grandMA at the Oasis

Raleigh, NC, has a new top-of-the-line events center and nightspot--Oasis. Previously a rundown steakhouse, it has been transformed into a corporate events center during the day and a nightclub in the evening. Local movie theater owner and head of Ambassador Entertainment, Bill Peebles, who takes a direct and hands-on approach to the facilities, specified a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system for the main room of his new venture.


Bill Peebles, owner and designer of the Oasis nightclub, programming the grandMA ultra-light.

An MA Lighting grandMA ultra-light runs the lighting at Oasis and is controlling 10 Martin Professional Wizards and eight Martin MiniMAC spots along with an assortment of dimmers and practicals. Bill programmed the bulk of the nightclub himself, over a three-day period, under the supervision of A.C.T Lighting's Mike Falconer. Bill chose the grandMA after an extensive period of research, looking at a number of larger nightclubs and their control systems, at various high-profile locations.

"The grandMA is a fantastic tool for the varied program that we have here at Oasis," Peebles says. "It's incredibly flexible in terms of both playback and in what you can display for operator feedback. The console way exceeded my expectations and even rose to the challenge of being connected to the fire alarm system when the fire officer requested it at the last moment. "The lighting and sound systems are key elements of what we are trying to achieve here," Peebles continues. "It's our goal to completely wow everyone who walks through our doors. I wanted a 'superclub' feel but be still small enough to remain friendly and intimate. By 11:20pm on our opening weekend, our huge parking lot was full and by midnight the street was full. Cars were parked in the woods, around the corner at the pharmacy, and across the street at the Howard Johnson motel!"