LAS VEGAS – Every year, the staff at PLSN checks out every new product that has to do with the live event industry and beyond, including lighting, video and related tools that make live events and shows look their best. Here are the two-dozen-plus products awarded with Gold Star plaques at the recent LDI show in Las Vegas.
Best Data Distribution System
A.C. Lighting and the Luminex LumiNode
Luminex’ latest data distribution boxes range from a single port model to the LumiNode 12, which has up to 16 processing engines and 12 DMX ports. The LumiNode has an innovative new interface, it can merge up to four input sources. It handles all current protocols, anticipates future protocols and can adapt to any network infrastructure. They strongly believe that the future of most connections will be done via an Ethernet network.
Best Range of Waterproof Fixtures
ADJ Hydro Series
ADJ is leading the pack with their range of IP65 range moving lights that are guaranteed to work in some of the toughest environments. Now offering ten different models including moving beam fixtures, a moving wash light, pars (including a UV model) a batten, and an LED Panel. All of these are perfect for lighting outdoor nightclub areas and protecting your gear on any event.
Best Video Truss Product
Applied Truss and Electronics Video Wall Truss
With truss now purposely being designed to hang heavy LED displays on center, we had been waiting for someone to offer a curved model. (VWT) is designed for hanging 500mm LED video wall tiles. They now offer a curved model to go with their straight sections. The tiles butt together for a very clean hang. LED hanging hardware tucks into the truss for a clean look.
Best TV Lighting Fixture
Astera Helios Tube
Not resting on their laurels, Astera now offers the Helios model. The super-convenient IP65 rated Helios has 8 pixels and is half the size with half the battery weight of the Titan Tube, but with the same high CRI and TCLI of 96, for excellent skin tones and detail. DP’s are turning to it for a great source of handheld light on video shoots. A custom handheld handle is also available.
Best Media Server/Console Interface
Avolites Synergy
Avolites has bridged the gap between console programming and media server operation with Synergy. Integrating lighting and video together like never before, all functionality is available with any combination of their lines of consoles and media servers, from the T1 to Sapphire light desks, and from the Anjuna license key to Q3 servers.
Best Disco Effects Light
Blizzard Shoqwave X6
This is just a fun fixture that no dance floor is complete without. A fast spinning disk offers continuous rotation to six individual LED beam heads. Each 10w LED head has 120° tilt capability and offers either Red, Green, Blue, White or half colors of the above. Use the built in programming, sound-active mode, or up to 38 channels of DMX.
Best New Large Scale Light Console
ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium Console
This desk can support 200 universes direct from the console without the need for external processing. MagicQ MQ500 Stadium is designed for high performance and complex shows. It has the largest number of playbacks in the ChamSys family, with 42 playbacks made up of both fader and executor playbacks for live busking.
Best Small Format Spot Fixture
Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 475Z
This handy little fixture packs a punch for its size with a 250-watt LED engine as the light source. It can run wirelessly with non-DMX control using the IRC-6 remote from Chauvet. With 7 colors + white, two gobo wheels, a motorized zoom from 13-28° this small footprint fixture is a cannon of a light that easily fits in your budget.
Best Advancement in Lamp Technology
Claypaky/Osram Xtylos
Claypaky is making headlines with their use of a custom-made laser as its light source in this beam fixture. This source, lasting for 10,000 hours, is enclosed in a reliable, safe, and fully sealed module and offers an incredible array of colors through RGB additive color mixing. This beam fixture offers 12 static gobos, (including five beam diameter reducers), seven rotating gobos, and three rotating prisms on one wheel.
Best Architectural Truss
Cosmic Truss DNA Truss
Has anyone ever designed a truss to be so cosmetically appealing? While its uses may vary in that it’s not as load bearing as a stick of straight truss, nothing looks better toned with color than these 12-inch spiral truss sections. Adapter pieces can be attached which bring the DNA’s twist into a square, ensuring it can fit seamlessly into any F34 box truss designs. Perfect for any exhibition space or nightclub install.
Best Advancement in Media Server Technology
disguise gx 2c
The gx range excels with power for rendering live effects such as Notch by utilizing Nvidia Quadro graphics cards. Because the graphics cards are optimized for live effects rendering instead of straight video playback, these are the machines often specified for live IMAG effects and real-time graphics.
Best Hard Edge Profile
Elation Artiste Monet
The revolutionary CYMRGB + CTO color system takes color mixing to an unprecedented level. In a world of similar fixtures it was refreshing to see this light do original things. The full blackout frames, continuous rotating framing system is rocking, as are the fixture’s macros. The zoom range from 6.5° to 55°, selection of gobos and 45,000+ lumen output deserve high recognition.
Best New Dimmer
ETC PhaseAdept Dimming Module
The world has been waiting for someone to provide high-quality dimming for LED fixtures and lamps. The flexible functionality of the PhaseAdept module gives venues the ability to update their fixtures without having to update their dimming and control infrastructure. Module can be used in any ETC power enclosure.
Best Light Batten
GLP impression FR10 Bar
GLP took the industry by storm with their X4 Bar 20 moving batten. The timing was right for the next model, which features a larger size output aperture with individual zoom control for each cell. The impression FR10 Bar contains 10 cells, each containing a high output 60-watt RGBW light source. It’s the same physical length as its predecessor.
Best Use of Media Servers in an Installation
Green Hippo at The Palms Casino, Las Vegas
KAOS nightclub, which is being repurposed for private events, has over 64 million physical pixels of video, with all outputs and content, including live inputs, driven at 60fps. Seventeen streams of 4K can shoot out to dozens of areas of the club area and facade from a plethora of Hippo Media Servers, including eight Montane+ servers and two Boreal+ servers.
Best LED Wash Light
High End Systems TurboRay
This retro looking wash light offers functions unlike anything else on the market. Powered by the use of four 60-watt Osram Ostar RGBW LED cells and the eye-catching louvered turbines in the front of the fixture – that get used as the primary radial diffuser for the fixture, acting as a variable frost that can spread across the whole beam. It’s a great beam with many special effects.
Best Eye Candy
Mega Systems Circa Scoop LED
Mega Systems’ Circa Scoop LED is suited for any application in which you need dazzle, functional illumination, decorative illumination, or a functioning scoop light. The form of the fixture is beautiful and has a combination of unique LED systems that provide innovative tools for making any project or event look stunning. There are 336 RGB LEDs onboard each unit for LDs to pixel map to their heart’s delight.
Best New Camera System
Panasonic 8K ROI Camera System
A collaboration between Solotech and Panasonic has resulted in this game-changing technology for the live concert and sports broadcasting world. The new system allows up to four different HD images to be produced from a single 8K camera. After setup is complete, a single operator can control multiple camera mages from the 8K ROI view.
Best New Series of Fixtures
Robe T1
Touted as the new one and only fixture you need for theater, television and touring, these moving profile and wash fixtures come with all the bells and whistles a DoP could ask for. This medium range LED sourced fixture offers either a PC or Fresnel lens for the wash model. The T1 Profile Followspot (FS) model is equipped with a digital camera on the head which connects with the RoboSpot BaseStation for followspot operation.
Best Video Tiles for Fixed Installation
ROE Visual Jasper and Amber Series
ROE Visual released several outstanding products last year. Two new interior products designed for the permanent install market stood out as excellent advances in technology. The Amber display features a 600-by-337mm cabinet in four different hi-res pixel pitches ranging from 0.9 — 1.8. The Jasper comes in 500 x 500mm squares and pixel pitches ranging from 2.6-5.2.
Best New Hardware
Rose Brand ADC T-Lift 2.0
T-Lift 2.0 is the easiest, fastest automated curtain rigging system ever, taking minutes to assemble now. It comes “ready-to rig” in familiar modular truss sections. “Quick Connect” lift lines attach to the drums in seconds and allow you to leave the lines rigged into the curtain between tour stops. Aircraft cable has been replaced with flat, ½-inch nylon lines that are just as strong and safe, yet silent and snarl-free.
Best House Light
The Light Source RL Series LED
This luminaire provides the look and feel of a natural, single source incandescent light, while offering excellent LED performance and longevity. The 6-inch Fresnel LED recessed fixture is perfect for applications requiring up to 12,750 lumens with excellent dimming, tight beam control, and a high quality of light. It is a great choice for atriums, auditoriums, churches, museums, schools, studios, and theaters.
Best Compatible Structures for Video Tiles
Unilumin UtileIII and UpadIII
Unilumin’s UpadIII and UtileIII both offer the simplest one-person installation and disassembly of both products for fast deployment at live events as well as for installations. Easy lift handles make it a snap to connect the double sized UtileIII models or connect them with the half sized models. The UpadIII offers high precision curving and a seamless 90° connection between two panels. Both products can be used for indoor and outdoor applications.
Best High-Res LED Cabinet
Vanguard LED Displays Chromium Series
Boasting pixel pitches that will be down to 0.7 by 2020, the Chromium series has done away with the SMD bulb, opting for Chip on Board technology with the chips directly attached to the PC Board. Epoxy resin coats the boards to create a surface resistant to impact, water and humidity with a failure rate less than 10 percent of the SMD.
Best Large Format Wash Light
Vari-Lite VL6500 Wash
VL has brought back the aesthetically cool look of their VL5 wash fixture but magnified the size of the fixture and the light output considerably. The turbine looking louvers remain to diffuse the beam, but are not used to color mix. With an LED source and a much faster color system this fixture is capable of spitting out over 50,000 lumens of light and making a good complement to the 6000 Beam fixture.
Best Rack Mounted Accessory
Whirlwind PL-PM1RJ Power Meter
The UL listed Whirlwind PL-PM1RJ Power Meter is designed for monitoring voltage, current and frequency on 3 phase Y power with three 120-volt AC legs or single phase AC with two 120-volt legs. Additionally, neutral to ground voltage and line frequency are monitored. A new enhancement of the PL-PM1RJ now allows network connectivity for remotely viewing power distribution parameters in real time from another device.
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