Product Focus: Soft Goods
Tufted Panels
Atomic Design, Inc.
Tufted Panels debuted as a rental product at the BizBash M&C Meeting and Event Style Show in New York in November. They come in 4'×4' lightweight panels that link together. Comprising tufted copper metallic fabric on one side and black metallic fabric on the other, they can be configured for a variety of looks, including all-black or solid copper to a checkerboard pattern or horizontal or vertical stripes just by rotating the panels. The panels are now available for rental.
www.atomicdesign.tv
Mobius
Rose Brand
Mobius is an Avora Plus™ Stretch Fabric that is Inherently Flame Retardant (IFR) and a suitable surface for lighting and projection. It is 120“ wide, washable, and features a high level of stretch memory. The fabric is appropriate for any type of stretch application, two-dimensional “splats,” sails, 3D tensioned structures, front and rear projection screens, lighting diffusers, and architectural accents. It weighs 1.55lbs per running yard.
www.rosebrand.com
Automated Austrian System
I. Weiss
Each module in the Automated Austrian System comprises a 10' section of 12"×12" truss with four variable-speed winches that can be individually controlled. Each section comes with one curtain panel that adjusts in height from 16' to 22'. Individual sections can be used throughout a larger space for multiple effects or several sections, side by side, to create the impression of a full-stage Austrian Contour curtain with a number of contours, from a simple straight raise to multiple scallops. The system is easily programmed and quickly installed, making it suitable for touring and temporary installations. Programming and control is achieved using proprietary automation software developed for I. Weiss.
www.iweiss.com
Circle Surround
Pink, Inc.
The Circle Surround backdrop is a series of 2' circles tethered together and suited to a variety of applications. The sections are easy to pack, ship, store, and install. Various colors or printing options are available.
www.PinkIncDesign.com
wysiwyg Release 18
Cast Software
wysiwyg R18 is Cast's most advanced and comprehensive release to date. New features include a stronger render engine delivering faster results and better lighting effects; a Background Rendering Manager, allowing users to queue multiple jobs and pause and resume rendering; many new multifaceted wizards and tools to create LED walls, video curtains, and star cloths; new fixture tools for hanging and distributing multiple fixtures; and a grid array tool for arraying any object in a grid pattern. Cast Software continues to work with multiple motion control system manufacturers to allow them to connect directly to wysiwyg and visualize their motion controls.
www.wysiwygsuite.com
Series 3
Syncrolite
Syncrolite's new Series 3 fixtures — SXB-52D, SXB-82D, and SX10KD — come standard with OmniColor D, Syncrolite's proprietary scrolling dichroic color-mixing system. They also feature RGB additive and CMY subtractive dichroic colors, plus any standard gels and variable field lenses and FFP gobos. Series 2 SXB-52s are upgradeable to SXB-52D, and Series 2 SXB-82s are upgradeable to SXB-82D. Lamps available are 5,000W, 8,000W, and 10,000W Xenon, with 14“ and 20“ custom dichroic reflectors. Control is via 11-channnel DMX, with variable-speed pan of 540° and variable-speed tilt of 250°. The beam is a variable-collimated spot to 20° flood. Additional features include triple variable-speed gel scrollers for OmniColor D, high-speed Venetian blind douser/strobe, and flyable mounting in all planes or ground-mount.
www.syncrolite.com
DL.2/Axon Software Upgrade
High End Systems
Software v1.3 is now available for immediate download for High End Systems' DL.2 digital light and Axon media server. The new v1.3 software includes all of the new features of DL.2 and Axon, including Enhanced Collage Generator, expansion of the Collage Generator up to 8×8 arrays with increased resolution, and a number of new effects. It also includes many software improvements, including a number of networking improvements for the DL.2 and the Content Management Application.
www.highend.com
IntelliStage
Road Ready Cases
The IntelliStage Stage System includes modular lightweight platforms and risers that can be combined to create customized stages in various heights (20cm, 30cm, 40cm, or 60cm), shapes (y-shape, rectangle, and round), and configurations. It also features an internal locking system that allows for easy setup and teardown and ensures that all components are tightly bolted and safe to use. Each platform set can bear up to 900kg/sq.m and comes with a rugged, carpeted finish. An optional upgrade Duraflex platform finish is also available, as is a range of accessories such as storage flight cases, riser couplers, steps, riser clamps, and stage skirts. This system can be set up by one person.
www.roadreadycases.com
LED Shadow
Chauvet
The LED Shadow is a DMX blacklight fitted with 192 ultraviolet LEDs averaging 100,000 hours of operation. The diodes are enclosed in a 2.5" thin plastic and aluminum panel, and total weight is less than 5lbs. It includes three channels of DMX that control dimming and strobing capabilities, as well as the activation of preset programs. All functions can also be triggered in stand-alone mode via dipswitches. The fixture includes two sturdy brackets (for clamp and wall-mount) and one extra power output to daisy-chain units. For a more complete mobile show, the blacklight can also be linked to the newly released LED Techno Strobe featuring all-white strobing LEDs and the LED Techno Strobe RGB with full color mixing. All three fixtures are capable of performing chasing patterns.
www.chauvetlighting.com
LightLynx
Entertainment Technology
LightLynx is a global lighting control system for both theatrical and architectural applications. By using the LightLynx Designer Software, along with the LightLynx rack mount interface, ILS and DMX lighting control devices may be linked together into one unlimited lighting control system for an entire facility. System configuration information is stored directly on the rack-mounted interface and connects to the control system via ILS, DMX, and/or DMX-over-Ethernet control wiring. The software enables design and editing offline. Conversely, it also allows for realtime configuration and revisions, and it offers a system simulator. Through the LYTEmode® Architectural Lighting Control System, multiple architectural button stations, touchscreens, master stations, lockout/take control stations, contact input stations, and an astronomical time clock may be integrated into one lighting control system. Custom control panels and LYTEmode Stations may be programmed to include customized control options such as preset, toggle, raise and lower, off, manual, DMX snapshot, no action, take control, macros, and lockout.
www.etdimming.com
ESP Vision 2.2 Plug-In For VectorWorks 12.5
ZZYZX, Inc.
ZZYZX, Inc. has released ESP Vision 2.2, which supports Nemetschek's VectorWorks Spotlight with RenderWorks 12.5 and includes the modeling plug-in for the Macintosh platform. This version uses enhanced Move, Scale, and Rotate tools to enable Vision users to design simple scenes using the Vision 2.2 toolset. For more complex scenes requiring a full-scale modeling program, it continues to support VectorWorks Spotlight with RenderWorks v. 12.5. Additional enhancements include virtual cameras for use with DL.2 and similar types of units; DMX-controllable cameras with pan/tilt, which facilitate camera usage during AVI/MOV creation; and additional effects that can be applied to any texture.
www.espvision.com
www.nemetschek.net
Octo Series HD Presentation Switchers
Analog Way
Now totaling 10 products, the Octo and Quattro Series is the largest range of HD Seamless Switchers available today from one manufacturer, according to Analog Way. Five new presentation switchers based on the architecture of the recently announced Octo Vue FX are now available. They feature DVI In and Out and support output up to 1080p at 60Hz. Pixel Clock technology allows enhancing of image quality and daisy chaining several units without compromising image quality. Among the common features of the range are universal inputs for easy integration of the wide variety of sources, stereo audio line on each input with audio follow or break away, and two boosted scaled outputs for high-resolution display requirements. The whole range also performs a smooth and fast switching through color fade between any inputs, with customizable transition color and duration and true seamless switching between one computer input (direct) and any other scaled computer or video input.
www.analogway.com
XR9 Spot
DTS
XR9 Spot is a moving head projector with a 575W discharge lamp (MSR 575/2) combined with a dichroic parabolic reflector that yields a light efficiency of 9,300lux at 5m. According to DTS, the fixture has silent and fast motorized focusing and incorporates three selectable beam aperture angles (11°, 15°, and 18°), two gobo wheels (18 gobos total), extractable gobo holders, two color wheels (16 colors total), a rotating prism, and two frost filters. An internal microcomputer checks fixture functions via a menu, and special stepper motors provide pan and tilt with low noise emission. Also included are a pan and tilt locking system and electronic or electromagnetic ballast. The moving head covers are easily removable thanks to ¼-turn screws and are sealed by a special gasket fixed to the internal metal frame. DMX In/Out and PowerCon® connectors are by Neutrik.
www.dts-lighting.it
My Favorite Soft Goods
The best fabric I have come across in the past three years is Encore™ 15oz. synthetic velour. It is lighter than regular velour and more dust- and dirt-resistant, as well as being permanently flame-retardant. Encore is to velour what steel deck is to stock platforming. I recently rented a Rose Brand LED Star Drop for Celebrity Jeopardy! at Radio City Music Hall that used black Encore, and I was very happy with the quality of the product.
— Jerry Sonnenberg, art director
Situation: Annual corporate training and development meeting for a small corporate consulting firm's Fortune 500 clientele, which couldn't survive one more year with just a pair of podiums and a centerstage screen.
Solution: Atomic Design's Wafer Wall
Why we love it: These simple, affordable 2'×2' panels pop when assembled, offering waves of dimension and interest as a screen surround. While providing a mass of space to play with LED lighting and intelligent fixtures, the natural bowing of the wafer panels adds drama to both stage and presenter, while not inhibiting any of the necessary function of the meeting. And these panels go together in a snap — literally. Simple, affordable eye candy, this event element assisted the transformation of just another meeting into something special.
— Ryan Hanson, creative director
Menttium Corporation