Martin Dudley and Chris Davey Get Versatile For MiQ Ignite With ChamSys
DANANG, VIETNAM – Lighting, like music, is a universal language. That’s one reason why MiQ, a New York-based global market research firm, retained designers Martin Dudley and Chris Davey through UK-based event technology specialists Great Expectations, to provide professional lighting design services for a series of events the company was holding around the world for local clients and other interested parties.
But even though lighting has the power to move people everywhere, the availability of lighting fixtures cannot always be relied upon in every corner of the world. Understanding this, Dudley of Martin’s Lights Ltd. and Davey of Stagelighting Tech (both of the UK), knew they would need a powerful, yet flexible, controller that would allow them to accommodate a wide variety of rigs. They also wanted a control solution that they could they could carry on international flights.
These considerations led them to pack two ChamSys PC Wings for their globe-trotting “MiQ Ignite” tour, which concluded shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown. “We are both longtime ChamSys users,” said Davey. “This made us confident that we would manage very well running MagicQ software on Windows laptops with the PC Wings as we traveled to places that were not on the main international lighting circuit. Its programming power is fully fledged, yet it’s in a format that makes sense for travel.”
This confidence was well founded, as Dudley and Davey created engaging and aesthetically pleasing looks, often with widely different rigs in places like Cancun, Mexico and Danang, Vietnam. With Dudley handling the main conferences, while Davey took care of the entertainment lighting, the pair created looks that ranged from professional to festive, all while reflecting positively on their client.
“With all production equipment being supplied locally there was always going to be an element of surprise,” said Davey. “We knew that no matter how much we put into the pre-production, what turned up on site was always going to be uncertain, both in terms of the type of equipment and also its of service history. So, we often had to do things on the fly.”
In addition to having to deal with inconsistent rigs, Dudley and Davey had to design for a wide variety of entertainment specifications. “One day it could be a handful of lights for a roof-top reception, and the next night a vast acre of beach party, but the client expected -and got — the same vibe for both,” said Davey. “The power of the MagicQ software, its ability to morph quickly and transform shows, was invaluable; so too was the way it allowed us to find and create head files quickly and easily for random unknown fixtures.”
The ability of their control solution to handle different venues was also appreciated by Dudley and Davey. To illustrate this point, they recall how easy it was to move from copper DMX to ArtNet and back again, from a single PC Wing.
When things didn’t go as plan, their system served as fast diagnostic tool. “The ChamSys PC Wings made it incredibly easy to troubleshoot when the unexpected happened,” said Davey. “We both found ourselves playing teacher to the local crews and they were all very impressed with what we’d brought with us. It’s nice to know that in addition to serving our client, we helped advance local lighting markets.”
Although purely virtual and not good for admittance to any show, each tour pass is customized for Murph’s friends, with their name, as well as job title, which is some form of “House Integration Specialist.”
Murph is gratified that his “world tour” is making a difference in the lives of people close to home. He’s also grateful that it gives him the opportunity to work his console. “I have been touring with a MQ500 since 2017, right when they came to the United States,” he said. “From what has been told to me, I was the second person in the States to take delivery of the MQ500 and the first to take one on a North American Tour.”
Just ask Lighting Director and Operator Jason Hyne, who is running the boards for the show, which was designed by Rob Sinclair. A ChamSys user since 2013, Hyne is working with the MQ500 for the first time on the Ducks tour, and finds that the console has greatly enhanced his work.
“I was very impressed with Adlib’s new programming suite, as well as team account handler Jordan Willis, and the lighting team of Kev Byatt, Paul Hyne and Oli Gorman,” said Hyne. “As you would expect, the 
When Iwan ran the boards during the festival he was grateful that he could work with playbacks and preset faders without swapping between modes, which made it easier to busk. “We did a lot of busking, because many of the bands gave us their song lists only at the last minute,” he said. “This is when you really appreciated that the ChamSys is so user-friendly.”
Ho was also impressed with how smoothly his console worked with the different brands of washes in his rig. “We had three different brands represented, almost evenly,” he said “It was quite a task to make sure we had the correct color balances across this diverse rig. This was especially important because we had to watch our colors for our video cameras.”
The Arf & Yes lightshow was more than just grand in its scale. Its power to move the audience also emanated from the artful balance of its design. Brilliant shafts of light that rained down on the stage endowed the show with an evocative translucent quality. The triangular configuration of lights on three levels positioned over the stage, created a sense of depth. As these mesmerizing looks were being created, deft key lighting seamlessly supported each of the 36 songs from the north and south of China that were performed at the event.
The 68,000-seat stadium serves as the home to Atlético Madrid, but on Saturday June 29, it played host to another of Spain’s national treasures when it welcomed singer Manuel Carrasco who appeared there as part of his 35-date “The Cross of the Map” tour. Fans who packed the stadium were immersed not only in the emotional power of the star’s vocals, but also by the sweeping visuals that Jvan Morandi ran from a control center powered by no fewer than six ChamSys desks including two 
Helping Morandi weave this intricate light and video tapestry together were his ChamSys consoles. He used his two 
Another feature of the ChamSys consoles that Morandi has been placing a premium on is their versatility. Carrasco’s “The Cross of the Map” tour is very aptly named, as the show has been crisscrossing the Iberian Peninsula with a passion.
Adding a lighthearted touch of drama to the proceedings was a short skit presented by company team members on the history of ChamSys. The skit recounted how company cofounder Chris Kennedy developed his first console at the age of 10. Telling the story of a young man with big dreams, the skit showed how Kennedy achieved something beyond even his wildest imagination years later when an award-winning ChamSys console was used by Art & Yes to control a record-breaking 64,000 parameters over 186 universes directly without processing nodes.
Following his “acting performance,” Kennedy treated guests to a preview of the new 
