MILWAUKEE – From wireless headsets to miniaturized cameras, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been an incubator of innovation since it started 76 years ago. But none of the ideas to come out of the agency has been a quite like the one Edmundo Gómez Moreno thought up. While working for NASA, he began mixing Latin basses with electronic sounds as an auditory experiment. The result not only sounded great, it sparked a new career for the Mexican-born aerospace engineer as a Top 20 recording artist.
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Renamed “Raymix,” the 27-year-old sensation brought his power-packed show to Milwaukee’s iconic Rave Ballroom, where Juan Ocampo of High Frequency Productions matched its stunning video images with an array of colors from CHAUVET Professional Rogue R2 Wash fixtures.
“The VJ for Raymix created some beautiful breakout patterns with layered colors that were displayed on a large center stage video wall,” said Ocampo. “To create a smooth integrated look, we tried to match the VJ’s color scheme as closely as possible with our lights. Most of the colors were changed on the fly on the R2 Washes. That gave us great flexibility.”
Ocampo had 12 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures in his floor package. He flew eight of these units upstage to create coordinated color washes. He also tightened the focus of the fixtures to create beam looks. The remaining four Rogue R2 Washes were positioned two on each side of the stage for side wash.
“Raymix wanted the side wash to complement his show,” said Ocampo. “We absolutely love the Rogue R2 Wash fixtures. They are extremely versatile. We were able to use some of the built-in macros on the upstage R2s to really create some cool looks and eye candy for the audience. They are so fast that snapping them into any position would create a unique effect.”
While the Rogue R2 Wash fixtures were adding color to the stage, Ocampo created a sense of extra depth with the 12 CHAUVET DJ Intimidator Hybrid 140SR fixtures in his rig. He flew six of the 140W spot/beam/wash fixtures on upstage truss and used the remaining units in his floor package — four on truss ladders and two on the downstage deck.
“We had the Intimidators at different heights and depths,” said Ocampo. “This helped create sweeps across the stage and into the crowd to give us some great looks. A big plus in the 140SR is the prism feature. With a little adjustment to the zoom and focus, the fixtures create ultra-wide room-filling effects and specials.”
As far as Ocampo is concerned, the net effect of adding the Rogue and Intimidator fixtures to his rig was that the venue’s relatively small stage looked bigger, deeper and more exciting. “We didn’t have a lot of space to work with,” he said. “So, it was important that we got the most out of the fewest possible fixtures.”
That’s the kind of efficiency that former aerospace engineer Raymix undoubtedly appreciated.
Photo Credit: Dan Kazinski
