We are looking for new content that is relevant to our work, the brands we sell, and the industries we serve. Specifically, we are seeking images and videos of our product lines that we can use to share both our story and yours. If you have any content featuring the following brands, we would love to see it:

• Chroma-Q
• Vista by Chroma-Q
• PROLIGHTS
• Luminex
• LumenRadio
• MOSS LED
• Follow-Me
• Avenger or Manfrotto

Markets we are looking for include:

• Rental / Production
• Houses of Worship
• Corporate Events
• Concerts / Special Events
• Broadcast / Film / Video Production
• Theatre / Performing Arts
• Architecture / Architainment
• Sporting Venues / Facilities
• Theme Parks / Themed Entertainment
• Hospitality / Night Clubs

Did you know that AC will collaborate with you to craft compelling case studies on your installations, applications, and stock purchases for rental? This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work and highlight the impact of our products in real-world scenarios.

Let’s create something extraordinary together!

If you have any images or videos to share, please reach out to us. We can’t wait to see your amazing content and collaborate on this exciting project.

Please click here to share content with us!

The post Share your success story with us appeared first on AC Americas.

For Vida Huang, a third year MFA Lighting Designer at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the presentation of her final show, The Rogues’ Trial, required representing the passage of time and travel to and through different places or realms. To achieve that, Huang relied heavily on 6 Chroma-Q Color Force II 72s to light the venue’s cyc.

Mounted at the 400-capacity Mandell Weiss Forum, the play is a beloved Brazilian morality play written by Ariano Suassuna and directed by Ludmila de Brito.

Set in the Brazilian drylands – a semi-arid region encompassing roughly 1,000,000 square kilometers – the setting of an environment degraded by overuse and exploitation offers a bleak but potent underpinning of a blend of Commedia, Clowning, and Brazilian folktales – and a story that follows a pair of friends attempting to navigate ‘broken systems of power.’

 “This is a Brazilian culture play,” Huang notes. “It starts with a group of people putting on a show – putting up a set piece on stage and then getting ready to tell a story about what happened in the history of this town.” Given the many “magical” story moments as characters move through various settings, including a circus, the town itself, and the underworld, “I used all the lighting fixtures to create moments that are separate from the reality of the original setting,” she adds.

Huang’s method of lighting design was critical in portraying the players and the various times/places they experience. “I create lighting by using my drawing method: starting with a blank canvas, shaping the structure, and then adding color to bring the vision to life,” Huang explains. “Lighting is like dance. It creates movement, grabs focus, and represents emotion.”

That approach and aesthetic were particularly important for meeting one of the central challenges of the production – how and when to light the cyc to maximize the impact of scenic transitions and enhance the audiences’ perception of them.

During the design process, the creative team dedicated a fair bit of time to determining the optimal moments to light the CYC, ensuring that the Living World, Story World, and Underworld were clearly distinguished. “This careful consideration allowed us to use lighting to separate and define each realm visually,” Huang explains, enhancing the storytelling while helping the audience understand the transitions between the different worlds.

Designed specifically for applications like this, where smooth, even coverage with no colour shadowing is required. “The Color Force fixtures were incredibly helpful in my design process. Given that the show features many moments focused on nonsensical stories, my goal was to make the setting feel magical, and the fixtures truly helped me achieve that with their wide range of color changes. They also supported me in creating dramatic effects, such as flashing for gunshots, blinding lights, and summoning moments, all of which added intensity and enhanced the impact of these key scenes.”

They also streamlined her design process. “Their wide spread evenly illuminated the CYC, allowing seamless color transitions that enhanced the storytelling. This fixture truly brought my design to life – ensuring the passage of time and changes in location were conveyed beautifully on stage.”

Spaced six inches apart and used as a ground row cyc light, each Color Force II 72 was assigned a single channel, with the mode set to RGBA and configured in a group x3 setup. “During the design process, they were primarily controlled as a group, providing an even and dynamic wash across the cyc. We used the fixtures creatively to recreate effects such as a sky and rainbow for specific scenes, adding depth and atmosphere to the production.”

Huang utilized a variety of lighting instruments to bring her design to life, shape the atmosphere, and support the story, in addition to the temporary installation of the Color Force fixtures for the cyc. However, “our lighting inventory lacked a fixture that could evenly illuminate the 40 ft wide and 18 ft tall cyc while also providing the ability to change colors. “This created a challenge in achieving the smooth, dynamic transitions required for my design, particularly as the lighting needed to support the thematic shifts in time and location throughout the show.”

In achieving those results, Huang credits the support and swift response from AC Americas as extremely helpful. “I truly appreciate how smooth the entire process was. Whenever I had questions, Chris Souza (National Sales Manager) was incredibly responsive and provided detailed information, making the process even more seamless.”

Ultimately, the show, Huang’s design, and the deft use of the Chroma-Q Color Force II 72s drew excellent reviews from everyone involved in the production.

“According to our lighting supervisor, the overall experience with the fixtures has been highly positive. They were easy to install and operate, providing a bright intensity with a great range of colors. And the creative team especially appreciated how effectively the fixture illuminated the cyc, enhanced the visual storytelling, and brought the design to life.”

Photo Credit: Rich Soublet or Tzu Yu Su

The post Lighting the Magic: Innovative Design for ‘The Rogues’ Trial appeared first on AC Americas.

“We needed to control 85,000+ parameters of lighting fixtures through our consoles and Resolume,” Edmondson explains. “We used four LumiCores to merge and manage almost 250,000 parameters between multiple input sources and output across 13 VLANs to handle all of this, which included over 800 fixtures controlled directly via IP.”

In all, the Luminex system included – one (LumenRadio) Stardust CRMX Transmitter and multiple (Luminex) GigaCore Ethernet switches (four GigCore 26i, three 16i 10G, two 10, two 18t 10G, one 10t, as well as four LumiCore 64, and nine LumiNode 12).

Leveraging his extensive experience in theatrical lighting and design, Edmondson has managed a wide range of live and broadcasted corporate, social, and educational events in a variety of settings over time. In this case, Edmondson Design & Production was brought on board for production design. “Our team handled all of the design and drawing in pre-production and managed all of the lighting, staging, and ground rigging elements,” he says.

Edmondson was also responsible for the signature scenic element, 260 custom-fabricated pixel-mappable tables with integrated LED elements. “There were significant amounts of LED pixel mapping – hence the channel counts,” Edmondson notes, explaining that the pixel-mapping portion of the infrastructure consisted of three main components.

The first consisted of 500 LED tube lights on the left and right walls of the space, hung in a grid configuration, then pixel-mapped and controlled from the lighting system and Resolume. The second component was a 200-foot-wide upstage cyc lit by 32 (Chroma-Q) Color Force II 72s with pixel-mappable strobe units as an upstage ground row for eye candy.

The third component was the previously mentioned tables: “We custom-built those with a frosted acrylic (top), so we could run color and have movement across the tables where people were seated. We spent a lot of time working on the control of the tables, both from an artistic standpoint as well as a practical one. We filled up two LumiCores with table control alone.”

“Coming from theatre, I love creating things that are dramatic and tell a story, and the tables certainly achieve that because the people (in the room) were interacting with light constantly. It was a fully immersive environment, with light moving across the tables, the stage, the floor, and the ceiling.”

“The Luminex ecosystem allowed us to manage all of our network infrastructure easily, using Araneo,” Edmondson adds, “and the LumiCore’s provided an easy solution to merging and routing all the lighting data.  We used different Luminex switches to fit different applications and specific requirements with a combination of 1G and 10G trunks.”

Given the scope and complexity of the systems deployed, “Time was the largest constraint. We had two days of shop prep and one day to get the network running on-site. Preproduction with Araneo was key. As the production company, we were absolutely thrilled with the Luminex equipment. When we had challenges, Anthony Stofflet (Brand Manager AC Americas) quickly provided answers and options. I worked with him a fair amount, and he gave me some good direction.”

“The LumiCore’s were critical to the project,” Edmondson concludes. “Having four LumiCore was certainly a significant amount of processing power, and we utilized them to their fullest. Our Luminex inventory was the behind-the-scenes key to this production’s success. Using Araneo to manage all of the various switch and edge devices allowed us to monitor the health of the network quickly and efficiently. We also made good use of the different models of switches, allowing us to match each production requirement with the right technology.”

Photo Credit: Allegro Photography

About Luminex Network Intelligence

Luminex Network Intelligence is a Belgian manufacturer of data distribution equipment for professional lighting, audio, and video applications, focusing mainly on converged networking in the entertainment industry. Luminex offers a complete range of network switches that have been validated for interoperability in many converged ecosystems, providing AV designers and technicians with cutting-edge technology to build a complete data distribution system ranging from small setups to big events or large venues. Our commitment is to make it as easy as possible to deploy a professional converged AV network, even without any IT knowledge. Luminex products are completely preconfigured to transport all commonly used AV protocols, such as Art-Net, MA-Net, sACN, AVB/Milan, Dante, AES67, PTPv2, IPMX, and many more.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com/luminex or call 416.255.9494

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting is a value-added distributor of world-class Lighting, Networking, and Grip technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands, Chroma-Q® LED Lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q Lighting, and Media Control Surfaces; PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting products; Luminex Network Intelligence manufacturer of Data Distribution Equipment; LumenRadio Wireless Lighting Control; MOSS Led – flexible LED lighting, dimmers, power supplies, and cabling systems, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems; and Manfrotto and Avenger Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About Chroma-Q

Chroma-Q and all associated product names are recognised trademarks, for more information visit www.chroma-q.com/trademarks. The rights and ownership of all trademarks are recognised. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, Chroma-Q accepts no liability for errors or omissions. Technical specifications and data are provided for guidance only. Because we constantly aim to improve our products, we reserve the right to amend or alter at any time and without prior notice, the specifications of any product. E&OE.

Editor’s note:

Chroma-Q® have been designing lighting equipment for over 25 years, with a reputation for high product quality, innovation and reliability.

Today, LED based lighting products are the core of Chroma-Q’s portfolio.

Chroma-Q have gained a reputation for introducing award-winning, premium LED lighting solutions which deliver the highest performance levels required by today’s most demanding applications – including concerts & theatre shows, film & TV broadcasts, retail, leisure & museum installations, exhibitions & corporate hospitality events.

Follow Chroma-Q on Social Media:

www.facebook.com/chromaq.lighting

www.instagram.com/chromaq

Please visit www.chroma-q.com for more information and a full list of Chroma-Q dealers.

About LumenRadio

LumenRadio provides ultra-reliable and ultra-low power device-to-device wireless connectivity for the most business-critical applications. From high-profile professional lighting installations to heavy-duty industrial equipment, we have solutions that work in environments where all others fail.

Based on our patented Cognitive Coexistence technology, we offer radio modules and an embedded software solution that can be integrated straight into your products with a minimum of investment.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com/lumenradio or call 416.255.9494

The post Edmondson Design & Production: Pioneering Event Design and Technical Direction appeared first on AC Americas.

“The Orlando set lived (in) a world of surrealism, which meant the lighting had to communicate more details about time and space for audience members, as the play spans several centuries,” Dittloff explains. “And, with such a large cyc in the space, I knew it would be key to creating cohesive stage pictures and grounding our audiences in the setting.”

Mason Gross School of the Arts production of Orlando at Rutgers University, Photo Credit: Brad Resnick Photography

Mounted at the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theatre and directed by Chika Ike, this reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography (by Sarah Ruhl) exemplifies the Theatre department’s mission to present a wide range of styles and approaches and encourage students to embrace art as ‘an ever-changing field of possibility.’

To amplify the conceptual approach of a dreamy, poetic tale that spans five centuries while providing audiences with touchstones to underline each time period, Dittloff depended heavily on 8 Chroma-Q Color Force II 72s, which were used exclusively to light the venue’s large cyc.

“My production of Orlando wouldn’t have been possible without them. The product worked exactly like I had wanted, and I utilized it for most of the show,” Dittloff says, adding that this was her final production as a student but her first in the VJM Theatre – a traditional proscenium venue used for theatre and dance on campus. “And having the cyc, this classic staple of theatre, to tackle as one of my final challenges was instantly on my mind.”

Knowing the technology available in the theatre’s existing inventory, Dittloff requested a demo. “The play is five acts, each set in a different century with a different theme and attitude. The scenic world and the costume world lent themselves to a heightened historical or sometimes abstracted surreal look, and the director was interested in finding a way to create a language for these different eras and a sense of time moving. So, we knew that lighting (and costuming) would do a lot of the work of defining those eras. So, a lot of our focus was on how to craft those different time periods.

“When you have such a large cyc on a large stage, I think, immediately, you think about painting in broad strokes from the outside in,” Dittloff continues. “The color and intensity of the cyc helped dictate (how) the rest of the world should be crafted around it.” As an example, she cites “a moment we wanted to be like a world devoid of color, where (the cyc) was the brightest thing on stage – a silhouette moment – with a greyish color that’s hard to get from lights. But I was able to do that with the Color Force.”

There were also moments requiring lush color combinations: “where there was a lot more massaging of the cyc – using intensity to craft where the eye was going, especially since the ensemble was on stage the whole time,” Dittloff says. “That was key to highlighting where Orlando is in the action, and those are the moments where the Color Force II 72s were invaluable. They provided amazing color mixing and unbelievable brightness. I was able to use the cyc to its fullest potential, thanks to these two features.

“They have beautiful output, were easy to set up, and were truly instrumental in getting the stage pictures to look vivid and cohesive; a lighting designer’s dream in terms of color mixing and brightness,” Dittloff concludes. “I was able to control stage pictures in a way I’d never been able to before, thanks to this product. The run went amazingly, and I can’t thank A.C. Lighting and Chroma-Q enough for their help.”

Mason Gross School of the Arts production of Orlando at Rutgers University, Photo Credit: Brad Resnick Photography

Photo Credit: Brad Resnick Photography | Note about Photos. The photos shared with this application story are authorized to be used in conjunction with this application story.

About A.C. Lighting, Inc.

A.C. Lighting, Inc. is a value-added distributor of world-class lighting and associated rigging technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About Chroma-Q

Chroma-Q and all associated product names are recognised trademarks, for more information visit www.chroma-q.com/trademarks. The rights and ownership of all trademarks are recognised. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, Chroma-Q accepts no liability for errors or omissions. Technical specifications and data are provided for guidance only. Because we constantly aim to improve our products, we reserve the right to amend or alter at any time and without prior notice, the specifications of any product. E&OE.

Editor’s note:

Chroma-Q® have been designing lighting equipment for over 25 years, with a reputation for high product quality, innovation and reliability.

Today, LED based lighting products are the core of Chroma-Q’s portfolio.

Chroma-Q have gained a reputation for introducing award-winning, premium LED lighting solutions which deliver the highest performance levels required by today’s most demanding applications – including concerts & theatre shows, film & TV broadcasts, retail, leisure & museum installations, exhibitions & corporate hospitality events.

Follow Chroma-Q on Social Media:

www.facebook.com/chromaq.lighting

www.instagram.com/chromaq

Please visit www.chroma-q.com for more information and a full list of Chroma-Q dealers.

The post Chroma-Q Color Force Invaluable for Mason Gross School of the Arts Production of Orlando appeared first on AC Americas.

This robust network integrated and supported critical systems such as Riedel Artist/Bolero intercom, Barco Eventmaster E2 video switchers, Sony camera CCU chains, and laptop internet distribution. The system ran flawlessly, with no interruptions—a testament to the reliability of Luminex products.

“When things just work, they tend not to be the center of attention, which in our industry is a good thing!” said Corey Yacco, Stagedge Project Manager.

Network Setup and Management

For Stagedge, flexibility and efficiency are key when designing event networks. Using Luminex switches, the team could integrate a wide range of technologies with confidence, knowing the GigaCore series could handle the demands of multiple protocols and high traffic.

Each rack around the ballroom included a Luminex switch, creating a flexible backbone for audio, video, lighting, and communication systems. VLANs—referred to as Groups in Luminex’s intuitive interface—were used to organize and manage the network. To ensure redundancy and maximum efficiency, the team utilized 10GB fiber ring and star topologies connected with Optical-Quad Con cables.

The real magic came from Araneo, Luminex’s free monitoring and control software. Araneo allowed the team to oversee the entire network from a single computer, making adjustments in real-time without the need to access the switches physically.

“Araneo is a tool that makes our technicians’ and engineers’ lives better on a daily basis and is constantly improving,” Yacco added.

Future Plans

The success of this installation highlights how Luminex has redefined networking for Stagedge. “Luminex has changed the way we think about networking. These switches have made it easier for us to teach basic networking to our team. Everything about them just makes sense,” said Yacco.

Looking ahead, Stagedge plans to expand its use of Luminex by revamping its Dante Primary and Secondary systems. Gigacore 30i switches will handle the Primary systems, while Gigacore 10 switches will serve as the Secondary, ensuring seamless integration with larger rack setups.

With Luminex as a trusted partner, Stagedge continues to raise the bar for event production, delivering reliable and efficient networks for any challenge.

About Stagedge

Stagedge is proud to be one of the nation’s leading full-service event production companies, dedicated to conceiving, creating, and executing immersive brand experiences through live, virtual, and hybrid events domestically and around the world.

Stagedge Media Contact:

Jon Martel
Phone: (978) 273.2634
www.stagedge.com

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting is a value-added distributor of world-class Lighting, Networking, and Grip technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands, Chroma-Q® LED Lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q Lighting, and Media Control Surfaces; PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting products; Luminex Network Intelligence manufacturer of Data Distribution Equipment; LumenRadio Wireless Lighting Control; MOSS Led – flexible LED lighting, dimmers, power supplies, and cabling systems, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems; and Manfrotto and Avenger Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About Luminex Network Intelligence

Luminex Network Intelligence is a Belgian manufacturer of data distribution equipment for professional lighting, audio, and video applications, focusing mainly on converged networking in the entertainment industry. Luminex offers a complete range of network switches that have been validated for interoperability in many converged ecosystems, providing AV designers and technicians with cutting-edge technology to build a complete data distribution system ranging from small setups to big events or large venues. Our commitment is to make it as easy as possible to deploy a professional converged AV network, even without any IT knowledge. Luminex products are completely preconfigured to transport all commonly used AV protocols, such as Art-Net, MA-Net, sACN, AVB/Milan, Dante, AES67, PTPv2, IPMX, and many more.

The post Stagedge Simplifies Event Networking with Luminex appeared first on AC Americas.

In meeting such challenges at WST, DeMascolo, gives both the theatre's new Follow-Me system, and the Follow-Me team, a very high grade. "They've been supportive, attentive, eager, ready, and willing to help resolve issues, answer questions, and even remotely log in when a little extra help was needed.” That level of support can be hard to find in an industry where technological change is increasingly fast-paced. “So it makes all the difference in the world to know the product engineers are always there for you,” he adds.

It’s fair to say WST has always been there for theatre patrons coming to the heart of the city for entertainment, presenting a wide range of programming from ‘delightfully wicked plays such as Noël

Coward’s Blithe Spirit and classic musicals like Holiday Inn to modern musical extravaganzas such as Mamma Mia! and Saturday Night Fever.

Founded in 1808, the 957-seat theatre is now in its 216th season. WST isn’t just America's oldest theatre, it’s the longest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world, the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, and a National Historic Monument. Currently, WST welcomes over 200,000 patrons annually and serves the community via children's shows, workshops, and a wide range of community outreach programs.

WST’s commitment to increasing their in-house capabilities, expanding on the type of productions they mount, and their audience's experience, has always been a key part of the theatre’s mandate, a commitment that's clearly reflected in the decision to integrate Follow-Me’s system to accommodate the demands that upcoming shows like Jersey Boys and Dreamgirls, which required additional flexibility and fixtures. “We just didn’t have enough follow spots to do what we needed on those shows. And the fixtures we did have in-house weren’t as bright as we needed them to be."

While WST explored several options to address the issue, including renting or buying additional spots, they ultimately opted for a more flexible (and economical) Follow-Me system comprised of a Follow-Me Rack Server, Track-It Server, 3D Mouse Consoles, 30 Track-It Tags, and 16 Track-It Anchors. “By adding the Track-It system, we not only resolved our challenge, we opened the door for an even more creative palette.”

Formerly, DeMascolo worked with York, Pennsylvania-based Production Express Inc., which handled the sale to WST. “When I was at Production Express, we bought a Follow-Me system for our rental inventory – not the automated tracking system we have here – it was manually run from a mouse controller, but it was an ideal solution for venues like schools that either didn’t have follow spots or didn’t have good locations to put them, but could hang moving lights.”

For WST, it’s an elegant and economical fix – allowing them previously unattainable flexibility. “The beauty of the system is that you don’t have to have a dedicated follow spot fixture. With Follow-Me any moving light in your entire rig can become a follow spot. It doesn’t even have to be out front. All you have to do is put it in three-dimensional space, input the data into the system, and any light becomes a follow spot but can also be switched back to functioning as a regular moving light seamlessly.”

That enables designers to apply a greater range of creative effects and looks than they previously could. “You can get different angles and effects than what you may be able to get from a traditional follow spot." By applying a heavy backlight to silhouette an actor rather than lighting them from the front for dramatic effect, for example, or tracking an actor automatically if they turn and walk upstage and highlight them "walking into the light instead of away from it.”

Given the wide range of productions inhabiting WST, there were some challenges to the installation, notably deciding where the Track-It Anchors – which continuously communicate over Ultra Wide Band (UWB) with the tags worn by performers to calculate their exact position on stage – would live in the performance area.

“Once you get it locked in, it’s really easy to use, but there’s a lot to consider during the initial setup because we really wanted to get it right.” Among those considerations: constantly changing scenic elements and lighting plots, as well as working around various obstructions and building limitations to ensure the tags could “see” the anchors and vice versa – wherever a performer was on stage.”

Again, DeMascolo praises the Follow-Me team for aiding in that effort, and the integration of a system that's both a game-changer for WST, and a testament to the impact of building on the theatre’s historical legacy with modern innovations.

Essentially, Follow-Me is a powerful multi-tool – one DeMascolo, an LD himself, recommends wholeheartedly and credits for dramatically expanding the power and efficacy of WST’s existing inventory. “It’s a great tool for our toolbox. Having full color, iris, and zoom control over the spot units, and being able to use different angles and even textures, we can give designers as many tools and options as we can so they can create the best-looking shows possible here. Having the Follow-Me system not only helps accomplish that, it opens the door to a more creative look for our audiences.”

Photo Credit: M. DeMascolo, M. Garvin

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting is a value-added distributor of world-class Lighting, Networking, and Grip technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting Inc. is a  North American distributor for premier brands, including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, Jands StageCL and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About Follow-Me

From the Netherlands, Follow-Me BV manufactures remote follow-spot and performer-tracking solutions. A Follow-Me 3D system is scalable and can manually track from 1 to 6 performers with unlimited fixtures, by adding Follow-Me Track-it, unlimited performers can be both manual and auto-tracked from a single Follow-Me system. Follow-Me is fixture-independent: it can control any brand of moving light via Art-Net, sACN & incorporate PSN.

Follow-Me systems are used internationally, currently, a wide array of applications ranging from international tours with artists such as Genesis, TV shows like The Masked Singer, theatrical productions, EXPO 2021 Dubai, theme parks, and many other acclaimed applications.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

The post How Walnut Street Theatre Embraced Innovation with Follow-Me appeared first on AC Americas.

Texas-sized changes

Nathan Brittain has been working for LD Systems since 2010, but he started working on the Rodeo in 2014, eventually becoming the event's lead designer and lighting console programmer. His networking experience at that point had come from his college days at the University of Texas at Austin where he made his entrée into the world of routers, IP addresses, and subnet masks.

The design of the Rodeo Houston stage, lighting, audio, and video systems have evolved over the years, undergoing major updates about every four or five years. Until 2018, when the Rodeo had a significant design upgrade, which included new staging and audio, video, and lighting elements

“It's pretty phenomenal,” Brittain says. “It’s massive and very impressive.”

Just a few years ago, the lighting was controlled by a purely DMX network, but now it heavily relies on an Ethernet network to distribute the data. Brittain says the reasons for the changes were that “The system got big enough that it became much more efficient and easier to deploy over a network instead of analog lines,” he said. “The rig previous to that one was probably somewhere in the six to eight universes realm, so it wasn't enough at that point. When we moved to that system, it grew enough that we'd really benefit from putting nodes and running fewer lines. And we're talking about a football stadium, so to run from front of house to the overhead rig is a 1500-foot cable run. So, it started to make more sense. We had done our homework beforehand and tested it [Luminex],” Brittain said. “It was pretty flawless.”

When that stage was upgraded, everything around it was also upgraded, including a new overhead rig, a new network with a fiber optic backbone, and many more nodes. At the heart of the system is a Luminex GigaCore managed switch at the front of the house with fiber runs to a switch in the catwalk, another in the overhead rig, and one on the stage. Over the stage are four Luminex Ether to DMXs 8’s, and each of the five points of the star has Luminex LumiNode 4’s, plus another seven LumiNode 4’s on the revolving stage and on the truss towers.

The Importance of Redundancy and Ease of Use

Fiber is fragile because it’s made of glass. It can’t be kinked, or it will break, nor can it be subject to crushing or rough handling.

If a cable fails, it could bring down the entire system, and in live events, that’s unacceptable. RLinkX provides a means of building redundancy in a system so that if a cable fails after 40ms, the data can take an alternate route, and the system remains working. It backs up the system and adds reliability.

“It's a dual fiber line (from the front of house) to the stage,” Brittain said, “and then dual fiber line up to the overhead. All the switches in between have dual Ethernet lines running between them. We did some testing with it,” Brittain said, “and it was just pretty much plug and play. It did it on its own. That was our first dive into Luminex. It just seemed like they were ahead of everybody on their feature set and how they were managed.”

Brittain also how easy it was to set up the switches and use their features.

“I felt like their managed switches and the way they deal with VLANs, which they call Groups, was just so simple,” he said, “and it really homed in on and was geared towards our industry. It took out the confusion and complexity. They [Luminex] found the way to separate those two, give it all the power that those have, but dumb it down for what we need in our world.”

The Groups feature allows them to segment the network into several VLANs (virtual local area networks). The Groups can be assigned for specific purposes such as audio, lighting, video, or intercom, and each Group can be assigned any number of Ethernet ports. “Sometimes a band will bring in a floor package, and we need to supply them with just dry lines,” Brittain said. “It's flexible in that way, and it shifts from day to day. We do 20 shows in a row at Rodeo, and every day is different.”

Another feature that Brittain likes is the ability to save a setup file for each device.

“Whether it's the switch or the node, you can export that on a thumb drive and save it wherever you want,” he said. “You can also save it locally on the device. Every year, as part of our prep, we get all the devices and load their presets. When we plug everything in, it's good to go.”

Multicasting and sACN

Some of those protocols require the switch to have specific features. sACN, for example, is a multicast protocol, which requires that the switch support internet group management protocol (IGMP) snooping, and that helps to reduce network congestion by allowing lighting fixtures to subscribe to a particular DMX universe. The switch then only forwards data to the ports to which a subscriber is connected, thereby avoiding flooding ports with unrequested data. IGMP snooping requires one of the switches in a group to act as a querier, which registers the multicast packets to corresponding ports to which subscribers are connected. In Luminex GigaCore switches, it is an automated process.

Brittain said it was not difficult to become acquainted with Luminex switches. He said it was a “very easy learning curve.”

Araneo

When asked about his approach to troubleshooting issues with the network, he said the first step is to look at the Luminex Araneo app to help isolate the issue. The network management software builds a graphical layout of a Luminex network, including the connections and data flow, and it gives indications of potential issues. Besides troubleshooting, Araneo allows you to visually create a network topology and configure the settings in advance. “During our show prep,” he said, “we use the Araneo Software to place all our devices, where they’re going to go, and put in pictures. When you show up on-site, you use that same tool to monitor and make changes.” There is also a Health Check Feature, which automatically checks critical network parameters like VLAN IDs, IGMP settings, and firmware versions to prevent configuration errors and to maintain optimal network performance. You can even modify the network configurations offline in Offline Project Mode.

Why Luminex?

“I had done a bunch of research on it,” he said, “so by the time we were using it, I felt really comfortable. But even those who hadn't done that but then got to use the gear, once we got it into our inventory, everybody picked up on it really easily. It's very intuitive.”

With the built-in redundancy, the network has been very stable. Brittain said that if any of the cables had failed and the system switched over to the backup, it happens very quickly.

“I have noticed a blip,” he said. “I happened to look at Araneo and see where we've switched over to just one line, and then after some time, it will recover and go back to the dual. I don't know if it's just a blip or a cable got loose, but I keep Araneo. It’s one of my screens at front of house. So, I can see that kind of stuff happen on occasion. But we've never had an issue in the show where we lost connection.”

With several years of experience running the system, Brittain says they have had little occasion to call A.C. Lighting for support. But when they do, he said it's always been a “positive” experience, and they are “quick to respond.” And with “such a big system that's spread around all over the place in a stadium” and “for as many years and as many shows as it's been active, it's really been pretty rock solid.”

About LD Systems

LD Systems is a premier provider of audio, lighting, and video equipment, production services, and audiovisual systems integration products.

LD Systems operates out of Houston and San Antonio supporting live events and AV installations across the nation.

www.ldsystems.com

About Luminex Network Intelligence

Luminex Network Intelligence is a Belgian manufacturer of data distribution equipment for professional lighting, audio, and video applications, focusing mainly on the entertainment industry. Luminex offers a complete range of network switches that have been validated for interoperability in many ecosystems, providing AV designers and technicians with cutting-edge technology to build a complete data distribution system ranging from small setups to big events or large venues. Our commitment is to make it as easy as possible to deploy a professional converged AV network, even without any IT knowledge. Luminex products are completely preconfigured to transport all commonly used lighting and audio protocols, such as Art-Net™, MA-Net, sACN, AVB/Milan™, Dante™, AES67, PTPv2, and many more. www.luminex.be

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting is a value-added distributor of world-class Lighting, Networking, and Grip technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands, including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, Jands StageCL and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

The post Luminex Network Supports Rodeo Houston appeared first on AC Americas.

Network Infrastructure and Setup

At the core of our network, we (Dodd) deployed two Luminex 20t switches, interconnected with redundant 10G links. These switches served as the central backbone, providing the necessary bandwidth and redundancy. From this backbone, the network branched out to several key locations:

• 1x GigaCore 10 switch was installed high up in the scoreboard above the pool, managing LED equipment and remote PTZ cameras. This switch provided redundancy for the system and was controlled remotely.
• 1x GigaCore 20t switch was dedicated to our Riedel Artist system hub, ensuring reliable communication throughout the venue.
• 3x GigaCore 16XT switches were strategically placed at key patch points, allowing each department to select their required VLANs as needed.
• 2x GigaCore 12 switches provided redundant Dante distribution for our Shure Axient equipment, along with distribution to the house system, as well as some ancillary I/O.

Technologies and Protocols in Use

A variety of protocols, including MA-Net and AES67, were employed to ensure smooth communication and signal distribution across the venue. Dante was used for input distribution, ensuring that audio signals were transmitted without interruption. Milan AVB supported the Meyer Sound PA distribution, delivering high-quality audio throughout the event.

The network also supported video camera PTZ control with PoE, computer control, and internet distribution; all managed seamlessly over the Luminex infrastructure.

Benefits of Using Luminex

Luminex proved to be an invaluable choice for our network needs. One of the standout benefits was the ease of use. The switches were straightforward to configure, and the ability to integrate various protocols—MA-Net, AES67, Dante, Milan AVB—without issue was key to quick and easy central control of the network. Having the ability to centrally set up all the VLANs with the appropriate settings for each transport type allowed us to focus on the show and not the network.

Luminex's pre-vetted settings for audio and lighting transport were particularly helpful, allowing us to focus on the event rather than troubleshooting network issues.

Araneo, Luminex's centralized monitoring and configuration tool (Araneo), was insanely important to our setup. It provided quick and easy central control of the entire network, enabling us to rapidly get everything up and running. This allowed each department to receive what they needed when they needed it, without delays or complications.

Challenges and Solutions

One of the biggest challenges we faced on-site was managing the long distances between various network points and the different transport types. The versatility of Luminex switches made it easier to handle these challenges, ensuring that all protocols coexisted harmoniously on the same network.

Another key challenge was maintaining network reliability. Given the critical nature of the production, any downtime would have been disastrous. The redundant links and the ability to remotely control the switches were vital in ensuring that the network remained stable and reliable throughout the event.

“We have trusted Luminex’s products for years on all our events, so it was a no-brainer to rely on their expertise again to transport the plethora of audio, lighting, and video content for this historic event,” remarked Caleb Cassler.

About Dodd Technologies Inc.

What’s the difference between a run-of-the-mill corporate conference and a world-class event? The way Dodd Technologies, Inc. designs and stages it. Since our inception as a company in 1983, we have always pushed the envelope when it comes to visual impact, message delivery and audience engagement for our clients. Whether managing an employee awards banquet or an outdoor concert, we keep audiences on the edge of their seats. We create exciting concepts and produce effective media for events across North America and worldwide. And we’re able to deliver unsurpassed value to our customers with one of the most extensive inventories of staging, lighting, truss, audio, video, and LED display technology in the business — all of which we own and maintain ourselves!

We work with our clients from page to stage, designing all of our events with detailed CAD drawings and equipment lists so there are no surprises when we get to the venue. Our close collaboration with clients has led to a number of long-term partnerships. We’re devoted to building events that deliver the most effective messaging and best possible return on their investment. After the event, we can edit or convert their content for future use or archive it for any future needs our clients may have.

With all the knowledge and resources at our disposal, we can provide an outstanding experience for both your staff and your audience.

doddtechnologies.com

About Luminex Network Intelligence

Luminex Network Intelligence is a Belgian manufacturer of data distribution equipment for professional lighting, audio, and video applications, focusing mainly on the entertainment industry. Luminex offers a complete range of network switches that have been validated for interoperability in many ecosystems, providing AV designers and technicians with cutting-edge technology to build a complete data distribution system ranging from small setups to big events or large venues. Our commitment is to make it as easy as possible to deploy a professional converged AV network, even without any IT knowledge. Luminex products are completely preconfigured to transport all commonly used lighting and audio protocols, such as Art-Net™, MA-Net, sACN, AVB/Milan™, Dante™, AES67, PTPv2, and many more. www.luminex.be

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting is a value-added distributor of world-class Lighting, Networking, and Grip technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands, including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, Jands StageCL and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

The post USA Swim Trials Streamline Production with Luminex appeared first on AC Americas.

The expansion and new design of the studio required an upgrade to the lighting setup to be more sophisticated andmodern, in line with the new image of the program. WETA, the production house of PBS News, entrusted lighting designers Dennis Size and Alex Kyle-Dipietropaolo from The Lighting Design Group, a company specialized in lighting for TV and broadcast, to develop a new system.

The two lighting designers designed the system which includes over 120 PROLIGHTS fixtures, including EclProfile CT+and EclPanel TWC; both equipped with Spektra calibration, they offer a high-level color range and white reproduction, providing optimal performance for a live broadcast studio like PBS News.

The lighting fixtures for the PBS News Studio were supplied by Barbizon Lighting Company in Alexandria, VA with support from A.C. Lighting Inc.,the PROLIGHTS distributor in North America. "The exceptional luminous output and color of the PROLIGHTS fixtures make them the ideal solution for any high-level television and film production. The result of the new PBS News set is fantastic, and we are delighted to have been part of the project." stated the team at A.C. Lighting.

About A.C. Lighting

A.C. Lighting, is a value-added distributor of world-class lighting and associated rigging technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting, a  North American distributor for premier brands including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, Jands StageCL and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About PROLIGHTS

Established in 2001, the brand PROLIGHTS concentrates on the design and manufacture of lighting technologies for events, TV, and architecture. The company still maintains in Italy its main R&D center that leads product development and coordinates the activities of production and external R&D units.

For more information about PROLIGHTS, please visit www.aclighting.com/prolights-lighting or call 416.255.9494

The post PROLIGHTS Products Illuminate the New PBS News Studio appeared first on AC Americas.

Worldwide – March 2, 2023

2022 Grammy-winning Prog Giants Dream Theater worked throughout the pandemic to create their newest album “A view from the top of the World”. In January 2022 they set off on their world tour named “Top of the World Tour.” The entire vision was created in their Dream Theater headquarters (DTHQ) in the USA.

Steve Baird has been the Lighting Designer for Dream Theater from 1995 to 2000 and then returned in 2007.

“As a drummer and artist, I have an innate passion for music, lighting, and how a live show functions smoothly while impressing the audience.” The artistic, and creative work of Baird, is what allowed him to light a simple, yet creative stage for Dream Theater.

The band wanted floor-to-ceiling video projection, and Baird’s role was to come up with a vision for the lighting and video that would make the audience gasp. The album cover is a scene between 2 mountains in Norway, with a rock suspended between the gap of the mountain.

To create a stage that was Dream Theater’s own environment, and unique look. 6 White fabric panels were used in front of a white projection screen to create a projection surface with depth, a kind of 3D. Along the sides were 6 digitally printed fabric panels, 3 on each side with the two mountains from the album cover. This was done so that when the audience walked into the venue the album cover was projected on the center surface and the sides were used to extend the two mountains.

When it came to lighting the panels, I wanted to use the Chroma-Q® Color Force II™ 72’s fixtures. The fixtures were hung at the top and the bottom of each panel to provide full color on the set. “The Chroma-Q® Color Force II™ fixtures provide great powerful colors, and I think the best saturation on the market,” explains Baird “Dream Theater has a powerful show. Using the fixtures to color match the video for the best audience experience was the ideal choice.”

“There is nothing like the sound and vibe from the audience once the first (lighting) cue starts.” reminisces Baird.

Lighting was supplied to Baird by Christie Lites via A.C. Lighting for the Canada and USA leg of the tour, and A.C. Entertainment Technologies for Europe. In 2023, Dream Theater went back to Europe to commence the next leg of the tour.

Images © Steve Baird stevebairddesigns.com

About A.C. Lighting, Inc.

A.C. Lighting, Inc. is a value-added distributor of world-class lighting and associated rigging technologies for the theater, film, television, worship, exhibition, and commercial markets.  A.C. Lighting is a  North American distributor for premier brands including Chroma-Q® LED lighting, Vista by Chroma-Q lighting and media control surfaces, PROLIGHTS high value and high-performance range of lighting, video and effects products, Luminex Networking Intelligence manufacturer of data distribution equipment, Manfrotto and Avenger: Professional Lighting Stands and Accessories, Follow-Me Remote Follow Spot Control Systems, LumenRadio wireless lighting controls, and Prolyte staging and trussing.

For more information, please visit www.aclighting.com or call 416.255.9494

About Chroma-Q

Chroma-Q and all associated product names are recognised trademarks, for more information visit www.chroma-q.com/trademarks. The rights and ownership of all trademarks are recognised. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, Chroma-Q accepts no liability for errors or omissions. Technical specifications and data are provided for guidance only. Because we constantly aim to improve our products, we reserve the right to amend or alter at any time and without prior notice, the specifications of any product. E&OE.

Editor’s note:

Chroma-Q® have been designing lighting equipment for over 25 years, with a reputation for high product quality, innovation and reliability.

Today, LED based lighting products are the core of Chroma-Q’s portfolio.

Chroma-Q have gained a reputation for introducing award-winning, premium LED lighting solutions which deliver the highest performance levels required by today's most demanding applications – including concerts & theatre shows, film & TV broadcasts, retail, leisure & museum installations, exhibitions & corporate hospitality events.

Follow Chroma-Q on Social Media:

www.facebook.com/chromaq.lighting    

www.instagram.com/chromaq

Please visit www.chroma-q.com for more information and a full list of Chroma-Q dealers.

The post A View from the top of the World…Includes Chroma-Q appeared first on AC Americas.