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For my fourth show column, I give you the four winds that I feel will be blowing through the halls of LDI: the winds of innovation, change, familiarity, and intervention. I also point to a half-dozen potent new product introductions. On a more gossip-oriented note, be sure to check this column next week for news about an LDI party; it ain’t over ‘til it’s over, and The Swingin’ Johnsons even rehearsed this year in anticipation of performing in front of the industry.
In the race for LED supremacy, a familiar name from lighting’s infancy comes to bat with two new offerings. The Spectra Cyc from Altman Lighting is a 100W cyclorama / wall wash fixture utilizing red, green, blue, and amber LED emitters. It blends colors via a patent pending LED lens, which reduces pixilation from direct view. The onboard power supply allows for direct power and data input, which can be daisy chained through 10 units. Meanwhile, the Spectra PAR 100 acts as a true PAR with interchangeable VNSP, NSP, MFL, and WFL lenses.
Mega Systems, Inc. also has bright things to say with the new Mega-Lite Axis LED, the brightest automated wash fixture the company has produced to date. Each of the 54 LEDS are 3W, providing color concentration to everything it shines on. It offers RBG color mixing and is controlled though DMX 512 protocol. With 360° pan and 270° tilt, the head has a wide range of motion.
ADB Lighting is showing their WARP Motorized and WARP Daylight spotlights. The WARP Motorized high-efficiency light output matches that of a standard 1200W profile spotlight, yet consumes 750W. The WARP Motorized offers precision optics combined with patented beam-shaping, accurate repeatability, and silent operation. The Daylight 575W delivers 2,500W of output yet consumes 575W and provides optimum color temperature and the ADB’s patented 360° ring control that allows shutters, focus, and beam to be set quickly and accurately.
Still looking for the magic box? Tetra-Vio by Analog Way offers six functions in one: scan converter, scaler, standard converter with TBC, audio de-embedder, switcher, and interface. In addition to a multi-format converter, it is also a smooth and fast audio/video switcher. It accepts a large range of formats, from computer to video and HDTV, in analog or digital format, and provides a large range of connectors: BNC, HD15, DVI, mini DIN4, Cinch, RCA. The output provides the same diversity of formats, and the same type of signals and connectors. Each of the three universal inputs features an active loop through (monitoring) for easy control of the sources. Be sure to check it out, along with Analog Way’s Di-VentiX II, an edge-blending system with four scalers and numerous live effects.
Speaking of boxes, Cast Software has a new product dubbed the BlackBox to signify its work-in progress status. In a true “Blue Ocean” strategy, BlackBox promises to revolutionize the industry by touching every component of productions. It uses special hardware and proprietary software to serve as an all-in-one, bidirectional high-speed communications device to enable all control devices to instruct or receive instructions from each other. Moving lights, set pieces, cameras etc. are synchronized and tracking to the action of moving objects, all in realtime and in true 3D. For the beta launch phase, MA Lighting is building new language into its new line of grandMA lighting consoles. The Raynok Motion Control System from Niscon, Inc. is on board for motion control, and the realtime live tracking capabilities are being handled by UBISense.
Veteran moving light company Clay Paky is showing new members of the Alpha Beam series of automated luminaires. The Alpha Beam 1500 is a 1,500W moving light that produces a concentrated parallel light beam with new graphics, color, and movement features. Because of a new optical group, it produces similar output and distance to luminaires of thousands of watts, according to the manufacturer. Features include an extensive effects section, 14 gobos (six rotating, eight fixed), patent pending focusing, two rotating prisms, rotating beam shaper, mechanical iris, CMY color mixing plus color wheel, dimmer plus precision dimmer on separate channels, three combinable linear frosts on dedicated channels, and stop/strobe effect. Also new is the Alpha Beam 300, so be sure to visit the Italian manufacture on the show floor for a look.
So, I think we covered innovation well in this column; be sure to check back next week for the remaining three winds!