FORT ST. JOHN, BC — The northern skies above this town of 18,000 along the Alaska Highway may give off one heckuva light show on occasion, but there isn’t much in the way of big city nightlife in this neck of the woods. That’s changed with the installation of new Martin gear at the On the Rocks Nightclub and Bar. Offering nightlife seekers the biggest dance room in more than a 200 mile radius, the venue now features Martin smartMACs, Mania SCX600 scanners, Mania EFX700 and Mania EFX800 effects lights. The gear is spaced evenly around the perimeter of a 21-foot-by-21-foot truss suspended 16 feet above the club’s dance floor.
Atomic strobes and Mania EFX500 effect lights surround a cluster of 17 mirror balls in the center of the room for additional visuals, and Mania DC1 water effects are dispersed around the club’s ancillary areas, providing a splash of wall decor.
A Jem ZR33 Hi-Mass fogger provides a canopy of mid air haze and atmospheric fog. A PC-based Martin LightJockey controls the lighting and effects. Martin’s Canadian representative, Martin Canada, supplied the gear.
“The Martin lighting was chosen because of my experience with the Martin line, and the unreal reliability of these fixtures,” said Todd Williams, club manager. “The smartMACs offer the best light output and the greatest movement for such a compact easy-to-service fixture. These light effects are so easy to use, set up and run.”
In the future, Williams will be adding at least four more smartMACs to the rig because, as he says, “they are so cool.” The smartMAC is a 150-watt moving head profile luminaire with interchangeable dichroic colors and effects. It promises long service intervals, quiet operation and a unique fanless cooling system.
Sam Scanlan of Pro Sound & Stage, Langley, B.C., designed the club’s lighting with product and design support from Martin’s Western Canadian representative Clayton Hubick. Pro Sound & Stage also supplied the gear and completed the install over a 12 day period in early August.
“The owners wanted a great club system and the logical choice was Martin lighting. Past experience with the Mania series gave me the confidence that they would provide great light output for both the dance floor and the wall lighting,” said Scanlan.
Although a late addition to Scanlan’s design, the smartMACs play an integral role in shaping the club environment. “They are an exceptional light with outstanding output and color,” Scanlan said. “They enable us to paint the walls with vivid color and really stand out and get noticed by the patrons of the club.”
Pro Sound & Stage gets their Martin gear from Martin’s long time Canadian distributor, Erikson Pro/Martin Canada. Pro Sound and Stage technicians on the job were David Bleakney, Mat Radoszewski and Tim Doucet.
“The people at Pro Sound were very good at recommending quality products,” said Williams. “I felt confident in the install team who went above the call of duty. They were organized and fully prepared to do the job, even though they were 800 miles away from their shop. When all was said and done they made an outstanding system that is simple to operate. We had an idea and they made it all come together.”
“A lot of people thought this venue was too much for this little town,” Williams added, “but I say go big or go home!”
GEAR:
4 Martin smartMAC
8 Martin Mania SCX600
4 Martin Mania EFX500
1 Martin Mania EFX700
1 Martin Mania EFX800
10 Martin Mania DC1
2 Martin Atomic 3000
1 Jem ZR33 Hi-Mass
1 Martin LightJockey
For more information, please visit www.martin.com.
