Rapid change goes hand-in-hand with technology. And the theatrical and concert lighting world poses no exception. With Internet distribution of software both, for computers as well as firmware for lighting consoles, it has become quite easy for manufactures to send out updates to their lighting control offerings. Church Production checked in with a number of manufacturers, asking what changes have occurred in their products that apply to the house of worship setting, and here’s the report.
Realities & projections
ACT Lighting, the U.S. distributor for MA Lighting, has announced the new grandMA3 lighting console, to be available in the near future. “Founded on the legacy of the previous grandMA consoles,” states Brian Dowd, vice president of sales and marketing for ACT Lighting, “the grandMA3 represents a radical re-think of what’s possible from a lighting control platform. The elegant new system architecture incorporates new fixture, feature, and effects handling at its very heart. The system features groundbreaking concepts from top industry visionaries, presented within a refined user interface, and is designed to make practical tasks more intuitive.
ACT LIGHTING + MA LIGHTING | grandMA3 Lighting Console
The physical design detail of the grandMA3 range is extraordinary and focused on delivering the best possible user experience, now and into the future.”On the architectural lighting control side, Pathway Connectivity has introduced the Vignette. Consisting of customizable button and slider wall stations, Vignette allows you to snapshot and recall four universes of E1.31 sACN or one universe of DMX512. This controller creates a network of stations used for scene playback with functions such as press-and-hold to record, zone control, console lockout and more. Vignette enables anyone to easily control lighting in an auditorium or sanctuary through simple wall panels, without having to understand how a lighting console operates.
PHILIPS | Strand NEO Lighting Console
Philips has updated the software for the Strand NEO Console. Users can now create virtual palettes as a single palette solution, utilize a new paint box FX Engine, stay organized with a new show file management system, benefit from the enhanced playback control, and other improvements.
MEGA SYSTEMS | Lumina8 Lighting Console
Mega Systems recently announced the new Lumen8 lighting console. The company’s press release states that the console has a built-in 27-inch touchscreen, a visual cue-list system where cues can be easily triggered by touch, go buttons or cue call-outs, and large speed-intelligent position encoders that aid in control over moving head and moving mirror positions. The console has 32 quick-assignable looks per page that allow for look stacking of elements, and also doubles as a keyboard for the quick naming of cues. In addition to eight visual cuelist faders, Lumen8 has eight assignable faders that work in high priority mode for control of ambient, house lighting, or proportional trait control.
ChamSys, a subsidiary of Chauvet Lighting, introduced the MagicQ MQ500 stadium console early in 2017. They state that the MQ500 features dual full-HD resolution multi-touch screens with eight encoder wheels, enabling simple attribute and palette selection. The screens make it easy to see all the information needed for a show without the need for continuous scrolling. A built-in visualizer, MagicVis, provides high-quality beam and gobo rendering. The console’s playback section includes 30 Playbacks.
AVOLITES | Arena Lighting Console
Avolites has updated its Titan lighting control software across the company’s entire range of lighting consoles. New features include beat sync, scene master, dynamic effects, and even greater support for multi-cell fixtures. Beat sync means that any chases and effects attached to the same master will always play back in sync, and Scene Master allows complex changes to be programmed live and executed with finesse—both great tools to elevate live performance to more professional levels, even in situations where no rehearsal is possible.
Electronic Theatre Control (ETC) also introduced a new console in 2017, bringing the Ion Xe into its Eos line of consoles. ETC Eos Product Manager Anne Valentino states, “With the release of the Ion Xe and Xe 20, ETC’s compact, professional-grade workhorse console gets an upgrade. Ion Xe consoles conveniently feature the same programming keyboard layout as the larger Eos Family consoles, and the Ion Xe 20 console boasts built-in faders for enhanced manual control. Ion Xe consoles provide access to the full features of the powerful Eos control software, including award-winning color control tools and enhanced live-playback options. The Ion brand is much loved for its compact footprint and powerful feature set at a very attractive price. The Xe maintains those attributes, while providing a more consistent hardware design with the larger products in the family.”
Vast possibilities
There’s been a lot happening in the lighting universe, and if your preferred manufacturer isn’t listed here, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything new. Check out their websites for the latest information on your preferred lighting control systems.
Editor’s Note: In early March, Elation Professional announced its acquisition of the M-Series line of lighting control consoles from Martin Professional. Elation intends to keep several of the current products in production while expanding the line to reach new opportunities. As of our editorial deadline however, Elation had not announced what it intends to call the new line.
