In 2010 we tested the new Mega Enlighten lighting control software. We found it to be a very cost effective solution for houses of worship with almost any size of lighting rigs.
Mega has just announced its new, upgraded Enlighten Version 4.47 software. The upgrade makes programing shows much easier and intuitive. Screens can be custom configured with icons for simple touch control programming. You can even create buttons that correspond to lighting looks for very simple operator control. This makes it very easy to train church volunteers to control the lighting cues simply by touching a button on the screen.
Enlighten can also serve as a media server controller through +Media. This feature allows users to cross-fade lighting and video at the same time and control multiple lighting and video layers directly from Enlighten. You can also embed presets, allowing you to assign and adjust an existing show to work for different venues. Finally there is an integrated effects engine that allows you to quickly and easily program dynamic effects into your show.
Like its predecessor, the new Enlighten lighting control system can be customized for the size of the lighting rig. It can be run on a PC, or you can purchase separate hardware controllers for more user-friendly control. Enlighten comes in four basic configurations beginning with the Enlighten USB. This model allows you to control the Enlighten software from your PC thought a USB to DMX converter box. It gives you one output and one universe of DMX. The next step up is the Enlighten Splitter with DMX four outputs and can be rack mounted.
For those requiring hands-on lighting programming control, the medium system is the Enlighten Wing. This hardware controller offers standard configurable control devices including eight sliders, 11 jog wheels, one manual crossfader, one grand master, eight bump buttons, and 32 assignable or preset direct access buttons with a dry erase area below them. It has two DMX universes and two outputs.
At the top of the line is the Enlighten One Console. This model features a control surface with a 22-inch touch screen and 4 DMX universes. The controller has eight sliders, one grand master, one manual crossfader, 11 jog wheels, eight bump buttons, and 32 assignable or preset direct access buttons with a dry erase area below them.
Enlighten can also be controlled by your iPhone, iPad, Android, or any other web enabled device (as long as you are on the same network). This means that you can even sit in the congregation while controlling your church's lighting system. However, your neighbors (not to mention your Pastor) may not appreciate you playing with your iPad during the service.
Minimum system requirements are: a PC with video resolution of at least 1024 x 768, USB port for USB-to-DMX interface, 40 MB Hard Drive Space, dual output video card for video playback, Windows Media Player 9 or higher for audio/video playback, and touch-screen compatible (19-inch or larger recommended).
This looks like a significant upgrade. Plus it can be uploaded for free at Mega's website. We are looking forward to testing this software in our theaters. Look for a review of the Mega Enlighten Version 4.47 lighting control software update in a future issue of Church Production Magazine.
