LERMA, MEXICO – Responding to the growing demand in Mexico for its widely acclaimed line of lighting control solutions, ChamSys has announced on March 3, it will begin direct distribution of its products in that market with the establishment of ChamSys Mexico operated in partnership with Chauvet Mexico.  
 
As part of the new plan, the entire ChamSys  and GeNetix line of products will be stocked, distributed, and serviced out of Chauvet Mexico’s strategically located 1,200 sqm (12,900 sq. ft.) center in Lerma. This includes the entire range of ChamSys MagicQ Stadium and Compact Consoles, which have been used to power designs at major events like the Los 40 Music Awards, and tours by stars like Alejandro Fernandez (“El Potrillo”),  Manuel Carrasco, and KORN. 
 
Typifying the level of loyalty ChamSys has already earned in Mexico are the comments from Mexico City based LD Julio Centeno (designer for Natanael Cano and Dani Flow) when he said “ChamSys is one of the most user-friendly platforms for lighting designers who take a console on tour, allowing us to adapt the show to any setting.”

In addition to the ChamSys range, the new facility will be stocking the latest, state-of-the-art GeNetix Network and Data distribution products including the install-focused nodes and IP65 rated range of Nodes, Switches and DMX distribution devices.
 
Aside from  providing customers with faster and easier access to ChamSys and GeNetix products, the Mexican facility will also enhance their service experience, and open the way to new training opportunities.

In conjunction with the establishment of the new facility, Alberto Garcia will be spearheading the development of the ChamSys brand in Mexico.  A longtime ChamSys user, Garcia is widely known and respected throughout the Mexican lighting industry, and is eager to take the brand to the next level in this market.

Echoing the excitement of the entire Chauvet team, Carlos Zamora, General Manager of Chauvet Mexico had this to say about the new distribution arrangement: “We are pleased to welcome our sister brand, ChamSys to the family.  Our clients and users will see many benefits now that Chauvet Mexico is exclusively responsible for the sale, technical service and training of the complete offering of ChamSys and GeNetix solutions in the Mexican market.” 
 
To learn more, lighting professionals are invited to contact Chauvet Mexico:
AV de las Partidas 34, 3-B (Entrance by Calle 2) Zona Industrial Lerma, Edo. De México, CP 52000.

Or call +52 728-690-2010

CARDIFF – “We didn’t know what to expect,” Those Damn Crows frontman Shane Greenhall told an interviewer about the band’s first ever UK headline show on December14. The answer for Greenhall and everyone else who packed Cardiff’s Utilita Arena was rock roaringly obvious.

From the moment Those Damn Crows took the stage and ripped into a full throttle rendition of “Who Did It,” the hometown crowd screamed with delight at the top of their lungs. The crescendo got even more intense as the concert progressed, reaching new heights on the third song “Man On Fire” when pyro effects glowed throughout the stage.

Fresh off their wildly successful EU tour, the Welch rockers from Bridgend were back home, and the celebratory atmosphere couldn’t have been more electric. Underscoring the energy on stage and reflecting the music was a production and lighting design by Gary Sharpe of Creative Productions Solutions that was run by Adam McNally of Stage I1 Productions.

Key to making the immersive production run smooth was a collection of ChamSys products: the MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium console at FOH, with a MQ500M back up, and a MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console for side of stage SFX, along with GN10 and GN5 for network.

“This was the band’s first arena show, and we wanted to make it very special,” said Sharpe. “We did this in stellar fashion. Adam did a marvelous job as did Damo Hartshorn our SFX Operator. We were also greatly aided by Zig Zag Lighting Ltd., out main lighting provider. Neil Hunt (owner/founder of ZZ) went above and beyond with all the changes.

“ChamSys made things go smoothly for all of us,” continued Sharpe. “I first encountered the console on cruise ships, but then picked it back up in 2018 and since then I like to have ChamSys on all my shows. As a very hands-on PM, I like to understand how the programming is coming along. Also, I like to be able to set up calls with the ChamSys technical support team.”

Half of the show at Cardiff was time coded. For the half that was not, McNally used the Cue Stack feature on his console with busking elements included, so the show still had a “live feel.”

For McNally, who has been a ChamSys user since the start of his career, the Cardiff show represented a new experience. “This show was run solely on Group Cues,” he said. “All effects were group cued. This was the first time I had ever worked that way. Thanks to ChamSys’s user-friendliness, it worked out very smoothly.”

McNally appreciated the value of Group Cues almost as soon as he entered the venue. “Some of the pixels in the fixtures were running backward compared to what we had in the console,” he recalled. “Instead of having to redo a load of cues, we just took the Group Cues, spun things over and were good to go, just like that.

“Beyond that, ChamSys has a logical layout,” continued McNally. “Plus, the speed and power of consoles gave us so much flexibility to create a very complex show with a lot of interesting elements. Also, the GeNetix nodes made it simple to close off circuits.

The new Countdown Timer feature in the Cue Stack variables was especially appreciated by McNally in this show. “This was invaluable to us,” he said. “We greatly depended on the Cue Stack’s countdown timer functionality, to monitor the amount of flame fluid/smoke fluid that had been used during the show.”

Elaborating on that point, McNally noted that much of the time during the show the SFX was timecoded. However, there were points when these effects were trigged manually for some songs. This made it necessary to have a precise and accurate reading on how much fluid was left in the machines. “The Countdown Timer was essential at those moments,” he declared.

Summing up the experience with ChamSys at Cardiff as the Production Manager, Sharpe added that having everything on one network was essential having the timecode section of the show. “Given the significance of this show, we wanted everything to be just right,” he said.

Based on the response of the audience and the comments on social media, he and McNally did this in flying colours!

PARIS – Given the immense talent of the athletes who competed at the XXXIII Olympiad, fans certainly witnessed many impressive feats, as records were broken. But stunning, barrier-breaking deeds were not limited to the field of competition. Those who watched the Paris Olympics on Eurosport had their experience enriched by some extraordinary behind-the-scenes breakthroughs at the Warner Bros. network’s studios.

Recently remodeled, the three Eurosport studios in Boulogne that broadcast coverage of the games blazed new paths in TV technology. Designed and installed by Arkrys, working with Georges Krystkowiak (Director of Photography), and Baptiste Arnaud-Benaïs (Gaffer), along with the TD of Eurosport France, Florent Marquer, the fully automated studios aired coverage from throughout the Olympic sites with ten commentary positions embedded in a virtual setting. 

Controlling the lighting setups at the studios were the ChamSys MQ250M Stadium Console, along with two GeNetix 10Scene Gateways and two 10Scene Wall Plates. The performance of the ChamSys products made the transition to automated lighting seamless for Eurosport. The new lighting setups featured a broad array of impressive features, including easy, preprogrammed settings for greater speed, remote troubleshooting capabilities, and a media player and pixel-mapper in MagicQ.

“The ChamSys solution allowed us to benefit from a high level of interoperability and to take control of the kit at any time,” explained Baptiste Arnaud-Benaïs. “By installing MagicQ dongles on two terminals on the sets, we could take full advantage of the range of ChamSys solutions at an appreciable price/quality ratio.”

Thanks to their augmented reality features, the revamped studios are able to deliver large, immersive live broadcast images.

Lighting at the larger “Set A” is 100-percent automated with 60 moving heads. All these LED projectors are remotely operated by the MQ250M Stadium Console.

At the smaller B and C studios lighting is triggered in with the 10Scene Wall Plates, with preprogrammed settings. This eliminates the need for a console operator at all times. Operators use the 10Scene Wall Plates for instant access to presets with no risk of changing any settings. On set C, the media player and pixel mapper of the MagicQ console allow for pixel-by-pixel control of the light strips.

The XXXIII Olympiad was definitely exciting, with 329 medal events and two new sports, Breaking and Kayak Cross making their Olympic debut. The Eurosport broadcast was as interactive and bright as this sporting celebration.

PARIS – Words like “impertinent,” “cheeky,” “sunny,” “bold,” and “self-depreciating” pop up often when critics write about French comedic genius Redouane Bougheraba. It is an interesting mix of qualities that may seem to some to be slightly at odds with one another, but such is the magic of this popular Marseillais comedian that he is able to weave a vast array of very different fabrics into a single (and very funny!) tapestry.

This was hilariously evident recently on Bougheraba’s “On m’appelle Bercy” tour, produced by Gilbert Coullier Productions, that included sold-out performances at the Accor Hotel Arena in Paris, the Velodrome Marseille, and other large venues.

Supporting Bougheraba’s performance every witty step of the way on his tour is an Andreas Monschauer lighting design that, like the popular comedian himself, is versatile, free-flowing and always engaging.

Monschauer is powering his shows with ChamSys consoles: A MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console with a wing at Marseille, and a MagicQ MQ250M at the Accor Hotel Arena. Working with a scenic design by Vincent Rautureau (G the Imagineers), Bougheraba uses lighting and video to set a tone that is at once dramatic and inviting. He uses up to 80 universes of lighting. Supplied by MPM (which also furnished the sound), the lighting is run through Art-Net and pixel mapped with the MagicQ software.

Additionally, Monschauer calls on 40 universes of video to add a captivating narrative element to the production. The tour’s video element is comprised of LED featuring strips and a 17m x 9.5m video screen, all from Alabama Media.

“It is great that a show such as this one can be programmed in MagicQ MQ250M and used on the MQ500M,” said Monschauer. “The number of universes available straight out of the console is ideal for a quick and easy setup. We completely changed the kit for each venue on this tour. For example, Velodrome had an incredibly high number of fixtures and universes.

“With Group Cues and Merging, it’s so easy to adapt the show to a new kit and a new venue,” continued Monschauer. “Another thing about the MagicQ consoles that was very useful was the easy use of pixel mapping effects, which we called up often on this tour. Audio Timeline is another great feature! Sounds are sent and encoded from the timeline with the external sound card, then sent back to the sound console or a sound card with a USB/Dante adapter. In general, when my colleagues work with me, they are always impressed at how efficient my show programming is with ChamSys.”

Thanks to this efficiency, Monschauer is able to devote more attention to the creative side of supporting the comedy of Redouane Bougheraba – and he is having a lot of fun in the process!

STAFFORDSHIRE, UK – The first recorded official fireworks display in England is said to have taken place in 1486, celebrating the wedding of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. A great deal has obviously changed in the world of visual effects since then, with the advent of lasers and LED lighting. Yet, traditional pyrotechnics, which trace their origins back to ancient China, still hold a timeless magic that captivates our imagination.

Visitors to Alton Towers Resort are reminded of this every November when the renowned resort hosts its annual end-of-season fireworks extravaganza. Even the most spectacular pyro displays, however, become more mesmerizing when set against a stunning backdrop of light.

This year, lighting designer Olly Suckling, now in his eighth year working on the Alton Towers Resort Fireworks, elevated the display to new heights with a bold and vivid lighting design. His creation not only supported the pyrotechnic display but also built a cohesive visual architecture, connecting the spectacle more intimately with the large and appreciative audience.

Running his light show on two ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium consoles and a Mini Connect system, Suckling delivered a design that complemented every step of the fireworks display. By arranging much of his rig in horizontal rows of fixtures, he was able to create sweeping movements of light that extended from the main stage out to the larger left and right structures.

“The story behind the show was a large, over-the-top tech weapons expo that gets interrupted by an alien invasion,” said Suckling. “The show was interrupted by alarms and warnings multiple times, so the battens in rows allowed us to use a light bar effect to immerse the guests in the atmosphere. This also highlighted the size and scale of the left and right structures.”

He added, “The layout of the battens on the rig naturally lent itself to a variety of horizontal and vertical center-out effects, complemented by dynamic lighting sweeps. Leveraging the ChamSys FX generator with group grid layouts to quickly create horizontal and vertical one-shot effects was an invaluable time saver.”

The fast-moving and intense nature of fireworks, combined with their variable qualities in terms of color and intensity, presents unique challenges for lighting designers. Suckling described how his ChamSys consoles were instrumental in navigating these complexities.

“Jubilee Fireworks provides us with a full visualization of the fireworks display, along with a cue firing sheet,” he recalled. “We input this into the Capture visualizer and use it as a guide while programming, following the creative storyboard as closely as possible.

Since it’s more difficult to adjust the colors of fireworks compared to lighting, we always aim to match or complement the fireworks’ color palette. The hardest part is balancing the lighting, lasers, and video with the fireworks, especially since the first time we see the complete show, including all the pyro, is during the first public performance on Friday.”

“Programming with intensity and color palettes, using group masters, and cue stack tracking was essential for achieving a balance between lighting and fireworks,” explained Suckling. “For this project, I relied heavily on the Timeline with Audio feature and the new Grid-Based FX Spread available on ChamSys consoles. The ability to lay out cues quickly and visually align them to the music, while also playing back the show directly from the console, was a significant advantage. Additionally, the console’s capability to generate timecode proved invaluable, enabling us to trigger lasers and video seamlessly during previsualization and programming sessions.”

Thanks to the compact yet powerful design of the ChamSys MQ250M, seamlessly transitioning the console between the central programming position in the middle of the arena and the FOH control position was a breeze.

He also expressed gratitude to Chris Carter, Director of Entertainments; Simon Allen and Sam Simkin, the creative team; Luke Welch, his associate; John Slevin, Production Manager; and Steve Bliss, LCR Projects and Live Events Director. Suckling credited the entire team with making the project not only successful but also enjoyable—because, at the end of the day, that’s what fireworks are all about!

SOUTHAMPTON, UK – The Power Of Choice! Psychologists, motivational experts, and the like have dispensed reams of advice on how to embrace this potent force in our lives.

Now, ChamSys has made it simpler to channel this power (at least as far as lighting control and design are concerned), with the three new products that have been engineered to put more choices directly in the hands of lighting professionals. Debuting at the company’s LDI booth 1653, the ChamSys MagicQ Compact Wing, and GeNetix TouchScene are loaded with features that take flexibility to new heights, helping users excel in a variety of settings.

The highly anticipated MagicQ Compact Wing, with its extended playback surface, does this in myriad ways providing more faders, more playbacks – and more choices! All of which open up an endless world of creative opportunities.

A simple, portable solution, the MagicQ Compact Wing offers 20 playbacks – 10 fader and 10 executor playbacks. Each section of playbacks can page through multiple playbacks via its own Next and Previous page buttons. All the playbacks feature a large full colour display for playback with the legends located directly above each playback. The 10 playback Faders feature Flash, Go and Select (via its Touch display), while the 10 space-saving Executor playbacks employ a Select and Execute button for each playback.

Adding to its impressive versatility, the MagicQ Compact Wing, which is styled to match the MQ50/70 Compact Consoles, is equally at home when combined with the Compact Connect on PC Systems. Well-suited for live events, this highly adaptable product is also ideal for theatre, TV broadcast, or any application where additional playbacks are wanted for extended control.

Also enhancing the power of choice and building on this year’s LDI theme, true colours reveaLED, is the new GeNetix TouchScene series. The GeNetix TouchScene (and its smaller cousin, the GeNetix TouchScene MINI) are wall-mounted touch panel displays that enable remote scene activations at the press of a button. With cues provided through a ChamSys control system, The TouchScene family are able to provide precise remote control of the system and various levels of operation.

The larger TouchScene features an 8-inch display, while the Touch MINI has a 4-inch screen. Both sizes integrate with MagicQ, QuickQ, and GeNetix Nodes for activation of cues. Both also have a customizable UI layout design when connected to MagicQ Quick Q Systems, as well as support for custom background images.

Intended for the installation market, the TouchScene is similar to the 10Scene Wall Plates, but with the advantage that the touch display enables button functions to be labelled on the display. The touch display can be changed, providing more flexibility than plates that are limited to fixed button functions labelled by paper.

The versatile TouchScene shows faders instead of buttons. However, it can also show faders with buttons. In either case, the TouchScene handles more advanced features, such as colour picking that allows the user to choose from a rainbow colour picker. Again, more choices bring more power, more flexibility, and that, of course, leads to more outstanding results!

If you’re attending LDI 2024, stop by and visit the ChamSys team on booth number 1653 and the exciting new Light Lab in Room W227

LONDON – Rolling Stone has described their music as “art rock bombast.” True, that term may be open to a wide range of interpretations, but it fairly well sums up the irresistibly captivating sound of The Last Dinner Party. Winners of BRITs Rising Star honor at this year’s Brit Awards, the all-female quintet wraps their theatrical sound around a flamboyant stage persona that calls forth distinct echoes of Queen and David Bowie.

Any production design supporting one of their shows has to be equally ethereal and dramatic. That’s precisely what Ed Warren delivered for the band’s current tour with a show that engages the audience with distinctive flourishes.

Let’s start with the unique backdrop adorned with a crescent moon and velvety clouds. It was hand painted by artists Beth Quinton, then scanned and digitally printed on to cloth with a definition so fine that it looks like a highly textured hand painted work even up close.

Warren accents this beguiling backdrop with a variety of lighting effects that shade the image it projects. But, at other times, he blocks it out altogether with brilliant outpourings of light. “Just because a backdrop is there doesn’t mean you need to light it the whole time,” he observed. “A blackout moment is good to change the dynamics and stage depth within the show. Then when the backdrop is lit again next time it pops even more.”

Warren programmed his design on various ChamSys setups, mostly at his studio on his MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console. “Sometimes, I programmed at other show venues where I had a desk in front of me with a bit of spare time, as well as on long haul flights on my laptop,” he said. “It’s very easy to do this with ChamSys.”

Franki McDade is running Warren’s show live on tour using the ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console. She is finding the Group Cues feature of her console particularly important on the tour, as there are four variations of the rig for different sized venues. Having the ability to adapt the show without losing the bulk of the programming and have it all to work so easily and seamlessly each time has been critically important. This is especially true since McDade hasn’t worked with a ChamSys console in quite some time.

“Everyone at ChamSys was really supportive in getting Franki back into the swing of things,” said Warren. “Early on, I sent her the show file and Visualiser in advance for her to get her head into things. Then a couple of days before the tour started, she spent two days at ChamSys in Southampton where they set everything up for her and walked her through all the new features such as Group Cues, FX Palettes and the Timeline — all which are a big part of the show. Beyond the actual product features, the commitment to service is a big part of why I use ChamSys.”

Running the show on an MQ500M, McDade has done an excellent job spotlighting the band members, noted Warren. “Given the theatrical nature of the band, spotlighting played a big role in the show,” he said. “The lead singer, Abi (Abigal Morris) rarely stays in one place, so it’s important to pick her out wherever she is.”

Where the frontwoman or any member of The Last Dinner Party is at any one time may be impossible to predict, but one thing is certain, wherever they go, the artists in this band will be sure to be taking they eyes of the audience with them, especially when they’re lit by a design that reflects their theatrical flair step for step.

STOCKHOLM – Out of complexity find simplicity… Albert Einstein was fond of giving this advice to students. Words of wisdom for anyone grappling with the infinite intricacies of physics to be sure, but it’s also something to keep in mind when trying to capture the deeply nuanced and multi-faceted music of a band like Opeth. That’s especially true on a two-leg tour, each one involving a very different type of show.

Just ask Niller Bjerregaard!

The well-known designer lit two legs of the Swedish progressive metal band’s tour: One consisted of fly-in shows that carried only a backdrop and called for him to busk; the second involved an extensive floor package with video panels and a media server. Bjerregaard excelled at both by distilling things down to the basic core element of the band’s music.

Also helping Bjerregaard realize his vision on the two-part tour was his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console. “My ChamSys Light Desk together with Capture visualizing software and Hippo Media server, all connected to the network ports on the desk, with sACN on all used universes,” he explained. “It was so easy to set up third-party software/hardware and have it speak to the ChamSys desk. I found the network ports and the number of universe available straight out of the desk also to be fantastic.”

Bjerregaard, described the tour as “quite challenging, but fun.” In essence, he had to program his show twice, spending time at the Victory Event & Tour APS warehouse with his ChamSys desk and visualiser.

“The first leg of the tour was programmed with a busking/Cue feeling; we had to be very adaptive to the different shows we did,” said Bjerregaard. “I was specking a heavy floor package and a MQ500M desk to accommodate show needs and production, but for the first leg, it ended up very different. Unlike Leg 2, which was more modern looking, Leg 1 was a Doom-Old school Heavy Metal look with the band in silhouette and heavy smoke. This was really fun. In moments like this you don’t really know what’s going to happen next, and your fingers just play along to the music and moods. I loved the depth it created with some looks that were very dramatic and ’evil feeling,’ which suited Opeth’s stage presence.

“We followed a different approach in Leg 2, with a large video component. It was jammed packed with risers, lights, and video panels — all provided by Victory Event & Tour APS. This was a well prepped production and I spend a week in Victory warehouse to prepare the tour and production, preprograming it on my MQ500M, but this time seeing the whole floor set up and connected to a Hippo Media server witch ran the video content on DS – MS Banners and a US video Wall directly from the desk intergraded with the Light All In Cue lists and Bump Buttons. The Production looked cool with big dramatic looks to go with Opeth’s fantastic diverse and exciting music.”

Prior to beginning his design for the tour, Bjerregaard spent a great deal of time listening to the music of Opeth. Closing his eyes and feeling the surge of emotional energy, he visualized the moods and imagery in his head, describing them as Doom, Death, Ominous Darkness, Depth, Happiness, Bliss, and Heaven!

“My interpretation of Opeth is vibrant colors, dark space, and silhouettes mixed with a 50- cue list of moods and strobes effects,” he explained. “It was a journey of taking risks and not following the norm. The band plays for two hours every show, and each song is about 12 minutes long, with five or six different main parts. A very comprehensive cue list was needed. Each song took about three or four hours to program. Some songs had many fast breaks and solos that need highlighting, so I used many Cue Macros to log different cue lists to make sure I hit all breaks and video changes correctly. There was no timecode to help me.”

What was there to help Bjerregaard was the Opeth crew: Steven Page, George Davidson, Ollie Sandqvist, Saso Pusnik, Milton Evens, Stefano Cassese – and, of course, his trusty ChamSys.

“It’s a very different challenge on a two-legged tour like this,” he said. “On the leg where we didn’t have a big floor package, we had to rely on house rigs. So many variables had to come together to make it look seamless and coherent. ChamSys has all the right tools to make this happen– and easily too.

“On leg two, a crucially important feature was the Macros to Launch Cue Lists for video content,” continued Bjerregaard. “It made it so much easier not to have to think about video content, as it just connects to different cues. Also, the Motorized Faders feature was a big help when we had multiple faders running effects and video content at the same times as the main cue list.”

On the subject of cue lists, Bjerregaard had a final thought on the tour. “The thing I love about Opeth is their raw power mixed with delicate and clever combinations. So, the cue list I did for them was extensive and pretty complicated.”

Relying on his clear creative vision (along with a powerful console), Niller Bjerregaard was able to make these “pretty complicated” transitions in this show, something he describes as “seamless and pretty.” Such is the power of simplicity.

LONDON – The Hilton London Olympia is 0.322 kilometers from the Olympia Events convention centre, a mere four minute walk, give or take a few seconds. But those who make that short trek during PLASA 2024 will gain some valuable knowledge that is likely to take their careers great distances for years to come.

ChamSys will be conducting a series of learning sessions during the first two days of the three-day show, which runs from September 1-3, at the Hilton’s Warwick and Napier Rooms. The sessions will cover a variety of topics, from an introduction to MagicQ, to a guide to achieving faster programming with Group Cues and Group FX, as well as well as learning experiences with guest LDs like David Howard and Simon Horn. Some session will involve a nominal fee but will provide gift bags that include a MagicDMX worth £15. For a complete training session schedule and registration form, https://chamsyslighting.com/pages/plasa-london-2024.

Visitors at the events centre are also invited to visit ChamSys at Booth D10 to get hands on experience with the company’s control solutions, including the powerful MagicQ MQ500+ Stadium Console, which offers direct control of 400 universes with no external processing, gigabit networking, and the ability to support two touchscreens directly from the back panel.

Also on display at the booth will be GeNetix control solutions that simply data distribution with lighting products, including those from CHAUVET Professional and Iluminarc.

CHAUVET Professional will be sharing Booth D10 with ChamSys. The company will be showcasing many of its latest products, including the two newest members of the award-winning Maverick Silens family of quiet, fanless fixtures: the 430W Maverick Silens 1X Profile and 760W Maverick Silens 2X Profile. Other fixtures highlighted at the booth will be the Ovation Reve family, and the exciting STRIKE Bolt 1C and STRIKE Bolt 2C, which already have been shaking up the concert and touring world with their unique ability to transition smoothly from potent strobing to smooth colour block effects.

Booth D10 has been designed to engender networking and customer connections. To further this connectivity, CHAUVET Professional and ChamSys will be hosting a get together at a Sixes Social Cricket Club on Monday. Visitors can learn more at the company’s booth. Though the companies will be offering plenty of sound advice at Booth D10 and at the Hilton training rooms, when it comes to flicking Kookaburras visitors will be on their own.

PARIS – The ancient Greek philosopher Hierocles was fond of using concentric circles to represent something he called oikeiosis, the essence of our identity as humans, with the inner circle symbolizing the individual, and each succeeding curve representing a broader and broader universe. The same theme surrounding this shape has been echoed by philosophers throughout the ages. It was also called forth this spring in Alain Corthout’s stunning production design for Black Eyed Peas show at La Défense Arena.

Corthout reflected the music and stage persona of the iconic LA band with a transcended visual panorama that wove light and video together in concentric patterns that seemed to reach out further and further, extending as far as the imagination would take them.

“The lighting and video concept aimed to create a seamless fusion of elements, utilizing expansive curves and circles to present a unified visual experience,” said Corthout. “By integrating concentric rims extending from the video screens, we sought to evoke a sense of grandeur and cohesion within the large venue setting.”

Using this majestic canvas, Corthout unfolded a narrative over a show that spanned more than two hours and featured a 24-song set list. “The narrative of the show centered on encapsulating the joyous, ecstatic, party atmosphere synonymous with the Black Eyed Peas’ music,” he explained. “Our design and programming were tailored to mirror the energy and tone set by the band.”

Powering this creative outpouring, was a ChamSys MQ500M Stadium console, supplemented by a stadium wing and a spare MQ500M unit. The lighting, which required 55-universes, was run exclusively by the console, whilst the video was done with Resolume, under the direction of Austin Stengle. Programming for the show was executed using Capture 2024 Symphony.)

Belgium’s Phlippo Showlights supplied the ChamSys console and lighting-video kit for this show. “They demonstrated exceptional expertise by assembling an 800-light rig within a single day,” said Corthout. “They also supplied the rigging, sound, and stage risers. Mike Walker, the production manager, and co-designer, also deserves a great deal of credit. His contributions were integral to the success of the project.”

Corthout drew on many of the performance features of his ChamSys console to turn his vision into a reality on stage. “The three pivotal features of our console for this application were Group FX, Grid FX, and Speed Masters,” he said. “These functionalities streamlined the programming process, offering ease of use and rapid adaptability to the dynamic tempo changes, and last-minute song adjustments typical of live performances. Their significance lies in the efficiency they afford in programming, ensuring seamless transitions and synchronization with the evolving musical elements of the show.”

The MQ500M’s Copy Heads Programming, “an amazing tool to transform an existing show to a completely new setup,” was also valued by Corthout, as was the Replace Palettes, Multi Console + Visualiser settings (which allowed one person to do presets, while a colleague programmed cues), and the MVR Import + Plot.

Elaborating on the latter feature, Corthout noted, “it allowed super-fast import from Vectorworks CAD programs or visualiser. You can start to build up your show without losing time on patching.”

In the end all these tools came together, and, like Hierocles’s oikeiosis, expanded ever more outward to create something that really seemed to know no limits.

HALIFAX, UK – Before Placebo came on stage at the historic Piece Hall, the band’s Brain Molko appeared on video, appealing to fans to keep their cell phones firmly in the pockets. The award-winning singer and guitarist urged those in the crowd to “live in the here and now,” so he and bandmate,  bassist Stefan Olsdal, could better celebrate the deep emotions that swirl through each of their songs. 

All but a few of the fans adhered to Molko’s wishes. Very smart of them! They were justly rewarded with a beautifully diverse show that was more than worthy of their full attention. Driven by Molko’s unique high-pitched vocals and Olsdal driving rhythms, the show treated the audience to one emotional high point after another.

Supporting the performance on stage every exhilarating step of the way was a dynamic 9-universe lightshow run on a ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console by Chris Foot, a ChamSys user since 2012.  Working from an original Jvan Morandi design, Foot took over running the Placebo show on their extended global tour in late 2022.

“This is an album campaign with a certain look & feel already established, so design-wise I’ve tried to keep a similar theme to the start of the cycle, whilst also moving the show forward at the same time,” said Foot.  “Of course, the look has changed several times throughout the tour depending upon the size of the venues and things of that nature.”

Foot credits his MQ250M, which was supplied by Colour Sound Experiment, with helping him change the show quickly to adapt to different venue demands, and meet new challenges.  

“A thing that is different for me in this show is the addition of video,” he said. “I am spending a lot of time working with our video director, Giulia Sirianni, on finding a nice balance between the two of us throughout the show. In terms of colour combinations, intensity and focus. It’s important that lights and video gel nicely, so using darker or contrasting colours is a nice way to allow the video to pop or be the focus of attention at times. I do like the MQ250M colour picker for easy fine turning of colours.”

The Fixture Search feature of his MQ250M has been another big help, giving Foot the flexibility to navigate his way through the myriad venues on this tour. “I’ve encountered many weird and wonderful house rig fixtures in various parts of the world,” he said. “So, having the ability to grab a personality quickly (and potentially edit it), is amazing. 

“I am also grateful for the Expand Palette feature,” continued Foot.  “I encounter many different fixture types, particularly in festival season, so having the ability to add information into palettes and expand throughout the show is very nice. Another great gift, though it might seem minor, is the mirror on my ChamSys desk. It really helps when you have to build so many positions really quickly.”

Foot’s show is cue stacked, with no timecoding, but each song has a number of manual cues on faders or buttons. “Being able to change how faders & buttons behave really helps,” said Foot. “Having the extra encoders/flash buttons above the main playbacks on the MQ250M comes in very handy. It eliminates the need for an extra wing.”

Comparing his MQ250M to other consoles, Foot said “it gives me a lot more scope.”  That’s a good thing! Foot needs that scope to follow the many paths that Placebo travels in this show, providing fans with beautiful images along the way – images that will last in their memories, and thankfully, not their cell phones. 

In the world of performing arts festivals, nothing beats Glasto.  And for those of us who live and breathe lighting, nothing is better than the firsthand FOH experience of watching talented lighting designers and operators perform their magic.

Come along with us as we revisit the excitement of witnessing their incredible work and gorgeous setups as they created thrillingperformances seemingly everywhere at Worthy Farm.  And whether they were MagicQ or QuickQ consoles, PC Wings or GeNetix nodes, ChamSys did seem to be everywhere at this year’s edition.

A huge thank you to all our amazing colleagues for making this festival truly spectacular. It was an unforgettable experience to see your lighting designs and programming skills in action at so many stages.   

We’re excited to share with you a small part of the Glasto magic we experienced firsthand with our round-up of the stages we visited.

The Pyramid Stage had never looked as vibrant in the sun as it did during Michael Kiwanuka’s performance that was brilliantly brought to life with stunning visuals controlled by our MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Pyramid Stage
GLS Lighting
LD Ed Warren • Op Amy Barnett
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

GLS supplied the floor package with an MQ500M, which Ed Warren and Amy Barnett put to electrifying use, creating a show that served as the ideal complement to Michael Kiwanuka’s psychedelic soul sounds.

West Holts
DPL Production Lighting LImited
LD Ed Warren • Op Kristina Jazykova
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

From his collaboration with Will Thomas on the Car Henge art installation to his design for Sugababes at the iconic West Holts stage, Ed Warren was Glastonbury’s busiest man, running six different sites. 

Kristina Jazykova masterfully operated a MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console, delivering an unforgettable visual experience for the huge crowd that gathered to watch Sugababes.

Pyramid Stage
LD Patrick Sollitt • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

Practice makes perfect and Patrick Sollitt has been lighting legendary UK songwriter Paul Heaton for nearly a decade.  Paddy ran Heaton’s Glastonbury show to perfection on a MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Pyramid Stage
LD Anthony Hazelden • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console
Console from Neg Earth Lights

Burna Boy amused his Glastonbury fans with an invitation to join him in taking off their shirts. His longtime LD Anthony Hazelden kept his on and smoothly delivered a stunning light show from his MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

The Levels
SR Production Services • LD James Newmarch
MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console • GeNetix GN10 Nodes

James Newmarch punched light through the haze and controlled 114 universes with a MQ500M+ Stadium Console, along with 88 universes of 3D pixel mapping running from video content loaded directly into the console.  Home to some of the festival’s highest-energy shows, The Levels stage also marked the location of a GeNetix debut in a Glastonbury rig.

Wishing Well
David Howard Lighting Design • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console

David Howard brought his MQ250M and his magic to bless this new stage with dreamy transcendent looks.

The Glebe
BSM Stage Tec • QuickQ 20

Brian from BSM brought a ChamSys QuickQ 20 and got into the act with his lucky ducky as he prepared for the next run at Glastonbury’s quirkiest outdoor theatre.

Stonebridge Bar
LD James Dickinson • MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console

At the ever-popular Glasto bar, James Dickinson kept the energy level high for Annie Mac’s set.

Glasto Latino
Mass Affect Lighting • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

Glasto Latino drew a crowd from the moment the festival opened.  Operating a rig provided by Enlightened, Mass Affect Lighting brought their MQ250M Stadium Console to keep pace with the Latin dance moves and serve up red hot lighting looks.

Field of Avalon
WaveCo Productions
MagicQ PC Wing Compact • MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console

Eclectic folk and roots music reigned for days and nights at the Avalon stage. 
Our MagicQ PC Wing Compact was used for Kate Nash, while an MQ500M powered the The Cat Empire show. 

Shangri-La – Peace
PF Events • LD Harry Merrison
MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

Harry Merrison brought a golden warmth and immersive panoramas to the Peace Stage on an MQ250M + Extra Wing Compact.

Lonely Hearts
SR Production Services • MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console

LD Kai Mcilquham adroitly worked his MQ250M to move with the dance beats of DJ Wilkinson.

Left Field
South West Group Events
MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console • MagicQ Extra Wing

No surprises as SWG Events kept things running smoothly at Left Field Stage with a ChamSys MagicQ MQ70 Compact + Extra Wing.

Unfairground – Flying Bus Stage
GLX Productions
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console • MagicQ MQ500M Wing

Glenn from GLX brought busloads of powerful looks to the Unfairground’s funnest stage with his MQ500M + Wing.

The Hive
Luke Adams Lighting
MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console • MagicQ Extra Wing Compact

The Hive Stage buzzed flawlessly with Luke Adams Lighting at the controls.

Circus Big Top
Fineline Lighting • LD James Loudon
MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console • MagicQ MQ70 Compact Console • GeNetix GN5

Operators Rory and Tom were accompanied by the most brightly illuminated duck at Glastonbury and deftly ran their MQ500M alongsidean MQ70 to woo the crowd with a design by James Loudon and a rig that included GeNetix GN5 nodes.

GLASGOW – Where does chart-topping Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie draw his inspiration from? One music critic put it this way: “Throw some Springsteen, Dylan and Oasis into the blender and you wouldn’t be far off.” That’s a pretty heady mix, but the artist from Edinburgh has more than lived up to these high expectation since bursting on the scene six years ago. Retain all the raw, honest power that he displayed as a teenaged street singer, Beattie brings a genuine sense of authenticity and power to his songs, all wrapped up with a generous serving of musicality.

All these features captivated sellout crowds on his recent winter tour of Scotland. Supporting him note-for-intense-note with some fiercely bold visuals was a power-packed light show by Steve Mccraken of Mac-Events, who programmed the show and ran it throughout the tour on his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Working with a kit supplied by Limelight Event Services, Mccracken busked some manual flashes, strobes, and other looks, but most of his show was cue stacked. “We kept the looks consistent from show to show to create the experience that fans expected,” he said. “Although we had to make some changes to accommodate some venues, we remained consistent overall.”

The looks that Mccracken designed seemed to be tailor-made for his client’s genuine up-from- the-streets stage presence. For example, Mccraken created some interesting effects mixing silhouettes with wide prisms and gobos. This look was notable in the song “Don’t Walk Alone,” during an instrumental break down, when the band are silhouetted and many of the lights are chasing. “The band appear out the dark every second or so,” said Mccracken. “It’s a simple loom and it brings so much to this part of the show.”

Given that Beattie and his fans thrive on close contact, Mccracken arranged his fixtures to maximize the artist-audience connection. “I deliberately put my front lights low, so Callam could see the crowd a little easier,” he said. “I also had blinders on during the talking sessions.”

Mccraken, who designed the show in Capture and preprogrammed on his MQ500M, explained how his console helped him. I triggered a lot of the FX in programming off macros, so I really liked how the extra playbacks in my ChamSys helped me keep everything I needed in one space rather than me having to sift through separate pages.

“I also appreciated how I could layout my desk, so I could know that the first five faders and above will be for my manual front wash, specials and so forth, whilst the next bank of five would be for my macros, then the last bank for my song stack and bump buttons.”

The extra Playbacks were also helpful to Mccraken as a programmer, since they made it easier for him to train his eyes on the stage, instead of trying to follow multiple pages. “I also liked the Dual Screen for maximum layout space, so if anything did go wrong, I could catch it quickly,” he said. “This helped when changing Fader Colours.”

Thanks to the user-friendly features of his console, Mccracken was not only able to spend more time getting creative with this lighting, but he could also enjoy the show more… because, like many people in Scotland, he too is a Callam Beattie fan.

GRAZ, AUSTRIA – LEMO may be one of the most popular Austrian performers today, but at heart, says Niklas Fuchs, he is more like “the friendly musician from next door.” This relaxed and engaging personality is reflected in the star’s LEMO Unplugged Tour, which has a set that looks like a living room.

“LEMO truly is authentic and friendly,” said Fuchs. “On this tour, he wanted the audience to feel like they are visiting him at home listening to his songs from the couch. So, the design basically consisted of a whole lot of carpets on stage, standard E27 LED Bulbs, and some living room luminaires that we literally bought on the way to the first show. It created a special atmosphere.”

Filling in on the tour for LEMO’s usual lighting designer Bernhard Endl, Fuchs accented this welcoming mood with a warm, inviting light show. Position in a vertical configuration over the stage, his rig focused attention on the artist while contributing to the homey atmosphere. He used different parts of his rig at different points in the show, to create more varied and moving looks.

“Over time I learned the power of not using the whole rigg in certain situations,” said Fuchs. “This really opens up a whole new set of possibilities. It gets a lot easier to create drama, big contrasts and always keep some element of surprise throughout the show. Also, stages can look a lot bigger when there is just one well-focused spot on the singer.”

Fuchs ran his show on his new MagicQ Stadium Connect, and busked the entire time. “I didn’t do any preprogramming or anything in this case,” he said. “I just used my busking show file for the whole tour, creating the show in the newest BETA Version of the Stadium Connect, currently running on 1.9.5.3.”

Speaking of his new Stadium Connect Fuchs noted: “It is the ultimate desk for me. I’ve built a custom case for it. I am hugely in love with this piece of equipment.”

Busking as he does, Fuchs finds the Motor Faders, quick access to Group Masters, and the additional playbacks on the encoder knob to be invaluable on this tour. “With busking, it really gets down to the number of physical buttons, faders and knobs you can quickly access for various looks and tweaks,” he explained. “I programmed my busking file especially to suit the layout of the Stadium Connect. I am just using two pages. On page one I have all my group masters – the important ones on the faders, the less important ones on the encoder knobs. Then on page two, I have a total of 42 directly accessible playbacks. 10 Faders, 10 Executors on Pause Buttons, 10 Executors on Play Buttons, 10 Playbacks on Encoders and Flash Buttons, and two crossfaders that are also programable.”

Another feature that Fuchs is enthused about is the built-in Numbpad. “I know it sounds silly, but I really appreciate having a physical Numbpad on the Stadium Connect,” he said.

“Silly?” Hardly. When you impeccably busk an engaging show like this one, any preference you have is just fine.

PARIS – Since its founding in 2003, ChamSys has taken great pride in the ability of its cutting-edge software and hardware control solutions to adapt to the myriad and always-evolving needs of lighting programmers and designers. Hence, the company’s name, which is derived from the supremely adaptive chameleon. 

It is in this spirit that the company has adapted to the changing needs of its rapidly expanding footprint in the French market, by announcing that its entire product line will be distributed starting December 1, 2023 in this market by Chauvet France, a wholly own subsidiary of ChamSys’ parent company Chauvet.   

In its new home, Chauvet France will sell, service, and provide training for the entire line of ChamSys consoles, including the popular Stadium series, which has been used at major concerts, festivals, and theatrical productions throughout France. The new distribution arrangement will also allow ChamSys to broaden its French language training programs.

Concurrent with this development, highly regarded lighting programmer and designer, Rémy Rouvoy has joined Chauvet France as the ChamSys Business Development and Support Manager. Rouvoy brings vast experience to his new position, not only through the many shows he has worked on personally, but also as a result of the key positions he’s held as a trainer for ChamSys products in his previous missions.

“We are very pleased to welcome the ChamSys brand to the Chauvet France roster,” said Martin Fournier, Chauvet’s European Sales Director. “There is great synergy between our two sister companies in terms of our philosophies of striving for constant improvement and innovation. ChamSys is a benchmark in light control for operators worldwide, and Rémy Rouvoy is a precious addition to our team! We thank Sonoss for their help in ChamSys distribution over the years.”

Fournier added that Chauvet and ChamSys also share a common commitment to providing quality service to all customers. This, he says, will result in them finding “a complete offer of proven solutions for their technical challenges.”

POCONO MANOR, PA – The Kalahari Resort in the Pocono mountains bills itself as “220,000 square feet, filled with wet, wild, fun.”  The massive complex does indeed offer some distinctive amenities, such as the world’s first virtual reality water slide. On the weekend of September 23-24, it was also the site of The Way, a Salvation Army Young Adult Retreat.

In addition to enjoying the usual attractions at the resort during their recreation periods, the retreat attendees, who hailed from every East Coast state, as well as Puerto Rico, enjoyed high-energy performances by Unbound, a contemporary worship band.

Reflecting the ebullient personality and sound of the band was an eight-universe lighting and video show designed and created by Eagle Production Co. that Moshe Baskin ran on his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

Baskin busked his show, which he designed in Vectorworks and programmed in L8.  Working with his Eagle Production Co. rig, he relied on silhouettes and split beams, as well as a variety of top lighting and side lighting to create an ethereal, spiritual aura around the band, as well as other performers, including the inspired dance troupe, Move.  He also used on some richly textured monochromatic color schemes to set the mood on the 28’ by 42’ stage.

“I aimed for very dreamy and spiritual atmosphere,” said Baskin. “My goal was to engage the crowd with uplifting looks without distracting from the performers. For the dancers, I used top spots for dramatic impact, and for front washing I got excellent looks from my Rogue R1 BeamWashes.”

Working with Chris Severn and Tzvi Stein, who assisted in the design and logistics, along with Felipe Concha from the Unbound band, Baskin not only supported the music and dance performances, he also provided more conventional lighting for the speeches and presentations that were part of this triennial worship event. During dramatic moments in these segments, he lit up the stage and crowd with blinders.

Baskin credits his MQ500M with helping him put together the lighting design for this diverse event. “I didn’t have much time to program,” he said. “When I showed up it was time for rehearsals! Even though it’s very powerful, the MQ500M is very intuitive and easy to work with. I was able to create various looks as the performers were rehearsing. The Group Cues, made it a breeze to fan between positions and colors, so I could create some crazy looks quickly.”

Since Baskin busked throughout the entire weekend event, he also found the Programmer Live feature of his console to be invaluable. “The workflow capability of the ChamSys is so smooth; it allows me to concentrate on creative issues. In keeping with the mood of the event, I used soft palettes a lot and updated them in live-linked to the programmer.

“I also loved how easy it was, just typing a number (for time) followed by a *, plus the list of symbols like+.- on the ChamSys keypad and hitting a palette to quickly offset that palette across selected heads in various directions” continued Baskin. “It was super quick to create fades and delays on the fly. When you’re busking an event with so many components that’s as good as gold.”

Photo Credit: Kevin Diaz