciting time to be in our industry. With the further development of LEDs and the automated lighting market, there's a custom design to every show you see. The SHOWBEAM 2.5 with the Twin Beam and the internal wash lens truly add to this ability.”

SHOWBEAM 2.5 also features a user-changeable fixed color wheel, a variable CTO and the ability to produce an 11-degree fixed hard-edge profile with fast color change and Electronic Strobe. The profile can be rapidly zoomed from 11 to 33 degrees.

“We are pleased that our new wash light is being specified, and adding excitement to the stages of these top tours,” said Chris Colpaert, VP Creative Lighting for Barco North America. “As the touring season hits the heights this summer, look for SHOWBEAM 2.5 and other Barco lighting and control products to make more headlines.”

Showbeam 2.5 Debuts on Three Tours