Westover Church in Greensboro North Carolina, recently upgraded its Jands Vista T4 console to the new Vista v2 software, providing even greater lighting control for its busy 3,000 capacity main auditorium.
Part of the non-denominational church's 300,000 square foot facility, the main auditorium hosts a diverse range of events. In addition to regular congregation services and at least two major events per month, the church hosts its own internal events and concerts featuring a choir, worship band and orchestra. The auditorium is also home to the Greensboro Symphony Pops Orchestra.
The Jands Vista T4 console was specified and purchased six years ago for Westover Church by Production Director Jeff Neubauer, and supplied by Barbizon Lighting via exclusive North American distributor, A.C. Lighting Inc. Neubauer needed a solution that was both powerful and volunteer friendly and that could interface both conventional and moving lights, as well as components like media servers, but was simple to click and operate.
The church also has two Vista PC systems – used as a backup to the Vista T4 and for running primarily timed lighting events in the church's atrium area. Says Jeff, "Vista v2 has been an amazing upgrade. It's added a lot of new functionality and made programming even easier and quicker.” The ability to add external touch screens is "fabulous" he comments - and immediately made the most of it. Jeff does the majority of the show programming himself, working with a team of regular operators, and so has plenty of hands on experience and knowledge of exactly what is needed.
He is very impressed with the freedom that Vista v2 brings to customise the user interface and lay it out exactly as users wish, "I can organise myself better, and customise icons to precisely match the way I work. I like to be able to jump around the Cue Lists and the way that the Time Line works now, along with other aspects, it is all even more convenient with v2," he enthuses. He also thinks the fact that he could upgrade his existing console to get even more value from his investment and allow him all the latest programming tools is very cool. Another excellent feature for Westover is the ability to see thumbnail displays of the media server clips, which is ideal for fast and intuitive access to video content played out through the desk. This becomes even more important as he incorporates more video into all his events.
The lighting fixtures and visual elements currently being controlled by the Vista T4 in the main auditorium include Varil-Lite VL3000 and VL3500 Spots, Martin Professional MAC 250 Spots, High End DL1 moving head projectors and a Catalyst media server. In addition, there are over 300 Source Fours, 55 Nexera colour changers and a selection of fresnels and PARs for general lighting.
The majority of the kit stays in the main room, with some rigged in the atrium, where it is controlled by the second Jands Vista PC.
Jeff's technical team at Westover Church – which includes four full time and two part time employees, along with about 40 volunteers - has a core group of lighting operators, all of whom also really like Vista v2. "The jump from v1 to v2 has been incredibly smooth and straightforward for all of us," confirms Jeff. It is also an excellent learning console and software platform for those seeking to increase their knowledge and understanding of lighting control. Westover Church currently runs an intern program for students studying Entertainment Technology at the local Guilford Technical Community College, offering a great opportunity for them to get hands-on experience with the latest technology.
Vista v2 was designed from the ground up to allow all levels of user to get the most from whatever mix of technology they have available, whether lighting, LED, or media. Available in a wide range of hardware, Vista v2 offers both the simplicity to work fast, with the power to control the finest details, so everyone can focus on creating a great looking show rather than on programming a desk.
A.C. Lighting Inc's VP of sales & marketing, Fred Mikeska commented, “Jeff and his team deliver a wide range of events, always within a short timeframe, and all of which have a consistently high standard. Churches such as Westover are another real world example where the power and simplicity of Vista v2 helps everyone, regardless of their experience level, focus on the main goal of delivering a great looking show that they can be proud of.”
www.westoverchurch.com
www.jandsvista.com
www.aclighting.com
